SJL Deep South, Dec. 2013

AIDS Quilt at Jackson Temple

Regional learning weekend planned

Restoring Birmingham’s Agam

Southern Jewish Life

A Birmingham “field trip” in Israel December 2013 Volume 23 Issue 12

Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213-0052

Southern

Life Where you are the Rock Star!

Over the past year, we have done numerous stories tied to 50th anniversaries of Civil Rights events, and how the events affected the Jewish community here at the time.

In this issue, we have a modern-day story involving a historically-Jewish institution in the civil rights arena.

Not long after the University of Alabama marked 50 years since Governor George Wallace’s “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door,” a bit of political theater to defy integration, the Alabama student newspaper had an expose tailor-made for “we still have a long way to go” speeches.

The Crimson White noted that the historically white sororities had admitted just one black member, many years ago, and black women attending the formal rush process had their possible bids spiked, generally from alumni pressure.

This being Alabama, the story instantly became national and international news.

Alabama’s historically Jewish sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, has not participated in the formal rush process. In the midst of the media frenzy there were a couple of brief mentions of SDT, noting that they had a few black members. But with the intense debate swirling around the sorority system, the chapter kept quiet, for reasons mentioned in our current article.

Just four days after the expose in the Crimson White, the national media were in Birmingham for the 50th anniversary of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, when Klansmen killed four girls that Sunday morning in 1963.

I was honored to be part of a delegation of about two dozen members of the Jewish community, invited to the Sunday morning worship service (the public commemoration was later that afternoon).

Reverend Jesse Jackson was in attendance, and though he was not one of the scheduled speakers, he was invited to make a few remarks. He commented that it was great to see blacks and whites together the previous day, representing Alabama on the football field against Texas A&M. But come Monday, he noted, there would still be no blacks at Alabama’s white sororities.

After the service, a lot of people were milling around, taking in the day’s significance. Rev. Jackson was hanging around, greeting people and posing for numerous photos.

Our paths happened to cross, so I said to him, “Rev. Jackson, there is one historically white sorority at Alabama that regularly has black members.” He raised an eyebrow; that got his attention.

If I said “Sigma Delta Tau,” that might not mean much to him, but given his somewhat-checkered past with our community I decided to continue by saying “It’s the Jewish one.”

He broke into a big grin, gave me a pat on the back and said “God bless you.”

While a few of the sororities at Alabama are now celebrating

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Publisher/Editor:

having their first black members in the aftermath of this fall’s Lawrence M. Brook, editor@sjlmag.com controversy, SDT went ahead and elected one of their black members, Hannah Patterson, as president in early November.

Associate Publisher/Advertising: The only statement chapter was making was that this member Lee J.the Green, lee@sjlmag.com was the best one to lead their chapter forward as they continue their New Orleans Bureau: rebuilding process. Patterson said it really didn’t occur to her that this Alan Smason, alan@dsjv.com would be a historic election or that there would be this much media Cait Muldoon, Gail Naron Chalew attention (though this got a tiny fraction compared to the coverage of the original controversy).

Creative Director: In an ideal world, this Brook, electionginger@dsjv.com would have been no big deal.

Ginger Perhaps any other year, that would have been the case. But coming Photographer-At-Large: on the heels of the Crimson White’s story, Patterson’s election took Barry C. Altmark on an added significance.

In fitting with the charge thatWriters: we are to be a light unto the Contributing nations, SDT’s symbol the torch. As the Rho chapter continues its Doug isBrook resurgence, may it continue, in its own, quiet way, to be a beacon of light at Alabama.Mailing Address: P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213

Larry Brook

Editor/Publisher Telephone: Birmingham: (205) 870-7889 FAX: (866) 392-7750 Publisher/Editor: Lawrence M. Brook, editor@sjlmag.com Story Tips/Letters: Associate Publisher/Advertising: Lee J. Green, lee@sjlmag.com editor@sjlmag.com Creative Director: Ginger Brook, ginger@sjlmag.com Subscription Information: Photographer-At-Large: Rabbi C. Altmark Southern Jewish LifeBarry published monthly Contributing Writers: Doug Brook to members of the and is free by request Jewish community in our coverage area of Mailing Address: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and NW P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 Florida. Outside those areas, subscriptions are $25/year or $40/two years. To Telephone: subscribe, call (205) 870-7889 or mail Birmingham: (205) 870-7889 Toll Free: (866) 446-5894 payment to the address above.

FAX: (866) 392-7750 The publisher is solely responsible for Story Tips/Letters: connect@sjlmag.com the contents of SJL. Columns and letters represent the views of the individual Subscription Information: writers. All articles that do not have a Southern Jewish Life published monthly and is free by request byline on them are written by coverage the publisher. to members of the Jewish community in our area of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi andmakes NW Florida.

Southern Jewish Life no claimsOutside as to those areas, subscriptions are $25/year or $40/two years. the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains To subscribe, call (205) 870-7889 or mail payment to the address above. the right to refuse any advertisement.

The publisher is solely responsible for theon contents Advertising rates available request.of SJL. Columns and letters represent the views of the individual writers. All articles 2010.

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To link thereserved, Jewish communities of the Copyright 2013. All rights reprints only by permission of Deep South, to tell you the fascinating publisher. stories of one another, and to

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December 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Front Porch Jackson’s Beth Israel hosts AIDS quilt: The first week of December, Beth Israel in Jackson partnered with St. James Episcopal Church to host the NAMES Project Foundation’s AIDS Memorial Quilt.

In 2006, St. James hosted 12 sections of the quilt, which contains panels detailing the lives of those who have died from AIDS. Friends of the deceased put the panels together, and there are almost 50,000 panels.

After the initial showing at St. James, the church has budgeted to bring the quilt back to Jackson each year, to be hung in different places of worship. This year, the church approached Beth Israel.

The quilt’s debut at Beth Israel was in time for the Sisterhood Chanukah dinner on Dec. 1.

On Dec. 4, there was a World AIDS Day interfaith healing service at Beth Israel, with over a dozen clergy from a wide range of denominations.

The week concluded on Dec. 7 with a neighborhood cookout and carnival at the church, which Beth Israel members would attend after Shabbat morning services. The Walk of Grace then took place at 1 p.m. starting at the church. The walk benefits Grace House, a transitional living space for people in the Jackson area who have HIV or AIDS. Rabbi Valerie Cohen said groups would be visiting Beth Israel throughout the week to view the quilt, led by docents from Beth Israel and partner congregations.

By displaying the quilt during Chanukah, Cohen said, “we lend our support to the fight for survival – for all those living with HIV or AIDS and their families.”

On the cover: Participants in the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership trip to Israel spent part of their time volunteering with Leket Israel – the National Food Bank. The delegation was touring Israel before the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Jerusalem.

They spent time picking 660 pounds of clementines in a field near Rehovot. The clementines were then delivered to more than 75 families in need by Leket’s partner organizations.

“It’s terrific when Federations that support Leket Israel’s activities have the opportunity to come and get their hands dirty,” said Joseph Gitler, Leket Israel’s founder and chairman.

“Volunteering in the fields is a wonderful way for people to connect with the cause, the land and Israel overall. People see that even with limited time, they can truly make a difference.”

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December 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Rabbi Atlas’ Southern Experiences: On Dec. 17, Knesseth Israel will delve into its own past during the month’s “Books and Brew” gathering.

The featured book will be “The Rabbi With the Southern Twang: True Stories from a Life of Leadership Within the Orthodox Jewish Congregations of the South” by Rabbi Seymour Atlas.

A native of Greenville, Miss., Atlas grew up in Greenwood. He served as rabbi in Greenwood before going to Montgomery in 1946. There, he upset many congregants by teaching Hebrew to a minister whose church was a block away — Martin Luther King Jr., but he was determined to be a friend to all.

