Southern Jewish Life
CHANUKAH EVENTS IN THE SOUTH THE M.S. RAU STORY
BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS IN HUNTSVILLE PRESERVING JEWISH HISTORY IN NATCHEZ RABBI MILLER’S “LEGACY” COLLECTION
December 2016 Volume 26 Issue 12
Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213 Silver Menorah from London, 1892. Courtesy M.S. Rau
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Way back in the low-tech days of the 1980s, a chestnut of Jewish youth group conference discussions was this: If someone came to your front door and accused you of being Jewish, would there be enough evidence inside to convict you? Naturally, that discussion has changed, as we often see in the course of putting together Southern Jewish Life. Every so often we will come across an article or see a press release about something very interesting. But if there is no obvious tie in the story to the Jewish community, such as an achievement or event in the general community, is it something that we should pursue for this magazine? In short, is the person involved in that story Jewish? While we often joke about how Southern Jews pretty much know every other Southern Jew (and are most likely cousins as well), that isn’t really the case. Sometimes it is easy to tell, from a quick look at our mailing list or in synagogue directories. An email to one of our contacts in the relevant community often sheds light. But what about those who are unaffiliated or under the radar? That’s where the supreme authority kicks in — Google. And that leads to this adaptation of the old discussion question: If someone Googled your name with the word “Jewish,” would anything come up? You get bonus points for negative mentions on a neo-Nazi, white supremacist, Nation of Islam or bash-Israel hate site. While you ponder this condition of 21st-century Jewish life, we hope you enjoy this issue of Southern Jewish Life, and have a happy Chanukah — however you Larry Brook spell it! EDITOR/PUBLISHER
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4 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events
Students at Congregation Beth Israel in Gulfport spearheaded a fall food drive, collecting nonperishable and canned goods. The food is being donated to the Gulf Coast Rescue Mission in Biloxi, which recently suffered a fire. Pictured with the students is Rabbi Annie Lewis, the synagogue’s visiting rabbi for the year.
Knesseth Israel Rabbi Yammer taking Massachusetts pulpit A time of transition for Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel continues with the announcement on Nov. 16 that Rabbi Eytan Yammer is taking a new position in Massachusetts. In a letter sent to the congregation, Yammer said he had been offered the rabbinic position at B’nai Torah in Longmeadow, Mass., just south of Springfield, and as that congregation has been without a rabbi for several months, they want him to start as soon as possible. Yammer said he will stay at Knesseth Israel through the end of the secular year, but told his new congregation that he will want to be sure that Knesseth Israel’s needs are accounted for before he leaves, even if it takes a couple of extra weeks. A farewell dinner will be held on Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Friedman Center. While a student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, Yammer visited Birmingham to lead community Seders in 2009 and 2010, and he said the Passover experience showed him that Knesseth Israel would become their home. He became rabbi of the Orthodox congregation in 2010. “We’re obviously very sad to see Rabbi Yammer go,” said Knesseth Israel President Ken Ehrenberg, “but financially it means more security and stability for him and his family.” Yammer alluded to that in his letter, saying the congregation’s finances meant his salary could not be sustained for 2017-18. “We’re sad to go, but have to do what is necessary” for the family, he said. Yammer interviewed at B’nai Torah the weekend of Nov. 11 and was immediately offered the position. Three small modern Orthodox congregations, Kadima, Beth Israel and Kesser Israel, merged to form B’nai
Torah in 2008. The Yammers will have familiar faces nearby — Michelle Konigsburg is the head of Heritage School, the community Jewish Day School in nearby Springfield, and her husband, Rabbi Randall Konigsburg, is at Beth Shalom B’nai Israel in Manchester, Conn. The Konigsburgs moved there this summer after being at Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El. Yammer served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years as the second Intifada began in 2000. A trained emergency medical technician, he was in New Jersey on Sept. 11, 2001, and went to Manhattan to help survivors of the World Trade Center attacks for a week. Last year, the Forward named him one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, and the Birmingham Jewish Federation presented him with the Joanie Plous Bayer Young Leadership Award. He also established an eruv in the neighborhood around Knesseth Israel. In the years he has been in Birmingham, “we’ve seen the shul flourish
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 5
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agenda in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible.” It has been a challenging time for the congregation, which has struggled financially in recent years. Its new building was dedicated in 2007, but in 2012 there was still an outstanding balance of $3 million on the building, and it was put on the market. In 2013, it was purchased by Jimmy Filler and Brenda and Fred Friedman, and renamed the Friedman Center for Jewish Life. While the congregation was able to remain in the building, it was also used for other community purposes, including the CJFS Cares program. This summer, Friedman said it was time to look into selling the building, causing the congregation to start contemplating alternate plans. One plan being considered was using the rabbi’s house, which the congregation owns free and clear, and finding different living space nearby for the rabbi and his family. Ehrenberg said the congregation is still “in a holding pattern” as nothing has ben announced regarding a possible sale. Yammer said the congregation today is “much stronger than it has been in a long time, even with the challenges facing it,” and the congregation’s budget will be self-sufficient for the first time in many years. Still, he acknowledged mixed emotions. “I’m happy and excited, but I’m also sad and nervous.” He added that it is good to feel bad about leaving. “It means you’ve made connections, that you feel good here.” Knesseth Israel is working to find a Torah reader for the rest of the year, and is talking to Yeshivat Chovevei Torah to find a rabbinic successor. “We continue to love KI and all the members of the extended KI family,” Yammer said. “We may be moving to the frozen north but we will feel nothing but warmth in our hearts for KI and despite our distance we will always feel a closeness with all of you.”
LJCC’s Lynch taking San Diego position Executive director to depart after 2017 Maccabi Games The 2017 Maccabi Games at the Levite Jewish Community Center are being hailed as one of the biggest events in the history of Birmingham’s Jewish community. It will also be the local last hurrah for one of those who spearheaded landing the games for the community. After the August event, Betzy Lynch, executive director of the LJCC, will become the new CEO of the San Diego Jewish Community Center. Her departure was announced in a letter to the LJCC membership on Nov. 18, by LJCC President Alisa Nadler and Vice President Allison Weil. Lynch moved to Birmingham in late 2012. She had been assistant executive director of the Memphis JCC since 2004, and directed the Maccabi Games in Memphis in 2012. At the time, she said the idea of Birmingham hosting the Games was “not too far out of reach.” The Games attract over 700 Jewish teens from across the country and around the world for an Olympic-style week of competition. Nadler said Lynch “has given us the gifts of dedication and passion, to make our LJCC better than it was the day she stepped inside.” A partnership has begun between the LJCC and Brookwood Baptist Health as the LJCC is working toward being a medically-accredited facility. Nadler also mentioned Lynch’s work toward last year’s demographic study of the Birmingham Jewish community. The LJCC recently adopted a five-year strategic plan, and will begin a search process for Lynch’s successor. “Betzy has been a catalyst for change since she arrived, and now, upon her departure, we need to celebrate and maximize her imprint by continuing on the path that has been set in motion,” Nadler remarked. “It’s not easy to see Betzy and her family leave,” Nadler said, urging the community to wish them “a safe journey and a rewarding and meaningful next stage in their lives.” 6 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
agenda Flax returns to B’ham for Kehillah weekend Kehillat Shalom announced that Rabbi Ira Flax will be its first Scholar in Residence, the weekend of Jan. 6. The kehillah, which started meeting in June, is housed at Unity of Birmingham. Flax is currently rabbi at Hesed Shel Emet in Pottstown, Pa. He will discuss “The History and Theology of Conservative Judaism: Where do we go from here.” During his first year of graduate school he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force Chaplain Service. After years of study with many leading rabbis and scholars, Rabbi Flax entered the Air Force in 1988, endorsed as a Conservative rabbi by the Jewish Welfare Board. Flax served overseas in Turkey, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. He served as an adjunct professor at the United States Air Force Academy lecturing for the departments of history, philosophy and political science. In recognition of exceptional outstanding service he was awarded the Cadet Wing’s Plaque and Saber, the only chaplain ever so honored. He also offered the benediction at the 2008 Republican National Convention. While with the Air Force he served at Maxwell Air Force Base and his family settled in Birmingham. After leaving active duty, he served one year as the Temple Beth-El interim education director. Services will be at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, with Shabbat dinner afterward. On Jan. 7, services will be at 9:30 a.m., followed by a lunch and schmooze. A late Havdalah and dinner will be held that evening. Reservations are needed for the Jan. 6 dinner. Email kehillatshalombham@gmail.com or text Fred Benjamin at (205) 643-1332.
Students Supporting Israel at Auburn University hosted their first event, My Truth: Israeli soldiers speaking about their experiences, on Nov. 4. The third annual “Singing Together Jackson” will be on Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m., at Rosemont Missionary Baptist Church. Put on by Working Together Jackson, a coalition of 40 groups in the city, the event is a celebration of cultural and religious diversity. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 7
agenda Day camp isn’t just for summer. Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will offer Camp 365 School’s Out Winter Break Camp, Dec. 19 to 23 and Dec. 26 to 30, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The campers will make crafts, participate in art activities, play sports and swim. The fee is $45 per day, $35 for members, or $405 for the entire two weeks, $315 for members. Pre- and post-camp options are available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El is starting a Neshamah Minyan, to help people who do not know Hebrew achieve a soul connection at a Shabbat service. The service will include silent meditation, chanting, singing, a discussion of the Torah portion, as well as traditional Jewish prayer with explanatory introductions. The minyan will start at 10 a.m. and let out in time for Kiddush with those attending the traditional service. The first meeting of the new minyan was scheduled for Dec. 3. The Jewish Community Youth Theatre in Shreveport is presenting the original short version of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. at Agudath Achim. Cantor Schwartz is directing, with Lauren Turner as assistant director and John Brown as stage director. Ahavas Chesed in Mobile will have its next Torah On Tap on Dec. 7 at 5 p.m at Alchemy Tavern. Rabbi Barry Leff of Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El will lead a Wine and Wisdom session on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wine Loft. With that beverage, the holiday season and the water-to-wine story in mind, the discussion will center on what Jews actually think about who Jesus was.
Happy Chanukah!
Ron Bernstein, an emissary of the Reform movement in Israel, will be in Pensacola for a Havdalah social on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. A founding member of Kibbutz Yahel, Bernstein leads the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism’s outreach in the region. The social will be at the home of Beverly and Bill Zimmern in Gulf Breeze, and those attending are asked to bring a side, salad, entrée or dessert to share. Bernstein is also speaking at the Dec. 2 Shabbat service at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El. The Rogoff family announced the closing of Rogers Trading Company with a retirement sale starting Nov. 17. “It was a very tough decision, but now is the right time.” Now mainly an outdoors store in suburban Birmingham, the company began as an Army/Navy store downtown in a camouflage building called “the ugliest in town.” As part of the closing, they are raffling off their mascot, a 1953 Willys Jeep.
8 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
agenda Ramah Darom houses firefighters battling huge nearby blaze Serving Our Community by creating personalized, comprehensive financial plans
With the ongoing severe drought, there has been a high risk of wildfires, and one is raging not far from Camp Ramah Darom, the Conservative movement’s summer camp in north Georgia. The camp has opened its doors to over 400 firefighters, housing and feeding them while they battle what is being called the Rock Mountain wildfire. The firefighters housed there are from Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, California and more. Firefighters check maps in the Ramah Fred Levick, CEO of RaDarom dining hall mah Darom, said “we expect to have guests for at least a few weeks.” Staff and volunteers prepared Thanksgiving dinner for the firefighters on Nov. 24. Each day, volunteers start at 4 a.m. to prepare breakfast before the firefighters head off to their assignments. Sometimes crews are out until 3 a.m. The Rock Mountain fire started on Nov. 9 on Tallulah River Road, “several miles” from camp, and it is believed the fire was set intentionally. As of mid-day on Nov. 25, the fire had burned over 18,000 acres and was 35 percent contained. A nearby Timber Ridge fire across the North Carolina line has burned over 1,000 acres. According to the Federal interagency website, the estimated date of total containment is Dec. 15. On Nov. 14, a center of operations was set up in Clayton for the firefighters who traveled to the area. The camp reached out to the operations center and offered their facilities. Firefighters started arriving as a women’s retreat was concluding at the camp. A pre-evacuation notice was issued by the U.S. Forest Service for Patterson Gap north of camp, and all roads on Betty’s Creek Road. Residents were urged to blow leaves away from their homes, remove dead limbs in
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Fire progression map as of Nov. 23
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 9
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yard, clean out gutters and cut all limbs touching their homes. The fire is primarily a ground fire, spreading through fallen leaves and not reaching the tops of the trees. While authorities do not consider the camp to be at risk, “the situation is very fluid.” There is a haze of smoke in the air at the camp, and some ash residue started to accumulate. The mid-eastern containment line is 1.3 miles west of the camp. The firefighters’ priorities are structure protection and perimeter control. Many supporters have asked how they can help, so the camp set up a North Georgia Wildfire fund. Levick also asked for prayers of rain, as on Thanksgiving it had been 105 days since there was a rainfall of half an inch.
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Sohila Elamir and Barbara Shykoff pack food bags at an interfaith community service project in Panama City
Muslim, Jewish sisterhood in Panama City On Nov. 16, members of the Temple B’nai Israel Sisterhood in Panama City got together with a group of Muslim women to work on a community service project. The women assembled about 100 bags with food staples for underserved children to bring home during the Thanksgiving break. B’nai Israel Sisterhood President Lisa Rahn said the initiative began as a reaction to negative rhetoric during the election season. On May 21, the groups had their first brunch meeting, and on Dec. 10 they will meet to discuss becoming the first chapter in the region for the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a national bridge-building organization. “We intend to join forces with our Muslim sisters again for regular community outreach activities,” Rahn said. 10 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
community
One of the best ways to fight terrorism in Israel is to help save its victims. Beth Shalom installing Rabbi Trief on Dec. 9 Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge will officially welcome its new rabbi, Natan Trief, on Dec. 9, during an installation service followed by an Oneg, as well as a learning and celebration-filled Shabbat. Trief is a recent graduate of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, as is his wife, Rabbi Samantha Shabman. Trief joined Beth Shalom on Aug. 1 following a rather unusual search process. Since both rabbis were searching for positions at the same time, they knew they would face some potentially hard choices. When Rabbis Trief and Shabman visited Beth Shalom in March 2016, it was clear that Trief was was Beth Shalom’s pick. However, Shabman was offered a rabbinical position in Atlanta that was too good for her to pass up. After much thought and consideration, the congregation and its new rabbi found a way to make it work. Trief is now Beth Shalom’s fulltime rabbi who is “on the ground” in Baton Rouge part-time. He travels from Atlanta every other week to lead services, teach classes and see to the needs of the congregation. He is available by phone, email and video conference the rest of the time remotely from Atlanta, and comes to Baton Rouge as needed for lifecycle events. Trief began serving the community immediately after the July shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and three law enforcement officers and right before the devastating flood of 2016. “These events have been a powerful experience that showed me the grit and determination of my new synagogue, and helped to reinforce my decision to join the larger Baton Rouge community,” said Trief.
