Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIV NO. 30, August 2, 2019

NEXT WEEK: BACK TO COLLEGE

VOL. XCIV NO. 30 | BACK TO SCHOOL

Meet the New Consul General of Israel to the Southeast, Anat Sultan-Dadon

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES PUTS THE PRESSURE ON AS WE PREPARE FOR A NEW YEAR.

ANTI-BDS LEGISLATION VOTE CONGRESS PASSES RESOLUTION THAT OPPOSES EFFORTS AGAINST ISRAEL AND THE BDS MOVEMENT.

ONE PEOPLE ONE HEART CHABAD EVENT TURNS OUT UNITY WITH A MISSION TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING.

AUGUST 2, 2019 | 1 AV 5779

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PUBLISHER

MICHAEL A. MORRIS

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MANAGING PUBLISHER & EDITOR KAYLENE LADINSKY

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CHLOE LEVITAS CHARLOTTE MORRISON

Contributors This Week BOB BAHR DEBBIE DIAMOND HAROLD KIRTZ JAN JABEN-EILON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE RABBI JOAB EICHENBERG-EILON RABBI JOSHUA LESSER RABBI PETER BERG SARAH SHINSKY TODD COHN

School’s in Session It’s technically still summer, but that doesn’t stop Atlanta area classes from resuming after a little over a two-month hiatus. In our annual Back to School issue, the AJT provides stories we hope will help energize the start of your academic year.

We asked administrators and educators their biggest challenges.

We also talked with a few teachers about some of their most exciting job experiences, from a Woodward Academy educator who took students to Zambia to an Atlanta native who taught fourth graders in a private girls’ school in Dubai.

Among the new programs we spotlight are the Sports Science Academy at The Weber School, life skills courses at The Epstein School and the Marcus JCC’s Club J after-school experience.

A school director offers tips for choosing a preschool and we interview North Georgia camp directors about the issues relevant to the summer experience, similar to those area schools address, including technology, mental health and inclusion.

Even our Chai Style artist is a teach-

er along with being a multi-media artist from Moscow.

We interview the new Consul General of Israel to the Southeast, who has an interest in promoting ties between the younger generation and Israel.

In other Israel-related news, we follow up on the overwhelming support by Congress last week of a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. A few Atlanta Jewish leaders tell us what the resolution means to the larger Jewish community and our country’s support of Israel.

We preview a new documentary by an Israeli filmmaker on the life of the iconic “60 Minutes” newscaster Mike Wallace.

Rabbi Analia Bortz of Congregation Or Hadash shares her memories on the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina, to be commemorated at the Sandy Springs synagogue next week.

Another religious event, we take you to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for last week’s “One People One Heart” program featuring Rabbi Joseph Telushkin.

THIS WEEK It was a bustling Back to School week for the community and the AJT alike, and we have more education news planned for next week, in our Back to College issue. School is definitely back in session. ■ Cover photo taken by Maurice Garner: Consul General of Israel to the Southeast, Anat Sultan-Dadon.

CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS ���������������������������������� 6 ISRAEL NEWS ������������������������������� 14 OPINION ����������������������������������������� 16 BACK TO SCHOOL ����������������������� 20 ARTS ������������������������������������������������ 30 CHAI STYLE ����������������������������������� 31 CALENDAR ������������������������������������� 34 COMMUNITY ��������������������������������� 36 KEEPING IT KOSHER ������������������ 40 BRAIN FOOD ���������������������������������� 41 OBITUARIES ���������������������������������� 42 TISHA B' AV ����������������������������������� 44 CLOSING THOUGHTS ����������������� 45

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Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite www.atlantajewishtimes.com ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC © 2019 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 AUGUST 2, 2019 | 5

LOCAL NEWS New Israeli Consul General to Strengthen Ties

By Jan Jaben-Eilon Although she doesn’t specifically state it, the new Consul General of Israel to the Southeast, Anat Sultan-Dadon, apparently believes in the popular Jewish expression L’dor V’dor, from generation to generation. It’s often used to stress the responsibility of passing on Jewish knowledge and traditions to younger generations to maintain the heritage of the Jewish people.

Sultan-Dadon joined the Israeli diplomatic corps in 2004 after her Egyptianborn father, David Sultan, retired from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had served as Ambassador to Egypt, Turkey and Canada.

Sultan-Dadon was born in the Netherlands, where her father represented Israel in The Hague. She lived her first five years in that country, but has also lived in Kenya, Egypt, Italy and, of course, Israel.

She attributes her impeccable English to the fact that she attended mostly international schools before acquiring a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education and a master’s degree in criminology from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Now her two oldest of three daughters are enrolled in the Atlanta International School. Her youngest daughter will attend Jacob’s Ladder, a special needs school.

“I was always attracted to the Foreign Ministry, although I did not set out to pursue this career from the beginning,” Sultan-Dadon told the AJT. “I’ve always been interested in interacting with people.”

An avid reader since she was a child, she added, “I’m curious about people and cultures. It fits in well with the fields I chose to study and with a diplomatic ca-

reer. It combines my love of country and personal relationships.”

But she had to consider the impact of the career on her personal life. “As a woman, it’s more challenging to marry and build a family when this career involves the whole family. Spouses often pay a price, having to restructure their lives every few years.” Fortunately, 21 years ago she “married a husband that thought this career really suits me.”

During those years, the Consul General – who will celebrate her 45th birthday this month – held positions at the Israeli embassies in Cameroon, Germany, the Netherlands and most recently in Australia. This is the first time she has headed a mission, and it is her first assignment in the United States. At times, her husband Yaron worked alongside her in the Israeli missions. But he’s now building a program to help empower youth in Papua New Guinea.

References to the younger generation pepper Sultan-Dadon’s conversation, as does the emphasis she places on relationships. One of the first messages she sent as she started her new position in July was a “Shabbat Shalom” email to the leaders of the Atlanta Jewish community. “It’s important for me to stress that I see us working together to ensure the strength of the relationship of the Atlanta Jewish community with Israel.

“We’re fortunate to have a large active Jewish community here,” she continued. “I’ve already met different representatives and I have been welcomed with very heartwarming open arms. I’m being received here with Southern hospitality.”

Of course, the Atlanta Jewish community isn’t her only constituency. The Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast covers North Carolina, South Caro-

lina, Georgia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. The odd configuration is a result of the closing of the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia a few years ago.

There has been on-again, offagain talk of closing the Israel Consulate in Atlanta, but Sultan-Dadon stated, “As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing in the air about closing the Consulate.

It is important to have, and retain, the Consulate here.” She admitted that the well-pub-

licized budget constraints of the Israel Foreign Ministry “are not ideal, to say the least,” but she pointed out that much of her work at the Consulate is not budget dependent.

“The basics of diplomacy are interactions, and the relationships that you cultivate, the delivery of messages and points of view,” she said.

Her goal for this new post is clear: “I

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LOCAL NEWS

Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon with husband Yaron, and daughters (left to right), Lia, Niv and Shay with dog, Lola.

would like to see this Consulate promote Israeli interests within the states of our region on a variety of levels, including political, academic, cultural and economic.

An important part of our work is to work towards trying to ensure the strength of the relations going forward and retain bipartisan support. As a Consulate, we have the responsibility to convey Israel’s points of view on matters that are important to us, such as the Iranian threat and attempts to delegitimize Israel.”

Sultan-Dadon noted that “any Israeli diplomat has a responsibility to represent our country in the country he or she is posted, with target groups as well as with the wider audience,” referring to the fact that she represents Israel both to the Jewish communities in her region as well as the non-Jewish communities.

“An Israeli representative is always representing the nation state of the Jewish people.”

As part of those constituencies, the

Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon's daughters Shay (11), Niv (8) and Lia (15).

Consul General points out the importance of encouraging ties between the younger generation and Israel. She said the fact that Atlanta has so many Jewish day schools and community centers reflects how the local community shares that priority.

“It’s important that the Jewish community sees the Consulate as theirs. Ultimately, we are all one family. There are at times disagreements and criticisms, but Israel gives voice to different points

of view. We take pride in that. It’s fully legitimate to have a wide range of opinions and beliefs and still be able to maintain a dialogue and relationship.” She spoke of a welcoming large tent that would represent a wide range of ideas. “But I don’t think this respect can be extended to those who pursue calls to harm or undermine Israel’s existence.”

Looking ahead at her next four years at the Consulate in Atlanta, Sultan-Dadon said she’s “very excited.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 7

LOCAL NEWS

Maccabi Games Start With a Bang

Angelica Hale sang a powerful rendition of both American and Canadian national anthems.

Joe Castillo used his talents in sand storytelling to bring the story of the Munich 11 to life.

By Charlotte Morrison

Delegations came from as far away as Panama to compete in this year’s games.

American and Canadian national anthems by 11-year- come together to compete in a safe and open environold Atlanta native Angelica Hale, who has been featured ment.

After 18 months of planning and on “America’s Got TalOlympic athlete Adam Rippon preparing, and 18 years since Atlanta ent” multiple times. followed the tribute with a speech last hosted, the JCC Maccabi Games Hannah Zale, another that went along with this year’s theme arrived with Sunday night’s opening local artist, sang the of the games, beyond sports. He told ceremonies at Ameris Bank Amphithe“Hatikvah.” the athletes to remember the friends atre.

The ceremony and memories that they will make The festivities began with a prothen transitioned to this year, and what it truly means to cession of more than 1,600 athletes a reflective rendition compete and be a champion. “I am in a from 33 different delegations across of the annual tribute room full of champions,” he said. the U.S., and three international teams for the Munich 11 tragAt the end of his speech, he led from Mexico, Panama and Israel. Each edy, which honored an oath for Maccabi participants to delegation marched proudly down the 11 Israeli athletes follow during the games. Then it was the stadium behind their banner and and coaches that were time for games to officially begin and sign in their team jerseys and shirts massacred during the the opening ceremonies to end with designed to represent their home com1972 summer Olymthe lighting of the Maccabi flame munities. pics in Munich, Gerby Lisa and Ron Brill, honorary coFreddy Falcon led Team Atlanta Athletes from the Jewish Last to walk in was the hosting Atmany. Atlanta sand chairs of the games. They were joined in the procession of athletes.

Community Center of Greater lanta delegation, the largest in Maccabi artist Joe Castillo used onstage by Hale as she sang “Fight Baltimore showed their Games history, at more than 600 athletes. The group his storytelling through sand to illusSong” by Rachel Platten. excitement as they walked into was led by Freddy Falcon, mascot of the Atlanta Falcons, trate the importance of remembering This year’s opening ceremony was Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. and the Atlanta Drum Academy, who created an exciting the fallen Jewish athletes of the past definitely memorable, showcasing that atmosphere for the host team’s entrance. and how earlier sporting events differ from today, Atlanta and its Jewish community has the capacity and The procession was followed by the singing of the where Jewish athletes from around the world can excitement to kick off such a huge athletic event. ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Anti-BDS Resolution Shows Clear Support of Israel

Allison Padilla-Goodman is ADL Southeast regional director.

By Roni Robbins Leaders in the Atlanta Jewish community seem pleased with a new resolution overwhelmingly passed by Congress last week that condemns the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

The vote came exactly a week after six U.S. Democratic representatives, including two controversial congresswomen and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, co-sponsored another resolution that affirms Americans’ right to boycott. Lewis voted with the majority on the anti-BDS resolution July 23.

We asked a few community leaders what they thought about that resolution.

The Anti-Defamation League had this to say. “Resolution 246 reflects ADL’s deep commitment to standing up to efforts to delegitimize Israel, including through BDS campaigns,” said Allison Padilla-Goodman, ADL Southeast regional director.

“We welcome the important bipartisan, overwhelming congressional reaffirmation to direct negotiations between the parties leading to keeping alive the pursuit of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a time when ADL has been critical of efforts to politicize anti-Semitism or use support for Israel or the Jewish people as a tool to score political points, this wide bipartisan vote is encouraging.”

Padilla-Goodman said that the significance of the passage of House Resolution 246 “is that 398 members of the House of Representatives stood up to make clear their opposition to BDS, highlighting the problematic aspects of BDS’ root ideology – which is to deny Jewish self-determination – in a constitutionally sound manner, while promoting a pathway to Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. The leadership shown by these Congressional leaders will reinforce and strengthen ADL’s response to BDS.” Renee Evans is on the board of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and

Renee Evans serves on the of FIDF and JFNA Israel & Overseas boards.

the Israel and Overseas board of the Jewish Federations of North America. She called the overwhelming bipartisan passage of the anti-BDS resolution “spectacular” and “absolutely fabulous.”

“I think it shows our support for Israel. I think it silences hateful rhetoric going on in our country and brings cohesion to our political system,” Evans said.

“It helps us stand for Israel. It helps us stand as a country in the U.N., continue our policies and [say] that we are not going to allow Israel to be stampeded, belittled or persecuted,” she said.

“Israel has the right to exist and Israel will stand. Without Israel, Judaism will fail. We are interconnected.”

In light of the anti-BDS resolution approved last week, we asked Evans about the effectiveness of the pro-boycott resolution, House Resolution 496, introduced by Rep. Ilhan Omar July 16.

It had nine supporters when H. Res. 246 was passed and 14 co-sponsors at press time. Lewis was one of two original co-sponsors with Rashida Tlaib, whose family is Palestinian.

In terms of Lewis’ support of both resolutions, Evans said, “You’re either in one camp or the other. You can’t be in both.”

That’s because H. Res. 496 is an excuse to promote the BDS movement, she said.

“I fully believe the BDS movement is for the destruction of the State of Israel.”

She said the majority of Jews “have no idea what the BDS movement is and why it exists. It is more than boycotting goods. The intention of the BDS movement is the financial strangulation of the State of Israel leading to her collapse and destruction. Part of it is to also expose lists of businesses and institutions doing business with Israel, then boycotting them as well. It is a worldwide movement and a very hate-based, dangerous thing.”

While the anti-BDS resolution does not carry the weight of law, those interviewed agree it sends a clear message of U.S support for Israel. ■

Rep. John Lewis Affirms Support for H. Res 246 I did not author, but agreed to sign on as a cosponsor of H. Res. 496, a resolution “affirming that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad.” My support of this resolution was a simple demonstration of my ongoing commitment to the ability of every American to exercise the fundamental First Amendment right to protest through nonviolent actions.

As a young boy growing up in rural Alabama, the trajectory of my life changed when I heard the news of the Montgomery Bus Boycott on the radio. My support of these ideals simply affirms the constitutionally protected right to protest, enshrined by the First Amendment. It is not and was never meant to characterize opposition to boycotts as inherently unconstitutional.

However, as a longtime friend of Israel and also as a cosponsor of H. Res. 246, the resolution “opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel,” I want to make it very clear that I disagree strongly with the BDS movement.

Economic, educational, and cultural interaction with Israel, America’s democratic ally, is not only in the best interest of Israelis and Americans, but it improves the climate for peace with Palestinians, which is in everyone’s interest to encourage. For these reasons, I was proud to be one of 398 members of the House of Representatives – an overwhelming bipartisan majority – who voted to pass H. Res. 246 on July 23, 2019.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 9

LOCAL NEWS

Tragedy in Buenos Aires Remembered 25 Years Later

Protestors in Buenos Aires, with pictures of those killed, demanding justice for the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack.

By Bob Bahr It was just over 25 years ago, on July 18, 1994, that a Renault van packed with more than 600 pounds of high explosives was detonated in front of the headquarters of the most important Jewish organization in Argentina. The blast destroyed the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina, killing 85, most of them Jews working in the building, and wounding more than 300. It was the largest terrorist attack in that country’s history.

