OPINION

Letter to the editor,

On behalf of the State Bar of Georgia, I am writing to extend condolences to the family, colleagues and many friends of Richard M. Shafritz of Shafritz & Dean LLC in Atlanta on his very untimely passing on July 31. As a Georgia State University College of Law classmate of Richard’s, I count myself among those personal friends.

A Sandy Springs resident who was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2001, Richard practiced real estate law throughout metro Atlanta and earned a well-deserved reputation as an attorney with exceptional intellect, unshakable ethics, a larger-than-life personality and a legacy of excellent professional service to his clients.

Richard Shafritz will be missed and fondly remembered by his fellow members of the legal community. We appreciate his dedication and the many contributions he made during his career through his exemplary service to the public and justice system.

Dawn M. Jones, president, State Bar of Georgia

Letter to the editor,

A discussion of Black Lives Matter with your son should start with a history lesson:

African Americans fought, sacrificed and died for the democracy which Jews immigrated to their country, America, to enjoy. Though they fought and died for our democracy, African Americans have encountered oppression and bigotry in all forms for over 400 years. African Americans have fought for equality and inclusiveness long before Jews immigrated to their country.

Racism, like anti-Semitism, tends to take the path of least resistance down to the ground! The virulent racist assault on America’s most patriotic citizens of color, Tamika Mallory, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Angela Davis, Linda Sarsour and others by insidious Jewish ingrates is unAmerican, unacceptable and obscene!

Many Jews have virulently assaulted “Black Lives Matter.” Mort Klein ZOA, an immigrant, tweeted, “BlackLivesMatter is an antisemitic, Israel hating Soros funded racist extremist Israelophobic hate group.” And “BLM is a Jew hating, White hating, Israel hating, conservative Black hating, violence promoting dangerous Sores funded extremist group of haters.”

A man (later identified as Abraham Knopfler) demanded that a New York City coffee shop take down a “BLACK LIVES MATTER” sign. He was refused service because he was not wearing a mask! Mr. Knopfier stated, “They have mattered pretty much. Black lives only matter when they’re killed by whites and not when they’re killed by blacks.”

Caroline Glick, JNS (6-28-20) “The silent American Jews:” “So for BLM, anti-Semitism isn’t a bug. It is a feature. Hatred of Israel and the Jews is part of its DNA.”

Americans are paying for Holocaust museums, for care for elderly Holocaust victims who placed their assets in foreign banks to avoided paying tax in America and so many more causes for Jews and Israel. Congress just passed a bill to give Israel a minimum of $38 billion over the next 10 years, despite current devastation to the U.S. economy. The bill passed by a voice vote without any discussion or debate of the largest such package in U.S. history, and without identifying the title. This looting of American tax dollars will constitute $7,000 per minute for the dysfunctional/terrorist/welfare state of Israel.

Our tax dollars should be used for the people who earned those tax dollars, the American people, especially African Americans who are suffering the consequence of COVID-19 more than most and need our tax dollars far more than Israel.

I notice that Jews are using the term “white privileged” more and more! There is an interesting article in atlantajewishtimes 12-19-16, “Are Jews White? It’s Complicated” by Dave Schechter.

M. D. Block, La Jolla, Calif.

Letter to the editor,

I want to applaud Dave Schechter for his powerful article about addressing anti-Semitism: July 28, “Perdue Campaign Removes Ad Ossoff called ‘Anti-Semitic’”

The article’s title speaks for itself about what this story will be focused on. I believe that Dave’s writing about addressing anti-Semitism is supposed to get readers acknowledging racism in politics today. With the 2020 election day only three months away, Georgia has become a battleground for the Senate.

As a part of Generation Z, I am motivated more than ever to battle racial injustice and racism that is still alive in America. Politicians have used assumptions and stereotypes to make others feel inferior because of being taught it. Jon Ossoff, a Jewish candidate having his nose “manipulated to enlarge” it, will serve as a reputation of what his opponent’s party has become.

When I was reading this article, I realized that a political party is just a basis of what a candidate runs on but running for office goes deeper than that. For example, I believe that voters should not vote solely based on a political party, but on integrity, leadership, character and empathy. Those are the qualities I look for in a candidate.

