Southern Jewish Life, Deep South, December 2020

Southern Jewish Life

December 2020 Volume 30 Issue 12

Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213 At the Galaxy of Lights in Huntsville

2

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

shalom y’all It is now December, and barring unforeseen circumstances, 2020 will actually come to an end within a few weeks.

With vaccines on the way, there is new hope to resume some sense of normal life in 2021, from being able to go out again, to attending Shabbat services and sending the kids off to summer camp. And of course, football… in person.

It has been a bizarre year, but institutions and agencies have, in many ways, managed to adapt, and many of those innovations that were forced on society may well have staying power.

Concepts like multi-community Havdalah services, as numerous Alabama and Florida Panhandle communities have been doing together, and Mississippi communities are now doing, may well continue as a way to keep smaller communities connected. Having events streamed online to broaden an audience, both in terms of audience size and geography, may well endure. Some of the programming innovations, such as outdoor services or nature walks, may be keepers. And surfing the web to find simulcasts from far flung synagogues may also continue.

One thing that, unfortunately, is also continuing is the 2020 election process. As this issue goes to press, the Louisiana runoffs are approaching, but the far bigger emphasis is on the two Senate runoffs in Georgia.

Those races, along with fallout from the presidential race, are dividing the Georgia Jewish community, as we explore in this issue.

This election exposed deep divisions in the Jewish community, both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, a hefty proportion of the Jewish community can’t fathom how so many of their co-religionists could vote for someone they are convinced is an unredeemable racist and Nazi sympathizer. That consternation is not unique to the Jewish community, however, because Trump was able to increase his percentage of the black and Hispanic vote this year.

Conversely, others in the Jewish community could not fathom handing the keys to the White House to the party of Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and the increasingly hostile far left wing of the Democratic Party — not to mention voting for someone who was a

SJL Online: sjlmag.com Southern Jewish Life is an independent Jewish periodical. Articles and columns do not necessarily reflect the views of any Jewish institutions, agencies or congregations in our region.

To subscribe, email subscribe@sjlmag.com

Your unused insurance benefits are about to expire!

MYEYEDR.COM • 866.693.9336

YO U R E X A M + G L A S S E S M AY B E C O M P L E T E LY C OV E R E D. December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

3

commentary

MESSAGES

Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games

I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel key memberto ofSouth the most anti-Israel administraPro-Israelgames organizations that striveStates to be bito Australia America, Europe and the JCC Maccabi around the United tion recent Imemory. have to struggle the proand in Canada, have logged many miles seeing howpartisan sports can be had a vehicle to help against build Jewish It’s twoespecially groups of talking past each Trump enthusiasm and the rejectionism from identity, in people our young. other (if they are talking at all), unable to com- the other side of the aisle.

I felt honored to come Birmingham for the firstTaking time and fell in love just the city prehend the reasoning ofto each other.

Israel out of with the not personality clash, butIsraelis, the people. have takenbeen Southern hospitality to a newmay levelwell withbe your kind and caring who You have largely enamored therefore, a good thing — if the with Trump, couldMaccabi not figure American Jews far-left can be held in check. Hopefully, support approach toalso the JCC Games. out. Of course, they see U.S. politics through the for Israel in America will once again be seen as a Led thelife Sokol and Helds, hard-working volunteersissue, wereand wonderful.

They partnered lens of by their in Israel, and seeyour Trump as great bipartisan no longer through the lens with your outstanding staff, led by Betzy Lynch, to make the 2017 JCC Maccabi games a huge hit. for Israel, while American Jews generally look at of whether or not one likes or hates Trump.

I want to take this opportunity as executive of Maccabi USA to say you on behalf U.S. politics through the lens of actually livingdirector in That is bolstered bythank in-fighting among of everyone involved. the United States, with Israel just one of a laun- Democrats, with many blaming the Squad for dryI list day-to-day alienating witha U.S. theirdelegation far-left agenda, hadofjust returnedconcerns. from the 20th World Maccabiah gamesmoderates in Israel with of What is one to make of the presumed transi- which includes an anti-Israel component. The over 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes fromDemocrats 80 countries.

Back in July the eyes of the entire tion that will take place next month? not only did not gain in the House, Jewish world onhas Jerusalem and the Maccabiah.

This month with 1000 As good as were Trump been for Israel, it may they lostpast seats and have a veryathletes narrowand margin. coaches from around the world Birmingham, you became focal point. in the Georgia not be all bad.

Assuming thatbeing the in Squad is And they have to the go two-for-two putEveryone in checkfrom and the the Jewish Biden community team realizes that Senate runoff just to have a 50-50 tie that Kaand the community at large, including a wonderful itpolice is noforce, longer the Middle East, mala thenashave toasplit.

That does are2016 to beincommended.

Thesehaving games will goHarris downwould in history being seminal moderate Democrats reassert support for Israel not bode well for those who want to pull the moment for the Jewish community as we build to the future by providing such wonderful Jewish instead of the anti-Israel radicals will be an im- country far to the left, as compromise will be memories. portant development. necessary to getting anything done. the last four years, Trump has been inSoon we will see where 2021 takes us… as JedFor Margolis credibly supportive of Israel and clear-thinking Colonel Potter used to say on M*A*S*H, “Here’s Executive Director, Maccabi USA in American policy toward the ongoing conflict, to the New Year. May she be a damn sight better and in fighting against a nuclear Iran. than the old one.”

But Trump has also been a highly polarizing supremacists would like to see pushed back On Charlottesville figure in America — and the “resistance” (what- into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand ever happened to loyal opposition?) has made it with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, Editor’s Note: This reaction to the events in so that pretty much anything that Trump favors, who was there standing up to the face of this Charlottesville,

by Jeremy Newman, Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor they are againstwritten as a matter of reflex. hate.

Master of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Theta Colony

letters

at Auburn University, was shared by AEPi National, which called it “very eloquent” and praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at Auburn University and… the leadership they display on their campus.”

Editor’s note: This letter refers to an opinion piece by Micha Danzig from the Jewish Journal White supremacy hasOfbeen a cancer on of Los Angeles, “Beware ‘Anti-Zionism Is Not our country since beginning, threatening Anti-Semitism’ FromitsThe Left,” which was one of its hopes, its values, its better angels. the pieces linked to inand Southern Jewish Life’s “This The events that took placeLife” in Charlottesville Week in Southern Jewish e-mail newsletter, represented worstofofthe this nation.

Those Nov. 15. The the wording link is ours. who marched onto the streets with tiki torches As a Jewish resident of Mississippi and the and swastikas did so to provoke violence and vice president of Temple B’nai Israel in Hattiesfear. Those who marched onto the streets did burg, I wanted to express concern about what I so to profess an ideology that harkens back to think is a common disdain in Southern Jewish a bleaker, more wretched time in our history.

Life for leftist and progressive thinking about A time when men and women of many creeds, Israel and Jewish affairs. races, and religions were far from equal and far The most recent issue, to cite one example, from safe in our own borders. A time where says: “Beware of people on the left insisting that Americans lived under a constant cloud of ‘Anti-Zionism is not Antisemitism.” Statements racism, anti-Semitism and pervasive hate. The like that are offensive to the millions of people events that took place in Charlottesville served around the world, many of them Jews, who leas a reminder of how painfully relevant these gitimately question Zionism. issues are today.

I myself served as a combatant in the IsraeAuburn’s Epsilon stands with the I li Army andAlpha Reserves, and,Pilike many people Jewish community of Charlottesville, and I reserved with, and like quite a few Israelis, with the Jewish people around the country main deeply skeptical of Zionism.

In fact, it’s and around the world.that We prior also stand with the worth remembering to Israel’s creminorities who nearly are targeted by the hate thatand ation in 1948, all American Jews, was onall display Charlottesville.

We stand as nearly of theinmajor Jewish organizations, withasthe whom these white well theminorities New YorkofTimes and other major pa-

We recognize the essence of the American narrative as a two-century old struggle to rid ourselves of such corners, and allow those in them the seat at the table that they so deserve.

It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the pers, were staunchly Anti-Zionist.

Declaration of Independence, that “all men are Today,equal… many secular Jewsbyintheir IsraelCreator expresswith amcreated endowed bivalence about Zionism, segments certain unalienable rights.and ” Wehuge know our workof the Orthodox community bothwe in will Israel is far from finished, but we—know notand abroad — reject Zionism as a matter of doctrine, move backwards. which was theand theological position mainWhen men women, fully armed,oftake stream Judaism for nearly 2000 years.

Even to the streets in droves with swastikas and Albert ambivalent, warning in 1938 otherEinstein symbolswas of hate, it is a reminder of ahow speech of “the development of a narrow nationrelevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism alism within own ranks, against which are today.

It isour a wake-up call to the work thatwe have already had to fight strongly, even without a needs to be done to ensure a better, more Jewish state” and testifying to the Anglo-Ameriwelcoming country. But it should not come can Committee of Inquiry in 1946 that come. he did not without a reflection on how far we’ve support the creation of a Jewish State.

America was born a slaveasnation.

A century Einstein’s views evolved, did those of many into our history we engaged part no other Jewish-Americans.

Butinita war doesinthem to ensure we would not continue as one.

We favors to equate that questioning with AntisemfoundMore ourselves confronted by the issuethe of fight civil itism. importantly, it undermines rights, and a mission to ensure against the embarked very real on strains of Antisemitism the fair treatment of all peoples no matter their prevalent on all ends of the political spectrum. skin color.

Although we’ve made great strides, I admire Southern Jewish Life for bringing it is community a mission we’re still grappling with today. our together and providing a strong forum for debate.

But I think it’s crucial America was also born an immigrant that we recognize theearly arrayasofthe opinions that exist among country. As pilgrims, many American especially groups andJews, families foundin inthe theSouth. country the opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, J. A. Bernstein and be themselves. Few were met with openMS Hattiesburg,

SJL needs to respect differing views on Zionism

4 December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

July 20202020 December

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Richard Friedman richard@sjlmag.com V.P. SALES/MARKETING, NEW ORLEANS Jeff Pizzo jeff@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Emily Baldwein connect@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Louis Crawford, Tally Werthan, Stuart Derroff, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 2179 Highland Ave., Birmingham, AL 35205 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/249-6875 TOLL-FREE 888/613.YALL(9255) ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com Jeff Pizzo, jeff@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 2020. 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 attend events In late October, AEPi at the University of Alabama initiated its Fall 2020 Eta Class at Hillel.

LJCC Executive Director Dubrinsky announces resignation Will succeed long-time director at JCC in Massachusetts Levite Jewish Community Center Executive Director Samantha Dubrinsky has announced her resignation, effective at the end of the year, to become CEO of the Jewish Community Center in Springfield, Mass.

Dubrinsky, 31, was appointed LJCC executive director a year ago after serving 12 months as interim director. Prior to that, she held an array of positions at the Birmingham Jewish Federation, ascending to a senior staff level after beginning as a volunteer intern seven years earlier.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Sam and her family and we are kvelling over what she has been able to accomplish in her time at the LJCC,” LJCC President Jesse Unkenholz wrote in a Nov. 18 email to the membership.

“The LJCC Board is working on next steps for the LJCC to ensure the momentum we’ve gained this year is not lost. The process of deciding next steps involves conversations with officers and board members, other Jewish community organizations, members and staff. These conversations are already underway,” added Unkenholz.

During her tenure, Dubrinsky helped improve the LJCC financially, bringing more accountability and transparency; made significant changes in the LJCC’s staffing structure in consultation with the LJCC’s senior lay leaders; helped improve the professionalism and impact of nearly every department, and played a role in creating new partnerships between the LJCC and other community agencies.

While at the Federation, Dubrinsky made her mark in an array of areas — running the gamut from community relations to fundraising to leadership development to writing for and managing the Federation’s

then-daily Update email.

In addition, Jewish Federations of North America, the national Jewish Federation organization, turned to her several times to represent the organization in national and international arenas. She was one of a small number of young professionals to receive a large JFNA scholarship to further her education and participate in Jewish enrichment experiences.

Dubrinsky graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 2011 with a degree in history and political science. Since that time, she completed a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in business administration through Troy University.

During her time at the helm, the LJCC instituted a series of proactive health measures that allowed it to continue functioning since shortly after the pandemic erupted, and additionally initiated a series of programs and essential services to assist the entire Birmingham community, for which the LJCC has received widespread praise.

Dubrinsky is scheduled to begin her new position in early February.

She will succeed Michael Paysnick, who announced his retirement in early July. He has been CEO of the Springfield JCC since 2008 after serving as assistant executive director since 1988.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

5

agenda Birmingham Federation announces 2021 Campaign, new co-chairs The Birmingham Jewish Federation announced that it will kick off its 2021 Annual Campaign with a “Federation Today for a Brighter Tomorrow” socially distanced outdoor community event on Feb. 6.

The campaign chairs will be Lauren and Drew Weil, and Robin and Clayton Bromberg. The campaign goal is $2 million, which supports local agencies including the Levite Jewish Community Center, Collat Jewish Family Services, and the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, and many national and international agencies, especially in Israel.

“We are honored to be co-chairing this year’s annual campaign, and assisting in raising funds for Birmingham’s world-class Jewish agencies, and the essential agencies in Israel that the BJF supports,” said the Brombergs. “We are also excited to bring the Birmingham Jewish community together through a series of safe and meaningful events around the campaign.”

“It’s important for us to give back to the community and ensure it is thriving for future generations, as well as set examples for our young children,” the Weils added.

“We are thrilled to have the next generation of leaders co-chairing this important initiative for our Jewish Community,” said Federation President Lisa Engel. “Their energy, creativity and enthusiasm will ensure that there is indeed something meaningful and fun for everyone this campaign sea- The Bromberg and Weil son. And, under their leadership, we will families also raise funds to support the most vulnerable Jews at home, in Israel and throughout the world.”

In addition to the February campaign kick-off, details of which will be announced soon, the 2021 campaign will host additional community events including one geared towards the NextGen as well as an excellent interactive program for those involved in the Women’s Philanthropy initiative. These events will include speakers, panels and live music.

Mobile Jewish Film Festival to be held virtually, later in the season

Family Owned and Operated Since 1986

Appx. 20 Varieties of the Freshest Seafood Available 3164 Heights Village • Cahaba Heights • 205.967.3437 Tue-Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

6 December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Usually, December brings announcements of film festival lineups in the region.

The Mobile Jewish Film Festival, which usually has a wide range of films throughout January in several venues, will instead postpone to late February or early March, with the films being streamed online.

Rickie Voit and Barry Silverman, co-chairs of the festival, said titles of films and accompanying programs will be announced soon. “We can hardly wait,” they said.

As of press time, there had been no announcements from the Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival or Jewish Cinema Mississippi. Birmingham’s Sidewalk Film Festival, which debuted a Jewish film festival in November 2019, had already cancelled the event for 2020.

Happy Chanukah!

Success Story Ensemble: Left to Right, Josh Sadinsky, Caroline Samuels, Basil Alter, Joshua Dolney and Bruce Miller.

Jewish Roots Gala going online April event to celebrate 75th anniversary of Jewish Children’s Regional Service One of the largest events in the New Orleans Jewish community each year is going virtual.

The 10th annual Jewish Roots Gala for the regional Jewish Children’s Regional Service will be held online on April 10 at 6:30 p.m., featuring Marlene Trestman, a New Orleans native and honoree at the 2016 JCRS Gala.

The 2021 Jewish Roots Jubilee will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the modern-day Jewish Children’s Regional Service, which was born after the closing of the original Jewish Children’s Home orphanage, which dated back to 1855.

The agency provides need-based summer camp and college financial aid to Jewish students in a seven-state region, and also does year-round special needs assistance and recently added disaster relief to its portfolio.

They also coordinate PJ Library regionally, and serve over 1,800 youth in over 200 communities overall. The gala is the agency’s signature fundraising event each year, attracting about 500 supporters from throughout the region.

Trestman is author of the soon to be published “Most Fortunate Unfortunates: New Orleans’s Jewish Orphans’ Home, 1855-1946.” She is a JCRS “success story,” having received assistance from JCRS after the untimely deaths of both of her parents. A former Maryland assistant attorney general, Trestman is also author of “Fair Labor Lawyer: The Remarkable Life of New Deal Attorney and Supreme Court Advocate Bessie Margolin,” who had been a resident of the Jewish Children’s Home.

In addition to an online auction, the gala will also feature a performance by the JCRS Success Story Ensemble, educational scholarship recipients who are currently pursuing advanced degrees in musical performance.

The event is open to all, and tickets will be available at jcrs.org.

Hadassah Shreveport holds Covid program Hadassah Shreveport will have an online program, “Covid-19: A Silver Lining,” Dec. 20 at 2 p.m., about the current science, advances in treatment and what to expect.

Linda Freedman Block, a former Southwest Region President and current National Gatekeeper chair, will address the virus’ impact in Israel.

Richard Zweig, a neurologist at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and Associate member of Hadassah, will present current research about the virus and the vaccine.

There is an $18 registration fee for the event.

Featuring independent designers from around the world including four from Israel Upscale Womens Apparal Footwear Jewelry Home Decor

BEARDEN DESIGN ET BOUTIQUE

2846 18th St. S Homewood (205) 907-1835

beardendesignetboutique.com @beardendesign

Hair appts with on-site stylist Gil Mouyal: text/call 401-7921

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

7

Best of British comfort food Made from scratch with fresh ingredients!

The Little London Pub: 162 Oxmoor Rd Homewood 205.249.1937 Dine-in & carry out Curbside & Delivery

Takeoutbhm • Doordash • Grubhub

Food Truck schedule, location, & more IG - littlelondon.kitchen FB - littlelondonkitchen www.littlelondon.kitchen

agenda The Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica will have an online Parent Information Session online, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. Anna Herman will lead a discussion on the impact of a summer at camp, and give details about the 2021 sessions. Registration is at tinyurl.com/HSJParentInfo.

The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center and Jewish Community Relations Committee will have a program with Dov Wilker, discussing “The State of Antisemitism in America: Understanding the Alarming Numbers.” The Dec. 10 program at noon is open to the community.

Wilker, regional director of the American Jewish Committee in Atlanta and AJC’s national director for Black-Jewish relations, will speak about the results of AJC’s recent groundbreaking survey on the state of antisemitism in America. The survey finds anxiety among American Jews and a disturbing lack of awareness among the general public of the severity of antisemitism in the United States.

Beth Israel in Jackson will have a blood drive on Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Mississippi Blood Services. A maximum of three donors permitted per 30 minute slot, and social distancing will be enforced. The donation includes a free Covid-19 antibody test.

Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El will have a Red Cross blood drive on Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are required and space is limited. The donation includes a free Covid-19 antibody test.

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will have a Red Cross blood drive on Dec. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are required, and donors will be tested for Covid-19 antibodies.

YO U R U N REL EN TING

AG A I N ST S K I N C A N C E R .

BIRMINGHAM’S BEST DERMATOLOGIC TEAM IS ON YOUR SIDE.

The Tuesday soup menu continues at B’nai Israel in Pensacola, with soups available for takeout. The schedule is tomato basil soup on Dec. 1, Jacob’s lentil soup on Dec. 8 and corn chowder soup on Dec. 15.

After a break, Jan. 5 will be hearty chicken noodle, then carrot ginger soup with Harissa on Jan. 12, potato leek soup on Jan. 19 and beef, barley and mushroom soup on Jan. 26. Place orders in advance.

Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center has brought back racquetball and pickleball, as of Nov. 18. With Covid restrictions, one racquetball court is available for individual use, and the wood gym is available for pickleball weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. for masked groups of up to four that bring their own equipment, except nets. Reservations are required.

Dan Krauss will lead a home brewing demo for adults at 11 a.m. on Dec. 13, under the portico outside Ahavas Chesed in Mobile.

