JGA Sept-Oct 09 - The Jewish Georgian

Transcription

Wishing You a Healthy and Sweet 5770
THE
Jewish Georgian
Volume 21, Number 6
What’s Inside
The Temple is Tops
Newsweek has named The Temple one
of the 25 most vibrant Jewish congregations in the United States.
By Scott Janovitz
Page 13
Taking Responsibility
With help from the Anti-Defamation
League, Ft. Benning is making impressive strides in fighting anti-Semitism on
base.
Page 14
Along the BeltLine
What began as a graduate student’s thesis project has blossomed into an ambitious program to transform abandoned
rail lines circling Atlanta.
By Leon Socol
Page 17
See You at the
Brickery
In hard times, an Atlanta restaurant
thrives by offering value and a warm
welcome.
By Suzi Brozman
Page 38
Strength in Numbers
The merger of The William Breman
Jewish Home and The Cohen Home will
benefit both institutions.
By Carolyn Gold
Page 4
Make a Difference
As JFGA launches its annual campaign,
the community’s needs have never been
greater.
Page 25
Atlanta, Georgia
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009
FREE
Atlanta mourns the passing
of Cantor Isaac Goodfriend
By Suzi Brozman
During
the early
morning
hours of
M o n d a y,
August
11, 2009,
one
of
Atlanta’s
m o s t
beloved
voices fell
silent for
the
last
time
as
Betty and Isaac Goodfriend C a n t o r
I s a a c
Goodfriend passed away. It had been a difficult time for the Goodfriend family, starting a year ago with the death of Isaac’s dear
wife, Betty, followed more recently by the
death of their eldest son, Mark.
Goodfriend spent many years as the
cantor of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, during which time he became
known as the dean of
Atlanta’s chazzanim, or
cantors.
Conservative
Judaism was not where his
Jewish roots lay. He was
born in 1924 in Poland to a
family
of Alexander
Chassidim. When the
Nazis invaded, he
was sent to a labor
camp. Escaping,
he was hidden by
a Polish farmer
and his family.
The Goodfriends in 1945
He later commented that
he took a job as cantor in a conCantor Isaac Goodfriend
they “never did
gregation in Montreal, later
know
what
moved to Cleveland, and ended
kosher meant. But they defined decency.”
up in Atlanta, where he sang for 30 years at
After the war, he began to study music,
first in Berlin and then in Canada. In 1952,
See GOODFRIEND, page 5
People of the Book: MJCCA’s book festival celebrates 18 years
By Suzi Brozman
What do Harold Kushner, Maggie
Anton, Bruce Feiler, Anita Diamant, Jeffrey
Zaslow, and A. J. Jacobs
have in common? If you
said they’re all authors
with new books, you’re
right. If you said they’ve
all spoken at past Jewish
Book Festivals, you’d
be right again. And if
you said they’re all
speaking again this year,
Harold
as the Marcus Jewish
Kushner
Community Center of
Atlanta celebrates the
18th
annual
Book
Festival of the MJCCA,
you’re either a good
guesser or very perceptive.
For 18 years, the
MJCCA has presented
Bruce Feiler the cream of the literary
world to its audience,
with speakers ranging from contemporary
icons like John Updike, Norman Mailer,
and Chaim Potok; to political and historical
writers including Alan Dershowitz, Sir
Martin Gilbert, and Dick Morris; religious
authorities like Joseph Telushkin and Adin
Steinsaltz; poets and novelists and cookbook authors and children’s writers; local
scribes and acclaimed essayists; newsmakers and music makers; luminaries of stage
and screen; and much, much more.
This year’s festival promises to be
another blockbuster, with a lively program
of authors to please every taste. In honor of
the event’s “Chai Year,” the festival com-
Beth Arogeti and Julie Mokotoff
mittee, under the guidance of co-chairs
Beth Arogeti and Julie Mokotoff, has compiled a memorable selection of speakers,
from best-selling authors to noted entertainment figures.
To open the festival, Harold Kushner
will talk about
his new book,
Conquering
Fear: Living
Boldly in an
Uncertain
World. As a special treat, the
evening will be
honoring chairs
from the festival’s past 17
years.
As fascinating
and
informative as Kushner is, he’s just the start
of great things to come. Maggie Anton has
completed her historical trilogy, Rashi’s
See BOOK FESTIVAL, page 6
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 2
How do we regain our social capital?
Judaism, its principles, concepts, and
teachings, exists in perpetuity; however, it
seems as though it is only at this time of the
year that many of us focus down and actively show that we are, in fact, Jews, a people
whose religion is Judaism.
Yes, we do read about current events
affecting us as individuals and those matters
dealing with Jews in general, including the
state of Israel, but these actions are motivated primarily by an interest in and concern about current events. A non-Jew, Mary
Anne Evans, writing under the name of
George Eliot, in her book Daniel Deronda,
reminds us of the true import of what makes
us Jews when she wrote, “It was Judaism,
the religion and the people, that created the
Jew.”
We all know the changes that have
taken place in the economy since last year
and the impact this has had. Many questions
have been asked, and many fingers have
been pointed at the civil institutions, the
people in public office, the business practices that have been part of private industry,
and the self-dealing that has been revealed.
I think that it has become patently clear that
the motivation for many actions was to
acquire without regard to the method,
responsibility, or need.
THE
Jewish Georgian
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Terri Christian
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Gene Asher,
Jonathan Barach,
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Marvin Botnick, Suzi Brozman,
Shirley Friedman, Carolyn Gold,
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Marsha Liebowitz, Howard Margol,
Bubba Meisa, Erin O’Shinsky,
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The Jewish Georgian ©2009
BY Marvin
Botnick
Not only has the financial capital of
the system been materially compromised,
but also, as stated in “Caritas In Veritate,”
the recent encyclical letter of Pope Benedict
XVI, the “‘social capital’: the network of
relationships of trust, dependability, and
respect for rules, all of which are indispensable for any form of civil coexistence,” has
suffered an almost mortal wound. In this
same writing, the pope also stated that, “the
primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her
integrity.” Immediate gratification was
gained, but we now are faced with a pain of
cleansing the economic organs of the infection that seriously challenged their health.
Most people have some familiarity
with the civil code, which they factor in
when they act. Many of these laws are
based on the moral principles found in
Jewish and other teachings, but the source
and the evolution of this basis is generally
not known. As a result, actions are judged
on absolute statutes, the violations of which
have a set level of punishment. Jewish regiment, on the other hand, has as its foundations the dictates set forth by God, together
with the rulings resulting from these, and
they are fashioned to serve as the principles
by which to live a just and righteous existence. Unlike the secular laws, these are
commandments for which there is not
always an immediate penalty for violations
and, therefore, do not always command the
same adherence in the mind of the individual.
While we are responsible to live by
the moral code of our religion as well as the
civil laws of our society, some people,
either through ignorance or apathy, choose
not to put too much emphasis on the religious dictates. At this season of the year our
tradition reminds us of our obligation to fol-
low the tenants of Judaism, and we are told
to review our actions over the past year so
that we can assess those transgressions in
which we have been involved. Having catalogued these, we are directed to change our
ways to eliminate these in the future, to
seek forgiveness for those wrongs we have
done to our fellow humans, and to look to
God for forgiveness for wrongs that we
have done to society in general and to His
commandments.
It seems that the societal mores have
become so skewed that the acquisition of
material possessions and wealth has
assumed the position of an end into itself.
We have reached a point where the business
ethic has been reduced to acquiring for the
sake of acquiring. Certainly, individuals
and business are entitled to and should be
compensated for the risks that are taken, the
effort put forth, the benefits derived by
investors and employees, and the overall
success or failure of these actions. But there
should be some value rationale by which to
judge the compensation, which should not
be because of what someone else is being
paid. We have seen the emergence of the
ugly picture of people who are like the gluttonous eater who so over-consumes that he
has lost the ability to savor the taste or satiate a nutritional need.
Such actions are not in concert with
Judaism. As we head into this season in
which we are commanded to contemplate
our actions and dealings, think about the
following two people who are examples of
Jews who are living examples of what
Judaism teaches.
Gerald Grinstein moved into the CEO
position at Delta Airlines in 2004 as it was
struggling to exist. He promised open, honest communications and accepted an annual
salary of $450,000, with no bonuses or
stock options of any kind, well below the
multimillion-dollar compensation packages
paid to Leo Mullins, the former CEO, and
his top executives at a time when Delta was
losing billions of dollars. In 2005, Grinstein
was forced to lead the company into filing
for protection under the bankruptcy law,
where it remained until 2007. When Delta
September-October 2009
emerged from bankruptcy, he announced
that he would accept no bonus, but instead
he directed the company to use these funds
to establish a scholarship fund for Delta
employees and their children and a hardship
fund for Delta families.
Last November, Leonard Abess, Jr.,
sold his majority stake in Miami-based City
National Bancshares. Of the monies he personally received from the sale, he took $60
million out of his own pocket and handed it
to his tellers, bookkeepers, clerks, everyone
on the payroll. All 399 workers on the staff
received bonuses, and he even tracked
down 72 former employees so they could
share in the windfall.
As we know, the shtetl was somewhat
self-governed under the dictates and control
of the government of the country in which it
was located. As a result, in addition to the
synagogues, communal services were operated and funded within the community, usually under the direction of the rabbis or
tzadiks (people who have achieved especially outstanding piety and holiness), who
operated them under biblical principles.
Much of the communal-service functions
are still performed by central agencies within the community, but in towns with larger
Jewish population the agencies are operated
by people who have been trained in social
services. The professional operators of
these organizations, while not rabbis, have
continued to use biblical concepts in their
agencies and have operated with menschlichkeit in their dealings with their
clients. But it is synagogue that is the repository of the moral and religious concepts,
and it remains the duty of the rabbinic community to be in the leadership forefront. It is
the rabbis who must speak out with the
Jewish vision, and it is the rabbinic community that must assume its historical leadership position in guiding our actions as
Jews.
So as we gather as a community of
Jews during this holy season, let us listen to
the challenges put forth by our rabbis, and
let our rabbis challenge us to live our lives
under the dictates of Judaism. It’s not talking the talk, but it is walking the walk, both
for us and for our rabbis.
The poet Robert Frost, after participating in the inauguration of John F.
Kennedy as the 35th president of the United
States in 1961, presented the president with
a book of his poems in which he wrote: “Be
more Irish than Harvard.” Maybe there is a
message in this that we should modify and
apply to us as Jews.
Shana Tovah!
Correction
In the July-August issue of The Jewish
Georgian, the author’s name was inadvertently omitted from the article titled
“In Israel, two miracles for one
Atlantan.” This article was written by
Bill Sonenshine.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
What’s
HAPPENING
A CALIFORNIA WEDDING. When Sandy
and Jerry Gordon’s son Brandon married
his lovely wife, Leila, a few weeks ago, the
Gordons threw a fabulous rehearsal dinner
at Ortega’s in San Diego. Jerry went all out
on the affair, offering his guests unlimited
chips and dip, Corona beer, and even seconds on guacamole and jalapenos.
Actually, the guests had quite a feast.
Sandy, who knows the South (she’s a native
of Capetown) and prepared the menu, said
the food “absolutely rocked. It was the most
outstanding gourmet Mexican food I have
ever eaten.” Some of the highlights included the margaritas, of course, plus Portobello
mushroom trios, banana-crusted snapper
tacos, and, for dessert, triple chocolate
cheesecake, and blackberry/mango sorbet
with fresh fruit.
The vegan wedding was also a huge
hit, featuring a mixed fruit salad, stuffed
green peppers with Mexican potatoes, a
vegan chocolate cake, and chocolate truffles.
Our muy bien amigo Jerry, a native
Atlantan and founder of Greater Atlanta
Mortgage, said that he picked a Mexican
restaurant because he wanted to honor the
region’s tradition and diversity, offer
authentic local cuisine....and McDonald’s
wouldn’t rent them a private room.
Jerry stole the show that night with a
toast that was full of great lines. He reminded the soon-to-be newlyweds that he
expected them to take care of him in his old
age—“which is already here,” said Jerry,
although the gorgeous Sandy’s is obviously
still a long way off. And Jerry said he was
looking forward to the happy, healthy, and
humane vegan wedding dinner the next
night, “…where nothing had to die because
of the meal—including the guests.”
We don’t think comic Jerry Farber has
to start worrying just quite yet about being
replaced at the Punchline by the other Jerry,
but now we know whom to call on if ever
we need help on a wedding toast. In fact, we
asked J.G. to help us out on our JG column
and told him we’d pay him what he was
worth—but he said he wouldn’t work that
cheap!
Newlyweds
Gordon
Brandon
and
Leila
BY Reg
Regenstein
SANTA FOR SENIORS. The lovely and
delightful Jill Berry is one of our community’s most dedicated members. She spends
much of her time entertaining and helping
our senior citizens, and every year she
throws a big bash in their honor, where
guests bring a gift for a senior. This year’s
event was held at the marvelous TEW
Galleries in Peachtree Hills. Among the
notables in attendance were Jill’s beautiful
daughter, Jade Sykes; Atlanta’s tireless tax
watchdog, John Sherman; photographer
Bobi Dimond; Renaissance woman Ann
Titleman; and Atlanta’s loveliest and nicest
dermatologist, Dr. Susan Hurt.
For a really romantic experience, next
time you’re at TEW Galleries checking out
the lovely art, walk up to the top floor, go
out on the balcony in back, and watch the
trains go by.
Jade Sykes (left), Timothy Tew,
Santa, Jill Berry, and John Sherman
VOLUNTEERING FOR ANIMALS. Some
of our loveliest and most dedicated animal
lovers just returned from the annual conference sponsored by the nation’s largest and
most powerful animal protection group, the
Humane Society of the United States.
Attending the Taking Action for Animals
(TAFA) meeting in Washington were
HSUS’ head volunteer in Atlanta, Debra
Berger, leading a delegation that included
publicist Judy Landey and star volunteer
Andrea Appel.
They are currently gearing up for
HSUS’ big October 17 dinner at the W
Atlanta Midtown Hotel, benefiting HSUS’
End Dogfighting Campaign in Atlanta. For
tickets and sponsorship information, call
301-548-7710. HSUS president Wayne
Pacelle, the nation’s leading advocate for
animals, asked us to please pass on his
thanks to Atlanta, “for providing us with
some of our most devoted and passionate
advocates, who do such valuable work in
the community.”
We should note that these great volunteers are working to fulfill one of Judaism’s
most important mitzvahs, the requirement
to avoid cruelty to other living creatures.
Kindness to animals is even required in the
Ten Commandments, in which we are
instructed to allow our animals a day of rest
on the Sabbath.
If you’d like to get involved in helping
animals, shoot Debby an e-mail at
[email protected], and check out HSUS’
website, HSUS.org.
Debra Berger (from left), Judy
Landey and Andrea Appel, with
HSUS president Wayne Pacelle
MAZEL TOV TO ALYSON AND EMILIE.
Stage, screen, and television star Alyson
Hannigan just had a baby girl, as her proud
momma, Prudential Georgia realtor Emilie
Posner Haas, is telling everybody.
On March 24, Alyson gave birth to
Satyana Marie Denisof. Dad is Alexis
Denisof of Angel fame. Amazingly, Satyana
was born on her mother’s birthday, and
Emilie was born on the birthday of her
mother, Dorothy Mendel Posner.
Native Atlantan Alyson has made it big
in Hollywood, as Willow on “Buffy the
Vampire Slayer” for seven years and, most
recently, starting her fifth season as Lily on
CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” which has
been nominated for an Emmy for best comedy. She also had starring roles in the
American Pie movies, Date Movie, and My
Stepmother Is an Alien.
Emilie said the price Alyson pays for
being famous is that the paparazzi parked
outside her home from dawn to dark, trying
to get a photo of Satyana. (And wasn’t it the
similarly named Santayana who said,
“Those who ignore the past are doomed to
repeat it”?)
As for Emilie, she hasn’t done too bad
herself, marrying our childhood pal and the
smartest guy we grew up with, Jo Jo (now
Dr. Joseph) Haas, probably the nation’s top
urologist and certainly the profession’s best
tennis player.
Best of all, Emilie has just been certified as Prudential’s first Green Realtor. This
designation allows Emilie to help educate
homeowners on how to save a lot of money
maintaining their homes while helping the
environment. A few tips from Emilie are:
use CFL or LED light bulbs, install lowflow showerheads and faucet aerators, plant
trees, insulate water heaters, and install a
programmable thermostat.
Page 3
Green realtor Emilie Posner Haas
TWO GREAT NEW BOOKS. Schocken
Books has just published a couple of very
interesting works that we really enjoyed and
highly recommend.
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s
Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who
Gave Us Modernity, calls the 17th-century
scholar the first modern Jew. In return for
his efforts to reform Jewish society and
bring reason, rationality, and freedom of
thought to bear on Judaism, he was shunned
by his Portuguese-Jewish community
(including his family) in Amsterdam,
excommunicated at the age of twenty-three,
and condemned by the Christian community as well.
Douglas Century’s Barney Ross: The
Life of a Jewish Fighter, tells the story of
Barnet (“Barney”) Rasofsky, who took up
fighting to reunite and support his family
after his father was gunned down in a robbery. He became a world-champion boxer
in three categories. During World War II, he
earned a Silver Star for heroism in the brutal fighting on Guadalcanal. Later, as an ally
of Menachem Begin and his Irgun underground fighters, he championed the creation
of Israel. A fascinating and moving account
of the life of a Jewish hero.
TRADING IN YOUR ARTWORKS.
Gallery owner David Nielsen was featured
in a huge front-page Living and Arts section
spread in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
describing his Peachtree Hills boutique,
The Painting Exchange, where you can
recycle your old art if you are downsizing,
relocating, or just plain ready for a change.
He’ll hang the art in his gallery; when it
sells, he takes a commission, and you get
the rest. He’ll even help you find a replacement for the artworks you sell.
So far, we haven’t been able to persuade David to hang our complete set of
dogs playing poker, but we’re still working
on him.
WE LOVE A BARGAIN. Do you know
what a good feeling it is to buy an old, beatup, wind-up alarm clock—that works—for
25 cents at a yard sale?
BREAKING NEWS. Our column will soon
be going high tech! You’ll be able to receive
news on “What’s Happening,” as it happens. We’re looking into some new deal
called twittering or tweetering, and also
some new stuff called Facebook. We were
gonna start texting our readers, but we hear
that’s now passé. Stay tuned for details.
