JGA July-August 09 - The Jewish Georgian

Jewish 

THE 

Georgian 

Volume 21, Number 5 Atlanta, Georgia JULY-AUGUST 2009 FREE 

What’s Inside 

iSeder Breaks 

New Ground 

An innovative Seder at The Temple 

explores how technology can enhance 

religious experience. 

By Scott Janovitz 

Page 29 

AIPAC’s Policy 

Conference 

More than a meeting to plan and strategize, 

this annual event is also rich with 

meaning and emotion. 

By Renee Brody Levow 

Page 13 

One Good Deed 

A small but formidable organization helps 

people with physical challenges remain in 

their homes. 

By Leon Socol 

Page 30 

Giving Back to Israel 

A grateful Dr. David Whiteman found 

love in Israel; years later, Israeli doctors 

saved his life. 

By Bill Sonenshine 

Page 28 

Coming Together 

The Augusta Federation’s Annual 

Meeting is a celebration of community 

connections and accomplishments. 

See Page 30 

Breaking the Silence 

Talking about the problem of substance 

abuse in the Jewish community is the first 

step toward solving it. 

By Mark Weinstein and Jeff Diamond 

Page 15 

Sophie Knapp (Photo: Cyndi Sterne) 

By Stuart Rockoff 

W 

aycross, 

Georgia, 

developed 

Exhibition introduces children to 

Jewish culture around the world 

O 

n August 30, The Sophie Hirsh 

Srochi Jewish Discovery Museum of 

the Marcus Jewish Community 

Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) will open a 

temporary exhibition, “Your Jewish 

World.” This exhibition, which follows 

the museum’s successful “Your Jewish 

Home” and “Your Jewish Town,” introduces 

children ages 2 to 12 to the wide 

array of Jewish culture from the Diaspora. 

Designed by Museum Director Cyndi 

Sterne and Harley Gould, “Your Jewish 

World” will run through July 31, 2010. 

In this exhibition, children will discover 

an imaginative world of different foods, 

costumes, and culture from South Africa 

The Jewish community 

of Waycross 

economically due to 

its location at the confluence 

of nine railroads 

and five highways, 

which gave Waycross Hebrew Center 

the town its name. 

As Waycross grew, Jews began to come to the area in small numbers, 

seeking to take advantage of the town’s economic opportunities. 

Perhaps the first Jew to live in the Waycross area was Alex 

Gilmore, who left Russia in 1900, when he was only 14 years old. 

By 1902, he had settled in Blackshear, just north of Waycross. By 

1910, he owned a dry goods store in Blackshear and had earned 

enough money to bring over two of his siblings and his widowed 

mother, all of whom lived with him. Soon, thereafter, a number of 

Russian Jewish immigrants followed Gilmore into this area, some 

of whom settled in Waycross. 

Of the Jewish immigrants who initially settled in Waycross, 

few set down deep roots in the community. According to the 1912 

city directory, there were 18 Jews in Waycross who were involved 

in commercial trade, either as dry goods merchants, shoemakers, or 

tailors. By 1921, all but three of these Jewish immigrants had left 

Waycross; many moved to other cities in Georgia. 

See WAYCROSS, page 5 

to South America, Eastern Europe to the United 

Kingdom. Each interactive display will have 

personal photographs and stories depicting 

Jewish experiences in these areas. 

Cyndi Sterne says, “When children learn 

about their differences, it is inevitable they will 

discover similarities as well. On a personal note, 

I know that my children love learning about different 

customs and traditions and also enjoy 

teaching their friends about their own heritage.” 

The Sophie Hirsh Srochi Jewish Discovery 

Museum is a children’s museum that focuses on 

integrating Judaism through interactive play, 

wonder, and exploration. The museum also 

See SOPHIE HIRSH SROCHI, page 14

Page 2 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN July-August 2009 

Who are the builders? 

T 

his past May, Pope Benedict XVI 

visited Israel and the West Bank. 

During the visit, he spoke of the 

“wall,” a subject that is continuously 

brought up by many people in discussing 

the conflict between Israel and its adjacent 

neighbors in the West Bank. 

While the pope is not the person who 

decided to refer to this partition as a wall, it 

is a term that I, as well as many others, 

have objected to, since it conjures up a 

vision of the Berlin Wall and all the negative 

happenings that accompanied and 

resulted from its construction. 

There is no denying that a barrier is 

being constructed, but since “more than 

97% of the planned 720 km. (480 mile) 

security fence will consist of a chain-link 

fence system” (see www.palestinefacts.org), 

it would be more correct to talk about a 

fence rather than a wall. The mental picture 

evoked by the word “fence” is that of a partition 

that would not visually block the 

landscape, while the mental picture summoned 

by the word “wall” is that of a concrete 

structure intended not only to limit 

access but also to limit any tie to the other 

side. 

But what this did for me was to raise 

THE 

Jewish Georgian 

The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is 

written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians. 

Publisher Marvin Botnick 

Co-Publisher Sam Appel 

Editor Marvin Botnick 

Managing Editor Marsha C. LaBeaume 

Assignment Editor Carolyn Gold 

Consulting Editor Gene Asher 

Associate Editor Barbara Schreiber 

Copy Editor Ray Tapley 

Assistant Copy Editor Arnold Friedman 

Makeup Editor Terri Christian 

Production Coordinator Terri Christian 

Designer David Gaudio 

Medical Editor Morris E. Brown, M.D. 

Photographic Staff Allan Scher, Phil Slotin, Phil Shapiro, 

Jonathan Paz 

Graphic Art Consultant Karen Paz 

Columnist Gene Asher, 

Jonathan Barach, 

Janice Rothschild Blumberg, 

Marvin Botnick, 

Shirley Friedman, Carolyn Gold, 

Jonathan Goldstein, George Jordan, 

Marice Katz, Balfoura Friend Levine, 

Marsha Liebowitz, Howard Margol, 

Bubba Meisa, Erin O’Shinsky, 

Reg Regenstein, Roberta Scher, 

Jerry Schwartz, Leon Socol, 

Bill Sonenshine, Rabbi Reuven Stein, 

Cecile Waronker, 

Evie Wolfe 

Special Assignments Susan Kahn, Lyons Joel 

Advertising Michael Pelot-VP-OP 

Bill Sonenshine 

Marsha C. LaBeaume 

Editorial Advisory Board Members 

Sam Appel Rabbi Alvin Sugarman Sam Massell 

Jane Axelrod Albert Maslia William Rothschild 

Gil Bachman Michael H. Mescon Marilyn Shubin 

Asher Benator Paul Muldawer Doug Teper 

8495 Dunwoody Place, Building 9, Suite 100 

Atlanta, GA 30350 

(404) 236-8911 • FAX (404) 236-8913 

jewishga@bellsouth.net 

www.jewishgeorgian.com 

The Jewish Georgian ©2009 

BY Marvin 

Botnick 

even a more interesting question. Who are 

the builders of the fence? 

Is it the party that contracted for the 

construction, the State of Israel? Is it the 

general contractor, which certainly was 

legally authorized to do business in Israel? 

Is it the parties who designed the project? 

Is it the actual workers who physically 

erected the fence, some of whom, no doubt, 

were Arabs? Or is it the groups and individuals 

whose actions resulted in the murder 

of and injury to innocent, non-combatant 

Israelis and visitors to Israel, destruction 

of property in the State of Israel, and 

unnecessary and unproductive deployment 

of assets that could have been used for constructive 

purposes? 

Consider the following information 

from Jewish Virtual Library: 

• “Approximately 75 percent of the 

suicide bombers who attacked targets 

inside Israel came from across the border 

where the first phase of the fence was 

built.” 

• “During the 34 months from the 

beginning of the violence in September 

2000 until the construction of the first continuous 

segment of the security fence at the 

end of July 2003, Samaria-based terrorists 

carried out 73 attacks in which 293 Israelis 

were killed and 1,950 wounded.” 

• “In the 11 months between the erection 

of the first segment at the beginning of 

August 2003 and the end of June 2004, 

only three attacks were successful, and all 

three occurred in the first half of 2003.” 

• “Since construction of the fence 

began, the number of attacks has declined 

by more than 90%. The number of Israelis 

murdered and wounded has decreased by 

more than 70% and 85%, respectively, after 

erection of the fence. 

“Even the Palestinian terrorists have 

admitted the fence is a deterrent. On 

November 11, 2006, Islamic Jihad leader 

Abdallah Ramadan Shalah said on Al- 

Manar TV that terrorist organizations had 

every intention of continuing suicidebombing 

attacks, but that their timing and 

the possibility of implementing them from 

Just fix’n to 

woke up during the night recently in a 

cold sweat, realizing that they had Istruck 

again. When would this insidi- 

ous plot end? 

I first became aware of this alien 

incursion into that sacred realm of tradition 

some years ago. I was visiting cousin 

Bobby Lee in Westabutchie, and he served 

grits with “toast” that had been made in 

the oven and browned on only one side. 

As if that was not bad enough, the butter 

had been put on the bread before it was 

toasted, so that the middle was mushy. 

In utter disbelief, I asked Bobby Lee 

why he had strayed from his heritage. Did 

he not realize that he was becoming a 

party to creating a two-class society? Not 

only was he using white bread, but he had 

lost the art of scraping. All of our lundsmen, 

especially those of us who were first 

generation, knew that the proper way to 

make toast was to brown it sufficiently so 

that the presentation was finished off by 

scraping the burnt portion immediately 

preceding the serving of the dish. The 

whole secret was in the wrist. It was only 

through using this method that the proper 

crunching noise could be made while consuming 

the delicacy. 

As you can guess, it was not long 

before this dastardly conspiracy had 

BY Bubba 

Meisa 

spread to rye bread. They had tried to hide 

this by printing “Jewish” rye on the wrapper, 

but one bite quickly told you that it 

was another Madison Avenue (that’s in 

New York, not Westabutchie) trick. Where 

was that hard crust that helped develop the 

jaw muscle? Where was that body that 

allowed a slice to stand tall, rather than 

slump over like a limp washrag? 

As you can see, partaking of the staff 

of life for the Jew is a total experience. We 

all know that suffering adds a special 

ingredient to life for the Jew. Eating bread 

is no different. Do we not eat matzoh at 

Passover to remind us of the suffering we 

endured as slaves in Egypt? I ask you 

then, how can any self-respecting Jew 

enjoy eating these modern transgressions 

against what we know to be right? How 

can we truly enjoy bread that can be consumed 

with no effort? 

And now we are confronted with the 

latest invasion into our proprietary realm 

of breads—the commercial bagel. 

the West Bank depended on other factors. 

‘For example,’ he said, ‘there is the separation 

fence, which is an obstacle to the 

resistance, and if it were not there, the situation 

would be entirely different.’” 

So, who really are the builders? 

Unlike the Berlin Wall and the walls 

built around the Jewish ghettos, this fence 

was not constructed to keep people in, but 

rather it is being put in place solely for the 

purpose of keeping terrorists out and preserving 

life. Just as jails are built by criminals, 

the fence is being built by the terrorists. 

The present population of Israel is 

approximately 75% Jewish, 20% Arab, and 

5% other. It is not a Jewish state, but a state 

for the Jews, and non-Jewish citizens have 

the same legal rights as the Jews—unlike 

the status of dhimmis for Jews and 

Christians under Muslim law. It is not a 

theocracy, as are some of its neighbors, any 

more than England is a Christian country, 

even though the monarch is the supreme 

governor of the Church of England and, as 

such, is the titular leader over the Church 

of England. Israel not only has the right, 

but it has the duty to protect its citizens, 

regardless of ethnicity or religion, and the 

fence has proven its validity as a tool 

towards this responsibility. The defensive 

measures, including the fence, would not 

be present if the terrorists had not built 

them. 

While the bagel does not go back to 

the days of the Temple, it has been with us 

for a long time. As we know it, the bagel 

is not suppose to have the consistency of a 

croissant, nor was it ever meant to have 

the same continental flare or pronunciation. 

It is more blue-collar in both taste 

and name. Those of us who are fans can 

eat a bagel right off the shelf, just as we 

would consume a pastry, or we can eat it 

toasted. In either case, eating a true bagel 

would be the ultimate Poligrip commercial. 

Until this point, I have sat by and said 

nothing about these changes, but I can no 

longer keep silent. Enough is enough; 

wake up before it is too late! The round 

roll with a hole in the middle that is being 

foisted on you from the frozen foods case 

is a conspiracy to weaken your jaw muscles 

so that you will not be able to open 

your mouth in protest. This donut-shape 

creation is an attempt to produce a whitebread 

generation. The uniformity of the 

impostor is an attempt to subvert individualism. 

You let them redefine toast and said 

nothing. You let them perpetrate the 

“Jewish” rye hoax and said nothing. Don’t 

let this bagel bamboozle spread without a 

loud protest. Join with me in speaking out 

against them while we still have developed 

jaw muscles to use.

July-August 2009 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 3 

What’s 

HAPPENING 

HE ST. REGIS ATLANTA. St. Regis 

Atlanta developer Paul Freeman has 

T 

hit a home run with his stunning new 

resort-like complex in Buckhead. 

Located on West Paces Ferry at 

Peachtree, the magnificent hotel has condo 

residences, restaurants, and bars that are 

attracting crowds of Atlantans. 

The Wall Street Journal calls the 

Starwood Hotels-managed St. Regis “by far 

the prettiest hotel in town, a modern take on 

traditional Southern grandeur, with spectacular 

public spaces and spacious rooms and 

baths decorated in soothing cream and aqua 

shades.” Reporter Laura Landro says she 

was also impressed by “the lobby’s 750pound 

chandelier and two marble staircases 

sweeping up to a second-story lounge 

area... The vast outdoor piazza with cascading 

waterfall...19th-century Venetian mirrors, 

antiqued-glass vases filled with tall 

pussy willows, silver plated objets d’ art, 

and paintings by Atlanta artists, many commissioned 

for the hotel. My favorite ‘green’ 

feature: a toilet with one flush button for 

‘half’ and one for ‘full.’” 

The St. Regis has it all: The Paces 88 

American Bistro; the St. Regis Bar, 

designed after the legendary King Cole Bar 

and Lounge at the St. Regis New York; 

afternoon tea in the lobby; a wine-tasting 

room; the Poolside Cafe and Bar, with fireplace; 

the Grotto Bar and Cafe, tucked into 

the Grand Terrace—and each space with its 

own special cuisine, atmosphere, culture, 

and style. 

Overlooking the pool are the five-star 

Remede Spa, a 

billiards and card 

room, a well 

equipped gym and 

health center, plus 

a lovely ballroom, 

all giving the St. 

Regis a resort feel. 

Paul says that he 

has spent the last 

five years of his 

life focused on the 

project, “...build- 

St. Regis Developer 

Paul Freeman 

ing an Intown 

resort, a landmark 

facility with time- 

less architecture that will benefit Atlanta, 

serve its guests, and provide a wonderful 

place for people to live and visit.” 

POWER DINERS. Spotted power-dining at 

Hal Novak’s popular eatery, Hal’s on Old 

Ivy: Native Atlantans Richard Alterman, 

Jerry Gordon, and Paul Ehrlich, haggling 

over the bill and debating whether to leave 

a 5% or 10% tip. Here’s “What’s 

BY Reg 

Regenstein 

Happening” with these legendary Native 

Atlantans: 

• Paul’s father-in-law, Stedman Shropshire, 

a World War II Marine veteran of Iwo Jima, 

just turned 90. He is an active architect who 

still draws by hand. Paul’s wife, Gray, is his 

only living child. Congratulations to Mr. 

Shropshire, thanks for serving our country, 

and Semper fi. 

• Jerry’s son Brandon is getting married to 

the lovely and delightful Leila Mansouri. 

Both are students working on their Ph.D.s at 

the University of California-Irvine. 

• Richard just took a trip to New York City 

with his wife, Marty, and his 91-year-old 

mother, Sara. They went to see his prodigy 

son, Joseph, perform on the piano at the 

world-renowned Blue Note Jazz Club with 

Grammy-winning saxophonist Ralph 

Lalama. After the performance, Bubbie 

Sara (whom Richard describes as “the 

spryest one of the lot”) jumped up on stage 

to have her picture taken, saying, “Now I 

feel fulfilled, having seen Joseph play at the 

Blue Note.” 

Ralph Lalama, Joseph Alterman, and 

Sara Alterman, at the Blue Note 

DON OBERDORFER HONORED. We ran 

into our friend, insurance magnate Gene 

Oberdorfer, who is always gracious, charming, 

and sporting a big smile. Gene tells us 

that his distinguished brother, Native 

Atlantan Don, has just been awarded the 

prestigious James A. Van Fleet Award by 

the Korea Society, the first journalist ever 

chosen for this prize. 

In his four decades in journalism, Don 

has established a reputation as one of the 

world’s foremost experts on North Korea, 

and his articles on his visits there are classic 

accounts of life in a country that, in many 

ways, is like a medieval monarchy. 

Don has served successively as The 

Washington Post’s White House, Northeast 

Asia, and diplomatic correspondent. His 

books The Two Koreas and Tet are considered 

among the best ever written about the 

conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. 

GRADY HIGH’S CLASS OF ‘59. Grady 

High School’s renowned class of 1959, 

which has contributed some of our city’s 

most colorful figures, just celebrated its 

50th anniversary. 

Martha Jo Katz, who is much too 

young to have graduated way back then, but 

her husband, Jerry, did, told us all about the 

reunion. 

Coming in from out of town were such 

notables as Michael and Eleanor Blass from 

Waleska, Georgia; Charles and Gail 

Herman, from Birmingham, Alabama; and 

Marsha Siegel Belson and Harvey Belson 

from Columbia, South Carolina. 

Also in attendance were Alan 

Alterman; Larry Cooper; Gail Feldser 

Natter; Larry Fine; Daniel Hirsh, his twin 

Martha Jo Katz and Marcia Siegel 

Belson 

Jerry Katz, Ronnie Goings, and Jan 

Jackson 

Jerry Katz; Mr. Overton, chemistry 

teacher; and Gary Goldstein 

bro, Marvin, and Marvin’s wife, Rita; Cary 

and Sherry Adelman King; Nancy Mitzner 

Markle; Charles and Ann Marie Rosenfeld; 

Charles and Bunny Rothberg Rosenberg; 

Alice Isenberg Sanders; Eleanor Leff 

Schwartz; Marilyn Makover Shapiro; and 

Dick Sokol. 

The Varsity truck catered the Friday 

night event at Garden Hills Park, so the 

food was great. And when one guest 

thought he might be having a heart attack, 

guess who came up with a much-needed 

aspirin? Jerry! He was the only one at the 

party who was prepared for a medical emergency. 

But what would you expect from 

someone smart and lucky enough to marry 

Martha Jo? 

Those were great days, back then, 

which we did not appreciate at the time, but 

we’ll always have those wonderful memories. 

STAN LEWIS, P.I. We love to write about 

Atlanta’s colorful characters and interesting, 

offbeat people. And we knew we’d 

found one when we recently met Stan 

Lewis at an anti-dogfighting event hosted 

by The Humane Society of the United 

States. First of all, Stan does the best 

Rodney Dangerfield imitation we’ve ever 

heard. We asked him how he was doing, and 

he replied, in perfect Rodneyese, “I’m OK 

now, but last night was rough.” 

But his main gig is as a private investigator, 

and as head of ICU Investigations, he 

has worked to locate missing and runaway 

children, serve summonses to hard-to-find 

defendants, and check up on cheating 

spouses. 

Stan was featured a while back in an 

article in the 

Atlanta Journal- 

Constitution, saying 

that when 

men cheat, it’s 

usually with 

someone they’ve 

met through 

work. “But they 

are horrible at 

covering their 

tracks. I had a 

husband going to 

Private investigator 

Stan Lewis 

his girlfriend’s 

house five days a 

week at the same 

time every day. Monday through Friday, 

quarter to six, he was there. It was like 

shooting fish in a barrel.” 

Stan’s son Adam works with him. 

“Adam once served papers to a gentleman 

in Midtown Atlanta, who came to the door 

wearing nothing but his socks and shoes,” 

Stan recalls. “Adam was shocked, and after 

he told me about it, I said, ‘I have the same 

outfit.’” 

BASEBALL CHAMP JOSH FARBER. 

Josh’s team, the Mountain Park Marlins, 

just won their 3rd-grade league championship 

in Lilburn in the Mountain Park 

league, with Josh playing outfield and scoring 

lots of runs. Josh rocks, and thank goodness 

he takes after Mom Roberta “Rocky” 

See HAPPENING, page 4


Happening 

From page 3 

Rochman, instead of Dad Jerry. Josh is an 

honor roll student at Arcado Elementary 

School, where he was also voted friendliest 

in class. 

Baseball champ Josh Farber 

SOUTHERN FRIED SCHMALTZ. Jerry 

has also been busy, headlining 

Congregation B’nai Torah’s Southern Fried 

Schmaltz event, where he entertained over 

400 people to benefit the Jewish Family & 

Career Services Emergency Fund. The 

event, sponsored by the Hebrew Order of 

David Carmel Lodge, raised $6,500 for 

JF&CS. 

Jerry had a couple of tough acts to follow. 

David Cohen emceed the event, beginning 

with 

Dunwoody’s 

Saul Sloman, a 

native Atlantan 

who lived for 

five years in 

Israel, graduated 

from Georgia 

State University, 

and has appeared 

at the Punchline 

and the Funny 

Farm locally. 

Jerry Farber Saul did a hilarious 

40-minute 

schtick of jokes 

and stories in the 

Borscht Belt 

style. The crowd 

loved it and 

wondered why 

Saul was not the 

headliner 

instead of Jerry. 

As for Jerry, he 

said it was the 

best Jewish 

audience he 

Saul Sloman 

ever had, at 

least since his bar mitzvah in 1950. Jerry 

did his usual adult humor—all the jokes 

were at least 21 years old. 

One guest told Saul that the event was 

a real mitzvah, since everyone had a ball 

and forgot for an hour and a half about the 

recession and world turmoil and all the 

other troubles on their minds. 

“The event was such a roaring success,” 

says Saul, “that we plan to make it an 

annual event.” 

GOLDBERG’S DELI. Goldberg’s has 

always been one of our favorite places to 

dine, schmooze, and kibbitz. 

Apparently, lots of other folks also 

enjoy Goldberg’s, since they now have five 

locations: West Paces Ferry at Northside 

Parkway; Roswell Road in Buckhead; East 

Cobb; Colony Square; and Chamblee- 

Dunwoody at I-285. Jewish dining at its 

best. 

R 

uby Jones is a bundle of perpetual 

motion. She never walks when she 

can run. And she is on the run 12-14 

hours a day. 

If there is a star at The Jewish Tower, it 

is Ruby. This 5’ 2”, 66-year-old lady (she 

looks 20 years younger) has a heart of gold. 

She does not play cards or bingo or sit 

around The Tower lobby. She has no time 

for schmoozing. What she does have time 

for is driving Tower residents to the hospital, 

doctor’s office, and supermarket. 

At Henri’s Bakery, where she works 

three days a week, she averages about 

37,000 steps a day. 

She sometimes 

opens and closes 

the bakery. In 

between, she runs 

from the front to 

the kitchen, where 

she prepares sandwiches, 

cakes, and 

assorted delicacies, 

and then races 

back to the front, 

where she welcomes 

customers 

with her milliondollar 

smile. 

You seldom 

see Ruby without 

her seven-year-old 

Yorkie, Weston. 

She walks Weston 

daily, 2-5 miles, rain or shine. The only people 

who come before Weston are sisters 

Belenda and Shirley, brother Harold, and 

nephews Eddie, Jim, Johnny, and Tyson. 

Ruby was born in Knoxville, 

Tennessee, worked her way through the 

University of Tennessee, and is a loyal 

Volunteer supporter. She moved to Atlanta 

18 years ago and has been running ever 

since. She managed the Sweet Auburn Curb 

Market for the City of Atlanta and was 

assistant manager of the State Farmers 

Market in Forest Park. 

