Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCV NO. 15, July 15 2020 by Atlanta Jewish Times

NEXT ISSUE: HEALTH & WELLNESS

VOL. XCV NO. 15

JULY 15, 2020 | 23 TAMUZ 5780

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THIS WEEK New Course of Action Preparing for back to school next month in the age of COVID-19 strays far off course from the typical lesson plans of the past. Beyond gathering school supplies, students, teachers, parents and administrators are scrambling for how to make learning work in a global health pandemic that has already derailed bestlaid plans more than once the past few months. Spikes in COVID-19 cases and calls for stronger health precautions, such as requiring masks, are among the considerations being debated in our community. You will read within these pages about plans for a return next month to college and primary grades, which include both public and Jewish day schools. The AJT talks with educational leaders about the future of Jewish private schools and interviews parents, students and teachers about back to school. We offer suggestions for how to deal with parenting during the pandemic and how to entertain and educate your preschoolers at home. Plus a then-and-now reflection as we catch up with first-time parents original-

ly interviewed in 2002, now more experienced having raised their firstborns from toddlers to high school seniors preparing to fly the nest to attend college. You can learn about virtual college road trips, Israel gap year programs, and a new Hillel house at Georgia College. We interview the young principal of Morris Brandon Elementary School in Buckhead and a doctor and diving enthusiast who teaches Boy Scouts about oceanography. The AJT also talks with diversity activist Tarece Johnson, believed to be the first Jewish and African American woman on the Gwinnett County School Board. Wrapping up the previous school year, we detail how two Jewish day schools bid goodbye to their Class of 2020 seniors last month in outdoor celebrations unlike any pomp and circumstance ever witnessed before. Because the public can’t get enough news about the pandemic, we bring you more health and wellness coverage next week. Study up. We’ve got more lessons to share about the world health crisis and ways to enhance mind, body and soul. ì

Cover image: Back to school during the age of coronavirus (COVID-19) means masks, gloves and other health precautions never experienced before in the classroom.

CONTENTS NEWS �� 6 ISRAEL NEWS �� 16 OPINION �� 18 BACK TO SCHOOL �� 22 ART �� 36 CALENDAR �� 38 COMMUNITY �� 42 KEEPING IT KOSHER �� 46 BRAIN FOOD �� 47 OBITUARIES �� 48 CLOSING THOUGHTS �� 52

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NEWS Back to School Multiple Choice: In-Person, Online, Both? By Roni Robbins There’s a popular adage, “Man makes plans, G-d laughs.” The phrase aptly relates to how Atlanta’s public and private schools have been scrambling, planning and re-evaluating those plans the past few months to restart school in August amid one of the country’s worst pandemics. Most of the schools included in this story have developed a fall game plan that involves returning to school in person, at least in part, after a spring shutdown which switched classroom instruction to virtual education at home halfway through the semester. The fall plans call for alternative educational methods and scenarios, and backup contingencies in case schools need to reverse course in the face of a serious spike in COVID-19 cases, reverting back to online learning. The majority of those plans involve options for in-person learning, digital education at home or a hybrid of the two. Some public schools are allowing families to choose which option works best for them, at least for the first semester. Others are accepting feedback and holding town hall meetings to gain input, with decisions to be announced this month. Several public schools also delayed the opening of school to allow more time to prepare, considering the increased health and safety burden required as a result of COVID-19. And at least two school districts are planning to begin virtual instruction in the fall. Returning to the classroom after the spring school shutdowns will involve meticulous cleaning protocols, dis-

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cussions about the use of masks in the classrooms – a highly contested subject -- spacing out seats and other prescribed health precautions. A few of the schools included in this story were still finalizing those plans at press time. While schools are accustomed to building extra days into the academic calendar in case it snows, responding to the what-ifs of a global health pandemic, as it ebbs and flows, creates the need for a whole new “playbook,” as one Atlanta Jewish day school calls it. The schools are following state and national health guidelines while preparing for those what-ifs. The latest directives from Georgia education and public health departments on schools reopening as part of the global pandemic recovery plan were released last month.

Planning for the unknowns of COVID-19, which shuttered schools in March, means answering such questions as: What if there’s a serious spike in cases? What if a student, family member or teacher contracts the virus? Reopening also requires plans for social distancing, enhanced health and hygiene maintenance and other modifications related to the public health environment. Schools have to consider: whether to rearrange schedules to make more efficient use of existing space, whether to hire additional teachers, how to increase cleaning of school facilities and what changes might mean to the operation of school buses and cafeterias. The Atlanta Jewish Academy is sticking to its original plan to begin the school year Aug. 13, but with two different teaching and learning models in the event that the school year needs to start and then stop in response to another outbreak, said AJA Head of School Rabbi Ari Leubitz. “When we closed the campus in March, we had to immediately think proactively for the spring and fall semesters. My team and I carefully mapped out our ‘Reunite and Rabbi Ari Leubitz said Reignite’ playbook, an overAJA created its own view of different teaching and playbook for reopening learning models, a roadmap school because no of sorts to respond to an everguidelines existed before changing, uncertain public about operating in a global pandemic. health scenario upon our return to campus.” The two models AJA will offer are the Adaptive Learning Plan (on campus, with modifications) and Remote Learning Plan (all online learning). “The decision as to which model to follow will be influenced by the environment in Atlanta, the decisions of public health officials along with the experience of our carefully selected AJA Safety and Medical Committee,” he said. Earlier this month, Leubitz and his instructional team leaders held parent town hall meetings grouped by division (early childhood, lower school, middle school, high school) to review part one of the playbook, focusing on the academic plan. The leadership team, along with the safety and medical committee, has been focusing on part two of the playbook: policies and procedures. “We have been meeting

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NEWS regularly and are making great headway on finalizing the policies and protocols as the rules and recommendations keep changing,” Leubitz said. Beyond the playbook, the school had to consider such issues as programs, transportation and how to navigate, divide and maximize the current building space, he said. “You can’t just bring almost 550 people into the building the same way we did in the past,” he said, referring to AJA’s estimated 435 students and 110 staff. The solution is multi-faceted, involving modified carpool protocol, drop off times, hallway traffic patterns, smaller classroom sizes and High School Remote Learning on Fridays, he added. “Effectively and safely utilizing our space is something we have been carefully evaluating.” AJA also operates an early childhood department with infants and toddlers at the school. When they return in the fall, maintaining a selfcontained COVID-compliant environment for the youngest is an important focus given their ages and physical needs, he continued. Later this month, AJA will announce its safety and health policies and protocols, which include addressing mask/face covering requirements. “At this time, we are asking parents to plan to provide five masks per student, so that in the event that masks are required, they will have a clean one to wear daily.” All AJA faculty and staff will wear masks, and for the younger grades, some will wear shields and wipeable smocks. This and other policies will be announced at the end of this month with part two of the playbook. Just as there was no manual about how to shift from brick-and-mortar schooling to education in the virtual world, there is no handbook for how to reopen, Leubitz said. “No guidelines exist; this is uncharted territory. The task in front of us is as unprecedented as the virus. The planning with so many unknowns can be overwhelming at times.” Yet Leubitz remains confident in his school community to roll with the punches and continue its “culture of ongoing trust, support and flexibility.” At Torah Day School of Atlanta, the plan is to open Aug. 24. “We are developing models,” said Head of School Rabbi Meir Cohen. “A number of guidelines have come out to help with those models.” He cited the state’s new advisements for reopening. Cohen listed four possibilities for Torah Day School depending on the health situation at the time: a normal back to school with a few more health precautions and monitoring of sickness; a hyRabbi Meir Cohen said brid with students and classes Torah Day School is spread out throughout the planning what back to school, separation of grades school “will look like to avoid cross-contamination, educationally, logistically and operationally.” staggered entrances and more health protocols; a hybrid with rotation of days or times; or a return to “home learning” as occurred in March when schools were closed. While Cohen said he didn’t foresee the latter happening, the school may need to switch between the models as conditions warrant. “It’s going to have to be fluid. That’s the reason there are models to move back and forth through the school year.” He said school leaders will spend the summer working out what back to school “will look like educationally, logisti-

cally and operationally.” Some of the questions the school leaders will have to answer include: What system will be in place for entering the school? What type of health monitoring will there be? What will happen if someone is slightly ill? Faculty, staff and students will also be reminded how to stop the spread of germs, Cohen said. Meanwhile the school board has already decided not to raise tuition and is hoping to receive assistance from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. The largest allocation in the second round of funding in May was $400,000 to Jewish day schools and $100,000 for preschools to help with reopening costs. “It definitely won’t cover the increased cost of supervisors, hardware and health supplies,” he said. In addition to increased costs of operation associated with the new COVID-19 measures, more people who have lost jobs have been asking for financial help. “I expect tuition Rabbi Edward Harwitz said if health conditions assistance requests to continrequire virtual or a hybrid ue,” he said. combination of virtual In a statement to the and traditional class AJT at press time, The Weber time, “the school will School said it opened its camoffer appropriate tuition refunds commensurate pus for athletic workouts and with cost savings.” other programs June 8. “The

school is currently communicating with its students and parents regarding plans for the first day of school on Aug. 17,” the statement read. The Davis Academy plans to be back to school on both its campuses Aug. 17, but is still deciding on three potential scenarios “should the course of the virus swiftly necessitate a change during the school year,” according to a release Monday. The preliminary scenarios are: on-campus learning at the two campuses; hybrid learning that alternates between on-campus and distance learning; and distance learning if the school is forced to close. The full reopening David Abusch-Magder plan will be released July 30, said the challenging the school said. times “leave us with more The Davis Academy unknowns than usual.” also is developing plans for a “cohort model of learning that would center on groups of students receiving their core academic instruction — in alignment with their academic placement in the upper elementary and middle school grades —while typically remaining in one classroom or location during the day,” the release stated. “Effectively, faculty would move to instruct classes as opposed to students moving to faculty. Cohorts will, of course, utilize the gymnasium, outdoor spaces and specialty rooms like science labs, solely as a cohort, with proper cleaning and hygiene.

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NEWS “With a move towards this cohort model, the school will likely make additional changes in the day including scheduling increased learning and recreational time outdoors for all grades, and a move to a full block schedule for middle school, that would increase instructional time allowing for deeper learning, with several breaks scheduled in,” the release continued. “The cohort model will also make it easier to transition to online learning — only if necessary — and better replicate the on-campus instructional day if a move to online is necessary. In addition, this model of keeping cohorts separate will allow The Davis Academy to continue on-campus instruction for most students, if a particular cohort may have to be restricted to online learning for several weeks based on an infection or exposure in that cohort.” Preparing for the fall is definitely a struggle for schools with all the uncertainty in the health care environment, said David Abusch-Magder, head of school of The Epstein School, which resumes classes Aug. 10. “These times are certainly challenging because they leave us with more unknowns than usual. This is especially true when we think about what school will look like for the 2020-2021 school year. For Epstein, our educational plan will focus primarily on

8 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

AJA families and community members gather for Havdalah over Zoom.

two goals which are, as always, centered on our students: • Keeping our students and faculty, and accordingly their families and the larger community, healthy and safe, and • Returning to school in-person on our campus for a year of learning, growth, community, and fun. “It may seem a challenge, at present, to achieve both seemingly contradictory goals, but it is my strong belief that we can do both. We are planning to be in our building

when school resumes in August. Our leadership and educational teams have already been working for months and are continuing to work diligently on plans for the various scenarios that we think will best meet students’ needs for learning and safety in an in-person environment,” he said. Outside of Jewish day schools, here’s a summary of Atlanta public school plans for the fall: Gwinnett County Schools decided at a special meeting called last week to delay the

start of school from Aug. 5 to Aug. 12, “giving the district additional time to review and adjust its return to school plans to best meet students’ needs and to reflect the most updated guidance from public health officials.” On June 25, the district announced it would allow parents to choose between in-person or digital instruction for their children for the first semester. The survey was open through July 12. “That information, coupled with ongoing review of the current and anticipated COVID-19 situation in Gwinnett County, will guide school district leaders as they continue to assess and respond to COVID-19 and adjust plans as needed for the coming school year.” School leaders also decided last week to require school system employees and students, along with visitors to school facilities, to wear masks or face coverings. This reverses a previous directive that masks would be encouraged for those who can wear them, but not required as “the use of masks can be a challenge for some children and adults,” according to Gwinnett’s “common sense approach” guidelines released last month. In the latest ruling, Gwinnett schools announced that “Medical professionals recommend social distancing and the wearing of a mask or face covering as two primary steps to minimize the spread of COVID-19. As so-

NEWS cial distancing will be a challenge in schools and on school buses, GCPS is asking those who attend and/or work at its schools — as well as those who drive buses and work in other GCPS facilities — to wear a face covering or mask to minimize the spread of illness, and keep students and staff members safe. “A lower incidence of illness also will contribute to schools being able to return to normal operations. If a student is not willing to wear a mask or face covering, he or she should consider digital learning.” It’s one of two options Gwinnett families can choose from for their education this fall. “Accommodations will be made for students or employees unable to wear a mask for documented health reasons.” As part of the planning process for back to school, Gwinnett Schools announced last month it had “gathered feedback from families about their preferred way to return to school. A survey completed in mid-June showed that 43 percent of parents prefer a return to in-person instruction; 34 percent prefer [complete] digital learning; and 23 percent prefer an option that combines inperson instruction with digital learning.” Although school leaders couldn’t make the combined option work, they decided to open the school year with in-person instruction, along with an option for digital learning, for students in grades K-12. The district asked families to choose by July 10 which option they preferred for their children: in-person instruction or digital learning at home. Those who don’t register a choice will be assigned to in-person instruction. “Students will attend school based on the option chosen for all of first semester (through December). A change may be made after the first nine weeks, if it is needed to better serve the student.” Still, Gwinnett is prepared for change. “We hope we will be able to open our school buildings on August 5 for traditional, inperson instruction. However, if government or health officials determine the conditions are not safe for students and staff, GCPS leaders will make the decision to begin the year with online digital learning. Here are some “common-sense approaches” students can expect when Gwinnett schools resume next month, similar to those approved for other Atlanta schools: • Periodic screenings, including random temperature checks. Students and staff with COVID-19 symptoms or a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be isolated immediately and sent home. • All students and employees must stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive, or had close contact with a person with COVID-19 within the last 14 days. (Health guidance will be followed for return to school/work as well.)

From top left, Theresa Watkins, first grade general studies teacher and assistant teacher Irina Pelishev at Torah Day School teach their Zoom class.

• Frequent handwashing encouraged, winter/spring breaks, holidays already anwith breaks for scheduled handwashing at nounced, or the last day of school.” Families have until July 17 to decide elementary school level. We also will recomwhat educational environment works best mend bringing hand sanitizer from home. • Cleaning/disinfecting of buildings, for them: in-person or online education. The surfaces, and high-touch objects will be offering for online includes “an Individual done more frequently. Ventilation systems Remote Learning opportunity for students in grades 1-8 and will be monitored a Full-time Fulton for proper operaVirtual opportution. Buses will be nity for students in cleaned/disinfectgrades 9-12. ed after morning/ “These opafternoon routes. tions are available • Schools will for students who limit visitors; serve have an underlying meals in classhealth condition, rooms; stagger a social or emolunch, playground, and class-change Torah Day teachers Kim Duval, middle school math; tional condition, Rabbi Tzvi Oratz, Limudei Kodesh/ Judaic studies or other special or schedules; and principal; and Christine Castle, middle school extenuating family hold meetings/ science teacher, collaborate to learn and prepare circumstances that events virtually as for the school’s home learning program as head prevent them from possible. of school Rabbi Meir Cohen, standing, looks on. safely returning to • Where feasible, rooms will be arranged with student a face-to-face school environment due to desks facing the same direction and stu- COVID-19. The programs are also open to dents seated at tables will sit on the same other interested families.” Registration began June 30 and ends July 17. “These virtual side. • Students will be discouraged from options require a semester commitment sharing books, materials, supplies, or equip- (from August through December) and do ment, including devices and equipment not include extracurricular activities at local schools. However, virtual clubs will be used for athletics/PE. • Cleaning/disinfecting protocols will offered.” Prevention strategies for maintaining be used in computer labs, media centers, the health and safety of students and staff and athletic facilities. • Cafeteria keypads will be replaced include more frequent and thorough cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces; with a barcode scanning system. • Water fountains will be shut off. Stu- encouraging students to wash their hands dents will be encouraged to bring water more often; providing hand sanitizer stations in hallways; placing physical barriers from home. Fulton County Schools also decided at the front reception desks and other highrecently to delay their first day of school, volume areas; and creating isolation rooms from Aug. 10 to Aug. 17. With one-third of for those who appear to be symptomatic the schools serving as polling places for the of an illness. All persons who are sick are Aug. 11 election, they needed more time to expected to stay home, and any student or disinfect “while also providing teachers and staff member who becomes sick while at staff additional days of professional devel- school will be sent home immediately. “All FCS employees are required to opment to prepare for our students’ arrival.” The change in the first day of school wear a face mask and, though not mandat“will not affect any other calendar dates, ed, students are strongly encouraged to also

wear one while in school. Face masks are expected for students riding a school bus, however, since social distancing is more difficult to achieve. Students will be assigned seats and buses will be disinfected after each morning and afternoon route. “Trying to manage the movements of hundreds of students will be challenging, but possible. Desks will be spaced out in classrooms and school leaders have plans for how students will travel through the building, go through class changes, eat their meals, and attend group gatherings, such as an assembly. The goal is to reduce the possible spread of illness through more physical separation, yet still give students and teachers the personal interaction they need.” Cobb County Schools earlier this month pushed back its start date from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17. Families are able to choose their own option for education, between face-toface or remote learning for the first semester. “After months of planning and understanding how student and staff needs have changed as a result of COVID-19 closures, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced that Cobb Schools will open for face-toface instruction with parents being able to choose a traditional classroom or a remote learning classroom,” the district announced June 29. Families were asked to submit their choices by later this month. “This format represents the best solution which balances our two most important priorities: the health and safety of our students and staff and student learning.” Atlanta Public Schools on Monday tentatively voted to delay the start of school for two weeks from Aug. 10 to Aug. 24 with a virtual learning model for the first nine weeks of school, according to media reports consulted for this story. The board will give final approval to the calendar change at its meeting next month. On Monday, the DeKalb County Schools District also approved delaying the start of the school year from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17, beginning with distance-remote learning. In a survey of parents, students and employees, the district found that most were comfortable across the board with the hybrid of virtual and in-person learning. Students were more comfortable with the traditional inperson instruction than parents or employees, with 70 percent of the latter uncomfortable with that option, the survey found. When it comes to planning for the first day, “schools have put a tremendous amount” of effort into creating provisions for school to operate under a different format, said Cohen, of Torah Day School. “They needed resilience and grit to deliver instruction and learning far more than necessary.” ì Dave Schechter contributed to this story. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 9

NEWS

Pandemic Reshaping Fall 2020 on Campus received less than they paid for when sent home to work remotely during the COVIDimpacted spring 2020 semester. Comments reported by Emory’s student newspaper, The Emory Wheel, suggest similar sentiment heading into the fall semester. The Chronicle of Higher Education has tracked the plans of colleges and universities nationwide. As of July 8, out of 1,110 schools whose plans were known, 59 percent were planning for in-person instruction, 26 percent were proposing a hybrid of in-person and online, 9 percent were planThe University of Georgia said it “will offer a robust student experience, with continued student life services, support, facilities and co-curricular experiences to the fullest extent possible.” ning for online instruction, 4.7 percent were considering a range of scenarios, and 1.6 cial distancing may not always be possible.” a threat to public health, there are no fi- percent were listed as “waiting to decide.” By Dave Schechter The University System of Georgia, The previous USG policy had been to nalized plans, only plans waiting to be With the start of the fall semester just “encourage,” but not require, the wearing changed. While face-to-face education is which oversees the education of some 334,000 students, reviewed weeks away, the proverbial 11th hour was of masks to retard spread of COVID-19. the ideal, administrators plans submitted by 26 nearing when the agency that oversees The policy shift brought the state’s public are preparing combinations schools in the system with Georgia’s public universities reversed course universities closer in line to many of the of in-person and remote inan eye toward flexibiland directed that masks be worn this fall in private colleges and universities, which al- struction, or only the latter, ity: “Classes and operations ready had mandated mask use for the fall if the situation warrants. classrooms and campus buildings. must be able go between best The challenges stemA growing clamor by faculty, staff and 2020 semester. practices in face-to-face and Masks have been just one among nu- ming from COVID-19 are students on social media and to the news online delivery for a period, media preceded the July 6 announcement merous issues facing colleges and univer- similar at most schools, but based on public health inforby the University System of Georgia that sities planning for the start of the 2020-21 the scale differs depending mation during the semester. masks would be required “where six feet so- academic year. So long as COVID-19 poses on their size, and the priEach institution must be vates have had a freer hand prepared for a disruption in than the publics in designthe fall semester based on ing their plans. Jan Love, Emory University’s the fluid situation. While we Some schools are coninterim provost and have proven we can move to densing the academic calexecutive vice president for academic affairs, said that an online environment very endar, starting earlier than upwards of one-third of quickly, we now need to deusual and eliminating the Emory’s faculty may teach velop and implement best Labor Day and fall breaks. remotely “due to their own practices for moving to the More common (but not health circumstances.” online environment.” uniform) are plans to end The options in the planning lexicon classes by Thanksgiving, with exams to be administered online. Students can expect at Georgia Tech reflect that need to remain enforced social distancing in classrooms flexible: and intricate schedules that alternate in• Residential with spread, the tradiperson and remote instruction. The trends affecting campus life in- tional face-to-face classroom method with clude eliminating the dormitory triple or social distancing measures in place. • “Hybrid,” primarily online but with quad so that no more than two students share a living space; relaxing rules about limited in-person instruction. • “Hybrid hands-on,” online courses, freshmen living on campus; finding single rooms for students with health issues; and with students coming to campus for stumaking provisions to quarantine students dios and labs. • “Hybrid touch points,” online courses exposed to COVID-19 and isolate any testing positive. In dining halls, the communal and lectures, with students coming to the salad bar, buffet, and soup station will give classroom several times during the semesway to pre-packaged and ready-to-go menu ter for “meaningful in-person experiences.” • “Hybrid split,” courses offering lecofferings. The unsung heroes will be the main- tures both in-class and through recordings, tenance and custodial workers on these depending on the available technology, with campuses, whose often overlooked labor small groups of students coming to class. • “Remote,” courses taught completely takes on greater importance as they meet from remote locations and delivered onincreased health and safety standards. One thing is unlikely to change: The bill line. students and parents pay for the semester. Across the state, various measures Students from 25 schools, including Emory University, filed lawsuits claiming that they will be employed to achieve social distanc10 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