Among those who were eyewitnesses to that tragedy were Rabbis Analia Bortz and Mario Karpuj of Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs. In 1994 they had just been ordained by the Conservative seminary in the South American city.

For them both there are still deep emotional memories of that experience.

“It is a scar and a wound that is still open,” Rabbi

The site of the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires is now a memorial to the 85 victims.

The 1994 blast was a devastating blow to the Buenos Aires Jewish community.

Bortz said. “But we in Atlanta need to be aware and educated and prepared for a situation like this one. That is the story of AMIA.” The rabbis and their synagogue are sponsoring a program about that tragic event Aug. 11. The evening is being co-sponsored by the American Jewish Committee Argentina’s consulate in Atlanta.

Rabbi Bortz, her husband and Buenos Aires’ other rabbis had the sorrowful task of comforting the families of the victims. It was a particularly painful task for Bortz, who, because of her training as a doctor, spent three weeks with her husband in the city’s morgue, where the families went to identify their loved ones.

“And so, we would bring the families and it was particularly difficult because often there was not too much to identify because of the force of the bomb. Sometimes the only identification that we found was through their DNA of their teeth. And that was a terrible, terrible time

for us.”

Often the remains of the dead were so scant that the caskets had to be filled with rocks to give them some weight as they were carried to the gravesite. Not until 2016 was the last person who died in the explosion identified.

Among the victims was one of Rabbi Bortz’s best friends, Suzi Kleiman, who was married to a rabbi. So strong was the blast that it took eight days of searching through the rubble to find her body.

“They brought in a little boy, too. His name was Sebastian Barreiro, and he wasn’t Jewish. He was 5. He and his mother were walking by the building, holding hands, and the blast just sucked them in.”

The blast in 1994 was the second major attack on Jews in Buenos Aires in the 1990s. In 1992, an explosion ripped through Israel’s embassy there, killing 29 persons and wounding another 242.

Both explosions were the work of the Lebanese terrorist organization, Hezbollah, with the active support of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian embassy in Argentina.

Twenty-five years later, the perpetrators of the AMIA bombing have not yet been brought to justice.

There are six Red Notices issued by Interpol, the international law enforcement organization, for the arrest of senior Iranian officials and Hezbollah members suspected of participating in the attack.

In years past the government of Argentina has been accused of corruption and mismanagement in the investigation of the case. Beginning in 2004, a local prosecutor and a member of Argentina’s Jewish community, Alberto Nisman, took over the investigation. Despite death threats against him and his children, he continued the investigation for 11 years. The day before he was to present his final report he was murdered in 2015. Government officials called it a suicide.

“In 1994, after the bombing, Mario and I decided that we would leave Argentina for good because we felt that justice would never be achieved. Unfortunately, we were proved right. For a long, long time nothing happened.”

Perhaps that may be changing. Last month, on the 25th anniversary of the bombing, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Buenos Aires for an anti-terrorism conference, where Argentina’s government became the first South American country to single out Hezbollah as a global terrorism organization. ■ The 25th Anniversary Commemoration of the AMIA Bombing will be held 6:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 11 at Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs.

10 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

LOCAL NEWS

Chabad Turns out for Unity

A crowd of 500 converged on the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for the event.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre felt an inspirational type of energy over a sea of kippot, kindness and learning to celebrate the teachings and impact of Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson on the 25th anniversary of his passing.

To mark the occasion, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, The New York Times bestselling author, addressed the audience of 500 July 24 to summarize Schneerson’s teachings “that can change your life starting today.”

Also scheduled to speak at the “One People One Heart” event was Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, director of the Chabad of Poway, Calif., who cancelled because of medical issues. Goldstein was wounded in a shooting in April at the San Diegoarea synagogue.

Before the main program, guests mingled with Teluskin at an underwriters’ reception featuring Atlanta’s new EB Catering Co. and an impressive cadre of Georgia’s Chabad rabbanim, and were greeted by the leader of Chabad of Georgia, Rabbi Yossi New. Telushkin shared at the reception one of the rebbe’s teachings about how to be more successful with time management.

“We cannot add one minute to any day. We must operate with intensity not thinking about the past or future. … The rebbe was fully focused on the present. That was his secret for accomplishing so much.”

Others at the reception had their own impressions of the great rebbe.

“The rebbe’s influence covers the Jewish spectrum in the universal message that every individual has the ability to bring goodness and godliness into the world,” said Rabbi Eliyahu Shusterman of Chabad Intown.

Dr. Paul Scheinberg reconnected with Telushkin, recalling their Shabbatot together with Scheinberg’s father, Louis, when they lived in Brooklyn.

Sponsor Carol Epstein of Morah Carol’s Place came to honor the rebbe’s

Headline speaker Rabbi Joseph Telushkin catches up with Dr. Paul Scheinberg, whose father knew Telushkin in Brooklyn .

Rabbi Yossi and Dassi New greet the program’s emcee Liz Helgesen, the voice of MARTA, with her husband Bob.

Avremel Wolf chats with Mitchell Kopelman during the Underwriters’ Reception prior to the program.

values. Newly appointed Chabad Decatur Rabbi Avremi Slavaticki, whose father is the Chabad rabbi in Antwerp, Belgium, broke away from his newborn to be inspired by the program.

Inside the ballroom, emcee Liz Helgesen, a member of Chabad of Cobb and the “Voice of MARTA,” stated that it was one of her biggest honors to “begin the program, … a chance to open our hearts and rewire our neurons.”

After a video showing the rebbe as recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor – receiving it posthumously from President Bill Clinton – Rabbi New gave the medal’s history and meaning.

“In 1992, two-thirds of Congress supported this unprecedented action. This was prior to having a Chabad House in D.C., so it was up to me, from “Jorge-ah,” to arrange both Republican Newt Gingrich and Democrat John Lewis to move on this.”

New said he turned to fellow rabbi Alvin Sugarman of The Temple to use his connections to help bring the medal to fruition. At the time, Lewis compared Schneerson to Martin Luther King and said that giving the rebbe the medal was just “the right thing to do,” New recalled.

Lewis recently took some heat from the Jewish community for his co-sponsorship of a boycott resolution with Congressman Ilhan Omar that some interpret as giving the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement more momentum.

Meanwhile, New announced at the One People One Heart event a new program, CHARGE, in which Chabad of Georgia will further expand into rural areas all over the state with full-time support.

Next, Telushkin took the stage to share teachings of the rebbe that were relatable and useful, along with his own wisdom. He started with the rapid growth of Chabad, whose outreach stretches from South Dakota to Kathmandu in Nepal, where the world’s largest seder hosts 1,200.

Some of the teachings Teluskin cited were: • Every individual step counts. We

can’t always be thinking if each step leads to something else.

• Chabad’s practice of giving dollar bills stems from the teaching that something good should happen to a third person not involved in the transaction – good being passed along.

Speaking of money, Telushkin’s father was an accountant for the rebbe.

Telushkin noted that some non-observant Jews defy the stereotype of those who support [financially] Chabad because they have the biggest fear that their own grandchildren will not be Jewish.

• Modify how we use our words. For example, hospital, meaning house of the

sick, needs to be changed to house of healing. The rebbe eschewed language such as “house for the incurables.”

• zDon’t use negative terms such as deadline. How about due date instead?

• Don’t attack people, only positions.

When a troubled youth was brought to the rebbe, he honed in on the boy’s ability to be truthful, emes, rather than his voiced anger and insubordination.

In a video shown during the evening, Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of England, summed up the lessons: “Good things happen when someone believes in you more than you believe in yourself. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 11

LOCAL NEWS

Weisberg Focuses on Friendship

By Eddie Samuels Originally typewritten in all caps, Rhonda Weisberg’s first book, “Rodney and Rainbow’s Adventures in Friendship, Book 1,” launched last week.

“I found it and I thought, ‘Oh, this is actually pretty good,’” she said.

A graphic designer by trade, Weisberg has always loved to write, but is now making her first foray into published writing, and she has her

sights set high.

“I’m hoping to make this a series,” she said. “There are lots of life lessons that we all learn the hard way and I want to teach kids about competition and jealousy and listening skills and all kinds of lessons.”

Her first in the series focuses on friendship, as Rodney, a dog inspired by a childhood neighbor’s Cairn Terrier, and Rainbow, a cat, undertake a lighthearted adventure and learn what it means to be

a good friend.

In addition to writing the book, Weisberg also illustrated it, putting her graphic design skills on display. In terms of why children’s books appealed to her, Weisberg explained that she hadn’t so much set out to write one, but it felt natural.

“I think it might be that I’m still a kid myself,” she said. “I really think that

when it comes to friendship it’s that adults sometimes fumble with the same things they did as little kids. Kids aren’t ever taught about how to be a good friend; they learn through trial and error.” ■ Published on July 23, “Rodney and Rainbow’s Adventures in Friendship” is available on Amazon at https:// amzn.to/2Zd23UF.

Esports is One of Maccabi’s Newest Offerings With the Maccabi Games in full swing, one would expect to see plenty of teens running around, playing basketball or soccer. But Lost Tribe Esports is

one of the newest ventures to take part in the Maccabi hype, and it may look a little different.

Lost Tribe will be hosting four ex-

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hibition tournaments in both Atlanta and Detroit alongside Maccabi events in those cities. Each tournament will consist of 56 participants playing two-ontwo tournaments in Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate, Rocket League, NBA 2K19, and Madden NFL 19.

“Teens turn to the internet to explore, discover and build friendships. It’s where they spend their time and where they hang out today,” said Lenny Silberman, founder and CEO of Lost Tribe Esports. “Just as the Jewish community has for generations engaged kids with sports, esports gives us another powerful way to introduce Jewish identity-building experiences to teens today. The possibilities are endless.”

Lost Tribe Esports is a nonprofit that aims to connect with a new generation of Jews through esports, which is among the fastest growing industries

in the world, seeing regular coverage on ESPN and other mainstream sports media.

In addition to the tournaments, athletes participating in the games will be able to test out some of the esports during their free time and get a feel for what competitive gaming can be.

Making its debut at the BBYO International Convention in 2019, Lost Tribe Esports is now partnered with JCC Maccabi to feature its esports alongside a more traditional sports atmosphere.

“JCC Association of North America is delighted to partner with Lost Tribe Esports on this innovative initiative and to add another exciting, engaging dimension to the JCC Maccabi Games,” says Samantha Cohen, vice president of JCC Maccabi. ■ -Compiled by AJT Staff.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 13

ISRAEL PRIDE

News From Our Jewish Home couples create intimacy in a relationship.

“Judaism is the center of my life, but I also live in a modern world,” Boteach said. “I want to reconcile the two. This is my way of bringing the light of Judaism into this world.”

Shoshanna Solomon // Chana Boteach

posing in front of some accessories at her Kosher Sex store in Tel Aviv.

Rabbi’s Daughter Runs Kosher Sex Store

Chana Boteach, daughter of America’s celebrity Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, has opened a kosher sex store in Tel Aviv. Her friend Christina Dickens, who designs and reworks vintage clothes, was also planning to open up a store, and the two women decided to set up shop together to make it less daunting for customers seeking out the sex aids, Boteach explained.

The name of the Tel Aviv store is Foreign Denim X Kosher Sex. “We have a range of very different products and I make sure that everything is body safe and good for the environment,” Boteach said. “Nothing is vulgar. Sexuality is complex. These are all things that can be used with a partner to create further intimacy.

“They browse through the clothes and then peek” at the other stuff, Boteach said. What makes the store kosher is the purpose of the toys, Boteach explained.

The sex aids are meant to “help married

Cybersecurity Training for People with Disabilities

Led and financed by the National Cyber Directorate and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry, a new cybersecurity training course for people with disabilities has opened in Israel. This first cohort of the course will include 16 students on the autism spectrum, ages 21 and older.

The training program will last about two months and will include about 250 hours of theoretical learning, along with practical training.

At the end of the course the students will take accreditation exams set out by the cyber directorate and successful candidates will gain a diploma in cybersecurity.

“When the graduates of the course integrate into the labor market, we will be able to close a whole circle of contribution to the community, increase productivity in the economy and strengthen the cyber resilience of the Israeli economy,” Ariel Hovav of the National Cyber Directorate said in a statement to The Times of Israel.

Today in Israeli History Aug. 2, 1923: Shimon Peres, the only person to serve as Israeli prime minister and president, is born in what is now Belarus to Yitzchak and Sara Perski. Peres and his family make aliyah in 1934, settling in Tel Aviv. He moves into politics when he is elected secretary of the Labor Zionist youth movement in 1941. He is first elected to the Knesset in 1959 and first serves as prime minister in 1977. He also serves as prime minister in the 1980s and 1990s. He shares the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for the Oslo Accords. He serves as president from 2007 to 2014.

Aug. 3, 1945: Earl Harrison, sent to Europe by President Harry Truman to check on the conditions in displaced-persons camps, reports that rumors of poor treatment are true in many cases. After visiting 30 DP camps in Germany and Austria, he finds that “we appear to be treating the Jews as the Nazis treated them, except that we do not exterminate them.” The report leads Truman to call for Britain to admit 100,000 Jewish refugees into Palestine.

Aug. 4, 1920: Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, a professor at the Jewish Theologi14 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

New Tool to Help Detect Blood at Crime Scenes

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba have found a way to detect blood at crime scenes with a device they developed. The device is made up of luminol, a chemical substance used by criminologists to detect blood and proteins and nanosized particles of gold or silver, which amplify the emission of light when blood spots are detected.

Putting luminol in one syringe and gold and silver particles in another, the researchers created a tube-like device that is fed by both syringes on its sides.

“The method developed by BGU researchers will enable development of future detectors with improved sensitivity.

We are currently looking for partners for further developing this promising patented invention,” said Netta Cohen, CEO of BGN Technologies.

SodaStream’s CEO Steps Down as Chairman

SodaStream’s CEO Daniel Birnbaum, who sold the home carbonation company to U.S. beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. for $3.2 billion, is stepping down to become the chairman of the Israeli company.

Deputy CEO Eyal Shohat will replace Birnbaum on Aug. 1, SodaStream Internamonic Orchestra from 1946 to 1952 and received the Israel Prize in 1961.

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan learns with students at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

cal Seminary, publishes the article “A Program for the Reconstruction of Judaism” in the Menorah Journal, expanding on discussions he had with rabbis and lay leaders earlier in the year. Kaplan argues that Judaism in America is defined by immigrants and has shown no signs of being self-sustaining. He emphasizes Zionism as a key component in the reconstruction of American Judaism.

Aug. 5, 1995: Israeli composer Menachem Avidom dies at age 87. A cousin of Gustav Mahler and a native of Russia who made aliyah in 1925, Avidom studied music in Paris and Beirut and became an innovator in fusing Middle Eastern and European musical theories. He began writing pieces in the new style in 1944 and in the process paved the way for Mizrahi musicians in Israel. He served as the general secretary of the Israel Philhar-

Aug. 6, 1923: Meeting in Carlsbad, Czechoslovakia, the 13th Zionist Congress opens to discuss details about the British mandate for Palestine and the prerogatives of the Palestine Zionist Executive, which guides Jewish immigration and settlement in the Land of Israel. A successor to the Zionist Commission, the PZE changes its name to the Jewish Agency in 1929. The Congress decides that the agency will not allow non-Zionists to join, although that decision is reversed in 1929.

