SJL New Orleans, December 2016

Southern Jewish Life NEW ORLEANS EDITION

CHANUKAH EVENTS IN THE SOUTH THE M.S. RAU STORY

PRESERVING JEWISH HISTORY IN NATCHEZ A MONTH OF GALAS

INSIDE:

December 2016 Volume 26 Issue 12

Southern Jewish Life 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 Silver Menorah from London, 1892. Courtesy M.S. Rau

THE 3RD ANNUAL COMMUNITYWIDE CELEBRATION OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

3

#

DECEMBER 15, 2016  7:00 p.m. at DRYADES PUBLIC MARKET LIVE MUSIC by COOT, DRINK SPECIALS, SILENT AUCTION & COMPLIMENTARY LATKE BAR featuring CHEF DAVID SLATER of EMERIL’S TICKETS: $25

VISIT WWW.JCRS.ORG OR CALL 504 8286334

Dryades Public Market 1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70113

Free, secure parking available at the rear entrance to the Market on S. Rampart St.

S G MMC Matherne Marketing & Creative Services

Copyright 2016.

shalom y’all shalom y’all shalom y’all Look for

Cover Image: Courtesy Haspel

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

EDITOR@SJLMAG.COM

Read SJL Anywher

Our digital in the center of this issue of Southern Jewish Life are editions always availab at sjlmag.com You may also Read SJL choose to go Cover Image: Courtesy Haspel Anywhere paperless and have each mo Our digital are del magazine Read SJLeditions always availabletoatyour inbox Anywhere SJLmag.com.

Our digital You may editions arealso choose to go paperless always availableand have month’s magazine ateach sjlmag.com. delivered to your inbox.

You may also choose to go paperless and /sjlmag @sjlmag /southern /sjlm have each month’s jewish life magazine delivered to your inbox.

sjlmag.com

sjlmag.com

sjlmag.com /sjlmag

/sjlmag

@sjlmag /southern /sjlmag jewishlife

@sjlmag /southern /sjlmag sjlmag jewish sjlmag /sjlmag life

Larry Brook EDITOR/PUBLISHER

EDITOR@SJLMAG.COM

Happy holidays good health new year Touro Infirmary you Larry Brook

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

EDITOR@SJLMAG.COM

and

in the

from

www.touro.com

to

.

1401 Foucher Street | New Orleans | Louisiana 70115 (504) 897-7011

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 3

December 2016 November

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com

General Dentistry Cosmetic

Wishing friends and supporters in the Jewish community a very happy Chanukah!

Implant

Timothy Delcambre, DDS, MHA

BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 14 Office Park Circle #104 Birmingham, AL 35223 205/870.7889

3426 Coliseum St. New Orleans

Judge Paula Brown

www.yourneworleansdentist.com

Civil District Court Division J

Celebrating 40 years and three generations…

Creole Italian Cuisine Handed Down Through the Generations Serving Classic Breakfast Daily Lunch Daily • Dinner Wed-Sun Fresh caught Gulf seafood, hand-cut beef filets, superbly prepared Italian fare Private Dining Room for up to 50 Guests 3524 Severn Ave • Metairie (504) 455-2266 • riccobonos.com 4 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tally Werthan, Jim Hopper Belle Freitag, Joe Gillis Doug Brook brookwrite.com Bubba Meyer bubba@sjlmag.com

Restorative

504.895.6657

SOCIAL/WEB Eugene Walter Katz eugene@sjlmag.com

NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/780.5615 TOLL-FREE 866/446.5894 FAX 866/392.7750 connect@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to Lee Green, 205/870.7889 or lee@sjlmag.com or Dan Weinrib, dan@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South.

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

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

Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher.

Views expressed in SJL are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. SJL makes no claims as to the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the right to refuse any advertisement.

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

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

agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events

A Gala Month: The New Orleans Jewish Community Center’s Celebration on Oct. 30 at the Audubon Tea Room. More JCC Gala photos, page 63. Large events were also put on by Tulane Hillel (page 57), the Jewish Community Day School (page 58) and the Touro Infirmary Foundation (page 59).

“Once in a generation” event as Temple Sinai installs Rabbi Matthew Reimer Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn said a rabbinic installation at Temple Sinai in New Orleans is a “once in a generation” event.

Having retired this summer after 29 years as senior rabbi of the congregation, Cohn took part in welcoming his successor, Rabbi Matthew Reimer, who was officially installed at New Orleans’ largest Jewish congregation at the Shabbat service on Nov. 18.

Reimer promised an evening with new things, which would get congregants out of their seats, and the service was punctuated with several instances of spirited singing.

Adam Feder, who leads The Shul Band at Reimer’s previous congregation, put together a band for the service, with local talent including Ben Schenck of the Panorama Jazz Band.

Temple Sinai has had very little turnover on the pulpit. Since the congregation’s founding in 1870, Reimer is only the ninth rabbi to lead the congregation.

Mark Heller and Julian Feibelman Jr. were brought up to pass the Torah. They are descendants of Rabbi Max Heller, who led Temple Sinai from 1887 to 1929, and Rabbi Julian Feibel-

man, who was there from 1936 to 1967. Cohn referred to them as “representatives of Temple Sinai’s rabbinic generations.”

As they stood in front of the ark, Cohn remarked that “this poignant moment vividly represents an important milestone.”

He explained the congregation through the history of the scrolls in the ark, starting with the center Torah on the top row — the congregation’s first Torah. It was carried at the dedication ceremony of the congregation’s first building in 1872.

At the time, Temple Sinai was different in that it was part of the Reform movement, which was just beginning in the United States. Cohn said that Torah shows “We have never been afraid to be viewed as out of step or different, in fact we have prided ourselves… as pioneers in changing circumstances of a new world.”

He spoke of the congregation’s Holocaust Torah and more recent additions, as well as a Torah that is on loan to a primarily LGBT congregation. Temple Sinai, he said, has always ministered “to the Jews who were left on the Temple Sinai Cantor Joel Colman and Rabbi periphery by other congregations,” including Matthew Reimer

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 5

agenda

Metairie Oncologists Jayne Gurtler, MD • Laura A Brinz, MD & Janet A Burroff, MD

Welcome to the Practice Dr. Melanie Sheen, MD Specializing in breast cancer treatment, genetic breast cancer risk counseling and treatment options

3939 Houma Blvd Bldg 2, Ste 6 Metairie, LA 70006 504-885-0577

The Name You Know…

The Quality and Value You Trust Experts in Palm Tree Restoration Tree Trimming and Pruning Removals Stump Grinding Certified Power Line Specialists Licensed and Fully Insured

with General Liability and Workers Comp

Spotless Cleanup Guarantee References Available Arborist #1488

LAmen TREES

Locally Owned by Wil Kingston and Family

985-966-4345

Home Cooking always pleases…

Casual dining Specializing in Italian cuisine and seafood

724 MARTIN BEHRMAN AVE METAIRIE • 504-834-5646 www.furysrestaurant.com

6 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

OPEN

Monday-Friday 11am-9pm Saturday 4:30-9pm

intermarrieds, going back generations.

