no. 25 june 21 atlanta jewish times
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FIDF WELCOMES SETH BARON
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ATLANTA jUNE 21, 2013 – jUNE 27, 2013 13 TAMMUZ – 19 TAMMUZ 5773 vOL. LXXXvIII NO. 25
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israel
Israeli PrideGOOD NEWS MADE IN THE JEWISH STATE THIS PAST WEEKTWO DECADES OF REPAIRING HOMES. Over the last 20 years, 24,000 volunteers have helped Israeli charity Livnot U’Lehabanot repair more than 2,700 houses for the less fortunate of Israeli soci-ety. It is just one of Livnot’s many projects contributing to a mission of bringing both immigrants and native Israelis closer to the Land of Israel.
ISRAELI AWARDED FOR SAVING THE BEES. Professor Ilan Sela of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been awarded first prize in this year’s Kaye Awards for Innovation. Sela researched the devastating Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that has affected the insects and the industry surrounding them, dis-covered the IAPV virus responsible for the syndrome and then founded Beeologics, the developers of CCD treatment “remebee.”
GAZA HELPED WITH WEEKLY DELIV-ERIES. In the week ending June 8, a total of 1,239 trucks carried 35,177 tons of goods into Gaza from Israel through the Kerem Shalom cross-ing. They included 302 trucks of food and 433 trucks of construction materials.
GOOGLE BUYS WAZE FOR MORE THAN $1 BILLION. Traffic crowd-sourcer Waze became one of the largest purchases in Israel’s history. Waze, founded in 2008, now has nearly 50 million users and will be owned and operated by the California-based internet giant.
WELCOME TO THE STARS OF LATIN AMERICA! America’s Voices in Israel, a division of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, brought five major names in Latin media to Is-rael. Among them was Don Francis-co – born Mario Kreutzberger – the Jewish Chilean host of Univision’s “Sábado Gigante,” the longest-running entertainment program in history.
SCARLESS SURGERY TECHNIQUE DE-VELOPED. Israel’s Eon Surgical has developed technology to perform mi-crolaparoscopy – a single minimally
AJTinvasive surgical procedure through a tiny incision in the abdomen. Even before selling its first product, Eon has been bought by U.S. giant Teleflex.
PEACEFUL ROAR OF FORMULA 1. On the streets of Jerusalem, 100,000 spectators – among them Muslims, Christians and Orthodox Jews – cheered as roaring state-of the art Formula 1 racecars sped by as part of a special roadshow event. Just as exciting, there was not one incident of violence. East Jerusa-lem resident Elizabeth Awwad said of her experience at the sporting event, “I am Muslim and they are Jewish, and we are together.”
ISRAELI ACTIVIST PROMOTES WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN SOUTH SUDAN. Ophelie Namiech, an olah born in France, serves as Israeli humani-tarian aid organization IsraAID’s country director for South Sudan. In this role, she trains social work-ers, community leaders and teach-ers to be able to address gender-based violence.
NEW PROTEIN CAN SAVE WOMEN’S LIVES. Researchers at Tel Aviv Uni-versity have discovered a protein, code-named PEDF, that treats pain and fertility problems in women suffering from angiogenesis of the uterus. It can also cure potentially life-threatening side effects caused by IVF treatments.
MEMPHIS ISRAEL FESTIVAL SPREADS LOVE. Two of Memphis, Tenn.’s most famous personalities – Elvis Presley and Martin Luther King, Jr. – were pro-Israeli. But it is still amazing that a U.S. state with only 9,000 Jews just held its sixth-annu-al Israel Festival, attracting 13,000 visitors.
This list courtesy Michael Ordman and verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com.
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By Cliff Weiss Publisher/ediTOr-in-Chief
A little more than one year has passed since I acquired the Atlanta Jewish Times. Clearly, there have been
a few minor setbacks, but overall, the AJT is much better than when I started. Now, I am pleased to an-nounce some additional changes which will broaden the appeal and distribution of the paper and also help us cut expenses.
It is satisfying to know that the community is supporting us with stories, pictures, ideas, subscriptions and advertising. So far, we have fo-cused on community events and Is-rael news, based in large part on the activities of the people who are involved with one of the synagogues or Jewish organizations. We have not had as much success in reaching the Jewish people in Atlanta who are un-affiliated, but that is changing.
Since estimates are that 60 to 75 percent of the Jews in the metro area not associated with any Jewish or-ganization, it is our responsibility to bring them in to our community. Our slogan is “Uniting the Jewish Com-munity for Over 85 Years,” and in my second year of the AJT, I want that to be a reality, not just a slogan.
To this end, we have some new columnists who work with many un-affiliated Jews and the younger com-munity. You will soon see regular columns from Rabbi Patrick Aleph of Punk Torah, Chaim Neiditch of Jewish Student Union and musician/teacher/entrepreneur Bram Bessoff. This is a very exciting development that will add diversity to the AJT. Of course, we will keep all of our current columnists as well, but it is impor-tant to hear other views in our com-munity.