Atlas was also friendly with local Klansmen who were members of his Masonic Lodge. He caused a stir when a photo of him on an integrated radio panel promoting brotherhood appeared in “Life” magazine, then was compelled to leave Montgomery in 1956 when board members insisted on pre-screening his sermons due to the racial tensions of the time.

After a short time in Bristol, Va., he made his way back to Alabama, serving at Knesseth Israel in Birmingham from 1959 to 1962, where his brother, Harry Atlas, was a member. Frustrated with being a rabbi, Atlas moved on to work in a deli in Cincinnati briefly, but then returned to the rabbinate in Little Rock from 1962 to 1970.

When his children went off to college, he took a pulpit closer to them, in Wildwood, N.J., which Atlas said was technically Southern because it was below the Mason-Dixon line. He retired from there in 1990.

The book portrays the challenges and frustrations of being a rabbi in turbulent times.

The gathering will be at Starbucks in Cahaba Heights on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Rosenthal heading into second term in Indianola: In the Nov. 12 elections in Indianola, Miss., Steve Rosenthal just passed the 50 percent threshold for reelection without a runoff in a three-person race. Rosenthal has been mayor of Indianola since January 2010.

Rosenthal also won a Special Service Award from Mississippi Main Street Association on June Mayor Rosenthal, left, with 20, recognizing “an elected or Main Street Association public official who has contributed President Joey Hudnall leadership and support for downtown and best represents commitment to the goal of revitalization.”

Indianola Main Street and the city are collaborating on a large “green space” project downtown, and Rosenthal has overseen the project since the beginning. He has also been involved with numerous other revitalization programs and educational programs.

The organization stated that Rosenthal “represents the total and true commitment of Indianola Main Street’s goal to revitalize the downtown area.”

Southern Jewish Life Online: www.sjlmag.com

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On Nov. 10, when Rabbi Lois Ruderman was visiting for the weekend, Beth Israel in Gulfport had a genezia ceremony to bury damaged and unusable holy books. The ceremony took place in the yard behind the building.

Hadassah Southern Region President Lee Kansas and advisor Dana Waxler will conduct a meeting on Dec. 8, in Pensacola, covering all the latest news on the dynamic organization’s activities. The lunch is at 12:30 p.m. at the Sailing School at Pensacola Yacht Club. Members and interested non-members are welcome.

The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama and Tzlil Bandy, Shlicha to the Montgomery Jewish community, hosted a Young Adults event in late October.

Follow-up events will be held regularly.

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Beth Israel Sisterhood in Jackson is having a New Year’s Eve party, “Dancing Through the Decades,” Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. It is a BYOB event, and also bring hors d’oeuvres to share. Cost is $20 per person in advance, $25 at the door, and includes a champagne toast to ring in the secular new year. Reservations are requested by Dec. 15, and babysitting is available at the Laskin home.

Huntsville Hadassah and the sisterhoods of Temple B’nai Sholom and Etz Chayim will have a joint program on end-of-life issues with Monica Williams-Murphy on Dec. 8. She is an author and speaker who focuses on empowering patients and families in end-oflife decision making. A board certified emergency physician, she is on the staff of Huntsville Hospital and on the board of Hospice Family Care. After her 5:30 p.m. talk, she will have copies of her book, “It’s OK to Die,” available. Dinners from Jason’s Deli will be available with a $10 advance reservation by Dec. 4.

The Men’s Club at Agudath Achim in Shreveport is hosting a bus trip to Dallas on Feb. 16, President’s Day weekend. The tour will include the new Holocaust museum, lunch and a performance of the play “Oedipus El Rey.” On Dec. 1, the trip opens beyond the Men’s Club and Sisterhood membership to the broader Jewish community, until capacity is reached. Reservations are a $20 deposit by check on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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Etz Chayim in Huntsville is starting Family Fun Nights as part of an effort to turn the congregation into a community center. The first game night will be on Dec. 15.

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Starting on Dec. 22, the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham will hold “My Family Story Project,” for Bar and Bat Mitzvah age students and their parents. The free program is coordinated by Beit Hatfutsot — The Museum of the Jewish People as their flagship program and competition. The educational initiative generates excitement and interest in Jewish family legacies. Young participants, in Israel and the worldwide Jewish community, embark on a multigenerational journey to the past, an exploration of their roots that culminates in an artistic installation that captures their personal and family stories, and connects them to the greater story of the Jewish people. The session is at 4 p.m., and reservations are requested by Dec. 15.

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The annual Levite Jewish Community Center’s doubles racquetball tournament will be Dec. 15 from 9 a.m. until the final round is played. Registration deadline is Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. Trophies will be awarded in singles and doubles events.

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Beth Shalom Sisterhood in Baton Rouge is holding a Chinese dinner and movie night on Dec. 25 at 5 p.m.

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December 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Birmingham Hadassah will hold a program in honor of Henrietta Szold’s 153rd birthday, to learn about the Hadassah founder’s life. The Dec. 15 program, time to be announced, will be at the Fred and Brenda Friedman Center for Jewish Life — the Knesseth Israel building.

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On Jan. 28, “Declare Your Freedom,” a pro-Israel rally organized

by Allies of Israel at the University of New Orleans, was held. Now, Allies of Israel and Tulane University for Israel are planning Declare Your Freedom 2.0, a rally next spring, that may go national. Plans are for musicians, speakers and activities in “the largest pro-Israel festival in New Orleans history.” An Indiegogo fundraising campaign just launched with a goal of $17,000 to cover expenses.

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The Israeli delegation to the New Orleans/Israel Partnership on Emergency Medicine conference in New Orleans met with the new mayor of Rosh Ha’ayin, Shalom Ben Moshe, last month. The conference is scheduled for Dec. 2 to 5. Israeli participants are Danny Shani, Sigal Shalev, Danny Shani, Gideon Shoval, David Knaiz, Gila Margalit, Prof. Avi Rivkind, Prof. Zeev Rotstein, Yossi Weiss, Nachman Ash, Guy Caspi, Prof. Arnon Afek, Avi Kagan and Hagar Shoham Marko.

Another David’s Sling success: On Nov. 20, the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency announced the successful intercept of a shortrange ballistic missile target at a test range in Southern Israel by the David’s Sling Weapon System.

The system was developed by Israel’s state-owned Rafael Ltd. and is partly manufactured at U.S. partner Raytheon Company’s Huntsville missile assembly plant in north Alabama.

In a joint statement, program officials said David Sling’s interceptor destroyed the target missile after subsystems successfully detected, tracked and managed the engagement. The intercept marks the second test success since the beginning of the year, and the goal is to have the system ready for initial deployment in 2014.

Jointly funded by the US and Israel, David’s Sling is designed to defend against long-range rockets and short-range missiles. It will provide an additional layer to Israel’s multi-layer active defense intercepting network. When deployed, it will serve as a bridge between the operationally proven lower-tier Iron Dome and the operational Arrow-2 and planned Upper Tier Arrow-3.

Ginsburgh finishes Tulane career: On Nov. 23, Jonathan Ginsburgh was one of 19 seniors recognized at Senior Day as the Tulane football team coasted to a 45-3 win over Texas-El Paso. The game was likely Tulane’s last regular season game in the Superdome, as an on-campus stadium is under construction.

The son of Judy and Bob Ginsburgh of Alexandria, he signed with Tulane as a punter and saw significant playing time his first two seasons.

In 2010, Ginsburgh handled all of the team’s punting duties, finishing with 70 punts for 2,802 yards, a 40.0 yard average. In 2011, he played in all 13 games, with 59 punts for 2,458 yards, ranking fifth in the conference and 42nd nationally with a 41.7 yard average. He was also a member of the Tulane 3.0 Club.

