Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. 99 NO. 11, June 15, 2024

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CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

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DAVID OSTROWSKY

MARCIA CALLER JAFFE

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Cover Photo: Hannah Jones-Morris and Alex Swann share first kiss as husband and wife.

Adler Joins Etz Chaim as Assistant Rabbi

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim, welcomed Rabbi Jonathon Adler, who brings musical acumen and a somewhat unusual background in customer service.

Adler grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and attended Rice University in Houston, where he earned a BA in art and art history. He moved to New York City in 1998 where he worked as a concierge at the prestigious St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan until 2019. In 2005, he was awarded the Big Apple Star Award from the Hotel Association of New York City, given to the best hotel employee in the city.

Adler said, “People think that’s a really crazy transition, from hotel concierge to rabbi, but I think at the core, both professions are really about helping people. That’s what I love to do, and now I get to do it in an incredibly special and sacred way.”

Maybe it’s not coincidental that Adler landed in the South as his family roots from Rome, Ga., date back to the 1890s. His great-great grandfather, David Esserman, was the rabbi in the Rome congregation from 1898 (when he came over from the “old country”) until his death in 1917. Adler noted, “My grandfather was the synagogue president there. My mother was born in Rome and lived there until 1963, when she moved to Cincinnati.” Adler was raised in a culturally Jewish home and attended an Orthodox synagogue.

His interview process at Congregation Etz Chaim be-

gan with an introduction from a director of rabbinic placement from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Last May, the director informed Adler that a synagogue in Marietta was looking for an assistant rabbi.

Adler said, “We thought they might be willing to take an intern that they could then hire for a permanent position after ordination. I had a telephone meeting with the shul president, then a telephone meeting with Rabbi Dorsch, then I got the offer and accepted immediately.”

He came for his first visit on Shavuot, then visited a few more times over the summer, for the High Holidays, and then twice a month until Feb. 29, when he moved here.

When asked if he has had time to experience the city, he mused, “Honestly, finishing school and trying to set

up my house has been enough of a project. I haven’t had that much time to explore Atlanta. I’ve gone to a comedy club, Braves game, and a few performances by The Atlanta Opera, which have all been a lot of fun. I know the traffic can be terrible, but lucky for me, I don’t usually have to deal with it, since I live very close to the synagogue. I’m really enjoying the convergence of Jewish welcoming with Southern hospitality, while also loving that Atlanta is a really cosmopolitan city.”

Adler is a big fan of aquaria and is planning to join the Georgia Aquarium. He’s looking forward to exploring The Breman Museum and its Cuba Family Archives where there is a file from his family within that collection.

Another very meaningful connection is his previous internship during rabbinical school at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El, in Wynnewood, Penn., which is where Rabbi Dorsch grew up. As such, the pair both learned from Rabbi Neil Cooper there.

Rabbi Adler intends to use his other skills and adds, “Music is one of my areas of concentration, as well as pastoral work. I love giving sermons and teaching students of all ages. I’ll be co-teaching sixth grade in religious school here this coming year, as well as working on a project with post-B’nai mitzvah students where we’ll learn about the Civil Rights movement.”

On the personal side, Adler loves opera, performing arts, knitting, and needlepointing. He’s starting a “stitch and kvetch with the rabbi” in July. Adler has cats: Figaro, and Sir Isaac Newton (Yitzie), and noted, “They really like Chanukah candles, but they do not enjoy airplanes!”

Dorsch summarized, “It’s astonishing that every few weeks we meet a ‘new cousin’ in the congregation who is related to Rabbi Adler. His appointment to Etz Chaim is truly a joyous homecoming for the Jewish community in Georgia. He earned a master’s degree in sacred music, has a wonderful voice, and plays the piano.” ì

Rabbi Jonathon Adler, recently hired as assistant rabbi for Congregation Etz Chaim, holds a master’s degree in sacred music.

Temple Kol Emeth Hosts an Evening of Honor Gala

Temple Kol Emeth’s Avodah Awards event was an evening brimming with compassion, purpose, and a shared commitment to making a difference. Held on May 4 at Glover Park Brewery in Marietta, it was a showcase of the power of community coming together for a cause greater than themselves.

However, what truly made this fundraiser gala exceptional was the sense of unity and purpose that permeated the room. The Avodah Award honorees were Craig Aronoff, Byron Spanjer, and Pam Spanjer recognized for their common goal: to support Temple Kol Emeth in its mission to create a better tomorrow.

From the moment guests arrived, they were enveloped in an atmosphere of warmth and philanthropy. The venue was elegantly adorned, in classic New Orleans style, setting the stage for an unforgettable night ahead. Volunteers, led by Carolyn Shapiro and John Herbst, greeted attendees with genuine smiles, making everyone feel not only welcomed but also integral to the cause being supported.

The program for the evening thoughtfully blended moments of inspiration, education, and entertainment. Speakers shared moving stories about Craig, Byron, and Pam impacting and highlighting the tangible difference they have made at Temple Kol Emeth, in the community and in Jewish life.

Craig Aronoff, chair of Private Enterprise at Kennesaw State University, has been involved with the Marietta Kiwanis and served as the chair of a committee to bring mass transit to Cobb County. He has also served as a vice president of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and on the Atlanta Board of the

Anti-Defamation League. At Temple Kol Emeth, he has been a steadfast board member and fundraiser, having just cochaired a five-year effort to solicit $5 million to pay off the mortgage.

Pam and Byron Spanjer met at a PTA meeting at The Davis Academy, both having previously served in varied roles in the Jewish community -- Pam with Women’s American ORT and the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, as well as serving on the board of directors of Atlanta’s Jewish Educational Society; Byron served in the Peace Corps.

Pam and Byron have been immersed in Judaism their entire lives—Pam at Sha’areth Shomayim Synagogue; Byron at Temple B’nai Torah, a synagogue dedicated to the deaf community in Skokie, Ill. Together, they have dedicated the last 30 years in service to Temple Kol Emeth. They each have served on the board of directors and volunteered to participate at the Zaban Homeless Shelter and Habitat for Humanity. Pam chaired a prior Avodah Award Gala and Byron was one of the founders of the TKE Family Retreat and has taught at the TKE Religious School.

One of the highlights of the evening was the online auction, where guests had the opportunity to bid on a variety of exclusive items and experiences, all in the name of raising funds for a noble cause. It was heartening to witness individuals dig deep into their pockets, demonstrating their unwavering dedication to making a positive change in the world.

Throughout the night, guests were treated to live jazz music provided by Joe Grandsen and his band, and delicious food and beverages, further enhancing the overall experience. The attention to

detail in every aspect of the event, from the decor to the menu, was evident and greatly appreciated by all in attendance.

Temple Kol Emeth’s Avodah Awards Dinner was not just an event; it was a testament to the power of generosity and the capacity for positive change ex-

hibited by Craig Aronoff, Byron Spanjer and Pam Spanjer. It left a lasting impression on all who attended, inspiring them to continue supporting TKE’s vital work long after the night had ended. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

Temple Kol Emeth honored Craig Aronoff (right) with its Avodah Award for 2024.

TKE recognized Byron Spanjer and Pam Spanjer with Avodah Awards for their commitment to the synagogue and the greater Jewish community.

Jewish Woman Elected President of Mexico

By Bob Bahr

Mexico elected its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and the first Jewish person to ever hold that office. The presidential election, which was held June 2, was a landslide victory for the 61-year-old Sheinbaum, whose grandparents were Jewish immigrants to Mexico. Her father was the son of Lithuanian parents, who came to the country on a wave of Jewish immigration in the 1920s. Her mother was the daughter of Sephardic Jews who fled Bulgaria in the 1930s before the Holocaust.

In that respect, they mirrored the development of the Jewish community in the last hundred years which was built around immigrant populations with roots in the Jewish Ashkenazic populations of central and eastern Europe and the Sephardic communities of the Eastern Mediterranean. She succeeds outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a popular leader, who was constitutionally unable to succeed himself. In acknowledging her victory, she ac-

knowledged her own history.

“I do not arrive alone,” she said. “We all arrived, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our ancestors, our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters.”

For experts, like Dina Siegel Vann, a former leader of the Mexican Jewish community and the founding director of the American Jewish Committee’s Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, Sheinbaum’s election is an important sign of the growing political maturity of the Jewish community in Mexico.

Although there are only about 59,000 Jews in a population of 50 million, she believes Sheinbaum’s election is indicative of the influence of the community, which has developed a sense of self-importance that has been growing for the last 40 years.

“For a long time, the Jews felt they were really outsiders. They were minorities in many ways. But starting in 1988 there was a big change in Mexico. Society as being much more diverse in every way, and the Jewish community suddenly started

having a much stronger footing and began feeling much more self-confident.”

Sheinbaum’s family, which considered themselves cultural but not religious Jews, were both scientists and leftist in their political outlook. Her mother taught at Mexico City’s National University and Sheinbaum became active in the left-wing student movement at the school. She completed her PhD in energy engineering at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California and was part of a team that received a Nobel Prize for their work in climate science.

She was elected mayor of Mexico City in 2018 as a member of Obredor’s Morena Party, which over the last decade has become a powerhouse in Mexican politics. It’s the nation’s largest political party and Sheinbaum’s victory cements its role as an important force in hemispheric governance. Yet, despite her Jewish heritage, according to the AJC’s Siegel Vann, Sheinbaum has never spoken about her rise in a country where Jews are less than one percent of the population.

“I think it is quite telling that she never changed her last name. I’m glad she did, but why did she keep a name so blatantly Jewish You know, she’s never spoken about it, but I’m sure over a glass of wine, she can tell you a lot of stories about her rise in politics and in the left in Mexico and the difficulties of being Jewish,”

Sheinbaum takes over a country that has faced growing challenges from organized crime and the drug cartels that frequently have assassinated several po-

litical leaders.

Earlier this year, ProPublica, the American investigative online website, detailed what they described as “substantial evidence” by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that cocaine traffickers had made $2 million in political contributions to López Obrador, the outgoing president and Sheinbaum’s political mentor. In response, the Mexican President demanded an apology from President Joe Biden.

Latin American political affairs are one of the important topics the American Jewish Committee took up during its Global Forum from June 9-11 in Washington, D.C. Attending the conference were 150 participants from Atlanta and AJC Southeast region.

On the agenda was a closed-door meeting with the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and a roundtable discussion about the important trilateral issues facing the United States, Israel, and the countries of Latin America. Also scheduled was a remembrance of the 30th anniversary of the devastating terrorist attack in Argentina on the Jewish community’s headquarters in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and injured 300.

The agenda was one indication, according to Dina Siegel Vann, of the growing importance of both Mexico and elsewhere in the region.

“Latin America cannot be an afterthought, It’s our neighborhood. And whatever happens in Latin America affects us all. And we are, you know, we are dependent one and the other.” ì

Claudia Sheinbaum is the first Jewish woman to be elected president of a major nation of almost 60 million persons //

Photo Credit: Times of Israel/AFP

Dina Siegel Vann is the American Jewish Committee’s Latin Affairs expert.

Teachers

O F T H E Y E A R

The Jewish Education Collaborative congratulates the recipients of the 2024 Sylvia Newman Memorial Teachers of the Year Award

We also honor all our O U T S T A N D I N G E D U C A T O R S

i n s u p p l e m e n t a l

J e w i s h e d u c a t i o n

Dodie Sachs

Congregation

Beth Shalom

Congregation

Bet Haverim

Scan for Available Teaching Opportunities Jessica Brown

Introducing The White Rose Society

By Sasha Heller

Everyone enjoys a little nachas

This holds true especially if you’re expressing it for someone who has made a positive impact in the local Jewish community … and this is the goal of The

White Rose Society.

Founded by a group of representatives from local congregations, foundations, and nonprofit organizations soon after the attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, the Society aims to spotlight individuals, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who have

supported the local Jewish community in various ways.

Linda Selig, representing the Society, said that after the Hamas attacks and successive spike in antisemitism and Jewish hate on college campuses, the Jewish community felt isolated, frightened, and alone.

“Yet, there have been non-Jewish people who have had the moral courage to stand with the Jewish people,” Selig said. “Just as the Righteous Among the Nations are honored at Yad Vashem for their heroic acts to save Jewish lives, so are we inspired to recognize the brave individuals who are standing with the Jewish people in these perilous times.”

The name, The White Rose Society, pays homage to the White Rose, a nonJewish resistance group founded by nonJewish students at the University of Munich in 1942.

“In those most perilous of times, the group took an audacious and heroic stand against injustices toward the Jewish people during World War II,” Selig said. “The White Rose called on their fellow students and the German public to take action and decry Nazi crimes and resist the Nazi state. The legacy of the White Rose reminds us to break the silence and boldly stand up for freedom and against evil and prejudice anywhere.”

Selig continued sharing that the Society honors individuals who “have become beacons of hope for the Jewish people,” as the group works to foster unity among all who are “willing to stand on the right side of history.”

As part of the recognition, the individual is gifted a crystal white rose and a beautiful card that reads: We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support for the Jewish people during these

challenging times. Your words and actions show your courage and your commitment to defending our shared values. You serve as a powerful example for others. With great appreciation, The White Rose Society. The Society aims to spotlight those serving at all levels in the community, from politicians and executives to schoolteachers and artisans. Recipients range from governors, mayors and elected officials to small business owners, co-workers, neighbors, police chiefs and students.

Previous recipients include:

* Leah Aldridge, founder of Women Leading Right, who is establishing a group called Better Together to build close ties between Christian and Jewish women;

* Bert Ellis, Board of Visitors at The University of Virginia, has courageously asked repeatedly for action to protect the Jewish students on campus. Since receiving his rose, Ellis has redoubled his efforts and issued impactful press releases to raise public awareness;

* Erin Gray, owner of Grayce Yoga in Charleston, S.C., has had a blackboard type sign in front of her studio that reads, “Day #220, Bring Them Home,” and features a Jewish star. Despite incidents of vandalism, she has updated the number of days at war every single day.

Other notable recipients include Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, Ernest Greer, Co-President of Greenberg Traurig, Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, and Brian Davis, Community Security Director for Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

For a complete list of recipients and for more information, including interviews with past honorees, please visit TheWhiteRoseSociety.com. ì

The White Rose Society pays homage to the White Rose, a non-Jewish resistance group founded by non-Jewish students at the University of Munich in 1942.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul was honored by The White Rose Society for his continued support of the Jewish community.

The White Rose Society honored Brian Davis, Community Security Director for Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, for serving on the frontlines in keeping the local Jewish community safe.

Erin Gray, owner of Grayce Yoga in Charleston, S.C., was recognized by The White Rose Society for raising awareness of the hostage crisis in Gaza.

Food That Rocks & Drink Fest at City Springs

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Food That Rocks, presented by Taste of Atlanta, returned for its ninth year on Thursday night, June 6. As a one-ofa-kind food and drink festival, it showcased Sandy Springs’ diverse restaurant scene for this one night at City Springs and brought in more than 25 of the area’s best restaurants and top chefs together for the ultimate “EATertainment” experience.

Food That Rocks was an evening of unlimited tastes, beverage tastings, decadent desserts, and live music by Oxford Soul. Over 1000 attended, some stood in line a bit to enter, but crowd control and security flowed well, as the grounds layout was spacious and the food was easy to access. Rain or shine, the event staff took a sigh of relief when that day’s scattered showers turned to calm skies and temperate breezes like a night at the piazza.

VIP ticket holders got early access from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., a special welcome cocktail and a VIP “Gotta Have It” swag bag. As a “Party with a Purpose,”

Food That Rocks partnered with the Community Assistance Center (CAC), The Giving Kitchen, and Second Helpings Atlanta to support local charitable initiatives. Attendees were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to win a culinary prize package, with immediate needs including rice, spaghetti, dry beans, and canned meats.

The festival is about more than just food and libations. Publix handed out lime green coozies, portable fans, and ice-cold smart water. A popular resting spot was with Jaron Solomon, Solomon Brothers Jewelers, who had two assistants courtesy cleaning rings and such, where diamonds came out sparkling. Solomon said, “We have been a part

of FTR for the past seven years. This is our community, and we love being here.”  Solomon Brothers recently expanded to Sharpsburg (Coweta County) in addition to its Buckhead and Alpharetta stores.

Tre Vele had a clever presentation around a Parmesan cheese wheel which is displayed at the restaurant and takes

Dr. Ben Tyber indulged in a DaVinci donut.

“Foodie” Amy Arno enjoyed the fare with Shawn and Alisa Winters

Dale DeSena, Founder & CEO, Taste of Atlanta

credit for starting the wheel trend. Zambawango beat the heat by serving sugar free yogurt push up popsicles.

Guests were asked to vote on their favs as “best taste.” One drink tasting took home the “best beverage” award; one sweet treat won “best dessert;” and all will go down as this year’s Food That Rocks crowd-selected favorites.

Dale DeSena, Founder & CEO, Taste of Atlanta, concluded, “Food That Rocks presented by Taste of Atlanta had Sandy Springs rockin’ another year! We are so proud to showcase the many fantastic restaurants in this community. I look forward to this event every year as we love to support Community Assistance Center, Giving Kitchen, and Second Helpings Atlanta, who got their start in Sandy Springs. “

Food That Rocks is presented by Taste of Atlanta in partnership with the City of Sandy Springs and Visit Sandy Springs. The next Taste event is in Alpharetta at Avalon. ì

Participating Restaurants:

Banana Leaf Thai Bar

Baraonda

Breadwinner Café

Buttermilk Sky Pie

Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café

City Bar

City BBQ

Crave Well Café

Cubano’s ATL

Da Vinci’s Donuts

Genki Noodles & Sushi

Gus’ World-Famous Fried Chicken

Hearth Pizza Tavern

Henri’s Bakery

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

il Giallo Osteria & Bar

McDaniel’s QN2

NaanStop

Nothing Bundt Cake

The Select

Southern Bistro

Taco Mac

Thos. O’ Reilly’s

Tre Vele

Under the Cork Tree

Yalda

Zambawango

Zanzi Bar

Award Winners

Best Taste — City BBQ

Best Dessert — Henri’s Bakery

Best Beverage — Aviation Gin

ENJOY

OF TAKE IN THE RAYS. SPOT FISH YOU HAVEN’T SEEN. GET SPLASHED BY DOLPHINS.

A WHOLE

SUMMER NEW

Israel Simplifies Entry Process While Visiting Country

Beginning with a pilot phase on June 1, travelers from the United States and Germany can apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA-IL), which will speed up online confirmations and allow for a simplified, stress-free, entry process through electronic check-in machines when visiting Israel. Travelers from all Visa-exempt countries will be able to take advantage of the pilot program starting July 1, and on Aug. 1, 2024, it will officially

Today in Israeli History

Minister Moshe Sharett speaks to reporters after the signing of Israel’s armistice with Egypt on Feb. 24, 1949. // Israeli National Photo Collection, CC BY-SA 3.0

June 15, 1949: Speaking to the Knesset after armistice agreements have been signed with Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett says Israel intends to keep the territory gained during its War of Independence.