Also, we have hired a professional distribution company that will de-liver free copies of the AJT to 370 locations. We will have our paper
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See for yourself.
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displayed prominently in business-es, organizations and community hot-spots in and around Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Duluth, Nor-cross, Decatur, Brookhaven, Dun-woody, Toco Hills, Morningside, Lit-tle Five Points, Virginia Highlands, Ansley, Midtown, Downtown, Buck-head, Sandy Springs, East Cobb and West Cobb. We will be distributed in top restaurants, clubs, retail shops, banks, hospitals, grocery stores, li-braries, drug stores, etc. – including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Whole Foods, to name a few. We have increased our circulation to 12,500 papers per week, and plan to add new locations and distribute more papers in the months ahead,
Likewise, our website, atlantajew-ishtimes.com, is much improved. There you can find breaking news and updates as well as numerous photos, stories and articles that were not included in the printed pages of the AJT. What’s more, we have a digital version of our printed paper, and our weekly e-blasts to the com-munity keep everyone informed of the top stories. Keep an eye out, as in the near future, our website will be even better and our use of social media will increase.
If there are particular topics that you believe would interest our read-ers, please contact me with those sug-gestions ([email protected]). As always, we want to have a little something for everyone – for 87 years this has been our community newspaper, and we intend to keep it that way!
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JNF Says Goodbye to PoratISRAELI EMISSARY RETURNING HOME AFTER YEARS OF SERVICE
Congregation Ner Tamid Celebrates First ConfirmationINAUAGURAL CLASS COMPLETES PROGRAM
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sPeCial fOr The aJT
Lt. Col. (Res.) Ronnie Porat, who has served the Jewish National Fund’s Southeastern region as an Israeli Emissary since 2007, will be moving back to Israel at the end of September. Porat contributed significantly to forging meaningful and significant relationships with
the community and expanding the message of JNF’s voice in Israel through-out the Southeast.
In his honor, friends are invited to con-tribute to JNF’s investment in the Negev town of Yerucham; a part of JNF’s vision for the area that is close to Porat’s heart.
“After six years devoted to JNF, it will be sad to say goodbye to Ronnie,” said Beth Gluck, JNF SE Region Director. “Our region is honor-ing Ronnie with a plaque on the Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem as a tribute to his service to Israel and to JNF. The Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill recognizes the heroism and courage of Jewish soldiers who, throughout his-tory, have fought to defend their countries. Ron-nie served in the Israel Defense Forces and as an Israeli diplomat overseas, and a plaque on Ammu-nition Hill is a very fitting tribute.”
Porat’s past military and diplomatic experience served JNF well. Between 1976 and 1987, Porat served in the Israel Defense Forces’ Armored Troops and Military Intelligence divisions. In 1988, he joined the Israeli Foreign Ser-vice and served in the Israeli Embassies in Oslo, Norway and Helsinki, Fin-land, and as Israeli Consul in Cairo, Egypt.
Porat was also a member of the advanced team that opened the first Israeli embassy in Jordan and served as the first Israeli Consul in Amman.
“I cannot imagine JNF without Ronnie,” said Lauren Mescon, a former JNF president currently serving as Vice Chair of the Central Arava Commit-tee and JNF Makor Member. “He is so committed and so passionate and so down-to-earth, it is easy to forget all the great things he has done for the State of Israel, not to mention JNF.
“I had the good fortune to travel with Ronnie on a mission from the South-east. It was a phenomenal trip and one highlight was when he brought his father to share his experiences from surviving the Holocaust with us. Ronnie comes from amazing stock and his perseverance and advocacy for Israel cer-tainly shows everyone that we, the Jewish people, will prevail in the future.”
Following his military and diplomatic career, Porat generated and ran business initiatives between Israel and Arab entities in Egypt, Jordan and the newly established Palestinian Authority. Prior to being JNF’s Israeli Emissary, he was recruited back into the military service and, as a civilian, served in the Southern Command Military Headquarters in Be’er Sheva.
“I have had the honor of working with Ronnie on a daily basis since he ar-rived in Atlanta,” said Todd Starr, former JNF Atlanta President and current board member. “We have traveled the Southeast region of the United States together meeting new donors and spreading the word about JNF’s mission. In addition, we have traveled to Israel to see multiple JNF projects as a team. Ronnie has become a close friend of mine and part of my family.
“I will miss his passionate JNF voice in support of Israel, the stellar way he educates others about JNF work, and as my dear friend.”
editor’s note: To contribute to Jnf’s efforts in Yerucham, contact beth Gluck, se director at (404) 236-8990 or [email protected].
sPeCial fOr The aJT
Congregation Ner Tamid of West Cobb recently held its first confir-mation service. Of the class of seven taught by Reuven Milikovsky, the four second-year students – Josh Ehrlich, Alex Goldstein, Megan McMillan and Jessica Ungar – were confirmed, and they with their
three first-year classmates participated in the service by reading and chant-ing the Torah and haftarah.
