January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

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Page 48 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January-February 2012 Atlanta Scholars Kollel at 25 In late August 1987, three newly ordained rabbis, from Baltimore’s Ner Israel Rabbinical College, and their families packed up all their earthly belongings and drove in caravan style to Atlanta to begin a brand new concept: the “outreach kollel.” (The term kollel, literally “inclusive” in Hebrew, was adopted in pre-war Europe to refer to a group of advanced Torah scholars, typically married, who study in a post-yeshiva framework.) The idea was to create a cross between a Jewish think-tank and a community outreach center. The young rabbis would study Talmudic law together and then go out into the community at large to teach, inspire, encourage, and connect Jews to their precious heritage. What was novel about this new venture was the communal outreach component. The few dozen kollels in the states at the time were full-time learning centers. This was the dawn of a new beginning. The story begins during the preceding summers, when Ner Israel sent Rabbi Binyomin Friedman and his wife, Dena, to lead the Atlanta Summer Kollel, which was hosted by Congregation Beth Jacob. Rabbi Ilan Feldman was then assistant rabbi to his father, Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, and, as he contemplated his future in the rabbinate, the idea of bringing a year-round kollel was very appealing. He and his brothers grew up in an Atlanta that was warm and nurturing, but it was a time when only he and his brothers wore yarmulkes to Braves games or were Sabbath-observant. A kollel would provide collegial support, model a spiritually committed lifestyle, and share the beauty of Judaism with Georgians who might never set foot in an Orthodox shul. For Rabbi Ilan Feldman and the young enthusiastic Rabbi Friedman, it was obvious that this was the right idea. The question was: How? They brought the matter to the attention of the head of the yeshiva—Rabbi Feldman’s father-in-law, the revered scholar and communal leader, Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg z”l. Rabbi Weinberg promptly suggested that Rabbi Menachem Deutsch—who had just rejuvenated a once-floundering fundraising campaign on behalf of Chinuch Atzmai, a private school system in Israel—consider taking the lead role in founding the Atlanta Scholars Kollel (ASK). A special bouquet of flowers for Shabbos, sent by the Feldmans to the Deutsch family, sealed the deal. Would the Atlanta Jewish community support the kollel and its families? Chuck and Leslie Lowenstein were the first to answer the call. Their lead commitment, in July 1987, blazed the trail for others to embrace a kollel, even though most of the people didn’t know exactly what a kollel was. After the kollel arrived, Rabbi Deutsch configured an office in his basement, hiring “Bubby” Ethel Cenker as the secretary, opening a business account, and setting the annual calendar. Many decisions needed to be made: When does the rabbis’ learning part of the day start? What is our mission statement? How do we attract students when they don’t even know what a kollel is or what learning Torah is all about? When they find out, will they still want to participate? How do we start a Beis Midrash (Torah study hall)? What happens when the initial funding runs out? Rabbi Menachem Deutsch, founding dean of ASK, 1987-2010 The mission of ASK was simple: to promote Torah study in Atlanta. Rabbi Herbert Cohen, of Yeshiva High School of Atlanta (today Yeshiva Atlanta), graciously offered the school’s Beis Midrash as a place to start. Within a few weeks, the kollel rabbis were passionately absorbed in their own Torah study, as if they were still in Baltimore; now, to share that passion with the rest of the city! It became evident to Rabbi Deutsch that, in order to make Torah study accessible to all Jews, the kollel would have to embrace an activist stance, seeking out local Jews and offering them multiple modalities for Jewish learning. This stance was reflected in the kollel’s original public mission statement: “Whether you’re Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, unaffiliated, or somewhere in between, the Atlanta Scholars Kollel (ASK) is your most vibrant source for Jewish learning in Atlanta!” Rabbis David Silverman and Yaakov Schwartz began their day teaching at Yeshiva High School. In the afternoons, the rabbis’ learning took place in the school’s Beis Midrash. In the evenings, classes were formed for those whose interest