January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

January-February 2012 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 43
MJCCA NEWS
AUTHOR EVENTS. The Marcus Jewish
Community Center of Atlanta continues the
excitement of its November Book Festival
with two Page from the Book Festival
author events.
On Thursday, January 26, 7:30 p.m.,
Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey
Zaslow, co-author of The Last Lecture with
the late Randy Pausch, will present his new
book, The Magic Room: A Story about the
Love We Wish for our Daughters, at the
MJCCA, 5342
Tilly Mill
R o a d ,
Dunwoody.
T h e
Magic Room, a
nonfiction narrative
set in a
small-town
Michigan
bridal shop,
looks at the
lives of a handful
of brides
and their parents
who’ve
JSU NEWS
THE MEANING OF SHABBAT. The
Jewish calendar is filled with exciting,
meaningful, and joyous holidays, but no
day has as much presence as Shabbat, the
holy day of rest observed on a weekly basis.
Recently, 13 Jewish Student Union clubs at
Atlanta area high schools held Shabbatthemed
meetings in which participants
learned about various aspects of the holy
day, including the mitzvah to light Shabbat
candles and the special blessing said over
them. Over 350 teens took part in the activities,
which included making decorative
Shabbat candles, and they received copies
of the Hebrew blessing text, along with a
Eric Beeler, Lauren Siegel, Josh
Rudolph, and Liel Van Der Hoeven
learn about Shabbat at JSU at
Centennial High School.
journeyed to the store’s “Magic Room.”
This is Zaslow’s third appearance at the
MJCCA. Tickets are $16/non-members,
$11/members.
On March 27, 7:30 p.m., the MJCCA
welcomes
author and
CNN Chief
Medical
Correspondent
Dr. Sanjay
Gupta. He will
present his new
book, Monday
Mornings, a
novel that follows
the lives
of five surgeons
who
must confront
their personal
and professional failings, often in front of
their peers at weekly Morbidity & Mortality
meetings.
Gupta appears as part of a special
“Upfront & Unscripted” program, featuring
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
translation and transliteration, so that they
could perform the mitzvah themselves.
Dozens of teens reported lighting Shabbat
candles on the Friday night after their JSU
club meeting, the first time most of them
had ever done so.
LEARNING ABOUT ISRAEL. With so
much misinformation in the media, it is
imperative that Jewish teens become educated
about the relationship between the
Jewish people and Israel and learn the truth
about the current conflict in the Middle
East. Recently, upwards of 300 teens from
15 Atlanta-area JSU clubs learned about the
true history of the State of Israel and Jewish
claims to the land. Rabbi Chaim Neiditch
also told the teens the harrowing story of
Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier held captive
for over five years in enemy hands. As a
way of showing their support for their
brothers and sisters in arms (only a few
years older than themselves) and increase
their connection to Israel, the teens made
and decorated almost 100 banners to be sent
to Israeli soldiers at their army bases. It is
hoped that this touching gesture will bolster
the spirits of the troops as they guard and
protect Israel.
Elizabeth Cohen. Tickets are $22/nonmembers
and $15/members.
Tickets to both events are available at
atlantajcc.org or through the MJCCA Box
Office at 678-812-4005.
KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS. On
January 8, internationally acclaimed pianist
Jeffrey Siegel returned to the MJCCA to
perform “Art to Heart: The Romantic Music
of Franz Liszt.” The program, which ranged
from the elegant and melodious
“Liebestraum” to the exhilarating
“Hungarian Rhapsodies,” was the second of
three concerts in the 2011-2012 Keyboard
Conversations, a series of unique, concertplus-commentary
programs; exclusive in
the Southeast to the MJCCA’s Morris &
Rae Frank Theatre, these programs are
designed to make classical music more
accessible to everyone.
The last concert in the 2011-2012
series, “Russian Rapture: Music of
Rachmaninoff & Tchaikovsky,” will take
place April 15, at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets are $25/general admission and
$18/MJCCA members, with discounts for
students and seniors. To purchase tickets,
call the Box Office at 678-812-4002, or
visit www.atlantajcc.org.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Family and close
friends were among the many well-wishers
Tori Zellner, Samantha Jacober,
Brittany Bruck, and Samantha
Mandel show their support for Israel
during a JSU meeting at Northview
High School.
CELEBRATING CHANUKAH. When the
holiday season rolls around each December,
Jews everywhere know that it’s time to
“light up the night, with candles burning
bright” and celebrate Chanukah.
Excitement—as well as the aroma of sizzling
latkes—was in the air as over 400
teens attended JSU club Chanukah gatherings
at 14 Atlanta-area high schools.
Rabbi Neiditch led the proceedings
at each of the events, overseeing dreidel
tournaments and teaching the teens the
original Chanukah story and the laws of
lighting the menorah. The teens also participated
in discussions about the significance
of miracles in our lives and took part in
other fun activities, such as decorating
who gathered to wish Sid Cojac, of Sandy
Springs, also known as the mayor of
MJCCA’s Main Street, a happy 98th birthday
at the Marcus Jewish Community
Center of Atlanta on Monday, November 7.
Cojac was surprised with a cake and other
goodies during the weekly meeting of the
MJCCA’s Mature Adults’ Talking Heads
group. He has been a long-time member of
the MJCCA’s Mature Adults committee and
actively participates in discussion groups,
social gatherings, and other outings.
Sid Cojac (from left), Jerry Broder,
and Sidʼs daughter and son-in law,
Roni and Alan Mintz (photo: MJCCA)
wooden dreidels and making edible menorahs.
JSU Lassiter Co-Presidents Jake
Glickman and Alec Rush make decorative
dreidels.
Sarah Hamer and Megan Miller
enjoying the JSU Chanukah
Celebration at Riverwood.