But this is only the beginning of the good news for the growing teen educa-tion programming at the Marietta-area Reform synagogue – next year, CNT is planning to offer two post b’nai mitzvah offerings: one for the combined 8th and 9th grades and one for the combined 10th through 12th grades. A student in either age group can be confirmed when they finish their second year be-yond bar or bat mitzvah.
“Confirmation reminds us of our loyalty to and being part of the Jewish people,” Rabbi Thomas Liebschutz said at the service. “Confirmation, a group ceremony, unites us with our people, G-d and culture in ways that enhance and extend b’nai mitzvah. Confirmation is a vital part of who we are and why Congregation Ner Tamid offers it to our Religious School students.”
Confirmation was originally initiated about 200 years ago for men and shortly after for women. A service typically observed around the time of the festival of Shavuot – which celebrates the “Giving of the Torah” at Mt. Sinai – celebrates the completion of a process that keeps Jewish students involved in formal Jewish education beyond bar mitzvah.
Congregation Ner Tamid, established in 2006 and a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, holds twice-monthly Shabbat services as well as High Holy Day services and weekly Religious School classes for ages five and up. Those interested in confirmation classes or other education opportunities can attend the upcoming Religious School Open House on Aug. 4.
editor’s note: for more information, visit mynertamid.org, email [email protected] or call Principal heidi Meyer at (678) 264-8575 to schedule an individual appointment.
Rabbi Thomas Liebshutz with confirmands (left to right) Randi Epstein, Kendra Lerman, Megan McMillan, Josh Ehrlich, Jessica Ungar and Alyssa
McMillan. Not pictured is Alex Goldstein.
Ronnie Porat
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Baron Appointed Executive Director of FIDF Georgia RegionPROFESSIONAL LEADER JOINS SOBEL AT HELM
sPeCial fOr The aJT
Seth Baron of Ken-nesaw, Ga., has been appointed the new executive
director of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Georgia Region.
Before his tenure at FIDF, Baron served as the Atlanta Area Director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He began his ca-reer in Washington, D.C., where he worked in public relations for The Kamber Group, the largest private-ly-held public relations firm in the United States.
For the past 20 years, Baron has volunteered with Maccabi USA/Sports for Is-rael and currently serves as a vice president, and on the Board of Directors and Ex-ecutive Committee.
“My life, both person-ally and professionally, has been dedicated to the Land of Israel and its people,” said Baron. “I look forward to assisting with the well-being, education and spiritual needs of the men and women who serve in the IDF, who protect Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people.”
Garry Sobel, Chairman of the FIDF Georgia Region, is thrilled by Baron’s appointment.
“The addition of such an experienced professional as Seth Baron to be our new Executive Director is just what we need to elevate our profile in the community and the surrounding region,” Sobel said. “Seth’s experience and tremendous success at AIPAC will translate very well into helping us achieve our goals of increasing awareness, creating programs that directly connect our community to the IDF’s combat soldiers and their families that we sup-port, and most importantly to raise money to support this cause. Needless to say, I am thrilled to have Seth Baron lead our efforts.”
The FIDF Georgia Region has traditionally focused on metro Atlanta; under the leadership of Baron, the chapter will be expanding its activities throughout the southern communities in Alabama, Tennessee, South Caro-lina, North Carolina and Kentucky.
Members of these communities have demonstrated steadfast support to the State of Israel and its soldiers. The FIDF Georgia Region hopes to create wonderful and long-lasting relationships with these communities and rein-force the connection between them and the brave IDF soldiers.
for more on the fidf Georgia region, visit fidf.org/atlanta.
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Seth Baron
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“
ChaNa’s CorNer
A Walk on the Wild SideUNANTICIPATED DISCOVERIES ON ONE’S OWN STREET
By CHANA sHAPiROaJT COluMnisT
When I retired, I prom-ised myself that I’d con-tinue to wake up with the sun – but you know
how that sort of vow usually goes. And thus it did…until this morning. A violent electrical storm blew its way through our area last night, and I decided to get up early to survey the damage.
Ever since reading “Growing Up in Samoa” by Margaret Mead, I’ve been a pushover for exploration of unknown cultures, and I now had a mini-empirical study right outside my door. In addition to damage-as-sessment, I could discover what re-ally goes on in my very own neigh-borhood when I’m usually sleeping.
I checked the outdoor thermom-eter: 67 degrees, perfect al fresco investigative weather. I decided to postpone my shower and daily hair struggle for later because, at that early hour, I’d be the only person walking up and down the street.
I donned my ugly walking clothes, secure in my disheveled state. Add-ing to my confidence was the fact that we live on a long cul-de-sac that, I thought, would lead me away from the main street in my neighborhood where people could see or smell my pre-cleansed, uncombed self.