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December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 11
community “Upon his arrival to Baton Rouge, Rabbi Natan truly hit the ground running,” said Mark Hausmann, Beth Shalom president. “He provided leadership and comfort in the face of the devastating flood as many of our members were significantly affected. Not only did he serve in his pastoral role, but he rolled up his sleeves and personally assisted in remediating homes.” A New Jersey native, Trief graduated from Dartmouth College with a double major in Spanish and history. He then spent 10 years exploring the world, from the corporate boardrooms of PepsiCo to the hills, valleys and seas of Israel and the Mongolian desert. In 2006, he moved to Israel, where he lived on a kibbutz and learned Hebrew before he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces as a combat soldier specializing in search and rescue. Toward the end of his service, while baking challah and teaching Shabbat blessings to his crew-mates on a sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Trief confirmed his sneaking suspicions: the rabbinate was the right place for him. He met Shabman during their first year of rabbinical school on the Jerusalem campus. Trief ’s family will visit Baton Rouge for the installation, and Nick May will accompany the 7 p.m. Shabbat service on Dec. 9. Hausmann will install Trief, and there will be remarks by Wendy Zierler, the Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at HUC-JIR. On Dec. 10, Zierler will lead Torah study at 8:30 a.m., followed by breakfast, a 10 a.m. service and a luncheon, which will also feature a lecture and discussion led by Zierler.
Tulane among top college picks for Ramah camp counselors
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Tulane University ranks 10th in the number of students who were staff members at Ramah camps this past summer. The Ramah movement, which includes 13 summer camps and the Ramah Israel Seminar, released the list in November. Columbia University and Barnard College topped the list with 45 staffers. Tulane has 20. Other nearby schools include Florida with 13, Florida State with 11, Emory with 10, seven each at Georgia and Georgia Tech, and four at Vanderbilt. Institutions with three or fewer Ramah staffers include Florida Gulf Coast, Alabama and Ole Miss. The Ramah camps are part of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. One of the camps, Ramah Darom, is located in Clayton, Ga., near the North Carolina line.
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After the election, a display of much-needed unity Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Huntsville’s Temple B’nai Sholom wasn’t thrilled with the results of the presidential election on Nov. 8. But at the Nov. 11 Shabbat service, she said it is time to break down the walls that divide different groups — and that includes those who voted for Clinton and those who voted for Trump. One can’t simply dismiss the 47 percent of Americans who voted for Trump, she noted. In Top photo by James Robinson, bottom photo by Jim Teed Alabama, 63 percent voted for Top, marching around Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville on Trump, including 56 percent in Nov. 13. Below, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar addresses local clergy Madison County. that gathered for the march. On Nov. 13, she organized an interfaith service outside B’nai Sholom, “to show unity and love for all.” The event included representatives from the local Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, LGBTQ and atheist communities, marching around B’nai Sholom seven times. About 200 marched “just as the Israelites marched around Jericho until the walls tumbled, to symbolically break down the walls.” For Bahar, the highlight was “the shaking hands and hugging between Republican Rep. Phil Williams and Democrat Rep. Laura Hall from the Alabama Legislature. They both rose to the occasion to demonstrate what leadership should be — working together for the benefit of everyone they serve.” As a follow-up, there will be a vegetarian potluck at B’nai Sholom on Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. “The great equalizer of humanity is breaking bread together in order to remind us of our commonalities instead of highlighting our differences,” especially at a time when different groups are celebrating their winter festivals, she said. She said this is part of a series where B’nai Sholom, the Huntsville Islamic Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs of the City of Huntsville, Free2Be, Phillips CME Church and others are hosting potlucks “for people to gather together and have conversations” to help create “a community based on love, compassion and understanding of the ‘other’.” “I hope that the South can be an example of how to honor the fact that we are all created in the image of God,” she said. Members of Birmingham’s Jewish community took part in Walk As One, a candlelight unity prayer walk on Nov. 27, organized by Greater Birmingham Ministries. Rabbi Barry Leff delivered a prayer at the end of the walk.
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Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell welcomes the Southern Jewish Historical Society at B’nai Israel on Nov. 4
Small-town experience an essential part of Southern Jewish history Annual conference fills historic B’nai Israel in Natchez as city celebrates tricentennial As Rabbi Jeremy Simons prepared to lead the Nov. 4 Shabbat service at B’nai Israel in Natchez, an unprecedented problem — at least, for him — came to mind: Would there be enough prayer books? “It’s a question I’ve never had to contemplate before,” he said. As traveling rabbi for the Jackson-based Institute of Southern Jewish Life, Simons routinely does weekend visits to small communities in the South where the number of books far exceeds the remaining Jewish population, and Natchez had been the first pulpit where he led a Shabbat service after being ordained as a rabbi in 2014. While Natchez’s Jewish population is now in the single digits, this weekend would fill B’nai Israel for services and presentations, as the Southern Jewish Historical Society was having its annual conference there. Thanks to a quick shipment from Memphis, there were plenty of books, and a rare large crowd to use them. When planning began for the conference in Natchez, about 80 were expected to sign up, and 90 would be considered a great success. Over 140 registered. For SJHS, this was by far the smallest community to host the annual conference. 14 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
Recent conferences have been in Nashville and Birmingham; next year’s will be in Cincinnati. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council and former director of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life history department, said “an essential part of the Southern Jewish experience is the small community experience.” The ISJL, which works with small communities in a 13-state region, coordinated the conference. The conference was also part of the year-long tricentennial celebration of Natchez’s founding, and drew Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell to welcome the conference “on behalf of the citizens of Natchez and Adams County.” The weekend began with a bus tour from Jackson to Vicksburg and Port Gibson. Along with Natchez, these were “northern colonies of the Jewish community of New Orleans,” Rockoff said. In Vicksburg, Richard Marcus said Anshe Chesed still has services every Friday night, with 12 to 15 in attendance, “of which the majority are not Jewish, but they like to come to the services.” Marcus, who is 87, said there are 11 people left in Vicksburg’s Jewish community, and they are in discussions with Friends of Vicksburg
National Military Park about an agreement that would give the property to the national park, in exchange for allowing the congregation to use part of the building as long as they can, and for perpetual care of the Jewish cemetery, which is surrounded by the military park and contains numerous park markers. Lunch was held at the historic B’nai B’rith Literary Club, which had been an office building before being restored to become an event space. At Port Gibson, Doug Lum spoke to the group about how his family had purchased the Gemiluth Chassed building to keep it from being torn down. The landmark Moorish-style building was constructed in 1892 and officially closed in 1986 when there were two remaining Jews in Port Gibson, though Lum said he does not remember it being actively used when he was growing up there. Sam Gruber, an expert in synagogue architecture, considers Gemiluth Chassed and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Beth Sholom in Elkins Park, Pa., as two of the best-known synagogue buildings in the country, though they “couldn’t be more different” and represent “two different aspects of the American Jewish experience.” Jay Lehman, president of B’nai Israel,
community welcomed the conference to Natchez, talking about how the community is “only about 10 of us, and only about four active.” Teri Tillman gave an overview of Natchez Jewish history. Though not Jewish, there is “no greater expert on the Jews of Natchez.” She also led a tour of the Natchez Jewish cemetery on Nov. 5. She noted that this year’s Angels on the Bluff cemetery tour will include a portrayal of Leon Cahn, who immigrated from France. Cahn ran into B’nai Israel when it caught fire in 1903 and rescued the Torahs. He will be portrayed by Doug Broome, senior pastor at First Baptist Church. During the Nov. 4 service, Robin Amer did a stage version of her podcast, “Growing Up with the Last Jews of Natchez,” which she wrote for the Southern Foodways Alliance’s Gravy series. Part of the story included a recollection of the 1994 Natchez Jewish Homecoming, where her grandmother insisted that a reception be done Natchez-style, regardless of how many national Jewish dignitaries and rabbis would be coming. And to her, Natchez-style meant including items like ham biscuits. After weeks of back-and-forth, an appeal to Southern hospitality and the desire to not make a guest feel uncomfortable seemed to change her mind — but when the reception took place, the ham biscuits were on the table. But any joking about the 1994 battle of wills known as the “Ham Biscuit Incident” boomeranged at lunch on Nov. 5, much to the consternation of the weekend’s organizers. Instead of a plated lunch of fried chicken and green beans at Carriage House, the fried chicken was on a buffet line — accompanied by catfish and barbecue shrimp, lima beans flavored with ham pieces, and grillades and grits.
Dan Puckett was elected president of SJHS
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 15
community As in 1994, everyone took it in stride, for the most part. At the lunch, Stephen Whitfield gave a presentation on Jewish activism against the Ku Klux Klan, noting that the first incarnation of the Klan was largely indifferent to the Jews, but in the 20th century that changed. Many communities, he noted, have stories of the local Jewish merchant who had sold the Klansmen their sheets or could identify them in parades because he’d sold them their shoes. There were many presentations on different aspects of Southern Jewish history on Nov. 5 and 6 at B’nai Israel. Gruber spoke of the elaborate Masonic ceremonies that often marked the cornerstone laying for Southern synagogues, including Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham. Such occasions were major events for cities in the region, with a wide range of civic leadership participating. Kay Goldman continued the theme of non-Jewish involvement with the Jewish community and spoke of her research into massive Purim balls held throughout Texas in the 19th century. Those balls, which were by invitation, were often on the scale of Mardi Gras balls and involved a large proportion of non-Jews. Anton Heike spoke of how yellow fever affected Southern Jewish communities, a theme that was mentioned several times during the weekend, as Vicksburg and Natchez had their episodes. Michael Cohen did a presentation on another major Mississippi River port that had a bustling Jewish presence, Bayou Sara, Louisiana. No longer on the map, it was a major center of Jewish mercantile life until the river that made it possible also wiped it away, through a series of floods after the Civil War until the 1920s. Its “twin town” at the top of the hill, St. Francisville, lost prominence as Bayou Sara disappeared, and the Jewish congregation there went defunct in the 1920s. The New Orleans Jewish Orphans Home was the focus of Marlene Trestman’s presentation. This year, she was honored by the home’s 11:22:58 AM successor agency, Jewish Children’s Regional Service, after she did a biography of the pioneering lawyer Bessie Margolin, who had been a resident of the home. Trestman, who had been assisted by JCRS, spoke of going through the records of the 1,623 children who went through the home over nine decades starting after the 1853 yellow fever outbreak. She is examining the history of those children to see how many more “Bessies” are out there, “who went on to great fame and success,” and how the home shaped them and their sense of how to be a mensch. Sally Wolff King discussed Jewish life in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas through the lens of the Wolff family. Joshua Furman presented a retrospective on National Brotherhood Week and how the National Conference of Christians and Jews event was observed in the South during the tumultuous civil rights struggles. In the Deep South, the focus was more on promoting interfaith understanding and tolerance among white congregations, with pulpit swaps and exhibits. Furman said the organization was “intentionally slow to acknowledge race relations” because that would threaten the work they were accomplishing. The week, which was observed in proximity to Lincoln’s birthday, died out in the 1960s. To conclude, Furman played Tom Lehrer’s satire of the week, which concluded “it’s only for a week so have no fear, be grateful that it doesn’t last all year.” At the business meeting, Troy University Professor Dan Puckett became president of the society. Puckett is author of “In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust” and currently chairs the Alabama Holocaust Commission. Next year’s conference will be hosted in Cincinnati by the American Jewish Archives, which is planning a workshop on establishing and maintaining synagogue archives, following the conference.
