Jewish Georgian Jan-Feb 2020 : simplebooklet.com

THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 2 The divisiveness of sophistry BY Marvin Botnick Jewish Georgian THE The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot Ltd It is written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians T Publisher Co Publisher Editor Managing Editor Assignment Editor Associate Editor Copy Editor Makeup Editor Production Coordinator Designer Photographic Staff Graphic Art Consultant Columnist Advertising Marvin Botnick Sam Appel Marvin Botnick Marsha C LaBeaume Carolyn Gold Barbara Schreiber Ricky Dimon Alex Ewalt Terri Christian Terri Christian David Gaudio Allan Scher Jonathan Paz Karen Paz Jonathan Barach Janice Rothschild Blumberg Marvin Botnick Helen Scherrer Diamond Zalman Eisman David Geffen Allison Glass Carolyn Gold Marice Katz Brian Katzowitz Balfoura Friend Levine Marsha Liebowitz Bubba Meisa Erin O Shinsky Reg Regenstein Roberta Scher Jerry Schwartz Rabbi Reuven Stein and Ruben Stanley Michael Pelot 9755 Dogwood Road Suite 101 Roswell Georgia 30075 404 236 8911 jewishga bellsouth net www jewishgeorgian com The Jewish Georgian 2020 In today s environment under the influence of consultants and advice of attorneys operating manuals have gained increased prominence More and more they have become a vehicle with which we try to set forth the specifics by which we are to operate responsibly But this is not a new innovative concept rather it is an expansion of societal codes and sacred commandments the known record of which goes back to the 24th century BCE and the reign of Urukagina in Mesopotamia As Jews we have the Torah and all that has evolved and derived from its encompassed rules teachings and commandments One such moral imperative is found in Leviticus 19 14 in which we are told You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind simple words with far reaching meaning and implication Aside from the literal meaning of these words the major thrust of the principle is to condemn any action that places a harmful impediment either physical or intentionally misled in front of an individual so that the person either does not see it or is misled Included in such transgression is an act or advice which on its face seems genuine and harmless but which is proffered for personal gain by the offeror Midrashic commentary expands this prohibition to include people who assist others in such transgressions Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment Most people are incapable of forming such opinions Albert Einstein We now find a conflicted political environment in our beloved country due to sophistry and personal aggrandizement on the part of all of the involved parties The focus is on me and not us In a 1932 pamphlet entitled Washington s Fourth Visit to Rhode Island John Williams Haley reported that in May of 1790 upon learning that Rhode Island the last of the 13 colonies had joined the union George Washington acknowledged the ratification with the following words Since the Bond of Union is now complete and we once more consider ourselves as one family it is much to be hoped that reproaches will cease and prejudices be done away if we mean to support liberty and independence which it has cost us much blood and treasure to establish we must drive away the demon of party spirit and local reproach That same spirit and concept flowed through to Abraham Lincoln s October 3 1863 proclamation in which he established the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving Even though this was issued while the nation was divided in a civil war the content of the proclamation was addressed to my fellow citizens in every part of the United States and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands We as a nation put great emphasis on morality justice and equality We speak in reverence of the great leaders of this country who set the tone and forged a nation based on respect and the common good These are unwritten concepts that are ingrained in our DNA but it seems that we have had a lapse in memory It is time for us to stop mouthing platitudes and denigrating others for competitive advantage It is time for us to speak truths act responsibly for the good of all respect divergent points of view and honor and support the higher ideals on which our country was founded as a UNITED people Embrace a diversity of ideas Embrace January February 2020 1 TEAM Coldwell Banker State of Georgia THE SONENSHINE TEAM Atlanta s Favorite Real Estate Team 404 252 4908 Office 404 250 5311 Direct SonenshineTeam com the fact that you can disagree with people and not be disagreeable Embrace the fact that you can find common ground if you disagree on nine out of 10 things but can find common ground on that 10th maybe you can make progress If you can find common ground you can accomplish great things David Boies On The Covers n Jewish Georgia THE gia Volume 32 Atlanta Geor Number 2 WHAT S INSIDE ary 2020 January Febru FREE Jewish Geo rgian January F ebruary 2020 THE THE JEW ISH GEO RGIAN h At Risk Yout of A Haven for board chair i is the new of Robert Aroget philanthropic partner the and Village ImpactIsrael Youth Village Yemin Orde ves ional Initiati Page 35 Way Educat ez n Beyond Ter childhood of the few one concentration Ilse Reiner the Terez n r at this year s survivors of featured speake at Greenwood camp is the emoration Holocaust Comm Ph D Cemetery sky Baxter By Lili Kshen Page 37 Legacy Protecting a at All Costsaum Lecture focuses Tenenb led This year s who smugg individuals on the brave out of the Vilna ents and art books docum Page 8 Ghetto tory Recording His Making Histhetory Southern Jewish 1977 to expand Founded in is taking steps Historical Society erg its reach hild Blumb By Janice Rothsc Page 8 istance tat The Sound ofentRes of the Fran Eizens rial Lecture This year s installm Family Memo and Eizenstat music of composers in the d Series feature tration camp stein Terez n concen By Reg Regen 17 Page e of Books the For the LovBook Festival of the community s Every year one of the MJCCA honors hiles with the Esther favorite bibliop Read unity Gold Levine Comm By Carolyn Page 7 Front cover illustration and AJFF cover art by David Schendowich Page 21

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January February 2020 Years ago during a job interview Beth Ann Rosenberg was asked what her father did for a living and to this day she and her two siblings still debate the answer It s the kind of question their father Marvin Botnick would ve delighted in It encourages spirited perhaps even contentious discourse but in the end would likely offer no precise solution As a child said another daughter Karen Paz if you asked a question he wouldn t always answer it He wanted you to understand the steps that get you to an answer like a mathematical equation He valued opposing viewpoints and even towards the end of his life he wanted introspective challenging conversation Early in his professional life in the 1950s Botnick was Atlanta s first Jewish commercial loan officer with First National Bank of Atlanta Leaving banking in the late 1970s he became an entrepreneur who re invigorated struggling businesses On more than a few occasions he offered room and board in his house for months to folks trying to get back on their feet Paz remembers once returning home from college to find her room occupied by an elementary school coach between jobs Botnick was also an investor philosopher raconteur financial consultant president of The Temple and for the last 28 years publisher of The Jewish Georgian newspaper It publishes every other month and over time Botnick became a provocative columnist Though his pieces often had the gentle didactic veneer reminiscent of small town journalism from a half century ago there was also considerable substance carefully crafted opinion and underlying logic He closed a 2016 column with a deceptively simple sentence that in retrospect seems to sum up an entire lifetime of his thought If you are going to open your mouth make sure you also open your ears I think it s pretty easy for me to tell you what Marvin did said Alvin Sugarman senior rabbi at The Temple for 30 years and now rabbi emeritus His job on Earth was to help fellow human beings When I think of Marvin I think of a line in one of my favorite Dan Fogelberg songs Leader of the Band He earned his love through discipline a thundering velvet hand His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand Marvin Zachariah Botnick his Jewish name Mordechai Zalman ben Herschel v Malka ha Levi died at home due to complications from prostate cancer January 17 He was 85 A service was held the following Monday at The Temple His parents were born in Belarus eventually making their way to Hattiesburg Mississippi where they operated a dry goods store Raised in a kosher household he learned early the subtle unwritten rules regarding Jews in the Deep South People were respectful Botnick said during a 2018 oral history given to the Breman Museum but there was definitely a social line Jews were not allowed in high school fraternities or sororities We weren t allowed in the country club The Ku Klux Klan the headquarters in that area was in Laurel Mississippi about 25 miles away I don t recall anything other than on Halloween they used to soap the windows on my dad s store with antisemitic sayings Other than that THE JEWISH GEORGIAN REMEMBERING Marvin Botnick By Bill Banks Marvin and Miriam Botnick there was there was no physical threat that I m aware of His parents sent Botnick 14 and his older brother to Exeter Academy in New Hampshire for grades nine through 12 He went on to Duke University majoring in business administration and playing four years of lacrosse He told one interviewer I was so good I m in the Mississippi Jewish Lacrosse Hall of Fame Botnick moved to his banking job in Atlanta in 1956 and later became chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Mercantile National Bank In 1959 he married Miriam Alicia Pass her father was vice president at Rich s Department Store and they had three children He served as president of The Temple from 1983 to 1986 where he conceived and opened one of Atlanta s first homeless shelters for couples now the Zaban Paradies Center for Homeless Couples From the time he got the idea it took nine days to open Sugarman said We opened in February 1984 a snowing freezing night and we picked up our first residents who were huddling up at The Varsity Among other things this is one example of Marvin as a teacher he added It was a chance to put words into action it taught our young people how to make words real Peter Berg remembers first meeting him in July 2008 when Berg became only the fifth senior rabbi of The Temple since 1895 Botnick handed him a keychain with this verse from the Talmud The work is not for you to finish nor are you free to desist from it Foremost said Berg he wanted me to understand that The Temple has always had a role in the larger community But also he was Page 3 saying you re not going to solve world peace and you re not going to finish everything you start But you have the obligation to do your part In 1992 Botnick became involved with the two year old bi monthly The Jewish Georgian eventually becoming publisher and writing a column It was an unlikely venture because as Botnick once said when he was bar mitzvahed my mother wouldn t let me write my thank you notes She wrote them for me That tells you how adequate I am with the English language With a volunteer staff of writers The Jewish Georgian covers stories about Jews or subject matter of interest to the Jewish community to have information about people or matters with a connection to Georgia to present material with a feel good story line and not to be involved in local state national or international politics He really wrestled with what he put into those columns good friend Jim Hoover said It only dawned on me recently that column of his was an ethical will it s sort of a legacy of values of what you want your children and grandchildren to have Botnick is survived by his wife of 60 years Miriam Pass Botnick his children Karen Paz Roy Cranman Beth Ann Rosenberg I J and Harris Botnick Geri seven grandchildren and his brother Dr Robert Botnick Lelia of Augusta Georgia This story is reprinted from The Atlanta Journal Constitution with permission

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January February 2020 What s THE JEWISH GEORGIAN HAPPENING BY Reg Regenstein STAR ATHLETE AND ROLE MODEL JAXON WARSHAW Eighteen year old Dunwoody High School Senior Jaxon Warshaw is an outstanding athlete excelling at basketball baseball and football for which he serves as team captain His dad Jerry a Grady High football star way back in the day says that Jaxon out works outhustles out hits any kid he is competing against He is a leader and role model for the other kids at Dunwoody But there is another side of Jaxon that is even more impressive being in Jerry s words a caring giving compassionate individual who treats everyone with respect A case in point is Jaxon s friend Kevin Mackey also a great kid who has Down syndrome They have been friends since the sixth grade and Jaxon has mentored Kevin at football and made sure their teammates understand and respect him Indeed Kevin is so likable and has done so well at school that he was chosen to be this year s senior homecoming king Jerry says The way that Jaxon tells the story he has nothing to do with Kevin s success But the example of care attention understanding and acceptance is important it has had a dynamic effect on both kids and their classmates and should stand as a lesson to us all We think that having parents like Susie and Jerry might have had something to do with Jaxon s character and integrity and we congratulate them on such a great family Kevin Mackey and Jaxon Warshaw TOP ATLANTA LEADERS The new Atlanta Magazine is out the Our City s Most Powerful Leaders issue but as usual and surprisingly we did not make the cut But there s always next year A photo of our community s leader and Selig Enterprises President Steve Selig is on the cover He is listed under the category Legends the names who need no introduction Cool Also appearing is builder Marc Pollack chairman of Pollack Shores Real Estate Group which has Steve Selig developed more than 30 000 housing units worth more than 3 billion Other powers to be reckoned with include Temple Rabbi Peter Berg Joel Babbit Arthur Blank Kenny Blank Matt Bronfman Lucinda Marc Pollack Bunnen Fay Gold Doug Hertz Ben Hirsh Joel Katz Steve Koonin Steve Labovitz Gregg Paradies and Joey Reiman ANNA TUCKER AND THE MUSEUM OF THE SOUTHERN JEWISH EXPERIENCE Atlantan Anna Tucker the renowned writer and historian is now the project coordinator for the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience MSJE in New Orleans scheduled to open in mid 2020 It s a huge job and her goal is to help create a transformational and innovative museum highlighting the unique experience of growing up Jewish in the South telling inspirational stories that appeal to a wide variety of audiences When it opens next year in New Orleans MSJE will be the only museum in the United States that explores the unique history and contributions of Jews across the South from Virginia to Texas from Kentucky to Florida a place for combating antisemitism and encouraging conversations for learning sharing and exploring our differences and more importantly our commonalities All of this is something Anna knows exactly how to do She was co curator of The Temple s highly acclaimed 150th anniversary exhibition in Atlanta and with Catherine Lewis and Jeremy Katz coauthor of the forthcoming book The Temple at 150 Years Prior to joining the MSJE in April 2019 Anna was the outreach and special projects curator for the Department of Museums Archives and Rare Books at Kennesaw State University KSU which serves more than 175 000 campus and community members annually and includes the Museum of History and Holocaust Education Bentley Rare Book Museum and the KSU Archives Anna graduated summa cum laude from the history programs at Berry College B A H and Georgia State University M A and is an alumna of Birthright Her master s thesis was entitled Institutions and Interactions Shanghai Jewish Refugees and she has studied in Beijing Tibet and Seoul She says I m a huge fan of longdistance hiking and completed a throughhike of the Appalachian Trail in 2012 and finally I m an amateur field archaeologist astronomer and falafel maker in descending levels of ability All of that should be great preparation for hanging out in New Orleans exotic French Quarter and exploring the delights and interesting people one encounters on Bourbon Street We have offered to endow a Kinky Friedman wing of the museum and we understand it is under serious discussion For more info on the valuable historical and cultural work of this important institution visit MSJE org and become a founding donor Anna Tucker front left at Breman Museum s Fashionata section at Rich s exhibit in 2014 LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL Speaking of New Orleans we always see lots of our readers at Chef Jamie Adams and Leonardo Maura s acclaimed Italian osteria Il Giallo in Sandy Springs including Bernie Marcus the revered philanthropist and Home Depot co founder Now Jamie and Leonardo have opened the new fun and fabulous New Orleansstyle restaurant Lagarde American Eatery at 5090 Peachtree Road in Chamblee offering the best fresh raw and fried oysters gumbo red beans and rice po boys every Chef Jamie Adams Chef John McGarry General Manager Doug Gross and Leonardo Maura Page 5 imaginable Cajun dish and cocktails On our first visit the place had just opened but it was packed with happy customers letting les bon temps rouler You can reach Lagarde at 470 385 3533 STEVE ALTERMAN SELLS THE HORSERADISH GRILL The Alterman family has been feeding nourishing and comforting Atlantans for more than 100 years since 1910 in fact when Louis Alterman and his wife Pauline on a train trip from New York to Miami stopped off in Atlanta to visit relatives Steve Alterman Fortunately for our city the photo Sara Hanna family talked the couple into staying here and going into the wholesale grocery business and no one we know has gone hungry since They had eight kids Tilly Izzy George Sam Abe Dave Max and Pauline In 1939 the family started the Big Apple supermarket chain Steve bought what was then The Red Barn Inn located at 4320 Powers Ferry Road in Chastain Park 25 years ago renovated it and installed a wonderful herb garden in back so he could provide his customers with the freshest possible seasonings Our favorite time of year to visit is in fall when you can sit outside under the huge oak trees and watch and listen to the acorns falling to the ground and onto the umbrellas that protect the al fresco diners Steve sums up his experience of a quarter century by saying It s been great fun but I m glad to be off the late night call list Of course it takes lots of hard work to build one of Atlanta s finest and most popular eateries But since Steve will be staying around as investor consultant the great seasonal Southern food and service should continue to maintain its outstanding quality GREAT PERSIAN FOOD AT ZAFRON RESTAURANT IN SANDY SPRINGS Ever since Sally and Bruce Alterman closed their popular restaurant The Brickery we ve been wondering where everyone has been going out for dinner The other night we discovered one of the new hangouts While dining at the Persian restaurant Zafron in Sandy Springs with Bonnie Wolloff Susie and Jerry Warshaw and Claire and Howard Peck we ran into Jody Bonnie Wolloff Claire Peck Susie and Jerry Warshaw and Howard Peck See HAPPENING page 6