Of course, I was wrong. What I learned on my trek is that early morning is the favorite time in our neighborhood for dog-walking, weed-
AJTing, leaving for work, picking up car-pools, taking out the garbage and speed walking. There were loads of people out and about, and I ended up meeting most of them. Here’s a sam-ple:
There’s a couple living on our block, who I’d never met, dragging out gigantic, overflowing, leaking metal cans. Their garbage recep-tacles suggested that replacements were called for, but I wisely refrained from offering such useful advice; you never know what has sentimental value to others, and it was entirely possible that the containers had been hand-me downs from beloved ances-tors.
It turns out that this duo had been living in their house for over a decade. Although I’d often wondered about the provenance of the garbage cans, the couple and I’d never spo-ken before. They were clearly as sur-prised to meet me as I was them; I managed to admire the wife’s shock-ing pink bathrobe and her husband’s camouflage pajama bottoms, then off I fled.
I also spotted the mysterious Mrs. Yuan, who’d previously existed only in my imagination. She was sitting on a low bench as she pruned bush-es. I called out a greeting, but there seemed to be a confusion of languag-es – she responded by nodding vigor-ously and pointing to her bare feet.
I’m not sure, but I might have in-advertently discovered the Chinese phrase for “shoeless.” I wanted to know about her fruit-bearing trees,
but who knows what my words would mean in Mandarin?
Then, I bumped into Jacob Mont-blanc, the father of a family that my husband and I had assumed were into natural healing or organic weed experimentation. I hadn’t seen Jacob for many months, and I was fasci-nated that his facial hair now closely resembled his lawn.
I was a hair’s breath (pun intended) away from offering the use of our lawn mower and electric shaver, but I considered that Jacob might have launched an agrarian hobby or vocation while at the same time becoming an Orthodox Jew. Thus, we simply exchanged pleasantries, but as I started to move on, Mrs. Montblanc edged her car down her steep drive-way. I’d only met her once in 13 years, so this was quite a treat.
At least, it was for me. Apparently Mrs. Montblanc wasn’t in the mood for socializing because she drove right past me with nary a word nor wave. I know when I’m being shunned, and I didn’t blame her.
Up next was a stranger, pulled along by a large, shaggy dog. The dog looked scary, but it turned out that it was one of those ultra-friendly ca-nines that love to lick.
The dog’s owner made no attempt to keep her pet from drooling all over me, but I understood – my clothing and hairdo were proof that I was a homeless person who could use some lovin’. To prove that I was sociable and one of life’s winners, I introduced myself.
For whatever reason, the stranger decided not to tell me her own name, but she did tell me her dog was named “Big Boy” – an appellation which I found to be embarrassingly redundant and self-evident.
I wanted to explain that, in spite of appearances, I was not a dangerous vagrant and one should never judge a book by its cover, but Big Boy was already rushing to lubricate someone else. His target was none other than
the unshorn Jacob Montblanc; appar-ently, Big Boy has a preference for the more au natural among us.
Soon after that encounter, run-ners and cars started to become more numerous. This turned out to be the worst part, because everyone who passed me made a special effort to slow down and greet me face-to-face. The majority of them, while with-
holding comments about my appear-ance, had a slightly amused look on their faces.
I knew what they were thinking, especially those who attend the same synagogue as we do. They’d previ-ously seen me wearing real clothes, under which proper undergarments did their job.
Some thought it would be polite to try to engage me in conversation. I decided to come clean, a phrase whose figurative and literal meanings were not lost on me; I explained that I was just out on a stroll to evaluate the af-termath of last night’s storm.
“Only one little pine tree down, and litter blown all over, but nothing very interesting. Not much happen-ing on our block,” someone said.
Based on my morning expedition, I beg to differ.
Chana shapiro, who clearly needs all the exercise she can get, is pleased to announce that she’s returning to her treadmill in the basement. Walking outside, while widely recommended by experts and much lauded by so-called friends, is just too much for her to handle. she happily leaves all fu-ture sociological and meteorological investigations to others.
“We live on a long cul-de-sac that I thought would lead me away from the main street in my neighborhood where people could see or smell my pre-cleansed, uncombed self…of course, I was wrong.”
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to illumiNate...
My Mother’s TalesHAVE HOPEBy eugeN sCHOeNfeldaJT COnTribuTOr
I must admit: I am a sucker for a sob story. Quite often while watching a drama film, I find myself surreptitiously reach-
ing for my handkerchief to wipe my tears.
This propensity is something I must have inherited from my mother – a true Yiddishe mama, a caring and tender mother to her three children; and a good wife, fitting the descrip-tion of the eshet chayil (“woman of valor”) depicted in the book of Prov-erbs.
To give you an idea: Every Rosh Hashanah, when we read the haf-tarah about Rachel crying for her children, it is my mother’s image that appears before me. Indeed, one of the last memories I have of my mother is that of her sitting on the floor of the freight car on our way to Auschwitz and crying for us – her children – who, in her words, didn’t have “a chance to have a life.”