Cohn then selected the newest Torah, the Rose Family Torah, dedicated in April by a Bat Mitzvah girl from New York who wanted to have a Torah written for her Bat Mitzvah and then donated to a congregation in New Orleans. Temple Sinai’s B’nai Mitzvah use it at their celebrations, and Cohn said it is reserved only for happy occasions — such as this installation.

Heller and Feibelman passed the Torah back to Cohn, who handed it to Temple Sinai Cantor Joel Colman, who passed it to Reimer. Colman then chanted the Priestly Benediction.

Reimer came to New Orleans from the Shul of New York, a “shul without walls” that is all-inclusive and emphasizing spiritual growth and compassion.

A native of West Orange, N.J., Reimer was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2007. He was a music major at Vassar, then spent a year in Israel after graduation, studying, traveling and working as a musician.

Rabbi Reimer holds the Torah during He also has been the high the installation school and youth program director at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City.

Before being ordained, he was rabbinic intern for two years at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City, focusing on outreach to Jews in their 20s and 30s.

From 2008 to 2013 he was assistant rabbi and then associate rabbi at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, N.J. Rabbi Jonathan Stein, now emeritus rabbi of Shaaray Tefila, spoke of Reimer’s time with him in New York. Reimer called Stein “a mentor to me throughout the years” who also officiated his wedding 11 years ago.

Stein called the installation “a moment of pride, joy and divine holiness,” and was grateful to be part of another life milestone for Reimer.

After addressing Reimer, he called Reimer’s wife, Leah, and daughters to the bimah Stein concluded his remarks to Reimer with “May God bless the words of your mouth and the works of your hands each and every day,” then invited everyone to stand and recite Shehecheyanu.

Feder, who said he worked with Reimer through a very dramatic time for The Shul of New York, said “we were very sorry to see him go,” and personally regards him as being on loan to Temple Sinai.

Reimer said the idea of an installation can be seen as self-indulgent as people start new ventures without fanfare. Instead, he hoped the evening is viewed as a “communal celebration for a congregation which is in the midst of its own transition.”

He said a defining moment for him was a conversation with his father as he was figuring out his college path and wanted to do something big to be successful. His father immediately said “Forget about big. Do something good.”

He explained his influences for becoming a rabbi, the opportunity to serve congregants in times of joy and sorrow, and to learn together.

“I humbly ask for your partnership, your friendship on this journey that we will take hand in hand,” he said.

Reimer concluded, “I am honored and exhilarated for the central role in this process of giving and receiving, of building and being built, and of partnering with each of you, helping all of us to live up to our fullest potentials and hopefully to do something good.”

agenda B u s i n e s s

P r o f i l e

Andrew Siegel, Md

Israel Bonds event on Dec. 15 Israel Bonds will have its annual New Orleans event on Dec. 15 at noon, with guest speaker Jonathan Ruhe.

The lunch briefing will be at the Goldring family offices in Metairie.

Reservations are requested by Dec. 5, and dietary laws will be observed.

Ruhe will speak on “The Changing Middle East Under a New U.S. Administration.” He is the associate director of the Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs in Washington.

Prior to joining JINSA as a senior policy analyst in 2013, Ruhe was a senior policy analyst with the Foreign Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, where he worked on Middle East and Former Soviet Union security issues.

DR.

Siegel is an Internal Medicine/Pediatric physician at Crescent City Physicians Inc., a subsidiary of Touro Infirmary. He specializes in preventative healthcare, chronic disease management, and the transition of pediatric patients as they graduate into adult medicine.

Dr. Siegel is a native of California who is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

Schulman new Gates of Prayer administrator Jack Schulman was named Temple Administrator at Gates of Prayer in Metairie, effective Dec. 1.

Schulman has been involved on a lay level as a national board member of the Union for Reform Judaism and president of the Touro Synagogue Brotherhood. He will be resigning from his position as Financial Secretary of Gates of Prayer to assume his new responsibilities.

For the past 25 years, Schulman was vice president and general manager of Halpern’s Home Furnishing Store.

He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, and the American Medical Association. Dr. Siegel joins practice with Dr. Lege and Dr. Occhipinti in bringing quality healthcare, closer to home. edUCATiOn University of California Davis, B.S. Genetics Tulane University School of Medicine, M.S. Pharmacology Tulane University School of Medicine, M.D.

Six13 performing at JCC community Chanukah celebration

POSTgrAdUATe TrAining Tulane University Hospitals and Clinics, Internship and Residency

Six13 returns to New Orleans to headline the Jewish Community Center’s 11th annual Community Chanukah Celebration in Dec. 18.

The family-friendly event will start at noon with hot dogs and latkes, followed by the concert at 1 p.m.

Six13, which performed at Shir Chadash in 2009, is a six-man vocal band that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage, with songs ranging from hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems — all done with only their voices imitating the sound of a full band.

The New York-based group has over 5 million views on YouTube, has released six albums and is included in 10 “best of ” compilations.

They’ve played the Chabad Telethon, Washington’s Kennedy Center, traversed New York’s Fifth Avenue in the Salute to Israel Parade, headlined the North American Jewish Choral Festival three times, and performed seven times for major league sporting events.

The Chanukah Celebration is free and open to the community thanks to the support of Cathy and Morris Bart, the Jewish Endowment Foundation and the Feil Family Foundation/Lakeside Shopping Center.

OFFiCe lOCATiOn 3434 Prytania Street, Suite 460, (504) 897-7999

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 7

Scott D. Gernon, DVM Amy Lea, DVM Kevin Zamer, DVM

Teresa K. Gernon, DVM Johanna K. Ecke, DVM Rita S. Akers, DVM

agenda JNOLA lighting up Chanukah at aquarium

MEDICINE • SURGERY • DENTISTRY

JNOLA will have its second annual Light It Up Chanukah Gala at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on Dec. 17 from 7 to 10 p.m.

There will be hors d’oeuvres and an open wine and beer bar, and a cash liquor bar, with dancing to the Big Easy Brawlers. After the Gala, the group will head a short walk away to Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant for an after-party.

At the event, JNOLA members will be able to sponsor a NourishPack: a kit filled with toiletries and cleaning supplies for the underserved and homeless population of New Orleans. JNOLA will be putting together these NourishPacks at Havdalah for Hope, an event being held in January.