FROM SAM MASSELL’S SCRAP- 

BOOK. Mayor Sam Massell and his 

lovely daughter, Melanie, now a popular 

singer, welcome Michael 

Jackson and the rest of the Jackson 

5 to his office at City Hall, on April 7, 

1971. 

Ruby better than gold 

Ruby Jones (Photo: Phil Slotin) 

BY Gene 

Asher 

After she moved into The Tower two 

years ago, she found she could not stay busy 

enough, so she took a job at Henri’s. Cream 

rises to the top, and it certainly is true of 

Ruby Jones. It was scarcely one year before 

she assumed the 

duties of opening 

and closing. Most 

of her work days 

start at 6:00 

a.m.—and end at 

10:00 p.m. 

She gets her 

energy and motivation 

to excel 

from her mother, 

who worked two 

jobs to literally 

bring home the 

bacon. 

“My spare time 

is spent with family,” 

says Ruby. 

“My sisters and 

nephews are the 

most important 

people in my life.” 

Weston comes next. 

Besides her work, Ruby is strong on 

volunteering. She is the No. 1 Tower resident 

in promoting the Sunshine Fund, 

founded the Men’s Clothing Closet for 

Atlanta’s First United Methodist Church, 

and serves on the Council for Aging Persons 

for the Community Outreach Program. 

When I think of Ruby Jones, I think of 

passages from our old Union Prayer Book: 

“...receive the helpless and despondent with 

sympathy and love.”


Waycross 

From page 1 

Despite this extreme level of population 

turnover, the Jewish community of 

Waycross began to organize in the 1920s. 

Jews in the area first gathered to pray 

together in 1920. Four years later, thirteen 

men officially organized a congregation, 

with Alex Gilmore as its first president. All 

but one of these founders were immigrants 

from Russia or Poland. Half of them owned 

dry goods stores, though their numbers also 

included peddlers, store clerks, and a 

lawyer. In 1924, Waycross Jews traveled to 

Valdosta or Brunswick for the High Holy 

Days; the local newspaper noted that the 

Jewish merchants in town closed their 

stores for the occasion. 

Between 1926 and 1953, the congregation 

rented space in the Knights of Pythias 

Hall, on Plant Avenue. Alex Gilmore bought 

a Torah for the group in the 1920s; the 

Gilmore family 

donated a second 

Torah to the congregation 

in 1935, after 

Alex’s death. The 

congregation would 

often bring in visiting 

rabbis to lead 

services on the High 

Holy Days. 

By 1937, 47 

Jews lived in 

Waycross, and they 

began to discuss the 

possibility of building 

a synagogue. 

Due to the effects of 

the Great 

Depression, the congregation 

had to 

postpone its plans 

for a permanent 

home. Finally, on 

May 22, 1952, the congregation broke 

ground on the Waycross Hebrew Center, on 

Screven Avenue. They were able raise 

money from local Jews, family members 

who lived in other cities, Jewish-owned 

wholesale firms in other cities that did business 

with the area’s Jewish merchants, and 

local gentiles. When the synagogue was 

dedicated in the summer of 1953, the congregation 

held an open house in which the 

non-Jewish neighbors were invited to tour 

the synagogue and learn about Judaism. 

Local Christian ministers announced the 

open house from their pulpits and encouraged 

their members to attend. 

The congregation was Conservative in 

practice, though it has never officially affiliated 

with any of the Jewish movements. A 

kosher kitchen was maintained in the building, 

even though most members did not 

keep kosher at home. For some members, 

walking to shul was not possible, as the 

Waycross Hebrew Center attracted Jews 

from several of the small towns in the area. 

At the time of the synagogue’s dedication, 

members lived in Alma, Blackshear, 

Douglas, Homerville, Jessup, and Baxley, in 

addition to Waycross. 

A cemetery sign 

Like all Southern Jews, the members of 

the Waycross Hebrew Center had to adapt to 

the local culture while working to maintain 

their religious traditions. In many cases, 

Waycross Jews had to make compromises. 

Since so many of them owned stores, the 

congregation held services only on Friday 

nights, as members had to work on 

Saturdays, the busiest trading day of the 

week. Al Jacobson recalls moving the start 

time for Friday night services from 8:00 

p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during high school football 

season when there were several 

teenagers in the congregation. Since the 

congregation was conservative, they insisted 

on waiting until sundown, and thus, even 

with the earlier start time and shortened 

service, they still arrived late at the game. 

As they entered the stands, other fans would 

shout, “I hope you prayed for us!” 

Soon after the congregation settled into 

its own building, members discussed hiring 

a full-time rabbi to lead the congregation, 

but they came to the conclusion that it was 

beyond their financial 

means. In 1961, they 

made an arrangement 

with the Jewish congregation 

in Valdosta, 

that its rabbi, Samuel 

Zakuto, would drive 

the 60 miles to 

Waycross each week 

to teach Hebrew to the 

children in the religious 

school. Rabbi 

Zakuto also officiated 

at the Waycross congregation’s 

lifecycle 

events. He served the 

congregation into the 

1970s. Since then, 

Waycross has relied on 

student rabbis from the 

Jewish Theological 

Seminary for the High 

Holy Day services and 

lay readers for the rest of the year. 

In 1948, 35 Jewish families belonged to 

the Waycross Hebrew Center. By 1968, this 

number had dropped to 24, as children 

raised in Waycross moved away in search of 

greater economic and social opportunities. 

Historically, Jews had been concentrated in 

retail trade in Waycross. By the 1970s, most 

of these stores began to close, including 

Weisser’s Jewelry Store, which had been in 

business for over fifty years. Jacobson’s 

Department Store closed in 1981, after 58 

years in operation. Today, there are no more 

Jewish-owned retail businesses in 

Waycross. 

In 2005, the congregation’s newsletter 

declared, “We are shrinking.” After the 

community Seder drew 47 people in 2008, 

congregation President Al Jacobson noted, 

“We were saddened by the fact that there 

was not one Jewish child to ask the four 

questions. We need youth.” 

Despite this decline, the small but 

close-knit membership of the Waycross 

Hebrew Center has persevered and continues 

to hold weekly lay-led Friday night 

services. About 11 or 12 members regularly 

attend, with some driving as much as 70 

miles to get to Waycross. If they cannot 

make a minyan, they hold an abbreviated 

service. 

The congregation still brings down a 

student rabbi from the Jewish Theological 

Seminary for the high holidays. The synagogue’s 

kitchen is still kosher, and the 

members bring in kosher meat from 

Jacksonville for special events. Al Jacobson 

continues to edit the congregation’s 

Inside the synagogue 

newsletter, which he has done since 1968. 

Rich Luskin serves as the lay leader of the 

weekly services, and Ann Jacobson, Al’s 

wife, often adds a Torah commentary. 

This small but dedicated group has 

worked hard to ensure that Jewish life continues 

in Waycross, Georgia. 

Dr. Stuart Rockoff is historian at the 

Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern 

Jewish Life.


MJCCA NEWS 

GOLF CLASSIC. The MJCCA’s Harry 

Maziar Classic, which took place June 22, 

drew more than 110 golfers to the Atlanta 

National Golf Club, including Billi and 

Bernie Marcus, Steve Selig, and, of course, 

the tournament’s namesake, Harry Maziar. 

The event raised more than $50,000, which 

will be used to enhance vital MJCCA programs 

such as preschool and camping 

scholarships, Alzheimer’s daycare services, 

developmental disabilities programming, 

and much more. Each year, the tournament 

honors an outstanding member of the community. 

This year’s tournament honored 

Harry Maziar, co-chair of the MJCCA 

Governance Board, past MJCCA president, 

native Atlantan, and dedicated member of 

the community. 

Retired chairman of the chemical division 

of National Service Industries, Harry 

Maziar has been active in a wide variety of 

philanthropic and social programs, including 

Junior Achievement, the Atlanta 

Humane Society, the Jewish Federation of 

Greater Atlanta, Jewish Family & Career 

Services, The William Breman Jewish 

Home, and United Way. He is executive-inresidence 

at the Michael J. Coles College of 

Business at Kennesaw State University and 

former president of Zep Manufacturing 

Company. Maziar lives in Buckhead with 

his wife, Sherry. 

Harry Maziar enjoyed a day of good 

sports and good friends. (Photo 

courtesy of Heidi Morton 

Photography) 

Bernie Marcus and Robert Paller get 

ready for a day on the links. (Photo 

courtesy of Heidi Morton 

Photography) 

Harry Maziar, surrounded by his loving 

family, was presented the Scroll 

of Honor following his namesake 

golf tournament, the Harry Maziar 

Classic, Monday, June 22. Pictured: 

(front row, from left) Josh Philipson, 

Cory Philipson, Lisa Philipson, 

Sherry Maziar, Paige Philipson, and 

Neal Maziar; (back row, from left) 

Jake Maziar, Harry Maziar, Joey 

Maziar, Susan Maziar, Todd Maziar, 

Hal Philipson, Bram Philipson, and 

Amy Sue Maziar. (Photo courtesy of 

Heidi Morton Photography) 

THE MIRACLE OF JEWISH CUBA. This 

winter, fifteen Atlantans will travel to Cuba 

to deliver donations to the Jewish community. 

The trip, which runs December 28, 

2009-January 4, 2010, will give participants 

the opportunity to explore Judaism through 

another culture while experiencing the trip 

of a lifetime. While traveling, participants 

will stop along the way to deliver donations; 

visit landmarks such as Patronato, 

Old Havana, Templo Sepharadi, and 

Revolution Square; and have the unique 

experience of celebrating Shabbat and ringing 

in the New Year in a different country. 

Participants will solicit donations of pharmaceuticals 

and deliver items ranging from 

baby aspirin to adult diapers. Monetary 

donations will also be delivered to the community. 

Fees are $2,950 for a double occupancy 

room or an additional $300 for a single 

occupancy room. The trip includes flight, 

hotel, transportation, guides, some meals, 

and medical insurance. The deposit and 

application are due October 15. 

For more information, contact 

Shaindle Schmuckler at 678-812-3983 or 

Shaindle@atlantajcc.org. 

April 2009 MJCCA Humanitarian 

Mission to Jewish Cuba participants


(front row, from left) MJCCA Guide 

Shaindle Schmuckler, Charmaine 

Weber, Christa Taunton, Diana 

Silverman, and Loretta Winter; (back 

row, from left) Beth Sugarman and 

Maudi Taunton 

——— 

Teen Community Service (TCS) 

Camp participants Aaron Itzkovitz, 

Shira Lubinsky, and Talya Gordon 

visit with Betty Shapiro at the 

William Breman Jewish Home. 

(Photo courtesy of the MJCCA) 

TCS campers Max Mager, Ben Getty, 

and Sam Shapiro help pack medical 

supplies at MedShare International 

for shipment around the world. 


TCS campers (front to back, left) 

Ariella Bland, Talya Gordon, Katie 

Cohen, Josh Shapiro, Sammy 

Martinez, Jared Kerker, and (right 

front) Leo Mager help pack food at 

Project Open Hand. 


——— 

ALTA KOCKER SOFTBALL GAME. 

Despite temperatures nearing 100 degrees, 

75 alums from the MJCCA Adult Men’s 

Softball Leagues from the years 1975-90 

came together for the 2nd annual MJCCA 

Alta Kocker Softball Game, on June 28. 

The group, organized by Gene Benator and 

Marcus Katz, enjoyed an afternoon of 

camaraderie, sportsmanship, and trading 

stories. While minor injuries were reported, 

the chief complaint of the day seemed to the 

ubiquitous bruised ego. 

Program Benefactor Marcus Katz 

(left) and Program Coordinator Gene 

Benator 

——— 

EXHIBITION CELEBRATES TEL 

AVIV’S 100 YEARS. “Hidden Corners of 

Tel Aviv,” an exhibition featuring the photography 

of Gideon Spiegel, Michal Peleg, 

and Shifra Levyathan, is on display at the 

MJCCA’s Katz Family Mainstreet Gallery, 

through August 18. 

Gideon Spiegel was born and raised in 

Petah Tikvah, Israel. He studied at the 

Bezalel School of Art in Jerusalem and currently 

lives and works in Tel Aviv. An artist 

as well as a photographer, Spiegel created a 

special technique called “photo-painting,” 

which combines his photographs of hidden 

places in his community with photographs 

of his paintings. 

Michal Peleg was born in Israel and 

currently lives in Hod Hasharon. She 

received her bachelors’ degree in architecture 

and town planning at the Technion- 

Israel Institute of Technology. Peleg began 

her photography career photographing 

design and architecture for Globes 

Publisher Supplements. Today, she works 

as a freelance photographer, specializing in 

social event photography and editorial documentary. 

Shifra Levyathan was born in Petah 

Tikva, Israel. She studied at the Bezalel 

School of Art in Jerusalem and was owner 

and curator of the Carlyle Art Gallery, in Tel 

Aviv. From her home alongside the Ramat- 

Gann National Park to the streets of Tel 

Aviv to the Golan Heights, Levyathan 

always has her camera within reach. Her 

work has been shown in numerous exhibitions 

across Israel, including “Art At 

Home,” “White Night,” and “At Eye 

Level,” in Tel Aviv; and “Frame Stories,” in 

Ramat Gan. 

Shifra Levyathan, Trio 

Michal Peleg, Triathalon 

The Katz Family Mainstreet Gallery is 

located at the MJCCA, 5342 Tilly Mill 

Road, Dunwoody. For more information, 

contact Arts & Culture Director Kim 

Goodfriend at 678-812-4071 or kim.goodfriend@atlantajcc.org. 

——— 

At the MJCCA, campers can enjoy a 

summer of safe and meaningful fun, 

choosing from more than 100 day 

camp options including travel, 

drama, sports, and arts camps at 

locations in Dunwoody, North Metro, 

and East Cobb. (Photos courtesy of 

the MJCCA) 

——— 

CELEBRATE ISRAEL. A little inclement 

weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the 

3,000+ festivalgoers who came to celebrate 

the 61st anniversary of Israel’s statehood 

and the 100th birthday of Tel Aviv. The 

Celebrate Israel! Festival, May 17, at the 

MJCCA, moved indoors when a rainy forecast 

threatened the mostly outdoor event. 

The festival featured community organizations; 

the Suntrust Shuk, filled with enticing 

vendors selling everything from recycled Tshirts 

to fashion jewelry; a myriad of children’s 

activities, including inflatables and a 

dance party; an Eastern European pavilion; 

an Israeli museum; and delicious food from 

area vendors and restaurants. 

CELEBRATE ISRAEL! Pictured, from 

left: Event Co-chairs Hadara Ishak 

and Leah Blum and MJCCA 

President Sherie Gumer (Photo: 

Heidi Morton Photography) 

Celebrating the sweetness of 61 

years of existence of the state of 

Israel (Photo: Heidi Morton 

Photography) 

Barbara and Ed Mendel cut the ribbon 

at the Barbara and Ed Mendel 

Splash Park Grand Opening and 

Dedication Ceremony, held during 

the Celebrate Israel! Festival, May 

17. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Morton 

Photography) 

Kids stay cool at the Barbara and Ed 

Mendel Splash Park. (Photo courtesy 

of Heidi Morton Photography) 

See MJCCA NEWS, page 14


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Upon my honor, I will try 

A 

friend brought me a delicious 

casserole that tasted even better 

than it looked, and she hit not only 

my taste buds but also my heartstrings 

when she said, “This is a Girl Scout dish, 

and I knew you were an old Girl Scout and 

would appreciate it. We were taught to wrap 

all of the layers in aluminum foil and take it 

on our hike and cook it over hot coals.” 

I said, “Lordy, chile, there was no such 

thing as aluminum foil when I was a scout.” 

There were my early childhood years, 

when I just dreamed of being a Girl Scout. 

We didn’t have Brownies and might never 

have had a scout troop if one of the schoolteachers 

hadn’t become interested because 

of her daughter. And then, for the rest 

of my grammar and high school 

days (almost), I was first a Girl 

Scout and then a person. 

My whole world 

became organized around 

the olive green of the uniform 

and the three fingers 

held high in a pledge. It 

was all-important: the 

merit badges, passing the 

tests, the hikes, the camping, 

the projects; and I adored it. 

My friends adored it, and we 

became even closer friends. 

But here comes a “however”: Although 

my fondest memories involve being a 

scout, and we were all so appreciative of 

our leader, who gave unmeasured time, she 

was a stern lady, unyielding and unforgiving. 

She preached to us constantly about the 

evils and sins of the world, such as speaking 

to a male classmate as he rode by on his 

bike. Her assistant was warmer and laughed 

more easily, but our leader was a forceful 

disciplinarian. We were innocent children 

and needed to learn discipline mainly as it 

involved our natural surroundings. She was 

fearless in those times when you could 

afford to be, and we experienced many 

wondrous things. 

We should not have been surprised 

when the day came that she announced, as 

we stood at attention, that, since her daughter 

was finishing school that spring, she 

would no longer be our scout leader. Her 

assistant could not take on the responsibility. 

We cried and wandered the residential 

streets, going in and calling, unannounced, 

on those ladies we thought might adopt us. 

Sympathetic ears all, but no one wanted 

such a commitment. We had been blessed 

with our stern mistress; it was too much to 

hope that she might have mellowed like Mr. 

Belvedere. 

BY 

Shirley 

Friedman 

A lifetime later (actually only eight 

years), I returned to my high school as a 

teacher and had the most wonderful students 

possible. One afternoon after classes, 

a group of young girls came to my room 

and said, “Our scout leader had to quit. Will 

you take us?” Deja vu! I pressed my lips 

together and tried to blink away the tears. I 

said, “Let me tell you a little story about 

what happened when I was your 

age, and you’ll know why I 

can’t possibly say ‘No’ to 

you.” 

I said “yes,” and, once 

again, scouting became 

an important part of my 

life. I was there only a 

year, and we didn’t do as 

many outstanding things 

as I had done under my 

efficient leader, whom I 

could not duplicate. I was many 

years younger and not nearly as brilliant. 

But we were properly organized, our 

activities were well-planned and controlled, 

and we had some wonderful, wonderful 

times. My last memory was of winding up 

in the hospital with a terrible ear infection 

from swimming in a “not too clear” pond. 

Many, many years later, I went down 

home for the centennial of our town. At a 

reception, I was talking to a young friend 

who is a mountain climber of great note. I 

told her how thrilled and astounded I was at 

her prowess. “Well, you got me started,” 

she said. My husband spilled his punch and 

lifted an eyebrow. 

“But,” I said, “I could never climb a 

mountain.” 

She said, “Don’t you remember all of 

the great hikes we took when you were our 

scout leader? I just loved them, and that’s 

what made me become interested in mountain 

climbing.” 

That one remark was worth the ear 

infection and all of the weekends spent 

camping and hiking instead of partying or 

sleeping late. 

Here’s to Juliette Low and hiking and 

cooking on coals (and aluminum foil!)— 

and to love and warmth and understanding, 

mixed with merit badges.


No sanction to bigotry, no assistance to persecution 

T 

his is the month we celebrate the 

anniversary of the establishment of the 

United States as an independent, sover- 

eign nation. This holiday also is a reminder to 

us as Jews to take time to recall our good fortune 

in being granted citizenship in this wonderful 

country and to rejoice in the many privileges 

and opportunities that have flowed to us 

from this citizenship. 

There is nothing more symbolic of our 

membership in the citizenship fold of the 

United States than the historic Touro 

Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. This 

structure is home to Congregation Jeshuat 

Israel, a small Orthodox congregation. This is 

the same congregation that erected this building, 

the oldest Jewish synagogue building still 

standing in the country and the only such pre- 

Revolutionary structure that survives. 

In 1790, Moses Seixas, the synagogue’s 

warden, wrote to President George 

Washington words that still ring true today. 

The following is an excerpt from this letter: 

“Deprived as we heretofore have been of 

the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now 

with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty 

disposer of all events behold a Government, 

erected by the Majesty of the People—a 

Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, 

to persecution no assistance—but generously 

affording to all Liberty of conscience, 

and immunities of Citizenship: deeming every 

one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language 

equal parts of the great governmental 

BY Marvin 

Botnick 

Machine. This so ample and extensive Federal 

Union whose basis is Philanthropy, Mutual 

confidence and Public Virtue, we cannot but 

acknowledge to be the work of the Great God, 

who ruleth in the Armies of Heaven, and 

among the Inhabitants of the Earth, doing 

whatever seemeth him good. 

“For all these Blessings of civil and reli- 

Touro Synagogue 

gious liberty which we enjoy under an equal 

benign administration, we desire to send up 

our thanks to the Ancient of Days, the great 

preserver of Men—beseeching him, that the 

Angel who conducted our forefathers through 

the wilderness into the promised Land, may 

graciously conduct you through all the difficulties 

and dangers of this mortal life. And, 

when, like Joshua full of days and full of honour, 

you are gathered to your Fathers, may you 

be admitted into the Heavenly Paradise to partake 

of the water of life, and the tree of immortality.” 

It was to this letter that President 

Washington, a year before the Bill of Rights 

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was ratified, replied with what is now his 

famous letter and one of the most important 

documents in American history. In this simple, 

unique response, the guarantee was enunciated 

that the new nation would be a place of religious 

freedom, where no creed would be persecuted. 

The following is a portion of this document: 

“...the Government of the United 

States...gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution 

no assistance...May the children of the 

Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, 

continue to merit and enjoy the good will of 

the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit 

in safety under his own vine and figtree, and 

there shall be none to make him afraid. May 

the father of all mercies scatter light and not 

darkness in our paths, and make us all in our 

several vocations useful here, and in his own 

due time and way everlastingly happy.” 

For those of us who have lived in this 

great nation and been the beneficiaries of a 

society that has given voice to words of 

President Washington, it is hard to really 

appreciate how radically progressive was such 

a position. Let us not forget that it was the pain, 

suffering, and subjugation of the Inquisition 

that drove the first Jewish settlers to America, 

some of whom were the very people that 

founded the Newport congregation. As we celebrate 

our nation’s 233rd birthday, let us be 

true to our commandment, “justice, justice 

shall thou pursue,” and forcefully supportive 

of the rights of all humans. 

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Dachau Artist Colony exhibition continues at Oglethorpe 

T 

he groundbreaking exhibitions 

“Dachau Before Dachau: European 

Artist Colony 1860-1914” and 

“Dachau Concentration Camp: Years of 

Destruction 1933-1945” are at the 

Oglethorpe University Museum of Art 

(OUMA) through August 30. 

When Chloe Edwards, president 

of Oglethorpe’s Jewish Student Union, 

first heard that the exhibition was coming 

to the school, she “was intrigued but also 

apprehensive, “ she wrote in the The 

Stormy Petrel, the student newspaper. 

“What could this mean to me, as a Jew and 

the current president of the Jewish Student 

Union, and also as an art lover, someone 

who attends the opening of new OUMA 

exhibits religiously each semester? Could 

I, in good conscience, attend this exhibit, 

let alone endorse it? While I have heard 

arguments for supporting and shunning 

the Dachau exhibit, having thought long 

and hard about it, I find that I must support 

the efforts of the museum in bringing 

this exhibit to campus. “ 

The following essays are reprinted, 

with permission, from the exhibition catalogue 

accompany the Dachau Artist 

Colony exhibition at the OUMA. 

————— 

It was during the twentieth century 

that the name “Dachau” became famous 

throughout Europe and the world in association 

with horror. For Dachau was the 

location of the concentration camp that 

bore the city’s name from the very beginning. 

The name “Dachau” will always go 

hand in hand with memories of the 

National Socialist crimes against humanity, 

a circumstance placing a special 

responsibility on the city which it must— 

and will—never evade. This responsibility 

means, among other things, that Dachau 

must do everything in its power to ensure 

that the memory of the abominable crimes 

of National Socialism is kept alive for the 

generations that did not witness the events 

first-hand. The first and foremost obligation 

assigned the city of Dachau by its 

own history is to be a city of peace and a 

place of learning and commemoration for 

the world’s youth. 