Photo by Moshe Milner, Israeli Government Press Office // An Israeli soldier monitors the Suez

Canal on Aug. 15, 1970, ensuring that the cease-fire signed eight days earlier holds.

Aug. 7, 1970: A cease-fire is signed to end the War of Attrition, in which Egypt heavily shelled Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Egypt and Israel engaged in aerial battles and commando raids.

Fighting between Israel and Egypt and Jordan continued at the level of skirmishes

SodaStream // SodaStream CEO Daniel

Birnbaum with Eyal Shohat.

tional Ltd. said in a statement. Birnbaum will step into the position of chairman on Sept. 1 after 12 years of running the firm.

In a letter to employees, Birnbaum recounted, “Looking back at the past 12 years, we have accomplished so very much together: We disrupted the beverage industry. We created jobs for 3,500 families. We proved that peace is possible between Israelis and Palestinians. We saved the world from billions of plastic bottles. … We grew our global presence from 13 countries to 46. We got acquired

by PepsiCo, an historical event for the State of Israel. But no less important, we celebrated holidays, prayed side by side, made friendships that span religions, nations and continents, and we became a family,” he said.

“Following 12 amazing years with you all, and upon completion of the first year of integration with PepsiCo, I’ve decided to step back from the day-to-day operations at SodaStream,” Birnbaum explained. “PepsiCo’s CEO asked me to stay on as chairman and I am honored and delighted to do so.” ■ and mortar attacks after the June 1967 war, then ramped up when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser made an official call to war on March 8, 1969. Jordan tired of the fighting and the activities of the PLO by mid-1970, however, and the Soviet Union backed off its support for Nasser’s aggression after Israeli pilots shot down five Russian-piloted MiG-21s on July 30, 1970.

Aug. 8, 1924: Lia Van Leer, a pioneer in Israeli film appreciation and creation, is born Lia Greenberg in Beltsy, Romania (now Moldova). She is visiting her sister, a dentist in Tel Aviv, when the Germans invade Beltsy in summer 1941. The Nazis kill her parents; she stays in Palestine. She marries engineer Wim Van Leer in 1952, and the two develop a love of cinema as an art form during frequent travel abroad.

They start film societies and show arthouse films across Israel. They create the Israel Film Archive in 1960. She launches the Jerusalem Film Festival in 1984 and receives the Israel Prize in 2004. ■ Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ISRAEL NEWS Special Needs Children Soar Among the Treetops

Photos by Yoav Devir, KKL-JNF // Treetop ropes

Campers rock climb at the KKLJNF Field and Forest Center.

Ziplines, hanging bridges, ropes courses, wall-climbing, field trips, arts and crafts with natural material. Children with special needs fully participated in all these fun camp activities through summer camps organized by the Etgarim organization, at Keren-Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund’s Field and Forest Center in Tzipori, Israel.

The camp, attended by about 3,500 campers, was held in collaboration with KKL-JNF’s Education and Community Division and made possible by support of the joint organization’s friends in Germany.

Campers between 9 and 21 years old came from throughout Israel and from a variety of population sectors: children with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities, and from diverse societies, ethnicities and religions. Joining them were hundreds of dedicated volunteers.

“Our mission is to enable children with special needs to experience the same things as any other kid does,” said Avner Balkany, CEO of Etgarim. “Nature is an open space for adventures as well as individual and group activities, and the children gain life lessons when they succeed in doing something they didn’t think possible.”

Etgarim aimed to build the facilities for all the challenging activities that take place at an altitude. The highest climbing installation set up this year in the camp reached 82 feet.

Navigating from branch to branch while secured by a safety rope brought the campers among the treetops. The relatively low facility was almost 33 feet high. Climbing either one was a true challenge and required a lot of courage.

During camp, counselors guided campers through various activities such as water play using different containers,

balancing activities, shooting hoops and creating mosaics.

“We have a special connection with these guys and there is an enormous sense of satisfaction,” said Moshe Kahalani, a KKL-JNF counselor and trainer.

“Everyone can discover their strengths here, and thanks to the teamwork, the entire group succeeds together.”

The Tzipori Field and Forest Center includes sports and recreation facilities, sitting areas, tents and outdoor classrooms, which enable experiential learning alongside field activities. A team of professional trainers guide the campers in educational activities and tours around the area.

One of the volunteers, Ilya Marin from Jerusalem, was an Etgarim camper.

Now she works as a software engineer at Intel. While standing near the climbing wall and helping campers reach the top, she said, “A kid who manages to reach the top of a climbing wall gets a sense of ability and understands that he or she is capable of succeeding on his/her own.

They also learn that there is no shame in asking for help. Etgarim has been an important part of my personal success.

They gave me the confidence in my ability to succeed in life. I remember myself as a kid participating in this activity, and today I am proud to have the opportunity to help other children.”

Zeev Wagshal, the Etgarim camp director, said that for the youth, meeting the volunteers was an important part of their experience: “They deal with a significant number of difficulties here and experience many successes. This helps them in various aspects of their day-to-day lives, from studying to employment.” ■

course at Etgarim summer camp, KKLJNF’s Tzipori Field and Forest Center.

Compiled by AJT Staff.

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OPINION What to Do When Schools Fail Children

By Todd Cohn Just recently, the South Florida Jewish community collectively took a very deep breath when Spanish River High School’s Principal William Latson weighed in on the school’s approach to state-mandated Holocaust education. I was in com- Todd plete and total shock when Cohn I learned of what had transpired just a few miles from our NCSY office.

Principal Latson said he had to remain “politically neutral” when choosing how to educate our children about the Holocaust. He also stated in the email [to a parent], “Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened and you have your thoughts but we are a public school and not all of our parents have the same beliefs so they will react differently.”

These disturbing events continue to be at the top of our radar as we wonder why the Holocaust is being reclassified as a belief and not fact. How did this one man find himself in the middle of one of

16 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

the biggest challenges facing Jews today?

As the executive director of Southern NCSY, I find myself deeply invested in connecting our Jewish teens to their heritage and providing them the important leadership skills needed to exact positive change not only in their local communities, but also in the world. It’s a task that I’m both personally and professionally extremely devoted to. We teach them about Israel advocacy, help them professionally network, teach them Torah, provide them with social programs and charitable ones as well.

One of our programs, JSU (Jewish Student Union), operates in 60 high schools across South Florida – including Spanish River High School. At JSU, we seek to engage teens and strengthen their Jewish identity. Participation is always free and open to any teen, regardless of their Jewish background or denomination.

With the continued increase in anti-

Semitism and the unfortunate growth of Holocaust denial, I’m forced to re-examine our outreach teen programming.

I keep asking myself if we are doing enough. Perhaps a shift is in order? Maybe we need to arm our Jewish teens with the ability to deal with encounters with Holocaust deniers in their own schools?

Is that what it’s come to? Along the same lines, are adults in need of education as well? Are middle-class, well-educated Boca Raton adults in need of a Holocaust literacy program of their own? Do school officials need to be taught how to handle those who incorrectly deny that portions of our world’s history never happened?

Today we are both burdened and blessed with instant news, breaking news, social networks, text messages, group messages and even fake news. Information is at our fingertips 24/7/365.

Some people receive information and are quick to draw often unmoving and irrational conclusions. There are people that bend over backwards not to offend while others speak their minds inappropriately in these forums and can incite a riot with just a few words.

This brings me back to former Prin-

cipal Latson. Whether or not he either personally or professionally holds the opinion that the Holocaust never happened, the situation should serve as a wake-up call, a wake-up call to the Jewish people and to the agencies around the world that are tasked with educating our children. Southern NCSY plans to lend a hand in making sure the students, parents and school officials at Spanish River (and other schools in South Florida) have not only a clear picture of the tragic history of the Jewish people, but are also armed with the confidence to stand behind Holocaust programming. For it’s through education that we can both preserve our history and ensure that it never happens again. ■ Todd Cohn is executive director of Southern NCSY, which connects, inspires and empowers Jewish teens in six Southern states and encourages passionate Judaism through Torah and tradition.

OPINION Letter to the editor: Regarding the article “Will Resolution 496 Bolster BDS Effort?” The answer to this question is an unequivocal yes. Given that two of the three co-sponsors are pro-BDS congresswomen, I see this resolution as a backdoor way to upend all anti-BDS legislation by state and local governments. What is more insulting is invoking the Holocaust, something both [Reps. Rashida] Tlaib and [Ilhan] Omar like to do, into this resolution as an example of boycott the U.S. was supposedly involved in from March 1933 to October 1941. However, the U.S. did not boycott Nazi Germany during this time period because of the dehumanization of the Jewish people, as this resolution states. Maybe Tlaib and Omar need to read up on their history before making such claims. Additionally disheartening is that our own Rep. John Lewis co-sponsored this resolution. I was a member of the Black-Jewish Coalition in the 1990s and I am disgusted with how Lewis has treated the Jewish community, first by voting for the Iran deal, and second, co-sponsoring this bill that will make a loophole for allowing the BDS movement to thrive in this country. He has stabbed us in the back. I feel Sherry Frank is either naïve to his motives or is complicit in them. The best thing that the 5th District Jewish community can do is vote Representative Lewis out of office. It is time for him to retire.

Toni Brown, East Cobb

Letter to the editor: While some boycotts have been instrumental in righting wrongs, the original Arab boycott of Israel was driven by pure anti-Semitism, as is today’s BDS movement.

In 1945 the Arab League banned its members from dealing with the Jewish community in Palestine, later extending the ban to Israel and threatening to stop trading with nations doing business with Israel. Anti-boycott legislation, adopted during the Carter administration, sought to prevent American businesses from being used to implement such policies of foreign governments.

The BDS movement was started ostensibly to protest the building of Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, liberated from illegal Jordanian occupation as Israel defended her people from the genocidal intentions of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. What really irks BDS proponents is that Palestinians and Israelis work side-by-side, serving both Israeli and Palestinian consumers. This threatens the Palestinian narrative of Israeli oppression. Thus, leaders, who will not negotiate on Israeli peace proposals, fear that their people will get to know Israelis personally and perhaps will be harder to incite to violence. True supporters of the Palestinian people should be urging the leaders to prioritize building a future for their people over efforts to destroy the nation-state of the Jews.

Toby F. Block, Atlanta

Rep. Omar was not legally married to the father of her children when they filed taxes jointly, which is a violation of Minnesota law. She also misused and had to repay campaign funds.

A politician who manipulates and does not tell the whole truth is a danger to this country, and Rep. Omar has a history of engaging in deceptive practices while claiming to be a victim.

Julia Lutch, California 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.

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Letter to the editor: Manipulative and/or ill-informed pronouncements from Ilhan Omar are not unusual. Last March Rep. Omar stated, “CAIR was founded after 9/11” because “all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.” In fact, CAIR [Council on AmericanIslamic Relations] was incorporated in 1994. And although CAIR claims to be the nation’s preeminent Muslim civil rights group, in 2017 CAIR claimed that it was a religious organization and therefore exempt from the National Labor Relations Act. The National Labor Relations Board rejected that argument.

Rep. Omar, comparing Obama to Trump, stated, “One is human, the other is not,” yet she seems untroubled that some CAIR leaders have been convicted of criminal activity. Ghassan Elashi, a founding board member of CAIR-Texas, was convicted for making illegal computer shipments to Libya and Syria and conspiring to send money to Mousa Abu Marzook, an admitted Hamas leader. Randall (Ismail) Royer, once a communications specialist for CAIR, pled guilty to weapons and explosives charges.

Bassem Khafagi pled guilty to bank and visa fraud charges; at the time of his arrest, he was community affairs director of the CAIR. Ms. Omar stated last year, in response to a question about Jihadi terrorism, “I would say our country should be more fearful of white men across our country because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country, and so if fear was the driving force of policies to keep America safe, Americans safe inside of this country, we should be profiling, monitoring and creating policies to fight the radicalization of white men.” The United States is about 75 percent white, so it should surprise no one that whites are responsible for the largest percentage of violent crime.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 17

OPINION

Congressman Lewis Is a Friend to Israel

By Rabbi Peter Berg and Rabbi Joshua Lesser

As the congressman noted in his statement on this BDS. That resolution plainly and simply affirms “that all bill, “I want to make it very clear that I disagree strongly Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in As rabbis, leaders in the Atlanta Jewish community with the BDS movement. Economic, educational, and pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, and proud supporters of the state of Israel, we want to cultural interaction with Israel, America’s democratic as protected by the First Amendment to the Constituapplaud our Congressman John Lewis for the recent po- ally, is not only in the best interest of Israelis and Ameri- tion,” and opposes unconstitutional legislative efforts sitions that he has taken in support of cans, but it imto restrict this fundamental right for Israel, in opposition to the Global BDS proves the climate any group of Americans in the service movement and in defense of the First for peace with Palof any cause. It does not mention IsraAmendment. estinians, which is el, the BDS movement or any specific Throughout his long career in in everyone’s intercontemporary movement.

Congress, Rep. Lewis has proven himest to encourage.”

We’re deeply grateful that Rep. self to be a strong supporter of the While this Lewis has demonstrated that memstate of Israel and an advocate for the resolution affirmed bers of Congress – and all Americans pursuit of peace. In the past month, Congress’ over– can stand up for Israel, push back he has once again reaffirmed these whelming biparagainst the anti-Israel BDS movecommitments with his vote in favor tisan opposition ment, and still respect and uphold the of House Resolution 246 and with his to the Global BDS First Amendment. co-sponsorship of House Resolution movement and its This position is not contradic496. anti-Israel agenda, tory; on the contrary, it is principled The first of these resolutions, H. it importantly did and effective. We’re disheartened that Res. 246, recently passed the House not seek to impose a handful of voices in our community Rabbi Joshua Lesser Rabbi Peter Berg with the support of an overwhelming unconstitutional have unhelpfully sought to use it as an bipartisan majority. It expresses unequivocal opposi- penalties on Americans who choose to engage in boy- excuse to launch partisan attacks on Congressman Lewtion to the Global BDS (boycott, divestment and sanc- cotts. No matter how strongly one disagrees with or op- is. These voices have deliberately ignored the Congresstions) movement against Israel, making clear that this poses the rhetoric or goals of specific movements and man’s clear condemnation of BDS and absurdly charged movement does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, does efforts, the right to boycott is an important component that his support for constitutional rights is somehow not support a peaceful two-state solution to the Israeli- of our democracy. harmful to Israel.

Palestinian conflict, and only harms the prospects for That is the sacred democratic principle affirmed by At every turn in his career Rep. Lewis has stood by peace and mutual understanding between Israelis and the recently introduced H. Res. 496, which Congressman Israel, working to enhance its security and to safeguard Palestinians.

Lewis has co-sponsored in addition to his vote opposing the future of its people. And as a heroic leader of the civil rights movement, boycotts and protests that helped to overturn some of the gravest injustices in American history, the congressman’s own experiences and record is a powerful testament to the need to protect the rights of all Americans to nonviolent protest and free speech.

We’re encouraged that the overwhelming majority of members of Congress in both parties continue to support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and to oppose the BDS movement, and we thank Rep. Lewis for affirming that there is no contradiction between supporting Israel, promoting peace and upholding the constitution.

Rabbi Peter Berg is the senior rabbi at The Temple. Rabbi Joshua Lesser leads Congregation Bet Haverim.

U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.) 18 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

OPINION

Challenging the BDS Movement Recent actions in Congress show the overwhelming support that Israel has among both Democrats and Republicans. Much has been made recently of the opposition to Israel by several members of Congress. However, their position is a tiny one.