June 16, 1933: Two men fatally shoot the Jewish Agency’s Haim Arlosoroff, who has just returned from arranging Jewish emigration from Germany, on the beach in Tel Aviv. The crime is never solved.

June 17, 1939: The MS St. Louis completes its recrossing of the Atlantic to Europe after all but 28 of the 938 Jewish refugees on board are denied admission to Cuba or the United States. Hundreds are killed in the Holocaust.

June 18, 1890: Avraham Granovsky (Granot after making aliyah in 1922) is born in Moldova. For the Jewish National Fund, he leads the purchase of thousands of dunams (quarter-acres) of land, helping define Israel’s borders.

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

be instituted as the new entry protocol for all incoming travelers from Visa-exempt countries.

Once approved, travelers will be able to stay in Israel for up to 90 days, with the approval remaining valid for up to two years, or until their passport expires. During the pilot phase between June 1 to July 31, the application fee will be waived. Beginning on Aug. 1, the application fee will be ~$7 USD. Applications for the ETA-IL can be made at israel-entry.piba. gov.il/.

“As a tech-forward county, streamlining the entry process with the new online ETA-IL application is a natural progression, and will allow for smoother arrivals and more time for travelers to enjoy all Israel has to offer,” said Eyal Carlin, commissioner of tourism to North America, Israel Ministry of Tourism.

For more information about Israel’s tourism offerings, visit israel.travel.

Compiled by AJT Staff

June 19, 1983: Knesset member Simha Erlich, the deputy prime minister in Israel’s first two Likud-led governments, dies. As finance minister, he tried to free the economy from government controls, but inflation soared.

June 20, 1948: The Irgun’s Altalena cargo ship reaches the coast at Kfar Vitkin with 900 immigrants and weapons. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion demands the surrender of the arms, then orders the ship sunk June 22.

Eliahu Eilat presents a Torah to President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 26, 1949. // Truman Presidential Library

June 21, 1990: Eliahu Eilat, who played a key part in winning President Harry Truman’s U.S. recognition of Israel in May 1948 and served as Israel’s first ambassador to the United States, dies in Jerusalem at age 86.

June 22, 1939: Biochemist Ada Yonath is born in Jerusalem. She shares the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering the threedimensional structure of two subunits of ribosomes, which make proteins in cells.

NIL Acquires Rare 15th Century Manuscript

The National Library of Israel announced the acquisition of a profoundly important and one-of-a-kind manuscript to its renowned Judaica collection. This exceptional treatise, “Mezukak Shivatayim,” whose title means “Distilled Sevenfold” -- is an encyclopedic work that “distills” and blends halacha, theology, Aristotelian and medieval philosophy, and is one of those few rare books representing the now lost Jewish community

June 23, 2011: Orna Barbivai is promoted to major general, the first woman to hold the second-highest rank in the Israel Defense Forces. The 30-year IDF veteran and mother of three heads the Personnel Directorate.

June 24, 2007: The Israel Baseball League launches with a 9-1 win by the Modi’in Miracle over the Petach Tikvah Pioneers in front of more than 3,000 fans. The six-team professional league folds after one season.

June 25, 2006: Hamas militants entering Israel through a tunnel from Gaza disable a tank on patrol, kill two soldiers and capture a third, Gilad Shalit. Shalit isn’t released until Oct. 18, 2011, in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, including Yahya Sinwar.

Republican presidential nominee

Thomas Dewey’s support for a Jewish state pushed both political parties to support Zionism in their 1944 national platforms.

June 26, 1944: The Republican National Convention follows the lead of its presidential nominee, Thomas Dewey, and for the first time in its platform supports the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. The Democrats take a similar step in July.

“Mezukak Shivatayim,” a rare manuscript with an unpublished commentary on Maimonides’ Code of Jewish Law [Mishneh Torah] written in Provence by the 14th century scholar Rabbi Joseph ben Shaul Kimhi // Photo Courtesy of National Library of Israel

of Provence and its unique way of life. This rare item was acquired thanks to the generosity of The William Davidson Foundation, The Krauss Family Charitable Trust, Sid Lapidus, and the Zukier Family.

“Mezukak Shivatayim” includes a commentary on seven out of the 14 books of Maimonides’ “Mishneh Torah.” The manuscript was copied in Provence, apparently right after the lifetime of the author, Rabbi Yosef Kimchi.

Compiled by AJT Staff

June 27, 1967: After capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan during the war in early June, Israel annexes that area and some surrounding West Bank land — a total of 27 square miles — into an expanded, unified Jerusalem municipality.

June 28, 1919: The Republic of Poland, reconstituted as an independent state after World War I, adopts its Minorities Treaty, which, in addition to general assurances, specifically mentions cultural and civil liberties for Jews.

Palestine

A British “wanted” poster from the 1940s features Jewish resistance fighters.

June 29, 1946: The British military launches Operation Agatha, two weeks of raids against Jewish resistance fighters, on a day that comes to be known as Black Sabbath. Some 2,700 Jews are arrested.

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

Beginning June 1, travelers to Israel from the United States and Germany can apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization.

Foreign

British

Police Force Archive

KKL-JNF Releases Trove of Archived Photos

In celebration of Jerusalem Day, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund unveiled a treasure trove of rare archival photos, offering a glimpse into the historic battles that liberated the city during the War of Independence.

Amidst the backdrop of the ongoing Iron Swords War, KKL-JNF’s release of these previously unseen images adds a poignant dimension to the festivities, reminding us of Jerusalem’s enduring significance and the sacrifices made to secure its freedom.

The UN partition plan originally earmarked Jerusalem, alongside Bethlehem, as a separate entity under international administration. However, the eruption of the War of Independence saw both Jewish and Arab forces vying for control over the holy city, disregarding international mandates.

In the ensuing conflict, the streets of Jerusalem became a battleground, witnessing fierce engagements between the Israel Defense Forces and a coalition of opposing forces, including Jordanian and

Egyptian troops, Arab volunteers, and British allies.

KKL-JNF’s collection showcases pivotal moments from this tumultuous period, capturing the raw emotion and heroism of soldiers as they liberated key neighborhoods, such as Katamon, and secured strategic positions like the British police building.

While the IDF liberated Arab neighborhoods in the west and center of the city, the historic Jewish Quarter in East Jerusalem fell to the Jordanian Legion.

Jerusalem remained divided between Israel and Jordan from the armistice agreement in April 1949 until the Six-Day War.

Efrat Sinai, director of archives at KKL-JNF, reflects on the significance of these images: “As we commemorate Jerusalem’s 57th reunification anniversary, these photos serve as powerful testaments to the resilience of our people and the indomitable spirit that has defined our city throughout history.” ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

The British police building in Jerusalem falls into the hands of the Jews, 1948 // Photo Credit: Lazer Doner, KKL-JNF Archive

Katamon neighborhood in our hands, 1948 // Photo Credit: Lazer Doner, KKL-JNF Archive Jerusalem youth crossing the Arab barbed wire checkpoint in the Katamon neighborhood after its occupation // Photo Credit: Rudolf Jonas, KKL-JNF Archive

Accompanying the supply convoys to Jerusalem // Photo Credit: Edgar Hirschbein, KKL-JNF Archive

Jerusalem residents thirsty for news, 1948 // Photo Credit; Edgar Hirschbein, KKL-JNF Archive The National Library Building, Jerusalem 1935 // Photo Credit: Zoltan Kluger, KKL-JNF Archive

Former Jewish Braves Enjoying Success

David Ostrowsky

Amidst the Atlanta Braves’ impressive run this decade, the franchise has boasted several Jewish ballplayers – something very few other big-league clubs can lay claim to. While only one (Max Fried) currently remains, the three who have departed (outfielders Kevin Pillar and Joc Pederson, pitcher Jared Shuster) continue to represent the Jewish community well with bounce-back seasons. It’s also quite possible that, at least concerning Pillar and Pederson, the Braves haven’t seen the last of the veteran sluggers.

Last year, as the Braves’ lineup was taking Major League Baseball by storm, the journeyman Pillar was limited to a part-time role in which he was deployed mainly against southpaws. After he hit .228 with nine homers and 32 RBI, the Braves opted not to bring back Pillar, who subsequently signed with the Chicago White Sox. Earlier in the spring, it looked like Chicago would be his final big-league stop: at the close of April, the 35-year-old was hitting .160 and released by the White Sox (owners of the worst record in baseball) for the second time in nearly a month.

Yet, Pillar, merely 17 base knocks shy of 1,000 career hits and two months shy of 10 years of big-league service that guarantees a full pension in retirement, wanted one more crack at reviving his career. Coincidentally, the Los Angeles Angels, a ballclub perpetually deficient in organizational depth, found themselves in need of a spare outfielder when star Mike Trout landed on the injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee and reached out to Pillar, who grew up in nearby West Hills, Calif.

Little did the Angels know that Pillar would emerge as their most productive hitter in May and swing one of the hottest bats in all of baseball. Playing for former Braves’ third-base coach Ron Washington, Pillar exploded for one 21game stretch in which he hit .389 with five homers and 21 RBIs.

“Do I think I’m capable of doing great things in this game? Absolutely,” Pillar recently told Sam Blum of The Athletic. “You just never know when this game is going to say your time is up.

After an up-and-down rookie season in

a

“I’m playing every day not knowing when it could be my last at-bat. Or last time playing center field. Or last opportunity to get into a game.”

Pillar, a 12-year veteran who’s been with nine different organizations since 2019, has a chance to represent the Halos at next month’s All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. With Los Angeles well out of postseason contention, Pillar’s name will surely get bandied around as the trade deadline approaches. The Braves would seem to be a logical suitor as they are down a big bat after Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending knee injury.

Meanwhile, as Pillar was scuffling on the South Side of Chicago in dreary early-season April weather before undergoing his late-career renaissance with the Angels, Shuster, his teammate for the second straight year, was establishing himself as an effective middle reliever for the White Sox.

Back in November, Chicago acquired the lefty hurler, along with several other players, in exchange for reliever Aaron

Bummer. Coming off a rookie season with the Braves in which he did not live up to the lofty expectations befitting a former first-round draft pick (he went 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA over 11 starts in multiple big-league stints), Shuster started this year in Triple-A Charlotte before being promoted to Chicago the second week of the season.

Thus far, Shuster, who only a year ago was one of Atlanta’s premier prospects, has not returned to the minors this spring as his ERA has consistently hovered around 3.00 while he’s only surrendered one homer. Shuster has also not returned to his preferred starting role, although there’s no telling if that will change for a stumbling White Sox team likely to unload veterans next month.

Over in the National League, Pederson’s veteran bat has been one of the bright spots for an Arizona Diamondbacks team that hardly resembles last year’s NL pennant-winning edition. In late January, when the D-backs inked Pederson to a one-year deal that carried

with it a mutual option for 2025, the reigning NL champs didn’t know which ballplayer they would be getting – the 2022 Joc Pederson that clubbed 23 homers for the San Francisco Giants or last year’s version, which represented a fairly significant drop-off in production.

So far, it’s been the former, as the 32-year-old DH who endeared himself to Braves fans in 2021 with his ubiquitous pearl necklace and three postseason homers, has hit over .300 this spring while staying on pace for 20 homers. Like Pillar, Pederson is not an everyday player as he’s been used nearly exclusively against right-handed pitching, either as a starting DH (defense has never been his strong suit) or as a pinch-hitter.

Also, like Pillar, Pederson, a two-time world champion who in 2020 earned the nickname “Joctober” after he hit .382 with two home runs and eight RBIs during the Dodgers’ World Series run, could be targeted by the Braves in the coming weeks to shore up their lineup in pursuit of a seventh consecutive NL East crown. ì

Atlanta, young pitcher Jared Shuster has carved out

critical bullpen role for the White Sox this year // Photo Credit: Atlanta Braves

Last month, there weren’t many hitters hotter than Kevin Pillar, now of the Los Angeles Angels // Photo Credit: Los Angeles Angels

Now in his third NL West team this decade, veteran DH Joc Pederson has reminded baseball fans that he still has a lethal bat // Photo Credit: Arizona Diamondbacks Social Media

New Sports Books for Jewish Dads

By David Ostrowsky

The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw & The Burden of Greatness

By Andy McCullough

Andy McCullough, senior writer at The Athletic and former baseball scribe for the Los Angeles Times, published his first book last month, “The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw & The Burden of Greatness.” Readers will hope that for McCullough, who’s married to Stephanie Apstein, an accomplished baseball writer in her own right, this first-ever biography of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw isn’t the last of his books.

“The Last of His Kind” is an extremely well-written account of the gifted Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander, perhaps the greatest pitcher of the 2010s, whose indomitable career has drawn comparisons to that of Sandy Koufax -- a notoriously reticent individual, Koufax was interviewed briefly for this work – and whose slender physique and devastating curveball spark thoughts of Max Fried.

Unlike many subjects of sports biographies, Kershaw, who was tutored at the beginning of his career by an aging Greg Maddux, willingly participated in this book project. His sincere involvement – as well as that of more than 200 of his friends, teammates, opponents, and coaches – results in a candid and exhaustive look into the life and times of the three-time Cy Young Award winner and the first pitcher to win National League MVP since Bob Gibson. As McCullough details, financial insecurity and the divorce of his parents (following the separation, his father was often not present) largely tainted Kershaw’s Texas upbringing, even as he was establishing himself as one of the state’s most ballyhooed pitching prospects in generations, one who, coincidentally, went to high school with future NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford.

As baseball fans well know, the burden which Kershaw carries with him to this day is a well-documented trail of postseason struggles. Sans his stout 2020 World Series performance, October has repeatedly haunted Kershaw throughout

his brilliant career as his annual shortcomings in the season’s most important month have largely defined his legacy. With 210 career wins to his name, Kershaw, now 36 and expected to return soon from left shoulder surgery, will likely not reach the ever-elusive 300-win club but should have further opportunities to exorcise his postseason demons and rewrite the unfortunate narrative of choking when the stakes are the highest.

While Kershaw’s “burden” is poignantly chronicled (as well as his textbook pitching mechanics down to the most minute detail), readers may still struggle to understand how Kershaw deserves to be referred to as “the last of his kind.” An ultra-fierce competitor who’s weathered his fair share of physical torment and emotional setbacks on his way to Cooperstown, Kershaw may be an inspiring figure – but the question needs to be asked: does that make him unique?

When the Game Was War: The NBA’s Greatest Season

By Rich Cohen

sports icon, Red Auerbach.

Every NBA season has its dramatic moments, intriguing plotlines, breathtaking feats. It can be equal parts fun and maddening to label one season as the “greatest.” But in “When the Game Was War: The NBA’s Greatest Season,” New York Times bestselling author Rich Cohen makes a compelling case that the 1987-88 season fits that mantle.

Cohen, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, does not give a game-by-game account of what transpired on NBA courts over 35 years ago. Instead, readers are taken on a rollicking journey through late 1980s pro basketball, when the game had just been rescued by the dynamic Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rivalry and emerging stardom of Michael Jordan. Actually, Cohen doesn’t even delve into 1987-88 until a couple chapters into his highly entertaining look back at this signature season; initially he chronicles the backstory of the characters and legacy teams, including the Boston Celtics, whose 1980s dynasty was engineered by the late Jewish

As Cohen lays out, the 1987-88 campaign, during which the Detroit Pistons fell just short of dethroning the Showtime Lakers in an epic NBA Finals showdown (this series is chronicled in close detail), wasn’t just memorable for the star power of Magic, Larry, Jordan and Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, whose friendship/bitter rivalry with Magic could be its own book; it was a banner year because of the on-court brutal, punishing clashes between teams, in particular the Bulls (Charles Oakley, Horace Grant) and Pistons (Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, John Salley), that are no longer a staple of the NBA. (Hence, the titular reference to “war.”) The same can be said for the settings of the hardwood duels, those now long-defunct mythical arenas of yesteryear – Boston Garden, Chicago Stadium, Omni Coliseum to name a few – that are brought back to life here and essentially become characters themselves. Yes, the Omni gets a shout-out, as do Dominique Wilkins and the rest of the Mike Fratello-coached Hawks who reeled off a 50-32 regular season before getting upended by the Larry Bird Celtics in a thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference semifinals series.

At the end of his 200-plus page account of what made 1987-88 such a magnificent year, perhaps the most magnificent, Cohen allows the reader to compare that iconic season of a now bygone era with more recent memorable ones (199596, 2007-08, 2015-16). After taking a journey back in time to 1987-88, it’s hard to imagine any other season in the league’s history being more exhilarating.

Team of Destiny: Walter Johnson, Clark Griffith, Bucky Harris, and the 1924 Washington Senators By Gary Sarnoff

the Senators, behind Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson (who finally got to compete for a winning squad) and second baseman/newly hired, 27-year-old manager Bucky Harris, rebounded from a mediocre 1923 season to capture the American League pennant --  and an entire city’s attention -- before edging the heavily favored New York Giants in the Fall Classic.

Not many baseball fans are familiar with the Senators, who in 1960 would move to Minnesota, where they would morph into the Twins. Even fewer were around for the magical 1924 season, which is why author Gary Sarnoff, who specializes in early 20th century baseball history, took advantage of the 100-year anniversary to commemorate the improbable feat in his new book, “Team of Destiny: Walter Johnson, Clark Griffith, Bucky Harris, and the 1924 Washington Senators.” Given the Roaring Twenties timeframe, there are naturally no personal accounts from those who played, followed, or covered this unlikely world championship team. But the twists and turns of the Senators’ first World Serieswinning campaign – and the sheer brilliance of what was supposed to be Johnson’s final season, but ultimately wasn’t -- are depicted in vivid detail thanks to reports from a myriad of newspapers (Washington Herald, Washington Times, New York Times) and notable baseball history books among other secondary sources.

Habitually every season in the early 1900s, the Senators were an embarrassingly inept team, prompting famed sportswriter Charley Dryden to joke: “Washington: First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” Except that is in 1924, when baseball was America’s most beloved sport and

On another level, for fans of current teams grossly underperforming (or having solid seasons but trailing their divisional rivals by a healthy margin), "Team of Destiny" serves as a reminder that there’s a lot of baseball to be played between now and October. After all, in mid-June 1924, the Senators had fallen to 24-26 and were mired in sixth place in the AL standings before cranking out a nine-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep of Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees. Soon enough, hordes of fans would rush outside D.C. newspaper buildings to get updates on electronic scoreboards while President Calvin Coolidge would sit among the masses in a box seat at oldtimey Griffith Stadium to root on the locals. After absorbing these anecdotes, which are sprinkled throughout the exhaustively researched game-by-game summaries, readers can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia for 1924 America, a time when baseball was king. ì

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OPINION

War Prompts Arguments and Questions

On one of the Jewish listservs and social media pages that I follow, readers were cautioned that anything less than active support of the Palestinians in Gaza might render them “moral failures.”