NEWS

Emory University said it “will deliver an equivalent Emory experience, knowing the necessity of health and safety protocols will prevent us from providing an identical experience to past years.”

ing, such as removing some desks from for all students living in residence halls, classrooms or marking some as not for use, along with those taking in-person classes, which becomes possible if course schedules upon or shortly before returning to camstagger when students are present. Ogletho- pus, and will be available at any time during rpe University, which will have 1,300 stu- the semester for those who are symptomdents on its Gothic-architecture campus in atic and for their close contacts. Faculty and Brookhaven, planned to install acrylic barri- staff will have access to testing on demand,” ers in larger classrooms “to allow adequate according to Emory’s website. Emory’s policies also incapacity while adhering” to clude: “Wearing masks in all distancing guidelines. public places, including labs, Mercer University classrooms and offices.” promised that when 4,800 The revised USG policy undergraduates arrive at its stated that as of July 15, “inMacon campus there will stitutions will require all be “an on-campus lab that faculty, staff, students, and will be certified and staffed visitors to wear an approto process up to 1,000 COpriate face covering while VID-19 tests a day, with reinside campus facilities/ sults delivered in hours, not buildings where six feet days. We will also be able social distancing may not to quarantine and care for UGA psychology professor always be possible. Face covstudents in isolated housJanet Frick was outspoken ing, if necessary, and notify, in opposition to a University ering use will be in addition System of Georgia’s policy to and is not a substitute for assess, and monitor faculty that “encourages,” but does social distancing. and staff who come in close not require, wearing masks. “Face coverings are not contact with any individual required in one’s own dorm room or suite, who may test positive for the virus.” From the smallest college to the largest when alone in an enclosed office or study university, the school semester will be dif- room, or in campus outdoor settings where ferent. At Emory University, with 8,000 un- social distancing requirements are met. “Anyone not using dergrads and 7,300 graduate a face covering when restudents, “We will deliver an quired will be asked to wear equivalent Emory experione or must leave the area. ence, knowing the necessity Repeated refusal to comply of health and safety protowith the requirement may cols will prevent us from result in discipline through providing an identical exthe applicable conduct code perience to past years,” read for faculty, staff or students. an email to the campus com“Reasonable accommunity from Claire Sterk, modations may be made the current university presifor those who are unable dent, and Gregory Fenves, to wear a face covering for who succeeds her on Aug. 1. Gregory Fenves becomes Upwards of one-third Emory University president documented health reaof Emory’s faculty may Aug. 1 as the school prepares sons.” Merely encouraging teach remotely “due to their for a fall semester impacted by the threat of COVID-19. the use of masks was conown health circumstances and their need not to interact in person sidered insufficient by large numbers of due to age or immunocompromised situ- faculty, staff and students at Georgia’s pubations,” Jan Love, Emory’s interim provost lic universities. More than 3,000 people and executive vice president for academic signed on to a change.org petition created by the UGA Women’s Caucus. affairs, said during a videoconference. “To me, it’s a matter of safety for stu“COVID-19 testing will be mandatory ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 11

NEWS

Mercer University promised that when 4,800 undergraduates arrive at its Macon campus there will be "an on-campus lab that will be certified and staffed to process up to 1,000 COVID-19 tests a day, with results delivered in hours, not days.”

dents,” Janet Frick, an associate professor in UGA’s department of psychology, told Atlanta television station Fox 5. “If we do not have an expectation that everyone on campus will be wearing masks, it becomes an unsafe learning environment for students.” The concern was similar at Georgia Tech, which has some 16,000 undergraduates and 20,000 graduate students, though a significant portion of the latter are enrolled in online programs. Georgia Public Broadcasting first reported that more than 700 of Tech’s faculty had signed a statement that sought four actions:

12 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

• Empower Tech’s president to “act independently to safeguard the health and safety needs of the Georgia Tech community.” • Make remote learning “the default mode of instruction . . . to reduce disease transmission risk and to reduce disruption of educational delivery in the event of worsening epidemic conditions.” • On-campus learning should be permitted “for the limited number of students who need access to campus residences and on-campus laboratories or other specialized facilities.”

Georgia State University plans a blend of face-to-face and digital instruction in the fall.

• “Make face masks required everywhere on campus, provide large-scale Covid-19 testing, and ensure timely contact tracing of new infections.” Where Emory plans an “equivalent experience,” the state’s flagship university in Athens “will offer a robust student experience, with continued student life services, support, facilities and co-curricular experiences to the fullest extent possible,” according to UGA’s 225-page “Plans for a Phased Return to Full Operations.” That issue of scale becomes clear when you consider that, according to

The Red & Black student newspaper, the University of Georgia - which has 30,000 undergraduates and 9,000 grad students ordered more than 4,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for distribution in classrooms, offices, and common areas, and also ordered more than 2.5 million sanitizing wipes. To get a sense of how complicated details for the fall semester can be, Georgia State University plans a blend of faceto-face and digital instruction for 53,000 students, who are spread out between its downtown Atlanta campus (about 33,000) and five satellite campuses. Consider this excerpt from GSU’s statement: “In this plan, classroom seating will be limited to 50% of students attending on each day of a two-day-per-week class, and 33% of students on each day of a threeday-per-week class. For example, in a M/W class, half of the students (Group A) will meet in the assigned classroom on Monday and the other half of the students (Group B) will meet in the classroom on Wednesday. In a M/W/F class, 33% (Group A) will meet in the designated classroom on Monday, Group B will meet on Wednesday and Group C will meet on Friday. In classes that meet one time a week, Groups A and B will meet in the designated classroom on alternate weeks.” ì

NEWS

Gwinnett’s First Jewish School Board Member By Bob Bahr When Tarece Johnson first signed up to run for a spot on the Gwinnett County School Board she didn’t think she had much chance of winning. First, she was running against a woman who was not only the Gwinnett County’s students are among chair of the Gwinnett County School Board the most ethnically and culturally but had held the seat for 47 years, longer diverse populations in the country than anyone else in Georgia. Johnson never held elective office and would work for more direct action. had only volunteered to help her run. Her “My personal opinion is to get rid of opponent could pay the $4,000 to mail a them, abolish police in schools. I want them flyer to every eligible voter; she could only out, period. Yeah, but I have to listen to the go from door to door, handing out literature people who voted me in.” in person during the worst health crisis in Johnson also feels strongly about the America in a century. need to educate students in multiculturalBut when the votes were counted, ism, including a better understanding of Johnson defeated her better-known rival Jewish students. She wants to make it school by a margin of 2 to 1. She became not only board policy that all Jewish students would the first African American woman to win get time off to observe the Jewish high holia seat on the county school board, but the days, something which is now left up to the first Jewish member. Her daughter Hannah discretion of individual teachers and princihas just graduated from The Epstein School, pals. which her son still attends. Gwinnett County schools are among Johnson, who has a doctorate in educa- the most ethnically diverse in the nation. tion, has self-published a book of poetry and According to census figures, more than 100 readings to accompany the Passover hag- different languages and dialects are spoken, gadah and another volume entitled “Ahava: and the student population comes from Soulful Shabbat Meditations, more than 180 countries. Over Motivations & Affirmation by a 25 percent of the county is forBlack Jew.” She is passionately eign born. committed to her faith. From 2000 to 2018 Gwin“Judaism is beautiful to nett’s white population dropped me. And particularly I value the by 31 percent, according to a surbeliefs of Judaism around rachavey by the Pew Research Center, mim, compassion and empathy the fifth largest decrease in the to heal our community. Ahava nation. Today only 22 percent of is love and kovod, respect; these Gwinnett students are white. AfTarece Johnson is Jewish values that we have as a rican American students make community are values that I live Jewish and proud of it. up 32 percent and Latinos comby. They keep me grounded. Pursuing jus- prise 31 percent. The Atlanta Regional Comtice is a core commandment in our Torah.” mission predicts that by 2050 the county Johnson is an active member of Temple will be the most populous in the metro area, Sinai and July 16 she is leading a discussion and even more diverse in its ethnic makeup. about the critically acclaimed documentary Johnson’s election is a sign that the “13th” about the role of racism in the Ameri- makeup of elected officials is changing, if can criminal justice system. somewhat slowly. In 2015, The Atlantic pubBecause she is running unopposed in lished an article saying Gwinnett was one November, she is using the time she has un- of the most racially and ethnically diverse til January, when she takes office, to catch counties in the country that was still run by up on what her new constituents are talking whites. about, particularly how they view the role of Only one other member of the school police in the public schools. board, who was elected in 2018, is an African In a recent conference call she heard American. Two other African Americans parents talk about minimizing the presence candidates are running for the five-member of police officers or security officers in the board in November, which, if they are electschools. They also discussed how to train ed, could radically alter school board policy, teachers to better prepare themselves and Johnson believes. their students for the possibility of violence “If one or both of those two women win, in their classrooms. we will make up the majority of the board. I Johnson listened but thought she call ourselves the dream team.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 13

NEWS

Atlanta Jewish Times Voted Second-Best Jewish Newspaper in the Country Your very own Atlanta Jewish Times was voted second-best weekly Jewish newspaper in the U.S. last week, receiving nine of the top prizes for Jewish journalism from the American Jewish Press Association. In the AJPA’s 39th Annual Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism on July 2, the AJT garnered four first-place awards, three second-place and two honorable mentions. The AJPA conference was supposed to be held in Atlanta June 28 to July 2, culminating with the awards, but was held virtually instead because of the worldwide pandemic. The AJT’s second place for General Excellence, Best Newspaper, pitted it against all Jewish newspapers regardless of circulation. The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, which falls into the division of newspapers with circulations over 15,000, won first place.

Bob Bahr, Contributor

Excellence in Feature Writing: Bob Bahr for “The Jewish Marilyn Monroe – Gone but not Forgotten.” Excellence in Arts and Criticism News and Features: Bob Bahr again for his work “The Jewish Marilyn Monroe – Gone but not Forgotten.”

The AJT won for three submitted publications in 2019: the Passover edition, Arts & Culture theme featuring Marilyn Monroe on the cover, and the 40 Under 40 issue.

Martine Tartour, Contributor

Excellence in Writing about Food and Wine: Martine Tartour for “Holiday Celebrations – French Sephardic Style.”

All winning AJT awards are as follows: First Place: Honorable Mention: Excellence in Interfaith Relations Reporting: Bob Bahr for “Atlanta’s New Approach to Interfaith Families.”

Michael Morris, Owner and Publisher

Eddie Samuels, Former Staff Writer

Excellence in Writing about Seniors: Eddie Samuels for “Senior Addiction Close to Home.”

Second Place: Excellence as Best Jewish Newspaper in the U.S.: Michael Morris, Kaylene Ladinsky, Roni Robbins and Lilli Jennison.

Excellence in Writing about Sports: Roni Robbins and Eddie Samuels for the AJT’s package on the Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

To read the full list of winners, their winning entries and judges’ comments, visit www.ajpa.org/2020-Competition. ì

Kaylene Ladinsky Editor & Managing Publisher

Roni Robbins Associate Editor

Lilli Jennison Creative & Media Designer

Dave Schechter, Contributor

Excellence in Commentary: Dave Schechter for his From Where I Sit columns: “A Club No One Wants to Join,” “Thank You, But Leave My Name Out of It,” and “Norbert Friedman, z”l, An Appreciation.” Excellence in writing about Social Justice and Humanitarian Work: Dave Schechter for “Dignity Can Be Photographed and Nourished,” about preserving the memory and dignity of Holocaust survivors. 14 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go BACK to school ... Come FORWARD with Epstein. We have limited spaces available in Kindergarten through 8th grade. Schedule a personal or virtual tour with our Enrollment Office online at EpsteinAtlanta.org The Epstein School offers integrated, duallanguage learning that cultivates lifelong skills, inspires Jewish identity, and nurtures curiosity, critical thinking and creativity. We are a Jewish day school located in Sandy Springs, GA that is led by specialized STEAM and Hebrew language programs. We invite you to learn more about us and experience Epstein. Call our Recruitment and Enrollment Office at 404-250-5600 or go to epsteinatlanta.org to inquire.

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ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

Courtesy of Technion – Israel Institute of Technology // Branched flow, with bubbles

in the background, as observed through a microscope at Technion.

Blowing Bubbles Leads to Breakthrough on Light

In an accidental breakthrough made while blowing bubbles, Israeli scientists have observed light behaving in a “beautiful” manner never before seen by the human eye, according to The Times of Israel. The scientists wrote an academic paper declaring themselves the first people to see a phenomenon called “branched flow” in action. They had been doing experiments injecting light into the surface of the soap bubble to observe how light behaves around

Today in Israeli History

Max Fisher meets with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem in 2001.

July 15, 1908: Philanthropist Max Fisher is born in Pittsburgh. After making his fortune by building Aurora Gasoline into a chain of more than 700 gas stations, he devotes most of his giving to Jewish causes and Israel. July 16, 1926: Stef Wertheimer, one of Israel’s wealthiest citizens, is born in Kippenheim, Germany. He immigrates to Palestine in 1937 and founds Iscar Metalworking in 1952. Berkshire Hathaway eventually buys the company. July 17, 1888: Shmuel Yosef “Shai” Agnon, who becomes Israel’s first Nobel laureate by winning the literature prize in 1966, is born in Buczacz, Galicia, now part of Ukraine. 16 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

curves. “There is nothing more exciting than discovering something new, and this is the first demonstration of this phenomenon with light waves,” said Uri Sivan, president of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Technion physics professor Moti Segev said that, at first, he did not know exactly what he was seeing. “We were shining light into bubbles, and started to notice a very pretty and peculiar scattering process, in which the light splits into branches, like branches of a tree,” he said. They had no idea why this was happening. “I thought maybe it’s accidental, but little by little we unraveled the physics and then saw it was related to branched flow.” Segev said his lab team was amazed when it dawned on them that what they were looking at was branched flow. “The important moment was when we understood what we had in front of us,” he commented. “Before that, it was the beautiful outcome of an experiment, but then it became meaningful in scientific terms.” Segev said that the discovery will lead to a new area of physics. He believes that the light from branched flow will be useful in medical diagnosis as he thinks it could

bring about more pinpointed examination of blood vessels and veins, and could also be developed to “steer the flow of liquid” inside the body to remedy some health issues.

July 18, 1290: King Edward I expels the approximately 4,000 Jews living in England, which had few Jews before the 11th century. England does not allow Jews to return until 1656.

led by Shimon Peres, wins 44 seats in the election for the 11th Knesset, while the ruling Likud, under Yitzhak Shamir, receives 41. They form a unity government.

July 19, 1940: Zionist leader Max Bodenheimer dies five years after immigrating to Jerusalem. He attended the First Zionist Congress and was the first Jewish National Fund chairman. July 20, 1949: Israel signs an armistice with Syria, the last holdout among bordering nations after Israel’s War of Independence. Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan signed armistices before talks with Syria began April 5. July 21, 1948: Philip Jessup, the acting U.S. representative to the United Nations, writes a memo declaring that the United States should refuse a U.N. request for U.S. peacekeepers in Jerusalem. July 22, 1946: The Irgun bombs Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, the British headquarters in Palestine. Despite warnings, the hotel is not evacuated, and 91 people are killed. July 23, 1984: The Labor Alignment,

Startup Unveils 3D-Printed Juicy Vegan Steaks

An Israeli startup, Redefine Meat, unveiled what it said was the world’s first plant-based steak created using industrial 3D-printing, The Times of Israel reported. Redefine Meat said it will start testing the beef at high-end restaurants as soon as next month, followed by marketing. “We are actually printing steaks,” said Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, who started the company in 2018. “We have a product. It is something we are doing already in large amounts.” The product fully replicates the muscle structure of beef. It is high-protein, no-cholesterol and looks, cooks, feels and tastes like beef. “Today’s announcement marks the start of a new era in alternative meat – the alt-steak era,” Ben-Shitrit said. Redefine Meat uses 3D printers and “ink” to “print” the steaks. The “ink” is made out of plant-based ingredients similar to what a cow eats, Ben-

July 24, 1920: Bella Abzug, who in 1970 becomes the first Jewish woman elected to Congress, is born in the Bronx. She gains political experience as a youth by lecturing

Keren Leibovitch was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

Shitrit explained. It contains proteins from legumes and grains to create the muscle texture of the alternative meat; it also contains fats from the plants, to mimic the beef fat, and natural flavors and colors, to mimic the blood factor in meat and its juiciness. “It is very unique to us; we are the only ones doing this. We come very close to how the composition of meat is in nature, and our 3D printer essentially is like a very complicated robot that knows how to take each one of these ingredients and in a very accurate manner … builds a food product.” In the printer, the materials undergo a process of food engineering, and the final product ejected by the machine has the structure of muscle, fat and blood similar to a cow’s, Ben-Shitrit explained. The machine prints “one dot over the other, and the product is built from almost one million dots,” Ben-Shitrit said. Software can dictate exactly what kind of steak to make by arranging the dots differently, he added. “By using separate formulations for muscle, fat and blood, we can focus on each individual aspect of creating the perfect altsteak product. This is unique to our 3D printing technology and lets us achieve unprecedented control,” he said. ì

from the east. July 27, 1656: The Amsterdam Jewish community excommunicates Baruch Spinoza, 23, after he refuses to take money to be silent about Judaism. Among other issues, he questions the Torah’s divine nature. July 28, 1845: A two-week assembly in Frankfurt-am-Main ends after 31 Reform rabbis agree to remove all prayers calling for a return to Israel, reflecting their view that Judaism is not a nationality. July 29, 1849: Max Nordau, who leads the movement for Zionism’s “new Jew,” is born in Pest, Hungary. He drafts the Basel Plan, the blueprint adopted at the First Zionist Congress for a Jewish state in Palestine.

about Zionism at subway stops. July 25, 1973: Keren Leibovitch, who wins four gold medals swimming at the Paralympics in 2000 and 2004, is born in Hod Hasharon. She is paralyzed below the waist during IDF training at age 18.

July 30, 1980: The Knesset passes Basic Law: Jerusalem, giving constitutional authority to the position that a united Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. The U.N. Security Council responds by urging nations to move their embassies out of Jerusalem. ì

July 26, 1967: Yigal Allon presents a proposal for Israel’s retention of the Jordan Valley after the Six-Day War. The Allon Plan calls for settlements and military installations as a buffer against an attack

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

West Bank Settlers Exert Pressure

ISRAEL NEWS

By Bob Bahr

It comes from Christians United for Israel, which is the largest pro-Israel group in the Former Rothschild lecturer Dov Wax- U.S. today by far. It’s way, way larger than man sees Israel’s West Bank settlers as ma- AIPAC. It has 8 million members. AIPAC jor players in the controversy over whether has something over 100,000. Evangelical Israel should proceed with annexation of Christian organizations have donated tens as much as 30 percent of the border area. of millions of dollars to support settlers. Evangelicals have emerged as an inBut there are several considerations in fluential voice in Amerithat decision, including can policy, specifically in the role of American Jews the Republican Party in and others. Three years terms of lobbying for the ago, professor Dov Waxsettlements and putting man delivered the annual forward a settler perspecRothschild Lecture at The tive, if you like. If there is Tam Institute for Jewish a kind of settler narrative Studies at Emory Univerin American politics, it is sity on the relationship based in part on Evangelibetween American Jews cal Christians’ support for and the state of Israel. the settler movement to Waxman is a profesreclaim the West Bank as sor of Israel Studies at part of the ancient land of UCLA and heads its NazIsrael. arian Center for Israel Dov Waxman is author of One other thing I’d the 2019 book, “The IsraeliStudies. We caught up Palestinian Conflict: What just say about evangelical with him recently and Everyone Needs to Know.” Christians, they actually asked what he sees as the role diverse forces are playing in the an- go to the West Bank settlements and volunteer to work on them. Most American Jews nexation issue. don’t. AJT: First, who are the settlers on the AJT: What about support from within West Bank? Waxman: One of the most popular the Trump administration? Waxman: I would say specifically it misconceptions about settlers is this image or stereotype that they’re all religious comes from the U.S. Ambassador to Israel zealots, you know, with long sidelocks or David Friedman. Long before he became payes. That’s not true for most settlers. A ambassador to Israel, he was a supporter majority of settlers are not there for ideo- of the settlements, a financial supporter logical reasons; they’re there for economic of one settlement in particular. Since takreasons. That division is readily apparent ing that position as ambassador, he has rein the different reactions to the prospect ally broken new ground, if you like, in his of annexation and the different reactions outreach to settlers. He’s obviously giving them much greater importance in Amerito the Trump administration’s peace plan. So, on the one hand, you have the can diplomacy in the region. Of course, pragmatists that have to take the view that, you know, before Freidman, no U.S. ambaswell, look, this is a very good opportunity sador went to the settlements. for Israel to make sure that at least a numAJT: What about support for the setber of major settlement blocs will permatlers by Prime Minister Benjamin Netannently become part of Israel. There is another smaller group who yahu? Waxman: Netanyahu has recognized are dogmatists or ideologues, who believe G-d’s biblical promises to Abraham, Isaac that his political vulnerability comes from and Jacob. So they oppose a Palestinian the right and not from the left. Therefore, state in any part of the land of Israel, even he needs to protect his right flank and he a small fraction of the West Bank, because needs to ensure that he has support from they believe that the Palestinians have no the settlers, or at least not major opposition because that would allow competitors on right to be there. the right to challenge him. Also, over the last decade, settlers have AJT: Where do the settlers get their successfully penetrated Israeli institutions. support? Waxman: The most significant sup- Many settlers are now Knesset members; port from the United States that the settler they are in the upper echelons of the IDF. movement receives is probably from evan- They work in the upper echelons of the gelical Christians, not from American Jews. state bureaucracy. So they’ve developed a

The West Bank Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba outside the Palestinian city of Hebron dates back to 1968.

