Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCII No. 11, March 17, 2017

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MARCH 17, 2017 | 19 ADAR 5777

Security Rises With Awareness Mobileye Is Selling For Record Price

Intel announced Monday, March 13, that it will buy Jerusalem-based autonomous driving tech company Mobileye for $15.3 billion in the largest-ever sale of an Israeli high-tech company. The center of Mobileye’s operations will remain in Israel, where Intel plans to build a global development center to handle international activity regarding autonomous vehicles. Mobileye makes sensors and systems so a vehicle knows where it is in relation to its surroundings. The deal, worth about 45 percent more than the company’s market valuation before the announcement, is expected to close in nine months. In November, a delegation touring Israel from Atlanta with Conexx: America Israel Business Connector visited Mobileye’s headquarters and met with the global sales director, Lior Sethon. “It is exciting to see their innovation leadership pay off,” Conexx President Guy Tessler said. “Even more exciting is to learn that they will stay in Israel to lead the upcoming revolution in driving and automotive.” The record for an Israeli tech sale was Cisco’s $5 billion purchase of NDS Group in 2012. Google bought Waze for $1.1 billion in 2013. ■

Retreat To Community

Photos courtesy of Ramah Darom In its 20 years of operation in scenic Clayton, Ramah Darom has developed into much more than the Southeast’s center of Conservative Judaism’s summer camp movement. Its mountain scenery and facilities provide a place for people of all ages to gather and reconnect with their Judaism all year. Read all about it in our special Camps section, Pages 20-25.

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INSIDE Calendar ��������������������������������������� 4 Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Israel News �����������������������������������6 Opinion ���������������������������������������10 Education ������������������������������������18 Business ��������������������������������������19 Obituaries ���������������������������������� 26 Marketplace ������������������������������ 28 Crossword ����������������������������������� 31

Community interest, education and communication are the keys to protecting Jewish Atlanta at a time of increasingly brazen incidents of anti-Semitism. That was the message from Cathal Lucy, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s director of communitywide security, during a telephone security briefing for Jewish Atlanta on Friday, March 10. Community involvement “is what’s going to make us stronger,” Lucy said. He cited the pilot volunteer security force that worked the Toco Hills Purim Parade on March 5. Young Israel of Toco Hills member Darren Joel organized the group, and Congregation Beth Jacob member Ariel Siegelman, who heads the Draco Group security consulting firm, provided training. Joel’s mother, Lynette, sewed security patches on reflective vests. Federation is considering expanding the concept, Lucy said. Federation’s security committee, which meets quarterly and shares information daily with representatives of every local Jewish organization, is a good model for any group after more than 150 bomb threats have been made against Jewish organizations by phone or email since the start of the year, Lucy said. One of those threats was phoned in to the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Jan. 9; the center’s security director, Karl Hydrick, said the response was smooth because of protocols and training. Federation is constantly working to improve community security, Lucy said. Efforts include a pilot communication program under the auspices of the national Secure Community Network and grant-writing help. Since 2007, Jewish Atlanta has received nearly $3 million in federal security grants for nonprofits, including almost $500,000 last year. “We are working on a number of initiatives around this topic … of increased security,” Federation Chairman Joel Marks said. “Oftentimes you won’t know these are happening, and you won’t see them. Trust and know that they are out there, and they are happening.” ■

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MARCH 17 â–ª 2017

MA TOVU

Honest or Stupid? manded without explanation. I complied, a thousand questions on the tip of my tongue. “Didn’t you see the stop sign?” “Of course, officer,” I replied. “Why didn’t you stop?” “Of course I stopped.” I was indignant. Why was he citing me for something I didn’t do?

Shared Spirit Moderated By Rachel Stein rachels83@gmail.com

“You can either pay the ticket or fight it in court,” he told me 15 minutes later, handing me the yellow slip along with my documents. “Be safe now,” he added snidely, chin held high as he sauntered back to his vehicle. I nodded and wished I could thank him for ruining my day. But that would have taken honesty a little too far. As I drove home, I ruminated. I know I stopped. But had I made a rolling stop or come to a complete halt? That was questionable. That’s where my dilemma comes in. I can go to court and insist that I stopped. But there is that niggling uncertainty: Am I prepared to swear or affirm that I did come to a complete stop? Let’s move to a different scenario. There’s a challenge at our gym. Some of the activities depend on an honor code: Was I sure I had done the mandatory 100 sit-ups and 50 squats, or had I missed a few? Would it hurt anyone if I said I completed the assignment? That niggling uncertainty pushed me to do a few extra, just in case; I wanted to be trustworthy. I wanted to distance myself from lying. When money is involved, it often becomes more challenging. How often do we claim a child is younger so we can pay a smaller price? The more money we stand to save, the greater the temptation to resort to untruth. What do you say, readers? Is it OK to lie for the small stuff? Or are we supposed to curtail every nuance of our behavior for a uniform approach of adherence to honesty? I welcome your input; I have to appear in traffic court in a few weeks’ time. The judge, not only the human one, will be listening. ■ Please respond by Wednesday, March 22, to rachels83@gmail.com.

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

That morning is indelibly etched in my mind. I was sitting in my cobaltblue car, waiting to turn off LaVista Road, when I was jarred from behind. The sickening bump threw me into shock mode. This can’t be happening, can it? In slow motion, I turned off the car and got out. I was the first car in a lineup of three, and the other two ladies who got out looked as stunned as I felt. “Is everyone OK?” I asked in a voice I didn’t recognize. “It was all my fault,” a girl who looked to be in her late teens or early 20s cried out. She was the third driver and had pummeled into Car 2, which was propelled into my rear bumper. “I was putting on my makeup.” My jaw dropped when I heard her confession, and I noted the eyeliner pencil still in her hand. Is she nuts, I mused, or just incredibly, admirably honest? And exactly how honest is a Jew supposed to be? The question whirled in my mind numerous times after that episode. (To satisfy your curiosity, my car was totaled, and now I drive a fiery-red car instead of a cobalt-blue one. And I did get to my exercise class that morning. Most important, all involved were relatively unscathed.) Judaism promotes honesty and abhors mendacity. The Torah commands, “Stay far away from falsehood.” As a growing Jew, someone who tries to be faithful to our tradition and its mandates, I want to do the right thing. However, we know there is room for untruth. If telling a fib will promote peace, it is considered appropriate to twist the facts. That covers a rainbow of scenarios, from complimenting a person’s purchase or appearance to covering up a nasty comment that someone’s friend said about him. Life is filled with opportunities to plumb the depths of creativity to build up a person, even if that entails some alterations of reality. My test came several months ago when those telltale flashing blue lights were right behind me. What had I done? I pulled over, my heart hammering against the walls of my chest. The officer meandered over to me, wearing a tough, condescending expression. Do they learn those mannerisms in police school? “License and registration,” he de-

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THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2017 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

“Atlanta Collects.” The second part of the exhibit of art from private Jewish collections, covering contemporary work, is on display at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Museum admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and educators, and $4 for children 3 to 6; thebreman. org or 678-222-3700.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Organ donation. Shai Robkin speaks about kidney donation to the Edgewise group at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, at 10:30 a.m. Free for members, $5 for others; matureadults@ atlantajcc.org or 678-812-3861.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Book discussion. The On the Same Page book club of Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Metulla Group talks about Marie Benedict’s “The Other Einstein” at 1:30 p.m. in Sandy Springs. Contact Barbara Shoulberg at brsgolf1@bellsouth.net or 770-948-2443 for details. AJMF Shabbat service. The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival brings Noah Aronson to The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St., Midtown, for a soulful worship service at 6 p.m. Free; atlantajmf.org. Chocolate scholar in residence. Rabbi Deborah Prinz, author of “On the Chocolate Trail,” delivers the sermon at the 6:30 p.m. Friday service before a chocolate oneg at Temple Beth Tikvah, 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, and leads a lunch-and-learn after the 10 a.m. Saturday service. Free; bethtikvah.com. AJMF concerts. World music star Idan Raichel performs shows at 7 and 10 p.m. in coordination with the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival at City Winery Atlanta, 650 North Ave., Ponce City Market, Midtown. Tickets are $48 to $75; www.citywinery.com/atlanta.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Ki Tisa Friday, March 17, light candles at 7:29 p.m. Saturday, March 18, Shabbat ends at 8:25 p.m. Vayakhel-Pekudei Friday, March 24, light candles at 7:34 p.m. Saturday, March 25, Shabbat ends at 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

Beastie re-creation. ATL Collective and the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival present a performance of the Beastie Boys album “Licensed to Ill” at 9 p.m. at the Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, Buckhead. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door; atlantajmf.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19

Veterans meeting. Jewish War Veterans Post 112 holds its monthly meeting, open to all, with a kosher breakfast buffet at 10 a.m. and AJT Editor Michael Jacobs as speaker, at Berman Commons, 2026 Womack Road, Dunwoody. Breakfast is $10; JWVPost112@ gmail.com, 770-403-4278 (Robert Max) or 404-417-1301 (George Heart). Bonds brunch. Israel Bonds Star of David Award recipients Margo and Larry Gold are honored at 10:30 a.m. at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, including an address by Emory University’s Ken Stein. Tickets are $40; atlanta@israelbonds. com or 800-752-5649. Chevra Kadisha training. David Zinner, the head of the National Chevra Kadisha Society, discusses the history of burial societies and ritual washing at a training session at 2 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs. Free; malberhasky@ templeemanuelatlanta­.com. Molly Blank Concert Series. The mu-

sic of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is featured in “Baby That Is Rock ’n’ Roll” in the next installment of the series at 5 p.m. after a reception at 4 at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Tickets are $49 for Breman members, $59 for others; thebreman.org. Passover 101. InterfaithFamily/Atlanta’s Rabbi Malka Packer and Reuben Haller lead a workshop on seder basics during a 6 p.m. dinner at Industrious on the eighth floor of Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Midtown. Tickets are $10 each or $15 per couple; www. facebook.com/events/715274135309331. Fiesta Forever. Intown Jewish Preschool’s annual big event fundraiser is at 6:30 p.m. at Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Morningside. Tickets are $30, plus optional raffle tickets; www.eventbrite.com/e/ the-big-event-tickets-31065672262.

MONDAY, MARCH 20

Financial aid webinar. The Jewish Educational Loan Fund holds an online discussion on its interest-free college loans at 10 a.m. Free; RSVP at bit. ly/2mD179P to get meeting details. Senior Day. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, with Federation and Jewish Family & Career Services, offers active older adults a choice of three activities plus lunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. JF&CS Alterman/JETS Transportation provides rides as need-

Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com. Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.

Remember When

25 Years Ago March 13, 1992 ■ Editors of the University of Georgia student newspaper are defending their decision to print an advertisement denying the Holocaust. The ad, paid for by the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust, claims there was no order, plan, budget, weapon or victim of “the alleged genocide of European Jews.” The Red & Black also ran two front-page articles and an editorial about the ad. Most student newspapers, including Georgia State and Emory, rejected the ad. ■ The bat mitzvah of Joanna Ellen Dinur of Atlanta, daughter of Daniel and Suzanne Dinur, will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Or VeShalom Synagogue. ■ Leslie and Robert Siegel of Atlanta announce the birth of a son, Jeffrey Grant, on Feb. 5.

50 Years Ago March 17, 1967 ■ An address by Vice President Hubert Humphrey will highlight the biennial national convention of the National Council of Jewish Women, to be held in Atlanta at the Marriott Motor Hotel from April 9 to 13. The convention will bring 800 women to the city, representing 123,000 members and 329 sections across the country. The theme of the convention is “One Woman Can Make a Difference.” ■ Atlanta-area college students will get to hear entertainer Theodore Bikel speak but not sing during an appearance March 29 sponsored by the Greater Atlanta Hillel Foundation, the American Jewish Committee and the Atlanta Zionist Youth Commission. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Feinstein of Spartanburg, S.C., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sandra Lynn Feinstein, to Gerald Marvin Friedman, son of Mrs. Jake Friedman of Atlanta and the late Mr. Friedman.

