No 47, November 23 The Atlanta Jewish Times

NOGA REPORTS ON VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL

BERENBAUM COMES TO ETZ CHAIM Holocaust Expert Serves as Scholar-inResidence

Correspondent Shares Seven Personal Accounts

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THE Weekly Newspaper Uniting the Jewish Community for Over 85 Years

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Museum Honors Locals

Jerusalem Mayor Visits Atlanta

Michael Morris Hosts Tribute Dinner at Georgia Aquarium

LUNCH WITH NIR BARKAT PAGE 3

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COOKBOOK ROUND-UP Suzi Brozman’s Picks for the Holidays Pages 16-17

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News

Lunch with the Mayor

SITTING DOWN WITH JERUSALEM’S NIR BARKAT

By Cliff Weiss Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

F

or the week of Nov. 12, Nir Barkat, the popular and charismatic Mayor of Jerusalem, came to Atlanta in order to educate and meet with community and spiritual leaders, children and others of all religions who are interested in Jerusalem.

Barkat, who entered public life when elected in 2008, served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces and reached the rank of Major. He later received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and began his career in the hi-tech software industry in 1988 by founding successful anti-virus software company BRM, which became a venture firm that invested in other hitech companies.

On Nov. 13, I was privileged to have lunch with the Mayor. In a small group of less than a dozen people, Barkat’s excitement and humanity lit the

room. He set the record straight on what is really happening in Jerusalem and described his vision of the future for Jerusalem.

Some of the points that he made were: • The city is much cleaner, with an innovative, state-of-the-art recycling initiative to turn waste into energy instead of burying it in landfills.

• The city is very safe, with little crime (much less than we have here in Atlanta).

• The Muslim residents understand and appreciate that, under the current government, their socioeconomic welfare far exceeds that of most working class Muslims outside of Jerusalem.

• A focus on closing gaps in the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem has provided much-needed infrastructure, including nearly 400 class-

rooms at various stages of development and an investment of NIS 500 million for roads and transportation over the next five years.

• Tourism is booming, with new hotels – including luxury brands such as the Waldorf Astoria - and restaurants opening on a regular basis and doing very well.

for building in “Palestinian” East Jerusalem. It seems to me that the true facts indicate that such development benefits all citizens of Jerusalem, and especially the Muslim sector.

Of course, much of the world seems to want the city to interrogate and discriminate against developers and businesses by Nir Barkat requiring that no expansion benefit any Jews. In my opinion, this is like • There is a master plan to modify requiring the city of Atlanta to grant the existing skyline to add twelve building permits based solely upon rehigh-rise mixed-use towers around ligion or color; such discrimination is unjust in theory and in practice, with the entrance to the city. detrimental results for those very people whom the world is trying to After gaining a better understand- “protect” from the Jews, as most of the ing of what is happening in Jerusalem, development benefits the Muslims in I am amazed that the media and many Jerusalem. foreign governments criticize the city

JFGA, CEO Horowitz Stand with Israel

FEDERATIONS NATIONWIDE COME OUT IN SUPPORT he Jewish Federations of North America responded quickly to the violence in Israel, announcing that the organization had donated some $5 million to the Fund for Victims of Terror in Israel by Nov. 15 and sending an emergency solidarity mission of lay leaders and executives to the southern regions of the Jewish State by Nov. 18.

In addition to this large-scale action, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta CEO Michael Horowitz issued a statement in support of Israel’s action:

paign of terror and violence launched against Israel.

“We stand with Israel as it fulfills its most basic responsibility as a democracy: defending the nation and protecting its citizens. We stand with Israel in demanding that the Palestinian Authority end the violence and terror, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, end the incitement against Israel and Jews and live up to all its previous commitments.

“We stand with our government and with IsMichael Horowitz rael in combating the global threat of terrorism. We stand with Israel as it seeks a true and lasting peace that will “The Jewish Federation of Greater assure secure and defensible borders, Atlanta unequivocally stands with the as well as the safety of its citizens and people and state of Israel, especially at of all the people in the region. this critical time. We share their pain and outrage at the terrible loss of life “We call on all people of good will to and limb as a result of the Hamas cam- join us in standing with Israel now.”

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

T

Staff Report

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cover story

U.S. Holocaust Museum Honors Locals COCA-COLA, ACKERMAN AND MARCUS FAMILY RECOGNIZED

By Cliff Weiss Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

O

n the evening of Nov. 13, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum honored the CocaCola Company, Charles Ackerman and Bernie and Billi Marcus for their tremendous contributions with a tribute dinner at the Georgia Aquarium.

“What You Do Matters” was the theme of the event, which was hosted

by Michael Morris. Beyond the heartwarming sight of Holocaust survivors in attendance standing to be recognized, the proceedings in their entirety were enlightening and inspirational.

Javier Goizueta spoke on behalf of Coca-Cola, explaining the company’s reasons for supporting the Museum and detailing its humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Similarly, Charles Ackerman made a heartfelt speech about the importance of the Museum and his involvement with it; an early supporter and Founder, his hard work helped make its construction a reality.

Bernie and Billi Marcus were unable to attend, but granddaughter Alex Morris spoke on their behalf. Even as a last-minute substitution for another family representative, she was poised and articulate, showing grace under pressure and serving as proof of her grandparents’ efforts to strengthen future generations.

Finally, keynote speaker Clemantine Wamariya amazed the crowd with her story of courage and understanding. Her life as a Rwandan genocide survivor proves that the phrase “never again” is as relevant today as it was some 60 years ago.

Wamariya was just six years old when slaughter in earnest began in her homeland. It brought tears to many eyes as she recounted her disbelief and dismay at the killings; she recalled asking herself how her closest friends could stand idly by, and how the neighbor she trusted and affectionately called “Auntie” could acquiesce to the horrific acts.

From the subsequent years spent traveling with her sister from one terrible refugee camp to another, she took a hope that no one will be subjected to such conditions again.

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

Today, Wamariya is a Yale student and last year was appointed by President Obama to serve a five-year term on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. As part of the Museum’s mission, she speaks openly about her story to alert the national conscience, influence policy-makers and stimulate worldwide action to confront and halt acts 4 of genocide and related crimes against humanity.

1 Keynote speaker Clemantine Wamariya, a student at Yale University and member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, told of her experience during the Rwandan genocide.

2 Alex Morris, granddaughter of Bernie and Billi Marcus, accepts the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s recognition on behalf of her family.

3 Holocaust survivor Helen Weingarden was in attendance for the Nov. 13 event.

4 Holocaust survivor Norbert Friedman, with son David and granddaughter Carolyn, recited hamotzi before dinner was served.

5 Charles Ackerman was one of three honorees at the Nov. 13 dinner, held at the Georgia Aquarium.

6 Javier Goizueta represented the Coca-Cola Company at the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s tribute to local supporters.

PHOTOS/Gabriel Weiss

Rabbi’s Mission: Speak for the Silent 6 Million

BERENBAUM COMES TO ETZ CHAIM ON WEEKEND OF NOV. 30 profile positions.

BY RON FEINBERG Web Editor

M

ichael Berenbaum recalls coming of age in a world shaking off the darkness of the Great Depression and the horrors of World War II. America was on the move, and its citizens were enjoying a robust economy and the belief that just about anything was possible.

In the 1970s, he served as chairman of President Carter’s Commission on the Holocaust. A decade later, he helped plan and create the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., served as its project director for a time, then led the museum’s academic and research institute until 1997.

But Berenbaum also remembers his childhood neighborhood in New York being filled with Holocaust survivors. The synagogue he belonged to included large numbers of German refugees, many of them his teachers.

“I never heard the word Holocaust mentioned,” he said. “But I did hear a lot about death and destruction and concentration camps.”

The following year, he became president of Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, the organization that has conducted more than 50,000 interviews of Holocaust survivors and liberators. A few years later, in 2000, he took all that he had learned about museums and the Holocaust and formed his own consulting company, the Berenbaum Group.

Twenty years ago, a bold

Vision put a

Holocaust MeMorial on the national Mall today you

can Help secure

its global iMpact by participating in the

20th anniversary legacy challenge

Michael Berenbaum

What his teachers and neighbors didn’t have the words to express, “They communicated to me in silence,” he added.

Their silent testimony has become Berenbaum’s life’s work. Today, he’s a well-known and respected rabbi, professor, filmmaker and writer and one of the nation’s leading scholars on the Holocaust.

Berenbaum, currently Professor of Jewish Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, will be in Atlanta for the weekend of Nov. 30 as the Scholar-in-Residence at Congregation Etz Chaim in East Cobb.

He’ll be speaking at several events, including Shabbat services, focusing his remarks on the relevance of the Holocaust in the 21st century and the changing nature of anti-Semitism.

“The tragedy of the world today is that the Holocaust is still relevant,” Berenbaum said. “I wish that humanity had learned the lessons from those days and [that] we could relegate it all to the past.”

Berenbaum has paid special attention to the dark teachings of the Nazis for decades, opening up the nightmarish acts of the Holocaust in an effort to understand the madness. His work has landed him in a number of high-

Over the 10 years that followed the Group’s creation, he was involved in the planning and creation of museums devoted to the Holocaust and the history of persecution and genocide around the world. Meanwhile, he’s also written more than 20 books on the Holocaust and related topics, served as the Executive Editor of the New Encyclopedia Judaica, and co-produced the Oscarwinning documentary, “One Survivor Remembers: The Gerda Weissman Klein Story.”

Berenbaum’s life continues moving at warp speed these days. He stays busy consulting on new museum projects, teaching and speaking, but occasionally finds a few moments to reflect on the lessons – what he calls the “silent words” – he learned as a youngster.

“I was taught that my generation was to make up for the ‘glorious generation’ that was destroyed,” he said.

“What I experienced in silence, I now put into words.”

Editor’s note: Dr. Michael Berenbaum will be the Scholar-in-Residence at Congregation Etz Chaim the weekend of Nov. 30. He will present four lectures dealing with the Holocaust and antiSemitism. For a full schedule of events, visit etzchaim.net/lilmodereg or call (770) 973-0137.

