Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCVII NO. 8, APRIL 30, 2021

NEXT ISSUE: SENIOR LIVING

VOL. XCVI NO. 8

APRIL 30, 2021 | 18 IYAR 5781

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VOL. XCVI NO. 8

PUBLISHER MICHAEL A. MORRIS michael@atljewishtimes.com

MANAGING PUBLISHER & EDITOR KAYLENE LADINSKY kaylene@atljewishtimes.com Business Manager

JODI DANIS jodi@atljewishtimes.com Executive Assistant

STEPHANIE NISSANI stephanie@atljewishtimes.com

EDITORIAL Associate Editor

RONI ROBBINS roni@atljewishtimes.com Proofreader

FRAN PUTNEY Photographer and Intern Staff Writer

NATHAN POSNER nathan@atljewishtimes.com

CONTRIBUTORS THIS WEEK ALLEN H. LIPIS BOB BAHR CHANA SHAPIRO DANIELLE COHEN DAVE SCHECHTER JAN JABEN-EILON KENNETH STEIN MARCIA CALLER JAFFE

THIS WEEK Stay, Play and Mother’s Day In keeping with the AJT’s tradition of honoring mothers ahead of Mother’s Day, we asked the community to submit a brief explanation of why their mom deserves the best day ever for their holiday.

We include the resulting submissions within these pages, along with articles of relevance to mothers.

Members of Jewish Atlanta share wisdom they learned from mom and others discuss how they turned into their mothers in some ways. You’ll learn about the different paths to motherhood taken by some in our community and visit a mom who raised about 13 children, including one with a major disability.

Also don’t miss our annual Mother’s Day Gift Guide to help you pick a perfect present for the special woman in your life.

Our beauty section is filled with articles about going gray and growing beards during the pandemic along with a frank discussion about whether tattoos are still considered taboo.

With many still choosing staycations close to home instead of cruises and overseas travel during the pandemic,

some Jewish Atlantans invite us along as they escape to log cabins in the Georgia mountains. We share renovations tips to make your house an oasis and offer ways to relax and unwind without leaving home.

Elsewhere in the paper there’s a story about a group of women who have assembled and collected 120,000 sandwiches for the hungry in our midst. And our Roving Reporter asks grandmothers what they learned from their grandkids.

In news about vaccination updates, the AJT interviews a few vaccine volunteers, and a pair of Atlanta doctors explore the reasons behind the anti-vaxxer philosophy. Not to mention how the breakthrough research that led to the COVID vaccine may help to solve other medical conditions, including cancer.

From matriarchs this week to our most vulnerable population, more tributes are in store to recognize those whose contributions span the generations. Our next issue will focus exclusively on seniors. ì

APRIL 30, 2021 | 18 IYAR 5781

Happy Mother's Day Beauty & Staycation

AJT_April 30 Spa & Beauty Staycation&Mothers Day_B.indd 1

4/26/2021 3:01:17 PM

Cover Photo: For Mother’s Day, the AJT shares a selection of moms featured in this issue.

CONTENTS NEWS ���������������������������������������������������6 ISRAEL NEWS ��������������������������������� 12 OPINION ������������������������������������������� 14 MOTHER'S DAY ��������������������������� 18 BEAUTY & STAYCATION ���������� 34 DINING ���������������������������������������������� 42 CHAI STYLE �������������������������������������� 43 CALENDAR �������������������������������������� 46 COMMUNITY ���������������������������������� 50 OY VEY ���������������������������������������������� 54 BRAIN FOOD ����������������������������������� 55 OBITUARIES ������������������������������������ 56 CLOSING THOUGHTS ������������������ 60 NEW MOON MEDITATIONS ������� 61

RACHEL STEIN ROBYN SPIZMAN GERSON SUSANNE KATZ TERRY SEGAL

ADVERTISING Senior Account Manager

BRENDA GELFAND brenda@atljewishtimes.com Senior Account Manager & Team Supervisor

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Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite www.atlantajewishtimes.com ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC © 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 5

NEWS Madoff Not Mourned by Many

By Dave Schechter Given the damage that Bernie Madoff caused in the Jewish world, the available reaction to his death was something other than suggestions that his memory be for a blessing. The more florid responses — in Yiddish and English — cannot be published in these pages.

Madoff, who was Jewish, died April

to his death. Cohn was able to recover what she had invested, but her late mother’s retirement account was lost. “It was a long time ago. I try not to think about him,” she said.

In a Ponzi scheme Madoff, operating through his firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, claimed to be managing upwards of $65 billion in investments.

Madoff regularly sent individual and in-

stitutional investors reports showing im-

Perhaps ironically, many victims of Jewish financier Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme were, themselves, Jewish.

14, two weeks short of his 83rd birthday, in the prison hospital at the federal penitentiary in Butner, N.C., where he was serving a 150-year sentence.

Randi Cohn of Atlanta, who was among Madoff’s local Jewish victims, said, “It was overdue” when asked for reaction

pressive returns, even when the markets dipped.

Those reports were worth less than the paper they were printed on. A very real $17.5 billion from investors was lost.

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All told, Madoff defrauded an estimated 40,000 people in at least 125 countries. As of this year, the federal court-supervised trustee has recovered an estimated $14.4 billion of Madoff’s illgotten gains for some 37,000 investors.

More than a decade later, a Jewish husband and wife in Sandy Springs remain sufficiently sensitive about having invested with Madoff that they asked not to be identified in this article. Even though their names appeared a decade earlier on lists of Madoff’s victims, the couple, now in their 70s, did not want to be exposed again. When the AJT asked about Madoff, the husband said matter-of-factly, “He died.”

The couple had invested at the urging of a relative who had a long-term relationship with Madoff. While declining to say how much money they lost, the trustee was able to recover the principal they had invested.

“The community needs to be reminded of how much he hurt not just the investors, but the Jewish image as well,” the husband said.

The December 2008 collapse of Madoff’s scheme was a figurative bombshell in the Jewish community. His clients included Jewish organizations in the United States and abroad, among them Yeshiva University, Hadassah, the American Jewish Congress, and numerous private schools, charities and private foundations. Many were damaged badly, some forced to fold.

Madoff’s individual Jewish victims included Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, director Steven Spielberg, movie producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax.

Atlanta’s Jewish institutions escaped the havoc wreaked in New York, south Florida and Los Angeles. At the time, Steve Rakitt, then president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that JFGA “had no exposure to Madoff indebtments.” Foundations owned by Home Depot co-founders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus also were unscathed.

However, despite the irony that many of Madoff’s victims were, like him, Jewish, anti-Semitic extremists took advantage of Madoff’s crimes to cast aspersions on the Jewish business community in general.

Madoff had been a stockbroker and made a legitimate fortune investing in computerized trading on the Nasdaq exchange, then part of the National Associa-

tion of Securities Dealers, and became the exchange’s chairman. He began handling private clients in the 1970s. Over the years, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission did not discover the fraud, despite warnings by an investigator that Madoff’s investment returns were too good to be true.

As the economy worsened in 2008, Madoff could not meet the demands of clients wanting to liquidate their accounts. On Dec. 10, Madoff confessed to his two sons, who worked for their father, and they in turn called federal authorities.

Federal authorities raided his Manhattan offices the next day and arrested Madoff at his penthouse home.

Madoff pleaded guilty on June 29, 2009, to 11 federal charges and was sentenced to 150 years in prison and ordered to make $170 million in personal restitution. He insisted in court that his sons were unaware of his scheme.

At sentencing, Madoff read a statement that said, “I am responsible for a great deal of suffering and pain. I understand that. I live in a tormented state now, knowing of all the pain and suffering that I have created. I have left a legacy of shame, as some of my victims have pointed out, to my family and my grandchildren.”

Before sentencing, numerous Madoff victims wrote to the presiding judge. One letter came from the Sandy Springs wife mentioned earlier in this article who said: “We both work full time and thank goodness own our own home. However, we now have nothing for our retirement.

Over time, most all of our savings were placed in the hands of Bernard Madoff.

Our retirement looks bleak as our investments are totally wiped out. My husband served our country in the Vietnam War and now I feel our country through the SEC has let us down . . . We can only plead that you will consider the enormous impact that Mr. Madoff has had on thousands of individuals and charities around the world. This is a terrible crime against mankind. We feel Mr. Madoff should be made to spend all of his ‘retirement’ in federal prison.”

The federal penitentiary at Butner is where Madoff spent the last 12 years of his life. In February 2020, he sought compassionate release, telling a judge that he was dying of kidney disease. In denying Madoff’s request, the judge said that his offenses were “one of the most egregious financial crimes of all time,” and that “many people are still suffering.” ì

NEWS

Doctors Attempt to Ease Fears Around Vaccines

By Nathan Posner Even though over 200 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the United States, the recent halting of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has helped reignite fears around taking the vaccine. Somewhere between 20 to 30 percent of the United States population doesn’t want to receive the vaccine, according to sources consulted for this story. One NPR poll showed 30 percent of American adults not choosing to get the vaccine if offered.

This level of vaccine hesitancy is im-

Dr. Dale Bearman is a former chief of staff at Northside Hospital.

Dr. Stanley Fineman is an Atlanta allergist, and founder of Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, the largest allergy practice in Georgia.

portant, considering the country’s attempts to reach “herd immunity,” where the level of those vaccinated within the population will restrict the spread enough that the disease becomes rarer and rarer among the population. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reports that the country would need to reach at least 70 percent to achieve herd immunity, including those who have antibodies from previous COVID exposure and those vaccinated. Now, health officials

are attempting to convince those hesitant to take the vaccine, in order to achieve the herd immunity goal.

While there are some who believe that the vaccine has microchips and is a plan by a global elite to take over the world, most of those who are hesitant to take the vaccine have much more reasonable explanations, from worries about the speed the vaccines were created to previous government experiments using health policies as covers in minority communities.

Dr. Dale Bearman, an Atlanta-area gynecologist and former chief of staff at North-

a second nose and a third arm, all kinds of things, and while it sounds funny and that they are making a joke, they aren’t, they are really fearful.”

Much of the hesitancy largely revolves around the new mRNA system for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which is different than what is traditionally used to make vaccines, he said.

Bearman tries to ease those patients’ worries. “To those folks, I say … ‘it may seem new, but the mRNA system that brought us the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines isn’t

Administration of COVID-19 vaccines at Mercedes-Benz Stadium last month.

side Hospital, spoke to the AJT about the hesitancy he is seeing among his patients.

“I have been talking to essentially everyone who has come in on if they have received the vaccine or plan to receive the vaccine.

And probably a third say ‘no, and I don’t plan to,’ or they will say ‘no, I just haven’t decided.’”

Bearman described vaccine hesitancy as being divided into two groups, one of which is based in political beliefs and the other having a general fear and timidness on medical issues.

For those who don’t want to take the vaccine because of political beliefs, Bearman said, “I don’t like to get into politics in my office, but they let you know that is their view of the world or that it’s not a real thing or a hoax. They use these words, and there is not much convincing you can say, frankly, in the context of a medical visit.

“We don’t nearly have the time to convince someone whose opinion is so engrained. All I can say is the vaccine is safe, it is proven effective, and I hope you will reconsider it.” The other group of those hesitant about the vaccine are more amenable to taking it, he said. “They will quote things, like ‘oh this vaccine, the new system, we don’t know what it’s gonna do.’ I have had people very legitimately tell me they don’t want to grow

percentage of patients who have a local reaction or maybe feel run down for a short time after, but usually I explain I got the vaccine and I didn’t have a problem, and neither has my family who have received it,” Fineman said.

“That’s what I try to explain to people, to make sure their fears are reduced so they will hopefully agree to do it.”

Fineman is also encountering a group with no willingness to take the vaccine, de-

Anti-vaccination and anti-mask protestors at a rally outside of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month.

new at all, it is just the first implementation of it. It seems safe. It seems effective. It has been given to way more than a million people, to enough people that you can see that it is a safe thing.’” Some of these people are worried about having an extreme allergic reaction to the vaccine, according to Dr. Stanley Fineman, an Atlanta allergist.

While a small reaction and soreness is common in response to the vaccine, some potentially dangerous reactions can be tested for, particularly if there is a worry after the first dose, he said. They can administer components of the vaccine as an allergy test, to allay fears and show “they are able to take the second dose without a problem.” This is for those who have an immediate reaction to the first shot, an extremely low number, Fineman said. His worry is not so much extreme allergic reactions, but the resistance to taking the vaccine at all. “I had one yesterday who said ‘I don’t get the flu vaccine, I don’t want to get the COVID vaccine,’ and I was trying to convince him, this was an elderly person, that it was to their benefit, but it’s hard a lot of the time to convince people.

“What I usually do is explain the safety in the vaccines and it’s not gonna change their DNA, cause the disease or make them ill with a hospitalized illness. There is a certain

scribing the issue as political as well. “I am worried that some of the vaccine hesitancy is, I think, kind of political. Because of politics, they don’t look at the data, and I can explain the data and scientific safety all day long, but they have a blockage. It may be political; I have no idea.”

Even some healthcare workers who have seen the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic are unwilling to take the vaccine, Bearman said. He is a board member at Northside, and his daughter is the operations manager for its emergency room. Bearman said his daughter “was responsible for the emergency personnel. Those people were the very first wave to get the vaccine, and her job was to arrange for all of the ER personnel to get themselves signed up for vaccination.

And roughly a third of people who see COVID on a daily basis, the very front line, were opting not to receive the vaccine. … it is very frustrating,” he said.

“Even people that are wearing worldclass PPE [personal protection equipment], and seeing people brought in throughout all the waves of this pandemic, how they would not want to protect themselves, and by extension their family and loved ones, is absolutely mind-boggling.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 7

NEWS

Volunteer Vaccinators Fight COVID

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Both Dr. Wendy Greenberg and registered nurse Debbie Wexler are among the mighty and dedicated who “mask up” to donate their skills and time to make a

contribution to the metro Atlanta mass COVID-19 vaccination effort.

“We’ve been vaccinating folks from ages 16 to 95,” Greenberg said. “Judaism instilled in me to help make the world a better place, and I signed up because I felt deeply about helping others.”

Wexler similarly emoted, “If you have a skill, tikkun olam,” the concept of repairing the world, “guides us to act on it. Overall, it has been a very smooth process.”

Greenberg has been volunteering weekly near North Point Mall (a former Fulton County office building) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “I wanted to help vaccinate since

Dr. Wendy Harris Greenberg feels that the vaccine is one of the best ways to return to normalcy.

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that is our fastest route to get the com- with lunch and free parking, and others munity back to normalcy.” She estimated helping with paperwork and the traffic that she spends a few minutes with each flow. Wexler is inspired by the cordial patient and does about 12 shots an hour and capable cadre of workers. “Here we in 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. shifts, plus com- are soldiers, firefighters, paid nurses ing an hour early at 8:30 a.m. to get pre- and greeters, along with we volunteers pared. Overall, she calculated that 1,200 working as a team. One day it was super vaccinations a day are done at the stadi- windy, everyone still came and proceedum. The process has evolved and become ed smoothly.” smoother along the way, she said.

There is a modesty booth roped off “Instead of paperwork, we now have for those who are heavily garbed for culCORE [Community Organized Relief tural reasons or forgot to wear something Effort] volunteers help with computer that allows access to the upper arm. Wextablet intake, which I can then quickly ler makes sure that patients know when review. Sometimes I have to coach those to come back for second doses, and to who are apprehensive, to breathe, while save and photograph their “proof “card. discussing the potential side effects and Also, in terms of maximum dosage assuaging nerves. Most patients just of- efficiency, she noted that toward the end fer praise and gratitude that they got an of the day, volunteers have to be parsimoappointment in the first place. Some are nious and conscious of not wasting open afraid of the needle itself versus a poten- doses vis-a-vis the number of patients left tial problem with the vaccine side effects. to vaccinate. She is content that no one I have never seen a bad reaction on site got turned away. that an EMT had to deal with.” Those Wexler concludes, “The nicest feedvaccinated are asked to remain for 15 back I get is when a patient says ‘Are you minutes before exiting. done? I didn’t even notice that anything Another example of refining the pro- happened!’” ì cess is changing from Moderna to Pfizer.

Greenberg explained that a vial of the former provided 10 doses compared to half that for the latter. Thus, when there are lulls in the line, there is less waste.

Greenberg has also volunteered with Camp Twin Lakes and Second Helpings. She is currently the collaborative pediatrician at Nuestros Ninos.

COVID-wise she also volunteered as a tester.

Wexler entered the vaccine volunteer program through the Medical Reserve Core/ Georgia Department of Public Health to volunteer at MercedesBenz Stadium. She is most motivated by helping “a wide swath of humanity.” She explained, “I have inoculated nursing mothers, pregnant women, teenagers, children bringing elderly parents, all walks of life. We even have language options for non-English speakers.

Most leave elated by the experience.”

Registered nurse Debbie Wexler is pleased to treat such She noted that vola “wide swath of humanity” and values the dedication unteers are treated well and professionalism of the overall team effort.

NEWS

After COVID, Cancer Vaccine on Horizon

By Bob Bahr Scientists that helped develop the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine predict that same technology may be used to develop a vaccine for cancer.

Dr. Ozlem Tureci who, with her husband runs the German research firm BioNTech that created the Pfizer vaccine, originally set up the company 13 years ago to develop new treatments for cancer.

She told The Times of Israel last month that the firm now has “severEmory University has started testing a al different cancer vaccines” that are reformulation of the Moderna vaccine under development. that guards against COVID variants.

“We expect that within only a couple of years, we will also have our vaccines [against] cancer at a place where we can offer them to people.”

Both the COVID-19 vaccine and the new experimental cancer vaccines are based on technology that uses genetic matter known as messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).

The inoculations use gene therapy to deliver genetic instructions to individual cells in the body that can be manipulated to reflect newly emerging challenges to health.

These individual cells, in turn, develop proteins that create antibodies to act against dangerous viruses.

Dr. Mark Borodovsky of Georgia Tech has been an international Scientists at Emory Vaccine leader in genetic research.

Center, for example, have begun testing a new formulation of the Moderna vaccine that is hoped can be more and permanently head off the diseffective against the recent variants of the ease.

COVID-19 virus.

In his new book “The Code The same mRNA technology can be Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Edused, in the case of cancer, to actually fight iting, and the Future of The Human the malignancy.

Mark Borodovsky, a Georgia Tech bio- Race,” Walter Isaacson describes mechanical engineering professor, said these advances. Isaacson, who once served this is a quick and easy way to stop disease. as president of CNN in Atlanta, spoke last “The immune system is trained to create month at the Book Festival of the MJCCA. He describes in his book the speed of antibodies that, in case of a viral infection, recent advances. It took only two days, for guide the immune system and kill the viexample, for Moderna to create the proper rus.” mRNA sequence that would be used in the The University of Texas MD Anderson new inoculation, and only 38 days before Center scientists have already used mRNA the first box of vials was shipped off to the based treatments to prevent the reoccurNational Institutes of Health to begin the rence of cancer, which is said to be particularly the case in ovaries, the bladder and first clinical trials.

In earlier times, vaccines that used the brain.

A reoccurrence of the disease takes other techniques often took years of trial place when cancer cells are not completely and error before a proper immune rekilled off by chemotherapy or radiation. sponse could be developed. In the case of In a clinical trial now in its second stage, the recent vaccine, Isaacson said it’s just a researchers at the Anderson Center have matter of unlocking the genetic code of the developed mRNA vaccines individually tai- cell and a flood of new therapies could be lored to each patient. The goal is to destroy developed. the cancer cells still present in the body “These genetic improvements,” he

The gene science that led to the coronavirus vaccine has the potential to treat many diseases in the future.

at the forefront of this rapidly developing frontier of modern medicine.

As the founder and director of the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics at Georgia Tech, he has been instrumental in developing new ways of sequencing the genome, the key to the foundational building blocks of all human life.

Walter Isaacson’s new book was discussed in a His work has program at the Book Festival of the MJCCA. been supported by The says, “could permanently alter the human Marcus Foundation, race.” funded by the co-founder of Home Depot The leaders in many of these efforts Bernie Marcus. have often been Jewish scientists. The In 2006, Marcus gave the university chairman and CEO of the international $15 million to build a research center to pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is Albert Bour- explore what are called nano particles, the la, the son of Greek Holocaust survivors. small building blocks of all matter. He also Tal Zaks, a native of Israel, is chief established the Marcus Center for Theramedical officer of Moderna, which devel- peutic Cell Characterization and Manufacoped the other vaccine widely in use in this turing to develop new medical initiatives country. in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology Zaks has been working for years on industries. using mRNA in an attempt to develop According to Dr. Borodovsky, recent treatments for life threatening disease that medical advances and the COVID vaccines could be personalized for each patient, so are simply technology urged on by the it was a quick pivot to focus on how an world’s medical needs, catching up with mRNA vaccine could be tailored to pro- basic science. duce antibodies against the coronovirus.

“It can take 30 years to come up with Borodovsky, who first came to Atlanta a concept and get this concept up to realin the first wave of Jewish immigration ization in a technological sense. So now we from the Soviet Union in 1990, has been talk about several months.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 9

NEWS

Georgia Governor Speaks Out Against Home Depot Boycott

By Dave Schechter Georgia’s revised voting law was the talk of the town April 20, from the state capitol in Atlanta to the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. As Gov. Brian Kemp held a news conference to defend the law, a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing followed party lines, with Democrats criticizing and Republicans backing the new law.

Kemp’s appearance was prompted by a call from a coalition of African-American churches to boycott Georgiabased The Home Depot, Inc., nationally for not publicly opThe Home Depot in Decatur //Nathan Posner for the AJT posing the state’s voting law.

Home Depot employees “did not ask to be in this politiGeorgia, where it has 90 retail outlets and cal fight,” Kemp said. “It’s unfair to them, 15 distribution centers. to their families, to their livelihoods to be The company was founded by Bertargeted.” The governor said that Home nie Marcus and Arthur Blank, both Depot is responsible for 30,000 jobs in Jewish multibillionaires and promi-

Home Depot employees “did not ask to be in this political fight,” Gov. Brian Kemp said. “It’s unfair to them, to their families, to their livelihoods to be targeted.”

reported fiscal 2020 sales of more than $132 billion.

Georgia is at the center of a national debate. At least three lawsuits have been filed in federal court against the new state law. More than 350 bills to alter voting rules have been introduced in 47 state legislatures.

The boycott announcement was made the same morning outside a Home Depot store in Decatur, by Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, who leads the 534 churches of the Sixth Episcopal District of the Rep. Jan Jones said that companies objecting African Methodist Episcopal to the law either did not read it or felt Church, and ministers from “they would be punished somehow.” other denominations. Jackson said that Home Depot has been “silent and indifferent” to the impact of Georgia’s new law.

For its part, Home Depot previously issued a statement that said, “the most appropriate approach for us to take is to continue to underscore our belief that all elections should be accessible, fair and secure.”

During his afternoon news conference, Kemp said, “This is not about Georgia’s election Sen. Jon Ossoff quoted Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who has called aspects of the law. This is about a movement new law “solutions in search of a problem.” at the national level to nationalize elections and to have an nent philanthropists in Atlanta’s unconstitutional takeover of state greater and Jewish communities. The elections,” referring to bills before the company’s 2,200 stores nationwide U.S. House and Senate to standardize employ about 500,000 people and election laws.

10 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

NEWS Airlines, which initially attempted to stay out of the public fray but since have been sharply critical of the revised election procedures.

Boycott organizers said they are talking with other major Georgia companies, including Chick-fil-A, Southern Company and AT&T, about the law.

Witnesses at the fourhour Senate Judiciary Committee hearing included Democratic Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, former state House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams, and Jan Jones, the Republican speaker pro tem of the Georgia House.

Atlanta faith leaders announce a boycott of The Home Depot for being silent about Ga. voting law.

Jones told the committee that companies objecting Soon after Kemp signed SB (Senate and opposes restrictions to the ballot to the election law “either bill) 202 into law on March 25, Major box.” did not read the bill or feel that they “Am I frustrated? Yes, I am. I am would be punished somehow by some League Baseball pulled its 2021 all-star game from Atlanta, moving the event frustrated with some of these compa- of these enormous nonprofit organito Colorado. At the time, MLB Com- nies that have been outspoken,” said zations that would somehow punish them.” missioner Rob Manfred said, “Major Kemp.

Democratic committee member Two of those companies are GeorLeague Baseball fundamentally supJon Ossoff quoted Georgia’s Republiports voting rights for all Americans gia-based Coca-Cola Co. and Delta

can Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who has called aspects of the new election law “solutions in search of a problem.”

