Southern Jewish Life, New Orleans, December 2021 by Southern Jewish Life

Southern Jewish LifeLife Southern Jewish 3747 West Esplanade Ave. P.O. Box 130052 3rd Floor Birmingham, AL 35213 Metairie, LA 70002 Volume 31 Issue 12

December 2021

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Southern Jewish Life

shalom y’all Look for With this issue, we complete our 31st year of publication. Things have certainly changed in the last three decades. After our first issue, we were given a major story to cover as the Gulf War broke out and Iraq lobbed Scud missiles at Israel. The Internet was for college students and tech wizards, so publications like ours were half local and half national/international, to supplement the two paragraphs or 30 seconds in the mainstream press that even back then often betrayed a bias against or hostility to Israel. If anything, that has gotten worse. About 15 years ago, with the Internet everywhere, running national news became superfluous, so we concentrated exclusively on the original local stories that weren’t elsewhere. Recently, I was invited to speak to the Jewish community in Baton Rouge, and told them that when I began this publication, I did not want it to devolve into an endless stream of “everyone hates us, and there are fewer of us for them to hate.” And yet, the requested topic for me to address? Antisemitism. In the 1990s, it looked like that phenomenon was on the wane, that it was still socially unacceptable. Progress with the Palestinians and then Jordan signaled a lessening of those tensions — how that turned out to be a mirage! Instead, antisemitism morphed again and is often cloaked in social justice jargon that lashes out at the perceived oppressor. Perhaps the progress of the Abraham Accords and Israel’s increasing acceptance throughout the Middle East (even Libya is looking at normalization!) will take the air out of some of the Palestinian terror balloons and expose their activists for the moral bankruptcy they spew. When you’re so committed to having everyone boycott Israel that you call for

in the center of this issue of Southern Jewish Life

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

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

MESSAGES

January 2021 December 2021

If you enjoy

Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel to Australia to South America, Europe and the JCC Maccabi games around the United States and Canada, I have logged many miles seeing how sports can be a vehicle to help build Jewish identity, especially in our young.

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I felt honored to come to Birmingham for the first time and fell in love with not just the city but the people. You have taken Southern hospitality to a new level with your kind and caring approach to the JCC Maccabi Games. Led They by the Sokol and ones Helds, who your hard-working volunteers were wonderful. They partnered are the keep with your outstanding staff, led by Betzy Lynch, to make the 2017 JCC Maccabi games a huge hit. presses rolling, so we candirector of Maccabi USA to say thank you on behalf I wantthe to take this opportunity as executive continue serving the community of everyone involved.

Let them know you appreciate them!

I had just returned from the 20th World Maccabiah games in Israel with a U.S. delegation of over 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. Back in July the eyes of the entire Jewish world were on Jerusalem and the Maccabiah. This past month with 1000 athletes and coaches from around the world being in Birmingham, you became the focal point.

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Richard Friedman richard@sjlmag.com V.P. SALES/MARKETING, NEW ORLEANS Jeff Pizzo jeff@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Emily Baldwein connect@sjlmag.com

Everyone from the Jewish community and the community at large, including a wonderful police force, are to be commended. These games will go down in history as being Breaakfseminal ast, Jewish Lusuch moment for the Jewish community as we build to the future by providing nch awonderful nd Sna memories. ck Ser

PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com

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

BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 2179 Highland Ave., Birmingham, AL 35205 205/870.7889

Jed Margolis Executive Director, Maccabi USA

On Charlottesville Editor’s Note: This reaction to the events in Charlottesville, written by Jeremy Newman, Master of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Theta Colony at Auburn University, was shared by AEPi National, which called it “very eloquent” and praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at Auburn University and… the leadership they display on their campus.” White supremacy has been a cancer on our country since its beginning, threatening its hopes, its values, and its better angels. The events that took place in Charlottesville represented the worst of this nation. Those who marched onto the streets with tiki torches and swastikas did so to provoke violence and fear. Those who marched onto the streets did so to profess an ideology that harkens back to a bleaker, more wretched time in our history. A time when men and women of many creeds, races, and religions were far from equal and far from safe in our own borders. A time where Americans lived under a constant cloud of racism, anti-Semitism and pervasive hate. The events that took place in Charlottesville served as a reminder of how painfully relevant these issues are today. Auburn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with the Jewish community of Charlottesville, and with the Jewish people around the country and around the world. We also stand with the minorities who are targeted by the hate that was on display in Charlottesville. We stand with the minorities of whom these white 4

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

ved Da

ily

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Louis Crawford, Tally Werthan, Stuart Derroff, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com

NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/249-6875 TOLL-FREE 888/613.YALL(9255) ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com Jeff Pizzo, jeff@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South. To that end, our commitment includes mailing to every Jewish household in the region (AL, LA, MS, NW FL), without a subscription fee. Outside the area, subscriptions are $25/year, $40/two years. Subscribe via sjlmag.com, call 205/870.7889 or mail payment to the address above. Copyright 2021. 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

The New Orleans Jewish Community Center is recruiting teens ages 13 to 16 for the 2022 JCC Maccabi Games, which will be held next August in San Diego, after a two-year Covid hiatus. Pictured here is the 2019 delegation. More information on page 25.

Sen. Kennedy calls for accountability in Palestinian schools Legislation to address U.S. funding of curriculum riddled with antisemitism, incitement to anti-Israel violence Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana introduced the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act to address whether Palestinian students are being taught inaccurate or racist content about Israel and the Jewish people. “The Middle East will never experience peace until Palestinians stop teaching their kids to hate Israel, and American dollars should not fund this anti-Jewish propaganda. The Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act would give us a closer look at what Palestinian schools are teaching and whether or not American money is supporting antisemitism,” said Kennedy. The Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act would require the Secretary of State to submit a report within 180 days, and then annually for two years, examining the curriculum Palestinian schools are using to teach students. The reports will review whether Palestinian curricula encourage racist violence against the Jewish people and whether U.S. foreign aid is supporting such material. The review will also assess steps the PA takes to reform the curricula to conform to “stan-

dards of peace and tolerance adopted by Member States of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization” in 1995. According to the bill, modified curricula published by the Palestinian Authority for grades 1 to 11 “include graphics portraying violence against Israeli soldiers, positive portrayals of individuals who have committed attacks against citizens of Israel, and references to Palestinian efforts to target the ‘Zionists’.” Currently, Kennedy noted, America provides significant funding to the Palestinians, and this funding may be supporting antisemitic propaganda in school curricula. The Senate bill is a companion piece to one introduced earlier this year in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), which has gained 27 co-sponsors. A previous iteration of the bill in the last Congress was unanimously approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The House version of the bill has been publicly endorsed by AIPAC, ADL and Hadassah. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency,

which maintains the refugee status of Palestinians, runs schools in Palestinian-administered areas and uses PA-provided curriculum. On Nov. 16, a gathering of donor nations to UNRWA was to convene. UNRWA, which has been criticized lately for its school curriculum and questionable fiscal accountability, runs 59 refugee camps for the descendants of original Palestinian refugees from 1948. The other UN agency responsible for refugees, the High Commissioner, is charged with resettling all other refugees around the world, rather than maintaining their status quo. The watchdog group IMPACT-se said it has been working with U.S. lawmakers and officials in the Biden administration to educate them on concerning trends in the Palestinian curriculum. “The United States is now the most significant supporter of UNRWA, having recently restored $318 million in annual aid—60 percent of which will go towards education,” said IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff. “Clearly, that amount of funding brings with it a great deal of December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

agenda leverage, a duty of care to Palestinian children in UNRWA schools and a responsibility to demand change to the textbooks UNRWA teaches. As we have discussed with the administration, transparency, oversight and accountability to ensure compliance with international standards are paramount.” According to the Bedein Center for Near East Policy Research in Jerusalem, which examines PA textbooks, the curriculum taught in UNRWA schools “incorporates principles of Jihad, martyrdom and ‘right of return’ by force of arms,” teaching that the goal is the eventual elimination of Israel. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan has warned that the agency helps to “perpetuate” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Zionist Organization of America praised Kennedy and Sherman, saying “There will never be an end to the Arab war against Israel and the Jews until the Palestinian Arabs begin to teach their children to value peace and stop teaching violence against the Jewish State and its inhabitants. ZOA salutes Sen. Kennedy and Rep. Sherman for this legislation that will help make the peaceful outcome possible.”

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On Nov. 17, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana signed on to Tennessee Rep. David Kustoff ’s bill, Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021. The legislation prohibits the use of governmental funds for any U.S. diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy. In 1995, Congress passed legislation calling for the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as Israel was the only country where the embassy was not in the capital. While all presidents after that delayed the law’s implementation, in 2018, the Trump administration finally moved the embassy and recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. There had previously been a consulate in Jerusalem that dealt with Palestinian affairs, but those services were merged into the embassy in 2019. The Biden administration has been discussing reopening the consulate as a separate installation. Ramallah, six miles north of Jerusalem, serves as the capital for the Palestinian Authority, but the Palestinians have insisted that Jerusalem will be the capital of their future state. (Sean Savage of JNS contributed to this report)

Northshore has post-Ida reopening Northshore Jewish Congregation in Mandeville has reopened, following an inspection checking for damage from Hurricane Ida. The first rabbi-led Shabbat service of the year was held on Nov. 19 with Rabbi Barbara Metzinger leading. A Chanukah service is planned for Dec. 3, with Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels, rabbi emeritus of Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Barbara, Calif. The congregation also installed a 24-hour camera security system. In September 2018, antisemitic graffiti was painted on one of the congregation’s walls. Cane Zander Brown was arrested in March 2020.

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agenda Chabad expands in Metairie

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The Chabad Jewish Center in Metairie has purchased the “Home @ Chabad,” a house directly across from the Chabad building, on the corner of Lake Villa and West Esplanade. Rabbi Yossie Nemes said the purchase will “give us much more needed space,” and the Sunday School and some adult programs have already been moved to the new facility. “This is also the first step in a large expansion being planned for Chabad in Metairie,” he said. Pictured above are the staff of Chabad, and Sam Fradella of Metairie Bank who facilitated the purchase.

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Touro’s Jewish Composers series highlights Jerry Herman The Jewish Composers of Broadway Lecture Series at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans continues on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., with “Milk and Honey: The Life and Music of Jerry Herman.” The in-person and livestreamed event will follow Shabbat services. Lecturer George Dansker will be joined by Sarah Jane McMahon, Cantor Kevin Margolius and Jesse Reeks for the 14th installment of the series. Herman, who died in 2019, was a 2010 Kennedy Center honoree, won four Tonys and two Grammy Awards. Growing up in Jersey City, N.J., his life changed when he saw Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” and knew he wanted to be in the theater. In 1961 he made his first mark on Broadway with the music and lyrics for “Milk and Honey,” which included the award-winning song “Shalom” and dramatized the founding of Israel. He was asked to do work on an adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker,” and over a weekend developed four original songs, which became the score for “Hello, Dolly!” A recording of the title song by New Orleans native Louis Armstrong knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts and became one of the most famous songs of all time. The show also set the record for the longest-running Broadway musical. He also had a hit with “Mame,” before hitting a streak of failures as Broadway tastes changed from optimistic musicals to heavier topics. In 1983, he wrote “La Cage Aux Folles,” which won him his second Tony Award. Shortly after it opened, his partner died of AIDS and Herman was also diagnosed with HIV, and was one of the first patients on a series of experimental drugs to fight the disease.