She was not a worldly or sophis-ticated woman. She was born and raised in a small village (a dorf in Yiddish) that included six other Jewish families in the midst of the Carpathian Mountains. The only nearby reminders that the world had entered the 20th century were train tracks upon which a locomo-tive passed at most once per day and a bus that might chug through every other week.
Even without electricity, run-ning water or more than four rooms, the house that she grew up in was considered “nicer” than those of the neighbors. She was educated only to the limit of the local school system: reading and speaking Hungarian, speaking Russian and reading He-brew.
And when she married my father – it was, of course, a shidduch (ar-ranged marriage) – it was thought of as quite the “step up” to live with my father, the owner of a fairly success-ful and stationary bookstore in the 22,000-person city of Munkacs.
An Early Appreciation
But although she was reared in a
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tiny village without a library or cin-ema, she was still a woman with a very sensitive and romantic soul. She would not only tell me stories about Solomon and his loves or other bib-lical ma’aseh (“stories”) but also ro-mantic tragedies like the tale of the sinking of the Titanic.
With these stories, she made such a tremendous impact upon me. If you can believe it, I’ve still not seen any of the Titanic movies – I feel I have already suffered, as my mother did, when she painted with words the scene of men saying their goodbyes to wives and children as they en-tered the life boats and the great ship slipped into the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic.
Of course, for all this sadness, she was always equally joyful when she told me about life after the com-ing of the Messiah. In her view, life in the post-messianic world will be an existence of leisure without hard work or hunger, where anyone could pluck the free-growing fruits like the ancient manna in the desert.
Meanwhile, the books of my fa-ther’s establishment only encour-aged her imagination, as she became a voracious reader. In my teens, she would recommend to me novels that she liked, such those written by Cro-nin, Bromfield and Pearl S. Buck – and, last but not least, “Gone with the Wind.”
And finally, as you might expect, she later also fell in love with Ameri-can romantic movies. Her favorite film was the “The Sheik,” and her fa-vorite star was Rudolph Valentino.
I can remember with a smile, when she and father returned from an early movie and I would ask her ,“Mama, how was the movie?”
She often responded:
“It was wonderful. I cried all through it.”
From Unlikely Origins
Of course, my mother’s love of the romantic begs the question: How did a woman from a Chasidic back-
ground, living in this tiny village, de-velop such a soul?
It was most likely because a love of tales and romance has its roots in Chasidic life itself.
See, unlike the non-Chasidic Jews at the time – who might best be char-acterized by a love of learning and knowledge from Talmud and Torah above all other religious require-ments – the average Chasid loved the aggadot and midrashim – that is, the legends and the interpretative tales of the Torah above dry textual learn-ing.
In sociological terms, the “op-ponents” of Chasidism stressed the learning dimension, while the Cha-sidim placed great emphasis on the experiential religious dimension.
Whatever the Baal Shem Tov (a.k.a. Besht) sought to accomplish with the founding of Chasidism is a matter of dispute, but it is indisput-able that the movement took root among the common, unlearned Jews of humble origins in Eastern Europe. These were Jews who hardly had enough time for prayers, let alone for learning, but their hearts certainly yearned to feel the love of G-d, and they believed in miracles and various forms of magic.
For instance, at shalosh seu-dos on Shabbat afternoons, instead of learning, the Chasidim loved to listen to magidim, the storytellers who amazed them with tales of the righteous miracle worker Rabbi Meir baal Haness or the coming of the Messiah and what life is in heaven (olam ha-ba).
And the women in most Chasidic homes read the Tzena urena and oth-er such tomes of ma’aseh that rein-forced moral values. Their favorites were stories of marriages between bashert (which, interestingly, on at least some level eschew the tradi-tional convention of shidduchim).
Legacy Worth Living
It was such stories of love and miracles, coupled with humor, that became the well from which the Yid-
dish writers drew their imaginative tales. Consider their value: How many of us would be acquainted with the shtetl world if it were not for the stories of Shalom Aleichem, whose stories gave life to the magnificent “Fiddler on the Roof”?
There were others like him, like Mendeleh Mocheir Sfarim, Yaakov Fichman and Yehudah Leib Peretz to name a few. And there was one who is attributed with having brought this literary genre to the United States –the Nobel Laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer – whom I had the privilege to know.
All their works reflect the spirit of the Chasidic tales. Yes, this culture is beginning to die out as Yiddish romance novels, the Yiddish daily forward and Yiddish theater die out – but it does still stick with some.
That is something to celebrate, as the common theme of Yiddish lit-erature is the same romance that my mother so loved. I know at the very least that my life was enriched by the Jewish sentimentality and spiri-tuality that were transmitted to me through my mother’s tales: Indeed, I was introduced to a world of magic in which Judaism was more than ritual laws, prayers and study.
