THE
Jewish Georgian
Volume 24, Number 4
Atlanta, Georgia
MAY-JUNE 2012
FREE
Taratoot exhibition featured in Airport Atrium
“The
Les
Fleurs
Photographic
Collection,” by Georgia artist Barry Taratoot,
is featured in the Atrium at Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport.
“The pieces in this exhibit are stunningly
surreal and focus the viewer’s eye on the
exquisite detail in nature’s design,” said David
Vogt, Airport Art Program manager. “The controlled arrangement and lighting of the flowers
create a dynamic composition of textures, surfaces, and color. The rich, black background
serves to emphasize each flower’s unique contour and many intricacies.”
The exhibition included 15 framed photographs, ranging in size from 30x40 inches to
4x6 feet.
The images defy the viewer to believe
what he or she is seeing. The soft, yet vivid,
colors of the plants set against solid-black
backgrounds look much more like paintings
than photos.
Taratoot selects floral subjects and then
positions them amid soft light and shadows to
enhance their natural surfaces, colors, and patterns. The effect is created—“without trickery
or modern technical manipulation,” the artist
notes—through a combination of photographic and technical skills, patience, and imagination.
Each year, the Airport Art Program solicits exhibition proposals and selects eight for
presentation; exhibiting artists receive an honorarium. In addition to the honor of being
selected, Taratoot and his exhibition were featured in an article on PPA Today, the blog of
the Professional Photographers of America,
the most influential and prestigious organization for serious professional photographers in
the United States. Google “PPA Today Barry
Taratoot” to locate the article.
For more information on Barry Taratoot
and his work, visit bjtphotography.net.
Apricot Asiatic Lilly
Brisbane Callas
Dahlia Lavender
White & Yellow Orchids
(all photos: Barry J Taratoot Photography)
Jackie Montag is a tireless community leader
Jackie grew up in Mobile, Alabama,
and attended Wellesley College, just outside of Boston. At a Southern Club mixer,
she met Tony Montag, who was then a
graduate student in the Harvard Business
School. They married and, after Tony did
his military duty, returned to Atlanta.
Jackie was told by her mother-in-law,
“Montag women get involved in the
League of Women Voters and Families
First, a United Way agency.”
Thus began Jackie’s life-long interest
in family issues: health, children, education, and community life. She fulfilled all
the helping roles at her children’s schools.
Then she volunteered at the old Egleston
Hospital; she has had a long-time interest
By Carolyn Gold
There is an old saying about community leadership: “The women do all the
work, and the men get all the credit.” To
shatter this notion, The Jewish Georgian is
beginning a series on women who are
community leaders.
We start with a very busy lady, Jackie
Montag. There is hardly a good cause in
Atlanta that Jackie hasn’t been involved in
or headed. At my insistence, she modestly
began to list her past and current leadership and participation roles. Partway
through, I stopped her, knowing her as the
mother of four children and now the
grandmother of 15, and asked, “Jackie,
how have you had time to breathe?”
See MONTAG, page 4
What’s Inside
Jackie Montag
Embracing the
Future
The Lithuania
Putting Out the
Internal Passport Welcome Mat
On a recent visit to Atlanta,
Rabbi Richard J. Jacobs,
head of the Union of
Reform Judaism, challenged
members of The Temple to
think big and act boldly.
By Mordecai Zalman
Page 22
A simple document can lead
to a treasure trove of information for genealogical
researchers.
By Howard Margol
Page 24
Spanish-speaking soldiers
and schoolchildren of all
races and religions are
among the many visitors to
The Breman Jewish Heritage
& Holocaust Museum.
By Janice Rothschild Blumberg
Page 35
At the Helm
The MJCCA installs Steven
Cadranel as its new president.
See MJCCA News, page 17
A Change of Menu The Jews of
Macon
An unusual offering from
the Atlanta Jewish Film
Festival, The Apple Pushers
is a documentary about an
innovative way to fight the
obesity epidemic.
By Brian Katzowitz
Page 7
Macon’s first synagogue
started in a rented room
above a candy store and
grew from there.
By Stuart Rockoff
Page 30
In the treatment of type 1 Gaucher disease
It’s All About
the Details
Talk to your doctor about VPRIV.
For more information,
go to vpriv.com.
VPRIV is available by prescription only.
Indication
VPRIV is a hydrolytic lysosomal glucocerebrosidespecific enzyme indicated for long-term enzyme
replacement therapy (ERT) for pediatric and adult
patients with type 1 Gaucher disease.
Important Safety Information
The most serious side effects seen in patients in clinical trials with VPRIV were allergic reactions. Patients who
have experienced allergic reactions to VPRIV or to other enzyme replacement therapy should proceed with caution.
The most common side effects observed in clinical trials in patients treated with VPRIV were infusion-related and
included: headache, dizziness, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, nausea, weakness/fatigue, and fever.
Generally, infusion-related reactions were mild and, in newly treated patients, occurred mostly during the first
6 months of treatment and tended to occur less frequently with time.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch,
or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Brief Summary of the full Prescribing Information
on reverse side for additional Important Safety Information.
VPRIV® (velaglucerase alfa for injection)
Rx Only
BRIEF SUMMARY: Consult the Full Prescribing Information for complete product information.
Less common adverse reactions affecting more than one patient (>3% in the treatment-naïve group and
>2% in the patients switched from imiglucerase to VPRIV treatment) were bone pain, tachycardia, rash,
urticaria, flushing, hypertension, and hypotension.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
VPRIV is a hydrolytic lysosomal glucocerebroside-specific enzyme indicated for long-term enzyme replacement
Pediatric Patients
therapy (ERT) for pediatric and adult patients with type 1 Gaucher disease.
All adult adverse reactions to VPRIV are considered relevant to pediatric patients (ages 4 to 17 years).
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Adverse reactions more commonly seen in pediatric patients compared to adult patients include (>10%
The recommended dose is 60 Units/kg administered every other week as a 60-minute intravenous infusion. difference): upper respiratory tract infection, rash, aPTT prolonged, and pyrexia.
Patients currently being treated with imiglucerase for type 1 Gaucher disease may be switched to VPRIV. Immunogenicity
Patients previously treated on a stable dose of imiglucerase are recommended to begin treatment with VPRIV As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential for immunogenicity. In clinical studies,
at that same dose when they switch from imiglucerase to VPRIV.
1 of 54 treatment-naïve patients treated with VPRIV developed IgG class antibodies to VPRIV. In this patient,
Dosage adjustments can be made based on achievement and maintenance of each patient’s the antibodies were determined to be neutralizing in an in vitro assay. No infusion-related reactions were
therapeutic goals. Clinical studies have evaluated doses ranging from 15 Units/kg to 60 Units/kg reported for this patient. It is unknown if the presence of IgG antibodies to VPRIV is associated with a higher
risk of infusion reactions. Patients with an immune response to other enzyme replacement therapies who
every other week.
are switching to VPRIV should continue to be monitored for antibodies.
VPRIV should be administered under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Immunogenicity assay results are highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally,
CONTRAINDICATIONS
the observed incidence of antibody positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors, including
None.
assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying
disease. For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of antibodies to VPRIV with the incidence of antibodies
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
to other products may be misleading.
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Hypersensitivity reactions have been reported in patients in clinical studies with VPRIV [see ADVERSE DRUG INTERACTIONS
REACTIONS]. As with any intravenous protein product, hypersensitivity reactions are possible, therefore No drug-drug interaction studies have been conducted.
appropriate medical support should be readily available when VPRIV is administered. If a severe reaction
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
occurs, current medical standards for emergency treatment are to be followed.
Pregnancy: Pregnancy Category B.
Treatment with VPRIV should be approached with caution in patients who have exhibited symptoms of Reproduction studies with velaglucerase alfa have been performed in pregnant rats at intravenous
hypersensitivity to the active ingredient or excipients in the drug product or to other enzyme replacement therapy. doses up to 17 mg/kg/day (102 mg/m2 /day, about 1.8 times the recommended human dose of
60 Units/kg/day or 1.5 mg/kg/day or 55.5 mg/m2 /day based on the body surface area). Reproduction
Infusion-related Reactions
Infusion-related reactions were the most commonly observed adverse reactions in patients treated with VPRIV studies have been performed in pregnant rabbits at intravenous doses up to 20 mg/kg/day
in clinical studies. The most commonly observed symptoms of infusion-related reactions were: headache, (240 mg/m2/day, about 4.3 times the recommended human dose of 60 Units/kg/day based on the body
dizziness, hypotension, hypertension, nausea, fatigue/asthenia, and pyrexia. Generally the infusion-related surface area). These studies did not reveal any evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to
reactions were mild and, in treatment-naïve patients, onset occurred mostly during the first 6 months of velaglucerase alfa.
treatment and tended to occur less frequently with time.
A pre- and postnatal development study in rats showed no evidence of any adverse effect on pre- and postnatal
The management of infusion-related reactions should be based on the severity of the reaction, e.g. slowing development at doses up to 17 mg/kg (102 mg/m2/day, about 1.8 times the recommended human dose of 60
the infusion rate, treatment with medications such as antihistamines, antipyretics and/or corticosteroids, Units/kg/day based on the body surface area). There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies
in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response,
and/or stopping and resuming treatment with increased infusion time.
VPRIV should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
Pre-treatment with antihistamines and/or corticosteroids may prevent subsequent reactions in those cases
where symptomatic treatment was required. Patients were not routinely pre-medicated prior to infusion of Nursing Mothers: There are no data from studies in lactating women. It is not known whether this drug is
excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when
VPRIV during clinical studies.
VPRIV is administered to a nursing woman.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Pediatric Use: The safety and effectiveness of VPRIV have been established in patients between 4 and 17
Clinical Studies Experience
The data described below reflect exposure of 94 patients with type 1 Gaucher disease who received VPRIV at years of age. Use of VPRIV in this age group is supported by evidence from adequate and well-controlled
doses ranging from 15 Units/kg to 60 Units/kg every other week in 5 clinical studies. Fifty-four (54) patients studies of VPRIV in adults and pediatric [20 of 94 (21%)] patients. The safety and efficacy profiles were
were naïve to ERT and received VPRIV for 9 months and 40 patients switched from imiglucerase to VPRIV similar between pediatric and adult patients [see ADVERSE REACTIONS and CLINICAL STUDIES]. The safety
treatment and received VPRIV for 12 months [see CLINICAL STUDIES]. Patients were between 4 and 71 years of VPRIV has not been established in pediatric patients younger than 4 years of age.
old at time of first treatment with VPRIV, and included 46 male and 48 female patients.
Geriatric Use: During clinical studies 4 patients aged 65 or older were treated with VPRIV. Clinical studies
The most serious adverse reactions in patients treated with VPRIV were hypersensitivity reactions [see of VPRIV did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond
differently from younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
responses between the elderly and younger patients. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should
The most commonly reported adverse reactions (occurring in ≥10% of patients) that were considered be approached cautiously, considering potential comorbid conditions.
related to VPRIV are shown in Table 2. The most common adverse reactions were infusion-related reactions.
OVERDOSAGE
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in There is no experience with overdose of VPRIV.
the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and
may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
Table 2: Adverse Reactions Observed in ≥10% of Patients with Type 1 Gaucher Disease Treated with VPRIV VPRIV is manufactured by:
[Naïve to ERT (N = 54), Switched from imiglucerase to VPRIV (N = 40)] Number of Patients (%)—Nervous
system disorders: Headache 19 (35.2%), 12 (30%), Dizziness 12 (22.2%), 3 (7.5%); Gastrointestinal disorders: Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.
Abdominal pain 10 (18.5%), 6 (15%), Nausea 3 (5.6%), 4 (10%); Musculoskeletal and connective tissue 700 Main Street
disorders: Back pain 9 (16.7%), 7 (17.5%), Joint pain (knee) 8 (14.8%), 3 (7.5%); Infections and infestations: Cambridge, MA 02139
Upper respiratory tract infection 17 (31.5%), 12 (30%); Investigations: Activated partial thromboplastin
time prolonged 6 (11.1%), 2 (5%); General disorders and administration site conditions: Infusion-related VPRIV is a registered trademark of Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.
reaction* 28 (51.9%), 9 (22.5%), Pyrexia 12 (22.2%), 5 (12.5%), Asthenia/Fatigue 7 (13%), 5 (12.5%). ©2010 Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.
*Denotes any event considered related to and occurring within up to 24 hours of VPRIV infusion.
February 2010 40-0510 Rev. 1
Please see full Prescribing Information at www.vpriv.com.
www.vpriv.com
VPRIV is a registered trademark of Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.
Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc. 700 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139
©2010 Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc. US/VEL-00223-Dec10
US/VEL-00233
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 4
May-June 2012
Laws, leaders, and followers
When I used to be asked if I had read a
certain book, often I would blithely reply,
“No, I already know all that I want to
know, and if I read, it just confuses me.”
While the answer was given in jest, too
often there was more truth than there
should have been in my attitude.
I have now come to appreciate that it is
unfair to try to understand current affairs
and to attempt to evaluate opinions and
positions without a historical background.
The evolution that takes place from the
genesis of concepts, which in most cases
resulted from an interpretive application of
the thoughts as dictated by current events
of the day, has brought us to our present
understanding, practices, and laws. Past
conditions and circumstances and an
understanding of those conditions do have
an impact on the actions at that time. The
meaning and implications of the language
at that time can convey a different understanding of the contents from what such
words and expressions would convey
today.
To us as Americans, there is no more
basic document than our Constitution. But
as we all know, there are many situations
each year in which there is a difference of
opinion as to how to apply the precepts of
THE
Jewish Georgian
The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is
written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians.
Publisher
Marvin Botnick
Co-Publisher
Sam Appel
Editor
Marvin Botnick
Managing Editor
Marsha C. LaBeaume
Assignment Editor
Carolyn Gold
Consulting Editor
Gene Asher
Associate Editor
Barbara Schreiber
Copy Editor
Ray Tapley
Assistant Copy Editor
Arnold Friedman
Makeup Editor
Terri Christian
Production Coordinator
Terri Christian
Designer
David Gaudio
Photographic Staff
Allan Scher, Jonathan Paz
Graphic Art Consultant
Columnist
Karen Paz
Gene Asher, Jonathan Barach,
Janice Rothschild Blumberg,
Marvin Botnick, David Geffen,
Carolyn Gold, Jonathan Goldstein,
R.M. Grossblatt, Marice Katz,
Balfoura Friend Levine,
Marsha Liebowitz, Bubba Meisa,
Erin O’Shinsky, Reg Regenstein,
Susan Robinson, Stuart Rockoff,
Roberta Scher, Jerry Schwartz, Leon Socol,
Rabbi Reuven Stein, Cecile Waronker
Special Assignments
Lyons Joel
Advertising
Anne Bender
Ruby Grossblatt
Sam Appel
Jane Axelrod
Gil Bachman
Asher Benator
Editorial Advisory Board Members
Rabbi Alvin Sugarman
Sam Massell
Albert Maslia
William Rothschild
Michael H. Mescon
Marilyn Shubin
Paul Muldawer
Doug Teper
8495 Dunwoody Place, Suite 100
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(404) 236-8911 • FAX (404) 236-8913
[email protected]
www.jewishgeorgian.com
The Jewish Georgian ©2012
BY Marvin
Botnick
this document and its amendments. When
this happens, the parties appeal to our
courts to determine the proper legal interpretation to the specific issue. Even our
courts are often unable to arrive at unanimity in interpretation. The decisions resulting from the deliberations in the U.S. of our
Constitution are set forth in writings, and
these rulings become case law and form a
base for future interpretations.
To us as Jews, there is no more basic
document than our Bible. Unlike the
Constitution, however, the Bible consists
of more than just the structure and laws
under which a country functions. The Bible
does contain these elements, but it has even
broader horizons. It deals with the theological response and duty to a deity and sets
forth moral issues addressing our responsibilities to our God, our fellow humans, our
environment, the land, and all entities, animate and inanimate.
Our Law is more than a legal document; it is a legal document with a moral
bent and a belief in power and source that
truly is a “Supreme” court.
We read and discuss matters subject to the secular rules, but most of us do
not realize how much of that has come
Montag
From page 1
in Children’s Healthcare, where she serves
on the board and nominating committee.
Mr. Louis Montag, her father-in-law,
was one of the founders of the Visiting
Nurses Association. Jackie has worked with
VNA in the area of public relations and is a
past vice-chairperson there. She was on the
original board of Camp Twin Lakes, which
serves children who are ill or have disabilities.
Jackie served on and later chaired the
religious school committee of The Temple.
In 1987, she was elected the first woman
president of The Temple, a position she
held until 1989.
Alvin Sugarman was The Temple’s
rabbi during those years, and he had this to
say: “Jackie Montag is an incredible human
being. Her kindness and understanding are
matched only by her intellect. Her family is
foremost in her life, and they adore her. Her
leadership at The Temple provided a model
of what it means to lead a synagogue. Her
concern was for each and every one of our
temple members, from our newest members
to those whose families had been part of
The Temple for generations. As well, every
temple program was important to her, as
down to us from our Jewish Law. Not only
has our secular legal system been the inheritor of these writings, but the influence of
what Moses received at Sinai has and does
reverberate throughout our total culture.
Moses went up to the mountain and
received the blueprint upon which a major
portion of society has been constructed. Is
it any wonder, therefore, why the giving of
the Law at Sinai is such a key, critical element and one in which we rejoice each year
at this time with the celebration of
Shavuot?
While nothing can match the magnitude of what transpired at Sinai, we cannot
be unmindful of the importance of Moses
in this event, as well his part in the entire
ending of the episode in Egypt and the
march to new self-identity and freedom.
There were many divergent voices in the
wilderness, and there were those who saw
the present and the future with eyes looking
back rather than forward. We know of the
tribulations that faced Moses from the multitudes. Even in light of the beneficence
that was being showered on them by God,
there were underlying questioning and
doubts that had to be controlled and quieted. It took a leader.
In today’s world, there are many who
position themselves to be viewed as leaders. But it is hard to be a true leader if the
objective is to achieve personal gains and
aggrandizement.
Most of us, however, are followers.
Just as was the case of the Jews who were
freed from slavery in ancient Egypt, our
judgment and motivation is strongly influenced by the personal benefits we see from
accepting and/or following a concept or
course of action. There is nothing wrong
with melding in equal portions the concept
of seeking to “repair the world” with betterment of one’s own life, and, in fact, this
is what should be done. And this is the job
description that we should use in seeking
leadership.
Truly great leaders are rare. Just as
there were many false prophets, there are
many false leaders. It seems that in times of
greatest need, such true leaders come forth.
We only can hope that this will continue.
But we, too, have a responsibility in this
scenario, for remember, there cannot be a
good leader without good followers.
As we reflect on the enormity of the
events of that forty-day period –– a time
when our people moved from slavery to
freedom; a time when our people moved
from a tribe to a nation with a historical
mandate and moral code –– we each must
understand our place and responsibility in
striving to continue to implement and fulfill the challenges and duties that are inculcated in these holidays.
“Behold, a good doctrine has been
given you, My Torah; do not forsake it. It is
a tree of life to those who hold it fast, and
all who cling to it find happiness. Its ways
are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths
are peace.” – Union Prayer Book For
Jewish Worship
was every member of our temple staff. No
matter what problems our staff might have
encountered, Jackie was always there for
us, offering her keen insight and loving
support.”
Among other community activities,
she chaired the local U.S.O. and served on
the United Way Allocations Committee.
One of her long–time interests has been the
Atlanta Historical Society at the Atlanta
History Center, where she is past board
chair. Jackie was recently elected secretary
of the Georgia Historical Society.
In keeping with her interest in family
health, she is on the board of Skyland Trail,
a rehabilitation center for people with mental health problems.
In 1990, Jackie participated in
Leadership Atlanta, where she says she
“learned a lot.” She is also a former board
member of the Community Foundation of
Metro Atlanta.
Jackie has served or is serving on
numerous other boards, such as the AntiDefamation League, Atlanta Girls School,
Friends of Trinity School, Emory
University Board of Visitors, and Hughes
Spalding Hospital. She has been chair of
the Parents Council of The Westminster
Schools.
Jackie collaborated with four other
women to write two college guidebooks,
one on Southern schools and the other on
schools in the Northeast.
Currently, she is working four days a
week, part-time, in her family’s investment
firm. Since 1986, Jackie has been in charge
of marketing and business development
“Atlanta is a wonderful city,” she says.
“You have to give back.” In listing Jackie’s
“giving back,” we may have omitted a
chairmanship, a nominating committee, a
search committee that she has headed, or a
recognition she has earned. Her contributions are almost too numerous to count. In
addition, she has passed on her dedication
to service to her grown children. Ned has
been head of Atlanta’s Jewish Educational
Loan Fund, and John is a third-generation
Montag involved in United Way’s Families
First.
Rabbi Sugarman adds, “The same type
of caring concern and outstanding leadership Jackie gave to our temple family, she
has given as well to our community at large,
from children to the eldest among us. I have
never known anyone who has given more
freely of herself to our community than
Jackie Montag. How fortunate we all are to
be blessed with Jackie’s caring and loving
leadership.”
Meanwhile, Jackie is not slowing
down a beat, but rushing off to the next
meeting.
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
What’s
HAPPENING
PHI EP REUNION AT THE WHITE
HOUSE. When legendary UGA Phi Epsilon
Pi fraters Myles Osterneck and Richie
Reiman visited Atlanta the other day for
Passover, it was a good excuse for a reunion
with their old fraternity brothers—such
movers and shakers and colorful characters
as Jeff VanTosh, Steve Selig, Jerry Gordon,
Andy Ghertner, and Sam Coolik. They
played a round of golf at the Standard Club
and had a power lunch a few days later at
the famous and beloved White House
restaurant in Buckhead. Myles has lived the
last few decades in Maui, Hawaii, and
Richie lives in Longboat Key, Florida—
tough assignments, but someone has to do
it.
Most of us are from the classes of ‘61
and 62’, but Osterneck stayed at UGA so
long, no one can say what his class year is.
He may still be getting mail there. The main
school cafeteria still has a sandwich named
after him.
Somehow, we got invited to lunch, and
when we arrived a little early, there was
Selig, his calendar book wide open, working his iPhone, making appointments, cutting deals, arranging meetings, and multitasking to the max. Since he owns the property, we guess it’s OK for him to treat it like
his office.
As always at The White House, lunch
was great. The remarks were stimulating,
the conversation brilliant, the repartee witty.
Much of the conversation touched on the
usual Atlanta topic, how slow the real estate
market is. We didn’t realize how bad it had
gotten until we got an e-mail from Selig
listing all the places that give senior discounts!
BY Reg
Regenstein
Richie Reiman
AMBASSADOR
JOHN
BOLTON
SPEAKS TO JEWISH GROUP. When
Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and
senior advisor to the Romney Presidential
Campaign John Bolton spoke at
Baltimore’s Royal Kosher restaurant two
days before Maryland’s GOP Primary, our
roving correspondent Dan Regenstein was
there to record and report on the event.
Ambassador Bolton has been one of the
most outspoken commentators warning
about the dangers of Iran developing
nuclear weapons and urging that whatever
action is necessary be taken to stop Iran
from achieving nuclear capability.
Stephanie
Rosenau,
Dan
Regenstein, Ambassador John
Bolton, and Lisa Spies, senior associate at Acharai Jewish Leadership
Development Institute
Lunching at The White House: (from
left) Steve Selig, Sam Coolik, Reg
Regenstein, Jerry Gordon, Myles
Osterneck, and Andy Ghertner
(photo by Myles Osterneck)
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ENTRY: JAY
STARKMAN. We had never before known
anyone who was the answer in a crossword
puzzle, but renowned Atlanta accountant
Jay Starkman was featured as 7 across in a
recent issue of the industry publication Tax
Notes, with the clue “tax simplification
Page 5
expert.”