CALENDAR

Protest talk. American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS group holds a blackJewish panel discussion with Xernona Clayton, Rabbi Josh Lesser and Sherry Frank at 7 p.m. at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., downtown. Entry is $15; bit.ly/2nrjNZx or katzj.fellow@ajc.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22

Musical comedy. The Weber School, with Tri-Cities High, presents “The Addams Family” at 7 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, with another performance Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 60 and older, and free for students; www.weberschool.org/arts/rsvp. A cappella concert. Magevet, a Yale vocal group presenting Jewish liturgical, folk and modern music, performs at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Morningside. Tickets are $5; jtager@bellsouth.net.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Immigration discussion. Lawyer Carrie Toth presents an overview of U.S. immigration laws to the Edgewise

group at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, at 10:30 a.m. Free for members, $5 for others; matureadults@ atlantajcc­.org or 678-812-3861. Mental Passover preparation. Marita Anderson leads a pre-Passover discussion on “Reaching out of Our ‘Narrow Places’ Toward Hope & Healing” at 7:30 p.m. at MACoM, 700-A Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Free; info@ atlantamikvah.org or 404-549-9679.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

Club-K. Prodezra performs at The Kehilla, 5075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, at 9:30 p.m. Free; thekehilla.org/club-k.

SUNDAY, MARCH 26

Theater debut. The performing arts center at the Davis Academy, 8105 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs, makes its public premiere with the musical “Peter Pan, Jr.,” showing at 1 and 7 p.m. today and 6:30 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $15; www.davisacademy.org/peterpan. Better aging. Ben Halpert speaks on “New & Improved Aging: Surviving and Thriving in a Digital World” at 2 p.m. at the William Breman Jewish Home, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. Free; www. JewishHomeLife.org.

Anniversary Celebration March 24-27, 2017

Come enjoy wine, champagne and hor d’ouerves! Fri-Sat Mar 24-25 3-7PM Eats-drinks & free art or fine art poster for all.

Meet Mordechai Rosenstein March 26-27 Sun Mar 26 4-7PM Mon Mar 27 3-7PM

Since 1979, Mordechai Rosenstein has beeen creating Jewish Art and putting it up in people’s homes, synagogues, and agencies throughout the world. Mark Jaffe | Mark@chaifineart.com | 770-289-0114 5975 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, Ga 30328 Hammond & Roswell next to Cafe Sunflower Hours : Sunday & Monday - Closed • Tuesday-Saturday 12-6PM Or by appointment

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ed. Admission is $5; www.atlantajcc. org/seniorday­or 678-812-3861.

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Protecting surgeons. RadiAction in Tel Aviv has developed a shielding device to protect surgeons from radiation. The technology allows an increase in the number of image-guided procedures performed annually. RadiAction has just raised $5.7 million. ALS treatment. NeuroSense Thera­ peutics, based at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, is developing a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, based on a discovery by Weizmann’s Eran Hornstein of an RNA molecule lacking in the muscles of ALS patients. Hip help for the elderly. HodHasharon’s Hip-Hope is a smart waist belt that senses an impending collision with the ground and deploys two large airbags from each side of the belt to cushion the hips. Nearly 3 million American seniors suffer life-changing hip fractures from falls each year. Inclusive packaging. SodaStream’s new packaging includes the Israeli flag with the caption “This product is made by Arabs and Jews working side by side in peace and harmony.” Special needs trip. Ten Canadian adults with special needs took a 10-day journey to Israel that, in addition to the usual tourist sites, included Access

Israel’s Motek Shel Teatron theater group, the Knesset Disability Rights Caucus and an archaeological dig. Active Facebook Lite. Facebook says its Israeli-developed Facebook Lite app for low-end phones serves more than 200 million monthly active users globally — double the number of a year ago. The app supports 55 languages. The world’s thinnest charger. Tel Avivbased Kado has raised $1.2 million to complete development of the world’s thinnest wall charger, which fits in a wallet. Kado has one charger for smartphones and tablets and one for laptops. Startup University. Accounting software giant Sage ranks Tel Aviv University eighth in the world for training the founders of “unicorns” — startup firms worth more than $1 billion. Tel Aviv alumni have founded seven. Servotronix’s exit. Chinese electronics giant Midea Group has acquired control of Petach Tikva-based Servotronix at a value of $170 million. Servotronix develops automation solutions focused on motion control for applications such as robotics, printing, medical equipment and renewable energy. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com and other sources.

Israel Photo of the Week

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

Ancient Roman Road Excavated

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Photo by Assaf Peretz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority

Students from Ulpanat Amit Noga in Ramat Beit Shemesh participate in the excavation of a mile-long Roman road dating back almost 2,000 years that was uncovered last year as Beit Shemesh’s water company, Mei Shemesh, was preparing to install a water pipeline to Jerusalem. Excavation head Irina Zilberbod says the road connected a settlement near Beit Natif to the Emperor’s Road, which was built around the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt against Emperor Hadrian in 132 to 135 C.E. Coins found between the paving stones include one from Year 2 of the Great Jewish Revolt (67 C.E.), one from Pontius Pilate’s time as prefect (29 C.E.) and one from the reign of Herod Agrippa I (41 C.E.). The road is close to the Israel National Trail, and the Israel Antiquities Authority plans to maintain the road as a tourist attraction.

ISRAEL NEWS Today in Israeli History

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. March 17, 1992: Four years after passing the eighth of the Basic Laws meant to serve as the basis for an Israeli Constitution, the Knesset enacts a ninth, Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. It recognizes that basic human rights in Israel are based on the recognition of the value of individuals, the sanctity of life and freedom. March 18, 1975: The United States undertakes a “reassessment” of the U.S.-Israel relationship, creating enormous tension. President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger are frustrated at Israel’s Among other refusal to withdraw steps during the from the Sinai for reassessment of less than full peace the U.S.-Israel relationship, with Egypt. Gerald Ford March 19, 2012: held up sales of The Knesset adopts F-15s to Israel. the “Photoshop Law” to prevent adult fashion and commercial models from losing weight to the detriment of their health or appearing unhealthily underweight in ads. March 20, 1899: The Jewish Colonial Trust is incorporated in London to support the development of the Jewish presence in Palestine through the purchase of land, development of industry, the lending of money and the establishment of savings banks. It’s an idea raised at the First Zionist Congress in 1897 and approved at the Second Zionist Congress in 1898. March 21, 2013: President Barack Obama delivers an address to the Israeli people in Jerusalem in which he emphasizes that “Israel is not going anywhere.” March 22, 1945: The Arab League is formed with the signing of a constitution at a ceremony marked by speeches from representatives of each of the six signatory states. March 23, 1914: Rabbi Raphael della Pergola, the grand rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt, administers the oath of allegiance to approximately 500 volunteers for the new Zion Mule Corps, known officially as the Assyrian Refugee Mule Corps.

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Suffers WBC Loss By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

Israel’s perfect run through the World Baseball Classic crashed to an ugly end with a 12-2 loss to the Netherlands in the second game of the second round in Tokyo. But the loss Monday, March 13, did not halt Israel’s dreams of global baseball glory. The loss left Team Israel with a 1-1 record in the second round’s four-team round robin and put more pressure on the final game against Japan at 6 a.m. Wednesday, March 15. But, depending on what happened in the Cuba-Netherlands game at 10 p.m. Tuesday, after the AJT went to press, even a loss to Japan might not eliminate Israel — and a win might not guarantee a place among the final four teams in Los Angeles. After Japan beat Cuba 8-5 on Tuesday morning, Japan led Pool E with a 2-0 record, having beaten the Netherlands 8-6 in 11 innings on Sunday, while Israel and the Netherlands each were 1-1. Cuba, which lost 4-1 to Israel during Purim on Saturday night, was 0-2. (Read details about Israel’s games at www.AtlantaJewishTimes.com.) Israel is rooting for Cuba to beat the Netherlands in those teams’ final game of the round; that would make each of them 1-2 and would clinch advancement for Japan. Then Israel also would advance by beating a Team Japan with nothing but perfection to play for. If Israel lost, it would finish in a three-way tie for second at 1-2, and its fate would depend on tiebreakers. In such a situation, the team that has given up the most runs would be out, and the other two teams would play one elimination game. If the Netherlands wins Tuesday night, Israel will have to win to create a three-way tie at 2-1. The team having allowed the fewest runs, most likely the Netherlands, would advance, and the other two would play an elimination game Thursday. So if the Dutch beat Cuba, Israel likely will need to beat Japan twice in two days. As long as Team Israel stays alive, it remains one of the best stories of the fourth edition of the quadrennial WBC. Team Israel has played only one Israeli, pitcher Dean Kremer, a Dodgers minor-leaguer. It’s a team composed of Jewish Americans who are former or

want-to-be major-leaguers. They aren’t good enough to play for Team USA — Ian Kinsler and Alex Bregman, for example, were recruited to play for Israel but chose the United States instead. It’s a team with a life-size, stuffed Mensch on a Bench as its mascot. Team Israel removes its baseball caps and dons blue kippot during “Hatikva” before each game. Players participated in a dugout reading of Megillat Esther before the game against Cuba on the night of Purim. Ex-Braves are playing key roles: • Pitcher Jason Marquis, who has been out of baseball since May 2015 but played in Atlanta from 2000 to 2004, has been Israel’s ace. He started and pitched three shutout innings in the tournament-opening, extra-inning 2-1 win over South Korea and shut out the Netherlands in the first inning of a 4-2 win to end the first round. He then pitched 5 2/3 innings against Cuba in the second round, giving up a solo home run but little else in a 4-1 victory. • Catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who played part of the 2015 season with Atlanta and was a member of the Gwinnett Braves in 2015 and 2016, was named the MVP of the four-team Pool A in Seoul, where he was 5 for 9 with three walks, three RBI, two runs, one home run and one runner thrown out trying to steal second. He remained hot against Cuba, going 2 for 4 with an RBI, and threw out another runner trying to steal second. But he cooled off in the Dutch rematch, going 0 for 2. • First baseman Nate Freiman, who signed with the Braves in December 2015 and was traded to the Nationals during spring training in 2016, had Israel’s lone bright spot in the loss to the Netherlands: a home run off ex-Brave Jair Jurrjens, who was dominant. Freiman also smashed a three-run homer against Taiwan during the first round, when he hit .333 with a 1.167 OPS. • Reliever Danny Burawa, who was called up to Atlanta in September 2015 and pitched well but was optioned to the minors and eventually released in 2016, had a shutout inning in a 15-7 win over Taiwan in the first round, then was hammered for four earned runs on a walk and three hits, including a towering home run by Didi Gregorius, in the loss to the Netherlands. The single-elimination championship round is March 20 to 22. ■

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ISRAEL NEWS

‘Arab Idol’ Highlights Debate Over ‘Palestinian’ Last month, Yacoub Shaheen, a Palestinian resident of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, won “Arab Idol,” a popular singing show whose contestants represent the entire Arab world. Following in the footsteps of Mohammed Assaf, a Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip who won the singing competition in 2013, Shaheen is the second Palestinian to win “Arab Idol” since the show’s inception in 2011. Shaheen is a Christian, a part of his identity widely highlighted by international media covering his victory even though it’s a seemingly insignificant component of the greater story of his win. Headlines such as al-Jazeera’s “Palestinian Christian Yacoub Shaheen wins Arab Idol” sparked wide debate among Palestinians as to whether his religion should be so heavily emphasized in the media, rather than just the fact that he is a Palestinian. Shaheen’s story, however, is not the first time that non-Palestinian Arab media defined Palestinian identity as part of this reality television show.

Screen shot from YouTube account Art Stars

Israeli Arab contestants Haitham Khalaily and Manal Mousa are pictured in a promotional video for on “Arab Idol.”