Temple B’nai Sholom Familyhood is planning a New Year’s Day hike at Blevins Gap, starting at 1 p.m.

On Dec. 17, Rabbi Judy Ginsburgh will present a Zoom lecture, “Chanukah, Women and Religious Freedom: Interesting Chanukah Art, and Who Was Judith Anyway?” The 5:30 .m. presentation will be on Zoom, and the link is available from the B’nai Israel, Monroe, office.

GARY D. MONHEIT, MD

JAMES M. KRELL, MD

MELANIE L. APPELL, MD

PREVENTION IS KEY. START TODAY. A. MICHELE HILL, MD

RAJINI K. MURTHY, MD

2100 16th Ave. S., Ste. 202 • Ash Place Birmingham, AL 35205

205.933.0987

TOTA LS K I N A N D BEAUT Y.CO M

8

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

The History Museum of Mobile will have a Learning Lunch on Dec. 9 at noon featuring Stanley Chassin, entitled “Antisemitism and the Power of Forgiveness,” about his encounters with Tommy Tarrants, a former Klansman who was involved in bombing synagogues and Jewish homes in Mississippi in the 1960s. The event will be in person, by Zoom and on Facebook Live.

Beth Shalom and B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge are developing a Shared Worship Shabbat Service, with the first one being on Dec. 18 at 6 p.m., to see what shared worship might look like instead of alternating the congregations as hosts for a once monthly joint service.

The Atlanta Israel Coalition in partnership with the Jewish Federcontinued on page 58

community

ISJL seeks Southern Jewish oral histories about Covid-19 This has been a year to tell future generations about — but it’s time to start telling the stories.

The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson is working with the Council of American Jewish Museums and Jewish cultural institutions around the country to record and collect stories about what it means to be Jewish during Covid-19.

“This project will provide a snapshot for researchers and future generations of the American Jewish community in 2020 — how we have collectively and individually experienced the pandemic, struggles for racial justice, and all of the other life-changing events of this year,” said Nora Katz, ISJL director of heritage and interpretation. “This effort represents a collective approach to collect stories, preserve and interpret them, and create a historical record of these times.”

The Institute is looking for volunteers in the Jewish community who are willing to be interviewed. All ages and backgrounds are being sought for interviews, which are being done remotely by video call. The goal is to finish the interviews by mid-December.

Katz said some possibilities include “stories to share about parenting during the pandemic, or you’ve gotten involved in advocacy for racial justice this year. You might have celebrated the High Holidays in an unfamiliar setting, or found comfort and meaning in lighting the Shabbat candles.

“Whatever your story, we want to hear it,” she added.

For more information, to volunteer or suggest someone for an interview, contact heritage@isjl.org.

Ramah Darom names new director To kick off its 25th anniversary year, Ramah Darom in north Georgia named Anna Serviansky as its new camp director and head of education — and she won’t need a map to know where she is.

Serviansky was a staff member at Ramah Darom for five summers, including two as Rosh Aidah, the head of an age group. In the Nov. 20 announcement to camp families, Ramah Darom CEO Wally Levitt said Serviansky returned for Family Camp in 2018 “and knew she had to find a more permanent path back to Clayton,” where the camp is located.

She will succeed Geoffrey Menkowitz, who headed the Conservative movement camp for the past 13 years.

An Orlando native, Serviansky graduated from Brown University and Georgetown University Law Center and worked for several years as an attorney in New York. Rabbi Loren Sykes, former director of Ramah Darom, suggested that she pursue her true passion of becoming a fulltime Jewish professional, after which she obtained a Master’s in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she was a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar.

For the past six years, Serviansky has been the associate dean of List College and the Kekst Graduate School at JTS where, among other responsibilities, she has worked closely with List College students and has overseen several key initiatives including the JustCity summer program and an annual teen summit.

Prior to JTS, she worked for two years at the National Ramah Commission and Ramah Nyack as a year-round staff member and Rosh Aidah.

She begins her role at Ramah Darom this month.

A commitment to care.

To the Families of New Orleans

• Our decision to join the professionals at Lake Lawn Metairie allows us to continue our mission to provide families the highest caliber of care in the most beautiful of surroundings. Lake Lawn Metairie proudly serves all congregations and all local Jewish cemeteries. We’re dedicated to helping you and your loved ones create a meaningful Jewish service that truly captures the essence of the life it represents.

Sincerely,

Stephen Sontheimer & Billy Henry

A Dignity Memorial® Provider 504-486-6331 LakeLawnMetairie.com

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

9

community Covid, Hurricane Zeta struggles force closing of Casablanca Second kosher restaurant to close in Nola this year

At a time when everything is Virtual...

Make Your Family Dreams a Reality This Year!

Discover How at our NewLIFE Website.

Barry A. Ripps, MD

Fellowship-trained and Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

www.FertilityLeaders.com Pensacola • Panama City • Tallahassee Mobile • Dothan • Destin • Biloxi Recognized by Best Doctors, Inc. Best Doctors in America THE TOP DOCTORS IN AMERICA

R

Southern Jewish Life

Division Can Lead To Destruction We, as a Jewish community, are living at a time of division. We also know from Jewish history that when we are divided, it can lead to our destruction. And it is reasonable to expect that the division in society at-large, and in our Jewish community, is going to heat up in coming months.

This is one more reason why Southern Jewish Life — an independent Jewish voice — is more important than ever. We inform readers throughout the Deep South; we connect Jewish communities more closely in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and NW Florida. We are a national award-winning publication and our impact is growing.

We’ve reported important political trends affecting our Jewish community and will continue to do so. We’ve expanded our human interest stories to help us get to know one another even better. We’re keeping an eye on antisemitism in our region to make sure we all stay vigilant.

Now, we need your help!

More support equals more pages, more stories and more impact. You can help us by considering a contribution to Southern Jewish Life. Please send a check today to Southern Jewish Life, P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL, 35213, or visit supportSJL.com to contribute by card or set up a recurring contribution.

Help us tell our story. Help us tell your story.

10

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Restaurant industry struggles during the coronavirus pandemic struck again with the an-nounced closing of Casablanca in Metairie.

According to owner Andy Adelman, who made the online announcement on Nov. 18, Hurricane Zeta provided the final blow.

“These past nine months have made quite an impact on our business,” he said. After Zeta, the power was out for over five days, resulting in the loss of “almost our entire inventory.” The losses from the pandemic and the hurricane prompted the difficult decision to shut the doors of Casablanca Restaurant permanently.”

This is the second kosher restaurant in New Orleans to close because of Covid-19. Waffles on Maple announced on April 29 that its original Uptown location, which closed “temporarily” due to Covid on March 21, would remain closed permanently. The Metairie location is still open.

New Orleans has consistently been home to more kosher establishments than one would ex-pect for a Jewish community of its size, especially one that is predominantly Reform. A hefty portion of business for kosher establishments comes from tourism and the large number of conventions usually held in New Orleans, but that has also been scaled back dramatically dur-ing the pandemic.

Remaining kosher outlets are Kosher Cajun and Waffles on Maple in Metairie, and Rimon at Tulane Hillel.

Casablanca was started by Linda Waknin, who moved from Israel to New Orleans in 1979. She opened the restaurant in 1995 using family recipes from Morocco. In 2016, she decided it was time to retire and offered to sell it to Adelman, who had a catering business. The transition took place in August 2016.

When restrictions began due to Covid, Casablanca announced on March 16 that it would close the dining room and go the takeout and delivery route, but the next day decided to shut down completely, except for offering Passover catering. They were able to reopen on June 10 at half capacity.

Adelman said customers from around the world filled the restaurant over the years. “While we will miss serving this community in the many ways we were able to, it is the customer interac-tions we will miss the most.”

community An unconventional, meaningful Rosh Hashanah rabbinic pilgrimage Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein visits Alabama to meet relatives in the area where his ancestors were enslaved For most rabbis, the week before Rosh Hashanah is a time of polishing sermons and preparing logistics for the busiest time of the Jewish year.

This year, Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein spent that week exploring his roots in his first visit to Alabama, and paid tribute to his cousin on the anniversary of her death, at the church where she and three other girls were murdered by a Klan bombing in 1963.

Raised in a multi-racial Chabad family in Monsey, N.Y., Rothstein sees himself as a bridge among many cultures, and recently joined the Jewish Federations of North America as rabbinic scholar and public affairs advisor — and in a summer of racial turmoil in the United States, he has been very busy as a speaker and consultant.

“If I didn’t already know this work is bigger than me, I’m reminded several times a day just how much work there is for us to do and we should be doing,” he said.

And it isn’t just him doing the reminding — he said he hears the voices of his ancestors calling him to take action, with his own story as a focal point.

Rothstein represents a wide range of ancestries woven together. His maternal grandmother was descended from Nicholas Gibbs, who fought in the Revolutionary War. She came from a German, Scotch and Dutch background, and married a Black man. His mother, Tanya Maria Robertson, grew up Methodist but converted to Judaism, then married a Chabadnik who had grown up in a secular Jewish family that came to the U.S. to escape pogroms in Russia.

If the last name of Robertson rings a bell for those in Birmingham, it is because one of the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 was Carole Robertson — a cousin.

Rothstein’s grandfather’s grandfather was Charles McGruder, who was one of the “prized slaves” of the McGruder family and was a slave breeder on several plantations in the Sawyerville area, about 40 miles south of Tuscaloosa. It is believed that Charles McGruder fathered over 100 children, and there is a large population of the “Black McGruders of Alabama” descended from him.

With Rothstein’s multiple heritages, Passover has been a time where he feels the legacy of being a slave in Egypt — and in Alabama. He refers to Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a very important holiday for him, as it represents “the story of American liberation during a period of oppression and deep hatred.”

As he is light-skinned, growing up in Monsey he could pass for white — until his mother walked into the room. Among the Black McGruders, he jokes that he is regarded as the “white sheep” of the family.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

11

community He has witnessed racism from those who assume he is white, and been on the receiving end of it from those who find out he is Black. He has commented that being an “undercover brother” is both a superpower and Kryptonite.

In his work, he wants to be “a conduit for bridge building, relationship building and human connections… once we have a relationship, anything is possible.”

He added “we’re losing some of that — the sense of human connection, building and maintaining authentic relationships with people of different backgrounds.”

After attending Binghamton University, Rothstein was ordained at Yeshiva University.

Identifying as Modern Orthodox, he is rabbi in residence at the environmental group Hazon, and at Bechol Lashon, which promotes Jewish diversity.

He was a founding member of the Beis Community in Washington Heights, and the Union Street Sanctuary, both of which have the slogan “All. Are Welcome. Always.”

Beis Community is a progressive Orthodox synagogue, while Union Street is more of a social organization with mostly a millennial crowd. While a majority of those attending Union Street are Orthodox, Rothstein’s goal was

12

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

to have an inclusive place for all, regardless of their background or anything that could make them feel like an outsider.

When he joined JFNA this summer, he said Jews of color in the American Jewish community is not a new phenomenon.

“Mixed-race families today struggle to find their place in the Juan McGruder Sr. and Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein sing “He’s Got The broader Jewish com- Whole World In His Hands” at McGruder Crossing munity, and so much of what I see as my job is tors.” He noted that “as an Orthodox Jew I havhow do we collaborate and create a sense of a en’t been in many churches, and I felt at home.” movement we’re all a part of.”

He also visited the lynching memorial in In Birmingham, he visited the civil rights Montgomery, where he found one of the slabs sites, along with some of the local Jewish in- that mentioned a McGruder. stitutions, and spoke before an online panel on He also met with relatives and toured family “Race, Justice, Healing and Unity: An Interfaith sites in Eutaw, Wedgeworth and Sawyerville.

Discussion,” coordinated by the Levite Jewish In a visit to a family cemetery, Rothstein Community Center and the Jewish Community spoke of how humans start from the earth and Relations Council. return, with the question of “what are you going To honor his cousin, he went to 16th Street to do in between.”

Baptist Church, where he felt “sent by my ancesThe cemetery is the great equalizer, as he point-

community ed out nearby graves of members of the Wedgeworth family, “white antagonists” of the Black McGruders in the early 20th century, according to a McGruder family history. “Not even 20 or 30 feet away, those who persecuted, those who expressed racism and bigotry to our family… also wound up in the soil of the earth,” Rothstein said.

But from the pain and suffering, “we took those tears and planted a garden” with family members keeping the family land productive.

After the Civil War, Charles McGruder purchased as much land as he could in the area where the family had been enslaved, land which members of the Black McGruders are returning to and are now establishing McGruder Farms and Tribe of Jacob’s Ladder, “focused on community empowerment through regenerative farming, education, and entrepreneurship.”

Marie McGruder said they plan to work with the community at large, because “currently it is one of the most impoverished counties in the state.”

Before his visit, Rothstein said several uncles had told him “you going to Birmingham, it’s for all of us,” and he said he felt his ancestors’ presence throughout the trip.

“I’m really here to honor the different parts of my identity and the legacy of Birmingham,” he said.

The pre-Rosh Hashanah visit to Birmingham “has helped me understand what selichot is all about,” the concept of repentance and forgiveness in Judaism. Through his visit, “my heart is open in ways it hasn’t been, living in New York.”

He was struck by the slogan of Kelly Ingram Park, a place of revolution and reconciliation.

“To me, it blows my mind,” the idea of reconciliation in today’s polarized America. “Reconciliation is the hardest work ever.”

But “what we do is say ‘there was hardship, there were wrongs’… and the way in which we resolve those wrongs is replacing them with something that is good.”

He added, “as much as there is hardship, let us not pull back… let us replace that hate with love… let us replace isolation with community.”

Today, “we feel everyone is so divided, no one is talking to each other, there is a lot of ‘othering’,” he said. He hopes that his family story of multiple ancestries, “a story of American love,” can be an example in the fight “for the spirit of America.”

With his visit, he felt a responsibility “not only to my ancestors but also to our generation” to do his part in promoting the celebration of everyone’s common humanity, and the “American promise that is beyond race” as King envisioned.

Birmingham is a “shining light” for learning the lessons of the past and moving forward with a common bond, he said. “America needs Birmingham, needs its story.”

FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE, WHO DO ISRAELIS DEPEND ON? THEY DEPEND ON YOU.

Magen David Adom is Israel’s official ambulance, blood-services, and disaster-relief organization. MDA has been on the front lines in the fight against coronavirus while also contending with terrorist attacks, car accidents, and other threats to Israeli lives.

But Magen David Adom is not government-funded. Its 25,000 EMTs and paramedics, most of them volunteers, rely on support from people like you for the supplies and equipment they need to perform their lifesaving work.

There are many ways to support Israel, but none that has a greater impact on its people than a gift to Magen David Adom. Your support isn’t just changing lives — it’s literally saving them.

Support Magen David Adom at afmda.org/chanukah

afmda.org

SJL

goes anywhere digital editions at ISSUU.COM/SJLMAG December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

13

community Identifying Rosenwalds Preservation group seeks to document historical schools in Louisiana The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation recently launched an effort to identify former Rosenwald Schools in the state.

Rosenwald Schools were the result of a partnership between Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Jewish Community Rosenwald School in philanthropist Julius RosenGrand Cane, built in 1929 wald, president of Sears & Roebuck. At his 50th birthday celebration in 1912, Rosenwald gave away close to $700,000, including a donation to Tuskegee. Washington used some of that on an experiment to build new schools in areas where little or no education was being offered to rural blacks.

After the initial six schools were built, Rosenwald continued partnering with Washington, providing seed money that would be matched by the local communities, and in two decades close to 5,400 school buildings were constructed in 15 states.

Louisiana was home to 442 of those buildings. The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation now wants to identify and document the locations of these historic buildings, as well as those that have been lost, throughout the state.

Rosenwald Schools were primarily located in rural areas, constructed of timber framing on short piers, using standardized plans. Windows were numerous and often grouped together, to provide for natural light and ventilation. The most common forms feature gable ends.

Most parishes had between three and 12 Rosenwald Schools, while only six parishes had no Rosenwalds built. The highest concentration of Rosenwalds occurred in the northwest corner of the state, in Caddo, Claiborne, Webster and Bienville Parishes. Just a handful of the state’s Rosenwald Schools have been identified.

The River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville acquired one of the few known remaining Rosenwalds in Louisiana in 2001, moving the Central Agricultural School building from Convent, where it was slated for demolition. The building is a rare four-room school house, and is situated in downtown Donaldsonville, not far from the museum.

The museum has been fundraising for restoration, intending to use the building as an educational and meeting center.

The Trust’s effort began after a site visit with staff from the Claiborne Parish Library, where the former Mt. Olive Rosenwald School was identified and its condition assessed. Brian Davis, LTHP Executive Director, says, “Since the Louisiana Trust works in all 64 parishes, connecting building owners with the resources to preserve them, it makes sense to incorporate this project into our ongoing efforts to help ensure that the buildings and their importance are not completely lost.”

Following desegregation, many of the schools were abandoned or demolished. Those that were used and maintained as a church, a community center, or even as a residence stood a better chance of survival.

LTHP has since set up an educational and resource center on lthp.org to gather information and memories about these schools and those who used them. This online center has additional resources including links to a searchable database and guides from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

LTHP encourages former students, teachers, their descendants, local libraries, and school boards or others with a connection to a former Rosenwald School to share any photos or information about the building.

14

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

15

Experience the flavors of over 200 teas

community ISJL bringing communities together with shared virtual events

Full Service Breakfast, Lunch and High Tea Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm • We Ship Teas Nationwide

Catering Our food. Your Venue.

Celebrate and have your event with us!

English Tea Room and Eatery 734 East Rutland St

(In Historic Downtown Covington)

985-898-3988 englishtearoom.com

As with so many other groups these days, for the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, Zoom has become an integral part of life and in fulfilling its mission in what Ann Zivitz Kientz calls “a year of challenge, experimentation and learning for us all.”

For the Jackson-based organization, Zoom has been a way to support, connect and celebrate Jewish life in the South. For Kientz, that means organizing shared programming among communities and states over the 13-state region ISJL serves.

“Since May, we have reached nearly 2,000 households in a dozen states, with 15 shared Zoom events through November,” Kientz said. “It’s been a terrific year of programming so far — and we’re thrilled with the lineup for the next several months.”

She anticipates setting an attendance record on Dec. 10 for a Chanukah concert with Julie Silver (see story, page 49).

On Jan. 14, the Institute will host Eric Goldman, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Jewish cinema. He is an adjunct professor of cinema at Yeshiva University and founder of Ergo Media, a distributor of Jewish cinema. His most recent book is “The American Jewish Story through the Cinema,” and he will discuss ‘The Coming of Age of American Jewry” as seen in a study of films from the 1940s and 1950s.

For Black History Month, the ISJL will host Rabbi Rachel Mikva on Feb. 18 for “Jews and Race.” She served as a congregational rabbi for 13 years before returning to academia, where she focuses on interpreting the Hebrew Bible in various times and places, how ideas shape and reflect the societies in which they unfold. She is especially interested in the intersections of exegesis, culture and ethics.

Plans are in formation for March and April, with dynamic speaker Tiffany Shlain on the schedule.

The programs are offered to communities in the region with the idea that numerous communities can sponsor them, sharing the cost so they could benefit from programs that they would not otherwise be able to undertake individually. Kientz coordinates the programs and sets up the links for participating communities and congregations.

Shabbat Hikes

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El has begun a Shabbat Hilicha, a monthly Shabbat morning hike and service at a park in the area.

The first one was held on Nov. 14 at Red Mountain Park.

16

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community

Vox video on Mississippi flag change includes anti-Israel imagery

By Gidon Ben-Zvi (HonestReporting.com) — A new video on Vox’s popular YouTube channel, titled “The 126-year fight to change Mississippi’s Confederate flag,” features a disturbing image that completely diverts attention away from the ongoing movement pursuing racial equality in the United States.

