Southern Jewish Life Regional, April 2024 by Southern Jewish Life

Southern Jewish Life April 2024 • Volume R1, Issue 2

DEDICATING THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM LIBERATION PAVILION STATES ISSUE PRO-ISRAEL DECLARATIONS JEWISH GROUP DEALS WITH ALABAMA IVF RULING RUBENSTEIN’S ADDS HOTEL TO LANDMARK CLOTHING STORE MSJE LAUNCHES EXPANSION ALL-JEWISH SEC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PURIM IN THE SOUTH

Liberation Pavilion at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Story, page 44.

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Southern Jewish Editor Welcome to the second issue of Southern Jewish Life Regional. At the end of each book of the Torah, we stand and say “Chazak Chazak v’Nitchazek” — be strong and let us srengthen each other. We can use a lot of strength these days. Naturally, the situation in Gaza continues to dominate the conversation and our coverage, but we do have a lot to read in this issue that is lighter and more typical of what you will see when the conflict is behind us. This month, we had a lot of congregations send us their Purim pictures (toward the end of this magazine), and we welcome input from institutions all across the South. We welcome your suggestions and your story ideas — even though we have a folder filled with ideas for upcoming issues. Our vision is that this publication contributes to the strengthening of community, through accurate information not being widely reported elsewhere. Right now, it is especially important, because of a constant barrage of ill-informed takes and misleading phrases in the mainstream press, generally casting Israel in a negative light. While there are certainly elements of any conflict that can be questioned, there is a lot of demonization and double standards. Anti-Israel demonstrators — no, they are not “pro-Palestinian” — charge Israel with genocide in Gaza, yet even taking Hamas’ unreliable numbers into account (and as we go to press, Hamas is admitting that they don’t have proper documentation of at least one-third of their reported casulties), Israel has an unbelievably low ratio of civilians to combatants killed. Actual military experts say they will be studying Israel’s techniques for years to try and emulate them. Yet Israel isn’t perfect, and that seems to be the standard the world demands. Aside from our editorials, this publication does not concentrate on international news. To get the best information about what is happening in Israel and reactions here, we encourage you to check out our sister publication, Israel InSight (israelinsightmagazine.com)which debuted since the last issue of SJL Regional. Like SJL Regional, there is an online magazine version, by subscription. Israel InSight is billed as a magazine for the pro-Israel Christian community, but since it comes from a Jewish publication, obviously it isn’t of a nature that would be off-putting to Jewish readers, or any other non-Christian friend of Israel. As an example, we’ve had people in the Jewish community express astonishment at what our debut issue revealed about UNRWA and why it is completely unfit to have any role in Gaza, and why it has exacerbated the situation with the Palestinians for decades. If you rely on the mainstream media, you’ll see that United Nations agency painted as a necessary force for good, and any criticism is met with astonishment. In that same vein, we could talk about Amnesty International and the International Red Cross. As Gaza continues, we need to remember what happened on Oct. 7, remember the hostages and remember that Israel is not at war with the Gazan people — it is at war with a group that attacked and targeted civilians, and vows to do it again and again. The war and the Gaza casualties are at the feet of Hamas. We must remain strong in the face of the relentless barrage of hate and lies and see this through to victory. Allowing Hamas to survive would be seen as a massive victory for terrorism, and would guarantee that before long, there would be yet another round of bloodshed from and in Gaza. Be strong — to victory. And if you haven’t yet, please subscribe to Southern Jewish Life Regional Edition today!

Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor

Agenda Remembering Amnon Weinstein ISJL’s new Southern & Jewish conference Hadassah says #EndTheSilence Southern Sens. warn Biden on Israel Watching investment watchdogs Georgia adopts IHRA definition Virginia bills combat antisemitism

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Focus: The War Against Hamas Operation Hug Meet Florida’s outspoken Rep. Mast Alabama supports Israel, condemns Hamas Tennessee resolution supports Israel Texas A&M closing Qatar campus Nice surprise at Atlanta pro-Israel protest Alabama quilters make gifts for Israeli families Memphis anti-Israel protests shuts major bridge Does working behind the scenes work any more?

Liberation Pavilion dedication, page 44

Restoring the Black-Jewish alliance in S.C. Caught in Alabama’s IVF controversy World War II Museum’s Liberation Pavilion New Athletics Center at Jacobs Camp Ramah Darom building new program center Bornblum School’s special new megillah Rubenstein’s: Fashion, and now a hotel

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Opinion James Carville’s dangerous rhetoric

Books Rabbi, “Take My Dog” Sophia’s Gift 4

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Sports Israeli soccer star goes to Charlotte 62 SEC Jewish Hoops Championship 64 Bermanator’s season ends early 65

Arts Restoring a stolen painting MSJE expanding Elie Wiesel Collection in Fla.