Media, specifically Arab media, have shown that they pick and choose how to present Palestinians and their identity to both the Arab world and the greater global community. In 2014, Manal Mousa and Haitham Khalaily, both twentysomething Arab citizens of northern Israel, decided to participate in “Arab Idol” in Beirut, Lebanon. These two aspiring singers traveled to Beirut via Jordan,

a trip that is illegal for Israeli citizens, and both ended up making it through preliminary rounds, emerging as contestants on the televised portion of the program. The legality and controversial details of their travels are, however, not our focus here. On the show, the fact that the two singers are Israeli citizens was omitted from their bios, and they were in-

troduced as “Palestinians representing Palestine.” The blog Hot Arab Music wrote, “Haitham Khalaily, the charismatic singer from historic Palestine, came in second to that young Syrian vocalist who seems like a nice guy but lacks the marketability.” For Khalaily and Mousa to be marketable in the Arab media and the ranks of Arab pop music, their Israeli citizenship had to be erased. The liminal identities of Israel’s Arab citizens, who make up roughly one-fifth of the nation’s population, are quite complicated. They are often excluded from the culture of the Arab world because they are widely considered to have become part of the “other” — in this case, Jewish Israelis, or the enemy. It is thus the case that Arab citizens of Israel must deny their Israeliness to be accepted as part of the Arab world. This story, along with that of Yacoub Shaheen, highlights the greater trend of Arab media defining Palestinians instead of allowing the Palestinians to define themselves. ■

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

By Eli Sperling

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OPINION

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Our View

Israel’s BDS Ban

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

Israel did itself no public relations favors when it enacted a law March 6 that bans foreigners who are public advocates of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement from visiting the country. Criticism came from some Jewish organizations, including the Union for Reform Judaism and the Anti-Defamation League, and from such media organizations as The New York Times. All argued that Israel was undermining its own democratic ideals by stifling dissent, particularly regarding settlements. But that backlash distorts what BDS is. The first sentence of the New York Times editorial is the perfect — and, because of its reach in the general public, the most damaging — example of that distortion: “A new Israeli law … will bar entry to any foreigner who supports the B.D.S. movement (boycott, divestment and sanctions) against Israel for its occupation of the West Bank.” The BDS movement, of course, is not about the “occupation of the West Bank.” It’s about the Jewish “occupation” of any land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean — and seeks the delegitimization and elimination of Israel as the Jewish people’s homeland. Thus, a law addressing non-Israeli advocates of the BDS movement isn’t about silencing dissent. It’s about a sovereign nation choosing not to welcome people who seek its destruction. Israel has not outlawed pro-BDS donations or speech. As an actual liberal democracy, Israel is not silencing or limiting its own citizens at all. But a nation has no responsibility to protect the civil liberties of foreigners. It has every right to just say no to admitting anyone who has said or done anything perceived as a threat to that nation. We’re not arguing that it was smart of Israel to pass this law. As the criticism of the measure shows, it plays into the hands of Israel’s enemies by giving them another stick with which to bash the nation and another opportunity to draw a picture of an alternate reality in which Israel is just like the many oppressive, authoritarian nations around it. The law also makes Israel appear scared of BDS, which could recharge a movement that has made no concrete progress toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, let alone the destruction of Israel, in more than a decade of insidious efforts. As the Israel Action Network’s Max Chamovitz said during a visit to Atlanta, some BDS supporters are open to having their minds changed when they see the reality on the ground and realize that BDS not only harms Arabs, but also makes peace less likely. If this law bars some of those people from visiting Israel or deters them from even trying, it will harm the nation it’s supposed to protect. In a perfect world, Israel would let its foes as well as its friends visit and spend their money, thus supporting Israel’s economy and its future. But in a perfect world, the only nation-state of the Jewish people wouldn’t face so many people, institutions and nations dedicated to its destruction. We can’t blame Israel for being defensive. We can blame U.S. organizations for an offensive obsession with Israel’s falling short of perfection in one of 10 the least perfect regions of our imperfect world. ■

Cartoon by John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune

Outside Influence Upsets the 6th We’re now a month away from the special electhat has elected Republicans for nearly 40 years. tion for the 6th Congressional District seat vacated At least one Republican super PAC, the Congresby Roswell Republican sional Leadership Fund, Tom Price when he became has helped Ossoff claim U.S. health and human the mantle of the DemoEditor’s Notebook services secretary. cratic hope by running By Michael Jacobs We wrote about one of silly ads featuring decademjacobs@atljewishtimes.com the candidates, Democratic old footage of Ossoff havformer state Sen. Ron Sloing fun in college. tin, at the start of January, It was always going before the vacancy officially existed. But this week’s to be tough for Slotin and fellow Democrats Ragin articles about Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Edwards, Rebecca Quigg and Richard Keatley to David Abroms, who, like Slotin, are Jewish, mark the emerge from the crowded ballot and at least make start of a concerted effort to profile as many of the the runoff between the top two vote-getters June 20. 18 candidates as we can before the election April 18. But seeing Democrats and Republicans alike obsess (Early voting begins March 27, but people who are over Ossoff has caused frustrations that erupted ready to cast ballots that soon probably don’t need into public view Sunday, March 12, at a Democratic the information we can provide.) forum held by the group Needles in a Haystack. Our interest in this race stems from the relativeSlotin, who has the experience and connections ly heavy concentration of Jewish voters in the 6th, in the district to have entered the race with the reawhich sweeps from East Cobb through North Fulton sonable hope of being the progressive voice his party into DeKalb in an area packed with synagogues, day would rally around, criticized national Democratic schools and the Marcus Jewish Community Center. organizations for rushing to support one candidate But it also presents the possibility that Georgia could instead of letting the democratic process play out. elect a Jewish congressman for the first time since “I knew I was going to have to take on the Elliott Levitas lost a bid for his sixth term in 1984. Republican political machine,” Slotin said, but not Most of the attention is on Ossoff, who has benDemocratic Washington insiders. “You don’t know efited from an early endorsement by Rep. John Lewis anything about this district.” He cited Sen. Bernie and the hunger of Democrats nationwide to claim a Sanders’ uphill, unsuccessful campaign to defeat symbolic anti-Trump electoral victory. Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination as Ossoff has been involved in Washington politics another example of those insiders picking a candisince he was a student at Georgetown and is as well date, obstructing the process and offending voters. informed about the issues as any of the 11 RepubliThe national Democratic fixation with Ossoff cans, five Democrats and two independents running. shouldn’t be held against him, but it also shouldn’t But as his fundraising churns past the $3 milbe decisive in the choice of a candidate. I hope our lion mark — Republican Judson Hill said he expects articles and various forums and guides will help votOssoff’s war chest to top $4 million by Election Day ers in the 6th (myself included) make their decision. — it’s clear that much of the money is coming from I can’t promise we’ll profile all the candidates out-of-state progressives who have trouble imagin— some have ignored requests for interviews — but ing more than one Democrat running in a district we’ll talk to everyone who will to talk to the AJT. ■

OPINION

Letters To The Editor Slighting Muslims

I take issue with the letter writer who stated that “not all Muslims are terrorists, but it seems that all terrorists are Muslims” (Letter, March 3). That statement shows a blindness to the truth of hate crimes and terror in America. It ignores recent terrorist events (the shooting of Indian engineers in Kansas, the murder of black churchgoers in Charleston by an avowed white racist), as well as major tragedies (the 1996 Olympic Park bombing by Eric Rudolph and the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh, which killed 168 people). It’s not even true in Europe. In 2011, a Norwegian right-wing extremist bombed a government building and sprayed a summer camp with bullets, killing more than 70 people, many of them teens, and injuring hundreds. So, no, all terrorists are not Muslims. Considering other mass murders from Columbine to Sandy Hook and recent vandalism and threats against Jewish institutions, the greatest threat to Jews in America seems to come from homegrown anti-Semites and unstable individuals, not Muslim immigrants. If only it were so easy to target one particular religious or ethnic group as the “bad hombres” and be protected by barring them from our country. Unfortunately, those measures just stoke the passions of those with ill intent while eroding our democratic ideals. If only our president would act more forcefully to combat the violence inflamed and perpetrated by white supremacists. For a bit of perspective, I suggest the letter writer catch a showing of “The Temple Bombing.” — Michele Marill, Decatur

Support the President

Hooray for Regina Kamor (Letter, March 3). We need to give the president a chance, whether we like him or not. If he succeeds, then we all succeed. — Donna Salus, Gwinnett County

The Atlanta Jewish Times welcomes letters and guest columns from our readers. Letters should be 400 or fewer words; guest columns are up to 700 words. Send items to editor@ atljewishtimes.com. Include your name, your town and a phone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

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OPINION

Jewish Leaders Converge on ‘Pew Study on Steroids’ Jewish Atlanta is having a moment in the spotlight, welcoming five major Jewish conferences to town. As Sally Field might say, “They like us!” Here’s the lineup of who is coming to Atlanta this month: • Jewish Federations of North America held its Professionals Institute from March 6 to 8 in Atlanta, and many members of the Federation staff and community leaders attended workshops and programs. • Federation is a local host of the Jewish Funders Network International Conference from March 19 to 21. JFN works with Jewish donors to improve the quality and impact of their giving in the Jewish world. • The Central Conference of American Rabbis, the rabbinical body of the Reform movement, convenes its national meeting March 19 to 22. • The Collaboratory, a network for Jewish innovators and change makers, meets in Atlanta from March 21 to 23. • The National Council of Jewish Women meets here March 23 to 25. What’s happening in Jewish Atlanta? Why are we so hot right now? I don’t think there’s any kind of

secret sauce here. Our challenges mirror those of other metropolitan areas: urban sprawl, a surge in individualism and self-interest, high rates of mobility and migration. A building boom anticipates population growth from 5.5

Guest Column By Eric Robbins

million to 8 million the next 20 years. Atlanta has incredible Jewish assets. Show me another city of our size with such a robust network of Jewish day schools, a community mikvah, two Moishe Houses, the second-largest Jewish film festival, Jewish book and music festivals, one of the strongest Limmuds in North America, a local network of incredible Jewish overnight camps, a world-class JCC, an expanding Jewish Family & Career Services campus, and 40 congregations and havurot across the denominational spectrum. Atlanta also has a big appetite for innovation, including OneTable, Honeymoon Israel, Jewish Kids Groups,

InterfaithFamily and PJ Library. Next month we welcome Hope Chernak as the director of the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative, an innovative collaboration among the Marcus JCC, the Atlanta Rabbinical Association and Federation that offers teens multiple pathways to ignite their personal interests and passions through a Jewish lens. Atlanta is one of 10 cities to receive support for teen-targeted outreach through a $2.1 million grant over five years. I believe Atlanta is a perfect laboratory for how to build a 21st century Jewish community. I’ll be talking about it with Jodi Mansbach, Federation’s new chief impact officer; Will Schneider, the director of advancement at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation; and Shayna Pollock, senior planner at the Atlanta Regional Commission. We’re leading a JFN session titled “Meet Them Where They Are: Strategies for Engaging 21st Century Jewish Life.” I’ve called Atlanta “the Pew Study on steroids” because our high rates of mobility challenge traditional modes of community building and make it difficult to foster engagement. The 2013 Pew Study was a survey of Jewish Americans suggesting radical changes in Jewish identity. It docu-

mented that the percentage of adults who said they were Jewish had declined by about half since the late 1950s and that 22 percent of Jews described themselves as having no religion. The study results sent shockwaves through the Jewish world; however, the study also revealed many positives. For example, the U.S. Jewish population was actually on the rise, and 28 percent of intermarried couples said they were raising their children as Jews. Rates of Passover seder attendance, fasting on Yom Kippur, candle lighting and keeping kosher were also on the rise. Three-quarters of U.S. Jews reported having “a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people.” You’ll be hearing more from me about these trends and how we can leverage Atlanta’s unique Jewish assets. You’ll be seeing us prototyping new ideas and thinking about new ways to open doors of engagement. As always, I’m eager to know what you think about how we can build a 21st century Jewish Atlanta. Drop me a line at erobbins@jewishatlanta.org. ■ Eric Robbins is the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Day School Mom Confronts Anti-Semitism

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

What compels a 46-year-old stay-at-home mother in Dunwoody to wake up one morning and, despite no experience working in the Jewish communal world, create an organization to counter anti-Semitism? “It’s a fascinating process, what’s going on in my life,” Lauren Menis said. Two weeks before we met for coffee, Menis would have described herself as “a writer who wasn’t writing,” a wife, and the mother of a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, both students at the Davis Academy. Now she is also an activist, with a yellow legal pad full of notes, a contact list swelling with names and numbers, multiple spreadsheets on her laptop, and a growing awareness of the scope of Jewish Atlanta. Menis’ nerves have been rattled by reports of bomb threats to Jewish community centers and other institutions and by images of gravestones toppled in Jewish cemeteries. She admits to being surprised at 12 her reaction. Menis hasn’t encoun-

tered anti-Semitism personally, not since immigrating at age 9 with her family to the United States from South Africa (she remembers a girl there insulting her for being Jewish).