Page 4
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Two Jewish homes combine facilities
A merger of The William Breman
Jewish Home and The Cohen Home into
one working organization was agreed upon
by unanimous vote on July 31. It is believed
that the combination of these two agencies
will provide greater benefits for the community’s seniors.
Breman Home CEO Harley Tabak says
that by merging the two senior care services, “It will improve the operating efficiency
for both of us as we combine resources.”
Both are non-profit organizations and are
affiliate agencies of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Atlanta. Federation encouraged
the merger because of the economic challenges of operating The Cohen Home.
The original Jewish Home was established in 1951 in a Midtown location. The
second building, now called The Zaban
Tower, was built on Howell Mill Road in
the early 1970s. The current William
Breman facility opened in 1999.
The Cohen Home, which opened in
1979, replaced The Kahn Group Home,
which was originally located in Esther and
Herbert Taylor’s former house and run by
the Atlanta branch of National Council of
Jewish Women. Its new facility was built in
Alpharetta with an endowment from Philip
Cohen.
Susan Schwartz, who was president
during The Cohen Home’s construction,
BY Carolyn
Gold
says this merger “is what is needed at the
present time. The Breman Home will be the
umbrella agency and will take care of the
hiring and firing and the insurance. In the
long run, it is the best thing.”
With the combination of the two facilities, more opportunities are available for
Jewish seniors needing assisted living,
nursing care, and rehabilitation services.
The Cohen Home can serve those elderly
whose families reside in a highly concentrated Jewish area north of the city. Plans
for the new operation include hiring registered nurses and offering outpatient rehab,
which The Breman Jewish Home now
offers.
Both facilities will retain their present
names for at least five years. The Cohen
Home offers an alternative for seniors who
do not qualify for The Zaban Tower
because their incomes exceed $25,000 per
year. The Zaban Tower’s income qualifications are due to a HUD grant, which was
used to refurbish the building.
The community and its seniors benefit from this merger,
because now the perfect place for
loved ones in terms of price, area
of town, and type of services will
be available.
The Breman Home will be
able to operate more efficiently
by utilizing its overhead costs to
manage another facility. The
Cohen Home will benefit with
more financial security and help
from The Breman Home’s large
Auxiliary and other volunteers.
The William Breman Jewish Home
The Cohen Home
It was fun!
Quite a number of years ago, one of the
girls in the office was retiring, and the manager invited several of us to a luncheon to
celebrate the occasion. She was talking
about what she was going to do next, and
several attendees joined in, speculating
about what they would do when they took
that step.
None of this chatter impressed me.
When people would ask me what I planned,
I told them that I loved my business, and I
was never going to retire. And I meant that.
Even years later, when I needed a partner to help with my expanding network, it
BY Marice
Katz
took a long time to find the right person. I
wanted someone to carry on my legacy,
someone with whom my clients could feel
comfortable, if I ever took the unlikely step
of retiring. I told the manager that I guessed
I would just have to stay on the job forever
if I couldn’t find this individual. He thought
that was a good idea, but did not think it
would work. Well, eventually I found the
right person. I occasionally thought about
hanging it up, but not too seriously.
So-oo-ooo, it came as a surprise to me
that, lo and behold, after 46 years with the
same company (though with a number of
name changes), some projects that deeply
interested me appeared at the same time I
had an overwhelming desire to call it a day
and pursue other avenues.
To bring this tale to a happy ending, I
will observe one more Labor Day and retire
on October 1. It will be a major transition,
but I tell people in the office that when I
turn over for another snooze on a cold
January day with three feet of snow on the
ground (hmmm….OK, maybe 2 feet), I will
cry for them plowing through it all.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
GOODFRIEND
From page 1
Ahavath Achim.
A highlight of Goodfriend’s career for
those who loved and appreciated his singing
was when he was invited to sing the
National Anthem in Washington, D.C., at
President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration.
While he amassed many honors during
his tenure at AA, he was most devoted to
Holocaust issues. In 1979, President
Carter appointed him to the President’s
Commission on the Holocaust, and he
was a charter member of the United States
Holocaust Memorial Council. His voice
was often heard speaking, helping young
people understand the horrors of that dark
period in Jewish history.
As one mourner said, “A whole world
dies a second time when a survivor dies.”
With Cantor Goodfriend’s passing, a light
has gone out on a way of life that few living today experienced, but that many felt
through his words and his music.
Rabbi Arnold Goodman said, “There
was nobody who could memorialize the
Holocaust like he did. When he did El
Melach Rachamim, it sent chills down my
spine. He lived through it, and when he
sang that, it had a power.”
Some 400 people attended a memorial service for Cantor Goodfriend at
Congregation Ariel on Monday, August
11, before he was escorted to Israel by his
sons for burial in Eretz Hachaim
Cemetery in Beit Shemesh, between
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Speakers included the congregation’s rabbi, Binyomin
Friedman, and Goodfriend’s two surviving sons, Perry and Enoch.
Perry reminisced about his childhood, sitting on his father’s lap after
Shabbat dinner, and remarked about the
role of a cantor. “In my mind, a rabbi is
the person who brings the word of G-d to
the people. The cantor is the one who is
the voice of the people before G-d. For
Dad, when he sang, he was praying for all
of us, but it was hard not to feel G-d in his
voice.” Enoch Goodfriend began and
ended his talk with Yiddish songs dear to
his father.
Cantor Goodfriend singing
Rabbi Friedman spoke glowingly of
the man he knew as a friend as well as a
congregant. He shared stories of “little
Isaac” back in Poland, keeping watch at
the door lest anyone hear the choir practicing the new song the rabbi had composed for that year’s High Holy Days. It
wasn’t long, he said, before Goodfriend
became a member of the choir instead of
a lookout. Friedman ended the service
with the traditional prayer El Melach
Rachamim but sang it to the tune of Oif’n
Pripitchik.
Tributes poured in from those who
knew, loved, and had worked with
Goodfriend. From Jerusalem, Arnold
Goodman, who had served with
Goodfriend at AA, said, “He had this winning smile and extraordinary social skills.
When he came to Atlanta, Rabbi Epstein
had been the rabbi. Rabbi Epstein told me
later, ‘Isaac had been here one week and
knew more people than I did.’ He had
another great quality. Sometimes people
were doing something small, and you just
sort of brushed it off. But it becomes part
of the world. You never know what you
were going to be judged by. That’s how he
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lived his life. He lived what he believed.
“He was in the tradition of great cantors—we don’t have them anymore. He
was the sort who could best be described
by saying when he did Kiddush, by the
time he tasted the wine, you felt like you
were tasting it as well.”
AA’s current rabbi, Neil Sandler,
said, “Cantor Goodfriend, of blessed
Page 5
memory, was short in height, but tall in
stature. The members of Ahavath Achim
Synagogue will remember the man on the
pulpit who lifted up their souls and transported them into G-d’s realm. But even
more, perhaps, they will celebrate the
memory of a man who shared their most
intimate and transformative life moments,
helping them to shep nachas in joyous
times and to be comforted at most difficult times. Always joined by his beautiful
wife, Betty, of blessed memory, I will
remember the gleam in the cantor’s eye, a
gentle spark that reflected the life of a
man who was sweet and kind. Cantor
Goodfriend combined Torah knowledge
with menschlichkiet in a special way.”
When told of Goodfriend’s passing,
Rabbi Stephen Weiss, who had served the
AA in past years, commented, “I am so
sad to hear this news. Cantor Goodfriend
was one of the greatest, most talented
chazzanim of his generation. I remember
so fondly his deep baritone voice, powerful, mellifluous and soulful, and his beautiful and often intricate interpretations of
Chazzanut pieces. More than that, Isaac
was a true baal torah and a mensch with a
very caring and compassionate soul. I will
miss him.”
Cantor Goodfriend was buried in
Israel on Tuesday, August 12. Among
those Atlantans present for the service
were Rabbi Arnold and Rae Goodman,
Jonathan
Draluck,
and
Jonathan
Blumenthal.
Page 6
BOOK FESTIVAL
From page 1
Daughters, and she’ll be there to explain
how and why she did it and to provide
insights into the world of medieval France,
which she brings so sharply into focus with
her witty and educational words.
Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry, of
“L.A. Law,” and Susie Essman, of “Curb
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Norman Podhoretz will answer the
question we’re all asking in this post-election year: Why are Jews liberal?
Anita Diamant will leave her Red Tent at
home this time, while she delivers the Stern
Family Lecture on her newest work, Day
After Night. She’s a highlight of the Book
Club offerings, in which the MJCCA is
inviting book clubs to preorder books at a
discount and get the chance for free tickets,
special signing and seating options, and private meetings with authors. Visit atlantajcc.org/bookfestival for details about
Diamant, along with appearances by
Maggie Anton, Francine Prose on Anne
Frank, Peter Manseau (Songs for the
Butcher’s Daughter), Sara Houghteling
(Pictures at an Exhibition), and Jeffrey
Zaslow (The Girls from Ames: A Story of
Women and a Forty-Year Friendship).
There will be a night of music with
author David Lehman and local cantors
singing selections by Irving Berlin. The
center’s popular children’s program, The PJ
Library Get Caught Storytelling Festival,
will be back, and there will be a screening
of the award-winning documentary The
Rape of Europa. Attendees will hear from
FOX News Correspondent Dan Senor, and
early birds can attend a Books for Breakfast
event. A Night of Laughs features Carol
Leifer, the inspiration for Seinfeld’s Elaine
character.
Rabbi
Joshua
Lesser, of Congregation
Bet
Haverim,
has
penned Torah Queeries:
Weekly Commentaries
on the Hebrew Bible.
Jacqueline Greene, who
created the first Jewish
character,
Rebecca
Rubin, for the American Jacqueline
Girl series of dolls and
Greene
from Talmud study. After
all, she discovered,
Rashi, the great medieval
commentator, had three
daughters and no sons.
Tradition says his daughters studied, wore tefillin,
and even helped their
father with his scholarly
work. So why are women
Maggie Anton
today kept from this
important aspect of
Jewish study? Who were these women? What
were their lives like? What did they really do
and think?
Anton was curious, and she began to look
for answers. There aren’t many, but out of her
study grew a trilogy of novels based on
Rashi’s life and works, focusing on the world
of 11th-century France as seen through the
eyes of Joheved, Miriam, and Rachel, Rashi’s
daughters.
Thanks to Anton, we have a wealth of
images now, letting us see how life was lived,
how religion was practiced, how religious law
and superstition were inextricably entwined in
the lives of people, and how politics affected
people’s lives. Her books are as laden with
knowledge as any scholarly tome, but the richly woven fictional plots (based on what Anton
could find out or deduce, but not pretending to
be “pure” biography) make reading the stories
like eating an ice cream sundae—rich, delicious, and with enough substance to satisfy.
If you haven’t read books I and II, do so.
You can read Rachel on its own, but the experience will be far better with the platform of
the first two in place. But, whatever you do,
read them all before November 11, the date
Anton is scheduled to speak at the Book
Festival of the MJCCA. In fact, if you’re in a
book club, this would be an exciting fall
choice. It’s readable, it’s easy to digest and
discuss, and you can order the books at a discount and possibly even get a chance for a session with Anton during her visit here. Having
done that in the past, I can tell you she’s not to
be missed. Maggie Anton is a veritable treasure trove of historical information, and she
delights in sharing it.
So, what’s this book all about? Rachel is
Rashi’s youngest and prettiest daughter. She
shares her sisters’ love of Torah, but she combines it with a sharp business sense that leads
her into the world of commerce. In addition to
using the book to teach Talmud to the readers
through the sisters’ discussions and study sessions, Anton introduces us to other medieval
studies—astronomy among others—through
the travels of Rachel’s husband. And we learn,
with horror, some of the details of the early
Crusades, as we see their impact on the Jewish
communities of France and Germany. It’s better than a history text, because you want to
keep turning the pages, to find out what’s
going to happen next to Rashi, his daughters
and their families, their neighbors, and the residents of the surrounding areas.
We learn about birth and death, homosexuality, wine making, nobility, martyrdom,
mikvah practices, relations between husbands
and wives, mourning and celebratory traditions, and much, much more. Mostly, we learn
that Anton is a gifted scholar and storyteller,
who leaves us wanting more. I almost didn’t
want to finish the book, wondering what I’d
Bruce
Feiler,
who
trekked
across Israel, has
a lot to say about
Moses as he
delivers his talk
on
America’s
Prophet: Moses
and
the
American Story,
at the Esther
L e v i n e
Community
Read event.
Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker
Your Enthusiasm,” will talk about their
experiences, and only the truly clueless will
have trouble identifying Alicia Silverstone,
who has a brand-new book about her vegan,
environmentalist lifestyle.
Jeffrey Zaslow, a.k.a. Ann Landers, is
not to be missed. Neither is A. J. Jacobs,
who invited us to follow in his footsteps as
he spent a year living biblically. He’s back
now with The Guinea Pig Diaries. And
Rashi’s Daughters Book III: Rachel
Maggie Anton
2009
A Plume Book, Penguin Group
448 pages, $15 paperback
www.penguin.com
Reviewed by Suzi Brozman
Several years ago, after her children were
grown, Maggie Anton was studying Talmud in
a women’s study group. As she read Rashi’s
commentaries on the ancient texts, she began
to wonder why women were discouraged
Annie Liebovitz and Esther Levine
books,
will
make an appearance.
This is just
a sample of the
many offerings
available from
November 1022. Most events
will be at the
MJCCA on Tilly
Mill Road in
Dunwoody;
check the website for exact times and locations. In the spirit of social networking,
information is also available on Facebook,
through Twitter, and, coming soon, a book
blog featuring book reviews, author interviews, and news about the festival. Again,
visit atlantajcc.org/bookfestival, for information.
For those who treasure books and literacy, attending may not be enough. Consider
becoming a patron of the Book Festival and
help the MJCCA continue telling its story
of Jewish literacy for the entire community.
The Book Festival comes just once a
year, so mark your calendar now. You can
even purchase advance tickets so you won’t
be disappointed (as were those who waited
too late to buy tickets to the recent Gene
Wilder talk). Buy online, or call 678-8123694 for more information.
do when there was no more to read. My decision? I’ll start again with Book I. Now that
I’ve got a better idea of the cultural world they
inhabited, the characters are coming even
more alive the second time around.
Now, about women learning. In an interview after the publication of Book I, Anton
was asked why Talmud study was forbidden
for women. She replied, “In Deuteronomy,
Jews are commanded to teach Torah to
bnaichem, a word that even the Orthodox
translate as ‘your children.’ But the early rabbis used its literal meaning, ‘your sons,’ and
decided that only men were obligated to study
Torah. The Talmud sage Rav Eliezer took this
exemption of women one step further and
declared that ‘he who teaches his daughter
Torah, teaches her lechery.’” Anton continued:
“All societies, Jews included, disapprove of
those who don’t follow their norms. Women
who wanted to study Talmud were seen as
lacking in proper feminine attributes, and
because women were thought to be lightheaded, incapable of serious study, those who
tried to study Talmud would only learn to be
crafty and devious. Then, as now, since a man
typically preferred to believe that he was more
intelligent than his wife, the learned woman
was left with a limited choice of potential husbands.” (from the Jewish Book Council)
—————
Note: Since reading Rashi’s Daughters, I have
begun a path of Talmud study myself. I find it
infinitely rewarding, if often confusing. I
encourage other women to take up the challenge of Jewish studies, at any level, as
Rashi’s daughters did.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Two judges defend the rights of
Jewish Mock Trial competitors
The Anti-Defamation League has presented its Unsung Hero Award to Fulton County
Superior Court Judge Doris L. Downs and Fulton County State Court Judge Diane E.
Bessen, for their roles in defending the right of a Jewish high school team to compete fully
in the National High School Mock Trial Competition, held in Atlanta in May.
The National High School Mock Trial Association had refused the request of the team
from Maimonides High School in Massachusetts to change the trial schedule, which called
for them to participate on the Sabbath.
ADL Southeast Regional Board Chair Liz Price (left), the Honorable Doris L.
Downs, and the Honorable Diane E. Bessen
When Judge Downs learned of the association’s refusal to accommodate the students,
she told the organizing officials that, in her role as chief judge of the court, she would not
allow her courtrooms to be used for the competition. Her unilateral action forced the association to rearrange the trial schedule so that Maimonides could compete on equal footing
with all the other teams.
Judge Bessen, who had agreed to be a judge of the competition, publicly withdrew
from that role in protest over the association’s original refusal to make an accommodation.
Both judges received the Unsung Hero Award, which honors those who uphold the
ADL’s mission of promoting justice and fair treatment for all, at the ADL Southeast
Regional Board of Directors meeting.
The award was presented by ADL Regional Board Chair Liz Price, a partner in the
firm of Alston & Bird, who noted that the actions of both judges reflected their sense of
fairness, appreciation for justice, and ability to be decisive. “When thoughtful and justminded people come together and speak out against intolerance and unfairness, they can
make a real difference,” she said. Quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Price said,
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Page 7
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 8
Ed Jackel is too busy to get old
Edward (Ed) Jackel is “Mr. Versatility.”
He has done it all—national champion handball player, writer, college basketball coach,
Southeastern Conference basketball official,
athletic director, teacher, U. S. Army rifleman during World War II, lecturer, dancer,
and highly successful life insurance salesman.
Now age 92 and looking 20 years longevity. If that is so, Jackel should live to
younger, Ed is retired and living at the be 100 or more.
Jackel was born in New York City and
Atlanta Jewish Tower.
grew up on the Lower East
Although he no longer
Side. At 5’ 2”, 120 lbs., he
competes in tournaments,
was too light to play foothe works out seven days a
ball and too short to play
week and walks faster than
basketball. But he picked up
most people run.
a handball, and that was the
A fierce competitor, he
start of an addiction.
won more than 20 handball
After high school, he was
tournaments, including the
headed for New York
8 0 - y e a r- o l d - a n d - o v e r
University, but that was put
national championship. In
on hold until after he served
addition to his wins, he
his country during World
reached the finals eight
War II. He was a rifleman
other times, and he has the
during the Normandy landtrophies to prove it.
ing and was medically evacHe has written more
uated 10 days before the
handball articles than he
Battle of the Bulge. Back in
can remember (at least
the States, he went to NYU,
100), his favorite being a
where he earned a bachefeature article in The New
Ed Jackel
lor’s degree in physical
York Times.
education and a master’s in
He is best known for the eight years he
health
education.
served as athletic director at the old Atlanta
Ed married the former Ethel Tobel.