One controversial provision limits ballot drop boxes to inside early voting locations and makes them available only during early voting hours.

Kemp noted that drop boxes were allowed by an emergency order of the state election board in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kemp also stressed that the state now has 17 days of early voting in total, 19 if counties include two optional Sundays with the mandated two Saturdays before general elections. Opponents, in turn, cite a reduction in early voting before runoffs.

A proposed end of no-excuse absentee voting eventually was removed from the legislation. The two optional days of Sunday voting before general elections remove a potential obstacle for observant Jews who wish to vote early, but who cannot during the Sabbath on Saturdays.

“There is ample time for people to vote in Georgia,” Kemp said. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 11

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

YouTube Screen capture from video of Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul, left, during the finals at the European Judo Championships.

Israelis Win Judo Medals at European Championships

At the European Judo Championships in April, Israelis snagged several medals in the competition. While Tohar Butbul made it to the finals in the men’s under-73 kilogram (161 pound) category, he lost to Akil Gjakova of Kosovo. Israelis picked up the bronze medals in both the under-81 kilogram (179 pound) category and women’s under 52 kilogram (115 pound) category, with Sagi Muki and Gefen Primo winning accordingly, The Times of Israel reported. President Reuven Rivlin offered congratulations to

Today in Israeli History

Photo by Avi Ohayon, Israeli Government Press Office

President George W. Bush brings together Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (left) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at a summit in Aqaba, Jordan, in June 2003.

April 30, 2003 The Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations issues its Roadmap for Peace, a framework for talks to achieve a permanent two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians.

May 1, 1956 Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, a future prime minister, authorizes the establishment of the city of Ashdod on the site of a former Palestinian village, Isdud, along the coast between Tel Aviv and Ashkelon.

May 2, 1968 Israelis receive their first general-interest TV broadcasts when Israel Television (later Channel 1) goes on the air with the image of a menorah, soon followed by the 12 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

the athletes over Twitter, “Thank you for making us so Proud!”

Israel has reportedly been offered the choice to host the World Judo Championships in 2024 or 2025. This comes after numerous successfully held judo events in Israel, including during the pandemic. Most recently in February, hundreds of competitors from around the world came to Israel for a competition, which reportedly didn’t have any coronavirus infections resulting from the event. Judo is a major sport in Israel and is one of the nation’s leading medal-takers at the Olympics.

Israeli Crime Drama Picked up By Netflix

Israeli series “Blackspace” has been picked up by Netflix, purchasing the rights to the eight-part series about the aftermath of a high school shooting, according to The Times of Israel. The story focuses on the investigation into a school shooting, initially suspected to be terrorism, with actor and comedian Guri Alfi playing the police chief. The show was originally produced for Israel’s

Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Independence Day) parade.

May 3, 1906 Stage actor Meir Margalit, a winner of the Israel Prize in 1964, is born in Ostroleka, Poland. He moves to Palestine in 1922 and, starting in 1929, spends most of his acting career with the Ha’ohel Theatre.

May 4, 1947 The Irgun carries out a complex operation to break 30 of its men and 11 Lehi members out of the British prison at Acre (Akko). Six of the 41 are killed; eight are recaptured. In the chaos, 182 Arabs escape.

May 5, 1959 Kibbutz Lohamei HaGetaot (the Ghetto Fighters) in the western Galilee welcomes 2,500 people to the first official Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) ceremony under a law enacted four weeks earlier.

May 6, 1947 Alexander Rubowitz, 16, a member of the youth wing of Lehi (the Stern Gang) who distributes flyers, is chased, caught and forced into a car by a man believed to be a British officer. He is never seen again.

May 7, 2002 A suicide bomber kills 15 Israelis and wounds 55 others at a Rishon LeZion pool hall while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Channel 13 and has been bought by a variety of outlets throughout the world, TOI reported. A second season is already in the works.

of the Pardes Project Rabbi Moshe Kahan, who is also the head of the beit midrash for the program. The project allows haredi youth to pursue a secular education in a haredi framework, while maintaining an ultra-Orthodox environment. Mossad started recruiting ultraOrthodox candidates in 2017 in partnership with the project. “The intention is to integrate haredim in all aspects of the organization’s operations,” said Mossad director Yossi Cohen.

Courtesy of Reshet 13 //

Actor Guri Alfi, far left, stars in “Blackspace,” a Reshet 13 series now coming to Netflix.

Ultra-Orthodox Join Cyber Battlefield for Israel

More and more members of haredi society are joining the upper echelons of Israel’s security agencies, including top cybercrime units. The Jerusalem Post spoke with some of these haredim, all anonymously, recruited by the founder

is meeting with President George W. Bush in Washington to jump-start peace talks.

May 8, 2007 Hebrew University archaeologist Ehud Netzer announces that he has found the tomb of King Herod the Great at Herodium in the Judean Desert, verifying the account of the ancient historian Josephus.

May 9, 1998 Dana International, a trans woman, performs the techno-pop song “Diva” in Birmingham, England, to become the third Israeli and the first since 1979 to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

Facebook //

Ultra-orthodox men participating in the Pardes Project.

of Mount Everest in a 14-person expedition.

May 13, 1934 Archaeologist Ehud Netzer, who devotes much of his career to work at Herod the Great’s desert fortress at Herodium, is born in Jerusalem to two teachers. He trains under Yigael Yadin at Masada.

May 14, 2018 President Donald Trump fulfills a campaign pledge by moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A 1995 act ordered the move, but Trump’s predecessors waived the law for national security reasons.

May 10, 2010 The 31-member Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development invites Israel to join the group of large economies, which is committed to fostering prosperity, equality, opportunity and wellbeing.

May 11, 1953 U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles arrives in Cairo to begin a 2½-week fact-finding mission to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, India, Pakistan and Libya for the new Eisenhower administration.

Photo by Avi Deror via Wikimedia Commons A memorial in Jerusalem marks the spot where Alexander Rubowitz was abducted.

May 12, 1992 Doron Erel, 33, the son of Holocaust survivors and a former member of the Sayeret Matkal commando unit, becomes the first Israeli to reach the summit

U.S. Embassy photo

U.S. Ambassador David Friedman speaks at the dedication of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. The front-row attendees include Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Steve Mnuchin, and Sheldon Adelson.

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

ISRAEL TRAVEL CDC Travel Warning to Israel, West Bank, Gaza

By Jan Jaben-Eilon Israel may be one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. Its government may have decreed that its citizens no longer must wear masks outside. The nation’s education system may be relieved of all COVID restrictions. But that doesn’t mean the U.S. wants its citizens to visit the country.

In fact, on April 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued its highest level of travel warning to Israel, “including the West Bank and Gaza.” According to the CDC, “travelers should avoid all travel to these destinations … Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.”

The CDC warning comes as Israel is resuscitating its tourism industry. In January, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism reported a drop of more than 80 percent in tourism in 2020 compared to the previous year. The same ministry announced this month that starting May 23, Israel will be open to fully vaccinated tour groups. Vaccinated individual tourists may be welcome as soon as July, the Tourism Ministry added.

Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority also recently announced that foreigners who are vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, and who have first-degree relatives in Israel, can come visit them.

There’s no question that Israel’s battle with the COVID-19 pandemic has turned around since the country started its vaccination program in De-

Eran Segal published a Weizmann Institute study that showed a whopping 85 percent of Israelis 16 years or older have been vaccinated.

cember. Admittedly, the virus has killed more than 6,300 Israelis. But a recent study by the Weizmann Institute of Science, based on information from the Israel Ministry of Health and published by computational biologist Eran Segal, shows that since the pandemic’s peak in mid-January, the daily number of patients diagnosed with the virus has dropped a staggering 98 percent. The number of serious COVID-19 patients has declined 93 percent; 87 percent fewer Israelis are dying of the virus; and a whopping 85 percent of Israelis 16 years or older have been vaccinated.

So, why the travel warning, especially now? The CDC includes in its alert the West Bank and Gaza, territories Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Palestinians living in those areas are partly under the governance of the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, and their vaccination programs have significantly lagged that of Israel’s.

But residents in those territories – particularly in the West Bank -- are not totally separate from Israelis, and the entangling of the two populations has only increased in the last four years, according to a recent Associated Press investigation. This report states that Israel has built nearly 10,000 more homes in the West Bank since 2017, or roughly 28 percent more than during the previous eight years. Even more significantly, the new construction occurred deeper into the West Bank.

According to official figures, nearly 500,000 Israeli settlers live in more than 100 settlements or outposts in the West Bank, comprising about 15 percent of the total West Bank population.

Another 200,000 Jewish Israelis live in East Jerusalem, home to more than 300,000 Palestinians.

While that may explain CDC’s travel warning, both Israel and the U.S. agree on many aspects of travel between the two countries. Israel requires tourists to take a coronavirus test before boarding the plane to Israel, and upon arrival, another COVID test plus a serological test, which proves the existence of antibodies.

On the return flight to the U.S., pas-

sengers – including citizens and those vaccinated -- are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than three days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the previous three months before they board the flight to the United States.

Despite the length of the trip between the two countries, passengers are required to wear masks, and are encouraged to socially distance – as much as possible – and wash their hands frequently or use hand sanitizer.

Until the loosened restrictions for travel into Israel go into effect, not only are tourists required to test negative 72 hours before their flight and have proof of vaccination, they also must quarantine upon arrival for at least 10 days, according to the U.S. Embassy in Israel.

Quarantining has mostly been inside hotels, but Israel is experimenting with an electronic tracking bracelet, which would allow for quarantining in a home.

Meanwhile, both Israel and the U.S. – as well as other countries – hope to eventually agree on a vaccine passport, allowing elimination of the antibody test requirement.

For Israelis, the opening of its tourism industry works both ways. In May, Royal Caribbean plans to launch a series of vaccinated cruises to the Greek islands and Cyprus from Haifa for vaccinated Israelis, according to Travel + Leisure magazine. ì

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OPINION The Hidden History of a Family

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W h e n Audrey and I toured our future home as prospective buyers, I peeked into the basement storage room.

There was Dave Schechter so much stuff From Where I Sit crammed into that space that the floor was impassable and the walls barely visible. No way I would allow that to happen, was my thought.

Now, after 28 years in that house, I refer to that same storage room as “the genizah.”

My family history includes a more than passing acquaintance with the Cairo genizah, a repository of religious and secular paperwork that provides an intimate look at the lives of Jews in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean region from roughly 900 to 1,200 C.E. Indeed, the pose I strike in the photograph that accompanies this column mimics one of my great-grandfather, circa 1898, surrounded by wooden crates, pouring over some 130,000 pages and scraps that he brought to Cambridge University after months spent sifting through the dry, dustfilled genizah of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in the section of old Cairo known as Fustat.

In our genizah, a dehumidifier helps preserve the contents of the cardboard and plastic boxes stacked from floor to ceiling.

Traversing this space requires negotiating a miscellany of chairs and other furnishings, along with a drum set, a dollhouse, artwork and a pile of luggage.

I recently made a cursory examination of boxes marked with my name. There were baseball cards and memorabilia from political campaigns, the earliest of both dating to the mid-1960s; a few envelopes containing articles written for school and college newspapers, and many more from my first fulltime job at a Midwest daily; videotapes and documents saved over 28-plus years at an Atlanta-based news network; keepsakes from my parents and grandparents; and quite a few items prompted the question: Why did I keep this?

A couple of weekends ago, in advance of our 36th anniversary, we spent a couple of days in and around Columbus, Ga. We hiked around the rim of the “Little Grand Canyon” in Providence Canyon State Park, and toured Pasaquan, a you-must-see-it-tobelieve-it art installation in a field near Bue-

na Vista. We drove home Sunday night and, after dinner, made a sentimental visit to the storage room.

Opening the door and turning on the light, I was reminded of the last scene in the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” as the crate containing the Ark of the Covenant is nailed shut, padlocked, and wheeled toward the back of a cavernous warehouse for safekeeping.

In the middle drawer of a small threedrawer cabinet, itself almost hidden behind boxes in a corner of the storage room, we found a treasure — a cassette recording of our 1985 wedding.

In the early 1980s, we worked at a television station in Kansas City, Mo., where we were members of a Reform congregation.

One of our colleagues offered to videotape our wedding, but we declined, apparently thinking that presence of a television camera would be intrusive. More than once in the years since, we’ve shaken our heads at that decision.

That night we sat in our kitchen and listened to the recording — for the first time.

We fast-forwarded through the seemingly endless piano music before the ceremony.

We heard the rabbi talk about us to the assemblage and lead us through our vows.

We heard our younger voices answer his questions and take turns addressing personal thoughts to each other and the congregation.

We heard the rabbi reference our plans to live in Israel for a time.

We heard the rabbi whisper “together” and then the crunch as we stepped on the napkin that held a glass, followed by applause.

As we listened, we remembered those who were in attendance but are no longer with us. We looked at each other, reflecting on the arc of our life together.

And wondered what happened to our ketubah.

Before our Israeli adventure, we stored our possessions in a warehouse in my bride’s hometown. When we returned two years later, the ketubah was missing. It never turned up. Eventually, we made the signing of a second ketubah part of the Shabbat service the evening before our first-born’s bat mitzvah.

As it was when I first opened that door, the basement storage room is filled, now with the history of one family, our family, a history that began beneath the chuppah of a Kansas City synagogue and in Atlanta has marked its “double chai” anniversary. ì

OPINION

History Suggests Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations are Not Ready Elements previously present in ArabIsraeli negotiation successes Nine preconditions that enabled ArabIsraeli negotiations to unfold Kenneth Stein successfully in Guest the 1970s and 1990s are not present today. Egyptian-Israeli and JordanianIsraeli agreements occurred because the respective sides wanted them and needed them.

Then there were no external cheerleaders demanding negotiated outcomes; today, it is the external cheerleaders who avidly hunger for an outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian talks. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Samuel Lewis said it numerous times, “outside parties cannot want an agreement more than the respective sides.” Why is both motivation and “ripeness” absent today?

Previously, sovereign states negotiated with one another. Now, negotiations are to unfold between unequal parties: a national liberation movement in transition to state governance is to face a viable state that has a

Elements of ripeness Nine “ripeness” prerequisites present then are neither evolving nor on interim horizons.

Neither of the parties today share a common existential threat such as the Soviet Union or regional unrest that will drive them together.

Some suggest that Palestinian existence is unbearable. Others fear that Israel cannot be both majority Jewish and democratic. Current conditions are not ideal, but tolerable. Unilateral actions by both sides restrain engagement in talks. While pre-negotiations have set down the final status issues and many details surrounding each – Jerusalem, settlements, borders, refugees and prerogatives of a Palestinian state – pre-negotiations have yet unfolded into realistic, serious and implementable outcomes.

Perhaps private negotiations have en-

Israel Government Press Office //

King Hussein of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in October 1994.

century’s worth of experience in self-governance and civic engagements. Exchanging land for peace then was dramatically different. Sinai’s return to Egypt did not have either the overwhelming strategic or emotional value that the West Bank possesses. Then there were clear delineations of what constituted Jordan, Israel and Egypt; neither Palestinians nor Israelis today are clear about what lands they do not want ultimately to control. Then there was one power center for Jordan, Egypt and Israel; Palestinians today are physically and politically divided into the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and among those in the diaspora that seek a voice.

sued between Jerusalem and Ramallah, but they have not yielded either the duration or trust that evolved between Jordan and Israel, or slowly between Egypt and Israel. Secret Israeli-Jordanian contacts went on for decades before Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin brought their private talks into the open in the early 1990s; each rarely doubted the other’s insincerity to end the state of war between them.

Both feared political instability emanating from Iraq and from Iran’s hegemonic Islamic radicalism. Both benefitted from financial rewards from Washington. Israel’s Prime Minister Menahem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat conducted private in-

Graphic: The conditions by which ripeness for negotiations and agreements exists.

dividual meetings with Romanian leaders and their emissaries met secretly in Morocco, unbeknownst in detail to the Carter administration and prior to Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem.

Trade-offs present then, absent now Begin and Sadat understood that an agreement between them, exchanging sovereign Egyptian land in Sinai and Jewish settlements for a peace treaty, satisfied respective national interests. Each side relinquished something of critical value to the other. Israel traded land for peace. National, rather than ideological interests, motivated both countries.

Though financial, diplomatic and material incentives exist for Palestinians, it is not clear who will underwrite the annual costs for 10 years of $2 billion to $3 billion a year, necessary to undergird a Palestinian economy. A reliable umpire exists, though both Israel and the Palestinians strongly believe that the U.S., as mediator, tilts way too heavily to the other side. While the U.S. has a long-term security relationship with Israel, research has shown that the U.S. has spoken more publicly, frequently and consistently since 1967 on behalf of Palestinian self-determination and statehood than any other country. In January, the Biden administration announced its detailed outline for a two-state solution to resolve the conflict.

Returning to trade-offs, are the two communities truly prepared to make them? Who among the staunch advocates for the twostate solution and now in favor of a confederation of three states —Jordan, Israel and Pales-

tine — honestly believes that the Palestinians would and should give up the dream of 1948 or 1967 Palestinian refugees not returning to what were Israel’s boundaries between 1949 and 1967? Israel in order to protect its eastern border must always ask the question: Would a brighter future exist for Jordan and for itself if there would be a Palestinian state between Jordan and Israel? Is a Palestinian state in the strategic interest of the United States?

As long as Israel’s political system depends upon a coalition of parties to govern, especially from those that demand Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, no Israeli parliament will be able to vote to free itself of the West Banks’ encumbrances.

As long as critical elements within the Palestinian community articulate virulent anti-Israeli attitudes and call for Israel’s demise in school books, religious institutions and in media interviews, no Israeli parliamentary majority or leader will embrace serious negotiations. For Israel it also means a halt to delegitimization of Israel and Israelis in international institutions.

No amount of external cheerleading will generate ripeness. A choking presence of untrustworthy intentions cannot coexist with nitty-gritty negotiations. For negotiations to unfold, they must be scrubbed of hatred, clothed in proven sincerity, and oozing with trust. Not now. ì Kenneth Stein is the founding president of the Center for Israel Education, www.israeled.org.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 15

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Letters to the Editor The AJT welcomes your letters. We want our readers to have an opportunity to engage with our community in constructive dialogue. 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, J Street Awarded Prize to President Jimmy Carter (April 21) Notwithstanding J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami’s acknowledgement that President Jimmy Carter “may have ruffled feathers in the Jewish community,” Carter did far worse than that.

Carter has categorically declared Israel to be an “apartheid state,” a vicious anti-Semitic slur that flies in the face of reality and places Carter in bed with the most virulent anti-Semites of our time. Not only is the CEO of the largest bank in Israel, Bank Leumi, an Arab, Samer Haj Yehia, but in 1997 Nelson Mandela accepted an honorary doctorate from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. No rational person would believe that Nelson Mandela would have ever accepted an honorary doctorate from an apartheid state.

Anyone who declares Israel to be an “apartheid state” is no friend of Israel.

Richard Sherman, Margate, Fla.

Letter to the editor, Norm Coleman’s problem with Ralph Warnock (Letter to the editor, Dec. 22, 2020) I was a reporter and covered Norm Coleman when he was mayor of St. Paul, Minn., in the 1990s. He took office as a Democrat; he left as a Republican. Coleman seems to suggest that what politicians say before they run for office conveys some kind of deeper truth about them. Hence this quote from his letter: “I urge [former Israel Consul General Alon] Liel to listen to Warnock’s own words, from before he decided to run for public office. Warnock’s statements put him at the far left of the Democratic Party...” By that standard, Coleman’s past puts him in the same place. Coleman was well known in Minnesota as the Hofstra [University] grad who was a campus radical in the 1960s. There is a famous photo of him on campus with a bullhorn.

Here’s how his own Wikipedia

page refers to him: “At college Coleman was an active member of the 1960s counterculture and a liberal Democrat. ‘Carting a bullhorn around campus, he’d regularly lecture students about the immorality of the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War.’ He was elected president of the student senate during his junior year. Under Coleman, the senate refused to ratify the newspaper’s editor and her co-editor and cut some funding to the newspaper. But after refusing to swear in the editor on four different occasions, the senate finally backed down. He celebrated his 20th birthday at the Woodstock Festival, and later admitted to smoking marijuana in his youth. He worked as a roadie for Jethro Tull and Ten Years After, among others.”

There are things we might all like to change about our pasts, but we don’t get to. It doesn’t mean we are condemned to be that guy forever. People can evolve, whether they believe in evolution or not.

John Yewell, Durham, N.C.

Letter to the editor, Sinkovitz and Bressler Family Information I am granddaughter of Lizzie Bressler Sinkovitz. ... I have many pictures of my grandparents and need to pass them on to anyone in the family who wants them. Please email carolekn1@icloud.com. Thanks and Shalom.

Carole Ann Katz Norman, Stone Mountain

Disclamer to our readers: This section of the newspaper is a forum for our community to share thoughts, concerns and opinions as open letters to the community or directly to the newspaper.

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.

OPINION

Nourish Your Soul with Family, Friends and Fresh Air Spring has sprung. I would normally say no one is more excited than me, but I think every neighbor, every friend, and even the people Michael A. I don’t know Morris are excited for Publisher a change. The best part for me, at 7:30 in the evening, there is not hint of dusk, it is as bright as the day was.

Before I go any further, I want to say Happy Mother’s Day to my mom! For those of you that do not know her – she is wonderful (and yes, I am biased)! I have even executed two vaccine shots so that I can visit her with no restrictions.

I think this spring we are indeed seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

COVID cases are going down; hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to trend down; vaccine administrations are available for almost all those that want to receive it. All this suggests that herd immunity is kicking in.

Like with every other disease that has afflicted civilization, this will be with us forever, but hopefully no more egregious than the average flu.

Interesting to note, I have read several articles recently suggesting that the Native American population has been the most receptive U.S. minority to embrace the vaccination effort. In many states, the Native American population is virtually 100 percent vaccinated.

The most important part of the light at the end of the tunnel is that recreation, entertainment and daily life is blooming.

Professional sports, music venues, restaurants and festivals – there are things to do. I personally am going to The Georgia Renaissance Festival in Fairburn this weekend! Yes, my daughter Jacqueline and I will dress up, drink mead and purchase arts and crafts that we, questionably, need. These artists may be the first to reap the benefits of my home incarceration for the past 14 months.

The best part of getting back to nor-

What can you learn about senior living at our upcoming event?

malcy – aside from wearing a mask less often, which should not be discounted – is that as people get back to work and play, we will hopefully be distracted from extremely polarized political debates, rioting and all the other negative effects

A whole bunch.

that come from being isolated and sequestered for long periods of time. We are social creatures and without outlets

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for communal activities, humans easily make the worst out of a bad situation.

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cur more readily if our neshama is nourished with family and friends. My wish this spring, this Mother’s Day, is for all of us to nourish our soul with family, friends, fresh air, festivals and a positive outlook on all the challenges that lay ahead. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 17

MOTHER'S DAY

My Mom Deserves the Best Day Ever In advance of Mother’s Day, the AJT partnered with the Facebook group Jewish Moms of Atlanta, which provides a sense of community to its members, “your own ‘coffee talk’ about well, almost anything … a place to ask questions or share great ideas.”

We received a total of 32 submissions which were all entered into a raffle drawing and will appear on the AJT’s website. Fifteen were drawn as part of the raffle to appear below. Of those, these three winners will receive a special delivery on Mother’s Day: Martha Jo Katz, Dominique Levin and Laura Schilling. Roberta Aronson is the winner of a $100 gift card for Café Intermezzo and Shelley Besnoff won two tickets to the City Springs Theatre Company’s production of “Mama Mia.” All the prizes will be sent on behalf of those that submitted the entries.

Dominique Levin – Atlanta

By Chantal Spector

Martha Jo Katz – Marietta

By Roben Katz Turry Hello, my name is Roben Katz Turry, but you may know me because my mother is Martha Jo Katz. To this day, this is my introduction. No matter where I seem to be, be it across the world or at my local supermarket, I guarantee someone there knows my mom. As a child, I couldn’t help but resent this, as I strove to find my own path and cement my own identity. But now, in mid-age myself, I truly recognize how special my mom was and is. As a fashion model, she graced the insides of Vogue. As a salesperson, she set records at Saab, Swissotel, RitzCarlton and InterContinental. As a retiree, she hops from lunch to meeting and back, assisting those charities which are lucky enough to have her as a patron.

Most importantly, however, she’s my mother.