In June 2017, I created an iMovie for the Jon Ossoff campaign for U.S. Congress and it was able to exceed over 1,100 views on Facebook. My intention for creating the iMovie was to convince potential voters to elect Jon because of his plans to help affordable healthcare and Georgian families in need. I campaigned for him by drawing posters May 26, 2017, at Jon Ossoff outdoor rally and attending his rallies. Being a Jon supporter, it and making posters for his campaign. was disconcerting to see his beautiful Jewish culI was 14 and I remember asking him ture being used against him. if he saw my iMovie. His response was “yes” and that he enjoyed it.

This article was a reminder to pay closer attention to candidates’ character and to never forget the “why” when running for office. Jon Ossoff knows his cause and it is to challenge corruption in Washington, D.C. I remember being 14, enthusiastically telling Jon my aspirations for running for Senate in the future and he thought that was amazing. He inspires me every day.

Jon has always been a politician I look up to because of his character, morals and him as a person.

Thank you, Dave, for shedding more light on anti-Semitism and the different forms it comes in. This article enlightened me to continue striving to achieve my dreams of being a U.S. Senator who will protect human rights from discrimination regardless of gender, race, LGBTQ+ and religion. Hopefully, your article inspires many to take action against hate towards certain communities.

Ashleigh Ewald, Georgia

Letter to the editor,

The date is March 13, 2020. Everyone around the country is preparing for distance learning, thinking that it will last a few weeks. Little did I think that it would be the last time I would see my teachers and my friends for my junior year.

The Class of 2020 got their proms and graduation parties taken away. I have several friends in the Class of 2020, and I know that they did not deserve what they got taken away from them. As a member of the Class of 2021, I ask myself “Will I even get to have a graduation?” I hope I do. “Will I get to have a graduation party?” I hope I do.

My school year was already delayed by a week. I was happy about having an extra week of summer, but also disappointed that my senior year already got off to a rocky beginning.

My school is doing a blended learning option, but I will be doing the in-person choice for now. I do feel hesitant going in person because I don’t know what could happen. I am disappointed that my senior year will not be as normal as other senior years prior to COVID-19. My senior year will be a historic one for many reasons, but what I will do is make my senior year the best that it will be. My school has implemented rules such as having lunch outside, requiring masks, and enforcing social distancing as much as possible. They also are requiring every student to bring their own water bottle instead of using the water fountains in the hallway.

Luckily, I go to a private school with less than 300 kids. But seeing pictures of a crowded hallway at North Paulding High School in Dallas, Ga., and the senior girls’ picture at Etowah High School in Woodstock, Ga., made me feel glad I don’t go to a public school. The smaller the environment, the safer I feel, but I still take precautions seriously.

What I am most upset about is that I will have to leave my friends in a year. I grew up with a lot of them, and we had so many memories together. Will I even get to say goodbye? I’m praying that I do.

Being a Jewish high school student during coronavirus is also going to be difficult in terms of observing Yom Kippur and being a part of the world’s largest Jewish youth group, BBYO.

I have observed Yom Kippur every year since fourth grade, but last year was the first time I actually went to synagogue for Yom Kippur. Now, I have to do Zoom services. In other news, my youth group, BBYO, is having almost everything online at the moment. Virtual conventions, programs, etc. Our biggest gathering of the year is the international convention with more than 5,000 teens usually in attendance. It was scheduled to take place in Philadelphia over President’s Day weekend, but Philadelphia is now prohibiting all major gatherings until the end of February 2021.

I am keeping my hopes high for everything that a senior should have, but ultimately, we will have to see what happens.

Perry Schwartz, Atlanta

Letter to the editor,

In January 1933 the German people used their ballot to install an anti-Semitic government. (“Ilhan Omar Holds Off Well Funded Primary Challenger in Minnesota”) In August 2020 the Democratic voters of Minnesota’s 5th District used their ballot to maintain the anti-Semitism of Ilhan Omar in office.

By their ballot they rejected the wisdom and prescience of Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as cited by the late Congressman John Lewis.

In a 2002 op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle commemorating Martin Luther King Day, Congressman Lewis recalled the wise and prescient words of Dr. King spoken at Harvard University a few weeks before his death: “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews; you’re talking anti-Semitism.”

