JGA Jan-Feb 10 - The Jewish Georgian

Transcription

THE
Jewish Georgian
Volume 22, Number 2
What’s Inside
Dalton’s Jewish
Community
Jewish entrepreneurs helped make
Dalton, Georgia, the “Carpet Capital of
the World.”
By Aaron Welt
Page 28
Outdoor Adventures
Brought together by a shared talent for
developing camping trips for Jewish
youth, an Atlanta couple is embarking on
a new project.
By Susan Kay Asher
Page 10
Seamless Transitions
Greenfield Hebrew Academy signs agreements that bring Atlanta one step closer to
having a unified Jewish day school system.
Page 7
Sharing the Wealth
MedShare brings together surplus medical supplies, a devoted staff, and an army
of volunteers to help people in need
throughout the world.
By Leon Socol
Page 30
A Man of Peace
A citywide service honors the memory of
Yitzhak Rabin.
By Sharon Kabalo
Page 8
Ten Festivals Later
The 10th Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
was a rich and varied experience.
By Suzi Brozman
Page 15
Atlanta, Georgia
JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2010
FREE
A different Dr. Seuss is coming to The Breman
The cartoon is black and white and
filled with attitude. There’s something
clearly familiar about its style, and it takes
only a moment to realize it’s
a drawing by Theodor Seuss
Geisel—Dr. Seuss.
The cartoon is one of
hundreds that will be on
display soon at The
William Breman Jewish
Heritage & Holocaust
Museum, just one of the
special happenings that
are keeping staffers at
the midtown facility
busy as the year begins.
A mix of activities,
exhibitions,
and
galas—many involving the Holocaust, all
linked in some fashion to
Atlanta and the Jewish community—are
planned for the next several months. Here
are some highlights.
DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR. For decades,
readers throughout the world have enjoyed
the marvelous stories and illustrations of
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as
Dr. Seuss. But few
know of Geisel’s
work as a political
cartoonist during
World War II.
From 1941 to 1943,
he was the chief
political cartoonist
for the New York
newspaper
PM,
using his creative
genius to rail against
isolationism, racism,
and
anti-Semitism,
while
exhorting
America to enter the
war in Europe.
See DR. SEUSS, page 5
Elinor Angel Rosenberg Breman,
pictured here with her rescue dog,
Angel, will be honored at the Seuss
Gala on February 13. (photo by Bobi
Dimond)
A Jewish film festival in Northeast Georgia ADVENTURES
Who would have thought? Between
the hedges and among the Dawgs, could
there be a Jewish film Festival? It
could...and it is...and such a festival!
The second Athens Jewish Film
Festival, February 20-24, will
feature 14 films, a new
“Challenge” to emerging
filmmakers, a series of
special events, an
opening reception
and screening sponsored
by
the
Consulate General
of Israel to the
Southeast, and a
closing award ceremony featuring world
premieres
of
the
Challenge-winning films.
All festival events, except the
closing night, will take place at the Ciné,
an arthouse cinema and community film
center at 234 West Hancock Avenue, in
downtown Athens.
The opening night celebration is
Saturday, February 20. Festivities begin
with a gala reception at 6:30 p.m., featuring great food and live local music.
Then, the acclaimed Israeli film,
The Beetle (2008), will be screened in
Ciné’s two theaters. This is a touching
and funny documentary about a
young filmmaker, Yishai
Orian, and his journey to
save his beloved old car
as he prepares for
fatherhood.
The
screening is sponsored
by the Consulate
General of Israel to
the
Southeast;
Ambassador
Reda
Mansour and his wife,
Mona, will be present to
introduce the film.
The reception was sold
out last year, so people are
advised to purchase tickets as soon as
they become available at www.athensjff.org.
On Sunday, February 21, events
See JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, page 6
ABOUND
Generous new discounts and
more than 100 indoor and outdoor
specialty camp options herald a
bright summer for MJCCA Day
Camps in Dunwoody and East
Cobb. See page 17.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 2
Lamed Vavniks
It seems that the modern technology and
information access that it affords has provided
society with so many new, in-depth tools for
advancements and improvements. The living
standard in the developed countries rivals the
comforts and product availability that was formerly accessible only to royalty. The speed of
communication and travel has made distances
almost non-existent. Opportunity abounds;
unbelievable wealth is being amassed; consumerism, while slowed by the recent economic conditions, has become the mantra.
But these advancements have not been
universal, and legions of people in many underdeveloped countries are lacking what we would
consider basic human rights. Hunger is rampant, and subjugation for personal gain continues as it has over the centuries. Life is lightly
regarded, and education is sorely lacking.
In the former instance, self-aggrandizement and greed have so permeated the morality that too many want to possess for the sake of
possessing rather than for the sake of what benefit can be derived. The same is true in the latter case, the difference being the relative pain
and suffering inflicted on those at the lower
levels for the benefit of those at the top.
A sub-storyline is the challenge and danger that has developed because of ideological
differences, values, and conflicts that have
gained momentum, often using theology as a
BY Marvin
Botnick
base. For centuries, we Jews have known and
experienced the suffering and tragedy that
accompanies these aggressions. While such
torment has not been exclusive to Jews, we are
a people who have survived and have continued longer than others.
We have always seemed to find the inner
strength to look forward with faith and hope in
the face of daunting challenges. Such is the
case of Lamed Vav, a concept that appears in
the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 97b;
Sukkah 45b) attributed to the talmudic sage
Abbaye, who lived in the fouth century C.E.
The name is derived from the Hebrew
letter lamed, the letter that is used for the number 30, and vav, the Hebrew letter that is used
for the number 6. Together, these two produce
the number 36, which, according to this legend,
is the number of righteous people required for
the world to exist. These thirty-six are referred
to as lamed vavniks.
Not being grounded in gematria, the
Jewish study of numerology, I will not com-
ment on the implication or influence of the
number 36 itself. My interest is in the legend.
According to the lore, the lamed vavniks are
not known to each other; may not know that
they are one of the thirty-six; are pious, humble, modest, and earn a small income by the
sweat of their brows. They appear when there
is a need and then return to their anonymity
once their task is completed.
While the original tales that emerged
dealt with averting a threatening disaster from
surrounding enemies, the principle certainly
has expanded applications. Rabbi Rami
Shapiro in his book: The Art of
Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice, comments that, “Without their acts of lovingkindness, life on this planet would implode under
the weight of human selfishness, anger, ignorance, and greed.”
In spite of the greed and selfishness that
are headlined every day; putting aside the crass
acts that are perpetrated for the acquisition of
power and wealth; shuddering at the inhumanity, torture, enslavement, and suffering inflicted
by humans on others, there is ample evidence
that there are the requisite lamed vavniks in our
midst.
When there is a tragic loss of life or property, there is a pouring out of support from people unknown to one another without the need
of notoriety. The horrific inhuman acts that
took place during the Holocaust are in stark
contrast to the unbelievable actions of the
Righteous Gentiles, who put at risk their lives
and the lives of their families to hide, feed, and
January-February 2010
protect Jews from the ravishes of the Nazis.
The simple act of donating blood to save lives
of people unknown to the donor. The humanitarians who volunteer their time, talent, and
money to work towards trying to protect and
make the existence of people in undeveloped
countries safer and less painful. The people
who are willing to stand up and publically
decry acts and movements that are motivated
by a desire for control, subjugation, money, and
personal power. Surely these people must fall
within the definition of lamed vavniks.
As we move into a new decade with the
celebration of the secular new year, each of us
should sit back and take a good look at who and
what we are. Are we part of those who are
threatening disaster or are fostering anger,
ignorance, and greed? Are we, for personal
gain and power, willing to aid those who are
driven to bring death, destruction, and suffering
to others? Are we part of the majority who
mutely stand by when we see wrong around
us?
Whether you want to understand the concept of lamed vav literally or figuratively, do
not shy away from the belief that the world will
not survive without the righteous stepping forward when the circumstance demand. And do
not assume that the wrongs and evils of the
world will be addressed by others. We too can
be lamed vavniks.
Thomas Edison said: “We shall have no
better conditions in the future if we are satisfied
with all those which we have at present.”
THE
Jewish Georgian February program will focus on Middle East
environmental cooperation, water management
The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is
written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians.
Publisher
Co-Publisher
Editor
Managing Editor
Assignment Editor
Consulting Editor
Associate Editor
Copy Editor
Assistant Copy Editor
Makeup Editor
Production Coordinator
Designer
Medical Editor
Photographic Staff
Graphic Art Consultant
Columnist
Special Assignments
Advertising
Sam Appel
Jane Axelrod
Gil Bachman
Asher Benator
Marvin Botnick
Sam Appel
Marvin Botnick
Marsha C. LaBeaume
Carolyn Gold
Gene Asher
Barbara Schreiber
Ray Tapley
Arnold Friedman
Terri Christian
Terri Christian
David Gaudio
Morris E. Brown, M.D.
Allan Scher, Phil Slotin, Phil Shapiro,
Jonathan Paz
Karen Paz
Gene Asher,
Jonathan Barach,
Janice Rothschild Blumberg,
Marvin Botnick, Suzi Brozman,
Shirley Friedman, Carolyn Gold,
Jonathan Goldstein, George Jordan,
Marice Katz, Balfoura Friend Levine,
Marsha Liebowitz, Howard Margol,
Bubba Meisa, Erin O’Shinsky,
Reg Regenstein, Roberta Scher,
Jerry Schwartz, Leon Socol,
Bill Sonenshine, Rabbi Reuven Stein,
Cecile Waronker,
Evie Wolfe
Susan Kahn, Lyons Joel
Michael Pelot-VP-OP
Bill Sonenshine
Marsha C. LaBeaume
Editorial Advisory Board Members
Rabbi Alvin Sugarman
Sam Massell
Albert Maslia
William Rothschild
Michael H. Mescon
Marilyn Shubin
Paul Muldawer
Doug Teper
8495 Dunwoody Place, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30350
(404) 236-8911 • FAX (404) 236-8913
[email protected]
www.jewishgeorgian.com
The Jewish Georgian ©2009
In the Atlanta region, depleted water
resources have created challenges, tensions,
and a growing need for intergovernmental
cooperation across political boundaries. Those
challenges, however, are not unique to Atlanta,
and the region may stand to learn significantly
from the environmental realities of the Middle
East, where grave water shortages demand
cooperation not simply across borders but
between historical enemies.
On Tuesday, February 2, at 7:00 p.m.,
Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill
Road, will team up with Friends of the Arava
Institute and the Jewish National Fund to present a special program, “Crossing Political &
Religious Borders to Share Water in the
Holyland.” The event is free to the public.
The interactive panel discussion will feature David Weisberg, executive director of
Friends of the Arava Institute, along with two
of the institute’s alumni, one Israeli and one
Arab, who are currently working in the region
and on a trans-boundary basis to address water
issues. In addition to focusing on both the
ongoing water scarcity situation and the need
for cross-cultural cooperation to address the
problem, these two Arava alumni will share
their personal stories of how the institute
helped them to develop trust and cooperation
across political, cultural, and religious boundaries. They will be joined by local Atlanta
experts on the environment and coexistence,
who will relate the challenges faced in the
Middle East to the challenges of our region.
The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for moderated questions.
With fast-growing populations and limited resources in Jordan, the Palestinian
Authority, and Israel, the availability of water
for human consumption, agriculture, and
industry is not a given. In a region where
neighboring governments are historic enemies,
efforts towards cooperation management are
complicated, where they exist at all.
In the midst of this tension emerged the
Arava Institute, which, since its inception in
1996, has been built on the hope that young
Muslim, Christian, and Jewish neighbors can
build positive working relationships—even
friendships—if given the venue, the support,
and a common language. An oasis of learning
in southern Israel, the Arava Institute is the premier environmental teaching and research
institution in the Middle East, preparing future
Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, and other young
leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s
environmental challenges. Those challenges,
including water, air quality, and energy, cannot
be solved unless neighbors in the region can
work together effectively.
For additional information, contact
Audrey Galex at 404-862-9498 or
[email protected].
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
What’s
HAPPENING
JORDAN SHOULBERG AT THE
ALLIANCE THEATRE. For two decades,
the wonderful Alliance Theatre has put on A
Christmas Carol. But during the season that
just passed, the production had an exciting,
young rising star.
Jordan Shoulberg, an amazingly talented 4th grader at The Davis Academy, has,
over the last few years, performed in several school plays and drama camps, including
playing Gretl in The Sound of Music at the
MJCCA’s Center Theatre. In November and
December, at the Alliance, the lovely and
charming actress wowed audiences in her
performance, playing three different poor
girls. Mom Mindy Selig Shoulberg told us
exclusively, “She is having a blast and loves
being on stage.”
When she’s not on stage, Jordan likes
playing soccer and hanging out with her
family and friends. As you can see, Jordan
looks a lot like Mindy, so, needless to say,
she is very beautiful.
Sisters Jordan, Carly, and Casey
Shoulberg
SAM MASSELL IN PEACHTREE BATTLE. Going from Beauty to The
Beast...Jordan’s cousin, Buckhead Mayor
Sam Massell, head of The Buckhead
Coalition, was recently a “celebrity walkon” at the highly acclaimed, long-running
Peachtree Battle.
Since he recounts the story much better
than we could, we’ll let Sam tell it: “I can’t
attest to any contribution I made to culture,
but the overall show does tweak our conscience. There was some laughter when I
BY Reg
Regenstein
appeared from backstage (polite expression
of support, or surprise that I could walk).
The best line I was given to deliver was my
refusal ‘to make Buckhead a gated community.’”
Sam concludes, wisely we think, “I
know politicians are supposed to be able to
act, but I think I best keep my day job.”
We kid Sam, but we have to respectfully disagree with him on two issues: We are
sure he did make an important contribution
to Atlanta’s cultural heritage—and what’s
wrong with making Buckhead a gated community?
WWII EXHIBITION AT THE BREMAN.
The Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust
Museum will present a wonderful World
War II exhibition celebrating the soldiers
who served our country during war and
peace.
The event will
focus on the political cartoons of
Theodor
Seuss
Geisel,
better
known as Dr.
Seuss. In the
1940s, before he
began
writing
children’s books,
Seuss was a political
cartoonist,
using his remarkBreman Benefactor able talents to tarElinor Breman
get fascism, antiSemitism,
and
isolationism during the darkest days of
World War II. The exhibit, “Dr. Seuss Goes
to War...and More” kicks off with a gala
evening on Saturday, February 13, at the
Breman, 1440 Spring Street, in the heart of
midtown, honoring the museum’s distinguished and much loved benefactor Elinor
Angel Rosenberg Breman.
You can honor a veteran by contributing a story and photograph to the tribute
journal that will be published as part of the
exhibition. “Dr. Seuss Goes to War...and
More” reminds us that, as the Lorax says,
“Unless someone like you cares a whole
awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s
not.”
For more info, visit thebreman.org, or
call 678-222-3700.
SAVANNAH JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL.
Since 2003, Savannah has hosted its own
Jewish film festival, and this year’s looks to
be the best one yet, “featuring...films that
showcase the richness and texture of the
Jewish experience in America, Israel, and
the world.”
The film fest, sponsored by the
Savannah Jewish Federation and the Jewish
Educational Alliance, runs February 6-14
and features some great new films. Among
them are Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, a humorous portrayal of Gertrude Berg, creator of
“The Goldbergs,” television’s first sitcom;
Gut Shabbes Vietnam, the story of a young
couple who moves from Israel to Vietnam;
and Jump, Patrick Swayze’s dramatic performance focusing on anti-Semitism in
Austria.
Offered again this year, by popular
demand, is the Lady’s Matinee and Tea
screening, featuring the award-winning film
Lady Kul el Arab, about a family torn
between conflicting cultures over a beauty
pageant.
Complete information, including the
schedule and tickets, is available at
www.savj.org.
Everything is going beautifully, but the
Savannah Jewish Film Festival still needs
sponsors. So, if you can help out, call Lynn
Levine or Adam Solender at 912-355-8111.
The fest is chaired by dynamic real estate
broker Beth VanTosh, whose real estate
entrepreneur dad, Jeff, made a name for
himself by predicting long ago that
Savannah would grow to the west instead of
the east.
Page 3
“could not be happier with the way the
album turned out.... It features 10 tracks (5
originals and 5 non-originals)...with myself
on piano, Scott
Glazer on bass,
and Justin Varnes
on drums. All of
the music can be
previewed on my
site. The physical
copy contains the
very cool and vintage-looking artwork (a la Blue
Note Records) by
Jazz pianist
a good friend,
Joe Alterman
J o n a t h a n
Weiner.”
The album has received a rave review
from Marc Myers of www.jazzwax.com,
the world’s most popular daily jazz blog.
He called Joe “a kid whose technique is far
beyond his years.... If jazz has a future, it’s
in the hands of up-and-comers like Joe.”
To purchase the album, visit Joe’s website, www.joealtermanmusic.com, then
click the “buy” tab at the top and “Click
Here To Purchase.”
SUSAN BARNARD’S BOOK ON BUCKHEAD. Susan Barnard has a great new
book out on the history of Buckhead.
Images of America: Buckhead, published
by Arcadia, tells the history of Buckhead,
beginning with the really old families, the
American Indians living along the
Chattahoochee River 6,000 years ago, and
the Muscogee (Creek) Indians who lived
there by the mid-1700s in a village called
Standing Peach Tree.
Buckhead
author Susan
Barnard and
her books
Beth VanTosh
HOWL-O-WEEN COSTUME CONTEST.
The beautiful and delightful Sarah Segal,
who runs Atlanta’s premier doggie day center, Midtown’s Atlanta Dog Spa, had a really fun Halloween event, featuring a costume party and contest for dog owners and
their friends.
Sarah’s dog spa really spoils your
pooch, and you can watch from your computer as your friend is having a good time.
To make an appointment, call Sarah at 404879-1600, or visit www.atlantadogspa.com.
JOE ALTERMAN’S FIRST ALBUM. We
have some exciting news from Piano
Prodigy Joe Alterman. His first album,
Piano Tracks, Vol. 1, is finally out and
available for purchase.
It was released one day after his 21st
birthday, so Joe can finally take orders for
this sure-to-be-a-hit album.
It can also be purchased on sites such
as iTunes and CDBaby.com.
Twenty-one-year-old Joe says that he
Buckhead’s history is recounted
through marvelously nostalgic old photos,
before the forests, trees, and historic old
places disappeared. This is Susan’s second
book on Buckhead, the first being
Buckhead: A Place for all Time. She is such
a good writer that she was even hired to coauthor a book on Atlanta’s First
Presbyterian Church—quite a feat for a nice
Jewish girl.
See HAPPENING, page 4
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 4
Happening
From page 3
Susan also told us a story of how we
got a stoplight at West Paces Ferry and
Habersham, where, for years, there had just
been a stop sign. Shortly after moving to
Habersham in the late 1940s, before
Buckhead was annexed by the city, Susan’s
mother, Cecilia Tesler Kessler, witnessed
several horrible wrecks at the corner. So,
she called Fulton County and told the
responsible official that they needed to put
a traffic light up at the intersection. He said,
“Lady, do you know how expensive a traffic light is?” She responded, “Is it more
expensive than a human life?” And, countless saved lives later, that’s the true story of
how the Cecilia T. Kessler Memorial Light
was installed.
JAY STARKMAN IN THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL. Renowned Atlanta CPA Jay
Starkman, one of the smartest people we
have ever met, was recently quoted in The
Wall Street Journal, which even plugged
Jay’s terrific book, The Sex of a
Hippopotamus: A Unique History of Taxes
and Accounting. We gave it a four-star rating last year. It is still going strong and
remains one of the most interesting, witty,
and informative books on taxes ever written.
In the WSJ, Jay was commenting on a
tax case in which a drunken driver claimed
a casualty loss on the car he wrecked,
deducting the damages, and he won in tax
court! Great news for the editors here at the
JG.
ATLANTA’S FUNNIEST PERSON. Josh
Harris’ comedy career is nothing to laugh
at. He just produced and hosted the
Punchline’s hugely successful College
Comedy Night in December.
Later, NBC flew Josh to LA to perform
at the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard.
Josh was one of the ten “most promising
comics” picked by NBC’s talent scouts out
of 1,000 considered for a show featuring
ethnic diversity and humor.
As the NBC press release put it,
“Exploding onto the comedy scene, the last
few years have brought [Josh a] meteoric
rise.... Revered for his ability to electrify
any audience, his high-energy performance
and one-of-a-kind material garnered him
the title of Atlanta’s Funniest Person by
Dave FM.... His comedic brilliance is
topped only by his likeability, as he gains
audience adoration the second he hits the
stage. The future is bright for the 24-yearold as he sprints to the finish line of stardom.”
The bio of Josh, the son of Mynel Yates
Dubose and Art Harris, says that he “grew
up in Atlanta,
achieved basketball honors as a
fearless
point
guard, despite runt
status, and almost
graduated from
Darlington
in
Rome, Ga. One
night
before
Christmas break,
the housemaster
Rising comic superstar heard footsteps on
the roof when no
Josh Harris
creature should
have been stirring, and it wasn’t Rudolph.
Josh was caught sneaking out in a pink suit
to meet a girl for a party and opted to finish
his high school career in Hotlanta, at Ben
Franklin Academy.”
BROADWAY CHORUS ENTERTAINS
SENIORS. The Marcus Jewish Community
Center of Atlanta’s Broadway Chorus just
finished its seventh year of great performances at the center and senior living facilities.
Under the direction of music director
Dr. Bob Schultz, the chorus performs
Broadway show tunes by such legendary
greats as Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim,
Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Lerner and
Loewe.
The MJCCA’s Eddie Ullman tells us
exclusively that “Under Bob Schultz’ leadership, the very talented group has drawn
raves from its audiences. The senior communities can’t wait for a return of the
group. During performances, you can see
residents singing along and note the emotion in the room as people recall the memories that the songs bring back. You can also
feel the warmth of the performers...and the
joy they are spreading.”
The chorus always tries to recognize
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275 Spalding Springs Lane
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
[email protected]
tel. 770.395.1094
cell 678.637.2030
fax 770.396.8844
birthdays and anniversaries, and if someone’s favorite song is not on the program,
Bob Schultz tries to add it for the next season.
If you’d like to audition for the chorus,
which is open to all ages, contact Dina
Shadwell at 678-812-4072 or [email protected].
NEIL SHULMAN’S BOOKS ON
HEALTH. Dr. Neil Shulman, better known
as Doc Hollywood (the title of the 1991
comedy film based on his book, What?
Dead again?, and which starred Michael J.
Fox) has a great new book, as well as a
recently updated one.
These books may not be made into
movies, but they could sure help lots of
people.
The Real Truth about Aging: A Survival
Guide for Older Adults and caregivers
(Prometheus) is co-authored by Dr.
Michael Silverman and Adam Golden and
contains valuable personal health tips on
how to handle and help our aging bodies. It
should be a big seller here at the JG. As
Neil puts it, “The aim is to empower seniors, caregivers, and family members so
they can be better consumers of health care
services and instantly know the important
information that is relevant.”
Your Body’s Red Light Warning
Signals (Random House), which Neil wrote
with Jack Birge and Joon Ahn, is newly
revised and updated. Neil calls it “A
Wikipedia of important symptoms which
may require emergency or urgent evaluation...300 doctors from all areas of medicine helped with the book.... This year, we
sold about 63,000 copies, and it will be
translated and published in Korea, China,
Poland, Vietnam, and Croatia. It has just
been translated into Spanish.” Visit
www.redlightwarningsignals.com.