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With everyone staying home because of Covid, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans put together a series of virtual missions, visiting Jewish communities around the world. Over the summer there were visits to Copenhagen and Budapest, but a planned Mission to India was postponed because Covid spikes there made it difficult to organize the program. The mission has been rescheduled for Dec. 5 at 9:30 a.m. The mission is free and open to all. Zoom links will be sent to those who register. A virtual mission to Bahrain is also being organized. Gates of Prayer in Metairie will have a Live from the Lot performance with the Quinn Steinberg Trio following services on Dec. 3, around 7:15 p.m. During the 6:15 p.m. service, Tana Velen will discuss “The State of the Federation.” She is NextGen and programming director for the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. The next News and the Jews at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans will be on Dec. 8 at noon on Zoom.

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On Dec. 13 at 11:45 a.m., Charles Stoecker, health economist and professor at Tulane University, will give a brief overview of academic research on the economics of vaccination policy from programs for children to adults in the United States. His talk is part of the Morris Bart Sr. Lecture Series at the Uptown Jewish Community Center. Reservations are required by Dec. 8, and a boxed lunch is available. No charge for members, $10 for non-members. The annual Big Buddy Shopping Spree with the B’nai Israel Men’s Club in Baton Rouge will be on Dec. 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Macy’s in the Mall of Louisiana. Donations are welcome, as it costs roughly $150 per child in need to put presents under their family’s tree. The Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica will hold Shabboptionals on Dec. 11 at 10 a.m., at the St. Charles entrance to Audubon Park. Shabboptionals are a camp tradition where campers get to choose which activity they want to do on Shabbat, from kickball and friendship bracelets to cloud watching and more. The event is open to all 4th and 5th graders who are new, interested or returning campers. The Brotherhood and Sisterhood at Gates of Prayer in Metairie will hold their first Turkey Parade, Dec. 19 at 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot. To participate, donate one frozen turkey. A line will be formed, along which the turkeys will be passed to a refrigerated truck for Second Harvest Food Bank. Donations of $18 per turkey are also being accepted through Dec. 12.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community Menorah stolen outside Huntsville Chabad Rabbi promises larger menorah and bigger Chanukah presence in region Two weeks before Chanukah, the nine-foot menorah in the front yard of Chabad in Huntsville was stolen. Rabbi Moshe Cohen said he noticed on Nov. 15 that it was missing, and it was likely the previous night when it was taken. Footage from security cameras is being reviewed to see if there are any leads. Footage from traffic cameras may also be helpful, because a menorah that size can’t just be put inside of a car and would be rather conspicuous going down the road. Local police are not yet characterizing it as a hate crime, as the motivation of the person or people who took the menorah is not yet known. In April 2020, at the beginning of Passover, the Chabad was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti the night after Huntsville’s Etz Chayim Congregation was hit. No arrests were ever made in that case, and earlier this year an $18,000 reward for information was announced by Huntsville Police and the FBI, and then boosted to $20,000 by an anonymous donor. In response to the theft, Cohen said they are going to “double down” and “turn an act of darkness into a spark of light.” A fundraising campaign has begun online at jewishhuntsville.com/light to replace the menorah with a larger one, and to launch an effort to place large menorahs at several locations in north Alabama. He wants to “ensure that every Jewish home will celebrate Chanukah with a menorah on their home or participate in a Chanukah gathering.” According to Cohen, Chabad will work harder to spread “the unequivocal message of freedom, positivity and endless light” as “we bring goodness and kindness to North Alabama this holiday.” Cohen said “We need to use such instances to motivate us to do more and not hide away from our Judaism. We have to be proud of our Jewish identity and stand tall.” On Nov. 18, he said five new large menorahs had just arrived at the Chabad House. Rabbi Eric Berk of Temple B’nai Sholom said “An attack against one of us is an attack against all of us… While we may be different congregations, we are all part of the greater Jewish Community of Huntsville, Alabama. We stand together as one people.” The Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama stated Chanukah “is a holiday during which time we focus on bringing light into the darkness, and celebrate the right to practice our religion in public. Stealing a single menorah will not stop us from existing and from doing good deeds. How cowardly, shameful, and ineffective are these thieves?”

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On Nov. 12, imprisoned journalist Danny Fenster was sentenced to 11 years of hard labor in Myanmar. Three days later, he was on his way back to the United States, accompanied by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Though half a world away, the case was closely followed in Louisiana, as Fenster, a native of Detroit’s Jewish community, had worked for the Daily Iberian in New Iberia before moving to Myanmar in 2018. In New Iberia, he became known for writing the stories of those whose voices had not been heard. That continued in his Myanmar work, as he was interested in the plight of the Rohingya that fled Myanmar during a military campaign in 2017. After leaving New Iberia, Fenster went to Thailand and then Myanmar, where he became managing editor of Frontier Myanmar after working for Myanmar Now until July 2020. After a contested November 2020 election, there was a coup on Feb. 1 as the military ousted the ruling party. Dozens of journalists have since been detained. On May 24, Fenster was heading to Detroit on a surprise visit to see his family for the first time in three years, when he was detained at Yangon International Airport by Myanmar officials. Myanmar Now had been banned by the regime on March 8, and the offices were raided. However, Fenster had long since left that publication. According to Myanmar Now, Fenster was a copy editor, editing stories that had been

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Danny Fenster and Bill Richardson arrive in Qatar on the way back to the United States

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translated from Burmese into English, but did not have a management role. There was little information on what charges Fenster faced, and every two weeks there was a brief hearing that resulted in him being held for another two weeks. “Free Fenster” signs and T-shirts proliferated throughout the Detroit area, and in late June a rally was held in New Iberia. Congressman Andy Levin worked for Fenster’s release, along with the U.S. State Department. The proceedings on Nov. 12 resulted in convictions on three counts — violating visa regulations, spreading “false or inflammatory information” and contacting illegal organizations. That week, terrorism and treason charges were also filed. During the proceedings, it was revealed that the military incorrectly had him still working for Myanmar Now. Human rights groups called the sentence “a travesty of justice in a kangaroo court, and Fenster’s attorney said there was no point in appealing because the military controlled the courts. Richardson, who visits countries where the U.S. has poor or nonexistent relations in efforts to free detained Americans, had visited Myanmar on Nov. 2 and is one of few foreign officials to have met with the leader of Myanmar’s military since the coup. He reportedly went in a humanitarian capacity and offered Covid assistance, which apparently helped toward Fenster’s release. According to Myawaddy TV, which is owned by the Myanmar military, Fenster was given amnesty after requests by Richardson and two representatives from the Japan-Myanmar Friendship Association, “to maintain the friendship between the countries and to emphasize humanitarian grounds.” Reports say the U.S. State Department opposed Richardson’s earlier visit and urged him not to mention Fenster, and was not aware of the return trip to retrieve Fenster. Human rights groups said his visit legitimized the military’s rule. Levin told WWJ radio in Detroit that the Myanmar generals “were convinced that it wasn’t worth it to hang on to Danny,” and if something happened to him it would not be forgotten by the U.S. After Fenster was given to Richardson, they flew to Qatar on the way back to the U.S. Fenster, who looked frail, said “I’m feeling alright physically, it’s just the same privations and things that come with any form of incarceration, you just go a little stir crazy.” He added, “The longer it drags on, the more worried you are that it is just never going to end. That was the biggest concern, staying sane during that.” He was also concerned about Covid, which was rampant in Insein Prison. At one point, his attorney said Fenster thought he might have Covid. As Fenster made his way back to the country, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “We are glad that Danny will soon be reunited with his family as we continue to call for the release of others who remain unjustly imprisoned in Burma.” In a statement issued just after Fenster’s release was announced, his family said “We cannot wait to hold him in our arms… We are tremendously grateful to all the people who have helped secure his release, especially Ambassador Richardson, as well as our friends and the public who have expressed their support and stood by our sides as we endured these long and difficult months.” His parents and brother met him in New York, which Fenster said was a “long time coming, a moment I had been imagining so intensely for so long.” Levin said that when Fenster “cleared Burmese airspace” it “was probably the happiest moment of my time in Congress.” At the Committee to Protect Journalists and Richardson Center press conference after Fen-

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ster’s arrival in New York, Levin thanked the U.S. government, along with Singapore, China, Qatar and Israel for assisting in ways that will mostly never be known. At the press conference, Fenster referenced other journalists, teachers and doctors who are imprisoned for no reason in Myanmar. “Let’s keep focused on what the actual story is here,” as there are reports that 120 local journalists are still detained there. Rebecca Aguilar, president of the Society of Professional Journalists, said SPJ was “thankful” for Fenster’s release, and “we hope the message to the world is that no journalists should be put behind bars for seeking the truth.” While Fenster had little knowledge of what was going on outside of prison, he had an idea that there were efforts on his behalf. He said it was “pretty bizarre” when someone quickly showed him an image on a phone of his family on CNN wearing T-shirts with his face on them. He spent the flight time home looking at the news coverage about him from various places where he had lived. “It’s just incredible. I just have so much gratitude for everything everyone has done.” Back in Detroit, Fenster was named one of the honorees to light the menorah for the community-wide Menorah in the D event on Nov. 28. “We are so honored to welcome home Danny and to have him as a dignitary to light the large Menorah Sunday evening at Campus Martius,” said Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, vice president of Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan, in a press release. In August, the National Press Club named him the 2021 Press Freedom Award recipient.

JCRS returns to in-person events with Jewish Roots of Sports gala Jewish Children’s Regional Service will return to holding an in-person Jewish Roots gala, with the Jewish Roots of Sports, March 27 at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton New Orleans. Now in its 11th year, the event routinely has around 500 participants from around the region and is one of the largest Jewish gatherings in the region each year. The “Most Valuable Player” honorees will be Gayle Baer and Mark Sands, who chair the JCRS Special Needs Scholarship Committee, and Alan Krilov, who has instituted holiday outreach programs at JCRS that affect hundreds of Jewish youth each year. The Jewish Roots of Sports will celebrate Jewish athletes and professionals from across the country, with several sports notables in person and on video. The agency, which dates back to 1855, provides need-based scholarship assistance for Jewish summer camp and college expenses for families in a seven-state region, along with special needs funding and administration of the PJ Library. Patron levels start at $300, and there is a “rookie” patron level at $150 for those age 35 and under. Levels go up to the Championship at $18,000. Reservations can be made at jcrs.org. This year, the Jewish Roots Jubilee was held virtually in April, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the modern-day JCRS after its evolution when the Jewish Children’s Home closed. The last in-person gala was the Jewish Roots of Rhythm and Blues, held on Feb. 1, 2020, just weeks before everything shut down due to Covid.