From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com

“We live in a country and society where, as Jews, we feel so integrated,” Menis said. “I’ve never had to define myself as a Jew, even though it’s part of who I am. … Suddenly, my position in society feels less secure and safe, and I thought, ‘Are my children going to grow up in a world where people feel emboldened and feel that it’s somehow OK to be anti-Semitic?’ ” Menis texted a group of fellow Davis Academy moms, “and I said, ‘Guys, I have to do something about anti-Semitism. Who’s in?’ ” Thus was born the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism. At its core

are about a dozen women, mostly Davis Academy moms, with more women pitching in around them. AIAAS has a logo and a Facebook group with over 4,000 members. Menis decided to convene a meeting, inviting representatives from Jewish organizations, congregations, schools, businesses, law enforcement and other faiths. A member of Temple Emanu-El, Menis contacted Rabbi Spike Anderson, who agreed to host the gathering. At this writing, more than 100 organizations will be represented. Menis is grateful for the advice she received from men and women with years of experience in the Jewish world. “We want to be a connector between all these groups,” she said. “We’re not here to compete with anybody.” The secret to creating this nascent organization? “We didn’t know any better,” she said with a laugh. But in for a penny, in for a pound. This project is cutting into her sleep and occupying her dreams. Routine housework may suffer, but her husband, Michael (“the calm to

my hyper”), an executive with a hotel group, and their children can see how committed Menis is to playing an active role in opposing anti-Semitism. Menis apologizes for speaking quickly, a trait that comes with her considerable energy. The intensity of this undertaking reminds Menis of her decade as a producer at CNN, a job she left to raise her children. (I knew Menis during my years at the network.) At the end of March, various realms of Jewish Atlanta and beyond will gather at Temple Emanu-El. Until then, Menis and her newfound associates are focused on that closed meeting. They’ll consider what comes next after they catch their breath. Menis envisions AIAAS raising awareness of anti-Semitism, encouraging dialogue inside and outside the Jewish community, and keeping various parties aware of one another’s efforts. The established Jewish organizations may wonder what a group of day school mothers can achieve that they haven’t, but this is a time when the more members of the community who are willing to take a stand, the better. ■

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OPINION

Israel Exemplifies the Rise of Personalized Politics present on the Internet. For example, in most cases, parties were posting more frequently than their individual members, including the party leaders. However, when we looked at the demand, or consumption side,

Guest Column By Gideon Rahat

we found — at least according to the number of likes that a Facebook page received — that in some cases the citizens using the Internet tend to prefer party leaders to the parties they lead. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in Israel, where the level of personalization was the highest among the 25 parliamentary and semiparliamentary democracies we examined. In Israel, the party leaders’ Facebook pages received, on average, more than 20 times the number of likes that their parties’ pages received. For example, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had 1,873,588 likes vs. 19,152 for the Likud party. While we did not include the United States, which has a presidential system, in this particular study, one could see that the official Republican Party page had 27,595 Facebook followers while Donald Trump’s “government official” page had 1,256,046 likes. But personalization of politics, in its online manifestations, is not equal across all parliamentary democracies. In 17 of the 25 countries we studied, the parties had a higher number of likes than did their leaders. In Italy, where we found the secondhighest level of personalization overall, party leaders’ pages received only seven times more likes on average than the

pages of their political parties. True, social networks provide a direct, cheap and relatively accessible media outlet, and access requires no large-scale resources or personnel. This situation clears the way for talented individuals to speak to their constituencies directly, without the need for intermediaries. Moreover, political entrepreneurs tend to adapt quickly and embrace change; bureaucratic organizations are top-heavy and slow to adapt. Nonetheless, the Internet’s ability to render the abstract tangible and to facilitate the formation of direct relationships with voters should be an asset for parties as well. And because political parties (in most countries) have greater human and financial resources available to them, they should be able to take advantage of the Internet, especially when it comes

to the quality and quantity of their online activities. Other changes political parties must make to adjust to the times have nothing to do with the Internet. For example, the perception that primary elections are determined by small constituencies with strong vested interests can be addressed only by changing the electoral system. Measures to broaden participation in primary elections by opening them up to the wider public could prove decisive in the greater struggle to rebalance the roles of the candidate and the party. These are challenges common to both Israelis and Americans. We should tackle them together. ■ Professor Gideon Rahat is the director of the Political and Electoral Reform program at the Israel Democracy Institute.

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

Now that the dust from the 2016 U.S. election campaign has settled, students of electoral systems everywhere are scrutinizing the remarkable case study of President Donald Trump, who managed to overwhelm an array of strong Republican candidates and entrenched opposition from within his own party to win the GOP nomination and, eventually, the presidency. Trump’s surprise win seems to illustrate the awesome new power of the Internet-savvy individual in politics. It also offers support for the claim that political parties are in decline. The reduced ability of parties to connect with voters and mobilize them to action parallels the increasing ability of charismatic politicians to develop a mass following without a traditional party infrastructure. Is the personalization of politics good, bad or irrelevant? Political parties have always been an essential component of a healthy democracy. They are an important organizing framework that brings together representatives who share a common ideology and similar interests, facilitates the articulation of thoughtful policies and platforms, and serves a crucial mediating role between citizens and elected officials. Politicians come and go; parties (should) endure. Personalization comes at the expense of parties for the simple reason that it focuses public attention on a party’s constituent elements rather than its entirety. Another danger associated with excessive personalization is the illusion that a strong leader can provide a quick fix to the myriad problems of government. For these and other reasons, it seems advisable for liberal democracies to try to counter excessive personalization of politics by promoting measures to strengthen political parties and, if necessary, reinvent them for the digital age. Social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, are obvious enablers of personalization. However, if used smartly, the Internet could help political parties reclaim center stage. When the Israel Democracy Institute performed a comparative analysis of the activity of political parties and politicians on Facebook in Israel and in 24 other democracies, we found that political parties were trying to be

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LOCAL NEWS

Ossoff Tries to Flip the 6th By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com Depending on your politics, Jon Ossoff is either the Great Blue Hope or the Great Blue Hype. National newspapers and magazines write about him. Cable television talking heads talk about him. People he has never met send him money. “It’s got very little to do with me and everything to do with the times,” Ossoff told the AJT. “Times” begins with “T” and that stands for … Trump. Ossoff is one of five Democrats, 11 Republicans and two independents on one ballot in the April 18 primary to succeed Republican Tom Price, the new health and human services secretary, as the congressman from Georgia’s 6th District. Unless someone wins a majority, the top two will run off June 20. Many Democratic hopes to win a seat Republicans have held since 1979 are pinned on Ossoff, 30. Supporters use the hashtag “Flipthe6th.” “It’s humbling and, at times, overwhelming, but ultimately inspiring. I think what I feel is responsibility to make people proud, given how many people are showing support,” said Ossoff, who chooses his words carefully. Ossoff’s campaign reports 7,500 registered volunteers and $3.5 million in campaign funds, with an average donation of $28. That includes more than $1.18 million raised (as of March 10) from nearly 66,000 donations via the liberal Daily Kos website. The Daily Kos pitch begins: “Want to fight back against Trump and scare the hell out of Republicans in Congress at the same time?” The Democratic National Committee thinks enough of Ossoff’s chances to deploy staffers to the district. “Folks are looking at this race as a very high-stakes election,” Ossoff said.

He rejects the notion that the primary is solely a referendum on President Donald Trump. “It’s much more complicated than that, and people in the 6th District have much broader and complex concerns than simply their views of Trump.” Nonetheless, Ossoff said, “he’s always the elephant in the room.” Price won a seventh term in November with 61.7 percent of the 326,005 votes. Trump, however, received only 48.3 percent of the district’s vote; Hillary Clinton got 46.8 percent. Ossoff grew up in the Northlake area of northern DeKalb County, where his parents still live. He celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah at The Temple. Ossoff graduated in 2005 from the Paideia School and received a bachelor’s in 2009 from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He worked as deputy communications director on Hank Johnson’s successful campaign to replace fellow Democrat Cynthia McKinney in Georgia’s 4th Congressional District. In 2007, while still a student, Ossoff began working as a legislative aide for Johnson. He continued in that job, handling military and national security issues, after graduation. In 2013, Ossoff earned a master’s from the London School of Economics. Since then, he has been the CEO (and a 50 percent stakeholder) of Insight TWI, which produces documentaries focusing on government corruption and conflict around the world. “I am passionate about work that has an impact, and I could have gone a few different directions after working on the Hill and getting my master’s degree in economics,” Ossoff said. “Ultimately, the ability to produce content that not only reports what’s going on in the world, but exposes corruption and criminality, and often results in the

Jon Ossoff faces questions after qualifying for the special election Feb. 13 at the state Capitol.

prosecution and conviction and incarceration of the criminals and corrupt officials, has been the most satisfying work I’ve done in my life so far.” During the campaign he has recused himself from editorial involvement and minimized his business role. “I saw what Congress can achieve, but I also saw Washington at its worst, and I left and did not anticipate returning,” Ossoff said. “When I learned that the congressman from the district where I grew up would be vacating, I sat down with Congressman John Lewis, one of my mentors, and he encouraged me to run. He said he would support me if I did. And I thought to myself, ‘If not now, when?’ ” Ossoff repudiates comments Johnson made in July, likening Jewish settlements to termite colonies. “Those remarks were deeply offensive, and he apologized for them. I’m on the ballot, not Hank Johnson. I don’t speak for Hank Johnson. I didn’t work for Hank Johnson when he made those statements,” Ossoff said. “I am a committed supporter of Israel as a secure homeland for the Jewish people. My position is unequivocal, and people should judge me in this election by what I say and what I stand for.” When it comes to Israel and the Palestinians, “our goal still has to be a twostate solution. Two states living peacefully side by side, achieved by bilateral

negotiations,” he said. “I think the U.S. has a strong leadership role to play in bringing the two parties together.” Republicans have labeled Ossoff a left-winger out of touch with the district. He presents himself as a centrist. “I am going to Washington to find solutions for the 6th District, and I will work with anyone who offers solutions that are in the interests of the 6th District. I will not shy away from criticizing any politician, whether the president or others, for betraying the public interest, for conflicts of interests. Ultimately, I’m here to deliver for the people who elect me, not to engage in partisanship,” Ossoff said. The National Republican Campaign Committee circulated an email calling Ossoff a “carpetbagger” for living outside the district. He moved so his girlfriend of 13 years, a third-year student studying gynecology and obstetrics at the Emory University School of Medicine, could walk to campus, where her hospital rounds begin at 4 a.m. “It’s legitimate for people to ask that question, but given that I grew up in this district, that I’ve been registered to vote in this district all but three years of my adult life, that I’m 10 minutes from the district boundaries, no, it doesn’t concern me,” Ossoff said. “My roots, my ties to the district, are deep and strong.” ■

58,000 Jews Spread Across Affluent 6th District MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

A national spotlight is shining on Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, which votes April 18 to replace Tom Price, the Roswell Republican who became secretary of health and human services. The 6th is carved from eastern Cobb County, northern DeKalb County and northern Fulton County and includes all or parts of Tucker, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell. 14 District lines were redrawn af-

ter the 2010 census, with the current boundaries taking effect for the 2012 election. According to a report on voting trends, in recent 6th District primaries “about 68 percent of voters voted in one or more Republican primaries and 32 percent voted in one or more Democratic primaries.” Based on data compiled in 2013, the Berman Jewish Data Bank reported that 58,000 Jews accounted for 8.38 percent of the district’s 691,975 residents, the highest percentage of Jews in any

of the state’s 14 congressional districts. Nearly half of metro Atlanta’s Jews live in the 6th. The Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey put the district’s population at 729,643, split evenly between men and women. The median age was 37.6 years, with the largest concentration being 35- to 54-year-olds. According to the survey, 70 percent of the district’s residents were white, with 13 percent African-American and Hispanic, respectively.

