Atlanta Jewish Times No 32

a beautiful new voice in dunwoody PAGE 24

atlanta

methodists buying shirley blumenthal

seth green “geeks” stan lee PAGE 20

PAGE 22

AUGUST 9, 2013 – AUGUST 15, 2013

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

VISIT OUR NEW

WEBSITE & like US ON

3 elul – 9 ELUL 5773 vOL. LXXXVIII NO. 32

THE Weekly Newspaper Uniting the Jewish Community for Over 85 Years

JAY ABT

LAWYER INVOLVED IN SNEIDERMAN CASE BLASTS D.A. ROBERT JAMES Pages 12-13

Cecil Alexander 1918-2013 Pages 18-19

It’s the Hebrew Month of ELUL and Time to Prepare!

PAGE 10

Comm nity High Holiday Services

It’s just not the same without

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

High Holiday Interactive Services for the Jewish Community

2

Rosh Hashana: September 5 & 6, 2013 at 10:30am Yom Kippur: September 14 at 10:30am Children’s programming available

Tickets and information at www.bethtefillah.org or call (404) 843-2464 x104

Chabad Beth Tefillah 5065 High Point Road, Atlanta 30342

AJT

israel

Israeli Pride

GOOD NEWS MADE IN THE JEWISH STATE THIS PAST WEEK ISRAEL BEATS FLU VIRUS. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that flu viruses (including deadly strains) use the protein neuraminidase to disable the body’s natural killer (NK) cells. They managed to inhibit the protein and thus bolster the NK cells ability to fight the viruses.

JERUSALEM CELEBRATES BEER. The two-day Jerusalem Beer Festival kicked off Aug. 7 in Independence Park with 120 beers, street shows, live bands and other great attractions. Celebrating its ninth year as a festival, the event will feature beers from all the big names in brewing as well as smaller boutique operations.

FIX FOR EPIDURAL INACCURACY. The method of applying epidural injections hasn’t changed for 100 years. The skill of the doctor is vital, as failure rates are unfortunately high, at up to 30 percent; in addition to frequent complications.

But Israel’s Omeq Medical’s sensorbased system guides the doctor to the exact spot. Over 20 million epidurals are given each year in the U.S. alone.

RADIO HOST MAKES ALIYA. Several years ago, radio station Kol Cambridge blasted out Israeli and Jewish music to Cambridge students in the UK and local residents.

The radio presenter, Antithesis, has since made Aliya and the station will shortly be operating from Tel Aviv.

NEWS 24 HOURS A DAY. A new Israeli TV station is now on the air. i24news, based in Jaffa, is the first

TV channel dedicated to reporting international news from an Israeli point of view. It broadcasts world news for 70 percent of the broadcast and Israeli news for 30 percent and is available in English, Arabic and French via satellite, cable and live streaming on their website.

This list courtesy Michael Ordman and verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot. com.

INVENTION RESCUES MINER. A police interpreter was lowered into a South African mine using an instant harness from Israel’s Agilite.

The interpreter gave instructions to trapped miners. The rescuer later tweeted his praise for the Israeli device and recommended it to all rescue personnel.

FORGING NEW RELATIONSHIPS. Gov. Jack A. Markell said he and his delegation of Delaware entrepreneurs and business leaders aim to explore ways for Israel and Delaware to strengthen ties and forge new relationships. Thousands of Israeli-based businesses are already incorporated in Delaware.

PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL. The 22nd International Puppet Theater Festival in Jerusalem will stage over 125 performances – the largest puppet event in Israel’s history. The main themes this year are the Far East and trains. The Royal Thai Embassy is sponsoring the highlight performance “Lunar Eclipse”.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

FARMERS ATTEND SEMINAR. Sixty Gaza farmers attended an agricultural seminar in northern Israel.

They completed workshops on cultivation methods, planting schedules, soil preparation, irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides. Israeli watermelon seeds purchased last year doubled the farmers’ yield.

3

AJT

from our readers

No Winners in the Sneiderman Affair To the Editor:

I

read the article (AJT, Aug. 2, 1012) asking readers not to prejudge Andrea Sneiderman. I know neither Ms. Sneiderman nor the author but the author’s dedication to her friend in both the print and electronic media is admirable at one level.

Who among us would not want to have a friend speak on our behalf in our hour of public vulnerability and vilification? My sense, however, is that the author’s perspective is incomplete for several reasons:

• The reality is that the jurors, not those of us in the general population, will determine her guilt or innocence. In fact, the jurors deciding Ms. Sneiderman’s fate will likely not be allowed to see the author’s column to assure a fair trial.

• The Court of Public Opinion rarely issues a reversal on appeal. Rather, to borrow from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, “the moving finger having writ, moves on.”

• This trial marks merely the end of the criminal stage. The prosecution knew that it could not make a convincing case for murder so

that is a “victory” of sorts for Ms. Sneiderman. At the same time, crushing, acrimonious civil litigation awaits the conclusion of this trial. The legal and emotional marathon will continue.

• The bulk of the indictments against Ms. Sneiderman result mainly from her own testimony, which left her vulnerable to charges of inconsistencies in her story and of perjury. As felonies, they are very serious charges.

• The story will ultimately emerge as a Greek tragedy with no winners, only survivors with deep emotional wounds.

it is a bit early to draw lessons. At the same time, I would suggest that there is at least one: Lives of all family members will be changed forever and not for the better.

Neither an exoneration of Ms. Sneiderman nor a conviction on some or all charges brought by the prosecution will deliver a status quo ante.

That is, Mr. Sneiderman will never see his parents, his wife, or his children in this life. That loss is deep, palpable, and irrevocable.

Sincerely, Rich Lapin Dunwoody, GA

Because the trial has barely begun,

Diversity: It’s what Makes us Great To the Editor:

E

thnic jokes and other insensitive comments can be hurtful and offensive not only to the targeted group, but to most of us who are aware of how such comments can be interpreted.

These comments are probably

common among people who commit hate crimes sparked by bigotry or prejudice. Many times they take place because of limited or misinformed knowledge taught from parent to child, and lead to reinforcing and spreading the prejudice even further.

So how do we overcome it?

One of the best ways is to reach out to children as they begin to develop their own ideas and opinions. We must encourage them to form their own opinions independent of prejudicial influence. We should inspire them to

seek the truth, and acknowledge their efforts when they do.

“The world is too dangerous a place to live in, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who let it happen.”

-- Albert Einstein To prevent repeating the atrocities of the past, we must do something different in the present and future. B’nai B’rith International – a 501(c) (3) nonprofit community service organization – recognizes the wisdom in Einstein’s words above.

We try to stop evil before it can start. Rather than sit back and observe the results of misguided hatred and crimes of violence, B’nai B’rith is taking a pro-active approach that may prevent them.

If we accept the premise that all people are special, we are better able to accept the individual differences in

each individual. We need to speak out to defend the rights and safety of ALL people.

B’nai B’rith developed the Enlighten America Essay Contest to encourage racial, religious and ethnic tolerance and equality. We hope it will broaden the sense of awareness of the diversity around us, and heighten respect for our friends and neighbors.

Please help us spread the word about our contest by telling your children (grades 7 and 8) about it. We hope they will decide to research the subject and submit their contest entries.

And also tell their teachers, school administrators, and scout leaders about the contest. Everyone is a winner. All contest participants will receive a suitable for framing Certificate of Participation, and the top three finalists will also receive cash awards for their efforts.

Diversity is in more than just the workplace. Think of the cultural, racial and religious diversity all around us – on the bus, in the grocery store, at the airport. Some of the schools in our city have students representing nearly 100 nationalities.

The nature of this great country is one of inclusiveness. Go back far enough in your own family tree and you’ll probably find immigrants among your ancestry. We must all stand together to defend each other, taking up the fight against hate.

Please go to www.EnlightenAmerica.org to learn more about this essay contest, a positive program for the students of metro Atlanta.

Thank you, Art Link

Problems with the New Generation

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

To the Editor:

4

I am writing this note in response to Chana Shapiro’s recent article on people not acknowledging the receipt of gifts. If they don’t have time...pick up the telephone or e-mail a note of thanks. I have many people on my list of not receiving thank you notes from.

I blame the parents for not instilling this habit of gratitude to their children while they were in the homes.

My other quirk is also the language that you hear from all the teenagers today. It is appalling to go to the market, gas station, mall or any where out

in the public without hearing curse/ dirty slang words. The TV is not helping in this area or the movies. There again, parents should try to sit down and talk to their children about such. I remember having a fifth grade teacher that told the class one day....a person that curses or uses improper words in general has a very small vocabulary.

That message has stayed in my head for many years.

Many thanks to Chana Shapiro for her wonderful articles. They are very refreshing.

M. Kramer

AJT

from the publisher

CRITICISM OF ZIMMERMAN VERDICT MISSES MARK

L

et me start by saying that I have the utmost respect for Dr. Eugen Schoenfeld. Although I do not always agree with the opinions in his columns, he has earned the right to voice them and I’m proud that he writes for the Atlanta Jewish Times.

Last week was one of those times that I disagreed with Dr. Schoenfeld’s comments on the Zimmerman verdict in Florida. Admittedly, it must be the lawyer in me that reacts so strongly, but I feel the need to elaborate on much of what Dr. Schoenfeld said.

I agree with the major premise that laws should be just, and that bad laws should be changed. However, I do not agree that the laws on self defense and “stand your ground” are unjust.

Dr. Schoenfeld expressed that he “was shocked at the jury’s judgment that Zimmerman was genuinely fearful for his life and for this reason the killing of Martin must be considered an act of self defense.” This does not shock me at all.

Trayvon Martin was on top of Zimmerman like an MMA cage fighter, raining down punch after punch on Zimmerman and repeatedly smashing Zimmerman’s head onto the concrete walk, causing his head to bleed.

If that were me suffering such a beating, I would definitely be fearful for my life, and I truly believe that such fear would be reasonable.

Dr. Schoenfeld criticized the “stand your ground” law as being unjust. I understand that people may have different opinions about this law, and many other laws involving the use of guns, so I was not surprised at the criticism.

What shocked me was his comparison of the gender/race/religion neutral “stand your ground” law to the racist/ anti-Semitic laws imposed specifically against Jews by the governing Nazi Party.

I did not live through the Holocaust like Eugene Schoenfeld did, so perhaps I do not have the proper standing to criticize. However, in my opinion, it diminishes the nature and memory of the Holocaust to compare the “stand your ground” law, which applies equally to everyone, to the inhumane laws that specifically stripped Jews of their dignity and property, and condemned the Jews to death camps.

Perhaps Dr. Schoenfeld was per-

suaded by the media that this was a trial about race: black versus white.

Maybe he felt sorry for the little Trayvon Martin depicted in all of the childhood photos, instead of the more accurate current photos of Martin. How come the media rarely showed pictures of the big, strong 17 year old Martin, but instead used outdated pictures of the sweet, little, innocent, 12 year old boy?

In his analysis, Dr. Schoenfeld confuses the term “aggressor” and uses it out of context to make his point. He claims that the act of Zimmerman following Martin was the real “aggressive” act.

Even if we stretch our imagination to believe that following someone is “aggressive,” it would still not rise to the level of physical aggression to justify Martin beating Zimmerman to a bloody mess. The harmful physical aggression was all the fault of Martin.

Martin initiated the violent attack.

Dr. Schoenfeld tries to justify his position by citing general propositions of Jewish law found in the Torah. Unfortunately, he misapplies these as well. He cites haboh l’hargechah (if one comes to kill you, you are justified to take defensive actions, including the killing of the aggressor first) and explains that “guilt rests on the person who initiates the intended illegal and aggressive act.”

Maimonides, The Commandments, Neg. Comm. 290, at 269-271 (Charles B. Chavel trans., 1967). The evidence of Zimmerman’s guilt was far from absolute certainty.

Second, under Jewish Law, two witnesses were required for a capital offense, and the only acceptable witnesses were limited to adult Jewish men who were known to keep the commandments, knew the written and oral law, and had legitimate professions.

The witnesses had to see each other at the time of the killing, and both of them had to give a warning (hatra’ah) to the defendant that the sin the aggressor was about to commit was a capital offense. Also, the witnesses could not be related to each other or to the accused. These requirements were not met in the Zimmerman case, and there were not even two independent witnesses to the death in the Zimmerman case.

It is a shame that the media, the lawyers who have a financial interest in a possible wrongful death lawsuit, and other groups with self-serving interests insist on making this tragedy a lawsuit about race.

I agree that the number of young African-American men who are killed every day is shocking. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, between 1976 and 2011, there were 279,384 African-American murder victims, and 262,621 were murdered by other African-Americans. This equates to 94 percent of all murdered AfricanAmericans being killed by AfricanAmericans. Outrage should not be saved for the rare case in which an African-American is killed by someone of a different race. Something should be done about the other 94 percent of the murders.

It is sad that a life was taken. We are all created by G-d in G-d’s image.

Although Zimmerman may have followed Martin, following him, and even questioning him, was neither illegal nor aggressive. Martin was not physically attacked first by Zimmerman.

Martin was the physical aggressor in escalating the conduct to violence.

Once Martin attacks Zimmerman, Martin becomes guilty of initiating the illegal and aggressive act. Thus, self defense rightfully applies to Zimmerman, not Martin.

As far as Jewish law is concerned, it is important to understand that Jewish law would absolutely forbid Zimmerman from being found guilty of first degree murder and given the death penalty.

First, consider the view of the 12thcentury Jewish physician/legal scholar Maimonides, who stated that “it is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to put a single innocent one to death.” Maimonides argued that executing a defendant on anything less than absolute certainty would lead to a slippery slope of decreasing burdens of proof. Moses

Sandy Springs Dunwoody $1,250,000 $1,199,000

$289,900

Close-In Renovated Dunwoody Home!

PRICE REDUCED- Your Own Private Resort5 Minutes to Pill Hill!

• The Cleanest House in Dunwoody!

• This One of a Kind Estate Will Take Your Breath Away!

• 3 Bedrooms/ 2 Full Baths / 1 Half Bath • 5 Bedrooms/ 5 Full Baths / 1 Half Bath • Open Floor Plan with Flexibility for Large or Small Scale Entertaining • Hand Scraped Hickory Hardwood Floors • Totally Renovated Custom Designed Kitchen Has All the Bells and • Stunning Renovated Kitchen with Italian Tile Floor, Whistles and Overlooks Vaulted Great Room Quartz Counters, Bosch DW & GE Convection Oven • Owner’s Retreat on Main with Sitting room and Peaceful Screen Porch • Master Bedroom Has Separate Private Outdoor Patio • Upstairs Office Plus 3 Bedrooms, Each with a Private Bath • All Baths Have Updated Quartz Counters, Vessel Sinks • Terrace Level Has a Bedroom, Full Bath & Artist Studio That Would Be a Perfect Playroom/Game Room, Media Room, Gym and More! & Travertine Floors • Main Level Walkout to the Pool, Waterfall, Outdoor Kitchen, Tranquility • Gorgeous, Quiet Backyard with Gardenias, Jasmine Garden and Play Area & Azaleas • You Will Be Amazed at How Much Love and Care the Owner’s Have • Great Swim/Tennis Neighborhood Put into this Home • Fantastic Private Location, Yet Close to Hospitals, Shops, Schools and Restaurants

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Publisher/Editor

co un 5 dntr der ay act s! in !

BY Cliff Weiss

©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned And Operated By NRT LLC.

5

AJT

ACCORDING TO ARLENE

Enjoying the Energy

‘BIG APPLE’ FILLED WITH LIGHTS, SOUND AND A ‘NAKED LADY’

By Arlene Appelrouth AJT COLUMNIST

I

was sitting on the open deck of a Circle Line Cruise Ship, waiting for the1:30 P.M. departure to take my grandsons on a trip around Manhattan. We had boarded the sightseeing ship after taking a taxi from Times Square, where the throngs and activities of humans never cease to amaze.

“Don’t look,” my ten-year-old grandson warned his seven- year- old brother when we walked passed a woman he later described to his mother as “a naked lady.”

Someone had told him he might see the famous “naked cowboy” on Broadway, but no one prepared him for the woman who appeared to be dressed

only in a coat of gold paint. Men were paying a fee to be photographed with her.

My four-year-old grandson kept pointing at the Elmos and Cookie monsters who appeared on at least half-a-dozen street corners, holding buckets, for people walking by to drop dollars into them. We didn’t stop to inquire what foundation or cause these donated dollars would fund.

There was also a man in a costume, painted to resemble the Statue of Liberty.

“Is that real?” the four-year-old asked. I answered no and explained we would be cruising past the real statue from the boat.

There’s no simple way to describe the energetic feel of New York City.

There have been many times when I

experience a strong need just to stand on a New York corner, listening to the cacophony of traffic sounds, watching people rushing by and breathing in life’s diversity.

A recent family reunion had brought me, and about 60 other family members to the New York metropolitan area and I looked forward to getting another dose of my hometown.

It was thrilling for me, once the reunion ended Sunday morning, to be able to introduce three of my grandchildren to a city I find thrilling.

Between the characters in costume, the enormous television screens projecting images on the buildings in Times Square, and tourists like us clogging the sidewalks, just getting from point A to point B while keeping track of three children required focus and intentionality.

My husband Dan and I realized if the distances we wanted to cover exceeded a mile, the best option was to travel by cab.