That did not sit well with everyone. One of those who objected did so in mocking language, while at the same time rejecting what they considered an “ad hominem” attack on their character.

The back-and-forth grew heated, focusing more on the tone of the discourse than the accuracy and context of information offered in the original post.

After a while, the boiling pot was reduced to a simmer, as cooler heads pleaded that everyone try to be kinder to each other when discussing Israel and its war against Hamas in Gaza.

A reminder of what sparked the current war: On Oct. 7, now referred to by Israelis as the “Black Sabbath,” Hamas-led terrorists murdered 1,200 people and took 240 more hostage from kibbutzim, towns, and a desert music festival in a section of southern Israel known as the “Gaza envelope.” Additionally, more than 3,000 rockets were fired toward Israel from Gaza that day.

Estimates of the death toll from Israel’s retaliation range from more than 23,000 by the end of May, per an analysis by the Associated Press, to the nearly 37,000 claimed by the Gaza Ministry of Health, an arm of the Hamas government that has ruled the Gaza strip since 2007.

The tactics employed by the Israel Defense Forces, including its use of weapons provided by the United States, have been found wanting in the global court of public opinion, but defended by the Israeli military.

A not so simple question: What (else) should Israel have done in response to the unprecedented bloodletting on Oct. 7?

Surely Hamas anticipated that Israel would respond in overwhelming fashion, and yet was willing, in the name of the Palestinian people, to accept a staggering casualty count, the displacement of 1.7 million Gazans, the destruction of perhaps twothirds of the housing stock, and an escalating humanitarian crisis.

Regardless of your feelings about the status quo on Oct. 6 — and there is much worth

discussing — absent the terror attacks on Oct. 7 thousands of Palestinians would be alive and the Gaza strip would not lie in rubble.

Israel administered the punishment, but how does Hamas justify this to the people of Gaza?

I am writing this column on June 7 — day 246 — hours after the Israel Defense Forces announced the rescue of four hostages in a combat operation involving simultaneous raids on two apartment blocks in central Gaza, where the hostages report having been held captive in civilian homes.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported 274 deaths in the raids that freed four hostages kidnapped at gunpoint eight months earlier. Israeli joy at their return was tempered by awareness that 120 hostages remain, two-thirds of whom the Israeli government believe are dead.

Israelis have openly debated whether bringing home the hostages should be their government’s top priority or whether eradicating Hamas should take precedence — even at the risk of the hostages’ lives.

I don’t expect this to happen, but if Hamas freed all of the hostages still alive and returned the bodies of those dead, I suspect that Israel would face intense international pressure to halt the war — even if vestiges of the Hamas leadership and its fighting force remained.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, faces calls to resign as a consequence of intelligence and military failures that allowed Oct. 7 to happen. There is precedent: Prime Minister Golda Meir resigned in April 1974, after the National Commission of Inquiry issued its report on intelligence and military failures leading up to the October 1973 Yom Kippur war. The Netanyahu government thus far has rebuffed calls to empower a similar inquiry.

Speaking recently in Atlanta, Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg, associate director in Israel of the New Israel Fund, said that Oct. 7 “exposed gaps and challenges that already existed in Israeli society.”

The same could be said of America’s Jewish community, which has splintered further over Israel and the war. We have contentious conversations, such as the exchange described above, because each of us comes to this emotion-laden subject with viewpoints formed by our individual backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs.

After this war, I expect there to be discussion about repairing rifts in the Jewish community, but the fissures that have opened since Oct. 7 may already have become permanent parts of the landscape. ì

Dave Schechter From Where I Sit

STYLE

Jewish Atlanta ’ s Stylish Simchas and Celebrations

SUMMER SIMCHAS

Jones-Morris, Swann Chose Coastal Venue

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

On April 6, 2024, Hannah JonesMorris and Alex Swann chose the mossy charm of South Carolina for their wedding with 150 guests.

Hannah shared, “We picked Charleston since it has been the place where our love has blossomed. We wanted everyone to fall in love with the city that is so special and meaningful to us. We chose our venue specifically because if we were going to drag everyone out to Charleston, they must see a beautiful Charleston sunset on the water.”

Interestingly, the couple waited to read their vows and signed the marriage license in private on the 20th of April, as that date had a more special meaning for them.

Swann works in home automation using his passion for helping people integrate home technology -- ultimately making their lives more convenient. Hannah will start cosmetology school in July and plans on executing a career switch to become a hair stylist and nail technician.

The couple met through mutual friends during COVID. Hannah’s friend invited her to Alex’s lake house for a boat day, and “the rest was history.” They dated for 3 ½ years before tying the knot. The proposal was at White Point Gardens in downtown Charleston Harbor.

Hannah worked with wedding planner Carri Tanner at Mac & B events, but also operated independently to execute her vision and details. With Alex’s help and many of the bridesmaids, they did

their own signage and crafted much of the decor. They chose their sisters, Lydia Morris and Fiona Swann, to be their officiants for their special day.

Hannah said, “We wanted our ceremony to include both Jewish and Christian traditions, so we picked two very important people to help bring together our families’ rituals and beliefs as we become one.”

They also signed their ketubah and had Belinda Morris, Hannah’s stepmom, and Gil Bubis, Hannah’s godfather, as witnesses.

For the wedding meal, they served vertical root greens tossed in a strawberry honey vinaigrette with a she-crab shooter.

Alex said, “She crab soup is a Charleston staple, so it was a ‘must,’ and I love strawberry dressing, but no one ever serves it, so we were very excited about this meal.”

The entree was pan-seared salmon or center cut filet served with fingerling potatoes and haricot verts. The wedding cake was strawberry pound cake with vanilla almond icing. The groom’s cake was a marble, gluten-free cake with a fun topper. There was also a gelato station. For music, the couple chose a DJ and string trio. The violinist played a variety of songs from artists like Ke$ha and My Chemical Romance, as the couple loves ‘90s/Y2K music. The first dance was to “Forever After All" by Luke Combs. The couple decided to do their father/ daughter and mother/son dance together to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. Alex’s parents are Giselle and Nils Swann.

Hannah’s dress was from White Magnolia in Atlanta, and she opted to

The couple during their wedding ceremony // All Photos by Sean and Elizabeth Money

“say ‘yes’ to the dress” with all bridesmaids and mother (Jennifer Jones) present. The designer was Ines Di Santos and Hannah customized it by adding a layer of sparkles. The gown was complemented by knee-high sequin boots by Sarah Jessica Parker, a tribute to Hannah’s favorite show, “Sex and the City.” The groom’s tux was in his favorite shade of blue by Tom James Company. The attendants dressed in a pastel and floral color palette of their choice.

The flowers were by Bearded Florist in the pastel theme. Hannah requested “exotic and funky” flowers mixed with

disco balls, and the florist ran with these concepts.

Immediately after the wedding, the couple embarked on a European cruise to Barcelona, Malta, Capri, Rome, Marseille, Taormina, and Naples.

Their dog, Clover, a golden retriever, is a therapy dog.

Father of the bride, Atlanta Jewish Times Owner and Publisher, Michael Morris, shared, “My daughter looked beautiful, and my new son-in-law, quite debonair. Their wedding was literally picture perfect, and I am so excited that they will now begin a life together.” ì

About Each Other

Hannah: I like that Alex can do anything and fixes absolutely everything I break with a smile, whether it’s a computer, our house, or Dyson hair dryer. Alex: I like Hannah’s high energy and positive attitude. She keeps a smile on my face and somehow manages to make me laugh even when I’m upset. She’s my world, the force that keeps my universe spinning.

The bride chose rainbow-colored pajamas for each of her bridesmaids. (From left) Alexandra Bull, Lydia Morris, Fiona Swann, Emily Orenstein, bride, Kassidy Nelson, Jacqueline Morris, Alyssa Sherman, and junior bridesmaid, Brylee Williamson.

The newlyweds’ head table was vibrant and unique, featuring mismatched goblet glasses, colorful candles, and bright florals.

The couple posed in front of a vintage Volkswagen bus from Lowcountry Valet.

The newlyweds’ family: (from left) Jacqueline Morris, Michael Morris, Lydia Morris, Gil Bubis, Jennifer Jones (mother of bride), Nils Swann (father of groom), bride, groom, Giselle Swann (mother of groom), Larsen Swann, Alexandra Bull, and Fiona Swann

The bride’s gown was from The White Magnolia in Atlanta and the designer is Ines Di Santos.

The gorgeous “Alice in Wonderland” themed tables overlooked Charleston Harbor.

Hannah chose a unique centerpiece that incorporated disco balls and rattan light fixtures to give off a ‘70s beach theme.

Stunning Bride Chooses Israeli Designer

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Besides being a romantic, all white and absolutely exquisite wedding with every attended detail, Sabrina Weinstein and Chris Carlos made the gracious choice to not accept gifts.

Sabrina said, “We asked for guests to donate to Marcus Autism Center, a cause dear to our hearts. We just are so blessed in our life to have everything we could ever need or want, so we really didn’t want any physical gifts from anyone.”

The wedding between Chris and Sabrina was on March 2 at the Hotel St. Regis. They chose that location because it was special to both of them and Chris’s late parents.

Chris and Sabrina met in passing at a gala five years ago. Sabrina recalled, “I guess he couldn’t stop thinking about

me because he messaged me on Instagram and asked me out on a date. A true modern love story! We dated for about a year-and-a-half before he proposed.”

For the proposal, Chris contracted a private boat ride in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower. Sabrina had planned the entire French getaway, so she was not expecting a proposal because Chris didn’t even know the itinerary. Chris knew that Sabrina preferred private special moments, so when he got on the boat, he recognized it was the perfect proposal spot. Chris asked the captain to take pictures as Chris got down on one knee.

Sabrina said, “We always joke that I unknowingly planned my own proposal. I wouldn’t have had it any other way! Except maybe I wouldn’t have been wearing a baseball hat, ha!”

Sabrina appreciated Chris’ role in

the wedding planning and said, “It was so endearing how involved he was and how excited he was. It made me fall in love with him even more seeing him like that. We were both equally involved, and anytime we had to make a decision -- it was made easily and smoothly. We both wanted the same vibe and look for the wedding, so planning was a breeze.” The wedding planner was Lindsay Sims of Toast Events.

Some of the wedding menu items were tuna tartar appetizer, buratta salad, and choice of a fish or truffle chicken entree. Their first dance was to the song, ‘The Way You Look Tonight,” a la Frank Sinatra. Chris and Sabina still dance nightly to it. For the afterparty, Chris called upon his friend rap star, Nelly, who “stole the show.”

Sabrina said, “Nelly was amazing at

the wedding, no surprise. He amped up the crowd and got everyone excited. It was a really special addition to end such an amazing night!”

Ahhh the dress! (dresses)

Sabrina had three different dresses all custom made by Israeli designer Galia Lahav. She simply could not choose and wanted to have three different looks throughout the evening. Chris’s white tux was from Guffey’s. Being in white allowed both of them to “pop” where all other guests were dressed in black. The flowers were all white to accent the romantic theme.

The cake was all-white, round five tiers with cascading flowers. Her bouquet was Lilly of the Valley. Sabrina stated, “I wanted a very petite delicate bouquet to not cover my dress.”

The officiant told the couple’s love story and included love for Michael

Sabrina and Chris live between Miami and Atlanta.

Bottom Right: The wedding cake was all-white, round five tiers of cascading flowers.

(Chris’s son, Sabrina’s stepson) which brought some sweet tears.

The honeymoon timing hasn’t been pinned down, but Greece, Italy, or Turks and Caicos are on the table.

Chris grew up between Miami, New

York, and Atlanta. He started working for RNDC when he was 19 and is now the owner and director. Sabrina was born at Northside Hospital and grew up primarily in Taipei, Taiwan. Chris and Sabrina live between Miami and Atlanta. ì

Above: Attorney Doug Weinstein walked his beautiful daughter, Sabrina, down the aisle // All Photos by Perry Vaile Adam

Bottom Left: Sabrina’s gowns were by Israeli designer Gilal Lahav.

Braves + Mets Wedding with a Cheesy Tradition

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Joel Benjamin Feinberg and Ariel Touger married on Feb. 18 in Jersey City, N.J., long after “meeting” on the dating app Hinge, just two weeks after Joel moved to New York City from San Francisco. Their profiles both included references to loving baseball (Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets) and pasta -- a match made in heaven! They dated for just over a year before getting engaged.

Joel used his social network to secure access to the ultra-exclusive Gramercy Park to get down on one knee by reaching out to a contact at the local synagogue. He proposed inside the park with a pre-arranged photographer waiting. Ariel was overjoyed, surprised; and

they celebrated with a quiet dinner, and then a surprise celebration with friends and family at a local bar.

The wedding included 240 guests at Maritime Parc in Jersey City. They chose that location because of the magnificent views of downtown Manhattan, the size of the space, and its convenience. The décor leaned into a winter wedding theme with cedar branches, anemones, brunia, and cream roses, and pinecones. JR Florals of NJ brought the newlyweds’ vision to life. The couple chose to not have a wedding cake.

Classical Caterers supplied the kosher menu. The cocktail hour had five hot stations, including a carving station, poke bar, and passed hors d’oeuvres. Guests had a choice of chicken piccata, prime rib, seared ahi tuna, or portobello ravi-

oli. Dessert included fried Oreos, cake pops, and sorbet shooters. For a unique touch, since Ariel and Joel fell in love with the Parma, Italy, tradition of sharing a cheese wheel with loved ones, they surprised guests with a mini-grater and cheese as a take-home gift. The couple’s first dance was to “Know that I Know,” by Lake Street Drive.

Bridesmaids selected their own black dresses in fun fabrics (velvet, sequins, etc.). The groomsmen wore their own black tuxedos and were gifted custom Nike Air Force One’s from the groom. Ariel wore an Allison Webb gown called “Georgia” - another sign of “meant to be” with a custom veil trimmed with lace from her mother’s veil. Other touches included Badgley Mischka shoes, her

late grandmother’s earrings, and BHLDN design for her second dress. Joel wore a custom Suit Supply tux, custom Nike Air Force One’s, a Movado watch, and David Yurman cufflinks as a gift from Ariel. All jewelry was purchased from long-time friend and Atlanta jeweler, Jonathan Paz of Privée Diamonds Direct. The mother of the groom, Robyn, who owns RSVP (local Atlanta invitation studio) guided Ariel through the invitation process, asking all the right questions to help her future daughter-in-law find her vision. Ariel and Joel were married by one of Ariel’s closest friends, Rabbi Ben Varon. “It was very special to hear a close friend reflect on how he saw our relationship grow.”

Heirloom kiddush cups and rings

Just Married: the new Mr. and Mrs. Feinberg // All Photos by Offbeat Productions

Above: “Mr. and Mrs. F” -- custom Mets and Braves kerseys. A house divided.

Below: The bridal party featured several longtime BBYO and USY friends.

from both families, and the paternal grandfather’s tallit were used under the chuppah. Joel said, “We infused Jewish traditions throughout the wedding (tisch, bedeken, horah) that brought so much meaning to the day. Our friends and family really brought the love and party spirit. The band, Groove Shop, had everyone dancing all night.”

Ariel added, “We were raised in homes that both emphasized the importance of family, Jewish traditions, and, of course, rooting for your favorite sports team. Our parents’ strong relationships provided a great example of what we were looking for in a marriage.”

Ariel is a clinical social worker in early childhood at NYC Public Schools. She grad-

uated from the University of Maryland and received her master’s degree at Columbia University. Joel is a senior product manager at Major League Baseball and graduated from GWU and Riverwood High School.

What Joel likes most about Ariel is, “Her curiosity, playfulness, and competitiveness. Every Wordle, crossword, or trivia … I love that she is so thoughtful, and I love to see her think.”

What Ariel likes most about Joel is, “How much fun I have with him. He is constantly making me laugh and even makes folding the laundry fun.”

Parents are Paula and David Touger of Millburn, N.J., and Robyn and Mark Feinberg of Johns Creek. The honeymoon is planned for summer 2024 to Japan. ì

The couple bonded over the custom Parma, Italy, tradition of sharing a cheese wheel.

Late night view of the Hudson River.

The happy blended families share Jewish values and traditions.

South African Roots Roll with the Tide

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Bianca Levy met Ryan Egdes during their freshman year of college at a University of Alabama football game. They started dating shortly thereafter and were together eight years before Ryan finally popped the question, thus the two got married after a nine-year relationship.

Bride Bianca is a speech language pathologist while Ryan is a scout for the Atlanta Braves. Both now reside in Dallas, Texas. The Levy family (Simonie and the late Mark Levy) is South African and reside in Atlanta. The groom’s father (Clive Egdes) is also South African. The groom grew up in Naples, Fla. Clive now lives in Seattle with his wife; and the mother of the groom (Donna Egdes) lives in Naples. Bianca went to Riverwood High School and grew up at-

tending Chabad of Cobb.

For the surprise engagement, the couple went to visit in Naples for their annual December trip. One night, Ryan suggested grabbing a drink at the country club. Bianca was led to a table with flowers and Ryan proposing. When Bianca said, “Yes,” she heard screaming and cheering and turned around to find her whole family standing on the balcony. Bianca recalled, “Afterwards, we had dinner and started calling all of our ‘people.’ It was the most special night!”

The Dec. 17, 2023, wedding was at the Hotel Intercontinental because of its kosher cuisine and the on-site comfort of 150 guests who came from all over the world. Rabbi Ephraim Silverman performed the ceremony. Bianca said, “We had a beautiful traditional Jewish ceremony. The rabbi explained to our guests

the meaning of each step of our wedding. It was so meaningful to have him guide not only us, but our closest friends and family through the sacred marriage ceremony.”

A key part of the wedding arrangements was Atlanta event planner Alexa Eve Kesler Spathelf (Alexa Eve Events). The couple chose her because of her experience in executing clients’ visions while keeping couples organized and grounded.

Bianca said, “Alexa had done amazing work with bar and bat mitzvahs as well as weddings in the community; and we knew her commitment to her clients and connections in the area would help us achieve our dream wedding. When we first met with Alexa, her infectious personality, enthusiasm, and determination to help is was what sealed the deal.”

Alexa saw to every detail, every vendor, to cover all the events Friday night, Saturday night, and the entire weekend schedule where the planning started more than a year prior. She said, “The day of the wedding my team and I arrived first thing in the morning while the bride, groom, and all the families were getting ready at the hotel. My team and I made sure that the vendors arrived and were doing what they needed to. The bride and groom’s families were taken care of and everything stayed on schedule.”