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Page 6 Happening From page 5 and Raymond Franco and Gladys and David Herckis The food s great too all kinds of exotic rice dishes kebabs hummus eggplant fava beans vegetarian dishes and so much more We love fava beans Be sure to ask as soon as you get there for the famous burnt rice dish with a crispy bottom and saffron called tahdig which always runs out early Plus you can impress your friends with your knowledge of Persian food MARTHA JO KATZ CHAIRS AJFF GALA We were watching Georgia Public Broadcasting s documentary on the old Rich s department store and enjoyed seeing the eternally young and beautiful former Fashionata model Martha Jo Katz talk about those great old days The charming Irene Kent s memories of her legendary husband fashion director Sol Kent were fascinating The inimitable indefatigable incredible Martha Jo the greatest model and event party planner ever now tells us exclusively that The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival team is gearing up for the 20th anniversary of the festival which will run February 10 27 She says that under Founder and Executive Director Kenny Blank and the new Festival Steering Chair Steve Mensch president and general manager of Studio Operations at Tyler Perry Studios this season is sure to be the best ever Martha Jo who seems to have earned the title of lifetime chair of the Opening Night Gala at Cobb Energy has chosen Memories for the gala theme since Magnificent Movies Make Magical Memories Any event chaired by Martha Jo seems magical as does she herself and since she retired a few years ago from event planning she seems to be more involved than ever in what s happening As we always like to note no wonder husband Jerry calls himself the luckiest guy in the world Steve Mensch Martha Jo Katz and Kenny Blank A STAR IS BORN Judith and Mark Taylor just told us some exciting news Their talented soon to be famous 25 year old grandchild native Atlantan Bex TaylorKlaus has a lead role in the upcoming FOX series The Deputy It premiered on January 2 at 9 00 p m THE JEWISH GEORGIAN You can see it on the Fox Entertainment Network which In Atlanta is WAGA Fox 5 Here is a promo that will whet your appetite youtu be Yc_N26W0vyQ Last year Bex was honored with the 2019 Michael Jay Kinsler Rainmaker Award for courage in using his or her platform as an actor to promote diversity and gender equality and pride Bex Taylor Klaus KINKY FRIEDMAN ON BEING JEWISH AT CHRISTMAS Amidst all the turmoil war hatred and suffering in the world thank goodness for author and humorist Kinky Friedman He first achieved celebrity status of a sort in a Southern Jewish y way as lead singer for the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys Now Kinky calls himself with the possible exception of Jack Ruby the most famous Jew in Texas He also once wrote that he was the oldest Jew in Texas who did not own any real estate We can relate as we may hold that title for Georgia We Kinky Friedman always enjoy Kinky s annual holiday tribute in Tablet magazine A Jew s Christmas In Texas From his unique perspective Kinky writes of his decades of experience during the holiday season saying The nice thing about being Jewish is that you can feel spiritually out of place almost anywhere you go If you keep the faith you don t fit in If you assimilate you disappear altogether Meanwhile most Texans never think about these matters All they really think about is barbecuing large amounts of pork January February 2020 He notes that a recent Uber driver related to him that it was his Jewish grandfather who wrote Frosty the Snowman Then there is World War II hero John David Marks who Kinky says wrote Have a Holly Jolly Christmas for Burl Ives Rockin Around the Christmas Tree for Chuck Berry and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for almost everybody else Kinky also recounts the amazing story of Irving Berlin who arrived in America from Russia at the age of five knowing not a word of English and whose earliest childhood memory is said to have been a pogrom during which the family home was burned down He ended up writing some 1 500 tunes including Alexander s Ragtime Band G d Bless America and a song called White Christmas which sold more than 100 million copies and has come to symbolize the holiday season Visit tabletmag com jewish arts andculture 276426 a jews christmas in texas to read the entire provocative sometimes raunchy perhaps offensive kinda resentful even bitter politically incorrect but very entertaining essay By the way we would like to note that we faithfully observe all the major Jewish holidays The High Holidays Passover Hanukkah Christmas and the Oscars You ve come a long way miss BY Balfoura Bo Levine Some years ago there was a story on local TV about two sisters embarking on interesting careers one was joining the police force the other would be a firefighter In today s work force the story is not unusual but in days of yore it was a man s world they were entering I peeked into my 1950 Pandora the University of Georgia yearbook and the law school graduating class featured 40 young men and only two women The 1983 law school graduating class my daughter Sandy s generation featured 130 men and 74 women My granddaughter Erica s class of 2010 Walter F George School of Law Mercer University had 75 men and 65 women I spoke with a friend of mine a Georgia Tech grad who said there were no women there in the late 1940s it was some years later that the school saw its first woman on campus A retired physician told me that there were almost no women at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta when he went there Today these institutions and most others have majority female enrollment in their professional schools Then too who would have thought that women could lead churches or be rabbis and cantors Back then the rabbi s wife had just one option she was the rebbetzen Until about the mid 1950s most girls took up nursing social work or teaching I really wanted to be a nurse and would have been a darned good one too steady of hand and purpose However in what would be a rarity today I heeded my mother s advice and did not take up nursing because I would see naked men in the bed End of story Who listens to their parents now Oh they might hear us but they end up doing whatever they please After graduating the University of Georgia in 1950 A B J Henry Grady School of Journalism I aspired to join the U S Army thinking that with a college degree I could be an officer But since I was not a U S citizen at that time I would have to come up in the ranks from buck private I declined that offer and went to work as a clerk typist another predominantly female career then in the civilian world first at the American Red Cross and later at Southern Bell I m glad that the girls of today have so many choices They can pursue a variety of careers marry and raise families do neither or do both They are now tougher in body and spirit are better educated carry guns when necessary face danger daily and keep us in good health safe and sound as well as spiritually joyous Sadly though there are still girls and women both here and throughout the world who are controlled or habitually abused by the men in their lives They are not permitted education nor do they have a choice in anything during their lifetimes I am so grateful for my lot in life thank goodness God Bless America

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January February 2020 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 7 Community Read is a yearly reminder of Esther Levine s importance to local book lovers commitment to meeting authors at the airport and escorting them to their book signings and talks in Atlanta she had connections with New York publishers She was an advisor to the Book Festival from its start The first festivals which were held at the old Jewish Community Center on Peachtree Road featured two to five authors In 2019 the 15 day festival had 50 authors and 12 000 people attended what is now a major cultural event for the BY Carolyn Gold The Book Festival of the MJCCA which recently celebrated its 28th year continues to grow in size and stature Even before its beginning Esther Levine was escorting authors to Atlanta to discuss their books Among those have been authors of bestsellers prizewinners local writers politicians and national personalities Esther calls it a dream job On the evening of November 5 2019 Esther was honored again with a special night at the festival Called the Esther Levine Community Read it is further described as Honoring the many contributions of longtime lay leader Esther G Levine This is the 15th year Esther Levine she has been honored The 2019 Community Read featured Pulitzer Prize winning author Jodi Kantor co author of She Said The book grew out of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment investigation Subsequent abuse claims fueled the national MeToo Movement Because of Esther s longtime Henry Winkler Esther Levine and Lin Oliver What do we hope for in 2020 BY David Geffen Now that January 1 has arrived we should begin thinking seriously about how we used the days in the past year and what awaits us in the year ahead A noted author wrote Each day we have been given is a gift and how we shape it remains our challenge When my wife Rita and I and our children Avie Elissa and Tuvia were here in Israel after making aliyah I led a group of college students and took my family along for a touring day and then shabbat in Tiberias After arriving in the city and depositing our bags where we would be sleeping our local guide said that we were going to explore a natural sight The bus took us to the middle of a field quite overgrown and left The guide led us in the direction of the Kinneret which we could see Very quickly the growth ceased and there we were at the Arbel cliff the side of which we were going to climb down Our children were sure that this would be great fun and began to jump down this sheer side of the Arbel going quickly from one hand stake to another Rita and I were a little more wary We looked down more than a few times then we began to descend We were slipping and sliding but our children climbed back to us and encouraged us The guide told us not to give up many others had made the descent he emphasized After about 45 minutes holding on dearly to each stake we arrived at the bottom breathless but pleased This year 2020 365 days can at times remind us that we have to reach the depths before we are able to strengthen ourselves for the ascent What happened during the past year that has brought black clouds over us Was it family matters financial matters health matters and certainly much more Each of us answers that question in his and her own way and as we do we begin to understand how important each moment of the day is An English author Margaret Storm Jameson focused on time in this fashion Only one person in a thousand knows the trick of really living in the present Most of us spend 59 minutes an hour living in the past with regret for lost joys or shame for things badly done both utterly useless and weakening We also focus on the future which we long for or dread Yet the past is gone beyond prayer and every minute we spend in the vain effort to anticipate the future is a moment lost There is only one world the world pressing against you at this minute There is only one minute when you are alive this minute here and now The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle Which is exactly what it is a miracle and unrepeatable A few weeks ago the New Year arrived We should be careful not to make promises for the days ahead which cannot be fulfilled Goethe put it this way Life is a quarry out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character Slowly we must work hard to fill our own personal self with elements that we have not utilized previously What do we do daily for our spouse and children How kind are we Who comes first in our life our loved ones or passing fancies A rabbi put it this way Faith is a quiet dimension of daily living it does not enter us via a spectacular explosion Faith is the soft eternal light not the dramatic firecracker What is it we want the most Time Yet time moves steadily ahead It cannot be hoarded It cannot be reversed Our film of life cannot be re wound nor can it be halted in its flight Therefore how we fashion the time we have means that we have realized what a great gift is ours only permitting the moments the minutes and the hours to fade away after we have crafted each to its fullest measure our fullest measure What can we do with time the rabbi asked So many things we can kill it we can waste it we can use it we can invest it Horace Mann a noted American intellectual in the 19th century once ran this ad in the paper Lost somewhere between sunrise and sunset two golden hours each set with 60 diamond minutes No reward is offered for they are gone forever Let us make commitments that we can fulfill To be a better spouse and a better father takes time To be a kinder city The Zaban Park campus of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta MJCCA in Dunwoody is a great facility for hosting the large and varied crowds Different audiences come to hear different authors A real bookstore A Capella Books moves in for the two weeks of the festival Another innovation is matching some authors with local media people such as CNN anchors for interviews instead of lectures Pam Morton director of Author Events Book Festival of the MJCCA says Esther has been an integral part of the book festival for many many years however she has also been a great mentor and friend to me since I began this job in 2012 Her knowledge of authors and the publishing industry is unprecedented Esther continues her work yearround bringing authors to promote their books at venues such as the Carter Center the Margaret Mitchell House or the Atlanta History Center in addition to her honored efforts with the Book Festival of the MJCCA employer takes time To be helpful to people in need takes time To develop our ideals takes time Rising to the heights has always been an important virtue in our family s life Four decades ago we were part of a group mostly parents and children who were going to climb Mount Sinai In those days your guide led you in the dark to a site along the trail to the peak There you slept for a few hours Around 3 00 in the morning everyone was awakened and we began to climb so we could reach the top of Mount Sinai as the sun appeared as a new day was born Climbing carefully toward the top the sky started to become grey as dawn was approaching Rita took Avie and Elissa our older children in hand and I put our youngest Tuvia on my shoulders We were literally carried upward as we reached the peak and the sun began to peer out to us slowly and then came out completely as a burning ball of fire In traditional fashion we recited sheheyanu for our being on Mount Sinai and for the inspiration we would always have for our presence on that significant site of the Jewish people Walk on walk on with hope in your heart the musical Carousel reminds us and you ll never walk alone Shape the time which is your own personal possession and as you do the days and months of 2020 you will fill your life with a brighter future This article first appeared in The Jerusalem Post and is reprinted with permission

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 8 January February 2020 Tenenbaum Lecture explores the people who risked their lives rescuing books in the Vilna Ghetto On March 19 at 7 30 p m Emory s annual Tenenbaum Lecture will explore The Book Smugglers of the Vilna Ghetto A Story of Spiritual Resistance with guest scholar David E Fishman of The Jewish Theological Seminary The lecture sponsored by the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies will take place in the Presentation Room of the Oxford Road Building 1390 Oxford Road on Emory s campus and will be followed by a reception In Vilna the city Jews called The Jerusalem of Lithuania a group of ghetto inmates risked their lives to rescue thousands of rare books documents and works of art from the Nazis In an operation that lasted 18 months they smuggled the materials past guards and buried them in bunkers Those members of the group who survived the war returned to Vilna after the city s liberation and dug up the materials They eventually smuggled the books across Europe until they reached the United States and Israel What did they rescue and why did they do it Dr David E Fishman is a professor of David E Fishman Jewish History at The Jewish Theological Seminary Dr Fishman also serves as director of Project Judaica which publishes guides to Jewish archival materials in the former Soviet Union Dr Fishman is the author of numerous books and articles on the history and culture of East European Jewry His most recent book The Book Smugglers Partisans Poets and the Race to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis received a 2017 National Jewish Book Award photo courtesy of ForEdge A native New Yorker Dr Fishman has taught at Brandeis University Bar Ilan University Russian State University in Moscow and Yeshiva University s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies This year marks the 24th anniversary of the Tenenbaum Family Lectureship in Judaic Studies which salutes the family of the late Meyer W Tenenbaum 31C 32L of Savannah Georgia Tenenbaum a native of Poland arrived in the United States at the age of 13 knowing no English and graduated from the Emory School of Law 11 years later He went on to head Chatham Steel Corporation now a major steel service center with headquarters in Savannah The lectureship was established in 1997 by Meyer s son Samuel Tenenbaum 65C and honors the entire Tenenbaum family and its ethos of citizenship and public service which is expressed through its support of religious educational social service and arts institutions across the United States For more information visit js emory edu Southern Jewish Historical Society s mission is timely and enduring BY Janice Rothschild Blumberg In 40 years of attending Southern Jewish Historical Society SJHS conferences I ve always been enlightened but never so much as at the recent one held at the University of Virginia UVA in Charlottesville Masterminded by SJHS president and UVA Professor Phyllis K Leffler it opened at Monticello with a tour of Thomas J e f f e r s o n s house and grounds after which historian Marc Leepson led a scholarly discussion a b o u t A m e r i c a s t h i r d Phyllis K Leffler president The photo courtesy conference University of Virginia concluded two days later with the city s mayor and the dean of the UVA Law School both Jewish bringing us up to date on conditions surrounding and resulting from the racist antisemitic obscenity perpetrated in their city two years ago which our current president characterized as having good people on both sides The contrast was chilling Between these two important sessions we enjoyed a colorful informative program chaired by Professor Marni Davis of Georgia State U n i v e r s i t y We first toured Jewish sites in Charlottesv i l l e welcomed Shabbat with services and dinner at Congregation Beth El and heard a keynote Marni Davis photo courtesy of Georgia State a d d r e s s by Nicole University Hemmer of Columbia U n i v e r s i t y The next day we were treated to an amazing number of scholarly presentations on aspects of the Southern J e w i s h experience T h e i r Jeremy Katz photo diversity courtesy of The William also Breman Jewish Heritage was s u r p r i s i ng Museum ranging from pageants and monuments to politics and heritage tourism to repositories for Southern Jewish archives highlighted by Jeremy Katz of The Breman Museum which now preserves Jewish history from throughout Georgia As with all organizations SJHS holds a brief but necessary business meeting at each conference usually before sessions begin on the final morning This time members who opted for an extra hour of sleep missed an invigorating discussion It focused on two key initiatives for the coming year membership growth and obtaining named support for parts of its mission to encourage studies in Mark K Bauman Southern Jewish history In addition to a membership drive the society launched a plan to raise 20 000 in 2020 for increasing its research grants and ensuring ongoing support for its top rated peer reviewed journal Southern Jewish History Now in its 22nd year Southern Jewish History is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading publication in its field Under the leadership of Founding Editor in Chief Mark K Bauman it features fascinating insights on Jewish experience in the South for both individuals and communities The latest issue carries a story profiling four World War II chaplains one of whom was Lt Jacob M Rothschild of the Americal Division U S Infantry more recently rabbi of the Temple 1945 1973 and a leading Civil Rights activist Since its founding in 1977 the Southern Jewish Historical Society has been led by three Atlantans as president Beryl Weiner Bruce Beeber and me in addition to numerous officers and the journal s remarkable Mark Bauman To introduce more area residents to the work of SJHS president elect Jay Silverberg will present a major program at The Temple on Monday March 16 at 7 00 p m Everyone is invited I hope to see you there Visit JewishSouth org for more information about the Southern Jewish Historical Society We Stand With Israel security peace solidarity