Once the taxi dropped us off by the Circle Line’s ticket office, Dan showed the cashier a discount coupon on his Smart Phone, paid for the sightseeing trip, and we scrambled for seats on the top deck.

Thirty minutes of waiting can seem like an eternity to children. Two out of three told me they were hungry and thirsty. I took bagels and cheese from my backpack.

“Where are we going to wash?” one of my grandsons asked.

The rest rooms were two floors down, but a bar selling bottles of water and other drinks was less than 10feet from where we were sitting.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Nine dollars later, I handed each boy a bottle of water, and advised him to say the brucha for hand washing while standing with his hands over the railing of the boat.

6

Hands washed, and the hamotzi said, the younsters sat happily munching on the snack I had snuck onto the boat. Finally, we were ready to leave the pier and see the famous skyline.

A guide stood near us and spoke more facts into his microphone than any of us would later remember. “How

can he remember all of that?” one of my grandsons asked.

“He has done it over and over,” I replied.

The three bridges we sailed under were of great interest to my grandsons. They were amazed to see people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and delighted to see trains making their way from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

“It’s easy to remember the names of these three bridges,” our tour guide insisted. “Just think of the foreign car BMW. The names of the bridges are the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan, and the Williamsburg.”

That was a new acronym for me, and I bet I’ll always remember the names of these bridges in spite of my post Medicare age and the number of senior moments that go along with that territory.

The Statue of Liberty was the highlight of the trip.

Given the hundreds of people lined up around the perimeter of the statue, I was grateful we opted to show our grandsons that grand lady from a distance, rather than taking the “liberty tour” which dropped people off, who then had to wait an endless amount of time in long lines to go inside.

Our day of sightseeing also included a tour of the four floors of Toys R Us before heading to the Port Authority to catch our bus back to Teaneck, N.J. As we rode the bus, we talked about all the interesting things we had seen during the day.

Then I gave them options for how we would spend the next day as tourists. At press time, a decision hadn’t been reached, but I’m hoping the group consensus will be a day at the Museum of Natural History.

About the writer Arlene Appelrouth earned a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Florida and her career as a writer and journalist spans a 50-year period; she currently studies memoir writing while working on her first book.

CLIFF WEISS

cmweiss@atljewishtimes.com

BUSINESS OFFICE Business Manager

Kaylene rudy

krudy@atljewishtimes.com Customer Service

elizabeth friedly

SUMMER

CLEARANCE RED HOT DEALS!

efriedly@atljewishtimes.com

ADVERTISING SALES mbonell@atljewishtimes.com Senior Account Manager

STACY LAVICTOIRE stacy@atljewishtimes.com Senior Account Manager

STACY G. FIALKOW sfialkow@atljewishtimes.com

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief

CLIFF WEISS

cmweiss@atljewishtimes.com Web Editor

RON FEINBERG

rfeinberg@atljewishtimes.com Assistant Editor

elizabeth friedly efriedly@atljewishtimes.com Contributing Writers

PATRICK ALEPH ARLENE APPELROUTH BRAM BESSOFF Eden Farber Rachel LaVictoire RABBI CHAIM NEIDITCH Al Shams CHANA SHAPIRO JEFF ZELL CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Design

Rico Figliolini ez2BSocial Photographer

GABRIEL WEISS

SKU#

931100643 944101274 912108773 931100296 941605550 941709850 912588491 942500206 942800291 942100014 951300015 943200065 936100427 944101214 942500228 944101102 942450081 966101149 966101148 941500198 966101147 944101200 942504584 941400116 944101175 921100754 941200162 921100403 944101039 942773015 912500245 943200066 912600010 944100928 946200213 912600067 942700527 944100774 942700515 921106708 921109125 946200205

DESCRIPTION

Green Brick Marble Tile English Elm Laminate Sonoma Valley Cabernet Porcelain Tile Rojo Alicante Polmos Marble Santos Mahogany Engineered Hardwood Curupay Rose Engineered Hardwood Millennium Cream Porcelain Tile Country Maple Solid Hardwood Natural Walnut Solid Hardwood Nakaza Taun Handscraped Solid Hardwood Durock Tile Membrane Sienna Stranded Matte Stained Bamboo Lagos Azul Limestone Tile Quartersawn Desert Sand Handscraped Laminate Natural Maple Solid Hardwood Copper Oak Laminate Country Natural Hickory Solid Hardwood Brandy Teak Handscraped Vinyl Plank Hazelwood Vinyl Plank Natural Maple Locking Engineered Hardwood Barnwood Vinyl Plank Driftwood Sea Oats Handscraped Laminate Cappucino Maple Solid Hardwood Plank Natural Hickory Locking Engineered Hardwood Antique Oak Handscraped Laminate Crema Leva Marble Tile Sarsaparila Birch Handscraped Engineered Hardwood Green Onyx Marble Spalted Maple Beveled Laminate Gunstock Solid Hardwood Armenia Ararat Porcelain Tile Amaretto Stranded Matte Stained Bamboo Atlantis Gold Porcelain Plank Brazillian Cherry Laminate Julian Square Edge Cork Plank Sequoia Dark Porcelain Plank Versailles Oak Handscraped Solid Hardwood Carribean Walnut Laminate Dark Mocha Oak Solid Hardwood Rojo Alicante Select Marble Crema Marfil Marble Tile Magellan Square Cork

PRICES, COLORS AND INVENTORY AVAILABILITY MAY VARY BY LOCATION.

CONTACT INFORMATION

KRUDY@atljewishtimes.com

THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-3345) is published weekly by Zadok Publishing LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta Ga 30328.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, Ga. POSTMASTER send address changes to The Atlanta Jewish Times 270 Carpenter Drive Suite 320 Atlanta Ga 30328.

$1199 $1.59 $0.97 $9.99 $4.49 $4.29 $1.69 $4.69 $5.99 $3.99 $39999 $3.59 $1.99 $1.79 $5.99 $1.99 $4.29 $2.49 $2.39 $3.69 $2.39 $2.09 $3.29 $3.49 $1.99 $5.49 $3.99 $1488 $0.89 $3.49 $2.69 $3.03 $2.99 $1.99 $3.99 $3.30 $5.99 $2.69 $5.99 $6.29 $5.99 $2.48

$5.47 $0.88 $0.61 $5.97 $3.68 $3.48 $0.97 $3.57 $4.97 $3.48 $327 $2.68 $1.57 $0.99 $3.59 $1.49 $3.87 $1.69 $1.69 $2.58 $1.69 $1.87 $2.69 $2.88 $0.99 $4.47 $2.88 $9.77 $0.69 $3.17 $1.77 $2.68 $1.97 $0.97 $2.98 $2.67 $5.39 $1.39 $3.57 $4.47 $5.49 $1.98

ea. s.f. ea. ea. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. ea. s.f. ea. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f. s.f.

SAVE

54.4% 44.7% 37.1% 40.2% 18.0% 18.9% 42.6% 23.9% 17.0% 12.8% 18.2% 25.3% 21.1% 44.7% 40.1% 25.1% 9.8% 32.1% 29.3% 30.1% 29.3% 10.5% 18.2% 17.5% 50.2% 18.6% 27.8% 34.3% 22.5% 9.2% 34.3% 11.6% 34.2% 51.3% 25.3% 19.2% 10.0% 48.3% 40.4% 28.9% 8.3% 20.2%

%

OFF

SELECTED ITEMS.

WOOD & LAMIN ATE PROJECT FINI SHERS

QUARTER ROUNDS .....................$2.98 T-MOLDS, REDUCERS, ENDCAPS ........ $7.9 8 STAIRNOSE.......... ......................$14.9 8 NOW UP TO

50-70% SELECTED ITEMS.

OFF

ASS STONE & GLSH S T FINI..........ER PROJEC..... .........29¢ ..........

GLASS LINERS ..99¢ ENT PIECES ..........

STONE 2”X2” ACC ENT PIECES, STONE 4”X4” ACC ESSORIES ...........$1.99 V-CAPS & BATH ACC ES, COUNTERTOP EDG STONE CORNERS, RAILS ...................$2.99 PENCILS & CHAIR ESSORIES .......... $3.99 ACC R WE STONE SHO

NOW UP TO

50-80% OFF

SELECTED ITEMS.

PORCELAIN & CERAMIC PROJECT FINISHERS WALL BULLNOSES, BORDER S, INSERTS............................. .......

...$1.99

40-80% NOW UP TO

SELECTED ITEMS.

OFF

12 MONTH SPECIAL FINANCING EVERYDAY!

*

4567 1234 5678 9123 /15 1/12-2

JOHN A DOE

ON PURCHASES OF $499 OR MORE WITH YOUR FLOOR & DECOR CARD.

6 MONTH SPECIAL FINANCING ALSO AVAILABLE ON PURCHASES FROM $0 TO $499 WITH YOUR FLOOR & DECOR CREDIT CARD.

DESIGNERS GALLERY

The Atlanta Jewish Times Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ZADOK PUBLISHING, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, ATLANTA, GA 30328 ©COPYRIGHT 2012 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES MEMBER AMERICAN-ISRAELI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

WAS NOW

GET IT WHILE IT’S HOT!

general office 404.883.2130

The Atlanta Jewish Times is printed in Georgia and is an equal opportunity employer. The opinions expressed in the Atlanta Jewish Times do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

80

NOW UP TO

Senior Account Manager

MICHAL BONELL

7 CERTIFIED DESIGNERS READY TO HELP! 404-633-4888 10AM-7PM M-F 1706 NE Expressway 8:30AM-7PM SAT Atlanta, GA 30329 9:30AM-6PM SUN

404-315-6287 1690 NE Expressway Atlanta, GA 30329

7AM-9PM M-F 8AM-9PM SAT 9AM-6PM SUN

678-422-7272 1056 Personal Pl. Morrow, GA 30260

404-942-4599 7AM-9PM M-F 610 Holcomb Bridge Rd. 8AM-9PM SAT 9AM-6PM SUN Roswell, GA 30076

KENNESAW

SOUTHLAKE

I-85 / CLAIRMONT

ROSWELL

7AM-9PM M-F 8AM-9PM SAT 9AM-6PM SUN

678-626-1167 1200 Barrett Pkwy.

Suite 260 Kennesaw, GA 30144

FIND THESE STYLES AND MORE IN OUR STORES. PRICES, COLORS AND INVENTORY AVAILABILTY MAY VARY BY LOCATION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES ON ADVERTISED ITEMS. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. COPYRIGHT © 2013 FLOOR AND DECOR OUTLETS OF AMERICA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

7AM-9PM M-F 8AM-9PM SAT 9AM-6PM SUN Like Us On

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

PUBLISHER

7

AJT

to illuminate...

What’s Wrong with the British Monarchy?

RESPECT, STATUS AND WEALTH NEED TO BE EARNED

BY Eugen Schoenfeld AJT CONTRIBUTOR

I

n 1942 there were many antiSemitic laws that impacted the Jews of Hungary. But, fortunately, life was manageable.

During this period, as Jews had done for centuries, we turned to humor to keep our spirits up. Here’s a joke I heard before life became really difficult for me and the other Jews of Hungary.

Two Jews met on a street in Budapest. One was in a state of great excitement, asking his friend if he had heard the latest news. “What news?” asked the other, to which the former replied, “The elephant in the zoo had a calf.” His friend then responded, “And is that good or bad for us?”

I thought of this joke when my wife announced that Kate, the Princess of Edinburgh, had a son. “Is that good or bad for us,” I commented. My response wasn’t a sign of disinterest, rather it reflected my opposition to a monarchial political system.

I’m a “democratic republican.” Let me add quickly that my political view doesn’t reflect the often misused definition of this term. Many countries that describe themselves as being a “democratic republic” are, in fact, totalitarian.

Not only do these countries misuse this honorable and noble political ideal, they downright make a shambles of it. Take Nazi Germany, for instance. Its officials described Nazism as a “Nationalist Socialist Workers Party.” Sadly, it was neither socialist, nor did it represent the workers of the country.

I inherited my political views honorably, from my father, who was committed to a modified version of French socialist thinkers like St. Simon, Comte, and, especially, Anatole France’s passion for social justice.

My father believed that democracy can exist only if it subscribes to the principles of “meritocracy.” He firmly believed, frankly, that there is no such thing as a “free ride”. Everyone in a society is obligated to work and people should be rewarded based on their individual accomplishments.

Book of Proverbs. In the “Ethic of Our Fathers”, we learn of the connection between labor and learning. In fact, the learning of Torah is directly tied to work in an occupation.

will use their wealth to make instruments of war for his own sake; he will take their vineyards and their fields.

In short, Samuel rejects the entire notion of kingship.

Even women are judged by their work. The “Woman of Valor” does not eat the bread of idleness, Solomon informs us. Honor is the reward for work and not for the position one gains by parental status.

But the elders insisted on a king, so Samuel relented.

I’ve always loved the following Talmudic Midrash:

We love David and he did great things. But he also abused his power, killing another man so he could take the man’s wife as his own. Much good can also be said of Solomon. But in spite of all his wisdom, he too abused his role as king, living a lavish lifestyle and burdening his subjects with high taxes that, after his death, led to the demise of the Jewish kingdom.

My father started life poor and at the age of 14 he became a printer’s apprentice. He ended up a capitalist, owning a successful book and stationary store. He was against any system that simply endowed people with wealth and status, much like Prince George, the new Prince of Edinburgh.

“Why did G-d create mankind unlike all other animals?” asked a rabbi. “While G-d created all animals together,” the rabbi says, “He created mankind by creating just one person – Adam. The reason is that no person should be able to claim I am better than you because my family is more important than yours.”

He’s only a few weeks old, has done nothing with his life, but is already hugely wealthy and must be addressed as “His Royal Highness”.

I cannot, and will not ever bow to anyone and call him “my lord.” So, I think it obvious I must describe myself as a confirmed anti-monarchist.

This is a lesson in humility, a personality trait often used to describe Moses. We’re all of us derived of a single person: Adam. This commonality makes us all related and, hence, responsible for each other. Our accomplishments in life are what differentiate us from one another.

Like my father, I too believe in the individual’s duty to work and contribute to the well-being of the collective. I too, like my father, believe that honor is something that must be earned and not offered up as an accident of birth.

Each Shabbat we ask G-d to bless these people and those who bring peace to the world. It’s a Jewish concept, but also an American belief.

These very same values were espoused by the founders of this country. It’s one of the things I love about America.

This, I believe, is the meaning of a democratic republic in a nutshell.

The founding fathers taught us not to endow people with honor because of their titles, but to honor people who have earned our respect.

So it’s clear, at least to me, that we Americans, like Jews, believe in the principles of constitutional social republicanism.

I also think that these beliefs I hold are fundamental Jewish values.

Traditional Jewish philosophy abhors a life of idleness and indulgence.

“Go and see the ant and observe its ways,” Solomon advises us in the

My opposition to the concept of monarchy, or the belief that status comes with birth, is beautifully argued by the prophet Samuel. When the elders of Judaism come to him and request he “make us a king to judge us like all the nations,” Samuel points out a number of problems.

First and foremost, he tells the elders that a king will take their sons and daughters into service; he

So, who should I honor?

I’m taught by my heritage to honor the humble, the generous, the hard-working; everyone committed to klal Yisrael, the Jewish collective.

About the writer Eugen Schoenfeld is a professor and chair emeritus at Georgia State University and a survivor of the Holocaust

Persian menu with a Middle Eastern flair ~ Come and enjoy the taste of home!

20

FOR ANY LARGE PARTY OF 6 OR MORE

20

FOR ANY CATERING ORDER FOR 10 OR MORE

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

%

8

%

Call us today to reserve your table or place your catering order!

1814 Peachtree Street Atlanta, Georgia 30309 | 404. 888. 9699 | www.sufisatlanta.com hours: Sunday - thursday 11:00 am - 10:00 pm, Friday - Saturday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

AJT

IN IT FOR THE MOMENT

Golf with a Jewish Vibe

OUR CHAVERIM STUMBLES ACROSS LINKS IN A LANDFILL AJT Columnist

F

rom the tee of the first hole you can’t see the flag due to a mesa that holds one of those gigantic electrical towers. You can’t step to your left to look around the bend because of the sheer cliff upwards and the score card doesn’t include a map, so you just have to swing away.

It gets better; our Chaverim guys’ night out is landfill golf.

The second hole is right in the middle of a Canadian geese breeding ground and it seems to be molting season. The down that litters the fairway makes it impossible to find your ball, and the green is covered with so much goose poop it actually cost me strokes.

We start talking about temple life and get into a conversation about saving up for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and this new current trend of using Havdalah services to help cut the costs of extravagant full day into evening events that usually require second mortgages on your home.

A Havdalah service comes complete with Torah and Haftorah and then straight to party time in the social hall. It all sounds appealing for the budget conscious. But there is not a lot of time to talk on an executive course; the holes are super short, but super challenging.

Hole four has a huge ravine on the right hand side and one of our Chaverim members has a wicked hook; he’s already down a half dozen balls.

Who would’ve guessed half price golf meant half-charged carts, but when we started to ascend the wall of the landfill we were quickly playing the little golf cart that could, that became the little golf cart that couldn’t. So we abandoned them half and walked the next hole until they brought us new carts.

the backside of the landfill there is a tight chasm between its wall and the edge of the forest that is the fairway for the next hole. None of us hit the green and none of us found our ball.