All NourishPacks made at Havdalah for Hope will be distributed directly to residents at UNITY’s Sacred Heart Apartments, which were retrofitted more than two years ago to help homeless residents, including veterans, transition into a safe and structured housing environment.

Each NourishPack sponsorship is $10, and donations can be made at the gala or when purchasing gala tickets.

Admission to the gala is $18, and reservations are due by Dec. 12.

The Jewish Community Relations Council is bringing back Merry Mini Mitzvah Day. On Dec. 23, volunteers will be at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans to help sort and wrap gifts for patients who will be there over the holidays. Volunteers will be there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. JCRS Chair Gail Chalew said they hope to help reduce the stress of being at the hospital during the holidays.

The Gates of Prayer Brotherhood in Metairie is holding a Wall Street stock challenge. Registration started Dec. 1 and goes through Jan. 31; trading begins on Jan. 2 and ends on Feb. 28. The entrance fee is $50, the winner receives $500, second place is $100 and last place is $50.

504 891 4115 3458 Magazine Street • New Orleans magazinestreetanimalclinic.com

Open late to better serve you and your pet

Temple Sinai in New Orleans is forming a T’filah Band, with a debut performance during the Chanukah Family Night on Dec. 23. Anyone who plays strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, piano, guitar or any other instrument is welcome. There will be two practices in December, on the 7th and 21st at 6 p.m.

Adam Orlansky, assistant director of the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, will have a camp-style Chanukah program at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans on Dec. 11 at noon.

The next TRIBE Shabbatsana gathering at City Park in New Orleans will be Dec. 17 at 11:30 a.m.

WYES will be airing “Jewish New Orleans,” a documentary that first aired in August 2007, on Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. and Dec. 29 at 8 p.m.

Chabad of New Orleans will host “Living with Faith: How Three Words Spawned Three Movements,” Chabad, Chassidism and Mussar. Each of the three drew on the words of the prophet Habbakuk as a foundation for their philosophy. The Dec. 18 program at 7 p.m. will feature Rabbi Mendel Rubin, director of Chabad at the University of Albany. The program will be at the Btesh Family Chabad House.

The Bubbe’s Club at the Jewish Community Day School in Metairie will have New Orleans artist and JCDS art teacher Chris Clark lead a very Chanukah art themed morning with Bubbes from across the Greater New Orleans area, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m.

Now Open 7 Days A Week Mon-Fri 7a-8p Sat 7a-5p Sun 11-5 8 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

The next installment of the Morris Bart Sr. Lecture Series at the Uptown Jewish Community Center features Chris Rodning, associate professor in the anthropology department at Tulane, speaking on the archaeology of Louisiana Indians, Dec. 12 at 11:45. Lunch will be served, with reservations by Dec. 8. There is no charge for members, $10 for non-members.

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

H. Todd Doobrow

Certified Financial Planner® Retirement Income Certified Planner® Registered Representative 205-440-4619 tdoobrow@financialguide.com MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. Todd Doobrow is a registered representative of and offers securities through MSI Financial Services, Inc., Member SIPC. OSJ: 3800 Colonnade Pkwy, Suite 600, Birmingham, AL 35243. 205.970.9782.

Fire progression map as of Nov. 23

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 9

agenda

Check Out Our New Warm Ups! #ilovemynewwarmups and tag @applause_dancewear for a chance to be featured in our next ad!!!

Celebrating Our 34th Year Family Owned and Operated!!

1629 Oxmoor Road Homewood, AL 35209 (205) 871-7837

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.

Visit us in-store or at www.applausedancewear.net to stock up your dance bag for everything you need!

Katie Wade Faught – owner

This Week In Southern Jewish Life The South’s Most Comprehensive Weekly Jewish News Email To Subscribe, send an email to subscribe@sjlmag.com

Photo courtesy Patti Blake/The News Herald, www.newsherald.com

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.

With Israelis grappling with nearly daily acts of terrorism, you can help ensure that those injured don’t join the list of those killed. Your support of Magen David Adom, Israel’s national EMS service, provides the equipment, supplies, and on-going training to keep MDA the preeminent mass-casualty medical response organization in the world. Your donation saves lives.

AFMDA Southeast Region 3300 PGA Blvd., Suite 970 Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 561.835.0510 southeast@afmda.org

www.afmda.org

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

Community.

All this & so much more in a weekly email delivered straight to your inbox.

This week in

Southern Jewish Life Email subscribe@sjlmag.com to receive the most interesting and clever bits from our community and around the world.

12 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

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.

ExtErior DEsigns, inc.

By Beverly Katz

“Problem Yards Our Specialty” DRIVEWAYS POOLS LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

COURTYARDS PERGOLAS CARPENTRY/ PAINTING

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.

(504) 866-0276

exteriordesignsbev.com

Experience Matters.

Trust the care of your trees to the professionals.

Tree Removal Crane Services Stump Removal Tree Trimming 24 HOUR EMERGENCY STORM SERVICES Fully licensed & insured • Call for free estimates

205-956-3000

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 13

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.

RAMAH DAROM IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT LASTS A LIFETIME. Give your child the gift of camp this summer.

ramahdarom.org (404) 531-0801 SJLad.indd 1

16 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

12/12/2012

THE SUMMIT | 209 SUMMIT BLVD. BIRMINGHAM, AL | P:205-970-9758 MONDAY–SATURDAY 10AM–8PM SUNDAY 12–6PM

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 17

community The Jewish story of Natchez MACHINE & CUTTING TOOLS Bringing The World Of Machine And Cutting Tool Technology To You

1-800-462-9519 H Quality Sales and Service Since 1917 H

Southern Jewish Life Online: www.sjlmag.com

18 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

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.

EXPERIENCE BLISS IN OUR

all new GRAND BALLROOM

LEARN MORE OR TO BOOK:

504.553.2205

RSNOSALES@SONESTA.COM

300 BOURBON STREET

NEW ORLEANS, LA

16-SONN-3595_Southern Jewish Life_Dec_Ad_v5.indd 1

SONESTA.COM/ROYALNEWORLEANS

11/21/16 11:15 AM

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 19

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

community

VANDERBILT

DUKE

EMORY

MILLSAPS COLLEGE

AUBURN

U OF FLORIDA RICE

TULANE

— FORBES.COM —

Delicious Flickr WWW.MILLSAPS.EDU

Delicious

Flickr DeliciousFacebook Twitter Flickr

Facebook

Slash Dot Mixx MySpace StumbleUpon Facebook MySpace

24 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016 Slash Dot

Mixx Slash DotReddit Skype Mixx

Twitter

MySpaceRetweet TwitterStumbleUpon

Digg

Skype StumbleUpon

FriendFeed Technorati Skype YouTube

Retweet

Digg Retweet

Digg Technorati

LinkedIn Technorati

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.