had been piqued, and “homegroups” were created, leveraging social circles, for teaching introductory classes about Judaism. The topics were intriguing—sometimes light and sometimes heavy. The rabbis recall with a chuckle that often, at the end of a homegroup, as the rabbi thought he would field one or two more questions before people headed for the door, someone would innocently drop a bomb, such as: “Rabbi, so how do you explain the Holocaust?” or “Do you really believe that the Red Sea split?” After several months, Rabbis Shmuel Khoshkerman and Binyomin Friedman joined the ASK team. Rabbi Khoshkerman set out to address the needs of a fledgling Iranian community in Atlanta; today, he is rav and spiritual guide to several hundred Jews across the spectrum of Sephardic Jewry at Congregation Ner Hamizrach, as well as a sought-after authority and author of works on Jewish law. Rabbi Friedman captured his audiences with his thought-provoking Torah classes. After a friendship with community activist Adrian Grant was ignited on a Federation mission to Israel, the two friends piloted the first lunchand-learn at Adrian’s CPA firm, Aarons Grant & Habif. Today, the lunch-and-learn concept is ubiquitous, adopted by many communal organizations throughout metro Atlanta. Two years later, ASK expanded with the addition of Rabbi Menashe Goldberger, whose charge was to strengthen the learning in the kollel community Beis Midrash and Jewish Unity Live honors Rabbi Deutsch Jewish Unity Live 2012 will be an anniversary extravaganza for Atlanta Scholars Kollel, which is celebrating 25 years. The kollel rabbis will stroll down memory lane and pay tribute to Rabbi Menachem Deutsch for his years of vision, creativity, and leadership. Jewish Unity Live 2012 takes place March 11, at the Woodruff Arts Center. To register, visit www.atlantakollel.org, or call Marcia at the home office at 404-321-4085. who later taught part-time at Torah Day School. In July of 1990, Rabbi Deutsch teamed up with the Atlanta Jewish Federation to hire Rabbi Michoel Lipschutz, to address the acculturation of Atlanta’s Russian Jewish immigrants. In 1989, Rabbi Friedman helped organize the Jewish Educational Alliance, a studentbased organization at Emory University. Eventually, in 1997, the kollel recruited the talented Rabbi Ahron Golding, to expand the college outreach efforts to include Georgia Tech, Life Chiropractic College, and the University of Georgia for Shabbatons and weeknight learning. In 2005, Rabbi Golding became the first kollel rabbi in the U.S. to be appointed as Hillel rabbi. In 2006 and 2008 respectively, ASK expanded the college program even further with the arrival of Rabbis Shlomo Gelbtuch and Yaakov Fleshel. Today, learning opportunities are offered at Emory University, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, and Kennesaw State University. Meanwhile, in 1994, Rabbi Silverman began to take his experience working with Jewish teens on the road and reach out to the many who were enrolled in non-Jewish private high schools. The students would meet after school with the “cool” rabbi, in both group and one-on-one encounters. The program was eventually embraced by school administrators, and Rabbi Silverman was invited to meet with the students at a “Jewish lunch club” to discuss topics of interest over kosher pizza. Over the years, Woodward, Westminster, Pace, Paideia, International, and Lovett schools have all hosted the rabbi. Recently, North Springs High School, a public school, opened its doors to the program. One of the most far-reaching projects that ASK has facilitated to date is the development of Jewish learning in Dunwoody. Together, Rabbis Deutsch and Friedman implemented the gradual process, first leasing a storefront in a strip mall off of Jett Ferry Road; then purchasing a residential property on Sandell Court, which Rabbi Deutsch helped pay for through a second mortgage on his own home; and finally purchasing the present site of Congregation Ariel on Tilly Mill Road, which is today the hub of a thriving community under the loving guidance of Rabbi Friedman and his renowned rebbetzin, “Morah Dena.” Over the past decade, Rabbis Daniel Freitag and Michoel Friedman (no relation to Binyomin) have moved into the Dunwoody community to assist the congregational rabbi with classes and outreach. ASK’s two-pronged focus on Torah learning and community outreach has been eternalized in the construction and dedicated use of its two learning facilities. The state-ofthe-art ASK Beis Midrash on Lavista Road (contiguous with Congregation Beth Jacob) is occupied over 16 hours a