From her South Georgia upbringing to her trailblazing career, each phase of my mom’s life has made her ever wiser. I trust her with every aspect of my life: from raising two sometimes feisty children, to my marriage. She bakes, crochets and cooks, and sometimes spoils my brother and I (but usually her grandchildren). My mother, Martha Jo Katz, deserves the Best Mother’s Day ever.

My mom Dominique is sweet and caring to everyone. Her smile lights up the room. She spent many years volunteering at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and I know every person who was there felt better after talking to her. She makes a point to listen carefully to everyone she meets and can often tell you a lot about their lives after speaking to them for a few minutes. She always tries to help. Whether she is bringing lunch to my grandmother and her caregivers, spending time with her grandchildren, or coming over to help me fold some laundry, she does everything with love and thoughtfulness. She is a wonderful wife, mother, mother-in-law, daughter and grandmother, and I love her very much.

Laura Schilling – Sandy Springs

By Eli Schilling My mom deserves the best Mother’s Day ever because she is very very kind to everyone. She helps people even in her free time. She is a financial planner. She works very hard to make people happy. She loves to play with us, and she would do anything to make us happy. Please let her win.

By Adi Schilling She is the best mother ever. She is always nice to us and does everything she can to make us happy.

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MOTHER'S DAY

Marilyn Dubovsky – Dunwoody

By Lynne Rosenkoff

Roberta Aronson – Roswell

My mom has a smile on her face every day even though this past year has been one of her hardest ever. In January, she lost her mother and could not even get to say goodbye because she lived in South Africa. She FaceTimes and speaks to all four of her kids and all 10 of her grandchildren every week at least once. At 72, she still works full-time at The Davis Academy and is basically the mom to all the faculty, staff and students there as well. She always puts everyone else’s needs and happiness before her own.

She is truly an inspiration.

By Pam Marbach Our mom is the best! To know her is to absolutely adore her. She is the most selfless and loving person I know. My sisters and myself very rarely make any decision without our mom’s input first. There is no one else we turn to, value more or can count on more than our Mom. She is the most non-judgmental and caring person who all of her friends can and do turn to for anything. She is our best friend and rock and gives and gives without ever expecting anything in return. We love our mom, our best friend and the greatest support in our lives!

Kaaren Dolinsky – Roswell

Betsy Gard – Sandy Springs

By Sarah Gard Lazarus Ever yone thinks their mother has the best advice, but my mother has spent her entire life giving this advice to everyone in Atlanta.

Growing up with a mother who is a child psychologist, I bristled when she asked me “how I was feeling.” I was jealous of the time she spent treating her patients and as a teenager, didn’t need her advice. Luckily, as I’ve grown, I am so proud of how much she has given to the Jewish community, her patients and those in need. She has traveled nationally and internationally to provide a mental health disaster response; from heading to New York City after 9-11 to treating orphans in Romania and responding after the Haitain earthquake, she has given so much time and energy to others on the worst days of their lives. As she nears her retirement and has been through one of the hardest years of her life, I hope to honor her sacrifices on this Mother’s Day.

By Randi Tucker She would do anything for me, my brother and my kids. Literally give us the shirt off her back, if necessary. When I had some serious medical issues this year, she held vigil over me and made sure my kids wanted for nothing. She is always there when I need her, from picking up groceries to cooking meals to babysitting the kids. When she finally felt it was safe to travel after we’d gotten our second vaccines, she took us to Disney. It was my 7-year-old’s first visit and one we’ll never forget. Everyone should have a mother like mine. Someone you can pick up the phone and talk to any time, about anything. Someone who wants the best for you and will help you get it. There’s no way I could ever repay her for her generosity of spirit, time and riches, but a day at the spa would be a nice start.

In Partnership with

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 19

MOTHER'S DAY

Denise Tischler-Pelts – Sandy Springs

By Emily Varon

Vita Lemberg – Johns Creek

By Alla Umanskiy My mom lost two things last year – a younger brother and 60 pounds. One, forever. The other, for as long as she wants to. My mom’s 51-year-old brother (my gorgeous, life-loving uncle) passed away unexpectedly last April, at the peak of a global pandemic. We grieved for him separately, not allowed to hug each other, each hollowed out by our own tears and memories of him.

The other loss was more wanted. For most of her adult life, my mom carried around extra weight. Her amazing body that bore two daughters, stands on its feet for most of the day, helping other women deliver babies. My mom is a labor and delivery nurse at Emory. She walks miles every day around the hospital, and the extra weight she’s always had was a hard burden to shoulder. I’ve seen her through dozens of diets, exercise fads and crash eating regimens. None ever worked for long. Last year, my mom finally put her health first and lost 60 pounds over the course of 12 months. Her health improved, her energy level shot up, and we have never been more proud of her.

This Mother’s Day – as every Mother’s Day and every day! – I will celebrate my mom for the force that she is. She deserved the best Mother’s Day because life has tested her time and time again, and she continues to be a source of inspiration and kindness in my life. Happy Mother’s Day, Mama!

Miri Limor – Nashville, Tenn.

By Avital Cohen My mother is one of the most selfless people I know. She had spent the majority of her lifetime taking care of others: first running a daycare center, then taking care of her own two children full time, to almost immediately transition to caring for her own parents, while now also helping out with one of her grandchildren. This has been an especially challenging year; her father (my grandfather) died in September and like many others we were faced with limited options to grieve due to the pandemic.

And my mother never really got a break as she continued to care for her own mother without the option for respite care. It would be incredibly special to be able to honor her with the most special Mother’s Day ever!

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My mom deserves the best Mother’s Day ever! She is constantly there for everyone else –- especially her parents, sisters, kids and grandchildren. During this COVID year, I relied on her help with childcare a few days each week while I was trying to manage being a mom of two young kids at home, working full time and managing a household. Her creativity with the kids kept everyone in our home sane.

The kids had a blast at Camp Quarantine this past summer.

She has scheduled weekly Zoom calls called Tischler Time, which brings together greatgrandparents with their grandkids and everyone in between. We have family in Nicaragua and Germany that has stayed connected through these calls. She drove to Florida after not seeing her parents for one year just to sit outside and socially distant for an entire weekend. It uplifted her parents’ spirit [as they] have been stuck inside their home for one year.

She is always giving to others, and the only thing she asks in return is the gift of time with her family. She deserves to have the best Mother’s Day. We love her very much! She deserves a spa day!

MOTHER'S DAY

Jeannie Posner – Dunwoody

By Nathan Posner My mother has supported me my entire life and helped me to become the person I am today. Ever since my dad retired, she has been working endlessly to make ends meet after being forced to close the wedding gown store founded by her parents. She transitioned to a new field, which wasn’t easy, and has been able to find success even while helping my father recover from a few bouts with illness. She works tirelessly to provide for my father and I, all the while still finding time to be an amazing and supportive friend and co-worker to those around her. She has supported my father as he became Orthodox and embraced a more religious lifestyle, which can be stressful and difficult at times, especially with her work schedule. She deserves the best Mother’s Day because she is simply, to me, the best mother I could ever ask for. From working to provide for the family, to advising me and helping me succeed in life, to caring for her friends, she is an amazing person who often has to work much harder than she should have to.

Rebeca Selber – Atlanta

By Rachel Selber Kropp My mother deserves the world today and always. She has always put family first, even as early as when she was a teenager living in Cuba in the 1950s. While her siblings were emigrating to Atlanta and starting their new lives here, my mom stayed back in Cuba with my beloved grandmother, who was born in Turkey and therefore could not enter the U.S. due to the Turkish quota that was in place. When my grandmother was finally allowed to enter the U.S., they left Cuba and were reunited with their family in Atlanta. At the age of 17, my mother went to work immediately to support her family, forgoing college and graduate school until later in life. As newlyweds, she and my beloved dad invited my grandmother to live with them. My mom was a loving caregiver to both my dad and grandma. She treated them both with much tenderness until their last days. As a mom, she has always put my needs before her own. My mother has always challenged me to be the best that I can be and has supported all of my endeavors. She has been an amazing “Tita/Abuelita” (grandma) to my children and a wonderful role model for our family. A true woman of valor, my mom has demonstrated courage, resilience, gratitude, kindness and humor throughout her life. My mom is the heart and soul of our family. For this reason and many more, she deserves to be spoiled on Mother’s Day and every day!

Faigy Salomon – Atlanta

By Shira Salomon 200 words to describe comfort and love. 200 words to say if strength was a person. 200 words to explain my best friend. There is no amount that could possibly be enough to tell you about my mother. She is driven and tough, yet gentle and sweet. She’s the feeling when you dip your toes into the ocean, you can’t help but smile. She knows what you need and want even when you can’t put words to it. She’s someone to lean into when you want a hug and lean onto when you’re feeling weak. She’s someone who believes in the darkest of times. She’s someone who makes rain a reason to dance. She’s someone who carries wisdom far beyond her years. She’s someone you can laugh with until your jaw hurts. She’s someone who’s honest with overwhelming love. She’s someone who makes jokes that you laugh at because they make no sense. She’s someone who gives to others without expecting anything in return. She’s someone who gets the job done. She’s someone you look up to and who you want to be.

She deserves happiness. She deserves peace. She deserves health. What am I saying? She deserves the world.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 21

MOTHER'S DAY

Words & Wisdom from Mom

By Robyn Spizman Gerson When is the last time you found yourself repeating sage wisdom that began with, “Mama always said?” In a collective effort to gather those small bits of joy, observations and even humorous stories about family matriarchs – living and departed – the AJT celebrates an array of Moms who imparted wisdom in a myriad of ways long to be remembered.

My grandmother Annie Freedman, of blessed memory, imparted these wise words, “Pretty is as pretty does.” When my beloved mother Phyllis Freedman, a dedicated super mom by all standards passed away, I also inherited 10 red lipsticks. Mom kept a stash of Revlon’s #725 Love That Red and to this day, I am also prepared.

Susanne Katz Karlick’s mother Virginia Gold stressed to her the same sentiment, “Never leave home without lipstick on.”

My sister-in-law Esther Levine and my husband Ed’s mother Frances knew how to go guilt-free shopping. She would buy a garment, leave it in the closet for a while and when her husband asked, “Is that new,” Frances would reply, “No, I’ve had it in the closet for months.”

Family was especially important to her

Virginia Gold and her daughter Susanne Katz Karlick always had their lipstick on!

Ed Harris’ mother Bernice shared valuable suggestions about not worrying excessively.

Frances Pazol Gerson with husband David had a suitcase packed and was ready to travel.

Marcia Jaffe’s philosophic mother Rosalie Caller offered advice on love and dating.

Phyllis Freedman with her “Honey” Jack was friendly, upbeat and ready for every occasion.

and she kept in touch with everyone. Whenever there was a simcha in the family, even if it meant traveling, Frances was known to say, “If you don’t want me, don’t invite me, because if you invite me, I will come.”

Travels were quite different, though, for Esther and Ed’s beloved grandmother Rosa

Charlene Sacks has the recipe for being an adored mother and grandmother by her entire family.

Gerson, whose faith in Judaism carried her from a shtetel in Poland and trip across the ocean to settling later in life in Columbus, Ga. Through good times and bad, Rosa shared two words that stood out in both of their memories “God provides.”

How we worry was another top contender on many Jewish mothers’ lists. Ed Harris shared, “My mother Bernice gave me a most precious bit of life inspiration when I was fretting about something important and she told me, ‘Don’t worry twice!’ I’ve never forgotten 22 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

that, and the phrase has carried me through some tough times over the years.”

Gail Heyman shared her kind-hearted mother Betty Goldstein’s insights. “Even today when I am making a decision about what to do in a challenging situation, I can hear my mom’s words: ‘You can never do wrong by doing right.’”

Next came a mother’s creative story shared by Joey Reiman. “Most children grow up playing in forts or with their doll houses.

My mother built me a miniature White House and encouraged me to take on the role of president. As child leader of the free world, I often negotiated for a variety of cereals or buttermilk pancakes. I was all about world peace and harmony at home. I was neither a Republican nor a Democrat but a “possibilitarian.”

In my early world, anything was possible. And I would take that attitude with me into the adult world when I moved from the White House to my consultancy — BrightHouse.”

He adds, “Thanks Mom for the real estate and the unreal state of mind that allows me to this day to inspire and guide so many to their purpose.”

AJT contributor Marcia Jaffe’s mom Rosalie Caller was well known for her deep Southern accent and putting her spin on life.

MOTHER'S DAY

Clever advice-giver Sara T. Moskowitz poses with son Joey in the fall of 1953.

Caller almost made it to her 96th birthday at the Renaissance on Peachtree and was particularly wise, if not a bit conflicted on love and dating, according to Jaffe.

“You can’t sleep with a checkbook.”

“Rich or poor, it’s good to have money.”

“It takes two to tango.”

“Remember, another streetcar pulls up every 15 minutes.”

“Every pot has a lid.”

More dating advice comes from AJT colleague Flora Rosefsky. Her mom Julia Greenbaum told Flora before she got engaged, “Notice how a man treats his mother; if he’s really

Janet Schatten and Gail Heyman with their beloved mother Betty Goldstein.

good, that’s the way he will treat you.” Rosefsky shared that her husband Bernie went overboard in how he adored his mother, and he could not do enough for her throughout their 59 years of marriage.

Charlene Sacks, mother of Harvey Sacks, Annette Marcus and Evie Sacks, is a beloved, award-winning baker and cook. Sacks shared, “When our mom is asked how long a certain recipe should cook, she unfailingly responds, ‘Until it’s done.’ On one level, this is about the fact that her skill and experience tell her when something is done. It’s also about generally trusting your instincts and feeling confident

Joey Reiman’s mother gave her son a think big message.

in your decisions, another area where she shines!”

Lastly, Joey Moskowitz quotes his mother Sara. “When something is bad going on, my mother used to say, instead of counting your blessings: ‘When one toe hurts, you don’t think about the other ones feeling good.’”

Moskowitz added, “After a big family meal, mom would also say, ‘You cook and you cook for days, and in five minutes it’s all eaten up.’”

Moskowitz finds himself quoting his mom often to his adult children and wonders to this day, “How old do your children have to be before they quote you?”

Flora Rosefsky’s mother shares dating advice that served her daughter well.

Julia (Leff) Greenbaum, mother of Flora Rosefsky, gave sound advice when it counted the most.

While the answer is clear, we end with a reminder for those of our readers who are blessed with the cherished opportunity to hear those echoing redundant phrases, quotes and priceless bits of wisdom.

Our best and final advice? Call your mother!

Robyn Spizman Gerson, aka ‘Ro Ro’ to her grandkids, is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and media personality who loves giving advice to her children. ì

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Buckhead’s Hotel Colee Pops with Art and Color

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The newly renovated hotel with its interior designed by the renowned

Andrew Alford is embellished with vivid colors on every floor. It is a breathtaking experience from the moment you walk into the exclusively curated lobby, emblazed in vibrant hues and mixed with a classic Southern style, modern prints and pastels. Enter the glass elevator and you will be sent to the rooftop and Whisky Blue, where you can find hand-crafted cocktails, appetizers and late-night snacks overlooking the captivating view of Buckhead and Atlanta.

Every floor has its unique artistic touches and diverse eclectic design from Alford, including a razzle-dazzle fitness room and

fourth-floor infinity pool with a multicolored deck facing Buckhead’s fine architecture.

As you continue your tour, you’ll discover Alford’s hidden retail shelving to anchor events and for pop-up trunk shows to highlight local designers and artists.

When the sun sets, and it’s time to dress up for an eventful evening, visit Hotel Colee’s intimate and sophisticated lobby bar area and enjoy the velvet banquettes and specialty cocktails. Or make your way to Whisky Blue, Atlanta’s prime cocktail rooftop for an elegant night under the stars, where you can embrace the city.

Aside from all the pristine colors, murals and other attractions Hotel Colee has to offer, there are magnificent package deals.

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Come to Hotel Colee for

your next wedding or any type of event and enjoy 10,000 square feet of adaptable indoor and outdoor event space.

A featured special offer for Mother’s Day, Mama’s Gotta Shop, is a great way to celebrate mom by treating her with an overnight stay at Hotel Colee along with a $50 Simon’s gift card to shop at Lenox Mall or Phipps Plaza, and above all, a 4 p.m. late checkout. This package is bookable through May for stays in May and June.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 23

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Alternate Paths to Motherhood

By Chana Shapiro The Jewish Fertility Foundation reports that one in six women in the Jewish community experience infertility, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes as the inability to get pregnant after one year or longer of unprotected sex. Today, adoption and the assisted reproduction technologies of in vitro fertilization, gestational surrogacy, egg, sperm and embryo donation offer paths to motherhood.

Elana and Jason Frank with their sons Matan, Levi, and Avidan.

Infertility Treatment Elana Frank experienced medical infertility for over 10 years. She underwent countless rounds of intrauterine insemination, IVF cycles and embryo donation to successfully have her own three babies.

Residing in Israel at the time, socialized medicine inexpensively enabled her to have her first two children. Returning to her hometown of Atlanta in 2015, she was uninsured for the procedure involved with her third child’s birth.

Frank founded JFF to help others with treatment, support and financial aid to deal with years of miscarriages, overwhelming debt and heartache before finally giving birth, if at all.

Adoption Sonja and husband Tommer Ender had one gestational son and wanted more children. Their adoption, from a now-closed agency, took four years, including almost a 24 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

year to complete the required paperwork. With five other families, they traveled to a Chinese orphanage in 2017 to pick up their daughter. None of the six families was able to adopt an infant. After remaining in China for three stressful weeks, the Enders adopted a 2 ½-year-old child one day after they met her.

Sonja Ender, a nurse, tells the AJT, “During the four years between initiating and completing the adoption, the process was delayed for a year and a half when we had another biological child. Once our son Benny was 1 year old, we were able to receive referrals about adoption from China. Our daughter Ella was a beautiful, shy girl who had lots of developmental catching up to do. She hardly walked when we met her, and she didn’t talk for over a year after we adopted her, but she doesn’t stop talking now! She has blossomed into an active, confident girl in the past four years. The adoption process is not easy and involves a huge leap of faith, but it is a beautiful way to add a child to a loving family.”

Jewish Family & Career Services Cradle of Love adoption agency closed a year ago, and today people work through private agencies. Lynn Goldman, an adoption attorney at Claiborne | Fox | Bradley | Goldman, which specializes in fertility law and adoption law, said the birth rate today is lower than in the past, and it is almost impossible to adopt a newborn or infant. Networking with doctors and others is an option, but the best adoption success is with an older child through the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services foster care system.

Chinese adoption is increasingly difficult. As new countries open their borders to adoption, waiting families often move their adoption decisions to those countries.

Surrogacy According to online sources, surrogacy is an alternate method of childbearing whereby a woman agrees to bear a child for another person who will become the child’s parent after birth. Eggs are fertilized by extracting eggs from a woman, retrieving sperm Below, Sonja and Tommer Ender introduce their sons to Ella, their newly adopted sister from China.

from a man, and then combining them in a laboratory dish. The fertilized ova are then implanted in the surrogate.

Kerri and Jason Oransky with their son Jaden, who was born through gestational surrogacy.

Kerri Golding Oransky, a social worker and therapist, and her husband Jason were determined to become parents. For years, Kerri underwent three fertility clinic treatments, six intrauterine inseminations, two corrective surgeries, four IVF egg retrievals, a failed adoption attempt, two intravenus infusions, four miscarriages, three D&Cs (dilation and curettage), hundreds of subcutaneous and intramuscular shots, and “thousands of tears.”

In a blog post, Orlansky wrote, “It is a lot to come to terms with, but ultimately, we want a family and will take whatever road we need to take in order to achieve that goal. Next stop: Gestational surrogacy.”

Oransky offered more details. “It takes an average of six months to find a surrogate, and surrogacy can cost an average of $50,000, and one egg transfer can cost $3,500, yet the number of families who seek a surrogate far outnumbers the pool of gestational carriers.”

There is a possibility of “altruistic surrogacy,” in which only medical bills are paid. There are also surrogates who will donate colostrum or pump breast milk for the new baby. In addition to lengthy legal paperwork, both the surrogate mother and intended parents must go through psychological consultations, which focus on reproductive issues.

These include pre-birth orders in which

MOTHER'S DAY Goldman, the adoption attorney, is board chairman of JFF and a founding member of WISH (Wo/Men Infertility Support Havurah).

Goldman underwent three IVF implants of her eggs and her husband’s sperm 19 years ago. They successfully became parents of twins who are now 18, a son and daughter who attend college. Goldman retains four of her remaining frozen embryos, which will eventually be donated to another family or to science.

Embryo Transfer An embryo transfer is the final stage of the IVF process in which the fertilized egg — now an embryo — is placed in a woman’s womb.

Allison Budnick, a pharmacist, froze her eggs at 38, thinking she would never need to use them. “At age 42, I seriously thought about making my dream of becoming a mother come true. I always knew I wanted to be a mother but never met the man of my Lynn and Ronnie Goldman with twins Isaac and Caroline, dreams. I was tired of waiting for “the who were born as a result of in vitro fertilization. one” and decided to take the plunge.

“I met other Single Moms by Choice in Atlanta the gestational carrier (surrogate) gives up all rights through a Facebook group who were all thriving with to the baby.

Through Facebook surrogacy sites, Oransky their little ones, and it was then that I knew I could do found Ellen Court Marston, an experienced surrogate, it. I got a sperm donor and tried to thaw and fertilize who had two daughters of her own and had been a my eggs, but none made it to embryos.

“At 42, I did another egg retrieval. I was given a surrogate once before. Marston lives in McDonough, less than 10 percent Ga., and both women chance of success, went to many docbut I wanted to make tors’ appointments sure I tried everytogether. The Oranthing. I got eight eggs skys were with Marand four of them ferston and her hustilized, then I underband Chris when she went two separate gave birth in 2014, IVF transfers, putand their families ting in two embryos remain very close. each time. None Their 6-year-old son of them took, but I Jaden’s middle name, wasn’t going to give Court, which is Marup.” ston’s maiden name, Budnick consignifies their bond. tacted JFF. Frank and other women Budnick’s age, whose In Vitro FertilizaAllison Budnick with her daughter Mila, who was born as a result of an embryo transfer. eggs had failed, told tion her about donated IVF is an assisted reproductive technology. The process consists embryos from people who had successfully been of egg fertilization by extracting eggs from a woman, through IVF and didn’t want to destroy their extra retrieving sperm from a man, and then combining embryos. Frank connected Budnick to a family who eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish, according to on- altruistically donated four embryos to her. Budnick line sources. Fertilized embryos are then transferred gave birth on Aug. 27, 2020, to a healthy baby girl Mila to the uterus of the woman or may be frozen for the Rose. future.

Jewish Fertility Foundation Expands

By Jan Jaben-Eilon Jewish Fertility Foundation is reportedly moving ahead with its plans to expand around the country. The Atlantabased operation, which opened in 2016 to provide financial and emotional support for Jews suffering from infertility, opened its second office in Cincinnati in 2019.

Four other locations have completed an exploratory phase to be followed by fundraising. They are Birmingham, Ala.; South Florida; Tampa, Fla.; and Washington, D.C. JFF requires a small community to raise $15,000, while a medium-sized city needs $30,000 and a large city $50,000 to cover the cost of a part-time staff person and a minimum of two years.

In addition, the foundation spends $100,000 to $130,000 for each new location to cover oversight, grants and advertising.

Denver has started assembling an exploratory committee, while at least 15 other cities have called JFF to find out about bringing the program to their areas.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, families and individuals struggling with infertility have continued trying to grow their families and have requested even more JFF services,” said Emily Zaghi, JFF national program director.

“JFF wellness and mental health services increased by 250 percent in demand; fertility grant applications and the financial need for treatment increased dramatically; fundraising efforts increased; and new locations continue to reach out to us to open JFF offices,” she added.

In late February, 2,000 people participated in a crossdenominational online meeting to raise awareness about JFF. Among the sponsors were Atlanta-based JScreen, which promotes genetic testing; UpStart, which helps Jewish nonprofits get off the ground; and Hadassah, the Zionist women’s organization.

The online meeting was organized by I Was Supposed to Have a Baby, and SVIVAH. ì

JFF By the Numbers 72 fertility grants valued at $717,070 in grants, loans and clinic discounts 52 babies born to those receiving emotional and/or financial support 35 pregnant women 100+educational events with 1,000+ attendees 125+ Fertility Buddies (fertility veterans serving as a mentor to those actively going through fertility treatments) 500+ support group attendees 7 partner fertility clinics Over $1.65 million fundraised by JFF through local foundations and donors ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 25

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How Did I Become My Mother?