The bride’s dress was by Aisle and Veil, and the groom’s outfit was from The Black Tux. Designs by Joan provided the flowers -- roses and hydrangeas in cream and white hues. The kosher meat menu included carving stations, pastas, and salads.

Ryan and Bianca had a romantic nine-year courtship.

Also from South African heritage, Kesler-Spathelf concluded, “Planning this wedding was very special to me as the Levy family is an incredibly special family. The chuppah’s tallit was Bianca’s late father, Mark’s. It was an emotional day not to have him there. Her brother, Saul Levy, walked her down the aisle and the

Jewish South African choir sang under the chuppah. This wedding was magical and fully candlelit. The room completely glowed. The party went late into the night with dancing, laughing, and a latenight snack.”

A honeymoon to Italy is on the horizon. ì

Other vendors

Hair: Bristle and Bride

Makeup: Scooby West & Company

Band: Tevia (Party Express Entertainment)

Linens: I Do Linens

Hotel Intercontinental provided the kosher cake

Gold Events by Rachel brings design expertise and creative solutions with a unique perspective you won’t find anywhere else. Offering both decor and planning services, Rachel’s attention to detail, calm presence and passion for extraordinary events combine to create an experience your guests will talk about for years to come.

The wedding cake was done by the Hotel Intercontinental team.

Bianca’s gown was by Aisle and Veil // All Photos by Laura Stone

The ballroom was aglow with candlelight. Flowers were roses and hydrangeas.

Plotkin Living Her Best Life at 95

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Relatives and friends gathered on Jan. 27 to pay tribute to Shirley Plotkin -- mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and cousin to many.

Born in Scranton, Penn., nonagenarian “Aunt” Shirley is still reading intriguing Daniel Silva spy novels, watching movies, and playing bridge. As important is her connection to her extended family where she is the reigning matriarch.

The family actually started planning Shirley’s 95th birthday celebration on her 94th as it took just that long to rope

in the branches of the family tree to Atlanta’s Mount Vernon Towers.

Great-niece, Lilli Jennison hatched the plot, “We knew Aunt Shirley was turning 95 on Jan. 27, 2024. We planned the party for a year. It all started at Aunt Shirley’s 94th birthday last year. We had a smaller lunch for her at Roasters. I spoke to my Aunt Margie, and said, ‘I want to do a big 95th birthday and make it a family reunion!’”

As the back story, Plotkin grew up in Peckville, Penn. When Aunt Shirley and Uncle Sully moved to Atlanta, she got a part-time job as a proofreader for the Harrison Company. After nine

months, she was promoted to editor of law books where she served for 20 years. When the company was sold, she was offered a job in Wisconsin, but declined for obvious family reasons.

After all, Aunt Shirley’s bashert match was “made in heaven.” She and Sully were married 67 years. They met after the war at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (50-plus years before JDate). Shirley was on break after two years at Syracuse University. When Sully saw her, he walked over and exclaimed, “I’m going to marry you!”

The January party was a grand surprise. Aunt Shirley’s son, Jon, brought

her to the sunroom at her retirement home under the pretense of taking pictures. When she entered the room, she saw nieces and nephews, some of their kids, and even some of those kids’ kids. She also saw her friends from Mount Vernon Towers and her grandson, Jay, who delivered an even greater surprise by announcing that he would soon be moving to Atlanta. Artistically talented Jennison made a montage video of photos from Shirley’s life with a special section where those who couldn’t make it sent in videos of well wishes.

There were 21 first cousins -- seven passed away and four were unable to at-

The family reunited for Aunt Shirley Plotkin’s 95th birthday.

tend. There were 10 first cousins at the party, some of whom hadn’t seen each other since the last family reunion in 2002. Jennison explained the family tree, “My grandma was one of nine. All of the nine got married and had kids. The only one of the nine and of their spouses surviving is great Aunt Shirley.”

At the end of the party, Aunt Shirley had the last remark, “There are no words to express my joy and gratitude when seeing all my nieces and nephews and especially my grandson. It is an afternoon I will always treasure.”

Secret to a long happy life? “You just have to be lucky!” posited Plotkin. ì

Toasts Included:

Marlene Meyer: “Aunt Shirley’s 95th birthday party reunited first cousins that haven’t seen each other in over 20 years. It provided an opportunity to meet second and third cousins. It was a treasured occasion, and our dear, Shirley, was at the center of it all.” Burt Plotkin: “Aunt Shirley has three sons, Chuck, Jon, and Hal. I would go to New Jersey to visit them every summer and be included in their family. They were the ‘brothers’ I never had. Shirley did a lot of parenting in those days. She was graceful, wise, and offered her educated take on any situation. Great role model, I think of those times when it was my turn to parent.” Benard (Bunny) Plotkin: “I was about 10 when they got married. I remember her as very sweet and a good dancer, in particular, the jitterbug.”

Linda Brickel: “Aunt Shirley is so sweet, kind, and patient. She took me for walks and bought me ice cream when I was young.”

Aunt Shirley blows out the candle on her cake.

Newlyweds Shirley and Sully slice their wedding cake. Shirley at her 94th birthday party.

Aunt Shirley Plotkin as a young woman.

No birthday party is complete without party favors.

Birthday gal, Shirley, with her grandson, Jay

Double the Mitzvah, Double the Fun

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Lucas Rosenbloom and Drew Cohen co-celebrated their B’nai Mitzvot at The Temple on Feb. 10 with a meaningful Sabbath Service and party right after –actually -- a “darty” or “day party.”

The event was even more special because Lucas and Drew have been friends since they met in the two's class at The Temple preschool.

During the service with Rabbi Peter Berg with Parsha Mishpatim, Lucas spoke about the importance of the stranger in Jewish tradition. He said, “Jewish tradition emphasizes the pain of one who is outside the community and not familiar with the customs. I think this commandment is very important. If we all just helped each other even though we are strangers, we could stop so many problems like war, homelessness.”

Drew’s interpretation included teaching mitzvot designed for guiding

through a life of meaning. He shared, “Filling it with deeds of justice, kindness, and peace to people who aren’t aware of them, to accomplish the goal of living a mitzvah-filled life and carrying them with us as the central goal of Jewish tradition. Becoming a bar mitzvah means that I will take on this responsibility as I become a Jewish adult.”

Lucas wore his great grandfather’s tallis, Drew wore his late father’s tallis.

To demonstrate their concern for others in their mitzvah projects, Lucas raised money for Chanukah presents for Israeli children, partnering with a toy store in Israel that used the funds and bought presents for kids there. Also, he arranged for the purchase of Chanukah presents in Atlanta for kids from five families who came to Atlanta as refugees from Israel because of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Drew supported the Boca Hoops High Five Program, a non-profit that enables children and young adults

with disabilities, either mental or physical, to participate in basketball.

With a peppy celebratory touch, a brass band entered The Temple at the end of the service, playing the “Monday Night Football” theme song, marching down the aisles to direct the guests to the party.

Since the Super Bowl was the very next day, the party theme was football. Pictures of the boys from when they were little were recreated with the photographer (similar outfits and poses). Decorations included Solo cup walls with the first letter of their names, lit up bleachers with lights and a scoreboard, foam fingers and goal posts. Colors were navy and lime green where Drew and Lucas wore custom jerseys with the party colors and their names on the back.

Food stations for 300 guests were themed for the two Super Bowl teams (San Francisco and Kansas City). SF had Asian foods (sesame salad, Korean

noodle bowl), and KC had burgers, cheesesteaks, fried chicken sliders. Kids had pizza, fries, and sliders.

Born in New York, Lucas requested frozen hot chocolates that originated at the New Yok restaurant Serendipity. The servers came through with trays filled with ice cream treats and cotton candy on sticks stadium style.

Party favors were customized jibbitz (accessories that help decorate the kids Crocs shoes) with the event logo, and stadium cups with candy labeled, “We love to Darty.”

Lucas is a student at Sutton Middle School and participates in All Star baseball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, and soccer. At Davis Academy, Drew’s interests include basketball, music (bass and drums) and photography.

Lucas’ family: Marissa and Sam Rosenbloom (parents); Donna and Mark Fleishman (maternal grandparents, Atlanta); and Myrna Rosenbloom (paternal

Lucas and Drew’s fans love to have a hearty party/darty.

grandparent, Ottawa, Canada)

Drew’s family: Stacy Cohen (parent); Ellen and Jerry Sokol (maternal grandparents, Birmingham); Joy and Roy Cohen

(paternal grandparents, Boca Raton)

Tragically Drew lost his father, Brian, when he was four and honored his memory by wearing his tallis. ì

Vendors

Design: YES Event Designs

Food: Zest Atlanta Catering

DJ: Atlanta Fever Entertainment

Photo Booth: Button it Up

Temporary Tattoos: Funorama Parties

Band: Sabor Brass Band

Photographer: SRD Photo

Event Planner: Bluming Creativity

Custom Gear: Shop Blake Ruby

Above: We are family! The Rosenblooms and the Cohens strike a pose before the party.

Below: Take home favors included customized jibbitz and stadium cups labeled, “We love to Darty” // All Photos by SRD Photo

Above: Lit up bleachers offered guests a place to relax, including stadium lighting and a custom scoreboard. The high-top sets featured the event logo.

Below: Little to BIG! Friends since they were two, photos were recreated from their youths.

Shopping for a Wedding Dress?

By Katie Gaffin

My body and I have what you could call a complicated relationship. We’ve been friends, to enemies, back to friends, then to even worse enemies, until finally, we developed a mutually somewhat respectful relationship. Then, I lost multiple members of my family, was unemployed, and dealing with a serious knee injury all at the same time.

Now, a year-and-a-half later, enter trying on wedding dresses. Of course, there’s the typical stressors of “what do I even want? What does bustle mean? Did I just fall in love with a dress double my budget?” but the hardest one of all is not being able to even try them on. I bet a lot of you are thinking, “The whole activity is trying on wedding dresses, why wouldn’t you be able to try them on?” Which is a natural reaction to have, especially when social media is full of videos of bridal salons showing off sample dresses (a floor model of each dress the salon sells for trying on before committing to your official dress choice) as far as the eye can see. But what those videos don’t tell you is 80 percent of those samples won’t fit

anyone over a size 12. This wouldn’t have been an issue for pre-injury Katie, who typically wore a size 8 or 10, but in my current body I typically wear a 14 or 16. This is something my mom, my two sisters, Jess and Maddie, and I knew and prepared for before shopping for my wedding dress back in March. Little did we know the wide, wide, crazy world we were about to enter.

As I said before, most sample dresses available do not fit anyone over a size 12, and if they do fit, it’s a ballgown or similarly cupcake-shaped silhouette. Again, having prepared for this, I decided to not even consider buying a fitted dress. This was for the best, I rationalized, because there’s no way a mermaid or trumpet size 12 would remotely fit my body.

Salons try their best to help larger brides, usually assuring them with something like: “We use a variety of ‘tools and tricks’ so brides of any size can imagine themselves in the perfect dress.” No offense to these salons, but if I was able to just “imagine myself in the dress,” I wouldn’t be here. Just because three-orfour employees can technically get me into a dress by tugging, pulling, shoving,

and forcing the poor garment into submission, doesn’t mean it looks good and I feel good in it. “You look like a princess” rings hollow when you’re dripping sweat from the effort of getting into the dress and your arms are losing circulation from the straps digging in so hard. As you might be able to tell, this really happened, not once, not twice, but five times, and every single time I thought the dress was going to rip from them forcing it so intensely. I went through that song and dance at three different bridal salons, laughing the entire time because otherwise I would have started crying. How am I supposed to make such an incredibly important dress purchase when I can’t even tell what it truly looks like on my body?

Along came Sunday and our last bridal salon, but the Friday first appointment excitement had turned to dread at the thought of another two hours being stuffed into dresses like a sausage in too small a casing. Truth be told we probably would have canceled were it not for the $75 fee, so the four of us piled into our mom’s Suburban and cautiously set off for Wedding Angels.

From the moment we stepped inside, there were images of radiant smiling models

size two to 34 all over the salon. We were whisked back to a private fitting area by our bridal consultant, Fiona, and went through the SparkNotes of all the trials and tribulations dealt with at our previous three appointments. Upon hearing that all I had tried on were ballgowns, she persuaded me to change it up and try on some fitted options. I was hesitant but agreed. Without fail, every single dress fit me effortlessly. There were no tools and tricks, no team of consultants forcing a dress over my body, just me stepping into the dress by myself and Fiona cinching me in. I finally felt like an actual princess. I was dancing, smiling, and genuinely laughing, enjoying the experience I had always dreamed of but was convinced I’d never get. Compared to the pitiful plus-size selection at previous stores, Wedding Angels has more than 800 sample dresses available to try on, going all the way up to a size 34. I said yes to my wedding dress that day at Wedding Angels. Not only that, but I said yes to a fitted dress. All four of us were crying, but they were happy tears this time. It’s easy to forget that as much as I had been waiting for this moment, my family had been waiting for it, too. We left that March 17 appointment on cloud 9, overjoyed to

Katie Gaffin went through many trials and tribulations before finding the perfect wedding dress.

Bottom Right: Katie found the dress of her dreams at Wedding Angels, which offers sizes ranging from two to 34.

give this story a happy ending, but it turned out there was more in store for my Wedding Angels journey.

The very next day, I received an email from Wedding Angels inviting me to be a model in their upcoming photoshoot. Deciding to participate in their photoshoot was the fastest and easiest “yes” of my life (next to when Kyle asked me to marry him, of course.) Two weeks later, I got to live my princess fantasy all over again modeling dress after dress, each one more beautiful than the last, and nearly all of them fitted. The entire day was an absolute dream,

because women my size aren’t supposed to be models, but here we all were, feeling just as gorgeous and glamourous as the other models there size 2 and 4.

Saying yes to the dress at Wedding Angels has been one of the best parts of planning my wedding. You’ll have to wait until after Nov. 30 to see which dress I said yes to, but I can assure you it is gorgeous, fitted, and makes me feel like a princess. The best way to sum up this experience is, as Maddie said with tears in her eyes after I said yes to the dress, “I can’t believe we almost cancelled!” ì

Above: Katie tried several bridal salons before finally settling on Wedding Angels.

Bottom Left: Katie, joined by her sisters, Jess and Maddie, and mom, Janet, at Wedding Angels.

analysis helps you become your best you.

How to Dress & Style the Body You Have

By Lilli Jennison

Have you ever tried on an outfit and blamed yourself when it didn’t look good? Spoiler alert … it’s not you it’s the clothes.

House of Colour offers color and style analysis. I was able to have my color season analyzed a few weeks ago by the lovely Cassidy Hewitt. Together we looked at different color seasons and determined I am an Autumn. If you are interested, you can read the story here: https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/ professional-color-analysis-reveals-yourbest-you/.

But color analysis is only half of the picture. During the color analysis, you learn what colors look best on you. But what about which shapes look best on you? House of Colour offers style analysis to complete the picture of your best you. During a style analysis, you will learn about your body’s shapes and your personality essence. You will learn how to dress for the body that you have. They teach you how to recognize and shop for styles that honor your body.

I recently met with the amazing Amanda Dusseault from House of Colour West Marietta. I learned about the six different clothing personalities: Dramatic, Classic, Natural, Gamine, Ingenue, and Romantic. Most people are a combination of two personalities. The evening started with Amanda and I chatting about me. We talked about my personal

and professional life and why I was there. Amanda handed me a workbook for style class.

The first thing we worked on was determining how I want to be perceived. The workbook has a list of 33 adjectives. Amanda had me circle six that I resonated with. Some of the ones I chose were: Fun, Creative, and Put Together. The next page was about creating interest in your look. This talked about things like wearing makeup, having your nails done, and having accessories on and how these things add interest to your style.

The clothes you wear have a language of their own. An example Amanda shared was, when you wear a watch, it can signify that you value your time and the time of the people you are with. According to the House of Colour workbook, “Everything you wear sends a message. Knowing who you are and how you want to show up allows you to take control of the message.”

Next, Amanda did some measurements to determine my body geometrics. She measured my proportions and determined my body shape is full curve and very proportionate. Clothing companies design clothes for proportionate bodies but every body is different so there are ways to trick the eye to make your body look proportionate. Things like high raise jeans can make your legs look longer. Patterns on top draw attention to your top half vs. bottom half.

Next, we had a bit of a fashion show.

Amanda asked me to bring a few outfits that I love and a few that I wanted to love but haven’t been working for me. I tried them on one by one and we chatted about them. My favorite outfit is a long flowy floral skirt with a solid top tucked in. We talked about how the shape honors my body and that’s why I like it so much. I then tried on some things I didn’t love so much. I tried on a striped jumpsuit that has been in my closet for a while, but I haven’t been loving it. Amanda explained a reason I might not love it is because it is not harmonizing with my body. My body is curvy, but the jumpsuit is made of straight lines. The two things were clashing and not getting along.

After Amanda saw my offerings, we went back to the workbook for a quiz. This quiz was a personality quiz to determine if my personality was more yang (structure and order) or yin (relaxed and easy going). Dramatic is the most yang personality and romantic is the most yin with Classic, Natural, Gamine and Ingenue in between. Based on my scores and my clothing examples, Amanda determined me to be a Natural Romantic Style Personality.

According to House of Colour, a few buzzwords for Natural Romantic are: “Relaxed glamour, movement and sparkle.” I think this fits me very well. Amanda nailed it with my style! I understand why I like certain things vs. why I don’t like others. This is making shopping much more enjoyable with less returns.

Amanda showed me some style boards with examples that would honor my body and my style essence. We talked about where to shop and what was important to look at when shopping. Accessories are key for me. Accessories should be able to be seen. Prior to the appointment, I was wearing very minimal accessories. Now I accessorize with fun earrings and bracelets daily.

Amanda shares some further style and color analysis insights below.

Lilli: How did you get into style analysis?

Amanda: I’ve always loved clothes and shopping but struggled with the same issues most women face surrounding beauty and fashion. My own color and style analysis appointments were so helpful, I knew almost immediately that I wanted to help other women become their own best stylists, too.

Lilli: Did you go to college and if so, what did you go to school for?

Amanda: I have an engineering degree from University of Florida and a nursing degree from Emory. House of Colour is by far the most fun and useful information!

Lilli: What did you do before House of Colour?

Amanda: I worked as an ICU nurse until my oldest was born and then spent 14 years as a stay at home/homeschool-

Style

ing mom to our biological son and our three adopted, specials needs children.

Lilli: How long have you been with House of Colour?

Amanda: I bought my business in January 2023.

Lilli: What is your style type and how did your life change when you learned it?

Amanda: Learning that I am a Natural Gamine led to so many a-ha moments about my wardrobe. I loved knowing that there is a name for my style -- that it wasn’t all random. I also loved feeling released from trying to make all the other styles work for my body and personality. I will never bring another floral print into my closet!