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All year, Natchez has been celebrating the 300th anniversary of the “Jewel of the Mississippi,” and as home of the oldest existing Jewish congregation in Mississippi, it has a great deal of Jewish history as well. In 1716, the French built a wooden fort on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi and named it Fort Rosalie. In 1729, the local Indian tribe, the Natchez, attacked the fort, killing over 200 and capturing women, children and slaves. A war ensued, which ended in the 1760s. France ceded the area to Britain, and Natchez became part of British West Florida. In 1779, the Spanish took Natchez, and the governor soon developed the plan for the current downtown layout. The first cotton gin arrived in 1795, soon followed by the withdrawal of Spain as the region is ceded to the United States. The territory of Mississippi, which included Alabama, had its capital in Natchez. An 1800 treaty with the Indians led to the Natchez Trace being developed, and by 1811 cotton was being shipped along the Mississippi. In 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state. Jews likely first arrived during French rule, despite the 1722 Black Code barring Jews from the region. Records from the 1780s show Jewish names listed. The best-known Jewish residents from that time were the Monsanto brothers, who came to Natchez in 1785 from Spain via New Orleans. In the 1790s, peddler Henry Jacobs was the first Jew in the area to become an American citizen. Natchez historian Teri Tillman said there was one Jewish family in Natchez in 1830, and four Jewish heads of household in 1840. In the 1840s, many Jewish immigrants arrived from Alsace-Lorraine and Bavaria. They opened stores in the rough “Under the Hill” area. In 1843 a “Hevrah Kedusha” was formed with the purchase of a portion of the city cemetery. By 1850 there were 25 Jewish families, but 26 members of the community died in the 1853 yellow fever epidemic. The congregation tried to start again in 1861, but the war intervened. Many in the Natchez Jewish community fought for the Confederacy, including “Little Mississippi Major” Simon Mayer, who was also known as “too short to shoot.” The only Natchez casualty during the war was a 7-year-old Jewish girl, Rosalie Beekman, who was hit by shrapnel when the U.S.S. Essex responded to an attack by the locals. Her last words were “Papa, I’m killed.” For many in Natchez Jews, having the only Civil War casualty be from the Jewish community was a source of honor, reflecting how they were integrated into the Natchez community. Land was purchased in 1867 on Commerce and Washington, though construction on a building would not begin until 1870, with Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, founder of the Reform movement, laying the cornerstone. B’nai Israel had started out Orthodox, but after the war, new arrivals questioned the old ways. Samuel Ullman, who later became an important figure in Birmingham, started a religious school at the request of women in the community. Ullman disliked how the Orthodox practices excluded women and children, risking that the children would group up “heathens.” The congregation became one of the charter members of the Reform movement in 1873, following a dispute over the congregation’s ideological direction, manifested by where to place the pulpit. Dedicated in 1872, the congregation’s building burned in 1903 due to faulty wiring. The current building was erected on the same site in 1905, and the congregation met at Jefferson Street United Methodist Church in the interim. Eastern European Jews arrived starting in the 1890s, but unlike many communities, they did not set up an Orthodox congregation, instead joining B’nai Israel. In 1908 the boll weevil’s rampage against the cotton crop started reducing the Jewish community’s numbers, and the move from steamboats
to railroads also contributed to Natchez’ decline as an influential port. The boll weevil hurt the Jewish merchants, factors and brokers as much as it hurt the farmers, Tillman pointed out. The Jewish community had peaked at 141 members in 1906. By 1938 there were 90 members. Young people “felt there was not much of a future for them in Natchez,” Tillman said. The last full-time rabbi, Arthur Liebowitz, died in 1976, and the community had dwindled to fewer than 30 families. Today, there are fewer than 10 Jews in Natchez. In 1991, B’nai Israel deeded its building to the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, now the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. A Natchez Jewish Homecoming was held in 1994, and the congregation figured prominently in the MSJE’s 1998 exhibit, “From Alsace to America.” The building holds occasional services and serves as a satellite museum for ISJL, with an exhibit on Natchez Jewish history. The house next door was home to several of the congregation’s rabbis. At the end of the 1800s, about one-third of Natchez’s businesses were Jewish-owned. Isaac Lowenberg was mayor from 1882 to 1886, and Saul Laub was mayor from 1929 to 1936. Many of the successful businessmen built impressive homes. In general, Natchez was a wealthy city, home to more millionaires in 1860 than any other place in the U.S. Many Natchez landmarks have Jewish connections. The Bailey House Bed and Breakfast is the former residence of Adolph Jacobs, who served as B’nai Israel president and city alderman. The Burn Bed and Breakfast is the former residence of Saul Laub, who was mayor of Natchez in the 1930s.
Teri Tillman tells the story of Rosalie Beekman The original Eola Hotel, currently under renovation, was built in 1927 for the Levy family. The Neoclassical Guest House, which now houses the Eola Hotel, was owned by the Ullman family, before they moved to Birmingham in 1884. The historic antebellum building later housed the Elks Club, which had many Jewish members. One of the most famous landmarks, Monmouth Plantation, was purchased by Lani and Ron Riches in 1978. They undertook a massive restoration after decades of neglect, and had it declared a National Historic Landmark. The 30-room historic inn changed ownership in 2012. The well-known Glen Auburn was home to the Simon Moses family in the 1890s. Henry Frank arrived as a supplier with the Union Army, stayed after the war and became one of Natchez’s wealthiest citizens. He once resided in Myrtle Terrace.
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Preserving Natchez’s B’nai Israel Cornerstone gift made to $3 million project In conjunction with the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s conference in Natchez, there was an evening reception on Nov. 5 with all of the proceeds going toward the preservation of B’nai Israel. Efforts to preserve the historic building got a boost just after the conference with an announcement that B’nai Israel member and Natchez businessman Jerry Krouse has committed $100,000 to help spearhead the preservation campaign. According to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, the campaign “is intended to pay for some immediate maintenance needs to preserve the building, and also to plan for long-term care and use of the building.” The building is still used by the remaining handful of Jews in Natchez; when it is no longer used as a synagogue, the building “will function as a cultural and meeting facility, accessible to all, with an elevator, 350-seat sanctuary, museum exhibits, and special programming to preserve and interpret the important legacy of the Natchez Jewish community.” According to promotional materials for the campaign, no other venue available to the public in Natchez can seat over 300 people, and “the acoustics are desirable for dynamic speakers and presentations.” The Institute, which operates the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, will acquire the building and operate the museum spaces. The campaign’s initial effort has been to raise $300,000 to establish an operational endowment. The entire project’s scope, though, will be roughly $3 million to maintain it “as a perpetual gathering place for people of all faiths.” A condition analysis was recently done and estimated the total restoration cost at over $1.5 million. The building does not meet current exit and fire codes, or the Americans with Disabilities Act. An elevator will need to be installed in the building. The old air conditioning system and electrical system both need to be replaced, as well as the plastic covers over the stained glass windows. 20 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
community The roof is believed to be in good condition but needs recoating, and the masonry needs mortar repairs to stop leaks. “We are so grateful to Jerry Krouse for his incredible gift,” said Rachel Myers, the ISJL Director of Museum Projects. “The Natchez synagogue is a building and a story worthy of saving and sharing. Raising these funds will be a challenge, but with lead donors like Mr. Krouse stepping forward, we know we can meet this challenge head-on.”
Rampart marker returns
Now that the Rampart-St. Claude Streetcar line is complete and open, a piece of New Orleans Jewish history has been restored. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans worked with the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority to ensure that a historical marker for the first Jewish house of worship in Louisiana was returned to its former site. The marker denotes the site of Shangarai Chasset, built at 410-420 N. Rampart Street in 1845. The congregation was formed in 1827, the first outside the original 13 colonies. In 1881, the congregation merged with Dispersed of Judah to become the modern-day Touro Synagogue. The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation has placed similar markers at the sites of the first synagogues in numerous states. Other plaques are in Pensacola, Mobile and Jackson.
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 21
A 1783 silver creamer by Paul Revere has an important Jewish connection, with New Orleans ties
Beautiful and historic Like the family-run store itself, items at M.S. Rau Antiques have interesting stories New Orleans has numerous museums, and many antiques stores. And then, there’s M.S. Rau Antiques, which has a museum-worthy collection — but it’s all for sale. Bill Rau is the third generation to run the French Quarter landmark, which opened in 1912. Max Rauchewerger came to the U.S. from Southeastern Europe, arriving with $8 in his pocket and sponsorship by an uncle who lived in New Orleans. He worked for his uncle for four years and saved $500. He used $250 to start his own business, M.S. Rau, and set aside the other $250 in case it failed. “Obviously, it didn’t fail,” Bill said. The store was originally on the 700 block of Royal Street, then in 1931 it moved to 630 Royal, its current location. Sons Joe and Elias Rau continued in the business, with Joe taking time to serve in the Coast Guard during World War II, seeing action in north Africa and Italy. Elias worked at the Higgins Shipyard while also managing the store. After the war, a second story was added to the store, and Elias’ son Jack and Joe’s son Bill became part of the business. Max died in 1964, when Bill was five years old, so he does not have business-related memories of his grandfather. Max’s wife, Fanny, worked at the store well into her 90s. She died in 1989. Elias took over as president after Max died, until he retired in 1995. Bill then became president. The Toulouse Gallery added 5,000 square feet in 2001, as M.S. Rau became much more global with its website and marketing in national publications. Bill figured Jack’s son, Steven, would be the next generation in the business. But over 20 years ago, Steven said he wasn’t following in their footsteps. “I was going to argue with him,” Bill said, figuring he could convince him this was more important than being just another doctor or lawyer. 22 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 23
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Instead, Steven surprised him by saying he was going to become a rabbi. “Damn,” Bill thought. “How do you argue with that?” Since 2002, Steven has been director of lifelong learning at The Temple in Atlanta. Katrina, of course, took its toll in 2005. Joe and Jack lost their homes, and while the gallery had minor damage, the warehouse was flooded. A New York friend offered temporary gallery space until they could reopen in New Orleans. After the storm, Jack moved to Atlanta, and Joe moved to California. In 2011, another annex, Le Salon, opened, and Bill’s daughter Rebecca became the next generation in the family business. While M.S. Rau is considered one of the leading fine art galleries in the world, Bill can’t imagine that his grandfather was that familiar with fine art and antiques at first. “He was raised relatively poor in the middle of nowhere. There’s no way he could have been exposed” to such things. When Max started, there was a fine line between antiques and used goods, with most businesses dealing in both, Bill explained. “He obviously found more potential in the antiques end of it… and developed a great eye and a great reputation.” Many items in the gallery are being sold there for the third, fourth — even fifth time. Often, pieces that were purchased there return as estates are liquidated or homes are downsized. Many furniture pieces are quite unusual. Currently, M.S. Rau has a mahogany bedroom suite that used to belong to King Farouk of Egypt. There is also a cabinet celebrating Louisiana art and industry, carved from solid walnut for display at the “Le Repas des Amoureux” by 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Desks, Marc Chagall is at M.S. Rau armoires and sideboards stretch the boundaries of creativity. A Hupfield Violina is among the more unusual pieces — think of a self-playing piano, then add a self-playing violin. Chagall, Rockwell and Monet are among the many artists whose works adorn the walls of M.S. Rau. Rockwell’s “The Golfer” was a never-published cover for the Saturday Evening Post, deemed too impolite to use. Many of the highest-end treasures are in the three-level “secret room,” behind a mural that turns out to be a door. Bill said he likes items of historical significance that are also beautiful. ”If you can get that, it’s a perfect piece.” One item the gallery had a few years ago is said to be the only painting that Sir Winston Churchill did during World War II, “at an extraordinarily pivotal time in the war.” It was done following the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, the first war conference held outside of America, where the Allies called for the unconditional surrender of the Axis. It was also a time when the war was beginning to finally turn in the Allies’ favor. After the conference, Churchill persuaded President Franklin Roosevelt to stay and go to Marrakesh with him, and they spent the evening together overlooking the city. The next day, after Roosevelt left, Churchill asked an aide to bring his paints and he went back to the spot where they had been the night before, painted “The Tower of Katoubia Mosque,” and sent it to Roosevelt as a gift. Naturally, M.S. Rau has seen a fair amount of Judaica come through over the years, including Torah finials, candlesticks and Chanukiahs,
community but Bill cautioned that most older Judaica “was not beautiful. Most Jews were poor, so the Judaica they had was more historically important than aesthetically.” There are exceptions, he added. He regrets letting a tray with the coat of arms of Moses Montefiore get away. “It was extraordinary,” he said. In 1837, Montefiore became the second Jew to be knighted in England and the first after Jewish emancipation, to give him the stature to negotiate with the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire on behalf of Jews imprisoned in Damascus for a blood libel. He also had a New Orleans connection, as the executor of Judah Touro’s will and overseer of the funds Touro left to develop Jewish settlement in Palestine. Currently, M.S. Rau has a Paul Revere silver creamer with a Jewish story. It was made by Revere for Moses Hays, “the greatest Jewish philanthropist in Federal America,” Bill said. Hays refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the American colonies in Newport until the phrase “upon the true faith of a Christian” was removed. Hays also helped start the Masonic movement in New England and was the only Jew in his lodge. When he was elected Grand Master, Revere was his Deputy. When his sister’s husband died in Jamaica, he brought her and her children to Boston, and then raised their three children when she died four years later. One of the three was Judah Touro. The creamer was “made by an American patriot, for someone who was Jewish and exceptionally philanthropic,” Bill said. At the time, a piece like that was “extraordinarily expensive,” and he figures very few Jews in Federalist America could have afforded it. Currently, M.S. Rau is hosting “Napoleon: General. Emperor. Legend.” The show is open to the public and will be displayed through Jan. 7. It features Napoleonic art and design, and includes an original bronze death mask of Napoleon.
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community Oxford Federation responds to swastika incident at Ole Miss According to the University of Mississippi, a potential suspect has been identified in a swastika vandalism incident, and “the student has been referred to the Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct.” On Nov. 18, the Jewish Federation of Oxford called the university’s response “appropriate.” Richard Gershon, speaking for the Federation, said the university has “taken the matter seriously and we appreciate that.” A swastika image was found in a Residential College South elevator on Nov. 10 and was reported to the university’s Department of Student Housing. The unnamed suspect was identified after a review of surveillance footage, but because no criminal charges have been filed, the student has not been named due to privacy regulations. According to WKGR-TV, student MeKala Mcneil and her boyfriend, Allen Coon, saw the swastikas when they stepped into the elevator on Nov. 10. She noted that they had stayed away from campus the day before, which was the day after the election. “We’re aware of this incident and we’re allocating every resource available within our department to address this situation,” said Lionel Maten, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and director of student housing. “Our top priority is the safety of our residents and maintaining an inclusive, healthy community conducive to the learning experience.” The Jewish Federation of Oxford issued a statement that “strongly condemns” the vandalism. “The swastika invokes a period less than 80 years ago in which Jews and other minority groups were targeted for complete and total annihilation by those who appealed to its imagery… we support the Lafayette-Oxford-University community in standing against hate speech wherever it occurs.” The Oxford Eagle editorialized that “Invoking a symbol representative of the systematic genocide of more than 10 million people isn’t a joke nor is it something that should be normalized for the simple reason that it’s one of many related incidents happening throughout the nation” after the presidential election. “It is hate, plain and simple, and it is utterly reprehensible.” Earlier that week, Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter said “the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is our top priority. We will not tolerate violent or threatening behavior.” The administration urged all residents who see a bias incident, “which includes conduct, speech or expressions that are threatening, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or hostile and are motivated by a person’s identity or group affiliation,” to report it to the proper authorities, and if immediate support is needed, contact the University Police.
