January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Page 20 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January-February 2012 Giving Birth to a Book BY Janice Rothschild Blumberg Giving birth to a book is like having a baby, only it takes longer. In the case of my latest offspring, the gestation period surpassed that of an elephant. As I write this column, delivery is in sight. The idea for Prophet in a Time of Priests: Rabbi “Alphabet” Browne 1845 - 1929 first occurred more than fifty years ago when I discovered the story of how Browne saved the life of an innocent Jewish immigrant condemned to die for murdering his wife. The rabbi—my greatgrandfather—persuaded the governor of New York to commute the man’s sentence and ultimately gained exoneration for him by reviewing the case, proving that the accused could not have committed the crime, and exposing the true killer. When I first read it (fifty years ago) I thought the story would make a great play, which I planned to write for Theater Atlanta some day. Meanwhile, Theater Atlanta bit the dust, my interests moved to American Jewish history, and historians convinced me that the career of “Alphabet” Browne deserved deeper study. Although I wasn’t trained for the task, I plunged ahead, never anticipating that it would take more than a decade to complete. My search, often frustrating but always interesting, led to a series of encounters that played out much like the game of scavenger hunt, in which each discovery provides a clue to another. For example, a chance acquaintance with Tweed Roosevelt, who was writing about his great-grandfather Theodore Roosevelt, initiated an exchange of information about our two forebears, who were once friends. I had letters from his great-grandfather, the president, to mine, the rabbi, which I shared with him. When he called to thank me, he asked if I had seen the ones from “T.R.” to “Alphabet” that were in the Library of Congress. I had not. Until then, I was unaware that one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s work projects in the Great Depression had produced microfilm copies of presidential correspondence. I hastened to Capitol Hill to see them, and while Theodore Roosevelt’s told me nothing new, the collections of Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson yielded numerous revelations about my letter-writing ancestor. Even more surprising was my find on Zionism. Coming from a family steeped in Classical Reform, I had never heard a kind word about Zionism or Theodor Herzl until Rabbi Jacob Rothschild joined us, which was many years after my great-grandfather died. It was therefore a mystery to me as to why the family had saved a clipping from a 1912 newspaper about a memorial sermon given by a friend of Herzl on the anniversary of the Zionist leader’s death. It was quite a shock to learn that the friend was none other than my great-grandfather Browne. An email to the Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem yielded two file folders of letters from Browne to Herzl, in which the rabbi gave his candid opinion of American Jewish leaders and the means by which Herzl could win them for the cause of Zion. It is tempting to imagine the difference it might have made in the course of history if Herzl had taken his advice. Most of my sources were closer to home and easier to probe. Browne was one of the first rabbis in Atlanta, serving The Temple from 1877 to 1881 and officiating at the dedication of its first synagogue. I had ferreted out information on that aspect of his life when I wrote the congregation’s centennial history in the 1960s and discovered even more in the ensuing years. His main achievement in Atlanta was to publish the South’s first Jewish newspaper, the Jewish South, which did not survive his departure but preserved a fascinating view of Jewish life and interests during the four years of its publication. Browne moved from Atlanta under duress and went to a small congregation in uptown Manhattan. There he spent a stormy decade fighting discrimination, alienating the German Jewish leaders while attracting enthusiastic friends among prominent Gentiles and pious Jews. One of his friends was Ulysses S. Grant, in whose state funeral he served as an honorary pallbearer representing the Jewish people of America. In the early 1890s, Browne returned to Georgia as rabbi of Temple Israel in Columbus. It was there that his daughter, my grandmother, met and married my grandfather and established a permanent home. Although her peripatetic father resigned his position there in 1901 and served numerous congregations elsewhere during the remaining decades of his life, he continued to regard Columbus as his home. His tenure as its rabbi coincided with his awakening to Zionism and other causes which the majority of his congregants did not yet embrace. Congregations that he later served tended to be beginners that ultimately affiliated with Conservative Judaism, as did his original congregation in New York. The more I learned about the life and times of “Alphabet” Browne, the more I became convinced that he lived a century too soon. Today we take for granted many of the ideas that he espoused and for which he was largely castigated by those whom he tried to serve. Rabbi Rothschild often teased me about having gone “from shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves” in three generations. Little did he realize the extent to which that was true—the one fortunate difference, however, being that Rothschild managed to speak out and still keep his job.
January-February 2012 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 21 New city park solves flood problems BY Leon Socol Some Atlantans have heard about the BeltLine and how it is transforming the inner city into a mecca of homes, businesses, parks, hiking trails, and green space in Atlanta. But not many know the key role it played in getting the Historic Fourth Ward Park built in the heart of the city. This is a remarkable example of how many elements of our city, both private and government, have come together to create a most beautiful and sustainable park. And it is one that the entire city will be able to enjoy, because it will be connected to other inner communities by a 22-mile light rail system that will encircle the city. In 2003, the City of Atlanta was under federal mandate to address the flooding around City Hall East, the former Sears Roebuck building that faces Ponce de Leon. The area is one of the low points of the 800-acre Clear Creek Basin in the Old Fourth Ward. The initial plan, under the direction of the city’s Watershed Management Department, called for the construction of an extension spur to a nearby stormwater tunnel that eventually would connect with another drain system on Highland Avenue. Before this expensive system could be built, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., proposed a joint effort that included a two-acre holding pond to solve the flooding problem. It was to be the centerpiece of a wonderful new park that would have many beautiful and unique features and would do away with a blighted area. In choosing this solution, the city saved $26 million in the cost of materials. Atlanta has less green space than any city in the country of comparable size, so this was much needed green space. Fourth Ward Historic Park covers 35 acres Historic Fourth Ward Park (photo: Christopher T. Martin) stretched roughly from North Avenue to Freedom Parkway. After completion of the holding pond, a skateboard park was built thanks to the generosity of the Tony Hawk Foundation, which provided a $25,000 grant. In addition, a private developer plans to renovate the old City Hall East building into a mixture of condos, apartments, and businesses, bringing new people and prosperity to this once blighted area. The park was designed with many sustainable features, such as the pond that generates enough water to feed the lawns and trees in the park even in times of severe drought. Park visitors will be attracted to a ten-foot waterfall that aerates and recycles the pond water to prevent odors and algae growth. Visitors can view the park and the city’s skyline from well-placed lookout platforms. There are multiple play areas, sports fields, and a 350-seat amphitheater. The park’s two main phases were ded- icated last June, with a formal ceremony and speeches by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Department of Parks Commissioner George Dusenbury. The remainder of Phase II, which will be done by next spring, will contain a community garden, a dog park, a multipurpose lawn, Legendary skater Tony Hawk at the dedication of the skatepark in June 2011. The Tony Hawk Foundation donated $25,000 towards its construction. (photo: Marc Mauldin) and walking paths. The Historic Fourth Ward Park is a prime example of the improved quality of life the Atlanta BeltLine is bringing to the metropolitan area. The environmentally sustainable detention pond has increased the capacity of and reduced the burden on our city’s aging infrastructure and will minimize downstream flooding and property damage as well. The realization of Historic Fourth Ward Park is due to the combined efforts of the BeltLine, the government, individuals, and corporations. It has something to offer all citizens of our city, be they young or old. Make the park one of your destinations in 2012. You’ll be glad you did, and I predict once you’ve done so, you will be back many times. To learn more about Historic Fourth Ward Park, visit www.h4wpc.com.
Page 1 and 2: By Bradford R. Pilcher Why host a J
Page 3 and 4: January-February 2012 THE JEWISH GE
Page 19: January-February 2012 THE JEWISH GE

January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?