As a site of remembrance, Dachau 

actively confronts its history. One concrete 

expression of this is the Dachau 

Youth Guesthouse, which invites young 

people from Germany and abroad to study 

National Socialist despotism and organizes 

discussions with persons who experienced 

the historical events. The town has 

furthermore established a Department of 

Contemporary History in addition to hosting 

an annual symposium on the same 

subject. 

Yet Dachau was and is also a city of 

culture. Already in the late nineteenth century, 

due to its proximity to Munich, one 

of the most important artists’ colonies of 

Europe emerged here. Attracted by the 

fascinating landscape of the Dachau 

Moor, a substantial number of artists— 

Adolf Hoelzel, Ludwig Dill, Arthur 

Langhammer, and others—moved to 

Dachau. And thanks to the unusually large 

number of artists presently living and 

working here, the city is still a vibrant 

artists’ centre today. What is more, 

Dachau has become increasingly active in 

the Federation of European Artists’ 

Colonies EuroArt. 

In the coming years, by means of a 

traveling exhibition in English, Dachau 

would like to introduce itself internationally 

as a place of commemoration and culture. 

In the process, it will decidedly not 

use culture as a means of distracting from 

the city’s history. On the contrary: the city 

of Dachau wants to show how important 

the interplay of commemoration and culture 

is for a peaceful and open world. 

In Dachau, culture and commemoration 

are inseparable. Along with the city’s 

active commemoration and remembrance 

work, art and culture serve as responses to 

its history and act as its ambassadors to 

the world. The city of Dachau, whose 

name has become synonymous with the 

atrocities committed during the Third 

Reich, is opening its doors and presenting 

itself to the world as a cosmopolitan and 

international city of culture. 

—Peter Bürgel, Mayor, City of Dachau 

—————- 

The Artists of Dachau 

The Dachau Painting Gallery is situated 

in the middle of the picturesque historic 

city of Dachau, right opposite the city 

hall. Its permanent collection provides 

documentary evidence of the artists’ 

movement in the 19th century, which gave 

an important stimulus to the development 

of art in Germany. It was here in Dachau 

that the open-air painting found one of its 

origins, the discovery of the landscape as 

an independent motif. 

Due to its location in the vicinity of 

Munich, Dachau became a popular meeting 

point for landscape painters in the 19th 

century. First, they were enthusiastic 

about the atmospheric landscape of the 

Dachau Moss, with its changing natural 

light. Later, the painters began to show 

interest in the picturesque city, the village 

life, and the people in their traditional costumes. 

Besides purely artistic reasons 

which made the landscape painters leave 

the Munich art scene and go to Dachau, 

some of them came because of economic 

considerations. In comparison to Munich, 

living in Dachau was cheaper and the 

rents for studios were reasonable. Dachau 

became an artists’ location where the 

painters tried to portray the landscape in a 

true-to-life way. This was successfully 

achieved by painting right in front of the 

motif, in the landscape itself. Nature had 

become a work of art. 

The Dachau Moss (or moor) was discovered 

in the first half of the nineteenth 

Gustav Keller (1860-1911), 

Heimweg/Way home, oil on 

cardboard, 28 x 34.5 cm 

Museumsverein Dachau 

century, by Johann Georg von Dillis, who 

was a teacher in landscape painting at the 

Munich Academy from 1804 to 1814. He 

visited the Dachau Moss together with his 

students and encouraged them to paint 

from nature. It was only in the middle of 

the nineteenth century that artists like 

Eduard Schleich the Older, Carl Spitzweg, 

and Christian Morgenstern came to 

Dachau. They were strongly influenced by 

the artists from Barbizon, whom they had 

visited in 1851. The style in painting of 

the second half of the century was characterized 

by Adolf Lier and Wilhelm von 

Diez, two famous teachers in landscape 

painting at the Munich Academy. Among 

their students were painters like Fritz 

Baer, Josua von Gietl, Richard von 

Poschinger, Joseph Wenglein, Ludwig 

Willroider, Hans am Ende, Ludwig 

Herterich, Fritz Mackensen, Max Slevogt, 

and Wilhelm Trübner. 

Around 1900, Dachau became an 

artistic colony through the work of art of 

Ludwig Dill, Adolf Hölzel, and Arthur 

Langhammer and an art center from which 

an important new style developed. From 

Hans von Hayek 

(1869-1940), 

Verschneiter Bauernhof/Snow 

Covered Farm, 1904, oil on 

canvas, 60.5 x 80 cm 

Stadt Dachau 

Otto Rau (1869 – 1900s), 

Winterlandschaft/Wintery 

Landscape, oil on canvas, 

49.5 x 65.7 cm 

Dachauer Galerien und 

Museen 

Dr. Ulrich und Gertrude 

Lechner Stiftung 

1893 until 1905, they met in Dachau to 

discover new styles in painting and 

expressions. Their breakthrough came in 

1898, when the three artists had a joint 

exhibition as “The Dachauer“ in Berlin. 

With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, 

Dachau, as many other artistic colonies, 

lost its importance. New, sensational fashions 

in painting were created in the big 

cities, and only a small group of painters 

remained in Dachau. Nevertheless, 

besides the traditional open-air painting 

which still was continued by some artists, 

there were also avant-garde-style painters 

in Dachau, like August Kallert, Adolf 

Schinnerer, and Paula Wimmer, all artists 

who were looking for development out of 

the regional boundaries. 

OUMA is located on the campus of 

Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree 

Road N. E. Hours are 12:00 noon-5:00 

p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. Admission is $5. 

For additional information, visit 

http://museum.oglethorpe.edu, or call 

404-364-8555.

Page 12 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN July-August 2009


Why I missed my best friend’s birthday and went to Washington, D.C., with AIPAC 

I 

missed my best friend’s 60th birthday 

party on the West Coast to be at AIPAC’s 

Policy Conference in Washington D.C. I 

called her when I returned home and told her 

why. 

I began with how it felt to hear African- 

American leaders from across our nation 

speak before 6,500 pro-Israel activists and 

name the Jewish Americans who lost their 

lives in the Civil Rights Movement. These 

leaders, who aim to bring back the principals 

of Martin Luther King’s road to freedom, 

declared they stand with Israel. 

I told her about the Honorable Anthony 

Villaraigosa, a Hispanic high school dropout 

who was taken in by Jewish educators, mentored, 

and sent to college. He is now the 

mayor of Los Angeles, and he stands with 

Israel. 

I told her about the Jewish-American 

citizen whose company has the TV rights to 

the Woman’s Tennis Championship in 

Dubai. Upon finding out that Dubai officials 

banned a ranking Israel player, he knew 

something had to be done. Despite the 

prospect of substantial financial losses and 

negative PR, he decided that the network 

would not broadcast the tournament. To his 

astonishment, his actions inspired others, 

including Andy Roddick, who pulled out of 

the tournament, and The Wall Street Journal, 

which withdrew its sponsorship. In addition, 

the World Tennis Association fined the tournament 

$300,000. I cried and remembered 

how one person can make a difference. At 

that point, my husband turned to me—when 

the lights dimmed upon 6,500 Americans 

who share our core beliefs, and you could 

feel the full strength and force of the pride to 

be an American Jew in the land of the free— 

and he whispered in my ear, “Next year, both 

our boys will be here with us.” Never mind 

that their exams and college commitments 

prohibited their attendance. I knew what he 

O 

n a Sunday in the middle of May, I 

set out to see my business partner’s 

new baby, who was born a few days 

before. I did not know it was raining until I 

pulled out of my garage. Oh, well, I thought, 

what is a little rain? However, the more I 

drove, the less I could see, because it was 

one of those downpours that does make it 

hard to see. Even with the defroster going. I 

kept wondering if this trip was really necessary. 

I kept at it and was very proud when I 

got to the right street and the right subdivision 

in one piece. I parked my car, ran up to 

the front door, and rang the doorbell. No one 

answered. I then realized I was supposed to 

be at #110 and not #1101. You are probably 

feeling all wet just reading this. I was cer- 

BY Renee 

Brody Levow 

meant. They’ll be here soon enough, I said to 

myself, as I held dear his hidden tears of 

emotion. 

I told her about the talent and strength of 

this organization, which has existed for over 

50 years, that attracts the best and the brightest 

Ph.D.s, present and former government 

officials, and experts from around the world, 

who brief us on a wide range of topics, from 

energy independence to world politics. 

I told her about the evening Sir Nigel 

Sheinwald, the British ambassador to the 

U.S.; Kay Hagan, the freshman Senator from 

North Carolina; and Kip Holden, the 

African-American mayor of Baton Rouge, 

who all stand with Israel, were at my dinner 

table. The British ambassador had to step 

away several times to chat with the British 

minister for the Middle East, who, because 

of AIPAC’s reputation, flew in on a “red eye” 

to be with us for dinner. 

Then, Vice President Joe Biden spoke. 

He spoke movingly to all 6,500 of us, including 

over 1,000 college students and almost 

200 student body presidents. He told a story 

about being a freshman senator and having 

the opportunity to visit Israel and meet privately 

with then-Prime Minister Golda Meir. 

“She painted a detailed and dire picture of 

the constant struggle for survival for a country 

surrounded by enemies,” said the vice 

president. As they walked down the hallway 

from her office, shoulder-to-shoulder, the 

prime minister turned to him and said, 

“Don’t look so worried. We’ll be fine.” And 

the young senator said, “But I have reason to 

BY 

Marice 

Katz 

tainly drenched. I slushed my way back to 

my car and finally arrived at the right house. 

The minute I walked in and was given 

a towel to dry off, I immediately fell in love. 

This little baby boy was beautiful. The 

father had told me that, but I thought that 

was just daddy talk. 

However, this baby was, indeed, really 

gorgeous, and I now knew my trip had been 

worthwhile. I held him for about an hour. I 

did not move. He peacefully slept, and I was 

in seventh heaven. 

Just one more thing. Every time 

Mozart, the family’s little dog, came up to 

me and the baby and put his little paw on 

my knee, I fell in love with him, too. I might 

not get a baby, but this doggie was so very, 

very cute, that maybe.... 

Maybe.... 

Alan Levow, AIPAC’s Atlanta 

Campaign Chair 

be worried. Your enemies are real and 

strong.” And Meir replied, “But senator, we 

have a secret weapon. We have nowhere else 

to go!” Again, I cried. 

I told my friend how we went to Capitol 

Hill with two other couples and their son, 

who are close friends. Both couples became 

involved in AIPAC as a result of a parlor 

meeting at our home. I shared with her how 

moving it was to lobby with them. We took 

pictures as a group before the majestic capital 

buildings that bright sunny day. I cried 

again when I told their 22-year-old son that 

this is democracy at its finest, a government 

for the people and by people. And that this 

precious freedom can never be taken for 

granted. Just as we would fight to our last 

dying breath to save America, our home, we 

would do the same for Israel’s precious 

democracy and land of the free, for Jews all 

over the world. Later that day, our friends 

sent us an e-mail: “We have never felt closer 

to you than when we spoke our minds, 

together, to urge two senators and two congressmen 

on the Hill to take specific steps to 

insure the survival of Israel.” The wife is a 

child of Holocaust survivors. 

Finally, I urged my best friend to meet 

me next year at AIPAC’s 2010 Policy 

Conference in our nation’s capital—to experience 

with me the high that rocks my world 

each time I go, to fight for what I cherish. I 

told her what our friend Seth Cohen, who 

also just returned from the conference, told 

my husband and me when we saw him the 

next weekend at the movies, “If you don’t 

go, you don’t get it.” 

So, I say to all of you who have never 

been or who missed this year: If you don’t go, 

you don’t get it. Join Alan, me, and 6,500 of 

your closest friends at the next Policy 

Conference, March 21-23, 2010. To make 

reservations and take advantage of the earlybird 

special, call 770-541-7610, or visit 

www.aipac.org. 

Renee Brody Levow is a retired senior vice 

president and corporate client group director 

at Smith Barney, has been an Atlanta resident 

for 25 years, and is a member of 

AIPAC. Her husband, Atlanta Native Alan 

Levow, is managing director of Crowne 

Partners, a real estate company, and is currently 

serving as the Atlanta campaign chair 

for AIPAC. They have two sons, one in college 

and one in graduate school. 

\àËá `ç ctÜàç? \ÇvA 

YâÄÄ fxÜä|vx XäxÇà cÄtÇÇ|Çz 

weddings • bar/bat mitzvah • corporate 

275 Spalding Springs Lane 

Atlanta, Georgia 30305 

itsmypartyinc@hotmail.com 

f{tÜÉÇ Y|á{xÜ 

Ann Davis, AIPAC Atlanta Co-Chair 

and AIPAC National Board Member 

tel. 770.395.1094 

cell 678.637.2030 

fax 770.396.8844


MJCCA NEWS continued 

from page 7 

AUTHOR, AUTHOR. A page from the 

Book Festival of the MJCCA, a series of 

year-round author events, recently welcomed 

Larry King and Gene Wilder to the 

Zaban Park campus. 

On May 31, CNN talk show legend 

Larry King discussed and signed his latest 

memoir, My Remarkable Journey. 

For a half-century, the world’s most 

influential figures have been telling King 

their stories. In My Remarkable Journey, 

King shares his story, from his humble roots 

in Depression-era Brooklyn to the heights 

of celebrity as host of “CNN’s Larry King 

Live.” 

King writes candidly about the many 

luminaries he has interviewed in the fifty 

years since his first broadcast. Among them 

are Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, 

Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George 

H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, 

and Barack Obama; political and cultural 

leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby 

Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, 

John McCain, Eleanor Roosevelt, Malcolm 

X, and the Dalai Lama; entertainers Frank 

Sinatra, Oprah Winfrey, Johnny Carson, 

Elizabeth Taylor, Paul McCartney, Jane 

Fonda, Bono, and Madonna; and noted athletes 

such as Muhammad Ali and Pete 

Rose. 

Larry King, pictured with his wife, 

Shawn, signs copies of his new 

book, My Remarkable Journey. 

(Photo: Chris Savas Photography) 

——— 

On June 28, actor, screenwriter, 

comedic genius, and author Gene Wilder 

discussed and signed copies of his second 

novel, The Woman Who Wouldn’t. 

Wilder’s novel has been praised as 

“poignant and whimsically romantic,” by 

Publisher’s Weekly. According to The 

Boston Globe, “The story exudes the same 

sweetness that characterizes his screen persona.” 

Gene Wilder won the hearts of a 

standing-room-only audience 

(Photo: Chris Savas Photography) 

From page 1 

Celebrating the 

2009 Harris Jacobs Dream Run 

To the Community: 

“Runners to your mark, get set, go!!” Those are the words my 

family and I love to hear.... 

The 16th annual Harris Jacobs Dream Run was a huge success, 

thanks to the efforts of the fabulous HJDR committee, volunteers, 

the wonderful MJCCA staff, and the many participants 

who ran and walked this fun race. 

Harris would be thrilled with this exciting yearly event in his 

memory...I’m excited as we have another extremely hard working 

and helpful member of the HJDR committee...the weather man! 

We truly appreciate all your efforts, and we look forward to 

seeing you again next year on the first Sunday in June. 

Most sincerely, 

Kitty Jacobs and Family 

Sophie Hirsh Srochi 

hosts fun and thought-provoking field trips, 

play groups, and birthday parties throughout 

the year. For information about field trip 

packages, contact 

discoverymuseum@atlantajcc.org. 

The Sophie Hirsh Srochi Jewish 

Discovery Museum is located at the 

MJCCA, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. 

Hours are Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 

Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 

and Friday, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Admission 

is free; donations are appreciated. 

For additional information, contact 

Kitty Jacobs pictured with her two 

daughters, Faye Kent (left) and 

Marsha Freudenberg (right) under a 

portrait of Harris Jacobs following 

this year’s successful Harris Jacobs 

Dream Run, Sunday, June 7. (Photo: 

Victor Rachael Photography) 

Sophie Knapp (Photo: Cyndi Sterne) 

Cyndi Sterne at 678-812-4171 or 

cyndi.sterne@atlantajcc.org, or visit 

www.atlantajcc.org.


Jewish Denial, Jewish Recovery 

W 

hen you get together with your 

friends, we bet the biggest topic 

of conversation is the economy. 

Everywhere we go people are talking about 

friends and family whose lives have been 

tragically impacted by job loss. The current 

jobless rate (as of May) in Georgia is 9.2%. 

Why wouldn’t we want to talk about it? In 

any room, almost 1 in 10 people are out of 

work. We all talk about who’s out of work, 

and how we can help them. 

ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE IMPACTS 

AS MANY JEWS AS JOBLESSNESS 

Does the topic of alcohol or drug abuse 

come up in the same conversation? We bet 

not often. Did you know the incidence of 

alcoholism and substance abuse is as pervasive 

as unemployment? Ten percent of U.S. 

adults have alcohol and substance-abuse 

problems. The general assumption about 

substance abuse among Jews is, “Not in my 

house!” We assume our ethical values, 

Jewish mores and religious beliefs prevent 

substance abuse from impacting us. Not 

true! 

The reality is that alcohol and drug 

abuse knows no demographic, racial or religious 

bounds. Studies of drug abuse and 

alcoholism within the Jewish community 

show that substance abuse in the Jewish 

BY Mark & 

Weinstein 

Jeff 

Diamond 

community is 12% in New York and an estimated 

10% in the Seattle. It’s here, too. In 

any room of Jews, 1 in 10 is suffering from 

substance abuse in Atlanta’s Jewish community. 

Yet, our Jewish brethren rarely 

speak openly about helping our friends, colleagues, 

and family nearly as easily or often 

as joblessness. 

A common cliché is that alcoholism is 

“a disease of denial.” The Atlanta Jewish 

community is denying this problem. We’ve 

got our head in the sand! It’s a problem we 

firmly feel needs to be addressed as openly 

as possible. Imagine, if we come to terms 

with the problem, speak openly about it, 

and come together as a community, we 

could help close to 10,000 Jews suffering 

from alcohol and substance abuse right here 

in Fulton County! 

FAITH-BASED RECOVERY 

Recently, there has developed a radical 

new way of helping Jews work through 

their substance-abuse problems that has 

proven dramatically effective — “Faithbased 

recovery houses,” such as the Jewish 

Recovery Houses (JRH) in Baltimore. A 

recovery house is a home for people in the 

early stages of recovery from addiction. 

Unlike halfway houses, which are “selfgoverned” 

by their residents, recovery 

houses are managed independently by a set 

of working rules and parameters that are 

developed by professional therapists and 

recovery counselors. 

House of Hope, a Jewish Recovery 

House in Baltimore 

The focus at JRH is to help people 

learn how to foster a normal, productive life 

- learning basic life skills that many of us 

take for granted, like holding down a job, 

managing household chores, lighting shabbos 

candles, and how to interact with the 

world around them. 

“Before I came here, I really didn’t 

know how to live on my own,” said Rachel, 

a current JRH “graduating” resident moving 

into her own house. “The focus on avoiding 

idle time, simplified my life. Now, I have a 

car, insurance, and a bank account. JRH 

taught me how to take responsibility and be 

accountable for managing my life.” The rigorous 

expectations of residents at JRH 

include documented attendance to 

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics 

Anonymous meetings. Residents must get a 

job or attend school. They have to pay rent 

and they have to adhere to house rules pertaining 

to random testing, visitation, chores 

and curfews. 

What is unique, since uniqueness can’t 

be measured in degrees at JRH, is that the 

“residents” are all Jewish. Addiction is a 

disease of isolation. So, any method of 

helping people with addiction connect with 

other addicts is critical to the success of 

recovery. JRH accepts this premise, and its 

residents’ similarities are based on their 

Jewish backgrounds, upbringing, belief systems 

and sensibilities. So, they are more 

able to offer and accept support to and from 

each other. 

Brett Goldenberg, a JRH chemical- 

See DENIAL, page 16


Denial 

From page 15 

dependency counselor, says that, “Because 

the residents are 

Jewish, they build 

a bond quicker. If 

they are able to 

bond well, then 

they’re more likely 

to be there for 

each other.” 

Jason, a former 

resident who is 

now a successful 

attorney says that, 

Brett Goldenberg 

“having one positive 

thing in common 

was a power- 

ful thing. Because we related so well to 

each other, it got to the point that I felt that 

I had a family of 8 or 12 people to help me.” 

“Repairing the spirit,” or Tikkun 

Hanefesh is a Jewish way of stating the 

obvious spiritual goal of most 12-step programs. 

Another reason for JRH success is 

that 12-step programs are steeped in Jewish 

Talmudic teachings. Accepting a higher 

power over your life. Taking inventories of 

your weaknesses and strengths, correcting 

character defects, making amends to those 

harmed are some of the powerful concepts 

we all acknowledge during the high-holidays. 

As Jews in recovery, it’s easy to 

understand why JRH residents relate so 

well to doing mitzvoth to help others. 

How effective is the Jewish Recovery 

Houses’ treatment model? Enormously 

effective. The most widely accepted form 

of treatment, AA-style support groups, 

which 56% of all people grappling with 

addiction use, has a five-year sobriety rate 

that ranges from 10-12%. That means that 

of all the people going to AA meetings, only 

15% remain sober after five years. The 

Jewish Recovery House’s 5-year sobriety 

rate has been clinically gauged at 40-56%. 

Because this style of helping people is 

not non-denominational, it is unable to 

accept government or insurance support. 

Thus, the JRH in Baltimore depends on 

charitable gifts. That’s a big challenge when 

you consider that the Chronicles of 

Philanthropy says that charitable giving is 

down 15.9% in the last year due to our 

struggling economy. 

BRINGING JEWISH RECOVERY 

HOUSES TO ATLANTA 

In Atlanta, we are starting an effort to 

establish a Jewish Recovery House using 

Baltimore’s model. We have sought out 

guidance from JRH’s board of directors, as 

well as its professional leaders, which 

include Michael Rokos, a well-respected 

expert in faith-based recovery. 

Our goal is to open the Atlanta Jewish 

Recovery House by the end of 2010. 

Currently, our efforts revolve around forming 

our advisory board, which already has 

six prominent businessmen to help formulate 

our fundraising and organizational 

effort, clergy to help gain broader awareness 

and acceptance of the problem here in 

Atlanta and some of our community’s 

respected psychiatrists specializing in drug 

and alcohol addiction to oversee operational 

and programmatic development. 

Operationally, the focus will be on fundraising 

to purchase the house, hire appropriate 

staff and launch the recruitment effort. Our 

fundraising effort is in its formative stages 

but we have already received a $100,000 

matching gift challenge. 

Have you or someone you know been 

touched by alcohol or drug abuse? Our 

advisory board will meet again on Sunday, 

August 30. We urge anyone interested to 

attend. Please call either Jeff Diamond at 

770-402-5664 or Marc Weinstein at 404- 

303-4982, and we will give you the details. 

Because of her experiences at the 

Jewish Recovery Houses, Rachel has reunited 

with her family. “I never dreamed 

that my relationship with my Mom and Dad 

could be as good as it is! More importantly, 

thanks to Jewish Recovery Houses, I am 

back to the person I was meant to be.” 

Imagine bringing these kinds of results 

for 10% of our community. With your help 

we can repair the world. 

About the Authors: Mark Weinstein, 

Executive Vice President of firstPRO, Inc, 

and Jeff Diamond, Managing Director of 

Bear Stearns, a division of J.P. Morgan, 

both serve on the Atlanta Jewish Recovery 

Houses’ Advisory Board and are both 

visionaries in bringing the faith-based 

sober living model to Atlanta. Both Mark 

and Jeff also serve on the board of directors 

of the Jewish Recovery Houses of 

Baltimore. 