On the back nine the electrical towers start to play a factor in the game and the guide wires holding up the cell towers might get in the way of a backswing. Has it been proven that landfills harden dirt? Can’t tell you how many tees we lost before even taking a swing.

The only way to describe the whole affair was Janky, and I mean that in a great way. The fences alongside the cart path were made of three different kinds of wood, painted in three different colors – a classic sign of impaired or extreme golf cart driving.

In some places the course’s management got too lazy and stopped replacing the railing all together. There was no worry for golf etiquette here: wear what you want, talk as loud as you want, drink and smoke as much as you can, and when done, leave your cart a mess.

Rest assured, there are no course marshals here to hassle you or keep the pace, and it all comes at a very affordable price of less than thirty bucks. I even changed my pants in the parking lot.

There is no better way to end a round of Janky golf than hitting the local dive bar for beers, wings and burgers while sharing a few life moments with a little Jewish perspective. One of our members just had a baby girl. He’s in no rush to go anywhere, so we strategically space out our orders just long enough to hopefully extend the evening festivities past the kids’ bedtime and make the most of this not-too-often moment of being out with the guys.

We were clearly on the plateau of the landfill now and things were starting to look more like golf if you ignored the matrix of electrical and cell towers that covered the skyline.

We started discussing this year’s High Holiday services and how most of us with kids too old for the youth service were not letting them get out of their rite of passage of enduring the full adult service. It can be a very rough few hours for most kids when they finally get to experience temple through their parent’s eyes.

The holes just kept getting better.

Remind you, the course is super tight, signage is poor and it’s really easy to start aiming for the wrong hole. On

To see the look on their faces when they get to leave the sanctuary before the Rabbi’s sermon will be priceless. Seems wrong to be dis-

cussing this over bacon cheese burgers, but Reform Judaism requires a special balance of observing certain customs and rituals.

For me, it’s mostly about the cultural outlook on life, family traditions and the personal choice in how much you want Judaism to be a part of your life that makes it great to be a Jew. Besides, it was now post Shabbat.

My kids are back to school.

We had an eventful end to our last summer weekend with a quick stop off at Walmart for last minute school supplies and lunches when we walked out to a full on car-bque in the parking lot. I have it all documented, including highlights from landfill golf, on twitter. Simply search for #initforthemoment to check out photos while I’m off to find another adventure worthy of writing about.

About the writer Bram is a drummer and musician; you can see him sitting in with friends and artists all over the Atlanta area or catch him during one of his elusive Soup reunion shows. When not on stage, Bram sits on the board of directors as VP for The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, and helps indie and DIY artists chart on Billboard through his company Indiehitmaker. A husband and father of two young daughters, the family enjoys traveling, live music, movies and anything that can be categorized as a life changing moment. Follow Bram’s experiences on, off and backstage @bram_rocks. Interact with him at #InItForTheMoment and share thoughts, comments and ideas about this column.

Fall Youth Sports at the MJCCA RE GIST E R I N G N O W !

SOCCER

- INCLUDING SOCCER SELECT

GYMNASTICS

- CHEER, TUMBLING, BOYS ONLY, AND MORE

SWIM TEAM DANCE

- HIP-HOP, BALLET, JAZZ, TAP, AND MORE

TRIATHLON FLAG FOOTBALL TENNIS

AGES 2-14

678.812.4000

atlantajcc.org/sports

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

BY Bram Bessoff

9

AJT

HIGH HOLIDAYS

Time to Prepare for the High Holidays OF LIFE, DEATH AND THE HEBREW MONTH OF ELUL

BY RON FEINBERG WEB EDITOR

L

ife and death can be found at the heart of the Jewish High Holy Days, poetically captured in an ancient Rosh Hashanah prayer, the Unetaneh Tokef.

“On Rosh Hashanah,” the prayer reads, “it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed, how many shall leave this world, and how many shall be born into it, who shall live and who shall die . . .”

The image is clear. On the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah falls the first week of September this year – G-d stands before the “Book of Life” and writes down the names of the righteous. Ten days later, on the Day of Atonement, the book is shut and sealed.

I’ve heard the prayer chanted for

decades, but a few years ago the melancholy words took on a more insistent tone. G-d got my attention, a little tap on the shoulder that forced me to examine my mortality and helped me understand that I won’t be living forever.

It all began with a CT scan that picked up a few worrisome blips, shadows that the doctor described as nodules. He never said tumor, never said malignant, never said cancer.

But that’s what I was hearing, until he told me that such scans are often “over-read” and the information he was sharing would probably turn out to be nothing.

He suggested I have another test in a few months, just to be on the safe side. And that was my plan. It lasted two days, until a nurse from my internist’s office called and said her boss had just received the scan and we needed to do another – soon!

My fear turned to despair when

Share your Celebrations with Your Atlanta Jewish Community for Free AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

• Birth Announcements • Weddings • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs

10

• Celebrations of all types • Anniversaries

send your story, announcements and celebrations with pictures today to Kaylene rudy, krudy@atljewishtimes. com or call 404-883-2130 x100.

yet another doctor called a day later and told me he’d also seen the report and, by the way, there seemed to be a “lesion” in another part of my body.

I listened, for the moment stunned and silent, trying to make sense of his words. Who shall live and who shall die? The High Holiday abstraction had turned coldly concrete.

Of course we’re all going to die, a thought that remains a painless cliché until the shadow of death rests heavily on our doorstep and we’re forced to confront the reality of limited tomorrows.

The issue is to be found throughout the liturgy of the Jewish High Holidays and is the emotional core of the Unetaneh Tokef, a prayer that becomes a statement of moral certitude when it suggests that there also can be a “why” to death, that in some fashion “good” and “bad” and spiritual engagement are part of the equation.

“But repentance, prayer and righteousness,” we’re promised, “avert the severe decree.” Well, maybe.

The earliest the second scan could be scheduled – and I remind everyone that this was several years ago – was the middle of the next week. I had five days – and five long nights – to wonder if the shadows hidden away in my body were waging war or, simply, shadows.

And then something interesting happened. When it all became too much, when the darkness momentarily filled my world, I remembered the words of the Psalmist.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou are with me ...”

And slowly, the curse of waiting, of not knowing, of fearing the worst, turned to a blessing. After all, I wasn’t alone.

I woke the next morning to a sense of freedom, both engaged yet removed from the normal give-andtake of life. Daily snags seemed less insistent, daily joys more intense.

I found myself shrugging off my armor and lowering my guard, no longer needing to keep people at a distance. I walked more, talked more and prayed more. I cried more and laughed more. I waited.

And then one morning a few days later, I lay down on a gurney and was gently bobbed into the metallic belly of another CT scanner. Gears hummed and whirred and a technology that borders on the miraculous took hold while I held my breath and prayed. The scan took only minutes and the results came just a few hours later.

The nodules were shadows, background clutter of little consequence; and the lesion was a cyst, worth watching but of no immediate concern. The elation of the moment has faded. The impact remains.

In a few weeks, I will be back in synagogue, playing out the script of the holiday period. The “Book of Life” will be opened and cosmic decisions will be made. The righteous, we are told, need not fear, but for the rest of us there will once again be an urgent tone in the blast of the shofar and the prayers of the congregation.

It’s the Hebrew month of Elul and it’s time to prepare!

AJT

new take on the torah

More Chipotle, Less IHOP

Catering to the Jewish Community’s Specific Needs

By RABBI PATRICK ALEPH

Two things:

me what I will buy into?

S

Give People What They Want. Synagogues and Jewish non-profits talk a lot about engaging my age group (the 30 and under crowd). They are right to do so: l’dor v’dor, right? And there’s a financial incentive. At some point, I’ll get married, have kids, and need a shul or at least some semblance of community in which to raise a family.

This is where our friends at the burrito place are genius. What do people want? Mexican food. What do people want to pay for it? Around $8.50 or less. And they built an empire on it.

AJT Columnist

late Magazine published an article dubbing this economy the Chipotle Economy. In this brave new world, people demand the quality of a nicer restaurant, but at a more affordable price and without all the “extras” they were getting before.

Chipotle has learned that people want Tex-Mex food, prepared on the spot and will pay a premium above typical fast food, if the quality is better. This model is working. While most restaurants fail, Chipotle is generating record earnings in a poor economy.

Dear reader, you know I love metaphors. So what can Chipotle teach the Jewish communal engagement world?

For all the BBQs, young professional cocktail parties, and adult Jewish learning classes I have been invited to, something interesting has been missing. At no time have I ever been asked “what would you like to see our community do for you?”

No one has ever asked, whether in person or by survey, what my needs are and what I would actually like to get involved with. If I am your “customer,” then why are you not asking

FOX

Do The Least You Can. There is actually a negative correlation between the amount of products people offer and their perception of quality. Ever been to a family style pancake restaurant with a five page menu? The food is usually terrible. Why? Because if you try to do everything, you cannot do anything well.

Chipotle does not do table service. They do not have any interest in selling hard liquor or keeping your children captivated by a playground and mascot. No, Chipotle knows who their market is, and they stick with it.

Sure, they adjust here and there, but

& WEISS,

the mission stays the same. Serve the people who want you to serve them.

I believe Jewish communities can and should operate the same way.

Beth Jacob, a community in the Toco Hills, has an eruv with a mechitza.

That is simply not going to appeal to Reconstructionists. Bet Haverim, a Reconstructionist community that grew out of an LGBT chavurah, simply cannot accommodate Orthodox families. That’s OK. Specializing is not the same thing as exclusion.

The same goes for programming.

Killing people with small programs may sound like a great way to appeal to people’s diverse needs, but at the end of the day, communities run so thin, and on such a shoe string, that a buffet of Judaism turns into a great mess.

So who’s hungry?

P.A.

Labor & Employment Law SERVICES

• • • • •

employment discrimination & harassment disability unemployment claims/taxes employment contracts severance agreements wrongful discharge

• • • • •

non-compete, non-solicitation & non-disclosure agreements workers’ compensation Affirmative Action Plans employee handbooks wage and hour

Mention the AJT for a free consultation

Telephone : 770-951-1234 | E-mail: cmweiss@foxandweiss.com

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

•

11

AJT

CommuNitY

Exclusive AJT Interview with Attorney Jay Abt

LAYWER FOR KEY WITNESS IN SNEIDERMAN CASE BLASTS DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROBERT JAMES FOR DROPPING MURDER CHARGES

BY JEFF BY JeffZELL Zell AJT AJT Contributor CONTribuTOr

J J

ay of ay Abt Abt is is aa 1995 1995 graduate graduate of Emory Emory Law Law School.

School. He He tells tells the the AJT AJT that that the the Israeli Israeli ConConsulate his sulate inquired inquired about about his availability availability to to represent represent Hemy Hemy NeuNeuman man in in the the murder murder of of Rusty Rusty SneiderSneiderman. Abt says that as an active memman. Abt says that as an active member of Atlanta’s Jewish Community, ber of Atlanta’s Jewish Community, he decided against it. he decided against it.

However, he is a friend of ShayHowever, is a friend Shayna na Citron, theheformer bestoffriend of Citron, the former best friend AnAndrea Sneiderman and a keyofprosdrea Sneiderman keyagreed prosecuecution witness, and and ahe to tion witness, he agreed to free. reprepresent offerand he and advice for resent testified offer he that and Andrea advice for Citron toldfree. her Citron“Rusty testified that Andrea toldteleher that was shot” on the that “Rusty shot” on the telephone before was Andrea Sneidrman arphoneatbefore Andrea Sneidrman arrived the hospital. rived at the hospital.

Since Andrea acknowledges that sheSince did not know Rusty was shotthat unAndrea acknowledges til arrived at the Rusty hospitalwas and shot was sheshe did not know told staff, Citron’s account of their untilby she arrived at the hospital and telephone is a crucial elwas told conversation by staff, Citron’s account ement the prosecution’s case. is a of theirintelephone conversation inan theinterview prosecution’s crucial Abt element agreed to with case.AJT last week. Here are some the highlights.

Abt agreed to an interview with

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

the AJT last week. Here are some Atlanta Jewish Times: Is Shayna Cithighlights. ron currently under a gag order?

12

Jay Abt: To my knowledge she is not.

Atlanta Jewish Times: Is Shayna CitLet me put it this way. I have never ron currently under gag order? seen the actual gaga order that the court issued. don’t’ know inJay Abt: To myI knowledge sheif isitnot. cludes inI the or Let me the put witnesses it this way. havecase never not. seen the actual gag order that the I don’t’ know if it in courtMyissued. understanding is that it includes the witnesses in the case or cludes the lawyers directly involved not. in the case and there’s a separate gag order attorney Esther Panitch.

My for understanding is that it inBut that was amended shortly after cludes the lawyers directly involved the original gag order. in the case and there’s a separate gag order I don’t know if the original gag orfor attorney Esther Panitch. der witnesses.

I’ve never But includes that wasthe amended shortly after been servedgag with a copy so I would the original order. have to assume that the gag order I don’t know ifthe thewitnesses original gag ordoes not include in the der includes the witnesses.

I’ve never case and that Shayna is not subject been with a copy so I would to theserved gag order. have to assume that the gag order doesHowever, having said that, not include the witnesses in our the strategy from the get-go has been case and that Shayna is not subject that Shayna would not do any media to the gag order. or public statements of any kind.

However, having said that, our strategy from the get-go has been AJT: were your Monthat What Shayna would notthoughts do any media day whenstatements it first cameofout that DeKaor public any kind.

nesses would to and I think lb County District Attorney Robert testimony has testify changed.

I know that thatdefense that is an inaccurate description James was dropping the three most the had no smoking gun that AJT: What were your thoughts Monserious charges - all three of the mur- would

by Mr.have James. exonerated Andrea. There day when it first came out that der charges? was never enough evidence from has the I don’t think the evidence DeKalb County District Attorney get-go to indict her or win a murder ABT: I will tell you exactly what I told Robert James was dropping the changed, I don’t think the witness’ her in trial, and they’re enRobert James to his face, and sev- against testimony has changed. I know that three most serious charges - alltothree titled to that opinion. What the real eral media outlets: I think he’s the defense had no smoking gun of theother murder charges? is that Mr. James chose to a fantastic lawyer and a great pros- reason that would have exonerated Andrea.

ABT: I will you exactly what told drop the charges, is – I would have ecutor andtell I think that he’s theI best There was never enough evidence Robert James hisbut face, person for thetojob, I andtremendously to several other meam disapdia outlets: pointed that Ihethink chosehe’s to a fantastic lawyer and drop the murder charga great prosecutor and I es.

I think that he could thinkprevailed that he’sinthe best have a murder indictment. person for the job, but I am tremendously But, it’s not mydisapcall, pointed thatI know he chose to it’s his call. what dropevidence the murder chargthe is in the es. I think that he could case. have prevailed in a mur I mean, I don’t know der indictment. every single piece of evit’s detail. not my But, call, eryBut, single it’s his call.

I know largely I know whatwhat the evidence is in istheincase the evidence the on the prosecution side case. and I think I have a I mean, I don’t know evpretty good idea of what ery single piece every D A Robert James Jay Abt the defense willofargue single detail.

But, largeand what evidence they ly I know what the evidence is in from the get-go to indict her or win would have presented a murder against her inthat trial, and the case on that the prosecution side and to speculate, but I think there’s and I think you let a jury decide they’re entitled to that opinion.

What I think I have a pretty good idea of really a couple of things at play. that. real reason is that Mr. James what the defense will argue and what the The is, he want is to lose

Do the best job you can as a pros- chose tofirst drop thedidn’t charges, – I evidence they would have presented a case in front of the national media. ecutor or as a defense lawyer, and would have to speculate, but I think and I think that you let a jury decide didn’t want to take the risk of then the jury makes the decision of He that there’s really a couple of things that. a murder trial in front of the guilt. I think to have dropped the losing at play. murder charges and to can takeasthe case entire country. And by dropping the Do the best job you a proscharges, was very strategiThe first is, heitdidn’t want to lose away jury waslawyer, a mistake. ecutorfrom or asthat a defense and murder a caseeffective. in front of the national media.

And but decision it’s not my then I’m thedisappointed, jury makes the of cally want tomedia take has the risk of call. guilt. I think to have dropped the He didn’t The national sort of losing atheir murder trial in front of the murder charges and to take the case closed doors for this case. You entiresee country.

And by dropping the it on Nancy Grace or Headaway from that jury was a mistake. don’t AJT: Why do you think he did it, and line charges, it was very strategiNews or “Dateline” or “20/20,” all And I’m disappointed, but it’s not my murder to a lay person it kind of makes it of cally theeffective. national media that was covcall. look like the case is weak. ering before.

They’ve packed shop The national media has up sort of gone away.

ABT: So it’s a complicated answer. If and closed their doors for this case. You Robert were here,he hedid would tell don’tHe AJT: Why do sitting you think it, and very smart, strategic seemade it onaNancy Grace or Headyou the evidence changed to a that lay person it kindhad of makes it move.

He could have lost,orhe“20/20,” might line News or “Dateline” since thethe indictment was filed, that have lost. Then, you know, his perlook like case is weak. all of the national media that was he went back and re-interviewed wit- ception was that it would make him covering before. They’ve packed up ABT: Soand it’sthat a complicated nesses, some of theiranswer. stories look very, very bad. However, I think shop and gone away.