The otherwise well-produced piece suddenly shifts gears, seemingly in order to promote a decidedly anti-Israel agenda.

George Floyd, Systemic Racism… and Israel The focus of the Vox video is the long and difficult road traversed by activists who recently succeeded in having Mississippi redesign its state flag. The pending flag features a white magnolia blossom and the words “In God We Trust.” Its adoption was approved by state referendum on Nov. 3, and will become the official state flag once a related bill is passed by the state legislature.

The new flag will replace the old Confederate-themed one that had been adopted in 1894, which made many African-Americans feel like second-class citizens as, to them and many others, it represented the enslavement of their ancestors.

The short film explains that the campaign in Mississippi got a significant boost following the killing by a white police officer of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who lived in Minneapolis, Minn. The incident, the Vox video stresses, “spark[ed] widespread protest against police brutality and systemic racism.”

Nevertheless, the image here is shown immediately thereafter.

Image from virulently anti-Israel site Mondoweiss, used in the Vox video, compares racial police brutality in the U.S. to Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.

As the frame appears, one of the leaders of the initiative to have Mississippi’s flag changed states in reference to the demonstrations across the U.S.: “People were forced to look at… what has happened here in America when it comes to state-sanctioned violence against black people.”

From Mississippi to Ramallah in the Blink of an Eye In an instant, this educational video veers from America’s centuries-old struggle to effectively combat racism to questioning Israel’s legitimacy.

Visit Our Generation Lighting Gallery Today!

"We combine generations of design experience with an aesthetic relevant to today."

-Generation Lighting

Birmingham · Dothan · Pelham

www.mayerlighting.com ‫@ ׀‬mayerlightingshowroom December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

17

community First, the entire map of Israel in the image is labeled as “Palestine.”

Additionally, the Israeli soldier is shown pointing a machine gun at what is supposedly meant to represent an unarmed and non-threatening character. This Palestinian “victim” is extending his fist to a black American, thereby insinuating that they are engaged in identical causes.

The daily complexities that Israel, a modern, democratic nation must deal with when trying to protect its citizens after experiencing decades of Palestinian terrorism are simply ignored.

Does Vox Have an Anti-Israel Blindspot?

Had the producers of “The 126-year fight to change Mississippi’s Confederate flag” done some background research, they would have uncovered that there is an actual connection between U.S. police officers and Israeli security officials — and it is a positive one.

The Jewish state sends people across the world in order to train members of law enforcement agencies to avoid using unnecessary violence or allowing prejudices to influence their decision-making processes while on the job. For example, Israeli security services have by necessity become experts at using crowd control measures, especially in populated urban centers, to disperse rioters.

Indeed, a major proponent of this training is former president Barack Obama.

In 2014, he became so concerned about the surge in civilians being harmed in exchanges with police that he dispatched to Israel the Joint Chiefs of Staff as part of the “Lessons Learned” project.

From Education to Propaganda in Four Seconds Flat Vox’s YouTube channel has over 8.87 million subscribers and over 2.2 billion views as of Nov. 12. With such a large audience comes great responsibility. And while the image demonizing Israel was on screen for only four seconds, it undoubtedly left an impression on many of the 500,000-plus individuals who had already watched it. They, in turn, may now view Israel in a totally distorted manner.

Moreover, the use of such imagery detracts from the film’s primary goal: namely, to educate Americans about their past so that a process of healing and reconciliation can be accelerated, thereby hopefully ushering in a brighter future for all.

But by conflating events in Mississippi, Minneapolis and other parts of the United States with Israel, Vox does no “social justice;” rather, it has provided ammunition to hate-filled BDS supporters and, more broadly, anti-Israel groups.

This article originally appeared on Honest Reporting and is reprinted with their permission.

Thanks to a “generous donor,” Chabad of Alabama presented 20,000 masks to law enforcement agencies, public schools, homeless shelters, and community centers throughout the Birmingham area.

18

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

A JCRS SPECIAL SECTION

Jewish Children’s Regional Services Celebrates 166 Years Jewish Children’s Regional Service (JCRS) is the oldest existing Jewish children’s social services organization in America.

For over 166 years, JCRS has provided a financial safety net to vulnerable Jewish youth throughout the south. The agency began in 1855 as The Jewish Children’s Home orphanage for Jewish widows and orphans because of the yellow fever epidemics and was available to dependent children from across the South. The Home operated as an orphanage for 90 years in Uptown New Orleans.

The Home closed in 1946 and the modern JCRS was born. Still based in Greater New Orleans. JCRS serves Jewish children and families by providing college scholarships, grants for Jewish summer camp experiences and special needs assistance, as well as outreach programs such as the PJ Library (free book subscription program) and the Oscar J. Tolmas Hanukkah Gift Program.

Today, JCRS is as impactful than ever.

This past year, over 1800 children and families have been served – another new service record!

MAKING AN IMPACT !

JCRS 2019-2020 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT The JCRS 2019-2020 Annual Impact Report is available now!

Visit www.jcrs.org to view it online or call our office at (800) 729-5277 to request your copy.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

19

A JCRS SPECIAL SECTION

Our Impact & Service Highlights OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS: (September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020)

$301,783

in financial aid provided to Jewish undergraduate college students.

In the Summer of 2019,

391

youth received camp scholarship aid different camps. and attended

50

Because of COVID-19, most Jewish camps were canceled in 2020. Still, JCRS was able

24

campers to attend to fund camps this past summer.

17 different

1214

Jewish children received monthly books through the PJ Library®.

274

27

137

72

Jewish children and special needs adults received Hanukkah gift packages.

Jewish students received college aid.

65

different colleges

students from immigrant families received college aid.

children with special needs or dependency received financial assistance and/or casework management.

TO DONATE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JCRS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES:

Go Online WWW.JCRS.ORG • Call (800)729-5277 • Email INFO@JCRS.ORG 20

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

A JCRS SPECIAL SECTION

Louis Rapkin is a pediatric hematology oncologist at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Louis is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine at Birmingham, with a residency served at Baylor College of Medicine. Louis is the proud father of six wonderful children.

JCRS provided financial assistance to Louis when he was an undergraduate student at Emory University.

Success Stories

Rebecca McAlexander is the Executive Operations Manager at Adfero, a communications agency in Washington, D.C. She leads the marketing team while managing the company’s strategic planning and recruitment efforts. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Rebecca spent six summers at URJ Henry S. Jacobs camp, both as a camper and staff, and was a recipient of JCRS camp scholarships. She also received JCRS College Aid to attended the University of Maryland where she earned her degree in Jewish Studies and was a part of the College Park Scholars International Studies Program.

Serving Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas

The mission of JCRS is to provide needs-based support, resources and services for Jewish youths helping them to become well-adjusted, self-supporting, young adults.

Saul Schaffer is a PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Saul is studying the uses of living materials like muscles and neurons to develop the next generation of robots. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park for his undergraduate degree. Saul grew up in New Orleans and was the recipient of financial aid from JCRS for multiple years during his undergraduate studies.

Jacob Craig was raised in rural Brooksville, Mississippi.

JCRS scholarships helped Jacob attend URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp for many years where he was exposed to an entirely new Jewish experience. Also, with financial scholarships gained through JCRS, Jacob graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelors Degree in mechanical engineering.

Jacob is currently employed as a defense contractor focused on advancing the field of Hypersonics. He lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with his fiancé, Sierra and their dog, Tucker.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

21

A JCRS SPECIAL SECTION

You can feel good about supporting JCRS Your Support Makes A Real Impact

Success Story

JCRS supporters come from all income levels. Some contributors donate every month. Some contribute yearly or multiple times a year. We are pleased to say that last year, over 1500 households made individual contributions to JCRS programs.

The JCRS client base is 100% Jewish. Therefore, our organization is not eligible for United Way funding, government grants, or donations from most corporate foundations. This means that JCRS needs support at all giving levels, from individuals, families and foundations that are based in the Jewish community.

Funding A Scholarship

The preferred method of helping needy Jewish children and their families, by a growing number of donors, has been to create a scholarship fund at Jewish Children’s Regional Service. Establishing a fund at the JCRS accomplishes several goals: • Help needy Jewish youths in one or more scholarship programs on an ongoing basis.

• Donor family can commit to a specific Tzedakah project, such as one of the JCRS scholarship programs.

• Opportunity to permanently honor or memorialize a loved one by naming a scholarship after that individual.

For more information about opportunities to support JCRS, contact Ned Goldberg, Executive Director or Mark Rubin, Development Director, by calling (800)729-5277.

JCRS Receives a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator JCRS’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.

“Jewish Children’s Regional Service’s exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public,” according to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. People can trust that their donations are going to a financially responsible and ethical charity when they decide to support JCRS.”

Rachelle Burk is a writer and presenter of children’s literature with ten published books. Her Passover picture book, The Best of Four Questions, was chosen as a PJ Library® selection for their hundreds of thousands of monthly subscribers across the world. Married, and the mother of two daughters who are registered nurses, Rachelle is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the Hunter College School of Social Work. While pursuing her graduate degree in social work, Rachelle was a recipient of a college loan from JCRS. Read more about Rachelle’s story and others in our Impact Report.

TO DONATE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JCRS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES:

Go Online WWW.JCRS.ORG • Call (800)729-5277 • Email INFO@JCRS.ORG 22

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community

‘There’s horrible tension’ After divisive election, Georgia’s Jews on edge as Senate runoffs near

By Richard Friedman Jewish hearts are heavy in Georgia, where the Jewish community is deeply polarized as two crucially-important U.S. Senate races approach.

That is the picture that emerges from interviews and surveys with community leaders and rank and file members of Georgia’s Jewish electorate, with few of them willing to express their views on the record.

The Jan. 5 runoff will pit Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler against Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican incumbent David Perdue against Democrat Jon Ossoff. In Georgia, U.S. Senate candidates must get a majority of the votes cast to be elected. None of the four reached that threshold in the Nov. 3 election.

Warnock, who is African-American, is pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr. once co-pastored. Ossoff, who is Jewish, is an investigative journalist. Both candidates are considered serious contenders.

The two runoff races, which likely will determine which party controls the US Senate, coupled with the constant media attention, not only have extended a toxic political season for Georgians but have pitted Jews in the state against one another.

Money is pouring in, ads are airing, and efforts to register new voters and to turn out the vote are intensifying. It is hand-to-hand political combat.

“The gloves are off,” says one of Atlanta’s most influential and longstanding Jewish community leaders who, like others, did not want his name used.

One of those willing to speak on the record is Allison Padilla-Goodman, who heads the Atlanta-based Southern office for the non-partisan Anti-Defamation League. “I think nationally Jews tend to lean more toward Democrats. But in Georgia, there is a closer split. As a result, there

Locally Owned and Operated Since 1991 We Specialize In… u Care Management u Family Consultation u In-Home Care u Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Care u Peace of Mind

3421 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 502 Metairie, LA 70002 504-828-0900 www.HomeCareNewOrleans.com

Where can you find care with a personal touch?

Poydras Home, a retirement community in the heart of New Orleans. �e �uild rela�onships and care for loved ones like part of the family. Independence and a sense of community are nurtured in our Garden House apartments. The Assisted Living program in Oak House, along with our healthcare exper�se and innova�ve memory support programs, ensures even the most complex needs are met with a caring touch.

5354 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70115 504‐897‐0535 www.poydrashome.com December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

23

6854 Milne Boulevard New Orleans, LA 70124

5 bed / 5 bath / 5,611 Sq. Ft.

Beautiful home on corner lots.

Gourmet kitchen, extra large pantry.

Covered porches and patios upstairs & down. 4 bedrooms open to pool area.

Cecelia S Buras Sales Associate

4018 Magazine St., New Orleans

504.799.1702 Cell: 504.583.2902

community is a lot of divisiveness.”

Israel, once a unifying issue, has become an emotionally-charged topic in the Jewish community. Donald Trump’s tumultuous four years in office have created additional pressure points and fault lines.

This is not good for a community that, like most other Southern Jewish communities, has prided itself on being united. Unity is an important ingredient in the success of Jewish communities, particularly in the South, where even Atlanta, by far the South’s largest Jewish community, is widely outnumbered by the state’s non-Jewish population.

Such divisiveness can take its toll on the institutional infrastructure of a Jewish community. Agency directors begin looking over their shoulders, becoming hesitant to provide leadership on Israel and other issues that have the potential to create political disputes.

The wear and tear that the ongoing political drama and tension is taking on Atlanta’s Jewish community and smaller Jewish communities around the state is draining and divisive, Jewish leaders admit. But they are not doing much about it right now. They are in the heat of battle.

“We have a lot of work to do in our community to make sure that our fellow Jews feel safe and heard and not disrespected, and this is going to be a challenge,” laments one longtime Jewish community leader.

Rugged Language

MACHINE & CUTTING TOOLS Bringing The World Of Machine And Cutting Tool Technology To You

1-800-462-9519

24

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Supporters of the Democratic challengers describe those backing the Republican incumbents in rugged language. And vice-versa.

Who wins will no doubt have important implications. Yet, the acrimony in the Jewish community may be just as significant and more long-lasting.

“The tension and divisiveness in the Jewish community will have longterm effects,” predicts a seasoned Atlanta attorney who has been involved in Jewish community life. “You cannot ‘put the genie back in the bottle’ once you start a culture of demonization and vilification of your political opponents and of refusal to compromise.”

“I don’t believe that many people are open to intellectual discourse,” adds a Jewish leader in Savannah, home to a much smaller though highly active Jewish community.

“People on both sides are mostly falling for the canards they are hearing from friends, family and neighbors,” he says. “Most people in the community are trying to convince other people that they are right and the other person is wrong, as opposed to learning from each other.”

Joanie Shubin, co-chair of Atlanta’s Jewish Women’s Democratic Salon, says, “I honestly don’t have any good friends with different political views.” For her, the election issues have moved beyond public policy into Jewish values.

Unlike other regions of the country where the Jewish vote in presidential elections tends to go roughly 70-30 Democratic, in the Deep South, observers agree, the margin is likely closer to 55-45 Democratic.

There are an estimated 130,000 Jews in Georgia, with the bulk of them living in the Atlanta area. Given that Jews traditionally have a high turnout, the Jewish vote could play a significant role in deciding the two Senate races, which are expected to be close.

One of Atlanta’s most visible Democratic advocates is Michael Rosenzweig, board member of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and a head of the JDCA Georgia chapter.

“Those of us who are Democrats genuinely cannot understand how anyone who cares about the values of the Jewish tradition can possibly support Trump. It’s quite literally unfathomable,” says Rosenzweig. “Anyone supporting Trump is not educable. I mean that literally.”

He was asked whether he believes tension and divisiveness will be short-lived or have long-term effects. “Long term,” he said, “owing to the willingness of Republicans to go so low in embracing political expediency over true concern for Israel’s security by undermining the bipartisan

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

25

community nature of U.S. support for Israel.”

Shubin is frustrated because she also believes support for Israel has become politicized. She bristles at the idea that Democrats are not as supportive of Israel as Republicans. “I am willing to disagree with Republicans on other issues, but I find it disturbing that we have allowed ourselves to become divided over something as important as Israel.”

Wedge Issue?

Celebrating Birmingham Native

Elaine Luria’s

Reelection to the U.S. Congress (Va 02)

and Southern Jewish Life’s 30 Years

Michelle and Herbert Luria

Celebrate Hanukkah with gifts of Israel bondS Anniversary of

Development Corporation for Israel 3525 Piedmont Road, Building 6, Suite 250 · Atlanta, GA 30305 atlanta@israelbonds.com · 732.527.9547

Anniversary of

This is not an offering, which can be made only by prospectus. Read the prospectus carefully before investing to fully evaluate the risks associated with investing in Israel bonds. Member FINRA. Photos: Istock PERPETUATING A 70-YEAR LEGACY OF ACHIEVEMENT | ISRAELBONDS.COM

26

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Chuck Berk, a local chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, dismisses the idea that Republicans have politicized Israel and made it a wedge issue. “What you have is Trump and the Republicans being so strong in their support for Israel. Democrats need to look in the mirror and ask themselves what they haven’t done to support Israel.”

A commitment to Israel, Berk adds, “is not making statements. It is action. I would love to see the Democratic Party be as strong for Israel as the Trump administration has been.”

Berk acknowledges the political climate in Atlanta’s Jewish community is challenging these days. “With some of my golfing friends, who are more liberal, I can’t even bring up politics. They get so emotional. If I try to express my views then I am one of those ‘deplorables’.”

In late October, the Atlanta Jewish Times hosted a debate between Rosenzweig and Berk. It was animated and substantive as the two went toe-to-toe.

Jews who voted for Trump and support Loeffler and Perdue believe support for Israel by those three and the GOP is stronger than that of Biden, Warnock and Ossoff, and the Democratic Party.

Jewish Republicans point to issues such as GOP support for Israeli dominion over lands acquired in the 1967 war, and the hard line Trump has taken with Iran, including terminating U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear accord which most Jewish Republicans see as flawed.

Warnock, in particular, has come under fire for, among other things, a letter he signed in the past that many feel defamed Israel, though he has since affirmed his strong support for the Jewish state.

Meanwhile, Perdue has been accused of promoting antisemitism through a campaign ad enlarging Ossoff ’s nose, a classic negative Jewish stereotype. Loeffler has made some Jews uncomfortable by embracing Marjorie Taylor Greene, a newly-elected Member of Congress from Georgia who is associated with QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory group that many see as antisemitic.

All Four Dov Wilker, long-time director of the Atlanta office of the non-partisan American Jewish Committee, has met with all four candidates.

He says Loeffler is “very pro-Israel” and has not done anything explicitly to offend the Jewish community. Regarding her association with Greene, Wilker said this should not be interpreted as her supporting conspiracy theories. He sees Loeffler’s relationship with Greene reflecting the Senator’s desire to “connect with an important voice in the electorate.”

Warnock, Wilker says, has made statements that have been anti-Israel.

Yet, he adds, Warnock is a friend of the Atlanta Jewish community who has been an ally on the local level and built key friendships with Jews.

Reflecting on Perdue, Wilker says, “I think he’s been very supportive of Israel. He has unfortunately had two instances of what people have seen as antisemitism — a comment he made a number of years ago and the Ossoff nose ad. “We talked about the ad. He understands why it was wrong.”

Of Ossoff, Wilker says “it is easy” for Jews to vote for Ossoff, given that he is Jewish, proud of being Jewish and talks openly about his commitment to his Jewish identity.

Still, the beat goes on — and will likely continue to do so up to Jan. 5 and even beyond.

community “The runoffs are causing horrible tension,” observes a retired physician, a member of one of the state’s smaller Jewish communities. He voted for Biden yet plans to vote for Perdue and Loeffler.

“Three things got me to vote for Biden,” he explains. “When many respected generals said Trump was not capable of making appropriate decisions because he really didn’t care about their opinion, I was concerned.

Number two is when Trump walked out of the White House with the Bible and took it to the church. I found that act repulsive in trying to use G-d as if Trump was a G-d fearing person. Number three was Trump’s opposition to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Covid opinions and his total denial of any scientific data.”

However, he added, “I will vote for the Republicans in the runoff. I love a divided Congress. Gridlock will be good and may lead to forcing Congress to compromise.”

The thought process of one of Atlanta’s most respected Jewish leaders also reflects anxiety and introspection.

“I am enthusiastically pro-choice and support gay marriage, the Democratic position, but find the Republican platform regarding the direction of our country more responsible, more Constitutional and more realistic,” he explains.

“If far-left progressives and Black Lives Matter don’t get their way as Biden creates policy and makes appointments, I fear another explosion in the cities and beyond. It will not be so easily contained as evidenced by the past inaction of many mayors and governors,” he adds.

