Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIX NO. 5, March 15, 2023

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AJLF Brings ‘Purim Under the Sea’

The frolicking belugas were dazzling as the vapors of smoked kosher BBQ wafted in the air at the fourth annual Atlanta Jewish Life Festival on March 5 at the Georgia Aquarium.

Hosted by the Atlanta Jewish Times, the AJLF connects the extended Atlanta Jewish community with local Jewish organizations, assisted living facilities, schools and camps while offering a selection of kosher delicacies and an assortment of local Jewish entertainers.

“I was very happy with this year’s festival,” said Atlanta Jewish Times publisher Michael Morris. “While I know there were a few hundred people less than last year, there was a great vibe in the Ocean’s Ballroom. Everyone I spoke to had a great time, execution was perfect, and there were a lot of smiling, young faces.”

Morris alluded to the fact that festival attendance this year was down slightly, which event organizers suspected could have been due to the event taking place on the same weekend as Purim and many community members could have had prior engagements with their congregations.

Kaylene Ladinsky, editor and managing publisher for the AJT, said, “The festival was a great success this year. Many (guests) are coming in with lots of swag. They are excited to talk with all the different people that attend to share opportunities available for the community to participate in. I spoke to several who said they spoke to more people interested in getting involved and supporting their work at the AJLF than any other event they had attended before.”

The highlight of the afternoon was the Purim Costume Contest, as the event coincided with festive Jewish holiday. More than 40 of the youngest attendees assembled on stage, sporting fabulous Marvel superhero, Disney princess and video game costumes.

The Kids Zone, always one of the biggest draws for local Jewish families, featured a face painting station, caricature and henna tattoo artists, as well as representatives from several Jewish summer and day camps.

Sunday’s entertainers included: Amp’d Entertainment, SunMoonPie, Rabbi Jake, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s J Dance, Scott Glazer and Friends, and Baal Shem Tones; and Cub Scout Pack 1818 presented the colors.

“The Cub Scout pack and troop were very excited to be asked not only to be a community partner, but to have our scouts perform at the (Atlanta Jewish) Life Festival,” said Cub pack master (grades K-5) Adam Throne. “

It allowed us to share with others the values of scouting, such as the points of the Scout Law, and how they tie in with

Jewish values.”

While Throne oversees the younger half of the pack, Dyann Diamond serves as Scout troop master for grades 6-12.

Throne continued about the impact of having his pack participate in the festivities.

“Singing ‘Hatikvah,’ along with the regular scout ceremony of posting color

guard and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, meant sharing the uniqueness of our group’s philosophy – Scouting with a Jewish Twist – with a broader audience,” he said.

Cub Scout Pack 1818 is comprised of scouts of all ages, ranging from second graders to teenagers currently working on their Eagle projects. Throne said the

scouts’ involvement at the Aquarium gave them the opportunity to “work together and show their presence to the community.”

And like the rest of the festival attendees, the fourth annual AJLF gave the scouts a chance to experience the multitude of Jewish organizations serving various roles in the extended Atlanta Jewish community.

“It gave them the opportunity to meet other people, and try new things,” Throne said. “In the case of one scout, it motivated him to practice his violin and play publicly for the first time as the scouts sang.”

Mazel Tov to that brave scout.

Event vendors included: Balloons Over Atlanta, Toco Grill, Keith’s Corner BBQ, Formaggio Mio, Nothing Bundt Cakes ATL, Mitzvah House, and Nur Kosher Kitchen.

As far as future festival plans go, Morris said he and the AJT are committed to continuing to host the event and bringing the community together to celebrate their Jewish identities. And while he wouldn’t divulge any hints at future plans, he was eager to share his excitement.

“We will always do things a little dif-

ferent to make each festival that much more fun, interesting, and engaging for the community. We will also work to continue to bring more community partners into the fold,” Morris said.

Ladinsky also commented on potential festival plans looking forward.

“I never want the festival to be the same every year,” she said. “Instead, I like to figure out ways to change it up. This year was easy with incorporating Purim. There were close to 50 people who entered the costume contest. I am not sure about next year’s festival yet, but would love to hear some suggestions.”

Throne said, personally speaking, that he was grateful for the AJLF for providing so many community members to speak with about their own scouting experiences, their Eagle Scout projects, and how they were so appreciative of the idea of a Jewish-oriented Cub Scout pack, where children from different schools, areas, and backgrounds can meet to practice scouting.

Throne said, “It also allowed me to make new connections that will benefit our organizations and see people I haven’t seen in a long time.”

L’chaim! ì

Event Sponsors:

Temple Beth Tikvah

Atlanta International School

FOX’s

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Bloom Lines Alexander

In the City Camps

Chabad of Georgia

Sunrise Senior Living

The Epstein School

WABE FM 90.1

The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

Discover DeKalb CVB

Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care

Woodward Academy

Lipsey Water

Temple Sinai

Northside Hospital

The Kroger Company

McKendrick’s Steak House

The Jews of ‘Stop Cop City’

EDITOR’S NOTE: To read an extended version of this story and view an exclusive photo gallery, please visit AtlantaJewishTimes.com.

The setting for a Friday night Shabbat service on March 10 was deep in the woods of Intrenchment Creek Park in southeast DeKalb County, beneath a large blue tarp strung between the trees in a section of forest known as the “living room.”

After hours of rain earlier in the day, the ground was soft, the air cool and damp. The only source of heat came from a fire pit dug in the earth. When Rabbi Mike Rothbaum, of Congregation Bet Haverim, a Reconstructionist synagogue in the Toco Hills neighborhood, began singing a niggun, a handful of people joined in.

As the service continued, the congre-

gation, most appearing to be in their 20s and 30s, steadily grew. Some drifted in from clusters of tents and lean-to’s scattered about the woods. Others walked in from a muddy parking lot and across a gravel path. While two or three dozen comfortably recited the prayers in Hebrew, many more read aloud the portions in English.

What drew them to the South River Forest was the March 4-12 “week of action” to protest the City of Atlanta’s planned construction of an 85-acre, $90 million police and fire training center, on 300-plus acres it owns across the city line in DeKalb County. Formally the Atlanta Public Safety Center, self-described “forest defenders,” derisively call it “Cop City.”

Most of the week’s activities took place without incident — the night of Sunday, March 5, being an exception.

Roughly 100 people broke away

from about 1,000 enjoying a music festival in the park and made their way to fencing at the training center site, where they hurled projectiles, some setting fire to construction equipment. Police took 35 people into custody, 23 of whom were charged with offenses that included violating the state’s domestic terrorism law. At this writing, all but one, a legal observer released on bail, remain jailed pending court appearances. All but two were from outside Georgia.

“This group changed their clothing into all black, black-out clothing. They had shields that were like riot-type shields, homemade shields. They had bags of rocks. They had fireworks. They had Molotov cocktails,” DeKalb County Chief Assistant District Attorney Peter Johnson told a court hearing.

The protestors call the woods, “Weelaunee,” meaning “brown water” in the language of the Muscogee (Creek) tribe,

for whom the South River Forest was home until about 200 years ago, when they were supplanted by white settlers. The tribe was forced west, to what the federal government called the “Indian territory” in Oklahoma.

The training center land has been, over time, the site of a plantation, a Civil War battlefield, and a city prison farm. Police have used sections as a firing range and for explosives disposal. Tires and other debris have been dumped illegally.

The facility would serve the police and fire departments, the 911 call center, and K-9 units. Plans include a shooting range, a “mock city” (with a gas station, motel, home, and nightclub), and a “burn building.” The city has said that the remainder of its property will be developed for recreation use.

Much of the protest activity has taken place in Intrenchment Creek Park, which draws its name from the creek

separating it from the city property. Legal challenges have halted a land swap in which DeKalb County gave 40 acres of the 136-acre park to the now-former owner of a film studio, whose crews leveled trees and tore up a paved path before an order was issued to halt work in the so-called “film site.”

While one theme of the protests has been the militarization of police, that the training site will teach “urban warfare” tactics that will be employed against minority communities, another has been environmental. Community groups in the nearby majority Black neighborhoods worry that any development will worsen flooding in low-lying areas. Conservationists warn that Atlanta — the “city in the forest” — will lose more of its tree canopy.

Local protests began a couple of years ago. National and international attention has grown since Jan. 18, when a protestor camping in the woods was killed during a police “clearing operation.” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that Manuel Esteban Paez Terán fired a handgun, wounding a Georgia State Police officer, before he was killed by return fire. An independent autopsy determined that the 26-year-old known as “Tortuguita” was struck by 13 rounds, apparently while seated. Jewish activists said that questions about Teran’s death — the GBI has not issued a final report — deserve as much attention as vandalism of construction equipment.

The larger, decentralized “Stop Cop City” movement includes a relatively small number of mostly young Jewish Atlantans, perhaps a core group of about 40, who have expressed their opposition through religious observances in the woods: Shabbat and Havdalah services, High Holiday worship (including performing Tashlich at the creek), a sukkah built and occupied during Sukkot, a menorah lighted for Chanukah, trees planted on Tu B’shvat and, on March 6, a Purim gathering.

Thus far, Atlanta’s congregations and communal organizations have not engaged publicly on the issue. The participation of Jewish Atlantans in protests has struck a raw nerve, as evidenced by emails — provided to a reporter — circulated among communal and religious leaders, including Rothbaum.

In one, Jay Kaiman, president of The Marcus Foundation, wrote: “To fall victim to the deception of these activists’ smear campaign today is to allow yourself to become a victim of a real emergency tomorrow, one where our first responders lack the training and tactical skills needed. A well-trained public safety of-

ficer can make the difference between a brief crisis and a life-ending tragedy — that’s why we need the Atlanta Training Center.”

Rothbaum’s reply included: “There are a number of our congregants who have grave concerns about this project, and who have been involved in activism regarding its construction. I take their opinions very seriously. In addition, Victoria Fulcher Raggs, executive director of the Atlanta Jews of Color Council, has expressed similar concerns. Part of my learning in trying to support Jews of Color has been to take their concerns seriously — as Jewish concerns.”

Rothbaum concluded: “I pray that Atlanta will emerge from this controversy as a city that offers safety and opportunity for citizens of all ethnicities and economic classes, in every neighborhood. May G-d inspire us to achieve that goal, soon and in our days.”

In his response, Kaiman told the rabbi: “You have created [an] adverse relationship with local law enforcement…Think hard about the path you are pursuing as a leader of the Jewish community. Any one of these law enforcement officers would take their lives to protect you.”

Two of the activists, Adam Brunnell and Ayeloa Omalara Kaplan — “a queer Black woman [and] a white agender person” — recently published an article on the online site, Atmos, titled, “Why Cop City Goes Against Jewish Values.” They wrote: “For many Jewish Atlantans like ourselves, our Judaism is deeply tied to

the effort to defend the forest from Cop City — and the interlocking issues it raises: climate justice, police militarization and violence, nature conservation, and racial justice…As Jews, we have stood in solidarity with the Black community in Atlanta before. It is now time for us to do so again. This is not just a question of Jews standing in solidarity with another community. It’s also about Jewish people standing up for each other: Black Jews are impacted by this, too.”

Kaplan, a 24-year-old self-described “revolutionary surrealist digital painter,” grew up at The Temple and now is a member of Bet Haverim.

She connects the Atlanta forest to events thousands of miles away. “Yes, many Jewish activists, including myself,

connect this issue to Palestine, in that this police training facility would not just be a center to train Atlanta police, other police and law enforcement would travel to this facility. Many police officers also receive training in Israel. This cop city would be a further step in united oppression against the most marginalized,” Kaplan said.

Brunell, 32, who grew up in a Reform congregation in Connecticut, also is a member of Bet Haverim. Asked how the issue ends, he said: “There is definitely a pathway, without a doubt, in which Cop City does not get built, if things go a certain way. We’re going to roll the dice, try out best…I think it would be ludicrous to even say that no such pathway exists. And that to me is what’s important.” ì

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Pastner on Leaving Georgia Tech

Josh Pastner has coached his final game for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

The school announced, on March 10, that it has parted ways with the affable and unfailingly optimistic men’s basketball head coach, one who has been a pillar of Atlanta’s Jewish community since he came over from the University of Memphis, where he was previously the men’s head coach, in 2016.

“I loved my time at Georgia Tech,” Pastner said in an exclusive interview with the Atlanta Jewish Times. “I was extremely blessed to be able to have the opportunity to be the head coach at Georgia Tech for seven years. We had a lot of success and accomplished things that hadn’t been done in decades. I loved every second being the head coach. I never took a second of being the head coach of Georgia Tech for granted. I loved all the people that I was around, obviously my student-athletes that I got to coach, my staff. I just loved being around the people at Georgia Tech. I am forever grate-

ful for the opportunity and looking forward to whatever happens for the next opportunity.”

Over Pastner’s seven-year run in Atlanta, the Yellow Jackets amassed a 109-114 record, including a 53-78 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference competition. Under Pastner’s leadership, Georgia Tech only made one NCAA appearance, and it was short-lived: following their ACC title during the 2020-21 campaign, the Yellow Jackets fell to Loyola University, 71-60, in the opening round of March Madness. After finishing 12-20 last year, Georgia Tech only made a modest improvement this past winter, going 15-18, which included a season-ending 89-81 loss to the University of Pittsburgh in the second round of the ACC tournament.

After two consecutive losing seasons and no indications that the Yellow Jackets were getting closer to their first NCAA tournament win since 2010, Georgia Tech director of athletics, J Batt, who’s only had the AD job since October, made his move.

“Coach Pastner has been an incredible ambassador for Georgia Tech, treating others with the utmost respect and wearing his passion on his sleeve,” Batt said in an official announcement made by the school. “His genuine care for student-athletes, our men’s basketball program, our athletics department and the Institute is unquestionable. On behalf of the Georgia Tech community, I want to offer my sincere gratitude to Josh, his wife, Kerri, and their family for their service to the Institute. We wish them all of the very best wherever their journey takes them next.”

Pastner made just as much of an im-

pact in the NCAA basketball world as he did in the Atlanta Jewish community.

“I tried to be as active and as involved in the Atlanta Jewish community as possible and tried to do a lot on campus with the Hillel,” he said. “My family, myself, we love Atlanta. Atlanta’s a great place. Beautiful people. Great people. Only positives from my standpoint. All positive.”

Anthony Wilkins, who has been on Pastner’s staff since 2018, will serve as the program’s interim coach while the school searches for its next permanent hire. There’s already speculation that Kennesaw State University head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who’s currently leading the Owls into March Madness only two years after the team went 1-28 during his first season at the helm, is the front-runner to succeed Pastner and, perhaps, revitalize a program that was once a perennial contender for a national title under Bobby Cremins and, later, Paul Hewitt, the latter of whom guided the Yellow Jackets to the 2004 national championship game.

“We have high expectations at Georgia Tech for all of our sports programs, and it is imperative that our storied men’s basketball program achieves a greater level of success,” Batt added. “Our men’s basketball program is important to our department and to our institution. We will not shy away from expecting to consistently compete for ACC championships, NCAA Tournament appearances and sustained success. I am confident that, with the combined strength of the Institute and our incredible fanbase, as

well as the support of our city, we can reach our shared goals.”

Following his team being eliminated in the aforementioned March ACC tourney, Pastner was asked the inevitable question about his job being in jeopardy, given the back-to-back losing seasons. The 45-year-old coach, one whose college basketball career began in 1996 when he was a walk-on freshman for the eventual national champion University of Arizona Wildcats, delivered the following remarks:

“Look, I would tell you that when I got the job, they told me when I came in, and I met with everybody, that it’s going to be—you’re starting from ground zero. And they said ‘you’re going to lose so much your first three or four years that you’re going to—we’ve got to have someone that’s going to be ultra-positive because you’re going to lose so much.’

“Initially, they told me they didn’t know if I could handle it because, at Memphis, we had won a lot of games. We had won quite a bit at Memphis. I said, ‘No, I’m excited about the rebuild. I’m excited about that.’

“It took us some time, but I told everyone there that it was going to be five years. We were really good in year four. Obviously, the COVID thing happened, and then we were really good in year five.

“Look, last year, we didn’t have as great of a year. We’ve really finished really well this year, and I wish we started

better—we started fine, it was probably more that middle run. But, I would tell you, I hope to be at Georgia Tech. I love Georgia Tech. I love my job. I have a real passion for it, and I believe in it.”

In what would ultimately be his final press conference as Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach, Pastner was also quick to point out that, as passionate as he is for all things Georgia Tech basketball, his long-term future at Georgia Tech was a matter for school president Angel Cabrera and Batt to decide.

Certainly, one of the administration’s sources of disappointment in Pastner’s tenure was his inability to recruit topflight talent—something he was masterful at doing as the successor to John Calipari at Memphis last decade; in particular, following the team’s unexpected run to an ACC championship in March 2021, which was presumed to be a long-term boost to the struggling program, Pastner waited on cornerstone players, Moses Wright and Jose Alvarado, to decide whether they were returning to Atlanta. While Pastner postponed the search for two critical transfer replacements, the dynamic duo of Wright and Alvarado ultimately declared for the NBA Draft, initiating Georgia Tech’s downward spiral.

Pastner is owed $2.5 million over the remaining three years of a contract extension he received following the 2020-21 season. ì

Local Israelis Protest Against Proposed Judicial Overhaul

The protests in Israel began Jan. 7, a little over a week after the current government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in, and days after his justice minister announced plans to radically alter the country’s judicial system which, according to critics, would lead to the end of democracy there. On Feb. 27, Israelis living in Atlanta launched their own weekly protests in front of the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast.

“The group came together organically,” explained organizer Dotan Zebrowitz Harpak. “The first week, I thought we’d probably have 10; I hoped for 20. Forty showed up. In the second week, we had over 60. For many of us Israelis we feel like we’re doing something to show solidarity with our friends and family in Israel.”

That Israelis here would protest against their own government was not a foregone conclusion. “This isn’t easy for Israelis to do; it’s never been done before, but it shows how serious we feel, to do it publicly, in the middle of Midtown. It’s very uncomfortable for every Israeli,” said Harpak. “It shows the level of opposition [to the legislation] and the level of commitment.”

Both Harpak, who has lived in Atlanta since 2010, and Israeli Meirav Mayer, who moved here a decade ago for her high-tech job, emphasized that the protests in Atlanta go beyond politics.

“We don’t necessarily share the same politics, either Israeli or American; it goes across religious and political viewpoints,” said Mayer, who says she can’t sleep at night worrying about not only her 19-year-old daughter serving in the Israel Defense Forces, but about the country’s

direction.

Mayer, who participated in two weekly protests in Israel earlier this year, said the actions of the current government have reached a new low. “We have never had anything similar to this,” she said, suggesting that Netanyahu is acting on his own personal agenda to keep himself out of prison. He is on trial on several corruption charges. “It’s hard to stop him. He’s not focused on what’s

good for the country.”

“We’re not protesting against Israel or the people in the consulate, but what the government is trying to do,” said Harpak, who served in the Israeli army in both Southern Lebanon and in the West Bank. There are several components of the coalition government’s agenda to change the country’s judiciary branch, including the Supreme Court. One component

effectively gives the ruling government full control over judicial appointments by changing the composition of the judicial selection committee. The current structure requires consensus between the government and legal professionals. The proposed plan would also block the Supreme Court from judicial review of legislation passed by a simple majority of the country’s parliament, or Knesset. In Israel, the majority of the 120 seats in the legislative branch is comprised of the ruling executive branch.

Another component of the coalition government’s plan would prohibit the country’s High Court from oversight of ministerial appointments. This proposal is widely seen as an effort to reinstate Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri to his appointed posts as minister of both health and interior ministries. Netanyahu was forced by the court early this year to fire Deri because of previous convictions of fraud.

unchecked power. We do this in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of Israelis protesting in the streets of Israel for weeks now, and we are a part of a movement of expats protesting in 30 cities around the world.”

“We’re not protesting against Israel or the people in the consulate, but what the government is trying to do,” said Dotan Harpak, who served in the Israeli army in both Southern Lebanon and in the West Bank.

Of course, not every Israeli in Atlanta wants to protest in front of the Consulate. One Israeli, who did not want to be identified, told the AJT in December that she and a few Israeli friends were “happy” to have Netanyahu lead the government. On March 2, she seemed to change her tune. “I’m not supporting Netanyahu,” calling herself “sad” about the situation in Israel, from which she moved decades ago.

The coalition government has been fast-tracking its judicial legislation through the Knesset, with some saying the goal is to complete the task by Passover in early April. Both Israeli President Izaac Herzog and those opposed to the agenda of the government have pleaded for a pause in the process so that they could have some input. Netanyahu’s justice minister Yariv Levin and Knesset constitution, law, and justice committee chairman Simcha Rothman have declined to slow the process.

There are many in the Atlanta Jewish community who don’t hold Israeli citizenship but have very strong connections with the country. One of those is Harry Stern, former head of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. He and his wife, Aviva, lived in Israel for six years. He has a daughter who was born there. He speaks regularly with family members and friends in Israel.

According to Stern, if he were in Israel now, he wouldn’t join the approximately 400,000 Israeli protesters on the streets of dozens of cities, but he “would be protesting in different ways.”

“I’m torn. I love Israel with a passion. But when I see Netanyahu calling legitimate protesters ‘anarchists,’ I am wounded by it,” said Harry Stern.

Critics of the government’s judicial overhaul contend that, if passed, Israel would no longer be a democracy.

When asked how long the protests would continue in Atlanta, Harpak said, “I take my cue from the protesters in Israel, and they say that you don’t compromise on half of a democracy. Protesters don’t want compromise.” He added, however, that he feels strongly that the contract between the Israeli people and its government has been “breached.”

Another organizer behind the Atlanta protests, Michal Arbilly, explained that, “We are a group of Israeli expats protesting the anti-democratic moves by the Israeli government, aimed at voiding the power of the judiciary and allowing government

Anxious to emphasize his love for the country and lack of desire to criticize it, Stern told the AJT that he disagrees with the current government’s judicial overhaul and feels intense sadness over what is happening there.

“I’m torn. I love Israel with a passion. But when I see Netanyahu calling legitimate protesters ‘anarchists,’ I am wounded by it,” said Stern. He blames Netanyahu also for making a Faustian bargain with ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom he claims are “extraordinary provocateurs leading the country in the wrong direction.”

While emphasizing how “painful it is to hear from friends and family in Israel,” Stern said he’s actually not afraid for Israel’s democracy. “It is so ingrained. I don’t fear for the basic structures of democracy.” But he does “fear for the next months of continued social unrest. The best thing that can happen is for the government to fall and call for new elections. I would really hope for that.” ì

Breakfast for Dinner at JNF Gala

A balmy Sunday evening, Feb. 26, ushered in a new venue, the Atlanta History Center with a nontraditional break-

fast meal for dinner as a sold-out crowd of 400 came to recognize the great work of the Jewish National Fund and, particularly, local “national” leaders, Sharoni and Mike Levison. Event chairs were Caryn

Berzack, Lindsay Lewis, and Samantha Wiedenbaum.

Mark Kopkin, local JNF president of the board of directors, gave opening remarks complimenting the room of

400 JNF diners, who constitute the “supporter village.” He then acknowledged the change in format from weekday breakfast to weekend dinner, “still honoring the breakfast concept.” He saluted Gladys

Hirsch, spouse of the late Jack Hirsch, whose memory started the annual breakfast concept 19 years ago.

After the pledge of allegiance given by Dr. Brian Nadolne, who serves as a major in the Georgia Army National Guard, and alongside Rabbi Daniel Dorsch’s prayer for the State of Israel, JNF executive director, Greater Atlanta, Beth Gluck delivered a strong presentation about the full scope of JNF looking back and forward.

“JNF has been around for 120 years, but the objective still stays focused on what is relevant,” Gluck said, “Everyone remembers the Blue Box, and how trees stand for food and security. As Israel matured, JNF stepped into the water sector. Water is life.”