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January February 2020 MJCCA News NEW COURSE HONORS SUSAN ARNOVITZ SALTZ The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta MJCCA was recently involved in a beautiful tribute to one of its deceased members Susan Arnovitz Saltz who passed away in 2015 at the age of 61 The memorial gift was given in Susan s memory by her three daughters and their husbands Shauna and Steven Grosswald Dara and Andy Grant and Jessica and Jeff Sacks as well as all nine of Susan s grandchildren The curriculum Exploring a Forgotten World A Social History of Medieval Jewry as Revealed in the Cairo Genizah was commissioned through the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning by Shauna Dara and Jessica as a gift from Mimi s Fund which they had established Mimi s Fund is about preserving our mom s legacy explains Dara One of the ways we do this is by contributing to programs and causes that are meaningful to us and were to our mom as well as showing our children how and why this is so important Our mother was a longtime student of the MJCCA s Lisa F Brill Institute for Jewish Learning says Jessica We made this gift as a lasting tribute because Shauna Dara and I know how much she loved her Melton classes It was an important part of her life for years The Melton School hired Dr Shelley Buxbaum one of Susan s instructors from the Lisa F Brill Institute for Jewish Learning to write the curriculum This exceptional project has been in the works for years we are so pleased that Exploring a Forgotten World is now written and published and that we get to share it with the community says Dr Buxbaum This newly commissioned curriculum can now be used all over the world for the Melton School adds Shauna and it will be dedicated with love to our mother s memory The course will reveal how a collection of worn out scraps fragments of texts and other documents more than 1 000 years old open an otherwise hidden era of history Students will learn the story of the Genizah a storeroom for timeworn sacred manuscripts and documents and examine some of its contents Through translations of the original texts the course will explore the daily lives and behaviors of Jewish men women and families living along the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages Dr Buxbaum will teach this course four times at several Atlanta locations MJCCA Zaban Park Wednesdays 9 30 10 30 a m January 8 April 29 MJCCA Zaban Park Thursdays 10 30 a m 12 00 noon January 16 March 19 Atlanta Jewish Academy Tuesdays 8 15 9 15 a m January 21 May 19 Congregation Etz Chaim Fall 2020 We are so humbled by this inspirational gift made by Shauna Dara and Jessica says Talya Gorsetman director Lisa F THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Brill Institute for Jewish Learning They are truly embodying their mother s ideal of the importance of Jewish education Likewise we are thrilled to present this new class that we feel will be so enlightening to the community To learn more visit atlantajcc org brill or call 678 812 4153 Dara Grant Jessica Sacks Shauna Grosswald and Shelley Buxbaum JEWISH BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT THE MJCCA In celebration of Black History Month the MJCCA invites the community to hear two fascinating speakers as they discuss topics related to Jewish and African American relations Growing Up Black and Jewish featuring Dr John Eaves is Monday February 10 10 00 11 00 a m Raised in a middle class family in Jacksonville Florida John Eaves learned the value of hard work education and service from a young age John s grandfather immigrated to the U S from Jamaica with big dreams but Dr John Eaves life was not easy for a black Jewish man He faced racism religious discrimination and financial trouble but despite these obstacles he raised a large family instilling the values of hard work faith and serving the community Inspired by the legacy of his family John has dedicated his life to learning and service After graduating from Morehouse College John pursued his master s at Yale University He was director of the Atlanta Office of the Peace Corps and has served on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners Through his career in local politics John seeks to bring opportunity to his constituents through policies that stimulate economic growth reduce crime and bring social and financial security to an ethnically and religiously diverse population A Select History of Black and Jewish Relations in Savannah Georgia featuring Dr Jeffrey Jenkins is Thursday February 27 12 00 noon 1 00 p m Dr Jeffrey Jenkins was taught to read at the age of four by his Jewish neighbors the Rubins in Savannah The Rubins were the first Jewish family Jeffrey knew and they became his great friends and influenced his life in many significant ways In 1976 Jeffrey was the first graduate of Savannah State College to earn a Ph D He went on to teach and later retired from a beloved position as a professor of American history and economics at Savannah State at the Dr Jeffrey Jenkins age of 52 For the next eight years he worked as an administrator for the Savannah library system and for a local nursing home Jeffrey also worked for the Jewish Educational Alliance for 10 years and most recently decided to return to those roots by taking a support services position at the MJCCA He believes Jewish people set an example for the world valuing a good education love and family as most important Both programs are free and open to the community For more information visit atlantajcc org blackhistory or call 678 8124070 MJCCA DAY CAMPS Summer is just around the corner and hundreds of campers from rising Pre K to 10th grade will be welcomed to the MJCCA Day Camp s three locations Dunwoody Intown and East Cobb May 26 August 14 Free bus transportation will be provided from 19 locations in the metro area We know that camp can provide a welcome alternative from screens and social media says MJCCA Days Camps Director Jodi Sonenshine When our campers unplug this translates to boating swimming and playing in nature cooking climbing or trying a new sport strengthening social skills and building self confidence and independence New camps this summer are ABCs of Cooking American Ninja Warrior new for teens Bring the Hype Dance Camp Challenger Soccer Camp Cheer and Dance Camp Concorde Fire Soccer Camp Dancing With Purpose Delicious Disney Drumline Camp Elite Skills Training Basketball Girls Volleyball Camp Jr Drone Pilot Academy LEGO Builders LEGO STEAM Heros LEGO STEM Engineering Marvel Mania Master DIYers Minecraft Creators Pok mon Party Project Style Rec Sports U StemQuest Summer Sampler The Chopping Block Triple Threat Act Dance Sing and YouTube Star Additional MJCCA Day Camp options are Camp Isidore Alterman CIA in which campers enjoy boating archery ropes course zip lining outdoor cooking swimming fishing and more and Specialty Camps including Sports Camps Performing Arts Camps Teen Camps Theme Camps and Travel Camps MJCCA Day Camps have earned accreditation by the American Camp Association ACA ACA collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics the American Red Cross and other youth serving agencies to assure that current practices at camps reflect the most up to date research based standards in camp operation ACA accreditation Page 13 is the best evidence parents have of a camp s commitment to a safe and nurturing environment MJCCA Day Camp Highlights An extra week of camp From August 10 14 rising K 6th graders who have not yet returned to school can choose from options such as Camp Isidore Alterman Edible Art and Coding Camp Before Camp Care Reading Program Participants will work on summer reading assignments from 7 30 8 15 a m in a designated reading room Children can be signed up for this program during the online registration process This program is the same price as Before Camp Care 35 per camper per week Camp Isidore Alterman Western Wall Campers of all ages and backgrounds will be able to leave notes in the cracks of CIA s very own Western Wall modeled after the Western Wall in Jerusalem during the summer Shlichim emissaries will then place them at the real Western Wall when they return to Israel after the camp season Free bus transportation to MJCCA Day Camps at Zaban Park Buses pick up and drop off campers and staff from various locations in Sandy Springs Brookhaven Norcross Dunwoody Alpharetta Johns Creek Roswell Intown Toco Hill Midtown and East Cobb Multi week discount Come for 3 weeks and save on every week starting with the fourth week of camp Before Camp Care 7 30 8 15 a m and After Camp Care 4 00 6 00 p m are available at all three locations MJCCA Day Campers gain on so many fronts when they are part of our day camp family said Sonenshine From their ability to socialize with their summer friends to giving them the opportunity to use their senses in nature MJCCA Day Camps provides the opportunity to build summer camp memories and lasting friendships For more information visit mjccadaycamps org or call 678 812 4004 Summer comes to life at MJCCA Day Camps photo courtesy of the MJCCA CAMP BARNEY MEDINTZ INFORMATION SESSIONS On Sundays January 19 February 9 March 8 and April 5 from 1 00 2 00 p m Camp Barney Medintz CBM the MJCCA s awardwinning summer resident camp will host Information Sessions at the CBM office at the MJCCA 5342 Tilly Mill Road See MJCCA NEWS page 14

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Page 14 MJCCA News From page 13 Dunwoody Families of boys and girls completing second through 10th grade will enjoy a media presentation meet the Camp Barney directors and learn about Camp Barney Summer 2020 Camp Barney offers two week and fourweek sessions June 7 July 31 The camp is situated on 540 wooded acres surrounding two lakes in the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains just 75 miles northeast of Atlanta Camp Barney provides an enriching Jewish environment where campers make lifelong friendships enjoy exhilarating activities and learn more about themselves says Director Jim Mittenthal CBM campers will enjoy soaring down a 180 foot Hurricane water slide leaping off the Blob water skiing horseback riding zip lining whitewater rafting wake boarding paddle boarding playing all land and court sports participating in theater dance arts and crafts music Israeli culture movie making cooking swimming kayaking mountain biking yoga and scuba diving and much more Atlanta community members are invited to attend one of these informative and fun gatherings to explore schmooze and consider if Camp Barney will be a meaningful and exciting fit for their families For more information about the camp the two and four week options or staff opportunities visit campbarney org email summer campbarney org or call the Camp Barney office in Atlanta at 678 812 3844 To RSVP for an information session visit campbarney org infosessions Having a blast at MJCCA s Camp Barney Photo courtesy of Camp Barney Medintz JOHN CARREYROU COMES TO THE MJCAA A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA will welcome John Carreyrou on Tuesday February 4 2020 at 7 30 p m as he presents Bad Blood Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup This riveting expos traces the breathtaking rise and collapse of the multibillionJohn Carreyrou dollar biotech startup photo Michael Theranos told by John Carreyrou the Lionstar THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end despite legal threats from the company s charismatic CEO In 2014 Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs a brilliant Stanford dropout whose unicorn startup promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than 9 billion putting Holmes worth at an estimated 4 7 billion There was just one problem The technology didn t work Rigorously reported and fearlessly written Bad Blood is a gripping story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron a tale of ambition and hubris set amid the bold promises of Silicon Valley Bad Blood was heralded as one of the best books of 2018 by NPR San Francisco Chronicle Time Esquire Fortune Marie Claire GQ Mental Floss Science F r i d a y B l o o m b e rg Popular Mechanics BookRiot The Seattle Times The O re g o n i a n Publishers Weekly and Library Journal Carreyrou is a two time Pulitzer Prizewinning investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal For his extensive coverage of Theranos Carreyrou was awarded the George Polk Award for Financial Reporting the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism in the category of beat reporting and the Barlett Steele Silver Award for Investigative Business Journalism Carreyrou lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three children Tickets are MJCCA member 15 community 20 does not include book and 32 MJCCA member and community includes one paperback copy of the book For information visit atlantajcc org bookfestival or call 678 812 4002 PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION The MJCCA has opened registration for the 2020 21 school year for each of its preschools The Weinstein School at the MJCCA 5342 Tilly Mill Road Dunwoody The Schiff School at Temple Emanu El 1580 Spalding Drive Sandy Springs and The Sunshine School at Temple Kol Emeth 1415 Old Canton Road Marietta We are thrilled about everything we have lined up for the 2020 2021 preschool year says Kim Sucan director of MJCCA Preschools From new infant rooms to a successful returning Transitional Kindergarten class there is so much to offer our families The Weinstein School will offer its third year of Transitional Kindergarten ideal for children who have completed a four year old preschool program or young five year olds who may benefit from another year to develop academically emotionally physically and or socially before progressing to a public or private kindergarten program The curriculum features literacy math science and social studies exploration as well as problemsolving and communications skills with a heavy emphasis on social emotional development Having Ari do Transitional Kindergarten at The Weinstein School was the best decision we could have made says preschool mom Allison Sofsky Ari grew and changed so much last year We also love that he got to continue learning about Judaism and observe Shabbat His teachers understood our child and his needs and he just loved school Ari is currently thriving in 1st grade The Sunshine School opened a new infant class in January We are excited to bring the infant program back to The Sunshine School after many years says Sucan There has been an increased demand for it and we agreed that it was the right time Additionally in 2020 2021 The Sunshine School in East Cobb will offer its first Transitional Kindergarten class The Schiff School which is entering its third year in fall 2020 recently became accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission Our newest MJCCA preschool The Schiff School is growing in so many areas says Sucan It offers an intimate environment with programs from infant through Pre K plus specials such as art music drama science PE and all of the benefits of our MJCCA curriculum Our families are especially excited about the beautiful newly installed preschool playground The MJCCA Preschool curriculum Ari Sofsky photo courtesy of the MJCCA January February 2020 which each of our schools follows encourages children to be actively involved in the learning process says Sucan All lessons and activities are carefully selected to align with each stage of a child s development When children progress at their own pace they experience success and grow one step at a time The introduction of new skills and behaviors is always based on a child s state of readiness not on chronological age adds Sucan It gives me great pride to say that our preschool s balanced curriculum combines exploration and discovery with academic readiness and truly prepares children for elementary school For more information about all the programs offered and to schedule a preschool tour contact MJCCA Preschools atlantajcc org preschool or call 678 8123833 IN CONVERSATION WITH HARLAN COBEN A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA will welcome Harlan Coben on Wednesday March 18 2020 at 7 30 p m to discuss his newest book The Boy from the Woods In this shocking new thriller a man whose past is shrouded in mystery must find a missing teenage girl before Harlan Coben her disappearance photo Olivier brings about disastrous Vigerie Contour consequences for her Getty Images community and the world The Harlan Coben author talk and book signing event will be held at the MJCCA Marcus J e w i s h Community Center of Atlanta 5342 Tilly Mill Road Dunwoody and will be in conversation with Emily Giffin New York Times bestselling author Tickets are 35 00 and include a hardcover copy of the book For information visit atlantajcc org bookfestival or call 678 812 4002