Lilli: Are there any tips or tricks you can share with readers who may not be able to do a style analysis right now?

Amanda: Pay attention to pieces in your wardrobe that you gravitate to most and see if you can notice the common details! Conversely, take a look at the items you never wear and do the same.

Lilli: What do you recommend when shopping for clothes? Is quality better than quantity?

Amanda: At HOC we value sustainability. I will always root for quality vs. quantity!

Lilli: What is your opinion on the trending “capsule wardrobe?”

Amanda: I love the capsule wardrobe concept. Some Clothing Personalities are well suited to minimalistic aesthetics. Personally, I love shopping too much to maintain a capsule of my own, but I love helping clients create them!

Lilli: How does House of Colour differ from Kibbe body types?

Amanda: I’m not trained in Kibbe body analysis. I’ve dabbled though, and from what I can tell House of Colour differs in that we analyze not only clients’ bodies but their personalities to find a clothing personality that honors both!

Lilli: Is the analysis based on weight? What happens if you lose or gain weight, does your style change?

Amanda: When we analyze body structure, we’re really trying to decipher bone structure which will not change with weight change. There can be changes but they will not be drastic. However, style is really a process so lifestyle changes can affect your clothing personality to certain extents.

Lilli: How do you train your eye to notice the geometry in our body shapes?

Amanda: House of Colour consultants undergo extensive training for both the color and style analysis processes. This includes analyzing many models, each other, and clients!

Lilli: What is more fun for you, style or color?

Amanda: Impossible to choose between color and style. They’re both such transformative sessions and together they give clients the tools for lifelong confidence!

Thank you so much Amanda for helping me be my best self. I have been shopping more sustainably and thoughtfully. I am very grateful to Amanda and Cassidy for helping me discover my personal color and style. Both lovely ladies do color and style analyses, and both are incredibly talented. If you are interested in getting your style analysis with Amanda, reach out to her at Amanda. Dusseault@houseofcolour.com. ì

Below: Amanda’s Instagram has lots of style “hacks” like this one on how to style

Amanda’s studio is beautiful and elegant with lovely natural light.

Amanda was hard at work analyzing Lilli’s body geometry.

Amanda took measurements to determine Lilli’s proportions.

Above: Amanda has lots of tips and tricks on her Instagram including this one where she shows you how to go from playing it safe to showing up.

Below: Amanda helped Lilli see why one of her favorite outfits honors her body.

Above: Amanda will show you how to add points of interest to your style.

a bulky sweater.

Diamonds Are This Girl’s Best Friend

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Ideal Diamond Corporation’s Leeron Ofer, 35, offers her expert advice on diamonds, trends, bling, and everything weddings. After graduating North Springs High School and the College of Charleston, Ofer was off to New York City in 2018 to master her diamond grading/gemology course from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Here she offers advice to new brides and beyond, saying, “Be bold! Choose something different and unique, and always choose bigger if possible, while remaining classy and elegant. Choose what you want, not what your friends want … you are the one that has to wear it and love it. Try on all the shapes to be sure. Try to stay away from halos around the center diamond, especially if it’s a larger stone, it will just take attention away from the main focus. I recommend a halo for smaller diamond

to make it look bigger!”

Leeron always knew she wanted to get into the diamond business, watching her dad, Sam, manage and run it as his own business. She recalled, “Yes, I was that daughter who was interested in learning from Dad. Growing up, I always knew I wanted to join the business. Having my dad as mentor made it even easier. I started traveling with him to meet clients and attend diamond shows around the world and instantly was hooked! When I graduated college, I went out on my own to get hard working experience from other employers, non-diamond related businesses.”

Now her focus is on marketing and social media, learning new trends and diamond ring designs. Since she is certified, she sells to private clients one-on-one and travels for sales. Social media includes Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok as well as going to networking parties around Atlanta

to raise awareness and meet new clients.

In terms of men’s fashion, Leeron is selling more gold wedding bands, and sees the hammered look trending for 2024. She commented, “Men are going for something different than the classic plain gold or platinum comfort fit band right now.”

For ladies, she is also seeing thicker gold bands, and has designed rings that have been either “bubble like” or a gold band and a big diamond slanted off to the side. Overall, she predicts more nontraditional engagement rings like a two-stone ring or diamonds in a Bezel setting for ladies this year.

Brides are particular about shape -- in past generations, Marquis and pear were trending; and some fall back on the “Tiffany round solitaire.” Leeron predicts that Radiant and Emerald Cuts will be on brides’ minds in the near future.

Savvy buyers know about clarity and color and the balance with size. Ofer prof-

fers this suggestion, “One of my favorite ways to get more bang for the buck is I tell my clients, go down in clarity and up in the color, depending on which diamond shape as some shapes, (i.e. Emerald cut) are cut with facets where the inclusions will be more noticeable, other shapes are much easier to hide. Plus, who is looking at your diamond with a loupe or microscope? Another tip is go for a plain, simple engagement ring band, then really jazz it up with a big sparkly wedding band behind it!”

Diamond discussions spill into the “L” word … “Labgrown.” Approximately 50 percent of Ideal’s sales last year and so far into 2024 have been labgrown. Ofer shrugs, “As far as a lab as a ‘fad,’ who knows what the future will hold?”

Then the age-old question, “Shall we strive for a percent stone?” Without hesitation, Ofer comments, “No, no one is perfect, so why have the perfect stone!” ì

Diamond tennis bracelets come in various sizes and design types.

Leeron Ofer grew up wanting to join her father’s Ideal Diamond Corporation.

Wide gold hammered engagement rings have a slanted pear shape diamond.

Ear cuffs are a newish trend at Ideal.

Leeron and father, Sam, in Tel Aviv in 2022, heading into a diamond show. Stacked diamond wedding bands: (top) round natural diamonds; (middle) Emerald cut natural diamonds; (bottom) Ascher/cushion cut natural diamonds.

Simcha Announcements

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.

Birth Announcements

Hallie Myer Elan

Shelley Hersch Elan and Eric Elan are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Hallie Myer Elan, on March 6. The proud grandparents are Carol and Richard Elan of Roswell and Nica and Lee Tallman of Dunwoody. Great-grandmother is Helen Lefkowitz of Atlanta. Hallie’s first name is in memory of her great-grandfather, Harold Hersch, and her middle name, Myer, is in memory of her great-grandfather, Myer Waranch.

Noah Jay Wellborn

Rebecca Schneider and Frederick Wellborn of Peachtree Hills announce the birth of their son, Noah Jay Wellborn, on May 27 (Memorial Day). Noah is welcomed by grandparents, Peter and Bobbie Schneider of Brookhaven, and Clarke and Alice Wellborn of Brevard, N.C. Noah has an older brother, Benjamin, and aunts and uncles, Mark Schneider, Colvin and Jill Wellborn, Samuel Wellborn, and Bess and Jonathan Yates. Noah’s Hebrew name, Peleh, is in honor of his maternal great-grandmother, Paula.

Atlanta Jewish Academy Class of 2024

The Atlanta Jewish Academy honored its graduating class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony on May 28. The graduation ceremony began with a D’var Torah by seniors Mollie Glazer and Elisha Feit Mann. This year’s valedictorian was Zellik Silverberg, and the salutatorian was Asher Lytton. The full list of graduates this year are as follows:

Natalie Borukhov

Tova Bregman

Ohad Dan

Moshe Eidex

Edan Eyal

Leora Frank

Hannah Freedman

Mollie Glazer

Natanel Gold

Avraham Isaacs

Joseph Jakubowicz

Zohar Kaiser-Blueth

Ella Katz

Adiel Livnat

Asher Lytton, Salutatorian

Yael Mainzer

Elisha Feit Mann

Kayla Minsk

Eliyahu Oami

Hadara Seeman

Yaacov Shuman

Zellik Silverberg, Valedictorian

Menashe Sirota

Sidney Sirull

Aiden Smolensky

Goldie Teyf

Shay-Li Tzionov

Michael Wilson

The Davis Academy Class of 2024

The Davis Academy recognized its graduating class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony

Mia Asman

Ross Bernstein

Eli Bier

Calbe Blank

Jayden Block

Judd Brown

Hilley Buhnik

Dylan Cahill

Dylan Carlin

Jake Carlin

Liam Dardik

Jace Dishner

Micah Dresdner

Luana Etchechoury

Anna Feldman

Mindy Feldman

Ileana Galanti

Elanor Ganz

Hannah Garton

Spencer Godwin

Fiona Greenbaum

Sarah Greenbaum

Lily Greenstein

Rachel Jacobson

Benjamin Jannett

Kira Kaplan

Sydney Kramer

Ella Lazarian

Asher Leder

Lauryn Macune

Jeremy Mager

Alexa Maslia

Ilan Milrud

Sophia Molinari

Lauren Moradi

Liza Moradi

Matilda Mundell

Maya Nebel

Halle Nelms

Sophia Nowak

Thomas Oken

Owen Peretz

Daniel Richman

Ayana Saitowitz

Tatum Sasine

Lilah Scher

Sydney Serotta

Ben Slipakoff

Rebecca Sobel

Jack Solomon

Charlotte Spector

Ryan Srochi

Elliot Sturisky

Mitzi Thaler

Sydney Tolk

Ethan Topor

Anna Vaynshteyn

Jacob Viente

Emme Yudin

Charlie Zell

GRADUATION

The Epstein School Class of 2024

The Epstein School recognized its eighth grade graduating class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony on May 22. The full list of graduates are:

Ryan Caplan

Kate Kaufman

Zollie Nemer

Leighton Tritt

Mason Stern

Sara Engler

Evan Levenberg

Bess Krasner

Noah Blatt

Layla Niess

Liam Shemesh

Talia Bock

Gerald Kogon

Siena Joel

Noah Loar

Isla Gingold

Hannah Karen

Daniel Weinisman

Sari Grant

Zach Guggenheim

Amelit Hall

Asher Berliner

Taylor Bonnet

Yarden Hakimovich

Ella Holzer

Micah Bank

Isabel Siegel

Isaac Friedberg

Josie Marzullo

Noah Weidenbaum

Ivy Fishbein

Ethan Kirkel

Hailey Greenstein

Chelsea Weiss

Lauren Deckelbaum

Elizabeth Oshins

Eden Polacheck

Alexis Frist

Marin Eisenstein

Chaya Mushka Class of 2024

Elementary and Middle School celebrated its graduating eighth grade class with a commencement ceremony on May 30. The list of graduates is as follows:

Leba Friedman

Mussia Gurary

Shira Addess

Elana Bykov

Yisroel Silverman

Gilad Livnat

Dov Chazanov

Temple Sinai

Chaya Mushka

Torah Day School of Atlanta Class of 2024

GIRLS

Shana Balgari

Danita Dayani

Draisa Dayani

Ariela Nagla

Golda Malka Newmark

Mollie Pearlman

Rebecca Pelishev

Eli Cavalier

Charles Isaac Clark

David Cohen

Shalom Lindenblatt

Dovid Minkowicz

Yeshaya Oratz

Zevi Schulgasser

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GRADUATION

The Weber School Class of 2024

The Weber School celebrated its graduating class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony on May 23. This year’s valedictorian was Reese Oberkfell, and the salutatorians were Ava Halpert and Rany Granath. The full list of graduates is as follows:

Tia Ella Abadi

Boaz Raviv Adler

Benjamin Elliot Ampel

Emily Faye Aronin

Joseph Ross Bardack

Elana Leigh Berghoff

Simon Henry Berry

Jesse Aiden Berzack

Zoe Madison Burstiner

Emily Naomi Cohen

Sophie Brooke Cohen

Jessica Robin Covin

Rachel Madison Cozewith

Rachel Elizabeth Denneen

Gavrielle Rose Diamant

Johanna Bella Epstein

Aidan Alexander Fox

Ryan Lubin Frank

Elliott Seth Furie

Naomi Pearl Furie

Erin Dahlia Gabbai

Ava Kate Goldberg

Isabelle Reese Goldstein

Ethan David Goodhart

Rany Yosef Granath

Joshua Karl Greenspon

Eden Samara Guggenheim

Ava Michele Halpert

Heather Paige Hutmacher

Ryan Bradley Kardon

Shai Gamliel Kattan

Daniel Altman Katz

Harry James Kitey

Leah May Kogon

Daniel Alexandre Leibowitz

Amber Tali Lewis

Robert Michael Liberman

Avery Leah Lipman

Leah Rachel Liss

Asher Theodore Lubell

Eden Malka

Hannah Pearl Mandel

David Mastov

Emma Danny Meyers

Justin Lance Miller

Brenna Eden Mittleman

Reese Oliver Oberkfell

Sidney Paige Parker

Toby Aaron Parker

Zion Matthew Price

Julia Emily Radin

Jesse Benjamin Ratner

Jack Rifkin

Shayna Arielle Robins

Riley Paige Roseman

Benjamin Robert Rosenberg

Samuel Bates Rosenthal

Rachel Gershona Ruback

Rachel Lee Rusnak

Nathaniel Mendel Salzberg

Yonatan Shalom Sasson

Audrey Elizabeth Schultz

Jamie Eden Silberman

Franklin Ben Silverman

Allison Betty Slutzky

Delaney Rose Somer

Simon Ezra Stein

Ryan Douglas Straw

Nolan Alexander Tuck

Renee Vaysman

Max Eliott Weiskopf

Ethan Hayden Wolkin

Universities Struggle with Graduation Protests

By Bob Bahr

Several major universities around the country are still having to contend with violent protests against Israel and the war in Gaza.

At Stanford University, which had scheduled its graduation ceremonies for June 16, police were called in on June 5, the last day of spring classes, to clear proPalestinian demonstrators who barricaded themselves in the university president’s office.

Thirteen demonstrators were arrested after they broke into the office and caused what the university described as “extensive graffiti vandalism on the sandstone buildings and columns of the Main Quad” that included “vile and hateful sentiments that we condemn in the strongest terms.”

The protesters had occupied the office to back up their demands that the university divest itself from companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Lockheed Martin, and Chevron that they said provided support for Israel’s military forces.

After the offices were cleared, the university also cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment and a pro-Israel display that was first constructed in late April. Jewish students at Stanford who have said they have been harassed and intimidated by the protesters indicated that the university had taken too long to take ac-

tion to clear the campus and restore order.

The university indicated that all of the students who were arrested were being suspended and those who were scheduled to graduate this month would not be allowed to do so.

University President Richard Saller

issued a statement condemning the violent takeover of his offices.

“We are appalled that our students chose to take this action and we will work with law enforcement to ensure that they face the full consequences allowed by law.”

Emory University also had to take

Emory President Gregory Fenves moved commencement off the campus to the Gas South Arena in Duluth for security reasons.

Nationally, more than 3,000 people have been arrested or detained as a result of protests against the war in Gaza.

action in late April against protesters who set up tents on the university’s quadrangle as preparations were beginning there for commencement. Emory president, Gregory Fenves, had campus police call in officers from the Georgia State Patrol and the Atlanta Police department. Twenty-five demonstrators were arrested, some forcibly, by officers.

In a move that broke with longstanding historical precedent, Fenves decided to move commencement ceremonies from the tree-shaded quad to the more secure Gas South Arena, 23 miles away off I-85 in Duluth. Fenves warned those taking part in the ceremonies that he would not stand for any interruptions. He indicated that if that were to happen, he would halt the ceremonies and forcibly remove those responsible. The commencement was relatively peaceful.

Outside the arena, pro-Palestinian activists handed out small Palestinian flags to those graduates who wanted them. They were asked to hand them to university officials as they came forward during commencement to claim their diplomas.

Across town at Morehouse College, the historically Black college had President Joe Biden as their commencement speaker. Several students there, some wearing keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian scarves, turned their chairs and sat with their backs to the President as he spoke. The university’s president had threatened to end commencement ceremonies if protesters caused security to arrest them.

The most outspoken words of protest came from the senior valedictorian, DeAngelo Fletcher, who concluded his speech with a call to end the Gaza war.

“For the first time in our lives, we’ve heard the global community sing one harmonious song that transcends lan-

guage and culture,” he said. “It is my sense as a Morehouse Man, nay — as a human being — to call for an immediate and a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”

At Columbia University, where protests have been intense, the school in early May cancelled its main graduation ceremony opting for smaller ceremonies at individual colleges there.

At graduation exercises at Harvard, May 23, about 1,000 students walked out during the ceremony in protest against the decision by the Harvard Corporation, the school’s governing body, to bar 13 undergraduates who were arrested for protesting the war between Israel and Hamas.

A small airplane was said to have flown low over the university trailing a banner that combined the American and Israeli flags.

The commencement speaker, Maria Ressa, a journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, seemed to call for support for the protesters when she said, during her address, “Harvard you are being tested.”

The hundreds of students who walked out later assembled in a Methodist church near the Harvard campus to stage what they called a “people’s commencement” that turned into yet another demonstration in support of Palestinians.

In the weeks leading up to the commencement ceremonies, college campuses have seen protests that have ranged from relatively calm demonstrations to what have amounted to pitched battles, such as the one that took place at UCLA in Los Angeles between supporters of Israel and their opponents.

By one estimate, nationally, more than 3,000 people have been arrested or detained. ì

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Nearly a thousand students walked out of the Harvard commencement to protest treatment of arrested student protestors.

Nolan Alexander The Galloway School

Congratulations! We’re so proud of you! In the words of Dr. Seuss, “Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

All our love, Mom, Dad, Lenore, and Maya

Berry

Simon, we are so proud of you and love you always. Mom, Dad, and Asher

Celebrating your achievement and the limitless possibilities

Congratulations, Ariel Ben-Senior Family

Simon

Weber School

Mazel Tov Jake & Dylan! We are so proud of you!

love, Grandma & Papa

Lola Craine

Walton High School

Congratulations! Wishing you much success in the next chapter of your lifecollege !

Love, Grandma & Poppa

Sonya Eden Dannenberg University

of Georgia

We’re proud of all your achievements! You’ll make a great Human Rights Lawyer in Future.

Rita Dannenberg

DarcyChapmanDenneen

University

Mazel Tov on your Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Darcy! We are so proud of you! You are destined for great things and an exciting journey ahead!

Love, Mommy, Daddy, Rachel, and Liam

Rachel

Denneen

The Weber School

Mazel Tov, Rachel, on graduating from The Weber School! We are so proud of you, your hard work, and all you have achieved!

Love, Mom, Dad, Darcy, and Liam

Edan Eyal

Moshe Eidex

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Tov Moshe Chaim! We are so proud of you!

your whole family

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Edan, we are so proud of you for your achievements at AJA and Georgia Tech!

Ima, Aba and the rest of the Eyal’s and Cohen’s!

Leora Rose Frank

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Leora - Forever and always our girl “on fire.” We just adore you and love you madly!

