SJL Deep South, June 2018

Southern Jewish Life CELEBRATING ISRAEL’S 70TH BIRTHDAY LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BARS BDS AVODAH’S 10 YEARS IN NEW ORLEANS BIBLICAL ARTIFACTS IN BIRMINGHAM

June/July 2018 Volume 28 Issue 5

Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213

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Our region has produced a number of unusual political candidates over the years, from the quirky to the downright scary. This past primary season was no different.

Long-time readers know that there have been only two times when we have endorsed a candidate; in both cases it was mostly without knowing much about the candidates in question, only that their opponents were active in Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic circles, and as with most such down-ballot elections, most people knew very little about the names on the ballot.

There has been a great deal of alarm in recent months over blatantly racist or anti-Semitic candidates getting on the ballot in several states. In just about all of the cases, the individuals in question are running as Republicans in districts that, thanks to our gerrymandering system that draws increasingly polarized districts to maintain “safe” seats for both parties, are so heavily Democrat that “regular” Republicans don’t even bother fielding a token candidate.

Enter a nutcase looking for free publicity, and you have a nightmare for the Republican party, whipped up by Democrats who are all too happy to point fingers and diagnose the situation as being part of the new normal in “Trump’s America.”

In the Alabama Republican primary, the race for Public Service Commission, Place 1, did not sink to that level, but it did prompt a conversation about freedom of speech and what an election is supposed to do.

As we reported a couple of weeks before the election, candidate Jim Bonner had a Facebook feed with a treasure trove of politically-incorrect commentary and memes, including a Holocaust-themed valentine about a love that burns like 6,000 Jews.

Bonner stated that his Facebook feed is a free speech zone where many people engage in lengthy discussions and sometimes post jokes related to the topics, and in the case of the valentine, it was a discussion marveling at how rocket scientist Wernher von Braun remains a venerated figure in Alabama despite his Nazi past.

The Republican party, seeing the string of posts poking fun at a wide range of groups, decided to censure Bonner and state that it would not certify votes cast for him. Unfortunately, Bonner was receiving a lot of support in polls based on mistaken name recognition, as his

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Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 3

commentary

MESSAGES

Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games name is very similar to of a popular U.S. discretion that one must and having I have had the honor attendingformer many Maccabi competitions around theuphold, world. From Israel Representative from America, the state Europe — and and he rode a self-declared goal of annoying liberals to Australia to South the JCC Maccabi games around the United Stateswith that name recognition to within one percentonline posts doesn’t reflect and Canada, I have logged many miles seeing howoutrageous sports can be a vehicle to help build Jewishthat age pointespecially of victoryininour theyoung.

June 5 primary. level of discretion when one is being called to identity, Looking at Bonner’s Facebook feed, it looks serve all of the state’s citizens. honored to come to Birmingham the firstAdmittedly, time and fellthis in love withan notera justofthe city likeI felt so many others by individuals whofor have is also “gotcha!” but the people.

You have taken Southern hospitality to a new level with your kind and caring way too much time on their hands. The me- politics, where even one past comment or inapproach theoffensive JCC Maccabi mes, eventothe ones,Games. are not that far discretion can get magnified by opponents, outLed of what commonly seen on social media. often leading to wonderful. a disgracedThey withdrawal even by theisSokol and Helds, your hard-working volunteers were partnered In the of posts,staff, the Holocaust-themed is no pattern of games similarabehavior. with yourflood outstanding led by Betzy Lynch, towhen makethere the 2017 JCC Maccabi huge hit. ones far between,asand the timeThat pendulum hastoswung tooyou far on to behalf the exI wantare to few take and this opportunity executive director of Maccabi USA say thank line does not reflect that of an anti-Semite. treme. of everyone involved.

AnIindividual who likes humor of aWorld style that Nevertheless, in theory — one whichofhas had just returned from the 20th Maccabiah games in Israel with a U.S. delegation isover becoming less acceptable in 2018, perhaps, been severely tested over the last or 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. Back in July the eyes ofdecade the entire but there are millions of such people out there. so — elections are about putting forward canJewish world were on Jerusalem and the Maccabiah. This past month with 1000 athletes and But the posts werethestill offensive didates are the coaches from around world being inenough Birmingham, youwho became thebest focalqualified point. to represent that had Bonner made it to office, it would everyone, finding the best people to fill those Everyone from the Jewish community andRethe community have been an enduring headache for the positions. at large, including a wonderful police force, are to be commended.

These games will go down in history being a seminal publican party, which doesn’t need to provide The political partiesasare well within their moment the Jewish community as weitbuild the future by providing suchcandidates wonderful Jewish any moreforfodder to those who paint as a to rights to state that certain do not memories. white male bastion. fulfill those ideals and refuse to have them unBonner have the right to post con- der their umbrellas.

JedDoes Margolis troversial his Facebook page? Of It would just be nice if the vetting could Executive material Director, on Maccabi USA course, far be it from a magazine to speak happen a bit earlier against free speech. in the process than supremacists ButCharlottesville when one runs for public office, one is two weeks would beforelike to see pushed back On into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand no longer Joe Citizen — you are now represen- an election, though, with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, tative the party, and if elected, you become so the flawed candiEditor’sofNote: This reaction to the events in who was there standing aCharlottesville, face identified with the city, state or nation date doesn’t get 49.6 up to the face of this written

by Jeremy Newman, hate. of the vote. where hold office.

TherePiisTheta a higher level of percent Masteryou of the Alpha Epsilon Colony We recognize the essence of the American at Auburn University, was shared by AEPi narrative as a two-century old struggle to rid National, which called it “very eloquent” and ourselves of such corners, and allow those in praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at them the seat at the table that they so deserve.

Auburn University and… the leadership they It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the display on their campus.”

Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with White supremacy has been a cancer on certain unalienable rights.” We know our work our country since its beginning, threatening is far from finished, but we know we will not its hopes, its values, and its better angels. move backwards.

The events that took place in Charlottesville When men and women, fully armed, take represented the worst of this nation. Those to the streets in droves with swastikas and who marched onto the streets with tiki torches other symbols of hate, it is a reminder of how and swastikas did so to provoke violence and relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism fear. Those who marched onto the streets did are today.

It is a wake-up call to the work that so to profess an ideology that harkens back to needs to be done to ensure a better, more a bleaker, more wretched time in our history. welcoming country.

But it should not come A time when men and women of many creeds, without a reflection on how far we’ve come. races, and religions were far from equal and far America was born a slave nation. A century from safe in our own borders. A time where into our history we engaged in a war in part Americans lived under a constant cloud of to ensure we would not continue as one. We racism, anti-Semitism and pervasive hate. The events that took place in Charlottesville served found ourselves confronted by the issue of civil rights, and embarked on a mission to ensure as a reminder of how painfully relevant these the fair treatment of all peoples no matter their issues are today. skin color. Although we’ve made great strides, Auburn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with the it is a mission we’re still grappling with today.

Jewish community of Charlottesville, and

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with the Jewish people around the country and around the world. We also stand with the minorities who are targeted by the hate that was on display in Charlottesville. We stand with the minorities of whom these white

America was also born an immigrant country. As early as the pilgrims, many groups and families found in the country the opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, and be themselves. Few were met with open

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4 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

Late June2018 2018 February

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING SPECIALIST Annetta Dolowitz annetta@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Alexis Polack connect@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Zach Aaronson, Tally Werthan, Alex Bloch, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 14 Office Park Circle #104 Birmingham, AL 35223 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 985/807.1131 TOLL-FREE 866/446.5894 FAX 866/392.7750 connect@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com or Annetta Dolowitz, annetta@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South.

To that end, our commitment includes mailing to every Jewish household in the region (AL, LA, MS, NW FL), without a subscription fee.

Outside the area, subscriptions are $25/year, $40/two years. Subscribe via sjlmag.com, call 205/870.7889 or mail payment to the address above.

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed in SJL are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. SJL makes no claims as to the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the right to refuse any advertisement.

Documenting this community, a community we are members of and active within, is our passion.

We love what we do, and who we do it for.

agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events

B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge held its annual Golf Classic on May 6 at The Island Golf Club in Plaquemine, with seven teams competing.

Third Temple expert to speak in Ft. Walton Reuven Prager, a tailor who specializes in Biblical clothing, will speak at Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach on July 10, discussing the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and current Temple restoration projects.

The 6:30 p.m. presentation is open to the community.

During the presentation, participants will be able to try on and photograph themselves in Biblical garments, smell the spices of the Temple Incense, and handle genuine artifacts and coins from the First and Second Temple periods.

“This will be a very interesting presentation for those who have even the least bit of interest in what the First and Second Temple times were like, and what a potential Third Temple period might look like,” said congregational president Chad Hill.

Prager is with Beged Ivri, “the research and restoration site for ancient Israeli customs” in preparation for the Third Temple.

Founded in 1983, the organization promotes Biblical-style clothing; techelet, the

blue dye used in the fringes of the tallis; the incense used in the Temple; and the recreation of vessels for use in a Third Temple.

Prager is also behind the revival of participation in the half-shekel commandment. Each year, every Jewish male over age 20 was obligated to contribute a silver half-shekel, roughly 8 grams. Because Jewish law forbids the counting of Jews, the coins served as both a national census and a tax to support the Temple.

The practice was banned by Rome in 135 C.E. In 1997, Prager started to mint half-shekel coins, and continues to issue a different one each year with a design based on a Temple item that has been reproduced.

Southern Jewish Life receives two national awards

Southern Jewish Life magazine received two awards in the 37th annual Simon J. Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism.

Regarded as the highest honor in the Jewish publication field, the Rockowers are administered by the American Jewish Press Association, and were presented at the AJPA annual conference in Cleveland on June 19.

Southern Jewish Life received a second place recognition in the Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary for the page 3 columns by Publisher/Editor Larry Brook. The entry consisted of three columns from 2017. Southern Jewish Life competed in the category of Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Magazines; Broadcast; Web-based Outlets.

Also receiving second-place honors was “Churches, ministries rally for Birmingham Jewish community,” which was recognized with the Foundation of Ethnic Understanding Award for Excellence in Interfaith Relations Reports.

With these awards, Southern Jewish Life has received 17 Rockowers since first entering in 1994, including awards in each of the last three years.

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 5

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agenda Spielberger, Steinmetz among Top 50 Over 50 honorees

Gala dedicated in memory of Mackie Horowitz Joyce Spielberger and Stephen Steinmetz will be honored at Positive Maturity’s 2018 Top 50 Over 50, an event that is being dedicated to the memory of Mackie Horowitz.

The Top 50 Over 50 was created in 2014 to honor 50 individuals in Alabama who have made a difference in their community, and to show that while growing older is unavoidable, growing up is optional.

According to Positive Maturity, “Top 50 Over 50 celebrates members of our community who Joyce Spielberger know how to dream, laugh, contribute, and achieve on many levels… all the key elements of staying young.”

The event will be held at The Club in Birmingham on July 26 at 6 p.m., and proceeds benefit Positive Maturity’s efforts to enhance the lives of older adults through social services and civic engagement.

Horowitz, who died last December at the age of 66, began working with Positive Maturity in 2006.

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On April 30, Rachel Hausmann repainted the Ten Commandments installation on the front of Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge, after which the congregation had Kabbalat Shabbat services outdoors, to enjoy the great weather.

agenda coordinator, she provided volunteer opportunities, activities “and always a warm loving hug.”