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Cuisine Righteous Road Spirits

Purim in the South Rear Pew Mirror

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“Rabbi’s Home” in Woodville, Miss., which had a thriving Jewish community in the late 1800s, so much that the town was known as “Little Jerusalem.” Beth Israel was formed in 1878 but disbanded in the 1920s. One unusual feature of the rabbi’s home is the ornamentation at the top of the porch posts, in the shape of a menorah.

Southern Jewish Agenda Remembering Amnon Weinstein Restored Violins of Hope to teach about the Holocaust Amnon Weinstein, an Israeli luthier who established the Violins of Hope as a musical remembrance of the Holocaust’s victims, died on March 5. He was 84. The Violins of Hope, many of which were played in the death camps by Jews who survived and many who were murdered, have been brought to cities around the world for concerts and educational programs. In the 1980s, a Holocaust survivor brought Weinstein a violin to restore, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The violin had been played in the concentration camps, and when he opened the case, ashes fell out. Weinstein’s father, a violin maker from Lithuania, had moved to Israel and opened a violin shop. But over 400 other family members were murdered by the Nazis. For many in the camps, the violin was a way to stay alive. As death transports arrived, musicians played orchestral music to give the arrivals a sense of security — before they were killed. Being in the orchestra was a ticket to survival, at least for a while. In 1996, after several similar requests over the years, Weinstein decided he was ready to restore violins that had been in the death camps, and it became his mission, along with preserving the stories behind each violin and their owners. In 2008, 16 violins were used in the first Violins of Hope concerts, in Istanbul and Jerusalem. Weinstein’s philosophy was that the violins are meant to be played, giving voice to those who were lost. His son, Avshi, is also involved in the effort. The first United States appearance of the violins was a two-week visit in Charlotte in 2012. In 2015, the violins were brought to Cleveland for a series of programs. In March 2018, the violins were in Nashville for what was then still a rare public appearance. As part of the Nashville visit, the violins also came to Birmingham for a series of concerts, after Birminghamian Sallie Downs visited Weinstein in Israel to convince him that Birmingham would be a good venue. 6

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

The centerpiece concert, “Dreams of Hope,” at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where four girls were murdered in a Klan bombing in 1963, became a documentary that aired on PBS stations nationally. The violins were in Louisville, Ky., in October 2019, and after a year of dormancy due to Covid, performances were in Richmond in August 2021. They were in several communities around South Carolina in April 2022, followed by a week of events in New Orleans in January 2023. The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center in Dania Beach, Fla., is currently hosting an exhibit of the violins. In a statement, the Alabama Holocaust Education Center announced Weinstein’s death “with heavy hearts.” Through his restorations, “these violins became testaments to history, uniting the next generation with the proud history of Jewish resilience, resistance, and artistry — even in the darkest of times.” The AHEC is the only Holocaust education center in America to house one of the restored violins, on long-term loan from the Weinstein family. On May 5, at the AHEC community Holocaust commemoration, there will be a tribute to Weinstein. The event will be at 3:30 p.m. at the Harrison Theatre at Samford University.

From Medicine to Intelligence:

How the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s unique partnership with the Israeli Defense Forces is bettering the world Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel, the students and faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been focused on their continued mission of making the world a better place. Yishai Fraenkel, vice president and director general of the university, says the campus Photo by Yoram Aschheim communities of the 100-year-old institution are experiencing a range of psychological and emotional traumas. There are those who have lost friends or family members or have suffered physical injury themselves. Still, they strive for a sense of normalcy. “We are not stopping. We are not halting or looking for excuses,” says Fraenkel. “Hebrew University is one of the most important civilian institutions in Israel, and we want to continue offering a world class education and world class research.” While their academic offerings cover a broad spectrum of disciplines from social sciences to medicine, the university’s partnership with the Israeli military has resulted in multiple programs that have been advancing research and development on a global scale for decades. “We have three major programs done in collaboration with the Israeli military: Havatzalot, Tzameret and Talpiot,” explains Fraenkel. “These military programs are very important because this is an army to protect democracy, which is very precious.”

