Happy Chanukah - The Jewish Georgian

Page 40 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN November-December 2011
MISH MASH
By Erin O’Shinskey
ISJL HONORED. The Goldring/Woldenberg
Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) has
been named a Standard Bearer by Slingshot
‘11-‘12, a resource guide for Jewish innovation.
For seven years, Slingshot has featured the
50 most innovative
Jewish projects in
North America.
Ten organizations
that have made the
list at least five
times are now
identified as
Standard Bearers;
they are recognized
as leaders
within the commu-
Macy B. Hart
ISJL President
nity and mentors to
other organizations.
Slingshot is
used by philanthropists, volunteers, not-forprofit
executives, and program participants to
identify path-finding and trailblazing organizations
grappling with concerns in Jewish life,
such as identity, community, and tradition.
A SPECIAL BAR MITZVAH. On October 28,
The Temple hosted a special bar mitzvah ceremony
for Benjamin Faber, who has mitochondrial
myopathy. The ceremony involved assisted
communication devices and the participation
of Faber’s fellow students to help him
through the event. Two hundred teens from
across the southeastern United States attended
the bar mitzvah before embarking on a weekend
of learning about inclusion in Judaism.
Benjamin has been a student at The Temple’s
Breman Religious School since he was in prekindergarten
and has benefited from The
Temple’s commitment to creating a fully inclusive
learning environment for all of its students.
JEWISH HOME WINS NATIONAL AWARD.
The William Bremen Jewish Home received
You Need To Know
From page 37
The facility, which is located on a
150,000-square-meter, landscaped campus,
consists of 100 buildings. This is the
ninth annual survey, and the ranking is
based on responses received by the magazine
from thousands of researchers in
institutions around the world. In the nine
years that the survey has been taken, this is
the third time that the institution has come
in number one.
NEW CLASSROOMS AND TECHNOL-
OGY TOOLS FOR EAST JERUSALEM.
“We cannot countenance a situation in
which Jerusalem pupils have no class-
My InnerView’s Excellence in Action award,
honoring The Home’s commitment to superior
customer satisfaction. The award recognizes
U.S. providers that performed in the top 10 percent
of nursing homes out of nearly 5,500
which participated in a 2010 customer satisfaction
survey. The Home’s success can be traced
to the Culture Change project, which began in
1995 when the present Home was in its design
phase; beautiful rooms and amenities, consistent
staff assignments, and abundant food
choices empower the residents and make their
lives more enjoyable.
GRANTS FOR CAMPERS. Thanks to a generous
anonymous grant from a metro Atlanta
foundation, campers who have never attended
a Jewish overnight camp but have experienced
a secular overnight camp are eligible for a onetime
$1,000 grant to be used toward Camp
Barney Medintz tuition this summer. The grant
is available to campers registered for two or
four weeks. For more information, contact the
Camp Barney Medintz office at 770-395-2554
or summer@campbarney.org. To learn more
about Camp Barney Medintz, visit www.campbarney.org.
PANIM HONORED. The BBYO Panim
Institute has been named one of the nation’s 50
most innovative Jewish nonprofits in Slingshot
‘11-‘12. Panim was chosen for the third time by
a panel of 36 foundation professionals from
across North America. Organizations are
selected from among hundreds of nominees,
and finalists are chosen based on their strength
in innovation, impact, leadership, and organizational
efficiency. Since joining BBYO in
2009, Panim has been addressing teens’ interest
in serving and improving their communities in
sophisticated ways. Through BBYO, Panim
has engaged, inspired, and trained more than
30,000 teens and 1,000 Jewish professionals
and educators.
MAZEL TOV. Max Sweeting, a 7th-grader at
The Amit Gar’inim School, recently was called
rooms, roads or basic infrastructures,”
says Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat.
Since taking office in 2008, Mayor
Barkat has prioritized the upgrading of the
educational structure in East Jerusalem.
When the students and teachers in these
Arab neighborhoods began this school
year, they did so amidst new and refurbished
classrooms, computers, and sports
facilities costing millions of dollars.
Approximately 200 classrooms have been
built, and an additional 285 classrooms are
either in the planning stage or under construction.