Photo courtesy ADL/Twitter
The above graffiti was found on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans the weekend after the election, and was quickly painted over. “We strongly condemn the anti-Semitic graffiti,” said Allison Padilla-Goodman, ADL regional director. “This vandalism is indefensible, and deeply unsettling to the Jewish community of New Orleans. We must all work together to ensure that anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred have no place in the future of America.” 26 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 27
community Cohen named head of Mississippi State athletics
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After weeks of speculation, John Cohen was named Mississippi State University’s 17th director of athletics, MSU President Mark E. Keenum announced on Nov. 4. Cohen has been head baseball coach at Mississippi State since 2009, and was recently named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year for leading the team to a regular-season conference title. In July he signed a four-year contract extension and was promoted to associate athletic director, but in September Scott Stricklin, who was athletic director, was hired by the University of Florida. “I love Mississippi State University,” Cohen said. “As a student, later as a coach, and now with this fantastic opportunity to lead MSU’s athletics program, this was always where I wanted to be.” A native of Tuscaloosa, “that town just across the border,” Cohen played baseball at Mississippi State and is one of eight coaches to lead his alma mater to the NCAA College World Series as both a player and a coach. After a six-year stint with Missouri as a graduate assistant and assistant coach, Cohen was the head coach at Northwestern State University from 1998-2001. Cohen spent two seasons as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Florida before becoming the head coach at the University of Kentucky in 2004, a position he held for four seasons before returning to his alma mater. At Kentucky, he also was named SEC Coach of the Year, becoming one of only two coaches to do that at two different institutions. “We conducted an exhaustive national search and in that process interviewed some of the nation’s very top athletic department administrators,” Keenum said. “But after reviewing those outstanding candidates, it became clear to me that John Cohen’s undeniable record of aggressively pursuing championships both as an MSU player and head coach positioned him best to continue the dynamic legacy of growth and accomplishment that MSU athletics has enjoyed in recent years.” Cohen said “I am profoundly grateful for the chance to lead the totality of MSU athletics as I have tried to lead MSU’s baseball program — in daily and dogged pursuit of championships at the highest level.” The next day, Andy Cannizaro was named Cohen’s successor as baseball coach.
community Jewish West Alabama soccer player paralyzed in car wreck A British-born soccer player for the University of West Alabama was paralyzed in a car crash in Tuscaloosa. Josh Gurvitz was a passenger in the vehicle early on Nov. 5. He suffered a broken neck and spinal cord injury, and is paralyzed from the chest down. A former student at JFS in London, the largest Jewish school in Europe, Josh moved to Daphne, Ala., in 2009, a year after his father, Phil, took a position there with Airbus. A junior at West Alabama, Josh was in intensive care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham three weeks after the wreck. Phil said they hope to get him off the ventilator by the end of the month, then move him to a physical therapy ward, followed by rehab. “Things are moving in the right direction, but very slowly,” he said. Several efforts are underway to help the family with expenses during the healing and recovery, including a GoFundMe page that raised close to $10,000 by Nov. 25. His uncle in England plans to run 12 marathons in the next year to raise funds, and selling sponsorship space on his clothes and body for the marathons. As of Nov. 25, a British crowdfunding site had raised over 3000 British Pounds. Daphne High School is hosting a fundraising event, Kicking for Josh, that will include two Baldwin County alumni versus coaches soccer games, on the football field on Dec. 17, starting at 2 p.m. Josh started playing soccer at age 6, playing for Excel in London until he was 9. He then played for Aldenham Athletic until he was 13, winning Golden Boot for two years. He entered 9th grade in Daphne and joined the varsity soccer team, becoming MVP of the Mardi Gras tournament in 2011. He also played club soccer for Blast fc, and was named MVP twice. In his senior season at Daphne he was named to the All-State team and had career highs of 12 goals and 22 assists. On Nov. 6, West Alabama defeated West Florida on penalty kicks for their third consecutive Gulf South Conference championship. Head coach Matthew Thorne said “I’m so pleased with every one of the players, but more importantly, this win was for Josh Gurvitz, Eric Rivera and Trigg Langner.”
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Facing the Future
Birmingham Federation, Bonds event looks to next generation of leadership, giving
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A video presentation of “Faces of the Future” was part of the forwardlooking emphasis of the annual Birmingham Community Event on Nov. 7 at Temple Emanu-El. The event combines the annual award presentations of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, Birmingham Jewish Foundation and Israel Bonds. “Faces of the Future” featured interviews with long-time Federation and Foundation leaders, interspersed with comments by Millennials discussing the community’s future, and touting You Belong in Birmingham and other programs to make newcomers feel welcome. The presentation also kicked off a new website, givebjf.org. The 2017 Federation Annual Campaign will be the first one chaired by Millennials, Andy Saag and Justin Weintraub. They have been chairing the local Ben Gurion Society, a national program for donors under 40 who contribute at least $1,800 annually to the campaign. The campaign generally raises about $2.4 million each year. Saag noted there are now over 40 Ben Gurion Society members in Birmingham. In the video, Weintraub said “It’s truly important for our generation to build upon what has come before us.” Also, the Ben Gurion members will be given the opportunity to recommend to the Federation where a portion of the campaign’s proceeds will be allocated. Federation Assistant Executive Director Daniel Odrezin said it is important for donors to provide future stability, sending a signal to the next generation that the community is behind them and will commit the resources to continuing community growth. Federation President Jerry Held promoted endowing annual campaign gifts through the Foundation, “not to relieve future generations of their obligation to give generously, but rather to provide them with the qualitative edge they will need to have a superior Jewish community here in Birmingham.” The youth emphasis continued with the annual Joanie Plous Bayer Young Leadership Award, which went to Victoria Kimerling and Natalie Solomon, both of whom now live in Israel. Solomon, who could not attend, sent video remarks. She is CEO of the Am Yisrael Foundation in Tel Aviv, which supports modern pioneering among young Jewish adults in Israel. She said the Federation was an essential part of her journey to Israel and Jewish leadership, starting with a scholarship to the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, then a year with Project Otzma in Birmingham’s sister city, Rosh Ha’Ayin. Solomon said she often hears people ask where the young leadership is in the Jewish world, but the Birmingham Jewish Federation puts young adults at the leadership table. Kimerling said it means “so much” that the Federation honored them
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together. They have worked together at Am Yisrael, and respond with pride when people express amazement that there are Jews in Alabama. “My heart and my home are always in Alabama,” Kimerling said, “and it makes me proud to represent the community of Birmingham in everything I do.” Cynthia Tobias was presented the Susan J. Goldberg Distinguished Volunteer Award. She spoke of the importance of Federation’s work in the current climate, with anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on the rise. “Doing the work to face our fears and avoid bad scenarios for Jews and Israel is holy work, and this is why the Federation and our agencies should receive our support.” The Foundation’s annual award, the N.E. Miles Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Sherri and David Romanoff. The award is presented to long-time community volunteers who have endowed their Federation annual gift through the Foundation. Both Romanoffs are past presidents of Collat Jewish Family Services, and they have been involved in several other organizations. David Romanoff said it is an important way to support the community into the future, and “endowing your gift is something anyone at any level can commit to.” Israel Bonds honored Charles Collat, who could not attend because he was recuperating from a fall. Long-time Birmingham Israel Bonds chair Jimmy Filler said Collat’s list of philanthropic endeavors “goes on and on, including Israel Bonds, our Federation and just about every worthwhile group in Birmingham,” and called him one of the greatest Bonds supporters in the community’s history. The Collat name is on Jewish Family Services and the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Business. Noting Collat is “a soft-spoken giant in our community,” Filler also announced ServisFirst purchased $250,000 in Israel Bonds in his honor. Collat’s daughters Nancy Goedecke and Caki Mendel, and son Charlie Collat accepted the Star of David Award, delivering his prepared remarks where he hoped his efforts could be an inspiration to others. Filler spoke of the need to support Israel and build coalitions with likeminded Christians. He noted the recent UNESCO resolution recognizing the Temple Mount as solely a Muslim site, which “insulted not only Jewish but Christian connections to the holy sites of Jerusalem.” As the event was the night before the election, Held reminded those in attendance that the Federation is a 501(c)3 organization, prohibited from working for or against any candidate. The Federation’s role postelection, he said, is to help the Jewish and general communities “navigate any divisive and disturbing issues that may linger” and to speak out on issues affecting Israel and the Jewish people. Still, Filler joked that he would release his tax returns if there was a huge bond sale that night.
Jimmy Filler does tribute to Charles Collat at Israel Bonds event
Herrman Holocaust memorial garden dedicated in Jackson On Nov. 13, the Gus Waterman Herrman Holocaust Memorial Garden was dedicated behind Beth Israel, the only Jewish congregation in Jackson. The memorial includes seven pillars with large glass structures on either side, depicting seven “key points of the Holocaust.” Numbers in the panels say 184203, the serial number tattooed on the arm of Gilbert Metz, the only concentration camp survivor in Mississippi, who died in 2007. Members of Metz’s family were at the dedication. Lawson Metz said his father “would have been very, very proud of this day.” Joseph Metz tells his grandfather’s story at schools, and last year did a presentation at Mississippi State, where he was president of Hillel. Gilbert Metz was in Auschwitz starting in 1943, and marched to Dachau when Auschwitz was evacuated by the Nazis. After the war, he went to live with an aunt in Natchez, then attended Tulane. His story has been chronicled by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Shoah Foundation, and he was invited to the Mississippi Legislature to see the state body pass a bill authorizing a Mississippi Holocaust Commission. The memorial was sparked by a bequest from Gus Waterman Herrman of Lexington. A veteran of World War II and Korea, he left $100,000 to Beth Israel to be used for Holocaust remembrance. Additional funds for the project were raised in the congregation. Benches will be added to the garden for visitors to sit and contemplate, and it is designed so outdoor programs can be held there.
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December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 33
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Artist Andrew Young, who designed the installation, said that while the panels depict specific items relating to the Holocaust, they also stand for the story of oppressed people everywhere. “The Holocaust memorial is a testament to the survival of all people against oppressive regimes, and recent world events tell us that the danger to oppressed people is not a dated phenomenon,” Young said. Many area clergy attended the dedication, as did Governor Phil Bryant. The seven panels are “The Ghetto,” “A Temple Menorah,” “Kristallnacht,” “Book Burning,” “Disappearing Village,” “Chai” and “A Striped Cloth,” in abstract form so the viewer can experience the memorial individually. The pulpit is reached by a spiral walkway with a railroad motif, alluding to the trains that transported Jews to the concentration camps.
First-time camper incentive grant forms now available Applications are now available for the Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience Incentive Grant, which was recently increased to $1,500. The Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana administers this program, which helps families provide their children with a first-time camping experience at a Jewish sleepaway camp. It was established by JEF in 1999 and has been funded by the Goldring Family Foundation since 2001. Since its inception, almost 1,300 children have received grants to attend Jewish summer camp. The Goldring Family Foundation makes this camp program available to every Jewish child in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle by giving a one-time-only grant of up to $1,500 per child to attend a nonprofit Jewish summer camp. Programs costing less than $1,500 will be funded up to the amount of camp tuition. To meet the criteria for funding, children must be first-time campers at a nonprofit Jewish sleepaway camp, currently in grades 1 through 9, and residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or the Florida Panhandle. Grants are not based on financial need. Both parents need not be Jewish. Synagogue affiliation is not required. The deadline for applications is March 31 and early application is strongly suggested. Award notification will be made by May 31. For more information and an application form, contact Ellen Abrams at JEF at (504) 5244559 or ellen@jefno.org. The application can also be downloaded at www.jefno.org.
Above, Birmingham Hadassah Past Presidents. Right, Josh Schroeder and Andrew Cordover
Birmingham Hadassah Celebrates Centennial
Hadassah Birmingham recently celebrated its centennial at a Tzedakah Celebration on Nov. 13 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. The event honored all of the chapter’s past presidents. Guest speaker was Josh Schroeder, a senior orthopedic surgeon at Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. Honorary chair for the event was Andrew Cordover, spine surgeon at Andrews Sports Medicine, and the event was chaired by Arlene Goldstein and Bridget Sikora. After the event, The Cordovers hosted a reception in their home, so local medical professionals could hear from Schroeder. Birmingham Hadassah was organized in 1915 by a group of 13 women with Annie Abelson as the first president.
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While considering year-end giving, let your stock work for you Those who have worked hard to buy stock can now let those stocks work for them, while helping the community and the Jewish world at the same time. Sally Friedman, executive director of the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, notes that with many stocks up for the year, this “may be a great time to look at opening a Birmingham Jewish Foundation Donor Advised Fund” with publicly-traded stock. She stated that “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 donor 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. Donors are entitled to a tax deduction for the full fair market value of such gifts, up to 30 percent of their adjusted gross income in the current tax year, and there is no capital gains tax on any appreciation. Conversely, if the donor were to sell the stock and donate the proceeds, there would be a tax on the amount of the gain. With a Donor Advised Fund, donors can make recommendations suggesting which qualified charities should receive grants from the fund. Qualified charities are Jewish organizations locally and nationally, and to organizations GIFTING STOCK IS that serve the whole community. The fund MORE EFFECTIVE can be named for the donor or family. As an additional service for Donor Advised Funds, THAN SELLING IT the Foundation often works with multiple generations of families on philanthropic and AND DONATING values discussions. THE PROCEEDS Opening a fund takes $2500 and about 15 minutes, Friedman said. Grant recommendations may be made from both income and principal in the fund, as long as a minimum of $2500 remains. One can establish a fund by Dec. 30 to take advantage of tax breaks this year and then start making recommendations in future years. In addition, for $1000 a donor can open a fund at one of the partner agencies which have funds with The Foundation — the Birmingham Jewish Federation, the Levite Jewish Community Center, the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, Collat Jewish Family Services, Knesseth Israel Congregation, Camp Dream Street Mississippi, and Huntsville’s Temple B’nai Sholom. Funds can also be opened at this level for special purposes, such as for programs in Israel, Jewish education or needs in the broader community. Gifts to existing funds may be made in any amount. All stock gifts must be in the Foundation’s account by Dec. 30 to count toward this year’s taxes, and gifts by check must be mailed and postmarked by Dec. 30. However, Friedman suggests that donors start these transactions several days before the end of the year, in case there are unexpected delays. “Unfortunately, we occasionally have had gifts of stock which didn’t get credited to the current year because sometimes transfers take longer than anticipated. Also, donors should let us know if they are making a stock gift, so that we can be sure to attribute it to the right fund.” Friedman reminds donors to always consult their own financial and planning professionals to make sure that gifts fit with their particular financial, tax and estate plans. For more information, contact Sally Friedman, sallyf@bjf.org or (205) 803-1519; or Assistant Director Janet Aarons, janeta@bjf.org or (205) 803-1524 before Dec. 23 to discuss opening a fund or adding to an existing one. For stock gifts, contact one of them or Tiffany Hyche at tiffanyh@ bjf.org or (205) 803-1513.
