Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCIII No. 43, November 2, 2018

NEXT WEEK: VETERANS DAY

VOL. XCIII NO. 43

NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 24 CHESHVAN 5779

VOTER'S GUIDE PULLOUT

2018 Election Preview 24-PAGE SECTION, PAGES 15-38

SERIOUS ABOUT SECURITY AS WE REFLECT ON PITTSBURGH’S SHOOTING, JEWISH ATLANTA PREPARES FOR THE UNFORESEEN AND TIGHTENS SECURITY.

CYBERBULLYING SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. EXPERTS AT HADASSAH EVENT AGREED THAT WE MUST ADDRESS BULLYING BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE.

ISRAEL’S CDC COMES TO ATL CDC TEAMS UP WITH ISRAEL’S CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL TO COMPARE NOTES ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND GENETICS.

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Contributors This Week BOB BAHR CHUCK BERK DAVE SCHECHTER JAN JABEN-EILON LOGAN C. RITCHIE MARCIA CALLER JAFFE MICHAEL ROSENZWEIG RABBI PETER BERG RACHEL STEIN SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER

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On the Ballot

After months of buildup to the Georgia general election Tuesday, including a very heated governor’s race, we present our election preview. The guide includes interviews with the candidates, op-eds from both sides of the political divide, and overviews of the races to help you make an informed decision at the ballot box.

While all eyes were on Georgia politics, our focus changed abruptly and dramatically days before the election by what is being called the deadliest attack on the American Jewish community. At the start of Shabbat services Oct. 27, an anti-Semite stormed into Tree Of Life Or L'Simcha Congregation in the largely Jewish Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, killing 11 synagogue members and injuring six, including four police officers who tried to defend against the attack.

Ironically, our political content coordinator and contributor, Dave Schechter, finished his political coverage in time to take on our Pittsburgh shooting cover-

THIS WEEK age. He’s been updating our online readers since after Shabbat last weekend with local reactions, responses and memorial services. You’ll find some of that coverage here, and we will continue to report on this horrific tragedy affecting our larger Jewish community. We will also keep you in the loop on the outcome of political races as the results become available.

In this issue, you’ll also find information about how to respond to cyberbullying and learn how the Israel Center for Disease Control is working with its Atlanta counterpart to improve public health. We also interview a doctor who found a second calling as a woodworker.

And we highlight two events connected to the Shabbat Project, an international effort to bring Jews of the world together for a single Shabbat. At the Marcus JCC, the Shabbat Project was a Great Big Challah Bake Oct. 25, and at Congregation Beth Tefillah, a weekend of learning, meals and prayers.

Unfortunately, the concept of a global period of Jewish unity takes on

new meaning in light of the grave act of anti-Semitism in Pittsburgh. So, while the country – and even the Jewish community – may be divided over politics, personal perspectives are temporarily cast aside during this national time of mourning and recovery. Ironically, a tragedy can also inspire solidarity – at least for the short-term. ■

CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS ���������������������������������� 4 ISRAEL NEWS ������������������������������� 10 OPINION ����������������������������������������� 11 VOTER'S GUIDE ���������������������������� 15 ARTS ������������������������������������������������ 40 COMMUNITY ��������������������������������� 41 CALENDAR ������������������������������������� 44 BRAIN FOOD ���������������������������������� 48 OBITUARIES ���������������������������������� 49 MARKETPLACE ���������������������������� 50 CLOSING THOUGHTS ����������������� 51

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 3

LOCAL NEWS ‘Deadliest Attack’ On American Jewry Hits Home

By Kaylene Ladinsky

At 9:50 a.m. Oct. 27, at the start of Shabbat services at the Tree of Life - Or L’Simcha Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Richard Bowers, 46, allegedly entered the sanctuary carrying three handguns and an assault rifle and opened fired on the congregants. Eleven members were killed and six injured, including four police officers.

According to several accounts of the rampage, Bowers said he wanted to kill Jewish people and spoke of genocide during the attack.

Bowers was described as “an isolated, awkward man who lived alone and struggled with basic human interactions, neighbors and others who knew him,” The New York Times reported.

According to CNN, among his many anti-Semitic social media posts were comments criticizing President Trump and suggesting that the president was surrounded by too many Jewish people.

“Trump is surrounded by k****, things will stay the course,” read one post on the Gab social media platform. Gab advocates free speech and has very liberal restrictions on content, and has since been temporarily shut down.

When Bowers exited the synagogue, it’s reported he was shot by police and received multiple gunshot wounds. He remains in stable and fair condition. Four officers were wounded during his attack.

Officials said the suspect was in the synagogue for about 20 minutes. During his rampage, these are the 11 synagogue members, ages 45 to 97, that were killed:

Michael Henninger/The New York Times

Alleged gunman, 46-yearold Robert Bowers

Robert Bowers’ apartment is one of 11 in McAnulty Acres, a two-story building in Baldwin Borough, Pittsburgh.

Jerry Rabinowitz (Photo courtesy of Avishai Ostrin)

Rose Mallinger (Jake Tapper/Twitter)

Rose Mallinger, 97, was described as a sweet, vivacious woman who was full of life and seemed younger than her age, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Rumors initially released that Mallinger was a Holocaust survivor were false, although at least one Holocaust survivor who attends Tree of Life told The Washington Post he “survived a second time.” He had pulled into the parking lot four minutes late, while the shooting was happening.

Melvin Wax (Facebook)

Melvin Wax, 87, a retired CPA described by those who knew him as a kind and generous man.

4 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Bernice and Sylvan Simon (Tree of Life Synagogue)

Sylvan Simon, 86, and his wife Bernice, 84, were married at the Tree of Life in a candle-lit ceremony more than 60 years ago in December 1956, according to a wedding announcement and local news report.

Daniel Stein (Facebook)

Daniel Stein, 71, was a sweet and dependable guy, described as having two loves in life: his family and his faith, according to People magazine.

Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, worked for 30 years as the personal doctor for Lawrence Claus, the former deputy district attorney in Allegheny County. “He had a truly uplifting demeanor, and as a practicing physician, he was among the very best,” Claus said.

Joyce Fienberg (Facebook)

Richard Gottfried (Facebook)

Joyce Fienberg, 75, worked for more than 25 years on various research projects at the Learning Research & Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Her husband, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, died in 2016.

Richard Gottfried, 65, and his wife, Margaret Durachko, “embodied love,” said an employee at the Catholic church she attended. They were an interfaith couple and both were dentists, according to the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

Irving Younger (GoFundMe)

Irving Younger, 69, was described by neighbor, Tina Prizner, as “the most wonderful dad and grandpa,” The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

LOCAL NEWS

Jewish Atlanta Ups Security After Pittsburgh

By Dave Schechter

David and Cecil Rosenthal (Tree Of Life Or L’Simcha Congregation/Facebook)

David Rosenthal, 54, and his brother, Cecil, 59, never missed a Shabbat at the synagogue, according to members. They were part of ACHIEVA, which provides services to people with disabilities and their families.

This tragedy has broken the hearts of many around the world and hits home with many Jewish Atlantans who are from Pittsburgh, where family and friends still reside.

“Pittsburgh is the city I will always call home. It is the place where I always feel safe and secure. It is the Jewish community that helped me with comfort and hope through so much loss. … How could there be a massacre in Pittsburgh – in a synagogue?” said Eric Robbins, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Beth Gluck grew up in Squirrel Hill, where the synagogue was located. “The attack was first and foremost an attack against my people. It was a premeditated anti-Semitic massacre. …While my family in Pittsburgh is OK, nobody is OK,” Gluck, the Southern Zone director for the Jewish National Fund, said in a message to the AJT. Even though 29 federal charges have been filed against the alleged gunman, it doesn’t lessen the feelings of hatred and violation that are felt by Jews around the world. Communities are joining hands in solidarity to show support, and there continue to be dozens of vigils, memorials and dedication services throughout the Greater Atlanta area. You can find listings of services near you at www.jewishatlanta.org/unitedwestand/. The JFGA site is being updated daily.

There are no words that can thoroughly express the impact of this tragedy, which is being described as “likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States,” by the Anti-Defamation League. However, Gluck offers thoughtful advice: “It’s really not a time to lean left or lean right.

It’s a time to lean toward what’s good, toward what’s family. You don’t lean to the extremes. You lean to the healthy, vibrant center and you lean toward what you know is good.” ■

The question was put to Scott Allen, executive director at Congregation Or Hadash, who has served in the same capacity in other cities: Post-Pittsburgh, do we need to live like Israelis, who encounter a far greater security presence as they go about their daily lives?

“I would hope not, but certainly the events in Pittsburgh on Saturday are a wake-up call,” especially for those who think, “I can’t afford it; it’s never going to happen to me,” Allen said.

“You can come up with all the excuses you want in the world – until it happens. The people in Squirrel Hill may have thought it wouldn’t happen there – until it happens there,” he said.

Security is money spent preparing for the day you hope never comes.

Until it does.

“Congregations all over the country have been engaged in discussions internally and with various first responders at the state, local and national levels ever since the news about Pittsburgh hit the wires,” Allen said.

“I really don’t want to divulge security protocols. We’ve got good security measures in place that have been established for some time. Our biggest thing is making sure people are aware of that, understanding that action plans are live documents, that they change daily based upon situations that occur, like this weekend in Pittsburgh,” said Cathal Lucy, the 25-year U.S. Secret Service veteran who is the director of CommunityWide Security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Lucy advocates that Jewish institutions hire off-duty police or professional security services to be present whenever their buildings are open and stresses the importance of developing a good working relationship with local police.

No matter how many ways the question is asked, administrators at several congregations contacted by the Atlanta Jewish Times declined to discuss either their current security programs or assets they might bolster in the wake of the Tree of Life synagogue shootings.

Neither would Jared Powers, chief executive officer of the Marcus JCC, which will be filled with members and nonmembers alike during its annual book festival, which runs through Nov. 18.

“The safety of our members, guests and staff is always our top priority. To that end, we cannot comment on our security measures,” was all Powers would say.

Cathal Lucy, director of Community-Wide Security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, addresses security measures at Jewish sites.

Many of the security enhancements made at Jewish institutions nationwide since 2005 have been paid for by taxpayers through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program administered by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Jewish institutions have claimed the vast majority of more than $200 million distributed under the program, an estimated 90 percent by some reports.

Total funding in fiscal year 2018 was $50 million for institutions in major urban areas and $10 million for areas outside the urban centers. The maximum grant available to a single institution was $150,000.

Lucy said that Atlanta area institutions had been awarded about $2 million in grants the past two to three years.

This year, the Marcus JCC and Temple Sinai were recipients. Neither would reveal how much it received.

The grant will allow Temple Sinai “to make enhancements we’ve been waiting to,” said Shelly Dresdner, the associate executive director of Temple Sinai.

“We are doing hardware updates in the building that will enhance our internal communications abilities. We couldn’t have done it without those funds.”

The grants pay for hardware such as lights, cameras, alarms and communication equipment, as opposed to the hiring of off-duty police or private security, or

for training programs.

One piece of security advice given to synagogues is to “look for people who don’t fit in,” which Amy Robertson, executive director at Congregation Bet Haverim, said is problematic for that multi-racial, multi-ethnic congregation.

“We are doubly vulnerable,” as a Jewish institution with historic ties to the LGBT community. “I think one of our challenges is that we intentionally draw a very diverse group of people. I tell the police officer (outside during services) that there’s really no way of looking at someone and ascertaining if they belong here by how they look.”

Earlier in the day, before the AJT inquired, Allen had participated in a conference call with his colleagues around town.

Asked about the mood of that call, Allen said, “We’re on the front lines of making sure our congregants are safe, so it was very professional, very businesslike.”

As for revealing the specifics of her congregation’s security apparatus, Dresdner spoke for her peers. “It’s important that to be effective, it needs to be concealed. If everyone were to go out and talk about their security efforts and what they’re doing, that would be, in and of itself, insecure.” ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Israel’s CDC Comes to Atlanta From left: Dr. Lital Keinan-Boker, ICDC deputy director; Dr. Tamar Shohat, ICDC director; Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer, Consul General of Israel to the Southeast; and Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director.

By Jan Jaben-Eilon Perhaps the best kept secret in the national public health arena is that there’s an Israel Center for Disease Control. The secret is safe from Americans, Israelis and even Atlantans, where our nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is headquartered. But this little-known revelation isn’t by design. In fact, when Dr. Tamar Shohat, director of the ICDC, was in Atlanta last month, she was busy giving interviews to raise awareness about the organization she helped start in 1994.

Still, it’s been seven years since she visited the CDC here. One of her goals in her meetings since March with Dr.

6 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Robert R. Redfield, director of the CDC, was “to establish more regular meetings” between the two organizations.

According to Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer, consul general of Israel to the Southeast, “We had an important meeting speaking about the cooperation between the CDC and the ICDC, and about the exchange of expertise on an annual basis on various spheres between the two organizations.”

Another goal of the meeting was to compare notes and learn from each other. “We must all work together to combat the challenging public health threats facing the world,” Redfield said in a statement. However, although both centers are under their respective country’s national health departments – in Israel, under the Ministry of Health, in the U.S., under the Department of Health and Human Services –

there are vast differences between the two.

Part of those differences are because of the huge disparity in size of the countries. Just as important is the fact that in the United States, citizens receive health care through a private system, and private insurance. In Israel, there is a national health system with four HMOs that cover all its nearly 9 million people. “We have the same problems, with fewer people,” Shohat told the AJT. “We collect national data for influenza so that we know which viruses are circulating” and can prepare appropriate vaccines.

The primary goal for both centers is to provide “solid” evidence so that policymakers can make informed decisions. “We are like an applied research unit in charge of collecting data and building registry,” said Shohat, who has been the ICDC director since January 2008. Although most of her education was in Israel, she completed a fellowship in medical genetics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she later held a visiting scientist position.

The primary activities of the ICDC include: carrying out periodic national surveys on the health of the population, establishing and maintaining national disease registries, studying chronic diseases and their determinants, and training students and physicians in public health, as well as surveillance of infectious diseases and unusual morbidity.

While she was here, Shohat also visited Emory University’s School of Health, which is affiliated with Tel Aviv University. She told the AJT that she wanted to learn about new teaching methods and ways to update the curriculum in Israel. “I wanted to see what we are missing from our programs,” she said.

Shohat said that “in many aspects, Israel is similar to the United States. We have the same lifestyle, more or less. Our cancer rates are similar, and we have similar trends, such as a decline in smoking, although it’s still higher in Israel.”

But the means of cancer detection do differ. For instance, in the United States, everyone from ages 50 to 74 is encouraged to have colonoscopies to detect colon cancer. In Israel, the first-line of detection recommended is a blood test, unless the person is judged to be at higher risk. Even so, the incidence and survival rates are the same in the two countries, she said.

In addition, since there’s a much higher percentage of citizens from an Ashkenazi or Eastern European background in Israel, genetic defects associated with that background also have a higher impact on the country. There’s a proposal in Israel that all Ashkenazi citizens be tested for the BRCA genetic defect that leads to a higher chance of being diagnosed with breast, colon and ovarian cancers, Shohat said. Currently, only those who have family members with those cancers are tested, essentially as it is in the United States.

Like the two countries, there’s an enormous difference in the size of the two CDCs, Shohat added. “ICDC has only 80 people,” she said, up from the four who launched it 24 years ago. “CDC has 15,000.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 7

LOCAL NEWS

Cyberbullying: See Something, Say Something

By Logan C. Ritchie Panelists at Hadassah’s cyberbullying event at Temple Beth Tikvah on Sunday offered different perspectives on the topic, yet one message prevailed: Be an upstander, not a bystander.

Renee Evans, community and political advocate, opened with an anecdote about an Atlanta mother’s struggle to protect her special needs children from anti-Semitism at school. After months of harassment, including death threats at their home and swastikas carved into school property, the family was turned away by school administrators.

“They had money thrown at them.

They were called names. They were terrorized, and there was nothing they could do,” Evans said, recalling that one of the children was hospitalized for suicidal ideation.

“People ask me, ‘What do you do when people are in crisis?’ My answer is: you do,” she said.

Cheryl Benefield of the Georgia Department of Education echoed Evans’ advice. State and federal laws protect

From left: Allison Padilla Goodman of ADL; Patti Agatston, cyberbullying expert; Cheryl Benefield of Georgia Department of Education; Chelsea Montgomery of Fulton County schools; Brittany Glaser of The Summit Counseling Center; and moderator Mike Petchenik of WSB-TV.

students against bullying, yet engaging local law enforcement is the best first recourse. If these governing bodies are not receptive, Benefield suggested calling Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.

Benefield told the AJT, “Don’t participate; let others investigate. Most social media sites and many apps now have anonymous reporting features for con-

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tent that may be harmful or questionable. When in doubt, report uncomfortable content immediately. It will be up to the developers to investigate, but you will remain anonymous. I would also encourage kids to report content of that nature to their own trusted adult so that they might seek intervention.

“Cyberbullying of our children most often stops when adults become involved.

Encourage your child to be an upstander, not a bystander, and let someone know immediately if they or someone they know is being bullied.”

Author and cyberbullying expert Patti Agatston said adults play a large role in prevention of cyberbullying. Her checklist for parents and caretakers: “Be a role model for civility. Monitor your kids online. Rely on conversations with your kids about bullying. Encourage them to come to adults when they need help.

“The most important thing for parents to do in order to prevent cyberbullying is to have conversations – not lectures – with their children about how they treat others, both online and offline, in order to encourage the development of empathy and helpful behavior,” she said.

“Research suggests that employing active mediation by talking with your children about their digital lives, visiting the sites they enjoy and playing games or other online activities with them is more effective than passive monitoring that simply relies on restriction or blocking of sites.”

One tool designed to report suspicious behavior to authorities in Fulton County schools is the QuickTip app.

Chelsea Montgomery, executive director for counseling, psychological and social work services in Fulton County schools, said adults and students can report worrisome situations from bullying to self-

ADL uses this pyramid to demonstrate stages of hate and how it escalates.

harm and receive help within minutes through QuickTip. Kelly Cohen, JumpSpark ATL director, said apps are a positive, yet easy way to put power into the hands of teens.

“Apps are a fascinating way to give teens and adults the ability to be upstanders using the language and tools they use to communicate every day. It’s how they’re used to communicating.”

Allison Padilla-Goodman, Anti-Defamation League Southeast regional director, reported a 57 percent increase in anti-Semitism in 2017, the largest yearon-year increase since the group began collecting data in 1979. Anti-Semitism increased 90 percent on college campuses and 100 percent in K-12 schools last year.

Padilla-Goodman said hate escalates from perpetuating stereotypes to committing genocide. “What if we had more allies and less bystanders? We need to encourage young people to want to be allies,” she said.

To text a crisis-trained counselor any time, day or night, send “GA” to 741-741.

Brittany Glaser, licensed therapist at The Summit Counseling Center, emphasized that every student needs access to a trusted adult. “If something is going on at school, you should know who to talk to. Force them to come to a go-to person.

If someone feels off, tell the teacher,” she said, noting that students in therapy have a safe place to process their feelings and build self-esteem.

“Name your emotions. Tell your kids, ‘I’m terrified’ or ‘I’m sad,’” she said.

“Understand that, despite our best efforts, bullying in any form can and does happen. Ensuring that your child has a trusted adult with whom they can discuss potentially embarrassing and painful bullying behavior can make all the difference for them,” Benefield added. ■

ISRAEL PRIDE News From Our Jewish Home

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan wants to strengthen ties with Israel.

China and Israel Continue to Strengthen Ties Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan visited Israel last week to consolidate ties between the two countries and promote investment, trade, innovation and hightech collaboration.

Wang, who was invited by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is one of the most senior Chinese officials to visit the Jewish state since the Chinese president visited in 2000.

Netanyahu and Wang hosted the fourth meeting of the China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation Oct. 24 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wang was the guest of honor at the prime minister’s Innovation Summit and at a ceremony inaugurating the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation.

Wang held a working meeting with

Today in Israeli History Nov. 2, 1917: The British foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, reveals his government’s endorsement of “the establishment in Palestine of a Jewish national home” in a letter to Lord Rothschild, the head of the British Zionist Organization.

The contents of the Balfour Declaration are included in the Articles of the Palestine Mandate, ratified by the League of Nations in July 1922.

Photo by Zoltan Kluger, Government Press Office

Petah Tikvah is shown in 1936, two years short of its 60th anniversary.

Nov. 3, 1878: Religious Jews determined to start an agricultural settlement leave Jerusalem and establish Petah 10 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Netanyahu and met with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin.

The JCIC convenes annually, alternating between Beijing and Jerusalem.

This year, the Chinese delegation to the meeting included high-ranking officials such as ministers and deputy ministers from 13 Chinese government ministries.