There is no doubt both Dr. King and Congressman Lewis would have branded Ilhan Omar as an anti-Semite. Unfortunately, just as in Germany in January 1933, the Democratic voters in Minnesota have spoken.

Richard Sherman, Margate, Fla.

Letter to the editor,

UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash stated that when a normalization agreement with Israel is signed, “Abu Dhabi will have its embassy in Tel Aviv based on international consensus to a two-state solution. The embassy will be in Tel Aviv. This is very clear,” he said.

Asked about achievements reached in the deal, Gargash said, ‘The most concrete achievement was to stop the annexation of Palestinian lands” and he reiterated UAE’s commitment to a two-state solution.

Perhaps we would do well to recall the words of Anwar Sadat: “Poor Menachem, he has his problems. … After all, I got back … the Sinai and the Alma oil fields, and what has Menachem got? A piece of paper.”

There is also this, from an interview with Sadat in the Egyptian newspaper Al Anwar on June 22, 1975:

“The Zionist conquest to which we are being subjected will not be terminated by the return of the occupied territories. … The effort of our generation is to return to the 1967 borders. Afterward the next generation will carry the responsibility.”

History suggests we might reasonably question whether it is sound policy “to make concrete, and probably irreversible, concessions in exchange for gestures and unenforceable promises.”

Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif

Letter to the editor,

In the Aug. 15, 2020, edition of the Atlanta Jewish Times, Michael Morris wrote an article entitled, “Our Rabbis and Synagogues Need Us.” I thought his message was on point and could be extended to include all Jewish nonprofit organizations.

COVID-19 has hit our nonprofit agencies really hard. In March, most agencies had a 9-day survival plan, with a few thinking 180 days. Most did not believe what has turned into a reality: Jewish nonprofits are typically seeing a 20 to 35% reduction in revenue as of today.

As the side effects of the pandemic drag on for another nine to 12 months, the revenues will most assuredly decrease even more. A vaccine won’t provide a quick economic recovery because of the domino effect that has reached virtually everyone, one way or another. Sadly, not all of the synagogues, JCCs, senior living facilities, day schools, senior programming, or family services will survive in their current form. Most simply didn’t/ don’t have financial reserves or benefactors. A few, due to their endowment funds, will survive unscathed, but that will be the exception. This demise will affect us all!

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s emergency campaign was manna for a lot of local agencies. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s JCamp 180 provided emergency matching grants for Jewish camps that couldn’t open. Many foundations and endowment funds pumped money into our community. But that was a short-term fix.

Our community will need more assistance from those who have a financial capacity, and from some who just need to dig deeper in their pockets as endowment funds are drained and emergency funds disappear.

High holiday giving is paramount to our synagogues’ survival as it’s typically 10 to 25% of their annual budget. Without a successful appeal, staff/clergy may need to be reduced. I cringe just typing that sentence.

I’m encouraging and pleading with those who can to support their synagogues, JCC, Jewish day schools and the hundreds of nonprofits that count on us.

Many of us want to return to that touchy-feely sensation of in-person attendance and participation, but will those agencies be there when we’re on the other side of COVID-19? They will be, if we all contribute to their survival.

Please remain a member in good standing by paying your membership dues and contributing to fundraising campaigns, regardless of your current level of involvement and benefit, or lack thereof. You’ll be setting an example for your kids and grandchildren.

These organizations need us now, more than ever, and we and future generations need them.

L’shanah Tovah,

Lee N. Katz, Atlanta

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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OPINION

One GOP Endorsement That Greene Will Not Get

I do not live in Georgia’s 14th congressional district. I’m not here to tell the voters in the 14th district who to support Dave Schechter From Where I Sit on Nov. 3. If it is the will of the majority to elect Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene to the United States House of Representatives, so be it. In this country, the right of the people to choose their representatives is fundamental.

The 14th anchors the northwest corner of Georgia. The district’s Jewish population is tiny, less than 0.03 percent when estimated in 2014. There is one active synagogue, Rodeph Sholom Congregation in Rome.

The seat opened when Republican Rep. Tom Graves decided not to seek re-election. Given that the 14th is one of the nation’s most conservative districts, odds are that Greene will defeat Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal and in January place her left hand on a Bible, raise her right hand, and swear to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Greene is controversial because of who she considers an enemy and who a friend.