Emory University’s Rothschild Lecture three years ago was delivered by professor Dov Waxman.

deliberate strategy and it’s been successful.

or alienates America’s allies in the Arab world. So on the one hand, the Trump administration is going to be pressuring Netanyahu to slow it down or stay back. And on the other hand, the settler lobby is pressuring Netanyahu to expand and move swiftly. So he’s really caught between these two powerful forces. And I think whatever will come about will be his attempt to kind of triangulate, if you like, those two pressures from the inside and from the outside. ì

AJT: So how does the prime minister balance all these competing pressures? Waxman: He’s really caught between a rock and a hard place. He needs to keep the settlers happy because of his own political needs and at the same time, he needs to keep the Trump administration happy. And if annexation occurs, I believe it really is going to be a much smaller kind of annexation and one that’s not going to upset

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OPINION Fruits and Vegetables vs. COVID-19 News This summer’s harvest from our garden has been the best I can remember. The raspberries were so-so, the blackberries Dave Schechter plentiful, and From Where I Sit the blueberries abundant. The tomato vines extend well out of their cages and there appears to be a bumper crop in various stages of ripening. Some will be eaten with leaves from the adjacent basil plants. The green beans grew quickly. The eggplant is yielding fruit and the sweet potatoes are spreading out (I am a fan of neither). The okra, cantaloupe, cucumbers and herb patch look healthy. “My private Iowa” disappointed, yielding only several stunted ears of corn. After failing to grow last year, the sunflowers have reached impressive heights. Pardon the agriculture report, but since early March my life has centered around writing in my office, housework, and tending to the plantings in the back and front yards. I figuratively sweat writing my column and articles and literally sweat in the garden. Particularly in recent years, while working from home, my appreciation for the garden has grown. Digging, hoeing, watering and picking weeds takes my head out of my work, away from exposure to the news, and from how COVID-19 has circumscribed my life. The surgeon who removed a tumor last July and oversees my cancer treatments says that I have taken the necessary precautions for someone with a potentially compromised immune system. I have made a few forays off the premises, always masked and mindful of social distancing. I am over the disappointment of a canceled trip in March to France and Spain but remain hopeful of spending at least a few days in Maine, at the cabin by the lake in the woods, where social distancing is part of the charm. The COVID-19 news makes optimism challenging. As doctors have gained experience treating the virus and have more tools at their disposal, the trend line in Georgia for deaths is downward. But as younger, healthier adults contract the virus, the rates of confirmed cases and hospitalizations have reversed course and headed upward.

And I continue to explain to family and friends elsewhere in the country the broad gulf that exists in Georgia over COVID-19. There are Georgians who trust the guidance of doctors who have invested years in their particular fields, who understand that even as science is evidencebased, experts have experienced a learning curve in dealing with this virus since it emerged in China late last year. Then there are those who downplay its severity and resent how COVID-19 has altered their routines and inconvenienced them, displaying their ire by proclaiming that they will boycott – and, in some cases, walking out of – businesses that require customers to wear masks. Masks also have become a back-toschool flashpoint. Parents are concerned that their K-12 children will (or won’t) be made to wear masks. Meanwhile, sustained criticism by faculty, staff and students led the University System of Georgia to reverse course and require the wearing of masks in classrooms and campus buildings, in line with many of Georgia’s private colleges and public university systems in other states. Speaking of education, I am impressed by the number of Georgians who are both epidemiologists and constitutional scholars. These folks have a remarkable depth of knowledge, gained through countless hours spent assiduously cherry-picking social media posts. They speak as if the response to COVID-19 at the federal, state, county, and local levels is some sort of conspiracy rather than taking prudent measures to address a public health crisis. In their view, data from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is being manipulated to exercise control over a population of “sheeple.” On a Facebook page popular with the “re-open Georgia without restrictions — now” crowd, there was this: “This is bigger than Georgia. It is even bigger than the USA. Before long masks will be a requirement worldwide. This is also bigger than anything we the people can stop.” And there was this: “I don’t believe the statistics they put out! To me it’s all propaganda set up to destroy and bankrupt our country and have us dependent on the United Nations to come in and take over! Then a one world government!” The more of this stuff I read, the more time I need tending to the crops. ì

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OPINION

Letter to the editor, Your article on BLM: My grown children explained to me that as Jews during the Holocaust, we would be offended if someone said all lives matter because were being singled out. Same for the current situation with Blacks. The lives of all Blacks matter! HOWEVER, although the lives of all Blacks matter, BLM is an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel group that often preaches violence. That difference is getting lost in the media. More Black lives have been snuffed out since the murder of George Floyd, but it almost goes unreported. Look at how the crime/murder rate has skyrocketed since in cities like Chicago, Baltimore, NYC and even Atlanta. Defund the police, BDS, etc., are some of those goals. Thanks for all that you do! Mitchell Kaye, Atlanta

Letter to the editor, If Kaylene Ladinsky is honest with her son, she will teach him about the foundational anti-Semitism of Black Lives Matter (“Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter?”). Not only is its 2016 platform filled with anti-Semitic bile that would have thrilled Julius Streicher and Alfred Rosenberg, but the recent actions of BLM supporters validate its Jewhating enabling document. On May 30 in the Fairfax section of Los Angeles, a BLM pogrom vandalized many synagogues and torched many Jewish-identified businesses as the marauders screamed antiSemitic epithets. In the first week of July at a formal BLM march through Washington, D.C., the participants in unison screamed anti-Semitic epithets as reported by the Washington media. These are the anti-Semitic facts about BLM that Ms. Ladinsky should teach her son. BLM is a perverse combination of the Jew hatred of the Grand Mufti Amin al-Husseini and “fighting against racism.” Perverse indeed. Richard Sherman, Margate, Fla.

Letter to the editor, Symbols of Hate Should Never Be A Fashion Statement On July 9, 2020, fast fashion brand Shein began to sell a swastika pendant necklace for $2.50. For those of you who do not know, Shein is an online clothing boutique that has an insanely large following of young women and girls worldwide. When this came to light, it immediately caused uproar from me and my fellow Jewish peers, calling for the removal of the necklace. This comes in the wake of the anti-Semitic comments made by Philadelphia Eagles star DeSean Jackson that made references to Adolf Hitler and former Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who is known for his anti-Semitic comments. A lot of my friends, who are Jewish, have been sharing how they are feeling about this latest mess. Just this week, Shein removed Islamic prayer mats that were being sold as rugs. In that very apology to the global Muslim community, they understood that “this was a highly offensive oversight” and “vow to do a much better job on different cultures, religions, and traditions.” That was at the beginning of the same week that this swastika necklace was being sold. Just a few hours later, the item was removed, only because it caused a gigantic amount of outrage. However, this is not the first anti-Semitic item that Shein has attempted to sell. Last summer, Shein attempted to sell a Nazi-logo inspired T-shirt. When asked for comment, a representative from Shein said [in a statement], “SHEIN was not selling a Nazi swastika pendant, the necklace is a Buddhist swastika which has symbolized spirituality and good fortune for more than a thousand years. The Nazi swastika has a different design, it is pointed clockwise and tilted at an angle. However, because we understand the two symbols can be confused and one is highly offensive, we have removed the product from our site.” The statement continued, “As a multicultural and global brand, we want to apologize profusely to those who are offended, we are sensitive to these issues and want to be very clear that we in no way support or condone racial, cultural and religious prejudice or hostility.” The brand representative also shared that the company is setting up a product review committee for future items “to ensure that [it] respects [its] diverse community.” “We are a global and all-inclusive brand and we are taking extreme measures to ensure that all items are cleared through a rigorous vetting process before we retail them,” the statement concluded. 20 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Myself and many of my friends have pledged to never shop at Shein again. Shein also uses child labor, even though it has been outlawed in most countries. According to the International Labour Organization, 170 million children are involved in illegal labor, and many in the fashion industry. As a proud Jew, and a lover of fashion, I can come to the conclusion that symbols of hate are not fashion statements because they send the wrong message to the potential buyer and will remind us of dark times. Instead of shopping at fast fashion chains, shop at boutiques instead. I will keep putting service above self through acts of tikkun olam. Anti-Semitism has no place in America. Perri Schwartz, 17, Atlanta

Letter to the editor, Georgia’s (Continuing) History of Racism and Bigotry Confederate monuments are on the move once again. In June, a DeKalb County superior court judge ruled an obelisk erected in front of the old Decatur courthouse by the Daughters of the Confederacy had to come down. Then just this week, the Henry County Commission decided to remove the statue of Col. Charles T. Zachry from McDonough Square. One can only hope this means that other monuments commemorating Georgia’s racist past will soon meet a similar fate. None is more deserving of this than the one honoring Thomas E. (Tom) Watson, located across the street from the state Capitol building in Plaza Park. Watson’s defenders will tell you he was a gifted trial lawyer, a member of Georgia’s delegations to both the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives, a proponent of tax-funded public education, instrumental in passing legislation to provide for the rural delivery of mail, and a vocal critic of Georgia’s propensity for lynching blacks. What they might gloss over is that there was another side to the man. In 1904 Watson came out strongly against black voting rights even though he had once supported the franchise. Then two years later, during Hoke Smith’s first campaign for governor, Watson stoked the flames of race hatred so high that for three days Atlanta was the scene of one of this country’s deadliest riots. From September 22-24, dozens of blacks were slain in broad daylight and countless others grievously wounded. Once Hoke Smith assumed office, he carried through on a promise made in return for Watson’s valuable political backing: he saw to it that the state adopted a constitutional amendment essentially disenfranchising Georgia’s Black voters. But Tom Watson wasn’t finished. As the American Populist Party’s nominee for president in 1904 and again in 1908, he ran as an openly avowed white supremacist and often used two of his publications, Tom Watson’s Magazine and his popular weekly newspaper, The Jeffersonian, to malign blacks and Catholics. Then in 1913, he went after Jews with a vehemence that left little doubt about his virulent anti-Semitism. After Leo Frank’s conviction for the murder of Mary Phagan in July of that year, newspaper editors in every part of the country, including Georgia, denounced Frank’s conviction as a travesty of justice. The threat of mob violence outside the courthouse on Marietta Street had been palpable. No jury, they argued, would have voted to convict based on the state’s highly circumstantial evidence unless members of that jury feared for their lives. But Tom Watson would have none of that. During Frank’s unsuccessful appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States (Frank v. Mangum), Watson published a series of vile, anti-Semitic screeds about the case and what he viewed as undue influence exerted on Frank’s behalf by America’s Jewish community. Then after Gov. John M. Slaton commuted Frank’s death sentence to life in prison, Watson could no longer contain himself. His thirst for vengeance knew no bounds. On Aug. 17, 1915, two months after Slaton’s commutation and just five days after Watson wrote in The Jeffersonian, “THE NEXT JEW WHO DOES WHAT FRANK DID IS GOING TO GET EXACTLY THE SAME THING THAT WE GIVE TO NEGRO RAPISTS!” a group of politically well-connected vigilantes forcibly removed Leo Frank from the Milledgeville State Prison farm and transported him to Marietta, where he was lynched. Some readers may recall that Gov. Nathan Deal signed an executive order in 2013 moving the [Watson] statue to its present location so that repairs could be made to the state Capitol’s west steps. That was little more than an act of politically safe sleight-of-hand. Deal sought to appease vocal critics and at the same time assure his Republican base there would always be a place for Watson in the state Capitol complex. Seven years later the continued presence of Watson’s statue in downtown Atlanta, no matter how well-concealed, serves as a painful reminder for many Georgians that racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry are still being honored as part of Georgia’s heritage. Now’s the time to take it down. Rick Diguette,Tucker

Letter to the editor,

OPINION

The Chinese Communist Government Has Endangered the United States and the World If tens of thousands of people have been protesting recently about equal rights, then tens of millions should be out there protesting against China and the pestilence it has imposed on the United States and the world. China has ruined our lives. Ruined our economy. Ruined our interactions with friends and families. Tens of thousands of people may never again be gainfully employed. Tens of thousands of Americans are dead and dying. Thousands of businesses may never reopen. Travel, cruising, hotels and restaurants are devastated industries. Most may survive, but with tragic economic consequences to millions of lives. Lectures, discussion groups, adult classes, social events, weddings, church and synagogue gatherings, buffet lunches and picnics, art gallery openings, theatrical performances and concerts have been canceled since March. Social togetherness has been shunned — nonexistent for months. And what about our millions of schoolchildren who require a teacher-to-student education and socialization with their peers? Americans wearing masks? Masks are repugnant, alien, unfriendly and ugly. Let me say that again: masks are repugnant, alien, unfriendly and ugly. I’m not questioning their value; I’m voicing my disdain for the Chinese government, which has imposed this humiliation on the American people. No one wants to live this way. The economic, educational and social streaming of our nation will suffer the consequences of China’s malevolent behavior for years. For the past several months, I’ve repeatedly heard about two major issues from the press: equal rights, which is certainly an important issue, and the flaming spikes of the coronavirus. With the exception of Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo, I’ve barely heard a word about the Chinese government and the plague it has imposed on the United States and the world, the plague China has levied on each of our lives. Why not? Why isn’t this an important discussion every hour of every day? Are journalists afraid to speak out against China? Except for Sen. Tom Cotton, why aren’t congressmen speaking out about this issue more often, more vociferously? What are we to do? How will the United States respond? How will the world respond? Marjorie Epstein, Atlanta

Letter to the editor, Our society witnessed the tragic loss of a Black life when exemplary Black American police Capt. David Dorn was murdered by Black looters and left to die alone on a sidewalk. Our society witnesses the frightening loss of dozens of Black lives every weekend in Chicago. Do these Black lives matter to BLM? Or are these tragic deaths simply not politically useful to BLM? Was BLM aware of the feelings of others as rioters rampaged through the Jewish epicenter of Los Angeles, committing arson, looting and vandalizing synagogues and Jewish day schools? How does spray-painting “Free Palestine” and “F—- Israel” on a synagogue advance anything good? We are “white privileged” because we don’t know what it is like to be discriminated against because of our color, but only discriminated against because we are Jewish? AntiSemitism used to justify itself by claiming that Jews were “Christ killers.” Then Jews were a separate “race” from Europeans and “parasites.” Now however, “whiteness” is the ultimate form of villainy; Jews are “white people” and thus Jews are part of the newly identified evil of “white privilege.” “Whiteness” is a racist doctrine. Should we refer to Barack Obama as a “white Black”? If not, why not? Identity politics that erases the individual in favor of groups based on race leads us into a mad realm where hatred boldly asserts itself as virtue. Let’s not buy into anti-Semitism camouflaged as “social justice” by those who hide behind the Black Lives Matter mantra. White lives and Jewish lives matter too. All lives matter, and no group should manipulatively stir up racial division and use its grievances to justify destruction of our cities and our cultural heritage, the highly admirable parts or the highly regrettable. While Jews work to repair the world, many in the world work, one way or another, to mask their anti-Semitism and to destroy Jews. Julia Lutch,Davis, Calif. ì The AJT welcomes your letters. We want our readers to have an opportunity to engage with our community in constructive dialogue. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

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BACK TO SCHOOL Where Are They Now? By Roni Robbins Shortly after 9/11, members of a stay-at-home moms’ playgroup, along with their husbands, shared their stories with the AJT about first-time parenting and sleepless nights, the wonders and challenges of baby makes three. The article “New Awakenings” ran in the AJT’s March 2002 special edition titled “Ooh Baby: How Could Someone So Small Change Everyday Life so Much?” Now, in the middle of a worldwide health pandemic, the AJT revisits two of the couples, whose sons attended Schiff Preschool of Temple Emanu-El, recently graduated high school, and will soon attend Georgia Tech. We hear how life evolved for them from first-time parents to experienced ones, what they learned along the way, and what tips they have for new parents. Both moms went back to work when their children were young, part-time at first so they could be home with their sons when they weren’t in preschool. Their sons participated in sports and

22 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

both excelled academically. One was raised as an only child with parents who divorced in 2008. Both were in their early 40s when they had Dylan. At that time, Steve Fader was already looking toward to the future. “I’ll be pushing 60 when Dylan graduates from high school,” he told the AJT in 2002. “But we hope he’ll keep us young.” The couple could not have imagined back then how “mature and above his years” Dylan would turn out despite the couple’s divorce, graduating at the top of his class at The Weber School, Fader said. “He far exceeded our expectations. We would not have thought he’d be accepted to Georgia Tech so easily.” He attributes Dylan’s success partly to the couple’s “united front” and unselfishness while raising him. “We made a lot of good decisions,” which included taking their responsibilities seriously as parents, ensuring their son had a high self-esteem and a strong sense of security. At that time, wife Nikki Canter, 41, who had been director of marketing for

Justin Siegel with members of his playgroup, three of whom were featured in the AJT’s 2002 first-time parents article.

“When I asked G-d to bring me a pera life insurance company, gave it up to stay home with Dylan. “All my life, all fect man, I didn’t know it was gonna be I’ve ever wanted was to be a stay-at-home my son.” She described him as an easy child, mom,” she said in the 2002 article. “I was a career woman for 16 years, but this is who took three years to arrive after sevthe hardest job I’ve ever had – and I had a eral failed invitro treatments. “He was a miracle baby.” pretty tough job.” Dylan attended public school After the story ran and 18 months through the ninth grade but then went into parenthood, she changed her mind. “I was going bananas. I couldn’t wait to Weber, from which he recently graduto find a job,” she told the AJT recently. ated. “I was able to give him a phenomShe found part-time work teaching The enal education with the help of the Jewish community.” Music Class for youngDylan benefited from sters from 2004 until the ALEF Fund and a March 2013, when she school scholarship. found a full-time job as He played Little an office manager and League, participated assistant. Dylan was in in baseball at Weber middle school then. and became a first“Being a stay-atdegree black belt in home mom is very difTaekwondo, Canter ferent than it looks,” said. Dylan also built Canter said. “I have a computers and learned lot of respect” for stayabout commercial real at-home moms after estate and sales, and is serving in that role, already developing an she added. “Some peoinvestment portfolio, ple are great at being mom boasts. stay-at-home moms. It Justin Siegel played several “Dylan and I have was my intention but sports, including baseball. amazing respect for is not how I was built. I couldn’t change my personality. I needed each other. I gave him a lot more responexternal validation, the fulfillment I was sibility than I saw a lot of others giving not getting” from being a full-time mom, their kids. He knows I trust him to make good decisions.” she said. Canter believes children born after If hindsight is 20/20, a phrase appropriate for the times, Canter said, “I 9/11 and graduating during a pandemic wish I could have been more forgiving of like Dylan “should be prepared for anymyself.” Also, “I would not have quit my thing. These kids are very resilient based on the time in which they were raised.” career.” Dylan recognized the contributions Speaking with the AJT following a Georgia Tech orientation, Canter said both his parents made to his “developDylan has always been very indepen- ment as a person” and appreciated the dent, perhaps based on his parents’ di- time he spent with both of them growing up. “Through the good and the bad, both vorce and mother’s working status.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Dylan Fader graduated from The Weber School.