Jewish Community Center. His assistant and
Ethel
and Ed were married for 54 years, until
eventual successor was the genial and capaher death at age 73. Their children are sons
ble Howard Frushtick.
I believe that activity is the key to Martin and Dana and daughter Roberta.
BY Gene
Asher
How the West was won
4455 Roswell Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30342
404-255-4312
www.presstine.com
We were all 19 that winter, juniors at
the University of Georgia. The girls were
afraid to reach 20; it seemed so old. The
boys were afraid they might never reach 20;
it seemed so young—too young to die in a
war that hadn’t made the history books yet.
They had all received their draft notices and
knew that they might be in uniform before
Georgia could beat Tech one more time. We
had won the Orange Bowl the year before,
and we were headed for the Rose Bowl.
The team went to California by train—
planes were strictly for the air corps. But
nothing could have topped the glamour of
the Pullman ride cross-country, with the
dining cars still superbly staffed and food
far above average nestled under those
heavy silver domes.
The journey was a few hours removed
from “wagon train,” but it took at least four
days to go to Pasadena. By the time the
Bulldogs disembarked, the folks back home
had gotten several morning and evening
editions, complete with pictures of our
champions offside, holding, clipping, and
exhibiting unnecessary roughness—and the
game hadn’t even started! Just kidding, but
when a group of lovely movie stars met the
train, there was a handkerchief on the play.
One of the quarterbacks had let it be
known that he particularly wanted to meet
Betty Grable, and Hollywood, not being
BY Shirley
Friedman
exactly publicity-shy, made sure it happened.
The players knew their rules about curfew, diet, practice, and all of the other
restrictions of their healthy routine, the
beckoning excitement of tinseltown to the
contrary notwithstanding. Only they know
if they played by the rules. Somehow, I
think they did, because they did so on the
field. Victory was sweet. It was VR Day.
Little did they know then what sacrifices
would be made for VE and VJ days. It was
a different ball game.
Names don’t come easy for me these
days, but I remember those boys—they
were boys—by heart: Frank Sinkwich, Van
Davis, Gene Ellenson, George Poschner,
Leo Costa, Harry Kuniansky, Lamar Davis,
Charley Trippi, Big Bill Godwin, Walter
Rvark, Clyde Ehrhardt. I guess that’s about
it, sports fans, from someone who knew no
more about football than Prissy did about
birthing babies.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 9
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 10
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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 11
Page 12
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Join Us for an Evening of
Honoring JELF’s Past and
Celebrating JELF’s Present
Sunday November 1, 2009
Ahavath Achim Synagogue
Cocktail Reception 5:30 p.m.
Program and Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Questions: Contact Lara Dorfman
at [email protected] or 770-396-3080
The Jewish Educational Loan fund (JELF) partners with
Jewish students in a 5-state region (GA, NC, SC, VA, FL)
to fulfill their potential by providing last dollar,
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Jewish
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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 13
The Temple makes list of 25 vibrant congregations
Last April, Newsweek released a fascinating list, ranking our nation’s 25 most vibrant
congregations. Among the criteria considered
were social and community engagement,
growth of membership, outreach to young people, diversity of programming, and success of
the rabbi, to name a few. And when the dust settled and all details had been considered, The
Temple, Atlanta’s oldest and the South’s largest
Reform synagogue, found its name among the
honored few. With just a little knowledge of the
synagogue’s many endeavors, it’s easy to
understand why The Temple is held in such
high esteem.
The Temple
Photography)
(photo:
Kelly
Holtz
As alluded to above, one of Newsweek’s
major criteria in ranking vibrant congregations
was social and community engagement. This,
of course, comes as no surprise, as the concept
of tzedakah is among the principles held most
dear in Jewish faith. And, as Rabbi Peter Berg,
The Temple’s senior rabbi, explains, interaction
with community is at the very core of The
Temple mission.
Martin Luther King Shabbat
“Historically, The Temple has seen its role
as reaching out to the greater community. A
synagogue has windows, and they are designed
not just to look pretty but also to force us to
look out at the world beyond us. So our responsibility is to make our community and world a
Congregants bring food for the High
Holiday food drive
BY Scott
Janovitz
better place. We care deeply about issues that
are particular to the Jewish people, such as
Israel, and we care deeply about issues that
affect the world and community, such as the situation in Darfur and feeding the hungry locally.”
And Rabbi Berg’s philosophical connection to the community is hardly just talk. The
Temple is highly active in communities around
Atlanta in various ways. Through the Zaban
Couples Center, The Temple and its congregants assist couples transitioning from homelessness to resettlement and independence by
providing shelter, basic necessities, and counseling services. The facility was started by
Rabbi Alvin Sugarman, The Temple’s former
senior rabbi, and is staffed and driven by many
of the synagogue’s congregants. The Temple
also plays a significant role in the Genesis
Center, which works to help reorient homeless
mothers, their newborns, and the family unit to
everyday life and their communities.
Not surprisingly, even in a struggling
economy, The Temple’s many unique opportunities for locals of the Jewish faith has its membership on a constant rise. A selective partnership with Synagogue 3000—a national organization dedicated to the re-envisioning of synagogue life—will provide The Temple with the
resources to rethink outreach for singles and
couples in their 20s and 30s. And The Temple
Early Learning Center (TELC), which is
regarded as one of the top preschools in the
city, is attracting more and more families with
every passing year. There is a full-time youth
director, as well as a youth program, the
Midtown Atlanta Federation of Temple Youth
(MAFTY).
“We offer Synaplex, which is a national
program that allows us to have six dynamic,
multi-generational programs each year on
Shabbat,” adds Rabbi Berg. “Synaplex is about
multiple activities (study, worship, community
building) happening concurrently. It’s based on
the idea that movie theaters can have something like ten great movies playing at once....
We deliberately provide multiple, exciting programs, all taking place at the same time.”
The Temple is also the only congregation
in Atlanta to participate in Live from NY’s
92nd Street Y, a program in which the 92nd
Street Y brings in renowned speakers such as
Jerry Seinfeld or Rabbi Joseph Telushkin and
does an interactive satellite broadcast to locations throughout the country. The program
includes a live Q&A with audience members at
the participating institutions.
Yet, despite all The Temple’s great programs and opportunities, and the resulting
honor from Newsweek, notions such as membership growth or outreach to young people
should not necessarily be the gauges used to
measure its success.
“We didn’t even know about the
Newsweek honor until somebody called us,”
Rabbi Berg admitted. “We don’t measure our
success by our numbers at The Temple—we
measure success by the manner in which we
connect our members to each other and to our
God—one person, one family at a time. Our
goal is to help each individual and each family
connect to the core values of Reform Judaism:
worship, study, and social justice.... If I had to
pick only one criterion for success, it would be
one that is not even measured by the
Newsweek article: A sense of warmth and community. This warm feeling is due, in large part,
to the wonderful and personal relationship
between our lay leadership, our clergy, our
staff, and our members.”
inspire—and inspired congregants are the ones
most responsible for successful worship.
“Our congregation should take pride in all
of the accolades, because it’s our congregants
who make our lofty vision a reality,” says
Rabbi Berg. “They’re the ones who come to
study, who come to worship. We (the clergy)
shape the vision, but we do so in partnership
with our members, who inspire us at every
level.... There’s rarely an event at The Temple
that doesn’t have a full house. I feel truly
blessed to serve this congregation; our members are engaged, they’re involved, they love
being here.
A Shabbat celebration on The Temple
front lawn
Building our Sukkah
In this arena, too, The Temple excels. And,
most importantly, Rabbi Berg understands that
his successful interaction with congregants can
“I think, for a huge percentage of our
membership, The Temple is their second home,
a home that inspires lifelong Jewish learning
and living,” says Berg. “If we can continue to
create that atmosphere, I think we will have
succeeded.”
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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 14
Continued from the July-August issue
A personal memoir, part 2:
In addition to more drastic measures of
immigrant absorption, German Jewish communities throughout America established
institutions to help Russian Jews become
Americans in every respect, as quickly as
possible. Among these efforts were the
Jewish Educational Alliances. These institutions educated Russian Jews in language,
trades, culture, manners, citizenship, and
even the sports considered to be representative of America. The Jewish Education
Alliance (JEA) and kindred organizations
served not only Russian Jews, but their
descendents, too.
The German Jews did not feel the need
for “Americanization” activities. They had
established their own exclusive private clubs,
partly because few of them were permitted to
even enter the prestigious non-Jewish clubs,
such as the New York Athletic Association or,
in Atlanta, the Piedmont Driving Club—
hence, the Concordia Club, the Harmony
Club, and others, in New York, and the
Standard Club, in Atlanta, established primarily by and for wealthy German Jews.
In the Atlanta of the 1920s, the JEA had
an absentee board, made up primarily of the
German Jews who lived on the North side of
town and contributed to its budget, but it
served exclusively Russian Jews, who lived
on the South side.
Since mass immigration had practically
ceased with World War I, the JEA in my time
served few immigrants. Hence, it had few
English classes, sewing classes, citizenship
courses, and the like. Indeed, it was almost
Alliance days
By David Macarov
exclusively a youth and young adult facility.
For us, the young teenagers, it was our community center, YMHA, town hall,
Chautauqua
Association,
Astrodome,
Roseland, and stomping grounds.
Our Sunday afternoons and evenings
were spent there, and our scout troop—Troop
57, which was all Jewish, of course—met
there on Thursday nights. The lobby of the
JEA was where boys met girls; gossip got
started and passed on; feuds began and sometimes ended; and coalitions were formed, dissolved, and reformed.
The central column in the lobby, surrounded by a round bench, was the judgment
seat, where the boys sat and commented to
one another about the girls who walked by.
Girls had to know how to enter the front door
and pass the appraising eyes with neither
embarrassment nor hauteur as they went to
their club meetings.
I remember sitting on the central bench
with someone who was a few years older than
I was, when he said, “I’m going to show you
how to make a hit with girls.”
To the next girl who came in the door, he
said a few words, and then added, “Haven’t
you lost some weight lately?”
She beamed, twirled, and, with obvious
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delight, asked, “Can you really tell?”
“You see,” he said to me, “it works every
time.”
Well, I decided I would try it. To the next
girl I knew who came in, I also said a few
words, then added, “You sure are getting
awfully skinny.”
“That’s what you think!” she replied
angrily, as she flounced away.
My friend looked at me sadly and said,
“That’s not exactly the same thing.”
There was a gymnasium, used mainly for
basketball, in a separate structure behind the
main JEA building on Capitol Avenue. This
was a cavernous wood-frame building, with
bleachers on one side and no heat. (Air-conditioning was still a device of the future.). A
favorite strategy of younger boys was to pretend to search under the tiered seats for something they had dropped, so they could try to
look up the skirts of the girls sitting above
them.
The spectators wore coats in the wintertime, and sometimes the steam from their
breath obscured the shivering ball-players,
who had to depend on exercise to warm themselves up. After a game, the players had to
dash outdoors to get to the showers and the
locker rooms, which were in the main build-
ing. Perhaps the good showing of many
Jewish Atlanta basketball teams stemmed
from their need to keep moving in order to
stay warm.
Next to the gym, in a converted house,
was a health and dental clinic. Donated by a
philanthropist, it was known as the Morris
Hirsch Free Clinic. Although the fact was not
publicized, or even well-known, the clinic
served the needy regardless of race or religion. This, to me, was the epitome of Jewish
values. (However, as was the practice of the
time, there were separate dental chairs, instruments, and hours for African Americans.)
The JEA was closed on Friday nights and
Saturdays. That went without saying.
Occasionally, a radical voice would call for
the building to be open on Shabbat, after shul,
in order to provide wholesome activities for
otherwise idle children. However, this proposal was never taken seriously. On the other
hand, I can’t remember doing anything
unwholesome on Saturday afternoons—or
even in the mornings.
When we became old enough to make
our own decisions (or fight our parents’ decisions—or ignore them), we went to the
movies on Saturday afternoons. Before that,
we did what all kids did—played in vacant
lots, explored half-finished buildings (including the new Shearith Israel synagogue building), or hung around the drugstore. I’m not
sure the JEA would have offered anything
more interesting than that, but, on the other
hand, what we were doing was at least as
Shabbat-breaking as opening the JEA would
have been.
Fort Benning adds support
services for Jewish trainees
After a series of consultations with the
Anti-Defamation League over the mistreatment of a Jewish trainee at Fort Benning
last fall, the United States Army has now
taken steps to improve support services for
Jewish trainees on the base.
The Army has assigned a fulltime
Jewish chaplain to Fort Benning, begun a
Friday night worship service on base for
Jewish families, started offering kosher
meals for incoming trainees, and is making
plans for on-base High Holiday services.
“We are pleased that the Army has
taken steps that promise to make Ft.
Benning a more welcoming place for
Jewish trainees,” said Bill Nigut, southeast
regional director of the ADL. “We’re
encouraged that the Army seems to understand that it has a role to play in supporting
religious diversity on the base.”
The changes come in the aftermath of
an incident last October, when Michael
Handman, a Jewish trainee, reported that he
had been subjected to verbal harassment by
two drill instructors, who demanded he
remove his yarmulke in the dining hall. In a
separate incident, Handman was assaulted
by another trainee. As a result of
Handman’s complaints, the ADL entered
into a series of conversations with Army
officials and successfully persuaded them
to move Handman to a safe location on the
base and to take action against the men who
had targeted him for abusive treatment.
The trainee who hit Handman was dismissed from the Army, and the two drill
sergeants were disciplined and forced to
take a religious diversity training course.
In discussions with the Army, Nigut
asked base officials to reevaluate the general climate of support for Jewish personnel
at Ft. Benning.
At the time of the incidents, the base
did not have a fulltime Jewish chaplain. It
announced recently that Major Carlos
Huerta will become Ft. Benning’s on-base
rabbi.
Until now, Jewish trainees and other
personnel had to arrange passes and transportation to attend services in Columbus,
Georgia. Now, weekly and High Holiday
services will be offered on the base. In
addition, the Army had never before offered
kosher meals at Ft. Benning.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
with special needs, expanding inclusion
possibilities for children, creating a havurah
for teens with similar interests, and fostering careers in Jewish special education. For
more
information,
contact
Linda
Zimmerman
at
[email protected] or 404-9619966.
Amit news
PARTY DOWN. Join Amit for the 3rd
annual AMITzvah Party, which takes place
Saturday, November 14, at the home of
Julie and Gary Blase. The party begins with
cocktails, 8:30-9:30 p.m., and continues
until 12:30 a.m. The evening features a DJ,
dancing, open bar, entertainment, and
dessert, and all of this food and fun benefits
the Amit program. Tickets are $65/patron,
$125/VIP, and under 30/$40. Register and
purchase tickets at www.amitatlanta.org.
For more information, call 404-961-9966.
TEENS, AMIT NEEDS YOU! The Amit
Program is offering a learning opportunity
for teenage madrichim, who will be
assigned to work at congregational schools
with children who have special needs.
The Inclusion Madrichim training program is a 3-part seminar that will teach
teens about special needs, Jewish views
regarding disabilities, and instructional
Page 15
Teens train to make a difference
strategies for the classroom. The participants will have the opportunity to meet and
learn alongside other young people in the
community who share their desire to continue their Jewish education through helping others. Amit staff will be available by
phone, e-mail, and occasional site visits for
consultation throughout the year. In addition, a listserv will be created for the participants to share with one another their ideas
and success stories.
The program is an outreach to teens
who may or may not be connected to a congregation or other Jewish programming and
who have an interest in making a difference
in the life of a child. Among its many goals
are preparing teens to work with children
NOW HEAR THIS. Amit is presenting the
Early Childhood Speakers Series for parents of preschool-aged children and the
Taylor Family Speaker Series, featuring
professionals in the community who
address a variety of topics of interest to
families of children with special needs. The
first program in the Early Childhood Series,
“Creating Positive Changes in your Child
with Behavior Modification,” with Lisbeth
Krawiecki, LCSW/ACSW, is September
15, 7:00 p.m., at the Amit offices. The first
program in the Taylor series is “Nutrition
and Its Impact on Learning and Behavior,”
with health planner and nutritionist Kelly
Dorfman, M.S., L.N.D., a well-known
international speaker; this program takes
place September 11, time and location
TBD. Visit www.amitatlanta.org for more
information.
AMIT’S PLAY PLACE is a six-week,
after-school program to enhance communication, social skills, and sensory awareness
for children 2-5 years. For additional information, contact Debbie Berman at 404-9619966 or [email protected].
Jared Jay participates in Play Place
Atlanta’s Intown Reform Synagogue
Selichot
Saturday, September 12 • 8:00 p.m.
Preparing for Awe
When Bad Things Happen to Good People:
A Conversation
Reflections by Rabbis Alvin Sugarman,
Peter Berg & Don Berlin
Followed by dessert buffet & worship service
✡
Judaism 101: Introduction to Judaism
Taught by our rabbis,
this 18-week class beginning on
October 5 is an overview of Jewish living.
Topics include: holidays, history, God
and other themes of basic Judaism
City of Atlanta Mayoral Forum
Wednesday, October 7 • 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Candidates participating:
Lisa Borders, Mary Norwood,
Kasim Reed, Jesse Spikes, Glenn Thomas
Moderator, David Lewis
Sukkot Synaplex Spectacular
Friday, October 2, 2009
Featuring
Craig Taubman & his band
L’shanah Tovah
Tikatevu
The Temple wishes
our Community
a Happy and Healthy New Year
Members of our community are
welcome for High Holy Day services
in our guest seating area.
Check our website for service times
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 • 8:15 p.m.
Rabbi Harold Kushner
Conquering Fear:
Living Boldly in an Uncertain World
Monday, October 26, 2009 • 8:00 p.m.
Michael B. Oren and Yossi Klein Halevi
A conversation about the world’s obsession
with Israel and the tempestuous politics
of the Middle East
Thursday, October 29 • 8:00 p.m.
The Dershowitz Debates
Alan Dershowitz vs. Dennis Prager:
The Left, the Right and Judaism in America
For Reservations & Costs Call 404-873-1731
Join
Our
Family
1589 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-873-1731
www.the-temple.org
Page 16
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
JELF assists 126 Jewish students
in the 2009-10 academic year
The Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF) has awarded more than $450,000 in interest-free loans to 126 Jewish students throughout the Southeast for the 2009-10 academic
year. JELF received a record number of applications this year. In the Greater Atlanta area,
JELF loaned $111,000.