The survey also reported that 77 percent of the district’s residents were born in the United States and 32 percent were born in Georgia. Just 0.5 percent of the voting-age residents were military veterans. The median income was $83,844, with 5.4 percent of the district’s families living below the poverty standards set by the government. In terms of education, 92 percent of those 25 and older had graduated from high school, and 59 percent had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Holocaust-Survivor Grandparents Inspire Abroms When David Abroms turned 30, he took time to think about what his maternal grandfather, Simon Nagrodzki, was doing at the same age. He was living in a displaced persons camp in Germany, the sole Holocaust survivor of a family of 11, with the wife he met in the camp, Helen, and an infant daughter. A year later, the Nagrodzkis reached Birmingham, via New York and New Orleans, and made a new life on a tailor’s earnings. They were poor, but they sent all their children to college and instilled family and Jewish values. “We’re his legacy. We’re standing on his shoulders and my grandmother’s,” Abroms, 33, a Republican candidate for the 6th District congressional seat, said in an interview in February. “When I look at my blessings, it was my family and my family’s dedication to a strong family and to education.” Abroms grew up in Birmingham, attended a Jewish day school, and got degrees from the University of Miami and the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He first moved to Atlanta in 2008 to work as an accountant. After going back and forth, he settled here in 2011 to launch Freedom Fueling Solutions, which converts vehicles from gasoline to compressed natural gas. It was the kind of business in which he could work with hands, explore technology and energy policy (he acknowledges a habit of reading energy legislation) and make good money (after hiring his first employee, he lived for several months with a cousin and subsisted on ketchup-and-cheese sandwiches to get the most caloric bang for his buck, but now can invest $250,000 of his own money into his campaign). But it was also a chance to do good by cutting vehicle emissions and reducing dependence on foreign oil. That desire to do tikkun olam stems from his grandparents, who went through so much so he could live in freedom, Abroms said, and connects to his decision to close the business — something he was working toward anyway — and run for office. “I have an opportunity that my grandparents didn’t. My grandparents did not have a voice. They didn’t have anyone to stand up for them, and they didn’t have anyone to protect them, and they lost their entire families,” Abroms said. “I have a voice. I have a chance to stand up and have my voice heard and

speak for people that can’t speak for themselves.” The Holocaust also feeds into Abroms’ free-market principles. “The free market is the best tool that we have If elected, David as Jews to protect Abroms plans to ourselves because hold weekly town hall meetings with a free economy lends itself to a constituents. free politic, and also the free market is not anti-Semitic. The free market is not racist.” Abroms presents himself as part of a new generation of conservative leadership and as someone who won’t go “squishy” on his principles. But that doesn’t mean he won’t compromise. He said compromise is a core American value; that’s how we got the Constitution. It’s important for people of good will on both sides of an issue to focus on solving important problems, such as health care and the unsustainable national debt, rather than play political games.

He said it was a mistake for the Democrats to pass Obamacare without Republican help, and it would be a mistake for Republicans to move ahead with the necessary repeal of the law without getting Democrats involved in crafting the replacement, which should include coverage for existing conditions and for children up to age 26 as well as interstate insurance sales. Having seen the Environmental Protection Agency in action with his business, Abroms is a believer in less regulation. He is optimistic that helping people stranded by economic changes will make it easier to solve other problems, such as illegal immigration, by creating opportunities. He likes that Democrats are talking more about the Constitution, freedom and the separation of powers. “I think there’s a revival of liberty coming in the country,” Abroms said, “and I’m excited to be a part of it.” He’s trying to offer the 6th District a hopeful message, the kind that attracted him to Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign last year. “I do think America has a bright future and bright days ahead of us if —

if — we can take care of some of these serious problems before us.” A former AIPAC intern who took a Birthright Israel trip sponsored by the group, Abroms said he supports a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians involving land swaps, a demilitarized Palestinian state, security assurances in the Jordan Valley and Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state. It’s up to the Palestinians to accept the deal. While he’s not a member of a synagogue, he does join his cousins Candy and Steve Berman at Temple Sinai. Otherwise, aside from his campaign and his business, Abroms has his Sandy Springs condo, his rescue dog, Sam, his love of 1990s-era country music, and his Ford F-150 pickup truck, which is “just barely broken in” at the 170,000-mile mark. Even if he doesn’t beat the odds of an 18-person ballot to win the election, Abroms said he plans to stay involved in solving the issues facing the United States. “I’m doing this because I love my country. I’m doing this because I want to stand up and be heard. Not only do I want I vote, but I want a voice.” ■

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

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Will Miriam and Sameer’s cross-cultural romance survive a shocking accusation?

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MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

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Purim Party Crosses Denominational Lines Young Atlantans gathered for a Purim party at Midtown’s Bocado that was sponsored by Chabad’s young adult sector, YJP, on Saturday night, March 11. I haven’t been to many of these events. To be honest, it’s because YJP is affiliated with an Orthodox organization, and I’ve often wondered how I’d be received in a crowd like that as a Reform Jew. Going into these events without knowing anyone in the Orthodox community and without knowledge of some of the more religious traditions gives me shpilkes. Sitting at the bar, nursing a drink before the event began, I was surprised at how many people came to introduce themselves — Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and not religious. I also noticed a crowd around the private room once the event began. People from the restaurant wandered over, were given groggers and stayed for the explanation of why we use them on Purim. Everyone was clearly welcome. I met quite a few people for whom the party was their first Jewish event in Atlanta, some who go to YJP events regularly, and even more who attend various events sporadically and just heard there was a Purim party in Midtown. Many dressed for the occasion in costumes and noshed on hamantaschen while listening to the band providing jazz for the evening.

At first glance, this might have seemed like any young adult event in the city, Jewish or not. Introductions were made, drinks ordered, and phone

The Social By Rachel Fayne Gruskin

numbers exchanged. However, this Purim party was a YJP event, and there were perhaps more religious elements than your typical Reform or even Conservative gathering. Chabad Intown Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman read from the Megillah. There was discussion about what Purim means for the Jewish people. And many participants were rather conservatively dressed for a Saturday night out in the city. I realize many Jewish young adults are easily scared off by the mention of more religious elements. So many of us are just Jew-ish, right? A bagel with cream cheese and knowledge of some Yiddish terms suffice. While I don’t think I’ll be attending Chabad events weekly, I have to be honest and say it was refreshing, even for a night, to connect with some tradition. Who knew that it could be found on a Saturday night at a bar in Midtown with a rabbi, some silly costumes and a number of other young Jews seeking the same things? ■

LOCAL NEWS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com Three generations of Bernsteins attend Purim off Ponce: (from left) Rabbi Michael Bernstein; his wife, Tracie; their daughter, Ayelet; and his parents, Phil and Anne.

Photos by MaryBeth Hayes and Jean Bartlett

SOJOURN Executive Director Rebecca Stapel-Wax presents the Kinsler Rainmaker Award to Rabbis Pamela Gottfried and Michael Bernstein.

SOJOURN Executive Director Rebecca Stapel-Wax and honoree Rabbi Pamela Gottfried

Rabbi Pamela Gottfried and her husband, David

A crowd from Gesher L’Torah turns out at Purim off Ponce to honor Rabbi Michael Bernstein.

SOJOURN Parties Way to $55K for Support Work Purim off Ponce met its goal of raising $55,000 for SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity while honoring Conservative Rabbis Michael Bernstein and Pamela Gottfried with the Michael Jay Kinsler Rainmaker Award at Le Fais do-do on Saturday night, Feb. 25. Rabbi Bernstein, the spiritual leader of Congregation Gesher L’Torah,

and Rabbi Gottfried, the dean of Jewish studies and student life at the Weber School, were recognized for their longtime support of SOJOURN, including their active opposition to efforts to pass Georgia religious liberty legislation that could be used to discriminate against LGBTQ people. The event featured a speech from Sarah Lashinsky, a Georgia Tech gradu-

ate who teaches seventh-graders at Congregation Bet Haverim’s Sunday school, who recalled when she was a seventh-grader at Temple Kehillat Chaim 10 years ago and was helped through dealing with her own sexuality by a class conversation facilitated by SOJOURN’s predecessor, the Rainbow Center. Lashinsky said SOJOURN Execu-

tive Director Rebecca Stapel-Wax recently facilitated the same type of discussion for the Bet Haverim class she teaches as she benefited from a decade ago. “Thank you, SOJOURN, for being a harbor for LGBT and Jewish folks in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast,” Lashinsky said. “We are so grateful to you.” ■

Rabbi Erin Boxt is leaving Temple Kol Emeth after five years at the end of June to become the senior rabbi at Temple Beth El in Knoxville, Tenn. “Who would have thought this DAWG would ever find himself in the middle of VOLS country — but G-d does work in mysterious ways!” Rabbi Boxt wrote in an announcement to Kol Emeth members Wednesday, March 8. Kol Emeth is launching a search to hire an assistant rabbi who will start in the summer of 2018. Meanwhile, Temple Emanu-El’s search for an assistant rabbi to join Rabbi Spike Anderson has resulted in the hiring of married couple Max and Rachael Miller, both due to be ordained in May at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Max Miller grew up at Emanu-El and graduated from the Davis Academy and the Weber School. He met Rachael Klein, who grew up in Kansas, in their first year of rabbinic school, and they married in August 2015. In announcing their hiring Friday, March 10, Rabbi Anderson wrote that although Emanu-El had budgeted for hiring only one assistant rabbi, a small group of congregants is underwriting the additional costs. ■

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

Rabbis Coming and Going

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EDUCATION Educator Entries Due

March 28 is the deadline for applicants for the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust’s Distinguished Educator of 2017, an award that will be presented at the Days of Remembrance ceremony April 28 at the Georgia Capitol. The award goes to a full-time educator in fifth to 12th grade who has “demonstrated excellence in the development and presentation of lessons or activities focused on the Holocaust, human rights, civil rights or character development” and has motivated students to be active community members. The award includes a plaque and a $500 stipend for educational materials. Teachers in public and private schools are eligible. People who won the award before 2014 may apply again. In fact, 2016 honoree Brendan Murphy of the Marist School is a twotime winner. Visit holocaust.georgia.gov/distinguished-educator-2017 for the application form and details on required supporting materials.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com paign. Because an anonymous donor promised to match every dollar raised that month, up to $150,000, the Toco Hills day school had a $300,000 month and reached $742,000 raised toward its annual goal of $900,000 in operational fundraising. TDSA also topped by $30,000 its February goal of reaching the $700,000 mark in its Generations Endowment Campaign.

As a final bid of fiscal good news for Torah Day, the school won the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Golden Phone award for volunteer participation in Super Sunday fundraising. That award was worth $1,000.

AJA’s STAR Student Atlanta Jewish Academy’s Dan Jutan was recognized as AJA’s STAR stu-

TDSA’s Financial Surge

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

Torah Day School of Atlanta met its goal of bringing in $150,000 in pledges during its February Fever cam-

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AJA’s Dan Jutan and Bill Shillito attend the PAGE luncheon for STAR students and teachers.

dent at the Professional Association of Georgia Educators luncheon Wednesday, March 8. Dan’s choice for his STAR teacher, math teacher Bill Shillito, also was honored at the event, recognizing the high school seniors who finished in the top 10 percent in class rank and had their schools’ highest SAT or ACT scores. Dan enjoys software development and has won multiple awards over the years in the Georgia Technology Fair competition. He and fellow senior Ezra Blout make short weekly parshah videos that explore Torah commentaries and showcase their lessons. Dan’s hobbies include playing Magic: The Gathering. He plans to spend a gap year in Israel at Yeshivat Har Etzion, then study computer science and focus on humancomputer interaction in college. Shillito changed his attitude toward math, which he’d thought was boring, difficult and unrewarding, Dan said. “He opened my eyes to the world of mathematics, an exciting, beautiful, creative expression that, with Mr. Shillito’s guidance, I study but also experience as a vast playground that extends beyond the classroom.”