She expounded on the JNF mission to help re-settle populations to the north and south in Israel, since Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem are so congested.

Gluck spoke by the AV screen showing JNF’s seven connection/points of actions like research and development, education, forestry, and heritage sites, special needs, and inclusivity. She elaborated, “JNF is focused on the local community’s individualized needs, whatever it takes, like serving non-Jewish Bedouins if that’s what’s needed.”

Gluck interviewed Yedidua Harush, of Action for Impact, about living in Halutzah, a Negev development. Having just gotten off two planes to rush to the History Center, Harush shared how Halutzah started with 15 families in 2014, and has expanded to 400 families now, growing 85 varieties of fruits and vegetables to 30 export countries.

He stated, “We rose out of the sand.  JNF thinks strategically and is lay leader driven to keep inquiring and supplying, ‘What do you need?’ We went from depressing yellow ground to synagogues

and day care centers. We are growing tobacco, not for smoking, but used to print body organs…amazing technology to share with the world.”

A critical point initially was that the nearest medical clinic was over an hour away at Bersheva.

“JNF made it happen. Being 2.5 miles from Gaza, 450 yards from ISIS, our residents need to be within 15 seconds of shelter from emerging rocket fire.”

A father of four, Harush explained that JNF helped with resilience centers (some suffer from PTSD), animal therapy, and painting bomb shelters with subjects like cows and strawberries to be “userfriendly and so kids would want to hang out there. 200 painted, 500 to go.”

Gluck commented that living there was “98 percent heaven, 2 percent hell.”

Next up was Prachi Gala, a Kennesaw State University faculty fellowship participant, who went to Israel with other nonJews to develop contacts with colleagues there and came back “a changed person,” and who is taking her students to Israel this summer.

Lauren Mescon, a member of the Central Arava Taskforce, said, “JNF was green before green was cool - making the desert bloom…doing so much with sometimes one inch of rain a year, using drip irrigation.”

Arava encompasses eight settlements south of the Dead Sea with an agricultural training center that started with 450 students, and now boasts 1,200 from “all over, Liberia, Laos, Cambodia, Tanzania. Some of whom do not recognize Israel…inventing concepts like growing crops under solar panels.  This technology will be taken back home to their native countries after 11 months of training.”

Gluck also spoke about legendary Atlanta JNF supporting families like the

Sterns, Fidotins, and Birnbry’s who set the stage, saying, “Now it’s our turn for thoughtful leaders to make it happen.”

She introduced the night’s honorees, Sharoni and Michael Levison. Michael spoke first about the importance of infrastructure, creating vibrant communities and affordable housing. Sharoni then

contrasted how they work as a team, saying, “I have been by Mike Levison’s side for 40 years. He’s level-headed and I am highly creative. We both serve on the JNF National Board.”

Israeli spray paint artist, Elyasaf Miara, created works during the program that went home with three lucky attendees. ì

Adira Koffsky: Killed in Jerusalem at Age 18

There have been too many funerals lately of family and friends. Fortunately, all of them were in their 70s, 80s and 90s, and the community can talk about the full life they led, the family they created, the accomplishments they had, and the success they made of their lives.

But what do you say about an 18-yearold girl killed in February by a 77-year-old driver who lost control of their car during a rainy night in Jerusalem? That girl was Adira Koffsky.

Adira could have been your daughter, or your sister, or your friend, so consider yourself fortunate. It was not fortunate for parents, Ann and Mark Koffsky, and for grandparents, Lynn and Ed Koffsky. Lynn and Ed live in Toco Hills and, although they don’t have to sit shiva, the community showed up in force to comfort them.

The life summary of Adira Koffsky does not belong in the obituary section of this newspaper, for most of the people there lived long and, almost certainly, successful lives, and we can hear and read stories about what they did, the children they raised, the work they did and the ac-

complishment they had.

For an 18-year-old girl, the people who knew her have said she: was a writer, told fantastical stories, had a sharp intellect, a keen wit and sense of timing, a leader with an effervescent personality, an accomplished member of her local artist community with a tremendous voice and acting range, encouraged the hidden talents and capabilities of others, and shared her great love of her family. Clearly, this was a woman who had great potential.

This AJT writer knows what it is like to lose a young person just as their professional and personal life is about to move substantially forward: he lost a nephew in an airplane crash when the nephew was 25 years old; the nephew had a girlfriend he would have married and a Wall Street job that had great potential. This writer saw the devastation experienced by the family that lasted for years and can only provide support in some small way to the Koffsky’s for their loss.

In writing about Adira, it is best to let her tell you about who she was by letting you read some of what she wrote, for it reflects not just about who she was, but also about most of our children who want

to achieve something important with their lives. This is part of a college essay Adira wrote.

“Being special must be the worst thing imaginable. In every book I’ve read, it’s always the special one who goes off on adventure, defeats great evils, falls in love, and saves the world…I want to be the Chosen One. I wanted to wake up one day to discover that I had this amazing destiny and secret powers and was meant to save the world from some mystical threat. But as I got older and thought about it, I realized how unrealistic it was. Me, the Chosen One? Sounds like the world’s worst joke. I will admit, part of the reason why I hate this part of literature is the fact that I know it’ll never be me. But the main reason for my disdain is that the world would have you believe that fallacy: you had to be born special in order to be someone of importance. Either you are given a life of greatness, or you’re doomed to a life of mediocrity. I began to realize that if I didn’t make

something of myself then they’d be right. And if there’s one thing I love, it’s proving people wrong.”

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023

A Night at the Museum: Amazing Discoveries from Biblical Times

Hands-on Presentation showing original Passover and other ancient artifacts presented by Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch of the Living Torah Museum in Brooklyn, New York Program Begins: 7:15pm

Admission Free with a Donation of $180 or More GRAND

A poem by Adira Koffsky

You’re probably expecting something dramatic, something ecstatic, something dramatic

To cry out your tears until you can’t no more. Thing is, my life’s kinda a bore: I’m as normal as anyone could be.

To add to Adira’s insight, following the same idea that a few are chosen and the rest of us are just ordinary, here is the poem Adira wrote. Putting in it this newspaper assures her parents and grandparents that Adira is a published author. ì 2023

I have good friends, and a good family. With two legs and I use them to stand, Five fingers on each of my hands. Want to hear about my life’s plans? Of course you don’t.

That’s the curse of being happy: No one knows a thing about me; After hearing this, would you want to stay? There’s more interesting people not so far away.

Broken kids you think you can fix, and heroes you worship, add that to the mix; And once you have this big, giant pit, Where do all the normal people fit?

I know, I’m being ungrateful, I don’t mean to sound so hateful; It’s just, when everyone tells you you’re special What do you do when you’re not?

There’s a moment in your favorite book where the troubled girl takes a look At me and wishes she had my life, free of troubles, free of strife. Then she carries on and it never comes up again: The normal girl gets forgotten cause you’re not the main character, You’re the life she longed for, a what if and nothing more. Your fate was sealed long ago, so know your place and keep your head low.

Next time you see a normal girl, don’t walk away: Make her feel special for just one day, Because we want our own stories, but try as we might Normal girls just don’t get the spotlight.

Many in the community didn’t know Adira Koffsky, but now they can say they have met. May we all see the great potential in all our children and know that this world will be just a little bit better because of them.

Marcus & Mendel Star in Federation’s Legacy

Co-chairs Beth and Gavin Brown opened the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Legacy Dinner at Congregation B’nai Torah on March 2 with the celebration of Atlanta’s collective culture of giving, built on Jewish values.

Beth Brown, as part of a multi-generational charitable family, stated, “We are all reaping the benefits of what grandparents did for our Jewish ecosystems, like day schools, camps, synagogues, and health care.”

Co-chair Michael Kogon is also part of a multigenerational family blessed with shared giving visions.

Ron Kritt, national director of life and legacy, spoke about the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which responds to crises and supports the most vulnerable in caring for Israel and the Jewish people. Noted philanthropist and real estate magnate, Grinspoon, 93, who lives in Massachusetts, started the PJ Library program, and signed the Giving Pledge (a la Sarah Blakely, Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, etc.). of donating 50 percent of his wealth to philanthropy.

“I’m in awe of the commitment in this room which will carry the Jewish future forward with social services and emotional well-being…developing ‘menches.’”

Tamara Dollin, life and legacy community consultant, began with a blessing of gratitude.

Poised and confident Jori Mendel, Federation’s chief foundation officer, thanked Federation leaders, Matt Bronfman, Howard Katz, Mike Levin, Steve Cadranel, and Mark Silberman, et al. She spoke of upcoming Purim and the Federation’s response to the survival of the Jews through community.

The night’s keynote speaker, Bernie Marcus, appearing virtually from his home in Florida, began by saying, “It’s not raining here in Boca (as it was in Atlanta).”

Marcus shared decades of knowledge about the keys to happiness, vis a vis, events along his life. He said, “When you reach retirement age, don’t put yourself asleep. Retiring 20-plus years ago, I keep myself going by being involved, evaluating what the bottom line is in saving lives through my foundation.”

Examples are: 40 years ago, starting the Marcus Autism Center, and now, developing diagnostic tools for early intervention for autism, as early as two months old.

He confided in the group, sharing, “Mothers come up and hug me. That’s my greatest reward.”

Still on the cutting edge of more medical discoveries, the Marcus Foundation is working on a blood test for predicting pancreatic and ovarian cancers in early stages, and injections for macular degeneration.

Continuing conversation with his biography’s co-author, Dr. Catherine Lewis, Marcus referred to his book, “Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons in Thinking Big, Giving Back and Doing It Yourself.”

His charitable pattern began with

working with the City of Hope and clinical trials where he experienced saving lives, thinking far forward with, “things like bone marrow transplants, then unheard of. I was on the board, but still had no money.”

Marcus referred to his impoverished youth with strong parents, “Especially mother, who always had a ‘piskha,’ instead of us buying Charlotte Russe pastries.”

Marcus reflected on why he picked Georgia over California to anchor Home Depot, saying that people here were more caring.

“In California, if someone asks how you are, and you respond, ‘My head fell off,’ they smile and move on.”

Mendel, herself a Californian, laughed at the jab and chatted “with the wonder himself’ on the Zoom screen, dedicating a tree in his honor.

Mendel concluded, “Passover is coming, have a conversation with your family about sharing and celebrating philanthropy through the Atlanta Jewish Federation, helping here and abroad.”

Marcus concluded, “Don’t sit on the sidelines! Start something and stay with it. Use your smarts!” ì

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Barenboim Brings Israeli, Arab Musicians Together

A chamber music string ensemble, led by violinist Michael Barenboim, and composed of musicians from Israel and the Arab world, were featured in a concert at Emerson Hall at Emory University on March 2.

The group of eight players is an offshoot of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which was founded 24 years ago by Barenboim’s father, the famed pianist and conductor, Daniel Barenboim, who was born in Argentina of parents who were survivors of the Holocaust. He immigrated to Israel when he was 10, but later moved to Germany where he now lives.

Michael Barenboim came of age under his father’s watchful guidance. He joined the orchestra at the age of 14 and became the concertmaster at 17. He has developed a successful career of his own as a soloist with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, in the city where he now lives. For the 37-year-old son of the great musician, the small group ensemble has been a way to highlight not only his own skills as a musician, but the progress that has been made over the nearly quarter-century history of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

“The people that play in this ensemble are really longtime members of the orchestra,” Barenboim said “So there’s a very common way of thinking about music and that unites us. So, we have a tendency to approach phrasing in the same way. We have a tendency to approach timing. Although they come from so many different places. But we all have the same way of thinking about the music.”

Over the years, the elder Barenboim has shaped the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra into a familiar presence on the European festival circuit and a successful experiment in the development of a cross-cultural dialogue. In addition to a number of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, the 100 member-orchestra hailed from Iran, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The group takes its name from a book of poems by great German writer, Johann Goethe, that was inspired by the Arab world.

The co-founder of the orchestra was Edward Said, who was born in Jerusalem to Christian Arab parents and spent his childhood in Egypt. He began his schooling in the United States as a teenager and,

later, became a distinguished professor of comparative literature and cultural studies at Columbia University. He was a strident critic of the modern state of Israel, but his interest in music brought him together with the elder Barenboim and, together, they established a foundation.

Said died in 2003 but his widow carries on the foundation along with the Barenboim’s. Although it has had strong philanthropic support from many international sources, Michael Barenboim believes its accomplishments go beyond politics.

“Nobody is naive enough to think that the orchestra would influence the political situation in so far as to make it any better. What we can do is…offer an alternative model of thinking and accepting for the Middle Eastern region that is not based on violence.

"It is based on understanding, on

dialog and listening to the other. And I think we show people that this is actually possible.”

If politically the Barenboim-Said project has had limited political impact, its educational program is thriving. Since 2016, the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin has offered a four-year bachelor’s program in music and the humanities.

There are about 85 students currently enrolled in the program, including a number from Israel and four Palestinians from Ramallah on the West Bank. There are also students from the Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East, all of whom were admitted after a rigorous audition process.

The school has classroom space, dormitories and a $35 million performance center designed at no cost by the prominent American architect Frank Gehry. The German government contributed al-

most $25 million of the construction budget. Michael Barenboim is the provost at the school and teaches in the chamber music and violin programs. The school, he says, is planning to expand its offerings, to include a master’s program in music.

The chamber ensemble at Emory performed a program of modern chamber music by Ravel, Enescu, and Dvorak. It included a short piece by Paul Hindemith entitled, “Trauermusik,” or “Mourning Music.” It was written in 1936 in memory of Britain’s King George V, who died during Hindemith’s visit to London.

In keeping with the group’s international origins, Michael Barenboim asked the audience at Emory to observe a period of silence after the performance of the work. It was in memory of the tens of thousands of Turkish and Syrian citizens who died during the recent earthquake. ì

Selig Boldly Reimagines Lenox Marketplace

Selig Enterprises has announced a capital improvement program for Lenox Marketplace, directly across from Phipps Plaza, which will be rebranded as The Block at Phipps.

The development, which houses retail anchors like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Publix, will create a more vibrant, walkable retail district to match the more upbeat modern Buckhead spaces. Plans include improving connectivity with a 30-foot, open-air corridor, upgrades to the façade, and enhanced landscaping and greenery. The rebranded façade rendering exposes clean, lighttoned wood planks.

Selig Enterprises, one of the largest, privately-owned real estate companies in the Southeast, unveiled plans in late February for the 9.4-acre retail center set in the heart of Buckhead, at Peachtree Road, Wieuca Road, Oak Valley Road and Prichard Way, and across the street from Phipps Plaza. The capital improvements are slated to begin in Q2, 2023.

Occupying a full city block, the eponymous Block at Phipps vision includes rolling out a new merchandising plan, along with newly designed façade improvements, which will result in an elevated wave of shopping and dining experiences.

In its current composition, Lenox Marketplace has never been known as “pedestrian friendly” and lacked a sense of place and identity. The capital improvement plans enhance connectivity with new wayfinding throughout the multi-level retail center and the addition of an expansive open-air corridor that will connect the sidewalk along Peachtree Road to the parking deck. This

artfully designed Paseo will feature comfortable seating vignettes, lush landscaping, and enhanced lighting reminiscent of a European alleyway.

Selig’s plans also include transforming the façade and sidewalks along Peachtree and Oak Valley roads into a community-friendly space with new façades, landscaping, greenery, programming, and enhanced walkways. ASD|SKY is contracted to do full architecture and

environmental design services.

In an exclusive conversation with the AJT, fourth generation Atlantan Mindy Selig, a senior vice president for retail leasing, commented on some of the current hot topics facing Buckhead at the reimagined center.

Regarding crime and security, Mindy Selig said, “Safety is a priority at all our shopping centers and The Block at Phipps is no exception.”

As far as perceived changing demographics experienced by neighboring Phipps Plaza, she said, ”Our strategy at The Block is to create connected retail spaces that cater to a variety of tenants who resonate with the Atlanta community.”

Will this be a walking destination or drive up?

“The redevelopment plan – particularly the Paseo – is designed to increase pedestrian activity, whether people are walking from their nearby homes, offices, or to various shops and restaurants,” she said.

Mindy Selig then discussed the potential for public spaces and meetings.

“We are most excited about the addition of, again, the Paseo, that will be an inviting place for people to gather, sit,

and enjoy the space. While we won’t have a private public space for meeting, future tenants may offer space for private party rentals.”

Selig and partners acquired the property in 2020. Selig’s retail portfolio spans approximately four million square feet across the Southeast, with key centers in the Buckhead market, including Buckhead Triangle, Brookwood Place, Buckhead Square I and II, The Shops of Buckhead, Buckhead Commons, and Peachtree Plaza. Selig also led the development of The Works, its 80-acre adaptive reuse mixed-use development, on Atlanta’s Upper Westside, as well as 1105 West Peachtree in Midtown.

In its long history, Selig has been a leader in the creation of the Atlanta skyline, in addition to being active in civic, political, religious, and educational organizations in the community. The Selig mission is to create well-conceived, quality projects in prime locations, with a long-term commitment to ensure stability to tenants, lenders, and the community. Its leaders adhere to a Selig family motto of “You can never do wrong by doing right.”

The rebranding is slated to be completed by the end of 2023.  ì

Former Atlanta Rabbi Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

A former Atlanta rabbi has been sentenced to six months in prison after he pleaded guilty to two sex-related charges in suburban Cleveland.

Rabbi Stephen Weiss, an assistant rabbi at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue from July 1990 to June 1997, pleaded guilty Jan. 26 in Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court to attempted sexual contact with a minor and possessing criminal tools, both felony charges.

Weiss was the longtime rabbi at Congregation B’nai Jeshrun in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike until his arrest last April 2022.

According to media reports, Weiss, 61, will be classified as a Tier II sex offender and his sentences on the two charges will run concurrently. The maximum prison sentence possible was 30 months in prison. Weiss will be required to register as a sex offender every six months for the next 25 years and will be on probation for five years after leaving prison.

Defense attorney Michael Goldberg told Cleveland Jewish News that Weiss could serve less than six months, as under Ohio law he can petition for judicial release before the scheduled end of his sentence.

According to CJN: “During Weiss’ statement to the court before sentencing, he spoke of his guilt and regret for his actions, breaking down in tears as he told Judge Emily Hagan of his ‘deep remorse’ for actions which go ‘against all I stand for.’ He said his actions ‘betrayed his

values, family and community, and caused great hurt and pain,’ and that he could not understand why he did

Hofer

what he did.

“I’ve spent my life protecting children, and this is incomprehensible to me,” Weiss said, adding that he “prays for forgiveness” for what he has done,

CJN reported that, before sentencing, Weiss’ daughter, Rivka Weiss, “told the court she was appearing on behalf of her siblings and said, ‘We know our father to be a good person…he’s always been a loving father and grandfather. While we are angry, and we are hurt, we also know that this is not who he is as a person. He needs help and we know that because of all of the good and giving things he’s given to our family and to our community. Our parents taught us that we are not the worst days of our lives and there’s room for grace and to forgive.’”

Weiss, the senior rabbi at B’nai Jeshrun since 2001, was arrested April 18, 2022, by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The criminal complaint alleged that he communicated on a social networking app with an undercover investigator posing as a 15-yearold boy and then traveled to a location in Newburgh Heights, Ohio, to meet what he thought was a teenager. The Cleveland Jewish News reported: “According to the prosecutor’s office, the vehicle he was driving was searched and law enforcement officers found a box of condoms and two bottles of lubricant.”

Weiss initially was charged with one count of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, one count of importuning and one count of possessing criminal tools. The importuning count was dismissed.

B’nai Jeshrun suspended Weiss immediately following his arrest. He was suspended April 25 by the Rabbinical Assembly, the international Conservative/Masorti movement’s rabbinic body. ì

Israel Bonds Not Commenting on Israeli Minister

The Israel Bonds organization, soon to host Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, is not commenting on Smotrich’s call that a Palestinian village be “wiped out” after a gunman killed two Israeli brothers traveling on a nearby highway.

Smotrich is scheduled to speak March 12 to the Israel Bonds National Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. The U.S. government and numerous Jewish groups have condemned Smotrich’s remarks and said they will not meet with him when he comes to the United States.

Chuck Berk, of Atlanta, chair of the Israel Bonds National Campaign Council, provided the following response to questions from the AJT about Smotrich:

“Development Corporation for Israel, known as Israel Bonds, has always maintained a focus on one core mission: to generate financial support through the sale of Israel bonds for the building and development of Israel’s economy without regard to politics.

“We are a nonpartisan financial organization, which sells Israel bonds issued by the State of Israel through its Finance Ministry. As part of their long-established responsibilities, Israel’s finance ministers from across the political spectrum have historically, over Israel Bonds’ 72-year history, attended our events. One of the organization’s most unique and paramount attributes is that it remains unbiased with regard to any political party or affiliation, enabling all to show unwavering support for the wellbeing of Israel and its people, through investments in Israel bonds.”

Speaking March 1 to a conference sponsored by an Israeli financial publica-

tion, Smotrich was asked why he “liked” a Twitter post by Samaria Regional Council deputy mayor Davidi Ben Zion that called “to wipe out the village of Huwara today.”

Smotrich responded: “The village of Hawara needs to be wiped out. I think that the State of Israel needs to do that –not, G-d forbid, private individuals.”

On Feb. 26, a Palestinian gunman, identified as being from Huwara, shot and killed two Israeli brothers, residents of the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha, as they traveled on the Route 60 highway. According to the Times of Israel: “Graphic footage from the attack in Huwara showed the victims’ car riddled with bullets. Troops at the scene found 12 nine-millimeter shell casings, indicating

the attacker used a handgun or makeshift submachine gun.”

Times of Israel reported that this “was followed by extremist settlers rampaging through the Nablus-area town and setting homes and cars on fire, resulting in one Palestinian shot dead and several badly hurt.”

Israel’s top general in the West Bank (also known by the Biblical names, Judea and Samaria) called the settlers’ action a “pogrom.”

In addition to serving as finance minister in the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, with authority over housing construction in the West Bank and the

demolition of Palestinian homes.

Smotrich’s comment was rebuked by State Department spokesman Ned Price at a March 1 briefing. “I want to be very clear about this. These comments were irresponsible. They were repugnant. They were disgusting,” Price said. “And just as we condemn Palestinian incitement to violence, we condemn these provocative remarks that also amount to incitement to violence.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, told CNN: “Notwithstanding the fact that Israel has been subjected to a recent wave of horrific terror attacks against its civilians, it is absolutely not Israeli policy and it’s against our values to respond by wiping out civilian villages.” ì

Rock’s ‘Selective Outrage’ is Outrageous Fun

It was no coincidence that Chris Rock waited until one week before the Oscars to unleash his Netflix comedy special, “Selective Outrage,” for which he received a hefty $40 million.

Timing one year after the famous slap by Will Smith at the Oscars 2022, Rock was mostly universally praised for not responding to the assault versus reacting quickly and emotionally.

In the special, he rolled out, piece by piece, joke by joke, covering a variety of cutting edge and newsworthy social issues that many are thinking, but view as off limits. Rock’s talent lies in both his unfaltering delivery and the fact that he wrote the script.

The show comes with the caveat that the “F,” “S,” and “N” words are pervasive. He pulls it off because he stays in his lane. He did no other minority jokes nor “Jews run Hollywood” jabs…other than one small reference to “if you want to draw attention to yourself in an infamous way, you could stab Dave Chapelle”…note that

he’s not advocating doing that, describing how folks want to gain notoriety by posting on social media versus working

hard.

Recording from his live show in Baltimore, Rock performed to a full house of predominantly African Americans. The cameras panned on most laughing, but some with tentative looks, like, “Is that off limits or really funny?”