“The economy has certainly impacted the need in our communities,” says Loan
Review Co-Chair Jerry Riemer. Co-Chair Kathe Brown adds, “In the greatest time of need,
JELF is proud to be here for Jewish students in the Southeast who may not be able to pursue higher education without JELF’s assistance.”
While JELF currently administers approximately $2.9 million in outstanding loans, it
has maintained its impressive 98 percent repayment rate. As students repay their loans,
JELF uses those payments to make new loans, creating a circle of tzedakah. Applications
for the 2010-11 academic year will be available on JELF’s website at www.jelf.org in
February 2010.
Before JELF’s interest-free loans are awarded, students must demonstrate that they
have sought funding through other sources, including loans, scholarships, and grants, and
have come up short in meeting their needs. Students also must maintain a minimum gradepoint average to continue to receive loan proceeds.
JELF, a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, grants interest-free loans to Jewish
students from communities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and
Virginia for post-secondary study at accredited institutions. JELF loans are “last dollar,”
meaning they supply the final funds that a student needs to attend school. These loans can
be used for study at a college or university, graduate school, or professional/vocational
school that leads to a degree or certificate.
For additional information, contact JELF Executive Director Lara Dorfman at 770396-3080 or visit www.jelf.org.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 17
Seniors learn about Atlanta BeltLine
Many of the seniors who gathered at
Congregation Shearith Israel in late July did
not know what the BeltLine was all about.
But Ethan Davidson, the BeltLine’s communications director, provided an excellent
briefing, explaining that it is a transformative project that will shape the way Atlanta
will mature. The BeltLine will eventually
include parks, trails, transit, and new development along a 22-mile loop of historic rail
lines that encircle the city.
The BeltLine was the brainchild of
Georgia Tech graduate student Ryan
Gravel, who, in 1999, as part of his graduate thesis, proposed the building of a new
transit system using mostly abandoned rail
corridors. Two years later, he teamed up
with Cathy Woolard and formed Friends of
the BeltLine to build grassroots support.
Support from Mayor Shirley Franklin
resulted in the creation the BeltLine
Partnership, which raises funds from within
the private sector and among citizens, educates people about the BeltLine, and deals
with social concerns and issues in the areas
affected by the BeltLine. The BeltLine
gained the endorsement and support of the
Atlanta City Council and many government
departments. It also received some federal
funds.
Davidson said that the many aspects of
the BeltLine would come together like a
giant jigsaw puzzle, but it would take an
estimated 25 years to complete the entire
project. He commended the CSI seniors for
their interest and said that although many
would not live to see the completion of the
BeltLine, they could take satisfaction in
knowing that younger generations of today
and generations to come would be its beneficiaries.
Our guide for the tour was Heather
Hussey-Coker, a research associate with the
BeltLine who completed her master’s
degree in urban planning at Georgia Tech.
She has been conducting her informative
BeltLine tours for the past two years. The
seniors were positively amazed by her
knowledge of all aspects of the program,
the neighborhoods to be served, and the
problems to overcome. Most agreed that
they had rarely encountered such a knowledgeable young person. She held their
attention for the entire three-hour tour.
Guide Heather Hussey-Coker and
tour bus driver Bobby Zamev
BY Leon
Socol
While the seniors were impressed with
Heather, she was equally impressed with
them. She learned that many of the seniors
had grown up and lived in some of the
neighborhoods that will be positively
impacted by the BeltLine. Fay Tenenbaum
operated a grocery store for 60 years in the
Pittsburgh area and told how it acquired its
name: The residents were so poor that the
district was known as Pit, but it was given
the name Pittsburgh to make it sound
respectable. Frieda Socol noticed that
Brown High School, which both her older
brothers attended, was now a middle
school. She recalled playing as a child in
Mozley Park. The area was home to many
of the Jewish grocers and their families
through the late 1940s. Heather said that, of
all the groups for whom she has conducted
tours, this one was probably the most
knowledgeable about the areas to be served
by the BeltLine.
250-foot deep, abandoned stone quarry in
Northwest Atlanta that covers 130 acres. It
was acquired by the Department of
Watershed Management with the intention
of using it as a holding lake for water taken
from the Chattahoochee River. It will hold
2.4 billion gallons of water when full, providing Atlanta with a 30-day water supply.
A pumping system and pipeline will be
installed to supply water to Atlanta’s
Bishop Street water purification plant. The
quarry and an additional 170 acres will constitute the multiple-use Bellwood Reservoir
and Park.
Bellwood Quarry
The modern light-rail system will fit
right in with existing communities and not
require extensive construction or home
demolition. The electric-powered trains
will link into MARTA and other regional
systems.
When all is said and done, the residents
of the BeltLine will have better access to
trails and parks, which will provide more
opportunities for exercise and healthy living. It will be easier to access work, school,
shopping, and dining, and the neighborhoods will become more beautiful and
coexist in harmony with commercial development.
There are many factors that will influence the successful completion of the
BeltLine, not the least of which is the economy and the ability to raise the funds needed to buy the right-of-way and complete the
system. To date, over 50% of the BeltLine
right-of-way has been purchased. The total
cost of the BeltLine is estimated to be $2.8
billion. Financial support (both public and
private) and political support are imperative.
The BeltLine will connect Atlanta, and
Atlanta’s citizens need to connect with the
BeltLine by offering their support.
MIDAS OF SANDY SPRINGS
Happy New Year
On the observation platform at
Westside Reservoir in Northwest
Atlanta
Heather emphasized that the BeltLine
has many aspects besides 22 miles of light
rail. She specifically cited plans for 1,300
new acres for parks, explaining that Atlanta
ranked at the bottom of large cities in terms
of park acreage and green space. She mentioned plans for 33 miles of interconnected
walking and biking trails. Equally important are the economic development of 20
areas and the creation of 30,000 new jobs.
Heather pointed out that the BeltLine
planned to partner with appropriate agencies to promote affordable workforce housing and historic preservation. She said that
friendly, beautiful streetscapes and public
art would line much of the BeltLine routes,
and environmental clean-up of industrial
sites would be part of the program.
One of the most interesting parts of our
tour was a visit to the Bellwood Quarry, a
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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Page 18
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Schwartz on Sports
Gene Benator called in May and told
me that the 2nd Annual Alta Kocker AllStar Game was scheduled for June 28,
11:00 a.m., at the Marcus Jewish
Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA).
Marcus Katz once again had generously
funded the cookout, and the MJCCA
allowed us to use their fields. Last year, 50+
players showed up for a wonderful, funfilled time. This year, Gene was determined
to contact even more guys who played in
the Men’s Softball League between the
years 1971 and 1992. He told me that 70+
players had committed to playing, with
more than 100 sending their regards, saying, “Don’t forget to call me next year.”
Gene wanted to put me down on one of
the six team rosters, but I told him that I had
survived last year’s game with only torn
jeans and a skinned knee, and I didn’t want
to press my luck. I told him that I’d be there
as a member of the press, The Jewish
Georgian.
I decided to work out at the center that
morning and then walk over to the field.
When I got there at 11:00, about 40 players
were already there, reminiscing with guys
they hadn’t seen in a long time—and yes,
there were even some warming up to play.
I had my note pad and was writing
down as many names as I could, when I
realized that Gene had provided an information sheet with the the six team rosters
and a newsletter that included a trip down
memory lane.
BY Jerry
Schwartz
The first thing I noticed on his rosters
were the old-old timers who missed last
year’s game but were here this year. The list
included Willie Green, Stan Firestone, Hal
Krafchick, Gabby Balser, Don Jaslow,
Ralph Amiel, Sidney Tourial, Alan Wolkin,
Lester Pazol, Jon Miller, Frank Cervasio,
and George Shulhofer. He also listed names
of teams that many of us had played on in
the local city leagues, as well as the center
league. There were names like Metro
Development, Prince of Wales, Pizza Cove,
Firebirds, and Kaufman Supply. How could
Take me out to the ball game: (from
left) Alan Wolkin, Jay Empel, Jon
Miller, and Jerry Schwartz
he have forgotten Sexy Sadie, Coca Derma,
and Buddy’s? He also listed some of the
non-center, city league competition: P
Funk, Don Swann, Mr. V’s, and the
Cadillacs.
Gene’s list of fields brought back memories of some parks where we played, but
wouldn’t dare drive near after dark today.
He even included the Federal Pen, where
you were happy to leave with the same guys
you came with.
You can’t have a league without nicknames: Samurai Ball Player (Les Busch),
The Gel (Roger Gelder), Clubber (Bob
Marmer), Sugie (Alvin Verner), Zipper
(Larry Saripkin), Moose (Donald Miller),
and many more.
There are so many interesting stories
about those years and players. Randy
Feinberg told me a story that went way
back, just a few years after the league was
started. Randy was appointed league commissioner, and the first thing he did was
have teams play double-headers on Sunday
morning and have a draft in which the captains picked their teams. Randy remembers
that Pete Morris’ team was playing a championship game on Field 2, where there was
a big tree on the hill in left field, where a lot
of home runs were hit. When Pete, who was
a pitcher, couldn’t get the game switched to
Field 1, he arranged to have the tree cut
down.
Hal Krafchick told me a story about
when he took over the physical education
job from Kenny Klein. The first action he
had to take regarded Larry Frank, who had
to be removed from the team he played on
because he missed so many games. Kenny
did this without telling Larry. So, on Hal’s
first Sunday morning, one of the first players he saw was Larry, walking down the
steps to play ball. Hal realized that he was
the one who was going to have to deliver
the bad news. Larry was a fiery competitor,
an All Southeastern Conference football
player at Vanderbilt, and Hal wasn’t sure
what was going to happen. Larry took the
news in stride; he wasn’t upset, and Hal was
greatly relieved.
park home run his first time up. Richard
Luftig ranged behind first base to catch a
pop up without pulling a hamstring. See,
Richard, all that work on the Stairmaster
has paid off.
I saw five guys from our old city
league team. We started out playing in a
fast-pitch league and then switched to a
modified-pitch league. We also changed
sponsors going from Atlas Transmission to
Buddy’s to Coca Derma. Moose Miller, our
pitcher/first baseman, had a smooth swing
from the left side. Randy Feinberg could get
down the first base line with the fastest of
them. Willie Green was our all-purpose
man. Hal Krafchick played a number of
positions. Jay Cohen was another good-hitting first baseman. Too bad Freddy Benamy
wasn’t in town for the game. He was our
sponsor, captain, centerfielder/pitcher, and
stat man. There were a number of fatherson combinations on the rosters, although I
saw only George and Steve Wise and Frank
and David Cervasio playing.
I saw Stan Firestone getting a finger
bandaged, and he told me it was his first
injury in all the years he has played. I
remember Stan being one of the last guys
playing handball at the Peachtree JCC years
ago, and now he tells me he’s playing a lot
of racquetball. I ran into Lester Pazol,
famous for his high arcing pitch as he
backed off the mound after he lofted it.
Lester reminded me that the last time we
saw each other was when our sons were in
high school, his at Peachtree and mine at
Henderson. They were wrestling against
each other, and we were both at the match.
I told him that I also remembered my son
pinning his in the first period.
When the games started, the temperature was in the low 90s. Ninety minutes
later, the guys were ready to get to those hot
dogs, hamburgers, drinks, and some shade.
Which way to the food? Pictured:
(from left) Hal Krafchick, Randy
Feinberg, Moose Miller, and George
Shulholfer
Let’s do it again next year: Gene
Benator (left) and Hal Krafchick
I overheard Gene telling a group of
guys about how George Lipton appeared
for a game by riding his motorcycle over
the hill and down to the field, just in time
for the first pitch.
It was great seeing Wayne Aronson and
hearing that he is still playing. He hasn’t
lost his speed either—he hit an inside-the-
Once again, thanks to Gene for organizing everything. He’s a dynamo and looked
like the Energizer Bunny as he moved guys
from field to field. Thanks again to Marcus
Katz for footing the bill and the MJCCA for
the use of the fields. Most importantly,
though, thanks to all the guys who came out
on a hot Sunday morning to play a little
softball, renew acquaintances, and reminisce about the good old days at the center.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the
game. Until next time, drive for the bucket
and score.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 19
Page 20
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 21
THE
Jewish Georgian
Have shofar, will travel
By Susan Robinson
laughed over old silly family jokes, others set the
table and made the salad. Amidst the clatter of
dishes and clanging of silverware, we heard a
knock at our door. It was our guests, a young
family with a toddler and a one-week-old infant
in tow.
We were just about ready for kiddush
when we heard yet another knock at the door.
Surely, it was a magazine salesman or some other
minor intrusion. Our family and guests were all
accounted for, so who could this be?
Surprisingly, a lone local day
school student stood at our door. Even
more surprising, he held a shofar in
his hand. “I’ve come to blow the shofar for your guest,” he announced,
rather matter-of-factly. Quickly and
quietly, we all stood next to the new
mom, who had been unable to attend
shul that morning and therefore had
(photo: Nimrodm)
It was Rosh Hashanah afternoon, after a
long morning of davening. We had heard
the shofar, all one hundred blasts, and
we had contemplated the prayer book’s
themes of tefillah (prayer), tzedakah
(charity), and teshuvah (repentance).
After services, during the “non-kiddush” in the outer lobby, we joined the
crowd, socializing with old friends and
admiring all the new babies. Finally, it was
time to go home. In the heat of the day, we
trekked up our treacherous hill, which seems
to have grown steeper as the years have
gone by.
Our grown children were happy to be
back in town, even if only for a few days.
It had been several months since they
were together with their Atlanta family
members, so they had a lot of catching
up to do. While some chatted and
See SHOFAR page 26
Georgia’s Jewish communities have a long, varied history
By Stuart Rockoff
Jews have lived in Georgia ever since
the ship the William and Sarah landed in
Savannah in July of 1733, carrying 42
impoverished Jews from London. These
pioneers established Jewish life in Georgia,
which has persevered for almost 300 years.
The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of
Southern Jewish Life has recently documented this remarkable history in its online
Encyclopedia
of
Southern Jewish
Communities, which can be found at
www.isjl.org.
With nineteen detailed community histories, the Georgia section of the online
encyclopedia offers a comprehensive picture of Jewish history in the Peach State.
The Georgia histories contain many fascinating stories, from the Jews who founded
America’s third Jewish congregation in
Savannah in 1735 to those in Dahlonega
who founded Lumpkin County’s first
Jewish congregation in 2003.
Georgia Jews have long had to struggle
with the question of how to maintain Jewish
traditions in a place where Jews were a tiny
minority. This issue sometimes divided
communities. In Macon, the differences
within the city’s first Jewish congregation,
Beth Israel, came to the fore when they built
First Temple
Building - 1874
The first building of Macon’s Temple
Beth Israel
their first synagogue in 1869. When a pipe
organ was installed in the new sanctuary,
some members, who were offended by this
musical symbol of Reform Judaism, set up
the separate Congregation B’nai Israel and
purchased a separate burial ground in the
city cemetery. This split did not last, and
Beth Israel eventually joined the Reform
Movement.
In Augusta, Orthodox Jews founded a
small minyan, but soon faced internal
divisions. Some worshippers did not
keep their stores closed on Saturdays,
which upset other members. In 1890, a
disgruntled faction broke away to form
a new minyan, which they called the
“Keep Saturday Society.” Soon after,
another group broke away to form yet
another minyan. In 1891, these three
competing groups merged to form
Congregation Adas Jeshurun, which is
still active today.
In Valdosta, a new synagogue
prompted the congregation’s movement away from strict Orthodox practice. Female members of the congregation, led by Annie Lazarus, were unhappy with being relegated to a separate balcony, especially after they had played such
an important role in raising money for the
building. Lazarus challenged this traditional gender segregation on the first Yom
Kippur in the new building in 1920, when
she left the balcony and sat down next to her
husband, Sam. According to the story,
Lazarus asked her husband loudly, “In bed
together, but in shul apart? You can have it
one way or the other—apart or together.”
See COMMUNITIES, page 26
Kosher
Affairs
By Roberta Scher
As 5770 approaches, we look
ahead with hope for a good and sweet
year. Honey has been part of our sweet
Jewish tradition for thousands of
years, as exemplified by the age-old
custom of using a taste to encourage
and reward young children for Jewish
learning. At our Yom Tov tables, we
traditionally dip our challah in honey
to remind us of our blessings and our
prayers for a sweet New Year. This
year, we can enhance this tradition by
choosing from several delicious, rich,
natural honeys available right here in
Georgia.
The Savannah Bee Company is
redefining honey and educating consumers about the many ways to use
and enjoy it. Just as there are numerous sources and types of coffee,
Scotch, and chocolate, raw
honey, too, is sourced globally
and is available in single varieties and blends, each with different characteristics, taste variations, and flavors.
Here are some standout
Savannah Bee products, as
described on the company’s
website:
• Tupelo is the “gold standard” by which all other honeys
are measured. Harvested over
two or three weeks in the early
spring, Tupelo nectar is one of
the rarest and most valuable liqTupelo honey uid resources in the
world—a
thick,
from the
Savannah Bee slow-moving river
of liquid sunshine.
Company
Pour it into strong
black tea, on buttery toast, or over a
piece of aged cheddar.
• Acacia is known as “moonflower honey” and is produced in the
Italian Alps. This delicate organic
honey has a clean, light, vanilla taste.
See KOSHER AFFAIRS, page 27
Page 22
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Kosher Korner
ATLANTA KOSHER
ESTABLISHMENTS
It is recommended that customers doublecheck the hours listed below. Please feel
free to speak with the mashgichim.
RESTAURANTS
Broadway Café
2157 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta
404-329-0888
Cholov Yisroel dairy and vegetarian
restaurant
Sunday-Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.;
Friday, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; after
Shabbos: open until midnight
Chai Peking (inside Kroger Toco Hill)
2205 LaVista Road, Atlanta
404-327-7810
Chinese take-out (seating available);
glatt kosher meat
Sunday-Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.;
Friday, 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Goodfriend’s Grill (inside MJCCA)
5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta
678-812-3994
Features two separate café windows, one
dairy and one meat
BY Rabbi Reuven
Stein
OU For You Café
1155 Hammond Drive, C2, Atlanta
770-396-5533
Sunday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.,
Friday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Pita Palace
404-781-PITA
Glatt kosher meat
BUTCHERS, CATERERS,
BAKERIES & GROCERS
(Supermarkets: select departments, as
noted, only)
Avenue K Catering
736 Johnson Ferry Rd. Building E, Marietta
770-578-1110
Glatt kosher events
Page 23
AKC
Approved
Bijan Catering
2191-B Briarcliff Road, Atlanta
770-457-4578
Glatt kosher meat catering
Elegant Essen
3130 Raymond Drive, Atlanta
770-451-3065
Glatt kosher meat & dairy catering
The Glatt Smokehouse & Barbeque
1440 Spring Street, Atlanta
678-222-3719
All events at this JFGA building are under
AKC supervision.
