Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIX NO. 7, April 15, 2023

Jump into Jewish Summer Camp!

At Jewish overnight camp, kids discover who they are and who they want to become while racing across ziplines, jumping into lakes, singing around campfires, meeting their best friends and learning important life skills. And, thanks to One Happy Camper, you might be eligible for up to $1500 off your camper’s first summer!

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This year Atlanta Jewish Times has partnered with Jewish Moms of Atlanta to offer our community an opportunity to SHOW OFF our Mothers.

Submit ‘Why Your Mother Deserves the Best Day’ Here:

www.atlantajewishtimes.com/mothers-day-2023/ Submit 200 words or less, telling Jewish Atlanta why your mother deserves the flowers, candy or a day at the spa. Your submission will be entered in a drawing to win one of 3 prizes and 10 more will be drawn to be featured in the upcoming April 30, 2023 newspaper issue. All submissions will get posted on the Atlanta Jewish Times website and social media.

Please provide a favorite photo of your mother and complete entry at www.atlantajewishtimes.com/mothers-day-2023/ by 5 p.m. April 20, 2023.

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Blank Gifts $1M to UGA for Substance Abuse Program

By Bob Bahr

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has made a $1 million grant to the University of Georgia to help students struggling with issues related to alcohol and drug abuse and sexual violence. The donation was made to the university’s Fontaine Center in Athens, which was established 17 years ago to help in the prevention, early intervention, and recovery of these issues.

In announcing the gift, Margaret Connelly, who serves as managing director of the foundation, pointed out that the Fontaine Center’s work has become an important part of the university’s mission.

“College students are faced with so many difficult decisions and stressors at a time when they are just beginning their lives and learning who they are,” she emphasized. “It’s reassuring to know that the Fontaine Center is there to help make sure they have the tools to work through any issues, enjoy their college experience and pursue their ambitions to the fullest.”

Substance abuse has been a major concern on college campuses, large and small, since at least the 1960s. Increasingly, there is also a concern that the misuse of alcohol and a number of drugs, including prescription medications, is widespread among teens in high

school.

In December of 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta released a study showing that deaths from drug overdoses in young persons, aged 10 to 19, had increased 109 percent in a six-month period in 2021, as

compared to the same period two years before. Deaths from illegally manufactured fentanyl pills increased 182 percent. In 2021, there were almost 108,000 deaths from drug overdoses in America, up 15 percent from just the year before. Abuse of alcohol is, according to re-

Arthur Blank, shown at right, has been a financial supporter of the University of Georgia

Jack and Nancy Fontaine, who personally experienced the effects of substance abuse, provided the initial funding for UGA’s Fontaine Center.

cent statistics, also starting at an earlier age. In 2020, more than 20 percent of eighth graders, 40 percent of tenth graders, and 53 percent of high school seniors reported alcohol use.

All new students who are 23 and under at UGA are required to complete an online alcohol education. The university, which has a current enrollment of just north of 30,000 at its main campus, also has a number of students who are trained by the Fontaine Center to help provide peer-based education about the misuse of alcohol and other substances by their fellow students. Additionally, according to the university, there are programs in fraternities and sororities, athletics, and housing to provide information and education about the dangers of substance abuse.

The Fontaine Center was founded in 2006 by a gift from Jack Fontaine, who dropped out of the University of Georgia in 1975 because of his misuse of drugs and alcohol. He praised the recent gift from the Blank Foundation.

“To see an organization with the stature of the Blank Family Foundation join in this important effort is extraordinary. We are exceptionally grateful.”

The original gift to establish the center was the result of the loss by Fontaine and his wife, Nancy, of their 16-year-old son in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver. The center was started to help the university take a more proactive approach to both substance abuse and violence among students. It provides 1,800 individual counseling sessions for students and is said to help thousands more through group programs. The

center also has what it calls a Collegiate Recovery Community which provides support for students in recovery and a 24-hour support hotline.

UGA vice present for student affairs, Victor Wilson, expressed the university’s appreciation for the Blank contribution.

“By supporting the Fontaine Center, the funding will help students become healthier, happier, more successful, and better able to achieve their goals. This is a direct investment in strengthening our best student experience possible.”

According to Steven Rose of the UGA center in recent years, the university has helped to promote alcohol-free tailgate parties at UGA football games.

It has also helped to promote social messaging programs and workshops to help students make informed decisions about substance use while at the school.

“Our programs,” Rose said, “also provide students with accurate and current information, including harm reduction strategies that are research-supported to reduce high risk alcohol and other substance use harms.”

Arthur Blank grew up in a family where health care was important. His father was a pharmacist, who pioneered in delivering pharmaceuticals at more affordable prices. When he died when Blank was 15, his mother stepped in and developed the business that was later folded into a larger health care provider. Blank, who received a degree in accounting from Babson College in Massachusetts, originally came to Georgia to run a regional drug store chain. He partnered with Bernie Marcus in 1978 to found The Home Depot. ì

Drug and alcohol abuse is up among teens who carry over their behavior during their college years.

MJCCA Expands Campus with Major Renovation

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The largest Jewish community center in the Southeast has raised $33 million out of a targeted $36 million capital campaign. So far, the plans include utilizing approximately $20 million toward the renovation of the Dunwoody campus and about another half of that for remodeling the popular Barney Medintz summer camp in Cleveland, Ga.

Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta Executive Director Jared Powers said, “Strategically re-imagining our spaces, building new facilities, and making substantial upgrades throughout our campuses will enable us to expand our programming and be well-positioned to continue meeting the growing needs of the metro Atlanta community.”

The upgrades for MJCCA/Zaban Park include:

1) New outdoor aquatic center with a zero entry pool, shallow areas for kids of all ages, in-pool sundeck, water slide, shaded pool and deck areas, snack bar, picnic area and locker room improvements.

2) New pickleball facility - some open air and some all-weather play, high efficiency fans, rain protection, social area and patio, seating lounge, spectator seating.

3) Enhanced security - high tech enhancement measures to face today’s challenges.

4) Renovating areas of the main building.

5) Re-imagining the courtyard aesthetics that improve community building.

6) Updating the preschool playground - updated for safety and fun.

7) Upgrading upper fields 1 & 2 - installing all season Astroturf.

8) Expanded parking - 143 new spaces near the Aquatic Center.

9) Reconstructing structures at Camp Barney Medintz - rebuilding bath houses and cabins, improving plumbing infrastructure, and a new adult housing structure.

Renovations are scheduled to start in September 2023 with the aquatic center, which is planned for opening by May 2024. Facilities will remain open during construction. No venues will be closed during construction that wouldn’t be otherwise closed.

Transformational donor Bernie Marcus said, “Strengthening communities through strategic investments is at

the heart of what we do through our philanthropy. We have a long partnership with the Marcus JCC of Atlanta that allows us to find opportune ways to deepen our impact in Jewish Atlanta for decades to come. We are thrilled to be part of this momentous capital campaign effort and look forward to continuing to fund initiatives that support Jewish identity building.”

Chair of the MJCCA board of directors Lee Katz stated, “As someone who has been impacted by and involved with the Marcus JCC for nearly my entire life, it is with much pride that we launch this $36 million capital campaign, having already raised more than $30 million from our major donors. The time is now for the community to invest in the MJCCA to ensure this one-of-kind agency continues transforming lives for generations to come.”

The MJCCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has grown steadily since its inception, with an operating budget of $27 million per year with diverse earned income streams, including revenue from

memberships and program fees. Approximately 20 percent of the MJCCA’s annual revenue comes from generous

community support, corporations, and individual donors. Between 2007 and 2021, the agency experienced an in-

The expanded aquatic center will begin renovation this September 2023.

Camp Barney Medintz upgrades will include cabins, bath houses, plumbing and a new adult structure.

As the fastest growing sport in America, pickleball facilities will include all-weather play and social areas.

crease from 18 to 151 annual major donors ($5,000+) with high participation from donors under age 55.

Powers concluded, “A Jewish community center serves as a pillar in a neighborhood or metro area. Here, we shoulder this responsibility for all ages, backgrounds, and abilities with pride. Community, camaraderie, and connection are at the heart of everything we do at the Marcus JCC of Atlanta…our inno-

vative programs are the conduit to lifelong friendships, Jewish moments, and a sense of communal belonging.”

For four generations, Jewish Atlanta has relied on the MJCCA to be the primary destination for Jewish engagement and connection. This venture ensures that the agency stays innovative and timely as greater Atlanta grows.

After all, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.! ì

Major Capital Campaign Donors

The fundraising capital raised to date was from the following major donors, with the hope of raising the remainder by this fall from the community at large:

Transformational Gifts

The Marcus Foundation - $12 million

The Zalik Foundation - $6 million

$1 Million+

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Ron & Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust

The Van de Grift Family

The Lipman Family

Henry & Etta Raye Hirsch Heritage Foundation

$500K

The Dinerman & Medeiros Families

Louise & Brett Samsky

Agnes Scott College offers summer youth camps for upper elementary, middle and high school students on its campus in the heart of downtown Decatur.

Camps include: NASA Astro Camps

Georgia STARTALK Program: Chinese and Turkish Writing Camps

Camp Tech Revolution and MORE!

https://www.agnesscott.edu/agnesengage/

Meacham & Eizenstat Open with Dialogue

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

As part of the 34th annual Fran Eizenstat and Eizenstat Family Memorial Lecture Series, Ahavath Achim went inperson (as well as virtual) to fulfill its mission of bringing some of the greatest cultural icons and politicians to the synagogue where Eizenstat attended growing up. On March 3, ambassador, statesman, attorney, and scholar Stuart Eizenstat began by noting that John Meacham “was in the right place - where John Lewis and Jimmy Carter had walked.”

Meacham, who remains on the faculty of Vanderbilt University, in addition to keeping up his busy media appearances, was analytical, straight shooting and downright brilliant. Most mesmerizing was his ability to lend perspective over the generations of presidents in contrast, or similarly, to what we are experiencing now. Eizenstat was prepared with the erudite and down-to-earth questions facing Americans today. Eizenstat currently heads Covington and Burling’s international practice in Washington, D.C. Ultimately prepared and on point, he flowed

It is September 1939. War has just begun. The Nazis have begun an extermination program: against their own children.

Chapter 1 Excerpt

Late summer. The first day of September, to be precise. And, to a young girl about to die, time, running out, matters above everything.

In the past, on a fine day such as this, this girl, now hunched over her notepad in the back seat of a BMW, might have visited a museum in Berlin. She might have crossbred flowers with her grandmother, studied her precious textbooks, hiked through her native Bavarian forest looking for plant samples. But this first day of September in 1939 is an unusual day. At 4:45 AM this very morning, the German army under General von Rundstedt and General von Bock have invaded Poland. World War II has begun.

Does she even care, this girl? She’s only fourteen years old. Mind on lock-down, does she notice the forests passing by on either side of her grandfather’s car? The war is distant. Turbulence at home is daily. Does she hear the radio playing, already touting the magnificence of Der Fuhrer’s lightning strike? Does she hear her grandfather’s satisfied grunt

from topic to topic to address, “The Future of American Democracy.”

The following is a collection of Meacham’s comments on various sub-

jects raised during the lecture:

Trump: (coinciding with the day’s announcement of the indictment) He won

THE UNWANTED

‘Hitler is making Germany unrivaled again’... or catch his eye as he darts a worried look toward the female creature whose blood he denies is akin to his? No. She’s too intent on her notepad to notice anything. Writing with a manic intensity that neither of her male attendants understands, she is bent over her paper as if some weight is forcing her down, never taking her eyes off her work, keeping her creations a secret from the world.

“Esh-vie-zet-vie-geh-vie. Esh-vie-zetvie-geh-vie.”

She mumbles this rhythmic chant over and over, “Esh-vie-zet-vie-geh-vie”, until her grandfather Friedrich can no longer tolerate it and turns the knob of the radio to raise the sound, to drown out her existence.

She’s crazy, this one, her grandfather is thinking. Not of my blood. I’ve a clear conscious about this. Not of my blood.

Her name is Hana Ziegler. And while she does have a family, grandparents and two uncles, Edward and Walter, she is very much alone in the world. Mother deceased, father an unknown, she has borne her existence through her intellect, her curiosity, her studies of a world that her family apparently does not want her to inhabit much longer.

“Esh-vie-zet-vie-geh-vie.”

Her lone suitcase sits at her feet, her few possessions thrown in at the last minute. Papers, schoolbooks, gnawed pencils, an eraser and a sharpener. The sun had barely risen three hours earlier when she was rousted from her bed by her family’s maid. Money is not the problem for the Zieglers. Hana is.

In Peter Clenott’s new mystery thriller, THE UNWANTED, 14-yearold Hana Ziegler is being driven by her grandfather and her psychiatrist to a euthanasia center; 16-year-old Silke Hartenstein graces the covers of Nazi propaganda magazines; Avi Kreisler is a Munich police detective condemned to Dachau; David McAuliffe's patrician father wants his son elected first Catholic president of the United States. In THE UNWANTED, in the aftermath of war, revenge brings these four people together in ways unimaginable.

WARNING: Do not skip ahead to the last page.

because of [Barack] Obama’s perceived weakness. People wanted change, and Hillary Clinton was not enough change… Obama was a good transition president

Stuart Eizenstat was prepared with meaningful topics for John Meacham // Photo by Chris Savas Photography

View looking down from the balcony // Photo by Chris Savas Photography

but not historically transformative.”

Biden: Biden is a good friend. He has the burden of telling the story of hope in the face of fear. With Trump’s indictment, his numbers will rise.

Rise of antisemitism and hate: Forces feed the fires of irrational evil. Just a mile from my house was the recent Nashville school shooting. I’m a gun owner and not a lefty, but there is not a single reason to own a military style weapon.

[Eizenstat noted that, in previous decades in Europe, police cars were stationed at Jewish buildings.] “Now we see it here. Why now, after Jews are so well integrated?”

Social media: May well be causative. In the old days, it was just a mimeograph machine. Harder to get the word out… now with a phone, have immediate access to the world.

Existential crisis? Use grave danger…is there any other kind? (quoting Jack Nicholson.) It’s hard to tell a president what to do…

China and Russia: China is manageable, not so much Putin, who today imprisoned a (Jewish) journalist. He is betting that we will lose support (of Ukraine) with time, and hope that Trump gets reelected. I believe that commentors know that it is not a just a border dispute.”

Having fun: I saw a tweet where I was the child of a one night stand between Mr. Rogers and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

College life: I went to Sewanee (University) – a cross between “Deliverance” and “Downton Abbey.”

On neighboring states: In Georgia, you say, “Thank G-d for South Carolina,” implying backwardness. In Tennessee, we say, “Thank goodness for Georgia.”

On politicians: I now have a low bar for candidates: Just not going to storm the Capitol.

Wearing a turquoise kippah, Meacham was a storehouse of humor, as one gets that he has used many of his quips before. Nonetheless, the audience left with the awesome feeling that they had truly witnessed someone who met the moment head on. He peppered with comments to the rabbis about his own Christian faith and knowledge of the Bible. He said, “After all, if everyone obeyed the rules, we wouldn’t have a Bible and we would see each other as neighbors.”

Meacham’s new book is a collaboration with Tim McGraw, “Songs of America.”

For another level of elevation, Ahavath Achim opened its doors for the first time to the public to the long awaited renovated main sanctuary. Keeping the tradition of the wall behind the bimah, extending majestically to the ceiling arc, was a site to behold. The open view sky dome with the new lighting was nothing short of breathtaking. Another redesigned element was the removal of benches, which created a more intimate feeling on a level floor. The balcony was available for overflow seating and provided an equally splendid view. AA president Gary Alembik told the AJT, “AA was pleased to host over 700 people (plus over 300 online) from the community at large to the newly renovated sanctuary as a preview of its dynamic new space for celebrations, community events, and, above all, meaningful and spiritually charged religious services.” ì

Support provided by Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Holocaust Survivor Emergency Assistance Fund, Kavod SHEF, Jewish Federations of North America, and Holocaust Survivor Support Fund of JFGA

Ahavath Achim president Gary Alembik welcomed the crowd of 700, plus 300 virtual guests // Photo by Chris Savas Photography

Emory Acquires Sherman’s Iconic Photo Collection

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

For decades, local photographer Ron Sherman has chronicled the “Who’s Who” and “What’s What” in our city’s very rich and deep history. Thus, it was no surprise when archivists at Emory University recently acquired 500,000 of his gelatin prints.

Sherman said, “My archives of Atlanta photographs are now preserved in the Archives of the Rose Library at Emory University. They will be a resource for students, researchers, and the public. As a photographer, I have lived a charmed life. Never in a million years could I have dreamed that I would cover so many people, places, and events that have made significant positive changes in Atlanta’s future.”

In 2014, Emory acquired Sherman’s coverage of the elections of Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young, governor and President Jimmy Carter, the KKK, Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, civil demonstrations and everyday life in that decade. Then in 2022, they added his archives of 500,000 photos, including black and white negatives, contact sheets, color transparencies, digital files, and notes from 1971 to 2021.

Backing up, young Sherman left Cleveland, Ohio, for Atlanta, the growing southern city of just over two million people. He recalled, “From my arrival in Atlanta as a photojournalist, I was privileged to be an eyewitness to the evolution of one of the world’s most vibrant and ex-

citing cities. News assignments for United Press International, TIME (Magazine), and Newsweek gave me access to an endless list of people, places, and events. The list of clients grew over the years.”

His first opportunity was when he saw smoke from a fire on the horizon, grabbed his camera, and was first on the scene at a major gasoline fire in Doraville (1972). One of his most famous photographs covers a 5'x8’ print at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., of Hank Aaron after he hit his, at the time, record-breaking 715th home run.

He recalled, “With hundreds of photographers shooting that night, why I got this shot and no one else did

still makes me smile. Atlanta (Fulton) County Stadium was filled with many, including Mayor Maynard Jackson, Gov. Jimmy Carter, and Sammy Davis, Jr. I picked the third base field position since Aaron was a right-handed batter. When he hit the home run and rounded second base, I made the iconic image of the two teens tapping him on his shoulder. I discovered later that the photo was one-ofa-kind. Not one of the hundred photographers or fans in the stadium captured that image.”

Other subjects in the photo archive include the busy airport, the ever-changing Atlanta skyline, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta History Center, the King

Center, and High Museum of Art.

“There were assignments from national and local publications for these images. Most of the time, I was on my own, exploring the city to expand my photo library,” he said. Unique places were the Varsity, as the World’s largest drive-through restaurant; Piedmont Park, with its diversity of festivals and demonstrations; and the Chattahoochee River’s paths, boating, fishing, and views of great sunsets.

Atlanta-based businesses sought out Sherman: Coca-Cola, Delta, CNN, Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, where he photographed their executives. He mused, “Coca-Cola’s Roberto Goizueta was the

“Chattahoochee River” (2015), taken from the Roswell Road Bridge // Photo Credit: Ron Sherman Photography

Sherman’s first great photo: “Gasoline Fire” (1972) // Photo Credit: Ron Sherman Photography

Hank Aarons 715th home run (1974), breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record // Photo Credit: Ron Sherman Photography

toughest, in the time allocated. The interview part went long, and I had only 15 minutes to make all three photos. It was tough, but the editor was pleased.”

Other executives allowed ample time. Delta CEO Tom Beebe posed outside in the company’s signature jet; Truitt Cathy, Chick-fil-A founder, posed in the original company restaurant; Bernie Marcus, Home Depot co-founder, stood behind a store display.

In the early 1970s, he was asked to document the activities of Volunteer Atlanta, which places volunteers in orga-

nizations like Boy’s Club, hospitals, and Traveler’s Aid. His work was to help promote their activities. In the 1980s, he documented the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Association in supporting the Atlanta USO and local military veterans.

As an archive, his collection will be used for research for students, faculty, scholars, and the general public. The university can use any of his photos to promote Emory University, the Rose Library, and any organization directly connected to Emory. All others must get permission from Sherman. ì

Peachtree Road Race, July 4, 1995, after the awards with T-shirts and the outdoor shower // Photo Credit: Ron Sherman Photography

Emory University recently acquired 500,000 of Ron Sherman’s prints spanning decades.

JF&CS Launches ‘Be Well Atlanta’ Initiative

By Debbie Diamond

Jewish Family and Career Services has received a $500,000 matching grant from The Zalik Foundation to help address growing mental health needs for teens and young adults in the Jewish community.

“The mental health crisis affects children and families across our community; no one is immune to it. We are proud to help JF&CS launch ‘Be Well Atlanta,’ through which Jewish organizations in Atlanta will increase their coordination of services, provide evidencebased training to front-line educators and professionals working with youth, and offer new ways to support youth and teens’ mental health and wellbeing. We invite other philanthropists concerned about this critical issue to join the effort,” according to a JF&CS spokesperson.

The national Be Well initiative, which the grant will fund, was developed through a collaboration between the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies and the Jewish Federation of North America. The funds were secured

through the Atlanta Jewish Funder Collaborative, led by the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, an organization that offers strategic philanthropic advising through a Jewish lens for both Jewish and secular

causes.

A roadmap was created to develop this program in select cities, and the Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center of JF&CS was selected to lead the initiative

in Atlanta. Funds raised will be used to support Jewish youth and young adults, ages 12 through 26, facing mental health challenges, as well as those who care for them. Two professionals will be hired by

Jori Mendel, Atlanta Jewish Foundation chief foundation officer

Terri Bonoff, CEO of Jewish Family & Career Services

JF&CS, and funds will also go toward connecting teens and parents to resources available at JF&CS, supporting crosscommunity partnerships and decreasing barriers to care.

“We are grateful to The Zalik Foundation for this generous and impactful grant and the Atlanta Jewish Foundation for focusing on this critical need that will help address the alarming wave of mental health challenges in young people and those who care for them in the Atlanta region,” said Terri Bonoff, CEO of JF&CS. “Our youth are our future, and it is imperative that we do all we can to support the mental health and wellbeing of children, teens and families.” said Bonoff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in March 2022 that a mental health crisis was accelerating among adolescents, with more than four in 10 saying they feel “persistently sad or hopeless” and one in five saying they had contemplated suicide. A more recent report in February 2023 shared that three in five teen girls were “persistently sad or hopeless,” and one in four said they had contemplated suicide. The rates of sadness and hopelessness are the highest in a decade, reflecting an escalating trend made worse by the isolation and stress of the pandemic. This study reflected previous reports on escalating teen mental health challenges from doctors, therapists, and other mental health professionals.