Dylan Fader and his parents participate in The Weber School drive-in graduation.

night feeding and I got up for the early my parents have been there for me.” Justin Siegel, 18, the first of two chil- feeding.” If she knew then what she knows dren of Randi and Elliot Siegel, graduated Dunwoody High School and will at- now, “I would tell everyone to enjoy every moment. It does go by very fast. It’s OK if tend Georgia Tech. Between the 2002 article and now, your kid falls, they will get back up.” Elliot chimed in, “As parents, you he attended the Schiff Preschool, where his mom later worked part-time. And Jus- never stop learning. There’s no book. tin participated in sports, mostly baseball There’s no final test. The test is every day.” As circumstances change, parents and basketball, including at the Marcus JCC. “It was a huge part of our lives,” need to adjust and respond to the chalsaid Elliot, who also coached his son’s lenges that arise, he said. “That never basketball teams and helped the baseball goes away. Kids are always going through new experiences and are dealing with coaches. their own set of chalWhen their second lenges as well. There is child, daughter Jessica, no day off. It’s imporwas born two years aftant to keep engaged in ter Justin, Randi Siegel their lives.” decided to work, but He said the key is only while the children to stay relevant and were in school. relatable. Parents to“I felt I had the day tend to want to be best of both worlds more involved in their when I went back to children’s lives. “You work,” she said. But she can’t take over their didn’t regret her time lives. You certainly as a stay-at-home mom. don’t want them to fail “Being a stay-at-home at big things, but let mom was the best your child make some choice I ever made. I mistakes.” They will wouldn’t change that. I Justin Siegel graduated recently learn to assess their was very grateful to be from Dunwoody High School. judgment, ask quesa stay-at-home mom.” As first-time parents, the Siegels ad- tions and stick up for themselves. “If you mit they may have initially been overly do everything for them, they’re not acconcerned about their child’s progress, quiring many important life skills.” Even though they will be around the but watching him develop within his corner, the Siegels and Canters are gearplaygroup was reassuring. “He may not have been the first to ing up for the next phase of life. “I’m gowalk or talk or roll over,” but in the long ing to miss the daily relationship building,” Elliot Siegel said. run, he excelled, Randi said. He expects the family will still get toYou can tell from speaking with the couple, who finish each other’s sen- gether often for Georgia Tech games and tences, they share responsibilities rais- Justin will still want to see his parents ing their children. “Elliot and I had such somewhat regularly. Justin said he appreciates that his a great schedule of who was doing what. He worked full-time so he took the late- mom stayed home with him and that his

father took off from work to coach his games. “I know they would do anything for me. While I will not live at home, I know they will always be there for me.” What will he miss most? His mom preparing his meals and doing his laundry, he said. Of her empty nest, Canter said, “It’s going to be very lonely around the house.” Still, “I know he is incredibly mature and so independent. I am very

Randi and Elliot Siegel expect to spend time with Justin at Georgia Tech games.

thankful he grew up that way. I have no doubt he will be able to take care of himself. I am going to be lonely, but that’s my problem, not his.” While she focused on him throughout his life, she said she may be able to turn her attention to herself now. “It’s time I put me first and once he’s gone, … I can decide whether to put myself out there for dating purposes. I have to figure out the rest of my life.” ì

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BACK TO SCHOOL

Grads Bid Goodbye to High School Soccer Field Cap Toss

Each senior decorated their caps.

By Paige Manieri and Barrie Cohn Atlanta Jewish Academy held its commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on June 17. The event was originally planned for August but due to the constantly changing nature of COVID-19, was moved to June to make sure all the students could participate. The ceremony was held outside on the Ratner Soccer Field, with the students and their immediate families spread out to maintain

Adina Bader and Hannah Solon pose near the school.

David Feit-Mann, Henry Hyman, Max Goldstein, Antheny Iskhakov, Eitan Linsider, Gabi Gadelov and Zach Mainzer maintain a social distance.

proper social distancing. The field was set up so that the families could be together and maintain that community feeling but with enough space to allow for safety. Although it was not a conventional graduation ceremony, the AJA faculty and staff wanted to celebrate the senior class in a meaningful way for the students. The ceremony included a welcome from Board of Trustees President Carol Ratner; speeches from the valedictorian Graduates and their families on Ratner Field watching the ceremony.

and salutatorians; a d’var Torah presented by two graduates, highlights and memories from the year; video wishes from the families; special tributes to each graduate; and words of wisdom from Head of School Rabbi Ari Leubitz. The students had some of the classic elements of a graduation ceremony, as they were called on stage to receive their diplomas and the grade reps led the newest AJA alumni to move their tassels and toss their decorated caps in the air. Sheila Jutan, parent of one of the graduates, commented about the ceremony. “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the program and our seniors received the recognition and commencement they deserved. It was obvious how much hard work and attention went into the evening and we appreciated every bit of it.” Even though the school year did not end like they imagined, the students felt honored and excited to have a live ceremony instead of a virtual one. Graduate Eliana Goldin spoke about her graduation experience. “When I first heard that graduation would be socially distanced, I just assumed that we would have a driveby, and I was disappointed and underwhelmed. But our graduation ended up being incredible, even more extravagant with the raised stage and goodies than it 24 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

would have been if the pandemic hadn’t happened. “The administration and marketing team pulled off an incredible night that felt both refreshingly normal yet also revolutionary and unprecedented. I can’t wait to reminisce about the Class of 2020 graduation. I think we also showed just what kind of class we are. We were able to turn something that could have been a disappointment into something fun and special and frankly legendary. We’re a class of people who make the best of what we have and who can make anything fun and exciting.” This event was the culmination of the hard work and dedication these students put into their high school careers. The AJA leaders felt that graduation was a rite of passage that needed to happen. Rabbi Leubitz said in his charge to the graduates, “With all the change that was forced upon you, you led our school; you kept our school spirit alive, and most of all, you did this with grace, kindness and humility.” Kol hakavod to the AJA Class of 2020! ì Paige Manieri is marketing communications specialist and Barrie Cohn is director of marketing and communications for AJA.

BACK TO SCHOOL Park and Ride

Ella Sharon supports her future college, University of Georgia, with her sister Irene and mother Michelle Robinovitz.

Avia Zaken peeks out through the sunroof with a bouquet as her parents, Ronita and Yaron, and family cheer her on.

Ari Slomka sits on the roof of the family car holding hands with his parents.

The Weber School offered this sign to help graduates and their families tune in to the event and show their support and excitement.

The Weber School graduating Class of 2020 was honored June 7 with a unique and festive parking lot graduation event. Families gathered in cars, honking horns and flashing lights as students paraded across the stage, one at a time, to turn their tassels and receive their diplomas. It was an atypical celebration, but in true Weber fashion, was creative and memorable. To ensure a safe and well-executed program, Weber engaged a professional production company to produce the event, complete with large outdoor

screen displays, a big stage, and audio delivered over an FM radio station. The radio streaming allowed students to either lean out the windows or sunroofs of their cars or enjoy cool air conditioning and closed windows to not miss any of the pomp, circumstance and meaningful moments. While most speakers were prerecorded and displayed on the large screens, there were a few live student presenters at the event: Ari Slomka, representing the class, delivered the d’var Torah; salutatorian

Isaac Goldman presented “Head, Heart, and Hand,” and valedictorian Caroline Schneider, “Charge to the Class of 2020.”

by Ben Reitman. The prayer for the state of Israel: Tiffany Salzberg in Hebrew, Hannah Feldstein and Darcy Denneen in English. Grad Frankie Grossman introduced faculty speaker Mike Nance, social studies teacher

Recorded student and faculty presenters included: The Weber Chorus performing the national anthem and Hatikvah. Caroline Goldman also gave a musical performance. A prayer for the welfare of the government of the United States was recited

The presentation of diplomas was led by Paul Ginburg, associate Head of School, and the opening and closing of the ceremony was led by Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz and Principal Shlaina Van Dyke. ì

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For your personal tour, please call/email Morah Carol at 617-275-3021 or morahcarol@morahcarolsplace.com. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 25

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Parenting During the Pandemic By Paula Baroff In the City Camps and Jewish Family & Career Services have partnered on a Pandemic Parenting series to give parents assistance, ideas, and counseling during COVID-19. “Pandemic Parenting was really born from experiences I was having, and my friends were having,” Eileen Price, In The City founder and CEO, said in a press release. “Juggling work, children, family dynamics, emotions, financial worries, all while trying to understand COVID-19 is a lot to deal with and we wanted to help.” In the City Camps spokesperson Tali Benjamin told the AJT the camp had started to plan the series in April and launched it in June. It continues through the rest of this month with regular programming. “What we really try to focus on are what are some needs that a clinician can really help with,” Benjamin said. Some of the emphasis is on martial challenges and regulating childrens’ emotions, issues that have come up when families

are sheltering at home together, she said. “We’re trying to provide some of these resources for people and let people know you’re not alone.” Since the pandemic hit in March, In the City Camps has heard comments from families that are having difficulty creating a schedule for their households and dealing with emotional upheaval, Benjamin said. Terri Bonoff, CEO of JF&CS, said in the release, “I am glad our team can reach community members through this partnership and series. Our clinicians are touching on subjects that can really make a difference in a family’s life right now – from emotional regulation to routines and structure – there’s a lot of good discussion happening.” The entire series is virtual. Thursday evenings are the hour-long Family Fun Night Series, with each week a different topic in either art or cooking. The Talk, Tips, & Tools sessions are led by JF&CS clinicians Friday mornings on a variety of topics to help families navigate the uncertain time.

A pop-up art scene from one of the virtual projects by 7-year-old Samuel.

As part of a cooking class, In the City camper Jayme and her mom Marissa made a galette.

Topics have included family dynam- tions with clients. [The clinicians] were getting more questions ics and social injustice. for certain parenting“This goes through the related things … That’s end of the month. We’ll really how the partnerlikely extend it,” Benjaship came to be. We min said. have a big population In the City Camps of families. They have has been running virthe expertise, some of tual camp since March, the clinical services before they were able to and advice.” begin in-person camp Benjamin said the at The Weber School program has been atlast week. “We kept tracting between 10 and hearing from parents, 15 people per session, but ‘This has been so great they’re hoping to spread for us, thank you, bethe word and expand the cause we’ve really been resource to more people. struggling with what to “The biggest thing for do with our kids. This In the City CEO Eileen Price JF&CS and for us is gives us something prosaid the Pandemic Parenting that we really are about ductive to do,’” Benjaseries was developed to help building the community min said. parents navigate COVID-19. and supporting the com“We were getting little comments here and there and munity, so that’s really what Pandemic ParJF&CS was similarly having conversa- enting is all about.” ì

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High School Grads Choose Israel Gap Year not what I wanted,” he told the AJT. Still, Vlessing debated about attendFor years, many Atlanta Jewish high ing a gap year program until about January or February. “I decided school seniors decided to against it until coronavirus delay their freshmen colcame along. Then the more lege year to spend a year I looked at it, I felt like the in Israel instead, either virus was another incenstudying or volunteering tive.” Many of his Ramah in an organized program. Darom friends have parFor Orthodox youth, it has ticipated in Young Judaea. traditionally been a rite of “I used that as my opening passage. This year, the coroargument with my parnavirus pandemic seems to ents,” he added. be driving increased interAnother popular gapest for young people to apAJC Regional Director year program is the United ply to gap year programs, Dov Wilker said his Synagogue of Conservative according to research and participation in Young Judaea Year Course Judaism’s Nativ program. those interviewed for this contributed to him working Nativ has “definitely seen a story. in the Jewish community. growth in interest and apThe uncertainty of whether college campuses will even plications over the past few weeks,” said open in the fall has caused many recent Israel Director Yossi Garr. “We are still high school graduates to question their waiting to see how it pans out for the year. There is a lot of uncertainty in the higher education plans. “I wanted a normal freshman year,” college world in the United States and many of them have been said Madison Oberkfell, a sending unclear or mixed 2020 graduate of The Wemessages about their plans ber School who lives in for the fall semester. The Sandy Springs and planned numbers are still very fluid to attend the University of for next year as things are Texas at Austin this fall. changing daily in regard to “With everything that is colleges in the U.S. I don’t happening with coronavithink we will have a clear rus, it seemed the perfect picture until mid-July.” opportunity” to participate Of course, some Atin a gap year program. She chose Young Judaea Year Madison Oberkfell decided lanta youth were planthat she wouldn’t have ning on attending gap year Course in Israel. had a “normal freshman programs in Israel even “At first, my family was year” if she attended the before the outbreak of the shocked I was considering University of Texas this fall. pandemic. “I’ve been planthis because I had been so excited about attending the University ning on going on a gap year since I was of Texas,” Oberkfell said. But she was 7 years old,” said Hannah Feldstein, a hearing that many schools planning 2020 Weber graduate who will particito open would not assign roommates, pate in the Nativ program this coming and that sorority and fraternity rushes year. Feldstein chose that program partly would be online, which popped the balbecause, like the Camp Ramah she atloon of her enthusiasm. “I had to write a letter to the univer- tended, Nativ is part of the Conservative sity to ask for deferment. Now I’m going movement. “My counselors had done Nativ and they shared their experiences to be the class of 2025,” she said. Oberkfell is not alone. She will be with me. It matches my Judaism and is joined in the Young Judaea Year Course exactly what I want to do.” Feldstein is by longtime Camp Ramah Darom camp- particularly excited about spending her er Josh Vlessing of Boca Raton, Fla., who first semester in Jerusalem, studying was to be on staff this summer until it while volunteering and living in a smallwas canceled. Vlessing vacillated before er town the second semester. Feldstein won’t get credit for her deciding to postpone his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania. “Since studies at Hebrew University’s Rothberg Philadelphia is a very urban area, I de- International School in Jerusalem to use cided that the chance of having a nor- at Syracuse University, which she plans mal freshman year is slim to none. The to attend after her year in Israel, but best-case scenario for classes and social- that wasn’t important to her. She feels that because of the coroizing, especially the freshman year, is By Jan Jaben-Eilon

navirus, she would actually be safer in Gap Year Programs to Consider: Israel than in the United States, and Young Judaea Year Course in Israel her parents agree. Indeed, the fact that is a nine-month gap year she must quarantine herprogram for high school self for the first 14 days in graduates. With semesters Israel is actually a plus to in both Tel Aviv and Jerusaher. “We will quarantine lem, participants live in fully together, which will be a furnished apartments or in great bonding experience,” dormitory-style housing. she said of her fellow Nativ Students will study, learn Hestudents. brew and have an opportuniThe biggest concern ty to volunteer, while learnfor Feldstein and Oberkfell ing about Israel’s diverse is that the program would society. www.youngjudaea. be canceled because of To Hannah Feldstein, org/programs/yearcourse/ spiking viruses both in the the 14-day quarantine U.S. and in Israel. They are in Israel will be a Nativ prides itself on both aware that the pro“bonding experience.” being an outstanding leadgram still could be delayed. But for Vlessing, another advantage ership training program. Hadracha and of participating in a gap year program leadership seminars take place throughout in Israel is that, “It will give me an ad- the year to cultivate effective Jewish leaders ditional year to help me decide what I who will share their enthusiasm and experience with their home communities and want to study,” he said. Gap year programs are known to college campuses. Through interactive and innovative activities all over have longterm influence Israel, Nativers work toward on their participants. Dov their potential as Jewish Wilker, regional director leaders and educators. This of the American Jewish leadership training arms Committee since 2011, said the Nativers with invaluable the “Young Judaea Year tools for success in college Course put me on my curand beyond. www.nativ.org/ rent path of working in the general-information/liveJewish community, and for learn-explore/ that, I am forever grateful.” Noting that his wife, two Israel Experience is brothers and “hundreds of Attending a gap year program in Israel “will a subsidiary of The Jewish family and friends” have give me an additional Agency for Israel and proall completed gap years, year to help me decide vides tailor-made and packWilker said that the prowhat I want to study,” aged programs. Its mission gram “not only provided Josh Vlessing said. is to strengthen each parme with experiences of personal growth that I could not have ticipant’s Jewish identity while deepening received otherwise, it was a necessary their connection to Israel and nurturing break from academia. I made friends Jewish continuity in their communities from around the world and learned back home. For general information on a more about Israel in that one year than I wide variety of Israel programs for youth, visit www.israelexperience.org/. ì have in my entire life.”

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 27

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Jewish Day Schools Struggle to Survive By Bob Bahr As Atlanta’s Jewish day schools work through the last full month before they reopen for the new school year, there is a newfound sense of urgency and crisis in their planning. Cheryl Finkel, who for 20 years was head of The Epstein School in Atlanta, is now a well-respected leadership consultant to about a dozen top educators in Jewish day schools around the country. Few heads of school have taken a break this summer and they are finding their jobs “very, very challenging,” she said. “It’s been hard to commit to hiring teachers and staff without knowing what the numbers are. So everybody’s juggling. There’s a lot of anxiety in that juggle.” Finkel said school leaders are finding it difficult to determine what their new year, when it finally arrives, will look like. “They are basically talking to everyone 24 hours. Their days don’t end. They are up from early morning till late at night. They’re in touch with board leaders, with the community, with other heads of school. They’re talking with their faculty

28 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Increasingly, Jewish day schools are competing with facilities like the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School at Pace Academy.

and with their finance people. All of them pretty much have been on the edge in terms of who will actually be coming this fall to their school.” With America facing what may be its greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression in the 1930s, many families are taking a long, hard look at whether they can afford annual tuition that can approach $30,000 per child. Daniel Libenson heads the Institute for the Next Jewish Future, which has been developing new web-based tools to further Jewish education among both

pete with public education and with each other for students, but increasingly they face competition from private schools that have reached out to the Jewish community. Pace Academy in Buckhead kicked off a $32 million fundraising campaign in 2012 with a major gift from the Blank Family Foundation. The foundation, which has been a major philanthropic source for many projects in the Atlanta Students at Torah Day School of Atlanta Jewish community, largely underwrote are among almost 2,000 enrolled in the construction of the 75,000-square-foot Atlanta Jewish day schools, according to Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. which opened in 2014. Today, the question of the survival children and adults. He’s a former Hillel director who did not chose a day school of Jewish day schools is a major concern. education for either of his two teenagers. Prizmah, the national Jewish day school “I think that there’s just fewer and fewer organization, recently surveyed 110 heads parents who imagine the benefits of day of school. The vast majority, 90 percent, school outweighing the cost. For many expected a significant rise in student aid progressive American Jews there is value requests this year. Of those surveyed, twoin the idea that we live in a diverse soci- thirds expected budget cuts. Some schools that face ety with many different kinds the question of long-term surof people. To have their child vival welcomed the recent despend the whole day with only cision by the Supreme Court Jews is increasingly a hard dethat religious schools are enticision to make.” tled to the same support states Since 2003, the enrollgive to private education. ment in day schools not fundIn a statement supported by ultra-Orthodox Jews has ing the decision June 30, Allen declined, according to the AVI Cheryl Finkel is Fagin, the executive vice presiCHAI Foundation’s “A Census a leading Jewish dent of the Orthodox Union, of Jewish Day Schools in the education consultant underlined the work that the United States.” Some schools and for 20 years group has done over the past have still not fully covered was head of The decade. The Orthodox Union from the financial crisis of Epstein School. claims to have raised over $515 2008 and 2009. In 2016, for instance, two leading day million in government aid for Jewish eduschools here, Yeshiva Atlanta and Green- cation and other religious initiatives in field Hebrew Academy, were forced to the Jewish community. “Today’s strong ruling from the Sumerge. Emory professor Michael Berger, preme Court solidifies the legal bases for who is also a rabbi, took a leave of absence these programs and bolsters their longfrom the Jewish Studies faculty from 2004 term benefits for the Jewish community and other faith communities.” to 2006 to become the head Finkel is board chair of of Yeshiva Atlanta. He served The Covenant Foundation, on its board until 2013. Berger working with a broad cross knows firsthand the many section of the Jewish educapressures that Jewish day tion community. She believes schools face. that the coming year could “I think most day schools be crucial. The broad-based are in a bind. As mission-drivpublic support for Jewish en institutions, they each need Eric Robbins, CEO day schools not only ensures to figure out their particular of Jewish Federation the educational role Jewish mission and work on doing it of Greater Atlanta, very well, ‘vertical excellence.’ announced $400,000 day schools play, but what On the other hand, to attract in emergency COVID-19 she calls these “crown jewaid to Atlanta Jewish els” strengthen our sense of enough students, they realday schools in May. community in these difficult ize that the market demands a wide variety of services at a high level, times. “Day schools provide very powerful which they must offer as well, ‘horizontal connections, not just for the children, but excellence.’ That’s a real, practical con- also for the families. The school communities are doing very, very well in holding cern, which I don’t want to minimize.” Not only do Jewish day schools com- the entire community together.” ì

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The Unsettled State of Back to School By Paula Baroff As the beginning of the school year approaches, teachers, students and their parents are in a shaky position. Schools tentatively prepare to open with a variety of changes to encompass evolving COVID-19 safety regulations, including hybrid virtual-physical schedules and other accommodations, while others still have shifting start dates. Sammy Lebowitz, a rising 10th grader at The Weber School, said preparing to begin school under these circumstances is very stressful. The nature of the fluid situation has been confusing for him, he said. “I’m worried about a lot, as the uncertainty of this whole Teacher Eric Medwed said planning for the situation means that the year is difficult when school schedule is liable to they’re not sure what’s change at any moment.” He going to happen. said his school has planned a physical-virtual hybrid schedule, which means certain classes will be held in person and some will be virtual. “I believe that I don’t have any classes in person, but I don’t know if I’ll have to go on campus sometimes anyway,” he said. Dr. Eric Medwed, a government and economics teacher at Centennial High School, said the biggest concern is not knowing how the year is going to play out. “The only thing we really know is that the county is not requiring students to wear masks, which is terrifying to me. I don’t know a single teacher who is okay with this,” he said. Medwed said there’s been a lack of communication with teachers regarding the potential of virtual school. “All we know is students have a choice. They have not told us at all what that means,” he said. “As of now the students’ first day is Aug. 17, and teachers go back at the same time, which would theoretically give us two weeks to prepare. But again, we don’t really know anything yet.” Jen George is a parent of two as well as a former high school teacher and a current preschool teacher at Congregation B’nai Torah. She said her children will be going to Riverwood International Charter School and Ridgeview Charter Middle School, and that she’s planning on sending them in person. But she expects the schools to close and become fully virtual as the COVID-19 infection numbers climb in Georgia. “I have absolute confidence in both of these principles,” she said. “The primary concern is the safety and well-being of their students.” George said her biggest concern is parents who aren’t taking the virus seriously. “It’s amazing to me the number of parents who have no limits on their kids right now. Like these are normal times and they’re going to be normal,” she said. George said she heard a story that “angered and terrified her” of a friend’s neighbor whose teenage son tested positive but is asymptomatic and is currently going about his normal life in public. “These are the parents that are making me crazy; you’re going to be the parents who are making us not going to

she said. Her son be able to get out spent more time of this in the near than usual playfuture,” George ing Xbox, so he said. “There’s was able to talk another group to his friends. who is keeping “For my daughit hush-hush like ter, it was a little it’s taboo, nobody bit more isolatcan know that ing,” she said. they have it, so Despite the they aren’t telling risks, George is anybody they’re choosing to send exposed.” her kids in perShe worson for as long ries that parents as the schools who are denying remain open. “I the seriousness definitely don’t of the pandemic think the qualwill end up sendity of education ing their children Many area schools are choosing to implement a hybrid back-to-school will be anywhere to school infected plan, though there is potential for change as the COVID-19 numbers on par,” she and prolonging rise in Georgia, causing some students and teachers confusion. said of virtual the situation, which schools have no control over. “It’s not so much classes. “I share a unique perspective, because I used about sending the kids back to school, but in general to teach high school in the public schools. I looked at the whole thing from a parent’s perspective, but also for society,” she said. George said her children haven’t been thinking from a teacher’s perspective. The teachers were asked much about the start of school. “They’d for sure rather to do something completely out of their comfort zone. go in person and wear a mask and at least see their … That was a huge ask for teachers. They’re two comfriends. I do think being at home was really hard,” pletely different platforms.” ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 29

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Virtual College Road Trip

Screenshot from University of Miami virtual road trip: From top left, Jessica Schwartzman, JumpSpark engagement coordinator, with Charles Cammack, college admissions. Bottom row, from left, students Ronen Pink and Ethan Hartz with Igor Khokhlov, executive director of University of Miami’s Hillel.