Make safeguarding truth for future generations your personal legacy through a gift to the Museum’s endowment. In honor of the Museum’s 20th anniversary, a generous couple will match up to 10 percent of each new planned gift to the endowment made known to the Museum before April 30, 2013. Your planned gift to secure the Museum’s future— a gift that costs nothing today or provides income for life—has never had greater value.

www.ushmm.org/20thchallenge

ushmm.org/connect

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NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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Chana’s Corner PUBLISHER CLIFF WEISS

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It Home

cmweiss@atljewishtimes.com

BUSINESS OFFICE Business Manager

SOME OLD RULES NEED TO BE BROKEN

Kaylene Rudy

krudy@atljewishtimes.com Circulation Coordinator

BY CHANA SHAPIRO AJT Columnist

W

hen I was a kid, one didn’t buy shoes from gigantic self-serve stores. In those years, parents brought their children to small shoe stores, and the owners themselves carefully honored the characteristics of each and every young foot.

This is the way my brother, sister and I – and every child we knew – were fitted for two kinds of new shoes: one pair for school and the other for special occasions. Boys’ and girls’ school shoes were sturdy brown tie-ups, which we wore from September to June. For girls’ dress shoes, shiny patent leather Mary Janes were the other regular purchase, made just before the High Holy Days.

Happily, these holidays conveniently occurred close to the first day of school; this confluence of events made it possible to fit and purchase both pairs of shoes for my siblings and me in a single trip to Laskey’s Shoe Store. Six shoeboxes were put into the trunk of the car while we three, in our old shoes, sat in the back seat.

Now, I didn’t care about the school shoes, but I loved those Mary Janes. Every year, I begged my mother to let me wear my new shoes home. I wouldn’t actually let the soles touch the ground: I just wanted to wear them in the car.

I was blessed with a loving mother, but she had her rules. One never wore one’s new shoes home. Indeed, that prohibition applied to everything new; even if the item – a dress, gloves, boots, raincoat or hat – would be worn that very evening, a hiatus between purchasing and wearing was strictly observed.

I always knew that someday I would eliminate this pointless waiting period.

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

You can guess what I did with my first paycheck.

6

I was 15 years old when I earned enough to go shoe shopping on my own. What I needed was a pair of neutral, comfortable, serviceable shoes for my after-school job, but what I bought was a pair of black patent high heels, perhaps in subconscious tribute to the Mary Janes of my youth.

Even though I was wearing old school clothes, I pranced out of the store in my new shoes immediately after their purchase. Then, I stopped at the drugstore to buy bright pink lipstick and applied it while I waited for the bus. No one on the ride home took any notice of my stunning self.

But my mother had plenty to say.

She made it clear that she didn’t like the lipstick, and the sight of me in a pair of shoes for which I had no immediate use elicited a speech. Most troubling was the fact that I had them on my feet.

Still, it was worth spending my hard-earned money and enduring my mother’s disapproval in order to break the waiting rule. When I told my friends about it, they were awestruck.

They had been brought up like me: You don’t wear your new shoes home.

Not Alone!

Years later, another seminal event took place a few hours before my first official parent-teacher conference. I was a novice teacher in a tough New York City school, and, although I was relaxed and confident in the classroom, I wasn’t as sanguine about meeting the parents.

One source of insecurity was the outfit I had on: A brown skirt and creamcolored twin sweater set. I wanted to look professional, but I wasn’t happy with the preppy clothes. Unfortunately, the only alternatives I had in my closet at home were too bohemian (a look my students loved, but one I feel wasn’t appropriate that particular evening).

The school day ended at 3 p.m., and the conferences were to start at 7:30 p.m. I decided to make a quick trip downtown to buy a “grown-up” suit. I ran to the subway and made it to Macy’s in record time.

I selected a dark green wool outfit and white cotton blouse. I kept the new clothes on, asking the saleswoman to put my old clothes into the shopping bag.

“I see a lot of that,” she smiled, approving of my on-the-spot metamorphosis. “In fact, I just bought these during my break.”

RON KAYE

She came around the counter to show me the pair of stylish red flats on her feet.

rkaye@atljewishtimes.com

ADVERTISING SALES Director of Sales

Apparently a lot of people wear their new clothes straightaway, I thought.

And I’ll bet most of their mothers told them not to.

JEFF SILBERBLATT Account Executive

Julie Benveniste julie@atljewishtimes.com Account Executive

MICHAL BONELL

The Sequins – and the Sages – Say So

mbonell@atljewishtimes.com

The other day, I bumped into a woman who is well-known for her unique fashion sense. She was dressed in a delightful combo of stripes, tweeds and plaids (no surprise), but the sartorial showstopper was her footwear.

Account Executive

LYONEL JOFFRE

ljoffre@atljewishtimes.com Account Executive

STACY LAVICTOIRE stacy@atljewishtimes.com Account Executive

Her shoes were nothing short of spectacular. They were high, pointy demi-boots and, best of all, lavishly sequined.

ANDI LEVINE

alevine@atljewishtimes.com

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief

CLIFF WEISS

What’s more, the sequins themselves weren’t your average, everyday sequins: They were iridescent, arranged in a series of concentric halfcircles, starting at the pointy toe and culminating at the ankle.

cmweiss@atljewishtimes.com Managing Editor

JOHN MCCURDY

jmccurdy@atljewishtimes.com Web Editor

RON FEINBERG

rfeinberg@atljewishtimes.com

Even for her, the shoes were a bit much for the rest of her outfit.

Assistant Editor

ELIZABETH FRIEDLY

“I just bought them this morning, and I couldn’t bear to take them off!” my friend exclaimed. “They’re for the gala next month, but shoes like this should be worn as soon as possible, right?”

Contributing Writers

ARLENE APPELROUTH SUZI BROZMAN Eden Farber Rachel LaVictoire Al Shams CHANA SHAPIRO

I was in total agreement. As she walked away, striding perkily on those stiletto heels, I admired their sequins catching the sunlight with each step. If I bought a pair of shoes like that (and had sculpted arches like hers), I too would have worn them right out of the store.

Our Jewish sages teach that someday we will be held accountable for denying ourselves allowable pleasures.

I’m assuming they weren’t talking about gorging on cholesterol-laden desserts or spending hours on the beach without sunscreen.

I’m guessing that category of pleasures would more likely refer to wearing your new shoes home.

Editor’s note: Chana Shapiro is an educator, writer, editor and illustrator whose work has appeared in journals, newspapers and magazines.

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The Atlanta Jewish Times Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ZADOK PUBLISHING, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, ATLANTA, GA 30328 ©COPYRIGHT 2012 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES MEMBER AMERICAN-ISRAELI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

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according to arlene

Coping Mechanisms DEALING WITH LEARNING TO DEAL AJT Columnist

the other for use with anything that has dairy. Like pasta, it might be mixed with butter and cheese.

used to roll my eyes when confronted with something that seemed absurd. This usually meant I was doing so regarding some of the rules or customs adopted by my son or daughter-in-law.

When the above described ketchup incident occurred, I had only one grandson, Raphael, at the time a toddler. My daughter-in-law was thinking about my eye-rolling response and concerned about the future.

I

Once, Dan and I were eating hot dogs with David and Dalia in their apartment in Jerusalem. They put mustard on their hot dogs, and I wanted

“You’ll have to learn to stop doing that,” she said with the authority of a mother who intends to control everything her children are exposed to. “Raphael will understand you roll your eyes if you don’t approve of something we’re doing.”

“I became more mindful and proudly mastered a new, impossible-to-detect reaction so no one could accuse me of body language that might challenge or undermine the rules.

My creative solution had side effects I hadn’t anticipated, though.” ketchup. I removed the bottle from the refrigerator, walked back to the kitchen table and unscrewed the cap.

While still standing, I began pouring the ketchup onto my hot dog.

“Don’t do that,” I was admonished.

“What?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine what I was doing wrong.

“The ketchup is pareve,” I was told.

“By holding it over your hot dog, there’s a possibility that steam from the hot dog will get into the bottle. Then we’ll only be able to use the ketchup for meat. The steam will make our ketchup fleishig [meat].”

I didn’t mean to roll my eyes. It happened involuntarily.

I have since learned there are many strictly-kosher ketchup-lovers who have two bottles of ketchup in their refrigerators: One to be used with meat,

“OK,” I replied, wondering how to stop doing something that was an involuntary coping mechanism.

I was proud to be able to control myself and not blurt out something like, “That’s crazy!”

I made a mental note and decided to consciously, pre-emptively either bite my tongue or grit my teeth when I could sense that old critical eye-rolling response coming on. I became more mindful and proudly mastered a new, impossible-todetect reaction so no one could accuse me of body language that might challenge or undermine the rules.

that I’d made an appointment with a dentist who specializes in making oral appliances for people who clench their teeth.

guards and other oral appliances.

My friend looked at me and asked if I was aware that I now have a gap between two of my upper teeth on the right side of my mouth. I had no idea, but I checked this out in a mirror and agreed: There was a gaping space.

Maybe I should put a rubber band on my wrist and snap it as a coping mechanism if I feel tense or critical. Or perhaps I can reactivate my eye rolling habit.

Last week, I went for my routine teeth cleaning and asked the hygienist to check my last x-ray to see if I had any shifting of my teeth.

“Yes, it’s significant,” she said while simultaneously pressing whatever button necessary to call the dentist.

After examining my mouth, my dentist explained that by clenching, the pressure from my lower teeth had moved my upper teeth. He said he would fill in the gap at a future appointment, and we talked about mouth

My reaction? I felt tense. I wanted to clench my teeth for relief but couldn’t risk more of my teeth shifting.

Before I do that, though, I think I’ll check with my ophthalmologist and make sure excessive eye rolling won’t affect my vision.

Editor’s note: Arlene Appelrouth earned a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Florida and her career as a writer and journalist spans a 50-year period; she currently studies memoir writing while working on her first book.

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My creative solution had side effects I hadn’t anticipated, though; I developed TMJ. The acronym stands for temporomandibular joint disorder; in practical terms, it meant my jaw began to hurt.

Gritting my teeth became clenching, and clenching became a habit. The last time I had a massage, I mentioned to the neuromuscular massage therapist I had a pain from my jaw up into my skull. She touched my facial muscles and said my jaw was out of alignment.

She tried using massage to correct this, but I could not tolerate the pain.

She recommended I report this to my dentist.

While having lunch with one of my oldest friends last week, I mentioned the TMJ. It had become so painful

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Noga Reports

The Violence in Israel, First-hand REALITIES OF OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE

By Noga Gur-Arieh AJT Columnist

I

could describe the reality here in Israel; I could ask you to imagine what it’s like. But no matter what I will say, it will be very hard for anyone who’s not here to comprehend.