In 2010, she became the director for Shepherd Center East, a Positive Maturity senior center.

When the Top 50 Over 50 was created in 2014, Horowitz signed up for every committee and worked to educate the community about the event and find nominations.

She retired from Positive Maturity in December 2016 and moved to Minnesota with her husband, Sherm, to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

According to the organization, “Mackie Horowitz was an incredible lady with a true servant’s heart. She was the definition of what it means to be a Top 50 Over 50.”

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Cindy Bloom, Produce Strategy Manager with Feeding the Gulf Coast, and Chair of the Springhill Avenue Temple Sisterhood Tikkun Olam Committee in Mobile, along with a team of 10 volunteers, gleaned 1,300 pounds of peaches in less than three hours at the Sessions Farm in Grand Bay on May 25. She is pictured here with Sisterhood President Priscilla Gold-Darby. The farm contacted the food bank because it was no longer profitable for the farm to harvest the peaches, though they were fine to eat. The peaches were distributed throughout the central Gulf Coast within one to four days, and were part of the first children’s meals in the summer feeding program. The Sisterhood recently chose Feeding the Gulf Coast as their year-long project, and will increase the congregation’s recycling efforts by working with Keep Mobile Beautiful.

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 7

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agenda The Men’s Club at Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile will be in a pickle on June 29, putting up kosher dills. All supplies will be provided, along with the lesson on how to make kosher pickles, and a $10 charge will include two quart jars of pickles to take home. Additional jars are $5 each. The class will be at 5 p.m., but for those who can not make it, there will be another class after the Shabbat service. Reserve in advance so adequate supplies can be on hand.

Beth Israel in Gulfport will have a Star Spangled Shabbat on July 6 at 7:30 p.m. Patriotic attire is encouraged, and a special oneg will follow the service.

At Dothan’s Temple Emanu-El, Daryl Shapiro will lead a traditional Orthodox-style service at the Reform congregation, July 7 at 10 a.m.

A Kiddush and discussion will follow.

The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama will screen “Bethlehem,” on July 8 at 3:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Or. The film tells the story of the complex relationship between an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant. Admission is free. Complimentary refreshments will be provided by Federation.

The Levite Jewish Community Center and Birmingham Jewish Federation are inaugurating a new series called “Brain Pump,” to give people the chance to come together, exchange opinions and learn from one another. The four-part discussion series, facilitated by LJCC-BJF Executive Director Richard Friedman, will take place at the LJCC on Mondays from June 25 to July 16 at 9 a.m. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. The first program will focus on decisions the Trump administration has made regarding Israel and the implications of those decisions. Each session will be limited to the first 15 who reserve, so all may participate. Sessions are open to the broader community.

The next Together Tuesday in Shreveport will be on July 3. People of all faiths and backgrounds assemble under the Texas Street bridge in front of the Bon Temps Coffee Bar at 6 p.m.

AIPAC Florida Political Director Evan Philipson will brief the Pensacola Jewish community, “From Capitol Hill to Jerusalem,” June 25 at 7 p.m., at Temple Beth-El. Philipson oversees AIPAC’s political activity across the state of Florida, which includes education and training for AIPAC activists, building and managing relationships with members of Congress, growing the base of pro-Israel politics, and facilitating grassroots lobbying efforts. Reservations may be made at www.aipac.org/tbethel.

Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge will have a parlor series at congregants’ homes this summer, with Drinks and Drash with Rabbi Natan on July 5 at 7:30 p.m. Contact the congregation for the location.

Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will have its first-ever Les Mills GRIT Games, July 15 at 2:30 p.m. Teams of two will compete in different workout mini-challenges, based on moves found in the group fitness class GRIT. There will be prizes for the winning teams, and different challenges will be featured in the weeks leading up to the competition. Registration is $50 per team and opens on June 25; teams are two individuals at least 16 years old, of which one must be an LJCC member, and teams are not co-ed.

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Collat Jewish Family Services in Birmingham will hold a CARES volunteer training, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Friedman Center for Jewish Life. CARES is a respite program for people with memory and movement disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

A background check is required, and volunteers are asked to serve at least one 4-hour shift per month.

The North Louisiana Jewish Federation will hold Camp Chai the weeks of July 16 to 20 and 23 to 27 at B’nai Zion in Shreveport, with Morgan Walker as camp director.

community Summer camps rebuff calls to teach far-left views about the occupation A left-wing advocacy group that opposes Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians but also takes no official position on the BDS movement that seeks to eradicate Israel, or on the existence of Israel itself, has been trying to get Jewish summer camps to adopt their advocacy positions.

The camps aren’t buying in.

IfNotNow, which was formed as an anti-occupation group during Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 Gaza operation, began “You Never Told Me,” where young adults assert that they were given a sugarcoated, always-right view of Israel while growing up and had never been taught about the occupation or the plight of the Palestinian people.

To correct that, the group is pushing for Jewish summer camps to teach their views of the conflict, saying the American Jewish establishment is “out of touch” with young adults when it comes to the Middle East.

According to the group’s website, “We do not take a unified stance on BDS, Zionism or the question of statehood” for Israel. “We work together to end American Jewish support for the occupation.”

Jim Mittenthal, director of Camp Barney Medintz in Georgia, said “We do not have staff who are part of this organization… This is not who we are. And we will not enable or permit a forum for these anti-Zionist positions.”

Each year, Mittenthal visits Israel twice as he brings 20 Israeli emissaries from the Jewish Agency for Israel to the camp. “Our posture is to infuse experiences that enrich our camp community and focus on the array of positive cultural aspects of Israeli life through music and dance, language, stories and history, technology and achievements, food, art and theater, teva/nature and other cultural experiences. We do not step into political judgment.”

Over 1,000 Israelis work in Jewish summer camps each year.

Many of the activists are alumni of Camp Ramah, and Ramah has received much of the media attention during the controversy. Ramah, the Conservative movement’s camping system, operates 10 overnight camps, including Ramah Darom in north Georgia, and five day camps.

On June 11, Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, director of the National Ramah Commission, and others from the commission, issued a statement asserting that “Ramah camps have not engaged — and will not engage — in any way with If Not Now as an organization.”

At a meeting with 15 Ramah alumni who are active with the group, “after listening to their views, we made it very clear to them that while liberal pro-Israel views on the conflict can be voiced and taught at camp, we do not allow any anti-Israel, anti-Semitic or anti-Zionist education at Ramah.” The statement added that Ramah “will not partner with any organization that is not unequivocally pro-Israel.”

Many IfNotNow activists have expressed disappointment at the camps’ reaction, and taken umbrage to the characterization of such education as being anti-Semitic, chalking the camps’ reluctance to engage as an unwillingness to upset donors.

Last year, Cohen told Ha’Aretz Ramah does teach older groups about the “difficulties of the occupation” but differs with IfNotNow on “the amount of focus it should get” at camp.

A June 17 Jewish Press article by a writer who infiltrated an Internet workshop for the activists reported that those who will be working as counselors were encouraged to do an end-run around the restrictions.

Among the suggestions were adding Arabic words to signs that are normally in Hebrew and English, telling campers ages 12 to 15 stories about Palestinian children their age, promoting Bar/Bat Mitzvah projects to support Palestinian causes, and saying Kaddish for Palestinians killed in Gaza. For older campers, discussions can include the environmental harm of the occupation.

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community No mention was apparently made of the arson kites from Gaza, which have burned several thousand acres in Israel in recent weeks.

The suggestions were presented with a framework of saying parents and educators are “good people” even though they are “hiding” information about discrimination against the Palestinians.

Lex Rofeberg, a former Education Fellow at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, and active with IfNotNow, recently posted that “Calling on your camps to educate differently is not hate. Asking for the Occupation to be named, and Palestinian voices to be heard, is not blasphemy.”

Roughly 98 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank live under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, with Israeli forces going into those areas only when pursuing someone following a terror attack.

In 2005, Israel withdrew completely from Gaza, which was taken over by Hamas in 2006.

Since 2007, Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza, restricting “dual-use” materials used by Hamas to make war against Israel. Egypt has since joined the blockade.

On April 22, Marlene Yahalom (right), director of education for the American Society for Yad Vashem, spoke at the Mobile Museum of Art in conjunction with the “No Child’s Play” exhibit. The event was sponsored by the museum and the Mobile Area Jewish Federation. Also pictured is MAJF Director Kathy Lovitt (left). The exhibit, which will be displayed through July 1, derives its name from an excerpt from Janusz Korczak’s “Rules of Life: A Childhood of Dignity.” Images of toys, games, artwork, diaries and poems in the panel images highlight some of the personal stories of children during the Holocaust, providing a glimpse of how they tried to create a different reality than what was around them.

10 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

community Avodah celebrates 10 years in New Orleans One-third of program alumni still living in the area Ten years ago, Avodah came to New Orleans to work on long-term disaster recovery and strengthen the greater New Orleans community. On May 17, the agency celebrated a decade of service with “A Celebration of the First Decade” at Martin Wine Cellar.

The event honored Fran Mendler Lake, Josh Lichtman and Dana Keren, and highlighted the role Avodah has played in connecting the Jewish community to the greater New Orleans social justice and anti-poverty infrastructure.

The evening also marked 10 years of Avodah’s partnership with the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center.

Along with Chicago, New York and Washington, New Orleans is one of four sites in the U.S. where Avodah recruits young Jewish adults ages 21 to 26 from across the country to spend a year living together and being placed at local non-profit agencies, building a supportive, pluralistic community that promotes social activism and Jewish life.

Ten corps members live in the New Orleans house. This year, they are working at the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, EXCELTH, HousingNOLA, Voice of the Experienced, YMCA, Communities in Schools of Greater New Orleans, CrescentCare, The Promise of Justice Initiative and The First 72+/Rising Foundations.

Since 2008, there have been 96 corps members in New Orleans. Two-thirds stayed in the community beyond their one-year commitment, and one-third are still in living in the area.

Over 90 percent of the corps members are still involved in social justice work, 65 percent have found lay leadership roles in the Jewish community and one-third have worked or are working as full-time Jewish professionals.

Lichtman was Avodah’s original director when the group expanded into New Orleans, and served in that role until 2011. He is part of the farm team at Grow Dat Youth Farm, and recently received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning.

Lichtman came to New Orleans in 2007 to volunteer in the post-Katrina rebuilding, and noticed that there was no long-term volunteer program. He mentioned it to long-time friend Barbara Lubran, and they contacted Rabbi David Rosenn, who had founded Avodah 11 years earlier in New York.

While at the time Avodah had made a decision not to expand beyond its initial three communities, the mix of post-Katrina needs with

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community Avodah’s ideals convinced the organization to establish the New Orleans location, with Lichtman in charge of making it happen.

Keren was in the third Avodah corps in 2010-11, Lichtman’s final year as director. Lichtman “really showed me the ropes when I came to the city,” she said.

Keren co-founded Birthmark Doula Avodah honorees Josh Lichtman, Dana Keren and Fran Mendler Lake Collective, a reproductive justice cooperative that provides she has been to the program for all of these pregnancy and parenting support services to years.”