By Kelly Cohen and Dena Shaffer The summer college visit road trip, more than just a rite of passage for those fortunate enough to have the means, is an inherently hopeful act. For many of our teens and parents, visiting campuses is the culmination of years of work and planning, studying and dreaming. It is that first step out of the house and into adulthood. There are so many hopes and expectations wrapped up in finding the right school. However, with travel indefinitely on hold, the college visit road trip seemed destined to become yet another milestone canceled. Inspired by Springboard Chicago, which ran a virtual College Road trip in partnership with JCC Camp Chi in March, this immersive iteration was the brainchild of JumpSpark, based in Atlanta, and originally featured colleges and universities in the South. Through the cooperative opportunities of the Jewish

30 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative, 4Front Baltimore joined forces and added schools from the mid-Atlantic, growing the list to over 30 schools. The partnership created what is believed to be the first-ever national virtual road trip for all college-bound teens and their parents. During the month of June, more than 8,700 teens and their families visited Roadtriptocollege.org, where 35 colleges held virtual information sessions and student-led tours. Families and teens were able to #Jumponthebus and join virtual college tours with current students, admissions staff, and Hillel professionals; participate in teen and parent workshops; and interact via daily student takeovers on Instagram. These personal interactions really helped students learn about campus life from the students’ point of view. Videos from the initiative had more than 1,300 views on YouTube, and 2,000-plus joined

Kelly Cohen

Dena Shaffer

the information sessions and workshops, where they learned about the colleges, applications and financial aid. Aspiring students were able to ask direct questions to admission directors, go on in-depth “tours” of the schools, and get to know the Jewish presence on each campus – an important factor in the tour process. We heard from many families who said their experience on the virtual college road trip helped reassure them that “this college admission experience, through all of this, will be OK.” Amid all the excitement of college exploration, the virtual road trip has also emerged as an important platform to process the fact that both the road we’re on right now and the one ahead are rough. From uncertainty about the future of on-campus experiences to the turmoil currently wracking our country around systemic racism, staff from Atlanta and Baltimore have leveraged the road trip to explore things like the impact of COVID-19 on the admissions process, the importance of diversity to the college experience, the role of higher education in anti-racism, and the history of student activism and Black-Jewish cooperation in university settings. In short, this evolved beyond what any of us could have imagined when the virtual college road trip idea was first generated. It became more than just college information sessions moved to Zoom. Rather, it was a deep, immersive experience, exploring through a unique lens the issues that matter and seeking to recapture the feeling of actually visiting a school, speaking with students and faculty and imagining yourself there. In the midst of this pandemic and national tragedy, a new concrete way has been created to help teens envision and transition to the next chapter of their Jewish lives. And it is more than that, too. This is giv-

ing families back something which we all so desperately need right now – the opportunity to engage in hopeful acts together. ì Kelly Cohen is director of JumpSpark in Atlanta. Rabbi Dena Shaffer is executive director of 4Front Baltimore.

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Hillel at Georgia College Plans for a New House By Paula Baroff Hillels of Georgia is expanding its focus to further include smaller universities, with a Hillel house planned at Georgia College & State University. Hillels of Georgia CEO Elliot Karp said that he was contacted by Dr. Karen Berman, who told him that for the last decade she has been the faculty advisor for Hillel at the school. Hillels of Georgia is assisting Georgia College “Being they’re a small campus, and not in leasing a Hillel house for the first time. close by [to Atlanta], they got some nominal limited resources and my attitude as new CEO we’re here to serve all the Hillels,” Karp willing to form a Hillel organization,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if they’ve got a thou- said. The student said she ended up at Valsand Jewish students on campus or 10 Jew- dosta to study musical theater, and Karp told her that Hillels of Georgia will come up ish students.” Georgia College Goodrich Hillel, with a budget for her to begin growing her named for Natalie Goodrich, who helped to school’s Hillel. “That’s why we exist; that’s what we’re here to serve. You’re found it, is now being provided part of the family,” Karp told a programmatic grant for activher. “I said if you were the only ities and programs, Karp said. one, I would serve you as well.” “We’re bringing them into our When she walked into constellation of Hillels of GeorGeorgia College as a professor gia in terms of resources, budand chair of the theater and get, and other matters now.” dance department 13 years ago, Karp said that one of Dr. Berman said she immediately Berman’s accomplishments wondered why there wasn’t a was convincing the adminisHillel. A few days later, during tration at Georgia College to the first week of school, two provide a Hillel house. They’re Dr. Karen Berman is students walked into her office now in the midst of negotiating the chair of the theater and said they were interested in the terms of the lease. department and Hillel starting a Hillel. She told them “The important thing faculty advisor. she was too, and said, “Welis they’ve managed to do everything our bigger campuses are doing,” come, you are the first two presidents!” Berman continued, “We started as a Karp said. They have a board of student leaders; they get together for Shabbat, Jew- little bitty Hillel. We were called a small and ish holidays, and bagel brunches; they pro- mighty Hillel.” Nevertheless, they were able vide many different activities for Jewish to organize regular programming like Shabstudents. “We hope to build upon that and bat dinners, sukkah parties and social events. Students who don’t get into the Univerprovide them with more resources and sity of Georgia often go to Georgia College, funding.” Although nobody knows for sure what which has small class sizes and more potenthe future will look like, Karp said that the tial for close relationships with professors, potential for Jewish student enrollment which is a draw for Jewish students, Berman growth at Georgia College is going to in- said. “We started getting more students.” Berman’s events include talks with Hocrease as more students and their families look to the school as an important alterna- locaust survivors, art exhibits, game nights tive to some of the larger state schools. “It’s and directing a Jewish play every year. “Our part of the Georgia State University System campus student activities have awards; and it’s known as the liberal arts college. It’s we’ve won for best multicultural programa very fine academic institution if you’re ming, and we tend to win it almost every studying liberal arts,” he said. “My vision year because we do so many great things for moving Hillels of Georgia further is we’re the entire campus,” she said. Her dream to procure a Hillel house not only going to be attentive to our strong, solid campuses, but providing more servic- continued until one of her theater faculty es to the other campuses like Georgia Col- suggested the house she’d been renting, which was to be put up for sale. The location lege across the state.” One such college is Valdosta State Uni- on campus was prime, and Berman immeversity. Karp was sent an email by a Jewish diately knew she wanted it. With the help student there, and he gave her his phone of dedicated donors -- the first of which was number and told her to call him. “She’s al- Georgia College President Dr. Steve Dorman ready identified a dozen Jewish students – she began to raise money for the house.

Berman says Hillel often wins Georgia College’s Bobcat Award for their multicultural programming.

Georgia College Goodrich Hillel does a “Bagels and Schmear” event for incoming freshmen every fall.

Then she received a call from Karp, who was at the time the incoming CEO. “Elliot Karp calls me and says, Karen, we are going to fund that house. We are going to find donors for you. We are going to take over that lease, so you don’t have to worry about it,” Berman said emotionally. “I was just in tears. Elliot said, ‘You’ve been doing this by yourself all these years.’ He said, ‘We are here for you.’ He said ‘If there’s ever a student in need, here is my number, have them call me.’” Hillels of Georgia sent a security expert from Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to create a security plan for the house and took over the creation of a Facebook page and

new logo. Until this point, their Georgia College Hillel budget had mostly relied upon the kindness of local donors. For the first time, Hillel at Georgia College has money to do their programming. “It was sort of like a meeting of the stars that everything aligned at the same time to make this happen. It was very magical, and I just can’t even tell you how excited I am and thrilled that this is happening for these students, and they are so excited,” Berman said. “It was the first time I felt like we had a whole organization behind us, that we were being supported in that way to make this dream come true.” ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 31

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High School Students: Be Prepared The world turned upside down for high school students since the spring of this year. School doors were closed. Zoom became your classroom. A desktop or laptop computer was your gateway to classes. SAT/ ACT test dates disappeared. You waited for new test dates after some of you prepared for those Mark Fisher important admissions test results. Then hundreds of colleges decided to go test-optional. That includes even the Ivy League universities. Whoever heard of AP exams on the computer and not even for a full hour? Athletics were gone while most extra-curricular activities were not what they were at one time. Then the ACT group canceled their long-awaited fall section retesting program, where you did not have to take the entire ACT a second or more times, just one to three sections where you wanted to improve. You heard the term COVID-19 a thousand times. You may have planned visits to college campuses and that was exciting, only to find that colleges could no longer accept you on campus. Even if you are a graduating senior, it is possible that you never stepped on the campus you will be attending. Of course, all depends on whether the college physically opens its campus or puts the classes online for the time being, or creates a hybrid of those two options. It should be no surprise that you still must prepare for college. One might think that the pressure would be less

with colleges saying that they are test-optional. Be careful, for some of the schools may desire test scores for certain merit scholarships. When colleges go test-optional, they also remind you that SAT/ACT scores were only one item they reviewed because they look at applicants holistically. Do not panic, just continually pay attention to the changes. What does all this mean for future applicants to colleges? If your scores on admissions tests are in the range required by the colleges to which you want to apply, you may not be interested in the test-optional opportunity. Either way, here are factors that you need to be mindful of and concentrate on for the future. If you take the test-optional possibility, these factors become even more prominent when the college reviews your application. 1. Course grades: Not only the letter or numerical grade but the rigor of your curriculum. Have you been challenged within the scope of your capabilities? If you have not studied as much as you should have on your course work in the past, you better start now. Colleges are looking at your courses and grades with even more importance. 2. Extracurricular activities: Involvement shows commitment and passion. This does not mean one day a year charity work. It means consistency. Also, it does not mean 15 activities with which you think the college will be impressed. Involvement in a few major activities that mean something to you is crucial. 3. Essay: Start working on it. If you are using the Common Application, for example, you have a choice of

one essay for all Common App schools to which you will apply. The University of Georgia has joined this group recently, which includes Georgia State University and Georgia Tech. The essay takes work. This writer is part of a college planning group that breaks the essay into 10 writing steps. The essay is not something that one writes the night before the deadline. 4. Supplemental essay: Many Common App colleges, in addition to the one essay, are allowed an extra essay, which boils down to: Why are you interested in our college? You respond, the college is in a big city. The college is outstanding. A friend attends your college. Obviously, these are extremely poor responses. You need to study the college, study yourself and see how the institution meets your needs. That is how the college really learns about you. 5. Leadership in activities both in your high school and/or in the community. That includes youth groups in synagogues or communitywide groups. 6. Counselor recommendations that show who you are as a person. You do not want your counselor to just repeat your activities, which the college already knows from your application. COVID-19 has not helped the situation because you have not been meeting with your counselor in school. Ask yourself, how will your counselor really get to know you? 7. Teacher recommendations: Teachers know students because they usually meet or see them via Zoom each school day. If school resumes in a building, teachers will know you even better. The teacher does not need to just report your grade on a recommendation. Do you participate? Are you a thinker? Do you contribute constructively to the class? Do you assist your fellow classmates who may need help in understanding the subject? Where have you exhibited intellectual curiosity? Have you read beyond your assignments in a subject? Was there a possibility of research with a teacher? 8. Talents: If you have special skills, do not hide them. Colleges need students with those talents. 9. Show interest in college: You took a virtual tour now that visits are not possible? Read a professorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research? Found the curriculum remarkably interesting because what you read connected with your interests? Have you talked with an admissions counselor at the college, asking relevant questions? That does not mean asking: How many fraternities or sororities are on campus? Do you have a lacrosse team? How much is the total cost per year? These types of questions only let the college know that you have not read much about them. 10. Use summer wisely: To offset the lack of activities due to COVID-19, how are you spending the summer? Video games, hanging out with friends, sleeping, just bored? Those are not exciting for a college to know. How about an internship, investigating potential careers, volunteer work, paid positions? Maybe creative projects or intellectual endeavors? That sounds much better. Hopefully, you are beginning to research potential colleges. Financial aid important? If so, start that research. You need to have items on your daily list. Look above and get involved in the college admissions process. ĂŹ Dr. Mark Fisher is a college and career consultant at Fisher Educational Consultants, www.fishereducationalconsultants.com, and is a consultant for the College Planning Institute, www.GotoCPI.com.

32 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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Bland Succeeds With ‘Servant Leadership’ By Marcia Caller Jaffe Principal Jacob “Jay” Bland’s educational path began at The Epstein School, Yeshiva Atlanta, then on to Druid Hills High School. He became a bar mitzvah at Congregation B’nai Torah and taught Sunday school at The Temple. Along the way he earned the honor of Eagle Scout. The University of South Carolina filled in his physical education degree. Add on a masters from Georgia State University and a specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee in curriculum and instruction. One of his biggest influences on this principal of Morris Brandon Elementary School in Buckhead was spending 17 summers at Camp Barney Medintz. He was on staff for seven years there, primarily heading the nature unit and getting a firsthand feel for teaching and learning. Mother Gail Gellman set a high bar by serving as principal at several Atlanta Public Schools. Bland revealed, “My first love was coaching boys’ soccer at Sutton Middle School. We had success winning city championships. I culmiJay Bland is one of the youngest Atlanta Public Schools principals. nated my coaching He follows the path of his mother, career as the varwho was principal at several. sity soccer coach at North Atlanta High School. During those eight years, I made a commitment to taking on many leadership roles. Along the way, I had several principals as mentors, and I began interviewing for leadership positions within APS.” There were steps backwards and forward. At 32, Bland began applying for assistant principal positions like the spot at Sutton. He said, “I didn’t get that job, but everything happens for a reason. I began to look outside of middle school and was able to get my foot in the door at highly sought-after Morningside Elementary, a high achieving school with a storied history within the [APS] Grady Cluster. I interviewed with their leadership team, which took a chance on me!” Three years later, Bland became the principal at Morris Brandon Elementary School and became one of the youngest APS principals after going through the revised interview GO Teams process. The interview panel consisted of parents, teachers and community members. “Before I had a chance to meet the GO Team, I had to make it into the principal pool making me eligible for hire. The final step was interviewing with the superintendent who offered me the job on an interim basis. After only six months, I was made permanent! I had a phenomenal first year and was able to hire a new leadership team, as principals do not work in isolation. Nothing meaningful could ever get accomplished without the team with which I surrounded myself.” What constitutes building a leadership profile? Jay refers to his style of “servant” leadership by declaring, “I

Jay Bland is principal of Morris Brandon Elementary School in Buckhead.

concentrate on being adaptive, flexible and making teachers understand that I work FOR them. The APS published a leadership profile, which includes building cultures, developing talent, managing operations and leading academics. Other components are being fearless, inspirational and innovative with the hope that students and staff reach their highest potential.” Bland recalls having to take a “deep dive” into vetting materials, analyzing data and test scores, assessing learning gaps and community needs. There are roughly 50,000 students in the APS system compared to 100,000 in the DeKalb School System. Morris Brandon has 940 students with a wide range of learning needs. Brandon’s breakdown: caucasian, 65 percent, Hispanic 17 percent, Black, 7.5 percent and 10 percent have a disability.

Bland said, “APS is an amazing school system. We faced nearly every imaginable obstacle [reference the cheating scandal]. Approximately 70 percent of APS students live in poverty. The pandemic has brought out the inequities. “My early Judaic training leads me to derech eretz, taking the right path to tikkun olam. Being a parent in this current atmosphere has given me a new perspective and empathy for what students, parents and teachers face, especially in virtual learning.” Bland and wife Leslie have two children, ages 3 and 5. He said, “Ninety percent of my time outside of school is family time. Other than that, you can find me exercising at 5 a.m., or camping and hiking or hanging with friends.” ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 33

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Local Psychologist is Undersea ‘Coustodian’ By Marcia Caller Jaffe

danger in the face, Shindell declared, “Danger. No, not even when diving with Steve Shindell grew up in Phoenix venomous sea snakes in Indonesia. The and became interested in scuba diving ocean is a lot safer than land!” He furthers that the rarest from watching Jacques creatures he has enCousteau and Lloyd countered are pygmy Bridges in “Sea Hunt.” seahorses, which are Shindell began divthe size of a grain of ing in 1977, and once rice. aspired to be a profesThe Shindells look sional diver. at diving and caring He considers his for sea life as a “family most exotic dive trip affair.” Three of their as a tie between the children dive and he’s Solomon Islands and “working on the other traveling to Sulawesi, four and four grandIndonesia, in the Celechildren to join in.” bes Sea (western Pacific Dr. Steve Shindell practices Two of their teens did Ocean) with wife Lori psychology in Buckhead. He is also one of the original volunteers summer internships at last year. The Solomon at the Georgia Aquarium, as well the Aquarium. Islands trip was with as a Boy Scout scuba leader. Many scuba skills, Dr. Bruce Carlson, former science officer of the Georgia Aquar- emergency preparation and manageium, with whom he co-authored the book ment, self-discipline and following in“Bringing the Ocean to Atlanta: The Cre- structions are values he engenders in his Boy Scouts. “We like to say Scouts ation of the Georgia Aquarium.” When asked if he’d ever stared teaches leadership, and the outdoors are

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Dr. Steve Shindell and wife Lori dove in Indonesia last year and encountered venomous snakes.

our classrooms,” the neuropsychologist director was a friend of mine, so I toured it said. “Lori and I co-chair the Boy Scouts in a hard hat during construction.” Wife Lori added, “I volunteer on the of America Eagle Boards of Review for the district. She is crew leader for a Ven- dry side of the aquarium. Mostly at the ture crew, and I am assistant scoutmas- Ocean Voyager or Tropical Diver, but ter in another troop. Two of our sons are the most fun is staying overnight [preEagle Scouts and two others are work- COVID] with the sleepover guests. Being ing on their projects now. I teach the around the guests and helping them navoceanography merit badge and have led igate the aquarium or trying to answer questions gives me great several scuba trips for my pleasure. I always leave Scouts.” Shindell has taken with a smile in my heart. Scouts for dives in the Cay“Sleepover guests man Islands, the Florida vary. Scouts, clubs, school Keys and the Bahamas. The groups, families, adultsminimum age to be scubaonly, etc. It was one of the certified is 11. Prior to that aquarium’s programs, like is the Discover Scuba Divguided tours behind the ing program. scenes, that could end in Shindell refers to himgetting to fall sleep watchself and other volunteers ing the animals.” at the Georgia Aquarium Dr. Shindell notes, as “Jacques Coustodians.” Shindell is surrounded by a school of jacks. He “During the pandemic, the His volunteerism includes often quotes Dr. Sylvia staff has done a great job. cleaning and maintenance Earle on the importance There was no real change and helping marine bioloof preserving the oceans. for animals.” Many regists feed the marine life and perform procedures. He has done cently tuned in to “Animal Planet” to witover 500 dives in the Ocean Voyager ex- ness mother Whisper’s delivery of a new hibit, hundreds more in others. He urges 174-pound baby beluga whale. “She is dovisitors to study the coral reef exhibit, ing great.” In terms of the marine life in generby explaining “It is the rainforest of the al, he explained, “The ocean is 70 percent ocean, but with more biodiversity.” He built the underwater menorah of the planet; there are amazing creafor Ocean Voyager and dressed as Santa tures for everyone to observe. The lesson underwater. He even lit the menorah in is ‘No blue to green,’ a quote from legendary marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle. his Santa suit! Shindell began volunteering at the The oceans literally are responsible for Aquarium almost 16 years ago. “I was there everything on earth; if we don’t take care since before the Aquarium opened. I am of them, there will be no land animals eione of the original volunteers. The former ther.” ì

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What’s a Parent to Do? By Robyn Spizman Gerson and Ali Garfinkel Imagine your entire day is filled with sorting, stacking, clapping, singing, reading books, matching shapes, and more. If that rings a bell, you probably have a toddler at home or a grandchild who is ready to play. With preschools potentially delayed and social distancing, Mommy and Daddy are a baby’s first teacher. Now more than ever, home base can provide a happy foundation that fosters a child’s love of learning. Supervision and safety are key, and if you are looking for things to do that teach and make your little one happy, here’s some help from the home front front line. As mother and daughter, we teamed up to write this article. We share FaceTime visits often so that 1-year-old Poppy can get to know Grandma “Ro Ro.” With Elmo puppets on hand, we sing songs and share endless smiles. Here are some ideas straight from the playrooms of Atlanta moms and our own 1-year old Poppy-approved playtime.