The
answer really
wasn’t that hard,
since the issue
also
featured
Jay, who was
named a runnerup for “Tax
Person of the
Year.”
Jay Starkman
BARRY FARBER’S NEW BOOK.
Legendary New York-based talk show host
Barry Farber’s claim to fame is not just that
he is Atlanta comic Jerry’s big brother.
Barry is about to publish yet another book.
Cocktails With Molotov will be published in early May. Its title comes from the
fact that Barry was the first free-lance journalist to enter the Soviet Union after Stalin
died, and he actually had cocktails with
Molotov. The book has about 80 chapters
and includes the true story of Charlie
Fawcett, a Charleston Episcopal aristocrat
movie star (who made 135 films), who married and divorced six Jewish women within
eighteen months. No, he was not fickle or
unstable; he married them to save their
lives, in Nazi-occupied France, from 19401941.
Barry has had an amazing career.
Before graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the
University of North Carolina in 1952, he
served with the Norwegian Merchant
Marine, represented America at international conferences in Yugoslavia and Brazil,
was an interpreter for units of the Chinese
Nationalist Navy, and was the editor of a
daily newspaper.
His official bio describes how he “sped
to Cuba after the fall of Batista, beating
Fidel Castro to Havana by five days. Barry
reported on the repression of Soviet Jews
from the Moscow synagogue and covered
the Liberty City, Florida, race riots from an
all-black bar.
“During the Korean War, Farber served
in the army as a Russian translator for
American military intelligence. After Soviet
forces overwhelmed the Hungarian
Freedom Fighters, Farber helped Hungarian
refugees across the border to freedom in
Austria. He volunteered with Catholic
Relief to resettle Hungarian refugees in
North Carolina. The American-Hungarian
Foundation honored Farber with its prestigious George Washington Award in 2007.”
Barry was the New York Conservative
Party’s nominee for mayor in 1977; he was
edged out in that election by Ed Koch. His
nationally syndicated “The Barry Farber
Show” is heard Monday-Friday over CRN
Digital Talk Radio and on Saturday afternoons on the Talk Radio Network, which
can be heard in Atlanta. Barry recently
interviewed local Vietnam veteran Marine
Frank Cox, whose own new book, Lullabies
for Lieutenants, describes his especially
hazardous experiences as a forward observer, calling in artillery and air strikes on
enemy forces during firefights.
When Barry is on the air, it is said,
“The airwaves are filled with a mix of conservative philosophy, eloquent poetry, Dixie
wit, and good old-fashioned common
sense.”
Talkers magazine named Farber one of
the top ten radio talk hosts of all time. His
peers named him “Talk Host of the Year” in
1991.
For over thirty-five years, Barry Farber
was a major fund-raising speaker for Bonds
of Israel, United Jewish Appeal, and other
Jewish charities. He’s a veteran of twentythree missions to Israel and speaks or has
some proficiency in 26 languages.
There’s something about Farber’s gentle Southern manner that side-steps hostility
to his right-of-center views. His broadcast
recipe: “Lots of opinions. Lots of laughs.
Nothing mean. Nothing rigid. Just let it all
flow, like a student riot in Ecuador.”
As one fan explains, “How can you not
love a guy who can recite ‘T’was the Night
Before Christmas’ in Yiddish and sings
‘Davy Crockett’ on the air in Norwegian?”
Barry Farber
ENOUGH ABOUT JERRY FARBER
ALREADY. Jerry has asked us not to mention his name in our column any more. He
says every time it comes out and people see
his name, it
reminds 50 people that he owes
them money.
But we
do want to note
that his son
Joshua is featured on a popular
YouTube
video, “Joshua
Farber sings—
I’m sexy & I
know it,” which
documents his performance at Jerry’s 74th
birthday party, at his Side Door nightclub.
Check
it
out
at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0hvqSa6Lw
A.
ISRAELI-AMERICAN
BUSINESS
COOPERATION. Since 1992, under the
guidance of its tireless president, Tom
Glaser, the American-Israel Chamber of
Commerce (AICC), Southeast Region, has
worked to promote and increase economic
development between Israel and the
Southeast. It has encouraged and helped
complete deals worth over $1 billion, bringing jobs, profits, and untold benefits to the
economies of both regions.
This June 12, from 7:00-9:00 p.m., the
AICC will celebrate its 20th anniversary at
the 11th annual Eagle Star Awards Gala, at
the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel.
See HAPPENING, page 6
Page 6
Happening
From page 5
The keynote speaker will be one of Israel’s
most renowned entrepreneurs and high tech
venture capitalists, Jonathan Medved, who
was prominently featured in the bestselling
Start-Up Nation.
The Eagle Star Gala honors the people
and companies who have made the greatest
contributions to
the
SoutheastIsrael business
relationship, recognizing
the
Israeli Company
of the Year and
Deal of the Year.
The chamber will
also recognize
Asheville, North
Carolina, attorJohn Medved
ney
Robert
Deutsch with the
C h a m b e r
Founders Award
and the Israel
Economic Office
to
the
U.S.
Southern Region
with
the
Community
Partner Award.
The event webTom Glaser
s i t e ,
www.eaglestargala.com, features all the event details and
offers the ease of online ticket purchasing.
For
further
information,
contact
[email protected], or call 404-843-9426.
WHO STOLE MY RELIGION? Professor
and author Dr. Richard Schwartz knows
more about Jewish law relating to the treatment of animals and the environment than
anyone alive. He has just published a new
book on Judaism, Who Stole My Religion?:
Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish
Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet.
Richard laments the ways in which he
believes his beloved religion—Orthodox
Judaism—has been “stolen” by partisan
politics and suggests ways in which
Judaism can “get back on track as a faith
based on peace and compassion.”
Although Richard is a lot more liberal
than we are—who isn’t?—there is no one
more brilliant when it comes to discussing
the fate of our planet, the many environmental issues that threaten human civilization, and the religious and moral obligations of Jews to take action to avert the
impending ecological disaster we face.
Check out the book’s blog,
WhoStoleMyReligion.com, and Richard’s
website, www.jewishveg.com.
PASSOVER AT THE ZOO. What to do
when Passover comes to the zoo, and all the
animals’ Haggadahs are too old and worn
out to read? You turn, of course, to the elephant, Shai, who never forgets, and remembers every word of the Exodus story, even
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
giving each animal parts to read. Every zoo
creature is eager to do its part in Pesach,
and has a role to play—“from the lion’s
great big ‘Ma-Roar!’ to the vultures’ help
finishing off the meal.”
Daniel Guttman’s and Phillip Ratner’s
new children’s book from Pelican
Publishing, The Passover Zoo Seder, provides a fun, easy-to-read rendition of
Passover for kids, as well as many youngat-heart parents who enjoy a “roaring good
read.”
GREATER ATLANTA HADASSAH CELEBRATES HADASSAH’S CENTENNIAL. In celebration of a century of
Hadassah’s history and achievements,
Greater Atlanta Hadassah presented
Hadassah’s
Centennial
Celebration,
February 26, at Greenfield Hebrew
Academy. Tina Wasserman, noted chef and
author of the popular cookbook Entrée to
Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the
Jewish Diaspora, was the guest speaker.
The event honored Greater Atlanta
Hadassah life member Florence Kaplan
Nathanson, one of the early Hadassah volunteer nurses serving in the newly founded
state of Israel. Mrs. Nathanson and five
other nurses set sail to Israel in 1950 to
work in a transit camp for new immigrants
established at Rosh Ha’Ayin. Her job was
to care for Yemenite children who were
malnourished and sick with life-threatening
illnesses. She served for nine months before
returning to the U.S.
Diane Nevins presenting the
Hadassah Centennial Award to
Florence Nathanson, R.N.
Greater Atlanta Hadassah President
Diane Munzer Fisher addressing the
audience
at
the
Hadassah
Centennial Celebration
May-June 2012
Super Realtor Alan Joel
the Atlanta Commercial Board of
Realtors Alvin B. Cates Award for the
When Native Atlantan Alan Joel most outstanding real estate transaction
recently won one of the city’s most pres- of the year. Alan was the top producing
tigious business awards—being named broker for five consecutive years at his
Atlanta’s Commercial Realtor of the firm before founding Joel & Granot Real
Year—the press release was so well writ- Estate, which specializes in tenant repreten we thought it was one of our articles sentation, build-to-suit, investment sales,
and mistakenly put our name on it in the property management, and leasing.
Alan’s distinguished family has been
last issue.
Since then, The Atlanta Business in the real estate business for over half a
Chronicle featured Alan in a front page century, so he’s literally got it in his
article entitled, “Rocketing to the Top,” blood. He’s an avid Bulldog, having
graduated
honoring
from
the
several broUniversity of
k e r s ’
Georgia,
“stratoswhich
he
p h e r i c
attended on a
achieveswimming
ment”
in
scholarship.
“blasting
He went on to
through a
get his degree
sluggish”
in
finance
market.
f r o m
We are
Georgia’s
r e a l l y
Terry College
pleased,
Alan and Sophie Joel
of Business,
though not
where, as a
surprised,
that he has risen so quickly to the top of Dean’s List student, he was a member of
Atlanta’s super competitive real estate the Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor
Society. He obtained his master’s degree
industry.
A founding partner of Joel & Granot, in Real Estate from Georgia State
Alan received the Realtor of the Year University.
In 1981, he participated in the
Award—his latest award—at the Atlanta
Commercial Board of Realtors’ holiday Maccabiah Games, held in Tel Aviv, as a
party at the InterContinental Buckhead member of the United States swimming
hotel. The award recognizes “spirit, civic team. But his greatest accomplishment
activity, and business accomplishments was marrying the beautiful and delightful
[and] what the individual has done for Sophie Mantler, who has a landscape and
the real estate community as a whole and floral design company. Their daughters
are also excelling. Holly is a freshman at
the size and complexity of deals.”
Alan, an Olympic-class swimmer, Georgia. Helen just graduated with a 3.4
has often been in deep water, but he’s GPA from University of Alabama and is
never been in over his head. This latest now looking for a job in the PR/commuhonor followed his receiving, in 2004, nications business.
By Reg Regenstein
THE WORLD’S GREATEST FOLK ART
SHOW. Mark your calendars; it’s almost
time for Folk Fest 2012, which Amy and
Steve Slotin have made the world’s largest
and best folk art show and sale. There will
be over 100 galleries and dealers from
around the nation, selling thousands of
works of some of the most beautiful art
you’ve ever seen, especially folk art,
Southern folk pottery, and anonymous
antique pieces.
As always, Folk Fest will be held at
the North Atlanta Trade Center, I-85 and
Indian Trail Road, Exit 101, and there will
be every kind of art work at every price
level. The show begins Friday, August 17,
5:00 p.m.-10 p.m.; $15 gets you admission to the Meet-The-Artists Party and
first crack at the amazing art featured in
the show, which continues through
Sunday.
The Slotins also have several folk art
auctions during the year, so be sure to get
on their e-mail list. For more info, check
out slotinfolkart.com, or call 770-5321115.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTHA JO.
Although she never seems to get any older
or less youthful looking, Martha Jo Katz
recently had another birthday.
On April 2, her daughter, Roben, and
daughter-in-law, Tascha, planned an
“usher in a new decade” ladies luncheon
for her with friends and family. Martha Jo
says, “It was a perfect ‘10’ day and a fabulous event.” Among the guests were MJ’s
first cousins, Raye Coplin, Joan Kent,
Suzy Engelhard, and Brenda Caghan.
Roben recited a great poem she wrote,
titled MY MAMA! “ It sure made my heart
sing,” says MJ, “as did the entire party.”
See HAPPENING, page 8
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 7
The Apple Pushers, an unusual AJFF offering
Brian Katzowitz
At first glance, The Apple Pushers
appears out of place amidst the line-up
of Holocaust dramas, Middle East documentaries, and Old Testament satires that
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival attendees
have become accustomed to throughout
the years.
Focusing on the American obesity
epidemic, the compelling documentary
may be only tenuously connected to specific Judaic issues. However, the gravity
of the film’s core message reaches across
all communities and exemplifies the festival organizers’ efforts to reach a broader audience.
Obesity’s increasing rates and its
effect on the nation’s health have been
explored in depth by the film industry
over the past decade. But while Morgan
Spurlock’s Super Size Me and the
acclaimed Food, Inc. utilize a muckraking style, delving into a facet of this
complicated issue to uncover the root of
the problem, The Apple Pushers offers a
possible solution.
Writer, director, and producer Mary
Mazzio explores New York City’s initiative to send street cart vendors, armed
with fresh fruit and vegetables, into lowincome neighborhoods—the hope being
that increasing people’s access to healthy
food will slowly lessen their reliance on
greasy fast food.
The film highlights five immigrant
street vendors, who serve as oases in
unique stories about their arrival in this
country. They share, however, a pride in
the work they are doing and seem to harbor genuine affection for the people they
serve and the communities in which they
these so-called “food deserts,” as they
carry out this initiative and contend with
complicated city ordinances, expensive
products, and hostile business owners.
These five vendors, who hail from
different regions of the world, tell
operate.
The story of immigrant food vendors
placed on the front lines of the fight
against obesity would have made for an
interesting documentary on its own.
Mazzio chooses to flesh the story out
even more.
Like the previous generations of
immigrants, the street cart vendors are,
sometimes unknowingly, carrying on the
tradition started by Chinese and Irish
immigrants building the railroads in the
19th century. With the reference to
immigrants often serving as the backbone of America’s economic engine, filling the jobs that others don’t want,
Mazzio draws a thinly veiled parallel to
the current immigration reform controversy that has become a prominent issue
of the election season.
Unfortunately, the film suffers as a
result of its attempt to take on too much.
With a variety of complex issues to
cover, interesting subplots about the politics and bureaucracy of public health are
introduced, but not fully developed.
When focused strictly on the problem
and solutions of the obesity epidemic,
the film thrives. Edward Norton’s narration is tightly woven with captivating
interview subjects. However, the film
strays from this formula too often in the
latter third.
The Apple Pushers tackles a national
issue on a local level and asks the right
questions. It simply gets distracted
before attempting to provide the
answers.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 8
May-June 2012
Jewish Nation Fund – doing something about an idea
BY Marvin
Botnick
If you will it, it is no dream.
Theodore Herzl
I had a friend who, when discussing an
idea, would say, “I had that idea ten years
ago.” Well, it is one thing to have an idea; it
is something completely different to do
something with an idea.
In 1884, Hermann Schapira, a Russian
mathematician, put forth the concept of the
formation and founding of an organization
to acquire land in Palestine, which he
voiced again at the First Zionist Congress
of 1897. In 1901, three years after his death,
the Fifth Zionist Congress, with Theodor
Herzl’s support, founded what is now the
Jewish National Fund, to purchase land in
Palestine.
Since that time, the organization,
which receives worldwide support for its
mission, has gone on to be a key element in
the acquisition and development of the land
that became the State of Israel. Its mission
has been not only to acquire but also to
reclaim destitute land and make it productive.
For nine years, the Southeastern
Regional Office of JNF has sponsored an
Annual Jack Hirsch Memorial Breakfast to
recognize individuals who have contributed
to the programs of the organization and to
publicize its activities. This year’s program,
which was held at The Temple in Atlanta,
attracted over 300 attendees.
As is well known in the Atlanta area,
water is a primary element in the ecological
support of a populace. While JNF is best
recognized by its reforestation of the land
that had been reduced to a blighted area
through centuries of abusive misuse of the
natural growth, it has also played a major
roll in addressing the dire need for water.
The short program focused on this critical
problem highlighting the more than 220
reservoirs that have been constructed and
provide almost half of the water used by the
agricultural sector, saving the equivalent
amount of freshwater for 4.4 million people
a year.
At this year’s function, Atlantans Dr.
Perry and Shirley Brickman were the recipients of the Cantor Isaac and Betty
Goodfriend Community Service Award,
and Dr. Kenneth Stein was honored with the
Tree of Life™ Award.
There is little in the Atlanta Jewish
community in which Perry and Shirley are
not involved. To say that they are committed to our community and our people is, at
best, an understatement. No person or persons knows of their character and devotion
better than their children, who have been
the beneficiaries of their parents’ support,
teachings, and legacy. It was these heirs to
their parents’ character and principles that
spoke so eloquently and with such love on
behalf of Perry and Shirley in the acknowledgment of the award, which was presented
by David Birnbrey and Mechal Perl, copresidents of the JNF’s Atlanta Region.
Ken Stein, the William E. Schatten
Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern
and Israeli Studies at Emory University, has
spent his life as an academician and is an
The Brickman family: Jeffrey
Brickman, Teresa Brickman Finer,
Shirley Brickman, Perry Brickman,
and Lori Brickman
acknowledged authority on the origins of
modern Israel, Palestinian social history,
the British Mandate in Palestine, the ArabIsraeli negotiating process, American foreign policy toward the region, and the modern Arab world. In accepting the award,
which was presented by Georgia Attorney
General Sam Olens, last year’s recipient,
Stein spoke to the issue of Israel and its situation.
In 1901, it would have been hard to
picture what Israel has become. But we
need to remember the efforts and sacrifices
Opher Aviran, consul general of
Israel to the Southeastern United
States, Dr. Kennith Stein, and Beth
Gluck, JNF Southeast Region director
that were made by organizations such as the
JNF prior to and since its formation. It was
a dream of many that blossomed into reality through the support and commitment of
Jews throughout the world and the blood
and sweat of those who became citizens of
this amazing country.
Israel is proof of Theodore Herzl’s
statement.
Happening
From page 6
Craig Kunkes (from left), Republican
Jewish Coalition Executive Director
Matt Brooks, and Dan Regenstein
outside of Republican Jewish
Coalition event in Washington, D.C.
BIRTHDAY BASH. (standing, from
left) Suzy Engelhard, Joan Kent, and
Raye Coplin; (seated, from left) Judy
Kogon, Gina Shapiro, Pearlann
Horowitz, Martha Jo Katz, Janis
Cannon, and Harriet Karesh
Abe and Linda Schear (left) with
Judy and Marty Kogon, at the AIPAC
Policy Conference, in Washington,
D.C., which had a record 13,000
attendees this year
The Dream Supremes, the WNBA
Dreamsʼ senior dance and cheer
team, perform at The Bremen Home
on St Patrickʼs Day, as the residents
swing their pom poms. From left:
back row: Captain Marcia Jaffe,
Coach Karen Schatten Shmerling;
from left, middle row: Annette
Marcus, Barbara Cox, Marianne
Broadbear, Sandy Bailey, Bobi
Dimond, Marci Steinberg, VonCile
Hodges; front row: residents Don
Mendel (left) and Ruth Gross (photo:
HMendel)
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Summer’s Landing is now The Carlton
MedHoldings, Inc., has acquired Highway. The 55,400-square-foot facility
Summer’s Landing Mt. Vernon, an assisted will be leased to Insignia Living of
Georgia,
living and
LLC, and
memory care
community.
managed by
T h e
T
h
e
community,
Jennings
Group, of
which has
LaGrange.
b e e n
“ W e
renamed The
are excited
Carlton, is a
specialized
to continue
retirement
our growth
community
throughout
the state of
that follows
Georgia and
Jewish traditions, includto bring to
ing kosher
new comfood. It is
munities
safe
and
one of a few
Jenice
Holtz
Cunningham,
The
Carlton
executive
joyful enviassisted livdirector,
and
Fred
Glusman,
kashruth
supervironments.
ing communiThis is our
ties in the sor/chaplain
sixth retireUnited States
providing such services. The Carlton offers ment community in Georgia and our sevenassisted living and memory care services teenth in the Southeastern United States
and is licensed for 74 beds. Its memory care and Puerto Rico,” stated Milton L. Cruz,
area, called The Terrace, has a specialized Esq., president of MedHoldings, Inc.
MedHoldings, Inc., is a diversified
program for Alzheimer’s disease and other
memory care conditions. The Carlton is healthcare real estate and investment comlocated in Sandy Springs, next to pany with holdings in Georgia, Florida, and
Congregation B’nai Torah, on Mt. Vernon Puerto Rico.
Page 9
Page 10
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Company J continues season with diverse productions
Company J at the MJCCA continued
its inaugural mainstage season with the
family musical A Year With Frog & Toad,
which ran May 9-13. Conceived by
Adrianne Lobel, daughter of Frog & Toad
author Arnold Lobel, A Year With Frog &
Toad remains true to the spirit of the original stories, following two friends through
the seasons: waking from hibernation in
the spring, planting gardens, swimming,
raking leaves, and sledding, all while
learning life lessons, including a most
important one about friendship and rejoicing in the attributes that make each of us
different and special.
Company J’s season will conclude
with the 2012 Teen Summer Stock
Musical, Spring Awakening. Winner of
eight Tony Awards, including Best
Musical, Spring Awakening is a rock musi-
cal adaptation of the controversial 19th
century play that explores, with poignancy
and passion, the turbulent journey from
adolescence to adulthood. This show is
recommended for audiences 17 years and
older. Performances are August 8-19; tickets are $12-$25.
Company J at the MJCCA brings a
variety of theatrical offerings to audiences
of all ages and provides a nurturing environment for theater artists to train and
develop their creative potential. Through
dynamic productions and classes,
Company J challenges the community to
embrace its cultural life through the art of
live performance.
For tickets to Company J performances, call 678-812-4002, or visit www.companyjatl.org.
(photo: Heidi Morton)
Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta moves to new offices
By Mordecai Zalman
There is that little something about our
Jewish traditions and heritage that spills over
into our secular lives and helps to create that
prism through which we view the world.
Living in and being part of this community
carries with it the commitment to interact and
support fellow members both directly and
through religious and social agencies.
For centuries, temporarily making available to fellow Jews resources by which to meet
immediate needs without any interest cost has
been a basic principle. This could be the loaning of utensils, tools, supplies, money, etc. —
anything to enable someone to become pro-
Lester Czuper (from left), Howard Newman, Stephen Filreis, Edie Barr,
Merrie Edelston and Maureen Klesmer affixing the mezuzah
ductive and self-reliant.
In the history of Atlanta, this communal
concept has been best evidenced by the Jewish
Educational Loan Fund (JELF), an organization that has existed for over 120 years and
presently makes interest-free loans to help
young people acquire a college education, and
the Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta
(JIFLA), which has been in existence since
2010 and makes interest-free, non-educational
related loans to members of the community
who have a temporary need of financial help.
Although JIFLA is a relatively new
organization, up until the 1960s, Atlanta had
other organizations performing this same function as far back as the 1880s. Realizing the
need for this service, a group of individuals
banded together to once again have this service available in the Atlanta community. Under
the volunteer leadership of Mort Barr, and
with the help of volunteer members of the
community, the service is once again avail-
able.
For the past two years, Congregation
B’nai Torah temporarily made available to
JIFLA a home in a property adjacent to and
owned by it in Sandy Springs. Barr emphasized that, “B’nai Torah not only provided a
home for JIFLA but, in fact, they made it happen.” Barr continued, “The personal support
of B’nai Torah’s Executive Director, Don
Kaye and Rabbi Joshua Heller were critical to
our development.”
As JIFLA knew, the availability of the
B’nai Torah space was limited. The organization has now moved into its new office at 5115
New Peachtree Road, Suite 200A, Chamblee,
GA 30341 (corner of Clairmont Road), but its
telephone number remains the same, (404)
410-6886.
Barr said that he and the organization
were deeply indebted to Eliot Arnovitz,
Jeremy Rosenthal and M&P Shopping Centers
for their help in this relocation.
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 11
Page 12
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
MISH MASH
By Erin O’Shinskey
COMMUNITY LEADERS. Guenther H.
Hecht and The Temple’s Rabbi Emeritus
Alvin Sugarman were honored at this year’s
11Alive Community Service Awards. Hecht
was recognized for creating Second
Helpings, a food rescue and distribution service for those in need, rescuing food from
restaurants, supermarkets, schools, and caterers and delivering it to shelters. Rabbi
Sugarman, who received the Boisfeuillet
Jones Award, has served on countless boards;
was a founder of the Genesis shelter; and
recently joined with three longtime Atlanta
faith leaders to form Higher Ground, raising
awareness and inspiring action on key issues
affecting the greater Atlanta community.