Neil has also have performed a comedy
bit, Laughing with Seniors, at various senior centers around town and even produced
a short documentary on the topic. Neil says
that “with seniors as old as 107, I find that
the older the seniors, the more they seem to
laugh. Laughter is great medicine.”
JEWISH AUTHOR AT LOVETT.
Renowned Jewish writer Steve Almond is
the most recent writer-in-residence at the
prestigious Lovett School. He visited Upper
School English classes, was interviewed by
the school newspaper staff, spoke to Upper
School assemblies, and was a huge hit.
Lovett tells us exclusively that “His
unique mix of humor and serious reflection
captivated the students—so much so that, at
one point during the 9th-10th grade assembly, the students broke into spontaneous
applause. His overall message was to
encourage students to follow their passions
in life. He promised them that they will
experience greater success if they do what
Author Steve Almond at Lovett
they love rather than what they think will
bring a big paycheck.”
We would sure agree with that, especially if you wanna be a writer, cause there
sure ain’t no money in it.
At the Republican Jewish Coalition’s
Hanukkah Party, at the home of
Chuck and Bonnie Berk: (from left)
Larry Miller, co-chair of the Atlanta
RJC; Chuck Berk; Consul General of
Israel to the Southeast Ambassador
Reda Mansour; Governor Sonny
Perdue; and co-chair of the Atlanta
RJC Bonnie Berk. (photo by Jerry
Katz)
At the InterContinental’s luncheon
for Pink Magazine, the national
woman’s magazine: (from left)
Martha Jo Katz, InterContinental
Buckhead’s director of Social
Events; Valery Voyles Jordan, president and CEO of Ed Voyles
Automotive; and Vikki Locke, 98.5
FM DJ. More than 300 attendees
enjoyed the luncheon and program.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
ning of what would one day become the wildly imaginative and much-loved characters in
Seuss’ hugely popular children books. Adults
will be fascinated with Geisel’s politics and
ability to capture ideas in drawings; youngsters will be entertained by his zany artwork
and the show’s interactive exhibits based on
some his later creations.
Most everyone will be intrigued, perhaps
surprised, by the powerful messages Geisel
was able to convey in both his early cartoons
and children’s books about issues that were
important to him. “Dr. Seuss Goes to
War...and More” is, ultimately, a fascinating
look at a complex man and his work and a
great opportunity to once again spend time
with an American icon.
Dr. Seuss
From page 1
“Dr. Seuss Goes to War...and More,” a
special exhibition that both children and
adults will find entertaining and informative, opens in the Schwartz Gallery at The
Breman on February 14. Featuring some of
the 400 editorial cartoons Geisel created
while working at PM, the exhibition offers
a unique glimpse into the innovative genius
of this well-known author and illustrator,
who published over 60 children’s books,
including such classics as The Cat in the
Hat, The Lorax, The Butter Battle Book and
Horton Hears a Who.
Jane Leavey
“Ted Geisel’s
moral philosophy
found its way into
his books for children, and his fame
grew with the
publication
of
each new one,”
says Jane Leavey,
The
Breman’s
executive director.
“His books reflect
the themes and
concepts that are
******
at the core of The Breman’s mission,” and
they will be featured in the new exhibition.
The “Seussian” flair began to take shape
in his political cartoons, the whimsical begin-
Taking a trip—and a lot more
“Hello, Elegant Motel? This is Mrs.
John Q. Public. I’d like a double room for
the 18th, 19th, and 20th, please. One bed
will be fine, we won’t use but one, no need
paying for two. Oh, it’s the same price?
Well, be sure you give us two. My husband
needs his rest. No, we don’t need to guarantee payment. We’ll arrive before six—in
fact, we’ll be there by 1:00, and we’ll expect
to get into our room immediately. People
know that’s the checkout time and they can
just vacate. We want to get settled early. Yes,
we’ll be paying by credit card. It’s a business trip.”
“These eight bags are ours, and the hatbox, the golf clubs, and the hanging clothes.
Watch out for those, there’s a special dress
in there. NO, NO, I’ll carry that myself.
(That’s my jewelry. I don’t want him fooling
around with my jewelry.)”
“Honey, you didn’t need to tip him so
much. After all, what did he do? Don’t for-
Page 5
BY Shirley
Friedman
get to keep track of everything. We’re going
to count this as a business trip. Who knows
the difference?”
“Let’s go down and eat. I’ll just order
soup and you get the buffet and serve yourself enough for me, too. It’s silly to pay that
much for both of us. And be sure to go
heavy on the seafood. That’s my favorite.”
“Well, we’ve had a nice three days, and
I’m not rushing out of here at 1:00. I want to
see my TV program at 2:00. The people
checking in can just wait. What are they in
such a hurry about?”
“Be sure you double-check everything.
A NIGHT TO BOOGIE. It was a troubling
time when Ted Geisel used his incredible talent to lash out at the fascist powers moving
across Europe in the early 1940s. The world
was at war, but there was a special, hopeful
vibe in the U.S., a sense that everyone was
pulling together and sharing both the good
and bad that played out each day.
Get all of the stationery out of the drawers
and the extra soap and tissues. You get the
ashtrays and the spoons I took from the dining room, and I’ll just pack the towels in
here. You pay for all of these things and
believe you me, I’m going to take them. No,
leave the Gideon Bible. Those things have
writing all over them. They must think
someone wants them. I’m going to call
home and tell them we’re on the way; and
when you check out, don’t tell them we had
It’s the jazzy, swinging feeling of that
time that will be the focus of the Gala
Opening on February 13 at The Breman, 1440
Spring Street, Atlanta, kicking off the Seuss
exhibition and honoring Elinor Angel
R o s e n b e rg
Breman.
The
evening will feature a spirited
“USO” show starring Jenny Levison
and the Souper
Jenny Singers. It
will also be a time
when our community can come
together to honor
all the brave Jewish
Jenny Levison
men and women
(Souper Jenny)
who have served—
and continue to serve—in the country’s armed
forces.
Spring Asher and Debbie Neese are
coordinating the Seuss gala and commemorative journal.
Proceeds from the gala will benefit The
Breman’s education programs, which annually serve more than 25,000 students and teachers. For additional information about the
gala, contact Phyllis Lazarus at 404-8707684 or [email protected].
any charges this morning. They overcharge
for everything here.”
“Hello, Elegant Motel? This is Mrs.
John Q. Public. I left my bedroom shoes in
room 638 yesterday. Please check with the
housekeeper and see if anyone found them,
and send them to me. (I’ll probably never
see those shoes again. You can’t trust anybody these days. They’ll rob you blind if
you don’t watch out.)”
Our Rabbis taught: We sustain the non-Jewish poor with
the Jewish poor, visit the non-Jewish sick with the Jewish
sick, and bury the non-Jewish dead with the Jewish dead,
for the sake of peace.
Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 61a
Haiti is in need of assistance due to the catastrophic earthquake the country experienced. If you wish to participate in the disaster relief and have not already done so, there
are a number of agencies that will welcome your contribution. If you do not know
where to make contact, one such agency is the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee (JDC). Information is available at its web site, https://www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx <https://www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx>, or through the web site
for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, http://jewishatlanta.org.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 6
Jewish Film Festival
A brief history of the Athens Jewish Film Festival
From page 1
start at 12:30 p.m. and continue into the
night. Founding director of the Boston
Jewish Film Festival Michal Goldman
will introduce her film, At home in
Utopia; filmmaker Lisa Seidenberg will
be on hand to discuss Ester Street, her
intriguing documentary essay, which will
have its world premiere at the festival;
most other films will be similarly introduced by someone familiar with the production or its subject matter.
Sunday afternoon is particularly family friendly. Screenings include the coming-of-age films Max Minsky and Me and
King Lati the First. From 1:00-3:00 p.m.,
there will be short films and storytelling
for children under 6.
On Monday, February 22, and
Tuesday, February 23, three different
films—a mixture of repeats from the
weekend and some new films—will be
screened each day, beginning at 4:15 p.m.
Closing events will take place at the
Rialto Club in the new Hotel Indigo, 500
College Avenue, beginning at 6:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, February 24. A reception
with live music will celebrate the winners
of the Emerging Filmmakers Challenge, a
new event presented in collaboration with
the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Foundation.
Emerging filmmakers were asked to produce and submit films, 90 seconds to 5
minutes long, dealing with some aspect
of the Jewish experience. The best of
these shorts will be premiered, and the
winners will be announced. At this time,
the festival’s Audience Favorite will also
be announced. The evening will end with
a closing party featuring local musicians.
Supplementing the festival throughout the year are events that take place on
the University of Georgia campus or at
the Athens-Clarke County Public Library.
For example, on March 3, in collaboration with the campus organization Dawgs
for Israel, the festival will present an
event at the UGA Tate Theater and a
screening of the film Lost Islands.
The complete festival schedule is
available at www.Athensjff.org.
By Abraham Tesser
The seeds for the Athens Jewish Film
Festival were planted in fall of 2008. My wife,
Carmen, an emerita
professor
of
Romance
languages at the
University
of
Georgia, and I were
serving on the
Atlanta
Jewish
Film
Festival
screening
and
selection committee. The trip to
Athens Jewish Film Atlanta was a
Festival President schlep, but the
movies were wonAbraham Tesser
derful.
We knew there was a community in the
Athens area that would appreciate a version of
what Atlanta was doing. Since Atlanta was not
ready to come to Athens, a group of naïve
Athenians—the two of us, plus Elliott
Gootman, an emeritus professor of mathematics at UGA, and Angela Meltzer, an Athens
CPA—decided to start our own Jewish Film
Festival. I say naïve because we had no money,
no sponsors, and no legal or organizational
framework.
What we lacked in sophistication we
made up for in effort. Work began in
September 2008, when the first board was
formed. Although not entirely Jewish, there
was a cross-section of the Jewish Community:
academics, business people, three rabbis
(including Hillel and Chabad), students, and
professionals. With a set of bylaws and policies, a formal structure emerged; with our
recognition by the State of Georgia and the federal government as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, our legal status was in place.
We had no sponsors, but with the power of
persuasion and some practice in writing grants,
we raised enough money to get through our
first year, thanks to the City of Athens, the
Georgia Humanities Council, the local chapter
of UJC (now the Jewish Federations of North
America), Congregation Children of Israel
(CCI), the CCI Sisterhood, the Athens Chapter
of Hadassah, some local businesses and generous individuals, and a huge number of ordinary
people. An all-volunteer force and no paid staff
made it possible for us to come out in the black,
even in these bleak economic times. We continue to operate entirely with volunteers.
The proof, of course, is in the programming. Our first major event took place
February 28-March 1, 2009. The opening gala
was a sellout. Many of the folks came in gowns
and tuxedoes; they enjoyed fellowship (in a
tuxedo you don’t schmooze, you enjoy fellowship) and were welcomed by the mayor of
Athens, Heidi Davison, a member of the
Jewish community. The heartwarming film
Noodle was shown on both screens of the
Cine’, again to a sellout crowd. The buzz was
terrific; a good start indeed.
Sunday morning also started out very
well. There were special, well-attended programs for children, while adults occupied the
theaters. Then the snow started falling. At first,
people came in galoshes and rain gear, but
soon, the number of people showing up slowed
to a trickle. Before long, getting around outside
was downright ugly. Several of our speakers
and a surprisingly large number of patrons
stayed until we were asked to leave so the people who worked at the theatre had a sporting
chance of getting home. (It took us nearly an
hour to go less than three miles to our powerless home. But, one has only to listen to Irving
Berlin’s “White Christmas” to picture the beauty of Athens that night.)
Since then, there have been free special
programs, many co-sponsored by such entities
as the Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Institute of the University of Georgia, Athens
Chapter of Hadassah, CCI Sisterhood, and the
Athens-Clarke County Public Library. Each
has included a film and a speaker and quite a
bit of discussion by a lively group of interested
patrons.
So, what took so long? Movies have been
popular since the beginning of the 20th century. And, where there have been movies in this
country, most assuredly, there have been Jews.
Although most of the movies were not Jewish
in content or character, often Jews produced the
movies, were featured in the movies, wrote the
movies, and directed the movies. In spite of the
ubiquitous Jewish presence in the industry, it
took a long time for American Jews in general
to feel comfortable enough to want to publicly
and collectively celebrate their identity, culture,
traditions, religion, and assorted bubbeh
maisas through the medium of film. It was in
1980 that the first (and still largest) Jewish film
festival was established in San Francisco. Our
own Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, also nationally prominent, debuted just in 2000. So, 2008
for Athens, Georgia, and the Athens Film
Festival isn’t that bad.
Please come if you can. We’d love to see
you at the movies.
Abraham Tesser is an emeritus research professor of psychology at the University of
Georgia. In addition to serving as president of
the Athens Jewish Film Festival, he is a furniture maker and woodworker. Shirlee Tevet
Cohen, chair of the Athens Jewish Film
Festival’s marketing committee, contributed to
this article.
The “Snow of 2009”
Watchful love can help us and those we care for
By Rabbi Scott B. Saulson, Ph.D.
to take care of ourselves first.
Watchful love can prevent worn-out love
if we caregivers adopt three time-tested guidelines:
Before we land, let us recall that none of us
is permitted to sit in an exit row if we are
unable or unwilling to carry out emergency
exit procedures. In caregiving-ese, we must
acknowledge our limitations and get help to
compensate for them.
•
“In the event of the loss of cabin pressure,
an oxygen mask will drop down. Grab the
mask and strap it over your face first. Then
assist...”
The spirits of duty and generosity propel
us into caregiving when there is a loss of
“cabin pressure,” when infirmities and disabilities in others appear as we had anticipated or catch us off guard. In either case, we
imperil ourselves as well as the ones needing
our care the moment we ignore the instruction
•
• Finally, whether aloft or earthbound, care-
givers usually hold the upper hand in the caregiving relationship. While we may not necessarily seek to exploit that imbalance, we may
be prone to convincing the one who looks to
us for care to go along with a particular plan.
Yet, if we are seeking cooperation and conciliation, we must put aside convincing. Instead,
all of us involved must share our own doubts,
concerns, and fears as well as our own needs,
commitments, and limitations.
How do we do this without appearing
either self-serving or self-effacing? How do
we do this without coming across as callous or
negligent? How do we do this when even the
best laid plans of mice and men encounter
moments that try our patience and test our fortitude?
Wisdom dictates that we emulate
Michelangelo’s depiction of Creation in the
vault of the Sistine Chapel—the forefingers of
God and Adam stretched one toward the other.
Not that the two can ever really touch—
Divinity and Humanity are proximate, yet
remain distinct, even as we can never really
get inside someone else’s skin, let alone fully
understand and appreciate our own selves.
Nonetheless, if we truly seek cooperation and
conciliation, we will stretch forth and try to
touch—to touch and not convince.
Rabbi Scott Saulson, Ph.D., serves on a number of non-profit boards and as a support
group facilitator for the Alzheimer’s
Association of Georgia. He is a member of the
National Association of Jewish Chaplains and
the Association of Clinical Pastoral
Education. His wife, Dr. Diane Wulfsohn, is a
practicing clinical psychologist. See
www.MovingParents.org.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
GHA signs seamless
transition agreements
On December 15, Greenfield Hebrew
Academy signed separate agreements with The
Weber School and Yeshiva Atlanta to ensure
seamless transitions for GHA students who
wish to attend these high schools.
The Weber School previously signed similar agreements with The Davis Academy and
The Epstein School. Now, the admissions
process from GHA to Weber will be streamlined
just the way it is for graduates of Davis and
Epstein. The agreement states that “Jewish day
school education has been widely identified as
one of the most critical factors in developing a
child’s sense of responsibility for the future of
the Jewish people. Elementary Jewish day
school education lays the foundation for Jewish
living and connectedness. A Jewish day high
school education is designed to provide a
Jewish context for children to walk through the
turbulent teen years and emerge with a strong
Jewish identity. GHA’s cooperation with The
Weber School is meant to promote this comprehensive vision of Jewish day school education.”
In a recent letter to Yeshiva Atlanta parents, staff, faculty, and supporters regarding the
Joint Collaboration Agreement that GHA and
YA signed, Rabbi Elisha Paul, headmaster, and
Evie Weinreich, board president, wrote, “GHA
has committed to assist YA in some very concrete ways, including opening its doors to
recruiters from YA and supporting YA recruitment efforts by identifying families who would
find the education YA offers to be a good fit for
their teenagers....YA has committed to assist
GHA in some very concrete ways, such as
establishing a streamlined and preferred admissions process for GHA graduates and assisting
GHA in the development of Judaic and general
studies curriculum that will prepare GHA students for a successful transition to high school.”
GHA Board President Michael Siegel said,
“We have never had educational institutions
come together like this for the benefit of our
Jewish community.... We have taken a monumental leap forward in creating a Jewish day
school system at the very grassroots level—not
because someone has mandated it, not because
money is an incentive, but because, without
question, this is what is best for Jewish education in Atlanta.
“These agreements...say that you can enter
GHA and seamlessly choose a continued path
of Jewish education in a K-12 environment
from now forward—and you can do so not
knowing whether Weber or Yeshiva are your
choices today, but preserve that flexibility during your entire tenure at GHA.”
GHA will work separately with Weber and
YA to harmonize marketing, public relations,
and advertising programs and will also cooperate on joint adult education or sponsorship
efforts in the community.
In signing these agreements, Greenfield
acknowledges The Weber School and Yeshiva
Atlanta as its preferred providers of secondary
education. Although these agreements herald an
unprecedented level of cooperation, all schools
involved will maintain their independence.
Constituents from GHA, Weber and JFGA: (back row l-r) Joe Weber, Felicia
Weber, Lisa Galanti Rabinowitz, Carol Cooper, Steve Rakitt, (front row l-r)
Harold Kirtz, Sim Pearl, Rabbi Lee Buckman, and Michael Siegel
Constituents from GHA, YA and JFGA: (back row l-r) Rabbi Michael Berger,
Carol Cooper, Steve Rakitt, (front row l-r) Evie Weinreich, Rabbi Elisha Paul,
Rabbi Lee Buckman, and Michael Siegel
Page 7
Page 8
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Rabin remembered as a man of peace
On October 29, 2009, nearly 250 people
gathered in the theater of the Greenfield
Hebrew Academy for a citywide service honoring the memory of Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin.
The Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Service
began with a moving video that chronicled the
life and death of the Israeli prime minister,
who was assassinated 14 years ago. This video
makes clear the peaceful legacy Rabin wanted
to leave. Sadly, his dream was cut short. “The
only battle I wish to wage is the battle for
peace,” Rabin said in one of his speeches. “I
am a soldier in the army of peace.”
After the video presentation, GHA 6thgraders quietly walked on stage, holding candles and singing in Hebrew, beautifully
accompanied on the harmonica by Ronnie
Porat, Israel special emissary to the Jewish
National Fund. A wreath was placed on stage
next to a burning candle.
Head of School Rabbi Lee Buckman then
addressed the crowd, sharing what he remembered from November 4, 1995 (12th of
Cheshvan), the sad day when Rabin was
killed.
GHA 6th-graders sing on stage.
“The shock and sadness are still vivid
in my mind. Rabin was in Tel Aviv with
100,000 Israelis celebrating peace. The
assassin was a 25-year-old law student, a
fellow Jew, a fellow Israeli, who expressed
his disagreement and hatred using bullets,”
recalled Rabbi Buckman.
“The day after the assassination, leaders from 40 countries traveled to the prime
minister’s funeral,” he continued. “A siren
wailed as everyone in Israel stood in
silence. Friends and former foes gathered to
pay tribute to a man of peace.
“We must remind ourselves that hatred
is not what should abide between one Jew
and another, no matter how much we may
disagree with one another. For we are one
people with one destiny, one God, and one
beloved State of Israel.”
Steve Rakitt, president of the Jewish
Federation of Greater Atlanta, addressed the
audience next. “We have the desire for
peace and the need for prayer,” he said.
“Let Rabin’s memory be for a blessing.”
The 6th-graders next performed a skit
based on a Rabin speech in which he
expressed his desire for peace. After Rabbi
Paul Kerbel from Congregation Etz Chaim
led the audience in the Mourner’s Kaddish,
attendees joined with students and Israeli
Scouts in singing “Shir HaShalom,” the
very song Rabin sang with the crowd of
Israelis minutes before he was assassinated.
Sharon Kabalo, deputy consul general
from the Israeli Consulate of the Southeast,
concluded the program with some emotional words. “I remember how this event
caught us by surprise,” she said, fighting
back tears. “We must convey Rabin’s message of peace, education, and diversity. We
ask, ‘14 years later, have we learned anything?’ The lesson here is tolerance…for
the sake of the Jewish people and the State
of Israel.”
As the audience stood to sing
“Hatikvah,” it was evident that the mood of
this moving ceremony was both somber and
hopeful, as Rabin’s message of peace permeated the evening.
Two communities share the memory of two great leaders
Rebecca Topper and Josh Margow
Zach Maslia and Ethan Robinson
This past November 4, Israelis commemorated the 14th anniversary of the
assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin. It seems that any ceremony should
focus on two major aspects of the tragedy.
The first is Yitzhak Rabin himself, one of
the most impressive leaders Israel has ever
had, as well as his heritage as a fighter and
his constant efforts to bring peace to Israel.
The other should be the actual assassination and the question it left us: what is the
lesson for future generations?
In regards to Rabin’s heritage, here at
the Consulate General of Israel to the
Southeast, a unique enterprise has begun,
one that conveys Rabin’s message of
peace, education, and diversity by reaching out to the broader Atlanta community,
but most of all to the city’s AfricanAmerican population. Spearheaded at the
consulate by Ambassador Reda Mansour,
consul general of Israel to the Southeast
and dean of the Atlanta Consular Corps,
the enterprise is the Rabin-King Initiative,
a cooperative effort between the consulate,
the Martin Luther King Jr. International
Chapel at Morehouse College, The
Temple, and the American Jewish
Committee. Our aim is to celebrate the
rich history of African-American and
Jewish collaborations and encourage a
new generation to engage in combined
BY Sharon
Kabalo
service through a series of events and academic programs that draw upon the legacies of Nobel Prize winners Yitzhak Rabin
and Martin Luther King Jr.
Thinking about the assassination
itself, it seems as if it happened yesterday.
I remember how this event caught us all by
surprise. How many of us did not want to
believe that what we were hearing was
true? We did not want to believe that a
prime minister in Israel could be assassinated, we did not want to believe that a
leader and an affectionate person as Rabin
could be murdered, and, most of all, we
could not believe that an Israeli Jew would
have been the one to commit this terrible
crime.
So, 14 years later, have we leaned
anything?
It seems to me that the lesson we
should draw from Rabin’s assassination
ought to be one that our sages have already
taught us in the Talmud: “Although Beth
Shammai and Beth Hillel are in disagree-
ment...Beth Shammai did not, nevertheless, abstain from marrying women of the
families of Beth Hillel, nor did Beth Hillel
refrain from marrying women of the families of Beth Shammai. This is to teach you
that they showed love and friendship
towards one another, thus putting into
practice the Scriptural text, ‘Love truth
and peace.’” (Yevamot 81)
One of the pillars of the Jewish tradition is questioning and debating. The lesson that should be taught from this tragic
event is that we must have tolerance for
one another, even in times of dispute, even
if it’s a dispute on critical issues.