Rediscover…

New Ownership • New Menu • Catering Host your reunions, birthdays, anniversaries and special gatherings at Michael’s Lunch and Dinner, Mon-Sat Wine Down Tuesdays • ½ Off Select Bottles of Wine w/entrée purchase “Yappy Hour” on the Patio, Mon-Thu 4-6:30 p.m.

Game Day Saturdays, Starting 11 a.m.

1903 29th Avenue South, Homewood, AL 205.871-9525 Michaelssteakandseafood.com

The M.S. Rau storefront on Royal Street

Infrared Sauna • Body Waxing • Hydrotherapy December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 25 Biofeedback • Body Facials • Pain Management

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

Advertise in Southern Jewish Life Magazine • Online • Email Call (205) 870-7889 • Toll-Free (866) 446-5894

30 Years on 30A

Experienced in sales of second homes and investment properties

Alice J. Forrester - Mickey Whitaker Brokers/Owners

45 Sugar Sand Lane, Suite D Seagrove Beach, Fl 32459

850-231-5030 • 30Arealty.com 28 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

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.

December 2016 • The Jewish Newsletter 29

30 The Jewish Newsletter • December 2016

From the Jewish Community Center Rabin: In His Own Words A moving firsthand account of the late prime minister and statesmen’s dramatic life story, the award-winning documentary “Rabin: In His Own Words” will be shown at the Uptown JCC on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m., as part of the Cathy and Morris Bart Jewish Cultural Arts Series. Through a combination of rare recordings and documents, Yitzhak Rabin himself narrates his biography, from his childhood in Tel Aviv as the son of a labor leader before the founding of the State of Israel, to farm worker, then through his IDF military service and his later diplomatic and political career.

Uptown Classic 5K and Family Fun Run

Celebrate Chanukah with Six13

Celebrate the festival of lights at the JCC’s 11th annual Community Chanukah Celebration, featuring a performance by a cappella sensation Six13. This fun, family-friendly event will be held on Dec. 18, at the Uptown Winner of Best Documentary Film at the JCC. Hot dogs and latkes will be served at Haifa International Film Festival, “Rabin: noon and the concert will begin at 1 p.m.

Six13 is a young, six-man vocal band that In His Own Words” is an important historical document which reveals the complexity brings an unprecedented style of Jewish and contradictions of a legendary leader, music to the stage, with songs ranging from while rekindling the debate about oppor- hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems. The tunities lost and taken for peace. The film members of the New York City based group runs 110 minutes and is shown in Hebrew sound like a full instrumental band — while with English subtitles. Presented in partner- using nothing but their voices. All ages will ship with the Consulate General of Israel to enjoy their fun, high energy performance! the Southwest United States, this event is The Chanukah Celebration is free and free and open to the community. open to the community thanks to the sup-

JCC Nursery School and Pre-K Open House

Come see what makes the JCC Nursery School and Pre-K so special at an Open House for prospective parents, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m.

The JCC offers an outstanding curriculum in a Jewish environment for children ages 13 months to 5 years. Complete the online form at www.nojcc.org to RSVP for the Open House.

For those who cannot make the Open House, or would like to learn more about the program, weekly tours are offered each Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and do not require a reservation.

For additional details, contact Adrienne Shulman, Director of Early Childhood Education, at 897-0143 or adrienne@nojcc.org.

Save the date for the 5th annual Uptown Classic 5K and Family Fun Run, presented by the JCC on March 5. Due to the exciting expansion project taking place at the Uptown JCC, this year’s race — dubbed the “construction classic” — will be held at Audubon Park. Prizes will be awarded in each age group and the post race party will have food, refreshments, and entertainment for all ages.

Take advantage of the special family rate and enjoy the day together, or gather five friends and receive a group discount by signing up as a team! Register online at www. nolarunning.com, or complete the registration form, which is available at the JCC reception desks and at many local running stores.

port of Cathy and Morris Bart, the Jewish Endowment Foundation and the Feil Family Foundation/Lakeside Shopping Center.

Many Thanks to Center Celebration Sponsors!

Thanks to all who supported the JCC by attending our annual fundraiser, Center Celebration. It was a fun evening that would not have been possible without the generosity of so many donors and sponsors. Additional thanks to all of the lead sponsors, who helped make Center Celebration so successful, and to the companies that provided delicious desserts and beautiful centerpieces, which made the evening more special.

Fitness Expo Rotolo Consultants, Inc. Hancock Whitney Bank Bellwether Technology IBERIABANK Cybex International The Lupin Foundation Electrical Sales Corp Cathy and Morris Bart Levy & Associates Goldring and Franco Families Southern Jewish Life Jane and Rodney Steiner Offset Printing BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc. Technogym DonahueFavret Contractors, Inc. Long Leaf Canteen Vending Services Mathes Brierre Architects Bourgeois Bennett CPAs | Consultants - Ellen Yellin

December 2016 • The Jewish Newsletter 31

From Jewish Community Day School Veterans Day The morning of Nov. 11, Jewish Community Day School gathered as a community in their Beit Midrash to honor three veterans who have organized their lives around protecting our democracy. Students prepared songs and wrote a poem, and learned about those who commit to upholding our Constitution and keeping us safe. JCDS values include behaving with kindness and compassion, being mindful of choices, and to understanding that every individual has the capacity to make a positive difference.

Mayflower Election Day

With Thanksgiving around the corner, JCDS Pre-K and Kindergarten children begin studying about Native Americans and Pilgrims. Fun activities sincluded creating clothing and decorations from long ago, and discovering how communication and transportation worked before today’s modern devices. Children’s learning is guided by also explored questions like; what can we learn about people from long ago and how has Thanksgiving changed over time?

On Nov. 7, JCDS held an election. Students voted between two very difficult choices; a dance party and an art/construction party.

Speeches were made explaining the reasons to vote for each. Pre-K and Kindergarten students constructed a voting booth where every child cast a private vote. The winning party was announced the next day — actual Election Day. The majority of students had voted for the dance party. Some children were saddened by the outcome, but all were prepared. They understood that one side would win, and this meant the other side would lose. They were ready to express happiness if their choice won, and to behave with respect and compassion for 1st and 2nd graders also used the Thanksgiving holiday to guide those whose choice lost. The Big Learning Ideas of this exercise were: deeper learning with a series of essential questions; How do people learn from each other? How are the Pilgrims related to freedom?

• A vote has real consequences Why did they choose America? And why do people choose to come • One choice wins and another choice loses to America today?