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The Brotherhood at Temple Emanu-El prepares latkes for their Chanukah dinner
Twas the first night of Chanukah and All Through the South… With Chanukah falling during winter break, some groups are holding Chanukah events early, while others are waiting for the actual holiday. The first candle is lit in the evening of Dec. 24. Here is a list of events we had as of press time; updates will be posted on sjlmag.com. Temple Beth El in Anniston will have a pre-Chanukah covered dish dinner on Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m., with latkes provided, followed by services at 7:30 p.m. The Bais Ariel Chabad Center in Birmingham will have its Great Wall of Chinakah kosher Chinese dinner on Dec. 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. The all-you-can-eat buffet is $20 for adults, $10 for children before Dec. 20, $30 and $20 respectively after Dec. 20. There will be a menorah lighting at 6 p.m. The second annual Birmingham Grand Menorah Lighting will be Dec. 26 at The Summit’s Saks Plaza at 5 p.m. The event will include snow, fireworks, balloons, latkes, doughnuts and more. Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El is doing its annual Feeling Gelty program, partnering with First Teachers@Home to help less fortunate families. The school readiness program gives low-income parents the tools to prepare their children, ages 3 and 4, for school success. Families that complete the course are eligible to be matched with donors for the holiday season. The shopping deadline is Dec. 9, and volunteers are needed, as well as those who want to champion a family. Emanu-El’s Chanukah Family Fun Day will be on Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m., followed by the annual Brotherhood Chanukah Lunch at noon. There
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 37
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will be latkes, blintzes and salads, and a wide range of prizes. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. On Dec. 30, Emanu-El will have a Shabbat Chanukah service at 5:40 p.m., including a congregational menorah lighting. Each family is encouraged to bring a small platter of latkes for the reception. The Temple Beth-El Sisterhood annual Chanukah Lunch and Bake Sale will be Dec. 11 at 11:30 a.m. Pre-ordered blintzes can be picked up between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Knesseth Israel in Birmingham will have its Chanukah party on Dec. 27, with latkes, dinner, schmoozing and make-your-own dreidels. Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will have its third annual “everything else is closed” pancake breakfast on Dec. 25 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The menu includes pancakes, eggs, veggie sausage, fruit and cereal. Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children in advance, or $10 and $6 at the door. Dothan’s Temple Emanu-El will take over the giftwrapping table at Wiregrass Mall on Dec. 18. Proceeds benefit the House of Ruth, which provides a safe, temporary shelter for battered women and their children. The annual Chanukah potluck dinner at Dothan’s Emanu-El will be on Dec. 30, with the Brotherhood making 250 latkes from scratch. Florence’s B’nai Israel will have its community Chanukah celebration on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m., with Rabbi Nancy Tunick.. The annual Fry Fest at Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville, sponsored by Popeye’s, will be on Dec. 9. There will be Lego menorah building, face painting and singing, along with a variety of fried foods — past years have included fried Oreos and fried biscuits. The 7 p.m. service will include a volunteer appreciation. The Temple B’nai Sholom Sisterhood in Huntsville will have its annual sale on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. B’nai Sholom will also have a public menorah lighting on Dec. 27 at the west side of the downtown square, starting at 5:30 p.m. Everyone will go to Sam and Greggs for pizza afterward. Chabad of Huntsville will have a Grand Menorah Lighting at Bridge Street, Dec. 26 at 4 p.m., with latkes and doughnuts. Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile will have its Chanukah family service and dinner on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. The planned menu includes build-your-own gyros, latkes, jelly doughnuts and beverages. Dinner reservations are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 10, and are needed by Dec. 14. There will be a group menorah lighting. At Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery, Hanukkah Hoopla Latke and Hotdog Lunch will be Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. Every year since the first Hanukkah Hoopla there has been a raffle of an afghan by Mickey Feldman. Though she moved last year, the congregation’s Knitwits made one to continue the tradition. Temple Beth Or will have its Chanukah family service and dinner on Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. Dinner reservations are required. The B’nai Israel religious school students in Panama City will host the congregation’s Chanukah party on Dec. 31.
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chanukah Young Jewish Pensacola will have a Hockey Chanukah event on Dec. 17. Pensacola’s Temple Beth-El will have Chinese and a Movie on Dec. 24 at 6:30 p.m., and a Shabbat Chanukah service and dinner on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. Chabad of Baton Rouge starts the season with Chanukah Wonderland, Dec. 4 at BREC Recreation Center from 2 to 4 p.m. There will be a story time with PJ Library, doughnut decorating, latkes, an olive press workshop, crafts and more. The event is for ages 0 to 14 and their families. On Dec. 11, there will be a Ladies Night Out for “The Feminine Side of Chanukah” at 7 p.m. The miracle of the oil will be recounted through the art of herbal oil bottling and blending, and there will be a discussion of the role of women in the Chanukah story. On Dec. 17, the Young Jewish Professionals will have a Top Chef Live Latke Cookoff between Ryan Grizzaffi of the Cajun Spoon and Sean Rivera of Cask and Barrel and Coquilles. The 8 p.m. event includes sushi, mixologist Dante Saleos and more. The second annual Chanukah at the State Capitol will be Dec. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m., with the lighting of the 9-foot menorah, latkes, children’s activities and face painting. The Chabad activities finish with Chanukah at St. James Place on Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge will host a Havdallukkah celebration at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24. Presented by the Sisterhood and Beth Shalom’s education program Jewish Journeys, Havdallukkah will feature a dreidel tournament, puppet show, latkes, potluck dinner, havdallah and Chanukiah lighting. All are welcome to attend. Continuing a tradition over three decades old, the B’nai Israel Men’s Club in Baton Rouge will have its annual Big Buddy shopping spree for kids from low-income families on Dec. 7 at the Macy’s in the Mall of Louisiana, at 5:30 p.m. All donations are welcome, and a child can be sponsored for $125. B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge will have its Chanukah party on Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. with a Chanukah service, followed by a latke dinner and party at 7 p.m., featuring a white elephant gift exchange not to exceed $20, and a community menorah lighting. Admission is a donation to the food bank. Reserve by Dec. 19.
Latkes with a Twist benefits JCRS One of the Washington Post’s Top 10 Chanukah parties in the country returns on Dec. 15 with the annual Jewish Children’s Regional Service Latkes with a Twist. The event moves this year to the Dryades Public Market in New Orleans, starting at 7 p.m. The community-wide Chanukah celebration features a complimentary latke bar by Chef David Slater of Emeril’s, live music by New Orleans’ COOT, drink specials and a silent auction. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at www.jcrs.org or by calling the JCRS office at (504) 828-6334. Tickets will also be available at the event. Secure parking is available in the surface lot behind the market on S. Rampart St. Funds raised through the event will support the PJ Library program which provides free monthly gifts of books and music to Jewish children through age 11. In addition, proceeds from the event will enable JCRS to directly assist greater numbers of vulnerable Jewish youth and families with college aid, Jewish summer camp grants, and assistance to families with children with special needs. JCRS now annually serves over 50% of all Jewish youth under age 18 in Greater New Orleans. In 2015, JCRS reached more than 1500 youth across a seven-state region.
40 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
chanukah Temple Sinai in Lake Charles will have its Chanukah service on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. B’nai Israel in Monroe will have its Chanukah party on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. The Men’s Club will be doing the cooking. Beth Israel in Metairie will have a Chanukah celebration the evening of Dec. 24. The Sisterhood at Gates of Prayer in Metairie will hold its Chanukah Gift Bazaar on Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., along with a bake sale. Gates of Prayer in Metairie will have the Sisterhood Vodka and Latkes event on Dec. 6 from 5:30 to 7:30, to prepare for the congregational Chanukah dinner, which will be following the 6 p.m. service on Dec. 30. Torah Academy in Metairie will have a Chanukah event on Dec. 19 at 6 .m., with latkes, doughnuts, Chanukah games and presentations, including a play from the drama elective. The Jewish Community Day School in Metairie will have its annual Chanukah program on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m., with original musical presentations and latkes. Moishe House in New Orleans will “fulfill Jewish stereotypes” with a Chinese dinner on Dec. 25 at 5 p.m., followed by a movie that will be “democratically chosen.” Chabad of New Orleans will have the annual Chanukah at Riverwalk, The New Orleans Mobile Menorah Parade
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 41
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chanukah Dec. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Spanish Plaza. There will be food, music, dreidels and gelt, a latke bar, and dreidel house for children, along with a facepainter. The Krewe of Chanukah rolls for the Mobile Menorah Parade on Dec. 31, departing from Chabad Uptown at 7:30 p.m. Touro Synagogue will have a Chanukah family dinner on Dec. 30 at 6:30 p.m., with chicken, latkes and doughnuts, following the 6 p.m. service. Reservations are $15 for adults, $10 for children. “In the Kitchen with Rabbi Silverman” at Touro will feature latkes. The program is Dec. 15 at 6 p.m., free for members and $18 for non-members, with reservations due by Dec. 12. Temple Sinai’s Chanukah on the Avenue will be on Dec. 23, with a latke Chanukah dinner sponsored by Sisterhood at 5 p.m., services at 6:15 p.m. and the menorah lighting on the avenue at 7 p.m. Dinner reservations are $16 for adults, $8 for ages 6 to 12, free for 5 and under, $12 for students. Chabad of Southern Mississippi’s annual Community Menorah Lighting will be on Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Edgewater Mall in Biloxi. The event will include hot latkes and sufganiot, addresses from local dignitaries, kids crafts and activities, and the lighting of the largest Menorah in Mississippi. Beth Israel in Gulfport will have its annual Chanukah party and raffle on Dec. 18, with a dairy potluck. Beth Israel in Jackson will have its Chanukah dinner on Dec. 30 at 5 p.m., followed by services. The dinner will include brisket and latkes, and a group menorah lighting. Kosher and vegetarian options can be arranged in advance. Reservations are due by Dec. 27 and are $12 in advance and $5 for ages 3 to 10 in advance, $15 and $7 at the door, space permitting. Beth Israel will also have a Chinese dinner and movie on Dec. 25, starting at Ding How Asia Bistro at 5 p.m., then heading to the Malco Madison. A headcount is needed for the restaurant. The Jewish Federation of Oxford will have Latkes for Love on Dec. 4 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Shelter on Van Buren. Proceeds from the latke plates will go to the Interfaith Compassion Ministry. The Western Shore Torah Study of Mobile’s Springhill Avenue Temple will meet on Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m., with “The History of Chanukah.” Latkes will be served, and menorahs and candles should be brought. The study session will be at the Ennis home.
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Never too early for latkes: Millsaps Jewish Culture Organization president Lucy Kaplan at the JCO latke giveaway for Homecoming on Oct. 22
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One can’t spell imagine without image, and when it comes togets Bir- the cover on punim mingham’s Image Hive — which offers photography and videography personalized cards. training, studio rental and converting old formats to digital — seeing is Cost varies according to quantity ordered. bee-lieving. Steven Antselevich, a long-time professional videographer, was renting some space with long-time professional photographer Marc BondaRudman’s Gifts renko. Together they came up with the idea of combining741 their servicesMemorial Blvd Veterans and offering their shared Metairie resources, knowledge and 504/833.1286 rudmans.com studio in the growing Avondale area to others. “We want to provide the Rudman’s is a gift, stationery, tools and knowledge to invitation and greeting card help people become betshop with Judaica and unique gifts, and they are especially proud to offer locallly ter at as well as perhaps designed and produced Louisiana products. Individualized service is a specialty with become professionals at wording and design assistance on any time of personal or business correspondence, photography, videography, and moviemaking, ” andediting their partnership with industry leaders guarantees a top-notch finished product. said Antselevich. “These Customer service they’re famous for, plus free gift wrapping and at-cost UPS shipping days you can buy some rearound the country make selecting and sending any gift a pleasure. ally good digital equipment for not that much money but many people don’t know all the capabilities of the equipment they have.” Bondarenko said, “it’s exciting 2. REMEMBER: BLUE AND WHITE when you get creative people together with a desire to help peoARE TRADITIONAL FOR CHANUKAH ple who have a passion for and need for the things we have been There’ll be no forgetting this holiday. doing for a living.” Price upon request. Image Hive works with individuals and companies. “We can Wellington & Company Fine Jewelry either do the jobs for them or we 505 Royal Street New Orleans can teach them how to do these things on their own,” said Antselevich. 504/525.4855 They offer studio rental with some varying backgrounds and profes-wcjewelry.com sional assistance for photo shoots. They also can convert old tapes, DVDs or even some older formats to digital formatsWellington or CDs. & Co. Fine Jewelry’s team of From January to May, Image Hive jewelry will offerassociates classes and workshops possesses more than half a taught by professionals in the Birmingham areaof onantique, a wide range top-contemporary century estateofand ics. fineCapturing jewelry knowledge and sales experience. Classes include Moviemaking for Teens, the Interview, iMovAt Wellington & Co., their passion for what ie Editing, Cinematography Lighting, iPhone Essentials, iPhone Photography, Editing with Premier Pro, iPhone Videography, Mac Photo with Editing, they do, combined the store’s warm Sound for Video and Film, Basic Studio Lighting, Fashion and ModelinPhoand inviting atmosphere the heart of New tography, Screenwriting, Product Photography, Photographing Artwork Orleans’ historic French Quarter enables and Moviemaking Summer Camp for Youth. them to provide visitors from around the world with a unique and inviting shopping Antselevich said they offer gift certificates — “Ideal for Chanukah,” he experience unlike any other. says — that can be used for any of the services and classes they offer. “We’re not selling any equipment so we can give them advice on what to buy and when they buy something, how to use it to its fullest,” he said.
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 43
chanukah gifts Do you spend more time planning a vacation than planning for retirement?
Petcetera
that’s just a quick phone call and a couple of clicks away?
Founded 15 years ago as New Orleans’ first full service pet boutique, Petcetera on Magazine Street keeps pets and owners happy with its array of products and services — everything from Judaica chew toys to food and treats, custom cakes, fashionable pet costumes (some straight off New York’s Fashion District runways), grooming, dog walking and pet sitting.
What if you can take a memorable trip
All the planning is done for you… Just pack and go!
