FEDERATION NEWS - The Jewish Georgian

July-August 2012 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 23
Shabbat
From page 21
furniture and floor coverings; dishes and
glasses; beds and bedding; towels and bathroom
fixtures. The building was ancient
and needed work. My room was tiny and
featured a jarring blend of school-dorm
simplicity and jail-house practicality—two
single beds (really cots) pushed together,
harsh neon lighting, and cheap wooden cabinets
nailed to the walls; a small and shaky
desk, nightstand, and chair. There were two
additional smallish rooms, one for the toilet
and another for a shower. Functional is
about the best I can say about the place.
There was a bright spot. The main
gathering area—sort of the hostel’s ballroom—was
on the second floor. It was
expansive and included colorful sofas,
chairs, bean bags, and hammocks; a fully
stocked bar and huge entertainment system;
a dining area and public kitchen. It was here
that everyone willing to pay out 35 shekels
(about $9) came together for Shabbat dinner.
Lacking the funds to wine and dine
their guests, the hostel’s management came
Massell
From page 21
I definitely got interested in real estate (and politics)
because of him and made my living in
commercial real estate before going full time
into elected offices. He set the tone for my interests.
I did get my LLB degree, but didn’t practice
law.
Where were you born, and where did you live
growing up?
I was born in Atlanta in the old Piedmont
Hospital, then located downtown, about where
the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was built. I
lived my first month in the Massellton (an apartment
building dad and his brothers built, which
still stands on Ponce de Leon, as a condo building).
We then moved to Druid Hills, where I
lived for 11 years on Oakdale Road, followed by
five years on Briarcliff. When I went off to college
at the University of Georgia, the family
moved into Midtown, on St. Charles Place.
What was your first job?
I have had four careers: 20 years in commercial
real estate, 22 years in elected offices, 13 years
in the tourism industry, and now I am in my 24th
year of association management. Actually, my
very first employment (other than newspaper
routes and errand boy in my father’s law office)
was two years as chief of publications for the
National Association of Women’s and
Children’s Apparel Salesmen.
What caused you to get involved in Atlanta politics?
My father instilled in me the value of giving
back to my community, with one way being
up with the novel idea of pulling
everyone together like a family.
The staff would go out and
purchase the food for dinner,
but it would be the
guests who, with a little
help from the
staff, would do
most of the
prep work
and cooking.
So
it was
that a trickle
of tourists
from around the
world began gathering
in the kitchen area, as
Jerusalem started shutting
down for Shabbat. We stood
around, gazing about, waiting for
instructions. Fresh veggies were spread
across several tables, and a few staffers
handed out knives, bowls, and other such
stuff.
Before you could shout shalom, we
were all slicing and dicing, sharing a bit
about our background and chatting with
Guests gather around the table for our Shabbat feast
through civic life and the other in government.
There is very little difference in the two fields, in
my opinion: In civic work, the people ask you to
participate and don’t pay you; and in politics,
you ask if the people will let you participate, and
they pay you a small salary.
Was mayor of Atlanta your first elected position?
No, my first elected position was to the Atlanta
Democratic Executive Committee, elected by
wards to run the primary elections. This was followed
by service on the Mountain Park City
Council, a government body for the incorporated
resort town between Roswell and Marietta
(where only property owners were allowed to
vote and hold office). I was then elected for two
four-year terms as president of the Atlanta Board
of Aldermen (now called the City Council) and
vice mayor, after which, I was elected mayor of
Atlanta (1970-1974).
After your term of office as mayor, did you want
to continue as an active participant in Atlanta
politics?
Because of my liberal leanings, I doubted that I
could get elected in a regional or statewide contest.
So I moved on to business interests that
actually got me involved greatly in the political
arena, which I still enjoy.
How did you become involved in the Buckhead
Coalition, and what are its goals?
A group of guys started the coalition as a supplement
to local government, feeling the mayor
and council couldn’t do it all and that we shouldn’t
take the success of Buckhead for granted. A
headhunter firm was retained to find someone to
run the program, and they came up with me.