In late July, the U.S. House of Representatives over- Harold whelmingly passed (398-17) a Kirtz measure condemning the BDS movement, the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel. The lead sponsor was a Jewish Democrat from Illinois, Rep. Brad Schneider. He said that bringing a vast majority of the House on board to the resolution was a major achievement.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who is one of four Representatives who make up what has become known colloquially as the “squad,” joined the bipartisan majority in voting for the resolution. She publicly defended her decision: “What I heard resounding in my community was that voting yes on this resolution affirmed to my constituents raised in the Jewish faith Israel’s right to exist, a view I share

as a supporter of a two-state solution.”

Schneider said the passage of the anti-BDS resolution made clear that opposition to the movement was a consensus issue. “I spent the last four months working with my colleagues so they understand the purpose of” the resolution and “what impact it will have in our [Jewish] community and promoting peace in the Middle East,” he said.

The anti-BDS resolution was backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and also enshrines the two-state outcome to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at a time that the Trump administration and Israel’s government appear to have retreated from the concept. Rep. Schneider stated that “It is an important statement that the United States is committed to a negotiated two-state solution to ensure that Israel is Jewish and democratic.”

However, there is also a resolution (HR 246) that affirms “all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and

abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.” Some supporters of Israel have expressed concern that that resolution could be interpreted as support for BDS efforts, although BDS is not mentioned in the resolution.

Pressley co-sponsored that second measure along with Omar and Atlanta’s own Rep. John Lewis. Pressley stated, “Like Congressman John Lewis, I believe that I can hold these strong views without opposition. Protest is sacred and activism is critical.”

The first resolution also says Americans have a right to petition in opposition to government policy, a nod toward some Democrats who oppose separate legislation that penalizes Israel boycotts because, they say, such penalties impinge on speech freedoms. Republicans continued to press for the Democratic-led House to pass separate legislation, already approved by the Senate, that would protect states that penalize boycotters.

That effort has run into opposition because of First Amendment concerns.

For most Jews, we are in the uncomfortable position of defending Israel and defending the central rights of the

American experiment, including freedom of speech and freedom to petition.

Restrictions on Americans’ liberties such as speech can only hurt Jews in the long run. We are in our best position when we can use our own freedom of speech to defend Israel and defeat BDS efforts wherever they crop up.

Also passed in the House was legislation that codifies the $38 billion over 10 years in defense assistance that the Obama administration announced in the last months of 2016. Writing the assistance into law keeps any current and future presidents from walking it back.

The Senate passed a similar measure.

Still another bill passed that imposes new sanctions on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, two terrorist groups that have fired missiles on Israeli civilian areas.

AIPAC applauded the House of Representatives for “adopting three bipartisan measures that strengthen the U.S.Israel relationship.”

The Jewish community must follow up these resolutions by meeting the BDS movement head on.

Harold Kirtz is president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 19

BACK TO SCHOOL High Expectations for Back to School

By Roni Robbins

“Adults have a hard time building opportunities for grit and tenacity.”

As they head back to school, Jewish Social interactions also are sufferstudents are facing increasingly high ing from students growing up in a culture expectations for academic success in built primarily around electronic comtheir over-scheduled, electronically per- munications. “Children are not getting vasive lives. Staying ahead of the curve enough ability to build relationships with is keeping administrators, teachers and each other and adults,” he said. parents on their toes. And they are feelMeanwhile, teachers are being chaling the pressure more than ever before to lenged to prepare students at the earliest ensure students have the levels for a competitive job social and high-tech tools market. they need to thrive in a Consider The Epstein rapidly evolving environSchool’s new life skill ment, while encouraging courses this year. All stuhealthy coping habits to dents, from pre-K to eighth counter damaging ones. grade, will be learning how Rabbi Ari Leubitz, to code, develop a website head of school of the Atand master basic executive lanta Jewish Academy, functioning skills, among said the fast pace of sociother classes, according to ety and its cultural norms David Welsher, Epstein’s create undue anxiety in elementary school princiAJA Head of School Rabbi Ari students. Instead of de- Leubitz believes students should pal. manding perfection, “the be allowed to learn from failures.

“The amount of innotion that they have to be good at every- formation required for students to gain thing,” students could learn more from is now significantly more than it was five failure and a chance to “sit in tension.” to 10 years ago,” he said.

20 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Drew Frank, The Davis Academy’s value of the “aha moment,” when a child associate head of school, shares similar connects with peers or the material besentiments. ing taught, said Epstein’s “Perhaps the greatWelsher. Parents may est challenge facing our question the attention teachers is the pace of placed on Torah, Hebrew change,” he said. “Societal and Judaics and other and workplace norms are “soft” life skills compared evolving at such a rapid to the basics: reading pace, and with that, the writing and math, he said. field of education must They may also judge one also evolve. As educators, school by another’s test we are preparing children scores – typically high for a complex world and for private day schools frankly, for jobs that don’t – when there’s so much Drew Frank is The Davis Academy’s associate head yet exist. more that is “hard to put of school and principal.

“Our teachers are into a qualitative study” tasked with the responsibility of ensur- or mimic on a worksheet, Welsher said. ing that our students are academically “One of the biggest challenges teachprepared and technically skilled in prep- ers face is time. Teachers always want to aration for a changing and unknown fu- do what is best for their student, their ture, while at the same time are ground- families, colleagues and content,” he said. ed in timeless Jewish values that will give “With so many people focused them the foundation upon which they on test scores, it can be a challenge to can make wise choices show value outside of and contribute meaningcore content. When I fully in making the world was working in a public a better place,” Frank said. school, I would frequentRachel Rothstein, ly have this conversaincoming dean of social tion with art and mustudies at The Weber sic teachers, especially School, is aware of the when budget cuts were pressures. looming,” said Welsher, “I mostly teach juwho is a former public niors who are starting school social studies the college process at the teacher, coach and midsame time that they’re dle school principal.

David Welsher is Epstein’s taking a number of AP Speaking of pubelementary school principal. and honors courses,” said lic schools, the largest Rothstein, who teaches modern Jewish concern for Fulton County is vaping or history. “Most of my students are taking e-cigarettes, according to Christopher eight classes plus playing sports and/or Matthews, Assistant Superintendent participating in any number of extra- of Student Support Services, and Chief curricular activities. I try really hard to Communications Officer Brian Noyes. have realistic expectations for what I Vaping is also an issue for the Atlanta want them to do, knowJewish community, as exing full well what they’re pressed in AJT’s Dec. 14 trying to balance beyond Back to School issue. my own classroom. Aside “We remain very confrom unit projects, I rarely cerned about the use of assign out of class work these devices due to the because I don’t want them highly addictive nature to stay up any later than of nicotine content in they already are. One of these devices and due to my ongoing challenges is manufacturers marketing determining what is the these products to younger right amount of work, and younger students,” since I also want to make the Fulton administrators Rachel Rothstein, Weber's sure that I’m doing my said in a statement to the incoming dean of social studies, tries to keep part to help prepare them AJT. homework to a minimum. for college and beyond.”

“This is a nationwide Another struggle for schools and epidemic and although we have a united teachers is convincing parents of the front on behalf of our local cities, legisla-

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Students of all ages use technology in their daily education experiences.

tors, school leaders and parents in tackling this challenge, we need additional help in educating our students, parents and communities.”

The school system created an awareness/education campaign, parent and teacher resources, stronger discipline response, addiction resources and interventions and mental health supports.

“We welcome the Jewish community in partnering with us to tackle this challenge by educating our communities about the risk, dangers and addictive nature of vapes/e-cigarettes.”

JumpSpark, the Jewish teen engagement program, is helping to do just that.

It has made such issues as vaping a part

of its Navigating Parenting workshops, which focus on teen stress, bullying, social media and substance abuse.

“This will give parents a place to gain resources and community to support them as they raise thriving Jewish teens,” said Kelly Cohen, director of JumpSpark.

“In my experience as a youth educator, I’ve seen teens face increasing pressures on their time, health and mental well-being. Although this generation is facing a new set of demands – such as vaping, overscheduling, and unrealistic expectations to succeed – it’s important that we in the Jewish community give them a supportive network to find a healthy balance, manage

those expectations, and become a more resilient teen.”

An important factor for the success of youth is parental engagement, according to Cobb County schools. It’s “always a challenge in the wake of our students’ and parents’ already-packed schedules. Because communication and parental engagement are key components to student success, our team of educators make it a priority to provide parents opportunities to partner and work together toward our team’s one goal of student success,” a Cobb district spokesperson said in a statement to the AJT, compiling responses from various school departments.

So what can parents do, in general, to ensure they are helping schools prepare their students to the best of their abilities?

“Whether they serve as volunteers, mentors, Partners in Education or support our students and staff through outside initiatives, community members positively impact the success of students,” the Cobb spokesperson said.

Leubitz said parents should try to work more productively with teachers in a problem-solving manner instead of demanding quick fixes. “We want A-plus human beings who bring light and goodness into the world. We have a much better chance to do that collaboratively and together.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 21

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Local Educator Brightens the Way

David-Aaron Roth believes that the most successful students are malleable and willing to take risks.

Roth shared resources and knowledge on his summer trip to a school in Mazabuka along with Woodward Academy students.

Roth addresses his World Lit class at Woodward Academy.

He has much to say about Jewish presence and practices on campus. He attended AJA and Woodward.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Contagiously vivacious, you’ll find educator DavidAaron Roth somewhere between a College Park classroom, a service project around Atlanta, and Zambia.

A former student at the Atlanta Jewish Academy, Roth teaches high school literature at Woodward Academy, participated this summer as a fellow at Columbia University, and segued immediately into leading the Woodward delegation to Zambia.

An engaging Roth was recently featured on a Sunday section cover of the Atlanta Journal Constitution “In their own words…” highlighting Woodward Academy.

“Students who succeed the most in high school understand time management, ownership, and independence. … Students who thrive most often in college are those who are malleable, and willing to take risks.”

Listen in as Roth comments on best practices, student values and Jewish life at Woodward.

Jaffe: Growing up, did you have the desire to be an educator?

Roth: It wasn’t something I ever set out to do for a career. As I look back at my time as a student at both AJA and Woodward, I felt part of a strong community.

At AJA, we all lived in the same neighborhood, where I could walk down the street to hang out with my friends after shul (Beth Tefillah) on Saturdays. At Woodward, students come from different areas, but the school creates a family culture with opportunities for students to engage regularly on campus after school. My goal now is to help students find that same sense of community that I found as a student.

served me well in my role here as Service Learning Coordinator.

At Woodward, we are creating Jewish programming pre-K through 12. Our Upper School has Yad B’Yad, our Jewish affinity club where Rabbi [Dave] Silverman teaches interested students Torah, holidays and Hebrew. This year, Woodward built its first sukkah, and students could spend their time sitting in there talking, enjoying a meal, and learning about the lulav and etrog.

It is an interesting dichotomy to see the percentage of students who identify as Jewish at Woodward compared to the world at large. At Woodward, being Jewish is more of a “norm.” We recognize Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with Academy-wide holidays where school is closed, so non-Jewish students learn their importance because of the emphasis Woodward places.

Jaffe: What transpired at Columbia?

Roth: I attended the Klingenstein Summer Institute, a two-week fellowship geared toward private school teachers. While part of the experience focused on my work as an English teacher, we also discussed important issues with diversity, equity and inclusion.

Jaffe: What are some of the works studied in your classroom?

Roth: We recently added “All American Boys” to our ninth-grade curriculum. Woodward is taking great strides to create culturally responsive classrooms allowing students to know that their voice matters. We teach classics like “The Great Gatsby” and infuse books like “Just Mercy,” “Purple Hibiscus,” and “The Things They Carried.” I’m a proponent of teaching civic responsibility and social justice, and many of these novels give students these perspectives in a more contemporary way.

Jaffe: Describe your trip to Zambia.

Roth: Annually Woodward takes a delegation of 12 students there to share knowledge, resources and cultural experiences with our sister school, the Terranova School in Mazabuka. Our goal is to help create a sustainable educational opportunity for the students by exploring and identifying what they need rather than going in with the hopes of “American-izing” their education system. Education is the universal equalizer, and we believe that both locally in our school’s pursuits in the Atlanta area and globally in Zambia.

Jaffe: Describe Woodward’s Jewish student life.

Roth: Around 10 percent identify as Jewish. Compared to other local non-denominational, private schools, I believe Woodward to be the most religiously inclusive. Education is a key pillar within the Jewish community. My parents never emphasized education in the “school sense” with the burden to make straight A’s and have a perfect ACT, but they did extol living values of ethical responsibility, leadership and integrity. They instilled the value of having strong character, being a mensch, and giving tzedakah from birth, which have all

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Jaffe: Any thoughts about success in entering college?

Roth: Universities seek “givers and doers” who serve those in need, engage within the community, and understand what is beyond the walls they’ve built up over time. I’ve read numerous college essays, and it is obvious when students take the time to acknowledge the responsibility they have to be “servant” leaders. This understanding illustrates they have a true awareness of the world around them.

Jaffe: Best piece of advice you lead by?

Roth: My mother always told me, “Whatever decision you make, choose the one that will allow you to like the person you see in the mirror each day,” which brilliantly reflects my parent’s style of parenting. ■ Roth has a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University and Master of Education in Independent and Charter School Leadership from Mercer University.

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Not Your Grandma’s PE

Jamie Stein Smith teaches good manners along with fitness in public school.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe In my grammar school Physical Education classes, we played dodgeball and Red Rover and square-danced and wrapped the Maypole. This past year on the nightly news, we’ve seen a barrage of reporting about younger kids involving concussions, bullying and social media permeating the schools. Younger students today have PE three times in seven school days. Note that PE is in addition to 20 minutes of daily recess.

Current PE educator Jamie Stein Smith grew up off Briarcliff Road, and was active in Congregation Shearith Israel. In high school she got excited about sports, teams and games by serving as bat girl. She went on to graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in health and physical education.

For the past 20 years she has been teaching health and PE in public Cobb County elementary schools in grades K–5. One year was spent with special needs students. Along the way she coached her own sons’ tennis teams and took them to four consecutive state victories.

She also assistant coached a girl’s softball team.

For the love of sports, Smith said, “I grew up as an avid sports participant and have always supported the Falcons, Flames, Braves, Thrashers, Hawks, and Atlanta United. You’ll find me watching EVERY Falcons game and finals of every sport along with catching some of our other team regular season games.” So naturally she wanted to spread her passion for sports and prepare students for successful physical education. Smith’s classroom is a trailer, and each class has no more than 36 students.

Contact sports are no longer played in elementary school. Smith states that just too many students got hurt playing dodgeball. She did not allow her own sons to play football.

Smith supervises games such as squareball, thunderball, and “bridges” to keep kids on their toes. Other favorites are badminton, beach volleyball, tennis and kickball. She also insists that when/if a student is eliminated, they do not go “sit it out,” but rather skip and jog to keep moving. “Also, in this way, they play harder to not get called ‘out.’”

Physical Education is different from when Baby Boomers went to elementary school. Smith spends the first two quarters concentrating on behavior and personal space. One example is a room of alternating red and blue checkerboard squares where students learn to keep within their own boundaries (within their own square).

Smith’s trailer classroom has red and blue squares to prompt students to not invade anyone’s personal space.

The last two quarters are more about athletics and movement. Smith also prepares them for middle school by teaching rules. For example, “T” ball before baseball.

“Some of them even need to learn how to run the bases in the right order.” Over the decades she has seen more really proficient athletes at early ages.