If Robert were sitting here, he had changes and that the defense he looks very, very bad for dropping would tell you that the evidence had presented him with evidence that ex- theHe made a very smart, strategic charges. changed since the indictment was onerated her. move. He could have lost, he might filed, that he went back and re-in- haveI lost. don’t think you it’s know, that he hisnever per terviewed I have witnesses, talked to the defense law- really had Then, a case.

Look, a grand and that some ception was that it would make jury him yers, I know what many of the wit- indicted case. There was enough of their stories had changes and that look very,the very bad. However, I think nesses would testify to and I think evidence for it to be brought in front the defense presented him with evi- he looks very, very bad for dropping that that is an inaccurate description of a jury. We can go over what the dence that exonerated her. the charges.

by Mr. James. evidence is that I think would have theevidence defense lawI don’thim think that at he the never reto it’s prevail trial, I Ihave don’ttalked thinktothe has allowed yers, I know whatthink manythe of the wit- but think the reason dismissed changed, I don’t witness’ ally Ihad a case.

Look, she a grand jury

it is that the he was lose.enough indicted case.afraid Theretowas for it toreason, be brought in front evidence The second possible reaof a jury.

We can go over what son – and this is speculations the on evidence is but thatthe I think would have my part – second educated allowed him prevailasat guess from anto insider, to the whytrial, they but I think reason she dismissed dropped thethe murder charges is a litit ismore that he was afraid to lose. tle complicated, and involves Burrell Ellis (DeKalb County CEO The second reason, possible reason currently under indictment).

He has – and this is speculations on my part chosen as an elected D.A. – but the second educatto be very active. Some ed guess from an insider, D.A.’s, when they’re as to why they dropped elected, just act as a the murder chargesis isaca CEO. But Robert little complicated, tuallymore a very good trial and involves Ellawyer and Burrell he doesn’t lis (DeKalb County CEO want to lose out on the currently under indictopportunity to continment). has chosen as ue to He prosecute cases, an elected D.A. to be very which he’s been doing active. when for 14 Some years.D.A.’s, So I think they’re elected, justmayact that unfortunately, be ahe’s prosecuting as CEO. But Roberttoo is many cases. actually a very good trial lawyer and doesn’t

He’s gothethis Burwant lose indictment. out on the rrell toEllis opportunity to that continue The law says, if he to prosecute cases, which doesn’t go to trial against he’s been doing forSep14 Burrell Ellis before years.

So1st, I think thatgets untember Burrell fortunately, his maybe he’s prosecuting job back.

So he’s got to thatcases. case, and that’s a monthtootry many long trial. So now he’s faced with two, He’s got this Burrrell Ellis indictmonth-long trials that he’s lead counment. The law says, that if he doesn’t sel on, back to back. go to trial against Burrell Ellis best fore It’s possible 1that he decided to September , Burrell gets his drop the Somurder against job back. he’s gotcharges to try that case, Andrea toa dramatically reduce the and that’s month-long trial.

So now length (of the trial) and make it a he’s faced with two, month-long trione or two trial, probably als that he’sweek lead counsel on, backget to the conviction against her and make back. himself look good.

It’s possible that he decided to

Then, that will give him more drop the murder charges against time to prepare for, and probably try Andrea Ellis. to dramatically reduce Burrell I mean, that’s got tothe be length (of the trial) and make it – a somewhere in the back of his mind one or two week trial, probably get that it was done as a strategic move thethat conviction hercases and make so he couldagainst win both withhimself lookterrible good. or letting Burrell out looking Ellis get his job will back.give him more Then, that to prepare for,thing and probably try timeBut that whole with Burrell Burrell mean, that’s gotpolitito be Ellis is Ellis. very Ipolitical, highly somewhere thetaking back ofsides his mind – cized.

Peopleinare within the Democratic Party in DeKalb that it was done as a strategic move County, whether you’re oncases the Robert so that he could win both withJames side terrible or you’re the Burrell out looking or on letting Burrell Ellis I’m not commenting on the Ellis side. get his job back. case in general, I’m just commenting that whole Burrell on But his ability to bething leadwith counsell on Ellis is very month-long political, highly back-to-back, trials.politicized. People are taking sides with in the It’s Democratic very rare toParty have aintrail that DeKalb lasts a whole month.

To have two of County, whether you’re on the Robert

I am saying that is, there What To say absolutely she is is guilty murder or she is not enoughofevidence, in that my opinion, to guilty of front murder, is an poput it in of the juryextremist and to have sition, anyone in thethat practice gotten because a conviction.

I think is a of law for aopinion significant period reasonable to have andofatime rea– in the criminal defense arenaon– unsonable view to have, based the derstands that out it isthere. all one big grey evidence that’s area. It is a trial!

To say absolutely that she is guilty of murder Most of the time get of it or that she isjuries not guilty right, and sometimes they don’t.

And murder, is an extremist position, besometimes people get convicted of cause anyone in the practice of law crimes they didn’t commit and somefor a significant period of time – in times people are found not guilty for the criminal defense arena – undercrimes they did commit. stands that it is all one big grey area.

It is And that’s the reality. It’s an ima trial! perfect system. What I’m saying is, Mostenough of the time juries get it right, there’s evidence to proceed and sometimes theycertainly don’t. Andenough someto trial.

There’s times people get convicted of crimes that a grand jury granted an indictthey didn’t andthat sometimes ment.

That iscommit a decision the jury people are not guilty for crimes makes, andfound to take that away from they did commit. the jury, which is what Robert James did,And is a that’s mistake. the reality. It’s an imperfect system. What I’m saying is, there’s enough AJT: What do youevidence make of to theproceed publicto and trial.interest There’s enough ity thiscertainly case has had? that a grand jury granted an indictABT: thinkisthat’s sad the ment.I That a decision thatway the that jury our American society has evolved. makes, and to take that away from Because had Andrea Sneiderman or the jury, which is what Robert James Rusty Sneiderman or Hemy Neuman, did, is a mistake. had they all been African American, no one would have cared. You know Atlanta is a typical big city. There’s AJT: What do you make of the publicprobably on average a murder every ity and interest this case has had? day.

ABT: I think that’s sad the way that our American society has evolved.

AJT: But it happened a day care?or Because had Andrea at Sneiderman RustyOh, Sneiderman or Hemy Neuman, ABT: I mean I could point to murhad they been AfricanatAmerican, ders that all have happened a sundry no one would have that cared.

You know of different places would be of Atlanta isThe a typical There’s interest. issue, big the city. reason that this case on hasaverage receiveda such national probably murder every attention is because it happened in a day. place like Dunwoody and it’s among white people, OK? AJT: But itat happened at a day care?

Look Jody, Arias (convicted of murder), lookIat Andrea ABT: Oh, I mean could pointSneiderto murman, look have at Casey Anthony. you ders that happened at aAnd sundry know, you look at even Marof different places thatTrayvon would be of tin, because while beingthat an interest.

TheTrayvon, issue, the reason African-American victim, have this case has received suchyou national a person who is halfitCaucasian and attention is because happened in a half Hispanic committing the crime. place like Dunwoody and it’s among

people, OK? white The media gets worked up and interested in something when there Look at Jody, Arias (convicted are white people committing crime of murder), look at Andrea Sneideragainst each other, or white people man, look at Casey Anthony. And you committing crime, period. know, you look at even Trayvon Mar tin, Today going to get becausesomeone Trayvon,iswhile being an murdered in Atlanta, south I-20 African-American victim, youof have and it’s going a horrific eventand for a person whotoisbe half Caucasian the family of the person that commits half Hispanic committing the crime. the murder and the family of the pergets worked and sonThe whomedia is murdered.

It will up change interested something and whenpermathere their lives in inextricably

are white people committing crime nently, and if we’re lucky it will get a against each white news. people 30-second clipother, on the or evening committing crime, period.

And that will be the only attenis going to The get tionToday that someone anybody pays to it. murdered Atlanta, southtoofpoint I-20 only factorin that I can seem and going be a race horrific event for to is it’s race.

It’s to either or socio-ecothe family the combination person that commits nomics, or of some thereof. the murder andway the we family That’s just the are.of the person who is murdered. It will change their lives inextricably and permaAJT: Youand said it would take hours nently, if we’re lucky it will getto a go throughclip allonthe in this 30-second theevidence evening news. case. What strikes you as the most And thatevidence will be the attention compelling on only either side? that anybody pays to it. The only facABT: TheI first thingtoyou have torace. look tor that can seem point to is at is the time line of the phone calls.

It’s either race or socio-economics, You have these explanations, how did or some combination thereof. That’s she know it was a shooting and how just the way we are. did she know it was her husband? A quick sort of summary of what I think the evidence is against her: AJT: You said it would take hours to go through The firstall thing have in to look the you evidence this at is the timeline the as phone case.

What strikesofyou the calls. most You have the shooting at 9:08, the compelling evidence on either side? day care center called at 9:25, there’s ABT: The first you have to that look no mention of athing shooting, it’s just at is the time line of the phone calls. there’s been an accident.

You have these explanations, how did she Eleven later, there’s a know it minutes was a shooting and how call where she talks to her father-indid she know it was her husband? law and says Rusty’s been shot. Then A quick sort of summary of what I at 10:41, she calls my client Shayna think the evidence is against her: and says, Rusty’s been shot. Then by thing youshe have to look at herThe ownfirst admission, doesn’t find out he’s been shot until aftercalls. she gets is the timeline of the phone You to the the hospital at 11at a.m. have shooting 9:08, the day center calledthese at 9:25, there’s no careSo you have explanations. mention of aknow shooting, that How did she thereit’s wasjust a shootthere’s been an accident. ing and how did she know it was her husband had been shotthere’s without Elevenwho minutes later, a having been informed that by anycall where she talks to her father-inone? law and says Rusty’s been shot. Then at 10:41, she calls my client Shayna and says, Rusty’s been shot. Then by AJT: I do know, because I’ve asked her admission, she find that own question to some of doesn’t her friends, out been until after sheother gets andhe’s they sayshot that there are to the hospital at 11 people who will saya.m. she didn’t say “shot” and that thinks they misSo you have she these explanations. understood How did sheher. know there was a shooting and howshe did can she know it was ABT: Well, get up on her the husband shot stand andwho sayhad shebeen didn’t saywithout “shot,” having beengreat informed that by and that’s but, there areanynot one? but two people who say that she one, said “Rusty’s been shot.” Those two people, not only heard her, but imAJT: I do know, because I’ve within asked mediately after she said that, that question to some of people, her friends, seconds they told other “Oh my Rusty’s beenthere shot.”are other andGod they say that people will say for sheher didn’t

It’s who disingenuous to getsay up “shot” that she they mison the and stand and tothinks say I didn’t tell understood them that. Iher. mean, immediately after tellingWell, Shayna, shot,” ABT: she “Rusty’s can get been up on the Shayna called and said stand and say her she husband didn’t say “shot,” “Oh God, Rusty’s shot.” and my that’s great but,been there are not one, but two people who say

She told people at the that spa she said “Rusty’s shot.” Those two was at, she been immediately broke down tears and the people at imthe people,innot only heard her, but spa said they “what’s mediately afterasked she said that, wrong, within what’s shepeople, said, “My secondswrong?” they toldAnd other “Oh best friend’s husband has been shot!” my God Rusty’s been shot.”

So, you know Shayna said that to It’s Don disingenuous for did her the to get up them.

Sneiderman same on the stand and to say I didn’t tell thing. He immediately told his wife themseveral that. I friends mean, immediately after and and rushed to go telling “Rusty’sto been shot,” arrangeShayna, transportation Atlanta.

Shayna called her husband and said

You know she could be up on the “Oh my God, Rusty’s been shot.”

She told people at the spa she was stand and say she didn’t use the word at, she immediately broke down in shot, but sorry. She told Shayna, she tears andand the apeople at the spa told Don third person she said told they wrong, what’s in an asked email, “what’s who was a coworker. wrong?”

And she shesaid said, “My been best In the email, “Rusty’s friend’s husband has been shot!” shot.” All before 11 a.m., whichSo, is you know Shayna said that to them. when she gets to the hospital.

Don Sneiderman did the same thing.

He immediately told his wife and sevAJT: So on that alone, why eral friends and rushed to gowouldn’t arrange James go forward with some type of transportation to Atlanta. murder case?

You know she could be up on the ABT: you’re my standOh and now say she didn’tinuse thecamp! word Here’s the really thing, shot, but sorry.

Sheinteresting told Shayna, she because “gotcha’” told Don they and aplayed third person shewith told Andrea in the first Andrea in an email, who wastrial. a coworker. didn’t was being boxedbeen into In theknow email,she she said “Rusty’s this, but she testified on the stand shot.” All before 11 a.m., which is

conve the fa 9:25 being

when she gets to the hospital. herself that in the conversation between her and the day care worker, the worker said there’s been an acciAJT: So on that alone, why wouldn’t dent here and you need to come right James go forward with some type of away. The day care worker also tesmurder case? tified to that exact conversation, so there’s no dispute of theinfact that the ABT: Oh now you’re my camp! day carethe worker, 9:25 a.m. made Here’s really atinteresting thing, no mention of Rusty shot. with because they playedbeing “gotcha’” Andrea in the first trial. Andrea didn’t know she was being boxed into this, Jeff Zelltestified has covered Atlanta sports but she on the stand herself since 1987 and currently reports on that in the conversation between her the city’s sport scene for CBS Sports and the day care worker, the worker Radio, Yahoo Sports Radio and said there’s been an accident here and WFAN in New York. He has written you need to come Jewish right away.

The day about Atlanta’s community care worker also testified to that exact since 2000.

Jeff Z since the c radi WFA abou since

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

James side or you’re on do theyou Burrell them back-to-back, when sleep Ellis side.

I’m not commenting on the or eat? case in general, I’m just commenting on his What I am saying there on is ability to be lead is, counsell enough evidence, in my trials. opinion, to back-to-back, month-long put it in front of the jury and to have It’s a very rare to have a trail gotten conviction.

I think that that is a lasts a whole month.

To and havea reatwo reasonable opinion to have of them view back-to-back, sonable to have, when based do on you the sleep or eat? evidence that’s out there.

13

AJT

we seriously hate mosquitos and we’d like to come over to your house and prove it.

Mr. Mister is proud to be a member of the Atlanta Jewish Community.

BUSINESS

A Matter of Priorities

HAVING IT ALL AS A LAWYER – AND A MOM

BY AL SHAMS

AJT Contributor

S

hannan Collier is an attorney who has developed a legal practice focusing on estate, trust and tax issues. At an early age she knew she wanted to be an attorney.

She says she was influenced by some of her father’s business associates who were businessmen and attorneys.

with the mist, they don’t exist. c o n t a c t u s a t ( 4 0 4 ) 9 4 1- 0 7 2 0 o r v i s i t w w w. m r m r . b i z With every new customer, Mr. Mister makes a donation to Nothing But Nets, an organization which distributes life saving mosquito nets to third world countries.

“Honey, they’re having fun over there!”

Don’t be shy.

See for yourself.

Come on over. Take a look around. Make yourself comfortable. Meet some residents. Join a conversation. Have some lunch (our treat, of course). What you’ll find is that The Renaissance on Peachtree is fun and energized. Or is it energized and fun? Whatever the case may be, it certainly isn’t ordinary. So, don’t be shy, call (404) 237-2323 now to schedule your tour. Next thing you know, you’ll be saying,

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

“Honey, we should’ve moved in years ago!”

14

3755 Peachtree Road NE | Atlanta 404.237.2323 | renaissanceonpeachtree.com RETIRE IN ST YLE. YOUR ST YLE.

Shannan was born in Savannah and spent most of her early years growing up in Jacksonville, Fla. She earned an undergraduate degree at the University of North Florida.

She then continued her education at Cumberland School of Law, Samford University and the Emory University School of Law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance, J.D. and MBA degrees, and a Masters of Laws in Taxation.

While in Law school, she was an editor of “The Trial Journal” and has written many articles on taxation and business valuation. Shannan is a member of both the Florida and Georgia Bars, a member of the Bar’s tax and franchise sections and has talked to many groups on the topics of franchising and business, estate and tax planning strategies.

Early in her career, Shannan made the decision that she wanted to be deeply involved in raising her son. This meant that it was virtually impossible for her to be associated with a large law firm or corporation.

So she decided to open her own legal practice soon after her son was born.

That was 13 years ago.

Consequently, she often arranges her work schedule around her son’s activities. This means that her earnings are less than many of her contemporaries and that she ends up working at some very interesting locations: sports practices, weekend tournaments and rehearsals – all for her son.

There are some special advantages and perks that she enjoys.

Shannan says she’s free now to specialize in areas of the law that she finds most interesting and free to

work with clients that she feels comfortable with. She’s also able to donate her time with deserving groups.

Some of her clients include spouses of high-level executives, area personalities and a few well-known chefs.

As a result of her unconventional approach to practicing law, she’s found herself in some interesting situations.

Often her son is present during client conferences and he’s now taken a keen interest in the law and has assisted her on many occasions.

Thanks to the celebrity chefs she works with, Shannon has enjoyed some great meals and thanks to her son she has learned a lot about football and lacrosse.

Shannan is a member of Congregation Etz Cham in East Cobb and the North Cobb Business Association. Her goals for the future are to continue to provide clients with the best possible legal advice and remain involved in her son’s life.

Shannan believes that a working mom can have a satisfying career and rich family life if one is flexible, creative and willing to sacrifice income. She’s a unique individual and, I think, her actions can serve as an inspiration for others.