In 2012 he saw action in one game, punting twice against Ole Miss on Sept. 22. He ranks seventh in Tulane history in yards per punt, ran once for seven yards and had two solo tackles.

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YEAR-END CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS If you are making end of the year charitable contributions please note that the following Internal Revenue Service rules must be followed:

• All mail with checks must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2013.

• All stock transfers must be completed and in our account on or before December 31, 2013.

To be sure your gift is complete, please don’t wait until the last minute Thank you for your continued support!

The Birmingham Jewish Federation & The Birmingham Jewish Foundation

Zeta Beta Tau at Tulane and Kappa Alpha Theta held Paws for a Cause on Nov. 20, raising $860 for the LSPCA. Donors could play with puppies at the event, with donors who gave over $5 getting unlimited playtime.

United Synagogue Youth will have its national convention in New Orleans from Dec. 22 to 26. About 900 teens are expected for the convention, which will include a Tikkun Olam day on Dec. 23 at various sites around New Orleans. USY is the Conservative movement’s high school group.

Tickets are now available for this year’s Tribute to Jewish American Composers at Temple B’nai Israel in Monroe. The annual concert, which will be held on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m., benefits preservation efforts at the congregation’s historic cemetery. Tickets are available for $20 by contacting the congregation.

A former hotel security guard in Jackson, Tenn., pled guilty to vandalism for defacing Jewish ritual items from the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis. Students from the school were staying at the hotel on the way to a school trip in the Smokies. The guard faces two to four years in prison and will be sentenced later this month.

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December 2013

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The Helen Diller Family Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2014 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards, a $36,000 award that recognizes up to 10 Jewish teens who are spearheading volunteer service projects in their communities and beyond. Bay Area philanthropist Helen Diller started the prestigious awards program in 2007 to support California Jewish teens, and just last year expanded the program nationally. To date, the program has recognized 40 Jewish teens across the country with nearly $1.5 million to support their education and philanthropic visions. Teens may be nominated by any community member who knows the value of their project — except a family member— or teens can also self-nominate. Forms are available at www.dillerteenawards.org, and the deadline is Jan. 5.

Temple Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach will welcome Israeli storyteller Noa Baum for a workshop and feature presentation on Jan. 12. She will host a family storytelling workshop at 4 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. community dinner and 6:30 p.m. performance of “A Land Twice Promised.” The performance is a one-woman show about a dialogue with a Palestinian woman while living in the United States. Tickets for the entire evening are $10, and may be obtained by calling Jim Sturim, (850) 218-4169. The visit is coordinated by the Institute of Southern Jewish Life.

Columbus’ Shearith Israel converting former church Had met in a house since selling old building In the middle of Chanukah, Shearith Israel Synagogue in Columbus, Ga., was preparing to do its own rededication.

On Nov. 30, the congregation planned to light the eternal light and hang mezuzahs on its new home, the former River Chapel Primitive Baptist Church, which the congregation purchased on Oct. 17. Shabbat services will begin there on Dec. 6, and a formal dedication will be held in February.

The congregation had sold its previous building on Wynnton Road to New Testament Christian Center Church in 2009. The old building was far too large for a congregation that had 250 members at its peak but was down to fewer than 70, and the old building was not accessible for older members.

The Conservative congregation, which was founded in 1892, met briefly at Reform Temple Israel’s chapel, then remodeled their parsonage into a small synagogue.

Rabbi Brian Glusman of Atlanta, former rabbi of Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El, visits the congregation every Shabbat.

Getting the new building, he said, “is a very important step for the congregation. It was disappointing and sad when the previous synagogue building was sold to a church.”

He added, “Many thought it was the end of Shearith Israel.”

With Glusman, the congregation has reversed its downward trend and “we outgrew the house.” Glusman noted that Shabbat services have sometimes been “standing room only. We had to move if we wanted to meet the needs of the community.”

Congregational president Michael Goldman noticed a “For Sale” sign leaning against the church building recently, and before the sign had been hammered into the yard, the acquisition process started.

The new building is one-third the size of the previous Shearith Israel, but came ready-made with pews and other furnishings. It had not been used for services in several years.

Members have been working on Sundays to get the building ready for its Chanukah dedication, hanging memorial plaques and painting the walls.

The original ark from the 19th century, which was acquired from the Jewish community in Eufaula, was reassembled in the new space, and some of the stained glass windows from the church were replaced with windows from the previous synagogue.

Glusman said the move “signifies that the synagogue is alive and thriving.”

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December 2013

On Nov. 10, the Alexandria community marked the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht — the Night of Broken Glass — with the dedication of a Holocaust memorial in downtown.

The 18-foot black granite obelisk is located at the intersection of Second, Fourth and Elliott Streets. It was constructed through private donations and is maintained by the city.

There is also an Alexandria Holocaust Memorial Board that does educational activities, and there are plans for teacher workshops, a speaker’s bureau and annual writing contest for students.

The memorial came about through the efforts of local attorney Michael Tudor. After seeing the Holocaust memorial in New Orleans, he wondered why Alexandria did not have one. Though not Jewish himself, he contacted Rabbi Arnold Task, who recently retired from Gemiluth Chassodim.

Fundraising soon began, and the site was dedicated after the community Holocaust memorial service on April 29.

At the memorial’s dedication, Task noted Alexandria’s role in fighting the Nazi regime.

Facilities at Camp Beauregard, Livingston, Claiborne and Polk, along with the Alexandria Air Base, were used for training.

The Louisiana Maneuvers allowed Army planners to troubleshoot difficulties they would encounter during combat and solve those problems before hitting the battlefield.

Task noted that over half a million troops walked up the road where the memorial was being dedicated.

Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton and Omar Bradley received command experience in the Alexandria area, holding planning sessions at the nearby Hotel Bentley. Many of the troops who trained there wound up liberating the concentration camps, and Eisenhower

Southern Jewish Life

in particular wanted to tour the camps with a large entourage so nobody could say what happened there was mere propaganda.

A Wreath of Remembrance was placed at the memoral, after which Tudor led a candlelighting ceremony where speakers spoke of family members and others affected by the Holocaust.

Judy Ginsburgh sang “The Last Butterfly,” and one of the candles was lit by her daughter, Rachel Ginsburgh Sermons, and granddaughter Madilyn Sermons, while her father, Ed Caplan, spoke.

Task said the monument is a “call to action” against racism, bigotry and bullying. “Our challenge does not stop today at this dedication. We pledge to work to educate and touch the hearts of all who will listen to the lessons of the Holocaust.”

A Boy Scout Troop distributed black memorial stones to those in attendance, so they could stack the stones.

Father Chad Partain gave a benediction, then the dedication moved to Emmanuel Baptist Church. The Gemiluth Chassodim choir sang, followed by three speakers from different perspectives.

Herbert St. Romaine, who was involved in the Louisiana Maneuvers, was part of a medical team. Though he had presumably seen it all during combat, he was still unprepared for what he saw at the concentration camps.

Guy Cohen, who is with the Israeli Consulate in Houston, gave the perspective of a young Israeli. He Israel carries the burden of the Holocaust, but events like this show Israelis that they are not alone.

Mayor Jacques Roy spoke as a Christian who recently visited Israel. He hopes the monument will serve as a reminder to do the right thing “even when it’s not popular.”

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Unintentional history at Bama Two months after campus-wide controversy, SDT elects first Panhellenic black president In September, the Crimson White, the student newspaper at the University of Alabama, caused an international uproar by exposing that the traditionally white sororities there had admitted only one black member through the formal rush process, and that was two decades ago.