Ema, Abba, Asher, Ruth, Hannah, Nana, Pa and Safta

Danielle Vitale Frias

Philadelphia College of Medicine

Congratulations on becoming a PA! We are so proud of you and love you very much!

Mom, Dad, Marcus, Alex & Jeremy

Mazel

Love,

Isaac Friedberg

The Epstein School

Congratulations Isaac! We are so proud of you.

Mom, Dad, Maya & all the family

Naomi and Elliott Furie

The Weber Scahool

With pride and love- we cannot wait to watch you shine. Mazel Tov!

Mom, Dad, Kayla and your entire family!

Madelyn Gaffin

Dr. Phillips High School

Here’s to the youngest of the Gaffin bunch graduating high school! We love you and are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Dad, your siblings, and Aine, Phern and Boomie.

Mia Geppert

Hopewell Middle School

Entering high school, new adventures await! Proud of you and all you’ve accomplished. Congratulations, Mia!

Love, Mom, Dad, and Lucie

Emanuel Glinsky Brandeis University

Emanuel- Mazal Tov on all your accolades and your degree! We’re so proud of you

Mom, Papa, Menachem, Binyomin, Abuelita, Bubbie and Zeyda

Natanel Gold

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Our Remarkable Achiever, You’ve Thrived And Matured Always Realizing Your Limitless Abilities, Never Doubt!

Mommy, Abba, Shaindy and Shai

Sydney Gold

Riverwood International Charter School

Sydney we are so Proud of You! Congratulations of your Graduation!

Love, Mom, Dad and Stella

Ellie Goldsmith

Midtown High School

You are beautiful inside and out! Keep shining bright and change the world for the better. Mazel Tov! We love you to the moon and back.

Ezra Greidinger

Emory

Mazel Tov we are so proud of you!

Love Grandma Roberta & Grandpa Norman

Layla Harrison

Duluth High School

You are going to rock it at UGA! So proud of you!

Love, your sisters Melissa and Allison

Abby Hyken

Midtown High School

Mazel tov on your graduation! We’re so proud of you as you go off to UPenn!

Love, Mom, Dad, Jacob and Daniel xoxo

Rachel L Jacobson

The Davis Academy

Congratulations, lovely Rachel! Love you so very much

Daniel Katz

The Weber School Mazel Tov! You make us proud everyday! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!

We love you so much!

Mom, Dad, Shoshana, Isaac, Beau and Virginia

Ella Adi Katz

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Mazal tov Ella! Keep this world on it’s toes!

Abba, Ima and Judah

Ella Katz

Atlanta Jewish Academy

We love you Ella! Mazel Tov!

Yael (Ima) and Justin (Aba) Katz

Dunwoody High School

Congratulations Oren, you make us proud every day. We love you!!!!

Aunt Joan

Mom, Dad, Chen, Idan & Alon

Harry Kitey

The Weber School

We are so proud and look forward to watching you soar as an Emory Eagle!

Mom, Dad & Sadie

Leah May Kogon

The Weber School

Mazel Tov on your graduation! Your hard work paid off. You will be missed. Go Dawgs!

Gepps

Daniel Leibowitz

Weber

Mazal tov to my beautiful and smart grandson! Always be proud of who you are!

Mimi

Emmy Liniado

Riverwood High School

Congratulations Emmy! We are so proud of you.

Love, Mom, Dad, Ralph and Lauren

Jarrett Leitman

Johns Creek High School

Congratulations Jarrett! We are so proud of you, and we love you very much!

Love, Mom, Dad, and Robbie

Avery Lipman

The Weber School

Congratulations Avery! We love you and are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Dad and Ethan

Shira Lipton

The Galloway School

Mazel Tov! We are so proud of you, Shira! Go Blue!!!

Love, Mon, Dad, and Tali

Michael Lowenstein

Dunwoody High School

We are so proud of all your accomplishments and can’t wait to see what’s next.

Love, Mom, Dad, Erin and IJ!

Yael Mainzer

Atlanta Jewish Academy

We are so proud of you. May your next adventures are filled with many blessings!

Mom, Dad, and Zach

Ian Maman

St. Francis

Mazel Tov! We are so proud of your reaching this milestone!

The Scher Family

Elisha Feit Mann

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Congratulations dear Elisha, and now ONWARD and UPWARD to the next lucky schools!

Nana Joan

Jordan Mark

Oberlin College & Conservatory

Congratulations, Jordan! Bright, Caring and Creative –You are magical! We are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Mommy, Jacob & Shoshi

Justin Mille

The Weber School

Mazeltov Justin! We are so proud of you! Go Dawgs!

mom and dad

Brenna Mittleman

Weber

Mazel Tov on your graduation. We’re so proud of you. Go Badgers!

We Love You- Mom, RT, Hannah, & Simon

Becca Nadolne

Wake Forest University

Mazal tov on your Masters Degree in Digital Marketingalways ahead of the curve!

XOXO, Mommy and Daddy

Maya Parness Dunwoody High School

Congrats Maya! We’re very proud of you. Go Dawgs!!!

The Ben-Haim Family

Elliott Pollak

Walton

High School

Congrats to a wonderful grandson

Mimi

Micayla Pollak

University of Georgia

Proud of #1

Granddaughter with Honors Mimi

Daniel Ratner

Midtown HS

We are so proud of Daniel and his accomplishments. He is a true Entrepreneur with an abundance of creativity, motivation, and enthusiasm as well as quiet intelligence. Georgia Tech is the perfect place for him. With all of our love and excitement for your future endeavors.

Mom, Diana, Grandpa,and Nana

Diana Ratner

UGA Terry College of Business

We are all so proud of your accomplishments. You exemplify what a successful college graduate should be. Your persistence, your work ethic, your beauty, and kindness will follow you forever. You are a true team player and the business world will be lucky to have you.

Love and Mazel Tov, Mom, Daniel, Grandpa, and Nana

Jed Roseman

Midtown High School

Congrats! Stay humble, work hard, make good choices, be kind, and call home. Go Blue!

Love, Mom, Dad, Ava and Bodhi

Max Rosenberg

Centennial High School

We are so proud of you and are excited for your new adventure at Ohio State University!

Love Mom, Dad, Samson, and Pickles.

Sam Rosenthal

The Weber School

Congrats Sam! We love you and are so proud of you!

Dad, Mom and Elisa

Natasha Sanchez

McClure Health and Science High School

As you begin this new journey, there will be ups and downs, but we will always be here for you, cheering you on through everything. We’re very proud of you.

Man and dad

Yonatan Sasson

The Weber School

We are so incredibly proud of the mentch you have become! Love you, Yoni!

Mom and Aba

Marc Kalmon Saul

Terry School of Business, University of Georgia

Congratulations Marc!

Aunt Jean, Uncle Gary, Cousins Izzy & Aaron

Gabriella Schakett

Midtown International School

Mazel Tov on your graduation! We are so, so, so, so, proud of you!

Mommy, Daddy, Alex, Ethan, and the furry menagerie

Caroline Schneider

University of Georgia

Mazel Tov! Congratulations on graduating with First Honors from UGA. We are so proud of you. Go Dawgs!

Love, Mom & Dad, Ma & Pa, Adam, Isabelle, Sophie and Alex

Yaacov Shuman

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Mazel Tov Yaacov! We are so proud of you!

Love, Abba & Ima and all of your siblings

Aidan Sikora

Johns Creek High School

Keeping reaching for the stars & do GREAT things next year & every year at the University of Alabama Aidan!

Your Biggest Fans, Mom, Dad, Sammy & Gracie

Jamie Silberman

The Weber School

Zellik Silverberg

Atlanta Jewish Academy

We are incredibly proud of your hard work, midot, and accomplishments!

All our love, Your Pa, Your Ma & Amir, Bubie and Sabba, Aunt Sukie & Miriam

Mazel Tov we are so proud of you - Next stop The Ohio StateGo Buckeye’s Dad, Mom, Lex and Tyler

Frank Silverman

Weber Mazel tov to our bright and shining star!

Frankie Silverman

Weber High School

Frankie, you are a shining light!

Don and Suzanne Silverman

Granny

Sidney Sirull

Atlanta Jewish Academy

SIDNEY SIRULL!!

Mazel Tov. We are so proud of you and we love you so much!

Dad, Mom, Sara, Devra and Alex

Charlotte Spector

Davis Academy

Charlotte - We are so proud of everything you have accomplished at Davis Academy! We can’t wait to see you soar at the Weber School. We love you!

Mom & Dad

Micah Staley

University of Georgia, Terry College of Business

Mazel tov on completing your MBA. We are all so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Aunt Mooey, Lilli, Evan, Bagel, Spazzles, Kyya, Sammy & Maggie

Ryan Straw

The Weber School

We are so proud of you and and all your accomplishments. Can’t wait to see what the future brings to you.

Meredith Lynn Strmac

Clemson University,

Doctoral School

Congratulation to Dr. Meredith Lynn Strmac on receiving her Education Doctorate Degree. We are so proud of your accomplishment as the first Doctor in our family!

We love you with all of our heart, Mom and Dad

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Mazal Tov Shay Li! Enjoy your new journey In Israel Love- Ima, Abba, Noam &Zohar

Rachel Jenna Urbach

Dunwoody High School

We are so proud of you and excited about the next four!!

Love you, Mommy & Daddy

Chelsea Weiss

The Epstein School

Congrats! Dream big & soar at Weber! Always believe in yourself because you’re truly amazing!

Love you always, Mom and Ari

Jacqueline Weiss

Emory Law School

Mazel Tov on graduating from Emory Law with Honors. We are so very proud of you!

Mom, Dad and Rebecca

Jacob Williams

Midtown High School

Jacob we are so proud! Can’t wait to see you at Bama in the fall!

Matt Winston

UGA

Mazel Tov on earning your Masters in Science and Business Analytics!

Love Mom, Dad, and Ryan

Michael Wilson

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Mazal Tov Mikey! We are so proud of you. Continue to shine and brighten our world

Mom, Dad, Simmy &

Lee Yitzchaki

Georgia State University

Congratulations Lee! We are so proud of you!

Ima, Aba, Ariel and Roni

Roni Yitzchaki

Mercer University

Congratulations Roni! We are so proud of you!

Ima, Aba, Ariel and Lee

Mom, Nana, Esther, Yoni, and Step-Dan

Love,

Jonny

2024 Father's Day Tributes

Ari Freund – Dunwoody, GA

My dad is the funniest father in town and in the world because he always makes dad jokes. I love you dad!

Melissa Freund

My dad is the coolest AND funniest father in town and in the universe. Why? Because he hugs me and kisses me and he loves me no matter what I do. Also, he wakes up super early in the morning on the weekends just to bring me to my soccer game. He supports me in whatever desion I take. Finally, he corrects me whenever I say something wrong because he cares about my grammar. That is why my dad, Ari, is the best dad in the world!

Beni Freund

by The Robin Blass Group

Bubba (Bernard) Ulman – Atlanta, GA

What can we say about the smartest, kindest, funniest, bravest dad on the planet. Bubba, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather to our grandchildren is one-of-a-kind. They broke the mold when this 98-year-old man was born in Savannah. My siblings Robyn, Alan, and I have so many "Bubbaisms". He is passionate about his family, kind, considerate, and never forgets a birthday or special mitzvah. When COVID happened, he didn't want to miss seeing us. My brother suggested an Ulman Family Zoom every Sunday night. Four years later, he is still insisting we do it to catch up. He loves a "script" such as..." How well do you really know Bubba?" We play games, we tell jokes, and guess what...he SINGS! If you mention anything, his little memory kicks in and he can remember songs from the time he was little. He is brilliant. He loves to ask anyone what their names are and then he can pinpoint their ethnicity almost to the city of the country. He lives with my amazing sister and brother-in-law. They treat him like he is a king. We chat on the phone every night and I absolutely have to read the comics every single night. And of course the baby (our younger brother) holds a special place in his heart. He adores his grandchildren and great grandchildren and they are all devoted to him. He loves to tell stories and oh what a storyteller he is. He walks the walk and talks the talk of honesty, kindness, love, and doing the right thing. This of course is the short version for a gentle man and a gentleman. We are the luckiest children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren on the planet to be blessed with him in our lives.

Linda Frank

Victor Barocas – Johns Creek, GA

My father can make a bleak day bright not only with his words, but with his smile and charisma.

David

Robert R. Felson of Blessed Memory, Jerry Katz, Andrew Katz, Steven Katz and Joel Turry

I was only 22 years old when my father, Robert R. Felson, passed away suddenly of a heart attack. I never had the pleasure to see him grow old or for him to see me grow old. I did see the ultimate joy he had when I gave him his first grandchild, which was a boy! I saw him love in a way that only grandparents can visualize. I now see this grandson, Andrew Katz as a wonderful father to our great granddaughters, Alana and Mariah, which brings me a happiness in such a special way. The four fathers in my life have a deep imbedded love from me. My husband, Jerry Katz became a father while we were at the University of Georgia. He has shown love for this son, Steven Katz like I dreamed a father could be. And our son has in turn become a father and grandfather that followed in his dad’s footsteps and has brought it full circle for us. Seeing the love his granddaughters have for him is beyond description. It doesn’t just stop there. We have been fortunate enough to have a son in law, Joel Turry that has two sons, Reed and Brent. It was our lucky day when he married our daughter, Roben and we have watched him not only be a fantastic father to his sons, but he is the Adviser for AEPi at UGA! He has the admiration of so many young AEPi men for many years. There are many things we hope and pray for as adults and being able to see these FOUR fathers has filled my heart that was broken when I lost my own father, which is a void difficult to overcome. We share the happy times and the sad times together. My life is enhanced by their love not only to me, but to their children and grandchildren. On Father’s Day, I remember with great fondness my “daddy” who was an important force in my life and I am thankful to have the love these FOUR fathers bestow upon me. They are ALL truly special ! I am indeed a very fortunate woman!!!

Martha Jo Katz COLLECTIONS

Jerry Summerfield – Memphis, TN

My daddy is 95 years young. He loves live jazz, boating, a great martini, and his kids (who both live in Atlanta). He taught us to love these things along with college football, photography, being kind, loyal, and honest. We are grateful for his years of humor, good health, and tremendous love.

Edye Summerfield Disner

Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Guide

By Robyn Gerson

With the arrival of Father’s Day, even if you waited until the last minute, we have you covered. In lightning speed, these creative gift ideas will let your father, grandfather, or uncle, or even the father-like figure in your life, know how much they mean to you.

It’s never too late to sweeten your Father’s Day greetings. Father’s Day is dad’s day for a little more TLC and let’s make sure he feels extra special. If the day has sped by, these ideas are also good to go year-round to show your dad how much you care. Dads appreciate the “thought” which always counts, and here are some easy ways to step up yours. Take a moment and give dad something truly meaningful he’ll remember forever.

Make sure to let dad know what you’ve learned from him. What has he taught you? What little or big things has he done that you are thankful for? Gift dad something that touches his heart and makes him smile which will be a priceless gift, one that he can reflect on and remember often. After all, father knows best. Consider the following ideas and let him know:

Write a “Dear Dad” letter: No matter your age, write a good old-fashioned “you’re the greatest dad” letter that he can save. Gift dad your heartfelt feelings and tell him to read it often. Share with dad the lessons you’ve learned from him, ways he has inspired you and not just what he has done for you, but how he has made your life more meaningful and special. I promise the gift of words and gratitude will be forever treasured and long-remembered as one of the best gifts you ever gave Dad.

Capture The Moments: Do a photo shoot with dad and take pictures of him with the entire family and each family member. Those photographs of “Me and Dad (or Grandpa, etc.)” will be lifelong keepsakes for everyone. All too often we take photographs but forget to make them personal. Add your photographer’s special touch for a photo or family photo to cherish. And don’t forget those going wild photographs where everyone poses and acts silly. Include the tried and true, but those, too are memorable for sure and fun for younger kids.

Remember The Little Things: Give Dad back a few of your favorite “Dad and Me” memories that are etched into your mind forever. Whether your dad or grandfather taught you to catch a ball, play a game or learn to drive, whatever those moments are, bring them to life and share the story. Two precious words are, “I remember.” Turn the table on dad and share your “good old times” back with him as those moments are magical and feel good.

Freezer Pleasers for Dad: Understanding Dad’s favorite foods, especially something home cooked that can be frozen, fill the freezer with some delectable goodies. You can also last-minute pop into an ice cream store or the grocery and grab a few of his favorites. For starters, consider Dad’s favorite things, hobbies, food preferences and beyond. Fill the freezer with pleasures that your dad will enjoy.

Interview Your Dad: Get your smart phone ready to interview dad and video tape him on Father’s Day. It’s a gift you give dad and will also give yourself. Head to a computer store or to Wolf Camera and transform the video into a gift. One photo can tell a story. It’s also easy to use apps that instantly make slide shows and are free. Ask dad questions like his favorite childhood memory of his mother or father. Life as a kid? What stories does he hope you remember about him most? What were his favorite songs when he was a teenager? You get the gist. Also ask him what does he love about you most and your siblings? Store it, save it, share it as it will be a timeless gift.

Coupons For Dad: The kids can make coupons for dad and get very creative. You’ve probably done this once upon a time, but it’s still a great last-minute present that can include a day off, help cleaning up after dinner, siblings not fighting, saying please and thank you and the list goes on. Dad will enjoy cashing in his coupons for everything from good behavior to a little R&R in the weeks to come and no expirations dates included.

Is Dad a Fix-It or Handy Dad? At the last minute, we all know you can go online to dad’s favorite stores and places to shop. Within minutes select one that sends an e-gift card right away. Is your dad sentimental, car-loving, workshop obsessed? What does he love to do? Is your Pop tops at fixing things, or handy? Add a roll of duct tape to thank dad for sticking with you. Or a cool high tech measuring tape and thank Dad for going to great lengths for you.

Wash Dad’s Car: Even if you do it yourself at dad’s house or your home, wash dad’s car. Kids will love to pitch in, and a little soap and water will go a long way. Get the entire family in on the act and watch dad’s face when you arrive with a bucket, some sponges and soap. He’ll appreciate the auto-TLC and automatically appreciate your car-washing efforts. You can bring your car cleaning crew to Dad’s driveway or invite him over every few weeks for a package of car washes from his biggest fans.

Table of Family Fame: Pull out a variety of photographs and decorate your table or Dad’s desk with photographs of you and dad or Grandpa. Add a personal touch to your Father’s Day dinner and bring out photographs of the generations of Dad’s and special family members. Ask Dad to share his favorite memories about each family member.

Breakfast For Your Champion: Set up a fun Father’s Day greeting that dad can wake up to from his cereal to coffee, and all the trimmings. Or make him his favorite challah toast or a daddy-o omelet. It’s also fun to make homemade pancakes in the shape of hearts. Start his day with a great big smile and brighten his day from breakfast onward.