Small is good Many of the business profiles I’ve written have focused on mediumsized organizations. In the future, I’d like to highlight some small businesses and business owners. Many of these people are making an important contribution to metro Atlanta’s Jewish community.

If you think that you have a unique or compelling story, please contact me at AShams@acpweb.com About the writer Al Shams is a Sandy Springs resident, a former CPA and an investment professional with more than 35 years industry experience.

AJT

BUSINESS

Jewish Children Should Stay Jewish Children

BOOKSTORE OWNER’S SPIN ON EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION

BY ELIZABETH FRIEDLY

displayed at the Trunk Show.

R

“It just enriches the experience for the child and really, everyone,” says Levy of the handmade Bar or Bat Mitzvah items. “Tallitot will be modeled by some of Elite Tallit’s clients who will share the personal meaning of their personalized tallit and why having it personalized means so much. It’s a really great opportunity for me to be able to promote two great local Jewish artists.”

“I went home to my husband and said, ‘How’d you like to be a Jewish book dealer?’ He said, ‘Go for it,’ and that’s all she wrote,” says Levy.

“We had a family contest and my husband came up with the name, And Thou Shalt Read, and we’ve been growing and growing ever since.”

When we spoke with Levy, she was in the midst of a national convention in Massachusetts hosted

by NewCAJE (formerly Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education). She describes the scene as “just about everything you could imagine in the Jewish education world.”

Herein lies the motivator behind her full and often frantic schedule.

uthE Levy was ready for a change when she heard that the owner of the local Jewish bookstore was retiring. She had been teaching sixth and seventh grade Judaics at Davis Academy for three years, and while she had a passion for Jewish education, she was searching a broader venue by which to reach young people.

Since then, Levy has been expanding the store, including the buy out of other companies, including the purchase of Oy Toys in 2011.

Customers can now browse through Jewish-themed items, ranging from a Noah’s Ark floor puzzle to the book “Guide to Jewish Interfaith Family Life” by Ronnie Friedland and Edmund Case. Since its opening, Levy has devoted nearly all of her time and energies to the store.

“Just the idea, for a lot of people, that they can come into a store and see, in one place, a huge selection of Jewish books and Jewish toys and Jewish stickers,” draws in crowds, Levy says..

This month, Levy will be hosting a special event for Bar and Bat Mitzvah aged children as well as their parents. On August 11 starting at 1 p.m., two young local talents will be showcasing their work-Rae Antonoff of Rae’s Designs and Meg Fisher of Elite Tallit.

Antonoff specializes in kippots and Hebrew micography and is a student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, Calif., an education paid for in part by her artwork. The pieces depict Biblical scenes rendered by nearly microscopic Hebrew lettering.

Fisher creates custom tallitot and chuppot, timeless pieces which will be

“I’m very passionate about continuity of Judaism,” explains Levy. “It’s just very, very important to me that Jewish children stay Jewish children and live Jewish lives. I want them to know, love and appreciate the beauty that is our Jewish heritage. That is my truest goal. We can talk all day about dollars or who knows whatever, but that’s my big thing.”

calls Levy, “and I said, ‘I’ll have to take this back home to my educators.’

He said, ‘Your educators?’ And I said, yeah all the educators from Atlanta and all 48 synagogues that I deal

with, and the ISJL institute for Jewish Life. I’m doing my part for Jewish education. I might not be in the classroom, but I’m certainly behind the scenes.”

Premium Money Market Account

0.75%

APY

Open a new Personal Money Market account with a minimum $100,000 opening deposit and receive a premium 0.75% Annual Percentage Yield. No strings attached.

Open this account prior to September 30, 2013 and this rate will be locked for 12 months or 365 days. The rate lock will start the day you open your account; after 12 months the rate is subject to change. If fees are applied, they may reduce the earnings.

At the end of the day, Levy is about making the Jewish tradition accessible and fun by appealing to children’s creativity. In honor of Rosh Hashanah, And Thou Shalt Read will be offering a variety of yellow and black, bee inspired products. Before she even advertised her bee finger puppets online, 10 had already been ordered. The pot full she brought to NewCAJE similarly was drained.

In addition, mark your calendars as the store will be bringing a beloved character to life October 6. Levy will be throwing “Sammy Spider” a birthday party, in honor of Sylvia Rouss’s children’s series turning 20 – an event which Rouss herself will be attending. It’s all about making Judaism accessible to children.

“I was talking with a guy here who was promoting a product,” re-

Michael Tesler Market President 1180 Peachtree Street, NE 404.522.2265

amerisbank.com All loans subject to approval.

If fees are applied, they may reduce earnings.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

AJT Contributor

15

AJT

Guest Column

Link Between Nazi Germany, Jim Crow Laws

DISTANT MEMORY FILLED WITH UGLINESS OF RACISM

BY BILL EUDALY

Special to the AJT

T

he Paula Dean controversy and the Trayvon Martin Case have been in the news this summer, and there are calls for a national conversation about race. Some welcome the opportunity, while others wish the whole thing would just go away.

Whatever one’s opinion, racism is still an ugly blot on the fabric of our society, and like a persistent stain, distressingly reappears no matter how hard we clean and scrub the cloth.

I grew up in the Deep South. A southern upbringing had many advantages, including beautiful landscapes, historic buildings and a profound sense of history. There was also a civility to everyday life and a deep sense of community. But as I grew I came to realize that the surface beauty hid some dark secrets.

Like many families in the south in the 1950s, we had a maid, Annie Jones, who had spent her life working for white families. She cooked, cleaned and cared for us children.

She taught me about humor, compassion and love.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

We were not an affluent family – my father died when I was only three and my widowed mother had to work full time to support three children.

Before daycare was widely available, low wages for domestic workers made it possible for whites of even modest means to afford help.

16

One day Annie ad I boarded a bus for Savannah. To my child’s eyes the seating area looked enormous and was empty except for a few people clustered in the rear. I pulled at Annie’s coat sleeve to force her into an empty seat near the front of the bus.

Instead she directed me to the back where we sat and I noticed all of the other folks were black. I asked her why we had to sit there and she sighed in a voice choked with resignation and sadness, “That’s just the way it is.”

I was confused after the bus incident but I saw the full ugly face of prejudice a few weeks later. I invited a new playmate home and Annie fixed us a snack. She carefully carved an apple as was her custom and handed each of us a portion. I eagerly devoured mine and noticed my friend was not eating his.

I asked him why and, using the “N” word, he said Annie “had touched it.” I was stung. Annie was part of our family, someone I loved and respected, but he behaved as if she was something unclean, even contaminated. For the first time, I saw racism directly and could not understand it, and still don’t.

I keenly remember the hurt and sense of rejection I felt for Annie, and in a small way realized what it must feel like to experience persistent discrimination. To be constantly judged, in MLK’s words, “By the color of one’s skin and not the content of one’s character,” surely would engender fear, sadness, and even rage.

To live a life under such judgment at every turn must seem like a sentence of life without parole.

There is a section of the Anne Frank Exhibit in Sandy Springs where Jim Crow Laws are displayed beside the Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany. Certain similarities are apparent, and as a volunteer docent at the exhibit, I often share my own painful memories with guests.

The segregation laws from our own country’s past are sometimes surprising, especially for today’s children. But the exhibits do not lie.

They are, in fact, an inescapable reminder that however uncomfortable it is to confront racism, prejudice, and discrimination, it must be done.

About the writer Bill EuDaly is a retired educator and actor and lives in Sandy Springs.

His most recent credit is “Under the Dome.”

Keeping My Hope

Book Review: Christopher Huh

By Gabriel Weiss

Contributing writer

K

eeping My Hope is a graphic novel written by Christopher Huh. Graphic novels are a cross between a comic book, with drawings on every page, but with a lengthy story like a regular written novel.

The story is about an old man named Ari who is an Auschwitz survivor. His granddaughter, Sarah,

becomes curious about his life and his stories of the Holocaust. Ari tells her about his life as a boy and how suddenly his life turns upside down when the Holocaust begins. Eventually Ari ends up in Auschwitz. The story shows a little bit about how prisoners in the concentration camps suffered.

We also learn the sad and scary story of how Ari, like other teenagers, got separated from his family. Of course, the author balances this with the joy of meeting new friends along the way, who give each other hope.

That is the message of the story.

Never lose hope. This is an important lesson for children and people of ev-

ery age to learn. Keeping My Hope explains how racism and prejudice can hurt which innocent people.

The author and illustrator, Christopher Huh was 14 when the book was published. Christopher is a second generation Korean America born in the United States. He has always liked art and drawing, so for this book, his first book, he used his very own hand writing. Knowing that he had to make his own font in order to make his book.

Christopher also had zero drawing lessons, which I think is interesting. The drawings in the book are not great, but it is obvious that he spent a lot of time on them.

Also, since the story is so good, the drawings are fine even if they are not perfect.

I think that it is important to know that Christopher is not Jewish, but feels more strongly about the terrible things that happened in the Holocaust, and is more motivated to do something about it than many Jewish children. He is just a normal kid who attends public school in Maryland. He likes to listen and play music.

He plays the viola and piano. He also likes to play tennis and watch movies.

I think this is a great book, and I recommend it to children the age of 7 to late teens. This book teaches kids about the Holocaust in an easier and more interesting way than regular history books or listening to lectures.

re JEWvenate!

Inspiring, Friendly, Accessible High Holiday

LEARNER SERVICES ROSH HASHANAH: SEPT. 5 & 6 FROM 11:00AM - 1:30PM YOM KIPPUR: SEPT. 14 FROM 11:00AM - 1:30PM

Enlightening perspectives, inspiring stories, interactive Q&A and more! $18 per individual ticket or $36 per family, free for students and Beth Jacob Members (Ticket price covers Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) Beth Jacob Atlanta - Heritage Hall 1855 LaVista Road Atlanta, GA 30329 Register online at www.bethjacobatlanta.org/highholidays or by calling 404-633-0551

s advertising and design made the o l d f a s h i o n e d w a y, w i t h i d e a s .

That’s right. Don’t come to us for the latest electronic gobbledygook, whiz-bang chirptext or sparkly new appface. We leave that stuff to the mathematicians. Our time is better spent crafting ideas. Ideas so smart and simple, they tend to work no matter how or where people see them. And, if you couldn’t tell from the guy in the picture, we mean business.

s

Go to www.cristopherHuh.com for more information about the book and Christopher Huh.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

AJT

arts & Life

The crafT of adverTising and design sTill lives

www.witamerica.com

17

AJT

Remembrance

One of the ‘Greatest’

ALEXANDER REMEMBERED AS LEADER, VISIONARY AND FRIEND

BY RON FEINBERG

ized black veterans remained secondclass citizens.

C

AJT Web Editor

ecil Alexander was a renaissance man, a member of the “Greatest Generation” that came of age during the dark days of the Great Depression and World War II. In the second half of the 20th century, he managed to help transform the skyline of Atlanta and the hearts of its citizens.

Alexander, a long-time member of The Temple and respected leader of Atlanta’s Jewish community, died last Tuesday, July 30th. He was 95.

“So much has been written about my dad in recent weeks; the scholar, the architect, the man who stood up for civil rights and put himself in dangerous positions to back up his beliefs,” Alexander’s daughter, Judith Augustine, told the Jewish Times. “But he was also just my dad and quite a guy.”

Much of Alexander’s life was spent in Atlanta – he was a descendent of one of the city’s pioneer Jewish families – designing iconic structures. He’s also remembered for the important work he did with the region’s politicians and leaders during the early years of the Civil Rights movement.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Alexander was the principal architect at the FABRAP architectural firm. He learned his craft the old-fashioned way – study and hard work. He was a brilliant student, managing to graduate from Yale University in 1940, then enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a year of study before enlisting in the marines. He would later earn a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University.

But it was his years as a fighter pilot that changed his life forever.

Alexander grew up in a city and region that was segregated and he never seriously questioned the racial barriers that were a way of life in the Deep South. His thinking changed after he flew 60 missions in the Pa18 cific, then returned home and real-

It just didn’t seem right.

“I realized the opportunities that were open to me, and the country I was coming back to was a hell of a lot different for blacks who were in a lot more dangerous battles than I was,” Alexander said years ago in an interview with The Atlanta JournalConstitution.

So it seemed natural at the time that Alexander marched in Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral procession, served on the King Center board and co-founded and co-chaired the Black / Jewish Coalition with John Lewis.

He also co-chaired Lewis’ first campaign for Congress.

And when Atlanta’s mayor, William Hartsfield, tapped Alexander to chair a special advisory committee for Urban Renewal in the 1950s, he not only accepted the appointment but managed to lead the biracial group in cleaning up some of the city’s most blighted neighborhoods.

“My dad’s involvement with the Black / Jewish Coalition sums up one of his greatest contributions,” Augustine said. “He was all about building bridges between communities and that’s exactly what the coalition did.”

Over the next decade, Alexander embraced the role of civic leader, running the Atlanta Housing Resources Committee for Ivan Allen, mayor of Atlanta in the 1960s, then serving as vice-chair of the Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission and as a member of Gov. Jimmy Carter’s state housing committee for low-income citizens.

He also stayed busy with his day job at FABRAP, helping transform the city’s skyline with buildings that are inextricably linked with Atlanta, including Coca-Cola’s headquarters, the original BellSouth tower and the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

It seemed for a while that everything Alexander touched turned to gold. Then tragedy struck one night in 1983. A teen, driving drunk, smashed into Alexander’s Buick. His

1918- 2013 Cecil Alexander wife Hermione was killed and Alexander’s pelvis was shattered.

Alexander managed to turn the moment into something meaningful.

Before being released from the hospital he formed a committee to focus on the state’s drunk-driving laws, ultimately making them tougher; then he worked at raising the legal drinking age in Georgia from 18 to 21.

Two years later he married Helen Eisemann, a longtime friend of both Alexander and his first wife; and in 1985 he retired.

A decade or so later he was making news yet again, this time at the center of a controversy swirling around the Georgia state flag.

The pendant, adopted in 1956, prominently featured the Confed-

erate battle flag. In the 1980s and 1990s there were numerous bills in the General Assembly to return to the state’s pre-1956 flag. They all failed.

Entering the new millennia, Alexander and many other Georgians figured the time was right to rethink the flag and focus on the future – not the past. So Alexander designed a new state pendant in 2000.

It featured the seal of the state in “Dahlonega gold”, surrounded by 13 white stars above a gold ribbon containing small images of the three flags that had once flown over Georgia. It was not universally applauded, but it was adopted. Two years later it was replaced.

A recent memorial service for Alexander at The Temple included

former governors and mayors, family and friends. Andrew young, the former congressman, UN ambassador and mayor of Atlanta, talked of his friendship with Alexander, a man he characterized as a “member of Atlanta’s greatest generation.”

Young said he spent an hour with Alexander several weeks ago, recalling a melancholy conversation the two friends shared.

Alexander mentioned that he was sorry he had never met Nelson Mandela. Young responded: “You probably will meet him before too long.”

After all the words, the prayers and the military honors that special day, perhaps it was Alexander’s grandson, Jed Augustine, who best summed up the measure of the man.

“My Granddad died not as a civil rights activist, or architect, or war hero, or inventor, or Atlanta icon; he died as a man,” said Augustine. “I will remember the man, at the end, when the labels and ornaments had faded away, in his sweetness and love.”

In addition to his second wife and daughter, Alexander is survived by another daughter, Terri AlexanderCox; a son, Doug Alexander; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Want to know more?

Top Left: Cecil Alexander Middle Left: Alexander and Congressman John Lewis, co-founders of the Black-Jewish Coalition.

Middle Right: Decked out in flight gear, Alexander spent World War II as a fighter pilot in the Pacific.

Above: Cecil Alexander with his first-born child, Terri Alexander-Cox; his first-born grandchild; Alex Millkey; and first-born great-grandchild, Hannah Millkey. PHOTOS / Courtesy of the Alexander Family

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Cecil Alexander’s memoir, “Crossing the Line: The Awakening of a Good Ol’ Boy” and a second volume, “The War Years, 1941- 1945,” was recently published and can be purchased online at Amazon.com

19

AJT

ARTs & LIFE

‘Honey From the Heart’

JEWS MAKING NEWS Compiled by Elizabeth Friedly

Beckham: Will Be Looking Good in New Book of Photos

S

Last year, ORT managed to raise almost $150,000; and this year, approximately 30,000 jars of kosher clover honey will be packed and shipped from our processing “hive” in Sandy Springs. That’s something to buzz about, right?

The U.K. publisher working with Beckham gained notoriety of its own, having also released Fifty Shades of Grey, and fellow player Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s autobiography.

David Beckham

“The Secret Service” will star Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Firth. While Beckham has shot his fair share of steamy commercials, this would be his first time playing a character on the big screen.

Back in the sports arena, Beckham is already shopping for a new Major League Soccer franchise (MLS) in America. As stated in his contract with LA Galaxy, the world famous athlete is privy to a discount of $25 million to purchase a MLS team. He’s reportedly set on South Florida, which has been without a franchise for over a decade.

Beckham was born to Sandra Georgina and David Edward Alan Beckham. He speaks about his faith in his autobiography; he identifies himself as being “half Jewish” through his maternal grandfather. Beckham writes that he had “more contact with Judaism than any other religion.”

Green: Set to Get His ‘Geek’ on at Awards Show

S

eth Green, actor, producer, TV director and screenwriter, will be presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Stan Lee at the first annual Geekie Awards August 18.