Innovation Station Activity Cube is a favorite toy that grows with your child.

Toys That Teach As a child grows, select toys that inspire curiosity. Here’s a toy for 1-year-olds and older that has unending options and expanded play. The Baby Einstein and Hape Innovation Station Activity Cube will grow along with your child and stimulate learning. Five sides of fun await your little scientist. Watch as baby becomes enthralled with the different things she can grab, spin, twirl and activate. Gadgets like floating beads and curious square gears will keep your baby coming back to play with this developmental toy. Enter a world filled with exciting scientific concepts that multiple kids can play with at once. They’ll be curious and eager to find out what happens when they push and pull the animation sliders or turn the boldpatterned gears. With a gravity-defying ball race and more, the discovery never stops with this wonderful toddler toy!

One-year-old Ella enjoys playing with items her resourceful mom finds around the house.

Explore Sensory Play Sensory play is important for a child’s development and that is what Atlanta mom Abi Cohen focuses on daily with her 1-yearold daughter Ella. Since Ella was 6 months old, Abi has been filling a container from their pantry with water and items you find around the house: kitchen utensils, raw pasta and foam bath letters are a few of the items she uses. They sit together on their deck for a change of scenery and Ella loves pulling items out and putting them back in the container. Abi rotates the items every few days and teaches Ella about each one as she plays with it. This is a great opportunity and game to expose little ones to different shapes and textures while using what you already have around the house.

Poppy is an expert at stacking rings on the Spin Again toy for endless fun.

Fun at One Alina O’Neal, owner of Learning Express of Atlanta/Buckhead, shares, “One year-olds are starting to walk as well as exploring everything around them. There is so much to see and touch in their world, and

toys like Spin Again help them experiment by placing discs and watching them spin down the pole. They also like to see what happens when they touch a knob or when music plays after they press a button, such as when they play with the My First Activity Desk by Kidoozie. “Two-year-olds are still busy exploring and sorting items by shape and color. The Shape Factory by Fat Brain Toys is a twist on the traditional shape sorter. Each time the top is pressed, the shape of the openings change, and the child has to solve the puzzle of which shape fits in the new opening.” Learning Express has been busy sending out their Grand Box Bundles. Wrapped to perfection and customized for your grandchild’s ages, it’s a clever way to send a little play to your precious grandkids.

Paige Rothstein, 2 ½, loves to learn new words and sounds.

Teaching the ABCs Preschooler Paige, 2 ½, daughter of Joanna and Josh Rothstein, looks forward to returning to preschool at The Epstein School. Creative Joanna shared one of Paige’s favorite activities. “Every day at home is a new journey with Paige, and despite the minimal social interaction due to the COVID-19 imposed isolation, everything we are doing is homemade, simple, effective and incredibly fun. We are introducing Paige to recognize alphabet letters through colorful cards, which are organized in a homemade 'alphabet and picture box.’ Paige plays with the cards and through repetition, we introduce a letter and talk about each associated picture. She is learning the alphabet letters, vocabulary and over time we’ll share sounds through the colorful cards a special family member lovingly made her. We are doing our best to make each day a happy day.” Pretend Play Artist and grandma Flora Rosefsky shared, “Children that age enjoy puppets and make-believe, getting dressed up in costumes. Have a big basket of hats, skirts,

Puppets on hand are ready for playing at home or on FaceTime with grandparents.

pants and other items to dress up. “I still have the hand puppets I used to collect for my four children, where they would put on shows for each other. Preschoolers really enjoy puppets.” Rosefsky added, “The attention span for that age group is very short – also depends on the personality of the child – and they don’t mind doing activities by themselves instead of with a group. That’s where make-believe is important. They can line up their stuffed animals or dolls, action figures, and make believe they are all in a day care or preschool class. If the preschooler has an older sibling or more in the household, that could be a big help – having one’s own ‘counselors’ at home!” Inspire Creativity Rosefsky continued, “Outdoor fun on a driveway or stone patio with a bucket of water and a wide size paint brush: paint shapes, lines with water! The sun will dry up the 'paintings’ but even a precocious child 2 and older can do this. My son, who is now almost 53, remembers those hot summer days painting with water.” Or, crayon rubbings are fun, she said. “Using larger crayons for younger children, put paper down on a rough surface, like a stone patio, a radiator vent inside the house, etc. Take the crayon and on the flat side, go across the paper so that a ‘pattern’ appears. A child can use different colors – maybe once using red, and then do it again using yellow – to get orange!” And last but not least, talk to other moms. Join a virtual playgroup or FaceTime a scheduled playtime with a friend who has children the same age. Playtime can be a way to create memories and learn new things. Even clapping becomes an accomplishment with grandparents and family members ready to applaud. Here’s to loving your little ones out loud as you cheer them on to learning new skills during the days spent ahead and at home. ì Robyn Spizman, aka “Ro Ro,” is a New York Times bestselling author, media personality and author of “Loving Out Loud: The Power of a Kind Word,” www.robynspizman.com. Her daughter Ali Garfinkel is a dedicated Atlanta mom figuring out motherhood one toy and activity at a time. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 35

ART Viewing History Through a Novel Lens

Courtesy of Atlanta History Center // A visitor explores the history

center exhibition, “Cyclorama: The Big Picture.”

By Susanne Katz Original art is best viewed in person. But the visitor’s experience is changing during this pandemic. Gallery doors have been closed. There will be a new “normal” as procedures are put into place for both staff and visitors, and the visit to these destinations have and will change. Many scheduled exhibitions have been

canceled. Art, history and culture are the main reasons that many visitors are attracted to the Atlanta History Center, the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum and the Marietta Museum of History. As these and other popular Atlanta destinations plan their reopenings, they also determine changes. Reopening timelines are varied. Mu-

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The Kennesaw House, circa 1845, is the home of the Marietta Museum of History, which features “The Great Locomotive Chase” among its exhibits.

seums have been reluctant to schedule school groups on-site at most facilities, and many will not be scheduled again until 2021. Some museums will make learning packets available online. Atlanta History Center Kelsey Fritz, exhibition project manager for the Atlanta History Center, explained that presenting exhibitions online will require a new focus on image quality and text. “Before the pandemic, we were planning on making more minor changes and updates to our website. Since the pandemic, we are working on completely revamping our site, allowing us to create and update online exhibition content inhouse moving forward. The first online exhibition on the new site will be ‘Atlanta ’96,’ a digital version of our new exhibition focusing on the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic games in Atlanta. The onsite version of ‘Atlanta ‘96’ will be open to the public Sept. 19.” The history center reopened interior

spaces at the Buckhead campus July 3. Exhibitions will include all permanent exhibitions as well as temporary exhibitions, “Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow” and “Any Great Change: The Centennial of the 19th Amendment.” Goizueta Gardens reopened to the public June 15. Visitors are required to use hand sanitizers, wear a mask indoors and make advance reservations. The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum The Breman Museum, a popular site for both the community and tourists, presents Holocaust history, cultural and arts exhibitions. When the Breman closed and could no longer present onsite performances and programs, it began online programming, “Breman at Home.” The museum created new lesson plans for online remote learning, so teachers who previously brought their students to the museum can now teach virtually. The Breman also planned and

ART

Courtesy of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum // “Eighteen Artifacts: A Story of Jewish

Atlanta” is among the exhibits at The Breman.

developed several online exhibitions, and it looks forward to opening its doors for its 25th year with stringent guidelines and safety in mind. “The museum used Zoom webinars, YouTube and other online resources to reach thousands of virtual attendees,” explained David Schendowich, The Breman’s director of marketing and communications. “Programs range from a virtual Yom Hashoah commemoration to Southern Jewish history talks with accomplished speakers, puzzles and art workshops. In addition to live programming, the museum participated with the leading attractions in Atlanta for the Field Trip Friday initiative.” Marietta Museum of History Marietta Museum of History showcases permanent exhibitions, including aviation history, a 1940s kitchen, “The Great Locomotive Chase,” an extensive military and weapons gallery, and exhibits highlighting important Marietta residents such as Unionist Henry G. Cole and founder of the National PTA, Alice McLellan Birney. Temporary exhibitions include “The Man with the Camera: Photographs by Raymond T. Burford,” an African American photo exhibition, and “Made by Her Hands: The Beauty, Warmth and Stories of Local Quilting.” The history museum has been open to the public since last month, with a specified path through the galleries, including arrows on the floor to direct traffic and guide visitors. Other facilities will be planning future opening dates at the end of August or the beginning of October. Amy Reed, curator of exhibits and education for the museum, said, “Staff was in each day cleaning the galleries and installing a specific path with arrows on the floor and stations to keep the touring groups small. Marietta Museum of History opened for members a month before opening for the public on June 16. Groups were allowed to be no more than 10 people in the beginning, and now are allowed to include no more than four groups of up to 10 each.” Museum audiences going forward will have both online and in-person experiences. Exhibitions, schedules and content are challenging curators to organize and present in new ways. ì Learn more about the exhibits at www.atlantahistorycenter.com/, www.thebreman.org/ and www. mariettahistory.org/. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 37

CALENDAR Virtual Classes and Events:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 Positively Israel, Israel, The Many Voices of Israeli Women – From noon to 1 p.m. JNF Women for Israel presents a Zoom conversation with two Israeli women who are proud to represent their country to the world. The event features Anat Sultan-Dadon, consul general of Israel to the Southeast U.S., and Titi Aynaw, Miss Israel 2013. To register, www.bit.ly/2Z1OHgz. Torah Studies – Live – From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join Intown Jewish Academy for an in-depth analysis of the Torah portion.This program brings you the tradition of classical Jewish learning in a series of inspiring and engaging weekly classes. The lessons probe the depths of contemporary Torah thought, with a special focus on issues surrounding spirituality, the human psyche, love and relationships. Every experience offers meaningful and timely lessons, from the most timeless of texts. You will walk away surprised, inspired and knowing more about who you are — and who you can be.To join with Zoom, www.bit.ly/2VkBLjZ.

THURSDAY, JULY 16 Significant Others of Addicts Support Group – From 1 to 2 p.m. Free weekly support group from JF&CS. This group is for spouses, partners and/ or significant others of those struggling with addiction. To register and for more information, sanderson@ jfcsatl.org.

JULY 15-JULY 31 Let’s Rise Up Together from the USA to Israel – From 2 to 3:15 p.m. Join Atlanta Israel Coalition for a virtual solidarity conversation on racism, anti-Semitism and hate. To register, www.bit.ly/2YWH0s1. Mental Health Briefing with NextGen – From 4 to 4:45 p.m. Join Federation NextGen, HAMSA/JF&CS and The Blue Dove Foundation for a spotlight on mental health and substance abuse during these unprecedented times. For more information, go to www.jewishatlanta.org.

Fertility Options With Adoption & Surrogacy Attorneys– From 8 to 9 p.m. Join Jewish Fertility Foundation for an Instagram Live discussion and Q&A on fertility options with adoption and surrogacy attorneys. To join, @jewishfertilityfoundation The Legal Considerations of Egg/ Sperm/Embryo Donation – From 8 to 9 p.m. Join JFF for an Instagram Live discussion and Q&A. To join, @jewishfertilityfoundation.

FRIDAY, JULY 17 Jacqueline Novogratz with Pat Mitchell – From 5 to 6 p.m. Please join Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta for a conversation with author Jacqueline Novogratz and media executive Pat Mitchell about how we might use this moment of extreme uncertainty to reimagine our institutions and enact a moral revolution – a revolution of character, moral imagination, moral courage, and leadership that acts for the benefit of all of us. To register, www.bit.ly/3dfb1ai. Spiritual Study Group – 12 Steps – From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jeff’s Place presents a Spiritual Study Group, 12 Weeks-12 Virtual Meetings – 12 Steps. A weekly look at the steps through the lens of Jewish thought. Each week explore one of the steps and draw on Jewish resources. Explore recent Torah portions and other spiritual ideas. For more information and to register, Rabbi@Chabadintown.org. Think Different – From 8 to 9 p.m. Join Intown Jewish Academy for a weekly group to study the single most transformative Jewish spiritual text written in the last three centuries

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

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events three to four weeks in advance. Contact community relations director Amy Seidner for more information at amy@atljewishtimes.com. 38 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

with master Tanya teacher Rabbi Ari Sollish. To register, www.bit. ly/3eNGmCi.

Studio Earth: Virtual Shadow Puppet Workshop with Damon Young – From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An artist workshop for the whole family hosted by the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. Mr. Damon will guide participants as they create their own shadow puppets, focusing on the grassland ecosystem and brainstorming about other biome elements such as plants and water sources. To join, www.bit. ly/2YUEAKB.

rona Cuties – From 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. For reasons that are getting hard to count, this year has been tough. But Shabbat is still about connection and joy, so this Friday we’re partnering up with Corona Crushes for a virtual Friday night experience where we can build new relationships and expand our communities. To register, www.bit.ly/2AHeIZg.

SUNDAY, JULY 19 Kabbalah & Coffee – From 9:30 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore, and journey with Intown Jewish Academy. Learn about the world of Jewish mystical teaching and learn how to apply these profound teachings to your daily life. No prior Kabbalistic experience required. To register, www.bit. ly/2XYKXul.

MONDAY, JULY 20

OneTable Live | Challah At Us – From 3 to 4 p.m. Aliza Sokolow is a food stylist and photographer based in Los Angeles. Each week, she bakes a special challah and cookies to deliver across LA, and this week she joins us on Instagram Live for a challah baking workshop @alizajsokolow. To reserve a spot, https://bit.ly/2Z8b43S. Yoga for Shabbat Lives Livestream – From 4 to 5 p.m. Join Etz Chaim congregants and yoga instructor Paula Coplon for a relaxing livestream yoga/meditation before Shabbat begins each Friday afternoon. The entire community is welcome to check it out on Etz Chaim’s Facebook page, www.bit. ly/3cszQj2. Quarantine Connect Shabbat with Co-

Virtual Support Group, Primary and Secondary Infertility Infertility – From noon to 1 p.m. Join Jewish Fertility Foundation virtually for a free private support group for anyone experiencing infertility. To register, www.bit. ly/3e7ZFpC. Parenting Preschoolers in a Pandemic Support Group – From 1 to 2 p.m. A weekly free JF&CS support group for parents dealing with difficult issues during this unprecedented time. For more information, rbrown@jfcsatl. org. Sephardic Jews and Race in the U.S – From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Join Dr. Devin Naar and Congregation Or VeShalom for an online discussion. Dr.Naar is a professor in Sephardic studies at the University of Washington and an expert in Sephrdic culture. To register, www.tinyurl.com/NaarTalks.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES Matot-Massei Friday, July 17, 2020, light candles at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18, 2020, Shabbat ends at 9:29 p.m. Devarim Friday, July 24, 2020, light candles at 8:26 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2020, Shabbat ends at 9:24 p.m.

TUESDAY, JULY 21 Virtual Resume Workshop – From 10 to 11 a.m. Join JC&CS to learn how to create an effective resume and cover letter, or improve the ones you already have. This workshop will identify the different parts of a resume and their purpose, create a master profile of core competencies and accomplishments, and provide a checklist of resume dos and don’ts. To register, www.bit.ly/2Y4agvp. Brain Health Boot Camp – From 1 to 2 pm – Join JF&CS to combat memory loss. This program is designed to provide memory enhancement techniques through cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, education and socialization. To register, contact Georgia Gunter at ggunter@jfcsatl. org.

8:45 p.m. Join Jewish Fertility Foundation virtually for anyone experiencing infertility. To register, www. bit.ly/3e7ZFpC.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Virtual Support Group - Moms After Infertility – From 8 to 9:15 p.m. Join Jewish Fertility Foundation virtually for a private support group for moms after infertility. To register, www.bit. ly/3e7ZFpC.

THURSDAY, JULY 23 Virtual Support Group Secondary Infertility – From 8 to 9:15 p.m. Join Jewish Fertility Foundation for a private support group.To join, www.bit. ly/3e7ZFpC.

a.m. to noon. JF&CS is sponsoring a LinkedIn workshop designed to give job seekers and those in career transition a solid base of information to strengthen their brand on LinkedIn. This workshop will cover how to set up a profile and use the job search resources offered through LinkedIn. To register, www.bit.ly/2Y4agvp.

Uncoupling: A Divorced and Separated Support Group – From 5 to 6 p.m. Join JF&CS for a weekly group providing support and resources, and a safe place to process and share experiences related to divorce and separation. Open to men and women of mixed ages. Issues explored are trust, rejection, custody, holidays, in-laws, infidelity, finances, communication, letting go, and what is brought up. To register, contact Helen at 404-2109571. Distinguished Summer Speaker Series – From 7 to 7:45 p.m. Join the first installment of Hillel’s Zoom Distinguished Summer Speaker Series. Hear from award-winning chef Todd Ginsberg, co-owner and head chef from General Muir, Krog Street’s Yalla! and more. To register, www.bit. ly/2BEuKTV. Virtual Support Group-Primary and Secondary Infertility – From 7:30 to

SUNDAY, JULY 26 From Sinai to Seinfeld- A History of Jewish Humor – At 10 a.m. Join Rabbi Dan Dorsch for this intriguing online course. To register, www.bit. ly/2Z14J90

TUESDAY, JULY 28 Virtual LinkedIn Workshop – From 10

Jewish Spirituality & Mysticism – Join Rabbi Hirshy and Chabad North Fulton for a weekly class on Jewish spirituality, mysticism and how to apply them to your personal growth in a meaningful way. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wmSBFp. MJCCA Fitness – MJCCA is open. Continue to work out virtually or in person! See the group exercise classes at www.atlantajcc.org/reopen.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Webinar from Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta - From noon to 1 p.m. This hour-long discussion will explore themes relating to the Good Girl/Super Woman Syndrome. To register, www.bit.ly/3dfb1ai.

FRIDAY, JULY 24 Studio Earth: Environment Message Sculptures – From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This workshop brings awareness of sea turtles, one of our endangered species. Sea turtles are the ultimate ecological lesson, showing that everything is connected. In this workshop, children, parents and siblings can enjoy honoring the sea turtle by creating a sea turtle sculpture using air dry clay to create texture and design that can be incorporated into a 3D sea turtle seascape. The clay can be made at home with a simple recipe using flour, salt and water and the recipe will be part of the supply list included with registration for the workshop. To join, www.bit. ly/2YUEAKB.

cally, the goal remains the same: to connect our community through Jewish values and choice-based activities, strengthening decisionmaking skills and building self-confidence. For more information, www.inthecitycamps.org/itc-at-home.

FRIDAY, JULY 31 Studio Earth: Mother Earth Figurines – From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Workshop supplies can be recycled materials and found objects, large fabric scraps, ribbon, string and newspaper to create a Mother Earth figurine. The completed Mother Earth can be a 3D folk art work to enjoy at home as a reminder to appreciate and care for our world.To join, www.bit. ly/2YUEAKB.

Ongoing: Chabad.org Presents Jewish Kids Activities Online – Jewish art projects, videos, games, activities and more. For more information, www.bit. ly/2UgUFId. In the City Camps Presents - Virtual Camp – His summer might not be what we expected, but we will make it great with Virtual Summer Camp! While you may not be together physi-

BBYO – Tune in to BBYO On Demand, a brand-new virtual experience for teens worldwide. Enjoy amazing programming and global events. Some of the sessions will even be led by our very own Greater Atlanta Region BBYO members. For more information, www.bit.ly/2QFlCD2. MJCCA Blonder Department for Special Needs –Please – stay tuned to the Blonder Family Department for Special Needs Facebook group for daily activities, chats, workouts and more. For more information, www.bit. ly/2Jmpl4x. MJCCA Aquatics – A few things that you can work on at home to keep your swimming abilities top notch. Please see our swim skills guide that describes exercises for your child’s ability along with a picture. For more information www.bit.ly/3bmmlRC. PJ Library is Virtual! – Every morning and every afternoon, PJ Library is bringing to you fun, crafts, stories, Q&As, scavenger hunts, food demos and so much more To join in and for more information, www.bit. ly/2WzFFqh. Repair the World – Repair the World welcomes you to sign up for its programming. Join them from the comfort of your home for a discussion on compassionate care for ourselves and our community. For more information, www.bit.ly/2xhUsv5. Virtual Hillel Connections – If you’re ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 39

looking for community, connection and meaningful learning opportunities, or if you’re just bored and need a distraction during coronavirus cancelations, then you’ve come to the right place. Hillel has virtual meetups and online gatherings that bring you together with Jewish and Jewish students from around the world in real time! For more information: www.bit.ly/3af7wjA. Please send Virtual Classes & Events to amy@atljewishtimes.com.