Since Nov. 14, more than 700 missiles have been fired at Israeli cities.

As I write, rockets are being launched at targets in Southern and Central Israel, and the Israel Defense Forces are responding by returning fire into Gaza.

Civilians from both sides are being killed, and it is scary.

What I believe will give you the best understanding of the situation here are live testimonies from Israelis. Several acquaintances kindly agreed to let me translate and publish their Facebook statuses and chats with me:

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

• Etty Daniel Levi lives in Ra’anana, which is still considered a “safe zone.” Earlier today, she was listening to the radio, and wrote down her thoughts:

“Just so we could make things clear: As I was driving today, listening to the radio, the broadcaster told the listeners about 15 (!) times over a 10-minute period that there is an alert in six different cities in southern Israel…

“In between songs, he was reminding the listeners about how you should react when the alert sounds in your area. This is not right, and that’s reality. My heart goes to the people in southern Israel and the IDF soldiers protecting all of us. Be safe, everyone!”

8

Oy vey!

• Noam Avimor, originally from central Israel, moved down south this past October to attend Be’er Sheva University. This week was the first time she heard the alarm notifying the missiles’ arrival:

“The first time, I was caught unprepared. The alarm woke me up, and I did not know what to do. It isn’t something you can get used to. Everywhere you go, you need to check for available shelters; you need to remember not to listen to loud music while walking down the street, and to go to sleep with nice clothes, just in case…

“On Wednesday, we were sitting in the classroom when an announcement came on telling us that school is off and that we should go back to our homes. I ran to the bus station, which was packed with people trying to leave. About 30 minutes after we boarded the bus, the rain of rockets started to pour.

“Some friends of mine, who left a little later, had to get off the bus for a cover several times on their way home. On the way home, my phone battery died. People were worried like hell…”

• Avital Sykora lives in Jerusalem, where an alarm was first heard just several hours ago. Yesterday, she posted:

“Reading an article to try and figure out what my best options are for a bomb shelter, should the need arise. This is the reality we live in.”

Today’s message was a bit different:

“So now I know how to get in to my building’s shelter. Holy [expletive], I’m shaking like all hell, heart beating a mile a minute.

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People are saying there was an explosion heard in the distance.”

“I think it is terrible that, for some people, this is routine.

I speak to a friend on the phone, and she can tell me – in her most relaxed voice – that she needs to go to the shelter and she’ll call me back in a few, just like that…

“The world needs to understand that Israel did not initiate this, did not did not start shooting for fun. People in the south are suf-

• A 14-year-old girl from Ashdod asked me to tell her story without publishing her name. Her house is within range of the rockets, so for the past week, she and her family were living in their shelter. This is her life right now:

“When I hear the alarms, I get scared right away because I don’t know if it would fall far from us or right where we are. After a week living like this, we went to my grandmother, who lives in central Israel.

We went there to feel a bit safer, but now, it is hard to say what ‘safe’ really is…

“We didn’t want the life of fear to take over, but anything can happen. It’s boring, staying inside all the time, and Hamas Rocket Threat Ranges Map from the I wish this will Israel Defence Force blog site http://www.idfblog.com end soon.”

• Amit Alexander Lev is a Tel-Aviv resident. Yesterday night, when the alarm was heard for the first time, he had no idea what to do:

“I was in a photo exhibition in a bar when someone said that it was announced on the radio that there’s an alarm. I went outside and heard the sound of an explosion. Everyone looked at each other, and we had no idea what to do next.

“I don’t like this situation, and hate to think it might get worse, and that more people, from both sides, will be killed.”

• Gali Zemach is a 14-year-old girl from Kadesh Barmea:

“I live in the south, but on the far side of the south, so we barely hear the alarm. However, the school I go to is at the fire range, and it has been closed since Thursday.

“My friends from school have experienced this life on a daily basis for years now. It is something they are used to, so last week they tried to teach me how to keep calm.

It’s very stressful and scary, but I learned that I must stay calm.

fering for a long time now. Missiles and rockets are part of their lives, and no one should live like this.”

• Amos Holin, from Herzliya in central Israel, is due to go visit soldiers is their bases in the next couple of days, and deliver them snacks, soft drinks and cigarettes:

“When I was a soldier during Operation Cast Lead, people came to me and did the same. It warmed my heart during very hard and confusing times, [and that’s] when I finally realized that I am fighting for the people of Israel and that they support me and stand behind me at all times.

“Now that I am no longer active duty, it is very important to me to do the same and show my honest gratitude for the IDF.” Editor’s note: Noga Gur-Arieh visited the U.S. to work at Camp Coleman after finishing her military service in the IDF. She is now back in Israel, working as a journalist.

AJT

IF YOU ASK ME

Life at Home is the Key to IndependenceSM

A Thanksgiving State of Mind GRATEFUL FOR A JEWISH STATE

BY EDEN FARBER AJT Contributor

I

t’s that time of year again, when we high school students get an extra-long weekend for no apparent reason – other than Thanksgiving. I say this with such nonchalance because our culture has turned the holiday into something small, with little meaning.

Thanksgiving now seems to be all about a historical myth, a cute day to have a nice Shabbat meal on a Thursday. There seems to be little substance to it all. You might be asking yourself, why is it even important?

It’s not a religious holiday, and there certainly aren’t any rules or regulations governing it. Yet, I believe there’s something to be gained from every holiday experience; more than just extra sleep and a turkey dinner.

That’s why this year I’ve spent some time asking myself what I’m thankful for. There are many things, of course: food, family, friends, warmth, luxuries.

And then there’s one very special item: I’m very thankful that Israel exists.

“Exists?” you may be thinking.

“What about thriving?”

Unfortunately, it’s quite grim over there at the moment. It’s all very fluid, and I’m certain that if I tried to detail any current events, they’d be outdated by the time this article went to print.

So, I’ll spare you any newsy details.

the terror in Israel, but it also reminds me that I have so much to appreciate from it. The country and its people have made significant contributions, not just to Jews, but also to the entire world.

Additionally, the moral values that are part of the government and the Israel Defense Forces are noteworthy, especially in a region run by despots and dictators. Israel has shown its care and concern for all its citizens – Jews and Arabs alike.

So, for me, Thanksgiving is very special this year. Israel is going through difficult times right now, yet there is so much goodness there; it’s a state full of terror, yet one also that epitomizes peace.

I’m thankful that I live in a time when there is a Jewish homeland. I’m hoping that at least for a day I can forget about all the politics and strife and just feel the warmth of the land and its people.

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Editor’s note: Eden Farber, 15, is a sophomore at Yeshiva Atlanta. She was recognized in the Jewish Heritage National Poetry Contest of 2010 and has published op-eds and poetry in Modern Hippie Magazine and the NY Jewish Week’s Fresh Ink for Teens section.

The State of Israel didn’t exist 64 years ago. There was no symbol of Jewish identity, no homeland. There was land, for sure – since biblical times, it’s always been Eretz Yisrael – but there was no Midinat Yisrael, no State of Israel, and no modern homeland for Jews.

What we have in Midinat Yisrael is incredibly great. It’s a spiritual safehaven for everyone outside of it and a home, not just a land, for everyone in it. We never appreciate all that we gain from just knowing that Israel exists.

It breaks my heart to hear about

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NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

Simply put, there have already been attacks and missiles and deaths and terror. I’m scared for Israel. Yet, we can’t only focus on the fear; we must focus on what we have in our Jewish homeland, on what is so valuable to most of us. That’s where Thanksgiving comes in.

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AJT

Community

Peach State Stitchers Tzedakah Project Benefits Breast Cancer Patients SENDING WARM THOUGHTS – AND BLANKETS – TO THOSE IN CHEMO From the Peach State Stitchers

For the Atlanta Jewish Times

M

embers of the Peach State Stitchers, the Atlanta Chapter of the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework, took part in tzedakah benefiting breast cancer patients at Northside Hospital’s Breast Care Center in Atlanta.

With generous contributions by PSS members raising $1,543 as of October, along with in-kind donations of fleece material, the chapter had enough fabric to make 200 soft fleece blankets for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatments.

Additionally, the Stitchers’ community relations committee – under the leadership of co-chairs Arlette Berlin and Carol Katz – met with several area seventh and eighth graders, who made more blankets at special “stitch-ins.”

This project will only grow; the Stitchers plan to reach out to other organizations in the community to help meet the needs of breast cancer patients not only at Northside but potentially also at Piedmont Hospital’s Chemotherapy department and other medical centers.

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

Beyond that, in January 2013, seventh- and eighth-graders at Greenfield Hebrew Academy will be making still more blankets in another PSS-sponsored workshop.

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“Tzedakah, or giving, is commanded to Jewish people by G-d, and there is a huge gratification making these blankets,” she said.

Berlin concurs.

“Something as simple as a warm and cozy fleece blanket can have such a huge impact in easing both physical and emotional side affects patients often experience during treatments,” she said.

“This project reaches patients on a personal level, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.

Whether we get together as a large group or a member makes one alone at home, we are reminded of the fragile nature of life.”

“Members share a common interest in Jewish tradition and desire to create Judaic needlework and fiber projects for family, home, synagogue and other community organizations,” Berlin said. “In keeping with this goal, the Tzedakah Committee was formed out of our desire to make a difference in the lives of those people receiving chemotherapy treatments.”

Editor’s note: For information about the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework or the Peach State Stitchers, Atlanta Chapter, visit pomegranateguild.org, peachstatestitchers.org or write to peachstatestitch@aol.com.

Northside, a regional leader in cancer care, treats more than 3,500 patients each year. Susan Casella, RN, OCN and the hospital’s Breast Care Coordinator – Oncology Services, partially inspired the project when she spoke to the group back in September.

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The rest of the motivation came from the Stitchers themselves.

Peach State Stitchers Atlanta president Jacqueline Granath is proud of what her chapter is doing.

Top and Bottom Photos: Peach State Stitchers work on and deliver warm blankets to patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Middle Photo: The donated blankets had tags with words of encouragement.

PHOTOS/courtesy Flora Rosefsky

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Community

Temple Kehillat Chaim Joins Jewish Orgs Protesting BSA Policy SCOUTS’ POSITIONS CONFLICT WITH JEWISH VALUES Assistant Editor

F

ollowing a national trend, Temple Kehillat Chaim has become the latest Jewish organization to distance themselves from the Boys Scouts of America (BSA) in response to the group’s antigay policies.