Through her association with the group, Lake New Orleans families. A graduate of Tulane’s Freeman School of Business, Keren is senior said “I was never as aware as I am now, how our administrator for Tulane University School of social justice system needs to be revamped, and Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gy- that’s where my alignment is with Avodah.” necology.

Raising that awareness and making those “Avodah has completely changed the direc- cross-community connections is a key goal tion of my life,” Keren noted. “I wouldn’t be for Avodah, Lichtman said. He highlighted the in New Orleans if it wasn’t for Avodah. I don’t importance of the “connection corps members think I’d be working at Tulane. Tulane was my bring between the Jewish community and these placement when I was a corps member, and I’m non profits, the social justice organizations.” still working there today.”

Keren also noted how Avodah connects the Lake said her association with Avodah came Jewish community to the social justice commuwhen the group first started in New Orleans, be- nity, saying the mentorship is “a tool for young cause they moved in two doors down from her. people to learn about social justice issues and to “All of a sud- learn how to bring those social justice issues to den I had all of the Jewish community at large and to the New these young, Orleans community at large.” vivacious, Lichtman also noted what the corps memalive, vibrant bers bring to the Jewish community. “Many young people corps members are Sunday school teachers, in my neigh- host Shabbat dinners and holiday gatherings,” borhood.” he said. “They really become a nexus for young After they Jewish life in the city.” moved in “and Reflecting on the past 10 years, Lichtman said I met these “we came in as an unknown, and now I think young people, and I realized what an impact everyone that has an organization that could be they made into my community and into our a placement knows of Avodah and has heard system and how many of them stayed in the great things about it.”

New Orleans area, I realized I wanted to become Rabbi Alexis Berk of Touro Synagogue, who involved and realized I wanted to get to know is on Avodah’s national rabbinic cabinet, said it these young people.” is “a tremendous gift that Avodah is here. It’s a A first-generation American born to parents blessing to the community.” who escaped Europe during the Holocaust, Arnie Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation Lake is a retired principal and teacher at Ridge- of Greater New Orleans, said Avodah is “a truly wood Preparatory School. She is past president great organization and the work you have done of Hadassah New Orleans and has served on the speaks for itself.” boards of numerous organizations, including He added, “We’ll have another celebration 10 Avodah. years from now, and even applaud more for the Lichtman praised Lake for “how supportive great work this organization continues to do.”

“They really become a nexus for young Jewish life in the city”

12 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

community D.C. company behind possible Trinity redevelopment has Southern Jewish roots Input sought for property next to Birmingham’s Levite JCC So, how does an Orthodox family from Washington get involved in a project named Trinity Heights in Birmingham?

Berman Enterprises, based in Maryland, is looking to convert a former hospital complex into an upscale “mixed use development with many asset types,” including luxury apartments, condos, townhouses, office space, an upscale hotel, retail and an upscale senior living community, according to Ben Berman.

“We are hopeful and optimistic it will come together, Berman said. “A lot of things need to happen.”

Since October 2015, the large medical campus on Montclair Road just down from the Levite Jewish Community Center has been vacant. The hospital, Baptist Medical Center Montclair, had opened in 1966. After an acquisition in 2005, the hospital changed its name to Trinity Medical Center. In 2008, Trinity announced it would relocate to the half-finished HealthSouth digital hospital on Highway 280, but legal wrangling kept construction from resuming until 2013.

Berman first heard of the project when he saw an email in March 2017 touting the 1 million square foot Trinity hospital as a redevelopment opportunity. Knowing nothing about Birmingham, he deleted it.

A couple of months later he came across it again, and decided to do his usual first step — check the demographics of the area. He discovered that “the demographics in that area are really strong,” and having the JCC practically next door was also of note.

For the last 10 months, Berman has traveled to Birmingham monthly, and recently has spoken to neighborhood associations and other groups about the plans. Because what happens to the Trinity property has been of great interest to the JCC, Berman also met with boards of various Jewish community agencies and the LJCC staff to update them as well.

Berman knows this will be a high-profile project. “Everybody says ‘I was born there, my mother broke her foot and had surgery there…”

The property has “great bones” with large parking garages that are in good shape, and “views that are spectacular.” They are spending several months assessing the condition of the existing buildings, what can be repurposed, and doing due diligence before closing on the property.

While Berman Enterprises would be the lead developer, they want to work with outside developers on certain pieces, such as the condos, hotel, townhouses. The plan is to have everything in place so all components of the project will open at the same time.

One reason Berman has held so many public events in the area is to get input from the surrounding communities. For example, several people have mentioned a long-held desire to have a Jewish community senior

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community living facility in Birmingham, a topic that has been debated for decades.

Berman said “we are open to it” if someone comes along with expertise and a plan, and wants to talk about committing to a certain amount of space.

The company has set up a website, trinityheightsbham.com, where inquiries and suggestions can be made by the type of development.

While the Bermans are well-known developers in the Washington area, they have a Southern component to their history.

The family had a presence in Opp, Ala., where Melvin Berman — Ben Berman’s grandfather — was born. A 1916 ad in the Opp Messenger mentioned a Bargain Sale for I. Berman and Son, though Ben Berman wasn’t sure who I. Berman would have been.

When Melvin was 18 months old, the family made its way to DeFuniak Springs, Fla. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Melvin Berman left Florida at age 17 and hitchhiked to Baltimore so he could take a job at a dairy store owned by an uncle.

After learning the business, Melvin started his own regional dairy company with a local distributor, and called his younger brother, Wolford, to join him.

After building a large dairy company, they took their new-found experience in land ownership and sales and started retail development. They built their first shopping center in Ingelside, Md., in the early 1950s, followed by many more. By 1962, they completely left the dairy business and were entirely involved in development.

They developed many of the first major shopping centers in the Washington area, and as a founding board member for Rouse Company, Melvin is credited with one of the most successful planned communities in the U.S., the 15,000-acre Columbia, Md. Wolford’s son Gary and Mel’s son Dennis joined the company in the 1970s, and development activities expanded. They acquired surplus schools from the county and converted them into office parks.

In 1986, one such high school in Montgomery County became the new home for the Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington, which had been established in 1944. In 1999, the school was renamed the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy.

When the savings and loan crash happened in the 1980s, the Bermans were in a position to acquire large amounts of real estate at depressed prices.

Today, three of Dennis’ sons and three of Gary’s sons are also with the firm, which manages more than 11 million square feet of commercial office, retail, industrial and residential properties. Aside from Metro Washington, the company now has properties in Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina and Illinois.

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Will face first-term incumbent Taylor for 2nd District seat

Elaine Luria, a native of Birmingham’s Jewish community, is the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s second district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Luria received 17,540 votes in defeating Karen Mallard in the June 12 primary. Mallard received 10,604 votes. Luria will face first-term incumbent Scott Taylor, who handily won his primary challenge.

In April 2017, Luria retired as commander of Assault Craft Unit TWO after a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy. She also owns the Mermaid Factory, a family business in Norfolk that gives visitors the opportunity to paint their own mermaid statues as a souvenir. Mermaids are the symbol for Norfolk.

Virginia’s second district is being targeted as one that leans Republican but could flip to the Democrats in this election cycle. Taylor dismissed that notion, pointing out that he received more votes in his primary than were cast between the two candidates in the Democrat primary.

community Over 370 campers in region aided by JCRS this year College aid, Chanukah gifts in the works With the summer camp season well underway, the New Orleans-based Jewish Children’s Regional Service announced its scholarship support numbers for this year, and is already looking ahead to its Chanukah project.

This summer JCRS is providing over 370 partial scholarships for kids in its seven-state region, from Alabama to Texas, to attend Jewish sleep-away camp.

In total, JCRS will allocate more than $200,000 on these youth to attend 35 different non-profit Jewish camps from coast to coast, including many to the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, Tex., Camp Young Judaea-Texas in Wimberley, Tex., and Ramah Darom in the North Georgia mountains.

Also, this summer, JCRS is poring through applications for college aid for more than 100 Jewish students looking to begin or continue their studies. One example is Rachel, whose father was recently laid off from his job and whose family is struggling to afford the costs of in-state college tuition, room and board.

JCRS and its volunteer review committees in New Orleans, Houston and Dallas will allocate an average of $2,600 for the 2018-2019 academic year to approximately 100 Jewish students, to reduce the burden of debt and stress that these students and their families endure in continuing their education.

Though it is early summer, the agency is asking that families register now for the Oscar J. Tolmas Chanukah Gift Program. For 20 years, JCRS has brightened the Chanukah celebrations of hundreds of children who are facing difficult times by sending out gifts to boys and girls throughout the region. Some children are recovering from natural disasters, some have special needs, and some are new immigrants.

Almost all come from families who are struggling to stay afloat in this economy.

JCRS wants these children to know that they are not alone, and that they are remembered by the Jewish community. Registration information can be found at jcrs.org/services/hanukkah-program/ The agency also administers the PJ Library program, which provides free Judaic books to children through age 12, in communities that do not otherwise have a PJ Library coordinator.

Established in 1855 as an orphanage in New Orleans, JCRS is currently the oldest existing Jewish children’s social service organization in the U.S., as well as the only regional Jewish child welfare agency in the country. JCRS provides needs-based scholarships for summer camp experiences, college aid and assistance to children with special needs.

The agency’s area of service includes Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

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Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 15

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After 15 years of working with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, Rachel Stern is heading to Austin to become the first-ever director of the new Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Jewish Culture and Education at Shalom Austin.

Stern, who first began consulting with the ISJL in 2003, has been its full-time director of education since 2005. Rabbi Matt Dreffin, who has worked in ISJL’s Education Department since 2013, will be promoted from associate director of education to director of Rachel Stern education.

“Rachel has brought such incredible enthusiasm and leadership to the ISJL,” said ISJL CEO Michele Schipper. “She has grown the education department tremendously, supervised and mentored dozens of Education Fellows, and been an outstanding representative and cheerleader for the ISJL throughout our region and beyond. We will miss having her on our staff, but know she’ll always be part of the ‘ISJL team.’ And in the same breath, we could not be more enthused about Rabbi Dreffin stepping into the role of Director of Education. His five years with us have been inspiring and productive, and we know the future holds great things.”

In announcing Stern’s arrival, Shalom Austin said Stern is “one of the most highly regarded professionals in the field of Jewish education.”

Stern is excited to remain in the region while taking on this new position. “I am so lucky to have been in a job I loved with the ISJL, that also gave me the opportunity for more than a dozen years to do meaningful work while also preparing me for this next step. As I interviewed for the position with Shalom Austin, I realized that everything I brought to the table were skills truly honed during my time at the ISJL. I will always be an advocate and supporter of the ISJL, and am thankful to know the education team is in great hands and the good work will be ongoing as I take this terrific new journey with the Austin Jewish community.”

Dreffin said “When I took this position five years ago, I knew I’d love it, but I could never have imagined just how terrific a fit it would be. I am over the moon with excitement about my new role as director of education. Guiding the Fellows on their journeys throughout the South, working with our partner communities, expanding our impact — I’m honored to take the helm of a department that Rachel Stern has so masterfully built, and eager to ensure a smooth transition as our terrific team keeps all of our work going seamlessly.”

Stern will continue serving as director of education through the summer, assisting with all elements of the annual education conference, Education Fellows’ summer visits, and preparations for the 2018-2019 school year. She will relocate to Austin and begin her new role there in September. Dreffin will then assume his new role at ISJL. A search is also underway for a new assistant director of education.