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Pensacola Chabad welcomes first Torah

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There was dancing in the streets of Pensacola on Nov. 14 as the Pensacola Chabad Jewish Center dedicated its own Torah, three years after establishing a Chabad presence in the city. “It was a very special event,” said Rabbi Mendel Danow, and it “brought a very special wave of inspiration over everyone.” During last year’s Covid lockdown, Danow was examining additional “avenues of expansion” for the Chabad in Pensacola, and “it would be very special and would be a whole new level of activity” for the center to have its own Torah for prayer, study and celebrations. He contacted Rabbi Bentzion Chanowitz, who runs Torah Gemach, which seeks to enable small Chabad communities to acquire a Torah. He made the connection with Jonathan Rabinow of Long Island, “who was looking to dedicate a new Torah for a new Chabad House which needed one,” Danow said. The center had a scroll on loan from the organization. Danow spoke with Rabinow, who “was very excited about Pensacola, liked what he heard about the growth of the community.” The scroll was written in Israel, and Danow said they waited until Covid had recessed so they could have a proper celebration. There were over 100 in attendance, including Councilman Lumon May representing the city. Because there wasn’t room inside the Chabad

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community House, there was a tent in the back yard, where sushi and brisket were served, and L’chayims made. The week before, Danow went to a downtown sushi restaurant to recruit a chef to prepare kosher sushi for the event, explaining that because of kashrut concerns, everything has to be prepared on-site, it could not be taken out from a non-kosher establishment. As Danow was explaining this, the one diner in the restaurant asked Danow if he was Jewish, so he asked her the same thing. It turned out she is, and Alice Guy of Alice’s Restaurant said she would prepare the sushi, and the sushi chef, Huy Hoang, said he would work with her for the event. Community members could dedicate words, verses and sections of the Torah, and had the opportunity to help write the last few lines with the scribe. After the last letters were written, the Torah was brought outside under a chuppah. Police blocked off the streets around the Chabad Center so the chuppah and Torah could be paraded, accompanied by fire torches, music and flags. Upon reaching the tent, there was a full band and more dancing.

The following Shabbat, the center read from the scroll at services for the first time. The Torah was paraded around, just as on Simchat Torah, and the service was followed by a chocolate kiddush. The center recently opened a kosher market, making kosher food more widely available in the community and for tourists. There is a new student group at the University of West Florida, a women’s group and a Young Jewish Pensacola group. “We’re trying to cater to every demographic,” Danow said.

New Orleans Torah to honor Healthcare Heroes Dedication planned for Dec. 19 A pandemic may not be the most obvious reason for dedicating a Torah, but the effort now underway in New Orleans has historical precedent. Several communities around the country have embarked on dedicating a Torah during Covid, and in New Orleans, Chabad of Louisiana and the Jewish Medical Society will dedicate a new Torah Scroll for the welfare of the Healthcare Heroes in the community. In the 18th century, the Baal Shem Tov, who founded Chassidism, was faced with a major outbreak of disease in his town, Mezibush. When community leaders asked him to pray for an end to the plague, he told them that the creation of a new Torah scroll would spare the town — and as that Torah was written by his personal scribe, the plague started to recede. The scroll became known as the “Miracle Torah.” A similar international effort was undertaken in 2020 during the early days of the Covid pan-

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community demic. Yeshiva World reported that 500,000 around the world watched the livestream dedication of that scroll last December. Rabbi Mendel Rivkin noted that the final mitzvah in the Torah is for every Jew to own a Torah or be part of one. The Rebbe “requested that Torah scrolls be written to unite Jewish people and that every Jew acquire a letter in these Torah scrolls.” He suggested honoring healthcare heroes by participating in the writing of the scroll, or in memory of someone who died of Covid. The dedication, in honor of healthcare workers, will take place on Dec. 19 at the Tulane LBC Quad. At 1 p.m., the ceremony to finish writing the Torah will begin, and the celebration will be at 2 p.m. There will be a concert with Shulem Lemmer, a Chassidic singer from Brooklyn, and a Torah parade to Chabad Uptown. There are numerous dedication opportunities, from a letter at $18, word for $36, verse for $180, Aliyah for $360, and weekly portion for $540. A dozen well-known sections, such as the Shema, prayer for healing, Song of the Sea and Ten Commandments, are $613. A book of the Torah is $1,800, as is the pointer dedication. The High Holidays Torah cover is $3,600, as are the Pillars of Life handles, and the crown is $7,700. Additional information is at torahforourheroes.com. Rivkin said this is an “amazing opportunity to honor those who have sacrificed for all of us,” and will support the Jewish Medical Society.

Rebuilding underway for Temple Sinai in Lake Charles

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Work continues on the restoration of Temple Sinai in Lake Charles, over a year after Hurricane Laura plowed through the city and caused extensive damage. The August 2020 storm caused mainly water damage, coming in from the library roof. Joel Davidson, congregational president, reported that the 60-family congregation had finally reached a settlement with its insurance company in October, and combined with File photo donations received following the storm, that will enable the congregation to rebuild. Among the recent contributions was one from Temple of Israel in Wilmington, N.C., which was damaged by Hurricane Florence in 2018, and wants to “pay it forward” after receiving help from so many around the country. After fixing the roof, the Sinai sanctuary has been the first project, with the ceilings mostly completed, after which the steps to the Bimah will be redone, the walls will be painted and the carpet replaced. After the pews are re-set, services will be able to resume in the sanctuary. Next steps will include the social hall and kitchen, followed by the library and religious school wing. There are also numerous exterior projects to be tackled by volunteers. While mostly meeting online, the congregation has held monthly in-person services on the first weekend of the month, hosted by The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, which met at Temple Sinai when the church was damaged in a 1918 hurricane. The relationship “is a reminder of the continuing deep and lasting ties our congregation has established with so many other faith communities in Lake Charles,” Rabbi Barry Weinstein said.

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community Regional Attorneys General press Unilever on Ben & Jerry’s Israel boycott The Attorneys General of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Arkansas are among 12 signatories to a letter by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt calling out Unilever for failing to take action against the Ben & Jerry’s boycott of Israel. Thus far, hundreds of millions of dollars have been withdrawn in pension investments in Unilever by retirement funds in Florida, Arizona, New York and New Jersey, and several other states are looking into following suit. Currently, at least 33 states have laws prohibiting the state from doing business with entities that participate in economic boycotts of Israel. The letter to CEO Alan Jope, issued on Nov. 22, expresses “grave concern” to Unilever about its subsidiary’s decision. In July, the Ben & Jerry’s board announced it would allow the agreement with its current licensee in Israel to lapse at the end of 2022, because selling its products in “Occupied Palestinian Territory” is “inconsistent with our values.” Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2001, has allowed the brand known for its social activism to have its own board that set policy,

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

saying they have “always recognized the right of the brand and its independent Board to take decisions in accordance with its social mission.” Unilever said they would set up a way for Ben & Jerry’s to continue to be sold in Israel through unspecified means, which prompted a rebuke from the Ben & Jerry’s board. The main supermarket chains in Israel have locations in the territories, and Israeli law forbids them from making distinctions between locations within the pre-1967 lines and the territories, making a Ben & Jerry’s boycott of “just” the territories impossible. The letter charges Unilever with attempting “to sidestep responsibility for this action by claiming that a comparatively small subsidiary of your giant global conglomerate is actually calling the shots,” and that Unilever’s claim to not be able to do anything about it “stretches credulity.” Schmitt asked, “If Unilever is so interested in virtue-signaling, why not announce a boycott of countries like China, Russia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or especially Iran, who has promised the complete destruction of Israel?”

The letter notes that by not stopping the actions of Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever is on “an unfortunate and financially misguided path of testing our States’ resolve” to invoke the anti-boycott laws, and “respectfully urge(s) you to reconsider the decision.” In October, Florida began the process of divesting from Unilever after not seeing “any meaningful response” from the company, according to State Board of Administration Executive Director Ash Williams. Florida had around $139 million invested in Unilever. Among those signing the letter were Alabama’s Steve Marshall, Arkansas’ Leslie Rutledge, Florida’s Ashley Moody and Mississippi’s Lynn Fitch. Also signing were the Attorneys General of Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. All of the signatories are Republicans. Unilever has not commented on the letter, but has insisted that its own actions are far from a boycott of Israel. Jope recently told New York officials that they have a “longstanding commitment” to their business in Israel, which employs

NOLA Nights around 2,000 in four factories and a headquarters, and the company has invested $250 million in Israel in the past decade. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben & Jerry’s, have said Israel was one of the first countries that was a market for their ice cream as they expanded beyond the U.S., and said they support Israel but disagree with certain policies. An activist investor is battling the company, saying the 13 percent drop in Unilever’s share price since July is due to the boycott, and Unilever is abdicating its fiduciary responsibility. Bassem Eid, a prominent Palestinian human rights activist, filed a complaint against the company in New York, saying the company’s actions are “counterproductive to peace and creates only more hatred, enmity and polarization.” He notes that he and other Palestinians regularly shop in Gush Etzion, a set of communities with a population of 40,000, and which is regarded by activists as an Israeli settlement in the territories even though it existed pre-1948 and was the site of a massacre of Jewish civilians during the War of Independence. Eid said the area is now “the true realization of coexistence” with Jewish and Muslim shoppers from Israel and the territories enjoying ice cream there.

On Nov. 11, Shir Chadash in Metairie held a NOLA Night of appetizers and drinks, featuring Meryl Zimmerman (below) and Eric Merchant, doing jazz pieces themed to the weekly Torah portion. The next event in the series, which is underwritten by the Katz Fund at Shir Chadash, is a Dec. 9 game night at 7:30 p.m.