Havatzalot: Training future military intelligence leaders

More than a decade ago, the Military Intelligence Division established a program to recruit members of the Israeli Defense Forces with the potential to excel as officers in the field of intelligence. The program has been at Hebrew University of Jerusalem since 2019. “Havatzalot is a three-year program that allows young students who are also cadets to complete a double-major bachelor’s degree with a combination of military studies and one other science like mathematics, computer science, economics and sometimes philosophy,” says Fraenkel. “They finish their training, and they serve basically as the backbone of Israeli intelligence.” Troops who join the program graduate with the rank of lieutenant and must join the Military Intelligence Unit for at least six years.

Tzameret: Elite military medicine that save lives

Serving as a military doctor is not for the faint of heart, and admission to the Tzameret program is highly competitive. Candidates for the program must meet rigorous cognitive and physical fitness requirements. While participating in the program, students are allowed to defer their military service and later give five years as military doctors in the IDF. One of the main objectives of the program is to increase the number of career military physicians. The more highly trained doctors in the field, the better for anyone in need of critical care. The program is in its tenth year. As of the 2018-2019 academic year, the total number of new military

physicians in training, including those that have already finished training, exceeds 590. Like many of their other programs, Tzameret has a global reach. Up to 20 students in their sixth year of study are selected to participate in a onemonth exchange program with other military-oriented medical programs around the world.

Talpiot: Cultivating the next generation of leaders in defense and technology When you think of Talpiot, think of it as training people who develop technologies like the Iron Dome. The Talpiot pro- Photo from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem gram is one of the most prestigious academic and military programs in Israel, selecting exceptionally talented individuals from across Israel for training in science, technology and leadership. “Talpiot takes those extremely bright scientific minds, those who excel in mathematics and physics so they can apply their talents to the development of military technology,” says Fraenkel. “Many graduates of this program go on to have a successful military career and later make their way into civilian life as successful entrepreneurs. They’re idea generators.” Though these three programs might be the most well-known, you’ll also find programs like the Institute for Research in Military Medicine where research and development in the areas of post-traumatic stress disorder, combat casualty trauma and forensic medicine (or identifying victims) takes place. Additionally, the six-year-old Bina Elite Dentistry Reserve Track allows student-soldiers to maintain rigorous combat training standards. The Bina cadets serve as critical dental officers as needed.

Solidarity across an ocean

These programs, Hebrew University and the wider community are receiving critical support through the We Are One campaign, a special initiative organized by American Friends of Hebrew University along with the international chapters of the organization. “First and foremost, the We Are One campaign shows the solidarity of people throughout the world,” says Fraenkel. “Secondly, given these hardships as a university, the campaign makes it possible for us to continue our mission. We’re not just pursuing life, but the fullness of its potential.” Resources from the initiative support a wide range of immediate community needs from mental health services and legal assistance to hosting displaced individuals and funding unique scholarships for reservists called to duty. The initiative is also looking at rebuilding the future with programs promoting mental health, a shared society between Arabs and Jews and even agricultural innovation.

Show your solidarity with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by giving to the We Are One campaign.

Learn more or donate at AFHU.org April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Southern Jewish Focus The War Against Hamas Meet the Fla. Congressman who wore the U.S. and Israeli uniforms Anti-Israel protestors prompted him to learn about — and support — Israel (JNS) — “You’re a heartless man,” a Code Pink activist tells Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) in video that the congressman shared on social media. “You lost your heart somewhere.” At issue, to the anti-Israel activist, is Mast’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. A strong supporter of Israel, Mast met with wounded Israeli soldiers alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December. He told JNS in May about the circumstances under which he donned an Israel Defense Forces uniform, of which he is proud. “Do you know where we stand on terrorists?” Mast told the Code Pink activist, who was apparently following him in the U.S. Capitol complex. “You’re a terrorist,” she told him. Credit: Courtesy. “Do you know where we stand on terrorists?” Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) volunteering on a military base near Tel Aviv in January Mast repeated. “We stand on their throats.” 2015. “Oh my god,” she said. “You are a monster.” The jeers represented the “first catalyst” for the congressMast’s colleague Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) shared the post. man’s decision to connect much more deeply with the Jewish “My favorite tweet of the week,” he wrote. state. Mast serves Florida’s 21st district, which goes from just “These people, who were out there to protest Israel, all of north of West Palm Beach to St. Lucie on Florida’s eastern a sudden wanted to pick a fight with me, which is just fine. I coast. don’t mind getting into verbal or physical confrontations with Responding to anti-Israel activists other people,” Mast, 42, a fourth-term congressman, told JNS. “It’s not hard to figure out that I’m a veteran. I don’t have “It was the first time this fight had really ever been thrown any legs, and I wear a hat that says ‘Army Ranger,’ so most at my feet in that way, where people were trying to drag me people with half a mind can put two and two together,” Mast into what I was seeing in the news,” he said. told JNS last May. Mast found their verbal assaults hypocritical. He told JNS Mast had retired in 2012 after a dozen years of service as an that he had said of the attacks on Israel in one of his Harvard explosive specialist who lost both legs to a bomb in Afghanclasses, “If it was Mexico or Canada or some Caribbean counistan in 2010. He was studying at Harvard University, and he try firing rockets into America, then guys like me would go and his then-pregnant wife, Brianna, and their two sons (they and kill them, and every American would be proud of us for now have four children) would go to the picturesque Public doing so.” Garden in the evenings so the kids could ride their bikes and He came home after enduring the taunts one night and told play in the grass. his wife, “I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but I’m Anti-Israel protesters wearing Palestinian flags, who going to find a way, and I’m going to go and show my support showed up weekly or so, decided to yell things like “You’re the for Israel. I’m going to go out there and find a way to fight big Satan” and “You’re a pawn” at Mast, the congressman told against this hypocrisy.” JNS. Mast, who is Christian, hadn’t followed Israel closely at Back in Boston in 2014, when “Operation Protective Edge” the time, although he saw references on the news. was unfolding in Israel, Mast had a philosophy that recog20