The two countries signed joint agreements in science and technology, life sciences, innovation, digital health and agriculture. They also finalized the conference’s new multi-year plan.

This government-to-government platform was set up and signed by Netanyahu with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong when she visited Israel in 2014.

Mutual trade, which stood at $50 million when relations were established in 1992, has now reached more than $11 billion. China is Israel’s third-largest trade partner in the world and its largest partner in Asia. More than a third of high-tech investments in Israel during the past year came from China.

The strong link between the Israeli and Chinese people is an ancient one, dating from the Jewish community in Kaifeng a thousand years ago, said Gilad Cohen, deputy director general for Asia and the Pacific at Israel’s foreign affairs ministry. Jewish communities also prospered in Harbin, Tianjin and Shanghai, where thousands of Jews found refuge from the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Tikvah, whose name means “gateway of hope.” They purchase 3,400 dunams from a Greek owner near the Yarkon River and the Arab village of Mulabbis after failing to get Ottoman approval for a land sale near Jericho. The settlement is abandoned by 1883, when immigrants from Russia move in. Petah Tikvah is now Israel’s fifth-largest city.

Nov. 4, 1995: Yigal Amir, a law student opposed to the Oslo peace process, fatally shoots Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin after a peace rally in Tel Aviv. Rabin, a native of pre-state Palestine, had played a prominent role in most of Israel’s history, including commanding the defense of Jerusalem in 1948 and serving as army chief of staff during the 1967 war, ambassador to the United States and Israel’s fifth prime minister.

Nov. 5, 1933: Judah Magnes, the president of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, outlines a plan for the university’s expansion during a speech marking the start of the academic year. His plan includes the hiring of 14 professors who lost their jobs in Nazi Germany.

Nov. 6, 1884: Delegates gather in Ka-

Technion and Intel unite to promote artificial intelligence.

Intel and Technion Team Up for AI Research Center Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Intel inaugurated a new research center last month to advance artificial intelligence technology and ramp up collaboration between the two entities.

Professor Shie Mannor from the Technion’s faculty of electrical engineering will head the center.

“The Technion is the leading university in Israel in the field of artificial intelligence and is one of the top 10 universities in the world in the field,” Mannor said.

In 2018, the Technion ranked seventh in computer science. It has about 20 faculty members whose main field of research is computational learning, and

another 40 working in related fields.

The majority of the researchers come from the faculty of computer science, electrical engineering, and industrial engineering and management, while others study medicine and biology.

As part of the new relationship, Intel will support research projects of Technion faculty members engaged in computational learning and artificial intelligence, together with Intel researchers.

The work will cover a variety of areas, including natural language processing, deep learning and hardware optimization for different learning algorithms.

The Technion is seeking to promote applications in a wide range of fields: healthcare, autonomous vehicles, smart environments, home and industrial robots, said Professor Boaz Golany, vice president for external relations and resource development.

Intel and the Technion have maintained close ties for many years. In 2009, the Technion received the “Intel Award” in recognition of university graduates who helped found the company’s Haifa branch in 1974.

Intel supports a number of Technion’s labs and funds many scholarships for students at the institution, including outstanding students in electrical engineering and computer science. ■

towice – now in Poland, then part of Prussia – for the first conference of the Hovevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) movement. Leon Pinsker, who inspired Zionist aspirations with the publication of his “Autoemancipation” pamphlet in 1882, organizes the gathering, which pledges to support settlement in the Land of Israel.

New York Times photo // Maccabi Tel Aviv (in

lighter jerseys) plays at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 27, 1936, during a U.S. tour.

Hannah Senesh dresses up as a Hungarian soldier.

Nov. 7, 1944: Hannah Senesh (formerly Szenes) is executed by a Hungarian firing squad in Budapest five months after being captured while trying to enter Hungary from Yugoslavia. Senesh, a poet and Haganah paratrooper who was born in Hungary in 1921 and made aliyah in 1939, had parachuted into Nazi-occupied territory on a mission to free prisoners of war and organize Jewish resistance.

Nov. 8, 1936: Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club completes an 11-match soccer tour of the United States with a 4-1 loss to an American all-star team in front of 20,000 people at Yankee Stadium. The Federation of Polish Jews in America arranged the tour to raise money for the relief of Polish Jewry, and to promote sports in Jewish settlements in Palestine.

The tour also includes St. Louis, Boston and Chicago. ■ Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details.

OPINION Yes, and Yet: Responding to the Lack of Civil Discourse Despite the tone we see To be sure, we all have all about us, narrow-mindstrong opinions about the edness is not very Jewish. issues of the day: whether To be Jewish is to struggle health care is a right or a with contradiction. If the privilege, how we should set Talmud teaches us anything, policy regarding immigrait is that there is more than tion, the best way to solve one way to solve a dispute peace in the Middle East. or dilemma. Yet, many in The list of challenges we our troubled world hang on face is as numerous as the to the belief that there is a Rabbi Peter S. sands in the sea and stars in singular way. If we believe Berg the sky. Generally, we believe in the rightness of our own that our personal opinion is convictions, then it follows that those the truth. who uphold opposing views are denying Since being right feeds our egos and the truth and luring others into false- brings satisfaction, it is logical that being hoods. From there, it is a short step to wrong is embarrassing and deflating. In thinking of ourselves as morally entitled America today, it seems impossible to ador even obligated to silence those with mit that we are incorrect, to realize that differing ideas. we made a mistake halfway through an History has taught us that, if we be- argument or to discover that we may lieve that there is only one valid truth or have erred regarding politics, faith or our faith, then violence and death are sure life’s work. to follow. Idolatry still exists today – not In fact, because we are so threatened in the form of stones, but in the realm of by being wrong, we sometimes fail to ideas. Our world is threatened by people look into information that doesn’t conwho refuse to recognize the beauty of firm our beliefs. As a result, we underexpluralism, by those who think it is “my pose ourselves to the opposition. We are way or the highway!” fairly good at acknowledging the errors

of others, but seldom can we say that about ourselves. The strife in our world would be enough, but it is escalated by our unshakable feelings of correctness.

Day after day, we watch politicians who study issues and change their minds. We respond by calling them flip-floppers! A mature society would allow for individual beliefs to evolve.

Our community can play a major role in this conversation. Our job is to utilize the ability of religion, Judaism specifically, to contextualize the big issues of the day in the most universal of terms. What we need more of is to engage in dialogue without unleashing the genies of intolerance and self-righteousness – to truly listen to each other with an open heart.

We can’t ignore our principled opinions, but we still have to be able to live with one another. The challenge of American democracy – and especially of the religious community – is to fashion a way that people who hold incompatible assertions of faith and belief can still talk with, and learn from each other.

We live in a time of clashing civilizations, cultures and religions. Our public

discourse in every avenue is far from civil. By and large, the end result of public conversations is to turn the other into an enemy. Our challenge is to wrestle with our core beliefs such as compassion and respect, admitting when we have made a mistake. These values bind us together in the most universal sense.

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic conversations from the first century.

Often, an argument takes place without resolution. We are enriched not by the final answer, but by the discussion. Even when a legal ruling is issued, the rabbis often record the entire conversation.

Multiple opinions convey the idea that other points of view expand our vision and deepen our understanding of the truth. The early rabbis teach us that we can sometimes answer a question with Yes and Yes, or at other times we may say Yes and Yet. Let us learn to speak with each other in ways that we can all hear, in words that allow for learning and growth, even amidst disagreements. ■ Peter S. Berg is the senior rabbi at The Temple.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 11

OPINION Letter to the editor:

I would like to extend my condolences to the greater Jewish community for the tragedy in Pittsburgh. Not just for the loss of life, but also for the fear it must have stoked in the community, and the current atmosphere in which such an attack could be conceived of and carried out. I am impressed with the grace in grief demonstrated by the community, and I am confident that the determination to thrive and move forward is as strong as it has been for thousands of years. It is not, unfortunately, the first time the Jewish community has had to recover from a tragedy. I am not one for crowds and vigils, protests and marches. But please note that there is love and respect as Jews and non-Jews alike are sitting shiva in the quiet corners of the city. My husband and I attend the Jesuit St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Decatur. We will offer prayers of mourning, and also, hope.

Mary-Denise Roberts, Atlanta

Letter to the editor:

As a child of survivors, I see an atmosphere in this country that is becoming dangerous to Jews. The atmosphere is very similar to what Jews experienced in Germany as the Nazis were gaining power.

The Democratic Party has become a party dividing our great Republic.

Antifa is dangerous and violent. Rhetoric calling for harassing Republican senators or people working in the Trump administration in restaurants, outside their homes or cars is NOT OK. Hearing Hillary Clinton stating that Democrats “can no longer have civility until they regain the House and Senate” is promoting violence.

Eric Holder stating, “when they are low, we will kick them down.” This is all NOT OK. The Democratic party is becoming the Brown Shirts of the past, anything goes and is OK with them even if it means creating a different kind of civil war in this country. This is NOT OK. The Democratic party is promoting violence, chaos and eventual overthrow of our government. This will create a very dangerous climate for Jews because it is al-

ways the Jews who are scapegoated.

I know that many Jews are die-hard Democrats, but I am writing as a 66-year-old child of survivors who sees a dangerous anti-Semitic climate reminiscent of the early Nazi uprising in Germany.

I plead with my fellow Jews NOT TO VOTE FOR ANY DEMOCRAT no matter how you feel about who is in the White House. Please do not vote for these thugs, for these modern version Brown Shirts. It will be a big mistake for the safety of Jews in the United States and for Israel.

C. Leah Starkman, Atlanta

Letter to the editor:

I appreciate the response your article on “Israel’s Leading Role” in medical marijuana stimulated. I stand by your entertaining and accurate description. Cannabis Sativa is a plant described in ancient literature as helpful for medical conditions like pain, headache, menstrual cramp. And cannabinoids are now better understood for their role in treating not only seizure disorders and pain, but also relief from the symptoms of cancer and the nausea and vomiting that goes along with its chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and other indications which states that have legalized medical marijuana (MMJ) have listed.

Dr. Robert Wiskind is correct that we do need greater scientific study to answer questions about dosing, safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis/MMJ, but this should not prohibit those patients or families that have conditions not well controlled with presently prescribed medications to avail themselves of the potential benefits of medical cannabis. That is why so many families moved to Colorado when recreational marijuana was first legalized so their children with intractable seizures could more easily obtain this plant/drug.

While I share Mr. Herbert Kaine’s concern about the effect of marijuana on the developing teenage brain (which continues to develop until age 25), he’s way off the mark comparing its supporters to snake oil salesmen and attributing the opioid epidemic to teenagers starting to use marijuana. In fact, in states where MMJ has been legalized, the use of opioids has decreased, so rather than being a “gateway” drug, MMJ can be considered an “exit” drug to combat opioid dependency, as the NIH National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is now investigating.

Rather than only “caveat emptor,” I also suggest “primum non nocere”– first do no harm. While there may be adverse reactions to cannabis use such as anxiety, hyperemesis and overdose, there are no reported deaths, and much has been learned about the endocannabinoid system (ECS) to merit continued research of its benefits.

We all have cannabinoid receptors in our brains and bodies (CB-1 and CB-2), so G-d gave us the ECS for a reason. Let’s learn to use it well.

Thank you, Marcia and the AJT, for this interview, its education and hopeful enlightenment to the readership. I very much appreciate my friendships with the Atlanta Jewish community from my internship and medical residency days at Grady/ Emory, and would only wish to do “Tikkun Olam.”

Dr. William S. Silvers, Denver

Clinical professor of medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine For reference: www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/medicalmarijuana and www.denverpost.com/2018/10/26/colorado-marijuana-impact-report/

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12 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

OPINION Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh Horror Was Fed by a Fact-Free Environment “Can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered.

Screw the optics. I’m going in.” Such were the words of Robert Bowers, who then went into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and killed 11 Jews and injured six others, including police officers.

“Watch my people get slaughtered” — what world is he in? Certainly not the world of reality! No one is getting slaughtered except Jews and other people of color in senseless attacks by hate-filled individuals.

To believe otherwise is to be immersed in the most divisive environment imaginable. The computer world of Bowers and the pipe bomb sender, Cesar Sayoc, is filled with such hate and vitriol. For them, there is no room for facts, human decency and compassion.

And true compassion is not possible without facts.

How do we ensure that facts are the currency that is valued? We must ensure that we ourselves are not spreading false rumors or hampering the ability of people to learn the facts. We each of us are responsible for finding out the facts and refusing to repeat what are obvious and not-so obvious lies.

Lies should be called out for what they are: lies. People everywhere must stand up and shout – “A fact-free environment does not represent us!” This means everyone. And the most visible person in the country, the president, must lead that charge in meaningful ways.

He is the one who can set the tone of the country. Thus far, he is setting the wrong tone. Even when he said the rights words after the Pittsburgh horror, they seemed to be rote and without conviction. His lack of empathy is telling. He must develop an ability to truly express and show empathy if he is ever to be a true leader.

I am unhappy that I must criticize the president at his nearly every turn, but he has not shown an ability to be a leader worthy of the title of president. Sure, there is a segment of the country that thinks he speaks for them. But a real leader does not speak for or to just a segment of the population; he must lead with facts and unite the country. His words and actions should reflect a leader who wraps his arms around everyone in the country. Instead, his words and actions have usually led to an environment of divisiveness and permissiveness to articulate hate-filled rhetoric when talking and acting towards major segments of the population.

Any decent leader who discovered that a supporter of his sent pipe bombs to former presidents and others and had his van covered with bumper stickers obviously supportive of him would say that he hoped that his words had not promoted such acts and would implore, in no uncertain and empathetic terms, no one take any action that would harm or abuse verbally or otherwise any other person.

All of us must do our part to be civil in our conversations and in our actions. We must redouble our efforts – personally and in our organizations -- to reach out to all segments of our society and work hard to ensure an environment of compassion, decency, factual encounter and civil discourse.

I’ve calculated that I have spent about three years of my life visiting there on weekends, for family events, and doing medical school rotations. I went to summer camp at the Pittsburgh JCC summer camp with kids from that neighborhood. It’s a welcoming neighborhood for immigrants of all religions and nationalities. So many moved there over the years and were warmly embraced by the community and given a safe haven to live. That included my mother, her sister and her parents after The Holocaust. People cared and looked out after each other.

What happened there just breaks my heart.

I vividly remember walking down Murray and Forbes avenues, lined with interesting bookstores, restaurants, five and dimes, record stores and theaters, all with the amazing smell from bakeries on every other corner. It was hard to walk a block without running into someone my grandparents knew – friends, neighbors or relatives. So many were Holocaust survivors.

Within an hour of arriving for a visit, my grandmother’s living room would fill with their survivor friends and their children – known as The Friendship Club – all speaking German. We were the center of attention.

They seemed to know everything about us. As I got older, I realized that we represented the next collective generation to all of them. We, in some ways, were their grandchildren too.

There are dozens of synagogues within blocks of each other in Squirrel Hill. My father is a member of Tree of Life synagogue and thankfully was not there that morning. His mother and her sister lived about five blocks away. Her twin sister lived about five or so blocks the other direction.

I’ve walked and driven past that synagogue hundreds of times. It’s located on a street corner in a beautiful neighborhood with wide, tree-lined streets.

We always learn that this sort of crime is done by an unstable and, often, mentally-disturbed individual.

It’s not long before we start to point fingers at each other about how and why this was caused. The discussion breaks down into well-rooted and unmovable political arguments that we just can’t agree on, such as gun control, and we make no progress. But, can’t we all agree that we can inspire someone, particularly a deranged individual, with our words? Just as we can bring each other together alternatively with loving and unifying words?

My grandmother once scolded me as a child for using the word hate. She was clearly affected by this as a Holocaust survivor and was unusually direct to me about it. She told me “Hate is a useless word. Hate only causes others pain and suffering.” I knew what she was trying to say – think about what the consequences of your words because people are listening. Our leaders need to do that now. People are listening. Some are not stable.

Can we agree on that and just start there?

Jim Roth, Atlanta ■

The AJT welcomes your letters. We want our readers to have an opportunity to engage with our community in constructive dialogue. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to editor@ atljewishtimes.com.

Harold Kirtz, Atlanta

Letter to the editor:

No, I didn’t grow up in Squirrel Hill, but I just might as well have. In many ways, it was my second home.

Both sets of grandparents lived about 10 blocks apart.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 13

OPINION

Kemp Supports Israel and Since When Do Players Jewish issues Referee the Game?

Are supporting Israel and Jewish issues important to you? Let me clarify and enumerate for you why Brian Kemp is without question the right person to be our next governor and why Stacey Abrams’ past actions should both worry you and disqualify her.

1. In 2016, Georgia Chuck passed an anti-BDS bill that Berk prohibits any company from doing business with the state of Georgia if they boycott, divest or sanction Israel. The BDS movement’s goal is to delegitimize and bring about the destruction of Israel. Stacey Abrams, while House minority leader, lobbied against and voted against the bill.

2. Ms. Abrams has support from and campaigned with Linda Sarsour, a known pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel advocate who also is aligned with Louis Farrakhan, a known virulent anti-Semite.

3. Georgia Student Scholarship Organization programs (SSOs), which include the ALEF Fund, allow people to enroll their children in and contribute to Jewish schools like Davis, Epstein, AJA, Weber and countless synagogue schools. In return, they receive a 100 percent state tax credit! Stacey Abrams has publicly stated her disdain for private schools, whether they be Jewish or otherwise, with her intent to eliminate the ALEF Fund and SSOs. In comparison, Brian Kemp would protect these programs.

4. Only under Republican leadership and with a Republican governor has the state invested in Israel Bonds. Georgia currently holds $20 million in Israel Bonds. Do you think that Ms. Abrams, who voted against Israel while minority leader and has sought support from and campaigned with a known anti-Israel advocate, will continue to support the purchase of Israel Bonds? Brian Kemp not only has pledged his continued support, but put that in writing with an ad in this newspaper.

5. You’ve heard that Stacey Abrams didn’t pay her taxes because she needed funds to help her parents with medical issues. It is admirable to help one’s parents.

But what you may not have heard is that after that, she subsequently earned al-

most a half a million in compensation from nonprofit groups she set up, and rather than pay off her tax debt, she chose to loan $50,000 to her campaign. Do you want to trust someone who hasn’t paid her taxes with the responsibility for managing billions of state funds?

6. The Republicans led the effort to pass House Bill 341, a bill aimed to crush the sex trafficking problem. They reached across the aisle and accommodated Ms. Abrams, who asked that certain additional provisions be included. The bill passed with bipartisan support, but Ms. Abrams refused to vote on it. Really?

Brain Kemp is a solid supporter of Israel and Jewish issues. I currently serve on the Georgia Holocaust Commission, which has reported to the secretary of state’s office. Brian has been a great supporter of the Commission’s initiatives. He also has pledged to lead a trade mission to Israel during his first year in office as governor, further strengthening Georgia’s business ties with Israel, opening new economic opportunities.

Contrary to all the noise you may have heard in negative ads, during Brian’s tenure as secretary of state minority voting wasn’t suppressed … it increased by 23 percent and access to voting has increased substantially, with almost 1 million more people on the voter roll for this election than for the 2016 presidential election.

You have a choice in this election.

With Stacey Abrams you would get higher taxes, government-run healthcare, sanctuary cities and HOPE scholarships to illegal immigrants.

With Brain Kemp as governor, you’ll get lower taxes, less government regulation, increased jobs throughout the state, and improved education by supporting charter schools and innovative digital learning … and a proven friend of Israel and Jewish causes. ■ Chuck Berk is co-chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, a member of the Georgia Holocaust Commission and former Southeast chairman of Israel Bonds.

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14 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Imagine if batters indamental political right” stead of umpires called balls because it is “preservative of and strikes. Imagine if reall rights.” (Yick Wo v. Hopceivers instead of referees kins 118 U.S. 386 1886.) Yet called interference. Sound Kemp is abusing his authorabsurd? Well, imagine if ity as Secretary of State by candidates for office decided denying Georgians the right who could vote. That is exto vote in a transparent efactly what is happening in fort to steal this election.

Georgia, where Secretary of An elected official who State Brian Kemp is running Michael truly understood and befor governor, yet insisting Rosenzweig lieved in democracy would that it’s perfectly approprifind ways to allow citizens ate for him to oversee the gubernatorial to exercise their right to vote and run on election. This could not be more unfair the issues. Instead, knowing he will lose or un-American, as Kemp’s abuse of his if voters base their choice on the issues, authority clearly illustrates.

Kemp is doing all he can to disenfranKemp is running for governor chise voters who are likely to support his against former state representative Sta- opponent. cey Abrams, who is African-American.