By Stephanie Nissani Many women are unavoidably destined to become their mothers at some point in their lives, and frequently they do all in their power not to become her. The AJT asked a few Jewish Atlantans at what point in their lives they became their mothers.

Whether through common traits or inherited behaviors, repeated phrases or facial

to raise their own children differently. Little did they know the gene pool for becoming Mom was more dominant than recessive.

Sheryl Arno, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta, said that like her mother, she, too, does not have a filter when she speaks. “Sometimes my kids will look at me and say, ‘Stop it Gammi!’ Once I get over the hurt, we all laugh.”

Arno recalls how her mother’s actions

Jewish Atlantans, like others, find they repeat behaviors of their moms.

expressions, those interviewed said they may complain about turning into their mothers but accept and acknowledge that they, in some ways, repeat the pattern.

As much as they appreciate their mothers for shaping their lives while sacrificing their own, as children they may have sworn

align with her own behavior. “We tell stories of my mom screaming at sporting events.

She understood sports better than most men. … We all quivered when we heard her. Now when I cheer my kids on, they panic!”

Genetics are unavoidable. But while alarming, some of a mother’s traits are also

cherished and desired, including wisdom, experience and kindness, according to those interviewed for this story.

Arno, for instance, takes pride in her capacity to be the family connector, the one who gathers everyone around Jewish holidays and friendly gatherings. Arno admits that while she tries to fight her fate, she finally caved into becoming her mother when her hair turned gray about 10 years ago.

The AJT wanted to hear more funny anecdotes from women that cringed when they first discovered the imminent similarities they shared with their mothers, so we turned to audiologist Jolie Fainberg who laughs about how she has adopted a particular behavior of her mom’s. “One trait that I inherited that is ridiculous is the habit of wiping off the top of a jar or bottle before putting the lid back on. It’s just automatic. My mother did that all the time.”

Tara Goldstein shared a humorous memory from a recent family simcha. “Last year at my son’s bar mitzvah, I yelled something silly like ‘Dance Floor Everyone!’ and the words felt awkward coming out of my mouth. But I was having too much fun to care.” It was at the moment that it hit her.

“My brother whispered in my ear that it was almost as bad as when Mom yelled ‘Let Us Party!’ We used to laugh at how in the moment my mom that was exactly … My point was made and sentiments expressed, but it definitely felt cheesy yet familiar.”

Vanda Teixeira, owner of The Vanda House café, said that she is the epitome of her mother. She used to shout in her head that

A young Sheryl Arno with her mother about 50 years ago.

she will never be like her mother. “I would have this look of shaking my head and ask her, ‘Can you not see that you are wearing three pairs of reading glasses on your head?’”

Teixeira explained that she didn’t realize how much she became her mother, “…until I

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Vanda Teixeira from Vanda Café, said her children give her questioning looks just like she gave her mother.

see that same look on my children’s face and of course you know what they are thinking. I used to be that person.”

Despite efforts not to become Mom, Teixeira admits she is proud of many longtime and logical behaviors and life lessons she gained from her mother. They include not relying on anyone but yourself. This has helped her in her business life, she said.

Teixeira also attests to putting her lipstick on without a mirror just as her mother did.

In essence, there really is no escaping the genes, she said. Better to just accept.

Teixiera adds that she giggles at most of the behaviors as she catches herself in the act of being her mother. “It is funny and wonderful how the DNA simply overrides us all. It is really a wonder to appreciate.” ì

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Jolie Fainberg, an audiologist, said like her mother, she wipes the top of jars and bottles before replacing the lid.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 27

MOTHER'S DAY

Dollar Models Motherhood

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Dr. Allen Dollar, chief of cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital, explains why wife Shelly defines motherhood.

“If anyone was born to ‘be something,’ Shelly was born to be a mother. Her patience, tolerance, boundless love and wholly unselfish nature has made her not only the ideal mother in general, but specifically the ideal mother for a daughter with extensive needs. The symbiosis between Shelly and Gabby is an inspiration, and the magic that has allowed Gabby to flourish.”

The other Dollar children are fierce advocates for Gabby’s well-being and created fun ways to make her part of the family like strapping her in safely to ride-along bike trips.

Gabby, now 31, came into the Dollar household at age 4 with cerebral palsy, and is wheelchair dependent, non-verbal and suffers from extreme anxiety. She is affected in every part of her body.

Shelly recalls that her own parents struggled for most of her childhood with a father who had multiple sclerosis. By the time Shelly was a preteen, he was wheelchair dependent. “Challenge

Photos by Robin Rayne ZUMA Press //

Shelly embodies the Jewish mitzvah of caring for orphans and others in need.

was a part of my early life. My mother cared for him and taught me to care for him. Caring for family members is in my DNA. My dad died when I was 14 and my mom became my closest friend.”

Shelly and Allen met in Silver Springs, Md., when she was 15. A few months later, he wrote on a calendar that he met the woman he was going to marry. They talked early on about her vision of a large family and having children of all abilities and ethnicities. “He apparently agreed, as we were married in 1980.

Fast forward 40 years, and we now have a huge family with three children with our DNA, five adopted, three others that call us Mom and Dad and various others along the way.”

28 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Shelly sets the stage. “We brought Gabby into our home when she was 4.

My oldest ‘natural’ child was 9 and our youngest was also 4. All of my children were immediately drawn to Gabby and treated her as though she had always belonged with us.

“They put her in typical riding toys and strapped her safely in with makeshift seatbelts I helped them create. They attached little cars to their bikes and took her for rides. They literally found amazing and creative accommodations to fit her into their lives. From the moment she arrived in our home in 1994, they have been her cheerleaders and fierce advocates helping her in any way possible,” Shelly continued.

“My role as her mother is to love her without fail. I protect her from the influences that would harm her innocence, provide her with unending possibilities, and advocate for her in every situation.”

In terms of government services, Gabby receives the COMP Medicaid waiver and for three years she received 24-hour care in her own home. COVID brought her back into the Dollar home, but now that she has her vaccines, she will return to her own place. The waiver situation is currently in jeopardy. The government organization that implements it is trying to eliminate the services and transfer her out of her own home into a group setting. “Gabby’s physical needs are so great now and her mental health is so fragile, that we fear this move will harm her,” Shelly said. “To return to my role as her mother, I am in intense advocacy mode. In a typical year, Gabby has a team that cares for her in her own lovely home in Lawrenceville helping her engage in community life as they lovingly take care of her. “ Encompassing Jewish values, Shelly believes that caring for Gabby is a mitzvah. “I believe we are called to protect and care for orphans. Our Torah mandates this over 36 times. I take this calling very seriously.”

If someone wants to adopt in this way, she advises, “Foster a child with special needs and fall in love. Once your soul connects with theirs, it’s a done deal.”

Shelly is the founder, president and CEO of Making the Grade: Hope for African Youth, a U.S.-based nonprofit partnering with Ethiopian students to help them achieve their visions and providing surgical care to vulnerable children (makingthegrade.info). She is an active member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue and chairs the Inclusion and Belonging Committee. ì

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MOTHER'S DAY

Mother’s Day Gift Guide With Mother’s Day around the corner, gifts for moms and grandmothers are a click away. These creative gift-giving resources are bound to make a sure-fire hit. Make the moms in your life feel extra loved on their special day with lots of TLC and gifts they will genuinely enjoy!

A Unique Boutique - Veronica’s Attic is filled with gifts for mom, including chic weekend bags, clothing, Robyn in-style jewelry and acSpizman Gerson cessories. There’s also body lotion, hand cream and foot cream from Ahava, and items for new moms and beyond. Brighten mom’s day with beautiful, fragrant-smelling candles along with trendy jewelry that says I love you Mom. Located in the heart of Sandy Springs, dedicated stylists await you, veronicasattic. myshopify.com or https://veronicasattic.com/.

Smart Cookies Love Swoozies! – Visit Atlanta’s colorful, gift-giving paradise (Chastain Square and the Forum) for an array of clever, chic, trendy gifts for moms. From tiedyed bathrobes to irresistible tennis caps, plus moms will love the signature Nam’s Bits bite-sized cookies that will make her day extra sweet! And here’s a discount code for 20 percent off – SUNNY20 – applies online and instore, www.swoozies.com.

Women of Valor – Gift mom a priceless work of art from Judaica Corner and tell your beloved mother or grandmother she is a woman of valor (eshet chayil). For over 30 years Judaica Corner has served Atlanta with meaningful Judaica gifts for all occasions. You’ll also find a selection of items including jewelry and popular hamsa necklaces.

On Facebook and Instagram, judaicacorneratl. gift shop. Judaica Corner is located at 2185 Briarcliff Road.

It’s Fabulous at Fox’s – Atlanta’s popular clothing and accessory store located in Sandy Springs (and online) is overflowing with designer clothing at discount prices, which makes Mother’s Day gift-giving a cinch and you look like a smart shopper.

From stylish and trendy clothing to beautiful accessories, shoes, leisure wear, athletic clothing, bathing suits and cover ups, a gift card to Fox’s is a guaranteed Mother’s Day pleaser, www.foxs.com.

30 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

A Jewel of a Mom – H&A International Jewelers, located in the heart of Dunwoody, attracts buyers from all over the Southeast because of Haim Haviv’s beautiful jewelry selection. H&A suggests diamond studs for moms of all ages as diamond earrings are the top trend from 1 carat total weight and up.

Most popular are the round diamonds with four-prong white gold and even tiny studs for little ones, www.hajewelry.com.

Garden Loving Moms – Christine Sibley was one of Atlanta’s celebrated artists, with her work finding its way into gardens and galleries across the country. The same craftsman who oversaw the creation of much of her original work have begun to recreate some of her best pieces from the original molds. Available at www.kudzuantiques.com, 2929 E. Ponce De Leon Ave. in Decatur.

Love Pop – Pop in with a Mother’s Day greeting from Lovepop, the mission of which is to create one billion magical moments with an artistic, creatively engineered approach to designing beautiful pop-up cards and gifts. Lovepop’s thousands of unique designs make it easy to share your love with instant popup messages for the moms in your life, www.lovepopcards.com.

MOTHER'S DAY Mommy and Me! Treat mom to a luxury bathrobe from Weezie Towels this Mother’s Day. The Georgia-based, modern-luxury towel brand offers high-quality towels, robes and products that are soft and absorbent with thoughtful details that can be easily customized with a range of patterns and embroidery styles and thread colors. Pair one of Weezie’s women’s robes with a Lil Robe from their new children’s collection for a fun “Mommy & Me” pictureperfect moment. https://weezietowels.com.

An Artful Gift – The High Museum gift shop features Raawii Strøm bowls and vases drawing inspiration from still lifes

by Danish modernist artist Vilhelm Lundstrøm. The sculptural ceramic bowl and vase are handmade in Portugal using a slip-cast technique, marrying refined simplicity with everyday function. Designed

by Nicholas Wiig Hansen, the Raawii Strøm Collection is distinguished by Hansen’s signature focus on shape being informed by function, https://museumshop. high.org/.

Mommy Mantras – If your mom is mission-driven, mantra-loving and loves to be inspired, MantraBand has a wide selection of inspiring messages stamped on their chic bracelets, rings and necklaces. With sayings such as “The Future is Yours,” “Unstoppable,” and “Dream Believe Achieve,” these bracelets are made from hypoallergenic, lead-free and tarnish-resistant stainless steel, and adjustable for the perfect size, www. mantraband.com.

Gifts Galore for Moms – Visit Kudzu & Company, a treasure trove of beautiful gifts for all the special women, from florals to jewelry, artwork to special keepsakes. Located in Sandy Springs, this expansive showroom features a curated collection of fine furnishings, home accents, textiles, artwork, artisan candles, fashionable clothing and accessories, and creative decor. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Complementary gift wrapping available, www.kudzuandcompany.com.

Signature Jewelry – Tough as a Mother Tribe’s signature personalized jewelry and their precious MAMA necklace is the perfect piece if you are seeking minimalist jewelry for moms. Each beautiful piece comes with a meaningful tiny gemstone on the back closure.

Dainty personalized initial necklaces are perfect for a mom to keep her children’s initials close to her heart, www. toughasamothertribe.com.

For the Fashion Forward Mom – The Clara Sunwoo motherdaughter New York City design team keeps moms looking stylish and comfortable. Their knit collection is American-made, wrinkle-free, classic and everyday ready. This cross-generation, ageless lifestyle brand remains timeless while also very current. Designs are travelfriendly and effortless. Known for its signature fabrics, knits and liquid leather collection, which is amazing, and timeless silhouettes, allowing mom to go from day to evening and whereever Mom’s inner traveler takes her, www.clarasunwoo.com.

Luxury for Mom – Enter Steelz Everyday Luxury, which is a favorite Houston shopping paradise for every mother, filled with beautiful accessories for your home, including cloud-soft Barefoot Dreams blankets and slippers. From home décor to a spectacular array of gifts that make living easy and beautiful, Steelz has you covered.

Check out The Simon Pearce Romance Vase, which is a brilliantly clear glass formed into a heart. Handmade by Simon Pearce glassblowers using centuries-old techniques, this vase is crafted to last and look beautiful for years to come, www.steelzeverydayluxury.com.

Blooms and Chocolates – Balloons Over Atlanta offers a tried-and-true favorite with a combination for success. An orchid keeps on blooming when partnered with decadent chocolates. Available in two sizes: $45 single stem orchid with petit imported truffle assortment, $65 double stem orchid and larger box of truffle assortments. Call 404-231-3090 to place an order. Delivery within the Buckhead, Sandy Springs and Dunwoody area is free. Minimal delivery charge outside these areas, call with zip code, www.balloonsover. com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 31

MOTHER'S DAY Mommas Got A Brand New Bag – Ziparoos are adorable doublelock zip closure, reusable, environmentally friendly storage bags decorated with family-friendly irresistible designs. Choose from the Sunshine collection to the Live, Love, Eat Cookie motto which are all ideal for the mom on the go, or moms who love to stay organized. Purchase a set for new moms for snacks, lunch and more.

Also doubles as a clever gift wrap and home-baked goodie bag that can be enjoyed for years to come.

(Freezer safe and leak proof!) www.ziparoos.biz.

Love Mom to Pieces – eeBoo is woman-owned, mother-run with sustainable sources. This creative toy, puzzle and gift company features wonderful gifts for a mommy and me playdates. Check out “Votes for Women,” a 100-piece version for children and a 500-piece version for 14 and older, celebrating dozens of the great individuals who contributed to the suffrage movement, featuring artwork by Monica Garwood, www.eeboo.com.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving! For the school mom, music mom or soccer mom, CoZzzy Comfy is a mom-owned bed linen fundraising company that is well known for its 1800 thread count linens that feel like Egyptian cotton.

Started to benefit foster care organizations and give back to the community, the sheet sets are $50 each with $12 going to nonprofit organizations such as PJ Library. When you checkout, go to group / school online code and enter online code: PJ Library 1 - 2021 – RS, www.cozzzycomfy.com.

32 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Photo credit: Old Edwards Inn & Spa

For the Spa-Loving Mom - Amba heated towel racks can transform a regular bathroom into a cozy day spa, adding style while saving space.

The versatility and portability of the solo freestanding towel warmer makes a fabulous gift, hands-down.

Whether it is in a laundry room, bathroom or by a hot tub, the lightweight solo can be moved from room to room and plugged into any standard outlet. Standing on its own, it is ready to warm and dry towels, bathing suits and delicates.

Available in a brushed and polished finish in two different sizes, they are not only beautiful and practical but also affordable. Available at www. amazon.com or www.Wayfair.com.

Mother-Daughter Mani – Include a nail polish selection from mom’s favorite collection and package it up with a kid-sized version of an at-home nail salon with Piggy Paint designed for kids, safe, nontoxic nail polish that puts a candy store of color at kids’ fingertips. Piggy Paint just launched a four-polish neon box set that glows in blacklight. This kit gives parents the peace of mind they need, and the water-based formulas are free of harsh solvents and fumes.

Plus, they are non-flammable, hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, vegan and proudly made in America. Available at Amazon and Target for $13.99.

Mountain Getaway – Situated in the heart of downtown Highlands, N.C., Old Edwards Inn and Spa offers a quaint mountain retreat with luxury guest rooms, suites, cottages and vacation homes, the perfect escape for moms this Mother’s Day. The European style Relais & Châteaux resort is woven into Highlands, N.C., community and culture. Guests can enjoy doing as much or as little as they want for a relaxing getaway.

Enjoy award-winning farm-to-table culinary experiences; a destination spa; outdoor mineral pools and whirlpools; and live music. Additionally, some rooms boast large fireplaces and soaking tubs for the ultimate cozy escape. Old Edwards offers ideal access to the excitement of downtown Highlands, and it is the perfect gateway to some of the region’s best outdoor adventures and scenic views, www.relaischateaux.com/ us/united-states/good-to-know-oldedwards or www.instagram.com/oldedwardsinn.

Robyn Spizman Gerson is a nationally known gift expert, lifestyle writer, award-winning New York Times bestselling author and media personality, www.robynspizman.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 33

BEAUTY & STAYCATION Are Tattoos Taboo?

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Atlanta Rabbi Hillel Norry makes a clear point about the taboo tattoo. “Pierce your ear. Color your hair. Put on makeup. All of those can be removed. As traditionally understood, tattoos are prohibited by the Torah. Tradition and practice have affirmed the prohibition. The myth about burial in a cemetery shows that earlier generations took the prohibition seriously to discourage people who might want a tattoo. Like most of those things, it didn’t work.”

The interim rabbi of a Conservative Chattanooga synagogue, Norry likens the body to a temporary loan in order to give the spirit a “place” in this consciousness to experience the lessons, pleasures and challenges of being an embodied spirit. “Tattooing, because it’s permanent, is like painting racing stripes on a rental car. The owner might not like it. No other person is master of our body, but God the Creator. Our bodies, even with all of their tsores [troubles] are holy. Balanced against the ostensible ‘personal expression’ that tattoos allow, the holiness considerations, to me, are much more compelling.”

Atlanta Jewish Academy graduate David Eisenberg, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, said, “Tattoos are a part of Israeli culture, especially in the high-tech world.

Kids to grandmas walk around with no shame. When I

The back tattoo of David Eisenberg, a Sandy Springs native now living in Israel, pays homage to Israel: a Star of David, crossed swords with olive branches all intertwined.

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Mollie Pett is looking to refresh and expand the Rhodesian Glider tattoo she did 13 years ago at age 18.

BEAUTY & STAYCATION

Jason Feldman has a magnolia flower and a triangular symbol of the words Atlanta. He wants more and will look for life significance down the road.

Lynn Chanin has the initials of her son Benjamin, BJC, on the inside of her left wrist.

got stopped by Chasids to wrap tefillin, they ask its significance and love my meaningful stories (although I’m sure they still don’t LOVE it.)”

Eisenberg secured his engineering degree at Georgia Tech before making aliyah. His tattoos have deep symbolism: a Star of David, crossed swords with olive branches intertwined in a culmination of Zionism. It represents his joining the IDF to “defend the homeland.” Near his heart is a hamsa, “Strength, Faith, Hope” in Hebrew.

On his arm is a memorial to a family friend “23 Love 10 Life 11.” He explained, “This has strong significance because it helped me survive darker moments in the army (Lone Soldier suicide is a big problem). Just by looking at the message kept me sane.”

Mollie Pett got her first tattoo freshman year at Georgia Tech. She wanted something unique to represent her personality. “My bird is a creation from Mom's '70s shirt, the Rhodesian Glider, symbolizing my freedom, liberation and navigation of life’s next path. It took about four hours and hurt like hell. I had to take a break halfway through to have a snack because I got lightheaded! Now 13 years later, the colors are fading, and I’m considering

an artistic restoration.” Keeping the bird intact, she wants new art to represent the next stage in her evolving life.

Jason Feldman, a graduate of AJA and The Weber School, has a wrist magnolia flower and symbol of Atlanta letters. It took over an hour but hurt more than he expected. He wants more and will look for life significance down the road. In terms of his Jewish education, he said, “I saw a lot of kids getting tattoos, but the parents didn’t want them.”

Relating to youngsters, Rabbi Jordan Ottenstein of Congregation Dor Tamid teaches a confirmation class of 12. He leads discussion on our bodies being sacred vessels and how to make holy choices along with organ donation, drinking and drugs, sex and sexuality, as well as piercings and tattoos. He said, “We explore traditional biblical and rabbinic texts and modern responses from the different movements as to how they can make a Jewish choice of whether or not to get a tattoo/piercing and what criteria should go into their decision-making process.”

Atlanta Rabbi Chaim Listfield, who serves part-time at a Conservative congregation in Huntsville, Ala., is mystified why tattooing is so popular. “I just don’t get it. G-d owns our bodies to care for until we give them back. The Talmud has a debate as to why it’s a problem versus being specifically forbidden in the Torah. That debate stems from biblical times, where tattooing was linked to tangible pagan idol worship.”

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman of Chabad Intown offered, “The Torah’s prohibition against tattoos is clear, Le-

viticus 19:28: “’You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves.’

I’m not qualified to comment why people choose to tattoo. I assume it’s like other forms of self-expression. I’ve never had the desire. I like the body G-d has given me the way it is. I prefer to focus on G-d-given gifts to find expression from within.”

Mother Lynn Chanin lost her son Benjamin Jarred, who had turned 16 in 2010. She recalled, “Most of it is a devastating blur, however I remember my daughter had a tattoo in Benjamin’s honor on her wrist done after shiva.

Without hesitation I echoed my desire for the same thing.

I now have his initials BJC on the inside of my left wrist, on my heartbeat.”

Removal? Plastic surgeons and dermatologists are places to start. Premier Image Cosmetic & Laser Surgery’s website promotes advanced lasers. Anesthesia is an option. They want non-smoking patients.

Others not necessarily medically supervised, such as Removery, which advertise on the web. Dr. Ink Eraser posts charges ranging from $75 to $200 per session for removal.

Listfield concludes, “I don’t see any deficiency in a person who has tattoos removed. No downside at all. I wouldn’t call the person ‘defiled’ in the first place. I rarely want to say about anything that ‘it’s too late.’ I can’t imagine that a human body is compromised if a person had ink pressed into them, but later had it expunged.”ì

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BEAUTY & STAYCATION

Silver is the New Glam

By Marcia Caller Jaffe When 83-year-old icon Jane Fonda accepted her award at the recent Golden Globe Awards ceremony, her sleek suit took second fiddle to her striking silver hair. Jewish Atlanta women are riding the curve, using COVID – or not – as an excuse to let the natural gray shine through.

Amazon Prime Video came out with a new documentary, “Gray is the New Blonde.” Everything old is new again, as the Peter Allen song goes.

Medically, as we age, melanin pigment cells in hair follicles start to die, according to WedMD. Without pigment, new strands grow in various shades of gray, silver and eventually white. Once a follicle stops making melanin, it will never again produce colored strands, WebMD reported.

Not the wife’s tale of stress from raising wild teenagers, but genes determine this path.

Revealing their color decisions are a handful of Jewish Atlanta women, many of whom are their “mother’s daughters” in seeking sassy silver results.

Susan Shapiro McCarthy eschewed going into a salon at the beginning of COVID. When her silver started peeking through, she thought fondly of her mother’s beautiful shock of white hair.

Later, another hairdresser trimmed McCarthy’s ends during the months of the “grow out process.” She said, “Now after the COVID year, I am finally 100 percent silver and getting tons of compliments.”

36 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Denise Gelertner sports a hybrid “graybre,” soon to be 100 percenter gray.

Denise Gelernter noted that “Before COVID, I spent an average of four hours every three weeks at the hairdresser, which is ironic because I’m pretty low maintenance. The last time I colored my hair was March 2020.

“Months later, when the salon reopened, I wasn’t comfortable spending hours in a small salon. I felt it would be safe enough, but … I took this opportunity to be low maintenance and allow nature to take its course,” she said.

“I began to appreciate how much time and money I was saving. I also realized how much less stress I felt every three weeks, and I didn’t have to worry about something coming up and having to reschedule a four-hour appointment.

On the flip side, I worried about looking older, as a 58-year-old single woman.

“When family and friends tell me I need to color, the compliments I receive from random strangers encourage me to continue down this road. I’m embracing my “gray-bré” (it’s not quite

Renee Berg said her mahjong group got her inspired to go gray.

The Bannett sisters Dena Hammond and Joan Brown gave up hair coloring years ago.

how do I keep myself up?

Even before the shutdown, I toyed with going natural because my mother had such a pretty platinum color. I went back and forth: free myself from being a slave to hair color; face my age and embrace the wisdom of aging gracefully; have a lifestyle less dependent on beauty appointments.