On the left-leaning “The View,” on ABC, all panelists agreed that “Rock was funny as hell…smart in waiting to respond,” and that Smith brought it upon himself. However, they took exception to two bits: Rock watching with delight at Smith getting whipped as a slave in “Emancipation,” and his take on abortion, “I’ve paid for more abortions than this whole room, so many that I have a frequency punch card.” He even suggested that abortion could be allowed until age 4 as he revealed his own daughter’s biting habit as a toddler.

Other subjects that got splayed: Megan Markle, who “hit the light skin lottery,” and “makes herself a victim on Oprah,” with her not knowing about the Royal Family. And according to Rock, it’s not offensive to talk about the skin tone of the unborn.

Then, there’s the Kardashian women’s proclivity for Black men, how all today’s TV commercials depict mixed race families, and one really big laugh was evaluating neighborhoods.

“If you’re in a white neighborhood at lunch, you’ll see women dressed in work out clothes, you’re safe. If you’re in neighborhood with unemployed men hanging around, not so safe.”

Revealing that he was 58, his schtick about dating age appropriately was as funny as it comes. He contrasted the scenarios of dating an older woman, asking him to pay for roof or car repairs.

Saving the piece de résistance until the end, Rock unwound his grand slam, explaining the details that led up to the famous slap. “Did it hurt? It still hurts. I have ‘Summertime’ still playing in my head,” and did we know that Smith was much larger at 6’2” to Rock’s diminutive frame?

The “after-show” rundown (a must watch) had six high-profile commentators like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who stated, “Smith would have never had the courage to hit me.”

The bomb drop was that Jada Pinkett Smith had asked Rock to quit as the Oscar host (2022) because Will wasn’t nominated for his film, “Concussion.” And, most importantly, the Smiths themselves put her infidelity out to the public.

Local Jewish Facebook viewers also weighed in.

Pamela Grossman said, “I think his jokes were on point but the language (and I’m not usually offended), took away from the message and left me confused about using that (the “N” word)…his sketch would have been more poignant without that.”

Leslie Silverman said, “Fabulous show. I’ve always believed you can’t be a victim and a victor at the same time. There are real victims in this world, but most aren’t victims.” ì

Atlanta Opera’s ‘Candide’ Reflects Modern Political Era

The Atlanta Opera reached back to the mid-1950s for its latest project, Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide.” The lovely production at the Cobb Energy Center mixes a satiric look at life with some of Bernstein’s most appealing modern melodies.

The show was based on the French writer, Voltaire’s, “Candide: Optimism,” a short novel, first published in 1759, that sets out to skewer the mid-18th century optimistic philosophical notion that we live in the best of all possible worlds. In this fast-paced production, Bernstein and his original collaborator, Lillian Hellman, follow Voltaire, taking on the subject of corruption in the church and society, war, philosophy and philosophers with more than a few witty lines. But Tomer Zvulun, the Atlanta Opera’s general and artistic director, meant it to have a more modern bite.

“When you think about it, here’s Leonard Bernstein writing after World War II and the Holocaust in the middle of McCarthyism. It’s this operetta satirizing optimism. You know, we’re dealing with so many difficulties and challenges today and it’s almost like history repeats itself. And it feels like ‘Candide,’ now more than ever, is very, very relevant.”

To keep the show moving and to minimize the many scene changes, director Allison Moritz has created a basic stage set that echoes the Globe Theatre of Shakespeare’s day, A twin staircase stretches across the back of the stage with an archway in the middle. Performers enter and exit by the staircase and the opening at its center with just a few props and an occasional piece of furniture to set the stage.

It helps to manage the large number of performers who come and go during the largely episodic structure of the play. It’s a challenging work that, as the director Allison Moritz notes, is no match for Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” which followed on Broadway in 1957.

“’Candide,’ which is much more episodic and follows many more characters, was just more challenging, too, to have audiences connect with,” Moritz said. “They loved the tunes, but they didn’t always understand or engage with the story on the same level that people did with ‘West Side Story.’ I think that was constantly a frustration and it’s one of the reasons we have so many different versions of ‘Candide.’”

When it debuted in 1956, it was Bernstein’s valentine to the operettas, or light operas, of the previous 100 years. He called it a “comic operetta.”

Zvulun, who was born in Israel, sees it

as part of a strategy of meeting audiences where they are; not only meeting them in terms of their musical tastes, and sometimes meeting them in spaces that are not always traditional. That was particularly the case last year when the Atlanta Opera presented its sold-out production of “Cabaret,” which was set in Nazi Germany of the 1930s and presented the setting in the former rail repair depot at Pullman Yards on Atlanta’s Eastside.

“’Candide’ continues what we’ve done very successfully last year at Pullman Yards, which completely sold out. In previous years, we’ve done ‘Sweeney Todd,’ ‘West Side Story,’ and ‘Pirates of Penzance.’ So, shows that are extremely popular straddle the world of shows that are straddling the worlds of opera and musical theater. They bring a lot of new audiences. When we did ‘Cabaret’ last year, 50 percent of our audience was new to the opera,” he said.

Both Bernstein and his original Jewish collaborator, Hellman, saw the work as a comment not only of the world that existed in Voltaire’s day, but in the America of their own time, particularly the activities of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the tactics of the

House UnAmerican Activities Committee.

Hellman had been a strong supporter of anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi efforts in the 1930s. When she was summoned to the HUAC hearings in 1952, she refused to answer any of their questions about her political beliefs if she was required to name the names of any of her associates. She was famously quoted as saying, “I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s

fashions.”

When Candide debuted in 1956, the socalled Red Scare that Hellman challenged was in decline and Sen. McCarthy died the following year. Still, Broadway audiences in the 1950s weren’t quite ready for Bernstein’s comic operetta.

Although it had a successful run in the mid-1970s, the show faded, its first time out, after 74 performances. ì

Researchers Develop World’s First mRNA Vaccine for Deadly Bacteria

A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biological Research have developed an mRNAbased vaccine that is 100 percent effective against a type of bacteria that is lethal to humans. The study, conducted in an animal model, demonstrated that all treated

Today in Israeli History

March 15, 1972: Jordan’s King Hussein proposes a Jordanian-Palestinian federation encompassing the West Bank and Jordan under his monarchy with a regional capital in East Jerusalem and a national capital in Amman.

Knesset member Basel Ghattas, shown in 2013, said he was the victim of discrimination.

// By Orrling via Wikimedia Commons

March 16, 2017: In the first use of the 2016 MK Impeachment Law, Basel Ghattas, an Arab member of the Knesset for the Joint List, signs a plea deal on charges he used his position to smuggle cellphones and documents to prisoners in jail.

March 17, 1992: The Knesset enacts the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. Concerns about conflicts with Jewish law had long blocked such a statement of support for core human rights among the Basic Laws, used in place of a constitution.

March 18, 1974: OPEC lifts the oil embargo it had placed on the United States in the fall of 1973 for resupplying Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The embargo quadrupled gasoline prices and produced long lines at gas stations.

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME ISRAEL PRIDE

animals were fully protected against the bacteria.

According to the researchers, their new technology can enable rapid development of effective vaccines for bacterial diseases, including diseases caused by antibioticresistant bacteria — in case of a new fastspreading pandemic, for example.

The study was led by TAU’s Dr. Edo Kon and Prof. Dan Peer, TAU VP for R&D and Head of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, in collaboration with Dr. Yinon Levy, Uri Elia, Dr. Emanuelle Mamroud, and Dr. Ofer Cohen of the Israel Institute for Biological Research. The study’s results were published on March 8, 2023, in the journal, Science Advances.

“So far mRNA vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccines familiar to all of us, were assumed to be effective against viruses but not against bacteria,” Dr. Kon explains. “Once the genetic sequence of the virus SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) was published, it took only 63 days to begin the first clinical trial. However, until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically undoable. In our study we proved that it is in fact possible to develop 100 percent effective mRNA vaccines for deadly bacteria.”

Rachel Adatto, a physician and Knesset member for the Kadima party, co-sponsored the “Photoshop Law” in the hope of improving Israeli teens’ self-image and reducing the incidence of eating disorders.

March 19, 2012: The Knesset adopts the “Photoshop Law,” requiring adult fashion and commercial models to have a body-mass index of at least 18.5, as well as clear notification of any alteration or digital manipulation of an image.

March 20, 1917: Yigael Yadin is born in Jerusalem. After becoming the second IDF chief of staff in 1949, he retires in 1952 and turns to archaeology. His excavations include Masada, Hatzor, Megiddo and the Dead Sea caves.

March 21, 2016: The Jewish Agency secretly brings 17 Yemeni Jews to Israel, completing an effort in recent years that has helped roughly 200 Jews escape a civil war. The ancient community is reduced to about 50 Jews who refuse to leave.

March 22, 1945: Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Transjordan sign the Arab League Constitution in Cairo. A Palestinian representative, Musa al Alami, participates in the talks but does not sign the document.

Dr. Mike Varshavski, also known as “Dr. Mike,” will host Americans for Ben-Gurion University’s “Celebrating the Remarkable 3: Pioneering Medical Science” virtual event on April 23.

Dr. Mike to Host Americans for Ben-Gurion University Event

Dr. Mike Varshavski (known as “Dr. Mike”) will host Americans for Ben-Gurion University’s “Celebrating the Remarkable 3: Pioneering Medical Science” virtual event on April 23.

A board-certified family medical physician and social media influencer, Varshavski has amassed more than 20 million followers across digital platforms. On his YouTube channel, Dr. Mike educates an audience of over 10 million subscribers about their health and how to spot medical misin-

March 23, 1915: A Jewish unit of the British army is formed in Egypt with about 500 volunteers, many of whom had been expelled from Ottoman Palestine. What begins as the Assyrian Refugee Mule Corps becomes known as the Zion Mule Corps.

Israeli television broadcasts a test transmission before going live in March 1966. // National Photo Collection of Israel

March 24, 1966: An instructional program in math targeting seventh- and ninthgraders in 32 schools becomes Israel’s first TV broadcast, 10 years after Jordan and six years after Egypt launched domestic television channels.

March 25, 2019: A rocket destroys a house in Mishmeret, so the IDF bombs suspected Gaza military locations. Thirty rockets then are fired from Gaza into southern Israel. Egypt brokers a cease-fire to prevent all-out war.

March 26, 1979: Six months after agreeing to the Camp David Accords, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and U.S. President Jimmy Carter sign the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty.

March 27, 1839: A mob attacks the Jewish district of the Iranian city of Mashhad.

formation in all its nefarious forms.

Now in its third year, A4BGU’s annual virtual event will showcase Ben-Gurion University of Negev’s latest innovative breakthroughs in the fields of 3D printed science, cancer research, biomedical engineering, and more. Participants will discover how the pioneering spirit of Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion lives on through the institution bearing his name. Attendees will also get acquainted with how BGU uses 21st century medical techniques to train the Negev desert region’s science leaders of tomorrow.

The virtual experience — accessible to participants free of charge — will feature a mini-documentary about two BGU professors who are conducting impactful research, Prof. Galit Katarivas Levy and Dr. Moshe Elkebets.

To register for the Celebrating the Remarkable 3: Pioneering Medical Science event on April 23, please visit: www.a4bgu. org/ctr3.

For information about sponsorship and other partnership opportunities associated with the event, email experiences@ americansforbgu.org.

Compiled by AJT Staff

The rioters kill 30 to 40 Jews, burn the synagogue, loot homes and abduct children. Nearly 2,400 Jews are forced to convert to Islam.

March 28, 1932: The first Maccabiah Games start with athletes from 18 countries (some sources say 14 or 21) in Tel Aviv. The Maccabi World Organization grows out of a federation of Zionist sports clubs established in 1903.

Israel besieges Yasser Arafat’s presidential compound in Ramallah during Operation Defensive Shield.

March 29, 2002: Israel calls up 30,000 military reservists and announces Operation Defensive Shield in response to a brutal month of the Second Intifada. During the 19-day campaign, Israel controls most West Bank cities.

March 30, 1976: Protests over the planned government seizure of Arab land in the Galilee turn into deadly riots that are commemorated annually as Land Day, the first widespread Arab protests in Israel.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Webinars Proliferate as Israelis Protest Weekly

Day by day, Israeli news media report another international credit rating company warning that it could lower the country’s credit outlook, another Israeli high-tech company is moving its money and, sometimes, employees abroad, individual Israelis are seeking citizenship elsewhere, and more sectors of society are protesting in the streets and in letters to their leaders. That includes some pilots and reserve soldiers who are threatening to ignore military call-up.

In a snowball effect, leaders in Israel and in the Jewish community are using the word “crisis” repeatedly and on several levels: security, diplomacy, economic, societal and on Israel’s overall future as a democratic state. All of this is in response to proposed weakening of the country’s independent judicial system. Israel doesn’t have a constitution that would protect the rights of citizens.

As the pace of the Israeli coalition government’s controversial legislative blitz quickens and expands, so do the number and diversity of the protests in Israel and abroad, as well as the quantity and depth of the webinars sponsored by various newspapers, universities and organizations. Everyone, it seems, is trying to understand the Israeli government’s legislative agenda and are worried about its trickle-down effects.

Referring to the societal and economic impact of the coalition government’s proposed judicial overhaul, one Atlanta Jewish leader bluntly said, “This is going downhill fast.”

The latest high-tech announcement, at least at this newspaper’s deadline, was made by Israeli tech unicorn Riskified, which declared that it would transfer $500 million out of Israel and offered to relocate some staff to Portugal. [A unicorn is a privately held company valued at more than $1 billion. Israel is second only to the U.S. in number of unicorns.] Riskified’s announcement follows that of many other Israeli high-tech companies, including Verbit, whose CEO said in February that he would leave the country and stop paying taxes in Israel.

According to Israeli reports, bankers estimate that at least $4 billion has been transferred out of Israel and into foreign banks due to the government’s legislative moves to overhaul the country’s judicial system that would result, say critics, in a lack of checks and balances in the government. At least 50 companies, mostly high-tech, have moved money abroad, as have individual Israelis.

In one webinar hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute, Shlomo Dovrat, cofounder of Viola Ventures, the largest hightech investment company in Israel, noted

that in the past five years as the country’s economy has boomed, 60 percent of its growth was due to high-tech. That sector also accounted for 17 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and more than 50 percent of its exports, he said. Ninety percent of these companies’ investments came from the international community.

So, when credit rating companies such as Fitch, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s send out alerts, the whole world takes note. So do Israelis. Of the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have participated in weekly protests, many have come from the hightech community. International credit rating agencies are used by banks and other financial institutions to calculate investment risk.

More than 100 senior high-tech industry officials published an open letter saying that the consequences of “harming the court’s status, as well as harming the rights of minorities based on religion, race, gender or sexual orientation,” would “constitute a real existential threat to the glorious hightech industry that has been built in Israel…over the past decades.”

Open letters are published weekly by concerned American Jewish organizations like the Jewish Federations of North America and Hadassah and major donors like Charles Bronfman –who don’t usually publicly criticize an Israeli government. The latter’s letter stated, “Because of our love for Israel, we are deeply troubled by this attempt to curtail the independence of the judiciary, one of the key features that makes Israel one of the most vibrant democracies in the world.” The donors’ letter further stated that “the only counterweight to the legislative and executive is an independent judiciary, which, while imperfect and in need of improvement – plays a critical role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of all Israelis and ensuring that the laws of the country are applied fairly and justly.”

stand up for Israel’s democracy, but criticism also came from David Friedman, U.S. ambassador under former President Donald Trump. Shapiro and Kurtzer participated in a webinar co-sponsored by IDI and the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, entitled “Is Israeli Democracy in Danger?”

man rights and freedoms are sacred, and we must protect them and the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence.”

democratic foundations of Israel, including the justice system, and human rights and freedoms are sacred, and we must protect them, and the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence.”

In the same IDI webinar, a former official of Hungary’s Central Bank, Andras Simor, warned that Israel’s government is going down the same path that his country took under prime minister Viktor Orban, who dismantled its governmental balance of power. Former Polish minister of finance Leszek Balcerowicz had the same warning, followed by wishing Israel “good luck.”

In a webinar hosted by UCLA’s Nazarian Center and Israeli newspaper Haaretz, entitled “Israel and the New World Disorder,” The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser pointed out that “what’s happening in Israel does have an international context.” And Hebrew University Professor Eva Illouz noted that “populous leaders imitate each other. The Israeli extreme far-right is similar to extreme right around the world. Populous leaders have no problem with the majority being in control and don’t want to protect minorities.”

Perhaps the surge in webinars reflects the fact that many Israelis are pleading with the American Jewish community to speak up against Netanyahu’s government, considered by many as the country’s most far-right ever. In a letter to the Jewish Diaspora, Donniel Hartman, president of Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and Yehuda Kurtzer, president of Shalom Hartman Institute in North America , wrote, “We sometimes say that Israel is too big and too important to be left alone.”

But American Jews appear to be split about the role they should play, questioning whether it’s not just an internal affair. When asked for comment, Renee Kutner, chief operating officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta said, “I do know that JFNA sent a letter, but Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is not currently involved in or talking with our donors about funding implications based on government decisions in Israel.”

The donors’ hesitation can’t be overestimated. In 2020, Israeli nonprofit organizations received about $5.5 billion, with 60 percent donated from outside Israel, according to Israeli press reports.

The unprecedented criticism is also coming from former U.S. ambassadors to Israel. Perhaps not surprisingly, ambassadors Daniel Shapiro and Daniel Kurtzer both said the U.S. government is not doing enough to

She stated that if Israel continues down the path it has followed in the last couple of months, “Jewish philanthropy will dwindle; Jews won’t immigrate; and the country won’t be able to sustain itself. The model is not sustainable.”

That is obviously the concern of Israelis, who surveys indicate the majority are against the proposed judicial overhaul. In early February, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “The democratic foundations of Israel, including the justice system, and hu-

As if in response to American Jewish hesitation to get involved in or talk about the crises in Israel, in an open letter published in the Times of Israel, authors Daniel Gordis, Yossi Klein Halevi and Matti Friedman – all American Jews who immigrated to Israel – wrote: “The North American Jewish community has steadfastly come to the aid of Israel at moments of crisis. Israel belongs first of all to its citizens, and they have the final word. But Israel also matters to the entire Jewish people.

"When an Israeli government strays beyond what your commitments to liberal democracy can abide, you have both the right and the responsibility to speak up. Israeli leaders need to hear where you stand. North American Jews and their leaders must make clear to this government that if it continues on the path to transforming Israel into a country of which Diaspora Jews can no longer be proud, there will be no business as usual.” ì

Lovett’s Brother-Sister Wrestling Duo Reigns Supreme

Elle Kaufmann understands the irony.

The Lovett School freshman, recently crowned the school’s firstever girls state wrestling champion, has forever idolized her older brother, Aidan. In fact, it was Aidan’s emergence as a standout in the Lovett youth wrestling program eight years ago that initially sparked her fascination with what, at the time, was a male-dominated sport.

In the mid-2010s, girls wrestling in Georgia was in its nascent stages and there were no more than 50 female amateur wrestlers statewide. But Elle, even as a seven-year-old, saw the mental fortitude Aidan exhibited on the mat, how he embraced the sport’s punishing physicality, all while continuing the family tradition initiated by their grandfather and later passed on to their father, Rocky (two-time Georgia state champ), and uncle.

And yet for all the credit Elle gives to Aidan, himself a two-time state champ at Lovett who hopes to wrestle for the U.S. Air Force next year, for jumpstarting her wrestling career and inspiring her to become particularly invested in middle school, she does not want her achievements to be the reason that girls throughout Metro Atlanta pick up wrestling.

“I don’t want to be a trailblazer,” Elle told the Atlanta Jewish Times days after capping off a phenomenal freshman season in which she was named the GHSA Girls Champion at 130 pounds, unscored on with three pins and an immaculate 10-0 finish in the finals. “I don’t want to do this thing that nobody’s done before and, all of a sudden, more people are joining in. I want them to love it, too, just because they found it and it’s interesting to them.

“All I’ve ever really wanted is to be treated the same as the guys. I want the coaches to treat me the same. I want the wrestlers to treat me the same. I want the parents to treat me the same. That’s all I want.”

While Elle, who also participates in softball and track and field at Lovett, enjoyed a storybook ending to her rookie season of varsity high school wrestling, Aidan (he goes by the moniker, “Bear,” on the mat, something that began years ago in recreational baseball), wasn’t so fortunate. During the semifinal round

of last month’s state championship tournament, what turned out to be the final match of his stellar four-year run at Lovett, Aidan suffered a pair of devastating injuries (broken clavicle, separated shoulder) before falling to Isaiah Scott, the eventual undefeated state champion, in the 215-pound weight class competition.

Although, later that day, the Lovett boys would ultimately celebrate their second consecutive state championship—a feat the school had not accomplished in nearly two decades—Aidan, who ultimately finished fifth at States, was grappling with excruciating physical pain while remaining crestfallen over the fact that his high school career, one that required the flexibility to shift weight classes in the 195—223-pound range, concluded without one final personal victory. And yet, immediately upon returning home, Aidan hopped into his car and drove over to Macon to watch his little sister make history.

“You could see him [Aidan] beaming with pride and happiness for his sister,” recalled Rocky. “Instead of jealousy, it seemed to even lessen the blow for him in that moment. After all, he just witnessed

his best friend, his beloved little sister, accomplish her goals in dominant fashion. His ability to compartmentalize his physical and emotional pain to feel genuine joy for others gives a clear understanding of who he is.”

With his high school wrestling career now in the books, Aidan aspires to obtain his pilot’s license next month (he’s already gone on roundtrip solo flights to central South Carolina), en route to serving his country in the Air Force next fall. Certainly, the lessons from the mat can be applied to his next endeavor.

“The reason I love wrestling is because it teaches you a lot of things,” said Aidan, who began wrestling as a fouryear-old and soon joined the Lovett youth wrestling program, which was started by Rocky. “But also, I think, even though it is, in a way, an individual sport, you learn how to work with your teammates and that is something I think you can use pretty much everywhere.”

When Elle considered why she gravitates to such a grueling sport, one in which she aspires to be an All-American, the Lovett multi-sport athlete responded, “It [wrestling] is the only sport that I’ve come across in which you have to be

mentally tough, much more mentally tough than your average person. There’s no other sport where I’ve met people who have undergone the strenuous events that wrestling pushes you through.”

When both siblings take it to the mat, their attachment to Judaism takes on special meaning.

“I do think because of that faith [Judaism], especially coming from my dad, the aspect of toughness is something which came from it,” noted Aidan, who had his bar mitzvah on the summit of Mount Masada in southeastern Israel. “It [Judaic background] has impacted my wrestling in the way that neither of us will give up mid-match for anything.”

Elle was quick to concur, citing the plights of the Maccabees and Egyptian slaves as historical examples of collective defiance that continue to resonate with her as a teenage athlete breaking barriers.

“I do think there’s some aspect of our religion,” she said. “You’ve always heard these stories of how the Jews are warriors. I think that has always been a prideful thing, especially for me. I’m very proud of my community. I’m very proud of what we’ve overcome throughout the years.” ì

BlazeSports and the Wheels of Power

March may be Women’s History Month, but BlazeSports America has been making women’s history all winter.

The noble nonprofit organization, which came into existence following the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and has since emerged as a leader in the field of adaptive sports, has helped organize Georgia’s first-ever women’s wheelchair basketball team—the BlazeSports Lady Ballers, powered by the Atlanta Hawks.

For a decade now, the Hawks and BlazeSports have formed a close partnership, highlighted by the Hawks Foundation’s unwavering support of BlazeSports America’s Jr. Hawks Wheelchair program, now one of the Southeast’s most impactful youth wheelchair basketball programs.

Since 2013, the Hawks have provided funding for legions of athletes, aged seven to 18 years old, to participate in this seven-month program, which is associated with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

However, as some of those female participants started aging out of this junior co-ed program and needed to join an all-women’s league, their options were limited to one of only two Southeast women’s wheelchair teams, the closer of which was in Charlotte.