In early November, the Rho chapter of Sigma Delta Tau, the historically Jewish sorority at Alabama, elected Hannah Patterson as president, making her the first black president at a Panhellenic sorority Hannah Patterson (right), new president at Alabama. of Sigma Delta Tau at the University of “I’m very honored Alabama, and Gwendolyn Gardiner at this and very blessed,” she year’s recruitment. said, “but I didn’t think it would get so publicized by the media.” She understands why so many people are making a big deal about her election, but going into it she never thought about it that way.

Since the news got out, “the past few days have been very busy.”

On Sept. 11, the Crimson White wrote an expose about sorority rush at Alabama, entitled “The Final Barrier: 50 Years Later Segregation Still Exists.”

The piece spoke of several highly-desired black candidates who were not admitted to the historically-white sororities during the formal rush process, even though the sorority members were supportive. The sorority members blamed pressure from old-guard alumni as the roadblock.

After a week of protests and international exposure, the recruit-

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December 2013

ment process was reopened and 11 black students were offered bids to historically white sororities, with four accepting immediately. The number was expected to rise as the year progresses. About 13 percent of Alabama’s enrollment is black.

The historically-black sororities integrated in the 1980s, according to the Crimson White.

Sigma Delta Tau at Alabama had been all-Jewish until the turn of the millennium. In 2011 the first black member was admitted, and there have been two more since then, and another who transferred before being initiated.

When the controversy erupted in September, Patterson said, “Our sorority just didn’t really pay so much attention to it, because we were already a diverse sorority. We never saw race or the color of someone’s skin as an issue.”

The chapter did not participate in the formal rush process that was the focus of the controversy, opting for their own informal recruitment.

Currently, eight of the 38 members are Jewish, but Patterson points out that she and many of the non-Jewish members “attend Shabbat dinners and other activities at Hillel.”

Patterson is from a town near Pittsburgh, Pa. She started off at the University of Dayton but transferred to Alabama for her junior year.

“I just wanted something different, a little further away from home.

I wanted to grow… where you’re in a totally new environment, new culture, new people,” she said.

When she arrived in Tuscaloosa, she participated in the formal recruitment process for the sororities but did not feel that she found a good fit.

She went to the informal rush at Sigma Delta Tau. The hour-long visit “was very genuine, very one-on-one,” she said.

“There was something about the way they made me feel so welcomed, I kept returning,” Patterson observed. ”They truly gave me a family, being so far away from home.”

Regina Broda, the previous sorority president, told the Crimson White that even before Patterson was offered a bid, “I knew that she had the potential to do wonderful things for our chapter.”

She added that Sigma Delta Tau was established by seven Jewish women in 1917 who were discriminated against by other sororities.

“Sigma Delta Tau nationally does not discriminate because it goes completely against our founding principles.”

The election was held on Nov. 6. To run for office, a candidate has to write a letter of intent a few weeks before the election. Three national representatives of the sorority review the letters and decide a slate, which is submitted to the chapter. The chapter can then vote to accept or decline the slate.

Patterson said the slate was turned down, so they held votes for individual positions. She had been listed on the slate for president, and was approved in the vote.

A senior majoring in chemical and biological engineering, Patterson will remain at Alabama for a fifth year because of coursework related to her major and her transfer from Dayton.

While others focus on the significance of her election, the change that Patterson is most focused on is with Sigma Delta Tau, which has been going through a “revitalization period.”

“I would love for the chapter to grow… to have more involvement on campus,” she said. “We have a very strong sisterhood as it is right now and with growth I hope that we would continue keeping that strong sisterhood and strong sense of tradition.”

In the first week since the election, “I’m trying to get things in order for my chapter, preparing for finals myself, then getting things prepared for the new executive board for next year.”

And yes, fielding calls from reporters.

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NOLA native Lemann makes Forward 50 The Forward has come out with its annual Forward 50, and New Orleans native Nick Lemann is on it in the media category.

The Forward 50 is a list of notable and newsworthy Americans whose “actions speak with a Jewish inflection.”

L e m a n n stepped down as dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism this year. The Forward noted that it has been a turbulent time in journalism, “with business models imploding, foundational ideas in question and the advent of digital publishing, every corner turned has brought a crisis.”

Lemann, they stated, “has attempted to meet these challenges and chart a new course.”

Lemann started in journalism at age 17 as a writer for the Vieux Carre Courier, striking a deal that he could write one article per issue if he would go around and empty the coin boxes each week and put new papers in.

In college he was president of the Harvard Crimson, and worked at Texas Monthly, the Washington Post and the New Yorker. He specializes in profiles and political reporting.

At Columbia, the Forward notes, he left his program in sound financial shape, and recently accepted the largest gift in its history, $18 million from the estate of Helen Gurley Brown for the creation of a media innovation institute.

In April, the Forward wrote a profile about him and his “unusual Jewish roots” in Louisiana. His family originally settled in Donaldsonville, but the relatives remaining there are no longer Jewish.

In New Orleans, he grew up at Temple Sinai.

He recalled it as “this kind of super-Reform Judaism that was no kosher laws, no bar mitzvahs, no tallit, no kippot. We had a choir. It was meant to be like an Episcopalian church, but Jewish, our little realm of Judaism.”

Growing up that way, he said he has none of the Jewish food memories most New York Jews take for granted — bagels and lox, kugel and so forth. So he has had to adapt some classics to suit the tastes of those who come to them later in life, without the layer of nostalgia, and wrote a gefilte fish recipe for the Forward that brings the actual fish back to the forefront.

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Southern Jewish Life

This time, spend the weekend at LimmudFest Regional event in New Orleans expands over Shabbat The recently-announced LimmudFest New Orleans will be expanding for its third incarnation — both in duration and geography.

LimmudFest is a festival of Jewish learning that celebrates culture and community.

Organized and run entirely by volunteers, LimmudFest is designed to appeal to Jews of all backgrounds, denominations, ages, and interests, including newcomers, the unaffiliated, and young adults.

An expected 500 participants from throughout the region will be able to choose from among more than 90 learning sessions that will be offered on everything Jewish, ranging from art and music to text study and history.

There are numerous simultaneous tracks of programming: Israel, Spirituality, Contemporary Jewish Life and Identity, Arts & Culture, Social Justice, Text and Thought, History, and Family.

The third LimmudFest New Orleans will be held for three days, March 7 to 9, and organizers hope to have an increased regional presence in participants and presenters.

The expanded schedule includes a full Shabbat. According to conference organizer Gail Chalew, the Reform and Conservative congregations will be holding their Shabbat services at LimmudFest in the spaces at Temple Sinai, followed by common meals and learning sessions. Orthodox and meditation services will also be held at LimmudFest.

Sunday will be held at Tulane University’s Lavin-Bernick Center.

“LimmudFest is an enrichment opportunity for the Jewish soul,” says Chalew. “It is a weekend full of learning, teaching, and discussions on topics ranging from the secular to the reform and in subjects as diverse as environmentalism, religion, Israel, and Jewish life and history in New Orleans and the South.”

There are 45 Jewish communities in the United States and Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East that take part in this grassroots Jewish learning experience.

“Whether in Vilnius, Paris, the Galil, Durban, or Argentina, every Limmud is guided by the same principles of choice, diversity and participation,” Chalew said.

The first three national and international presenters were also announced. Clive Lawton helped found Limmud England about 30 years ago and has guided it ever since. A scholar-in-residence at the London Jewish Cultural Center, he will be visiting New Orleans for the third time but for the first time as a Limmud presenter.

Amy Meltzer will also be presenting. She blogs about raising Jewish children at Homeshuling. She is also co-author of “A Mezuzah on the Door” and “The Shabbat Princess.”

Jerusalem native Noa Baum will bring her storytelling to LimmudFest. She combines performance art with practical applications of storytelling in business, community and education.

Baum has presented at hundreds of venues, including The World Bank, The Mayo Clinic, The Kennedy Center, The U.S. Defense Department, GWU Law School, Brandeis and Stanford Universities, and Hebrew University. At LimmudFest she will be performing her onewoman play, “A Land Twice Promised,” a show of Israeli and Palestinian women’s stories.