The Education Department oversees the Institute’s trans-denominational religious school curriculum, which was designed for congregations with minimal resources to design a religious school program, often staffed by volunteers with limited teaching experience or Judaic knowledge.

The curriculum is currently used by 77 congregations in 13 states.

As part of the curriculum package, a team of 12 ISJL Education Fellows provides support services to the participating congregations. Fellows are assigned to congregations and do three in-person weekends per year, leading training workshops, adult education and children’s programming. They also check in on a more frequent basis by phone.

After first-ever kosher dinner at Governor’s Mansion, Governor John Bel Edwards signs executive order forbidding boycotts of Israel by state

Louisiana celebrates Israel’s 70th birthday Governor Edwards signs order barring BDS The State of Louisiana celebrated Israel’s 70th birthday on May 22 with a series of events at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, culminating in an executive order by Governor John Bel Edwards that forbids state agencies from doing business with companies that participate in boycotts of Israel.

With the order, Louisiana becomes the 25th state to take an official stance against the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement that seeks to isolate Israel.

“The United States, and by affiliation Louisiana, have benefited in innumerable ways from our deep friendship with Israel,” Edwards said in a statement about the order. “Any effort to boycott Israel is an affront to this longstanding relationship. I am pleased that Louisiana will join what is now a critical mass of states in supporting our closest ally.”

Israeli Consul General for the Southwestern United States Gilad Katz visited Baton Rouge for the day’s events, which began with both chambers of the Legislature unanimously passing resolutions celebrating Israel’s birthday.

The Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Neil Riser, “commends and congratulates the modern state of Israel on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its establishment.”

The House bill was introduced by Rep. Valarie Hodges, and “congratulates Israel on its seventieth anniversary, recognizes its contributions to humankind, expresses support for its people, and extends best wishes for a peaceful future.”

Last year, Hodges tried to pass a bill that would have prevented state public worker benefit plans from investing in companies that boycott Israel, but the measure failed.

A dinner was then held at the Governor’s Mansion with about 100 community members in attendance. It was the first-ever fully kosher meal at the mansion, catered by Rabbi Peretz and Mushka Kazen of Chabad of Baton Rouge.

After the dinner, Katz thanked the legislators and the governor. “Your symbolic contribution toward my state and the people of Israel are not taken for granted,” he said.

Katz assumed his post in Houston in August. He said the day’s events were “one of my peak moments I have experienced” as consul general and it was a day to remember.

He spoke of the commonalities and differences between Israel and Louisiana, noting that Louisiana is seven times the size of Israel. “We have the same issues that challenge our people. First of all, water. You have too much, we have too little.”

He also described the people of Louisiana as “Warm-hearted, friendly, caring. In short, Israelis.”

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Edwards’ order states that “Israel and the State of Louisiana enjoy a robust trading relationship that is in the best interests of the people of Louisiana,” and advancement of BDS “harms the Israel-Louisiana relationship and the Louisiana economy.”

Because of that, “the State of Louisiana unequivocally rejects the BDS campaign and stands firmly with Israel.”

The order says the state commissioner of administration, Jay Dardenne, will terminate existing state contracts with a business that boycotts Israel or supports businesses that do so, and future contracts will include a certification that a company is not boycotting Israel.

It can be waived if the commissioner determines “that compliance is not practicable or in the best interests of the State.”

The order applies only to commercial conduct and does not affect speech or consumer conduct. It also will not apply to procurement contracts for less than $100,000, or vendors with fewer than five employees.

“It was truly a historic day for Louisiana and for the Jewish communities of this state,” said Arnie Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. “The Federation and the JCRC would like to thank the Governor, the Legislature, and all of the leaders whose tireless efforts over the years made the day possible.”

Fielkow added, “Our organization’s support of Israel is intrinsically linked to our longstanding support for a peaceful resolution of the persistent conflict in the Middle East. We continue to hope for a solution that ultimately results in two states — Israel and Palestine — and other neighboring countries living side by side in harmony, prosperity, and security.”

The Israel Action Network applauded Edwards’ order. William Daroff, senior vice president of public policy at Jewish Federations of North America noted that Louisiana becoming the 25th state with such a measure marks “a critical moment in which 50 percent of U.S. states have received the message that boycotting Israel is bad for business. These state actions address the discriminatory nature of BDS and the ability for states to control their own commerce. We thank the Governor and the many community activists who made this possible in Louisiana.”

Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs, said “we are heartened that Louisiana has taken a strong stand opposing discrimination against Israel.

Earlier this year, the city of New Orleans rejected an anti-Semitic resolution, and now the state has made clear that taxpayer funds should not support businesses which discriminate.”

Josh Block, president of The Israel Project, said the group was “grateful to the governor for his leadership in fighting back against BDS discrimination” because the movement’s founders “have made it clear that they target Israel’s very existence, not its policies.”

Katz called it “a great day for the State of Israel and Louisiana,” and “we look forward to strengthening Israel-Louisiana relations.”

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Rosh Ha’Ayin emphasis for Israel’s 70th celebrations in New Orleans The personal connection between Israel and New Orleans was on display as the community celebrated Israel’s 70th birthday with guests from New Orleans’ Partnership2Gether community, Rosh Ha’Ayin.

The main event was an Israel celebration at the Uptown Jewish Community Center on April 22, featuring a Yemenite menu fashioned by Chef Zach Engel of Pomegranate Hospitality Group.

There was also a henna artist, traditional Yemenite costumes to try on, face painting, balloon art and Israeli crafts. A band from Rosh Ha’Ayin also performed.

On April 23, JNOLA and the Jewish Community Relations Council held a cooking demonstration at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, with Engel and Yemenite chef Sharon Mydani from Rosh Ha’Ayin.

In April 2016, Engel spent time in Rosh Ha’Ayin leading classes and workshops, and preparing a New Orleans and Yemenite style menu for an international Partnership2Gether mission and 20th anniversary celebration.

Ambassador Yoram Ettinger, who has served as Israeli Consul General to the Southwestern United States out of the Houston consulate, and former director of the Israeli Government Press Office, spoke at Beth Israel and Shir Chadash on behalf of Israel Bonds.

He also visited Jewish Community Day School on April 20, along with the delegation from Rosh Ha’Ayin. The Rosh Ha’Ayin group returned to the school on April 24, singing and dancing with the students, culminating in a Second Line around the Beit HaMidrash with the song “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu” to the tune of “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Top: Rosh Ha’Ayin musicians Yaron Gan, Chen Har Even, Maya Bernadsky and Dekel Tuvia at JNOLA event. Middle right, Zach Engel and Sharon Mydani do a cooking demonstration

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 19

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Israel at 70

Across The South

In Montgomery, the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama held ISRAELfest70 at The Warehouse at Alley Station on April 29 (above).

The event featured traditional Israeli food catered by Eli’s Jerusalem Grill in Birmingham, Israeli and Jewish music by Dahlia Road, a special program by Jewish storyteller Noa Baum, an 8-foot replica of Jerusalem’s Western Wall, and more. Below left, Baton Rouge’s Beth Shalom held an Israel festival on April 29 with “Pin the Flag on Jerusalem,” Magen David handprint art and guest storyteller Frank Levy.

Below, the Mobile Area Jewish Federation held its celebration at Ahavas Chesed on May 14.

Birmingham Celebrates Israel’s 70th with Jewish Food Festival and Kosher BBQ Cook-Off Birmingham’s Jewish institutions came together to throw a food festival and 70th birthday party for Israel.

The Friedman Family Foundation Jewish Food and Culture Festival was held on April 22 at the Levite Jewish Community Center, along with the return of the When Pigs Fly Kosher BBQ Cook-Off. Started in 2010 at Temple BethEl, the kosher barbecue contest ran annually until taking a hiatus after the 2014 contest.

In addition to the JCC and Beth-El, the event was co-hosted by the Birmingham Jewish Federation, Temple Emanu-El, Chabad of Alabama and Knesseth Israel, with the six institutions splitting the proceeds.

Bob Greenberg, executive director of Temple Beth-El, said bringing the six groups together “was itself a tremendous success. Every organization contributed to planning and executing a large-scale event, and scores of volunteers stepped up.”

Fred Friedman, whose foundation is the title sponsor, said he and his wife Brenda supported the festival “to help bring the people of our community together, and to celebrate Jewish cultural traditions.”

With thunderstorms forecast, the decision was made two days in advance to take the festival indoors, though the cook-off would be under tents in the parking lot. While there was

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 21

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some rain, it wasn’t nearly as bad as forecast, and did not dampen the turnout.

Priscilla Denard, director of programs and events at the JCC, said “Even though it rained, that didn’t stop the community from coming to be a part of this great event. This was the biggest turnout we’ve had in years.”

A sampler plate included braised brisket, whitefish salad, a stuffed cabbage roll, bureka, matzah ball soup, Israeli salad and kugel, all of which were also available individually. There was also smoked barbecue brisket made in a new, specially-designed 8-foot smoker, falafel, corned beef, pastrami and hot dogs. Desserts included rugelach and homemade black and white cookies.

Music and entertainment were provided by The Regulators and The Disco Amigos. There were vendors and a kids zone, and a display of art

by Karim Shamsi-Basha, “Hope, Harmony and History.” The exhibit had photos from the Syrian-born Shamsi-Basha’s first trip to Israel two years ago, and paintings inspired by the Violins of Hope events that took place in Birmingham over the previous several months.

There was also a model of the Western Wall and a mock Israel Defense Forces obstacle course.

There were 12 teams competing in this year’s cook-off: Yom Y’all, the Birmingham Jewish Federation and Levite Jewish Community Center; Birmingham’s Best Brotherhood, Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood; Levy’s No Time for Prime Swine Brisscut, Levy’s Fine Jewelry; Zayde Back Ribs, the Krell, Bearman and Wolnek families; Back of the Bus BBQ, Temple Beth-El Religious School; Joseph’s Pit Barbecue, Knesseth Israel; 2 Rabb-Eyes and a Brisket, Chabad of Alabama; Jew Gotta Beef?!, the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School; The Bris-Kuts, Temple Beth-El Men’s Club; Brisket HAMmers, Alabama HAM Radio; Security Smokers, ALSCAN; and Gentile Quartile, from KEYSYS, a software and web development company.

The festival was co-chaired by Jacob Halpern, Isa Dorsky and Lori Dorsky. Halpern reflected, “The event was a huge success, and we are looking forward to next year.”

Jewish Food and Culture Festival Proudly Sponsored by

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Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 23

This year’s When Pigs Fly Grand Champion, Back of the Bus BBQ from the Temple Beth-El Religious School (above), placed in all five categories, while Security Smokers from Alscan took the top marks in the two signature categories, brisket and chicken, while Joseph’s Pit from Knesseth Israel and Back of the Bus swapped places for second and third in those categories.