“Truth be told, I am one of 6 million new gun buyers this year who fear what might be coming if there is an ascendant left, a diminished police presence and a cowardly administration.”

Despite the fog, election fatigue and factionalism, the American Jewish Committee’s Wilker sees silver linings.

“It is amazing how much this has galvanized people and captured their attention. Friends not politically involved got fired up over the presidential election and have maintained that enthusiasm,” says Wilker.

“It is exciting that Georgia is the center of the political universe right now. It gives our state the chance to showcase itself. Everybody knows that everybody is looking at us.”

One of those who wants to be optimistic about the impact of the extended election season on Georgia’s Jewish community is ADL’s Padilla-Goodman. “While the election issues are intense, I don’t think they will fracture the Jewish community in the long-term. The community continues to be an incredibly unified force,” she believes.

Though after pausing for a moment, she admits, “I’m probably being a little utopian.”

Our library has history blocks.

Don’t just read about history, feel it in Natchez. Walk through the past on our downtown history trails. Explore the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. Dive into the stories at the Museum of African American History and Culture. We’re keeping the here and now safe and clean. Get the latest safe travel information at VisitNatchez.org/Responsibly.

TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL EST. 1843

visitnatchez.org #VisITMSResponsibly

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

27

He’s taking on

Oakley, brain tumor survivor

life

Because he’s taking on cancer

Gregory Friedman, MD The Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama is ranked among the top pediatric cancer programs in the nation.

Our team of over 300 dedicated pediatric healthcare professionals is committed to exceptional patient care and innovative research.

At Children’s, we’re safely serving children — providing essential care just as we have since 1911.

Our Center treats more than 90% of Alabama’s children with cancer and blood disorders. Learn how you can help at: ChildrensAL.org/committedtoacure

28

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community Jewish Women’s Theatre adds a taste of the South to “Matzo Ball Diaries” Last year, the Los Angeles-based Jewish Women’s Theatre did its first-ever Southern tour, coordinated through the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, and had such a great time that at the beginning of this year, plans were being made for a second tour this fall.

Naturally, Covid-19 threw a big wrench into the plan, but on Oct. 22 the group did an online performance of “The Matzo Ball Diaries” for several communities in the region — but this time, with more Southern flavor added.

Ronda Spinak, artistic director for the group, said she was considering Oct. 22 and an additional Oct. 29 performance to be their second Southern tour.

“Matzo Ball Diaries” is “more an intersection between storytelling and theatre,” with four actors relating “contemporary Jewish stories that illuminate different aspects” of Jewish life. Many of them also debunk stereotypes and myths.

There are about 20 short stories in the “Matzo Ball Diaries” repertoire, with some of them permanently in the show while others rotate.

One story that Spinak said will never be pulled is about the founder of IHOP — how he started the franchise, how his wife came up with the name, and it ends at the 50th anniversary IHOP convention where “he looked around the room and saw people of all colors and backgrounds.”

One of them had moved to the United States from Mexico 17 years earlier in search of a better life, and had worked his way to being a manager.

“The guy who founded IHOP realized that there were unexpected consequences to your actions,” in this case helping people live the American dream, Spinak said.

The original tour last year “ did not have a piece by a Southern writer, but we had one by a Persian writer and someone from South Africa,” she said.

This time, there were two Southern stories.

Shelley Hebert contributed a piece about her mother, Mollye Smolkin, whose freezer in New Orleans was always stuffed with homemade Jewish baked goods. After Hurricane Katrina, when the levees broke “my parents’ home was completely flooded,” along with her brother’s home in a different neighborhood,” Hebert said. The story she contributed was how her mother managed to get an insurance settlement on all those ruined baked goods.

The Oct. 29 performance was on her parents’ anniversary, so it was “a lovely way for me to remember them.”

The other Southern story came from last year’s tour. While it is a Jewish theatre group, there usually is at least one non-Jewish cast member.

As part of hosting a performance, communities are asked to provide a meal before the show, and in the South, that meant “full-on meals,” with brisket, chicken… one congregation took the stories from the show and did a meal that was “an artful interpretation of the show.”

At one venue, they served matzah ball soup — which, despite the show’s name, the non-Jewish actor had never experienced. “Of course, everybody was super-excited,” Spinak said. With phones recording the moment, he had his first taste… and he said it was like chicken soup.

That story was added to the show, because he was an outsider to the Jewish community, but after that experience “came this feeling that he was one of the tribe,” Spinak said. “Food can share culture and communicate love to people who aren’t Jewish.”

That’s why Jews invite non-Jewish friends to Seder or Shabbat dinner.

“We want them to feel the love we have four our culture and feel a connection to us.”

She hopes that her group will feel the connection to the South again.

“When things open up again, we will come back.”

community

When It Comes To Your Health

Israel’s Southeast Consul General Heard the ‘Family Business’ calling

By Richard Friedman

Anat Sultan-Dadon, like many second-generation offspring of those who have been successful, went into the family business.

Growing up, it was a natural fit and, looking back, now that she has entered a new phase of her career, an excellent decision.

Only the family business she went into is different than most. It’s not a business or professional practice in the conventional sense, though it is a business crucially important to the well-being of Israel and the Jewish people. Sultan-Dadon chose to follow in her father’s footsteps and entered the Israeli diplomatic corps. Her father, a wellknown Israeli diplomat, rose through the ranks to become Israel’s ambassador to Egypt, Turkey and Canada, three highly-important assignments.

During his ambassadorships, Sultan-Dadon was no longer living under her dad’s roof — she had begun her own independent life as a young adult. Yet before that, growing up as a diplomat’s daughter, she experienced foreign service life first-hand through his previous postings. His career framed her upbringing. She was born in The Hague, and grew up in the Netherlands, Kenya, Egypt during one of her dad’s pre-ambassador postings and Italy. “And, of course, Israel!” she adds with an evident love for her own country.

Today, Sultan-Dadon is Israel’s Consul General to the Southeast United States at the Consulate which is based in Atlanta. This is a prestigious assignment for her; rich with opportunities and challenges, particularly during this Covid pandemic era.

“I always was very interested in what my father did. I was fascinated,” she recalled in a recent FaceTime conversation. However, she knew following his path would not be easy. “I wanted a family. But I knew that for a woman to marry and drag her husband and children around the world would be a challenge. Serving in the foreign service is a career that involves the entire family. You cannot pursue it on your own.” She credits her husband, who can do his work from anywhere, with helping to make it happen. “Thanks to the support of my husband, I am able to have this career.”

Sultan-Dadon began her diplomatic career in 2004. She has served in Cameroon, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. She also has held positions in the Euroasia Division and the Asia-Pacific Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. Today, she is 17 months into what typically is a four-year stint as Consul General to the Southeast — and Covid or not, this dynamic and engaging diplomat intends to make the most of the experience, both for her and her family.

Southern Hospitality Being an Israeli Consul General is often multi-faceted work. When one is stationed in regions with large Jewish populations, such as Atlanta, as well as vibrant smaller Jewish communities, such as those found throughout the Southeast, the work goes beyond what the typical international diplomat does. In these postings, Israeli Consul Generals not only carry

Experience Matters...

If you suffer from allergies or other ear, nose, throat or hearing problems, we don’t want you to treat your healthcare lightly or ignore symptoms that could lead to more serious issues.

For a thorough checkup, make sure you see one of the 14 doctors at Alabama’s largest and most experienced ear, nose and throat specialists… ENT Associates of Alabama, P.C. At our practice, your health comes first; and we strive to treat each patient as a person, not just another case. Our goal is to deliver a positive personal experience along with a positive outcome. Call or contact us on our website for an appointment.

To make your visit even more convenient, we have 9 Alabama offices with same day appointments available.

Birmingham - Hoover - Cullman - Gardendale Alabaster - Jasper - Pell City - Trussville - Princeton

www.entalabama.com or call toll free 888-368-5020

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

29

Unmatched Customer Service • Superior Sewing Machine Brands That’s what has attracted sewing enthusiasts from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana to downtown Homewood for over 70 years!

Machine Sales and Service • Scissor Sharpening

Since 1950

We Take Bring in your old sewing machine, serger or Trade-Ins! embroidery machine for even bigger savings!

Located at 1722 28th Avenue South, Homewood

205.870.1931 sewingmachinemart.com Open Tuesday-Friday, 9:30-4:30

community all of the conventional diplomatic responsibilities, they also become an ambassador to — and often part of — the regional Jewish community.

Sultan-Dadon and her family quickly took to their new surroundings upon arriving in Atlanta in July 2019. She had always heard about Southern hospitality and quickly saw it was for real. She remains deeply touched by the warmth with which the Atlanta Jewish community embraced her and her family, and also by the welcome the larger Atlanta community extended to them.

“Our family is very happy to be here,” says the Consul General. She, her husband and their three girls — ages 16, 13 and 10 — arrived about nine months before the Covid pandemic erupted, so they got to enjoy Atlanta, get to know their new city and meet people.

In addition, Sultan-Dadon’s youngest is a special needs child, so before considering the Atlanta posting, she researched what kind of schools and support system would be available. She came away impressed and has been highly pleased.

Over the years, the Consulate has played an important role in developing support for Israel throughout the Southeast, and helping the multistate region become one of the most pro-Israel areas of the country. Many elected officials in the Southeast, at every level of government, support Israel, and the Consulate has been able to work with all levels of government to deepen ties between the region and Israel. In addition to the political arena, the Consulate also focuses on the cultural, educational and economic spheres, always looking for opportunities to connect people more deeply with Israel.

Sultan-Dadon and her Consulate staff cover a broad swath of Southern states. The Atlanta/Southeast posting is considered an important one for a range of reasons, and the position there is often referred to as “Israel’s ambassador to CNN.” The South is seen today as a politically influential area nationally, and many other countries also maintain Consulates in Atlanta, which gives the Israeli Consul General a great opportunity to build relationships. The Southeast also has a high concentration of two constituencies that Israel believes are especially important to engage: Evangelical Christians and African-Americans.

Alabama, Mississippi

As you Celebrate the Festival of Lights, May Your Home be Bright with Happiness and Love. Best Wishes from Stephens Plumbing Residential – Industrial – Commercial We’ll Take Care of Everything…

Serving Birmingham Since 1977!

Plumbing • Sewer Work Backhoe Service • Gas Piping No Job Too Large or Too Small

FREE ESTIMATES 205-956-6882 | 205-823-0175 | 205-326-6861 30

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

For years, Alabama and Mississippi were part of the Southeast Consulate’s territory. Due to budget cuts and a redrawing of the Consulate map, Alabama and Mississippi are currently served by the Israeli Consulate in Miami.

When asked about the possibility of reintegrating Alabama and Mississippi back into the region, Sultan-Dadon says that she hopes this may be realized in the future. Reaching out to Alabama’s and Mississippi’s Jewish communities would be especially important to her. “Local Jewish communities and the Consulate have mutual interests — educating and building support for Israel and especially investing in the younger generation of Jews, many of whom don’t have the strong attachment to Israel that their parents and grandparents did,” she emphasizes.

In the relatively short time that she has been Consul General, Sultan-Dadon has received high marks. One of the region’s long-time Jewish professional leaders says she is among the most impressive Consul Generals he has met. A member of her staff says, “I have worked for quite a few people but have never had a supervisor who has been so visionary yet so practical.” A volunteer leader in the Atlanta community, heavily involved with Israel, raves about her and sees the Consul General as an invaluable and accessible resource.

Arriving in the U.S. with an abundance of energy, lots of experience and a vision for what she would like to achieve, Sultan-Dadon has faced some challenges due to the pandemic. “The current situation contradicts everything diplomacy is about, because the emphasis in diplomacy is on the personal,” she explains. “However, the current situation has creat-

community

Happy Hanna-Kah!

Find Something Different this year… ed opportunities we would not have had, such as hosting events featuring speakers and audiences without anyone needing to travel.”

When it comes to her favorite part of the job, “love” is the word she uses: “I love talking to people and making new friendships.” This is not just a reflection of her personality. It’s also a framing of her strategy. Through personal relationships, even with those who might not be inclined to agree with her or even support Israel at first, this second generation diplomat believes she can win new friends for the Jewish state.

One of her staff members says with admiration, “She can be unapologetic while being diplomatic.”

Sultan-Dadon, clearly an accomplished and confident woman, takes special pride in being Israel’s Consul General in Atlanta. “This is my fifth foreign service posting and my first as head of mission,” she explains with a mixture of humility and pride. “I think it is a great privilege not only to be a Head of Mission, but to do so in the United States, which is Israel’s most important ally.” There are eight Israeli Consulates in the U.S., with the Consulate in Atlanta being the only one headed by a woman, aside from Galit Peleg filling in as interim Consul General in Miami.

As the conversation closes, Sultan-Dadon continues speaking passionately about what she intends to accomplish during her Atlanta tenure. “I love being able to communicate what Israel is about and where we have common interests and common values with others. I think that often people are unfamiliar with what Israel is really about. They may have certain perceptions or images which they have received through traditional media or social media which are not necessarily accurate. Ideally, we would have everyone visit Israel, but our conversations and programming allow us to show what Israel is.”

Ideally, also, would be everyone who cares about Israel having the chance to chat one-on-one with this dynamic and engaging diplomat.

She is warm, upbeat, a devoted mom, a thoughtful risk-taker, and a mover and shaker, with much to be proud of and, no doubt, a great career ahead of her.

It seems that in this case, her going into the family business was the right decision — not only for Anat Sultan-Dadon, but for Israel and the Jewish people as well.

Browse 27,000 square feet on two floors American and European furniture, rugs, vintage linens, fabulous accessories, and more.

35 showcases of jewelry, silver, and collectibles!

Birmingham’s Oldest and Largest Antiques Mall

2424 7th Ave S • Birmingham, AL • 205-323-6036 hannaantiques.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

BRUCE DOWNS CPA

Mensch of Modern Accounting.

From Nov. 25 to 29, the Hadassah Super-South tri-region held a virtual 5-kilometer Turkey Trot, raising funds and awareness in the fight against heart disease. Above, trotting in Big Spring Park in Huntsville. Left, Hadassah Birmingham and Greater Atlanta represent.

3349 Independence Dr. Suite 100 Homewood, AL 35209 205-879-8080 www.brucedownscpa.com

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

31

Get protection and live worry free Hobie Hobart, Agent 1351 Decatur Highway Fultondale, AL 35068 Bus: 205-841-7485 hobie@myagenthobie.com

State Farm® provides life insurance policies to millions of people, and with more choices to protect you and your loved ones, I can help find the right policy for you.

Here to help life go right.™ Call me today.

State Farm Life Insurance Company (Not licensed in MA, NY or WI) State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (Licensed in NY and WI) 1605581 Bloomington, IL

Celebrating Our 10th Anniversary!

Lunch Is Back! Tue-Sat 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Order Tailgating Pans for Pick-up!

Still Also Doing Curbside (or dine-in) Tuesday to Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m.

Orders Taken By Phone Starting at 2 p.m.

Menu Online at bistro-v.com/events 521 Montgomery Hwy, Suite 113 Vestavia Hills

(205) 823-1505 32

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Alabama Celebrates Israel was held on Oct. 25

The Rock in Huntsville shows it is always time to stand with Israel For many churches in the South, one of the highest priorities “is to honor Israel and her people,” according to Pastor Rusty Nelson of The Rock Family Worship Center in Huntsville, which holds events to honor Israel in coordination with Eagles’ Wings.

Nelson said that commitment is why the first major event at The Rock since the pandemic began would be Alabama Celebrates Israel, which was held on Oct. 25 in person and online.

Social distancing and masks were encouraged, and the in-person crowd was smaller than in past years, but still around 300 people.

The featured speaker was Izzy Ezagui, an Israeli soldier who lost an arm to a 120-mm mortar when the Gaza conflict broke out in 2008. He is the only soldier in the world who lost an arm in combat and, through a combination of rehab and pestering those in command, returned to the battlefield.

He is author of “Disarmed: Unconventional Lessons from the World’s Only One-Armed Special Forces Sharpshooter.”

One who wasn’t at the event in person was Eagles Wings Founder Robert Stearns. Because of restrictions in New York, he would have had to quarantine for 14 days upon returning from Alabama.

Stearns began Eagles’ Wings in 1994 after living for a time in Jerusalem and realizing the connection between his Christianity and historic Judaism, and the need for Christians to honor the Jewish roots of their faith.

Laura King, co-chair of the Alabama-Israel Task Force, represented the Jewish community at the event, thanking the crowd for their expressions of solidarity.

In April, when vandals tagged Etz Chayim and the Chabad House with vandalism on successive nights, the Christian community rallied to the Jewish community’s side, erasing the symbols of hate. Many of them were members of The Rock, King noted.

When news of the vandalism broke, King said she had friends and relatives in Israel calling immediately, “begging me to come to Israel.

“I reassured them that we have many friends here, and the actions of one do not reflect on our community,” she said.

With rising antisemitism in the world and at home, Nelson proclaimed that “we as believers declare, not on our watch.”

As part of the statement of solidarity, a check for $5,000 was presented to Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Stearns organizes the International Day of Prayer for the Peace of JerusaLaura King thanks the crowd lem, the first Sunday in October each

community year.

In his remarks, he said Israel and the Jewish people reveal “the character and nature of God himself,” as the presence of the Jewish people in the land of Israel, as promised millennia ago, shows the faithfulness of God. “I don’t follow a fickle God,” Stearns said.

Stearns also spoke of the “debt of gratitude to the Jewish people.” All the Bible verses “that energize us… come forth out of the soul of God’s relationship with the Jewish people.” The existence of the rule of law and the current notion of jurisprudence are based on Mosaic law, he added.

He also noted that “we share twin common enemies,” in both the radicalized segments of the Islamic world, and militant secularism in America.

Stearns also spoke of a “debt of repentance” for “the atrocities that have been done in history under the banner of the cross.” He asserted “never again will the Jewish people stand alone in history.”

Pastor Michael Fisher also addressed the event remotely. Fisher is with the Greater Zion Church Family in Compton, Calif., and he said “it is imperative that we spread the narrative of uniting” the Black community with Israel.

He said God has shown through history that he is with the Jewish people, and in the Black community, despite hardships of the Izzy Ezagui slave trade, Jim Crow and racism, “God has

kept us and allowed us to prosper.”

Seeing God’s hand in Israel shows that God “keeps His word,” Fisher said. “God has promises for our people… evil does what evil does, but God is a God who keeps His promises.”

He noted that his father was part of the first Black infantry at Normandy in the Second World War, and was a liberator at Dachau. “He never spoke of it,” Fisher said. The only time was during a visit to a Jewish museum, and he said he could never forget the smell.

Ezagui, on the other hand, recounted his battlefield experiences, saying he remembered the 45 minutes that he was conscious after being wounded — and being concerned that his mother, who he had told that he was in northern Israel, away from the action, would kill him.

Noting that he had been left-handed and lost his left arm, he knew early on that he wanted to return to the battlefield, and “bugged, harassed, every single general or politician that came to visit me in the hospital.”

Still, though he was prepared physically, he really wasn’t sure mentally — until fate intervened, as eight months after losing his arm, he went to the beach in Herzliya with a friend. There was a warning for severe tides — and sure enough, before long there were screams of help from a girl who was caught in the tide. He and his friend swam to her, and he got there first just as she was going under, but they were all in danger. He dug his heels in the sand, and as he was running out of air the tide receded and they were able to make it back to shore. Feeling he still had something to offer, he said “that was the day I decided” to go back to his unit.

He always was one to push the envelope. A few years ago, while on patrol during Chanukah, he took the M-16 rifles from eight of his fellow soldiers, took off the straps and put them in the ground with the barrels facing the sky. As it was the fourth night of Chanukah, he put candles in

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

33

community four of them, lit them and took a picture.