“We decided that we would no longer continue to recognize the [Judaic studies] awards… and [no longer] call the students up to the pulpit in order to acknowledge them,” said Kehillat Chaim’s Rabbi Harvey Winokur.

Winokur made it clear that such protests towards the BSA solely concerns matters on the pulpit and during services.

The temple’s board of trustees continues to set policy for the overall congregation; thus, issues such as the synagogue’s acceptance or refusal to host Boy Scout troops remains a responsibility of the trustees.

The BSA has long upheld discriminatory practices against openly gay individuals and has had its right to do so affirmed in court (see the case of Boy Scouts of America v. Dale in 2000).

The organization’s anti-gay stance was brought into public view again last July after a two-year study revisited the controversial issue.

It was not until October’s release by the Oregon Supreme Court of “The Perversion Files” – once-private material which contained a list of the names of openly gay Scout Leaders alongside those linked to instances of pedophilia – that Winokur made the choice to at last begin distancing his synagogue from the BSA.

His timing is also significant with

regards to his congregation. As no TKC member is currently in the process of working towards a Judaic Studies badge, no work will go to waste.

“We wanted it to be cut and dry going forward,” Winokur said. “It’s not as though we’re going to go to a child and say, ‘Well, I know you’re working on an award with us, but now you can’t get a pin.’”

Furthermore, Winokur emphasizes that Scouts will continue to be provided assistance when looking to earn a badge in Judaic studies, even though the temple will not formally recognize the achievement.

“We just felt that it was something separate to support a student…but that when it came to us acting as sort of substitute for Boy Scout Leaders and actually getting a pin and putting it on the child, that we didn’t think that that was appropriate for us,” said Winokur.

Three months prior to his decision, the rabbi researched how other congregations around the country were handling the issue. He could find no consensus.

“It was very clear that the autonomous nature of Jewish life was impacting each and every congregation’s decision,” he said. “Sometimes the rabbi made a decision, and sometimes it was the board committee – it gave us no guidance whatsoever.”

Formal Jewish involvement with the BSA dates as far back as 1916; the National Jewish Council on Scouting was founded in 1926 by Dr. Cyrus Adler. Today, Jewish organizations sponsor some 277 of the nearly 124,000 Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs nationwide.

The relationship between the BSA and the Jewish community remained largely stable until BSA v. Dale. In 2001, the Religious Action Center of

Reform Judaism along with the Joint Commission on Social Action of the Reform movement encouraged Reform synagogues to refrain from sponsoring Scout troops.

Following the BSA’s reaffirmation of their policy earlier this year, chairman of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting A.J. Kreimer released a statement expressing his disappointment.

“This position has taxed Scouting’s relationship with the Jewish community,” Kreimer wrote.

Also in reaction to the BSA’s discriminatory policies, Louisiana synagogue The Touro withdrew from participation in the Scouts’ annual “Ten Commandments Hike” to places of worship in the community, and New Jersey Jewish day school The Golda Och Academy announced that it will no longer host troops as of this October.

dissatisfaction, but some feel that protesting will only negatively affect Jewish Scouts without producing results.

“I do believe it’s worth it, to have some conviction,” said local Scout Leader Leslie Litt. “But the problem is, we are just such a minority that the BSA is not going to change their policies just based on 1 percent of the entire group.”

Although their influence may be limited, the number of Jewish organizations actively objecting to the BSA’s anti-gay stance continues to rise.

“We as a clergy – myself and the cantor – would continue to work with students who want to work on religious awards,” Winokur said. “But we would not be the ones to pin on or present the patches or pins, whether or not we were on the pulpit or off the pulpit.”

It would seem most of the Jewish community is in agreement with such

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NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

BY ELIZABETH FRIEDLY

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AJT

education

Yeshiva Atlanta Students Take Part in Honor Council PARTNERING WITH FACULTY FOR A BETTER SCHOOL From Yeshiva Atlanta

For the Atlanta Jewish Times

I

n an exciting and important move, Yeshiva Atlanta High School has restructured its Honor Council to include student representatives, thereby giving the students increased responsibility for overseeing their voices and actions.

Honesty and academic integrity are a given at Yeshiva Atlanta, but, as at any high school, there are rare instances in which a student’s behavior or academic integrity does not quite meet expectations. To address these fairly and expeditiously, the school last year created an Honor Council to deal with “major offenses” such as academic dishonesty, bullying or disrespectful behavior.

Adding students to the school Honor Council is fully consistent with Yeshiva Atlanta’s long-held and oft repeated expectation that its students conduct themselves as b’nei Torah at all times, both in school and out of

school. As the school’s Parent-Student Handbook notes, each student’s behavior “should reflect self-respect and consideration for the rights, feelings, and property of others.”

In reflecting on the importance of having an Honor Council, Dr. Paul Oberman, Yeshiva’s Head of School, noted that “it was always our intent to have student representation on it, but last year’s upper class students had some reservations about this.

“So we decided to operate for a year with faculty only and then revisit the issue,” he continued. “We hoped that once the students became more familiar and comfortable with the Honor Council, they would be more willing to be a part of it.”

This change in format was implemented in September. Whereas the Honor Council formerly consisted of five faculty members only (with one serving as chairperson), this year’s group was revamped to include three students and three faculty members, plus a faculty Chairperson who only votes to break a tie.

Student response to this reworking of the Honor Council has been extremely positive. In the end, nine students ran for seats; using a preference ballot, three were elected to the Honor Council, and two were designated as alternates, to serve in case of schedule conflict, illness or need for recusal.

Joey Siegel, one of the student representatives, acknowledged the magnitude of the change.

“By giving us seats on the Honor Council, the school has really given students a chance to be heard,” he said. “Not just those who come before the Honor Council, but those of us who are on it and who are helping to shape school policy.”

Noam Gal, another student representative, agreed.

“At first, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about judging other students and proposing consequences for misbehavior or cheating,” she said. “But having been through the process a few times, I feel like I’m making Yeshiva a better school and a better place for all our students.”

The faculty members of the Honor Council understand and appreciate the impact the student representatives have had so far.

“I have been very impressed with the student’s maturity, their input and their perspectives,” Rabbi Moshe Rose observed. “In my estimation, student presence on the Honor Council is a very positive thing.”

Expressing Gratitude at Epstein School TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS GIVE THANKS From the Epstein School

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For the Atlanta Jewish Times

s we share a wonderful meal with our families at Thanksgiving, it is important that we reflect upon the many gifts G-d has provided us: our family, friends, freedom and health.

At The Epstein School, young students like those in the new Transitional Kindergarten program have spent Epstein Transitional Kindergarten students time reflecting on Zach Schwartz (Left) and Davis Seitz.(Right) the many things they appreciate. The youngsters answered the question, “What are you thankful for?”

• “My Mommy and Daddy because they read me stories,” said Samantha Dubovy.

• “My school because my teachers and friends are in it,” offered Zach Schwartz.

• “I am thankful for when Ms. Cohen teaches because I love TK!” proclaimed Darin Goodman.

• “Having a nice sister because she plays with me,” smiled Davis Seitz.

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

• “All my friends,” responded Graham Gingold.

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• “My Mom and Dad and my house,” declared Joshua Greenberg.

• “For my friends,” stated Sagiv Avigal.

The Transitional Kindergarten Program is designed to provide a developmentally appropriate learning environment for young kindergarteners; it emphasizes instructional strategies tailored academically, socially and emotionally to each child.

Editor’s note: For more information, contact Director of Admissions Susan Berk at (404) 250-5607 or sberk@epsteinatlanta.org or Early Childhood Program Principal Cathy Borenstein at (404) 250-5661 or cborenstein@epsteinatlanta.org.

AJT

education

GHA Mitzvah Clowning Program Brings Joy to Elderly STUDENTS AND FACULTY TRANSFORM TO SPREAD SMILES AJT Contributor

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rmed with balloons and pumps, a group of special clowns were on a mission.

They stepped into Sunrise at Huntcliff Summit and made the day very special for the senior residents.

The elderly men and women were wide-eyed with surprise as they were surrounded by a giggling gaggle of clowns, ready to make balloon animals on request and share smiley face stickers.

Areyvut, which Rothner founded in 2002, is a nonprofit organization with the mission of leading Jewish youths to infuse their lives with the core Jewish values of chesed (kindness), tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (social action). The hope is that these values will help the youngsters grow into thoughtful, giving members of the Jewish community.

dance with the GHA dress code. Go figure!

By working with Jewish day schools, educators, synagogues and community centers, Areyvut offers opportunities for empowerment and enrichment to youth by creating inno-

Upon the troupe’s arrival, none of the residents could tell that any of the clowns might have been a little nervous under the greasepaint. They mingled with the crowd, smiling, chatting and posing for pictures.

What’s more, the group was no longer chaperoned by Rabbi Buckman, Principal Leah Summers, and math teacher Jennifer Klein; now they were led by Cherry, Sunshine and Rainbow. All piled into the waiting cars, ready to visit a senior living facility in Roswell.

“They are adorable!” Joyce Carlton said, enjoying her fancy balloon hat.

When the time came to leave, the Mitzvah Clowns waved goodbye and promised to return soon. Then they reported back to GHA to learn how to remove their clown makeup (the secret is baby oil) and discuss what they

Gavriella Jutan, as Mr. Wacko, smiles with Joyce Carlton.

Resident Claire Reingold was excited to meet Bubbles and Potato, who were offering stickers and smiles.

“Oh, I love clowns!” she exclaimed.

“They’re so cheerful. I even collect them!”

Nearby, a group of clowns clustered around Rose Druid, who was in a wheelchair. Rainbow the Clown announced that Rose would be celebrating her 100th birthday soon.

The clowns were new on the job.

Just that morning, a group of students at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy had come to school on a Sunday to participate in a Mitzvah Clown workshop. They sacrificed a day off to do a mitzvah.

The project was born of a fortuitous coincidence: Head of School, Rabbi Lee Buckman, shared a table at recent job fair with the founder and director of Areyvut, Daniel Rothner.

“We got to talking, and I told Rabbi Buckman about our Mitzvah Clowning project,” Rothner said. “He was intrigued.”

had experienced.