They offered me a one-year contract, but I wanted
a three-year agreement. We compromised on
one another about our latest adventures.
The ice had been broken. The people at
my work station were typical of the
guests at the hostel—a guy from
Canada, traveling through
Israel as part of his college
coursework; a
couple from Japan
on holiday;
and a midd
l e -
aged
woman
f r o m
California
visiting relatives.
Well, you
get the idea.
The prep work
took about 30 minutes;
then we had another hour or
so to talk and meet up with
friends. Did I mention there was
drinking? As the sky turned dark and the
first stars of Shabbat winked and twinkled
a two-year contract—which 24, years later, we
still have not drawn! There was work to be done,
and I hit the ground running. The goal of the
Buckhead Coalition is to nurture the quality of
life of those who live, visit, work, and play in its
28 square miles.
As a longtime Atlanta resident, what do you consider
Atlanta’s shining moment?
Atlanta has earned headlines many times, and I
have to think that its greatest success—not yet
completed—is its reforms in race relations.
Were you actively involved in that?
I am fortunate to have come along in history at a
time, and with the credentials, that allowed me
the opportunity to participate in the city’s human
relations reforms. The powers I had in public
office to appoint the first woman to the city’s
governing council and the powers to appoint the
first black department head are but two examples
that give me great pride.
In what areas does Atlanta have to excel to compete
with other cities in being a desirable place
to live?
I focus my attention as president of the
Buckhead Coalition on this community, which
must compete without grant funds or tax incentives.
Thus, we must constantly strive to create
and maintain an image and atmosphere that
make this the address of choice for those within
its boundaries. This, of course, includes a place
that is safe, clean, and orderly.
And, of those, what do you consider the most
important?
I think the magnet that attracts individuals and
firms to relocate and remain in a community is
always a combination—rather than a single
across Jerusalem, we settled down for the
evening meal. There were about 50 of us
spread about the room—friends and
strangers, young and not-so-young, Jews
and Christians.
A youngish woman took a few minutes
to detail the importance of Shabbat, offered
some religious background and historical
context, then lit the Sabbath candles.
Another staffer said Kiddush, the traditional
blessing thanking God for the “fruit of
the vine,” and finished with a blessing over
a loaf of challah.
Our work and the work of the staff had
pulled together a feast—fresh veggies and
fruit; rice, pasta, and potatoes; chips, dips,
bread, and chicken! I’ve already mentioned
there was drinking, right?
It was Shabbat, and we were family, at
least for the moment, sharing a special meal
in a very special city. As I said at the start,
sometimes the best way to deal with a problem
is to hold onto your money and use a
little creativity. The evening worked for me,
something I’ll be remembering in coming
months. Now, I’m thinking the hostel’s
bosses might want to capture some of their
staff’s creativity and figure out how to use
it to freshen up their property.
choice—of values. And we must nurture everyone’s
quality of life.
Are any of your family members interested in
civic or political activities?
I have never pushed family members to get
involved, because I think each person seeks a
level of interest and makes a contribution in different
ways.
What do you think the future holds for the city of
Atlanta?
With Atlanta’s history of steady, sound growth, I
don’t believe anything can hold it back, and it
shall forever be out front.
—————
Recently, in the “Guest Column” feature of
The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Sam Massell
gave his views on the transportation situation in
Atlanta. The following is a portion of that column:
“...transportation...is a social concept for
which the benefits cannot be measured with
numbers. They must be personally evaluated, by
people.
“The greater the growth and prosperity of a
city, the greater the deprivation imposed upon
those who are without satisfactory means of
transportation. As a community expands geographically
and culturally, the more absolute is
the imprisonment of those who lack mobility.
“Yes, I’m addressing the benefits of mass
transit—safe, clean, and dependable rail and bus
service; appropriate roadways with efficient turn
lanes, synchronized traffic lights, and adequate
signage; the benefits of connectivity—and the
related transportation tax referendum scheduled
for July.”