We expect this sort of thing in RusHe has resisted calls to step aside as Sec- sia, where votes are meaningless and retary of State and instead is blatantly elections are rigged, but not in a robust using his position to disenfranchise Af- democracy such as ours. If Kemp is that rican-American voters to tilt the election afraid of democracy, he is unfit to hold in his favor. This isn’t the first time Kemp any office, let alone the highest office in has tried to suppress votes for political Georgia. gain. Since 2012, he has canceled over With the election less than a week 1.4 million voter registrations, including away, Georgians of all political beliefs nearly 670,000 in 2017. Currently, over and parties should come together to op53,000 voter registration applications are pose what all of us, Democrat and Resitting in his office on hold, and many af- publican alike, should oppose: Attempts fected voters don’t even know their right to take away a fundamental American to vote is in jeopardy. Most alarmingly, right. Perhaps most important, no one according to the Associated Press, nearly should be intimidated or afraid to exer70 percent of the registrations Kemp is cise their right to vote. Kemp’s decisions holding up are African-American, while are designed to make it harder for people African-Americans account for only 32 to vote, but he will not succeed if Georgia percent of Georgia’s population. citizens insist on exercising their right to Civil rights attorneys have filed a vote. Too many Americans have fought lawsuit to stop the “exact match” policy and died for the right to vote for us to let Kemp is using to disenfranchise African- Brian Kemp take that right away to give American voters. Under that policy, even himself an edge in an election he does a dropped hyphen or a middle initial not deserve to win. Georgia voters must instead of a middle name could put an not let Kemp scare them into thinking otherwise qualified application on hold, they cannot vote because their applicaif that is the only difference between the tion to vote may have been rejected. application and the applicant’s driver’s There is only one message for Georlicense or social security card. It’s very gians who believe in democracy and important to note that there has never want a brighter future: Don’t let anyone been evidence of voter fraud in Geor- scare you away from the polls. Don’t stay gia, save for a literal handful of cases, so home. Vote. And if they won’t let you Kemp’s policies are unnecessary to pro- vote, make a record that you tried to vote tect against such fraud. But as Kemp well and that Kemp and his Republican supknows, his policies do plenty to suppress porters tried to stop you. Don’t hesitate the vote – in this case, the African-Ameri- to use social media to share your story. can vote that Kemp knows is more likely That’s the only way to ensure that justice is done and that this election, ultimately, to go to Abrams.

Voting is one of the most fundamen- is determined fairly and by the people of tal American rights, and Kemp’s attempt Georgia. ■ to suppress votes is nothing less than an attack on that key pillar of American deMichael Rosenzweig is a lawyer and mocracy. The U.S. Supreme Court stated member of the board of directors of the Jewin 1886 that voting “is regarded as a fun- ish Democratic Council of America.

2018

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CONTENTS GOVERNOR'S GA VALUES ��17 GOVERNOR �������������������������� 18 OPINION �������������������������������20 LIEUTENANT GOV �������������� 22 ATTORNEY GENERAL �������� 24 SECRETARY OF STATE ������ 25 6TH DISTRICT ���������������������26 7TH DISTRICT ���������������������28 11TH DISTRICT ��������������������29 4TH & 5TH DISTRICTS ������30 PUBLIC SERVICE COMM. �� 32 JEWS ON THE BALLOT ������34 SCHOOL SUPT. ��������������������36 POLL RESOURCES ��������������36 16 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Potential Democrat, Female Candidates Has Nation Watching Georgia

By Dave Schechter

T

he pundits – people who prognosticate on politics for pay – think that Georgia, at present bright Republican red, might develop a shade of purple, by mixing in Democratic blue.

Georgia is garnering national attention this election cycle, in large measure because of the gubernatorial contest between Georgia’s current Secretary of State, Republican Brian Kemp, and Democrat Stacey Abrams, former minority leader in the state House. That race is rated a toss-up.

Georgia requires a runoff (on Dec. 4) if no candidate in a general election receives a majority of the vote. This could be an issue in the gubernatorial and secretary of state races, in which there is a Libertarian party candidate in addition to a Democrat and a Republican.

In an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll conducted in September, 25 percent of respondents said the economy/jobs was their top issue, followed by health care, 16 percent; public schools, 16 percent; immigration, 10 percent; and gun laws, 8 percent.

In what may be a “year of the woman,” 20 women have run this year for Georgia state executive offices and Congress, with 11 advancing from the primary to the general election. Additionally, 121 women (91 Democrats and 30 Republicans) have sought state legislative seats – up from 75 in 2016.

President Donald Trump’s standing is one fault line in the state’s politics.

Trump won Georgia’s 16 Electoral College votes in 2016, garnering 50.4 percent of the state’s vote, compared with 45.3 percent for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

An AJC/WSB-TV poll released Oct. 11 put disapproval of Trump’s job performance at 50 percent, with his approval at 46.6 percent, up 4 percentage points from early September.

Along with the prospect of Abrams becoming the first woman or AfricanAmerican to be elected governor, the state’s Democrats are hoping that a “blue

wave” will wash ashore a couple of other history-making results.

If Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico defeats Republican Geoff Duncan, she will become the state’s first female lieutenant governor.

If Democrat Lindy Miller defeats Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton, she will be the first Jewish woman to win a statewide vote, and thereby represent District 3 on the state’s utility-regulating Public Service Commission.

Major change is less likely under the Gold Dome, where Republicans currently hold 115 out of 180 seats in the state House and 37 out of 56 in the Senate.

Meanwhile, the races in the 6th and 7th Congressional districts are the only ones in Georgia’s 14 congressional districts deemed competitive.

Turnout in so-called “off-year” elections tends to be substantially less than when electing a president. For example, 76.5 percent of registered voters in Georgia cast ballots in 2016, but only 50 percent did so in 2014.

Jewish voters can wield influence beyond their numbers at the polls, given their habit of voting at a much higher rate than the population at large (upwards of 80 percent in presidential elections).

Jews make up an estimated 1.3 percent of Georgians, some 130,000-plus residents. If, in keeping with the state in general, three-quarters are age 18 or older, that would be about 101,000 Jews of voting age. If all were registered and 80 percent turned out to vote (granted, that may be unlikely), that would be more than 81,000 Jewish Georgians casting ballots. Based on the 2014 off-year turnout in Georgia, that would be about 3.1 percent of voters. ■

POLITICS

Abrams and Kemp Define Their “Georgia Values” For AJT A

t its essence, the contest to become Georgia’s next governor rests on this question: What are Georgia values?

Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp offer different visions for the future of the state.

The Atlanta Jewish Times asked Abrams and Kemp to answer, as specifically as possible, “What are Georgia values?” Their responses are published here as they were received.

We need to build a Georgia that gives everyone the freedom and opportunity to thrive, ensuring that no one is left out or left behind because of who they are, where they come from, or what they believe. Georgians need a governor who will protect their freedom of religion and freedom of speech; one who will invest in education and health care by expanding Medicaid and keeping public dollars in public schools; who will expand democracy and protect everyone’s right to be included. We must Stacey Abrams: ensure that our schools, My values are GeorSTACEY ABRAMS government buildings and gia’s values: faith, family, service and responsibility. My parents, public spaces are welcoming to everyone both United Methodist ministers, taught – places where everyone can succeed. my five siblings and I that it was our Those are Georgia’s values, those are my responsibility to give back to our com- values, and that is my commitment to munity. If someone was less fortunate, it Georgia.

I have long been an unwavering was up to us to serve that person and lift them up. These same values guide me as ally to the Jewish community. In 2011, I traveled to Israel through Project InI run to become governor of Georgia.

terchange with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I’m a proud alumna of Project Understanding. As governor, I will listen to all Georgians of all backgrounds and take the time to understand the issues that impact them, their families and their communities.

buildings serve as a safe haven for local children to play, places of hope for victims to receive care, and centers of change for populations that are struggling to survive.

Family: Family – not government – is what makes our state strong. Families throughBrian Kemp: out our state are charged Georgia Values: Our with raising, protecting, state is strong and prosteaching and inspiring our perous because we have a children. While governcommon set of values that ment provides essential unite us. services, the real work While there are goes on in the household. countless “Georgia valHard Work: I built my first business with a ues” that draw us togethpick-up truck and a shover, faith, family and hard BRIAN KEMP el. Over 30 years later, work are the three I cherwe have created hundreds of jobs for ish the most.

Faith: Georgia is a state that cel- hardworking Georgians throughout our ebrates people of faith and values those state. My story isn’t unique. In Georgia, who work to make the world around anything is possible – if you work hard them a better, safer place. Throughout enough.

As governor, I will fight every day our state, churches and synagogues are not only the buildings where people of to protect our Georgia values and ensure faith congregate. More importantly, these that our best days are ahead. ■

Ellyn Jeager has spent the last 30 years working for non-profits on issues affecting her community and our State.

• All Georgians should have access to the health care system and Medicare and Medicaid accessibility.

• Most Georgians are employed by small business. We need the right legislation to make sure small business can thrive.

• Our schools today are funded by 1985 levels. A strong economy requires a strong public school system.

• Keep discriminatory legislation from interfering with Georgia's competitive economy.

• Gun owners, not the NRA, need to take back the issue on sensible gun policy including universal background checks.

• Addiction and other mental health issues need the attention and funding they deserve.

Paid for By The Campaign to Elect Ellyn Jeager

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 17

POLITICS

Georgia Governor’s Race Close Call in Home Stretch

By Dave Schechter

I

n its home stretch, the gubernatorial race between Republican Brian Kemp, the current Secretary of State, and Democrat Stacey Abrams, the former House minority leader, is rated a toss-up.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution/ WSB-TV poll, surveying 1,232 likely voters between Sept. 30 and Oct. 9, showed Kemp with 47.7 percent to 46.3 percent for Abrams. Libertarian Ted Metz had 2.3 percent and 4 percent were unde-

REPUBLICAN Governor

cided.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 4 to Oct. 11, of 1,088 likely voters (from a sample of 1,999 adults), put Kemp at 47 percent to 46 percent for Abrams.

Metz had 2 percent, other 1 percent, and undecided 4 percent.

The election might not be over on Nov. 6.

Georgia is one of two states that requires a runoff if no candidate in a general election wins a majority of the votes cast in a federal or state-level election.

Governor:

Brian Kemp-R

Brian Kemp, the Republican candidate for governor, believes that his Democratic opponent is vulnerable on issues of interest to the Jewish community.

Speaking to the local chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition, he said of Stacey Abrams, “It’s important, BRIAN KEMP, 55 University of Georgia particularly for people in the Jewish Current Georgia Secretary of State community that traditionally are Democratic voters, to know that this is not your traditional Democratic candidate for governor. This is someone that’s hanging out with Linda Sarsour and is being funded by people like George Soros.”

Abrams was photographed in January at a women’s rally in Atlanta with Sarsour, a Palestinian-American activist and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Soros, whose support of liberal causes has made him a target of conservatives, made the maximum allowable contributions to Abrams’ campaign.

Kemp, currently secretary of state, said he would build on two-term Republican Gov. Nathan Deal’s expansion of Georgia’s trade relationship with Israel and the purchase of Israel bonds. “I’m going to continue to fight and spread the message that Israel has a right to exist as a state and will not invest in companies that support BDS,” he told the RJC, referencing Abrams’ vote against anti-BDS legislation.

Kemp supported raising the cap on tax credits for donations to private schools through the Student Scholarship Organization program – an important issue for Jewish day schools – from $58 million to $100 million.

He has backed “religious freedom legislation,” which Deal vetoed following opposition by major business interests. But he said that he would veto bills that did not mirror the federal law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993.

Kemp hopes that his transition from a shotgun-toting primary hopeful to a warmer, friendlier general election candidate will appeal beyond the Republican base.

“Why do you want to go on a different path? Why do you want to go from having a small, efficient government that has us the best state in the country to do business in and go to a big government model that will cause you to raise taxes and will no doubt lower that business ranking?” he asked.

Kemp, who turns 55 four days before the election, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Marty, are the parents of three teenage daughters. The family attends Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens.

18 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Should that happen, the top two finishers – presumably Abrams and Kemp – would advance to a Dec. 4 runoff.

Among likely voters in the Reuters/ Ipsos poll, Kemp ranked higher in his potential handling of the economy/jobs, crime/law and order, and immigration.

Abrams ranked higher on her potential handling of health care, the environment, education, and social issues such as same-sex marriage.

The total votes cast for Republican candidates in the May 22 primaries

DEMOCRAT Governor

exceeded that for Democrats by about 54,000, reinforcing the importance of turnout for both Abrams and Kemp.

The money raised by gubernatorial candidates, going back to the primaries, surpassed the $56 million mark in September. It makes this the most expensive quest ever for the keys to Georgia’s governor’s mansion and an annual salary of $175,000, an increase from $139,339 thanks to a bill signed by outgoing Gov. Nathan Deal.

Governor:

Stacey Abrams-D

Stacey Abrams’ Jewish supporters may feel that they have spent more than enough time vouching for her to their community.

When a controversy arose last year over Abrams’ vote against legislation denying state contracts to businesses that boycott Israel, she wrote STACEY ABRAMS, 44 Spelman College, University of Texas-LBJ an op-ed for the Atlanta Jewish Times School of Public Affairs, Yale Law School in which she explained that it should Former leader of Democratic not be the state’s role to decide what minority in Georgia House boycotts it would support and which it would oppose.

“Let me be clear: I unequivocally support a two-state solution as the path to resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Israel as the national homeland for the Jewish people. Moreover, I reject the demonization and delegitimization of Israel represented by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) narrative and campaign,” she wrote.

Abrams has said she would continue Georgia’s growing trade relationship with Israel and lead a trade mission to Israel.

Jewish backers note that she is an alum of the American Jewish Committee’s Project Understanding program and has visited Israel.

Polls of the Jewish community find Israel not to be the highest priority for most American Jews (some 70 percent of whom identify as Democrats), and Abrams’ campaign is based on other issues.

She has made expanding Medicaid access in the state – as a health care and rural development issue – a priority, along with support of public education, and enhancing opportunities for those not benefitting in an economy hailed by Republicans.

Abrams sees the Student Scholarship Organization program, which provides tax credits for donations to support private school scholarships – including at Jewish day schools – as siphoning away funds that should go to public education. She opposed the measure Deal signed into law that raised the cap on the tax credits to $100 million from its previous $58 million.

Abrams has promised to put “religious freedom” legislation “in the grave a final time,” and to work for enactment of hate crimes legislation.

Her first election to the House was in 2006. In 2011, she was elected leader of the Democratic minority in the House, serving until 2017. Abrams vanquished fellow Democrat Stacey Evans, a former member of the Georgia House, in the May 22 Democratic primary, winning more than three-quarters of the vote and all but six counties statewide.

POLITICS Kemp was the founding director of a community bank, and has had financial interests in construction, manufacturing and agricultural companies. “I just got really frustrated dealing with government regulations, high taxes and not having someone in office that has the common sense of small business owners,” Kemp told the AJT, explaining why he entered politics.

After serving in the state Senate from 2003 to 2007, he was appointed secretary of state by Gov. Sonny Perdue in January 2010 when Karen Handel resigned to run for governor. He won election to the office in November 2010, and again in 2014.

Kemp finished second out of five candidates in the May 22 primary and then – boosted by a late endorsement from President Donald Trump – defeated Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in the July 24 runoff.

According to his Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Kemp had raised $16.87 million, spent $10.27 million, and had cash on hand of $6.6 million.

As secretary of state, he has been under fire over the security of voter registration information, registrations being questioned weeks before the election, the use of voting machines that do not produce a verifiable paper trail, and rejecting federal assistance when states were notified of Russian attempts to hack into voting machine systems.

Kemp, whose net worth has been placed at $5.2 million, has been attacked by Democrats for an unpaid $500,000 loan guaranteed to a businessman. Kemp is disputing the debt in court, claiming that the money is owed not by him personally, but by an agriculture company in which he has an investment.

Abrams was a teenager when her parents, both ministers, moved the family from Mississippi to Georgia, to attend the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She went on to earn degrees from Spelman College, the University of Texas Johnson School of Public Affairs, and the Yale Law School. Abrams is a member of Columbia Drive United Methodist Church in Decatur.

The 44-year-old Abrams has developed a national profile and carries Democrats’ hopes that a “blue wave” will lift her into the governor’s office.

Abrams rebuts criticism of the significant percentage of campaign contributions that she has received from outside Georgia. “I have a national presence because I’ve spent the last decade building the reputation of Georgia, rebuilding the capacity of Georgia Democrats to be seen as viable in a national election,” she told the AJT in March.

According to her Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Abrams had raised $16.25 million, spent $11.33 million, and had cash on hand of $4.92 million.

She has been attacked by Republicans over $50,000 she owes in back taxes and some $170,000 in student loan and credit card debt. Abrams has said that she deferred paying taxes to help her parents with expenses. “I could not defer my family’s needs. I could defer paying my taxes and I am paying them. The IRS and I are in good standing,” she told Atlanta television station WXIA in August. ■

Real Leadership.

• Passed legislation enabling a Georgia Holocaust monument.

• Appointed as Senate liaison to Commission on the Holocaust.

• Supports pro-Israel state legislation.

Vote November 6th!

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 19

OPINION

Jewish Values and our Election for Governor

By Andrew Feiler

I have known Stacey Abrams for almost 20 years. She is one of the most intelligent, compassionate and pragmatic people I know. She is the clear choice for our Jewish community.

Despite false characterizations by her opponent, Stacey is a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish community. She is a 2003 alumna of American Jewish Committee’s Project Understanding, and in 2011 she traveled to Israel with AJC’s Project Interchange. She supports a twostate solution, opposes BDS, and supports Georgia’s purchase of Israel Bonds.

Stacey has stood with us on issue after issue, including leading the fight against placing the Ten Commandments on our Capitol grounds. In doing so she helped repulse a dangerous erosion of the sepa-

ration of church and state, a core American principle vital to the Jewish community.

Stacey’s values are Jewish values. Valuing education is bedrock in our community; Stacey is committed to fully funding early childhood education, our state’s commitment to public education and the HOPE scholarship. Preserving life undergirds Jewish law; Stacey is committed to expanding Medicaid in Georgia, thus bringing health insurance to almost half a million uninsured Georgians, saving numerous lives, reducing the tragedy of healthcare bankruptcies, and stabilizing rural hospitals.

Equal protection under law is fundamental to our democracy. Stacey believes that all citizens should be able to easily register to vote, cast verifiable ballots, and reside in electoral districts drawn by nonpartisan means.

THE ENDORSEMENT I AM MOST SEEKING IS YOURS. I HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE. – LEAH

Vote November 6th LeahForGeorgia.com 20 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

By sharp contrast, Brian Kemp’s priorities are antagonistic to Jewish values.

Kemp is demonstrably anti-immigrant, recalling early 20th century backlash against our ancestors who had gratefully and optimistically come to America.

Kemp promotes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which is a poorly disguised attempt to legalize discrimination against our LGBTQ friends and neighbors. As Ralph McGill wrote after the 1958 Temple bombing, “When the wolves of hate are loosed on one people, then no one is safe.” Kemp advocates un-

fettered access to guns, including assault weapons, a position at odds with the centrality of life in Judaism. Finally, Brian Kemp has shamefully brought back Jim Crow with a gauntlet of practices that make it harder to register and to vote.

And Brian Kemp has never been to Israel.

The choice is clear. We can make Georgia a better place for all by electing Stacey Abrams governor. ■ Andrew Feiler is a civic leader and fifth-generation Jewish Georgian.

Learning and Believing in People

By Rabbi Joshua Lesser

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ Jewish view on leadership is that one must be a relentless learner and believe in the people they serve.

I was impressed when I first met Stacey Abrams in 2012, when she served as minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives. As I became better acquainted with Ms. Abrams, her brilliance was indicative of what a voracious learner she is. Much of what fuels her learning is her desire to fulfill the possibility of what Georgia can be. And she understands that Georgia’s citizens are its greatest assets. She believes in us.

That belief extends to the Jewish community, despite her opponent's false accusations. She is the only candidate who has invested time in knowing our community and our concerns. She is an American Jewish Committee Project Understanding alum and she traveled to Israel with the AJC’s Project Interchange.

She has taken the time to understand the complexities of Israeli policy. For those who criticize her vote on Georgia’s antiBDS legislation, it was not about a lack of support for Israel; rather, it was a vote supporting the First Amendment. Most of these laws that passed in other states, recently in Arizona, are being overturned on the grounds that they violate the First Amendment. She is our loyal friend.

Ms. Abrams is the choice for governor who matches vision with policy and who identifies where issues like health care, education, economic well-being and criminal justice intersect, and how they affect all of us. Where her opponent is still pulling together policy, she continues to refine the policies she presented months ago.