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January February 2020 Page 15 JScreen launches Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week A proclamation is being passed in the Georgia State Legislature for Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week JScreen a national non profit public health initiative dedicated to preventing Jewish genetic diseases announced plans for the first ever Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week JGSAW taking place February 3 7 With organizational partners across the country JGSAW will focus on powerful stories timely information and resources to help raise awareness about the importance of screening for Jewish genetic diseases We know that education and awareness are essential in the journey toward ensuring our health and the health of our families said Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid executive director of JScreen Each day during JGSAW along with our committed partners we will share resources and real life stories highlighting both the need for and ease of a simple saliva test for screening We are hopeful that this increased awareness will lead more families to getJScreened JScreen s partners in JGSAW include Honeymoon Israel Hillel and Interfaith Family This week is a call to action for screening for yourself for your friends and family said State Representative of Georgia HD79 Mike Wilensky who introduced the proclamation declaring Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week We are thrilled to highlight JScreen s honorable efforts to help people take charge of their health and that of their children Knowledge truly is power JGSAW will focus on a specific theme each day Monday February 3 More than just Tay Sachs While Tay Sachs is certainly the best known Jewish genetic disease JScreen tests for hundreds of other diseases that can be devastating for families Knowledge is power and knowing this information through reproductive carrier screening prior to pregnancy is important for family planning Tuesday February 4 College Students The furthest thing from many college students minds is having a baby However JScreen s simple quick and easy reproductive carrier screening test provides information that is important for future family planning For this reason JScreen often hosts discounted Proclamation declaring Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week Senate Resolution By Michael Wilensky A RESOLUTION screenings at colleges and universities throughout the country Tuesday February 4 Screening event at Yeshiva University Wilf Campus Furst Hall Room 501 noon 4 00 p m 54 for first 150 students to pre register Wednesday February 5 BRCA Awareness Ashkenazi Jews are at 10 times greater risk to have a mutation in the BRCA genes increasing their risk for breast ovarian prostate and pancreatic cancer BRCA screening can provide lifesaving information Thursday February 6 Sephardi Community It s commonly thought that carrier testing for family planning is solely for Ashkenazi Jews In fact Jews of all backgrounds are at risk and should be screened including those with Sephardi and Mizrahi ancestry such as Persians Syrians and Bukharians Federation News READY TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST ANTISEMITISM On January 6 Jewish Atlanta turned out with thousands in attendance to stand proud as a community at the Jewish Atlanta Solidarity Event Whether people attended in person or by live stream or were unable to attend Federation appreciates the support of the entire community and the readiness to show up when called upon and hopes the next time the community comes together it is under better circumstances In the meantime below are the resources shared at the event so community members can take a stand against hatred and antisemitism Ready to take a stand against antisemitism Here s what you can do Sign the HateFreeGA online petition demanding action from our Georgia lawmakers For more information visit atlanta adl org hatefree ga Urge your U S representative to join the Bi Partisan Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism ajc org taskforce Report antisemitic incidents to the FBI and ADL adl org reportincident Keep yourself informed on the evolution of hate speech ajc org translatehate Contact Zach Williams zwilliams jewishatlanta org with the Secure Community Network SCN for a comprehensive security assessment and implementation strategy for your organization Friday February 7 Interfaith Couples While there are a number of diseases that are commonly found in people with Jewish background these diseases also occur in the general population For this reason screening is important and informative for Jewish and interfaith couples Pan ethnic screening panels like the one offered by JScreen include diseases common across ethnicities During JGSAW JScreen is offering a 36 off discount code for reproductive carrier screening with coupon JGSAW We hope that our efforts to raise awareness about the simple spit test that can be performed to provide genetic screening information will help people make the important decision to getJScreened added Grinzaid For more information visit www jscreen org Connect with the Atlanta Initiative Against Antisemitism for additional connections and resources stopantisemitismatl org Designating the week of February 3rd as Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week in Georgia and for other purposes WHEREAS everyone is a carrier for a number of genetic diseases and there are certain genetic diseases that are more common in certain ethnicities WHEREAS Jewish people are among the ethnic groups at high risk for certain genetic diseases some of which cause early death or severely debilitating symptoms Non Jewish people can also be carriers of these and other genetic diseases WHEREAS genetic screening is recommended for any couple thinking of starting or expanding their family WHEREAS carriers are healthy individuals who unknowingly have a mutation in a disease gene They do not have symptoms thus the only way they can know if they are a carrier is to get tested or to have an affected child WHEREAS carrier couples have a 25 percent risk with each pregnancy of having a child affected by the genetic disease they both carry WHEREAS many couples are only offered genetic testing once they are already pregnant and for a limited number of diseases Educating the community about the importance of comprehensive pre conception screening is essential to afford couples more options to plan ahead WHEREAS Jewish people are also at higher risk to have mutations in genes e g BRCA that increase the risk for certain cancers and knowing those risks can be lifesaving WHEREAS genetic screening is now easily accessible to those in Georgia and nationwide via at home screening on saliva NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the week of February 3 shall be set aside and officially designated as Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week in Georgia BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 16 January February 2020 JF CS News INAUGURAL BIG PAL AWARD Jewish Family Career Services JF CS has created an award named in honor of former Big PAL Joel Libowsky The award honored a Big PAL who has had a superlative influence on their Little PAL s life helping their little PAL navigate through difficult times in their lives and acting as a support for the family Robert Tinter received the Joel Libowsky Big PAL award at this year s Havinagala the annual benefit for the PAL Program at SweetWater Brewing Co on Saturday January 25 Family and friends of both Robert and Joel attended this heartfelt presentation Robert s Little PAL Jonah Lorman participated by sharing a personal video Attendees enjoyed dinner drinks music a raffle a silent auction and handcrafted mocktails This year s event chairs were Sarah and Brian Meyer Jodi Seligman and Jared Kopelman The PAL Program Atlanta s Only Jewish Big Brother Big Sister program provides one on one mentor relationships for children who could benefit from extra time with a trusted adult PAL serves a diverse range of families including single parent households LGBTQ families military families children raised by guardians other than their parents and siblings of children with developmental disabilities Big PALs are Jewish young professionals carefully matched with children to help build confidence self esteem and a Jewish identity Libowsky was a Big PAL to two little PALs for more than 13 years One of them was Scott Tenenbaum who spoke at the JF CS Community of Caring event in 2018 Libowsky co owner of Jeckil Promotions continues to be an advocate for the program and is actively involved in JF CS and the Jewish community While the PAL program has a history of having exceptional volunteers serve as Big PALS Libowsky s passion and commitment has inspired countless others to volunteer as PALs Being part of the PAL program has made me who I am today it has made me a better person said Libowsky It is an honor to present this award to an exemplary Joel and Staci Libowsky Big PAL and there were so many touching nominations For more information visit Havinagala org THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON About 100 local filmgoers were recently treated to an exclusive screening of The Peanut Butter Falcon recently at The Springs Cinema Taphouse followed by a conversation with one of the film s stars Sponsored by JF CS in partnership with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival AJFF and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta MJCCA the private event included an appearance by actor Zack Gottsagen Gottsagen plays a man with Down syndrome who runs away from a residential nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a pro wrestler The comedydrama Gottsagen s first feature film also stars Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson More than 50 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their guests attended the event The group is affiliated with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services IDDS of JF CS which offers programs and services that support individuals with disabilities as well as their families and caregivers Gottsagen who has Down syndrome himself lives independently with the support of his family After the film he took questions from the audience about his life and lifelong dream of acting Bringing Zack to Atlanta and featuring The Peanut Butter Falcon reflects the commitment behind the work we do with the disability community striving to ensure each and every client has the opportunity to live to their full potential said Terri Bonoff CEO of JF CS Zack inspired us with his big heart his immense talent and the ability to connect with each person he engaged with Bonoff said Focusing on abilities and inclusion IDDS offers a full day program that includes volunteer activities and trips around Atlanta a supportive employment program group residences and independent living supports Sharing this movie with its clients was important to JF CS leadership This movie is a massive leap for inclusion and Zack is leading the charge said Abby Frantz IDDS Community Access Program Manager The fact that JF CS assisted in bringing this film to our community is incredibly meaningful as well I will never forget watching our clients getting in line to meet Zack after the film They got the opportunity to go to an exclusive screening and meet the star of the show someone they could identify with This was inspiring to many of the clients who also participate in MJCCA s Habima Theater for adults with special needs This was a truly groundbreaking moment Jen Keir front from left Stacy Fialkow Melissa DaSilva Jessica Katz Yonatan Zack Gottsagen Natalie Eldred Terri Bonoff and Amanda La Kier and back Chantal Spector Ritta Garnett Susan Berch and Abby Frantz We are privileged to work with VIPs every day our clients their families and community members in this field said Melissa DaSilva IDDS director Zack s heart and smile shone the most brilliant light on all of us For more information about JF CS visit jfcsatl org Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi STRATEGIES FOR COPING WITH ADHD As a licensed clinical social worker I often am asked how to make day to day tasks simpler for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD Here are some strategies I recommend when working with both children and adults who have ADHD Many of these tips can be used for those without ADHD who simply are looking to structure their daily tasks Break assignments into smaller more manageable tasks Large multi part assignments can be overwhelming and result in feeling disorganized and lost Creating smaller tasks and establishing time frames for completing them makes the entire project more doable Also don t forget to reward yourself as you complete tasks Determine what you need from your environment to feel more efficient While some people can work only in a quiet sterile setting others need white noise to filter out possible distractions Be realistic with your expectations about time Knowing yourself consider using a timer and decide how long you will work before taking a break Establishing a schedule and adhering to it will help you work more efficiently Similarly knowing what time of day you are most productive can help you create a schedule that promotes efficiency Try to establish routines that you can follow Doing things the same way each day establishes patterns and means that you are less likely to forget important tasks It also means that you re not re inventing the wheel every time you complete routine tasks Organize your belongings in ways that work for you Think about the daily tasks that are essential to your day and develop strategies For example put your wallet purse keys and phone in the same place every day so you know where to find them in the morning Create daily to do lists that are prioritized Many of us choose to do the more favorable tasks immediately and then procrastinate with the less desirable ones often resulting in them being undone One suggestion is to conquer the less desirable tasks first and then reward yourself with the tasks that you enjoy Find a method of accountability that works for you Whether it s the more traditional pen and paper list or an electronic device it just needs to be a way you can keep track of your tasks For additional assistance or to schedule a psycho educational assessment contact JF CS Clinical Services at 770 677 9474 Dan Arnold LCSW

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January February 2020 Concert highlights the musical resistance to the Holocaust BY Reg Regenstein During the Holocaust Jews found various ways to resist the Germans One recent such form of resistance was movingly demonstrated at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue before an audience of more than 1 000 by the Defiant Requiem Foundation chaired by distinguished Atlanta native Stuart Eizenstat This event was the focus for the 31st year of The Fran Eizenstat and Eizenstat Family Memorial Lecture Series established in 1987 which has featured Nobel Peace Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners United States presidents and vice presidents Supreme Court Justices and Israeli prime ministers Defiant Requiem Foundation Board Chair Stuart Eizenstat with founder and conductor Murry Sidlin Photos Chris Savas Photography It was in Stu s words a stunningly successful performance of the concertdrama Hours of Freedom The Story of the Terez n Composer featuring the music of 15 composers imprisoned in the Theresienstadt concentration camp Terez n in Czechoslovakia during World War II The combination of video music and narrative was based on musical compositions comprising some of the last works by these gifted artists many in their 20s and 30s when they were killed who were destined to be the next generation of significant Czech composers the foundation says Julian Schwarz soloist cellist featured The performance was superbly conducted by Defiant Requiem Foundation founder Murry Sidlin the creator and writer of Hours of Freedom which was generously supported by The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M Blank Family Foundation Murry Sidlin leads the ensemble in the performance of Hours of Freedom Stuart Eizenstat and Murry Sidlin flanked by Joe Alterman and Miriam Strickman Levitas Stuart Eizenstat or Stu as he is widely known in his hometown has spent much of his life tirelessly working on behalf of victims of the Holocaust remaining humble and unpretentious throughout his entire amazing and extraordinary career It would take the rest of this issue to summarize Stu s accomplishments and his contributions to our community and our nation But suffice it to say he has led a tremendously productive life full of extraordinary achievements He earned his B A cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a brother of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity He received his law degree from Harvard in 1967 later joining the Atlanta law firm Powell Goldstein Frazer Murphy He now heads the international practice division for the renowned law firm Covington Burling in Washington D C Stu s late wife Fran was also an important and beloved community leader serving as a vice president of the Atlanta chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women and a staunch advocate for Soviet Jews Their very happy marriage produced two sons and they have eight grandchildren Stu has served a total of five American presidents in a number of key senior positions beginning with a staff position for President Johnson He was a major figure in the administration of Jimmy Carter chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Clinton U S ambassador to the European Union under secretary of Commerce for International Trade under secretary of State for Economic Business and Agricultural Affairs and deputy secretary of the Treasury The rest of the time he had off Stuart Eizenstat President Carter and Henry Bauer in the Oval Office courtesy of Henry Bauer As special representative of President Obama and Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry on Holocaust era issues he successfully negotiated major agreements with Switzerland Germany Austria France and other European countries These resulted in restitution of property payment for slave and forced laborers recovery of looted art return of bank accounts and payment of insurance policies He also served President Trump as expert adviser to the State Department on these issues Stu has been awarded nine honorary doctorate degrees and special awards from the government of France Legion of Honor Germany Austria Belgium Israel and of course the United States Stu was one of the most respected and accessible members of the Carter administration Philanthropist and real estate executive Steve Selig President Carter s liaison with the business community said that Stu was an invaluable asset to the White House in meeting with constituents The amazing thing is that no matter what the issue or group was whether it Steve Selig was the Chamber of Commerce or truck stop operators he had a firm grasp on the details He was always available as busy as he was and we were so grateful for his help As Carter s domestic policy expert he was the go to guy when we needed someone to talk with authority about an issue He was by far the best prepared to discuss such issues and foreign policy as well He was universally respected and liked and he s a good guy too Stu s 2018 book President Carter The White House Years describing the administration s successes and failures from his front seat view of events has received rave reviews But to his many friends in Atlanta with whom he grew up he is the same humble gracious generous guy he has always been Page 17 Susan and Fred Feinberg s friendship with Fran and Stu goes back to 1969 Susan tells us exclusively In about 1978 we took our kids up to Washington when Stuart was in the Carter White House We took a taxi there and as we were walking through the gate and into the parking area we were surprised to see a very dilapidated old car and realized that it was Stuart s This reminded us how humble Stuart has always been not one to be concerned with fancy things Henry Bauer his and our childhood pal and a lawyer of some renown here in Atlanta who is also known for his modesty remembers when Stu was a basketball star at Henry Grady High School Stu s dad Leo would not sit with Stu s mom Sylvia because she would make such a fuss when a referee made a call against him whom she felt could do no wrong Stu was known to prefer shooting baskets rather than passing to teammates or so they complained in what may be the only instance known of Stu s showing a bit of a swelled head Stu s attitude was pretty well summed up in the 1979 article Before the Buck Gets to Carter It Stops at Stu Eizenstat His Man for All Domestic Issues in Parade Magazine The linked ideals of service and family were apparently bred in Eizenstat early The only child of an Atlanta shoe wholesaler and his wife Stu was ever the hard working straight arrow a compulsive student athlete who shunned all the usual adolescent digressions Even in grammar school says his father Leo he d lock himself in his room for six to eight hours at a time studying without even going to the bathroom At Henry Grady High School Stu took up basketball with the same determination staying home from camp one year to practice his shooting all summer long It paid off in stardom one national magazine listed him among the top 500 high school players in the U S in 1960 but Stu painfully shy would flee the court at the end of every game Afterward he would refuel with his favorite chili pickle steak hamburger pickle relish and barbecue sauce at the Varsity drive in near Georgia Tech We bet Stu misses the Varsity and gets tired of those working lunches at fancy D C eateries filled with big shot politicians and lobbyists where he always gets the best table in the house And we can tell you firsthand about Stu s dedication and integrity when the chips are down When The Endangered Species Act came under attack in the late 1970s from special interests he was the only White House official who showed an interest and was active in helping those of us working to save the act and the many rare creatures dependent on it a typically selfless compassionate gesture by someone who did not need to get involved in an issue that would not benefit him but who is always determined to do what is right And it was a gesture that would surprise no one who knows Stu