“The process has been a journey. Some friends opined, ‘It will definitely Susan Shapiro McCarthy is fondly reminded of her mother’s shock of thick white hair. make you look older!’ I follow an Instagram page ombré), giving myself grace AND feelGrombre where the women are on my ing empowered and brave for sticking same wavelength. I find their candor with it!” inspirational. It feels like a sisterhood.

Rhoda Webber sported a light I’m enjoying the color (which is still in brown auburn shade for decades. She transition) and get many compliments bemoaned, “It was just too hard to including, ‘It really doesn’t make you keep the roots covered. During COVID, look older!’”

I wanted to see it grow out, if I would In contrast, sisters Joan Bannett really like it. My hairdresser lightened Brown and Dena Bannett Hammond the ends during the process to blend “went natural” two decades ago. Brown in along the way. It is indeed a radical admired two of her mother’s friends change which I will maintain.” who had beautiful silver hair and The last time Renee Berg colored thought she would go “all in” herself her auburn hair at home with L’Oreal since she was seeing some “salt and was March 2020, and now she says, pepper” emerge. She recalled, “My hus“There is no going back.” She plays band encouraged it. And now ‘me is me’ virtual mahjong with her fellow reNo need to be somebody else.” tired educators, many of whom have She jokes that she gets tons of comgone gray. “My hair is thick and easy to pliments. A movie was being filmed on handle,” she said, “and turned out to be her street when some of the crew shoutpretty, like my mother’s white hair. And ed out “Beautiful hair!” as she strode by. it gives me freedom.”

Who said, “Blondes have more Robin Mendel Kromis recalled, fun”? And ditch the Clairol campaign, “When the pandemic hit and hair sa“Only her hairdresser knows for sure.” lons closed, we faced the quandary of ì

BEAUTY & STAYCATION

Beards Are Hot During the Pandemic

By Bob Bahr Although Reg Regenstein has grown a luxurious beard while he’s been waiting out the pandemic at home for the last year, the project didn’t really require much thought or effort.

“I’ve always hated shaving. And so, staying in during the pandemic was an excuse to let my beard go for a day or two and then another day or two. And pretty soon it’s too big to shave.”

Regenstein, who for many years wrote a regular column for the Jewish Georgian newspaper, is Beard grooming and products are descended from almost an $8 billion market. the founder of the Regenstein’s Department Store, which was an Atlanta landmark for over a century.

The founder of the store Julius Regenstein, like many 19th century men, had a wellgroomed, full beard, but that is not what moReg Regenstein started growing his tivates his greatbeard because he saw no need to shave. grandson today.

He is fond of telling the story about Oscar Wilde, the famed British author, who saw shaving as a needless exercise.

“Wilde’s son came in one day while he was shaving and said, ‘Daddy, why are you doing that?’ and he couldn’t figure out why he was doing it, so he quit shaving, and so did I. It hasn’t changed my life much.”

Not so for Yuri Abramov, who runs the Vintage Barber Shop in Sandy Springs. He came to America with his parents in 1989 as a child during the wave of Jewish immigration from the Soviet Union. While he grew up in a world of moustaches and goatees in the Russian Jewish community in New York City, it was the COVID pandemic that brought him face-toface with the many full beards of Atlanta.

“I would say probably seven out of 10 guys who come into the shop for a haircut have some sort of beard. It doesn’t matter whether they are blue collar or corporate guys, younger or older, they just let their beards grow. Many people working out of the house, they don’t have be as presentable as before.

Beards have been taking off in the past year, year and a half.”

As beards have become more popular, so have the many new products that are used to take care of them. The global beard care market was estimated to be worth almost $2.5 billion in 2019, even before the pandemic, and growing fast.

Important players in the worldwide beard care marketplace are such familiar brands as L’Oreal, Revlon, and Estee

Lauder. Michael Dubin, a 2001 graduate of Emory University sold his Dollar Shave Club company to Unilever for $1 billion in 2016.

Abramov describes the market for grooming products, such as beard oils, as “huge.”

“There are literally dozens of formulations for every size and shape of beard, sold over the inter-

to grow a beard he’s really happy with.

The efforts started years ago, during the period between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot, which is traditionally a time when many Jewish men avoid shaving.

But then, as now, he hasn’t had much luck and he’s not sure how much longer he’ll continue to grow the beard he has now.

“I still to this day can’t really grow a good beard. Not only does it not grow in thick enough to be able to style it, but I’m a novice in my ability to groom it. Now I’m at the point where it’s getting a little cumbersome.”

But for Lance England, whose beard has gotten some notice at Congregation Etz Chaim, where he’s a member, the sense of freedom that comes with not shaving each Rabbi Brad Levenberg first began growing Beards like Julius Regenstein’s a beard while studying for the rabbinate. day is worth whatever other considwere typical of the 19th century. erations there are.

“It’s nice to just do something net by such firms as Honest Amish and Wild Willies.” that you want to do. You don’t really have to have a good And if that beard is not quite as full as you would like, reason to do it. Obviously [there are] things during this panthen at least one firm in Atlanta offers beard transplants, undemic we can control and things we can’t control. And this is der strict medical supervision. just one really small thing that I can control. And if I want to That’s something Rabbi Brad Levenberg is not quite grow it out, I’m going to grow it out.” ì ready for yet, although he’s on his second try in the last year

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 37

BEAUTY & STAYCATION

Make Your Home a Staycation

By Robyn Spizman Gerson With a year of quarantining, staying at home has taken on new meaning.

With strategic touches, it can be an oasis of comfort where you can unplug and unwind. Your home can be transformed thanks to the surge

classic argument of natural stone versus quartz. It is the best of both worlds with its quartz natural look, non-porous antimicrobial surfaces, and the look of marble. No more red wine stains and it offers easy living.

Make Your Bathroom Feel Like a Spa – Spa-like features include hands-free touchless faucets that turn on when you wave your

hands. Add rolled towels, an orchid, and Kleber suggests, “Check out Amba products (www.amazon.com or www.wayfair. com) heated towel racks so when you get out of the bath you have a warm towel.

Free-standing plug-in units are available and make you feel like you are at a fivestar resort or spa.”

Develop Your Outside Spaces – Outdoors is in vogue with cooking spaces and outdoor dining for that vacation feel.

Decks and patios are increasingly popular and help to bring us back to nature, and a relaxing feeling of hanging out

Handmade Moroccan Riad Tile reminds us of beautiful treasures from another place in time. (Kitchen interior shows tile)

of post pandemic remodeling and the latest home design trends.

“We are in a perfect place with residential real estate and remodeling,” according to Steve Kleber, founder and principal of Kleber & Associates and president of the National Remodeling Foundation. “There’s equity in remodeling, and houses are at an all-time high value. It’s an exciting time due to real estate values rising and historic low mortgage rates, along with the low inventory of houses to buy.”

Kleber added, “Since contractors are allowed back in, and people are not traveling, our homes have an opportunity to be a staycation, and a spa-like experience. We are ready to turn our homes into the vacation we could not take, and there are some things you can do that are easy and simple, rather than extensive.

We have learned a lot from the pandemic and changing our homes to fit our new lifestyles is possible.”

He offered these creative fixes: Update the Kitchen – Kitchen countertops can be resurfaced or replaced with anti-microbial clean countertops thanks to frontrunner Vadara stone, (www.vadaraquartz.com) which is a popular quartz and offers the solution to the 38 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Top inset, Camp Lazarus welcomes a weekend of college friends and their families to a staycation gathering.

A stone firepit welcomes s’moresmaking and small gatherings at Lisa and Zach Lazarus’ home.

The Lazarus family and friends enjoyed backyard fun in pre-COVID times.

Personalized towels welcome Lazarus family friends just like a resort.

Lisa and Zach Lazarus’ backyard pool creates an ideal setting for staycation fun.

with family and friends at home.

A staycation advocate, Lisa Brown Lazarus, a realtor with Compass, transformed her home, and understands the trend as her clients request backyards and niche spaces. Her home with hus-

band Dr. Zach Lazarus is referred to by guests as Club Lazarus with its wellstocked party pantry and at-home fun focus. Their backyard poolside setting entertains their family of five, friends and extended family nonstop.

A cool garage door opens the lower level to an indoor-outdoor living space ready for a barbecue. An outdoor shower for kid convenience and a big screen television on wheels offers pit-side fireplace football game watching and an outdoor home theater.

Add air mattresses and sleeping bags for sleepovers for the kids with s’mores-making at their two-sided openair fireplace. A clever Camp Lazarus theme recently welcomed a visit from Lisa’s college friends and their families.

Personalized caps, towels and food truck visits made everyone feel like they were on vacation.

Zoom Rooms and Home Offices – People are used to remote working and learning, and multiple niche spaces provide spatial separation but a visual connection to common areas. To keep the house clutterfree, innovative storage keeps everything in its place. The latest add-on is what is called a Costco closet filled with staples. Shopping less and organized closets store larger quantities and offer more quality family time.

Add a Pop of Color – This can lift your spirits, transporting you to a faraway place. Riad Tile owners Kale and wife, designer Aubrey Butcher feature a line of beautiful tiles. “When traveling around the world, we were inspired by artful patterned tiles we saw in Morocco,” Kale said. “Focal point decorating is important and keeps your home feeling like a staycation, giving you a sense of being somewhere else that’s special.”

It is the little touches that count. After all, all work and no play are no longer in vogue. A staycation can happen at home with a little planning and a renovation that adds value. ì

BEAUTY & STAYCATION

Log Cabins in the Mountains

By Susanne Katz In years past, Jewish parents were known to take their children out of the city as tuberculosis or polio became rampant. This past year of the COVID pandemic, some Jewish Atlantans who own cabins sought the same getaway, enjoying the fresh air and safety of their homeaway-from-home in the woods.

Phil’s Hill

life in Atlanta. I had a client who was in real estate who offered up his cabin in Rabun County for us to stay one weekend in October,” she recalled.

“We had such a good time that we started looking for property to potentially buy the very next week. One dear friend, Winnie Brown, showed us quite a few possibilities until the very last showing, … in Lakemont, Ga. There stood the cutest little cabin overlooking Lake

is now known as Phil’s Hill.

“Just breathing the cool mountain air, playing games with our grandkids, hiking, biking, reading books and relaxing has given us a fresh perspective on how to live a better life.”

Cheryl and Phil Isaacs’ little cabin in the woods on Phil’s Hill, Lakemont, Ga.

Mark and Robin Spiegel’s cabin in Blue Ridge, Ga.

A stacked stone fireplace and knotted pine walls provide a cozy mountain retreat for family and friends.

Cheryl Isaacs relaxing on the deck and leaving troubles behind.

“Honestly, I’m a beach gal,” Cheryl Isaacs said of the cabin she shares with husband Phil. “I grew up in the small town of Wilmington, N.C., in the '50s and loved the beach life more than anything, which was only 15 minutes from my home. I never dreamed that one day I would own a little cabin in the North Georgia mountains rather than a beach house at Wrightsville Beach.

“After I got married to my husband Phil, we frequently traveled to the North Georgia mountains to get away from city

Photo by Rob Spaugh //Heidi Spaugh before dinner overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Rabun that beckoned us to call our second home. Phil drove up every weekend after, sitting on the wraparound porch looking out over the lake and mountain scenery. It was a magical moment for him.”

But the couple wasn’t quite sure.

“Our answer came when Phil’s brother Frank suddenly passed away that fall at 49 years old. One never knows what life can bring and how it can change in an instant. We decided then and there to throw caution to the wind and buy what

Stress Relief in Blue Ridge The Spiegels have been cabin owners for more than 20 years. “Robin and I loved spending weekends at our friends’

cabin, both of whom were doctors, and they were not able to use it much,” Mark said. “We loved it and eventually bought half-interest in the cabin.

“That was back in 1998 when Blue Ridge truly had a small country vibe.

We shopped at the local Piggly Wiggly.

“The shops on Main Street were mainly composed of the old downtown stores that were filled with consignment booths selling everything from old collector Coke bottles to old meat grinders and other nostalgic antiques,” he said.

“We would hike, rent pontoon boats at the local marina, tube the Toccoa River, horseback ride at nearby farms and pick our own apples at the local orchard. Mainly we enjoyed our toasty fireplace and cooked our own gourmet meals dining on the back deck overlooking Lake Blue Ridge and the Appalachian Mountains,” Spiegel recalled.

“When COVID hit last March, we thought it was a good idea to retreat to the mountains. Early on Blue Ridge had very few cases compared to the big city Atlanta. We were very fortunate that the year prior, the local internet provider was looking to expand and offered our little mountain community the opportunity to have high-speed fiber. We could all do our work from our back porch with a true serene backdrop, not one of those digital mountain

backdrops.”

Reconnecting with Nature Larry Faskowitz said of the cabins he and wife Simie visit, “Because we love to take different road trips to visit family and friends located throughout the country, and because we have moved 10 times due to corporate relocation moves, it never made sense for us to purchase a cabin in any one location. … That is why we prefer to rent versus purchase and own in any one location.

“During the pandemic, one of the very few places you could go outside and feel safe from being too close to other people and contracting the COVID-19 virus is staying in a cabin in a mountain getaway from the city. My wife and I have loved renting cabins for threeday weekends in our beautiful Georgia

Larry Faskowitz on a weekend visit to a cabin.

state parks. Although the cabins are far more rustic than staying in a plush Marriott Hotel room, they still offer many of the modern comforts and conveniences us city dwellers have gotten used to,” he said.

“Staying at these cabins in the parks allow us to reconnect with nature, which feeds our souls in a calm yet invigorating way.”ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 39

BEAUTY & STAYCATION

A Space to Retreat, Dream, Restore

By Dr. Terry Segal You’ve just been through quite a year, made many decisions and adjusted to change, but there’s cumulative stress. Can’t get away? Create a fast and easy private retreat right where you are. Whether you only grant yourself 20 minutes a day in your tranquil sanctuary or linger a bit longer, you’ll relax into this form of healing and look forward to it. Of course, if you have little ones, be sure that someone else is in charge of them so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience.

storative spot should be. Carve out a space in your home that’s just for you, anything from a tiny walk-in closet to a bathroom, or a full-sized shed in the backyard. It’s best if it has some barrier, like a door, to the outside world.

You might even choose an indoor and outdoor spot and make your Care for the Soul Kit portable. With our children grown, I’ve expanded from a closet into an art room and also a meditation room. Your space should be special to you, reflective of your unique personality. It should embody what comforts and enchants you.

Envision Your Environment First, figure out where your re-

Journaling Exercise Get in touch with what brings you

An angel is resting among herbs, dried flowers and crystals, a mug of tea, candles, a meditation chime and a Raku anti-stress ball.

Terry Segal in her art room with colorful pens, pencils, markers, glitter and empty tea and chocolate canisters repurposed to hold art supplies.

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comfort or enchantment, providing options to help you cope with stress. Comforting things contribute to your good health, physical ease, well-being, and conjure images of relaxation, serenity and contentment. Enchanted items or experiences delight and intrigue you, possessing a magical quality or sense of whimsy.

Don’t stress over this. Make a numbered list and just begin writing whatever comes to mind. For example, my list includes: Celtic music, hearts, the moon, fall leaves, stars, angels, watercolor paints, cookbooks, England, fairies, tea sets, chocolate, herb gardens, yoga, puppies, glitter, picnics, and a jar of buttons from my grandmother’s sewing box.

You can’t do it wrong. To start, list 20 to 30 things that comfort or enchant you. Post your list in your retreat space with a pen, to continually add to it. You’ll begin to associate your retreat with joy and relaxation and more quickly achieve your “ahh” when you enter your sacred space. Imagine that you’re checking into a spa and leave your stress at the door. Don’t pick it back up when you exit. Your list will spark enchanted excursions, too.

Choose Your Decorations Bring your favorite colors to the space and items of joy and healing.

Have handy a cozy robe, fuzzy socks, a

mug of antioxidant matcha green tea, patchouli or another essential oil, and music awaiting you. Maybe there’s a coffee table book or gardening magazine you never have time to peruse.

Keep them there to enjoy.

Care of the Soul Kit For smaller or portable spaces, you’ll need a container, whether bin, basket or tote bag, for your retreat items. In larger spaces, you might add a bookcase to house your treasured touchstones in one place, like your journal, special books, mug, teas or coffee, gel pens, peppermint hand lotion, flameless candles or crystals. Mindfully add to and subtract items from your space. Add seasonal touches with acorn tops, a mini pumpkin, a bird feather or rose petals.

A Break From Screen Time Strive to step away from screen time. A number of studies cite that too much time on devices increases eye strain, frequency of headaches, neck and back pain, obesity, anxiety, depression and poor sleep.

Create a retreat from stress. When you take this valuable time to nurture yourself, it benefits you as well as others. ì Terry Segal is a licensed pychotherapist with a Ph.D. in energy medicine.

BEAUTY & STAYCATION

Summer Camp at Computer Museum of America

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Campers bring their lunch and their own device daily. If help is needed to rent a device, CMoA will work with the camper’s family and is very supportive. Camp runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday with two sessions each for upper elementary (fourth and fifth graders) and for middle grades (rising sixth through eighth graders).

Upper elementary camper sessions

Computer Museum of America in Roswell houses what is touted as one of the world’s largest, most comprehensive collections of artifacts from the digital revolution. This year, it is offering a summer camp opportunity focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math, otherwise known as STEAM education.

Elementary and middle grade students can participate in a varied and stimulating science curriculum at CMoA’s Full STEAM Ahead! summer camps. The activities include hands-on learning, starting with Monday’s Science focus, and then Technology Tuesday challenges students to diagnose and repair a malfunctioning part on the Space Shuttle Campers participate in hands-on science experiment CMoA. at Full STEAM Ahead! camp in Roswell.

As lead mechanics, campers simulate and test their repairs before the next launch, developing digital and tactical tools, determining repair plans and presenting solutions.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday focus on engineering, arts and mathematics to complete the week’s STEAM activities. They are full of hands-on and enriching experiments, labs, projects and activities to elevate curiosity and understanding of STEAM concepts in everyday life and future careers.

CMoA executive director Rena Youngblood said what makes the STEAM camp different from othCampers experience the Full STEAM Ahead! camp in Roswell. ers “is that campers will have access to select museum artifacts, in- are the weeks of June 7 and June 21. Upcluding pieces not available to the public at per middle grades sessions are the weeks this time, as they gain an understanding of of July 12 and July 19. The cost is $375 early where we are today, how we got here, and bird through May 7 and $450 thereafter for the possibilities for tomorrow. Studies show members. Non-member camp price is $400 that more than half of professionals cur- early bird through May 7 and $475 thereafrently working in STEM-related careers be- ter. came seriously interested in this area before Opened in 2019 with four exhibits. high school,” she said.

CMoA presented “A Tribute to Apollo 11,” “Campers participating in Full STEAM “Supercomputing: Vanquishing the ImposAhead! will have the opportunity to explore sible,” “Timeline of Computer History,” and many of these areas. They may arrive think- “The Byte Magazine Collection.” CMoA uning they want to know more about engineer- veiled a major new exhibit last year featuring, but leave with a new interest in design.” ing a fully restored and operational Enigma

Campers tour the Computer Museum of America in Roswell.

machine, the World War IIera cipher computer made famous in the 2014 film “The Imitation Game” about the revolutionary code-breaking work by Alan Turing.

CMoA has worked with educational institutions, museums and film companies with technology-related exhibits and artifacts, including Georgia Institute of Technology and the Smithsonian Institution and is committed to the preservation of computing devices, documents and technology in order to exhibit, educate and encourage future innovation.

The museum is currently open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays and is located at 5000 Commerce Parkway in Roswell. Call 770-695-0651 or register at www.computermuseumofamerica.org. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 41

DINING Neighborhood District Dining

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Staycaytion secret Vinings Jubilee is the charming centerpiece holding a collection of boutiques and one-of-a-kind specialty stores nestled in a winding town center. With turn-of-the-century architecture, the family-owned center surrounds a clock tower and white buildings, some brick, some siding, amid the nostalgia of lanterns. Easily located in the back row of the center, Paces & Vine has easy parking right out the front door and ample outdoor dining space.

Dine-around Atlantans may recognize that Paces & Vine is owned by Dave Green from The Select, a popular Jewish destination adjacent to the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center especially with Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and other events there.

General Manager Michael Kunz extols that Paces & Vine bistro-style smaller plates menu aligns with its wine menu. In response to how COVID has affected Paces & Vine, he observed that seniors didn’t come out as much, as customers skew younger.

At one point, they closed for lunch, but then recreated a more casual format where orders were taken at the bar, self-seating, minimizing contact and not waiting for the check.

In terms of dinner, the restaurant went from 10 traditional structured entrees to five full-size ones, yielding to a huge list of shareable starters and salads available in half portions. Removing some seating, they added Plexiglas between tables, and are in the process of expanding the patio now with built-in heat lamps, seating 45 and soon longer-term loosening of COVID rules, seating 90.

Kunz, whose background is in wine

Vinings Historic Preservation Society //

A fun hour walking around charming Vinings Jubilee could end with dinner at Paces & Vine.

42 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

very savory. Better wines have no sulfur additives, and drink like European wines.”

Sampled Menu Items Top choices: kale salad and fish preparation.

The kale salad was a bounteous bouquet of tastes, colors and flavors. Feta bites, watermelon radish, sunflower seeds, topped with shards of candied ginger. A special presentation.

The fish dishes were very well “chef prepared,” moist on the inside, well braised exterior.

Paces & Vine Restaurant is owned by Dave Green and located on Paces Ferry Rd.

Tuna poke: Purple cubes are smothered in toppings.

Kale salad was a top choice, accented with sunflower seeds, feta, radish and candied ginger.

management, notes the intense new movement and interest in wines and proffers recommendations for both value wines and more upscale ones. Of the former, he said, “By the glass, a white burgundy /chardonnay from North California that is clean and crisp with no oak is our Brocard $10 a glass. Another good try would be Chateau Bordeaux for $11 a glass.” He also recommends red blends that are “super easy, cleanly made, laissez faire like merlot with Cabernet.”

Moving more upscale, but not super precious by the bottle, Kunz suggests,

Appetizer Starter: Sea bass on black wild grain rice, firm button mushrooms, side of zippy spicy sauce.

Small Plates Tuna poke: Brilliant purply cubes were smothered in black sesame seeds, nori, ponzu, avocado, wontons, $14.

Butternut squash soup: Pistachio garni, curry oil. Rich and thick, $7.

Kale salad: Mandarin orange dressing, over sunflower seeds, feta, radish, with shards of candied ginger on fresh kale made this a top choice.

House Caesar: Fresh romaine and generous shreds of quality parmesan, housemade croutons. Nice shareable salad. Not for anchovy lovers; more on the mild side.

Sea bass: Orange miso, pickled shitake, baby bok choy, over black rice. The fish was divine and perfectly prepared. The rice was on the crunchy side, $18.

Plated Entrée Charred salmon: Over firm broccolini and colorful purple cabbage and sweet potato gratin. Contrast in tastes, sweet and savory champagne Dijon cream. An artistic Picasso palette of contrasting shapes and colors, $26.

Side Brussels sprouts: Nice sized portion with accents of raw red onion. Intense sweet and spicy flavor. Could have used less oil.

Sea bass: Orange miso sauce, pickled shitake, baby bok choy, over black rice

“Most people’s heads today are into red wine. A good choice would be Pax, a Syrah $88-a- bottle from the Sonoma hillside, the next wave out of California with high alcohol content with subtle dewy, very foodfriendly with notes of olive, black pepper,

Desserts Made in house, the most interesting of which is the Apple Galette, a rustic individual apple pie with the dough pinched, wrapped and topped with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. ì Paces & Vine at 4300 Paces Ferry Road is closed Mondays. There is live music on Thursday nights with special drinks for ladies.

Photos by Duane Stork Photography //

Jackie Howard enjoys her Florida room swing with poodles Cuddles and Angel. Background: Russian paintings bought back from Leningrad. The cocktail table is papier-mâché. Small chair collection below.

Chai Style Home

A Most ‘Lovable’ and Historic Collection Grandmother of nine, energetic Jackie H o w a r d takes us on a jaunt of her Smyrna town home filled Marcia with Tramp art, chandeCaller Jaffe liers, memories and objects from the turn of the century. A sunny overflowing of orange, bronze and citrine hues, toy poodles, and remarkable history from the family’s Lovable Brassiere Company.