day, by adults and teens in classes and one-on-one chavrusa study on all levels of Jewish literacy. The Dome, in Dunwoody, is home to Kollel Institute, a comprehensive overview program for adults with minimal Jewish knowledge, consisting of four courses: Jewish History, Jewish Living, Jewish Thought, and the Book (Bible). The Free Hebrew Crash Course (offered in both locations) guarantees reading proficiency in five sessions—or your money back! Although it now has the bricks and mortar, ASK continues to bring Torah learning to people throughout the metro area: adult beginners’ prayer services on both Sabbath and weekdays; weekly learning and social events for singles and young couples; numerous lunch-and-learns in corporate and professional offices, hospitals, the MJCCA, schools, and private homes; women’s study groups, and Jewish teen clubs. Torah Media Atlanta (www.torahmediaatlanta.com), a privately operated and funded website that is a veritable repository of thousands of Torah lectures and classes delivered in Atlanta, was conceived and first hosted on the ASK website. In 2006, ASK recruited a full-time rosh kollel (traditional title of the academic head of a learning kollel), Rabbi Doniel Pransky, from the Columbus Community Kollel, in Ohio. Rabbi Pransky’s primary role is to direct the scholarly learning of the rabbis and other advanced students of Torah in the community. He is a first-class Talmud scholar, as well as a prolific teacher for both men and women on topics ranging from Jewish philosophy to Tanach (Bible) to intricate matters of halacha (Jewish law). The current rabbinical staff of ASK In April 2011, Rabbi Deutsch spread his wings and became the North American coordinator of college outreach for the Wolfson- Horn Foundation. After months of “downloading” twenty-four years of experience and sheer memory to his successors, Rabbi Deutsch handed the keys to Rabbis Silverman and Pransky to lead the kollel into its next phase of growth and success. In mid-January, ASK launched its new website, www.atlantakollel.org, to connect people to Jewish learning on the cutting edge.
January-February 2012 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 49 A note of gratitude from a rookie softball coach By Marc Frost Having read and enjoyed Jerry Schwartz’s “Schwartz On Sports” column in The Jewish Georgian, I was motivated to write about my firsthand experience as a rookie coach at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA). What a thrill it was for me. I only hope that I can approach what Jerry does in capturing the excitement and camaraderie that is part of this scene. While I played baseball in my younger years in New York, 2011 was only my second year of playing at MJCCA. I so enjoyed the experience, that when the Fall League concluded, I decided to try my hand at coaching. The team ranged from people in their 20s to those in their 60s, and some had participated for over 30 years. Coaching added a new dimension to my sports participation. Naturally, there were lows, including a 7-game losing streak. But, like the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals, our players got hot at the right time. Although we were underdogs in all three playoff games, we swept those three teams, winning the season-finale championship game by a 14-2 score. What a thrill! Success in baseball and softball starts with a pitcher, and Jack Arogeti, who reactivated himself to play in the 2011 Spring and Fall Leagues, filled that bill. Having played and become friends with Jack in the Spring League on Michael Kornheiser’s championship team (we won 11 of 12 games), I was excited to not only have him as a player but also to help me coach. Jack On Sunday, December 11, The William Bremen Jewish Home remembered former residents who died in the past twelve months, with a candle lighting and remembrance service in The Home’s Garson Auditorium. The new tradition provided an opportunity for staff and current residents to remember the deceased and to provide comfort to their families. Led by The Home’s Culture Change Team with assistance from in-house chaplain Cantor Donna Faye Marcus, the poignant non-denominational service was sprinkled with touching and sometimes humorous anecdotes from family members, current residents, and staff. Each of the 41 residents was remembered individually. As the person’s name was read, a family member was invited to light a candle. For those who did not have family present, a staff member close to that individual lit a candle. Many families expressed appreciation to The Home’s staff, and some recounted stories about their loved