Kids Zone Sponsored by Levite Jewish Community Center Past Presidents

Brisket:

Security Smokers (Alscan) Joseph’s Pit BBQ (Knesseth Israel) Back of the Bus BBQ (Temple Beth-El Religious School)

Chicken:

Security Smokers (Alscan) Back of the Bus BBQ (Temple Beth-El Religious School) Joseph’s Pit BBQ (Knesseth Israel)

Beans:

Back of the Bus BBQ (Temple Beth-El Religious School) The Bris-Kuts (Temple Beth-El Men’s Club) Yom Y’all (Jewish Community Center/Federation)

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Gentile Quartile (KEYSYS) The Bris-Kuts (Temple Beth-El Men’s Club) Back of the Bus BBQ (Temple Beth-El Religious School)

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24 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

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community United Ability to honor Mark Cohen, agency’s first medical director

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When asked about his work with United Ability as the organization’s first medical director, Mark Cohen steers the conversation away from himself and talks passionately about the work that the agency, formerly known as United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham, does for children and adults throughout the region.

Cohen will be the honoree at United Ability’s Journey of Hope gala, Aug. 4 at the Alys Stephens Center. Mandy Harvey will perform, and the program will be interpreted in American Sign Language. Harvey, a deaf jazz and pop singer and songwriter, was on the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent,” winning the Golden Buzzer.

Cohen said his work with United Ability, like most good things that have happened to him, came through his wife, Lynne. A member of the Civiette Club, she was involved in the annual Mall Ball held at Eastwood Mall for UCP. He started assisting with the fundraiser, then was asked to be on the agency’s board.

“It’s been great seeing the evolution of United Ability,” he said. “It’s a very rewarding association for me.”

After he retired in 2000, “they asked if I would work with them, and it seemed like a natural transition,” and he served as medical director for “three or four years.”

One of the first things he did was try to bring medical services inhouse to better treat clients.

To send a participant to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for services required coordinating with the special mass transit service, a nurse and two or three hours. He felt it would be “a much more efficient way of delivering medical care if we could bring some of that in-house.”

He spoke to Mary Lynne Capilouto, then the dean of the dental school, to see about partnering with the school “and maybe have some of the residents come out and do dental work,” and she agreed. The school was also redoing its dental suites, so some of the older equipment went to UCP. Cohen also approached oral surgeon Michael Koslin, and “it took about one minute” for Koslin to agree to do dental extractions for clients, and “he did that for years.”

Vision care was also a high priority, because many individuals use augmentative communication devices — much like what Stephen Hawking used — “so vision is very important” in reading and using those devices.

Cohen approached Henry Peters, the first dean of the UAB School of Optometry, who “was very gracious, and they had redone their optometry lanes,” so they wound up with a full setup at LINCpoint, the agency’s adult day care facility, along with the dental room.

Not only did this give the clients preventative care, Cohen said, it enabled students to get a broader range of experience in treating those with special needs. “If you’re cognitively impaired and mobility impaired, communication skills may not be good. As a student, to work through an exam like that and get the person a proper prescription” is a valuable skill, he said.

Alison Berman, the agency’s chief development officer, said dental and vision “are basic services. People have to have these services.”

Cohen “laid the groundwork” for medical services at the agency,

community Berman said, and Charlie Law currently just under 200 students. Cohen stressed the directs the Ability Clinic. He is the only importance of early intervention. “If we start practicing physician in Alabama certified children really young and give them the in both pediatrics and adult rehabilitation. therapy and educational services, when they Cohen said he takes the most pride in leave us at age 5 and go to Kindergarten, they seeing the health and wellness programs are better prepared to reach their potential.” under Law’s leadership. “We’re very proud The agency offers physical therapy, of the work he has done” with 1500 active speech therapy and occupational therapy. patients.

Hand in Hand an inclusive environment, Cohen said having everything under one with about two-third of the students typiroof is a major convenience. Children can cally-developed and one-third with special receive all types of therapy services without needs. For example, Berman said, a child having to leave the building, parents don’t who can’t walk yet but is undergoing therahave to go all around town to visit several py wants to emulate classmates, so is motioffices and miss a lot of work, and they can vated to keep working, while children who have their care “delivered in a very coorcan walk develop empathy. dinated manner” as different therapists are “It’s amazing to see the children helping under the same roof and can easily check Last summer, founder Dorothy Levy celebrated her each other, just on their own,” Cohen said. in and assess needs and progress.

“They are interacting as we all should inter105th birthday with students at Hand in Hand “It’s the best way to do it,” Cohen said. act with people with disabilities.”

“Not the least expensive way, but it’s the best way.”

The playground was built especially for their clients’ needs, and is fully United Ability has 11 programs in what Berman called a “life spectrum wheelchair accessible. A section of the playground area, Justin’s Place, is program” from birth throughout life. dedicated in memory of the Cohens’ son.

The programs begin with Early Intervention, where the UA team does Because Hand in Hand has a limited capacity, Childcare Enhancement in-home visits with infants and toddlers in a 7-county area, at no cost to with a Purpose began in 2002 to offer free training, consultation and the parents. Any child from birth to age 3 can receive therapy services onsite technical assistance to community childcare teachers. Over 40 fa“in their natural environment,” Cohen said. About 750 children are being cilities have hosted the training, reaching over 650 teachers in child-care served that way. settings. After the training, some facilities have expanded their special Hand in Hand is a preschool program for ages 6 weeks to 4 years, with needs enrollment.

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Parents as Teachers was established to provide home-based services to families, with about 70 families currently served. “Most people don’t have any experience or know how to handle” a child with a disability, Cohen said. The program helps parents learn how to take care of the child, and United Ability strives to provide needed services.

Events like Journey of Hope help the agency provide equipment and technology that parents need but can’t afford, Cohen said.

Before 2000, the agency was housed on 11th Avenue North in downtown Birmingham. It was evident that a new building was needed for the children, and the adult programs were housed in a converted grocery store that “wasn’t really built to what we needed,” Cohen said.

In 2001, Hand in Hand moved to a new campus off Lakeshore Drive, and LINCpoint soon followed.

Cohen said they wanted to have a lodge appearance for LINCpoint, to make it an inviting space. They were also able to design everything to their needs. For example, the lower three feet of the walls have stonework. “Power wheelchairs can take out a sheetrock wall in a heartbeat,” he explained.

Roughly 170 adults ages 21 and up are served daily at LINCpoint.

About half come from group homes in the area.

There are numerous learning areas that simulate normal life, so clients can learn basics such as cooking in a real kitchen, how to do laundry, pick out clothing in the morning, and there is a large space for arts and crafts.

The LINCpoint building also houses Gone For Good, a document shredding service “that gives us the ability to employ many of our adults” and let them earn a paycheck. There is also a collating and assembling service with many high-profile clients.

For those able to enter a more traditional work environment, there is an Employment Services Division that works with many local employers, and also does outreach in many area high schools. Last year, employment services had 166 participants.

On June 15, Dorothy Levy celebrated her 106th birthday with a visit to LINCPoint. Last year, she had her 105th birthday with the children of Hand in Hand, and said she would return the following year to celebrate with the adult program.

In 1938, Levy had a son, Harry. Back then, cerebral palsy was little-known, so she had to travel to New York to get his mystery condition diagnosed. Upon returning to Birmingham, she worked with local physician John Simpson. In 1948, she, Simpson and others, including Rabbi Milton Grafman of Temple Emanu-El, established what was then called Spastic Aid of Alabama, which developed the Cerebral Palsy Center to serve children. It was at the center that Harry met his future bride, Sepia, who also had cerebral palsy.

“That’s how it started, and that’s how it spread,” Levy said.

In 1972, the group became United Cerebral Palsy of Alabama, then changed to United Ability in February 2017 to reflect how it serves people with all types of disabilities, as only about one-third of the clients have cerebral palsy. Clients include those with intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and spina bifida.

Last year’s Journey of Hope honoree was Ronne Hess. Standing in the Hand in Hand building, Berman said Ronne and Donald Hess “led the campaign to get this place built.”

She added, “Mark has been involved for over four decades, and so has Ronne.” The Hess and Mitnick families dedicated the LINCpoint Health and Wellness Center in honor of Cohen.

Noting the organization’s 70-year history, Cohen remarked that the current chief executive officer, Gary Edwards, has been in that role for 35 years. Cohen called him “a real visionary (who) has pushed us to provide the level of care and learning that we provide.”

Cohen added, “I don’t know that you could find any organization and facility that does it any better than we do.”

community Despite censure, Alabama PSC candidate gets close to 50 percent Republicans refuse to certify Jim Bonner’s votes after controversial social media posts uncovered Despite being censured by the Alabama Republican Party and delisted as a certified candidate, Jim Bonner still received just shy of 50 percent of the vote in the primary election for Public Service Commission, Place 1.

On May 29, the party’s Candidate Committee unanimously voted to censure him for controversial social media posts that were seen as racist and anti-Semitic, and declared on May 31 that the party would not certify votes cast for him in the June 5 primary.

The committee “strongly” condemned Bonner’s “recent comments on his social media as well as radio shows” and said they “are not condoned by the Alabama Republican Party.”

Still, he rode a wave of name recognition that came from him being confused with a popular now-retired U.S. Representative from the Mobile area, Jo Bonner, and former University of Alabama Chancellor Judy Bonner. Jim Bonner received 217,049 votes, despite having almost no campaign funding. Jeremy Oden, the incumbent, received 220,744.

In the last days of the race, Oden started running ads to explain that Jim Bonner wasn’t the former congressman, but did not mention the social media posts, which were not widely reported in state media.

The controversy began with a May 21 piece in the Alabama Political Reporter, “Mistaken identity and racist, sexist, anti-Semitic posts could spell disaster in PSC race,” detailing both the Bonner last name confusion and many of Bonner’s Facebook posts.

Bonner told Southern Jewish Life that the posts in question were “intentionally cut, cropped and picked apart to paint me as one of the ‘bad Republicans’.”

Among the posts cited in the piece is a photo of a pink piece of paper with a photo of Hitler and the phrase “my love 4 u burns like 6,000 jews,” with a comment from Bonner saying “Awwww I got a Valentine!!!” The image was posted on Feb. 12, 2017.

Other posts include Confederate imagery, occasional racially-charged images, comments on enjoying “fried anus” in the context of a Chinese restaurant’s menu, and memes taking the media to task for withholding judgment on motive when an attack is done by someone with a Muslim name.

A “profile picture” posted on July 4, 2015, depicts Hitler in a pink uniform with a large pink heart where the swastika would normally be on the armband.

After the May 21 article was published, Bonner posted, “Looks like my facebook posts have made some liberals mad… NEWSFLASH: All my facebook posts are intended to make liberals mad!”

Christine Bailey, Bonner’s director of campaign finance and communications, said there will often be lengthy discussions on his Facebook

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 29

community page, and in the midst of the discussions he or someone else will post a joke about the topic.

Like so many other posts, she said, the valentine was meant as a joke and was part of a much larger discussion. In this case, the joke was that the valentine was from Wehrner Von Braun to Hitler, and it was a “follow-up to a thread” that discussed how Von Braun is so well regarded for his contributions to the U.S. space program despite having been a Nazi.

The image, though, does not reference Von Braun.

“This post, out of context, can be made to seem much more damning than it was in its original presentation,” Bonner said.

He added, “I’m not a racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, bigot. I’m just a wry man with a dry sense of humor who shares articles, memes, and jokes that are meant to encourage debate and discussion. These posts are not driven by hate but by free speech” and he isn’t going to censor content on his page.

Joyce Spielberger, interim executive director of the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, said “Never should the extermination of 6 million Jews as well as five million others deemed ‘undesirable’ be used in consideration of a joke. This kind of speech from someone in the public arena, is never acceptable in any ‘context’.”