Students are also introduced to weightlifting. K– second grade use pool noodles. Third-, fourth- and fifthgraders use one to two pounds weights. “When they first see the light weights, they underestimate the benefits they receive until they get into a routine.”

In terms of bullying, Smith said, “I’ve always taught good sportsmanship and the importance of being a team player. Good sportsmanship is taught by not bragging when you win and not pouting when you lose. It’s

all about having fun playing the game.”

She advises that all children get at least 60 minutes of activity a day. For a younger child, that could be riding a bike, as long as they’re moving. “I encourage all kids to exercise daily, to walk or run on a regular basis because it can be done anywhere they go. I also teach them weight training and nutrition.”

Family influence is pivotal. Smith sees healthier kids in those families who eat properly at home. Also, families who practice good habits, by supporting sports versus sitting their kids in front of a TV or video game, carry this positivism over into school.

When asked about what’s next, Smith mused, “Maybe I’ll do some Zumba classes to get the kids spirited and moving!” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 23

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Atlanta Teacher's Year in Dubai

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Perhaps the parents didn’t necessarily want to educate the girls since Laurie Burnham had the unusual they would be married off to wealthy experience of teaching fourth grade in a families? “I was told the school was ‘colprivate girls’ school in Dubai. She went lege preparatory,’ but found many of to a job fair in Boston and selected Dubai my fourth-graders to be reading on a “strictly for the money.” second-grade level. Very early on I was When interviewed at the job fair, recalled into the principal’s office and told ligion was not brought up. The only other that the parents were complaining that time it was mentioned was for the work my standards were too high. I then was Laurie Burnham dressed visa, and she indicated that she was “agbalancing whether to teach or babysit. … in traditional garb in nostic.”

I chose the former and I went ahead and Muslim holy places.

Initially committing to a three-year taught.” contract, when the U.S. Embassy there closed, she made She found initially that the girls did not have what the choice to return home after just one year.

Americans would call “good manners.” She recalled on Burnham is a native Atlantan who earned her bach- her first days of teaching, one of the girls handed her a elor’s degree from Emerson College. She also holds a water bottle and said, “Open this.” She established very master’s degree from the University of Phoenix, and a quickly that “Please” and “thank you,” and “would you specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University. please” were needed before she would even attempt to Since beginning her teaching career in 2004, Burn- help. They did, indeed, change. ham has taught every elementary grade, including EngDuring her breaks and free time, Burnham went lish as a Second Language. to other countries such as Turkey, Italy and Spain. On When asked about the attitude of the students weekends in the city, she typical explored Dubai and did there, vis-a-vis their interest in learning and self-im- “tourist things.” provement, she explained, “The girls seemed to have She never sought out other Jews; but she did light lived in a bubble where everything had been thought Shabbat candles (tea candles from Ikea), watch the live out and provided for them. Many of the girls had nan- stream of the services from Ahavath Achim Synagogue, nies and treated them deplorably. There is very much and fast for Yom Kippur. a hierarchy of the lack of humanity shown those who Burnham was modest there in her dress and come there looking for work. Later, some of the students covered her shoulders. She wore pants or jeans and did become interested in learning and growing.” only donned a headscarf when going into a mosque.

Laurie Burnham taught fourth-grade girls in Dubai.

When she went out for the “brunch scene,” which was akin to a nightclub experience, she covered her shoulders.

She recounted a particularly bothersome interchange: “The word ‘Israel’ was crossed out on the globes and maps. The non-Emirates had to take an Arab class, and they wanted the students to locate Palestine on the map, which didn’t exist. I addressed it with the teacher and told her if she wanted that to be the assignment, then she needed to provide them with the answer, because most of the world recognizes Israel, not Palestine.

Side note: She believed that during Jesus’ resurrection, he would kick all the Jews out and claim it for the Muslims. I politely explained those were not Christian tenets.”

When asked what she missed most about the U.S., she responded, “The grocery stores for one, the mere selection we have in the U.S. The basic freedoms we all take for granted. The customer service. Their favorite saying was ‘inshallah,’ which means G-d willing. As I pointed out once when the bank didn’t transfer my money, G-d has nothing to do with the fact my money hasn’t arrived.

I can’t explain it, but there was very much a repressed energy or vibe.”

Burnham summed up her year in Dubai, saying, “I am grateful for the experience. I believe every American should live abroad to experience other cultures and have an appreciation of the freedoms we take for granted every day. I was blessed to find a lifelong friend from my experience. And we regret what we don’t do in our lives, not the experiences we have. It gave me the opportunity to travel, as well, and those memories I treasure.” ■ 24 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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Camps Evolve to Meet Needs of New Generation

Scuba diving lessons at the Camp Barney Medintz pool.

By Debbie Diamond As old as the Ferris wheel and predating the establishment of the modern state of Israel, the Jewish summer camp experience is literally thriving in a world seemingly taken over by iPads, video games and around-the-clock electronic connectivity.

Each summer, a steady stream of eager campers arrive and fill the bunks of Jewish camps located throughout the North Georgia mountains to swim, socialize and participate in a myriad of activities from fine arts to whitewater rafting. And as much as summer camps have adapted and changed to meet the needs of increasingly sophisticated campers, the emphasis remains on being a part of a community, fostering a love of Judaism, making friends and taking the time to unplug from technology, enabling each camper to build a stronger and more positive sense of self.

The AJC interviewed the directors of three Georgia summer camps: Camp Barney Medintz, Camp Ramah Darom and URJ Camp Coleman. They all had a “screen-free” policy.

“We disconnect in order to connect with each other,” said Camp Ramah Director Geoff Menkowitz.

The notion that building community starts with face-to-face conversations between campers was echoed by the camp directors interviewed, as well as by Tom Rosenberg, president of the American Camp Association, the accrediting body for North American camps.

“At Camp Barney Medintz, we want to refocus our kids and teens from worrying about their social media image to proactively foster a more pronounced and positive self-concept,” said Director Jim Mittenthal. “During the year, kids are constantly measuring themselves against their peers, and social media has had a tremendous impact,” he added.

Sciventures at Camp Coleman offers campers a chance to experiment in a science lab.

Ziplining at Camp Ramah Darom allows campers a bird’s eye view.

A Coleman Rocks performance during Shabbat at the URJ camp.

Bobby Harris, director of Camp Coleman, concurred. “Our mission to inspire campers and staff to be caring, committed and connected takes on an added significance, especially with the challenges facing kids today. While here, our campers are not measuring their self-worth by how many likes they get on Facebook or Instagram. There is no pressure, and they are not going to be evaluated on their performance at camp,” he said.

The camps are also addressing other social issues relevant to campers, their families and the larger Jewish community.

Findings recently released from a 2019 Pew Research Center study found that 70 percent of American teens see depression and anxiety as major concerns among their peers.

At all of the camps, there is at least one social worker to help campers experiencing anxiety, depression or more routine cases of simply being homesick. They each have camper-care teams on staff, composed of mental health professionals devoted to the campers’ well-being. These staff members work either individually with campers or equip counselors with the skills to care for them. Both Camp Coleman and Ramah Darom have campers from the Parkland school shooting.

At Camp Coleman, therapy dogs brought in last summer to help those affected proved to be so popular that they were brought back again this summer.

So, what are the activities that keep what Rosenberg called “the most diverse, best educated, tech-savvy generation ever” coming back to these North Georgia camps year after year?

They offer the traditional activities (swimming, sports and crafts) popular with youth, but many have broadened their offerings with such activities as fine arts programs, adventure trips away from camp, new and longer ziplines, and gigantic inflatable adventures.

Even with a new and rotating list

of exhilarating activities each season, character development, leadership and a commitment to the Jewish community are central themes at Jewish summer camps.

“Learning to listen, share, sense, interpret and communicate with others strengthens the campers’ own identity,” Rosenberg said. “In today’s world, the ability to think differently and critically, negotiate, advocate and be creative – all skills fostered at ACA-accredited camps – helps our campers become leaders who seek to do good deeds in their communities.”

As the summer of 2019 winds to a close and campers head home to begin the school year, they arrive with not just a better swim stroke, beautiful ceramic pieces or tales of adventures in open spaces. They likely will surprise their loved ones with an added dose of self-confidence, a slew of new friends and an understanding of their important role as part of the larger Jewish community. But be prepared, parents: You may eventually have to hand over that electronic device you’ve hidden for safekeeping! ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 25

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Weber Launches Innovative Sports Science Program

Students in the strength and conditioning class, the first step in the Sports Science Academy’s honors diploma program.

By Eddie Samuels As a new school year quickly approaches, students at The Weber School have a an opportunity to take advantage of the launch of the Sports Science Academy.

The program, which offers an honors diploma, joins Weber’s Daniel Zalik Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Design.

“A lot of us, myself included, wanted to be professional athletes when we grew up,” said Athletic Director Scott Seagraves. “The truth is, that talent is few and far between, but for those who really just love sports and want to stay involved and make athletics a living, this

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allows them to stay in the field.”

After the idea first struck in December 2018 and it was announced at the end of last school year, the sports science program is nearing its kickoff thanks in large part to student demand. Two of the faculty involved in shaping the new program, Seagraves and Assistant AD Jessica LaGala, spoke to the AJT about the initiative.

“Students were interested in our strength and conditioning program and continued to ask questions about it,” LaGala said. “They were the catalyst for this program growing because they wanted to know more about nutrition and about injuries and continued to ask things and say, ‘You should have a class about this.’”

So those new classes were formed. The first step in the program is still the strength and conditioning class, where students “begin to learn the movement patterns and understand what different exercises do for different parts of your body and how to do those exercises correctly,” said Seagraves.

From there, the students have the choice of three electives, fitness programming and application, sports nutrition and sports medicine, all of which are then followed by an internship/externship, which can take countless forms to fit student’s needs. “[Among] the students that are enrolled in our internship program for this fall, one is an intern at a sports radio station doing sports broadcasting,” LaGala said. “If they want something outside of Weber, we’re trying to set up that network for them, but if they have a connection and it fits, we’re all for it.”

Senior year is the culmination of the program, as students take what they’ve learned from their electives and work experience and begin a research methods and analysis class, which allows them to further refine their own course of study.

“One of the unique things about this program and the things that we work really hard to do is that we didn’t want this program to be out on an island,” Seagraves said. “We’ve worked really hard give the students the chance to work with our English department, or our physics department, or math department through the research methods class.”

While that course load may seem rigorous, those individual classes are open to students of all grade levels. For the honors diploma, an early start is very important, he said.

“Most of these classes are elective classes, so anyone at any grade level can take them if they’re interested in that particular class,” Seagraves said. “If they want to run through from beginning to end, we prefer they start as freshmen, but they need to get into it as sophomores at the latest.”

With the continued growth of sports medicine and physical therapy programs at the college level, getting a start in these fields in high school is practically unheard of, according to LaGala.

“If they already have a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology and a comprehension of what an athletic trainer does and why, when they start these programs in college they’ll know some of the terminology and some of the common sports injuries, it will give them a leg up,” she said.

Weber’s Sports Science Academy is one of only a handful of high school programs in the country, which means setting curriculum has been one of the challenges of getting it off the ground.

“I’ve found four other schools, in Maryland, California, Texas and Florida,” Seagraves said. “We looked at what all those other programs were doing and how they built their classes and took it from there.”

While the depth of the Sport Science program was new for Atlanta, Weber was able to learn from classes at other local schools, such as those offering sports medicine, LaGala said.

Weber’s first cohort of students in the Sports Science Academy begins this fall, and with 55 students enrolled in at least one of the classes, it seems poised for a big start. ■

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5 Tips for Picking the Best Preschool

By Sarah Shinsky

warm environment that fosters creativity and selfconfidence. The teachers and staff are an integral part of shaping this atmosphere.

Make sure the teachers have degrees in early education or at least five years’ experience. Observe the teachers in the classroom and notice if they are truly interested in what kids have to say. Do you see smiles and hear laughter? Are the teachers getting down to the children’s eye

The first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial when it comes to intellectual and socialemotional development.

How we care and who cares for our children during this time will influence them for the rest of their lives.

Sarah Shinsky is the As an early educadirector of the Weinberg tor and now preschool Early Learning Center. director, I am passionate about helping families make the right level? choice for their children. After fielding many questions on the subject, I wrote 3.Familiarize yourself with the these five tips for parents choosing a teaching approach preschool. As we approach the back-toThere are many ideas and methodschool season, I hope this article brings ologies around early education. In my some clarity and calmness to the deci- opinion, play-based learning is essential sion-making. to a child’s success. Some schools subscribe to the self-directed activity, hands1.Choose small class size on learning and collaborative play of When touring schools, you should the Montessori method. Other schools consider classroom size and the student/ might follow the student-centered and teacher ratio. The Georgia staff-child ra- constructivist Reggio Emilia philosophy. tio standards are 1-to-6 for infants and Both these methods are proven effective increases up to 1-to-18 for 4-year-olds. In and focus on play-based learning. Look my opinion, these ratios are not strong for a classroom organized in centers. enough and children will suffer from Observe if children are encouraged to exlack of individual attention. Search for plore on their own. schools that boast a low staff-child ratio.

Ideally, an infant program should be 1-to4. Pick a school for its values and 3. Regular preschool classrooms should academics be no more than 1-to-8.

Preschool should not just be about learning colors and ABCs. These forma2. Know the teachers tive years are a time when we teach our Preschool should be a loving and children the difference between right

The Weinberg Early Learning Center is one option for preschool. Its newly opened infant room features a 3-to-1 teacher-child ratio and offers baby sign language, story time, infant yoga and intro to Judaics.

and wrong. We guide them in how to think and how to act. A good Jewish preschool will instill the important values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedek (fairness), kehillah (community) and more, all while teaching academics.

5. Meet other parents A healthy preschool is more than a place for your child; it is a community for families. A strong preschool will offer activities for the entire family and will tout its committed and close network of parents and grandparents. Attend an open house and talk to other parents. Get a feel for the energy and types of families attending the school. The most highly suc-

cessful schools are ones where families are enthusiastically involved.

As you choose the best preschool for your child this fall, consider this guide in your decision. Your child’s preschool environment will influence and hopefully inspire them for years to come. Make sure your school is working to build a solid foundation both academically and morally for your most precious young ones. ■ Sarah Shinsky is the director of the Weinberg Early Learning Center at The Temple, which recently opened a new infant room and now serves children from 3 months to 4 years.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 27

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Club J Students Give Back After School

Club J delivers cookies to a local fire station.

Children participate in a community service project with The Packaged Good.

Participants in the Marcus JCC’s Club J after-school experience for pre-K to fifth grade have been making a difference this year with community service projects through the city. This included working with two nonprofits with Jewish founders, The Packaged Good and Creating Connected Communities. Club J kids put together care bags for children in need, made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Malachi’s Storehouse, and made cookies and delivered them to the local fire and police stations.

“Our Club J participants have the opportunity to make all of the food that they donate through the MJCCA’s culinary program,” explained Club J Director Jodi Sonenshine. “Different age groups split up the responsibilities when preparing the food, and then go in small, chaperoned groups to deliver the items to support and thank our community.”

Some of the other Club J community service projects are writing letters to soldiers, visiting residents at the Berman Commons to sing and play; reading to the MJCCA’s Weinstein School pre-K children once a week as part of the Snacks and Stories program and making meals for the South Atlanta Youth Group.

Community service is just one of the components of Club J. Children can also participate in after-school cultural and academic or sports and physical activities.