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community

What’s Good Art project celebrates community stories This month’s cover, the Hebrew Union Congregation in Greenville, Miss., is a piece by artist Jennifer Drinkwater, who started the What’s Good Project to celebrate what’s good in various communities. In her Mississippi Delta travels, a couple sites of Jewish significance were portrayed in her art, so here is an interview about the project and why she chose those sites.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

The What’s Good Project website mentions that you’re inspired by the people you meet in different communities. Do you research a place before you go and make contacts ahead of time, or is it just kismet? A little of both. Initially, because I now live in Iowa, I invited a couple of Iowans I knew to participate. I just asked them to have a conversation with me at and about a place that they felt connected to, or what they felt was “good,” so to speak. Meanwhile, I secured a couple of grants to fund a Mississippi Delta component of the project, so I began reaching out to contacts I already had in several different Delta counties. Once I had a contact who agreed to participate, I spent a little time researching that person and their role in their community, but not too much. Over the years, I’ve found that outside research isn’t as “true” as community stories. Or it may be “factually” accurate, but community perception is more meaningful and impactful than what we can find online. I’d rather hear about the community from the community members. Are these projects a springboard from your job at Iowa State as Assistant Professor, Community Arts Specialist in the Department of Art and Visual Culture, or is this something you’ve always had in your mind? Both! I majored in art and anthropology at Tulane University and I’ve always loved stories, particularly Southern stories. (We win at storytelling). As an artist, I’ve always explored cultural stories in some form or fashion. When I started working for ISU Extension & Outreach, I learned about asset-based community development, which essentially encourages folks to focus on the strengths within a community instead of solely dwelling on the challenges. In my travels for ISU Extension and back home to Mississippi, I kept hearing stories about folks doing really creative, courageous things to make their communities better, so I thought I’d better do something with all that. Where in Mississippi are you from? I was born in Greenville and then we moved to Jackson when I was in second grade. You’ve moved a good deal, including living in New Orleans. What stands out to you in terms of your inspiration from those places? Hearing peoples’ stories about these places. I’ve found if I’m open to chatting with strangers at any given moment — at a restaurant, in line for a show in New Orleans, in the grocery store — I can learn so much about the folks and the place. I find that walking with no particular destination in mind is an important way to get to know any place a little bit. And the landscape, even if it’s urban. All places have a particular feel — the light, the tree-scapes, the colors, the smells. Tell us how you got involved in working with children in doing murals on Ground Zero Blues Club? I started driving through Clarksdale en route to my folks’ house from Iowa, and just fell in love with the community. I always had such a nice time there and I was really missing the South, so I got the bright idea to figure out how to live there for a summer. Here’s some kismet for you: the evening that I had this bright idea, I serendipitously met Bill Luckett,

community former mayor, co-owner of Ground Zero Blues Club, and art collector just outside of the club. I pitched him the idea, he ran with it, and 3 months later, I found myself living in one of the apartments upstairs from GZ and working on a mural with three middle-school students on the side of the building. I had never done mural work before, but I knew I wanted it to be from the kids’ perspectives of the community, which already had a ton of blues-related murals. We spent time walking around downtown, talked about the parts of the community that they liked and the vision that they had for Clarksdale, and then I assisted them in creating a composition for all those ideas.

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We came to know you from the painting you made of Hebrew Union Temple in Greenville. How did that piece come about? Like I mentioned, I was born in Greenville and continued to go back there each year to visit friends. As I got older, I started realizing how spe- “Rosenwald” in Marks, Miss. cial the Delta was. I suppose when you grow up in a place, you know it so intricately profit or community organizations to receive that it’s difficult to see it from a bird’s eye per- future donations from any sales of the art inspective. I began reading about the histories spired by their community. It’s a standard in the contemporary art world of Greenville and the Delta, and I became a lot more aware of how many cultures had always that when an artist sells work through a gallery, lived in that part of the state. I learned that the artist and gallery split the sale of the piece. Greenville had over 40 Chinese grocery stores Since I am not represented by a gallery, I begin at the turn of the 20th century, that there were thinking about what a different financial model strong Lebanese and Italian communities, and may look like. I suppose that donating money back to the communities is another way of that the first mayor was a Polish Jew. When I started the Project, I connected with acknowledging the value of these stories that Will Coppage, an old classmate, writer, and aren’t mine and these communities that aren’t current director of the Washington County mine. And as we know, nonprofit organizations Economic Alliance, to set up an interview in have many terrific community initiatives in the Greenville. While I was there, I couldn’t help but pipeline and often don’t have the financial renotice the Hebrew Union Temple downtown — sources to actualize those plans. it’s such a beautiful building and really stands We’ve done a lot of reporting on the hisout. I immediately read every sign I could find tory of Rosenwald schools, and you’ve done (the temple was closed) and took lots of photo- this really bold piece, too, on the Old African graphs. Later, I read more about the tremendous American High School in Marks. What atimpact this congregation has had on the Green- tracted you to this building? ville community and knew that this would be I spent an afternoon in Marks, interviewing an essential story for The What’s Good Project Velma Benson-Wilson, the current Quitman series for Greenville. County Economic and Tourism director, and a You’re donating 20 percent of the profits from the limited run of 100 prints back to Hebrew Union. That’s really kind. You’re giving back not only to HUT, but to a couple of other religious institutions in the state, and a public school art program. With the interview participant from each community that I paint, we identify a few non-

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Marks native. One of the places she highlighted during our time together was the Rosenwald School, which is nearly 100 years old and one of the few Rosenwald Schools left in the state. In 2015, she wrote a successful application to have it designated a Mississippi landmark, and she has a vision of someday transforming it into a performing arts venue to continue its legacy as December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life 19

community a community-centered space. You’ve done large-scale projects, like involving communities in printmaking, installations on restored Nebraska prairies and vacant Iowa main streets, even knit-bombing. You’ve open-sourced toolkits for how other people can draw from your experiences in those things on your personal website. I heard somewhere that you can either be a good role model or a horrible warning. With every new project, I think to myself, this will be so fun and then I promptly underestimate all of the planning and minutiae needed to pull it off. Half the energy going into a creative community project is spent putting out fires I didn’t know I had. I thought it would be helpful for folks to learn from all my mistakes and not have to reinvent the wheel. I’ve got a couple of more in the hopper. The N.E. Miles Jewish Day School in Birmingham was one of the schools that worked with Jennifer Marsh when she was planning the Dream Rocket Project, to cover Huntsville’s Saturn V in a quilt. That project wasn’t fully realized, but was still incredible. Do you think these kinds of community projects are going to become more and more popular? I sure hope so. I’ve found art to be a great strategy in bringing folks together and forming new relationships with their fellow community members. The final product is terrific, but to me, what’s more important is art’s ability to reflect what’s important to us and its ability to connect us. Stories do that, creating quilt squares together do that, even watching a performance does that. Did you know that scientists discovered that the heartbeats of audience members literally sync up when they watch a performance? And they stay synced for a few hours afterwards — it’s so amazing! What are your next projects? I’ve started a new series of paintings of the Emmett Till Interpretative Center in Sumner, Miss. In 2019, I interviewed Benjamin Saulsberry, the Center’s Director of Public Engagement and Museum Education, about the center and his experiences as a Tallahatchie County native. I mentioned I have a couple of toolkits that I’m in the early stages of writing. One will explore “pop up” events, experiences, and exhibitions. The second is a collaboration with another fellow artist about assisting rural communities in creating a thriving arts ecosystem where they live. The What’s Good Project can be found @thewhatsgoodproject on Instagram and whatsgoodproject for Facebook.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

An Official Publication of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans

THE

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

JEWISH NEWSLETTER December 2021 | Kislev 5782

Vol. XVI No. 6

We can’t wait to see you.

The pleasure of your company is requested at the 2021 Annual Celebration on December 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the Jerome S. Glazer Audubon Tea Room. This event will be a seated Kosher dinner with wine (when you make your reservation, please note those with whom you wish to be seated, as seating will be assigned). The doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and a cash bar will be available. The Annual Celebration is open to members of the Greater New Orleans Jewish community who made a gift at any level to the 2021 Annual Campaign. Dress is business casual. Please consider attending as an Angel for $180 (per person) - the regular admission price does not cover the full cost of the evening, and we want to make our Annual Celebration as accessible as possible to our community. To RSVP, visit https://events.idonate.com/2021celebration. If you are a Federation member and would like to attend, but are unable to do so for financial reasons, please contact Sherri Tarr at sherritarr@jewishnola.com.

December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

Israel: July 12-18, 2022 | UAE: July 18-22, 2022 The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans is excited to announce a unique mission to Israel from July 12-18, 2022, with the opportunity to also visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from July 18-22. By expanding its traditional cultural exchange mission to include a multi-sector trade and business development mission, the 2022 Federation Mission will strengthen Louisiana’s economic ties with Israel by helping to increase exports to the country, build strategic relationships and explore new business opportunities. The trade mission will include an all-star lineup of partners including: Jones Walker, LLP as the Title Sponsor; Ochsner Health and NFP as Presenting Sponsors, the New Orleans Business Alliance and Tulane University as Track Sponsors, and the World Trade Center New Orleans; GNO Inc.; Louisiana Economic Development; and the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust as Friends of the Mission.

December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

The mission will feature five tracks, including an Explore Israel track, as well as four industry tailored options in sectors for which Israel is among the world leaders in business and innovation:

• • • • •

Explore Israel Medicine, Biotechnology, & Healthcare Energy & Sustainability Transportation, Port, & Maritime Cybersecurity & Innovation

The mission will include visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and industry specific places of interest for each of the four business tracks. The Explore Israel track will include visits to Jewish historical sites, as well as to our Partnership 2Gether sister city of Rosh Ha’ayin—whether you have visited Israel previously or are planning your first trip, this track will appeal to all. Participants will also enjoy an exclusive opportunity to attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Maccabiah Games, the third largest sporting event in the world. Additional information about each track, accommodations, and suggested flights to Israel may be found on the mission website at www.louisianatoisrael.com.

Estimated Participation Cost for Israel Only: $5,499* Estimated Cost for UAE Add-On: $4,899** * This is based on double occupancy, and includes all tips and meals, except for Saturday night dinner. The single occupancy upcharge is $1,400 for the Israel portion. This price does not include airfare, and participants will be responsible for arranging, confirming, and payment of their own international flights. **This price is also based on double occupancy, and includes all meals, except for one lunch. This costing does include the flight between Tel Aviv and Dubai. The single occupancy upcharge for UAE is $1,300.

Registration is open at www.louisianatoisrael.com. Questions? Contact Aaron Bloch at aaron@jewishnola.com for information about the business and innovation tracks, and Sherri Tarr at sherritarr@jewishnola. com for information about the Explore Israel track. Sponsorship opportunities are available—please contact Garrett Moore at garrett@jewishnola.com. December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

As we approach the end of 2021, we are reminded of the strong connection our Jewish community has with our values, our faith, our families, our traditions, our city and each other. We are connected by you. Through COVID-19, and Hurricanes Laura, Zeta, and Ida, we continued to assist our community and our partner agencies and organizations. These last few months, you helped us provide critical assistance to those affected by Hurricane Ida, re-launch our Health Care Workers Take Home Meal Program and helped us convene a state-wide coalition around Israel education. This all happened thanks to you! And there’s more to look forward to in 2022, more connection, more growth, more service to our beloved Greater New Orleans—all connected by you. From our strategic planning process to our refreshed mission statement, we’re always ready to connect. While your past support has been critically important, the needs of our community are even greater now. That’s why we need your support for the 2022 Annual Campaign. If you would like your end of year gift to take place in this tax year, you can do so by credit card over the phone by calling the Federation office at 504-780-5600 by Friday, December 31 at 11:30 a.m. Credit card payments will be accepted at jewishnola.com/give up until 11:59 p.m. on December 31.

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE FEDERATION •

• • • •

Transfer stock to the Federation’s Morgan Stanley Account (#575-060565-239). Contact Carla Marciniak at carla.marciniak@morganstanley.com or 504-587-9645 (please be sure that your name is on the stock transfer). Kindly contact the Federation office at 504-780-5600 to notify Federation what kind of stock and how many shares have been transferred. Make a gift from your Jewish Endowment Foundation donor advised fund, and let Sherri Tarr know you’ve done so by emailing sherritarr@jewishnola.com. Donate from your IRA through a regular distribution. Mail a check (payable to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans) postmarked by December 31, 2021 to 3747 W. Esplanade Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002. Please consider leaving a legacy for the Jewish Federation – for more information on how to endow your gift, please contact Bobby Garon or Debbie Berins at the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana at 504-524-4559.