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

Atlanta Community Food Bank Text for Help SMS Function –The – Atlanta Community Food Bank’s mission to provide nutritious food to the people who need it has reached a major milestone toward access to food for all. The Text for Help SMS function recognizes two keywords – ‘findfood’ (no space) in English or ‘comida’ in Spanish. Each keyword will activate automated responses in the relevant language. When a person texts either keyword to 888976-2232 (ACFB), they’ll be prompted for their zip code or address to enable location services for food pantries closest to them. Responses will include a list of three different nearby pantries and their contact information. If no pantries are located within a 10-mile radius from the zip code entered, the program provides information on the nearest food pantries in neighboring zip codes. For more information, www. acfb.org. Atlanta Jewish Music Festival Updates– Music is a powerful force. It heals. It can bring people together. In the wake of the recent tragic events, the AJMFhas reached out to its community seeking “healing music.” To 40 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

listen, www.spoti.fi/2Uuq7BB. For information about the AJMF, www. atlantajmf.org. Israel American Council – IAC @Home brings you the most innovative content online while helping build a national community with Israel at heart.. With activities for kids, teens, young professionals and adults, you can stay connected to Hebrew, Israeli and Jewish heritage, online activism and to one another. IAC @Home lets you enjoy a coast-to-coast community right from your own home. For more information, www.israeliamerican.org/home. JF&CS - Emergency Financial Assistance – JF&CS is here to provide emergency aid for individuals and families. Please call 770-677-9389 for assistance. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wo5qzj. JF&CS - Telehealth Counseling Services – Now offering telehealth options via phone or videoconference for current and new clients to help our community during this crisis. For more information about our therapy services or to make a telehealth appointment, email us at therapy@jfcsatl. org or call 770-677-9474. JF&CS - Telehealth Older Adult Services – Aviv older adult staff are there to help provide resources, care plans and support for you and your family. Call AgeWell at 1-866-AGE-WELL (1-866-243-9355) to find out how they can help. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wo5qzj. Jewish Federation of Great Atlanta COVID-19 Resources – The unsettling, fast-moving and unpredictable world of life with COVID-19 is upon us. As we’re all discovering, a worldwide pandemic disrupts everyone on an unprecedented scale. For updates and more information, www.bit. ly/3ahrNVM. Marcus JCC Updates – Please visit www.atlantajcc.org/reopen to learn about all the details and procedures – including hours of operations – for engaging with the JCC during our reopening. For more information, www.bit.ly/2QEAuRX. My Jewish Learning – Jewish learning resources to get you through these difficult days. For more information, www.bit.ly/3bms5dQ. Please send Community Service Opportunities to amy@atljewishtimes.com.

Temple Sinai Livestream Services – Temple Sinai has live Shabbat services on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday morning at 10 a.m. For more information and to view services, www.bit.ly/2BXRfTF. The Temple Livestreaming Services – Find livestreaming services here, www.the-temple.org.

Synagogue Livestreaming Services: Ahavath havath Achim Synagogue – Shabbat evening services at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning services at 9:30 a.m. To watch and for more information, www.bit.ly/38dS4Ed. Congregation Beth Shalom’s Virtual Services – Erev Shabbat, Fridays at 6:30 p.m., Shabbat service, Saturdays at 10:30 a.m, Zoom minyan Sunday at 9:30 a.m. For more information, www.bit.ly/3gY0mUK. Congregation ongregation Etz Chaim – Erev Shabbat Musical, Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning services at 9:30 a.m.To join in, www.bit.ly/3gWL02s. Congregation Shearith Israel – Daily and Shabbat services will continue at regular times through Zoom. They are counting participants in these Zoom services as part of a minyan, allowing members to recite full prayer services including Mourner’s Kaddish. To participate via phone, dial 929-205-6099 and then enter the meeting code 404 873 1743. To be a part of services, visit the Zoom link: www.bit.ly/2wnFWlD. Temple Emanu-El Livestreaming Services – Erev Shabbat, Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Shabbat service, Saturdays at 10 a.m. Join in on Facebook at www. facebook.com/TEAtlanta/. Temple Beth Tikvah Livestreaming Services – Fridays at 6:30 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m. To join on Facebook, www. facebook.com/TempleBethTikvah/ or www.bit.ly/2ZlCvrr. Temple Kol Emeth – Shabbat Services on Fridays at 8 p.m. View our services on www.kolemeth.net or www.facebook.com/Temple Kol Emeth-Marietta, GA.

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

Volunteer Opportunities: Creating Connected Communities: www.bit.ly/3bekKNI Ways to Help Through CCC: www.bit. ly/2vAXqdN Become a Virtual Tutor: www.mindbubble.org Donate for Emergency Groceries: www.pawkids.org Provide a Meal to Homeless Women: www.rebeccastent.org. Package and Deliver Meals Through Open Hand Atlanta: www.openhandatlanta.org/volunteer Package and deliver meals through Concrete Jungle: www.concrete-jungle.org/ JFCS Kosher Food Pantry: www.jfcsatl. org. Repair The World Resource – A onepage resource for caring for the sick in the time of crisis. For more information, www.bit.ly/2JamMlQ. Cards & Care Packages for Jewish HomeLife Staff: www.bit. ly/2WDncsY Second Helpings Volunteer Opportunities: www.bit.ly/2UpkxQE Help with COVID-19 – A list of additional volunteer opportunities: www. helpwithcovid.com Please send Community Service Opportunities to amy@atljewishtimes. com. Check the Atlanta Jewish Connector for updates: www.atlantajewishconnector.com.

Connector Chatter Directory Spotlight www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Jewish Fertility Foundation In conversation with Emily Zaghi How long has your organization been in Atlanta? Jewish Fertility Foundation has been in Atlanta for five years. Last year, we opened a second office in Cincinnati, Ohio, and we plan to expand to 15 more cities over the next five years!

MACoM (Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah)

In conversation with Jocelyn Schorvitz How long has your organization been in Atlanta? We’ve been in Atlanta since November 2015.

How do you cater to a client’s specific needs? We have a very active “single moms by choice” group with monthly events and national webinars to cater to the single mother community. All of our support programming is free and open to everyone, regardless of religious background. We also provide emotional support in the form of traditional support groups as well as a “fertility buddies” program (where we match up someone who is currently going through infertility with someone who went through infertility in the past). Financially, we just increased our grant size to $15,000 in Atlanta, and in addition, our grantees automatically get a 20 percent clinic discount, which can amount to $20,000 off of fertility treatments.We also partner with JIFLA to offer $7,500 of interest-free loans to our grantees. Last, we partner with JScreen to offer free at-home genetic testing to our grantees. Where do you see your organization in 10 years? In the next 10 years, we’d love to see a JFF in every state! We truly want people who are going through infertility to know that they are NOT alone – one in six Jewish individuals experience infertility. JFF wants to be able to help by providing financial assitance, emotional support and educational programming to these individuals. Readers can visit our website at www.jewishfertilityfoundation.org or follow us on social media @jewishfertilityfoundation.

How does your organization help the community? MACoM is the only inclusive, pluralistic mikvah in the Southeast, offering traditional and contemporary immersion ceremonies. How do you cater to young members? MACoM offers immersion ceremonies for people of all ages. For younger members we have beautiful ceremonies for bar and bat mitzvahs, for healing, for coming out, for transitions, for gratitude, for graduations and for special birthdays. We host regular classes for Hebrew School students and partner with synagogues and other Jewish community groups to work with teenagers and young adults. Where do you see your organization in 10 years? In 10 years we see MACoM to be just as beautiful and even busier. Our goals are to continue to expand our programming and teach as many people about mikvah as possible. We were unfortunately closed through April and May, hosting only time-sensitive immersions. We officially reopened in June instating several new rules.The biggest changes are we are only hosting one immersion per day so the UV filtration system can run a full cycle between guests, ensuring that the mikvah has the cleanest water for guests possible. Further, we are not asking any of our amazing volunteers to work during this time to keep everyone safe. Only the executive director will be at the mikvah. The front page of our website (www.macomatlanta. com) lists all other precautions currently being taken.

The Springs Cinema & Taphouse In conversation with Brandt Gully How long has your business been in Atlanta? The theater itself has been here since 1988 and operated under several ownership groups. But I purchased it from George Lefont in November 2017. Subsequent to the purchase, I rebranded it as The Springs Cinema & Taphouse and gutted and renovated the entire facility. How do you cater to younger people? I think teaching kids and young adults to love movies is huge, not just for my industry, but I think it’s also a big win for society. Movies were a big part of my life as a child, whether it’s memories with my family or friends or even just a reminder of great times in my life. There is no question that kids today are more distracted and don’t enjoy them as much as they used to, but I think that can change with the right content. So we love to offer diverse films that are relevant to various age groups. Where do you see your business in 10 years? That’s a great question. Given all that is going on, I sometimes wonder where my organization will be in 10 days or 10 weeks. But our vision is to continue becoming ingrained in our community. I would love for The Springs to always be the first choice for a family outing, a first date, a date night with the spouse, a happy-hour destination after work, a venue for your company to hold sales meetings or employee bonding events, and a place for elementary schools to host their spirit nights. We’ve already grown from 10 employees to 55, and I’d love to think that we'll keep growing with the Sandy Springs community. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 41

COMMUNITY Brafman Keeps on Trucking In early 2020, Eli Brafman became exclusive kosher advisor for the new Zoo Atlanta facility, Savanna Hall, through Proof of the Pudding, in tandem with his own thriving catering business. All this tumbled with the early March pandemic shutdowns. “I lost 95 percent of my business, but I never shut my doors. I am here to stay,” said Brafman. Defining self-reinvention, Brafman has maintained several moving parts: EB’s Ghost Kitchen catering specials promoted through social media for his pretzel bun/ rotating protein sandwich shop (EB’s Eatery lunch and dinner) on Tuesdays, Shabbat in a box, and a modicum of downsized special events. And just weeks ago, he initiated a trendy truck serving Mediterranean street food. “We have one truck, soon hope to have two, and then who knows? Maybe 300. The concept is that every truck would have its own unique menu. Our current truck as a pilot is vegan and strictly kosher. Sabich, for example, which is a great dish, we are not serving because of the eggs.” Last month, Brafman took a big stride by partnering with Ran Dori, an experienced kosher caterer who operated years ago in Atlanta as OU for U. After a month trial, they are fully on board as partners. Brafman remarked that it was not difficult to get a food truck permit because he already has an operating business that is totally equipped and runs out of his Congregation Beth Tefillah commissary. “Everything was easy and legal in getting this permit.” Brafman takes sanitizing and minimizing health risks

Brafman says he underestimated the demand for his falafel specials.

Brafman partnered with Ran Dori to launch the successful Mediterranean Street Food truck, which rotates locations.

seriously. All employees wear masks and gloves. He continued, “Every time someone enters the kitchen, we take a temperature. For outdoor catered events, we invented a 6-foot-by-6-foot plexiglass shield with a cut-out window and two chefs attending each station.” Looking back and building fast momentum, Brafman said in retrospect, “If we misjudged anything, it would be that we underestimated the demand we would garner

right out of the box. I don’t know if it’s COVID and folks wanting to get out, or the need for fresh and delicious street food. Maybe a combination of both!” The hottest deal on the truck is Eli’s special for $7.99, a “fully built” falafel coming with a side of fries or dessert and homemade lemo “nana” (Hebrew for mint). This authentic street food includes the choice of Israeli salad, cabbage and four sauces: hummus, tahini, amba (spicy mango) and green chili paste. Brafman’s favorite special dessert is malabi, a coconut pudding with raspberry syrup and coconut crunch topping. EB updates his offerings at rotating locations, with a typical week looking like: Monday: Congregation Beth Tefillah Tuesday: Congregation Beth Jacob, Toco Hills Wednesday: Chabad East Cobb Thursday: Chabad North Fulton Friday: Congregation Ariel, Dunwoody Brafman will also roll out the truck for private events with a minimum of $1,000 in food sales. He brings to his business his New Yorker stamina, street seichel (common sense) and a family catering background. He owes his success and ability to thrive to the following: “Paying the mortgage and bringing up three kids in a religious family keeps me motivated. However, we always need that third partner, G-d.” Updated offerings and rotating locations can be found on EB’s websites, adamastreetfood.com and ebcateringco.com, Instagram and Facebook. One can also get on his WhatsApp list to receive updates on what’s being served and where. Here’s a taste of offerings: Shabbat in a Box is a combo takeout, four-course meal in two variations. Friday menu rotates dinner for two adults and two kids for $80, two sets of meals, $150, or a full a la carte menu. Sample sandwiches on Tuesday are steak ($12), Southern fried chicken ($12), merguez sausage ($8.50), and churro bites ($8.99.) Sandwiches come with a side of leafy greens or potato wedges. ì

42 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

COMMUNITY

New Dog Owners Have Time to Adapt to Pets By Jan Jaben-Eilon There are silver linings peeking out from behind the coronavirus cloud. As the sky was darkened by the pandemic, masking and practically imprisoning families in their homes, many Atlanta Jewish families sought to adopt dogs, as the Atlanta Jewish Times reported in its pet issue last month. Families figured that while schools were closed and parents were working from home, they had the time to adjust with a new pet. That, in turn, led many dog rescue volunteers to fear that the animals would be returned to shelters as soon as the economy reopened. Noting the skyrocketing applications for dogs, Dorie B. Sokol – a longtime rescuer and foster parent of dogs – expressed apprehension that those new dog owners would abandon their animals to shelters. “People turn in dogs for the dumbest reasons,” she told the AJT. Fortunately, however, because the pandemic continues to cast shadows on everyone’s lives and livelihoods, the fear

pets would be abandoned by new dog cats and dogs to shelters is 30+ percent less than it was this time last year,” Hamowners hasn’t materialized. rick emailed the “We’ve had AJT. “Additionally, fewer returns, citizens are still knock on wood, stepping up to than we expected. foster animals at The families have a rate higher than had time to get last year.” dogs acclimated,” Indeed, Cross said Becky Cross, said, “we’re over director and the hump. The founder of the Atfact that the corolanta Lab Rescue, navirus has gone with which Sokol on this long has is involved. worked to our adThis is true vantage. And havon the national ing the dogs has level as well. Achelped people get cording to Lindsay out of the house Hamrick, direcmore. We’re still tor of policy for getting a ton of the Humane SociBoth humans and pets have been enriched applications. I ety of the United during this period of shelter in place, said thought it would States, “Statistics Debra Berger, Georgia director of The drop off.” show that people Humane Society of the United States C e r t a i n l y, are NOT returning animals. Nationally, the return rates for the HSUS has promoted the fostering

and adopting of animals during the COVID-19 sheltering in place. “It has been uplifting to see how the community stepped up to foster and adopt pets during the time of COVID-19. This crisis highlighted just how many wonderful pets in Georgia are available and waiting for their forever homes. Pet adoption is always a good option to add a furry friend to your family,” said Debra Berger, Georgia director of the HSUS. Since no one has a crystal ball to foresee when, or if, schools and workplaces will return to normal, animal rescue and humane society workers are suggesting that it’s not too early for new animal owners to have a plan to provide care for the pet when they return to work. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, an affiliate of HSUS, has produced a webinar to help people and their pets with this transition, “Post-Pandemic Pets: Tips on Transitioning Companion Animals as Shelter-in-Place Orders are Lifted,” www. youtube.com/watch?v=XX6j438BHpY&f eature=youtu.be ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 43

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Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ... Share your news with the community with free AJT simcha announcements. Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com submissions@atljewishtimes.com.. 44 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Navah Tzeitel and Zivah Adina

Rabbi Jesse and Shira Charyn announce the birth of twin daughters, Navah Tzeitel and Zivah Adina, June 19, 2020. Their older sister is Rayna Esther. Proud grandparents are Shari and Mike Finkelstein of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Ronni and Chaim Charyn of Chattanooga, Tenn. “Our girls arrived early and have been receiving excellent care at the Eastside Medical Center NICU,” said the rabbi of Temple Beth David in Snellville. “We are thankful to all of the hospital staff, but especially the caring and skilled nurses in the NICU,” he said. “We are also very grateful to the many aunts, uncles, and cousins and our Temple Beth David family for their love, prayers, and support! May the rebbetzin and I merit to raise these girls to a life of Torah, chuppah, and maasim tovim” (good works).

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

Adalise Kate Quintana

Adalise Kate Quintana was born at 7:49 p.m. June 30, 2020 (6.6 pounds, 19 inches), to Adam and Natalie Quintana of Hutto, Texas. Adalise is the couple’s first child. She is the granddaughter of Richard J. Quintana and step-granddaughter of Bernice M. Isaac of Temple Beth Tikvah and Congregation Etz Chaim.

Wedding Announcement Burg - Benshushan

Rabbi David and Rita Geffen, formerly of Atlanta, announce the wedding of their grandson, Ori Burg, to Hila Benshushan June 30, 2020, next to Mount Gilboa in Israel. Burg is the son of Elissa and Chemi Burg and Benshushan is the daughter of Ruthie and Shlomo Benshushan. Burg, 32, is a partner, director and creative specialist with ZOA Productions, which makes music clips and ads. Benshushan, 33, is a freelance producer for TV commercials and won an Ophir Award last year for a short film. She recently produced films while serving on reserve duty on the “home front” to emphasize protection methods from the coronavirus. She is working on a documentary series on Ethiopian Jewry. They both studied film at Tel Aviv University. The couple honeymooned at the Dead Sea. They will live in Tel Aviv.

Celebrate in Sandy Springs Life is filled with moments that become lasting memories, and there’s no better place for a memorable simcha than Sandy Springs. Let us be the full service connection between you and your event. With 20 hotels and 2800 rooms, we can provide customized and complimentary assistance to make sure you find the perfect hotel for your guests, as well as recommendations for venues, catering and more.

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KEEPING IT KOSHER

JEWISH JOKE

The Eye Test David leaves London and makes aliyah. As soon as he settles in Tel Aviv, he goes to see the local optician. “I’m having trouble reading,” he says. “Maybe you could check my eyes?” The optician agrees and sits David in front of a large eye test chart. “Can you read the letters on the bottom line?” “No,” David replies.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Bits Cooking and prep: 45 minutes Preference: Pareve Diet: Vegetarian, pescatarian Serves: 6 If you remember Snyder’s honey mustard and onion pretzels, you will enjoy this nostalgic summertime snack. Before they became dairy, they were an all-time camp favorite. A bag was not opened more than 2 minutes before it was devoured, despite the late-night hour (or perhaps because of the latenight hour)! One 12-ounce (340 gram) bag sourdough pretzels 2/3 cup oil 6 tablespoons honey ¼ cup yellow mustard 2 teaspoons onion powder Preheat oven to 275F. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, mustard and onion powder. Crush the pretzels into bits and add to the oil mixture, tossing to coat. Pour pretzels onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through baking. Cool and serve. Source: Chanie Nayman, Family Table by Mishpacha magazine, modified from kosher.com Photo by Lisa Monohan 46 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

“So how about the next line up?” Squinting, David replies, “No, I still can’t read them.” “OK,” the optician says, “let’s start at the top line. Read out the letters please.” “But I can’t,” David says. “Are you perhaps a teeny bit blind?” “Certainly not,” David replies, “it’s just that I’ve never learned to read Hebrew.” Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com

YIDDISH SLANG OF THE MONTH Netfermischt adj. The mental state of a person who has watched so many assorted series on streaming platforms that they confuse the characters and plot turns of one series with the characters and plot turns in another. “Dina is so netfermischt, she thinks Mrs. Maisel is having an affair with Prince Charles in The Crown.” There have been cases when people afflicted with a case of netfermischt find that their entire waking lives suffer from the same confusion, as in, “Was it Sylvia who left her husband or was it Sophie? I’m having trouble keeping track.” From the Yiddish fermischt, meaning mixed up in the head. Yiddish Slang provided by Daniel Klein from his book “Schmegoogle: Yiddish Words for Modern Times.”