Because she wants the best for Georgians, she will expand Medicaid, secure a living wage responsibly, protect us by supporting a nondiscrimination act, and challenge laws that undermine religious equality. As a small business owner, Ms. Abrams has utilized her own knowledge to fight for greater employment opportunities for Georgia.

It is this know-how that landed her an A rating by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in the same year she won the Friend of Labor award.

What is rarer in leadership than a thirst for learning and believing in people, is integrity. I have never met a candidate like Stacey Abrams. Her candor, her fearlessness and her pursuit for what is right are girded by her integrity. Not only is she the best gubernatorial choice for our Jewish community, but for all of Georgia. ■ Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim is the founder of SOJOURN, Southern Jewish Resource Network for gender and sexual diversity.

OPINION

Where the Candidates Stand and Who Supports Them?

By Betsy and Steve Kramer

We decided, as Georgia Jewish citizens, to look at some top issues and see where the candidates stand.

Brian Kemp identifies as a freemarket conservative. He’s received 95 percent of his campaign funding from Georgia residents, 75 percent from small donors. Stacey Abrams is a self-avowed Socialist (speaking at a Democratic Socialists of America event) and received 45 percent from outside Georgia – under 25 percent from small donors – with

Californians and New Yorkers like labor unions, the Soros family and MoveOn. org being her largest contributors. We have to ask to whom the candidates are beholden and what they truly believe.

Georgia residents or power brokers from liberal states? Free market or socialism?

We all prosper better under the free market than under socialism.

In furtherance of Kemp’s free market views, he wants to remove harmful regulations. This is parallel to what’s happening in the federal system, where the reduction of regulations almost single-

Advocate for Jewish Education

By Dan Israel

Brian Kemp and I first met at the 2011 Georgia State Republican Convention, when I was on the state Board of Education and Brian was Secretary of State. Since then, we have become good friends, and conversed about a range of topics, from education to business to the Jewish community.

Brian knows my passion for education and the importance I place on Jewish day school for my children. In most of the world, federal governments cover all education costs K-12, whether it is for a secular school or a Jewish day school. This does not happen in the United States. For those of us seeking Jewish education, we have limited options – pay with after tax income or get help from family.

Then along came the Georgia Student Scholarship Organizations in 2008, which include the ALEF Fund. This allows Jewish children the ability to attend a Jewish school, which their families otherwise may have been unable to afford.

At the same time, contributors to the ALEF Fund receive an 100 percent state tax credit in exchange.

In 2019, SSOs will distribute $100 million to numerous schools in Georgia, including Jewish day schools like Davis, Epstein, AJA, and pre-K synagogue Hebrew schools. Since its inception in 2008, the ALEF Fund has provided over

handedly has caused massive growth in jobs, the economy and the stock market. While we’ve seen a corresponding jump in Georgia’s economy, the further reduction of state regulations should accelerate the Georgia economy, which lifts all boats. Kemp wants to cap state expenses, which the federal government should copy. Conversely, Abrams proposes a litany of costly initiatives without a means of funding. Many of them would force new state regulations and taxes and reverse the very robust economy that we see now.

An issue important to Jews is a religious freedom law, copying – not expanding – the federal one. We have had such problems with local governments, so this is not an esoteric issue with us. Kemp is for a limited law, while Abrams is solidly against it.

Lastly, Kemp wants to strengthen the relationship with Israel with a trade mission next year and is against BDS. Abrams campaigned with BDS supporter Linda Sarsour. ■ Betsy and Steve Kramer are a retired couple living in Fulton County.

$17 million in tuition assistance to allow children the option to attend Jewish schools!

The good news is that even more will go toward Jewish schools if Brian is elected, as he intends to increase the amount to $200 million! However, the same cannot be said of Stacey Abrams. In fact, Abrams has publicly stated her disdain for private schools, be they Jewish or otherwise. Her intent is to do away with the ALEF Fund and all SSOs. This should be a concern for all Jewish Georgians.

Jewish education is one of the most important assets we have to instill a strong Jewish identity in our next generation. With tuition increasing at all Jewish schools and enrollment declining at most of them, we need tools like the ALEF Fund to make it easier for parents to make the decision to go down the Jewish education path.

Of all the issues facing the Jewish community and that can be addressed by the gubernatorial candidates, the ALEF Fund impacts us directly. Know that with Brian Kemp as governor, we will have an advocate for Jewish education in office. ■

Dan Israel has been a Republican activist for several years. Professionally, he is a digital executive with over 25 years of experience.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 21

POLITICS

Ironies of Being State’s Second in Command

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

T

he role of lieutenant governor in Georgia is peculiar.

Unlike many other states, in Georgia the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the governor. Yet, those two positions must work in tandem.

The lieutenant governor’s official duties are limited, the primary role being to preside over the state Senate and cast any necessary tie-breaking votes.

No matter whether Democrat Stacey Abrams or Republican Brian Kemp wins

REPUBLICAN Lieutenant Governor

the top job, the person next in line must work with the chief executive.

That means Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico could be elected along with Kemp.

Or, conversely, Republican Geoff Duncan with Abrams.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey of 1,232 likely voters, conducted Sept. 30 to Oct. 9, gave Duncan a lead of 45.4 percent to 39.3 percent for Amico, with 15.3 percent undecided.

How Amico or Duncan would work with a governor from the other party was one of the most revealing questions at the Atlanta Press Club debate.

Lieutenant Governor:

Geoff Duncan-R

Geoff Duncan, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, was walking out of his Alpharetta church a few years ago when he felt called “to action” and decided to enter politics.

Duncan was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012 GEOFF DUNCAN, 43 from the 26th District. He gave up attended Georgia Tech that seat in September 2017 to run for • Former member of Georgia House lieutenant governor.

• Former professional baseball player • Chief Executive Officer, Wellview On the campaign trail, Duncan Health, Incorporated, 2016-present runs as an outsider. His Democratic opponent, Sarah Riggs Amico, claims that Duncan, as a former deputy majority whip in the state House, is more of an insider.

“I’m an outsider in my approach,” he contended in an Atlanta Press Club debate. When he voted in the House, he “looked through the lens of a small business owner,” thinking of the small marketing company that he and wife owned and later sold. The 43-year-old Duncan left Georgia Tech after his junior year when he was drafted as a pitcher by the Florida Marlins. He reached the AAA level before shoulder problems ended his baseball career.

Duncan told the AJT that he sees the role of the lieutenant governor as being independent. “If I don’t agree with what (agenda) the governor is putting forward, I will work against it,” said Duncan, acknowledging the possibility of Democrat Stacey Abrams winning the governor’s seat.

Duncan opposes the Democratic platform for the state. He added that if he were to serve under Abrams and she wanted to increase taxes or open sanctuary cities, he would work against her.

While Abrams and Amico favor the expansion of Medicaid in Georgia, Duncan contends that Medicaid would not increase access to medical care in rural Georgia.

“We need to embrace telemedicine to cut costs,” he said.

On the question of proposed religious freedom legislation, Duncan said, “This nation was founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Religion drives me. I never want someone to feel threatened in how they worship, but I also don’t want anyone to feel discriminated against. This isn’t a Christian bill, but a faith bill.”

Asked about the issue of separation of church and state, Duncan suggested that “There’s a place for religion everywhere in the world. I take my religion everywhere I go. We should not be pushing faith outside of our lives. I don’t check my religion 22 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Duncan, who opposes the expansion of Medicaid in the state, was asked how he could work with Abrams – a strong proponent of Medicaid expansion – if she were elected governor. His response suggested no willingness to compromise on this or other issues.

Amico said that, as the executive chairperson of a company employing nearly 4,000, she is accustomed to bringing together people who see a problem from different points of view. “There’s plenty of places to work together,” she said of potentially working with Kemp.

While both candidates have worked

DEMOCRAT Lieutenant Governor

in family-owned businesses, Amico is a first-time candidate. Duncan was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012. He resigned in 2017 to run for lieutenant governor.

Another anomaly about the number two job is that if the serving governor were to leave office, the lieutenant governor – potentially from the opposite party – would fill the remainder of that person’s term.

The job comes with an annual salary of $135,000, an increase from $91,609, taking effect after the election.

Lieutenant Governor:

Sarah Riggs Amico-D

Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico, a self-described “policy nerd,” calls the office of lieutenant governor “one of the most fascinating roles in government. This role is a tactician’s dream,” SARAH RIGGS AMICO, 39 determining which legislation is moved Washington & Lee, Harvard Business forward for votes in the Georgia SenSchool ate.

• Executive Chair, Jack Cooper Amico is the Democratic candidate Holdings Corporation Board of Directors, 2014-present for the state’s number two job, running • Board member, PAWS Atlanta against Republican Geoff Duncan, a former member of the Georgia House.

The 39-year-old is the executive chairperson of Jack Cooper Holdings Corp., a car-hauling company that her family bought, near bankruptcy, in 2009, and since has grown from 120 employees to more than 3,000.

Amico cites her experience bringing together diverse coalitions such as union and non-union employees, institutional investors, and “Fortune 100” clients as helping her deal with divergent groups in the state legislature.

Amico, who received an MBA degree from Harvard, told the AJT that she chose to seek a statewide office in her first political foray to avoid running in a gerrymandered district and because “I wanted an executive function that fits my skill set.”

She campaigns in tandem with Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, although Georgia law requires them to run separately. “We have complementary skill sets,” Amico said, citing Abrams' resume as a lawyer who has served as House minority leader. “We can speak to all constituencies.”

The issues Abrams promotes, including expansion of Medicaid, funding of public education, and changing the direction of the state government after 14 years of Republican control, are also Amico’s goals.

Amico said that 64 Georgia counties don’t have a single pediatrician and 79 are without an OB-GYN. Georgia ranks 47th in access to healthcare and last in the country in maternal mortality. Healthcare is an “issue that doesn’t matter if you are a minority, young or old, male or female. It touches all of us,” she told the AJT. Amico was a Republican, but changed her political affiliation, first to independent, and then to Democratic, in 2012. “The (President Barrack) Obama era moved me to be a Democrat during the healthcare debate. I can’t get on board with a party that takes away heath care,” she said, referring to Republican efforts to

POLITICS at the door when I enter a public building.”

Duncan believes that “We, the people, are better to solve problems than we, the government,” and cites what he calls the four C’s: churches/ synagogues, charities, corporations and citizens. “Government programs just stabilize people; they don’t help people get out of the cycle,” he told the AJT. If he wins, Duncan would like to take on the title of Georgia’s “business ambassador. I speak their language.” During his campaign, Duncan came up with the concept of BIG: Built in Georgia. “As I travGEOFF DUNCAN eled around rural Georgia, I saw that communities never thrive if they are just being subsidized.” He wants Georgia to become the technology center of the East Coast and rural Georgia to be known as the production capital of the Southeast.

Duncan added that he supports Israel, Gov. Nathan Deal’s efforts to build an economic relationship with Israel, and President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

According to Duncan’s September campaign finance report, he has raised $2.21 million, spent $1.08 million, and had cash on hand of $1.12 million.

repeal the Affordable Care Act and actions that have weakened the measure.

Amico was thrilled when Obama recently endorsed her, along with Abrams. “I found out from Twitter like everyone else.”

During an Atlanta Press Club debate with Duncan, the Kennesaw resident and mother of two daughters complained that Republicans had fully funded public schools only once in the past 16 years, and that was this past year.

When Duncan charged that the Democrats were willing to allow “illegal aliens” to receive the HOPE ScholSARAH RIGGS AMICO arship, which helps fund tuition for in-state students, Amico responded by paraphrasing a Jewish biblical belief: “We don’t punish children in this country for the sins of their parents,” referring to undocumented youth.

According to Amico, 626,000 Georgians lack access to high speed Internet, an issue the state must address to promote economic growth. “I’ve met families driving kids to McDonald’s parking lots to get Wi-Fi,” she said.

On the subject of religious freedom legislation, Amico said that the state should not discriminate based on how people look, whom they love, and how or if they pray.

According to her Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Amico has raised $1.43 million, spent $1.09 million, and had cash on hand of $345,068. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 23

POLITICS

Attorney General Candidates

By Rachel Fayne REPUBLICAN

Chris Carr-R

Chris Carr has a defined view of his role as Georgia’s top government lawyer.

“My job as the attorney general is to be the managing partner of the law firm that is Georgia,” he said. “I also represent the executive branch of state government. When we’re in court, though, my position is to provide exCHRIS CARR, 46 University of Georgia’s Terry College of cellent representation for the state.”

Business and Lumpkin School of Law Carr, a Republican, is seeking elecFormer chief of staff for Sen. Johnny tion to a full, four-year term, having Isakson and former economic been appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal development director under Gov. Deal in 2016 to fill the remaining two years of Sam Olens’ term when he stepped down to become the president of Kennesaw State University.

That Carr is not an experienced trial attorney has been a point of contention between him and his Democratic opponent, former Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Charles Bailey.

The 46-year-old Carr, who attended the University of Georgia as an undergrad and law student, worked for 11 years with Sen. Johnny Isakson, including as his chief of staff, before serving as the state’s economic development officer under Deal. Carr previously was an attorney at the Atlanta law firm of Alston & Bird and worked with the Georgia Public Policy Foundation on state legislative issues.

“My history across the board qualifies me for the position,” Carr told the AJT. “It takes an incredible amount of experience to win the full four-year term, and I have a record that demonstrates that. People would have a great opportunity to see what I would do for Georgia.”

In public appearances, Carr has listed five priority subjects: human trafficking, elder abuse, cyber crime, opioid abuse, and gang activity.

He also views a stable legal and regulatory environment as necessary for the state to continue its economic growth.

During a debate with Bailey, sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club, Carr said that the state has hired outside counsel to assist any investigation and litigation involving opioids, while also creating a statewide task force bringing together public and private institutions on the issue. Georgia has not, however, joined other states in suing the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and distribute the drugs.

In September, Carr announced creation of the Georgia Anti-Gang Network, an effort to increase communication between local, state and federal authorities dealing with gang activity. The Georgia Gang Investigators Association has estimated that there are 71,000 gang members and more than 1,500 suspected gang networks in the state.

Asked during the debate about “religious liberty” legislation and the gay community, Carr said, “I believe in the dignity of each human being, and my job is to uphold laws. If the laws need to be changed, that may be a possibility. Whatever laws are signed by the governor and as long as it’s not unconstitutional, I will uphold that.”

Georgia remains one of a handful of states without hate crimes legislation.

“Any violence or threats of violence against religious groups, houses of worship or any individual have no place in Georgia. The Office of the Attorney General will stand with our local and federal partners to protect all Georgians from violence,” he told the AJT. Carr supports a multi-state suit against the Affordable Care Act, arguing that because the provision that the Supreme Court cited in initially ruling the health care law constitutional has since been removed by Congress, the ACA should now be declared unconstitutional.

As of his Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Carr had raised nearly $1.87 million, spent $678,400, and reported $1.91 million in cash on hand.

Attorney General

24 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

DEMOCRAT

Charlie Bailey-D

Charlie Bailey, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, likes to remind audiences that he has experience as a prosecutor that the Republican incumbent, Chris Carr, does not.

Bailey cites his prosecution of gang members as senior district attorney in Fulton County as an example of why he’s more qualified than Carr, CHARLIE BAILEY, 35 University of Georgia (undergrad and who was appointed to the post two law school) years ago by Gov. Nathan Deal to fill Senior Assistant District the remainder of Sam Olens’ term.

Attorney, Fulton County “More than anything, the office is above all intended to protect people.

If the people of Georgia are harmed, the attorney general goes out and gets them justice,” Bailey told the AJT. “The way that plays out with the issues important to Georgians is that right now we don’t have an attorney general working on organized crime, gang activity or human trafficking. There has not been one indictment of a gang leader or trafficker since my opponent has been in office.”

Bailey, who attended the University of Georgia as an undergrad and law student, advocates a hands-on approach.

“It’s part of the reason these things have just stayed the same,” he said. “My opponent has never been a prosecutor. He’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s been a staffer and a bureaucrat, and that’s not the job at hand here.

The people of Georgia need to be protected.”

Bailey said that, as attorney general, he would go after special interests, companies, even politicians if they are harming Georgians. “Whether it’s a predatory lender, a debt collector or pharmaceutical companies who have engaged in price fixing, I want to be very aggressive in curbing that conduct, and not with just slaps on the wrists as we’ve had,” he said.

He points to special interests as one of the reasons Georgia hasn’t been tougher on those groups. “We haven’t had an indictment of any corrupt officials the entire time Chris Carr has been in office,” Bailey said. “Do you think there aren’t any politicians who are misusing tax dollars or taking stances to benefit special interest groups for their own gain? I’m not here to protect those political insiders. I’m here for the people.”

Bailey pledged action on the opioid epidemic.

In a debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club, Bailey said that Carr had sent out a press release and held a press conference on the subject close to the election. “He’s been in office for two years and hasn’t done anything about it,” Bailey explained. “Chris has held a total of four meetings about the opioid crisis. To date, there are no suits filed.” Bailey advocated a more aggressive stance against companies that manufacture opioids and distribute the drugs knowing their dangers.

“I would be sworn in to defend the people and the constitution,” Bailey said.

“That includes everyone.”

Bailey cited Georgia’s lack of hate crimes legislation. “It obviously hasn’t been a priority in the past. You can judge what someone cares about by what they do,” he said. “I will push for the passage of that civil rights bill, and that legislation will give the tools to people to protect them. As the top lawyer in Georgia, you have people looking to you, and you need to have an opinion about things that matter. People’s civil rights and the prevention of hate crimes matter.”

According to the Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Bailey had raised more than $747,000, spent nearly $200,000 and had cash on hand of about $547,000.

Beginning in 2019, the attorney general’s annual salary will increase from $139,000 to $165,611, thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Nathan Deal. ■ Attorney General

POLITICS

Secretary of State Candidates

By Al Shams

REPUBLICAN

Brad Raffensperger-R

Brad Raffensperger is clear about his priorities if elected secretary of state.

First on his list, according to the Republican nominee, “To ensure that only properly registered U.S. citizens vote in Georgia elections.”

Second, “Georgia has been a great BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, 63 state for job growth and to start a Western University, Georgia State small business, so I want to do all I can University to continue that trend.”

Former member of Georgia state House Raffensperger hopes to succeed fellow Republican Brian Kemp as secretary of state. He is opposed by former Democratic congressman John Barrow and Libertarian Smythe DuVal. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution/WSB-TV survey of 1,232 likely voters, conducted Sept. 30 to Oct. 9, showed Raffensperger with 41.4 percent to 36.8 percent for Barrow, with 6.3 percent for DuVal and about 15 percent undecided.

The 63-year-old Raffensperger served three years on the Johns Creek City Council before winning two terms in the Georgia House, representing the 50th District in Johns Creek. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Western University and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

He is the CEO and owner of Tendon Systems, LLC, a contracting and engineering design firm with nearly 200 employees. He also owns and operates specialty steel manufacturing plants in Columbus, Ga., and in Forsyth County.

Raffensperger cites this experience as making him the better candidate to oversee the myriad activities of the secretary of state’s office. “I’m the only business owner in this race that has run an office the size of the secretary of state’s office,” he said during a debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club.

Raffensperger told the AJT that, if elected, he will update the voting and registration process to ensure their integrity. Voter rolls need to be updated annually, as 10 to 15 percent of Georgians move every year and that, combined with district lines being redrawn, can cause confusion for polling officials and voters, he said.

“By keeping the voter rolls updated, we can help safeguard and keep our elections clean so we know that the person who won actually did win,” Raffensperger said during the debate.

Raffensperger previously has said that he favored touchscreen machines that provided a printout of voters’ selections.

On the regulatory side of the job, Raffensperger said he would review the process by which the secretary of state’s office regulates and licenses various occupations and professions, and work with the state House to clean up a patchwork of regulations.

He told the AJT that he would consider some level of self-regulation for industries under the secretary of state’s purview, as well as using fees that are collected to benefit the industries being regulated.

Raffensperger said that military veterans could benefit from the state waving corporate filing fees for opening a business and by the state taking greater advantage of the talents at military bases so that troops transitioning out of the military have reason to remain in Georgia.

When Raffensperger addressed the local Republican Jewish Coalition chapter in August he used the occasion to mention a letter that he received in February 2017 from Ambassador Judith Shorer, the Consul General of Israel to the Southeast in Atlanta. She thanked him for introducing a House resolution promoting ties between Georgia and Israel.

As of his Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Raffesnperger had raised $1.89 million, spent more than $1.73 million, and had more than $152,600 available.

Secretary of State

DEMOCRAT

John Barrow-D

John Barrow’s inspiration for public service came from his parents.

His father was a judge and his mother an educator, both World War II officers and activists who worked to keep public schools open when politicians talked about closing them, rather than integrate.