Whether you connect to the Federation because of tradition, or shared Jewish values, or even our collaborative vision for the future of our Greater New Orleans Jewish community, we are grateful to by connected by you.

Thank you, New Orleans. The 2022 Annual Campaign is chaired by Nancy and Steve Timm. 24 December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

Jewish Community Center Center Celebration 2021: Bringing Light to Our Community For the past 40 years, during the fall season, the JCC has traditionally hosted Center Celebration, an annual fundraising event that supports our operating budget. Due to the pandemic and hurricane, this year, Center Celebration will take the form of an appeal for your support rather than an in-person or virtual event, to help us fund our on-going expenses as we emerge from a challenging year. We will use every dollar raised to continue doing what we do best: bring light to our community. With your support, the JCC will be better able to serve our community members of all ages, from our littlest nursery school students and summer day campers to the seniors who attend ACE, our cherished Alzheimer’s respite program. Your donation will help maintain our world-class sports and wellness complex to keep our members healthy and active. It will also enable the Jewish cultural programming that makes us a welcoming hub for members of our community to celebrate and explore Jewish life, teachings and traditions. As we rebound from a pandemic and a hurricane that cast many of us into darkness (literally), we rededicate ourselves to the task and privilege of bringing light to our community. Your support helps us shine even brighter in the coming year. Visit nojcc.org/bringinglight or call (504) 897-0143 to make your donation. We are so grateful for your support of the JCC.

Join Team NOLA at JCC Maccabi Games Be part of Team NOLA! individual or group sports. Team sports Jewish teens are invited to include baseball, basketball, e-sports, join the New Orleans JCC’s flag football, ice hockey, soccer and delegation at the San Diego volleyball. Maccabi Games, held July Individual athletic activ31-August 5, 2021. Come ities include competitive have a blast at the largest dance, golf, tennis, swimJewish youth event in the ming and table tennis. world. Teens participate in To register or to learn athletic activities, and then more about the New Orleans delegation, come together for social events, community please visit nojcc.org or contact Neal Alsop, service and fun. Uptown Sports Director, at (504) 897-0143 or Athletes ages 13 to 16 can compete in either neal@nojcc.org.

Hummus Has No Boundaries

Join us at 2 or 7 p.m. on Dec. 16 for “Breaking Bread,” a delicious and inspiring documentary about the A-Sham Arabic Food Festival in Haifa, which was founded by the first Muslim Arab to win Israel’s Master Chef as part of her quest to make social change through food. At the festival, Jewish and Arab Israeli chefs collaborate on mouth-watering dishes, working together to transform traditional recipes. Celebrating their unique cultural heritages and their common love of cooking, the chefs prove that hummus has no boundaries and there is no room for religion and politics in the kitchen. This award-winning film has been called a “love letter to the food of the Middle East,” by The Jewish Chronicle. As part of the Cathy and Morris Bart Jewish Cultural Arts Series, this event is free and open to the community. Advance registration, masks and proof of vaccination are required. Reserve your seat at nojcc.org/culturalarts.

Facing Uncomfortable Historical Truths Father Buddy Noel, Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, will provide commentary at a screening of “Holy Silence” on Jan. 13 at the Uptown JCC. The documentary takes an unflinching look at the Vatican’s reaction to the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in the years leading up to World War II. Details and registration links can be found at nojcc.org/ culturalarts. December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

Jewish Community Day School Trial of the Garden of Eden Mr. Tuvia’s third and fourth grade Jewish Studies students lawyered up for the Trial of the Garden of Eden! Students took on roles for the proceedings, either as defendants, defense lawyers, prosecutors, or the judge — one courtroom even had a bailiff! Students wrote up a list of charges for each defendant (Adam, Eve, and Snake), and then used textual evidence, analysis and interpretation to come up with arguments for or against each defendant. There sure are a lot of brilliant legal minds at work in this group! Finally, the students brought in costumes and acted out the trial. Our parents may want to start saving for law school.

Together At Last for Kabbalat Shabbat With such beautiful weather, JCDS could not be contained! We gathered on Bart Field for a real, live, in-person Kabbalat Shabbat. Led in song and prayer by Rabbi Michael Cohen, the children had an energizing, joyful celebration to send them into Shabbat with smiles on their faces.

Two JCDS students were thrilled to get their first Covid-19 vaccine from their pediatrician’s (Dr. Michael Wasserman, Ochsner Healthy Center for Children) office.

Covid-19 Vaccine for Five and Up! JCDS is so excited that the Covid-19 vaccine is now available for children five and up! We’re very proud of all of our students who dashed in to be among the first children under 12 to get the vaccine. JCDS and the JCC also hosted a pediatric vaccine event here on campus on Nov. 18.

December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

Jewish Family Service All Jews are responsible for each other

Kol Yisrael arevim zeh lazeh Our Friends of JFS campaign provides life-saving support for our community’s most vulnerable members. Crisis intervention, emergency financial support, long-term holistic care, and so much more are made possible through this campaign and kind donors like yourself. Essential services are rendered through our Financial Resource Center, Counseling, and Case Management programs. These services stave off homelessness, untreated mental illness, neglect, and other negative outcomes that result from gaps in institutional safety net programs.

She was alone until our community showed up Rayana* quit her job as a nurse to raise her 3 children. She and her husband, Sam*, could not afford childcare. After their youngest left home, Rayana and Sam’s relationship deteriorated. He was verbally and emotionally abusive; she was financially dependent. “I didn’t realize how isolated I had become. My family was my only social outlet and then I was alone.” Rayana started drinking and fell into a dangerous spiral. “When I hit rock bottom, JFS was the there. Starting over is terrifying, but my case manager helped me stay afloat.” The JFS Case Management team helped Rayana access addiction counseling, find affordable housing away from her husband, and return to the workforce as a nurse. “This is my second chance,” says Rayana. *pseudonyms to protect client privacy

Support our Friends of JFS Campaign by: Mail: 3300 W. Esplanade Ave. S., Suite 603 Metairie, LA 70002 Note “FOJFS” in the memo Online: jfsneworleans.org/donate

Phone: (504) 831-8475

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December 10 Parenting Anxious Children Using the SPACE Program with Mark Schexnaildre, Ph.D.

Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a new evidence-based treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. It involves parenting skills aimed at increasing support and decreasing accommodation. Approved for 3 Diagnosis/Clinical hours by LCA & LABSWE. December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

Jewish Endowment Foundation Increase Your Charitable Impact with Year-End Giving As 2021 draws to a close, we hope you will consider the Jewish En- Make a Cash Gift – Take advantage of higher dowment Foundation of Louisiana in your year-end tax planning and deductions through 2021 only! giving. This may be the perfect time to open a Donor Advised Fund Under the CARES Act, this may be the last year you can take up with appreciated securities or with cash, or take advantage of another to 100 percent Adjusted Gross Income deduction on a charitable dotax-wise giving option. As always, we encourage you to consult with nation of cash before it reverts to 60 percent of your AGI. Any giving your tax advisor to receive optimal tax advantages and guidance. beyond the 100 percent limitation may be carried over and used in the No matter how you give, JEF is here to help you support the causes next five years. that matter most to you. Remember that gifts to JEF’s General Fund are always greatly appreciated. Open a Donor Advised Fund – It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Give: Donate appreciated property — now more valuable than ever Rollover your Charitable IRA — Open or add to a — for an immediate tax deduction and avoid taxes on long-term capital designated fund. gains.

If you are older than 70½, you may make a Qualified Charitable

Grow: Let your contribution grow tax-free so you can maximize Distribution of up to $100,000 from your IRA Required Minimum

what you give to the charities you support.

Distribution tax-free directly to one or more nonprofits.

Grant: Make recommendations to JEF on grants to your favorite JEF can help you maximize your gift to our Jewish community with tax-exempt organizations. these tax-savings strategies before the end of the year, but we do urge “Bunching” multiple years’ charitable donations to open a DAF or you to meet with your professional advisors to review your investment to add to an existing DAF may help you reach a total of itemized de- portfolio and discuss how charitable giving can take your holistic fiductions that is greater than the standard deduction for a single tax nancial plan to the next level. year. And in the future years when you don’t itemize, you have funds For more information, contact Bobby Garon (bobby@jefno.org) or Debbie growing in your DAF to make annual contributions to the charities of Berins (debbie@jefno.org) at (504) 524-4559. your choosing.

Tulane Hillel Freshmen Shabbat with President Fitts As both campus and New Orleans life continue to normalize, Tulane Hillel students have loved being able to connect with one another in unique and fun environments. In early November, 60 freshmen had the opportunity to enjoy a special Shabbat dinner with Tulane President Michael A. Fitts at 2 Audubon Place. Usually, students look forward to Freshmen Shabbat with President Fitts at the start of each new academic year. After the long hiatus of the Covid-era, the return of this particular evening has been a highlight for students, staff and the university alike. This year, upon arrival, students gathered to mingle and check out the beautiful venue. After the traditional group photo, Shabbat prayers were led inside the home by freshmen students Ethan Kulp, Sophie Gottesman, and Caroline Sloter. President Fitts, Tulane Hillel Executive Director Ron Gubitz and student leader Hailey Gersh followed with speeches of their own, covering topics of conversation varying from the deep connection Tulane Hillel has with the university and New Orleans communities, to what it’s like being involved in Tulane Hillel’s leadership cohort, Tulane Jewish Leaders. The evening was capped off with a delicious meal catered by Tulane Hillel’s in-house, kosher restaurant Rimon, and a Q&A with President Fitts. For more photos from this year’s Freshmen Shabbat with President Fitts, you can visit our Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/tuhillel. Looking for info on upcoming events? Follow us at www.Facebook.com/tuhillel or find us on Instagram (@tuhillel). 28

December 2021 • The Jewish Newsletter

Groundbreaking for Louisiana Mikvah After years of planning, the board of the Louisiana Community Mikvah announced that a groundbreaking will take place on Dec. 16 at noon. The Oscar J. Tolmas Community Mikvah will be a free-standing building located behind Shir Chadash in Metairie. It is a joint project of all 10 synagogues in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, from Reform to Chabad. Bobby Garon, who is the president of the mikvah’s board, said Rabbi Uri Topolosky, who was rabbi at Beth Israel from 2007 to 2013, was really the one who launched the project through the Rabbinic Council. There was a community mikvah at Beth Israel’s Lakeview building before Katrina. When the levees broke, Beth Israel had over 10 feet of water, rendering the building unusable. After the storm, those needing a mikvah for conversion or other purposes traveled to Houston, which Topolosky pointed out was “impractical in the long run.” Beth Israel’s new building in Metairie did not include a mikvah, so members of the community approached the Rabbinic Council to spearhead the project, but it was put on the back burner during an economic downturn and with other community needs taking priority. In 2010, Chabad of Louisiana opened Mikvah Chaya Mushka, a women’s mikvah that replaced a smaller facility that dated back to 1989. Around 2014, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans was approached to help the community mikvah project reach “critical mass,” and in 2017 the proposal moved forward as the Oscar J. Tolmas Trust provided a “significant gift” as seed money for the project, and additional fundraising was held. The mikvah is a ritual purification pool that is filled from natural water, such as stored rain water. Women traditionally use it for purification each month, and many men and women use it prior to a wedding or any other time they desire a spiritual boost. Among the non-Orthodox, the most common use is for conversion to Judaism, though more women are rediscovering the mikvah. The Conservative movement requires mikvah as part of conversion, and in 2001 it was recommended by the Reform movement. The community mikvah will also be open for “new and creative uses,” and Topolosky gave examples including “to mark a year of cancer remission; each month of sobriety; the end of a relationship; a move to a new home; the transition of a Hospice worker after a client dies; a year of mourning; the start of a new job; a divorce settlement; a birthday; or a personal prayer during the ninth month of pregnancy.” A mikvah facility includes private changing rooms and bathing facilities, as one submerges entirely in the mikvah with no clothing, makeup or anything else that gets between the body and the water. Funds for the project are being raised, with giving levels corresponding to the colors of yarns donated in Exodus 25:3, from a gold level at $10,000 and above, through silver, copper, blue and purple, with a crimson level starting at $18. The fundraising is already two-thirds of the way to a $1 million goal for the construction and an operations fund. Donations to the mikvah project go through the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Greater New Orleans. When completed, the mikvah will be available for anyone affiliated with any of the participating congregations, but Rabbi Robert Loewy, vice president of the mikvah board, added, “we see ourselves as serving this whole section of the South.”