I was told of a magical world that will exist when the Messiah comes; a world where everyone will have a parnossah (“sufficiency” or “well-be-ing”); a world without anti-Semitism. These stories were the lifeblood of hope and spirituality in a difficult world that otherwise perhaps would be too difficult to bear.
All of her stories instilled in me a sense of hope – a hope that G-d will help you – and that was my mother’s main motto.
eugen schoenfeld is a professor and chair emeritus at Georgia state uni-versity and a holocaust survivor.
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if you ask me
There’s a New Rabbi in TownAND HE’S GOT A BUNCH OF CRAZY IDEAS!
By RABBi PAtRiCk AlePHaJT COnTribuTOr
Since I’m the new kid on the block, it’s only polite that I take a moment to introduce myself. Thing is, we’ve actu-
ally met before: You saw me on the cover of the atlanta Jewish Times several months ago. It’s a pleasure to see you again!
In case you missed the last article, here’s a brief rundown: I’m a former touring rock musician and serial entrepreneur who left the for-profit world to help make Judaism more ac-cessible to people who need it. My or-ganization, PunkTorah.org, is an on-line community for people who have fallen through the cracks of Jewish life – think synagogue merged with Facebook.
Also, I’m a recently ordained post-denominational rabbi, and, more im-portantly, I am engaged to my loving partner Stefanie. Play your cards right, and you can come to the wed-ding.
All writers are biased, and since we’re about to engage in the sacred author-reader relationship, I think it’s best you know where I am coming from and what you can expect of me.
I’m Unaffiliated
I know that it’s hard to imagine a rabbi without a shul, but you might be surprised to learn that there are many of us in Atlanta. This doesn’t mean I am anti-synagogue or that I don’t appreciate a good prayer ser-vice.
I have taught at several syna-gogues here in Atlanta, and have a pretty high regard for the rabbis in this town. Alas, like many of my gen-eration, synagogue just didn’t click for me.
And, like many of you, I find my Judaism in other places. I look for-ward to sharing those moments with you in this column.
Holy, Holy, Holy
I’m fascinated by the holiness of
AJT
everyday things, including Starbucks and my cat. Judaism teaches that kadosh (holiness) can be found in some strange places. That’s certain-ly true for me; every day, I’m filled with a sense of awe about the oddest things.
For example, I think that Star-bucks has a lot in common with the mishkan (tabernacle) our ancestors built during the Exodus from Egypt. And just the other day, my cat’s post-traumatic stress disorder helped me to understand the problem people have with prayer.
Me and G-d
Most of my friends are atheists. And while it frustrates me to hear them talk about those “crazy reli-gious people” – seeing as how I’m one of them – I do agree with their thinking: religion is often insane, and the notion of a god who is our parent in the sky, shooting down lightning bolts like Zeus is over the top.
But, unlike my friends, I refuse to throw the baby out with the bath-water. I believe in G-d so deeply that I am not afraid of challenging that belief and to feel illuminated in that challenge. I believe that G-d is the creator, the creation and the process of creating.
I believe in a G-d of the heart, who brings us into a fuller sense of our humanity.
Shalom and Howdy
There are 120,000 Jews in At-lanta, and I hope to meet every one of them. I love making new friends. So please send in letters to the editor and post your comments below my articles online.
in rabbi aleph’s next column, learn why 75 percent of Jewish atlanta could care less about the Jewish com-munity, and what you can do to solve that problem.
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CommuNity
Networking and Noshing with ECJNEAST COBB @ THE ETZ BRINGS TOGETHER COMMUNITY BUSINESSPEOPLE
sTaff rePOrT
PHOTOS/Jeff Frankel (kissedwithlight.com) and Gabriel Weiss
On the evening of June 11, Congregation Etz Chaim played host to East Cobb Jewish Network’s East
Cobb @ the Etz. Approximately 120 people attended the event, which pro-vided a great forum for Jewish busi-ness people to network and help each other’s business ventures.
For the most part, participants included sole practitioners, small business owners and entrepreneurs. It was wonderful to see people in our community helping each other – this sense of community is important in all aspects of life, but especially in trying to grow a small business.
The evening began with some opening remarks from Master of Cer-emonies, David Lombrozo. He kept the crowd laughing and interacting with each other and also handed out the wonderful door prizes.
AJT
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By Al sHAmsbusiness COrresPOndenT
Tom Glaser, president of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Southeast Re-gion, was recently honored
with the organi-zation’s Found-er’s Award dur-ing the group’s 12th-annual Ea-gle Star Awards program. The prestigious rec-ognition was made even more memorable by the presence of Glaser’s wife and two grown sons.
During his acceptance re-marks, Glaser talked about the early days of the chamber and why he became involved with the organi-zation. He said that when he turned 40, he wanted to do “something spe-cial,” and he decided it was the right time to take his community develop-ment skills and use them to promote economic development between the two countries he loved the most: the United States and Israel.