Sensations TheraFun opens doors to 

the Amit Program for summer fun 

N 

ewly opened Sensations 

TheraFun, a multi-sensory activi- 

ty center, recently held a special 

day of summer fun for kids and families 

who utilize services through The Amit 

Program. As kids took advantage of all the 

many activities throughout the warehouse-sized 

facility, parents joined in 

feeding their inner child by ziplining into 

the ball pit, while kids scaled the rock 

climbing wall, jumped on the two trampolines, 

climbed in the parachute swing, 

maneuvered through the obstacle courses, 

enjoyed the multicolored lights in the sensory 

room, did arts and crafts, and even 

played board games for a few minutes of 

cooling off. 

Sensations TheraFun offers a wide 

range of services to families to satisfy the 

sensory needs of their children. It gives 

parents, kids, and therapists an additional 

place for therapy, outside of the therapist’s 

office, that is fun for kids and their families. 

Sensations TheraFun is a great place 

for kids, ranging from those currently in 

therapy to typical kids in search of a great 

place to play. Open to all ages and physical 

abilities, Sensations also offers private 

rooms for therapists to meet with patients, 

after-school and summer groups, meeting 

space for the community, a large kitchen 

for cooking camps, and a floortime room. 

The retail store offers products any family 

can benefit from, including books, therapeutic 

tools, and more. 

The Amit Program is the central 

resource in the Jewish community for special 

education, ensuring that each child is 

able to reach his or her individual potential, 

while learning in a Jewish environment. 

With the help of Amit, children with 

learning and developmental disabilities 

have the opportunity to learn alongside 

their peers, while receiving the individu- 

Rachel Jay, daughter of Jan and 

Gregory Jay, enjoys squeezing 

through the rollers at the Amit 

Sensations TheraFun Play Day. 

alized attention they need to succeed academically. 

“Amit wants to offer programming to 

their students and families throughout the 

summer, and what better way than to 

come experience all that this new facility 

has to offer,” says Karen Paz, director of 

programming and development for Amit. 

“One of our many goals is to offer 

children with special needs the ability to 

have some of the same experiences that 

their mainstream friends have, but in a 

completely supportive environment. 

Some of my greatest joys stem from 

watching kids with CP or other physical 

challenges enjoying the ziplines in our 

special apparatuses that will allow them to 

participate in ways they had only dreamed 

of previously,” says Jay Perkins, owner of 

Sensations. 

The play day was a win-win-win for 

Sensations, Amit, and all those who participated. 

For more information on The 

Amit Program and Sensations TheraFun, 

visit www.amitatlanta.org and www.sensationstherafun.com.


Milestones amid the keepsakes 

ome days, I get the “urge to purge,” 

but so much good stuff has been Ssquirreled 

away over the years that I 

find more goodies to keep rather than toss. 

Here’s a clipping, yellowed with age— 

a birth announcement from the North China 

Daily News: “On July 12, 1925, at St. 

Marie’s Hospital, Shanghai, to Mr. and Mrs. 

J. Friend, a daughter.” By golly, that’s me! 

The hospital was run by the French 

Catholic nuns and located in the French 

Concession, or Frenchtown as we called it, 

miles away from where we lived. I regret 

now that I never asked my parents why I 

wasn’t delivered at our general hospital, 

also run by Catholic nuns, but located closer 

to our house in Hongkew. 

Years later, in the 1930s and ‘40s, 

Hongkew became the famous ghetto for the 

thousands of European refugees who fled to 

China and were lucky to have missed the 

Holocaust by a whisker, so to speak. 

Another milestone: My kindergarten 

report shows, among other remarks, 

“Balfoura is rather shy about taking part in 

dramatization...is a well-behaved girl, both 

in the classroom and on the 

playground...excellent work in reading and 

phonetics.” 

Then prizes and commendations in 

years to follow, a prefect in my senior year, 

but no honors in gym or sports—I was a 

puny, sickly geek! 

In my old scrapbook, I have the ticket 

stub for my 1947 trip on the General B. 

Gordon ocean liner, bringing me to the 

United States. Attached to the ticket is the 

Shanghai Quarantine Service certificate 

showing I received the necessary vaccinations 

to board the ship. 

Framed on my wall is a most precious, 

15” x 18” (real sheepskin, y’all), 1950 

University of Georgia diploma. Artium in 

Journalismo Baccaclaurei, dated X June 

Annoque Domini MCML. A proud milestone.... 

And there are more: the 1953 invitation 

to my wedding to Hans R. Mayer, in 

Savannah—I became an American citizen 

later that year, a major milestone; our first 

child, Sandra Mayer, born in 1954 in 

Eastman, the first grandchild for my parents, 

Frieda and Jacob Friend, and a huge 

milestone for all of us. 

Most checks I’ve shredded, but one 

that I’ve saved, for $50, is dated March 26, 

1956. It is made out to Bernard Jacobson, 

the mohel who drove in from Savannah to 

perform the bris for our son, Ronnie Mayer, 

at our new home in Hawkinsville. My husband, 

Hans, taught me how to make 

German potato salad, to serve with the 

luncheon for our family and guests that day. 

Our family doctor, who delivered Ronnie, 

was invited to the bris, and he later told me 

that he was quite impressed, witnessing this 

ritual for the first time. 

I also found a 1962 bulletin from the 

Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation, where 

our small-town Middle Georgia Jewish 

families worshipped and socialized. Noted 

BY Balfoura Friend 

Levine 

in the bulletin: “ A Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. 

Hans Mayer of Hawkinsville, on the birth 

of daughter Laurie Kay.” My youngest, 

Laurie Mayer Coffey, is now 47 and mother 

of 11-year-old Tom. 

In front of me is a yellowed copy of 

The Jerusalem Post, September 18, 1978. 

The banner headline screams out, “Pact for 

Peace at Camp David.” My daughter Sandy 

and I are on board El Al, winging our way 

to our odyssey in Israel. Besides meeting 

my paternal cousins for the first time, I 

recall holding my breath at my first sight of 

the Western Wall (which I always think of 

as the Wailing Wall) and then touching the 

actual stones, where thousands of years ago 

one of our ancestors may have stood as 

well. If this trip wasn’t a mind-shattering 

milestone, I don’t know what else it could 

be. 

Another biggie, in November 1992, 

was my trip to Russia with the Friendship 

Force and the first time meeting my mother’s 

family. Hugs, kisses, and tears of joy in 

celebrating that milestone. 

And then there was the summer of 

1996, when Atlanta hosted the Summer 

Olympics. I am stroking the beautiful silk 

scarf, part of my dress uniform as envoy to 

the Republic of Moldova (formerly the 

Moldavian SSR) team in the Paralympic 

Games, which followed the Olympic 

Games. I gulped down tears as I marched 

with the Moldovan standard bearer and the 

nine-member team in both the opening and 

closing ceremonies—another milestone. 

During the decades of my adult life, 

there have also been sad milestones. I have 

obituaries of my parents, my husbands, and 

some dear friends, as time winged its way 

through the years. 

Then many more joyous milestones: 

the childrens’ marriages; my presence in 

1984 at the birth of my first grandchild, 

Erica (who is now in law school; how time 

flies), followed in four years by the 

awesome and unforgettable 

experience of actually 

watching the birthing 

of her younger brother, 

Scott. He is now in 

his second year at 

UGA. Wow! 

I’m not 

claiming originality 

in reciting 

personal 

milestones. I 

am, however, 

genuinely 

amazed to 

find all these old cards, photos, and documents 

of those interesting and life-altering 

times and events in my life. 

One thing I’ve noticed: Throughout the 

1950s and ‘60s, I was referred to as Mrs. 

Hans Mayer (I signed the check to the 

mohel that way, too), as though I were only 

a half-part of my husband. I guess most 

married women were so addressed then. We 

are now taught to have our own credit cards 

and bank accounts. I’m not a rabid feminist, 

but I think it’s about time we have our own 

personal identities. And that, too, is a huge 

milestone. 

Each birthday is a milestone of sorts, 

and I have passed 84 such markers in my 

lifetime. Which interesting celebrations are 

yet to come? I’m ready—bring them on!


Reading Back On Top is like a conversation with your hilarious best girlfriend 

By Shira Miller 

G 

Back on Top: 

Fearless Dating After Divorce 

By Ginger Emas 

2009 

GPP Life 

240 pp., $14.95 

inger Emas is the author of the new 

book Back On Top: Fearless Dating 

After Divorce, and I am so glad I dis- 

covered her. She has such a wonderful 

writer’s voice—Ginger is funny and warm, 

irreverent and wise. Reading Back On Top 

makes the reader feel as if she’s having a con- 

A 

sustainable way to address homelessness 

has resulted in a $10,000 grant for 

its creator, David Baron of Atlanta, a 

sophomore at the University of North Carolina 

at Chapel Hill. 

David’s Homeless Outreach Poverty 

Eradication (HOPE) Garden was one of more 

than 100 student-initiated projects to receive a 

Davis Projects for Peace grant from philanthropist 

Kathryn W. Davis. 

HOPE Garden is a partnership of Carolina 

students and the Town of Chapel Hill, working 

in collaboration with the North Carolina State 

University Department of Horticultural 

Science. In this project, homeless people will 

versation with a good girlfriend, which is an 

amazing experience. The mixture of practical 

advice, laugh-out-loud humor, and unique 

insight is very compelling. Even the disclaimer 

at the front of the book cracked me 

up! 

Ginger breaks down online dating into 

doable steps—none of it is overwhelming, but 

all of it is stuff a woman needs to know for 

savvy dating. I am making all of my friends 

who are currently single—divorced or not— 

add it to their must-read list. 

As helpful and insightful as the tips are— 

it’s clear that she’s been doing this for 

awhile—it’s Ginger’s humor and honesty that 

make the book a truly great, fun read. 

train and work alongside volunteers and mentors 

in a community garden, with land donated 

by the town. The workers will gain valuable job 

skills and income, while the organic produce 

they grow will be sold on the UNC campus and 

given to disadvantaged families, who could not 

otherwise afford to buy this fresh, high-quality, 

and nutritious food. 

“HOPE Garden will promote employment 

security, food security, and the overall security 

that comes from strong community ties,” Baron 

said. “It will promote peace by bridging the 

gaps that exist in the Chapel Hill community, 

while providing program participants and the 

community at large with a greater sense of com- 

Some of it was validating. I loved hearing 

Ginger confirm that it was a good idea for me 

to take a few years off to really get to know 

myself and date differently, and it has certainly 

paid off in my current relationship with a 

wonderful man. 

Some of it was eye-opening. The dating 

stories themselves are hilarious—I love the 

one about Chad, the fitness guy who Ginger 

turned to “the dark side” with her chocolate 

espresso martini. This is a very timely, scintillating 

read—so appealing, it is sure to 

become a social phenomenon. 

For more information on Ginger, her 

workshops and the book, visit backontopthebook.com. 

David Baron receives a Projects for Peace grant for HOPE Garden 

David Baron 

BUSINESS BITS 

By Marsha Liebowitz 

FAMILY MATTERS. Marvin L. 

Solomiany, managing partner at KSS 

Family Law, has been selected chair of 

the Family Law Section of the Atlanta 

Bar Association. Solomiany joined KSS 

Family Law in 

1995 and became a 

partner in 2003. 

His numerous honors 

include Georgia 

Trend Legal Elite 

(2008) and Georgia 

Super Lawyers, 

Rising Stars (2005, 

2006, 2007, 2008). 

Marvin L. 

Solomiany 

Solomiany graduated 

with a B.A. with 

distinction from the 

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and 

received his J.D. degree from Emory 

University School of Law. He is married 

to Kerry Solomiany and has two children. 

BRINGING GOLDBERG’S TO YOU. 

Goldberg’s Group of companies, with 

five locations in Atlanta, has launched a 

catering division, headed by Linda 

Baron. A Georgia native, Baron studied 

with James Beard, managed a Buckhead 

catering company for 17 years, led workshops 

for The Scarlett Tassel, and taught 

cooking classes at The Delectable Fig. 

GRILL THRILLS. FuegoMundo (“world 

of fire”), a South American wood-fire 

grill restaurant, recently opened at the 

newly redeveloped The Prado in Sandy 

Springs. The restaurant offers flavorful, 

affordable, and healthy South American 

cuisine that is geared to meat lovers and 

vegetarians alike. FuegoMundo is owned 

by Udi and Masha Hershkovitz. Udi, 

born in Israel to Romanian and Polish 

parents, came to America as a teenager. 

Masha was born in Barranquilla, 

Colombia, and came to Atlanta in 1972 at 

Udi and Masha Hershkovitz 

the age of 9. They have three children, 

Arie, Tali, and Ariele. For hours and 

menus, visit www.fuegomundo.com. 

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA. Ilan 

Regenbaum recently returned from 

Washington, D.C., where he was recognized 

as one of six finalists, out of 6,000 

entrants, in the Young Entrepreneur 

Foundation’s entrepreneurial scholarship 

competition. At 13, Ilan began taking 

pictures at events around Atlanta for Ilan 

Event Photographer, his own company. 

At 14, he founded Flash Foto Events 

(www.flashfotoevents.com). This studio 

specializes in digital green screen photography; 

at events, Ilan takes pictures of 

Ilan Regenbaum 

munal security.” 

Davis Projects for Peace invited all students 

from partner schools in the Davis United 

World College (UWC) Scholars Program, plus 

students at International Houses worldwide and 

Future Generations, to submit plans for grassroots 

projects for peace, to be implemented during 

the summer of 2009. University students 

from nearly 100 campuses collectively received 

over $1 million in funding during the summer 

of 2009 for projects in all regions of the world. 

David is the son of Roy and Karen Baron, 

and a grandson of Alvin Brown and the late 

Doris Brown and Henry and Elizabeth Strauss. 

guests against a green screen, superimposes 

the images on one of many digital 

backgrounds, and then prints pictures onsite 

for guests. 

PLANNING AND EVALUATION. Rick 

Aranson, of Jewish Family & Career 

Services, has published a paper in The 

American Review of Public 

Administration. The paper he coauthored, 

“Mission-Market Tensions and 

Nonprofit Pricing,” was published in 

early May. The paper is based on JF&CS’ 

comprehensive program planning and 

evaluation methodologies. 

AICC LEADERSHIP. The American- 

Israel Chamber of Commerce, Southeast 

Region, has elected its officers and board 

members for 2009-2010. Officers are 

Charlie Harrison, chairman; Lorin Coles, 

chairman-elect; Joel Neuman, vice chairman; 

Benjamin Fink, vice chairman; 

Jonathan Minnen, secretary; and Steve 

Horn, treasurer. Tom Glaser continues as 

president and chief professional officer. 

New to the Executive Committee are 

Randall Foster, Saar Bracha, Arie 

Goldshlager, and Maggie Bellville. New 

board members are Ben Taube, Robin 

Spratlin, Heith Rodman, Warren 

Binderman, Robert Kadoori, Ken 

Anderson, Ted Schwartz, Philip Cooper, 

Ralph Jordan, Kobi Margolin, Gilly 

Segal, Gadi Shapira, Diane Weiner, 

Robyn Fritz, and Rebecca Chang.

July-August 2009 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 19




THE 


Twittering goes kosher for Roberta Scher and Lois Held 

By Suzi Brozman 

W 

here do you get your kosher 

news? From the newspaper? 

From the Atlanta Kashruth 

Commission’s newsletter or website? From 

cookbooks? From friends? From walking 

up and down the kosher aisles at the grocery 

store? Today, there’s a new option, 

called KosherEye—tweet about it at 

Twitter.com, or follow it on Facebook, 

courtesy of Roberta Scher and Lois Held. 

Not too many years ago, we all marveled 

at something called the Internet; we 

were fascinated by our cellphones. Before 

that, we thought Dick Tracy’s two-way 

wrist radio was pure fantasy, never to be 

made real. How wrong we were! 

Then came e-mail and instant messaging, 

and we found communication to be 

both instantaneous and addictive. Or am I 

the only one who’ll admit I stay in touch via 

e-mail far more than I ever did when I had 

to buy stamps and go to the Post Office to 

mail a letter? 

Then came Facebook, and suddenly 

people we didn’t even know were aware of 

our existence are popping up, asking us to 

be their friends. Craigslist and e-Bay and 

internet shopping let us browse without 

ever setting foot in the mall. 

And now there’s the new sensation— 

Twitter.com, a site that lets you “tweet” 

about anything at all, as long as you can 

keep your message 

under 140 characters. 

Track a person or a 

product, talk about politics 

or whatever interests 

you. And it’s all 

free. 

But how to make it 

matter, and 

not just 

substitute 

for gossip 

or e-mail? 

That was 

the question 

facing 

Roberta 

Scher and 

Lois Held when they decided to put their 

many years of volunteer experience to use. 

The two women had been friends for 

some 39 years, since they met as volunteers 

in a Hadassah chapter. Like many women, 

they’d joined to meet people and do good at 

the same time. Scher remembers, 

“Hadassah was an outlet for us. Women’s 

roles have changed. You can judge a person 

by working with her on a volunteer basis.” 

Held agrees. “We formed so many 

friendships in Hadassah,” she says. “Then I 

Atlanta Group Home 

celebrates its 25th anniversary 

Lois Held and Roberta Scher 

went back to school and Roberta went into 

business. Recently, we’ve worked on Beth 

Jacob things together, 

including many things 

related to food—the 

Kosher Festival, dinners 

of honor, and so forth. 

We love to eat, cook, 

and read cookbooks. 

And Roberta has had her 

kosher 

food column 

in 

T h e 



for six 

years.” 

After 

Scher 

sold Paper Parlour, her store for over 25 

years, and Lois retired from her career as an 

information technology specialist, they 

began to search for a new project and soon 

settled on one that had been germinating in 

Scher’s mind for some months. “We believe 

there is an audience that wants to know 

about the newest and the best in kosher 

products, gadgets, wine, beverages, and 

edibles,” says Scher. “We decided we wanted 

to highlight products for chefs, restaurants, 

foodies, and cooks, both Jewish and 

By Evie Wolfe 

In 1984, The Atlanta Group 

Home opened its doors to young 

adults with mental disabilities. 

At the time, there was no 

other facility in Fulton 

County like it. Twenty-five 

years later, three of its original 

residents have lived happily 

in this remarkable home. 

It all began years earlier, 

when Harry and Frances 

Kuniansky were given the news that 

their newborn daughter, Jill, had 

Down syndrome. Six doctors 

strongly recommended placing 

her in an institution. Harry and Frances followed 

the advice of a seventh and took Jill 

home, where she lived until she was 24. 

In her heart, Frances knew that life at 

home would be difficult for a child with a 

mental disability, even though her three siblings 

adored her. 

Born in 1959, Jill had a typical child- 

non-Jewish, who are looking for kosher 

items.” 

Held added to her friend’s statement, 

“There is a preconceived notion of what 

kosher is—Manischewitz—but that’s not 

the case anymore. There are a lot of mainstream 

and gourmet products. It’s not like 

what our grandmothers used.” In the old 

days, the women point out, you had very 

few options available, like a single brand of 

kosher parve margarine. Now there are 

many, and people need to be made aware of 

the choices and their advantages and disadvantages. 

Scher shared her philosophy, “We’re 

looking for healthy, delicious products for 

anyone wishing to cook kosher—it’s a 

whole new world out there—milks, preserves, 

much more, and they’re not in the 

kosher department.” Held calls their service 

an informational network: they walk up and 

down every aisle in the supermarket, virtually 

survey products, and contact manufacturers 

and distributors, looking for new 

items. Their adviser is Rabbi Reuven Stein, 

of the Atlanta Kashruth Commission. 

The women decided to test their concept 

on Twitter.com. It’s free, it’s easy, and 

it’s open to anyone. It’s a fast and convenient 

way to communicate and get your mes- 

hood until it became time for school. No 

schools would take children 

known to have Down syndrome, 

and there were no 

training centers available. 

Frances placed a 

personals ad in the 

newspaper, in which 

she encouraged 

protests, and she was 

able to convince Fulton 

County to come up with 

funds for a day-training cen- 

ter for children who needed 

help. Eventually, it 

became possible to send 

Jill and others like her to 

Fulton County schools. 

At 21, Jill graduated from Northside 

High School. She announced to her parents 

that she wanted to move out and live on her 

own. Frances was against it, but knew 

change was necessary. 

Jill and Frances 

Kuniansky 

See TWITTER, page 25 

See GROUP HOME, page 25


Kosher Affairs 

I 

t’s summer, and Atlanta’s kosher selection 

is hot! 

Kosher Gourmet continues its focus on 

catering and takeout. The store is now 

stocking Israel’s Pereg Gourmet spices and 

products, including the hard-to-find za’atar 

spice. (Rub olive oil and za’atar on chicken; 

roast or grill, and pretend you are in 

Yerushalayim.) 

Although still under construction, the 

Toco Hill Kroger has remodeled and 

enlarged its kosher department. In addition 

to a full parve bakery, there is an expanded 

selection of catered foods and salads, fish, 

and meat. Many of the items are made inhouse. 

And, while you’re there, pick up 

some Chai Peking Chinese takeout. 

Return to Eden has a delicious new 

product. I am already addicted. It is Wax 

Orchards’ classic fudge sauce, sweetened 

with fruit juice. The product is parve and 

especially great for topping dairy-free ice 

cream. I plan to try the other Wax Orchards 

fudge flavors as well. Sign up for Return to 

Eden’s kosher products e-letter at 

return@eden.com, or visit the store at 2335 

Cheshire Bridge Road. 

Kudos to Trader Joe’s for offering so 

many kosher and Israeli products, especially 

in the wake of a targeted propaganda 

campaign by those unfriendly to Israel. 

BY Roberta 

Scher 

Trader Joe’s is known to offer superb products 

at value prices, and happily, many of 

these are kosher and some from Israel! If 

you enjoy shopping there, and like their 

selection, do let them know. 

Goodfriend’s Grill is now open at the 

MJCCA. Off Broadway meat restaurant has 

closed. Broadway dairy restaurant has 

expanded and moved across the street. 

Whew—lots happening in Hotlanta. 

BOOKS FOR COOKS 

Whipped cream, custard, chocolate 

mousse, meringue—everything rich, gooey 

and delicious can be found in the 60 recipes 

of this sweet new cookbook, Mrs. Rowe’s 

Little Book of Southern Pies by Mollie Cox 

Bryan (Ten Speed Press). The legendary 

Mrs. Rowe was known as the Pie Lady of 

Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. She died in 

2003 at the age of 89, but the recipes for her 

handmade pies continue as a cherished family 

tradition. The cookbook presents simple 

instructions 

and tips for 

making 

delectable 

pie fillings 

a n d 

piecrusts. 

But keep in 

mind, if you 

have no time 

to make a 

crust, just 

buy one! 

We met 

on Twitter (yes, I said Twitter), and now I 

am truly a fan of her cookbook. Pam Reiss’ 

Soup—A Kosher Collection is a comprehensive, 

simple-to-follow cookbook on making 

just about any type of soup you can imagine. 

This Toronto-based author provides 

150 varied recipes, even one for chocolate 

soup! I guarantee that you will find a soup 

appropriate for just about any season, meal, 

or occasion. By the way, soup can be a very 

budget-friendly, healthful meal all year 

long. Think about cold soups in summer 

(gazpacho, fruit soup, borscht) and more 

hearty soups in colder weather. But who can 

think about cold weather right now? Soup 

can be ordered at Amazon.com. Pam is currently 

working on a Passover cookbook. 

So, how is my organic garden growing? 

Please check out the photos. The salad 

table is flourishing; although I have had to 

share some of the bok choy and arugula 

with a few resident insects, we certainly are 

enjoying salads straight from the raised 

Our flourishing salad table 

Topsy Turvey 

tomato planter 

salad table. 

As for the 

raised garden 

bed created 

with Farmer 

D soil—the 

buzz has 

started, and I 

have had visits 

from local 

“tourists” 

who are 

amazed at 

how tall the 

veggies have 

grown and 

how prolific they are. The tomato plants are 

taller than I am; squash leaves are tropical 

in size, and the remainder of the veggies— 

peppers, cukes, and eggplant—seem very 

happy. 