Home hospitality for Shabbat, including for Shomer Shabbat participants, is being organized. Special rates are also available at the Hampton Inn Garden District on St. Charles.

Registration for LimmudFest includes kosher meals and snacks, children’s activities, and babysitting. Registration for all three days is $75 for adults 30 and older, $40 for ages 18 to 30, and $15 for children 17 and younger.

Registration for Saturday night and all day Sunday is $50 for adults, $25 for young adults and $5 for children.

Previous LimmudFests in New Orleans were held in 2010 and 2012. Atlanta also holds a Southeast LimmudFest at Ramah Darom during Labor Day weekend.

On Nov. 3, Rabbi Mendel Rivkin of Chabad of Louisiana did an olive oil demonstration at Temple Shalom in Lafayette, after which they lit a Chanukiah.

Southern Jewish Life

December 2013

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With an assist from Jerusalem Delegates to GA pull all-nighter to cheer the Tide

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Jetlagged delegates to the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Jerusalem probably aren’t rare. But add to that an all-nighter for passionate Crimson Tide fans leading into the GA’s opening day on Nov. 10…

It was just after sunrise in the holy city when, 6,598 miles away, Alabama Coach Nick Saban jumped into the arms of quarterback A.J. McCarron following the 38-17 victory over Louisiana State University. The Alabama-LSU game has in recent years turned into a major step toward a national championship for both teams and is becoming a passionate rivalry.

Just under 102,000 fans packed Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, with reports that tens of thousands more were outside the stadium, soaking up the atmosphere. Joining the tailgate from afar was part of the 23-person Birmingham delegation, most of whom are on a young leadership mission to Israel from the Birmingham Jewish Federation.

After partying on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, the Tide faithful filed into Mike’s Place on Yafo Street, not far from the Old City. Rabbi Laila Haas of Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El said they kept the bar open for the eight of them who were prepared for the all-nighter. The bar was then closed to the public at kickoff — 3 a.m. in Israel — and streamed the entire game.

Six of them “celebrated the victory till the end,” she said — which came around 6:30 a.m.

Tim Thornton noted that they had already experienced a full day on their mission, climbing up Masada and floating in the Dead Sea. “I will stop by the Western Wall when the game is over and thank G-d for the victory,” he noted early in the second half.

On game day, many on the mission wore crimson shirts with a white “Alabama” in Hebrew. The Birmingham Jewish Federation offers those shirts free to Alabamians traveling to Israel, with the condition that they send the Federation a picture of them wearing it in Israel. They also have Auburn and UAB shirts.

Haas said watching that game in Jerusalem was an “amazing experience, and what a way to cheer on the Tide.”

Birmingham’s Jewish community has already received international attention this year because of Alabama football. This year’s “Game of the Century,” Alabama’s trip to Texas A&M, fell on Yom Kippur, and Temple Emanu-El issued a “no spoilers” edict for congregants, so those who recorded the game during services could watch after sunset.

Going into the game, Alabama was ranked No. 1, as it has been all season, and LSU was 10th in the standings.

Following the game, Haas said, “Roll Tide could be heard throughout the streets of Yerushalayim.” For LSU fans, some solace was available the following night, as Mike’s Place showed the New Orleans Saints’ drilling of the Dallas Cowboys.

Financial If Nobel Prize winners disagree, who should you listen to?

By Norman Berk BCR Wealth Management The latest Nobel Prize winners in economics proclaim two different investment philosophies, directly contradicting each other. If these brilliant people cannot agree then how are we to know what to do?

The most recent Nobel Prize winners in economics show a sharp contrast in investment philosophy. One Nobel laureate, Professor Robert Schiller, claims that investment markets can be qualitatively measured (whether they are overpriced or underpriced). If they are overpriced we should expect a large selloff.

This is a subjective analysis, which uses objective criteria for measurement. The subjectivity is in how you interpret the criteria. The other two winners, Eugene Fama — a founding investment philosopher of Dimensional Fund Advisors, and Lars Peter Hansen believe that markets cannot be qualitatively measured so thus cannot be either over or underpriced.

According to both, markets are fairly valued as current prices incorporate all available information known to investors at the time. This is known as the efficient market theory and is the basis of our investment strategies.

Let me introduce another investment anomaly. Why do most mutual fund investors underperform their mutual funds?

Yes, the return of most investors is less than the mutual funds they own! Research has shown that fund investors are prone to buy at the worst time and then sell at the worst time.

Jason Zweig, writing in the Wall Street Journal, recently noted that “…at 47 funds with assets of more than $1 billion, investors on average underperformed those funds by at least three percentage points over the 12 months ended Sept. 30.” Added Zweig, “A fund’s reported returns assume an investor bought at the beginning of a measurement period and held until the end, never adding or subtracting any money.”

These results are not new. They have been reported over many years.

So what are we to make of all this? Investing in a globally diversified portfolio and holding your securities instead of chasing the latest “new thing” by selling and then purchasing the latest fad (actually investing for the long term rather than speculating) should provide the positive investment experience you seek. Your portfolio should be customized according to your investment time horizon, your aversion to risk and to meet your financial goals.

Israel Bonds hit record $1 billion Annual Israel Bond investments in the U.S. domestic market exceeded $1 billion for the first time, as 2013 sales broke through the historic threshold in early November and continue to surge. It is anticipated domestic investments in Israel Bonds will surpass $1.1 billion.

In praising the record results, Sigalit Siag, Israel’s chief fiscal officer for the Western Hemisphere, applauded the Bonds organization for “proving itself once again as a reliable source of funding for Israel’s economy.”

Added President & CEO Izzy Tapoohi: “The $1 billion achievement dispels the notion that Israel bonds are bought in great numbers only when Israel confronts a crisis. Today, Israel bonds are perceived not only as a gesture of solidarity, but as an opportunity to become a stakeholder in one of the world’s most resilient economies.”

By comparison, U.S. Israel bond investments for 2011 were $634 million. For 2012, they reached $816 million, which, at the time, represented an all-time high for domestic Israel bond sales.

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Financial Obamacare, other major changes can affect your taxes $400,000. There is a new top tax rate of 39.6 percent, with additional taxes on unearned This has been a big year for change in the fi- income (dividends, interest, as well as capital nancial world because of sweeping changes in gains) when income reaches these higher levthe tax code and the launching of The Afford- els.

The basic rules still apply to all taxpayers able Health Care act, also known as Obam— put as much money as you possibly can in acare. deferred income and retirement The tax code changes took efaccounts. Make your gifts to fect in 2013, and for those who Numerous with appreciated stock if report more than $200,000 on changes target charity you have it. Both of these acts your W2, you are already feeling those with will shield income from tax in the impact of increased withthe current year. With higher holding for the Additional Mediincomes over tax rates for higher incomes, care Tax. $200,000 these legal avoidances provide a The changes in the tax code much greater return. are many, varied, and so complex Obamacare itself is such a controversial that my gratitude list now has “Tax Software” on every other line. One of the best articles topic, but as a law that has survived a chalI read this year on the subject is located at lenge at the Supreme Court level and the Fidelity.com and is a free read: https://www. threat of a bankrupted government, it appears fidelity.com/viewpoints/personal-finance/ here to stay. As a small business and employer of five full time workers, I fall into the small taxpayers-guide.

The new law targets individuals with in- business employer category.

While not compelled to provide insurance comes greater than $200,000, with greater impact directed at those who earn more than for my employees by the new law (we always

By Bruce Downs, CPA

have), our current model is to provide each full time employee with an Individual Blue health plan from Blue Cross. While these policies are not cancelled under the new law, they are going up in price significantly.