JOHN BARROW, 62 Barrow, a University of Georgia University of Georgia, Harvard Law and Harvard Law School graduate, School served as an Athens-Clarke County Former member U.S. House commissioner and then represented from Georgia’s 12th District Georgia’s 12th Congressional District for a decade. In Congress, he was considered a “Blue Dog” Democrat, taking positions more centrist than left.

Now the 63-year-old, a descendant of the Barrows for whom Barrow County is named, is the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, running against Republican Brad Raffensperger and Libertarian Smythe DuVal. The winner will succeed Republican Brian Kemp.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution/WSB-TV survey of 1,232 likely voters, conducted Sept. 30 to Oct. 9, gave Raffensperger 41.4 percent to 36.8 percent for Barrow, with 6.3 percent of DuVal and about 15 percent undecided.

The secretary of state’s office oversees 41 separate boards regulating a wide range of industries that employ some 700,000 Georgians. The office is also responsible for the state’s election system, both its rules and its technology.

That latter responsibility drew the most interest when the candidates for secretary of state participated in a debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club.

Barrow supported the immediate use of paper ballots to prevent potential hacking. The direct-recording electronic voting machines Georgia currently uses do not provide a verifiable paper trail. “They’re not good enough for elections because they can be hacked,” Barrow said. “What we need is to decertify these machines and move to the process currently allowed by state law, which is handmarked paper ballots using optical scanners.”

Forced twice to move during his years in Congress after state Republicans redrew the borders of his district, Barrow made clear his distaste for “gerrymandering” during a conversation with the AJT. Too often, district lines are drawn in ways that ensure candidates will take extreme positions, he said.

Barrow decried a lack of civility that he said has resulted in the polarization of the electorate and left moderates in both parties marginalized.

On the industry regulation side of the job, Barrow told the AJT that revenues gathered for licenses by practitioners should be used by the state to benefit those industries, not only the public in general.

He also spoke about “religious freedom” legislation, vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal after protests from major Georgia businesses such as Delta Airlines and the film industry. He told a June meeting of the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce: “In the marketplace where you hold yourself out as a common carrier of sorts, when you receive a license to engage in business in the marketplace, you assume some responsibilities to the general public. Many of these are fixed by law, but one bedrock principle is that when you’re open for business, you’re open for business.

“And I don’t look at the places of business in the general commerce as being places where folks can practice their religious beliefs in such a way as to discriminate against some customers and in favor of others,” he said.

As of his Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Barrow had raised $1.38 million, spent about $919,000, and had a bit more than $463,000 available.

Beginning in 2019, the secretary of state will be paid an annual salary of $147,128, up from $123,637, thanks to a bill that Gov. Nathan Deal signed earlier this year. ■ Secretary of State

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 25

POLITICS

National Attention Not as Strong for 6th District As Last Year

By Dave Schechter

Last year, a spotlight shined on Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, home to roughly two out of every five Jews in metropolitan Atlanta.

Some $55 million in total – the most ever in a U.S. House campaign – was spent by candidates seeking that open seat.

Democrat Jon Ossoff, the darling of liberals from the salons of New York to the shores of San Francisco, emerged atop an 18-candidate “jungle primary,”

REPUBLICAN U.S. House 6th District

nearly winning the majority needed to claim the prize outright. Democrats were hopeful they would “flip” the seat vacated

by Republican Tom Price – who briefly became the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services – and before him by Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson.

But money and enthusiasm could not push Ossoff across the finish line and Republican Karen Handel, who finished second in the primary, won the general election (53 percent to 47 percent) in a district last represented by a Democrat

6th Congressional District:

Karen Handel-R

Over the past 50 years, incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives have won re-election at a rate of 85 to 90 percent.

That said, Karen Handel isn’t being complacent about winning re-election to the 6th District seat she won in KAREN HANDEL, 56 a 2017 special election. attended Prince George’s Community The Republican incumbent touts College and attended University of positive economic news – tweeting Maryland University College Seeking election to a full two-year term “lower taxes=better economy=more opportunities for all” – while focusing attention on her efforts on such issues as health care, combatting sex trafficking and the opioid crisis.

Handel serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on the Judiciary. She mentions with pride her appointment by the GOP leadership to the Joint Economic Committee, comprised of Republicans and Democrats from the House and Senate.

First-term members generally are seen more than heard. But Handel received a measure of 24-hour news cycle attention as she presided over the House on June 22 and cited House rules to stop California Democrat Ted Lieu from playing a recording of crying children separated from their parents under the Trump administration’s policy to deter illegal immigration.

The political blog site FiveThirtyEight listed Handel as voting in line with President Donald Trump’s position 87.5 percent.

“I have worked hard every single day to do my absolute best for the people of the 6th District, and doing that means that sometimes I agree with the president and other times I don’t,” Handel told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in September.

According to her Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Handel had raised $8.16 million and spent $7.2 million, leaving $978,000 cash on hand.

Following a career in business, Handel served as chairman of the Fulton County board of commissioners from 2003 to 2006, and then was elected Georgia’s Secretary of State, serving from 2007 to 2010, until she resigned to pursue an ultimately unsuccessful bid for governor.

In 2011 she became senior vice president of public policy at Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer charity, but left a year later, opposing the organization’s decision to restore (after eliminating) funding for Planned Parenthood.

Handel disagrees with her Democratic opponent, Lucy McBath, a gun control advocate. “We can make sure our schools are safe and our communities are safe without undermining the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” Handel told WSB-TV in August.

26 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

in 1978.

This year, the spotlight isn’t quite as bright.

Now-incumbent Handel faces a challenge from Democrat Lucy McBath, who made her name as a gun control advocate after her teenage son was shot to death in 2012.

Online political sites list the race as either “leaning” or “likely” Republican.

The 6th is carved from eastern Cobb County, northern DeKalb County and northern Fulton County, and includes all or parts of Tucker, Brookhaven, Cham-

DEMOCRAT U.S. House 6th District

blee, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell.

Based on data compiled in 2013, the Berman Jewish DataBank estimated that 58,000 Jews accounted for 8.38 percent of the district’s population, the highest percentage of Jews in any of the state’s 14 congressional districts.

President Donald Trump received 48 percent of the vote in the 6th District in 2016 and Democrat Hillary Clinton, 47 percent.

U.S. House members are paid a $174,000 annual salary.

6th Congressional District:

Lucy McBath-D

Lucy McBath had planned to seek a seat in the Georgia House, but turned her attention to the 6th Congressional District after the Feb. 14 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 people were killed.

LUCY MCBATH, 58 Gun control is personal for McVirginia State University Bath, whose 17-year-old son, Jordan Gun control advocate Davis, was killed in 2012, in a dispute over loud music, while sitting in a car outside a Jacksonville, Fla., gas station.

The shooter, who used Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law as his defense, was convinced in 2014 of first-degree murder.

The 58-year-old McBath hopes to do what Jon Ossoff could not in last year’s special election – the most expensive congressional race in history – defeat Republican Karen Handel and “flip” the 6th District, which has been in GOP hands since 1979.

McBath advanced to the general election against now-incumbent Handel by defeating Kevin Abel in the July 22 Democratic runoff.

She grew up a witness to activism. Her father, Lucien Holman, a dentist and owner of “The Black Voice,” a newspaper serving the African-American community in Joliet, Ill., was president of the Illinois NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and served on the organization’s national executive board.

Her own public career began after her son was killed.

“Everything I knew about my life changed,” McBath told the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon in June. “Everything I’ve gone through has prepared me for this moment.”

“What I have is credibility and a reality of experiences that speaks to the crucial and the critical conflicts, and crises and visions that you are making in your own families,” she said.

A 30-year flight attendant with Delta Airlines, McBath became a spokeswoman for Everytown for Gun Safety, which the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported has invested more than $3.7 million in support of her campaign, and Moms Demands Action for Gun Sense in America.

She appeared on stage at the 2016 Democratic national convention in support of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who endorsed McBath, via Twitter, after the July run-off. Clinton reportedly also recorded a telephone message on McBath’s behalf and hosted a fundraiser.

According to her Sept. 30 campaign finance report, McBath had raised $1.26

POLITICS This election is about “the difference between meaningful results for hardworking Georgians and rhetoric and resistance from the left,” Handel told the local Republican Jewish Coalition chapter in September.

Speaking to the RJC, Handel called McBath “your traditional far left Democrat. Already she supports mandating wages. She supports health care for all, universal health care … She tries to walk the line that she’s not going to support [House minority leader] Nancy Pelosi. Give me a break, of course she is.”

KAREN HANDEL Democrats have “taken the largest step possible to the left and there really is a segment among Democrats who are full bore, card-carrying socialists. They really believe in that form of government, which is the antithesis of the government of the United States of America,” Handel said.

Handel supported Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On May 14, Handel tweeted, “Today marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel. The U.S. Embassy’s move to Jerusalem underscores that our commitment to Israel is as strong today as it was then. Just as the need for Israel remains as strong as when it was founded. Happy birthday Israel!”

million, spent $558,000, and had cash on hand of $706,400.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in July added McBath to its “Red to Blue” program that provides organization and fundraising support to candidates it thinks can win Republicanheld seats.

McBath told the Jewish women’s forum that she favored the “two-state solution” to resolve Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians, and disagreed with President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel.

“I oppose, at this time, the LUCY MCBATH moving of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, until a deal for peace has been brokered,” McBath said, adding that she considers Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital.

McBath said that her experience as a two-time survivor of breast cancer informs her stance on health care. “When I was diagnosed, not once, but two times, those were very critical times in my life when I was scared to death,” she said.

“I do advocate a robust public option for all of us,” McBath said of the debate over the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.”

McBath said that she has the ability to work across party lines because that was her approach as a gun control advocate.

“I am a woman and we are problem solvers,” McBath told the Jewish women’s forum. “We do it every single day.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 27

POLITICS

7th District Race Trends Toward Republican

By David Schechter

Interest in the 7th District Congressional race was evident when 120 audience chairs were set up at the Peachtree Corners City Hall for a candidates’ forum and 300 people packed the room.

Candidates for the state legislature and county offices were on hand, but top billing went to the 7th District’s incumbent Republican congressman, Rob Woodall, and his Democratic challenger, Carolyn Bourdeaux.

Woodall was elected to represent the REPUBLICAN U.S. House 7th District

District in 2010 and has received no less than 60 percent of the vote in each of his four general elections.

The race between Woodall and Bourdeaux is rated as “leaning” or “likely” Republican by several political websites.

The last Democrat to represent the 7th District was George Darden, from 1983 to 1995.

President Donald Trump won 51 percent of the 7th District vote and Hillary Clinton, 45 percent in 2016, though Gwinnett County backed the Democrat

7th Congressional District:

Rob Woodall-R

Rob Woodall has won no less than 60 percent of the vote in four successful races to represent Georgia’s 7th Congressional District.

This time around may be closer, although his contest against Democratic challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux is ROB WOODALL, 48 rated as leaning Republican by various Furman University, University of Georpolitical websites. gia School of Law Gwinnett County, which forms Seeking a fifth term in Congress the bulk of the 7th District (the remainder is southern Forsyth County), has become a “minority-majority” county, and in 2016 voted Democratic in the presidential election for the first time in 40 years.

“This district looks today the way America is going to look in about 10 or 15 years,” Woodall told a September candidates forum in Peachtree Corners.

Woodall, 48, was chief of staff for his predecessor, Republican Rep. John Linder. He holds seats on the House transportation and infrastructure, budget, and rules committees.

According to his Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Woodall had raised $1.01 million, spent $793,800, and had cash on hand of $548,200.

Woodall heralds the economic news coming from the Trump administration and cautions against changing directions.

“Elections have consequences. There are two methods that we can go forward in this country,” by tearing people down or building people up. “Don’t let it be said that the only way to win elections is to tear people down,” Woodall told the Peachtree Corners candidates forum.

Woodall warned about the long-term financial health of the Social Security and Medicare programs. At the candidates’ forum, he denied that House Speaker Paul Ryan wants to slice Social Security and Medicare to pay for recent tax cuts. “Tax receipts have never been higher,” Woodall said. “The problem is over-promising to generations like mine.”

When he and Boudeaux tangled over “dark money” contributions that do not require disclosing the donor, Woodall said, “There is no such thing as an unreported dollar in my campaign,” and reminded the audience that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Citizens United case that “The First Amendment protects campaign donations being shielded.”

Young people must take more responsibility when accumulating college debt, Woodall said. “Repaying [debt] is an important part of the American dream,” he said, adding that financial aid counselors should be permitted to talk students out of borrowing money.

28 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

for the first time in 40 years.

The 7th covers much of Gwinnett Country and the southern half of Forsyth County – including the cities of Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Cumming, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee and Buford.

Gwinnett County, which forms the bulk of the 7th, has become a “minoritymajority” district. The most recent population figures show the 7th to be 45.8 percent white, 21 percent African-American, 18.6 percent Hispanic, 14.3 percent Asian, and 0.1 percent Native American.

DEMOCRAT U.S. House 7th District

Based on 2010 Census data, there are roughly 10,000 Jews in the District, making up 1.45 percent of its population.

Bourdeaux reported slightly less than $98,000 in available campaign funds as of July 4, while Woodall reported nearly $529,000 on hand for the quarter that ended June 30.

U.S. House members are paid an annual salary of $174,000.

7th Congressional District:

Carolyn Bourdeaux-D

Health care is at the heart of Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux’s campaign to unseat Republican incumbent Rob Woodall in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District.

CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, 48 “This is personal,” she tweeted on Yale University, University of Southern Sept. 5. “My mother struggled to pay California, Syracuse University for my father’s insulin before he passed On leave as associate professor at away. The cost of medicine ate up their Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University retirement income. We have hit a point where regular working people cannot afford basic, cheap to make, life-saving medications.”

Two weeks later, in her opening remarks at a candidates’ forum in Peachtree Corners, Bourdeaux said, “I am running for office because I think our health care system is badly broken.”

In her closing, she said, “We have come to a time when certain truths have to be spoken. In this district, there are 110,000 people without health insurance,” as she criticized Woodall for Republican efforts to scrap the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Bourdeaux, 48, finished first among six candidates in the May 22 Democratic primary and defeated runner-up David Kim in the July 24 runoff.

She is on leave from her position as associate professor of public management and policy at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, where she has been on the faculty since 2003. From 2007 to 2010, Bourdeaux was director of Georgia’s Senate Budget and Evaluation Office.

According to a Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Boudreaux had raised $1.89 million, spent $1.07 million, and had $820,000 on hand.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was sufficiently hopeful of an upset to add Bourdeaux to its “Red to Blue” program, making available organizational and fundraising support.

Bourdeaux minces no words in discussing President Donald Trump and the influence of money on politics.

“We have a president that is corrupt and a Congress that is in hock to special interest and has been corrupted by them, as well,” she said at the Peachtree Corners forum. “I believe we desperately need campaign finance reform. We’ve got to end Citizens United,” she said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling that gave political spending by corporations and unions protection under the First Amendment.

When challenged by Woodall about PAC (political action committee) donations received by Democrats, Bourdeaux responded, “I understand that people on both sides of the aisle play that game, but it’s not the right game for us. … Our

POLITICS Woodall has backed Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), which, he said “has destroyed the American health care system.” The congressman said that GOP proposals would protect coverage of preexisting conditions.

The government’s immigration policy should be “we want the best and brightest to locate in America,” Woodall said. The “Dreamers,” brought to the U.S. as children by parents who entered illegally, should be in that line, he said. But families that have breached the law should not come before those who have adhered to U.S. immigration laws.

In January 2017, Woodall and Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., introduced a House resolution condemning Palestinian violence against Israeli citizens and reaffirming the friendship between Israel and the United States. The measure was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa, but went no further in the legislative process.

Woodall supported President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran nuclear weapons deal), writing, “I believed then – as I believe now – that a bad deal is worse than no deal at all, and I’m eager to work with the current administration and our allies around the world to ensure the appropriate steps are taken to prevent a dangerous and untrustworthy Iranian regime from obtaining nuclear weapons and neutralizing Iran’s destabilizing influence in the region.”

system is broken, and it absolutely must be fixed.”

Bourdeaux backs a “quick and clear path to citizenship” for the “Dreamers,” children brought to the United States by parents who entered the country illegally, of whom there are 3,000 in the 7th District. “Yes, we need to deal with the folks who have played by the rules and make sure that they have a quick path to citizenship,” she said.

She also supported expanded use of federal Pell Grants to alleviate the college loan debt crisis.

Bourdeaux’s position paper on Israel calls “for the U.S. to continue to bolster Israel’s security in a region of hostile neighbors, while also encouraging policies to move toward a peaceful resolution of conflict with its Palestinian neighbors.” She supports the two-state solution to be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.

She labels Trump’s order relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem a “needlessly provocative” action that “makes a peaceful resolution more difficult, ultimately undermining Israel’s long-term security.”

Bourdeaux supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran nuclear weapons deal), saying that while “Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons present an existential threat to Israel and undermine peace and stability in the region and in the world,” the agreement presents “the best opportunity” to prevent Iran from acquiring such weapons. ■

11th District Leans to the Right

By Dave Schechter

Georgia’s 11th Congressional District is considered a “safe” seat for Republicans.

In 2016, President Donald Trump won the 11th District by 25 percentage points, while Barry Loudermilk won reelection to Congress for a second term by 35 percentage points.

As he seeks a third term, Loudermilk is being challenged by Democrat Flynn Broady Jr. The 11th extends northwest from Fulton County, cuts a swath through Cobb County, and includes all of Bartow and Cherokee counties, taking in part of Atlanta, along with Marietta, Woodstock and Cartersville.

An estimated 16,000 Jews make up 2.3 percent of the 11th District’s population, the second-highest percentage in Georgia behind the 6th District, at nearly 8.4 percent.

Neither Loudermilk nor Broady faced a primary challenge.

According to their Sept. 30 campaign finance reports, Loudermilk had raised nearly $768,000 and had cash on hand of $366,000, while Broady had raised $44,000 and had $3,000 available.

Loudermilk, 54, holds seats on three U.S. House committees: Financial Services, House Administration and Space, Science and Technology.

Prior to his election to Congress in 2014, Loudermilk was founder and owner of a data networking and information systems company, and of a flight

REPUBLICAN

DEMOCRAT

U.S. House 11th District

U.S. House 11th District

BARRY LOUDERMILK, 54

Wayland Baptist University Seeking third term in Congress

training business. He also served in the state House and Senate for more than nine years.

An eight-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Loudermilk received a bachelor’s degree from Wayland Baptist University.

Broady, 56, also is a veteran. He served three overseas tours during Operation Iraqi Freedom, as an infantry first sergeant in the U.S. Army.

He credits the GI Bill with helping him earn his bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University, a graduate degree from Kennesaw State University, and a law degree from Seton Hall University.

He worked as an assistant solicitor general in Cobb County, and then as the veterans treatment court coordinator.

Regarding Israel, Loudermilk supported Trump’s decision to relocate the

FLYNN BROADY JR., 56

Austin Peay University, Kennesaw State University, Seton Hall University Ex-U.S. Army infantry First Sgt., was Cobb County Veterans Treatment Court Coordinator

U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

“When I visit with members of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, I go to Jerusalem. Both times I have met with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu we met in Jerusalem. And my meeting with President Reuven Rivlin of Israel was also in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the seat of the Israeli government; it is the location of their Parliament building and the offices of the prime minister and president,” Loudermilk said last December.

He also backed Trump’s earlier decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, saying, “This bad deal – negotiated and signed by the Obama administration – only emboldened Iran’s posture in the Middle East and further antagonized one of our closest allies, Israel.”

Broady also supported the Embassy move. “However, Israel and the Arab world must still jointly work out a long-term solution to their issues and conflicts. The United States’ position is clear. We support Israel and the need for lasting peace,” he said in a statement to the Atlanta Jewish Times.

“In Congress, I will study the priorities and policy positions of the U.S. and other countries, existing economic aid for Middle East countries, and what effects these are having on long-term peace. I also pledge to consider the opinions and welfare of the people of the 11th District,” Broady said. “In this, as in all matters, I will encourage meaningful dialogue among the parties. If they are not willing to sit at the table with a focus on common ground, very little will be accomplished toward lasting peace.

In the meantime, the United States must remain committed to Israel’s security, which includes protecting it from Iran’s nuclear program.” ■

GEORGIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 29

POLITICS

Lewis Assured 5th, Incumbent Johnson Vying for 7th (Term) in 4th

By Logan C. Ritchie

Georgia’s 4th and 5th Congressional Districts are reliably Democratic.

President Donald Trump received 22 percent of the 4th District vote in 2016 and just 12 percent in the 5th District.