“It made me feel great,” said Aaron Solomiany, “because we gave up our time to care for people.”

Rothner reminded the students that attitude was more important than technique, and told the group how special they are.

“This school is not a normal place – and I mean that in the best way!”

Rothner said. “What a wonderful, talented group.

“And the fact that the school leadership also participated in the program says a lot about the partnership that the administration has with the students.”

Editor’s note: Leah Levy is a paraprofessional at GHA and the author of “The Waiting Wall,” a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for 2010.

PHOTO/courtesy Leah Levy

vative and meaningful programs. One of these projects is the aforementioned Mitzvah Clowning, through which GHA students were trained in some standard clowning techniques, such as how to apply clown makeup, and how to make balloon animals.

More importantly, the program also stressed to the students why mitzvah clowning and similar good deeds are so important. Participants studied sources from Jewish texts on visiting the sick and elderly and reviewed guidelines for how to interact with people who are ill or have special needs.

By 3 p.m., the students had been completely transformed. The group that had once consisted of fifth-graders Gavriella Jutan, Jaren Linowes, Avi Price and Jordyn McGrath; sixthgrader Aaron Solomiany; and seventh-grader Nadav Yeglin had disappeared, and in their place stood Mr. Wacko, Supercali, Bubbles, Potato, Cocoa, Flower and Happy.

The brightly colored satin clown outfits they wore were not in accor-

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

By Leah Levy

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Atlanta Synagogue Directory

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CHABAD Chabad Intown 928 Ponce De Leon Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306 www.chabadintown.org 404.898.0434

Congregation Beth Shalom 5303 Winters Chapel Rd. Atlanta, GA 30360 www.bshalom.net 770.399.5300

Guardians of the Torah P.O. Box 767981 Roswell, GA 30076 www.guardiansofthetorah.org 770.286.3477

The Kehilla of Sandy Springs 5075 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30342 www.thekehilla.org 404.913.6131

Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Rd. Roswell, GA 30075 www.bethtikvah.com 770.642.0434

Chabad Israel Center 5188 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30324 www.cicatlanta.com 404.252.9508

Congregation B’nai Torah 700 Mount Vernon Hwy. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.bnaitorah.org 404.257.0537

Young Israel of Toco Hills 2074 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.yith.org 404.315.1417

Temple Emanu-El 1580 Spalding Dr. Atlanta, GA 30350 www.templeemanuelatlanta.org 770.395.1340

Chabad Jewish Center 4255 Wade Green Rd. Suite 120 Kennesaw, GA 30144 www.jewishwestcobb.com 678.460.7702

Congregation Etz Chaim 1190 Indian Hills Pkwy Marietta, GA 30068 www.etzchaim.net 770.973.0137

Nediv Lev: the Free Synagogue of Atlanta 3791 Mill Creek Ct. Atlanta, GA 30341 My.att.net/p/PWP-NedivLev 770.335.2311

Reconstructionist Congregation Bet Haverim 2676 Clairmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.congregationbethaverim.org 404.315.6446

Temple Kehillat Chaim 1145 Green St. Roswell, GA 30075 www.kehillatchaim.org 770.641.8630

Chabad of Cobb 4450 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA 30068 www.chabadofcobb.com 770.565.4412 Chabad of Gwinnett 3855 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Suite 770 Norcross, GA 30092 www.chabadofgwinnett.org 678.595.0196 Chabad of North Fulton 10180 Jones Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.chabadnf.org 770.410.9000 Congregation Beth Tefillah 5065 High Point Rd. Atlanta, GA 30342 www.chabadga.com 404.257.9306 Conservative

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

Ahavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. Atlanta, GA 30327 www.aasynagogue.org 404.355.5222

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Congregation Gesher L’Torah 4320 Kimball Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.gltorah.org 770.777.4009 Congregation Or Hadash 6751 Roswell Rd. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.or-hadash.org 404.250.3338 Congregation Shearith Israel 1180 University Dr. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.shearithisrael.com 404.873.1743 Non-denominational Atlanta Chevre Minyan Druid Forest Clubhouse North Crossing Dr. Atlanta, GA 30305 www.atlantachevreminya.org Congregation Shema Yisrael 6065 Roswell Rd., #3018 Atlanta, GA 30328 www.shemaweb.org 404.943.1100

Shalom B’harim 150 Warwick Street Dahlonega, GA 30533 www.shalombharim.org 706.864.0801 Orthodox Anshi S’Fard Congregation 1324 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.anshisfard.com 404.874.4513 Congregation Ariel 5237 Tilly Mill Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.congariel.org 770.390.9071 Congregation Beth Jacob 1855 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.bethjacobatlanta.org 404.633.0551 Congregation Beth Yitzhak 5054 Singleton Rd. Norcross, GA 30093 770.931.4567 Email: anatoliy@bjca.com Congregation Ner Hamizrach 1858 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.nerhamizrach.org 404.315.9020

Reform Congregation B’nai Israel 1633 Hwy 54 E Jonesboro, GA 30238 www.bnai-israel.net 678.817.7162 Congregation Dor Tamid 11165 Parsons Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 www.dortamid.org 770.623.8860 Congregation Ner Tamid 176 West Sandtown Rd. Marietta, GA 30064 www.nertamidonline.com 678.264.8575 Congregation Rodeph Sholom 406 East 1st Street Rome, GA 30161 www.rodephsholomga.org (706) 291-6315 Temple Beth David 1885 Mcgee Rd. Snellville, GA 30078 www.gwinnetttemple.com 770.978.3916

Temple Kol Emeth 1415 Old Canton Rd. Marietta, GA 30062 www.kolemeth.net 770.973.3533 Temple Sinai 5645 Dupree Dr. Sandy Springs, GA 30327 www.templesinatlanta.org 404.252.3073 The Temple 1589 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 www.the-temple.org 404.873.1731 SEPHARDIC Congregation Or VeShalom 1681 North Druid Hills Rd. Atlanta, GA 30319 www.orveshalom.org 404.633.1737 Traditional Congregation Shaarei Shamayim 1810 Briarcliff Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.shaareishamayeim.com 404.417.0472

AJT

parenting tips

Parenting Advice for Troubling Times TALKING ABOUT CONFLICT IN ISRAEL WITH YOUR CHILDREN For the Atlanta Jewish Times

T

he uncertainty and stress of the current situation in Israel affects all of us and has a significant impact on our children. Parents, teachers and other caregivers need to be aware that, in times like this, children require an enhanced sense of security.

For children, security comes from relationships – particularly those with their parents, teachers and caregivers. Children need a safe place to be able to voice their concerns and to be heard. It is important to listen to all their feelings, no matter their age.

Your child may wish to share his or her feelings or discuss the events with you at home. We have included some recommendations for you in helping your child.

Please be aware: • What we worry about and how we worry as adults is often very different from how our children worry.

• What children worry about will vary depending on their age.

• If you listen to your children’s questions and observe their behavior, you will have a better idea of what they are concerned about.

• Because children depend on the adults around them for safety and security, it is important for the adults to take care of themselves in order to take care of the children.

What questions are my children likely to have?

• Our children’s questions provide an excellent opportunity to learn what they are thinking and feeling. It is by listening carefully to their queries that we can begin to help them navigate a sometimesfrightening world.

• Often what children need most is someone whom they trust who will listen to their questions, accept their feelings and be there for them. Don’t worry about knowing

exactly the right thing to say – there is no answer that will make everything okay.

• If children do express anxiety and concern about loss, they may be most concerned about the safety and stability of their immediate world of family, friends and other important figures in their lives.

Focus on these concerns first.

• If your children ask questions about loss, ask for their thoughts and feelings first so that you can respond to the specific details of their concerns.

for them, children may try to hide their feelings and become overwhelmed as they try to deal with their worries alone.

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What if this discussion upsets them?

• Make sure your children realize it is okay to show you when they are upset. When they do, you have helped them take the important first steps in tolerating and coping with strong feelings and scary thoughts. If there is no one there

Editor’s note: The Epstein School faculty collaborated to offer these tips to parents.

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• While none of us can guarantee absolute and permanent safety in an uncertain world, it is vital for parents and caregivers to act as a buffer between vulnerable and frightened children and a world they can’t be expected to fully understand.

• It is natural that your children may get upset when talking about scary or disturbing things. As a parent, being able to listen to your children’s frightening ideas and feelings demonstrates your strength and unshakeable commitment to them.

• You don’t need to wait until your children show signs of distress.

Trust your instincts and seek advice whenever you think it might be helpful.

• If your children continue to seem unusually upset for several days, or if they’re having trouble in school, trouble at home or with their friends, then it is a good idea to speak with someone outside the family for advice. You may wish to

• Respond to questions with the factual information that is available to you. The degree of detail children want and need to know will depend on their age and the specific nature of their concerns.

• When upsetting things happen, it is a good idea to be ready to talk with your children. At first, older children may tell you that they don’t want to or need to discuss it. In most cases, it is not a good idea to force your children to talk with you, but instead keep the door open for them to come back and discuss their thoughts and concerns about it later.

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AJT

Food for Thought

What’s Cooking This Holiday Season COOKBOOK REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

BY SUZI BROZMAN

Fishbein recently told me how she laid the book out:

T

“The upfront section, the playbook, takes one third of the book,” she said.

“It tells you what to do with the leftovers, to make them into something different; [these are] cool and exciting things to do when you’ve already spent the money and time. I want people to have that in mind.”

AJT Contributor

ired of the same old same old holiday recipes? Our seasonal cookbook roundup offers a plethora of recipes, presentation ideas and even 160 non-dairy kosher desserts to top off your festive meals.

Kosher by Design

She went on to explain her game plan for each individual section. For example, she has dedicated a certain amount of space solely to understanding meat and its preparation.

How she does it is beyond me! This book is, in my mind, what Julia Child’s books were to our mothers’ generation, a must-have volume to read, absorb and use over and over again.

What a perfect gift when you’re invited out during the holidays.

Healthy and Tasty

taste rich but don’t cost a fortune.

“This book is the culmination of all my life’s work,” said Kirschenbaum. “It fits my philosophy of cooking. I made a $12 meal that looked like a hundred bucks – not a cheap imitation of a seven-layer cake, but a real cabbage cake, a chocolate cake. I do real things; no powders, no imitations.”

Kirschenbaum believes in quick, healthy meals; economical, sensible and cheap, for which you can buy the ingredients around the corner. Every page of her cookbook reflects this attitude.