See KOSHER AFFAIRS, page 34


Kosher Korner AKC 

Approved 

WHAT’S NEW IN KOSHER 

ATLANTA? 

THE JUNE 2009 “KOSHER 

WITHOUT A SYMBOL” LIST 

Whenever possible, it is always best 

to purchase items with reliable kosher 

supervision. However, there are many 

items that are kosher even if they lack a 

symbol, although some may require 

additional checking for insect infestation. 

The following items are currently 

and generally assumed kosher (when 

there are no other additives) and can be 

purchased even if they don’t bear a 

kosher symbol. This list is subject to 

change. 

FOOD ITEMS 

Applesauce—unflavored 

Baking powder 

Baking soda 

Barley 

Beans—dry 

Beer—domestic, unflavored 

Buckwheat (kasha) 

Caramel color 

Cocoa—plain 

Coconut 

Coffee—plain or decaf, unflavored 

Cornstarch, corn grits, corn syrup, and 

cornmeal 

Couscous—unseasoned and uncooked 

Dextrose 

Edamame 

Eggs—raw, whole, and unprocessed. 

However, they should be checked for 

blood spots. 

Farina—raw 

Flaxseed 

Flour—without enzymes 

Food additives—citric acid, EDTA, high 

fructose corn syrup, potassium sorbate, 

riboflavin, sorbitol, sodium benzoate, 

sodium bisulfate, sodium citrate, sulfur 

dioxide 

Food colors—F.D. & C. colors with 

propylene glycol 

Fruit, canned—without added flavors, 

colors, or grape juice. (Note: Fruit cocktail 

needs reliable kosher supervision, 

because some brands contain carmine, a 

non-kosher natural color derived from 

the cochineal insect.) 

Fruit, dried—the following are acceptable 

with no certification when there are 

no additional oils or flavors listed: 

sliced, diced, or whole apricots, dates, 

figs, peaches, nectarines, pears, prunes, 

BY Rabbi Reuven 

Stein 

and domestic raisins. 

Fruit, frozen—without added flavors or 

coloring. (Some berries require special 

checking for infestation.) 

Honey 

Juices, fresh or frozen—100% orange, 

apple, grapefruit, pineapple, and lemon. 

(Tomato and grape juices need supervision.) 

Maple syrup—mass-produced. Private 

farms need to be checked individually 

for use of animal fat in production. 

Milk—In the U.S. and Canada, 

Vitamilk, buttermilk, and chocolate milk 

need supervision. 

Molasses 

Nuts, raw—with no oil or additives 

(some contain gelatin), unflavored, 

including blanched almonds, Brazil 

nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, 

pecans, and walnuts. Dry roasted nuts 

require certification. 

Oats—unflavored 

Oat bran 

Olive oil—100% extra virgin 

Polenta—non-processed, unseasoned 

Popcorn kernels 

Quinoa 

Rice—white or brown, including con- 

verted or parboiled, no seasonings 

added. Arborio, basmati, sushi rice, and 

other varieties are acceptable without 

added flavorings. 

Seltzer—plain, non-flavored 

Soy grits 

Spices—The following dried spices 

(ground, chopped, powdered, or whole) 

are acceptable: allspice, anise, basil, bay 

leaf, black pepper, caraway, cardamom, 

chervil, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, 

cloves, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, 

fenugreek, lemongrass, mace, marjoram, 

nutmeg, oregano, parsley, peppercorns 

(any color), rosemary, saffron, sage, salt, 

savory, sesame seed (raw only), tarragon, 

thyme, turmeric, and white pepper. 

Spice blends require certification. 

Ginger, fresh or dried, is acceptable. 

(Other fresh spices may have insect 

infestation.) 

Sugar—brown, cane, and powdered confectioner’s 

Tea—plain, orange pekoe, unflavored 

(regular and decaf) 

Tofu—without additives 

Vegetables, frozen—All are acceptable, 

excluding artichoke, asparagus, and 

Brussels sprouts, which require special 

checking for infestation. (Supervision is 

preferred for broccoli and spinach.) 

Vegetables, pre-washed and/or precut 

packaged—Broccoli slaw, carrots, celery, 

coleslaw, onions, and potatoes are 

acceptable, but may require checking. 

Water—unflavored 

NON-FOOD ITEMS 

Aluminum foil and foil pans 

Baking or parchment paper—Siliconetype 

is acceptable. Quilon-based paper, 

which may contain animal fat, requires 

certification. 

Cupcake liners 

Dental floss 

Lipstick, lip balm—Some authorities 

prefer those without glycerin. 

Oven cleaner 

Plastic bags and wraps 

Toothpaste, mouthwash—Some kosher 

authorities prefer those without glycerin. 

(Breath spray and breath sticks require 

certification.) 

Silver polish 

Steel wool pads—plain. (Those with 

soap requires certification.) 

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.


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JF&CS NEWS 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECTS HELP FEED THE HUNGRY. This spring, 

Rabbi Joshua Lesser, of Congregation Bet Haverim, introduced an inspired Seder program 

that he called “Pay it Forward.” Attendees were encouraged to bring grocery store gift cards, 

which were then donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Jewish Family & Career 

Services. More than 125 congregants, including 40 children, participated in this special 

Seder. Rabbi Lesser presented gift cards worth $2,080 to JF&CS CEO Gary Miller and 

Outreach Director Linda Briks. He hopes to do this program again next year. 

Congregation Etz Chaim completed a Social Action Committee project in which they 

sold The Holocaust Survivor Cookbook. The book contains more than 120 stories of 

Holocaust survivors and more than 200 recipes. A portion of the cookbooks’ profits will go 

to the Carmel Ha-ir Soup Kitchen in Jerusalem; additional proceeds will go to the Atlanta 

Community Food Bank and the JF&CS Kosher Food Pantry. 

Congregation Bet Haverim and Congregation Etz Chaim are two of the 11 synagogues 

that the JF&CS Community Outreach Team works with to bring services and programming 

to people in their neighborhoods and synagogue communities. 

RECOGNIZING A LEADER. JF&CS Board Member Lynn Redd received the Leadership 

Award from the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies at the 37th Annual 

AJFCA Conference, May 3-5, in Chicago. Lynn became eligible for this honor after she 

received the 2009 Herbert Kohn Meritorious Service Award from JF&CS. 

Lynn Redd has been an active JF&CS volunteer for approximately 13 years, serving on 

the Board of Directors for 10 of those years. Most recently, she successfully chaired the 

agency’s first $1 million Annual Campaign. Previously, she chaired the Marketing 

Committee and the Volunteer Committee. She developed business plans that resulted in the 

establishment of the organization’s Synagogue Outreach Program and Legacy Home Care. 

She recently assumed the position of vice president of Resource Development. 

Redd has professional experience in the healthcare industry, including management 

consulting, venture capital, strategic planning, and information technology. She also worked 

for the federal government developing national health care policy. She has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from Brown University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the 

University of Pennsylvania. Redd lives with her husband and two teenage children in 

Atlanta. 

Novel sheds light on little-examined 

piece of WWII history 

The Guernsey Literary and 

Potato Peel Pie Society 

By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows 2008 

Random House 

288 pp., $22 

BY Carolyn 

Gold 

hat a wonderful book! The Guernsey 

Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Wis 

charming, quirky, and yet serious in an easy-to-read way. This novel by Mary 

Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is made up entirely of correspondence. 

The year is 1946. In these letters, you meet the characters who lived through the German 

occupation of the British Island of Guernsey in the English Channel 

during World War II. 

The deprivation of the island’s inhabitants accounts for the 

“Potato Peel Pie” part of the title. Much of the story tells how these 

occupants survived. Some of it touches on German concentration 

camp victims and their treatment at the hands of the Nazis, but the 

main story takes place after the war. 

Juliet Ashton, a writer, goes to the island to learn more and to 

write a book about the occupation and its aftermath. The people she 

meets are members of the Guernsey Literary Society; they formed 

the group to circumvent the German curfew and, through their book 

discussions, developed lasting bonds with one another. Running 

through the story is a romance that takes a surprising turn at the end 

of the book. 

Mary Ann Shaffer passed away when her book was in its final stages, and her niece 

Annie Barrows finished the work. The language and thoughts are so everyday, quite British, 

and delightfully humorous, as well as touching. The island’s occupants observed the good 

and bad of humankind with resignation, kindness, and some small efforts to outsmart their 

captors when possible. They watched German planes flying over to bomb London, slave 

laborers building bunkers on their shores, and even German soldiers scrounging for food as 

the islanders themselves had done. 

The book, in a most creative way, brings a period in history down to a very small island 

and a small group of people, yet touches universal emotions.


Twitter 

From page 21 

sage across. After just two months, over 

1,400 people interested in food signed up to 

follow Held and Scher at KosherEye. You 

can do it, too—visit Twitter.com, sign in, 

click the “find people” button, put in 

kosher, and you’ll get a list of twitterers, 

people talking about the subject. If you 

click on KosherEye, you’ll see a brief 

description. 

And what will you find? Here are a few 

recent topics: 

• Is BaconSalt kosher? (Yes, absolutely 

Kof-K kosher.) 

• Does extra-virgin olive oil need 

kosher certification? (No, and it’s even 

Group Home 

From page 21 

When the idea of a group home was 

suggested to Frances, she found a small 

house and persuaded Harry to buy it. “If we 

buy it now, we can spend all our time on 

getting approval and funding,” she told 

him. 

After four years of hard work by 

Frances and others who were eager to help, 

The Atlanta Group Home opened. With a 

HUD loan, the tiny house was more than 

doubled in size, with six bedrooms, four 

baths, and all the modern conveniences. 

The tour I just took proved to me how wise 

the founders were in combining privacy and 

a pleasing ambiance. The huge living room 

accommodates the group and can be used 

for special gatherings as well. 

“No one lacks anything he or she 

needs,” explains Deborah Lowe, who has 

been the house parent for 23 years. Many of 

the residents refer to her as “mother.” 

Deborah says, “We are a family. Our siblings 

range in age from 44 to 57. We eat 

together, we go places together. Everyone 

has daily chores and a routine to follow. 

Some of our residents still continue to 

work, while the others stay busy at home 

with planned activities.” 

The residents consider The Atlanta 

kosher for Passover.) 

• Is Bone Suckin’ Sauce just for pork 

ribs? (Try it on beef; it’s terrific.) 

• Is there kosher sausage? Why buy 

kosher certified bagged lettuce? Are Burger 

King Onion Ring Snacks kosher? 

One of their newest finds are dried 

capers in sea salt! 

Held and Scher not only search the grocery 

stores. They also attend food trade 

shows, looking for new products they can 

showcase—anything that happens to be certified 

kosher, as well as gadgets and appliances 

designed to make kosher cooking easier 

and more fun. 

“We’re in another phase of life,” they 

explained. “We’ve raised our kids, retired 

from business, and we’re pursuing a new 

Group Home their real home. “My daughter 

would rather sleep here than at our house,” 

says Nanci Berger’s mother, Rachiel. “My 

feelings were hurt when she first revealed 

this to me. But, as I realized that she loved 

every part of her life at The Group Home, I 

came to my senses.” 

The home can accommodate four 

female and two male residents. The women 

share semi-private baths; the men also share 

a bath. At least three of the current residents 

have Down syndrome. All of the residents 

maintain their own rooms, do their own 

laundry, and share in joint chores. They also 

enjoy many activities, such as bowling 

together every Sunday night. 

One question that comes up inevitably 

when discussing The Group Home’s 25 successful 

years is how it is funded. The system 

is somewhat complicated, but it 

includes regular contributions from parents, 

the residents’ income, the Federal 

Government, and donations from the community. 

Frances Kuniansky, as chair emeritus 

of the board, continues her interest and 

input after her many years of working with 

individuals who have mental disabilities. 

Long may she continue! 

Unfortunately, Jill Kuniansky passed 

away on June 19. Everyone at The Atlanta 

Group Home will miss her and her contagiously 

happy personality. 

avenue of technology. We’re going with a 

frontier we didn’t grow up with. We’re 

embracing the wave of the future, 

and getting on it. We’re mature, 

vital women—we are not what 

we see in the mirror, but what we 

see in our heads—out there seeking, 

learning, doing. We want 

our minds to continue and create. 

It’s so much fun—being active, 

constantly thinking and doing. We 

have a lot to give. We want to represent 

the consumer, to make a shidduch 

with the manufacturers, help 

businesses get their word out to 

our targets, the kosher consumers.” 

Held and Scher estimate that only 

about 5% of their audience is local. They 

A letter from Jill 

have people in Australia, Europe, 

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next time you have to go 

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first, and you may find 

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your family. If you’re 

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pink pig mascot 

In the summer of 2000, Jill Kuniansky sent the following letter to The Jewish Georgian. 

It was published in the September/October 2000 issue. 

The Jewish Georgian: 

I love your articles. I read The Jewish Georgian all the 

time. I enjoy reading it a lot. Could I put an article in about 

my family and friends I live with? How I love them so so so 

much, my sisters and my brother, even my boyfriend, the one 

I love so much. I live with the nicest friends I ever had. I love 

them so so much. 

Here is my article about my family, who is more important 

to me. And my friends from where I live and I love living 

there. I love my family and my daddy Harry P. Kuniansky 

and my mom Frances and my sisters Carol and Laura and my 

brother Alan. 

And my other family I love so much, the Group Home. 

I love my friends. I have Deborah, my house mother, and my 

sister Susie, Tracy, and my other friend Nanci, and my brother 

Ted and my boyfriend Steve. I love them all. They are my 

family. And my brother Dennis and my best friend I ever had 

is Deborah Lowe. 

My name is Jill Kuniansky.


Law-enforcement officers learn lessons of Leo Frank lynching case 

M 

MISH MASH 

By Erin O’Shinskey 

the first assistant rabbi for the congregation 

in more than a generation and the first 

FIRST. Rabbi Elana Zelony is the woman to serve as a rabbi in the synagogue’s 

newest clergy member at 105-year history. Rabbi Zelony earned a 

Congregation Shearith Israel. She is B.A. in geology from Occidental College, 

A 

ore than 100 Georgia officers 

from federal, state, and local 

agencies participated in a train- 

ing program that examined lessons to be 

learned from the lynching of Leo Frank in 

Marietta, Georgia, in 1915. The training 

was provided by The Anti-Defamation 

League, one of the nation’s largest nongovernmental 

trainers of law enforcement 

officers. 

The program coincided with the 

ADL’s April 30 world premiere presentation 

of The People v. Leo Frank, a PBS 

television documentary shedding important 

new light on the trial and subsequent 

lynching of Jewish Atlanta businessman 

Leo Frank. The premiere was held at the 

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 

located just two miles from the site where 

Frank was hanged after being abducted 

from a prison cell in Milledgeville. 

Michael Mears, associate dean of 

academic affairs and associate professor 

at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, 

taught the course. As an attorney, Mears 

has served as lead defense counsel in 

more than 27 Georgia death penalty cases 

and was founding director of the Multi- 

County Public Defenders Office, 

Georgia’s first statewide death penalty 

public defender’s office. He was joined 

by Bill Nigut, Southeast regional director 

of ADL. 

“The Leo Frank case was an extreme 

example of how bigotry unleashed can 

undermine citizen respect for the law,” 

Nigut said. “When Georgia Governor 

John Slayton commuted Leo Frank’s sentence 

from death to life in prison, he and 

his wife were forced to flee the state 

under police protection because angry 

mobs stormed Slayton’s home and hanged 

him in effigy; Leo Frank’s lynching was 

organized by a group of some of 

Marietta’s leading citizens. 

“While lynching is now a relic of a 

dark past here in the South, law enforcement 

officials are nevertheless still called 

upon to deal with community tensions 

created by hatred and bigotry,” Nigut continued. 

“Our class [gave] them the opportunity 

to examine how they resolve issues 

of this kind.” 

The officers also participated in one 

of ADL’s highly acclaimed briefings on 

current extremist activity in this region. 

Chairs for the world premiere of The 

People v. Leo Frank, were former 

Georgia Governor Roy Barnes; Cobb 

County Chairman Sam Olens, the first 

Jewish chairman of Cobb County; and 

Emory University Associate Professor of 

Law Julie Seaman, a board member of the 

Georgia Innocence Project. 

The Leo Frank case is widely regarded 

as one of the most infamous episodes 

in American judicial history. Frank, the 

manager of a downtown Atlanta pencil 

factory, was accused of murdering Mary 

studied in a Jerusalem yeshiva, and received 

her rabbinic training at the Ziegler School of 

Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, where she 

was ordained last month. She is married to 

Adiv Zelony; they have one daughter, Nesya. 

NEW SPIRITUAL LEADER. Rabbi 

Michael Bernstein has joined Congregation 

Gesher L’Torah. Ordained by the Jewish 

Theological 

Seminary in 

1999, he served 

as senior rabbi at 

Congregation 

Beth Am Israel, 

in Penn Valley, 

Pennsylvania, 

a n d 

Congregation 

B’nai Jacob, in 

Longmeadow, 

Rabbi Michael 

Bernstein 

Massachusetts. 

He has designed 

and facilitated 

programs at the National Jewish Center for 

Learning and Leadership, served as chaplain 

at the Springfield (MA) College Campus 

Ministry and Spiritual Life Center, and 

recently served as a senior educator fellow at 

the Melton Centre at Hebrew University. 

Rabbi Bernstein and his wife, Tracie, have 

three children, Ayelet, 10, Yaron, 8, and 

Liana, 4. 

EASING THE WAY. The Epstein School 

and The Weber School have signed an agreement 

providing Epstein students with preferential 

admission status, a seamless transition, 

and a continuous Jewish day school education 

for students 2 years old through 12th 

grade. Epstein and Weber will work closely 

together to align academic and enrichment 

curricula to ensure the goal of seamless transition 

is met for Epstein students who choose 

to attend Weber. Earlier this year, The Alfred 

& Adele Davis Academy signed a similar 

agreement with Weber with great success, 

serving as a model for other Jewish institutions 

to follow. 

Phagan, a 13-year-old employee of the 

factory. Sensational coverage by daily 

newspapers whipped the emotions of 

Atlanta citizens into a frenzy, and Tom 

Watson, a Georgia political leader and 

magazine editor, stirred powerful anti- 

Semitic feelings with his lurid articles 

attacking Frank. 

The Frank case catapulted the Anti- 

Defamation League into prominence as 

one of the nation’s leading civil rights 

organizations. Ironically, it also sparked a 

rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan. 

The People v. Leo Frank, written, 

produced, and directed by award-winning 

filmmaker Ben Loeterman, will be shown 

on PBS stations across the country in the 

fall. Loeterman is one of public television’s 

most prolific producers of historical 

and public affairs documentaries and 

has produced numerous films for such 

prestigious PBS programs as “American 

Experience” and “Frontline.” 

EPSTEIN AND WEBER SIGN AGREE- 

MENT. Pictured: (front, from left) 

Robert Franco, president, The 

Epstein School Board of Trustees; 

Stan Beiner, head of school, The 

Epstein School; Dr. Simcha Pearl, 

head of school, The Weber School; 

Harold Kirtz, president, The Weber 

School Board of Trustees; (back, 

from left) Steve Rakitt, president, 

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta; 

Carol Cooper, chair of the board, 

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta; 

Felicia Weber, naming benefactor, 

The Weber School; and Joe Weber, 

naming benefactor, The Weber 

School 

SANTA FOR SENIORS. On July 22, Santa 

for Seniors held its annual “Christmas in 

July” cocktail party at the TEW Galleries. 

Party organizers were Jill Berry; Dottie 

Smith, executive director; and Jade Sykes. 

Senior Citizen Services of Metropolitan 

Atlanta, through its Santa for Seniors program, 

collects new, unwrapped, “seniorfriendly” 

items such as large-print books, 

bath or personal hygiene products, small 

blankets, slip-resistant slippers, personal 

fans, flashlights, and stationery. 

A JOB WELL DONE. Gail Solomon recently 

received the Cantor Isaac Goodfriend 

Award from Ahavath Achim Synagogue. She 

was given this recognition in thanks for her 

efforts in making the City Wide Blood Drive, 

which she chaired, a success.


Fighting for Jewish education in a highly Unorthodox way 

Who would ever have thought a professional 

wrestler named Demon Hellstorm 

would be a strong advocate of Jewish day 

schools? Or that a nice Jewish boy would 

have in his fingers the magic to fix whatever 

ails a car? Or that these two statements 

would be describing the same man? 

They are, of course, as anyone who has 

ever dropped his or her car off for service at 

Gann-El Auto can attest. Owner Greg 

Herman not only knows what’s wrong with 

cars, he keeps at the job until the owner is 

satisfied that the job has been done right. 

But, beyond that, Herman has another 

passion. He believes in the right of every 

Jewish child to receive a superior Jewish 

education. And as a parent of two elementary 

school-age boys, he knows that today’s 

sluggish economy, combined with the cost 

of day school, is keeping kids out of 

Atlanta’s day schools. He has seen that 

directly this year: Rambam Atlanta, the 

city’s Modern Orthodox elementary school, 

closed its doors, and other schools have not 

always had the funds to offer sufficient 

financial aid to prospective families. So 

Herman has devised a way to use his first 

passion, wrestling, to benefit the parents 

struggling to keep their children in Jewish 

day schools. 

On Sunday, September 13, Yeshiva 

Atlanta will host a family fun day featuring 

not only an antique car show, but also a professional 

wrestling show featuring Greg 

Herman, a.k.a. Demon Hellstorm, “the 

Madman from Miami,” as well as Yeshiva 

Atlanta’s own wrestling coach, Jan “The 

Man” Siegelman and an assortment of 

heavyweight champion professional 

wrestlers, including Big Daddy Goth and 

England’s heavyweight champion, Simon 

Serom. 

How, you might ask, did a nice Jewish 

boy come to be known as Demon 

Hellstorm? Herman started as a youngster, 

in Miami, watching wrestling on television. 

By the age of 16, he had begun to attend 

matches, and, at 21, working out one day in 

a gym, he was approached by a man who 

offered him the opportunity to attend 

wrestling school. “He told me to show up in 

school and he’d sponsor me if I could make 

it through the first lesson,” Herman remembers. 

“I went. There were 64 of us. The 

instructor asked who’d take a fall flat on his 

back. I was the only volunteer. Four months 

later, I was on TV. I didn’t know what I was 

doing, but the money was good, better than 

being an auto mechanic, which was my day 

job. I was the bad guy, inciting the crowd so 

they’d come watch me get killed.” 

He chose the name Demon Hellstorm 

because he’d been told to pick a demonic 

BY 

Suzi 

Brozman 

name. Demon Hellstorm was lifted right out 

of Marvel Comics, where a character who 

was the son of Satan was called Demon 

Hellstorm. But, insists Herman, he was 

actually a good guy in the comics. 

Travel and wrestling became a way of 

life, until Herman married and became a 

father. “There’s nothing more important 

than my kids,” he says. His two boys, Ariel 

Shlomo, 7, and Natanel Yakov, 5, got to see 

their dad wrestle live for the first time on 

Super Bowl Sunday last year. Until then, 

they’d only seen him on tape. 

Herman was not brought up in a religious 

household, but being involved 

throughout his career with born-again 

Christians made him want to find out who 

he was. At age 36, with a serious muscle 

injury, he went back to being a mechanic. 

One day, a black man came into the shop. 

He was wearing a kippah and tzitzis. He 

explained to Herman what they were, and 

took him to the Young Israel synagogue in 

Tamarac, Florida. Herman began going on 

Sundays, since he was working on 

Saturdays. 