AJA Girls Hit ‘East Side’

The girls of Atlanta Jewish Academy’s Upper School are staging two performances of “Lower East Side Story” for women and girls. Written and directed by AJA senior Rina Sobel and produced by Brooke Ratner, the story takes place in New York in 1910. The Yankees, longtime residents of America, are proud to have become modern American Jews. But when a family of European Jews moves into the neighborhood, the community struggles to accept them. The Yankees do not want to go back to their European ways, and the parents fear that their children will be easily influenced. The cast consists of Leah Bader, Thelet Bunder, Aviva Fine, Esther Freitag, Jillian Gerson, Rotem Kadosh, Shani Kadosh, Summer Pitocchelli, Rachel Rodbell and Maayan Schoen. The performances at the main AJA campus at 5200 Northland Drive in Sandy Springs are Sunday and Monday, March 19 and 20, with hors d’oeuvres at 6:15 p.m. and the curtain at 7. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door for women, $15 and $18 for girls, and $12 for AJA students. For tickets, visit ajachagiga. brownpapertickets­ .com. For more information, email chagiga­ @ atljewishacademy­.org.

BUSINESS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Vintage Barbershop Celebrates Its First 5 Years Old pop bottles, photos of Elvis and antique hair product advertisements line the walls of Vintage Barbershop in Sandy Springs, the brainchild of owner and master barber Yury Abramov. The four 1950s-era barber chairs in his shop were put into service long before the 32-year-old cut his first head of hair, but Abramov, who moved back to Atlanta from New York to open the shop in 2012, has a flair for the good old days when you could get a shave and a haircut for two bits. Vintage Barbershop is now celebrating its fifth anniversary in Sandy Springs. “After five years in business, I think this shop has taught me a lot about hard work and dedication,” Abramov said. “It’s not easy building a business from the ground up, especially at such a young age. I am very thankful to my family and loyal customers for always supporting a small local business and only hope it can grow in the future.” A Sephardic Jew from Uzbekistan, Abramov moved with his family to New York from the Soviet Union in 1989 before coming to Atlanta in 1999. He honed his skills as a barber in New York from 2006 to 2012 but said it was always his dream to open his own shop. Abramov’s storefront in the Abernathy Square shopping center has built up a devoted following, and he regularly books appointments up to a week in advance. Clients have a way of being picky about haircuts, and many shop regulars let only Abramov cut their hair. “I think building a customer base is based on your haircut quality as well as your personal relationships with the clients and making them feel like they are getting the best quality haircut,” he said. “Consistency and availability are key parts of building a client base.” Everything old is new again, and Abramov said his vintage haircutting style appeals to millennials and baby boomers alike. To make the shop even friendlier to his youngest clientele, he added an airplane barber’s chair and a shelf full of classic candy, and he brought in two lovebirds, the smallest members of the parrot family, to be the unofficial mascots for the shop. The two birds, a male and female, recently produced three chicks. “My family has had birds even back in New York,” Abramov said. “I

Yury Abramov honed his skills in New York before opening his Sandy Springs shop in 2012.

thought having the birds at the shop would be a great way to distract the kids and make them unafraid of getting a haircut. A lot of adults also love the birds. They already know all their

names. It adds character to the shop and goes well with our vintage theme.” Atlanta has a history of wellknown Jewish barbers. For example, Holocaust survivor Eli Sotto cut hair at the Trim Shop in downtown Atlanta for 60 years until the 90-year-old closed his doors in 2014. In 2016, one of Sotto’s barber chairs was placed into an exhibit at the Atlanta History Center featuring stories of people who shaped the city of Atlanta. Abramov said he is proud to follow in Sotto’s footsteps but also hopes to forge his own path. Each year to celebrate the Vintage Barbershop’s anniversary in March,

Abramov collects donations at the shop and matches whatever amount is raised. Past recipients have included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Atlanta’s Ronald McDonald Houses. This year’s charity hasn’t been chosen, but Abramov is planning to again collect donations at the shop. “I think giving inspires others to give,” he said. “It’s important to give back to those in need and say thank you for what you have. It makes you appreciate your hard-earned money and feel blessed to have the opportunity to be able to help others.” ■

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

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CAMPS

PJ Library gathers families at Ramah Darom in November for the Book It to Shabbat program.

Green Community View

At age 20, Ramah Darom charges into the future as a year-round retreat By Patrice Worthy

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

At Ramah Darom, magic happens, said Fred Levick, the CEO of the retreat and camp facility in the North Georgia mountains in Clayton. In a valley surrounded by 10,000 acres of the Chattahoochee National Forest, the camping community is 2,000 feet up in the Appalachians and features everything from a 100-foot waterfall to a five-star kosher chef. Two hours north of Atlanta, the Ramah Darom of today, celebrating 20 years in operation, is the result of dedicated Jews throughout the Southeast who have worked to build a center for Jewish life and learning. Looking back, Levick said, the development of Ramah Darom was an amazing feat. “They created this amazingly beautiful spiritual space,” he said. “To have a setting like we have is absolutely breathtaking.”

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A Planted Seed The idea for Ramah Darom was presented to the Conservative movement’s Ramah committee in 1956 when a feasibility study for a Jewish camp was conducted in the Southeast. The findings were taken to the National Ramah Commission, but the proposal was rejected, based on a belief that the region lacked the finances and Jewish population to sustain a Camp Ramah. “I believe they were wrong,” said Eric Singer, who was the founding president of Ramah Darom. His father, Sol, was instrumental in gathering the information for the feasibility study in 1956. “My father had a vision of a more enlightened Southeast.” Forty years later, Eric Singer saw that vision come to fruition.

“I feel like it’s my baby,” said Singer, who calls himself an honorary board member. “I stay involved because I want to fulfill the mission.” Ramah was built under a master plan designed with information from a second feasibility study. The team found that people were willing to invest in the project if the idea expanded to include year-round programming with similar experiences for adults. When the camp was built in 1996, the idea was to offer a retreat-style atmosphere. But there was no guidebook on how to build such a dynamic center for the Jewish Southeast, Levick said. “When Ramah first started as a camp, there was a road map, but not so much of a road map for what it would be outside of summer camp,” he said. “We said, ‘Let’s imagine how it can be a vibrant entity throughout the year.’ ” Because the facility was planned for year-round programming, the amenities are more upscale than those of many summer camps. Ramah Darom spent $6 million to $7 million, most of it raised without the help of the national Ramah movement, on residences and infrastructure beyond the summer camp. Many of the buildings have air conditioning and heat, and all the cabins have dryers. Once the infrastructure was complete, the team began designing programming for all ages, said Eliana Leader, the director of the Ramah Darom Retreat Center. The idea was part of a master plan meant to propel Ramah Darom into 2012. “The founding members had a strong, long-term vision, not just for the Southern region, but how can they

Continued on page 22

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CAMPS

A wooden boardwalk runs through the woods to new cottages that resemble treehouses.

The Jewish Women’s Getaway in November is an example of the special programs Ramah Darom hosts.

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

best serve the Jewish community and beyond with this resource,” Leader said. Besides its core summer camp — two, four-week sessions for rising fourth- to 10th-graders — the facility’s programs include a Taste of Ramah, a 12-day camp for third- through fifthgraders; Tikvah, a camp for seventhto 12th-graders with special needs; a winter-break family camp; a women’s retreat; a Passover retreat; a farm-totable Tu B’Shevat Shabbaton and seder;

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LimmudFest on Labor Day weekend; and PJ Library’s Book It to Shabbat. Year-Round Future The programming is customizable and attracts young adults. Ramah Darom partners with organizations such as the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition to host Project Understanding and Moishe House to increase the attendance at the Tu B’Shevat weekend. “There’s no limit on the creativity and types of programming we can do,”

A new patio features an outdoor kitchen with a wood-burning stove.

Leader said. “It helps people explore their Jewish journey. People can think about how they want to particpate from where they are right now.” Leader would love to partner with more organizations to provide an array of events. She is creating a schedule that takes full advantage of the setting. For example, Rabun County is the only county in Georgia where the full solar eclipse this August will be visible for the maximum amount of time, so Ramah Darom will host an Eclipse Shabbat from Aug. 18 to 21. After the success of the first Tu B’Shevat weekend, Leader wants to expand the program to include more gardening and emphasize the farm-totable movement. Ramah Darom, part of the Jewish Farming Initiative launched by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, hopes the second phase includes a satellite farm. An orchard on the premises

includes apple, plum and pear trees, and Ramah plans to add berry bushes and an herb garden. “In the shorter term, we’re doing things like the farm-to-table Tu B’Shevat seder and getting people involved in the environmental movement beyond a hot topic, but as a Jewish value,” Leader said. For Ramah to be relevant for future generations, Levick said the staff is imagining Ramah Darom in 2030. He said the staff never stops improving. The first phase of the new master plan was to build residences so the Tikvah program could be a fully inclusive summer camp. “We started to think about how we could bring children to Ramah without their families,” Levick said. “We like to think of it as a model community. If everyone is made in G-d’s image, we should live that way.” In addition to the Tikvah residences, the new master plan includes a lake

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

CAMPS

The winterbreak family camp is a popular annual offering at Ramah Darom.

The Camp At its heart, Ramah Darom is about building community, and Levick said that is the foundation of what campers are taught. “One thing about Ramah camping is it really is a breeding ground for leadership. There’s a great preponderance of Jewish campers populating leadership roles in the Jewish community,” he said. Camp Ramah Darom welcomes 475 campers in two sessions from 11 states across the Southeast and 225 staff members every summer. Most of the campers are there four weeks; the Gesher program for rising 11th-graders runs for eight weeks. The camp fills up quickly each year because of the unique educational opportunities, said Geoff Menkowitz, the director of Camp Ramah Darom. “We designed the camp with a 10-plus-year experience in mind,” Menkowitz said. “The camp is about experiential learning. A lot of personal growth happens with a lot of love and support.” The environment encourages embracing Jewish identity. The key, he said, is to make being Jewish natural, cool and fun. The youths learn what the community expects of them and the responsibilities of being Jewish. “Almost all of our homegrown kids decide to continue to work for us at least two summers,” Menkowitz

said. “They cherish what the camp has done for them and want to give back to the community, that has done so much for them.” Levick and Menkowitz said it’s fulfilling to see former campers who are adults passing their love for Ramah Darom to their children. It’s a transformation in the community with longlasting effects. Ben Miller, who is on the board of Ramah Darom, attended the camp and was a camp counselor. While he was a counselor, he met his wife, Rachel, who was also a camp counselor. Rachel Miller, who is from Atlanta, said Ramah gave her an element of Judaism that was missing in her life. “It was the first time I had been in an environment that was so Jewish,”

SPORTS BROADCASTING CAMP is back for our 10th year in Atlanta

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house, a telecom system, additional staff housing, a boardwalk in the woods, a patio with a wood-burning stove and cottages resembling treehouses. The improvements provide comfort for the guests who arrive from all over the world to enjoy the serenity at Ramah Darom. Levick said although Ramah Darom focuses on campers in the summer, it operates as a resort the rest of the year. “It’s a way to make human connections and have meaningful conversations. You get to step out of time and build relationships,” Levick said. “It’s not limited to being Jewish. It promotes a lot of personal and communal growth.”

she said. “It taught me a lot about the culture and introduced me to people who are my best friends.” As counselors, they attended Jewish classes at night, and Ben Miller said he runs into people in his day-to-day life who remind him of Ramah. “That’s where I solidified my relationships with them.” Now the couple and their three children attend events such as the winter-break family camp and the PJ Library Shabbat. “The year-round programming is great for families like us,” Rachel Miller said. “It creates a community.” ■

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CAMPS

Going for 2

Photos by Michael Jacobs

K2 Sports Camp (k2sportscamp.com) — a highly visible presence at the Toco Hills Purim Parade with a float featuring campers, a basketball hoop and codirector Neil Kalnitz while co-director Shimon Kaminetzky rode just ahead and fired up the crowd — is returning for its second summer at Torah Day School of Atlanta. The camp, for rising second- to eighth-grade boys and girls, runs late in the summer, from July 24 to Aug. 18, to provide an option for kids for $250 per week after other summer activities end but before the school year starts.