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 22 January February 2020 AJC encourages Atlantans to engage deeply with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival BY Dov Wilker Ilene Engel We the American Jewish Committee AJC Atlanta offer our huge and heartfelt congratulations to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival AJFF for an incredible 20 years From its humble beginnings as a program of AJC s Atlanta office to being one of the leading arts institutions in Atlanta this powerful initiative continues to build bridges through film As the founder and partner of the AJFF AJC is provided with a unique opportunity to strengthen relationships with Atlanta s ethnic religious and international communities Through the sights and sounds of movies AJC raises awareness about issues affecting Israel educates about antisemitism fights extremism and hatred and promotes pluralism around the world AJC recently published a landmark survey showing that nearly 90 of American Jews believe antisemitism is a growing problem in the U S More than one third of those surveyed are afraid to wear anything that identifies them as being Jewish However each time we walk into a theater whether we are seeing a film about Israel the Holocaust or Jewish life around the world it s vital to remember we are making statements about the importance of Judaism and of being Jewish It is equally crucial to educate our community about antisemitism After you ve seen a film please use ajc org TranslateHate as a resource to educate your friends and family about antisemitism and its terms themes and memes This is a defining moment in our country including at AJC and for all of us in Atlanta Together we must fight rising tides of antisemitism and hate take on those who challenge Israel s legitimacy and safeguard our democratic values If we don t act who will Please join us at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and hear from AJC experts and other analysts following many films And we hope we ll see you at AJC programs and initiatives throughout the year we all can make a positive impact Now we look forward to joining you at the movies many treats in store Dov Wilker is AJC regional director AJC Atlanta and Ilene Engel is president AJC Atlanta Welcome to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Dramas that demand big screen viewing include The Glass Room Black Mercedes Those Who Remained and Incitement Israel s Oscar entry And for sports fans Aulcie Back to Maracan and The Keeper will have you cheering By Max Leventhal Kenny Blank and Steve Mensch As the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival AJFF celebrates its 20th year it is grateful for the support and pride that has enabled it to evolve into a landmark cultural force Throughout AJFF has remained true to its mission to entertain and engage diverse audiences with film through a Jewish lens Atlanta s Jewish community like many others is located in a city of great diversity so building connections is fundamental These carefully curated films honor struggle celebrate triumph and bridge divides in these polarized times The Opening Night film Shared Legacies The African American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance explores the historic relationships among civil rights pioneers including many notable Atlanta leaders Shared Legacies The Golda The Glass Room Aulcie Oliver Sacks His Own Life AfricanBlack Mercedes Back to Maracan Alan J Pakula Going for Truth American Alliance Jewish Civil Those Who Remained Rights The festival lineup also examines littleknown aspects of extraordinary people Israeli Prime Minister Meir in Golda the renowned British neurologist in Oliver Sacks His Own Life a visionary filmmaker in Alan J Pakula Going for Truth and a notorious power broker in Bully Coward Victim The Story of Roy Cohn Bully Coward Victim The Story of Roy Cohn Incitement The Keeper If you crave a little laughter comedies include Standing Up Falling Down featuring Billy Crystal playing against

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 24 January February 2020 Kindergarten the students are methodically learning the aleph beis When the girls learned the letter kof each one dressed up like a kallah bride By Belle Klavonsky KEHILLAH On Wednesday January 15 the classes of 2019 2018 2017 and 2016 were welcomed for the 14th Annual Homecoming Alumni Reunion The Epstein School embraces all students not only in their learning but also in their lives working to create a loving and vibrant community within the school s walls and beyond This sense of community Kehillah is evidenced by the ongoing relationships alumni have with one another and the school All of the former classmates and teachers had a wonderful afternoon full of fun friends and food INNOVATION GRANTS Thanks to the 20Chai initiative several Epstein faculty members have received Innovation Grants Instructional Technology Specialist Tali BenSenior takes students through the design thinking process as they build apps that will answer the needs of students and teachers throughout the school and allow students to deepen their 21st century skills follow their passions and innovate Fifth grade teacher Ali Clement and Debbie Levine middle school learning support will start the Rock Your School Movement to create outside the box educational experiences for students in pre K through eighth grade Teachers will challenge their own instructional practices and deliver ordinary content in an extraordinary way SPECIAL BREAKFAST Thanks to the generosity of Weber School parent Cyndi Stern Hebrew 410 students had a special opportunity to prepare a scrumptious breakfast at Yes Chef a professional fully equipped local culinary event space Before school students made and enjoyed shakshuka Israeli salad and labneh with za atar A PART OF THE COSMOS To learn about the solar system TDSA s first grade girls were assigned the roles of planets stars comets and asteroids THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF SUCCESS The Weber Rambots Robotics Team secured a spot in the GA FIRST Tech Challenge state championship FIRST Tech teams are challenged to design build program and operate robots to compete in head to head competitions in an alliance format Teams also must raise funds design and market their team brand and participate in community outreach for which they can win awards ENLIGHTENING TRAVEL Two groups of Weber students have started 2020 with lifechanging travel education experiences the Spanish Immersion trip and the Senior IsraelPoland Experience Weber s intellectually engaged and committed students led by visionary educators will meet and build relationships with Jewish communities as well as communities in the broader world past and present FIRST SIDDUR Torah Day School of Atlanta TDSA first grade boys proudly received their very first siddur after impressing their families with a fabulous performance CREATIVE LEARNING In TDSA s BRICK BY BRICK A rite of passage for graduating eighth graders at TDSA is to paint a brick in the school s hallway The result is a collection of designs that reflect the varied personalities of TDSA graduates LEARNING TO PRAY Learning to daven is exciting for TDSA Kindergarteners as they earn tickets for prizes for stellar participation BRINGING A BOOK TO LIFE After reading the book Poppy by Avi TDSA fourth graders dissected owl pellets to see what the owls had eaten They identified claws beaks bones and more DESIGN THINKING AND SUSTAINABILITY Davis Academy sixthgraders explored the impact of population growth in Atlanta through design thinking a methodology for solving complex problems Students re framed population growth issues by empathizing with humans and acknowledging their needs creating new ideas in brainstorming sessions adopting a hands on approach in multiple prototyping with recyclable materials and various technologies and testing until a viable solution was generated When design thinking is coupled with tikkun olam students develop a deeper level of empathy ask meaningful questions and believe they can make a difference as they solve real challenges Pictured Jack Goldstein and Adam Jacobson A CULTURE OF KINDNESS Adding extra kindness to the school year Mechina fifth graders participated in Throw Kindness Like Confetti For this initiative students wrote various ways they exhibit kindness on small confetti like pieces of paper Responses included caring for each other showing respect to everyone being inclusive and more The goal of the project is to frame the school year around kindness by highlighting that anyone can be kind at any time and at any place Pictured are Rebecca Good Hebrew and Judaics teacher and one of her students ON THE BUS After a successful pilot year The Davis Academy added a Sandy Springs route to its free bus program in January With this addition The Davis Academy now has four bus routes serving new and returning families in Alpharetta John s Creek Brookhaven Buckhead Chastain East Roswell Dunwoody and Sandy Springs The Davis Academy recognizes that young families are busier than ever juggling school work and personal responsibilities Through the implementation of its transportation

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January February 2020 program The Davis Academy is committed to making itself more accessible to Metro Atlanta families Shown here are Jude Galison and Isaac Lichtenstein TO GROW A TREE Judaism teaches that there s nothing more important than a Keter Shem Tov the crown of a good name In anticipation of their b nai mitzvah each Davis student researches and designs a leaf to add to the Keter Shem Tov tree This tree is a testament to the enduring relevance of Jewish wisdom and profound spiritual awareness of Davis students Each leaf which includes a passage from the Torah or Jewish tradition deeply relevant to the student is presented at a ceremony immediately after the student reads from the Torah at school for their b nai mitzvah ONCE A LION ALWAYS A LION Recently members of The Davis Academy Class of 2009 came together for their 10 year reunion The 30 alumni in attendance pictured were excited to reconnect at Monday Night Brewing The Davis Academy Alumni Association hosts a series of events for graduates of all ages throughout the year in which alumni can catch up with one another maintaining their strong sense of community and fostering enduring relationships SERVICE LEARNING Atlanta Jewish Academy AJA students recently participated in a service learning day in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day and Reverend King s legacy of service Jewish service learning provides an opportunity to understand and consider Jewish values and express those values through hands on service to others simultaneously transforming students and changing the world High schoolers participated in off campus service trips THE JEWISH GEORGIAN with different organizations around Atlanta Middle schoolers had the opportunity to hear from individuals from different countries about their cultures and life experiences they also packed breakfast bags for Rebecca s Tent a local women s homeless shelter AJA JAGS WIN BIG AT SENIOR NIGHT Recently AJA s Minsk Gym was at maximum capacity with Jaguar fans celebrating the senior athletes and cheering the high school boys and girls basketball teams to victory The graduating athletes were honored for their hard work and dedication to AJA Athletics over the years CHAGIGAT CHUMASH AJA presented its second grade students with their own Chumash one of the most important books they will ever receive and honored them for their achievements this year They demonstrated their learning of text study and Hebrew while incorporating art and music through projects and a performance for their parents and special guests HAVDALAH AJA s third grade students learned all about the meaning and symbols of Havdalah through lessons in Hebrew technology art and music and shared this with their families and friends Page 25 Atlanta professionals honored at 30th Annual Torch Gala Emory gastroenterologist Tanvi Dhere MD community leader Jodi Berman Sonenshine and Atlanta based STONE Resource Group were honored at the 30th Annual Torch Gala for their efforts in support of the Crohn s Colitis Foundation The Torch Gala took place on Saturday February 1 at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta and raised more than 500 000 Tanvi Dhere MD is an adult gastroenterologist and the director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD at Emory University Hospital When she s not seeing patients Dr Dhere serves on the Crohn s Colitis Foundation Georgia Chapter Board of Trustees and the chapter s Medical Advisory Committee and she plans and attends patient and professional education programs for IBD For her efforts in research patient education and support of the estimated 3 1 million Americans living with Crohn s disease or ulcerative colitis the foundation presented Dr Dhere with the Premier Physician Award Tanvi Dhere MD and Scott Zweigel Torch Gala chair Jodi Berman Sonenshine a dedicated volunteer for the Georgia Chapter of the Crohn s Colitis Foundation in the areas of creative event fundraising community outreach and chapter growth received the 2020 Elvin C Price Volunteer of the Year award Her passion for finding a cure for these painful and often debilitating diseases is what drives her to continually raise critical awareness and vital funds for the chapter Jodi Berman Sonenshine and Scott Zweigel AAA STONE Resource Group founded in Roswell Georgia in 2010 provides professional staffing services heavily focused in the information technology telecommunications and engineering sectors STONE also focuses on social responsibility each month its employees volunteer with and donate to Atlanta charities including the Crohn s Colitis Foundation Children s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Neighborhood Enrichment Project For its dedication to the local community and support of the IBD community STONE Resource Group received the foundation s Corporate Citizen of the Year award The Torch Gala is the premier fundraiser of the year for the Georgia Chapter and attracts Atlanta s finest and most generous philanthropists The evening featured a cocktail reception silent and live auctions and seated dinner followed by live music and dancing The Torch Gala makes an impact on the estimated 3 1 million Americans living with IBD by funding vital research and enabling education and support for patients It has raised more than 8 million to date to fund cutting edge research and therapies for patients living with Crohn s disease and ulcerative colitis The Torch Gala Committee is chaired by Crohn s Colitis Foundation Georgia Chapter Board of Trustees member Scott Zweigel Partner at Parker Hudson Rainer Dobbs LLP The Crohn s Colitis Foundation is the leading non profit organization focused on both research and patient support for inflammatory bowel diseases IBD For more than 50 years the Foundation has been inspiring and engaging patients and caregivers in the country s largest IBD community and helping to dramatically accelerate the pace of research by breaking down traditional barriers to patients data funding and collaborations The foundation also provides extensive educational resources for patients and their families medical professionals and the public Known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease IBD Crohn s disease and ulcerative colitis affects nearly one in 100 people They are painful medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system For more information visit crohnscolitisfoundation org torchgala2020 or contact Shannon Primm at sprimm crohnscolitisfoundation org or call 404 982 0616 We Stand With Israel AAA