National Paper Trade Association, Jewish
Federation of Greater Atlanta, the American
Israel Chamber of Commerce, Hillels of
Georgia, B’nai B’rith, and Israel Bonds. He
has served in numerous capacities at
American Jewish Committee, Atlanta, including as a board member and development chair
for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
HONORARY DOCTORATES. Columbus
State University presented honorary doctorates to Henry and Joyce Schwob during the
2012 spring commencement, May 7, at the
Columbus Civic Center. The Schwob family’s support of Columbus State has been
strong for decades. Family members were
among prominent Columbus businessmen
and educators who led the push to establish a
junior college in Columbus in the 1950s.
Henry Schwob was among the charter members of the Columbus College Foundation’s
Board of Trustees in 1964. Because of generous donations over the years, CSU’s Schwob
Memorial Library and the Schwob School of
Music bear the family name.
Brenda Wood and Rabbi Alvin M.
Sugarman (photo: courtesy of 11
Alive)
Page 13
National Association of Insurance &
Financial Advisors.
HEALING HEARTS. The Marcus
Foundation, which is dedicated to Jewish
causes, children, medical research, free enterprise and the community, recently made a
$20 million gift to
Piedmont
Heart
Institute for the
development of the
nation’s first heartvalve reference center at Piedmont
Hospital. As a regional reference center,
the Marcus Heart
Bernie Marcus Valve Center will be a
one-stop shop for
patients with heart valve problems as well as
for physicians wanting to learn the latest
advancements in treatment for these complex
patients and increase access to care.
AWARDS ABOUND. Nuzzle: Love Between
a Boy and His Service Dog, written by
Donnie Kanter Winokur and designed by
Jodee Kulp, has received five national recognitions. The book received a gold Mom’s
Choice Award (Juvenile 1—Inspirational/
Motivational); First Place, Reader Views
(Early Reader Children 6-8); and was named
a Finalist, Reader’s Choice, About.com
(Special Needs Children’s Book). The audio
book received a gold Mom’ Choice Award
(Audio Books) and was recommended by
Parent Choice (Audio Books). For more
information on this and other books about
Chancer and the Winokur family, visit
thechancerchronicles.com.
A DAY FOR CELEBRATION. On Sunday,
April 15, family and friends honored Andrew
Lewis on his 50th birthday at a Torah dedication to benefit Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael. At the
same time, the Habif family honored Isaac
Habif on his 90th birthday. Rabbi Ariel Asa,
Atlanta sofer (scribe), completed writing the
last letters of the Torah at Congregation Beth
Jacob. Then, amid dancing and singing, the
Torah was carried under a chuppah to
Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael.
Ketura members assist Huntcliff residents
in
preparing
charoset.
Residents reminisced about their own
past Seders and shared recipes.
Pictured: (seated, from left) Murray
Steinberg, Edith Wolff, Sheila Shor,
Ketura member Rita Goldstein, and
Ketura member Helen Sharfstein;
(standing) Ketura members Roni
Mintz, Shari Silvers, and Marylan Karp
(photo: Bernice Mellman)
Hadassah members (from left) Sue
Rothstein, Ellen Frank, and Joan
Solomon prepare Seder plates.
(photo: Joan Solomon)
AN UNUSUAL VISITOR. The Temple
Early Learning Center (TELC), a Georgialicensed preschool, welcomed a visit from
Hannah, one of thirteen traveling mitzvah
bears sent from the URJ (Union for Reform
Judaism) to over 100 early childhood centers
across the country. The purpose of the visit
was to teach young children the importance
of doing mitzvot and the value of hospitality
and welcoming a guest. Each bear comes
with a journal; the book Bim and Bom, by
Daniel Swartz, donated by The PJ Library;
and ideas about what to do with the bears.
Henry and Joyce Schwob
Jeff Hullinger and Guenther H. Hecht
(photo: courtesy of 11 Alive)
LICHTENSTEIN
American Jewish
Mark
Lichtenstein
HONORED.
The
Committee Atlanta
Regional Office has
given
Mark
Lichtenstein the prestigious
Selig
Distinguished Service
Award. The CEO of
Industrial Packaging
Corporation,
he
earned his B.A. from
Tulane University and
M.B.A. from Georgia
State University. He
has held leadership
positions or been
active
with
the
FOUNDATION GRANT. William (Bill) G.
Loventhal III has secured a $5,000 grant from
the MDRT Foundation on behalf of the Brain
Tumor Foundation for Children (BTFC). A
37-year MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table)
member, Loventhal is an active supporter of
the Atlanta-based BTFC. The grant will support the BTFC’s program to provide
emergency financial
assistance for the
families of children
with brain or spinal
cord
tumors.
Representing
the
foundation,
Loventhal presented
this grant to the
BTFC on March 30,
at a meeting of the
Bill Loventhal Atlanta Chapter of the
Swinging with Hannah the Mitzvah
Bear
Sydney Rubin Lewis and husband
Andrew Lewis
MODEL SEDER. Members of Ketura
Hadassah joined Huntcliff Summit residents
and staff to prepare food and set tables for a
Passover Model Seder, which took place during lunch on March 29. All residents were
invited to attend, and more than 104 responded. Bob Barr led the Seder.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Jewish Family &
Career Services is seeking Bikkur Cholim volunteers to make hospital visits to Jewish
patients at Emory, Piedmont, St. Joseph’s, and
Northside hospitals. The visits are made weekly, bimonthly, or monthly, depending on the volunteer’s availability. Community chaplains at
each hospital will provide on-site training. For
more information, contact Sheri Schwartz at
[email protected] or 770-933-0081.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 14
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May-June 2012
Freedman will participate in
merger of Augusta universities
By June Kunkel
Dr. Sandra Freedman, of Augusta, is
one of twenty-one local professionals—
eight from Georgia Health Sciences
University (GHSU—formerly The Medical
College of Georgia), eight from Augusta
State University (ASU), and five from the
community—who have been appointed to
serve on the Georgia Health Sciences
University and the Augusta State University
Merger Committee.
Similar committees are working on the
mergers of Waycross College and South
Georgia College; Gainesville State College
and North Georgia College and State
University; and Macon State College and
Middle Georgia College. These mergers are
intended to save money for the state while
preserving high-quality education. The goal
is to have the colleges and universities consolidated and functioning by the fall of
2013. The president of GHSU, Dr. Ricardo
Azziz, is chair of the Augusta committee.
Dr. Freedman was appointed to the
Merger Committee because she is a former
faculty member, currently serves on and
was past president of the board of the
GHSU Medical College of Georgia Alumni
Association, and is a current board member
of the Medical College of Georgia
Foundation.
Dr. Freedman holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Georgia
and an M.D. degree at the Medical College
of Georgia (MCG), where she also completed her internship and residency in radiology. She was on the faculty of MCG from
1972-2006, teaching students and residents,
as well as performing the clinical radiology
care of patients at the MCG hospital, and
she volunteered in the clinical area following her retirement.
During her career, Sandra received several teaching awards from the radiology
residents. She chaired the Quality
Assurance Committee for Radiology for fifteen years and was a member of the MCG
Liaison Committee for Medical Education.
Dr. Freedman has also been an active
community volunteer. At Congregation
Children of Israel, she has sung alto in the
choir since 1964 (her first year in medical
school), chaired the Music Committee, and
served on the board of directors; she is currently 2nd vice president of the board. She
says that music is what brought her to
Judaism. (Her conversion was performed at
Temple Mikve Israel in Savannah.) She is
also on the Board of the Harrisburg
Community Family Health Center, a member of Women in Philanthropy for the
CSRA (Central Savannah River Area)
Community Foundation, and a past Board
member of the YWCA.
Sandra is part of a medical dynasty.
Her husband, Dr. Murray Freedman, who
grew up in Savannah and was a member of
Temple Mikve Israel, received his B.S.
degree at the University of Georgia and his
M.S. degree in endocrinology and M.D.
degree at MCG; he completed his residency
in OB/GYN at MCG. He served in the
Army between 1972-74. His father, Louis
M. Freedman, received his M.D. degree
from the University of Michigan and was a
physician in Savannah for many years.
Sandra and Murray have two married
children and five grandchildren. Their
daughter, Stacy White, is an administrator
with Children’s Hospital in Birmingham,
Alabama; she has a bachelor’s degree from
UGA and MBA and master of health
administration degrees from the University
of Alabama at Birmingham. Their son,
Allen, is a physician in an anesthesiology
group practice at St. Francis Hospital in
Greenville, South Carolina; he earned his
bachelor of science degree at UGA, and
M.D. degree at MCG, and completed his
residency in anesthesiology at the
University of Virginia.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Page 15
ASO presents special concert in observance
of Yom HaShoah and Yom Ha’aztmaut
On April 26, 27 and 28, guest conductor Michael Christie led the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra
in a program featuring the ASO premiere
of
Weinberg’s
Rhapsody
on
Moldavian Themes
and the orchestra premiere of Schubert’s
Symphony No. 8,
“Unfinished,”
as
completed by Marcel
Tyberg. Guest pianist
Behzod Abduraimov
made his Atlanta Michael Christie
Symphony
debut (photos courtesy of
p l a y i n g the Atlanta Symphony
Mendelssohn’s Piano Orchestra)
Concerto No. 1.
Both Marcel Tyberg, who completed
Schubert’s
immortal
“Unfinished
Symphony,” and Mieczyslaw Weinberg
were victims of the Holocaust.
Mendelssohn, though long dead by the
1930s, was listed prominently in an infamous book published
by the Nazi propaganda machine as a
composer
whose
music was banned in
Germany.
Tyberg
perished
in
Auschwitz in 1944.
Although Weinberg
was able to escape to
the Soviet Union in
1939, every other
member of his family
Behzod
was murdered by the
Abduraimov
Nazi regime.
These
works
were presented in a single concert, in the
month of April, in recognition of Holocaust
Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, which
was observed on April 19, and Israel
Independence Day, Yom Ha’aztmaut which
was observed on April 26.
Desegregating a business in the 1960s
BY Leon
Socol
In 1893, in a bedroom of his house in
Atlanta, a German immigrant named
Sigmund Guthman founded a small printing
business that eventually grew into the
Atlanta Envelope Company. He was the
only employee, but he lived to see the company grow into nine plants in locations from
Florida to Maryland and westward to Texas.
I joined Atlanta Envelope Company in
1952. During my time there, I saw many
changes and improvements, not only in the
growth of the company but also in employee relations. Most of this occurred after the
passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
My initial job was that of an order
clerk. At the beginning of my employment,
the company was housed in several old
buildings near Atlanta’s West End, but a few
months later, it moved to a new and modern
plant in Northwest Atlanta. After a period of
time, the president of the company offered
me a position as personnel manager. He said
that he wanted to develop a spirit of belonging among the employees and make the
company a wonderful place to work. I was
to be the “heart” of developing this concept.
As was the accepted practice in the
South at that time, the company maintained
“separate but equal” facilities for its
employees, which included separate dining
rooms for food service from its cafeteria.
With the enactment of the Civil Rights Act,
we began to integrate our facilities using
only one dining room for all. As you can
well imagine, old habits and customs do not
change overnight, and the black employees,
understandably feeling somewhat uncomfortable and intimidated, gravitated to their
old dining room. In order to resolve this, we
converted that space to other use, thereby
eliminating the option for continued separation.
With the changes that were taking
place, opportunities that formerly were not
available to blacks began to open up, which
allowed them to move into the more skilled
plant jobs. Black female employees became
the majority of the machine operators, and
black males became printing pressmen and
skilled machine mechanics.
Despite these advances, integration didn’t happen overnight. The atmosphere that
was created by the sincere commitment of
the company’s executives to make all
employees feel respected and valued vigorously helped move the process forward.
In my position as personnel manager, I
was proud to have had a small part in opening job opportunities to all. Not surprisingly,
we found that the diversity of the labor pool
that evolved enabled us to maintain a superior work force to ensure the continued quality of product and service.
As the culture changed and the opportunities became fact, we benefited from the
expansion of the labor pool and the referrals
from our existing employees. For example,
Rufus Stembridge, who worked in the envelope-cutting department, came into my
office with a young man he introduced as
his brother. Rufus said that his brother was
looking for a job and wanted to know if I
would interview him. Well, I not only interviewed him, but I hired the young man. In
the end, we had all three of the Stembridge
brothers working for the company. Each
worked in a different plant department, but
they all proved to be excellent and loyal
employees.
In spite of desegregation, there still
remained a great deal of discrimination.
Once, during the height of the “hippie” era,
a well-qualified young man with a lot of
facial hair applied for a skilled job, and the
plant manager rejected him because of it. I
explained that we couldn’t by law exclude
him, especially since he was qualified. I
finally made my point later, when I grew a
beard for a part in “Fiddler On The Roof”
and continued to wear it in the plant. Facial
hair was no longer an issue.
Each December, the company gave a
large dinner party and dance for all employees. Originally, we had two segregated parties, but I was fortunate enough to attend
both of them. These were wonderful events;
everyone got dressed up for the gatherings
and enjoyed the good food, dancing, and
socializing.
With the changes that took place in the
1960s, segregated parties were no longer
permissible, so we decided to have just one.
The idea wasn’t too well received by some
of the white employees. One white employee asked me what to do if a black man asked
his wife for a dance. I told him that would be
his wife’s decision, but I doubted that the
situation would arise. And it didn’t.
There were many interesting experiences as the result of desegregation at our
company. Our cafeteria cook, Luella, was a
good cook. She was very opinionated and
had a very independent personality. She didn’t depend on a civil rights act to assert herself. Even though she was outspoken on
many topics, her sweet potato pies were in
such demand that she baked a dozen or more
every day and always sold out.
When she died, I went to her funeral.
Near the end of the service, the preacher
called me to the dais to say a few words. I
was flabbergasted, but I went up and stared
into Luella’s open casket. I then decided she
and I would just have a farewell conversation, with me doing all the talking. I praised
her for being strong willed, but compassionate in many ways, and told her I knew
everyone was going to miss her sweet potato pies.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 16
JSU NEWS
CELEBRATING PURIM. Purim is one of
the more festive occasions on the Jewish
calendar. Recently, hundreds of teens at
Jewish Student Union (JSU) clubs across
the greater Atlanta area got into the full celebratory spirit.
There are four main mitzvot of Purim:
reading Megillat Esther, matanot le’evyonim (giving alms to the poor), Shalach
manos (giving gift baskets to friends), and
seudas Purim (the festive Feast of Purim).
During their sessions, teens engaged in
activities related to all of Purim’s mitzvot.
Director of Southern Region JSU
Rabbi Chaim Neiditch taught teens the
story of Purim, with an emphasis on the
underlying message of the Megilla—that
G-d works behind the scenes (His name
isn’t mentioned in the entire scroll), both in
the Megilla and in individuals’ lives.
During Rabbi Neiditch’s lesson, hamentashen that the participants had made were
baking and creating a wonderful aroma.
Once the hamentashen were ready, the teens
placed them, along with a variety of other
foods, into baskets that they then decorated
and distributed to both their friends and the
needy.
Students at Centennial High School
went all-out and had a catered Chinese
Food Purim seuda during their club session,
which took place during the actual holiday
of Purim.
events, the four cups of wine, and the special foods. Later on, the teens took part in a
hands-on activity, in which they used
decoupage to decorate their very own Seder
plates.
In addition, everyone participated in an
“iron chef” matzoh pizza competition,
based on the popular Food Network series.
Using a vast array of cheeses, sauces, vegetables, fruits, and other toppings, students
created matzoh pizzas that were astonishing
to behold—and consume!
May-June 2012
Rabbi Neiditch visited over a dozen
clubs at high schools around Greater
Atlanta, teaching kids about the significance and origins of challah. All the students had a blast making their own challahs
out of dough, rolling, matting, shaping, and
finally braiding them, before placing them
into ovens to bake.
While the delicious aromas swept
through the room, teens learned that the
concept of challah originally came from the
manna from Heaven that G-d provided to
the Jews in the desert after the Exodus.
Today, it symbolizes G-d’s continued sustaining of the Jewish people. For most of
the participants, it was their first time making challahs. After tasting their handiwork,
it will probably not be their last.
Devan Joel and Reed Turry making
shalach manos at Johns Creek High
School JSU
PASSOVER. Passover is all about passing
the story of the Exodus from one generation
to the next, carrying on Jewish heritage. In
the weeks leading up to the Passover holiday, Rabbi Chaim Neiditch made the
rounds of over a dozen JSU high school
clubs around Atlanta to give hundreds of
teens firsthand exposure to what Passover is
all about.
Teens learned about the Seder’s many
rituals, including the Haggadah’s order of
Penny Kahn, Jenna Becker, and
Rachel Shifrin enjoying matzoh pizza
at Dunwoody High School JSU
MAKING CHALLAH. As anyone who has
ever taken part in a Shabbos meal knows,
challah is much more than just a fancy loaf
of bread. After Kiddush is made on Friday
night or Shabbos day, challah is the first
food to enter a person’s mouth, to signal the
beginning of the meal.
Sydney Benjamin and Hannah
Sharpe
braiding
challah
at
Chattahoochee High School JSU
Black-Jewish Seder a tremendous success
The Atlanta Regional Office of
American Jewish Committee, The Atlanta
Black-Jewish Coalition, and The Temple
successfully hosted the ninth biennial
Black-Jewish Seder. The event attracted
over 200 to The Temple to share a Passoverstyle feast and celebrate freedom from slavery and oppression. In addition, it commemorated the 30th anniversary of the
founding of the Black-Jewish Coalition by
former AJC Atlanta Director Sherry Frank,
Cecil Alexander, and Congressman John
Lewis.
“It’s very fulfilling to see teens and
people of all ages still come together with
the excitement demonstrated at the
Passover Seder. The mission of the BlackJewish Coalition—to bring folks together,
find common ground, and support shared
issues—still has relevance and meets a
community need,” said Sherry Frank. “I
was especially impressed with the leadership demonstrated by Rabbi Loren Lapidus,
of The Temple, and Pastor Dr. Aaron
Parker, of Zion Hill Baptist Church, who
perfectly complemented one another in
their spectacular treatment of the revised
and improved Haggadah, while guiding us
through a special and memorable evening
of celebration.”
Since 1982, the Black-Jewish Coalition
has existed to increase understanding of and
Valerie Hartman and Imara Canady,
event co-chairs
interaction between Atlanta’s black and
Jewish communities, serve as a mechanism
whereby each community can express its
support of the other, and respond with
definitive action to critical issues as the
need arises.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
MJCCA NEWS
slide show and poem.
STEVEN CADRANEL IS NEW PRESIDENT. At the 66th Annual Meeting of the
Marcus Jewish Community Center of
Atlanta,
Steven
Cadranel
was
installed as president,
succeeding Garrett
Van de Grift.
Owner and president of Arris Realty
Partners, Steven has
developed projects
totaling over 8 million square feet
throughout
the
Southeast. He is a
Steven Cadranel graduate
of
the
(photo courtesy University
of
of Steven
Georgia; a Kennesaw
Cadranel)
State
University
Foundation trustee; a
member of numerous business organizations; a member of the Atlanta Jewish
Federation’s King David Society,
Congregation Etz Chaim, and Congregation
Or VeShalom; an AIPAC Conference delegate; and a past board member of Jewish
Family & Career Services.
However, Steven’s greatest volunteer
commitment has been to the MJCCA,
where he has been involved for nearly 20
years and has served on the agency’s
Governance Board. His association with the
Atlanta Jewish Community Center began
during childhood, at its former main branch
on Peachtree Street, where he learned to
swim and play baseball; he then spent summers at Camp Barney Mednitz and later
became involved in BBYO. When he and
his wife, Janet, moved to the East Cobb
area, they helped raise funds for the construction of Shirley Blumenthal Park, a
satellite facility where their children would
eventually attend preschool and summer
camp. He later oversaw the park’s two
major expansions and served on and
chaired numerous committees, projects, and
task forces, while serving on the MJCCA’s
Board for over seventeen years and as an
officer for the past nine.
Steven is a native Atlantan. He and
Janet have been married for over 26 years
and raised their children here. Their son,
Adam, will soon graduate from Emory’s
Goizueta Business School, and their daughter, Lauren, is completing her sophomore
year at the University of Georgia.
66TH ANNUAL MEETING. The community recently came together at the MJCCA’s
66th Annual Meeting, chaired by Beth and
Joel Arogeti, to honor lay leadership and
staff achievements. New agency President
Steven Cadranel was installed, and a fond
farewell was bid to Immediate Past
President Garrett Van de Grift. The MJCCA
officially welcomed new CEO Gail
Luxenberg who, in lieu of a speech, provided levity and entertainment with a creative
Lay leadership award recipients are:
• Michael Dinerman, JCCA Esther Leah
Ritz Emerging Leader Award
• Stanley Bernstein, Volunteer of the Year
Award
Staff award recipients are:
• Juan Arico, Head Tennis Pro, Customer
Service Award
• Deena Becker, preschool teacher, Raye
Lynn Banks Teacher of the Year Award
(The Weinstein School)
• Lisa Mallis, preschool teacher, Raye Lynn
Banks Teacher of the Year Award (The
Sunshine School)
• Ryan Pollard, Zaban Park Sports Camp
and Youth Leagues director, Program of the
Year Award
• Kim Sucan, director, The Weinstein
School, Philip Bush Leadership Award
• Rabbi Brian Glusman, Jewish Outreach
coordinator, Program of the Year Award
HONOREES. Juan Arico (from left),
Stanley Bernstein, Deena Becker,
Ryan Pollard, Kim Sucan, Brian
Glusman, and Lisa Mallis. Not pictured: Michael Dinerman (all photos:
Heidi Morton)
Michael Dinerman (left) and Steve
Cadranel
Stanley Bernstein (left) and Steve
Cadranel
Steve Cadranel and Gail Luxenberg
MJCCA NAMED A TOP 100 ATLANTA
WORKPLACE. The MJCCA has been
selected by The Atlanta Journal
Constitution as one of the Top 100 Atlanta
Workplaces of 2012. Each year, Workplace
Dynamics, LLC, a workplace survey specialist, and The Atlanta Journal
Constitution seek nominations for the best
workplaces; they then survey staff regarding their work environment and satisfaction. Results are tabulated and scored by
Workplace Dynamics, and the top finishers
are listed in a dedicated newspaper insert,
as well as online at ajc.com.
“This honor belongs to the MJCCA
staff. It is a testament to the dedication and
passion they have for their work and for our
community,” said MJCCA CEO Gail
Luxenberg.
Survey participants stated many reasons why the MJCCA is a top workplace.
Comments included: “The MJCCA operates by strong values and ethics.” “I feel
genuinely appreciated.” “At the MJCCA,
we do things efficiently and well.” “My job
makes me feel like I’m part of something
meaningful.”
HARRY MAZIAR CLASSIC HONORS
BERNIE MARCUS. The Harry Maziar
Classic takes place Monday, June 4, at
Hawks Ridge Golf Club. This 18-hole private course, designed
by Bob Cupp, is
ranked as one of
America’s Top 100
golf courses by Golf
Digest.
Proceeds
from the HMC help
the MJCCA enhance
vital programs such
as Alzheimer’s daycare services, programming for people
with developmental
Bernie Marcus d i s a b i l i t i e s ,
preschools, summer
camps, and much more.
Each year, the HMC honors an outstanding member of the community. This
year’s tournament honors Bernie Marcus,
chairman of the board of The Marcus
Foundation, which focuses on Jewish causes, children, medical research, free enterprise and the community. Marcus co-founded The Home Depot, Inc., the world’s
largest home improvement retailer, and
served as chairman of the board until his
retirement in 2002. In addition to the
MJCCA, he has supported numerous organizations and causes, including the Georgia
Page 17
Aquarium, Grady Health System, The
Shepherd Center, the Marcus Autism
Center, the Georgia Institute of Technology,
the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem,
Job Creators Alliance, The City of Hope,
and Business Executives for National
Security.