“I would describe my house as a museum including a lot of found objects,” Howard said. “My interior evokes Primitive American, including Tramp art, a lot of ‘funk’ and color, and most things I’ve been collecting for over 50 years. I’ve taken doors off closets and found antique metal pieces purchased

for my store and repurposed for my home.”

Tour Howard’s captivating off-beat commentary on her robust, sunlit wonderland.

Jaffe: You describe yourself as a motorcycle riding /beatnik/ innovator and fourth generation member of The Temple on Peachtree. What’s your mojo?

Howard: I was born at Emory Hospital and lived at the Briarcliff Hotel, across from the Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon. I grew up in Buckhead near the end of West Paces Ferry as the oldest of four siblings, the only girl with three younger brothers. [One of them is Atlanta consumer advocate Clark Howard].

I worked at Grandfather’s company Lovable, an international women’s undergarment/lingerie manufacturer headquartered here, where I quickly learned how to operate every machine in the factory. My official title was assistant in the sample department. By

today’s standards, it was essentially the design department.

I designed my own bra (1966) with the original prototype now hanging in the powder room. We call it the first “Spanx.”

Think of the ad slogan, “I

dreamed I was a college freshman in my Lovable bra.” I also framed every Lovable employee Christmas party picture since 1938.

Almost 50 years ago on my kitchen table, I started Paces Papers by Jackie, which still operates today. Interestingly I designed the logo still used by The [William] Breman Jewish Home and the old logo of the [Atlanta] Jewish Community Center.

Jaffe: Why Smyrna?

Howard: Before I started looking, I made a list of everything I wanted in a house. The main things were natural light and big windows. Also, the neighborhood felt safe as a single woman.

Jaffe: Elaborate on your fondness for unusual lighting.

Howard: The art deco chandelier in my master bedroom was from [a nowdefunct boutique] in Buckhead.

I found the classic crystal chandelier in my dining room at a flea market in Paris.

I commissioned the Czech crystal dark orange (my favorite color!) chandelier in Prague. My dream is to source Venetian glass for the master bathroom.

Jaffe: What are some of your eclectic collectibles?

Howard: Brown Decorating in downtown Atlanta was the place to buy furniture. I found this Flemish dresser.

At that time, it was not in vogue, so I bought it. I loved its beautiful intricate inlay. This is a treasure that I will pass on to my children.

I have an Asian bar that a Lovable employee brought home from the war and sold to Frank Garson, Lovable’s ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 43

CHAI STYLE founder. The exterior is carved in a deep relief and every part opens with secret compartments.

I have a collection of children’s chairs, one made out of roots I found 55 years ago in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It was 150 years old then.

Another my parents bought as a door-todoor salesman’s sample in a miniature version.

Then one from the waiting room of my family pediatrician, Dr. Joseph Yampolsky, who cared for three generations of my family.

Jaffe: Who are your favorite artists?

Howard: I don’t really focus on artists. I have an affinity for the “decorative,” but I do appreciate the arts. For my wedding, mother’s two friends Shirley Rohm Wender and Peggy Ellman created original paintings hanging in my home today. I grew up going to camp in Maine. There’s a portrait that my camp counselor drew of me at 15 in tempera hanging in the kitchen. I have an oil in pastel tones in the master bath by Phyllis Franco.

I designed and built my previous home as an ode to my summer camp lodge in Maine, also inspired by my first visit to Jackson Hole in the 1960s. I fell in love with the entire scene there.

When I moved from my log house, I took the art nouveau doors, had them cut into the headboard for my master bedroom.

My office is filled with art created by my children and grandchildren.

Jaffe: How do you use your “open” Florida room?

Howard wanted her living room to evoke a lodge atmosphere.

The fireplace painting is by Peggy Ellman.

Below, A skilled organizer and merchandiser, Howard categories her necklace, bracelet, and earring collection by color.

Top, Howard collects Tramp art. Shown here is a wooden table in the Florida room with an oil-painted tree design.

Above, Jackie’s powder room houses Lovable Brassiere Company nostalgia, including the bra she designed.

Below, Howard was quite the stunning Southern belle in the '60s.

44 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

CHAI STYLE Howard: It’s centered around a single bed-sized suspended swing so I could face directly outdoors and see my favorite tree and “to-die-for” patio. The table is papier-mâché from my shop that we had redone in rust. The glass lights are from a shop in Atlantic Station. Five original Russian drawings are of figures from various areas like Ukraine. I got them in Leningrad. The pair of taxidermied deer heads, well that’s another story from my log cabin days.

Jaffe: Relate your fascination with Tramp art.

Howard: It was generally made from after the Civil War through the Depression by itinerant men traveling the country in exchange for food and a place to sleep.

Jaffe: Do you have any Judaica?

Howard: My grandmother’s sterling silver menorah. I was told by maternal grandmother Gussie Garson that it was a gift from our relatives in Mexico. I got it because I promised that I would never have a Christmas tree. I’ve honored that promise even though I grew up having one every year.

Sentimentally from all that is collected here, my grandchildren are most keen on the tiny fragile antique birdcage from Germany.

Jaffe: Are you done collecting?

Howard: What I’m doing now is what’s next: jewelry. I discovered eBay! ì

Above, Howard’s master bedroom is in powder blue featuring the headboard redesigned from her former house. The chandelier is from a now defunct boutique in Buckhead. The side lamps were vases converted to lamps.

Below, The Howard home exterior is framed by Lady Banks roses, which bloom only 15 days a year.

Top, Under Howard’s family portraits sits the deep relief carved chest with openable parts and secret compartments.

Above, A camp counselor created this tempera portrait of Jackie at 15.

Above, Howard treasures this handmade silver menorah from her Mexican relatives inherited through her grandmother.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 45

CALENDAR TUESDAY, APRIL 27 Virtual LinkedIn Workshop – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join Jewish Family & Career Services for a 2-hour virtual LinkedIn workshop designed to give job seekers and those in career transition a solid base of information to strengthen their brand on LinkedIn. This workshop will cover how to set up a profile and use the job search resources offered through LinkedIn. Visit https:// bit.ly/3wyssh1 to register.

Brain Health Bootcamp – 1 to 3 p.m. If you are recognizing symptoms of cognitive changes or have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, our fun and social class can help you strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp, especially during these times.

The class will combine gentle physical exercise, including yoga and exercises to help reduce stress and anxiety, along with a full hour of brain exercises done in a non-stress and engaging way. To sign up, contact Georgia Gunter at 770677-9421, https://bit.ly/39hGqsM.

Hillel Heroes – 7 p.m. Hillels of Georgia will present Bruce Weinstein with the Billi and Bernie Marcus Visionary Award at “Hillel Heroes.” The virtual event will also honor student leaders, faculty and community leaders who made a difference to Hillel and the greater community during the pandemic. The event is free, but donations are being accepted online. For more information, https://bit.ly/3dSZTlE. FIDF Poker Tournament – 7 to 11 p.m.

Play locally, win nationally with all

APRIL 27 – MAY 11 proceeds going to IDF soldiers. FIDF’s Virtual Texas Hold’em tables are available. Play in the Southeast qualifying round and meet and compete with celebrity poker players. Top players advance to nationals with the final tournament livestreamed on Faded Spade poker site. To register, visit https://bit. ly/2PPTIab.

THURSDAY, APRIL 29

FIDF Live – 8:30 to 9:15 p.m. Moving stories, exclusive base visits, donor spotlights. Bringing the men and women of the IDF directly to you. Go to https://bit. ly/3bRIbQ3 for more information.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 Birthright Israel Foundation Yom Haatzmaut Event – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In honor of Israel’s 73rd birthday, Yom Haatzmaut, “The State of Israel and Birthright Israel: The Transformation of Bold Dreams into Strategic Assets for World Jewry” features Dr. Zohar Raviv, international vice president of educational strategy at Birthright Israel. Virtual link will be sent upon registering at https://bit.ly/3uE1vXi. Inclusion Program with Pamela Rae Schuller – 7 to 8 p.m. Teen Program: Finding Your Voice, From Stigma to Stage. Schuller teaches teens to be proud of who they are. 8 to 9 p.m. is the Adult Program: Seriously Funny, Comedy Storytelling with a Message. Schuller uses comedy relief to share her story of living with Tourette syndrome and mental health challenges. She

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at:

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

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 community relations director Diana Cole for more information at Diana@atljewishtimes.com.

46 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

is known for her use of storytelling, laughter and improvisation to inspire communities to a new understanding of inclusion and accessibility. Join Congregation Etz Chaim Sisterhood and Congregation Gesher L’ Torah by registering at https://bit.ly/3uCqVob for the teen program and https://bit. ly/3dUfhP3 for adults.

Frankly Speaking with Sherry Frank – 12 to 1:15 p.m. NCJW Atlanta is excited to continue our women’s discussion group for our members and friends.

Moderated by noted Atlanta advocate Sherry Frank, this monthly lunchtime meeting focuses on current events through a Jewish lens. Due to the pandemic, the meetings are held on Zoom.

Visit https://bit.ly/3kWUGfP for the link.

Significant Others of Addicts Support Group – 1 to 2 p.m. Join Sally Anderson and Jewish Family & Career Services for a weekly free support group for spouses, partners and/or significant others of those struggling with addiction. Members will find support in others, learn about the disease of addiction, and develop coping skills such as setting healthy boundaries to move them towards their own healing process. Visit https://bit.ly/3t53zr5 to register.

Pandemic Baby Play Group – 4 to 5 p.m.

Parenting can be a challenge, especially when your baby was born during a global pandemic. PJ Library is hosting this group for parents who welcomed babies during the pandemic to connect families going through the same experiences. Register at https://bit. ly/3dPSeEP. Jerry’s Habima Theatre: 2021 Showcase – 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jerry’s Habima Theatre at the Marcus JCC of Atlanta will present a Theatrical Showcase. With cast from last year’s production, the showcase will feature a series of scenes,

songs, stories, and more, all inspired by past and favorite Habima productions. While COVID-19 safety protocols prevent performing for a live audience this year, the theater is excited to present this free event in a virtual format.

Visit https://bit.ly/3nbCQXO to register.

Modern Mystic Young Jewish Professionals Lag B’omer – 7 to 10 p.m. Mysticism is what the holiday of Lag B’omer is all about. Come by for a divine outdoors barbecue dinner, s’mores bar, bonfire, and of course meet and mingle with other Young Jewish Professionals.

Bring out the modern mystic in you and get your Jewish horoscope read while drinking some fine wine and beer! Register at https://bit.ly/2QfESJW. Think Different – 8 p.m. Study with Intown Jewish Academy a transformative Jewish spiritual text written in the last three centuries with master Tanya teacher Rabbi Ari Sollish. Visit https:// bit.ly/2MGGxq1 for more information.

FRIDAY, APRIL 30 Virtual Shabbat Sing – 10 to 10:15 a.m.

Shabbat songs, blessings and birthday celebration with Rabbi Brian Glusman from the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for young children and families. Go to https://bit. ly/39YBMB4 for Zoom Link.

Lag B’omer B’eltline! – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Come by the Chabad Intown on the Atlanta BeltLine, for an outdoors Lag B’omer celebration! A grand drum circle, barbecue with all the fixins, drinks for the adults, s’mores, bonfire, candle lighting, Kiddush, soup and challah!

Celebrate this special holiday and welcome Shabbat in with other Intown families! Visit https://bit.ly/3gnl4iH to RSVP.

SATURDAY, MAY 1 Story Time with Rabbi Jordan – 9:15 a.m.

Join Rabbi Jordan from Congregation

Dor Tamid for story time. Visit https:// bit.ly/2PrDbsn for the link.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES Emor Friday, April 30, 2021, light candles at 8:02 p.m.

Saturday, May 1, 2021, Shabbat ends at 9:01 p.m.

Behar-Bechukotai Friday, May 7, 2021, light candles at 8:07 p.m.

Saturday, May 8, 2021, Shabbat ends at 9:07 p.m.

Outdoor Tot Shabbat – 11 to 11:30 a.m.

Join Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta outdoors for a Tot Shabbat. Registration and masks are required. Please bring a blanket to sit on. Visit https://bit. ly/320hx1n to register.

Tot Shabbat and more – 12 to 1 p.m.

Kindergarteners and younger, join us outdoors in the Congregation Beth Shalom Alefbet Playground for Tot Shabbat. First grade and older, join us in our outdoor classroom for services.

Visit https://bit.ly/3edyXxv for more information.

part of waking up is coffee in your cup and Kabbalah in your “kop” (head in Yiddish)! Find more information at https://bit.ly/3kN0vMO. Baby and Me Virtual Play Group – 10 a.m. Open to families with children 2 years and younger. Older siblings are welcome. There will be story time and songs led by Heather Blake on guitar.

Free and open to the community. Join Congregation Etz Chaim and PJ Library and register at https://bit.ly/3p4AqcR .

Strong Women Fellowship Year-End Celebration – 5 to 6:30 p.m. Join Lili Stadler, Strong Women Fellow, The Blue Dove Foundation intern, and author of “The Jewish Teen Gratitude Journal,” and her mother Chere Stadler, school counselor and director of Peer Leadership, new student orientation, and Girl Talk programs at The Weber School, for an interactive workshop about Judaism, mental health and gratitude. Register at https://bit. ly/3d9acTJ.

Rabbi’s 5K/1K Virtual Road Race: Live, run and prosper all day until May 15.

Log your run using the JustMove app and compete with other runners in a fun virtual experience that will feel like you are running real-time on race day. Since you can run anywhere, Temple Kol Emeth friends, family and alumni who no longer live local can join in on the fun. Visit https://bit. ly/31VmQzp to register.

SUNDAY, MAY 2 Kabbalah & Coffee – 9:30 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore, and journey through the world of Jewish mystical teaching and learn how to apply these profound teachings to your daily life. This ongoing class from Intown Jewish Academy probes the esoteric through a unique program of English text-based study. No prior Kabbalistic experience required. Remember: The best

Hadassah Lieberman: Hadassah: A Memoir – 8 p.m. Hadassah Lieberman shares with the Book Fest of the MJCCA the story of her life. By offering insight into her identity as an immigrant, an American Jew, and a working mother, Lieberman’s memoir speaks to many of the major issues of our time, from immigration to anti-Semitism to gender politics. Register at https://bit. ly/3s6yTUS.

MONDAY, MAY 3 Parent Series – 8 p.m. Creative ideas to Nourish your Jewish Body and Soul with The Epstein School. Visit https:// bit.ly/3fXhtI1 for more information.

p.m. American Jewish Committee Distinguished Advocate Event honoring Merle and David Horwitz. Visit https:// bit.ly/39V0xxR for more information.

THURSDAY, MAY 6 Atlanta Infertility Support Group – 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. Join Jewish Fertility Foundation for a virtual infertility support group. Open to all women experiencing medical infertility. Visit https://bit. ly/3s7JXmc to get the link.

FRIDAY, MAY 7 Tot Shabbat – 5:45 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim holds Tot Shabbat Friday night services. View https://bit.ly/3uD4tvb for link.

TUESDAY, MAY 4 Virtual Job Search Workshop – 10 to 11 a.m. Join Jewish Family & Career Services for our free 1-hour job search workshop where we will explore strategies to conduct a successful job search that will help you secure employment more effectively. Topics will include how to handle the emotional roller coaster, job choice and self-assessments, identifying potential employers, creating a personal branding statement, networking strategies and more. Visit https://bit.ly/327apk9 to register.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5

Wisdom Pairings Featuring Jay Kaiman – 12 to 1 p.m. Whether you consider yourself a mentor, a mentee or perhaps somewhere in between, you will find emerging and experienced professionals ready to share their stories and listen as well. Hear from our featured speaker Jay Kaiman, president of The Marcus Foundation, on the topic of “How to Influence People Without Spending Money.” Registration is required with Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta at https://bit. ly/31S9eVg. American Jewish Committee Distinguished Advocate Event – 7:30 to 8:30

Virtual Acoustic Shabbat – 6 to 6:45 p.m In this weekly Sabbath celebration , experience soulful melodies, prayers and words of inspiration with Rabbi Brian Glusman from the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. Includes Mi Shaberach (prayers for healing) and Mourner’s Kaddish. Go to https://bit. ly/2NVDN9v to get the link.

SATURDAY, MAY 8

Shabbat Porch Fest – 2 to 4 p.m. Stop by Young Jewish Professionals' home on Shabbat for some kosher delicious hoagie sandwiches, cholent, Kiddush, and spring sangria and cocktails! Mingle with other Young Jewish Professionals outdoors in our front yard, in the heart and hub of Virginia-Highland. Visit https://bit.ly/3v0k4oS to register.

Dueling Pianos 2021 – 8 p.m. Rescheduled from 2020, featuring the Andrew Brothers. Tribute to Congregation Dor Tamid’s Cantorial Soloist Mike Zuspan. For more information, https://bit. ly/3cU2cpr.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 47

Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos,” Batalion shares the acts of defiance and rebellion of women who saw and acknowledged the truth of their time, worked together, and risked their lives in the fight for justice and liberty. Join the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for a conversation with Batalion. For tickets, visit https:// bit.ly/3t8iyjX. Cub Club: Sound & Music Discovery – 10 to 10:30 a.m. Calling all future rock stars! Let the good times roll during The Davis Academy’s interactive music class followed by making our own homemade guitars or tambourines. This virtual program is open to all families with children ages 3-5.

Visit https://bit.ly/3fXo7xX to get the Zoom Link.

MONDAY, MAY 10 Lunch & Learn: Reading Torah with Rabbi Gottfried – 12 to 1 p.m. Join Rabbi Pamela Gottfried and Your Jewish Bridge as we examine classical and modern midrash (interpretations) related to the weekly Torah reading and draw lessons from Jewish wisdom about how we can live and be our best selves today. Visit https://bit.ly/35zg6tc for more information.

TUESDAY, MAY 11 Virtual Resume Workshop – 10 to 11 a.m. Learn how to create an effective resume from scratch or improve the one you already have in our free 1-hour virtual resume workshop from Jewish Family & Career Services. This workshop will identify the different parts of a resume and their purpose, create a master profile of core competences and accomplishments, and provide a checklist of resume do’s and don’ts. It will also help you develop a cover letter to accompany your resume. Register at https://bit.ly/3suuXxy.

Community Services: Anti-Defamation League – The Coronavirus Surfaces Fear, Stereotypes and Scapegoating: A blog post from ADL to help provide accurate information, explore emotions and, most importantly, play a role in reducing stereotyping and scapegoating. To read more, www.bit.ly/3dp5a3t.

Atlanta Community Food Bank Text for Help SMS Function –The ACFB’s mission to provide nutritious food to the people who need it has reached a major milestone toward access to food for all. The Text for Help is ‘findfood’ (no space). Responses will include a list of three different nearby pantries and their contact information. For more information, www. acfb.org.

48 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

JF&CS - Telehealth Older Adult Services – Aviv Older Adult staff are there to help provide resources, care plans and support for you and your family. Call AgeWell at 1-866-AGEWELL (1-866-243-9355) to find out how they can help. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wo5qzj.

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Resources – The unsettling, fast-moving and unpredictable world of life with COVID-19 is upon us. As we’re all discovering, a worldwide pandemic disrupts everyone on an unprecedented scale. For updates and more information, www. bit.ly/3ahrNVM. Please send Community Service Opportunities to diana@atljewishtimes.com.

Synagogue Livestreaming Services:

JF&CS - Telehealth Counseling Services – Now offering telehealth options via phone or videoconference for current and new clients to help our community during this crisis. For more information about our therapy services or to make a telehealth

Congregation Etz Chaim – Erev Shabbat Musical, Fridays at 6:30 p.m.

Shabbat morning services at 9:30 a.m. Join in for weekly livestream Shabbat services. To join, www.bit. ly/3gWL02s.

Congregation Or Hadash – Shabbat services Friday at 6:30 p.m. Saturday morning services at 9:15 a.m. Minyan Sunday and Tuesday mornings.

To participate and get Zoom link, www.or-hadash.org.

Congregation Shearith Israel – Daily and Shabbat services will continue at regular times through Zoom.

They are counting participants in these Zoom services as part of a minyan, allowing members to recite full prayer services including Mourner’s Kaddish. To participate via phone, dial 929-205-6099 and then enter the meeting code 404 873 1743. To be a part of services, visit the Zoom link, www.bit.ly/2wnFWlD. Temple Beth David — Kabbalat Shabbat services every Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Shabbat morning service and Torah Study every Saturday at 11 a.m. on our YouTube channel, (https://www. youtube.com/channel/UC2GcbAI_ HdLRSG5hhpi_8Cw).

Temple Beth Tikvah Livestreaming Services – Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays at 10 a.m. To join on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TempleBethTikvah/ or www.bit.ly/2ZlCvrr.

Israeli American Council – IAC @ Home brings you the most innovative content online while helping build a national community with Israel at heart. With activities for kids, teens, young professionals and adults, you can stay connected to Hebrew, Israeli and Jewish heritage, online activism and to one another.

IAC @Home lets you enjoy a coastto-coast community right from your own home. For more information, www.israeliamerican.org/home.

JF&CS - Emergency Financial Assistance – JF&CS is here to provide emergency aid for individuals and families. Please call 770-677-9389 to get assistance. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wo5qzj.

Judy Batalion, The Light of Days – 8 to 9 p.m. In “The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance

appointment, email us at therapy@ jfcsatl.org or call 770-677-9474.

Temple Kol Emeth Services – Shabbat services on Fridays at 8 p.m. View our services on www.kolemeth.net or www.facebook.com/Temple Kol Emeth-Marietta, GA. Temple Sinai Livestream Services – Temple Sinai has live Shabbat services on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. For more information and to view services, www. bit.ly/2BXRfTF.

Ahavath Achim Synagogue – Shabbat evening services at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning services at 9:30 a.m. To watch and for more information, www.bit.ly/38dS4Ed. Congregation Beth Shalom’s Virtual Services – Erev Shabbat, Fridays at 6:30 p.m., Shabbat service, Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. Zoom minyan Sunday at 9:30 a.m. For more information, www.bethshalom.net.

The Temple Livestreaming Services – Find live streaming services here, www.the-temple.org.

Please send Synagogue and Temple Streaming Services to diana@ atljewishtimes.com.

Check the Atlanta Jewish Connector for updates: www.atlantajewishconnector.com. ì

CONNECTOR CHATTER Directory Spotlight www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Intown Jewish Academy

Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta In conversation with Rachel Wasserman, executive director How long has your organization been in Atlanta?

We were founded in 2012 by three local women who had heard about Jewish women’s funds in other cities and wanted to replicate the model here. We have grown steadily since our founding and are proud to be a force for change for women and girls in Atlanta’s Jewish community and beyond. We promote social change and create positive opportunities for Jewish women and girls.

How do you cater to the younger members of the community?

Younger members of our community are served by JWFA in multiple ways. First, we are thrilled to have trustees across the age spectrum and have welcomed women ranging from their 20s to their 80s to participate in our collective grantmaking process. Additionally, women of many ages apply to our Agents of Change Training program, which engages local women in a yearlong journey of personal development and empowerment; our youngest ACTivist is 25.

Furthermore, the grants we allocate have positively impacted younger members of our community in numerous ways. Some examples of projects we have funded in Atlanta include: introducing high school girls to the variety of STEM fields available to them and matching them with mentors; working with preschool children and their parents to break down gender barriers; giving middle school girls the opportunity to learn about self-esteem through drama; educating middle school, high school, and college students about safe relationships and dating violence prevention; teaching high school students about the dangers of human trafficking; engaging teenage girls in leadership training and mentoring; and providing LGBTQ youth with positive, age-appropriate messaging about sexual health and safety.

In conversation with Rabbi Ari Sollish, director How long has your organization been in Atlanta?

Intown Jewish Academy has been offering innovative, inclusive, and impactful adult Jewish educational programming to the Atlanta community for 14 years, under the umbrella of Chabad Intown.

How do you cater to the younger members of the community?

Our educational programs cover a broad array of subjects and include topics such as relationships, business, and personal wellness that very much speak to younger community members.

Where do you see your organization in 10 years?

As we plan for our future, JWFA continues to explore new ways to facilitate social change and gender equality in the Jewish community. We are discussing ways to engage more women in our work, and we are using research and data to identify opportunities for projects that need funding. We will continue our focus on promoting safety, respect and equity in Jewish workplaces and communal spaces, and we will actively respond to new challenges that hold people back simply because of their gender.

Where do you see your organization in 10 years?