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community Consul General visits Northeast Alabama Cherokee Dinner celebrates new ties between the tribe and Israel In September, when the Northeast Alabama Cherokee issued a declaration of support for the “sovereign Jewish nation” of Israel and the recognition of Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital of Israel, Israel’s Consul General in Atlanta was unable to attend the presentation because it was on Shabbat in the middle of Sukkot. On Nov. 18, Consul-General Anat Sultan-Dadon visited with the tribe and members of Huntsville’s Jewish community for an emotional evening of strengthening bonds between the two groups. As a diplomat, “there are truly very few events that are as moving for me as this one,” she said. She expressed Israel’s “sincere appreciation to you” for “a decision and a gesture that means a lot for the state of Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people.” She added, “there is much beauty in peoples coming together from different corners of the world.” Over the summer, Seth Penn, deputy representative of the Red Wind Tribal District, approached Chief Larry Smith with the proposal to issue a resolution, and it was unanimously passed by the Tribal Council. Penn said the declaration “was a political thing, but it was also a spiritual thing” as it meant “moving forward as one people with the Jewish people.” Smith said the visit “meant a lot” to him personally and to the tribe. “This is something I never saw coming, and I just pray it grows, we have a relationship and go forward.” He reiterated a statement he made at the September ceremony, that if

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon (left) talks with Chief Larry Smith (right) and Seth Penn, as John Buhler of the Alabama-Israel Task Force looks on.

community there is any other group that can understand the struggles of Native Americans, it is the Jewish people. Sultan-Dadon said “we know and acknowledge our past, what we have been through, our present and pride in who we are, and in that we find our commonality.” Part of the commonAt the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, ality is being tied to a Charles Woods III tells the story of the sacred place and having beating of Freedom Riders in 1961 to to fight for the rights to it Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon, in as the indigenous people. front of the bus symbolizing the attacks. The resolution is also seen as an exercise of the tribe’s sovereignty, as its own political entity. Penn said “we are proud to call the Jewish people our friends and family and we look forward to continuing to build and maintaining a strong, eternal relationship with them,” and urged people to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and “stand up for their rights to sovereignty.” The dinner, catered by Chabad of Huntsville, was held at The Dwelling Place, a church which is known for its support of Israel. During the mingling before the meal, much of the conversation with Rabbi Moshe Cohen centered on the theft of a large menorah from outside Chabad earlier that week. Sultan-Dadon said “we look forward to this being the first of future encounters.”

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The consul general’s visit to Alabama included a stop in Birmingham, where she had lunch with leaders of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, and had an extended visit at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Charles Woods III, education program manager at the Institute, gave the consul general a guided tour of the museum. Sultan-Dadon said an important aspect of the work of Israel’s Atlanta consulate is outreach to the African-American community. “There is a very important history of standing together, and the mutual understanding of each other’s struggles and challenges is incredibly important.” She added, “the challenges of racism are still here. The challenges of antisemitism are still here.” Before the tour, Sultan-Dadon visited Kelly Ingram Park, the site of civil rights demonstrations in 1963. By coincidence, as she was there, Billy Planer of Atlanta, who runs Etgar 36, was leading a tour of civil rights sites. In addition to year-round civil rights tours in the South, Etgar 36 does a summer cross-country trip for Jewish teens, exploring a wide range of social issues. In the park, Sultan-Dadon saw the series of statues commemorating the Children’s Crusade that changed the momentum of the civil rights movement in May 1963, and she also visited the Anne Frank tree. The park, which is called a “place of revolution and reconciliation,” was the site of a 2005 three-way signing of Birmingham’s sister cities in Israel and Jordan, Rosh Ha’Ayin and al-Karak. She also made an impromptu visit to the memorial outside Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where four girls were murdered in a Klan bombing in 1963. In 2015, then-Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer made an official visit to the church and did a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial, as did Daniel Ayalon in 2012 when he was deputy foreign minister. In February, Sultan-Dadon accompanied Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan on a civil rights tour to South Carolina, Montgomery and Selma.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Not to Be Missed For almost two years, Covid has caused everyone to miss a lot of things — birthdays, anniversaries, births, weddings… so JNOLA held a Not to Be Missed riverboat gala on Nov. 6, catching up on all those events — and the attire for the evening was whatever one wanted to celebrate, from Mardi Gras to a wedding.

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Seeing the humanity across the divide Louisiana Jewish Coalition hears from Israeli, Palestinian Parents Circle participants By Richard Friedman As part of its webinar series “Looking Toward the Future,” the Louisiana Jewish Coalition delved into one of the most complex of issues, one fraught with emotion and tragedy, yet, at times, opportunity and even reconciliation — the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The coalition was formed this past summer and is comprised of Federations and other Jewish organizations from throughout the state. There was coordination on crisis issues, such as disaster management, and it occurred to the group that there were great opportunities to work together proactively to advance Jewish identity and solidarity throughout the state. ADL’s New Orleans-based Southern Division Director of Community Engagement, Aaron Ahlquist, guided the Nov. 28 discussion between Israeli and Palestinian Parents Circle Family Forum participants Rami Elhanan and Laila Alsheikh, which was followed by perspectives from longtime Jerusalem Post journalist Herb Keinon. The Parents Circle is made up of Israeli and Palestinian parents who have lost immediate family members to the Rami Elhanan, Laila Alsheikh conflict over the years. It is “a joint Isand Herb Keinon raeli-Palestinian organization of over 600 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. Moreover, the PCFF has concluded that the process of reconciliation between nations is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable peace. The organization thus utilizes all resources available in education, public meetings and the media to spread these ideas.”

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Closest Persons Alsheikh spoke first, referring to her Israeli counterpart as her “brother” and “one of the closest persons to me in the world.” A Palestinian Muslim mother, she recounted her young son dying in 2002 from tear gas Israel used in response to the war of terror the Palestinian leadership had launched against the country. For years afterward, she said, she didn’t have any relationship with Israelis. “I felt they all were responsible for the death of my son.” One day a friend called her about Parents Circle. At first she wasn’t interested, but the friend persisted. Alsheikh came to realize that she didn’t want her other children to become victims of “the cycle of violence.” So the friend said that maybe this would be a chance to make sure that doesn’t happen. “When the Israelis started to talk about their personal stories I was really touched and amazed,” Alsheikh said. “It was the first time I looked at them as a human like me, not just the enemy.”

Same Kind of Pain Elhanan, an Israeli whose father was a survivor of Auschwitz, began December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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community by referring to Alsheikh as “the closest person to me on the earth. What makes us so close is the price that we each have paid. We share the same kind of pain. We don’t need to say words to each other.” Elhanan’s 14-year-old daughter was murdered in 1997 by two Palestinian suicide bombers. “I thought I could go on with my life pretending as if nothing had happened, but nothing was normal anymore.” An acquaintance got him involved in Parents Circle. “I was 47 at the time. I am ashamed to admit that it was the first time I was meeting Palestinians as human beings — people who were carrying the burden that I carry.” His involvement in the group led to a transformation in his life. “I have no way of explaining what happened to me other than deciding to devote my life to go everywhere possible to talk to anyone possible, to convey this basic message: We Israelis and Palestinians are not doomed. This is not our destiny to keep killing each other.” Speaking with emotion, he added, “We can break this endless cycle of violence and the only way to do it is by talking to each other. Once you are able to listen to the pain of ‘the other’ you can expect the other to listen to your pain — and then together we can start the journey of reconciliation. This is the only way possible.”

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

In his remarks, Keinon, who is well-known to American audiences, praised the current Israeli government, the most diverse in Israel’s history. He said the new government has brought much-needed stability to Israel’s political system and is likely to last at least another 18 months which is “like an eternity.” Israel “was exhausted by four years of political stalemate and nothing was getting done — so something had to give,” he said. The new government, he noted, includes proponents and opponents of Israel’s settlement policies in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), as well as including for the first time an Islamic party. “The government is working because its guiding principle is that ‘We can agree on 70 percent of the issues — the other 30 percent will have to wait until another day’.” He also said that the focus on the government has largely been on domestic issues, such as Covid, the economy, crime and education — areas where there is general agreement. On international issues, there is agreement on advancing the Abraham Accords but disagreement on the Palestinian issue which, he said, means it won’t be solved right now. The feeling is “let’s just try to manage this issue as best we can.” Iran, of course, is a broad concern and there

community are differences among key government leaders about what approach to take. However, the over-arching message of the new government, Keinon said, is, “You don’t have to agree with your neighbors ideologically but we are on this boat together.” That message of being on the boat together despite differences in perspectives also framed the webinar. Certainly the Parents Circle participants, as a result of their painful journeys, have come to realize this about Palestinians and Israelis, and the Louisiana Jewish Coalition, a new entity made up of Jewish Federations and other organizations, is embracing this approach as well.