So I opened an account on the SHOP (Small Business Health Insurance Options Program) Exchange and filed an application. These exchanges are designed to help small employers and individuals purchase health insurance at affordable rates. I will wait and see what the government has to offer that we do not already have.

One of the most talked-about provisions of Obamacare is the Individual Mandate. An excellent and simple video explaining the mandate can be seen at: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Ow4xxmIWMJk Basically, if you cannot prove you have had adequate health insurance in 2014 when you file your 2014 and later tax returns, then you will pay a penalty or tax. These new laws are complicated and confusing, but education on the facts can allay many of the associated fears of the unknown.

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The many benefits of a Donor Advised Fund

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By Sally Friedman When making an end of the year “to do” list, an important item to add to the list is charitable gifts. Opening a Birmingham Jewish Foundation Donor Advised Fund or similar agency where you live can be a wonderful way to help one’s family and our community. After opening a Donor Advised Fund, the donor can make recommendations to the Foundation, suggesting which qualified charities should receive grants from that fund.

One can lock in a full deduction today by contributing before the end of 2013, but grant recommendations can be made in future years.

There is no pressure now to decide now which charities to support in the coming years. The contribution is accounted for separately within the Foundation’s records and the fund can be named for the individual donor or the donor’s family.

At the Foundation, grant recommendations may be made from both income and principal in the fund, as long as a minimum of $2500 remains in the fund. Recommendations may be made to Jewish organizations, both local and national, and to organizations serving the whole community. The Foundation’s donor funds have made grants to the Birmingham Jewish Federation, all of the local synagogues, the Levite Jewish Community Center, the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, Collat Jewish Family Services, Hillel, United Way, Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure, the Alabama Symphony and many more organizations.

In addition, the Foundation welcomes the opportunity to work with individuals and families to help devise a philanthropic plan that works for them — both for now and for the future.

This year is a particularly good year to consider open a fund with publicly-traded stock, because many have increased significantly in value this year. These gains present an opportunity to take advantage of tax laws that encourage charitable gifts of appreciated assets. Gifting appreciated stock directly to the Foundation, rather than selling the assets and donating the after-tax cash proceeds, can significantly increase the amount of funds available for future charitable giving while providing the individual with a larger tax benefit.

Charitable contributions of long-term appreciated securities (those held for more than one year), including stocks, bonds, and mutual fund shares, remain one of the most tax-efficient ways to benefit a charity, such as the Foundation. The donor is entitled to a tax deduction for the full fair market value of such gifts, up to 30 percent of adjusted gross income in the current tax year, and there is no capital gains tax on any appreciation. If one were to sell the stock and donate the proceeds, there would be tax on the amount of the gain.

Potential donors should check with their own tax professionals as to whether this is a good year to open a Donor Advised Fund or to add to one that may have been opened earlier. It takes $2500 and only about 15 minutes to open a Donor Advised Fund in The Foundation. These gifts make a difference.

The Internal Revenue Service requires that all stock gifts must be in the Foundation’s account by Dec. 31. For those making gift by check to the Foundation or any charity, the check must be mailed and postmarked on or before Dec. 31 to receive a 2013 deduction.

For more information, contact Janet Aarons, Birmingham Jewish Foundation assistant director, at (205) 803-1524 or janeta@bjf.org before Dec. 27.

Sally Friedman is executive director of the Birmingham Jewish Foundation.

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Southern Jewish Life

December 2013

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“Speedster” Blitz signs with Indiana softball On Nov. 18, a signing ceremony was held at Mountain Brook High School as Rebecca Blitz committed to play softball for Indiana University.

She was one of six recruits to sign National Letters of Intent, announced on Nov. 13. Indiana head softball coach Michelle Gardner said she is “extremely excited about this group of athletes. They have all competed at the highest level and will have an immediate impact on our program.”

Blitz is in her sixth year on the Mountain Brook varsity team, having started in seventh grade. She has been the starting center fielder and lead-off batter for five years, with batting averages over .500.

A Birmingham native, Blitz is a 2013 AllState selection. As a junior she hit .541 and stole 40 bases, helping Mountain Brook to the best winning percentage in school history.

She has also played on a travel/club team during the summer and fall, most recently on the Birmingham Thunderbolts. The team plays in tournaments from Florida to Colorado, New Jersey to California.

Rebecca Blitz signs her National Letter of Intent as parents Jann and Russ Blitz look on.

Gardner spoke of Blitz’s speed. “This speedster from Alabama will solidify our outfield...

Her versatility at the plate will put pressure on opposing defenses.”

Jann Blitz said “With its commitment to excellence in athletics, along with its high academic standards and a vibrant Jewish student community, we are thrilled that Rebecca will be continuing her softball career at IU!”

Rosen in Tuscaloosa Hall of Fame On Sept. 24, Gordon Rosen was inducted into the Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame. The Hall started in 2000 and honors those who have made significant long-term contributions to the overall development of Tuscaloosa County.

Now in his 65th year of practice, Rosen is the oldest practicing lawyer in Tuscaloosa. He is a former Tuscaloosa municipal judge, law professor, entrepreneur and cattle rancher.

He is a past director of the YMCA, Salvation Army, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Community Foundation of West Alabama, Indian Rivers and other civic organizations.

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In 2003, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of distinguishing and exceptional business leadership. He has also been designated as a Pillar of the West Alabama Community Foundation.

Rosen has provided funds for the Gordon Rosen Professorship at the UA Law School and with his wife, Ann Rosen, and has endowed scholarships in nursing and education at UA and Shelton State.

In October, he gave a presentation on the history of Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El. The video is available online.

Building a new house?

Adding on a room?

The cast of ABC’s “The Goldbergs”

“The Goldbergs” creator writing about his own family “Pops” has Crimson Tide connection

By Lee J. Green Screenwriter and playwright Adam F. Goldberg, whose new hit ABC television sitcom “The Goldbergs” is based on his experiences growing up in the 1980s and 1990s in a Jewish family from the Philadelphia suburbs, gained inspiration from another Jewish playwright and writer-for-TV — Neil Simon.

“When I was in high school, I wasn’t a great actor but I was in ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs.’ I studied the structure and it influenced my writing. It was funny, heartwarming and based on his own life experiences,” said Goldberg, 37. “I would write a play a week growing up.

Much of what I wrote was based on my experiences and the people in my life. You write what you know. It’s so special and sometimes surreal to think that our family’s stories and memories are on national television,” at 8 p.m. Central every Tuesday.

Though he grew up in the Philadelphia area, Goldberg has a family tie to Alabama. His grandfather on his mother’s side, “Pops,” who is played on the show by George Segal, earned his pre-Med degree at the University of Alabama in the 1930s. “This was at the time that there were quotas on Jews entering medical schools in Philadelphia. Only the rich families got their kids in. So he went to Alabama then to the University of Missouri Medical School,” said Goldberg.

Growing up in the Philadelphia suburb of Jenkintown, where “The Goldbergs” also takes place, he attended Beth Shalom for services and Hebrew School. Beth Shalom holds the distinction of being the only synagogue Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed.

From a young age, Goldberg became engaged with writing. “I even invited Stephen King and Steven Spielberg to my Bar Mitzvahs. They didn’t make it but wrote me back with some words of encouragement,” he said.

Goldberg then went on to attend William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. At 15, a play he wrote won the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival. “It was actually a Quaker school, so I learned about Quakers as well as my own Judaism through Hebrew School. It was quite an interesting environment,” he said.

Goldberg would go to New York University for playwriting and it was there that he got exposed to television writing as well as screenwriting.

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Fox and ran on the network for almost four full seasons. He then got his first screenplay on the silver screen with 2007’s “Fanboys,” a movie about “Star Wars” fanatics.