Griller’s Pride
3939 McElroy Road, Atlanta
770-454-8108
Home delivery of glatt kosher meat
Kroger Orchard Park
2090 Dunwoody Club Drive, Atlanta
770-391-9035
Kosher fish, meat, and deli (glatt)
Sunday–Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.;
Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00
a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Kroger Sage Hill
404-607-1189
Glatt kosher meat department
Kroger Sandy Springs
227 Sandy Springs Place, Atlanta
404-256-3434
Fresh baked challahs, breads, baked items.
Pas Yisroel
Kroger Toco Hill
404-633-8694
Kosher fish, meat, and deli (glatt), pareve.
Pas Yisroel bakery (separate from the instore, non-kosher bakery)
Sunday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.;
Monday-Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.;
Friday, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
See KOSHER KORNER page 29
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 24
JF&CS NEWS
IT’S HARD TO ASK FOR HELP. As Jews,
we pride ourselves on doing for others. It is
our heritage.
We value tzedakah. We visit the sick. We
see it as our responsibility to repair the world.
But, we are not so accustomed to asking
for help for ourselves.
Today,
many of us are
facing
needs
that
we’ve
never
faced
before. And I
want to encourage everyone to
remember that
confidential
help is here for
you
through
Jewish
Family
Rhoda Margolis
&
Career
Services.
The agency is poised to address a new
generation of community needs. Our community should be proud of this organization,
its professional staff, and their capacity to
address the needs and challenges we face
today:
• Unemployment—JF&CS now offers a professional placement service.
• Emotional stressors—JF&CS has a cadre of
licensed mental health professionals.
• Assistance with aging issues—An entire
division provides services to the elderly and
their family members.
• And, responding to the current economic
reality, JFCS offers emergency financial
assistance.
In challenging times like these, everyone
feels vulnerable. Our JF&CS collaboration
can help us “be there for each other” by having skilled professionals available to our
members.
It’s OK to ask for help!—Rhoda
Margolis, director of clinical services,
Jewish Family & Career Services
TUESDAYS WITH STELLA. JF&CS
named Stella Franco DeLeon its August
Volunteer of the
Month. Nine
years
ago,
Stella retired
from Kemper
Insurance and
noted an ad
soliciting volunteer drivers
for Meals on
Wheels.
As
soon as she
Stella Franco DeLeon learned details
about the program, she knew it would be a good fit.
“I just knew it was what I wanted to do,
because I wanted to help somehow.” She
recalls that she was trained by Sid Stein, who
continues as a volunteer today.
Every Tuesday, this tireless worker
donates her time, picking up and delivering
tasty, kosher meals to members of the Jewish
community, helping her recipients, and providing a bright spot in their sometimes lonely day.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL EVALUATIONS. When we sit down with our
child’s teacher at parent-teacher conferences
this fall, we want to hear that our child is succeeding. We hope the teacher sees the same
strengths, the same loving child that we see at
home. We hope to hear that our child is making new friends, paying attention, following
directions, enjoying school, and interested in
learning.
It is hard to hear that our child is struggling, in any aspect of his or her life. And it
is even harder when we don’t quite understand why or how to help.
Sometimes, the concerns are easily identifiable and next steps are clear, with a plan
that includes measures to be carried out at
home and accommodations or strategies a
teacher might try in the classroom. Other
times, it is unclear. This is when a parent
might look to psychoeducational testing.
Psychoeducational testing can help identify a child’s personal strengths and weaknesses. It can also determine appropriate
diagnosis, but only when clear and necessary.
The results of this testing can be used to provide parents with suggestions regarding emotional and behavioral functioning and provide recommendations to aid in academic
planning and placement.
When should a child be evaluated?
Psychoeducational evaluations are often
helpful when parents and teachers question
why a child is struggling at school. Often,
parents or teachers will feel that a child has
more potential than he or she is demonstrating at school, and it is unclear what is getting
in the way.
An evaluation can confirm or rule out an
underlying learning disability or attention
issue. Through classroom observations,
along with in-house testing sessions, an evaluation can determine whether a child needs a
different level of academic support, accom-
modations within the classroom, or a different academic environment. Many parents and
teachers also find that evaluations are helpful
when looking at a student’s needs as he or she
transitions to middle school or high school.
Children often benefit directly from the
testing process when they have an opportunity to understand how they learn best and
what steps will help them improve their skills
though “child-feedback” sessions at the conclusion of the testing process.
Psychoeducational evaluation is one of
many services for children and adolescents
offered through JF&CS’ Child & Adolescent
Services—Tools for Families. For more
information, call 770-677-9319 or e-mail
[email protected].—Lori A.
Wilson, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist/pediatric neuropsychologist with Jewish
Family & Career Services
BE A PAL. In our own lives, each of us has
been influenced by someone, other than our
parents, who introduced us to new worlds
and brought a little magic into our lives.
PAL, Atlanta’s Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister
program, is a part of Child & Adolescent
Services—Tools for Families, a division of
JF&CS. PAL provides one-on-one mentoring
relationships to children, ages 5-17, who live
in single-parent homes or diverse families
and could benefit from this type of nurturing
relationship. More than just a role model, a
PAL is a caring Jewish adult volunteer who
can help children grow and develop in new
ways.
“My son’s PAL has been a huge influence in his life,” says one mom, whose son
has had a PAL for two years. “The two are
very adventurous and humorous, and they
love sports. They get along great. Though
he’s only eight years old, my son truly understands how important his PAL is in his life.
His Big PAL attends his baseball and basketball games and takes him to movies, and, of
course, to sporting events. His Big PAL’s
words of encouragement have been helpful,
not only in his activities, but in his outlook on
other things in his life. My son’s PAL has
become part of our family. I would encourage
any parent in similar circumstances to participate in this amazing program.”
For more information about finding a
PAL for your child or to volunteer to be a
PAL, contact [email protected] or 770677-9390.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 25
Operation Isaiah exemplifies community’s spirit of giving
Yom Kippur, beginning Sunday,
September 27, marks one of the most
solemn periods in the Jewish calendar. This
year, thousands of Jewish children, adults,
and elders from various denominations
across metro Atlanta will unite to further
the call of Isaiah (to share bread with the
hungry) by donating nonperishable foods to
the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB)
during the 19th anniversary of the
Operation Isaiah food drive.
Ahavath Achim Synagogue, one of the
city’s oldest congregations, founded the
food drive in 1990. Since then, Operation
Isaiah has evolved to become a citywide
annual opportunity for Atlanta Jewish residents to unite and continue a spirit of giving
and sacrifice. With almost every Jewish
congregation and school in the metro area
participating, the drive has now grown into
one of the area’s largest food drives, bringing in more than 550,000 pounds of food
for the Food Bank throughout its history.
“The Operation Isaiah food drive is a
tremendous gift to our community,” said
Bill Bolling, ACFB’s executive director and
Bill Bolling, executive director of
the Atlanta Community Food Bank
and Rabbi Neil Sandler, Ahavath
Achim
founder. “So many people have lost jobs
this year. Others simply can’t make ends
meet living on the income they have. Our
partner agencies are seeing a significant
Ahavath Achim members drop off
their food donations
increase in the numbers of people seeking
emergency food assistance, many of whom
have never had to seek help in the past.”
Families and individuals observing the
High Holy Days will begin their personal
fasts by donating bags of nonperishable
foods to the Food Bank. Donations can be
dropped off at participating synagogues,
schools, or the Selig Center. Collected
foods are then distributed by the Food Bank
to more than 800 partner nonprofit organizations that help feed children, elderly citizens, and working poor families who otherwise might go without food.
This year, Operation Isaiah falls during
Hunger Action Month (September), a
national call to action sponsored by more
than 200 Feeding America food banks
across the country, including the ACFB.
The ACFB is currently celebrating 30
years of fighting hunger in Metro Atlanta
and North Georgia. ACFB began operating
in 1979 in a small space at St. Luke’s
Church and now distributes over 20 million
pounds of food and grocery products each
year from a 129,600 square-foot facility in
N.W. Atlanta.
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta launches annual fundraising campaign
Jewish Federation of Greater
Atlanta’s Community Campaign 2010,
which launched September 1, aims to
raise $18 million to fund Jewish programs
and organizations in Atlanta, in Israel, and
around the world.
With the theme “The Good We Do Is
Up to You,” the campaign funds three
focus areas: Jewish identity and continuity; vulnerable populations; and Israel and
overseas. To accomplish its goals,
Federation allocates campaign funds to 17
affiliate agencies and five programmatic
initiatives, called Outcomes, that impact
every aspect of Jewish life in Atlanta and
abroad.
“In the midst of a difficult economy,
there are more requests for services than
ever,” Campaign Chair Joel Marks said.
“Our challenge is finding the resources to
meet the overwhelming needs in our community.”
In spite
of the challenges of the
e c o n o m y,
Marks and
Vi c e - c h a i r
J o a n i e
Shubin see
an opportunity to focus
Federation’s
message to
Joel Marks
let community members know the difference they can make
through the campaign.
“We have a chance to build bridges
and win hearts and minds in the communi-
ty,” Marks said.
As vice chairman and chief operating
officer of Advanced Equities Financial
Corp., Marks brings a solid background in
finance to his role as campaign chair. “I’m
thrilled to work with an organization that
is financially responsible.”
This spring, Federation received
national recognition from Charity
Navigator, the nation’s premier independent charity evaluator. The organization put
Federation at the top of its ranking criteria
with a four-star rating, indicating that
Federation “exceeds industry standards
and outperforms most charities.” A fourstar ranking puts Federation in the “excep-
tional” category, for allocating 87.6 percent of all revenue to fund programming.
JFGA’s mission is to transform
Jewish values into tangible deeds by aiding the most vulnerable, ensuring that
Jewish culture and traditions live on, and
strengthening the critical link between the
local community and Jews in Israel and
overseas. In the past year, donor support
allowed Federation to provide 2,368 people with food, medical care, and homecare
services in Minsk, Belarus; educate 447
Jewish students in Yokneam, Israel; allow
1,300 people to participate in Pathways
programs for interfaith families; and supply thousands of people in Atlanta and
abroad with needed assistance in other
ways.
JFGA offers a wide array of services
to those in need, including giving food
and medical care to the needy in Atlanta
and abroad, educating children in distressed areas, supporting 17 affiliate agencies, providing playgroups for young families, assisting the elderly so that they can
live independently in their own homes,
sponsoring synagogue events, providing
transportation for the disabled, and supporting interfaith families through education.
For more information, call 404-8731661 or visit www.jewishatlanta.org.
Page 26
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
COMMUNITIES
From page 21
Sam and the rest of the congregation relented, and women were no longer confined to
the synagogue balcony during services.
—————
Georgia has seen its share of antiJewish prejudice, from the efforts to expel
Jews from Thomasville during the Civil
War to the lynching of Leo Frank and
bombing of The Temple in Atlanta. Yet,
more typical was the sentiment of The
Atlanta Daily Herald, which welcomed the
growing number of Jews in Atlanta in 1875,
writing that, “Nothing is so indicative of a
city’s progress as to see an influx of
Jews…because they are thrifty and progressive people who never fail to build up a
town they settle in.”
Indeed, the German Jews who settled
in Georgia in the mid-19th century became
integral parts of their communities, establishing a civic tradition that continues
today. In Albany, Samuel Brown founding
several local businesses, including two different banks, both of which he served as
longtime president. Brown was elected
mayor of Albany in 1901 and 1902 and
served several terms on the Board of
Aldermen. When Brown died in 1922, the
local newspaper reported that “a wave of
sorrow swept over the splendid city he had
helped to build.”
In Rome, the Prussian-born Max
Meyerhardt became a city judge in 1879.
Meyerhardt was a fierce advocate for pub-
Campaign sign for Heidi Davidson
Max Meyerhardt of Rome
lic education and helped to found the Rome
public school system in 1884; he served on
the Rome school board for 25 years.
Meyerhardt was also dedicated to Jewish
education, running the Rodeph Sholom
religious school in Rome for almost fifty
years. In Columbus, Aaron Cohn has served
as a juvenile justice judge for 45 years, and
at age 94, continues to help guide the lives
of troubled children today. Heidi Davison
was elected mayor of Athens in 2002, and
continues to serve in the position today.
As elsewhere in the South, Georgia
Jews were concentrated in retail trade.
Jewish immigrants and their children
owned stores in small towns and big cities
across the state. Some became large successful department stores, like Rich’s in
Atlanta or Dannenberg’s in Macon. Georgia
Judge Aaron Cohn of Columbus
Jews also played a leading role in the industrialization of the state. During the Civil
War, Louis Haiman, of Columbus,
employed 400 people to manufacture 250
swords a day to help arm Confederate soldiers. After the war, Haiman took the biblical injunction literally, transforming his
sword factory into a plowshare operation.
Later, Simon Schwob, a tailor from
Alsace, opened a small clothing store in
Columbus, in which he sold suits he made
himself. From this humble beginning grew
a large clothing manufacturing business. In
the mid-20th century, a number of Northern
Jews moved their manufacturing businesses
to Georgia to take advantage of lower taxes
and cheaper labor costs. H.R. “Dick”
Kaminsky came to Georgia from Brooklyn,
opening the Perfect Pants Manufacturing
SHOFAR
From page 21
not been able to perform the mitzvah of hearing the shofar.
We answered “Amen” to the young student’s recitation of the bracha, the traditional
blessing, and then we listened to the sound of
the shofar. I had just heard the shofar at shul
and had heard the shofar again and again at
school all during the Hebrew month of Elul.
This time around, however, it was a very different, almost jarring, experience. Perhaps
the sound was too large for such a confined
space, or perhaps it was the place itself. In
fact, this scene was literally out-of-place.
Here, in the privacy of our dining room, was
a very public event. It was puzzling and yet
vaguely familiar.
As I glanced at the young couple with
their infant and toddler, I recalled my much
younger self. Thirty years earlier, as a new
mother, I had stood in our apartment with my
own newborn daughter and my toddler son,
listening as our neighbor blew the shofar.
With an infant less than three days old, I had
been uncertain how I would hear the shofar.
Going to services would be overwhelming,
so what were my choices? The shul gabbai,
Company in Ashburn in 1934. Two years
later, he moved the business to Fitzgerald.
Ira Nachumson left Chicago and settled in
Dalton, where he helped to make the northwest Georgia town the chenille and carpet
capital of the world.
In recent decades, Atlanta has emerged
as one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the country, and Georgia Jewish
life has tilted inexorably toward its capital
city. Nevertheless, Jewish life continues to
flourish throughout the state, with active
congregations in sixteen cities and towns
outside of the Atlanta metropolis.
Readers can learn more about the history of
these communities and of Jews in Georgia
by visiting the Encyclopedia of Southern
Jewish Communities at www.isjl.org. The
ISJL 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 Jewish communities in Georgia or other Jewish communities in the Southeast.
who lived around the corner, offered to come
to our apartment and blow the shofar for me.
I was touched by his kindness then, and now,
thirty years later, I was grateful to this middle-school student, who was sounding the
shofar in my home for this new mom.
After the student blew the Tekiah
Gedolah, the final shofar blast, he went on
his way with his list of names and addresses.
He had other people to visit, other community members who were unable to leave their
homes easily, who were eagerly waiting to
hear the shofar.
Our Atlanta Jewish community is filled
with such chesed (kindness). At this time of
year, as we reflect upon our past and consider our future, let us also be grateful for the
benefits of living and working together in
our community.
L’Shana Tova U’Metukahóa Happy
Sweet New Year, a year of health, prosperity,
and growth to everyone!
Susan Robinson is a free-lance writer. In the
past year, two of her humor essays have been
published in Binah Magazine, a small
national publication geared towards Jewish
women. She also chaired a writing project
that included approximately 25 articles written by more than a dozen women.
KOSHER AFFAIRS
From page 21
It is delicious in coffee or tea, or drizzled
over toast or Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Elegant!
• Winter White comes from the wildflowers of Lapland, Finland, near the
North Pole. This exquisite honey has a
creamy color and a smooth texture. Its
pure, clean taste, with just a hint of fruit, is
the ideal compliment to hot cocoa or warm
scones.
• Sourwood, an award-winning honey
with hints of maple and spice, is made in
small batches high in the Southern
Appalachians.
• Raspberry is from the largest raspberry orchard in the U.S and is the purest
raspberry honey on the market. This honey
naturally crystallizes immediately after it
is extracted from the combs, giving it the
ideal dipping consistency. Spread on warm
toast, biscuits, or scones.
• Black Sage, a pale, cool, greenishyellow honey, rarely crystallizes. It is
extremely rare and a treat on the palate. It
is very different from any other American
honey. The flavors are distinctive, with
notes of apple, berry, and vanilla. Many
prize this as a favorite with strong black
tea.
• And, just in time for the New Year,
Savannah Bee Company has introduced
three new varietal honeys specifically formulated for special uses: for the grill, for
beverages such as tea and lemonade, and
for drizzling on cheese. In addition, the
company is introducing a no-drip pump
dispenser. (I plan to try this!) Visit savannahbee.com for recipes, more information,
or to order. The honeys are available locally at most Whole Foods. (And visit koshergourmetmart.com for additional artisanal
honey choices. What sweet thank-you gifts
for your holiday hosts!)
SPEAKING OF HONEY. Atlanta’s own
Jonathan Feldman, Culinary Institute of
America graduate, chef, and sommelier,
currently resides in Williamsburg,
Brooklyn, and enjoys raising honeybees
on the rooftop of his urban apartment
building. His mom, my dear friend Janie
Feldman, is bee-wildered—where did he
learn this? We need a taste, Jon!
Jon Feldman Urban Beekeeping,
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
TRY SOME NEW PRODUCTS
IN THE NEW YEAR
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 27
—————
PEREG GOURMET offers the kosher
cook a wide array of delicious and convenient products such as seasonings,
spices, and flavored bread crumbs, rice,
and couscous. Pereg Gourmet, a family
business based in Israel, produces 60 varieties of spice blends and herbs that are free
of additives, preservatives, and food coloring. Many of these products are available
at Kosher Gourmet in Atlanta or online at
Pereg-gourmet.com.