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CAMPS

Jewish Agency Shlichim Meet Soaring Demand of the Jewish Agency’s Shlichim and Israel Fellows Unit. “The emissaries are the best way to bring young Jews from abroad to experience life in Israel on a range of Jewish Agency programs, as well as to increase their familiarity with Israel and deepen their sense of attachment to the Jewish state.” The sharp increase in the number of emissaries reflects rising demand by Jewish communities. The number of communities hosting Jewish Agency emissaries has grown significantly since 2010; beyond North America, shlichim are posted in Western and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Latin America, Australia, and South Africa. In addition to the 1,300 emissaries at summer camps, some 430 Israelis are serving in communities for extended periods, including 80 Jewish Agency Israel Fellows to Hillel, who serve tens of thousands of Jewish students on roughly 150 college campuses, and more than 100 ShinShinim, who are teens spending a post-high-school gap year volunteering in the Diaspora. ■

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

The number of shlichim (emissaries) dispatched by the Jewish Agency for Israel to Diaspora communities has increased by about a third since 2010, the Jewish Agency announced March 5. Of the 1,730 shlichim working in the Jewish world this year, roughly 1,300 will serve as counselors at summer camps, primarily in North America. In 2010, only 1,300 Jewish Agency emissaries filled all shaliach roles (camps and others). Jewish Agency emissaries receive intensive training and are equipped with the tools to combat expressions of hate against Jews and Israel. They concentrate on strengthening young Jews’ Jewish identities and connections to Israel, boosting Jewish life, and presenting Jews with opportunities to experience life in Israel. Israelis play prominent roles at all the region’s sleepaway camps, as well as some of the day camps. “Jewish Agency emissaries share the Israeli story with Jewish young people abroad in a direct and personal way,” said Yehuda Setton, the director

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OBITUARIES

Judith Algranati 80, Woodstock

Judith Joyce Algranati of Woodstock passed away Thursday, March 9, 2017, at the age of 80. A native of Alexandria, Egypt, she immigrated to the United States with her late husband, Mair Algranati, in 1960. Over the course of her life in the United States, she lived in St. Louis, Queens, N.Y., Saddle Brook, N.J., Greenville, S.C., Nanuet, N.Y., and Woodstock. Her greatest achievement was raising her children, and she delighted in her family, especially her grandchildren. After her husband passed away, she returned to school and graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina as a respiratory therapist. She worked in and retired from the Greenville Hospital System. Known as Joyce, Grandma, Nana and Mom, she was a very kind and compassionate woman who always put others before herself. Joyce had two children, Michael Algranati (Barbara) of New City, N.Y., and Tamara Jacobs (Barry) of Marietta. She adored her grandchildren: Jacob Algranati, Joshua Algranati, Kyle Jacobs, Kayla Jacobs and Samantha Algranati. Her friends and family enjoyed her Mediterranean delights of spanakopita, baklava and other delicious treats. Jewish holidays and Passover seders always included her special touches and traditions. She loved to read, sew, crochet and knit, always making wonderful items, especially for new babies and young ones. Joyce is survived by her brother, Victor Douenias, and her children and grandchildren. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the American Heart Association. Graveside funeral services were held Friday, March 10, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Daniel Dorsch officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Jack I. Freedman 95, Atlanta

Jack I. (aka Honey) Freedman, age 95, beloved husband of the late Phyllis Blonder Freedman, passed away Tuesday, March 7, 2017. He will be lovingly remembered by his children, Doug and Genie Freedman and Robyn and Ed Gerson; his grandchildren, Ali and Marc Garfinkel and Justin and Jaime Spizman; his great-grandchildren, Dani and Bella Spizman, Jeff, Michele and Jack Gerson, Dr. Lee, Alicia and Scott Gerson, and Randi Gerson; his sister-in-law, Lois Blonder; and many nephews and nieces. A selfless and devoted community volunteer and well-known leader for causes throughout Atlanta and Israel, Jack was a remarkable man known for his kind ways and gentle soul. He left a loving legacy with his dedication to making a difference, his love of family and doing good deeds. The son of Morris and Annie Freedman, Jack came by his love of helping others through his parents, who also were community leaders and devoted members of Ahavath Achim Synagogue. Concerned about the dignity of the elderly, he led religious services every Saturday morning for over 35 years at the Freedman Chapel, named in his honor at the William Breman Jewish Home and donated by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jerry and Lois Blonder. He served as a past president of the Mar-

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cus Jewish Community Center and was a past president and founding member of ORT and its Man of the Year. He and his wife, Phyllis, received the B’nai B’rith Distinguished Service Award, and Jack was honored with the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Eternal Light Award, the Alpha Epsilon Pi Nehemiah Gitelson Silver Medallion and many others. Jack also was honored at the Epstein School’s annual Founders Dinner and by Greenfield Hebrew Academy, which named the Hebrew Language Computer Center in his honor. Jack attended Boys’ High and Emory University, and in 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a blimp pilot. After the war, he met his sweetheart, Phyllis, on a blind date in 1946, and they married a year later. It was a marriage of the hearts and minds from the beginning and lasted 69 years. They worked tirelessly to help endless causes and to strengthen the Atlanta Jewish community. The family wishes to thank the caregivers and outstanding staff at the Jewish Home. Jack’s memory will serve as a blessing, and his generous spirit will live on through his endless deeds. The family requests donations in Jack’s memory be given to Ahavath Achim Synagogue and the William Breman Jewish Home. Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 8. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

June Klein 85, Atlanta

June C. Klein, age 85, of Buckhead passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 8, 2017. She was born June 14, 1931, in Manhattan, the daughter of Abraham and Belle Cohen. June was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Stanley Klein. She was a devoted mother, mother-in-law and grandmother. June loved the arts, travel and giving back to the community. In Oceanside, N.Y., where she and Stan raised their children, she volunteered at the hospital. In Atlanta, she was the education and donor chair for Hadassah and a volunteer at the Anne Frank exhibit, the Shepherd Center, and the Georgia Aquarium, where she and Stanley were among the first volunteers. June was also a past co-president of the Atlanta region of Women’s American ORT. June’s life was enriched by a wide group of longtime friends, and she will be missed by many. She is survived by her loving children, Ilene and her husband, Christian, of Del Mar, Calif., and Jonathan and his wife, Jennifer, of Sebastian, Fla.; one granddaughter, Rebecca; her sister, Leonore; and several cherished nieces, nephews and cousins. A private family service will be held.

Marion Rich 91, Atlanta

Marion Rich, 91, of Atlanta passed away peacefully Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Marion enjoyed a long, successful career with the Georgia Department of Revenue before retiring after 28 years. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Bernard J. Rich. A loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she is survived by

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OBITUARIES her daughter, Susan Woll (Hans Morgenthaler); sons Edward Woll (Terri Barnard) and James Woll; dear friend George Grissom; grandson Tim Casey; and greatgranddaughter Panda Casey. Marion will be greatly missed. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Graveside services were held Friday, March 3, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Judith Beiner officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to City of Hope, www.cityofhope.org. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Gerald Rubin 78, Lawrenceville

Gerald Rubin, age 78, of Lawrenceville died Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Born in Gloversville, N.Y., Jerry began his career as a sales representative working in his family’s glove business. He later relocated to Atlanta, where he continued to be an independent sales rep for ladies’ accessories. Upon retirement, Jerry did volunteer work for his synagogue, Temple Beth David, as well as Simonton Elementary. Jerry was married for over 50 years to the former Gail Leiser, who preceded him in death in 2011. Survivors include son Barry Rubin, Lawrenceville; daughter and son-in-law Sheri and Jon Young, Lawrenceville; son and daughter-in-law William and Marilyn Rubin, Atlanta; and grandchildren Emily, Hannah, Erin, Marissa and Erica. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Temple Beth David, 1885 McGee Road, Snellville, GA 30078. Sign the online guestbook at www. edressler.com. A graveside service was held Thursday, March 9, at Eternal Hills Memory Gardens in Snellville. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

William Rubin 91, Atlanta

William F. “Bill” Rubin passed away Saturday, March 4, 2017, at the age of 91. He was born Oct. 14, 1925, and was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, with his sister, Leona Lefkowich. He lived most of his adult life in Atlanta. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Sariece; his children, Rick (Stacey) Rubin, Bonnie (Larry) Jonas and Hal (Dana) Rubin; and his six grandchildren, Sharon, Lori, Robert, Rachel, Zachary and Freda. He worked most of his life at Swank Inc. selling men’s accessories. He started there as a stock boy and retired as a senior vice president. For a short period he was the president of Salvatori\Bronzini belts and neckties. He was in the Navy and attended the engineering school at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He loved boxing, golfing and playing tennis and achieved numerous championships in these sports. In addition, he was a Golden Gloves boxer. Bill was a very compassionate person who loved his family. He extended his generosity and love to everyone he knew. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Funeral services were held Monday, March 6, at Ahavath Achim Synagogue; burial followed at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Ahavath Achim Synagogue, www.aasynagogue.org, or the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Va., and raised their family. Norman’s career was as an executive in the swimming pool business. In the 1990s, with the arrival of grandchildren, they moved to Atlanta. Other than an extended visit to England for six years, they spent their remaining years in Atlanta. They loved to travel and enjoyed many wonderful trips all over the world. Norman lost his beloved wife, Marjory, in 2011 after 65 years together. Mr. Weinstein is survived by his son Mark Weinstein (Sheryl Adair); grandson Eric Weinstein; granddaughter Meredith Foster (Kevin), Volcano, Hawaii; greatgrandchildren Briella and Josiah Foster; sister Betty Klein, Pembroke Pines, Fla.; daughter-in-law Susan Parr, Pender Island, British Columbia, Canada; and nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or to a charitable organization of your choice. Funeral services were held Sunday, March 12.

Death Notices

Rose Bredig of Braselton on Feb. 27. Jack Constangy of Atlanta on Feb. 25. Alfred Greenfeld of Marietta, father of Temple Kol Emeth member Laurie Rose, on Feb. 28. Alan Kestin, 88, father of Temple Kol Emeth member Kathy Kestin, on March 3. Beatrice Levy of Denver, mother of Congregation Beth Shalom member Steve Levy, on March 9. Gertrude Merlin, 96, of Wilmington, N.C., mother of Congregation Beth Shalom member Esther Rosenfeld, Reba Alper and Samuel Slom, on March 12. Alice Paulin, 91, of New York, mother of Congregation Beth Shalom member Louise Weintraub and three other daughters (Amy, Shari and Gail), on March 4. Simon Schwartz of Alpharetta, father of Ian Schwartz, on March 10. Robert Sitter II of Millcreek Township, Pa., brother of Congregation Beth Shalom member Melinda Gottfried, on Feb. 27. Barbara Zitron, 81, of Memphis, Tenn., wife of Stanley Zitron and mother of Temple Sinai member Jeff Zitron, Dana Gross, Heidi Bloomston and Lance Zitron, on March 10.