It was more than six years ago that Goldberg first brought up the idea of what would become “The Goldbergs” to Happy Madison productions.

“Growing up we had all of these home videos (some of which appear in the show) and I put together a three-minute trailer with some of these clips. They said ‘we have to do this show!’ At the time I didn’t really have a concept yet. I thought it might be about a present day family with family members that were funny.”

“Then I thought about raising my kids and how we were raised differently,” said Goldberg, whose wife is a therapist. The family lives in Los Angeles, where the show is filmed. “We thought it would be better to set it in the past and to be more personal.”

Goldberg said his favorite television show growing up was “The Wonder Years.” “That show really influenced me. It has funny, heartwarming moments, but it plays as a drama with a backdrop of the Vietnam War and other events going on at the time,” he said. “With ‘The Goldbergs’ we wanted to create something that others could relate to.

The 80s, at least to me, were a lighter time and we wanted to share funny memories that people could relate to. After all, it is a sitcom.”

He pitched the pilot to the networks for consideration in the 201314 season, but it was not called “The Goldbergs.” “We had another title, and it was the Silver family. It wasn’t all about our family,” he said.

“ABC said they wanted to do the show.”

ABC’s president, Paul Lee, is Jewish but from England. “I was surprised, but he said his family was just like this and he wanted even more of the personal touches. He said he could totally relate and thought a lot of viewers could do. It was at his recommendations that the show became ‘The Goldbergs’ and based on our family. It became more personal,” said Goldberg.

What does his family think? “At first they were nervous but I told them I would do right by the characters. We want them to come across as endearing, because that’s what they are in real life,” said Goldberg.

He said he wishes his father, Murray, played by Jeff Garlin, could have seen the show. Murray Goldberg passed away five years ago.

Being a big part of the casting process for his own “family” was certainly an interesting experience, Goldberg said. The show also stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as matriarch Beverly Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as young Adam Goldberg, Patton Oswalt as the narrative voice of grown-up Adam Goldberg looking back, Troy Gentile as his brother Barry, Hayley Orrantia as his sister Erica and Segal as his grandfather.

“I think the actors have done such an incredible job becoming these characters and bringing these stories to life,” he said. “It’s surreal to see it being filmed and on television; seeing ‘The Goldbergs’ plastered on billboards and such. But it is a wonderful feeling.”

ABC ordered 10 more episodes of “The Goldbergs” last month to greenlight a full season. “We’re happy with the response. We have more stories to tell so I hope we will continue to get the opportunity,” he said.

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Effort launched to restore Callahan Eye Hospital’s Agam After fading over time, the huge Yaacov Agam kinetic artwork on the outside of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Callahan Eye Hospital may be restored in the coming year.

“Complex Vision” is the largest outdoor structure Agam has made, at 30 feet by 30 feet. It was dedicated in 1976 by Ruth and Marvin Engel, in honor of their parents.

William P. Engel had been chairman of the original Eye Hospital’s building committee in 1963. The eye hospital is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month.

Callahan President and CEO Brian Spraberry said Alston Callahan, for whom the hospital was named, was interested in Agam’s work and commissioned him to do the piece for the hospital.

Sandra Blackwood, executive director of the International Retinal Research Foundation, said Callahan figured Agam’s kinetic art, which seems to move as the viewer moves, would be well suited for an eye hospital.

“The structure shows four distinct views as one walks or drives past it, giving the sensation of movement,” Blackwood said. “What other type of art could better convey the marvelous sense of sight?”

Spraberry said many patients come to the hospital with cloudy vision, “and shapes, colors and field of vision are impaired because of their disease.” Callahan wanted the patients to see colorful fine art as they left, he said.

When the piece was created, there were no UV-rated paints or other types of ultraviolet protection, and the sculpture has faded because of prolonged exposure to the sun. The metal has oxidized, and colors have faded and worn off in some places.

The hospital is in discussions with one of Agam’s approved technicians for an estimate on the restoration. Two years ago, the hospital had the artwork appraised, and the value was estimated at $11.9 million.

“We believe that this is a special piece of art that the city of Birmingham should celebrate,” Spraberry said. “The challenge will be refurbishing it in a way that not only retains its artistic value but also is approved by the artist. We are looking for philanthropic donors who are interested in helping bring this piece to its previous glory. It would be wonderful if we could do this project next year.”

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December 2013

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UAB Hospital has first full-time Jewish chaplain The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital recently welcomed its first full-time Jewish chaplain.

Cantor G. Michael Horwitz joined the Department of Pastoral Care in September, assigned to five cardiothoracic units.

A native of St. Louis, Horwitz graduated from Indiana University before attending the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, earning a Master of Sacred Music and Liturgy.

He said many seminary students enter knowing they do not want to be congregational clergy. “As a cantorial student in the ‘90s, I thought about chaplaincy and knew that this was my calling, and feel blessed to have this opportunity after years serving in congregations.”

He served congregations in Nebraska, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida.

He said that “congregants would often say to me after officiating their loved ones’ funerals that pastoral care is an area they wished I did more of, and would often talk to me at Shabbat services about how meaningful it was to them when I visited them in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes or even in the aisles of the local grocery store or the park.”

He did an extended unit of clinical pastoral education at Baptist Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., then had his residency at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., last year. “Working at Bon Secours, which

is a Catholic faith-based ministry, and Baptist Hospital as a CPE student provided me with a strong foundation to serve people of various ethnic, religious and socio economic backgrounds, and I love the environment at UAB,” he said.

Being a chaplain is coming “full-circle” for him, since many others helped and counseled him during difficult periods in his life. Now, “I can help so many others and be a giver to people providing for their spiritual and emotional needs.”

He said patients, family members and even staff members look for support from chaplains “in ways that help them along their journey of recovery or just to talk to someone who is not going to draw blood or give them a shot.” He added, “I find they tell me things they don’t even tell their own pastor or family at times.”

He enjoys visiting with non-Jewish clergy and patients because “it’s about them and what they need in their sacred and most difficult moments.”

Chaplains “might offer prayer but many times we just sit and listen and I find that as a cantor and as a Jew, I can offer something unique to everyone with my voice and through silence.”

He has also been a camp director, working at Camp Ramah, Camp Sabra and JCC day camps. A long-distance runner, he has completed 30 marathons including five New York Marathons.

Rabbi David Nesenoff sings “Oifen pripitchik” at the end of a talk at Bais Ariel Chabad Center in Birmingham on Nov. 21. In 2010 he and his son were at the White House for Jewish Heritage Month, asking people to say something about Israel on camera.

Legendary reporter Helen Thomas told them that they should “get the hell out of Palestine” and go back home to Germany and Poland. After the video was posted, the ensuing controversy led to Thomas’ retirement. Nesenoff said the best way to combat antiSemitism and irritate anti-Semites is to do Jewish things, and his performance of the Yiddish song was a reminder that there is no home in Poland and Germany to go back to.

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“Find the Funny” with Monica Piper at community event Comedian Monica Piper, named one of the top five female comics in America by the American Comedy Awards, will bring her “Find the Funny” show to Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El on Dec. 14 for a community “fun-raiser” event.

Piper started as a high school English teacher but “couldn’t handle the money and prestige.” She turned to comedy and soon had an award-winning Showtime special, “No, Monica, Just You.” She has opened for Jerry Seinfeld, Gloria Estefan, Neil Sedaka, and The Smothers Brothers.

Roseanne Barr recruited her to write for “Roseanne,” which was then the top show in the country. She continued as a sit-com writer for “Mad About You” and “Veronica’s Closet.”

After becoming a mother she altered her schedule, becoming head writer for “Rugrats,” winning an Emmy in 2003. She developed and ran “All Grown Up” for Nickelodeon, and created and wrote the pilot for Disney’s “Stupid Cupid.”