Atlanta Jewish Foundation's chief foundation officer Jori Mendel said these

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statistics, as well as a local field scan funded by the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, underscored the need for additional mental health resources targeted to this age group in Atlanta. In response to the pandemic, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation launched the Atlanta Jewish Funder Collaborative, which identified mental health as a key priority.

“We conducted dozens of interviews and focus groups to understand the landscape and mental health needs for children and youth in the Atlanta Jewish community, as well as gaps to address those needs,” said Mendel. “This donordriven research was supported by a multigenerational group of funders to identify ways to help advance the great work in improving mental health programs and services by metro Atlanta community organizations, both Jewish and nonJewish. This is a growing problem that will continue to need support for many years,” said Mendel.

This grant builds on the extensive array of mental health programs and services currently available at the Frances Bunzl Clinical Services of JF&CS. In 2022, JF&CS launched the Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center and added 15 dedicated therapists and consultants, including a parent coach, an executive functioning coach, play therapists, and a leading Atlanta child neurologist.

For more information on how to support the Be Well initiative, please contact Atlanta Jewish Foundation CFO Jori Mendel, at jmendel@jewishatlanta.org. ì

The reviews for our restaurant-style dining are in, and they range from wow! to deeeelicious!

The menus are ever-evolving, offering signature dishes and daily specials with fresh and seasonal ingredients, so your taste buds will never be bored!

TASTE TOUR

THURSDAY, MAY 4TH • 11:30AM

You’re invited to a presentation on the benefits of senior living. Afterwards, take a tour and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our culinary team.

To RSVP, please call 404.496.5492.

Helen and Daniel Zalik, co-founders of The Zalik Foundation

Congregation Shearith Israel Builds New Leadership Team

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

Next year, Congregation Shearith Israel will celebrate its 120th anniversary of existence as a congregation. Today, its leadership is nearly finished building its team in preparation.

In March, it added a new executive director. Last August, the in-town congregation hired an engagement rabbi. And it still needs to hire a new education director as its longtime director is retiring.

The team members appear to be on the same page, with each and every one purposely quoting the multi-generational congregation’s mission to connect “people to meaningful living through Judaism.” And each and every word in that mission statement is underlined with actions taken and goals on the agenda.

When Rabbi Ari Kaiman joined Shearith Israel in 2016, the congregation numbered 315 family units. In the following two years, the congregation grew 25 percent to 420 families, where it has remained for the last few years. Of course, Shearith Israel – like all other synagogues

– had to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic which kept people apart for about two years. But Shearith Israel initiated its Hineni campaign, based on the Hebrew

word for “here I am,” at High Holidays in 2019 – just months before the pandemic changed life for everyone.

“It started with a survey,” explained

Kaiman, but one that differed from most surveys. Shearith Israel’s survey was not anonymous. “We encouraged people to tell their stories. We wanted to under-

Rabbi David B. Helfand said Shearith Israel is an “amazing place to learn how to be a rabbi.”

Genea Moore’s major goal is to “take Shearith from great to greater, and make life easier, work smarter, not harder.”

Rabbi Ari Kaiman initiated the synagogue’s Hineni campaign during High Holidays in 2019.

stand the individuals and their passions. But it’s hard to change people’s patterns. Although it was successful, it was mostly so with those deeply engaged already. We were able to move a few.” A majority of the responses were received in 2020-21.

In addition to learning more about the congregants, leadership wanted to know what was important about the congregation for each of the respondents. Was it services or programming during the week, and what kind of programming? The idea then was to connect those with similar interests so relationships could be built. “Relationships require time,” said Kaiman, an Atlanta native.

On top of a few good financial years, Shearith Israel was able to obtain a matching grant opportunity, said Blair Rothstein, congregation president as of March. “It was easier than I expected,” said Rothstein. “A couple of key families responded.” The leadership decided to hire an engagement professional to take the congregation to the next step in the Hineni campaign.

The parameters of the search included non-rabbis. In fact, when the search was opened to rabbinic candidates, it caught the eye of Rabbi David B. Helfand, who was seeking his first job after completing his rabbinic studies. He and his wife, Rebekah Johnston, had made a short list of cities that appealed to them for relocation. Atlanta was on his list. What struck him about the congregation immediately was how warm and engaging it was.

Helfand started work Aug. 1, 2022. His two goals were: one, “to build community partnerships” with synagogues and other Jewish organizations. “I see myself as a connector.” His second goal

revolved around the Hineni campaign, building a network of relationships. Meeting congregants all over the city has also helped Helfand get to know the immense metro area.

According to Rothstein, the congregation had created a strategic plan five years ago. “We have made enormous progress, but my vision is to build on that. We want to build up an in-town Jewish center.”

An Atlanta native who had moved away but returned in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Rothstein noted that the Morningside area, where Shearith Israel is located, was very Jewish in the 1950s and 1960s. “We are the beneficiary of a geographic shift back into the city,” he said, pointing out the potential advantages for his congregation.

The most recent addition to Shearith Israel’s team is Genea Moore, who joined as executive director on March 20. A longtime Jewish professional, whose last job was executive director at Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, N.Y., Moore had not had Atlanta on her mind as she sought a new job. It was actually “a mistake. I thought the job was in Manhattan. After speaking with them, I realized it was in Atlanta, but it didn’t take much convincing because I kind of felt at home in Shearith Israel.” It helped that she already had good friends in the city who could help facilitate her move.

She acknowledges that the “South is different, but my transition has been amazing.” Moore found Shearith Israel willing to learn “something new from someone new.” She describes the congregation as having a different feeling from her last post, which was also associated with Conservative Judaism. “They are a little bit happier and open and not so uniform. At Midway, people were expected to be quiet during services. Here they are more relaxed and there are different things gong on, like Torah study, and different age groups meeting.”

Moore’s major goal is to “take Shearith from great to greater, and make life easier, work smarter, not harder.”

Kaiman said that Moore brings a “wonderful energy to the congregation. She brings process and organization. We are very much lay-driven as a congregation.” His job, he said, is to “let the lay people shine.”

Helfand describes his [relatively] new employment as an “amazing place to learn how to be a rabbi. They are challenging and encouraging in the most meaningful way.”

Working together, the Shearith Israel team is preparing for its 120th year. ì

“We want to build up an in-town Jewish center,” said Blair Rothstein, congregational president.

Ken Stein Addresses Israel’s Protests of Judicial Overhaul

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

In what was most likely the first program open to the Atlanta Jewish community to learn about Israel’s proposed judicial overhaul and its resulting civil uprising, professor Ken Stein of the Center for Israel Education spoke at Congregation Beth Tefillah on March 30.

While maybe 50 people were physically in attendance, easily 70 more watched on Zoom from their homes.

Stein explained the form of governance in Israel and the complicated elements of the proposed legislation that critics contend would severely weaken the judiciary, and supporters say would rebalance the equilibrium between branches of government. The program, which was produced in only one week, was co-sponsored by Beth Tefillah, Stein’s Center for Israel Education, Chabad Israeli Center, The Torah Center Atlanta, and a couple of individuals.

The long-time Emory University professor didn’t mince words in his description of Israeli society in the last 90 days since prime minister Benjamin Ne-

tanyahu’s justice minister announced his proposed overhaul of the country’s judicial system, which will put more power

in the hands of the coalition government. Comparing the increasingly inclusive group of protesters and their impact on Israel’s economy, military and social cohesiveness to an earthquake, Stein described it as an 8.5 on the Richter scale.

Noting that he is neither a lawyer nor legal historian, Stein said that the struggle between Israel’s legislature, the Knesset, and the country’s Supreme Court is not new. In fact, the “tussling” has been going on for more than two decades. He was clear, however, that he could not predict how it will end up. He explained the composition of the Supreme Court and how the judges are appointed, and squashed the claims that the present court is comprised of “liberal judges.” Indeed, half of the justices were appointed during previous Netanyahu governments. He called the allegation “nonsense.” He also explained the differences between how the justices are chosen in Israel vs. in the U.S.

Supporters of the Netanyahu government’s judicial proposals argue that the Supreme Court has taken power away from the Knesset. But Stein said that, in the last 20 years, only 22 Knesset laws have been overturned by the court. Four of those had to do with asylum seekers and four were concerned with Knesset decisions that had granted greater benefits to the ultra-Orthodox community, such as allowing their youth to avoid military service.

The latter issue was “part of the rea-

son why people went into the streets.”

Stein also countered the claims that the Israeli public has taken a sharp rightwing turn. He said a majority of the body politic sees themselves in the center or center-right. And disputing assertions that Netanyahu won by a huge majority in the last election, Nov. 1, 2022, Stein called it a “close election,” with only a difference of about 50,000 votes out of 4.1 million cast. He contended that the difference may have only been due to the fact that two more left-wing parties failed to join forces before the election, resulting in one party not passing the minimum percentage of the vote to make it into the Knesset.

According to Stein, the anti-judicial overhaul protesters are mostly upset because “they are feeling like something is being pushed down their throats without them having a chance to digest it. People reacted more about the pace,” of the legislative agenda. Indeed, Netanyahu’s government had hoped to pass a number of its judicial legislative bills before the Knesset’s Passover recess and only placed the voting on pause when protesters essentially shut down the country on March 27.

That protest that ballooned overnight on March 26 into the next day had been building, but was spontaneous, after the dismissal of Israel’s defense minister, according to Stein. He also called it the “most important public demonstration” in Israel’s history, comparing it only to the protests that erupted after the massacre of innocent Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon in 1982.

“Israel’s civil society has been heard from,” he said. “No one has ever seen this before,” referring to Israel Defense Force reservists refusing to show up for duty.

As an historian, Stein didn’t even try to predict what will happen after the Passover and Israeli secular holidays at the end of April. If the Knesset pushes through its proposed changes to the judicial system, and the sitting Supreme Court rules the legislation unconstitutional, “How do you reconcile the two? I don’t have an answer.” He questioned whether Netanyahu will decide if he’s more interested in his legacy, or more concerned with staying out of jail due to the corruption charges he’s fighting in an ongoing trial.

“The next several five or six weeks will be telling,” said Stein, at the end of March. “The last 90 days” have been “truly different in Israeli society.” ì

Ken Stein spoke to about 50 people in person, and another at least 70 on Zoom, in what may have been the first community program focused on the Israeli government’s attempt to change the country’s judicial system // Photo Credit: Center for Israel Education

Antisemitism Bill Fails in General Assembly — Again

By Dave Schechter

On the last day of its 2023 session — and for the second consecutive year — a bill to define antisemitism failed to clear the Georgia General Assembly.

The legislature adjourned shortly after midnight, Wednesday, Mrch 29 without the necessary votes on the Senate and House floors to send the bill to Gov. Brian Kemp.

Incorporating the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition in the state’s legal code had been a legislative priority of Jewish Atlanta’s major communal organizations.

The effort began in the House but died in the Senate. The House passed a bill that was amended by a Senate committee. The amended bill needed approval by the full Senate and then, per legislative procedure, by the House.

But that didn’t happen, leaving supporters — who claimed the backing of 90 percent of Georgia’s Jewish population — peeved.

“It was devastating to watch the Georgia Senate, for the second year in a row, ignore the cries of Georgia’s Jewish community for help amid escalating antisemitism,” Jewish Democratic Rep. Esther Panitch, a co-sponsor, told the AJT. “I thank the House, including Speaker [Jon] Burns, Majority Leader [Chuck] Efstration, and lead sponsor John Carson for understanding that a safe Jewish community is a safer Georgia — and I question the leadership of those who can’t or won’t see it.”

The IHRA definition reads: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The House bill included the language of the IHRA definition. The Senate’s version included only a reference to the definition, not its text.

Neither version included the IHRA definition’s 11 accompanying examples of antisemitism, which have proven more controversial. The examples include accusing Jews outside of Israel of dual loyalty, comparing Israel to Nazis, calling Israel “racist,” “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination,” and applying standards to Israel “not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”

Throughout the bill’s travels in the

House and Senate, supporters were adamant that the IHRA definition would not restrict free speech, as claimed by opponents, including some from the Jewish community.

The legislation would have made the IHRA definition the standard for determining whether antisemitism was the motive for an act of discrimination or a criminal offense. Supporters said that the definition would aid prosecutors as they considered whether to apply Georgia’s hate crimes law, with its enhanced sentencing for bias-related offenses.

As desired by its Jewish backers, House Bill 30 was introduced with only a reference to the IHRA definition, a strategy to prevent future legislatures from changing language that has been adopted or endorsed by 40 nations (including the United States, via an executive order from then-President Donald J. Trump), 30 U.S. states, and some 1,100 institutions worldwide.

House Bill 30 survived a “tortuous” path through the House, in the words of a co-sponsor, Panitch, who represents District 51 in north Fulton County. That bumpy route included the Rules Committee chair kicking the bill back to the Judiciary Committee, which added the definition language to improve its chances of approval.

The full House passed HB 30 on

March 6 — by a vote of 136 in favor and 22 against (16 did not vote and six were absent) — and the bill “crossed over” to the Senate.

The bill appeared to have died when the Senate Judiciary Committee “tabled” HB 30 on March 20, in an 8-0 vote apparently swayed by free-speech issues raised by opponents.

On March 23, however, it came back to life — as a so-called “zombie bill” — in the Senate Children and Families Committee. House Bill 144, already on the committee’s docket, was stripped of its original language — dealing with children under the state’s care — and an amended version of HB 30 was substituted.

The “new” HB 144 passed the Children’s and Families Committee on a 6-2 vote and the Rules Committee forwarded the bill to the Senate floor, for a vote that never happened.

Free speech issues were at the center of witness arguments over the bill.

“Anyone can protest and yell and criticize and demonstrate and speak and scream anything they want about Israel or Jews. This bill will not stop them unless they’re planning to commit a hate crime,” Mark Goldfeder, an attorney for the American Center for Law and Justice and also counsel for Hillels of Georgia, told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “It

protects Jews here from antisemites, including those who would use Israel as an excuse to attack Jews.”

Conversely, the bill’s opponents warned that the IHRA language could be “weaponized” to stifle debate over Israeli treatment of the Palestinians.

“It works as a tool of censorship that falsely conflates attempts to hold the Israeli government accountable with antisemitism. Do not respond to this terrible, terrible rise in antisemitism by victimizing Palestinian advocacy,” Peyton Hayes, of the University of Georgia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, told the committee.

The antisemitism definition legislation received added attention after the distribution of anti-Jewish flyers, linked to a group called the Goyim Defense League, in the driveways of heavily Jewish neighborhoods in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 5. Panitch, who represents a House district in northern Fulton County, found three baggies containing flyers in her driveway. At the time, attorneys told the AJT that the distribution of the flyers was not a criminal offense, but might have violated local misdemeanor ordinances on littering and disturbing the peace.

Similar legislation passed the House last year but never received a vote on the Senate floor. This being the first year of the General Assembly’s two-year cycle, the bill could re-emerge when the legislature convenes next January.

Panitch signaled that intention, messaging the AJT: “Those who seek to harm Jews always end [up] relegated to history’s dustbin — it’s just how much damage can they cause on their way. HB 144 would have made it easier to identify them, although, more recently, they have outed themselves. The far right tells us to go back to Israel and the far left wants to destroy Israel. Neither will prevail. We will be back. #GAIHRA2024”

Dov Wilker, regional director of the American Jewish Committee, told the AJT: “We are terribly disappointed that HB 144 did not get a Senate floor vote on the final day of the legislative session. This bill is an important addition to the Georgia code, to help better understand when antisemitic attacks occur. We look forward to continuing the conversation with members of the Georgia House and Senate, so that they can understand the needs of the Jewish community in Georgia. A huge thanks to John Carson and Rep. Esther Panitch for their incredible effort on this important legislation.”

GA House members stand with Jewish member after antisemitic flyers found.

Chabad Intown Advances Vision 2020 Campaign

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman revealed the last phase of the Chabad Intown Vision 2020 campaign despite having to deal with a complicated COVID period. The first phase of that campaign was to secure the BeltLine property and do the initial renovations. The total for the Vision campaign goal is a whop ping $9.3 million. So far, they have raised $6.2 million, leaving a balance of just over $3 million.

Schusterman declared, “A very gener ous donor has pledged $2.1 million on con dition that we raise $1 million by the end of the summer. This will complete this phase of the campaign. So, it is a 2-1 match.”

This gift will allow them to begin the next phase of the campaign which will in clude an elaborate renovation of the Belt Line building to make the 21,000 square feet most functional as a community center for meeting peoples’ needs in many ways. Ideas include a rooftop deck with Midtown view, kosher coffee shop, meeting and programming space for the Jewish recovery community, state-of-the-art adult educational space, teaching kitchen, wellness center,

classrooms and event space, outdoor BeltLine engagement space, splash pad, art installation space, and a mitzvah walk.

Schusterman elaborated on how Chabad Intown has responded to the CO-

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VID journey since March 2020 when they moved to a digital platform including the preschool, Intown Jewish Academy and engaging in inspirational messaging through Facebook, Havdalah services, and preShabbat musical engagements.

They continuously monitored guidance from the CDC and medical team. Under their guidance, they reopened preschool with many safety guidelines in place. Then, they began young adult programming - outdoors and socially distanced - followed by outdoor classes on the BeltLine. As people continue to become vaccinated, they have continued to expand programming, including a Lag BaOmer event recently with more than 100 people in attendance.

nations may have been smaller, people recognize the value of what Chabad Intown brings to the community and have been committed to doing their best to support us during these challenging times. We have a great tracking system and have engaged with over 2,000 adults on average for the past five years. Plus, our donor ledgers have grown with close to 1,000 donors annually now!”

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Shusterman said, “People are coming out, and we are offering more programs. As we anticipate 5782 programming year, we are preparing a full array of in-person programs and restarting some of our gatherings that have been on the back burner. We anticipate continuing to monitor the safety guidelines and operate with consideration. At the same time, people are desperate for community and connection. Some of our programs will be offered in a hybrid model for those most at risk.”

In terms of the overall pace of donations during COVID, smaller donations have dropped, and larger donors have stepped in to help keep them afloat. Interestingly they had more donors in 2020 than ever before, totaling 861.

Schusterman said, “Although the do-

Chabad Intown was founded in 1997 to serve the Intown Atlanta Jewish community. Over the years, they have grown from a small outreach center into a full service Jewish facility providing programs and services covering the full lifecycle. In 2018, Chabad Intown capitalized on an opportunity to position itself in the heart of the Intown renaissance by securing a 21,000 square-foot building on the BeltLine, only 100 yards from the popular Ponce City Market.

Rabbi Schusterman refers to their determination and resilience and concluded, “We do our best at Chabad Intown to convey a positive message despite challenging times. This campaign is about using the challenging past year-and-a-half of COVID as a springboard with the lessons learned and looking and moving forward with community and meaning. The time is now for our community to leap forward together into the future and all that our new world has to offer.”

Chabad Intown is located at 730 Ponce de Leon Pl. For more information, call (404) 898-0434. ì

Chabad Intown announced plans to raise the remaining $3.1 million needed to make significant improvements to their BeltLine facility.

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman believes resilience and determination is seeing them through the COVID stretch.

Rendering of The BeltLine Chabad upstairs co-working and cafe spaces.

Sarah Berlin Celebrates 109th Birthday

By Bob Bahr

When Sarah Berlin was born in Atlanta in 1914, the initial shots that would be fired in World War I were still five months away. The Ford Motor Company was just starting construction of its new assembly plant on Ponce de Leon Road to manufacture Model Ts in Atlanta. And Leo Frank was languishing in the Milledgeville State Prison after a sensational trial that convicted him of murdering a young factory worker the year before.

One hundred and nine years later, on March 27 of this year, Sarah Berlin celebrated her birthday at The Renaissance on Peachtree senior living apartments.

She donned a cardboard crown as she blew out the sparklers that lit up her birthday cake. Then, without a second thought, the lady they call “Queen B,” dug into a generous slice of the cake, while she responded with smiles and enthusiasm to the many well-wishers.

Among them was Sylvia Friedman, who’s known Berlin for more than 60 years. In recent years, she’s come over from the Jewish Tower on Howell Mill Road to visit every week. She is impressed with how well Berlin has aged.

“I’m amazed. I’m 90 and I cannot get over how vibrant she is,” Friedman said.

But, then, Friedman remembers how active her friend has always been. In earlier days, she was often walking, at a brisk pace, around a two-mile circuit of Piedmont Park near the neighborhood where they both lived. Berlin continued the long walks into her mid-70s. Today, Berlin says it is part of what she credits for her long life.

“She says it’s because of her active lifestyle as a younger woman,” Friedman maintains, “keeping her body fit. She also went to synagogue every Saturday. She was a lifelong member of AA.”

Berlin grew up in the old Ahavath Achim synagogue building, where her father, Charles Lefkow, was a prominent early member. It was located on Gilmer Street, south of downtown Atlanta. Oldtimers remember it as a building topped by two large onion-shaped domes and a big stained-glass window on the front. It moved to its present building in the Peachtree Battle neighborhood in 1929, when Berlin was 15.

Her son, Leonard, who is 74, and lives in New Jersey, organized the celebration, He remembers his mother as a very friendly and social person. She was an avid canasta player and devoted mahjong

fan who never missed her three times a week games.

“My brother and I like to say the maid raised us because she was always playing cards. My father owned a well-known shoe store in Five Points, downtown, where Martin Luther King was a frequent customer. He worked 12 hours a day.”

But Berlin herself credits her long life to something even more fundamental than exercise or an ability to make and keep friends. Without much elaboration, she credits the Biblical commandment to honor your father and mother, if you want to make it well past 100.

“Always be nice to your parents and grandparents,” she advises.

Credit for the contribution your parents have made to your life got a boost

earlier this month as a study by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center found evidence that a highly active and healthy immune system prolongs life at the cellular level. The lead author of the study, Tanya Karagiannis, at Tufts believes that centenarians have an exceptional biological inheritance.

“Our data support the hypothesis that centenarians have protective factors,” Karagiannis maintains, “that enable them to recover from disease and reach extreme old ages.”

According to the study, those who live to be 100 and beyond have an immune system that is able to quickly adapt to infection even as they grow older. It doesn’t decline as rapidly in centenar-

ians as it does with those who don’t age well.