Each spread features explicit, easy-to-follow instructions, explanations of ingredients and methods, mouthwatering photos and foods from all over the world, many with a pronounced Moroccan accent, reflecting her birthplace.

Every one of us can profit from her genius with great ingredients, simple cooking methods and just pure common sense.

Dairy-Free Recipes

Susie Fishbein continues her trademark “Kosher by Design” series with “Cooking Coach: Recipes, Tips and Techniques to Make Anyone a Better Cook” (Artscroll, $36.99).

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

“If I don’t like it, I don’t cook it, and I don’t write it. It’s how I feed my family,” Fishbein said. “This book is modern, quick and easy, colorful – what my readers expect from me. I like the freedom to reach out and grab and turn out fabulous results.”

I know that I personally want the ability to take fresh, simple ingredients and make them look like they’d been served by a world-class chef. Fittingly, that’s half the fun of the book; your cooking skills are brought up a notch when you can present dishes 16 that look as great as they taste.

I can’t promise you’ll be on television, but I’m pretty sure you’ll come up with some very fabulous desserts from “The Kosher Baker.” Reading it was like reading a novel; I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

The book is divided into three sections, from quick and easy to two-step to multiple-step desserts and breads, all accessible, with easy-to-follow recipes and plenty of how-to pictures. I was most interested in how to substitute non-dairy ingredients for butter, cream cheese, cream and milk.

Shoyer explains what to do, but reminds us that every recipe is unique and that if you try to use your old favorites with Tofutti and other nondairy substitutes, you may have to experiment before finding success.

That’s why her book is so great.

She’s done the work and has published only the gems – the recipes your guests will beg for. Whether you share is up to you, but as for me, this book is going to be on my gift list for favorite people.

The flavor profiles Shoyer creates are innovative and unique, like adding rosemary to lemon biscotti. She looks for trends, like green tea powder or olive oil in baked goods.

And she means it! This volume, similar in style to her seven previous volumes, is full of educational photos that show you how to accomplish kitchen magic.

There are tips on the best equipment to use, charts on how to pick the right meat for the right job, Susieinspired secrets to make your dishes look delectable and even inventive ways to use leftovers.

If the author’s name sounds familiar, you might have seen her on Food Network’s “Sweet Genius,” in the episode for which the secret ingredients were chili sauce, jelly beans, curry power, ostrich eggs and durian.

Second on my list is “The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen: Glorious Meals Pure & Simple” (Levana Cooks, $48), foodie and restaurateur Levana Kirschenbaum’s contribution to healthy, tasty eating.

No, it’s not affiliated with the supermarket of a similar name, but their philosophies are just the same: For the best results, use the best, freshest and least-processed starters.

The best word I can think of for Levana’s food is “clean.” It’s all about pure ingredients, simple tastes and exquisitely beautiful food you’ll be both proud to serve and contented to eat. While her restaurant caters to an upscale crowd, her cookbook tells people how to make things that look and

If you try the baklava, please let me know how it works. The chocolate almost-toffee bars sound heavenly and easy. Or maybe go for the cranberry pumpkin frangipane tart, the chocolate mousse truffle cake or molten chocolate cakes.

Next, we have one of the most exciting concepts out there. I love to bake, but having made a commitment to the kosher life, I’ve had to jettison most of my butter-laden recipes, since you can’t serve milk after a meat meal (and most Shabbat meals tend to be meat-based).

A Stylist’s Dream

Imagine my joy when Paula Shoyer’s new book, “The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy” (Brandeis University Press, $35), appeared on my desk. continued on the next page

AJT

Food for Thought

continued from the previous page

This book is a food stylist’s dream, fun to leaf through without ever looking at the recipes. But once you look, you’re hooked: From scallion quinoa patties with lemon garlic paprika aioli to powdered chocolate wontons with caramel sauce, every recipe looks tantalizing – to make, to serve and to eat.

There are some amazing serving ideas as well, like making ice bowls for serving sherbet or ice cream. And how about fruit tartare, gorgeous chocolate gift ideas or gefilte fish gift squares?

With “CHIC,” you’ll be set to not only entertain for months to come; you’ll wow your guests at every meal.

I was especially intrigued by the simplicity of the recipes; there weren’t too many ingredients, nothing too hard to follow, and the photos gave me some great presentation ideas, which I can use with any recipe.

In today’s world, as got-to-topthat cooking shows and food columns proliferate, books like Deutsch’s (as well as the others reviewed here) are a blessed relief, a reminder that good food doesn’t have to be fussy food; that we don’t need complex sauces to make fresh, clean food taste wonderful; and that jarring taste combinations don’t always work.

Deutsch delivers just what she promises – food that’s fresh, fast and fabulous.

Southern Cooking

And now, closer to home – but a universe away from kosher cooking – is the new book “Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking” (Gibbs Smith, $45), co-authored by Atlanta cooks and cookbook authors Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart and featuring a foreword by Pat Conroy.

You might remember Nathalie from her days as Rich’s resident culinary expert. Cynthia was the producer for Nathalie’s early cooking show, and they’ve been friends and collaborators ever since.

At over 700 pages, “Mastering” is heavy lifting, but not heavy reading – its stories and descriptions are a delight, and they convey the spirit of the South flawlessly.

Grits pudding? Not everybody’s taste. But the old “1-2-3-4” cake is a reminder of the way our mothers baked and taught us in turn.

And what cookbook could call itself Southern without a Coca-Cola (or, as my daddy said, “Co-cola”) cake with Coca-Cola icing?

Skip the shellfish recipes and head for the whole sautéed trout in butter pecan sauce or the sautéed flounder strips with raisins and pecans – there are detailed photos and descriptions of how to skin and fillet fish.

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Beyond that, lots of vegetarian soups and vegetable recipes, biscuits and other meatless ideas will attract the innovative chef lurking inside you.

Graubart, who attended the University of Georgia, lives in Atlanta and sent her children to the Davis Academy, knows her readership will enjoy the entirety of the work.

“With 1000 recipes, we wanted to keep them short, but we can’t make the assumption that people know what they’re doing,” Graubart explained. “We have to teach people.”

And so they’ve done here, with crystal-clear, easy-to-follow recipes and easily obtainable ingredients.

One word: Yum!

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For some really unique treats, check out “CHIC Made Simple: Fresh, Fast, Fabulous Kosher Cuisine” (Feldheim, $36.99). The title sounds like a tall order to live up to, but author Esther Deutsch pulls it off.

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AJT

MATZAH BALL SOUP FOR THE SOUL

Climbing the Ladder GETTING ABOVE IT ALL AND TRUSTING G-D

By Rachel LaVictoire

T

AJT Contributor he sky is blue; everyone learns that at a very young age. The sky is blue, the grass is green and the clouds are white.

When you draw your parents a picture to hang on the refrigerator, you scribble green squiggles at the bottom and blue ones at the top. Then, you take your white colored pencil and make Ushaped lines that wrap in a circle to make a cloud.

But then, when you get older, you learn that the sky isn’t blue at all. It looks blue because of the way that the gas molecules in the air absorb and radiate light. And clouds are not white; they’re accumulations of water molecules that reflect sunlight. In the duration of one science class, your basic knowledge of the world around you is torn to shreds.

When I was little, I used to love this week’s Torah portion, Vayeitzei. It tells the story of Jacob’s dream about angels and the ladder that reaches to heaven.

I always imagined the ladder to be either gold or a rich wood, like mahogany. I don’t know why. Then, you have

these angels, which of course I can’t help but picture anything much different than the angel I see on the costume wall at Party City.

So you have this ornate ladder that starts at the ground, “the top reaching the heavens” (Genesis 28:12), and little white angels going up and down. It was weird and abstract and beautiful and confusing all at the same time.

What was once a gorgeous dream, though, has recently become an arena for questioning. Angels can fly, so why do they need a ladder? If G-d is everywhere, then why would the ladder go up so far? Is there anything at the top of the ladder?

There’s a slight discomfort in questioning this story that I used to find so enchanting. But it’s important to question and to learn, so let’s see if we can debunk this mystery.

Because it’s a very basic Jewish belief that G-d is everywhere, I am going to assume that the ladder does not, in fact, lead to G-d. So, then, why climb to the sky?

I’m taking a course this semester called “Thinking About Religion,” and we actually just covered a section cov-

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times shabbat blessings Blessing for the Candles Baruch Arah A-do-nai,El-o-hei-nu Melech Haolam Asher Kid-shanu b’mitzvotav V’zivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space.

You hallow us with Your mitzvot and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

Blessing for thw Wine Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu Meelech Haolam, Borei p’ri hagafen

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Praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessing for the Bread (Challah) Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu Melech haolam, Hamotzi Lechem min haaretz.

Our Praise to You Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Friday, November 23, 2012 Light Candles at: 5:12 pm Shabbat, November 24, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:09 pm Friday, November 30, 2012 Light Candles at: 5:10 pm Shabbat, December 1, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:08 pm Friday, December 7, 2012 Light Candles at: 5:10 pm Shabbat, December 8, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:09 pm Friday, December 14, 2012 Light Candles at: 5:11 pm Shabbat, December 15, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:10 pm

ering meanings of sky as they pertain to religion. Our textbook says the sky symbolizes six different things: transcendence, omniscience, regularity, power, fertility and ascension.

I don’t think it’s necessary to decide which of these things our ladder leads to, nor do I think I’m capable of making such a decision. I can say that, aside from fertility, we pursue all six of these things in our daily lives – in going to school, cleaning up your desk, running for that board position and striving for that promotion. Each corresponds to a small step towards eventual omniscience, regularity, power and ascension.

Transcendence may be a little bit more of a stretch, but here’s a try: Studying, practicing, working, reading and exercising are all things that people do daily in order to better themselves. The end goal is to be the best “you” possible; anything beyond that, and you’ve reached transcendence, experiencing something beyond what is physically possible. So it would seem that the ladder connects us, on earth, to our ultimate goals, in the sky.

but the whole time he spoke, I was still in a frozen panic over the whole sheet.

He’d tell me to take it in little bites, but that was something I never understood, and I would usually end up yelling at him and crying out of frustration.

And that was just fourth grade math. How do you think I deal with these larger things like transcendence, omniscience, regularity, power and ascension? Not well.