It’s worth noting that, in the early 1990s, Israel was undergoing major economic problems, including high inflation, a socialist government, un-productive state industries and very little foreign investment.
It was during those troubling times that Glaser and the Chamber began the hard work of helping fix all that was broken. The AICCSE even-tually prospered – and so, too, Israel. Over the years, the organization has been instrumental in creating many jobs while serving both the American and Israeli business communities.
In fact, as a result of Glaser’s vi-sion and hard work, the AICCSE is widely regarded today as the most
busiNess & fiNaNCe
Tom Glaser, Business PioneerRETIRING AICCSE PRESIDENT RECEIVES FOUNDER’S AWARD
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Tom Glaser
successful and productive chamber in the country. Here are a few of the Chamber’s major accomplishments:
• The Bell South - I s rae l i cell phone trans-action
• Givens Im-aging locating its U.S. opera-tions in Duluth, Ga.
• G u l f -stream’s part-nership with Israel Aircraft Industries
• The forma-tion of the South Carolina Collab-oration
• The gener-ous contributions of the Zucker family
At the Gala, Glaser took a few moments during his remarks to talk about all the wonderful people he has met and worked with during his tenure and the contributions of the AICC staff.
Having recently announced his retirement, he also thanked the chamber’s board and membership for the privilege of having served the or-ganization for the past 21 years.
al shams is a sandy springs resi-dent, a former CPa and an invest-ment professional with more than 35 years industry experience. for more on the 12th-annual eagle star awards Gala, see the feature in the June 7 edition of the aJT.
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CampAJTCamp is for Everybody!“WONDER”-FUL NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR DIFFERENT LEARNERS
By JOHN mCCuRdyManaGinG ediTOr
When he was growing up in Atlanta, Noah Pawl-iger had his own
challenges. There was a hearing impairment to overcome as well as some learning differences that meant he was never “aca-demically stellar.”
There was one place, though, that Noah was always a rock (and tree, and hill, and lake) star.
“Camp was where I was good at something,” Pawliger, born in Miami but a resi-dent of the metro area for the ma-jority of his life, said with a smile. “I could ‘do’ camp, and I could come home and teach anyone what I learned at camp.”
Still, Noah knew there were oth-ers who couldn’t find a place to suc-ceed. Take, for example, one of his best childhood friends. Though Pawl-iger never realized it until an outside observer informed him, his buddy was autistic.
That didn’t change their friend-ship, but it did change his friend’s op-portunities.
“It wasn’t really clear to me until I later started volunteering and work-ing in day camps for kids with spe-
cial needs, but those were the times when I saw that there needs to be a different approach,” Pawliger said. “A lot of the time, these kids were just thrown into an inclusion-type setting, and sometimes that was
counterproductive.
“The question came back to who was really benefitting from it, and that was a hard thing to swallow.”
Fast-forward to Pawliger’s adult years: After majoring in rec-reation management and partnering up with (not to mention falling for and marrying) spe-
cial educator Chanie, he felt prepared to do what he’d always intended by combining his love for camp and passion for different learn-ers.
Then, just a few years ago, his young niece was diagnosed on the au-tism spectrum. It was the last little push that Noah needed.
“I thought, ‘Alright – this camp thing, this pipedream – we need to do this. [My niece] needs a camp to go to,’” he said. “But it’s not just about her – when I look at her, I see all the kids who are slipping through the cracks in the Jewish camping world, and I think there’s a great opportu-nity here for them.”
Starting last summer, the “here” referred to is Camp Living Wonders,
a full-fledged Jewish overnight camp for those who learn differently. With a fantastic response from families, campers and the Foundation for Jew-ish Camp, they enjoyed a fabulous first season.
Now, though, it’s time to grow. On the strength of the beautiful Ath-ens YWCO grounds in Clarkesville, Ga.; the enthusiastic professionals and staff; and a board that Pawliger calls “unbelievable” and “incredibly dedicated,” even more kids will get to benefit from the special formula that Noah and Chanie have put together.
Some might hesitate for a moment when they read that formula does not prescribe the common “inclusion” model, but hear it from a man who’s lived it.
“In the Jewish community right now, the word ‘inclusion’ is the ulti-mate ‘PC’ term, and yes, ideally, we all want to feel like we’re included in everything we do and that we’re in-cluding others, because that’s what community is all about,” Pawliger said.
“But I’ve always been a firm be-liever that inclusion is only fantastic when it’s effective…one of the main goals of our camp is to give kids the tools to be more included when they come home to their respective envi-ronments, and that’s all about taking the individual and giving them the tools to fit into the group better and to cope better – and then working
Noah Pawliger
with the group.”
As such, Living Wonders focuses on creating a small, intimate setting in which every camper has the sup-port to truly achieve. Counselors are trained specially for working with different learners, and patience, pac-ing and uniquely-tailored program-ming are key.