The photo, of course, went viral. When it got back to IDF safety office, though, the sheer stupidity of candles in rifles received a lot of attention.

He was formally convicted of being an idiot, but was never arrested because, he explained, how do you handcuff someone with only one arm?

When he went back to the military, he had to re-take the military tests, and had to learn how to reload rifles and throw grenades again. “I realized I could pull out the pin with my teeth like Rambo,” he said.

Instead of the typical eight months, he completed the tests in one month, and went back to his dream of protecting the Jewish people — a mission that resonated with those at the event.

Looking around the room, he confessed “I may not be a man of faith, but this gives me hope.”

Multicultural Center holds first event with Latino community

Make Chanukah Magical…

On Oct. 12, the new Goldring Family Foundation Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans held its first “effort in the Latino space” with “Crossing Bridges: The Latinx and Jewish Immigration Experience.”

The center seeks to foster relationships from the local Jewish community with the African-American, Latin-American, LGBTQ and multifaith communities.

The program, held with Puentes, was a Hispanic Heritage Month event to tell stories of the shared immigrant experiences of the Jewish and Latinx communities.

The event started with New Orleans Council Member At Large Helena Moreno, discussing how New Orleans was one of the first cities “to realize there was a significant increase in cases of Covid” in the Hispanic population. A task force has been formed to address the issue, with the Gershaniks as members.

At first the panel was just about Covid “but we have expanded it to include other topics… It has really opened our eyes to a lot of problems, experiences that we were not aware of before.”

Puentes was formed in 2007 after Hurricane Katrina to help Hispanics immigrate and assimilate, Executive Director Salvador Longoria said.

Now, the focus is mainly on youth.

“We are all, whether Jewish or Hispanic, members of the same community… and sometimes we are overlooked,” he said.

Several youth gave the stories of their arrival in the United States. Rebecca Santa Maria, who immigrated in 2016, said the hate messages made her want to express her version of the Latino community, which she is doing in a video project.

The teens spoke of leaving family behind and escaping violence, the tenuous circumstances of being smuggled across the border and people trying to take advantage of them.

Anne Levy, who survived the Holocaust and arrived in New Orleans in 1949 not knowing any English, spoke about her journey to becoming a U.S. citizen. “After five years we took the oath and got our citizenship papers… the most important document I own to this day.”

Ina Davis, co-chair of the Center, said the Jewish community, with its own history as immigrants, can’t “turn a blind eye” to the challenges of immigrants today.

Co-chair Bradley Bain said it is “essential to unite our two communities… We have the duty to advocate for every community in our state.”

The Latest News… www.sjlmag.com 34

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community Birmingham, Israel and Oklahoma: Edie Roodman makes her mark

By Richard Friedman To borrow a phrase from a Beatles song, a long and winding road brought Edie Roodman to where she is today.

Her journey, from her hometown of St. Louis, to Arizona for college, to Israel where she met her husband, to four years in Birmingham, to Louisville, then, finally to Oklahoma City, began around 1970, the year that Beatles tune was released.

Landing in Oklahoma City in 1990, after moving three times because of her husband’s medical training, and knowing no one, she and her husband, Eli Reshef, put down roots that would have an enormous impact.

Eli, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, has helped bring thousands of children into the world. Edie would make her mark as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City, and, more recently, as the director of the Oklahoma Israel Exchange.

Through these two roles, this warm and gregarious ex-Birminghamian has had a tremendous impact on Jewish life in Oklahoma and has been at the forefront of strengthening ties between the state and people of Oklahoma and Israel.

The way she became Oklahoma City’s Federation director has a Birmingham twist to it.

Having worked at Jewish Family Services in Birmingham, now Collat Jewish Family Services, and at the Jewish Federation of Louisville, she began volunteering at Oklahoma City’s Jewish Federation office. There she met then-Federation Director Garth Potts.

Garth was thinking about applying for JCC director in Birmingham

but couldn’t imagine there being much of a Jewish community there. Edie set him straight, raving to him about what a wonderful Jewish community Birmingham had and what a nice place it was.

Garth applied, got the job — and Edie became Oklahoma City’s Federation director. That was in 1991.

“I knew very little but came into my new job with enthusiasm,” says Edie.

“Being Jewish is at the core of who I am and everyone sensed that. I sort of became like the Pied Piper — whatever ideas I threw out, the board supported. I was so green. I made decisions, took risks and just got lucky.”

Rising Smoke Edie’s most memorable day on the job, though, was not lucky. Not for her, not for Oklahoma City, not for the country.

She remembers standing outside her house at 9 a.m., ready to get into her car. She heard what she thought was a sonic boom, a sound not unfamiliar in Oklahoma City. But then, standing in her driveway, she could see smoke rising from over the horizon, coming from downtown.

Edie rushed into the house and turned on the TV to learn that the city’s federal building had been bombed.

Though startled and numb, she reflexively put on her game face and

Prescription Delivery Curbside Pickup All new this year — unique Chanukah gifts and accessories for celebrating the holiday season in style!

60 Church Street, Mountain Brook 205/871-0317 crestlinepharmacy@gmail.com family owned & operated since 1950

Crestline Pharmacy is where your family becomes a part of ours!

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

35

COVID-19 SWAB & ANTIBODY TESTING Walk In - No Appointment Needed Fast, Accurate Results

NOW OPEN at 1337 MONTCLAIR ROAD BIRMINGHAM | 205.203.8226 OPENING DECEMBER 2020 708 MONTGOMERY HIGHWAY AT VESTAVIA HILLS CITY CENTER IN MISSISSIPPI

BRANDON | CLINTON | FLOWOOD | JACKSON RIDGELAND | HATTIESBURG

community helped lead the way as the city’s small 2,500-member Jewish community, with dollars and support from the national Federation movement, became a big part of Oklahoma City’s response.

The FBI website recounts that horrible morning: “An ex-Army soldier and security guard named Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City… Inside the vehicle was a powerful bomb made out of a deadly cocktail of agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals.

McVeigh got out, locked the door, and headed towards his getaway car.

He ignited one timed fuse, then another. At precisely 9:02 a.m., the bomb exploded… The human toll was still more devastating: 168 souls lost, including 19 children, with several hundred more injured.”

Edie, emotional to this day, reflects. “It was horrible and tragic, and remains so. But it arguably was our small Jewish community’s finest moment. We stepped forward financially, logistically and emotionally, developing partnerships with other groups and key state officials that have endured.”

Time would move forward. Her and Eli’s daughter and two sons, all now grown, would leave Oklahoma City for New York City where they have built successful careers. Daughter Erielle is known to many through her work as a TV correspondent for ABC News. Edie would conclude her Federation career in 2016, retiring after 25 years.

Like many people who have a passion for what they do, and a zest for life, the word “retire” is relative. Not content to sit on the sidelines, Edie has taken a new job as executive director of the Oklahoma Israel Exchange, also known as OKIE.

Goodwill, Partnerships OKIE, which has grown and thrived under Edie’s energetic leadership, promotes goodwill toward Israel, people-to-people exchanges, business partnerships, and cooperation between Oklahoma and Israel on a government level.

Getting to know so many key Oklahoma City and state officials in the wake of the bombing created lasting relationships which Edie has drawn upon to benefit OKIE. Critical to OKIE’s success, ever since the organization began in 1992, has been the willingness of Oklahoma governors and other top officials to travel to Israel on OKIE trips.

Oklahoma in many ways is like Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and northwest Florida. Its Jewish community is small but influential; its Evangelical Christian community is large and passionate about Israel.

These factors create a climate for building strong ties between these states and the Jewish state.

Edie and Eli, arriving with Erielle, lived in Birmingham from 1984 to 1988 while he did a residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Their second child, Evan, was born in Birmingham. A third, Eitan Joseph (“EJ”), would be born in Louisville. Though it has been more than 30 years since Edie and her family lived in Birmingham, she has warm memories of the experience.

Vivid in her mind is attending services at Temple Beth-El shortly after arriving.

Community leader “Karl Friedman was running services. I remember sitting there fascinated that this man had a Southern accent,” she recalls, still smiling about the experience 36 years later.

“I was laughing to myself practically the entire time. I had never heard a man with a Southern accent, plus he made so many cute quips. I also quickly came to learn what a great person he was.”

Their time in Birmingham stays with them. “It was very positive. We loved Birmingham, It was a great surprise. I didn’t expect it to be the warm, embracing, vibrant Jewish community that we found. We were just a young family starting out but we were welcomed with open arms.”

36

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community Tulane Jewish Leaders lets students explore their passions

By Alicia Serrano The Tulane Jewish Leaders program by Tulane Hillel provides students, both Jewish and non-Jewish, the opportunity to create their own impactful community programming and events reflecting diverse interests while building connections and leadership skills.

Open to all Tulane undergraduate students, the program has been offered

by Tulane Hillel for the past 10 years, with students creating more than 130 com- Students in TJL recently created a munity programs annually. mural outside Tulane Hillel’s restaurant, The goal of the program is Rimon, to show others where to stand for students to get involved while waiting for their food and to in existing programs creat- remind them to socially distance. ed by other student leaders, as well as develop their own programs centered around their interests, incorporating a community-driven element.

Over the years, Tulane Jewish Leaders created programs and events such as clothing swaps, coastal restoration activities, urban farming and planting, mindfulness and meditation activities, art therapy, cooking, jewelry making and more.

Liza Sherman, chief operating and programs officer at Tulane Hillel, said students have the ability to create programs around topics and ideas about which they are passionate.

“It’s totally what students want to do and when they want to do it,” she said.

Sherman said there are five staff mentors who assist students with honing and developing their ideas into programs. Staff mentors also help students find ways to become involved in assisting and collaborating with other students’ programs, bringing fresh perspectives.

“Typically, on a program planning committee, it’ll be a combination of friends that someone with an idea might recruit to help, along with one or two new people coming together to work on a team to develop the project and have a great event.”

Julia Barron, a senior majoring in Spanish, has been involved in Tulane Jewish Leaders since she was a first-year student. She had a background in creating programs for her Jewish youth group in high school. TJL offered her the opportunity to continue that and to become more involved in the creation process.

“I enjoyed how accepting the program was of a variety of different ideas and provided me with the autonomy to be in the ‘driver’s seat’ of my interests and create programs around them,” Barron said.

Over the years, Barron has designed programs such as a sustainable clothing swap, an annual Friendsgiving, which gathers the community over a free Thanksgiving meal, and “Yak and a Snack,” which includes an afternoon kayaking on Bayou St. John. She also conceived “Lift Like a Girl,” a program in partnership with the Reily Student Recreation Center that provided young women the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of lifting weights without the pressure of teaching themselves in an often intimidating weight room, and a yoga class that featured a panel of New

Advance tickets available online and at the Gardens.

NOVEMBER 27– JANUARY 3 Open nightly, rain or shine!

Closed Christmas and New Year’s Days

12401 Bellingrath Gardens Rd • Theodore, AL 251.973.2217 • bellingrath.org

THE FRENCH QUARTER IS CALLING Our Flexible Rate allows you to change or cancel your reservation up to noon (12pm) local hotel time on day of arrival.

Old77Hotel.com 535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 7013 ~ 504-527-5271

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

37

community Orleans-based women discussing their professions.

A number of Tulane Jewish Leaders are active in other organizations or sororities/fraternities, and the program allows those students to cross-collaborate as well, Sherman said.

“We’re all about driving connections.”

The program has facilitated partnerships with local organizations in the city, such as Grow On Urban Farms, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Covenant House, The Edible Schoolyard, Anna’s Arts for Kids, and restaurants, such as Saba, Lebanon’s and Maple Street Patisserie.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tulane Jewish Leaders have still been able to host programming within public health guidelines.

Sherman said recent programs have moved outside and practice socially distancing. When food is involved, it has been individually packaged and there is a designated area where students can pick it up.

TJL student leaders recently painted a mural outside Tulane Hillel’s restaurant, Rimon, to show others where to stand while waiting for their food and to remind them to socially distance. Students also created a craft experience in which they created tie-dye face masks for themselves and for donation (below).

Additionally, programs in the community have been closer in proximity to Tulane Hillel since the start of the pandemic.

“We’ve done a number of meditation walks in Jean Lafitte Park on the West Bank, so we’re now probably going to do those in Couturie Forest in City Park,” Sherman said as an example.

Sherman said the program is seeking students who are action-oriented and who want to make a positive impact on the community.

“I believe that being a part of TJL has been the most fundamental part of my college career because of its unique ability to provide me with a platform to plan programming related to my passions and become deeply involved in all the fundamental processes that go along with the planning, such as working closely with a team, delegating responsibility, responding quickly to changes and, most of all, creativity,” Barron said.

38

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community

Photos by J. Hun-En Joswick

Student actors Allyn Hackman, left, and Cameron Mayers

“Anne and Emmett” inspire action Play about meeting between historical figures has first Mississippi performances

By Richard Friedman It was a trip Cameron Mayers had to make, driving 90 miles and 65 years back into history.

Mayers, an 18-year-old Mississippi State University freshman, would play Emmett Till in a November campus production of “Anne and Emmett.” The play imagines a conversation in the afterlife between Till, an African-American teen brutally murdered by white racists in 1955, and Anne Frank, a Jewish teen who died in the Holocaust.

The one-act play, which debuted in 2009, was written by Janet Langhart Cohen, a TV journalist and author. She is married to former U.S. Senator and Secretary of Defense William Cohen. She is African-American, Cohen has Jewish roots on his father’s side.

Till was murdered in Mississippi. The Mississippi State production, done in tandem with a production at Hattiesburg’s William Carey University, marks what is believed to be the first time “Anne and Emmett” has been produced in the state.

This significance was not lost on Mayers, an impressive young man who grew up in Pearl, Miss., who was headed for Yale until family illness kept him closer to home. Aside from his satisfaction over winning the part, he was moved by the chance to play Emmett Till.

Mayers was well-aware of the Till saga, having grown up in Mississippi.

“I don’t think there was a time in my life that I didn’t know Emmett’s story. It was ingrained in my memory.”

This is not true of every young Mississippian. “One of the things I learned through this process is that a lot of people my age don’t know the story of Emmett Till,” said Mayers. “The story needs to be told. It’s a dark moment but it’s a moment that led to the Civil Rights movement and to where we are as a nation today.”

The MSU actor was familiar with Anne Frank’s story. As a youngster he visited a Holocaust education center in Houston, Texas, with his uncle.

Anne Frank and her famed diary were featured. “My uncle didn’t sugarcoat anything. He told me her story, what she went through, what the Jewish people went through.”

Mayers embraced his role with professionalism and passion. He immersed himself in the part, making the 90 minute drive from the MSU campus in Starkville to Money, a dot on the Mississippi map just north of Greenwood. Money, which likely would have remained under the radar like many small towns, is widely known among Civil Rights historians and others who know the Till story.

The Till murder and its aftermath played a major role in igniting the December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

39

community Civil Rights movement. Some historians believe it was the catalyst that started this dramatic wave of change.

Racist Rage

Advertise in Southern Jewish Life Call Lee Green, (205) 870-7889 In New Orleans, Call Jeff Pizzo, (504) 432-2561

F

2021

N

TURED I EA

One of the

TOP

20 BEST VALUE schools in the U.S.

2019 Honors Day

YOU'LL FIND MORE THAN A COLLEGE ON

the hilltop YOU’LL FIND A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY.

TOP 10 colleges that lead to

GRADUATE

SCHOOL

250+ COMMUNITY AND

bsc.edu

40

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

BUSINESS LEADERS MENTOR STUDENTS

Till, from Chicago, was visiting family in the Money area. There are conflicting reports about what happened. However, all accounts acknowledge that somehow the 14-year-old boy offended a white woman working in a country store.

This triggered racist rage in her husband and his half-brother, who kidnapped and murdered Till and dumped his body in a river. “I wanted to dig more into the character, that’s why I went to the sites,” explained Mayers.

He not only dug into the character, he dug into himself. “Being in the actual space where he was murdered, the tin shed where the climax of Emmett’s life occurred, was an experience I will never forget. It opened my eyes, not just as an actor but as a human being.”

Watching a recent performance online, one could tell how moved all the actors were and how vested they were emotionally. Mayers, an African-American teenager himself, said that as the play unfolds he forgets who he is and becomes Emmett Till.

The stage setting was understated and stark.

The dialogue was simple; mainly because this imagined tale tells itself. It is that powerful. It needs no embellishment.

Anne and Emmett meet in a place called “Memory.” Like many teens, they are standoffish at first. It is their shared experience that draws them to each other as they peel and probe their traumatic pasts. The actors become the characters; you forget the characters are actors.

The show is painful. The dialogue is penetrating. Yet it is never desperate. From the start you sense the play is moving toward a redemptive conclusion. This is because the play forces you to reflect and ponder. And, after taking a deep breath, to resolve never to stand by idly when hatred begins to rear its violent head.

Particularly powerful was MSU student actor Allyn Hackman’s portrayal of Anne Frank.

Hackman, a 21-year-old theatre major from Madison, Miss., did a masterful job of capturing Anne’s European accent and demeanor. She looked like Anne with her dark hair and dark eyes.

Playwright Langhart, in a post-performance chat with the cast, spotlighted Hackman for her outstanding performance, especially her reflection of the nuances in Frank’s character.

Anne Frank and the Holocaust have been an important part of Hackman’s life since seventh grade, when she first encountered Frank’s diary.

Since then, Hackman has committed herself to studying the Holocaust; thinking about it constantly, reading and watching everything she

community can, and visiting key European sites, including the Dachau concentration camp with her father.

“Walking into the concentration camp was absolutely horrifying,” said Hackman. She was 15 at the time, the same age as Anne.

“Playing Anne Frank has been an honor.”

Not A Given As a white Christian, Hackman has grown up with “privilege,” she said, free from persecution or being disadvantaged by her faith or skin color.

Playing Anne Frank reminded her that this is not the way it is for everybody, and also that life is fragile — freedom, security, happiness and serenity are not a given and can evaporate quickly if hate-driven people ascend to power.

Hackman, engaging and inspirational, sees theatre as a way to change the world. “I believe the audience is the world — and having people watch you perform is a way to bring new ideas to life. What I especially want to do is encourage audiences to embrace and promote diversity, such as the musical ‘Hamilton’ has done so brilliantly.”

This young Mississippian believes that theatre should be a tool for getting people to think about things they haven’t thought about and pushing them beyond their comfort zone. Clearly, these beliefs shaped her portrayal of Anne Frank.

A driving force behind selecting and producing the play, and helping students such as Mayers and Hackman change the world, was Tonya Hays, assistant professor of theatre performance at Mississippi State.

She and faculty colleagues Matt Webb, who designed the set and lighting, and Melanie Harris, who costumed the play, convened a Zoom call

last summer with the student theatre community regarding productions for the coming year.

The conversation took place amid the racial turmoil that was consuming the country. Students felt an urgency. They wanted to assert their voices — and educate about hatred.

This led Hays to “Anne and Emmett,” a perfect choice. “The play helps students address the complicated history of Mississippi, Civil Rights and racial injustice,” she noted.

Hays, though Catholic, also had a soft spot in her heart for scripts with a Jewish dimension. This stemmed from directing “Fiddler on the Roof ” in a previous job in Gulfport. Through that experience, she and the all-Christian cast bonded with a local synagogue. In addition to a cross, she wears a Jewish star around her neck.

So a play linking Emmett Till and Anne Frank definitely caught this theatre professor’s attention and ignited her passion. Even watching it online, you could feel her pride and sense of purpose coursing through the show, along with her evident determination to help her students make the impact they wanted.

She succeeded.

Students who worked on the play adopted the mantra “Tikkun Olam.”