The absence of a Republican opponent assures 78-year-old Democrat and civil rights icon John Lewis a 17th term representing the 5th, which covers central Fulton County – including most of the city of Atlanta – and portions of DeKalb and Clayton counties. An estimated 21,000 Jews make up about 3 percent of the district’s population.

In his quest for a seventh term representing the 4th District, incumbent Democrat Hank Johnson faces Republican challenger Joe Profit, a former Atlanta Falcons football player. The 4th covers Rockdale County and sections of DeKalb,

Gwinnett and Newton counties. An estimated 6,000 Jews make up less than 1 percent of its population.

Johnson, 64, holds seats on the House Judiciary Committee and the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. He previously was a criminal defense attorney, an associate magistrate judge, and served on the DeKalb County Commission.

A 69-year-old Louisiana native, Profit cites business experience as the first African-American to purchase an International House of Pancakes in Georgia and as an owner of Burger King franchises. He’s also a founder and CEO of Communications International Inc., a telecommunications company, and CEO of Multimedia Digital Broadcast Corp.

Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush appointed him to various government advisory boards.

“It was time for me to get off the

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REPUBLICAN

DEMOCRAT

U.S. House 4th District

U.S. House 4th District

JOE PROFIT, 69

Alcorn State University, University of Louisiana Monroe Former professional football player, entrepreneur

sidelines and get in the game to make a difference in the 4th district. I got tired of seeing my district suffer from lack of jobs, education . . . you name it,” he told the AJT. “These people have accepted the fact their opportunities are limited.

I hope to bring business experience on both side of the political aisle. I will encourage businesses to come back. My job is to make sure there is plenty of work to do. I hear people talk about bad schools.

Schools are a reflection of the community.”

Johnson told the AJT that if Democrats are in control of the House, he stands to become chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. “I would use that platform to fight for net neutrality, resources to expand broadband, and for policies that will help to bridge the digital divide in our communities,” he said. “As a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I will fight for more investments in transit and other infrastructure projects for Georgia.”

Johnson ran afoul of some in the Jewish community in 2016 when talking about the Israeli development in the West Bank. “There has been a steady [stream] … almost like termites can get into a residence and eat before you know that you’ve been eaten up and you fall in on yourself – there has been settlement activity that has marched forward with impunity and at an ever-increasing rate to the point where it has become alarming,” he said.

Sharply criticized by the Anti-Defamation League, Johnson apologized, saying on Twitter, “@ADL_National Poor choice of words – apologies for offense.

Point is settlement activity continues

HANK JOHNSON, 64

Clark Atlanta University, Texas Southern University Seeking a seventh term in Congress

slowly undermine 2-state solution.”

Johnson remains opposed to policies of both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Continued settlement construction inside the Green Line, Trump’s move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and the undercutting of the Palestinian Authority as the representative of the Palestinians, have severely imperiled the prospects for peace. President Trump has no rational plan to achieve peace, and Netanyahu promised Israeli voters that there would be no Palestinian State under his watch. Nonetheless, I support a two-state solution,” he said.

For his part, Profit said, “I support Israel’s and the United States’ commitment to a two-state solution. I believe this is best achieved through direct talks between the two parties. Unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority pulled out of talks in the spring of 2014. Lasting peace comes from two parties agreeing.”

As of June 30, Johnson reported having raised more than $367,000 in the 2018 election cycle, while Profit reported raising $9,200. Lewis reported raising more than $2.5 million. ■

GEORGIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

Getting Results.

Fully funded the U.S.-Israel defense partnership and opposed dangerous Iran deal Led bipartisan initiative condeming Palestinian incitement of violence against Israel Supported establishing U.S. embassy in Jerusalem once and for all Helped enact the Taylor Force Act to halt Palestinian payments to terrorists

I’m asking for your vote on November 6 so we can continue moving America in the right direction!

EARLY VOTING ENDS 11/2

ELECTION DAY IS 11/6 U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall Receiving the 2018 “Friend of Israel” Award at Congregation Beth Israel in Cumming recently.

POLITICS

Plant Vogtle, Female Candidates – One Jewish – Dominate PSC Race

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

There is an inverse relationship between the impact that the Public Service Commission has on the lives of Georgians and the amount of attention Georgians give election contests for seats on the PSC. Which is unfortunate, considering that the PSC determines what Georgians pay for electricity, natural gas and telecommunications.

Two of the five seats on the PSC are on the ballot this year.

Commissioners, who serve six-year

REPUBLICAN

terms, are elected statewide, but represent specific districts. The job pays an annual salary of $116,452.

Its website states that the PSC “must balance Georgia citizens’ need for reliable services and reasonable rates with the need for utilities to earn a reasonable return on investment.”

That sentence can be applied directly to the debate over the Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant. The two-reactor unit under construction in Waynesboro, in east Georgia near Augusta, is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule.

Georgia Public Service Commission:

GA Public Service Commission

Chuck Eaton-R

CHUCK EATON, 49

Chuck Eaton has served two, six-year terms on the Public Service Commission, a government agency that receives far less attention than it deserves, considering that it regulates what Georgians pay for electricity, natural gas and telecommunications.

Eaton, a Republican, is the incumbent representative from District 3, which includes Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Rockdale counties. He is being challenged by Democrat Lindy Miller

University of Alabama, Georgia State University Incumbent seeking third sixyear term on PSC

and Libertarian Ryan Graham.

PSC members are elected statewide but represent specific districts. Miller is attempting to become the first Jewish woman to win a statewide vote.

The top issue in the PSC race remains the ongoing saga of the billions-overbudget, years-behind-schedule construction of two new reactors at Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. Miller faults Eaton for failing “to put in place any budget controls” at Plant Vogtle, causing Georgia families to pay an extra $100 a year on average over the last six years, in addition to what Miller calls the third-highest energy bills in the country.

In a debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club, Eaton said, “Our bills haven’t gone up over the last seven years,” while also blaming the weather. “Georgia is in a hot, humid area. I can’t control the weather.”

Eaton agreed with Miller that Georgia should embrace “all forms of energy, including nuclear and solar. Diversity is key.” He notes that Georgia ranks 10th in the country in solar capacity, up from 34th in 2010.

Business has benefited from his position on the PSC, Eaton said, noting that he has received campaign contributions from both labor unions and manufacturers, as well as endorsements from the state AFL-CIO and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Eaton points out that Georgia Power customers have received refunds based on agreements between the utility and the PSC stemming from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

32 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Georgia Power owns 45.7 percent of the project, Oglethorpe Power Corp., 30 percent, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, 22.7 percent, and Dalton Utilities, 1.6 percent.

The past, present and future of Plant Vogtle has become the overriding issue in the elections for PSC seats.

District 3 is comprised of Fulton, DeKalb, Rockdale and Clayton counties.

In that race, Democrat Lindy Miller and Libertarian Ryan Graham are challenging incumbent Republican Chuck Eaton, who was elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2012.

DEMOCRAT GA Public Service Commission

Miller, if elected, would potentially be the first Jewish woman to win a statewide vote. (Former Attorney General Sam Olens was the first Jewish man elected statewide.)

District 5 covers a larger piece of geography and includes Cobb, Douglas, Fayette and Henry counties. In that race, Republican Tricia Pridemore is only the third woman to serve on the PSC, appointed in 2018 by Gov. Nathan Deal to fill a vacancy. She faces Democrat Dawn Randolph.

Georgia Public Service Commission:

Lindy Miller-D

Lindy Miller contends that the seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission have “flown under the radar for too long.”

Since quitting her job at the global business consulting firm Deloitte a LINDY MILLER, 39 year ago to run for the District 3 seat University of Pennsylvania, on the PSC, Miller has worked to raise Harvard Kennedy School • Seeking to become first Jewish the profile of the commission even as woman to win statewide vote she introduces herself as a first-time • Board member, Congregation political candidate.

Shearith Israel “This is the most important seat that most people have never heard of,” she told the AJT. PSC commissioners are elected statewide, but represent specific districts. District 3 is made up of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, and Rockdale counties. Commissioners are paid an annual salary of $116,452.

If she prevails, Miller (An AJT “40 Under 40” last year) is believed to be the first Jewish woman to win a statewide race.

As of the Sept. 30 deadline for filing campaign finance reports, Miller had raised more than $1.03 million, more than any other down-ballot candidate. “I’d always said that my goal is between $1 and $2 million,” she said.

By early October, Miller had spent about $600,000, with $500,000 expended on winning the May 22 Democratic primary, in which she captured 157 of 159 counties. She had cash on hand of about $400,000 to carry her the last five weeks of the campaign.

During her fundraising forays, which included about 200 house parties, Miller discovered that “People are thirsty to know what their vote means. It’s personal.

When I decided to run, I was told that if people trust you and know that you will fight for them, they will vote for you. It’s been an incredible experience to meet people and hear their stories. I feel called to serve. It’s amazing to create something out of nothing when people want to come together. It leverages all the things I love.”

A graduate of Woodward Academy, the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Kennedy School, Miller co-founded a solar energy company, Cherry Street Energy, about two years ago. She’s a proponent of alternative energy, arguing at an Atlanta Press Club debate that over the past 12 years – Republican incumbent

POLITICS Miller charged that Eaton had received contributions from the public utilities that he’s responsible for regulating and, according to his September campaign finance report, he has received thousands of dollars from executives at the Southern Co. (which owns 45.7 percent of Plant Vogtle), Southern Natural Gas, Gas South, and Ringgold Telephone Co. According to his campaign finance report, Eaton raised $273,921, spent $36,359, and had cash on hand of $237,561.

At a Cobb County Republican event in July, Eaton said, “The Democrats that we’re running against from the top of the ballot to the bottom of the ballot now are the most liberal, radical kind. It’s not traditional Democrats that we’ve had in Georgia. They now wear the socialist banner proudly. You see what’s going on in California and New York. They’re not running from the far-left extreme positions that they have now. They always used to run to the middle. It’s just as far left as it’s ever been. It’s radical ideas. On the energy front, they’re trying to emulate states like California who pay 70 percent more for their electric bills than we do here in Georgia. We don’t want that in Georgia.”

Eaton, 49, supplemented his accounting degree from the University of Alabama with a law degree from Georgia State. He is also an experienced manager of Republican political campaigns. Away from work, Eaton and his wife are proponents of foster parenting and are raising their third foster child. Eaton and his family live in Atlanta and are members of the Northside United Methodist Church.

Chuck Eaton’s two terms – the PSC has missed opportunities to invest in new technologies.

In the debate, Eaton questioned Miller’s ownership of an energy company while running for the PSC. Miller replied that, if elected, she will sell her stake in Cherry Street Energy and “in anything related to the PSC.” Miller charged that during his tenure, Eaton has received more than $300,000 from energy and communications companies. Eaton’s campaign contribution report includes donations from executives from Southern Co., SCANA Energy, Cobb EMC, Southern Natural Gas and AT&T, among others.

Miller complains that Georgia has the third highest energy bills in the country.

Families and small business owners are struggling. Referring to the expensive, incomplete Plant Vogtle nuclear plant, she charged that Eaton “failed to put in place any budget controls. Over the last six years, we have all paid a fee on our bills of an average of $100 per family. He was chairman of the committee when the project began. This is one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in the history of the United States. We need greater accountability.”

Unlike many other states, Georgia doesn’t have a statewide energy plan, Miller said. “We’re behind. The status quo is too expensive.”

Miller, an Atlanta native who lives in Decatur with her husband and three young sons, has been especially gratified by the support received in the Atlanta area.

“It’s rewarding to run for office in your hometown. There’s a strong community of people and I’m a product of this community,” she said. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 33

POLITICS

Jews on the Ballot

By Rachel Fayne

45th Senate District:

56th Senate District:

Incumbent State Sen. Renee Unterman appreciates the support she has received from the Jewish community on her priority issues, including child sex trafficking and hunger.

“The Jewish community has helped quite a bit,” the Republican from Loganville told the AJT. “Rabbi [Peter] Berg at The Temple has been great. We’ve done seminars together on social issues, and I’ve been to The Temple for talks several times over the last 10 years.”

Unterman has represented the 45th District in northern Gwinnett County since 2003 after serving in the state House in 1998. She is being challenged for re-election by Democrat Jana Rodgers.

With degrees in nursing from Georgia State University and social work from the University of Georgia, Unterman chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Unterman named health care and transportation as key issues for her constituents. She supports the expansion of MARTA into Gwinnett County as well as increasing the capacity of the existing road system, two items in a transportation bill she backed.

In 2016, Unterman described herself as a Jew by choice, telling the AJT that she was raised Catholic, but converted to Judaism according to Orthodox tradition and law, including a year of study, testing by a panel of rabbis and visits to a mikvah.

As she campaigns for re-election this year, Unterman said, “I feel like it’s unusual to be a Republican and Jewish. But because of my background, I can connect with certain social issues I may not have if I wasn’t Jewish.”

Serving in the Georgia House or Senate is a parttime job that pays $17,342 per year, and $173 per diem when the legislature is in session.

Ellyn Jaeger draws a parallel between the historic condition of Jews as outsiders and the stigma that afflicts people needing mental health treatment.

Jaeger wants to bring her professional passion as an advocate for mental health care into the political realm, as a member of the state Senate.

A New York native who has lived in Georgia for 42 years, Jaeger is the Democratic candidate from the 56th District, running against Republican incumbent John Albers, who is seeking a fifth term.

The 56th District includes portions of northern Fulton County and southeastern Cherokee County, taking in the city of Roswell and parts of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton and Woodstock.

“We forget what it means to not be a part of the larger group. I don’t understand why Jews forget.

That’s at the center of my campaign and my thoughts,” said Jaeger, a member of Congregation Or Hadash.

Her resume includes serving as director of public policy and advocacy and Southeast regional director of public policy for Mental Health America of Georgia. She also is a past board chair for the Georgia Council on Aging.

“Mental health is important, no matter where you live. If you want a healthy society, people must have access to healthcare. Some counties in Georgia don’t even have a pediatrician or any physician at all.

Our dollars can go a long way in rural areas to help these people,” Jaeger said, explaining her support for expanding Medicaid access in the state.

Renee Unterman-R

34 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Ellyn Jaeger-D

36th House District:

Jen Slipakoff-D

To replace the longestserving member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Jen Slipakoff must defeat his wife.

Slipakoff is the Democratic candidate in the 36th District, located in Cobb County.

Her Republican opponent, Ginny Ehrhart, is running to succeed her husband, Earl Ehrhart, who represented the

district for 30 years.

“I’m up against Republicans who are running on a platform of preserving Georgia’s conservative values,” Slipakoff told the AJT. “They’ve deemed those values to be family, and faith, and freedom. Those sound an awful lot like my values. Those aren’t conservative values. They’re American values.”

The mother of two children, one a transgender daughter, Slipakoff is a member of the Human Rights Campaign Atlanta and has served as co-president of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Atlanta.

“Advocating for the LGBTQ community and working across the aisles with legislators who don’t necessarily share our ideology is so important,” said Slipakoff, whose views on the subject differ markedly from Earl Ehrhart’s.

She also has served on the board of Congregation Shearith Israel.

Other priorities for Slipakoff are transportation, pay equity, access to quality education, and expanding Medicaid in the state.

“There are so many issues to fight for. Things like making sure we can afford health care, if not necessarily for us, our spouses, or our children, then certainly for our aging parents,” she said. “We need to find solutions to transportation because I know we’re all tired of sitting on gridlocked roads. We also need to talk about education and the disparity of the quality of the education that exits in Cobb County,” Slipakoff said.

“We need to figure out how single moms trying to raise their kids can make the same amount of money as a man doing the same job.”

Serving in the Georgia House or Senate is a parttime job that pays $17,342 per year and $173 per diem when the legislature is in session.

POLITICS

51st House District:

79th House District:

86th House District:

Alex Kaufman grew up at Temple Emanuel in Sandy Springs.

He played little league baseball at the Atlanta Jewish Community Center, attended camps at Zaban Park and Camp Isadore Alterman, where he also worked later as a counselor. He still keeps in touch with some of his fellow counselors and campers.

Kaufman and his wife, Kasia, went on the Honeymoon Israel program.

Now 35-years-old, he’s making his first run for public office, as the Republican candidate for the 51st District of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Kaufman and Democrat Josh McLaurin are vying to succeed long-time Republican Rep. Wendell Willard.

The 51st District takes in sections of Sandy Springs, Roswell and Johns Creek.

“I know that District 51 cares about many issues,” Kaufman told the AJT. “That includes growing our economy, providing quality education opportunities, providing health care options, lowering Fulton County property taxes, revitalizing those big-box stores as well as struggling shopping centers, and seeking to alleviate traffic congestion.”

Kaufman, a graduate of the Emory University School of Law, works for the business law firm of Kaufman & Forman, P.C. His resume lists work and volunteer efforts with several federal and local government agencies.

He’s pledged to continue working with community leaders on the opioid crisis and favors tougher sentences for those convicted of distributing drugs to minors.

His interests range from environmental preservation to combatting human trafficking. “In short, we are collectively invested in this community,” Kaufman said. “I was raised that I have a responsibility as a member of the community to make the world a better place, and I want to improve opportunities for all people … through responsible and limited government intervention and policies.”

Serving in the Georgia House or Senate is a parttime job that pays $17,342 a year, and $173 per diem when the legislature is in session.

Mike Wilensky, the Democratic candidate for Georgia House District 79, credits his Jewish upbringing with his belief in equality under the law and equality in society.

“It gives you a different view on the balance of power that exists,” he told the AJT. “There’s that balance between liberty and equality, and it’s important to remember how important it is that we’re all equal to each other.”

Wilensky, an attorney specializing in wrongful death and serious injury cases, is contesting with Republican candidate Ken Wright, Dunwoody’s first mayor, to succeed four-term Republican Rep. Tom Taylor, who is not seeking re-election.

The 79th District is comprised of Dunwoody and a sliver of Doraville.

An active member of Congregation B’nai Torah, Wilensky also lends his legal expertise as a board member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast region, for whom he has lobbied in support of hate crimes legislation.

The Sandy Springs native is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of Maryland School of Law. He has been active in various Dunwoody civic associations.

Other priorities in his campaign include what he terms “common sense” gun control and preventing legislation that might hurt the state’s economy by discriminating against any group of Georgians.

“We need leaders who focus on bringing good jobs and don’t create legislation that discriminates,” he told the AJT. “Religious freedom bills, for example, are important. Some churches might want to discriminate against the LGBTQ communities, which hurts us and sends business away. We have a thriving movie industry that brings a very large part of our current economic revenue. We need to make sure they stay in Georgia.”

Michele Henson has no Republican opponent as she runs for a 16th term representing the 86th District in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Henson, a Democrat from Stone Mountain, is the only Jewish lawmaker in the House and also its longestserving female member.

She credits being Jewish as one of the elements that fuels her activism in support of the Anti-Defamation League, the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and other organizations.

Two years ago, Henson told the AJT, “I think I want to be more inclusive at times. I look at the inclusiveness of all religions. We were all immigrants. I have a more liberal view regarding that, a more liberal view toward people practicing religion and practicing their different religions. I feel that we should accept people, not discriminate against people, but that also extends beyond religion.”

Among the issues most important for Henson are access to affordable healthcare, providing quality education, making sure Georgians have substantive employment, and strengthening DeKalb County as a whole.

In the legislature, she has supported legislation that mandated insurance companies cover mammograms and has continued to advocate medical coverage for women, children and working families. Instituting all the provisions of the Affordable Care Act has also been key to her platform.

Henson voted for the creation of the state-funded pre-kindergarten program and has campaigned to continue its funding. She worked to get dental insurance for children included in the PeachCare for Kids program.

Serving in the Georgia House or Senate is a parttime job that pays $17,342 per year and $173 per diem when the legislature is in session. ■

Alex Kaufman-R

Mike Wilensky-D

Michele Henson-D

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 35

POLITICS

Incumbent for Top Education Post Faces Former National PTA Prez

By Leah R. Harrison

Incumbent Republican Richard Woods is seeking a second term as state school superintendent. Otha E. Thornton, Jr., the Democrat challenging Woods for the job, transitioned from a highranking, decorated career in the military and government to education advocacy with the Parent Teacher Association.

Whoever is elected will oversee Georgia’s Department of Education, which monitors school performance and testing, assists schools lagging in meeting performance goals, and in the coming year, will put $9.9 billion in K-12 public education statewide.

The state school superintendent enforces the department’s regulations and laws governing schools that receive state aid and can make recommendations regarding public schools’ “welfare and efficiency,” as outlined in the Georgia Code.

Woods’ career in education began 30 years ago. He worked for two decades in various capacities within the Irwin County School System until his first run for the post in 2010.