>> Commentary

continued from page 3

a boycott of the Palestinian Authority itself for having a booth at the World Expo in Dubai while there is also an Israeli presence — that’s when the movement has jumped the shark and is now “more Catholic than the pope.” Regardless, a phenomenon that we rarely had to cover for the longest time has increased as if on hyperdrive the last couple of years. Even so, overt antisemitism isn’t as pervasive or severe in this region as in other parts of the country, but there has still been an alarming increase. In the last few weeks, there have been antisemitic graffiti incidents at LSU and Alabama. This past month, the nine-foot menorah was taken from outside the Chabad in Huntsville. And the discussion this past summer over what to do about antisemitism that has been percolating at Mountain Brook schools for decades was, to put it mildly, uncomfortable. Was the Huntsville theft antisemitic? Authorities have yet to declare it a hate crime, and until someone is caught, it is hard to know if it was done out of antisemitism or just a prank perpetrated against something big and shiny that looked like fun to take. We’re generally slow to attach the antisemitism label to an act or an individual, because we want to wait until the facts are in rather than adhere to a narrative. Back in 2018 when Jewish Community Centers received a series of bomb threats, including four in Birmingham and one in New Orleans, many people attributed the “surge” in antisemitism (ah, for the days when that was a surge) to “Trump’s America.” I told mainstream reporters that we had no idea if it was a classic hater on the right, a radical Islamist, someone on the left upset over the Middle East conflict, or some kid in his parents’ basement in Montana. And in a twist nobody saw coming, it turned out to be a disturbed teen in Israel who disrupted schools, even airline flights, by request. Regardless of the motivation, the Huntsville incident is particularly poignant given the time of year, and what is happening in the Jewish community nationally. Chanukah is approaching, and in recent years it has become the time when the Jewish community is most visible and most public. Forty years ago, December was a time for Jews to endure the all-encompassing Christmas spirit, look for token Chanukah merchandise in stores and a token song in “Holiday” shows. Chabads started doing huge public menorah lightings, often on public property near Christmas displays, much to the consternation of Jewish communities that wanted to keep lower profiles and who op-

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community posed holiday displays on government property altogether. Over the years — and particularly in the 21st century, communities have come together for much larger and more public Chanukah celebrations. It has become a time to demonstrate Jewish pride, and even teach the majority that their celebration in late December could not have been possible if the Maccabees had not been victorious around 160 years earlier. We’re not just looking for a little recognition, we’re pointing out how important our history is for theirs. This year, the celebrations are done against the backdrop of surveys that show American Jews, in alarming percentages, have felt the need to hide their identities at some point in the past year due to increasing antisemitism. Jewish students don’t want their outspokenly “anti-Zionist not anti-Jewish” professors to know they are Jewish, lest their grades suffer. We’ve even had a couple requests recently to either send this publication in a plain envelope that won’t indicate its contents (cost-prohibitive in an already challenging time for print publicatons) or stop sending to someone altogether because of security concerns in an apartment setting. And yet, as we wrap this issue, we’re starting work on this year’s edition of the Chanukah House, with about 10,000 blue and white lights in a wide array of Chanukah themes. About 1,000 people, almost all non-Jewish, will come by on the Wacky Tacky Lights Tour and learn about Chanukah. And in Huntsville? The response to the menorah being stolen was to order five more — for starters. From the Capitol Building in Baton Rouge to the Riverwalk in New Orleans, the pier in Panama City Beach and Bridge Street Center in Huntsville, the Summit in Birmingham and Samford Lawn at Auburn University, Chanukah will be celebrated in a very public way. There will even be a lighting at the city hall of Vestavia, the Birmingham suburb where, two generations ago, there was an unwritten “understanding” that Jews “would not move there.” We need these celebrations. When Israel suffers a terror incident, it is quickly cleaned up and life continues as before. The haters can’t have their victory. We have to live our lives as who we are, proudly. As Moses told Joshua, Chazak V’Ematz. Be strong and courageous. And let’s have some fun.

Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor 36

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

financial Plan for year-end charitable giving The end of the year is close, with (as of this writing) much uncertainty as to tax and reconciliation bills before Congress. This is a particularly important year talk to your tax and financial advisers. Predicting which tax changes will become law is a challenge due to the fluid current political dynamic in Washington, but it is fair to say that Individuals should bear in mind these potential changes as they make end of the year tax considerations. Check how charitable giving that can impact your income tax liability… and help your community. It has been almost 4 years since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“2017 tax act”) was enacted, so it’s important to review some traditional tax planning strategies, as well as to determine whether some new steps could help cut your federal and state tax bills. (Note these provisions may have some changes before year end.) Should you Itemize or are you taking Standard Deduction? And should you look at “bunching?” A big change in the 2017 tax act was the dramatic increase in the standard deduction. For 2021, married couples filing jointly can claim a standard deduction of $25,100 (a little more for those over age 65). Because of this increase, coupled with the $10,000 limitation associated with the deduction for state and local taxes and the elimination of other deductible items, far fewer taxpayers will be itemizing their deductions for the 2021 tax year. If you itemized in the past, you might want to look at “bunching” those deductions into one year in order to exceed the standard deduction amount and then claim the standard deduction in other years. One of the easiest itemized deductions to bunch is that for charitable contributions. One way to accomplish this is to combine tax-deductible contributions that would otherwise be given in two or more years into one. Consider This: Make charitable contributions in the “bunching” year to a new or existing Donor Advised Fund offered by The Birmingham Jewish Foundation or other Jewish Federations/Foundations in the region. Claim the charitable deduction in the year you make the contributions and spread distributions to charities over several years. Not only do you get a current tax year deduction, but also the earnings on the DAF are available to be given to charities as well. Another 2017 tax act change increased the annual cap on cash contributions to charity from 50 percent of adjusted gross income to 60 percent, which could make “bunching” even more attractive. Are you 72 or over? If you are considering donating to charity, it may be tax beneficial to make the donation through your Individual Retirement Account. Many have used the IRA charitable rollover to transfer up to $100,000 each year directly from their IRAs to public charities such as the Jewish Federation, a synagogue or a community agency. Qualified charitable distributions can count against the “required minimum distribution” amount, which begins at 72. However, be aware that transfers to a DAF, supporting organization such as the Birmingham Jewish Foundation or a private Foundation do not qualify. A charitable contribution directly from an IRA is not deductible, but it also is not included in gross income. If you will be using a standard deduction for your taxes, there is a good chance there will be a tax benefit by gifting directly from an IRA Do you have appreciated investment assets? Look over your portfolio. If you have appreciated securities that you have held for more than a year, you might want to consider gifting them to a charity, including to a Donor Advised Fund. Most taxpayers are able to receive a charitable contribution deduction for the full fair market

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value of the securities they are transferring to a charity, while avoiding paying any long-term capital gains tax on what they have gifted. Consider gifting appreciated stock held for more than one year. It may be fully deductible up to 30 percent of adjusted gross income, and any excess can generally be carried forward and be deductible for up to an additional five years. Consider doing this with a new Donor Advised Fund or adding to an existing one. The donor will be able to make grant recommendations from the fund in the future — both from earnings and principal in the fund. One more item of note: Ordinarily, individuals who elect to take the standard deduction cannot claim a deduction for their charitable contributions. For 2021, individuals can claim a deduction of up to $300 ($600 for couples filing jointly) for cash contributions to qualifying charities (Note that this type of gift also may not be made to a Donor Advised Fund or Supporting Foundation). For more information, contact Sally Friedman, Executive Director of the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, sallyf@bjf.org, (205) 803-1519, or your local Federation/Foundation professional. 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 advisors.

Swastika incident hits Alabama SDT On Nov. 8, Sigma Delta Tau at the University of Alabama, an historically-Jewish sorority, reported that a member’s car had been defaced with a swastika where she had her SDT letters displayed. The car was in an on-campus parking lot. In a statement, the chapter said “This is a terrible reminder that antisemitism is still a very real issue that our sisters face. We as a chapter stand firmly with all of our sisters regardless of religion.” Bama Hillel stated “any act of antisemitism or hate will not be tolerated,” and offered support to any student who wants a safe space to discuss their feelings. Hillel also thanked the university administration “for their swift response.” At Mississippi State University, there was a recent controversy over the use of swastikas in protests against Covid restrictions. Also, stopantisemitism.org reported that there was a swastika, “Heil Hitler” and 1488 graffiti in a bathroom stall in Lockett Hall at Louisiana State University in late October. It was immediately painted over. 38

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

financial

Taking the Jewish Future Pledge The list of those who have signed The Jewish Future Pledge keeps growing, as more people step forward to enrich Jewish life for generations to come. As of the beginning of November, 23 people from Birmingham are already among those who have signed. The Jewish Future Pledge is a worldwide movement, begun two years ago, which calls on Jews to make the commitment that half or more of the charitable giving in their estate plans will go to support the Jewish people. It is not a legal pledge in the traditional sense, but is rather a moral statement about the belief in and commitment to the Jewish community. Whether one plans on leaving $10 or $10 million to charity, it is possible to be a participant in this vital effort. Beneficiaries can include Jewish organizations at home, around the United States, Israel and anywhere in the Jewish world. Birmingham has been selected as a pilot community to spread the word. The Birmingham Jewish Foundation, The Grafman Endowment Fund for Temple Emanu-El and The Temple Beth-El Foundation are working together on this project to secure Jewish Michael and Amy Saag life for generations to come. Birmingham signers thus far are Janet and David Aarons, Linda Barstein, Susan and Rodney Barstein, Freda and Bob Centor, Danny Cohn and Andrew Miller, Sally and Richard Friedman, Ginger and Jerry Held, Sheri and Jimmy Krell, Micky and Stanley Rubenstein, Amy and Michael Saag, Cynthia and Raymond Tobias, and Danielle and Alan Weintraub. The reasons for signing may vary from person to person, but all those who have “taken the pledge” believe that Jewish values and future are worth the investment. Cynthia and Raymond Tobias said “We have always felt that, being such a small fraction of the world’s population, it is incumbent upon us as Jews to provide for Jewish causes. There are numerous deserving possibilities for legacy gifts, but if we as Jews do not consider and provide for the future of our people, who will? Therefore, without hesitation we sign the Jewish Future Pledge.” Amy Saag said “We believe as Jews we are commanded to practice tikun olam, helping to repair our world. We believe in the importance of sustaining Judaism and the Jewish people for generations to come. For us, the Jewish Future Pledge speaks to both.”

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Transmitting Values Signing the pledge also provides an opportunity to talk to children, grandchildren, friends and the community about the values one holds dear, and the belief in the future as a Jewish people. Those interested in learning more about the Jewish Future pledge should contact Sally Friedman at The Birmingham Jewish Foundation, sallyf@bjf.org, (205) 266-8387, Jann Blitz at The Grafman Endowment Fund for Temple Emanu-El, jblitz@ourtemple.org, (205) 397-0814, Cathy Fingerman at The Temple Beth-El Foundation, tbefoundation@Templebeth-el.net, (205) 933-2740 ext. 309. More information is also available at the Jewish Future Pledge website, jewishfuturepledge.org. December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Historic Inspiration for Chanukah Each year, students at Metairie’s Jewish Community Day School make Chanukah cards for Jewish Children’s Regional Service to distribute to community members. This year’s cards include artwork inspired by the menorah collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and a border inspired by archival images of the Jewish Children’s Home newsletter, The Golden Messenger. This year’s JCDS Chanukah Extravaganza, on Dec. 3 at 8:30 a.m. on Zoom, will focus on the stories of the Jewish Children’s home and its impact on the city. Each class’s contribution is influenced by visual and performative arts of the 1920s and 30s and is led by Art Teacher Abby Wetsman, for whom the Home holds special meaning. Her grandfather, Albert Fox, was a resident of the Jewish Children’s Home almost 100 years ago. He went on to serve in the Pacific during World War II, earn an engineering degree from LSU, and become an important part of the New Orleans community.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community Israel’s Elbit announces manufacturing facility in South Carolina (JNS) — Elbit Systems of America is planning to open a 135,000-square-foot facility in North Charleston, S.C., to build weapons for Israel and boost the company’s manufacturing. Projected to open by the third quarter of 2022, it can provide as many as 300 jobs, the company said in a statement on Nov. 9. The Israeli Ministry of Defense awarded Elbit Systems of America the contracts for the supply of self-propelled howitzer gun systems. The plant will also assemble ground combat vehicles. In announcing the new development, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster noted that Elbit’s decision “is a huge win for Charleston County and the entire state. This project is an example of what we are capable of as members of Team S.C. We are excited to welcome this company and look forward to supporting them for many years to come.” The company also plans to base assembly and integration efforts of other future programs for the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security there. President and CEO of Elbit Systems of America Raanan Horowitz said it is “part of a strategy to increase Elbit’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities in the United States and contribute to strengthening America’s defense industrial base. We selected South Carolina due to its strong support for economic development, the availability of a skilled workforce and the existence of a robust supply chain.”