Hundreds of destinations — including Israel, Hong Kong New Orleans, London, Greece…
3205 Magazine Street New Orleans petceteranola.com 504/269.8711
After bringing in the paper, your canine friend can enjoy his own Sunday Brunch, beginning with this pale tan fleece and plush bagel with a snowy white “schmear” of cream cheese. He then might want to enjoy a litle Lox the Fish and finish with a Kosher Bone, also available. Dogs love to mouth and carry the soft bagel while enjoying the squeak. Made of all new materials. Polyester plush and fill. Rubber squeaker secured inside. For your canine star, choose Chewish Treats blue and white Stars of David “tennis” balls. Perfect for that championship game of fetch.
For more information contact Derrick Ellis
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513-833-7696
ddellis.dreamtrips.com
ddellis19742000@gmail.com
Candy2Creation candy2creation.com 205/757.0793
Flowers are nice, but chocolate… now we’re talking! Candy2Creation does custom candy bouquets, party favors, candy centerpieces, candy cakes, even sugar-free choices… but if you’re looking for something completely different, there’s bouquets of personal products! Delivery is available in the Birmingham area, or creations can be shipped anywhere in the U.S.
Applause Dancewear
1629 Oxmoor Road Birmingham 205/871.7837 applausedancewear.net Applause Dancewear has a wide range of gift ideas, and not just for dancers! For runners, the Flip Belt is a way to keep belongings safe and secure while running hands-free. The belt even holds the new iPhone 7 Plus. Applause also has the book “Sit. Stay. Plie,” which benefits the Alabama Ballet and Birmingham rescue animals.
ow s Bert knv s) (and lo aem! Birmingh
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44 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
There is a wide selection of new warm ups and BLOCH warm up booties, and Nutcracker items for girls who are dancing in community productions. In addition to the store in the Birmingham area, Applause has an extensive website, www.applausedancewear.net, allowing customers to purchase from across the region from the convenience of home.
pet care
an annual SJL special section
Keep pets, owners happy and safe during the holidays Seasonal suggestions from Hollywood Feed
Family, friends, and food. These are some of the things that come to mind when we think about Chanukah and the holidays. Today, our pets are important parts of our family, so we want to include them in our festivities. Especially if you have a new pet, making them a part of your holiday traditions can be intimidating. If you know that company will be coming, have a jar of treats handy to encourage positive interaction between your pet and your guests and to discourage them from handing out table scraps. Fill it with Grandma Lucy’s Organic Biscuits. These Certified Kosher teddy-shaped cookies are made from dog-safe human-grade ingredients, and come in Cranberry, Blueberry, Pumpkin, and Coconut flavors. It is imperative that your pet has a safe place to go if he feels overwhelmed. Make sure that any younger family members know that this area is off limits, and teach them how to approach pets in a respectful manner. If you don’t already own a crate, now may be a good time. Put a blanket over the top to create a cave. Leave the door open and place a soft crate mat, such as the Mississippi Made Snoozepad, inside along with a favorite toy or treat. Make it a happy place. To reduce anxiety, try offering your pet a mentally stimulating toy such as a Kong Wobbler or JW Hol-ee Roller a good half-hour before family arrives. Twenty minutes with one of these toys, filled with kibble or treats, is equal to an hour running around in the yard. Natural calming supplements like Dale Eggar’s Calm K9 or Vet’s Best Comfort Calm may be able to help as well. Other options include the Thundershirt and Canine Matrix Zen Mushroom Supplement. If you are boarding your pet or if your pet seems overwhelmed, pick up a 5-pack of Prudence Absolute Immune Health. Adding this powder to your dog’s food for a few days will help boost his or her immune system and prevent stomach upset. Food is, of course, a big part of most holiday traditions. Just like people, dogs love the smells and tastes of the holidays. While they may beg and even swipe at scraps while no one is looking, many of these foods are not good for your pet. Cooked bones are brittle and will splinter easily, potentially causing blockages or perforations. Primal Raw Bones are a great alternative and are meant to be fed raw. They are much safer and have the added benefit of live enzymes that help get rid of plaque and encourage healthy mouth flora. Keep any foods that contain grapes or raisins far away from pets. Grapes, in addition to being a choking hazard, contain compounds that are not easily metabolized by dogs. Mild effects can be lethargy or gastrointestinal distress, but for some dogs it can cause organ failure. Meat scraps are heavenly to a dog’s taste buds, but never offer your pet 11-19-15 Hanukkah.indd 1 Petcetera
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 43:48 5 PM 11/19/15
pet care
seasoned meat and always remove the fatty skin. Instead, try Hollywood Feed’s Georgia Made Jerky or Heartland Lung Bites. These healthy treats are low in calories and have a HUGE reward value. More options are coming with the addition of Hollywood Feed’s new Fresh Bakery in Memphis. The bakery is free of corn, wheat, soy, artificial preservatives, colorings, sugar, and refined sweeteners. Each recipe has been created by a classically trained pastry chef and hand-crafted by Hollywood Feed bakers. Biscuits in flavors like Superfood, Peanut, Oat and Flax; Pumpkin and Cranberry as well as Buckwheat and Mint are being shipped out to stores in the coming months. Hollywood Feed offers a wide selection of natural and holistic pet food and products, and supports local rescues through regular pet adoption and community events. The company has several stores in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Memphis. For more information, visit www. hollywoodfeed.com.
Helping pets live longer, healthier lives by Arthur Serwitz
Happy Hanukkah
from The Pig!
Piggly Wiggly has a rich tradition built over several decades by stores that are locally owned and operated. We are so happy to be back home in Crestline in our new location, with plenty of kosher items in stock. If you don’t see it, just ask & we’ll order it! Happy Hanukkah from all your friends at the Birmingham-area Piggly Wiggly stores! Crestline: 41 Church Street Homewood: 3000 Montgomery Hwy River Run: 3800 River Run Dr Clairmont: 3314 Clairmont Ave and other stores throughout Birmingham pigbham.com
Pets are living longer and healthier lives thanks to advancements in veterinary medicine, and the importance of good nutrition and exercise. The same understanding of how we have improved human health care and awareness also applies to the veterinary field. Pet foods have improved with science and research leading the way for better, healthier choices: better quality of ingredients, less chemicals, specialized diets for life stages, for chronic health issues, holistic diets, low allergenic diets, and even grain free diets. Today’s veterinary medicine offers so much more than annual vaccinations. Improved diagnostics, more affordable technology available to veterinary practices, specialized veterinary medicine (“boarded” veterinary surgeons, internal medicine specialists, cardiologists, neurologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, oncologists, and more), telemedicine, advances in diagnosing, testing, hospital therapies, cancer treatments, all have advanced the delivery of a new quality and sophistication of care and medicine for our pets. Pet insurance has been around for years, but the market is changing, and we are now seeing more attractive policies, and more affordable coverage. There are websites that compare and rate the most popular pet insurance companies. Microchipping pets has become more accepted and universal. This gives us a greater ability to reunite lost or missing pets with their owners. Fleas and ticks have always been an issue, especially in the South. “Tick Borne” diseases can be very dangerous to your pet: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and, in other parts of the country, Lyme’s Disease (but isolated cases are now being reported in this region). We have seen so many new flea and tick products that have come on the market lately. Oral preventives seem to be replacing “topicals.” Please check with your veterinarian for their recommendations of safety and effectiveness. The isolated outbreaks of canine Flu (influenza) in certain parts of the country has also been in the news over the last 3 years. There are new “flu vaccines” available. If your dog is traveling more, attending dog shows, going to facilities with lots of other dogs, you should consult with your regular veterinarian as to whether the vaccine would be recommended. Dr. Arthur Serwitz founded Riverview Animal Clinic in 1984, a landmark on Highway 280 south of Birmingham, originally the old “Motel for Pets” built in the mid-1950s. Serwitz is a 1970 graduate of University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
46 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 47
pet care
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New Orleans’ Magazine Street Animal Clinic knows how much pets keep people happy. They strive to provide not just the health care to pets but education to their owners to beloved friends stay happy and healthy. “We strive to provide the best client and patient care possible. We focus largely on client education and preventative care to ensure our patients stay as healthy as possible,” said MSAC Veterinarian Dr. Johanna Ecke. As it pertains to diet, Ecke said the pet food market can be difficulty to navigate. She said for many pets without specific dietary requirements, such as food allergies, prescription diets, feeding high-quality commercial diets are the best bet. In general, raw diets are not recommended unless they have been processed or pasteurized due to the risk of food-borne illnesses such as Salmonella. “We recommend feeding dogs a high-quality dry kibble or a combination of high-quality dry and canned dog food,” she said. “In general for cats, we recommend feeding mainly or exclusively high-quality canned foods, with smaller amounts of kibble to graze on if needed. Cats may maintain better hydration and more ideal body weight when eating a primarily canned food diet.” Ecke also recommends food transitions over a seven-to-ten-day period to allow for adjustments versus doing it too abruptly. If a specialty diet is of interest, always consult one’s veterinarian first. The amount of exercise one’s pet needs depends upon age, energy level, personality, possible presence of obesity, orthopedic issues or other physical limitations a pet might have. In general, most young dogs require one or two walks per day and playtime in the yard or inside to keep them mentally stimulated. Dogs should be slowly conditioned into an exercise program. It is important to be careful if one has a brachycephalic (squishy-faced) breed such as a bulldog, pug or Lhasa Apso as they tend to overheat more easily. Cats need exercise too, and there are many ways to keep a kitten or cat mentally as well as physically stimulated. Environmental stimulation is essential, according to Ecke, so rotating cat toys; using food dispending toys to make kitties “work” for their food, and even building “catios” (enclosures to give cats safe, protected outdoor time) can do the trick. “Training and socialization for your dogs are very important factors to consider in their general care as well,” she said. “We generally recommend positive reinforcement or force-free training as it facilitates training for your pet using positive methods. It is a fun bonding experience for both you and your pet.” One should start socializing a puppy when he or she is young, but first check with a veterinarian about the safest and most effective ways to socialize a young dog. MSAC is happy to provide care at its clinic, but pet owners can do some preventative medicine to help do their part with pet health. Providing a pet with daily tooth brushing is the absolute best way to keep their teeth healthy, says Ecke, but dental chews with the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal of approval can also be healthy if administered daily. She also recommends dental cleanings during check-ups at MSAC. “Pets often do not show signs of dental pain unless it is extremely severe, so rely on your veterinarian to guide you through the necessary dental care your pet needs to stay comfortable,” she said. One aspect of preventative care at home that can have a huge bearing on a pet’s overall health is weight management. As a general rule, body condition in cats and dogs should be evaluated at least yearly by one’s veterinarian. For most dogs and cats in good body condition, the ribs should be easily palpable but not easily seen. As animals age, metabolism slows down along with joint health issues and they tend to deal with more issues of obesity. For animals over the age of seven, they recommend biannual vet visits.
re” BOOKS was ith ed How the Jews Adapted Roman Culture to
APHRODITE AND THE RABBIS: Create Judaism as We Know It
ght by Burton L. Visotzky e.” From Sinai? In this book, Visotzky, a professor at Jewish Theological d’s Seminary and named one of the 50 Most Influential Jews in America, de argues that much of Judaism as known today is an adaptation of life in fter Roman culture. The Seder is a Greco-Roman symposium banquet, Jewish prayers were often recited in Greek instead of Hebrew, midrash is based on Greco-Roman oratory, and most Jews had a positive view of Rome despite the destruction of Jerusalem. The Romans were regarded as the children of Esau — siblings, but with a complicated relationship. He argues that the Roman influence transformed a local sacrificial cult to a world religion, and if rabbinic Judaism was so open to adapting to Roman customs while maintaining its roots, what does that say about Jewish life in America?
m. sa in
ail ew en to ile 22
ry till ed en ns ent
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, 2016
MAX BAER AND BARNEY ROSS: Jewish Heroes of Boxing
• All stock transfers must be completed and in our account on or before December 30, 2016
by Jeffrey Sussman
• To be sure your gift is complete, please don’t wait until the last minute.
At a time when the sport of boxing was at its zenith, Max Baer and Barney Ross became not just athletic champions for all Americans but earned a particularly enthusiastic place of pride for American Jewry. Many great anecodotes paint an interesting and vivid story, including the fact that beating Max Schmeling had Hollywood calling, with Louis B. Mayer convinced that the good-looking Max Baer would be a knockout for theater-goers. An interesting read, even for those with no interest in the sport.
Thank you for your continued support! The Birmingham Jewish Federation & The Birmingham Jewish Foundation
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
A HANUKKAH WITH MAZEL
by Joel Edward Stein
Artist Misha finds in his barn a cat he names Mazel. Times are lean, and there are no candles to light the Chanukah menorah, but Misha and Mazel make the best of things. They share latkes, and Misha paints the candles they do not have. When a friendly peddler comes by, he strikes a deal that makes for a very happy Chanukah gift for them all.
SHMELF THE HANUKKAH ELF by Greg Wolfe
Likely best suited for an interfaith family whose traditions include the Santa tale, this charming book manages to do what so many others fail at: blend customs while affirming the sanctity and beauty of Chanukah. When Shmelf the Elf doesn’t understand he why not all the children who have been good get presents from Santa, uth another elf explains the specialness of what those families do. Renegade Shmelf goes to see for himself and comes to understand how unique and ch wonderful the Jewish holiday is, and is given his own special job.
of eet as an gh
.
November 25 — December 31 • 5-9 PM
YITZI AND THE GIANT MENORAH
VOTED ‘TOP 10 PUBLIC LIGHT DISPLAYS IN AMERICA’
by Richard Ungar
Perhaps not surprisingly, the residents of Chelm don’t know quite what to do when they’re gifted a large menorah from a neighboring town’s mayor. When their efforts to show gratitude fail, they come up with the perfect solution on the last night, which proves it’s not so much about the gift itself but what it represents.
bellingrath.org • 251.973.2217
Advance tickets available online and at the Gardens.