• There will be other voting opportunities in the future Sharon Pollin, JCDS Head of School, added: The current election cycle has been unsettling for many. Our country voted on the 78th anniversary of Kristallnacht and this resonates with many who either lived through that night of terror or have loved ones who did. Fortunately, Jewish tradition provides us with tools to deal with such moments; community, prayer and action. The reality of our deep commitment to Tikkun Olam empowers us to engage with the world, and work to improve it. Our wonderful teachers and school counselor explicitly and implicitly assure children that JCDS is a place of caring, kindness and respect for every person, because each of us is made B’tzelem Elohim, in God’s image. We teach children that their words matter, in writing and with their voices. They should use them with care here at JCDS and beyond our classroom walls.

32 The Jewish Newsletter • December 2016

Family Math Night!

Jewish Community Day School proudly held their Annual Math Night in November. Following a kosher pizza dinner, children excitedly grabbed their “passports” and began their math adventure. The children had a wonderful night exploring games, questions, puzzles, poetry and technology -—all math-centric! Successful completion of each station gained a “passport” stamp. Upon collecting 10, children could pull a prize from the Treasure Chest! In addition to fun, Family Math Night is designed to enhance parent understanding of the school’s approach to teaching math.

Sharon Pollin, Oscar J. Tolmas Head of School Chair, stated, “It’s marvelous to see how today’s Jewish Day School children think math is so much fun. They were running to get started! Would the parents, or even I, have been so thrilled to attend a math event at that age?”

Fun + friends + learning is the perfect equation for a successful Family Math Night!

From the Jewish Endowment Foundation 2016 Year-End Giving: Two Easy Ways to Make a Difference With 2017 just around the corner, it’s time to think about your end-of-the-year giving. The Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana has two easy solutions:

• The payment rate is primarily based on your age at the time payments begin.

• Payments are partially tax-free • Charitable tax deduction is equal to 35-50% of the amount contributed.

Donor Advised Fund — a flexible and easy philanthropic tool

for giving.

• You have stock that has appreciated in value.

• You are concerned about the taxes on capital gains if you sell it.

• You can donate the stock (mutual funds, cash, other assets) to JEF and establish your DAF. • You receive an immediate tax deduction for the full market value of your gift.

• You pay no capital gains taxes.

• You can recommend grants to organizations that are important to you over time.

• JEF gives you $1,000 for your fund as part of our Donor Advised Fund Incentive Program for new fund-holders.

Example: Mr. and Mrs. Cohen are 78 and 79 years old, respectively, when they give $40,000 to JEF to set up their CGA. The annuity rate for their ages is 5.5 percent, which means they will receive $550 every quarter, or $2,200 annually. (Note: Annuity rates vary, depending on the age of the annuitant, and JEF uses rates currently recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities.) In addition, they will receive an immediate tax deduction.

The Cohens can count on getting these fixed payments for the rest of their lives. Even when one of them dies, the surviving spouse will continue to receive the same amount for life. Plus, the payments are backed by the assets of JEF, so they can have confidence that their gift annuity payments will always be there for them.

Charitable Gift Annuity — a dependable source of greater For more information, please contact Sandy Levy (sandy@jefno. lifetime income in a low interest environment. org) or Patti Lengsfield (patti@jefno.org) at (504) 524-4559 for a • You transfer cash or other property to JEF in exchange for confidential conversation. fixed payments, every quarter, every year.

From Tulane Hillel Tulane Jewish Leaders Tulane Hillel added 91 new students to its Tulane Jewish Leader program this past semester, bringing the total up to over 330 participants! TJL consists of a diverse group of student leaders in all stages of their college careers. They develop around 100 initiatives per year, partnering with local and national community organizations. A few recent TJL initiatives include: Bywater Bash: Tulane Jewish Leaders S Kern, Alexa Lehr, Jared Faske, Elli Goldberg and Ethan Wells teamed up on Nov. 6 to immerse themselves, along with 22 other Tulane students, in a fun day of learning and exploring the New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood. The trip included a brief talk about the history of the neighborhood in Crescent Park, a lunch at Pizza Delicious with one of its Tulane alumnus co-founders, and a stop at StudioBe Art Studio. The outing engrossed students in the culture, food, and art that make New Orleans so unique.

Anna’s Arts for Kids: On Nov. 12, Tulane Jewish Leaders Paige Goodman, Sophia Witheiler, Sam Rapaport and Elana Maiman got in the holiday spirit by spending the day with the children at Anna’s Arts for Kids, a group that serves the children of the Treme neighborhood. The group had such a blast clowning around with the kids while doing Thanksgiving-themed art activities and outdoor games. The kids got to go home with special gifts and the day provided a thankful atmosphere for all!

December 2016 •The Jewish Newsletter 33

From Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans Friends of JFS, Your Support Impacts Lives!

JFS offers Counseling Services in three locations across the Metro Area

Once a year, we ask the community to help thousands of marginalized individuals and families in the Greater New Orleans area, through the work we do. Your contribution enables JFS to serve people of all ages and all faiths through extensive programs including counseling, older adult services and teen suicide prevention, among others.

Counseling for individuals, couples, families and groups is one JFS’s core programs. Services are provided by licensed behavioral health professionals and fees are assessed on a sliding scale basis.

Appointments are available at all three offices — Metairie, Mid-City and the Northshore. JFS accepts BCBS HMO and PPO insurance policies for counseling services. Appointments by phone: Metairie and Mid-City (504) 831-8475; Northshore (985) 253-1619.

Because all of JFS services are offered on a sliding fee scale, we depend on Friends of JFS donations to underwrite our programs for the coming year for individuals who are facing urgent, critical needs or simply seeking to improve their quality of life. Your contribution strengthens our community and ensures that JFS programs remain affordable and accessible to all. Please respond as generously as possible. Consider contributing today through our website: http://www.jfsneworleans.org. Thank You!

You Are Invited: Kendra Scott Gives Back Party WHEN: December 8, 5-7 p.m.

WHERE: 5757 Magazine Street, New Orleans WHAT: Jewish Family Service and Kendra Scott NOLA are partnering for a night of sips, sweets and jewels benefiting all of the individuals and families who receive our services. For every purchase made during the event, Kendra Scott will “give back” 20% of proceeds to JFS. This is a great opportunity to treat yourself — or cross off an item from your holiday gift buying list early — while supporting those in need.

If unable to attend, you can still show your support by calling the store during the hours of the event and placing your order by phone: (504) 613-4227. Kendra Scott will ship your items free.

Preview the jewelry selection at www.kendrascott.com

2016 Fall Professional Continuing Education Workshop Jewish Family Service is pleased to offer the following workshop for mental health professionals in the New Orleans area.