Participating in adaptive sports often means hours-long car rides to outof-the-way facilities in fairly remote outposts, but this situation was unfortunate—and, ultimately, avoidable—given the solid basketball infrastructure already in place in Atlanta.

“Being a female in the industry, it bothered me quite frankly,” said Dawn Churi, executive director of BlazeSports. “It was really important to me to provide women with an opportunity to participate. For our women to have to drive three, four, or five hours to play on a female-only team, it was just something that was in our hearts at BlazeSports for a while. We felt that it was an opportunity that we really needed to address.”

In her initial planning stages, Churi solicited the Hawks for some guidance and perhaps a couple references to fill out the staff. But, to her pleasant surprise, the Hawks wanted to come together, offering to provide funding for jerseys, travel stipends, practice facilities, and most significantly, specialized basketball wheelchairs that cost upwards of $3,000. And so, with a cross-generational roster of players from ages 16 to 65 years old, some of whom had never played wheelchair hoops, the BlazeSports Lady Ballers

embarked on their inaugural campaign… even though their two Southeast competitors, in Charlotte and Birmingham, had already been in action for weeks.

“It’s a building year for us,” acknowledged Churi. “We got this up really quickly. This year, the goal was to build the team, get it started, and really make history as the only team in Georgia.”

The significance of the Georgia factor can’t be overstated. This past February, BlazeSports America hosted the seventh annual “Big Peach Slam Jam Wheelchair Basketball Tournament,” a marvelous midwinter event, presented by the Hawks and held at the LakePoint Sports venue that hosts 35 teams across America. This year’s edition showcased the first-ever female competition and, thanks to the BlazeSports Lady Ballers—and Hawks organization— Atlanta was well represented.

“The reason we’re able to do these things is our ownership, Tony Ressler, Jami Gertz, Grant Hill,” said Jon Babul, the Hawks’ vice president of community impact and basketball programs, who has been heavily invested in the Jr. Hawks Wheelchair Basketball program through the years. “They really believe that we’re a community asset. To do these things, it takes resources and funding. We couldn’t do it without our ownership and the vision of our CEO, Steve Koonin. Without that, this stuff doesn’t happen.”

In addition to the cited members of the Hawks brass, Dominique Wilkins, the longtime face of the franchise, who was dubbed “The Human Highlight Film” during his glory days, has been a particularly active spokesperson for BlazeSports. The concept of adaptive sports takes on special meaning for Wilkins, whose daugh-

ter, JoJo, lives with spina bifida…and has grown to love wheelchair basketball.

“The most influential Atlanta Hawk who has been involved is Dominique Wilkins,” added Babul.

For the entirety of this season, the BlazeSports Lady Ballers, coached by Mara Cunningham, manager of community basketball programs for the Hawks, and a former player at Vanderbilt University, have gone up against the same two opponents in Charlotte and Birmingham, both of which have Paralympians on their teams. However, next month at Nationals, coincidentally held in Birmingham, that all changes when 13 other all-female teams join the Southeast trio at the season-closing tournament.

Nationals will serve as a fitting culmination of the BlazeSports Lady Ballers’ historic first season, one that involved a full slate of weekly practices and regional competition, along with a spirited scrimmage during halftime of a Hawks game, that will hopefully spark interest among potential participants, not just in the Southeast, but throughout the entire country.

“A female that’s in a wheelchair, that wants to play basketball, she now has this opportunity,” said Babul. “I see momentum.” ì

Edelstein Follows His Lacrosse Dreams to College

Having tired of baseball by the second grade, Reid Edelstein wanted a faster sport. He picked lacrosse and never looked back.

Now, as a star player at Denison University, he recalled that, as a Lovett freshman, he set his goal as college athlete and said, “My parents, Amy and Bruce, were incredibly supportive, assuring me that they were 100 percent committed to this goal…but if I changed my mind, that was perfectly fine, too. The reality is, I didn’t believe that I was good enough to play in college until recruitment started.”

Playing varsity at Lovett laid some solid base work: practice two hours a day, six days a week. Then, in season, two games per week, and practices, “away” games, time before and after practice in Lovett’s training room.

Edelstein said, “We still had spring semester classes that required a lot of attention! There were five of us in Lovett’s class of 2019 who went on to play college, and we treated lacrosse like a job, in addition to the classroom.”

He also played on a club team with citywide kids, the Georgia Thunder, taking him to tournaments in the Washington, D.C. area, and the Northeast, where

lacrosse used to be much more prevalent. He exclaimed, “Atlanta is becoming a lacrosse city, too!”

Edelstein’s college search was intense. Starting on the night that the NCAA allowed colleges to approach 2019 lacrosse players, he received dozens of calls, texts, and emails. He continued, “We felt that I had an opportunity to get into a really great school because of my lacrosse piece, and that I should really love the school, so that, if I decided not to play lacrosse, I would still be at a great place.”

Seeking a balanced college life, Edelstein eschewed NCAA Division I, which required a more comprehensive commitment. Narrowing down to D-III schools, Denison was Edelstein’s best match, based on academics, athletics, accessibility to Atlanta, size, and diversity. Coach Michael Caravana recruited Edelstein, and he now has a female assistant coach, the first woman to coach a NCAA men’s lacrosse team.

Edelstein’s major is global commerce, international business, from a liberal arts perspective (with a minor in Spanish). It is a unique program, created by Denison’s president, Dr. Adam Weinberg (Jewish}, who, according to Edelstein, “is amazing, very visible on campus, in town, and in the stands at lacrosse games!”

Another selling point for Denison is that athletic programs encourage study abroad.  Since lacrosse is a spring sport, Edelstein studied during fall, junior year, at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain.

Denison is a private, nonprofit university in Granville, Ohio, founded in

1831. It has more than 2,200 students on 850 acres and ranks 39th in the 2023 Best Colleges in National Liberal Arts Colleges, respectively.

Edelstein stated, “There is Jewish life on campus and an active Hillel. I have several Jewish classmates and some teammates. Some students go to Columbus for services or events at Ohio State.”

Amy Edelstein initially recalled, “We were thrilled that Reid was doing something he loved, and that was more than enough for us. It wasn’t until much closer to high school when Coach Buczek told us about Reid’s future lacrosse possibilities. We were pleasantly surprised! Reid’s uncle played tennis in college, we knew what a commitment it was, and we were ‘all in’…and, if Reid decided that he wanted a different path, that was OK, too. We knew that it could be an amazing experience and, potentially, result in incredible opportunities.”

Dad, Bruce Edelstein, added, “Lacrosse is a ‘gear intensive’ sport, so players look intimidating. Watching college games might look like these young men are trying to kill each other. We’ve learned that gear is for protection, and contact is incidental, as opposed to football, which is more intentional. Reid had a few injuries over the years, but he probably would have anyway, considering that he was always an active boy. That being said, we worry all the time!”

Dating back to the 12th century, lacrosse is considered one of the oldest organized sports. Some refer to it as a combination of basketball, soccer, and hockey. ì

When you give to

We are JewishATL

of Greater Atlanta

As the saying goes, there are two things you do not want to see made: sausages and laws.

to HB 30, the committee unexpectedly put off a vote.

A week later, after that word “working” had been removed (the chairman, a former judge, had questioned its indefinite nature), the committee sent the bill on to the Rules Committee, the next step before a floor vote.

House Bill 30, for example, would add a definition of antisemitism — that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance — to the Georgia state code.

“I know it when I see it” is not considered an acceptable legal standard. But — no shock here — there is division within the Jewish community on what constitutes antisemitism.

March 6 was the deadline for moving a bill from one chamber of the General Assembly to the other. “Crossover Day” is a day- and night-long conveyor belt of House and Senate floor votes.

HB 30’s route was, for its backers, surprisingly bumpy.

Rep. Esther Panitch called the process “tortuous,” as she urged colleagues to pass the bill. The first-term Jewish Democrat from Fulton County complained that HB 30 had been “twisted and contorted into something it’s not and I don’t know why.”

The IHRA “working definition” sounds straightforward: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/ or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

More controversial are the 11 accompanying examples of antisemitism.

Those include accusing Jews outside of Israel of dual loyalty, comparing Israel to Nazis, calling Israel “racist,” “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination,” and applying standards to Israel “not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”

Supporters insist that HB 30 will not inhibit free speech. Opponents warn that it could be used to stifle debate over Israeli policies toward the Palestinian Arabs.

The bill’s journey began in the House Judiciary Committee, where members questioned why HB 30 contained only a reference to the IHRA definition, rather than its text.

HB 30 was written that way deliberately, to prevent future legislatures from changing the language, which has been adopted or endorsed by 40 nations (including the United States), 30 U.S. states, and some 1,100 institutions worldwide.

Perhaps perplexed by this strategy or surprised to hear from Jewish witnesses opposed

Supporters were caught unaware when the Rules chairman re-routed the bill back to the Judiciary Committee.

Perhaps he was swayed when Jewish opponents of HB 30 sent him a letter that noted disagreement within the community on the issue and restated free speech concerns.

The bill’s proponents revised their strategy. The IHRA language was added (but not the 11 examples). The Judiciary Committee signed off and the Rules Committee sent HB 30 to the House floor.

Late in the afternoon of March 6, HB 30’s chief sponsor, Marietta Republican Rep. John Carson, cited a lengthy list of Jewish organizations as evidence of widespread community support.

Carson, a Baptist, characterized the opponents as “a loud group of ‘quote-unquote Jews,’ that are opposing this because they support Palestine and do not support Israel and the Jewish people.”

In the future, he might want to avoid such language (which may have contributed to at least one representative voting against the bill).

Jewish identity is not inextricably linked to this or any other issue. Anti-Jewish bigots certainly don’t care.

Sunset was approaching and, with it, the start of Purim, a holiday based in the story of an unsuccessful attempt to eradicate the Jews of Persia. The heroine was Esther, a Jewish woman who caught the monarch’s eye, became queen when he banished her predecessor, and pleaded successfully on behalf of her people.

Panitch suggested that — just as the historic Esther had been the right woman in the right place at the right time — she found herself in a similar position. “This bill is not why I came to the legislature,” Panitch said, but perhaps “it is for this moment that I am here.”

When the vote results were announced — 136 in favor and 22 against (16, for whatever reason, did not vote and six were absent) — there was applause on the House floor.

Now that HB 30 has crossed over, it must clear the Senate’s Judiciary and Rules committees before reaching the floor. Any changes will require another House vote. To reach Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk, all of this must happen before the General Assembly adjourns on March 29.

Given its path thus far, there’s no certainty how this sausage — er, law — will turn out. ì

Dual Citizenship can be Stressful Sometimes

Jala. It was a hot summer, and our apartment wasn’t air-conditioned. We decided to take off a few days for Tel Aviv and rest in a cool, beachside hotel.

It’s been almost 25 years since my husband and I moved to the U.S. so that he could attend rabbinic school. We thought we would be returning to Israel. In fact, in the first few years here, we returned to our apartment in Jerusalem for several weeks at a time, a couple of times a year. So, we rented our apartment only to short-term tenants so that we could stay in the apartment when we were there.

Going back and forth could be disorienting, however.

I will never forget the culture shock I felt in August 2001 when I returned to the U.S. after several weeks in Israel. During that visit, in the midst of the horrifying Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, we could hear, in our apartment, the shooting between the Israeli army in southern Jerusalem and the Palestinian militants in Bethlehem and Beit

I remember driving out of downtown Jerusalem, crossing Jaffa Street and heading to Tel Aviv. We checked into our room – and newsaholic that I am – immediately turned on the TV news. That’s when we heard about the devastating suicide bombing at the Sbarro pizzeria that killed 15 civilians, including seven children. We had just passed it, maybe an hour earlier. Switching back and forth between the Israeli channels, we watched as the sickening details filtered out. At some point, I needed a break and decided to take a walk along the tayellet, or promenade, along the beach, pointedly walking by the site of the Dolphinarium discotheque massacre that, two months earlier, took the lives of 21 Israelis, mostly teenagers.

Soon after, we returned to our lives in the U.S., but, emotionally, I was not here. I was there. Over the (too) many years, there were times when I felt my double citizenship tore me apart. Sometimes, I would feel more Israeli than American, other times more American than Israeli.

My culture shock that August was abated just a few weeks later, on Sept. 11, 2001, when the U.S. was under attack. Finally, it felt like the U.S. was understanding where Israel had been since its intifada started.

The job for which my husband was in New York on Sept. 10 for an interview, that we thought would take us back to Israel, disappeared after 9/11. We started renting out our apartment to long-term tenants. The wonderful people that they are – immigrants from Argentina – would occasionally let us stay in our home during our visits.

One such time was in the summer of 2005. I had decided that I had to be in Israel during the so-called Disengagement, when the Israel Defense Forces dismantled the Israeli settlements in Gaza and evacuated the inhabitants, along with a handful of settlements in the West Bank. The talk in the country was of a potential civil war and I knew I had to be there then.

Fortunately, Israel recovered from the battle of the blue vs. orange ribbons, although some people now say the fracture that occurred among Israelis then is still playing out today.

Americans tend to underestimate what

it means to make Aliyah, or immigrate to Israel, especially as an adult. I did so by myself, leaving a great job, a wonderful apartment in Chicago and my whole family here in the U.S. My commitment to Israel continued when I returned here, along with my husband. It was reflected, for example, in the three trips I took there just to vote: one time I was there for 34 hours, another time for three days, and another for five days.

There have also been times when the American side of me felt stronger than the Israeli side, I admit. But right now, reading and watching the news from Israel – seeing the hundreds of thousands of protesters afraid for the democracy of the country, my Israeli side is simmering. Our apartment is just down the street from the President’s Residence in Jerusalem where most of that city’s protests have been focused. I know that if I were there, I would be among the crowds. Actually, they would probably be all the way in our front yard.

On Jan. 6, 2021, when I saw Americans attacking the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection that was trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power, I cried.

Nowadays, I’m crying for Israel. ì

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Epstein School Surprises Students with ‘Rock Your School’

CIE Engages Teens in Israeli Democracy

Epstein sixth grade students tested their knowledge, creativity, and collaboration skills in a Simple Machines Lab during Rock Your School. This group, (from left) Avery Shapiro, Ryan Blatt, and Hannah Levy won their rotation’s ‘most

While the ‘Rock Your School’ event recently hosted by The Epstein School may have been a surprise to Epstein students, the teachers and staff had been preparing for the event for quite some time.

“Our celebration on Feb. 21 was the perfect merger of Rosh Chodesh Adar and Rock Your School,” said Head of School David Abusch-Magder, PhD (Dr. D). “The month of Adar is meant to be joyous and filled with excitement and happiness,” he explained. “Rock Your School is an opportunity for teachers to stretch their creativity beyond the norm, engage their students in out-of-the-box learning, and of course, to have fun! Merging these two days was the perfect welcome back after an extended weekend for our students. From our Early Childhood classrooms through eighth grade, our teachers were thoughtful, imaginative, and reinforced why they are so exceptional at mentoring, guiding, and nurturing our students. It is so heartening to walk down the halls, hearing roaring laughter and squeals, and knowing that the lessons and skills being taught at that very moment are

How democracy operates in Israel as it nears its 75th birthday will be at the core of the Center for Israel Education’s next Teen Israel Leadership Institute.

“Israelis in the Streets — Democracy in Action” will be held on the Emory University campus in Atlanta from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, March 26. All fees are waived; a kosher lunch and snacks are included.

standing and connection to Israel. I was remarkably impressed with the level of questioning and curiosity expressed by the students. The diversity in the room added a unique element, and it was truly a pleasure to watch as teens made connections with each other throughout the program.”

TILI is a program of CIE, Emory’s Institute for the Study of Modern Israel, and Jewish National Fund-USA’s Boruchin Center. TILI connects high school students with content and context to build their individual capacities to explore, belong to and own Israel’s story. Fifteen- to 18-year-olds from all denominations and from public and private schools are encouraged to apply.

The

toddler class theme for Rock Your School was Baby Shark School. It was designed to reflect the Under the Sea unit the class was learning at the time. Brynn Hoffmeister, pictured, and her class were learning about the animals that live in the ocean, including their sizes and colors.

forever engrained in the students’ minds. Get Your Teach On has created something very special with Rock Your School, reminding students how fun learning is!

We’re very proud to be part of this nation-wide school program.”

Teens will participate in interactive small group discussions with CIE president Ken Stein and other experts, including CIE’s Debbie Sasson, who leads project management and innovation for the center, and The Weber School’s Michal Ilai. Topics include how the Zionists created the State of Israel, democracy and politics, Israel in the media, and such current issues as the proposed judicial overhaul and street protests.

The program follows a teen institute held Feb. 12, when 30 students representing 12 high schools, nine Jewish summer camps, and eight youth movements delved into the roots of modern Zionism, antisemitism, and Israeli culture and diversity.

Sasson, who also oversees the Teen Israel Leadership Institute, said: “We’re proud of the teens that chose to spend their Sunday diving into complicated issues in order to deepen their under-

CIE is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to educating broadly about the State of Israel through documents and other primary sources. CIE’s teen programming is based on the belief that, regardless of politics, Israel education is vital for understanding the intrinsic place of Israel to Jewish and non-Jewish identities.

Find more information, visit israeled.org/teens or email debbie.sasson@israeled.org.

Atlanta Community Food Bank Drive Starts April 17

Registration for the 12th annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, presented by Atlanta Community Food Bank, is now open. This year, the Atlanta Community Food Bank is aiming to increase registration in hopes of raising $700,000 in relief funds, the equivalent of more than 2,800,000 meals, which are distributed

to Georgia children, seniors, and families in need through more than 700 nonprofit partner organizations.

To help achieve this goal, The Food Bank is putting a call out to the Georgia legal community to join the fight. Every dollar raised remains local and benefits one of eight regional food banks that

serve Georgia neighbors. Georgia Legal Food Frenzy is in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia, the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, and Feeding Georgia (formerly, the Georgia Food Bank Association).

The Georgia Legal Food Frenzy offi-

cially kicks off April 17 and runs through April 28. Firms of all sizes and legal practices are encouraged to participate. Registration takes just three minutes to complete at  galegalfoodfrenzy.org/signup/

Compiled by AJT Staff

A welcome so big, it takes up 14 acres.

Canterbury Court, Atlanta’s original Life Plan community, is expanding its vibrant 14-acre campus. Our new Garden Tower features 105 elegant independent senior living apartment homes, enhanced amenities and services, and more. Open to all faiths, you’ll be surrounded by friendly faces and the peace of mind of a continuum of care, if ever needed. And coming soon, we’ll be offering direct admittance to our brand new Assisted Living and Memory Support neighborhoods.

To learn more and to schedule a personal tour, contact us today at (404) 201-6988 or canterburycourt.org/welcomehome

Fabric Family Shows Why Beauty Begins at Home

Designers and homeowners know that fabric in all shades, textures, and patterns can uplift any home like a magic wand with endless possibilities for drapery, upholstery, floor to ceiling, door to door. The multigenerational Sheron family has continued to update Lewis & Sheron Textiles’ showroom, employ dozens, and maintain family ties for running the business.

It all started in 1944 when great-grandfather Harry Lewis, the “Mayor of Pryor Street,” started selling fabrics and blankets during wartime when most couldn’t get access to materials. Many sewed their own clothes, so there was a real need for fabrics which, in those days, sold for 5 and 10 cents per yard, respectively.

Now fourth-generation Sam Sheron, chief officer, spends the day running operations, cutting, and shipping fabrics and caring for clients. His mom, Bobbi, creative director, works on new product development, purchasing collections and merchandising.

According to Sam, “Family business has its challenges, but, after 79 years, we have figured out how to come together and make it happen.” Sam’s father, Larry, is an important link. As mass production clothing stores

came about, he saw that the fabric industry was heading toward home products and away from apparel. In 1986, Larry and Bobbi decided to close all the small stores and

Beyond Your Expectations...

open one singular location with a focus on fine fabrics for the home.

Lewis & Sheron sells the finest home fabrics, artisan-crafted, American upholstered furniture (the sofas, chair and beds), Belgian linen fabrics, bedding, pillows and throws, gorgeous trimmings, and heirloom quality, hand-knotted rugs. Their workroom features expert reupholstery services and lush, almost endless, choices for draperies. On-site, they have more than 30,000 yards available for immediate gratification in thousands of different choices, in every possible color and texture. They search the globe for the finest textiles and showcase items from far reaching regions of the world.

Due to the effects of COVID on the “stay at home and cocoon” phenomenon, consumers traveled less and opted for investing in the house and garden.

Sam says, “People have certainly been spending more time at home than they have for decades, so they are seeing their home in a whole new way. Celebrity designer Vern Yip calls it ‘vacation at home,’ and we are big believers in that. Yip says, ‘your home should care for you,’ and we feel that way like never before. So, yes, people have been looking around and realizing their homes need more love and consideration. The home has become a place of refuge. The result is more appreciation for the high-quality products and services we offer.”

Lewis & Sheron carries a large selection of Belgian linens from mills which have been weaving for more than a century. They have a colorful assortment of velvet and mohairs, which have been very trendy over the last few years.

An expansive, and relatively new, category is performance fabrics. Sam elaborated, “People are really loving the durability and cleanability of these textiles; and they are a lot nicer than in the past with soft textures and beautiful weaves. We carry so many gorgeous textures, but also try and bring in those eclectic specialty items

you can’t find anywhere else. Designers and homeowners can have a grand time perusing the collections.”

Looking at trends for 2023, Sam forecasts that color is making a comeback and goes way beyond more than just natural colors in both furniture and windows. They also sell big textures, such as boucles and chenilles, which make for a cozy home, yet modern and sophisticated.

Lewis & Sheron established itself as a staple for designers in the 1980s and cite that more homeowners are now taking on their own small design projects.

Sam stated, “People can come in to get inspired, and we are happy to offer advice. It can seem intimidating and overwhelming with all the choices, but our team is well-versed in making the

process easy and stressless.”

For one stop shopping, not just fabric, Lewis & Sheron has been building a custom upholstery division with a variety of frames, in showroom, available off the floor or customized to the clients’ specifications, from luxurious fabrics to the cushions and stitching details, made to suit needs.

Sam concluded, “Everything we show is proudly made in the USA and we have more fabric choices than anyone, anywhere, in one place to create that one-of-a-kind piece of your dreams. We feature the top brands: Wesley Hall, Lee Industries, Ambella Home and are excited to launch our newest and most special collection from Verellen.”

Lewis & Sheron Textiles is located at 1017 Collier Road. 404-351-4833. ì

Interior Designers Weigh in on Spring Trends

As Pantone announced the 2023 color of the year: fuchsia, “very bold, very 1990’s,” designing minds leapt with visions of ‘Viva Magenta,’ carmine tones merging with the warmth of the natural world, expressive of a new signal of strength with rich possibilities of the space.

Coming out of an on-and-off cold winter, local designers share ideas for spring in Atlanta home décor. Stephanie Jacobs, Linda Rickles, Candice Keilin, and Lesley Steinberg have forward-looking ideas about statement lighting, nostalgia, exotic surfaces and more.

Evocative buzz words are on the table: organized modernism, fruit motifs, serpentine sofas, wishbone chars, patterned wallpaper, drawings and photographs, and knotty pines of the 1950s. Then, think of biophilia (the urge to affiliate with nature), using shades of earthy sage, brown, mustard, and emerald, even bold lavender. Materials that are in include: wood, leather, bronze, porcelain, cork, rosewood, chintz, geometric

forms, and mirrors. Alas, is there room for NFT’s? What’s outré - shades of gray, requests for in-home office workspace, overdone beds.

Hadley Kelly (“House Beautiful”

January 25, 2023), is betting on natural stone, closed floor plans, curvy shapes, rattan, cane, burl woods, light wools (no boucle), sumptuous fabrics and everything “more lux.” Not just farmhouse, but “elevated farmhouse…more refined with Belgian, coastal or Scandinavian influences…timeless linens, cotton and velvet.”