Pereg Spices
LAURIE’S KITCHEN is a division of Old
World Spices & Seasonings, a three-generation, family-owned business. Eldest
daughter Laurie Jungk pursued her dream
and led the new division, creating new
recipes and recreating restaurant dishes
that she enjoyed. Laurie sadly and unexpectedly passed away in 2001, at the age of
37, and her siblings now run the company.
Many Laurie’s Kitchen products are certified OU, including five delicious dip
mixes, among them “bacon cheddar” and
sesame garlic (both OU-d). I served the
cucumber dill dip to my maj group, and
they loved it! The fruit crisp mix (I made it
with fresh peaches, but it would be great as
a topping for fall apple crisp as well) was
quite a timesaver. For more information
about this entrepreneurial family and
recipes using their kosher-certified products, visit laurieskitchen.com.
WORLD HARBORS’ numerous kosher
gourmet cooking sauces are readily available at most supermarkets and oh-so-convenient to use. My newest find is Island
Mango sauce and marinade. I tried it as a
dipping
sauce
alongside
chicken
schnitzel—delicious—both sweet and
tangy. For recipes, cooking tips, and information on the company’s other products,
visit worldharbors.com.
ZUJIRUSHI BREADMAKER. I tested
and tested and tested challah recipes for
my new “Zo” (model BBCCX20) and
finally found one that was delicious,
sweet, and easy. I simply measured the
ingredients and placed them in the bread
machine. Then, I turned on the machine,
and it mixed, kneaded, and baked all by
itself. Now, if that’s not fabulous, what is?
(Recipe is provided below.) We will now
have homemade challah weekly, even
when time is of the essence! The machine
also makes scrumptious dough that can be
shaped into braided traditional challah
shapes or rolls. For more information and
recipes, visit Zujirushi.com.
At this time of year, the kitchen takes
on an even greater importance in most
Jewish homes.
If you are refreshing or updating your
pantry, New York Times columnist Mark
Bittman, one of my favorite and most practical food writers, offers numerous tips in
his January 2009 article “Fresh Start for a
New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen,”
which you can find at NYTimes.com. His
recommendations include using tomato
paste in a tube instead of a can (The only
place that I have found a kosher version of
this great product is in Italy. Readers, if
you have seen this product in Atlanta,
please share!), real maple syrup instead of
pancake syrup (or try this Kosher Affairs
suggestion: honey on your pancakes);
freshly made viniagrette instead of bottled
dressing, and many other simple, but dramatic, improvements.
(A Kosher Affairs full disclosure: I
still use bottled salad dressing in some
recipes—see below—and often use Good
Season’s Italian salad dressing mix with
extra virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, and
fresh herbs.)
And here are some of my own suggestions for your refreshed pantry: pignoli
(pine nuts), dried mushrooms (a value at
Costco), coconut milk (good parve milk
substitute), capers, olives, anchovies, dried
fruit, and, of course, boxes of Imagine or
similar parve soups and Dorot brand
frozen garlic and herbs, made in Israel and
available at Trader Joe’s.)
LOCAL NEWS
Congrats to Ali’s cookies, owned by
Atlanta’s
own
Jeff
and Alison
Rosengarten, for recently being selected as
an audience treat “snack of the day” on the
Rachael Ray Show. Alis’s cookies are rich,
delicious, freshly made, and AKC-certified. If you are searching for a gift to send
cross-country, visit shipacookie.com. Or if
you need a box for noshing or gifting in
the Atlanta area, call 770-971-8566 or
800-220-7644. Cookies are a sweet and
delicious way to say mazel tov, get well, or
cheer up. Need a local delivery? Ask Jeff!
How about parve cookies or a cookie cake
for your holiday dessert?
In cooperation with Chabad of Cobb,
Avenue K kosher caterers has announced
monthly kosher theme dinners. For more
information, contact 770-217-5641.
To keep up with kosher happenings
and kosher resources in the Atlanta area,
visit kosheratlanta.org, where you can
learn more about the Atlanta Kashruth
Commission; sign up for kosher updates
sent directly to your e-mail address.
To learn more about the symbolic
foods and omens for Rosh Hashanah, visit
kashrut.com/articles/simanim.
May 5770 be a sweet year, one of spiritual renewal and peace for the Jewish people and for all good people, everywhere!
Contact us! What’s cooking?
This column is meant to provide the
reader with current trends and developments in the kosher marketplace and
lifestyle. Since standards of kashruth certification vary, check with the AKC or your
local kashruth authority to confirm reliability. If you are searching for a hard-tofind kosher ingredient, need help with a
kosher substitution, or have a kosher food
question, please contact us, and we will do
our best to find the answer. Also, we ask
that you share your discoveries with us
and look forward to hearing from you. Email [email protected]. Come follow KosherEye on Twitter.com.
Recipes
Challah for the Zojirushi Breadmaker
—————
After much trial and error searching
for just the right recipe for my new bread
machine, here is my favorite.
Round Pull-Apart Honey Challah
(Adapted from a recipe by Heidi Zaner)
makes 2 loaves
Place ingredients in machine in the order
listed below (or in the order listed in your
bread machine manual):
3/4 cup warm water
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast (When
adding the yeast, make a well in the flour,
and spoon in yeast to avoid contact with
water.)
It is traditional to serve round challahs at the New Year.
Turn on the breadmaker to bake—
light crust, basic cycle. In less than 4
hours, you will have a rectangular loaf of
fresh, delicious challah.
Place ingredients in machine in the order
listed below (or in the order listed in your
bread machine manual):
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of water
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups bread flour
1 heaping tablespoon bread machine yeast
(When adding the yeast, make a well in
the flour, and spoon in yeast to avoid contact with water.)
See RECIPES page
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 28
RECIPES
From page 27
Turn on dough cycle; when cycle is complete, remove dough.
Grease 2 round 9” layer cake pans.
Divide dough in half. From each half,
make 12 balls—1 ball for each of the 12
tribes of Israel. For easier shaping, grease
hands before making balls.
In each pan, place three balls in the
center; then surround them with the 9
remaining balls. Cover with lightweight
cloth, and allow to rise for 1 hour.
If desired, gently brush with a slightly
beaten egg yolk for a shiny glaze. Sprinkle
with sesame seeds or cinnamon sugar if
desired.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
—————
Challah Icing
(Adapted from a recipe by Jan Cohen)
With a small whisk, mix about 1/2 cup
powdered sugar with drops of orange juice,
until mixture reaches a creamy, not runny
consistency. With a silicone or soft pastry
brush, spread the icing on top of the cooled
challah.
Optional: Immediately after spreading
the icing (it dries quickly), sprinkle with
chopped nuts or dried fruit such as craisins,
orange peel, or dried apples. Be creative—
some people even add mini chocolate
chips!
Tips:
• Cool challahs completely before icing.
• Serve with honey for Rosh Hashanah and
throughout the Jewish festival season.
• If using the icing on challahs, omit the egg
yolk glaze.
For more challah-making instructions
and
photos,
visit
www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classicchallah-recipe.
—————
Chicken with apricot sauce and grapes
An easy, delicious, sweet chicken for your
holiday table
2 cut-up chickens
1 jar apricot preserves (about 12 ounces)
1 8-ounce bottle Russian dressing (or make
your own)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup orange juice or white wine
1 cup fresh grapes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange
chicken in baking pan so that the pieces are
touching. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Bake for 45
minutes. Add grapes, and bake another 30
minutes. The sauce will thicken and form a
glaze. Serve hot or at room temperature.
When serving my Yom Tov, Festival, and
Shabbos guests, I try to be both creatively traditional and seasonal in my menus. Therefore,
when I discovered He’Brew, The Chosen
Beer, from the Shmaltz Brewing Company,
just by the clever name, I knew that I had a
winner!
I consider myself a non-beer drinker, but
Darren Quinlan, Shmaltz’s national sales
manager, explained to me that I just haven’t
tasted the right beer. So, I guess that it’s bottoms up for me.
Shmaltz Brewing, based in Saratoga,
New York, has several especially wellreviewed products, including Genesis (best
pale ale, Toronto International Beer Fest) and
Messiah Bold (a full-bodied, velvety tasting
beer—a testament to the beer maker, according to Allaboutbeer.com). And there are the
Genesis Ale
Apple Crisp
Hilda Scher’s Irresistible Pound Cake
Filling:
8-10 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons lemon or orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
My very talented mother-in-law, Hilda,
is an expert cook and baker. For a festive
treat, try this pound cake recipe. In my
opinion, it is the best. Make it dairy, and it’s
rich and decadent! Make it parve, and it’s
nearly as luscious.
Mix apples with juice, and toss with
white sugar and cinnamon. Place in a
greased 9- or 10-inch pie plate.
Crisp topping:
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Cream butter or margarine and brown
sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Sprinkle
mixture over apples. You can freeze the
apple crisp at this point, if desired.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven
for about 40 minutes (or one hour if
frozen). Serve warm.
(For an easier topping: Use one package Laurie’s Kitchen Fruit Crisp mix. Mix
with 6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine and sprinkle over filling. Bake as
directed.)
—————
—————
Raise a Glass to 5770
two that I plan to serve to my Rosh
Hashanah guests: ReJewvenator, an
ale brewed with all-natural date concentrate, and Origin, a full-bodied
pomegranate ale. In the words of
the website Goodbeershow.com,
“We’re converted!” These beers
are available locally at Toco
Kroger,
Green’s
(Buford
Highway), and Tower (Piedmont
Road). For more information, visit
shmaltzbrewing.com.
it let age for up to a decade. ($25)
Yarden is Israel’s most recognized worldclass wine. Truly, I have never had a Yarden
wine that I did not enjoy. Here are two to try
now…or age:
• Yarden Merlot 2004—This dry, full-bodied
wine is ready to drink now, but will continue
to improve with a few more years of aging.
($22)
• Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2007—
This young selection from the Upper Galilee
is ready to enjoy now, or let it age for 2-4
years. According to the winemaker, this is an
impressive wine. ($15)
Pomegranate Ale
—————
Now, for holiday wines, here are some
suggestions directly from the winemakers.
(All prices are approximate.)
Recanati:
• Yasmin is gaining in popularity. This young
(2008) fruity white is a lovely choice for a
light meal and quite a value at $11.
• Sauvignon Blanc (2008), a full-bodied selection with hints of guava and banana, is suggested as a good accompaniment to fish,
pasta, and grilled vegetables. ($15)
• Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (2006), a rich,
hearty selection, is aged for 17 months in oak
barrels. Decant 1 hour before drinking, and
serve at cool room temperature. Drink now, or
Five Stones Margaret River Wine:
Beckett’s Flat Winery, located in the
Southwest corner of Western Australia, is the
home of Five Stones Margaret River Wine,
my newest wine discovery. Beckett’s Flat, a
family-operated boutique winery, was established in 1992. The winery is located but a
“stone’s throw” from the vines. If you’re not
going to Western Australia, suggested vintages to try are Chardonnay 2008, Rosé 2008,
1/2 lb. butter (or parve margarine; I use
Earth Balance)
1 cup milk (or parve vanilla soy milk)
1/2 cup canola oil
5 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
generous pinch salt
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter or
margarine, sugar, and oil until light and
fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after
each; add lemon and vanilla. To this mixture, alternate adding the flour mixture and
milk, ending with the flour and beating gently until well combined).
Place batter in greased Bundt pan;
Bake about 1 1/2 hours.
Serve alone or with warm cinnamon
apples and parve ice cream at your Rosh
Hashanah table.
Cabernet Shiraz 2006, and Cabernet
Sauvignon Reserve 2006, all about $19. The
Five Stones line is available at Kroger Toco
Hill and other Kroger locations and at kosherwine.com.
—————
For the past 17 years, Alan Smirin has
owned Tower East Wine and Spirits, located
at 223 Moreland Avenue (404-688-2744). The
store’s founder was Alan’s late stepfather,
Atlanta icon Irwin Greenbaum. Alan, too, is
known for his generosity and support of the
Atlanta Jewish community. Although the store
may be somewhat off the beaten path, it’s
worth the trip, especially for large purchases
for a special event or simcha. Deliveries can
be arranged according to Georgia Department
of Revenue guidelines.
Alan suggests the following wines and
spirits to toast the New Year:
• Borgo Reale Sangiovese, an Italian red, and
Borgo Reale Pinot Grigio, a fruity white.
According to Alan, both kosher and nonkosher customers enjoy these selections. ($15
each)
• Corner Creek Bourbon—This is a special
value at about $19.
• DeKuyper liqueurs—Sour Apple Pucker is
perfect for a New Year martini. ($10.99)
Alan Smirin’s Apple Martini
1 shot vodka
1 shot DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker
1 tablespoon Rose’s lime juice
Shake with ice. L’Chaim!
KOSHER KORNER
From page 23
Marcus Jewish Community Center of
Atlanta
5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta
678-812-4000
AKC certified meat and dairy kitchens that
provide meals for various programs.
Publix Supermarket
2969 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta
404-638-6022
Glatt kosher meat and fish department, deli,
sub shop, kosher dairy, and kosher pareve
bakery
The Kosher Gourmet
404-636-1114
Grocery and deli featuring glatt kosher
butcher shop, grocery, deli, and other
departments. Delivery available
Sunday and Friday, 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.;
Monday-Wednesday, 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.;
Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Return to Eden
2335 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta
404-320-3336
Many kosher products, sushi, select bulks
are certified. Pas Yisroel baked goods and
candy
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 29
Simone’s Bakery
2899A N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta
404-321-5108
Also cheeses and candy
Schakolad Chocolate Factory
1100 Hammond Drive, Suite 430-A,
Atlanta
770-730-9770
Heritage Hall (inside Congregation Beth
Jacob)
404-633-0551
ICE CREAM & SNACKS
Rita’s Italian Ice
2550 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 120,
Marietta
770-694-6029
InterContinental Buckhead Hotel
3315 Peachtree Road, Atlanta
404-946-9000
Ali’s Cookies
1255-13 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta
770-971-8566
Kosher, dairy baked goods, candy
Carvel Ice Cream
2482 Jett Ferry Road, Ste. 685, Dunwoody
770-396-0555
Bruster’s Ice Cream (stores listed below
only):
2095 LaVista Road, Atlanta, 404-320-7166
226 Johnson Ferry Rd, Atlanta, 404-9430206
Kosher flavors posted at each location
TCBY, Loehmann’s Plaza, 404-325-8736
Krispy Kreme Dooughnuts (stores listed
below only, doughnuts only):
295 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, 404-876-7307
4129 Highway 78 SW, Lilburn, 770-985-2810
299 Cobb Parkway, Marietta, 770-425-0374
6689 Highway 85, Riverdale, 770-997-6210
1500 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, 770-717-5134
791 Atlanta Street, Roswell, 770-998-0779
Mall of GA Store #56, Buford, 770-831-1174
Whole Foods
404-634-7800
Gelato stand next to the bakery; select bins
certified
HOTELS & HALLS
(With separate kosher kitchens)
Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center
246 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta
770-394-6500
Crowne Plaza Ravinia
4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta
770-395-7700 x2204
The Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker Street, Atlanta
404-581-4125
Grand Hyatt Atlanta
404-364-3889
Westin Atlanta North at Perimeter
7 Concourse Parkway, Atlanta
770-395-3937
Westin Buckhead
404-365-0065
Page 30
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 31
Page 32
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 33
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 34
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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 35
Page 36
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Booth exhibitions explore American icons
The Booth Western Art Museum is now
featuring exhibitions exploring the Grand
Canyon and two of America’s storied highways.
“Route 66 Meets Highway 41: Roadside
Impressions by Chuck Middlekauff” includes
depictions of historic signs and landmarks
along two important roads. Guests are invited
to meet the artist at a reception on September
17, 5:00-7:00 p.m., and attend a 7:00 p.m. lecture by the artist in the Booth Theatre.
Known for his paintings of historic neon
signs, Coke machines, roadside diners, and
nostalgic motels, as well as close-ups of cowboys, Middlekauff first experienced the
Western culture of cowboys, truckers, and
diners during cross-country car trips with his
family. The Texas artist relishes the challenge
of painting those fading roadside attractions
and billboards, which show textures induced
by weathering and years in the hot sun. He
first captures old signs or buildings on film
and then, stroke by stroke, recreates them, in
all their tarnished detail, on canvas.
The artist has traveled along Route 66,
which runs between Chicago and Los
Angeles, many times, seeking out remnants of
the past. “America’s Main Street,” as this legendary road is called, has provided consistent
subject matter for Middlekauff for many
years.
In 2008, Middlekauff accepted an invitation from the Booth Museum to explore the
Tennessee and Georgia sections of Highway
Chuck
Middlekauff,
Are We
There Yet?,
2009, acrylic
on canvas,
30” x 40”
On August 8, the museum opened
“Painting the Canyon: Selected Works from
Grand Canyon Collections” and “Lasting
Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon
Photography.” The exhibitions will be on display in the Special Exhibition Gallery through
October 25.
“Painting the Canyon,” an exhibition
exclusive to the Booth Museum, features over
25 paintings from the collections of Grand
Canyon National Park Museum and the Grand
Canyon Association (GCA). Some of the
paintings were completed prior to the
canyon’s designation as a National Park in
1913, and some have never before been exhibited outside the park. Highlights from the
exhibition include works by Thomas Moran,
who was instrumental in making the canyon
“grand,” and Curt Walters, one of today’s
most important living Grand Canyon painters.
“Lasting Light” was organized by the
Grand Canyon Association and is being
toured by the Smithsonian Institution
41, which runs from Copper Harbor,
Michigan, to Miami, and create a series of
paintings contrasting Highway 41 and Route
66. Starting from their home in Austin,
Middlekauff and his wife, Carol, have traveled east to Highway 41 on two recent occasions, searching for old signs and other icons,
an endeavor that has proved challenging.
“Sadly, it seems that [large national chains]
have bulldozed most of those old motels and
diners, and the glorious old signs advertising
them went away in the process,” said
Middlekauff. “During one trip, we actually
saw some men on a ladder, in the act of covering over one old sign with sheet metal.”
Curt Walters, National Treasure, 1994,
the Grand Canyon Association
Highlights of Middlekauff’s search for
Southern icons included the Big Chicken, in
Marietta, and the world’s first outdoor advertisement for Coca-Cola on a brick wall in
downtown Cartersville. He also found the NuWay Weiner Stand, in Macon; the Bartow
Motel, in Cartersville; and the Marietta Diner.
The bright red 4 Way Lunch and the new yellow paint on old bricks at Coconuts Ice
Cream, in Cartersville, also appealed to
Middlekauff.
Although Middlekauff had already spent
plenty of time on Route 66 while living in
Texas, Colorado, and California for almost 40
years, in April of this year, he headed out
along “America’s Main Street” from Amarillo
to Los Angeles. He and Carol cruised the old
road in their white 1975 Corvette, looking for
more rusty remnants of those “good ol’ days”
to recapture on canvas, before they are all
gone.
“Though the old signs on both roads have
much in common,” said Middlekauff after his
recent travels, “Route 66 is beautiful in its
wide open spaces, and Highway 41 is beautiful in its lushness and greenery—definitely
two different roads.”
Following the November 8 close of the
Booth Museum’s exhibition, the paintings
will move to the Legacy Contemporary
Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.
—————
oil on canvas, 30” x 60”, courtesy of
Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). This
exhibition of 60 photographs shows how this
landscape is still often wild and unforgiving,
but compelling for both reverence and recreation. “Lasting Light” also chronicles photography and how it has promoted the Grand
Canyon as a popular destination for
Americans and people around the world.
While deep in geological history, the
Grand Canyon has been explored by adventurers and artists only within the last 150
years. Today, it stands as an icon of America
and continues to inspire painters, photographers, and those who view their images.
The Booth Western Art Museum is a
120,000-square-foot museum located in
Cartersville. The Museum also houses a
Presidential Gallery of letters and photographs, a Civil War art gallery, and Sagebrush
Ranch, a children’s hands-on learning environment.
The museum is opening a 40,000-squarefoot expansion in mid-October. The new wing
will house an expanded Civil War gallery, a
two-story sculpture court, a multipurpose
space available for rental, a large art gallery
devoted to the more contemporary work in the
museum’s permanent collection, and a new
artifacts case. Prior to the public opening,
there will be a gala in early October; tickets
are $150 per person.
For more information, call 770-3871300, or visit www.boothmuseum.org.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 37
A honey of a friendship
This article first appeared in the NovemberDecember 2004 issue of The Jewish
Georgian.
Ours has been a friendship of long
standing. You might call it a honey of a
friendship. Actually, it’s a four-generation
connection. Back in the early 1940s,
Phyllis’ father, Harold Aronson, owned
Aronson’s clothing store in Eastman,
Georgia, which my uncle Louis Friend
managed for him. Within a few years, Uncle
Lou bought the store from the Aronsons and
renamed it Friend’s Department Store. In
1947, Uncle Lou welcomed me to America
and the University of Georgia from my
home in Shanghai, China.
As did others from the Middle Georgia
area, most of the Jews worshipped at the
Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation. That is
where I first met Phyllis and where she later
married Irving Levin of Savannah. At the
University of Georgia, Phyllis and I were
DPhiE sorority sisters; after graduation,
each of us lived in small Georgia towns, she
in Swainsboro, and I in Hawkinsville, to
raise our families. Phyllis and Irving Levin
were in the clothing business, while my
husband, Hans Mayer, and I owned Bohan’s
Shoe Store.
We lost touch with each other, though
we still had mutual friends who likewise
settled in small towns, as well as in Atlanta,
Savannah, and Augusta.
Two decades later, we found ourselves
meeting at Parents’ Day at the same DPhiE
sorority to visit our children. My daughter,
Sandy, and Phyllis’ daughters, Harriett and
Sherri, as well as her son, Barry, and his
future wife, Pam, were all friends there, too.
Now, my granddaughter Erica
Baumwald is a sophomore at UGA. Phyllis’
college-age grandchildren attend other
schools. Her younger grandchildren, who
live in Atlanta, have grown up under my
very eyes and now attend Greenfield
Hebrew Academy. They’re smart and wonderful—if you don’t believe me, ask
BY Balfoura Friend
Levine
Phyllis!
Three decades later, Phyllis and I, now
both widows, met again in a lovely senior
retirement community, the Renaissance on
Peachtree, where we are known as the
“Levine girls.” (Well, grandmas are girls,
too!) We are both very active here. Phyllis,
the “ticket lady,” plans trips to the Fox
Theatre, and gets tickets to various theater
series and other shows. I have appointed
myself the “resident yenta”—I welcome
newcomers and meddle in everyone’s business, whether or not they ask for my help or
opinion. Both Phyllis and I are passionate
about our work for ORT (Organization for
Resources for Technical Vocational
Training) and love our other organizational
work as well.
We spend many hours laughing and
reminiscing about our Georgia days, when
we were chaperoned on evening activities
and had to sign in and out of the dormitory
under the eagle eye of our housemother. No
one had cars back then, so we kept the
Greyhound Bus Lines in business, riding to
Athens from our South Georgia homes.
Last summer, as in past years, ORT
sponsored a honey sale in time for the
Jewish New Year. There was a “beehive” in
an empty Sandy Springs store, where volunteers spent hundreds of hours packing
jars and addressing the parcels to gift recipients. Unbelievably, almost 10,000 jars
reached their destinations in time for the
Rosh Hashanah. It is ORT’s great fundraiser for the Atlanta area. And there we were,
old friends Phyllis and Bo, feverishly packing and labeling those jars, while enjoying
our friendship—a real “honey of a friendship.” May it continue to be so.
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THE WAY WE WERE. Phyllis at 19 (left photo) and Bo at 26 (right photo)
THE HONEYS
PACK HONEY.
Phyllis and Bo
pack honey in
August in
preparation for
Rosh
Hashanah.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 38
The Brickery stays busy in a tough economy
Money is tight. We all know that. Most
of us have had to make difficult choices—
giving up luxuries, choosing less expensive
pleasures, postponing purchases. And
Atlanta’s restaurants, bars, and theaters
reflect that unfortunate reality, with declining attendance and empty seats.
Not so The Brickery, the Sandy
Springs institution that provides Atlantans
with not only food value but also comfort
and a sense of family. Says owner Bruce
Alterman, “We’re busy in a world that’s
not. We offer value and comfort. We’ve
been feeding the community for 18 years,
BY Suzi
Brozman
offering real food at a real value. People
may have given up some things, but not us.
And we don’t take that loyalty for granted.
We’re appreciative, and we try to show it—
in the food we offer, in our attitude. There
are no animal heads or peanut shells here.
We’re a third-generation Atlanta family,
and the restaurant is a genuine extension of
us.”
For almost a century, the name
Alterman has been connected to food in
Atlanta. In the 1920s, Altermans lived
above the family-owned grocery store in
the Jewish neighborhood later populated by
Braves fans just south of downtown. Later
came the very successful Big Apple and
Food Giant retail grocers and Alterman
Foods, run by five Alterman brothers, sons
of the family patriarch who began the tradition.
Today, a new generation has established itself as part of the dynasty. Bruce
Alterman and his wife, Sally, take great
pride in The Brickery, their 18-year-old
restaurant in Sandy Springs. True to family
tradition, the eatery offers only the best
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Bruce and Sally Alterman
The personal touch: Sally Alterman
visits with Brickery guests
The Brickery’s famous brisket
Sally and Bruce with the Brickery
family: Katie Rosenberg, manager;
Dwight Jackson, kitchen manager;
and David Nerquay-Tetteth, general
manager
quality, homemade items. As Alterman
says, “Our food starts with a knife instead
of a five-gallon bucket. We make everything ourselves. There’s a constant focus on
providing the community with what they
deserve and what they have come to expect.
We can’t forget that—if you do, the customers will recognize it and won’t come
back.” But they do come back, up to 450 on
a busy night.
The Brickery is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that evokes the feeling
made famous in the television show
“Cheers”: “Sometimes, you want to go
where everybody knows your name.”
That’s not far from the truth. From the proprietors who greet diners as old friends to
the hosts and servers who are selected for
their smiles and friendly manners, each
employee knows it is his or her job to make
diners feel like honored guests.
And servers are part of the family.
Many started coming to The Brickery as
young children with their parents. They’ve
grown up in its welcoming atmosphere.
Alterman is proud that they are part of the
family, and he makes a point of helping
them further their aspirations in training
and schooling.
Want Jewish comfort food to go along
with the comfortable surroundings? You
know where to go and what to order. The
Brickery is famous for its brisket, which is
made using a recipe “borrowed” from family cousin Barbara Sugarman, wife of Rabbi
Alvin Sugarman. The Altermans have been
using her delicious recipe for years. When
they began compiling their menu, it was
only natural to want to include the brisket.
Little did they know it would become their
signature dish.
It has become so famous that turning
out brisket for Rosh Hashanah has become
a small industry in itself. In the weeks preceding the holiday, the restaurant’s kitchen
adds a 40-foot trailer to accommodate the
food that is ordered for use on Atlanta’s holiday tables. It starts with 1,200 pounds of
brisket that shrinks down to 600 pounds as
it is cooked, sliced, portioned, and assembled into orders, along with sides of gravy,
kugel, matzoh ball soup, casseroles,
chopped liver, chicken, and tried-and-true
desserts. Alterman explains that people
want the tradition they grew up with, but
most people don’t have the time to spend
putting it all together, and they don’t know
how to create the tastes and aromas of past
generations.
The kitchen help calls the operation
“The Brisketry” while they’re preparing for
the holidays. And it’s not just take-out.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur eves find
the seats filled with people looking for a
taste of tradition.
Of course, the catering business is a
year-round affair, but it reaches its peak at
holiday times. If the idea of letting someone
else do the kitchen work for you sounds
appealing, call 404-843-8002 for information. Orders for Rosh Hashanah must be
placed no later than September 14, for pickup by noon on September 18.
Or you can order online at www.thebrickery.com
or
www.brickerycatering.com. And if you sign
up for the weekly e-mail, you’ll get word of
specials on a regular basis. The e-mail is
one reason for the restaurant’s success in
today’s difficult market…and it’s free. “If
you have a customer who gives you permission to tell you why they should visit
you, and you can do it on a weekly basis
with humor and value, that’s a good thing.”
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
MJCCA NEWS
YOUR JEWISH WORLD. “Your Jewish
World,” a temporary exhibition at The Sophie
Hirsh Srochi Jewish Discovery Museum of the
Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta
(MJCCA) is currently on view. This exhibition,
which follows the museum’s successful “Your
Jewish Home” and “Your Jewish Town,” introduces children ages 2 to 12 to the wide array of
Jewish culture from the Diaspora.
Sophie Knapp (photo: Heidi Morton)
The museum will have a grand opening
celebration for the exhibition on September 13,
beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Designed by Museum Director Cyndi
Sterne and Harley Gould, “Your Jewish World”
will run through July 31, 2010.
In this exhibition, children can discover an
imaginative world of different foods, costumes,
and cultures from South Africa to South
America, Eastern Europe to the United
Kingdom. Each interactive display will have
personal photographs and stories depicting
Jewish experiences in these areas.
Cyndi Sterne says, “When children learn
about their differences, it is inevitable they will
discover similarities as well. On a personal
note, I know that my children love learning
about different customs and traditions and also
enjoy teaching their friends about their own
heritage.”
The Sophie Hirsh Srochi Jewish
Discovery Museum is a children’s museum that
focuses on integrating Judaism through interactive play, wonder, and exploration. The museum also hosts fun and thought-provoking field
trips, play groups, and birthday parties throughout the year. For information about field trip
packages, contact [email protected].
The Sophie Hirsh Srochi Jewish
Discovery Museum is located at the MJCCA,
5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Hours are
Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., MondayThursday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Friday,
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Admission is free; donations are appreciated.
For additional information, contact Cyndi
Sterne
at
678-812-4171
or
[email protected],
or
visit
www.atlantajcc.org.
LEARN AND SEE. “Retracing Jewish
Footsteps” is a new learning and travel program developed under the auspices of the
MJCCA’s Lisa F. Brill Department of Jewish
Learning. The first program, October 7-11, will
provide an opportunity to see New York City
through a Jewish lens. Highlights of this firstever trip include visits to the United Nations,
Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Temple
Shearith Israel (the Spanish and Portuguese
synagogue established in 1654), the Museum
of Jewish Heritage and the Tenement Museum,
Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew
Union College, the Jewish communities of
Brooklyn, B’nai Jeshurun (for Kabbalat
Shabbat), and more.
Before the trip, the MJCCA will conduct
Page 39
three mandatory classes about the Jewish history of the sites that will be visited. Dr. Steve
Chervin will facilitate the classes and lead the
trip.
The trip also includes a Broadway show,
lunch at the famous Katz’s Deli, a festive
Shabbat dinner, a tour of “Ground Zero,” a celebration of Simchat Torah, shopping, a tour of
the Museum of Modern Art, and a jazz brunch
in Greenwich Village.
The cost for the trip is $1,999, plus airfare
to New York’s LaGuardia airport. The registration deadline is September 15.
For more information, call Cheri Levitan
at 678-812-4107.
BUSINESS BITS
By Marsha Liebowitz
NEW FACES. The Amit Program has added
four new staff members. Gar’inim lower
school Hebrew and Judaics teacher Esther
Alfassi has taught in the United States and
Israel. Amy Coffsky, the new 4th- and 5thgrade Learning Lab teacher, recently worked
for microSteps, an educational website and
software company. Middle school Gar’inim
lead teacher Linda Gumble comes to Amit
from the Swift School; prior to that she
taught at Woodward Academy, the Howard
School, and in Canada. Clinical Social
Worker Jo Raphael, new Gar’inim middle
school assistant teacher and school counselor, has been in private practice since
2007.
PROMOTING INNOVATORS. For the second year, Atlanta-based GSMA, the world’s
largest mobile trade association, is sponsoring a tournament in Tel Aviv to discover the
most exciting Israeli companies and bring
them to the attention of its carrier members
worldwide. This year’s GSMA Mobile
Innovation Grand Prix—Israel will be held
in cooperation with Carmel Ventures as part
of Ernst & Young’s Journey 2009 event at
the Hilton Tel Aviv, September 15.
Page 40
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
seen by Elementary Science Coordinator
Donna Goodson. Students were greeted by
Mr. Beaver a real, large beaver (stuffed by a
taxidermist) donated by Debbie Lanier.
Additionally, students were able to visit
with the quail chicks that hatched on the last
day of school last year and see how they
have grown. The quail chicks were part of
the elementary studies of lifecycles.
Pictured: 2nd-grader Elijah Medwed with
Mr. Beaver
By Belle Klavonsky
school during a special all-Middle School
Tefillah.
Pictured: (from left) Rebecca Horn,
Jennifer Friedman, Sari Leven, and Tamara
Kaplin.
BACK TO SCHOOL. After a long and restful summer, Epstein School 8th-graders
Adam Stoumen and Mallory Harris walk up
to the building on the first day of school.
The Epstein School is celebrating its 36th
birthday.
ALL SMILES. Maddy Gertz (pictured)
enjoys her first day of Kindergarten at The
Epstein School.
THAT’S SMART. Harvey Almarode (pictured), an instructor at James Madison
University, in Virginia, visited The Davis
Academy during the school’s pre-planning
week to further enhance Davis Lower and
Middle School teachers’ use of SMART
Board technology. SMART Boards, highly
interactive tools that work with computers,
are installed in every Davis classroom.
HAPPY REUNION. Davis Kindergarten
students Lindsey Pines (left) and Rachel
Hertz hug each other on the playground
during recess on the first day of school. The
girls are returning students who were in the
Davis Academy Mechina program, a
Kindergarten preparatory program.
SISTER ACT. Sisters Sophia (3rd grade)
and Ariel Scher (Kindergarten) are looking
forward to another year of learning, fun,
and friends at The Epstein School.
A WARM WELCOME. Kindergarten student Sasha Wildstein is greeted by Davis
teacher Karen Gerbs on the first morning of
school.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEFILLAH. Davis
Middle School Principal Jamie Kudlats
welcomes back students on the first day of
ANOTHER YEAR TOGETHER. Davis
7th-graders (from left) Zachary Merlin,
Martin Isaak, and Brandon Kwatnez are
glad to see one another on the first day of
the new school year.
SCIENCE COMES TO LIFE. Epstein students were excited when they returned this
school year and were met by all the creatures in the new Living Science Lab, over-
THE HIGHLIGHT OF HER DAY. Epstein
3rd-grader Eden Kerker gets right to work
on the first day of school.
AUTO-MATES. Members of Epstein’s 5thGrade Leadership Program volunteer to
help keep carpool running like clockwork.
MEET AND GREET. Greenfield Hebrew
Academy’s first day of the 2009-2010
school year was August 10. Teachers and
parent volunteers happily welcomed the
students in carpool. Pictured: Teacher Josh
Unger greets 2nd-grader Eitan Linsider and
his brother, 4th-grader Nati.
KINDER CAN-DO. GHA Kindergarten
teacher Christine Oertle plays dominos with
two of her students, Isaac Fialkow and Ari
Gabay. The boys stopped by Mrs. Oertle’s
classroom during the August 7 Open House
to get to know their teacher and work on
their counting skills.
STUDENT MINYAN. New minyan leader
Effie Ross (pictured) leads a group of GHA
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
students in morning prayers. Every morning,
students gather for minyan, from Modeh Ami to
Aleynu. Teachers guide students by announcing
the pages and lines and davening with them. For
25 minutes, students and teachers are involved
in singing prayers, studying them, listening to
stories related to the prayers, and discussing the
prayers. If it’s a holiday, the prayers are altered
according to the chag or occasion.
teaches AP English Language and Composition
and other courses. Mrs. Brown graduated
magna cum laude from Tulane University with
an English degree and earned her J.D., magna
cum laude, from the College of Law at Georgia
State University. She taught at George Walton
Academy, where she was a student council
advisor, SACS committee member, and Teacher
of the Year, and she chaired the English department at The Epstein School, where she implemented a new grammar and writing curriculum
and instituted the Middle School Writing
Portfolio Project.
the cards, call GHA at 404-843-9900.
OPEN HOUSE. Eighth-grader Sophia Wilder
stops by her new locker during Open House, on
August 7. Many students visited GHA on
Friday to walk around the school, find their
classrooms, and meet their teachers.
NEW YEAR’S CARDS. Grandparents Club
members Barbara Abbey and Rona Seidel sell
GHA New Year’s cards at Open House. The
Grandparents Club, in partnership with the
PTSA, is selling beautiful Rosh Hashanah cards
featuring art created by GHA students. To order
WELCOME BACK. Shlaina Van Dyke has
returned to The Weber School as learning specialist and Learning Center coordinator. Most
recently, she directed the Learning Center at
Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, but previously, she was the learning specialist at Weber,
where she created the school’s Learning Center.
Prior to that, she was a transition
specialist/learning disabilities teacher, Suffolk
Public Schools, Virginia; ESE intervention specialist, Escambia County Schools, Pensacola,
Florida; and special support staff coordinator,
Lakeview Center, Pensacola. Mrs. Van Dyke
has a bachelor of arts in psychology and a master of arts in habilitative science/special education from University of West Florida.
THE WRITE STUFF. Michele Brown has
joined Weber as English department chair. She
Thought you’d like to know
By Jonathan Barach
SHELTER BENEFIT. Shearith Israel Shelter
will hold a benefit at Horizon Theatre,
September 8-9, featuring the Atlanta premiere
of Wendy Wasserstein’s Third. Tickets are $25
for the show on September 8, 8:00 p.m., and
$40 for the show and a light dinner on
September 9, 6:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit
the Shearith Israel Shelter, which helps homeless women get back on their feet. Send ticket
requests and checks (payable to Shearith Israel
Shelter) to: Barbara Lang, 3565 Monticello
Commons, Norcross, GA 30092. For additional information, contact Barbara Lang, [email protected] or 770-729-9323, or Sallie
Weddell, [email protected] or 404-9443805.
SEPTEMBER SOIREE. The Marcus Jewish
Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA)
Young Adult program is hosting a happy hour
at Shout, 1197 Peachtree Street, September 10,
6:30-9:00 p.m. For details, contact Emily
Stemer
at
678-812-3982
or
[email protected].
ASK NETWORKING EVENT. “Juggling
Priorities, Balancing Life,” Atlanta Scholars
Kollel’s 6th Annual Networking Event, featuring Rabbi David Silverman, is September 10,
5:30-7:30 p.m., at Congregation B’nai Torah,
700 Mt. Vernon Highway. Admission is $18 in
advance, $25 at the door. For more information, e-mail [email protected], or call 404321-4085.
TEENS VOLUNTEER. The Marcus Jewish
Community Center of Atlanta offers free projects and events that will allow teens to earn
community service hours. Upcoming opportunities include: Project Open Hand food delivery, September 13, 12:00 noon-3:30 p.m.
(grades 6-12); Feed the Hungry, Zaban Park,
September 22, 5:00–6:30 p.m. (grades 6-12;
suggested donation: $10); Sukkah Party,
William Breman Jewish Home, October 8,
6:45-8:45 p.m. (grades 6-12); MedShare
International, Zaban Park, October 12, 8:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m. (grades 6-12); AIDS Walk
Atlanta and 5K Run, October 18, 12:00 noon5:30 p.m. (ages 14+). For information and registration, visit http://atlantajcc.org/tcs.
SAY YOU’RE SORRY THE JEWISH WAY.
Emory University’s Dr. Michael Berger is
offering a three-part lecture series exploring
Rav Joseph Soloveitchik’s teachings on teshuva, or repentance, an important topic on Jewish
minds during the High Holidays, September
16, 23, and 30, 7:30 p.m., at Yeshiva Atlanta
High School, 3130 Raymond Drive. All sessions are free and open to the public. For more
information, call YA, 770-451-5299.
JF&CS VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION.
Jewish Family & Career Services is conducting
free Volunteer Orientation sessions, September
16, 12:00 noon; October 20, 6:00 p.m., and
November 18, 12:00 noon. Attendees will be
provided a brief overview of the agency and
volunteer opportunities. Orientation, which
THE LANGUAGE OF NUMBERS. Joshua
Ross, Weber’s newest mathematics teacher,
began his academic career as a National Merit
Scholar at Emory University and graduated in
2007 with a double major in economics and
mathematics. In 2009, he received a master of
arts in teaching from Emory. While completing
his masters, Mr. Ross interned in DeKalb
County and Atlanta, teaching mathematics I and
algebra II. He has also worked as a teaching
assistant and independent tutor, and he spent
nine years on the Tall Pine Day Camp staff in
Williamstown, New Jersey. Mr. Ross is teaching statistics and algebra II.
EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE. Jonathan
Anderson has joined Weber’s science faculty;
he will teach chemistry, physical science, and
algebra III. He holds a bachelor of science in
science education from the University of
Georgia and has taught at Centennial and West
Forsyth high schools. He participated in develwill last approximately 60 minutes, will be led
by Denise Deitchman, JF&CS manager of
Volunteer Services. RSVP to [email protected].
HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES. Chabad Jewish
Center welcomes everyone to its 2nd annual
High Holiday Services. There is no charge to
attend, and synagogue membership is not
required. Rosh Hashanah services will be held
on Friday evening, September 18, and Shabbat
and Sunday mornings, September 19-20. Yom
Kippur services will be held on Sunday
evening, September 27, and Monday,
September 28. Hebrew/English prayer books
will be used. Children’s services will be held
simultaneous to all daytime services. The suggested donation is $99 per adult or $250 per
family. To make a reservation, e-mail
[email protected].
HELPING REFUGEES. International Rescue
Committee (IRC) Atlanta will mark its 30th
anniversary of helping refugees make their new
home in Georgia at its annual Freedom Fête,
September 19, 7:00-10:00 p.m., at the penthouse suite of the law firm Nelson Mullins, in
Atlantic Station. The IRC was founded in 1933
at the urging of Albert Einstein to help those
suffering under Hitler’s regime. The Atlanta
office opened in 1979. For more information,
contact Kimberly Fulghum at 404-292-7731
ext. 43 or [email protected], or
visit theirc.org/Atlanta.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SHABBAT.
Ahavath Achim Synagogue welcomes the public to AAbsolut Shabbat, the exciting Friday
night service, September 19, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Meet new people, listen to great music, and
Page 41
oping Fulton County’s Georgia Performance
Standards in Science, mentored student teachers, served as team leader for chemistry and
physical science teachers, and taught a variety
of courses, including chemistry, honors chemistry, physical science, global studies, and
organic chemistry. Mr. Anderson also coached
girls’ tennis and boys’ golf.
TRAINING WORLD CITIZENS. Liza Suarez
has joined The Weber School’s world languages
department, where she is teaching Spanish. She
earned a bachelor of arts in communications
and journalism and master of science at Jorge
Tadeo Lozano University in Bogota, Columbia.
At Georgia State University, Ms. Suarez completed numerous educational courses and completed her Teaching Certification K-12 Program
in Spanish. Ms. Suarez began her teaching
career as a Spanish assistant teacher in 1997.
She spent the last four years teaching Spanish in
the Atlanta Public Schools.
NURTURING
CREATIVITY.
Amber
Singleton is the new director of arts at The
Weber School. She comes to Weber with a
bachelor of arts in fine arts from Furman
University and a master of arts in teaching (art
education) from Winthrop University. Ms.
Singleton has spent the last five years as art educator at The Atlanta Girls’ School and as an
instructor at Emory University’s Summer
Institute for the Gifted.
enjoy a new way of bringing in Shabbat.
Drinks and light appetizers will be served prior
to the service. A dessert reception will follow.
For more information, call 404-355-5222, email [email protected], or visit
www.aasynagogue.org.
HELP AT THE END OF LIFE. In the Moment:
A Celebration of Life is the theme of Visiting
Nurse | Hospice
Atlanta’s 22nd annual
fall
benefit,
September 26, at 6:30
p.m. This year, the
event takes place at
the Capital City ClubBrookhaven and features a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner,
silent auction, and
Liz Levine
entertainment. Mrs.
Liz Levine, long-time
supporter and advisory board member, is the
honoree. All proceeds directly support care of
more than 18,000 home health and hospice
patients annually. For reservations, call 770936-1170 or visit www.vnhs.org.
THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE WITH THE
FAMOUS GENUINE FAKE RABBIS.
Congregation Beth Jacob repeats its popular
High Holiday services, complete with fewer
prayers, more perspective, and a chance to ask
those questions you never get to pose during
regular services. All denominations and affiliations are welcome, and ability to read Hebrew
is not necessary. Both days of Rosh Hashanah
services, September 19-20, and Yom Kippur
See THOUGHT, page 42
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 42
Thought
From page 41
services, September 28, will be conducted at
Heritage Hall at Congregation Beth Jacob,
1855 LaVista Road. Reservations are requested, but not required. All sessions are free. For
time and other details, call 404-633-0551, or email [email protected].
AMIT’S PLAY PLACE. Amit is offering an
after-school sensory and socialization play
group for children ages 3-5 years. Each 6-week
session will be on Tuesday afternoons and will
be led by a licensed occupational therapist and
pediatric speech-language therapist, with assistance from trained teachers and facilitators. The
cost is $250/session. Sessions are: September
29-November 3, Congregation Beth Shalom;
November 10-December 15, The Epstein
School; and January 12-February 19,
Congregation Dor Tamid. The program is open
to all children, regardless of preschool or synagogue affiliation. For information, contact
Debbie Berman at 404-961-9966 or [email protected].
MT. SCOPUS CHAPTER MEETING. The
Mt. Scopus Chapter of Hadassah is having its
first general meeting of the year on September
30, 7:30 p.m., at Congregation Or VeShalom.
The speaker for this event is Deputy Consul
General of Israel Sharon Kabalo, who will discuss the Obama administration and Israel. For
further information about this event and
Hadassah membership, contact Edie Barr at
404-325-0340.
SUKKOT SYNAPLEX SPECTACULAR
WITH CRAIG TAUBMAN. Celebrate Sukkot
at The Temple, October 2, with an array of holiday activities There will be services, a concert,
a Sukkot treasure hunt for the kids, sukkah dec-
orating, dinner, and much more. Craig
Taubman appeared in Atlanta at the big Hallelu
concert, and he’s the one who wrote the contemporary Jewish music for “Friday Night
Live.” Call 404-873-1731 for information.
HAPPY SUKKOT. Chabad Intown presents
the 6th Annual Sukkot Festival, October 5,
4:00-6:30 p.m. The festival features a moon
bounce, slides, crafts, food, and more.
Admission is $6/children and $4/adults and
includes all entertainment and activities. Food
and beverage are available for a nominal fee.
Chabad Intown is located at 928 Ponce de Leon
Avenue. For information, phone 404-8980434, or e-mail [email protected].
MAYORAL FORUM. The Temple and the
American Jewish Committee have rounded up
the leading candidates for mayor of Atlanta to
present their ideas on the future of Atlanta.
Come listen to Lisa Borders, Mary Norwood,
Kasim Reed, Jesse Spikes, and Glenn Thomas
(subject to change) on October 7, at 7:30 p.m.
This event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at The Temple, 1489 Peachtree
Street, NE. For additional information, call
404-873-1731.
FIGHTING AUTISM. The 2009 fall Defeat
Autism Now! conference is October 8-11, in
Dallas, Texas. Defeat Autism Now! is a project
of the Autism Research Institute (ARI), which
is dedicated to the exploration, evaluation, and
dissemination of scientifically documented
biomedical interventions for individuals within
the autism spectrum, through the collaborative
efforts of clinicians, researchers, and parents.
For information and to register, visit
www.defeatautismnow.com.
AMERICAN JUDAISM AND AMERICAN
RELIGION. Dr. Michael Berger, professor of
Jewish Law and Ethics, Emory University,
addresses important issues in a three-part lec-
MISH MASH
By Erin O’Shinskey
Lauderdale awards.
CONGRATS. The following members of
Westminster’s class of 2009 were honored at
commencement:
Rebecca
Kahn,
daughter of Bobby
and Susan Kahn,
Girls’ Valedictorian,
also
won
the
Principal’s and the
President’s Volunteer
Service awards. Evan
Fields, Star Student,
son of Bryan and
Barbara Fields, won
Rebecca Kahn
the Robert M. Sims
Math/Science and the James G. Patton
Citizenship awards. Adam Kahn, son of
Frederic Kahn and Cathy Lipton, won the
Faculty Service Award. Drew Kaplan, son of
Brent and Terri Kaplan, won the Spirit Award.
Jake Krakovsky, son of Ed and Andie
Krakovsky, won the Drama and the David T.
BREAKING AWAY FROM ABUSE. Woman
to Woman: An Abused Women’s Support
Group is sponsored by Jewish Family &
Career Service’s Shalom Bayit program. This
group, which meets weekly, offers women
who have been emotionally or physically
abused an opportunity to better understand the
dynamics of abuse, gain peer support, identify
resources, and explore alternatives to living
with abuse. For more information, contact
Wendy Lipshutz at 770-677-9322 or [email protected].
SOULFUL, SPIRITED, JOYOUS. The
music
of
Congregation
Or
Hadash is now available for the first time
on CD. The newlyrecorded CD, A
Rhythm and Ruach
ture series at Congregation Or Hadash, located
at The Weber School, 6751 Roswell Road.
Lectures are: October 13, Dwellers vs. Seekers
(how Americans are “trying on” various spiritual identities); October 27, Youth and
Religion; and November 10: Emergent Adults:
18-36 (Many young people are starting families and careers at a late age. How does this
impact American Judaism?). The fee for this
series is $36/members, $60/non-members. All
lectures are 7:30-9:00 p.m. Call 404-250-3338
for details and to enroll.
REMEMBERING NADER PARMAN. The
7th Annual Nader Parman II Memorial Run is
October 18, 9:00-10:30 a.m. Races start and
finish at the MJCCA Shirley Blumenthal Park,
2509 Post Oak Tritt Road, Marietta. The fee is
$20 when received by October 7 or $25 thereafter; race-day registrations will also be accepted. Register at active.com or atlantajcc.org
(enter keyword “Nader”). For more information, contact Marcia at 678-812-3985.
COWBOY SYMPOSIUM. Celebrate Western
Heritage during the 7th Annual Southeastern
Cowboy Festival & Symposium, October 2225, at the Booth Western Art Museum, in
Cartersville. Visitors will enjoy a Western art
symposium with scholars from around the
country, a reception with artist Buck McCain,
live entertainment, re-enactments, and more.
For more information, call 770-387-1300, or
visit www.boothmuseum.org.
ADULT EDUCATION. Congregation Etz
Chaim kicks off Adult Academy of Jewish
Studies with Rabbi Michael Broyde, Professor
of Law, Emory University, on Tuesday,
October 20, at 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Broyde will
speak on “Battlefied Ethics: A Defense of the
Undefendable.” The community is invited to
attend and register for the four-week Academy,
which begins October 27 continuing through
November 17. The faculty will include Rabbis
Shabbat with The New Light Band, features the
congregation’s multi-generational band of
musicians performing the Latin-inspired
melodies of the Friday evening Servicio de
Shabbat service, led by Rabbis Dr. Analia
Bortz and Rabbi Mario Karpuj. The CD may
be purchased for $18 (or $15 each for three or
more) by contacting Congregation Or Hadash
at 404-250-3338 or visiting www.orhadash.org.
MITZVAH DAY. Pictured: (from left)
Kalinka Kazakova, Federation database
manager; Erin Zagnoev, Federation
director of donor services; Tali Toland,
Federation marketing manager; and
Rabbi Lou Feldstein, Federation senior
vice president (back to camera) pre-
Shalom Lewis, Paul Kerbel, Albert Slomovitz,
Jeffrey Salkin, and educators Miriam
Rosenbaum, Peffy Friedman, and Gary
Deutsch. Classes include The First 2,000 Years
of Jewish History, Miracle Births of the Bible,
Jewish Prayer and Spirituality, Kabbalah, and
Jewish Genealogy. For more information, call
770-973-0137.
VISIT EPSTEIN. The Epstein School invites
interested families to attend an Open House,
November 4, December 9, or January 13, or
schedule a tour to experience an unparalleled
academic learning environment grounded in
Jewish values. For more detailed information
about the admission process, visit
www.epsteinatlanta.org, and click on “admission.”
PARTY DOWN. Join Amit for the 3rd annual
AMITzvah Party, which takes place Saturday,
November 14, at the home of Julie and Gary
Blase. The party begins with cocktails, 8:309:30 p.m., and continues until 12:30 a.m. The
evening features a DJ, dancing, open bar, entertainment, and dessert, and all of this food and
fun benefits the Amit program. Tickets are
$65/patron, $125/VIP, and under 30/$40.
Register and purchase tickets at www.amitatlanta.org. For more information, call 404-9619966.
THE 21ST ANNUAL EIZENSTAT LECTURE. The Honorable Al Gore, 45th vice president of the United States, is this year’s featured speaker in this prestigious series, which
has hosted such luminaries as Hillary Clinton,
Bill Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Paul
Wolfowitz, along with other presidents, prime
ministers, and world movers and shakers. The
lecture, which is free and open to the public,
takes place at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue,
600 Peachtree Battle Avenue, November 23,
7:00 p.m. Call 404-355-5222 for further information.
pare lunches at Project Open Hand during the Jewish Federation of Greater
Atlanta’s Mitzvah Day, August 5.
LENDING A HAND. Michael Meyer,
Federation CFO (left); and Miriam
Friedman, Federation Planned Giving &
Endowment manager, perform yard
work at the house of a developmentally
disabled adult during the Jewish
Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Mitzvah
Day, August 5.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 43
SUPER FALL SPECIALS
2010 VOLV0 S80
LEASE FROM
$
4 2 9 /m o .
60 month lease, 12K miles per year. MSRP: $41,050. $2995 due at signing, $0 security deposit. Must be a current Volvo owner to qualify for all discounts. Plus taxes,
title, and administrative charge, and license charge with approved credit. See dealer for details.
EXPIRES
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
2009’S AND 2010’S
2010 VOLV0 S40
I 5 Years of Maintenance or 60,000 miles (was 3yrs/36,000 miles)
I 5 Years of Coverage on Wear Items (new benefit)
I 5 Years/60,000 Mile Warranty (was 4 yrs/50,000 miles)
See our website for more detailed information.
LEASE FROM
$
3 1 9 /m o .
60 month lease, 12K miles per year. MSRP: $30,100. $2995 due at signing, $0 security deposit. Plus taxes, title, and administrative charge, and license charge with
approved credit. See dealer for details.
northpointvolvo.com
NORTH POINT 678-365-0600
VOLVO
1570 Mansell Road • Alpharetta
Page 44
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Need to make space for MishMash. I placed on this page for proofing
only.

JGA Sept-Oct 09 - The Jewish Georgian

Transcription

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