This Hebrew phrase and Jewish imperative affirms that one’s sacred duty is to help repair a broken world. The students have claimed it as their own; Tikkun Olam has become their rallying cry.

Hays, talking about the play the day before it debuted, said, “Emmett and Anne don’t just tell their stories. They challenge the audience to go out and make a difference. That is the beauty of the play.”

She was wearing a Tikkun Olam button as she spoke.

Gwendolyn, The Pie Lady “After my knee replacement, Touro got me back to doing what I do best, baking pies.”

We’ve been training our whole life for yours after 65.

When it comes to caring for seniors 65 and up, we don’t miss a beat.

From Primary Care to Cardiology and every specialist in between, Touro provides Senior Care all in one place. Not to mention, an Emergency Room and Inpatient Unit dedicated and designed just for seniors. The list goes on, and we’re just going to keep adding to it. At Touro, good care never gets old.

Experts in aging.

Learn more at touro.com/seniorcare

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

41

Wishing all my friends and supporters in the Jewish community a very Happy Chanukah!

Judge Candice Bates-Anderson Juvenile Court, Section C

community With summer camp returning, so is scholarship assistance from JCRS Everyone connected with summer camping hopes that a normal summer season — or at least, something close to normal — will happen this year.

For New Orleans-based Jewish Children’s Regional Service, which provides need-based camp scholarship assistance, there is some unfinished business from last year for many families, who received scholarship awards but summer sessions were cancelled. For those families, there is no need to reapply for this summer, but there is a form on the JCRS website that does need to be filled out.

For new and returning campers. the application process is also done entirely online at jcrs.org. Those who applied for the summer of 2019 can use the shorter Returning Camper form, while those who have not applied in the last two years or are first-time applicants need to use the longer form.

Last year, the New Orleans-based social service agency provided partial scholarship funding for over 300 Jewish youth in a seven-state region to attend a non-profit Jewish sleepaway camp.

Campers must be entering grades 3 to 12 in the fall of 2021, and must reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Texas. The priority consideration deadline is Feb. 15.

In addition to the online application, several documents need to be uploaded — a PDF of the most current Federal tax return for the parents or guardians, the most current W2s and 1099 forms and a copy of the final 2020 pay stub if the 2020 W-2 has not yet been received.

Financial information is required from all legal parents and guardians, and permission must be given for JCRS to work with other local organizations that give camp scholarship assistance.

Applications for siblings can be combined if all legal parents or guardians are the same.

Additional Initiatives For example, in the Birmingham area, Collat Jewish Family Services receives support from camp scholarship funds at the Birmingham Jewish Foundation and is ready to assist families in applying for local and regional scholarships. In several other communities, synagogues have their own camp scholarship funds, especially for camps in their movements.

Another program offers up to $1,500 per camper in a grant that is not based on need. The Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience, administered by the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, provides a one-time grant for first-time sleepaway campers from Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. The deadline for applications is March 31.

There is also a new initiative, the RoseMary and Saul Brooks Fund for Jewish Youth Engagement, which was recently announced by JEF. The fund will provide an incentive grant of at least $550 for up to 10 Jewish children from rural parts of Louisiana to attend a Jewish nonprofit sleepaway summer camp annually and be able to connect with Jewish peers.

To be eligible, students must have at least one Jewish parent and identify as Jewish themselves, reside full-time for the past year in a Louisiana community that is outside of the major metropolitan areas such as New Orleans or Baton Rouge, be entering grades one to 12 after camp and be attending a nonprofit Jewish sleepaway camp. One application must be submitted per child, and they can reapply each year they are eligible.

Funding is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis. Applications will be reviewed by a small group, including JEF staff, Board, and a representative of the Brooks family, and funds will be paid directly to the camp.

42

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

New Orleans Avodah corps members recently held a Conflict Resolution Fall Retreat in Saraland, Ala.

Despite Covid, Avodah retools to continue serving the community With the medical and economic needs of vulnerable members of society exacerbated by the Covid pandemic and shutdowns, this is a time when social service agencies are in even greater demand for assistance.

But when the pandemic began, Avodah faced a serious question: How to run a service corps based on a communal living model in the middle of a pandemic, and continue to serve the agencies in New Orleans that depend on Avodah participants.

Since the agency arrived in New Orleans in 2008, each year Avodah has supplied 10 to 12 corps members that are matched with local anti-poverty agencies, giving them young adults who are passionate about social justice work and saving each agency at least $20,000 per year in personnel costs.

Dani Levine, former New Orleans director of Avodah and now the national service corps director, said the Avodah Bayit, the communal house for corps members, has always been a central part of the Avodah experience. “If you can’t solve the problem of getting along with the person who can’t do the dishes, you can’t solve the problems of the world,” she said.

During a pandemic where social interaction is limited, she said, Avodah is a built-in community with its own “pods.” Still, with new corps

When hate is dismissed and bigotry ignored...

A Jewish Girl’s High School Introduction to Antisemitism A teen romance, read by the Emmy Award and National Jewish Book Award winning author Eileen Bluestone Sherman

“Sherman shines a light on discrimination with an enthralling narrative” NOW STREAMING on all major platforms including Authors Direct, Chirp, Audible and Apple Books

And just in time for Chanukah…

Pre-Order the paperback for December at barnesandnoble.com ebsoriginals.bookmark.com December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

43

Chanukah Gifts!

Opening Soon in !

Destrehan

We’re Open, Come On In! Inside, Curbside or Delivery Mon-Fri 10am-6pm • Sat 10am-4pm

5101 W. Esplanade Ave (at Chastant) Metairie 504-407-3532 nolagiftsanddecoronline.com

ExtErior DEsigns, inc.

By Beverly Katz

ExpEriEncED tEam DEsign anD construction our spEcialty Over 25 years experience and A+ rating with BBB New Orleans

44

(504) 866-0276

exteriordesignsbev.com

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community members typically arriving in early fall, there was a question of how to do that safely.

In discussions, “it became very clear we should run the corps and have communal living be an option,” so living in the house in New Orleans and other communities served by Avodah would not be mandatory.

Nevertheless, “the overwhelming majority elected to live in the house,” and all the spots were filled. “We actually had more applicants than the last couple of years.”

Local and national medical advisors were consulted, and the length of orientation was extended as incoming corps members were asked what type of quarantine was possible prior to arrival.

“We started a very robust protocol development, taking into account all the situations,” guided by Avodah’s values, Levine said. Avodah has a 60-page booklet on Covid policies. Consideration went into engagement in protests, daily life in the home, travel for holidays, Shabbat observance and more.

Corps members were given individual travel plans and a sanitizing package for their travel, with most doing a full two week quarantine before arrival.

In New Orleans, there were nine residents in mid-October with two more entering a quarantine process before moving in. An additional apartment was obtained in case a quarantine space is needed.

Of course, the corps members work with different agencies in differing circumstances.

Levine said half were working virtually from the house, while half were going to their placements in person, but many of them were still not seeing clients in person.

For those involved with groups dealing with criminal justice, Levine said the state had suspended all jail visits. “People who are locked up in Louisiana haven’t been able to see anyone from outside since March.”

For those who are working in person and seeing clients “we have a system to mitigate risk of exposure to the rest of the house.” In some communities with larger houses, there is actually a split between virtual and in-person workers, and even who can use which bathroom is based on exposure outside the house.

Levine said she has been impressed with how so many non-profits have pivoted to a virtual world to meet needs, and also knowing when virtual is not meeting a need. “Everyone making these decisions lowers the risk for those who have to be in the public sphere.”

Being in New Orleans is a benefit, because other communities have much colder weather, limiting what can be done outdoors. In Washington, for example, Avodah bought outdoor

heat lamps for activities. “We’re trying to be creative, ask corps members what they need,” Levine said.

That also includes mental health. Avodah added a national mental health advisor, and has two rabbis in residence for spiritual guidance and social justice education.

Hayle Meyerhoff is working as a unanimous jury specialist with the Promise of Justice Initiative. With the Louisiana practice of allowing non-unanimous jury convictions being struck down, the initiative is interviewing those convicted under the old system to see who could possibly be eligible for a new trial.

Halle Young works as an institutional memory project manager at the Ashe Cultural Arts Center, which looks at art as an often-overlooked method of social change.

Miriam Teller is an outreach coordinator at the Oretha Castle Boulevard Merchants and Busi-ness Association, which uses community development as a means for social change.

EXCELth does dental outreach, as it is “a critical need that isn’t met for many people in Louisiana and one of those loopholes that falls through Medicaid or Obamacare,” Levine said.

When Covid hit, many mobile dental units were converted to mobile Covid testing centers. Hava Liebowitz is an outreach coordinator for mobile dental services.

Levine said Avodah helps corps members and the community at large see the connections among health care, education, criminal justice and art, and leverage connections among the Corps members to help people in the community. “People we serve are being affected by all these things.”

Other Corps members this year include Emma Fischer, assistant office manager and programs administrator at The First 72+/Rising Foundations; Emily Williams, Investigations Fellow at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center; Aaron Rothko, move-in specialist at UNITY of Greater New Orleans; Claire Singer, program assistant at Innocence Project New Orleans; Rachel Snyderman, client and family assistance associate at The Promise of Justice Initiative; Reilly Loynd, organizing and membership development assistant at Voice of the Experienced (VOTE); and Talia Bromberg, communications coordinator at the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition.

At the Avodah gala in August, CEO Cheryl Cook said when Avodah expanded into New Orleans after Katrina, “we found a community committed to overcome.” With Covid and the fight for racial justice across the country now, “the resilience and care we saw in New Orleans is the resilience and care we need in our country right now.”

Bubba, now that Mississippi has rid itself of the Confederate battle flag in its state flag… it can’t possibly be true that the battle flag was originally designed to not offend Southern Jews… right?

A:

Seems kind of silly to think that, right? A flag that is now the epitome of all that is politically incorrect was actually a nod to political correctness?

The banner that was adopted by the Klan and other white supremacist and antisemitic groups, designed in a manner to not offend Jews?

Preposterous.

But it’s true.

How did this come about? After the Confederate States seceded and war broke out in 1861, the Confederate States adopted what is known as the Stars and Bars as the national flag — with a blue square in the upper left corner, an arrangement of stars and three stripes in red and white.

That design was very familiar, and on the battlefield it was too familiar — too much like the United States flag. It soon became apparent, based on confusion during the First Battle of Bull Run, that the Confederates needed to march under a different banner.

Designer William Porcher Miles, chair of the Flag Committee, was inspired by a South Carolina Sovereignty Flag that was a red background with a blue vertical cross studded with white stars, along with the crescent moon and palmetto tree so often linked to South Carolina.

When getting input about the flag, “Southerner of Jewish persuasion” Charles Moise suggested “the symbol of a particular religion not

be made the symbol of the nation,” as represented by the vertical cross.

In a letter to Gen. Beauregard, Miles explained why he then submitted a design that “was my favorite,” with the cross at an angle, as an X, making it “more heraldic than ecclesiastical” as the “saltire of heraldry.”

Miles added that the new design “avoided the religious objection about the cross (from the Jews and many Protestant sects), because it did not stand out so conspicuously as if the cross had been placed upright.”

The flag was adopted by the Army of Northern Virginia, and only after the war became popular as a symbol of the Confederacy. Then, during the civil rights battles, it became a symbol of Southern defiance against northern dictates and court rulings to desegregate.

So the next time you run into what Kinky Friedman refers to in his song “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Any More” as an “ethnocentric racist” waving that flag, feel free to completely ruin his day by referencing this article.

Do you have a question that has been nagging at you? Let Bubba Meyer put your mind at ease… email it to editor@sjlmag.com and we will send it to where he is recounting election ballots.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

45

community

A rift in the family?

Rabbi-Author looks at the philosophical divide between American Jews, Israel

By Richard Friedman Family issues often are complicated. They can be fraught with misunderstanding, hurt, resentment, power shifts and changing attitudes over time. All of this becomes particularly important when the family is the American Jewish community and the Jews of Israel — once perceived of, whether correctly or not, as brothers and sisters, and today perhaps more accurately as cousins. But still family members who need each other despite occasional tensions.

These were some of the takeaways from an online program hosted on Oct. 18 by the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Photo courtesy Israel Hadari Photography Relations Council, featuring well- Daniel Gordis known author, scholar and rabbi Daniel Gordis, who grew up in Baltimore and moved to Israel in 1998.

Gordis, 61, is a popular figure within the organized American Jewish community, largely because of his ability to bring clarity to confusing and complex questions and help American Jews better understand the history of Israel and the unique challenges its people face.

Gordis’ topic was headlined “Understanding American Jewish-Israel Relations.” His comments were framed by his 2019 book “We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel.” The thrust of Gordis’ book, according to a review in the Wall Street Journal, is, “America and Israel are fundamentally different enterprises; the two have opposing missions and values that have engendered an abiding and probably irreconcilable conflict between American and Israeli Jews.”

A Gordis strength is that he is in effect a “scholar for the masses.” He has the ability to reach deep into the Jewish historical and cultural experience while tapping into contemporary events, then draw conclusions that are rich in nuance and informative in substance. That skill was on display as he gave participants a “30,000-foot” view of the pressure points between Israelis and American Jews, rather than drilling down on any particular issue.

He noted that for Jews, as well as other Americans, the American historical experience is vastly different than Israel’s. America was founded on a universal vision, articulated clearly, he noted, by such figures as Thomas Jefferson and Emma Lazarus. Their vision was that America could be a place for all to prosper, even though that hasn’t always been the case. By contrast, Israel’s David Ben-Gurion, the country’s founding father, had a different point of view. The Israel Ben-Gurion and his associates created was “particularistic,” not universal. It was to be a Jewish country, for Jews and of Jews, ready to welcome any Jew at any time.

While Israel is a democracy in the sense that it has free elections, free speech, a free press and an independent judiciary, it is not a democracy in the sense that the United States is, a country that was established with no preferred religion. Thus two branches of the Jewish family, one in America and one in Israel, have come of age under vastly different democratic cultures. Israeli particularism, Gordis acknowledged, can sometimes frustrate American Jews.

America’s universalism versus Israel’s particularism is further en46

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community shrined in their national symbols. America’s flag, he suggested, has no obvious features, other than what it represents historically, that distinguishes it from the flags of other nations.

Israel’s flag is uniquely Jewish, not only with its Star of David but also it was created to suggest a tallit, the religious prayer shawl.

Another factor that has complicated the relationship is the shift in demographics. At the time of Israel’s rebirth as a modern Jewish state in 1948, it had 650,000 Jews and was a fragile country, striving to survive. It also was heavily dependent on the financial and political support of the American Jewish community.

Today, there are more Jews in Israel than in the United States — an astonishing shift in 72 years. Israel today is considered by both its allies and adversaries to be a significant military and economic power. This remarkable transformation, which few could have envisioned in 1948, has made Israel much less dependent on American Jewry.

The trend will likely continue. Gordis said by 2043, less than 100 years after Israel’s rebirth, the country is projected to have twice as many Jews as America.

Divergence Compounding what many see as a “rift” between American Jews and Israel is a considerable divergence in opinion when it comes to U.S. President Donald Trump. American Jews continue to vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic candidate for president and are expected to do so again in the upcoming election. Israelis, on the other hand, support President Trump by a significant margin, believing that his administration has significantly enhanced the well-being of their country. Gordis suggests that those things about Trump that trouble American Jews are insignificant to Israelis who focus on the interests of their country first.

Many American Jews view the Palestinian issue differently than many Israelis do. American Jews see it as far more urgent and an indication of an “occupation” that is corrupting Israel’s soul. Most Israelis don’t see it that way.

They see it as a political and security issue that needs to be settled but aren’t quite sure how to do that. What is significant, Gordis said, is that the Arab states are losing interest in the Palestinians, blaming them more and more for their own plight. He contends that the Arab-Israeli conflict, as it was traditionally viewed as a conflict between countries is over, especially given the recent agreements Israel has signed with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and the continued warming of relations with Saudi Arabia. The Arabs have come to see how an alliance with Israel can benefit them — technologically, military and economically, especially given

LOVE LIFE IN THE HEART OF

FIVE POINTS SOUTH GET 2 MONTHS OF FREE RENT!* I M M E D I A T E M O V E - I N S AVA I L A B L E !

COMMUNITY DISTINCTIONS:

INTERIOR LUXURIES:

• Brand New Apartments

• Brand New, One and Two-Bedroom

• Scenic Views of Birmingham’s Skyline, Red Mountain, and Vulcan Trail • Rooftop, Heated Saltwater Pool • 24/7 Fitness Center with Rock Climbing Wall Treadmill • Planned Resident Social Events

Apartment Homes • Modern Cabinetry with Designer Hardware and Tile Backsplashes • Expansive Kitchen Islands* • Large, Floor-to-Ceiling Windows • Personal Patios and Balconies

Next to Temple Beth-El and across the street from Temple Emanu-El. 205-732-9884 • cortland.com/vesta 2173 Highland Avenue S. • Birmingham, AL 35205 *Available in select homes. Availability, pricing and incentives subject to change.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

47

Just Because Flowers!

Send a Beautiful Arrangement This Chanukah Season

Teleflora’s Sunny Mood Bouquet

Hello Beautiful Bouquet

Order or Pick them up today at both locations!

750 Martin Behrman Ave Metairie • 504-833-3716

1415 N. Hwy 190 Covington • 985-809-9101

Villeresflowers.com

community their concern about Iran.

The implication is that the issue, despite the opinion of American Jews, won’t have the urgency that they would like.

Nonetheless, Gordis believes, American Jews and Israelis still need each other. One is a practical reason. Antisemitism is a genuine concern today, even in the U.S. Jewish history shows that every successful Jewish diaspora eventually encountered an antisemitic backlash which often emanates simultaneously from the far left and the far right. He said he wasn’t predicting that this was about to happen in America, though he did note that one of the cornerstones of the Zionist vision is to make sure that there is a sovereign and strong Jewish state for Jews to flee to in times of distress.

The other reason American Jews and Israel need each other goes back to basics. Together, we are stronger. Gordis recalled a famous slogan of the United Jewish Appeal, a forerunner of today’s national Federation organization, Jewish Federations of North America. The slogan was, “We Are One.” To achieve that though, requires humility — on both sides, he stressed.

As in any family, there has to be some give and take and a willingness to cut the other some slack. Transmitting this message seems to be Gordis’ ultimate mission in discussing and writing about the rift he describes in his book. “Let’s use humility to begin building a better future for all of us,” he urges.

Sounding as much like a family therapist as a rabbi and a writer, among his final words were these: “Our goal should not be to wait until the other side starts behaving as we wish they would behave, but to increase our understanding of why the other side behaves the way it does.”

Honoring the Righteous

150 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE N IG W ES D E ER N OW

SH

ENJOYING A NEW SHOWER IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

FREE IN-HOME DESIGN CONSULTATION CALL TODAY

newshowerdeal.com/sjlife | 888-552-3642 *Offer valid only while supplies last. Limit one per household. Must be first time purchase. Minimum spend amount applies.

Financing subject to third party credit approval. Some financing options cannot be combined with other offers and may require minimum monthly payments. All offers subject to change prior to purchase. See AmericanStandardShowers.com for other restrictions and for licensing, warranty, and company information. CSLB B982796; Suffolk NY: 55431H;NYC:HIC 2022748-DCA. Safety Tubs Co. LLC does not sell in Nassau NY, Westchester NY, Putnam NY, Rockland NY.