Goodies For Dads: If dad is a chocolate lover and has a sweet tooth, your dad’s eyes will light up when you fill a mug or bucket with his favorite type of chocolates. Does he like milk, dark, bittersweet or white chocolate? Get to know Dad’s favorite preferences, and give him the delectable, a no frills, but pure chocolaty gift or sweets he loves most. If dad is cutting back on sweets, add fruit in season for the fruits of his labor.

For The Superhero Dad: Ask everyone in the family (even last minute) to fill out slips on small pieces of paper and share how Dad is your hero. Finish the sentence with all the things he does that make your day. Finish the sentence - Dad is a super-hero because…. Ideas could include how he saves the day, takes you to school, makes you laugh, tells you jokes, reads bedtime stories, grills the best hamburgers and hot dogs or other ways he has come to your rescue. Fill the jar with these super-hero slips of paper and tell Dad to read one a day.

For The Food Sensitive Dad: If food restrictions are important for Dad, go that extra mile and share some yummy choices. For example, if Dad eats dairyfree, sugar-free, vegan or gluten free options, look for foods that he’ll enjoy that fit the list. These choices are readily available at most stores and gift him a new selection of foods he can eat that perhaps he has not discovered. From snacks to healthy choices, there are endless options that will be good for dad.

A Saucy Gift: Pour on the sauce! Kick up the seasonings and make it tasty. This is a last minute, quick and easy grab it at the grocery store gift that dads who cook and love to grill will enjoy. Find gourmet barbecue sauces and a variety of other flavors from mango to honey mustards to spicy flavors. Dad will enjoy hot sauces, peach flavors and other specific tasty gifts especially if he’s into trying new flavors. You can also add salad dressings, seasonings, or hot sauces if Dad likes to spice it up.

For Tech-Friendly Dads or Not So Techy: If dad loves his computer and all the latest gadgets, but when his computer is acting up, not so much. Gift him your tech services, especially if you’re up to speed on those easy tech challenges and a computer pro. Even a reboot reminder can work sometimes. Your time helping dad will be irreplaceable. An hour with you to help Dad reset passwords, clear the trash from his phone, update his contact list or even teach him to organize his photographs, I promise this gift will be valuable saving him time, money and truly valued. If you aren’t a pro, then consider gifting a few hours with a seasoned professional on call. ì

Whatever Happened to the Father’s Day Tie?

By Bob Bahr

It was not that many years ago that the necktie, that once celebrated symbol of modern manhood, was a favored gift on Father’s Day. In 1998, according to Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, there were 105 million men’s neckties sold in the United States worth over $1.6 billion. Seventy percent of them were made by American companies.

Such was the power of the necktie market that a nice Jewish boy from the Bronx, Ralph Lifshitz, could start his clothing business by selling ties wholesale from an office in New York’s Empire State Building. Within a year, his success allowed him to expand his men’s clothing business. He became a major manufacturer of men’s and eventually women’s clothing and, as Ralph Lauren, his traditionally styled designs formed the basis for one of the most successful clothing companies in the world.

The later years of the 20th century was also when Brandt Ross became the president of The Corbin Company. It had made so much money with its so called “natural shoulder” trousers, a flat front men’s khaki model, that by the 1980s they were a major manufacturer of suits and sport coats as well. Ross is now 87 and living in Atlanta but long retired from the menswear business. He remembers how his closet was stocked with over a hundred ties all carefully coordinated with the more than a hundred suits he owned.

Then, as part of his job marketing each season’s line, he would travel around to the nation’s better men’s clothing stores doing what he called “dressing for success seminars.”

“I would show, with different outfits, how men could coordinate their ties with their suits and jackets,” Ross said. “You wouldn’t dare put a diagonally striped repp tie with a plaid jacket. You might instead choose a nice foulard, swirl patterned tie with it. It was important then to coordinate the jacket, the pants, the shirt, and the shoes with the tie.”

One writer, John T. Malloy, actually wrote a best seller called “Dress For Success” back then. In it he talked about how social experiments had shown that wearing a tie meant more offers after job interviews, better tables with restau-

rant reservations, and even more money when panhandling.

Ross could always count on at least one tie each Father’s Day that would be carefully selected by his wife and daughter. For shoppers in Atlanta that meant a trip to Guffey’s, Muse’s, Rich’s Department Store, Brooks Brothers or one of the better men’s stores to make the selection.

Twenty-five years ago, women were responsible for half of all the ties that were bought for men. On Father’s Day, they would be wrapped carefully in white tissue paper and nestled in a slender hard sided flat box held together by a fancy ribbon and extra wrapping paper.

“When I went to work, I was always wearing a tie,” Ross remembers. “It was almost like you weren’t dressed without one. You always wore one for special occasions like synagogue services, even when I was in grammar school. I wore them all through high school. In college you always wore them to fraternity parties or anything like that. It was just expected.”

But all that began to change with the arrival of a new century. Men began to experiment with other style choices that would set them apart from others. They might choose a small gold earring or even a nose ring, tattoos, a blond or even multi-colored hair dye, low riding trousers, perhaps, even with a glimpse of underwear. The necktie that promised a subtle splash of color, or a unique pattern that would bring together a shirt, a jacket, carefully chosen trousers and well-shined shoes went the way of the Homburg hat and spats for your shoes.

During the recent pandemic, when many men worked from home, the usual clothing choice was often shorts or jeans and a T-shirt. For many, there hasn’t been much interest since in dressing up.

The Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, which counted up all those necktie sales in years past, folded in 2008. However, in the last few years interest in neckties has returned, but, as a hot fashion accessory for women. Recent collections by Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Kenzo, Raf Simons, Sportmax, and Valentino have featured them. The pop singer Billie Eilish wore one to a recent awards show and Zendaya tied one on for an after party at another.

Brandt Ross is down to a few sport jackets and a single blue suit that he maintains he rarely wears. But several of his old ties were put to good use, becoming part of the tallit his wife made for their grandson’s bar mitzvah. ì

Neckties were a part of a recent Gucci collection for women.

A detailed view of the Ross bar mitzvah tallit.

Brandt Ross at a family seder in the 1970s, where ties for himself and his sons were the fashion.

Celebrate in Sandy Springs

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770-206-1447 hospitality@sandyspringsga.org

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JOB OPENINGS

VOTED BEST NEWSPAPER & BEST WEBSITE BY THE AMERICAN JEWISH PRESS ASSOCIATION 2022 AND 2023

We are looking for YOU to fill one of these positions. We offer competitive salaries, benefits, PTO and both national and Jewish holiday time off.

RECEPTIONIST

The Atlanta Jewish Times has an immediate full-time opening for a dependable and organized individual to assist with front office tasks including circulation and subscription development. Responsibilities include customer service; answering phone calls and greeting visitors; handling subscription renewals and development; compiling and posting events online and in print; generating Excel reports; assisting in community engagement projects; and supporting staff with misc. tasks as needed. Direct knowledge of the Atlanta Jewish community a plus.

$15-$20 per hour.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Atlanta Jewish Times has an immediate, in-office FULL TIME opening for an experienced administrative professional. Must be a quick learner who is highly organized, able to multitask in a fast-paced environment, and provide support at the executive level. Duties include assisting the company’s owner and president in day-to-day tasks; meetings; spreadsheets; maintaining calendars and scheduling appointments; handling phone calls and correspondence; in various projects and community events as needed.

Requirements

Work experience as an Executive Assistant, or similar role. Strong MS Word and Excel skills Ability to work independently. Familiarity with database management. Outstanding organizational and time management skills.

Excellent verbal and written communications skills.

Discretion and confidentiality. $25k-$35k annually.

The Lowdown

I Bet You Didn’t Know …

Ray Schoenbaum

Atlanta is chock full of interesting “movers and shakers” - some bent on creativity, empire building, the sciences, or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off the cuff” remarks as to what makes our spotlight Ray Schoenbaum tick.

Ray’s Restaurants founder and partner, Raymond “Ray” Schoenbaum, is a prominent figure in Atlanta’s dining scene. He launched Ray’s on the River in 1984, Ray’s at Killer Creek in 1998, and Ray’s in the City in 2003. His establishments are celebrated for fresh seafood, prime steaks and extensive wine selections.

Starting his career on a dish line as a teenager, Schoenbaum advanced to kitchen manager at a Shoney’s franchise during college—a chain founded by his father. After college, he Schoenbaum focuses on enhancing his restaurants through meticulous attention to service and hospitality and a commitment to tableside service that ensures each meal is an experience. His leadership fosters low staff turnover and a team of top-tier management and chefs.

Schoenbaum also dedicates time to charities including the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Clark’s Christmas Kids, Chattahoochee River preservation

On April 26, Ray announced his retirement and impending sale of Ray’s to Kennesaw based TEI Hospitality. He and wife, Susan, are members

Find out why Ray Schoenbaum knows precisely when to exit…

After 65 years in the restaurant industry and always worrying about sales and guests’ experiences, I thought it was time.

How would you respond to being called a “revolutionary”?

Think about it. When we grew up, there were literally NO sit-down restaurants. Just look into what has evolved.

Is knowing when to “exit” a strategy you value?

I’ve sold many businesses -- Rio Bravo, Wendy’s, and the first touch screen technology, “Squirrel,” that is still in use by

Who inspired you to go into the restaurant business?

As a child at home, my dad would have visitors like Colonel Sanders. Woody Marriott told me early on, “Stand by the dishwasher to observe what the customers leave on their

My fave cocktail is …

I’m not a big drinker anymore, but I do love a good Casamigos Tequila Reposado or a nice red wine.

What are you reading and streaming?

I am still trying to figure out how to stream.  I read a lot about restaurant success.

Best advice your father gave you …

He always told me “Don’t work for the bank and always pay your debts, and “Your worth in life is the people you help along the way.”

If they made a movie of my life, -------- would play the lead. That is a tough question. Jack Nicholson.

My wife says I’m too …?

ADD

After retirement, you will most likely find me …

On the golf course, spending time with my grandkids and traveling. I need time to figure it all out. I’m learning to relax in my Naples house.

Last time I cried …

I teared up when I told all of my managers and executives that I was retiring and selling the restaurants.

My biggest regret …

Not spending more time with my family instead of working.

I think the people who worked for me would say I was … Knowledgeable in the restaurant business, but tough and demanding. I am also fair, generous and reward my employees for helping with my success. ì

Reported by Marcia Caller Jaffe

CALENDAR

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. NEW SERIES: Exploring the Mysteries of Kabbalah and Life. A Weekly Study Series with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman IN PERSON ONLY and Broadcast on YouTube. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4aXgHVd.

Kabbalah Café - 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Find out more at https:// bit.ly/4b888GK.

MONDAY, JUNE 17

Jeff’s Place Cafe - 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Need a place to host your Monday-morning business meeting? Looking to meet a friend for breakfast and coffee? Craving some bagels and lox before heading into the office? Join Jeff’s Place by learning more at https://bit. ly/3IRgve6.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

Beth Jacob Atlanta - 81st Celebration - 6 to 10 p.m. One Heart, One Purpose. Come together for a special evening to celebrate our Shul and salute our worthy honorees for exemplifying the values we stand for. Enjoy a heartwarming program, a gourmet menu, and musical accompaniment by special guest musician Aryeh Kunstler. Register at https://bit.ly/3KnBZzE.

Tuesday Night Mah Jongg Club - 7 to 9 p.m. It’s not your Bubbie’s mahjong, or is it? Mah Jongg has been a staple of Jewish American culture since the founding of the National Mah Jongg League. The Jewish women entrepreneurs who started the league in 1937 intended to bring MahJongg to a wide audience and standardize the game. Find out how to learn Mah Jongg with Chabad Intown at https://bit. ly/4dCaP5j.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19

Jewish Women’s Torah and Tea - 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Join the Jewish Women’s Circle of Decatur for a weekly discussion on the Parsha and contemporary Jewish issues. Find out more at https://bit.ly/3T8oR4B.

JUNE 16-30

THURSDAY, JUNE 20

Book Club - 7 to 9 p.m. Join Chabad Intown for Book Club - Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman. Sparkling with suspense and vulnerability, Tap Dancing on Everest is a true survival story about the risks we take to become our most authentic selves. In this inspiring coming-of-age travel memoir that includes solo hiking through Nepal, Zieman weaves her childhood as the daughter of Jewish immigrants raised in 1970’s New York City, her father a Holocaust survivor, with adventure, medicine, and empowerment. She captures the curiosity and awe of a young woman as she faces down messages to stay small and safe and ventures into the unknown. Discussion and Q&A with Mimi Zieman, moderated by Mrs. Dena Schusterman. RSVP at https://bit.ly/3ymKCaY.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21

Gesher’s Pride Shabbat - 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Join Gesher for a special Pride Shabbat. Kick off the evening schmoozing followed by an inspirational service led by the musical voice of Hannah Zale and Rabbi Michael. Find out more at https://bit. ly/3x3NyZF.

SUNDAY, JUNE 23

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. NEW SERIES: Exploring the Mysteries of Kabbalah and Life. A Weekly Study Series with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman IN PERSON ONLY and Broadcast on YouTube. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4aXgHVd.

Kabbalah Café - 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Find out more at https:// bit.ly/4b888GK.

MONDAY, JUNE 24

Jeff’s Place Cafe - 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Need a place to host your Monday-morning business meeting? Looking to meet a friend for breakfast and coffee? Craving some bagels and lox before heading into the office? Join Jeff’s Place by learning more at https://bit. ly/3IRgve6.

TUESDAY,

JUNE 25

Koffee and Kibbitz at Etz Chaim - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bagel Rescue reduces food waste and supports hunger relief by “rescuing” unsold bagels and delivering them to neighbors in need. During this project, participants will learn about the issues of food waste, food insecurity, and food justice; discuss the Jewish values associated with solving these critical issues facing our city; and package bagels that will be sent into the community. Join AgeWell Atlanta and Congregation Etz Chaim to make a difference, one bagel at a time. RSVP at https:// bit.ly/4c4ZwRG.

Brain Health Bootcamp – 11 a.m.to 1 p.m.

Join a fun, social class to strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp! With age serving as the greatest risk factor for cognitive impairment or memory loss, JF&CS is taking action with the Brain Health Bootcamp. The first of its kind in Atlanta, it is designed to provide memory enhancement techniques through cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, education, and socialization. Join by visiting https://bit. ly/451GNDC.

Tuesday Night Mah Jongg Club - 7 to 9 p.m. It’s not your Bubbie’s mahjong, or is it? Mah Jongg has been a staple of Jewish American culture since the founding of the National Mah Jongg League. The Jewish women entrepreneurs who started the league in 1937 intended to bring MahJongg to a wide audience and standardize the game. In the 1950s this game spread in Jewish communities largely amongst the women as a way to connect with one another. We’re doing the same in 2024. Mahjong is having quite the resurgence and we’d love to get together to play this game of skill and luck, have snacks and drinks, and kibbitz with old and new friends. Find out how to learn Mah Jongg with Chabad Intown at https://bit.ly/4dCaP5j.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26

Mitzvah House Torah Class – 8 to 9 p.m. Join the Mitzvah House for a weekly Torah class for men and women. Snacks for the body and soul. Find out more at https://bit. ly/4bhIL5f.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Naso

Friday, June 14 Light Candles at: 8:32 PM

Saturday, June 15 Shabbat Ends: 9:34 PM

Torah Reading: Behaalotecha

Friday, June 21 Light Candles at: 8:34 PM

Saturday, June 22 Shabbat Ends: 9:36 PM

Torah Reading: Shlach

Friday, June 28 Light Candles at: 8:35 PM

Saturday, June 29 Shabbat Ends: 9:36 PM

THURSDAY, JUNE 27

Beth Shalom Weekly Mah Jongg Night - 6 to 9 p.m. Join Beth Shalom weekly for a night of Mah Jongg. Join by visiting https:// bit.ly/3x0AvYS.

Beth Shalom Beginners Mah Jongg Night - 7:30 to 9 p.m. Join Beth Shalom weekly to learn how to play Mah Jongg. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3X7lXBs.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

Dive Into Shabbat - 5 to 7 p.m. Celebrate Shabbat with family and friends at the MJCCA outdoor pool and splash pad. Bring your own picnic or purchase refreshments at the Snack Bar. Open swim begins at 5 p.m. followed by Shabbat songs and blessings with Rabbi Glusman at 6 p.m. Free ice pops, challah, and grape juice are provided! Bring your friends and enjoy this unique Shabbat celebration. Find out more at https://bit.ly/45eY5Oj.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. NEW SERIES: Exploring the Mysteries of Kabbalah and Life. A Weekly Study Series with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman IN PERSON ONLY and Broadcast on YouTube. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4aXgHVd.

Kabbalah Café - 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Find out more at https:// bit.ly/4b888GK.

Driving lessons for teens and adults

DDS approved on-site road testing services

Drivers education/Joshua’s Law

Defensive driving classes

DUI/Risk reduction classes

Call 770-274-4223 or Text 404-590-4570

www.1statlantaduischool.com

Mon-Fri 8am–8pm, Sat & Sun 8am-6pm

KEEPING IT KOSHER

Strawberry Salad

This salad has an unexpected combination of flavors, perhaps, but they’re truly irresistible together.

Ingredients

Salad

5 ounces arugula

1 pound frozen or fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

4 ounces crumbled Ta’amti Feta Cheese

1 ripe avocado, diced

1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seed

1/2 cup halved and thinly sliced radishes (about 3 medium)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Tuscanini Olive Oil

1 and 1/2 tablespoons Tuscanini Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Haddar Dijon Mustard

1/2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

1 clove garlic, minced or 1 cube Gefen Frozen Garlic pinch of salt black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. On a large serving platter or in a large serving bowl, layer arugula, strawberries, onion, feta cheese, avocado, sunflower seeds, and radishes.

2. In a small bowl, combine all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until fully blended. Taste and season with more salt or pepper, if needed. The dressing should be nice and tangy, but you can add more maple syrup for balance, if desired.

3. When ready to serve, drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss to combine. (If making in advance, store salad and dressing separately and toss before serving.)

Recipe Source: Kosher.com

Photo by Chay Berger.

Tablescape by Rivky Friedman and Miriam Solomon.

Recipe by Rivky Friedman

The Vet

One early winter morning, Rabbi Bloom was walking beside the canal when he saw a dog in the water trying hard to stay afloat.

It looked so sad and exhausted that Rabbi Bloom jumped in and, after a struggle, managed to bring the dog out alive.

A passerby saw this and said, “That was very brave of you. Are you a vet?”

Rabbi Bloom replied, “Of course I’m a vet! I’m freezing cold as well!”

YIDDISH WORD

Gifilted

Adj. Stuffed or filled up with anything – originally with food but now with, say, too much work or a strong emotion.