Bailey said Bonner tries to promote discussion and intellectual debate on his site, but “it doesn’t always go that way.”

Bonner’s Facebook page has numerous posts every day on a wide range of topics. Among recent posts, Bonner mentioned the U.S. move of its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, saying “Jereuslem (sic) will be the official capitol of Israel until Jesus comes again” and posted a Brietbart piece criticizing Democrats for not having a single representative at the embassy dedication.

In urging Republican voters not to support Bonner because of the controversial posts, the committee said Bonner “is welcome to his opinions and his first amendment right of free speech. The Alabama Republican Party is welcome to our opinion as well, and we reject the egregious comments Mr. Bonner continues to spew.”

Decertifying a candidate “is a serious and rare occurrence,” the committee said in a statement. “We strongly believe that this is one of those solemn moments. This vote was carefully considered and was not taken lightly.”

Cemetery cleanup in Biloxi

On May 27, despite the looming tropical storm Alberto, members of Beth Israel in Gulfport worked in the Jewish section of Southern Memorial Gardens in Biloxi, planting shrubs, cutting limbs, sweeping and cleaning markers. Joined by Rabbi Akiva Hall from Chabad of Mississippi, they also paid tribute to those who served in the U.S. military.

30 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

community From the Bible to Birmingham Nate Salant’s antiquities collection displayed for first time One of the largest private collections of pre-Biblical, Biblical and post-Biblical antiquities from the Jerusalem area is in Birmingham, and this month it was publicly displayed for the first time.

The collection, assembled by Nate Salant, was displayed at Birmingham’s Bais Ariel Chabad Center on June 12.

Salant has close to 100 ancient ceramics, four stone items associated with the Second Temple, and a wide range of coins, including a silver half-shekel from the Temple itself. He said through all the items, the exhibit will show the history of Jerusalem throughout the millennia.

In addition to the ceramics, he has a blade made of copper or bronze, probably used to defend Jerusalem against the Romans, with a faint but unreadable Aramaic inscription.

Among the Second Temple items is a solid rock bowl from the Herodian period, 60 B.C.E. to 70 C.E. Salant said it is not hewn and was made based on the Biblical requirements for items in the Temple.

It is an unusual piece, he said, “partly because it is heavy, partly because it is from the Second Temple, and partly because so much was smashed and destroyed by the Romans” when the Temple was destroyed.

He also has a seal from the High Priest, though he does not know which one. Recently, he was on a behind-the-scenes tour of Western Wall archaeology, and the tour guide showed a plastic replica of one of those seals. She was astonished when Salant mentioned he had a real one in his collection.

Another highlight of the collection is three chalices from the Davidic Kingdom era, 800 to 586 B.C.E. Salant purchased them 10 years ago and has never seen others come up for sale.

“They undoubtedly belonged to the royal family,” Salant said, because they were highly expensive in those days. “They were extremely difficult to make” because they were large, one-piece creations, he explained. “Out of every 100 they attempted to make, if the potter was really good, maybe three came out.”

There is also a completely intact “prayer bowl” with Aramaic inscriptions on the inside. The bowls were placed upside down underneath a house as it was being built, to keep evil spirits from coming into the house from underground.

All of the items in his collection came from a government-licensed dealer of antiquities in Jerusalem, the only Christian-owned store in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, and have authenticity documentation.

Before he can purchase an item, the dealer has to submit it to the Israel Museum’s Board of Antiquities, “and they have the final say on whether something is allowed to be sold and leave the country.”

When approval is given, it is an indication that the museum has similar items in its own inventory, he noted. Not identical items — because everything from that era was made by hand, “no two pieces are identical.”

Each piece has an identifying number, so the Israel Museum has a record of everything in his collection.

He has numerous items from the Canaanite period, 3100 to 2900 B.C.E., for context and to “show how things developed over time.”

His oldest urn dates back to roughly 4000 B.C.E. A painted child’s drinking cup in the collection dates back to 1850 to 1500 B.C.E., the time of the patriarchs. While Salant uses those reference points, he emphasizes that he is not claiming that the cup belonged to Abraham, or that King David ever drank from any of the three chalices in his collection.

Some small pots in the collection were used for cooking. The modern-day viewer may find that hard to believe, as the items are able to hold the volume of a golf ball to a tennis ball. Salant reminds that back then, the average male was 5-foot-3, while women were 4-foot-9, and they did not eat large quantities.

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32 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

Holding a dinner plate from the Herodian era, Salant said “this is what Jesus would have been eating off of.”

The plate “is not flat, not perfect, but this is how things came out when things were made by hand.”

A pyxis in the collection dates to around 1400 B.C.E. He said it is most likely not a Jewish item, but was in the area of Jerusalem during the period when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.

He has a pitcher that was used to make beer. “The ancient Egyptians taught the Jews how to make beer,” Salant said. He added that the recipe was recently discovered. “They made the beer — and it’s awful. But that’s what they had.”

Another unusual item is a document holder, a ceramic tube where one could put a document inside and seal it at both ends with wax and store it. The holder was also used to transport documents, and the recipient could either smash it to open it, or remove the wax at an end to preserve it for reuse.

He also has some small chips of tile from the floor of Herod’s sauna at Masada, having been given permission to Davidic-era chalice and a prayer bowl keep them because they were broken off.

Many of his coins are from the Jewish revolt significant meaning.” against Rome, and are inscribed “the freedom of He also has a set of Islamic glass coins from Zion.” He also has numerous coins portraying 900 to 1100 C.E. “I got these because of the hisConstantine. tory of Jerusalem, and because I’d never seen A significant and rare coin in the collection is glass coins before.” of Julian the Apostate. After the death of ConSalant’s interest in collecting comes from a stantius in 361 C.E., Julian became emperor and, few avenues. His father’s oldest brother, Morris, unlike his predecessors’ embrace of Christianity was a collector, and “he rubbed off on me. I’m dating back to Constantine, he rejected Christi- the only collector in my generation.” anity and tried to revive Roman traditions. “He Also, this collection “is a tangible piece of our hated the Christians,” Salant said.

Jewish heritage and a tangible piece of evidence” He was more favorably inclined toward the in an age when Palestinian leaders try to deny Jews, though. In 363, he ordered and offered to any historical Jewish connection to Jerusalem. finance the rebuilding of the Temple in JerusaBut the biggest connection is personal. His lem, but the rebuilding failed, and by the end of great-great-great grandfather, Rabbi Shmuel the year Julian was dead.

Salant, who died in 1909, was the Ashkenazi Because he was emperor for less than two Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem for almost 70 years, years, Salant said, “there were very few coins in and led the Hurva Synagogue. his reign.”

As part of the exhibit, Salant has numerous He also has a Nabatean coin from Petra, 106 vintage pre-state photos of Jerusalem, including C.E., portraying their Emperor Hadrian — not a copy of the oldest known photo of the Western the Roman Hadrian.

Wall, from 1868. Other photos include Rachel’s A handful of tiny silver coins came from Jaffa Tomb in 1898, the Jewish Quarter after Arab riin the time between 538 and 330 B.C.E. Referred ots of 1930 and 1936, and the Hurva Synagogue to as Yehud coins, they were from the Persian in 1939. era and used through the Hasmonean kingdom.

He also has some contemporary Israeli jewHe also has coins “from the land the Magi elry that incorporates pieces of 2,100-year-old (the Three Wise Men in Christianity) would Roman glass. have come from,” portraying King Aretas IV Salant, who in 2014 retired after 22 years as and his son, Malichus the Prince, dating from 9 commissioner of the Gulf South Conference, B.C.E. to 40 C.E. “I’ve never seen these anyplace said he’s happy to work with other non-profits else,” Salant said. “For Christians, they’d have that might also want to display the artifacts.

real estate/homes

real estate/home an annual SJL special section Ned Marshall Interiors

The ins and outs of interior design Ned Marshall moved to NOLA from N.Y. just before the storm

by Lee J. Green After almost 30 years of professional interior design work for his own company in New York City, Ned Marshall set his designs on New Orleans in 2005.

Marshall, who is originally from Atlanta but moved with his family to Jacksonville, Ala, when he was 12 years old, had a friend from the Crescent City and fell in love after a few visits.

“I was into antiques and New Orleans is the go-to place for antiques,” he said. “I came down here in June 2005 to open up an antiques store and continue my interior design business.”

Just more than two months later, Katrina hit and left New Orleans devastated. But Marshall stayed and helped to usher in the city’s rebirth.

A 1973 graduate of the University of Alabama, Marshall said “I have lived in several other places, but even after Katrina hit I never considered moving anywhere else. New Orleans is my home,” he said.

Marshall said he graduated with a degree in art, but while in Tuscaloosa he worked at a place that did high-end interior design. He was hooked and decided to try his luck in New York.

He got a job as a decorator and would also model some rooms for the department store Bloomingdale’s. A few years later he started his own interior design firm and hasn’t looked back.

His work has been featured in House Beautiful, House and Garden, Architectural Digest, Vogue, The New York Times, CNN and many others. He has also participated in numerous prestigious show houses, such as The Kips Bay Showhouse and the Southampton Hospital Showhouse numerous times.

“One of my rooms at the Southampton Showhouse was voted one of the top 10 rooms of the year by House Beautiful. I was listed on House Beautiful 100 best designers in America for several years.”

Over the years, “I have seen some styles come and go. While much has changed, some things have remained the same,” he said. “It still is and

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always has been about creating a pleasurable (living/working) environment for my clients.”

Marshall’s jobs range from the modern to the classic, the formal to the funky. “I love when the client tells me what they want. I listen to the client and can work with their vision,” he said.

As far as trends today, he said that beige has given way to a brighter color palette. Patterns are back in. He is also doing more eclectic jobs that combine styles and in some cases, old furniture with new furniture.

Marshall said that in New York about half of his clients were Jewish and he has a few Jewish clients in New Orleans as well as across the country. He said they “for the most part have a strong idea of what they want and they also are open to trying new things.”

He is happy to do business anywhere across the Southern Jewish Life magazine coverage area. He has done an apartment and ambassadorial residence in Paris and a large house in Hong Kong.

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ers and sellers?

Koch: For sellers, make sure your home is in excellent condition prior to placing it on the market. Get your agent to go through the house and give you advice on how to make sure certain details are in place. A fresh look can mean interior painting, de-cluttering the house and possibly removing some furniture to open up spaces. Make sure the landscaping is properly maintained and that the appliances are in good working order.

For buyers, get pre-qualified if you are getting a loan. Create a wish list for the agent so they can research the homes you should consider viewing. Don’t get emotionally wrapped up in a particular home — think through the positives Q: What are some positive real estate trends and negatives. Remember, this is not like buying a shirt. If you don’t like it you can’t return you are seeing in the Birmingham area?

Koch: The entire market has become a seller’s it. Also, always inspect a home with a licensed market, and there is a scarcity of inventory to inspector prior to closing.

In what ways has your involvement in the sell or buy. Interest rates are still at historic lows.

The market is booming and homes don’t stay on Jewish community positively affected your the market long. We need to advise our clients, ARC Realty business?

Odrezin: Before starting in my real estate sales though, to create a reasonable selling price to accommodate the sales we are experiencing. business, I served as assistant executive director Now is the perfect time to put your home on of the Birmingham Jewish Federation. In that role I developed a strong network that has been the market.