Bernie and his wife, Billi, are recipients of The Woodrow Wilson Award for
Public Service. Bernie was the inaugural
recipient of Inc. 500’s Bernard A. Goldhirsh
Award, was inducted into the Junior
Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame,
and has received the USO Patriot Award,
the SeaKeeper Award, Jewish Federation of
Great Atlanta’s Lifetime of Achievement
Award, Hearthstone Builder Humanitarian
Award as a Builder Magazine Innovator,
and the Anti-Defamation League’s
America’s Democratic Legacy Award. He
was recognized with the TiE Award for his
lifetime contribution to entrepreneurship.
Registration for the Harry Maziar
Classic is currently open to sponsors only.
Sponsorship levels include: $1,000 (Silver),
$2,500 (Gold), $5,000 (Platinum), and
$10,000 (Presenting). All sponsorships
include complimentary player registration,
which includes cart and greens fees, a foursome caddy, breakfast, lunch, and an
awards reception. Higher level sponsors
receive additional marketing and registration benefits.
Register at www.atlantajcc.org/golf.
For more information, contact Erika Barnes
at 678-812-4144.
See MJCCA page 18
Page 18
MJCCA
From page 17
BULLY. More than 150 preteens, teens, and
their families attending the BBYO program
and screening of Bully, April 15, at the
Landmark Midtown Arts Theatre. Pre- and
post-screening discussions, facilitated by Jake
Cook, BBYO leader and Walton High School
sophomore, and Rebecca Stapel-Wax, director
of the Rainbow Center of JF&CS, focused on
personal experiences, the challenges that every
community faces as it relates to bullying, and
the responsibility of the community to be
“upstanders” and not bystanders.
Bully, which tells the remarkable stories of
five brave families, challenges viewers to move
from shock and resignation about bullying to
action, transforming schools and communities
into places where empathy and respect are valued and bullying is unacceptable. As an exclusive partner of Bully, BBYO brought the film’s
director, Lee Hirsch, to BBYO’s International
Convention, which took place in Atlanta in
March, for the first all-teen audience screening
of the film and a private Q & A session. BBYO
is also listed on The Bully Project website and
in the film credits.
Samantha Jacober (from left), Sam
Getty, David Bernstein, Eli Harrison,
and Jake Cook (photo: Kelly Brown)
DREAM RUN. The 19th Annual Harris Jacobs
Dream Run took place May 6, at the MJCCAZaban Park campus. This year’s race featured a
new 5K distance, as well as a half-mile agility
fun run/walk for those 12 and younger. The
annual event honors the memory of past president of the MJCCA, beloved member of the
Atlanta Jewish community, and staunch children’s advocate Harris Jacobs. Proceeds from
the run help fund youth sports scholarships for
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
children.
Harris Jacobs served as president of the
MJCCA and as a member of many boards and
charitable organizations. He also was an active
member of the Georgia Bar Association and the
American Bar Association. In honor of his deep
love for children and his passionate belief that
all children should be able to participate in
sports, the HJDR was founded in his name
shortly after his death. HJDR proceeds make it
possible for children, who might not otherwise
have the means, to participate in basketball,
swimming, tennis, baseball, and other recreational and educational programs.
The HJDR was a donation site for Project
GIVE, which is collecting gently used running
shoes for Back On My Feet Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that engages homeless populations in running as a means to build confidence,
strength, self-esteem, and, ultimately, self-sufficiency. The HJDR and the Youth Triathlon,
which will take place May 20, are anticipated
to be the two biggest collection days. For
details on Project GIVE, contact Amy HelmanDarley, 678-812-3978.
Natalie Rachael (left) and Cami
Mittleman join hundreds of runners,
young and old, at the 2010 Harris
Jacobs Dream Run.
SPRING AUTHOR EVENTS. The MJCCA’s
Page from the Book Festival is presenting
numerous programs this spring. On May 21,
7:30 p.m., meet Buddy Elias and Gertrude
Elias, who will discuss the book Anne Frank’s
Family at The Morris & Rae Frank Theatre,
Zaban Park. This event is presented in partnership with the Georgia Commission on the
Holocaust’s Anne Frank Exhibit. Tickets are
$8/MJCCA members and $13/non-members.
Buddy Elias is Anne Frank’s first cousin
and closest living relative. Anne Frank’s
Family, which his wife, Gertrude, co-authored
with renowned German author Mirjam
Pressler, recounts the letters, drawings, poems,
photographs, postcards, and other correspondence among the Frank family members—all
found in a trunk in Helene Elias’ (Anne’s aunt
and Buddy’s mother) attic, following her death
in 2001.
On April 22, a special Yom HaShoah program featured Caroline Stoessinger, author of A
Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of
Alice Herz-Sommer, the World’s Oldest Living
Holocaust Survivor. This book is the inspiring
story of 108-year-old pianist Alice HerzSommer and her lifelong determination—in the
face of some of the worst evils known to
man—to find goodness in life. It is a testament
to the bonds of friendship, the power of music,
and the importance of leading a life of material
simplicity, intellectual curiosity, and neverending optimism.
On April 23, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, author of
the novel Monday
Mornings and CNN
chief medical correspondent, appeared in
conversation
with
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN
senior medical correspondent.
Monday
Mornings follows the
lives of five surgeons,
who must confront
their personal and professional
failings,
Sanjay Gupta
often in front of their
peers at Monday morning morbidity and mortality meetings.
On May 7, Vanessa Williams, Former
Miss America and star of “Desperate
Housewives” and “Ugly Betty,” appeared
with her mother and co-author, Helen
Williams, as they discussed You Have No
Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her NoNonsense Mother, and How They Survived
Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and
Each
Other).
When Vanessa
Williams
was
growing up, her
mother gave her
a list of things
that she should
never
do—
including “never
ever pose nude
for anyone.” So
when Vanessa
became the first
A f r i c a n American woman to win the title of Miss
America, in September 1983, only to resign
10 months later due to a nude photo scandal, the lives of both Vanessa and Helen
took an unexpected turn. But Vanessa survived this setback, and many others to
come, to enjoy a thirty-plus-year career as
an award-winning singer and actress.
NEW SOPHIE HIRSCH SROCHI DISCOVERY CENTER OPENS. The
Weinstein School, the MJCCA’s Dunwoody
preschool, recently opened its new Sophie
Hirsh Srochi Discovery Center, a totally
May-June 2012
redesigned space, for children from infancy
to elementary school age.
“The Discovery Center’s new sensory
toys, computers, and Promethean board
(courtesy of the Weinstein School PTO) will
be implemented into the Weinstein School’s
preschool curriculum. The Weinstein School
will utilize the Srochi Discovery Center during school hours for educational and innovative programming,” says Sue Feig, chair of
the Srochi Discovery Center. “However, this
wonderful resource will be open to the entire
community each Sunday, from 9:00 a.m.1:00 p.m., for imaginative play, cultural programs, and storytelling events. We are
thrilled to have this resource as a wonderful
new extension of our preschool.”
Among the centers many additional
features are age-appropriate fiction/nonfiction books, a puppet theater, cozy corner,
and tiered amphitheater seating.
For information about the Srochi
Discovery Center, call Robin Mittleman at
678-812-3800.
Micah Parness (left) and Simon Tourial
(photo: Kim Sucan)
YOM HASHOAH. On April 22, more than
350 people came to the MJCCA to
remember the victims of the Holocaust.
The program, sponsored by the Atlanta
Rabbinical Association and the
MJCCA, included greetings from Abe
Besser, benefactor of the Besser
Holocaust Memorial Garden, and
Opher Aviran, consul general of Israel
to the Southeastern United States; the
lighting of the Memorial Flames; a special musical presentation featuring
Cantor Daniel Gale, Temple Beth-El,
Birmingham, Alabama; and keynote
address by Caroline Stoessinger,
author of A Century of Wisdom:
Lessons from the Life of Alice HerzSommer, the Worldʼs Oldest Living
Holocaust Survivor. Pictured: (from
left) Steven Cadranel, Marlene Besser,
Abe Besser, and Opher Aviran. (Photo:
Heidi Morton)
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 19
Page 20
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Page 21
THE
Jewish Georgian
$26 Million Raised at Friends of the Israel Defense Forces gala
On March 13, $26 million was raised
when over 1,300 business and philanthropic leaders from across the country gathered
at the historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for the
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
National NY Gala Dinner.
Among the distinguished guests were
FIDF National Director Maj. Gen. (Res.)
Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon; FIDF National
Chairman Nily Falic; FIDF Chairman
Emeritus Arthur Stark; Israel Defense and
Armed Forces Attaché to the U.S. and
Canada Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni;
International Fellowship of Christians and
Jews (IFCJ) Founder and President Rabbi
Yechiel Eckstein; and Israeli-American
luxury fashion designer Elie Tahari.
Mr. Benny Shabtai chaired the dinner
for his 15th year, and author and nationally
syndicated radio host Dr. Monica Crowley
once again served as the evening’s emcee.
A special delegation from the FIDF
Atlanta Region participated in the gala.
Among the delegation members were FIDF
Atlanta
Region
Executive Director
Caryn Liss; Former
Atlanta
Region
E x e c u t i v e
Director
and
Atlanta
Local
Board President Michael Morris; Atlanta
Executive Board member and investment
advisor and real estate professional Garry
FIDF supporter Brad Oppenheimer
(from left), Atlanta Executive Board
member Gary Sobel, Atlanta
Region Executive Director Caryn
Liss, Sgt. Maor (Mark) Blank, Maj.
Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry)
Gershon, Atlanta Local Board
Chairman Howard Wexler, and Cpt.
Yoni Roth (photo: Shahar Azran)
Sobel; and Atlanta Executive Board member and partner at Bell Oaks Executive
Search Firm Todd Warshaw.
Keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Benny
Gantz, IDF chief of the General Staff, presented his address from Southern Israel via Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz
live satellite. “The Iron dome and active
speaks via satelite
defense systems that we have now are a
(photo: Shahar
serious and historic milestone. I think we
Azran)
did right, and we will do it in the future as
well,” he said. Gantz added that the IDF
hunted down 22 terrorists in the Gaza strip
See FIDF, page 23
Dunwoody runner completes half marathon in Jerusalem
Simon
Italiaander
On March 16, Simon Italiaander of
Dunwoody participated in the half
marathon of the Jerusalem
International Marathon, helping to raise over $400 for
the charity Yachad, which
provides assistance to
adults with disabilities in
the U.S. and Canada.
Simon, 18, a
gap-year student at Bar
Ilan
University,
joined
some
15,000
runners
taking part in
different events
connected with
J e r u s a l e m ’s
second annual
marathon.
Although an
experienced runner, captaining track &
field and cross country teams through all
four years at The Weber School, this was
his first half marathon.
The race began at 8:30 a.m., with rain
and a little hail falling on the runners.
Simon said, “Everything was going just
great, until I hit the 5K mark and started
really pushing myself further than I ever
imagined I could go. The route was beautiful, and the views were spectacular, but the
last 5K was the most painful event in my
life so far. This only made crossing the finish line so much more special and rewarding.”
The route of the half marathon began
outside the Israel Museum, circling the
Knesset before heading into the city center,
passing the Mahane Yehudah open-air
market, and continuing into the Old City.
The route also took runners along the Haas
promenade, overlooking the Temple
Mount from south of the city, before
snaking through some of Jerusalem’s suburban neighborhoods, to the finish line at
Sacher Park.
Simon finished the race in an impressive 1 hour 44 minutes. “I was very surprised and impressed to find out that it is
actually a decent competitive time,” he
said. “When I finished, I proceeded
straight to the snack tent and ate no less
than eight bananas and five slices of cake.
After that, I welcomed a free calf massage
from a volunteer masseuse. Thank you to
whoever you are!”
In Atlanta, Simon belongs to both
Congregation Ariel and Congregation Beth
Jacob. He has also been involved in youth
work as a madrich at The Temple.
See RUNNER, page 23
Page 22
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Five cousins ride 100 miles for Debbie Flamm
For the fourth spring in a row, Stacey
Flamm recently rode 100 miles for six
hours on an indoor cycle at the Ovarian
Cycle event to raise funds for ovarian cancer research in memory of her mother,
Debbie Green Flamm, at the Midtown
Athletic Club at Windy Hill.
This year four relatives joined her tribute — cousins Ashley Popkin, Lauren
Marx, Jeffrey Marx, and Elliot Flamm.
Together the five cousins, part of a team
known as the “Little Debbies,” raised
$11,418 to help fund ovarian cancer
research.
Stacey Flamm is a third-grade assistant
teacher at Pace Academy; Lauren Marx is a
PhD candidate for psychology at Emory
University; Ashley Popkin creates websites
for physicians; Jeffrey Marx is employed
by Piedmont National Corp., a family business; and Elliot Flamm will graduate from
UGA in December with a business degree.
The cousins have been close since childhood, and they couldn’t think of a better
tribute to their aunt and mother than to participate in this annual spring event.
They joined more than 200 Atlanta
cyclers for an all-day event sponsored by
Ovarian Cycle, an annual wellness
For Gay Lenner (on cycle), an ovarian cancer survivor, riding for
Ovarian Cycle is a family affair. She
is joined by her daughter Alyson
(left), husband Rick, and son
Jonathan.
fundraiser founded in memory of Debbie
Flamm, who died of ovarian cancer in
2003. Since 2004, the organization has
The “Little Debbies” team in purple
Tees: Stacey Flamm, Ashley Popkin,
Ellen Fruchtman, Elliot Flamm,
Jeffrey Marx, and Lauren Marx
Five cousins ride 100 miles in memory of their mother and aunt, Debbie
Green Flamm, at Ovarian Cycleʼs 9th
annual event: Lauren Marx (from
left), Jeffrey Marx, Ashley Popkin,
Stacey Flamm, and Elliot Flamm
donated $1,075,000 to ovarian cancer
research in order to develop a reliable test
for an early diagnosis. Currently, most
women are not diagnosed until it’s too late.
Atlanta-based Ovarian Cycle now has
wellness fundraisers in New York,
Birmingham, Seattle, Tallahassee and
Dallas.
“The only way we can save women’s
lives is to find a reliable test for an early
diagnosis,” reports Ovarian Cycle Founder
Bethany Diamond. “These guys know that.
That’s why they participate each year, getting their bodies into shape and sacrificing
weekends to train.”
This year, 21,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Of that number,
13,000 will NOT survive. Usually symptoms don’t present themselves until it’s too
late. To learn more about Ovarian Cycle, go
to www.ovariancycle.org.
Energizing the future
By Mordecai Zalman
At the June 2011 meeting of the Board
of Trustees of the Union of Reform
Judaism (URJ), Rabbi Richard J. (Rick)
Jacobs was elected to succeed Rabbi Eric
Yoffie as president of the organization in
2012. Rabbi Jacobs became only the fourth
person to take the helm of this organization
since its formation in 1943. The URJ is the
congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America, representing an
estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more
than 900 synagogues across the United
States and Canada.
A career pulpit rabbi, Jacobs comes to
the job with an appreciation of the dramatic challenges facing the community and a
vision to change the “revolving door of
synagogue affiliation.” In his acceptance
speech, Jacobs said, “Hoping is not a strategy; the Jewish world needs new approaches for engaging the future.”
These were not just words; they were a
roadmap. Since assuming his new duties,
Rabbi Jacobs has engaged with congregational leadership, URJ lay leaders, URJ
staff, and Reform movement organizational partners. As part of this journey, while
Jacobs was in Atlanta last month to partic-
Rabbi Richard Jacobs
ipate in the 14th Annual Scheidt Seminar, a
North American Training Institute for
Congregational Presidents and PresidentsElect, he met with members of Temple
Sinai and The Temple at The Temple to
continue his program of congregational
dialogue to “explore options rather than to
rule things out.” It was an informal setting,
and there was a genuine feeling of concern
and interest by the membership and the
rabbi.
This was not his first trip and meeting
with synagogues in the area, and it was
obvious that Jacobs was seeking input. As
he travels around the country and visits
with people from different areas and different size congregations, he is building his
database to draw on in developing plans for
the future.
As he has said in the past, he is striving to guide the movement toward as
meaningful a future as it has been in the
past. In accepting the job, Jacobs said that
“too many Jewish leaders seem paralyzed
by fear of the future. This moment in
Jewish history demands bold thinking with
big ideas. This is not a time for staying the
course. It’s time to reinvent the architecture
of Jewish life. It’s a time to cast a broad
net, to explore options rather than to rule
things out, and to recreate a movement
which will be as meaningful in the future as
it has been in the past.”
The venerable Satchel Page, one of the
illustrious characters of baseball, said it in
simpler terms: “Just take the ball and throw
it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home
plate don’t move.”
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Remembering Furman Bisher
BY Gene
Asher
There are no words to express the
deep sorrow I feel over Furman Bisher’s
death.
I loved Furman Bisher, and I felt like
he loved me.
I think I was the first person Furman
hired when he came to Atlanta back in
1950 to become sports editor of The
Atlanta Constitution. I was a senior at the
University of Georgia.
He made me his sports correspondent
for the University of Georgia, Athens, and
on weekend football games around the
Southeast.
wrote seemed farfetched, like an amateur
boxer making his professional debut
against the heavyweight champion of the
world. And then there was the freedom to
be the promoter and director of The Atlanta
Journal High School All-Star football,
baseball, and basketball state championship games.
After I left Furman and went into the
life insurance business, I wanted to take
my sister, Laura Hope Asher Everett
Benator, to a World Series game. But tickets were next to impossible to get.
Furman Bisher got me two tickets
right under the press box to see the San
Francisco Giants play the Los Angeles
Dodgers. What great seats, I thought. We
were seated in San Francisco’s Candlestick
Park just in time for the start—not of the
game but of the 8.1 Richter-scale earthquake.
“I don’t know about you,” my sister
said, “but I am getting out of here.” And
Furman Bisher, 2009 (photos courtesy of The Atlanta JournalConstitution)
It was the beginning of a long, loving
relationship.
Furman was more than my boss. He
was my friend. When I was in Korea with
the First Marine Corps Division, Furman
had The Sporting News air-mailed to me
every week. I was the only Marine on the
front to know who won the college football
games.
I don’t ever recall a cross word during
the 10+ years I served on his staff. Furman
really was not a boss. He let me write what
I wanted, although some of the things I
Runner
From page 21
He and his twin sister, Michelle, are
currently spending the year in Israel with
the Israel XP program at Bar Ilan
University. They spend their mornings at
Jewish learning seminars and devote three
afternoons per week to academic study at
the university, earning credits that can be
transferred to colleges in the U.S. “It’s
great having my twin with me in Israel,
although we don’t spend so much time
together on the program. We have some
different interests, and we’ve made different friends. We volunteer one half-day a
Furman Bisher, 1963
we both did, along with some 50,000 other
fans.
I always kidded Furman about his
being the only person ever to get me two
tickets to an earthquake.
There are so many memories, all
good.
I am still in shock as I write this column.
God may take Furman away, but God
never will take away the memories.
week; I help out at the Tel Aviv animal
shelter, and Michelle volunteers at a foster
home in Bnei Brak. I also spend a lot of
time traveling across the country, and
Michelle likes to stay a little closer to
home. Still, we both make an effort to have
some meals together and go out together
with groups of friends.”
Michelle, who is interested in Pilates,
kickboxing, and yoga, leaves the running
to Simon, who is already looking forward
to next year, when he plans to run the full
marathon. Next year, Michelle will continue her studies at the University of
Maryland. Simon is weighing his options
and is considering extending his studies in
Israel for a second year.
FIDF
From page 21
in the preceding three days. In his final
remarks, Gantz thanked the attendees for
their partnership with the IDF soldiers.
“This is very important for us to know that
we are not alone,” he said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu also spoke from Israel regarding
current affairs and expressed his appreciation for the great work of Israel’s soldiers
and their supporters in the U.S. “The Jewish
State has the capacity to resist attacks. The
Israeli army is the guarantor of our future.
Thank you for standing by us,” Netanyahu
said.
One of the evening’s highlights was a
video from Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier
released last October after five years of captivity by Hamas in Gaza. He thanked
American Jewry for supporting him while
he was held as a prisoner and said that it
warmed his heart and helped him to overcome a very difficult period.
Notable among the evening’s donations
were: $9.25 million pledged by Rabbi
Eckstein of the IFCJ; $500,000 from the
Page 23
Iranian American Jewish Federation (IAJF);
National Young Leadership President Tony
Felzen’s pledge of $180,000 on behalf of his
family, inspiring all FIDF Young
Leadership members; and National
Chairman Nily Falic’s pledge of $500,000.
In addition, American Astronaut Col. Paul
Lockhart surprised the audience by pledging support of $1,000.
The evening ended with heartfelt words
from bereaved mother Mir Hadassi, who
tragically lost her son Yonatan Hadassi z”l,
in 2006, at the onset of the Second Lebanon
War, while serving in the Special Forces
Unit of Maglan.
The funds raised during the evening
will provide much-needed and welldeserved services, such as academic scholarships for former combat soldiers; financial support for soldiers in need and Lone
Soldiers from around the world; weeks of
rest and recreation for entire IDF units; and
educational, cultural, and recreational facilities. The evening was a rare and exclusive
opportunity to pay tribute to the State of
Israel and send a message of love and support to the brave men and women in uniform.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 24
May-June 2012
Lithuania Internal Passports, 1919-1940
WHY AN INTERNAL PASSPORT
WAS IMPORTANT
BY Howard
Margol
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In May 1915, during the first year
of World War I, the Germans won a
major battle against the Russian Army
in Lithuania. The Russian general was a
relative of the czar, so he could not be
blamed for the defeat. The czar blamed
the Jews for the defeat and decided that
Jews may have become spies for the
Germans. A contributing factor to this
erroneous thinking was the similarity of
Yiddish to the German language. In a
typical Russian reaction, the majority of
Jews living in Lithuania, in the areas not
already occupied by the German Army,
were deported en masse, deep into the
interior of Russia.
After the war ended, Lithuania
became an independent country, and
many, but by no means all, of the
Lithuanian Jews returned. Nearly all of
those who did return entered the territory of the new Republic of Lithuania
through the Obeliai border crossing.
Obeliai, which is known in Yiddish as
Abel, is in the northeastern corner of the
former Kovno Guberniya, just east of
Rokiskis/Rakishok and just west of
Daugalpils/Dvinsk. At the Obeliai border crossing, returning Jews were provided a temporary document authorizing them to remain in Lithuania for a
period of one month. During that time,
they needed to secure a permanent internal passport. If this was not done, limited renewals were possible, but when
renewal was not granted, the returnee
was deemed to be a “foreigner” and subjected to monthly fees for the privilege
of remaining in Lithuania.
After 1920, the date shown on the
application for a permanent internal
passport approximates the date upon
which a deported Jew returned to
Lithuania. The Republic of Lithuania
remained an independent state from the
departure of the Imperial German Army,
in 1919, until the first Soviet occupation, which began in 1940. During the
inter-war period, every Lithuanian citizen age 17 or older was required to have
a permanent internal passport. Unlike
the czarist-era internal passports, which
were required only for movement within specified areas, these internal passports were personal identification documents required of every Lithuanian citizen, even those who had no intention of
traveling.
Because of the upheavals caused by
World War I, the Russian Revolution,
and warfare among new nations, such as
between Poland and Lithuania, people
who wished to claim Lithuanian citizenship were required to prove that they
were residents of the territory of
Lithuania before World War I. An internal passport was very important to those
who came to the territory of Lithuania
after the war and wanted to stay there.
Even if it was their birthplace, Lithuania
was a new independent country, separate from the old Russian Empire, and
an internal passport was required.