Moving to Atlanta, he began studying 

with Rabbi Hirshy Minkowitz at what is 

now Chabad of Alpharetta. He got a job in 

a mechanic shop, soon opening his own in 

Decatur. But, he didn’t like dealing with the 

city. So he moved to Toco Hill and opened 

Gann-El, God’s Garden. He’s happier here, 

and the community is happy to have him, 

judging by the number of cars waiting for 

service and by the praise spread on 

Frum_Atlanta, the Toco Hill listserv. The 

shop offers a full array of services, from 

tune-ups to restorations and paint and body 

work. 

But, his children are the focal points of 

his life. When their school closed at the end 

of the school year, leaving teachers and parents 

uncertain about the future, Herman 

asked himself what he could do to help. 

Finances were a problem for many former 

Rambam families. 

Herman’s own sons will attend public 

school in the fall. But many others needed 

help to allow them to make the best choices 

for their children. Soon, the idea of a 

wrestling show to benefit them was born. 

He told The Jewish Georgian, “People are 

donating their time to try to help. Half of the 

money we raise will be going to Yeshiva 

Atlanta to help with tuition, and half will go 

to parents sending their kids from Rambam 

to other schools. I want people to know this 

is a show. It’s entertainment, for fun. There 

will be no cursing, no spitting, no intentional 

blood. And there will be some really cool 

cars to look at.” Visit his website, 

DemonHellstorm.com, to learn more about 

Herman and his wrestling career. 

Another focus of his life is his fiancée, 

Ilana Melnick. The couple will be married 

about a week before the wrestling extravaganza. 

When Yeshiva Atlanta’s wrestling 

coach, Jan Siegelman, volunteered his services, 

Herman was apprehensive. “Jan thinks 

he’s going to win. I think he’s going to get 

broken in half.” 

But Siegelman, who has coached the 

school’s wrestlers for 17 years, is confident. 

“My life is a study of what it is to be human. 

My commitment is that young men should 

grow up to be adults that their parents and 

they themselves can be proud of, that they 

should be competent in outdoor skills, in 

defending themselves, and in standing up 

for themselves as Jews. They should leave 

the world a better place because they were 

here. That’s why I was born, to live that philosophy 

and help others to.” 

Siegelman has been wrestling for 45 

years. “I always thought a real wrestler 

could beat these so-called pros, these television 

guys who I see as all muscle and 

mouth—most of their muscle is in their 

mouths. The guy I’m going to wrestle is a 

loudmouth, trying to intimidate me.” 

The community can judge his words 

for themselves at the wrestling exhibition, 

September 13, at Yeshiva Atlanta. Tickets 

are just $10. The gates open at 10:00 a.m. 

with wrestling starting at noon. For more 

information, or to enter your car in the 

antique car show, call Greg Herman at 

Gann-El, 404-733-1555 or 770-826-1660. 

Sponsorships are still available, with current 

sponsors including Return to Eden, 

Bagel Break, C&N Auto Parts, Allan Shaw, 

D.D.S., and Kosher Gourmet.


In Israel, two miracles for one Atlantan 

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear a 

fascinating story at the Marcus Jewish 

Community Center of Atlanta, told by Dr. 

David Whiteman, a local plastic surgeon. 

David grew up in a small Jewish community 

in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where 

he was involved in B’nai B’rith youth activities. 

As a teenager, he took a trip to Israel, 

where he met a girl from Detroit, Sheri, who 

was also on a youth trip. A romance blossomed, 

and several years later, they were 

married. 

Fast-forward to 2006. David and Sheri 

traveled to Israel with their two children, 

ages 12 and 15, to celebrate their 19th wedding 

anniversary. They were accompanied by 

close Atlanta friends Mark and Teri 

Edelstein, Gary and Kathy Tuchman, and all 

of their children. 

They had been traveling for about a 

week and made arrangements to sleep in a 

Bedouin tent in the Negev Desert. One night, 

during a camel ride at sunset, David felt a 

crushing sensation in his chest. The pain kept 

getting worse. Since he was a doctor, he suspected 

he was having a heart attack. The 

group returned to the tent, where there was a 

contingent of teenagers. A medic was there; 

however, David said he was not much help. 

Fortunately, the guide was still there, but 

they were about a half hour from civilization. 

David finally got an aspirin from someone in 

the group, which helped save his life. They 

then traveled to the town of Arad, where they 

found an ambulance, and the medics started 

working on him. 

David said he received quality care and 

that the ambulance had medicines that ambulances 

do not ordinarily carry. They gave him 

morphine and a complete electrocardiogram; 

however, nothing relieved his pain. 

It was very dark outside. David started 

praying, even though he wondered if it was 

Dr. David Whiteman 

pointless; there were plenty of people all 

over the world who needed God’s help. “I 

was shaking so badly, and I wanted to lower 

my metabolism, but could not.” To try to get 

his mind off his pain, David jokingly said to 

his friend Gary, “When I get to the hospital, 

I know I will have a Jewish doctor.” 

After about 30 minutes, the ambulance 

stopped, and the medics said they wanted to 

take another EKG. When David asked how 

the electrocardiogram looked, the medics 

said it looked worse than the first one. 

The ambulance took David to the 

Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva. Upon 

arrival, he saw Sheri and Gary looking at the 

ambulance door in surprise. “Did you see 

that?” one of them said. David did not know 

what they were talking about at the time, but 

it turned out to be an important part of this 

powerful experience. 

David was taken immediately to the 

catheter lab. One of the doctors was a very 

large Russian. David joked that if the doctor 

saved him, he would give him a free liposuction. 

The doctors told him they were going to 

do a balloon dilation. David asked when he 

would receive a sedative, and they told him 

he would not need one. Once they did the 

balloon dilation, the pain went away. 

As David was being treated, Gary used 

his Blackberry to contact an Atlanta cardiologist, 

who was a friend and neighbor. The 

Israeli doctors communicated with the cardiologist, 

telling him about David’s condition 

and treatment. The cardiologist then communicated 

to David and Sheri that David was 

getting exceptional care. This information 

proved to be a great relief to everyone. 

David soon learned what Sheri and Gary 

had seen on the ambulance door. As it turned 

out, the ambulance was donated by friends of 

Sheri’s parents in Michigan. Sheri saw this as 

a sign that they had to do something in return 

for the lifesaving treatment David was 

receiving. 

David spent the next week in intensive 

care. In the hospital, he met Arabs and 

Israelis. “Truly a melting pot,” he said. He 

was becoming depressed, until a man point- 

ed out to him that David experienced two 

miracles in Israel: he met his wife there 

almost 20 years earlier, and his life was saved 

there. 

Just before his discharge, David was 

scheduled for a stress test. With him in the 

waiting room were a Bedouin woman covered 

from head to toe, an Arab wearing a 

headdress, and another person speaking 

French. It was “amazing,” David said. “Here 

we were, people of different cultures, relating 

to each other and not shouting.” To top it off, 

David said there was a cooking program on 

TV with English subtitles. “This is a side of 

Israel that people do not know about,” David 

pointed out. “It is not shown on the news.” 

A strange coincidence further convinced 

David that he had to do something for Israel. 

After his discharge, he saw in the parking lot 

of his hotel a dedication ceremony for an 

ambulance donated by the Westin Club in 

Chicago, which has an annual fundraising 

dinner for Magen David Adom (MDA). 

When David told Gary about what he had 

seen, Gary said, “I cannot believe it. I was a 

guest speaker at one of their dinners, and my 

dad is member of that group.” 

All of the things that happened to David 

convinced him and Sheri that they had to do 

something for MDA. They decided on a 

fundraising campaign to purchase an ambulance. 

Sheri began writing to her friends. 

Some people at Davis Academy also raised 

money, and eight months later, in October 

2007, they bought the ambulance. There was 

a dedication ceremony, and the ambulance 

was sent to Israel. 

David’s story was covered by the media, 

but since then, things have been quiet. 

However, it is important to keep this story 

alive, because, in Israel, MDA depends on 

donations, not only for ambulances, but also 

for blood services, as well as supplies of all 

types. 

David’s story was riveting. He told of 

his experiences in such detail that I felt as if 

I were there on the camel when he experienced 

the crushing pain in his chest, when he 

did not know if he could get any help, when 

he was in the ambulance praying. I kept asking 

myself how I would have handled the situation. 

Three years later, David asserts that the 

experience didn’t change him that much, but 

he does acknowledge that he exercises more, 

watches his diet more closely, and does not 

rush as much. And he said it definitely puts 

him more in touch with his patients. 

I then asked if it had changed him spiritually. 

He smiled, tilted his head a little, and 

gave what I thought was a honest response: 

“Some days, yes, and some days, no.” 

After what happened to him, David feels 

more supportive of Israel. His goal is to make 

people aware of MDA, and he encourages 

bar and bat mitzvah kids to make a project of 

donations. 

After his two miracles, David wants to 

help Israel make miracles for others. 

To learn more about MDA, call 1-800- 

266-0046, or visit www.AFMDA.org.


Temple’s iSeder sparks discussion 

about religion and technology 

As humans, our day-to-day lives are in 

perpetual flux. This is especially true for 

those living in nations built on progress, 

such as the United States. Specifically, our 

always-increasing contact with technology 

has transformed who we are as a people, our 

methods of communication, and how we 

send and retrieve information on a by-thesecond 

basis. 

While the advent of technology has 

certainly been responsible for countless 

social, medical, and scientific advancements, 

all of the beneficial kind, it is an 

aspect of life that has often, and intentionally, 

been removed from traditional religious 

practice. 

In Judaism in particular, there has forever 

been a conscious effort to separate 

technology and prayer, an unquestioned 

sense that interaction with technology 

somehow de-spiritualizes practices of piety. 

Torah scrolls and mezuzot must be written 

by the hands of expert scribes, the Hebrew 

Bible commands that no Temple be built 

with iron tools, most traditional forms of 

technology are put to rest once a week for 

Shabbat—the holiest day of the Jewish 

week—and, to this day, Orthodox Jews seek 

out homes nearest their synagogue, so as to 

avoid driving there before sessions of 

prayer. 

Is this traditionally disharmonious relationship 

between Judaism and technology 

inherent or fundamental to the nature of 

religion? Or, rather, is it a condition that 

was developed, learned, and integrated over 

time, a superficial notion that is challenged 

more and more every day, as technology 

continues to creep into nearly every aspect 

of our lives? 

As this conflict rages on, The Temple, 

Atlanta’s largest and oldest Reform synagogue, 

used Passover 2009 to add a new 

chapter to the ongoing discussion, taking a 

revolutionary step in not just allowing and 

accepting technology, but actually attempting 

to utilize it as a productive tool in 

Jewish tradition and ceremony. 

The idea, sparked by Rabbi Frederick 

Reeves—one of The Temple’s four clergy 

members—was to incorporate today’s most 

prevalent and popular forms 

of technology into the second 

night of Passover, an 

experiment Rabbi Reeves 

coined the iSeder. The rabbi 

set up a computer at each of 

four 10-person tables and a 

larger projector on which 

those present could follow 

the service. Each computer 

was connected to a wireless 

Internet network, while 

BlackBerrys and iPhones 

were welcomed as well. 

Over the course of the night, 

a PowerPoint presentation 

on the 15 steps of the Haggadah was given, 

various Internet polls on the ten plagues 

Rabbi Frederick Reeves 

BY 

Scott 

Janovitz 

were taken, YouTube and Facebook were 

scoured, and a virtual Internet search for the 

afikomen was conducted. 

But if technology has always been considered 

a roadblock to spiritualism, and 

Judaism is about achieving just that, why 

would a rabbi intentionally integrate the 

two on one of the holiest days of the Jewish 

year? 

“The intent was to try and see how we 

could use new technology to engage people,” 

Reeves explained. “Partially, we did it 

because the Internet is fun and partially to 

reach the 20s-30s group; that group is not 

interested in the regular kinds of offerings 

that synagogues have, and so we thought 

this would be cool and get their attention, so 

that they would come and have a Jewish 

experience.” 

Throughout the iSeder, those in attendance 

were encouraged to play active roles, 

as they were texted specific blessings via 

their phones when it was their turn to read. 

In this way, then, Reeves used technology 

as a sort of rallying point, as a method of 

attracting and involving Jews, rather than as 

barrier to Jewish practice. 

“We have in our mindset the idea that 

somehow technology and spirituality are 

separate. I think that part of that has to do 

with the fact that, after the Industrial 

Revolution and the dawn of the Information 

Age, there was a sense of depersonalization 

that came with the advent of mass technology,” 

explains Reeves. “The idea is that 

things are no longer individualized or personalized, 

and one of the big things that we 

try and do through the synagogue is make 

connections person-to-person. There’s a 

general sense that technology puts a filter or 

a wall between people, and technology is 

only going to be successful in religious settings 

if it’s used to break down those walls 

and bring people together.” 

Through his carefully calculated 

attempt to integrate 

technology into traditional 

Jewish ceremony, Reeves 

has demonstrated a clear 

trust in this relationship, 

refusing to accept the two as 

inherently conflicting entities. 

With the future in mind, 

however, questioning the 

degree of compatibility 

between religion and technology 

may no longer be the 

most relevant concern. 

Simply put, technology will 

play an increasingly greater role in our liv 

See iSEDER, page 37


Augusta Federation’s annual meeting celebrates community involvement 

O 

n June 8, the Augusta Jewish 

Federation held its annual meeting 

at the Augusta Jewish Community 

Center. The meeting was opened with welcoming 

remarks by Al Grinspun, president, 

followed by the singing of “The Star- 

Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah,” led by 

Gary Katcoff. 

Leah Ronen, executive director of the 

Federation, reported that the 2008 campaign 

closed with a record 385 pledges. She 

highlighted the services that had been rendered 

to the members of the community 

because of the generosity of the Augusta 

kehillah. She and Al Grinspun challenged 

members to make every effort to encourage 

individuals to continue their support, even 

if the present economic climate makes that 

difficult. As Ronen said, “It is time for all 

hands on deck!” 

Officers and board members for the 

coming year were elected. Officers are: Al 

Grinspun, president; Louise Aronow, vice 

president—campaign chair; Debbie 

Katcoff, vice president—allocations; Bob 

Botnick, secretary; and Jack Weinstein, 

treasurer. Board members with terms ending 

2010 are Alyssa Bogorad, Lou Scharff, 

Jon Shoenholz, Joan Steinberg, and Jack 

Weinstein; those with terms ending 2011 

are Louise Aronow, Ziva Bruckner, Marc 

Gottlieb, Al Grinspun, and Margie Ruben; 

those with terms ending 2012 are Bob 

Botnick, Jeff Broder, Paul Graboff, Debbie 

Federation President Al Grinspun Executive Director Leah Ronen 

Anne Pomper receiving the 

Outstanding Volunteer 2009 from Al 

Grinspun 

Katcoff, and Beverly Lowenstein. After the 

election, Sumner Fishbein conducted the 

installation. 

Anne Pomper was named Outstanding 

Volunteer 2009 for her untiring efforts in 

telling the story of Federation to donors. 

Pomper, on her own, undertook the work of 

Stephen Steinberg presenting the 

Maurice Steinberg Achievement 

Award to Bob Botnick 

making personal contact with members of 

the community; as a result, there was a 

marked increase in participation. 

Bob Botnick was honored with the 

Maurice Steinberg Achievement Award. 

Stephen Steinberg, Maurice’s son, made the 

presentation, saying, “The recipient shares 

One Good Deed serves residents’ needs 

I 

t’s hard to know how a person with a 

disability or disadvantage feels, unless 

you have experienced that life yourself. 

Sharon Spiegelman experienced a typical, 

healthy life, until beset by physical ailments 

that landed her in a motorized chair. That 

may have slowed down others, but not 

Sharon, for she has continued to be an 

active and cheerful person who has found 

ways to help others in need of everyday 

services. 

Sharon was born in New Jersey and, at 

a tender age, moved to Georgia with her 

parents and 

two siblings. 

She went 

through the 

Atlanta 

school system 

and 

attended the 

University of 

Georgia, 

where she 

earned a 

degree in 

Sharon Spiegelman 

communications 

in 1981. 

She didn’t know what she might do with 

that degree, but shortly after graduation, she 

went to work for the CIBA optical company 

and rose from customer service rep to 

supervisor. 

Her next job took her to Florida, where 

BY Leon 

Socol 

she worked for Scott Foresman, the textbook 

publishing company. Then she 

returned to Atlanta and had a 15-year career 

with Perlis Real Estate Development 

Company, selling commercial real estate. 

After that, she developed a bone disorder 

that resulted in multiple leg fractures. Her 

doctors advised her to give up walking and 

use a wheelchair, in order to avoid more 

serious fractures in other parts of her body. 

Her younger sister, Lisa, had married 

Atlantan Marty Halpern, who was in commercial 

real estate. Four years ago, the 

Halperns took a trip to Israel and saw how 

volunteer programs worked and flourished 

there. Marty thought some of these programs 

might work for senior groups that 

didn’t qualify for programs then being 

offered in Atlanta. 

When they got home, he contacted 

Sharon and told her about the programs he 

had seen. He asked her to help him find 

people who were older or suffered long- or 

short-term disabilities and needed help with 

life’s daily tasks. 

Sharon had, by then, been reduced to 

working part time. Marty said that he would 

finance the venture for several years if she 

would organize and run it. Thus, One Good 

Deed was founded in February 2006. Its 

primary area of operations was Northeast 

Atlanta. 

The non-profit’s mission is to help seniors 

and other persons with physical or 

long-term health needs maintain their independence, 

remain in their homes longer, 

and avoid costly institutional care. 

Through friends and word of mouth, 

Sharon set about to enlist volunteers. Over 

the last three years, Sharon has gathered a 

group of 133 volunteers, whom she matches 

with clients. There is no charge for One 

Good Deed’s services, and volunteers are 

rewarded with the joy they bring to those 

they serve. Satisfaction in serving others is 

truly a wonderful feeling, says Sharon. 

Sharon and Marty’s One Good Deed is 

partnering with the Toco Hill and Meyer 

Balser NORCs (naturally occurring retirement 

communities); Jewish Federation of 

Greater Atlanta; Jewish Family & Career 

Services; Life Enrichment Services; Center 

for the Visually Impaired; and Caregiver 

CARE Atlanta. 

Volunteers of all ages provide help 

such as changing a hard-to-reach light bulb 

or smoke alarm battery, shopping for groceries, 

running errands, doing household 

chores, preparing and/or delivering a meal, 

providing companionship, filling in for a 

Maurice’s belief in our tradition of tzedakah 

and his faith in the ability of the Jewish people 

for tikkun olam.” 

Botnick moved to Augusta in 1962 to 

begin his practice of medicine. During the 

ensuing years, he became a respected member 

of the medical community, but always 

found time to volunteer his time and energy 

in the service of others. 

Botnick has served as president of the 

Georgia Society of Internal Medicine, 

chairman of the Richmond County Health 

Department, board member of MAG 

Mutual Insurance Company, board member 

of the Jewish Educational Loan Fund, a 

founding physician of Doctors Hospital of 

Augusta, co-chairman of a Jaycees campaign 

that distributed free doses of the 

Sabin polio vaccine to residents of 

Richmond County, chairman of the Israel 

Bond Drive, board member of Adas 

Yeshurun Synagogue, and member of the 

board and president of the Augusta Jewish 

Federation. In his retirement, he serves as a 

volunteer physician at the Faith Care 

Medical Clinic, a medical facility operated 

by Wesley United Methodist Church for 

indigent residents of Columbia County. 

After closing remarks by Rabbi David 

Sirull, of Adas Yeshurun, the meeting was 

adjourned. 

Volunteerism is alive and well in 

Augusta. 

caregiver, and providing transportation. 

Current plans are to extend services to 

residents living in the area north of the 

Meyer Balser Home, in Northwest Atlanta. 

Financing and expanding the services 

of One Good Deed is a daunting task, especially 

in the present economic climate, but 

Sharon and her helpers have received grant 

money from local and national sources. 

Sharon even sells sympathy cards, with all 

the proceeds going to One Good Deed. 

Sharon literally lives a life of service to 

others. She has spread the word about One 

Good Deed via the numerous organizations 

of which she is an active member. She and 

her husband (also named Marty) reside in 

Decatur, in a home modified to accommodate 

wheelchairs. Her husband, victim of a 

robbery years ago, uses a wheelchair, too. 

But that doesn’t hamper either Marty or 

Sharon Spiegelman. They both lead active 

and productive lives that challenge individuals 

without disabilities. 

If you would like to volunteer with One 

Good Deed, it’s easy. Just contact Sharon 

Spiegelman at 404-460-7842 or 

www.1gooddeed.org. You will need to submit 

an application with references, participate 

in a brief interview, undergo a criminal 

background check, and spend 1-2 hours a 

month doing a good deed. No special training 

is required, and One Good Deed liability 

insurance protects both volunteers and 

clients.



Rosh Hashanah 2009 

A La Carte 

Matzoh Ball Soup (1 Ball, 6 oz. Broth) • $3.50 ea. 

Matzoh Balls Only • 2.50 ea. 

Brisket of Beef (House Specialty!) • $16.00 lb. 

Whole Traditional Roasted Chicken (Cut into Quarters) • $10.00 ea. 

Chopped Liver • $10.00 lb. 

1 Lb. Round Braided Challah • $5.00 ea. 

Sides 

Small (Serves 3-4) • $9.00 

Medium (Serves 6-8) • $18.00 

Large (Serves 12-14) • $28.00 

X-large (Serves 20-24) • $50.00 

Luchen Kugel • Potato Kugel • Broccoli Casserole • Squash Soufflé 

Roasted Vegetable Medley (Squash, Peppers, Carrots, Asparagus) 

Desserts 

Chocolate Mousse Cake with 

Chocolate Ganache Glaze (Serves 14-16) • $30.00 

Apple Walnut Poundcake (Serves 14-16) • $30.00 

Honey Gingerbread Poundcake (Serves 14-16) • $30.00 

Chocolate Pecan Tart (Serves 10-12) • $30.00 

French Apple Tart with Walnut Crumble Topping (Serves 10-12) • $30.00 

All orders must be placed no later than Monday, 

September 14th, for pickup by noon Friday, 

September 18th. All foods will be cooked and 

chilled. Unfortunately, no changes can be 

accommodated after September 14th. 

www.brickerycatering.com 

Brickery Catering 

6125 ROSWELL ROAD • ATLANTA, GA 30328 

(404) 843-8002 FAX (404) 843-0615



Kosher Affairs 

From page 22 

I have also added one more feature to 

the garden mix—couldn’t resist. I now have 

an “as seen on TV” Topsy Turvey tomato 

planter. No, I didn’t buy it off the TV— 

Home Depot now carries them. I filled my 

Topsy Turvey planter with soil and fertilizer, 

inserted one tomato plant, and, yes, it is 

growing nicely. If it is successful, I think that 

I will Topsy Turvey my yard next year! 

I am currently reviewing and 

testing the Zojirushi Bread 

machine and will feature it in our 

September/October issue. Please 

share your best bread machine 

recipes with me! I am particularly 

searching for the best challah, 

whole wheat, and oatmeal breads— 

all dairy free. 

KOSHEREYE—NEW PRODUCT 

DISCOVERIES 

BONE SUCKIN’ SAUCE. So delicious! 

Here’s how I used it. I pre-browned a 4-lb. 

top of the rib roast on my outdoor grill, about 

4 minutes per side. Then I followed the 

directions right on the jar—I mixed the 

sauce with 12 ounces of orange juice, poured 

it over the top of the rib roast, tightly covered 

the pan with foil, and roasted it for 3 hours at 

300 degrees. Then I uncovered it and roasted 

it for 20 minutes more. I let it cool, refrigerated 

it, sliced it, and served. (It is even better 

Original Bone 

Suckin’ Sauce 

the next day.) It was truly 

scrumptious. For those who 

like their heat, Bone Suckin’ 

also makes a hot sauce. (I 

used the original in my 

recipe.) Go to 

Bonesuckin.com for 

more recipes. 