48

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

On Nov. 15, just after Veteran’s Day, a historical marker was erected in Knoxville to honor Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, the only American soldier honored by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jews during the Holocaust — in this case, an estimated 200 American Jewish prisoners of war. Despite a Nazi guard’s gun pointed at his head, as senior officer in charge of his fellow 1,275 American prisoners he refused to separate the Jewish soldiers from the others in his group and hand them over to the Nazis. He died in 1985 having never told his family about the incident, which his son later learned about by chance. The marker was erected by the Knoxville Jewish Alliance, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, the Edmonds family, Knox County and the City of Knoxville, next to the East Tennessee History Building Museum. The dedication ceremony will occur this coming spring or summer.

chanukah

Chanukah events in region making do with Covid restrictions With Covid cases surging nationally, Chanukah plans are up in the air, but some plans have been announced. Check sjlmag.com for ongoing updates, as some events may not be able to take place if additional restrictions on gatherings are announced.

All events will require masks and social distancing.

The Jewish Children’s Regional Service annual Chanukah celebration, Latkes with a Twist, has been cancelled for this year in New Orleans and Austin. A virtual Jewish Roots gala is being planned for April.

Rabbi Judy Ginsburgh of Alexandria will have a video event each night of Chanukah, lighting the menorah, sharing a song and a prayer, on her Facebook page, rabbijudy. The short program will be at 5 p.m. each night, from Dec. 10 to 17.

Julie Silver, a leading figure in contemporary Jewish music, will be in concert on the first night of Chanukah as part of the cultural programming at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life.

The 7 p.m. event on Dec. 10 starts with everyone lighting their menorahs together on Zoom, followed by a concert.

By the age of 18, the Massachusetts native was a song leader at events throughout the Reform movement, and also played the coffeehouses in Boston. She is now one of the most sought-after songleaders in the country.

Currently, communities that have signed on for the event include Temple Beth-El in Birmingham, the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama,

Beth Shalom and B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge, B’nai Zion in Shreveport and Beth Israel in Jackson.

Chabad of Baton Rouge and several other small-community Chabads nationwide will host a Chanukah concert with African-American Chassidic rapper Nissim Baruch Black, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The free concert Julie Silver will include his story about going from being a gangster in Seattle to a Chassid in Israel.

“Oy to the World,” a made-in-Alabama film that debuted earlier this year, will be available on YouTube during Chanukah.

Directed by Yvette Hochberg, the film is the second in a Rabbi Trilogy that began with “Riding with the Rabbi.” The third film, “The Sukkah,” has not been released yet. Produced with local talent, the films were made in association with the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama and Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery.

“Oy to the World,” which was completed in April, is the story of 10-year-old Sally, who wants a memorable Chanukah despite the efforts

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, 2020 • All stock transfers must be completed and in our account on or before December 31, 2020 • To be sure your gift is complete, please don’t wait until the last minute.

Thank you for your continued support!

The Birmingham Jewish Federation & The Birmingham Jewish Foundation

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

49

chanukah of her grandmother, Jessica, who wants to help her fit in. The film explores Jewish identity in the heart of the Bible Belt.

The link for the film is youtu.be/3l5OySwI-28, and it will be available from Dec. 10 to 18.

Alabama

Happy Hanukkah

from The Pig!

Piggly Wiggly has a rich tradition built over several decades by stores that are locally owned and operated.

Living in and supporting our communities is how we stay close to you, our customers.

With a large wine selection, plus fresh produce, fresh never-frozen chicken, Certified Angus Beef, fresh seafood daily, and a large selection of local and regional products at each store, we love to please you.

Crestline: 41 Church St Homewood: 3000 Montgomery Hwy River Run: 3800 River Run Dr Clairmont: 3314 Clairmont Ave Bluff Park: 770 Shades Mountain Plaza Mt Laurel Area: 1324 Dunnavant Valley Rd and other stores throughout Birmingham pigbham.com Happy Hanukkah from all your friends at the Birmingham-area Piggly Wiggly stores!

50

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel will have its annual Chanukah Bingo night dinner and raffle, with a party from home or in the KI parking lot, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. Dinners by David Aaron are pre-ordered by Dec. 7 and are $20. For those doing Zoom from home, dinner and Bingo cards can be picked up from noon to 3 p.m. on Dec. 11. For those attending in the parking lot, enjoy in your car or bring a chair, and dinner will be delivered. Jeff Eliasoph from WVTM-TV will be the guest Bingo caller. One card is included with each dinner, additional cards are $5 and are also available by mail. There will be eight games of Bingo and a raffle for fine gemstones, with tickets at $18 each, five for $80 or 10 for $150.

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will have a Chanukah celebration on Dec. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Homewood Patriot Park. Rabbi Adam Wright and Cantor Robert Wittner will lead Havdalah and a menorah lighting.

There will be music and sufganiyot from Heavenly Donut Company.

Emanu-El will also have a “Circle of Light” event with “Sister Synagogue” Bavat Ayin in Rosh Ha’Ayin. The Zoom Chanukah event will be at noon on Dec. 13. Bavat Ayin is the only Reform congregation among hundreds of Orthodox congregations in Rosh Ha’Ayin, which is Birmingham’s sister city in Israel and New Orleans’ Partnership2Gether community. Bavat Ayin has struggled to achieve official recognition from the city, having to file suit against the city. In February 2006, Emanu-El presented a Torah to Bavat Ayin.

The Emanu-El Brotherhood is coordinating a Chanukah version of Temple’s Got Talent, with three-minute video entries being accepted through Dec. 8. First through third place will be named based on dollars raised through voting that takes place Dec. 10 to 16. The winners will be inscribed on a plaque at Emanu-El and be able to decide where the funds will be donated.

The annual Grand Menorah Lighting at Birmingham’s Summit will be a drivein event this year, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. in the REI parking lot. The event is coordinated

by Chabad of Alabama, the Levite Jewish Community Center, Birmingham Jewish Federation and the Karl and Gladys Friedman LJCC Fund of the Birmingham Jewish Foundation. Free tickets will be required this year, and can be obtained at menorahlighting.com. Only one ticket is needed per car.

The event will have socially distanced Chanukah festivities, including music, balloons, tall bikes, jugglers, latkes, doughnuts and more. The festivities will begin at 5:15 p.m.

Chabad of Alabama will also have its first-ever Car Menorah Parade, Dec. 17 at 5:15 p.m. Each car will have a magnetic car menorah or Chanukah flag, and the parade will take Chanukah to the streets of Birmingham.

Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville will have a public Menorah lighting at Big Spring Park East in Huntsville, Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the base of the steps coming down from Court Square.

Chabad of Huntsville will have Light Up The Night on Dec. 13 at 4 p.m., at Bridge Street Town Centre, outside the Belk Courtyard. There will be a grand menorah lighting, latkes, doughnuts, music and a street performer. A car menorah parade will cruise downtown on Dec. 15, start-

chanukah ing at 5 p.m.

Etz Chayim Sisterhood in Huntsville will have a Latke Drive-Thru, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.

Chabad of Mobile will have Glow in the Dark Chanukah Celebration and Menorah Lighting on Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mobile Convention Center, and Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fairhope Municipal Pier. At the Mobile event, there will be remarks from City Council members, and it will be livestreamed for those unable to attend. Both events will feature pre-packaged Chanukah treats, glow in the dark dreidels and Chanukah facemasks. Additionally, menorahs will be displayed at Eastern Shore Center and at 501 Bel Air Boulevard, across from Target.

In many communities, Chabad holds a Mobile Menorah Parade. In Mobile, though, it will be a Chanukah Car Parade. The parade, on Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m., will go from Mobile to Baldwin County, finishing at the Eastern Shore Center for a lighting of the 9-foot menorah. Car decorations are available from Chabad, and to register, email rabbi@chabadofmobile.com.

Ahavas Chesed in Mobile will have a Zoom candlelighting on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.

Temple Emanu-El in Tuscaloosa is planning an online Chanukah celebration on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. with congregants lighting their menorahs together. “Unfortunately, this year, we will not provide virtual latkes.”

Florida Panhandle Chabad Emerald Coast in Destin will have a Grand Menorah Lighting on Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Harborwalk Village stage. There will be individually-packaged Chanukah treats, live music and Chanukah souvenirs. The event is free.

Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach will have a Chanukah on the Beach celebration, Dec. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. at John Beasley Park.

Chabad of Panama City Beach will have its Grand Chanukah Menorah Lighting at Pier Park, in front of the Grand Theatre, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m., with live music from Piamendi of New York. There will also be latkes and doughnuts, and chocolate gelt.

Chabad of Pensacola is collecting canned goods for the needy in the community. The cans will be transformed into a giant menorah that will be lit at City Hall, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. A Light Up Pensacola Chanukah car parade will start at the Chabad center at 4 p.m. and be escorted around town, finishing at the 5 p.m. event at City Hall. A community Chanukah party will be held at the Chabad House the evening of Dec. 17.

Temple Beth-El in Pensacola will have eight nights of Chanukah events. The virtual events are Cooking with Janet and Sydney — Latkes and Applesauce, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m.; Shabbat Chanukah on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.; Antique Menorah Road Show on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.; “Many Candles, One World” with the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.; Cooking with Janet and Sydney — Sufganiyot on Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.; Story Time with Rabbi Joel, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m.; Chanukah Comedy with Renee Eilen, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.; and Menorah Lighting with Traditional Songs, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.

Louisiana Chabad of Baton Rouge will hold its annual Chanukah at the State Capitol, Dec. 13 at 4:30 p.m. on the front steps. The Gratitude Menorah will honor “Pillars of Light during Covid-19.” There will be latkes, doughnuts, the chocolate gelt drop and more.

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

51

GREG ARCENEAUX CABINETMAKERS CELEBRATING & PRESERVING LOUISIANA’S UNIQUE CULTURE & HERITAGE

chanukah Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge will have a Havdallukah Movie and Pajama Party, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m., with a screening of Disney’s “Full Court Miracle.”

Monroe’s B’nai Israel is planning to hold its annual Chanukah party, subject to any restrictions issued by the governor’s office.

Chanukah at Riverwalk will be a virtual event, “honoring our healthcare heroes,” on Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. The annual Chabad Menorah parade will be on Dec. 12 as usual.

Anshe Sfard in New Orleans is tentatively planning to hold its community Chanukah celebration in the yard of Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin, the evening of Dec. 15.

Moishe House and Temple Sinai in New Orleans are partnering for a Chanukah Zoom, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. Moishe House will also have a Fried Food Fun Fest before the Saints game Dec. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. in their backyard, with the fried treats to be announced. Reservations will be required.

Custom Pedestal Table with Iron Bands (above)

Temple Sinai will have its Chanukah on the Avenue outdoor lighting on Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m., followed by Chanukah Shabbat services at 6 p.m.

Hadassah New Orleans will have its Chanukah party, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. On Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. Rabbi Deborah Silver will lead a Zoom program, “Cherishing Your Inner Light.”

Acadian Dining Table (right) Greg Arceneaux Cabinetmakers 17319 Norwell Drive • Covington gregarceneaux.com • 985-893-8782

On Dec. 12, there will be a Zoom “Eight Cocktails of Chanukah,” Avi Feingold will lead the mixing, with kits that can be picked up in advance.

Details will be forthcoming. The program is presented by Shir Chadash, Beth Israel and the Leventhal Center for Interfaith Families.

Gates of Prayer Sisterhood in Metairie will hold a mini Chanukah bazaar on Dec. 6 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Weather permitting, it will be held in the parking lot, with some items in the gift shop. There will also be $1 items for J-FLExers.

JNOLA and NOLA Tribe will have a Virtual Chanukah Gelt-Together, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Guest pastry chef Lindsay Morrison will do a cookie demo, with packages of dry ingredients provided for those who register in advance. There will also be a Best Dressed Menorah contest, and then there will be a game of Truth or Dreidel.

Embrace the warmth of family and create

PERFECT HOLIDAY

oments

The North Louisiana Jewish Federation’s annual Chanukah party will be on Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Agudath Achim Biblical Garden in Shreveport. The event is free, there is a suggested donation of $18 for dinner.

Because of Covid, the event will be outdoors and requires pre-registration, though at press time there was a chance that increasing restrictions would mean a move to virtual-only for the event. A first-ever kids dreidel tournament is planned, and the boxed meal will feature New York bagels, kosher deli or veggies, and homemade sufganiyot. Donations are being taken to support hurricane relief for Jewish communities in the state.

Mississippi THE BUTCHER’S DELUXE PACKAGE 4 (5 oz.) Butcher’s Cut Top Sirloins 4 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (1 lb. pkg.)

8 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 8 (3 oz.) Gourmet Jumbo Franks 8 (3.8 oz.) Individual Scalloped Potatoes 8 (4 oz.) Caramel Apple Tartlets Steak Seasoning (1 oz.) $298.87* separately

INTRODUCTORY PRICE $129.99

FREE PORK CHOPS & CHICKEN BREASTS Get even more for the holidays when you buy this package today!

*Savings shown over aggregated single item base price. Limit 2 pkgs. Free gifts must ship with #66762 Standard S&H will be added. While supplies last. Other restrictions may apply. Expires 1/31/21. ©2020 Omaha Steaks, Inc.

ORDER NOW! 1.844.699.4993 ask for 66762NJR www.OmahaSteaks.com/dinner480 52

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Beth Israel in Gulfport will have a pre-Chanukah Women’s Circle event to make sufganiyot and package Chanukah candles for the community, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.

On Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m., Latkes and Light will be at Beth Israel in Gulfport. There will be a latke bar, Hebrew school performance, raffle and kids craft. Light Up The Night will be on Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Quakes in Ocean Springs, with the lighting of the largest menorah in the state.

Beth Israel in Jackson will have a Virtual Chanukah Happening, with all events on Zoom. There will be a first night menorah lighting on Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m., Chanukah Shabbat on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. and a religious school celebration on Dec. 13.

The Oxford Jewish community will hold a Chanukah Zoom party on Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m.

chanukah Mayer Lighting brightens Chanukah, gives back to the community

By Lee J. Green Mayer Lighting makes Chanukah brighter with illuminating gift ideas at its Birmingham, Pelham and Dothan locations.

“We strive to be a one-stop resource for lighting fixtures, supplies and systems,” said Mayer Lighting Showroom Marketing Coordinator Leigh Ellen Black.

For more than 50 years, Mayer’s Birmingham Lighting Showroom has provided lighting solutions and is part of Mayer Electric, a privately-held, family and woman-owned business that was founded in 1930 and is now headed

by Nancy Goedecke. Mayer Electric employs more than 1,200 associates in 70 locations across 14 states.

Black said Mayer Lighting is the only company in Alabama to carry the Generation Lighting and Visual Comfort lines. Their 13,000-square-foot Birmingham showroom, in the original location of Mayer Electric, is the largest in Alabama, but they aren’t limited to just what is in the showroom.

“We have what we call ‘endless aisles’,” she said. “We have large screens in the showroom. If you don’t see what you want in the gallery, we can likely order it.”

Technology has advanced greatly with lighting systems and control. Mayer can work with customers on the purchase, installation and implementation of Whole Home Integration systems.

“These days you can control all of your lighting remotely,” said Black. “You can set the lights to go on, dim or flash at a certain time. We not only sell the systems but we install and make sure customers understand all of the lighting control options an how to use them.”

She said many customers visiting the showrooms over the years would remark if the furniture and home accessories they displayed were for sale. “People loved what we had on the floor so we decided to sell furniture to give them total room design options,” said Black. Mayer sells furniture and accessories from Gabby and Classic Home Furnishings.

For those who might be looking for smaller gift ideas, Mayer Lighting Showroom sells Nest Candles, table lamps and floor lamps.

Mayer has been involved with giving in the Jewish community and the overall communities it serves.

Collat Jewish Family Services is named for former Mayer President/CEO Charles Collat and his wife Patsy, and the company and family has been very active giving back to the Jewish community and the general community, including the naming of the Collat School of Business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The company’s Mayer Cares program contributes to charitable causes and the company provides time off for more than 1,500 employees to engage in volunteer work they are passionate about.

“Giving back to the community is very important to Mayer and all its people,” said Black.

Pictured: Visual Comfort floor lamp from Studio VC, 63” tall.

Phase 2 NOW OPEN

FREE 24 HOUR ACCESS FREE MOVE-IN TRUCK FREE WIFI FREE LOCK & KEYS

FIRST MONTH FREE! JUST MENTION THIS AD 720 MONTCLAIR ROAD, BIRMINGHAM Next to the Levite Jewish Community Center

(205) 307-0500

www.climatestorage.com December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

53

community It’s not too late to make 2020 work for you make the donation through your Individual Retirement Account. Many have used the IRA charitable rollover to transfer up to $100,000 each year directly from their IRAs to public charities such as the Jewish Federation, a synagogue or one of our community agencies. Qualified charitable distributions can count against the “required minimum distribution” amount, which begins at 72. (But note that transfers to a DAF, supporting organization such as the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, or a private foundation, do not qualify). A charitable contribution directly from an IRA is not deductible, but it also is not included in gross income. If you will be using a standard deduction for your Should you Itemize or are you taking Stan- taxes, there is a good chance there will be a tax dard Deduction? And should you look at benefit by gifting directly from an IRA “bunching?” A big change in the 2017 tax act Do you have appreciated investment assets? was the dramatic increase in the standard deLook over your portfolio. If you have appreciatduction. For 2020, married couples filing jointly ed securities that you have held for more than a can claim a standard deduction of $24,800 (a lityear, you might want to consider gifting them to tle more for those over age 65). Because of this a charity, including to a Donor Advised Fund. increase, coupled with the $10,000 limitation Most taxpayers are able to receive a charitable associated with the deduction for state and local contribution deduction for the full fair market taxes and the elimination of other deductible value of the securities they are transferring to items, far fewer taxpayers will be itemizing their a charity, while avoiding paying any long-term deductions for the 2020 tax year. capital gains tax on what they have gifted.

If you itemized in the past, you might want Consider gifting appreciated stock held for to look at “bunching” those deductions into one more than one year.

It may be fully deductible year in order to exceed the standard deduction amount and then claim the standard deduction up to 30 percent of adjusted gross income and in other years. One of the easiest itemized de- any excess can generally be carried forward and ductions to bunch is that for charitable contribu- be deductible for up to an additional five years. tions. One way to accomplish this is to combine Consider doing this with a new Donor Advised tax-deductible contributions that would other- Fund or adding to an existing one. You will be able to make grant recommendations from the wise be given in two or more years into one.

Consider This: Make charitable contributions fund in the future — both from earnings and in the “bunching” year to a new or existing Do- principal in the fund.

This year, an individual may give $300, a counor Advised Fund offered by the Birmingham ple $600, and receive a charitable deduction, Jewish Foundation or other Jewish Federations/ even if you are not itemizing. However, these doFoundations in the region. Claim the charitable nations may not go into a Donor Advised Fund. deduction in the year you make the contribuFor more information contact Sally Friedman, tions and spread distributions to charities over Executive Director of the Birmingham Jewish several years.

Another 2017 tax act change increased the Foundation: sallyf@bjf.org, (205) 266-8387, or annual cap on cash contributions to charity your local Federation/Foundation professional.

This article is for informational purposes only from 50 percent of adjusted gross income to 60 percent, which could make “bunching” even and should not be construed as legal, tax or financial advice. When considering gift planning more attractive.

Are you over 70-½? If you are considering strategies, you should always consult with your donating to charity, it may be tax beneficial to own legal and tax advisors.

From the Birmingham Jewish Foundation

The end of the year is close. 2020 certainly has been an unusual year. With the make-up of Congress not fully determined, it is important to talk to your tax and financial advisers to consider strategies for charitable giving that can affect your income tax liability… and help your community!

It has been almost three years since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“2017 tax act”) was enacted, so it’s important to review some traditional tax planning strategies, as well as to determine whether some new steps could help cut your federal and state tax bills.