Local interior designer Steinberg is a lover of original and meaningful art that tells a story. She believes incorporating art is always a good investment and will carry forward in the spring of 2023. She declared, “Carefully curated pieces lend authenticity to your home, whether the artist is a five-year-old or an established creator.”

For this recent project, Steinberg commissioned artist Frankie Zombie to paint a piano for some long-time clients, lovers of music and avid collectors. In addition to Steinberg’s clients, Frankie has created custom pieces for some of the world’s most beloved and popular musicians, such as Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, and Celine Dion. Once the piano art was completed, Steinberg’s vision began to take shape. The homeowner’s rugs of jewel tones and saturated palettes, inspired by a trip to Morocco, began to curate a colorful modern space.

To complete the space, Steinberg commissioned Atlanta abstract artist Mary Beth Cornelius, by way of Muse and Company Art Gallery, to carry the theme and tie together the story of color, memories, travels, music, and art.

Stephanie Jacobs, of SBS Designs Atlanta, said her “in” picks are color, raw materials, and nostalgic design.

She said, “For a while, minimalism was a must. Now, clients are rediscovering color and using it throughout. Being vibrant and loud is never a bad thing. Sage green, browns, and pink are returning from décor to paint colors. These colors bring a certain type of relaxation into homes.”

Raw materials, like stone and metals, are showing up in accent pieces in furniture, flooring, and finishes. Concrete floors are creeping in and kicking out tiles. Hard metals are pushing their way into kitchens and other furniture and décor.

Nostalgia…we all end up reversing back to older decades in any type of design. Now, adding certain design elements from the 1970s, 1980s, to 2010s and combining them is all the rage, from funky wallpapers and vibrant colors to plastered walls and velvet. This design is brought up from social media, in particu-

lar, TikTok.

Jacobs’ “out” pick: Overdressed beds – adding pillows to beds has been a longlived thing in design but, due to minimalism, we have learned that functionality and aesthetic are not “all that.” Relax on the pillows and add a colorful duvet or a throw.

Rickles, of Linda Rickles Interiors, weighed in, adding, “Spring 2023 is all about bold color and mixed metal finishes, combined with statement lighting. We’ve been incorporating these trends for some time. You may have seen a drop in color palettes for Spring 2023, but don’t be fooled! Bold colors are still going strong. You’ll see them in everything from bold stripes and geometric patterns to pops of color on furniture and accessories.

“Finally, statement lighting is a big trend this season. Whether sconces, chandeliers or other types of fixtures that make a statement above all else. These types of designs can make all the differ-

ence when it comes time for you to create your dream home!”

Sandy Springs-based Keilin took inspiration from Africa. Her client’s dining room represents “safari chic.” She said, “My clients love Africa where they recently took a family trip and brought back the horns displayed on the dining room table. We even used Zoom and WhatsApp to find the perfect piece while they were traveling. We drew color schemes from nature with pieces of art to feel calm, casual, yet sophisticated.

“The Romo fabric is zebra-like, an abstract velvet texture. The wallpaper has a cork natural texture. The Palacek dining table took almost a year to arrive. Its driftwood style finish helped center the room with the casual vibes we were going for with the Arteriors light fixture adding dining room glam. Most importantly, this unique dining room now welcomes family and friends to celebrate life with the Poline family.” ì

Labovitz Farm, the Jewish Way

Atlanta native Laura Labovitz and partner, Shawn Barnard, followed their animal instincts and passion for healthy living to establish Ivy Rose Farm, a small animal farm located just over an hour north of Atlanta in Clermont, Ga.

Their current focus is goat milk, although they also make pepper jelly, featuring peppers grown on the farm, and other products. While they mostly sell milk fresh, they use some to make goat milk soap. They offer educational tours that introduce the animals on site, teaching about their roles on the farm and animal basics.

Visitors can sign up for a tour that goes over all things goat; milk a goat, hang out with any babies while learning about goats, take a goat for a walk around pastures, and woods, and end with tasting the goat milk.

Labovitz said, “With a small farm, we are always diversifying our products and, so, we also offer herbal products made from plants grown or foraged on the farm. We offer classes on foraging, wild crafting, and more.”

All tours are completely private, but classes are open to the public. Next door to the farm, they have a farmstay cottage available for rent. Included in the cost of the rental, guests can help milk a goat, feed animals, and more. As extras, guests can sign up to fish in the pond.

Labovitz earned a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology from the University of Colorado, then graduated the University of Denver with a master’s in social work with a focus on animal assisted therapy. When Labovitz lived in Colorado, she started on the path of natural living and a healthier diet because of her interest in dog and horse nutrition.

This led to her to moving to the Boulder foothills on an awe-inspiring property with 60 acres of mountain terrain, room for animals, and large gardens. Concurrently, she was working on changing her diet due to health issues, thus the access to fresh, clean food was a big part of her motivation to farm.

An Epstein School grad, Labovitz ties in religion. She said, “Although we don’t farm specifically using Jewish traditions and religious ideas, my Jewish education influenced much of my way of farming. Many of our practices actually do follow Jewish tradition naturally, such as feeding the animals before feeding ourselves in the morning. We are active in the Jew-

ish Farmer Network, created to bring Jewish farmers together to share knowledge, build community, and to advocate for Jewish farmers all around the world. I have begun to study more about Jewish farming practices, particularly Jewish herbalism. We hope to offer more Jewishrelated classes, Shabbat dinners, and to deepen the local Jewish community’s connection to the agricultural roots that exist in the Jewish history.”

The farm currently features a variety of animals. In addition to goats, they have chickens, ducks, a llama, horses, donkeys, sheep, dogs, and cats. The prop-

erty is 32 acres, with a natural springfed pond and Wauka Mountains in the backyard. The raw goat milk is Certified Naturally Grown, which means they farm using only organic methods, no synthetics. The milk is available through a local online market, Northeast Georgia Locally Grown, or direct from the farm by appointment. They make deliveries to Sandy Springs when travels bring them there to visit family. Their pepper jelly is currently available at the farm or when displaying at farmer’s markets.

They are working on several ongoing projects that will expand the opera-

tion. Since Labovitz’s background is in animal assisted therapy, she hopes to be able to provide a space for therapists to utilize the farm in therapy practices. The new developments should also enable hosting more events and classes.

The farm is named after Labovitz’s “heart dog,” Ivy Rose, who passed away in 2019. When trying to determine a farm name, she said, "No matter if we moved, the name would be meaningful and could travel with us.”

Laura is the daughter of Sheri and Steve Labovitz. Ya’ll come and “Baaaah-

No More Buying Eggs: Raise Chickens!

An increasing number of people raise chickens in order to produce eggs at home.

Andrew Gurvey, an experienced doit-yourselfer, is one of them. Gurvey, a lacto-vegetarian, had already experimented with aquaponics, raising tilapia in tanks in his garage; Gurvey claims that the fish seldom jumped out. In 2017, he decided to expand his food independence by buying a few chickens to produce eggs. “I wanted to raise my own food,” he explains.

He built a well-ventilated chicken coop from scratch in his back yard, equipping it with a roosting area, nesting boxes, and a food and water area. There is a chicken run in the large yard, within a fenced 8’ x 12’ area where chickens meander freely under a chicken wire canopy which keeps out flying predators like owls and hawks.

“Possums, foxes, and raccoons occasionally find their way into the fenced area,” Gurvey notes, “and I have found my chickens in bushes and even trees, where they flew to escape danger.”

Once in a while, chickens will get out of the fenced area to explore Gurvey’s front yard and wander around his vegetable garden; however, the hens don’t go far, and most of them meander back to their fenced-in home by themselves.

Chickens are natural roosting fowl, but they don’t always get along with one another. When Gurvey is aware of a bullying, troublesome hen which pecks menacingly at her coopmates, he uses “pinless peepers,” opaque blinders that attach to the chicken’s upper beak.

“Chickens only peck at other chickens they can see. The pinless peepers allow them to see only from the side,” he explains.

Gurvey occasionally purchases organic feed from local businesses, like Atlanta’s Standard Seed and Feed Store, where one can also buy chicks. There’s no dearth of local breeders who sell chicks, and chicks can even be shipped overnight. Gurvey mentions a popular website, mypetchickens.com., for this transaction.

Presently, Gurvey is limiting the number of chickens he’s raising. Last year, he had a surfeit of eggs, and he ended up giving them to friends and bring-

ing them to share at work.

Eggs are a controversial food item, and whereas, formerly, we were advised to eat eggs only sparingly because of the cholesterol content in the yolks, newer information from the Mayo Clinic and The American Heart Association, citing 2015 studies from The United States Department of Agriculture, laud the nutritional value of eggs. Nutritionally, eggs are loaded with vitamins and minerals, are packed with protein, and have only 75 calories. Additionally, eggs contain potassium and choline (an essential element in metabolism) and are excellent sources of vitamins A, D, and B-12, according to the CDC and NIH websites.

Whereas people may prefer to eat only egg whites, which do provide nutrition but don’t possess cholesterol, most healthy people (without heart conditions and other medical concerns) can eat whole eggs with yolks. Yolks supply lutein and zeaxanthin, which reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, according to a 2015 study by the American Heart Association.

Raising chickens for their eggs offers more than nutrition: there is a clear monetary benefit. Egg-laying hens can thrive

on left-over bread and vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen, even without organic feed that is purchased, relieving their owners of cash outlay to feed them.

“I mix the organic feed I buy with table scraps from the kitchen, so I tell people that my hens lay eggs that are semi-organic,” quips Gurvey.

But are all chickens equal? Egg maven Gurvey says, “The most prolific layers produce white or brown eggs, which taste the same and are grouped in the same sizes; however, some breeds lay eggs of other colors, including blue or green. There is one breed with 40-pound hens, the size of dogs. Their eggs are really big!”

Chicks are a worthwhile investment. They cost from $2 to $40 each (depending on beauty, rarity, or heritage breed) and begin laying eggs at about a year old. Healthy hens can continue to lay eggs for five to 10 years, with their peak production in the first two years. Theoretically, hens lay eggs every 24 -27 hours, but, depending on the season, they will not lay eggs every day. Gurvey estimates that last year his hens laid eggs about 240 out of 365 days.

“Chickens are influenced by the amount of light they experience, and they

lay more eggs on bright, sunny days,” he explains. Gurvey opens his henhouse in the early morning and, when his chickens are rounded up at the end of the day, he closes it when it gets dark.

Chickens lay eggs even if there is no rooster around; therefore, the un-roostered eggs that hens lay are not fertilized, meaning that the eggs they lay will not result in viable chicks. If a flock does have a rooster, eggs need to be collected daily, removed from the nesting boxes, and kept in a cool place before being used, so that they won’t develop into chicks. Otherwise, a hen will nest with her eggs and produce chicks. The chicken’s owner subsequently ends up raising lots of chicks from the fertilized eggs. Some of those chicks will become roosters, thereby perpetuating the fertilized egg cycle and even cause unrest in the flock.

Here’s a note for people who keep kosher. Eggs are pareve and can be eaten with either a dairy or meat meal. Kosher cooks do not use eggs with bloodspots; it’s fortunate, therefore, that supermarkets—where most kosher cooks buy eggs—do not sell fertilized eggs (the blood spot is the indicator of fertilization). ì

Pita King Masters the American Dream

Kikov said, “I’m, ready to pay full homage to the culinary landscape of my Mediterranean home with the best pita and falafel anywhere.” The pre-made retail items go “like hotcakes” on Friday.

Kikov was born and raised in south Tel Aviv (he jokes, “like the South Bronx”).

“My family didn’t have much, but we had a good work ethic. We moved around and kept improving. Today, I owe my motivation back to those days,” he said.

Eli served in the Israeli Defense Forces Armored Corps in 1978, and took time off to travel. He came to Atlanta to visit his sister where his journey began and landed in the baking business. Family, back home in Israel, would laugh, “Eli is making pita in Atlanta, of all things.” That was 1980 and, until this day, he is still baking the best “pockets” in town along with all the items that are available in the Friday’s market.

New to Atlanta, he connected with the Israeli community and met the founders of Masada Bakery, who brought Eli onboard and gave him’ free hand’ to explore baking bread from scratch.

Through trial and error, Eli crafted his skills, and then the Perpente’s bread company was founded in 1993 specializing in Eli’s Focaccia Breads and Bountiful Grains. Now, his pita and rolls fly off supermarket grocery shelves as well as being served by restaurants, hotels, and caterers.

When asked to explain his cooking philosophy, he said, “The secret for a good falafel is fresh ingredients and a good pocket pita that’s as soft as clouds.

But the secret to success is having a smart wife, like mine, who’s the bookkeeper.”

The menu features bestselling items: pita, falafel, hummus, fun-shaped challahs, bagels, bourekas, assorted artisan breads, chicken shawarma, shakshuka, baba ghanoush, tahina, mini babka, knafeh, roasted cauliflower, baklava (less sugar, more butter), beet salad, vegan rolled date cookies, and home-style cooked foods, all to go.

A fun display is the festive party rye bread ($25) where, when at home, the center is carved out and replaced with the home chef’s own dip. The fragrance of it all is overwhelmingly delicious…focaccia with pesto and goat cheese, rugelach, apricot Danish, knafeh, an Arab cheese based dessert with shredded dough ($7).

Traveling back home, he said, “Visiting Israel, I love the street food experience that serves the masses on local corners that define our traditional cultures. My favorite chef is Sara Moulton, an American chef and cooking show host."

Loyal customer Jeff Klein drives every week from Alpharetta and exclaimed, “I love the flatbread pizza, the rugelach is ‘to die for’, the falafel is better than in Israel. It’s amazing he does all this by word of mouth. The Kikovs are wonderful people!”

Hours of operation for the public are only Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eli has requests from customers to expand… so expect delivery from services like Door Dash soon.

Eli’s Pita at Best Bread is located at 2080 Peachtree Industrial Ct., Chamblee. 404-494-6430. ì

HOLIDAY FLAVORS

Holland’s Elevated NOSH Catering

Jalapeño honey salmon, Green Goddess pasta, and carrot roasted hummus sound appealing?

New-ish on the catering scene, Hillary Holland combines her family background and use of top-tier ingredients to elevate her concept of local kosher food with exciting plans for expansion.

Holland grew up in a South Florida family where the kitchen was the center of everyday life. Moving to Atlanta in 2021, Holland is plowing forward in growing NOSH Kosher Kitchen, which she describes as “elevated kosher food that my friends and I would want to eat, but is not available in the Atlanta market, versus Miami, where there is a wider variety of options for people who keep kosher.”

The love of cuisine runs deep in Holland’s roots as her grandmother survived Auschwitz, then moved to Cleveland, where she was a baker at Unger’s, a famous local traditional European bakery, influencing Holland. Her other grandmother was also a fantastic cook from

whom Hillary learned a spot-on chicken soup recipe at a young age.

NOSH plans to unfold in different phases. Currently, they operate preparing no meat and not under the supervi-

sion of the AKC. Holland states, “The ultimate goal is to have a brick-and-mortar location that includes meat. What shape that business takes is still being decided – my husband and I are currently hunt-

ing for properties to build NOSH Kosher Kitchen into something beautiful and unlike anything currently available to the kosher-keeping community. Once a location has been chosen, everything will

be under kosher supervision.”

Without AKC supervision, Holland describes herself as “a shomer Shabbat girl who goes to Beth Tefillah, cooking in her kosher kitchen. For many, that’s enough of “heksher, for others it’s not, and that’s ok,” Holland said.

Her menus are vegetable forward/ allergy conscious, evolve weekly and pull from many cuisines: Moroccan, Californian, Mediterranean, and Israeli. Holland goes for top quality ingredients and “elevated” versions of original recipes.

Sample items rotating on NOSH choices include: roasted red peppers, Green Goddess pasta, maple sriracha salmon bites, smashed potatoes, chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispies treats, jalapeño honey salmon, and apricot crumb bars.

She stated, “‘Everyone’s Favorite Eggplant’ is super popular as is ‘Nir’s Matbucha.’ Dips are $16 a pint, plain challah is $11 a loaf. Salmon is usually very popular.”

An example of Holland elevating an item is her transformation of hummus by blending in roasted carrots. She described, “Almost no one has eaten anything like that. It’s a fun way to eat something that is otherwise very common.”

She recently made “Caramel Twix” bars using cassava flour, coconut oil, sun flower seed butter and almond butter, a healthy take on the candy bar. “The key to pareve desserts,” she elaborated , “is substitution – almond flour for regular flour, coconut oil instead of margarine. As food substitutions have risen in food culture to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions, it’s easier to create things that are pareve, healthy and deli cious.”

Holland concluded,"The first ingre dient is always love and care. Honestly! You must care about quality, prepara tion, and presentation in order to make anything delicious.”

NOSH is adding a limited lunch menu on Mondays at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Other pickup is 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Sandy Springs, or Toco Hills, on Friday afternoons. Place your orders be tween Monday to Wednesday. The Menu is on Facebook (NOSH Kosher Kitchen Atlanta) and Instagram (@nosh_atlanta) on Monday morning. Links to the order forms are on social media; or email nosh kosherkitchen@gmail.com. For more in formation, call 954-551-9651. ì

Moroccan Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric Tahini Sauce

Preheat oven to 375F, place a baking dish filled with water on the bottom rack. Remove the stem of a whole cauliflower, rinse clean and place in a pan or baking sheet. Prepare spice mixture to taste: salt, pepper, cumin, smoky paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon.

Coat the inside and outside of the cauliflower with olive oil.

Rub the spice mixture all over the outside of the cauliflower and sprinkle some on the inside.

Roast for 1.5-2 hours until fork tender.

Prepare Tahini Sauce

In a bowl mix the juice of two lemons with ¾ cup tahini

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp salt

Fresh garlic clove

And cold water as needed to make a smooth sauce

Pour over or use as a dipping sauce

Apricot and Mint Reduction Border Springs Farm Lamb Meatballs

Robyn Spizman Gerson from Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors

Serving memorable dishes your family raves about and looks forward to on Passover adds a special meal to savor. One of the nation’s and Atlanta’s best known home delivery services of delicious and nutritious protein wants to make sure you add a new twist, a little spice, and a lot of flavors, along with their nutritious protein to your Passover Seder.

CEO and founder of Farmers & Fishermen (www.farmersandfishermen.com), Kirk Halpern, explains, “Passover is a meaningful time for our families to build traditions and enjoy flavorful foods and delicious recipes that are handed down through the generations. Guests, along with your family members, will love our signature Farmers & Fishermen Apricot and Mint Reduction Border Springs Farm Lamb Meatballs and Farmers & Fishermen Blackberry and Lemon Dusted Poached Patagonian Salmon recipes for Passover. They’ll make a wonderful addition to your Seder, become family favorites and we wish everyone a meaningful and memorable holiday.”

Serving for 8

Ingredients:

1 each 2-pound package Farmers and Fishermen Colorado ground lamb

½ cup matzoh meal

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste.

½ cup finely minced dry apricots

½ cup finely diced fresh mint

¼ finely minced scallions and garlic

2 cups stock of your choice (chicken or vegetable or beef)

¼ cup olive oil

In a mixing bowl, combine ground lamb, matzoh meal, eggs, salt and pepper, half of the apricots and mint, half the scallions and garlic and blend well.

Portion 1 oz of the mixture into meatballs and refrigerate 30 minutes and set aside.

In a skillet heat olive oil and the remainder of scallions and garlic and brown all the meatballs evenly…remove meatballs after they are browned but not necessarily fully cooked.

In the same skillet add stock into drippings and reduce by half until thickened, (5-7 minutes) add remainder mint and apricots (save a pinch of each for final plating.) Add the meatballs and turn to low heat. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes and plate.

Plate meatballs and spoon the thickened sauce over all and make sure bits of the mint and apricot are garnished over all.

Serve hot.

Blackberry & Lemon Dusted Poached Patagonian Salmon

APPETIZERS

Goldbergs Famous Chicken Soup

Matzo Balls Chopped Chicken Liver

Smoked

White Fish Salad

Traditional Apple

Walnut Charoset

Homemade Gefilte Fish

Potato Latkes

ENTREES

Serving for 4. You can also cut salmon in half if serving other entrees for 8 portions.

Ingredients:

4 each-7 oz portions Patagonian salmon

2 lemons

1 cup Manischewitz Blackberry Wine

Kosher salt 1 tablespoon

¼ cup minced shallots

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 cups water

½ cup fresh blackberries

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon zest fresh

In a mixing bowl combine water, wine, salt, juice of 2 lemons …save the skins for the zest, ginger, save all liquids in bowl till needed.

In a large skillet heat olive oil and shallots, Sautee shallots till soft and add salmon filets at high heat for a quick sear on both sides …Remove salmon.

In the same skillet add all liquids at medium high heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until well blended and aromatic with steam rising from skillet but not rapid boil.

Now add salmon into liquid along with 1/2 of the lemon zest and the fresh blackberries.

Cover tight with lid and let steam and simmer for 5 minutes, remove fish and let the liquids reduce by half (10 minutes or until desired thickness).

Time to plate the salmon and add the reduced liquid as a sauce and garnish with remaining zest and poached blackberries.

Serve hot.

SIDES

Homemade

Mashed Potatoes

Baked Yellow

Squash Casserole

Green Beans

MATZO FARFEL KUGELS

Classic Plain

DESSERT

Coconut Macaroons

Fresh Fruit Salad

Flourless

Honey Horseradish

Roasted Chicken

Cedar Plank Salmon

Goldbergs Famous Brisket

Stuffed

Cabbage Rolls

Hungarian Style

Chocolate Cake

MENU ADDITIONS

Beet Horseradish

Choice of Red or White Charoset

Whole Seder Plate

Annette’s Sweet and Savory Brisket with Fruit

Robyn Spizman Gerson from Annette Marcus

3 - 4 lb brisket

4 tablespoon onion soup mix pepper

For the sauce kosher for Passover:

2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoon lemon rind

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoon orange marmalade

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

8 oz dried apricots

1 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup Coca Cola

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a large roaster with cooking spray. In the bottom of the roaster, place 2 round cooling racks overlapping to offer a “bed” for brisket.

Place brisket, fat side up on top of the cooling racks

Sprinkle the brisket with the onion soup mix and then sprinkle with ground pepper. Prepare the sauce by combining brown sugar through Coca-Cola into a large bowl.

Pour sauce over the brisket covering well.

Place a tightly pulled piece of plastic wrap over the top of the roaster to provide an air tight cover.

Over the plastic wrap place a piece of aluminum foil to provide an additional airtight cover.

Place brisket in preheated 350 oven for 1 1/2 hours, then turn the entire roaster around in your oven for even heating.

After another hour, remove the wrapping and add the dried apricots and prunes to the bottom of the roaster. Rewrap brisket.

Bake for 30 minutes more - total 3 hours.

Remove roaster from oven, place on stove top, carefully remove foil and plastic wrap and insert a long cooking fork to test for tenderness.  Fork should come out very easily.  If additional time is needed, rewrap with plastic and foil and bake for 20 minute additional increments.

Remove brisket from roaster and place on cookie rack to cool.

Remove fruit and place in bowl and set aside.

Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the gravy into a bowl to cool.

After cooling, remove fat.

Slice brisket against the grain.

Place brisket into warming dish with gravy and fruit. Serve immediately or reheat covered in 300 degree pre-heated oven until warm.

HOLIDAY FLAVORS

Chocolate and Cream Cake

Debbie Diamond from Miri Hazut of Nur Kosher Kitchen

Base:

5 eggs

5 spoons of sugar

1 pack of instant pudding chocolate flavor

Cream:

500 ml heavy whip cream (for parve use non dairy)

1 pack of instant pudding vanilla

Topping:

250 ml heavy whip cream (for parve use non dairy)

100 gr chocolate

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

In mixer bowl, beat the eggs for half a minute. Add sugar and continue beating for another 5 minutes until you get a nice foam, stop, add the chocolate pudding and mix until everything is mixed into a uniform batter.