I see Intown Jewish Academy continuing to take a leading role in adult Jewish learning in our city, with our investment in creative and innovative in-person learning at our beautiful center on the BeltLine, as well as a strong focus on building a robust on-demand online learning division. Our podcast “Knowledge on the Deeper Side” and our YouTube channel currently gets close to 200,000 plays annually from learners around the world. We are committed to serve all who are interested in excellent Jewish learning, both in Atlanta and beyond.

How does your organization help the community?

JWFA promotes social change and creates positive opportunities for Jewish women and girls. Through our work, we support, elevate and advance women. We are a force for change, addressing gender inequality in the Jewish community. We harness the power of philanthropy, collective wisdom, and women’s voices to fight against economic injustice, violence against women, and gender-based harassment and assault in workplaces. By working with grantee partners, we are able to move the needle and take steps toward greater equality.

How does your organization help the community?

People from a diverse spectrum of life have found Intown Jewish Academy to be a warm and inclusive community in which to connect with the richness and authenticity of Jewish learning and heritage, and to be uplifted and guided by Judaism’s profound and practical wisdom.

The Blue Dove Foundation

In conversation with Justin Milrad, co-founder and president.

How do you cater to the younger members of the community?

We cater to all age groups of the Jewish community through education, awareness and outreach as well as through partnerships and programs. We develop, distribute and train individuals and organizations in a variety of ways.

Where do you see your organization in 10 years?

We hope to continue to be a great partner and community quarterback for the Jewish people in the area of mental health and/or substance misuse education, awareness and outreach, both locally in Atlanta and nationally.

How does your organization help the community?

We provide educational support, programming and tools to help the Jewish community better understand mental health and/or substance misuse in their communities. We do a lot of joint programming with synagogues, schools, teen groups, local and national organizations. We sit on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services faith initiative and [National Alliance on Mental Illness] NAMI FaithNet to provide a Jewish perspective. We put on programming such as our “Quieting the Silence” speaking series, where speakers connect with participants and share their stories, Jewish Mental Wellness Toolkit (a two-part training program) which helps individuals understand mental health and substance misuse and how their Judaism can help them find both strength and tools to be effective mental health first responders.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 49

COMMUNITY Icon Feldshuh Soars with New Book

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Legions of women from the mundane to A-listers have long opined about complicated relationships with Jewish mothers.

Four-time Tony and two-time Emmy nominee Tovah Feldshuh finally made peace with her mother at age 40.

Moreover, she released her new memoir “Lilyville: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I Have Played” detailing her stellar career on stage and screen overlaid with this memoir reflecting how mother Lily and Tovah choreographed their dance against American cultural changes and shifting expectations of women.

Feldshuh appeared virtually at the Book Festival of the MJCCA April 15.

In her words, “Mother gave the spotlight to Dad, who gave the Feldshuh’s mother Lily lived to be a centenarian. spotlight to me. …. Contrast my Her life spanned huge cultural changes. brother’s bar mitzvah to mine. He gave his speech from the bimah Scarsdale, N.Y., to becoming Broadway followed by a country club luncheon royalty alongside Christopher Plummer with an orchestra. I had a Friday night and Barbra Streisand, held together by service with men doing the blessings, the twisting thread of her often-comsharing my party in the basement with plicated relationship with Lily. From high school musicians.”

Golda to Ginsburg, Yentl to Mama Rose, Throughout the book, she addressTallulah to the Queen of Mean, Tovah es, “Mom, look at me.” Then she emotes, Feldshuh has always played powerful “That’s why I was determined to perwomen who aren’t afraid to sit at the form on the stage, to get love and attentable with the big boys and rule their tion from the audience.” world. But offstage, Tovah struggled to In the book, Feldshuh immerses fulfill the one role she never auditioned readers in a journey through the acts for: Lily Feldshuh’s only daughter. and scenes of her personal and profesFeldshuh’s book is written like a sional life, from growing up a young Jewtheater piece, the form she knows best: ish tomboy in the refined community of

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in March 2014 with a performance she crafted to honor Stuart Eizenstat. [She reprised for me on the phone in full voice, “I had a dream about you, Stuart…”]. Later, when she visited Washington, D.C., Eizenstat escorted her to all the sights.

She recalled, “I lived in Atlanta for six weeks while shooting ‘The Walking Dead.’

Steve Selig loaned me a beautiful apartment. Also, I played Golda at your Atlanta Alliance Feldshuh sought an acting career to draw the audience love and admiration she couldn’t readily access from Lily. Theatre.”

Some chose to make their stage name “less Jewish” in contrast to Feldshuh, whose given name was Terri Sue, converted to Tovah, her Hebrew name. In terms of changing times, she recalled, “Mom was born on a dining table in the Bronx and lived through World War I, the Spanish flu, The Great Depression and World War II before she was 30. Women couldn’t even vote then. All the bras were burned when I got to college (Sarah Lawrence) with expectations to be a homemaker. My brother went to Harvard. We called him doctor [Ph.D.]; she called him ‘G-d.’ That was a family joke.”

A photograph in the book shows Lily’s advice to Tovah on her wedding day, “You can do anything you want now, you’re marrying a Harvard lawyer.” Tovah counseled her own daughter (who studied Feldshuh appeared virtually at the Book Festival of the MJCCA April 15 physics at MIT) about succeeding in marriage. “Shut one eye, Act 1, Act II, Act III along with Scenes, and never leave the playing field.”

Intermissions, Curtain Call, Exit Music, Some practical advice about datand Cast Party. Feldshuh earned this ing Lily gave Tovah was the importance rite after starring in what is believed of quickly meeting someone’s family the longest running one-man show in whom you are dating. “Run,” she said, Broadway history “Golda’s Balcony,” in “Don’t walk.” Subsequent to that Tovah addition to “Cyrano,” miniseries “Ho- broke up with a fellow whose family she locaust,” “Pippin,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” visited.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Sisters in Law” Bottom line: Run, don’t walk to read about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and doz- “Lilyville.” ens of other roles about strong, colorful In addition, Feldshuh revealed to women. She was especially enamored the AJT that she just signed to star in with RBG. When I asked her how she “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” portraying psywanted to be remembered, she said “Tell chologist/media personality Ruth Westthem that I was funny.” heimer. It will premiere virtually and be No stranger to Atlanta, Feldshuh performed live at future dates. ì appeared at Ahavath Achim Synagogue

COMMUNITY

NCJW Honors Four Sheroes

By Jan Jaben-Eilon The COVID pandemic forced the delay of the second annual “Women Who Dare: Celebrating our Sheroes” fundraising program from last year to this month. And, instead of gathering together for a lunch, the Atlanta section of the National Council of Jewish Women delivered boxed lunches to participants who then viewed a professional-

“We are overwhelmed with the generosity to NCJW this year,” said Atlanta section president Sherry Frank.

Libby Gozansky said her careers and volunteer work were “driven by my Judaism.”

ly edited video April 16 that highlighted both the organization and the four honorees.

The response was “extraordinary,” said Sherry Frank, repeat president of the NCJW Atlanta section. The group surpassed its goal of raising $30,000. “We are overwhelmed with the generosity to NCJW this year,” Frank said. She added that the group found many new donors this year – partly due to its four honorees.

“These women were drawn from the whole community. These are grassroots sheroes,” Frank said. She credited Johnnetta Cole,

president of Spelman College from 1987-1997, for coining the term.

In the video of nearly 45 minutes, hosted

by CNN’s Holly Firfer, the four honorees told their own stories.

Libby Gozansky started her career as a newspaper reporter before attending law school, followed by clerking for a federal judge and then spending 17 years as a lawyer for The Coca-Cola Co. She topped that line

newborns, only to live in cars or on the streets.

Gozansky also has been active in the struggle for voting rights.

In 1995, Amy Sacks Zeide launched an annual party, known as Amy’s Holiday Party, to provide Christmas gifts to poor children.

Years later, in 2011, she founded Creating Connected Communities to go beyond one day to a year-round organization that supports thousands of children each year through the

but she felt that they didn’t “look at people as full human beings.” And she decided that there was “nothing out there for Jewish people.”

Today the center offers individual and group therapy, yoga, personal training and a variety of creative-expression classes. According to Milrad, the center attracts people from all religions and cultures. “I believe that it’s a woman’s role to bring a family together.”

Then you bring more families together and soon there’s a community, she said. “I believe a woman can change the world, especially a Jewish woman.”

The fourth Sheroe honored, Gail Evans, has long been a pioneer. She has been involved in politics and journalism for decades.

Going on board with CNN when it launched in 1980, Evans started as an editorial producer/guest booker.

“I was somebody who raised my hand” when something needed to be done, she said.

Evans cautioned her listeners Watching party: A bat mitzvah project that started “I believe a woman can change the world, as Amy’s Holiday Party launched the career of Amy especially a Jewish woman,” said Alyza Berman not to be afraid of taking advantage of opportunities.

Sacks Zeide, watching video with family.

Milrad, founder of The Berman Center.

Evans’ community involvement has included volunteering with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, or anywhere she feels she is needed, she said. “Women need to help each other.”

She pointed out that in Jewish religious services, participants note that they live on in the acts of goodness they perform. “I am very rooted in this. How you live your life matters.”

Evans joked that she still asks herself what she’s going to do when she grows up.

The four honorees were chosen from the original 29 nominees in 2019 plus a few new names, Frank said. The co-chairs this year were mother Susan Schwartz and her two daughters Laine Posel and Lori Peljovich. The latter told the AJT that the program had 165 Longtime journalist Gail Evans said she was always “somebody who raised my unique viewers, some of whom shared their hand” when something needed to be done. screen to watch.

Frank was enthusiastic about the mothWatching the Sheroes video are Sugar Eisenberg, past president Holly volunteer efforts of teenagers. er-daughters team, suggesting that future Strelzik and Simie Faskowitz.

“I was raised in a family with Jewish “Women Who Dare: Celebrating our Sheroes” on her resume by becoming outside general practices and observances,” Zeide explained. fundraising programs should also be hosted counsel for Spanx for seven years.

“To affect change and make a difference” in by similar teams.

Recounting her community involve- the world, she now works with Jewish teens, She also pointed out that NCJW has a ment, Gozansky said she was “driven by my “teaching them to develop their Jewish iden- partnership with the National Coalition for Judaism,” which she called a “logical religion.” tity.”

Literacy. Prior to the pandemic, the groups She quoted the saying that “if you help one In 2017, in response to the issue of ad- helped provide jewelry that students from person, it’s as if you saved the world.” Gozan- diction, Alyza Berman Milrad founded and poorer schools could choose for their mothsky helped found the Genesis Shelter in 1994 became executive director and clinical direc- ers on Mother’s Day. This year, the groups in response to the realization that many new tor of The Berman Center. “There were plenty gifted packages for the students to present to mothers were leaving hospitals with their of treatment centers,” Milrad acknowledged, their mothers. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 51

COMMUNITY

Moms Feed Hungry With 120,000 Sandwiches

By Danielle Cohen When the pandemic hit Atlanta, my friend and fellow social activist Marcy Louza and her Dunwoody neighbor Lisa Hiles began making sandwiches for the homeless and food insecure. Driving their philanthropic partnership was Louza’s Jewish and Hiles’ Catholic intersecting religious values

charitable work during the pandemic,” Louza said.

My family had been preparing sandwiches for several months when I shared the opportunity with my neighbors and friends who were looking for safe activities to do with their kids. I also posted in the Jewish Moms of East Cobb Facebook group, offering to keep a cooler on my driveway for

Kyle and Isabella Shaffer of Alpharetta show off the sandwiches they helped assemble.

Ellyn Dinnerstein volunteered to host a dropoff location at her home in Alpharetta.

of fairness (equity/sharing resources), responsibility (supporting neighbors), respect and role modeling (for their children).

Their neighbor Sheila Cohen, chief financial officer of CHRIS 180 (a United Way partner), told the women about the organization’s new outreach program to address increasing food scarcity during the pandemic. It involved distributing directly to those who live in remote areas where they are not able to access resources.

Louza said she and Hiles jumped at the chance to “meet people where they are” and invited friends, family and other neighbors to join their endeavor. Soon they began collecting upwards of 2,000 sandwiches a week. “People realized they could still do 52 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

head, Candler Park, Decatur, Dunwoody, East Cobb, Peachtree Corners, Roswell and Sandy Springs serve as host sites for collections each Wednesday, with new locations added whenever someone volunteers. All hosts deliver their collections to designated drivers on Thursday mornings, who transport everything to CHRIS 180.

Cyndi Sterne of Brookhaven, Marni

Ashley Glass has been making 100 sandwiches a week with her mom since April 2020.

Allison Tanenbaum and Cyndi Sterne load sandwiches that they collected.

Alyssa Hortin of East Cobb prepared nearly 150 sandwiches for her bat mitzvah project last month.

anyone who wanted to bring sandwiches.

At the end of that day, I had collected more than 750 sandwiches, and committed to hosting a drop-off location every Wednesday.

Having spearheaded other efforts in the community, I knew firsthand the spectacular power of this city’s Jewish moms.

Marcy and I agreed to post a call to action in the broader Jewish Moms of Atlanta Facebook group and the ladies did not disappoint. More than 600 comments resulted and hundreds of interested volunteers rose to the occasion.

The Sandwich Project now boasts thousands of volunteers and nearly 20 homes in Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buck-

their b’nai mitzvah and other service projects. We also have initiated a HOA Ambassador program where volunteers share info about The Sandwich Project with their own neighborhoods.

The beauty of this effort is that anyone is able to prepare sandwiches from the safety of their own home and drop the food off via contactless delivery at convenient locations. There is no commitment required to contribute and volunteers can make as many sandwiches as they would like, as often as they are able, on any Wednesday.

We continue a partnership with Hiles, who has a large network of volunteers.

The community currently contributes on average of more than 7,000 sandwiches a week in addition to hordes of granola bars and fruit, and it takes three or four fully loaded SUVs to transport all of the weekly collections. Incredibly, we marked the oneyear anniversary of The Sandwich Project’s inception in April with our 100,000th sandwich provided and now we have collected

Hannah Blumenthal, Hayden Bossak and Hailey Fields prepared sandwiches together.

Bekerman of Dunwoody, Nancy Miller of Alpharetta and Ellyn Dinnerstein of Alpharetta have all stepped up to lead The Sandwich Project alongside Louza and me.

In addition to serving as collection points in our respective communities, together we have managed The Sandwich Project’s explosive growth, administration, logistics, volunteer coordination, social media and much more.

This grassroots effort continues to grow as those contributing involve their own friends, neighbors and family, synagogues, sisterhoods, youth groups, book clubs, mahjong groups, and tennis teams, etc. Children are participating enthusiastically, with many using this opportunity for

even more.

This has proven to be a wonderfully safe and simple way to perform g’milut chasidim, acts of loving kindness, in the midst of a pandemic that has left so many destitute and struggling. Perhaps what’s most meaningful to me is that this effort is impacting both sides of the equation, helping those who need it most and providing an opportunity for the altruistic to teach their kids to be the change they wish to see in the world. ì The Sandwich Project recently launched an official Facebook group at www.facebook. com/groups/783652755919659. For more information, email TheSandwichProjectAtlanta@ gmail.com.

COMMUNITY

What I Learn from My Grandchildren

By Chana Shapiro Jewish Atlanta grandmothers reveal the lessons they learned from their grandkids.

ing. One loves to cook, many love doing art, and some play tennis. The most important thing I have learned from my grandchildren is the quality of being resilient in the face of constant change.

They are accustomed to frequent changes and to rolling with the punches, and they have become good problem- solvers. Because I am presently going through a lot of changes in my own life, this is an important quality to learn.

Some of my grandchildren are at home, not attending the school they attended for many years. Some of the kids attend school, but on certain days they are on Zoom. However, they never complain about all the changes in their lives. They have adapted to the present circumstances and are able to have fun with whatever their option is in each moment.

I treasure my time with my grandchildren and am grateful to have time to learn with them and from them.

learned that without any effort from me, they’re kind, loving, inclusive, witty, and interesting. They’ve taught me the nuances of my cell phone, how to use Spotify, and created a video to explain the speaker attachment. At age 4, one granddaughter taught me about selfawareness and self-discipline when she declared herself a vegetarian because “animals are my friends.”

I’ve learned acceptance … of their opinions, perspective, issues and solutions. I’ve always known that being with them, together or individually, means that I’m in delightful company.

Best of all, I’ve learned how the human heart can expand to hold all the love available.

About two weeks after our new neighbor moved in, one of my teenage grandsons started bringing friends to hang out in our backyard. I thought it was unusual, and then I realized that they were trying to catch a glimpse of the rapper. My grandsons played his songs for me, and I became a follower of his on Instagram.

The kids ended up playing basketball with the rapper and sometimes brought him kosher cookies!

I became a rapper groupie because of my grandchildren, and I even learned better ways to use my cell phone. What a gift they have given me!

Lynn Koffsky and her grandchildren “disagree without being disagreeable.”

Meta Miller became a rapper groupie from her grandchild’s coaching.

Sarah Frank learns from her grandchildren’s resilience and flexibility.

Sarah Frank, Mortgage Company President I am a newcomer to Atlanta, having moved here a few months ago to be near my nine grandchildren, who live in the warm and inviting Atlanta Jewish community. I love the ability to spend quality time doing fun things with all of them, and sometimes we just have fun hanging out together.

My grandchildren are so interest-

Marsha Londe appreciates that her grandchildren are “smart and savvy.”

Marsha Londe, Request-for-Proposal Specialist The joke that grandchildren should come first is true! Without responsibility for basic needs and upbringing, grandparents can simply enjoy. I don’t have to organize their lives; their parents are doing a fine job raising sound, savvy women.

Our adorable, funny little girls are older teens now, but the wonder of being with them hasn’t changed. I’ve

Meta Miller, Retired Teacher and Author My husband and I have 14 grandchildren. Through the years, I have come to learn so much from each of them. My favorite questions to ask them are: What is the worst thing that happened at school this week? Then: What is the best thing that happened at school this week? They have usually been honest and open, and we have discussed a lot about personalities and feelings.

An unexpected grandchild-related “educational” event occurred when a famous rapper moved next door to us.

The young man seemed like a low-key, friendly sort, and we would periodically greet each other when we met outside.

Lynn Koffsky, Modern Bubbe I am very blessed to have eight grandchildren who all live on Long Island, in New York. My husband and I usually see them about four times a year.

I typically speak to my granddaughters about clothes and makeup, but this year, due to the pandemic, in addition to keeping up with my granddaughters, I was able to speak on WhatsApp to our two older grandsons. No topic was off the table. We spoke about their political views, which not only included the presidential election, but also Supreme Court decisions. We shared interesting shiurim (classes in Judaic subjects) and we talked about life in general.

My grandsons taught me to broaden my interests, and perhaps most importantly, we learned to disagree without being disagreeable. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 53

OY VEY

JEWISH JOKE

OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM...

Dear Rachel, l girl on the planet. I s ago to the most wonderfu nth mo six ut abo d rrie I got ma erful, devoted and is always t us together. Karen is che ugh bro G-d t tha l ll, Karen tefu gra am truly hear you wondering. We what’s the problem, I can So, . me h wit d I’m r an tne ys, par wa to willing ersely in many It’s affecting our lives adv er. ord dis ing she’s eat ws an e kno hav she seems to or bulimic. And s to eat – she’s not anorexic like ren eat Ka to do. e” to abl at “un wh e not sur age. Basically, she is have a distorted body im sn’t doe nce she scie a so to n, k thi bac ely extrem not, it goes way y disgust her. Believe it or the e aus bec n cke chi ff. or stu at fish, me n, she won’t touch the ted a chicken; ever since the class when her class dissec Yes, dish, she is often hungry. eat a protein-filled main to self her w allo da an n’t wo ese Since Karen diet, as well as che ; she includes those in her tils len d an ns re bea we t ut tha abo s she knows soups and stew ed products. She even eats -fill tein pro y, lth hea er oth variety of cken. cooked with meat and chi able home famished and miser friends, Karen will come or ily fam h bewit her out Eit eat Often, if we the specific foods she likes? at happens if we are out of ing until she is sated. But wh asked to whip up someth these outings, I am often m fro e hom get I t we e tha t onc ues fore we go or times, she will req ing she “can” eat. At other eth som e to hav nt l wa wil I h she t fresh so tha “go-to” foods. Thoug if we have run out of her trip ng ppi s sho l thi na lly, itio ma make an add . If she would just eat nor starting to feel frustrated be a devoted husband, I am gested that therapy may I tried to discuss it and sug en wh t Bu st! exi n’t uld wo whole issue ay. ely insulted and walked aw be helpful, Karen got extrem ation is healthy. d, but I don’t think this situ I’m not sure how to procee Any suggestions?

A Concerned Husband Dear C.H., Your willingness to face your emotions is admirable, as opposed to burying them and allowing them to fester. In addition, your love and caring for Karen shine through. She is fortunate to have such a devoted husband, and you are fortunate to have a wife who is devoted and supportive.

Marriage is a commitment to facing things together. You mentioned that Karen puts up a wall when you broach this sensitive topic. Perhaps it is time to confront that.

“Karen,” you may say, “I want to be as close as possible. It’s important to me that we be able to discuss anything together, even if it’s painful. Are you open to that?”

Assuming she gives you the green light, tell her your concerns. Reassure her that you’re here for her and want to help, but that you feel her life could be vastly improved if she would try to work on the situation. It may not go over well to tell her that sometimes it is hard to run out on additional shopping trips to get the exact foods that she needs, and at other times, it is not convenient to have to start cooking a whole separate meal. Judging by her reaction when you tried to discuss the issue, she may just get huffy and say she doesn’t want you to go to extra trouble if it’s too difficult for you to manage. I can almost picture the tears sliding down her cheeks as she says or thinks the following: I thought marriage is about doing for each other. I do so much for him…

Dinner at Bubbe’s Little Yossi and his family were having dinner at his bubbe’s house.

When everyone was seated, the food was served. As soon as little Yossi got his plate, he started eating from it right away.

“Yossi, please wait until we say our prayer,” said his father.

“I don’t have to,” Yossi replied.

“Of course you have to,” said his mother. “Don’t we always say a prayer before eating at our house?”

“Yes, but that’s our house,” Yossi explained. “This is bubbe’s house and she knows how to cook.”

Source: Chabad Lubavitch, Rochester, N.Y.

YIDDISH WORD OF THE MONTH Kvellkill

If Karen hears you out, ask her how she would feel most comfortable handling the situation.

Would she rather brainstorm by herself or with you? Would she be willing to speak to a trusted mentor or try therapy?

v. To brag so much and so often, particularly about one’s children, as to completely bore the listener.

“I’m behind you 100 percent,” you can assure her. “And I really believe your whole life will improve if you try to deal with this.”

“And she said to me, ‘Did I tell you that Joshie got into the best kindergarten in Manhattan?’ Kvellkill!”

May the wonderful wife you married rise to the occasion so that this problem will be alleviated.

Derived from the Yiddish kvell, meaning to experience pride in someone else, typically one’s children. The very appearance of the term kvellkill raises questions on whether or not today’s Jewish parents kvell about their children more than other parents do.

Wishing you many long, healthy, happy years together, Rachel Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column Got a problem? Email Rachel, a certified life coach, at oyvey@atljewishtimes. com describing your problem in 250 words or less. We want to hear from you and get helpful suggestions for your situation at the same time!

54 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

From “Schmegoogle: Yiddish Words for Modern Times” by Daniel Klein

BRAIN FOOD

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40. Move, for short 69. ABC show that left many viewers 41. "___ Be Surprised" (Irving Berlin disappointed song) 44. Be a fan of 45. Called it quits DOWN 46. Like how often Purim calls out 1. One way to go downhill on Friday 2. Kawhi Leonard's team, on 47. War benefits the scoreboard 48. "Woohoo!"

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ference, Rogers said that President Richard Nixon “asked me to take this trip” because he “believes that the United States should seek every opportunity, expand every effort, take every chance in playing a constructive and energetic role in the search for peace in the area.”

The formal dedication for a Jewish Home will occur May 2 at 3150 Howell Mill Road. The modern building has spacious grounds, carefully designed interior apartments and medical facilities for those who will be living there. The public is invited to tour the facilities and attend the event.

75 Years Ago // May 3, 1946 Families of The Epstein School rolled up their sleeves and spent Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild will take over for Dr. David Marx as the the day performing good deeds around town last weekend. head spiritual leader at The Temple in July. Dr. Marx will be moving to Fifty families from the Conservative day school volunteered to the position of rabbi emeritus after 50 years. Rabbi Rothschild is from The William Breman Jewish help the less fortunate as part of The Epstein School’s first Yom Pittsburgh and was recently released from the armed forces after Home on Howell Mill was Tzedakah, a day of community service. Families traveled outside four years of service. dedicated 50 years ago in 1971. of their normal neighborhoods. As Eugene Cohn told the AJT, “We The Atlanta Zionist Council has elected a local chairman of the Shekel never go south of I-20 so this is something good we can do in a neighborhood that is not and Election board. The board comprises the representatives of Atlanta’s various Zionist in Sandy Springs.” organizations, and will further the annual sale of shekels in the community and voting.