Berlin has enjoyed exceptional health. Her son said that, apart from the birth of her three children, she has never been hospitalized.

When she was born in 1914, Sarah Berlin was the last child born, all of whom lived, with the exception of a brother who died in an automobile accident, well into their 90s. Her oldest sister lived to be 99.

And Berlin still feels she has more years left. One of her sons, who was stranded at a New York airport and couldn’t make it to the party, called to apologize.

“Don’t worry,” Berlin told him, “you can come for my 110th birthday.” ì

Sarah Berlin gets a large birthday cake on her 109th birthday from Keith Isydore, executive director of Renaissance on Peachtree.

Sarah Berlin has enjoyed exceptional health during her long lifetime.

All of her brothers and sisters, except one who died in an auto accident, lived into their 90s.

Sarah Berlin, show here with her husband and two of her three children, in 1946, has never been hospitalized for an illness.

M&H Distillery Named Best Single Malt Whiskey in World

M&H Distillery (Milk and Honey), Israel’s first and award-winning distillery, has received the accolade as the Best Single Malt Whisky in the World for its Element Sherry Cask at the prestigious World Whiskies

Today in Israeli History

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME ISRAEL PRIDE

Awards 2023 competition. M&H Distillery was also accredited the Craft Producer of the Year and Distiller of the Year awards during the same competition last month.

This year’s winner for “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” category was nominated to M&H’S Elements Sherry, a single malt whisky, made primarily using oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks made in Spain. Oloroso and PX sherry casks characterize the fruity flavors, rich aromas, with a special deep but natural color. The Elements Sherry is the first ever single malt whisky that was matured in Kosher sherry casks.

“We are truly delighted to receive this accolade and this recognition is a real testament to our ongoing hard work. I’ve always wanted to create the best whisky in the world, and we are thrilled to receive unprecedented international acclaim for our whiskies. For us, this is just the beginning,” stated Gal Kalkshtein, founder and CEO of M&H Distillery. “We pride ourselves in creating whiskies to the highest possible standard, using a creative mindset to challenge traditional industry methods and leveraging on Israel’s five unique distinct climate zones.”

April 19, 1977: President Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy team agrees on five major points for the Middle East, including a regional peace conference by the end of the year, but fails to consider that Likud might win May’s election.

Hadassah Medical Center Named Global Leader in Multiple Fields

Newsweek has named Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center a world leader in oncology, and for the fifth straight year, one of the globe’s top hospitals in both cardiology

April 23, 1943: Mordechai Anielewicz, the commander of the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB) in the Warsaw Ghetto, writes his final message about “the magnificent, heroic” but doomed Jewish uprising that began April 19.

April 24, 1903: Meeting with Theodor Herzl, British official Joseph Chamberlain proposes a Jewish homeland in British-controlled East Africa. Herzl sees the Uganda Plan as an interim step toward the return to Israel.

and smart technology.

The rankings appeared in the World’s Best Hospitals 2023, the fifth annual assessment of 300 hospitals in 28 countries produced by Newsweek, in partnership with the global data firm Statista.

Hadassah was placed alongside worldrenowned U.S. medical centers such as the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. ‘

“Hadassah has gained a global reputation thanks to its groundbreaking research and advanced medical care,” said Hadassah director Dr. Yoram Weiss. “I am delighted to see that, for the fifth year in a row, we have been recognized for the uncompromising quality of our teams in the fields of oncology and cardiology and as a ‘smart’ hospital using the most advanced technologies.”

The Newsweek-Statista results are based on more than 20,000 recommendations from thousands of medical experts and verified by a global committee of medical specialists.

April 15, 1936: An Arab uprising begins when 10 cars are attacked and three Jews are killed in what appears to be a robbery near Tulkarm. Violence lasts until 1939, and the British shift toward pro-Arab policies.

April 16, 2007: Organized by Aharon Applefeld and Natan Sharansky, the first Kisufim conference for Jewish writers around the world opens in Jerusalem. Sessions are held in 10 languages.

April 17, 1948: Commanded by Yitzhak Rabin, a Harel Brigade convoy delivers supplies to Jewish residents of Jerusalem, who have been blockaded since February. Arab forces again cut off the city April 20.

April 18, 1955: Physicist Albert Einstein, who declined an offer to serve as Israel’s president in 1952, dies at 76. He was drawn to Zionism after World War I, raised money for Hebrew University and first visited the Land of Israel in 1923.

April 20, 1799: While laying siege to Turkish-held Acre, Napoleon issues a proclamation offering to give Palestine to the Jewish nation if France captures it. The proclamation fails to win the support of Palestine’s Jews.

April 21, 1947: Moshe Barazani, 20, of Lehi (the Stern Gang) and Meir Feinstein, 19, of the Irgun kill themselves with a grenade smuggled into their prison cell to prevent the British from hanging them the next morning.

April 22, 1948: The Haganah executes a three-prong attack to secure control of all of Haifa except for the port, which the British hold, amid the violence ahead of the Israeli Declaration of Independence three weeks later.

April 25, 1975: Singer-songwriter Ehud “Udi” Davidi, who raises sheep in the Judean hills when he isn’t making music, is born. He is known for incorporating religious melodies and lyrics into his music.

April 26, 1881: Anti-Jewish violence since the assassination of Czar Alexander II in March sweeps into Kyiv. Rioters loot and destroy Jewish shops and homes. Authorities warned Kyiv’s Jews on April 25 to stay inside.

April 27, 1955: The Uzi submachine gun makes its public debut as an IDF weapon during a Yom HaAtzmaut parade. The Uzi was first used in the field two months earlier during a paratrooper raid on Egyptian forces in Gaza.

April 28, 1918: Six months after the Balfour Declaration, the British government’s backing of a Jewish national home in Palestine, the American Jewish Committee offers tepid support, reflecting ambivalence among U.S. Jews.

April 29, 1979: Five recently released Soviet Jewish prisoners arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. They were convicted in 1970 of hijacking a plane to escape the Soviet Union. Their story catalyzed the movement to free Soviet Jewry.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Compiled by AJT Staff

(From left) Shilton Almeida, brand ambassador; Tal Chotiner, vice president of global sales; Dana Baran, vice president marketing; Tomer Goren, head distiller; and Gal Kalkshtein, CEO and founder.

View of the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital // Photo Credit: Moshe Shai/FLASH90

Arab rioters confront British police during the 1936 uprising.

Napoleon lays siege to Acre in 1799.

Udi Davidi performs in 2009. // By Matan Segev via Wikimedia Commons

Old Uzi submachine guns are repurposed as a Chanukah menorah. // Dan Hadani Collection

Change in Israel’s Law of Return is Proposed Again

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

While the Jewish world has been focusing on the recent deadly terrorist attacks in Israel and the ongoing protests against the government’s proposed weakening of the justice system, few seemed to have noticed another red flag raised by an Israeli legislator that could have a significant impact on many wanting to immigrate to Israel.

Far-right legislator Avi Maoz, head of the one-seat extreme Noam party, in late March submitted a bill in the Knesset, Israel’s legislature, that will limit eligibility for Israeli citizenship. Currently, Israel allows Jews, their spouses and their first- and second-generation descendants to seek citizenship through the Law of Return which was passed in 1950 and then amended in 1970. Maoz hopes to essentially revoke the 1970 amendment which allowed non-Jewish grandchildren of Jews to apply for citizenship.

The suggested change in the Law of Return was initially proposed right after the Nov. 1 election and during the negotiations to create a coalition government. Shortly thereafter, American Jewish leaders condemned the move. As reported by Times of Israel at the time, William Daroff, head of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, argued, “The Law of Return is a bedrock of Zionism,” he said.

Similarly, the Union for Reform Judaism issued a statement last November, saying, “The proposed removal of the grandchild clause from the Law of Return…is offensive and a serious violation of the sacred bond the state of Israel has established with Jews around the world. The state of Israel must continue to be a safe refuge that will welcome all members of the extended Jewish family who are persecuted or just want to live their lives in Israel, contributing to the vibrancy and growth of a modern Israel in their ancestral homeland.”

The Reform Movement of Judaism particularly took note at the time because the “grandchild clause,” as it was known, was included partly to encourage interfaith couples to immigrate to Israel.

“We are deeply concerned about threats to…the Diaspora through the modification of the Law of Return to prevent non-halakhic Jews from immigrating to Israel,” the statement noted, referring to Jewish law and listing other concerns about Supreme Court rulings that had recognized non-Orthodox conversions in Israel.

Both the URJ and Daroff contended that the 1970 “grandchild clause” amendment was based on Nuremberg laws’ definition of Jewishness in 1930s Germany. “Our forebearers took the Nuremberg laws and said if one grandparent was enough to kill you, it’s enough to let you in.” However, there’s some dispute whether the Nazi racial laws were behind the “grandchild clause” because the 1970 amendment never mentioned them.

After the swearing in of his latest coalition government late last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specified that there would be no changes to the Law of Return, despite requests from coalition partners. However, the latest political polling in Israel indicates that if elections were held right now, he would not be able to put together another coalition government. That means he will need to satisfy his current partners’ demands in order to avert elections any time soon.

Meanwhile, although American Jews have expressed concern about any changes to the Law of Return, there’s some question whether that community is the target of the legislation. Some commentators have suggested that Israel’s ultra-religious community members have felt threatened by the influx of nonJewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who received citizenship based on a Jewish grandparent.

In fact, the URJ specifically noted that Israel has “welcomed thousands of Jewish Ukrainian refugees to Israel –many of whom qualify based on this crit-

ical grandchild clause,” and that this has been a source of pride in the Diaspora community.

Efforts to reach Atlanta rabbis for comment during the Passover holiday were unsuccessful. ì

William Daroff, head of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, argued, “The Law of Return is a bedrock of Zionism.”

Rabbi Peter Berg, of The Temple, said Avi Maoz “is working to remove egalitarian prayer space, delegitimize the LGBTQ community, and now, to deny the grandchildren of Jews citizenship in Israel. A disaster of epic proportions and the diaspora.”

Arthur Blank Unhappy with League Report Card

On March 1—two weeks before NFL free agency was slated to begin—the NFL Players Association released the results stemming from its firstever club report cards. The report cards, which assigned grades to all 32 NFL teams across categories including treatment of families, nutrition, weight room, strength staff, training room, training staff, locker room and travel, were produced from players on 2022 NFL rosters responding to questions about their respective teams.

David Ostrowsky

Overall, Atlanta ranked 23rd out of 32 teams, as the franchise was the recipient of mixed results: While it garnered an “A” for the training staff, it received a “Dminus” for the strength coaches; a similarly notable disparity was also evident in the ranking of its Flowery Branch facilities as the training room was assigned a solid “B-minus” grade while the locker room received a “D” mark.

In response to the March 1 publication, Falcons principal owner Arthur Blank was unequivocal in expressing his dissatisfaction with how his team ranked.

“If we have a definite groundswell of support or call-out for the training areas, strength areas or the size of the locker room or whatever, we need to listen to that sooner and we need to respond to that sooner. Which I wasn’t thrilled with,” Blank told reporters during the NFL owners’ meetings at the Arizona Bilt-

more in Phoenix last month.

The Falcons were recognized for providing valuable resources such as an onsite family room and daycare, along with complimentary meals. Additionally, an overwhelming number of Falcons players approved of the team travel experience. But, as the survey results indicated, there is widespread dissatisfaction with the strength coaching staff, largely attributed to the fact that only 58 percent of the players feel like they received an individualized plan.

“I think it’s their [CEO Rich McKay, general manager Terry Fontenot, head coach Arthur Smith] job and it’s part of my job to make sure that we are looking around corners and anticipating,” added Blank. “That’s our job as leaders not to just respond. That’s what a goalie does in hockey or soccer for that matter.”

Since the Falcons’ practice and training facility moved to Flowery Branch in 2000, infrastructural improvements have been made nearly every year, including the 2021 addition of the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center. However, since the 2020 season, when NFL practice squad rosters expanded from eight to 16 players, which has coincided with an expanding coaching staff, the locker room, training room, and weight room have naturally become more cramped—a reality of which the Falcons are well aware.

Last summer, members of the Falcons front office toured facilities of different NFL teams and concluded that significant renovation projects were in order for the Flowery Branch facilities. In addition to the cafeteria size having been addressed, plans are already underway to increase the square footage of the strength and conditioning rooms and the locker room by 30 to 40 percent over the next 18 months with the locker room expansion likely at the tail end of the process in order to minimize in-season distractions as much as possible.

“We are always happy to get feedback from our associates and certainly from our players. We were appreciative of the input,” Falcons team president Greg Beadles told the Atlanta Jewish Times in a recent interview.

“In the NFL, we talk about quartiles because there are 32 teams. We like to be first quartile in everything that we do. Being 23 out of 32 is not a situation that we like to be in. Disappointed to see that but glad we are on the front end of addressing that. We wish we could have it all done now but we want to plan it out the

right way and it takes time to do a major renovation like that.

“We know we have to continue to invest in our facility here. This is just one of the next big steps that we’re doing to stay modern and to stay competitive in the NFL.”

To stay competitive in the NFL means attracting top-flight free agents this time of year and it was surely no coincidence that the aforementioned report card results were published two weeks before free agency commenced. How much the reputation of a given team’s facilities (as well as support staff and organizational logistics) weigh on a player’s future career plans is anyone’s guess.

“It depends on the individual and what’s important to them,” noted Beadles. “It just varies from person to person on what’s important to them.”

Clearly, the Falcons’ reported grades didn’t prove to be that much of a deterrent to this year’s crop of free agents as the club shored up its defense by signing safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and linebacker Kaden Elliss in the opening of free agency before inking longtime defensive end Calais Campbell to a one-year deal several weeks later.

Nevertheless, more favorable empirical results from future NFL Players Association surveys would bode well for the Falcons in their attempts to woo free agents—particularly in light of the team now having greater salary cap room.

As Blank made abundantly clear at last month’s owners’ meetings, “I don’t ever want to appear on that report again in terms of the ranking that we got.” ì

At the Atlanta Falcons’ Flowery Branch headquarters, significant upgrades are afoot. Last year, Ticketmaster Studios, the multimilliondollar digital production and media facility, broke ground at the team’s facility // Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Princeton’s Peters Leads Improbable NCAA Run

By David Ostrowsky

On the afternoon of March 19, the day after his team’s stunning 78-63 win over the University of Missouri in the second round of March Madness, one in which he came off the bench to drain five three-pointers in the second half, Princeton University Tigers sophomore guard Blake Peters estimated that he had received well over 500 text messages.

His iPhone was inundated with wellwishes from elementary school friends he hadn’t spoken to in nearly a decade and relatives he hardly ever sees. Meanwhile, when he was able to put the device aside and stroll around campus, he was getting noticed by fellow students for the first time in his life.

Earlier that morning, Peters, along with the rest of the No.15-seeded Princeton men’s basketball team had touched down at Newark Liberty International Airport, fresh off a cross-country flight from Sacramento, where, over the past 48 hours, they had upset both the University of Arizona and Mizzou. For Peters, his second-half performance (he finished with a career-high 17 points and a pair of rebounds) that sparked his team’s improbable 78-63 win over Missouri, was good for a nationally televised postgame interview (“Anything’s possible!”), spotlight on the back page of the New York Post, and several mentions in the New York Times’ account of the game, including in the lede.

“The past couple days have been far from ordinary,” acknowledged Peters while speaking to the Atlanta Jewish Times less than 24 hours after his team pulled off the improbable blowout victory over a vaunted SEC opponent. “It’s definitely difficult with all the attention. We’re not used to that.”

Ivy League schools are not expected to make a lot of noise in March Madness. Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only one Ivy League team, Cornell, in 2010, had reached the Sweet Sixteen, before falling to the mighty Kentucky Wildcats. Likewise, No. 15-seeded teams are not expected to upset higher-ranked opponents by 15 points. That Princeton became only the second Ivy League team to reach the Sweet Sixteen by knocking off a legit national title contender in Arizona and then, two days later, posted the largest margin of victory ever for a No.15 seed, made for above the fold news.

“The goal’s always to get to the tournament and, once you get to the tournament, anything can happen,” added

Peters, who represents the Jewish community in Princeton by being an active member of the school’s Hillel, for which he has been a guest speaker at Shabbat. “I don’t think any of us are surprised that we’re in the position we’re in, but, at the same time, this is the kind of stuff that, at least for me, personally—you thought about going to the Sweet Sixteen with your middle school friends at the lunch table. You’re talking about it jokingly, but you’re not actually thinking you’re really going to get there.”

Understandably so. Generally speaking, Ivy League basketball players are not heavily recruited and Peters, despite being Evanston Township High School’s all-time leading scorer (1,585) and the No. 13 ranked player in Illinois by PrepHoops, was no exception. But Peters’ deadly three-point shooting and deft ball handling skills eventually caught the attention of Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson, himself a former hoops player at the school, and, for the past couple years, he has served as a reliable option coming off the bench.

The Princeton sharpshooting sophomore explained, “Initially, the biggest challenge was not being comfortable in that role. And what I mean by that is my whole life I always started, and I was always used to playing the whole game. This year, that’s just not the case. Initially, I was struggling because, when I would come in, I wasn’t as locked in as I should have been on the game plan. As the season progressed, I kind of got out of that mindset and stopped making excuses for myself.”

As the week unfolded before the

Sweet Sixteen, during which Princeton ultimately fell to Creighton 86-75, the spotlight on the upstart Tigers would only intensify, bringing to light Peters’ fascinating life story—away from the court.

Irrespective of whether Peters ever plays in or is interviewed following another CBS-televised March Madness game, last month may not be the last time America hears from the young man from Evanston, Ill.

“That [becoming Secretary of State] is the ultimate goal,” said Peters, who hopes to land a summer internship at the State Department. “I don’t know how exactly I am going to get there. I have been dreaming about being in government at that high level for a while now. Thankfully, I have had that great blessing of being able to travel the world and see different cultures and interact with people of all

backgrounds. I’m just really interested in American foreign policy. I love this country and definitely want to serve one day.”

His global travels have taken him to 14 countries, including China twice, Israel last summer while representing the U.S. at the 2022 Maccabiah Games, and a tour of Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia that he took with his grandparents for his bar mitzvah. Along the way, he has become fluent in Chinese, which he currently studies at Princeton, and wellversed in Spanish classical guitar.

Clearly, basketball comprises but a sliver of his life outside the classroom. But that doesn’t make what transpired this past March any less special.

“You never know when you’re going to be back in the tournament,” the soonto-be upperclassman added. “It’s something I’ll never forget.” ì

Every year during March Madness, there’s inevitably at least one Cinderella story that captures fans’ attention. This year, it was Blake Peters (No. 24) and the Princeton University Tigers // Photo Credit: Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photography

Emory Brings Home Torah Bowl Title

By David Ostrowsky

As a senior at Emory University preparing for graduation, Jackson Gardner is waist-deep in his studies. He is weeks away from completing his interdisciplinary major in neuroscience and behavioral biology, effectively an amalgam of anthropology, biology, and psychology.

Ever since he matriculated at Emory several years back, he’s maintained a laser-sharp focus on pursuing medical school, hence, the hefty load of life sciences courses. But along the way, there was one course he took as a sophomore, a Talmud class taught by Rabbi Michael Berger, of Toco Hills, that really piqued his interest in the vastly different field of Judaic/Torah studies. Two years later, thanks to the burgeoning popularity of Torah Bowl competition across American college campuses, he’s been able to revisit that interest.

This past winter, Gardner, along with several other Emory students, went up to the Hillel National Torah Bowl in Maryland. After several days of networking with other Jewish students and soaking up an endless amount of Torah knowledge, the Emory senior jumped at the opportunity to participate in an early spring Torah Bowl Tournament at the University of Central Florida, officially dubbed the first annual Southeast Intercollegiate Torah Bowl Tournament.

The brainchild of a University of Florida student named Dasi Vann, the tournament was largely orchestrated by the renowned organization known as Yavneh on Campus that galvanized Jewish students from schools across Georgia and Florida for a massive weekend retreat comprised of not just Judaic history

trivia competition but also Shabbat services and meals.

Apparently, Gardner’s inaugural Torah Bowl experience at College Park, Md., was worthwhile as he and his good friends, Andrew Shulman and Ari Dworkin, were crowned champs in the UCFbased tournament that involved dozens of teams throughout the Southeast, including two others from Atlanta, answering questions about a wide swath of Jewish and Torah-related topics, including Chumash [five books of Moses], Tanakh [the whole corpus of Torah, the prophets, and the Writings], Jewish history, Jewish thought, Jewish law, and Jewish life and customs.

“We’ve spent tons of time together, especially on Shabbat so we already knew each other’s strengths going into the competition which was great since we could really support one another in the areas that we needed help in,” Gardner told the Atlanta Jewish Times several days after his trio knocked off the Florida Atlantic University team for the Torah Bowl title. “Neither of them [Shulman and Dworkin] had gone to the previous Torah Bowl but they both picked it up without a problem and the knowledge they brought really helped our team succeed and win the championship.”

Gardner and his friends weren’t the only team representing Atlanta. There was another Emory team, the duo of Joseph Rosenbaum and Leah Bader, as well as the trio of Tal Najman, Lielle Porat, and Jonathan Nooriel, the latter two of whom hail from Georgia State University.

Undoubtedly, the growing appeal of Judaic studies, and, in effect, the Torah Bowl tournaments, to undergrads in the Metro Atlanta area can largely be attributed to the tireless efforts of Rabbi Ben Atwood, who serves as the Southeast coordinator for Yavneh and recently finished his rabbinical studies at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary this past December.

A native of Teaneck, N.J., Rabbi Atwood moved to Toco Hills a couple summers ago so that his wife, Rachel, could attend Emory University School of Law, and has since spearheaded the OU-JLIC Greater Atlanta Program that works in

conjunction with the local campus Hillels to provide Beit Midrash learning, Shabbat programming, and social events for Atlanta’s growing population of college-aged students who practice Orthodox, Conservative, or non-denominational Judaism.

“When I was in undergrad, I used to travel to other campuses [NYU, Columbia, UMD, Brandeis, etc.] almost every Shabbat to visit friends, and I was awestruck by the incredible Jewish communities on campus,” remarked Atwood, who served as one of the judges at the national Torah Bowl at UCF last month. “I was amazed at how invested college students could be in the success of their communities and how much time and effort they volunteered to assure their communities would thrive. There were totally student-run prayer services, social events, holiday programming, Jewish learning programming. I watched as my friends learned to find what parts of religious Judaism most connected with them and fully immersed themselves into that activity.”