Without Lithuanian citizenship, after
about 1922, an individual could be
forcibly repatriated to the land of his or
her previous exile, Russia, which had
become part of the Soviet Union.
OBTAINING AN INTERNAL
PASSPORT
The system for obtaining a permanent internal passport was very simple
in the first years. All a person needed
was some document showing where he
or she lived before, during, or after
World War I. It could be the passport
given by the czarist authorities to an
individual as a resident of Kovno
Guberniya before World War I; the document given in some places in Russia
where the individual spent the war
years; or the documents issued by the
German military occupation administration, such as the “Ober Ost Pass” or a
personal “ausweis” (identity card)—any
document that could give information
about the individual and establish the
fact that he or she was born, or had parents who lived, in the territory that
became independent Lithuania after the
war.
A second group of documents that
could have made the procedure easier
were birth records, which were compiled by the Jewish communities in
which the individuals were born.
Unfortunately, in most cases these
books of Jewish records could not be
found or were believed to have been
destroyed during the war. One example
is the Obeliai Jewish vital records. In
1915, the Rabbi of Obeliai was forced to
evacuate, and he took with him all of the
books of Jewish vital records. Later, he
gave those records to the archive in
Moscow, where they still reside today.
This fact was not known to the Obeliai
Jews returning to Lithuania, so birth
records were not available to them.
The third group of documents were
German Ober Ost passport, issued 1917-1918 by the German occupation authorities for those who spent the war years in Lithuania. The
passports were prepared in two languages—German, the official language, and Yiddish, because the owners were Jewish.
Internal Passport application card. Individually created by a registration
card, depending on the information supplied. Few actually remain in existence.
governmental certificates, such as those
of marriage, a child’s birth, active military service, and so on.
If none of these documents could be
located within the brief 30-day period or
renewal intervals, a permanent internal
passport could still be issued on the
basis of the Obeliai document (frontier
border-crossing station) and the affidavit of persons such as neighbors, relatives, or friends, who could attest to the
applicant’s birth or residence in
Lithuanian territory.
The rules governing the verification
of applications for and the updating of
permanent internal passports became
more settled and detailed. As the body
of documents accumulated in the files
of the new republic’s police authorities
grew, those documents could be used to
confirm claims to citizenship. A child
whose parents had Lithuanian citizenship and internal passports could readily be granted his or her own internal
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
passport by making an application to the
authorities. The authorities could usually confirm the facts forming the basis
for seeking the passport quickly, and the
document usually could be issued within a month, if not sooner. The same situation existed with changing the internal
passport. Initially, an applicant needed
only to mark the reason for the change,
such as marriage and a changed surname. As the inter-war period progressed, Lithuania, like many other
nations, developed strong nationalistic
tendencies. As a result, later application
forms included questions about the
applicant’s knowledge of the Lithuanian
language, general education, and property.
As with the czarist-era internal passports, Lithuanian internal passports
were utterly unrelated to foreign travel.
To go abroad, one had to obtain an
external passport. Such passports were
not issued by local municipalities or
local police, as the internal passports
were—but rather by the officials of the
Lithuanian State Ministry of Internal
Affairs.
CONTENTS OF THE FILES
Many of the Internal Passport files
contain photographs as well as additional records—applications, affidavits,
copies of birth and marriage certificates,
etc. Sometimes, when vital records were
missing, extracts from revision (census)
and family lists were produced to prove
one’s identity and right to Lithuanian
citizenship. Even extracts from otherwise currently missing 1858 revision
lists have been found in some files.
The Internal Passport itself consisted of four pages with the basic information: name, surname, date of birth, place
of birth, address, nationality, religion,
occupation, any special traits, family
status, inscription about children, the
passport numbers, issue date, photo, the
registration stamp indicating where the
individual lived, and some other short
notes.
Some files consist only of a list of
Internal Passport applications. Most
files, however, include not only this
information but also additional documents in the applicant’s file. Following
are examples of the types of documents
found in many of the files.
To see illustrations of the types of
documents that are found in the Internal
Passport files, go to jewishgen.org/databases/Lithuania/InternalPassports.htm.
LOCATION OF THE FILES
The Lithuanian Central State
Archives (LCVA) has 100,000 Internal
Passport files for persons who resided in
the
north-central
city
of
Panevezys/Ponevizh during the 19191940 periods, as an example. Of this
number, approximately 12,000 files are
for Jewish applicants. The applications
show not only the applicants’ street
addresses in Panevezys/Ponevizh, but
also their places of birth. A large percentage of the applicants were born in
locations throughout Lithuania, as well
as in other parts of the former Russian
Empire—and beyond. One individual
listed was born in the Jewish Hospital in
Brooklyn, New York! The breadth of the
towns and areas included make these
Internal Passport files extremely valuable from the viewpoint of a genealogical researcher or someone just wanting
to know more about his or her ancestors.
For a copy of actual records con-
I love my little nest
BY Balfoura Friend
Levine
I just found something interesting
amongst my “stuff”—it’s a 1936
Shanghai Street Directory, with a listing
at Lane 1277, House 18, Yu Yuen Road,
that shows Mr. J. L. Friend (my father)
and Miss B. Friend (me, age 11), living in
that three-story house. I was born in
another large three-story brick house, at
No 1. Chusan Road, where our neighbors
at No. 8 were my Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi
and his family, with our little synagogue,
the Ohel Moishe, a block away. All those
large houses were built by their British
owners to, I imagine, replicate their hous-
es in England.
Years later, after World War II and
now living in America, in the small
Georgia towns of Eastman and then
Hawkinsville, we usually owned homes
with many bedrooms and baths to house
our family of three growing schoolchildren. Moving to Atlanta in 1968, we rented
apartments with multiple rooms and
baths.
As the children grew older, they
moved out of our large home to begin
their own lives. I, widowed again, moved
to The Renaissance, a senior retirement
community on Peachtree Street. And here
I am, for the twelfth year, having scaled
down to a one-room studio apartment.
I look around me and feel happy and
cozy in my little “nest,” having everything in life that I need or want. The
sunny large room is divided by a beige
sofa, which sort of separates the sleeping
area of bed, phone, and nightstands from
tained in a file, contact the LCVA:
Lithuanian Central State Archives
O. Milasiaus 19
Vilnius 2016, Lithuania
Mr. Dalius Zizys, Director
Tel: 370-5-276-5390
Fax: 370-5-276-5312
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
(Attention: Valerija Juseviciute, Deputy
Director)
The Kaunas Archives has similar
records for the city of Kaunas/Kovno
(the inter-war national capital) and some
for the town of Jonava. For Kaunas,
there are 27,656 Jewish passport cards
with photographs and, in many cases,
additional records in separate files. For
all the other towns in Lithuania, except
Kaunas and Jonava, these records can be
found only in the fond number of local
municipality records maintained at the
Lithuanian Central State Archives in
Vilnius.
For instructions on how best to
request copies of records, either to the
Central Archive or the Kaunas Archive,
go
to:
jewishgen.org/databases/
Lithuania/ InternalPassports.htm
TRANSLATING THE RECORDS:
THE STATUS
Total Internal Passport Records translated:
Alytus: 1,178 (completed)
Birzai (City): 2,739 (completed)
Budbergis, Pumpenai, Zeimelis: 179
(completed)
Butrimonys (Trakai): 15 (completed)
Eisiskes: 350 (completed)
Jonava: 840 (completed)
Kaunas (City): 27,656 (completed)
the living area. Now here’s my favorite,
much-used recliner (am crazy for each
afternoon’s nap), with a phone and table
on one side and a bookcase on the other.
What was once a huge wall-sized entertainment center is now a double dresser
(sans mirror), with a large flat-screen TV
surrounded by family photos.
For years, I owned a set of encyclopedias and all sorts of books. My small
bookcase is now home to some photo
albums, books written and signed for me
by my old Shanghai friends, my prized
Oxford dictionaries that I won in high
school for academic achievements, and a
few tchotchkes I’ve collected over the
years. Family pictures and interesting art,
including a sketch of the UGA Arch and
my 1950 real sheepskin diploma from
UGA, are framed and hang above my
desk and surrounding walls.
A small table with two chairs is my
dining area; it is rarely used, since we eat
dinner in our lovely, large dining room
downstairs. A desk with my IBM
Selectric III typewriter sits alongside
another small wall; on it, I type these arti-
Page 25
Kaunas Uyezd: 3,846 (completed)
Klaipeda: 335 (in progress)
Kretinga District: 131 (completed)
Marijampole: 4,238 (completed)
Naujamiestis: 261 (completed)
Panevezys: 10,383 (in progress)
Pumpenai: 245 (completed)
Pusalotas: 178 (completed)
Rokiskis: 187 (completed)
Rozalimas: 67 (completed)
Seinai District (includes Kapciamiestis
and Lazdijai): 453 (completed)
Siauliai District: 14,281 (in progress)
Taurage District: 1,035 (completed)
Telsiai District: 1,623 (completed)
Trakai District: 1,421 (completed)
Troskunai: 504 (completed)
Ukmerge: 5,831 (completed)
Utena District: 5,686 (completed)
Vabalninkas (Birzai Uyezd): 488 (completed)
Vandziogala and surrounding area: 694
(completed)
Vilnius: 4,968 records (in progress)
Zarasai: 3,153 (completed)
Zeizmariai (Trakai): (completed)
TOTAL: 92,887 (as of 2-20-12)
Internal Passport records yet to be translated:
Birzai District
Alytus District
Palanga
Kretingos (Kretinga) City
OBTAINING THE TRANSLATED
INTERNAL PASSPORT RECORDS
For information on how to obtain,
via the Internet, the records that have
already been translated, contact Howard
Margol, [email protected].
cles, as well as my voluminous correspondence with old friends from
Shanghai, who are now scattered all over
the world. A small patio and a motel-size
strip of a kitchen, a large bathroom with
shower stall, and two huge walk-in closets holding all my clothes and “stuff”
complete my sweet little nest.
When I think of my life in China, big
houses and all, and then my nest, with
running hot and cold water at all times
and the luxury of heat and A/C to my
heart’s content, I feel truly blessed.
What’s not to love about scaling
down from big houses to this cozy place?
Housekeeping comes in weekly, and so
many others see to all my wants and
needs. No yard work—the garden here is
lovely, with yard crews tending to it.
More staff maintains our building’s common areas—the library, meeting and exercise rooms, the coffee shop and pub, the
card rooms, beauty salon, and such.
Bigger is not really better, while smaller
is cozier and quite enough for a single old
lady like me. I love it!
God Bless America.
Page 26
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
through 8th grade, brought Beauty and the
Beast to life on the Davis stage. With fun and
fantasy, this beloved fairy tale encourages
audiences to see not just with their eyes but
with their hearts as well. The annual musical is
the highlight production of Davis Academy’s
Fine Arts Program. Pictured: Abby Goldberg
(Belle) sings with Charlie Rinzler (the beastturned-prince).
By Belle Klavonsky
ALL ABOUT MEXICO. The 6th-grade boys
at Torah Day School of Atlanta concluded their
study of Mexico by celebrating with an inclass fiesta (pictured). The students planned
the menu, shopped, and prepared delicious
Mexican cuisine.
PERFORMING FOR THEIR PEERS. The
middle school girls Ivrit classes at TDSA discovered that practice makes perfect. They
learned a song in Hebrew and then performed
it, with dance, for the other middle school girls
classes.
A TASTY LESSON. The Matzah Factory
came to TDSA! The 1st- and 2nd-grade girls
shown here had a great time making matzah.
THE MAIN EVENT. On February 26, the
Torah Day School Back to the Future Main
Event took place at Mason Murer Fine Arts
Gallery, in Midtown Atlanta. Catered by
Avenue K and attended by more than 400 supporters, it was a resounding success and an
unusual Dinner of Honor. One highlight was
the premier performance of the TDSA Boys
Choir (pictured) accompanied by Mr. Hillel
Glazer and led by Head of School Rabbi
Naphtali Hoff. Honorees Moshe and Diane
Manheim and Pete and Leslee Morris, longtime volunteers and former parents, were
roasted by their mutual friend, Rabbi Norm
Schloss.
A GREAT PUBLIC SERVICE. Davis
Academy 5th-grade students used their
research, Hebrew, and technology skills to create video public service announcements for the
Jewish National Fund, which supports Israel’s
natural infrastructure. The students worked in
small groups and wrote scripts in Hebrew to
create their video messages about the important work done by the JNF. Here, Shayna
Fraley and Cydney Wolchock are seen in their
group’s video, displayed on an iMac that was
used for the video editing.
May-June 2012
TENNIS WINNERS. The Davis Academy
Boys Tennis team (pictured) took 2nd place in
the MAAC Championships. The team members are: Kyle Newman, Jared Coffsky, Ari
Levin, Brandon Jaffe, Josh Lipton, Jansen
Redler, Harrison Lipsky, David Leven, Miles
Barkowitz, and Zak Leven.
DAVIS HONOREES. At The Davis
Academy’s 2012 Community Celebration, the
school honored Davis grandparents and board
members Joe and Carol Rubin and Toby and
Arnie Sidman (pictured) for their leadership
and many contributions to the school, as well
as to the greater Jewish and Atlanta communities. The event was held at Temple Sinai, on
March 31. Davis students warmed the evening
with a beautiful Havdalah service and a selection from the school play, Beauty and the
Beast.
PREPARING FOR PESACH. TDSA kindergarten students busily decorated and designed
their precious Pesach kits, which include
Elijah’s cup, as shown here.
LEARNING ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS. At
TDSA, Ms. Smith’s fifth-grade boys completed a unit on the Civil Rights Movement and
performed a play (pictured) for their parents
and siblings.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. With dazzling
costumes, sets, and surprises, more than 170
Davis Academy students, from Mechina
HISTORIC JOURNEY. Ross Williams (front),
Josh Weintraub (left), and Max Friedman
(right) cross the Delaware River with General
George Washington. Madame Tussauds Wax
Museum was among the many notable places
Davis 7th-graders visited on their class trip to
Washington, D.C.
WINNING WRITERS. Fifth-grader Isabella
Bercoon was one of eight Davis Academy students to win the honor of reading original stories for Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters children’s program “Nana’s Land.” Writing on the
theme of My Favorite Things, Isabella, shown
here with “Nana’s Land” host Penelope Batts
during the videotaping, presented an essay
about how much she loves spending summers
at Camp Barney Medintz. The other Davis
Academy winners were: 1st-graders Leah
Moradi, Alexa Hoppenfield, Reese Baker, and
Leah Kallen, and 5th-graders Danny Samuels,
Abigail Goldberg, and Sophia Gurin.
THEATRE UNDERGROUND. The Weber
School offers a variety of Tefillah (prayer)
groups, with both liturgical and theme-based
options. One theme-based option, “Theatre
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 27
European Cup. Mr. Brody then led the students
in a basketball clinic (where Morah Yaira Auz
and Rabbi Eric Levy snuck in to sink a few
baskets) and signed autographs.
Underground,” is led by Mira Hirsch, founder
of Jewish Theatre of the South. Recently, the
group performed a piece called Am Yisrael
Chai?, which explored the relationship
between Israel’s ultra-Orthodox and secular
societies. The cast members were Whitney
Barnard, Rebecca Boyer, Jordan Epstein, Ryan
Leeson, Zach Ribner, Aaron Schwartz, Dylan
Shaban, Rachel Skinner, Sarah Skinner, Syndy
Snyder, and Matt Taylor.
INDEPENDENCE DAY. After the somber
tone of Yom HaZikaron, Weber celebrated
Israel’s Independence Day with great enthusiasm. The day included educational sessions
and activities revolving around Israel. The students learned about immigration policy, the
Ethiopian rescue mission, and tzedakah project opportunities in Israel. They also had the
opportunity to make Israeli food, learn Israeli
dancing, and play Israeli trivia games.
STUDENTS HONORED. The Georgia
Commission on the Holocaust recently honored Weber students Elana Axler, Cole Frieder,
Elizabeth Galaid, Robert Goldstein, Hilit
Jacobson, Emil Nirkis, Marisa Schiff, Miranda
Siegel, Justin Silver, and Carly Silverman for
their participation in the Holocaust Learning
Trunk Project. This recognition took place
during the annual State Official Observance of
the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of
the Holocaust, at the State Capitol. The
Holocaust Learning Trunk Project provides
student-decorated trunks to Georgia schools;
these trunks contain educational materials
about the Holocaust, WWII, and genocide.
TIK WEEK. At the end of The Weber School’s
Tik Week, the entire school went into the
broader community to volunteer at various
Atlanta agencies and organizations. The day
not only allows students and teachers to spend
time with one another outside the ordinary
school setting, but it also gives students the
opportunity to translate empathy into action
with extraordinary maturity, commitment, and
seriousness of purpose. Some of the organizations the students helped were Global Soap
Project, The Names Project, Metro Atlanta
Urban Farm, Books For Africa, MedShare,
Ronald McDonald House, Atlanta Community
Food Bank, and Open Hand Atlanta.
MOCK COURT. Competing against 22 other
Jewish high schools, the Weber School took 1st
place—for the third time in its four years of
competition—in the National Moot Beit Din
(Mock Rabbinic Court) Competition, April 1,
in Fort Lauderdale. Teams must research and
write a rabbinic court opinion on an issue,
applying Jewish law, then orally defend that
opinion before a panel of rabbis. This year’s
issue concerned the ability and right of teachers
to join a union and strike. Team members (pictured) are Seth Euster, Daniel Gordon, David
Nelwan, and Eytan Palte. Judaics teacher Marc
Leventhal (center) is team advisor.
Itai Kalal and Major Ofer Stern, Deputy
Consul General Sharon Kabalo, and two sisters of Major Hagai Bibi z”l, who fell in battle
against terrorists on the Kissufin Route, in the
Gaza Strip, in 2004. One of Bibi’s sisters
shared the touching story of the personal loss
of her brother. Pictured: (from left) students
Nati Linsider, Nadav Yeglin, Aaron Gordon,
Liana Slomka, Sarah Lewyn, Devorah Chasen,
Jillian Gerson, and Bella Cantor
LEARNING ABOUT THE CHEROKEE
PEOPLE. GHA 2nd-graders enjoyed learning
about the history and geography of the
Cherokee people. Students learned about customs, clothing, jewelry, games, and Sequoyah,
the inventor of the Cherokee language. They
read legends, learned about the Trail of Tears,
built winter and summer homes, and recreated
songs and dances. Sharing their knowledge
with admiring parents are: (clockwise from
left foreground) Danielle Slutzky, Josh
Alhadeff, Hannah Cate Silver, Kiki Starr, J.J.
Brenner, Reese Bober, Max Schurvitz, Keren
Rose, Yonatan Levy, and Ella Goldstein
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD. Can you make a container that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped? Using paper, straws, beads,
and tape, can you make a vehicle that can win
a four-meter race? These were just two of the
events in which 3rd-and 4th-graders competed
on April 27, during GHA’s 2nd Annual
Science Olympiad. This nationally renowned
program engages students in a variety of sessions in physical, life, and earth sciences. At
GHA, teamwork was emphasized, with children working in pairs or small groups.
Pictured: 4th-grader Aden Dori with her egg
protector
PASSOVER STORY. At GHA, Mrs. Judith
Swartz’s 2nd-grade students performed a dramatic rendition of the Passover story. Back
row: (from left) Shiraz Agichtein, Galia
Cohen, Josh Asherian, Danielle Slutzky,
Yonatan Levy, and Max Schorvitz. Front row:
Josh Alhadeff, Jaron Brenner, Daliya
Wallenstein, Sophie Knapp, and Ezra Miller
TENNIS CHAMPS. The Weber boys and girls
tennis teams swept the finals of the GISA
Region 1-AAA Tennis Tournament. Next for
the team is the GISA State Individual and
Team Tennis Tournaments. Seniors Jenna
Kaye and Sophie Schneider are Region Tennis
Girls Doubles Champs for the 3rd consecutive
year, while sophomore Lauren Rein is Region
Tennis Girls Singles Champ for the 2nd consecutive year.
YOM HAZIKARON. Greenfield Hebrew
Academy 6th-graders presented a respectful
and meaningful program in observance of
Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day. Special
guests were Israeli Air Force Major Colonel
MR. BASKETBALL. Tal Brody, (pictured)
Israeli goodwill ambassador, Zionist hero, and
international basketball star, visited GHA and
spoke to 8th-graders about their upcoming trip
to Israel. Mr. Brody, who walked away from a
successful NBA career to play in Israel, mesmerized students with his description of playing the hostile Soviet team in 1977 and the celebrations throughout Israel and the world as he
led his team to victory with their first
YOM HA’ATZMAUT. Greenfield Hebrew
Academy celebrated Israel’s 64th birthday on
April 26 with excitement and pride. Students
See CLASSNOTES, page 28
Page 28
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Classnotes
From page 27
sang and danced, attended an Israel fair, and
enjoyed a festive barbeque. Here, GHA student Nicole Dori marches for Israel with her
fellow 6th-graders.
MAKEOVER WINNER. Fourth-grader
Sydney Fialkow won a $50,000 cafeteria
makeover for The Epstein School in the Ben’s
Beginner’s Cooking Contest. After she entered
a video of herself cooking “Sydney’s Chicken
and Rice,” a family recipe, the Epstein community embarked on a vigorous online voting
campaign. On May 2, when Sydney was proclaimed the winner on “The Rachael Ray
Show,” the school held a rally and viewing
party in the gym. Pictured: Tim Snyder, vice
president of marketing, Uncle Ben’s, presents
a check for $50,000 to Sydney Fialkow; Mrs.
Jane Escalera, food services manager; and
Head of School Stan Beiner.
GETTING FOGGED. Epstein 1st-graders in
Mrs. Andrea Mielke’s science class recently
explored some of the interesting properties of
dry ice (the solid form of carbon dioxide) that
make it such a useful cooling agent. While in
the science lab, they also saw how it transforms from a solid to a gas and how it reacts
with a very common household item, liquid
soap. The CO2 vapor (fog) and the bubbles
created quite a bit of excitement. Pictured:
(from left) Eden Abt, Epstein Elementary
Science Coordinator Mrs. Andrea Mielke, and
Noa Young
DUAL ACCREDITATION. After it visited
The Epstein School, the SACS-SAIS accreditation team unanimously recommended that
Epstein retain its dual accreditation. The evaluators praised the caliber of Epstein students
and described the school as innovative, a technology leader, willing to take risks, unafraid of
change, and open to feedback. Pictured: (from
left) Esther Rosenfeld, Atlanta International
School, Dr. Cobb Atkinson, accreditation team
chair, Westchester Country Day School, High
Point, NC; Epstein President Ted Blum; Jason
St. Amand, Woodward Academy; Epstein
Head of School Stan Beiner; and Jennifer
Betts, Howard School. Not pictured: Susan
Weintrob, Addelstone Jewish Academy,
Charleston
TOPS IN TECHNOLOGY. Seven Epstein
students placed in the top 3 at the 2012
Georgia Technology Fair. Winners are:
Isabel Berlin, 5th grade, 1st place,
Multimedia Applications; Lily Schneider
and Sloan Wyatt, 6th grade, 2nd place, Web
2.0 & Internet Applications; Asher
Fitterman, 4th grade, 2nd place, Technology
Literacy Challenge; Yoel Alperin and
Darelle Davis, 7th grade, 3rd place, 3D
Modeling; and Alexa Rakusin, 8th grade,
3rd place, Digital Photography. Pictured:
(standing, from left) Sloan Wyatt, Alexa
Rakusin, Darelle David, Yoel Alperin, and
Lily Schneider; (front, seated) Isabel Berlin
and Asher Fitterman
PRESCHOOL PICASSOS. Students in
Michelle Young and Sara Fran Neuwirth’s
2-year-old class at Epstein have been studying art. Recently, they learned about the
color wheel and were introduced to artists
like Matisse, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, and
Picasso. The students then created their own
artwork using clay, paint, and other mediums and made Picasso-inspired collage selfportraits. They also learned about the art of
photography, brought in some photographs
of their favorite art from their home, and
then took some photographs of their own.