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

A Flower for Hadar

Hadar Cohen will never marry, have children or comfort her parents in their old ages. She was a heroic, 19-year-old Border Policewoman stationed at the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem when she was murdered by terrorists, February 3rd of 2016. She and a partner had confronted two suspicious men and, in the ensuing gunfight, Hadar took down a bomb-laden terrorist. In the final seconds of her life, she also managed to save the life of her fellow Border Policewoman but gave up her life in doing so. No one can accurately estimate how many lives and injuries Hadar prevented by her heroic actions. The firm policy of Israelis is to not honor individuals who commit heroic acts. They say that every life is precious, every martyr is a hero. They cannot honor just one out of the thousands that they have lost in the long struggle to establish a homeland for all of us. When you travel around Israel, you’ll find almost no sites designated as tributes to individuals. It was truly astonishing when, three years ago, the City of Jerusalem decided to pay tribute to Hadar and another Policewoman, Hadas Malka, by putting their names on the steps down into the Damascus Gate. This has now been formally done and the Cohen family is comforted to know that in the memories of many thousands, worldwide, Hadar will not be forgotten. We should not forget either. Alongside the cup of wine for Eliyahu, the cup of water for Miriam and the seder plate, I ask you to pay tribute to her heroism by placing a single flower on your seder table in her name and telling her story to the attendees, particularly the children. In our home, we make this the 5th question, “Who was Hadar Cohen?” The flower is in her name but it represents all of those incredibly brave soldiers and civilians we have lost in Israel, including those from October 7th and since. We suggest that you use this poignant letter as a reading, in explanation of the inclusion of the flower on your Seder table. It was written by Jewish author Naomi Ragen as a tribute to the heroism of Hadar Cohen. https://www.naomiragen.com/my-dear-hadar/

May G-d bless you all and may G-d bless the State of Israel. The Conn Family, Birmingham Alabama April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

A nice surprise Gesture of support as Atlanta coalition tries to break the silence on Hamas violence against women At a time when pro-Israel events are shut down on campus by protests, or “sick-outs” by venue employees cause the cancellation of Jewish performers such as happened to Matisyahu in several cities, a recent event in Atlanta proved to be a sharp contrast to all the bad news. For International Women’s Day on March 8, a coalition of groups, including the Atlanta Israel Coalition and the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, held an event on the Atlanta Beltline. They displayed a new exhibit from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, detailing the sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women by Hamas and Gaza civilians on Oct. 7, acts that continue with the women still in captivity in Gaza. In planning for the event, Cheryl Dorchinsky of AIC contacted numerous security companies, including a couple in the Jewish community. Response was lackluster, including one company that did not get back to her until a couple days after the event, and several did not respond at all. A relatively new company, Spartan Security Group, stepped 30

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up to take on the event. Chief Operating Officer Tracey Folds reassured Dorchinsky, saying he would make sure there were plenty of personnel on hand. “They did such a good job, it was unbelievable,” she said. “So professional and so incredible.” But the surprise came after the event — when Dorchinsky was told that the company was donating the time that their 15 security personnel were present. “I was literally in tears,” she said. “I had no idea.” She was told that they believed the message and cause were important. As of press time, they had not responded to our inquiries. “I’m beyond thankful for their support of our community,” Dorchinsky said. “There are still good people out there who want to be sure we are protected.” Tammy Kadish-Harper worked with the Forum to bring the exhibit to Atlanta. The exhibit began with an Israeli ex-pat living in Madrid who wanted to explain what happened to