Ethical Dilemmas in Mental Health Services Friday, Dec. 16, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Presented by Kathy Oqueli McGraw, PhD, MPH This presentation will cover many of the ethical dilemmas that mental health professionals may come into contact with over their careers. Case examples will be used as a part of the discussion. This workshop has been approved for 3 Ethics Continuing Education Units by the LCA and the LABSWE. Workshop will be held at Congregation Beth Israel, 4004 West Esplanade Ave. Metairie. Register by phone at (504) 831-8475 x120, or at www.jfsneworleans.org.

Lifeline: Your connection to immediate help and assistance Lifeline is a personal emergency response system providing subscribers access to emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The system is easy to use and designed to reduce the risks of living alone. In the event of a fall or emergency, immediate help is available at the push of a button. Lifeline is locally installed and serviced through JFS. No contracts are required. Customized plans are available, including wireless GPS technology. For more information visit our website http://www.jfsneworleans.org/programs-services/ lifeline/ or call (504) 831-8475.

Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience Incentive Grant Thinking about sending your child to Jewish sleepaway camp for the first time in 2017? Let us help you!

The Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience Incentive Grant Program, administered by the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, offers a one-time grant of up to $1,500 per child for firsttime campers.

Experts agree that one of the most effective ways to develop children’s commitment to living Jewish lives is to expose them to a camp experience where they will meet other Jewish boys and girls and savor the precious heritage of Jewish traditions while enjoying wholesome summer fun and sports activities.

34 The Jewish Newsletter • December 2016

The criteria for this program are simple. To be eligible your child must be: • A first-time camper at a not-for-profit Jewish sleepaway camp; • In grades 1 through 9 (in 2015-16 school year); • A resident of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or the Florida Panhandle.

Grants are not based on financial need. Both parents need not be Jewish. Neither temple nor synagogue affiliation is required.

For more information or to request an application, contact Ellen Abrams at JEF at 504-524-4559 or ellen@jefno.org. The application can also be downloaded at www.jefno.org.

December 2016 • The Jewish Newsletter 35

36 The Jewish Newsletter • December 2016

Named “Best Fertility Practice in Florida” and Top 5% Nationwide by FindTheBest.com

“…go forth and multiply” But if performing this mitzvah is taking too long, call the baby mavens at NewLIFE Since 1994, providing lower-cost and patient-friendly fertility care while relaxing at the beach Barry A. Ripps, MD Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

To learn more, call 850.857.3733 or visit:

www.FertilityLeaders.com

Pensacola • Panama City • Tallahassee • Mobile • Dothan

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

DINE AT AN “AMERICAN CLASSIC” AS RECOGNIZED BY

The Knitwits at Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery keep the Chanukah afghan tradition going

The Bright Star Restaurant

304 19th St. N Bessemer, Al 35020 205.424.9444 www.thebrightstar.com

Our Family Serving Your Family for 109 Years

Candy2Creation specializes in CUSTOM candy bouquets, party favors, candy cakes, candy centerpieces & more.

We offer creative concepts with snacks or personal products, and we’re sugar-free friendly too!

B’ham Area Delivery Available Shipping anywhere in US!

205/757.0793 candy2creation.com

ONE STOP KOSHER FOOD SHOPPING Eat In — Take Out — Catering

Sushi and Fried Chicken Friday

ed Saturday)

-3pm (Clos Mon-Thu 10am-7pm • Fri & Sun 10am

-2010

3519 Severn, Metairie • (504) 888 www.koshercajun.com

38 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

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.

A LIFE OF LUXURY MADE EFFORTLESS Brand new one, two and three bedroom luxury apartments, located in the historic Forest Park neighborhood - convenient to restaurants, retail, grocery, and the Highland Park golf course - and only a short drive to some of Birmingham’s largest employers and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

(205) 322-3500 www.park35onclairmont.com

NOW LEASING

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 39

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

205.871-9525

Michaelssteakandseafood.com

Infrared Sauna • Body Waxing • Hydrotherapy Biofeedback • Body Facials • Pain Management Facials • Korean Style Hip Bath • Kangen Water Strawberry Laser Lipo • BioCleanse Foot Bath

720 23rd Street South, Birmingham (205) 323.7582 • morethancolonics.com

Check out the new CX9 Luxury at Low Prices

Bobby Bloomston SALES & LEASING

Med Center

Member of the Mazda President’s Club and Selected to the Council of Automobile Sales Excellence for 10 Years

80 Drivers Way • Pelham • Just off I-65 exit 246 • www.medcentermazda.com ALA TOLL FREE 1-800-749-0929 •

205-222-6444

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.

Across from East Jefferson Hospital Emergency

Providing long-term care services and short-term rehab and therapy in an atmosphere of caring and compassion

METAIRIE’S PREMIER SKILLED NURSING FACILITY

Medicare Skilled Planned Activities Tours Offered Daily Short Term Rehab & Therapy Three Home-Cooked Meals Daily Private Pay Options Social Services Dept

4312 Ithaca Street (504) 887-6414

www.colonialoaksliving.com 42 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

Never too early for latkes: Millsaps Jewish Culture Organization president Lucy Kaplan at the JCO latke giveaway for Homecoming on Oct. 22

chanukah gifts gift guide

chanukah

Let’s Get This Party Started IT’S NOT CALLED THE HOLIDAY OF LIGHTS FOR NOTHING. USE THOSE EIGHT DAYS FOR CHIC, SPARKLE AND SHINE.

Image Hive

212 41st Street So. Birmingham myimagehive.com 205/942.9460

by Lee J. Green

1. WISH THEM A HAPPY HOLIDAY WITH CUSTOM CARDS Your favorite shayna

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

Independent WorldVentures Representative

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

me: finding a ho It’s more thang the right home. it’s findin ining & more. ks, d Schools, par t can help you find er B t. the perfect fi

16+ years REALTOR ber, Life mem cellence Club of Ex Broker Associate esidential CertifiedstR(CRS) all of Speciali Ser ving am and gh in m ir B eas g ar

surroundin

Bert Siegel

205-960-0645 bsiegel@realtysouth.com www.BertSiegel.com

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

Magazine Street Animal Clinic offers pet diet, exercise, health education Located on the historic Continental Gin campus, Cahaba Brewing Co. offers a unique and memorable experience perfect for your next event.

by Lee J. Green

For availability and rental information, please visit cahababrewing.com/ event-rentals.

4500 5th Avenue South Building C Birmingham, AL 35222

cahababrewing.com Whether you’re planning a celebration, fundraiser, business meeting or wedding reception, we think you’ll find our taproom to be the perfect venue.

Photos by Mason Fischer

@cahababrewing

•

• FREE CONSULTATION Medicare Supplement And Long Term Care • What long-term care is, and why you and your loved ones are at high risk for needing care at home or in a facility

Find Out

• Why the limited benefits from Government (Medicare or Medicaid) are not a good choice for your long-term care needs

• At what age should you consider buying longterm care insurance. You will be surprised to know why and how buying at a younger age is better for you.