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 49
BEFORE
Isn’t it long culture past time for an update? culture AFTER Roofing
ART BOOKS
REIMAGINED: 45 YEARS OF JEWISH ART by Mark Podwal, foreword by Elie Wiesel
An easy pick: this year’s go-to gift of Judaic art lands squarely with this magnificent, almost 400 page oversized hardcover filled with the art Elie Wiesel said “with a rare finesse, recounts the stories of yesterday and today, and of all days.” Truly, Mark Podwal’s work has a dreamy, almost mythological quality. The otherwise straightforward ink on paper pieces are almost a trick: what one’s mind concieves of as a schoolhouse is actually on second glance made up of open books. In others, what lurks in the heavily-stained shadows is as much the story as what’s put forward in the light. Each piece is deserving of thoughtful study.
CONVERTED MASTERS:
Painting
World Famous Masterpieces with a Jewish Twist
Remodeling
by Esty Frankel-Fersel
PMP Construction Paul Pedersen, Owner
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Esty Frankel-Fersel takes the works of the masters and puts her own smart spin on them. Particularly with fans of converted paintings, and especially for anyone who enjoys playful, clever Jewish art, this coffee table book will bring plenty of smiles. Imagine Monet’s Water Lilies in Egypt, enveloping babe Moshe along the Nile. Or Kadinsky’s orbs reimagined as the breastplate of the Kohen Gadol. Rather than pouring from a pitcher, Jan Vermeer’s milkmaid instead braids challah for Shabbat. Grant Wood’s American Gothic subjects hold lulav and etrog in front of their sukkah. Great, witty fun.
COOKBOOKS
ISRAEL EATS by Steven Rothfeld, introduction by Nancy Silverton
Steven Rothfeld is no cookbook author. Really - he’s a reknowned photographer who traveled around Israel, taking cues from locals who directed him to the best chefs, the most resourceful growers, the artisans pickling and canning. One chef shares his take on arayes, a Palestinian dish of grilled pita stuffed with chopped lamb, and makes it completely vegetarian with a medley of spinach, onion, feta, and za’atar. A Siniya recipe utilizes sea bass rather than the customary meat. There’s a challah with olives, anchovies and oregano, and another bread called ‘gondolas’ which is a mashup of Hachipouri from Georgia (the bread with the egg inside) and a Turkish bread that’s stuffed with scrambled eggs and cheese. Taking their stories and recipes and techniques and pairing them with stunning photography, Rothfield brings us along on a journey of the length and breadth of this diverse assemblage of completely delicious flavors.
THE NEW YIDDISH KITCHEN by Simone Miller, Jennifer Robins
Featuring gluten-free and Paleo kosher recipes for the holidays and every day, the classics still reign, even though the matzah balls utilize cassava flour and the matzah is made up of yucca root, avocado oil, sea salt and water chestnut flour. Lots of interesting substitutions here while others are simple updates on the familiar. 50 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 51
culture “Goodnight Mobile” came from bedtime story idea How does a sixth-generation Mobilian convey a love for the city to the seventh generation? For Abby Grodnick Kennedy, it’s “Goodnight Mobile,” a book she wrote that came out last year. “Mobile has been a big part of my family’s identity,” she said. “I am pleased to be able to contribute in a way to a city that has meant so much to our family.” A 2001 graduate of UMS-Wright, Abby graduated from George Washington University, then became an event planner in Manhattan. Before long, she returned home to marry Cliff Kennedy, her high school sweetheart. They now have two children, Mayer Mitchell Kennedy and Mallie Joyce Kennedy. They read to their children every night, and when their son was 2, they noticed “Goodnight” books for other cities, like Memphis and New Orleans. Cliff suggested that Abby do one for Mobile, and they researched 24 Mobile sites and events for the book, from Mardi Gras and the Senior Bowl to Airbus, the RSA Tower, Battleship Alabama, the Dew Drop Inn and the Saenger Theater. To illustrate the book in a “whimsical and colorful” way, Abby recruited childhood friend Eden Walker Flora, also a Mobile native who now lives in Oxford, Miss. The book “ is geared towards children or really anyone with Mobile ties,” Abby said. “My hope is that people will enjoy reading it to their kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or special friends while sharing and making memories of our port city.” An added benefit has been watching their son recognize places from
the book while traveling around Mobile, she said. She has visited numerous schools in the area and read the book to students. “Goodnight Mobile” is available at numerous stores in Mobile, and the gift shops at Ahavas Chesed, Bellingrath Gardens and the Exploreum. It is also available by mail order at goodnightmobile.com.
A Lot hAs ChAnged sinCe 1942. But not the Fight For JustiCe.
Happy Chanukah
In 1942, Muhammed Ali was born, FDR was president, Bambi appeared in theaters, the average price of a family home was $38,000 and a brand new car was $1,000–and two brothers, David and Harry Herman, opened their law practice. Through their exemplary work ethic and compassion for the common man, they formed the groundwork of Herman, Herman and Katz, LLC, and earned the firm a reputation in the New Orleans community for promoting the rights of all citizens. Their ethics and passion are still the driving force of HH&K today, as we continue to promote the rights of all citizens and seek justice for all. Managing Partner of Operations– Steven Lane Managing Partner of Litigation– Stephen Herman
BUSINESS LAW | CLASS ACTIONS CONSTRUCTION LAW | MARITIME PERSONAL INJURY CONTRACTS | FAMILY LAW MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE | PERSONAL INJURY PRODUCTS LIABILITY | RAILROAD LITIGATION EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES
820 O’Keefe Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113
Harry Herman (1914-1987)
52 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
David Herman (1913-1989)
t: 504.581.4892 hhklawfirm.com
culture Legacies left behind: Rabbi Miller’s collection of eulogies After many years on the pulpit, rabbis often will publish books of their sermons. Rabbi Jonathan Miller, who has led Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El since 1991, took a different approach with “Legacy: A Rabbi an A Community Remember Their Loved Ones,” a collection of over 60 eulogies he has delivered in the past 26 years. “To my knowledge, no book like this has ever been published,” Miller said. While there are some anthologies of eulogies of famous people, he sad this is a first because it is a collection of eulogies of people who weren’t famous, and in many cases aren’t well-known “outside our Temple family.” It is also a glimpse into a slice of Jewish life in a particular era of a small Southern Jewish community. He introduced the book in his Yom Kippur sermon. Through a gift by Jerry Epstein in memory of his wife, Lillian, each congregant received a copy. Additional copies can be purchased from Temple Emanu-El, with proceeds benefiting the congregation. Miller starts with an overview of Birmingham, Temple Emanu-El and his own background, a New York City native winding up in “the most unlikely of places,” which turned out to be the place where life felt “real and permanent.” That is reflected in his approach to eulogies. He stated that in Los Angeles, where he was before coming to Birmingham, “more often than not I did not know the person I was burying” because of the large, spreadout community with a low affiliation rate. Writing a eulogy was a matter of getting enough information from relatives and plugging it into a template. In Birmingham, it isn’t about writing a eulogy, it is more like composing it as an artist. Being in a small community for a long time, “the people I bury are my friends,” and rarely is he comforting strangers. Also, when he started his rabbinate, he still had three of four grandparents. They, and his parents, are gone now, so he knows what it is to sit on the other side of the couch, to be seated graveside. While there are some eulogies for people who are well-known, most are of people who had “no drama or unusual struggle beyond the bounds of living ordinary satisfying lives.” In some cases, he no longer had his notes, or others spoke at a funeral and he did not say that much, or sometimes he felt he had not done “as well as I ought to have done,” saying that even Nick Saban has lost 18 games and “I am no Nick Saban.” The book is divided into thematic sections. One delves into community history, people who remember the days of Rabbi Mayer Newfield, who died in 1940 and lived through the days of segregation and the Klan. This section includes such figures as Dorah Sterne, Emil Hess, George Mitnick, Abe Kaplan, Marvin Engel. It also includes Cantor Brian Miller, who was at Emanu-El in the mid1990s. Weeks after Cantor Miller left Birmingham and started at a new pulpit in New York, he died suddenly. Many of the eulogies are introduced with bits of historical context or background.
December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 53
culture Wishing You a
Happy Chanukah!
Happy Chanukah to my friends and supporters in the Jewish community Judge Sidney H. Cates, IV
Representative
Julie Stokes District 79
Orleans Civil Court Division C
SJL
goes anywhere digital editions at ISSUU.COM/SJLMAG
ORDER YOUR 2017 MAH JONGG CARDS TODAY & SUPPORT CJFS!
Standard Card: $8
“My Very Sweet People” contains “Temple people” he knew very well, often with “outsized personalities.” In “These People Were Strong,” he chronicles many who were strong and tough, who had a “will and determination that life should bend in their presence.” Some were sweet and some were cranky, “good people, but not the go along-get along type.” Naturally, eulogies aren’t written solely for old people. In “Fearing No Evil,” he includes many who died at a young age, but “died without fear.” Some, though, happened after tragedies and are “unbearable,” from the newborn who never made it out of the NICU, the sudden heart attack for someone far too young, the tragic accident, the overdose. Miller also includes a section of eulogies where he plays both roles — speaking and mourning for his own loved ones. His mother died last December, so writing the book became a kind of therapy and way to reflect. He did not speak at her funeral, but concludes the collection with a remembrance he delivered to his congregation a month later. Writing the book reaffirmed one should “have faith in the future” as what matters most in life is “the legacy we leave behind — our values, our passions, our struggles, our charity.” The book is available at Temple Emanu-El or can be ordered for $25 and $5 shipping at ourtemple.org/legacy.rabbisbook.
Turkey Train chugs along in Baton Rouge
Large Card: $9
Mail checks to Heidi Damsky 3508 Mill Run Road, Birmingham AL 35223 Questions: heidi.damsky@gmail.com • Please make check payable to Heidi Damsky - no orders will be placed without payment • For group orders, include ALL names and correct addresses of recipients with payment • Cards will be sent directly from the Ntl Mah Jongg League • To ensure accurate delivery, please provide your address as of spring 2017: • Please also provide your email address:
Deadline for orders: Friday, January 13, 2017 Recipient Charity: Collat Jewish Family Services, Birmingham, AL cjfsbham.org
54 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
205.879.3438
The 8th annual Turkey Train at B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge meant a donation of 130 turkeys for St. Vincent de Paul. Religious school students lined up on Nov. 13 to pass the turkeys outside so they could be delivered to St. Vincent de Paul.
culture Building “singing communities” to enhance the synagogue experience Joey Weisenberg, who travels the country to build “singing communities” in the Jewish world, is bringing his philosophy to a city where music is woven into daily life. Touro Synagogue in New Orleans and Shir Chadash in Metairie will host Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble for a Shabbaton the weekend of Dec. 9. Weisenberg is the Creative Director of the Hadar Center for Communal Jewish Music, and is the author of “Building Singing Communities.” He’s a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer and composer who has performed and recorded internationally with dozens of bands in a wide variety of musical styles. Deborah Mintz, director of education and family programming at Shir Chadash, started singing with the ensemble in the fall of 2012 while she and her husband, Cantor David Mintz, were living in New York. Around the time David Mintz became cantor of Touro and they moved to New Orleans in 2014, Weisenberg relocated to Philadelphia. Deborah Mintz would continue to travel to New York a few times a year to participate in workshops and recording sessions, but they missed hearing his music on a more regular basis. They had talked about bringing the group to New Orleans, and then at Mardi Gras last year, Susan Good approached the Mintzes, having viewed several of the videos that also featured Deborah Mintz, and floated the idea of having the group come to New Orleans. Deborah Mintz said Weisenberg’s compositions work “in many denominational settings,” as will be demonstrated at the Reform Touro and Conservative Shir Chadash. “It’s a great opportunity for two congrega-
tions of two denominations to collaborate over the common ground of these melodies.” Though still relatively early in his musical career, his compositions are mentioned as potentially being the next Shlomo Carlebach or Debbie Friedman in terms of influence. “We’re so excited to have them” in New Orleans, David Mintz said. Deborah Mintz said Weisenberg’s pieces show a wide range of influences, from bluegrass to Balkan, blues, jazz and traditional Hazzanut. Deborah Mintz explained the concept of “singing communities” in that each week, people Photo by Dan Rous come to the synagogue to sing and make music with each other, and that music “can be brought to a higher level is we are able to learn tools to enhance the ways we do music” and make it “more powerful, more uplifting.” In a 2013 Tablet interview, Weisenberg said non-Orthodox communities are often experienced in music but not as familiar with Jewish music,
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December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 55
culture while Orthodox communities know traditional Jewish music but aren’t proficient in musical technique. His aim is to make the “imperfectly beautiful music of normal people singing together” more accessible and the spaces more intimate and connecting. The Hadar Ensemble will be guest musicians for Touro’s 6 p.m. Shabbat service on Dec. 9. “They will be bringing tremendous spirit, energy and artistry to help the sound of our prayers truly fill our chapel, David Mintz said. While the ensemble is at Touro, Weisenberg will be at Shir Chadash for a “nigun-infused” Shabbat preparation and service starting at 6:15 p.m., followed by Shabbat dinner and “Transformation of a nigun,” how to explore the soul of any melody. On Dec. 10, Weisenberg will speak at Shir
Chadash on “The Architecture of Listening,” exploring the interaction between physical space and spiritual music, during the 9:30 a.m. service. After lunch, he will lead “The Torah of Music,” using musical-spiritual texts. The weekend will conclude with a community concert with Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble at Touro Synagogue, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. David Mintz said the Touro concert will be more of a traditional concert experience, but with many of Weisenberg’s compositions being used at Touro and Shir Chadash, “it will be highly participatory.” There will also be selections from the new album performed live for the first time, Deborah Mintz said. Events at Shir Chadash are underwritten by the Sandy Kahn Memorial Lecture Fund.
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56 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
The Theater on St. Claude, which proclaims itself “New Orleans’ premiere venue for the wild, weird, and wondrous,” will host the Jewish Hour in January. “Yiddishe Shtunde (the Jewish Hour)” and a short play entitled “So This is Heaven?” were written by New Orleanian Elliott Raisen. Raisen grew up in the Bronx in the 1940s, then worked in chemical research. “A few years ago I realized that I’m not going to get a Nobel prize” because so many of his classmates already had. “So I sat down and wrote a few plays.” He wrote “Yiddishe Shtunde” about the Jewish radio programs from New York in the 1930s to 1950s, though he can’t recall having heard any before he did his version. Two years after he wrote it, he found some aluminum discs in a New York City garbage can, they were 1930s recordings of some of those Jewish radio shows. “In all modesty, I must admit that my play is better than those programs,” he said. He hopes the younger community will see a little of what it was like to live in that era. His piece is set in the radio studio of the fictional W-Vey-Iz-Mir. After giving a glimpse of the life of Jewish immigrants of that period, he shifts forward 50 years, where the shadchen uses the Internet and the Bintel Brief is about computer issues. “So This Is Heaven” had a different origin. A friend was going a show with 15 short pieces, called “Heaven and Hell,” and called Raisen because all of the pieces had Christian themes.