50 Years Ago // April 30, 1971 Secretary of State William P. Rogers is off for a Middle East parley, announcing a trip where he will visit five countries, including Israel, next month. Speaking at a press con-

Purchases of a shekel, 50 cents, permits the holder to vote in the election for the upcoming World Zionist Congress. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 55

OBITUARIES William Carasik 74, Atlanta

William Victor Carasik passed away Monday, April 12, 2021, after a lengthy illness.

Mr. Bill, as everybody called him, even his wife and children, was the son of the late Sidney and Vivian Carasik. Mr. Bill was born in Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 10, 1946. He grew up in Atlanta and graduated from North Fulton High School and Georgia State University, where he was a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. Mr. Bill worked in the transportation, government and banking industries.

As an avid railroad hobbyist, he instilled that love for trains in his sons, daughters and grandsons. Mr. Bill and his father had a wonderful time taking the train to Neyland Stadium to watch University of Tennessee football games. Mr. Bill, in turn, spent many happy hours with his family playing trains with the Florida Live Steamers and the North Georgia Live Steamers. He loved the trains big enough to ride on.

Mr. Bill is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sherry Herman Carasik, and his six children Anne Henmi (Russell), Kimberly Cruz (Daniel), Erika Gilly (Kevin), Scott Carasik (Chelsea), AJ Carasik (Becca) and Lane Carasik. He also had two much-loved grandsons Cash Cruz and Rio Cruz, who loved playing on the floor with wooden trains.

Graveside services were held April 18 at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Larry Sernovitz officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Stand Up to Cancer, the American Cancer Society or the Boy Scouts of America. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Leon Eplan 92, Atlanta

Leon Eplan, a man of infectious optimism, whose life’s work helped lift the city of Atlanta to new heights, passed away April 15, 2021, at the age of 92.

Born to Sam and Bess Eplan Nov. 24, 1928, Leon was a fourthgeneration Jewish Atlantan. He grew up in Midtown, attending Boys High (now Grady High School) and later Emory University. He participated in the AZA youth organization, where he was elected to regional and national positions. He relished the debate, basketball, dances and travel during those years, retaining lifelong friendships that he cherished.

A self-described wayward student in his early youth, he hit his stride in his 20s, accumulating master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee, the University of North Carolina and the London School of Economics.

After a short stint in the army, he met and married Madalyne Buchman in 1959, and they shared a wonderful and adventuresome life together. With their three children, extended family and countless friends, their Ansley Park home was always full of people.

Leon loved his big rambling house and was devoted to the neighborhood. He often liked to recount that he and Madalyne couldn’t get a loan when they first sought to live in Ansley Park because the neighborhood was redlined by the banks as a neighborhood “in decline.” Leon crafted a neighborhood plan in the 1960s, helping to revive the neighborhood to its historic glory. They lived in the house for 50 years.

He began a long and illustrious city planning career as a consultant to cities around the country. During this time, he was also involved in the planning of the MARTA rail system.

In 1974, he was tapped by the newly elected mayor Maynard Jackson to become the commissioner of budget and planning, serving in that role from 1974 to 1978. One of his most enduring accomplishments during that time was the creation of the Neighborhood Planning Unit program, which gives local neighborhoods a voice in local development and was considered a bold innovation when it was created. In 1979, he was named the director of graduate studies in city planning at Georgia Tech. He served as president of the American Institute of Planners (now the American Planning Association) and won numerous city planning honors and awards.

56 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

He proudly chaired the board of the Boys High Alumni Association and was a longtime board member of Southface Energy Institute.

Leon continued to teach and consult until 1990 when Mayor Jackson asked him to return to City Hall to help prepare Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic games. Embedded in this work was a driving purpose far bigger than putting on successful global games.

Leon deeply believed that the Olympics should be a vessel for urban Atlanta’s contemporary rebirth. “We’re not doing these things simply for the Olympics,” he said. “We’re using the Olympics to build a new city.”

Decades later, in his late 80s, he was one of three authors of a just-published book on the subject, “Atlanta’s Olympic Resurgence.”

In 1991, Leon spearheaded and helped broker a resolution between the Georgia Department of Transportation and multiple intown neighborhood associations to avert a highly controversial highway extension. The result of this work was the John Lewis Freedom Parkway, which added miles of usable greenspace to the inner city. This was a source of great pride for him.

Leon held many convictions as a visionary planner, including the need to transition away from a car-dependent city to a more pedestrian and public-transit-friendly place, the need for affordable housing, and the vital role that parks and greenspace play in the livability of a city. He also felt that a city’s magic lay in its rich diversity; he was involved in and passionate about civil rights and social justice throughout his life.

Most of all, Leon fiercely loved Atlanta. “From my father and grandfather, I inherited a feeling that the city was very important and that it was my obligation to give back to the city.” It filled him with enormous pride that his three children chose to live in and raise their children in Atlanta, living around the corner from each other in Morningside. His faith in the promise of his beloved city never wavered.

He was predeceased by his wife Madalyne Buchman Eplan and his sister Carolyn Goldsmith. He is survived by his three children Elise Eplan (Bob Marcovitch), Jana Eplan (Craig Frankel) and Harlan Eplan (Jen Denbo); as well as six grandchildren Gil, Tali and Tamir Eplan-Frankel, Max and Hannah Marcovitch and Madeleine Denbo Eplan.

His family will be forever grateful to wonderful, loving caregivers who made his final days peaceful and comfortable: Chantelle, Peggy and Juliana. In addition, the staff from Agape Hospice Care were invaluable in the last few weeks.

The funeral was for family only with others joining via Zoom. If you wish to honor Leon, please consider donations to Boys High Scholarship Fund (The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta for the Boys High Scholarship Fund) 191 Peachtree St., Suite 1000, Atlanta, Ga. 30303, the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, https://www.thebreman.org/ or a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Gertrude Wolson Friedman 93, Atlanta

Gertrude Wolson Friedman, the second of three girls, was born July 15, 1927, to Hyman and Sophie Wolson in Lincolnton, Ga. As the only Jewish family in the town at the time, they soon moved to Savannah to provide for a more Jewish environment for their girls. It wasn’t long after that they moved to Atlanta and Gert completed elementary and high school.

She then married the love of her life Stanley Friedman, and they moved to New York for a very brief time. Upon their return, Gert and Stan, who were partners in life, were now partners in business, first as proprietors of Stanley’s Delicatessen on Highland Avenue for more than a decade, then in the kosher wholesale food business for more than 15 years.

Work was one thing, but her biggest pleasure was spending time with family, whether with her sisters, her cousins or grandchildren. Her one last wish was to see her grandchildren and great- grandchildren one more time. Her heart was filled with so much love for all of them that it gave in to the pressure before this could be realized.

Gert was predeceased by her parents Hyman and Sophie Wolson; husband Stanley Friedman; daughter Saundra Russo; son Glen Friedman; and sisters, Ruthie and Shirley Einhorn. She is survived by daughter Jill (Yossi) Ovadia of Atlanta; grandsons Stuart (Liza) Cristol-Deman of Moss Beach, Calif., Eitan (Cara) Ovadia of Boca Raton, Fla., Tal (Jessi) Ovadia of Jerusalem, Israel; granddaughter Shanee (Josh) Kirschenbaum of Plainview, N.Y.; and 12 great-grandchildren. Donations in Gert’s memory can be made to Congregation Beth Jacob or Weinstein Hospice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

OBITUARIES

Lawrence George Gats 86, Canton, Ga.

Lawrence George Gats, 86, of Canton, Ga., passed away March 21, 2021 peacefully at home, surrounded by his loved ones. He was born April 27, 1934 in the Bronx, N.Y., to Abraham and Dora Gats née Cohen.

Lawrence began his long and successful career in sales at an early age. He lived in New York for many years before moving to Palos Verdes, Calif., to start a business.

It is there that he perfected his sales skills and built the many business relationships he kept throughout his career and lifetime.

He eventually left California and opened up another business in Kennesaw, Ga., in 1993.

He moved his family and invested his time and energy into making the business successful.

In 2003, he and his wife Elizabeth moved the business to Ball Ground, Ga., where it still runs today. Lawrence was also a veteran of the army. During the Korean War, he was stationed in France.

He loved to travel, and often took his family on trips. His last big trip was a lifelong dream for him. He visited Israel in 2016 with Elizabeth and daughter Tanny. He also loved spending time with his children and grandchildren and was known to all as a “character,” who did not miss an opportunity to joke around. He was dedicated to the business and worked at the office up until just before his passing. Family, friends, and colleagues will miss him dearly.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, children Tanny Davidson, Aaron Gats and Rachel Niederer, son-in-law Mark; grandchildren Maddeline Gildemeister and husband Eno Gildemeister, Amber and Justin Davidson, Wallace and Morgan Niederer; sister Esther; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Lawrence was laid to rest March 24 at Riverside Cemetery in Saddle Brook, N.J. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Lawrence’s name to Congregation Beth Israel, 795 Brannon Road, Cumming, Ga. 30041, or online at www.jewishforsyth. org. Click on “donations.” Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-4514999.

Stanley Isaacson 79, Atlanta

Stanley Z. Isaacson, a doctor of dental sugery, 79, passed away peacefully in his home April 12, 2021. Born in Atlanta, he attended Grady High School and Emory University. He was a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity as an undergraduate, and then went to Emory Dental School, where he was a member Alpha Omega dental fraternity.

Following dental school, he practiced dentistry in Atlanta for three decades and also volunteered at the Ben Massell Dental Clinic. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserves.

Stanley loved traveling to Europe, Asia, Israel and Central America and enjoyed living for a number of years in Costa Rica. He was an avid reader and was known for his intelligence and quick wit.

He is survived by his siblings Faye Hyken, Marcia Isaacson, and Larry S. Isaacson (Linda), as well as many nieces and nephews.

He will also be missed by his wonderful group of very close friends who were important to him.

Due to current restrictions, the funeral arrangements were private. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Sheryl B. Harris 76, Chicago, Ill.

Sheryl B. Harris, née Levin, 76, died April 7, 2021. She was born Dec. 1, 1944.

Sheryl was a creative genius with many talents in healthcare, marketing and even cutting hair. She was a bright light, eccentric, funny and a dog lover, a caring mother, daughter, friend, sister and cousin to many. She will be deeply missed.

Sheryl was the mother of Stacy (Brian) Rothman, née Feldmar; grandmother (Nannygram) of Brett, 22, Natalie, 19, and Eliza, 14; sister of Steven Levin; daughter of the late Herman and Gertude Levin.

Services were private. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to your favorite dog rescue or the Feed the Homeless program at North Shore Congregation Israel, www.nsci.org/fth. Arrangements by Weinstein & Piser Funeral Home, www. weinsteinandpiserfuneralhome.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 57

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Bernice Luxenberg, 88, of Marietta, Ga., passed away April 13, 2021. She was an avid baker (her cheesecake recipe lives on) and knitter. She never missed a chance to knit a gift of a baby sweater for every new baby.

Bernice is predeceased by her parents Toby and Irving Taylor, and brother Joel Taylor. She is survived by her loving husband of 69 years Isidore “Ike” and their four daughters: Hope (Craig) Kaufman of Atlanta, Diane (Mark) Lurie of Ocala, Fla., Lynn Westfall of Evergreen, Colo., and Gail Luxenberg of Chicago, Ill. In addition, Bernice is survived by seven grandchildren, whom she loved more than anything: Max and Drew Kaufman, David Lurie, Adam and Allie Westfall, and Lainie and Matthew Cassel.

Memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice. A private funeral for the family was held April 16 at Arlington Cemetery with Rabbi Ron Segal officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. Sign the online guestbook at www.dresslerjewishfunerals.com.

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58 | APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Ruth R. Kurtz of Kennesaw, Ga., died on April 18, 2021. She was 95.

Ruth was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Jan. 25, 1926 to Lillian and Jacob Levy. She married Ray in 1946, and she and Ray immediately started their family. Her five children range in age from 59 to 73. After growing up in New York City and marrying Ray, she and her family moved from New York City to Atlanta in 1956. Shortly after moving to Atlanta, she became actively involved in the Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary, a charitable organization. She worked as an executive secretary for the branch chief of family planning at the Centers for Disease Control, a job from which she later retired.

As a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she tirelessly gave her love and cheerful persona to all of her family and friends. While she will best be remembered for her loving character, she will also be remembered as a character. She had a sense of humor Joan Rivers would envy and exhibited it until the very day of her death.

Her greatest joy in life was her family. The matriarch of the Kurtz family will be deeply missed.

Ruth was preceded in death by her loving husband Raymond D. Kurtz, to whom she had been married for 65 years. She is survived by two daughters Diane K. Allgood, of Canton, Ga., and Carolyn A. Kurtz of Milton, Ga.; and three sons Stuart A. Kurtz (Marcia) of Marietta, Ga., Jack S. Kurtz (Wendy) of Statham, Ga., and Paul D. Kurtz (Ellen) of Seneca, S.C. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Graveside services were held April 23, 2021, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Steven Lebow officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

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Rebecca Jean Gewin Ries lost her battle with colon cancer at age 59. She leaves behind a legacy of patience, kindness and creativity. She was most proud to be David’s wife and West’s mother.

Her 19 years of marriage, while way too short, was filled with affection, laughter, encouragement, intelligent conversation and just a love of being with each other.

Rebecca was also a loving parent to West, an advocate, a teacher and a friend.

Hearing them sing together was like hearing a pair of angels.

Rebecca also adored her preschoolers at The Temple’s Weinberg Early Learning Center. She loved every child as if he or she was her own.

She was also art teacher at the Breman religious school at The Temple. Her creativity was endless. Her husband called her MacGyver. You would never throw anything out before checking first whether Rebecca could make something out of it.

Prior to becoming a teacher, Rebecca had an illustrious radio career. She started that career before she could even drive, at age 15. For 16 years, she hosted “Atlanta’s Love Songs” on B98.5. “Rebecca Stevens” wasn’t just a role she played; it was her, ... lover of life.

Always focused on others, she would hate this tribute. Her kindness and huge heart touched so many.

Besides David and West, Rebecca is survived by her brother, Britt Gewin Jr. and her teaching colleagues and students who loved “Miss Rebecca.”

Diane Rosenstein 70, Atlanta

Diane Rosenstein, 70, of Atlanta, died April 10, 2021, at The William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta.

Born in Atlanta, she was a daughter of the late Michael Rosenstein and the late Rita Slotin Rosenstein. Survivors include her sisters Margery Rosenstein Diamond and Lynda Rosenstein Wachsteter (John); and many loving nieces, nephews, a greatniece and great-nephew, and aunts, uncles and cousins.

The funeral service was held April 12, 2021, at the graveside, Bonaventure Cemetery, conducted by Rabbi Robert W. Haas.

Remembrances may be made to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30327-2108 or Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive NW, Sandy Springs, Ga. 30327-4303, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Please share your thoughts about Diane and her life at www.gamblefuneralservice.com.

DEATH NOTICE Denise Kalette passed away April 16, 2021, after a short illness. Denise was born in 1946 in Syracuse, N.Y. She was a distinguished journalist for USA Today, The Washington Post, CNN, and the Associated Press. She was preceded in death by a brother.

She is survived by a brother, two sisters, a sister-in-law and cousins. Funeral arrangements were private. ì

Lillian Sugarman 80, Atlanta

Lillian Sugarman, 80, died April 13, 2021, from a glioblastoma.

Lillian was a resident of Philadelphia, Pa., before coming to Berman Commons in March.

She had a most meaningful and successful career in the world of social work. She trained colleagues at two Early Head Start programs in Pennsylvania. She directed the national Zero To Three agency, and National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative, the United Planning Organization in Washington, D.C., and the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

She participated in the Women’s March in Washington and the MLK march. She was very involved in and served on the board of The Mary Campbell Center in Wilmington, Del., a home for disabled adults. She also served on the board of Maternity Care Coalition.

She made such an impact on all. Her legacy will be felt for years to come. We love you, Lill! Lillian was the sister of Rae Bellman; “fun” aunt of Lisa Klein of New York and Rabbi Barry Klein of Jerusalem; great aunt to several great nieces and great nephews. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

‫זיכרונה לברכה‬ 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.

Edith Usdan 97, Atlanta

Edith Usdan passed away peacefully April 24, 2021. She was 97.

Edith was the daughter of Fannie and Benjamin Engel and was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. After graduating from Erasmus High School, she worked as a pocketbook buyer for a consortium of department stores. She married the love of her life David Usdan in 1948 and they raised their family in Great Neck, N.Y. Edith was very active in several charities, chairing major fundraisers for Hadassah, ORT and UJA. She loved to dance, travel and play golf.

Edith was predeceased by David Usdan, her loving husband of 56 years, and her beloved daughter Barbara Usdan Goldberg, who passed away in 2012.

She is survived by her brother Dr. Milton (Joyce) Engel, her children William (Susan) Usdan, and her son-in-law Dr. Richard Goldberg.

She was a loving grandmother to Matthew (Candace) Goldberg, Gabriel (Mallorie) Goldberg and Michael Usdan. Her great-grandchildren are Britton and Hayden Goldberg.

The Usdan family would like to thank her devoted caregiver Joyce Thompson, for providing love and kindness to her for the past 11 years. We would like to also thank the wonderful doctors, nurses and certified nursing assistants who cared for her at The William Breman Jewish Home.

Interment was at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, N.Y., with a private shiva observed in New York.

Those wishing to honor Edith’s memory may consider donations to The William Breman Jewish Home, Congregation B’nai Torah or a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES APRIL 30, 2021 | 59

CLOSING THOUGHTS Mama Said My mother is no longer, but I see her every day. I had the artist Samama paint her and it hangs in our home above the china closet that Allen H. Lipis once was her The Bottom Line pride and joy.

My mother is never far from my thoughts, as she was the conscience for me and for all of her family. As we approach Mother’s Day, her voice returns again, “Don’t worry, it will be all right.” Ever the optimist, Jewish to the core, I know how lucky I was to have such a mother.

For these reasons and so many more, I offer some thoughts on mothers worth repeating.

What Society Says About Mothers “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” —Rudyard Kipling, English author "A mother is the most precious possession of the nation, so precious that society advances

its highest well-being when it protects the functions of the mother. " – Ellen Key, Swedish feminist writer "There was never a great man who had not a great mother." – Olive Schreiner, South African author "A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to making leaning unnecessary." – Dorothy Canfield Fisher, American education reformer and social activist.

"A mother’s love is everything. It is what brings a child into this world. It is what molds their entire being. When a mother sees her child in danger, she is literally capable of anything. Mothers have lifted cars off of their children and destroyed entire dynasties. A mother’s love is the strongest energy known to man.”

—Jamie McGuire, American novelist “When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.” —Erma Bombeck, American columnist "Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together." — Susan Gale, American author.

"A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s." – Princess Diana What a Husband Should Say or Do for His Wife Follow Rabbi Akiva’s advice by seeing your wife’s deeds as being beautiful. If a woman is beautiful in the eyes of her husband, he is fortunate for his days are doubled, and he will feel rich and grateful, according to the Talmud.

Also, the Talmud says that a husband should love his wife as dearly as he loves himself, and respect her even more than he respects himself.

He should honor his wife more than himself, for she is the glue that holds the family together.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." —Theodore Hesburgh, priest and president of the University of Notre Dame.

What Children Say About Their Mother "My mother was my role model before I knew what the word was." —Lisa Leslie, former American basketball star "When you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know."

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—Mitch Albom, American sportscaster and author "Acceptance, tolerance, bravery, compassion. These are the things my mom taught me."

—Lady Gaga "My mother, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on, and that is the belief that the ability to achieve starts in your mind." —Michael Jordan "My mother’s love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, her intelligence reflected in my daughters." —Michelle Obama.

What Mothers Say About Themselves "When people inquire, I always just state, I have four nice children and hope to have eight."

—Aline Murray Kilmer, American poet "Of course, everybody knows that the greatest thing about Motherhood is the “Sacrifices,” but it is quite a shock to find out that they begin so far ahead of time." —Anita Loos, American screenwriter.

Bottom line: “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.” ì

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60 APRIL 30, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

NEW MOON MEDITATIONS Refine Our Souls and Heal the Planet Rosh Chodesh Iyar was observed from April 11-13. This month, which runs through May 11, has several important themes of healing, beginDr. Terry Segal ning with the New Moon Meditations acronym for Iyar, Ani Adonai Rofecha, “I am G-d your healer,” from the book of Exodus 15:26. Another recalls the first appearance of Miriam’s well, and also the manna that G-d rained down on us in set portions, that sustained our people while wandering in the desert and didn’t allow us to take more than our share. We’re also counting the Omer, from Pesach to Shavuot.

These seven weeks of seven days provide 49 steps toward the main task of this month, which is refining our souls to receive the Torah on Shavuot.

We can do this holy work by immersing ourselves in the practice and integration of the seven middot, universal virtues or attributes of G-d that include: kindness/chesed (living in service to G-d, loving one another); severity/gevurah (being disciplined, with high expectations of self/others); harmony/ tiferet (integrating kindness with severity and adding compassion); perseverance/ netzach (not giving up); humility/hod (being humble); foundation/yesod (giving of time, energy, money); and royalty/malchut (serving G-d through all middot).

This year as we do our individual inner work, maybe we can also apply the middot to do outer work to heal Mother Earth. Earth Day on our Gregorian calendar is April 22, but our efforts are needed beyond one day in order to heal our planet.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “An estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. If current trends continue, there could be more plastic than fish, by weight, in the ocean by 2050.” NOAA further explains that, “When plastics enter the ocean, they become a long-term issue for the environment due to their inability to biodegrade. Commonly used plastics found in water bottles, drinking straws and fishing lines are virtually indestructible, decomposing only in the presence of sunlight over hundreds of years.”

Whatever we had gained in reducing pollution since the onset of COVID by fewer cars on the road, more people working

from home, and restricted air travel, we’ve lost due to improper disposal of protection equipment such as single-use masks, gloves and bottles of hand sanitizer, along with disposable food containers and utensils.

Consider your part in helping to support Mother Earth.

The zodiac sign of Iyar is Taurus, the bull, representing dense, immovable energy. How might you use that to physically clear trash from your local park or neighborhood?

Vav is the Hebrew letter, which is like an elevator that lifts us up and down between the spiritual and physical worlds.

Observe the interconnectedness between our spiritual relationship to our planet and our physical actions.

Venus is the ruling planet, symbolizing love and beauty. As we extend our love, we play a part in the restoration of the beauty of G-d’s gift to us.

Issachar is the tribe, made up of scholars and mathematicians who gave credence to astronomy and the esoteric wonders of the universe. If every person changes a few habits, the numbers will diminish of waste on our land and in our oceans, and injury and death to animals from foreign objects in their waters will decrease.

The sense or attribute is thought. What we allow ourselves to think about gets our attention and action. One pathway toward elevating our souls and making ourselves more worthy is to remain mindful of our part in the reduction of pollution, waste, conservation, recycling and healing of our world, both locally and globally.

The controlling organ is the right kidney, which is the yin, or passive, feminine of the two. Kidneys in balance regulate the flow of life force and, when out of balance, can energetically carry emotional fear. It’s appropriate to feel frightened at the threat of losing our precious resources. Actions to reverse it, no matter how small, are significant.

Take shorter showers, don’t run water while you brush your teeth, own reusable shopping bags and refillable BPA-free water containers. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Meditation Focus: Choose specific actions to commit to this healing of self and planet. ì For a list of tips to help save the planet, visit www.conserve-energy-future.com/40surprising-ways-your-family-can-save-planetand-protect-mother-earth.php

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cell: 678-665-1024 dealership: 770-419-9800 ext. 312 rkurland@subaruofkennesaw.com www.subaruofkennesaw.com

Call me to test drive any of our new or used cars!

Arborist Services Tree Removal Cabling Planting

Permits Pruning Pest Control Consulting

5% OFF

Risk Assessment Stump Grinding Tree Health Care Crane Rental

for Angie’s List members

Excellence in Every Detail NOW LEASING CITY HOMES

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404.891.9190 | West Paces Ferry & Northside

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