We must maintain our sages’ heritage
and continue the inner discussions within
the Jewish community and within the people of Israel. We also must learn the limits
of discussion in order to stand stronger on
our daily battles for the sake of the Jewish
people as a whole and the State of Israel in
particular.
He who makes peace in His heights,
May He make peace upon us and upon all
of Israel, and let us say, Amen.
May his memory be blessed.
Sharon Kabalo is deputy consul general at
the Israeli Consulate to the Southeast. She
lives in Atlanta with her husband and three
sons.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 9
Taking that Chinese food craving all the way
By Jerry Broder, as told to George Jordan
For some unknown reason, Jewish
people have an affinity for Chinese food.
But one local resident took this phenomenon further by becoming an owner of five
Chinese restaurants in the Atlanta area. I
recently talked with entrepreneur Jerry
Broder, whose comments appear below.—
George Jordan
I was born in Brooklyn, graduated
from New York University with a degree in
accounting in 1956, left New York, and
went to Miami. I married a Miami girl, had
three children, and worked as a comptroller
for a chain of restaurants in the South
Florida area.
This
group
bought Fan & Bills
and Johnny Escoes
restaurants, and in
1967 I came to
Atlanta to be the
comptroller for Fan
& Bills.
At that time,
Jerry Broder
there was only one
Chinese restaurant in Atlanta. Realizing
that there was an opportunity here, I had
dinner with two other people, and we
decided to open a Chinese restaurant at
4959 Roswell Road, 1 1/4 mile inside I-
285. I was elected to be the operator of the
restaurant, and the other two would be
investors. This was the first of what eventually would be five Chinese restaurants,
which I operated until I sold them in 1975.
At that time, ingredients for Chinese
food were not available in Atlanta—no
Chinese vegetables, no egg roll or wonton
skins. Everything had to be imported from
New York. I got my first cooks by walking
into a Chinese grocery store in New York
and telling the owner that I was looking for
two cooks for Atlanta, Georgia. He told me
to come back in three days. When I
returned, he had two cooks for me. I was
very lucky that one of the men was a master chef; the other was a helper taught by
the master chef. The Chinese community is
very close—so when I needed a cook, I just
asked one of my cooks. In a few days, I had
my new cook, and I didn’t even know
where he came from.
I planned the menus based on my
experience of dining in Chinese restaurants
in New York. I brought the menus back to
Atlanta and selected the items that I knew.
Of course, it was all Cantonese; however,
today, Chinese restaurants serving
Cantonese foods are in the minority.
Szechwan has become very popular as people have developed a taste for spicier food.
Hunan and others have also gained in popularity.
My time owning Chinese restaurants
Doug Barron enlists in the
fight against ovarian cancer
Doug Barron is the new executive
director of the Georgia Ovarian Cancer
Alliance (GOCA). In addition to 25+ years
of business experience, Mr. Barron also
brings with him a personal attachment to
the organization, as his mother-in-law,
Wendy Sharon, lost her battle with ovarian
cancer a few years ago. Doug’s wife, Heidi,
has also been active in the organization
since her mother’s diagnosis and subsequent death.
The mission of the Georgia Ovarian
Cancer Alliance is to increase awareness
that leads to earlier detection of ovarian
cancer. GOCA educates women, their families, and the healthcare community about
the signs, symptoms, and treatments of
ovarian cancer and provides services, emotional support, and information to those
afflicted with the disease. GOCA’s community outreach programs include the Bag of
Hope, which provides items of comfort to
women who are undergoing treatment for
ovarian cancer; the Media Library, which
provides a message of hope and promotes
awareness of the often-missed warning
signs of ovarian cancer; and the Students
Teaching Program.
Ginger Ackerman is the founder of
GOCA. She is a thirteen-year survivor of
ovarian cancer and continues to be a real
source of strength to others who have the
disease.
GOCA has recently relocated to the
Northside Tower, 6065 Roswell Road,
Suite 512, Atlanta GA 30328. For more
information about the Georgia Ovarian
Cancer Alliance, its programs, volunteer
opportunities, and upcoming events, call
404-255-1337, or visit www.gaovariancancer.org.
was exciting, but I would recommend that
Americans not go into the Chinese food
business unless they speak Chinese. The
staff converses in Chinese, and if they discuss changes in the preparation of the food,
you have no idea about this. In American
restaurants, you have direct communication
with the chefs.
After selling the Chinese restaurants, I
moved on to the Italian ice business and
then into the catering field. It was during
this time that I was diagnosed with
esophageal cancer. After undergoing surgery, I was in a coma for 35 days and on a
respirator for 81 days. Three and one-half
years later, in April 1993, I went to Emory
University and had a colon interposition,
which involved removing my stomach and
esophagus, putting a piece of my colon in
my throat, and connecting the small intestines to the piece of colon. Since then, I am
happy to say, I have been leading a perfectly normal life.
Nineteen years ago, I helped start the
cancer survivor network at St. Joseph’s
Hospital, which is now the largest network
in the Atlanta area. Visiting cancer patients
and doing volunteer work is for me, and for
other volunteers, a very selfish act—we get
so much more out of it than we give. We
never are sure what the patient has gotten
from our visit; but when we as volunteers
leave the room, we feel so much better. We
hope the patient has benefited from the
visit, because I feel that the mental attitude
of a cancer patient is 95% of his or her battle.
Years ago, in the early 1980s, Dr.
Bernie Siegal, a surgical oncologist, was
one of the first medical doctors to connect
the mind and the body. He felt that the mind
could almost control everything in the
body, that having a good mindset and providing good positive feedback to your body
enables you to actually heal yourself. I am
a good example of a person overcoming
unbelievable odds and leading a normal life
20 years after my first surgery. I truly feel
that my mental attitude after the first 3 1/2
years helped me survive.
I am very happy to be retired. Now I
just concentrate on enjoying life. I play gin
rummy, belong to the North Atlanta Men’s
Club, am active at the Marcus Jewish
Community Center of Atlanta, participate
in discussion groups, and hang out with
wonderful people. I have a Saturday “lunch
bunch” where I can enjoy being a kid—
since, at age 75, I am the youngest one
there!
Folks, after doing this article, I am ready
for some Chinese food. For a recommendation for a good Chinese restaurant, contact
Jerry at [email protected].
Page 10
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Adamah Adventures is truly a labor of love
When Adam Griff became a counselor
at a Jewish overnight camp at age 18, he had
no idea how it would change his life. He
thought accepting a job as a camp counselor
would put some money in his pocket for
college. Little did he know it would net him
much more than that.
While a freshman in college at Case
Western University in Cleveland, Ohio,
Griff saw an ad for counselors at a Jewish
overnight camp 10,000 feet high in the
Rocky Mountains. Although he had never
even been a Boy Scout or gone to sleepaway camp, he thought it would be a fun
way to earn money during the summer.
But his experience at Shwayder Camp
became much more than a summer job. It
became a way to connect to people and to
his religion.
“Judaism is sometimes hard for kids to
connect to,” he reflected. “Camp becomes a
place where people feel safe to explore their
identities. It’s a transformative experience.”
It transformed Griff from a shy introvert to a leader. He found himself playing
guitar and leading the camp in singing
Hebrew songs and American folk songs
during Shabbat services and at meals. When
he returned to camp the following year, he
became the song leader, in charge of music.
“At our services and Shabbat dinners,
BY Susan Kay
Asher
people would be singing at the top of their
lungs,” he recalled. “It was religious, and it
was fun.”
When Griff graduated from college in
2003, he began working at the camp fulltime. Three years later, when he had become
the assistant director, he started developing
an outdoor adventure program for campers
that would take them on a three-week camping trip. He advertised for someone to lead
the program, and in walked Bobbee Seldin.
For four years, she had worked with NFTY
(North American Federation of Temple
Youth), a Jewish youth group devising
activities like snow skiing trips, volunteer
projects, and youth-led services. Together,
they created a program in which campers
would go backpacking, mountain biking,
rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.
Seldin didn’t just plan the trips. She
joined other counselors, leading groups of
8-10 teens around Colorado and Utah. But
the teens learned more than just how to
camp.
“I put together a formal program that suggested Griff and Seldin apply for the
taught kids how to communicate with other grant themselves and start a Jewish nonpeople
and
profit camp
how to work
t o g e t h e r.
as a team
They named
together,” said
it Adamah
the
petite
Adventures.
blonde.
“If
(“Adamah”
you’re on a
m e a n s
hike with ten
“earth” in
kids and some
Hebrew.)
of them want
Out of
to run up the
29 proposmountain and
als,
theirs
others want to
was one of
take
their
five accepted
time,
the
for funding.
group has to
“Adam
agree on how
and Bobbee
that is hanhave huge
dled.”
leadership
Each day,
potential,”
the campers
said Maggie
discussed how
Bar-Tura,
they
were
interim CEO
Adam and Bobbee Griff
going to work
of
the
together. Different groups came up with dif- Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Adam’s
ferent strategies. One group would decide working on his MBA, so he understands
they would all walk at the same pace. business principles, and Bobbee knows how
Another group decided they would go at to build an experiential Jewish program for
their own pace and meet up at the end of the teens. We knew they could take this project
day. There were three staffers to a group of to the finish line.”
10 hikers, so everyone was always under
The Foundation for Jewish Camp is
supervision.
investing $1.1 million for the first three
During the trips, the kids decided on years of the camp, which opens this sumtheir menus, and they shopped for groceries mer. The camp is an 18-day program for
every few days. Whatever the caught or Jewish teens that allows them to choose
bought, they prepared.
between one of two areas to explore, the
As sparks ignited on the grill, things Blue Ridge Mountains or national parks in
slowly simmered between Seldin and Griff. Utah. Each year, Adamah Adventures will
After working together for three years, they add additional trek destinations. The teens
began dating. In 2007, Seldin moved to will be able to rock climb, hike, rappel into
Atlanta to earn a master’s degree in child a canyon, and zip-line across a forest.
and family development from the Campers will sleep in park lodges to celeUniversity of Georgia. Griff followed.
brate each Shabbat.
Having worked at Shwayder Camp for
All treks will be equipped with satellite
seven years, Griff was hoping to find a job phones and will be coordinated in unison
in Georgia as a director of a nonprofit with local emergency medical services, park
Jewish camp. What he found instead was a rangers, and law enforcement. Scholarships
job as the retreat and trip director with the are made available for those in need.
Jewish teen organization TRIBE ThreeCamp is not the only thing Bobbee and
Sixty. There, he brought together teens Adam started. Last summer, Seldin comacross metro Atlanta and created social, pleted her master’s degree, and she became
educational, and religious programs, as well Mrs. Adam Griff.
as weekend retreats.
Noah Hartman, director of student life
When the organization’s then-executive at The Weber School, who sits on the advidirector, Cheri Levitan, heard about a grant sory committee of Adamah Adventures, is
opportunity from the Foundation for Jewish working with the Griffs to create an educaCamp to create a specialty camp, she and tional model for the camp.
Griff began discussing plans to create a
“While many camps offer wonderful
TRIBE Three-Sixty camp. They surveyed things like sailing and archery, it’s hard do it
local Jewish teens and parents.
once you leave camp,” said Hartman. “This
“We asked them what type of specialty camp will offer the chance to learn an
camp would interest them most—theater, appreciation for nature. These camp activimusic, outdoor adventures, basketball, ties are something campers can appreciate
things like that,” said Griff. “The majority and live out for the rest of their lives.”
of people wanted the adventure camp.”
For more information on Adamah
But funding at TRIBE Three-Sixty ran Adventures, visit adamahadventures.org.
out, and the organization shuttered. Levitan
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 11
Page 12
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 13
Page 14
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
MISH MASH
By Erin O’Shinskey
JNF BRIEFING. On his December 1-3
Southeast visit, Russell Robinson, national
CEO of the Jewish National Fund, spoke at
a dinner reception hosted by Linda and Abe
Schear in their Atlanta home. Sixty guests
enjoyed delicious Israeli food from Alon’s
Bakery and Market and were briefed by
Russell on the political, environmental, and
economic impact of JNF projects in the
Negev.
David and Karen Birnbrey and Alan
and Betty Sunshine at the JNF briefing
GENEROUS DONORS IN TOUGH
TIMES. In spite of a difficult economy,
Limmud Atlanta + SE was able to renew all
of its $5000+ donors. And just before the
end of 2009, the organization received its
first 6-figure gift; it comes from an anonymous donor and will allow Limmud Atlanta
+ SE to fund significant parts of its operations and growth over the next two years.
Russell Robinson and Abe Schear
See MISHMASH page 26
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 15
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival from A to Z
This year is the Film Festival’s 10th
anniversary, and they’ve pulled out all the
stops, presenting an array of film features,
documentaries, shorts and works from all
over the world, all over the spectrum of
Jewish life and thought, unmatched in the
last decade. They even included a movie
music night at the Woodruff Arts Center
with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
regaling attendees with magnificent music
from film favorites through the years. It
makes this fan wonder what the folks at
the Festival and the American Jewish
Committee can possibly do next year to
top this season’s stellar offerings.
Two in particular caught my attention.
Ajami was described as “a gritty, urban
crime drama brimming with raw energy
and razor-sharp insights.” Okay, I thought,
not my usual choice (I tend to like musicals, romances and hard-hitting documentaries, but blood and gore are definitely
not to my taste). Then I read some reviews
that spoke to the film’s themes of illegal
workers, drugs, revenge, and most of all
mistaken motives, and I was hooked.
BY Suzi
Brozman
Ajami won a special mention at the
last Cannes Film Festival for its portrayal
of life on the streets of Jaffa and Tel Aviv.
Muslim culture mixes with Christian and
Jewish life as gangs mix it up with police,
drug dealers, honor killings and much
more. It’s a film you’ll want to see more
than once to fully savor the intertwined
plots, the sad truths that lie beneath violence on the streets. It was co-directed and
written by a Palestinian and an Israeli Jew
and features a non-professional cast of
characters, but you’d never know that
from their performances. Haaretz called it
a masterpiece by any standard, and I
agree. Not only is it compelling on its
face, but it is also notable in that Israel is
being represented to the world in an
Arabic language film that pulls no punches in showing members of all three major
faith groups as flawed but caring individuals.
Another film that intrigued me was
Zrubavel, in which a family of Ethiopians
tries to assimilate into Israeli society while
still holding on to their native culture.
Having visited several Ethiopian schools
and cultural centers in Israel in 2008, I felt
a certain affinity for the topic. And I was
not disappointed. It’s a classic story of a
poor family yearning to lift itself out of
poverty and into a better life. The father,
once a proud and important man in his
homeland, is reduced to collecting trash,
and he is adamant that his son must not
follow that path. Sadly, the father’s
dreams for his children all come crashing
down as his son falls in with a group of
petty criminals and his pretty, talented
daughter marries a forbidden cousin. An
interesting side theme is the grandson,
obsessed with film, whose picture-making
offers a parallel to the director’s own life.
The music is divine. The insights into
a culture most of us have no knowledge of
are fascinating, and the universal themes
of parental love, efforts at control, and
awareness that kids will do their own
thing, all inform this first-ever Ethiopian
Israeli feature with both sadness and joy,
and a realization that there’s nothing new
anywhere!
Down Home is a unique depiction of the American Dream
By Jim Hoover
When considering the history of Jewish
migration in America, we tend to focus on
New York City. Actually, in 1585, more
than sixty years before the first Jews landed
in New York, they accompanied Sir Walter
Raleigh’s initial colonization of the North
Carolina coast.
The documentary Down Home: Jewish
Life in North Carolina, which recently
screened at the Atlanta Jewish Film
Festival, traces the evolving SouthernJewish American via numerous interviews
with Jewish families of diverse educational,
economic, and national backgrounds. The
ability of these North Carolinians to wholeheartedly accept and acknowledge the
impact that the South and Southern culture
has had on them and their families in no
way diminishes their love of and allegiance
to their religion and country.
As more than one interviewee
explained, their mothers prepared kosher
recipes, and they did not eat pork, but “we
ate bacon.” Many of these households had
African-American housekeeper/cooks, who
brought their culinary traditions with them.
When Jewish families devoured these
meals, they did not worry about the bacon
drippings or the vegetables cooked with
pork.
Southern ties to religion and the land
gave the first Jewish settlers in the Tar Heel
State an immediate acceptance, unlike in
other parts of America, especially cities,
where acceptance was given more grudgingly. Unlike its neighboring states, North
Carolina had smaller farms rather than
plantations. Small towns developed around
these farms, and the Jewish peddlers who
had traveled the state settled down to
become some of the first local merchants in
their communities. By 1878, one hundred
North Carolina towns had Jews.
“No Jew was ever the first to arrive; the
uncle always came first.” This memorable
quote from the film speaks to the strong
family ties that partially determined migration patterns.
It was not uncommon for Christian
farmers, who respected the Old Testament,
to bring their children to town to be blessed
by a biblical person, the Jewish merchant.
One interviewee tells a story that illustrates the admiration Christian Southerners
had for Jewish religiosity. He recounts a
conversation between some fundamentalists and his grandfather in the era of
Prohibition and the anti-temperance movement. These devout Christians wanted to
know the actual alcohol content of the wine
consumed by Jesus and his disciples at the
Last Supper. Who better to ask than a religious Jew? The storyteller’s grandfather
responded, “18 1/2 percent,” and they left
satisfied and fortified in their position by
this revelation.
As the Jewish peddlers put down roots
in these small rural towns, they had to find
occupations where there were no barriers to
their entry. Having learned to reclaim discarded items as a way of surviving centuries of second-class citizenship, many
went into the junk business, buying one
man’s trash and selling it to another as
treasure. One interviewee recounted the
sign outside a forefather’s business: “We
buy anything and sell everything.”
Few of the first arrivals in North
Carolina had much money. When they
wanted to open retail businesses, they were
often extended credit by Jewish merchants
with successful operations in larger cities.
The Baltimore Bargain House helped a lot
of North Carolinians by selling on credit
and requiring that people pay back “what
you can afford.” The Jewish tradition of
helping others resulted in many nationally
known businesses, such as Helig-Meyers
and Family Dollar.
North Carolina’s Jewish manufacturers
were some of the first to realize that if you
could “brand” the cloth you spun by putting
a label on it, you could sell it at a higher
price. Moses Cone discovered this, and
Cone Mills became the major supplier to
Levi Strauss.
In the late 19th century, Eastern
European Jews migrated from the more
industrial North and brought skills learned
in the “old country,” such as cigarette making. The Duke family willingly hired them
to work in the plants to roll cigarettes.
Interestingly, they also brought their liberal
social and economic views and tried to
organize the workers into unions. Their
tenure was short-lived and most returned
North, but those who remained blended into
and contributed to the fabric of North
Carolinian Jewish culture.
Jewish retail merchants had always
accepted African Americans as customers,
so it was only natural that they also were
some of the first to hire them. As the Civil
Rights Movement became more fervent in
the 1950s, these Jewish merchants conSee DOWN HOME page 16
Page 16
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
What’s in a name?
Back in 1997, my favorite columnist
and author, Celestine Sibley, wrote an
Atlanta Journal-Constitution column titled
“Names Can Be Heavenly Blessings or
Heavy Burdens.”
Some weeks previous to that, she had
written about her first name, which she didn’t like.
Well, I fired off a letter to her, asking
how she’d like to tote around the name
Balfoura. I mentioned that my father, Jacob
Friend, was an ardent Zionist, so in honor of
and gratitude to Queen Victoria’s foreign
secretary, Lord Arthur Balfour, whose 1917
Balfour Declaration pledged British support
for a Jewish national home in Palestine,
Papa feminized his name and gave it to me
when I was born in Shanghai, China in
1925—thus beginning a lifetime of burden
BY Balfoura Friend
Levine
for me.
I’ve found only one person who loves
her name, my friend Claire.
Back when Shirley Temple was
America’s darling, there must have been
thousands of little girls named after her.
Then came Heather, Diana (Princess Di),
Haley, and such. Gone were Hortense,
Martha, Jane, Bertha, Jewel, Faith, Hope,
and Charity. More recently, parents have
copied movie stars who name their kids
Blue, Apple, Devon, and so on. I guarantee
a lot of Beyonces are in the works.
The poor little girls who are stuck with
boy names like Morgan or Taylor will, as
happened to me in the past, have letters
addressed to them as “Mr.” They will
always have to explain their names wherever they go.
My friend Martha Rebecca goes by
Beckie, another Rebecca is Reba, and
another is Reva. Another neighbor named
her daughter after her wealthy maiden aunt,
Colding. This poor child cut it down to
Ding. Imagine a lifetime with the name
Ding!
What happened to good old staples like
Margaret, Laurie, Catherine, and Elizabeth
for girls and John, Robert, and Scott for the
boys? The Bible is replete with lovely, solid
names—Ruth, Rachel, Naomi, Daniel,
Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and the like.
An old Southern custom involves
addressing children by their initials only.
My friend goes by W.H.—that’s it, two initials, and hardly anyone knows his full
name. Another Southern custom is using
double names like Mary Jean, Susie May,
and Bobby Ray. Georgia’ governor has the
cute baby name of Sonny. Ain’t that sweet?
It’s too late for me to change my name,
though I do use “Bo” when introducing
myself to others. I’m grateful that my father
didn’t think of saddling me with a middle
name—there’s no telling what he’d have
tacked onto Balfoura!
Incidentally, when I wrote to Celestine
Sibley and told her I loved her name, she in
turn told me mine was classy. Go figure!
Actually, in the U.S.A., there are tons
of ethnic names, family names, religious
names (Moses; Mohammed; Jesus—typically using the Spanish pronunciation), and
many odd monikers. So grin and bear it,
folks—you’re still lucky to live here, whatever your name might be.
God Bless America.
Yiddish Yoga is a funny, insightful book about coping with change
Yiddish Yoga: Ruthie’s Adventures in Love,
Loss, and the Lotus Position
By Lisa Grunberger
Newmarket Press, 2009
$15
If both Yiddish and yoga are familiar to
you, this short book will make you laugh
continuously as you turn the pages. But for
BY Evie
Wolfe
those of us who know little Yiddish and
have never attempted yoga, there is still
plenty of fun to be had as we follow Ruthie
on her journey.
Recently widowed, Ruthie is a grieving
72-year-old grandmother.
When her beloved granddaughter, Stephanie, gives
her a year’s free yoga lessons, she accepts reluctantly. Ruthie does not see
yoga as a way to help her
find a new life.
“What’s wrong with
yoga?” she asks aloud.
“They haven’t mastered
the art of kvetching.”
So Ruthie goes to the
yoga center, and her adventures begin. From one pose
to another, from breathing
to meditation, she takes
everything on, complaining in Yiddish all
the while. She makes new friends through-
out the year, handling her grief in witty and
poignant ways.
In addition to Ruthie’s funny remarks,
the small book features
original drawings showing
Ruthie in yoga poses. And,
to cleverly explain how she
is doing, there are glossaries
of Yiddish and Sanskrit
words and yoga terms, with
Ruthie’s comments alongside.
First-time author Lisa
Grunberger is a writing professor at Temple University
and a yoga instructor as
well. Several of her older
yoga students inspired her
to write Ruthie’s story,
which she dedicates to her
late mother, an Israeli by birth.
Read and enjoy!
Down Home
“vertical integration” was coined by Harry
Golden, editor of the Carolina Israelite,
whose satiric humor played an instrumental
part in promoting passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. (Golden boasted that
he was one of the few Jews who came to
Charlotte and did not open a store—therefore, he had to be one of those dangerous
Yankees.)