What are some “hot” neighborhoods in the supportive as I have made a career transition, and the fundraising skills I acquired at the BJF Birmingham area?

Odrezin: The majority of the work I do is in have been transferable into my real estate work. I the Forest Park, Avondale, Crestwood and Cres- continue to serve on the BJF’s Board of Directors tline Park areas. These markets are moving very as well as the boards of the University of Alaquickly due to their vicinity to all of the growth in bama chapters for Hillel as well as Zeta Beta Tau downtown Birmingham and lower property taxes fraternity. While I am a part of these organizathan the over-the-mountain suburbs. These areas tions because they have played an impactful role in my life, they also provide me the opportunity are especially attractive to young professionals. to interact with individuals and families I hope to What is some advice you could give to buy- serve in the real estate realm as well.

by Lee J. Green ARC Realty, which was founded in 2013 and now has offices in the Birmingham and Montgomery areas, continues to build its portfolio, especially with high-end homes, thanks to its new boutique office in Mountain Brook Village.

That office specializes in properties that are $500,000 and up. “We also have a new office to represent the upscale Mt. Laurel community,” said ARC Realty Marketing/PR Director Barry Delozier. “It takes a specialty to work with buyers and sellers of luxury, high-end homes.”

Two of ARC Realty’s Jewish real estate agents — Howard Koch and Daniel Odrezin — connected with the Southern Jewish Life about their perspectives on the world of real estate.

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Floor and Décor works with everyone, from professionals to DIYers

by Lee J. Green There is no ceiling for options at Floor and Décor.

The company has locations in the Homewood section of Birmingham as well as New Orleans, with the Birmingham store opening last July with an inventory of more than one million square feet of flooring with local service as well as education.

“We’re happy to work with everyone from professional homebuilders to our DIY friends,” said Birmingham Floor and Décor Chief Executive Merchant Gary Hurst. “We pride ourselves on our selection, service and education.”

Based out of Atlanta, Floor and Décor offers the resources of a national company with strong buying power, but tailors its stores to meet the needs of the local customers.

“We can make merchandise market-specific,” said Pro Services Manager Mark Adams. “It’s about asking the customers what they want and researching local trends to make sure we have what the Birmingham area is looking for.”

Adams and Hurst said wood flooring is most popular in the Birmingham market. They said people are surprised by the variety of wood flooring options that are water-resistant.

“They can get bamboo, real wood, vinyl or other options that are or look like wood, while also being durable and easy to maintain,” said Adams.

When it comes to colors, Hurst said they are selling more dark woods and grey-colored floors. “Our buyers stay ahead of the trends and we regularly refresh our displays,” he said.

Floor and Décor prides itself on offering educational opportunities for customers as well as free design services. “All three of our designers have interior design degrees,” said Hurst.

Every Saturday at the Birmingham store they have three classes on installing wood flooring, tile and backsplashes.

“Our Pro Services Desk is always available, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., all week. We’re there to be their source of information and help every step of the way,” said Adams.

Floor and Décor also lets customers bring home pieces of flooring to see how it matches with their home décor and lets them return what they do not plan to use.

Hurst said Floor and Décor’s customer base ranges from individuals who want to install themselves to developers who need to provide flooring for many homes in an area.

“We can customize any job and no job is too big or too small,” he said.

36 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

real estate/homes

Summit Renovation helps customers weather the storms with quality roofing Chances are an 8- to 10-year-old roof has some damage

by Lee J. Green For more than 20 years, Summit Renovation has helped keep customers safe at home with high-quality roofing.

And while they have the house covered, Owner Patrick Dennis said a majority of costs for weather-damaged roofs are covered by insurance.

Alabama weather can be volatile with wind, rain and hailstorms. That turbulent weather can take its toll on roofs.

Statistics show, however, that 90 percent of residential roof clients have insurance coverage for hail-damaged roofs. Many times the damage is not visible from the ground and is only detected by in-depth inspection by professionals.

“We have been doing this for years and know what to look for,” said Dennis. “We maintain great relationships with the insurance companies. They trust us and customers trust us.”

Summit Renovation does business across central Alabama.

He said they are experts at handling the claims process for the property owners. “A customer might think the repairs or a totally new roof will be costly, but after insurance settlements, the repairs are often inexpensive,” added Dennis. “Sometimes there are no out-of-pocket expenses even for the homeowner.”

Dennis said that if a roof is eight to 10 years old, chances are that it has at least some minor hail (or other) damage.

“It’s best to have us come out and inspect it.

The insurance companies will be more inclined to cover it versus if you wait a few more years,” he said.

Dennis is a long-time resident of Mountain Brook. Summit Renovation’s office is just a couple of buildings down from the Levite Jewish Community Center. They have numerous clients in the Jewish community, and Dennis said they “are happy to serve such a vibrant community.”

He added, “we also donate to various charities and are happy to offer special discounts to non-profits.”

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 37

real estate/homes

All South Properties handles property management, sales with ease

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by Lee J. Green When Marian Wehby’s father started All South Properties in the 1980s, he had the foresight to make it diverse to handle commercial and residential property management, as well as real estate sales.

She took over the business after her father passed away in 2015 and continues the mindset of “small town feel with big town connections.”

“We focus on personal interactions, relationships with tenants and clients,” said Wehby. “But over the years we have worked and developed connections with larger companies, so we can offer those resources as well.”

Over the years, technology has been the biggest change in the industry, she said. “It has allowed for folks to gain more knowledge ahead of time and for quicker turnarounds.”

When asked about residential industry trends in real estate and property management, Wehby said interest rates are still low but rents are going up due to apartment communities adding amenities to compete with some of the luxury home developments on the market, for example.

“Our biggest issue is that we need more property to manage,” she said.

“It seems we rarely have vacancies for rental. We are for sure seeking additional properties to manage and to offer more options to renters.”

In the commercial sector, Wehby said they have noticed a lot of growth down Highway 280 in and around Hoover and West Homewood.

So, what advice would Wehby give to prospective All South Properties clients? “The best advice is that if they are a buyer or a leaser, they should always be represented by an agent,” she said.

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38 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

For many years, Exterior Designs owner Beverly Katz has provided her expert services and advice around New Orleans, including the New Orleans Jewish Community Centers and Touro Synagogue.

She also has brought a touch of New Orleans to other places across the country. “There was a man in Maryland who had ties to New Orleans and wanted to bring that historic New Orleans feel to his property,” said Katz, who has appeared on HGTV’s “Landscapers Challenge.”

Katz has providing landscaping, garden and outdoor spaces design with her Exterior Designs company for over 25 years.

“I can do all types of jobs and styles, but if I have a niche it is for historic work, primarily in places such as the French Quarter,” she said. “I also do my share of contemporary spaces, usually more so in Metairie and the Garden District,” though one of her big jobs recently was French Quarter style, including an old-world-style outdoor fireplace, for the Rosenstein home in Metairie.

She said historic style usually entails flagstone and brick. For a more contemporary look, she might employ concrete pavers and stucco.

“Foliage is very important in creating the look,” said Katz. “To warm up a space I recommend Crepe Myrtle trees to create some color and shade.”

Today, Katz said people are more conscious about the important of having a good irrigation system. She said there is a greater desire to entertain outside, and she has helped design outdoor kitchens and gardens, as well as other social spaces.

“They can give us an idea what they want and we can make it happen,” said Katz, who said she “specializes in problem yards.”

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Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 39

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Business is blooming at Shoppe in the Forest Park community of Birmingham, and its owners are happy to help customers to do everything from grow their gardens to provide event floral for a wedding or Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

“We are happy to make recommendations and give free consultations,” said co-owner Mark Thompson. “It brings us great joy to help people to bring out the beauty in their home and to help them cultivate their creativity.”

Thompson and partner Jay Draper had wanted their own garden shop, and found an ideal location in Forest Park on Clairmont Ave. next to Naked Art. Draper’s first job at 15 was at a garden shop in Alabaster, south of Birmingham. Thompson had been managing another garden shop in town and has experience in interior design.

“There is a special style and feel to Forest Park,” said Thompson. “For us this was the right location at the right time. We knew the area needed a garden shop but was also wanted a shop that fit the area and was our vision.”

Thus Shoppe was born. They built a state-of-the-art greenhouse next to the store as they landscaped the area between Shoppe and Naked Art. They looked at products to bring in, much more than a wide variety of plants, flowers, shrubbery and gardening tools.

“Almost all of our (floral) products come from Alabama growers,” said Thompson. “But we have candles from France, perfumes from Vietnam and wide variety of other sundries.” Those range from books to plastic figurines to dog leashes.

“We want to tell a story with our products. We change our product mix with the seasons, so they are always new stories to tell,” he said.

Since climates are warmer and more humid in the Deep South, Thompson recommended mainly planting just shrubbery outside at this time and watering more frequently.

Of course, Shoppe sells plenty of plants, flowers and other items for the indoors too. Earlier this spring they provided the floral décor for a simcha at Temple Beth-El. “That was a lot of fun,” said Thompson. “We can do color themes or certain styles if they recommend. “ When it comes to styles and trends, he said today he feels that “people are more in touch with letting their personality reflect in their style. I say be true to yourself and what you like.”

real estate/homes

Real Estate Renaissance in the Magic City

by Samuel D. Friedman When I moved back to Birmingham a decade ago, the central business district, or “downtown,” looked the same as it had for much of my life — empty buildings and vacant lots with sporadic pockets of activity. I remember seeing as a child old pictures of the theaters and department stores on 2nd and 3rd Avenues and thinking it looked more like Park Avenue in Manhattan. But, like many Southern cities, generations ago, people and businesses had moved to the suburbs.

Fast forward to 2018. For the first time in my life, Birmingham is a thriving urban center.

As a commercial real estate attorney, I have a front row seat to the show, literally. From my desk chair, looking out the window, I see cranes and construction sites replacing the empty buildings and vacant lots.

Downtown Birmingham has become a real estate hotspot for our clients.

It is interesting to consider how we got to this point and what it means for the city.

Over the last 10 years, exciting projects have transformed the skyline; of course, that has happened in many cities. But what is truly unique about Birmingham is how these projects have embraced the historical character of the city. For example, 19-acre Railroad Park, Regions Field minor-league baseball stadium, and the Negro Southern League Museum are built along the still-functioning railroad tracks that supported the steel industry many years ago.

Three blocks away, the Alabama Theatre, the newly-restored Lyric Theatre, and the soon-to-be-renovated Carver Theatre anchor the historic entertainment district. And, in early January 2017, President Obama declared a portion of the Birmingham Civil Rights District as a National Monument. This development will be a game changer for Birmingham.

Those are just a few examples on a list that seems to grow longer every day.

Beyond that, there are new places to live, eat, drink and shop in the central business district. As silly as it sounds, one of the most significant developments in recent memory was the Publix grocery store that opened in early 2017, which is now surrounded by hundreds of new apartment and condominium units. Downtown Birmingham has finally become a full-service city.

So, what’s the big deal? Having bars, restaurants, parks, theatres, and office buildings is nice, but the real significance is what it represents. The downtown renaissance is a direct result of hard work, creativity and cooperation among city leaders and the business community. It shows that Birmingham is ready to embrace a new, 21st-century identity to attract younger residents and new and innovative businesses to support the growing economy.