Bake for 20 minutes in a 10 inch pan.

The cake will expand in oven and will drop down after it completely cools down.

For Cream:

In a mixer bowl, stir the ingredients for the cream on high speed for a few minutes until  firm.

Spread on the cool chocolate base and move to the freezer for 30 minutes.

For Topping:

In a glass bowl put the chocolate and the cream and heat for 1 min in the microwave, stir until smooth and add it to the cake for a full coverage.

Keep refrigerated for at least 2 hours before serving, and let your family and friends enjoy a delicious dessert.

Happy Passover from Miri’s Cake & Nur Kosher Kitchen Family!

Passover Almond Cookies

Chana Shapiro

3 cups sliced almonds

2 egg whites

½ cup light brown sugar

½ tsp almond extract

Mix all ingredients

Drop tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheet.

Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Turn off oven, but leave cookies in oven for 20 more minutes.

Option: you can add chocolate chips to the mixture before baking. Makes 18-20 cookies

Great Aunt Mary’s Matzo Meal Latkes Grandma Rose’s Mock Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe was shared with me by my cousin, Marlene Meyer, and was handed down to her by her Mother, my Great Aunt, Mary Small.

½ cup Matzo Meal

¾ tsp. salt

1 tbs. sugar (optional)

¾ cup cold water

3 eggs (separated)

Combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl.

Beat egg yolks, combine with water.

Add liquid to dry ingredients.

Let stand 15-20 minutes in refrigerator.

Beat egg whites until stiff

Fold into mixture.

Drop 1 tbs. onto hot well-greased griddle.

Makes 10-12 latkes.

Serve with apple sauce or sour cream (dairy meal).

Double or triple the recipe for more delicious latkes.

We make these cookies every year. Everyone looks forward to them, and we usually have to make another batch during the holiday.

1 cup matzoh meal

1 cup matzoh farfel

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

I cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all dry ingredients, then add

2 beaten eggs

1/3 cup oil

Mix all ingredients, then drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Dough may seem dry and crumbly, but when baked, they will hold together. Alternatively, you can roll individual cookies into a loose ball before putting them on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour.

SENIOR LIVING

Merbaum Breezes Past 100

The recent death of the world’s oldest person at 118 brings on more conversation about the growing number of centenarians. While genetics plays a key role, as well as where one lives, social support can influence the odds.

New centenarian Selma Merbaum was honored at two local synagogues to celebrate her momentous occasion. Judaism and her resiliency certainly play a key role in her life of contentment.

Daughter Sabina Slaw said, “Mom was active on synagogue boards, and National Council of Jewish Women. She will tell anyone that is Jewish that the first trip they take should be to Israel. She (and Izzy) have been there five times, and on two of those trips, they volunteered on the army base. Judaism has always been important in maintaining a kosher home, attending services, and making sure we children had a Jewish education.”

What was life like in 1923?

Merbaum was born in Brooklyn N.Y., and grew up in The Bronx.

She said, “I remember all the streetcars, and the peddlers. I grew up in a small apartment above a retail store. We had heat from radiators, but no air conditioning. No telephone, on the rare occa-

sion that there was a call for my family, the shopkeeper would yell up the window, ‘Bernstein-Call.’

She loves to reminisce about the specific vendors like, “Jake the pickle man,”

with Jewish

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and all the others.

After high school, Merbaum started college, but was unable to finish when the need for work/income called. She was a deputy zone commander for the

Air Warden Service in 1943. And, in 1945, she worked in the Navy Yard and was recognized by the U.S. Navy for her service.

Merbaum was then briefly married to Dr. Sol Krell, but the marriage was short-lived as he passed away after four years. She remarried Isidore Merbaum and were together for more than 50 years. They had two children and five grandchildren. She feels very fortunate that her son, David, who is a lawyer, along with his family live close by in Milton. Her daughter, Sabrina, who is a dementia practitioner, actually lives with Selma. As capable as Merbaum is at 100, it helps to have another set of hands around.

Merbaum has always been a lifelong learner, and finally returned to Queens College, where she graduated with high honors with a degree in history, with an emphasis on Jewish history. Using this knowledge, she developed several lectures on topics of Jewish interest: Jewish gangsters, pushcarts and peddlers, and Jews of the Civil War.

Continuing her education was a constant theme. She and Izzy spent several summers at the Madison Senior Scholars Institute taking courses. She was president of every PTA in her children’s schools. Up until COVID, she took

courses with Rabbi Mark Zimmerman at Congregation Beth Shalom, and Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz at the Chabad of North Fulton.

Now that she has a driver, she has returned to the Chabad for classes on Thursday nights. Merbaum still likes to cook and bake. Her specialty is date nut bread. She also made all the typical Jewish foods by hand, like kreplach, perogies, chicken soup, and kneidlach, which are among her top tier.

Merbaum has few regrets about her life but wishes that she had continued to pursue a graduate degree. When queried about her guideposts to a long life, she said, “I have no secrets to longevity; but do what interests you. Take advantage of opportunities as they come along.”

Gerontology researcher Nir Barzilai, director of aging research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, studied the lives of hundreds of centenarians, the people they married and their kids to find, “The children of centenarians are about 10 years healthier than their peers…people who have certain mutations on their growth hormones are very likely to live longer because their cells spend more energy on maintaining existing cells not growing new ones.” ì

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PAINT

SIP

|

THURSDAY,

MARCH 23RD • 4:30PM

Tap into your creativity! Join us as we are guided through a series of steps to paint our own masterpiece while enjoying a favorite beverage. To RSVP, please call 404.348.8917.

Big Sonia is 97 Fabulous Years Young

Leah Warshawski spent six years working on the documentary, “Big Sonia,” about her grandmother’s experiences during, and after the Holocaust. Her portrait of Sonia Warshawski, who stands only 4’8,” and who is now 97, is of a woman who later in life became a diminutive dynamo.

Despite having lost her entire immediate family in the Holocaust and having survived three of the most notorious concentration camps in Europe, Sonia, as she grew older, become a resolute and articulate survivor who kept up a lively schedule of appearances as a Holocaust speaker.

And she had style, dressed in high heels, boldly colored outfits, and her leopard print accessories. But even with all that going for her, her granddaughter

was not sure how to present her grandmother as an inspiring star.

“We had a lot of hopes and dreams, but we didn’t really understand how it was going to unfold,” she said. “Sure, we have these great ideas, but how is that going to happen?”

By the time the film was screened at the 2017 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, she

was beginning to feel more comfortable. It picked up a pair of festival awards in California the year before and went on win best documentary at Jewish festivals in Philadelphia and Seattle and carried off the grand jury prize at the Barcelona International Film Festival.

It was reviewed in the New York Times and then was rapturously received in Kansas City, Leah Warshawski’s hometown, where the film ran for five months in a local theater, often to sellout crowds. It was estimated that more than 23,000 people saw the film during its extended run.

But, despite its success before theater audiences and the festival circuit, Warshawski faced the possibility that “Big Sonia,” like so many prize-winning documentaries, would fade and quickly be forgotten once screenings in various media dried up.

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Leah Warshawski was determined, however, not to allow her grandmother to be just another footnote in the history books. To the six years the film was in production, she’s added six more years keeping it alive.

“No one wants to hear this, but a lot of keeping a documentary like this going has to do with marketing and how much time, effort, and money you spend promoting your film. I took two years off to basically go to every single screening event and festival that I could. And my husband, Todd, who created the film with me, came along to a lot of those promoting and marketing the film in person as much as humanly possible.”

In test screenings, Warshawski found that her grandmother’s experiences as a teenager during the war resonated with younger audiences. So did her appearances in the film before high schoolers and adolescents who were struggling

with issues that had left them with unanswered personal questions.

The advice she gave was simple and straight from the heart, and there was a maternal warmth in her words that teens found appealing. Warshawski enlisted a Los Angeles based nonprofit, Journeys in Film, to produce a study guide for high schools with lesson plans to accompany a DVD of the production. The project was produced by Jennifer Fischer who saw in the personal story of "Big Sonia," a way to engage young people in an exploration of the tragedies of the Holocaust.

“Those first-hand testimonies are so critical. They’re so important. There’s nothing like them. And so, I think film and film resources, and some of the interactive media that we have the ability to use now that keeps those survivor stories alive, keeps them present for future generations, will just be so critical and so important.”

Last April, “Big Sonia” was the offering during Holocaust Awareness Month on many PBS stations around the country and, until 2025, it will be streamed on the public broadcasting website.

Because one day her grandmother may not be around to tell her story herself, Warshawski has been exploring advanced technology to reach audiences, particularly young people to keep Sonia’s story absorbing.

Last year, she brought Sonia, who was then 96, in front of the camera again. This time, she spent five days, answering a lengthy series of questions about every aspect of her life, her personal philosophy, and her first-hand experiences during those terrifying years of World War II.

For a new generation of students, who may just be learning about the Holocaust, the project will allow them to ask

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a question about her life and her experiences and see her answer the question in her own words on a screen in front of them. The project, produced in collaboration with a company called StoryFile, is now in the testing stage and is expected to be available to museums and schools for the first time during this year’s Yom

HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, in mid-April.

“There are over 800 question and answer combinations, but you can actually ask her anything you want. And the more you ask, the smarter the system gets. It essentially allows you to have a conversation with Sonia on a screen. You’re ask-

ing her questions and she’s answering in real time.”

Sonia Warshawski may be among this last of a long and heroic line of those who witnessed the Holocaust first-hand and lived to tell about it, often in profound and eloquent terms. But unlike so many of them who passed away before

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the advent of recent, powerful technologies, she may have the last word.

Aided, initially, by all the advances in digital media, and now with the development of the algorithms of artificial intelligence, new youthful audiences may continue to find “Big Sonia” standing tall for generations to come. ì

Falling in Love With Your Hearing Aids: It Doesn’t have To be Complicated

Are your hearing aids fitted for success?

The secret to hearing aids is simple. When they work, it’s clear! Hearing better is a gift you give yourself and properly fit hearing aids are the first step. If your hearing aids are living in a drawer, or you’ve given up on using them, a second opinion can help! Here are 5 reasons people do not wear their hearing aids and some helpful advice. The good news is a qualified Audiologist, devoted to your comfort and hearing, can help make the ideal match for a better hearing and hearing aid experience.

#1. Improperly Fit Hearing Aid Programming

When hearing aids are not programmed appropriately they may be too loud, too soft, sound distorted and be ineffective. Hearing aid sound must be comfortable most of the time or you will not want to wear the hearing aid(s). Hearing aid programming can be verified to a prescription based on your hearing. Verification measurements should always be used when programming hearing aids.

#2. Counseling and Expectations

Hearing loss is typically gradual, progressing slowly over many years. When hearing aids are used hearing is improved quickly, which is a very big change for your brain. If

you do not receive appropriate counseling as to appropriate expectations and how to handle adjusting to hearing aids, it can be an intimidating and off-putting process. It is common for the user to address the potential discomfort of adjusting to hearing aids by not wearing them. Advocate for your hearing needs and talk to an audiologist that can tell you all you need to know.

#3. Insufficient Vital Communication Testing

A hearing evaluation is an important first step to maintain or improve your hearing. If the hearing evaluation does not include certain elements such as hearing when there is background noise, it could lead to problems in a hearing aid fitting. These problems could include sound being too loud or soft or ears feeling plugged up. When hearing aid sound is not comfortable, the wearer is likely to reject the hearing aids. Hearing aids can be optimized if the right information is gained during your initial evaluation.

#4. Waiting Too Long to Address Hearing Changes

Our brains learn and adjust in response to change. When we have hearing loss, our brains adjust to try to maintain speech under-

standing despite the hearing loss. The hearing parts of our brains also change, and if hearing loss is untreated the auditory brain becomes less effective at listening and tolerating the sounds of the world around us. The most successful hearing aid users are those that address their hearing as soon as they notice a change, or in an inconsistent-user’s case, delays no further. Early hearing aid use maintains auditory stimulation to the brain and results in the best hearing.

#5. Lack of Follow Up Hearing aids should be worn during most waking hours. To accomplish this with

comfort and enjoyment, the hearing aids must be physically and acoustically comfortable. Despite their investment in hearing aids, patients often feel embarrassed to report problems and concerns in fear of being difficult or an annoyance. However, the need for follow up appointments and physical fit and sound changes are normal and necessary. Your audiologist is here to help, and patients that share problems and concerns with the audiologist are the most successful wearing hearing aids.

The good news is the right hearing aids can be life-changing and a win for hearing better. Don’t postpone your hearing health and ability to enjoy it.

Recent Ukrainian Local Refugees May Face Deportation

For this year’s anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a small group of residents at the senior living community of Sunrise at Huntcliff Summit were knitting. With stiff and not always very responsive hands that sometimes had difficulty making the stitches, they created the colored squares that, in time, were joined together in three blankets for Ukrainian refugees.

No one in the group, which was comprised of Jewish and non-Jewish residents, had any personal connection to those Ukrainians who might have received a little extra warmth from their gift, but it didn’t matter.

Grace Benator, who worked on the project, says it’s just part of what the residents have been doing for at least a half dozen years for patients at Northside Hospital. They knit scarves for infusion patients, caps for those who have had chemotherapy, and sweaters for infants in the neonatal unit.

“It’s our mitzvah. It feels good doing good. Keeping people warm in one way

or another over the years. First all those patients at Northside Hospital and now the people of Ukraine.”

Jewish social service agencies in Atlanta were quick to take up the challenge when the Russians invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Eric Robbins, CEO at the Jewish Federation, began a Ukraine

Emergency Fund a day after the invasion and traveled to Poland with other Federation leaders to see firsthand in Medekya, at the Polish Ukraine border, the humanitarian crisis that was developing.

“We are all here to do whatever we can,” he said at the time, “to fund and support the massive humanitarian effort underway to save Ukrainian Jews and other displaced Ukrainians. We are committed to returning home and telling American Jews a story we never imagined would happen again.”

In the last year the Federation in Atlanta has raised more than $2.7 million from over 1,500 individual donors, including those ladies at Huntcliff Summit.

During the first months of last year, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta set up a program called AURA, for Atlanta Ukrainian Relief Assistance, which provided $200,000 to help settle the new arrivals.

The program was part of an early initiative to raise funds by federations and the Shapiro Foundation in 18 Jewish communities in the United States and Canada to help displaced Ukrainians.

The director of the program at JF&CS, Zane Blechner, credits the generous funding that the program provided for quickly getting Ukrainian families on their feet again. Blechner said it only took two days to fill up the program.

Sixty early arrivals from Ukraine, who came here as what the Immigration Service calls “humanitarian parolees,” were signed up for the program. That means that some can only stay here as little as a year. Still, area synagogues provided furniture and other living essentials. Federation money paid for housing. The aggressive resettlement program has meant that, after almost a year, according to Bleckner, about 75 percent of them

have work permits and have jobs.

“One of the ways that we measure how things are going is self-sufficiency. And three quarters of our families are completely self-sufficient. The ones that are not self-sufficient, the only reason why they’re not, is because there were delays in the work permits coming.”

But some of those new residents may be in danger of deportation. In a letter dated Feb. 28, three major Jewish organizations wrote to the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of 20,000 Ukrainians that are in the United States as “parolees.” The Jewish Federations of North America, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies asked the federal government to renew their parole status in a timely manner.

“Together, our agencies have risen to meet the needs of the thousands of Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States,” the letter said, “but we are deeply concerned about significant challenges that will negatively impact their status,”

The letter also calls for the continuation of other government benefits and an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine, which make certain that Ukrainian nationals, who were in the United States before the start of war, can remain here without fear of deportation.

At JF&CS, Blechner is hopeful that all the good work that the community has done, including those blankets that came from the ladies who knitted them at Huntcliff Summit, will not be undone.

“The government has not given us guidance yet. Clearly these people can’t go home to Ukraine. But our government tends to wait until the last second before making a decision.”ì

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month

Did you know that over 2.8 million people in America sustain a traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion, every year? Have you or a loved one ever experienced symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, light and sound sensitivity, headaches, mood dysregulation, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue?

At Plasticity Centers we have a unique approach to neurological rehabilitation. With the philosophy that every brain is different, each treatment plan is customized to the individual based on what is identified in the history, extensive diagnostic testing, and physical examination.

Our patients are our #1 priority, which is why we have invested over a million dollars in life-changing, cutting-edge technologies to help our patients achieve their goals.

We treat people with concussions or post-concussion syndrome, traumatic brain injuries, developmental delays, and even people that just want to be better. Athletes and executives come to Plasticity Centers to get a step up on the aging process and stay on top of their game. We also see people that have Parkinson's Disease, mild cognitive impairment, multiple sclerosis, post-stroke symptoms, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, central vertigo, and dysautonomia. Your brain is always changing and here at Plasticity Centers, we help you regain your quality of life and be the best version of yourself.

Contact Plasticity Centers for a free consultation at 404-905-6000, www.plasticitycenters.com

Meet The New Team & See the New Look at The Georgia Plasticity Centers Office

We are excited to announce our newly renovated Georgia facility, featuring an experienced team of clinicians dedicated to providing the highest quality of neurological care. Our cutting-edge treatment plans and equipment are tailored to each client's individual brain function, challenges, and objectives. At all our facilities, we offer the latest in neurological technology, such as a hyperbaric chamber, vestibular rehabilitation activities, autonomic therapies, and more.

In addition, our facility offers postural evaluation and balance retraining services. Come see why we are the premier location for treating concussions, vestibular, and cognitive challenges.

At Plasticity Centers, we understand the importance of maintaining your health and well-being. That is why we are excited to announce an exclusive Georgia Office Offer for anyone who books an appointment

to come in before April 30th. Please call (404) 905-6000, to get more details.

March 29th MEET and GREET, come in for some food and drinks and learn more

From 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, March 29th, we would we be honored

to have you drop by our Plasticity Center at 200 Cobb Parkway, Suite 128 in Marietta. This is a great chance to meet the staff and learn more about how we can help you or a loved one.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks, please RSVP to acaplinger@plasticity.co

We look forward to seeing you!

Wayne Plays from the Heart for Seniors

After retiring in 2021, Wayne Freedman set one of his goals as re-learning the piano, which has resulted in an ongoing, and “full to the brim,” series of volunteer performances for residents at area senior living communities.

He said, “This idea was a ‘throwback’ to my high school community service mitzvah project, playing piano for residents at retirement communities in Buffalo, N.Y. A major goal for me in retirement was to re-immerse myself in piano, regain former skills, re-learn pieces and greatly expand my repertoire, and then, perform for residents at communities. It’s taken a lot of work and practice, but I now have about 15-20 communities here in my rotation as the list grows.”

As an added bonus, Freedman’s wife, Nancy, who is naturally warm and enthusiastic, comes along to serve as emcee and crowd pleaser by inserting jokes. She interjects trivia about the song or performer to which seniors relate.

Freedman said, in admiration of his partner, “Nancy is an essential part of my

performances. She has a natural gift for connecting with the residents. She introduces the pieces with interesting stories and hands out Hershey’s Kisses while I play the ‘Theme From Forrest Gump,’ (a tribute to the “life is like as box of choco-

lates” line). A corny and fun joke sample (would be), Where do pianists go on vacation? The Florida Keys!”

Freedman began studying piano at age four. During his high school years, he performed at senior living centers as a community service project in his hometown of Buffalo. After graduating from Northwestern University in 1977, he embarked on a successful 44-year media career.

While working his day job in New York City in the 1980s, Freedman performed at the famed One If By Land, Two If By Sea restaurant. As his career and family responsibilities grew, piano playing inevitably lessened.

Now back tickling the ivories, his repertoire includes light classical works and popular favorites like Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are,” and “She’s Always a Woman,” Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend In Me”; and several hits from The Beatles, like, “And I Love Her,” “If I Fell,” “I’ll Follow The Sun,” “Imagine,” and “In My Life.”

Old standards also include, “It Had To Be You,” “Young At Heart,” and Elvis Presley’s, “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.” Freedman also performs film and Broadway show tunes as well as Jewish standbys like, “Havah Nagilah,” and “Oseh Shalom.”

Venues include: Berman Commons; William Breman Jewish Home; Cohen Home; Hammond Glen; Heartis; Holbrook Decatur; Holbrook Sugar Hill; Huntcliff Sandy Springs; Mansions @ Sandy Springs; Piedmont @ Buckhead; Renaissance On Peachtree; Solana @ East Cobb; Somerby @ Sandy Springs; A.G. Rhodes/Wesley Woods; Corso; Dogwood Forest/Acworth; and Dunwoody

Pines.

Generations of studies have shown that music is very therapeutic for seniors and can even miraculously engage some with memory issues.

“Music is a powerful healing tool. It can reach inside us and impact our deepest emotions. Energetic music and joyful songs can instantly pull us out of depression, fear, and hopelessness.

"Just listening to music helps deliver relaxation and stress relief. The social interaction is uplifting to seniors who may be lonely and disconnected,” according to officials with Miami Jewish Health.

Freedman added, “The reaction to our performances has been extremely positive and appreciative. If we’re playing a popular song like, “It Had To Be You,” or “Young At Heart,” we absolutely encourage everyone to sing along; so far, we’ve haven’t had any dancers. The most applause has been for the faster-moving Ragtime music.”

The Freedmans accept no compensation. Wayne concluded, “This is all totally voluntary. It’s become a true passion. And while many have told me it’s a mitzvah, selfishly, I must admit that performing publicly again has given me more impetus to practice and push myself. In truth, I feel like it’s the seniors that are doing me a favor!”

Ellen Frisch, lifestyle director at Somerby Senior Living in Sandy Springs, extolled, “The very first time Wayne played for our residents, they became mesmerized. He now has fans and groupies awaiting his monthly appearance. He has enriched our residents’ lives with his music and the stories they tell.”

Nur Kosher Kitchen Offers Taste of Tel Aviv DINING

After much anticipation, Nur Kosher Kitchen is officially open for dining. Owner Elad Hazut, who owned eight kosher restaurants in south Florida, and his business partner, David Razon, are determined to bring the many flavors of Israel to Atlanta. Suspend reality for a moment and you may think you are in a Tel Aviv café, particularly with the current beats of Israeli music playing over the sound system and the languages of English and Hebrew mixing in the air.

Set in a colorful, contemporary space, Nur Kosher Kitchen is a family affair, with Hazut’s wife, Miri, as the salad and pastry chef, brother; Ori, assisting at the front; and dynamic, outgoing nephew, Shalev, offering menu advice as he shifts seamlessly from table to table as part of the wait staff. On a recent Sunday night, the restaurant was buzzing without a free table in the house. The room was filled with couples, families, and a large group of Israelis likely yearning for a taste of home.

The food at Nur is a fusion of the many cultures of Israel. A chicken schnitzel plate shares the menu with kofta kebab steak. Hazut recommends the house burger, filled with grilled onions and topped with house dressing, fried onions, mushrooms, jalapeño pepper, and a sunny side up egg. The 16-ounce ribeye steak is large, grilled to perfection and likely one of the best kosher steaks in Atlanta. Steaks here come from grass-fed cows and are of prime quality, flown in from Miami and compared by Hazut to Kobe beef. Pan-roasted branzino is also a favorite, cooked in the special clay and wood-burning Lebanese Tabun oven.

Popular appetizers at Nur include Moroccan homemade cigars, bourekas (meat puff pastries), Israeli salad, and roasted eggplant with Tahini. Homemade pita and focaccia are light as a feather and simply heavenly. They are also made daily in the special Tabun oven. But a visit to Nur would not be complete without ordering the assorted fresh salad tray, composed of 12 delicious offerings, all made by Miri Hazut. In fact, a fine meal could be made with just this healthy vegetarian feast for the tastebuds. Salads include matbucha, a tangy mixture

of tomatoes and garlic; beet salad; two types of eggplant salad; hummus; pickled onion salad; and an array of others. They are a must-have when visiting Nur.