Elliott Raisen at Limmud New Orleans “He asked if I could write something with a Jewish theme,” so he wrote this piece about an old Jewish man who gets a penile implant and goes to heaven. “Don’t ask me where it came from,” he said. The performances at the Theater on St. Claude will be Jan. 12 to 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. Jim Fitzmorris, former professor of theater at Tulane, is producing. The plays have been done at Le Chat Noir Cabaret, the Contemporary Art Center, Limmud New Orleans at Tulane and Gates of Prayer, and Shadowbox Theater. In addition to his playwriting, Raisen leads an Israeli dancing group that has met every Monday night since 1984.
culture “Golda’s Balcony” coming to B’ham
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“Golda’s Balcony,” the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history, is coming to Birmingham next month. Temple Emanu-El is hosting the production on Jan. 28. The story of Golda Meir, Israel’s fourth prime minister, the show opens during her most challenging time — the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against Israel in 1973 while she was prime minister. The show then diverges to Meir’s impoverished beginnings in Russia, childhood in Milwaukee, her fractured relationship with husband Morris who she insisted follow her to pre-state Palestine. There, she became a national leader. The play’s title comes from the nickname for an observation area in the Dimona nuclear facility. “Golda’s Balcony” was playwright William Gibson’s second attempt at Meir’s story. Author of “The Miracle Worker,” Gibson wrote “Golda” in 1977 with a much larger cast. It was not a success. In 2003, the current version debuted and ran for almost 500 performances with Tovah Feldshuh in the title role. In 2006, there was a film version starring Valerie Harper. Nashville resident Jay Kholos, who worked on such 1960s shows as “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Red Skelton Show” and “The Jack Benny Show,” saw the Broadway production and wanted to license it so it could be done in smaller communities, synagogues and JCCs. He chose Francine Berk, who he had cast in his own show, “A Stoop on Orchard Street,” to play Meir. A Brooklyn native, Berk started performing at age 9, as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” After her father’s untimely death, she started songwriting, soon fronting a New York-based country band. She and her husband moved to Nashville, where record producer Ray Doggett called her “the Bette Midler of Country,” but Doggett died suddenly, and her country career never took off. In addition to “Golda’s Balcony,” she is touring as part of “Old Jews Telling Jokes.” She has also played Daisy Werthan in “Driving Miss Daisy” and Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof,” in addition to numerous other roles. In 2014, Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans had a run of “Golda’s Balcony.” Executive Director Cassie Steck Worley said “Golda’s Balcony is one of the most beautiful scripts ever written and is a compelling story about an extraordinary woman who, through intelligence and passion, rose to become one of the most important women in the world. It is 90 minutes of history that everyone should see.” Tickets to the Jan. 28 show are $45, and are available at Emanu-El or online at ourtemple.org. Patron levels range from $250 to $5,000. A sellout is expected, and there will not be a will-call table at the event. A dessert reception and meet and greet with Berk will follow. All proceeds will benefit Emanu-El, as the production and reception have been underwritten by individual funds in the Temple Emanu-El Grafman Endowment.
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58 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
Coach Matt Kirkpatrick, Bernard Nomberg, Emily Nomberg, Coach Hunter Faulconer
Nomberg signs with Rollins lacrosse On Nov. 17, Emily Nomberg of Birmingham signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse with Division II Rollins College. She committed to Rollins in the spring. A senior at Altamont School, which does not have a lacrosse team, Nomberg plays defender for the Mountain Brook High School varsity team. She is a three-year starter, and was named to the 2016 All-State Team. Last year, Nomberg played travel lacrosse for X-TEAM, a national team led by Crista Samaras and coached by Michelle Ruth. Over the summer she played with LB3, a program based in Atlanta. The Rollins College Tars, located in Winter Park, Fla., play in the Sunshine State Conference, and were ranked No. 6 in the Final 2016 IWLCA DII Poll. Nomberg will play either defender or mid-fielder when she joins the Tars in the fall of 2017. She has played lacrosse since 6th grade, when she began playing for Mountain Brook. She is also the first member in her family to play the sport. She started for the middle school team from 6th grade to 8th grade, and her team won the state championship during her 8th grade year. Nomberg joined the varsity team in ninth grade, and that team has finished the last two seasons as state runner-up. In addition to lacrosse, Nomberg plays basketball for Altamont as a 4-year letterman and varsity starter. In addition to athletics, she is very involved with BBYO. She is the daughter of Bernard Nomberg and the late Karen Nomberg.
Farm-to-table Tu B’Shevat weekend Camp Ramah Darom will celebrate Tu B’Shevat with a Farm2Table weekend starting Feb. 10, featuring locally-sourced, Kosher meals prepared by the Ramah Darom catering team in partnership with a farmto-table guest chef. Weekend activities will include sessions on Tu B’Shevat, food ethics and the Jewish perspective on environmental conservation. There will be hands-on opportunities for farm-to-table cooking, and planting the new Ramah Darom orchard. For those who can’t make the whole weekend, a Farm2Table Green Festival will be held on Feb. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch, projects and hands-on workshops for all ages, including gardening and recycled craft projects, beer brewing, yoga and personal care product making. Registration information is on the Ramah Darom website. Early bird pricing ends Jan. 13, and there is a reduced weekend adult rate for ages 18 to 30.
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Cultural series continues at LJCC A cultural series featuring the six values of the Maccabi Games continues at Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center this month. The series of film, comedy and book events began on Dec. 1. Sam Tenenbaum will speak on Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. Tenenbaum’s autobiography, “The Unmasked Tenor: The Life and Times of a Singing Wrestler” details how he picked himself up by the bootstraps of an awkward childhood in mid-20th century Birmingham, and forged an unlikely path through the roughriding, anything-goes early days of professional wrestling in the American South — all while nurturing his Judaism and pursuing, on the sly, his first true love: operatic singing. A book signing will follow. The film “Dough” will be screened on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. The warmhearted and humorous story is about overcoming prejudice and finding redemption in unexpected places. Curmudgeonly widower Nat Dayan, played by Tony award-winning actor Jonathan Pryce, currently in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” clings to his way of life as a Kosher bakery shop owner in London’s East End. Understaffed, Nat reluctantly enlists the help of teenager Ayyash, who has a secret side gig selling marijuana to help his immigrant mother make ends meet. When Ayyash accidentally drops his stash into the mixing dough, the challah starts flying off the shelves and an unlikely friendship forms between the old Jewish baker and his young Muslim apprentice. There is adult content. There will be an opportunity to sample flavored challahs starting at 2:30 p.m. — though the signature ingredient in the film’s challah will not be served. There is a suggested donation of $5. During the cultural series, Oy Toys, And Thou Shalt Read and Bow Wow Mews will have a Holiday Sale in the LJCC lobby, from Dec. 4 to 9.
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Garfinkle’s time ends as Birmingham-Southern football coach Birmingham-Southern College Director of Athletics Kyndall Waters announced on Oct. 24 that head football coach Eddie Garfinkle would be relieved of his coaching duties after the team’s final game of the season. “Eddie has worked tirelessly for our football program over the last nine years,” Waters said. “We thank him for his dedication to our student-athletes and service to Birmingham-Southern, and are grateful to him as we begin a new direction. We look forward to the new coach improving our program and helping us compete for a conference championship.” Garfinkle took over a 1-7 program in 2008, one year after BSC resumed its football program at the NCAA Division III level after a 67-year hiatus, and led the team to a 3-7 finish his inaugural season. In year three of his tenure, the Panthers earned their first winning season since 1937 with a 6-5 finish. Garfinkle then led BSC to back-to-back seven-win seasons in 2011 and 2012. The Panthers finished third in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2011 and won a share of the 2012 Southern Athletic Association title their first year in the league. That year, they were ranked as high as 15th in the D3football.com Top 25 National Poll. BSC finished 5-4 overall, 3-3 in the SAA at the conclusion of the 2013 season; they have not earned a winning season since. In the past three seasons, the Panthers have gone 9-19 overall and 7-13 in conference play. There have been 50 all-conference selections, two conference players of the year, two all-region selections and one All-American during Garfinkle’s tenure. The Panthers finished the season with a 1-9 record on Nov. 5 with a 38-12 loss at Berry College.
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December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 59
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Michael’s Steaks and Seafood by Lee J. Green
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The new owners of Michael’s Steaks and Seafood in Homewood aim to make the landmark restaurant more kosher-style, organic and healthy. “We’re very observant and we keep kosher-style,” said Bernadine Birdsong. “We had loved coming to Michael’s previously but we wanted to have more on the menu that we could eat and more for others who keep kosher-style or have other special dietary restrictions.” But the family who bought Michael’s in March of this year at first was just scouting out locations so they could expand their Healing Waters Spa, which is located in Birmingham’s southside. They liked the location but thought at first just the property was available. “All of us love to cook but we hadn’t any experience owning or running restaurants before. The previous owners had kept Michael’s in the family for 50 years so they wanted to sell to a family versus a large company or chain. Everything just seemed to fall into place for us,” said Birdsong. She, her mother, brother and daughter-in-law Aija Penix worked together to build from the strong foundation and reputation Michael’s Steaks and Seafood had earned over the decades. Aija said, “we wanted to keep what made this a great place but change some things and add some things to make it our own.” To make it more kosher-style they took pork off the menu, as well as out of the sides and vegetables. They took bacon out of one of the soups. They also took shellfish off the menu. They have added several dishes including a porterhouse steak, blackcontinued on the next page
60 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016
Continued from page 62
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, With dreidel I’ll relax. Its yellow black-striped body With wings so short and thin Will spin til it gets woozy It drops and then I win. My dreidel is so larval It loves to buzz and sting A dizzy game of dreidel Come play it’s quite the thing.
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••• Rock of Ages let our swarm, Pollenate a flower; Thou amidst the raging drones, Helped us buzz the tower. Furious they assailed us, But Thy queen availed us And Thy word broke their swarm, When our own wings failed us. And Thy word broke their swarm, When our own wings failed us. ••• Honeykah, oh Honeykah, come light the menorah Let’s have a party, we’ll all spin some larva Gather ‘round the hive and we’ll give you a treat Dreidels to play with and Honeycombs to eat.
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And while we are playing, the candles are stingingly low One for each night with honey’s sweet flight they remind of our ways long ago. Doug Brook waxes philosophical every month for Southern Jewish Life magazine. To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook.com/rearpewmirror.
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>> Michael’s eyed-pea hummus, macaroni and cheese, spinach artichoke dip and fried snapper. The family also incorporated a few of the recipes for desserts such as key lime pie and bread budding. Their chocolate torte dessert is also gluten free. Birdsong added that “we try to go local, healthy and organic as much as we possibly can. We believe you can have food that tastes great but that is also good for you.” The new owners have also put more of a focus on catering and Aija said they know from experience how to do kosher for special events. They are happy to craft specialized kosher-style menus for simchas or could do kosher off-site at a synagogue. “Catering should be specific to the needs of the person we are doing the event for. We can do anything someone can dream up,” she said. Michael’s seats 92 and has a small private room for a party of 10 to 15 as well as patio seating. The restaurant is closed on Sunday so people can reserve the entire restaurant for a special event on Sundays. Yappy Hour is Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. People can bring their dogs to the patio and enjoy drink and food specials. Michael’s Steaks and Seafood is also now open at 11 a.m. on Saturdays with special college football gameday viewing. The owners also say they are planning a very special “official grand opening” after the first of the year.
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December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 61
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Translation is a tricky business. Even in the hands of the masters — Kenneth Branagh reciting Shakespeare, or Barbara Billingsley speaking Jive — it can be a challenge to understand even things that closely resemble the English we all know and mangle. Religious texts are no exception. For example, imagine the impact of the recent discovery by religious scholars that biblical Hebrew was actually written from right to left. It will change the meaning of everything. Another example: For two thousand years we have hailed the Maccabees as heroes. However, this was the result of a simple, unfortunate typo that changes the very nature of the holiday’s protagonists. The story actually revolves around the brave efforts of another group: The Pack-a-bees. This is their story. Late in the Second Temple era, the land of Judah was under the rule of various empires. This was thanks to numerous Jewish rulers who would bumble their way through their years in power. A swarm of rebels, led by the Packabees, decided to take up arms rather than taking flight. Their continued attacks against foreign occupying rulers delivered a mighty sting. They accomplished this even without their one natural ally, who were just too far away: the Pollenesians. The Packabees battled on under the leadership of Judah, better known by his rather dated pseudonym, Juju Bee. They were very popular, generating a lot of buzz. Some attacks were long in the planning, while for others they would just wing it. Their enemies knew their doom was near when they’d hear the Packabees on their way, beating their drums and sounding their hornets. They were innovators, out of necessity. For example, they devised new ways to defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat, such as the Packabee technique popularized two thousand years later THERE’S A LOT in “The Karate Kid,” known as “wax on, wax off.” After many years of conflict, the MORE BUZZ Packabees retook the Temple. They cleaned SURROUNDING it up and prepared to rekindle the Menorah. Unfortunately, they had only enough wax to THIS HOLIDAY burn for one day, but the wax miraculously lasted for eight days. The impact of this heroic tale is still felt today. Every year, two months after the Hive Holy Days, the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem is celebrated on the holiday of Honeykah. For eight days every winter, Jewish children make a beeline for hotfrom-the-oven sufganiyot. Their mothers are close behind with napkins in one hand, and paper towels in the other. Of course, that’s just desserts after a meal of potato latkes, served with honeysauce. In recent years, gift giving has become a common practice around this holiday. One of this year’s trendiest Honeykah gifts is particularly appropriate to commemorate the Packabees: Drones. The Packabees also left many songs, to regale each other with during the celebration of Honeykah. Many of them persist to this day. I have a little dreidel I made it out of wax And when it’s dry and ready With dreidel I’ll relax. Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of wax continued on previous page
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