After the June 9 primary — in which she was the leading vote-getter — the executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition Matt Brooks told the Jewish Insider that the RJC would not support Greene if she won the Aug. 11 runoff.

Brooks said in a July 20 statement that “The importance of the outcome of this runoff is too great for us to stay on the sidelines” because Greene “would take our party in the wrong direction.” The RJC endorsed her opponent. Greene won the runoff.

The RJC national office has reconfirmed to me that it will not back Greene in the general election.

In the interest of the space allotted this column, we’ll move past Greene’s remarks about Muslims and African Americans and, because this is a Jewish newspaper focused on metro Atlanta and Georgia, consider what she has said about Jews.

Readers can decide for themselves whether those comments are anti-Jewish. Starting with, George Soros is a “Nazi.”

Soros is 90 years old, Jewish, a Holocaust survivor (he was 9 when World War II began and 14 when it ended), an emigre to the United States from Hungary, and a billionaire who has financially backed liberal causes in Hungary, in the United States, and globally.

Some on the right become apoplectic at the mention of his name.

POLITICO reviewed hours of Greene’s Facebook videos, finding this: “George Soros says dark forces have been awakened by Trump’s win. I don’t think so. George Soros is the piece of crap that turned in — he’s a Jew — he turned in his own people over to the Nazis.” Never mind that this is a falsehood.

POLITICO also reported: “In February 2019, Greene replied to a tweet that included several memes accusing Soros of being part of a secret totalitarian world government. One picture showed Soros as a vampire who controls ‘every single Democrat politician.’ In her reply, Greene called Soros ‘the Nazi himself trying to continue what was not finished.’”

The RJC also referred to Greene’s habit of “promoting bizarre political conspiracy theories,” namely those promulgated by the right-wing fringe known as QAnon. In a 2017 YouTube video she said, “There’s a once-in-alifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out, and I think we have the president to do it.”

In QAnon world, that cabal includes Soros and, for good measure, the Rothschild family, a bogeyman for peddlers of anti-Jewish hate dating back to the 1815 Battle of Waterloo and a pamphlet authored by a mysterious “Satan” that accused Nathan Rothschild of making a fortune on the London exchange with early information of the French defeat.

Then there are her photographs with Chester Doles, a Georgian with a history of white supremacist activity. He described her on social media as “part of the Q movement” and a “Good friend to have.” Greene’s campaign has called questions about Doles “silly and the same type of sleazy attacks the Fake News Media levels against President Trump.”

The day after her runoff victory, Trump hailed Greene on Twitter, calling her a “future Republican Star” and “a real WINNER.” Among Republicans congratulating Greene were Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Rep. Doug Collins, the frontrunners heading toward Georgia’s Nov. 3 all-comers Senate primary.

But not the Republican Jewish Coalition. Not now and not in November. ì

How to Get Help

“Our twin priorities are service and survival,” said Richard Malone, president and chief executive of the YMCA of Metro Chicago, Terri Bonoff Guest Columnist which closed three of its 17 branches since the pandemic struck. “It is the nonprofit sec- tor that needs help, but it’s the people who we serve that bear the brunt.”

This excerpt was taken from a New York Times story that ran recently with the headline “Providing a Pandemic Safety Net, Nonprofits Need Their Own.”

The experience we have had at JF&CS Atlanta during the global pandemic is very different than what I am hearing from col- leagues around the country. The Jewish community is not immune to the pain and suffering the pandemic is wreaking on com- munities everywhere. Yet the Jewish commu- nity response to meet the need is very different. The collaborative environment among the providers of lifeline services and the generosity of the philanthropic community is a recipe that yields a rich and powerful re- sult. JF&CS has been able to continue current staffing levels, increase where needed and expand services to address the very serious crisis that members of our community face.

Thanks to the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Emergency Relief Fund, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, United Way, the Zalik Foundation, The Molly Blank Fund, JumpSpark and many generous donors, we have transformed our service de- livery model. In all of last fiscal year, we gave away $150,000 in emergency assistance. In the last 20 weeks, we have provided more than $500,000. (An over 300 percent increase over ALL of last year).