Israeli women on Oct. 7, frustrated by how women’s movements “were completely ignoring” the atrocities. The exhibit was created from eyewitness testimonies, reports from rescue professionals and videos distributed by Hamas terrorists themselves on social media. After Madrid, the exhibit was displayed in Paris and Vancouver, and on Women’s Day, it was in Boston and Amsterdam in addition to Atlanta. After Kadish-Harper found out about the exhibit, “within a week our Israeli community here raised the money” to bring it to Atlanta “and it was very powerful.” They put it on the Beltline because “we wanted people to see.” She did not know what to expect, and “I had all these scenarios that there would be confrontations.” What she did not anticipate was “apathy and no interest, people pass by.” There were people who saw the images, “came back and asked questions.” Volunteers from the community were on hand to provide information, including one volunteer who lost many family members on Oct. 7. “That was very powerful,” Kadish-Harper said. Dorchinsky noted that “we did get a few crazies, but it was uneventful.” She has video of a woman passing by, gleefully proclaiming that “I’m a Palestinian woman.” She then returned, smiling and waving at the camera, proclaiming “I’m so cute to film” then blowing a kiss before walking away. Kadish-Harper said they would like to continue to show the exhibit in Atlanta and other places. “With all the fake news around… we’d like to flash a light on that.”

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April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

The War That Changed The World Inside the National World War II Museum’s new Liberation Pavilion

The lengthy development of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans culminated in the dedication of the institution’s final major piece, the Liberation Pavilion, on Nov. 3. The dedication ceremony marked the conclusion of the museum’s $400 million Road to Victory Campaign that enabled the museum’s continued expansion to seven pavilions and a hotel over the past two decades. Ted Weggeland, chair of the museum’s board, said that with the completion of the Liberation Pavilion, “we finally tell the full story of the American experience in the war that changed the world.” The museum was first dedicated in 2000 as the National D-Day Museum, mainly to commemorate the Higgins boats that were key to the U.S. effort on D-Day in 1944. Built in New Orleans, the boats originally were shallow water work boats for oil and gas exploration, but were reimagined into the landing craft used at Normandy and elsewhere, giving the military flexibility in where they could land, rather than needing to conquer port cities. From that first pavilion, Weggeland said the museum grew in scope to become a world-class institution on seven acres. Actor Tom Hanks said at the time, the museum was essentially “two brick warehouses, a Higgins boat and a tank. Now look at it.” President and CEO Emeritus Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, who helped found the museum with his friend, fellow historian and best-selling author Stephen E. Ambrose, reflected on the occasion. “Twenty-three years ago, when we first opened The National D-Day Museum, Steve and I thought we had achieved our goal to preserve and honor the memory of those Americans who fought on the beaches of Normandy in 1944. The accomplishments of the past two decades extend far beyond what we could have imagined, even after we decided to broaden our mission to tell the full story of the American experience in World War II.” There were many individuals he wished could have been at the dedication, such as Ambrose, but they are no longer around. Ambrose “would be so proud, so pleased, of what great Americans had done to make this a reality,” he reflected.

Opening the Pavilion Photo by James Henry Brook

Rabbi Bonnie Koppell, the first female rabbi to serve in the U.S. military, gives the invocation

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

The dedication ceremony began with a lengthy ovation for the entrance of over 40 World War II veterans, Holocaust survivors and home front workers. Over 40 Medal of Honor recipients also attended.

Liberation Pavilion displays about the Holocaust

“Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, we remain ever grateful to those Americans who sacrificed so much to secure freedom and democracy, and whose legacies are now our responsibility to carry on here at The National WWII Museum,” said Stephen J. Watson, museum president and CEO. Rabbi Bonnie Koppell, the first female rabbi to serve in the U.S. military, gave the invocation. Now the associate rabbi at Temple Chai in Phoenix, she served in the Army for 38 years and retired as a colonel. She had joined the Army reserves in 1978 and was ordained as a Reconstructionist rabbi in 1981. She provided the only mention of contemporary conflicts, starting with a reflection “on the horror inflicted on the people of Israel during this past month,” saying that after Oct. 7, “the role of those who rescued the Jewish people from the reign of Nazi terror has been exponentially highlighted.” She said she is “profoundly grateful” to the museum “for ensuring that the message of ‘never again’ will resonate for