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 26 January February 2020 What will your genes reveal about you in 2020 BY Risa Abittan With New Year s resolutions in full force it s time to reflect on your goals and help secure a healthy future for you and your family Don t worry this one is easy You may be surprised to learn that each of us carries errors or mutations in diseasecausing genes Despite these mutations we are typically healthy carriers of these diseases and do not have symptoms This is because most of these disorders are inherited in an autosomalrecessive fashion meaning that it takes two mutations one from each of our parents to cause the disease When two people carry the same recessive disease each of their children is at 25 risk for the condition Presence of mutations running in families is often only discovered when a child is born to a carrier couple and has a serious genetic condition Prospective parents interested in ensuring the health of their future children can pursue genetic screening ahead of time to determine their carrier status JScreen a national notfor profit education and carrier screening program based out of Emory University School of Medicine s Department of Human Genetics offers at home testing and genetic counseling for individuals who wish to take action The JScreen panel includes more than 200 genetic conditions that are common in Ashkenazi Mizrahi and Sephardi Jewish communities and in the general population Tay Sachs disease and Gaucher disease for example are carried by one in 30 and one in 16 Ashkenazi Jews respectively One in 15 individuals of Syrian and Iranian descent are carriers for inclusion body myopathy while one in 11 Ashkenazi and one in 10 Sephardic individuals carry a mutation for familial Mediterranean fever When both parents are carriers for the same recessive disease there are ways to maximize their chances of having a healthy baby Some parents choose to conceive naturally and determine if the fetus is affected via prenatal diagnosis which is done as early as 11 weeks gestation Other couples may choose to undergo in vitro fertilization with pre implantation genetic testing to screen embryos for the condition prior to implantation into the uterus and minimize their chances for an affected pregnancy Sperm and egg donations from non carriers and adoption are options as well Visit JScreen org for more information about reproductive carrier screening WHAT ABOUT YOUR OWN HEALTH Genetic testing is also available to determine whether you are at increased risk of developing specific types of cancer during your lifetime While most cancers are not hereditary some result from inherited mutations in genes that normally protect our cells from damage These mutations are usually inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion whereby one affected copy of the gene is enough to result in the increased cancer susceptibility With dominant inheritance every male or female child of a carrier parent has a 50 chance of inheriting the predisposition Mutations in two of these cancer related genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are highly prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish population with a frequency of one in 40 compared with one in 500 in the general population Ashkenazi Jews are at increased risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations even if they do not have a personal or close family history of related cancers Mutations in these genes confer significantly increased risks for developing breast ovarian pancreatic and prostate cancer Knowing your risk can be lifesaving in that there are things you can do to reduce your risk for developing cancer The Atlanta PEACH BRCA study is currently enrolling men and women age 25 and older who have at least one Ashkenazi Jewish grandparent and do not have a personal or close family history of breast ovarian pancreatic or metastatic prostate cancer Athome BRCA testing and genetic counseling are provided at no cost to eligible participants To learn more and to see if you qualify visit JScreen org BRCA This is the year to take action JScreen is here to help you Risa Abittan is a master s student in Long Island University Post s Genetic Counseling Program She is passionate about increasing the awareness and knowledge of genetic risks within the Jewish community as well as promoting informed decision making in regard to one s health Thought you d like to know By Jonathan Barach CHANGE THE CULTURE Jewish Women s Fund of Atlanta JWFA is hosting a Change the Culture Summit on February 24 to address sexual harassment sexism and gender discrimination in Jewish workplaces and communal spaces This complimentary half day program at The Selig Center will include two national experts who will provide invaluable information and training to achieve the goals of safety respect and equity in the workplace Visit jwfatlanta org events for registration and program details ANNE AND EMMETT The Augusta Junior Players will present Anne and Emmett on Tuesday February 25 at 7 00 p m at the Heritage Academy 333 Greene Street in Augusta Georgia The performance will be followed by a discussion and talkback featuring Monique Williams local news personality and Ron Small founder and principal of the Holocaust Education Film Foundation Proceeds will benefit the Augusta Jewish Museum and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History Visit AugustaJewishMuseum org or call 706 426 1542 to purchase tickets General admission 20 Seniors students military 10 Patron 50 includes preferred seating YOUNG WOMEN IN STEM On March 22 12 00 noon 4 00 p m Atlanta Jewish Academy AJA will host Young Women in STEM in partnership with the Jewish Women s Fund of Atlanta JumpsparkATL and The Weber School The keynote speaker is physicist TV host and STEM advocate Dr Debbie Berebichez the first Mexican woman to graduate from Stanford University with a Ph D in physics The aim of this event which will include mini classes interactive presentations career booths and networking opportunities is to create programs to provide young women grades eight through 12 with information on STEM fields Visit aja fyi ywStemEvent to register

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January February 2020 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Breman Museum News CONCERT SERIES CELEBRATES LOVE LEONARD COHEN AND MOMS The B r e m a n Museum s seventh annual Molly Blank Concert Series will kick off February 16 with an exciting lineup of performances The series once again will feature outstanding Jewish contributions to music in The Breman s own auditorium We are really excited about this year s series said Leslie Gordon executive director of The Breman Our partners and staff searched the world for great entertainment and we won t let people down Everyone can expect to sing along reminisce and swing to great music performed by some of the most talented musicians in America The season opens with Let s Fall in Love featuring the Joe Alterman Trio and special guest Lena Seikaly Billed as a sweet afternoon filled with music and romance the roughly 90 minute show will include love themed songs from the Great American Songbook Expect to hear unique renditions of tunes from legends such as Frank Sinatra Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald Joe Alterman of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival which is partnering with The Breman in presenting the show Let s Fall in Love marks the Atlanta debut for Seikaly a Palestinian singer from Washington She and Alterman met several years ago when they were paired for a concert in Maryland Lena is one of my favorite singers to work with said Alterman She has a rare talent and is really special She s an incredible singer who really knows how to tell a story The Washington Post calls Seikaly one of the local jazz scene s most promising performers and one of the brightest voices in jazz She performs frequently as a soloist alongside the city s top orchestras and choirs has performed with her own trio at the Kennedy Center and other acclaimed venues and has taught and led workshops at several prestigious performing arts schools The classically trained operatic mezzo soprano studied at the University of Maryland School of Music Rounding out the Joe Alterman Trio will be bassist Robby Handley and drummer Justin Chesarek both based in Atlanta Robby and Justin are fabulous said Alterman They re two of my favorite people and musicians To learn more about Alterman visit joealtermanmusic com To learn about Seikaly visit lenaseikaly com The series continues on Sunday April 26 with Perla Batalla in the House of Cohen Batalla a Grammy nominated singersongwriter from Los Angeles sang back up for Leonard Cohen One of the most fascinating and enigmatic if not the most successful singer songwriters of the late 1960s Cohen retained an audience across six decades of music making and poetry Batalla will share special songs and personal anecdotes from her time and travels on the road with her mentor who passed away in November 2016 According to NoHoArtsDistrict com Perla Batalla is a gloriously rich mixture of backgrounds and she brings them with her to the stage with her gorgeous voice full of love life mournfulness and joy It s a heady combination and one that works to perfection with Cohen s particular gifts Batalla has toured the world with her tribute to the legend whom she credits for helping to launch her career Comfortable speaking both English and Spanish she has earned critical acclaim for her unique voice and culture merging compositions Batalla has recorded seven albums been featured in films and television and performed in some of the world s most celebrated venues To learn more about Batalla visit perla com Finally The Breman will celebrate Mother s Day on Sunday May 10 with On the Sunny Side of the Street The Songs of Dorothy Fields A lyricist and author Fields became one of the few women songwriters in the 1920s and 1930s to create multiple standards in musical theater As a lyricist Fields wrote with Jerome Kern As a librettist she wrote the book for Annie Get Your Gun and collaborated with Irving Berlin During her career she worked closely with many more Broadway greats including Fred Astaire Oscar Hammerstein II Ethel Merman Cole Porter Bill Bojangles Robinson Richard Rodgers and Gwen Verdon Unlike many peers Fields managed to stay relevant late into her career through the 1960s writing Sweet Charity along with Neil Simon and Cy Coleman and Bob Fosse directing the show said Adam Koplan a New York City and Atlanta based writer director and the founding artistic director of The Flying Carpet Theatre Company When the Songwriters Hall of Fame began its induction ceremonies in 1971 it included some of the most well known names in American music Duke Ellington Ira Gershwin and Alan Jay Lerner The only woman in the group was Dorothy Fields Koplan who has directed numerous productions in Atlanta including several at The Breman over the years is writing directing and co producing the show with Atlanta Audible If not for Fields he said we wouldn t have some of the best known songs in American theater The concert will blend songs as well as amusing and poignant anecdotes painting a picture of Fields genius and trailblazing accomplishments The cast and band featuring seven accomplished local musicians and musical theater veterans will play classic tunes from her song list such as On the Sunny Side of the Street The Way You Look Tonight You Can t Get a Man With A Gun Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now Lena Seikaly photo Darwyn M Dave The concert marks a return to the Molly Blank series for Alterman who performed in a side role in one of last year s shows A world renowned jazz pianist Alterman grew up in Atlanta and graduated from New York University s Steinhardt School He has shared the stage with such icons as Les McCann Ramsey Lewis Dick Gregory and Wynton Marsalis in world class venues including the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D C and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City Lewis has called him an inspiration to me and his piano playing a joy to behold Alterman currently serves as executive director Dorothy Fields circa 1939 photo Lucas Pritchard and Lucas Monroe Museum of the City of New York Perla Batalla with Leonard Cohen Each concert in the Molly Blank Concert Series will be preceded by a reception with refreshments and will be followed by a meetand greet session with the performers The receptions will start at 4 00 p m with the performances at 5 00 p m The Molly Blank Concert Series is made Page 27 possible by the Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M Blank Family Foundation Visit thebreman org Events 2019 MollyBlank Concert Series or call 678 222 3700 for tickets and information SURVIVORS TELL THEIR STORIES The Breman Museum Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education and community partner Eternal Life Hemshech present BEARING WITNESS Remarkable Stories from The Holocaust an ongoing series of talks by Holocaust survivors and their children Now in its 12th year this program presents Holocaust testimony by survivors who are also Atlanta residents Their words rise above hatred and retribution to speak about the strength and will that enabled them to survive said Leslie Gordon executive director of The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum This really is what Bearing Witness is about the resilience survivors used to transcend their experiences These survivors are your neighbors You will be surprised to hear their stories Ms Gordon continued We want to make sure the present generation has the opportunity to hear these remarkable people It s one thing to read about the Holocaust in a book or see a movie It s a completely different experience to hear someone tell you this happened to me The stories are mesmerizing and access to these speakers becomes rarer by the day The Breman s Bearing Witness program has been building a loyal audience Each year attendance increases attracting a broader audience representing people of all backgrounds A barrier for many to hear this live testimony from the Holocaust has been the price of admission but a generous grant from The Rich Foundation now allows everyone to hear these stories first hand at no cost Everyone is invited to take advantage of this free offering because it is vitally important to share the stories as the witness generation is rapidly diminishing The next program will feature Henry Hank Lewin February 9 at 2 00 p m Hank tells the story of his parents Nora and Joel Lewin who were married in Kovno Lithuania They endured separation and several Henry Hank Lewin c o n c e n t r a t i o n camps to survive the Holocaust On March 15 Alfred Schneider Ph D presents his unforgettable story of resilience Even though school was illegal in Romania for Jews in 1941 Alfred Schneider Ph D Alfred and two friends started their own course of studies and were later tutored by teachers within the ghetto His academic prowess ability to learn multiple languages and musical talents proved pivotal to his survival Each program includes a free guided See BREMAN page 35

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Page 28 Kosher Affairs BY Roberta Scher In winter I usually have soup in the freezer and warming comfort meals on the menu I am sharing some of my favorites in this column But before we get to recipes let s explore some food related updates CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SPICY PEACH Congrats to The Spicy Peach Atlanta s boutique kosher grocer The store has doubled in size Wow Go browse the newly spacious aisles and check out all of the new products THE JEWISH GEORGIAN blueberry mojo Buzz Pop a puree of fresh blueberries pomegranates and tequila The company is seeking franchisees A highlight of the dinner was a wine pairing curated by Gabe Geller Kedem s director of public relations and advertising Favorites included the sparkling Herzog Lineage Momentus Tabor Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition 2014 and a memorable Domaine de Panquelaine Sancerre 2018 The full wine pairing list presented by Kedem Herzog Lineage Momentus NV Domaine de Panquelaine Sancerre 2018 Hagafen Dry Riesling 2018 Pacifica Riesling 2017 Shiloh Chardonnay 2017 Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County 2016 Tabor Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition 2014 Ch teau Rollan de By M doc 2015 and Herzog Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2018 KOSHERFEST Once again I helped coordinate the annual kosher media dinner in New York prior to Kosherfest This year the event was held at ETC Steakhouse in Teaneck New Jersey Chef Seth Warshaw presented a three course French inspired menu including a fabulous beef cheek appetizer with mushroom gnocchi and a house aged rib steak The restaurant menu changes seasonally but if these two dishes are available I highly recommend them As part of dessert Buzz Pop Cocktails introduced its newly kosher certified OU adult push pop a cocktail in a pop made from fruit sorbet and a full shot of liquor I sampled the While in the New Jersey area to attend Kosherfest our friend and gracious host Simone Wilker took us on a tour of the nearby kosher retailers My favorite stop was Evergreen in Monsey Yes the same Monsey New York that has recently been in the news with the horrific antisemitic Hanukkah stabbing incident Evergreen KosherKorner When trying to keep kosher nothing is more frustrating than buying an item with a kosher symbol and finding out that the product is not kosher There are more than 1 000 kosher symbols on various products and some of these symbols are no guarantee that the product is kosher When keeping kosher one should purchase only products that have been certified via reliable orthodox supervision The following symbols are some of the most common reliable kosher symbols There are many more reliable kosher symbols that are not listed here If you re not sure about whether or not a particular symbol is reliable check with the Atlanta Kashruth Commission at 404 6344063 BY Rabbi Reuven Stein 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 supermarket is a Disneyworld for kosher shoppers including aisles and aisles of prepared take out options fresh and customcut meats fish and grocery departments Although I could not easily transport all of the fabulous foods I did bring home one of my favorite finds disposable cutting boards in a roll MORE KOSHER NEWS Yum Yum Yum Tate s Cookies Several years ago Oprah chose Tate s Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies as one of her favorite things The company has recently become OU Dairy kosher certified Finally I enjoyed a tasting These cookies are crunchy thin buttery and oh so delicious I bought mine at Publix along with a package of the equally scrumptious white chocolate January February 2020 macadamia flavor My friend Sharon Matten Koshereveryday com has just published her first cookbook Shabbos under Pressure The book is friendly conversational and filled with easy to understand information about how to use multi cookers The book s creation was very personal for Sharon It took two years to write it and her mother helped as a taster and recipe contributor Sadly Sharon lost her mother last year before the book was published The 70 recipes and tips shared in Shabbos under Pressure work for every brand of electric pressure cooker There are full color photos for each recipe and very clear instructions Sharon lives in Chicago and writes for various newspapers and publications her specialty is gluten free kosher cooking By the way if you have not yet purchased a multi cooker I highly recommended this appliance I like the Instant Pot brand and the new Mealthy cooker I have the sixquart size of each See RECIPES page 34 What s cooking Email kosheraffairs gmail com 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 ARC or your local kashruth authority to confirm reliability