As the Torah Bowl tournaments have proven to be a great success in facilitating networking opportunities for Jewish undergrad students across the Southeast—essentially the underlying purpose of Yavneh on Campus, along with that of empowering undergrad students to take the initiative to start their own programs—the plan is for them to be held on an annual basis, not just at UCF but at more schools throughout the country. ì

With three teams, Atlanta was well represented at the national Torah Bowl held at the University of Central Florida last month.

Jewish Prospect Starts Season in Braves’ Rotation

By David Ostrowsky

It was only a matter of time.

Jared Shuster, the soft-spoken 24-year-old, left-handed starting pitcher whom the Atlanta Braves selected out of Wake Forest University in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft, was destined to join the big-league club eventually. It turns out that time is now as Shuster was added to the Braves’ Opening Day roster during the final days of spring training before making his major league debut against the Washington Nationals a week later on April 2.

After an up-and-down 2021 minor league season, his first for the Braves organization, Shuster flashed signs of brilliance last season for the Mississippi Braves, the club’s Double-A affiliate, particularly when he punched out eight in a row in an early-season start against the Biloxi Shuckers. By July, he was pitching for Gwinnett, finishing with a respectable 4.25 ERA over 10 appearances at the Triple-A level. And going into 2023, the off-season departure of back-of-the rotation starter Jake Odorizzi to the Texas Rangers opened the door for Shuster to assume the fifth-starter vacancy.

Before spring training, however, the odds were stacked against Shuster cracking the big-league roster when camp broke. He had to compete against threeyear veteran Ian Anderson, former AllStar Michael Soroka, who hadn’t pitched since 2020 after suffering a twice-torn Achilles, and Bryce Elder, who compiled some impressive starts last year as a rookie. As spring training progressed, Anderson and Elder struggled mightily with their command and were soon optioned to Triple-A while Soroka strained a hamstring a day before the official start

of camp and didn’t make his spring debut until late March. It was also in late March that Kyle Wright, coming off a spectacular 21-5 campaign in 2022, was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

But ultimately, none of those developments may have prevented manager Brian Snitker from keeping Shuster onboard to start the season. Looking every bit like a former first-round draft pick, the young lefty breezed through spring training with a 1.45 ERA while holding opponents to a microscopic .115 batting average against, establishing himself as a viable candidate to be slotted into the back end of the Braves’ rotation, one that is, of course, anchored by another Jewish lefty, Max Fried.

Which is exactly what happened on the morning of Sunday, March 26, when Shuster, along with fellow highly-regarded prospect Dylan Dodd, was called into Snitker’s office and told the good news— and to make sure he had a sport coat handy to conform to big-league travel dress codes.

“I called my dad first and saw my family, let them know,” Shuster told the media after the meeting with Snitker. “Then, my phone started blowing up a little bit. It’s really cool. A lot of people are proud of me and happy for me.”

Shuster’s emergence as a potential mainstay of the Braves’ rotation marks the beginning of what may be an historic season for Jewish baseball. Other highly touted Jewish prospects including Matt Mervis (Chicago Cubs), Zack Gelof (Oakland A’s), and Spencer Horwitz (Toronto Blue Jays) will likely get called up at some point this summer and join the dozen or so current big leaguers who identify as being Jewish.

Count Shuster as feeling proud to be part of the select group.

“I love being Jewish,” Shuster told the Atlanta Jewish Times last season. “I love being able to represent the Jewish community, so it’s something I’m definitely proud of. It’s been great for me for 24 years. It’s helped my family stay close.”

In October 2020, Shuster’s family was rocked by tragedy when his mother, Lori, passed away at the age of 61, leaving behind her husband, Bennett, and two children, Jared and Alexa. At that point forward, Shuster dedicated his baseball career to the memory of his late mother and Lori was certainly in his thoughts

when he made his big-league debut on April 2 at Nationals Park.

Starting the Braves’ third game of the season against their rebuilding NL East opponent—within driving distance of his hometown of New Bedford, Mass., and alma mater, Wake Forest—Shuster yielded four runs on six hits and five walks over 4 2/3 innings. After allowing four first-inning runs, as each of the first six hitters he faced reached via a hit or a walk, he settled down to retire 12 of his final 17 batters.

There was no denying that facing a big-league lineup, in front of 21,440 fans no less, is a far cry from pitching against lineups in minor league or spring training games.

“I told him when he came out, ‘You can breathe now,’” Snitker said after the Braves fell 4-1 for their first loss of the season. “It was good to see how he came in and competed. I’m sure it wasn’t how he had it drawn up when he made his debut, but to his credit, he got us into the fifth, which was really big in the scheme of things.”

Following his debut, Shuster noted it was, “Definitely a positive way to go out and show I can move on to the next pitch and leave whatever happens behind me. I was excited to get out there. That first inning, I wanted it to go a little better. But after that, I kind of settled in and got a couple zeroes. I felt good with how I finished.”

With early-season injuries to Wright and Fried, it appears that Shuster will be given more opportunities to stay up at the big-league level this spring. If so, the Braves would continue to have three Jewish players on their roster with the young lefty alongside Fried and outfielder Kevin Pillar.  Shuster was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett following his second big league start last Friday. ì

Twenty-four-year-old lefty Jared Shuster is one of several young prospects the Atlanta Braves hope will help them contend over the next decade-plus // Photo Credit: Matthew Grimes/Atlanta Braves

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Why Was This Night Different?

The Seder plate has been cleaned and placed in a drawer, to remain there until next Passover.

The Haggadot were collected, save for one or two that guests took home, and put in our unofficial Judaica cabinet, to be pulled out when I prepare next year’s edition.

This year’s notable deletion was an additional telling of the story of the four sons, set to the tune of “Clementine,” while additions included the Mi Sheberach prayer (for people in need of healing), an excerpt from the Langston Hughes poem, “Freedom’s Plow,” and a paragraph from Israel’s Declaration of Independence.

Besides my wife, our two sons, and myself (Darling Daughter attended a seder in Columbia, S.C., where she lives), the seven others at our table were friends who have attended in previous years. What made the gathering extra special was having my 95-year-old mother and one of my sisters join us by video from Chicago, enabling them to join in the readings, prayers, and songs.

After the eating of the Hillel sandwich and before the meal was served, I read a note that my late father wrote in 2000 that came with bookmarks handmade from the bark of naturally fallen trees around Camp Schechter in the Maine woods.

As always, the meal, a combination of our cooking and dishes brought by guests, was a relaxed affair, with little heed being paid to the need to finish the prescribed order of events (the Hebrew word for that order being “Seder”).

Soon enough, though, the third cup of wine was followed by the fourth and we came to what, based on my reading and conversations, some Jewish Americans found to be a particularly thoughtprovoking line at their seder tables: “Next Year in Jerusalem.”

The Haggadah, of course, tells the story of the Israelites’ exodus from oppression in Egypt, aided by a providential hand that divided the Red Sea to ensure their passage to safety. Given doubts about the historical accuracy of the story and the consumption of four cups of wine during its telling, no wonder an

online Jewish smart-aleck (not me) likened the seder to the television program “Drunk History.”

That declaration — “Next Year in Jerusalem” — can be taken literally, as in, next year we will celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. For most of us, though, it is an admonition to keep in our minds the modern nation of Israel, founded 75 years ago this year, on the fifth day of the month of Iyar on the Jewish calendar (which this year corresponds to April 26, 2023), which was May 14, 1948, on the Gregorian calendar.

I read this from Israel’s Declaration of Independence: “The State of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

After a brief discussion of the degree to which Israel has (and has not) met these aspirations, conversation turned to the current crisis, precipitated by the efforts of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to — depending on your viewpoint — either curb the excesses of Israel’s judiciary or neuter the only body that stands between Israel as a democracy and governance by executive decree.

Admiration was expressed for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis — of all ages, from all walks of life, and diverse in their political philosophies and party affiliations — who have taken to the streets and, carrying their nation’s flag, protested against the haste with which various pieces of related legislation are being pushed through the Knesset. What, we wondered, will be the conversation about Israel next Passover?

Then came the singing of “Chad Gad Ya” (“one little goat” in Aramaic or “one kid” in Hebrew) and the conclusion of our seder.

All that remained the next day were leftovers in the refrigerator, the question, “Why don’t we eat charoset year-round?” and a sufficient supply to keep us eating fried matzah for weeks to come. ì

From Where I Sit

Letters to the Editor

The AJT welcomes your letters. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

Letter to the editor,

The Jewish Christian Discovery Center (JCDC), in partnership with St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Marietta and Heritage Baptist Church in Cartersville, hosted the Breaking Badness Choosing Goodness interfaith service to fight antisemitism and other forms of bigotry on Monday, April 3, 2023. This event took place during Holy Week before both the Easter and Jewish Passover holidays.

JCDC Executive Director Rabbi Albert Slomovitz led the service with St. Ann’s Father Ray Cadran and Heritage Baptist’s Rev. Michael Tutterow. The three men wrote prayers for this new ritual.

In a time of increasing antisemitism and intolerance, the three interfaith clergy believe it is vital to show religious unity and peace. At the service, each worshipper was given a large piece of matzah, unleavened bread. Matzah is traditionally eaten at Passover by Jews around the world as part of their commemoration of their exodus and freedom from slavery from ancient Egypt. Matzah is like a cracker in texture. Participants broke the matzah into several smaller pieces while pledging a commitment to reject hate and embrace love of one’s neighbor regardless of religious belief.

“We are living in unprecedented and sad times with age-old stereotypes and hatred against Jews reemerging,” Rabbi Albert Slomovitz said. “It is vital that we come together as Jews and Christians and embrace G-d’s commandment that we love one another.”

After each person broke the matzah and put it into a communal bowl, congregants burned the small pieces in an outdoor firepit in a symbolic gesture of burning away religious intolerance. They then spoke with each other in small groups about rejecting religious hatred and intolerance.

Led by Rabbi Slomovitz, one of the most enduring symbols of this interfaith service was participation by Catholic priest Father Cadran and Baptist Rev. Tutterow. The three men are close friends who work on JCDC interfaith projects.

“Our friendship is not only important to me, personally, but our spiritual communities need to see that clergy from different religions love each other. The Breaking Badness Choosing Goodness service will bring strangers together from many faiths and give them an opportunity to share in the symbolic act of rejecting hatred through the breaking of a large piece of matzah and then commit themselves and their families to ‘love they neighbor,’” Slomovitz said.

For more information, please contact Rabbi Slomovitz at 678-622-1818.

Joshua Azriel, Marietta

Disclamer to our readers:

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As a letter to the editor, we proof for spelling and grammatical errors only. We do not edit nor vet the information the letter contains. The individual signing the letter is accountable for what they share.

Letter to the Editor:

In the future, the Georgia General Assembly must not be conned to oppose the IHRA definition of antisemitism by the incredibly misnomer Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). (“Antisemitism Bill Fails in Georgia Again”).

In 2021, the Simon Weisenthal Center, led by Rabbi Marvin Hier and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, declared “Jewish Voice for Peace” one of the 10 most antisemitic organizations on earth.

On May 1, 2022, Johnathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, declared that Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and CAIR “epitomize the radical Left, the photo inverse of the extreme Right that the ADL has long tracked.”

Mr. Greenblatt continued: “They (JVP, SJP and CAIR) indisputably and unapologetically regularly denigrate and dehumanize Jews.”

The record is clear that JVP is neither for the Jewish people nor for peace.

Richard Sherman, Margate, Fla.

Flying Delta Direct to Israel

Why was this flight different from any other flight? The week before Passover, it was Delta’s first direct flight from Atlanta to Tel Aviv in 11 years.

Delta 248 took off from Atlanta on Sunday, March 26, to fanfare and frivolity at the gate, which was festooned with Israeli, American and Georgia flags, Jewish stars, and an archway of blue, white, and gold balloons.

“We are delighted to finally be able to celebrate the reinstatement of direct flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv, and greatly appreciate the decision by Delta to increase the frequency and offer daily flights as of mid-April,” Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, later

reflected.

“We’re excited to help connect these two important markets,” added Drake

Castaneda, Delta’s manager of corporate communications. The direct flight ended in 2009

when Delta decided to consolidate service through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. According

Israel National Baseball Team’s Tomer Erel

Members of Delta’s In-Flight Service Team and some of the crew of DL 248, join the Israeli diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism

// Photo Credit: Aaron J. Braunstein/Consulate General of Israel SE USA

Ronda Robinson Guest Contributor

to Castaneda, “It made more sense for efficiency of the route at the time.”

With the waning of the COVID pandemic, Delta has seen a resurgence in demand for international travel. Hence the return of the beloved direct flight from Atlanta to Tel Aviv.

Like many other Atlantans, this AJT writer has missed having a direct option. That’s why this writer quickly signed up for the inaugural journey when it was first spotted online. Having traveled to Israel many times, this writer was thrilled to avoid a layover elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad. Over the years, this writer has spent many hours waiting for connecting flights in New York, Newark, Miami, Toronto, London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Istanbul. The algorithm for choosing an airline and route for this almost-annual trip to Israel included price, weather, layover time and world events. For instance, this writer once switched plans when flights in France looked tenuous due to airline staff strikes.

Thankfully, the Delta direct flight has simplified the equation. The widebody Airbus A350 may be just the ticket for a less stressful experience. “This is the most orderly boarding process to Israel I’ve seen,” marveled Sara Carter, a fellow Atlantan on the March 26 flight.

Yes, passengers were generally calm

and followed procedures. They included additional security measures such as having their photos taken when presenting the tickets at the gate before boarding, plus random additional screening.

The plane can seat 339, but the inaugural flight wasn’t full, which added to the chill, peaceful vibe. The ranks included lawyers, teachers, journalists and even an Israeli baseball player. Tomer Erel, 18, an Israel National Baseball Team bullpen catcher for scrimmage games, had been in Miami for the World Baseball Classic. “It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” said Erel, sporting a cool blue Israel Baseball sweatshirt.

This writer had expected to shave off some flying time, but it took 12 hours from Atlanta to Tel Aviv, because the plane headed north, then hung a right to go east across the Atlantic. One of the four pilots explained that it would actually take longer to follow the equator.

The passengers did get special treatment, though.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tel Aviv,” a pilot said. “Ben Gurion Airport is giving us a special word of welcome. They’ve got the water cannons out. You might be able to see them on the left- and right-hand side, because we’re the inaugural

flight of the 350 into Tel Aviv.” ì

(From left) Head of protocol of International Affairs for Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Mar Anderson; Director of the Mayor’s office of International and Immigrant Affairs, Vanessa Ibarra; Commissioner of Georgia Department of Economic Development, Pat Wilson; Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, Anat Sultan-Dadon; Delta Capt. Cynthia Timmons; Tourism Consul and Director of the Israel Ministry of Tourism to the Southern U.S., Yael Golan; and Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern U.S., Alex Gandler // Photo Credit: Aaron J. Braunstein/Consulate General of Israel SE USA

EDUCATION & CAMP

Reform Judaism Builds World Class Sports Camp

Just 200 miles northeast of Atlanta in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, the Reform movement has created its 6 Points Sports Camp for young Jewish athletes from around the world. In its 13-year history, the camp has been a popular attraction for students from 36 states and from countries as diverse as Poland, Spain, England, and Israel.

For each two-week session, campers pay nearly $4,000 to get personal coaching in a dozen major team sports. But even at those lofty prices, these summer sessions are said to be almost totally sold out. The camp’s new director, Jaclyn Gordon, began work March 1. She’s worked there as a coach and a staffer since it began in 2010. Gordon touts it as place where young persons from a va-

riety of backgrounds, both athletically and Jewishly, can come together for an enriching experience.

“We have campers who love sports

[but] maybe are not very good. We also have athletes who are really trying to make their high school teams or get to college to play, And then, we also have the same spectrum as far as the connection to Judaism. But one of the goals at camp, especially with my work, is to try to create moments where somebody connects with something that’s really important to them. Where an individual can relate to something in sports or Judaism and take a part of that home. Something that elevates camp and the whole camp experience.”

Each camper has a choice of sports, such as baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, gymnastics, or lacrosse on which they will concentrate. There are four hours of coaching in that sport each day, with experts like Gordon. Last summer, she coached Israel’s women’s lacrosse team during the world championships, which is held every four years. Of the 29 nations competing for the world cup, Israel came in sixth. It’s the kind of coaching that is typical of what is available during each of the three summer sessions.

“Our campers get the best of both worlds. They get to experience an immersive Jewish summer camp and they also get some really unique and sportsspecific training by head coaches that have professional experience. Most of them are college level coaches and elite level. Then, in the middle of the day, our athletes participate in electives. We have a climbing wall, wiffle ball, kickball and nine square in the air, which has elements of volleyball to it. We want them

to develop their athleticism and build community in lots of ways.”

Gordon, who was the director of the Jewish Life Program at the camp for the past several years, has worked to bring Jewish values onto the playing field. The six values that she works in to each coaching session are pride, growth, intention, teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship. It’s a practice she’s developed in her 20-year career both on the field and off.

“I think that’s the community that we build, being a part of a team, learning understanding and finding your role, Our goal on the field is to help each athlete, each individual, get better at whatever he or she needs to get better at. We’re building that perseverance; we’re building that mental toughness that kids need nowadays for every aspect of their life.”

The Union for Reform Judaism, which runs the 6 Point Sport Academy in Asheville, has made summer camping a major part of its national program. It runs a national network of 14 overnight summer camps, including Camp Coleman in Cleveland, Ga., which serves six states in the southeastern United States.

Numerous studies have shown that young people who attend a Jewish summer camp are more likely to identify with Judaism as adults, build Jewish families of their own, feel a deeper commitment to Israel, and actively engage in the local Jewish community.

Rabbi Daniel Greyber, who has served as the USA team rabbi for World

The URJ Sports Academy attracts over 800 campers each summer.

The mountains outside Asheville, N.C., provide the setting for 6 Points Sports Academy.

Bob Bahr

Maccabiah Games and been a Jewish camp director, believes that camp offers a way for young people to develop their

identity as Jews by immersing themselves in daily Jewish practice.

“In an age when few families are liv-

Individualized instruction is offered in 12 major sports.

ing full Jewish lives at home, too many of our educational initiatives ignore the critical nature of creating communities

– ongoing and temporary – in which kids can encounter Jewish life in action.” ì

Mazel Tov to the Recipients of the 2023 32nd Annual Hadassah Chesed Student Awards

Hadassah Greater Atlanta, in partnership with JumpSpark, honors 23 of Atlanta’s best and brightest young leaders with its annual Chesed Student Awards. Honorees are students in grades 8-12 from Atlanta synagogues, day schools, and Jewish community organizations

Zachary Mittleman

Join in the FREE Community Celebration!

Sunday, May 7th at 2 pm at Congregation Or Hadash.

Registration required to attend in person or join virtually on Zoom.

Register Here: bit.ly/3nJysmV

Mia Kleinman

Jamie Cohen

Hannah Litvak

Dylan Feinberg

Brandon Buchalter

Benjamin Lefkovits

Ethan Levine

Katherine Davies

Abby Gilbert

Olivia Fishman

Zoe Diamond-Wilding

Kayla Minsk

Matan Berg

Lindsay Feinstein

Katherine Poch

Miriam Raggs Bari Seitz Jolie Thaler Abby Warshauer Lainey Weissman

Audrey Zeff Molly Ziskind

An immersive Jewish cultural and religious experience is a feature of the 6 Points Sports program.

Temple Teens Raise $8,500 to Support Camp & Tutoring

House of Tikvah Temple Youth at Temple Beth Tikvah has raised a record-breaking $8,500 during its annual Camp Jenny Bingo Fundraiser, more than doubling the amount collected in previous years. Camp Jenny is the year-round mitzvah project of the Southern Area and Southern Tropical Region Reform Jewish Youth Movement, of which HOTTY is affiliated.

Debbie Diamond

Held annually, the event donates the proceeds so that students at an urban Atlanta school may receive tutoring and support throughout the year, as well as spend four days during Memorial Day weekend at Camp Jenny, held at Camp Coleman in Cleveland, Ga. During the four-day session, the campers will receive the encouragement of big “brothers and sisters,” three nutritious meals each

day, and inspiration for the future. They can also enjoy activities such as hiking in the mountains, water play, zip lining,

arts and crafts, and a variety of sports and teambuilding activities.

The event was held in the synagogue’s social hall and included a live auction, raffle and bake sale to help support Camp Jenny. As part of the initiative, HOTTY members enlisted the support of local businesses and community members, receiving more than 60 donations that were used as prizes throughout the night. Donations included University of Alabama football tickets, keepsake jewelry and Pilates lessons. During the event itself, the teens stayed busy, selling baked goods, running the raffle, checking in guests, announcing bingo numbers, and serving as auctioneers, among their many other duties throughout the evening.

According to Molly Ziskind, the programming chair for the group and a junior in Campbell High School’s International Baccalaureate program, approximately 30 teens volunteered for the effort. “This experience was so rewarding for all of us because we know that kids who go to Camp Jenny will learn about independence, creativity, and friendship, all while receiving encouragement for the future and having an unforgettable experience. Everyone who donated knows that their money is going to an incredible cause, and we are so excited that 17 kids will be able to go to Camp Jenny thanks to our contributions.”

To set the ambiance for the night, the teens arrived early to decorate the space with balloons, centerpieces, and images to transform the room into a “Monsters,

Inc.” ball. In advance of the actual event, they spent months reaching out to the community, marketing the fundraiser, sharing flyers, making promotional videos, and speaking with synagogue congregants to encourage attendance. More than 250 people attended the fundraiser.

“The teens truly put their heart and souls into this event to make sure it was successful. They went door to door to receive donations and were out in the temple multiple times a week to spread the word. It was amazing to see their hard work pay off by raising so much money, and it means so much to showcase what HOTTY and our teens can do to the congregation,” said Drew Baker, advisor for the youth group.

The commitment of the HOTTY teens does not stop after the fundraising ends. Many of these same teens will volunteer their time during Memorial Day weekend 2023 at Camp Jenny. Their roles will range from cabin counselors to specific activity coaches. Many of the teens are repeat counselors, and several more are looking forward to their first experience. This summer, in fact, will be Ziskind’s first at the camp, where she will serve as a senior cabin counselor.