Pictured: Wren Woodman (left) and Jude
Beale
A HARD KNOCK LIFE. Epstein 8thgraders performed to a sold-out crowd in the
middle school production of Annie, in
Hebrew. Students demonstrated their mastery of the Hebrew language, musical talents, and creative side in this tale set in the
Depression. This family-style musical event
was produced and directed by Michal
Spiegelman, with the help of Assistant
Director
Jordan
Rich,
students,
Choreographer Karen Danello, and Set
Designer Brandon Ross. Eighth-grade parent volunteers spent countless hours preparing the set, props, costumes and accessories.
Pictured: Annie (Julia Stern) and Oliver
Warbucks (Abby Blum) sing “I Don’t Need
Anything But You.”
YAD L’YAD. As a part of his National
Honor Society project, Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel
12th-grader Arthur Schoen helped Mrs.
Laura Bogart organize and find volunteers
for the annual Yad L’Yad food collection.
Non-perishables were collected before
Passover, sold in accordance with Jewish
law, and distributed to needy families after
Passover. Students who assisted were: (from
left) Solomon Barayev (11th grade), Rafi
Nir (11th grade), Moshe Warga (12th
grade), Jacob Schonland (11th grade), Yitz
Wiggins (12th grade), Arthur Schoen, Manu
Gershon (12th grade), and Naftali Hollander
(12th grade) Not pictured: Chayim Deutsch
(12th grade) and Yoni Fier (12th grade).
(Photo: Yehuda Esral)
TOP DEBATER. Woodward Academy was
the site of the Novice National Debate
Tournament, held in March. Over 400 9thSee CLASSNOTES, page 29
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 29
Out to the field: An Atlanta Jewish sports story, Part I
By David Geffen
“Boys, remember to keep your eyes on
the basket, and then shoot 500 foul shots a
day so that you can be the best.”
Bunny Levitt, one of the great foul
shooters in the early days of U.S. basketball, came to the Jewish Educational
Alliance on Capital Avenue in 1947 to help
all the fledging Jewish players. We were
amazed as he made shot after shot from the
foul line—dropping the ball in whether he
faced the basket or had his back to it.
“I never would have thought, as a little
kid, in Newark, New Jersey, that basketball
would be my profession,” he said. “You
see, I am short and do not really look athletic.” Then Bunny made us all laugh.
“After I learned my haftorah for my bar
mitzvah, with my knuckles rapped, I
assumed that I could do anything. So here I
am now.”
Like all boys in their pre-teens in the
1940s, I wanted to play football and softball. We had no pro football teams in
Atlanta, but we did have two noted college
teams, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and
the Georgia Bulldogs. These state universities had emphasized football since the 19th
century via noted coaches and players. In
fact, the Heisman Trophy, given annually to
the most outstanding college football player, is named for John Heisman, a Georgia
Tech coaching immortal.
When I touched a football for the first
time, at age eight, I realized that my hand
was not yet big enough to hold it or throw
it. But I was always hoping my right hand
would eventually be big enough. I thought I
could be a quarterback.
At public school in Atlanta, we played
on a rocky field. Without any equipment
other than the ball itself, our games were
touch rather than tackle. At the James L.
11th Annual Taste of Atlanta returns to Tech Square
After celebrating 10 years of culinary
accomplishment, Taste of Atlanta is gearing
up to begin its second decade of bringing
together the city’s best restaurants.
Atlanta’s premier foodie event will return
to Tech Square in Midtown, Friday,
October 5, through Sunday, October 7.
Taste of Atlanta attracts food lovers from
throughout Atlanta, the Southeast, and
beyond to enjoy tastes from more than 80
Atlanta-area restaurants.
On Friday evening, Taste of Atlanta
kicks off with the Big Grill, A Salute To
Atlanta Chefs, 7:30-10:30 p.m.; VIP entry
begins at 6:30 p.m. The festival continues
on Saturday and Sunday, with seminars,
demonstrations, and participatory activities; the VIP Experience will take place
12:30-6:00 p.m. both days.
Throughout the weekend, there will be
Classnotes
From page 28
grade students from across the United
States competed individually and for their
schools. After hard-fought preliminary
rounds, the top 16 freshman debaters were
announced and went on to compete in the
elimination round. Jacob Chorches (pictured), a freshman at the Brentwood
School, in Brentwood, California, was
undefeated for the tournament and was
declared the top speaker. Jacob is the son
of Sandra and Alec Chorches and grandson of Dr. Michael and Anne Chorches
and Phillip and Rosalind Haber, all of
Atlanta.
an extensive selection of the best in food,
wine, beer, and cocktails, along with engaging chef demos, specialty food-and-beverage tents, and other activities.
The family-friendly street festival will
span eight acres and 10 city blocks in
Midtown, including Spring Street and 5th
Street.
General admission is $25 in advance,
$35 at the event, and includes 10 taste
coupons; additional taste coupons are $1
each. VIP tickets are $75 in advance, $85 at
the event, and include 15 taste coupons and
entry into the Wine+Beer+Cocktail
Experience.
Sign up for the Taste of Atlanta
newsletter at www.tasteofatlanta.com; follow Taste on Twitter, twitter.com/tasteofatlanta; and become a Facebook fan at facebook.com/tasteofatlanta.
Key School, Lee Sweat was the star. I was
very jealous of him because his hands, even
in the 6th grade, were big enough to hold
and throw a football. At recess, all of us
wanted to be on Lee’s team. He was the
best, and he knew it. I was in a few memorable games, but one really stands out.
“David, you are going to be our deep
defensive back. If Lee tries to throw that
long pass, you have to block it.” What in
the world was my teammate thinking? I
was a little shrimp. How was I going to stop
a pass from Lee the Great? I shouted back
that I would try. The game started up with
the ball first coming to our side. I was stuck
in the line to block, but our team was
stopped. We had to turn over the ball. Now
Lee was in action. Smooth and confident,
he guided his team forward. My team was
simply weak—we could not stop them. I
was stuck so far back on defense that even
Lee’s passes could not reach me. Once,
twice our opponents scored, and then we
made a touchdown.
“Recess is almost over,” shouted our
captain. “We have to hold them so we will
not look so bad. Jimmie, John, David, it is
up to you three to make sure that their team
does not score.” So we lined up as Lee went
to work. One pass good—one pass
dropped. A short run, and then the well
known “bomb” heaved by Lee.
As deep back as I could be, I watched
the ball in the air as it moved quickly
toward me. I saw the boy from their team
running my way to catch it. Somehow, I got
my feet moving, trying to reach that player
and the ball. As it came down, I jumped up
like never before, grabbing that football
with my outstretched fingers from the
hands of the other player. I came down hard
on the rocky ground, my arms and legs all
bloodied. Triumphantly, I got up and raised
the ball in the air.
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 30
The Jews of Macon, Part 1
BY Stuart
Rockoff
In 1821, Macon, Georgia, named for a U.S.
Senator from North Carolina, was incorporated,
and the neighboring farmland was distributed
by lottery. By 1833, over 3,000 people lived in
Macon, which had become a commercial center
for the region, with farmers from across rural
central Georgia traveling to the burgeoning
town to do business. Macon’s role as a trading
center also attracted Jewish merchants to the
growing seat of Bibb County.
The first Jew to settle in town was Nathan
Grossmayer, who opened a store there in 1840;
he later opened another store in Americus,
Georgia. A handful of other Jews moved to the
area in the early 1840s. In 1844, two young
Jewish brothers by the name of Bettman passed
away, one in Hawkinsville and the other in
Perry. In response, Macon’s small Jewish community purchased a plot of land in Macon’s
newly established Rose Hill Cemetery, and the
German-born brothers were buried there. This
cemetery was used by Macon’s Jewish community for the next 35 years.
Acquiring a burial ground was the first priority of the fledgling Jewish community. It
would be another fifteen years before Macon
Jews formally established a congregation.
Eleven men called together “the Israelitish community” on October 30, 1859, at the home of
Emanuel Brown, to discuss the possibility of
forming a congregation. A week later, at the
home of Elias Einstein, 28 men bound themselves to maintain and support a permanent congregation, to be known as the House of Israel,
Kahal Kodosh Beth Israel. They agreed to follow the German Orthodox minhag (ritual) and
to hold services in Hebrew and German, with
lectures in German and English. Thus, even
though the congregation was traditional, it
incorporated elements of Reform Judaism
through these lectures. Elias Einstein was elected the first president and appointed a committee
to prepare a constitution, which was adopted on
December 4, 1859; ten days later, the Georgia
legislature granted a charter to the congregation. There were 78 charter members, which
likely means that some form of group worship
had taken place prior to the formal organization
of the congregation.
Beth Israel bought a sefer Torah for $110
and first met in a renovated rented room above
a confectionary shop. Since the congregation
was already fairly large, they were able to hire
the services of a rabbi, Henry Lowenthal.
Originally from London, Lowenthal had been
serving a congregation in New Haven,
Connecticut. Upon his arrival in Macon, he consecrated the rented room, placed the Torah in
the ark, and began to hold regular services in
both English and Hebrew. Before his first year
was completed, Rabbi Lowenthal’s wife passed
away, and the rabbi returned to England.
Once the Civil War began in 1861,
Maconites of all faiths, including Jews, were
called to serve the South. Some German immigrants living in the city organized the German
Artillery Company, and many young men of
Congregation Beth Israel drilled regularly with
the group. Among them was Bernhart
Nordlinger, an Alsatian immigrant who had
owned a store with his younger brother, Wolfe,
in Macon before the war. Bernhart took over the
position of hazan, a person trained to lead songful prayer, after the rabbi left the congregation.
After the Civil War, a growing number of
Jews settled in Macon; by 1866, twenty new
members were added to the temple’s membership. In 1869, a religious school was established
with a trilingual curriculum (English, German,
and Hebrew), and the Beth Israel board began to
have regular meetings. That same year, a lot
was purchased in an area that would later
become the center of town, upon which their
synagogue would be built. Members of the congregation pledged up to fifty dollars each, and,
with additional funds from people outside of
Macon, they were able to begin construction. In
1879, Beth Israel established a new Jewish
cemetery on land donated by William Wolff; the
new burial ground was named in Wolff’s honor.
The construction of the synagogue brought
differences in religious practices to the fore.
When a pipe organ was installed in the sanctuary, Mark Isaacs, one of the affluent members of
Beth Israel, threatened to withdraw his pledge
to the building fund because the “faith of the
Fathers had been dishonored” by this musical
symbol of Reform Judaism. Issacs later returned
to London, but he was not the only member who
did not like the congregation’s movement
toward Reform. Others set up a separate
Congregation B’nai Israel and purchased a separate burial ground in the city cemetery. Though
this splinter congregation did not survive, their
plot in the cemetery still exists today and contains eleven marked graves and eight unmarked
graves.
Beth Israelʼs first synagogue, built in
1870
Beth Israel continued to debate how much
to reform its religious practices. In 1869, a
member proposed the first ritual reform, suggesting that the Reform worship style of Temple
Emanu-El of New York be introduced, but the
motion lost. In 1872, the congregation considered but did not adopt the Minhag Jastrow,
which sought to balance both innovation and
tradition. Two years later, there was a motion to
affiliate with the newly formed Union of
American Hebrew Congregations, but that lost
as well. Still, the Jews of Beth Israel felt the
impact of the American Reform movement.
When the first class of Rabbi Isaac Mayer
Wise’s Hebrew Union College graduated, the
temple sent a letter requesting one of these
newly trained rabbis, who were taught to conduct services in the language of the new land
and to lecture rather than chant. They began
calling their rabbi “minister” and established
the confirmation ritual for their religious school
students.
In 1880, Beth Israel finally joined the
Reform Union of American Hebrew
Congregations and, just a few years later, decided that men no longer had to wear hats during
services. (Incidentally, the congregation had to
resign from the UAHC just two years after joining, because of financial problems.) In spite of
the continued change, there were some in
Macon who sought to limit these reforms.
When, in 1891, certain Jewish communities discussed the possible changing of the Sabbath
from Saturday to Sunday, Jews in Macon spoke
out against the idea, claiming that such a change
would go against tradition.
In 1894, Beth Israel hired a rabbi who
would come to
influence Macon’s
Jewish community for almost fifty
years. Isaac E.
Marcuson,
of
Cincinnati, had
just
graduated
from
Hebrew
Union College
and came to serve
Macon’s Reform
congregation. He
Rabbi Isaac Marcuson stayed initially for
served Beth Israel for nine years, but
almost fifty years.
came back in
1920,
serving
until his death in
1952. He brought with him liberal reforms, such
as the removal of the rabbi’s hat during services, the adoption of the Union Prayer Book, and
reaffiliation with the UAHC.
Rabbi Marcuson was quickly recognized
and accepted by the entire community. When
the Spanish-American War erupted in 1898, the
young rabbi served as civilian chaplain for the
wounded soldiers encamped in Macon. He also
was active on the board to save the Macon
Library, organized a Boy Scout troop, and
served on the Boy Scout Council for many
years. The rabbi helped to pioneer the county
welfare agency when he headed the Organized
Service and was chairman of the Macon
Chapter of the American Red Cross. Rabbi
Marcuson also became well known throughout
the entire Reform Jewish community through
his 33 years of service as secretary of the
Central Conference of American Rabbis. He not
only edited the CCAR Yearbook for thirty years,
but he collaborated on the revision of the prayer
book.
Rabbi Marcuson’s civic involvement mirrored that of his congregants, as Macon Jews
moved quickly to become part of the larger
society. Macon Jews helped to establish and
equip the Macon Hospital, now known as the
Medical Center of Central Georgia. Others
served on the Board of Trade, which created
municipal ownership of the water system, paved
May-June 2012
the streets, and installed sewers. Even as far
back as 1884, Jews served on successive city
councils, became charter members and officers
of civic clubs, and were active in politics and
civic affairs. Jewish women even sat on the
board of Macon’s first organized charity, the
non-denominational King’s Daughters.
Beth Israel soon faced problems with its
synagogue. Across the street from the sanctuary,
a farmers’ market had grown up. Wagons,
loaded with produce, converged there on
Saturdays; watermelon rinds began piling up on
the temple steps. It was not possible to keep the
windows of the un-air conditioned synagogue
closed, and the noise became unbearable, especially on the Sabbath. Finally, it was decided
that they should move and, on June 14, 1901,
the congregation attended the final services in
the old building, which was subsequently razed.
Congregation Beth Israel bought new
property, but was without a home temporarily.
Until the new temple was built, Jews worshipped at the First Baptist Church, whose own
congregants had enjoyed Beth Israel’s hospitality when its church house had burned down in
1883. To honor this kindness, the pastor of First
Baptist, Rev. J.L. White, helped lay the cornerstone of the new temple, along with Judge Max
Meyerhardt, the grand master of the Georgia
Grand Lodge of Masons, and Rabbi Marcuson
at the dedication, on October 30, 1901. The
names of the members of the building committee, including congregational president Gustav
Bernd, Jr., were inscribed on the cornerstone.
The new temple was formally dedicated on
September 19, 1902.
When the constitution and by-laws were
published in 1903, Congregation Beth Israel
had approximately 89 member families. Of
those, more than 75% had emigrated from or
had parents who emigrated from Germany.
Most of them were also merchants of some
kind, dealing either in dry goods, clothing, or
shoes.
Next issue: Macon, Georgia Part II—By
the late 19th century, the members of Beth
Israel would be joined by a new wave of Jewish
immigrants from Eastern Europe, who had little
interest in the Reform practices of the city’s
Jewish congregation.
This history of Macon, Georgia, Part I, is
a segment from the ISJL Encyclopedia of
Southern Jewish Communities. Readers are
invited to learn more about the history of Jewish
communities by visiting www.isjl.org and looking under the History tab. The
Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern
Jewish Life considers the encyclopedia to be a
work in progress and encourages the public to
contact Dr. Stuart Rockoff at [email protected]
with additional information related to the history of Jewish communities in Georgia or other
communities of the South. Throughout the thirteen-state Southern region of the United States,
the eleven-year-old grassroots organization,
Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern
Jewish Life (ISJL), is dedicated to providing
educational and rabbinic services, promoting a
Jewish cultural presence, and documenting and
preserving the rich history of the Southern
Jewish experience.
May-June 2012
SHER LIVING
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN — K
Page 31
SHER LIVING
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN — K
Page 32
Kosher Affairs
BY Roberta
Scher
Spring and summer mean lighter meals
and higher temperatures, and there are predictions for an extraordinarily warm season in
Hotlanta.
So why am I starting with soup? Because
I feel compelled to share the winning recipe of
the 2012 Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off.
This year’s winner, Eric Silberman, of
Lincolnwood, Illinois, is a 20-year-old
Princeton University student. From a family of
four boys, he assumed the responsibility of
making matzo balls every Shabbat. After thousands of cook-off entries were reviewed, tested, and judged, Eric’s “Mod” Matzo Ball Soup
(see sidebar for recipe) came out on top. A
panel of cookbook authors, food critics, and
Chef Claire Robinson awarded him the
$25,000 grand prize, which included Maytag
kitchen appliances and cash. If you want to
know more about this contest, visit manischewitz.com. Entering recipe and food competitions has become a hobby and passion for
many—and there are thousands of opportunities to do so annually. Want to enter? See hundreds of ongoing contests at contestcook.com.
Speaking of success, congratulations to
local celebrity Farmer D—Daron Joffe.
Williams-Sonoma is prominently featuring
some of his products—his organic compost,
fertilizer, and other items—as part of the company’s new Agrarian line. I am a big fan of my
raised organic vegetable garden bed, constructed by Daron’s dad, Stanley; now in its 4th year,
it is refilled annually with Farmer D’s “magic”
soil. Visit williams-sonoma.com/shop/agrarian-garden.
BOOKS FOR COOKS
I’m certain that most of you grew up as I
did, with “fusion” home cooking—a combination of traditional Jewish food, Southern food,
and standard American dishes. That’s why I
pay special attention when cookbooks come
along that focus on
other ethnicities—
especially when the
recipes are conveniently kosher.
The Best of
Mexican Kosher
Cooking
(Israel
Book
Shop
Publications) and
The
Complete
Asian
Kosher
Cookbook (Targum
Press) are by
Zipporah Malka Heller and her daughter,
Shifrah Devorah Witt. They have explored
both of these cuisines and have translated
many popular recipes to kosher. Now that so
many “global” kosher-certified ingredients are
available, it is simple and realistic for the
kosher cook to prepare authentic Mexican and
Asian dishes at home.
While I don’t need step-by-step recipes
for my comfort zone foods, such as basic
Southern fried chicken, chicken soup, hamburgers, or mashed potatoes, I do need all the
help that I can find to prepare international
dishes such as pot stickers, hot and sour soup,
nachos, and burritos. I like these books and
highly recommend them if you want to branch
out and be globally adventurous in the kitchen.
Find them at mexicankoshercooking.com and
thecompleteasiankoshercookbook.blogspot.
com.
LOCAL NEWS
Cupz & Cake, a new AKC kosher certified dairy coffee shop, has opened at 1171
LaVista Road, near Cheshire Bridge, just
across the street from Cheshire Square. The
shop is owned by Shaun Davenport, a former
lobbyist who loves baking and has now redirected her career to follow her dreams. In addition to French press coffee, fancy coffees, and
teas, she offers coffee by the pound and Italian
sodas. Davenport has created a limited eat-in
and take-out menu, currently featuring a bagel
bar with toppings. She plans to expand her
food offerings, and she welcomes customer
input. In addition, she offers celebration cakes,
created by an in-house baker. Future plans
include additional dairy lunch specialties, such
as quiche, pizza, and sandwiches. Follow Cupz
& Cake on Facebook, visit ccmarket.info, or
call 404-941-7200.
May-June 2012
interested in receiving and sharing readers’
opinions on this subject. Anonymity will be
maintained if requested. E-mail [email protected].
BLEND IT. I recently welcomed an amazing
new appliance to my kitchen—the Vitamix
blender #5200. It is truly an unbelievable,
state-of-the-art machine; but be warned, it is an
investment. I initiated it at Passover, when I
proceeded to make matzo
meal from whole matzos
and powdered vanilla
sugar from granulated
sugar and vanilla beans,
mixed up smoothies
from whole fruits, and
made almond milk.
Now I am going to try
parve ice cream, sorbet,
and soup. Yes, soup. The
motor on this machine is so
powerful that it purees
and cooks the soup
within the blender
container. I will report
back—but to get a
more in-depth look,
read the full review at
http://tiny.cc/02ftcw.
The machine has
Vitamix blender a seven-year warran#5200
ty, and additional
accessories are available. After the honeymoon
is over, and if I continue to love it, I will likely
purchase a second container for dairy use. The
basic Vitamix sells for $449. Visit
Vitamix.com.
A PRESIDENTIAL TOAST
TO HAGAFEN WINE
At the luncheon following the historic
March meeting between President Obama and
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, kosher wine
from Hagafen Cellars was served. Hagafen
Cellars presented its 2010 Lodi Roussanne, a
luscious dry white wine, perfect for the occasion. (Yes I’ve sampled this excellent wine, but
unfortunately not at the White House!) This
marks a 30+-year relationship between the
Hagafen Napa Valley winery and the White
House.
According
to
Hagafen
winemaker/founder Ernie Weir, “It is an honor
and pleasure to have had our wines enjoyed at
the White House over the course of the past
decades, by the leaders of our country and their
guests.”
Shaun Davenport
An aside: Kosher restaurants have come
and gone in Atlanta—most recently, we saw
the demise of Moshe’s. As I have written previously, in my opinion, all restaurateurs and
food retailers must combine quality food,
excellent service, good value, and high standards of sanitation to be successful. A convenient location and an up-to-date web and
Facebook presence are also important. The
goal should be to bring both kosher and nonkosher eaters and shoppers to visit the establishment, and create an experience beyond
their expectations, so they will become enthusiastic repeat customers. Happily, there are
several kosher restaurants in Atlanta that are
currently satisfying their customers. I would be
What’s
cooking?
E-mail
[email protected]. This column is
meant to provide the reader with current trends
and developments in the kosher marketplace.
Since standards of kashruth certification vary,
check with the AKC or your local kashruth
authority to confirm reliability.
See RECIPES, page 34
SHER LIVING
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN — K
May-June 2012
Kosher
KosherKorner
Korner
NEW KOSHER ALERTS
BY Rabbi Reuven
Stein
WHAT’S NEW
Cupz & Cakes is a new Atlanta
Kashruth Commission (AKC) kosher certified coffee and dessert shop, located at
1171 LaVista Road, near Cheshire Bridge,
across from Return to Eden and Publix.
Call 404-941-7200.
Dirty Potato Chips: Some 2 oz. packages of Sour Cream and Onion Potato
Chips were mistakenly labeled with a plain
OU mark, without the D-Dairy designation.
This product contains dairy and should
have been labeled OU-D. Corrective measures are being taken.
When warming Mon Cuisine frozen
meals in a microwave, consumers should
double-wrap the carton. Mon Cuisine is
changing its packaging to address this
issue.
In the Atlanta area, there are now products labeled with an LBD symbol, which
stands for London Beis Din. This kosher
symbol is acceptable to the AKC.
SUPERVISED ICE CREAM AND
FROZEN YOGURT STORES
Shaun Davenport, Cupz & Cakes
owner
OU For You in Dunwoody has remodeled and plans to add sushi and other foods.
Chai Peking has teamed up with Mr.
David Schakett to offer new Southern-style
smoked Chinese barbeque products under
the name Grillin’ Magic BBQ. The current
Shabbos special includes one rack of BBQ
beef ribs, smoked and sauced to perfection,
steamed veggies, and rice for $27.95. Other
side dishes are potato salad, coleslaw, BBQ
baked beans, imitation crab and corn
bisque (New Orleans style), sweet potato
delite, bread pudding, and jambalaya.