• Compare different Medicare Plans and determine which is best for you • Find which company offers the most competitive rates for the plan you want.

Milton Goldstein, CLTC

Certified Long Term Care Specialist

Cell: (205) 907-0670 E-mail: miltgold@bellsouth.net Visit My Website www.goldsteinltc.com

• 48 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

Licensed in 11 States

•

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

Happy to do work throughout central Alabama

205-541-4822

pmpconstruction@att.net

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,

HAPPY CHANUKAH

Estate Planning and Administration

Max Nathan, Jr., New Orleans* Carole Cukell Neff, New Orleans* Eric M. Schorr, New Orleans* Rose S. Sher, New Orleans Stephanie E. Graf, New Orleans *Board Certified Estate Planning and Estate Administration Specialist, Certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization 201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 3815 New Orleans, LA 70170-1052 Telephone (504) 582-1500 Fax (504) 582-1555

www.sessions-law.com

3850 Causeway Blvd. Suite 200 Metairie, LA 70002-1752 Telephone (504) 828-3700 Fax (504) 828-3737

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.

“Yiddish Hour” a comic take on the immigrant experience

explore experience

excel At BSC, we prepare the professionals of tomorrow by giving our students every opportunity to apply what they learn to the real world.

Whether it’s an internship, study abroad, research partnership, or service, you’ll find your passion and learn from the very best.

That’s the pathway to success.

are you ready?

BSC

Birmingham-Southern College

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.

A GALA MONTH

Tulane Hillel’s Schmancy at the Stadium

On November 10, 2016, Tulane Hillel’s third annual gala Schmancy honored Staci Rosenberg with the Big Pastrami Award, and recognized Ben Cappiello, Sarah Covert, and Chandler Nutik with Leading Forward Awards.

Schmancy raised over $70,000 for Tulane Hillel’s leadership programs.

The Big Pastrami Award recognizes leaders in New Orleans who have made an impact on the community. Past recipients are Matt Schwartz, of the Domain Companies, and Dr. Sarah Mack, of Tierra Resources.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Rosenberg came to New Orleans to attend Tulane University. Since then, she has made her mark as a successful commercial real estate attorney, an active participant in the arts scene, and as Founder and Captain of the Krewe of Muses, the all-female Mardi Gras parade.

In her remarks, Rosenberg spoke about her passion for New Orleans and the importance of being involved.

The Leading Forward Awards recognize individuals who exemplify leadership and community involvement, providing an excellent example for the more than 330 student participants in the Tulane Jewish Leaders initiative. The three young leaders have demonstrated these values in the varied fields of biomedical science (Cappiello), entrepreneurship (Covert) and education (Nutik).

This year, Schmancy moved from the Mintz Center to the The Jill H. and Avram A. Glazer Family Club at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium. The more than 200 guests were entertained by the Jep Epstein Band, a solo performance by student Shira Kaplan, and Tulane’s a capella group, Green Envy. HK Nola catered the event with “game day” delicacies including chicken and waffle tacos, potato latkes, chocolate covered strawberries, and of course, pastrami sandwiches.

New & Antique Chandeliers and Mirrors / Restoration 601 S Galvez 504/309.8983 classicchandelierandmirror.com

KID GLOVES INC

FULL-SERVICE MOVING SINCE 1981 Locally owned No job too big, too small, too complicated Local and nationwide moving ser vices Home, office, large-scale installation Careful attention to antiques & specialt y items MOVING & DELIVERY SERVICES

(504) 224-5738 lakidgloves.com

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 57

Happy Chanukah to all my friends in the Jewish Community.

Thank you for your continued support!

A GALA MONTH

Jewish Community Day School

Cynthia Lee-Sheng Jefferson Parish Council At-Large Division B

Photos by Donna Matherne, Face to Face Ph

Shalom, y’all!

Warmest wishes for a Happy Chanukah!

Judge Desiree M. Charbonnet City of New Orleans Municipal Court

Shop the Southern Jewish Bookshelf

Lis and Hugo Kahn accept a special award from Head of School Sharon Pollin and Alvin Samuels Over 250 friends of Jewish Community Day School in Metairie celebrated “21 Fabulous Years — Vegas Style” at its annual gala on Nov. 13 at Gates of Prayer.

“The school’s 21st birthday is a link in the proud history of Jewish education in New Orleans. The stellar accomplishments of Jewish Community Day School are a reflection of this community’s history of Jewish educational excellence that harkens back to 1918,” said Sharon Pollin, Oscar J. Tolmas Head of School.

Lis and Hugo Kahn, instrumental leaders of JCDS since its inception, were honored. Both have served in a variety of leadership positions on the board. Lis was board president from 2014 to 2016, and both continue to serve as active board members. Hugo was instrumental in finding the property and funding the building of the New Orleans Jewish Day School, predecessor to JCDS, and the Goldring/Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus.

In paying tribute to the Kahns, Pollin stated that they are guided by the wisdom of our Torah, and by their own inner compasses.

“Leading by example, the Kahns challenge all of us to enrich our world, our community and our children. Their wisdom, generosity, and work have inspired all who have had the great fortune to work with them,” shared Ms. Pollin.

Alvin Samuels, friend and admirer of the

Kahns, said “Hugo and Lis reflect the best that the Jewish community has to offer… It seems like they are everywhere.”

Also paying tribute to the Kahns were Rabbi Deborah Silver of Shir Chadash and Rabbi Robert Loewy of Gates of Prayer.

The evening was packed with food catered by Kosher Cajun, Rat Pack themed music, prizes and “Poker Productions, Inc.” inspired charitable gaming to carry out the Vegas Theme. There was an extensive silent auction rich in jewelry, children’s art, and trips spanning the world.

“We are thrilled to be known as a school that sets a high bar for individualized student learning, in an inclusive Jewish environment,” Pollin said.

Gerald and Joan Berenson

Mike Wasserman and Carole and Richard Neff

Robert Liniado and Michelle Bassham with Gates of Prayer Rabbi Robert Loewy

Find a wide range of books about the Jewish South — from current releases to hard-to-find historic works, at

www.sjlmag.com 58 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

A GALA MONTH

Sit. Stay. Love.

Touro Infirmary Foundation Gala

We consign, buy & sell pre-loved furniture and other cool stuff.

L’Dor V’Dor Chairs Shane and Allison Kupperman, Mara and Stephen Kupperman Hundreds attended the Touro Infirmary Foundation Gala on Nov. 5 at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. The evening featured a Patron Party, dinner and presentation, and L’Dor V’Dor after-party.

Stephen H. Kupperman was honored as the 2016 Judah Touro Society award recipient.

The Judah Touro Society Award, considered by many as one of the most prestigious awards given in the New Orleans community, is bestowed annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare of Touro Infirmary and the community.