“I am looking forward to my first summer at Camp Jenny. Meeting the kids coming from Atlanta and being with many of my friends during the weekend will be so special and add even more meaning to the work we have done to help make this experience happen,” said Ziskind.

Rabbi Alexandra Shuval-Weiner

House of Tikvah Temple Youth member Noah W. makes popcorn for the group’s bake sale.

Temple Beth Tikvah parents and teens participate in the bingo fundraising event.

said that the bingo fundraiser is one of the most anticipated events of the year among the congregation. She empha-

sized, “The skills the teens acquire are innumerable, and they carry them into adulthood. Today’s Camp Jenny ambas-

sadors, fundraisers, and counselors are tomorrow’s Jewish community leaders. As rabbi, I am so very proud of our TBT

teens and support their drive and their passion for making Camp Jenny a success.” ì

HOTTY members Frannie A. and Lucy W. take a break for a photo.

(From left) HOTTY social action vice president, Evan C., programming vice president, Molly Z., and president, Grace E., auction off a signed Dominique Wilkins jersey.

HOTTY members, Max W. and Jayson F., take a break from serving pizza to hungry attendees.

Programming vice president Molly Ziskind and her mother, Shayna Ziskind

‘Ms. Sim’ Retires from Atlanta Jewish Academy

It’s unusual for a theater director to have mentored young performers in the same school for almost 20 years, and, as a result of that commitment, to garner a cadre of adoring students and grateful, admiring parents.

Simonie Levy has done this through staging dozens of live musical productions, assisted by student stagehands and student technical crews. This is not easy work, yet Levy, known to one and all as “Ms. Sim,” set the bar for working creatively and patiently with kids of many ages and abilities who want to perform. “It was my whole world,” she says, emphatically.

All of Levy’s student shows at AJA were upbeat musicals with expansive casts. For Levy, it was important for each child to have a chance to be on a stage with a live audience.

“Every student may not feel comfort-

able on a sports team, and some kids don’t even care about sports,” Levy notes. “However, every student who wanted to be in a play at AJA was given a role and a costume. Everyone in a show is an important part of the show’s success. The entire cast is in it together, and kids help one another learn

lines and songs, help with each other’s costumes, and have fun together. Being part of a group that puts on a play builds individual responsibility and provides the right team for these kids. The bond of kids in a play is their team.”

For Levy to fulfill her mission of in-

clusion, she made sure that every girl and boy had significant stage time, even if they didn’t have big roles. She always chose shows that included group numbers and lots of smaller parts so that all the actors were an integral, essential part of the shows. Her innovative approach to dealing

Simonie Levy and her children: (from left) Saul, Bianca, mother, Simonie, twins, Ariella and Hannah

Chana Shapiro

EDUCATION & CAMP

with leading roles was to double-cast the leads, giving two performers a chance to star in alternate performances.

Acknowledging the possible long-range impact of youth theater, Levy asserts, “Being in a play is a great way to build a young person’s confidence.”

To this end, Levy used public speaking exercises and theater games, and even encouraged students to write their own plays. She mentions recently hearing from a former student who attributed his abilities as a lawyer as stemming from his experiences in Levy’s productions. Former students, who are now parents of young children, recall their own positive experiences of being in AJA shows, and they thank Ms. Sim for patiently helping them to become better singers and actors over the years.

Levy directed two acting groups, one for lower school students, and the other for middle school students, and she carefully chose plays most suitable for each, weighing the difficulty and sophistication of the staging, scripts, and songs. Her goal was to maximize inclusiveness and minimize disappointment. Levy’s cheerful, supportive personality served as her magic power, ensuring a successful show and happy performers every time. Levy admits that she had to discipline an occasional student, but she always did it calmly and gently, and many parents were sure that Levy had degrees in child psychology or social work!

Levy’s naturally positive personality became unexpectedly necessary when her husband died at the age of 40 in 2008, and she was left with four young children to raise by herself. Suddenly a widow, Levy summoned her resiliency and carved a new path for herself. She became a grief counselor and helped other widows “who had a common need,” as Levy explains. Along with offering individual counseling, she created podcasts and organized social events in which widows formed strong friendships.

Levy started working at AJA in 2002 when her oldest child, Bianca, was in their preschool (at that time it was named the Greenfield Hebrew Academy). Levy approached the administration and convinced the school to start a theater department. She was the right person to accomplish this goal; it didn’t hurt that, at home in South Africa, Levy studied at the Johannesburg Art, Ballet, Dance and Music School and was a graduate of Trinity College of Theater and Communication in London, where she earned a BA and MA, respectively. She successfully grew the fledgling AJA theater department into one which today is universally respected.

Now, Bianca, who is getting married soon, and her other children, Hannah, Ariella, and Saul, are adults, all starting out on their own. After close to 20 years at AJA, Levy reflects, “It took a lot of hard work to get the theater department where it is today, and I feel that my legacy is to leave the school with a fully functioning theater department. Now, it’s time for me to reinvent myself!”

Levy is stepping into this phase of life with plans to renew her impactful counseling work. When discussing her future and reflecting on the past two decades, she hastens to add, “I have so many wonderful memories of directing shows at AJA. I will always love, support, and be helpful to the AJA theater department. It is definitely at a strong, solid point, and now someone else will be able to step in.” ì

Birthright Excel is Thriving During ‘Bar Mitzvah’ Year

By Bob Bahr

Birthright Israel Excel, which each summer brings 50 to 60 bright, young Jewish leaders to Israel for an intensive 10-week program, is celebrating its 13th anniversary. The program is supported by the Birthright Foundation and the state of Israel, which provides all administrative and program costs. Participants are only required to provide the cost of air transportation.

Each year, graduates of the program gather in New York for a World Summit to celebrate their achievements and to advance the cause of Israel and world Jewry. At the end of this year’s conference last month, the AJT spoke with Idit Rubin, who has been the executive director of the program for the past five years. Her son, Yoav, will be a counselor at Camp Ramah Darom in Clayton, Ga., this summer.

The conversation covered where the program stands in its 13th year…

Bahr: What do you see as the accomplishments of this year’s Birthright

Israel Excel Summit?

Rubin: More than 300 fellows came, especially from the U.S. But we are now a global community. So, fellows from Argentina, South Africa, the U.K., Spain, France, Brazil and, of course, from Israel, came to the conference. And I think the accomplishment, if I can summarize it, is that it gave our attendees a good chance

to network and discuss how they can help Israel and the Jewish world. Most of the speakers were fellows themselves. After 13 years, we have fellows that are now 30-something and leaders in their company, so they came and spoke to the community. We had Marc Rowan, the cofounder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, the large investment firm, who

spoke about business and his journey. And I think the combination gave each one of the community who attended (the) feel(ing) that he belongs, that he can find himself into the community that we created in the past 13 years.

Bahr: What is the mission of Birthright Excel?

Idit Rubin is the executive director of Birthright Israel Excel.

The Birthright Excel World Summit attracted 300 fellows last month.

Rubin: Our mission is to create future business leaders that give back to the Jewish world and to Israel. After 13 years, we’re seeing some important results from our earliest fellows in 2010. Many of them are married with families and they are so involved with their community, it’s phenomenal. Most organizations don’t see such success so early.

Bahr: How does Birthright Israel Excel work?

Rubin: Each one is like a tailor-made placement and each one of them has a mentor in Israel’s business company to take care of and teach them and educate them and then, give them mentorship and being their supervisor while they’re in the program. They all come together three times a week to hear the best speakers in Israel like the CEO of Facebook, the CEO of Checkpoint, the governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer, and other ministers and government officials. They hear from the different communities in Israel, the Iranian, Russian, Ethiopian and Muslims communities. Our goal is that after the 10 weeks, they will have a sense of the complexity of being an Israeli and living in Israel.

Bahr: How does Birthright Israel Excel, which is a 10-week program, differ from Birthright, which lasts for just 10 days?

Rubin: In 2010, the founders of Birthright said [since] we have hundreds of kids, that they come to Israel every year to get to know Israel and their Jewish roots. This is great, but what about the future? Will they be great businesspeople when they grow up, like, in 20 years, when they’ll be in their 40s? There is no doubt about it. But will they be the next philanthropists of the Jewish world? Will they be like us? To be connected to Israel, and are they going to invest in Israel causes and Jewish causes?

So, they decided to create Excel to find the future business leaders of the Jewish world. It goes without saying that Birthright Excel fellows tend to be smart, but they need to have leadership skills. Our primary goal is not to get them to move to Israel, although we don’t close the gate The goal is for them to be leaders in their countries and lead their communities in Jewish and Israeli causes. ì

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Birthright Excel speaker Stanley Fischer, the former governor of the Bank of Israel and the vice chair of the Federal Reserve Bank in the U.S.

EDUCATION & CAMP Lawyer Flips to Dog Trainer

Marcia

Michael Litzky is the director of training and head trainer at Barking Hound Village. He just took a unique route to get there.

He said, “I practiced law for seven years, more than enough time to satisfy my Jewish mother. I never liked practicing law. I got a puppy, Hazel, in my early 30s, and she was quite the handful, and I started reading about dog training. I was thrilled to learn that modern dog training was based on what I learned getting my psych undergrad degree. Switching professions was the easiest decision of my life.”

Caller Jaffe

At Barking Hound Village, Litzky oversees a staff of four other trainers and handles complex behavioral issues including severe reactivity and aggression. He elaborated, “These are behaviors

that can only be addressed in one-on-one training sessions, so I spend most of my time working at homes and our training facility in Buckhead.”

He offers one-on-one training, group

classes at the Cheshire Bridge location and the new Westside Atlanta Humane Society, and board-and-train at Cheshire Bridge. The costs for Barking Hound Village’s program include: training at $115

per session, or discounted packages for three or more; group classes (puppy class for dogs five months and younger, basic obedience for the rest) are six-week courses for $250; two-week-long, board-

Epstein is a place where opportunity and encouragement intersect. It’s a school devoted to academic excellence anchored in Jewish values. Challenging young minds. Igniting intellectual curiosity. And providing an environment that inspires learning that lasts a lifetime.

Litzky goes to private homes for lessons as well as those given at Barking Hound Village.

Michael Litzky believes that dogs should be treated as family members and given training early on.

Michael Litzky practiced law before segueing into dog training.

and-train is $1,950. For private sessions at home, they work on specific behaviors. Group class is a set obedience curriculum. The board-and-train program is where they do most of the heavy lifting. For more information, check out barkinghoundvillage.com/training.

Native Atlantan Litzky bases his training techniques on modern science and applied animal behavior and is credited with teaching people -- teaching owners to train the dog. He said, “I’ll give some props to my Jewish mother who was a teacher. I grew up running into people relating how amazing she was at what she did…having a knack for connecting to students and getting them to want to learn. I think I share a similar ability and it shows in my dog training.”

Litzky teaches owners how to get inside a dog’s thoughts since people go wrong by providing dogs with too much of an internal narrative.

“’My dog was mad at me when I was gone so they spitefully went and peed on my bed.’ Not true. Your dog was scared that you were gone – separation anxiety – and they found the place that smells the most like you and relaxed their mind and bladder.”

Litzky provided his take on an array of topics related to dog ownership:

Rewards: Positive reinforcement and rewards-based training are more effective than punishments. It’s why they use fish, not shock collars, to work with dolphins at the aquarium. Stay away from aversive training methods, including e-collars, choke chains, pinch collars, or anything that causes fear or pain.

Consistency: Crucial! Dogs are training, 24/7. Ninety-eight percent may be an ‘A’ in school but failing in dog training. If you let your dog jump some of the time, don’t be surprised when they think it’s OK to jump all the time.

Smartest breeds: A very loaded question! There are many different kinds of intelligence. Poodles and border collies are very ‘smart’ dogs, but they’re no match for a beagle or bassett hound in scent. What most people describe as ‘smart’ dogs are really just driven dogs with the need to be mentally and physically active. If you don’t give them proper outlets, they’ll find improper ones.

Dogs in the bed: View dogs as family members and treat them like smart, emotional beings. I’m fine with dogs sleeping in bed as long as it doesn’t cause behavioral issues but would recommend against it if a dog has displayed resource guarding behavior, aggression, or if you’re a light sleeper.

Bottom line: First and foremost, dogs are members of the family with feelings and emotions. The goal is to build a mutually respectful bond and teach dogs to want to listen to you, not that they have to. Have fun. Dog training should be an enjoyable time with a loving member of the family. Not all behaviors are easy, and many can be extremely difficult, but if you do it right, the training shouldn’t add to the stress… also, most dogs don’t want to wear clothes or a costume. ì

Michael Litzky believes that one goal is to establish a mutually respectful bond between the human and dog.

A Special Kind of Robotics

All our children deserve the opportunity to learn the magic of new, innovative and unique thought. Introducing the fusion of engineering and creativity to the widest spectrum of children, including those who are visually impaired, is Gail K. Tate’s mission. Typically, not all students have access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) education. Here is one unique program, hosted by Tate and sponsored by Georgia Institute of Technology. This program is making waves in the world of education and encourages children, including ones with special abilities and challenges, to participate in a creative, engineering-based curriculum that everyone can enjoy. The AJT asked Tate to discuss the ins and outs of the program...

AJT: How and why did you get into teaching STEAM programs for children and teachers in the first place?

Tate: As early as I can remember, I was creating art, sculpture and making music. My parents always encouraged creativity. Oddly, they did not imagine young girls could ever aspire to a profession in technology, engineering, or science. Ironically, I launched a 35-year career in technology, project engineering and sales. Nonetheless, I was hungry for a more authentic and purposeful life’s work! I felt, in my bones, that I was supposed to launch a new adventure. Does fate have a strange way of finding us? I decided to do some hunting at an education trade show and found a robotics company that combined computer coding, engineering, and art! It was love at first robot...and fast forward to 2013 when AVEZ Select was born

(www.avezselect.com). My passion to bring technology to a wider range of students and educators became my second career. What if I could inspire children to love engineering and robotics, who typically would never imagine themselves as participating in STEAM programming?

AJT: When did you have this idea?

Tate: For many years I was restless in working for large technology corporations. I was grateful for the lifestyle it afforded us...but felt something was missing. When I found the opportunity to escape, I took it!

AJT: Have you taught robotics and engineering curriculum to other groups?

Tate: Teaching ARTBotics and STEAM programs is a wild ride! Since 2016, I have been collaborating and subcontracting for Georgia Tech’s children’s programs. Together, we have brought our unique ARTBotics and Mechanisms programs to Fulton County schools, High Museum of Art, Horizons Atlanta, summer camps, and more. In addition, since 2013, AVEZ Select’s workshops have been hosted as far away as China, San Francisco, Texas, North & South Carolina, and Georgia. Pre-COVID, I have had the luxury of hosting programs at the MJCCA. This summer, we will be starting our programs at the Spruill Center for the Arts.

AJT: What precipitated your devoting so much time and energy to creating STEAM classes and workshops?

Tate: It is essential that we bring technology to children who don’t have access to it, or don’t think they are capable. Blending the arts with engineering is less intimidating. I have witnessed even the most resistant students become passionate about creating computer programmed creatures or building mechanical toys.

The power of integrating imagination and design into every project has remarkable results. Recently, I was approached with a new challenge to bring STEAM programs to middle school students who had limited sight or were completely blind. The Center for the Visually Impaired (www.cviga.org) was talking with Georgia Tech’s leadership and I was brought into their conversations. These children should have opportunities to discover their inner inventor, too! Why not introduce them to engineering? To prepare, I looked for prior STEAM projects for this special group but could not find any substantial resources for hands-on building. It was time to create our own solution! My strategy was to focus on their ability to be visionaries for future technology. The goal is encouraging their special abilities to be an asset and not a

Example of Center For The Visually Impaired event with Gail Tate in an LED-light blinking hat. She wears this hat so the children who are visually impaired can track where she is walking.

Example of ARTBotics from first-time coder and robot builder. This penguin-like creature was designed and built by a rising third grader. It lights up, moves, and makes noise. Made with cardboard boxes and construction paper. Compliments of the Birdbrain Technologies Hummingbird Kit.

Example of ARTBotics from a program hosted by the High Museum of Art and Georgia Tech. The goal was to study an Andy Warhol exhibit and design/program/construct a robot based on his fascination with cats. Compliments of the Birdbrain Technologies Hummingbird Kit.

Shaindle Schmuckler

liability.

AJT: What are the differences/challenges preparing for visually challenged as opposed to sighted students?

Tate: The obvious challenge is the children are working with their hands without being able to completely see the results. Touch and sound are very important. I set the expectation that their hands and fingers were as important as eyes for sighted engineers.We set up the classroom in a totally different format. About 90 percent of the tables and chairs were pushed to the side. I wanted the students to feel safe (and not make the room treacherous).

In addition, I pre-made individual packages so that it was easy for them to understand what supplies they had. I recruited Publix and Pike’s Nurseries to donate bags and boxes so that their supplies wouldn’t ‘roll away’ and they could keep track of their building materials. The way I adapted our curriculum was laborious (but worth it!). I took prior STEAM classes that I have taught and broke it down to simpler steps. Instead of using braille for instructions, I developed a system by adding a hole pattern into the craft materials. We specified art supplies that had a variety of textures that were easy to identify by touch. Our building tools also included ways to add sound and movement to their creations. Each project was separated into three phases:

1) The first was to build a prototype.

2) The second was to improve on what they learned and build the final creation.

3) Part three was where the students presented at the end of the program (to their parents).

I believe it is important to encourage these skills alongside the engineering process. We have launched two classes so far. The first was “Build a Dream Home.” Here, I encouraged them to share their perspective on designing a house for people with special abilities. We introduced construction technology and the types of engineers required to make a building.

Our recent program was to “Create a Rock-n-Roller Coaster.” Their challenge was to start with building one

tower, one track, and get a marble to drop into a cup. It’s harder than it sounds! Their smiles when hearing the sound of the marble speeding into the cup was priceless. Developing community is essential in our workshops. We encourage conversation – for example: what was their experience at an amusement park? What design changes would they make for people of all abilities at

roller coaster parks? Of course, we made it fun with lots of music and imagination exercises.

Their projects were amazing. I’d like to share a big shout out to Georgia Tech and the Center for the Visually Impaired for taking on this challenge.

For more information, contact Gail K. Tate, AVEZ Select, LLC at gailktate@avezselect.com. ì

Example of ARTBotics from STEAM Camp for first-time coder and robot builder. The children got to design a robot that makes them laugh. Its tongue wags back and forth while the eyes blink. Made with cardboard, foam paper, and Styrofoam balls. Compliments of the Birdbrain Technologies Hummingbird Kit.

Example of The Center For Visually Impaired project that was based on the theme to build a dream house. The student created a fantasy home, including an outdoor swing and sliding pond ramp for the entrance. Made with cardboard, toilet paper rolls, cups, straws, dowels, clay, cupcake liners, pipe cleaners, and more.

Cohen’s Testing Helps Evaluate Students

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Schools may require tests for acceptance, or parents may want to better understand their child’s strengths and weaknesses and schedule an evaluation with a licensed professional tester. The good news is that specialists are becoming better at early diagnoses; the flipside is that disorders appear to be so prevalent.

Native Atlantan Dr. Avital Cohen helps negotiate the maze of attention deficit disorder, autism, ADHD, learning styles, and intellectual ability, along with school evaluations and testing gifted children. She also helps with kindergarten readiness and adult testing for college accommodations and guardianships.

Some private schools use testing as one piece of information amongst many, including teacher recommendations and direct observations. Schools that require testing are trying to make sure a student’s profile is a good fit for their program.

Cohen explained that referrals often come in at certain grades due to changes

in school expectations for kindergarten/first, third, sixth, and ninth graders. But the right time to seek out testing is when a parent has concerns that their child’s learning or behavior may need support at home or school. At Cohen’s office, three to six sessions are generally

PRE-K3 – GRADE 12

needed, including the initial intake and follow-up feedback session. The actual testing takes place across one to three appointments ranging from one to four hours each, depending on age and type of testing. The testing process can take six to eight weeks after the first appointment. Getting the first appointment often depends on the season. Requests increase after the first month of school and after report cards are received.

In terms of what transpires in a test, she stated, “We observe many things outside of the test performance itself, including eye contact, social interaction skills, ability to follow directions, and persistence on difficult tasks amongst others.”

Lay suggestions abound to prepare kids by teaching them to count backwards or refuse candy to show delayed gratification. Cohen cautioned, “Parents should engage with their kids with puzzles and play games that reinforce academic skills building - but these aren’t tests you can cram in a study session. We want to learn about a child’s true current functioning to best guide recommendations.”

A member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Cohen served four years of active military duty in Iraq. She recalled, “While it wasn’t what I expected, I would not be the person or clinician I am today without my time in the U.S. Army. My active-duty days were busy and fulfilling. In addition to learning leadership skills, I received phenomenal training and learned I had a passion for autism assessment. I also had unique Jewish experiences during my deployment, including participating in a seder.”

Cohen completed her master’s and doctorate degrees at the Georgia School

of Professional Psychology at Argosy University. In addition to testing assessments, she supervises and trains future psychologists -- undergraduate interns, doctoral level practicum students, and postdoctoral fellows.

A mother of three, Cohen gives the following parental advice, “I definitely believe in limiting and monitoring screen time, as well as making sure there is dedicated family together time. It’s also important for parents to know there is no perfect or single way to make parenting decisions.”

Cohen’s quick takes:

AJT: Heredity vs environment?

Cohen: We are all born with certain ingredients for our mental health, just like our physical health – innate resiliency, tendency to internalize/externalize stress, etc. Our environment can then enhance our positive traits or push us to the more negative ones.

AJT: More behavioral problems now vs. past generations?

Cohen: We are better at identifying and diagnosing autism, ADHD, and even depression and anxiety now. I also think we live in a world that is becoming more accepting of differences, so people are more willing to seek out diagnoses. Finally, our world has become more interconnected, and some challenges are more impactful for individuals now.

AJT: Will insurance pay for testing?

Cohen: Insurance coverage is tricky because it is based on medical necessity, which depends on the specific insurance plans’ guidelines.

AJT: Preparing a child to focus and test well?

Cohen: The simple answer - a good night’s sleep and nutritious breakfast.

AJT: Can any therapist test?