generations to come.” Koppell said about 16 million members of the Allied forces gave their lives to end the Holocaust and liberate Europe. “It is with the most profound sorrow that we acknowledge those heroes today.” The best memorial for them is to recommit to the values of freedom and justice, she added. She concluded with a prayer for the museum’s continued growth and prosperity, for it to “be a source of inspiration for many, many generations to come.” Weggeland noted the important support by the state of Louisiana, including being the largest single supporter of the Liberation Pavilion. He thanked and introduced Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who paid tribute to the WWII generation. “There is no more sacred or meaningful form of public service than military service,” Edwards said, “to protect your country, to ensure the survival of liberty and democracy.” He introduced the Normandy Liberty Bell, which was first rung in 2004 at Normandy on the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

What does the legacy of World War II mean today?

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Memphis’ Bornblum School dedicates a “family” megillah Jewish schools often have a spirit of family. This year, the Bornblum Jewish Community School in Memphis had a Purim that definitely had family overtones for the head of school, Daniel Weiss. Each year, Weiss helps the eighth grade class decide on its class gift to the school. Last year, his son, Dotan, was in the 2023 class, which decided to donate a megillah case. When it came time to read the megillah this year on Purim, it was with a new scroll — scribed by Weiss’ oldest son, Nadav, in Israel, and delivered to the school by his middle son, Yaron. Nadav attends the Migdal HaTorah Yeshiva in Modiin. During the 2022-23 school year, Nadav had been learning how to do Hebrew calligraphy for scrolls from Tzvi Joffree, a Bornblum alumnus. He had spent the year working on a megillah, and when he was home last summer, “we talked about how cool it would be for him to write one that could be used at Bornblum,” Weiss said. 56

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He worked on it each night while home for the summer. Working backwards from the end, he was still a column from finishing when the summer ended, but before he left for Israel he went to Bornblum to show the students the art of writing sacred texts, writing the first line of the megillah with them watching. He completed the megillah in Israel, then when Yaron and their mother, Jessica, were in the country visiting shortly before Purim, he sent the megillah back to Memphis with them. Yaron was in Bornblum’s class of 2020. The family arrived in Memphis when Nadav was in the ninth grade, so he never got to attend the school, as it runs from Kindergarten through eighth grade, with about 110 students. Nadav said he was attracted to this craft because “writing was something that at first seems easy… (but) the simple thing of writing letters could be so complex and can be used for so many mitzvot, and it is the backbone, everything is

built upon it.” Scribes usually begin by writing the megillah of Esther because the rules are less stringent than for writing a Torah, he said, making it one of the easiest things to write. Mezuzahs and tefillin are the most difficult. Joffree was “there the whole time, helping me along the way” as he learned the skill, Nadav said, and also helped sew the parchment sections together. The scroll took approximately 80 hours of work to complete, and the class of 2023 also helped fund the materials that went into the megillah. Holding the megillah, Weiss told his son during a video call, “your English handwriting is so illegible, it’s unbelievable. And yet you look at this, and you look at the beauty of how you wrote the words in this megillah.” The scroll was presented to the school

Nadav Weiss shows students at Bornblum School how to scribe a megillah

during Kabbalat Shabbat on March 15. “As Head of School and more importantly, as a parent, I take great pride in

the role that each of my sons played in bringing this Megillah to Bornblum,” Weiss reflected.

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April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Stay and shop

New Orleans landmark Rubensteins celebrates a century of fine clothing by opening a boutique hotel One of the oldest continuously-operating menswear stores in America, Rubensteins in New Orleans is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with a legacy of trying new things and adapting to the times. At the 100-year mark, trying new things includes a completely different kind of venture — a boutique hotel, located upstairs from the store. The Rubenstein Hotel has 40 rooms in the upper floors of the six buildings they own. The hotel opened at the beginning of the year, just in time to offer Mardi Gras packages, as the hotel is right on the parade route on Canal Street, with balconies for viewing the festivities. They offer king and double rooms, corner suites and a presidential suite with a loft bedroom and kitchenette. “We are proud to showcase our family’s enduring commitment to downtown and the city of New Orleans,” said second-generation owner David Rubenstein. “Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we are optimistic about the timing of our hotel’s debut and its contribution to tourism in New Orleans.”