He was voted the Irwin County high school teacher of the year by his peers in 1992. After 14 years as an elementary and high school teacher, Woods became an administrator, working in the Irwin County system for the next seven years as a principal, assistant principal, and K-5 curriculum director.

Thornton graduated from Morehouse College and achieved a master’s and honorary doctorate from Michigan Technological University before enlisting in the U.S. Army. During a 20-year

REPUBLICAN

DEMOCRAT

Supt. of Public Instruction

Supt. of Public Instruction

RICHARD WOODS

Kennesaw State University, Valdosta State University Incumbent seeking second term as state Supt. of Public Instruction

military career, Thornton served as a presidential communications officer and with the White House Communications Agency under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He received a Bronze Star for his logistics and communication work in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2009 to 2010.

After retiring as a lieutenant colonel, Thornton served on the Georgia Parent Teacher Association board from 2010 to 2015, and became the first male AfricanAmerican president of the National Parent Teacher Association from 2013 to 2015. From the state level to the U.S. Department of Education, Thornton has shaped education policy, including passage of Every Student Succeeds Act. Woods and Thornton appeared at a recent debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club. While they differed on sources for funding public education, they generally agreed on increasing pay for

OTHA THORNTON

Morehouse College First African American male President of the National Parent Teacher Association; Lt. Col., U.S. Army (ret.)

teachers, reducing the emphasis on standardized testing, and providing additional social and emotional support – known as “wrap-around services” – particularly for low-income students.

Woods and Thornton diverged on a couple of notable issues.

On the subject of school safety, Woods said that the decision whether to arm teachers should be made at the local level. Thornton considers arming teachers to be a bad idea.

They disagreed on the effect of the Student Scholarship Organization, which accepts and manages tax-credit donations funding scholarships for students to attend private school. The state legislature recently increased the cap on the tax breaks to $100 million from the previous $58 million.

At a Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education forum in August, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Woods voiced no opinion on the

increased cap for SSOs, while Thornton said that the program takes money out of the public schools and he would work to reverse the decision.

The AJC also reported that Thornton opposed the Republican-backed Opportunity Schools District amendment that was defeated by voters in the 2016 election. The program would have transferred oversight of “largely failing schools” to a new state agency, whose head would be appointed by, and answerable to the governor.

According to his Sept. 30 campaign finance report, Woods had raised about $24,000 in his re-election campaign, spent $17,700, and had about $6,300 available.

In his Sept. 30 report, Thornton reported raising more than $129,600 and spending more than $118,400, leaving about $11,470 on hand. ■

Got a Problem at the Polls?

If you experience a problem at the polls, here are a variety of contacts:

■ U.S. Justice Department voting rights hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line, 877-

267-8971)

■ Georgia Secretary of State office: local, 404-656-2871; toll free, 844-753-7825 ■ Georgia Secretary of State voter fraud hotline: 877-725-9797 ■ Georgia Democrats voter protection hotline: 888-730-5816

■ Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: 866-OUR-VOTE 36 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is partnering with Electionland, which describes itself as “a coalition of newsrooms around the country that are covering problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the 2018 elections.”

Contact information for Electionland:

■ SMS: Send the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) to 81380 (standard text

message rates apply).

■ WhatsApp: Send the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) to 1-850-909-8683.

■ Facebook Messenger: Go to m.me/electionland.

I have been proud to serve as your State Senator for District 6 for the past year.

This month, I was honored to march alongside The Temple and the greater Jewish community in the Atlanta Pride Parade.

As a person of faith, I am committed to protecting the rights of all Georgians no matter their religion, sexuality, or race.

Proud to stand with you, and honored to serve you.

- Jen

Paid for by Friends of Jen, Inc.

OCTOBER 26, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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ARTS Doc Is Self-Taught Wood Artist Dr. Ed Gerson was a ideas from Pinterest or phoyoungster in Columbus, tos. I created a copy of a faGeorgia, when his dad, who mous artwork by Damien owned rental property, said, Hirst to show the ease of “I don’t need to call a plumbduplicating something techer because there is nothing I nical – but silly. Note that I can’t learn on my own.” Latam not a fan of modern art. er, as a radiology resident in Boston, Gerson accumulated Jaffe: What things have his own tools like a radial you done of a Judaic nature?

Marcia arm saw and floor model Gerson: I was inspired drill press. “I like to have Caller Jaffe by the wooden ark in Contools at my own disposal in gregation B’nai Torah’s chaan onsite workshop, which, by the way, is pel. I was there for a minyan, and “my not neat.” light bulb went on” about its artistic Gerson’s projects are artistically value. I created an exact replica tzedaand technically crafted to showcase the kah box that currently sits in the chapel wood’s natural beauty. Trivets, cutting as my donation to the congregation. My boards, toys, puppet show stages, are new passion is tzedakah boxes created mostly limited by what he can find on from 1900 to 1920 metal dials from post the web. office boxes.

I used a silver Tanach [Bible] cover to Jaffe: Does your background as a create the tzedakah box on display at the physician feed your hobby?

Breman [Jewish] Home.

Gerson: Heck, no. Most doctors are afraid they will hurt their hands. The Jaffe: As a grandfather, what are truth is I am not very original. I get my some of your child-oriented projects?

Ed Gerson handmade this racetrack for his out-ofstate grandsons and had to assemble it twice.

The Gersons crafted the puppet show stage for grandchildren.

Gerson: I built three, 3-foot by 3-foot wooden flip-toy racetracks. Since two of my grandsons are in New York, I had to dissemble them to get on the plane and reassemble on site. I have a stamp that says: “Made especially for you by ZADIE.” For our local grandchildren I built (with my creative wife, Robyn) a Noah’s Ark puppet stage from foam board and colored duct tape.

Jaffe: What is your method?

Gerson: I start with very detailed diagrams. Then I select the wood. You can see my rows of walnut, maple, cherry, purple heart and padauk woods. Often there are beautiful surprises under rough wood. Things have to be kept dustfree and I use mineral oil for the cutting

boards. I like reclaiming junk used parts into new purposes.

I tailor-made a lively piano cutting board for a musicologist friend.

Jaffe: Are you paid for your work?

Gerson: There is no way I could profit based on the amount of hours in completing a project. I would be in my workshop 24/7 if it was up to me. I do it for relaxation!

Jaffe: What’s next?

Gerson: We have run out of storage space for any more cutting boards. I’m on to decorative and useful objects like cookbook holders and whatever seems like a fun project. ■

Ed Gerson in his workshop creates tzedakah boxes shown here from 1900 post office dials.

Intricate cutting boards created by Gerson.

40 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

COMMUNITY Emory’s Center for Israel Studies Celebrates 20 Years

By Bob Bahr Twenty years ago, Emory University’s Center for the Study of Modern Israel was founded by Kenneth Stein, professor of contemporary Middle Eastern history, political science and Israeli studies, because, as he puts it, “I couldn’t do it all by myself anymore.”

The center describes itself as an interdisciplinary department that does not confer degrees. It is said to be the oldest permanent Israel academic center in the United States.

In the past two decades it has brought 14 visiting scholars to Emory to teach about Israel, created recurring programs to educate high school teachers and students about Israel, sponsored study programs in Israel, and generously promoted the study and discussion of Israel in the local community.

Next week, Nov. 10-11, when the center formally celebrates its 20th anniversary, it will present a weekend of programming that is open to the public and a Saturday night fundraising dinner with Israeli singer, Aveva Dese.

We caught up with Stein to ask about plans for the anniversary celebration.

AJT: What makes this weekend so special?

Stein: Normally, when we go into a congregation or we go to an organization, we get to hear one, maybe two good speakers. I want to bring to the weekend a dozen.

We have a guy coming who for four years followed the money that Palestinian terrorist organizations were using to fund organizations. He’s going to tell us the whole story of how the Department of Treasury did it.

We have a guy coming who worked on Capitol Hill for 25 years for Congressman Ken Lantos. He’s going to talk about making American foreign policy toward the Middle East through the eyes of a congressional staffer who had to plan all the interviews that were necessary with specialists before ideas became laws.

We have a guy here who helped negotiate the Oslo accords in 1993. He knows more about negotiating with Yasser Arafat than any living Israeli. … He has some wonderful insights about how you negotiate with the Palestinians.

We’ll also talk about plans for one state, two state or three states.

I think those are the kind of things that you can’t read about in the New York Times, you can’t read about in a blog, you can’t get in Politico.

Kenneth Stein founded the Institute for the Study of Modern Israel at Emory University.

AJT: How difficult is the environment in the academic world today for someone like yourself who studies and teaches about Israel?

Stein: On other campuses is it difficult to sustain the study of modern Israel with academic rigor and honesty and integrity? Yes, it is.

And I think that’s because the classroom has become not just on Middle Eastern issues, the classroom has become a podium for preaching and not necessarily a podium for teaching. There is a greater tendency now for academics to believe that they can use their time in front of the classroom to pronounce their point of view as if somehow their point of view is more important than someone else’s.

I don’t think it’s my duty or responsibility to be paid by someone’s tuition so that I can spout to them what my political beliefs are. I want someone to understand how Israel came into being. How did the Jews do it? Why is it important?

Why is it important for American foreign policy? What are Israel’s pitfalls? What are the things that are unfinished? What can Israel still do to make its society better for its own citizens?

AJT: Last week the president of Israel spoke to the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Tel Aviv and suggested that we must increase the exposure of young Israelis to U.S. schools, camps and so forth—- a kind of reverse Birthright. What do you think?

Stein: About half the Jews in the world are within the United States and half in Israel. There are major distinctions between Israeli Jews and American Jews. The distinctions are about how they view security and how they view religious identity, how they view access to the Wall.

Israeli singer Aveva Dese is the featured performer at the institute’s gala dinner Saturday, Nov. 10.

The Institute for the Study of Modern Israel celebrates its 20th anniversary Nov. 10-11.

Those are big differences and create big cleavages. But knowledge of the other I think is important if we’re to stay together as one tribe but many minyans.

I think there is a danger, to be honest, if the American Jewish world and the Israeli Jewish world dismiss the other.

We’re much stronger when we’re together. Maybe we only come together in times of crisis. But knowing the differences of

the other allows us to be a lot more accommodating and may make us reduce the volume of our rhetoric and the frequency and the shrillness of our criticism of others. ■ For more information or to register for the Emory Center for the Study of Modern Israel weekend, visit www.ismi.emory.edu or call 404-727-2798.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 41

COMMUNITY

MACoM’s Barbara LeNoble is greeted by a stilt walker.

Rabbi Adam Starr with the JFF rabbinic advisory committee.

Elie Engler, Dr. Daniel Shapiro and Elana Frank at the 2018 Jewish Fertility Foundation’s first gala event.

Atlantans Choose Life at JFF Gala More than 450 attendees chose Life on Oct. 28 and celebrated at Jewish Fertility Foundation’s first gala FUN-draiser, “Carnival for a Cause,” at The Fairmont.

It was a particularly difficult time for the Atlanta Jewish community, so soon after the Tree of Life Synagogue tragedy. During the evening’s program, Rabbi Adam Starr of Young Israel of Toco Hills requested a moment of reflection, along-

side the other members of JFF’s rabbinic advisory committee, and explained, “If we don’t celebrate tonight we have let hate, death and anti-Semitism win. In the face of this horrific loss of Jewish life, we have chosen to celebrate new Jewish life that will be brought into the world due to the unbelievable work of JFF.” Elana Frank, JFF executive director and founder, spoke about JFF’s goal

of creating life. “Most of us can express only words to describe the desire, want or need to conceive a child. And when those suffering from infertility see only a barren desert within our bodies and minds, a very select few can actually help turn that desert into an oasis,” she said.

At the gala, JFF honored Dr. Danny Shapiro for his contributions to the infertility community. Dr. Shapiro served

as JFF’s medical committee chair since its “conception” and has been an integral part of JFF, advising and assisting with its growth.

JFF raised $145,000 in ticket sales, sponsorships and auction proceeds. The funds will help JFF’s services expand and reach more individuals who dream of having a family and need financial and emotional support. ■

The Shabbat Project's Challah Bake Unites the World In honor of the global Shabbat Project movement this past weekend, 900 women from across the Atlanta area attended the Great Big Challah Bake Oct. 25 at the Marcus JCC. Not too far away, members of Congregation Beth Tefillah sponsored a weekend of learning, eating and prayer. A Friday night dinner attracted 275 and more than 300 attended a kiddush lunch. There were also guest speakers and a Havdalah service The Shabbat Project is a global movement that brings Jews together from around the world to keep a single Shabbat together, regardless of religious denomination, political persuasion, age or lifestyle. Introduced in South Africa in 2013 by its Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, the Shabbat Project is an effort to display the power of Shabbat celebration in promoting Jewish unity.

This year’s participants were encouraged to follow the theme of “Stop Doing, Start Being,” and take the opportunity to 42 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Getting spirited at the Challah Bake in Bogotá, Colombia, are, from left: Sigal Harf, Arielle Brandwayn, and Yaffa Harf.

devote time to being in the moment for one Shabbat.

“The reality is that in our modern

age, as a result of the lives we live and lifestyle choices we make, we end up not having the time or the emotional space to

devote attention to the things that really matter – personal growth, our families and relationships, our spiritual well-being,” said Goldstein, who is founder and director of the Shabbat Project.

“Shabbat gives us that time and that space, and the results of that can be truly transformative.”

While that Atlanta challah bake took place in Dunwoody, relatives of an AJT staffer from a thriving Jewish community in Bogotá, Colombia, shared the experience of a Great Big Challah Bake too.

At Beth Tefillah, the Jewish community participated in the international Shabbat Project.

“Together with Jewish communities worldwide, we joined in what has now become a global movement to celebrate Shabbat together as a community,” said Brian Gordon, chair of the Beth Tefillah Shabbat Project. “Since my wife and I are from South Africa, I felt excited to spearhead this project in my own community

COMMUNITY

Great Big Challah Bake Oct. 25 at the Marcus JCC

with the support of Rabbi Yossi New and a group of volunteers.”

Rabbi Karmi Ingber, of The Kehilla in Sandy Springs, led a Kabbalat Shabbat service with vibrant singing and dancing. Guest speaker Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, who has built a large community in Scottsdale, Ariz., and was previously Beth Tefillah youth director, captivated those present with his talk on “The new anti-Semitism,” a topic that later became painfully real with the news of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre.

On Shabbat, the kiddush lunch was sponsored by community members and Jewish institutions including Atlanta Jewish Academy, Chaya Mushka Children’s House and The Weber School.

Rabbi Allouche spoke about “The Jewish Soul and the Afterlife,” tackling a spiritual topic with passion and fervor.

His final talk was titled, ‘The Jewish perspective of love, marriage and relationships,” about the Jewish view on intimate relationships. As Shabbat neared an end, four middle school students addressed those gathered, showing the power of Jewish education and youth. Immediately following Shabbat, everyone’s worst fears were confirmed with the news of the Pittsburgh shooting. The Shabbat Project ended at Beth Tefillah with a Havdalah service at The Kehilla. ■

Lynn and Brian Gordon, Bobbi Livnat and Diane Bland, as well as children who delivered words of Torah at the Shabbat Project.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 43

CALENDAR CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Shabbat Yoga – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Join Andrea Jaron, certified yoga instructor, in the Beth Shalom chapel for an hour of yoga. Bring your yoga mat, a towel and water. All are welcome to join the main service in their yoga attire at 10:15 a.m. Free. For more information, www.bethshalom.net/.

Chabad of Toco Hills Presents: World History by a Jew – Torah Day School of Atlanta, 1985 Lavista Road NE, Atlanta, from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.

The topic this week is “The Ancient Middle East in the Time of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob,” by Seth Fleishman.

Free. For more information, www.bit. ly/2MovDV0.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4

Blood Drive at AA to Help the Victims of Hurricane Michael – Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Atlanta, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code JWV. For more information, contact Gail Solomon at gailsol@ gmail.com or 404-351-1900

Beth Shalom & ORT Atlanta’s 3rd Annual Mahjong Madness Tournament – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, 9:30 a.m. Twelve fun tournament style games, catered lunch and more. $36 per person. For more information, www.bit.ly/2J5dman or call Carol Helene Urbaitel, 770-399-5300, or Carol Millman, 770-403-0443.

44 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Chayei Sarah Friday, November 2, 2018, light candles at 6:26 p.m.

Saturday, November 3, 2018, Shabbat ends at 7:21 p.m.

Toldot Friday, November 9, 2018, light candles at 5:20 p.m.

Saturday, November 10, 2018, Shabbat ends at 6:16 p.m.

Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. A Gripping Evening with Dr. Efraim Zuroff, chief Nazi-hunter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. This Nazi hunter details his commitment to bringing Holocaust perpetrators before prosecutors. $18 per ticket, www. chabadintown.org/.

call Robert Max 770-403-4278 or Barry Benator 404-395-8065.

THURS., NOV. 8 – SUN., NOV. 18

ORTBuy – Online, from Thursday, Nov.

Zumbini®: No Way Jose! – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 10 to 11 a.m. Created by Zumba® and BabyFirst for children through age 4.

This six-week program combines music, dance and educational tools for bonding and learning. $115 for members, $140 for non-members. For more information, www.bit.ly/2OvywUj.

Israel Series with Rich Walter – “Growing Pains: Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews During Israel’s First Decade” – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Join Rich Walter, vice president of curriculum and outreach at the Center for Israel Education, for a series of presentations on topics of Israeli life and history this fall. All are welcome. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2OxuOtY.

Izzy Ezagui, “Disarmed” & Ziv Koren, “Snapshot” – 27th Book Festival of the MJCCA, Sponsored by Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, 3:30 p.m. In Conversation with Michael Morris, owner and publisher, Atlanta Jewish Times; past president, FIDF. $15 for members, $20 for the community. For more information, www.bit. ly/2pZDFpU.

Tager Music Series Presents: Atlanta Celli – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 2 to 4 p.m. An eclectic concert featuring Atlanta Celli, a group of four classically-trained cellists who enjoy performing the intricacies of classical music, but are just as likely to be found playing rock and pop songs as well as their own original works. $5 per person. For more information, www.shearithisrael.com/.

Atlanta Jewish War Veterans Presents: Flags at the Jewish Cemeteries to Remember our Veterans – Crest Lawn Memorial Park, 2000 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta, from 10 to 11 a.m. Flags will be placed on the graves of Jewish veterans in honor of the upcoming Veterans Day Weekend.

All are invited to join in this twice-ayear event. Free. For more information,

8, at 8 a.m. through Sunday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. ORT’s annual online auction of the top goods, restaurants and services in Atlanta and trips around the world.

Sign on, buy great gifts and give back to education, www.biddingforgood. com/ortbuy.

Lunchtime Culture: Puppetry & Acting – Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, from 12 to 1 p.m. Alliance Theatre actor and Center for Puppetry Arts puppeteer, Jake Krakovsky, will show us what it takes, on and off the stage, to bring puppets and characters to life. Free and open to the public. For more information, www.bit. ly/2z303Ta.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Acoustic Shabbat Café – Dunwoody

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Seeking Final Justice: Tales of a Nazi Hunter – Chabad Intown, 928

– Alon’s Bakery & Market, 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, from 7 to 9 p.m. Join Rabbi Glusman, Drew Cohen and teen musicians from The Weber School for an evening of music and Shabbat prayers. Food and wine available for purchase. This interactive

NOVEMBER 3-11 Shabbat-themed experience is sponsored by Atlanta Jewish Music Festival and The Weber School. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2nVTxbJ.

with SOJOURN is a celebration and exploration of gender and sexual identity rooted in an uplifting, highly participatory live performance. For more information, www.bit.ly/2PTbAvE.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Joe Lieberman, “With Liberty and Justice” with Matt Lieberman, “Lucius” – The 27th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA, sponsored by At-

Shabbat in the Park – November Garden Hills Recreation Center, 335 Pine Tree Drive NE, Atlanta, from 7 to 10 p.m. Join MJCCA Young Adults and Moishe House Buckhead for a free monthly Shabbat dinner for young adults in the heart of Buckhead. Street parking will be available. This program is limited to the first 40 people to RSVP. Free and open to the community. For more information, www.bit.ly/2yZlvIY.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Temple Sinai Atlanta 50th Anniversary Gala – 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, from 7 to 11 p.m. Celebrate Temple Sinai’s 50th Anniversary, “Through the Decades,” with an evening of dining, dancing and fun. $180 per person, $100 for young adults ages 32 and under. Cocktail attire. For more information, contact Dawn Painter, development and campaign director at 404-252-3073, ext. 330 or dpainter@ templesinaiatlanta.org.