Take a minute and imagine the faces behind the numbers: the mom who is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. COVID concerns keep her from working during treatment, and she’s unable to pay for her medical bills and the cost of her son’s spe- cial education tutors. Or the 85-year-old man who lost his wife and now needs help to stay in his home by himself. Imagine the parents who have both lost their jobs and can’t make their mortgage payment. These are real peo- ple in real need.

The Jewish community also is not im- mune to food insecurity. Our Kosher Food Pantry that served our clients primarily, has helped 3,000 people since mid-March with 77,000 pounds of food, an increase of over 1,000 percent. We were not doing ANY home delivered meals for older adults pre-COVID, but as part of our food pantry work and to respond to the need for older adults who couldn’t get meals, we began a small meal delivery service. In the last 18 weeks we went from not having this service to delivering 477 meals to date and plan to continue as long we can.

Another acute area of need is the soaring demand for mental health support. There is palpable anxiety among many. Those who are already confronting challenges in their marriages, have financial hardships, struggle with depression, anxiety or addiction are now in deeper crisis. Parents who are taking on the educator-in-residence role and full-time family entertainment manager are dealing with increased anxiety as they continue to juggle work and family life. Our clinicians have stretched their capacity and access to meet the needs of those who need our help. Partnerships with community organizations such as JumpSpark and In the City Camp leverage JF&CS professional sup- port to meet the needs of parents, children and families.

Grief over the sudden loss of loved ones can be overpowering, and support groups and counseling can help our friends and family get through one of the most difficult times in our lives. Our JF&CS family is here to help.

The JF&CS pandemic story is one of hope, resilience, empathy and strength.

There is a rainbow in our story, and it is because the community supported our commitment and capacity to serve. While the outlook for recovery appears to be far off, the ending to this story has not yet been written. Between today and points unknown when the recovery is sustained there will be even greater demand for services, obstacles to overcome, and cries for help to respond to. We intend to meet these challenges head on as a marathon and not a sprint. We ask for our philanthropic community to stick with us. Please continue inquiring about what we need, and help us help those in real need.

If you or someone you know needs help – food, financial support and/or mental health support – please share these numbers or contact us at:

Emergency assistance and/or food:

770-677-9389 emergencyfinancialassistance@jfcsatl.org foodpantry@jfcsatl.org

For mental health support:

770-677-9474 therapy@jfcsatl.orgì

OPINION

Evidence Reveals Hitler's Hand In Mass Murder

I recently purchased at auction an important document consisting of an original draft order to expedite Nazi G e r m a n y ’ s slave labor proLewis Regenstein gram, with editGuest Columnist ing changes in Adolf Hitler’s handwriting.

The document clearly demonstrates Hitler’s personal interest and involvement in this murderous program, an important aspect of the Holocaust, and presumably other war crimes as well. It has been authenticated by Hitler’s somewhat infamous secretary Frau Traudl Junge in a letter accompanying the document, which was originally acquired by an American intelligence officer after the war. This cruel and brutal project employed up to 15 million people from occupied countries in the East, mainly Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, POWs, civil

ians, concentration camp inmates and others, even mothers abducted along with their children.

More likely, signs were placed outside of concentration and work camps proclaiming, “Arbeit macht frei” (Work will make you free). Instead, the prisoners were likely to experience “Vernichtung durch Arbeit” (extermination through labor), being starved, tortured, worked to death, or simply executed when their usefulness expired.

One of the most brutal examples of this was at Mittelbau-Dora, near Nordhausen, which used some 60,000 slave laborers, a third of whom perished. This was where Wernher von Braun and his famous rocket scientists developed the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket, before being brought to the United States after the war, where they became national heroes for their work on the U.S. space program.

Many of today’s leading German industries fully exploited the program, including Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Thyssenkrupp, and BMW, and German companies have generally resisted paying compensation to survivors of the pro

Roll call at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

gram.

This newly re-discovered document, dated simply September, 1942, is a draft of one of Hitler’s harshest, cruelest directives, the order of Sept. 30, 1942, authorizing his chief of labor deployment Fritz Sauckel to enslave millions of workers from the occupied territories and POW camps.

It instructs Sauckel to “take all necessary measures” to enforce an earlier decree to furnish workers for labor “for the German war-economy.”

As a result, Sauckel wrote to Alfred Rosenberg, head of the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories, telling him that 2 million more foreign laborers were required, and that the majority of these would have to be drafted from the recently occupied Eastern territories and especially from the Ukraine.