ones’ experiences at The Home. “The service gave our staff and residents a way to honor those who impacted MJCCA Menʼs Softball Tournament Champs: (front, from left) Todd Mitman (supersub), Neil Weisenfeld, and Josh Tolchin (supersub); (standing) Jeremy Zisholtz, Dr. Barry Zisholtz, Josh Perlstein, Jack Arogeti, Captain Mark Frost, Michael “Diggs” Grosswald, Scott Arogeti, Wayne Aronson, and Jeremy Friedman. Not pictured: Harris Weinstein kept the book and would e-mail me recaps of each game and season-to-date statistics, which helped me tweak our lineup for the upcoming game. Outfielders Wayne Aronson and Neil Weisenfeld played on our teams in both the Spring and Fall Leagues, and their experience, outfield dependability, and leadoff batting consistencies were tremendous assets throughout our 24-game 2011 seasons. We also drafted young guys, including newcomer Jeremy Zisholtz, son of teammate Barry Zisholtz; Harris Weinstein; our lives,” says Harley Tabak, CEO of The Home. “While the end of life is part of our job, our residents become our extended family. They are our grandmothers, sisters, uncles, and fathers. We feel the loss each Scott Arogeti, Jack’s son; and Jeremy Friedman, whom we traded for after the draft and who played outstanding shortstop and had many big hits. Catcher John Perlstein performed yeoman’s duties as “a pitcher’s catcher” and often batted as cleanup hitter. Michael “Diggs” Grosswald had hit after hit, and it seemed as though he, Neil, Wayne, Josh Pearlstein, and Jeremy would be on base every time I looked up. This was perhaps the first time ever at MJCCA that there were two father-son combinations playing together. This added time and appreciate being part of their lives for however long they were part of ours.” Among the memorialized was Irene Russ. A Holocaust survivor, she left a lasting legacy at The Home by donating a an extra dimension, and this family feeling spread throughout the team. While no one hit the ball over the fence for a home run— ever—the camaraderie and cohesiveness melded for a winning combination. Teamwork, defense, and respect for fellow players during the game and in the dugout were paramount. We discouraged negative remarks to one another on and off the field, realizing that mutual respect leads to teamwork and focusing on the next inning. This is what amateur athletics is supposed to be about. And if you can win, that’s not too bad, either. Whatever the ingredients were, they worked. For anyone considering playing this upcoming Spring 2012 season, come on out. Call the MJCCA, and, whether you’ve played before or not, you’ll find a great group of guys who take the league and competition seriously but know it’s a recreational league. You’ll find an environment where you can make friends with people who have respect for one another and the game. Special thanks to fellow coaches Jody Blanke, Gene Benator, Todd Schecter, and Greg Eisenman, who set admirable coaching and personal examples and helped make finding substitute players less stressful. I’m looking forward, G-d willing, to coaching next year and would gladly take the same ten players. While a competitive draft is likely to preclude that, I am so glad to be part of this fun and competitive league. And that’s always worth giving thanks for. William Breman Jewish Home remembers residents at First Annual Memorial Service Jewish Home Culture Change Team lights the final remembrance candle handwritten chronicle of her experiences in concentration camps. She did this to help staff understand the needs of other survivors. Ms. Russ’ two sons attended the memorial and expressed appreciation to The Home’s staff for “making her life much richer.” The remembrance service is part of The Home’s ongoing Culture Change efforts to create a place that looks and feels more like home. Staff members are consistently assigned to the same “neighborhood” and the same residents. Staff members become family with the residents, and the residents’ families become extended family to others in The Home. The William Breman Jewish Home has been providing skilled nursing care in the Jewish tradition for over 60 years. As one of Atlanta’s leading senior residential care providers, the Home also owns and operates The Zaban Tower, an independent and assisted living community for low-income seniors, and The Cohen Home, an assisted living community in Johns Creek. For more information on The William Breman Jewish Home, visit www.wbjh.org.
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January-February 2012 - The Jewish Georgian

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