Best known for his role in the “Austin Powers” franchise and as the creator of the “Robot Chicken” series, Green will help the Geekies honor indie artists and filmmakers’ geekdom. The awards will be broadcast live and streamed online from The Avalon in Hollywood, Calif.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Green also has not one, but two, upcoming TV shows this fall. For the kiddies, Disney XD is debuting its animated series “Hulk and Agents of S.M.A.S.H.” on Aug. 11. The characters include She-Hulk, Red Hulk, Skaar and A-Bomb, aka Rick Jones (to be voiced by Green). In a far more, well, adult project, Green stars in Seth McFarlane’s new comedy “Dads” premiering Sept. 17 on FOX. Green was born Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green and grew up in a Jewish household in Pennsylvania. He was raised by parents Barbara Gesshel and Herbert Green with a sister, Kaela Green.

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT Since 1990, ORT Atlanta’s “Honey From the Heart” fundraiser has been sending sweet Rosh Hashanah greetings across the U.S. and around the world while raising money for ORT and many other Jewish non-profits.

occer star and media darling David Beckham recently signed a deal with Headline Publishing Group to release a book of photos spanning his entire sports career. At 38, Beckham retired from the sport after 20 years in May of this year.

There are also reports that the powers behind the spy film, “The Secret Service,” may be sizing up Beckham for a role as A villain, though Beckham has yet to comment.

HERE’S A SWEET AND TASTY WAY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ORT

“Honey From the Heart” was started by a small group of volunteers who painstakingly labeled hundreds of honey jars, wrote out gift cards and addressed mailing labels by hand. Their modest efforts raised a few hundred dollars.

Not wanting to limit the project to only Atlanta, the early volunteers started inviting other ORT chapters to sell “Honey From the Heart” and keep a portion of the profit.

Over the years, “Honey From the Heart” has experienced steady growth as people from all over the country asked if their organization could sell the sweet stuff as well.

Now all kinds of Jewish nonprofits take part in the proVolunteers are as busy as bees in the weeks leading gram, including sisterhoods, up to Rosh Hashanah, packing boxes of honey at ORT’s “hive” in Sandy Springs. PHOTO / Courtesy ORT synagogues, religious schools, and other organizations, many located in Atlanta.

A team of “Honey From the Heart” volunteer customer service representatives support a national network of 150 distributors. In addition to the customer service team, “Honey From the Heart” has a roster of over 75 ORT Atlanta volunteers who pack and ship all of the orders while enjoying the camaraderie and tremendous sense of accomplishment that make honey packing sessions so popular.

Many volunteers from the original group remain involved in the project, which has been spearheaded by co-chairs Lesley Berman and Terry Schwartz since the early days. Additionally, ORT’s Next Gen group has helped advance the project in recent years, banding together to come out to the hive and help with packing chores.

Seth Green

It’s this very sweet commitment to excellence in helping raise funds for ORT that will ensure the future success of the “Honey From the Heart” fundraiser.

Want some honey?

To place an order in time for Rosh Hashanah, and help ORT raise funds, visit www.ORThoney.com

20

AJT

SPORTS

Atlanta Takes Home Maccabi Gold Baseball Team Represents Atlanta at the 2013 GAMES

C

ongratulations to Coach Mark Rudel and his team, who beat out Team Houston to win the Gold Medal in baseball at the 2013 Jewish Community Center’s Maccabi Games in Austin, Texas. The Atlanta 16 and Under JCC Baseball team defeated eight other teams from across America to reach the final round.

The JCC Maccabi Games is the largest sporting event for Jewish teens in the world, this year drawing from 28 cities and four countries. Events include swimming, baseball, golf, basketball, volleyball and table tennis. Two to three U.S. and Israeli cities host the games each year, thereby accommodating over one thousand players, ages 12 to 16. This is the second time Austin has hosted the games.

Front row (from left) - Coaches Mark Rudel, Tom Carola, Todd Starr Back row - (from left) -- Justin Rubin, Justin Kopelman, David Spielberger, Jared Miller, Max Winter, Jake Weiss, Cory Rodriguez, Louis Isaacson, Michael Wynne, Sam Kahn, Michael Frohwein, Ethan Ratnowsky and Jamie Perry (Atlanta JCC)

World’s Best Swing

Atlantan to compete for international drive prize SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

The world’s eight longest hitters will advance from Mesquite to the Men’s Open Division finals showdown, broadcast live on Golf Channel at 6-8p.m. PST under the lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The last Driver standing walks away with a winner-take-all prize of $250,000. The competition grid will narrow from 60 yards wide in Mesquite to 50 yards in Las Vegas.

2013 marked Kevin’s first year of long drive competition. To reach the finals, Kevin had to win local and regional competitions, which occurred earlier this summer. Kevin posted winning drives of 348 yards at Local and 387 yards at Regional. The length of a winning drive is impacted by altitude and weather conditions, including wind and humidity.

Kevin first picked up a golf club as an 11 year-old, during the summer of 1997. He attended a week-long summer camp at Fox Creek on Windy Hill Road. That summer, Kevin also played on Atlanta’s NYO All-Star baseball team, which practiced in the evenings, so he needed something to keep him busy during the day. It was love at first swing. From that moment, Kevin’s uncle, Ronnie Galanti, took Kevin under his wing and onto golf courses as frequently as their calendars allowed. At 13, Kevin joined Atlanta Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and participated in its summer program and competition.

Kevin qualified for the Georgia Grand Championship all three years he participated. As a young adult, Kevin participates in many of Atlanta’s Jewish community golf tournaments, often winning the longest drive contests.

Kevin’s love of sports extends beyond golf. He played baseball on Team Atlanta Maccabbi for three summers, and in the summer of 2005, Kevin earned a spot on Team USA at International Maccabiah in Israel. His team won gold. Following college graduation and his return home to Atlanta, Kevin fueled his passion for team sports and baseball by playing on his Or VeShalom synagogue softball team and several Atlanta men’s softball leagues.

Win or lose, Kevin is excited to be among the finalists and expects to learn a lot from the experience.

now open in atlanta!! come on in to see why “it’s all about the water!”

6 FREE BAGELS with purchase of a dozen bagels expires 9/15/13

2955 cobb parkway s.e., suite 240, atlanta, ga 30339 | 770.988.9991 open 365 days a year from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm in akers mill square

fall open house & registration august 17th, 1-5pm Classes start August 19 pre-Ballet, Ballet- Bg, int, Adv pre-pointe, pointe, Jazz, lyrical for Children, Adults

NEW FOR FALL: Social Dancing for Tweens and Teens Grades 6-8 and 9-12

(limited to 15 couples for quarter) To pre-register call today: 404-256-5542 or Visit our website www.bushballetcentre.com For reg forms email director@bushballetcentre.com **Summer Schedule: Master Classes Wednesdays 6:30pm Beginner Adult Ballet Classes thursdays 6:30pm

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

K

evin Rabinowitz, a 25-year-old, fourth generation Atlantan, learned last week that he qualified for the RE/MAX World Long Drive competition, which takes place September 23-27 in Mesquite, Nevada at Mesquite’s Sports and Event Complex. Kevin is one of 192 finalists in the Men’s Open division, winnowed from a field of over 3,000. Finalists come from 15 USA Regions, as well as Europe, Australia, South Africa and Japan. 2013 marks the event’s 37th year of long drive competition.

21

AJT

community

Shirley Blumenthal Park Being Sold

MT. BETHEL UMC TO USE PROPERTY FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL Special for the AJT

T

he Shirley Blumenthal Park property in East Cobb, owned by the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), is currently under contract to be sold to Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church.

Mt. Bethel UMC plans to use the site for a new private high school.

Operated by the MJCCA for more than 25 years, the 32-acre campus has been vacant for years.

“Our agreement with Mt Bethel UMC will complete a process that began several years ago when we made the difficult, but responsible, decision to market Shirley Blumenthal Park and use its proceeds to better serve the greater Atlanta Jewish community,” said Steven Cadranel, president

of the MJCCA. “Although the facility may have outlived our purpose, we are very appreciative of the generous donors that helped create it and the many families it has served.”

Opening in 1986, Shirley Blumenthal Park welcomed countless children and families to its preschool, camps, and sports programs over the years. With Mt. Bethel’s purchase of the property, families will continue to frequent the site for years to come.

The high school will serve as an extension of Mt. Bethel Christian Academy, which currently includes an elementary and middle school, located on the church campus.

“The original vision of the school always included a high school, and we are glad to see that vision become a reality with the purchase of this attractive property,” said Michael

Ostergard, chair of the Academy’s Board of Trustees. “The process has just begun with this agreement. We still have a lot of important work — architectural design, engineering studies, and fundraising — but we are excited to get started.”

Church leadership has been scouting different properties throughout East Cobb over the past few years.

Meanwhile, the MJCCA has reduced its use of Shirley Blumenthal Park in response to demographic shifts in the East Cobb Jewish community and geographic challenges.

“This campus is a perfect fit for the new school,” said Jim Callis, Head of School. “While our kindergarten through eighth grade classes will remain adjacent to the church, the Shirley Blumenthal Park location will provide a convenient location only six miles away.”

The East Cobb community remains a priority for the MJCCA, which provides programs and services in the area, such as The Sunshine School, operated out of Temple Kol Emeth, cultural events, Jewish learning opportunities, and free bus transportation from East Cobb for youngsters attending summer camp at the main campus in Dunwoody.

“The decision to sell the property in no way diminishes our commitment to serve the Jewish community of East Cobb,” said MJCCA CEO Gail Luxenberg. “It underscores our path toward financial health as well as our dedication to providing high-level programs and services to all Jews of Greater Atlanta. We look forward to pursuing additional partnerships with other East Cobb organizations in the near future.”

MJCCA Announces Brill Institute for Jewish Learning Registration Explore Judaism Regardless of Age, Location Special for the AJT

T

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

he MJCCA’s Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning is pleased to announce open registration for 20132014. From current events to ancient practices, the MJCCA offers new and exciting courses led by acclaimed instructors. They’re offered all over Metro Atlanta with a range of daytime and evening options, and are open to the community.

22

Have a question about Judaism?

The MJCCA’s Brill Institute has a class to address all of your curiosities and more. Dr. Shelley Buxbaum, Director, Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning says, “People of all ages and denominations are looking to study and debate Jewish topics.

From the core values of Judaism, life cycle observances and holidays, to debating Jewish identity in America, to exploring the American experience for immigrants – we provide an array of daytime and evening lectures and courses with gifted teachers and presenters.”

Former Brill Institute student Amy Rosenberg says, “The MJCCA’s Brill Institute allowed me to continue my Jewish education but from an adult perspective. My life experiences allowed me to view information that I learned as a child differently as an adult. The classes exposed me to many different views of Judaic study, based on interactions with my instructor and classmates. It was something that I did for myself that has been a positive influence on my entire family life.”

Dr. Buxbaum adds, “There is truly something for everyone – whether you are just beginning to explore Judaism, or simply want to deepen your knowledge, we have a class for you.”

Editor’s note: For program information: contact Laurie Finkelstein (678) 812-3723 laurie.finkelstein@atlantajcc.org. For a complete schedule of 2013-2014 classes, or to register for a class, visit www.atlantajcc.org.

Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning – Locations & Classes MJCCA’s Zaban Park (5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody) ► Derech Torah: An Introduction to Judaism ► Year 1: Rhythms of Jewish Living & Purposes of Jewish Living ► Beyond Borders: The Arab / Israeli Conflict ► Wandering Jews: Jews Living in the Diaspora ► Scriptures: Torah, Gospel, and Qu’ran ► Maimonides: A Sephardic Renaissance Man ► Shiv’im Panim: Seventy Faces of Wisdom (hands-on course with an artist-in-residence) ► Our Master Story: B’Midbar / Numbers ► Islam for Jews Marcus Hillel Center at Emory University (735 Gatewood Road, Atlanta) ► Beyond Borders: The Arab / Israeli Conflict The Temple (1589 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta) ► Beyond Borders: The Arab Israeli Conflict ► Year 1: Rhythms of Jewish Living & Purposes of Jewish Living ► Answers to Your Child’s Questions: Foundations of Jewish Family Living Temple Beth Tikvah (9955 Coleman Road, Roswell) ► Answers to Your Child’s Questions: Foundations of Jewish Family Living ► Year 2: Dramas of Jewish Living Temple Sinai (5645 Dupree Drive, NW, Atlanta) ► Jews in America: Insiders and Outsiders Congregation Or Hadash (7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs) ► Answers to Your Child’s Questions: Foundations of Jewish Family Living ► Jews in America: Insiders and Outsiders Greenfield Hebrew Academy - GHA (5200 Northland Drive, Atlanta) ► Sh’mot / Exodus ► Year 2: Dramas of Jewish Living

AJT

arts & life

Lucy Gross to Play ‘Paulette’ in Company J’s Latest Production Young Actresses’ s Journey to “Legally Blonde”

L

ucy Gross, a Woodward Academy graduate, will play the character, Paulette in Company J at the MJCCA’s upcoming Teen Summer Stock production of “Legally Blonde,” running Aug. 1 to 11. Gross was born and raised in Atlanta and grew up in the northeast suburbs. She went to Woodward Academy from the fourth grade through high school, where she graduated in 2012.

“During high school, I kept busy in the theatre department and did summer stock theatre every year,” says Gross, “Those summer stock shows were under the direction of Jeffrey Bailey and music direction by Bill Newberry. But when Jeffrey had to move away, I had to look for other summer stock options.”

“That is when a friend who had been in Jeffrey’s shows with me told me about ‘Spring Awakening,’” Gross continues, “Company J’s summer stock show last year. I auditioned and was cast as Martha. I loved working with Brian Kimmel, Eileen Edwards and Annie Cook, as well as the cast and crew so much that I decided to come back and audition for ‘Legally Blonde.’”

Gross is now entering her sophomore year at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Al. studying Musical Theatre. Gross says, “The college is small; composed of only a few thousand students, but the theatre department thrives and produces amazing shows with some of the most talented actors and production crews I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Gross was raised a Reform Jew. She was Bat Mitzvahed at 13 at Temple Dor Tamid. Her paternal grandmother,

Sylvia “Double” Gross, is known around Atlanta for her contributions to various Jewish and LGBT organizations.

“You can’t go into an Atlanta deli without finding someone who knows Sylvia,” says Gross.

Sylvia’s late husband, Ben Gross, was a Holocaust survivor and made his career in real estate all over Atlanta.

He and Lucy’s Uncle Alex Gross have had their survivor stories featured in numerous books and documentaries. Lucy’s Uncle Alex even wrote his own memoir of his experience titled “Yankele.”

Gross’s family has been tied to the MJCCA forever.

Gross explains, “My two older brothers and I all went to Zaban for pre-school, and my mother and grandmother donated to the theatre; they have a plaque in their honor

outside the box office.” Lucy says, “That is one of the reasons that being a part of this theater is so special to me, in a personal way.”

All productions will take place at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s (MJCCA) Morris and Rae Frank Theatre. For more information or to purchase tickets call the Company J Box Office at (678) 812- 4002, or visit www.atlantajcc.org/boxoffice Editor’s note: “Legally Blonde” Performances (Aug. 1 - 11) Thurs. Aug. 1 at 8 p.m.; Sun. Aug. 4 at 2 p.m.; Sun. Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.; Thurs. Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.; Sun. Aug. 11 at 2 p.m.; and Sun. Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. Ticket Prices: $10-$20, with discounts for students, seniors, groups, and MJCCA members.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

23

AJT

community

A New Voice at Temple Emanu-El

CANTOR FINDS MEANING, CONNECTION WITH JEWISH MUSIC

BY SARA KAPLAN AJT INTERN

T

emple Emanu-El has a new cantor, Lauren Adesnik, a recent graduate of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College. She was ordained this past May.

Cantor Adesnik, who was recently married and moved to Atlanta earlier this summer, has been singing classical and Jewish music for most of her life. She has performed starring roles with both the Repertory Opera Company and the Contemporary Opera Company of Los Angeles.

As a student, Cantor Adesnik taught hundreds of B’nai Mitzvah students at her home synagogue, Temple Judea of Tarzana, Calif.

She also worked with other temples across the greater Los Angeles area teaching adult education classes and leading congregations in prayer.

The Jewish Times recently spent time with Cantor Adenik, talking about her childhood, schooling, decision to become a cantor and recent move to Dunwoody. Here are some highlights of our conversation.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

AJT: You just recently moved to Dunwoody. What excites you most about moving here and joining Temple Emanu-El?

24

Adesnik: I’m looking forward to everything. Right now, I’m just trying to get through the High Holidays … But professionally, I’m looking forward to meeting the community that’s here and forging new relationships.

Five years ago I started cantorial school (it’s a five year program) and now I look forward to finally begin-

ning what I set out to do. Almost four years before (starting school), I was tutoring B’nai Mitzvah students; so, really, what has been a 10-year journey is pulling together and I’m happy to finally settle down and do what I love.

AJT: How did your love of music begin?

Adesnik: My mom will tell you that I have been singing since I was a baby; and I have very early memories of singing. My mom was a classical pianist. She would sit me on her lap and she’d play these kid’s songs and I would sing along with her. I think I have always been singing; it’s just been second nature, which is neat.

AJT: When did you first think about singing as a career?

Adesnik: I remember when I was 10-years-old and I had just watched the Olympics. I announced to my mother that I wanted there to be an Olympics for singing so I could enter.