By the fall of 1944, some 8 million people were slaving away in support of the German war effort. By war’s end, perhaps as many as 12 to 15 million people were serving as slave laborers, although precise figures will never be known.

Sauckel and Rosenberg were hanged after being convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the 1946 Nuremburg trials. Most other officials running the program were never prosecuted or were given light sentences and soon released.

I believe that most of the draft document’s value lies in its demonstration and documentation of Hitler’s intense personal interest and involvement in actually establishing and implementing mass murder programs, such as slave labor (as shown by this document) and presumably others, like the Holocaust.

No one has ever found such a document on the Holocaust, signed by Hitler,

A draft of a slave labor decree edited by Adolf Hitler in his own handwriting, from Fuehrer headquarters, and authenticated by his personal secretary. Lewis Regenstein acquired this document among others in an auction.

which helps Holocaust deniers, and skeptical “revisionist historians” like the author David Irving, to argue that Hitler did not order it and did not even know about its massive dimensions and details.

As I observed in an article in the AJT a few years ago, though Hitler probably did not micromanage such programs or get involved in the details, it is absurd, even laughable to argue that he did not order or know much about the Holocaust..

Given its massive cost and dimensions, and the expensive diversion of critically needed resources like railcars during wartime, only Hitler could have ordered that the Holocaust be undertaken, probably verbally to SS Chief Heinrich Himmler, Holocaust architect Reinhard Heydrich, and/or Hitler aide Martin Bormann.

And now that we have reliable evidence that Hitler personally helped set up the slave labor program, it is even more inconceivable he would not have been equally as or more interested in the Holocaust.

Thus, this documentary evidence is revelatory of Hitler’s character and corroborates the obvious and long held (if still denied by some) conclusion that Hitler did indeed personally order that the Holocaust be undertaken.

This draft decree has never before been publicized, to the best of my knowledge, and gives historians the opportunity further to discredit the deniers and add evidence of Hitler’s personal involvement in mass murder programs. ì

Lewis Regenstein is an Atlanta author and writer with a special interest in World War II and the Holocaust. regenstein@ mindspring.com

The Story of Leo Frank Lives On

By Allison Padilla-Goodman, Rabbi Steve Lebow and Jerry Klinger

Hang the Jew! Hang the Jew! 105 years ago, Leo Frank was brutally lynched by an angry mob whose raging antisemitism spilled over after Frank was wrongfully accused and convicted of murder. The Leo Frank trial occurred at a time when antisemitism was commonplace and public, with signs in storefronts that said, “No dogs, No Jews.” Frank’s horrific lynching became widely publicized, leading to the realization that things had to change and antisemitism could not be ignored. Many years later, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, with support from ADL, Rabbi Steve Lebow and many others, installed a Leo Frank Memorial in Marietta at the site of his lynching, and an Anti-Lynching Memorial to recognize the over 570 individuals who have been lynched in Georgia, brutal acts which stain our history. “The anti-lynching memorial at the Leo Frank site acknowledges the injustice, the pain of thousands,” said Jerry Klinger, founder of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. “It demands we join for the betterment of all.”

This is a particularly important year to recognize the anniversary and the significant legacy of lynching in Georgia for four primary reasons.

First, with the passing of the heroic Congressman John Lewis, many recognized the deep allyship that Lewis showed with the Jewish community. The Leo Frank memorial greatly illuminates this connection. When the Georgia Department of Transportation initially refused to allow the placement of the memorial on its original site, Congressman Lewis wrote an impassioned letter to the GDOT in which he said that the “Anti-Lynching Memorial is an important step towards healing for our community and honoring the work and sacrifice of countless generations to end racial and civil injustice in our great country.” Congressman Lewis understood the importance of Jewish and African American intertwined histories, especially in the South, and how living in the “beloved community” was being the best America possible. Second, times are changing and there is important momentum right now in addressing our nation’s history of systemic oppression. As Rabbi Lebow explained, “The South has changed and is changing in many ways. In Marietta, we are prepared to deal with a difficult past in order to secure a better and finer

Dr. Allison Padilla-Goodman (ADL) and Robert Wittenstein, ADL executive committee member whose family has been involved in the Leo Frank case from the start.

future.” We have to recognize that past to chart our path to the future.