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January February 2020 Page 29 The Keeper 11 AM MON FEB 10 Cobb Energy Centre TUE FEB 11 Perimeter Pointe WED FEB 12 Perimeter Pointe Tara Cinemas Crescendo 11 00 AM 12 PM 11 AM Perimeter Pointe 1 PM After Class 1 00 PM The Bronx USA 2 PM 2 PM 1 45 PM 3 PM 3 PM The Rabbi Goes West AnneFrank Parallel Stories 4 PM 3 40 PM 3 45 PM Picture of His Life 4 PM 3 25 PM 5 PM 5 PM 6 PM Dolce Fine 6 PM Giornata Shared 8 PM Legacies The Rabbi Goes West 7 00 PM 7 30 PM Wolkenbruch s Wondrous Journey The Bronx USA Woodruff Arts FRI FEB 14 VALENTINE S DAY Perimeter Pointe Tara Cinemas Wolkenbruch s The Art of Wondrous Waiting 11 00 AM Journey 11 00 AM Aulcie 2 PM 1 45 PM Alan Pakula Going for Truth 3 30 PM 3 15 PM 5 55 PM 8 PM A Cantor s Head 8 00 PM 9 PM After Class Standing Up Falling Down 11 PM 12 55 PM Abe 3 20 PM 1 00 PM 6 05 PM 11 PM 1 PM The Operative Crescendo 1 00 PM 7 PM 10 PM 12 PM Abe 1 00 PM Serial Bad Weddings 2 10 PM THU FEB 13 Perimeter Pointe Tara Cinemas Golda The Art of Waiting 5 55 PM 7 10 PM 7 00 PM 9 PM The Mamboniks 1 25 PM 3 PM 11 AM 8 30 PM Flawless 8 20 PM Standing Up Falling Down 8 00 PM 8 35 PM SUN FEB 16 Perimeter Pointe Tara Cinemas City Springs Shorts Program 1 A Cantor s Head Standing Up 11 00 AM 11 00 AM Falling Down The Plaza 11 00 AM 12 PM 1 PM Golda 1 00 PM Abe 1 30 PM 2 PM The Great Dictator A Cantor s Head 1 00 PM 1 55 PM 3 PM Standing Up 4 PM Falling Down 3 45 PM Golda 3 50 PM The Keeper 3 50 PM Standing Up Falling Down 3 45 PM When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Flawless 4 PM 3 20 PM 3 45 PM Holy Silence 5 PM 5 PM 6 PM 6 PM Africa Hollywood s II World War 8 PM 7 20 PM Wolkenbruch s Wondrous Journey 7 20 PM 7 PM 8 PM Serial Bad 2 9 PM Weddings 8 25 PM 10 PM 10 PM 11 PM 11 PM Born in Jerusalem and Still Alive 3 55 PM 4 45 PM 6 10 PM 9 PM The Plaza Those Who Remained Holy Silence 5 30 PM 7 PM 7 PM SAT FEB 15 City Springs 12 PM 1 PM 11 AM Tara Cinemas Shorts Program 2 6 10 PM Underground 6 35 PM The Operative 7 20 PM The Glass Room 8 20 PM After Class 8 15 PM

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January February 2020 Hadassah News HIGH TEA WITH ANAT SULTONDADON Hadassah Greater Atlanta HGA held its 4th Annual Chai Tea in December at the Wyndham Hotel at Powers Ferry with featured speaker Anat Sultan Dadon Israel s consul general to the Southeastern United States This year s theme was Chanukah and the event featured a high tea style luncheon tea and elegant desserts HGA President Michele WeinerMerbaum welcomed attendees and introduced the first speaker Dr Rachel Schonberger who was recently elected as a Hadassah national vice president Dr Schonberger spoke about Hadassah Medication Organization s HMO participation in the development of a drug to combat sepsis due to a compromised immune system The drug boosts helpful parts of the immune system while inhibiting the harmful inflammatory part All who received treatment with this drug recovered It is hoped that the drug will be approved and made available worldwide including the United States Dr Schonberger emphasized that HMO research benefits not only Israel but has positive global benefits as well Featured speaker Anat Sultan Dadon joined the Israeli diplomatic corps in 2004 and assumed her role as consul general in Atlanta in 2019 She talked about the significant role Hadassah plays in Israel She said that not only is Israel known as the start up nation but it is also known as the impact nation for what it does technically and medically around the world She stressed how Hadassah helps Israel to lead the way sharing that Hadassah has offered medical assistance in times of crisis as well as in an effort to improve the health of people in developing countries For example Hadassah doctors volunteer at eye camps performing cataract surgeries while training other medical personnel to do the same Sultan Dadon also discussed the elections in Israel as well as issues with Iran its nuclear threat and its backing of terror organizations throughout the Middle East She allowed that the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions BDS movement has had an ideological but not a huge tangible effect on Israel and that it goes hand in hand THE JEWISH GEORGIAN with antisemitism and antizionism She stressed that the consulate makes a strong effort to educate the public about BDS and its ramifications For more information about Hadassah and Hadassah in Atlanta visit hadassah org atlanta and board at the Mo Mo Ya Japanese Restaurant in Buckhead Sheila Dalmat Hadassah Greater Atlanta s immediate past president discharged the 2019 Ketura Board members with thanks for their service and installed the 2020 Board The theme of the installation was the Chagall Windows at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem Each incoming leader was given a photo of one of the windows to inspire her in her new role Helene Jacoby Ketura s immediate past president presented outgoing president Maxine Schein with a donation from the board in her honor to benefit the Hadassah sponsored Meir Shefayah Youth Village in Israel as a token of appreciation for her leadership Matza and Tortillas Jews South of the Border was the subject of the talk by Hazel Gold former chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University Visit hadassah org atlanta for more information about Hadassah and the Ketura Group Page 33 Hazel Gold accepts Hadassah certificate of appreciation from Helene Jacoby Dr Rachel Schonberger speaks about Hadassah s contribution to medical research and healing Ketura 2020 board front from left Maxine Schein Suzy Wilner Betsy Lessans Dale Millman Joan Solomon Fran Redisch Katie Kloder and Susan Adair and back Gerry Taratoot Bernice Mellman Sandy Bailey Peri Rosner Leora Wollner and Arlene Glass Not pictured Rosalie Agrow and Carol Schneider Michele Weiner Merbaum left presents a certificate of appreciation to Consul General Sultan Dadon Sheila Dalmat displays Trees for Israel and a Hadassah certificate of appreciation from Maxine Schein for performing the Ketura Installation METULLA GROUP INSTALLS NEW OFFICERS Metulla group held its 2020 installation in December at Ten Bistro Elva Rosner gave a brief overview of current events in Israel and then installed the new officers They are Linda Lieberman and Terry Nordin co presidents Gail Saloff treasurer Karen Miller Sandye Charlop Geller and Lana Krebs co vice presidents membership Sharyn Lazarnick vice president fundraising Susan Linkwald and Barbara Lang co vice presidents programming Livia Sklar and Marsha Fish co vice presidents education Judy Roseman vice president advocacy Sharyn Lane recording secretary and Nancy Schwartz corresponding secretary Helene Jacoby and Maxine Schein Chai Tea organizers from left front Elva Rosner Terri Nordin Judy Lebow Linda Hakarem and Judy Bart and back Susan Linkwald Nancy Fried Marci Abrams and Michele Weiner Merbaum Robin Guy left and her mom Elva Rosner say Chai y all KETURA S ECLECTIC INSTALLATION Israel Mexico and Japan were well represented at the Hadassah Greater Atlanta Ketura Group s 2020 installation of officers Metulla officers front from left Gail Saloff Linda Lieberman Terry Nordin Sandye Charlop Geller and Nancy Schwartz and back Sharyn Lazarnick Karen Miller Susan Linkwald Barbara Lang Judy Roseman Marsha Fish Sharyn Lane and Michelle Weiner Merbaum

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 34 Kosher Affairs Recipes continued from page 28 Mom s Chicken Cacciatore By Sharon Matten Excerpted from Shabbos Under Pressure Feldheim Publishers 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 large sweet onion like Vidalia cut in half and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic minced 1 pound white button mushrooms sliced 2 cups flour can be gluten free 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 1 2 teaspoons paprika 1 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 2 teaspoon sea salt 2 small 3 pound chickens cut into eighths skin removed optional 16 ounces tomato sauce 6 ounces tomato paste 1 cup added water Set the electric pressure cooker EPC to saut brown mode Add the canola oil the sliced onion and minced garlic Saut until the onions are slightly caramelized stirring occasionally with a heat resistant spatula Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are soft Turn off the EPC Remove the vegetables from the EPC pot and place in a medium bowl Set aside Place the flour in a large casserole dish Add the onion powder garlic powder paprika freshly ground black pepper and salt Stir to blend Add one cup of water to the EPC pot Scrape the bottom of the pot with a heatresistant spatula to remove any additional browned bits that may be stuck to the bottom Place a rack in the EPC pot Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour until completely coated and set on the rack in the EPC pot Repeat with the remaining pieces stacking them evenly Cover the chicken with the tomato sauce Top with the mushrooms and onions Vegetarian No Chicken Soup This is a freezer staple I make it often and freeze it in portions I use it to make real chicken soup Asian noodle soup and egg drop soup and sometimes I just add more vegetables 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion chopped 1 rib celery chopped 1 turnip chunked 1 carrot chopped 1 cup peeled chopped sweet potatoes 1 cup peeled chopped parsnips 1 1 inch piece fresh ginger peeled and minced 2 cloves garlic minced 8 cups water or packaged low sodium vegetable broth 2 bay leaves January February 2020 Cold Weather Recipes 1 cup fresh parsley 1 2 cup minced fresh dill Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Place parsley and bay leaves in a disposable or silicon cooking bag cheesecloth or soup sock Heat oil in a large heavy pot over mediumhigh heat Add onion celery carrot turnip sweet potato parsnips ginger and garlic cook stirring until lightly browned about 2 minutes Add water or broth and the bagged bay leaf and parsley Reduce heat cover and let simmer until vegetables are tender about 45 minutes Add dill and season with salt and pepper Keep warm until ready to serve Optional When ready to serve add matzo balls ramen noodles or egg noodles Some cooks strain their broth I serve it with all of the vegetables For extra flavor I add Osem parve consomm powder Note This recipe can be made in a multicooker Homemade Focaccia Focaccia is my newest baking obsession I find it addictive If I had to choose my favorite new recipes of 2019 this one is in the top three Focaccia is simple to make and basically foolproof I serve it alongside hummus garlic dip olive dip matbucha or just about any savory or spicy shmear This version is adapted from a recipe by Food Network celebrity Chef Anne Burrell 1 3 4 cups warm water 1 package active dry yeast 2 1 4 teaspoons 1 tablespoon sugar 5 cups all purpose flour plus additional for kneading 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus coarse sea salt for sprinkling 1 cup extra virgin olive oil divided Optional black olives preferably kalamata sun dried tomatoes za atar rosemary Combine the warm water yeast and sugar in a small bowl Put the dough in a warm not hot or cool place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic at least 15 minutes I use my microwave or oven without turning it on In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook combine the flour 1 tablespoon of kosher salt 1 2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed If you are using seasonings such as za atar or rosemary add them at this point Once the dough has come together continue to knead for 5 6 minutes on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky Transfer the dough to a clean lightly floured surface then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times Again give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place a cold oven or microwave until the dough has doubled in size at least 1 hour Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1 2 cup olive oil Note This may seem excessive but focaccia is an oily crusted bread this is what makes it so delicious Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and with your fingers press and then stretch the dough until it fits the pan As you are doing so spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough When the dough rises again it will have the characteristic craggy look of focaccia If you do not make holes in the dough the finished product will be very smooth Return the dough to the warm place until it has doubled in size about 1 hour While the dough is rising a second time preheat the oven to 425 degrees Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little olive oil on top Lightly press in olives and sun dried tomatoes if using Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown about 25 to 30 minutes Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving This freezes well Bring to room temperature and reheat uncovered in a warm oven Super Chili by Barry This recipe is a specialty of my brother in law Barry Scher Since retiring as vice president of Giant Foods where he started as a bag boy and following a successful 40 year career Barry has taken up several hobbies One of them is cooking Barry is my husband s twin brother but no Allan does not cook Four bell peppers two green one red one yellow chopped Two carrots chopped or sliced thinly One or two large sweet onions chopped One can red kidney beans 14 5 16 oz can rinsed well and drained we prefer organic One can diced tomatoes or 1 2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes One small can tomato sauce 8 oz with the liquid One pound ground turkey or ground beef 1 2 teaspoon each cumin and oregano 1 packet 1 oz chili seasoning mix such as Simply Organic brand 4 tablespoons of olive oil divided Optional for serving 8 oz package of parve cheddar cheese such as Daiya brand Warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a large deep fry pan Brown ground meat Remove meat and juices from pan and set aside Warm 2 more tablespoons of oil in the pan and saut veggies Add the drained kidney beans tomatoes with liquid and then the tomato sauce Add chili powder mix cumin and oregano Gently mix it all in the pan and let simmer on low heat covered Add the meat to the veggies and gently stir Simmer covered for about 4 minutes Remove cover and let sit for about 5 minutes more Optional on the side chop the 2nd onion and place in a small serving bowl put parve shredded cheese or parve sour cream in another bowl and serve Don t forget the hot sauce If making ahead reheat uncovered in a 300 degree oven or on 50 power in the microwave To prepare in an Instant Pot saut the meat and the veggies then add the sauce and spices Cook on manual pressure for 8 minutes and do a quick release Creamy Mushroom Soup Pressure cooker and cooktop friendly I adapted this recipe from one I found on All Recipes com It is rich creamy and comforting on a cold day The original recipe is dairy containing butter and heavy cream which of course is superb This copycat kosher version is parve made with olive oil and coconut cream 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion finely chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 1 2 pounds mushrooms sliced button portobello shiitake 4 cups vegetable broth 1 2 cup sherry 1 1 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste 1 2 teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste 4 tablespoons all purpose flour 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut cream I usually buy mine at Trader Joe s Add olive oil to a large pot or multicooker Add onions and saut 2 3 minutes Add garlic and saut 1 2 minutes more Add mushrooms and saut 2 3 minutes more Stir broth sherry thyme Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper into the pot Close and lock the lid Select manual function set timer for 5 minutes Release pressure using the natural release method for about 10 minutes Then use the quick release method Unlock and remove the lid Select saut function again to bring the soup to a light simmer Whisk flour into the coconut cream Slowly add cream mixture to the simmering soup whisking constantly until thickened 2 3 minutes Turn pressure cooker off Season soup with additional salt and pepper if desired This recipe can be made on the cooktop Follow the directions above by simmering the mushrooms onions and garlic in oil in a pot add all of the ingredients and then cook on a low flame partially covered until everything is softened and combined likely about 45 minutes Mix in the cream and flour and cook about 15 minutes more