Along with the improvement of the
physical facilities, programs for gifted students,
and additional kindergarten classrooms
have been added, including a new
room for special-needs education.
to the Torah as a bar mitzvah. For his mitzvah
project, Max held a walk to raise money the
Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which was started
by the NASCAR champion to helping children,
families, and communities in need.
Parents Jill and Seth Zimmerman, Max
Sweeting, and Maxʼs Garʼinim Hebrew
teacher, Zippora Rainisch
COOL SCHOOL. The Amit Program is competing
in My School’s Cool, a community program.
Competing schools will earn prizes
based on points they accumulate; the school
with the most points will win $10,000. To help
Amit earn points, every time you make a purchase
at Perimeter Mall, visit Guest Services
and have your receipt logged, stamped, and
validated for The Amit Program, or drop off
receipts at the Amit office, 6255 Barfield Road,
Suite 100. The program runs through May
2012. For details, contact
info@amitatlanta.org, or call 404-961-9966.
THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE. On October
6, Kilpatrick Townsend presented
Navigating the Legal Landscape: An
Evening with Deborah Epstein Henry.
Henry is the author of LAW &
REORDER: Legal Industry Solutions for
Restructure, Retention, Promotion &
Work/Life Balance (American Bar
Association, 2010). Pictured: (from left)
Deborah Epstein Henry, president of
Flex-Time Lawyers; Diane Prucino,
Kilpatrick Townsend co-managing partner;
Kristine Wellman, general counsel
for ING Direct USA; Robert Schapiro,
interim dean of Emory University
School of Law; and Melissa Long,
WXIA-TV news anchor. (Photo: Zach
Porter Photography)
BEYOND POLITICS. Ronda Robinson spoke
about her book Beyond Politics: Inspirational
People of Israel at the November 9 meeting of
the Mt. Scopus group of Greater Atlanta
Hadassah. Robinson, a public health analyst for
the CDC and an award-winning writer and editor
who has lived in Israel, proudly holds dual
American-Israeli citizenship. She is also a life
member of Hadassah, which is celebrating its
centennial anniversary this year.
BAKING FOR HADASSAH. The Mt. Scopus
Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah presented
“Secrets of Sephardic Baking” on November 6.
Proceeds from this event went to Hadassah’s
life-saving work and research at the two
Hadassah Hospitals in Jerusalem.
RABBI GREENE RECOGNIZED. The
Central Conference of American Rabbis
(CCAR) has recognized Rabbi Fred Greene of
Temple Beth Tikvah for engaging in rigorous
sustained continuing education by participating
in CCAR’s intensive Keter Torah program during
the past year. The program recognizes indepth
study in Jewish text and Judaic studies;
counseling and practical rabbinics; worship,
spirituality, and ritual; congregation dynamics
and leadership; and education and religious
action pursued by rabbis in community based
organizations and congregational settings. This
program affords rabbis the resources for
responding to the Reform rabbinate’s challenges
and opportunities in the 21st century.
CAFE EUROPA. On September 26, Jewish
Georgian publisher Marvin Botnick spoke
about his experiences in the newspaper business
to a group of Holocaust survivors at their
monthly social gathering, Café Europa.
Participants also received honey cakes and
cards for the Jewish holidays prepared by
Epstein School 5th-graders. Café Europa,
organized by Jewish Family & Career Services
and funded by The Conference on Jewish
Material Claims Against Germany, features a
speaker or performer and a catered kosher
lunch. For more information about Café
Europa or JF&CS Holocaust Survivor
Services, contact Amy E. Neuman at 770-677-
9382 or aneuman@jfcs-atlanta.org.
Marvin Botnick and Matilda Stein
OPENING LUNCHEON. The Atlanta
Chapter of the Brandeis National
Committee held its opening luncheon
on September 12, at 103 West. Guest
Speaker was Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt,
professor at Emory University, and
author of The Eichmann Trial. Pictured:
(from left) Co-President Melissa
Rosenbloum; Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt;
Co-President Rhonda Bercoon; and
Vice President of Arrangements Barbie
Perlmutter.
See MISHMASH, page 42