Kupperman is a second-generation leader at Touro Infirmary, after his father, Abraham.

A founding member of the Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C., law firm, he enacted a plan to evacuate the hospital during the post-Katrina flooding and spearheaded the efforts to quickly reopen the hospital.

He also negotiated the agreement to join with Children’s Hospital and created the LCMC Health System.

The award ceremony included an invocation from Rabbi Gabe Greenberg, dinner by Chef Thorsten Leighty, a video presentation, and the presentation of the Judah Touro Society Award by Harris Hyman III, M.D., the Judah Touro Society Award recipient of 2014.

www.schollnickadvertising.com

(504) 838-9615

We Are A Full-Service Advertising Agency In addition to radio, television and print, we offer the following services:

Web Site Creation and Hosting

• Design and Host your website • Provide you with complete access • Can create a design on your existing branding • Online ordering, shopping carts, other interactive features • Complete hosting support ready for all your needs

SEO Services

• Ensure a strong Web presence • Make your code easy for search engines to find • Blog posts about your business or the topics of your choice • Social media companion management • Online marketing through social forums such as YouTube, Reddit, Digg and other entertainment websites

Photos by Ray Bender Photography

Above, Foundation Director Jonnie Honse with Paul and Edie Rosenblum. Upper left, Harris and Barbara Hyman III. He was the 2014 Touro Society Award recipient.

Left, Touro President and CEO Susan Andrews, Stephen and Mara Kupperman, Foundation Board Chair Nancy Timm

Facebook

• Contests, campaigns, blogging, social posts • Stay in contact with your customers • Generate Likes and increase traffic

www.schollnickadvertising.com

(504) 838-9615

info@schollnickadvertising.com

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 59

culture Handel’s “Judas Maccabaeus” at Temple Sinai on Dec. 11

3

60 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

After several years of performing Handel’s “Messiah” at this time of year, the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans is taking on a different Handel work as Chanukah approaches.

“Judas Maccabaeus” is Handel’s telling of the story of Chanukah, the Jewish people retaking the Temple in Jerusalem from Greek domination, and the rededication of the Temple.

Fittingly, the performance will be at Temple Sinai on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

George Frideric Handel composed the oratorio in 1746, based on a Thomas Morell libretto. He wrote it to celebrate the English victory at Culloden that ended the Jacobite Rebellion.

The first act mourns the death of Mattathias, then the people rally under the leadership of his son, Judas Maccabaeus.

The second act celebrates victory, tempered with a threat from the Selucids — but the Maccabees are victorious again. The third act culminates with “O lovely peace” as an alliance is struck with Rome against the Selucids.

After its first performance in 1747, it became one of Handel’s most popular works.

The chorus does five or six performances per year, with two of them being what could be considered classical choral productions.

Chorus President Hank Fanberg said they perform in a number of venues around the city, and “we were looking at a number of locations” for this performance. “Judas Maccabaeus and Temple Sinai, that’s a pretty good match.”

In March, Fanberg attended the Bryan Hymel benefit concert at Temple Sinai, and that got him thinking for the first time about the sanctuary as a performance space.

“It’s a marvelous space to perform,” with great acoustics.

He approached the Temple Sinai administration about holding the performance there and was told “absolutely.”

As part of it, “we also got one of our soloists,” Temple Sinai’s Cantor Joel Colman. Other soloists will be Betsy Ushkrat, Monika Cosson and Jonathan Yarrington. Uschkrat, a soprano, is part of Temple Sinai’s professional choir. The Symphony Chorus itself is comprised of about 80 volunteer members.

Colman said the work is “one of the best classical music representations of our Chanukah celebration.”

This won’t be the first time the chorus has performed at Temple Sinai.

On Oct. 23 the chorus teamed with the New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus and the Delgado Community College Chorus to present the regional debut of “Tyler’s Suite.”

The suite is based on the story of a student at Rutgers who killed him-

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.

•••

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.

NAGHI’S Diamonds Platinum 14k & 18k Gold Antiques Estate Judaica

633 Royal St • (504) 586-8373

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.

>> Handel self in 2010 following an episode of cyber-bullying, as his roommate set up a hidden camera to catch him in a same-sex relationship and then posted it online.

When Temple Sinai’s administration found out the chorus was also doing “Tyler’s Suite,” they were urged the chorus to perform it there as well. There was also a tie with Temple Sinai’s new rabbi, Matthew Reimer. “Being from New Jersey, he was very familiar” with the events portrayed in the piece, Fanberg said.

General admission tickets to “Judas Maccabaeus” are $25, reserved seats in the first five rows are $45 and the first two rows of the balcony are $55. Tickets are available online at symphonychorus.org., or at the door.

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 61

rear pew mirror • doug brook

Float like a butterfly, sting Maccabee

Proud to be part of the New Orleans Jewish Community Nobody does local coverage like

Southern Jewish Life

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

62 Southern Jewish Life • December 2016

Morris and Cathy Bart, Hertha Bart, Sandra and Jerome Kanter

As renovation construction began at the Uptown Jewish Community Center in New Orleans, the annual Center Celebration moved up the road to the Audubon Tea Room for this year’s Oct. 30 event.

Approximately 200 guests “popped the cork” in celebration of the iconic JCC building’s 50 golden years on St. Charles Avenue.

The Patron party featured music from the Preservation Hall All-Stars. The New Orleans Klezmer-AllStars (above) played the main event, which led many to hit the dance floor. The event was chaired by Cheryl Slane and Mara Force.

Over 20 businesses donated items for the event, including signature desserts, floral displays and candlelight centerpieces. From The Royal Cakery

Richard Buchsbaum, Jane Steiner, Cheryl Slane Christine and Jason White, Ann Kaufman

Allan and Nancy Bissinger, Marjorie Bissinger, Peter Sperling

Kenny Miestchovich and Lisa Lupin, Anamaria Villamarin-Lupin and Tim Lupin

Kathy and Neil Rabin Josh and Mara Force, Robert Force

December 2016 • Southern Jewish Life 63

Largest selection of Wine, Cheese, Beer and Spirits in Louisiana

Happy Chanukah!

Acquistapace’s Covington Supermarket Largest selection of Prime Beef in St. Tammany Parish Lowest Everyday Prices in St. Tammany Parish Plenty of Kosher products

Mandeville Wine & Cheese Now Open

Gourmet Cheeses • Walk-In Humidor Extensive Wine, Beer and Liquor Selection Locally Owned and Operated Since 1963

125 E. 21st Avenue • Historic Downtown Covington, www.acquistapaces.com • 985-893-0593

631 North Causeway Blvd. • Mandeville www.acquistapaces.com • 985-951-2501