“Our goal is to serve simple, fresh and flavorful food that can be found at an Israeli café,” said Hazut. Chef Kyle Kilgo, who has cooked many kosher dishes during his stints at the Ritz Carlton and Hilton hotels in Atlanta, said “My favorite part of the day is seeing the smiles on people’s faces. Our work is a labor of passion.”

Serving healthy food comes down to knowing where the food is purchased, serving fresh – never frozen food and using spices to bring out the flavors, accord-

ing to both men. In addition to dinner, lunch is also offered at the restaurant, and includes pita sandwiches, filled with chicken and turkey, shawarma, falafel, and other options. Salads, shakshuka, hamburgers and an Impossible burger are also offered at lunch. There are several vegan and vegetarian options at both lunch and dinner.

On Fridays from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m., Kabbalat Shabbat is celebrated at Nur with a traditional Israeli sandwich, called a “schnitzel challah,” topped with matbucha, eggplant and pickles. Lively Israeli music is played and there is singing and dancing, according to Hazut. The challah is homemade, and carafes of Limonana,

a popular Israeli drink made from mint and lemon, are enjoyed by diners.

Nur is open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., with final orders taken at 9:30 p.m. Beer and wine is served, as well as mint tea, Turkish coffee, several juices, bottled water and soft drinks. Desserts are homemade by Miri Hazut. The restaurant is closed for Shabbat beginning at 3 p.m. on Fridays until Sundays at 11 a.m. The restaurant is located in the Global Forum Shopping Center at 7130 Buford Highway, close to the I-285 exit. Nur is certified by the Atlanta Kosher Commission and is a welcome addition to the kosher restaurant lineup in Atlanta.ì

The Lowdown I Bet You Didn’t

Know …

Leslie Zinn

Atlanta is chock-full of interesting “movers and shakers” - some bent on creativity, empire building, activism, the sciences, and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off the cuff” remarks as to what makes our spotlight, Leslie Zinn, tick.

As Arden’s daughter, Leslie Zinn, CEO of Arden’s Garden, grew up drinking all sorts of nutritional concoctions, which instilled in her a passion for health and nutrition. Graduating with a bachelor’s in industrial management from Georgia Institute of Technology, she was one of the founding partners of Arden’s Garden in 1995.

With a fitness enthusiast for a mother and a Regent’s professor for a father, Leslie had the perfect background to lead a wellness company that emphasizes education. She became CEO in 1999 and focused on making healthier living easy, accessible, and affordable.

With 200 employees, Arden’s Garden is the premier juice company in the Southeast, with wholesale partners in six states and 16 retail stores in the Atlanta area. Arden’s 17th store will open in South Fulton in June 2023. Recently, Leslie purchased a local urban farm where she’s partnering to promote wellness and access to fresh food in a food desert, and also developing a plant-based burrito bar.

All outdoor lovers, Leslie is married with four kids, and she serves as the poster child for “later-in-life” motherhood, having children at 35, 40, 42, and 46.

Find out why not to wear white while standing by Leslie.

Jaffe: What’s your guilty pleasure?

Zinn: Peanut butter, followed closely by chocolate covered almonds.

Jaffe: You are an adventure traveler?

Zinn: Absolutely!  My husband and I love active “backroads trips.” Our most recent one was biking through Mallorca. Last summer, we climbed Mt. Baker, which absolutely pushed me beyond limits. I can’t say that I enjoyed it then, but I felt fantastic at the summit and hope to climb Mt. Rainier next year.

Jaffe: My kids would say I am too… Zinn: Energized in the morning. I love mornings and wake up early and exercise which clears my head and sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Jaffe: You will not find me… Zinn: In a fast food restaurant.

Jaffe: I’m reading…

Zinn: The New York Times and “Daring Greatly,” by Brene Brown. “How I Built This” is my favorite podcast.

Jaffe: My own favorite juice is…

Zinn: Cruciferous Cabbage, followed closely by Kalenator - nutritional powerhouses!

Jaffe: If there’s one thing I’ve learned the hard way about running a business… Zinn: I am not always right. It is important to see the bigger picture.

Jaffe: I would look back and tell a 21-year-old Leslie…

Zinn: At 21, I was inpatient at Ridgeview Drug and Alcohol Treatment and on my way to long-term treatment in New Jersey. Little did I know, at the time, that it would be three years before I returned to Atlanta. It was a very difficult time. All my friends were graduating college and starting their careers, and I was getting sober.

Jaffe: The last time I cried…

Zinn: Was when I was interviewing dad about his life. We meet weekly to document his story and the week we covered my parents’ divorce brought up a ton of tears for me.

Jaffe: My last fashion disaster was…

Zinn: I was wearing a white top and a green juice exploded all over!

Jaffe: Best advice you received?

Zinn: Suit up and show up, no matter what. Don’t judge your insides by other people’s outsides.

Tough Conversations with Teens About Substance Use - 12 to 1 p.m. Bayley Mays and Cari Newman discuss the importance of talking about substance use and share ways to increase communication and connection between parents and teens. Sign up for this virtual JFCS event by visiting http://bit.ly/3YAloxd.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

Yoga and Meditation - 7 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Gesher L’Torah for Yoga and Meditation. Ages 13+. Please bring your own mat if you have! Register at https://bit.ly/3WE3wkH.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Caregiver Support Group Johns Creek Alpharetta - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional wellbeing will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP to the Cohen Home and Jewish HomeLife, at http://bit.ly/3keoS9T.

From Acceptance to Celebration -7 to 8:30 p.m. Support, education, and discussion group for parents of transgender, nonbinary, and genderexpansive children of all ages. This group from JFCS and Sojourn is a safe space where loving caregivers can process emotions, ask questions, and learn with others. Sign up at http://bit. ly/3k83TG6.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Israel Today: An Overview - 1 to 3 p.m. A Conversation with the Consul General of Israel to the Southeast, Anat SultanDadon. Please RSVP to Corso Atlanta by visiting http://bit.ly/3KBJ7JT.

Kabbalat Panim and Kabbalat Shabbat - 5:45 p.m. Once a month Congregation Dor Tamid we'll gather for a Kabbalat Panim, an Oneg Shabbat before services. Then will move into the sanctuary to welcome Shabbat together. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3Zt9YvN.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19

Mazal Tots Baby and Me – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Mazal Tots at Temple Emanu-El is a unique and joyful “baby and me” class that combines the power of song, movement, sensory stimulation, and play to create meaningful bonding experiences between parents and their little ones. With engaging music and movement, parents will have a blast as they connect with their babies through touch, sight, sound, and fun. Learn more at http://bit.ly/41648SR.

AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow High School Program - 5 to 8 p.m. LFT enables young Jewish leaders to develop skills to advocate on behalf of the Jewish people, Israel, and human rights, and to serve as positive change agents for their peers and community. Register at http://bit.ly/3UIjOsl.

Lawrence Brownlee, tenor: Rising - 8 to 10 p.m. With the premiere of this new song cycle, Brownlee and pianist Kevin J. Miller will perform texts at the Schwartz Center by Black authors and poets of the Harlem Renaissance, set to music by leading composers such as Shawn Okpebholo, Damien Sneed, Emory alumnus Joel Thompson, and others. Purchase tickets at http://bit. ly/3kyoaFb.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

Tot Shabbat and Kiddush Lunch - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Congregation Beth Shalom every Shabbat at 11am for an interactive Tot Shabbat where we sing, play, and engage in fun activities, followed by a wonderful Shabbat Kiddush lunch together. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3PMct7u.

Insect Allies: Predators and Parasitoids in the Garden - 2 to 3:15 p.m. Don’t jump to conclusions when you see insects in your garden—many are providing free pest management! Insects, like lady beetles, lacewings, wasps, mantids, and more, are worth getting to know. In addition to reducing pest populations, many insect predators have fascinating life histories that enhance the complexity and wonder of our gardens. RSVP at http://bit. ly/3SDDv42.

Joe Alterman and Houston Person Together Again – 4 to 7 p.m. Reuniting for a concert titled “Joe Alterman & Houston Person: Together Again” at the Breman Museum, pianist Alterman and saxophonist Person will dig into standards of the Great American Songbook. Purchase tickets at http:// bit.ly/41vwMgo.

CTEEN Intown Atlanta 2023 – 5 p.m. Chabad Intown CTeen Atlanta is back and better than ever for the new year! Join fellow Intown ATL teens for these upcoming events filled with fun, friendship, food, Jewish pride and engaging torah learning! RSVP at https:// bit.ly/3jN3nwO.

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V9TZjV.

Mark Jacobson Retirement Celebration - 5 p.m. Please join us to celebrate The Temple’s legendary Executive Director Mark Jacobson, who is retiring after 45+ years of service! Join us for a program in the Sanctuary, followed by supper in Schwartz-Goldstein Hall. Share your memories and purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3J1pkCI.

Sinai Coffeehouse – 8 to 9:30 p.m. Come for a night of home-grown entertainment as Temple Sinai’s lobby is once again transformed into an amazing coffee house. You’ll hear from members and clergy as they perform music, comedy and more. Light refreshments will be served. Learn more at http://bit. ly/3kyoi7z.

MONDAY, MARCH 20

Our Time of Wisdom – 7 to 8:30 p.m. You are invited to join Temple Beth Tikvah members in a program designed to meet the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of those 50+. Register at https://bit.ly/3ERHfZ3.

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

Caregiver Support Group - Dunwoody Sandy Springs - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional well-being will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP at Bermans Common Assisted Living & Memory Care and Jewish HomeLife, at http://bit.ly/3XuB84q.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Vayak’hel-Pekudei

Friday, March 17 Adar 24, 5783 Light Candles at 7:28 PM

Saturday, March 18, Adar 25, 5783 Shabbat Ends 8:24 PM

Torah Reading: Vayikra

Friday, March 24 Nissan 2, 5783 Light Candles at 7:33 PM

Saturday, March 25 Nissan 3, 5783 Shabbat Ends 8:29 PM

Torah Reading: Tzav

Friday, March 31 Nissan 9, 5783 Light Candles at 7:38 PM

Saturday, April 1 Nissan 10, 5783 Shabbat Ends 8:35 PM

Jacobson Leadership Institute -9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Jacobson Leadership Institute (JLI) has been a think tank and training ground for adaptive leadership and good governance within Atlanta’s synagogues, Jewish day schools, and Jewish agencies. In 2023, JLI will again bring in local and national experts to help facilitate discussions and training about Jewish community leadership. Register with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta at https://bit.ly/3fp2ZD7.

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

A History of Israel Through Stamps

- 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Featuring a presentation at Congregation Etz Chaim by Neil Greenberg and the viewing of his historical stamp collection. Find out more at http://bit.ly/3ZxJdqN.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Acoustic Shabbat at Crema Espresso Gourmet (Dunwoody) - 5 to 6 p.m. Join Rabbi Glusman from MJCCA and local musicians for an evening of soulful music and Shabbat tunes. People of all faiths and backgrounds will enjoy this engaging live acoustic evening of blessings and song in celebration of Shabbat. Celebration includes Mi Sh’bayrach (prayers for healing) and Mourner’s Kaddish. Food available for purchase. Arrive early to reserve your table! Learn more at http://bit. ly/3AgZg1z.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22

CDT’s Adult New York Trip – Join Rabbi Jordan and your CDT friends for an amazing experience in NYC! The trip is considered a walking tour. Eat at Peking Duck, Carmine’s, Katz’s Deli, Hurley’s, Junior’s Cheesecake, and Food Tour of Lower East Side. Visit Ellis Island, Bernard Heller Museum at HUC, Tenement Museum tour, Lower East Side Tour, Shabbat Services, Ice Skating, 9/11 Museum, Broadway Show, Times Square, Chasidic Neighborhood in Brooklyn, and more! Learn more at http://bit.ly/3J0GjFc.

Challah Bakes - 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Connect with old traditions and create your own new memories monthly at GLT challah bakes! Learn how or teach others!! RSVP at https://bit.ly/3i6RMIy.

From Acceptance to Celebration -7 to 8:30 p.m. Support, education, and discussion group for parents of transgender, nonbinary, and genderexpansive children of all ages. This group from JFCS and Sojourn is a safe space where loving caregivers can process emotions, ask questions, and learn with others. Sign up at http://bit. ly/3k83TG6.

Rockin Shabbat with a Twist - 6 to 8:30 p.m. Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a musical Kabbalat Shabbat at 6pm followed by a dairy/parve potluck dinner. Ma’ariv Services will take place after dinner. This is a warm, inviting service where we can welcome in Shabbat and gather with old and new friends. RSVP at http://bit. ly/3IB9E7J,

Shabbat on Broadway Encore – 6:45 to 9 p.m. Join the fun at the intersection of Shabbat and American Musical Theater! The result is a new, fun and very musical evening of prayer, song, and even a little dance. This is an encore performance of a unique Shabbat service from last year that had a fantastic response, so our talented cast from Temple Kehillat Chaim has gathered again. Find out more at http://bit. ly/3KJfJlc.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

Bourbon BBQ & Basketball – 6 to 9 p.m. Join Beth Tikvah for their 8th Annual Bourbon BBQ & Basketball. Sample fine bourbon, delicious Kosher BBQ and sides. Shop Sports Memorabilia

Auction. Catch the Elite 8 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on the big screen. Purchase tickets at http://bit. ly/3EI68ad.

Chad Lawson with Judy Kang and Seth Parker Woods - 8 to 10 p.m. For his Schwartz Center debut, pianist and composer Chad Lawson will be joined by acclaimed violinist Judy Kang and cellist Seth Parker Woods. Lawson is a modern-day master of reinvention— his bold interpretations of the classics, atmospherics, and electronic loops resonate with both EDM fans and neo-classical traditionalists. Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/41ziaNd.

FOR TEENS: Israelis in the Streets— Democracy in Action – 12:30 to 4: 30 p.m. The CIE/ISMI Teen Israel Leadership Institute is intended for 15- to 18-year-olds. An in-person event, it features Dr. Ken Stein and other Israel educators. Students can expect small group discussions with a focus on democracy in Israel amid the proposed judicial overhaul and the growing protest movement in response. RSVP at http://bit.ly/3yqikJk.

SUNDAY, MARCH 26

The Daffodil Dash - The Race for 1.5 Million – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Daffodil Dash is a Run/Walk in memory of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust and in support of children suffering in the face of genocide and other humanitarian crises in the world today. The Daffodil Dash raises awareness and funds for Holocaust Education and Genocide Awareness.  Proceeds benefit Am Yisrael Chai!, a non-profit Holocaust Education and Awareness organization, as well as the “Kids for Kids,” “Raising South Sudan” and “Agahozo Shalom,” organizations helping children and families in remote villages in Darfur, South Sudan and Rwanda. The race also supports the Atlanta Holocaust Survivor fund, providing medical, dental, and home care for Holocaust survivors. Register at http://bit.ly/3kyMtms.

Mazal Tots Baby and Me – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Mazal Tots at Temple Emanu-El is a unique and joyful “baby and me” class that combines the power of song, movement, sensory stimulation, and play to create meaningful bonding experiences between parents and their little ones. Learn more at http://bit. ly/41648SR.

Beer Day and Cornhole Tourney – 1 to 3 p.m. Join Gesher for Men’s Club Beer Day and Cornhole Tournament. Visit http://bit.ly/3IALEBA to learn more.

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V9TZjV.

MONDAY, MARCH 27

Our Time of Wisdom – 7 to 8:30 p.m. You are invited to join Temple Beth Tikvah members in a program designed to meet the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of those 50+. Register at https://bit.ly/3ERHfZ3.

Jewish Commercial Real Estate Network (J-CREN) Event – 5 to 6:30 p.m. Join J-CREN for an evening of networking and learning.  Find out more at http://bit.ly/3SBZHLH.

TUESDAY, MARCH 28

Brain Health Bootcamp- 1 to 3 p.m. Virtual Brain Health Bootcamp every Tuesday will combine gentle physical exercise, including yoga and exercises to help reduce stress and anxiety, along with a full hour of brain exercises done in a non-stress and engaging way of learning. For more information visit http://bit.ly/3tPwMs3.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

Hillel Heroes 2023 - 6 to 8:30 p.m. Join us for Hillel's Heroes 2023 as we celebrate 20 years of Hillels of Georgia and share our excitement for the future. On this 20th anniversary we are recognizing the many people whose dedication and hard work have created the organization we know and love today. Mark your calendar for an evening of food, drinks, friends, and fun! Find out more at http://bit.ly/3EHUKLy.

Ferns of the Southeast - 2 to 3:15 p.m. 350 million years ago, these feathery fronds were born. Still loved today, gardeners plant them in garden beds, pots, and wooded areas. Any hike through a forest will showcase these ancient survivors. Without seed formation, these primitive plants rely on spores for reproduction. North Fulton Master Gardener Donna Whitesel will share all about ferns and how to grow them in this class.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

Hadassah Metulla Returns to the Theater – 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Please join Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Metulla Group to see this heartwarming musical. Purchase tickets at http://bit. ly/3YtgHFr.

Jewish Women’s Torah and Tea - 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Join the Jewish Women’s Circle of Decatur for a weekly discussion on the Parsha and contemporary Jewish issues. Get more information at http://bit.ly/3T8oR4B.

The 34th Annual Fran Eizenstat and Eizenstat Family Memorial Series Lecture - 6:30 to 9 p.m. The Future of American Democracy, a discussion led by Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat featuring Jon Meacham, presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. RSVP at Ahavath Achim Synagogue by visiting http://bit. ly/3Z7wmLI.

ADL Torch of Liberty Event - 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Join the Anti-Deflamation League for our 2023 Torch of Liberty Award Celebration honoring CEO Ed Bastian and Delta Air Lines. Registration available at http://bit.ly/3Y0TOc4.

From Acceptance to Celebration -7 to 8:30 p.m. Support, education, and discussion group for parents of transgender, nonbinary, and genderexpansive children of all ages. This group from JFCS and Sojourn is a safe space where loving caregivers can process emotions, ask questions, and learn with others. Sign up at http://bit. ly/3k83TG6.

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

SOJOURN’s Drawing from the Well12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to experience the magic of inclusive community during Drawing from the Well. Drawing from the Well is SOJOURN’s inclusive weekly meetup for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Participants gather in community to discuss and connect around resources from Torah Queeries, Mussar teachings, holidays and happenings in the world. Find out more at http://bit.ly/3ZrKEXi.

Dear Rachel,

This year has been rough for me and my family. We’ve experienced tragedies and upheaval, and at this point, I am feeling done- washed-out, faded, and jaded. As a Jew, I believe we have a loving Father in heaven who takes care of us and all our needs. How else can we explain the miracles of everyday life? No one can replicate the human body, and no one can produce the glorious vistas that surround us in this world. The existence and presence of G-d are immutable. In fact, I struggle to believe that there are any true atheists. Yet, the suffering is so excruciating. Why would a loving Father cause so much pain and death?

Every day, I pray. I ask. I beg. I submit. Yes, I am thankful for the good. But somehow, my troubles and difficulties seem to outweigh the positive aspects of my life.

I welcome your input.

Sincerely,

Perplexed and Disappointed

Dear P & D,

It sounds like you’ve been through the wringer, and I’m so sorry for your pain. I wish I could take it away and make things better. If only…

I am not a rabbi or a scholar, so I can only share answers that I’ve learned along my own journey. The prevalent answer is unsatisfying- we don’t know why G-d brings suffering. As finite beings with human intellects, we cannot expect to understand the unfathomable actions of an omniscient and omnipotent G-d. We are like little children with an older parent, or ignorant patients facing a worldrenowned doctor; we are not meant to understand G-d’s ways. Rather, we are bidden to hold on, to cling to Him through darkness and light, and to know that He loves us and is doing what is ultimately good for us even though we don’t understand His reasoning.

Imagine standing very close to a magnificent portrait. The closer you stand, the more limited your perspective. That is us. We live in a small piece of time and can only internalize what we see with our limited perspective. But G-d is eternal. He was, is, and always will be. And He is creating an incredible tapestry that will be breathtaking when it is finished- but we don’t have the ability to see the finished product. We’re standing “too close” and can only see our small 70 to 100 years. At the end of time, we will see the full picture- and it will be the most beautiful and remarkable design.

When our ancestors were expelled from Spain in 1492, surely, they thought it was the worst thing that could happen. Forced to leave their ancestral homes, their possessions, their extended families, and journey to strange lands- what could be more terrible? And they never lived to see the benefits. But hundreds of years later, thousands of their Jewish descendants were living safely in America, far away from the decimation of European Jewry. And now, P & D, I ask you- was the expulsion really a bad occurrence?

Moses, our greatest leader, asked G-d, “Why have You done bad to this people?”

G-d told Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand freedom for the enslaved Jews. Not only did the Egyptian monarch refuse, but he increased the burdens and suffering of the beleaguered slaves. And Moses shook his head and entreated with the burning question: Why?

And G-d was disappointed in his faithful servant. Not for asking why, but for calling the events “bad.” Because as much as situations may seem bad, G-d only does good for us. We must wait, hold on, and know that ultimately, everything He does is for our ultimate benefit.

This world is not our final destination. If we can pass the tests He gives us, we will earn everlasting life in the World to Come. Try to hold on and picture Him holding you and loving you- like a father to his child.

I cannot tell you why G-d acts in certain ways. But I know He loves you- or He wouldn’t have brought you into this world. He brought you here, at this particular time in history, because He believes that you, with your unique strengths, talents, and personality can join in bringing His plan to fruition.

May your pain and suffering soon come to an end and may we all feel G-d’s closeness and love.

Best regards,

Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column

Got a problem? Email Rachel Stein, a certified life coach, at oyvey@ atljewishtimes.com describing your problem in 250 words or less. We want to hear from you and get helpful suggestions for your situation at the same time!

The Miser

Shlomo was a miser and his friend, Isaac, knew this. One evening, Shlomo and Isaac went out for a meal with their girlfriends. At the end of the meal, Isaac overheard Shlomo say to his girl, “Marry me, darling, and I’ll buy you the sun, the moon, and the stars.”

Shlomo immediately called over to the waiter and said, “Separate checks, please.”

YIDDISH WORD

J-chaza

n. A guy who is not only a terrible JDate date, but also a pig. “On top of being J-drek, this guy kept trying to grab me. What a J-chaza!”

From the Yiddish chaza, meaning pig, which, of course, also means traif (unkosher); and the popular dating app, JDate. Every woman, Jewish or gentile, knows about dates who turn out to be pigs.

Mountain Climbing

Difficulty Level: Manageable

ACROSS

1. High shoe part

5. Demi Lovato’s favorite “dish”

9. 20th century art movement

13. Hogwarts librarian Pince

14. ___ Shalom

15. Insurance company promoted by Gronk

16. Mount in Israel

17. Western gambling city

18. Mount in Israel

19. Erev Shabbat letters

21. Lie

23. Motivational expression, or a hint to solving this puzzle

30. Wicked Amin

31. Some negotiate it

32. Onetime heavyweight champ 33. He had some mommy (and brother) issues 35. French pets

37. Motivational expression ...or another name for this puzzle

58. Common bistro name starter

59. 5th or 6th

62. “Got it”

64. Agitate

68. Nose or swan

69. Debt securer

70. Some concert needs

71. Mount of Israel

72. Yeladim, in Scotland

73. Mount in Israel

DOWN

1. Kool-Aid competitor

2. Notable time

3. Paramedics’ grp.

4. Coffee choice

5. Pat who played Mr. Miyagi

6. Good for something

7. Grant or Lee: Abbr.

8. Not Zichronot or Malchuyot

9. Famous flyer in filmdom

10. Good Jewish king

11. Some lawyers: Abbr.

12. Patient reply, perhaps

20. Platoon members, for short

22. “Didn’t know you had it ___”

23. 0-0, e.g.