Down Home: Jewish Life in North
Carolina reinforces that to understand
Jewish assimilation in America, one must
see it as a collage of individuals looking for
the American Dream—most times armed
with nothing more than a value system
instilled in them by their religiosity.
From page 15
fronted the dilemma of being Southern
Jews.
While Jews in North Carolina had
assimilated into the Southern culture, having fought for the Confederacy and attained
state and local office, they still faced social
and economic exclusion as the ruling white
Christian Southerners worked to maintain
the status quo. They were sensitive to the
plight of the Southern African American, so
when the lunch counter sit-ins began (starting in Greensboro), Jewish merchants
faced an economic and moral dilemma. The
segregation laws then in effect prohibited
whites and blacks sitting together in public
places. A Jewish merchant in Durham
solved this problem by removing the seats
from the lunch counter, since there was no
law against whites and blacks standing
together. His business thrived, and the term
James C. Hoover, a resident of Atlanta, is a
practicing attorney specializing in the field
of labor law and is listed in The Best
Lawyers in America—Labor and
Employment Law category. He is Of
Counsel in the Atlanta office of Ford &
Harrison.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 17
MJCCA promises a fun, affordable summer New director
The Marcus Jewish Community Center
of Atlanta (MJCCA) has added new programs and discounts for summer camps at
both Zaban Park and Shirley Blumenthal
Park.
In addition to traditional camp activities, several popular programs will continue
at MJCCA day camps, including VIBE
Popstar, travel camps, cooking, jewelry
making, cheerleading, Clay Play, and the
ever-popular Lynne and Howard Halpern
Center Theatre Drama Camp. Several new
programs will be introduced, including
Noah’s Ark Animal Camp, Cultures Around
the World, Extreme Water Week, Lego
Mania, and AbraKaDabra Magic Camp.
In addition, the MJCCA is offering
several incentives and savings for summer
day camp families. Prices have been
reduced, and further discounts are available
for MJCCA members. An additional 5%
discount will be applied when signing a
child up for six or more weeks; children
must be signed up before April 1 to receive
this discount. MJCCA day camps will provide families with free bus transportation (a
$60 per week value) from various convenient locations on a first-come, first-served
basis.
Zaban Park is offering a new summer
membership. From Memorial Day to Labor
Day, families can enjoy every amenity the
MJCCA has to offer—including the fitness
center, gyms, tennis courts, outdoor pools,
the Barbara and Ed Mendel Splash Park,
and more. New camp families (i.e, families
for Camp Chai
The MJCCA has hired Ilana Schlam
as director of the Barbara & Sanford
Orkin Camp Chai, which includes more
than 25 summer day camps for children
ages 5-12 at the MJCCA’s East Cobb
facility, Shirley Blumenthal Park.
Slaide Naturman enjoying a day at
camp
that have not been members for the past two
years) taking advantage of this special summer membership will receive a free week at
Zaban Park day camp.
This year, for the first time, the
MJCCA’s Shirley Blumenthal Park, in East
Cobb, no longer requires membership to
attend its day camp. Also, for families that
are members of the MJCCA or a partnering
synagogue (the majority of East Cobb synagogues), the price will be further reduced,
making Shirley Blumenthal Park day camp
Isabella McCullough with MJCCA
Day Camp staff member Harley
Gottesman
less than comparable camps in the area.
Jared Powers, director of MJCCA Day
Camping Services, said, “We are so excited
for summer to begin. Our dedicated staff
has been hard at work planning wonderful
new camps and programs. There is an endless amount of new and enhanced activities
for campers of all ages. We’re ready for a
great summer.”
For
more
information,
visit
www.atlantajcc.org.
Community Relations Committee
enters a new era in pursuing justice
A new era in Community Relations is
beginning. A new body, reflecting the consensus of the entire organizational Jewish
community, will represent the Jewish community with the general Atlanta community.
The Community Relations Committee of
Federation (CRC) existed for many years as
the common table around which many Jewish
organizations and social-action stalwarts
gathered, debated, and represented the community. Those who sat around Atlanta’s table
included the Jewish Federation, American
Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League,
Hadassah, National Council of Jewish
Women, AIPAC, Israel Bonds, Jewish Family
and Career Services, the Marcus Jewish
Community Center, the Israeli Consulate,
many synagogues, politicians, a number of
individuals, and many other groups.
Because of the economy and resulting
budget crunches, the Federation was forced to
cut its funding of the CRC. As a result, a
number of the community’s members are
reconstituting the Committee into an independent organization to be called the Jewish
Community Relations Council of Atlanta
(JCRC of Atlanta). Many Biblical and rabbinic references relate to involvement in the
community. The Biblical commandment of
BY Harold
Katz
“Love thy neighbor as thyself” and the various laws regarding how to treat our fellow
human beings drive the necessity of engaging
with the general and Jewish communities.
One of the most articulate injunctions in
any culture is “Justice, Justice you shall pursue” from the Book of Leviticus. It epitomizes everything that the world of the JCRCs
stands for. There are over 120 communities in
the United States that have this common
community table. We want to ensure that
Atlanta has such a place for our community to
gather around.
And around the country, these community groups are tied together at the national
level by the JCPA (Jewish Council for Public
Affairs), which includes the national headquarters of the Jewish Federations of North
America, AJC, ADL, NCJW, Hadassah, and
others as well as the major synagogue movements, the Orthodox, Conservative, Reform,
and Reconstructionist organizations.
Initially driven by lay involvement, the
JCRC will eventually add staff to the mix to
ensure continuity of effort. While we will
expend some effort to raise the necessary
funds for staffing, the heart and soul of such
an organization will be the community members – whether individuals or our communal
organizations – that participate in striving for
justice throughout the Atlanta area.
Among the primary concerns of the
JCRC are the delivery of social services and
humanitarian aid; racial, religious, and ethnic
relations; support of Israel and the Israeli people; support of the environment; and civil
rights and liberties. It is a big agenda, and the
agenda deserves an active, involved, coordinated community structure.
We welcome the involvement of any
organization, synagogue, and individual who
desires to help us pursue this agenda. You can
initially contact the JCRC at [email protected]. Please be on the lookout for us.
Harold Kirtz is a past chair of the
Federation’s
Community
Relations
Committee and joins other past chairs, Lois
Frank, Larry Gold, Margo Gold, and Jane
Schiff, in promoting this effort.
Ilana Schlam
Jared Powers, director of MJCCA
Day Camping Services, said, “Summer
2010 is just around the corner, and I am
pleased to say that Camp Chai, under
Ilana’s leadership, will continue to provide amazing experiences for hundreds
of children. Campers will enjoy the high
quality camp amenities that they have
grown to love over the years, including
swimming, tennis, horseback, travel
camp, and various sports camps, just to
name a few.”
Schlam said, “Having been a part of
the southeastern Jewish camping world
for many years, I am very much aware
that Camp Chai has always boasted a
stellar reputation, outshining much of its
competition in its programming, yet
membership and pricing were often
obstacles. Now, we are both enhancing
the programming and making it affordable.”
Schlam is originally from New
Orleans. A graduate of the University of
Georgia, she comes to the MJCCA with
extensive camp experience. She began
her professional journey at the Metairie
JCC (New Orleans) as the assistant day
camp director. Her time there was cut
short due to Hurricane Katrina, which
brought her to live in Atlanta. Schlam
began working as the assistant camp
director for Camp Judaea, in North
Carolina and helped to successfully run
the camp from 2005-2009. It was also
there that she began her relationship with
Greg Schlam, now her husband.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 18
Get down with Habima at Disco Inferno
Jerry’s Habima Theatre, Georgia’s only
theatrical company directed and produced
by professionals and featuring actors with
developmental disabilities, will present
Disco Inferno, March 24-28, at the Marcus
Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s
Morris & Rae Frank Theatre, 5342 Tilly
Mill Road, Dunwoody.
Disco Inferno is a romp through the
1970s that features a hilarious script, fantastic characters, and an electrifying score.
Like a cross between Saturday Night Fever
and Damn Yankees, it tells the story of
Faust in an explosion of hit songs from the
era of bellbottoms, disco balls, and platform
shoes. Popular songs include “Disco
Inferno,” “Celebration,” “Crocodile Rock,”
“Hot Stuff,” “Instant Replay,” “Pop
Muzik,” “I Love the Nightlife,” “I Will
Survive,” and more.
Jerry’s Habima Theatre is now in its
17th season. Lois Blonder, benefactor of
the theater in loving memory of her husband, Jerry Blonder, explains, “It still thrills
me to see these special shows sell out night
after night. This is a program that has
improved the quality of life for so many—
from the dedicated actors to the audiences
taking in the enormous charm of these performances.”
The company operates under the aus-
pices of the MJCCA’s Blonder Family
Department for Developmental Disabilities.
Each year, together with local professional
actors from the community, performers
ages 18 and older present a full-scale adaptation of a musical theatrical production.
This year, Jerry’s Habima Theatre is cochaired by Lowell Fine and Robert and
Leslie Rothberg.
Participants in this special theater company achieve new levels of self-confidence,
motivation, and socialization from the
intensive three-month process of rehearsals
and performances. This unique program
provides a wonderful opportunity for developing new skills through a meaningful theater experience. Over the years, the number
of people involved in the productions has
expanded, and the audience has grown from
family and friends of the actors to include
the broader community.
Disco Inferno performances are March
24-25 at 7:30 p.m.; March 27 at 8:30 p.m.;
and March 28 at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
General admission is $32; $15 for children 12 and under. Tickets for MJCCA
members are $22; $10 for children 12 and
under. Senior discounts are available. To
purchase tickets, call the MJCCA’s Box
Office at 678-812-4002.
Weber School names building for benefactors
The Doris and Alex Weber Jewish
Community High School has named its
premier classroom and office building
the Helen and Joseph Penzell Building.
The name honors the late parents of
Felicia Weber, who, with her husband,
Joe, recently gave a $6 million gift to
The Weber School’s Weaving a Legacy
MIDAS OF SANDY SPRINGS
Pictured (back row): Reed Bell, Chris Adams, Patty Conway,
Mark Ritzer, Mike Doherty. (Front row): Jessie Swieter,
Damien Gordon, George Hall, Les Walker, Mark Hoover
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Capital Campaign. Felicia and Joe includes 22 classrooms, five science
Weber are the school’s original naming labs, two computer labs, media and
library facilities, art galleries, faculty
benefactors.
The Weber School’s Board of and administrative offices, conference
Trustees officially announced the nam- rooms, and a cafeteria. Situated at the
ing of the Penzell Building on intersection of Roswell and Abernathy
November 17, 2009. On that date, roads in Sandy Springs, it is also a popular choice for
C a p i t a l
community
Campaign
meetings and
donors
and
special events.
friends gathThe
Weber
ered to celeSchool
was
brate not only
established in
the
school’s
1997 as a prifirst building
vate
Jewish
naming,
but
community
also the recent
high
school.
successful
Originally
completion of
named the New
the Campaign’s
Atlanta Jewish
W e b e r
Community
Challenge, in
High School, it
which over $11
was renamed in
million—an
all-time capital The Weber School has named its premier 2003 in honor
f u n d r a i s i n g classroom and office building in honor of of Joe Weber’s
parents,
record for the Felicia Weber’s late parents, Helen and late
s c h o o l — w a s Joseph Penzell. Pictured: (from left) Lisa Doris and Alex
raised in a year. Galanti, Sim Pearl, Neal Cohen, Jonny Weber.
Weber
In a cere- Silberman, Felicia Weber, Shira Berman, The
School was first
mony dubbed Steve Berman, and Joe Weber
housed in a set
“From
the
Heart,” Board President Lisa Galanti of modular units in Dunwoody. Its
said, “It is appropriate that we name the increasing popularity and steady rise in
building that serves as the heart of our enrollment—from 19 students when it
campus in memory of Helen and Joseph opened its doors to 219 students this
‘Jerry’ Penzell, of blessed memory. For year—soon required that it find a larger
in so doing, we are reminded, ‘As my home. The 2003 launch of the Weaving a
parents planted for me, so may I plant Legacy Capital Campaign, a $32-million, multi-year fund drive, enabled the
for my children.’”
Covering some 80,000 square feet school to relocate to its permanent home
and three stories, the Penzell Building in Sandy Springs in 2006.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Coffee talk
By Susan Robinson
All of us make choices. Sometimes
good. Sometimes not so good. Somewhat
reluctantly, I made a decision to eat healthier food and to exercise regularly.
No more whole milk for me. No
sweeteners, natural or artificial, in my
morning cup of coffee. And that coffee?
Decaf only, please.
I was careful about walking frequently and exercising once or twice a week.
(Okay, I know I should exercise at least
three times a week, but I figure I need to
leave some room for improvement.) And
the reason for this change?
Last year, I went to the doctor for an
annual check-up, and the doctor informed
me that I had gained three pounds.
“Can’t be,” I kindly told the good doctor. “I’ve actually lost three pounds!”
“Not so, you’ve gained three pounds,”
was his instant and very decisive retort.
I corrected him, then he corrected me.
This went on and on for a bit, until the doctor showed me my file, where it was
recorded conclusively in black and white
that I had indeed gained weight. Hmm, I
thought, obviously the nurse had inadvertently transposed a number, or made some
other kind of silly mistake. Of course I was
right, and the file was just plain wrong.
The doctor rolled his eyes.
Whatever.
This year, things would be different. I
had spent several weeks walking and being
careful about my diet. Now was the
moment of truth.
Yes! I had lost a few pounds. My cholesterol was down. My blood pressure?
“Beautiful!” declared the nurse. This
called for a celebration.
I headed out to the closest coffee
place. I had dreams of something cold,
something creamy, something sweet. I had
been so good for so long; surely I deserved
a little, or not so little, treat. I was eagerly
anticipating a calorie-and-fat-laden drink,
knowing that my next check-up would be a
full 12 months away—an absolute eternity
when thinking about extra pounds.
I drove up to the window, ordered a
frozen cherry candy cappuccino concoction, and just sat back and waited.
The barista leaned out the window and
stared at me. He looked left, then right. He
cleared his throat, and then whispered,
“Ma’am, I’m not so sure you want that.”
The sun must have been shining in his
face, because all of a sudden, it seemed as
if he was trying to avoid eye contact.
I sat quietly, not sure how to react.
Perhaps there’d been a coffee recall. Or the
cherry growers were on strike. After a
moment of silence, I had to ask the barista
an obvious question: “So why would I not
want a frozen cherry candy cappuccino
concoction?”
“Ma’am,” he said, “it’s not certified
kosher.”
“Hahuh,” I answered, not knowing
what else to say.
“I could make it for you anyway, if
you still want it,” he kindly offered.
And now it was my time to look away
and avoid eye contact. My precious cappuccino. So cold. So creamy. So sweet. So
far away.
“Hahuh,” I said once again. Words
escaped me. I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t
stay. The car behind me began to honk. I
had to make some kind of a choice.
“Nah, I won’t take it, thank you,” I
replied. I tried to control the quiver in my
voice.
The barista leaned forward. His brow
was furrowed. I think he felt my pain.
“Can I make you something else? How
about your usual order: decaf, leave room
for skim milk, no sweeteners?”
All of a sudden, I felt like a
Kindergartner on the playground. My new
best friend wouldn’t play with me, so I was
about to go off in a sulk. There was no way
I could be consoled with a bland decaf coffee, clearly inferior to that elusive cappuccino.
“I think I’ll skip it, thanks. Nothing for
me.” And off I drove.
I arrived home safely, despite the fact
that I was visualizing my loss on the entire
trip home. Ever the stoic one, I held back
the tears until I got in the door. Then, as
soon as I saw my husband, I came up with
a solution. “Quick, honey. Let’s go out for
ice cream. Coffee flavor. I heard that the
supermarket at the corner has a new product—gelato, and it’s kosher!”
We walked there, enjoyed the gelato,
and then walked back home. I’d like to
think that the brisk walk, coupled with
some full arm swings, counteracted the
effects of the ice cream. Maybe, maybe
not. Certainly, walking is a better choice
then sitting in the car. And that frozen cherry candy cappuccino concoction? It’s just
not part of my diet, no maybe about it. As
I said, it’s all about making good choices.
Page 19
Page 20
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
The Breman receives grant from The Home Depot Foundation
Through its fourth annual Building
Community Day program, The Home
Depot Foundation has awarded $20,000 to
The Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust
Museum. The donation will be used to support ongoing efforts to collect, preserve,
and share critical archival collections,
including those of Jewish veterans of the
U.S. Armed Forces and Holocaust survivors
who made new lives in Georgia. A major
collection effort will take place in conjunction with “Dr. Seuss Goes to War...&
More,” an exhibition of the World War II
political cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel,
opening February 2010.
Through its Building Community Day
program, sponsored in partnership with The
Georgia Center for Nonprofits, The Home
Depot Foundation connects with local
organizations whose missions fall outside
of the foundation’s usual areas of giving.
This year, 20 nonprofits participated in
roundtable discussions and workshops
focused on the theme “Social Innovation:
Inspirational Ideas and Practices for
Maximum Impact.” Each organization
received a $20,000 grant at the end of day
to support its work on a broad range of
issues facing the Atlanta community.
In addition to The Breman, the other
2009 Building Community Day grant recipients are the Arthritis Foundation—Georgia
Chapter; Atlanta Legal Aid; Boy Scouts of
America (Atlanta Area Council); Camp
Twin Lakes; Center for Pan Asian
Community Services; Communities in
Schools Georgia; Ferst Foundation for
Childhood Literacy; Foster Care Support
Foundation; Girl Scouts of Northwest
Georgia; HeroBox; Historic Oakland
Cemetery Foundation; Junior Achievement
of Georgia; Komen for the Cure; Salvation
Army; Special Olympics of Georgia;
Tommy Nobis Center; Travelers Aid
(HOPE Atlanta); WPBA; and YWCA of
Northwest Georgia.
Three years ago, The Home Depot
Foundation
established
Building
Community Day as a means to reach out to
its nonprofit neighbors and friends working
to improve communities. Since that time,
this event has strengthened 60+ nonprofit
organizations by building peer networks,
providing information and resources on
pertinent trends, and granting over $1 million in vital operational support. The pro-
Building Community Day Awards
Awards presentation: (from left)
Jane Leavey, executive director of
The Breman Jewish Heritage and
Holocaust Museum; Kelly Caffarelli,
president of The Home Depot
Foundation; and Karen Beavor,
executive director of The Georgia
Center for Nonprofits
gram now includes a yearlong agenda featuring three annual alumni events.
Building Community Day facilitated
group discussion around collaborative best practices. Pictured: Jane
Leavey
Yom HaShoah—a time to remember
Herbert Kohn was 18 years old and
back in Germany. He was angry, horrified
by all that had happened to his family during World War II, and in a mood to fight.
Two days later, on May 7, 1945, the war
ended. Kohn never got the chance to battle
the Nazi regime that tormented his family—at least not on the battlefields of
Europe.
The dark days
of World War II and
the horror of the
Holocaust remain
part of Kohn’s life.
His anger and
hatred have faded.
But he continues to
do battle with the
Nazis in a quiet,
constructive fashion. He fights with
Herbert Kohn
words.
“We certainly
cannot change the past, but we can learn
from it,” Kohn says. “I am committed now
to sharing my story and experience so that
I can do my part in helping to build a better world.”
Kohn will share his story—the early
years in Germany with his family, the rise
of Hitler and the Nazis, Kristallnacht and
his father’s imprisonment, the family’s
hasty escape from Germany, and freedom
in America—at this year’s Yom HaShoah
Service of Remembrance, April 11, at
Greenwood Cemetery. The program begins
at 10:30 a.m.
It’s been over six decades since the
monstrous work of the Nazis was fully
revealed to the world. Today, the bleak
days of World War II are a fading memory
for many, but the Jewish community continues to recall and honor the six million
Jews lost in the Holocaust. One special day,
Yom HaShoah, has been set aside to honor
the dead, the survivors, the martyrs, and
heroes.
In Atlanta, the annual event, sponsored
by Eternal-Life Hemshech (an organization
of Holocaust survivors, their descendants,
and people dedicated to commemorating
the Jewish victims of the Holocaust), the
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and
Holocaust Museum, is centered on the
Memorial to the Six Million at Greenwood
Cemetery in southwest Atlanta. The permanent monument was first envisioned in the
mid-1960s. Its dedication and the first
memorial service at the site were in 1965.
Now the monument, a harmonious blend of
chiseled stone and soaring torches, is listed
in the National Register of Historic Places.
Why continue this remembrance?
“We need to understand what happened so that it doesn’t happen again,” says
Karen Lansky Edlin who, along with
Goldie Bertone, is co-chair of this year’s
Yom HaShoah planning committee.
“History does and will repeat itself.”
Edlin’s son Adam, a senior at The
Weber School, offers another view. “When
the Jewish community comes together to
tell stories and remember the past, it also
strengthens the community,” he says. “We
all feel connected as a Jewish people.”
So, if you want to connect with
Atlanta’s Jewish community and think this
is a good year to remember the victims of
the Holocaust, honor the survivors, pray
for the martyrs, and salute the heroes, then
plan on attending this year’s Yom HaShoah
event.
Memorial to the Six Million
The Breman Museum’s Legacy Project will
preserve stories of Holocaust survivors
Holocaust Museum has taken bold steps
to begin the process of identifying and
preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors throughout Georgia. Twenty
committee members, along with five
staff, have created a mission and vision
of what the Legacy Project will include.
While no timeline for the work of this
committee has been set, Norman Zoller,
The Breman board president, wants to
move as quickly as possible so the stories of aging survivors can be chronicled
around the state.
The committee of twenty, now officially called the Holocaust Survivors
Legacy Committee, has been divided
into eight subcommittees. Each committee is working on topics including the
preservation of survivors’ stories
through oral histories on videotape,
identifying Holocaust survivors presently living in Georgia, photographing
members of The Breman’s Holocaust
Survivors Speakers Bureau, and creating
an inventory of The Breman’s related
materials. Additionally, there is a committee to explore a partnership with area
colleges and universities to assist with
various aspects of these working committees. Each of these committees has
been meeting, and tentative timetables
have been adopted for concluding their
work.
Mr. Zoller feels that more information and ideas need to be gathered from
other museums and Holocaust education
centers around the country.
The Breman Museum requests that
anyone knowing of a survivor in
Georgia contact Michael Weinroth at
The
Breman,
[email protected] or 404-8701630,
or
Manuela
Bornstein,
[email protected].
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 21
Benefit concert celebrates
the life of Dr. Sam Schatten
On September 27, 2008, the Atlanta
community lost one of its angels when Dr.
Sam Schatten, 54year-old physician,
father, husband, scholar, humanitarian, synagogue president, and
mensch,
lost
his
valiant battle with
cancer. More than
1,000 people crowded
Dr. Sam Schatten into the sanctuary of
Ahavath
Achim
Synagogue the following day to show
their respect for Dr. Sam.
On that day, Jeffrey, the oldest of
Sam’s four sons, praised his father’s life
with the traditional toast L’Chaim. It is
with love that Ahavath Achim Synagogue
presents “L’Chaim…To Life: A Musical
Tribute Celebrating the Life and Spirit of
Dr. Sam Schatten (z’l),” Sunday, March 7,
7:00 p.m., at the synagogue.
Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi and Craig
Taubman will honor Sam’s life with exuberant, life-affirming
songs.
Hazzan
Mizrahi, “the Jewish
Pavarotti,” is one of
the world’s leading
interpreters of Jewish
music. His repertoire,
including songs in
nine languages, has
Hazzan Alberto thrilled
audiences
Mizrahi
worldwide.