I think that’s when I first knew that I wanted to sing professionally.

I had no inkling of becoming a cantor, although by the time I became a Bat Mitzvah people were suggesting it. So turning singing into a career was that Olympic moment for sure.

AJT: What first drew you to cantorial music?

Adesnik: When I was seven-yearsold, I saw my cousin become a Bar Mitzvah and I became obsessed. I didn’t know what it was then. I think looking back on that experience now, I felt some sort of presence that was greater than myself.

For me, personally, I would call

that a connection to G-d. It’s different for everyone obviously, but when I was seven, all I knew is that I saw my cousin and I thought, ‘That’s really cool, I really want to do it,’ and I started a year-long process of begging my mother to send me to Hebrew school.

AJT: You eventually became an opera singer. What brought your focus back to cantorial music?

Adesnik: I was out of college for about three or so years and I was singing opera. I graduated when I was 21-years-old. As a young singer, you audition a lot and you don’t make any money.

So I started thinking, ‘well, what can I do to support my opera career?’

In high school I had tutored B’nai Mitzvah. I thought, ‘Well, it’s a skill I know and the schedule is flexible.’ So I called every synagogue in the San Fernando Valley and the very last synagogue I called was Temple Judea where I ended up as a B’nai Mitzvah tutor.

I hadn’t been to synagogue in maybe five years and I showed up to a Friday night service and I was floored. It was so vibrant and all in Hebrew … there I was, sitting in a service that was all in Hebrew, and I had no idea what was going on and I really thought I didn’t fit in.

And that’s the way I felt until I ended up at Temple Judea and I heard a cantor who is now my mentor and a very dear friend. She actually married me and my husband this past May. I was like, ‘Wow!’ … and I told myself that this is what I wanted to do.

AJT: Was there any one event that helped you make the decision to move professionally from singing opera to becoming a cantor?

Adesnik: Even at that Friday night service, I wasn’t totally convinced I wanted to become a cantor. I was still thinking that I could be an opera singer and that the tutoring gig was just something on the side.

About six months later I saw my first Bar Mitzvah student on the bimah. He was a troubled kid. I mean, he was the kid who one day showed up with a purple mohawk!

Every week he would throw down his Torah portion and be in tears. I was just trying to get him through it.

But when he finally made it to the bimah, and to see this transformation come over him; he felt so accomplished. And I realized when his grandmother turned around and said, ‘You have such a beautiful voice. Why aren’t you a cantor?’ And I said, ‘You know what, I don’t know.’

I then spoke with my mentor and she opened up every door for me.

AJT: What excites you most about being a cantor?

Adesnik: Well, everything. I love to learn and, hand in hand, I really love to share what I’ve learned for all ages. I teach adults, B’nai Mitzvah and the little ones, too. At the heart of it all, it goes back to connecting with people. I’m a people person and I really just love that connection.

There is something really unique and special about bringing a sense of Jewish connection to people’s lives and that’s very fulfilling to me.

At the same time, I get to share my voice through teaching. It’s another way outside of singing that I can be a presence. I can take something and learn to make it accessible for people, and that’s really fulfilling.

AJT

ISRAEL

A Road to Peace

PALESTINIANS BECOMING INTEGRATED PART OF ISRAELI SOCIETY Special for the AJT

W

hen the news becomes bleak about the possibility of Arab-Israeli peace – despite the best efforts of Secretary of State John Kerry – along comes a story that shows that hatred and violence don’t have to be the lasting legacy of the Middle East.

Forbes Magazine reports on an Israeli company called Webydo, which aids graphic designers to create websites cheaper and faster. The company’s founders, Shmulik Grizim and Tzvika Steinmetz, have built a powerful code-generator that converts any graphic design into a functioning website that is fairly easy to update and manage.

After only a year, 10,000 designers – mainly in the U.S. – have created more than 60,000 websites using this online software.

Webydo’s first investor is an Israeli-Arab, Hisham Adnan Raya, who made money building homes in the north of Israel. His accountant suggested he diversify some of his profits and introduced him to Grizim and Steinmetz.

The three men have become close friends, including hanging out in Raya’s lavish home in the Arab town of Sakhnin. Raya says that Israeli-Arab politics simply doesn’t interest him.

“In general,” he says, “if people are intelligent and hardworking, they tend to get along . . . At the end of the day, if you want to make money, you have to work with Jews, and with everybody.”

Clearly, this attitude isn’t pervasive across Arab society.

Another business story, detailed by the Gladstone Institute, focuses on the opposite attitude in the West Bank. Two Israeli-Arab businessmen took a chance, wanting to open the first Fox clothing store in the West Bank.

They received permission of the Palestinian Authority and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations and in training employ-

ees. However, “anti-normalization” activists and journalists organized a protest, even threatening to firebomb the store. So the two entrepreneurs called off the project.

Unfortunately, this incident shows what might happen to Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority, if he works to seriously reach any agreement with Israel.

The problem that the U.S. needs to understand is that Abbas, and his predecessor Yasser Arafat, have failed to prepare the Palestinian people for the possibility of peace with Israel. That, I fear, is the real cause of the continuing deadlock in negotiations between Israel and a future Palestinian state, not the occupation.

While it’s important to talk peace, it’s even more important to educate people about peace.

Another, more hopeful sign, is the increasing number of young IsraeliArabs who are taking part in Israeli National Service. Several thousand are currently serving in roles across the country, from fire-fighting to working as medical assistants. Some are even serving in the IDF. They and their parents recognize that such work enables them to become truly integrated into Israeli society. As one Muslim-Israeli mother said, “It is clear that serving in the IDF and serving in national-civic service is a basic component of the Israeli melting pot . . . My children get equal treatment in the army and they have not encountered racism or discrimination . . . This is true integration into society, in the only country in the Middle East that provides genuine human and civil rights.”

If more Arabs and Palestinians, and their sympathizers, took such an attitude, peace would take care of itself. The populations of Israel and the Palestinian territories, I think, would insist that their leaders make a lasting and productive peace.

About the writer Harold Kirtz is an occasional contributor to the Atlanta Jewish Times and a past president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

BY HAROLD KIRTZ

25

AJT

MATZAH BALL SOUP FOR THE SOUL

Jewish King in the Wings?

GEORGE’S ANCESTRY HAS PEOPLE MULLING THE POSSIBLITIES

BY RACHEL LAVICTOIRE AJT Columnist

E

ven those of you, like me, who don’t follow “pop culture”— don’t care about the lives of the Kardashians or the absurdity of Honey Boo Boo — probably paid attention to the recent news that the world has a new prince.

For the hopelessly unaware, on June 22, 2013, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed into the world their first baby boy, George Alexander Louis.

About two years ago, newspapers and magazines were filled with clever catch phrases announcing the marriage of a small-town girl, Kate Middleton, and a real-world Prince Charming, William of Cambridge.

Back then, I had little interest in the matter.

To me, it was just another celebrity marriage – an event publicized because of the bloodlines and / or deep wallets of the two people involved. But the birth of George Alexander Louis is, in fact, an event that has grabbed my attention.

Prince George of Cambridge is currently third in the line of succession to the British throne. He is also possibly Jewish.

Not surprisingly, there has been a lot of research done on the matter.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Some Jews would like to prove that the potential heir is a “Member of the Tribe,” but many non-Jews are working hard to prove just the opposite.

Obviously, searching for undeniable evidence about someone’s religious

26

background is nearly impossible. But here are a few facts that people are trying to make sense of:

hope that there is actually a “Member of The Tribe” currently sitting third in line as heir to the British throne.

1. Judaism is a religion that’s passed down through maternal blood lines.

And I understand why so many of us cling to this hope.

2. P rince George Alexander Louis is the son of Catherine Middleton, grandson of Carole E Goldsmith, great-grandson of Dorothy Harrison, and greatgreat-grandson of Elizabeth Temple.

3. S tarting with Kate and tracing back five generations, all marriage ceremonies were held in churches.

The majority of the arguments out there, on both sides of the debate, are based solely on these three facts. They can be seen to support both sides.

Some people argue that names like “Goldsmith” and “Temple” are proof that young Prince George has a little Jewish blood running through his veins and that many Jews married in churches centuries ago to hide their ancestry. That’s understandable when you recall the Spanish Inquisition’s persecution of Jews.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, those arguing that Prince George is not Jewish seem to have a stronger case: Kate was not raised Jewish, her family has been in England for over six generations, and many of the marriages have been performed in churches.

Still, though, the question remains open, and many Jews continue to

It would be an incredible leap for the Jewish community, a people held down by years of discrimination and isolation, to have a representative in the royal family. It would be inspirational and uplifting, and it would cause Jews worldwide to beam with pride.

royal throne, that he shall write for himself two copies of this Torah on a scroll from before the Levitic kohanim. And it shall be with him… so that his heart will not be haughty over his brothers, and so that he will not turn away from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, in order that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons, among Israel” – Deuteronomy 17: 15-20.

But if more evidence surfaces disproving George Alexander Louis’ Jewish background, we need to let it go and wait patiently, rather than contort the facts to align with our hopedfor truth.

Clearly, the leaders that G-d chooses for us will be good men. They will be righteous and diligent, and in constant pursuit of a just nation. They will be unbiased, and fair in their punishments. But most importantly, they will be Jewish and they will be chosen

by G-d.

In this week’s Torah portion, we learn about the formal leadership of the Jewish people. The parshah, sensibly named Shoftim, meaning judges, begins with a commandment from G-d:

I neither endorse nor oppose the idea that George Alexander Louis will one day be a Jewish monarch, but I do fully support the movement of people out there trying to seek their own modern-day Jewish leader.

“You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities that the Lord, your G-d, is giving you, for your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment…

Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your G-d, is giving you.” – Deuteronomy 16:18-20.

G-d continues, explaining how exactly these appointed judges should handle criminals: capital punishment may be enacted “by the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses” (17:6), but not by the mouth of one. Then, above the judges is the Sanhedrin, or the Rabbinic Supreme Court, which consists of the Levitic kohanim.

The judges are instructed to bring any disagreements to the kohanim, and to follow their judgments precisely. Any man who intentionally disobeys either the kohanim or the judges may be sentenced to death.

But aside from the laws given to the judges about their new responsibilities, there’s also much to be said about the judges themselves.

“You shall set a king over you, one whom the Lord, your G-d, chooses; from among your brothers… And it will be, when he sits upon his

You may have noticed the similarity in G-d’s commandments: “You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself” and “You shall set a king over you.”

We, inevitably, will all choose our own leaders.

We will seek out men and women we respect and admire, leaders who hold a moral code similar to our own.

Maybe we’ll choose a non-practicing Jew in the British line of succession, or maybe we’ll choose our favorite high school teacher.

In the end, who’s to say how much of our “choosing” is actually crafted by the hand of G-d? “[G-d] will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths [G-d] will guide them” (Isaiah 42:16). Maybe Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was in fact chosen by G-d to lead the Jewish people; then again, maybe not.

Rachel LaVictoire (rlavictoire@wustl.edu) is a graduate of the Davis Academy and Westminster High School, recipient of the prestigious Nemerov Writing and Thomas H. Elliott Merit scholarships at Washington University of St. Louis and an active member of Temple Emanu-El and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

She was recently named to the board of St. Louis Hiullel.

Atlanta Synagogue Directory CHABAD 928 Ponce De Leon Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306 www.chabadintown.org 404.898.0434 Chabad Israel Center 5188 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30324 www.cicatlanta.com 404.252.9508 Chabad Jewish Center 4255 Wade Green Rd. Suite 120 Kennesaw, GA 30144 www.jewishwestcobb.com 678.460.7702 Chabad of Cobb 4450 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA 30068 www.chabadofcobb.com 770.565.4412 Chabad of Gwinnett 3855 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Suite 770 Norcross, GA 30092 www.chabadofgwinnett.org 678.595.0196 Chabad of North Fulton 10180 Jones Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.chabadnf.org 770.410.9000 Congregation Beth Tefillah 5065 High Point Rd. Atlanta, GA 30342 www.bethtefillah.org 404.843.2464 Conservative Ahavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. Atlanta, GA 30327 www.aasynagogue.org 404.355.5222

www.or-hadash.org 404.250.3338

www.nerhamizrach.org 404.315.9020

Congregation Shearith Israel 1180 University Dr. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.shearithisrael.com 404.873.1743

The Kehilla of Sandy Springs 5075 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30342 www.thekehilla.org 404.913.6131

Non-denominational

Young Israel of Toco Hills 2074 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.yith.org 404.315.1417

Atlanta Chevre Minyan Druid Forest Clubhouse North Crossing Dr. Atlanta, GA 30305 www.atlantachevreminya.org Congregation Kehillat HaShem 315 Cotton Court Johns Creek, GA 30022 rabbiatlanta.com 770.218.8094 Congregation Shema Yisrael 6065 Roswell Rd., #3018 Atlanta, GA 30328 www.shemaweb.org 404.943.1100 Guardians of the Torah P.O. Box 767981 Roswell, GA 30076 www.guardiansofthetorah.org 770.286.3477

Reconstructionist Congregation Bet Haverim 2676 Clairmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.congregationbethaverim.org 404.315.6446 Reform Congregation B’nai Israel 1633 Hwy 54 E Jonesboro, GA 30238 www.bnai-israel.net 678.817.7162

Temple Kehillat Chaim 1145 Green St. Roswell, GA 30075 www.kehillatchaim.org 770.641.8630

Congregation Ner Tamid 176 West Sandtown Rd. Marietta, GA 30064 www.nertamidonline.com 678.264.8575

Temple Kol Emeth 1415 Old Canton Rd. Marietta, GA 30062 www.kolemeth.net 770.973.3533

Congregation Rodeph Sholom 406 East 1st Street Rome, GA 30161 www.rodephsholomga.org (706) 291-6315

Temple Sinai 5645 Dupree Dr. Sandy Springs, GA 30327 www.templesinatlanta.org 404.252.3073

Temple Beth David 1885 Mcgee Rd. Snellville, GA 30078 www.gwinnetttemple.com 770.978.3916

The Temple 1589 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 www.the-temple.org 404.873.1731

Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Rd. Roswell, GA 30075 www.bethtikvah.com 770.642.0434

SEPHARDIC

Temple Emanu-El 1580 Spalding Dr. Atlanta, GA 30350 www.templeemanuelatlanta.org 770.395.1340

Congregation Or VeShalom 1681 North Druid Hills Rd. Atlanta, GA 30319 www.orveshalom.org 404.633.1737 Traditional Congregation Shaarei Shamayim 1810 Briarcliff Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.shaareishamayeim.com 404.417.0472

Nediv Lev: the Free Synagogue of Atlanta 3791 Mill Creek Ct. Atlanta, GA 30341 My.att.net/p/PWP-NedivLev 770.335.2311 Shalom B’harim 150 Warwick Street Dahlonega, GA 30533 www.shalombharim.org 706.864.0801 Orthodox

Congregation Beth Shalom 5303 Winters Chapel Rd. Atlanta, GA 30360 www.bshalom.net 770.399.5300

Anshi S’Fard Congregation 1324 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.anshisfard.com 404.874.4513

Congregation B’nai Torah 700 Mount Vernon Hwy. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.bnaitorah.org 404.257.0537

Congregation Ariel 5237 Tilly Mill Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.congariel.org 770.390.9071

Congregation Etz Chaim 1190 Indian Hills Pkwy Marietta, GA 30068 www.etzchaim.net 770.973.0137

Congregation Beth Jacob 1855 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.bethjacobatlanta.org 404.633.0551

Congregation Gesher L’Torah 4320 Kimball Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.gltorah.org 770.777.4009

Congregation Beth Yitzhak 5054 Singleton Rd. Norcross, GA 30093 770.931.4567 Email: anatoliy@bjca.com

Congregation Or Hadash 7460 Trowbridge Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Congregation Ner Hamizrach 1858 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Chabad Intown

Congregation Dor Tamid 11165 Parsons Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 www.dortamid.org 770.623.8860

27

AJT

what’s happening

Fri., Aug. 9

Dive into Shabbat, celebrate Shabbat at the MJCCA’s outdoor pool; special welcome for families of the Davis Academy. Fri., Aug. 9, 5 p.m.

Free, open to the community; bring your own picnic or purchase from Goodfriend’s Grill. brian.glusman@ atlantajcc.org.

Shabbat Barbecue Dinner for prospective members; services precede.

Fri., Aug. 9, 6:15 p.m. Congregation Beth Shalom. (770) 399-5300.

Blue Jean Shabbat, a prospective member event. Shabbat Service in the outdoor Alterman Chapel with “camp style” music. Fri., Aug. 9, 8 p.m. Temple BethTikvah. www. bethtikvah.com

Sat., Aug. 10

Prospective Member Shabbat, join us as we welcome our prospective and new members and stay for a delicious kiddush lunch. Sat., Aug. 10.

Congregation Beth Shalom. (770) 399-5300.

Birds in Your Backyard Class, Pike Nurseries “Make & Take.” Learn about attracting birds and make your own bird treat. Sat., Aug. 10, 10 a.m. Free. All Pike Nurseries locations. www.pikenursery.com.

Trunk Show Special Event, see one of a kind tallitot modeled as well as Torah portion artworks on display. Get Bar Mitzvah hints and learn how to get your own works of art from these two Jewish artists. Sun., Aug. 11, 1 p.m. Oy Toys & And Thou Shalt Read.