Norman Weinstein Norman Weinstein, age 93, passed away Thursday, March 9, 2017. He was born Jan. 10, 1924, in Wilmington, N.C. He was predeceased by his wife, Marjory; a son, Charles; a daughter-in-law, Barbara Weinstein; and sisters Rhea Slutsky and Joan Axelrod. Norman spent his early years in Philadelphia and Raleigh, N.C. In 1943, during World War II, he left college and enlisted in the United States Army. He was stationed in England, where he met the love of his life, Marjory Dawson. When the war ended, they married in Driffield, England, on Jan. 19, 1946. After living in North Carolina, where both of their sons were born, they moved to Richmond,

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Two-Way Book a Tribute to Parents Purim, like the High Holidays in the fall, presents the perfect opportunity for sharing a two-direction book recently published by Danny Frankel of Suwanee and his younger brother, David, in tribute to their parents, Max and Gloria Frankel. One side of the book, titled “HaMeir La-Aretz Ve-la-Darim,” features

over 40 shalach manot Purim recipes transcribed from Gloria’s recipe cards. Chanukah had barely ended each year when she would convert the Frankel home into a makeshift bakery. The other side of the book features 16 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur sermons written and delivered by Max Frankel when he facilitated High Holi-

day services in the 1970s and 1980s at Cincinnati’s Golf Manor Synagogue. He served as the executive director of Cincinnati’s Bureau of Jewish Education for 25 years and was the longestserving head of a U.S. Jewish education agency when he retired. Danny Frankel, a guitar player and vocalist for the Moody Jews, said

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‘Egyptian Jon Stewart’ Laughs Until It Hurts By Elizabeth Friedly Bassem Youssef was a heart surgeon in Egypt when he was inspired by the Arab Spring to give up medicine and devote himself in 2011 to comedy and a mock-news program, “The Show.” Youssef gained tens of millions of viewers and became known as the “Egyptian Jon Stewart.” It makes sense that someone who worked with Stewart, “The Daily Show” senior producer and Jewish filmmaker Sara Taksler, decided to make a documentary about Youssef and his efforts to bring political humor to a nation where free speech is not guaranteed. The resulting film, “Tickling Giants,” is screening for one night Tuesday, March 21, at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, including a recorded interview with Samantha Bee. Taksler, who began working at “The Daily Show” in 2005 as an associate producer, spoke with the AJT about her eye-opening and sometimes dangerous work to make the movie. She said “Tickling Giants” began as curiosity about her show’s Egyptian counterparts but evolved into some-

Bassem Youssef and Sara Taksler have some fun in the snow during the making of “Tickling Giants.”

thing much more consequential. “Tickling Giants” presents Egyptians as humans, not caricatures. We see a Batman birthday cake, loose hair and facial piercings, and giggling and irreverent humor despite an oppressive government. In a way, the crew of “The Show” challenges everything the media have shown us about Muslims. “We had one school where a Hillel and a Muslim student association came together to host (the film) and have a dialogue,” Taksler said. “That was the best outcome I could hope for. It’s been important to me throughout the whole process of making the movie to shed light on the fact that the people in the movie who you see — these kind,

funny, ‘normal’ people — are the people we talk about when we talk about Muslims and the Middle East.” I told Taksler I hadn’t seen Egyptians represented as liberal or young, outside isolated interviews and photos. “I was in the same position,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about Egypt before I started the movie. I felt like ‘OK, I’m very far from home. I don’t know anyone here, but I feel comfortable, and I’m hanging out with funny, cool, nice people who remind me of the people I work with.’ ” “Tickling Giants” is vast and personal in the way that great documentaries tend to be. The film documents the Arab Spring, the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, and a democratic election followed by a coup, all framed by a mock-news show. It’s unavoidably moving when Bassem meets Stewart in New York for the first time. I felt tears building in the dramatic moment when “The Show” breaks from its script to address frightened audience members about the news of Bassem’s cancellation. Taksler flew between New York and Egypt during the filming. “I had

a local crew that filmed without me whenever I wasn’t there.” She struggled with how to depict what was happening in Egypt in a way that would honor her new friends’ reality but be palatable to viewers. The Committee to Protect Journalists has listed Egypt as the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists, behind China. “That was a big debate in the edit, because I wanted there to be hope, but at the same time, it is bleak,” Taksler said. “Particularly some of the Egyptians on our crew didn’t want the hope to not be honest about portraying what still is going on, because we should be concerned and we should be worried when you finish viewing this because a lot of work still needs to be done. For me, the goal of the movie is to get people to think about tickling giants, and what I mean when I say that is finding creative, nonviolent ways to stop the abuse of power.” ■ What: “Tickling Giants” screening Where: Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive, Midtown When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 Tickets: $15; bit.ly/2mCnuhk

Kennesaw State Gives Voice to Forbidden Music By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

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Music, as well as other forms of culture, was subject to Nazification starting in 1933 and continuing until the end of World War II in 1945. The Nazis attempted to drive out not only Jewish performers and composers in Germany and occupied European countries, but also any music written by Jews or music that the Nazis thought was inconsistent with their worldview. These musicians were denied opportunities to perform, publish or record their work, effectively bringing their European careers to an end. To remember the work of those silenced during the Second World War, Kennesaw State University’s School of Music is presenting “Songs Not Silenced: Music Forbidden in the Holocaust,” a concert featuring the work of composers who were banned in Nazi Germany and occupied countries. The performance is scheduled for March 23 at Kennesaw State’s Bailey Performance Center. “Performing the songs of these

composers gives voice to music that was forbidden and reminds us all of the importance of tolerance, respect and understanding in our contemporary world,” said Laurence Sherr, who is known for his work with Holocaust period music and is a composer in residence at the KSU School of Music. The program will feature the U.S. premieres of two sets of songs by conductor-composer Ignatz Waghalter, as well as art, folk and musical theater songs by Kurt Weill, Darius Milhaud, Viktor Ullmann and Ilse Weber. Commentary during the program will be provided by Sherr and David Green, the grandson of Waghalter. Kennesaw State faculty vocalists Jana Young, a soprano, and Oral Moses, a bass-baritone, will perform, accompanied by pianist Judy Cole. ■ What: “Songs Not Silenced: Music Forbidden in the Holocaust” Where: Bailey Performance Center, 488 Prillaman Way, Kennesaw When: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23 Tickets: Free with RSVP at ksu-songsnot-silenced.eventbrite.com

As the Big Top Folds, A Sense of Loss Inflates The circus never came to Haddon the circus being a significant piece of Heights. I never actually sat under a history soon to be buried in the soil of big top until I was a father. Never as oblivion. A prominent icon that served a child did I experience lion tamers us so very well, soon to become a fragcracking the whip or trapeze artists ile memory that time will sweep away. flying through the air with the greatAnd though I wasn’t an enthuest of ease; nevertheless, I was a fan siastic fan, I still mourn its passing of “the Greatest Show on Earth.” I remember the old Guest Column Disney movie “Toby Tyler”; I was mesmerized and By Rabbi Shalom Lewis wanted nothing more than to run away from home and join the circus. My paras I think wistfully of milkmen, the ents gently reminded me of my allerCatskills, soda fountains and Life gies and Shabbos, but I longed to join magazine. Toby, the roustabouts Though I wasn’t We romantically look and the performers. Ringling Bros. and an enthusiastic back yet welcome change. Barnum & Bailey was a fan of the circus, We cling to what was but enjoy what is. We long for magical, enchanting rite I still mourn the good old days but like of passage for so many. its passing as I where we are. An extravaganza that We are creatures of brought the exotic and think wistfully paradox, longing to be in the distant to towns and of milkmen, the both yesterday and today. villages across America. Catskills, soda A book in one hand and a The lions and tigers and fountains and Kindle in the other. Shopbears. The popcorn and cotton candy. Life magazine. ping in Montgomery Ward and ordering a tchotchke The sights startled from Amazon. our eyes, and the smells Letting go is not easy because we filled our nostrils. The circus vocaburomanticize and fantasize and overlary became the jargon of the street. size what preceded us. Sideshow. Three-ring circus. Tightrope As Jews, it is a particular patholwalker. Ringmaster. ogy we endure, celebrating and shedThe circus coursed red, white ding tears at the same time. and blue and was in the DNA of every We mourn the destruction of our American. And yet, after a 146-year Temples, yet sing “Hatikva” knowing run, it was announced that the big top that we have nuclear subs and an air was coming down forever. force. We wander through the weepy No more dancing elephants. No echoes of old neighborhoods turned more death-defying acrobatics. No slums, once pulsating with shuls and more clowns pouring out of tiny cars. butchers and Yiddish, yet witness the The end of a remarkable run that entertained millions for nearly a century resurgence of observant Jews and new suburban neighborhoods pulsating and a half. with shuls and butchers and English. Vus iz geven iz geven un nito: What Vus iz geven iz geven un nito, but was, was and is no more. A famous we move forward with the comforting Yiddish song sums up the farewell to a chant of “and yet.” cultural marvel. As Jews, we are capable of looking I admit to being saddened over in two opposite directions simultathe news, but in truth I never enjoyed neously, perhaps knowing that all the circus. I took my kids when they moments and all things are destined were young, but though they giggled to become memories and history. A and laughed, oohed and ahhed, I kept lesson from our early days on Earth. glancing at my watch, anxious to When Adam and his wife were driven leave. out of paradise, it is believed that he So why then am I troubled by the departure of the Greatest Show on said to Eve: “My dear, we live in an age Earth? of transition.” I thought about it and realized Nothing is forever, but I will miss that my melancholy resulted from the circus. ■

CROSSWORD

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“A Fiddler Puzzle”

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

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ACROSS 1. Many homes near YU 5. She follows 45-Down to 48-Down 10. L.A. sight that can make it hard to see the stars? 14. Take a (Shabbat) nap 15. Place for Napoleon or Moses 16. One helping Chuck Schumer 17. Rabbi Akiva from the 18th century 18. Get an engine (or a simcha) going 19. Street ___ (Mickey Cohen had it) 20. Fix (like Rothstein supposedly did with the World Series) 21. Setting for this puzzle 23. On a scale of one ___ 25. Like the Negev 26. Ear piece? 29. “___ Mine” (Beatles song produced by Spector) 30. Make like Portman 33. Mrs. Tevye 35. Alien subj.? 36. Aleichem who wrote “Tevye the Milkman” 40. Michael Crichton’s “___world” 41. The theme of this puzzle’s theme 43. Deal (with running a stressful seder) 46. Actor who first played Tevye 47. Kind of announcement; abbr. 50. Matzah is made in them 52. “___ G-d said to Moses” 53. Financial assistance for many yeshiva tuition paying families 54. Yom Kippur, e.g. 55. Treif sushi options 59. Souvenirs from “Phantom” or “Fiddler” 61. There was no “on the other hand” for her 65. “When I ___ thine lips” (“Merchant of Venice”)

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32. Well-___ (one with kesef) 34. Possess 37. Fleur de ___ (flower in Le Marais) 38. Jazzy James who worked with Jerry Wexler 39. Manner (of a mensch) 41. Minyan men 42. Auto pioneer who was not an anti-Semite 43. Holy barnyard animal? 44. Eggs 45. See 5-Across and 48Down 47. Reb Nachum the beggar and others 48. Where 5-Across and 45DOWN Down take a train to 1. Citrus drink 49. They can help a business 2. Anti-Semitic attacks in 51. Red ___ 21-Across 56. Bar mitzvah party, e.g. 3. Tevye’s eldest 57. Odom who played with 4. Gainsbourg or Ibaka Jordan Farmar 5. (False) god queen 58. Reach home head-first, 6. Goring animals, in the like Ian Kinsler Bible 60. Tevye on film 7. Midler and Carey 8. Extract (like chemist Fritz 62. Not his 63. Kazan who directed “On Haber) the Waterfront” 9. One with a skin disease dating back to biblical times 64. Micky Arison’s Florida team 10. What the tired look forward to hitting on Shabbat 66. One-hit-wonder band 67. Paul Newman voiced one 11. Word repeatedly sung in 2006 by Motel 70. Bad pass from Rodgers 12. Work by Keats or or Fiedler; Abbr. Lazarus 13. Deg. received by Fran Leibowitz and Paris Hilton LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 22. Chill on the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 couch R E L I C I A M S H A R E 14 15 16 23. Black ___ A L A M O C I A H O S E A 17 18 19 (simcha) H A M A N S O L O L O I N S 20 21 22 24. CNN M L B F A N S T O F F E E 23 24 journalist B I B I G A M E 25 26 27 28 29 Octavia fired M O R D E C A I L O R E N 30 31 32 33 for supporting D E F I E R M B C V E T 34 35 36 37 Hezbollah I L L E R H O E T R A D E 39 40 27. Some camp 38S E A C O N V O I D E D 41 42 43 44 counselors at E W A N M C G R O G G E R 45 46 night (abbr.) R O O K E M E S 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 28. Gimmel S O V A I N E D I T S H A 54 55 56 preceder A R A B S D A R T H S A U L 57 58 59 31. Son of G E N I E E R A E A G L E 60 61 62 Noach G S W R E E K S A S S A D 66. Woe for those at the Carmel Forest Spa 68. Hirsch or Zola 69. Actress Gilpin or former Shin Bet head Yaakov 71. Headcover 72. Comaneci who won Olympic gold long before Aly Reisman 73. “Are you out ___?” 74. Noah and Indiana had them 75. Paskesz item 76. Test for those planning to go to Cardozo

MARCH 17 ▪ 2017

CLOSING THOUGHTS

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MARCH 17 â–ª 2017