Everything is made onsite at Chai Peking,
under AKC supervision. Call 404-3277810.
The AKC would like to thank all its
sponsors and friends who helped make
Kosher Day 2012 a big success! They
include the Jewish Federation, Toco
Printing, Goodfriend’s Grill, and Publix
Charities.
Enoch Goodfriend
When purchasing ice cream and frozen
yogurt, it is preferable to buy at supervised
stores (listed below). In some of the stores,
one should check the kosher letter, since
not all items and toppings are kosher. In a
non-supervised store, one should purchase
only after personally checking each item
for a hashgacha on the package. (Do not
rely on what the attendant says or on a
booklet of kosher letters, as they are not
always accurate.)
Bruster’s, 2095 LaVista Road, 404-3207166. Ice cream
Carvel, 2482 Jett Ferry Road, Ste 685, 770396-0555. Ice cream. This entire facility is
kosher.
NEW: Cowlicks Yogurt & Floats, 1100
Hammond Drive, 770-913-0190. Check
kosher letter
Menchie’s, 3011 North Druid Hills Road,
404-228-6229. Frozen yogurt
TCBY, Loehmann’s Plaza, 2484 Briarcliff
Road, 404-325-8736. Frozen yogurt
Whole Foods, 2111 Briarcliff Road, 404634-7800. Gelato
Whole Foods, 1311 Johnson Ferry Road,
678-996-9700. Gelato
Rabbi Reuven Stein is director of supervision for the Atlanta Kashruth Commission,
a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting kashruth through education,
research, and supervision.
Page 33
Page 34
Mod Matzo Ball Soup
Adapted from Eric Silberman’s Man-OManischewitz Cook-Off winning recipe
Serves 6
6 medium carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 medium turnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch
cubes
1 large onion, diced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 packet Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, plus a pinch
14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
6 cups Manischewitz Vegetable Broth
Kosher salt, pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place carrots, turnips, and onion on a
sheet pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, a pinch of cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Roast in preheated oven for
20-25 minutes until brown, mixing
halfway to ensure even browning.
While vegetables are roasting, prepare
matzo balls according to package directions, but with a few “secret” changes.
Crack 2 eggs into a medium glass bowl.
With a fork, beat egg whites first, and then
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Recipes
incorporate yolks: tilt the bowl to one side
and “pull” whites up and beat until frothy.
Then break yolks and beat together until
light yellow and bubbly. Add remaining 2
tablespoons vegetable oil, and whip again
until fully incorporated and bubbly. Add
packet of mix and stir just until combined.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Combine 4 cups Manischewitz
Vegetable Broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and
1/2-teaspoon cumin in a 4-quart pot. Bring
to boil over medium-high heat.
Remove matzo ball mix from refrigerator, form into balls just under the size of
Ping-Pong balls, and drop into broth.
Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 12-15
minutes.
Remove roasted vegetables from
oven.
Remove cover from soup pot and add
remaining 2 cups Manischewitz Vegetable
Broth and diced tomatoes. Add roasted
vegetables, and return soup to boil. Cover
and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Uncover and add salt, pepper, or cumin to
taste.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Adapted from The Best of Mexican Kosher
Cooking by Zipporah Malka Heller and
Shifrah Devorah Witt (Israel Book Store)
6 eight-inch flour tortillas
canola oil for frying
coarse sea salt
Stack the tortillas and cut them into 8
triangles.
Pour about two inches of oil in a frying pan. Heat the oil on medium-high heat.
Using long-handled tongs, place the tortilla pieces individually into the frying
pan. Do not crowd them. Fry in several
batches.
When they begin to turn slightly golden (usually after a few seconds), turn them
over and allow them to continue cooking a
few more seconds. When they are lightly
golden on both sides, remove them to drain
in a paper towel-lined bowl. Add a sprinkle
of salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature
with your favorite salsa or melted cheese.
May-June 2012
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Adapted from The Best of Mexican
Kosher Cooking
2 1/4 pounds of tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Combine all ingredients; chill for an
hour. Serve and enjoy.
Optional: To spice it up, add any of
the following: 1-2 tablespoons fresh
jalapeno peppers; 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon fresh Anaheim chili peppers, diced
fine; or 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper
flakes.
Beef Chow Fun
Adapted from The Complete Asian
Kosher Cookbook by Zipporah Malka
Heller and Shifrah Devorah Witt
(Targum Press)
This is a favorite Chinese recipe of the
Heller-Witt family. Serves 6–8.
1 pound tender beef, cut into 2 x 1/4 inch
slices
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
4 cloves garlic, slivered
4 large green onions, cut into 2-inch
pieces
1 14-ounce package wide rice noodles,
soaked in warm water for 30 minutes or
until soft, and drained*
1/2 cup water plus 1/2 teaspoon parve
chicken soup mix, prepared according to
package directions
5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups bean sprouts
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes,
optional
Marinade:
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Mix together marinade ingredients.
Marinate sliced beef for 1/2 hour. In a
frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over
medium heat.
Add onions; saute about 1 minute.
Add marinated meat; stir-fry 3–5 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and
stir-fry for an additional minute. Remove
beef, onion, and garlic to a bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in pan on medium-high heat and add noodles; stir-fry
for 3–4 minutes. Add parve chicken soup
and soy sauce to the noodles. Return
beef and onions to pan and reheat. Stir in
bean sprouts 1 minute before serving.
Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.
* According to the AKC, plain uncooked
rice noodles are acceptable without special kosher certification
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
Page 35
The Breman reaches out to a surprising array of visitors
BY Janice Rothschild
Blumberg
Elinor Breman recently asked me if I’d
seen the Holocaust Memorial in Miami
Beach. Yes, I told her. I saw it some years
ago and felt profoundly moved by it.
Probably because it was Elinor who asked,
the conversation led me to think of The
Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust
Museum, and I began to wonder whether
memorials have more influence than museums, or vice versa. Who visits them, and
what—if any—lasting effect do they have?
Elinor and Bill Breman
Memorials serve as perpetual
reminders, and that’s important. If we take
time to read or listen to the information provided with them, they also teach us something about the person or event that they
honor. But how many disbelievers visit
Holocaust memorials? And if they do, does
the experience change them from deniers to
believers?
Not knowing where to find statistics
about memorials, I turned to Judi Ayal,
director of visitor services at The Breman,
for answers that shed light on the impact of
Holocaust museums. Her records attest to
The Breman receiving about 40,000 visitors
per year. Approximately half of them are
children, only some 20% of whom are
Jewish.
Breman docents Mark Brooks and
Dede Thompson
As in any major city, museums attract
visitors from all over the world, and the
Breman is no
exception to this.
Most surprising of
all are the groups
of Spanish-speaking soldiers who,
for more than ten
years, have been
bused here each
month from Fort
Benning,
about
100 in each group.
Sponsored
by
Reynaldo Morales, W H I N S E C
( W e s t e r n
Assistant
Hemisphere
Coordinator, U.S.
Institute
for
Field Studies
S e c u r i t y
Program, Fort
Cooperation), this
Benning
trip is part of their
training in free enterprise and civil rights.
They come from all the countries of South
and Central America and the Caribbean,
and include men and women of all ranks
and all levels of society, very few of whom
have ever knowingly even seen a Jew
before visiting The Breman or heard of the
Holocaust.
Before entering the gallery, these visitors are shown a film with Spanish subtitles,
orienting them to the Holocaust and providing historical and political context. Then,
they are introduced to a Spanish-speaking
survivor or child of a survivor, who tells his
or her own story, giving them a personal
perspective on what they are about to see as
they tour the exhibit, led by one of The
Breman’s trained museum educators.
I sat with them one day in the museum’s Arbiser Theater, watching their faces
as they listened to Erna Martino tell what
happened to her parents. The impact of her
message was clearly apparent. Few took
their eyes off her, even for a moment. Some
expressed amazement, not understanding
the term “anti-Semitism,” even though she
explained it in Spanish. Unquestionably,
they were deeply moved. This was a lesson
they would never forget.
Almost every day during the school
year, The Breman is crowded with children,
5th grade and above, many of whom are
African-American and Latino. Holocaust
studies are part of their class curriculum.
Students tour The Breman
Thanks to many materials furnished in
advance to their teachers, the students
arrive fully prepared; afterwards, they are
encouraged to discuss what they have
learned, both in class and at home. Most of
them write thank-you notes expressing their
reactions and the insights they have gained
from their visit. Here again is a story too big
and too important to be combined with any
other. Stay tuned. More in our next issue.
I can’t help thinking how thrilled Bill
Breman would be to see these examples of
education for good will constantly activated
as a result of his vision and generosity. On
second thought, however, I believe that
Bill’s pleasure would be shadowed somewhat by the fact that we have not reached
the goal that he set for us. He wanted us to
build ongoing support for this important
institution and have a minimum of 2,000
members by the year 2000. We haven’t kept
the faith with Bill. Surely, in a city with
125,000 mostly middle-income Jewish residents, we have at least 2% who care enough
about their own legacy and Jewish survival
to help pay for it.
Call 404-870-1632 or visit www.thebreman.org, and join. You’ll be glad you
did.
Page 36
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
YOU NEED TO KNOW...
During the last 60-plus years, meter for
meter, person for person, no other
nation has done more for the betterment
of the health, economic, and technological advancement of the world population
than Israel. It is a story, although critically important, that is not heralded and
largely remains unknown. We plan to
present some of these unbelievable
accomplishments in an attempt to disseminate the heart and soul of what and
who Israel really is.
In 1950, shortly after the establishment of the State of Israel, the world
population was 2.55 billion people. In
2011, this number had increased to 7 billion, and, according to the World Bank,
it is projected to continue to grow at a
compound rate of 1.1% per year. So how
do we feed these masses, for if there is
no food, there will be no peace.
Many institutions and countries
have and are addressing this problem,
but probably no other single country has
contributed more breakthroughs than
Israel. What is more amazing, it has
done this as a new, emerging nation with
limited resources and people.
ISRAEL21c, a not-for-profit organization in the United States that regularly
publishes on the Internet a blog in which
it highlights intellectual developments,
advancements, educational changes, and
advanced innovations, has just produced
a piece by Abigail Klein Leichman entitled: “The top 12 ways Israel feeds the
world.” The following is a synopsis of
the points in that narrative.
1. Drip irrigation. In hindsight,
such a simple concept but so effective. It
was Simcha Blass, an Israeli water engineer, who took an existing concept, revolutionized it and perfected a system to
produce a slow, balanced drip that
resulted in substantial increases in
growth. The new technology, which has
been sold around the world, has resulted
in sizable production increase.
To appreciate what this Israeli ingenuity did to help produce food, one just
has to look to a recent installation that
took place in Senegal. In that country, a
seven hundred farming family community installed a system, which has
allowed it to harvest crops three times a
year instead of just once, as previously
had been the case, on infertile land.
2. Grain cocoons. According to the
information on ISRAEL21c’s site,
Professor Shlomo Navarro, who prior to
his retirement was the principal scientist
in the Department of Food Science,
Israel
Agricultural
Research
Organization Israeli, is reported to have
said that as much as 50% of every grain
harvest and 100% of every pulse harvest
is lost to pests and mold.
In response to this need, Professor
Navarro invented the GraniPro Cocoons
that keep both water and air out and
solved this spoilage. This Israelidesigned product is now used “all over
the developed world, including Africa
and the Far East, and even in countries
that have no diplomatic ties to Israel,
such as Pakistan.”
3. Biological pest control. More
and more we are hearing and learning
about the adverse side effects on the
environment, ecology, and health that
are resulting from the use of chemicals
and hormones. To offer an alternative to
this, Bio-Bee Biological Systems breeds
beneficial insects and mites for biological pest control and bumblebees for natural pollination in greenhouses and open
fields. In addition, a subsidiary, Bio-Fly
Company, sells sterile Mediterranean
fruit flies to control this major pest in
fruit trees. In Israel, these products have
enabled sweet-pepper farmers to reduce
the use of chemical pesticides by 75 percent.
Bio-Bee’s products are exported to
32 nations from Japan to Chile. Its BioFly collaborates with Jordanian and
West Bank Palestinian Authority agricultural experts.
4. Dairy farming. Israeli companies
are producing advanced systems for herd
management, monitoring and feeding
that are being sold and used on dairy
farms all over the world.
In Vietnam, ten Israeli companies
are involved in a five-year project, the
largest of its kind in the world, to implement every aspect of a vast $500 million
dairy farm endeavor. The undertaking
will encompass 30,000 cows at 12 stateof-the-art mega-dairies and a milk processing plant, which will supply 300
million liters per year.
Their expertise is so well know that
China is sending groups to learn how to
boost milk production there as well.
5. Tailor-made farm solutions.
Agricultural
Knowledge
On-Line
(AKOL) has developed software packages and computer programs for the
agriculture industry that make informational support and help immediately
available to endeavors around the world.
Making use of IBM’s “cloud” hosting, AKOL’s programs make it possible
for users from around the world “to link,
stream, and manage information
between the different parties in the sector, in real time, using various applications. AKOL systems link packinghouses, dairies, slaughterhouses (abattoirs),
regulatory bodies, food centers, laboratories, marketing centers, as well as
crop, dairy and poultry farmers.” Among
other services that are available are
applications that inform “farmers on
when to plant, irrigate and harvest; how
to cope with drought; how to choose the
crops best for their area; how to implement ideal storage and temperature con-
trol procedures based on climate; and
how to track the growth of chickens,
livestock and fruit, among other ideas
for running a modern, professional
farm.”
6. A better potato. Dr. David Levy
of The Hebrew University believes that
potatoes are one of the top sources of
nutrition in the world and “in the potato
lies an answer to world hunger.”
The potatoes as we know them were
developed to provide good yields in
northern, temperate climates at temperatures below 30 Celsius. Through Dr.
Levy’s and his colleagues’ research over
the past 30 years, varieties have been
developed that can be grown at temperatures of 35 – 40 Celsius, and they have
had success in using water with average
salinity for irrigation.
The potential of this in the many
arid areas of the world to alleviate the
suffering and starvation is overwhelming. As a side benefit, Levy feels that the
sharing of this knowledge with scientists
from neighboring countries will help
build bridges between the nations in the
area.
7. Squeezing every drop of water
from the air. In the arid climate of
Israel, water is a precious commodity. In
order to support the needs of the existing
population at the time of the creation of
the country and to meet the needs of the
large percentage increase that has taken
place over the past 64 years, innovative
techniques and efficient use of available
resources had to be developed.
It should not be surprising, therefore, that their innovative efforts were
directed to the moisture in the dew that
forms with the overnight temperature
changes. In response, Tal-Ya Water
Technologies developed reusable plastic
trays to collect dew from the air, reducing the water needed by crops or trees by
up to 50 percent.
Made from non-PET recycled and
recyclable plastic with UV filters and a
limestone additive, the trays are placed
around each plant or tree so that the dew
and condensation is routed straight to
the roots. It was reported that the system
increases “the effect of each millimeter
of water 27 times over.”
An added benefit is that the trays
block the sun so weeds cannot take root.
The improved efficiency in the use of
water means there is more available for
other uses, and the decreased need for
fertilizer means less groundwater contamination.
8. Unparalleled crop protection.
Hebrew University teamed up with
Makhteshim Agan Group to develop and
commercialize slow-release herbicides
and a targeted insecticide that doesn’t
harm beneficial insects.
This joint effort has produced a
slow and controlled herbicidal release,
which reduces leaching to deeper soil
layers, thereby increasing efficiency and
reducing the quantity of required application. The result in an insecticide that
May-June 2012
“kills caterpillars of night-flying moths
– a common scourge for farmers worldwide – but unlike common commercial
preparations, has minimal or no effect
on any other creature.”
9. Fishing in the desert. Fish are
one of the main sources of protein for
hundreds of millions of people, so it is
critical that there be a method to sustain
the supply. One solution would be to
find a way to raise them anywhere, even
in the desert.
G.F.A. Advanced Systems, Ltd.,
with its “zero-discharge” system, has
made such a dream a reality. With the
specially developed microbes, the system purifies fish waste byproducts right
in the tank, thereby eliminating spillage
and water refilling. A facility in New
York is presently using this system and,
in 2010, produced about 100 tons of sea
bream, bass and tilapia.
10. Food from greenhouse gas.
Recently, Seambiotic Ltd. launched a
commercial algae farm in China to produce feedstock for biofuel. Using the
technology, algae ponds, which use
power-plant effluents, provide the raw
material for the biofuel rather than relying on farmed produce that can be used
for human consumption. An added benefit is that the material produces 30 times
more feedstock than the land-based
alternatives.
11. Reintroducing carp to Africa.
Ugandan villagers formerly looked to
the Lake Victoria carp as an important
part of their diet. But that was before the
Nile perch was introduced into the lake.
The Nile perch, which is a much
larger fish than the carp and many other
species, was introduced to the lake, and
decimated most of these smaller fish.
The villagers had neither the equipment
nor the expertise necessary to start fishing the huge perch, and symptoms of
protein deficiency started becoming
apparent in their children.
It took a team from the Hebrew
University to address and solve this
problem. The answer laid in applying
techniques developed over many years
by Israeli fish farmers. In addition to
spawning the carp, training was provided in the digging and filling of ponds to
raise the small fish.
12. Hardier seeds for better crops.
Ilan Sela and Haim D. Rabinowitch of
Hebrew University have developed technology that enables the introduction of
genetic materials into seeds without
modifying their DNA.
Dortan Peleg, CEO of Morflora, a
company to which the technology has
been transferred for use in curing fruittree diseases, said, “The new ability to
deliver traits within days instead of
years, and to offer a treatment with
results similar to breeding to all current
species, answers a long and unmet need
that will revolutionize modern agriculture and significantly impact the vegetable and commodity crop markets.”
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
JF&CS NEWS
ART OUT LOUD. In conjunction with Older
Adults Month, Atlanta’s Jewish Tower and
the Aviv Older Adult Services division of
Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS)
will host Art Out Loud // Wisdom in Paint,
Sunday, May 20, 3:00-5:00 p.m. The show
will feature 12 artists presenting nearly 100
pieces of work, each under $50, ranging from
abstract painting to watercolor and collage.
The afternoon will include tasty treats, music,
video, and a live auction.
Georgia O’Keeffe, Henri Matisse, and
Frida Kahlo all created art beyond the time
when they were able to see and move with
ease. While artists eventually grow old, the
ability art has to transport, transform, and
heal is timeless. JF&CS and The Jewish
Tower have created a space for residents to
express themselves and experiment with new
materials. Art group members, who are
between 50 and 100 years old, meet weekly
to create works that inspire and move them.
On May 20, others will have the chance to be
inspired in turn.
For the first time, this year’s event will
include portraits of the featured artists by
New York City photographer Reed Young.
Named one of Photo District News’ 30 upand-coming photographers in 2010, Reed has
traveled the world, bringing his special blend
of fine art and photojournalism to all kinds of
people and making the mundane special. He
and his collaborator, Rachel Gottesman, set
their sights on members of this year’s group,
and the stunning results will be revealed at
the opening. All portraits will be on sale, with
proceeds benefiting the Aviv Art Therapy
Group.
“It has been said that active participation
in the arts and learning promotes physical
health, enhances a sense of well being among
older Americans, improves quality of life for
those who are ill, and reduces the risk factors
that lead to the need for long-term care,” said
Molly Levine-Hunt, JF&CS Caregiver
Support Services manager and an artist in her
own right. With this in mind, the Art Therapy
Group was created in 1995. The group has
presented its works with the Atlanta
Contemporary Art Center, the Marcus
Institute, and Binders Art Supplies, among
others. Today, the group is maintained by
Levine-Hunt and Maxine Hull, art therapist
and artist.
Art Out Loud will take place at The
Jewish Tower, 3160 Howell Mill Road.
Families are welcome. RSVP to
[email protected].
Give me that old time rock and roll
By Susan Robinson
When my parents married, they merged
their collections of vinyl records. The result
was a somewhat eclectic assortment, ranging
from Patti Page and Glenn Miller to Guy
Lombardo and early Elvis. So, starting from
when we were very young, my sisters and I
became familiar with the big-band sounds of
the ‘30s and ‘40s, as well as ‘50s and ‘60s rock
and roll.
We became acquainted with some
Broadway tunes as well. At school, our choir
teacher led us in the motivational songs of the
day: “The Impossible Dream,” “Climb Ev’ry
Mountain,” “I Believe (For Every Drop of
Rain that Falls),” and the theme song from the
movie Exodus—all performed in four-part harmony. We learned early on that music has
meaning and can be inspirational.
One summer, while I was away at camp,
my parents purchased a stereo console.
Without any fanfare, it simply showed up
unannounced in our living room. It was a huge
piece of furniture, with a deep mahogany
Formica veneer. My parents hovered over this
acquisition as if it were a newborn baby. They
purchased several new albums that proudly
proclaimed “Now in Stereophonic sound!”
across their cardboard jackets. Of course, these
brand-new records had no scratches, so my
parents guarded them like fine china teacups.
The downside of this situation was that my sisters and I were forbidden to handle the stereo
equipment without permission. The upside was
that we three girls inherited the old, cast-aside
record player. We were absolutely delighted.
The fact that we were too young to possess
more than a few records of our own didn’t concern us. What we did have, we played over and
over again, much to our parents’ chagrin. And
we began our own collecting, saving our
allowance and chore money so we could purchase our favorite music.
We own no vinyl now. The small 45s,
which contained only a single song on each
side, are long gone. My husband and I regretfully gave away the last of our LPs—longplaying albums—several years ago, when we
could no longer find new needles for our
phonograph. And that record player? Gone as
well, replaced with a CD player, computer, and
two iPods. We have had to learn the complexities of how to download, file, save, and open.
Ironically, much of the “new” music we
have downloaded is actually old. Sometimes,
oldies are simply oldies and nothing more than
that. Some oldies, however, are truly golden
oldies, with messages than transcend time and
place. A few years ago, my kindergarten class
sang Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” a tune
from the 1970s. From the song’s beginning,
“May G-d bless and keep you always,” to the
final stanza’s “May your heart always be joyful,” the words contain a positive and enduring
message. A music critic defined the song as an
“anthem.” One of my kindergarteners may
have been more exact, by referring to it as a
bracha. Surely, most rock music is not on that
level, but every once in a while, there is a poetic spark that resonates with a sense of spirituality.
Page 37
Page 38
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
If it ain’t broke...
Have you ever noticed, when walking
down the aisle of your favorite grocery store,
how many items are labeled “New and
Improved?” Be it diet soda or cereal or shampoo, manufacturers seem compelled to tinker
with their products, and consumers have
become trained to discount those products that
have not been reformulated in the past six
months.
In the age of “No Child Left Behind,” this
sort of thinking has entered the educational
arena as well. Schools increasingly feel pressured to revamp curricula or introduce new
instructional methods. Just like the cereal aisle,
if it’s not “New and Improved,” it must somehow be lacking.
Yeshiva Atlanta respectfully disagrees.
For more than 40 years, the school has been
committed to providing students with highlevel instruction, be it in math and science or in
Talmudic and Biblical studies. Over the years,
Yeshiva Atlanta has added courses and updated
curricula to keep abreast of the latest educational and pedagogical research. However,
sometimes the old adage “If it ain’t broke...”
really does hold true. Such is the case with
Yeshiva Atlanta’s Language Arts instruction
(even if the Language Arts teachers do frown
on the use of “ain’t”).
According to Joel Rojek, assistant principal and English Department head, Yeshiva
Atlanta’s curriculum is as demanding as any in
the city, offering students honors-level courses
in British and American Literature and
Advanced Placement courses in English
Literature and Composition. The school will
expand its curriculum next year by adding a
new Creative Writing and Current Events
course, as well as AP English Language and
Composition.