SAT., NOV. 10 – SUN., NOV. 11

ISMI’s 20th Anniversary Celebration – JW Marriott Buckhead, 3300 Lenox Road NE, Atlanta, from Saturday, Nov. 10 at 8 a.m. to Sunday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. 20th anniversary celebration of the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel. Partake in learning from talented practitioners and scholars across the globe and enjoy a musical performance by Ethiopian-Israeli singer and songwriter Aveva Dese, while dining on delectable Israeli cuisine. Study sessions $18 per ticket. For more information, www.ismi.emory. edu/home/index.html.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Zumbini®: No Way Jose! – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 10 to 11 a.m. Created by Zumba® and BabyFirst for children through age 4.

This six-week program combines music, dance and educational tools for bonding and learning. $115 for members, $140 for non-members. For more information, www.bit.ly/2OvywUj.

lanta Jewish Times – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, 8:15 p.m. Former U.S. senator Joe Lieberman and his son, Matt Lieberman, discuss their books. $18 for members, $25 for the community. For more information and to purchase tickets, www.bit.ly/2yky2ag.

caust. The Breman Museum is pleased to offer free admission to the Bearing Witness series through a generous grant from the Sara Giles Moore Foundation. For more information, www. bit.ly/2CJcZmv.

Beth Shalom Mini Movie Festival “Run Boy Run” – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 7 to 9 p.m. The tale of an 8-year old boy who escapes the Warsaw Ghetto and for three years

survives on his own in Nazi-occupied Poland could easy defy belief, if the survivor were not still alive and ready to document and detail his experiences.

Free. For more information, w w w. b i t . ly/2CD09V1. ■

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

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. Please contact community liaison, Jen Evans, for more information at jen@atljewishtimes.com.

Israel Series with Rich Walter – “The Russian and Ethiopian Aliyot and Their Impact on Israeli Society” – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 10 to 11:30a.m. Join Rich Walter, vice president of curriculum and outreach at the Center for Israel Education, for a series of presentations on topics of Israeli life and history this fall. All are welcome.

Free. For more information, www.bit. ly/2OxuOtY.

SOJOURN in Concert: Chana Rothman – elementATL, 691 John Wesley

Bearing Witness Featuring Henry Briney (Germany) – William Bre-

Dobbs Ave. NE, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Chana’s unique blend of folk, world beat and hip-hop combines with thoughtful lyrics that stimulate consciousness and change. Her focus

man Jewish Heritage Museum, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from 2 to 5 p.m.

This series features Holocaust survivors, all Atlanta residents, who recall their experiences during the HoloATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 45

COMMUNITY SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

Birth Announcement

Sophie Jean Rabinowitz

Heather and Adam Rabinowitz of Atlanta are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Sophie Jean, on Aug. 24, 2018. Grandparents are Lisa and Hal Rabinowitz of Atlanta and Martha and Bill Paull of Columbus, Ga. Great-grandmother is Rachel Galanti of Atlanta. Sophie is named for greatgrandmothers, of blessed memory, Sonya (Tziporah) Rabinowitz and Jean Thorne.

Eva Muriel Bledsoe

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Get the AJT for the rest of 2018 for only $0.99 with this special introductory offer.

Roger and Amy Bledsoe of Atlanta are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Eva Muriel Bledsoe, born on Oct. 9, 2018. Weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces and measuring 20 3/4 inches long, Eva is happy and healthy and already adored by many.

Proud grandparents Rick and Joan Blumenfeld of Sandy Springs and David and Robin Bledsoe of Roswell are delighted with the newest family addition. Eva is also lucky to be loved by aunts and uncles Dennis Blumenfeld, Tommy Bledsoe, Gabe and Dave Howard, and Joanna and Idan Bidani.

Eva, a derivative of Eve, comes from the Hebrew meaning “life.” Eva is also named after her maternal great grandmother, Muriel. It is the family’s hope that she will follow in the footsteps of the influential women and men who paved the road before her by making the world a better place.

Mazel Tov

Dovid Berendt

Dovid Berendt has been named a Commended Student by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. He placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who took the PSAT in 2017. Dovid is a student at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael of Atlanta.

B’nai Mitzvah

■ Nolan Blake Alexander, son of Pamela and Michael Alexander on Oct. 27.

■ Alec James Hutchinson, son of Lesley Miller Hutchinson and Richard Hutchinson on Oct. 27.

■ Matthew Samuel Kramer, son of Jennifer and Michael Kramer on Oct. 27. ■

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Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ...

Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements.

Email them to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

COMMUNITY OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM... n at my Dear Rachel, ell until I sat dow ed break. w tly ec rf pe g in My day was go n table for coffee and a welcom igeratche r refr friend Naomi’s ki about, my eyes wandered to he es of her ed ur er admiring pict While she putt yself smiling and I saw IT and my eyes grew m d un fo I d an r, to s stages. And then children at variou as maracquaintance, w rcle, d wide. an nd ie fr e m Sheila, my long-ti nted, I’m not inside her closest ci mcha. r si Gra rying off her son. cted to receive an invitation to hed think pe u’ but I certainly ex know someone for 20 years, yo e it was u er After all, when yo share their joy with you! Yet, th t mine to Bu t ! an ng di they would w n to her son’s wed tio ta vi in e th – in plain view hadn’t come… al tone. n did it I aimed for a casu is beautiful,” I murmured. “Whe n “Sheila’s invitatio re you going?” come?” i replied glibly. “A e lump in my m ao N ” o, ag ys ing over th “Oh, a few da honestly, swallow “I’d like to,” I said k my calendar.” itely have to chec throat. “I’ll have e I wasn’t invited, I will most defin Especially sinc site me, ed up. something else lin ings?” Naomi plopped down oppo ok sips.

“So, how are th ming mugs and to ice quivered, and I ea st r ou ed pp cu vo y and we ing much new.” M “Good, good, noth al feelings were transparent. scer ard, her wondered if my vi some news.” Naomi leaned forw ve ha “Well, I do y saying, because m I as w e eyes sparkling. sh t ha w on s r am I struggled to focuHad the invitation gotten lost? O l. oi rm tu in mind was e? really unwelcom , ed gn Si sulted Uninvited and In

Jewish Joke of the Week

Dear Uninvited and Insulted, What a tough dilemma!

If you are 99 percent sure that the omission was a mistake, then you could easily approach Sheila and just tell her, “My invitation never came, but I’m really looking forward to sharing in your simcha. Would you mind giving me another one?”

End of story.

However, doubts are invading your thoughts, and you’re simply not sure. There are probably many possibilities that are flickering in your mind’s eye: is she scrimping on money and doing her best to minimize the guest list? Or did the invitation get lost?

And if it’s the fault of our postal service, Sheila will be hurt if you simply don’t show up! Yes, there are some people who check back with those who didn’t respond so they can give the caterer an accurate count. But not everyone does that. If you were certain that would happen, your issue could be resolved if she calls you.

As most of you probably know by now, I typically advocate for honest communication. Overall, I believe it’s a healthier way to go and really builds relationships.

However, in this case, I feel differently. A direct confrontation can push Sheila into an unenviable position. What if she did have to cut corners on her guest list? Then, if you tell her your invitation got lost, she’ll feel compelled to invite you.

So, how can you get to the bottom of this? Would you consider approaching a close friend of Sheila’s and asking if she knows whether Sheila had to cut financial corners? If she responds that everyone and their third cousin are invited to this wedding, then I believe you can rely on your longstanding friendship and tell Sheila that your invitation didn’t arrive. She’ll be so happy you let her know! But if you hear that they are struggling, I would recommend silence.

Then the question segues: How do you maintain your friendship with Sheila and not allow the insult to fester?

That’s a tough one. Where to start? Can you try to put yourself in Sheila’s position, assuming the money is simply not there, and intuit her predicament? Can you muster up joy for her and truly be happy for her milestone even though you won’t be a guest at her wedding? Isn’t that what true friendship is all about – altruistic giving without wondering, “What’s in it for me?”

I’m not saying it’s easy. Rejection is painful. And yet, as we climb the mountains of life, we hope to strengthen our muscles and grow into champions of strength, endurance, resilience and love.

Best of luck, Rachel Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column Got a problem? Email Rachel Stein at oyvey@atljewishtimes.com, describing your problem in 250 words or less. We want to hear from you and get helpful suggestions for your situation at the same time! Identifying details will be changed upon request.

Watch that door!

Hymie, a wealthy American, retires to England and buys a fabulous English country home with over 50 rooms. He brings in a local workman to decorate the place.

When the job is finished, Hymie is delighted, but soon after realizes that he’s forgotten something. There are no mezuzahs on the doors.

He immediately goes out and buys 50 kosher mezuzot and asks the decorator to place them on the right-hand side of each door except on the bathrooms.

He’s worried that the decorator won’t put them up correctly.

However, the job is carried out entirely to his satisfaction and so he gives the workman an extra bonus. As the decorator is walking out of the door he says, “Glad you’re happy with the job mate. By the way, I took out all the guarantees that were in those little boxes and left them on the table for you.”

Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com

Yiddish Word of the Week a gróyse metsíe A Gróyse Metsíe! – !‫א גרויסע מציאה‬: “Big deal!” Literally "a great find, a bargain.”

Composed of gróyse ‫גרויסע‬, from the German adjective “gross” big, large, and metsíe ‫מציאה‬, from the Hebrew noun ‫יאה‬ ָ ִ‫ ְמצ‬metsi’áh, a find. While sometimes used earnestly for something of an exceptionally good value (particularly in the negative: “He’s not such a gróyse metsíe”), the expression is heard more often facetiously, to depreciate people or things.

“Yéntel, have you heard the news? My Mótel has got a new job: he launders shirts for Reb Léyzer the Gvir*!”

“A gróyse metsíe, Ésterke! My Shmérl launders his money…” *Gvir ‫גביר‬, from Hebrew: a rich man.

Rabbi Joab Eichenberg-Eilon, PhD, teaches Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies, eTeacher Group Ltd. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 47

BRAIN FOOD Movember By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Easy 1

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ACROSS 1. Huff and puff 5. Holy Land carrier 11. “The Amazing Race” network 14. Talmudic measurement 15. Celebration, in Mexico 16. Color 17. Classic animated character created by Friz Freleng 19. A pint, maybe 20. Israel, as of 1948 21. Jewish calendar end 22. Kosher keepers don’t mix it with meat 23. Modern address 25. “Shalom!”

27. “The Great Dictator” director 34. Cheerios grain 35. Austen novel 36. Overhauled 38. Some GI honorees 40. Notable 2006 cinematic Anti-Semite 43. Japanese drink (var.)

44. Note above A 46. “___ little harder” 48. “King Kong” film studio 49. 1921 Noble Prize winner in physics 53. Parsha between Eikev and Shofetim 54. Biblical verb ending

55. The Old City 58. Rainbows, e.g.

61. “Going ___” (Palin book) 65. Mock, in a way 66. “Duck Soup” star 68. Blemish 69. Security system part 70. Fishing, perhaps 71. Two-___ tissue 72. Experts 73. “Prado” handbag, e.g.

27. Howie Mandel doesn’t need one 28. City near Mt. Carmel 29. In the least 30. Genre of Joe Trohman’s Fall Out Boy 31. Garcon’s list 32. “Do ___ to eat a peach?”

(Eliot) 33. Haley who stands up for Israel at the United Nations 37. Singer Celine 39. Israeli 41. “Exodus” hero 42. Actress Daly 45. Casual attire 47. The Jetsons’ dog 50. Brought up 51. Solomon had a spectacular one to sit on 52. First name of Woodrow Wilson 55. Alternative to steps 56. Aussie gem export 57. Exceedingly 59. On the ___ 60. Northern Brit 62. Wound 63. Renal product 64. Test 66. Fed. construction overseer 67. Store time posting: Abbr.

DOWN 1. Is worthwhile 2. Plural of 14-Across 3. Org. in “The Martian” 4. Rav Yaakov Ben Asher 5. Start of a line from Tevye 6. Locate 7. Rod’s companion 8. Per se 9. Home of the Venezia ghetto 10. Isaac’s altar replacement 11. Word on a necklace 12. Animal in a Wall Street sculpture 13. Hunt for 18. Country music singer Haggard 22. Backyard burrowers 24. Arm or leg, e.g.

26. Mth. for Passover

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1

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14

E

2

E

A

5

G O D

F

E

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N

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33

C

B

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A

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M Y

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29

24

A

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56

K

61

R 57

I

A

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37

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41

38

G

53

T

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R O

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63 66

take land in the 1,000-plot tract. The tract is part of a new Star of David section.

■ Susan and Jeff Rosengarten of Sandy Springs announce the birth of a son, Zachary Adam, on Oct. 25. Zachary has three siblings, Alex, 3, Lori, 8, and Harold, 11. Grandparents are Frances and Arthur Robbins of Atlanta, and Lois and Nat Gurvitch of Bal Harbour, Fla., and Deal, N.J., and the late Harold G. Rosengarten.

Remember When 15 Years Ago // October 31, 2003 ■ The Atlanta Jewish Book Festival at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta celebrated its 12th year. At the festival, some $200,000 worth of books were available. The previous year, according to co-chair Hope Green, Leonard Nimoy sent an email to the organizers to say how impressed he was both with the Atlanta JCC and how well he was treated.

■ The bar mitzvah of Daniel Matthew Wangel of Peachtree City was held Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003, at The Temple. Daniel is the son of Bob and Pam Wangel. He has a sister, Wesleigh, 15.

48 | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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25 Years Ago // October 29, 1993 ■ Rabbi Harvey Winokur, spiritual leader of Temple Kehillat Chaim, dedicated an acre of land at Green Lawn Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 17. Temple Kehillat Chaim was the first congregation to

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Leonard Nimoy, who spoke at the Jewish Book Festival, sent a followup email thanking the organizers.

50 Years Ago // November 1, 1968 ■ On Saturday, Nov. 2, the Atlanta Chapter of Hadassah held its annual Donor Dinner with guest speaker Dr. Howard Sachar. Dr. Sachar was a professor of European and Near Eastern History at George Washington University and served formerly as founder and director of Brandeis University Jacob Hiatt Institute in Israel.

■ The bar mitzvah of David Benjamin Saffan was held at 9 a.m. on Nov. 2, 1968 at Or Veshalom Synagogue. David is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Saffan.

OBITUARIES

Jennifer Sue Cohen 58, Marietta

Jennifer Sue Cohen, 58, born May 12, 1960, passed away peacefully in her sleep Oct. 26, 2018 in Marietta, Ga. after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Jenni was born and raised in Orlando, Fla., and was a resident of St. Petersburg, Fla., who recently moved to Atlanta, Ga., to be with family. Jenni lived life the way she wanted, independent, empowered, and a rebel with a cause. She was a frontline advocate for women, the poor, and the LGBTQ community. She always was a caretaker to many friends, strangers, and animals when they were in need. She fought until the end and we will miss her greatly.

She is survived by her father, Meredith Cohen; her siblings: Robert (Karen), Wendy, and Art (Liz) Cohen; her nieces and nephews: Ashley (Daniel) Cavallo, Ben (Abi) Cohen, and Isaac and Sam Cohen; and her grandnephew and grandniece, Lawson and Olivia Cavallo.

Jenni’s final months were made special by the love and support of her family, friends and colleagues. In her final days, she was surrounded by family and loved ones, as well as by the caring members of the Weinstein Hospice team. Also, thank you to Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care for making these hard times that much easier. Thank you for all of your support and good wishes. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to National Organization of Women in Sarasota/Manatee, Florida (P.O. Box 2125, Venice, FL 34284), or to your favorite charity. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care 770-451-4999.

Sign online guest book at www.edressler.com.

Sandra Roth Horowitz 85, Atlanta

Sandra Roth Horowitz, 85, passed away Oct. 24, 2018. She was born on June 28, 1933, 24 minutes after her twin sister, Lois, in Albany, N.Y. to Judah Leonard and Dorothy Roth, of blessed memory. She moved to Birmingham and then Mobile, Ala. She and Lois moved to Atlanta, where she worked at WAKE radio station and met her husband, Jack Horowitz.

She was a long-time member of Congregation Beth Jacob. Dementia may have robbed her memory, but it never robbed her sense of humor or kindness. Sandra loved her scotch and football. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Horowitz, of blessed memory.

She will be missed by many: her children, Stephen and Eileen Horowitz of Marietta and Dana Horowitz and Avram Kluger of Ann Arbor; her sister, Lois Berch; and her grandchildren whom she adored, Dalit, Hadas and Elan Kluger and Alex Horowitz.

She will be remembered as a wonderful friend and for her commitment to family and making amazing Shabbat dinners. The family wishes to thank everyone at Arbor Terrace of East Cobb who created a wonderful home to Sandra for the last four years. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the charity of your choice. The funeral was Oct. 25, 2018 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999. Sign online guest book at www.edressler.com.

Julia Habib Soriano 88, Atlanta

Julia Habib Soriano, 88, an Atlanta native, died unexpectedly Oct. 10, 2018. She was the daughter of Juana and Haim Habib and was the youngest of five children. She graduated from Commercial High School in Atlanta and then worked as an executive secretary at Rich’s Department Store before marrying and raising her four children. She was a past president of the Sisterhood at Congregation Or VeShalom. She was also a life member of Hadassah and was a volunteer driver for DART. She was an excellent cook of Sephardic food and was a regular participant at Tuesday baking with the Sisterhood at OVS. Julia was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Joe Soriano; parents; sisters, Esther Benbenisty and Rachel Habib; brother, Morris Habib; and grandsons, Joseph Soriano and Jared Seligson.

Survivors include her children, Morris (Sherri) Soriano, Shelley (Neil) Cooper, Janet (Michael) Seligson and Howard (Jodi) Soriano; grandchildren, Julie (Stephen) Loftis, Lauren Soriano, Andrea (Matthew) Oppenheimer, Jason (Melissa) Cooper, Jenna (Matt Hagen) Cooper, Elena Seligson, Justin Seligson, Joni Seligson, and Julia Soriano; greatgrandchildren, Jordan Loftis, Madison Loftis, Noam Cooper and Davis Oppenheimer; and sister Rose Beton. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom, the Joseph Soriano Scholarship Fund at The Weber School, or the Jared Seligson Fund benefiting the CICU at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. A graveside service was held Oct. 12, 2018 at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta 770- 451-4999. Sign online guest book at www.edressler.com ■ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | 49

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One Pot Magic The time for his arrival Mom used one pot. A was nearing. Soon the doorthoughtful way of spending bell would ring. less time washing pots, and This would be the true not using up too much hot test of his love. water.

My future hung in the In the black and white balance. A future to include oval pot, virtually all meats “Yes, we are,” or “No we are were prepared. Chicken innot,” or, even worse, “Are cluded. Steak, lamb chops you kidding me?” and hamburgers were The doorbell rings and Shaindle spared this embarrassment. one of my sisters runs to an- Schmuckler On any given Friday swer. Flowers in hand, there Shaindle’s Shpiel night, Shabbat dinner could before her stands the man include chicken, potatoes who would one day be her brother-in- and brisket. Canned veggies were prelaw. He’s come for dinner, his first experi- pared in a separate, small white pot ence with my mom’s (z”l) cooking. with red trim. Chicken soup had its own Let me just say, I have tasted his "pot for the soup" pot. There were some mom’s cooking and baking. Although not Shabbat meals that included gefilte fish gourmet, her cooking was solid, delicious or chopped liver. Nothing tasted bad. Evcomfort food. Always yummy. Although erything had a lovely taste. It’s just that she used as many pots as necessary to everything tasted the same. guarantee individual flavors, her kitchen When my dad (z”l) complained was always spotless. about his beloved’s cooking, he would Mom’s kitchen was also spotless. say: “I bring home the best, top of the line You could eat off her floors, however, no meat, and I can’t tell what I am eating.” one ever did. The differences between the My father was a kosher butcher. He two moms' cooking? The number of pots adored my mother. He ate everything. used in the creative process. Taste, being On this auspicious occasion, when the other difference. their future son-in-law sat down at our

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He was ready to devour a meal.

He was, and is, tall. A cross country runner and swimmer, he was "slim."

Mom called him a lahngeh lucksh. A long skinny pasta/spaghetti. She found a new goal – fatten him up a little with her food.

This did not happen.

He ate what he could, which was very little, enough to be a respectful guest. Both my mom and dad could not believe how little this lahngeh lucksh would eat. No wonder he is so skinny.

After dinner, we went for a walk. After several attempts, he finally admitted he just did not really like my mom’s cooking. Yes, he was a bit embarrassed, however, he did get points for honesty.

My heart was happy.

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Would you believe he came up with a brilliant excuse for his limited appetite?

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“It takes almost three hours to get here, so I eat at home, saving just enough space for your mother’s cooking.”

I would not swear to it, but is the black and white pot my mom used the forerunner to the crock pot? Hmmm? ■

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