A century of change In a room overlooking Canal Street, with family portraits on the wall, third-generation owner Kenny Rubenstein recounts the store’s first 100 years of history. Rubensteins — the clothing store — began in 1924 when Morris Rubenstein used his experience from the family’s dry goods store on Rampart Street, and opened a store selling “white shirts, with collars and cuffs.” Soon, Morris’ brothers,

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Elkin and Sam, joined, and the store became Rubinstein Bros. Rubenstein said that they soon realized that “they had to expand and add product, and see where the niche was.” They sought out high-end items, and played a large role in introducing Italian fashion to the country. Even their American suits were $300 or $400, “and that was a big deal, but it was the finest things made in the U.S.” After expanding their space every two years in the rest of the 1920s, the Great Depression hit, and business fell. They approached the building owner asking for a reduction in rent, and the landlord figured that not only was some rent better than none, but when good times returned, the store would once again be successful. After the Depression, the Rubensteins were able to buy their building and embarked on an expansion, which was promoted in the Times-Picayune on Dec. 7, 1941. Of course, World War II then greatly affected the business. “Everybody was gone,” Rubenstein said. It was “hard to sell men’s product, it was hard to get men’s product.” They added women’s wear, but in 1945 went back to just menswear. After the war, they offered free white shirts to every soldier they knew, along with new charge accounts. That helped the store prosper after the war, and expansion continued, eventually encompassing six buildings along Canal at St. Charles. As more New Orleans young men headed to the northeast for college, they weren’t as interested in shopping where their fathers shopped, so Rubenstein’s opened the Madison Shop around the corner on St. Charles, with a separate entrance. That entrance is now the hotel entrance, and The Madison Bar, a nod to its history. Despite it being separate from their fathers’ store, much of the merchandise was the same. Elkin’s sons, Andre and David, ran the Madison Shop. In the 1970s, as the hippie revolution started, Andre and David launched the All American Jeans division. The family also branched out geographically, for a while. When Lake Forest Plaza opened in East New Orleans in 1974, Rubensteins was one of the original stores. In the 1980s, another location was added, in Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie. Kenny and Mark Rubenstein joined the business in the 1990s, along with Andre and David’s wives, Robbie and Niki. In 2000, David’s children, Hilary and Allison, also joined. Rubenstein said one way to stay on top of the trends, espe-

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Southern Jewish Cuisine Righteous Road in good spirits for Passover By Lee J. Green Putting his Judaism into his product creations has led to high spirits for St. Louis entrepreneur David Hermelin. He founded Righteous Road in 2018, and his kosher craft spirits company now ships to over 40 states, while also being in stores across Missouri, New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Illinois and Maryland. “In 2014, the craft bourbon market really started to soar,” said Hermelin. “I thought about the creativity in craft bourbons and how that might translate into creating unique spirit brands that partnered with Jewish themes.” “The kosher market (for craft liquors) was also underserved,” he said. “It seemed that there was an opportunity to do something innovative and but also spiritually meaningful.” Hermelin concocted the idea of branding his first product Righteous Seven. This premium liqueur is a blend made from all seven fruits and grains (the seven species) that praise the Land of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy as “a land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (honey).” Since its launch, Righteous Seven has won multiple Double Gold Medals. As part of his previous career in the pharmaceuticals industry, one of Hermelin’s jobs was to research and come up with new product ideas that had some kind of competitive advantage. “If I was going to try and compete in the craft spirits market, I knew I needed to develop concepts that weren’t already being done,” he said. After coming up with the idea for his company, Righteous Road Craft Spirits, he began collaborating with a distiller in Kansas City to research and develop Righteous Seven. Once the product was refined with the right combination of the seven species and ready to launch, he found a distiller in the St. Louis area to manufacture and bottle the product. “Winning the Double Gold Medals at 74

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

some of the national craft liquor competitions really inspired confidence that we had something to really build off of,” said Hermelin. Righteous Road now manufactures five different kosher craft liquors. In 2021, the company launched The Fifth Cup Liqueur. It contains no wheat or grains, and is kosher for Passover. “It has dates, figs, apricots, almonds and pistachios,” he said. “Historically there was a custom of drinking a fifth cup on Passover night after the four cups of wine. I thought it was a fitting and unique name for a brand that could be enjoyed on Passover.” Hermelin grew up Conservative and has “grown in his level of observance” as an adult. He lived in Israel for a few years in the 1990s, studied at a Yeshiva, and has a couple of brothers who currently live in Israel with their families. “I came up with the name Righteous Road because to me, the road of life should be traveled righteously. A person that aspires towards a meaningful path guided by the Creator,” he said. “It’s about bringing goodness to the world while also defending the principles of moral virtue in the face of challenge and depravity.” Hermelin said that while Righteous Road is a Jewish-owned company that makes kosher products, he has seen increased business from outside of the Jewish community. “The market in the Jewish world is a perfect fit, but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy Righteous Road,” he said. “America is founded on Judeo-Christian principles and our products resonate with that historical connection as well as the love for the land and country of Israel… and really, it’s also about having products that taste good!” Hermelin said he is continually thinking of new products, including the development of a Righteous Road bourbon whiskey and other special release bourbons that are finished in Righteous Road liqueur barrels. “We’re building off of our core and trying to come up with ideas that fit with our brand, but also lead us into some new directions,” he said.