TBT Prospective Member Brunch, enjoy brunch and learn more about TBT’s Religious School, Early Childhood Education Center and more.

Sun., Aug. 11, 10 a.m. Temple BethTikvah. bethtikvah.com.

Tues., Aug. 13

Atlanta LinkedIn Workshop, helping you turn your LinkedIn profile into an effective business tool. Developed

by Joel Alpert from MarketPower.

Tues., Aug. 13, 6:15 p.m. $47/person by noon Aug 12. $57/person after noon. Holiday Inn Express on Clairemont Road. facebook.com/AtlantaLinkedin/events.

Wed., Aug. 14

Eat, Play, Mahj, mah jongg open game day and special tour of the Breman Museum’s new exhibit, Project Mah Jongg. Wed., Aug. 14, 10:30 a.m. $36/Museum member, $50/nonmember; reservations required. The Breman Museum. gsanders@thebreman.org.

Sun., Aug. 11

BBYO Kickoff at the Braves Game, for 9th- through 12th-graders. Sun., Aug. 11, 12 p.m. $30 includes ticket, lunch and transportation to and from the game; pre-register at atlantajcc. org/bbyo by Aug. 6. Meet at MJCCA’s Zaban Park. laura.ross@atlantajcc. org.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

Volunteers for Israel (VFI) South Region Picnic; for past and future volunteers as well as friends and family. Sun., Aug. 11, 2 p.m. RSVP requested before Aug. 1; bring a dairy or pareve side dish to share.

Private residence. (404) 825-4730.

Project Open Hand, help Congregation Ner Tamid package meals for the Open Hands project, working to prevent or manage chronic disease through nutrition. Ages 9 and up.

Sun., Aug. 11, 9 a.m. Open Hand Ottley Campus. Contact, events@ mynertamid.org.

Blood Drive, co-sponsored by Fulton Masonic Lodge No. 216, Jewish War Veterans Atlanta Post 112, AA Synagogue and Congregation Or VeShalom. Sun., Aug. 11, 9 a.m. Ahavath Achim Synagogue. Reservations, redcrossblood.org/make-donation, 28 code “jwv”

Sun., Aug. 18 Dress for Less, “Hadassah Day” at Irina’s Boutique; shop and enjoy complimentary kosher refreshments. Sun., Aug. 18, 10 a.m. Irina’s Boutique on Briarcliff Rd. (404) 325-0340.

45th Annual High Holyday Mitzvot Auction & Brunch. Sun., Aug. 18, 10:30 a.m. Congregation Or VeShalom. (404) 633-1737.

BBYO Connect Kickoff Pool Party, for 6th- through 8th-graders. Sun., Aug. 18, 4 p.m. $10 by Aug. 12, $15 after. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. stacie. graff@atlantajcc.org.

Tues., Aug. 20

17th-Annual AICCSE Professional Seminar, “Accelerating SoutheastIsrael Growth” with keynote speaker Shai Robkin. Tues., Aug. 20, 7:30 a.m. $90/Chamber member, $100/ non-member; price includes luncheon. Selig Center. aiccse.org.

Wed., Aug. 21 Reunion of Atlanta Jewish community members from Nashville; meet

with old friends for evening of food and fellowship. Wed., Aug. 21, 7 p.m.

MJCCA’s Zaban Park. fredglus@ comcast.net.

Thurs., Aug. 22

Teen Community Service at Hammond Glen Senior Community, join TCS for an afternoon of fun and bingo with assisted living home residents; teens will earn one-and-a-half community service hours. Pre-registration required. Thurs., Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. Hammond Glen on Hammond Glen Dr. amy.helman-darley@ atlantajcc.org.

Fri., Aug. 23

Dive Into Shabbat - Intown, the MJCCA’s poolside Shabbat celebration at a new location, featuring the Congregation Bet Haverim Chorus.

Fri., Aug. 23, 5 p.m. Free, open to the community. Emory Student Activity and Academic Center. rabbi. glusman@atlantajcc.org.

Open Door Shabbat, join TBT for a nosh with wine, cheese and snacks followed by service. Fri., Aug. 23, 7:15 p.m. Temple BethTikvah.

Camp Barney Medintz 50th Anniversary Celebration, weekend festivities begin with a traditional campstyle Shabbat dinner in the dining hall followed by Shabbat services in the Zaban Chapel. Fri., Aug. 23 to 25. $150/weekend, $80/Saturday only, $50/child Saturday. Camp Barney. (678) 812-4000.

Sat., Aug. 24

Garden Grilling Class, “Creative Containers” make containers for growing herbs to amp up traditional grilling recipes before football season. Sat., Aug. 24, 10 a.m. Free.

All Pike Nursery locations. www. pikenursery.com

222-3700.

Mon., Aug. 26 Sweeten the New Year - Dunwoody,

MJCCA family program featuring froyo, songs, activities, crafts and prizes for kids. Mon., Aug. 26, 6 p.m.

Attendance free and open to all; 20 percent discount on purchases.

Yogli Mogli at 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive. rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc. org.

An Evening with “Harmony,” an intimate conversation with the creative team behind the show and a special performance by the Alliance Theatre cast. Mon., Aug. 26, 7 p.m. $18/Breman Museum members, $25/nonmembers. Breman Museum. (678) 222-3700.

Wed., Aug. 28

Soul Trip to New York, Chabad of Georgia rabbis lead the way on visits to important Jewish sites. Wed., Aug. 28. New York City. More information and RSVP at chabadga/soultrip2013.

Sweeten the New Year - East Cobb, MJCCA family program featuring froyo, songs, activities, crafts and prizes for kids. Mon., Aug. 26, 6 p.m.

Attendance free and open to all; 20 percent discount on purchases. Yogli Mogli at 1255 Johnson Ferry Road. rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org.

Sat., Aug. 31

Annual Selichot Program & Service, “Sources and the Writing of History: You Tell the Story,” presented by Dr. Ken Stein, Emory University. Exploring new sources and what they reveal about Egyptian President Sadat’s ‘77 trip to Jerusalem. Sat., Aug. 31, 9:15 p.m. Congregation Or Hadash. Info, (404) 250-3338.

Sun., Sept. 1 Mon., Aug. 26

Sweeten the New Year - Dunwoody, MJCCA family program featuring froyo, songs, activities, crafts and prizes for kids. Mon., Aug. 26, 6 p.m.

Attendance free and open to all; 20 percent discount on purchases. Yogli Mogli at 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive. rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org.

An Evening with “Harmony,” an intimate conversation with the creative team behind the show and a special performance by the Alliance Theatre cast. Mon., Aug. 26, 7 p.m. $18/Breman Museum members, $25/nonmembers. Breman Museum. (678)

Nibble and Noshfest, two-day festival providing visitors with tastes of Jewish and other ethnic foods in sample-size portions; includes community vendors, entertainment and children’s activities. Begins Sun., Sept. 1, 11 a.m. and continues on Mon., Sept. 2 until 4 p.m. Admission is donation of two canned goods for Must Ministries. Temple Kol Emeth. noshfest.com.

Improv on the Rocks with Just a Twist of Jewish, improv night at Noshfest featuring Red Door Playhouse Adult Improv Group. Sun., Sept. 1, 7:30 p.m. $15. Temple Kol Emeth. noshfest.com.

AJT

may their memories be a blessing

Mitzi Swit

94, OF ATLANTA

Lifecycle Events and Counseling Rabbi Patrick 'Aleph' Beaulier

Interfaith, Non-Religious and LGBT Welcome

Mention this ad for 10% off any ser vice or event

Mitzi Murial Rita Fuhr Swit, 94, of Sandy Springs, passed away on July 20, 2013. She was born July 26, 1919 to Samuel and Rose Fuhr.

She was preceded in death by her husband Jacob “Papa Jack” Swit of blessed memory. Mitzi was an avid Mahjong player and stayed active at Hammond Glen for the past 15 years. Her great-grandchildren, Jack and Elliott, were the light of her life. She is survived by her son, Steve Swit and his wife Janis; granddaughters, Jenna Swit and Staci Swit Brinson; and great-grandchildren, Jack Brinson and Elliot Brinson. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Safepath Cobb County Child Advocacy Center, 736 Whitlock Avenue NW # 600, Marietta, GA. 30064. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. A graveside service was held July 24th July 24 at Crest Lawn Cemetery with Rabbi Brad Levenberg officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Sue P. Wolfe 80, of Atlanta

Sue P. Wolfe, 80, of Atlanta, died peacefully July 30, 2013. During her life, she was an active volunteer at the WSB Consumer Action Center and the Fernbank Science Center. She was honored to be a part of the Chevra Kadisha and the Sisterhood at her synagogue, Congregation OrVe Shalom. Survivors include her daughter, Rebecca Wolfe and her companion, Paul Marks, Atlanta; daughter and son-in-law, Judith Wolfe and John Sofietti, Pittsburgh, Pa.; son, James D. Wolfe and his wife, Dee (whom she loved as her own daughter), Atlanta; daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and John Stinson, R.I.; brother and sisterin-law, Kenneth and Gail Deaner, N.Y.; sister and brother-in-law, Marian and Jerome Pollack, N.Y.; sister-in-law, Barbara Klein, Silver Springs, Md.; grandchildren: James, Emily, Jessica, Andrew, David, Andrew and Molly; great granddaughter, Lily. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Morton Wolfe and H. Bernard Gilman. Sign the online guest book at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bikur Holim at Congregation OrVe Shalom, 1681 N Druid Hills Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30319 or the Fernbank Science Center, 156 Heaton Park Dr., Atlanta, GA 30307. A graveside service was held Fri., August 2, at 10:30 at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

www.RabbiPatrick.com | Rabbi@RabbiPatrick.com

Susan Gergans Susan Gergans, age 72, of Suwanee, died Aug. 3, 2013. Survivors include her sons: Michael and Lisa Gergans, Canton, Ga; Kraig and Jennifer Gergans, Woodstock, Ga. and Steven and Michele Gergans, Roswell; mother, Betty Schultz, Chicago, Ill.; sister, Joan Krone, Chicago, Ill.; grandchildren: Amanda, Stephanie, Sean, Matthew and Lindsey. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wesley Gergans, of blessed memory. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. A graveside service was held Tues., Aug. 6 at 11a.m. at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Fred Greene officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta (770) 451-4999.

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

72, OF SUWANEE

29

JEWISH PUZZLER

by David Benkof

Across 1. “Mama” Elliott 5. ___ Beit Shemesh 10. “I ___ I’ve said, merely competent” (Billy Joel) 14. “___ Named Scooby-Doo” (cartoon spinoff of 1988) 15. Halimi and Ramon 16. 1882 Palestine immigration group 17. Allot 18. Del Boca ___, Florida (Where Seinfeld’s fictional parents live) 19. Comics pioneer Lee 20. She succeeded her husband as “spiritual leader” of her congregation in Mississippi 23. Moral restraint 24. “Go jump in ___!”

27. Certain chickens 28. Canadian actor (“Knocked Up”) 32. ___ Nidre (Yom Kippur prayer) 34. 50 percent of a dance 35. Use JDate 36. North Carolina Jewish boarding sch.

39. “Ha!” 42. Some Holocaust survivors 43. End notes?

45. Achinoam Nini’s stage name 46. Graduates of Einstein (abbr.)

48. He played Fish on “Barney Miller” 51. 411 54. Jonas Salk vaccine’s target

55. They’re held at the American Jewish Archives 58. It represented Orthodox Jews in Eastern Europe 62. Yesh ___ (political party) 64. Eden, for one 65. “Anything ___” (Woody Allen film) 66. Bird extinct since the late 17th century 67. “American Judaism” historian Jonathan 68. William L. Shirer’s “The ___ and Fall of the Third Reich” 69. Count on it!

70. Where the heart is 71. Sing using nonsense syllables

12. “___ recherche du temps perdu” (Proust work) 13. First day of the wk.

21. Lhasa ___ (dogs) 22. Purim mo. often 25. Observe, as Shabbat 26. Some docs 29. One in Jerusalem 30. Cynthia Ozick’s “___ Pagan

Rabbi” 31. The way some people like their matzo balls 33. ___ Island Jewish Hospital 36. Put ___ on: limit 37. “I Am a Lonesome ___” (Bob Dylan song) 38. Capital of South Australia

40. “It’s ___ Late” (Carole King classic) 41. Cantor and Yoffie 44. Soviet-born Israeli politician Lieberman 47. Sleep disturbers 49. Debt to be paid 50. Members of Hitler’s “master race” 52. Play around 53. Jabotinsky’s birthplace 56. Israeli beach city 57. Fall as ice 59. Compact ___ (music store purchase) 60. ___ HaChareidis 61. Like the Negev 62. “Oklahoma!” character ___ Annie 63. “New Historian” Segev

Last week’s answers

Down 1. Ramah and Olin-Sang-Ruby 2. “Be ___” (Cooperate with me) 3. Part of a closing act?

4. Explore Bar Kochba caves, perhaps 5. Burger Ranch, to McDonalds 6. Restaurant Arlo immortalized 7. It may be worn on Purim 8. Status quo ___ 9. Russian title derived from “Caesar” 10. King David’s son and rebel 11. “Opponent” of Hasidism

Chess Puzzle of the Week

by Jon Hochberg

Challenge: Black to move. Checkmate in 2 moves

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

WE’LL HELP YOU...

CrEatE YOUr WEbsitE aND CONNECt tHE DOts.

30

ez2BSocial will create and manage your online marketing from websites to videos and Groupons to Facebook Promotions. www.ez2bsocial.com

ez2BSocial 678.358.7858

Jon Hochberg is a chess instructor who has been teaching in the Atlanta area for the last 6 years. Currently, Jon runs after school chess programs at several Atlanta schools. He always welcomes new students, and enjoys working with children who have no prior chess knowledge. Jon can be reached at Jonhochberg@ gmail.com to schedule private lessons.

THE MARKETPLACE REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE

404-883-2130

COMPUTER

HEALTH & BEAUTY

ROOFING HOME IMPROVEMENT

Seasoned ROOFING professional in your area since 1983.

Have a problem with a leak or need a complete roof/flat roof?

No job too big or small.

30 years experience, fully insured and references in your area provided upon request.

Complete repair serViCe

a roo fin

em

n joh

er bo

gp

ro

sales & service on all operators & garage doors

broken spring repair ● remote and key pad installation sell and install new garage doors and garage openers

Please call for a free quote!

404-859-8000

John Boerema 404-863-3252

www.onestopgaragerepair.com email: info@onestopgaragerepair.com

CARE GIVER

licensed and insured

C.N.A available to care for your loved one. 20 years Exp. will provide references and has own transportation. Call Michelle 404-993-9702

FOR RENT

Elderly caregiver/sitter, avail 7PM-7AM. 20 years of exp. with excellent references. 706347-1165

ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY After school Chaperone available to pick-up and drop off to desired locations- Ex: School, After School Activities and Home. Safe, dependable and responsible.

Call 404-319-1190.

Reading this? Your ad can be seen too!

AUGUST 9 ▪ 2013

FOR RENT: 1BR/1BA + DEN, Fully furnished luxury Midtown condo; $1,700/mo no fees, includes parking! fully equipped modern kitchen with marble floor and granite counter. The unit includes w/d, kitchenware, linens and towels, dishes and more. In mint condition.

Steps from Piedmont Park, Woodruff Art Center, MARTA, restaurants and much more... A few blocks from Georgia Tech and Emory Hospital.

High Rise Amenities include: full size swimming pool, state of the art fitness center, club room, theater room, library, grill garden, and concierge services 24/7.

All utilities are included except electricity.

CALL 781-729-5415

31

JELF ’s Annual Casino Night Please don’t come!

JELF’s No-Go Casino Night is a Fundraising Trifecta:

1. No babysitter needed 2. No new outfit required 3. Just write a check

We simply ask that you make a donation to our Non-Event.

For more information or to make a donation, please call 770-396-3080 or visit www.jelf.org/nogocasinonight Heidi Geller and Judy Wolman Event Co-Chairs

*Host Committee Shelley and Jeffrey Alperin Tina and Jake Arbes Cheryl and Myron Bloom Jennifer and Robert Britanisky Kathe and Morris Brown Linda and David Cohen Bea and Bud Feiman Donna and Joel Freedman

Stephanie and Barry Gang Marianne and Stephen Garber Heidi and David Geller Robyn and Jeff Goldstein Karen and Steven Goldstein Katie and Jon Gordon Nancy Seifert Gorod and Randy Gorod Jennifer and Scott Greenfield

Kimberly and Kenneth Hockstein Stacy and Edward Hyken Fredricka and Philip Kahn Hope and Craig Kaufman Lanie and Gregory Kirsch Eydie and Steve Koonin Amy and Lewis Lettes Shari and Gary Marx Andrea and Ned Montag

Tracy and Glen Nadel Ellen and Robert Rickles Susan Kraham and Gerald Riemer Lisa Salzman Melissa and Don Sklar Lynne Borsuk and Robert Smulian Sandi and Marc Solow

JELF thanks its sponsors: Attention to Detail Home Remodeling Brooks, McGinnis & Company, LLC Robin and David Perlis Judy and Kevin Wolman The Wachter Law Firm

Olga Sudvarg and Alex Yurchenko Helaine and Richard Sugarman Pam Sugarman and Tom Rosenberg Dede and Robert Thompson Sharon and Howard Wexler Judy and Kevin Wolman *as of July 22, 2013