“I’m gifilted with grief.”

From the Yiddish gefilte fish, meaning “stuffed like fish.”

The Muppet Puzzle

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

Difficulty Level: Easy

ACROSS

1. Greyhound or egged transport

4. Cat weapons

9. Many a Saudi or Jordanian

13. Army insect

14. Kidney word

15. Barn neighbor, perhaps 16. Shyster bird?

18. The Ark or a Torah, e.g. 19. Nudges

20. Charlie Brown’s tormentor

22. “___ & Stitch”

23. Eve’s third son

24. Teeth and Honeydew

27. Declare a specific amphibian

kosher?

31. YU. followed

32. Get rid of

33. Get rid of some treif?

39. Stare at 40. “2 funny!”

41. Rat that’s gone kosher?

48. NCSY or NFTY alternative

49. Word with glory or rage

50. Use an axe

52. Lame, as an excuse

53. Brown or white weasel

55. Golden State sch.

58. Furry new Jew doing bad

standup?

60. Kind of boat

61. Affirms

62. “Ben ___,” 1959 film

63. “Happy” mollusk

64. AKA Rabbi David Kimchi

65. Caleb or Joshua

DOWN

1. City in Switzerland

2. Take off a tie, perhaps

3. Constant

4. J. follower in fashion

5. Actresses Thompson and Salonga

6. Lee who directed “Life of Pi”

7. Credit cards keeper

8. Detective

9. Sickly, as a complexion

10. Brazilian hot spot, for short

11. Tide alternative

12. Solomon was one when he became king

17. “Wuthering Heights” setting

21. What’s what in Italy?

23. The dad on “Rugrats” and “The Simpsons” Disco guy

24. Aspirin, e.g.

25. Pink-cheeked

26. Pepper, for one: Abbr.

28. Letter worth 40

29. Uganda VIP, once

30. Haze in the air

33. Bat mitzvah seating possibility

34. Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist

Stradlin

35. “Oh yeah? ___ who?!”

36. Winter conveyance

37. 1990s fad game piece

38. “Well, ___ be!”

39. “Despicable Me” protagonist

42. Grenada gold

43. How some practical jokes go

44. The Old City

45. Cartoon coyote’s favorite company

46. Chicken choices

47. Get cut

51. Designer Ellis

52. Sukkah branch

53. Notable Jewish scribe

54. Board game that can last all Shabbos

55. Golden State sch.

56. ___ Tech (Golden State sch.)

57. ___ Fail (Irish stone)

59. Z, to Brits

OBITUARIES

Miron Boguslavsky

73, Atlanta

Miron Boguslavsky, 73, passed away peacefully in his home on June 5, 2024. Miron was born on Dec. 13, 1950, in Odessa, Ukraine. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1990 and lived in Atlanta, Ga. Miron was a musician with talent for the trombone, composition, and singing. Miron enjoyed being a part of the choir at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on High Holidays.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Elena Boguslavsky, and his son, Alexander.

Being a hard worker all his life, Miron had a piano tuning business and was known by many customers for his good, honest work. His love for classical and jazz music continued throughout his life. Running and walking in the park as well as swimming were his favorite exercises. Miron loved his family and will live forever in the hearts of those who loved him.

The funeral was held on June 6, 2024, at Greenwood Cemetery, Atlanta, GA. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Bloom.

At Canterbury Court senior living community, life can be as full and colorful as you’d like it to be. With our expanded 14-acre campus, embrace the start of each day from your elegantly finished apartment home. Enjoy enhanced amenities and services. Explore surrounding lush green spaces. And cherish great conversations with neighbors. All with the peace of mind of a continuum of care, if ever needed. With all this awaiting you, what are you waiting for?

To learn more and to schedule a personal tour, contact us today at 404-905-2444, visit CanterburyCourt.org/Bloom, or scan the QR code.

Howard Hecht 90, Atlanta

Howard was born in New York City on Jan. 23, 1934, to Mortimer and Anne Schwartz Hecht. He grew up in Chicago, Ill., and at age 15, met his beloved wife, Gloria. Their marriage lasted nearly 70 years, until she passed away in 2022. Howard obtained a medical degree from the University of Illinois Medical School and following his residency in orthopedic surgery, opened a solo practice in Jacksonville, Fla. As his practice was just gaining traction, the U.S. Army needed his skills to serve wounded soldiers during the height of the Vietnam War. He and his young family embarked first to Ft. Belvoir, Va., and then Yokohama, Japan.

Upon completion of his service and discharge as a U.S. Army Captain, Howard and Gloria settled in Atlanta, Ga., where he practiced orthopedic surgery.

Howard was predeceased by his wife, Gloria, his sister, Dolores Gbur, and her daughter, Cassie.

He is survived by his three children, Dr. Cheryl Hecht (Lenny Thurschwell), Ken Hecht (Elaine Herskowitz) and James Hecht; daughter-in-law, Lisa Hecht; grandchildren, Josh Hecht (Deanne), Steven Hecht (Sarah), David Hecht (Davina Finn), Michelle Munsell (Jason), Laura Colletta (Dave), Allison Thurschwell-Goldstein (Josh Goldstein) and great-grandchildren: Ella, Teddy, Alex, Olive, Rebecca, and Aiden.

Howard and Gloria loved to travel the world and collect art, especially bronzes. They loved spending time with the grandchildren in Hilton Head and family holidays in Atlanta. Interment for family and close friends was at 2 p.m. on June 9, 2024, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. Zoom is available at Dressler Jewish Funeral Care.

Please send Donations to Congregation Or-Hadash, Chesed Fund. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Edward Leader, M.D.

70, Atlanta

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Dr. Edward Leader, a pioneering psychiatrist whose life’s work transformed the understanding and treatment of trauma. Dr. Leader began his illustrious career at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the U.S., in 1961, where he was exposed to a diverse array of severe psychiatric cases. His early experiences at Bellevue’s psychiatric unit, which included a notorious prison ward, shaped his compassionate approach to mental health care. This is where he met a young Bellevue nursing student, Mary Leah Wool.

Dr. Leader was a critical voice in the field during a time when classical psychoanalysis dominated psychiatric practice. He advocated for a more nuanced understanding of trauma, recognizing the unique impact of traumatic experiences on each individual. His empathetic listening and innovative thinking provided solace and solutions to those grappling with the aftermath of trauma.

In 1966, Dr. Leader’s expertise acquired a new dimension when he was drafted into the United States Army. As a Captain at the Medical Field Service School in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he educated military doctors and specialists on the complexities of combat-related psychiatric conditions. His insights into the psychological toll of war on soldiers were groundbreaking and contributed significantly to military psychiatry.

Dr. Leader believed that every combat soldier experienced trauma, witnessing violence, death, and devastation. He dedicated himself to mitigating the effects of combat trauma, particularly focusing on the mental well-being of army physicians and enlisted men.

His legacy is one of unwavering commitment to those affected by trauma, be it in the bustling city of New York, the war zones of Vietnam, or the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Dr. Leader’s contributions to psychiatry and education at the Emory University School of Medicine where he taught for 49 years have left an indelible mark on the field and on the lives of countless individuals. He will be remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for his profound humanity.

We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Leader’s family, friends, and all who were touched by his remarkable life and work. His dedication to healing will inspire future generations of mental health professionals.

Edward Leader is remembered as a kind and supportive family man. He was predeceased by his parents, Clara and Albert Leader, and sisters, Florence Golub and Rhoda Rosenberg, and niece, Ellen Golub. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Wool Leader, siblings-in-law, Carl Golub, Martin Rosenberg, and Jack and Laura Wool, children, Drs. Susan and David Leader, Barbara and Barry Nicolau, Jane and Marc Ripps, and Ivy and Ben Newton, grandchildren, Dr. Jessica and David Fortín, Dr. Andrew Leader and Gillian Wallace, Julie and Todd Orlansky, Allison Leader and Nick Zylkuski, Frances and Spenser Gould, Gabriel Newton, and Dorothy Ripps, and great-grandchildren, Natalie Fortín, Theodore and Miles Leader-Wallace, Ilya Gould, and Lincoln Orlansky. He leaves behind nieces and nephews, Arianne and Robert Golub; Karen and Eric Menzie; Adam Rosenberg, Midori, Joel, and Clara Wool; and great-nephews, great-nieces, cousins, friends, and former colleagues. May memories of Edward Leader endure and forever be a blessing. Graveside service was on Friday, May 31, 2024, North Atlanta Memorial Park, 5188 Winters Chapel Rd., Atlanta, GA 30360. The family asks that you send donations in his honor to www. brothersforlife.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Jill Newman 86, Charlotte, N.C.

Jill Newman passed away on June 4, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband by her side. She was 86 years old.

Jill was born in Phoenix, Az., but grew up in Molene, Ill. She was the second oldest of six sisters. She was an identical twin, and her two youngest siblings were also identical twins. After high school, Jill attended Augustana College. She married Edwin Newman in 1958 and they had two children, Randy and Michael.

Jill was a sunny, friendly, and optimistic person who had many friends. She adored her family and had an encyclopedic knowledge of their lives and achievements. She believed in service to her community and was active in many organizations such as the Jewish Federation of Charlotte, Hadassah, Jewish Family Services, The Charlotte JCC, and The Mint Museum. She held leadership roles in several of the above. She also enjoyed the theater and travel. Jill and her husband, Ed, were fortunate enough to travel extensively throughout the world during their 65-year marriage. Whether they traveled alone or with friends, they returned home with wonderful stories and photo-album full of memories.

Jill is survived by her husband, Ed, her children, Randy (Susan), Michael (Jennifer) and her six grandchildren, Noah (Noam Gal), Catherine, Kyle, Sydnie, Tori, and Reece. She is also survived by her siblings Jackie, Liz, and Diane.

A memorial service was held on Friday, June 6, at 12 noon, at Temple Beth El in Charlotte followed by a burial ceremony at the Hebrew Cemetery in Charlotte. Shiva was held on Saturday June 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Temple Beth El and on Sunday, June 9, at the Cypress of Charlotte.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Charlotte Jewish Federation and the Parkinson’s Foundation. Condolences may be offered at www.McEwenPineveilleChapel.com.

Carol Rose 85, Solon, Ohio

Carol Rose (nee Meldon), age 85, of Solon, Ohio, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Carol was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 25, 1939.

Beloved wife of Maury Rose; devoted mother of Jeff (Tammy) Rose of Shaker Heights and Randi (Todd) Zeid of Solon, Ohio; loving grandmother of Gabrielle Rose, Samantha (JoJo) Franco, Zoe (Yeshua Tolle) Zeid and Peter Zeid; dear sister of Barbara Sofer (deceased).

Funeral services for Carol were held at BerkowitzKumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, 1985 S Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 on Monday, June 3, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.

Interment followed at Hillcrest Memorial Park (Temple Emanu El section), 26700 Aurora Rd, Bedford Heights, Ohio 44146.

The family received friends at the Rose Residence, 36965 Aberdeen Lane, Solon, OH 4413 on Monday, June 3, 2024, and Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

Contributions in Carol’s memory is suggested to the Charity of Choice. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be left at www.bkbmc.com for the Rose Family.

Col. Irving B. Schoenberg

98, Atlanta

Col. (USAF Ret) Irving B. Schoenberg, 98, born Nov. 5, 1925, in St. Joseph, Mo., passed away on June 1, 2024. He was the oldest child of Morris and Mary Schoenberg, and brother to Darlyne Fagin Gilmartin and Ronald Schoenberg. He was raised with dozens of Hochman relatives and was a beloved “Uncle Sonny” to many of their offspring.

Irv was a husband, father, grandfather and proud graduate of West Point Class of 1948, and a leader in the Atlanta community. Throughout his life, his care, concern and love made him a binding pillar of his extended family.

Irv’s military career began in high school where he was ROTC Captain. He enlisted in the Army straight out of Central High School in 1943. He received an appointment to West Point in 1944. The West Point motto, “Duty Honor Country,” shaped his life. His service spanned three wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam). Among his career highlights were Eisenhower White House Aide, senior staff in the offices of the Secretary and Undersecretary of the Air Force (Pentagon), Missile Command, and Material Management and Logistics in Dayton, Ohio, and Warner Robins, Ga. His decorations included three Legions of Merit. He earned both an MA in political science and an MBA and was an honor graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Irv retired to Dunwoody where he began a second career in business as an executive at Abrams Industries. He became a national leader in investor relations, chairing a NASDAQ committee and organizing a graduate program at Emory business school.

Irv was past president of the Downtown Atlanta Kiwanis Club and was a long-serving leader and board member of both USO Georgia and Hillside Hospital. He also served on the boards of Georgia College and the Metro Atlanta Boys and Girls Clubs. Irv was a pillar of the Temple Sinai community and a patron of the West Point Jewish Chapel. Each of these organizations benefited from his wisdom, leadership and tireless work to improve their performance. He never just joined; Irv led by example.

Irv loved playing sports – tennis, handball, squash, bowling – even into his 80s. In his retirement, Irv dedicated himself to writing his autobiography, “My Family, My Life” with over 1,400 typewritten pages, and updating his family tree which contains nearly 2,000 relatives.

Irv is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ann, his three sons, David, Eric (Cheryl) and Jeff, and four granddaughters, Alex, Maia (Jelte), Josie and Rachel. Memorial donations to any of the charities Irv supported would be appropriate to his spirit and deeply appreciated by his family. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, at Temple Sinai, followed by burial at Arlington Memorial Park. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Jack Taffel 89, Atlanta

Jack Taffel, 89, a native of Atlanta, passed away peacefully on Dec. 21, 2023. Born to Mike and Rose Taffel, of blessed memory, on May 14, 1934, he graduated from Grady High in 1956. Jack graduated from the University of Georgia with a double major in finance and general business, where he also participated in ROTC. He was honorably discharged a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army following the Korean War era and graduated from John Marshall Law School in 1958.

His father wanted him to be a lawyer, but he got involved in the family business, Standard Truck and Equipment Co., Inc., and never looked back. In fact, he helped his father to an early retirement because of his successes. Side by side with his brother, Harvey Taffel, he began to incorporate reconditioned garbage truck equipment and pole line equipment into the business and made his father proud of how well he and his brother worked together. Jack retired in 2002.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 51 years, Nancy Mossler Taffel; his sister, Iris Taffel Silvers; and his brother, Harvey Taffel. Jack is survived by his son, Jay Taffel (Deborah); daughter, Sharon Silvermintz (Howard); son, Allan Taffel; grandchildren, Tzipora Bachrach (Rafael), Yahudis Taffel, Meir Taffel, and Baruch Taffel; 11 great-grandchildren; sister, Barbara Taffel Tureen; nieces and nephews; and special friend, Mary Rae Zwiren.

An online guestbook is available at www.jewishfuneralcare.com. Memorial donations may be made to The Temple (Senior Transportation Fund), 1589 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA  30309, or the charity of one’s choice. Funeral service was held on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, graveside at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Ga. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notice:

Marjorie Cooper Gordon (died in Savannah, Ga., on May 23, 2024, at age 90 years old.) April 29, 1934 - May 23, 2024

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor and Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Analyzing Iconography in Judaism

When we consider Judaism, few of us would think of iconography. We are, as the philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, a people who prefer to build our monuments not physically, but in time, as exemplified in the Jewish Sabbath. Our G-d is incorporeal. In fact, in the Second Temple there was nothing at the structure's center but an empty room, to underscore our veneration of our purely spiritual Creator-- the universe's sovereign has no form and is invisible.

Christianity of the Roman Catholic, and even more, of the Eastern Orthodox variety seem more at home with icons which both inspire and instruct the faithful. Consider the icons painted on wood and on walls which so animate the devoted of the Greek Orthodox and related churches. Various religious traditions indigenous to India,

China, and Japan (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Shintoism) also rely on images to tell important theological and philosophical stories.

The Hebrew Scriptures for the most part disapprove of images as a way to bring us closer to the Holy and the Divine. The Ten Commandments, and the messages of the Prophets, forbid the worship of idolatrous images.

It is clear that when the Israelites turn away from the Creator, who has no image, and towards the gods of other nations and their religions, disaster always follows.

Moses is the greatest of all the biblical prophets. Moses in a rage decimated the first set of the Ten Commandments, the two tablets inscribed by G-d, because of Israel's grave transgression of fashioning and worshipping the Golden Calf. None of the Prophets of Israel is more associated with the battle against polytheistic images than Moshe Rabbeinu -- Moses our great teacher. The last of the Five Books of Moses -- Deuteronomy (Devarim) -- is really for the most part a series of sermons delivered by the great lawgiver just before his own death. In these addresses, the old and weary leader

warned the Children of Israel, among other things, about the terrible consequences of running after graven images.

It is well known that HaShem made sure that Moses' burial place would remain unknown, so that the Hebrews would not be seduced into turning that grave into a shrine, thus ironically undoing 40 years of his labor as Israel's leader by making the great man into an object of worship. But consider: Moses is certainly one of the most iconic figures in all of human history. The image of Moses holding the two tablets of Covenant -- the Ten Commandments -- is one of civilization's enduring images. It surely is as instantly recognizable as Jesus on the Cross or Buddha sitting cross legged in meditation.

We Jews honor Moses through Torah study: the rabbis teach us that not one but two Torahs were given to Moses at Mt Sinai -- the Written Law (contained in the Torah scroll) and the Oral Law (the Talmud and other texts). Not in marble but through prayer, study, and helping others we show our respect to our greatest leader, teacher, and prophet.

We have recently celebrated and commemorated Passover and Shavuoth. Moses, of course, is the prominent (human) figure in both festivals. But even though he alone knew G-d face to face (panim el panim) we as Jews will only go so far in our love, respect, and gratitude towards this great man. We worship Adonai alone, who always stood behind Moses, and who stands behind all of us still, even in these days of trial. ì

But there are several other images of Moses that are instantly recognizable and unforgettable: As a baby, Moses is sent down the Nile River in a waterproof basket to save him from Pharaoh's wrath. After about 40 years as an Egyptian prince, and then another equally long period as a Bedouin shepherd, he encounters the Holy One in an unconsumed burning bush. At G-d's instruction, Moses and his elder brother, Aaron, confront Pharaoh, bravely announcing famously in the English translation, "Let my People go!" After the battle with Pharaoh embodied in the Ten Plagues, Moses parts the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) with his staff. Moses descends Sinai, twice, with the sacred tablets. Forty years later, the 120-year-old Moses gazes wistfully at the Promised Land but does not enter.

Rabbi Richard Baroff DD

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GET LOST, FIND FUN

JUNE 8 - SEPT. 9, 2024

Discover patterns in the world through fun and interactive experiences.

• Navigate a 1,700 square-foot mirror maze

• Find patterns using projections and a two-way mirror

• Expose the mathematical patterns in nature

• Compose your own music using symmetry