By the time students graduate Yeshiva
Atlanta, they will have completed at least four
years of Language Arts studies and will have
read classic works of literature such as
Beowulf, The Scarlet Letter, and Crime and
Punishment. Generally speaking, the students
do very well in these literature courses.
“Numbers don’t lie, even for an English
teacher,” said Mr. Rojek, “and our students’
average AP scores (4) and average SAT critical
reading and writing scores (both 630) demonstrate the depth of our studies and the abilities
of our students.”
However, graduating literate and articulate students is more than a numbers game, as
Dave Byron can attest to. Mr. Byron, who
teaches American Literature, Honors British
Literature, Modern Literature, and Journalism,
sees the growth in the students’ writing abilities
between grades 9 and 12. As he notes, “High
school freshman rarely write well. That’s a
given. Our challenge is to raise their writing
and even their speaking skills to levels that will
help them succeed in college and beyond.”
To this end, Mr. Byron annually organizes
a Cause Fair, which is intended to give Yeshiva
Atlanta students an opportunity to raise public
awareness of some of the critical issues we face
today. Juniors and seniors spend two months
researching philanthropic causes about which
they are passionate, write research papers on
their chosen topics, and then prepare public
presentations to share their concerns and proposed solutions with their peers. These presentations (which are supplemented with original
display boards and informative literature discussing the importance of the causes) are made
to the entire Yeshiva Atlanta student body. Each
of the students in attendance then has an opportunity to vote on what he or she believes to be
the most persuasive presentations, and the three
students whose presentations get the most
votes receive cash donations from the school to
donate to their charities.
May-June 2012
write 10+ page papers on current issues. In
American Literature classes, students research
a controversial topic of their choice and write a
thorough research paper in which they argue
for their point of view on the issue. In AP
English Literature, one of the four major papers
students write requires them to read a work of
literature and write a paper on this book that
disagrees with a critical essay by a noteworthy
critic. All Yeshiva Atlanta English classes
involve assignments that challenge students,
while they learn about topics of their choice.
Mr. Rojek helps a student with his
research project
Yael and Ezra conduct project research
Mr. Rojek also challenges his Language
Arts students to take their research and writing
skills new levels. Beginning as early as 9th
grade, students are taught research skills and
Through such projects, both Mr. Rojek
and Mr. Byron expect their students to demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence.
Yeshiva Atlanta students understand the high
standards these two teachers have, and they
consistently strive to meet or exceed them. All
this contributes to making Language Arts
instruction one of the school’s strong points.
Mt. Scopus Group marks Hadassah’s centennial
Hadassah, the Woman’s Zionist
Organization of America, was officially created on February 24, 1912. This year marks
Hadassah’s 100th birthday. The Mount Scopus
Group has been involved in many events to celebrate Hadassah’s centennial year.
In February, the group sponsored the
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s screening of
Incessant Visions: Letters from an Architect,
which chronicles the life of Erich Mendelsohn,
who designed Hadassah’s Mt. Scopus hospital
in Jerusalem. On March 4, the group participated in the Beth Jacob Purim parade. On
March 21, a 100th birthday party was held at
the home of a member, as part of the group’s
monthly Jewish study.
On the Shabbat after Purim, Edie Barr,
president of the group, gave a talk on the history of Hadassah at Beth Jacob. Many people
have heard of Hadassah, but know little about
its history or its accomplishments. The following are excerpts from her talk:
“Hadassah came about when a small
group of women decided to take action to alleviate the suffering in Jerusalem. This was a
time when women did not have the right to
vote and usually did not work outside of the
home. Yet, this woman-run organization managed to raise enough money to send two student nurses to Jerusalem. These nurses set up
health clinics where eye drops eliminated trachoma, and they taught hygiene, which helped
lessen disease. They dispensed milk to children, so their clinics were called Tipat Chalav,
Loretta Bernstein (from left), Ellen
Banov, Edie Barr, Rachel Schonberger,
Annie Kohut, and Jody Franco at the
Congregation Beth Jacob Purim Parade
which means ‘drop of milk’; well-baby clinics
in Israel are still called this today. Hadassah set
up the health services structure of Palestine and
opened up hospitals throughout Israel. The running of these hospitals was eventually turned
over to the government, except for the two
Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem.
“Hadassah started a nursing school, medical school, and dental school, as well as a fouryear technical college in Jerusalem.
“In 1934, Hadassah helped organize
Youth Aliyah. A German woman, Recha Freier,
discovered a loophole in German law that
allowed children to leave Germany to study
abroad. Eventually, over 11,000 children were
sent to Palestine through Youth Aliyah.
Hadassah organized the youth villages, which
received the children and educated them.
Today, Hadassah still funds three of these villages. Over the years, these villages have pro-
Edie Barr with Ben Hirsh (left) and Kyle
Epstein; Hirsch and Epstein moderated a panel discussion following the
screening of Incessant Visions: Letters
from an Architect.
vided sanctuary to children from Iran after the
ayatollah’s takeover; Argentinian children during the years when children were being kidnapped; Ethiopian children; Russian children
after Chernobyl; and Israeli children from dysfunctional homes and bad neighborhoods.
“Hadassah is the largest organizational
supporter of JNF (Jewish National Fund).
Hadassah has taken on projects to drain
swamps and build roads, reservoirs, and parks.
“In the 1960s, Hadassah took on sole
responsibility for funding the Zionist youth
movement, Young Judaea. Young Judaea was
the first movement to send high-school students to Israel for the summer. Young Judaea
runs summer camps and summer programs in
Israel for American teenagers. Today, Young
Judaea is being run by former Young Judaeans,
but it still receives support from Hadassah.
Mt. Scopus Board Members Marilyn
Perling (left) and Lois Cohen (photo:
Jody Franco)
“Hadassah is the largest Jewish organization in America, with over 300,000 members.
There are chapters in every congressional district, as well as an international section with
groups in many countries. Hadassah has
observer status in the UN and participates on
UN medical committees. Hadassah’s national
president is consulted by the U.S. president on
issues pertaining to women and Jews.
Hadassah regularly sends groups to
Washington to educate our legislators on issues
of importance to women and Israel. Hadassah
is run by volunteers with very little paid
employee help.
“National Hadassah is marking the centennial with a grand celebration of the opening
of its new Tower of Healing, at Hadassah’s Ein
Kerem hospital. This event is in conjunction
with the national convention in Jerusalem,
October 15-18.” For more information, visit
www. atlanta.hadassah.org.
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Schwartz on Sports
FURMAN BISHER, SPORTS WRITING
LEGEND. It was with sadness that I read of
the passing of Furman Bisher on March 18.
I, along with thousands of other Atlanta
Journal-Constitution readers, looked forward to his columns, especially his annual
Thanksgiving one. Although Furman wasn’t Jewish, he had a real connection to and
an influence upon the Jewish Georgia community.
I read I.J. Rosenberg’s tribute, “Passing
of a Legend: My farewell to a friend and
mentor,” in Score Atlanta. I.J. wrote that
Furman was his mentor during his 13+
years at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He said that he loved the man, and he
shared Bisher stories with his readers. One
particularly funny one was when Furman
ate at a McDonald’s during a road trip they
took together. Furman had never eaten at
the Golden Arches before and ended up
ordering “one of those Happy Meals.”
There were also articles of tribute to
Bisher by Score Atlanta reporters Proctor
Fletcher and Josh Bagriansky. Jeff Schultz,
a columnist for the AJC and colleague of
Bisher, wrote that Furman Bisher was a true
legend and was one of the principal figures
in making Atlanta the sports town it is
today. Gene Asher, a columnist for The
Jewish Georgian, also knew Furman for
many years as a colleague and friend. Gene
used to send Furman copies of The Jewish
Georgian, and he would read and enjoy
them.
I had the opportunity to meet Furman
when I visited the AJC in 2007. Alice
Wertheim, a research writer at the AJC, had
arranged the visit and took me to the sports
department to meet Furman. He was in his
office and took the time to talk with me and
show me around. He had just returned from
spring training and was getting ready to go
to the Masters. His office walls were covered with pictures of him taken with sports
celebrities. It could have been a collage of
sports in Georgia over a 60-year period.
I told him that I used to take part in his
weekly “I Beat Bisher” contest and had
Furman Bisher, Atlanta Sports Hall
of Fame, 2006 (photo courtesy of
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
saw Don and Diane Jaslow cheering on
their grandson, and I reminded Don that he
had coached our son, Michael, in basketball
at the J, 30 years ago. Time marches on, and
that’s a good thing.
BY Jerry
Schwartz
even won a few T-shirts and bumper stickers. He pointed out a picture behind his
desk, taken when he visited Russia. It
showed a man standing next to a car, and on
the back bumper was an “I Beat Bisher”
sticker. Furman Bisher was known everywhere, and he will be missed.
MJCCA—A BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY. As
I came into the Blank Gym, at 8:30 a.m., for
the Sunday morning pick-up basketball
game, Steve Peltier said to hurry up and get
dressed, because they needed me. Well, it’s
always nice to be needed, and I felt pretty
good, until I realized that I would make the
eighth player, and 4x4 cross court basketball could not start with seven players. Any
warm body over 18, dressed to play basketball, would do.
While we played on one court, a 30+
4x4 cross court playoff game was being
played on the next court. I have to marvel at
the level of competition and skill in that
league.
Down at the end of the hall from the
Blank Gym was a full spinning class, with
people doing some serious pedaling.
As I headed towards the locker room
and into the Marcus Gym, there was a
group of girls getting ready for a volleyball
practice, in preparation for the summer
Maccabi games. The Brill Fitness Center
was packed with people riding, rowing,
stepping, lifting, stretching, and jumping.
People take their exercise seriously. The
Zaban pool was full of swimmers doing
laps and water aerobics.
After I showered and dressed, I headed
out to Main Street and immediately saw the
marquee for the Jerry’s Habima Theater
presentation of Guys and Dolls at the
Morris & Rae Frank Theater, which would
be performed later that afternoon.
I headed down Main Street toward the
front desk and saw a sign advertising a
Rabbi Lunch ‘n Learn, with Rabbi Brian
Glusman. Right before I went out the front
door, I observed a reception being held in
the Fine Family Art Gallery to celebrate the
expansion of The Sophie Hirsh Srochi
Jewish Discovery Museum. The museum is
designed for children under the age of 12
and is a hands-on, interactive venue where
Jewish values, traditions, and holidays are
taught through role playing and experimentation.
I exited the building and headed out to
the baseball fields to watch my five-yearold grandson, Zachary, play his first-ever TLeague baseball game. There were two
games being played enthusiastically by
five- and six-year-olds, and parents and
grandparents were there to cheer them on. I
Zach Schwartz getting ready for his
first T-League baseball game
I even saw an Adult Flag Football
League game being played on one field and
an Adult Softball League game going on at
an adjacent field.
As I watched Zach’s game, I thought
this is what a Jewish Community Center
should be—a beehive of activity and positive experiences for all ages. What a treasure we have here for the Jewish community
at Zaban Park, on Tilly Mill Road, in
Page 39
Dunwoody.
REMEMBERING ED JACKEL. An
Atlanta Jewish Community Center icon, Ed
Jackel, passed away on February 16, at age
94. Ed moved to Atlanta from New York,
when he became the athletic and camp
director for the JCC. During his career, he
was an assistant coach with the Georgia
Tech basketball team and was a college and
SEC basketball referee.
Ed was an outstanding athlete and was
a health/fitness enthusiast all his life. He
ran in the first Peachtree Road Race and
continued to run for many more years. He
won several state handball championships
and one national title.
In his retirement, Ed penned two
books, 65 and Going, and Lucky
Infantryman, an account of his service during World War II that was published in
2007.
Ed Jackel will be remembered fondly
by all those Jewish Georgians who knew
and respected him.
ALTA COCKER. The deadline for this edition of “Schwartz on Sports” didn’t allow
for coverage of the Alta Cocker V softball
game, held on April 29, for those “veterans”
who played softball in the JCC Adult
Softball League between the years 19711992. Sorry, Gene Benator; I promise to
include a story with pictures in the next
Jewish Georgian.
Until next time, drive for the bucket
and score.
Page 40
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 41
Page 42
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
BUSINESS BITS
By Marsha Liebowitz
WEINBERG HONORED. On February 25,
Dr. Paul Weinberg received the Physician’s
Champion Award from the Gwinnett
Medical Center Foundation. This award
recognizes exceptional physicians who
champion the Foundation’s fundraising
efforts and the mission of Gwinnett Medical
Center. Dr. Weinberg has been in private
practice as a pulmonologist in Gwinnett
County since 1986. He founded the hospital’s Ethics Committee and has served as
chairman of the Department of Medicine,
vice-chief of the medical staff, and chairman of the Quality Performance and ByLaws Committees. His father, Seymour
Weinberg, an obstetrician in Atlanta for
many years, served with distinction at St.
Joseph’s Hospital.
David McClesky, chairman, Gwinnett
Medical Center Board of Directors
(from left); Dr. Paul Weinberg; and
Jason Chandler, director, Gwinnett
Medical Center Foundation
MAINZER AT ALEFBET. Congregation
Beth Shalom has appointed Jill Jarecki
Mainzer director of education, overseeing
the Alefbet Preschool and the Religious
School. Jill holds an M.A. in Jewish education and principal’s
certification from
the
Jewish
Theological
Seminary and an
M.S. in educational
psychology from
Georgia
State
University. She has
served as a consultJill Jarecki
ant to preschool
Mainzer
directors on curriculum and instruction, taught Judaic studies at the Epstein School, presented to early
childhood parents and faculty at the
Greenfield Hebrew Academy, taught professional development courses for preschool teachers, and taught in the Melton
program.
KOPELMAN AT HA&W. Richard
Kopelman, the partner in charge of
Marketing and the Manufacturing &
Distribution Industry Practice at Habif,
Arogeti & Wynne, has been named the next
managing partner of HA&W, effective in
2013. A current member of the firm’s executive board, he has been instrumental in
helping HA&W achieve its current level of
success and recognition. As leader of
HA&W’s Manufacturing & Distribution
Practice, Kopelman has been helping create
and support a manufacturing renaissance
across Georgia. He currently serves on the
Thought You’d Like To Know
By Jonathan Barach
MODERN DANCE FESTIVAL. The
Marcus Jewish Community Center of
Atlanta, in partnership with Full Radius
Dance, presents the seventeenth annual
Modern Atlanta Dance (MAD) Festival,
May 19, 8:00 p.m., at the Morris & Rae
Frank Theatre, at Zaban Park. The line-up
includes Full Radius Dance, Zoetic Dance
Ensemble, independent artist Kerry Lee,
Rhythmix Dance & Performing Arts
Company, Refuge Dance Company, and
SIDEWAYS
Contemporary
Dance
Company. General admission tickets are
$20/adults and $15/children; member tickets are $15/adults and $9/children; children
18 month and younger are admitted free.
For tickets, call the MJCCA Box Office,
678-812-4078,
or
visit
www.atlantajcc.org or www.modernatlantadance.org.
CELEBRATE SHAVOUT. The Shavuot
Community Celebration is Sunday, May 27,
11:30 a.m., at the Chabad Jewish Center.
The event features a Torah reading of the
Ten Commandments, followed by a dairy
buffet lunch with cheesecakes, ice cream,
and more. All are welcome. The event is
free of charge, but donations are accepted.
To RSVP or for information on how to be a
Shavuot
sponsor,
e-mail
[email protected], or call 678460-7702.
EAGLE STAR AWARDS. The AmericanIsrael Chamber of Commerce, Southeast
Region, celebrates its 20th anniversary at
the 11th annual Eagle Star Awards Gala,
June 12, 7:00-9:00 p.m., at the Westin
Perimeter Atlanta North Hotel. The Eagle
Star Gala, AICC’s community flagship
event, will honor the Israeli Company of the
Year and Deal of the Year; Asheville, North
Carolina, attorney Robert Deutsch
(Chamber Founders Award); and the Israel
Economic Office to the U.S. Southern
Board of Directors of the Association for
Corporate Growth and most recently founded Next Generation Manufacturing.
TOP ADVISOR. The Atlanta chapter of the
National Association of Insurance &
Financial Advisors has honored Daniel K.
Loventhal, CFP, CLU, CLTC, with a prestigious Top Advisors Under 40 award for
2012. This is the second consecutive year
that Loventhal, a
financial advisor
with
The
Northwestern
Mutual Financial
Network,
has
received this award.
His areas of expertise include retirement
solutions;
Daniel K.
estate
analysis;
Loventhal
investment
and
advisory services; insurance; and financial
planning. Loventhal is affiliated with
Northwestern Mutual’s Goodwin, Wright
office in Buckhead. Loventhal lives in
Chamblee with his wife, Rachel, and their
two young sons. For more information, visit
www.danielloventhal.com.
NEW DIRECTORS. The Buckhead
Coalition has elected thirteen new directors,
all chief executive officers or equivalent, of
firms with a major Buckhead presence:
Mark Donnelly, Wells Fargo; Joshua
Goldfarb, Southeast Apartment Partners;
Steven L. Guy, Entertainment Design
Group; Steve L. Lindsey, Atlanta Gas Light;
Bernard Marcus, Marcus Foundation;
Douglas E. McMahon, Tavistock Group;
Bartow Morgan, Jr., Brand Banking
Company; D. Jack Sawyer, Jr., Wilmington
Trust; Rob Schreiner, M.D., Kaiser
Permanente of Georgia; Michael J.
Sivewright, Jones, Lang LaSalle; Stuart
Region (Community Partner Award).
Jonathan Medved, one of Israel’s most celebrated entrepreneurs and high tech venture
capitalists, will be the keynote speaker. For
details, visit aiccse.org/events/eagle-starawards-gala.
FATHER OF THE YEAR. Craig Kaufman,
president, Kaufman Realty Group; Randall
M. Kessler, partner, KS Family Law;
Robert (Bob) Stargel, Jr., vice president,
Global Nonwovens, Kimberly-Clark; and
Gary P. Stokan, president and CEO, Chickfil-A Bowl, will be honored during the 2012
Father of the Year Awards Dinner, June 14,
at The Intercontinental Hotel, in Buckhead.
Cocktails are at 6:00 p.m.; dinner begins at
7:00 p.m. Event proceeds will benefit the
American Diabetes Association to support
research, information, and advocacy initiatives. Tickets are $250; sponsorships are
available. For more information or to purchase tables, tickets, and tribute journal
advertisements,
visit
www.diabetes.org/foty.
CAMP YOFI. Camp Ramah Darom will
host Camp Yofi, for families with children
ages 6-13 with autism, August 8-12. All
May-June 2012
Snyder, Turner Broadcasting Animation,
Young Adults & Kids Media; Francis N.
Spears, Balfour Beatty Construction
Georgia, and Brant J. Standridge, Branch
Banking & Trust Company.
ISRAELI ADVISORY BOARD. The
American-Israel Chamber of Commerce,
Southeast Region, has added several new
members to its Israeli Advisory Board:
Batami Sadan, VAICA Medical; Benny
Zeevi, DFJ Tel Aviv Venture Partners; Ester
Levanon, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; Gadi
Graus, J. Zaltzman, Gilat, Knoller, Graus,
Salomon & Co.; Gal Nir, Scopus Security
Solutions; Gavriel Meron, Given Imaging
and Niti Surgical; Imad Younis, Alpha
Omega; Jeremy Ben-David, JMB Davis
Ben-David Patent Attorneys; Joel Sellam,
Global Intelligent Logistics Services; Ori
Sarid, Synergo; Abe Finkelstein, Vintage
Investment Partners; Sam Cohen, Elbit
Vision Systems; Tamir Sagie, NeuroTech;
Todd Dollinger, The Trendlines Group;
Tony Miller, Noteya Media; and Zeev
Lavie, the Federation of Israeli Chambers
of Commerce.
NEW AFFILIATION. Insignia Living of
Georgia (www.Insigniaseniorliving.com),
is now affiliated with Mercer University
and Georgia Baptist College of Nursing.
The clinical affiliation creates a framework
for the interaction of professionals from
both organizations and provides Mercer
nursing students opportunities for education
at Insignia communities. In Alpharetta,
Insignia operates Tapestry House Assisted
Living, 2725 Holcomb Bridge Road, and
Gardens of Roswell Assisted Living and
Memory Care, 921 Nesbit Ferry Road. In
Sandy Springs, the company operates The
Carlton Assisted Living and Memory Care,
690 Mount Vernon Highway.
Jewish families, including single parents,
grandparents, and siblings, are welcome,
regardless of denomination or synagogue
affiliation. Morning programs have separate
tracks for children with autism, siblings,
and parents; afternoons feature family programming; and evenings include bonfires
and sing-alongs. Every family is assigned a
chaver, or special friend. After children are
in bed (under staff supervision), adults can
participate in fun programs, study, and support groups. Tuition is $750 per family. For
details, visit ramahdarom.org/campyofi, or
e-mail Susan Tecktiel at [email protected].
LIMMUDFEST 2012. LimmudFest is
Limmud Atlanta + Southeast’s multi-day
Limmud retreat over Labor Day weekend,
August 31-September 3, at Ramah Darom
Retreat and Conference Center, in Clayton.
The events are planned by a community of
volunteers—Jews from all walks of life, all
Jewish backgrounds, all lifestyles, and all
ages. LimmudFest is an opportunity to craft
your own Jewish world and meet people
who share your curiosity and enthusiasm.
For details, visit limmudse.org/limmudfest.html.
May-June 2012
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
Page 43
Freedom, faith, and fellowship: a Passover pilgrimage
Why was this pilgrimage different from
all other pilgrimages?
A pilgrimage for the Passover holiday
is nothing new. For generations, the Jewish
people have ventured to the Temple in
Jerusalem, from far-flung places, to offer
and partake of the Pesach offering with
other sojourners. However, the Department
of
Rabbinic
Services
at
the
Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern
Jewish Life (ISJL) recently took this traditional journey and placed it in a new
Southern context.
Passover, the Jewish festival of freedom, celebrates the liberation of the
Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. The
Seder is where the story of Passover is
shared, along with rituals, readings, songs,
and food. Seders celebrate not only freedom
from bondage but also freedom from
oppression of all stripes and have thus
become a wonderful opportunity for fellowship within the Jewish community and
beyond, as a popular interfaith experience: a
shared communal celebration of freedom
and friendship.
On this second annual ISJL Passover
Pilgrimage, the ISJL’s director of Rabbinic
Services, Rabbi Marshal Klaven, visited
eight communities in four states, over the
course of fifteen days. His stops in
Mississippi included Jackson (St. Philip’s
Episcopal Church, March 29), Hattiesburg
(Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church,
April 1), Vicksburg (Anshe Chesed, April
6), Natchez (Congregation B’nai Israel,
April 7), and Tutwiler (CCA-Tallahatchie
County Correctional Facility, April 8); in
Alabama,
Auburn
(Beth
Shalom
Congregation, April 10); in Tennessee,
Crossville (Upper Cumberland Jewish
Community, April 11) and in Georgia,
Rome (Rodeph Shalom, April 12),
Fayetteville (Congregation B’nai Israel,
April 13), and Dahlonega (Shalom
B’Harim, April 14).
The three Georgia congregations—in
Rome, Fayetteville, and Dahlonega—were
new stops along the way. They represent the
ever-growing footprint of the ISJL. As these
congregations demonstrated one of the
enduring values of the Festival of Freedom
by opening their doors to neighbor and visitor alike, the ISJL’s itinerant program also
reminded them that no matter how small
they may be or how remote from the larger
Jewish world they may feel, they are not
alone.
The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of
Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) provides educational and rabbinic services to Southern
Jewish communities, preserves the rich history of the Southern Jewish Experience, and
offers community engagement opportunities and inclusive cultural programming
throughout the organization’s thirteen-state
region.
To learn more about the Passover
Pilgrimage, the ISJL, and its programs, visit
www.isjl.org, call 601-362-6357, or find the
organization at www.facebook.com/theisjl.
Page 44
THE JEWISH GEORGIAN
May-June 2012