The cultural and academic activities include arts and crafts, computer time, 28 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

science discovery, drama workshops, critical thinking projects and homework hour. The physical activities include basketball, soccer, flag football, gaga, relay races, swimming, ropes course, rock climbing and yoga.

Club J offers a safe, planned afternoon filled with supervised homework help, counselor-led activities and various opportunities for physical activity.

“Kids from 10 local schools can’t wait to come to Club J and see their afterschool friends,” Sonenshine said. “Club J participants enjoy the meaningful community service projects, physical and cultural activities, and working with Club J staff on their homework. It’s a winwin-win for kids, parents, and the community at large,” she said.

“Club J is designed to provide a highquality, enriching after-school environment to students of all backgrounds and beliefs.”

The program allows parents to choose from three to five days per week with healthy snack options provided daily. There is also homework support in small groups guided by Club J staff and supervised transportation provided from area schools. ■ Club J registration is open for the 20192020 school year, Aug. 5 to May 27, with the program running from 2:30 to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Club J at 678-812-3761, or visit atlantajcc.org/afterschool.

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New Interactive Israeli Workbook

Page 4 and 5 preview of Israel...It's Complicated.

Rich Walter of the Center for Israel Education in Atlanta worked with Behrman House on a new Israeli workbook for middle schools, “Israel…It’s Complicated.”

It gives a rich overview of history and culture through quotes, primary documents and photographs.

The book, which is ideal for grades six and seven, includes activities that invite students to engage with the material on a personal level. Each chapter introduces a topic that covers diversity, democracy, innovation and conflict/peace to portray the spectrum of Israeli life and inspire connections between American students and the modern state of Israel.

Since this book is meant for middle school students, “teachers should be using facts and stories to emphasize these concepts, not the other way around,” Walter, vice president of CIE curriculum

and outreach, notes in the foreword of the book.

“Don’t try to cover every historical fact. You are teaching students grades 6–7, not a university seminar. Before using these materials, I suggest that you craft a vision for Israel education for yourself and your students. This need not, and should not, be a personal process.”

There is also a teacher’s resource guide to challenge students and advise them to form their own opinions by providing content and context and using primary sources when possible.

“Our aim as Israel educators should be to create critical thinkers, not followers, no matter our personal politics,” Walter wrote. “We should not be afraid if our students ultimately form a different relationship with Israel than their teachers, parents, or grandparents. As North American Jews we can move forward by educating ourselves and our communities to create understanding and dialogue. Our past, present, and future as Jews is inextricably linked with Israel.” ■ For more information about the book, visit www. behrmanhouse.com.

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ARTS

“Mike Wallace Is Here” is a portrait of the legendary journalist’s life and times.

Mike Wallace Is Very Much Here in Film

By Bob Bahr The words “Mike Wallace Is Here,” the title of the new documentary about the legendary American Jewish journalist, struck fear in the hearts of many who confronted him on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” In a career that began with the first “60 Minutes” broadcast in 1968 and ended in 2006 at the age of 87, he was a formidable presence in American broadcast journalism.

Wallace had no formal training as a journalist, but he brought a distinct sense of style and dogged relentlessness to his work. Arguably he was as influential in his own way as those two other patron saints of CBS News, Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow.

In producing his first American documentary, Israeli writer and director Avi Belkin had the unprec-

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edented cooperation of Wallace’s family and CBS, which opened its archives to the filmmaker.

“Mike Wallace Is Here” has been largely built out of 1,400 hours of filmed and videotaped material, which includes not only the original interviews, but the outtakes, material that was recorded but never used on the air. It’s hard to recall anyone getting such complete access at any of the three major networks.

Because Wallace was around for so long, his career resembles that of Woody Allen’s passive, fictional character Leonard Zelig, in his 1983 mock documentary “Zelig,” a character who is a participant in history-making events almost everywhere and with almost everyone.

“Mike Wallace Is Here” has gone Zelig one better in his passion and zest to get under the skin of his inter-

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view subjects. Mike Wallace was a strong-willed bulldog, the heavyweight champion of the probing question.

Here we see a young, fast-talking Donald Trump, a prickly Barbra Streisand, a slippery Richard Nixon and a sly Vladimir Putin on the hot seat. Then, in a fascinating turn-about we see Wallace grilled by his own colleagues on “60 Minutes.”

It is a literal collection of Mike Wallace’s greatest hits. It is also his greatest misses. We see him, in Belkin’s film, close up, warts and all “He had a very tough personal life,” Belkin said. “He lost a 19-year-old son. He suffered from clinical depression and once tried to commit suicide. He felt very insecure about his journalism credentials, but all that stuff only helped to create this chip on his shoulder. He actually used that energy to propel his unbelievable career and to push it forward. And I think there's something very inspirational about that.”

What you will not see in this documentary is any mention of Wallace’s Jewish heritage. Although his parents were both poor Jewish immigrants from Czarist Russia, that’s not what Belkin was really interested in.

“I very early on decided to focus on Mike’s career and basically about the broadcast journalism story through his career. It a story about a man that has so many important moments in his life and so much influence, you’ve got to choose how to tell his story and I chose to tell his story through his journalism.”

Still, Belkin admits the Mike Wallace story is very Jewish because of how the journalist became a star by rising above his circumstances.

To some, this Israeli filmmaker may seem an odd choice to tell the Wallace story. Belkin never met Wallace and was not even born when he was doing some of his most brilliant early work. And although Belkin is Jewish and brings that sensibility to his material, he is an Israeli Jew, very much an outsider in this story of American media and its influence.

“I think it always helps being an outsider as a filmmaker. You get a perspective that is untainted, that has no personal stake in it. I would say that Israel is in many ways the 51st state of America. I watched American culture all my childhood. I watched Mike Wallace and what the “60 Minutes” show was about. But I am an outsider in a way, and I think that’s a very powerful tool for a filmmaker.”■ “Mike Wallace Is Here” opens Aug. 2 at the Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta.

30 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Jeltuhin’s elaborate and vibrantly colored “Carnival” collage shows her skill with scissors in this crafty discipline.

Chai Style Art

Yulia Jeltuhin poses in her studio with cat Klyaksa alongside several of her concurrent multi-tasking projects.

Prodigy From Russia Travels, Transforms, Teaches Set aside matryoshka stacking dolls and Byzantine Jaffe: What was life like in Russia? scenes of onion domes to make way for modern MusJeltuhin: Many Jews in Moscow were assimilatcovite artist and teacher Yulia Jeltuhin. Tucked away in ing. Everyone was supposed to be an atheist. The only Roswell, her home is replete with her own work, while “religion” was the imposed Communist doctrine. If you the spacious lower level houses the teaching studio. thought differently, you kept it to yourself. Being a Jew Jelthuhin has mastered many media: oil, collage, by blood – which was stated on my birth certificate and paper-mache and watercolor. “My work is a merger of passport – and growing up in Russia, I always felt like an graphic design and classical fine art. I work outsider, even though it was my birthplace. on several pieces concurrently, filling my We were often reminded that we “didn’t bestudio with layers of developing composilong.” tions.”

At 10, her artistic talent surfaced. She Jaffe: Slavic Jewish artists such as Chawas trained in studios of prominent artists gall showed the influence of folk life in an such as E.V. Lapin, the student of famous imaginative, dream-like style. Kandinsky Russian artist, A.V. Kuprin, and attended produced some of the first abstracts, freeMoscow Central Art School. ing art from the need to depict recognizable Regarding her teaching method, she subjects. What Russian characteristics or elaborated, “I try to inspire students to ap- Marcia themes do you incorporate? ply what they learn in their math and sci- Caller Jaffe Jeltuhin: I fancy late 17th century ence classes to enrich their art. Creativity Italian street performance characters like also requires thought process and innovation.”

Pierrot and Harlequin (including my self-portrait), and Jeltuhin is a member of Roswell Fine Arts Alliance scenes of musicians/fiddlers, children in circus school, and National Collage Society. Her work is on display at puppetry and dancers. Since the 17th century, there the Ace Gallery and the Fickle Pickle. It has been exhib- has been a great influence of European culture (Italian, ited in Roswell City Hall. Collectors in the U.S., Israel, French, and English) in Russian cities like Moscow and Canada, Scandinavia and Europe own her work.

St. Petersburg. In the 19th century, Russian nobility preLearn more about her versatility here. ferred French over Russian. I was brought up reading

European authors and art masters.

Jaffe: How does travel come into your work?

Jeltuhin: Husband Sasha and I have a passion for world travel experiences, taking pictures along the way for reference. Then artistically I portray the place’s spirit. That’s where the symbolic characters and performers come in. My “Caretaker” is on stilts in a bright costume reflecting the colorful spirit of Peru. In “Midnight Sailing,” I used a paper boat with puppets playing guitars and singing on a canal in Amsterdam to illustrate romance.

Jaffe: Your collages are brilliant. The International Art Magazine, “Apollo,” last month focused on collage as a relatively modern invention dating back to Picasso’s era, “enabling artists to construct new chronologies and preserve otherwise fleeting moments.”

Jeltuhin: It’s about layering, arranging, cutting and sticking. I use magazines and textures with no enhancements, pen nor marker. A cut-out piece is used like a brush stroke. I never use the original images themselves. This technique is time-consuming, but it’s not messy like oils. Dexterity with a scissors helps. I started seriously developing collage style with my first child. It’s hard to care for a baby when your hands are covered with oil paint!

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 31

CHAI STYLE Jeltuhin is well known for her collage creations, this one depicting a Jewish Couple in “Date in the Rain.”

Jeltuhin’s active classroom shows students applying analytical math and science skills to their own art.

Jaffe: Describe your teaching approach.

Jeltuhin: Most of my students come at least once a week and work in groups of five. They start at age 4 and bring their own materials. I also have private lessons.

Many younger siblings come as the older ones go off to college. The class is Montessori-style and can be different ages working on varied projects. I do not have “cookie cutter” stages where everyone draws the same bowl of fruit. I teach a variety of media to make them well-rounded.

Jaffe: What are some of the issues that concern students?

Jeltuhin: Some lack concentration or confidence

and have trouble getting motivated. I tell them, “Nothing is impossible, … try to break it down into simple geometric components.” We advance from the basics to the more complicated. It is about physics, how does light travel? Start with a still life. They may choose a toy as a starting point. I encourage them to think and ask questions. If creating a waterfall, what makes the water move?

What’s the season and time of day? What makes the water appear deep versus shallow?

We never copy pictures. Sometimes I bring reference images if we can’t place it in the studio. One cannot see a mountain or the ocean from my window. We study materials: wood doesn’t absorb light, light travels through

Jeltuhin was inspired to paint this “Caretaker” oil from a scene in Arequipa, Peru.

“First Date” is Jeltuhin’s homage to the innocence of youth and snow amid romance.

32 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

CHAI STYLE “Enchanted Forest” oil evokes a serene mood from a Scandinavian forest.

Jeltuhin’s emotional oil “Melancholy” illustrates her vast array of characters.

glass and metals shine.

Some worry about “messing up.” No such thing!

What feels wrong or out of place in your picture? Are the proportions or perspective incorrect? The goal is for them to be able to critique their own work, to learn to paint and draw without me. Some art studios send kids home with super cool artwork; but children lack basic skills and cannot create anything on their own. My goal is to teach them how to approach and create anything they set their minds to. Art is a skill that will stay with them forever.

Jaffe: Are your children artistic?

Jeltuhin: Yes, in many forms like competing in Latin dancing (one was on “America’s Got Talent”), writing for magazines, and Cirque School. All three of my kids are inclined towards math and science.

My family is a line of educators, like Dad, Leonid Bunimovich, Ph.D., who teaches Theoretical Math: Dynamical Systems, Statistical Mechanics, SpaceTime Chaos (and more) at Georgia Tech.

Jaffe: Last word.

Jeltuhin: Even our cat Klyaksa is a work of art, ... meaning an accidental drop of ink marking on her expressive face. ■

Yulia painted this romantic “Midnight Sailing” of a paper boat of puppets playing and singing on a canal in Amsterdam.

Jeltuhin’s imagination sought saw-toothed pen shells to create this meticulous clown collage.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 33

CALENDAR TUESDAY, AUGUST 13

Atlanta Cyclorama – Atlanta History

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

Reform Community Shabbat – Temple Kehillat Chaim, 1145 Green St., Roswell, from 7 to 9 p.m. Join the rest of the Atlanta Reform Jewish community to celebrate Shabbat together this year at TKC. 7 p.m. is the pre-reception for guests and attendees, 7:15 learn new music, 7:30 worship service followed by oneg Shabbat. Come out and help us host our Atlanta area Reform community. Free. For more information, www. bit.ly/2Y0ZS65.

MONDAY, AUGUST 5

Magical Mondays – William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. For children ages 6 to 12 years old and their families. Do you want to learn some magic? This summer at the Breman you’ll have your chance. Every week a staff member or a visiting guest magician will perform and teach magic that you can do using items you have around the house. By summer’s end you’ll be a regular Houdini. Free for members, regular admission for nonmembers. For more information, www.bit.ly/2FRA3yP.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 6

Artists in the Wild – En Plein Air Art– Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Tuesday through August.

The CNC partners with the Roswell Fine Arts Alliance to present local painters creating en plein air art focused on spring and summer blooms.

Visit with the painters and observe them at work. Artist availability may be dependent on weather so please call ahead to determine schedule. Included with general admission to the CNC. $6 34 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Matot-Massei Friday, August 2, 2019, light candles at 8:19 p.m.

Saturday, August 3, 2019, Shabbat ends at 9:17 p.m.

Devarim Friday, August 9, 2019, light candles at 8:13 p.m.

Saturday, August 10, 2019, Shabbat ends at 9:09 p.m.

Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Greater Atlanta Hadassah Metulla will visit the Atlanta Cyclorama at the Atlanta History Center. $18 per person. For more information, contact Nancy Schwartz, nshadassah2016@comcast.net.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15

Babyccino – Alefbet Preschool, 5303 per child, $10 per adult, $7 for seniors 65 and up, $7 for students ages 13 to 18, free CNC members and children 2 and under. For more information, www.bit. ly/2JnQXba.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8

Hadassah Metulla Third Session – 1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Dunwoody, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Greater Atlanta Hadassah Metulla will meet in Dunwoody for the third in a series of informal learning and discussions led

by Dr. Milt Tambor. The topic is “Yiddish the Mother Language.” $5 per person. For questions and to RSVP, waltersanita@charter.net.

nication and how our words can help shape the world we live in. For pricing and more information, www.bit. ly/2X66oar.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11

Kabbalah and Coffee – Chabad Intown on the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 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 probes the esoteric through a unique program of English text-based study. No prior kabbalistic experience required. Free. For more information, www.chabadintown.org

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9

JCC Dive into Shabbat Pool Party – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 5 to 7 p.m. Celebrate Shabbat outside at the MJCCA’s pool and splash park with family and friends.

Open swim and activities begin at 5, followed by Shabbat songs and blessings with Rabbi Brian Glusman at 6.

Bring your own food and purchase drinks at the snack bar. Free challah, grape juice and ice pops for children.

Free and open to all. For more information, www.bit.ly/2Ygh0oz.

Scholar in Residence: Jewlicious Founder David Abitbol – 4320 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, from 7 to 9 p.m. David Abitbol has a remarkable story to tell. He helped convince a member of the hateful Westboro Baptist Church family to leave along with her sister and become an advocate for coexistence. Abitbol, a founder of the game-changing website Jewlicious, and Amy Oppenheimer Abitbol will share their expertise on nonviolent commu-

Sunday on the River Concert Featuring Sam Lewis – Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. The soulful Sam Lewis has discovered what most musicians spend lifetimes working for, the place where feel-good music meets vital social commentary. $16 per lawn seat, $20 per table seat. For tickets and more information, www.bit. ly/2Muk3bq.