Craig
BY Cecile
Waronker
Taubman has been
inspiring the Jewish
community for over
25 years with his
magical music and
irresistible enthusiasm that bring to life
the joy and spirit of
Jewish heritage for
Craig Taubman audiences of all
ages. These stars of
Jewish music have
performed together before—in Los
Angeles in Do You Hallelu? at the
Universal Amphitheater and in a PBS special, “Lights! Celebrate Hanukkah Live in
Concert.” They will be joined on stage by
The Epstein School Choir and The Atlanta
Jewish Men’s Choir.
The event pays tribute to Sam’s love
of music and Jewish education. Proceeds
from this benefit concert will support
adult and community service programming at Ahavath Achim. General admission is $18 per person and includes a postconcert reception. For reservations, call
Ahavath Achim at 404-355-5222, or visit
www.AASynagogue.org.
A retirement splurge
Near the end of October, my sister
and I headed up to New York City. What
a wondrous place. Though I have written
about it before, it always bears another
mention—because, as the song says, it’s
“New York, New York....so good they
named it twice.”
We took in two musicals (one was
more like an operetta with excellent acting, and the other had lots of jazzy tunes),
and ate in wonderful restaurants, including the Stage Deli, Sardi’s, and places that
featured $55 steaks.
We tried to figure out why people
often say New Yorkers are rude. The people with whom we came in contact were
very nice—even the cab drivers.
One afternoon, after leaving a theater, we could not get a cab, so we hopped
BY Marice
Katz
into a bicycle taxi driven by a young man.
He weaved in and out of traffic on the
crowded streets and got us to our destination in no time at all. It was the riskiest
thing we did on the trip; even the natives
said it was dangerous. We were a little
shaken, but not unduly so.
One thing I gotta tell you. We
checked it out, and even New York cannot
beat Atlanta for shopping. In any event,
Atlanta is numero uno in my heart.
4455 Roswell Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30342
404-255-4312
www.presstine.com
Page 22
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Schwartz on Sports
YIDDISH AND THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
SPORTS SCENE
My grandfather, Morris Bass, immigrated
to the United States from Russia in 1914, when
he was a teenager. He settled in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, got a job, learned the English
language, courted and married Fannie
Middleman, and started raising a family.
Yiddish was occasionally spoken in the home,
and my mother learned certain phrases that I
can remember her using when I was growing
up. One of my favorites was one she often told
my brother, Kenny, and me when our baby sister, Francene, was sleeping. She would say,
“Zogornet, zi shloft, luz ir tzree,” which meant
“Look, she’s sleeping, leave her alone.” To this
day, that phrase has stuck with me, and I have
even used it with my own children and grandchildren.
My mother was also involved with my
learning the meaning of the word schmuck
when I was a teenager. (I know I have your
attention now.) There’s a story attached to this.
I grew up in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, a small
mill town about 20 miles northeast of
Pittsburgh. There were just a few Jewish families, but we had our own synagogue, Ohev
Shalom, which was a block from our house.
One of the older Orthodox Jewish men who
regularly attended the synagogue had been
harassed by some neighborhood boys, and he
called one of them, Rich Pracko, a “schmuck.”
I’m certain that Rich and the other boys didn’t
BY Jerry
Schwartz
know what the word meant, nor did I. The
nickname stayed with Rich for as long as I can
remember. One day I told my mother that I was
going to play tennis with Schmuck Pracko, and
my mother did a double take. She immediately
told me the derivation of the word and its literal translation, and then she explained that it
was now used as a descriptive term for someone who is not highly regarded. We both had a
good laugh over this. I wonder if Rich, who
really was a nice kid, ever found out what the
word means.
Yiddish seems to have had a revival in the
last few years. There are more and more
Yiddish classes and many Yiddish words and
phrases have become part of people’s regular
speech, whether they are Jewish or not. We
hear words like shmooze, klutz, kibbitz, tush,
and shpiel in everyday conversation.
So, I thought it would be interesting and
fun to take certain Jewish words and phrases
and tie them into the Jewish Georgian sports
scene. To those of you who are Yiddish purists,
I apologize ahead of time for taking literary
license and using them in this manner. So, let’s
go ahead and have some fun.
Oy Vey: What you’re liable to say when your
basketball team, which does not have a guy
over 5’9”, is playing against a team whose
players are over 6’ tall.
Kvetch: What you’re liable to do to the referee
after he’s called a charging foul on you when it
was clearly a block.
Macher: The guy who can afford to sponsor
your softball team and actually buy uniforms.
Wender, who informed me that there were
other Jewish Georgians who competed.
Diane is a member of the Walking Club of
Georgia and competes in the 1500M and 5K
racewalks. Another member, Dan Strohl, has
competed successfully in 2001, 2003, 2005,
and 2009. Joel Dubow of Atlanta also participated in the 2009 games.
Thanks for the information, Diane. And
now I have another source for future senior
games articles.
PICKLE-BALL AT THE MJCCA
Klutz: This describes a softball player who
tries to score from second base, trips over third
base, and is tagged out while crawling to home
plate.
Naches: The feeling you have when you’re
watching your grandchildren participate in a
soccer game or a tennis or wrestling match.
Chutzpah: Describes the attitude of the guy
who misses every team practice and wants to
know why he isn’t starting the game.
Shmooze: What you try to do with a basketball
official before a game, so he might give you
some favorable calls.
Tsuris: This will be the certain result if you
choose to attend a Hawks’ game instead of taking your wife out on her birthday.
Kibbitz: It might be OK for mah jongg, bridge,
or Scrabble, but not during a basketball game.
Maven: When you listen to sports talk radio,
this is what all the callers think they are when
they are on the air.
Schlep: If you’re coaching a kids’ baseball
team, this is what you have to do with the
equipment before and after practice and
games.
I ran into Donald “Moose” Miller at the
MJCCA in December, and he asked me if I
ever heard of the game Pickle-ball. I knew
about it because I had seen an exhibition match
at the National Senior Games in Louisville in
2007.
Pickle-ball is played on a badminton court
with a net lowered to thirty-four inches at the
center. It’s played with a perforated plastic ball
(similar to a whiffle ball) and wood or composite paddles. It looks as if it’s easy for beginners to learn, but could quickly become a fastpaced competitive game.
Moose told me that he was there for an
organizational meeting to discuss the possibility of bringing Pickle-ball to the MJCCA.
According to Sidney Cojac, a center member
and regular Pickle-ball player, the game has
generated tremendous interest and participation in Charlotte. Sidney is ninety-one years
old and is ready to take on all comers. Well, the
center already has ping pong, tennis, racquetball, and volleyball. Why not Pickle-ball?
I’m for any game that involves a ball,
some kind of a racquet, a net, and scorekeeping. Who knows, with Moose, Sidney, and
their committee’s efforts, there might be
Pickle-ball at the MJCCA. Remember, you
heard it here first.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS 2010
Mensch: This describes men and women who
take the time to coach kids’ sports and serve as
role models.
Bubkis: What you have after playing a doubleheader softball game and not hitting one ball
out of the infield.
Tuchis: What you land on when you swing
with all your might at a softball and miss.
Fahklempt: This is the condition observed at
the beginning of any basketball game at the
MJCCA when five guys are discussing strategy.
Saichel: What is lacking when a 5’ 7” guy
thinks he can post up a 6’5” guy in a basketball
game.
Alter kockers: The 60 or so old timers whom
Gene Benator gathers together once a year for
a softball game.
MORE SENIOR GAMES INFO
In the last column, I wrote about my experience at the National Senior Games that were
held in August 2009. I also highlighted Saul
Cohen, who participated in singles and doubles
racquetball. I received an e-mail from Diane
January is the time of year when people
make a fresh start. By the time you read this
column, many New Year’s resolutions will
already have been broken. I, too, am joining
the millions of others who will try to do better
in the coming year. So, here are my resolutions
as they relate to the Jewish sports scene.
I resolve:
• to continue to participate in competitive
activities, but start shifting the emphasis from
competitiveness to the participation and enjoyment. (That’s not going to be easy to do.)
• to emphasize to my grandchildren the importance of good sportsmanship and teamwork in
all that they do.
• to recognize that good health is influenced
greatly by regular exercise and proper eating
habits. (That doesn’t mean I’m giving up
chocolate.)
• to search for ideas that The Jewish Georgian
readers will enjoy and find interesting.
• to support my wife, Nancy, in her exercise
program and maybe even take one of those
Zumba classes.
• to continue working on my three-point shot
and maybe one day shoot it as accurately as
guys like Steve Peltier, Ron Slotin, and Victor
Sonsino.
• to keep my eye on the ball and drive for the
bucket and score.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 23
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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 25
THE
Jewish Georgian
Georgian
Be’er Sheva project will brings
people, prosperity to the Negev
By Ronnie Porat
As an Israeli stationed for the past two
years in Atlanta as a shaliach for the Jewish
National Fund (JNF), it is always meaningful for me to return to Israel for a visit. My
family and I miss Israel; we miss the rest of
our family, we miss the Mediterranean
beach, and we miss the fresh vegetables and
Middle Eastern food.
The trips home recharge our batteries
as we visit close family members, especially our 26-year-old daughter, Shira, and our
22-year-old son, Omri, who was recently
discharged from the Golani Brigade of the
Israeli Defense Forces. Our visits are also
extremely meaningful to my 83-year-old
father, a Holocaust survivor who describes
himself as a “remnant of the horror.” He
proudly gathers the family in his home in
Nes Ziona, south of Tel Aviv, to hear our
stories of life in Atlanta.
While it is always meaningful to visit
Israel (“you come to Israel to touch the
stones, but the stones touch you....”), there
is something particularly special about visiting the Jewish National Fund’s signature
project in Be’er Sheva, the $50 million
Be’er Sheva River Park. This economic
development project is a key component of
Ronnie Porat (far right), Jewish
National Fund’s shaliach to the
southeastern United States, discusses the $50 million Be’er Sheva
River Park with Israeli President
Shimon Peres (second from left).
JNF’s Be’er Sheva River Park
J N F ’ s
Blueprint
N e g e v
plan
to
b r i n g
250,000
new residents to
the South
in the next five years. The River Park will
transform Be’er Sheva into a “green lung”
for the Negev and provide year-round recreation and entertainment activities.
When I was in Israel in August, I was
joined for a tour of Be’er Sheva River Park
by President Shimon Peres and heard the
president’s prediction for the region. “I suggest that everyone buy real estate in Be’er
Sheva now,” he advised the crowd, “before
prices in town soar and an economic advantage will be lost.”
The president was one of the closest
assistants to Israel’s first prime minister, the
late David Ben Gurion, with whom Peres
built the foundation of the Jewish nation.
Together, they drew an actual blueprint for
the Negev. One of Ben Gurion’s primary
interests was to populate the Negev. Sadly,
over the past six decades, this goal and others related to the development of the Negev
were not fully realized. Communities of the
Negev, including Be’er Sheva, its capital,
were left behind in Israel’s booming economy. The president’s optimistic declaration
about the Negev’s future was a highlight of
my time in the country, as it signaled the
reality of a new Negev.
Today, Ben Gurion’s vision is closer to
See BE’ER SHEVA, page 27
Atlantans play clutch role in new Synagogue 3000 chooses The Temple
Jews and Baseball documentary for young adults pilot program
By Suzi Brozman
The definitive movie on the history of
Jews and American baseball is being produced with a strong assist from several
Atlantans.
Local project consultants Linda Selig
and Lynda Walker are part of the production
team behind Jews and Baseball: An
American Love Story.
So far, Selig and Walker’s company,
The MIH Team, has helped raised more than
$600,000 in charitable contributions toward
the not-for-profit movie’s $1 million budget.
When finished, the feature-length documentary—written and directed by an all-star
team and featuring a rare, new interview
with Jewish baseball icon Sandy Koufax—
will be provided as a gift to the 350+ Jewish
community centers across the nation, for use
as inspirational programming and for JCC
fund-raising purposes.
Producers also have struck a deal with
Public Broadcasting Service to air the film
Lynda Walker and Linda Selig
nationally.
Selig and Walker’s Atlanta-based company is quietly gaining a reputation for helping produce and promote documentaries.
Earlier this year, The MIH Team (MIH
stands for “Make it Happen”) helped plan
See JEWS AND BASEBALL, page 27
The Temple, Atlanta’s oldest and largest synagogue,
recently received a grant from Synagogue 3000 and a private foundation to implement Next Dor, a program aimed at
engaging Jewishly uninvolved young adults in their 20s and
30s. The Temple is one of five congregations across the
United States to be selected for this pilot program. Other
target cities are Miami, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and
San Francisco. The project’s name is a play on words—
looking not only at neighboring young adults within the
community, but with “Dor” meaning generation, looking to
bring the next generation back into Jewish community life.
The Temple’s senior rabbi, Peter Berg, said the aim of
the program is not to compete with other synagogues, but to
target Jewish young adults who wouldn’t even think of setting foot in a synagogue, and meet them where they are— Rabbi Peter Berg
bringing the synagogue to them at places like Starbucks and
Barnes & Noble, encouraging them to participate in Jewish activities in whatever
capacity suits them. It is, he said, a concept of programming and relationship building
not defined by more people joining a synagogue, but by young people affiliating with
See SYNAGOGUE 3000 page 29
Page 26
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Kosher Affairs
MishMash
From page 14
KOSHER IS BIG
Visiting Nurse | Hospice Atlanta
CEO Mark Oshnock (left) is joined
by Julie and Billy Levine at the first
annual “Party with a Purpose,”
December 18. Billy Levine’s mother, Liz Levine, was the honoree at
Hospice Atlanta’s October 2009
benefit. The December 18 event
launched the Chrysalis Club,
which will develop a new generation of volunteer leaders to support
Hospice Atlanta’s compassionate
work in the community. Funds
raised at “Party with a Purpose”
enabled Visiting Nurse | Hospice
Atlanta to renovate the children’s
room at the Hospice Atlanta Center
in Brookhaven.
On November 18, Faith Russler
(pictured) addressed the Mt.
Scopus Group of Hadassah at Java
Vino. She spoke about Five
Element Acupuncture, an ancient
form of healing, as well as the reasons for considering acupuncture
and how it can play a part in one’s
over-all health and well being. To
learn more about the Mt. Scopus
Group’s upcoming events, contact
Edie Barr at 404-325-0340.
KosherFest, the world’s largest kosher
food and beverage trade event, was held in
late October at the Meadowlands
Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.
This year, there were over 300
exhibitors from 14 countries. Yes, kosher is
a booming industry. Prior to the show, a
team of food professionals sampled hundreds of entries to find the best new kosher
products of 2009, some of which are highlighted below. I hope to sample and report
on many of the other winners as well.
Please share this list with your favorite
grocers so that they will consider bringing
some of these winning products to Atlanta.
For more information visit kosherfest.com.
KosherFest competition highlights:
LUCK CHEN ASIAN NOODLES. This
flavored instant “meal in one” was Best in
Show and winner in the Best Pasta, Rice,
Bean, or Soup category. Just add about 2
ounces of hot water, and it is ready to eat.
Although similar to ramen-type products, it
is unique due to its variety of flavors and
lack of additives. In addition, the noodles
are pre-steamed with no artificial ingredients, and they are packaged in a sealable
BY Roberta
Scher
reusable bowl, complete with a sauce packet. Available flavors are soy ginger, spicy
Szechwan, sweet and sour, kung pao, and
teriyaki. I tasted the teriyaki, and it certainly was a satisfying option for a quick,
portable lunch. The package states that
there are two servings, but oops! I ate the
whole thing!
KOSHER VALLEY POULTRY. A most
exciting KosherFest winner was the Kosher
Valley Poultry chicken breast cutlet. This
new organic line of poultry, initially introduced in the Atlanta area by Whole Foods
(Briarcliff store), is now also offered by
Griller’s Pride. Kosher Valley sells kosher,
antibiotic-free (ABF), vegetarian-fed, and
humanely raised chicken and turkey products. In my opinion, it tastes better and
appears cleaner (fewer feathers) than other
kosher poultry. Yes, it does cost somewhat
more, but I think that, in this case, the higher price is warranted.
See KOSHER AFFAIRS, page 34
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Kosher Korner
A mashgiach is a kosher supervisor.
This is a man or woman above bar/bat mitzvah age who is thoroughly familiar with all
of the kosher laws and has been trained to
oversee kosher food preparation.
The mashgiach does not operate independently, but must have a rav hamachshir
(a rabbi trained in kashruth law) whom he
or she can call on when kashruth questions
come up.
Years ago, a mashgiach simply had to
know Jewish law in order to fulfill the job.
Today, the duties are far more complex.
In addition to knowing the laws, a person has to know which of the 991 kosher
symbols are reliable. (There are, unfortunately, many kosher symbols that can be
ordered from the back of a magazine and
don’t represent a bona fide or accredited
kosher agency.)
Being a master communicator is vital
for a mashgiach. He or she needs to communicate with a chef, food distributors,
waiters, and waitresses to make sure that all
are aware of the kasruth rules and regula-
Be’er Sheva
From page 25
reality than it has ever been, due in large
part to JNF’s strong and broad leadership
commitment to the region. It seems that
dreams do come true. Be’er Sheva—the
Jews and Baseball
From page 25
and coordinate the world premiere of The
People v. Leo Frank, which also aired on
PBS. The premiere at the Cobb Energy
Centre in Atlanta drew more than 2,400
guests.
Like The People v. Leo Frank, the baseball film will be used to educate and inspire,
said Selig and Walker.
During the last century, baseball, for
many American Jews, represented a way to
become part of the “American Dream” and
the “American Experience,” said Selig. She
added that the film is about more than just
sports; it is also about “immigration, assimilation, passing on traditions, overcoming
stereotypes, and heroism.”
The educational tie with the Jewish
Community Center Association is a natural,
as many current and former Jewish major
leaguers, including Koufax, got their start
playing ball at a local JCC.
In fact, Koufax had not given an interview in decades when he agreed to participate in Jews and Baseball, said Walker.
“When he heard about the film, he realized this was going to be the film for the
ages on this topic,” she said.
AKC
Approved
Page 27
• needs to know how to check eggs for
bloodspots.
• must be able to recognize when kosher
meat has a she’alah (question). For example, there may be a question about whether
a piece of meat can be used if it has both a
wound and a broken bone—in some
instances, this combination will render a
piece of meat non-kosher.
• must be able to kasher liver. Kosher liver
is not ready for kosher use until it has been
salted and broiled on separate utensils to
remove the blood.
• must be able to prepare fish, know which
fish are kosher, and know how to preapre
fish in a meat kitchen without compromising the kosher status of a meal. (Meat and
fish cannot be prepared or eaten together.)
tions.
The mashgiach must also understand
equipment found in modern industrial kitchens,
such as convection ovens,
microwaves, and steam
systems. He or she must
also know how to kosherize non-kosher equipment,
which means, in many
cases, knowing how to use
a blowtorch and how to
disassemble and properly
check equipment. A mashgiach must also know the
laws of tevilas keilim (ritual immersion), to determine which equipment must be brought to a kosher utensil
mikvah and be dipped.
The mashgiach must know ingredients
in order to determine which ones are harmless from a kosher perspective and which
may be of animal or dairy origin. Of course,
knowledge of Sabbath and Yom Tov laws is
needed in order for a mashgiach to figure
out how to have hot foods on days when
one is not allowed to cook. A mashgiach
also needs to know
how to separate dairy,
meat, and parve.
In addition to
this general knowledge, the mashgiach
must also know a great
deal about specific
foods. For example, he
or she:
• has to be familiar
with a myriad of fresh
produce and know how
to make sure it is free
from insect infestation,
as well as knowing Israeli produce and the
rituals required to make it usable.
Capital of the Negev—will have a green
park at the Southern end of the city, which
will stimulate development throughout the
Negev and will support Ben Gurion’s prediction that “the Negev will be the test of
the creative ability and pioneering valor of
Israel.”
I see a bright future for the Negev and
for the people of Israel. The Jewish
National Fund is leading the creation of a
new reality in Be’er Sheva and beyond, and
Atlantans’ support of JNF is greatly appreciated.
For more details and to make dona-
tions, contact JNF, 6065 Roswell Road,
Suite 214, Atlanta GA 30338. Telephone
404-236-8990, or e-mail [email protected].
The film “will be a very inspirational,
motivational tool for young people,” added
Walker. Its lesson is: “No matter your background, if you have
a dream, you can
make it happen.”
Along
with
Koufax, the film
features
recent
interviews with Ron
Blomberg, Charles
Bronfman,
Bob
Feller,
Shawn
Green,
Steve
Greenberg, Larry
King,
Marvin
Miller,
Elliott
Maddox, Al Rosen,
Marv Rotblatt, Bud
Selig, Norm Sherry,
Steve Stone, Fred
Wilpon,
Kevin
Youkilis, and many
other players, writers, executives, and
fans.
Prominent non-Jews, including Yogi
Berra and movie director Ron Howard,
share their reminiscences as well.
Their stories will be intercut with dramatic and never-before-seen film clips and
photos of great Jewish players and unforgettable games.
Director Peter Miller is a long-time producer on Ken Burns’
films (The War,
Jazz) and also makes
documentaries on
his own, mostly for
PBS. He directed the
award-winning documentary
feature
Sacco and Vanzetti,
shown nationally in
theaters in 2007 and
named the year’s
best historical film
by the American
H i s t o r i c a l
Association. His latest film, A Class
Apart, was broadcast
in 2009 on the
acclaimed
PBS
series “American
Experience.”
Producer Will Hechter is a Torontobased lawyer and baseball fan. He has produced events with artists ranging from Paul
Simon and Art Garfunkel concerts to art
projects with Andy Warhol.
The screenplay is by author and
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times
columnist Ira Berkow.
Although well on their way to securing
the film’s $1 million budget, Selig and
Walker continue to raise money for the editing of the film and to buy rights to certain
material. Donations are tax-deductible and
come with tickets to the film’s premiere in
New York City, which many of the film’s
stars will attend.
For information about donating to this
production, visit www.themihteam.com, or
call 404-816-5115.
To learn more about Jews and
Baseball: An American Love Story, visit
www.jewsandbaseball.com.
BY Rabbi Reuven
Stein
The AKC employs over 20 full-time
mashgichim, who work in various kosher
establishments. Another 10 part-time
mashgichim occasionally fill in at kosher
events.
A mashgiach truly wears many hats!
Rabbi Reuven Stein is director of supervision for the Atlanta Kashruth Commission,
a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting kashruth through education,
research, and supervision.
Ronnie Porat (Lt. Col. Res) is Israel special
emissary, Southern & Florida Zones, for
the Jewish National Fund.
Page 28
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Dalton’s Jewish community
By Aaron Welt
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwest Georgia is a Jewish cemetery overlooking the misty hills of Appalachia. In the
back of the graveyard, one finds the gravestone of Alan and Shirley Lorberbaum,
“Devoted parents, loving grandparents and
entrepreneurs.” It may seem strange for one
to place such a sentiment on their tombstone, but it is not surprising that a Jewish
resident would find pride in being forever
remembered as an entrepreneur in Dalton,
the “carpet capital of the world.” Today,
Dalton and surrounding areas produce 90%
of the functional carpet worldwide. Jewish
Daltonians played a crucial role in making
the town a prominent industrial center in
the United States. Their presence has left a
permanent imprint on the commercial, cultural, and social character of the Dalton
community.
The gravestone of Alan and Shirley
Lorberbaum reflects the Jewish
experience in Dalton.