I think it’s safe to assume, though, that everyone struggles with long-term, overarching goals. How nice would it be if we were given a straight path with clear steps that led us to our eventual achievement? Maybe, say, a ladder?

Jacob’s dream is a message about all of this. Yes, angels can fly, but they walk up and down the ladder to show us the path and just how simple it is.

So, if the sky is our goal, the ladder is our path and the angels are depictions of G-d, then the message is as follows: Have faith in G-d, and He will lead you and ensure you succeed in whatever you do.

With all of that in mind, I would like you to think about the month ahead.

For students, the future looks bleak: The upcoming weeks will consist of late nights cooped up in the library trying to finish final papers and study for exams.

At times, it will seem unbearable, borderline claustrophobic with the hundreds of notecards, stacks of textbooks, months’ worth of notes and overwhelming feeling that you just can’t do it all.

Editor’s note: Rachel LaVictoire (rlavictoire@wustl.edu) is a graduate of the Davis Academy and Westminster High School, recipient of the prestigious Nemerov Writing and Thomas H. Elliott Merit scholarships at Washington University of St. Louis and an active member of Temple Emanu-El and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of

Even in the fourth grade, I used to get panic attacks about work. I would look at a math worksheet, and a wave of anxiety would run through my body.

The numbers, the variables, the x over the number, the paragraph-long word problem, and then the numbers that just sat innocently on the side of the page telling you which was problem No. 1 and which was problem No. 7…they’d all spin. I kid you not, I would feel like those numbers were moving, just trying to make my work more difficult.

THIS IS YOUR JEWISH COMMUNITY AND JEWISH ATLANTA GETS ITS NEWS HERE. EVERY WEEK.

My dad would always try to sit down and help me. He’d isolate the first one,

Atlanta.

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D’var Torah

Parashat Vayetze SEEKING AND FINDING G-D IN BOTH GOOD AND BAD TIMES

BY RABBI MARK ZIMMERMAN

O

For the Atlanta Jewish Times ur forefather Jacob sure had an exhilarating life. It was filled with twists and turns, challenges and triumphs, anguish and grief. It certainly was never dull.

In this week’s Torah portion, we find Jacob on the run, fleeing from the rage of his brother Esau. On the way to Haran, exhausted and forlorn, he takes a stone as a pillow and has his famous dream of a ladder set upon the earth, its top reaching into the heavens, and on it, angels ascending and descending.

G-d appears in the dream and tells Jacob: “I am the Lord, the G-d of Abraham, your father, and the G-d

vah, or after the birth of a grandchild.

Powerful moments such as these can ignite a spark in our souls that fill us with awe, and can make us exceptionally G-d-aware.

Unfortunately, though, it’s not only the pleasant things in life that can result in such an epiphany. For Jacob, it was being alone in the wilderness, far away from home, on the run and feeling horribly vulnerable and abandoned. G-d’s promise seems to offer him only a slim hope, and in Jacob’s reply, we see his underlying fears and worries bubbling up to the surface.

are not afraid when we do need help, and so that we don’t become arrogant or selfish when we are prospering, either. In that way, our lives can always be full of light and hope, and our actions marked by derech eretz, respect, generosity and kindness.

Editor’s note: Rabbi Zimmerman writes from Congregation Beth Shalom and is a member of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association.

And so, Jacob proceeds to ask G-d for two things: lechem le’echol u’veged lilbosh; bread to eat and clothing to wear. He is worried about the future, or more specifically, he is worried about his future.

F o r some of us, it is only at times such as these, when we are panicked and fearful about the future, that we are moved to seek out G-d and to ponder whether our life holds any real meaning.

“Know that I am with you, will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob wakes from his dream, he makes a very powerful declaration: Achen yesh Adonai b’makom hazeh v’anochi lo yadati, “Surely G-d is present in this place and I did not know it!”

Looking to Him This beautiful sentiment has captured the attention of rabbis and theologians for centuries. It is a reflection of Jacob’s profound experience of G-d-awareness; a heightened sense of things that we all strive for in our own lives.

Occasionally, we too experience such powerful moments when we are filled with an awareness of G-d’s presence. Perhaps it occurs on our wedding day, during a child’s bar or bat mitz-

I am always fascinated by people I meet who proudly describe themselves as “not at all religious,” yet who in the midst of a family crisis seek out G-d with unmatched vigor. I imagine it’s only natural for us to appeal to G-d and search for answers when we are anguished and confused. There is no reason to be ashamed of that.

But let us not forget that seeking the presence of G-d can enrich our lives in so many ways, even when things are good and there is no crisis.

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Always Thankful Eventually, it is the challenges and agonies that Jacob experiences throughout his tumultuous life that cause him to grow up and become “Israel,” the one for whom the Jewish people are named.

Hopefully, it will not take such struggles to make us G-d-aware or to become thankful for the goodness that we have been privileged to enjoy in our own lives. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us rejoice and learn to truly appreciate our many blessings.

G-d wants us to remember the good that has been done for us so that we

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

of Isaac. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the West and to the East, to the North and to the South; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and your offspring.

lI NE ST W IN G

“Powerful moments can ignite a spark in our souls that fill us with awe, and can make us exceptionally G-d-aware.”

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AJT

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Fri., Nov. 23 Making it Count: Atlanta Jewish Teen Foundation, opportunity now open through a series of 11 sessions giving high school students the chance to give to a non-profit. Applications due Nov. 23.

Apply at jewishatlanta.org/teenfoundation. For more information, call (678) 222-3716.

Tues., Nov. 27 Rosh Chodesh Course, “It’s About Time: Kabbalistic Insights for Taking Charge of Your Life,” monthly meetings.

Next session on Tues., Nov. 27. Jewish Learning Center. chabadga.com.

Fri., Nov. 30 Etz Chaim Scholar-in-Residence, weekend of events featuring Dr. Michael Berenbaum: “The Holocaust: Are We Making Too Much of It, Too Little of It, and Where Does It Get Us?” Begins Fri., Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim. Register at etzchaim.net/lilmodereg.aspx.

Flip Into Shabbat, meet gymnastics coaches while enjoying a foam pit, games and a trampoline. Fri., Nov. 30, 5 p.m. Open to community. MJCCA’s Zaban Park Gymnastics Pavilion. brian. glusman@atlantajcc.org.

Sat., Dec. 1 Chanukah Pajamakah, Festival of Lights celebration including songs, stories, treats, prizes and more. Children invited to wear pajamas. Open to community. Buckhead Barnes & Noble. brian. glusman@atlantajcc.org.

Sun., Dec. 2 Chanukkah Bazaar, ideas on what to wear with tons of local fashion vendors.

Raffle prizes. Sun., Dec. 2, 9 a.m. Congregation Gesher L’Torah. (770) 7774009.

Men’s Club Brunch & Speaker, AIPAC “U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation: Working Together to Protect Lives Worldwide” presented by Dr. Robert Friedmann.

Sun., Dec. 2, 10 a.m. Congregation Beth Shalom. (770) 399-5300.

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

Ground Breaking Ceremony, Jeff & Carrla Goldstein Youth and Education Center. Sun., Dec. 2, 11:30 a.m. Congregation Beth Tefillah. (404) 843-2464.

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Celebration of the 19th of Kislev, with guests speakers Rabbi Tzvi and Mrs. Nomi Freeman and a special video presentation. Sun., Dec. 2, 8 p.m. Free.

Chabad of Cobb. RSVP by Nov. 29 to office@chabadofcobb.com.

Folk Music Concert, Balalaika Fantasie with music from Russian, Gypsy and Jewish cultures. Sun., Dec. 2, 4 p.m. $5/person, free for ages 12 & under. Congregation Shearith Israel. (770) 873-1743.

Sponsored by

Mon., Dec. 3 Teen Open Mic, AJMF’s series continues with the chance for young people to perform for a live audience. Mon., Dec. 3, 5 p.m. MJCCA. (678) 812-3974 or chloe.ramsey@atlantajcc.org.

Tues., Dec. 4 “Inspiring Visions” Film & Conversation, on education and human rights with Dr. Joyce Ladner. Guided tour and screening of “From Swastika to Jim Crow.” Tues., Dec. 4, 6 p.m. Free. The Breman Museum. RSVP to inspiringvisionsatthebreman.eventbrite.com.

Glass Fusion Mezuzah Making, with the Women’s Circle. Tues., Dec. 4, 7 p.m. $12/person. Chabad of Cobb. RSVP

by Nov. 29 to (770) 565-4412.

Thurs., Dec. 6 Taste of Judaism, two-part class for those curious about Jewish tradition designed for beginners. Free and open to all. Thurs., Dec. 6, 7 p.m. MJCCA. (678) 812-3723 or laurie.finkelstein@atlantajcc.org.

Hanukkah Party, celebrate with Etz Aviv’s gift exchange, presents valued up to $10. Food will be provided. Thurs., Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. $10/person cover.

Private residence. RSVP by Nov. 26 to (678) 445-9212.

Fri., Dec. 7 Playgroup with a Purpose, baby playgroup sing along. Held twice a month at differing locations. Fri., Dec. 7, 11 a.m.

The William Breman Jewish Home and the Cohen Home. RSVP to Shauna at (404) 351-8410.

Shabbat in the Orient, enjoy gourmet cuisine, singing, children’s programs, and Jewish storytelling. Fri., Dec. 7. $28/ adults, $14/children 7-12, $8/children 3-6. Chabad of Cobb. RSVP at chabadofcobb.com.

Sat., Dec. 8 Education Series “False Messiahs,” with Rachel Lazarus. Enjoy a Kiddush lunch. Sat., Dec. 8, 12:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Shalom. (770) 399-5300.

Sun., Dec. 9 Hanukkah Party, games, activities and projects. Stay for lunch afterwards. Sun., Dec. 9, 12 p.m. $10/adults or kids 11+, $7/kids 3-10, free for ages 3 and under.

Congregation Beth Shalom. RSVP at cbshalom.wufoo.com/forms/cbs-hanukkah-party.

Chanukah Wonderland, fair and kid’s wonderland with cookie decorating, crafts and shopping. Sun., Dec. 9, 12:30 p.m. $5/child. Congregation Beth Tefillah. (404) 843-2464.

TELL & KVELL

Weddings Levya-Kasriel

T

ania Ariadna Celis Leyva and Joseph Aaron Kasriel were married at The Temple on Aug. 2, 2012 with Rabbi Rachael Bregman officiating.