BACONNAISE AND BACONSALT. This 

is a kosher column, so why am I featuring 

these products? The company says it best— 

”BaconSalt is a zerocalorie, 

zero-fat, vegetarian, 

kosher certified 

(Kof-K) seasoning that 

makes everything taste 

like bacon!” Baconnaise 

can be substituted in any 

recipe that calls for may- 

BaconSalt 

assortment 

onnaise, such as potato 

or egg salad. For recipes 

and to learn more about 

these products, visit jdfoods.net and baconsalt.com. 

DRINK UP. Lemongrass, rhubarb, kumquat, 

juniper berry, vanilla bean, lavender— 

sounds like a garden collection, but these are 

actually flavors of the Dry Soda Company’s 

lightly carbonated, refreshing, non-alcoholic 

beverages. The Seattle-based company has 

recently introduced this unique line of allnatural 

sodas that are flavored with fruit, 

flower, and herb extracts and lightly sweet- 

ened with cane sugar. These beverages can 

be enjoyed on their own or as a sophisticated 

meal accompaniment. All are 

OU certified. The consensus at my 

table was that the vanilla bean, 

kumquat, and lavender were the clear 

winners. Read about Dry Soda at 

drysoda.com. 

NEW BREW. I am not a fan of instant 

coffee. However, Starbucks may win 

me over with its new product, 

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew. (Even the 

name sounds better than instant!) 

There are currently two rich vari- 

ALL IN THE TEA LEAVES. My new 

favorite bottled iced tea is Sweet Leaf Tea, 

particularly the mint-honey green tea and the 

peach tea. The teas are sweetened with cane 

sugar, the flavors are natural, and I even love 

the happy website! Buy these teas at Whole 

Foods, Return to Eden, and other local 

supermarkets, or order at sweetleaftea.com. 

MAMMA MIA! I have just discovered the 

delicious La Famiglia DelGrosso pasta 

sauces. The concept of bottled spaghetti 

sauce took root in 1943, with husband-andwife 

restaurateurs Ferdinand and Mafalda 

DelGrosso. This entrepreneurial Italian couple 

stirred, cooked, and bottled the sauce by 

hand. The products are now manufactured in 

a modern, 18,000-square-foot facility, under 

the certification of the OU. 

The family motto, “no 

short cuts,” is obvious 

once one tastes the rich, 

tomato flavor in each jar. It 

is a premium sauce and 

priced accordingly. My 

favorite, Aunt Mary Ann’s 

Sunday Marinara (I even 

love the name), is sold at 

Publix, Kroger, and Whole 

Foods. Deliziosa—what a 

Aunt Mary Ann’s 

treat! For recipes or more 

information, visit deleties—Colombian 

and Italian Roast. Sunday Marinara 

Both are micro-brewed and taste almost 

grossosauce.com. 

like the real thing! 

Come follow—see all that’s new in 

kosher by following 

TWITTER.COM/KOSHEREYE. Building 

a kosher network tweet by tweet! And join 

the Facebook.com/koshereye group. 

This column is meant to provide the reader 

with current trends and developments in the 

kosher marketplace and lifestyle. Since standards 

of kashruth certification vary, check 

with the AKC or your local kashruth authority 

to confirm reliability. If you are searching 

for a hard-to-find kosher ingredient, need 

help with a kosher substitution, or have a 

kosher food question, please contact us, and 

we will do our best to find the answer. Also, 

we ask that you share your discoveries with 

us and look forward to hearing from you. Email 

kosheraffairs@gmail.com.


What’s cooking? 

Mrs. Rowe’s Original Coconut Cream Pie 

Adapted from Mrs. Rowe’s Book of 

Southern Pies by Mollie Cox Bryan 

The most popular dessert at Mrs. Rowe’s 

Bakery! 

1 9-inch piecrust 

3 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the 

meringue) 

1 cup sugar 

1/4 cup cornstarch 

1/4-1/2 cup water 

3 cups milk 

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Mrs. Rowe’s meringue (see recipe below) 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, 

and just enough of the water to make a 

smooth paste. Warm the milk in a double 

boiler over simmering water. When the 

milk begins to steam, gradually whisk in 

the egg mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally 

until very thick, about 4 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of 

coconut, butter, and vanilla. 

Pour the filling into the crust and top 

with the meringue, sealing the edges well. 

Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the 

meringue. 

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or 

until the meringue is golden brown and 

firm to the careful, light touch. Cool on 

rack at least 2 hours. Serve the pie at room 

temperature, or, for a special treat, warm in 

the microwave for 10 seconds. 

————— 

Mrs. Rowe’s Meringue 

4 egg whites, at room temperature 

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 

3 tablespoons sugar 

In a chilled bowl, combine egg whites 

and cream of tartar and beat on slow to 

medium speed until soft peaks form. Add 

the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and 

continue beating until whites form stiff 

peaks but are not dry. The meringue is now 

ready to pile lightly over pie. 

————— 

Spaghetti Carbonara 

Adapted from baconsalt.com 

1 stick unsalted butter 

1 cup milk 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

1 lb. spaghetti 

2 eggs, whisked 

Recipes 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

BaconSalt 

chopped fresh parsley 

Heat butter and milk together until butter 

melts. Add vinegar, and cook over medium 

heat until smooth (approximately 15 

minutes). 

Cook pasta in boiling water; drain, and 

return to pot. Stir in eggs, cheese, and sauce 

immediately. Season with BaconSalt and 

sprinkle with parsley. 

————— 

Baconnaise Potato Salad 

Adapted from baconsalt.com 

2 lbs. small potatoes (preferably reds) 

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 

1 cup Baconnaise 

3 stalks finely minced celery 

2 tablespoons chopped parsley 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Cut the potatoes into half-inch pieces, 

keeping the skin on. Place potatoes in a pot 

of boiling, salted water, and cook for 

approximately 15 minutes, until tenderfirm. 

Drain, and place in cold water immediately. 

Mix the Baconnaise and Dijon mustard, 

then add to potatoes along with 

minced celery and parsley until evenly 

coated. Add salt and pepper to taste, if 

desired. Garnish with additional parsley. 

————— 

Gazpacho 

Adapted from Soup: A Kosher Collection 

by Pam Reiss 

Serves 4 

3 medium Roma tomatoes, cored and seeded 

1 medium red pepper, cored and seeded 

1/2 medium red onion 

1 large seedless English cucumber 

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon hot sauce 

1/2 cup low-sodium tomato juice 

2 tablespoons each fresh chives and fresh 

parsley 

Dice 1/3 of the tomatoes, peppers, 

onion, and cucumber. Set aside. 

Using a food processor or immersion 

blender, puree remaining ingredients (except 

herbs) until smooth. If mixture seems too 

thick, add more tomato juice. 

Combine mixture with diced vegetables. 

Add herbs and chill 4 hours or 

overnight. 

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The Blumberg Report 

I 

had hardly moved into my new digs on 

Peachtree when the phone rang with 

invitations to two very interesting 

events. One was the ceremony and luncheon 

at Morehouse College inaugurating the 

Rabin-King Initiative, a multifaceted program 

for strengthening ties between Jews 

and African Americans. The event featured 

the induction of a newly appointed Board of 

Preachers and Sponsors that included, 

among others, Rabbi Peter Berg of The 

Temple, Ambassador Reda Mansour of 

Israel, and myself. 

The keynote speaker, also an inductee, 

was Rabbi David Saperstein, director of 

Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center 

in Washington, recently listed as the 

nation’s most influential rabbi. He gave a 

dynamic, highly inspirational lecture recalling 

the life work of Martin Luther King Jr. 

and his connections with Atlanta Jewry, as 

BY 

Janice Rothschild 

Blumberg 

well as the courageous leadership of Israel’s 

martyred Nobel Prize laureate, Yitzhak 

Rabin. 

On the personal side, I was highly honored 

to have been included in such an 

august group. It was a wonderful experience, 

one that certainly motivated me to 

help further the objectives of the Rabin- 

King Initiative. Where that motivation will 

lead remains to be seen, but there is never a 

lack of opportunity for extending friendship 

and understanding. 

One such opportunity came to me in 

the form of a phone call from Michael 

Baker at Positive Impact, an organization 

devoted to providing services to HIV sufferers. 

He asked me to be the guest of 

Positive Impact at a benefit performance of 

Driving Miss Daisy at the Balzer Theater. 

He also asked me to speak at a post-performance 

reception for the donors, recounting 

personal experiences with The Temple 

bombing and other historical aspects of the 

play. I suggested a panel discussion rather 

than a solo performance (for which I lack 

the chutzpah) and thus gained the pleasure 

of appearing with professor and civil rights 

activist Lonnie King, Jr. His input was far 

more relevant than mine could ever have 

been, since he spoke from ongoing deep 

involvement with race relations, the issue at 

the core of Miss Daisy. 

Questions addressed to me were largely 

in the realm of reminiscence, and I found 

myself tempted to speak more about the 

play itself than about the general conditions 

that it mirrored. In my opinion, the production 

of Alfred Uhry’s prize-winning masterpiece 

by Theatrical Outfit, whose executive 

director is Tom Key, was first-rate, and 

Robert J. Farley deserves enthusiastic 

kudos for his direction. Jill Jane Clements’ 

portrayal of Miss Daisy was harsher than 

Mary Nell Santacroce’s in the play’s 

Atlanta debut or her daughter Dana Ivey’s 

in New York, but, nonetheless, gave the 

aging matriarch a character whose metamorphosis 

moved many of us to tears. Rob 

Cleveland was so good as Hoke that I 

immediately stopped comparing him to 

Morgan Freeman, and William Murphy was 

delightful as the Jewish “good old boy” trying 

to care for his mother. Most importantly, 

they drew the audience through laughter 

and heart tugs to a renewed awareness of 

the need for sensitivity to the feelings of 

others. 

Positive Impact is all about that. 

Founded in 1993, its mission is to provide 

people affected by HIV with culturally 

competent mental health counseling and 

prevention counseling, as well as with 

intensive substance abuse treatment. In 

addition to other services, it hosts an annual 

forum, the Cultural Diversity Institute, 

where mental health professionals come to 

learn about diversity issues affecting treatment 

of their own clients. 

Those of us who thought that education 

and life-preserving drugs had come close to 

wiping out the scourge of HIV/AIDS in 

America have been sadly mistaken. The 

most recent data available indicate that 

there has actually been an increase of cases 

in Georgia in the present decade. In Atlanta, 

Positive Impact alone has serviced more 

than 4,100 clients so far this year. The 

organization cites complacency as one of 

the main reasons for the increase and is trying 

to strengthen awareness of the danger in 

order to reverse this trend. 

To learn more about Positive Impact 

and ways in which to impact its mission 

directly, call Paul Plate or Michael Baker at 

404-589-9040. The scourge isn’t over yet, 

and in these times of reduced finances, 

agencies such as this need all the help they 

can get.


A Personal Memoir, part 1: Atlanta adolescence 

By David Macarov 

I 

grew up in the locker room of the 

Atlanta Braves—or, at least where the 

Braves locker room now stands. Of 

course, they weren’t called the Braves 

when I was growing up. They were the 

Atlanta Crackers. The Atlanta team was 

named Crackers as a deliberate contrast to 

names like the enormous New York 

Giants, or, obviously, the victorious New 

York Yankees. 

iSeder 

From page 29 

————— 

Crackers were supposed to be 

unschooled, impolite, rather simple—in 

short, underdogs, and that was the image 

that the Atlanta team liked to portray, 

because it enlisted a lot of sympathy. It 

was also a humorous method of keeping 

alive the myth that the South was still 

fighting the War Between the States, 

which myth had already become an elaborate 

Southern joke. (“Never call it the Civil 

War, son,” a grizzled veteran at the State 

Capitol once said to me when I was a 

schoolboy, “because it was a most uncivil 

war.”) 

It was true that we probably learned 

more in school about that war than about 

the Revolution, and certainly more than 

the World War (this was before there was a 

World War II), but, as I remember it, we 

were taught that slavery was wrong and 

that maintaining the unity of the States 

was right. 

The War Between the States was simply 

taught as a fact of history, but there 

es with each passing day; no matter where 

we turn, it, or some facet of it, will forever 

be there. 

The question for the future then 

becomes: Can religion, absent of technological 

influence, especially in nations as 

progress-oriented and industrialized as the 

United States, ever truly exist on a mass 

scale? And if the answer is no, and you 

accept that technology does posses at least 

some de-spiritualizing qualities, what will 

all this mean for the American Jew in the 

future? 

In response to the first question, 

Reeves is clear about one thing: whether 

for good or bad, the ever-growing connection 

between religion and technology is an 

unavoidable condition of the future. 

“Young Jews today rely on technology 

in every aspect of their lives. The 25-yearold 

American Jew could not imagine not 

having technology; it would be unimaginable 

to not have a telephone, unimaginable 

to not have access to the Internet, unimaginable 

to not use e-mail,” Reeves said. 

And, at the suggestion that such a 

future relationship may have negative 

implications, Reeves showed no quit. 

were still enough short stories and novels 

and movies to make it seem like a glamorous 

war—Jeb Stuart’s cavalry; 

Stonewall Jackson’s last words; Pickett’s 

charge; Francis Marion, “the Swamp Fox”; 

noble Jefferson Davis; and, of course, 

angelic Robert E. Lee—were familiar to 

all of us. But we only put on the “proud 

Southerner” guise as an inside joke. It was 

all history, and rather ancient history. 

“Over fifty years ago,” to a youngster, 

is going back to the time of Noah. That’s 

why calling oneself a cracker had no historical 

connotation. Instead, its usage had 

become a form of reverse snobbery. 

“We’re crackers and proud of it,” had 

taken on an almost sly aspect. It was a 

method of deliberately exaggerating the 

characteristics that Northerners imputed to 

us, but which we knew weren’t there. At a 

later date, “redneck” took the place of 

“cracker,” but that was softened when 

Governor Gene Talmadge, of the red suspenders, 

began using the term “good ole 

boys.” Though Yankees never knew it and 

kept saying “cracker,” the really insulting 

phrase was “po’ white trash.” 

We never spoke of Yankees, by the 

way—that was a term they used themselves. 

To us, they were Northerners, or— 

when we deliberately wanted to exaggerate 

the differences—Nawtheners. I don’t 

imagine many people speak of Southerners 

and Northerners any more, and few people 

still use the term “cracker,” but, on the 

other hand, how many people in the United 

States—except in Atlanta—discuss what 

the Braves did last night, off an Indian 

reservation? 

“It would have been like saying, at the 

turn of the 20th century, if we engage people 

with the telephone, they’re going to be 

less Jewish. But the telephone became 

such an integral part of our society, we 

couldn’t imagine how we could possibly 

function without it. So I think these other 

functions of technology are the same; 

[young Jews] just can’t function without 

them, and so, by using these tools, we are 

reaching young people where they are, 

meeting them using a medium with which 

they are familiar.” 

Still, the telephone has been around 

for ages, and, in the lives of many Jews, its 

use at certain times—such as Shabbat— 

continues to be strictly prohibited and is 

done so specifically in the name of 

Judaism. So why, then, can we not prevent 

other forms of technology from finding 

their way into our prayers? Or, with anti- 

Semitism declining and intermarriage at an 

all-time high, is the increasingly closer 

connection between religion and technology 

merely the product of what is quickly 

becoming a larger and larger pool of 

Americanized Jews with a less traditional 

tilt? 

Only time can answer these questions, 

and what either conclusion would mean 

for the future of American Judaism 

————— 

We used to make fun of Northerners, 

of course, and the trick was to do it so that 

they didn’t know they were being made 

fun of. For the most part, the humor was 

harmless. We would show them the round 

water tower in Druid Hills and explain that 

it was a big golf ball—a tribute to Bobby 

Jones. On showing them the Cyclorama, 

the panoramic painting in Grant Park, we 

assured them that the German artists who 

made the memorial were later deliberately 

blinded so that they could never create 

another one. We always mentioned 

Sherman’s retreat through Georgia to the 

sea (and by then, most of them didn’t 

know enough history to catch the joke), 

and we showed them the Governor’s mansion, 

explaining that it was the seat of the 

Ku Klux Klan. Sometimes, though, we 

played into Northerners’ worst stereotypes 

of Southerners. 

After a while, the visitor usually realized 

he was being kidded, but I remember 

one particularly obnoxious visitor, who 

kept bragging about how much better and 

bigger and more interesting “The City” 

was. We became so annoyed with him that 

we pretended we were going to take him to 

view a lynching, to his horror. We were 

evidently very convincing, because when 

we paused for a traffic light, he leaped out 

of the car and ran. We watched him disappear 

and shook our heads at the naiveté 

and stupidity of supposedly sophisticated 

Nawtheners. 

remains equally unclear. Either way, 

though, one thing is for sure: Rabbi Reeves 

has an insightful and determined perspective 

on religion, its purpose, and what it 

should work to accomplish. Regardless of 

the future implications, he has incorporated 

technology into religious practice with 

the most pure and innovative intentions. 

“When we were coming up with how 

we would use technology for the iSeder, 

some people thought, ‘Oh, are people 

going to be in their own homes and connect 

into the Seder that way?’ I didn’t want 

to do that purposely, because then I don’t 

think that you would really connect with 

other people in the way that religion is 

supposed to bring people together and 

form community.” 

————— 

The girls of my generation would 

never date a boy who wore white shoes in 

the wintertime. White shoes were the style 

in the South as well as in the North, but 

Southerners wore black or brown when 

winter started, and the Northerners—mostly 

college boys going to Georgia Tech— 

continued with their whites. White shoes 

in the wintertime marked someone as not 

only from the North, which was bad, but 

specifically from New Jersey, which was 

even worse than New York. White shoes in 

the winter automatically meant no date. 

When we learned that New Yorkers 

never spoke of New York by name—it, 

was always “The City” (“In The City, 

we...” or, “One day, when I was in The 

City...”) we used that to needle them, too. 

Whenever a New Yorker began sounding 

off about The City, we always looked 

dumb and asked innocently, “Kansas City? 

Jersey City? Salt Lake City?” We took 

pleasure in forcing him to specify “New 

York City,” and then our reply was invariably 

a disinterested, “Oh, that city.” 

Once we had created a good relationship 

with a visitor, however, we usually 

showed him the incomplete carving on 

Stone Mountain, Druid Hills, the Candler 

estate, the Fox Theatre, the Cyclorama, 

and the Biltmore Hotel. But, regardless of 

whatever else we did with visitors, we 

always ended up at the Alliance. 

Next issue: Good times at the Jewish 

Educational Alliance 

Finally, no matter where you fall on 

the issue, our overwhelming reliance on 

technology is, no doubt, here to stay. 

According to Rabbi Reeves, Judaism can 

either harness technology’s presence and 

use it to persist and grow even stronger in 

the years to come, or, through avoidance in 

the name of tradition, neglect the needs 

and demands of its future followers, while 

contributing to its own end. 

Reeves definitely believes technology 

will be important in keeping Judaism alive. 

“I think in 100 years, we’re going to have 

technologies in the synagogue that right 

now we can’t really imagine. I think that 

the use of technology, in the process of 

how we do everything, is only going to 

increase.”


Schwartz on Sports 

A 

BY Jerry 

Schwartz 

few months ago, I ran into Bruce 

Weinstein at the MJCCA, and he 

updated me on one of my “Where 

Are They Now?” guys. Arnie Fielkow 

played in the Men’s Basketball League in 

the ‘90s and was a terrific player. He even 

tried out and made the United States basketball 

team that played in the World 

Maccabiah Games in Israel. 

During the time Arnie lived in Atlanta, 

he was commissioner of the Southern 

Baseball Association. Bruce told me that, 

when they fined players, the money was 

given to charities, and Arnie determined 

which ones. He designated a lot of that fine 

money to the Marcus Jewish Community 

Center of Atlanta. Bruce, at that time, was 

chairman of the MJCCA’s Health, 

Recreation, and Wellness Department, 

which benefited from those donations. 

I lost contact with Arnie when he left 

Atlanta, so I asked Bruce to fill me in. 

Arnie, who is a lawyer, moved to New 

Orleans in the late ‘90s and took a job as a 

high-level administrator with the New 

Orleans Saints. When Katrina hit, the Saints 

were playing out of town, and the organiza- 

tion had to decide whether they were going 

to return to New Orleans to play. The owner 

of the Saints did not want them to return, 

and Arnie did. 

As a consequence of their disagreement, 

Arnie lost his job. But public opinion 

was on Arnie’s side, and he became a hero 

in New Orleans for the position he took. As 

a result, he decided to run for public office, 

for president of the New Orleans City 

Council, in 2006. Bruce’s daughter, Brook 

Weinstein Berger, who went to law school 

in New Orleans and lived near Arnie, 

worked on his campaign. 

Even though Arnie was running against 

an incumbent who was heavily favored, he 

won a very close election. So, if you know 

Arnie and go to New Orleans, he probably 

won’t be able to get you Saints’ tickets, but 

he might arrange a tour of City Hall. 

While talking with Bruce, I told him 

that I wrote a column in December of 2008 

about sports memorabilia and had interviewed 

Dean Zindler, who owns Zindler’s 

Sports Collectibles. I was also aware that 

Bruce had an extensive collection of baseball 

cards that he had collected in his youth, 

and I thought it would be interesting to follow 

up on that. 

Bruce grew up in Birmingham and 

started collecting baseball cards when he 

was about ten. From the period of 1956- 

1962, he collected a card for every major 

league baseball player. He was one kid 

whose mother did not throw away his col- 

Bruce Weinstein and his priceless possessions 

lection, which remains intact today. He was 

adamant when he told me he would never 

sell his cards. His favorite is Mickey 

Mantle’s rookie year. No telling how much 

that would be worth today. 

Bruce keeps his cards in large, plasticcovered 

albums. Friends often ask if they 

can bring their kids over to see the collection. 

When they get there, the kids usually 

end up watching TV, and it’s the fathers 

who spend time going through the cards. 

Bruce also told me that, when he 

moved to Atlanta in 1971, he started collecting 

autographed baseballs and now has 

approximately 100. He was most interested 

in getting Hall of Famers and has attended 

the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony the 

last two years in Cooperstown, New York. 

He has autographed baseballs from Joe 

DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Pete Rose, 

Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, 

and Don Larsen. 

Of course, I asked Bruce about Hank 

Aaron, and he said he had an autographed 

ball from him, too. Bruce was at the game 

when Hank hit homer number 715 to pass 

Babe Ruth as the home-run king. He has a 

certificate proving he was there. He even 

went back to an Old Timers Game to get a 

ball signed by Al Downing, the Dodger 

pitcher who gave up home run 715 to 

Aaron. 

Bruce is a longtime Braves season ticket 

holder. Now, he needs to be certain to get 

autographed balls from Gregg Maddux, 

Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper 

Jones, because they’ll all be in the Hall of 

Fame one day. 

ALTA COCKER SOFTBALL GAME #2. I 

heard from Gene Benator that the second 

annual Alta Cocker Softball Game is scheduled 

for June 28 at the Marcus Jewish 

Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA). 

Once again, Marcus Katz has graciously 

offered to provide the refreshments for 

players, family, and friends. 

Gene is determined to have an even 

bigger tournament than last year, as evidence 

by his initial e-mail, sent out to about 

60 guys encouraging them to recruit other 

guys who played in the Men’s Softball 

League from 1971 to 1992. Last year, the 

guys were divided into 4- to 15-man teams, 

and we played 2- to 3-inning games. 

This year, Gene has planned for more 

guys and even greater athletic ability to be 

showcased. He joked that they had planned 

a Home Run Derby Contest, but the 

MJCCA said they didn’t have enough time 

to set up the “Kid Pitch” fences. He also 

wanted to have a “jugs gun”—a radar gun 

that measures the speed of the pitch—but 

the gun didn’t register in the teens. 