Antebellum Dalton had few if any Jews
to speak of. Unlike the many areas of the
antebellum South that grew tremendously
wealthy from slavery and cotton production, Dalton was still marked by self-sufficient yeoman farmers and economic isolation. The relative simplicity of Dalton’s
emerging market activity may have been an
insufficient pull for immigrant Jews who
were beginning to settle in the South during
the mid-19th century. It was only with the
advent of the industrial New South that a
Jewish presence developed in Dalton.
The roots of Dalton’s Jewish community were nourished by the fertile commercial
and industrial potential of the town in the
late 19th century. Jews arrived in Dalton at
the same time as the cotton mills. The first
recorded Jewish settler in the town arrived
in 1880, a florist named Mr. Hirsch. In
1884, the Crown Cotton Mill opened in
Dalton, the first large-scale manufacturing
plant in northwest Georgia. As Dalton
underwent industrialization, the original
Jewish settlers became established in the
community. D.R. Loveman (originally
Liebman) emigrated from Hungary in the
late 19th century, operating a clothing store
in Dalton. One of his four children, Robert
Loveman, became a famous poet, writing
his best known poem, “The Rain Song,” in
1899. Another of his compositions,
“Georgia,” was the state’s official song
until 1979. By all accounts, the original
Jewish residents enjoyed mercantile success and middle-class comfort.
The bedspread industry was the first to
take off in Dalton. A native of Dalton,
Catherine Evans Whitener popularized a
tufting technique known as candlewick
embroidery in the beginning of the 20th
century. She and other women of Dalton
would sell their bedspreads along U.S.
Highway 41, a road dubbed “bedspread
alley” or “chenille alley.” As demand grew,
Whitener and her brother began the Evans
Manufacturing Company. The emergence
of widespread manufacturing employment
proved a watershed for Dalton, altering the
social composition of the town and beckoning the small city’s prominent Jewish families.
As the bedspread industry became
established, the population of both Dalton
and its Jewish community grew significantly. In 1930, there were six Jewish families
in Dalton; by the 1960s, there were between
50 and 60. A large portion of the Jewish
arrivals were entrepreneurs. Sam Millender
opened the clothing store Millender’s.
Several
merchants
arrived
from
Chattanooga, such as the Stock, Dubrof,
Koplan, Morris, and Solomon families.
Others came from Atlanta, like the
Tenenbaums,
Levin/Bravers,
Sauls,
Mendels, Franks, and Golds. Abe
Tenenbaum operated a retail store, while
Jack Braver ran Braver’s Department Store.
A survey of the city directories through the
middle decades of the 20th century reveals
an entrepreneurial spirit within the Jewish
population, sustained by the manufacturing
base of Dalton.
The post-World War II economic boom
immensely benefited Dalton’s factories.
Beginning in the 1940s, the manufacturing
techniques used for bedspread production
were reoriented towards a host of new consumer products, such as carpets and chenille rugs and robes. The subsequent economic and demographic expansion spurred
the arrival of new Jewish residents, many
from New York and outside the U.S.
According to the historian Douglas
Flamming, these new Jewish settlers led the
way in Dalton’s industrial expansion.
A prime example is Ira Nochumson, a
businessman from Chicago who became a
respected commercial leader in the community. Arriving around the time of the carpet
boom in the 1950s, Nochumson became
president of the Tufted Textile
Manufacturers’ Association, an organization designed to lobby for chenille and carpet interests. Though this new crop of
Jewish management was met with a degree
of reservation from the established business
leaders of thoroughly Southern ancestry,
these “non-Protestant Yankees” worked to
assimilate themselves into the local culture.
Nochumson became a leader in the Elks,
Masons, Lions Club, and Community
Chest. By 1953, when Nochumson was
elected president of the Tufted Textile
Manufacturer’s Association, a local paper
described the new head as “a member of the
Jewish families of Dalton [who] has done
much not only for his nationality, but for all
groups in the county.”
Nochumson was one of several Jews
who gained local prominence in the town’s
manufacturing base. Jerry Gold, owner of
Gold and Company Manufacturers of Rugs
and Bath Mat Sets, became another important business leader in Dalton. According to
Flamming, Nochumson and other local
Jewish industrialists, like Harry Saul and
Arthur Richman, “represented a new line of
business leaders in Dalton, and their presence reflected the tentative beginnings of a
more diverse and fluid Southern society.”
The industrial boom of Dalton made it
ripe for a flourishing Jewish community to
emerge. By 1937, the Jewish population of
forty residents formed the origin of a future
congregation. A year later, several prominent Jews of Dalton formed the “Friendly
Alliance,” which hosted minyans and High
Holiday services in the Loveman Library.
This first Jewish organization in Dalton history soon pushed for the construction of a
Jewish house of worship in the town. In
May of 1941 at a meeting in Simon
Mendel’s Café, the preliminary president of
the congregation, Sam Hurowitz, was
joined by other elected officers who vowed
to establish a constitution for a congregation, secure a rabbi, and explore the possibility of purchasing land to construct a synagogue. Shortly after, a sisterhood was
formed, which worked to raise money for a
synagogue. A vote of the Jewish community in Dalton was taken on June 24, 1941,
unanimously approving the construction of
a synagogue; a month later, a constitution
was ratified for Temple Beth El.
World War II delayed the congregation’s plans. In the middle of construction
of the temple, the War Production Board
froze civilian purchase of building materials. The founders of the temple agreed to
shift construction funds to purchase War
Bonds and aid the war effort. The sisterhood of Temple Beth El also sacrificed,
donating medical supplies, canned goods,
and money to various charities helping
those affected by the war’s dislocations.
These charitable activities served as a precursor to future organizations such as the
Dalton Jewish Welfare Fund, which became
the Dalton United Jewish Appeal.
Following the war, construction of the synagogue continued. Progress was impeded
by several problems, namely acquiring supplies during the post-war material short-
Temple Beth El
ages, flooding, and unforeseen expenses
that led to a second mortgage. In the end,
building Temple Beth El cost between
$80,000 and $90,000, a testament to the
resolve of Dalton’s Jews to establish a temple for themselves and their children. On
March 9, 1947, Temple Beth El was formally dedicated in a public ceremony.
Temple Beth El has been a
Conservative congregation since its inception. In large part, this reflects the background of many of its founding members,
who grew up in Jewish enclaves of large
Northern cities. In 1962, Temple Beth El
became affiliated with the United
Synagogue of America, an association of
Conservative congregations. In 1950, the
temple had its first bar mitzvah, Lewis
Millender, and in 1953 its first wedding,
that of Myra Stein and Harold Shapiro. In
1956, a plot was purchased that became the
Dalton Cemetery’s Jewish burial ground.
By the 1960s, the Sunday school enjoyed
regular attendance from the Jewish children
of Dalton, and the congregation reached a
height of 63 families. In the 1980s, female
members of the synagogue successfully
lobbied to have gender equality at all levels
of congregational activity; later, the first
female president, Ellen Richman, was elected to head the temple. Over these decades,
the congregation thrived and even welcomed new Jewish families. In 1990,
Temple Beth El celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Members of Beth El celebrate the
congregation’s 40th anniversary in
1980.
The interior of Temple Beth El
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 29
However, this period proved to be the
summit before the Jewish community
began its demographic decline. Beginning
in the 1980s, many of the original congregants and temple leaders passed away,
including Mr. and Mrs. Ben Winkler and
four past presidents—Leo Koplan, Sam
Millender, Joseph Ginsberg, and Lester
Goldberg. Throughout the 1990s, elderly
members retired, with many moving to
Florida.
While the older population disappeared, younger Jews who grew up in
Dalton went off to college and have not
returned. Julian Saul, whose father Harry
Saul was one of the founders of Temple
Beth El, mentions how his sons went off to
universities and have relocated to
Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.
Much of this population decline is a
product of transitions in Dalton’s economy.
Large chain stores have overtaken local
markets as small retailers traditionally
owned by Jewish businessmen have
merged, gone public, or closed. The
longevity of Temple Beth El was sustained
by the fact that many Jews in Dalton did not
work as storeowners, but as managers in the
local manufacturing industry. Nevertheless,
the recent Southern-wide shift of Jews into
professional careers and to large metropolitan areas has not left Dalton unscathed. The
religious school as of 2008 had only a handful of pupils and the congregants of Temple
Beth El have decided to sell their synagogue.
However, Harry Saul says that he and
the rest of the Jewish community of Dalton
will follow the advice of Allan Finkel, a former congregation officer and for many
years the real backbone of Temple Beth El,
to “keep the doors open ‘til the last person
leaves.” Such sentiment is understandable,
considering the lovely edifice that is
Temple Beth El. The striking exterior is
matched by the beauty of its interior, with
its stained-glass windows, mahogany seats,
and the artwork that decorates the basement
of the synagogue. The building is a worthy
testament to the dedication of the Jewish
community, both past and present, and its
immense contribution to the commercial
and spiritual development of Dalton.
Synagogue 3000
bat mitzvah training is no longer there.
Families are making the conscious decision not to join, but to find alternate ways
to celebrate, so it’s not sustaining membership anymore.”
The birthrate has declined in recent
years, particularly in the Jewish community. Jews are marrying even later than nonJews, having fewer or no children, and
many are intermarrying. Dr. Steven Cohen,
professor of Jewish social policy at
Hebrew Union College, has examined the
trends and concludes, “There’s a general
moratorium on religious connection among
young adults, Jewish and Christian.
Synagogues are built for married people
with children. Only a quarter of Jews today
marry other Jews.”
Dr. Cohen also notes that younger people in general are less inclined to exhibit
institutional attachment and brand loyalty.
“The whole world is more fluid. Fewer
have Jewish friends, neighbors, or spouses,
and fewer show attachment to institutions
and especially to Israel. So we have challenges.”
Young adult Jews, he says, are in a
period of unusual creativity, with engaged
people forming minyanim and new social
action organizations. They are also producing and consuming cultural products such
as films, music, and learning experiences
(for example, Limmud, the volunteer-oriented learning events held in this country
and overseas) and a multitude of Internet
sites where people can create Jewish life
that wasn’t available 15 years ago. “So,
you see, we stand at a crossroads. People
are disengaged from some parts of being
Jewish and reengaging where they can
make their own choices. We must either
adjust, give young people a chance to create and make their own ways of being
Jewish, or ignore the trends and see them
wander off to find other things to do. Some
may come back when they have kids, but
some don’t, and it’s a shame to lose their
engagement.”
Synagogue 3000 is an outgrowth of
Synagogue 2000, a 12-year project that
started the field of synagogue transformation. In 2000, the organization realized its
work was important, but not a sustainable
model as it existed. After a year of strategic
planning, Synagogue 3000 was formed,
with the object of making synagogues
vibrant and workable communities for
Jews of all ages, all interests.
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman of Next
Dor said this program is important because
“it is crucial that we enliven and inspire the
next generation of American Jews who are
filled with creativity and energy and passion and a strong sense of Jewish identity,
but aren’t finding a home. Next Dor is a
partnership between a synagogue and the
larger Jewish community, a gift from the
synagogue to the community, because the
next generation has the obligation to learn
and grow Jewishly.” She sees the program
growing, creating a national network
where young Jewish adults can move and
find a place to suit their needs in any community.
For more information about Next Dor,
call The Temple at 404-873-1731. You can
also read about Synagogue 3000 initiatives
at Synagogue3000.org. The organization is
also
on
Facebook
at
www.facebook.com/synagogue3000.
From page 25
Jewish groups in general.
While the goal is to reach all young
adults, the primary audience is nonOrthodox, unaffiliated people. Those who
attended Jewish day schools or camps
would be a bonus, but they are more likely
already involved. It’s an experimental program, with each pilot city having its own
profile determined by the make-up of the
city’s population.
“We have a 20s
and 30s program
already in place,
but our goal is to
move
beyond
those
already
involved, to use
human resources
and technology
to reach out to
the unaffiliated.
We already do
well with those
Brad Pilcher
who call the synagogue home, but need to find ways to
engage those for whom the idea of a traditional synagogue is not relevant or exciting,” Rabbi Berg said. The Temple also has
a well-developed structure of professionals
and lay leadership ready to take on the
challenges of this new program. In addition, they are committed to hiring professionally expert staff to implement programming. One such hire is Brad Pilcher,
newly named director of communications.
Other staff additions will be announced
soon.
Synagogue 3000’s CEO, Rabbi Aaron
Spiegel, said, “We know Jews are interested in Judaism, but not in what is being
offered. So we’re interested in engaging
this age cohort (20-40) to have a conversation. What do they want? What can we give
them, rather than getting them to take what
we are offering? Jewish life has to change.
Future generations are not interested in
what’s been done for the last fifty years,
but synagogues typically don’t know how
to change to engage this group. The impetus to join when a family’s children are
between six and nine and ready for bar or
Readers can learn more about the history of
Jewish communities in Georgia by visiting
the Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish
Communities found at www.isjl.org. The
Institute of Southern Jewish Life considers
the encyclopedia to be a work in progress
and invites the public to contact Dr. Stuart
Rockoff at [email protected] with additional
information related to the history of Jews in
Georgia or other parts of the South.
Aaron Welt is an intern in the ISJL History
Department and a senior at Columbia
University.
Page 30
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
MedShare is all about...sharing!
Bob Freeman and A.B. Short met
years ago, when a unique program called
Café 458 was started to feed the homeless
in Atlanta. Café 458 was not a soup
kitchen. Instead, its guests enjoyed tablecloths and waiters in a welcoming, dignified setting. Bob had garnered food
expertise with the Atlanta Food Bank, and
A.B. was a civic-minded business professional.
BY Leon
Socol
States to accept donations.
The next problem was finding a suitable location to sort, repackage, and store
the medical supplies and equipment. This
was resolved after a large warehouse was
leased in Decatur. After several years,
MedShare purchased it outright.
MedShare seeks donations of disposable medical supplies, gently used durable
goods, and operational biomedical equipment. The organization has found that the
most needed items are gloves, sutures,
surgical instruments, stethoscopes, wheelchairs, patient monitors, and sterilizers.
There is also a great need for empty medicine bottles; businesses, churches, synagogues, and schools have set up collection
barrels for these items. Thus, everyone
can make a contribution to help MedShare
fulfill its mission.
37 African countries served by MedShare.
While MedShare serves many clinics and
small hospitals in the United States, over
80% of its supplies are shipped overseas.
On a recent tour of the MedShare
facilities, Bob Freeman introduced me to
Moctar Bayor, a distribution center associate who has been with the organization
since it was formed. Bayor, who was born
in Africa, trained to be a medical doctor in
Russia and graduated as a general medical
surgeon and an expert in malaria control.
He returned to Africa to practice. At one
time, he was the only medical doctor to a
village of 7,000 people. Rebel uprisings
threatened his life and that of his family
members, forcing him to flee several
African countries. U.N. diplomats eventually contacted Bayor, offering to help him
get out of Africa. He was given a choice to
go to Australia, Canada, or the United
States. He said he had always admired the
United States, so he chose to come here.
A.B. Short and Bob Freeman, cofounders of MedShare. Mr. Short is
current CEO of the company.
Years after working with Café 458,
Short heard about an organization that
provided surplus medical supplies to clinics and hospitals in need. He was intrigued
by the concept and contacted Freeman to
enlist his support in starting a similar venture. Freeman was hesitant, because neither he nor Short had any experience in
the medical field.
Short persuaded Freeman to have
lunch with him and Dr. William Foege, a
renowned public health professor who had
retired from Emory University and served
on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
to discuss how to best start the organization that would become MedShare.
Dr. Foege encouraged Freeman and
Short with ideas and suggestions to help
MedShare grow and thrive. He said that
most charitable organizations ship items
without determining whether or not recipients really need them, so often the shipments are not fully utilized. Dr. Foege
suggested that MedShare maintain an
accurate inventory and post it on the
Internet so that organizations could place
orders based on what was available at
MedShare’s warehouse. This would result
in little or no waste.
But there were many questions about
how to get MedShare off and running.
Short and Freeman registered MedShare
as a 50l(c)(3) non-profit organization.
MedShare does not receive any federal
funds. Instead, it depends entirely on contributions from individuals, corporations,
and foundations for its support.
Next came the matter of what kind of
medical supplies would be collected and
who would supply them. That problem
was solved by working with hospitals in
the Atlanta area and later with hospitals in
northern California, with a distribution
center in San Francisco. MedShare also
worked with medical distributors and
manufacturers throughout the United
MedShare’s vast warehouse storage facilities
Then came the challenge of personnel. MedShare has only 30 paid office
staff and warehouse workers. Every
month, over 600 dedicated volunteers—
including students; people from religious
organizations, businesses, and senior residences; veterans; and physically and mentally impaired individuals—sort and package the supplies. In 2008, MedShare volunteers donated 21,000 hours, sorting a
total of 141 tons of valuable medical supplies.
Labeled collection barrels for sorted medical supplies
Even with the smooth and efficient
operation devised by Short and Freeman,
considerable work and planning was necessary to get medical supplies safely
shipped to and accepted by the foreign
countries MedShare serves. It required
diplomacy, tact, and knowledge of various
governments. MedShare was fortunate to
hire Nell Diallo for the position of executive director for corporate and international relations. She was born in Alabama and
went to Washington after she received her
law degree. There, she met an African
diplomat with the United Nations and
married him. That union led to a lot of
international travel and many contacts
with high-ranking government officials.
Ms. Diallo lived in Africa for a number of
years, including time spent directing the
U.S.
Agency
of
International
Development in the Congo, before returning to the United States.
Sidney Stein and Harriet and
George Orentlicher inspect medicine
bottles
collected
by
Congregation Shearith Israel.
Nell Diallo handles MedShare’s
international customer relations
Volunteers sort medical supplies.
In her job with MedShare, Ms. Diallo
is the “point person” of the management
team, getting customs officials to grant
approval to import equipment and supplies into their countries. She knows many
heads of state and prime ministers in the
Moctar Bayor, former African physician
Although he has a medical degree and
speaks seven languages, Bayor’s credentials are not recognized in the United
States. He went to work for MedShare and
wholeheartedly contributes his knowledge
and skills to promote the operations of the
organization. Bob Freeman said that
Bayor is overqualified for his present job
and needs an opportunity to get accredited
so he can practice medicine or otherwise
work in his field in a significant manner.
In the meantime, Moctar shows no bitterness and maintains a positive attitude.
All in all, MedShare had donated $60
million worth of medical supplies and
equipment to 80 countries throughout the
world. In November of 2009, it celebrated
the shipment of its 500th tractor-trailer
size container. This represents over a million cubic feet of space saved in U.S.
landfills. The organization’s supply and
recovery efforts saved 535,000 pounds of
CO2 in 2007 alone—the equivalent of
554,000 miles worth of vehicle emissions
or enough electricity for 150 homes for a
year.
MedShare has garnered many honors
and accolades, but the most prestigious
came from Charity Navigator, the nation’s
largest and most-utilized evaluator of
charities. It ranked MedShare number one
out of 53 international charities it evaluated—a fitting tribute to the dreams and
hard work of people like A.B. Short and
Bob Freeman.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Thought You’d Like to Know
By Jonathan Barach
HAVINAGALA. Havinagala benefits PAL,
Jewish Family & Career Services’ Big
Brother/Big Sister program. This year’s
event is January 23, 8:00 p.m.-midnight, at
STATS, 300 Marietta Street. Tickets are $40
in advance and $50 at the door. VIP tickets
are $65. For details, visit havinagala.com.
A ROARING GOOD TIME. Help YLC
(Young Leadership Council) of Federation
celebrate Ari the Lion’s 1st birthday on
January 24, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Join families from around the city for a day of fun,
including moonwalks, face painting, music,
pizza, the PJ Library Zone, cool treats, and
much more. The party takes place at The
Selig Center, 1440 Spring Street NW.
Admission is $25/family in advance.
Register
at
www.jewishatlanta.org/page.aspx?id=2115
91, or call Katie Goldstein at 678-2223724.
BETH SHALOM MITZVAH EXPO. The
6th Annual Mitzvah Expo is January 24,
12:00 noon-3:00 p.m., at Congregation
Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road.
This free event is for families planning
weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, baby namings, graduations, and other celebrations.
The expo will feature dozens of vendors,
including photographers, entertainers,
hotels, restaurants, caterers, stationers, decorators, party planners, and more, offering
services to suit a full range of budgets. In
addition to enjoying demonstrations and
performances, guests will have the chance
to talk at length with planning experts. For
additional information, contact Mindy
Appel at [email protected] or 404-5839921.
REDUCING THE STIGMA. “Reducing
the Stigma of Addiction and Mental Illness:
Lending Support to Individuals and their
Families” is January 25, 7:00-8:30 p.m., at
Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Dr. This
discussion, which will be facilitated by
JF&CS clinicians Debbi Dooley, MS, APC,
and Amy Morris, LCSW, is free and open to
the community. RSVP to 770-677-9434 or
[email protected].
FLOORTIME. Join Amit on January 26,
7:00-8:30 p.m., for “All about Floortime,”
an informative evening with two certified
DIR/Floortime clinicians. Kathy Platzman
and Jo Raphael will explain Floortime—
what it is, what is does, and how it can
influence and positively affect children
through play. A child’s natural emotions and
interests are essential for learning interactions, and children can gain social, emotional, and intellectual skills through
Floortime. This free program takes place at
JF&CS, 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
RSVP by January 24 to Debbie Berman at
[email protected] or 404-9619966.
INTERFAITH GRANDCHILDREN. “The
Grandparents Circle: Nurturing the Jewish
Identities of Interfaith Grandchildren” is a
free program of education and support for
Jewish grandparents whose adult children
have intermarried. It will take place at two
locations: Marcus Jewish Community
Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) Zaban Park,
running bi-weekly beginning January 26;
and Temple Sinai, running weekly beginning February 19. This program is presented by Pathways: The Interfaith Family
Network of Greater Atlanta, a project of
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, which
has provided the funding, in partnership
with the MJCCA. To register, contact
Pathways, 678-812-4161, or [email protected].
FEBRUARY IS JEWISH DISABILITY
AWARENESS MONTH. On January 31,
2:00-4:30 p.m., the Coordinated Network
for People with Disabilities will kick off
Jewish Disability Awareness Month with a
screening of Autistic License and a panel
discussion at the MJCCA, 5342 Tilly Mill
Road. This docudrama about raising a child
with autism is a sometimes exhausting,
sometimes exhilarating, and frequently terrifying trip that informs, enlightens, and
entertains. Admission is free, but reservations are required. For reservations or more
information, contact The Amit Program at
[email protected] or 404-961-9966.
TASTE OF TORAH. On January 31, 1:004:00 p.m., The Kehillah (comprising seven
local Conservative synagogues and agencies) will present the fifth annual Taste of
Torah at The Epstein School. This opportunity for study with local rabbis and educators allows participants to select specific
sessions and topics that interest them. The
keynote speaker is Rabbi Steven Wernick,
new CEO and executive vice president of
United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism. The winner of the Helen Cavalier
Memorial Award for Outstanding
Synagogue Volunteer will be presented at
the event. For information or to RSVP, contact [email protected].
BAR/BAT MITZVAH EXPO. The MJCCA
is presenting free Bar/Bat Mitzvah Expos at
two metro locations: Carlos Center, 2500
Clairmont Road, Atlanta, January 31, 1:004:00 p.m.; and Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta,
5750 Windward Pkwy, February 21, 1:004:00 p.m. These events will feature an
expansive array of vendors and event
experts, providing guests a chance to see
and sample a wide variety of party goods,
services, food, and drinks. There will also
be door prizes and entertainment. For information, contact Shelly Danz, 678-8123761.