24. Paid promos

25. Car that’s 49-Across

26. Big ___ (notable power hitter,

once)

27. Dew prayer

28. Cavs on the scoreboard

29. What’s-___-name

34. 20-time Rose Bowl winner: Abbr.

36. Infielders’ stats.

38. Movie in which Liam Neeson’s character has “a very particular set of skills”

39. Jay Pritchett on “Modern Family”

40. Skin opening

41. One in a colony

42. Doo starter

43. O’er and again

45. Kind of hwy. lane

46. 57-Across, in Paris

47. Mevaser or Yisrael preceder

50. Go beyond

51. Old rival of Sparta

52. The Phillies div.

55. They’re used by firemen

56. ___ Nashim

59. Happening

60. Cruella De ___

61. Early snake victim, in a way

63. One named Aussie singer

65. “___ Mine” (Beatles song)

66. Vinyl records

Next to nothing?

67. NY winter clock setting

OBITUARIES

Dolores Barkin Arnovitz

88, Atlanta

Dolores Barkin Arnovitz passed away peacefully on Monday, Feb 27, 2023 surrounded by family. She attended the University of Alabama and was involved in many charitable causes, including volunteer work, reading to the blind and driving physically challenged children to their activities. She received a nursing degree, worked for 10 years at the ENT clinic at Emory, and was a volunteer nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Camp Barney Medintz.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Harold Arnovitz, her children, David Arnovitz (Andi) of Jerusalem, and Karen Grinzaid (Jimmy) and Lisa Marks (Sam), of Atlanta, 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

The funeral was on Wednesday, March 1 at 2 p.m. at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Circle SW, Atlanta. Contributions may be made to Ohr HaTorah Synagogue, Atlanta Jewish Academy, JScreen, The Weber School, or Ahavath Achim Synagogue. May her memory be for a blessing. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Shirley Blaine 96, Atlanta

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of an amazing human being, our mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great aunt, and dear friend to many. Shirley passed peacefully on the evening of March 8, surrounded by her family.

Shirley was an avid golfer, a huge fan of theater, symphony, and the world of art. She loved to travel the world and was a strong supporter of our homeland Israel and the Jewish community of Atlanta. Above all, Shirley was the loving matriarch of her beautiful family that she loved and cared for beyond anything else.

Shirley was a successful businesswoman whose company - Age of Travel - received accolades and recognition as an industry leader in an ever-changing world of travel. She lived a life of inclusivity and befriended all good people she came across.

Shirley is survived by her daughters, Sara Blaine Rotenberg (Mendy), Barbara McRee, Wendy Owens (Bill), her grandchildren, Bryan Owens (Emily), Jeff Solomon (Mitzi), Shaun Rotenberg (Katie), Stefanie Owens, Kelley McRee, Jennifer Cuellar (Albert), Dayna Khadoury (Solly), and Scott McRee (Justine); her great-grandchildren, Gia, Aubree, Sofie, Jack, Ben, Nate, Lexie, Cole, Wyatt, Tyson, Simon, Dean, Gabe, Maddox, Aron, Elliotte and Finn and her special friend, Stan Katz.

Shirley will no doubt be greeted in heaven by the true love of her life, Sol Blaine, who has been patiently waiting for her since May 2002.

Shirley was predeceased by her granddaughter, Tyson McRee, her brother, Leonard Rabb, and her sister, Vickie Deutsch.

Funeral services were graveside at Arlington Memorial Park on Sunday, March 12 at 3:00 p.m. - on what would have been the celebration of her 97th birthday. Services were officiated by Rabbi Peter Berg. In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to The Alfred and Adele Davis Academy. Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

Marvin ‘Marv’ Davis 85, Atlanta

Marvin “Marv” Davis, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away on Feb. 25, 2023, at home surrounded by family. Marv was born on Nov. 16, 1937, in St. Louis, Mo., to parents Samuel and Pauline Davis.

Marv attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. Upon graduating from Washington University, Marvin joined the United States Navy and was assigned to the U.S.S. Topeka, a guided missile cruiser, as a weapons officer. Thereafter, he was assigned to the White Sands Missile Base, where he conducted missile tests.

Upon leaving the U.S. Navy, Marv earned an M.B.A. from Washington University. Thereafter, he was employed as an executive at Standard Oil of California, Shell Oil, Pfizer, and Sentry Insurance. While working for Shell Oil in Manhattan, N.Y., Marv met Trudy Rein, his wife of 54 years.

Marv quickly developed a reputation as an expert in corporate crisis management. He subsequently joined Grisanti, Galef and Goldress, one of the oldest corporate consulting firms in the United States and, eventually, would become president of that firm. At

Grisanti, Galef and Goldress, Marv specialized in “turnarounds” of corporations in crisis and was responsible for the turnarounds of over 100 companies located in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He was a member of the Turnaround Management Association and was the author of two books regarding corporate governance, “Turnaround,” and “Take No Prisoners: A No Nonsense Guide to Corporate Excellence.” Marv was also the author of a tape series entitled, “The Profit Prescription.”

As a corporate CEO, Marv was a proponent of corporate integrity, employee empowerment, and corporate fiscal responsibility. He especially loved mentoring junior employees at the companies he ran.

Upon his retirement from consulting, Marv was active in the North Atlanta Men’s Club and was elected president of the club. Through the North Atlanta Men’s Club, Marv enjoyed poker, philanthropy including welcoming soldiers home from deployment at the Hartsfield Airport USO and participating in the investment group.

Marv loved good food, fine wine and international travel and a good joke but especially loved his family.

Marv is survived his loving wife, Trudy; children, Dr. Julie Davis-Best of Chandler, Ariz., and Jeffrey Davis, of Queens, N.Y., and his five grandchildren who he adored, Skylar, Jacob, Sarah, Leah and Noa.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Weinstein Hospice in Atlanta or Temple Emanu-El in Atlanta. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Deborah Ann Goot 73, Atlanta

Deborah Ann Goot of Atlanta, Ga., passed away March 3, 2023, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her family and close friends.

Deborah (Debbie) was born in Niceville, Fla., April 27, 1951, to Pauline and A. L. Johnson. She attended Niceville High School, playing oboe in the band and worked at her father’s pharmacy where she helped him to improve operations. Her high school friends always knew they could count on her to organize every class reunion from graduation to their 50th. She also attended Okaloosa Walton Junior College.

Debbie met and married Lloyd Virgil Bible, a pilot at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton, Fla. They had a son, Brian, and then the family moved to Saudi Arabia where Lloyd worked as a charter pilot. Debbie and Brian moved back to the United States in 1974. She met Stephen Baron Goot, and they were happily married for 38 wonderful years. They were blessed with a son, Michael.

Debbie worked for Lefkoff, Duncan, Grimes and Dermer as a legal secretary. Stephen was hurt in a snow mobile accident, becoming partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Debbie was devoted to Stephen and his journey through rehabilitation. They both were so grateful to The Shepherd Center and spent numerous hours volunteering. Stephen dedicated his time to helping other newly injured patients and their families and Debbie became active in the Shepherd Auxiliary. She especially loved using her relentless sales skills during the Center’s annual Pecans on Peachtree Holiday Fundraiser. Debbie was known for her exceptional culinary skills and family and friends eagerly awaited her newest creation.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Pauline and A. J. Johnson, and her loving husband, Stephen Goot. Debbie is survived by her sons, Brian (Allison) and Michael (Kimberly) and grandchildren, Eric, Maive, Cameron, Julien and Max. She is also survived by her sister, Marcia (Mike) Bourne and nephew, Chris Cotter; her brother, Andrew (Tammy) Johnson and daughters, Andrea and Malori (Matt) Smith.

A private family burial took place at Arlington Cemetery and a celebration of Debbie’s life was at Ormsby’s from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 or The Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta, GA 30327. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Lawrence Zigfield Gordon 92, Henrico, Va.

Lawrence Zigfield Gordon, 92, of Henrico, Va., passed away on March 1, 2023. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 64 years, Estelle Krieger Gordon; son, Alan Elliot Gordon; parents, Aaron and Miriam Gordon; as well as his five siblings. He is survived by his sons, Richard Louis Gordon (James Millner) and Mitchell Keith Gordon (Jeff Saunders).

Originally from Buford, Ga., Lawrence coowned Gordon’s Department Store with his brother for 18 years. After closing the store in 1974, he went on to found Rebos Realty, which he ran successfully for over 30 years before retiring.

Lawrence was an active member of both the Masons and Shriners before moving to be near his sons in Richmond, Va. He was a member of Temple Beth Ahaba and had been active with the JCC Men’s Club. His humor, laugh, and love will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

A graveside service was held 10 a.m., Friday, March 3, at Hebrew Cemetery, 4th and Hospital St. in Richmond.

Gerald Marc Hamburger 80, Atlanta

Gerald Marc Hamburger, born Jan. 15, 1943, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2023. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Marc was a true gentleman who was passionate about life and all that it offered.

Marc was born in Baltimore, Md. to loving parents, Alvin and Dorothy Hamburger. The family moved to Atlanta, Ga., as a child where he grew up and lived most of his entire adult life aside from college attendance at Vanderbilt University and graduate school at The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.

Marc was a loyal and devoted friend, and had built many deep friendships throughout his life, including those made while growing up as a child on East Wood Valley Road in Atlanta, his loyal ZBT fraternity brothers, and his fellow classic car enthusiasts from the Pierce-Arrow Automotive Society. In 1970, Marc married Nancy Fern Robbins, with whom he had his two children, Robert and Katherine.

Marc was a man of great professionalism, exemplified by his tenure of 33 years at CocaCola as VP of Marketing and commitment to the community volunteerism and mentorship after his retirement. He was also a lifelong supporter of Camp Coleman, a Jewish overnight camp which Marc’s father was a founding member, Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters, and multiple organizations in support of the State of Israel. Marc was known for his eloquence, his love of language, and his congenial nature, and was the beloved patriarch of his family. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Deedee, and an adoring father and grandfather to his children, Robert (Tanya), Katherine (Hal), and granddaughters, Evelyn, and Addie. He was also a loving, generous bonus dad and grandfather to Carrie Leavitt (David Mann), Rich Zatcoff (Farrah), David, Noah and Chloe Leavitt and Eli and Hannah Zatcoff.

Marc’s family was the focus of everything he did and his most important priority, whether he was giving sage advice, supporting family members in times of need, or hosting the annual family vacation at the beach or in the mountains. In addition to his parents, Marc was predeceased by his brother, Alan Hamburger.

Special thanks to Marlene Handley, Deedee and Marc’s devoted and caring friend and household manager. The family requests that any contributions in Marc’s memory be directed to Camp Coleman by mail to: URJ Camp Coleman, 1580 Spalding Drive, Atlanta, GA 30350. Checks should be made payable to Union for Reform Judaism. Alternatively, donations may be made to The Temple in Marc’s honor. The funeral service was held at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. The funeral took place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 10. At the request of the family, graveside services will be limited to immediate family only. Marc always had a kind word and a warm smile and will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

The Future of American Democracy with Jon Meacham

The 34th Annual Fran Eizenstat and Eizenstat Family Memorial Lecture Series presents, “The Future of American Democracy,” a discussion led by Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat featuring Jon Meacham, Presidential Historian and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author. This event is brought to you by the Marilyn Ginsberg Eckstein Cultural Arts Program Fund.

Register at aasynagogue.org

This event is free and open to the community.

OBITUARIES

Loretta Holmes 73, Atlanta

Loretta Holmes, 73, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away on March 4, 2023. Educator, theater enthusiast, world traveler and more. Loretta is predeceased by her loving parents, Sol and Bella Finn. She is survived by her twin boys, Stephen and Scott Holmes, her grandchildren, Doc, Alfred, Paul and Julia, and her beloved sister, Beverly. Memorial donations in her honor can be sent to Congregation Beth Israel of Asheville, NC, 828252-8660. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Dorothy Gail (Isaacson) Klingensmith 70, Dunwoody

Dorothy Gail “DG” (Isaacson) Klingensmith, age 70, of Dunwoody, Ga., passed away Sunday evening, March 5, 2023, at Emory University Hospital surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was born on Nov. 8, 1952, in Columbus, Ga., to the late Dr. Herschel and Pauline Isaacson. DG was the wife of Bob (Bear) Klingensmith and mother of Dani Klingensmith.

She graduated from Northside High School in Atlanta and attended the University of Tennessee. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a master’s degree from George Washington University.

Following employment with Eastern Airlines, DG began a very rewarding and fulfilling career as a teacher in both the Cobb and DeKalb counties school systems. Recognized as a dedicated and caring teacher, DG retired from Kingsley Elementary School in Dunwoody following 20 years of service. She was known for her laughter, fierce devotion to family and friends, and unwavering bravery.

DG could often be found dancing along to Barbra Streisand tunes, finding the best deals around Atlanta, laughing uncontrollably with her little sister, Nancy, relaxing on various beaches along the East Coast, rooting for the Georgia Bulldogs and Belmont Abbey Crusaders, or enjoying the activities at Rivermont Golf Club. She was a devoted wife and mother who always put family first. Her kindness, compassion, and generosity touched the lives of all who knew her. She will be deeply missed by Bear and Dani, her siblings, Bobby (Nancy) Isaacson, Dr. Keith Isaacson, and Nancy (Brian) Gunter, her cousins, nieces, nephews, and colleagues. She will be forever loved and remembered. Thanks for the countless memories, DG!

The funeral and burial services were on Tuesday, March 7, at 10:30 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Cir SW, in Atlanta. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cure HHT 8 Henderson Hill Ct, Monkton, MD 21111 and www.curehht.org. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Marcia Mays Kurtz 69, Marietta

Marcia Mays Kurtz, of Marietta, Ga., died Sunday, March 5, in Marietta, surrounded by her family and friends.

She was born May 5, 1953, in Brooklet, Ga. She is preceded in death by her mother, Joyce Elizabeth Denmark Mays McElveen, and her father, John Ford Mays. She is survived by her spouse of 43 years Stuart Kurtz, her daughter, Lauren Lewin (Daniel Lewin), her son, Jonathan Kurtz (Shannon Kurtz), her four grandchildren, Kelby, Cooper, Reagan, and Wade, her sister, Bonnie Underwood (Kai Underwood), as well as many extended family members.

Stuart and Marcia met on a blind date coordinated by Stuart’s best friend in May of 1973. They enjoyed their relationship of 50 years from that first blind date until Marcia’s death.

Marcia was an elementary school teacher for 33 years and retired from Cobb County Schools in 2008. For most of her teaching career, she taught kindergarten and first grade. Education was her passion, and she impacted many students, parents, and colleagues over her career. Many of those same colleagues she maintained life-long friendships with after retirement.

Marcia and Stuart raised their two children in Marietta. Marcia loved her family wholeheartedly. She loved raising and educating her children and making sure her children had the same passion and quest for knowledge that she had. Her sole hobby in life was to enjoy her family and that enjoyment grew to new heights with the birth of her grandchildren.

Marcia’s personality was such that she was a friend to everyone who met her and an enemy to none. Marcia is known to all who knew her to have had an infectious love of life. Her ready smile, her infectious laugh, her easy-going nature, and positive life outlook impacted all who knew her. Marcia loved adventures with her family and friends and was always excited to try new things and visit new places. Marcia had a warm, beautiful, positive, and kind soul and is greatly missed by all who knew her.

A funeral was held at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mt. Vernon Hwy., NW, Sandy Springs, GA, followed by a reception at 2:00 p.m., at Temple Kol Emeth, 1415 Old Canton Road, Marietta, GA. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Sara Shrager 93, Atlanta

Sara Shrager died peacefully at The William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 10, 2023, less than a month after her beloved husband, Marvin Shrager, passed away. They were married for over 70 years.

Sara was born to the late Dorothy and Morris Michael. She grew up in Newark, N.J., graduated from Weequahic High School, and attended Upsala College. She moved to Plainfield, N.J., after she and Marvin married, and lived there until moving to the Piedmont Buckhead in Atlanta in 2013.

Sara was a volunteer at Muhlenberg Hospital, and eventually was hired as head of the candy stripers. She volunteered at the Moorland Branch Y.M.C.A., working with youth in the community. Sara showed off her glamorous side as a fashion model for Tepper’s Department Store.

Sara was an avid reader and passed on her love of reading and libraries to her children. She enjoyed tennis, bridge, crossword puzzles, and exploring out-of-the-way places in New York City. Sara also loved craft shows and art museums, and was a talented weaver, creating beautiful, geometric tapestries, and blankets on her loom at home. A loving wife, mother, and grandmother, Sara will be remembered for her adventurous spirit, her outgoing personality, and her unique flair for fashion.

Sara is survived by her sister, Billi Marcus (Bernie), her children, Gary Shrager (Eileen Sullivan) and Jody Sitts (Brian), her three grandchildren, Rachel Lartey (Ayesu), Daniel Sitts (Mitchell Cohen), and Dylan Sitts, and her great-grandson, Asong Lartey. She was predeceased by her son, Howard Shrager, and her husband, Marvin Shrager.

Edwin Lawrence Weprinsky

96, Alpharetta

Edwin Lawrence Weprinsky, 96, passed away peacefully on Feb. 3, 2023, in Alpharetta, Ga.

Ed was born in the Bronx, N.Y., on Oct. 18, 1926, to Benjamin and Anna Weprinsky.

In his younger years, Ed lived in the Bronx and worked as a salesman for his father’s Sporting Goods Uniform business. He enlisted in the Army in 1945 and served as a Communications Private until the end of World War II.

In 1952, Ed married Gwyneth Ables and they made their home in North Brunswick, N.J. Ed commuted into New York City for over 25 years to work. He had his own placement businesses: Harvard Consultants and Dartmouth Consultants in Manhattan.

Ed and Gwyn had three children: twins, Betty Jane and Nancy L., and Peter Scott Weprinsky.

He is preceded in death by his sisters, Marilyn (Weprinsky) Siegel and Barbara Weprinsky. He is also preceded in death by his first wife, Gwyneth Ables Weprinsky, their daughter, Nancy L. Weprinsky, and his second wife, Betty Alperstein Weprinsky. He is survived by two children, Betty Jane Mackintosh and Peter Weprinsky, who both live in the Atlanta, Ga. area with their spouses, and his three grandchildren: Casey Mackintosh Raffetto, Drew Weprinsky and Tori Weprinsky.

Throughout his 96 years, Ed had a great wit about him and enjoyed engaging with everyone he met. He was smart, inquisitive, and enjoyed a lively discussion. Ed was also a loyal New York Giants fan!

A private family service was held in Atlanta, GA for Ed on Feb. 5 at Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care. He was buried on Feb. 7, 2023, in Boynton Beach, Fla., alongside his wife, Betty, at Eternal Light Cemetery. Ed will be missed by all! Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Brenda Caplan Winter 77, Sarasota, Fla.

Brenda Caplan Winter, 77, of Sarasota, Fla., and previously Atlanta, Ga., passed away on Feb. 7, 2023. She was the beloved wife of Mark Winter for 42 years, mother of Mark Fishman (Joanna), and Jill George (the late Art George), Robert Winter (Caryn) and Steven Winter (Terri) and sister of Beverly Caplan. She was blessed to have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was born on Feb. 11, 1945, in Dublin, Ga. to Matilda and Myer Caplan and never lost the desire to return to a small southern town.

From early childhood playmates and Grady High School and University of Georgia classmates to her customers of Party Stuff and the ladies of mahjong, once you were a friend, you were always a friend.

Brenda will be remembered for her spunk, laughter, warm heart, Southern hospitality, strength, and love for the Waffle House. Though her true happy place was the family “beach house” on Siesta Key where she spent her final days in her “paradise” overlooking the white sand, listening to the waves of the beautiful Gulf, and watching amazing sunsets, surrounded by her loving family.

Currently, there are no plans for a service. We will celebrate her life at a future time. If you wish to donate in her memory, please do so to Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (rallyfoundation.org) or do something nice for a stranger.

DISCOVER YOUR NEXT CHAPTER

CLOSING THOUGHTS

March 25, 2022 to March 25, 2023

recorded. Nothing special.

Shaindle

Schmuckler

Shaindle’s Shpiel

It seems like only yesterday that on an otherwise average calendar date, this date was burned into my heart, forever changing its landscape, causing a dark spot where one did not exist. A heart which held so much love, it hardly had any room or time for sadness or difficult news.

And now, this date has burrowed itself and created a space reserved to record, albeit kicking and screaming, the most difficult, the most tragic news. I am referencing a date my family and I will always remember, March 25, 2022.

Pray tell, what were you, my dear readers, doing on March 25, 2022! If you can’t recall, and you are wondering what’s so special about this date, do not fret. Most folks do not have any reason to have that particular date stand out from all the other dates of 2022. Perhaps you’ve even checked your old calendars, where you discovered nothing special

Gene, my hubby, whom I sometimes would refer to as Geno, a nickname I bestowed upon him very early in our relationship. I also would occasionally call him by his last name, Schmuckler. After all, we met at an overnight camp, where everyone (well, almost everyone) had nicknames, or were addressed by their last names. He did not mind it at camp, but he hated to be referred to as Schmuckler in the ‘real’ world.

Gene and I married young; by today’s standards we were just children. Geno and I started our family directly out of graduate school at Louisiana State University. Go Tigers! We had our children young (four rad girls). We had the best of times with these four little humans. When I would go anywhere with these four beauties, smiles would cross the faces of strangers. When we entered synagogue, folks would turn their heads and smile at the mama duck and her four ducklings. Four little beauties dressed to the nines. My four baby dolls.

We were blessed with the gift of witnessing the magic associated with growing from infants to toddlers; of riding their bikes to elementary school, on to middle and high school. We kvelled as they went on to col-

lege and careers. We were overjoyed with the partners they chose, my incredible sons in love, and especially, when they blessed us with 10 of the kindest, most sensitive, beautiful, smart (I could go on and on however, I will save you from too many on and ons) grandchildren.

Our life together began in Jackson Heights, Long Island, N.Y. We moved to Louisiana at the end of our first year as man and wife. We then meandered up to New London, Conn., with our first baby girl, where Electric Boat was building submarines (by the way, one flies submarines), and we had our second baby girl. From there, Gene was recruited to participate in building a formidable psychology department at the University of West Florida in Pensacola Fla., where our third baby girl was born. From U.W.F., Gene was asked to join a large consulting firm and our fourth baby girl was born.

Although my dad and beloved motherin-law were dazed and confused with us having four children (wondering why? Their fear of my becoming frum). He begged us to stop moving and buy a T.V. From experience, he should have known better. And, of course, we made just one more move-to Hotlanta, Georgia. To my dismay, and to their collective

sighs of relief, no more babies.

And here we made our permanent home…and life was good to us. We made some dear, true friends. Our girls attended and graduated University of Georgia, Go Dawgs! The went on for their master’s degrees, all four entering the helping fields; and, while working, built these incredibly special, strong families.

And then, due to the fact we were all so cozy in our lives, we did not recognize the clouds hinting that there was a storm brewing. Gene was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This brilliant, healthy vibrant man. How is this possible?

We all made it through COVID. As the scientists were able to get COVID somewhat under control, Alzheimer’s was ravaging my Gene.

On March 25, 2022, Gene closed his eyes for the last time.

On March 25, 2023, our family, which numbered 20 strong, and now are 19 strong, will honor his life.

I’m thinking balloons are in order. Nineteen members of his family sharing little snippets of funny and serious memories. Maybe a Yiddish song or two. Perfect, would you agree?ì

Art contest 2023 Passover Unity Creates Community

We’re looking for creative and colorful Passover illustrations that go with the theme “Unity Creates Community” Top 10 editor’s choice will be featured in Atlanta Jewish Times’ March 31 issue. All Submissions will be online.

To boost our archives, we will come pick up any AJT issues from 2014 or earlier. Please call 404-883-2130 or write kaylene@atljewishtimes.com to setup retrieval.