I told Gene that I would be at the game 

this year solely as a reporter, rather than a 

participant. I survived last year’s game with 

only a torn pair of blue jeans, managed to 

field most of the grounders hit my way at 

shortstop, and got the ball to first base without 

any bounces. I also was able to hit the 

modified pitch every time up, even though I 

didn’t get the ball out of the infield. I am 

going to leave the game to the guys who are 

still actually playing, but I look forward to 

seeing everyone again, and I’ll cover it in 

the next “Schwartz on Sports.” 

REMEMBRANCE. I was saddened to hear 

that Larry Wolfe had died. He was probably 

the best catcher who ever played in the 

Men’s Softball League. Larry was a fiery 

competitor who had all the qualities of a 

great player. He could hit for power and 

run, and he had a great arm. I had the opportunity 

to play against him in many Center 

League and City League games.


Thought You’d Like to Know 

By Jonathan Barach 

STIMULATING SUMMER. The Marcus 

Jewish Community Center of Atlanta 

(MJCCA) is offering a number of summer 

programs for mature adults. Film Club: 

Enjoy contemporary and classic films and 

participate in a lively discussion, July 26, 

6:00 p.m.; admission is $8 for non-members, 

$5 for members. Edgewise Thursday: 

Leaders from the Atlanta area will speak on 

their particular areas of expertise and lead 

group discussions, Thursdays, 10:00 a.m.- 

12:00 noon; admission is $5 for non-members, 

free for members. For information on 

these and other programs, visit www.atlantajcc.org. 

ON THEIR OWN. On July 29, 7:00-8:30 

p.m., Jewish Family & Career Services’ 

Tools for Independence program will host a 

free Transition Workshop for families of transition-age 

young adults with developmental 

disabilities. Topics will include transitioning 

from high school to adult services, as well as 

transitioning from living with parents to living 

independently. The workshop facilitator 

is Cheryl Rhodes, a licensed marriage and 

family therapist and mother of a young adult 

who has recently transitioned to adult services. 

The workshop will take place at JF&CS, 

4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road. RSVP to 

Brenda Revere at revere@jfcs-atlanta.org. 

THEY’LL SHOP ‘TIL THEY DROP. 

Another Sunday Afternoon At Loehmann’s, a 

new comedy by Peachtree Battle playwrights 

John Gibson and Anthony Morris, is being 

held over through August 30 at the Ansley 

Park Playhouse, 1545 Peachtree Street, 

Peachtree Pointe Building, in Midtown 

Atlanta. Performances are Thursday- 

Saturday, at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, at 3:00 

p.m. Tickets are $26.00, including tax; group 

rates and gift certificates are available. Call 

the Box Office at 404-875-1193, or visit 

www.AnsleyParkPlayhouse.com. 

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVE. The next City 

Wide Blood Drive, sponsored by Jewish War 

Veterans Atlanta Post #112, is August 2, 9:00 

a.m.-2:00 p.m., at Ahavath Achim 

Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue 

N.W. Appointments can be made at 

https://www.givelife.org/index.cfm?Sponsor 

=jwv; use code JWV. Walk–ins are always 

welcome, but donors with appointments are 

given priority. Bring a picture ID. For questions 

about eligibility, contact the American 

Red Cross at 1-866-562-7156. 

SENSORY-SENSITIVE MOVIES. The 

MJCCA is presenting Sensory-Sensitive 

Movies for children with autism at Zaban 

Park, one Sunday each month at the Morris 

and Rae Frank Theatre. The next screening is 

August 9. Children with autism or sensory 

issues can now enjoy the movie theater experience. 

These screenings are free to both 

members and non-members. For more information, 

contact Sammy Rosenberg at 678- 

812-4092, e-mail sammy.rosenberg@atlantajcc.org, 

or visit atlantajcc.org. 

VOLUNTEER WITH JF&CS. JF&CS is 

offering free Volunteer Orientation sessions 

August 19 and October 20, 6:00 p.m., and 

September 16 and November 18, 12:00 noon. 

The orientation will provide a brief overview 

of the agency and volunteer opportunities. 

Sessions will take place at JF&CS, 4549 

Chamblee Dunwoody Road. RSVP to volunteer@jfcs-atlanta.org. 

CHANGING TIMES. The American-Israel 

Chamber of Commerce Professional 

Committee will present “Economic and 

Political Changes: Effects on U.S.-Israel 

Business,” a seminar for legal, accounting, 

financial, and real estate professionals, 

August 27, 7:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. This event 

takes place at the Selig Center, 1440 Spring 

Street, Midtown. For details, visit 

www.aiccse.org/Event/EventInfo.aspx?Even 

tID=485. 

HIGH HOLY DAYS STUDY INSTITUTE. 

An evening of study to prepare for Rosh 

Hashanah and Yom Kippur will take place 

September 1, 7:00 p.m., at Congregation Etz 

Chaim. Participants can attend two classes, 

7:15-8:15 p.m. and 8:30-9:30 p.m. Chabad of 

Cobb, Congregation Etz Chaim, Temple Kol 

Emeth, Temple Beth Tikvah, and Temple 

Kehillat Chaim will join with the MJCCA’s 

Lisa Brill Institute to explore themes, prayers, 

and customs of the High Holy Days. The rabbis 

and cantors of the participating synagogues 

will lead study sessions. For more 

information, call Institute Chair Rabbi Paul 

Kerbel, 770-973-0137. Registration is $10.00 

per person. 

FIGHTING HUNGER. The Atlanta 

Rabbinical Association is hosting Hunger 

101, September 2, at Temple Sinai, 6:00-9:00 

p.m. This workshop will address the urgent 

need to fight hunger locally, nationally, and 

internationally. Atlanta Community Food 

Bank Executive Director Bill Bolling and 

Mazon President Dr. Eric Schockman will 

deliver the keynote addresses. For more 

information, call Temple Sinai, 404-252- 

3073. 

RELAX, REFLECT, CELEBRATE. 

LimmudFest is Labor Day Weekend, 

September 4-7, at Tumbling Waters Retreat 

& Conference Center at Ramah Darom, 

Clayton, Georgia. At LimmudFest, Jews of 

all ages can take a step in their personal 

Jewish journeys, explore their connections to 

See THOUGHT, page 41


By Belle Klavonsky 

MOVING UP. At the end of each school 

year, 5th-grade students at The Davis 

Academy are ceremoniously welcomed to 

Middle School. In a symbolic gesture of 

l’dor v’dor, Middle School students pass the 

Torah to younger siblings who will next year 

move up to the Middle School. Pictured: 

(from left) Allie Teilhaber, Blake Teilhaber, 

Molli Botnick, Logan Botnick, Lynsey 

Maya, and Daniel Maya 

FIELD DAY SPIRIT. Davis Academy 3rdgrader 

Aaron Rice (pictured) leads the blue 

team’s effort at the rope pull on Lag B’Omer 

Field Day, May 12. This spirited day of fun 

and competition for Davis students in 

Mechina-4th grade was made possible by the 

generosity of Davis PTO volunteers. 

JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME. In May, Davis 

Academy 8th-graders capped off their years 

of study with a fantastic two-week adventure 

to Israel. From the Old City of Jerusalem to 

the museums of Tel Aviv to the top of 

Masada to rappelling down cliffs at the 

Golan Heights, students had many unforgettable 

experiences. Pictured: (top to bottom) 

Jordan Hirsch, Brandon Hirsch, and Jared 

Meline stretch out in the Red Canyon of the 

Negev Desert. 

GRADUATION DAY. On June 2, seventynine 

8th-graders, The Davis Academy’s 

largest class ever, graduated from the 

Reform Jewish day school. It was an exciting 

evening for the students and their families, as 

they recalled many memories from their 

years at Davis. Pictured: (from left) Jacob 

Saban, Jon Adelman, Carly Aronin, and 

Marisa Schiff present a gift of an awards case 

for the Middle School. 

EPSTEIN EAGLE AWARD. Epstein School 

8th-graders Hilit Jacobson and Geoffrey 

Nathan (pictured, with Coach Jim Battoglia) 

received the Epstein Eagle Athlete of the 

Year Award, given each year to one male and 

one female 8th-grade student. Candidates 

must play sports in all three seasons and 

exemplify high character in leadership, 

coachability, and sportsmanship. The award 

was presented by 2008 recipients and alumni 

Adina Beiner and Daniel Feinberg. Other 

recipients are: Sarah Arogeti and (tie) Daniel 

Yellin and Mitchell Alterman, 2007; Meghan 

Light and Eli Oppenheimer, 2006; Jessie 

Levitan and Justin Shemaria, 2005; and Liza 

Arogeti and Perry Bern, 2004. 

EPSTEIN IN THE NEWS. Sixth-grade students 

in Kendra Fabry’s advisory class at 

The Epstein School engaged in a servicelearning 

project as part of their yearlong 

study of hunger issues. They recently 

unpacked, inspected, sorted, and packed 

food at the Atlanta Community Food Bank 

and also brought donations of food with 

them. Channel 2 News (WSB-Atlanta) 

videotaped the students at the Food Bank for 

a May 5 news segment; Carly Kaplan and 

Leah Greenberg (pictured) were interviewed. 

Parents Diane Lechter and Lori Peljovich 

chaperoned, helped at the Food Bank, and 

drove students. 

BECOMING A PART OF HISTORY. Go 

Where your Eyes Take You: Creating a New 

Future after the 

Holocaust, a 

hardbound book 

published by 

Epstein Middle 

School students 

(pictured) is 

being archived at 

The USC Shoah 

Foundation 

Institute for 

Visual History 

and Education. 

The book, which 

features stories 

written by 7th- and 8th-graders, was part of 

project designed to study and celebrate the 

stories of 23 Holocaust survivors and the 

rebuilding of their lives. The USC Shoah 

Foundation became interested in archiving 

the book after Epstein parent Meryl Stein 

contacted Linda Stern at the foundation to 

tell her about it. 

A QUAIL TALE. On the last day of school, 

The Epstein School welcomed new members 

to the Epstein family, when three quail 

chicks were born three days overdue. The 

tiny friends are part of the elementary school 

students’ biological studies of lifecycles, 

under the direction and guidance of 

Elementary Science Specialist Donna 

Goodson (pictured) and Science Consultant 

Debbie Lanier. When students return in 

August, they will be able to see how the 

quails have grown over the summer. As the 

birds reach adolescence, they will be 

returned to the quail farm, where the cycle 

will begin again. 

DID KERMIT GET IT WRONG? The 

Epstein School’s pre-K class, taught by Joan 

Lewis and Jackie Steinhauser, released classroom 

pet Lollipop, a red-eared slider turtle 

(pictured), into the Leah’s Pond, located in 

the Educational Garden. Lollipop apparently 

learned that Epstein’s Sustainable 

Educational Garden was recently designated 

a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National 

Wildlife Federation and expressed his desire 

to be free from his cage and live the good 

life. The students enjoyed watching the turtle 

as he swam away. Lollipop is enjoying his 

new home and was recently sighted sunbathing. 

So maybe it is easy being green! 

A FATHER’S DAY MESSAGE FROM 

SUMMER CAMP. Seven-year-old Audrey 

Gruenhut (pictured) has fun hula-hooping at 

the Epstein Summer Adventure Camp carnival. 

At the face-painting station, she made a 

special request to have a love message to her 

dad, Mike Gruenhut, painted on her face, so 

she could surprise him for Father’s Day. For 

more information on Epstein Summer 

Adventure Camp, visit www.epsteinatlanta.org. 

ZOO SLEEPOVER. Greenfield Hebrew 

Academy 1st-graders ended their study of 

animals by participating in Zoo Atlanta’s 

Nightcrawler Program. They enjoyed a guided 

tour, including behind-the-scene spaces 

and a night visit to the reptile house. At one 

point, the tour guide stopped Beth Intro’s 

group in front of the orangutans and asked if 

the children knew any sign language, which 

the orangutans were learning. As the children


sang a song that included sign language, 

which they learned in class, the orangutans 

moved closer to watch them. The children 

were thrilled with the reaction to their song. 

Pictured: Tamar Stein 

STUDYING CHEMICAL REACTIONS. 

GHA 5th-graders in Sarah Topper’s class 

studied chemical reactions by shooting off 

Alka-Seltzer rockets. They formulated questions, 

examined what happens when baking 

soda and vinegar (acetic acid) combine to 

make carbon dioxide gas, and experimented 

with Alka-Seltzer and water. Questions 

included: Which type of film canister will go 

the highest? Does a larger amount of Alka- 

Seltzer cause the canister to go higher? 

Using the same amount of Alka-Seltzer, will 

a small amount of water or a large amount 

cause a bigger pop? Does it matter if you 

shake the container? Pictured: Jake Chesler 

and Carmela Horwitz 

A VISIT TO THE AQUARIUM. GHA students 

in Gan Aleph (pictured) concluded 

their studies of sea and ocean animals with a 

fantastic trip to the Georgia Aquarium on 

May 19. Each student had studied a specific 

creature. At the aquarium, the students had to 

find their sea creature, take a photo of it, 

draw it, and answer some questions about 

what they had observed about it. After touring 

the entire aquarium, the class ate lunch 

outside, then headed back to GHA. 

MATH MAVENS. Seventh-grader Adam 

Brasch (pictured with teacher Robyn 

Cooper) represented GHA at the MATH- 

COUNTS state competition, finishing 39th 

among 180 students. In the Georgia Math 

League contest, GHA placed 15th among 90 

schools at the 7th-grade level, with Adam 

Brasch placing 25th among the 41 top 7thgraders; 

of 84 schools participating at the 

8th-grade level, GHA was 22nd. Several 

GHA students were among nearly 150,000 

participants worldwide in this year’s Math 

Olympiad; Abby Stein placed in the top 2%, 

and Jake Belinky, Sam Viness, Adam 

Brasch, and Ross Berlin placed in the top 

10% at their grade levels. 

GOLF CHAMPS. The Greenfield Hebrew 

Academy Golf Team, coached by Manny 

Fialkow, won 1st place in the MAAC 

Conference, on April 22. Seventh-grader 

Harrison Brown took 1st place individually. 

Team members are Sam Viness, Elliot 

Schnabl, Harrison Brown, Dylan Shaban, 

and Ethan Fialkow. 

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES. 

Fifty-three Weber School seniors (pictured) 

graduated June 7, at a ceremony at 

Greenfield Hebrew Academy. Students were 

accepted to 74 colleges and universities; they 

will attend schools including American, 

Clemson, Emory, Georgia State, George 

Washington, Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio 

State, Tulane, Washington, and Wesleyan 

universities; universities of Alabama, 

Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, 

Michigan, and Pennsylvania; Oberlin, 

Gainesville State, and Guilford colleges; 

Raphael Recanati International School; 

College of Charleston; Fashion Institute of 

Technology; and Georgia Tech. They have 

received almost $3 million in merit scholarships; 

in addition, of 19 students accepted at 

Georgia universities, 92% received HOPE 

scholarships totaling $926,000. 

GOVERNOR’S HONORS. Weber student 

Ariella Axler was selected to participate in 

the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program, a 

state-funded six-week summer instructional 

program designed to provide intellectually 

gifted and artistically talented high school 

students challenging and enriching educational 

opportunities. Students are nominated 

for the program by current teachers. 

DANFORTH SCHOLAR. Gideon Palte 

(pictured), The Weber School’s Class of 

2008 valedictorian, was one of fewer than 30 

students to be named a Danforth Scholar. 

The Danforth Scholars Program at 

Washington University in St. Louis honors 

the student who embraces high ideals and 

whose life choices are guided by personal 

integrity, selflessness, a commitment to community, 

and a dedication to leadership and 

academic excellence. It carries with it a yearly, 

renewable full scholarship. 

Thought 

From page 39 

Jewish ideas and tradition, and meet people 

who share their enthusiasm and curiosity. 

This family-friendly weekend will include 

children’s programs and childcare. Register 

before June 1 for the early-bird discount. 

Accommodations and costs start at 

$239/adults and $149/children. For registration 

and addition information, visit 

www.limmudse.org. 

LEARN A LANGUAGE. Beginning 

September 14, Oglethorpe University will 

offer eight-week, evening, non-credit language 

courses in conversational French, 

Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, 

Spanish, and Greek. Most are introductory 

level, with advanced classes offered in 

Spanish and French. Many courses will 

conclude with a trip to a restaurant, where 

students can order and converse in their 

chosen language. The cost per course is 

$150. To register, visit 

www.oglethorpe.edu, and type “noncredit” 

in the search bar, or call Rose Cunningham 

at 404-634-8016. 

MUSICAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSI- 

TY. The Idan Raichel Project will perform 

November 7, 8:00 p.m., at the Rialto 

Center for the Arts at Georgia State 

University. The Idan Raichel Project is an 

Israeli musical collaborative that has 

achieved success by looking beyond cultural 

differences and celebrating the value of 

diversity. Led by young keyboardist, composer, 

and producer Idan Raichel, The 

Project blends traditional Ethiopian folk 

music, Arabic poetry, Yemenite chants, 

Biblical psalms, and Caribbean rhythms 

with sophisticated production techniques. 

For information, visit 

YOUNG JOURNALIST. Jason Feldman, a 

rising senior at The Weber School, was 

selected as a national youth correspondent to 

the 2009 Washington Journalism and Media 

Conference at George Masion University. 

GREAT SEASON FOR BASEBALL. After 

enjoying its most successful season in recent 

memory, the Weber Rams baseball team finished 

the season tied for 4th place in Region 

1–AAA with Young Americans Christian 

School and Pinecrest Academy. Juniors 

Daniel Maloon (pictured), outfield/first base, 

and Jed Wasilewsky, catcher, earned All- 

Region honors. Jed also received Honorable 

Mention All–State honors. 

http://atlanta.mfa.gov.il/mfm/Web/main/do 

cument.asp?documentid=124299. 

ORT SOLIDARITY MISSION. ORT 

America is organizing a groundbreaking 

national Jewish solidarity mission to 

Argentina and Uruguay, November 9-15. 

The mission offers an insider’s view of the 

Jewish communities of Montevideo and 

Buenos Aires, featuring one-of-a-kind 

briefings, visits to awe-inspiring landmarks 

and famous beaches, an unforgettable 

Shabbat experience, and even an opportunity 

to learn tango at its birthplace. 

Participants will meet with educators, students, 

and community members who are 

successfully grappling with today’s challenges 

with assistance from ORT. There is 

an optional extension to Santiago, Chile. To 

learn more, visit www.ortamerica.org/missions, 

or call 800-519-2678, ext. 360. 

RETRACING JEWISH FOOTSTEPS IN 

NEW YORK CITY. The first Jewish learning 

travel program will be led by Dr. Steve 

Chervin October 7-11, developed under the 

auspices of the MJCCA’s Lisa F. Brill 

Department of Jewish Learning. Highlights 

include visiting Ellis Island, Statue of 

Liberty, Temple Shearith Israel, Museum of 

Jewish Heritage, Tenement Museum, 

Jewish Theological Seminary, Hebrew 

Union College, and experience Kabbalat 

Shabbat services at B’nai Jeshurun. Prior to 

the trip, three mandatory classes will be 

held about the Jewish history of the sites to 

be visited, facilitated by Dr. Steve Chervin. 

The fee is $1,999, plus airfare. For more 

information, contact Cheri Levitan at 

cheri.levitan@atlantajcc.org.


Jewish Marriage Initiative encourages happy families 

By Shoshana Cenker 

A 

s attendees gathered for the first 

Jewish Marriage Initiative (JMI) 

event, June 9, at Congregation B’nai 

Torah, they were greeted by the band Tevya, 

which played such fitting tunes as “Sunrise 

Sunset” and “Love and Marriage.” 

The Jewish Marriage Initiative is a new 

marriage education and enrichment organization 

that focuses on delivering the message of 

shalom bayit (literally, peace at home) or 

domestic tranquility. 

“JMI is devoted to empowering relationships 

with timeless Jewish wisdom and modern 

psychology,” said Rabbi Mordechai 

Pollack, JMI’s associate director. “This 

organization was designed and developed to 

teach the skills needed to better relationships.” 

At this forum, entitled “Happy 

Relationships…The Foundation of Life,” a 

diverse panel—a senator, a Jewish educator, a 

rabbi, and a psychologist—presented valuable 

tools to help take relationships from 

good to great. 

Georgia State Senate Minority Whip 

David Adelman opened the discussion with a 

startling statistic. “Georgia leads the nation in 

the number of high school dropouts,” he said. 

“Fifty percent do not graduate on schedule, a 

tragically high rate.” 

But what does that have to do with 

healthy marriages? “Some of the failure in 

education is failure of happy families,” 

explained Senator Adelman. 

“You can increase the likelihood 

that your children will 

have a happy family if you 

have a happy family.” 

Senator Adelman 

acknowledged the pressures 

put on the modern family— 

the pull of career, community, 

and civic obligations; the 

needs of children and family—and 

offered suggestions 

on easing the pressure. 

“Involving your extended 

family is critical to making a 

good family great,” said 

Senator Adelman. “When 

families live within close 

proximity, families are better.” 

Next up on the panel was Epstein School 

Associate Head Roz Cohen, who just celebrated 

her 45th wedding anniversary. 

Mrs. Cohen challenged audience members 

to take responsibility in their relationships. 

“A husband is not responsible for his 

wife’s happiness; the wife has the power to 

do for herself, and the husband can help. 

Don’t expect all the gaps to be filled by 

someone else,” said Cohen. “Focus on what 

is, rather that what isn’t. Appreciate what you 

do have, and know that differences are okay.” 

Mrs. Cohen expressed the importance of 

being a good listener and asking the right 

questions. “It’s essential to make time to 

share ideas. Don’t assume we know what 

people want or need—you 

must verbalize. Your 

spouse wants to make you 

happy, so tell him or her 

how,” said Cohen. “Think 

about what you say before 

you say it, and know that 

how you react is very 

important. We don’t want 

to make a mistake in how 

we communicate. It takes 

ten compliments to make 

up for just one insult.” 

Rabbi David 

Silverman addressed the 

crowd next with an interjection 

of Torah: ‘It is not 

good for man to be alone, 

I will make a helpmate to oppose him.” 

“We learn from this that G-d was showing 

Adam that we must make room for others,” 

explained Rabbi Silverman. “G-d also 

introduced conflict in a controlled area. 

Conflict is the best thing for change and 

growth—conflict creates the opportunity to 

become better. We must embrace differences, 

hope for resolution, and know that through 

challenges, there is self-discovery. A partnership 

is about giving to others; giving creates 

a profound sense of love.” 

Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. 

Aaron Feldman rounded out the panel presentations 

by reminding the audience that to 

build and sustain a healthy relationship, 

“Each partner must be committed to meeting 

Dr. Aaron Feldman 

the needs of their spouse.” 

Dr. Feldman spoke about The Five Love 

Languages as described in the book of the 

same name by Dr. Gary Chapman. “How we 

feel loved is different to everyone—identify 

what makes you feel loved and what makes 

your spouse feel loved,” said Dr. Feldman. 

The five love languages are: 

• Words of Affirmation—expressing 

appreciation verbally. 

• Quality Time—expressing love with 

the gift of time. 

• Receiving Gifts—notes, favorite flowers, 

etc. 

• Acts of Service—making life easier for 

your spouse by anticipating your spouse’s 

needs and stepping in. 

• Physical Touch—hugging, giving 

shoulder rubs, holding hands. 

“To find which love language is yours, 

ask: when you want to show love, what’s 

your first instinct? Then ask what your 

spouse would like,” said Dr. Feldman. 

“Know that your love language may be different 

from your spouse’s.” 

The dynamic panel concluded the forum 

with audience questions. Mrs. Cohen ended 

with the words, “There is no magic to making 

relationships work; it’s a job every day. 

Respect and love each other, and focus on 

pleasing your spouse.” 

“JMI is the beginning of something very 

special,” added Senator Adelman. 

“Remember, the journey of 1,000 miles 

begins with one step.”


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JGA July-August 09 - The Jewish Georgian

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