FINDING EMPLOYMENT. The next
JF&CS Employment Workshop Series is
February 3 (Job Search Skills), February 10
(Resume Development), and February 17
(Interviewing Skills). These free sessions
are facilitated by Deena Goldberg Takata,
MS, JF&CS career counselor. All workshops meet from 1:00-3:00 p.m., at
Congregation Or VeShalom. Reservations
are required. RSVP to 770-677-9434 or [email protected].
FILLING THE BOWL. The Empty Bowl
Dinner is February 7, 12:30-2:00 p.m., at
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. This
annual event features a simulated soup
kitchen where guests select a keepsake
bowl designed by local students and volunteers, enjoy soups by some of Atlanta’s
finest restaurants, and enjoy interactive
entertainment with the Drum Café. Tickets
are $20 for adults and $5 for ages 6-18;
children under 6 are free. Table sponsorships, which include 10 tickets, are available for $250. For details, visit www.jfcsatlanta.org/emptybowl.
AN EXEMPLARY LIFE. On February 11,
10:00 a.m., Judge Aaron Cohn will discuss
his book Memoirs of a First Generation
American at the MJCCA. Aaron Cohn came
of age in a close-knit Jewish neighborhood
in Columbus, Georgia. Charming, smart,
and athletic, he prevailed over prejudice to
become a decorated and respected leader in
his hometown, undergraduate school, the
military, and as a juvenile court judge. This
Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA
program is free of charge. For more information, contact the MJCCA Box Office,
678-812-4002.
Page 31
PURIM OFF PONCE. Rabbi Joshua
Lesser, of Congregation Bet Haverim, will
receive the 2010 Rainmaker Award at
Purim Off Ponce, February 20, at
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980
Briarcliff Road, N.E. Purim Off Ponce is
the annual fundraiser benefiting JF&CS’
Rainbow Center, which provides information, sensitivity training, and support to foster inclusion and the honoring of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning
(LGBTQ) people. This event is 7:30-11:00
p.m., with an after-party. Tickets are $50
($36 for 30 and under), with sponsorships
starting at $250. For tickets and additional
information,
visit
www.therainbowcenter.org, and click on
“Purim OFF Ponce.”
BREGMAN CONFERENCE. The Larry
Bregman, M.D., Educational Conference,
sponsored by JF&CS, is February 20-21, at
The Selig Center. The Bregman offers
adults with developmental disabilities, their
families, and their caregivers the opportunity to learn about topics that might not be
addressed in other venues. This symposium
provides participants a chance to socialize
with others who share their interests and
needs in a unique conference atmosphere.
For information, to register, or to volunteer,
visit www.bregman.org, or call Brenda at
770-677-9345.
See THOUGHT page 39
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 32
Jeff Goldstein honored by ASK
Atlanta Scholars Kollel presents its
sixth Jewish Unity Live on March 14, at
the Woodruff Arts Center. This year’s event
will honor Jeff Goldstein for his longtime
support of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel.
Jeff Goldstein
Although he has experienced success
as the owner of an Internet marketing firm
and as the father of twins, Jeff had many
questions about the meaning of life and his
purpose. But in 1999, he met Rabbi
Binyomin Friedman of the Atlanta
Scholars Kollel, who has been visiting
Jeff’s office once a week ever since. Jeff
learned about Torah and its values—study,
charity, and prayer. As time went on, a siddur and tefillin joined Jeff’s Torah. His
desk and walls are festooned with tokens of
appreciation for his charity work.
Having found answers to life’s questions in the Torah, Jeff wants to share this
experience with others. Having made a
career of reaching others through the
Internet, Jeff actively promotes cyberTorah ventures; on his website 1actperday.com, he helps his contemporaries discover the enriching power of tzedakah. He
also supports and participates annually in
the graduation ceremony of the Atlanta
Scholars
Kollel’s
campus-based
Maimonides Leadership Program.
“My entire career has been built on
reaching people and successfully marketing products to them. The best product I
have is the Torah. The Kollel brought it to
me right here in my office. I would like to
Jeff Goldstein, Jewish Unity Live
2010 honoree, fills in the last letter
of the Torah as his family and
friends look on.
help them bring it to the next Jew and the
next.”
Jeff dreams of 24-hour-a-day quality
Torah programming on the Internet—
accessible, relevant, dynamic programming that will reach out and touch Jews
just like himself.
Jewish Unity Live will feature entertainment by Gershon Veroba. The son of a
well-known cantor and an opera singer, he
started his career as a wedding musician,
but then got into Jewish-themed parodies
of popular songs. Veroba’s dream, howev-
Gershon Veroba
er, was to bridge Judaism and secular
music, his album Reach Out does not represent a particular strand of Judaism, but
instead speaks to the universal desire for
purpose, connection, and direction in a
seemingly uncaring world.
Jewish Unity Live kicks off with a
sponsors-only reception, 6:00-7:00 p.m.,
followed by a community celebration,
7:45-9:00 p.m. Admission is $54 per person.
For more information about Jewish
Unity Live, contact the ASK office at 404321-4085 or [email protected].
This ain’t your parents’ religious school
It’s a new age in Ahavath Achim’s
Hebrew School. Marcia Kaufman
Lindner’s official title is Director of
Formal and Informal Education, and the
programs she heads are innovative and
creative. They take place both in and out
of classrooms, in homes, in neighborhoods, and all over town.
Children from pre-kindergarten
through 7th grade are on a new track, a
new approach to bring Hebrew and
Judaics together. Marcia says, “By application they are learning that Judaism
lives outside as well as inside the synagogue. It is a part of everyday life.”
In the beginning, for the “formal”
part of Marcia’s title, pre-K, K and firstgrade children attend one weekend day,
three Sundays and generally one
Saturday a month. The emphasis is on
small classes with an individual
approach to learning. By second grade
they begin to “de-code” Hebrew, learning
the
sounds
and
vowels.
Subsequently, they begin to put the
basics together and start to recite
prayers, learning vocabulary as they go
along, getting the key concepts.
The students in higher grades attend
one weekday, Wednesday, and one weekend day (one Saturday a month and three
Sundays). By 7th grade they get a taste
of conversational Hebrew. They learn
that it is a living language.
BY Carolyn
Gold
For the “informal” education,
Marcia describes a hands-on or experiential program that is new and exciting.
Janet Schatten, a creative educator,
helped formulate this new direction in
learning for the AA’s Religious School.
Once a month there is a family Shabbat
where parents can either attend class
with their children the first hour or participate in a synagogue Torah study session or share in the Torah Service with
the main congregation. Then there is a
45-minute family service with Rabbi
Laurence Rosenthal, the young assistant
rabbi, and Marcia leading different
modalities of spiritual expression. That
may be meditation, silent prayer, yoga,
music, study or drama. In the last 15
minutes the students join the main congregation and help lead the concluding
prayers of that service.
The newest part of the informal program is called Zip Havurot—zip as in
ZIP Codes. Neighbors or groups of three
to six families in the same geographic
area get together for a minimum of five
meetings during the school year. This
means multi-age kids, older and younger
siblings, students, parents and teachers,
making “small communities.”
Their responsibility is to hold one
Friday night dinner, one Havdallah service, one social action project (such as
doing a Hunger Walk, collecting food or
feeding the homeless), and two programs
of their choice (holiday observances, life
cycle events, etc.).
For the Friday night dinners, different age kids have different tasks. Some
may do the prayers. Older ones may
study the Torah portion and give a d’var
torah. Younger ones make decorations
and ritual objects. One group had an
Asian dinner, and the children
researched Jews in Asia for that event.
For the community action project a
group held a bowling party and
researched different areas of philanthropy for donating their winnings.
Jean Jackson is the mother of
Isadore, a 6th-grader. She says, “The
new approach has fostered close relationships among the children who are in
the same “Zip” code, as they are studying together and working on projects as
well. It has also enabled the parents to
socialize and get to know one another
better.”
Teenage aides who help in the classrooms also help with the Zip Havurot
meetings. Five classroom days are can-
celled each school year to be replaced by
these neighborhood events.
The AA’s Education Department
won honorable mention for a “Sollie,”
Solomon Schecter award in the area of
ritual and worship. The award was given
for two programs. One was for the children’s High Holiday program which
includes a carnival. The other was for
their AAbsolutely 4Kids: Shabbat with a
Pop and a Beat.
Ann Alperin, long-time head of
Atlanta’s Young Audiences, has high
praise for the Rosh Hashana carnival,
which she says has Jewish traditions in
its every game or presentation and even
teaches lessons with its prizes.
“This ain’t your parents’ religious
school,” the staff’s name for the program
with its attractive new approach, has 62
students this year, eight teachers and a
music teacher. Though many of the synagogue’s children attend Jewish Day
schools, they are invited to bring their
knowledge, to come and participate in
the informal, social programs. For the
children who attend public school and
other private schools, this offers a new
direction in Jewish learning. Director
Marcia Lindner’s enthusiasm, knowledge and devotion to Judaism are sure to
make her “hope that the program will
grow,” a wish that will come true.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 33
Page 34
Kosher Affairs
From page 26
MIMICCREME. MimicCreme, a fabulous
new parve stand-in for real dairy cream or
sweetened condensed
milk, can be used in
many recipes that call
for cream. But keep in
mind that it doesn’t
whip! There are 3 varieties:
sweetened,
unsweetened,
and
sugar-free sweetened.
MimicCreme can be
used in creamy soups,
pasta dishes, and even
homemade parve ice
cream. Be creative, and let me know how
you use it. For recipes, visit
Mimiccreme.com, and click on the community button. Toco Hill Kroger plans to stock
this product. MimicCreme will soon be
manufacturing a new flavored parve coffee
creamer and a parve whipping cream.
ELVI SINTONIA SANGRIA. And the winner for Best New Wine, Beer or Spirit
is...Elvi Sintonia Sangria from The Natural
Group/Kedem. This is traditional sangria
made from Spanish wine and natural fruit
juices; it does have a slight hint of sweet
strawberry. The winemaker suggests that
this be served chilled with pasta or meat. I
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
added some fresh-cut peaches, pears, and
apples, and served it alongside cheese and
crackers.
Some of the other category winners
were: Potato Bourekas from Sarah’s Tent
(Baked Good, Bread, Grain, or Cereal),
Lasagna Florentine from Get Healthy
America (Cheese or Dairy), Falafel with
Tehina Filling from Black & White Foods
LLC (Fine Food from Israel), Smooth &
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bark from Illinois
Nut & Candy (Dessert, Candy, Cookie, or
Cracker), Picture Cookies from Custom
Candy Concepts (Foodservice Product),
KosherKeepers Food Storage Containers
from Plastic Packaging Corp. (Giftware and
Novelty), Oxygen Mixed Berry Blast from
Oxygen Imports (Jam, Preserve, or Spread),
Organic Batter Blaster from Quality Frozen
Foods (Kosher Organic), Asian Mel’s
Gourmet Sauce Line from Streit’s Matzos
(Savory Condiment, Spice, Sauce, Oil,
Vinegar, or Dressing), and Zelda’s Orange
Chiffon Cake from Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe
(Passover Product).
KOSHER AFFAIRS ON THE ROAD
LUNCH IN BOSTON. If you are in Boston,
go to Milk Street Café (milkstreetcafe.com)
for a delicious dairy lunch. The restaurant
offers a casual, full menu of healthy lunch
fare. Meat and dairy take-out and catering
are also available, and the company delivers
to area hotels and offices. I toured their
kitchens, and they appear clean, efficient,
well staffed, and busy.
EVERYTHING IN NEW YORK. No, I
wouldn’t want to live there, but sure would
like to eat there every day and shop for the
best selection of kosher foods in the world.
For a unique shopping experience, it’s
worth a trip to Pomegranate in Brooklyn.
The store, open only one year, is bright,
clean, contemporary, and all-kosher. The
take-out counters are staffed and full of
every type of prepared meat, fish, side dish,
and dessert that one could imagine. The
cheese department is well stocked with
globally sourced cheeses; the grocery aisles
are loaded with kosher-certified mainstream
and gourmet products; the fresh meat counter had every cut I could think of and more.
By the way, I was there on a Monday.
I have not yet been to Rockland Kosher
Market in Monsey, New York, but I understand that it, too, is a kosher foodie’s paradise.
As for restaurants, New York’s selection is unsurpassed. I had pizza to go and
pastries in Brooklyn, steak at Le Marais
(my favorite) in Manhattan, deli sandwiches, and various lunches in small casual
dairy buffets along and around 34th Street.
There are many to choose from. For a list of
what some consider New York’s top kosher
restaurants,
go
to
http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/restaurants-bars/80577/best-kosher-restaurantsin-new-york-city.
On a recent trip, I had the pleasure of
meeting Master Chef Giuliano Hazan and
his wife, Lael. Chef Hazan, the son of
Italian food pioneer Marcella Hazan, is a
cookbook writer, teacher, and TV personality known for regular guest appearances on
“The Today Show.” His new book (his 4th)
Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang) offers quick and
delicious Italian pasta recipes, most of
which can be used as presented or easily
adapted to a kosher kitchen. Visit giulianohazan.com for more information and
recipes. Lael Hazan is a respected food historian and lecturer. Her subject specialties
include Italian Jewish history, history of
Italian cuisine, and Italian fun food facts.
The Hazans are quite a talented pair!
And speaking of cookbooks, Estee
Kafra has just released a new publication
Cooking with Color. This is a set of two
beautiful and “colorful” paperback books in
a gift sleeve, one book focusing on dinner
(entrées, sides,
salads) and one on
dessert. The packaging is unique,
but so are the
recipes—all
kosher, most simple and easy to
follow. In addition
to the recipes, she
offers many useful food tips and explanations. Cooking with Color would make an
ideal gift for a new bride or someone setting
up a kosher kitchen. For some sample
recipes and more information, visit
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Esteekafra.com.
LOCAL FOOD NEWS
Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Frooties,
and DOTS. Nope, no kosher Tootsie pops
yet!
Manischewitz is now offering chicken
broth (regular and lowsodium) and beef broth
in cans and boxes. They
certainly make convenient
recipe helpers.
Once again, kudos to
Whole Foods Market on
Briarcliff for serving the community and adding so many
new kosher products. In
addition to Kosher Valley
Chicken, kosher gelato, and
AND ON A PERSONfresh kosher fish, the store
AL NOTE. Hooray!
has a wide selection of
KosherEye.com
is
kosher cheeses from the
launched. Please
U.S and Israel, and it has
introduced its own 365
take a look, sign up
for our newsletter,
Everyday Value sliced
and let us know
cheddar.
what you think. You
Return to Eden has
“Tootsie Boy” Noah Kalnitz
can also tweet with
many new kosher products, including two lines of delicious parve us at twitter.com/koshereye and follow us
gluten-free pastries, one from Heaven Mills on Facebook. Search for KosherEye.com.
and one from Nutrilicious. Other new items
What’s cooking?
include parve Coconut Bliss ice cream,
This column is meant to provide the
which I hope to taste soon. Contact
[email protected] to sign up for the reader with current trends and developstore’s kosher foods newsletter and to be ments in the kosher marketplace and
advised of the store’s weekly kosher tours. lifestyle. Since standards of kashruth certiCaribou Coffee is now selling luscious, fication vary, check with the AKC or your
rich, drinking chocolate in ready-to-go tins. local kashruth authority to confirm reliabilThey are kosher certified (OU-D) and ity. If you are searching for a hard-to-find
available in dark, milk, and white choco- kosher ingredient, need help with a kosher
late. Absolutely delectable for a warm, sat- substitution, or have a kosher food quesisfying, and calcium-rich treat. (Forget the tion, please contact us, and we will do our
best to find the answer. Also, we ask that
calories—enjoy!)
you share your discoveries with us and look
forward to hearing from you. E-mail
PRODUCT NEWS
Tootsie is on a roll. Yes, the candy of [email protected]. Come follow
your youth is now kosher certified under KosherEye on Twitter.com.
the OU. The new certification includes
Recipes
Coffee Ice Cream
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Joe Toma at MimicCreme.com
2 cups MimicCreme Sweetened or Sugar-Free Cream Substitute
1/8 cup instant coffee
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all ingredients. Add mixture to ice cream freezer and prepare per manufacturers’ instructions.
——Creamed Spinach
8 cups fresh spinach leaves (washed and drained thoroughly)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or parve margarine*
1 small shallot, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (or parve, unsweetened MimicCreme)*
1/4 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock*
Blanch spinach in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, and plunge into ice
water; drain again, and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. In small
saucepan, melt butter and sauté shallots and garlic until fragrant. Stir in spinach, and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream and stock, and simmer for 2 minutes
while stirring. Puree mixture in a food processor until smooth. Serve immediately, or
keep warm over a pan or bowl of hot water.
* For dairy version, use butter, dairy cream, and parve vegetable stock. For “fleish”
version, use parve margarine, MimicCreme, and chicken stock.
See RECIPES, page 39
Page 35
Page 36
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 37
Itzik the Clown brings joy to Georgia
Itzik the Clown is Israel’s very own
Patch Adams. However, he’s known not
only for helping the sick, but also for
cheering up the country’s children as they
face down the threat of terrorism. Always
on alert, Itzik heads to the hospital following rocket attacks and bombings by Hamas
and Hezbollah, relieving tension and helping young victims of terror escape their
trauma for a while.
It was in his mission as an ambassador
of amusement that Itzik visited Atlanta in
mid-November, a guest of the Consulate
General of Israel to the Southeast.
Itzik Ozery is considered the Captain
Kangaroo of Israel, hosting a daily radio
program for children and appearing on
Israeli television’s youth channel. He also
writes an advice column in which he
answers children’s questions.
For 18 years, Ozery has been a certified medical clown at the Schneider
Children’s Medical Center, the largest
children’s hospital in the Middle East.
At the hospital, the doctors recognize
the therapeutic value of Ozery’s rapport
with severely ill or injured children so
much that he is considered part of the staff.
He helps children get through difficult procedures, then helps with the rehabilitation.
“For instance,” said Israeli Deputy Consul
General Sharon Kabalo, “Itzik uses balloons in his act a great deal. So he can get
a child to blow up a balloon as part of respiratory exercises in the child’s physical
therapy. He can calm a child who is going
through a difficult procedure.”
or other critical contingencies, the department’s head nurse has standing instructions to call him in.
Ozery came to Atlanta on a special
According to Freud, humor and laughter are positive
influences on the recovery process of the child. “The level
of anxiety and tension in the child and the family are
diminished when Itzik comes into the room. Children
hospitalized for prolonged periods just wait for the day
that Itzik the Clown will arrive.”
Dr. Enrique Freud, director of
Schneider’s surgery department, said
Ozery’s work is invaluable. “Itzik succeeds in getting things from the children
that no doctor or nurse can do,” he said.
According to Freud, humor and laughter are positive influences on the recovery
process of the child. “The level of anxiety
and tension in the child and the family are
diminished when Itzik comes into the
room. Children hospitalized for prolonged
periods just wait for the day that Itzik the
Clown will arrive.”
Itzik the Clown is on alert every day
of the year. In the event of terrorist attacks
language of his comedy is.
Following his stop in Atlanta, Ozery
continued his visit to America with a trip
to Houston, Texas.
Connie Dodge, an activity director at
The Cohen Home, said she was pleased to
have Ozery entertain the residents. “We
were delighted when we got the call from
the consulate asking us if he could make a
stop at our facility. They just adored him.
He knows how to make a connection with
people, and he just makes them laugh,”
Dodge said. “And we all need that.”
mission to bring smiles and perhaps laughter to children in local hospitals. However,
he was not so readily accepted into children’s wards because of the fear of spreading H1N1 and a general lack of understanding about what Itzik the Clown does.
Meanwhile, Ozery asked if it could be
arranged for him to entertain older adults.
And so it came to pass that he was invited
to The Cohen Home, the assisted living
residence in Johns Creek.
Using magic, jokes, and an endless
supply of balloons, Ozery performed for
about a dozen residents. While Itzik the
Clown’s English is not quite perfect, the
Atlanta’s Intown Reform Synagogue
Brockey-Rothschild
Scholar-in-Residence Weekend
92nd Street Y Live Broadcast
at The Temple
Thursday, February 4, 2010
8:15 p.m.
Patti LuPone with Leonard Lopate:
The Broadway Life
Lunch & Learn Series
Wednesdays, February 10, 17 & 24
11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
Seeking God in a Godless World
Instructor: Rabbi Alvin Sugarman
Judaism 101:
Introduction to Judaism
Monday evenings starting February 1
8:00 p.m.
Judaism 102:
Conversion Class
Monday, February 22
6:45 – 7:45 p.m.
February 5-7, 2010
Scholar: Dr. Gary P. Zola
Executive Director of the
Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the
American Jewish Archives &
Associate Professor of the
American Jewish Experience at HUC-JIR
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Visions For Today
From American Jewish History
Friday, February 5
6:00 p.m. Shabbat Service
Great Voices, Civil Rights, and
American Judaism –
A Multi-Media Presentation
Synaplex
Friday, March 19 • 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 5
6:00 p.m.
Tot Shabbat
Party the Purim Way!
The Temple Early Learning Center
Open House
Wednesday, February 10 at 10:30 a.m.
RSVP to the TELC office
at 404-872-8668 or
[email protected]
The Temple’s Purim Celebration
Sunday, February 28
Purim Carnival • 11:30 a.m.
Pasta Dinner • 5:00 p.m.
The Temple’s Purimspiel • 6:00 p.m.
The Lion King starring
The Temple Clergy & Staff
For Reservations & Costs Call 404-873-1731
Join
Our
Family
1589 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-873-1731
www.the-temple.org
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 38
Howard Frushtick still busy and active
Howard Frushtick, former athletic
director of the old Atlanta Jewish
Community Center, is living at The Jewish
Tower, where he is the star of many inhouse musical and dance productions.
His “jolly green giant” costume at the
Halloween Party was a big hit, as is his
dancing, not only at The Jewish Tower but
at most every ballroom in metropolitan
Atlanta, which is quite a few indeed.
Howard Frushtick
You name it, and Howard and his girlfriend, the lovely Patrica Smith, can do it
like pros—fox trot, waltz, swing, rumba,
BY Gene
Asher
samba, and country.
What makes him famous at The Jewish
Tower, or wherever he goes, is his human
kindness and desire to help others. He is
quick to volunteer, be it for Jewish Family
& Career Services or the disabled residents
of The Tower.
Howard is now 76 years old. He was
born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey.
At 6’5”, he made the varsity basketball
team at Ferris High School. Although he
was not a regular until his senior year, he
left them something to remember him by—
the county single-game scoring record—55
points.
He played in the Catskills with the
likes of Wilt Chamberlain, but had a limited
college basketball role at George
Washington University. “The other guys
were better players,” he said, “so I spent a
lot of time on the bench.”
He earned his B.S. and master’s
degrees in physical education at GW, then
spent two years in the U.S. Army Medical
Corps. He moved to Atlanta, where he spent
time in the Federal Penitentiary—but it was
only for a day, with an amateur basketball
team that played the inmates’ team on their
court.
What brought Howard to Atlanta was a
job as an assistant athletics director. He was
backup at the AJCC to The Tower’s Ed
Jackel. When Jackel left, Howard was promoted to the athletics director position. He
had strong recommendations, not only from
Jackel, but also from the YMHA in Jersey
City.