The steady stream of new projects also shows that this chapter of downtown development isn’t a flash in the pan. It is a sign of real momentum that will lead to a transformation long overdue; and, that transformation isn’t contained to downtown. It is also reaching the other Birmingham city neighborhoods and metro communities, truly proving that a good Birmingham is good for the region.

The most exciting thing about all of this is that it seems like we are still in the early stages. Birmingham is not yet a finished product, and there is still more development to come.

Samuel Friedman is an attorney at Sirote and Permutt, P.C., in Birmingham.

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 41

real estate/homes

Birmingham Hadassah president loves helping people buy, sell homes

by Lee J. Green Birmingham Hadassah chapter president Bridget Sikora, also a top tennis player, helps buyers and sellers ace the real estate process.

Sikora joined the locally-owned Ray and Poyner real estate firm, headquartered in Mountain Brook Village, earlier this year, following 14 years with Realty South.

“At Ray and Poyner, we pride ourselves on offering a high level of customer service and attention,” said Sikora of the real estate firm that has 55 agents in the Birmingham area. “We work together to help each other’s clients out; to offer our combined resources and experience.”

She said now is an ideal time to buy or sell, since interest rates are low, and homes don’t stay on the market very long, especially in hot neighborhoods and towns such as Mountain Brook, Forest Park, Avondale, Crestwood, Crestline Gardens, Irondale and Homewood.

“If a prospective buyer feels good about a neighborhood and finds a house that they really like, I encourage them to make an offer since it might not be available if they wait,” said Sikora, reiterating that it is a strong seller’s market.

“It also helps when they get pre-qualified for a loan ahead of time so they can be ready to act when we find that perfect place for them,” she added.

Another trend Sikora has been seeing of late are rebuilds. “In these hot areas there isn’t much open land for new subdivisions, so we’re seeing some of these houses being rebuilt to make for a new house,” she said.

Sikora said she takes pride in serving as Birmingham Hadassah chapter president and being an involved member of the Birmingham area Jewish community.

“I’m all about community and family,” she said. “I take that approach in my work as well.”

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A 20-minute meeting can make all the difference for the investor who has properties that are “about to be invisible real estate to the future generations.”

Jack Granger, auctioneer at Granger, Thagard Auctioneers in Birmingham, notes that certain types of real estate are obsolete, because the demand for them is not there among coming generations — its time has come and gone. “The demand factor is leaving or has left the room” and it makes as much sense as investing in more buggy whip stock.

Granger said owning certain types of real estate will not be as important to the next generation, but “practically all” of that type is owned by aging baby boomers.

“The days of looking at most land, commercial sites/office buildings and large, over-the-top residences with ‘dad’s glasses’ is now over… or it’s getting close,” Granger said. “Leaving it to the kids is problematic,” and many wealth advisors are starting to realize this.

Real estate was the rising tide that raised middle class to wealthy, but the middle class is now smaller with less money. Buying extra real estate and managing it because of need or ability to purchase is on a crash diet.

For investors, knowing when to go liquid and have a bidding war when doing so is a dream scenario. That is what Granger, Thagard does — in a 20-minute meeting, they can explain how to convert stagnant holdings into cash and other income producing products. And because they are auctioneers and not real estate agents, they don’t charge the owners for earnings.

“I will guarantee that one spouse in a ‘client couple’ already knows this is needed,” Granger said.

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For over 20 years, Brian’s Flooring and Design has been serving the Greater Birmingham metro area with flooring expertise and customer service that makes the renovation process a lot less stressful.

With three locations in the area, Brian’s has one of the largest floor covering showrooms in the area, with a wide range of hardwood, carpet, laminate, vinyl, waterproof flooring and tile. Their team of experts will provide guidance and they offer professional installation.

Co-owners Brian McCarver and Brian Hammonds met while working for Jerry Bailey at Bailey’s Paint and Decorating. When they heard Bailey was selling the company, they made an offer and became the owners in 1996, renaming the company Brian’s Flooring and Design.

Bailey’s was originally in Bessemer, but they moved Brian’s Flooring to a new facility in nearby McCalla after three years. Another location followed on Valleydale Road, and most recently, the largest showroom opened on the Southside of downtown Birmingham.

Hammonds said an advantage of working with a local, family-owned store like Brian’s is that you work with the same person from start to finish. That person “will walk you through the whole process,” as opposed to big-box places, where different people do the estimate, measuring, scheduling, installation.

“It’s a lot smoother process working with us,” Hammonds said.

Hammonds said the main trend in flooring recently has been hardwoods. “Carpet has taken up less and less of the home,” he said.

With the hardwoods, dark tones had been the trend for a while, but that is shifting back to lighter tone. “Light is definitely making its way back now. We’ve had dark for a long time.”

In recent years, clients have come in armed with greater knowledge, thanks to sites like Pinterest and the plethora of home improvement television shows. Hammonds encourages clients to use those for ideas, along with their website, and when they come in “we can feed off what they are leaning to and guide them in the right direction.”

Sometimes, though, it can be a matter of what a client needs, not necessarily what they come in thinking they want.

For example, Hammonds said, “if you have five kids and five dogs, you don’t need the most expensive carpet. It’s going to ugly out before it wears out.” That’s why one goes to the experts in the first place.

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Closets by Design handles rooms throughout the home

by Lee J. Green Closets by Design opens the doors to style and organization with its custom “dream” closets, along with other storage spaces.

The company launched in California in 1982. The Birmingham location serves clients across north and central Alabama.

“At Closets by Design, we create custom-tailored designs with the highest quality product construction,” said Birmingham Closets by Design Owner Tyree Melton. “We also offer a complimentary, in-home consultation.”

According to industry statistics, home organization products constitute one of the fastest growing trends in the nation. That includes custom closets, garages, home offices and laundry areas — services Closets by Design provides.

Melton said that unlike most of their competitors, Closets by Design employs a floor-based system, making the units stronger and more stable.

He said they offer three main closet systems to choose from. “Each will maximize your space and create a closet that helps organize not only your clothes, but your life as well. That gives you more time to focus on the things you love. We build each closet with the individual client in mind,” said Melton.

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Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 43

Bais Ariel Chabad dedicates renovated mikvah Chabad of Alabama dedicated their new Mikvah at the Bais Ariel Chabad Center in Birmingham on April 29. The dedication program, sponsored by Susan and Barry Koretzky, was entitled “From Masada to Mountain Brook: Judaism’s Best Kept Secret,” with Miriam Lipskier as guest speaker.

Lipskier, co-founder and co-director of the Chabad Student Center at Emory University, spoke about the mitzvah of mikvah.

Mikvah USA, which helps communities across the country build mikvahs, was honored for its assistance in the project, as were donors who contributed to the effort.

The evening also included mikvah tours, with a sushi, dessert and wine reception.

For the first tme since 2007, Temple Sinai is the champion of the New Orleans Synagogue Softball League, defeating Beth Israel/ Northshore, 10-2, on June 17 to take the title.

44 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

Continued from page 46

About three weeks before “Fiddler” opened, I briefly met Topol. Instead of telling him my reaction upon seeing the film for the first time (“Hey, it’s Dr. Zarkov from ‘Flash Gordon’!”) I asked him the same thing I’d asked Mr. Bikel. He thought about it a moment, and told me to watch the film because anything he’d tell me is in there.

In fairness, the first time I saw the film of “The Music Man,” I saw Robert Preston and said “hey, it’s Centauri from ‘The Last Starfighter’.” And the first time I saw the film of “The Sound of Music,” I saw Christopher Plummer and said “hey, it’s Reverand Whirley from the ‘Dragnet’ movie, and he was General Chang in ‘Star Trek VI’!”

I’m cultured. I can prove it. My doctor took throat cultures very often when I was growing up.

Doug Brook would discuss the holy books with the learned men seven hours every day. If they thought he was funny. To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook.com/ rearpewmirror.

Friendship Circle honors teen volunteers

The Friendship Circle of Alabama celebrated its 6th annual dinner on April 25 at the Bais Ariel Chabad Center. The annual event honors the service of its teen volunteers that spend time with children and young adults with special needs, to create quality friendships.

The Friendship Circle dinner also highlighted different programs that Friendship Circle offers, including Sunday Circle, social and recreational activities for children with special needs; Young Adult Circle, social events for young adults with special needs; and Mom’s Night Out, nights out for moms who have children with special needs. Below, the Friendship Circle Color Run on March 18, the group’s annual fundraiser.

Late June 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 45

rear pew mirror • doug brook

Fiddling Around And now for something completely different: a first-person column.

In 2013, I got to play Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof ” for five weeks.

For both of you intellectuals out there, I worked in a few Seder Eggs (a.k.a. kosher Easter Eggs) that subtly complemented this musical adaptation of Sholem Aleichem’s classic stories.

I wasn’t interested in doing things for mere effect. It’s hard to hear (or notice) audience reactions up there unless they’re big ones. At least, for me it is. The purpose was just to sprinkle a little more fun yiddishkeit into a play already steeped in it.

Early in the play, Tevye’s family is getting ready for Shabbat. The girls are running around to finish everything, while Golde tries to tell Tevye he must meet with Lazar Wolf after Shabbat.

Tevye has started praying, and keeps trying to ignore Golde. As Tevye, I started that by audibly mumbling the opening line of a prayer traditionally sung at the start of Shabbat: “Shalom Aleichem.”

It got a small laugh at several performances. I suspect some of that was from people who simply knew Sholem Aleichem wrote the original Tevye stories. However, I held out hope that a few of them knew I wasn’t being so gratuitous, and instead recognized the prayer and the irony in the moment.

There’s more. Golde keeps persisting. Tevye keeps trying to put her off. Later in the conversation, after a quick line trying to dismiss her, I further rebuffed her with a shooing motion and the first words of the final verse of Shalom Aleichem: “Tzeitchem l’shalom” which can be loosely translated as “go in peace.”

At one performance, I heard a good laugh at that moment. One of the proudest moments of the entire run.

Here’s one more. At the end of the play when (spoiler alert!) all the Jews are evicted and Tevye is packing his cart, I included a special book: A 17th-century Torah commentary that family lore says was written by an ancestor (see photo, left), and which had a late 19th-century edition published in Eastern Europe.

Tevye is not a learned man, but wants to be. I pondered that Tevye might have acquired the book somewhere, not known a thing about it, but treasured it as part of his aspiration. So, a copy of this 1800s book got a brief featured moment, being held up and looked at while loading the cart.

While I’m not one to believe in coincidence, earlier in 2013 I got to meet two of the all-time Tevyes. Before getting cast in “Fiddler,” I happened to meet Rabbi Moshe Chefetz Theodore Bikel (Thank you, Alliance for (Gentili) of Venice, Jewish Theatre!). In conversation, I told who wrote the Torah him I hope to play the role some day and commentary “Malechet asked what one piece of advice he’d give.

Machshavet,” first He told me to treat the Big G like somepublished in 1710. It was one who needs to be argued with. the first Hebrew book to We also got to discuss “The Sound have the author’s portrait, of Music,” which I’d just directed the a move that drew outrage previous fall — and he, of course, was the by some, and many of the original von Trapp on Broadway. Also, extant first editions had on the way to dinner, I made a Yiddish that page torn out. pun that made him laugh. continued on the previous page 46 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018

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48 Southern Jewish Life • Late June 2018