Which leads to the third reason why the Leo Frank Memorial continues to be incredibly relevant: antisemitism is still rampant, 105 years later. While it is not as publicly acceptable and commonplace as it was in the days of Leo Frank, Dr. Allison Padilla-Goodman of ADL explained, “we are still experiencing shocking levels of antisemitism and are continuously fighting back its normalization as we see antisemitism seeping into mainstream rhetoric and antisemitic incidents impacting people everywhere in their communities, in schools and in public places.”

ADL’s annual audit of antisemitic incidents showed a record number of antisemitic incidents in 2019, more than any other year in the audit’s 40-year history. In 2019, there was a 56 percent increase in antisemitic assaults, further proof that the legacy of Leo Frank still haunts us daily. Finally, 2020 is also a notable year to recognize Georgia’s history of lynching and hatred with the Leo Frank story as a painful example because we have made a very important step forward in addressing this history: Georgia now has a hate crimes law that recognizes the tremendous impact of these horrible bias-motivated crimes. The story of Leo Frank has always anchored the Jewish experience and commitment to eliminating hate crimes. That anchor has expanded in recent years with the vicious antisemitic massacres in Pittsburgh, Poway, Jersey City and Monsey. The Georgia Hate Crimes bill was truly a symbol of our future, as it was passed in passionate coalition through Hate Free Georgia with active commitment by many differ

Jerry Klinger, Shelley Rose and Rabbi Steve Lebow at the Leo Frank Memorial.

ent communities, including the primary role of ADL, Georgia Equality and Georgia NAACP, among others, who came together to demand acknowledgement that all of our victimizations are experienced collectively and need to be formally addressed so that they don’t fester.

Leo Frank’s legacy lives on, but it moves forward towards justice and love. ì

Jerry Klinger is founder of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, Rabbi Steve Lebow is spiritual leader of Temple Kol Emeth, and Allison PadillaGoodman is vice president Southern division of ADL (Anti-Defamation League).

OPINION

Having COVID as Head of School

I wore my mask, I washed my hands, I kept my distance from others, and yet, I tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Thank Rabbi Ari Leubitz G-d I am now Guest Columnist healthy and fully back to work. I am able to hug my wife and children and leave the confines of my home office, where I quarantined and healed. It is my belief that after surviving such a traumatic experience, it’s important to share insights and learnings to help people navigate this path and understand what others may be going through.

The irony is that I was burning the proverbial candle at both ends, all related to COVID and the pandemic. I was on call after call and Zoom after Zoom helping families navigate the fear, the economic burdens and the stress of COVID. I was discussing and learning the nuances of the virus from experts, so we could prepare for the new school year. I talked to doctors, CDC folks, nurses and other health organizations to carefully craft the safety and academic plan for our upcoming school year. With my incredible administrative team and our experienced health and safety committee, I worked tirelessly on our remote learning options and on crafting the AJA “response” to COVID. Well, COVID had another plan for me! I was down for the count but did my best to make lemonade out of a whole truckload of lemons.

I’m not going to sugar coat it; this virus was a miserable experience for me. I never imagined I could get COVID, as I rarely had left my home after we moved to remote learning in March. In fact, my kids will tell you, “Abba says if Amazon does not sell it, he does not need it!”

My experience with COVID was the most difficult medical experience of my life. It was unbearable fatigue and it felt like every one of my body functions

was under duress. All I could think about was “please no hospital, please no respiratory issues.” I was very lucky. I was able to recover in the peace and quiet and comfort of my office couch, knowing my family was nearby. I don’t take that gift lightly.

In true rabbinic fashion, I reflected and pondered my situation and tried to glean wisdom from it.

Also in true rabbinic fashion, I’d like to share these revelations with you.

The Only COVID Medication

Unfortunately, there is no medicine to help one heal from COVID or accelerate the process. The only thing that helped my recovery was the outpouring of love, emails, texts, calls, flowers and (of course) food from our community. I was reminded that if someone you care about is hurting, even a short text or note can work miracles to boost their mood. Taking the time to do that, and to connect with one another, that is the best medicine and an incredible mitzvah you can do for someone else.

There is nothing at all I could have done to fight the COVID. My body was doing what it was going to do, and I had no say in the matter. We say many brachot thanking G-d for our bodies. We have blessings that raise our consciousness about the amazing power of our body. This virus felt like it ravaged mine, but through the help of Hashem, I am grateful that I am now better. It was humbling to be reminded of this.

Community Responsibility

Pirkei Avot 1:14

“If I am not for me, who will be for me? And when I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, then when?” Our work together can help contain the spread and do our part to protect those most vulnerable to COVID. We need to not stigmatize this virus; no one is immune, even if they “follow the rules” like I did. If someone does get it, be there for them with support and understanding. If you get it, please be honest and open, so that your personal circle and community is aware and can take the necessary precautions to keep themselves safe. To me, this pandemic became less about who has it and why, and more about how we can respond to and care for those afflicted.

This pandemic might be the biggest and potentially most important test of the concept of “community responsibility” that we’ve ever faced. You see, it is not just my role or your role to protect ourselves and our own families. It is OUR role as a community to protect everyone and their families. As Jews, we are obligated to be there for one another – physically, emotionally and spiritually.

As we have opened our school, what is sure to be an unusual school year for us all, I am grateful for many things. Beyond my own personal gratitude for the chesed and care I received, I am so glad to be together with my community at school. Wishing all students an incredible year of learning and sending gratitude to all of Atlanta’s educators. Please know how grateful we all are for your dedication to the students. ì

Rabbi Ari Leubitz is the head of school of the Atlanta Jewish Academy

Having COVID as a Teacher

The world of teaching has changed. When I was little, I always heard that one day computers would replace teachers. However, Stacey Asher now that I am Guest Columnist a teacher and computers are everywhere, I have seen how wrong we all were. Education this year is different. We are focusing on making communities and making safe spaces without the traditional four walls of our classrooms. We are having to show compassion and love virtually.

Before word came out about the format of fall school openings, I was terrified. I was COVID-free and constantly worried about what opening school would mean for me, my family and my students. I love my students, and I am a teacher because I was born to be one. I love my job and I love my morning hugs. I love my hand holds that my kids give me when they’re having an off day, or when I am having an off day. However, this doesn’t mean I want to go back to school during COVID-19.

I was scared; I am scared. How will schools sanitize my classroom effectively when I still will have 21 to 25 kids in my room? How will my students learn to play and communicate appropriately when they are stuck in my classroom six hours a day without time on the playground and without different teachers and students interacting with them throughout the day? This sounds too much like quarantining, but instead of one family, it sounds like 24 kids and one teacher doing it. How will my school district supply cleaning supplies when the state is without enough, or how will bathrooms be sanitized when our janitorial staff is incredibly efficient but small? I believe in our staff. I think the world of them, but asking them to clean and sanitize an entire school every night while knowing how dangerous COVID-19 can be is crazy.

I woke up one morning this summer with a horrible headache, aching muscles and tingly-numb legs. A week or two later, my test came back positive for COVID-19.

The first thing out of my mother’s mouth, “Well, now at least if you have to go back to work, you’ll be okay.” Can you believe that? My mother worried about me being back in the classroom before worrying about who I had been around, if she had been exposed, or how long it had been since I had symptoms. She worried about me going back to work. Now that I’m back “in” the classroom, I can tell you thank goodness we started virtually. I am young and healthy and this virus kicked my butt. I can’t imagine someone I love having the same virus that can take many different forms.

This is uncharted territory for most. Choosing between education, feeding our students, parents needing to work, and the health of our families is something most teachers understand when a virus is rampant. However, usually the illness isn’t so serious. Usually, it is lice, strep, pink eye or the common cold, which most of our families have experienced, that keep children out of school and parents out of work. Virtual learning is hard; it is tricky, and it definitely cannot meet ALL the needs of all the students in my classroom. With that being said, I love my job. I will make it work, and because I have had COVID-19, I am happy it is not in person.

DeKalb County Schools are not permanently virtual, although they do not have a back-in-the-school-building date. DeKalb will reassess monthly. This makes sense to me: Go with the data and make sure it is in the best interest of not only our students, but the health of our families too. It is hard to not have an end date to virtual learning, but we don’t have an end date on how long this virus will be prevalent either. ì

Stacey Asher is a first-grade teacher at Austin Elementary School in Dunwoody.