Beth Shalom Welcomes David Nissan – Israel Intelligence Expert – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join enlightened speaker, David Nissan, who has 23 years of experience in the Israeli intelligence and security establishment, followed by a question/answer discussion. Refreshments will be served. Free. For more information, www.bethshalom.net.

Winters Chapel Road, Atlanta, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Babyccino chic meet for mod moms and their tots (babies to toddlers) led by their Alefbet Preschool’s Babies educator. Every Thursday in the Babies Room. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/30kViRZ.

Brain Health Boot Camp – Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, from 3 to 5 p.m. This can help maintain and enhance your memory and brain function. $25 per class. For more information, www.bit.ly/2Ob6bCB.

Mahjong for Beginners & Advanced Players – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. If you have played in the past and just need some reminding, you are welcome to join. If you have just learned and want to get better, you are welcome. If you are experienced, come alone or with your group.

Open to the public. $2 for sisterhood members, $5 for non-sisterhood members. RSVP, 770-399-5300 or office@ bshalom.net.

Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate – The Howard School, 1192 Foster St. NW, Atlanta, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Erin Beacham, ADL education director, will discuss the tools and resources available to aid parents in having conversations about frightening and violent global events. $10 per person. For more information and to register, www.bit.ly/320O6Ll.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16

Community and Prospective Member Dinner – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join Rabbi Zimmerman and fellow congregants who will lead us in song and prayer. Enjoy a BBQ Shabbat dinner and learn about their warm and inviting community. For more information, www.bit.ly/2G3KcIv.

AUGUST 2-23

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Blood Drive – Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Atlanta, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everyday blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. We schedule an appointment through the Red Cross. Free. For more information, www.aasynagogue.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21

Open Play Games – Marcus JCC, 5342

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

Habitat for Humanity NW Interfaith Build – Latreece Williams household, 2490 Perkerson Road SW, Atlanta, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed for this year’s Habitat for Humanity NW Interfaith Build.

This year marks the 26th year Ahavath Achim Synagogue has been a sponsor of this mitzvah. Become part of this meaningful tradition. For more information, www.bit.ly/2S8gUNL.

Say “Chai” at CSI – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Shearith Israel will host a community festival to kick off the new school year. The event will feature breakfast tacos, espresso and bloody mary bars, and information about CSI’s committees and groups. See what’s on tap for 5780 and how you can get involved.

Free. For more information, www.bit. ly/2LW5Cen.

B’nai Torah Back to Shul BBQ – Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Meet, greet and eat.

Open beer and wine bar and cookout food for purchase. Free to enter. For more information, www.bnaitorah.org.

Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open play tables are set up every week on MJCCA’s Main Street on Mondays and Wednesdays for you to enjoy popular strategy and skill games while making new friends. Free for members, $5 for the community. For more information, www.bit.ly/2H6mYRt.

AMAZING TRIPS ARE WAITING! MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRIP TO ISRAEL DECEMBER 23, 2019-JANUARY 2, 2020

See the cities and sites that make history come alive in this exciting tour. Visit Tel Aviv, the Galilee, the Dead Sea, Masada and awe-inspiring Jerusalem. Spend New Year’s Eve in Israel this year with your family and friends.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23

Shabbat in the Park – East Cobb Park, 3322 Roswell Road, Marietta, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim for its annual outdoor Shabbat in the Park at East Cobb Park. If you are new to the area, we invite you to join us for games, food, fun and a Shabbat service. $7 per person and $28 per family. For more information, www.bit. ly/2XHtHrE.

Shabbat in the Park – Glen Lake Park, 1121 Church St., Decatur, from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. Shabbat in the Park is a casual, fun and family-friendly Friday evening potluck dinner held monthly in a local park. Featuring a Shabbat sing-along led by Rabbi Ari Kaiman.

Enjoy a vegetarian-friendly meal, and an evening of socializing with Shearith Israel. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2IaIuGP.

ISRAEL AND EGYPT

MARCH 9-MARCH 29, 2020

Visit both countries or just join for one. Tour enchanting Israel and visit the Pyramids, Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor,and more.

ALL ADULT TRIP TO ISRAEL

LED BY RENEE WERBIN | GUIDED BY THE INIMITABLE MOSHE NOV

APRIL 21-MAY 6, 2020

Visit the cities you’ve dreamed about, enjoy jeep rides, visit Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Elat with a day trip to Petra, the Galilee and more.

FOR DETAILS ON THESE TRIPS, PLEASE PHONE RENEE WERBIN AT 770-451-9399 OR EMAIL RENEE@SRITRAVEL.COM

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 two weeks in advance. Contact community relations director, Jen Evans, for more information at jen@atljewishtimes.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 35

COMMUNITY Atlantan Joins Polish-Jewish Leadership Exchange

The AJC delegation toured the Nozyk Synagogue in Warsaw, which is still in use today.

By Chloe Levitas Craig Kaufman, first vice president of the American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta regional board, recently joined

36 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

A Shabbat dinner was sponsored by the JCC Krakow during the Jewish Culture Festival, with 750 people in attendance. Third from right, top row, is Jonathan Ornstein, founding director of the JCC Krakow.

a group of AJC leaders from across the country during a visit to Poland to foster Polish-Jewish communication.

The delegation was hosted by the Forum for Dialogue, the largest and oldest Polish nongovernmental

organization engaging in Polish-Jewish dialogue, and a longtime partner of AJC. Kaufman was one of the 10 leaders that traveled with AJC on a weeklong study tour of Poland that has taken place for almost two decades.

The tour was organized by the Forum for Dialogue and sponsored by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Leah Berkowitz Gross, AJC assistant director, leadership development.

“Through unique access to top-level decision makers and analysts, participants gain insight into the country’s complex past, Jewish history, culture, political atmosphere, and role in European and transatlantic affairs, while also meeting with their local counterparts – Polish alumni of the exchange program.”

Participants also explored a range of topics, such as anti-Semitism, the relationship between Poles and Americans, and Poland’s foreign policy in relation to Israel and the U.S. The group visited Warsaw, Lublin, the site of the former German Nazi death camps at Belzec, Krakow, Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews.

The group also was able to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Maciej Lang and presented an open letter about the appointment of a new director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. “More than a month has elapsed now since the selection committee’s decision was announced and no formal steps have been taken by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage,” the letter from AJC regional board members stated.

“This is disappointing and causes our deep concern. As friends of Poland, the last thing we want to see is a deterioration of these relations.”

Over the years the AJC exchange program has produced hundreds of ambassadors for Polish-Jewish dialogue on both sides of the Atlantic. Typically, AJC leaders go to Poland. Gross said, “They don’t come to Atlanta,

COMMUNITY but AJC brings Polish leaders to Washington, D.C., Boston, and NYC to meet with American Jewish leaders in the business, political, academic and media sectors to provide an in-depth analysis of the issues facing world Jewry.” ■

AJC members met with members of AJC’s Central Europe office in Warsaw.

The delegation met with Minister Maciej Lang, the Polish Undersecretary of State for Security, Asia, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

The AJC group visited the POLIN Museum in Warsaw, which showcases Poland’s 1,000 years of Jewish history.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 37

Host Your MitzvaH or Wedding

COMMUNITY

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Photos courtesy of Georgia Cares // Posing with the new NBA backpacks are Linda Bressler; Alexia Majors, Georgia Cares Resource and Communications coordinator; Donna Newman; Robyn Windibank, Georgia Cares Outreach Programs coordinator; and Rina Wolfe.

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Linda Bressler and Donna Newman are pleased with the completed AAACTS backpack project.

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Volunteers preparing backpacks are Nancy Friedberg, Rina Wolfe, Eleanor Sims, Susan Sandler, Laurence Rosenthal, Sheila Adelman and Miriam Strickman Levitas.

Filling Backpacks for Victims of Sex Trafficking

By Flora Rosefsky For the second year, an Ahavath Achim Synagogue committee dedicated to abolishing child sex trafficking teamed up with a Georgia nonprofit with a similar mission to assemble school backpacks.

Volunteers from Ahavath Achim, as well as Congregation Etz Chaim, The Temple and Temple Beth Tikvah, participated in the backpack assembly July 21 sponsored by Georgia Cares and AA's Awareness and Action to Abolish Child Trafficking for Sex committee.

“Through the efforts of dozens of volunteers and financial supporters, 260 victims of sex trafficking who are helped

by Georgia Cares returned to school with 38 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

beautiful NBA backpacks filled with school supplies and personal hygiene items,” said Donna Newman, AAACTS Backpack Project coordinator.

According to its website, the mission of Georgia Cares is to ensure that child sex trafficking victims receive quality care and services, while trying to eliminate sex trafficking in the state.

Newman said that the “AAACTS committee is made up of members from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities.

The money I solicited [for this backpack project] was raised from AA members, Temple Sinai, Mt. Vernon Baptist, Temple Emanu-El, and B’nai Torah. Members of AA, Or Hadash, The Temple and Etz Chaim donated a lot of the supplies.” ■

COMMUNITY SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

Mazel Tov Jordan Frank

Join us in congratulating Jordan Frank, a rising eighth-grader at The Davis Academy and the son of Jana and Drew Frank, for placing eighth in a pole vault competition at the USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships. This is one of the most visible youth athletic development programs in the world, with more than 7,000 athletes.

Have something to celebrate?

Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ...

Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements.

Send info to submissions@ atljewishtimes.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 39

KEEPING IT KOSHER Jewish Joke of the Week

The School Play Yossi comes home from school and tells his mother he has been given a part in the school play. “Wonderful,” his mother says. “What part is it?”

“I play the part of the Jewish husband!”

His mother scowls and commands, “Go back and tell your teacher you want a speaking part!”

Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com

Yiddish Word of the Week Tchotchke (tchatchke)— ‫צוחצ’קה‬ Knick-knack, little toy, collectible or giftware.

Make sure you take the tchotchke off the table when you dust.

Peanut Butter Popsicles Cooking and Prep: 5 ½ hours Serves: 6 Contains: Milk and Nuts Preference: Dairy Difficulty: Medium Diet: Gluten Free These popsicles are creamy, high in protein and healthy fats, and make a great ready-to-go snack, dessert and even breakfast!

Ingredients: 12 ounces plain Greek yogurt 6 tablespoons Gefen Natural Peanut Butter 5 to 7 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it) 1 teaspoon Gefen Vanilla Extract 3 ounces 72 percent chocolate, melted (for drizzling) Roasted peanuts, chopped (for topping) Optional: Glicks Chocolate Chips or additional natural peanut butter

Prepare the Popsicles: In a blender place Greek yogurt, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract.

Blend until smooth and well-combined. Pour mixture into popsicle molds.

Optional: mix in some chocolate chips or swirl in some extra peanut butter with a popsicle stick.

Place popsicle sticks in the center of each mold.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

In the meantime, prepare a lined baking sheet with Gefen Easy Baking Parchment Paper and make sure there is room in the freezer for the baking sheet to fit.

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 15-second intervals until smooth.

Remove popsicles from freezer.

Swiftly dip the popsicle into the melted chocolate and transfer to lined baking sheet. You have to work fast for this part so that the popsicles don't melt.

Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top right away. Don’t wait too long to put on chopped peanuts because the chocolate will harden quickly.

You can also make an easier version by just drizzling some chocolate on each popsicle and call it a day, although I highly recommend the previous version for extra peanut flavor and crunch.

Return each popsicle to the freezer as you go along.

Freeze the chocolate-dipped popsicles for additional 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe by Rachel Goodman, registered dietician, certified dietician/nutritionist Source: www.kosher.com/recipe/peanut-butter-popsicles-5723

40 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

BRAIN FOOD

Great Synagogues

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1. Kill, biblically 5. "True ___" (Coen brothers remake) 9. Coverings for Batman and Robin...and Moses 14. "Rsoh Hahsanah", e.g.

15. Former currency in 41 & 56-Across 16. World War II sub 17. City with a Great Synagogue 19. Dude 20. "Ye ___ Shoppe" 21. Chicken ___ 43-Across 23. Oy follower 24. City with a Great Synagogue 27. City with a Great Synagogue 29. Most musicians have a good one 30. Direction 90 degrees from norte 32. "Cobra ___", hit YouTube show 33. Made kiddish, perhaps 35. "The Simpsons" schoolteacher Krabappel 37. Image that might go viral 41. City with a Great Synagogue 42. City with a Great Synagogue 43. City with a Great Synagogue 44. Surgeon's subj.

45. Last word of many a Jewish service 46. First name of an Avenger 47. Oz Woodman's makeup 49. Joshua or Jonah, e.g.

51. Witness, at a Jewish wedding

18. Smooth and glossy 22. "Witness" actor Haas 24. Another word for parsha 25. Hadas who plays Libbi on "Shtisel" 26. "Shtisel", e.g.

27. Recuperation advice 28. Carol Kane's role on "Taxi" 31. Anderlecht football club of 27-Across, e.g.

34. Jewish Eurovision winner 36. Thrice three 38. "Esa ____ el heharim...."

39. First aid expert 40. Elude 42. "The Hunger Games" nation 46. Total, as an automobile 48. Many people have one in their pocket 50. Casts out, in a way 52. Wild source of tref 53. Like expectations not realized 54. Since kosher slaughter is banned in 63-Across, the local Jews might eat more of this 55. "What a shame" 57. Word for "river", in the Holy Land 60. Goulash or Lecsó, e.g. (hint to 52-Across) 62. First name of the most famous Israeli in the world 64. Airport code in Isr. 65. Pay dirt for a miner 66. ___ b'Omer 67. House and Howser

52. City with a Great Synagogue 56. City with a Great Synagogue 58. "...Muffet sat ___..."

59. Medical insurance grp.

60. Payroll tax with Soc. Sec. and Medicare components 61. Puerto Rican pal 63. City with a Great Synagogue 68. Aired "The Golden Girls" 69. Several 70. Appropriately arid city south of 17-Across 71. Forte associated with 42-Across 72. They're heading in the direction of VHS 73. Pants fillers

DOWN

1. Queens NCAA team, on the scoreboard 2. Caustic agent in soap 3. Passover mo.

4. "Whose side are ___?"

5. Knight with Pips 6. Ruffle feathers 7. Ruffle one's feathers 8. Ancestor or daughter of King David 9. He's voiced by James Earl Jones...again 10. "Honest" President 11. What you're trying to do if you're reading this 12. Birth name of Clark Kent 13. Is an obedient dog, in a way

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dents on Aug. 7 at the home of her parents. The guest speaker was Neil Rubin, managing editor of the Atlanta Jewish Times.

15 Years Ago// July 30, 2004

50 Years Ago// August 1, 1969

■ The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s Fine Fam-

■ After the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon, Gen. Shlomo Goren,

ily Art Gallery opened the Art of Aging exhibit. It was rendered by an international group of artists who worked through a Jewish lens to celebrate maturity.

the Armed Forces chief chaplain in Israel, instructed a change in prayer for the blessing of the moon, “as I dance before you and cannot touch you, so my enemies will not be able to touch me,” should now be switched to “as I dance against you and do not touch you, so others, if they dance against me to harm me, they will not touch me,” a prayer found in the Talmud.

■ Young professional actor Alex Miller became the only child actor in the Georgia Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Coriolanus.”