Cohen: One needs to be a licensed psychologist - a Ph.D. or Psy.D., to test and provide clinical diagnoses in private practice. With the right training and under supervision, one can also administer tests with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Within the school systems are many well-qualified, nationally certified school psychologists with either a master’s or a doctorate.

Peachtree Pediatric Psychology is located in Sandy Springs. For more information, call (404) 796 -7777. ì

Dr. Avital Cohen specializes in testing children for school requirements and when parents feel the need for more tools to accommodate strengths and weaknesses.

Schedule your family’s tour at gallowayschool.org/visit!

Galloway students confidently embrace challenges while developing the knowledge, skills, and cultural competence to thrive as enlightened contributors in their chosen pathways.

Georgia Tech Physics Prof is a Phenom

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

For the past 38 years, Dr. Andrew Zangwill has shown hundreds of Georgia Institute of Technology students that physics can be fun. His lively explanations grab their attention, just as they do when he leads the weekly Torah study group at Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

As a theoretical physics researcher at Georgia Tech’s School of Physics, Zangwill studies crystal growth, the properties of atoms, semiconductors, and ferromagnets. Here, he talks about his background, the changes that have happened at Georgia Tech, and the way students approach their studies.

Zangwill recalled, “I got excited about science at age 10 when I attended a summer program at the Buhl Planetarium [and Observatory] in my hometown of Pittsburgh. That interest led me to major in physics at Carnegie-Mellon University and to pursue a PhD in that subject at the University of Pennsylvania. I came to Georgia Tech in 1985 to teach and conduct research.”

He recounts that, back then, the campus was visually grim—all brick and concrete with about 9,000 undergrads (20 percent female) and 600 professors (8 percent female), the vast majority of whom were white. All the physics professors taught one course per quarter, and it was undisguised that the administration valued excellence in research over excellence in teaching.

Today, the campus is lush and green because it was beautified in 1996 to serve as the Athletes’ Village for the Olympic Summer Games. The number of both female undergraduates (40 percent) and professors (30 percent) at the school has doubled. About 15 percent of the students and 8 percent of the faculty identify as Black or Hispanic. Zangwill added that “Tech switched to a semester system a decade ago and our administration has come to value teaching much more. This change benefited me monetarily when I won a campus-wide award in 2017 for outstanding teaching sustained over an entire career.”

Zangwill noted some negative consequences of the switch to Zoom-style instruction that were necessitated by the pandemic. He has an animated teaching style where he likes to walk around, gesticulate, and tell jokes to make a point. He was not at all fond of teaching physics to a checkerboard of faces on a computer monitor.

Zangwill explained further that, “It was unquestionably very hard on the students, particularly the physical isolation from their classmates. In my experience, personal engagement is an essential part of learning, with students arguing back and forth for hours over concepts and homework problems.”

Last fall, he was back in the classroom teaching firstyear graduate students who had, by necessity, taken their junior and senior physics courses online. There was a stark difference between the preparedness of those pandemic-era students and the preparedness he had seen in all his previous years of teaching first-year graduate students.

“Quite apart from the pandemic,” Zangwill observed, “students before the 1990s used textbooks, library books, and journal articles to learn new subjects and develop the skills to attack classroom assignments. But that decade saw the development of the World Wide Web, Internet Explorer, Google Search, and Wikipedia. Today’s students turn to these tools first...

My students routinely use their phones to access sources that previous generations could only dream about. However, problems can arise when the short attention span, fostered by social media and other influences, induces students to eschew books (even digital books) altogether. The Internet is a wonderful source of information. But information is not the same as knowledge and the latter is precisely what the best-written books aim to impart.”

Zangwill’s didactic roots  run deep as he is related to the British author, playwright, and early Zionist, Israel Zangwill. This relative was so well known in the first quarter of the 20th century that the Sept. 17, 1923, issue of TIME featured him on its cover as the “third most outstanding Jew in the world.”

Zangwill’s advice for high school students thinking about attending a college like Georgia Tech is, “If you love a

subject already, dive as deeply into it as you can. If you don’t yet love a subject, keep your eyes open and mind open.” ì

Andrew Zangwill is related to the British author, playwright, and early Zionist, Israel Zangwill, who appeared on the cover (Sept. 17, 1923) of TIME Magazine as the “third most outstanding Jew in the world.”

Dr. Andrew Zangwill, a new grandfather, is known for his lively classroom discussions humanizing physics at Georgia Tech.

EDUCATION & CAMP

Local Rabba’s ‘Circle of Life’ Outreach

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Lifetime suburban girl Rabba Amanda Veazey Flaks grew up in Durham, N.C., in a home with no religion, and felt a preteen “call” to Judaism. After earning a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and political science from University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and a Master of public administration (with graduate certificate in nonprofit administration) from Virginia Tech, she became a rabbi (or rabba) in 2021.

Looking back on this journey, she said, “Around age 12, I felt a deep pull towards Judaism - it’s not something I can explain. A midrash offers that every Jewish soul received the Torah together at Sinai, not just the Israelites. Our sages suggest that not all the Jewish souls at Sinai ended up in Jewish bodies. These are Jews-by-Choice. Even as a teenager, I knew that I was Jewish, and it was imperative for my spiritual wellbeing to convert so I could fully live as I was meant to.”

Further, she was recently accepted to Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership to consider a Doctorate of Hebrew Letters focused on Jewish medical ethics.

Rabba Flaks knows her way around medical ethics because she currently serves as a full-time chaplain for a hospice and has previously worked in hospitals providing spiritual care to those at the end-of-life. She refrains from being confined to one “box” and would welcome the future opportunity to return to the Jewish

community in a congregational or organizational role. Medically relevant, she also lives with significant chronic illness, including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, autoimmune arthritis and depression. She stated, “Judaism absolutely plays a role in my wellness. When the significant health challenges began in my late 20s, I felt unmoored and very far from G-d’s presence. Through Jewish rituals, deep and open conversations with the divine, and the support of my Kehilla, was I able to reconnect spiritually. Rediscovering my spiritual center while living with chronic illness is what brought me to my work as a chaplain- I have deep empathy for those in spiritual distress while navigating illness.”

Backing up to the gap between college and her simcha, she said, “I seriously considered entering seminary after college, but detoured and worked in Jewish communal service for about 15 years. On a trip to Israel, I met with leadership from Women of the Wall, and their director encouraged me to pursue my dream of the rabbinate.”

After many interviews, she joined the first class of a new pluralistic seminary, PRS, graduating in 2021 because she valued the experience of learning with all streams of Judaism. She explained, “Social justice and radical inclusion are essential in my spiritual practice: I believe G-d imbued everyone with a divine spark and seek to honor that spark in every person I meet.”

She identifies as Liberal/Open-Orthodox - committed to egalitarianism in traditional Judaism. She uses the title Rabba, a feminized version of Rabbi, that’s becoming more popular among traditional women rabbis. Currently, she attends a Conservative synagogue locally where her family finds a good balance of tradition and inclusion. About her congregant role there, she mused, “It’s fulfilling being an ordained ‘Jew in the Pew.’ Being a rabbi-congregant, there are many opportunities for me to support my shul while also having a spiritual home where I’m not on staff.”

Rabba Flaks feels that Jews don’t fully understand and elect hospice care because of Judaism’s focus on pikuach nefesh - saving one’s life and exhausting all possibilities of treatment until death. She encourages more Jews to explore hospice and palliative care as halachically permitted, encouraging them to discuss their last hopes, wishes and empowering them in their healthcare decisions until the very end of life.

In terms of her own family as a mother of two, she concluded, “Judaism is the fabric of our life, and I encourage my children to fully engage Jewishly. Every moment (sometimes to their chagrin) can be a teaching moment. As a rabbi, I am often needed away from home, so work-life balance is essential. After navigating seminary with young children, intense chaplaincy training and now, my work, time together is non-negotiable.” ì

Rabba Amanda V. Flaks has a special connection to medical ethics based on her own personal health challenges and experience working as a chaplain.

Rabba Amanda V. Flaks cherishes her home life with full Jewish engagement. Shown here with children and husband, Joe, an actuary and insurance executive.

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EDUCATION & CAMP

‘The Jews of Summer’ Offers New Look at Jewish Camps

By Bob Bahr

The development of the Jewish camping movement in the decades following World War II gets a close-up look in a new book by historian Sandy Fox. The book, “The Jews of Summer,” looks at both the sharp growth of sleepaway camps in the post-war era and the reasons why American Jewish leaders felt they were needed.

According to Fox, who teaches Jewish studies at New York University, the post-war years were not only a period of unprecedented affluence for Jews in America but a period of concern about the future of Jewish life. With the rise of suburbs in the decades following the end of the war in 1945 and the prosperity that accompanied it, there was concern that young people were growing up without a strong tie to their Jewish roots. It was an unusual time, according to Fox, that forced Jewish leaders to act.

“They’re responding to this historical moment, which is a strange one, because it’s this tension between a sort of golden period, as other scholars call it, of influence and prosperity, and a period of high anxiety about what the future of Jewishness might be.”

During that period, a strong and influential movement of sleepaway camps developed, particularly outside the major Jewish population centers on the east coast and in the Midwest.

The Conservative movement’s first Ramah camp was opened in Conover, Wisc., in 1947. Three years later, Reform Judaism opened its first camp-institute in Wisconsin as well. Both major branches of Judaism offered an educational program that supplemented the education young people were receiving in their temples and synagogues back home.

One prominent Conservative Jewish educator noted that the camps bridged the gap between “what the school was teaching and what the Jewish child was experiencing in the home, by providing a new milieu which could act as a surrogate home.”

Camp also combined informal educational opportunities in a social setting where the emphasis was, as Fox points out, on youth, both among the campers and among the staff.

“Camp educators understood that they had to be responsive to the desires of young people,” Fox notes, “and create a balance between the kind of control they wanted to have and the desires of the young. And so that’s what a lot of the book is about. How did they create camps

as miniature democracies to give campers a feeling like they had power.”

In the 1960s and 70s, summer camps became a place where young people could strengthen their understanding and commitment to Israel and the Zionist ideal, to work for the cause of Soviet Jewry and to deepen their understanding of the Holocaust and its influence on Jewish life.

During the last half of the 20th century, young people had considerable influence in America. Not only did the suburbs offer a new upwardly mobile lifestyle for adults but for their children as well. A youth culture based, in part, on the affluence that young people enjoyed, fueled student protest movements,

a lengthy battle over the morality of the Vietnam War, feminism and the sexual revolution. One way or another, says Fox, all of these issues came to camp along with the campers.

“All of these trends make an appearance because camps don’t happen in a vacuum. They’re constantly responding to the broader social trends and happening outside of them. And, in terms of what camp leaders thought about in terms of control, they were very savvy and understood that they needed to create a balance between control and allowance or kind of laxity.”

Camps gave young people a combination of living and learning that they couldn’t get anywhere else. They could

play, learn about Jewish life, and make new friends, as well as be made to feel that they could “take charge” of their own young lives, even as Fox notes, and their attitudes toward sex and romance.

“I write a lot about romance and sexuality at camp. Camp leaders understood they had to give campers an outlet to express those desires and to express their pubescent sexuality…it was part of what has allowed a lot of camp alumni to feel like camp was a place where they were very, very free. Yeah, that freedom was real.”

Today, more than 80,000 Jewish young people attend hundreds of camps sponsored by a broad cross section of religious and non-religious Jewish organizations. ì

Jewish summer camps followed a fine line between control and self-expression among young campers.

Camp Coleman, a Reform summer camp serving the Southeastern U.S., opened in 1962.

Sandy Fox’s new book, “The Jews of Summer,” examines the growth of Jewish summer camps in the decades after World War II.

Goldin’s First Release Tackles Motherhood ARTS

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Author Jenifer Goldin’s debut novel, “Anonymous Mom Posts,” just released this April, is a compilation of relevant tales about complicated friendships, the pressures of motherhood, challenging marriages, and the path to self-acceptance.

In touch with today’s swirl of balancing balls and angst, Goldin uses the term, “momming,” as we intuitively know what all that involves. Goldin, a Miami native, graduated from the University of Florida and Gallaudet University. An audiologist by profession, Goldin specialized in pediatric cochlear implants.

As related to the AJT, Goldin stated, “I’ve written a few books, but yes, this is my first release. This book will not be a series, but it will be one of several books I plan to release about mom culture. ‘Have fun momming out there’ is my tagline.”

Momming is the crazy whirl of thoughts, emotions, and tasks that encompass motherhood. Things like eating Goldfish [crackers] and wine for dinner, crying out in pain after stepping on Lego’s, getting soaked with rain while loading your stroller back into the car, running a taxi service for your kids, managing the logistics of getting your children to and from all their activities.”

Her penning method, while actively drafting, involves spending about three hours writing while the kids are at school. She aims for 2,000 words per writing session. The first draft of “Anonymous Mom Posts” took six months. In the first draft, each character’s story was presented one at a time. After getting feedback from a top literary agent, she revised the book to intertwine the characters and have the chapters alternate between characters. This presented a challenge and took two additional years to revise and edit. She revealed, “Writing has always been my passion. Sometimes, the stories I write reveal my truest emotions, and sometimes, my emotions are just the jumping-off point for a fictional tale. There are elements of my own life in this book, but overall, it is fiction.”

Delving into the book’s characters, Laura Perry is fed up with the snarky attitudes of the moms who post on the Hamilton Beach Moms’ social media page. She hopes the new anonymous posting feature will remind this community they are here to support each other. She enlists her friend, Gabriella, to be a co-moderator. While Gabriella is intrigued by the page, she wonders if the virtual interactions are doing more harm than good. She and Laura hatch a plan to organize an in-person fundraising event, hoping to help the moms connect in real life.

As the moms start to reveal their secrets anonymously, irreverent comments pour in, and the page ignites with controversy. With the in-person event approaching, will one mom’s plan for revenge bring the entire community to the brink? And so, it goes.

There is indeed a thread storyline about a Jewish woman who grew up in a small town in Georgia in the 1980s. She was the only Jewish person at her high school. Her story plot includes her feelings about being different from her peers and her desire to fit in. In terms of navigating the ups and downs of the topic of marriage, Goldin said, “In past generations, the roles in marriage were rigid and clearly defined. Most moms stayed home, focusing on their children and the household, while most dads worked. In today’s world, moms are completely overloaded as they try to balance the pressures of a career and momming.”

Then, there’s the elephant in the attic: social media’s in-

fluence as a societal factor. She said, “I write a lot about the pros and cons of social media in ‘Anonymous Mom Posts.’ It is a double-sided coin. It can be positive and useful in some cases, and negative and harmful in others. But the thing about a coin is that you can easily flip it over, if you just remember you’re the one holding it.”

Goldin belongs to Congregation B’nai Torah, with her husband and two children.

Goldin’s author event will be held at Bookmiser East Cobb on Saturday, May 13 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.bookmiser.net/book-events.html. ì

“Anonymous Mom Posts” covers a bounty of topics and emotions that affect young families.

Jenifer Goldin is an audiologist with a passion and talent for writing.

DINING Varuni’s Taste of Napoli Near Ansley

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

“When the moon hits your eyes like a big pizza pie, that’s amore…”

Varuni, a brick-walled, long wood table-laden, buzzing with charm Midtown restaurant, claims not to be reinventing pizza, but rather, “perfecting it.”

Truth is, we thought some menu items, like the eggplant parm, Caesar salad and desserts, beyond the pizza, were most memorable. Consistently mentioned as Best Pizza by Atlanta voters and publications, Varuni Napoli does a fine job of assembling the pieces that make it neighborhood-y, unpretentious, welcoming, and evocative of Lower Manhattan’s Little Italy, bordering the Lower East Side, long before it got all kitschy and touristy. Still, that familiar Dean Martin corny crooning, along with the fresh hydroponic basil growing in the entrance, and the pies sliding in and out of the glowing ovens, fill the olfactory with much promise.

Menus are divided into craft your own, red, or white pizza, calzones, starters, and salads. Diners are greeted at the front register where the order is placed; and pretty pronto, a server matches the order number to one’s choice of tables. We anchored directly in front of the acrobatic dough spinner, who treated each disc as a cross between a shot put and Frisbee with great agility. Our guy said he learned to spin years ago, and the secret is double zero flour and elasticity. The doughs are all constructed the same size, while other workers decorate the toppings: dollops of cheese, and olive oil on the marble block counter.

Pizzas typically cost around $21. What would constitute a return visit is the Caesar salad ($9) with fleshy white anchovies. Why oh why, do some fine eateries leave them out? If you don’t fancy anchovies, then order a house salad. We also had the Arugula salad ($9), which was farm fresh with lemon-infused olive oil, but on the plain side. The eggplant parmesan ($10), with crusty ciabatta bread, was melt-in-the-mouth goodness because the eggplant was thin, yet soft, with none of the pounded, heavy breading that overpowers the main ingredient. The rich tomato sauce…more amore. The biggest surprise of the night was two very sharable desserts: creamy cocoa/mascarpone-laden tiramisu (a bargain at $5) and a very complex pistachio cake ($6), contrasting and worth stabbing forks over. Foodies know that the former means

“pick

me up.”

As the mind behind Varuni Napoli, veteran maestro pizzaiolo Luca Varuni brings his passion for Italian heritage, vast culinary experience, and extensive Neapolitan cuisine. Eponymous Chef Varuni, a native of Naples, was born amongst Neapolitan food and a passion for cooking. Varuni began his life in the kitchen at age 14, and, early in his career, trained under the renowned maestro and legend, Neapolitan Notizia – the first Michelin-rated pizzeria in the world.

Chef Varuni, who was recently featured on ABC’s, “Good Morning America,” announced that his Neapolitan pizzeria is partnering with online food ordering

platform ChowNow to expand local delivery. The new extension of the Varuni Napoli brand, Varuni Casa, services a sixmile radius from the flagship location in Midtown.

He said, “I’m thrilled to begin offering our frozen pizzas and other Italian market items used in our kitchen, to stock pantries around Atlanta. Since launching our frozen pizzas nationally on Goldbelly last fall, we’ve heard customer after customer inquire about easy access to our frozen pies locally. You asked, and we listened!”

Varuni Napoli offers frozen versions of three of its best-selling pies around $20 for 1, $38 for two, or three for $56.

Those on the hunt for imported, specialty ingredients can buy market items sourced from Naples. Items are then delivered via cargo ship straight from Italy twice a year. Selection varies, but includes many imported favorites like: La Molisana Pasta Spaghetti; Caputo Chef’s Flour – Italian double zero; carnaroli rice; fresh mozzarella and ricotta; Italian Calabrian peppers; peppadew sweet piquanté peppers; quartered artichoke hearts; San Pellegrino products; even Nutella!

That’s amore…as the tune goes, and as the eggplant parmesan goes at Varuni. 1540 Monroe Drive. Free parking behind the back patio entrance. ì

Varuni has a large patio perfect for spring nights. Enjoy the spectacle of watching acrobatic dough-tossers.

The Varuni interior is chatty and welcoming with neighborhood folks, tourists, and families.

Charming manager, Marco Moran, was on hand with sumptuous tiramisu and pistachio cake.

Alici, a ‘Piccolo’ Different Italian

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Get ready for an intensely luscious lemon experience at Alici (Italian for “anchovies”) -- a new addition to Atlanta’s foodscape, located in the Midtown Promenade. With its modernized exterior renovation, amidst Trader Joe’s and the Landmark Theatre, Alici specializes in seafood and pasta inspired by the Amalfi Coast.

On a recent Sunday evening, Alici was jammed with full tables and a small wait list. The interior has a snazzy bar humming with the sounds of Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke and Louis Armstrong, whose standard tunes belied the hip crowd. Then, there’s the clanging of cocktail shakers under an open, industrialpiped ceiling with a calmer, stonewalled main dining room.

At the entrance, the open busy kitchen looked to be a fine-honed machine, pumping out perfectly organized and arranged dishes. Courses arrive at different times, which seems to be de rigueur these days. Part of the fun is the authenticity of this type of Italian cuisine outside the heavier Southern/Sicilian, “ red sauce lasagna” menu.

The owner is Chef Pat Pascarella, who opened the White Bull in 2018, followed by Grana and Bastone.

There is a lot to learn about the menu. The server said the menus are changed and reprinted each day with the same basic categories. We started with a Rosso (red) glass of Monica 2020 ($14) Cardedu Praja from Sardinia-bramble, pipe tobacco, gentle tannin and oddly “barnyard”…is that even a flavor? Yes!

The crudo category is the Italian (and Spanish) word for “raw,” referring to a dish of uncooked fish or meat, dressed with oil, citrus juice, a la vinaigrette. It implies no specific size or shape, so it’s really a blanket term. Carpaccio and tartar are types of crudo, but not sashimi. We started with striped bass crudo ($17) with blood oranges, pepitas and ginger oil. Artistic bite-sized squares, light and flavorful.

Next, we went for two different soccas, a cross between rustic flatbread and a pancake made from chickpeas, prepared as a batter poured into a pan and baked. Tuna tartar ($20) stracciatella (literally “little rags”), pistachios, sesame seeds and lemon, delivered the flavor. Then wild mushrooms ($17) in brown butter and two types of cheese, the latter of which was randomly distributed as little squares. The variety of mushrooms

was “meaty” and right on, not sure about ordering two items-pancake bases, which we found ourselves paring away.

A surprising attention stealer in the contorni category was the insalata mista ($6), a handsome, sharable cone of purply frisée, shredded with mixed nuts, herbs, and a kicking citrus vinaigrette. Followed by crispy cauliflower ($9), sautéed with arugula, pesto, pine nuts, and lemon was tasty enough, but more limp versus crispy. Next, we sampled an anti pasti farro salad ($14), an ancient grain with fresh strawberries, charred lemon vinaigrette, herbs and jalapeno. Certainly sharable, if not on the “chewy” side.

Five fish (secondi) selections were on the menu; and since it was a busy Sunday, only two choices remained. We went with the mahi mahi ($30) and studied the Pick Your Sauce choices: salsa verde, acqua pazza, vinaigrette al limone, cucumber olive. Going with the acqua pazza (Italian-style broth for poaching a white fish) was a sparkling presentation of tomatoes and olives. The whole fish for two ($50) was a good option for a return visit.

The dessert menu led with authentic stars: layers of lemon cheesecake with mousse, lemon olive oil cake, ricotta almond torta with frangipane and ricotta in a pound cake, and brioche con gelato.

On the light side, we went with the two scoops of lemon sorbet $6 which was very intense, somewhere between tart and a satisfying sour.

Alici, even without one anchovy on that night’s menu, has grabbed attention in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood. It is further proof that, “If you build it, they will come,” with Atlanta’s eagerness to try new cuisines and willingness to pay rather dearly for it.

Alici is open for lunch on weekdays, and dinner, seven days a week. Free parking. Also, a beautiful expansive patio awaits for spring nights. 931 Monroe Dr. 404 876 1000 ì

The crudo striped bass paired well with insalata mista.

The socca course is served on chickpea pancakes. Shown here, tuna tartar and wild mushroom.

For the glowing secondi course, mahi mahi was prepared in acqua pazza sauce.

The main seating area in Alici features romantic stone walls. The bar area buzzes under an industrial exposed ceiling.

The Jewish Legacy in China

In Atlanta, the AJT recently had a conversation with Sarah (her name was changed at her request to protect her privacy), who lives here, but was born during World War II to a Jewish family in China. She had a great interest in knowing about her family, traveled to China where her family lived, and found an entire history of the Jews in China. This is her story.

Allen H. Lipis

“I was born in Shanghai, China in 1944. Shanghai at that time was a political anomaly. Control was split between the beleaguered Republic of China, an increasingly aggressive imperial Japan, and France, Britain, and the United States. We lived in the self-governing French Concession on Rue Paul Henri, a residential street lined with mulberry trees. I had a nanny who bound her feet and worshipped Confucianism.”

“Japan invaded China in 1941 as an ally

with Germany. I remember crouching on the floor in the corridor of our home that had blackout curtains draped over the windows as sirens were blaring, while I heard Japanese bombs exploding. The only difference with Germany was that the Nazis annihilated the Jews and the Japanese wanted to access China’s wealth and power and expertise

to finance Japan’s industrial development.”

“When I lived there, Shanghai was even then a spectacular cosmopolitan city built by Westerners. Three Baghdadi Jewish families, the Sassoons, Kadoories and Hardoons, came to Shanghai in the mid-1800s at the height of the opium trade, and, over time, established huge businesses that included owning beautiful hotels and major real estate buildings. Both Russian and Sephardic Jews thrived in the import-export businesses. When I lived there, there were synagogues, a Jewish school, a Jewish hospital, and a beautiful Jewish Club.”

China never witnessed antisemitism for three reasons. Antisemitism is associated with Christianity, while the Chinese are influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, so a deep religious bias does not exist in China, and never has. Culturally, Chinese and Jews share similar cultures both emphasizing family ties and education. Both respect Heaven’s Way, venerate ancestors and parents. Both call for harmony with wives and children, have respect for the law and rank. But mostly, the Chinese people have suffered as much devastation as the Jews have. Their shared experience engendered a deep sympathy for Jewish people and has made the Chinese oppose any kind of antisemitism.

From 1933 to 1941, more than 20,000 Jews from Austria, Germany and Poland fled to China’s largest city to escape the Holocaust. A compassionate Chinese ambassador in Vienna, Ho Feng-Shan, illegally issued close to 2,000 entry visas to Shanghai in order for the Jews to receive exit permits from Austria. Shanghai was the only city that accepted these refugees without an entry visa. The Mir Yeshiva in Poland was the only yeshiva in Eastern Europe to survive the Holocaust. Unlike other refugee experiences, their immigration to China came in

the early 1940s and was over land with various stops, contrasting the direct sea routes taken later to Shanghai by the German and Austrian Jews. However, the European Jews were housed in unsanitary, abysmal ghettos without running water and toilets. They endured curfews under Japanese jurisdiction. Remarkably, almost all of the Jews in Shanghai survived the Holocaust and settled around the world to live out their lives.

Sarah remembered, “Once the refugees arrived in Shanghai, the established Russian Jews organized a fund to financially help these refugees. They also helped by throwing employment cards into the ghetto. The men in the ghetto presented these cards to the Japanese guards, and that allowed the men to leave the ghetto and enter the commercial center. Jewish businesses, like my family, quickly employed the refugees.”

Sarah recalls a refugee eating regularly at her home. He had lost his entire family. He later went to America to start a new life. Her family employed a number of these refugees.

“My mother was born in Harbin, Manchuria, a small city in Northern China, more than 1,000 miles away from Shanghai. My father was born in Rybinskoe, Siberia. Harbin, back then, was a tiny fishing village until the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. From 1896 to 1924, Russia was granted an occupancy concession for its people to live in Harbin. As a result, fleeing Jews from pogroms in Russia found freedom in Harbin. The Jews established a flourishing, cultural city with two synagogues, a mikvah, kashrut, a gymnasium, hospitals, a soup kitchen for the poor, and a Jewish theater. My grandfather headed the Chesed Committee, distributing challahs and chickens for Shabbat to needy Jewish families and matzah and food for Pesach.”

Harbin Jews became the founders of Harbin’s industry, commerce, and infra-

The only preserved Jewish cemetery in China today

A synagogue in Hardin, China Gathering near the synagogue upon hearing the news of the establishment of the State of Israel in Tianjin, China in 1948.

structure. These pioneers built financial institutions, department stores, insurance companies, beer and cigarette factories and high-class hotels. They provided a solid foundation for their later economic activities in Europe and America. According to a plaque in the city, they had an everlasting contribution to the development of the city, its economic strength and international prestige.

Sarah said, “My father was sent out of Russia as a youngster to avoid the Russian army. He worked in a cigarette factory until he made his way to Shanghai where he married my mother. He became a successful entrepreneur. My father and my uncles had a watch factory in Switzerland and sold these watches in China.”

China always was ruled by a dynasty, but after World War II it was at a crossroads. Sun Yat-Sen (the father of Republican China) pioneered the Republican Revolution that overthrew the Manchu Dynasty. Chiang KaiShek formed the Nationalist government only to be exiled to Taiwan by the Communist Revolution led by Mao Ze-Dong. Mao rose to power in 1949 and communism en-

sued. Money was devalued, restrictions were enforced, and foreigners began to leave China for Israel, America, Australia, and Cuba. Because of the Communist revolution, Sarah said, “My father bribed an Australian official with $100 in 1950, and my family fled to Sydney, Australia with an entry visa.”

Today, Shanghai is a grand city with 2,000 Jews. The Jewish cemetery was destroyed, but the synagogue remains as a museum for the Jews who found a haven in Shanghai. The Jewish Club isn’t to be found. The beautiful hotels built by the Sasoon and Kadoorie families are relics of the past. However, these important Jewish families introduced the first commercial banking system in China. And they brought classical music with them for China. Today, the small city of Harbin in 1900 is now a large industrial city with nine million people, and the Jews are gone.

Shanghai and Harbin have Jewish studies departments in the universities. The Jewish sojourn in Shanghai and Harbin lasted a little over 100 years, but their presence helped create modern business in China. ì

A plaque identifying the site of Jewish synagogue in Harbin in 1918

Kosher food advertisement in Hong Kong

Huntcliff Summit Hosts Passover Seder

Residents of Sunrise at Huntcliff Summit in Sandy Springs held their Passover Seder and dinner on Tuesday, April 4. The seder was led by Bob Bahr. Yom Tov candle lighting by Esther Solomon and music by Huntcliff resident Brandt Ross // Photos by Schultz/Huntcliff

Atlanta Healthcare Professionals Join Israel Medical Mission

FUN, CAMP-STYLE

2023-2024 Programs for Pre-K – 8th Grade

JKG Afterschool: Pre-K – 5th Grade

Four Convenient Locations:

Morningside, Decatur, Sandy Springs, and Brookhaven

Get the after-school care you need with the Jewish friendships and learning you want

Convenient: Transportation from area schools

Flexible: Attend 1-5 days a week

Affordable: Tuition assistance and discounts are available

JKG B Mitzvah: 6th – 8th Grade

Morningside

Experience a whole new way to become a Jewish adult

Jewish learning, friendship, and community service culminate in a group B Mitzvah celebration!

By Fran Putney

A group of medical professionals, including many from the Atlanta area, recently visited grassroots medical projects in Israel, learned about Israeli health policy, and saw the medical side of Israel’s Start-up Nation ethos as part of the Jewish National Fund-USA’s Healthcare Professionals Mission to Israel, led by Beth Gluck, the organization’s executive director in Atlanta.

On the grassroots side, the attendees visited ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, a JNFUSA affiliate and world-class rehabilitative facility in the Negev. The American clinicians were impressed by the stateof-the-art technology and philosophy of respect and dignity that permeated throughout the facility, driven by the level of care for patients.

The mission also included visits to several medical startups and a meeting with Israeli Medical Association officials, where they discussed similarities and differences of healthcare policy in Israel and America. For Atlanta doctor Marc Salzberg, whose father was instrumental in the IMA’s rise to prominence and the establishment of medical relationships with the European Union, the meeting was particularly resonant.

“Joining the Health Professionals for Israel Mission closed a circle for me,” said Salzberg. “My father worked with the IMA, and through the mission, I reconnected with his mentee who is now

the CEO of the organization. I learned so much from her about the Israeli medical scene just as she had learned from my father. The trip was a wonderful experience for my wife, Carole, and me, and I hope to be involved in creating such an experience for the next group of professionals who travel to Israel with Jewish National Fund-USA.”

Other highlights included visiting Hadassah Hospital, observing search and rescue services in Ramat Hanegev, and a tour of the JNF-USA-supported GrooveTech Center, a safe and welcoming place in which children can thrive during the day and after school with premier after-school education programs.

JNF-USA’s Health Professionals for Israel affinity group is created for anyone in the medical field who has demonstrated an enduring commitment to the land and people of Israel through the organization with an annual contribution of $1,800 or more. Benefits include invitations to private local philanthropic events and national programming, connections to like-minded professionals, and leadership opportunities within the organization. Go to jnf.org/dfi to learn more.

Visit jnf.org/travel to view all opportunities to travel to Israel with Jewish National Fund-USA or register for the firstever Global Conference for Israel, taking place Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 2023, in Denver. To learn more about the organization’s work in Israel, visit jnf.org/global.

Learn more, register, and apply for tuition assistance at: jewishkidsgroups.com

DESIGN CAMPS

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VIRTUAL & IRL MINECRAFT ROBOTICS LEGO ARCHITECTURE COMICS GAME DESIGN

DIGITAL ART STREET ART

A group of medical professionals, including many from the Atlanta area, recently visited grassroots medical projects in Israel, learned about Israeli health policy, and saw the medical side of Israel’s Start-up Nation ethos.

A Berman Commons Passover

By Susanne Katz Karlick

Executive chef Rodney Leverette is the dining services director for all three dining rooms in Jewish Home Life locations. While he also serves as chef at The William Breman Jewish Home, his protégé, Joanne Taylor, recently joined the Berman Commons family as their new chef. Residents and families have welcomed Chef Joanne with open arms and have been very complimentary about the new Berman Commons dining program.

“A new menu was created for all three venues,” explained Denise Richards, executive director at Berman Commons, “and many of the residents at the kosher dinner will have memories to share from their seders in years past.”

The evening started with a special place setting for Passover, and matzo ball soup created from various recipes…after hearing what recipes the residents love and which memories remind them of their mom’s soup and, “Who likes what?”

The seder began with Rabbi Chaim Lindenblatt offering some of the traditional prayers, but with plenty of audience participation and sons who helped explain the story of Passover for residents and staff who aren’t Jewish and guests who aren’t familiar with the ancient story of liberation.

The first course was matzo ball soup, followed by chicken marsala and roast beef with horseradish sauce entrees. Vegetables included baked sweet potato and garlic spin ach. Dessert included a baked spice apple and a fresh fruit mix, which is the residents’ everyday favorite.

“Our kosher wine selections for Passover,” says Fiona Sam-Glasgow, Berman Commons dining room supervisor, “include chardonnay, merlot and cabernet selections.”

Matzo Ball Soup

Prepare your matzo balls, add to your broth, and serve it. Chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Fresh yellow onions, chopped Garlic, unpeeled halves

Chopped carrots and celery

Kosher salt and black pepper

Atlanta is chock full of interesting “movers and shakers” - some bent on creativity, empire building, activism and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off the cuff” remarks as to what makes Andrew Saltzman tick.

Andrew Saltzman currently serves as executive vice president and chief revenue officer for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. With more than 25 years of experience in building and executing initiatives for both sports properties and media, Saltzman is responsible for driving the local, regional, national, and international business opportunities for the Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena and the club’s affiliate properties, the College Park Skyhawks and Hawks Talon Gaming Club.

Prior to the Hawks, Saltzman co-founded and was president of Sports Radio 790 The Zone, at the time one of the highest billing and most recognizable sports radio stations in the country. He gives back to the local community by serving on several boards including the Atlanta Sports Council, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, the Rotary Club of Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. A native of New York City and a graduate of Georgetown University, he and his wife reside in Atlanta and have two sons. Come swag surf with Saltzman and know why you should always keep shooting.

My most exotic vacay…

Abu Dhabi. The Hawks played two preseason games last October and we had an amazing nine days learning about a new culture while seeing incredible sights…and beating the Bucks!!

What specifically do you like about pizza?

What’s not to like? New York pizza…plain slice, folded, eaten while standing or walking down the street in Manhattan.

My wife would say I’m too…

Loud and thumpy.

The last time I danced…

“The Surf Swag,” of course, the ritual at State Farm Arena in between the third and fourth quarter at Hawks games.

What’s the best advice your father gave you?

The harder you work, the luckier you get.

My first real job was…

UPS delivery guy in Nantucket, Mass., after I graduated college.

If they made a movie of my life, who should play the lead?

Quite obviously, Bradley Cooper

One thing people don’t know about me is…

I attended hundreds of Grateful Dead concerts in 34 states and will happily discuss any of them - the set list, the band, the venue, and the general vibe.

Atlanta vs. New York ?

That’s like comparing apples and carburetors. One city is where I was born and raised, one city is where I’ve chosen to raise my family. They’re both tremendous, but they’re very different.

Basketball is like the game of life because…

You can’t win by yourself, you need the support of the team to succeed, and everyone must know their role. Sometimes, you are in the zone and, other times, you can’t hit the side of a barn, but either way you need to keep shooting!

Who’s your hero?

My father was the master connector - people felt they were his best friend and everyone in his orbit knew how much he genuinely cared about them. He brought people together and created deep and meaningful relationships. There was no better man.

Reported

by Marcia Caller Jaffe

Simcha Announcements

Have something to celebrate?

Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ... Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements. Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

Engagement Announcement Cohen-Michaeli

Terri Steinberg and David Cohen, of Alpharetta, announce the engagement of their daughter, Taylor Brooke Cohen, to David Michaeli, son of Maya and Zurab Michaeli, of Marietta.

Taylor received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and her nurse practitioner degree from Emory University. She currently works as a family nurse practitioner in Mobile, Ala.

David received his bachelor’s and Doctor of Medicine degrees from Mercer University. David is currently an orthopaedic surgery resident at the University of South Alabama hospital in Mobile. An October 2023 wedding is planned in Atlanta.

Peachtree Hills Place: The Art of Distinctive Living

Atlantans are discovering that the lifestyle they’ve been looking for can be found in a unique Life Plan Community in Buckhead known as Peachtree Hills Place.

Tucked away amid the secluded, tree-lined streets of one of the city’s most iconic intown neighborhoods, Peachtree Hills Place is a rare combination of sophisticated living, inviting community, and exclusive location. Created by the Isakson Living team, the vision for this unique place was created as an option that would provide an active lifestyle combined with on-site health care.

Today, the vision of Peachtree Hills Place hasbeenrealizedasanamenity-rich,maintenancefree lifestyle for active adults aged 55 +, nestled seamlessly into a vibrant historic neighborhood unlike any other senior living setting.

Members (as the residents are called here) enjoy abundant amenities such as two regulationsize croquet lawns, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an on-site Wellness Center staffed by a highly-specialized medical team.

The centerpiece of the community is The Club, which offers an expansive space for Members to socialize, indulge in fine dining or casual fare, enjoy a craft cocktail at the cozy Library bar, and take part in special events, lectures, and other social gatherings.

Never a dull moment

With a focus on wellness and connection, Members have the option to pursue a wide range of daily activities including yoga, tai chi, aqua-therapy in the resort-style pool, personal training, special boxing classes designed for those with Parkinson’s disease, or explore new creative pursuits in the art studio.

The Croquet Club at Peachtree Hills Place is an official member of the prestigious United States Croquet Association. Two regulation-sized natural turfgrass lawns serve as centerpiece of the community and provide the perfect place for socializing and serious play. At any time of day,

Members can be seen enjoying everything from casual Wine and Wickets events to expert training from golf croquet circuit pros.

The homes

Avarietyofspacioustwoandthree-bedroom homesfeaturehigh-endfinishes,thoughtfuldetails, and large, private outdoor spaces. Each home has secure underground parking and 24-hour community security. The result is the ultimate in comfort and luxury.

And for those who prefer more privacy, Virginia Row East offers Cottage Homes located across from the main campus. All the services and amenities of Peachtree Hills Place Members are provided for Cottage Members including security, Wellness Center, dining, and healthcare when needed.

The tools to thrive

The Wellness Center at Peachtree Hills Place offers comprehensive preventative health services from a team of caring professionals, including a specially-trained neurologist and movement disorder specialist. Members can take advantage of convenient routine screenings, nutritional guidance, and physical therapy, without having to fight traffic and drive around town to multiple appointments. The team of highly-qualified geriatric specialists offers personalized care, getting to know each Member, and helping them pursue their best life.

A complete continuum of care for peace of mind

When more support is required, The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place offers a continuum of care, including Assisted Living, specialized Memory Care, Rehabilitation, Skilled Nursing, and a Day program. The Terraces team of doctors, nurses, and therapists provides Members and their families with the necessary support and guidance they need to navigate the

varying needs of their loved ones.

The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place offers three distinct Households for various stages of dementia. These Memory Care Households were uniquely designed to provide specialized care and programming for Members experiencing memory loss by using evidence-based practices that promote brain health.

The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place can help families access the tools they need to make the best decision for their loved one. For example, the staff includes Care Navigators who are trained to evaluate a loved one’s needs and create a plan that enables them to thrive at every stage.

Many families also use the Rehabilitation program after a hospital stay or injury to have access to top therapists, healthy meals, and the support they need to get back on their feet. And the Spring Day Program serves as a vital resource for Members in our Independent Living to have socialization and caregivers to have some time to attend to their needs.

The place for distinctive living

Peachtree Hills Place offers a unique blend of luxury living and vibrant community that empowers each Member to live their best life. With the perfect blend of city life and tranquil retreat, the community is designed to cater to residents' every need…from the valet who awaits your arrival and the friendly doorman who knows your name (as well as your pet’s name) to the round-the-clock security team and the attentive Concierge who handles your every need.

Whether it’s socializing at The Club or indulging in a favorite pastime like croquet, Peachtree Hills Place gives Members the active lifestyle they’ve dreamed of in a distinctive setting. For more information about Peachtree Hills Place visit https://PeachtreeHillsPlace.com/ or call 404.467.9164.

CALENDAR

Until April 30

JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund) helps Jewish students by providing interest-free loans for higher education. To qualify, applicants must be a resident of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina or Virginia (excluding metro D.C.), be enrolled full-time in a degree or certificate seeking program, have U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status, and be able to demonstrate financial need (2022 FAFSA application required). To learn more or apply, visit http://bit. ly/3mNdjYU before April 30!

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

58th Annual Community Yom Hashoah-Service of Remembrance – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join Eternal Life Hemshech for the 58th Annual Community Yom Hashoah Service of Remembrance. The event will take place at The Memorial To The Six Million located inside Greenwood Cemetery. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3z6KGZq.

Braid & Aid: Community Challah Bake -3-5 p.m. Now that Passover is over, we’re bringing leaven back into our lives! How can we do this while also making sure others have access to food as well? Join Repair the World in partnership with Nazun for a “give one get one” challah baking afternoon! Participants will have the opportunity to learn about food insecurity through a Jewish lens, as well as bake two Challahs - one to take home and one to donate to those facing food insecurity. If you choose to make dough, please indicate how much you can donate in your registration. Visit http://bit. ly/3ZnTZ1E to RSVP.

MONDAY, APRIL 17

Mocha Mondays – 8:30 a.m. Congregation Etz Chaim’s Monthly Coffee and Breakfast with the Rabbi accompanied by the Talmud’s Greatest Hits. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3hL3WX3.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Dorsch - 12 to 1 p.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim for a monthly class on Tuesdays with the rabbi on a variety of topics and enjoy some pizza. Learn how to register at https://bit.ly/3FU00g6.

Mimouna - 2 to 5 p.m. Mimouna marks the end of Passover, a time when we can once again eat chametz (leavened foods) and celebrate together. A largely Jewish Moroccan festival, Mimouna begins after sunset and leads into a full day of community gatherings full of excitement and enjoyment. Join us at the JCC for our very own Mimouna celebration with food, activities, and entertainment for the whole family. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3MdRyvX.

AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow High School Program - 5 to 8 p.m. LFT enables young Jewish leaders to develop skills to advocate on behalf of the Jewish people, Israel, and human rights, and to serve as positive change agents for their peers and community. Register at https://bit.ly/3UIjOsl.

AgeWell Atlanta Presents: Senior Day at the MJCCA – 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join JFCS for Senior Day at the MJCCA. Feed your mind, body, and soul with a variety of activities and connect with other older adults Options will include fitness classes, Earth Daythemed activities, and more. We’ll close the day by enjoying a delicious lunch together. Free transportation with advance registration included by visiting http://bit.ly/3TJPaP2.

Caregiver Support Group - Dunwoody Sandy Springs - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional well-being will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP at Bermans Common Assisted Living & Memory Care and Jewish HomeLife, at http://bit.ly/3XuB84q.

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V9TZjV.

Holistic Jewish Living - 12 to 1 p.m. Join Rabbi Akiva Gersh, “Vegan Rabbi” as Temple Beth Tikvah explores the deep connections between holistic health, ancient Jewish wisdom and compassionate gentle living upon the earth. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3nradtW.

POETRY @ The Breman w/ Ilya Kaminsky and Katie Farris – 7 to 8 p.m. The Breman Museum will present poets Ilya Kaminsky and Katie Farris in a program coinciding with Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). Register at http://bit.ly/3G1826J.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

Jewish Women’s Torah and Tea -7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Join the Jewish Women’s Circle of Decatur for a weekly discussion on the Parsha and contemporary Jewish issues. Learn more at https:// bit.ly/3T8oR4B.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

Alpha Epsilon Pi – Rock-A-Thon All Day from April 20-22: Sam Shellist, a senior in the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity at The University of Missouri, will sit down in a rocking chair for 63 hours in downtown Columbia with the goal of raising $200,000 for the American Cancer Society. That money will come in the form of donations from events, sponsorships and money collected through canning. Please consider donating at http://bit.ly/3TYoVoq.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Shemini

Friday, April 14 Nissan 23, 5783 7:49 PM

Saturday, April 15 Nissan 24, 5783 Shabbat Ends 8:46 PM

Torah Reading: Tazria-Metzora

Friday, April 21 Nissan 30, 5783 Light Candles at 7:55 PM

Saturday, April 22 Iyar 1, 5783 Shabbat Ends 8:52 PM

Torah Reading: Acharei-Kedoshim

Friday, April 28 Iyar 7, 5783 Light Candles at 8:00 PM

Saturday, April 29 Iyar 8, 5783 Shabbat Ends 8:58 PM

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

Earth Day Celebration – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Meet Repair Atlanta and JCAN (Jewish Climate Action Network) off the Beltline at Brew Dog as we learn more about opportunities to participate in environmental justice work in Atlanta and grab a drink or two! RSVP at http://bit.ly/3LXgoQC.

AJFF Presents: Israel at 75: The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is presenting 75 years of Israeli Cinema on Sunday, April 23. The event will be in-person at The Springs Cinema & Taphouse. This will be a curation of the Best of Israeli Cinema. Visit http://bit.ly/411XKvf for more details and updates.

The Gershwins- Who Could Ask For Anything More? – 4 to 6 p.m. In this delightful hybrid of concert and cabaret, performers at Breman Museum will weave the Gershwins’ fascinating life story with performances of some of their biggest songs like “I Got Rhythm,” “S’Wonderful,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” and “A Foggy Day (in London Town).”  Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3ZinvWE.

CTEEN Intown Atlanta 2023 – 5 p.m. Chabad Intown CTeen Atlanta is back and better than ever for the new year! Join fellow Intown ATL teens for these upcoming events filled with fun, friendship, food, Jewish pride and engaging torah learning! RSVP at https:// bit.ly/3jN3nwO.

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V9TZjV.

MONDAY, APRIL 24

Challah Bakes - 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Connect with old traditions and create your own new memories monthly at GLT challah bakes! Learn how or teach others!! RSVP at https://bit.ly/3i6RMIy.

Caregiver Support Group Johns Creek Alpharetta - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional wellbeing will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP to the Cohen Home and Jewish Homelife, at http://bit.ly/3keoS9T.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

Historic Westside Gardens – Volunteer Day – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Farm Crew supports our local growers by volunteering at gardens and farms around Atlanta. Projects may include harvesting produce, planting, weeding, and hoop house construction. Please wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty, bring water, sunscreen and bug-spray. Find out more with Repair the World by visiting http://bit. ly/3K9Kyyt.

Why the Jews with Brendan Murphy - 2 to 4 p.m. Of all the questions surrounding the many crimes against the Jews throughout the ages, we often ask, why the Jews? Join us for a multimedia presentation into the long and tragic history of antisemitism led by Mr. Brendan Murphy, an educator at The Marist School. Join Congregation Or Hadash, Am Yisrael Chai, National Council of Jewish Women-Atlanta and RSVP at http://bit.ly/3ZsmfAg.

Why the Jews with Brendan Murphy - 7 to 9 p.m. Of all the questions surrounding the many crimes against the Jews throughout the ages, we often ask, why the Jews? Join us for a multimedia presentation into the long and tragic history of antisemitism led by Mr. Brendan Murphy, an educator at The Marist School. Join Congregation Or Hadash, Am Yisrael Chai, National Council of Jewish Women-Atlanta and RSVP at http://bit.ly/3ZsmfAg.

TUESDAY, APRIL 25

Brain Health Bootcamp – 1 to 3 p.m. If you are recognizing symptoms of cognitive changes or have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, JFCS’ fun and social class can help you strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp, especially during these times. To sign up visit https://bit. ly/3tPwMs3.

Yoga and Meditation - 7 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Gesher L’Torah for Yoga and Meditation. Ages 13+. Please bring your own mat if you have! Register at https://bit.ly/3WE3wkH.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

Atlanta Celebrates Israel @75 – 6 p.m. Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, is usually celebrated each year by numerous organizations around Atlanta. On this occasion of Israel’s Diamond Anniversary of Independence, and given the rise in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric, it is not only out of celebration but necessity that The Jewish Community of Atlanta, the State of Israel, and community and non-profit organizations along with state and local government will come together to create one platform consisting of two events in order to provide maximum visibility and participation for, ...”Atlanta Celebrates Israel’s 75th” Visit http://bit.ly/40yw953 to purchase tickets.

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

Tikvah Tots - 10 to 11 a.m. Bring your children to Temple Beth Tikvah for playtime! Find out more at http://bit. ly/42FR73b.

Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebration @ Brook Run Park – 5 to 7 p.m. Festivities will include food trucks, activities & crafts, games, face painting, live music, and more. Kosher food will be available for purchase. Celebrate with the MJCCA, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and Consul General to the Israeli Consult by visiting http://bit.ly/3TNOj03.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at: www.atlantajewishconnector.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 28

“Unto Every Person There Is A Name” Remembrance Ceremony 2023 - 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. B’nai B’rith International (Atlanta) is proud to present the “Unto Every Person There Is a Name” Remembrance Ceremony again this year. Participants read the names of Holocaust victims, along with their own loved ones’ names, where they were murdered, and their age at the time of death. Register at http://bit. ly/3FVNA73.

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

Israel and Anti-Semitism Today - 10 to 11:30 a.m. “Why do they still hate us? Israel and Anti-Semitism today”. Join Congregation Beth Shalom for brunch and to hear Dov Wilker discuss this most important topic. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3nsFOuU.

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events three to four weeks in advance. Contact Diana Cole for more information at Diana@atljewishtimes.com.

NCJW Atlanta Section’s “Women Who Dare: Celebrating our Sheroes” Fundraising Luncheon – 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At this extraordinary event, National Council of Jewish Women ATL will honor four outstanding women in the Jewish community who have gone above and beyond in serving our community in important and impactful ways. RSVP at http://bit.ly/3JL7cfi.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29

22nd Annual Garden Faire Set - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. North Fulton Master Gardeners “Garden Faire 2023” will be back at a new location in partnership with the City of Alpharetta. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3ni1v0R.

Bagels Brew & Beth Tikvah – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come see Beth Tikvah’s warm, welcoming & inclusive Reform Jewish community is all about! For more information visit http://bit.ly/3KmNJ6j.

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V9TZjV.

While we will charge $75 per ticket to help defray costs, it will not be enough to fully underwrite the occasion. Our hope is that families like yours, who are pillars of leadership in our community, will consider sponsoring the event at $25,000 Level, but of course every amount will be greatly appreciated.

KEEPING IT KOSHER

Everything-But-theKitchen-Sink Oatmeal Squares

My mesivta boys enjoy grabbing one or two bags of these when they go off early in the morning, and it makes the Yiddishe mamme in me so happy! Feel free to add chopped dried fruit, chopped nuts, and even some chopped pretzels if your family is into sweet and salty. Yield: 1 9×13-inch pan (approximately 20 squares)

Ingredients

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon Gefen Vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups flour (you can swap for Shibolim White Whole Wheat)

2 cups oatmeal

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup Gefen Mini Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup mini colored lentils

Directions

Prepare the Oatmeal Squares

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the lentils. Gently fold in the lentils, being careful not to overmix or the colors can start bleeding.

Press into a 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes.

Source: kosher.com

Recipe by Faigy Murray

Passover

At Passover, we read the story of Moses and how G-d brought nine plagues on Pharoah and the Egyptians. And we read that because Pharoah was stubborn and, since he still wouldn’t let the Jews leave Egypt, G-d had to unleash plague No. 10, despite previous warning. This was the death of the firstborn of every Egyptian family. Only then, after this greatest of terrors, did Pharoah release the Jews from slavery and let them leave Egypt to journey to the Promised Land.

But, in the face of such convincing evidence that something really bad would happen, why didn’t Pharoah release the Jews after the first nine plagues?

It took years of research by leading Israeli scholars studying the Dead Sea Scrolls to find the answer…The Pharoah was still in deNile.

YIDDISH WORD

Zhlub Magnet

n. A person who attracts slobs and buffoons, even via online dating services.

“Oy, another guy who smells like five-day-old egg foo yung. How did I become such a zhlub magnet?”

There is something touching about zhlub magnets because the source of their appeal is their openness, tolerance, and receptiveness, all sterling qualities. Unfortunately, these are also qualities that any zhlub can spot a mile away, even through his smudged bifocals.

From the Yiddish zhlub or zhlob, meaning a slob.

Diamond Terminology

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

ACROSS

1. Where you may do your bidding?

5. Heavy influence

10. Israeli singer Haza

14. First, middle, or last

15. Certain cycle

16. Cheer

17. Causes of Sukkot hold ups?

19. Leah, to Joseph

20. Lead in to Spice

21. 2010 World Cup host country: Abbr.

22. Paying one might slow you down

24. Grab for Batya?

28. 2.2 in a kg

31. James and Kett

32. Memorial ___ Ketterling

33. “Jurassic Park” mathematician Malcolm

34. Airport org.

36. “Not ___ many words”

37. Org. where Giannis Antetokounmpo is a star

38. Start of a soliloquy by Hamlet

41. One not fried as much this time of year

43. Range Rover rival

44. Controversial Simpsons character, apparently

45. 1978 World Series MVP Bucky

46. Instigate litigation

48. Get along well

49. Glorify

51. Brother of Rebekah

55. Sandler’s old stomping grounds, for short

56. Possible Golani outpost workout?

58. Aspirin target

60. Traveler’s info, briefly

61. Home of Sun Devil Stadium, for short

62. Ham’s brother

64. Back to back performances of “Funny Girl” and “Fiddler of the Roof” on Broadway?

68. Bob who created Batman

69. Amazon transaction, e.g.

70. What we all do eventually

71. Part of 37-Across: Abbr.

72. Football great Grier

73. Related to DOWN

1. Cover completely

2. ___ Teshuva

3. In a crowd of

4. Japanese dough

5. Aim alternative

6. Purple flowers

7. Words between “I’m” and “diet”

8. Conservative youth org.

9. Guinea pigs

10. Torah, e.g.

11. Bit from Lenny Bruce or Andrew Dice Clay?

12. 1989 Gold Glove winner Darling

13. Person with a J.D.

18. Kind of rehearsal

23. “Alas!”

25. The “shrew” in “The Taming of the Shrew”

26. Somewhat

27. Honky ___

29. Ruth of diamonds

30. Pop’s pal

35. Conqueror who dreamt of the Kohen Gadol

38. Prevents one from stealing

39. Like an uncovered base

40. Locale for sacrifices?

42. Santa ___ (desert winds)

43. Valjean of note

45. Mazar of “L.A. Law”

47. Bones in forearms

50. Kind of clef

52. Hayim or Mayim

53. Aziz some consider funny

54. Most common family name in Vietnam

57. Former All-Star Chase often booed by Mets fans

59. End of many a service

62. Jamaican genre of music

63. Owns

65. Bear, in Mexico

66. ___ in “Ulysses”

67. Grp. concerned with curriculum

Gerald Arthur Biales 85,

Atlanta

Gerald “Jerry” Arthur Biales, 85, passed away peacefully March 31, 2023. He was surrounded by his family who loved him very much. Jerry was born on Sept. 17, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio, and lived in Atlanta for the past 22 years.

Jerry lived a long happy life raising a family with his wife, Arlene, of 41 years who passed away in 1999; and then found love again with Sheila Leff Biales and was married in 2001 in Atlanta, Ga. Jerry and Sheila live in Cumming, Ga., and have traveled the world together.

He is survived by his two children, Eileen and Robert, and his four stepchildren, Mitchell, Robyn, Gayle, and Lisa. He was a beloved “Papa Jerry” to his 12 grandchildren (Brent, Troy, Nicholas, Jack, Harry, Carly, Casey, Kaitlin, Ashley, Hannah, Shane, Shelby).

Jerry earned his degree in chemical engineering from Case Western University and had a successful management career with Stebbins Engineering. In his later life, Jerry became a “life master” bridge player and he enjoyed being the comic relief in many theater productions at the Cumming playhouse. He was an avid golfer from the age of 19 and continued to play in his retired years. He enjoyed all the time and special occasions spent with family and many friends. He especially loved planning trips and traveling with his beloved Sheila.

Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. His funeral was held on Monday, April 3 at 11:00 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta, in Sandy Springs. He was laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery immediately following the funeral service. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

R. Peter Fishman

81, Atlanta

R. Peter Fishman, 81, died on Sunday, March 26, 2023, surrounded by his family. Peter was the beloved son of Frieda and Harry Fishman, who immigrated to the United States after fleeing Nazi-controlled Austria.

Born in Hammond, Ind., Peter moved to Georgia, where he studied accounting at the University of Georgia. He was a brother in the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.

After graduation, Peter moved to Atlanta to become a CPA, and started his own practice, Fishman and Company, which he operated for over 40 years. Peter contributed to and served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Shriners, the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, and the Atlanta Jewish Federation. He had an enormously big heart.

Peter is survived by four children, Mark Fishman (Joanna), Jill George (the late Art George), Jared Fishman (Fiona Macaulay), and Rachel Rimer (Mark); eight grandchildren, Mia, Arabella, Juliet, Cooper, Ethan, Izzy, Jackson, Spencer; his wife, Barbara “Babz” Jacoby Fishman, and her children, David Jacoby (Cindy), and Ryan Jacoby (Sarah), and their children, Molly, Chloe, Jack, and Simon.

Peter loved traveling the world, and had particularly memorable adventures and celebrations in Israel, Gaza, Jordan, Morocco, Italy, Turkey, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and others.

The Fishman family is immensely thankful for the close friends who have provided support throughout Peter’s life. Memorial donations can be sent to The Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.

A private family service will be held. He will be buried next to his late wife of 34 years, Barbara Elias Fishman. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Daniel Kleinman 67, Marietta

Daniel Kleinman, 67, of Marietta, Ga., passed away on March 30, 2023. Daniel grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and is predeceased by his parents, Iris Kleinman Feuer and William Kleinman. He is survived by his wife, Julie Kleinman, sister, Judy Smith, brother, Craig Kleinman, and sons, Michael and Jonathan Kleinman.

Prior to working as a cardiologist in Marietta, Ga., Dr. Kleinman received his Bachelor of Arts in engineering from Brown University, a medical degree from Wright State University, and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Emory University, followed by a three-year fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the Medical College of Georgia.

Dr. Kleinman found his professional life to be rewarding and fulfilling and was honored to serve his patients. He loved travelling, professional sports, music, and his family most of all. He took great pleasure in opening up his home to friends and family. His Jewish faith served as a source of strength throughout his life.

Memorial donations may be made to Congregation Etz Chaim, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or PanCan. The funeral was held at Congregation Etz Chaim on March 31, followed by a burial at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Daniel Dorsch and Rabbi Shalom Lewis officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-4514999.

OBITUARIES

Annette Lefkoff Saparow

98, Atlanta

Annette Lefkoff Saparow passed away on March 29, 2023. Born to Helen and Morris Lefkoff March 13, 1925, she was a proud native Atlantan. The Lefkoff family lived on Washington Street near her father’s drugstore at Capitol and Ormond streets. She attended Girl’s High and later attended The High Museum School of Art in Atlanta. Annette was an excellent artist, working with various media to create unique sketches and paintings. During World War II, she worked at Fort McPherson.

She met her husband, Robert Saparow, on a date while he was on weekend leave from the United States Air Force. Together, Annette and Robert started Scroll Fabrics, Inc. Annette was a lifetime member of the Ahavath Achim Congregation, Hadassah, B’nai Brith, The Bremen Museum and The High Museum of Art.

Her children are Herschel (Susan) Saparow of Marietta, Ga., Harriet (David) Oppenheimer of San Antonio, Texas. Annette’s brothers and sister are Dr. Harold (Evelyn Z” L) Lefkoff of Atlanta, Jerome Lefkoff (Z” L) and Irma (Herb Z” L) Mershon of Cumberland, R.I. Grandchildren are Rebecca (Scott) Nathan of San Antonio, Texas, Rachel Saparow of Canton, Ga., Daniel (Dr. Lara Gross) Oppenheimer of Dallas, Texas, Bobby Saparow of Atlanta, Ga., and Dr. Jacob Oppenheimer of Denver, Colo.

Great-grandchildren include Libby and Lyle Nathan and Hayes Saparow. Annette also had many close relatives in the Atlanta area. She especially enjoyed everyone’s company at our family events.

Please make donations to Weinstein Hospice at 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327-2108, To make a gift by phone, call (404) 351-8410. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Carl Strauss 96, Atlanta

Carl Strauss, 96, passed away on Sunday, April 2, 2023. He was born and raised in New York to Max and Katie Strauss. After high school, he was a corporal in the Army and proudly served in the Korean War. He moved to Atlanta in 1962 with his bride, Laura Strauss (obm), and two sons, to pursue a career as a sales executive for the Southeast territory of Kemp and Beatley linens.

When he was not traveling, he loved playing tennis at the Standard Club and boating on Lake Lanier with family and friends. He also loved summer vacations in Florida with his family and the ‘New York’ Strauss’. In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased by son, Glenn Strauss, and his sister, Sylvia Dissin. Survivors include his daughter, Rena Holland, and husband Rick, Dunwoody; daughter, Lisa Mains, and husband Matthew, Norcross; son, Bradley, and wife, Jill, Savannah; grandchildren: Jenna, Kurt, Austin, Lindsey, Max, and Blake; brother, Bernie Strauss, of New York, N.Y., and several nieces and nephews.

Please sign the online guestbook at www.dresslerjewishfunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. A private graveside service was held on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, with Rabbi Loren Lapidus officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Please REGISTER to Attend or Participate in Reading Names: www.bit.ly/2023UntoEveryPersonThereIsAName

Since 1989 on Yom HaShoahHolocaust Remembrance Day, B’nai B’rith International has been the North American sponsor of the “UEPTIAN-Unto Every Person There Is a Name” Remembrance ceremonies.

Participants read the names of Holocaust victims murdered in WW II (both adults and children), along with their own loved ones' names, places where murdered, and their age. These memorial observances, created by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, honor more and more victims each year, as the project collects more names over the years. We will gather in-person and virtually on ZOOM on April 28th for this especially moving Holocaust memorial observance. This program is being conducted by B’nai B’rith lodges nationwide. Its objective is to recognize that there were millions and millions of individual lives lost, and not just Jewish people, and that it should happen NEVER AGAIN! A schedule of Reading Times for Readers will be provided in advance. The list of children and adult names to be read will be shared on-line virtually on-screen and will be viewable by all attendees. The theme for 2023 is Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust - Marking 80 Years since the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Please Consider a Donation: www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2410632

Any QUESTIONS? Contact Harry Lutz at harry.lutz.45@gmail.com or 678-485-8179

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor and Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

Lag BaOmer: Guardians of the Torah

Lag Ba Omer occurs this year beginning the evening of Monday, May 8 and continuing through Tuesday May 9—Iyar 18 in the Hebrew calendar. In Israel, many Ultra-Orthodox three-year-old boys receive their first haircuts on this day. Many traditional Jews will visit Meron, in northern Israel, where the great second century sage and mystic, Shimon Bar Yohai, is buried. Bar Yohai died on Lag BaOmer, and so the pilgrimage to his tomb is on this day. In various places in Israel, there are large campfires, hikes, and archery.

The festival is also connected to Bar Yohai’s teacher, Rabbi Akiva, a

rabbinic giant of the second century C.E. During the persecutions of the Roman emperor Hadrian, a plague broke out among the many thousands of students of Rabbi Akiva. But miraculously, on Lag BaOmer, the plague stopped.

LagBaOmer is the 33rd day of the barley harvest. An Omer is a sheaf of grain. Lag is an acronym of two Hebrew letters: Lamed which stands for 30, and Gimmel which represents 3. The acronym was vocalized for convenience: Lag = 33.

The counting of the Omer is a ritual that connects Passover with Shavuoth. On the second day of Passover, in ancient times, the first sheaf was brought to the priest (cohen) according to Torah ritual.

The ritual continued throughout the periods when the Jerusalem temples stood, and, in time, became a synagogue ritual. For 49 days, exactly seven weeks, the ritual of counting the sheaves takes place symbolically at

the synagogue.

The 50th day is the Jewish Pentateuch, the Festival of Weeks, Shavuot.

The counting of the barley harvest is known as Sefirat haOmer (the Counting of the Omer) or simply, Sefira . It is a somber time. Traditional Jews often refrain from celebrations during the counting of the Omer, especially weddings.

The sadness which partially prevails in this seven-week period reflects the oppression at the hands of the Romans, particularly during the Bar Kochba Rebellion from 132-135 C.E. The loss of that war to the Romans led to the complete destruction of the Jewish community in and around Jerusalem. The Jews were banished from Jerusalem for hundreds of years. During the war. Rabbi Akivah was tortured and killed; Shimon Bar Yohai hid from the soldiers with his son in a cave for many years. Many rabbinic scholars were, in fact, killed during these years.

The festival of Lag BaOmer is known as the Scholars Holiday.

Lag BaOmer is a day of fun, but also of defiance against the tyrant Hadrian. In modern times, the Jewish people thwarted Hadrian’s plans to destroy Israel and to drive the Jews completely out of Jerusalem forever. Two days of commemoration observed during Sefira, Yom HaAtzmaut/Israel Independence Day (Iyar 5) and Yom Yerusalayim/Jerusalem Day (Iyar 28), thwarted both evil plans. The modern state of Israel was founded May 14, 1948 on the fifth of Iyar, and Jerusalem was reunited for the first time in almost 19 centuries on June 7, 1967, on Iyar 28.

As bonfires are lit this year on Iyar/May, we should be inspired by the heroism of Akiva and his student, Bar Yohai, as well as the courage of those who have fought for the establishment of the state of Israel and the reunification of Jerusalem. ì

Rabbi Richard Baroff DD