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January February 2020 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN ImpactIsrael names Robert Arogeti new board chair Robert Arogeti has assumed the role of board chair of ImpactIsrael effective January 1 Arogeti was unanimously elected at ImpactIsrael s biennial Board of Directors meeting on November 19 2019 in New York City he will serve a three year term ImpactIsrael formerly Friends of Yemin Orde is the philanthropic partner of Yemin Orde Youth Village and Village Way Educational Initiatives both located in Israel The Village is home school and safe haven for 430 atrisk youth from around the world Village Way Educational Initiatives expands the Village Way educational methodology first modeled at Yemin Orde to 55 partner youth villages therapeutic residential communities and high schools with high populations of at risk youth including schools in Arab communities Today the Village Way methodology has impacted 22 000 youth and 2 500 educators in Israel Arogeti served a three year term as ImpactIsrael s national campaign chair from 2017 to 2019 He succeeds George W Blank whose three year tenure 2017 2019 included the creation of a comprehensive five year strategic plan establishment of a new soccer sports field at Yemin Orde Youth Village two highly successful fundraising galas in New York and the national brand launch of ImpactIsrael JSU News ALL NIGHTER The Jewish Student Union JSU recently hosted its 10th annual Jewish teen unity All Nighter Atlanta s largest Jewish teen event of the year and it was the most successful one yet Nearly 400 participants from 58 schools in the Greater Atlanta area took part in what could aptly be deemed an event that transcends denominations and unified all the area s Jewish teens The opening ceremony of the event which took place on a Saturday night was actually the closing ceremony of Shabbat as JSU teen leaders led an uplifting havdalah which included words of inspiration from JSU Executive Director Rabbi Chaim Neiditch and a concert by the acclaimed Jewish musician Tzidkiyahu performing some of his hit songs Thereupon it was on your marks get set go for the all nighter as all the JSU club presidents took part in a go kart race to open the festivities at Andretti s Everyone had a blast throughout the night enjoying activities such as an extreme ropes course a rock climbing wall bowling and of course unlimited arcade games The Teens from around the greater Atlanta area enjoyed JSU s All Nighter A r o g e t i more supporters and expand our has supported ImpactIsrael s vital transformative Village Way educational mission in Israel methodology to since 1997 He has toured Israel thousands more at risk youth in Israel more than a dozen times with family ImpactIsrael Executive Director friends and Jewish Karen Sallerson said organizations and Arogeti s business has always included a visit to Yemin acumen and his decades Orde Youth Village of advocacy on behalf of Israel and Yemin on these trips Orde will have a Additionally he and positive impact on the his wife Amy have hosted Yemin Orde organization s national graduates and staff at fundraising efforts I look forward their home in Atlanta Robert Arogeti photo courtesy to working closely with for local fundraising Robert Arogeti ImpactIsrael Robert to continue to events and have played integral and supportive roles in bringing position our organization as a philanthropic the village s youth to Atlanta for special events leader in expanding our transformational It is my honor to serve as board chair as educational methodology the Village Way our new name ImpactIsrael is launched on a throughout Israel Sallerson said I am national level and to continue the great work tremendously grateful to George Blank for of George Blank and our dedicated volunteer his visionary leadership his dedication and board Arogeti said I am excited to lead our generous contributions to ImpactIsrael board s collective effort to raise the national Arogeti is deeply committed to Atlanta s profile of our organization so we can engage Jewish community and has previously served in many volunteer leadership positions among them board chair Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta chair Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Campaign for Community Needs board member and treasurer Weber High School of Atlanta Emory University Hillel action was pulsing thanks to a JSU alumnus and Jewish Family Services of Atlanta founder who stopped by to DJ the event and kept the and treasurer American Israel Chamber of music going in the sky lounge which ensured Commerce and member and regional chair plenty of simcha dancing that brought smiles to everyone s faces until the wee hours of the morning With hundreds in attendance it couldn t help but be noted that the JSU All Nighter enabled Jewish teens from all over Greater Atlanta to share a special unifying bond As Jewish Fertility FoundationSome established new friendships and some Atlanta JFF expands its programs and even made plans to become future college vision nationally Emily Zaghi M S is roommates joining the organization as its first director The entire feel of the event resonated Emily has served in a variety of roles perfectly with Rabbi Neiditch s vision for within the non profit sector Her experience the JSU as a way to bring together the many includes finance accounting development young Jews across the region and help to form and operations Most recently she a community among them For many of the worked as an asset management CPA at teens the All Nighter represented their first PricewaterhouseCoopers Emily currently Jewish themed extracurricular activity lives in Toco Hill with her husband and As with every JSU event word of its two daughters success has spread widely and requests have This new position is funded through already started pouring in from other schools a generous grant from The Marcus in the area to open additional JSU clubs over Foundation the coming school year Emily will manage the day to day operations of the JFF Atlanta office Some of her responsibilities include fertility grants management emotional support services developing local communitybased educational events and accounting I first heard about JFF a few years ago and was immediately inspired by the incredible organization and the many families whose lives it has changed says Emily Several of my siblings and close friends have struggled with fertility Teens bonding and making new friends at JSU s All Nighter Page 35 UJC National Young Leadership Cabinet In the wider Atlanta community Arogeti also serves as a volunteer leader in many business and education advocacy organizations He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants Professionally Arogeti serves as partner emeritus of Aprio LLP a top 100 accounting firm For the last 20 years his practice has focused on individual and family tax and financial issues He has worked in the areas of estate planning estate administration wealth transfer and charitable planning in addition to overall income tax planning that affects individual and fiduciary clients The Arogetis have three children and two grandchildren Breman News From page 27 group tour of The Breman s Holocaust Gallery The tour begins at 12 30 p m The Bearing Witness program begins at 2 00 p m Speakers present their story and answer questions from the audience and the program ends at approximately 3 30 p m Seating is limited it is advised to arrive early to get a seat The Breman is located at 1440 Spring Street Free parking is available at the museum with overflow parking available at The John Marshall Law School on 18th Street between West Peachtree and Spring streets For current program information or to be added to the e mail list visit thebreman org JFF Atlanta hires its first director Emily Zaghi challenges and I have experienced through them the emotional and financial strain this can cause Words cannot describe how honored I feel to contribute to such a meaningful cause and important organization and to serve as JFF Atlanta s first director

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 36 Schwartz on Sports BY Jerry Schwartz Wrestling It s all in the family My involvement with and knowledge of the sport of wrestling was limited growing up The only thing I really knew about wrestling came from watching it on television as Hulk Hogan jumped off the top ring rope to level Andre The Giant or Gorgeous George jumped out of the ring to hit Dusty Rhodes over the head with a chair It was fun to watch and entertaining but that was rassling and had little to do with the real sport of wrestling I also spent lots of time wrestling my friends in our backyard but knew little of the strategies or moves It was all pretty basic and instinctive And I did wrestle George Seckar after the first day of high school in a neighborhood yard with about 20 guys looking on He was a Third Ward kid and I was from the First Ward I guess standing up to him was one of those growing up moments We wrestled for about 10 minutes Not one punch was thrown and some older kids who probably got bored watching us broke up the fight George and I remained classmates friends and teammates throughout high school Then at the University of Miami I was a physical education major and had to take a wrestling class Boy was that a learning experience I learned how exhausting and physically draining three two minute rounds could be There are no teammates to help no place to rest and it s one on one So I ve always had a respect for those who participated One thing I like about wrestling that you don t see in other sports is the idea of weight divisions A 115 pound competitor is not wrestling someone who is 175 pounds everyone starts off at least weight wise with a fair chance Of course that changes fast depending on skill stamina and desire their son Jacob was a top notch wrestler in high school Our son Michael at about the age of eight took a great interest in wrestling He started a lifelong love affair with the sport as an outstanding high school wrestler and club wrestler at the University of Georgia and has had some experience in cage fighting that s another story and other martial arts He s continued his involvement as an assistant coach at Forsyth Central and Roswell high schools And to take this a step further his children Sophia 15 and Zach 12 are showing an interest attending practices and working out Sophia wrestled in a tournament with her middle school team and won a medal Where this will go who knows but it s been a great bonding experience for Michael and his children January February 2020 the way Michael finished second and had a great experience as well as coming out without any injuries thank heavens Below are a few highlights from his interview Q Why did you enter the tournament A I entered mainly to give myself a goal to go from 225 pounds to 185 pounds and then I wanted to test myself I haven t wrestled 100 against anyone since my last cage fight in 2002 I just wanted to see what it felt like to compete again in the sport I love Q Were there some memorable experiences you could share A The first was looking up between periods and seeing my son Zach watch me wrestle That was really special to me Another experience was the feeling you get in your gut when you know you re up and about to wrestle Unlike any other sport it s just you and your opponent on the mat someone wins and someone loses The finality of it is powerful to me Zach watching Dad pin an opponent Q Any surprises A Waking up the next day sore but not as sore as I thought I might be The feeling of pride for myself that at 47 years old I could dedicate myself to losing the weight and compete at a high level That s a good way to end this chapter of the wrestling story but there s more to come I know Michael and others in the family will continue to remember the sport they loved and the lessons it taught Hope you enjoyed the column Until next time drive for the bucket and score Teens dive into Israel education Sophia Schwartz wrestling medal displaying one participant Weber School junior Hunter Siegel of Alpharetta came from the Atlanta area Having more participants enabled conference organizers Rich Walter CIE s vice president of curriculum and outreach and Steve Kerbel a CIE educational specialist to offer program choices during most learning her In October of 2019 Michael participated in the Bald and Fat Classic at North Paulding High School The tournament run by Joe Musti is a chance for guys who want to get back on the mat after a long time off It s for guys who love the sport of wrestling and everything it teaches Most of all it s a fundraiser for youth wrestling There are five different divisions based on weight When Michael who is 47 told me he planned on wrestling I looked at him as if he was crazy but then I remembered all the basketball leagues I played in at the J as well as participating in National Senior Games from age 55 75 So why shouldn t Michael continue in the sport that he loves I also saw a future Schwartz on Sports article and interviewed Michael with that in mind By The largest ever Teen Israel Leadership Institute TILI December 6 8 brought participants in touch with young Israelis serving as Jewish agency emissaries and provided program options that reflected participants feedback TILI is hosted by the Center for Israel Education CIE and Emory University s Institute for the Study of Modern Israel ISMI The weekend institute the third held at Emory s Atlanta campus since the spring of 2018 drew 32 high school sophomores juniors and seniors half of whom came from Cleveland with the akiva program That marked a 33 increase from the number of teens who attended the second Atlanta TILI in October 2018 Only CIE Vice President Rich Walter charts where parties that won seats in the second Israeli election of 2019 fall on the political axes of security and religion See TEENS page 37 Family ready to wrestle I acquired firsthand knowledge as a spectator and fan when my own children got involved Our daughters Mindy and Cathy both dated boys who were excellent wrestlers on their high school teams Cathy married Marc Backal a state champ in New Jersey who also had two wrestling brothers Michael and other wrestlers at the scorer s table High school students from New York New Jersey Pennsylvania South Carolina Georgia Florida Ohio and California attend the final day of the Teen Israel Leadership Institute in Atlanta on December 8 All photos courtesy of CIE

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THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January February 2020 Page 37 Ilse Reiner to speak at April 19 Holocaust commemoration By Lili Kshensky Baxter Ph D Ilse Reiner has an easy smile and a warmth that envelops you Candid and thoughtful she readily asks questions about everything you do your family your work your beliefs and observations Although enormously proud of her children Elaine and Richard and still deeply in love with her late husband Charlie she speaks reluctantly of herself That is partly because she has overcome so much and there are no words even now but more so because she is genuinely fascinated by you by all people An orphan at an early age Ilse is one of the few children to have survived Terez n the Nazi concentration camp in Czechoslovakia her home country Of the 15 000 children sent to Terez n only 132 survived the Holocaust Alone and motherless like the other imprisoned children she survived typhus a lifethreatening disease caused by filth lice and vermin Once well she was sent to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz Birkenau Ilse Reiner and then to a sub camp where she was a slave laborer Somehow she survived it all including a death march the final days of the war Kind funny and thoughtful Ilse must have been an easy child to like When she tells her story she centers on the people who befriended and helped her from the family who hid her girlhood diary and then took her in after the war to the mischievous and resourceful girls of her orphanage and Terez n to the older woman who dressed Ilse in a bonnet with ruffles disguising her as a child and thereby protecting her from the raucous Russian soldiers who liberated her group of women She mesmerized my students when I taught Women and the Holocaust at Emory back in 2003 Our guest speaker Ilse enthralled them not only by recounting the horrifying experiences endured by women during the Holocaust which she spoke about with candor and tact but even more so by captivating them with her joyful sense of life For young people that age it was an important lesson to ponder and ultimately to emulate Ilse seldom speaks these days but she will make a rare public appearance on April 19 at Greenwood Cemetery as the featured speaker for this year s community wide Yom HaShoah Commemoration Her diary Through the Eyes of a Child Diary of an Eleven Year Old Jewish Girl is available in English translation at The Breman Museum Atlanta Ilse will be the featured speaker at the Holocaust Commemoration April 19 11 00 a m rain or shine at Greenwood Cemetery Cascade Road Atlanta For more information contact The Breman Museum 678 222 3700 Teens From page 36 sessions For example during an hour focused on Israel s birth and growth the teens could learn about the different versions of what happened in 1948 examine Israel s Declaration of Independence or delve into the new state s growing pains through challenges such as immigration A period dedicated to culture and society offered sessions on poetry dance and religion For a timely hour on political issues some teens studied Israel s electoral deadlock some focused on the U S Israel relationship and others explored the intersection of Israeli music and culture It s our duty as teens to learn as much as possible because we re the next generation that is going to be dealing with these issues said Becca Powers a high school senior from Shaker Heights Ohio A November videoconference call involving institute participants was helpful in planning the program We got more of a chance to actually tell Rich and Steve what we wanted to learn said Carol Kornworcel a high school junior from Tampa Florida who also attended the October 2018 institute So this year they kind of tailored programs for us and I feel like I learned even more than what I expected In addition to CIE and ISMI staff the weekend s instructors included such local experts as JumpSpark Director Kelly Cohen and her predecessor Hope Chernak as well as akiva Associate Director Tina Keller In one of the most popular parts of the weekend several of Atlanta s group of 10 Shinshinim recent Israeli high school graduates working as Jewish agency emissaries for a year before their military service met with their American peers to answer questions about life in Israel One Shinshin who works weekly with Teen Israel Leadership Institute participants discuss higher education policy during a Knesset simulation CIE Sagi Shulman led the whole group in a Knesset simulation that served as the culmination of the weekend Teens portrayed fictional Knesset members with real Israeli experiences from Russian and Ethiopian immigrants to Mizrahi Jews and Arab Muslims The teens answered questions that helped them understand their characters such as what song food or article of clothing would represent them before grappling with Knesset issues The topics for debate included access to the Temple Mount Shabbat transportation the status of settlements and Arab quotas at Israeli universities Amid the additions and changes the teen institute kept such popular features as Emory campus tours Shabbat dinner and services at Emory Hillel and Chopped Hummus in which teams learn about Israeli food and culture while making their own hummus from a basket of surprise ingredients Discussions about planning and executing effective Israel programs will help the teens share what they learned in their home communities Although TILI has developed into an annual fall program in Atlanta CIE and ISMI also take the workshop on the road including to Seattle early last year and next May and arrange versions for particular groups such as United Synagogue Youth Contact Walter at rich walter israeled org for more information Shinshin Sagi Shulman far right offers guidance during a Knesset simulation the final activity of the Teen Israel Leadership Institute on December 8 about TILI CIE is a non partisan non profit independent institution committed to using primary materials to teach students educators and the general public broadly about modern Israel ISMI a non degree conferring unit of Emory is dedicated to enhancing knowledge of and scholarship on Israel and the Middle East on the university campus and beyond Shinshin Sagi Shulman Hayley Leopold of Oradell New Jersey and Eli Rosner of Solon Ohio examine how the Knesset would debate legislation on public transportation during Shabbat Now look I happen to know a little about leadership I ve had to work with a lot of nations for that matter at odds with each other And I tell you this you do not lead by hitting people over the head Any damn fool can do that but it s usually called assault not leadership I ll tell you what leadership is It s persuasion and conciliation and education and patience It s long slow tough work That s the only kind of leadership I know or believe in or will practice President Dwight D Eisenhower quotation as reported in Jon Meacham s book The Soul of America

Jewish Georgian Jan-Feb 2020

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