Tania is the daughter of Carmina Leyva Pineda and Roberto Gasperin of Alpharetta.

Joe is the son of Catherine and David Kasriel of Atlanta.

Tania’s best friend, Theresa Foster, was the Maid of Honor, and Joe’s brother, Dan Kasriel, was the Best Man. Also in attendance were Tania’s sister and Bridesmaid, Francia Ortiz Leyva, and brother, Henri Gasperin Leyva. Mr. Josiah Benator and Mr. Mitchell Orlin were witnesses to the Ketubah and were charged with being godparents to the wedding couple.

Tania and Joe are both graduates of the University of West Georgia in Carrollton.

Tania is completing her master’s degree in urban planning at the University of Maryland in College Park. Joe is employed as a network consultant by Voyager Technologies, Inc. of Duluth.

Anniversaries

Michael and Etti Alon

M

ichael and Etti Alon celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 11, 2012. The couple met in Israel and were married in Fitchburg, Mass. on Nov. 11, 1962.

Michael is the CEO of All World Travel, and Etti is a retired teacher. They are the parents of Naomi, Ronit, Tzypora and Tamar and the grandparents of Yael, Alon, Daniel, Leah, Aryeh, Jonathan, Ilana, Shira, Yarden, Amir, Noam, Liam, Eden and Talia.

The couple celebrated their milestone with a three-week cruise to Scandanavia, Russia and Norway.

Following the cruise, they spent three weeks in Israel with family and friends.

AJT

MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING

Elizabeth A. Chertoff

71, Formerly of Alpharetta Beth entered this life on June 19, 1941 in Miami Beach, Fla. and entered into rest on Nov. 6, 2012 at the age of 71 years in San Diego after a brief illness.

She will be deeply missed by her daughter, Sandy; sons, Rob and Steve, and Steve’s wife Teri; brother, Gregory Van Damm (Louise); grandchildren, Ari, Emily and Xander; pet grand-dog “King”; and extended family and friends. Beth recently moved to San Diego and was formerly a 19-year resident of Alpharetta, Ga. Beth was a proud member of the Alpharetta Bridge Club, where she achieved the level of lifetime master. Beth was a graduate of Henry Grady High School in Atlanta and attended the University of Florida. In addition to her many talents, she was a skilled photographer and gardener and a professional, highly-regarded cook and caterer who was always looking to improve her technique. A “Celebration of Life” service will be held on Tues., Nov. 27, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 56 Laurel Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30342. Internment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in the memory of Elizabeth A. Chertoff to the Pancreatic Action Network at pancan.com.

Lawrence “Larry” Martin Mekelburg 72, OF ATLANTA VIA NEW YORK CITY

Harriet Cotton Orentlicher; his daughter, Joan; his sons, George and Robert; his brother, Norman Orent, and his wife Dottie; and many loving and dedicated nieces and nephews. Abbot will always be remembered for his love of jokes, his never-ending kindness, his love for Judaism and his longtime and dedicated participation as a member of the Shearith Israel minyan. The family would like to extend its warm thanks to the staff and residents of The Cohen Home and The Weinstein Hospice. Graveside services were officiated

by Rabbi Hillel Norry.

Dr. M. Louis Weinstein 68, OF PIKESVILLE, MD.

Dr. M. Louis Weinstein, age 68, of Pikesville, Maryland, passed away on Mon., Oct. 29, 2012. He was born April 11, 1944 in Atlanta to the late Benjamin and Dora Weinstein, of Atlanta and Greensboro, Ga. He was a graduate of Emory University and the Medical College of Georgia and was a practicing radiologist for more than 35 years. He was best known for his wonderful smile, kind manner and great sense of humor. He is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Cheryl Struletz Weinstein; his son, Joseph Weinstein of Baltimore, Md.; his brother and sister-in-law, Melvin and Jane Weinstein of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and several nieces and nephews. Graveside service was held Nov. 1, 2012 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park at 1 p.m. with Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich officiating. Sign online guestbook at edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Beth Jacob Synagogue in Atlanta or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Lawrence (Larry) Martin Mekelburg, age 72, died Nov. 10, 2012 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta of complications of pneumonia. He was born in New York City on Feb. 16, 1940 to Philip and Lee Roth Mekelburg. He leaves behind his one true love of 49 years, Sandy Mekelburg. He was a loving father to his children Philip and Steven (deceased 1982); daughter-in-law Kirsten; sister Ann and brother-in-law Don Simanoff; and nephews David, Michael (deceased) and Lee and families. He was a caring grandfather to Sarah and Elliot. He was a devoted family man and member of the community. Larry worked for 35 years with 3M Company in New York, consistently winning national top salesman of the year. He retired in 2001 to spend more time with family and friends. He and his beloved Sandy moved to Atlanta in 2006 for the birth of their first grandchild, Sarah. He was overjoyed when grandson Eli joined three years later. Nothing made “Papa Fix-It” or “Papa Bear” happier than holding their hands on a walk at the park or pushing them on the swings. He spent the last six years in Atlanta greatly involved with his family and friends. He spent time at the bowling alley, participating in North Atlanta Men’s Club activities, “fixing” things with the grandchildren or researching on the computer. He was always quick with a joke and was well-known for his wit and sense of humor. To meet Larry was to love him.

Even in his passing, he was still giving. As a registered organ donor, his corneas will be used to give someone the gift of sight. Sign online guest book at edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Larry’s name to either the charity of your choice, the Jack and Jill Foundation (a charity that provides a vacation/experience for a family where a parent is terminally ill) at jajf.org, or The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Jacksonville, Fla. Chapter, at afsp.org. The funeral was held Sun., Nov. 11 at Gutterman’s Funeral home in New York. Interment was at Wellwood Cemetery, also in New York. A memorial service was held in the chapel of Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care on Tues., Nov. 13, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. with Rabbi Judy Beiner officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Abbot I. Orentlicher Abbot I. Orentlicher, 98, of Sandy Springs, passed away peacefully on Sun., Nov. 4, 2012. Born to George and Yetta Orentlicher, of blessed memory, in Brockton, Mass., he served in the Armed Forces during World War II under General Patton and received several medals of honor, including two Purple Hearts. He moved to Atlanta in 1948 and was a successful business owner and a member of Congregation Shearith Israel for over 60 years. He married Harriet Cotton of Birmingham, Ala., who worked by his side for more than 30 years. Abbot was a member of the JWV Post 112, Disabled War Veterans, Purple Heart Association and numerous Jewish and Zionist organizations.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Ethel Gershon and her husband David and Rhoda Scovell and her husband Louis; and brother, Herman Orentlicher and his wife Jeanette. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years,

NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

98, OF SANDY SPRINGS

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JEWISH PUZZLER

by Kathi Handler (bookssss@aol.com)

Across 1. Israeli city 5. Via __, Sea Road 10. Source for Shofars?

14. Biblical judge 15. Moses on the mount 16. Eilat, old style 17. Stones for David 18. Herbie Mann’s instrument 19. Part for Peerce 20. Israeli fruits 22. Bath-sheba to Solomon 24. Number ending 27. Speech in Simon production 29. Beheyme (Eng) 30. Amidah or Kaddish 32. Gave some shekels 34. Employ 35. Havdalah must 37. Nickname for Salk 40. Isaac’s parents 44. Hebrew letter 45. Praise 46. Friend _ Kudrow 47. Reasons for shiva 48. Challahs 50. Hid Jericho spoils 53. Edomite king 56. Tel-Aviv to Bet She’an (dir) 57. Reason for Gomel Blessing 59. Nebbishes (Eng) 61. Jacob after the Angel 62. __Schindler 64. __ Beta Tau, fraternity 68. __ Boesky, bond trader 69. Meshugge

70. Actor Montand 71. Plagues and Minyans 72. Samson’s strength 73. Observe Sabbath

48. Fine and Storch 49. “_Couple”, Randall sitcom 50. Israeli city 51. Covet 52. Villain 54. Held by Jacob at birth 55. Monty Hall specialties

58. Like the ten tribes?

60. Haggadah illustrator 63. Title for Montefiore 65. Seth’s mom 66. Tet (Eng) 67. Eden denizen?

Last week’s answers

Down 1. Campaign org.

2. Gompers or Davis 3. That man 4. Son of Gad 5. Final aliyah 6. Woody or Steve 7. Awaken 8. Shvil Yisra’el initially 9. Appear 10. Observed the Sabbath 11. Hawaii shalom 12. Orthodox minyan 13. “_ Friday” IBS story 21. Purim drink?

23. Death notices 24. 1/10 Omer 25. Asherites or Gadites 26. __ Houdini 28. Used his shekels 31. Affirmative 33. “I __ Thou”, M. Buber 35. Sound of Kristallnacht 36. White Sox’ Abrams 37. Newman’s hobby 38. Negev cool spots 39. Pursue 41. “Die Lorelei”, poet 42. Chop 43. __ Carte 47. Prays (Yid)

Chess Puzzle of the Week

by Jon Hochberg

Challenge: Black to move: Checkmate in one move

Last week’s puzzle solution.

Black to move: Checkmate in 1 move 1) R x Ba4#

Jon Hochberg is a chess instructor who has been teaching in the Atlanta area for the last 6 years.

Currently, Jon runs after school chess programs at several Atlanta schools, including The Epstein school. He always welcomes new students, and enjoys working with children who have no prior chess knowledge. Jon can be reached at Jonhochberg@gmail.com to schedule private lessons.

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LEGAL NOTICE

“Notice of Annual Return” Notice is hereby given that the 2011 annual return of The Worwin Foundation, Inc. is available at its principal office located at 303 peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 5300, Atlanta, GA 30308, for inspection during normal business hours by anyone so requesting within 180 days after the publication of this notice. The principal manager of The Worwin Foundation, Inc. is Russel P. Love.

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NOVEMBER 23 ▪ 2012

NOTICE TO DEBTORS AND CREDITORS Georgia, Gwinnett County All creditors of the Estate of Zebumissa Ruknuddin Reimoo, late of Gwinnett County, Georgia, decease, are hereby notified to render in their demands to the undersigned according to law, and all persons indebted to said Estate are required to make immediate payment. The 13th day of November, 2012.

Rafiq Reimoo, Executor of the Estate of Zebunissa Ruknuddin Reimoo

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