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Elbit Systems of America plans to open a 135,000-square-foot facility in South Carolina, to be operational in 2022.

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community University of Mississippi hosting traveling Holocaust exhibit The J.D. Williams Library at the University of Mississippi is hosting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “Americans and the Holocaust” traveling exhibit from Dec. 1 to Jan. 14. The library is one of 50 selected for the national tour, which is based on the special exhibit of the same name at the museum in Washington. There was an extensive application process, and only about 20 percent of the applicants will receive the exhibit. “Being selected to host this exhibition is also significant because there are not many opportunities for people in this area to engage with cultural heritage programming related to the Holocaust,” said Cecelia Parks, research and instruction librarian and assistant professor. “Hosting this exhibition will help increase knowledge and awareness around this important issue for UM students and the broader north Mississippi community.” One library staff member also received a paid trip to Washington for an orientation workshop about the exhibit. The exhibition will provide a rich instructional resource for multiple courses in university curriculum, while also engaging faculty and students at local K-12 schools, according to Noell Wilson, chair of history and Croft associate professor of history and international studies. “As we develop a museum studies/public history concentration in the College of Liberal Arts, students’ collaboration in the installation and dismantling of the exhibit will provide rare insight into the behind-thescenes work of exhibitions,” Wilson said. Based on extensive new research of that period, the “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibit addresses important themes in American history, exploring the many factors — including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism — that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition focuses on the stories of individuals and groups of Americans who took action in response to Nazism. It challenges visitors to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by individuals — from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ordinary Americans — who made difficult choices, sought to effect change and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism as rescue never became a government priority. A kickoff event, “Southern Jews, World War II and the Holocaust” was scheduled for Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at Bryant Hall, featuring Dan Puckett, professor of history at Troy University and chair of the Alabama Holocaust Commission. The Jewish Federation of Oxford is hosting a reception at the home of Ariel Baron-Robbins and Isaac Lapciuc on Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m. A tour of the exhibit is being arranged for earlier in the day. The library is open 24 hours until 5 p.m. on Dec. 10, then from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until Dec. 21. The library will reopen on Jan. 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, to 5 p.m. on Fridays, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Jan. 9.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life 43

community Journalism Day at Auburn highlights ethnic media Southern Jewish Life represented in panel discussion By Richard Friedman

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Journalism Day at Auburn University was highlighted by a panel on “ethnic media” which, among others, featured Larry Brook, editor and publisher of Southern Jewish Life and Israel InSight magazines, and Barnett Wright, executive editor of the Birmingham Times, Birmingham’s African-American newspaper. Southern Jewish Life, Israel InSight and the Birmingham Times have developed a partnership through which the publications share stories that are of interest to the Jewish and African-American communities. The session, titled “The State of Ethnic Media in Alabama 2021: Impact, Resources, Changes, and Opportunities,” was moderated by Dr. Gheni Platenburg, assistant professor in Auburn’s School of Communication and Journalism. The term ethnic media is generally used to describe media that serve minority ethnic and religious communities.

Vargas’ Latino News covers 13 counties in Alabama. Beyond delivering information in Spanish, including local, state, and international news, the media outlet serves as a resource for the Latino community. “Imagine coming to a new country and not speaking English. Where do you find support and guidance? Our newspaper is community oriented and connected with major non-profits that support our community members regarding the many issues they face,” Vargas explained. “Undeserved communities struggle to have their voice being heard. We as a minority media have to give them a voice to be heard.” Brook and Wright echoed many of these sentiments in their remarks. The Birmingham Times, a longstanding, historic Birmingham area newspaper, has expanded its editorial impact and developed a powerful online presence under Wright’s leadership. The Times was founded in 1963 during the Civil Rights movement. “That was a time when there was very little coverage of the African American community,” Wright explained. “Today there is just as much a need for our publications and the other media you are hearing about because the bigger media don’t have the staff to cover our respective communities,” added Wright, a well-known African-American journalist. In the case of the Birmingham Times, he added, “We have access to community activists who are on the ground, who the larger media don’t always have access to or pursue. We give these people a voice. We go out and talk to people whose voices often aren’t heard.”

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“Recent U.S. Census data show Alabama’s population has become more diverse over the last decade,” Platenburg explained. “This growing diversity not only attracts but requires media outlets that are uniquely in tune with the storytelling and informational needs of these diverse residents.” Appearing with Brook and Wright on the Nov. 4 program, which was held both in-person and virtually, were Vanessa Vargas, managing partner of Latino News; Cinthia Saenz, general manager of 1220 AM Radio, a Spanish language station; and Tori Bailey, general manager of radio station WZZA in Muscle Shoals, and serves the African American community. Bailey captured a belief that all the panelists shared. “We need media that speaks truth to and about us, prioritizes issues that are of importance to us, serves to counter misinformation often spread either by social media or other outlets that value profits over editorial responsibility, and paints a more balanced picture of our community,” she said. Added Bailey, “Today it is as important as ever to provide the general public — not just our target audience — with our perspective, to explore and explain how certain events or issues affect us the way they do, and to counter false narratives and negative stereotypes or exaggerated images with a more accurate viewpoint.”

Drilling Down Southern Jewish Life, which serves Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Northwest Florida, has become a nationally award-winning publication under Brook’s leadership. Israel InSight, a new venture he has started, is oriented toward Israel’s Christian supporters. Brook said the “relevance” of ethnic media is that it is “geared toward particular communities” as opposed to the general media which provide a broader view. “Sometimes you have to drill down and approach things in a different way.” Jewish media, for example, provide in-depth coverage of antisemitism and Israel, and Jewish journalists such as Brook are often turned to by the general media for commentary on such

community issues. Brook especially enjoyed telling his Auburn audience about a story Southern Jewish Life did a few years back on the University’s famous “War Eagle” fight song having been written by two New York Jewish songwriters. “Who else would cover that story? We did that article and it was one of the most looked at website stories in our history,” said Brook. “There are all sorts of things where history touches different groups in a way you wouldn’t expect, which would be lost if we didn’t write about them.”

>> Rear Pew

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other. Rav Celfone disagrees because, by Rav Telfone’s own logic, choosing one fortune could bring about a misfortune from the opposite of the fortune not chosen. Rav Telfone responded to his son saying, if that’s the case, one should take neither fortune. Rav Celfone then asserted that this would condemn someone to receive misfortunes based on rejecting both fortunes. Rav Telfone concluded the debate by taking his family out for falafel instead. Doug Brook snuck a Twinkie on Yom Kippur afternoon once, but he wasn’t yet a bar mitzvah. What was your excuse? For much more material, listen to the new Rear Pew Mirror podcast at anchor.fm/rearpewmirror or on any major podcast platform. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/rearpewmirror. For past columns, visit http://rearpewmirror. com/.

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December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life 45

rear pew mirror • doug brook

Talmud of Ugiyat Mazel (Fortune Cookie) Having Chinese food on the evening of Dec. 24 is as Jewish as sneaking a Twinkie during the afternoon break on Yom Kippur. Some believe this wanton wonton tradition began because, in ancient times (the early 20th Century), Chinese restaurants were the only places open on Erev Christmas. But it actually goes back much further. The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years and 40 nights. Several times, the Torah refers to it as Midbar Sin (Desert of Sin — pronounced like “seen,” not like “naughty deed”). The name of China in Hebrew is also “Sin” — pronounced and spelled the same way. To this day, rabbinic scholars never admit to endlessly debating about whether the Israelites wandered through the desert all the way to China, or if Midbar Sin is just the part of the desert to which China offered free delivery. It should therefore be no surprise that the recently discovered Mishnah tractate Bava Gump contains a chapter known as the Talmud of the Fortune Cookie. It provides exquisite (read: excruciating) detail about all matters related to the fortunes found within fortune cookies, for those interested in ensuring the fortunes come true. The following is a mere taste of the chapter — a potsticker before this Talmudic meal. ***** This is the law of the cookie-based fortune. If a fortune cookie contains no fortune, it’s considered unfortunate. For a fortune to come true, one must consume the entire cookie. One must consume the cookie only after reading the fortune, not before; much like how one consumes the challah after reciting Hamotzi. Rav Telfone, the great communicator, said that failure to eat the entire cookie would bring about a misfortune; specifically, the exact reverse of the fortune itself. His son, Rav Celfone, got great reception for his belief that not eating the entire cookie merely rendered the cookie unfortunate. Both rabbis said that eating the cookie prior to reading the fortune nullifies the fortune, again with Rav Telfone going further to say that it would also bring misfortune. If one eats the cookie with the fortune still inside it, both rabbis agree that the person will likely choke, rendering the fortune irrelevant unless it said something akin to “something will soon take your breath away” or “your future will get you all choked up.” If one tears the fortune, Rav Celfone says that it simply renders it unfortunate. Rav Telfone says that it brings about misfortune in reverse of the fortune. Rav Celfone asks what if the fortune tears during its initial removal from the cookie? Rav Telfone says that if it was torn during initial removal due to it being stuck, because it is forbidden to break the cookie before consuming it, it’s possible that the Big G will instead of inflicting misfortune allow it to be merely rendered unfortunate. If the cookie is received already broken, it is most unfortunate indeed. One cannot expect the fortune to come true from a broken cookie. Rav Celfone differed with his father in saying that receiving a broken cookie should not prompt one to ask for a refund. A fortune will come true when it comes true, but no sooner than six hours after eating meat, and a wait of 30 minutes before swimming. If a fortune cookie contains two fortunes, Rav Celfone says that one is doubly fortunate. Rav Telfone believes that you must choose one or the

Fortunate wisdom for ancient readers

continued on previous page 46

December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Congratulations Fr. Doug Brougher Recipient of the 2021 Judah Touro Society Award For sharing his faith, his compassion, and his love with so many at Touro Infirmary, and throughout the wider community, for almost 60 years of ministry, providing a lifelong example of how to live with integrity and compassion, within the halls of our hospital and within the wider community.

The award was presented on November 11 at the Audubon Tea Room

Fr. Brougher with several past Judah Touro Society Award recipients

For tickets and more information on the Touro Infirmary Foundation Casino Night on December 9, benefitting the Touro Breast Care Center, visit

touro.com/casino December 2021 • Southern Jewish Life