Four years at the AJCC was followed
by teaching special education in the DeKalb
County School System, after which he
opened his own retail ladies apparel business.
His basketball days are over, but
when Howard gets his new shoulder in
place, you will find him at most any tennis
court on the Northside.
—————
WELCOME TO the newest resident of The
Jewish Tower, Sarah Belle Miller. She and I
went on a hayride together 60-plus years
ago, and our friendship never stopped.
Before she married the late Freddie Miller,
she was Sarah Belle Edelstein, sister of two
of the greatest basketball shooters the city
ever produced—Asher Edelstein and Ben
Edelstein.
When Sarah’s mother-in-law was at
The Tower, Sarah was her caregiver. Never
a day without a visit.
***
IT WAS a big thrill for me to join Jim
Howard, Myron Dwoskin, and Mark
Lichtenstein at the reunion of Grady High
School’s 1959-62 football teams. Also present was tackle Norman Greenberg. I was
the Atlanta Journal prep editor when that
group was tearing up the city league. Coach
Jack Fligg was honored by the group, and
Tech All-America Bill Curry, Georgia State
University’s first football coach, was guest
speaker.
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta
launches ‘Create a Jewish Legacy’
The Jewish Federation of Greater
Atlanta (JFGA) has launched its newest
initiative, Create a Jewish Legacy (CJL).
This new endowment program will help
Jewish organizations throughout the community secure bequests and planned gifts
to benefit the future of Jewish Atlanta.
Based on a successful model created
by the San Diego Jewish Community
Foundation, Create a Jewish Legacy will
provide the JFGA’s 14 partner organizations with the tools and motivation to
approach loyal donors and discuss making gifts in the form of bequests for
endowment. These gifts will benefit the
organization after the donor’s lifetime.
Partner organizations have been receiving training, consulting, coaching, and
marketing materials through a series of
seminars that began November 18.
“I think the Create a Jewish Legacy
program is exciting because nothing like
it has even been attempted in the past in
our community,” said Federation’s
Planned Giving & Endowment Chair
Steve Merlin. “CJL will partner
Federation with other community institu-
tions and synagogues to raise awareness
of the need for legacy gifts and to learn
together how to secure them for the benefit of the entire Jewish community.
Federation is not raising money for our
partners; through CJL it is facilitating the
training they need to maximize their
opportunities to create legacy gifts of
their own.”
The 2009-2010 partner organizations
for Create a Jewish Legacy are Ahavath
Achim Synagogue, Atlanta Jewish Day
School Council, The Breman Jewish
Heritage and Holocaust Museum,
Congregation Beth Jacob, Congregation
Beth Shalom, Congregation Shearith
Israel, Jewish Educational Loan Fund,
Jewish Family & Career Services, Jewish
Federation of Greater Atlanta, Marcus
Jewish Community Center of Atlanta,
Temple Beth Tikvah, Temple Sinai, The
Temple, and The William Breman Jewish
Home.
For more information about Create a
Jewish
Legacy,
visit
www.JewishAtlanta.org/CJL.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Center Theatre after-school program
will culminate in Disney performance
Based on the success of the MJCCA’s
popular Lynne & Howard Halpern Drama
Camp, Center Theatre at the Marcus Jewish
Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) is
now expanding its
offerings from primarily
summer
camp to yearround theater programming.
This new initiative kicks off
with a 15-week
after-school drama
program, January
25-May 12, which
culminates in a
three-performance
run of Disney’s
The Jungle Book
Kids. All classes and performances will
take place in Center Theatre’s Morris &
Rae Frank Theatre, located at the MJCCA,
5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.
Participants will meet Mondays and
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 p.m. There will be
two classes: one for 1st-2nd graders and
another for 3rd-5th graders. Participants
will build performance skills; learn music
and choreography; help paint the set; and
come together to rehearse for opening night
in May. Since this is a cumulative curriculum,
excused
absences will be
limited.
An integral part
of Center Theatre
at the MJCCA,
the drama camp
program is now
entering its 11th
year.
Fees are $540
for the 15-week
program (or $180
for each 5-week
session)
for
MJCCA members
or $660 for the 15-week program (or $220
for each 5-week session) for non-members.
Performances are May 12 and 13, 7:00
p.m., and May 16, 2:00 p.m.
For additional information and registration, contact Dina Shadwell at 678-8124072 or [email protected], or
visit www.CenterTheatreAtlanta.org.
Thought
Limmud Atlanta + SE is March 14, at
Oglethorpe University. For more information, visit www.limmudse.org.
Page 39
Recipes
From page 35
Linguini with (Kosher Faux) Crab and Arugula
Adapted for the kosher kitchen from Chef Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta
Please note: ingredients are presented as listed in Chef Giuliano’s book, except for the
kosher faux crabmeat, which is available locally at Kosher Gourmet and select Publix
and Kroger stores.
1 medium clove garlic
1 1/4 lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded*
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
Salt
2 ounces arugula
1 lb. linguine
8 ounces kosher faux crabmeat
Fill pot with about 6 quarts of water, and bring to a boil.
Peel and finely chop garlic. Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice.
In a 12-inch skillet, sauté olive oil, garlic, and hot red pepper flakes. Once garlic
is sizzling, add the tomatoes, season with salt, and raise the heat to high. Cook quickly, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes, just until tomatoes break down but do not
become a sauce.
Wash, chop, and drain arugula.
When pasta water boils, add about 2 tablespoons salt, then add linguini; stir until
strands are submerged; Cook al dente.
To tomato mixture, add arugula, and salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium, and
cook until arugula is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Add kosher faux crab and continue
cooking, stirring until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Drain pasta, toss with sauce, and serve at once.
*To easily peel tomatoes, cut a shallow x at bottom of tomato. Submerge tomato in
From page 31
GENETIC DISEASE FORUM. Greater
Atlanta Hadassah will present “From
Generation to Generation: Is Your Family
at Risk for a Jewish Genetic Disease?”,
February 21, 2:15-4:30 p.m., at
Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters
Chapel Rd. Speakers are Karen Grinzaid,
MS, CGC, CCRC, genetic counselor and
clinical/research coordinator, Lysosomal
Storage
Disease
Center,
Emory
University; Rachel Schonberger, MD,
president of Hadassah’s Southeast
Region; and Sharyn Lane, who will share
her experiences living with a Jewish
genetic disease. The event is free of
charge. For reservations, contact Greater
Atlanta Hadassah at 678-443-2961 or
[email protected].
TDSA 25TH ANNIVERSARY. Torah Day
School of Atlanta will hold its 25th
Anniversary Celebration and Dinner of
Honor, March 8, 6:00 p.m., at
Congregation Beth Jacob Heritage Hall.
The event will honor faculty and staff and
bid farewell to Rabbi Kalmen and Mrs.
Malka Rosenbaum, as they prepare to
move to Eretz Yisroel. Tickets are $90 per
person before February 8 and $100 thereafter, with discounts for alumni. Contact
Mrs. Jennifer Selmer at 404-982-0800
ext. 104 for more information.
EXPLORE AND CELEBRATE. Limmud
is a festival, a learn-in, a way to connect
with Jews of all ages, and more. The next
OPEN SYNAGOGUE. Shema Yisrael
(The Open Synagogue) holds Shabbat
services every Saturday morning at 10:15
a.m., at JF&CS, 4549 ChambleeDunwoody Rd., Atlanta 30338. Call 404943-1100 for details.
LEARN HEBREW. The Talmud Torah
School at Congregation Or VeShalom has
a new Beginning Hebrew Literacy class
for adults, providing one-on-one and
small-group lessons to build Hebrew
reading skills. Instruction emphasizes
independent learning to strengthen participants’ ability to read and understand
Hebrew found in the Torah and Siddur.
Classes are Sundays, at 9:30 a.m. Fees are
$15 for registration and materials and $5
per class. For more information, contact
Zahavah Stilman, 404-538-6545.
HEART AND SOUL. The Jewish
National Fund Heart & Soul Mission,
May 2-9, will include visits to JNF’s
Be’er Sheva River Park and educational/cultural institutions; a walking tour of
the Old City; lunch and wine tasting at
Recanati Winery; and much more. The
cost is $3,135, which covers an expert
guide, luxury air conditioned bus, tips,
daily breakfast, three lunches, five dinners, and deluxe accommodations in Tel
Aviv, Be’er Sheva, Eilat, and Jerusalem.
Airfare is not included; single supplement
is $950. For information, contact Beth
Gluck, 404-236-8990 or [email protected].
Page 40
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
focuses on Epstein’s yearlong effort in
which students, staff, and parents studied
the process of Jewish law and then used the
principles to determine whether the Imahot
(Matriarchs) should be included in school
prayer. Conservative rabbis were also
engaged in the experience, which was coordinated by Edna Levy. As a result, there
was a thoughtful and insightful resolution
that marries the best of respecting tradition
and recognizing the importance of change.
Pictured: Stan Beiner
By Belle Klavonsky
YOUNG AUTHOR VISITS. Eleven-yearold author Morasha Winokur visited The
Epstein School to discuss her newly
released book and help raise awareness of
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Morasha
spoke with Epstein 4th-graders; brought her
brother’s service dog, Chancer; and signed
copies of My Invisible World—Life with a
Brother, His Disability and His Service
Dog. In her book, Morasha discusses FAS,
a condition that touches her family and
affects one out of 100 infants. Pictured:
(from left) Ariel Mesnick, Omer Friedman,
Hallie Bernstein, Aviva Fine, and Izzy
Jacobs with Chancer
GOING GREEN WITH THE GOVERNOR. For the third year, The Epstein
School helped decorate the Governor’s
Mansion for its Annual Holiday
Celebration. In the spirit of being green,
elementary and middle school students created Hanukkah- and Judaic-themed art from
recyclable materials. Under the direction of
Epstein parent and artist Alane Levy and art
teacher Sagit Shaked, students painted
Hebrew Bible scenes on nine windowpanes, creating a stained-glass effect. Each
window was placed so that it represented a
menorah light (eight plus the shammus),
symbolizing the single vial of oil that
miraculously burned for eight days.
Pictured: 3rd-grader Sari Olim
IAN’S FRIENDS. The Yagoda family (pictured)—mother Cheryl, father Phil, son Ian,
and twin daughters Arly and Sophie (4thgraders at The Epstein School) were featured in a healthcare documentary that aired
in December on 11-Alive WXIA, WSB-TV
Channel 2, and Fox 5 WAGA. Ian has a
brain tumor and receives treatment from
doctors and healthcare professionals at
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The
Yagodas have founded the Ian’s Friends
Foundation, through which they are funding several labs. One lab, at Children’s, will
help brain surgeons differentiate healthy
brain cells from cancerous ones via the use
of certain dyes.
A MEANINGFUL PROCESS. The Epstein
School was featured in the winter 2009
issue
of
Kolot-Voices
of
Conservative/Masorti Judaism. Stan
Beiner’s article, “Sparks of Halachah,”
LEARNING FROM THE PROS. While
visiting with the Fox 5 News Team in
Atlanta, “Good Morning Epstein”
crewmembers were given a behind-thescenes tour by Executive Producer of News
Broadcasts Mark Shavin. They saw firsthand the broadcast news sets, studio cameras, editing room, audio equipment, and
lighting arrangements; learned about green
screen chroma techniques used by meteorologist Joanne Feldman; and received
advice from anchor Lisa Rayam and other
pros. While there, the “Good Morning
Epstein” crew filmed its own newscast.
Pictured: 8th-graders Rachel Schwartz and
Elliot Salzberg anchor “Good Morning
Epstein.”
A TALE AS OLD AS TIME. This year,
Epstein’s 6th-and-7th-grade musical,
Beauty & The Beast, gave students a chance
to show their creativity through a story
about good character, inner beauty, the
challenges of giving true love, and the
power of compassion. Beauty & The Beast
was produced and directed by Hazel Hunt,
with musical direction by Dona Wise, sets
by Hope Cohn and John Schneider, and
costumes/props by Natasha Liberman.
6th-grader Abby Blum (one of two students
cast as Belle) and 7th-grader Alex Platt
(The Beast)
7th-graders Karly Kaplan (LeFou) and
Jeremy Shapiro (Gaston)
TIKKUN OLAM UPDATE. During the
recent holiday season, Sara Spanjer, The
Weber School’s associate director of student life, coordinated two wonderful community service projects. Weber students
assisted Project Open Hand, an organization that prepares and delivers meals to
men, women, and children with unique
nutritional needs throughout metro Atlanta.
Students also worked at the Christmas
event at Turner Field organized by Hosea
Feed the Hungry and Homeless, which distributes food, clothing, toiletries, furniture,
and medical, educational, and cleaning supplies to 16 Georgia counties.
COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES. The good
news for Weber seniors keeps coming. So
far, students have been accepted at the following schools: the universities of
Alabama—Birmingham,
Alabama,
Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Pittsburgh, and
Rhode Island; Boston, Bradley, Case
Western Reserve, Elon, Emory, Farleigh
Dickinson—Madison, Georgia State,
Hofstra, Indiana, Kennesaw State, Mercer,
New York, Northeastern, Oglethorpe,
Purdue, Stanford, and Tulane; College of
Charleston; Georgia Tech; and Ithaca,
Amherst, and Pomona Colleges.
MORE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES.
High-speed access is coming to The Weber
School. With four new SMART Boards
being installed in classrooms (thanks to
Weber’s Parent Involvement Committee),
the school’s bandwidth needs have
increased. To meet the increased demand,
Comcast is constructing a new connection
terminal specifically for the school.
Construction is due to be completed in midFebruary, pending permit approval.
GHA GIVES THANKS TO TROOPS. On
November 25, Greenfield Hebrew
Academy 8th-graders went on a field trip to
the Atlanta airport. Holding a GHA banner,
the students greeted soldiers returning
home for Thanksgiving and handed out care
packages they made filled with candy and
thank-you notes. Pictured: Sophia Wilder,
Carly Berlin, Noam Gal, and two U.S. soldiers
GAN’S CHESED. The mother of a student
in the Gan Bet Kindergarten class is battling breast cancer and undergoing chemo.
GHA provided ingredients, and the entire
Kindergarten made a meal for the family.
The students prepared vegetable soup,
spinach lasagna, cinnamon bread, brownies, and garlic bread, making two of everything so there would be food left over to
freeze. Pictured: Avigayil Slifkin, Josh
Asherian, and Yahel Kabalo
PEP RALLY. To celebrate the renovation of
GHA’s gym, the school held a fun-filled
pep rally. The accomplishments of coaches,
team parents, and athletes were acknowledged, and the new floor was dedicated.
Each middle school class performed a
cheer. Pictured: Maital Kaminer, Eliott
Dosetareh, Ilan Palte, GHA Wolf, and
David Shoshan
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
ized for their children, during a meaningful
ceremony called Kabbalat HaSiddur. Here,
Todd and Lauren Gordon give their daughter Tatum her new siddur, which she will
keep and use throughout her years at Davis.
and Laurie Lans. Moshe has served is the
U.S. Army for 17 years and is a chaplain.
Laurie is in intelligence in the Navy; a
memorable experience for her was lighting
a huge menorah in Saddam Hussein’s former palace. The two met at Yom Kippur
services in Iraq. Pictured: 7th-graders
Skype with Moshe and Laurie Lans.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS. GHA 5thgraders took a field trip to Ridgeview Park
to conduct a stream study, learn about identifying trees, and create art and poetry
based on the natural world. Walter Reeves,
a master gardener and Georgia naturalist,
came along to help teach the students.
Pictured: Neta Gail with GHA teacher Mary
Seffrin
GHA PLAYING AND LEARNING. Gan
(Kindergarten) set up a Dramatic Play Table
for Parsha Vayeira. The play table displayed
Avraham and Sarah with their 4-door tent,
reflecting the mitzvah of Hachanat Orchim,
welcoming guests. Pictured: Yitzy Lambert
and Skylar Simon
Page 41
CLASSES HONORED. When Davis 2ndgrader Lindy Feintuch and her brother,
Kindergartner Evan Feintuch (pictured),
had a family friend deployed overseas, their
classmates made packets of greeting to send
to American soldiers in Afghanistan. The
students were thrilled to receive a letter in
return—but they were even more awestruck
when a package arrived containing an
American flag with a certificate stating that
it had been flown over the American compound, Camp Phoenix, during Operation
Enduring Freedom, on November 1, 2009,
in honor of Davis and the two classes.
CHAMPS. Davis had an outstanding showing at the fall M.A.A.C. Cross Country
Championships. The boys won their second
championship in four years, narrowly
defeating St. Martin’s and Holy Spirit. The
girls team, which placed 2nd for the 3rd
consecutive year, has never finished lower
than 2nd place and had four girls in the top
ten. Pictured: Alec Nathan, Alex Moncayo,
Joseph Goldman, Jay Edlin, Jake Footer,
Cameron Frostbaum, Kyle Rabinowitz,
Steven Boxer, Jan Berland, Jake Steel,
Jacob Schlanger, Daniel Charanis, Coach
Matthew Barry, Whitney Barnard, Sophie
Frostbaum, Hannah Altman, Sydney
Goldstein, Sydney Benator, Amanda
Schwartz, Anna Rosing, and Beth Galaid
JAMMIN’ AT CHANUKAH. Davis 7thgrader Matthew Kurzweil plays the saxophone as part of the Davis Middle School
Fusion Band. The band played some rousing songs, both traditional and contemporary, such as “Rock of Ages” and Journey’s
“Don’t Stop Believin,’” during the school
Chanukah Concert.
INTERACTIVE CURRICULUM. Davis
3rd-graders Sy Alifeld (center) and Isabella
McCullough (right) perform a science
experiment during Lower School
Curriculum Night, as Sy’s mom, Sari
Alifeld, looks on. This year’s Curriculum
Night was expanded so that families could
spend the evening enjoying and experiencing activities in every class and subject,
from academics to art. The new format was
a great hit with everyone.
GHA HONORS VETERANS. In recognition of Veteran’s Day, GHA students
learned about the history of the holiday,
then wrote thank-you letters and drew pictures for veterans. The 7th-and-8th graders
Skyped with two observant soldiers, Moshe
IT’S GREEK TO THEM. Davis students
don’t just learn about their subjects; sometimes they actually become them. Students
in Mrs. Blumenfeld’s 6th-grade social studies classes got in the spirit of their unit on
Greek civilization and history by portraying
a scene in which Greeks ask the Oracle
about their future. Pictured (from left):
Samantha Nozick, Cassidy Aronin as the
Oracle, Zachary Chase, and Evan Miller
SPECIAL SIDDURS. Each year, Davis
Academy 2nd-grade students reach an
important milestone when they receive
their own prayerbooks. Parents present the
siddurs, whose covers they have personal-
Page 42
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Amit’s Family Camp Funday honors
family, teachers, and loved ones
On Sunday, March 7, 2010, Amit will
honor our children, teachers, and loved ones at
its
9th Annual
Community Event,
Sunday
Family
Camp Funday. The
event will take place
at the Foundry at
Puritan Mill in
Atlanta, from 5 p.m.
– 9 p.m. It will be a
fun-filled evening for
all with carnivalstyle entertainment
and games, a familystyle barbecue dinner
Julie Silver
catered
by
the
Goodfriend Company, live auction, raffle, and
a program. This year’s emcee and song leader
will be contemporary Jewish singer Julie
Silver, who will lead the guests in song and
celebrate the night. Julie Silver has a new CD,
Reunion, which has just been released. More
information on Julie can be found on her website, www.juliesilver.com.
Even more exciting will be the presentation of our Illustrated Torah Scroll. Amit has
commissioned a beautiful illustrated torah
scroll in place of printing a traditional ad journal. The torah will become a lasting tribute to
loved ones as our children and community
groups will be able to use the Torah for their
own education and simcha purposes. More
information on the Torah can be found at
www.judaism.com/vt or contributions can be
made through Amit’s website at www.amitatlanta.org.
Amit’s Illustrated Torah Scroll
Amit has chosen to “bring it back to
basics” in this time of economic uncertainty
and celebrate spending quality time with family and at a lower ticket price than in years past.
Patron tickets are $85 per person, VIP tickets
are $160 per person, children ages 6-17 are
$18 per person, and children ages 5 and under
are free.
Chairs for the night are Linda and Richard
Bressler, long-time Amit supporters.
EventScapes will be decorating the room in
our “summer camp” theme, Amusement
Masters and Button It Up will be providing
entertainment, and other surprise entertainment will make the night memorable, while at
the same time supporting Amit’s programs and
services.
BUSINESS BITS
By Marsha Liebowitz
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. Alan Joel
Partners and Dan Granot & Company
have merged to create Joel & Granot
Commercial Real Estate. This new boutique brokerage firm provides services
such as tenant representation, investment
sales, land sales, and property management for clients. Alan Joel and Dan
Granot will be involved in each transaction; combined, they have more than 40
years of experience representing tenants
and closing complex real estate transactions. Joel & Granot is part of CORFAC
International, an organization of independently owned commercial real estate
services firms with local and regional
expertise throughout the Americas and
Asia.
Dan Granot (left) and Alan Joel
GOLDSTEIN CONTINUES TO SERVE.
On January 4, Marietta City Councilman
Philip M. Goldstein was sworn in for his
ninth term, having already served almost
30 years as Ward 7 councilman. Goldstein
is believed to be the longest-serving
municipal elected official in Georgia that
is Jewish and was the youngest, having
been first elected at age 21, as well as the
longest-serving in Marietta’s history.
Councilman Van Pearlberg is starting his
second four-year term.
The Honorable Judge P. Harris
Hines, Georgia Supreme Court,
swears in the Marietta City Council.
Pictured: (from left) Annette Paige
Lewis, Griffin Lee Chalfant Jr., John
V. Sinclair, Irvan Alan Pearlberg,
Anthony Calvin Coleman, James
William King, and Philip Michael
Goldstein
REDA MANSOUR HONORED. At the
World Chamber of Commerce (WCC)
“Meet the World in Atlanta” symposium,
Ambassador Reda Mansour, consul general of Israel to the Southeast and dean of
the Atlanta Consular Corps, received the
International Trade Heroes Award of
Excellence. The WCC recognized
Ambassador Mansour for raising the profile of and stimulating international trade
in Georgia and further developing
Georgia and Israel as leaders in the global
economy. Other honorees were Atlanta
Consular Corps members, local business
and community leaders, and former
Mayor of Atlanta, U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations, and civil rights leader
Andrew Young.
GETTING THE WORD OUT. Bradford
R. Pilcher has been hired as The Temple’s
first director of communications. Selected
from over 125
applicants, he was
most recently the
Atlanta
Jewish
Film
Festival’s
editor and art
director for its
publicity
campaign. Prior to
that, he held communications posiBradford R. Pilcher tions with the
Jewish Fund for
Justice, Next Marketing, and American
Jewish Life Magazine. Pilcher has excellent traditional communications skills and
a keen knowledge of social media, which
will enhance connections among current
congregation members as well as individuals ages 20-40 who are being sought out
via the Next Dor Initiative.
Jacada CEO Tom Clear (pictured)
speaks at a recent American Israel
Chamber of Commerce open
house. The purpose of the event
was to introduce AICC members to
Jacada and its new executive management team. About 100 people
attended. Jacada is an Israel-based
software company with its headquarters in Atlanta. Its product
helps call centers operate more
efficiently and effectively.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 43
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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN

JGA Jan-Feb 10 - The Jewish Georgian

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