From the back page of this magazine to under your drink on the coffee table Makes a decent afikomen prize “He periodically spells my name right.” – Moses “Yes, we gave him a graduate degree. We’re looking into it.” – chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary “Half of the things he says I said, I never said. Including this.” – his mother “He knows more about Judaica than most, and you won’t find any of it in this book.” – his fourth-grade teacher “His translation skills are second to none, and it’s a very close second.” – his Hebrew professor “I’ll deal with him.” – The Almighty Big G

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Southern Jewish Purim Haman’s Last Hoedown

Temple of Israel in Wilmington, N.C., saw “Haman’s Last Hoedown at the Shushan Saloon” for their Purim celebration. The country-western Purim Shpiel was written by congregants Linda Liss-Bronstein and Myrna Cohen with lyrics by Temple member Eileen Rothberg, including parodies of “The Gambler,” “Jolene,” “Friends in Low Places” and more. Local singer Scott Gales performed following the play. Above, cast members Rabbi Emily Losen-Ostrov, Dahlya Shook, Ron Rothberg, Linda Liss-Bronstein, Sam Brody, Eileen Rothberg, Michael Grissom, Myrna Cronen and Sharon Levy with the Social Committee Chairperson Robi Lorio. Not pictured are Ruben Ostrov and photographer Andy Bronstein. Top left, The Good Ole Boys, King Oshibaby, Haman and Narrator: Ron Rothberg, Andy Bronstein, Ruben Ostrov, Michael Grissom and Myrna Cronen. Photo by Alan Potash. Middle, Vashti is sent off: Eileen Rothberg, Dahlya Shook and Sam Brody. Bottom, Queen Esther leads the line dancers: Dancers Dahlya Shook, Betty Rosen, Sharon Levy, Myrna Cronen in back and Harriet Eisen. Bottom two photos by Ron Rothberg.

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Mickve Israel in Savannah had a Saturday night Purim masquerade that included the Club One Drag Show, and a diva Purim shpiel with Cher, Madonna, Willie Nelson, Elvis, A Blues Brother and Elton John.

Purim Across The South

Purim Barbie Spiel from Temple Shalom in Fayetteville, Ark.

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Purim in Israel at Chabad of Memphis. Photos by Eli Ostrow.

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Photos by Karson Photography

As part of its year-long 275th anniversary celebration, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston, S.C., held a community-wide Purim Family Fun Day, with kosher food, games, rides, activities and a petting zoo, which included a baby kangaroo (below). Rabbi Stephanie Alexander was “Rabbi Barbie.”

Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, N.C.

The Tenenboims of Chabad Emerald Coast in Destin, where they had a Purim in Israel celebration. April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Congregation Micah in Nashville

Dor Tikvah in Charleston, S.C.

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

Margolin Hebrew Academy Feinstone Yeshiva of the South in Memphis B’nai Israel, Little Rock

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

The annual Purim talent show at Jewish Community Day School in Metairie, near New Orleans, concluded with a performance of “Am Yisrael Chai.” The show itself had singers, dancers, piano and ukelele players, magic, comedy and a karate act.

Photo by Siria Jacobo

Congregation B’nai Israel in Jackson, Tenn. Left to right: Glenn Scarbrough (Mordecai), Adib Jacobo (Royal Messenger) Melissa Kelley (Haman), MaeRose Kelley (Esther), Teeghan Jones (Slave), Nona Jacobo (Maiden), Lucy Scarbrough (Director), Allan Sterbinsky (King Ahasuerus), David Cohen (Narrator).

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional

At Agudath Achim Synagogue in Little Rock. Clockwise from top left: Harry and Rivkah Ehrenberg, Rabbi Mark and Ellen Biller, Michael Margoles, Victor Biton and Jana Jacobson Cohen. Photos by Rabbi Mark Biller

Arabian Nights Purim at Chabad of Alabama in Birmingham drew about 400 participants.

April 2024 • Southern Jewish Life Regional