25 Years Ago// July 29, 1994 ■ The Swissôtel has joined six other Atlanta hotels in catering to Jew-

Gen. Shlomo Goren changed the Talmudic blessing of the moon.

■ The Workmen’s Circle and the Farband Labor Zionist Order

announced their collaboration on a program of Yiddush cultural activities throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Breslow, Workmen’s Circle presiish dietary laws. The Swissôtel invested about $120,000 in equipment, glasses and pots dent, described the two groups’ cooperation as a “historic moment” in Jewish cultural and pans to open a kosher kitchen. It was expected to open on Aug. 1. life of the country.

■ Sarah Rottenberg hosted a dairy luncheon for Atlanta’s vacationing college stuATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 41

OBITUARIES

Rachel Mezrah Capelouto 92, Atlanta

Rachel Capelouto passed away July 28, 2019, in Atlanta. She was 92. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of many years, Isaac Capelouto, an aeronautical engineer at Lockheed Aircraft. Soon after marriage, his job took them for several years to St. Louis, Mo., after which the couple moved back to their hometown of Atlanta.

A very strong, independent woman, Rachel remained in her Atlanta home after Isaac died in 1990. The same street, Arborvista Drive, had once been home to their dear friends Lucy and Albert Maslia, Corrine and Morris Rousso, Jeanette and Jimmy Arogeti, Betty and Burt Handmacher, Sukie and Hymie Shemaria, and Doris and Ralph Benator. Their children passed easily from house to house, and Rachel was called “Aunt Rachel” by them all.

Rachel was born Dec. 30, 1926, in Atlanta, to Beatrice and David Mezrah, Sephardic immigrants from Turkey who made Atlanta their home. Beatrice and David lived in a Pryor Street duplex, with “the Franco girls,” including her lifelong friend, Sue Franco Woznica, who lived upstairs. David ran a small grocery store, walking to work every day, rain or shine. Beatrice sometimes helped at the store and raised Rachel and her younger brother, Jack Mezrah of Carrollton, Ga., who recently passed away. The family later moved to the Morningside neighborhood near the old Or VeShalom synagogue.

The Or VeShalom (Light and Peace) synagogue was a big part of Rachel’s life. She loved the Sephardic services, the people, the songs, the rabbis, the food, the Bazaar, the holidays, the traditions—everything. She attended services whenever she could, and never missed a yahrzeit service or forgot to light a candle on the anniversaries of the deaths of her husband, parents, and other loved ones.

Rachel was an excellent cook of delicious Sephardic dishes. She could cook them all and was eager to share; she didn’t have to twist anyone’s arms to eat her food. She often attended the Tuesday bureka-making sessions at the OVS and passed on her knowledge to the next generation of Sephardic cooks. She regularly visited with and brought food for elders in the community or others in need, or those who were ill or had lost loved ones.

After her mother was lost to cancer, she became a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. After attending Girls High in Atlanta, Rachel studied to be a secretary and worked for several years before becoming a full-time homemaker and raising her family: three children, daughters Corinne (Larry) Capelouto of Montgomery, Ala., and Sharon (Kenny) Sonenshine of Atlanta, and son Gary (Susanna) Capelouto of Atlanta; and her many adored grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom called her “Nanny.” Rachel will be missed by her family and her many cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Or VeShalom Isaac Capelouto Educational Fund or the Alzheimer’s Association. Services were held July 30 at Greenwood Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Estelle Light 97, Atlanta

Estelle Light, 97, of Atlanta, died peacefully July 22, 2019. She is preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Arthur, and three sisters.

Estelle was born and brought up in the West Bronx and Washington Heights.

She graduated from Walton High School and Franklin School of Business in New York City. She served two years as an officer in the Army in World War II. She and Arthur founded Artlite Office Supply in 1964, which continues today with their children at the helm. She and Arthur were members of The Temple since they moved to Atlanta, and she served as a Temple board member for three years.

She was extremely proud when she and Arthur were honorees from the City of Hope with the Spirit of Life award. She was a life member of City of Hope, and a member of ORT, the American Legion, Hadassah, B’nai Brith Women and Jewish War Veterans.

She had many hobbies and was an avid pen collector. She enjoyed playing canasta and poker. She also loved to travel.

Survivors include sons Stuart (Paula) Light, Steven (Wendy) Light and Bert (Diane) Light; daughter Cindy Light (Doreen Church); grandchildren Michelle, Brian (Jordan) and Stacey Light, and Kevin and Rebecca Martin.

In lieu of flowers please send any donations to The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St, NE, Atlanta, 30309, earmarked for the Arthur W. Light Fund or to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, 30327.

Graveside services were held July 24 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

42 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

OBITUARIES

Morris ‘Maishe’ Coleman Rosenthal Paul L. Rubin 87, Atlanta

65, Boston

Morris ‘Maishe’ Coleman Rosenthal, 87, of Atlanta, passed away July 21, 2019, with his family by his side.

Maishe was a native Atlantan, the youngest of five. He was an active member of the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956. He was a graduate of Emory University and practiced as a certified public accountant for more than 50 years with his wife by his side. Maishe and Joanne were life partners. They worked together and were inseparable. He was an avid reader, music lover, world traveler and was well versed in current events.

Despite battling illness in his later years, he remained present for his immediate and extended family, hosting Friday night Shabbat dinner and many other family functions. Maishe and Joanne’s home was the family’s gathering place. He was wellrespected by all who knew him for his integrity and his kindness, as well as his quick wit.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Joanne; brother-in-law, Bernard Idov; children, Janis (Ivan) Beck, Alicia Rosenthal and Ross (Amy) Rosenthal; grandchildren, Lora (Billy) Hahn, Kyle (Christina) Cristal, Myles Rosenthal, Alec Rosenthal and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Marcus Jewish Community Center where Maishe benefitted from the Parkinson’s programming, or Atlanta Group Home, 3160 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, 30327.

A graveside service was held July 22 at Greenwood Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Dr. Paul L. Rubin, 65, son of Muriel and Al Rubin, passed away July 27, 2019, in Boston, Mass., surrounded by his family.

Dr. Rubin was born and raised in Atlanta and attended Northside High School, Tulane University and Medical College of Georgia. He completed his urology residency at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Rubin possessed many passions in life, but none greater than his family. He enjoyed traveling, cooking, biking and spending time with close friends. He valued conversing with his patients and colleagues and could often be found in the doctors’ lounge at Gwinnett Medical Center.

Dr. Rubin is survived by his wife Pam; their children Heather and Brian Pachter, Jessie Rubin and Evan Feldman and Michael Rubin; and grandchildren Mason and Elle.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Dana Farber at www.dana-farber.org in honor of Dr. Jeffrey Morgan and Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, for whom he and his family are eternally grateful.

Graveside services were held July 29 at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-499

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact 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.

‫זיכרונה לברכה‬

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 43

TISHA B' AV Recalling Our Two Temples of Old

By Rabbi David Geffen There was a time in the 1940s and 1950s when Tisha B’Av was almost unknown. I recall going to Congregation Shearith Israel the night of Tisha B’Av where I was the youngest by far. Mr. Abe Edelstein (z’’l), actually a first cousin of Rabbi Tobias Geffen via Shayne Schaffer Edelstein, read the Book of Lamentations, Eichah, with fervor. No one sat on the floor; the lights were not turned off so you could read by flashlight. This is 1946 and 1947 before Israel became a state. My grandfather stayed up all night with his own tikkun reading and reciting the kinot (elegies) in his study at the Geffen home, 593 Washington Street, Atlanta. Once I visited him during the night. I can still recall his emotion as he truly mourned the destruction of both Temples.

Factually, the first recorded observance of Tisha B’Av in our state was held in Savannah. Rabbi Saul Rubin, the historian of Savannah Jewry, wrote. “Mikve Israel’s building committee met in 1840 in early July to select a date for detailing the dedication of the new building. July 21, 1820, was selected – the day after Tisha B’Av.” Rubin described the fast day services, just a simple reading of Lamentations. However, it was most meaningful because the next day everyone knew the building, where they observed Tisha B’Av, would be dedicated.

“This was a time of hope and elevation in their lives,” Rubin wrote.

Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem by Francesco Hayez.

There is historical data which proves why Tisha B’Av had to be observed. The first Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians on the ninth of Av in 586 B.C.E. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans on the ninth of Av 70 C.E. Traditions to buttress the observance are frequently cited. When Jews rebelled against the Romans, they were defeated at Beitar, a major fortress, in the third century C.E., on the ninth of Av. Citing another sad event on the day, the ninth of Av 1196 C.E. marked the expulsion of the Jews from England. On Tisha B’Av in 1492, Jews were expelled from Spain after the Inquisition. World War I began on Tisha B’Av in 1914.

The destruction of the Jews in the Holocaust began in

COMING THIS MONTH! 2019 EDITION: GUIDE TO JEWISH ATLANTA 44 | AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Poland in 1938 on that ominous fast day.

Tisha B’Av falls in the summer when people are on vacation, sometimes even the rabbi of a congregation.

Rabbis have faced the necessity of keeping the meaning of Tisha B’Av alive by returning from their vacation to lead the fast day services. They are ensuring its sadness and mourning remain significant.

The great revival of Tisha B’Av in the USA began when the summer camps, from Reform to Labor Zionist, from Camp Ramah to Camp Massad, later Morasha, and Camp Tel Yehudah (Young Judaea) to the famous Camp Cejwin, focused on the day, the ninth of Av. My fellow attendees and counselors at Camp Blue Star were “overwhelmed” by the manner in which Uncle Harry (z”l) and Uncle Herman (z”l), the Popkin brothers, planned the observance, so well and in such a moving fashion we can never forget it.

On erev Tisha B’Av at Blue Star in the 1950s, as the shadows were turning into darkness, every camper and counselor who had brought whites to camp, dressed in them. Each of the bunks in a unit flowed down toward the lake. When we reached a certain point in our descent, we were each handed a lit candle. The music counselor had sessions the week before to instruct us in the hymn from the Psalms, “al naharot bavel, by the shores of Babylonia we wept.” Imagine the air of the camp filled with this melody, producing a moving moment.

As we neared the lakefront, we saw across the lake six giant torches burning, a very early reference to the destruction of the 6 million. This occurred because the Popkin brothers had been working secretly during World War II to try to save some Jews. They were relentless in their efforts.

As we reached the shore, with several hundred candles burning, we could see that on the lake there was some kind of boat. We could barely make out the people on the boat and what they were holding. From the other side of the lake, the sound boxes carried the well-known words “Eli, Eli.” (My Lord, My God) Those who knew the words sang too. Someone read the passages in Hebrew and English from the Tanach-Bible about the actual destruction of First Temple. Did we cry? Not sure.

Next, on the boat torches were lit and you could see a large model of the Temple in plywood. The torches touched that miniature structure, and the flames rose, incinerating that moving reminder of our past. A few passages from the Book of Lamentations were chanted, I think, by a waiter, David Their, whose voice was magnificent. Many of us did begin to whisper, “our Temple had been destroyed.” To bolster our faith, “’Ani Ma’amin,’ I believe,” surged forth from all of us.

I observed Tisha B’Av at Camp Daniel Morgan, at Camp Rutledge, at Camp Blue Star and at Camp B’nai B’rith. Each year it was different, but Blue Star was the most powerful of all. The Popkin brothers, both professional Jewish leaders in AZA and Young Judaea, chose to make Tisha B’Av a highlight of the camping season, which would bolster our Judaism in the years to come.

Even if campers had never heard about the day, the fast of Tisha B’Av, they found its presentation on a lake in Hendersonville, N.C., locale of the camp, a most moving experience. ■ Rabbi David Geffen is a native Atlantan and Conservative rabbi who lives in Jerusalem.

A Great Miracle Happened Here Rosh Chodesh Av begins month of Tammuz and an at sundown Thursday, Aug. angry neighbor who had 1, and highlights extreme verbally assaulted me and contrasts, housing one of the another who had vandalized darkest days, on the ninth of our garden. It might sound Av, and one of the brightest, trite without the details, on the 15th day. but the lessons are deep and Tisha B’Av is a day of profound. I’d been agonizfasting that recalls the sufing about what steps could fering of our people at the modify the yard, without hands of the Babylonians Dr. Terry giving in to the bullies. I and Romans. It also marks Segal implored Hashem to appear the decree that Jews would New Moon Meditations with the answer because I wander the desert for 40 had exhausted myself trying years, the expulsion of Jews from Eng- to find a solution. land on this day in 1290, and Spain, on On June 25, at 6 a.m., my husband this same day, in 1492. awakened me from yet another sleepTu B’Av, celebrates the yearly peak screaming nightmare. Scheduled to leave of the masculine sun’s energy, combined on vacation with family members in two with the monthly peak of the feminine hours, my husband announced he wasn’t moon, in which we’re most poised to going, due to the unpredictable behavior meet our soulmates or deepen our con- of the haters. I wouldn’t go without him, nection if we’re already with our bashert. and our landscaper, needed for the transIt’s a day of intense love. formation, wasn’t available until early Meanwhile, it’s not Chanukah, and September. we’re not living in Israel, but a great mirTwo hours passed, and I paced like acle happened here. a tiger. Meditation time. For 20 minutes, Last month, I shared about the fiery I visualized each home and family, in-

CLOSING THOUGHTS

fusing them with peace and love. It was easy for the ones who have supported us, but very difficult for those who have been hateful. Imagining Hashem breathing in with me and exhaling peace in a gale force made it possible. Each time my thoughts turned to the ugliness, I breathed in again and released it through the filter of G-d’s love and peace.

I was exhausted, scared and frustrated because I couldn’t fix the situation. I prayed and prayed for clarity with a solution. No stranger to conversations with Hashem and the angels, I heard, “You need to take care of yourself. Let us take care of how it happens.”

“All right!” I spoke aloud. I sat for about two minutes with how hard it was to let go of trying to control the outcome, when I heard my husband’s phone ring.

He came running in as if holding a hot potato and I was wearing oven mitts.

The voice of our landscaper on the phone called my name. “Yes?” He told me that he awakened to orders from his “Boss” – how this man of Christian faith referred to G-d – saying that he wouldn’t be going to his scheduled job that day,

but would, instead, be coming to us, with his crew of 11 men. We weren’t even supposed to be home and the night’s rains thwarted the work to be done elsewhere.

He said the job would take four days to complete. We’d be away for five.

They arrived within minutes. Sobbing, I threw my arms around him, saying that G-d was manifest in him as an angel, taking action that would restore peace. It was nothing short of a sacred miracle. I told him that we have the same Boss, even if we pray in different languages. He nodded and agreed.

We went on vacation. He sent continual videos of the progress. It was more beautiful than we had imagined, and not only has peace been restored, but we’ve received words of love from all but one of the haters.

There is nothing left to say but thank you, thank you, continually to Hashem, as well as the angels, both the G-dly and earthly ones.

Meditation Focus: Miracles can happen in the world if everyone prays and acts on behalf of peace. What action might you take that restores peace? Hashem is listening. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 45

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Restrictions apply. Discounts may vary. Not available in all states. See your agent for details. Insurance is underwritten

by Farmers Insurance Exchange and other affiliated insurance companies. Visit farmers.com for a complete listing of companies. Not all insurers are authorized to provide insurance in all states. Coverage is not available in all states.

Life Insurance by Farmers New World Life Insurance Company, 3120 139th ave. SE, Ste. 300, Bellevue, WA 98005

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Mary: 404.454.2063 or 678.886.2718 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 2, 2019 | 47

48 AUGUST 2, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES