Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCIII No. 30, August 3, 2018

NEXT WEEK: BACK TO COLLEGE

VOL. XCIII NO. 30

AUGUST 3, 2018 | 22ND OF AV 5778

BACK TO SCHOOL

The Rise of Anxiety in Teens and How to Help Them COVER STORY, PAGES 18-19

DYSLEXIA & ADHD

LAWMAKERS & EXPERTS ADDRESS STUDENTS' CHALLENGES WITH HOPE FOR SUCCESS. PAGES 20 & 23

ATLANTA UNITED 2

JEWISH PLAYER MAKES HISTORY WITH ATLANTA UNITED 2 SOCCER TEAM. PAGE 32

CHAI STYLE HOMES

COLLECTORS BRENDA & JOEL SHAVIN LET US INTO THEIR RENOVATED 5,500-SQ-FT HOME. PAGES 27-29

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EDITORIAL

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Contributors This Week BOB BAHR BREANNA WEST CHANA SHAPIRO DAN ARNOLD DAVE SCHECHTER EUGENE SCHOENFELD MARCIA CALLER JAFFE MINDY RUBENSTEIN PATRICE WORTHY RABBI RICHARD BAROFF SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER STEPHANIE RUBEL VICKI LEOPOLD

School’s Back

Although it doesn’t feel like summer is over, school started back this week and that means new clothes, homework, school supplies, traffic, activities and … stress.

Not to mention struggles for children who have learning, social and emotional difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD and anxiety. We have you covered when it comes to the challenges of back to school.

Jewish Family & Career Services tells us how to manage anxiety in teens, which may stem from social media and high academic standards. Later this month, a new program at the Marcus JCC will raise awareness about the danger of chronic anxiety in teens and how parents can help deal with the problem.

We also have a story on dyslexia in the Jewish community and how a new state committee on Georgia’s most common learning disability is trying to come up with ways to help public schools identify and address it at an early age.

One of our contributors, who happens to be a child psychotherapist, shares her experiences helping students with ADHD. She also talks about the disorder in the Jewish community, including how one synagogue prepares students with

the disability for their b’nai mitzvah with personalized study methods.

Columnist Chana Shapiro finds a mix of Jewish families to discuss how they decided which high school to attend, whether Jewish or non-Jewish private or public school, or alternating between the two.

Even when families choose the right school, they don’t always get to stay there, as some North Springs Charter High School parents and students found out this summer. Fourteen families, some of whom are Jewish, were affected. You can read about their back to school dilemma here.

For one young actor, the first day of school was overshadowed by his chance to be the lead in a cable television series.

And Atlanta United expected Wednesday to break records for its second highest All-Star crowd. Talking about Atlanta United, we spotlight Yosef Samuel of its reserve unit, who made history scoring the first goal in the team’s inaugural season.

When it comes to changing history, Israel’s new nation-state law continues to stir up strong opinions. Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu remarks on the law publicly and directly.

While the nation-state law sets a course for the future, columnist Eugen Schoenfeld reminds us not to dwell on the past. It is in the hopeful dreams of children such as those returning to school this week that our Jewish community can look forward to what lies ahead this coming year. ■

CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS ���������������������������������� 4 POLITICS ������������������������������������������ 8 BUSINESS ����������������������������������������� 9 ISRAEL NEWS ������������������������������� 10 OPINION ����������������������������������������� 12 EDITORIAL ������������������������������������� 16 EDUCATION ����������������������������������� 18 CHAI STYLE HOMES ������������������ 27 COMMUNITY ��������������������������������� 30 SPORTS ������������������������������������������� 32 KEEPING IT KOSHER ������������������ 33 CALENDAR ������������������������������������� 34 BRAIN FOOD ���������������������������������� 36 OBITUARIES ���������������������������������� 37 MARKETPLACE ���������������������������� 38 CLOSING THOUGHTS ����������������� 39

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 3

LOCAL NEWS AJMF’s New Director Redefines Jewish Music

Musician Joe Alterman cites American pianist Ramsey Lewis as one of his influences.

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com Pianist Joe Alterman’s affection for Jewish musicians and melodies are some of the many qualifications he brings to his job as Atlanta Jewish Music Festival’s new director.

Before returning home last year, the fourth-generation Atlantan lived and performed in New York, where he learned how to network and say “yes” to every opportunity that came his way.

These are skills he believes will help him direct the festival.

“While I have experience and know

a lot about the music industry, I think the mindset I have developed of how to bring this form of music to a lot of people and present it in the right way will be very helpful in this role,” he said.

One of Alterman’s goals in his new position is to break down people’s preconceived notions about different types of music and define what Jewish music is. “I think before it was more about presenting Jewish artists, but I now think we should look at it a little differently and say, ‘yeah we want to present a Jewish artist, but we also want to showcase Jewish compositions or pieces of music that Jews have produced.’”

Alterman thinks people would like to learn more about Jewish composers mostly because good music is timeless. “I think a lot of people miss hearing beautiful melodies, and when you listen to songs which were written for Broadway you are really listening to the American songbook, and it doesn’t get more beautiful than that,” he said.

Alterman began playing the piano after asking his parents for lessons when he was 5. He initially wanted to quit, but after his father began purchasing old blues records, his interest eventually grew. Alterman says he does not know if his Judaism plays a role in his music, but he draws his inspiration from renowned singer Tony Bennett and mentors such as American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis.

Former AJMF director Russell Gottschalk said about Alterman, “I am really excited about Joe taking over the position and following in my footsteps. I think he is going to be a fantastic second-generation leader, and with our strong board, I

think we are going to have a super successful season planned and beyond.”

Gottschalk said he is eager to see the direction the festival is headed and that programs will remain consistent such as the festival’s partnerships with the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival and Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

“I hope that AJMF stays a strong partner with the big Jewish cultural organizations in Atlanta and hope we can continue to try to experiment. I really enjoyed trying to do new things, and as the director of AJMF, I know Joe has some interesting new ideas. So I really support that experimentation and am eager to see what new direction he will take,” Gottschalk said.

As he takes on his new role, Alterman says he is not looking to top Gottschalk, but to build on his work based on his own background and knowledge of music. “I love being creative on the piano, but this allows me to be creative in a different way, and is very stimulating,” he said. “It’s not just that I am working for the festival, but it’s part of my legacy too.

I don’t just look at this as a job; it's important to me that it is successful, and it will be successful.” ■

Joe poses with mentor, Ramsey Lewis.

Joe Alterman takes over from Russell Gottschalk as the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival’s new director.

Joe Alterman began playing the piano when he was 5.

4 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

LOCAL NEWS

Atlanta Jewish Times Wins First Place Rockower Awards Atlanta Jewish Times earned four first-place awards in the American Jewish Press Association’s annual Simon Rockower Jewish Journalism Awards.

Two of the AJT awards this year were earned by Dave Schechter for his articles about Atlanta’s Israeli and Arab communities. Two more awards went to Patrice Worthy for her story on Ethiopians in Atlanta’s sister city in Israel and a handful of female contributors for their coverage of the women’s march here and in Washington, D.C. The Award for Excellence in Writing about Women for “Marchers Stand Up for Rights and Atlanta” went to Rachel Gruskin, Leah Harrison, Ruth AbuschMagder, Marita Anderson, Rebecca Stapel-Wax and Elizabeth Friendly.

They gave first-person accounts from the women’s marches here and in the nation’s capital.

Schechter won the Foundation of Ethnic Understanding Award for Excellence in Interfaith Relations Reports for “Atlanta’s Arabs, Jews Share So Much.”

Schechter took a look at Jewish Atlanta’s Arab population and explored the relationships between the two communities in advance of the annual Atlanta Arab Festival. He also won The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Enterprise or Investigative Reporting for “Israelis Divided From Rest of Jewish Atlanta.” In this profile of Israeli Jews in Atlanta, Schech-

ter discusses the bonds and divisions between Israelis and American Jews in Atlanta.

Worthy won the Nefesh B’Nefesh Charley J. Levine Memorial Award for Journalistic Excellent in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel for “Federation Helps Uplift Yokneam’s Ethiopians.” The story explored the history, lifestyle, social service programs and challenges of the Yokneam community of Ethiopian Jews in Israel supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

The Rockower Awards honor Simon Rockower for his love of the craft of Jewish journalism. An Austrian immigrant, Rockower taught his children to always ask good questions, something they taught l’dor v’dor to their children. “Simon Rockower believed that self-respect was gained by being proud of your religion and your people. He believed in the importance of leaving the legacy of a good name,” according to his greatgrandson, Paul Rockower, recounting the history of the awards online. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 5

LOCAL NEWS

Fulton County Students in Limbo Before Schools Open

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com North Springs Charter High School parents and students are already off to a tumultuous school year after the Fulton County school board decided to oust outof-district, tuition-paying students, and then reversed its decision.

Fourteen families affected by the decision, some of whom are Jewish, were notified over the Fourth of July holiday that their children would not be allowed to return to North Springs. According to Georgia law, the charter contract limits attendance zones to “district residents and does not contemplate out-of-district tuition students,” Fulton County School Board Spokesperson Susan Hale said in a statement.

A few weeks after the initial decision, on July 16, the district decided to allow the out-of-district, tuition-paying students to remain if they were enrolled on or before the 2017-18 school year, their home district approved of it, and their tuition payments were up-to-date.

The news was first brought to AJT’s attention after Jewish Fulton county resi-

The Fulton County school board approved a budget in mid-June to renovate North Springs Charter High School, which was built in 1963.

dent and parent Devi Knapp posted on her Facebook page that she is withdrawing her daughter from a school she never attended. “I think to do this to a small number of kids is ridiculous. You are not putting the kids first. I know you are try-

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ing to put the Fulton county kids first, but when you took my kid in, you told me you were going to take care of her,” Knapp said.

Not wanting to take any chances, Knapp has now enrolled her daughter in Dunwoody High School and says that unlike the other parents, she never received notification from the county about their decision. “The communication has been so poor, and I don’t trust the county, so I decided to work with my husband and my daughter and not to fight them. I don’t trust that it will work for four years and I’d rather start her at a different school rather than find out two years from now we have to transfer her,” Knapp said.

Never receiving an explanation, Knapp said she assumed the school had a quota for the percentage of kids it could accept. Hale responded in an email that NSCHS does not have a quota for the number of students it accepts, but Knapp believes overcrowding may have been a factor.

“I don’t think they have ever followed their own policy. I have a feeling that someone came through and all of a sudden realized the overcrowding and went back and actually read their charter and said, ‘Oh wait, we have not been compliant to this and this would help us minimize the population a little bit and get it to a more manageable number.’”

Attorney Kelly Himes Brolly of the Hilbert Law Firm represents seven of the students who were affected by the county’s initial decision. She hasn’t filed a lawsuit against the Fulton County school system, but provided documents that support her clients’ decisions as well as

legal analysis.

“Although the case involved a great deal of legal work, both in the area of education law and contract law, the firm is very pleased that we were able to get this result for the students/parents involved without litigation,” Brolly said. “Plus, we were able to accomplish it within two weeks, which leaves a few weeks for the families to enjoy before school starts on August 6. We were also glad that we were able to work amicably with the FCSS and their legal counsel to reach a mutually beneficial result.”

Knapp said she realizes that the county is in a difficult place, but it should issue an apology to the families. “They should not only issue it, but make sure it gets to them, because the fact that we had no communication about any of this and that we somehow didn’t get the letter, shows that one hand doesn’t know what the other hands is doing. They need to put plans in place to ensure that this does not happen to any other kid.”

Brolly said the group of students and parents she represents are really exemplary and have remained strong and composed throughout the process. “It has been very difficult for them to learn the news just a few weeks before school has started and to think that they are not permitted to go back to their high school.

That’s a hard thing for families.” ■

LOCAL NEWS

Kenny Blank Wins Nexus Award

Kenny Blank, AJFF executive director, speaking at this year's Cinebash film party.

Kenny Blank, executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, won Atlanta Contemporary’s 2018 Nexus Award for his contribution to the contemporary arts landscape. The award recognizes local leaders who help make Atlanta an exceptionally vibrant arts community.

“I’m honored to accept this recognition from Atlanta Contemporary. Our [Arthur M. Blank] Family Foundation and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival share the passion for innovation and creativity embodied by Atlanta Contemporary and the Nexus Award,” Blank said. “It’s a privilege to be part of a community that celebrates culture and appreciates the role art and artists play in enriching our quality of life.”

Atlanta Contemporary said in its release, “The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival challenges conventional perspectives on complex issues facing the Jewish and global communities.”

The organization will honor Kenny Blank at a public reception Aug. 25.

“Having just celebrated its 18th year, the festival explores the Jewish experience, culture and history, life in Israel, and the work of Jewish artists through the lens of film and cinematography,” Atlanta Contemporary said.

Blank embodies the spirit of the Nexus Award, not only as a philanthropist through the family foundation, said Veronica Kessenich, executive director of Atlanta Contemporary. “As the executive director of Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, Blank ensures that Atlanta be viewed – at the local, national and international level – as a city that honors creativity and encourages provocative, ambitious and sometimes challenging conversations.”

Atlanta Contemporary engages the public through the creation, presentation and advancement of contemporary art. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 7

POLITICS Runoffs Past, on to the Main Event

Governors race: Stacey Abrams, Brian Kemp

Now that the primaries and runoff elections are past, the ballot is set for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Of greatest import for Georgians is the race for governor.

Stacey Abrams has waited for an opponent since May 22, when she handily defeated Stacey Evans in the Democratic primary.

Now she has one.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp won nearly 70 percent of the vote in the July 24 runoff to defeat Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, reversing what had seemed a likely Cagle victory Dave coming out of the May 22 primary.

Schechter

Abrams and Kemp will provide Georgians with a clear choice to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, who is barred by state law from seeking a third consecutive term.

Abrams, the former House minority leader, is an African-American woman and an unabashed liberal.

Kemp is a white male and an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

A runoff also was needed to determine which Democrat would face incumbent Republican Karen Handel in the 6th congressional district.

Handel was elected to Congress in a special election in June 2017, defeating Democrat Jon Ossoff in the most expensive congressional election in history, one that drew national attention.

A year later, Handel will face gun control advocate Lucy McBath, who won nearly 54 percent of the vote to defeat Kevin Abel in the Democratic runoff.

The 6th district includes portions of eastern Cobb County, northern Fulton County and northern DeKalb County. Abel narrowly won the DeKalb County portion of the vote, while McBath won more substantially in the Cobb and Fulton county sections.

The 6th district has the highest percentage of Jewish residents among Georgia’s 14 congressional districts and is home to more than 40 percent of metro Atlanta’s Jews.

Considerably fewer votes were cast in the runoff than in the March 20 primary, in which McBath finished first and Abel second.

7th District race: Carolyn Bourdeaux, Rob Woodall

A runoff also determined that Carolyn Bourdeaux will be the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Rob Woodall in the 7th congressional district, which includes portions of Gwinnett and Forsyth counties. Bourdeaux received 52 percent of the vote to defeat David Kim. Not all decisions were cut and dry in last week’s runoff. There are still questions about who will be the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.

Former State Rep. Geoff Duncan appeared to win with 50.2 percent of the vote, to 49.8 percent for State Sen. David Shafer. But at deadline, Shafer had yet to concede and a recount is possible.

The winner will face Sarah Riggs Amico, an executive of a transportation company, who won the May 22 Democratic primary.

Stay tuned for more election coverage. In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 general election, the Atlanta Jewish Times will bring you reports on candidates and issues of particular interest to the Jewish community. ■

6th District Race: Lucy McBath (left), Karen Handel (right)

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BUSINESS Blank and Koonin Make Sporting Events Affordable Taking a cue from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Philips Arena will be offering “drastically reduced” concession pricing for 11 of its most popular food and beverage items starting in October, according to the NBA. The average price reduction is 50 percent and includes such items as french fries, hot dogs, pizza and bottomless soda for $4 or less. A $5 beer has also been added to the menu. The specific brand wasn’t released.

The Atlanta Hawks, which play at Philips Arena, and the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, which play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, have Jewish leaders. With the “fan-friendly” pricing, the Atlanta Hawks becomes the first NBA team to offer such reductions, the basketball association reported.

The pricing will go into effect in two months, after the completion of what the NBA says is the second-largest renovation in its history.

Dropping food pricing has proven popular and profitable for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Despite stable attendance rates and a 50 percent drop in food pricing, average spending per fan at Falcons games between 2016 and 2017 increased by about 16 percent, resulting in 53 percent more sales at the stadium.

More than 6,000 fans per game entered the stadium earlier than previous years to take advantage of the food and beverage pricing, based on gate and transaction data, the paper reported.

Philips Arena also has worked with food and beverage partner Levy Restaurants and E15, Levy’s tech and analytics subsidiary, to redesign the guest experience. This includes enhancing speed of service, increased cooking capacity, nearly 40 percent more beer taps and new line designs and self-serve stations intended to decrease wait times, the NBA said.

“At the core of the transformation of Philips Arena has always been creating a stateof-the-art venue that allows us to listen to and serve our fans with an amazing experience tailored to their lifestyle and means,” said Steve Koonin, CEO of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club and Philips Arena.

“The undeniable success of Fan First pricing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the incredible experience of The Masters set terrific precedents and built demand from our fans to add value menu pricing that complements the wide assortment of premium food options introduced by our Executive Chef Joe Schafer. We are thrilled to respond to our fans in this way and will continue listening to the fans to enhance their experience.”

In related sports news, attendance at the soccer match between the MLS All-Stars and Italian Juventus at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Wednesday was expected to be the second-highest All-Star crowd in history, according to WABE. Dan Courtemanche, Major League Soccer executive vice president of communications, told the news station that ticket sales recently hit 70,000. More than 72,250 attendees would dethrone the 1958 NFL Pro Bowl Game to be second in All-Star attendance.

“We’ve had tremendous success with our All-Star weeks throughout the years, but this will be the biggest and best ever,” Courtemanche told the radio station last week.

“It really is the incredible soccer fans in Georgia and throughout the southeast that will make a historic All-Star week and really showcase Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the incredible environment we see each and every week at Atlanta United matches.”

Arthur Blank’s Atlanta United, which has six players on the MLS All-Star team, leads MLS attendance at 52,409 fans per game, the highest of any sports team in the U.S. other than NFL clubs. Atlanta broke its own single-match record on July 15 against Seattle Sounders with 72,243 in attendance, according to the Business Chronicle.

The Five Stripes saw unparalleled success during its inaugural season last year, setting new MLS records in almost every attendance category, the paper reported.

Courtemanche told WABE that Blank’s leadership has helped draw the largest crowds in MLS history to the games. Since the Atlanta United started playing in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, game attendance rose to more than 70,000.

“The unprecedented success of Atlanta United is really an incredible statement about the passionate soccer fans in the Southeast. They’re young, diverse, they are digitally savvy and consuming the sport of soccer in record numbers,” he said. “Arthur has put together a tremendous team both on and off the field … and the organization continues to over deliver.” ■ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 9

ISRAEL PRIDE News From Our Jewish Home

Facebook’s fifth Israeli acquisition is of a messaging app for the workplace.

Facebook Acquires Israeli Messaging Company for $100 Million In its fifth acquisition of an Israeli company, Facebook acquired an emailintegrated instant messaging app, developed by Redkix, Inc., for an estimated $100 million.

“We are excited to announce that we have agreed to be acquired by Facebook, where we’ll join the Workplace team to help connect people and give the world a place to work together. Our current application will wind down,” Redkix co-founders Oudi and Roy Antebi an-

nounced on the company site last week.

“When we launched our enterprise application, our vision was to build a centralized, inclusive, and modern platform for work. By embracing email as part of the solution, we set out to open up participation, eliminate silos, and connect everyone at a company. As a result, we’ve seen how companies thrive when people work together,” the Antebi brothers said in their announcement.

Israel Reduces Pollution by Half Israel has greatly reduced its industrial air pollution over the past 10 years, slashing it by about half compared to pollution levels before the passage of a Clean Air Law. Israeli companies have invested $10.45 billion to use the best technology to reduce air pollution, according to Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection Zeev Elkin.

Israel’s Clean Air Law was passed in July 2008 and came into effect nearly three years later, in January 2011. On the

Israel’s Clean Air Law greatly reduced air pollution and improved the economy and air quality.

10th anniversary of its passage, the law’s contribution to Israel’s quality of life and economy far outweighs the economic investment required to implement it, Elkin said.

The policy’s ultimate financial benefit could eventually amount to about $31.5 billion, according to a report by the environmental protection ministry.

Israel’s cleantech projects are worldrenowned and include innovative ideas such as powering entire buildings with solar panels, converting wind into electricity, new technologies for clean water and many other inventions that are making the world cleaner and more energyefficient.

six places from last year. The country ranked first among the Northern Africa and Western Asia region for the sixth consecutive year.

The GII is a detailed quantitative tool that helps global decision-makers better understand how to stimulate innovation and drive economic and human development. The GII ranks 127 economies based on 80 indicators, ranging from intellectual property filing rates to mobile application creation, education spending and scientific and technical publications.

Israel leads in the number of researchers, research and development expenditures, venture capital deals, research and development funded by business enterprises, research talent in business enterprises, exports of information and communications technology services and Wikipedia edits.

Projections indicate that by 2040 the world will require up to 30 percent more energy. ■

Israel Boosted in Global Innovation Israel ranked 11th in the 2018 United Nation’s Global Innovation Index, up

Today in Israeli History

Aug. 3, 1945: The Harrison Report, an inquiry into the conditions of displaced persons camps in occupied Germany, reveals that many of the rumors of poor treatment of Jews are indeed true and that “we appear to be treating the Jews as the Nazis treated them, except that we do not exterminate them.”

Aug. 4, 1920: Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan publishes “A Program for the Reconstruction of Judaism” in the Menorah Journal. His ideology eventually leads to the creation of a fourth American Jewish denomination, the Reconstructionist movement.

Aug. 5, 1995: Famed Israeli Composer Menachem Avidom, whose compositions help lay the groundwork for future Mizrahi and Sephardic (Middle Eastern Jewish) music in Israel, passes away in Tel Aviv.

Aug. 6, 1923: Convened in Carlsbad, Czechoslovakia, the 13th Zionist Congress discusses details of the Palestine Mandate and particularly the prerogatives of the Palestine Zionist Executive that guide 10 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Israeli Composer Menachem Avidom paved the way for Mizrahi and Sephardic music in Israel.

Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine.

Aug. 7, 1904: Ralph Bunche is born in Detroit, Mich. He is appointed to the UN Special Committee on Palestine in 1947, which is charged with devising a partition plan.

Aug. 8, 1982: A pioneer in Israeli film, Lia Van Leer was born Lia Greenberg in Beltsy, Romania (today Moldova).

Aug. 9, 1982: Chez Jo Goldenberg, a Jewish deli in Paris, is attacked by two terrorists wielding grenades and machine guns. Six people are killed and 21 injured. The attack is believed to have been planned and carried out by the Abu Nidal Organization, an international Palestinian terrorist group.

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

ISRAEL NEWS Netanyahu Remarks on the Nation-State Law

Kobi Gideon, GPO

PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Druze community representatives.

At the start of his weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the new nation-state law: The state of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people with full, equal rights for all of its citizens. This is the meaning of the words "a Jewish and democratic state."

We have determined the personal equal rights of Israeli citizens in a series of laws including Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, laws that ensure full equality before the law, beginning with the right to vote and be elected to the Knesset and ending with all other personal rights in the state of Israel.

However, we have never determined the national rights of the Jewish people in its land in a basic law – until now, when we passed the nation-state law. What is the meaning of national rights? They define the flag, the national anthem, the language and, of course, the fact that one of the basic goals of the state is the ingathering of exiles of our people and their absorption here in the land of Israel. This is the meaning of the Zionist vision.

Does determining that our flag bears the star of David somehow abrogate the individual rights of anyone among Israel’s citizens? Nonsense, but determining this ensures that there will not be another flag.

Does determining that “Hatikvah” is our national anthem detract from the personal rights of any person in Israel? Nonsense, but it does determine that there will not be another anthem.

Already there are proposals to replace the flag and the anthem in the name of equality, as it were. There is opposition to the idea of a nation-state in many countries, but first of all in the state of Israel, something that undermines the foundation of our existence, and therefore, the attacks emanating from left-wing circles that define themselves as Zionist are absurd and expose the nadir to which the left has sunk.

Now I would like to quote from the basic principles of the nation-state law. The first clause: “The land of Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people in which the state of Israel was established.” The

second clause: “The state of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people in which it fulfills its natural, cultural, religious and historical right to self-determination.” The third clause: “The right to exercise national self-determination in the state of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.” The nationstate law goes on to anchor in basic legislation our flag, our national anthem, the symbols of the state and that Jerusalem is our eternal capital. Would the fathers of Zionism not sign it?

Over decades the opposition has preached to us that we must withdraw to the 1967 lines in order to ensure that Israel remains the national state of the Jewish people in which there is a Jewish majority in the state. Then suddenly when we pass a basic law to ensure exactly this, the left cries out in protest? What hypocrisy.

The Israeli left must search within itself. It needs to ask itself why the basic term of Zionism, “a Jewish national state of the Jewish people in its land,” has become a rude term for it, a rude word, a principle that one should be ashamed of. We are not ashamed of Zionism. We are proud of our state, that it is a national home for the Jewish people, which strictly upholds – in a manner that is without peer – the individual rights of all its citizens.

As opposed to the infuriating words that we hear from left-wing spokespersons, the result of which is the taunting of the Jewish state, the feelings of our Druze brothers and sisters touch my heart. I want to tell them: There is nothing in this law that infringes on your rights as equal citizens of the state of Israel, and there is nothing in it that harms the special status of the Druze community in Israel. The people of Israel, and I among them, love and appreciate you. We very much esteem the partnership and the covenant between us.

I am aware of the feelings coming from the community. Therefore, I met with the head of the community and I will continue this dialogue today as well, in order to find solutions that will meet the concerns and give expression to the special partnership between us. I promise you that this partnership of fate will only strengthen. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 11

OPINION A Brief Assessment of Israel’s New Law

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12 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

One of the most iconic images in Israel’s history is the black and white 1948 photograph showing David Ben Gurion’s proclamation of the new state. He does so under the photograph of Theodore Herzl, the founder of political Zionism and the father of the Jewish state. The Declaration of Independence for the State of Israel was, and is, clear: Israel is a Jewish state and also that of Jewish citizens and really, logically, a democratic state. this must be the case if Israel is the nationTo Israel’s enemies – then and now– al home for the Jewish people. Israelis who this has always been unacceptable; there are Arab feel their citizenship is incidental should not be any Jewish state at all, just a in a way Jewish citizenship is not. democratic one. But to Israel’s friends, as Certainly the passage of this law is yet long as Israel is democratic, its special naanother sign of Israel’s shift to the right. ture as the Jewish homeland and sanctuary Prime Minister Netanyahu insists has always been acceptable. that the Palestinian Authority Critics of the new law — recognize Israel’s right to selfBasic Law: Israel as the Nadetermination as a specifically tion-State of the Jewish People Jewish state. This new basic —passed by the Knesset very law may help push that goal recently, maintain that the along. Up until now the PA has democratic/Jewish balance not recognized Israel as a spehas been upset to Israel’s detcifically Jewish state. riment. These critics say that The new law is not wellthe law makes Israel harder to received by many Jewish orgadefend against its enemies in nizations in America. Among Rabbi Richard Arab/Muslim countries and in others, the nation-state law Baroff the West by making Israel look has been criticized by the illiberal.

American Jewish Committee and the leadSupporters say nothing essential has ership of the Reform and Conservative changed: The emphasis has shifted from movements. democratic first and Jewish second to JewMuch of the criticism of the new law in ish first and democratic second. Supporters Israel and around the world has been hyssay this redress in emphasis has been necterical and hyperbolic. That is a characteressary for a long time. istic of this moment in history.

It is clear that the new law emotionNevertheless, I personally do not think ally separates Jewish from Arab citizens that its passage was a good idea. even more in Israel than has been the case The new law has inflamed tensions by in recent years. The law also drives a wedge stating mostly obvious truths about Israel. between the conservative parties and the I don’t think it will move the Palestinians rest among Jewish Israelis. toward recognizing the Jewish nature of IsIn fact there has always been an unrerael. The law drives Jews in Israel further solved dialectic between the Jewish nature apart, agitates Arab citizens even more and of the state and its proudly democratic nainvigorates Israel’s enemies in the larger ture. The basic law tries to resolve the diaworld. The passage of the Basic Law has lectic by proclaiming that Jewishness is the made the job of Israel’s supporters a bit whole point of Israel. harder.

The fact that the founders set up a I can’t see how the passage of this law, Western style parliamentary democracy Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish peois important, and a source of pride, but not ple, has made things better. ■ the reason Israel exists. Jewish national self-determination is the heart of Zionism and the reason Israel exists.

Israel will remain a democracy. Not much concrete will change. Arabic is now a “special language” but no longer an “official language.” That is a symbolic change. So is the statement that Jewish settlement is of great value to the nation.

However, most Arab Israelis feel that Kobi Gideon, GPO: Israeli PM Benjamin their citizenship is of a lower status than Netanyahu at a cabinet meeting July 29th.

OPINION

Time To Stop Dwelling in the Past Nine months after my bar mitzvah on July 25, 1939, that G-d doesn’t want us to trample his courtyard, and I completed my first of the two most important annual he gave us another model for Jewish life, one based on a fasts in the Jewish calendar, the first being Yom Kippur, different set of G-d’s wishes? G-d wants us, declares the and the second, Tisha B’Av. Of course, if one chooses to prophet, “to learn to do good, to seek justice, to vindiexpress his Jewishness through fasting as a commemo- cate the victims, to render justice to the orphans, and ration of Jewish tragedies, then there are far to take up the grievances of the widows.” more than the two fasts. There is the 17th And while G-d created us in a human form, day of Tamuz, the fast of Esther, the fast He wishes that we add the letter “e” and of the first-born. But just the two fast days change us to become humane entities. are more than enough to commemorate Josephus, in his book, “Antiquities of historic Jewish tragedies and our yearnthe Jews,” tells us that one could smell the ing to return to our homeland. In the two approach of Jerusalem long before seeing it millennia of living in the Diaspora, with simply by the pungent odor of burning sacthe constant threat of being punished for rificial offerings. Is this what present-day who we are we, the Jews living in Europe, Jerusalem should be noted for? and for that matter also Jews who lived in Eugene My grandfather observed Tisha B’Av Muslim countries, became a broken people, Schoenfeld the whole year round. I saw him late at a state of existence that became significant night performing the ritual of tikkun hatin Chassidism, known in Yiddish as zebrochenheit. zoth, the midnight services, sitting on a low stool and We became a futureless people living a life empha- acting as a mourner, lamenting the loss of the Temple. sizing that the best life to be had does not lie in dreams The real Jewish tragedy is not the loss of the Temples, it of the future, but in our return to the past. We looked at is the glorification of the past. Our dream is not the realthe two temples, symbols of our homeland, and hence ization of a future to come, as found, for instance in the we looked backward and concomitantly recounted our prophecies of Micah. We were not seeking an improvesad fate, reminding ourselves and G-d of the great trag- ment and advancement of the past even when the new edies we endured, and glorified our historic tragedies. future will be established by a supposed Messiah who We believed in the coming of the Messiah, even will return us to the old ways. Can a people who do not though he may tarry, but this belief is also rooted in the have a dream of a future indeed have a future? past, a belief that G-d will ordain that redemption.

It took a rejection of this commitment to “the past,” Isaiah Berlin, the noted Jewish cultural historian when Theodor Herzl could say that we have the capabiliat Oxford, tells us about his colleague and friend, Lewis Namier, a Jewish historian, an Oxford don like himself, who was asked by an English Lord why he, a Jew, chose to concentrate on the history of England and not on his own Jewish history. Namier’s response was: “There is no modern Jewish history. There is only Jewish martyrology, and that is not amusing enough for me.” And, that, my friends, is not enough for me either, and moreover, as a Holocaust survivor, I do not wish for that great tragedy to become an annual event just by retelling the tragic stories. Rather, I wish to be able to recount how we overcame tragedy, and that started by seeking dreams for a new future.

We, the Diaspora Jews, have become a people committed to the past, and because of it, we have spent, and still do spend, a great deal of time recounting the world’s opposition to Judaism and Jews. For instance, we treat the Roman and Babylonian destruction of the Temples, the reason for the fast days, as anti-Semitic acts in the same manner as we treat the Germans and the Holocaust. Of course it isn’t so. Both the Romans and the Babylonians treated Jews and Israel as they treated any other rebellious people in their quest for world domination.

I gave up reciting Musaf services altogether because, in that service, we blame ourselves for having lost our homeland. It is time that we stop our self-flagellation. We were defeated, just like so many other smaller countries, simply because we lacked the power to fight the armies of mighty nations.

We need not only to stop living in the past and thinking that G-d wants us to return to the past and restart our ancient religion of cultic primitivism founded on the efficacy of animal sacrifices. Hasn’t Isaiah told us

ties of creating a new Israel and declared his motto to be: “If you will it, it is no dream.” This idea was boldly inscribed on my classroom wall in the Zionist oriented school that I attended.

With the advent of Zionism, we once again Flavius Josephus, born Joseph ben became b’aal Mattathias in 37 C.E., studied Jewish law hachalomoth, and wrote the "Antiquities of the Jews," the people of a 20-volume historiographical work. dreams, a people with a new vision of Jewish life with a future, and a people who could achieve that dream. We dreamed of building a new land, a new society not yet seen by the world, one committed to social justice and to chayim, to a quality of life for all people. It was a shame that for 2,000 years we committed ourselves to the tragedies of the past.

We have had enough of martyrdom. We need a commitment to beliefs that glorify the future of a people who believe in the social philosophy of the Torah and the universal peace advocated by Micah. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 13

OPINION

A Call to Action: Invest in Jewish Education

By Stephanie Rubel “The moment of education is the moment in which you dedicate your mind to something and, as a result, your behavior shifts.” Avraham Infeld We have the resources as a community to eliminate the cost barrier to Jewish day school for interested families. By allowing cost to be a barrier, we are actively limiting our day school population, and in turn, we are limiting our collective Jewish potential as a community. For these reasons, I make this appeal to our community’s most benevolent leaders.

As Atlanta’s Jewish leaders and institutions search for innovative ways to strengthen our community, we must start by asking ourselves what type of community we want and how can we best ensure its realization? The continuity we desire cannot exist without understanding that what binds us is a common knowledge about our people, our traditions, our culture, our stories, and our language. Creating a deeper well of knowledge and facilitating more shared experiences strengthens the individual’s identity and leads to a stronger and more sustainable community.

We have seen how innovative programs such as Birthright Israel, Honeymoon Israel, Jewish Women’s Renaissance Program and others have successfully reawakened people’s interest in and commitment to their “Jewishness.” One of the reasons these programs are so impactful is because most of the participants are (often unknowingly) yearning for more education about themselves, their families, the Jewish homeland, and their history; their Jewish identities may not have been sufficiently nurtured in their youth. The programs are successful because they provide shared, experiential education about our collective Jewish history, our unique Jewish memories, religious meanings (i.e., life cycle, holidays, values and behavior), our diverse relationships with G-d, our ancestry, and the Jewish State of Israel.

What will happen to the next generation if our youth grow up with Jewish identities even more fractured than those of the previous generation?

Start Them Young Having participated on Atlanta Frank Mission 6 this year, I returned home inspired and invigorated by what I can only describe as a life-changing education on the historical and present-day Arab-Israeli conflict, geography, religion, 14 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Epstein students in science class.

the importance of the Hebrew language, and the Jewish people. The program is what helped me define my Jewish identity more completely as it connected me to my ancestry. The combination of the relationships I built on the mission and the education I gained compelled me even further to increase my involvement and investment in my Jewish community.

It also reaffirmed my decision to send my children to Jewish day school, so they can have the best Jewish education available to help strengthen their identities and give them essential resources to live meaningful, connected lives.

Young adult or adult-targeted programs such as Birthright and the Frank Mission are downstream interventions serving to fill in missing pieces or serve as “booster shots.” Primary and secondary Jewish education for our youth is our greatest upstream potential. To strengthen our community from within, we need to do everything we can to enlighten our youth and build their Jewish identities from a young age. Why would we ignore the Jewish educational needs of youth in the hopes we can draw them in later in life?

School as Focal Point Jewish learning is the constant catalyst for Jewish living, and school is the focal point of life for families with school-aged children. These parents live by school-year calendars, namely school holidays and vacations, academic milestones and benchmarks. When these events correspond, rather than conflict with the Jewish calendar, Jewish learning about holidays, parshot, and lifecycle events occurs naturally. There is a tremendous amount of innovation happening within day schools to effectively integrate Judaic and general studies.

Blending geography with lessons about Jews around the world connects youth

to their global heritage. Schools are effectively building communities that embrace religious differences while celebrating our cultural similarities.

For many parents of day school students, the education they receive via their children is their own catalyst for greater involvement in the Jewish community. And for the increasing numbers of interfaith couples in our community, a welcoming, accessible and affordable Jewish education may serve as their most valuable resource in passing on the key pillars of a Jewish identity. Our Jewish community is missing out on the engagement of so many families who reject day school for their children because of the high financial cost. This barrier can and should be remedied by launching an innovative and intentional focus on Jewish education by our generous community of donors.

Affordable Jewish education We must make sure we have wellfunded, exceptional primary and secondary Jewish education that is equally accessible and affordable to all who want it.

It requires top-notch educators, administrators, facilities, and other resources to: 1) improve day school affordability, 2) improve accessibility with bus transportation, 3) sustain and improve program quality, and 4) better-articulate and promote the value of day school education.

Day school parents and graduates make up a majority of our leadership positions and board members, yet we, as an Atlanta Jewish community, continue to look for ways to divert resources away from day schools to instead focus on programs that target less-engaged or unengaged families. Why aren’t we investing in a resource that continues to pay dividends as evidenced through the graduate and parent involvement? Only a small subset of our community is investing in

Talia Rubel (age 5).

day school education for their children – children who will grow up to sustain and lead our community. And of these families, 50 percent of them receive some financial aid. These families need our support and investment. And families who wouldn’t even consider day school because of cost need to be reassured that their children are worth the same community investment.

We need innovative thinking and innovative investing. We are an established, growing, thriving Jewish community in need of leadership that supports and strengthens us at our core. You are a critical part of that strategy/solution.

Invest in the educational programs and products that have a proven return on investment and are successful in strengthening our community and building for a stronger future. This is innovation at its finest and our children and our community will receive these dividends for years to come.

Stephanie Rubel is a public health research consultant. She lives in Brookhaven with her husband, Josh, and their three children who attend The Epstein School in Sandy Springs. ■

Stephanie Rubel and her son David after he received his milestone siddur in 1st grade at The Epstein School in Sandy Springs.

OPINION

Letters to the Editor The AJT welcomes your letters. We want our readers to have an opportunity to engage with our community in constructive dialogue.

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

Dear Editor: On your op-eds on Israel’s NationState bill (July 27 issue by Kaylene Ladinsky, Harold Kirtz): It would be better to have nuance rather than knee jerk on Israel’s new nation-state bill. Much has been made of the change of Arabic from official language to special status. However, the bill explicitly asserts that “this clause does not harm the status given to the Arabic language before this law came into effect.” Nor does the fact that Hebrew will be the primary official language affect the rights of individual Israelis who are not Jewish any more than does English being the sole official language in countries such as England or Australia affect individual citizens. Quite the contrary, Arabic will continue to have a higher status than, for example, Spanish in the United States. Other aspects of the law will no doubt be debated in Israel’s Supreme Court.

There is an unfortunate trend of “I support Israel but” amongst diaspora Jewish institutions, usually in the wake of attacks by CNN, BBC, the European Union, the United Nations ... This adds to the chorus of one-sided condemnation of Israel. In addition, it strikes many Israelis as hypocritical, when they are dealing with the reality of under-reported terror attacks, Hamas rockets and fires, and know there would be outrage if Israeli institutions criticized US laws.

It is curious that there is so much Jewish criticism of Israelis strengthening their identity, but so little focus on the unwavering rejection of Jewish selfdetermination in any form by Israel’s implacable foes.

Doron Lubinsky Atlanta

Dear Editor: Your recent op-ed on headlines describes false and/or misleading information in the biased headlines of reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most of the national media do this, thus normalizing this egregious betrayal of the accuracy and integrity we need from journalism.

Worse than that, the national media are shaping history, not reporting it, through their relentless manipulation of our perception of reality. This is where I respectfully offer a perspective other than that in the op-ed. Damage has been done and will continue, but we need to call out each instance of this ugliness and to offer fact-based corrections in carefully researched letters. There are still readers who appreciate accurate information that supports thoughtful analysis, and we need to reach them every time there are distorting, sensational headlines like the ones that all our young people have grown up seeing.

We have a responsibility to stand firm against each instance of media manipulation by making our voices heard.

That is the only way we can possibly change, or at least counter, this Jewishly destructive trend.

Julia Lutch Davis, Calif.

Dear Editor: I want to thank Roni Robbins and the Atlanta Jewish Times for all of their efforts and taking the time to cover our community Tisha B’Av commemoration (especially when given the time for the conclusion of Shabbat, this year’s commemoration went quite late on Saturday night).

This is the second year such a commemoration has occurred, and I would like to acknowledge that it would not have been possible without the efforts of other like-minded rabbinic colleagues in our Atlanta community. In particular, I would like to acknowledge my “partner in crime” in starting this event, Rabbi Alex-Shuval Weiner at Temple Beth Tikvah, whose leadership was instrumental in this event’s success, and whose synagogue graciously hosted us last year for our first gathering.

May we all merit seeing one another next year in a rebuilt Jerusalem.

Rabbi Dan Dorsch Congregation Etz Chaim Dear Editor: I am a 17-year-old high school senior from Alpharetta. I belong to Congregation Gesher L’ Torah and am looking to raise awareness about a public health issue and medical emergency – sepsis. My dad, Spencer Colvin, one of the leading founding members of Gesher L’ Torah, tragically passed away this past October after developing sepsis during a routine elective surgery. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to infection; it causes tissue damage, organ failure and death. It is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, yet public awareness about this issue is minimal at best. It is also one of the most expensive conditions for hospitals to treat, costing $24 billion annually.

In addition to raising awareness, I am currently working to get mandated legislation passed in Georgia to improve timely diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in hospitals. Such legislation (Rory’s Regulations and Gabby’s Law) has already been passed in New York and Illinois and has been proven effective in reducing the number of patients that contract sepsis.

Please let our community know that I welcome any assistance that may further my cause.

Jamie Colvin jamie848@comcast.net

Dear Editor: Last week's issue of the Atlanta Jewish Times carried a lot of hand wringing about Israel’s Nation-State bill. I feel it is a common-sense bill, similar to laws passed in many nations of the world. In addition, the bill is a natural reaction to “progressive” efforts to undermine Israel.

Israel is beset by an intersectional coalition of enemies, including Palestinian nationalists incapable of compromise, people who feel that the nation-state in general is bad and should be abolished in favor of UN world government, plain old anti-Semites, and others who are disappointed that Israel isn’t perfect, and therefore shouldn’t exist. The new bill makes it more difficult for EU and Soros funded NGOs who seek to undermine the will of the Israeli voter.

Mr. Kirtz makes an implicit threat that if Israel is not a two-way street, then the Jewish diaspora will not be as supportive of Israel as they have been. This is an empty threat, as the Jewish diaspora has been minimally supportive of Israel for quite some time. It’s not because they hate Israel, it is because Israel is not of particular importance to them. As a local example, during the 1996 election campaign for the House of Representatives between Cynthia McKinney and John Mitnick, a Jewish Republican, McKinney won a majority of the Jewish votes. Cynthia McKinney, by her own admission, is no friend of Israel. In terms of more recent events of relevance to Israel, such as the Iran deal and moving the US Embassy to Israel, the majority of American Jews were opposed to the positions taken

by Israel. It would not be an exaggeration today to state that the average non-Jew in America is more supportive of Israel than the average American Jew. While I am an American Jew, I feel that Israel has very little to learn from communities characterized by apathy, indifference, self-aggrandizement, and diminishing life expectancy. Unfortunately, this is the current state of American Jewry.

Jack L Arbiser, MD,PhD Atlanta

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EDITORIAL Publisher’s Note School is starting, where did the summer go? For anyone with children, the year does not begin on Rosh Hashanah or January 1st, but rather, the first day of school. I have come to realize that the first of the year is a very relative term.

I took the opportunity to visit with In the City Camp this week at their Weber School campus. I questioned why In the City Camp was located outside the city of Atlanta. Not surprising for Georgia, the Atlanta Public Schools begin on August 1st, and In the City Camp was housed at an APS building and they needed it back. In the City Camp moved all of its activities to Michael Weber for the final weeks- that is quite the Morris demonstration of determination. Most im- Publisher portant, the kids were having a ton of fun in their relatively new environment.

Why does Georgia school begin so early? I have asked many a politician and no one has given me a solid answer. Some people have suggested it has to do with agriculture, but starting school earlier doesn’t really provide any relief at harvest or planting time. I personally believe it has something to do with football, specifically football practice. My belief is augmented by Georgia laws that were enacted to ensure coaches could not begin practices any earlier than August 1st, thereby preventing schools from opening even earlier; but, not one person has been willing to confirm my suspicion.

Whatever the reason, it still feels like summer, it stays light until after 9:00 pm and it's hot and humid.

When I was in elementary school, I don’t recall Dyslexia or ADHD as being prevalent, and maybe we didn’t know as much about either of these conditions. Interestingly, another difference from my generation was the pace of learning. I learned the alphabet in first grade and learned to read Run Spot Run in second grade. My kids (four girls with the youngest two in college) learned the alphabet in pre-kindergarten. Some were reading in kindergarten and all were reading within the first few months of first grade. I cannot help but wonder if there

is any correlation. If we are pushing our kids from the playground to a learning environment/school one, two and even three years earlier, are we creating anxiety that didn’t exist? I have no doubt that some young kids pick up on the alphabet, or even reading, at a very early age, but clearly some kids still want to be outside kicking a ball. Could this anxiety be causing more cases of ADHD or even Dyslexia? I do know this, none of my kids were ready to go back to school the first or second week of August.

To them, it was still the middle of the summer, and three out of four of my kids had various levels of ADHD and Dyslexia.

My family was very lucky to have a first-grade teacher with extraordinarily good training involved with their education. Woodward Academy North has a first grade teacher, Nancy Winfield, that taught two of our kids, including my oldest.

Ms. Winfield, who has training in special education, and specifically Dyslexia, spotted the signs of Dyslexia in my oldest daughter within the first few months of first grade. We couldn’t have asked for a better gatekeeper. She suggested we have her tested. (As a small plug, Dr. Leslie Stuart turned out to be a fantastic triage psychologist for ADHD and learning disabilities like Dyslexia, a problem for which we had not even the slightest indication or knowledge at the time.) Without Ms. Winfield’s recommendation, she may never have started down the path of treatment. Having a teacher like her, at the crucial time of first grade, was key to the real growth of all of my children. Not only were we, as parents, now on the lookout for all of the kids, but she also spotted the signs in our next child in her classroom a year later. Our oldest ended up graduating from Washington University of St. Louis and my daughter, and we, owe Ms. Winfield a debt of gratitude for that achievement.

As we push kids to learn more at a younger age, parents must be more vigilant. I hope that teachers take on more responsibility for spotting trends that might not be noticed outside the classroom. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and navigating early education, anxiety and ADHD is a formidable task. ■

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It Takes a Village, or as We Say, a “Tribe”

Over the last couple of weeks, the Atlanta Jewish Times has published stories of great tragedy and of great victories. As I read these stories, before publishing them, I realize just how important our mission in keeping Jewish Atlanta connected really is and I am reminded of a YidKaylene dish Proverb that my grandLadinsky mother would commonly say, Managing Publisher “Friends are needed both for joy and for sorrow.”

Last week in our 18 Under 18, we published the accolades of 18 Jewish Atlanta students that are mere examples of the hundreds of leaders, rising stars and movers and shakers of our community’s future. As a parent of three teenagers, I know first-hand that this generation’s victories and accomplishments do not come without hard work, great effort and a tremendous amount of stress while attempting to succeed in the competitive world in which they live. Yet without fail, the youth of our Jewish community strive to be the best, make a real difference and attempt to conquer the difficulties within our society. Some might say it is inbred in them as part of their DNA. Being Jewish commonly comes with the stigma of being successful, intellectual, innovative and resilient.

Not so bad. Although, the question remains, what is the foundation of this trend in our history as a people? Is it part of our DNA? Or is it the foundation of Jewish values found in our traditions, religion or sense of community?

Maybe it’s a combination of all of it? I do not know the answer. What I do know is that our youth need our support as a community to share our knowledge and experiences with them. What becomes even more evident is that, as adults and members of our community, we also need each other.

So, what does it mean to be Jewish? This question has presented itself over and over the last two weeks as we discuss the concerns within our community, read the amazing accomplishments of our youth and witness the state of Israel becoming the nation of the Jewish people.

So I will close with a question and a challenge for all of you: Question: What does it mean to be Jewish to you?

Think about the essence of being Jewish and what that means to you.

Challenge: Be a part of continuing this conversation with your community. Write the AJT a letter about “What being Jewish means to you.”

I would like to share these letters over the course of the next few weeks and publish them in the newspaper.

It’s important that we ask the questions that define us and embrace the differences and challenges that make us who we are.

Please keep your letters to 200 words or less; include your name, phone number and email, directing your responses to kaylene@atljewishtimes.com. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 17

COVER STORY The Rise of Anxiety in Teens and How to Help Them

By Dan Arnold, LCSW Director of clinical services at Jewish Family & Career Services Today’s Jewish teens face intense pressure to succeed. These are difficult times to be a child or adolescent as the pressures around growing and claiming an identity are sometimes overwhelming.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 31 percent of 13- to 18-year-olds have an anxiety disorder, and just under 8 percent have a severe anxiety disorder.

The issues contributing to the rise in anxiety are many and complex. As the director of clinical services at JF&CS, I can absolutely attest to the fact that we are seeing more and more kids that present with symptoms consistent with anxiety.

These include excessive worry, increased fears, social discomfort and disturbed eating and sleeping.

Of course there are the “typical” stressors of adolescence that include both academic and social stress, but even these are more complex. The academic rigor that kids experience today can be overwhelming, and the competition to achieve high status along with the push to claim an identity can actually stifle teens’ desires to find their passion. It is not uncommon to talk with elementary age children who are already feeling the need to build their resumes so that they will be appealing to their school of choice. College admissions and the cost of higher education are absolutely factors that contribute to an increase in stress and anxiety.

Our children are also faced with a new reality that many of us never had to address when we were their age. Teens are keenly aware of what is happening in society and are deeply impacted by the fearmongering that fills our news cycles every single day. The constant pressures of social media, the barrage of news about gun violence in schools, celebrity suicides, and fears of anti-Semitism have become part of the daily routine and are difficult to escape. Given the rise of violence in and around schools, many teens question their safety and live in fear of something happening to them or their loved ones.

This deluge contributes to the rise of anxiety in teenagers. That anxiety, left unchecked, can lead to depression, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and escape via drugs and alcohol. The impact of these symptoms is that kids 18 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Ina Enoch works with children and teens to overcome mental health challenges.

Dan Arnold believes children suffer intense pressure from social media, tragic news reports, and high academic standards.

feel less confident, less secure in their interactions with others, and less confidence in their own abilities to experience success. Oftentimes these fears and concerns, while real, are not rational; however, this does not lessen the impact.

Social Media Effects

Socially, teens strive to both find themselves and establish relationships with others with whom they connect.

Social status and connectedness are hallmarks of the adolescent struggle, and the prevalence of social media compounds the issue. Whether it is cyber-bullying, the lack of privacy or trying to keep up with the Joneses – or Kardashians – the impact of social media and the related pressure can be extremely damaging.

Teens, developmentally, believe everyone is looking at them and judging them, and social media makes this even more real. Teens have a lack of awareness of when things should be private. They think they are telling their best friend something, and that friend turns on them and suddenly that picture goes viral and is everywhere. The teen’s deepest fears and/or insecurities are on display for all to see, and the effects can be devastating.

It is important for parents to talk to their kids about privacy. They need to discuss the consequences of sharing too much information. Parents should promote real-world relationships, person-toperson, away from screens.

Staying Connected

Communication is important. While there is a natural and appropriate shift to their peers, teens need to know that their parents are present and engaged in their lives. Finding time to connect and talk is essential, and our teens want empathy and understanding, even though they don’t always express that. The simple act of asking, “How are you?” and meaning it, not while you’re looking at your screen or walking past, can be tremendously powerful.

As parents and adults who care about children and teens, we are not immune to the pressures that they experience, and we have to remember to draw boundaries and not project our own fears and insecurities onto our children.

Similar to the instructions given by flight attendants, parents must remember to put on their own oxygen masks first.

Self-care and establishing your own supports and networks are crucial, as it is very easy to get caught up in the drama of your child’s life.

Caregivers who are looking for ways to spot warning signs in their children may find the following list helpful.

Signs of Anxiety

• Difficulty sleeping or needing a lot more sleep • Changes in eating habits • Rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, shortness of breath • Difficulty focusing on and finishing work • Restlessness • Constant worrying, “what if” scenarios • Irritability • Increased isolation • Changes in friendships • Crying fits

COVER STORY Clinical services entrance, also houses group therapy rooms that show us we don’t have to be alone in working through our concerns.

Learning to Handle Stress

It is important for parents to give their teens coping techniques to deal with the added stress of tests, projects and social issues. Learning to manage that stress can help throughout our lives.

Adults should “model for teens how they experience and manage stress; talk about strategies they use that help them,” said Lori Wilson, a clinical psychologist at JF&CS who conducts psycho-educational testing.

Working with a therapist can help teens discover which strategies work best: writing in a journal, running, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and playing sports are all stress-management techniques that can help teens get through difficult times.

When to Get Help

If your teen is having difficulty managing stress, or could use some help learning coping techniques, call JF&CS. Our therapists can help your teen work through anxiety issues and develop their own self-help techniques. JF&CS offers a variety of clinical options, including individual and family counseling, group therapy, expressive therapy using art and yoga, and the HAMSA (Helping Atlantans Manage Substance Abuse) program for teens that may be struggling with addiction.

Teen and parenting groups will be starting soon for the fall to help families with common issues in a group atmosphere. Therapy groups can be very helpful because we learn that many others are dealing with the

same issues.

In addition, for children struggling in school, we offer psycho-educational testing that can uncover learning challenges that may be holding them back academically, and give them the support to thrive. For more information, call 770-677-9474 or visit www.jfcsatl.org/ counseling. ■

Lori Wilson conducts psycho-educational evaluations with children and teens.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 19

EDUCATION

Early Intervention Needed for Dyslexia

Even the word dyslexia is easy to misspell by those of us who don’t have the condition. Children with dyslexia struggle to connect letters to sounds, put sounds in the right order to create words and sentences, and be able to read and comprehend.

One in five Georgians has dyslexia, but unlike other educational disorders, it hasn’t been addressed sufficiently in the public schools, according to government leaders and therapists in the Jewish community. Strict standards, guidelines and regulations prevent students from being identified as they start reading and delay them getting the remedial help they need to succeed in school, those interviewed for Roni this story say.

Robbins “Evidence shows if we can identify and address dyslexia at an early age – before students reach the third grade – we can significantly improve reading comprehension and overall academic outcomes,” Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said in appointing a Senate Study Committee on Dyslexia. The committee is expected to begin meeting this month to address how public schools teach students with dyslexia.

“Unfortunately, on average, only 1 in 10 dyslexic students are identified by standard screenings. All of these individuals undoubtedly have the aptitude and skills to succeed, but we have to do more to identify and aid these struggling students who would otherwise excel.”

Meanwhile, private schools, including those in the Jewish community, may have an advantage identifying and intervening early because of their high academic rigor, experience teaching children with learning disabilities or dual language requirements, said Lori Wilson, a clinical psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist with Jewish Family & Career Services.

She hesitantly estimates that 25 percent of the evaluations she completes may result in a diagnosis of dys20 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

words and are reading slowly in third grade, it becomes difficult to focus on reading comprehension” The public schools have a tiered system that follows a “responses to intervention” model, she said. At the lower tiers, they identify students who are struggling, try interventions and then monitor progress after a few months. While it may be enough to help some students, others may need to receive formal testing, a diagnosis and an Individualized Education Program (IEP), she said. This can often lead to more learning support, but the process can be slow. “Many parents opt for private testing to help identify learning and other issues earlier, and to gain a broad range of recommendations.”

She also offers classroom observation that allows her to see how a child is functioning in school firsthand. Wilson’s evaluations may result in a diagnosis of dyslexia or other learning, attention or emotional concerns. She may recommend tutoring, speech, language or occupational therapy, or propose a different learning environment.

Wilson likes to provide feedback to students directly to help them learn their strengths and weaknesses.

Parents will sometimes tell her that their child has said, “I can’t do this. I am so stupid.”

“Unfortunately, kids can often make the mistake of thinking that because they struggle with learning, they must not be smart. These are not the same thing. You can be smart, have many strengths and talents, and also have a learning disability.”

lexia. “In general, Jewish day schools and other private schools often identify concerns early and share their concerns directly with parents.”

The nature of dual-language programs places greater language demands on students in younger grades, Wilson said. While that environ- Local therapist weighs in Susan Orloff, an occupational therapist, said that ment can be initially more challenging to close to 70 percent of her clients have some level of senchildren with dyslexia and other learning sory-perceptual visual motor processing delay. Children disabilities, it can lead to earlier diagnosis with these delays, ranging from mild to severe, have in and intervention, she said. many cases been confirmed to have dyslexia.

The challenge for schools is to recog“It’s not just reading or writing symbols backnize the red flags for learning disabilities, wards,” Orloff said.

“It’s learning how to retain unique even when students are not falling far besymbols and to attach their meaning when seen in varihind their classmates yet, she said. “For ous combinations and orientations.

It’s about processyounger children in kindergarten, we often ing, not just transcribing forms.

It’s about coordinating don’t see strong deficits yet on standardand recruiting in combination ized academic with sensory-visual processtesting, but we see ing and motor planning a fluid these deficits on testing that and consistent response.” isolates areas of processing,” Wilson said.

What's being done?

“Sometimes parents noPublic schools don’t have tice something is not clickto lag behind. Cagle may have ing but they are still meeting lost the governor’s race last benchmarks.” They may have week, but the dyslexia commita gut feeling that their child is tee he appointed in June hopes not learning to his full potento come up with ways to adtial, she said. dress the challenges of teach“Educators and psycholoing dyslexic students in public gists often describe that from schools.

Senator Fran Millar, kindergarten through second who chairs the committee, said grade, students are learning legislation is needed to provide to read. From third grade on, schools with diagnostic capathey are reading to learn. It is bilities and funding. important for students to be “We did a lot with autism fluent readers by the end of over the years with coverage,” second grade. When students said Millar, R-Dunwoody, who Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle appointed members in are still struggling to decode June to a new committee on dyslexia.

EDUCATION Psychologist Lori Wilson tests children for dyslexia.

Susan Orloff helps children with dyslexia.

proposed dyslexia legislation that led to the committee’s creation.

Dyslexia affects “more students than any other learning disability, which is why our state is taking the necessary steps to ensure early intervention and awareness. We want them to read at a third-grade level and that’s pretty hard if you have dyslexia.”

The committee will hold public hearings and receive information from experts to know what to include in that legislation, which Millar expects to be ready by next year.

Still, Orloff is skeptical. “No task force is going to be able to address dyslexia unless they first address how to teach the diverse learner.”

It remains to be seen whether changes are in store for Georgia public schools, but from speaking with Millar, he’s up for the challenge. ■

Senator Fran Millar heads a new committee on dyslexia ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 21

EDUCATION

Film Sheds Light On Teen Anxiety

Photo by Jenny Howe

Jenny Howe, a psychotherapist who helps teens overcome anxiety, narrates the film, Angst. She will lead a discussion at the MJCCA Aug. 19 with parents and professionals.

Photo by IndieFilm

Michael Phelps, an American Olympic swimming medalist who has battled depression and anxiety during his career is featured in the documentary, Angst.

Photo by IndieFilm

A documentary raising awareness about anxiety will be showed at the Marcus JCC Aug. 19-22.

Last year Nanci Rosing’s son, Alex, was finishing up his bar mitzvah study and preparing for a celebratory trip to Alaska when his mother noticed a significant change in his personality. Although Alex was a good student and well-liked by his teachers and classmates at The Davis Academy, when he came home from school each day he was a different person.

He spent most of his time alone, in front of an iPad or computer screen, rarely speaking or interacting with his parents or an older brother, uninterested in sports or other after school activities.

For Nanci Rosing and her husband, Mark, the Bob change in behavior was a Bahr red flag.

“His teacher and counselors were seeing a different kid than we saw at home,” she says, “but he wouldn’t admit to being anxious or upset. He would just say he was OK, but he wasn’t. We didn’t know how to help him.”

What she didn’t immediately realize was that her son was one of the millions of American children and adolescents who suffer from chronic anxiety disorders. While a certain amount of anxiety is normal in children and adults and is an important component of our survival instinct, anxiety disorders are the nation’s most common mental illness, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. It estimates that one in eight American children suffers from serious anxiety.

It may take the form of sudden panic attacks or separation anxiety, an obsessive-compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorder, or in the case of Alex Ros22 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

ing, severe anxiety associated with fear of social situations during which he was expected to interact with others in an unfamiliar situation.

An estimated 80 percent of young people with a diagnosable anxiety disorder were not getting treatment, according to a 2016 study of mental health in children by the Child Mind Institute. The reasons varied, but in many cases, parents just don’t recognize their child is in trouble.

Jenny Howe is a psychotherapist with nearly 20 years of experience working with troubled youth. She said early treatment can sometimes head off much more serious problems later.

“Often anxiety is an indication that there are other mental health issues happening that may not have been diagnosed yet. So if treated early, it can often be preventable for a lot of other mental health issues.”

Later this month a new program at the Marcus JCC sponsored by JumpSpark, a teen initiative, and a number of community organizations, aims to raise awareness about the danger of chronic anxiety in teenagers here, and how parents can get more involved in dealing with the problem.

The schedule features a pair of film screenings and discussions of a recent documentary, “Angst,” which examines the causes and effects of anxiety in teens and young adults and how parents can work with their children to get help.

The discussion will launch a yearlong series of programs for Jewish teens and their parents presented by JumpSpark, which is beginning the second year of a five-year program in Atlanta.

It is supported by a $2.1 million grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation to develop a Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Initiative. The grant is to enable Atlanta teens to explore, through a Jewish lens, their experiences in the community.

The executive director of JumpSpark is Kelly Cohen, who formerly worked at The Davis Academy. She believes that this year’s kickoff program is particularly important.

“We felt that dealing with teen anxiety was an important conversation to have right at the beginning of school year so that everyone has an awareness of the resources and tools to help teens navigate the anxieties of what it means to be a teen today.”

The “Angst” documentary highlights, in part, the experiences of Michael Phelps. During his legendary career as an Olympic swimmer he won a recordbreaking 28 medals, more than any other single athlete in the history of the games.

What many people don’t know was how Phelps struggled several times along his Olympic career with serious issues of chronic anxiety and depression.

He was quoted recently as saying, “I remember sitting in my room for four or five days not wanting to be alive, not talking with anyone. That was the struggle for me … I reached that point where I finally realized I couldn’t do it alone.”

Athletes may be more prone to mental pressures than the general population, according to a 2012 study of German athletes by the Technical University in Munich. The same may also be true for teens in the Jewish community.

“There’s an expectation of success that goes along with the ethnicity,” said Howe, who narrates the documentary and will help lead a discussion after the screening.

“Kids — and I’ve worked with a lot of Jewish kids – believe that in order to be loved, whether this is rational or not, they need to be successful, they need to

perform.”

But those considerations are in addition to other influences, such as the internet and social media, which make growing up so stressful in modern society.

“Anxiety,” she notes, “has been on the rise over the last 10 years. Because of the influence of social media, teens have the ability to compare themselves constantly to others that in previous years, they didn’t know before. So, with all these comparisons there is the possibility that, instantly, they feel inferior.”

Nanci and Mark Rosing’s concerns about the seriousness of their son’s anxiety disorder led them last summer to an 11-week program in Utah specially designed for young people with treatable anxiety.

During the past school year, Alex has been a student at WayPoint Academy in Huntsville, Utah, a residential program that works with young people under professional supervision to tackle the challenges of anxiety.

It was a major commitment, in many ways, but Nanci feels it paid off.

“He engages, he looks in someone’s eyes and talks to them. You can see a sense of confidence. He can now do a lot of things that would even make me uncomfortable. He’s learned a skill that hopefully he can bring home.”

He’s coming home this month to resume his studies at The Weber School, to face what his parents feel will be a much brighter future and finish up work on that bar mitzvah he never had.

“Angst – Raising Awareness Around Anxiety” will be presented by JumpSpark at the Marcus JCC theater, Sunday Aug. 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. for parents and professionals and on Wednesday, Aug. 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for teens. For tickets and more information, https://jumpsparkatl.org. ■

EDUCATION

Path to Success When Living With ADHD A mother walks in with her 11-year-old daughter, who is sweet and polite. When her mom starts talking to me, a child psychotherapist, the young girl slumps in her seat and puts her head down. Her mom continues: “I just don't get it. She is so verbal, so creative, bright, a good kid, but she is doing awful in school. She wastes time, doesn't complete her work, doesn't get her homework done unless I sit with her, has Vicki a hard time keeping friends and can't follow directions! I have scolded, punished Leopold and pleaded, what more can I do?" I ask the usual follow-up questions and listen. Brittany says she is really trying hard. I believe her. She is sad that her mom is so frustrated.

The term ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is bantered around today as an excuse for a too direct remark, an abrupt change in the conversation, or a messy home. "I am so ADHD," adults like to joke. However, ADHD is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 7 to 11 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Challenges with organization, regulation, distraction, forgetfulness and impatience are the typical symptoms. But symptoms of rambunctiousness, boundless energy and impulsivity are key in making the diagnosis. Children with ADHD who lack hyperactivity are not easily diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and often fall through the cracks. They are often described as lazy, flaky, unmotivated, "in their own world” or dreamers. Most are girls. Boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, the CDC reports.

Many children with ADHD struggle academically because paying attention, organizing and task completion are huge challenges for them. In addition, these kids may lag behind socially. Since they are typically unfocused, they often miss subtle social cues such as body language and facial expressions. Without thinking of consequences, they might say the first thought that pops into their heads. This can also make them exciting and fun.

Jewish children with ADHD/ADD face another set of challenges. Religious studies, learning Hebrew and preparing for b'nai mitzvah mean more classes for a child who has trouble sitting still and focusing. Some synagogues have developed programs giving ADHD children the special support they need to complete their studies.

Cantorial Soloist Susan Burden of Congregation B’nai Israel, who prepares children for b’nai mitzvah, personalizes the study program to meet the child's needs. "For example, when an ADHD student is primarily an auditory learner, we spend time singing together and building small memory units. I may create personalized songs that fit the tunes of the prayers we are working on to help the student master the tune first before adding the Hebrew."

For children who are overly fidgety, Burden said, "I provide simple hand movements that exaggerate the flow of the prayers so that the student can chant to the rhythm that he provides himself through movement. As the portion is learned, the student usually drops away from the large gestures and towards a smaller, less no-

ticeable movement that still triggers memory."

Daniel Quigley, Marcus JCC director of soccer, was diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school. "What was hardest for me was the small stuff, the day-to-day tasks that I had to write down or they would just not get done. The big, interesting projects were not a problem since they held my focus."

Quigley, now 32, discovered that he could apply his high energy to sports and soccer, which also built his confidence, improved his problem-solving and provided socialization.

"I was the goalie in soccer and was under a lot of pressure. I would often get very angry when the other players scored goals or my team lost points. One day some of the boys let me know that I was acting like a jerk and that got me back on track."

Quigley encourages parents to involve their children with sports too. “At the JCC, all the coaches have a special passion for kids and sports. We treat each child individually and try to keep them moving." Nobody sticks out when everyone is moving, he said.

In addition to sports, Quigley was involved in Boy Scouts and his synagogue. To help him study for his bar mitzvah, his mother played Hebrew tapes in the car to practice while being driven to activities. She also helped him get started with his school work by breaking down large tasks into small chunks.

"The hardest part for ADHD kids is getting started.

Susan Burden is cantorial soloist for Congregation B’nai Israel

Daniel Quigley with his wife, Miriam, and new baby, Eve.

Once we get started, we may even get hyper-focused and be unable to stop an activity. My mom would encourage me to ' just do 15 minutes and then take a break.’ Often after the 15 minutes, I became engaged and wanted to do more. Even now, as an adult, getting started is difficult."

Once diagnosed, Brittany also was able to find her way. Her parents received medical intervention from a doctor and used me to help with emotional regulation, organization and social skills. They also asked the school for helpful modifications.

Her father noticed Brittany’s acting talent and she joined a children’s theater group. Performing increased her socialization, status with her peers, and her self-esteem. As a psychotherapist, I see first-hand how success in one area brings confidence and success in others. We don't want our kids to feel defeated when there is help.

Vicki M. Leopold is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Fayetteville. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 23

EDUCATION

The Right High School for Your Jewish Child What is the right high school for your child? I interviewed the following students and parents, who asked that their names be withheld for privacy, and they shared their experiences, proving that the decision about where to send your child to school isn’t always an easy one.

Sisters who attended a Jewish elementary school were planning to move on to their large neighborhood public high school. After visiting that school, the family decided that a smaller, more heimishe Jewish high school was a better environment for their daughters. The eldest sister now attends a Jewish high school and wants to stay there through graduation. The young- Chana er sister was looking forward to a bigger Shapiro school with a more diverse population. To keep peace in the family, and influenced by her older sister’s happiness at a Jewish high school, she agreed to “try it for one year.”

A father of three, whose children all graduated from a Jewish elementary school had this to say: “After the success of our two older daughters in our neighborhood high school, we’ll definitely send our third there.

We love that their friends from all backgrounds come to our home, and both daughters are enjoying learning Spanish.”

A couple that had the opposite experience were urged by their daughter to move to a Jewish high school from a private, non-Jewish elementary school. “After her bat mitzvah, and this probably had a lot to do with the great teacher she had, she wanted to study Jewish sub-

24 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

jects and meet other kids who felt proud to be Jewish.”

Her parents agreed, and the mother recently enrolled in a Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning program for Jewish basics.

I talked to a teen whose parents were stunned when their son, an honors student at a prestigious non-Jewish private school, asked to transfer to a Jewish school in eighth grade. “All I ever heard about being Jewish was either the Holocaust or how much Israelis make Palestinians suffer. I didn’t know anything about Jewish history or writings or anything else. I joined a Zionistic youth group and my parents offered to go to services with me. The Jewish subjects at school are hard, but I like being with Jewish kids who know who they are.”

A mother of two college-age sons said, “Our boys attended Jewish schools from the age of three through high school. One of them is a law student and the other is pre-med. I think the knowledge, naturalness and comfort in their Judaism makes them accepting of and accepted by others. Both of them lead services at their university Hillel and Chabad houses, something most of their classmates can’t do.”

It’s impossible to talk about “the right high school” without understanding the significance of football. The attraction of public school football is pervasive and powerful, attracting athletes and non-athletes alike. Everyone wants to be part of the huge Friday night social scene with the football game as its center.

One young man, who went to a Jewish day school

since preschool, argued long and hard with his parents who wanted – and fully expected – him to attend a Jewish high school.

His mother put it this way: “I’m more concerned about the teen years than younger years. That’s when the kids start to date, drive, push boundaries, give up Jewish rituals.” In the end, her son convinced his parents. He’s a senior at his local high school and a member of the team. His younger sister followed him to the same public high school, where she, too, is outstanding in sports.

I talked to two rising eighth-graders, both headed to DeKalb School of the Arts, an audition-to-enter public high school. The first girl, from a religiously-observant family, attended a Jewish elementary school. The other started at a Jewish elementary school, then transferred to her local public school, which has an orchestra. Both teens told me that they were happy in their elementary schools, but wanted to go to a school where their special interests would be emphasized and they’d be able to seriously study all the arts.

A seventh-grade boy is undecided about his high school years. Part of him wants to stay in the Jewish school where he likes the teachers and has lifetime friends, many of whom will be leaving in eighth grade.

His parents want him to attend a Jewish high school, and he agrees. He and a few friends hope to move to a Jewish high school together. His older brother already made the transition to a Jewish high school with a less intense Judaic curriculum, and it’s likely that he and his friends will do the same.

Teens are well aware of the financial aspect of private schooling, and most of them mentioned how much their education costs their parents. One young man, who assured me that his parents have no trouble financing their children’s Jewish schooling, even exclaimed, “Why should they keep paying so much money for school? I’ve already had my bar mitzvah!”

Four families I interviewed, including those who merit tuition reduction, reluctantly move children to public high schools because they can’t afford it.

Whether the issue is money or dissatisfaction, a few parents talked about home-schooling their children. I spoke to a religiously-observant home-schooled young man who is determined to home-school his own children someday. This seems to be a small, but growing trend among religiously-observant and non-observant families.

From my research, I believe that the largest group of Jewish teens is composed of those who start in public school and continue in public school through high school graduation. The ones I spoke with live in communities where the neighborhood schools are rated high academically and offer a variety of extra-curricular activities. And schools with a large number of Jewish students welcome Jewish clubs run by Jewish organizations. The same can be said of non-Jewish private schools that attract Jewish students because of academics, sports or a special focus such as foreign languages.

What is the right high school for my Jewish child?

This question is often perplexing and stressful. Does a rabbi, youth leader, teacher, counselor or grandparent influence the decision? We’re interested in our readers’ responses. ■

EDUCATION

Weber’s Rams for Israel Begins Second Year Weber's Rams for Israel

By Breanna West It’s been a year since Aaron Gordon started Rams for Israel at The Weber School to promote student leadership and “reinvigorate Israel at Weber.”

Gordon, 19, now heading to Brandeis University in Boston, looks back on a year filled with current events, Israel history, culture and guest speakers. The club, which had 35 members, met once a month in the lunch room.

Gordon’s first goal was to set an identity for the club and “rebrand Israel advocacy … really just about connecting with Israel,” he said.

In its inaugural year, two soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces came to the school to talk with club members: a Weber alumnus and an Israeli. Since the soldiers are in their early 20s, “it was a very tangible and relatable connection with Israel,” Gordon said.

As Gordon leaves for college, he has faith that his classmates will take over where he left off. “It’s really important to me that the club carries on and is more successful for years to come.”

Elye Robinovitz is club president. His aim is for students to feel that the club is “the place to be,” that it’s “fun, exciting and energetic.” One way to do this is to have a cook-out serving Israeli-style food for the students, he said.

As vice president of programming, Micah Frankel believes it is important that his classmates think about Israel more broadly

than solely the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“As a Jew, I think of Israel as my home away from home.”

His role is to expose the students to the cultural side of Israel by finding local professionals who are invested in an Israeli nonprofit, organization, tech company or the like to speak to the club. Frankel also wants to bring more IDF soldiers to the school this year. “Soldiers always bring interesting stories with them, and they are always inspirational,” Frankel said.

Michal Ilai, Weber’s Israel Programs Coordinator and an Israeli Hebrew teacher, is the club liaison. Using her background in public relations and journalism, she will help connect students with agencies that can provide speakers and assist with publicity.

About the board of directors, she said, they are “these eloquent, serious students.

This group is really remarkable.” She described the students as “super-impressive.”

What is most important is that leadership is in the hands of the students, she said.

About working with Michal, Robinovitz said, “she seems super energetic about it; with her, we can get so much done.”

As a high school senior, Robinovitz looks at his job with high esteem. “Personally, I want to take away knowing I could lead a group of people.”

Robinovitz hopes that this club will be meaningful for students and will “affect kids in a positive way and their views and their own love for Israel.” ■ The board began planning in June for the school year. From left, Micah Frankel, Elye Robinovitz, Micah Reich. From right: Aaron Gordon, liaison Michal Ilai, Amit Rau.

Aaron Gordon and Elye Robinovitz at a Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 25

EDUCATION

The Individualist

By Mindy Rubenstein

Enneagram Type Four: The Sensitive, Introspective Type A dear friend of mine is a deep and emotional “four.” Her daughter struggles with anxiety, and she often finds herself advocating on her daughter’s behalf. She wants teachers to lessen her daughter’s workload so that the girl won’t become too stressed or overwhelmed by school work.

Recently, however, she had an epiphany. “I find it so distressing to watch my daughter in pain, and I’ve realized I often advocate for her in order to protect myself,” she observed. “I must try to be more objective so that I can do what’s best for her. That may sometimes mean pushing her to be a little stronger, to help her recognize what she is capable of, even if her growing pains may be difficult for me to watch.”

This was written about me. I’m the mother. In her new book, “Out of the Box: Who You Are. Who You Can Be.”, author Shaindy Perl looks at Enneagram personality profiling, which groups people into nine categories, and how we can move beyond our inherent nature toward growth and change.

It’s not easy. In fact, it’s arguably the

most difficult thing we will do in our lifetime.

In order for “fours” to grow, she and other experts explain, we must learn to take control of our strong emotional world and channel our creativity and emotional depth constructively. My daughter is teaching me to do just that.

Of course, when life challenges us to change, we don’t always accept it graciously, Perl says. More often than not, we fight it vehemently or ignore it completely.

When my daughter, a straight-A student, would come home crying about too much homework or too many tests, my first instinct was to relinquish her of this seemingly undue stress. I would hear her crying on the couch and my own heart couldn’t bear it. I would grab the phone and reach out to teachers and administrators for help.

I sometimes blamed the dual-curriculum rigor: a complete set of English subjects compressed into half a day, combined with a half-day of Judaic subjects, most of which are completely unfamiliar to me. Yes, I have a graduate-level education, but things like Navi and Rashi weren’t part of it.

My own Judaic education included Sunday School, and then pre-bat mitzvah classes each Tuesday evening. I chose to continue on, attending weekly Judaic

courses throughout high school. Over the past 12 years, I delved into Jewish learning with rabbis, rebbetzins and chavrusahs (one-on-one learning partners) from around the world, including Israel and New York.

Yet it was still not even close to the rigor and depth of what all my children and my daughter are learning in school, including the five years she attended Torah Day School of Atlanta.

But in trying to rescue her from a workload I deemed excessive, I was in essence telling her she wasn’t capable of handling it. One of her school administrators had tried to assure me that she didn’t need her workload lightened, yet I continued to feel like he was not hearing my pleas.

In hindsight, I should have focused more on equipping my daughter with the confidence and tools to succeed even in difficult situations. Thank G-d I’m learning this now, while she and her siblings are still relatively young.

Recently our daughter was tested, following up on an evaluation several years earlier that suggested a potential reading deficit. The psychologist who administered the new test said it’s his job to look for “things” — potential problems.

After several days of in-depth psychological-educational testing, he couldn’t find a single “thing.” In fact,

she’s very intelligent and potentially gifted in many areas, the test results showed.

She’s even good with math and engineering-type concepts.

When I shared the findings with my daughter, she looked at me with relief and said, “You mean there’s nothing WRONG with me?”

“No sweet girl, there is nothing wrong with you,” I said. “In fact, you’re capable of accomplishing pretty much anything in life you set your mind to.”

She’s been a different person since that moment. She smiles more and overall is a happier, less stressed-out student.

And when she and her siblings cry out for help, though my first reaction is to remove the source of stress, I try instead to help them look within and find a way to work through it.

It took more than a decade of tears and heartache — and a lot of prayer — to reach this moment. As Perl explains, a stressful situation can actually be a road sign on our life’s journey, inviting us to grow.

When we choose to see the people and situations that challenge us as an invitation to grow, she says, our journey can take us to places we never imagined we could reach.

Mindy Rubenstein documents her spiritual struggles and discoveries in print and online. After living in various Jewish communities with her husband and children, including Atlanta, Virginia and Maryland, they recently settled down in their home state of Florida. You can read more at www.MindyRubenstein. com. ■

Out of the Box: Who You Are. Who You Can Be.

By Shaindy Perl, quoted by guest columnist, Mindy Rubenstein.

The book describes personality types, based on the Enneagram personality system.

26 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Photos by Duane Stork

Above: Avid collectors Brenda and Joel Shavin pose in front of one of Joel’s favorites, “Tribute to Bob Dylan,” by local artist Athlone Clarke. Top right: Living room vignette (from left): “The Girl by the Arch” painting by Robert Sentz, Kimo Minton’s wood sculpture “The Joy of Cultural Confusion,” and E.K. Huckaby’s “Hall of Reason”, energized by a crackled finish.

Chai Style Homes

Dr. Shavin became interested in book carving art forms by researching medical books.

Collecting Couple Goes for Versatile Style Coexistence One thing you won’t find in Brenda and Joel punchy, optimistic, well thought-out coexisting art. Envision a Steffen Thomas portrait titled “McCrae’s MothShavin’s art collection is landscapes.

“The continuity you notice in our art is faces and er” looking down upon a modern buffet with menorahs people. You won’t see any still scenery paintings here,” flanking a Hap Sakwa mosaic tea kettle.

Enter designer Marni Ratner, whose said Brenda, a retired speech therapist. Joel, youthful “Midtownish” approach oversaw a dermatologist, takes credit for being the the new construction and design interpret“detail guy” who brought all the art togething the Shavins’ need for function in the er. new kitchen, master bedroom, closet and The Shavins’ 5,500-square-foot home bath. Ratner and Glazer worked together to built in 1988 underwent a recent renovaaccomplish this transitional makeover and tion. Interior designer Marni Ratner (Stubring life to the couple’s vision and needs. dio M Interiors) and home improvement Marni stated, “I’m especially proud that contractor Randy Glazer (Glazer Design our master bathroom design and execuand Construction) teamed up with the tion won First Place, and our master suite Shavins’ niece and nephew, Karyn Sbar Marcia design was awarded second place in “Atand Karim Tahiri of Soleil Design Build, Caller Jaffe lanta Home Improvement” magazine, Best Inc. based in Tampa, Fla. The result is elevated spaces with transitional mod- of the Best Projects, 2014 edition. They were great clients to work with as their art collection has real depth and ern lines and site-specific installations.

Each and every room is replete with fine lines and sensitivity, and they understood what it took to acquire

quality workmanship.”

Take a tour through the Shavins’ matrix of forwardfacing collections mixed with some rock and roll.

Jaffe: Joel, what was your design input here?

Joel: I take a keen interest in collecting art. Brenda teases me about being particular, meticulous and observant. As a dermatologist, I tend to be a very visual person.

Jaffe: Who are some of the artists you collect?

Brenda: We have a wide array of talent and taste.

Mary Engel did the “Watch Dog” sculpture (a collection of time pieces) guarding our front entry. In the formal living room is Leonard Baskin’s well-known “Man of Peace,” the first in his series of large woodcuts. Additional Baskin pieces scattered throughout our home include two Indian prints from a series commissioned by the National Park Service in the early 1970s. I selected “Crow Scout” for the kitchen and Joel chose “Chief Crazy ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 27

Interior Designer Marni Ratner, of Studio M Interiors, worked with Randy Glazer, of Glazer Design and Construction, to remodel the master bathroom, closet and bedroom in less than four months. The bathroom won first place in the 2014 Best of the Best projects in “Atlanta Home Improvement” magazine.

Folk artist Benny Andrew’s “The Date” tops “Blue Skies,” both reminiscent of his rural South childhood.

28 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The Shavins’ Pompeii red-hued oriental rugs throughout the house were purchased over the years. Ratner searched to find the perfect oneof-a-kind conversation piece chair at Westside Market. Roel Davis III's rendering of a merry-go-round horse sits above the chair.

Horse” for the living room. A Baskin raptor overlooks the tub in the renovated master bathroom. The Baskin theme continues as our Passover haggadahs were illustrated by this Jewish artist. We are particularly proud to own three collage pieces by Benny Andrews: “Over the Rows,” “The Date,” and “Blue Skies,” depicting life as a young African-American in the rural South.

Brenda: We have several paintings by Steffen Thomas: “McCrae’s Mother,” “Cece” and “Girl with Red Hat.” Thomas created “The Trilon,” a bronze sculpture located at 15th and Peachtree in Midtown. More of his work can be seen in the Steffen Thomas Museum in Madison, Ga. Lastly, we own two sculptures by Kimo Minton, known for his playful work on sanded birch.

Joel: One of my favorite pieces is a mixed-media homage “Tribute to Bob Dylan” by local artist Athlone Clarke, which leans on the mantel above the den fireplace. We commissioned Steve Penley to do a portrait of John Lennon, which turned out to be a wonderful rendition of not only Lennon, but the rest of the group.

Other Penleys include “Andy Warhol” and “Vincent Van Gogh.” We collect Lee Bomhoff, a pastel artist, and share his fascination with jesters and ballet dancers. We are fortunate to own two dolls by Akira Blount: “Jester” and “House Story.” This Tennessee dollmaker is represented in the Smithsonian.

Jaffe: Describe your interest in these unusual book carvings.

Joel: I originally became intrigued by them in tandem with my affinity for medical books. Many of these book artists sculpt serendipitously without an outlined plan. Our favorite artist in this genre is Brian Dettmer and his “You Can Do Nothing” and “Civilisation Part 2.” Since we highly value books, please note that these books were destined to be destroyed before they became art.

Jaffe: Marni, how did you pull it all together?

Pictured above and on opposite page: Designer Marni Ratner delivered customized cabinets with clean edges to carry out the charcoal wood modern, transitional theme.

Formal living room, from left: “Man of Peace” woodcut by Leonard Baskin interpreted as his distaste for Picasso’s hypocrisy. Center rear wall from left: “The Juggler” by David Kidd, “Chief Crazy Horse” by Baskin. Far right over couch: “The Ballet Dancer” by Lee Bomhoff.

Marni: We started with the master suite, which was a full-service renovation. We were impressed with the work of Atlanta Custom Closets with fine details like hidden drawers. Then I moved on to the kitchen and den…much of the rest of the house we spruced up to get it “up to date.” They were unique clients to work with because of their contrasting personalities. Joel has an attention to detail like no one else. Brenda was very hands-on. All this led to the success of the project.

Jaffe: Randy, how did you fit in?

Randy: I completed the renovation while they continued to live in the house along with a lot of plastic room dividers. The master wing renovation included the bedroom, bathroom, and closet. It was much like

putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The bedroom actually became smaller in the schematic to provide additional closet space. The Shavins wanted straight, clean lines, so most everything was customized.

I have a 12-member team and for the past 25 years have specialized in home improvements from Roswell to Buckhead.

Jaffe: What’s next for you to collect?

Brenda: I don’t think we can find another inch on these walls, so for now we are done; however, collectors never actually seem to stop. You haven’t even seen the lower level, which is wall-to-wall Americana.

Inset: Mary Engel’s “Watch Dog” is adorned with dozens of time pieces.

Marni: If you ever get rid of anything, let me know! ■ Photos by Duane Stork

Inset: The breakfast nook is highlighted by Lonnie Holley’s thought-provoking “Looking Backward and Forward Into Time.”

"Jester" by Lee Bomhoff, known for rubbing his applications to create this pastel effect, sits over a MacKenzieChilds table.

The Shavins later found the perfect jester and pagoda box.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 29

COMMUNITY “Shared Legacies” Tells History of Blacks, Jews Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the pulpit of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., his voice rising like the blast of a shofar as he preached from the Old Testament.

“I’d like to use, as a basis of our thinking together, a story that has long since been stenciled on the mental sheets of succeeding generations. It is the story of the Exodus, the story of the flight of the Hebrew people from the bondage of Egypt through the wilderness, and finally to the promised Patrice land.”

Worthy Young Jews who traveled to Montgomery to participate in the civil rights movement were moved to learn the foundation for the most pivotal moment in American history was rooted in Hebrew text.

The bond between blacks and Jews during the civil rights movement is the subject of the film “Shared Legacies: Extraordinary Moments in the Black and Jewish Civil Rights Alliance.” Filmmaker

Shari Rogers was inspired to document the relationship between the two communities after visiting the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. There she met Clarence B. Jones, King’s attorney and speechwriter. Jones informed Rogers that King charged him with telling the black community about the “24/7 support” Jews gave blacks during the civil rights movement. Rogers decided to launch the company Spill the Honey after hearing the story of Eliezer Ayalon, a Holocaust survivor who chose to live a life of sweetness. She uses the platform to promote the shared experiences of blacks and Jews because she says it’s a part of history that goes overlooked.

Steve Labovitz and Rabbi Alvin Sugarman at the film preview at The Temple.

Congressman John Lewis and Sherry Frank founded the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition.

“When I talk to young Jewish people under 40 they don’t know about this history,” Rogers said. “This history is important because it is a template we can look at in consensus building.”

Many of the Jews who came to America had a parent or grandparent in the Holocaust and couldn’t believe what was happening to blacks in America, Rogers said. “Not all, but many. It was hard for the rabbis. A temple was bombed in Birmingham and The Temple here in Atlanta was bombed for supporting the Civil Rights Movement.”

During a preview of the film at The Temple, pioneers and supporters of the civil rights movement gathered to recall how Jews and blacks worked together to end the injustice of the Jim Crow South.

Sherry Frank, Congressman John Lewis, Rabbi Alvin Sugarman, Rev C.T. Vivian, Hank Thomas, Janice Rothschild Blumberg and others spoke to attendees about the importance of the relationship.

“It’s wonderful to look at history and be inspired by history and know that things can change,” Sugarman said.

“If there was ever a time when hands and hearts were locked together it 30 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

was blacks and Jews during the civil rights movement.”

Through archival footage and interviews, the film captures how the “Jewish presence” during the civil rights movement was instrumental in breaking down racial barriers.

Rogers revealed how Jews were key in the desegregation of whites-only lunch counters because many of the department store restaurants were owned by “compassionate Northern Jews.” She identified the Jewish lawyers who fought high-profile civil rights cases such as Jack Greenberg, one of the lawyers who argued Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., resulting in the desegregation of public schools. Scenes from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marching with Dr. King show how Jewish camaraderie was visible in the face of oppression. The film also includes the controversial dinner organized by Rabbi Jacob Rothschild and his wife, Janice Rothschild Blumberg, in honor of Dr. King receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The event was the first public, integrated dinner in Atlanta. Rogers also takes viewers behind the scenes in Washington, D.C. to show how the power and influence of Joe Rauh, Marvin Caplan and Arnold Aronson led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

And although there was already a hidden coalition between blacks and Jews, Lewis said he and Frank founded the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition because they wanted to make it official.

“We wanted to make it visible and show that blacks and Jews were working to keep the rage of anti-Semitism from emerging in the black community,” Lewis said. “A lot of young people don’t know their history that blacks and Jews struggled together. It’s not being taught in our public schools, so we have to tell the story over and over and over again.” ■ Janice Rothschild Blumberg and Congressman John Lewis were among the speakers at the film preview.

SPOTLIGHT 12-Year-Old Nabs Lead in “Misfits & Monsters”

12-year-old actor, Geordie Francombe.

It may have been the first day of school for many, but Aug. 1 was special to 12-year-old Geordie Francombe and his family for a different reason. The Sandy Springs actor was allowed to stay up past his bedtime to watch his national cable TV debut as the lead actor, Ethan, in “Misfits & Monsters” on TruTV. Geordie, who is active at the Marcus JCC and Camp Ramah Daron, started acting just over a year ago. He quickly was snatched up for representation by talent agents in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Taping auditions in his home studio became as common as homework in 2017, and helped him land roles in two national commercials: Amazon Studio’s TV series, “Lore”; and his biggest role, in “Misfits & Monsters.”

“The first day on set I was really excited and a little nervous,” said Geordie, a 7th grader at Ridgeview Charter Middle School. “There were so many people running around all over the place. I had to remember about 40 pages of dialogue and I didn’t want to let anyone down. Even though it was my first big role, everyone on set was great, and in the end, I think it turned out awesome.”

Every episode of the anthology series, “Misfits & Monsters,” is written and directed by legendary 80’s comedian Bobcat Goldthwait, and features a different story in a different genre. In “The Goatman Cometh,” an homage to the 1986 movie, “Stand by Me,” Geordie plays Ethan alongside Melissa Joan Hart. He’s involved in a backyard sleepover with friends that goes horribly wrong.

Continued on page 33.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 31

SPORTS Yosef Samuel Makes History with Atlanta United 2 Yosef Samuel made history in the first game of the inaugural season of Atlanta United 2, the reserve unit of the major league soccer team. Samuel, originally from Ethiopia, scored the first goal for his team, leading to a 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls II on March 24.

After playing for the Philadelphia Union United Soccer League affiliate and Bethlehem Steel Football Club, Samuel is thrilled to play soccer in his hometown of Atlanta.

“My family hadn’t really been able to watch me play, so it was nice for them to see me Patrice and show them.”

Worthy The 21-year-old midfielder is originally from the Endegagn region in Ethiopia. He began playing at age 7, and says soccer was a way to keep him out of trouble.

“When you’re a teenager, you want to get into trouble, but all my brothers played soccer and I wanted to be like them,” Samuel said. “I spent all my time on the soccer field.”

Samuel developed his skills playing

in the Atlanta Youth Soccer Association in Decatur, the Gwinnett Soccer Academy and the Maccabi Games. Playing professional soccer has always been his dream, he said.

When he scored the first Atlanta United 2 goal with a scissor kick, Samuel kissed his wrist, a homage to his older brother, Sol, who passed away tragically in 2014. After the goal, Samuel knew he was well on his way.

The youngest of nine siblings, Samuel said his large family with Judaism at its center, has always been a source of strength.

He credits his mother, author Melissa Fay Greene, who attends every game, as the driving force behind his ambition.

“My mom does everything. She’s on top of everything, ... my life and everybody’s life,” he said. “I think if I wanted to become a doctor, she would have made it happen.”

Greene, a novelist and author of “The Temple Bombing,” adopted Samuel and

The Gizaw brothers reunited for the first time in 12 years in March 2015.

Yosef Samuel recently joined Atlanta United 2.

Samuel family photo at Lee and Maya’s wedding last fall.

Not pictured, Maya, who was running late.

his brother, Daniel, when they were in elementary school. Yosef being the younger of the two was always happy, Greene said, describing him as “an imp of a child,” because of his small stature.

“When they arrived, just turning 10 and 13, it was obvious to us how much Daniel had taken on the weight of the world and sheltered Yosef,” Greene said.

“So Yosef still had the merriment and innocence of a little kid. Whereas Daniel had the weary outlook of an old man.”

The boys lived in Ethiopia during the AIDS epidemic, which left them at the mercy of a country gripped by fear, Greene said. It was during this time she wrote a book titled “There’s No Me Without You” about a grandmother taking in children with AIDS in Ethiopia.

“People were terrified of the disease.

People were afraid of the children, even children who were HIV negative,” Greene said.

Greene and her husband, Don Samuel, prominent criminal defense attorney, already had four children by birth and three by adoption when their son, Lee, called, asking them to adopt the Ethiopian siblings. Lee started a soccer league for orphaned children in Ethiopia and bonded with the brothers. While in Ethiopia, Yosef took the orphanage league games as seriously as the World Cup Final, Lee said.

“He would run laps inside the orphan32 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

age compound. Other kids would be asleep and he would be practicing dribbling a soccer ball and getting in shape because we had a game against another orphanage the next day,” Lee recalls.

It’s the way Samuel carries himself on the field that caught the attention of Atlanta United 2 coach Scott Donnelly, who recruited him last year.

“He’s a strong performer and he’s an attacking player,” Donnelly said. “He meshes well with the team because he’s a good person. There’s no ego; he’s down-toearth and also coachable.”

Samuel’s dedication to the game resulted in him being called up to play for Atlanta United in its U.S. Open Cup match against Charleston Battery.

And while Samuel is in Atlanta, the family takes advantage of the time they have together. They caravan to every game to support Yosef. Lee, who has always been Yosef’s biggest fan, said nothing compares to watching his brother play. So when he was finally signed to Atlanta United 2, Lee said it was one of the happiest moments in his life.

“For me my happiest sports moments are the 1995 World Series, the first threequarters of last year’s Super Bowl, and Yosef’s goal,” Lee said. “Yosef’s goal was the happiest I’ve been watching sports. He’s so beautiful to watch play.” ■

Continued from page 31.

When he’s not acting, Geordie plays piano and sings. He attended MJCCA day camp for nine years and has been a Camp Ramah camper for five. He volunteers with Camp Ramah’s Camp Yofi for children with autism and the Atlanta Food Bank. Geordie also mentors children with disabilities through Helping Hands, coaches youth soccer at the MJCCA, and plants trees for Israel.

His mom, Stacie, is the MJCCA Maccabi Games director and Geordie will compete in the games next year.

Looking forward to his next acting gig, Geordie hopes that with so much filming in Atlanta, he’ll be cast in his favorite show shot here, “Stranger Things.”

“I have seen every episode of both seasons of ‘Stranger Things’ at least twice,” Geordie said. “The actors are so good and I try to learn from their performances. I’ve been shooting auditions for small parts; if I got anything, it would be amazing.”

For now, Geordie was looking forward to his TV debut. Caught before the show aired, he said, “It’s going to be fun to see myself on TV; I really can’t wait!” ■

Yiddish Word of the Week The Yiddish term “Maven,” pronounced méyvn, originates in, and is spelled as the Hebrew mevín ‫ ֵמ ִבין‬, literally “understanding, discerning,” but also “a person with an expertise in a specific skill.” For example, II Chronicles 34:12, describing the 621 BCE renewal of worship at the Jerusalem Temple under King Josiah of Judah (reigned 640 to 609 BCE), mentions the recruitment of ‫י־שיר‬ ֽ ִ ֵ‫ל־מ ִבין ִבכְ ל‬ ֵ ָ‫ כ‬kol mevín bikhley-shir, “all experts in musical instruments.” ■

KEEPING IT KOSHER Spiced Roasted Carrot Hummus Just the right amount of sweetness and spice gives this hummus a unique twist.

Start to finish: 35 minutes Servings: 20 Contains: Nuts Preference: Parve Difficulty: Easy Occasion: Shabbat Diet: Vegan, sugar free, low fat, gluten free, vegetarian, pescetarian Cuisine: Israeli Ingredients 3 large carrots 1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, or 1 bag Gefen Organic Chickpeas Cooked Ready-to-Eat 1/3 cup raw cashew pieces Juice of 3/4 lemon (about 3 tablespoons) 1/4 cup Gefen Soymilk (or other non-dairy milk) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cumin Roast the Carrots Preheat oven to 400 F. Dice carrots and arrange on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.

Prepare the Hummus Add carrots and all other ingredients to food processor and blend until very smooth and creamy. This might take a few minutes. If you want it thinner, add water, a tablespoon at a time.

Recipe by Shana Balkin Source: www.kosher.com

Jewish Joke of the Week THE DEAL Joseph had just passed his driving test, so he asked his father, who is a rabbi, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, “Joseph, I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your school grades up, study your Bible a little, get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.”

After about a month, Joseph came back and asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, “Joseph, I’ve been real proud of you. You have raised your school grades, you’ve studied your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!”

Joseph waited a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Abraham had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Moses had long hair...”

To which the rabbi replied, “Yes, and they walked everywhere they went!”

Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 33

CALENDAR FRIDAY, AUGUST 3

Prospective Member Shabbat – Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Prospective member musical Shabbat service followed by a wine and cheese meet and greet. Join Rabbi Zimmerman for Shabbat service. After Shabbat, meet the staff, board and members. Free. For more information visit www.bethshalomatlanta.net or call 770-399-5300.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4

Prospective Member Shabbat – Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Meet Rabbi Zimmerman and many in our Kehillah. Free. For more information visit www.bethshalomatlanta.net or call 770-399-5300.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Eikev Friday, August 3, 2018 light candles at 8:18 p.m.

Saturday, August 4, 2018 Shabbat ends at 9:16 p.m.

Re'eh Friday, August 10, 2018 light candles at 8:11 p.m.

Saturday, August 11, 2018 Shabbat ends at 9:08 p.m.

pree Drive, Sandy Springs, at 11 a.m.

Free. For more information, www.templesinaiatlanta.org/event/1968-summer-film-series.html or 404-252-3073.

https://www.atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/ dive-into-shabbat-outdoor-pool-partyat-the-mjcca-40026/.

Swim, Sip & Schmooze! – Marcus JCC,

MJCCA KnowlEdgewise Speaker Series – Berman Commons, 2026 Wom-

Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue NW, Atlanta, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code JWV. For more information, contact Gail Solomon at gailsol@ gmail.com or 404-351-1900.

What the Health?! Vascular Disease – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn about peripheral and arterial diseases and how to catch the warning signs early on. There will also be leg circulation screening. Free for members, $5 for non-members.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8

1968 Summer Film Series – “Rosemary’s Baby”- Temple Sinai, 5645 Du34 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

cus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, Tuesdays through September 4, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Educational mathematical experience for 18 months to 3-year-olds with a caregiver. Free and open to the community. Advance registration required, https://www.atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/toddler-tuesdaymatharts-40705/.

1968 Summer Film Series – “Charly”-

1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE, Marietta, from 12 to 3 p.m. Bring your favorite games. Snacks provided. Free. RSVP, www.etzchaim.net/gameday.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14

Toddler Tuesday: MathArts – Mar-

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15

Board Game Shabbat – Etz Chaim,

Blood Drive at AA – Ahavath Achim

Road, Atlanta, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. A different volunteer moderator leads each session and provides participants with the week’s discussion questions in advance, ranging from current events to popular culture. Free for members, $5 for the community.

ack Road, Dunwoody, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free. For more information and to RSVP, https://www.atlantajcc. org/pldb-live/knowledgewise-speakerseries-berman-commons-40197/.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9

Lunchtime Culture at Alliance Theatre – Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For Seniors, 55 and older. Bring your own lunch. Transportation will be available from the MJCCA, Toco Hills NORC and Zaban Tower. Special accommodations may be available for those unable to reach these locations. Please call 678-812-4070 to confirm prior to registration. $5 per person. For registration and more information, https:// online.activenetwork.com/MJCCA/ Activities/ActivitiesCourseDetails. asp?aid=628&cid=47067.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10

MJCCA Dive into Shabbat Outdoor Pool Party – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 5 to 7 p.m. Bring your own picnic.

Drinks and snacks available for purchase. Free. For more information,

Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, at 11 a.m. Free. For more information, www.templesinaiatlanta.org/ event/1968-summer-film-series.html or 404-252-3073.

5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 7 to 9 p.m. For Jewish singles, 40 and up.

Swim, Shabbat, pizza and adult beverages. $10 per adult. To register, https:// bit.ly/2NpVFDd.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12

Congregation Beth Shalom Fun in the Park Potluck – Windwood Hollow Park, 4865 Lakeside Drive, Dunwoody, from 4 to 6 p.m. Join Rabbi Zimmerman for an afternoon of fun and games. Bring a kosher dairy dish to share. Free.

MJCCA Sushi Night – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 7 to 9 p.m. Learn the art of hand rolling and how to select fish to best present its freshness in sushi. Options for non-fish eaters available. $50 for members, $65 for others. To register, https:// www.atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/sushinight-40577/.

Connect Kickoff Pool Party for Teens – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Pool games and snacks. $15 for members, $25 for others. For more information and to register, https://www.atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/connect-kickoff-poolparty-40839/?back=pldb_active.

MONDAY, AUGUST 13

Talking Heads Co-Ed Discussion Group – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16

LifeSouth Blood Mobile – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 10

AUGUST 3-18 a.m. to 3 p.m. LifeSouth is a community blood center. The blood supply collected from their donors directly serves the needs of patients in our

community. Free. For more information and to register, http://bit.ly/MJCCA-blood-mobile.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17

Shabbat Swim-A-Long – Post Oak Recreation Association Pool (PORA), 2515 Tritt Springs Trace NE, Marietta, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Swim-A-Long for a family friendly evening. Pizza dinner, snacks, free swim and Shabbat blessings and songs led by Rabbi Dan Dorsch and Heather Blake, on guitar.

Prospective member families welcome. $5 per family.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

Movies Under the Stars: Black Panther – Join Marcus JCC Young Adults and the Federation of Greater Atlanta at Candler Park, McLendon Ave NE, Atlanta, from 6 to 10 p.m. Bring a picnic dinner and blanket. Free. For registration and more information, https://www.atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/movies-under-thestars-black-panther-40625/.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18 Infertility Support Group – In-

town - Jewish Fertility Foundation, 60 Lenox Point NE, Atlanta, from 7 - 8 p.m. Facilitated by licensed therapist Ashley Marx. Free. RSVP to https:// www.jewishfertilityfoundation.org/ Support, or call Elana Frank at 770843-7413. ■

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

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

This calendar is sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 35

BRAIN FOOD For the Record

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By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Easy

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1. Isr. for Israel, e.g.

5. Barber-shop sound 9. Figures in mosques 14. Monotheism, Jewish ___ belief 15. “Say Anything...” actress Skye 16. Be a nitpicker 17. Led Zeppelin album about the Temples?

20. “You don’t say?”

21. TV character that once bemoaned “I’m George!”

22. Begin golfing, with “off” 23. Not as spicy 24. Fleetwood Mac album about Lashon Hara?

28. Philosopher Descartes 29. Seizes, as power 30. The Holy ___ 31. Bowling target 34. Audition tape 35. Michael Jackson album about Haman?

36. What Oliver dared ask for 37. E.R. figures 38. Marsh growth 40. 1999 Keanu Reeves action thriller, with ‘The’ 42. Attended 43. Neil Young album about cutting crops after the sabbatical year?

44. Fancy fronts of stores 47. Tolkien creature that might

celebrate Tu B’Shvat 48. Poor crossword solver’s need 49. Skilled at painting, say 54. Pink Floyd album about praying for the Messiah?

56. Lauder of lipstick 57. Kazan who made “Gentleman’s Agreement” 58. A Gabor and a Peron 59. Studies Torah, essentially 60. Employee IDs, at times 61. Fogelberg and Rather

19. Beauty of Troy 23. Pixar director Bird 24. Paul who plays Scott Lang in Marvel films 25. Beta tester, e.g.

26. “___ the word” (“Don’t tell anyone”) 27. Gold, in Barcelona 30. Clansman’s son 31. Hole in the skin 32. Camera part 33. “Step right up” 35. Challenges 36. Network that stopped focusing on music videos 38. Night flights 39. First month, in Mexico 40. Mottos 41. Bandleader Shaw 42. Prepared to eat challah 43. “But ___ our little village of Anatevka...”

44. Not as many 45. Emerge as a contender 46. ___ ballot (vote) 49. Belt-makers’ tools 50. A sukkah, perhaps 51. Israeli footwear brand 52. Where Israel’s existence isn’t exactly celebrated 53. Not a pool to swim in 55. Neighborhood of Cong. EmanuEl of New York

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1. “Bro”, in Israel 2. Greets the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, maybe 3. Old Spice rival 4. 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 5. Leah and Rachel, e.g.

6. Gallows ropes 7. Data, briefly 8. Hamster, often 9. Most recent country to get a Chabad house 10. ___ Yehuda Market, Jerusalem 11. Duck, as a question 12. A.A. who created Pooh and Piglet 13. Sneakier 18. Scarf down

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the publication of her book, “Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory.” The 278-page text, the result of a decade of research, explores the frightening rise of Holocaust deniers in this country and elsewhere.

■ Gary Feinberg and Hedda Feinberg announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Melissa, to Greggory Alan Selvin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Selvin of Baldwin, N.Y.

Remember When 15 Years Ago // August 1, 2003 ■ Roseanne Barr returned to network television with “The Real Roseanne Show,” which followed Barr as she struggled to get back on TV by developing a cooking/lifestyle show, “The Domestic Goddess Hour.” The “cast” included her five children as well as her on-call rabbi, Eitan Yardeni. The show debuted August 6 on ABC. ■ Donna Smith Aranson of Atlanta announced the marriage of her daughter, Hannah Freda, to Joel David Williams, son of John and Mary Lynn Ryland of Crossville, Tenn., formerly of Atlanta, and Thomas Williams of Richmond, Va.

36 | AUGUST 3, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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25 Years Ago // July 30, 1993 ■ Atlantan Deborah Lipstadt captured national attention with

4

Comedian, Roseanne Barr, has had a tumultuous run on ABC.

50 Years Ago // August 2, 1968 ■ Israel stepped up its pressure on Algeria to release the seven crew members and five passengers of a hijacked El Al Boeing 707 airliner. The plane was highjacked 10 days earlier by five Arab guerrillas and flown to captivity in Algiers.

■ Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Kaufman of Atlanta announce the birth of a son, Paul Levine Kaufman, on August 4. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Max Levine of Charleston, S.C., and Mr. and Mrs. Saul Kaufman of Atlanta.

Charles Simon Dozetos 85, Fort Pierce, Fla.

Charles Simon Dozetos, 85, of Fort Pierce, Fla., formerly of Tucker, died July 29, 2018. He was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital to Raymond and Mary Dozetos on January 1, 1933, the first baby of the year, and with a tooth. After graduating from Grady High School, he attended the University of Georgia. Charles enlisted in the Army, first in Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. He served during the Korean War and later joined the 101st Airborne, Fort Campbell, Ky., and served in ICBM, White Sands Proving Grounds, N.M. Charles had many endeavors including: owning a shoe store; a pest control company; a sports card show and store; and a jewelry design business. He was a Master Mason, a member of the Optimist Club, Lions Club and Rotary. Survivors include Charles’ wife, Ann Creson Dozetos; children: Raymond Michel Dozetos, Keith Anthony Dozetos and Gina Marie Dozetos; sister, Regina Barron; five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Louise Habif and Sarah Marks. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom. A graveside service was held Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta 770-451-4999. Please sign online guest book at www.edressler.com.

Gerald Franklyn 88, Dunwoody

Gerald Franklyn, 88, of Dunwoody, passed away Saturday, July 28, 2018. He is survived by his children: Stephen Holzberg, Richard Holzberg, Philip (Gilda) Franklyn, Stacy (John) Unholz, and Dina Franklyn; and grandchildren, Rachel (Robby) Fiala, Stephanie (Erik) Peterson, Sarah Franklyn, Julia Franklyn, Aaron Holzberg, Rebecca Holzberg, Sadie Unholz, and Oliver Unholz. Graveside services were held July 30, 2018, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Binyomin Friedman officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Jewish Burial Properties of Atlanta, 5101 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, 30338.

OBITUARIES ell; and his brother, Henry. He had many friends, nieces and nephews, and “bonus” children and grandchildren who loved him greatly and whom he loved. Walter was always optimistic and fought back from adversity throughout his life quietly and with grace. Walter was born in Alsfeld, Germany in 1923. He left Germany in 1936, at the age of 13 after gaining a sponsor in America. His father, Albert, mother, Martha and his brother, Henry, were able to escape Germany to Africa. His sister, Hana Lore, was killed in a concentration camp in Poland. Walter moved to Atlanta from Bluefield, W.V. After high school, he enlisted as a translator of German for the U.S. Army.

When he returned, he started a men’s and boy’s clothing store in downtown Atlanta, Walter's Clothing. Walter and his business have become icons in Atlanta, known for their tennis shoes and a “good deal.” His grandsons continue the family business with their father, Jeff Steinbook. Walter lived his life with generosity and the belief that everyone should be treated equally with respect and dignity. This is how he ran his business; this is how he taught the young ones; this is how he lived his life. Walter will be deeply missed by his family, his friends, and all who knew him. The family would like to thank all of the people who cared for and supported Walter daily in the last years of his life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any charity supporting community and justice. A funeral service was held Thursday, July 26, 2018, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notices:

Susan Stern was predeceased by her husband, Richard Stern. A memorial service was held Friday, July 27 at The Temple.

Erin Berman is survived by her daughter, Ava Kellermann and parents, Ozzie and Sandra Berman. A memorial service was held Sunday, July 29 at The Temple.

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.

Sharon Elizabeth Cooper 71, Lilburn

Sharon Elizabeth Cooper, 71, of Lilburn, passed away on Monday, July 9, 2018, of ovarian cancer. Sharon was a volunteer, a Master Gardener and a voracious reader of detective and thriller novels. She enjoyed the Braves and Falcons, and was a rock-n-roller. Survivors include her husband of 45 years, Mark Cooper; son, Jeremy Cooper (Melinda) of Des Moines, Iowa; brother, Dan Lloyd (Kathleen) of Southaven, Miss.; cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews. A celebration of Sharon’s life was held Friday, July 13. Donations may be made to the Zaban Paradies Center for homeless couples, 1605 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, 30309.

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Walter Strauss 94, Atlanta

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Walter Strauss, 94, died peacefully in his home surrounded by those he loved Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Walter is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Estelle; his two daughters, Michelle and Sandra; his two grandchildren, Brandon and Mitch-

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

Pineville

be fun, and Gene applied to Pineville.

Accepted.

We packed and locked up our married student housing apartment, and journeyed Pineville. Pineville. Pineville. No matfrom the big city of Baton Rouge to the tiny ter how many times you say it, Pineville, town of Pineville, La., where a good portion it always sounds like a normal, everyday of the residents either worked at or were word. residents of Pineville Hospital.

Not so much folks!

We had the cutest little, truly little, I discovered at an early age: Keep your apartment and garden. While Gene was mind, heart and eyes open; surprises need making rounds, I spent my time reading, places to land, and they might as well land studying, tending the garden, and readying with me. myself for becoming a mommy.

I do love surprises.

Shaindle I also spent time sunning in my yelWhen I was three, my surprise was my Schmuckler low, brown-flowered, two-piece pregnancy sister Maggie.

Shaindle’s Shpiel bathing suit. OMG, what a sight!

When I was five, my surprise was kinI was a very calm, content and suredergarten.

When I was eight, my surprise was my sister Joycie. footed pregnant lady. Given I am a bit of a Pollyanna At 15, I experienced my first surprise birthday party. living in the land of denial, my mantra went something like this: What!? Me worry?! I was more worried about Now that’s a story I’ll tell one day. gaining and then losing weight than I was of the deliverI do love surprises.

When I became pregnant with my first baby, al- ing-a- baby experience.

Until one Wednesday morning. though this was not the surprise, I never would have I awoke, feeling fine and dandy. Gene had gone to expected to spend my last two months of pregnancy at the hospital and would be gone all day. My only job was Pineville Hospital – for the mentally impaired. relaxing. Poor me, right?

That was a surprise to upend all surprises.

Wrong.

Gene, my husband at the time, (well actually, he is Until that fateful Wednesday in August, just weeks still my husband) and I were students at Louisiana State University. A requirement of Gene’s Ph.D. candidacy before my title and life as I knew it would forever change, I was feeling heavenly blessed. Easy pregnancy, was to complete a rotation at a mental health facility.

We thought leaving the city for a few months would a lunatic OB/GYN who was so convinced I was having

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a boy – he painted the boy sign on my tummy – and of utmost importance to me, I did not gain much weight. I was feeling groovy.

The two words above, “feeling groovy,” is not your invitation to sing, so stop before someone calls the white-coated ‘nurses’ of Pineville.

So, picture the scene: It’s over 90 degrees, 100 percent humidity and there I am a, big-bellied and innocent to the ways of the crazies, lounging on a lounger (where else?) reading some paperback, not studying, sunning myself, when I suddenly felt a great need to look up.

I could not believe what I was seeing. Perhaps the sun was playing games?

Surprise!

I saw five or six “residents” walking a good distance behind one another, in a very relaxed marching formation, holding their open umbrellas very high, purses hanging in the crook of the elbow fold, both men and women, talking out loud to some spirit or other, in a very animated conversation. A couple were singing what I could only hope were hymns.

As they drew closer, I decided I must be delusional.

Thank goodness I was at Pineville, just in case!

Picture the scene: Not another human in sight. A giant of a hospital looming in the background. Just a pregnant me lounging in my lounge chair, squinting in disbelief, slowly being encircled by the Pineville walking umbrella brigade.

Are they thinking I’m from another planet?

I could not smile, or laugh, or even gasp. I was mummified. Under my sunglasses, I discreetly followed them with my eyes, pretending to be reading, as if I were witnessing a typical walkabout around a human rounda-bout.

Surprise!

They were polite, gracious, wishing me luck with my baby, smiling, nodding hello.

I, on the other hand, became terrified that being in such close proximity to craziness could transfer in utero.

No worries. I was safe. My baby, who made me a mommy, and her mommy, lived happily ever after.

I love surprises, and will forever remember Pineville with fondness. I wonder if the hospital still exists?

I’ll check and get back to you. ■

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thehandymancanatlanta@gmail.com ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 3, 2018 | 39