Piper also started doing voice-overs, and now does corporate workshops where she teaches teams to deal with conflict in “cartoon voice.”

In 2007, she had to “find the funny” when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Between procedures she fell back on performing, and has shared her views with wellness communities.

“If I can find the funny in cancer, I can teach people to find the funny in anything,” she said, explaining her new emphasis on corporate training.

Her comedy is personal in nature. “In one piece I deal with my grandmother being the first person to tell me I was A Shayna Maydele, a beautiful girl. Life happens and as an adult it’s hard to feel like you are a pretty woman... but we have to remember our parents and grandparents and hold on to the humor. Another story is titled ‘Tip of the Ice Pack,’ it deals with my personal battle with cancer. All of my stories are intended to be funny, but also about serious issues.”

The evening begins with a champagne and chocolates reception at 7 p.m., with the show at 7:30 p.m. After the show there will be a dessert reception, auction items and cash bar. Tickets are $36, $54 and $72 and are available at Beth-El’s website.

Thorne speaking at L’Chaim League On Dec. 10, author T.K. Thorne returns to her native Montgomery for a program about her book, “Noah’s Wife.” The L’Chaim League will hold a luncheon before the talk, which will be at noon at Temple Beth Or, and is open to the community.

Thorne retired as a captain of the Birmingham Police Department and currently serves as executive director of CAP, a business improvement district in downtown Birmingham. Both careers have provided fodder for her writing. “Noah’s Wife” won “Book of the Year for Historical Fiction” in 2009, and a short film from her screenplay “Six Blocks Wide” was a finalist in a film festival in Italy and has shown at other juried festivals in the U.S. and Europe. Her latest book is nonfiction, “Last Chance for Justice: How Relentless Investigators Uncovered New Evidence Convicting the Birmingham Church Bombers.”

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December 2013

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Kosher-Style Recipe: Bistro V

By Lee J. Green The V in Bistro V stands for Vestavia, but it also could be for “very nice additional space” with the restaurant’s expansion that takes its seating capacity from 66 to approximately 114.

The Southern- Bistro V’s new space next door cuisine-with-a-European-flair Bistro V, which opened 521 Montgomery Highway in June 2010, just took over the space Vestavia next door and opened it for dining 205.823.1505 and private events last month. www.bistro-v.com “We’re so happy to have the additional space. Especially on a Friday and Saturday night, we’d be so full and folks didn’t want to wait for a while to get a table,” said co-owner Emily Tuttle. “We’re very thankful about the response and now we can better accommodate everyone.”

Co-owner and Executive Chef Jeremy Downey hails from Bayou La Batre. He cooks up dishes at Bistro V inspired by his Southern/Creole roots as well as his experiences working as a chef at Italian and French restaurants in San Francisco and Washington.

“Getting and serving Roasted Beet Salad the freshest Gulf coast Ingredients: seafood is integral to what Whole beets we’re doing here. We like Frisee to give our patrons some Baby Lettuce Southern comfort foods Sliced persimmons they may have grown up Candied pecans with, but present them Dried cranberries in a way they likely have Goat cheese never tasted before,” said Maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing Downey, who played in Olive oil the secondary on the University of Alabama’s 1992 Instructions: national championship Roast the beets for 2-½ hours on 350 football team. degrees after coating them in olive oil.

Bistro V introduced or Slice the beets, then chill. brought back several new Toss dried cranberries, frisee and menu items for fall, includlettuce. Add on top the beets, candied ing the chicken pot pie at pecans, goat cheese, persimmons and lunch, veal tenderloin au then toss again. Pour in as much maple pouvre, the Boston Bibb balsamic vinaigrette as you desire and salad (with bleu cheese enjoy!

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Continued from page 30

Further, as a consequence of the position, the Gabbai has the singular duty of ascribing numerous infractions throughout the Torah service. For example...

Any Torah Reader who, after the initial blessing is completed, takes more than five seconds to find the start of the reading in the scroll, shall be penalized for delay of leyn.

Any Torah Reader who forgets to precede a Torah reading with “amen,” unless reading for their own aliyah — or any Reader who starts in the wrong place — shall be penalized for a false start.

Any Torah Reader who stops the aliyah before its proscribed ending shall be guilty of an incompletion.

Any Torah Reader who stops and corrects himself before the Gabbai can interject shall be credited with a fair catch.

Any Torah Reader who suddenly realizes a different trope note applies to the current word, and tries to cram the different melody on the end of that word, shall be penalized for a late hit.

Any Torah Reader who reads an entire parshah shall be credited with running the length of the field. (It cannot be driving the length of the field, because driving is prohibited on Shabbat.)

Any Magbiah who drops the Torah because he unrolled it too far shall be guilty of having run a spread offense.

Any Torah Reader who directly touches the parchment with a finger instead of the ritual Yad shall be penalized for illegal use of the hands.

Any Torah Reader who does a victory dance of any kind at the conclusion of a reading, no matter how challenging, shall be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. As the late Talmudic scholar Bear Bryant taught, when you get to the end zone, act like you’ve been there before.

Of course, all this begs one question. In college football, there are two teams competing against each other. What does a Torah reading compete against?

College football.

Doug Brook is a writer in Silicon Valley who, as a freshman, at the 1986 Regional Convention in New Orleans, scored the first touchdown for Mesch AZA (#41) in anyone’s memory, and another, and two safeties on defense. Just don’t ask about the championship game against Peres (Editor’s note: or the 15-yard penalty I got. And I wasn’t even playing in the game). For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook. com/the.beholders.eye.

>> Bistro V and pears) and the roasted beet salad. Every day Bistro V offers a fresh Gulf fish special and a risotto of the day. The fall menu also includes Tuttle’s special pumpkin cake for dessert.

The restaurant opens for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Friday. They offer brunch/lunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, as well as Saturday night dinner service. Some of the kosher-style specialties on the Bistro V brunch menu include some of the Eggs Benedict options, blueberry pancakes, cheese grits and caramel pecan French toast.

“We like to come up with some flavors and foods that really go well with the season, then change it up based on the season. Many of the menu items are there on a regular basis,” said Tuttle. “We listed to our customers and we’ve added menu items or brought others back based on their feedback.”

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29

The Beholder’s Eye

by Doug Brook

Parched pigskin For 18 years, I’ve tried to educate Californians about real college reading as worshippers at most services. football. To wit, that anyone born in the state of Alabama must inTorah Readers come equipped with about 25 trope-based melodies stantly declare allegiance to Alabama or A*burn, or they get shoved at their disposal, roughly the same number of different plays most back in because they’re obviously not done cooking yet. football teams run in a game.

In recent years, I’ve addended that occasionally one With the advent of the triennial system, the world of will choose UAB or Troy, but they’re usually kept for a Torah reading has incorporated the read option. few weeks of observation in the NICU. There are many The Torah reader is essentially the player on the field I recently observed that the only thing I find more with the ball, though in this case it’s more likely to be a similarities difficult to explain than real college football is the desheepskin than a pigskin. between college tails of Torah reading.

However, there are more people involved in Torah Therefore, it seemed like a logical first step might reading than just the Yad-carrier. football and be to explain Torah reading in the context of college The Gabbai — who stands alongside the podium, reading Torah football. calling people up and correcting the reading — is esAfter all, college football and the reading of the Tosentially the referee. Thanks to one traditional tallis rah combine to be central to most people’s Saturday prayers. design, many Gabbais even wear black and white stripes while officiatThe parallels are endless. Big Torah readings are tougher to tackle. ing.

Torah readers often fumble while trying to carry through that extra By virtue of their role as correctors, Gabbais can call for instant reyard. plays whenever they feel a mistake was made.

Most spectators prefer a Torah reading that is fast-paced. Roughly Continued on previous page the same percentage of fans at a football game understand the Torah

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