Sanders Painting Residential Repaint Specialist • Interior/Exterior Painting • Wood, Plaster, & Sheet Rock Repair Family Owned and Operated

205/563-9037

This Week In Southern Jewish Life The South’s Most Comprehensive Weekly Jewish News Email

Involved Members of Birmingham’s Jewish Community

54

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

To Subscribe, send an email to subscribe@sjlmag.com

pet care an annual SJL special section Photo courtesy Snapwire/Pexels

A Festival of Fur Joy

By Janet Zale Chanukah has always been one of my favorite holidays. I loved it as a kid. I loved it when my kids lived at home, and now that it’s just me and my fur kids, I still love it. My home is decorated for the holiday with Chanukah themed paper lanterns and honeycomb dreidels. On my table sits a blue metal dog Menorah and surrounding it are plastic fillable dreidels filled with small dog biscuits, such as Simply Biscuits.

My fur kids and I already have traditions. Every night I light the candles and say the traditional prayers, and my dogs share a cookie from the Hollywood Feed bakery. Some nights they also get Chanukah-themed toys like Plush Gelt and Plush Dreidels or tennis balls. My cats get toys too.

One thing I make sure to do is to feed my dogs a little less food during Chanukah since they get cookies every night. I don’t want their tummies to get upset from too much food, plus I don’t want them gaining weight. I’m also very careful to leave any chocolate gelt out of reach since chocolate is harmful to dogs.

The most important thing I do is I never leave the lit Menorah unattended. If my dogs need to go potty, I’ll blow out the candles and then re-light them when we return, lest a cat jump onto the table and burn their tail.

I also take pictures of my fur kids every year using the Menorah and decorations as a backdrop. Some years my fur kids cooperate, and the pictures are adorable. Other years they can best be described as comical.

Include your fur kids in your Chanukah celebration and create your own traditions. Take lots of pictures, too. Stay Safe and Chag Chanukah Sameach!

Janet Zale is a groomer at Hollywood Feed.

AN ORGANIZED HOME IS A HAPPY HOME Add space to your kitchen and time to your busy schedule with ShelfGenie’s custom pull-out shelves installed in your existing cabinets.

50% OFF INSTALLATION* *Limit one offer per household.

Must purchase 5+ Classic/ Designer Shelves. EXP 12/31/20

Riverview Animal Clinic offers holiday pet wellness advice

By Lee J. Green Riverview Animal Clinic wants to help ensure a happy, healthy, holiday season for pets with preventative care advice.

“There are certain foods that we have during the holidays, such as chocolate, that are harmful to dogs and we also want to be careful with animals around the menorah” with lighted candles, said Arthur Serwitz, co-owner and founder of Riverview Animal Clinic, which opened in 1984.

Lilies and some other plants can be harmful to cats, he added.

Riverview Veterinarian Amy Tate said to keep onions away from pets

®

Schedule Your FREE Design Consultation:

(866) 584-0816

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

55

pet care

“Southern Jewish Life is a vital community asset” Help Support Independent, Quality, Original Southern Jewish Journalism!

We thank you for your continued support as we tell our stories — the stories of Southern Jewish Life!

www.supportSJL.com

56

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

as well as turkey bones and fatty meat products.

“We recommend that pet parents stick to the foods that their pets are used to.”

As far as dog foods go, Tate said she had concerns about grain-free varieties, since they block essential amino acids that the heart needs.

She said in the Deep South, outdoor allergens are more prevalent during this time of the year than other cooler, drier climates.

“We for sure recommend flea (and other pest) prevention year-round, especially with pets who spend time outside,” said Tate. “We can also advise on some good medicines and therapies to help pets who experience seasonal allergies.”

Canine atopic dermatitis is one of the most common allergic skin diseases of dogs. Like human allergies, it can be triggered by seasonal pollen and other airborne allergens. It is not curable and may be caused by factors such as a dog’s genetics, immune system problems and other allergens in the environment.

Serwitz said Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic injections can reduce itching within one day of injection and has proven effective to target the itch at its source.

In addition to diet and allergy care, regular exercise and socialization are important parts of the pet wellness equation.

Serwitz recommends that owners take their dogs out two or three times a day, whether it is on a walk or to the park. “Dogs need regular exercise and socialization,” he said.

Cats also need regular socialization and exercise, including active play. If a cat is primarily an indoor cat, screened in-porches and “catios” allow them to get a taste of the outdoors in a protected environment. If cats are primarily outdoor cats, they need to make sure they have all their shots along with being protected against fleas and ticks.

For senior dogs and cats, starting at age seven, Riverview Animal Clinic recommends doing blood work to allow for preventative medicine regarding potential conditions and diseases.

“Preventative care is so important for our pets,” said Tate.

She added that Riverview specializes in orthopedic procedures and rehabilitation services for pets with arthritis issues. The clinic employs a veterinary ophthalmologist and advanced pet eye care equipment to treat everything from cataracts to the removal of tumors.

They also have three technicians who can do advanced ultrasound and two veterinarians who specialize in caring for exotic pets.

Riverview Animal Clinic wants to do anything they can for the health of pets and their humans as it pertains to Covid-19 safety precautions. They require everyone to wear masks and allow only one person to stay with their pet during the appointment.

business profile

ONE STOP

KOSHER FOOD SHOPPING

Cortland Vesta offers city living, Temple proximity

Take Out — Catering — Outdoor

Outside the New Orleans Area?

We Will Ship Your Order To You!

By Lee J. Green Cortland Vesta offers residents upscale apartment living in the heart of the Magic City, just a few steps from Temple Emanu-El and Temple Beth-El. The community on Highland Avenue in the heart of Five Points includes a five-story, midrise building and a 19-story high-rise.

On the 19th floor, opening later this month, Cortland Vesta will have a fitness center, indoor heated pool, bar area, climbing wall and a yoga center.

“Cortland Vesta is ideal for those who want urban living with some beautiful views of the city and great amenities,” said Cortland Marketing Director Alicia Worrell. The community, which opened up the mid-rise building in April and the high-rise building in October, is Cortland’s first in Alabama.

Featuring one- and two-bedroom apartments in a community designed in a modern aesthetic with 31 different floor plans, Cortland Vesta offers new residents an opportunity to get their first two months of rent for free.

“We’re doing in-person and live video tours,” said Worrell. “Our team is dedicated to our residents and they really go the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome.”

Though in-person community events are difficult currently due to Covid, Cortland Vesta coordinates some virtual happy hour, social events and online learning for their residents.

“They’ve up with some innovative ways to keep people connected,” she said. “This is not just a place to live, it’s a community.”

Dining

-3pm Mon-Thu 10am-7pm • Fri & Sun 10am (Closed Saturday)

10 3519 Severn, Metairie (504) 888-20 www.koshercajun.com

SPECIAL for SOUTHERN JEWISH LIFE READERS: CREDIT for FIVE HOURS after first 20 Hours of Care THE RIGHT CARE, RIGHT AT HOME®

We Offer:

Blue C ross In-Net work P Blue Shield referre d Prov ider

• Non-medical, in-home caregivers • Skilled nursing care, in home • Long-term care insurance review • Short-term and Rehab Care

Extensive Testing of Caregivers and Heightened COVID Care Protocol

A Global Network where most offices are independently owned and operated

BIRMINGHAM/TUSCALOOSA 205.460.1062 HUNTSVILLE 256.585.3140 December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

57

commentary >> Agenda

continued from page 8

ation of Greater Atlanta presents “Tour the Old City of Jerusalem This Hanukkah — A Free Live Virtual Tour,” Dec. 13 at 8:30 a.m. Central. The tour, led by David Sussman Israel Tours, will be engaging for families and people of all ages. It will include a walk through the streets of the Old City leading up to the Kotel, meeting local residents and discovering how they celebrate Chanukah. The event will include the official Chanukah lighting at the Western Wall. To register, go to bit.ly/OldCityJerusalemTour.

Beth Israel in Jackson is holding a monthly community Shabbat dinner, following the 6:30 p.m. service. Covid protocols will be observed, with individually-packaged meals and seating by family. The Dec. 18 theme is Shabbat in Japan, followed by Mexico on Jan. 29 and Morocco on Feb. 26.

The Southeast Chavura plans a Torah study on Dec. 12 at noon on the outside porch of Ralph and Kacoo’s restaurant in Mobile. After focusing on the weekly portion, there will be a discussion of biblical Chanukah by the group’s own Jewish archaeologist. For more information, call Cal Ennis, (228) 623-0479.

Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center is planning a Fam Jam, an afternoon of family-friendly competition, on Dec. 20. Details were not set as of press time, but it will include “physical, mental and creative challenges.”

The Brotherhood at Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville will once again coordinate volunteers for the Huntsville Botanical Gardens’ Galaxy of Lights on Dec. 24. Volunteers are needed to count money, staff ticket booths, count cars and direct traffic. Covid distancing will be observed. Volunteers are needed from 4:45 p.m. for orientation and temperature checks until 9 p.m.

Hadassah Birmingham is holding a No Show Baby Shower to support the maternity department at Hadassah Hospital, where over 13,000 babies have been born this year. Donations are requested by Dec. 31.

It seems that those isolating still need their cheesecake. The Temple Beth Or Sisterhood in Montgomery decided to hold its annual Carnegie cheesecake fundraiser, and saw profits increase this year as over 700 cheesecakes were sold.

The Friendship Circle upscale resale store is getting ready to launch in Birmingham, giving employment opportunities to adults with special needs. Friendship Circle is a Chabad project that supports teens with special needs. Additional donations of gently used and clean women’s clothing can be dropped off at Chabad of Alabama, especially fall and winter clothing and accessories, hats, coats, pants, dresses, boots, sweaters, and jackets.

58 December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

counselor’s corner a monthly feature from Collat Jewish Family Services Friendly, Knowledgeable Staff • Family Owned

“COVID Fatigue” is Real

By Amy Neiman, LMSW My daughter came up to me the other day and said “Mom, we are going to be in COVID for my whole 10-year old year.” She is probably right.

If you are like me, you found the quieter life that showed up somewhat unannounced seven months ago strange but manageable.

The weather in March and April was beautiful. Maybe you got some closets cleaned out or chores completed. This quarantine life was going to be just fine.

As the months have dragged on and winter is rearing its head, I have started to feel weary of this way of life. I heard the term “COVID fatigue” used, and I must admit I am feeling a bit of it. I am lonely. I am missing people. I am missing gathering for my book club to discuss everything but the book. I am missing laughing in a restaurant. I am missing singing and creating art at CARES. It looks like we are going to be living with the novel coronavirus, and our separation, for some time. I decided I would start a list of things I could do that might make these next few months less lonely for me, and I thought I would share some of them with you: Reach out to a friend – Pick up the phone and call a friend. Try FaceTime if you have a smart phone. Schedule a Zoom call with a group. My college friends and I Zoom once a month, which has been a fantastic way to keep in touch. Last night, we had a virtual wine tasting.

and big Chanukah gifts!

Weber Grills Kamado Joe ceramic cookers Yeti Coolers, Drinkware

We Carry…

Benjamin Moore paints Stihl power tools Hardware Housewares Cleaning Supplies, Masks and so much more!

2117 Cahaba Road, English Village • (205) 871-4616 Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. www.little-hardware.com

Start a gratitude journal – Each day, take a moment to think about what has been good. Say it out loud or jot it down in a notebook. It can be super simple like “The cat sat in my lap today” or “I had the best apple.”

You might be surprised at how many nice moments you can find in a day.

1in 5

Eat good food – Speaking of apples, there are a lot of studies that link our mental health with the foods we choose to eat. Fall is full of wonderful fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Enjoy some of fall’s bounty.

At some point in our lives, one in five of us will have a serious mental health issue.

If you are suffering, there is help.

Get outside – We are lucky in Alabama because our weather in the fall is not too cold, so getting outside is not only doable but enjoyable. Walk around the block or pick up some leaves. Believe it or not, I convinced a couple of my kids to go with me on a pinecone hunt. (That is a story for another day).

Pick up a project – Now is a great time to learn something new. At my house, we were all thrilled when someone (not saying who) dropped learning the ukulele in favor of learning how to knit. On the weekends, I have been going through boxes of old letters and photos. The comments about my previous hairstyles have been ruthless.

Maybe you have your own ideas for managing the loneliness of this time. If so, feel free to share them with us at jfs@cjfsbham.org.

If you are troubled by loneliness or dealing with any other emotional issue, professional counseling from CJFS may help. CJFS is a trusted, 31-yearold agency that offers individual and group therapy for people of all ages — in person, by phone or via video apps such as FaceTime and Zoom.

Insurance is accepted. To learn more, contact Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser, marcy@cjfsbham.org or 205.879.3438.

The Jewish Mental Health Initiative is a community-wide collaboration sponsored by Collat Jewish Family Services and the Birmingham Jewish Foundation.

For more information, call 205.879.3438 or visit https://cjfsbham.org/ jewish-mental-health-initiative-.htm December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

59

Competitive Prices - High Quality Produce Open year round Family owned & operated 40+ years Just one red light from The Summit, off 280

Come & See Us! Murphree’s Market & Garden Center

4212 Dolly Ridge Road 967-8590 murphreesmarket.com Tues-Sat 9a-5p

Little London

British Beef Stew Pie

162 Oxmoor Road Birmingham littlelondon.kitchen 205.249.1937

Ingredients: 800 g lean stewing beef (We use brisket but this can be tricky to break down!)

2 tablespoons plain flour olive oil 2 cloves of garlic 1 handful of shallots 2 sticks of celery 4 carrots ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary, (15g) 4 ripe vine tomatoes 150 ml red wine 500 ml organic beef stock 2 fresh bay leaves Worcestershire sauce Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C, 325 degrees F or gas 3, or you can use a slow cooker on high.

Dice the beef into 1-cm pieces, then toss in a bowl with the flour, making sure the meat chunks are totally covered. Set aside.

Add a splash of oil to a large casserole pan and place it over a medium heat. When it’s hot, add the beef and cook for 5 minutes, or until the meat is browned all over. Transfer to a plate and leave to one side.

While the beef cooks, peel and finely chop the garlic, then peel the shallots and halve most of them, keeping a few whole. Trim and roughly chop the celery, then peel, trim and chop the carrots into 2-cm rounds.

Splash a little more oil into the pan, then add the veg. Strip the leaves from the thyme and add to the pan, then cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.

Return the beef to the pan, then stir through the tomatoes and wine.

Once the liquid has been absorbed, add the stock, bay leaves and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. If using a slow-cooker you can put it all in the slow cooker.

Season with sea salt and black pepper, then transfer the stew to the oven to cook in a Pyrex dish or similar for 3 to 4 hours, stirring regularly, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily with forks.

If you wish to make it into a pie, then add a topper to your stew of vegan friendly dairy-free puff pastry — that’s how we do it for the truck or pub.

Serve your beef stew with creamy mashed potato and a side of your choice of vegetables.

an outstanding wine store and bar in the heart of Homewood Wines from all over the world in all price points & access to over 6000 selections for order.

Virtual and In-Store Wine Tasting Events Every Friday — Check our Facebook Page for Schedule Classic Wine Company • 1831 28th Ave S, Ste 110 Homewood • 205-871-WINE (9463) Curbside Pickup Available

60

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Little London

By Lee J. Green Lovers of traditional British food and culture can get an authentic taste without having to travel overseas, at The Little London in Birmingham, which opened this past August.

Co-owner Bettina Morrissette grew up in the Wimbledon section of London. Her mother was from the Philippines and her father was from the Caribbean.

“We wanted to bring the community here authentic food representing the melting pot that is London,” said Morrissette, noting some Indian, Chinese and other influences. “We love engaging the community… shar-

community

CONTACT US

2901 CROWNE RIDGE DRIVE BIRMINGHAM, AL 35243 205.970.0344 OVERTONVILLAGE@CROWNEAPARTMENTS.COM

CONTACT US

5050 CAHABA RIVER ROAD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35243 205.203.4606 CAHABARIVER@CROWNEAPARTMENTS.COM

ing the food and culture with them.”

Bettina met her husband, Matthew, when both were working in New York City. Matthew was from Birmingham, and not long after they married, the couple moved to Birmingham.

“I knew I wanted to do something in food and beverage,” she said. “I had taken cooking classes all over the world when I was younger. Food brings people together.”

The Morrissettes saw an ad for a 1968 London double-decker bus in Colorado a couple of years ago. They flew out there; Matthew fixed up the bus and they brought “The Duchess” back to Birmingham to start, along with their mobile kitchen trailer, a unique food truck business.

“It took us five days to get back to Birmingham since we couldn’t go more than 40 miles an hour. The Duchess certainly got a lot of interested stares and cheers on our long voyage,” said Bettina Morrissette.

The mobile Little London Kitchen gained quite a following across the Birmingham area since launching in June 2019, and late last year the Morrissettes began planning a permanent location.

Covid delayed construction, but they opened on Oxmoor Road in west Homewood in mid-August. “Our friends and patrons really came through for us. They helped us paint and get the restaurant ready,” she said. “It really turned into a social enterprise. We’re just so grateful for the support.”

The Little London’s “star dish” is the fish and chips, made from fresh, Atlantic cod. Their rosemary beef pie contains brisket beef stewed in a bone broth with vegetables for two hours and a non-dairy crust. Other menu fare includes vegetable massaman curry, Yorkshire pudding, red cabbage salad and herb-crusted chicken breast.

As they are able, the Morrissettes plan to have a dartboard room, live entertainment and a play area for the kids. Little London should get its liquor license this month. They are open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

“We want to have the bright atmosphere of a pub and a place that is also family-friendly,” said Matthew Morrissette.

They offer dine-in and carryout. Bettina said future plans also call for traditional English breakfast service on the weekends and showing professional British soccer matches on the televisions.

“One of the things we have done that has been most popular is our afternoon tea,” she said. “People can call ahead to order tea and baked goods for pick-up. Everyone really loves that tradition we brought over here.”

The Duchess still visits various places across the Birmingham area four to five days a week. The schedule is posted at www.littlelondon.kitchen and on Facebook. They also do catering.

“Having the food truck to test the concept really helped,” said Bettina Morrissette. “It had developed a following so we knew we had a good track record to build off of. We’re excited to see what the future has in store.”

HO HO WHOA! Get a $10 bonus gift card for every $50 in gift cards that you purchase!

OFFER VALID 11.27.20 – 12.24.20. $10 BONUS GIFT CARD VALID 1.11.21 - 3.25.21 BONUS GIFT CARD: NO CASH OR CREDIT BACK ON UNUSED BONUS GIFT CARD AMOUNT. CANNOT BE USED FOR ALCOHOL, TAX OR GRATUITIES.

Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner! www.PIESandPINTS.net December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

61

rear pew mirror • doug brook

Was There a 2020?

— The future We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author, if she existed, would be numbered among the two friends of this column: Dear Pew — I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there was no 2020. Papa says, “If you see it in Rear Pew Mirror, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, was there a 2020?

Virginia O’Hanstein 115 West Ninety Fifth Street Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see.

They think that nothing can be if it is not comprehensible by their little minds.

All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s, women’s, or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man or woman is a mere insect, an ant, in their intellect as compared with the boundless world about them, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there was a 2020. It existed as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist once again in spite of it, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Alas! How dreary was the world when there was a 2020! It was as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There was no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable that existence.

We had no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world was briefly extinguished.

Not believe in 2020! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your This year has papa to hire men to watch in all the classbeen rather rooms on history to catch any mention of 2020, but even if you were not taught unbelievable… about 2020 going down, what would that prove?

Nobody sees 2020 anymore, but that is no sign that there was no 2020.

The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men nor women can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders, great or terrible, there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man or woman, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men or women that ever lived could tear apart.

Only faith, poetry, love, and romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No more 2020! Thank God! We can live and live forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, we will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Doug Brook also says that yes, Virginia, there is a HanuClaus. He once brought the four-level Star Wars Death Star toy, which was pretty cool. To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/rearpewmirror.

62

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

63

64

December 2020 • Southern Jewish Life