BRAIN FOOD

Worker’s Woes By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable 1

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23. Connections, so to speak 24. Farthest or highest, briefly 25. "Golden rule" word 26. It can be molded 27. Storied spy Mata 28. Netanya residents? 29. Org. for movie helmers 31. Fill a chair 34. Long shots: Abbr. 37. Josh (Gad's) notable role 38. Kukoc who briefly played for the Bucks 39. Archibald who briefly played for the Bucks 40. Hasidic dynasty 41. Path of a fly ball 42. Fannie or Sallie 43. Flight site 46. Lessened 47. "Just like always..." 48. Netanya to Modi'in dir. 50. Synonym for 24-Down 51. Fellow 52. JJ of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" 53. Honor an honoree, say 55. "American Idol" alum Clay 59. Longest-serving senator in U.S. history 60. Kind of trick 61. Brief life story? 63. "Death ___ Salesman" 64. "... ___ quit!" (ultimatum) 65. Whole big thing 66. Give it a go

56. Date for a baby 57. Acidity measures, informally 1. Item in a vampire movie 58. Glass of "This American Life" 6. Small, unified group 59. Work tables 11. Shtick 60. Company with Max streaming 14. "Sesame Street" character who 62. Due to the recession the enjoys taking a bath shochet ___ 15. Companion of Gabriel and 67. Kind of iPad Raphael 68. Violinist Zimbalist or his ac16. It's north of Afr. tor son (with a name similar to 17. The sofer was frustrated with Joseph's youngest son) the IRS because he couldn't get 69. Like the November sky, to the a ___ bard 19. Baton Rouge campus: Abbr. 70. Palindromic tyke 20. Episode where Anakin Sky71. Water falls? walker "dies" 72. "In a strange twist..." 21. 1,051, to Nero 22. Lost GI's status 24. One, to Jacques DOWN 25. The cantor no longer enjoyed 1. Filming area the job and felt ____ 2. One can get you into shape 30. "We should avoid doing that" 3. High or separation follower 32. Capital of Michigan 4. Auckland native, informally 33. "C'mon, take a bite" 5. Ending for "puppet" or "profit" 34. Nof or HaBayit 6. Piece of chicken 35. Super-secret org. 7. "The votes ___!" 36. The beit din felt the workload 8. Italian G-d? was ___ 9. One blowing a whistle 41. MD org. 10. Jenna in "Keeping the Faith" 44. UCLA's 'L' 11. Pig product that prevents a lot 45. Enveloping glows of candy from being kosher 49. Dustin Hoffman won an Oscar 12. Ger. neighbor for it 13. "Despicable Me" main char52. Female acter 54. The mashgiach was losing it 18. "Now ___ expert, but..." one day and felt ___

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ì Congregation B’nai Torah preschool camp made an effort to integrate disabled children into its summer program. “We want them to experience camp as camp should be experienced,” said preschool director Moira Frank, who started the integrated program in June. It was 15 Years Ago // July 15, 2005 the first congregational camp of its type in metro Atlanta’s Jewish community. ì Scott and Susan Grunwald announced the adoption of their daughter, Zoe Yana. ì The Atlanta Jewish Community Center planned to debut the Jewish Theatre of the Zoe was born Sept. 18, 2003 in Hunan Province, China. She has two sisters, South in September as the first professional theater company devoted solely Sydney and Bailey. A naming ceremony was set to be held in September at to Jewish-themed plays. Created and led by newly-hired artistic director Mira Congregation Dor Tamid. Zoe received the Hebrew name Eliana Yosefa in Hirsch, the company planned to enlist actors to perform in three Jewishmemory of her paternal grandfather, Joseph Grunwald, a Holocaust survithemed plays throughout the year. The season opened Sept. 6 with “Beau Jest” Three Jewish high school vor, great-aunt Estelle Cohen, and great-uncle Hersh Cohen. graduates from Atlanta met by Jim Sherman and was already sold out in July. ì Jewish high school graduates from around Atlanta, Kolin Simon, on Facebook, which had just launched a year earlier, before Matt Bachmann and Jennifer Briskin, met on Facebook -- which had only 50 Years Ago // July 17, 1970 leaving for the University of launched the previous year -- before leaving for the University of Michigan. ì Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Blase of Atlanta announced the birth of a Michigan. The platform hoped to At the time the article was written, Facebook was hoping to expand to all son, Joseph Frederick, June 28. Rev. Max Kleinmann performed the bris be a more efficient way for college 1,400 U.S. colleges by fall and create a more efficient way for students who with Rabbi Harry Epstein officiating. Grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Jack students to meet and interact. were not at their home college “either after they graduate or during the sumBlase of Atlanta and Mrs. Katherine Dykes of Cochran, Ga. mer by increasing users’ freedom to interact with people in their geographical location,” spokesì Congregation Shearith Israel selected Rabbi Donald Frieman to be spiritual leader of person Chris Hughes said. the congregation. He was officially installed as rabbi on Wednesday, Sept. 9 by Malcom Minsk, congregation president. Rabbi Frieman was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 25 Years Ago // July 14, 1995 New York and was also awarded the Master of Hebrew Literature degree.

Remember When

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 47

OBITUARIES

Donald Berman 83, Johns Creek

Donald Berman, 83, of Johns Creek, Ga., passed away July 9, 2020, at Village Park Senior Living Alpharetta. He was born in Hartford, Conn., to Hyman and Rebecca Berman, attended what is now the University of Hartford, and served in the Air National Guard. Don worked for 37 years at Combustion Engineering. He was a pension benefits administrator in the human resources department. He and his loving wife of almost 55 years, Lois Pulver Berman, were active members of their community and synagogues and enjoyed volunteering. They were always involved in their children’s endeavors and loved traveling with friends in the United States and several other countries. In 2000, they moved to the Atlanta area to be closer to family. Lois and Don were very active in their new home in The Orchards at Jones Bridge, and Don became the first president of the homeowner’s association, serving two terms. Don was a big sports fan who liked watching the Atlanta teams, but always kept his allegiance to the Boston teams and the UConn Huskies. He enjoyed discussing current events as a member of The Forum Men’s Club at the Marcus JCC, was a member of the North Atlanta Men’s Club, and volunteered at Emory Johns Creek Hospital until one year ago. He was also a history buff who loved World War II books and movies. Above all, Don and Lois cherished spending time with precious family. Always involved in their grandchildren’s activities, they loved attending as many school functions and ball games as possible. Family dinners, holiday celebrations and trips were very special. Don was predeceased by his parents and brother-in-law Alex Zeligson. He is survived by his cherished wife Lois; son Mark Berman of Roanoke, Va.; daughter and son-in-law Cheryl and Michael Lipton of Sandy Springs; grandchildren Joshua and Chloe Lipton; sister Vivian Zeligson of Encinitas, Calif.; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Nancy and Jerry Fleischman of Encino, Calif.; and several nieces, nephews, a great-niece, great-nephews and several cousins. The family would like to give their gratitude and thanks to those at Village Park, especially Memory Care Director Lillia Sargent and her compassionate, caring staff. In lieu of flowers, any donations in Don’s memory may be made to Temple Emanu-El in Atlanta, American Heart Association, or the Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements and online condolences, Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-45l-4999.

Bertha (Loeb) Diener 104, Atlanta

Bertha (Loeb) Diener passed away peacefully in Atlanta March 10, 2020, at the age of 104. Bertha Schlaffer was born to Tobias and Eta Schlaffer on Dec. 5, 1915. She first lived on Humphrey Street with her parents and four sisters near the family’s dry goods store. The family then settled into a home on Atlanta Avenue. Listening to weekly radio programs and Sunday visits with cousins, aunts and uncles was a highlight of the family’s precious time together. Bertha’s life was defined by moxy, persistence and hard work. She knew what she wanted, and she was not afraid of the work involved to achieve it. At 19, Bertha met and married her soulmate Sam Loeb from Griffin, Ga., after meeting at the Progressive Club. They raised their kids Judy, Marilyn and Robert in Morningside and were the proprietors of a well-known downtown supermarket, Pic N Pay. A few years after Sam died in 1969, she married Paul Friedman. After Paul’s passing, she married her third husband Walter Diener. When Walter died, she never married again, but had many suitors. She returned to Atlanta in 2010 and spent the final decade of her life spending quality time with close friends and family. She was preceded in death by her husband Sam Loeb; daughter Judy Loeb Cole; and son Robert Loeb. She is survived by her daughter Marilyn (Alan) Feingold; son-in-law Stephen (Miriam) Cole; loving nieces and nephews; her precious grandchildren Adam (Teresa) Cole, Suzannah (Michael) Callaghan, Josh Feingold, Sharon Feingold, Rachel (Jon Robbins) Feingold, Emily (Sean) Harrigan, and Seth (Hope) Loeb; 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. She was our family matriarch, an inspiration of strength and extreme generosity, and will be missed by all who loved her. Graveside services for family and friends were held at Greenwood Cemetery March 12, 2020. Rabbi Ilan Feldman of Congregation Beth 48 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Jacob officiated. Kindly share your memories and pictures of Bertha on the Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care guestbook. Contributions in her memory can be made to Jewish Family & Career Services or Weinstein Hospice for the support that Bertha and her family received.

Stephen Flink 80, Penn Valley, Pa.

Stephen Flink, 80, of Penn Valley, Pa., passed away June 28, 2020. Steve fought a yearlong, valiant battle against pancreatic cancer. He was predeceased by the love of his life Shelly Rosenbluth Flink, in 1981. He was a devoted husband to Shelly and a loving father to his daughters Lauri (Neal) Frenkel of Atlanta, and Bonnie (Dan Feiner) Flink of Philadelphia, Pa., and cherished Grandpop to Jennie, Jake, Rebecca and Melanie Frenkel. Stephen was born in Philadelphia, grew up in Miami, Fla., and returned to Philly at age 18. He was a self-made man with no college education. Steve and his business partner Teddy Hoffman started Component Enterprises in 1965 and he retired at age 50 to enjoy his many hobbies. Steve was a voracious reader, ham radio operator, photographer and horseback rider. He loved trading stocks and building model railroads. He took great pride in his daughters saying, “My Daddy can fix anything,” loved country music, old Westerns, and canning applesauce every fall. Steve passed on his love for animals and animal advocacy to both of his daughters as well as his old-fashioned values and strong sense of commitment to family. He will be greatly missed. Contributions in his memory can be made to A Pet’s Purpose, Inc., P.O. Box 189, Madison GA 30650. This animal rescue was very dear to his heart as it was founded by his daughter and granddaughter to save and place shelter dogs as service, therapy and emotional support animals.

Sam Mislow 78, Atlanta

Sam Mislow, 78, of Atlanta, passed away unexpectedly July 10, 2020. A native Atlantan, he graduated Henry Grady High School and was a proud Grady Knight for life. He was a loving, compassionate, kind, big-hearted soul, and a gregarious mensch. To sum him up in one word, it would be “happy.” He always had a smile to share that lit up any room. He had a long career in electronic security business sales, and upon retirement worked at Dressler’s Funeral Care, where he enjoyed comforting others in their greatest time of need. He was proud of his Judaism and loved honoring and celebrating its traditions. He proudly served in the United States Army in the 1960s and was stationed in Korea. He loved all his family dearly. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Sandra; his children Julie and David Abes of Atlanta, and Sandy and Brad Mislow of Bronx, N.Y.; four grandchildren Amanda Abes, Mitchell Abes, Benjamin Mislow and Annie Mislow. He also is survived by sister Celia Topper of Atlanta; mother-in-law Ricky Sacks of Memphis, Tenn.; and numerous friends who will miss him forever. Donations in his memory can be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Georgia chapter, 3525 Piedmont Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30305, or to Temple Sinai, Kesher Fund or Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund. May he rest in peace and be comforted by the mourners in Zion and Jerusalem. Arrangements by Dressler’s Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

OBITUARIES

Phillip Martin Redisch 70, Atlanta

Phillip Martin Redisch, a beloved father, brother and grandfather and 70-year-old native and resident of Mobile, Ala., passed away June 26, 2020. After growing up in Mobile and proudly attending the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), Phillip moved to Atlanta in 1973, where he raised his family and lived for 40 years. He was a part of the Atlanta Jewish community, as an active member of B’nai B’rith and Congregation B’nai Torah. He loved to socialize and play Jewish geography and was always the last to leave a party or event. He worked at Brighton Best for 18 years and as a greeter at the Publix of East Cobb for several years. He moved back to Mobile in 2007. Phillip died from complications of multiple sclerosis, which he lived with for over 40 years. Mr. Redisch was preceded in death by his parents Leon Redisch and Annalee Mutchnick Redisch. He is survived by his daughters Allison Redisch (Oren Hirsch) and Lisa Redisch; grandson Johan Hirsch; former spouse Fran Redisch; brother Jeffrey Redisch; sister Toby Siegel (Bert); and many other relatives and friends. Funeral services and interment were held in Ahavas Chesed Cemetery in Mobile June 26, 2020. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Congregation Ahavas Chesed, 705 Regents Way, Mobile, AL 36609 or the National MS Society. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.

Diana Robbins 86, Lantana, Fla.

Diana Robbins, 86, died June 17, 2020, in Lantana, Fla. Diana grew up in New York, where she met Allen Robbins at Rego Park Jewish Center. They raised three sons in Atlantic Beach, Long Island, before the family moved to Kendall Lakes, Fla. The couple lived together in Pembroke Pines and Coral Lakes in Boynton Beach. They were married for 54 years when Allen passed away in 2007 and Diana continued to live in Coral Lakes before moving to nearby Lantana. Diana was active in Hadassah and raised money for the National Kidney Foundation. She enjoyed shopping, socializing with friends and playing mahjong. Diana had high standards, was financially savvy and very family oriented. She was very proud, supportive and attentive to her children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She never missed sending a card and gift to recognize a birthday, special occasions or achievement. Diana was predeceased by husband Allen, and survived by sons Arthur (Roni) Robbins of Woodmere, N.Y., Ronnie (Suzy) Robbins of Miami Beach, Fla., and Ian (Roni) Robbins of Marietta, Ga.; grandchildren Jamie (Heath) Shyman, Lauren (Adam) Singer, Adam (Lara) Robbins, Stephanie, Isabelle, Seth and Zina Robbins; and great-grandchildren Leo and Zoe Shyman. A private graveside service was held June 18 at Beth David Memorial Gardens in Hollywood, Fla.

remained for over 30 years and developed a program for special needs children transitioning from kindergarten to first grade. Although our lives were filled with a lot of financial ups and downs, my brothers and I never really knew it. Somehow Mom did the impossible to give us a great life, juggling being a full-time teacher, going back for her master’s degree and continually pushing us to succeed to make sure our lives would be open to opportunities that she never had. The two things I know Mom was most proud of were her three boys and her students. She worked tirelessly on both and felt very strongly about helping people and making a difference. I’ve lost track of the number of times her past students and parents of students would come up to her when they saw her out at a movie theater or restaurant to let her know what a difference she made in their lives and how they wouldn’t be where they are today without her. I know I certainly wouldn’t. After we lost my Dad suddenly, there were certainly a number of gentleman callers. Fortunately, Mom found one of the true good guys in Edward Rosenblatt. It was love from the beginning and they had several great years together before the effects of Alzheimer’s really kicked in. We certainly should all be so lucky to have the love that they shared, and they definitely made the most of their time. I can remember calling on several occasions to see what they had done this past week only to hear a long list of things, such as going to the movies, dinner followed by dancing and spending the weekend in the Highlands, N.C. All I could think of was that I was doing it wrong. Although they didn’t have as much time as they should have together, they certainly didn’t get cheated. Ed was a true blessing in my mom’s life and I’m thankful every day for him. Although she’ll be missed, she’ll certainly not be forgotten. Along with her sister Shirley, her husband Ed and her three sons, she leaves behind three amazing daughters-in-law and six granddaughters. The first feminist I ever knew, she was always quick to stick up for anyone that was being treated unfairly or being bullied. She was tough but loving and you never had to guess where you stood with her. She definitely had the biggest impact on my life, and I’ll miss her very much. Her memory is most definitely a blessing. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Tonya Rosenblatt 80, Atlanta

Tanya Rosenblatt, 80, died July 9, 2020. Her son said, “Today we lost the strongest woman I ever knew. My Mom finally lost her long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 80 years old. My mom Tanya Jean Lefko was born in Cleveland, Ohio. When she was very young, the family picked up roots to follow the American dream and settled in Savannah, Ga. The family went into the gaming (billiards, cigarettes and arcade games) business along with running a restaurant on Tybee Island during the summers. I’ve heard many great stories of her, her sister Shirley and their cousins, Gary and Stuart, causing a significant amount of mischief through the years. When it was time to go off to college, Mom settled on the University of Georgia. Mom joined Delta Phi Epsilon sorority and then became a sweetheart at Alpha Epsilon Pi, where she met my Dad. They got married shortly after and had my oldest brother. While my Dad was in law school, my mom finished her Bachelor of Science in education. From there it was off to the big city of Atlanta. After my brother and I came along, Mom went back to teaching. She joined the staff at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, where she ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JULY 15, 2020 | 49

OBITUARIES

Ruth Weinkle 93, Atlanta

Ruth was the matriarch of a family that loved her dearly. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, was always accepting and unflappable. Ruth loved celebrating holidays and achievements. She was proud to be present at so many of those happy times, but her favorite was always bar and bat mitzvahs. She met her husband Leonard Weinkle on a blind date during a visit he made to her hometown of Chicago. They fell in love and Ruth followed him home to Georgia where they were married, built a home and started a business together. Her life was further enriched by her five children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Ruth was also a devoted, loving daughter to her parents as they aged. She found great joy in gardening, reading, needlepoint, traveling and making friends at her favorite local restaurants. Ruth was also known to carry dog treats for her four-legged friends at all times. Ruth will be remembered for her endless love, support, immense strength, advice, generosity and sharp humor. Her family is deeply grateful to her friends that became like family over the years. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Leonard Weinkle, parents Abraham and Mary Rogal, and daughter Carolyn Ferguson. Ruth is survived by her children Steve and Colleen Weinkle of Woodbine, Ga., Audrey Clayman, Doug Ferguson of Houston, Texas, Scott and Lorena Weinkle, David Weinkle and Michael Graham; grandchildren Melissa Backer of New York, Jeff and Jodi Weinkle, Robert and Tammy Clayman, Amy and Harrison Tabb, Lori and Dusty Cahill, Mark and Danielle Ferguson of Houston, Texas, Ellen Weinkle and Emily Weinkle: along with great-grandchildren Summer, Maya, Jordan, Dylan, Addie, Teddy, Elliot, Josh and William. In lieu of flowers, for those wishing to honor the life of Ruth Weinkle, the family would like to suggest contributions may be made to Jewish Family & Career Services, www.JFCSatl.org. Arrangements by Dresslerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. ĂŹ

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor & Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details.

50 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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CLOSING THOUGHTS Teachers and How to Manage Them After several months of distance learning, it’s easy to forget that teachers in face-to-face classroom situations must be handled respectfully and wisely. Chana Shapiro Therefore, I’m offering students, at no charge, strategies for dealing with four common pedagogic personalities. Teachers attend workshops to learn about different types of students. Let’s level the playing field. The Organizer In this classroom there is a place for everything, and everything has its place. Color-coded diagrams abound. Students pick up detailed printed assignments from a box near the door. A student chore rotation list is posted to the right of the teacher’s uncluttered desk. Labeling of shelves, nooks, cabinets and carts define each surface and area, designating its purpose. An analog clock and digital timer are mounted side-by-side above the pencil sharpener. Sample lesson: Using graph paper, plot the style and shoe size of six different people, designating a different color for each one. Extra credit: Compose a 30word paragraph about each shoe. Student strategy: Cover all books with sturdy, stain-resistant material. Keep extra erasers and disposable wipes at hand. Show the teacher a chart you maintain of time you spend on homework, computer games and sports. The Healer This class grows seven kinds of aloe on a table made from salvaged siding and tree stumps. Posters of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Nader, and Bill and Melissa Gates hang above a collection bin of wire hangers and a compost pail to which students bring their lunch scraps. All compositions and homework are written on both sides of the paper. Students learn in groups, which change weekly, and the class ends each day with a soulful rendition of “We Are the World.” Sample lesson: Students record the velocity and flight patterns of paper airplanes made from pages of their neighborhood newspapers. Extra credit: Use the newspapers to clean the classroom windows. Student strategy: Collect discarded

52 | JULY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Styrofoam and plastic water bottles. Show the class how to turn Styrofoam into super glue and use it to fix the wobbly legs of the plant stand. Then form a volunteer team to make watering cans from the bottles. The Motivator Every student is deemed a natural inventor, mathematician, artist, musician and poet, and it is this teacher’s calling to release these latent talents. Students take frequent virtual trips to museums, concerts and plays and then view YouTube interviews of artists and performers. Posters of Elon Musk, Alvin Ailey, Maya Angelou and Leonardo da Vinci hang above a 3D printer, hand mics and microscopes. Students write stories and poems and reproduce them in handbound portfolios and participate in ongoing chess and Parcheesi games. Students compose haiku and fold origami cranes, which the PTA sells to buy journals and harmonicas for the class. Sample lesson: Invent a new use for a shoe horn; name your creation and write a jingle to advertise it. Extra credit: Devise a five-minute TED talk about it. Student strategy: On the first day of school, bring in a musical video of your pet fish, and wear the pair of socks you knitted over the summer. The Sharer Every student knows the ins and outs of this educator’s life, including favorite restaurant, book, car, song and film, as well as how the teacher spent the weekend. For his birthday, students bake a cake and decorate the room to celebrate. Lessons ranging from math to history are usually expanded with the teacher’s personal anecdotes. His fiancée comes to meet the students and everyone weighs in on bands and honeymoon ideas. Sample lesson: Interview another student and write 200 words about her pet peeve. Then write 200 words advising her how to handle the situation. Extra credit: Present a mock “Dr. Phil” segment about the dilemma. Student strategy: Create note paper in this teacher’s favorite color with his first, middle, last, and nickname on it. Deliver it to his home, which the masked class visited over the summer to see his new pet dog. Dear student, even though this handbook sampler merely scratches the surface of teacher styles, I hope it helps. As they say, knowledge is power. ì

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