In other words: It’s a place where everyone can find their strengths, and those strengths can be celebrat-ed. It might be the first positive Jew-ish experience for a camper and their family, and that experience could lead to quite a few more.
“What we’re doing by teaching these kids those skills – to be able to cope in a group better, to be able to resolve hose behavioral issues to a degree – ultimately we’re not just bringing the kid back to the syna-gogue or community center, but their family’s coming back,” Pawliger said. “And I think that’s a pretty big deal, if we’re talking about inclusion.”
Indeed, it is the biggest deal: In the face of an increasingly fast-paced and multi-faceted world, Camp Liv-ing Wonders is creating community – for everybody.
editor’s note: for more information on Camp living Wonders, visit cam-plivingwonders.org.
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Camp
Judaea, Barney and Coleman Receive GrantsUP TO $54,000 FOR LOCA CAMPS
AJT
Local Jewish overnight camps Camp Judaea, Camp Barney Medintz and Camp Coleman have been named recipients of a Chai Match 2 challenge grant from JCamp180, a program of the Harold Grin-spoon Foundation. Each of the camps is now eligible to receive up to
$54,000 in matching funds to renew camp facilities and provide operating and scholarship support.
In the past eight years, JCamp180 has contributed more than $11.7 mil-lion in matching grant funds to non-profit Jewish overnight summer camps throughout North America. This year’s 25 participating camps have until March 2014 to raise matching funds in a two-phase matching campaign; the camps must use at least 50 percent of the overall funds raised for capital im-provements.
In addition to the Chai Match 2 opportunity, JCamp180 provides training and support to the boards of directors of non-profit Jewish overnight camps and selected educational institutions in the areas of board development, stra-tegic planning and development as well as assistance ranging from Web-relat-ed services to donor databases and social media.
details of the Chai Match 2 program are on JCamp180’s website at gijp.org/current-participants/matching-grants/chai-match-2.aspx. for further infor-mation about JCamp180, visit JCamp180.org or call diana brown McCloy at (617) 269-7171.
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arts & life
Kosher Movies: The Man Who Would Be King (1975)CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
By RABBi HeRBeRt COHeNaJT COnTribuTOr
In college, I had a brilliant teacher, a man whom I admired greatly for his intellect and charismatic personality. I mar-
veled at his encyclopedic knowledge of text and human nature, but one in-cident changed my perception of him.
He verbally assaulted a student who disagreed with him. The profes-sor, full of himself, assumed that his way of perceiving things was the only way, and the student implicitly was “stupid.” In truth, the student was devastated by the teacher’s remarks and afterwards confided in me that he, too, looked up to the teacher but was totally unnerved by his com-ments.
To ease his emotional pain, I told my friend that the teacher may have been under unusual stress and that is why he responded so harshly to him, but I was still inwardly troubled by the entire interchange. Subsequent-ly, I discovered that the teacher, bril-liant as he was, actually believed all the praise; he lacked humility, think-ing that he deserved all the accolades that were heaped upon him.
This human trait of believing you are more than what you are is at the core of “The Man Who Would be King,” the story of British sergeants Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dra-vot, who travel to a remote mountain village in Afghanistan to seek their fortunes. Arriving in Kafiristan, a land plagued by marauding bands, they offer their services to the local
AJTpopulation whose homes are continually attacked.
Serving as military advi-sors and soldiers, they lead the locals to victory over the enemy. In one of the battles, an arrow strikes Danny in the chest, but he does not die. The natives, not real-izing that he was actually saved by an ammunition belt that prevented the ar-row from piercing his body, simply see Danny as a divin-ity and impervious to death.
Soon after, the pair are invited to the holy city of Si-kandergul, where the chief high priest sets up a test to determine whether Danny is a man or a god by seeing whether or not he bleeds. An archer shoots an arrow at Danny, who flinches. When the people seize him, think-ing he is a fraud, they dis-cover that Danny is wearing a Masonic jewel – the sym-bol of which was also used by Alexander the Great, who passed through the country many years before.
That linkage convinces the holy men that Danny is a direct descendant of Alexander, and they lead Peachy and Danny to the storeroom where Alexander’s riches – a formidable treasure – are stored. These are now Danny’s, as he has become a de facto king due to the misunderstanding.
With tremendous profit at their fingertips, Peachy wants to take as much as he can and leave as soon as possible. Danny, however, does not want to go; he enjoys being king and even wants to take a wife to insure that his descendants will rule after him and foster Kafiristan’s continued
stability. But it is that de-sire to maintain his position as king that proves to be his undoing.
When it comes to such hubris, Jewish tradition in-stead praises the humble person. Moses, the humblest of all men according to the Bible, wants neither recog-nition nor power.
Moreover, the Talmud tells us to be wary of overreach-ing. If you grab too much, say our sages, you will ac-quire nothing. Unfortunate-ly, it seems Danny does not learn this lesson until it is too late.
“The Man Who Would Be King” is a rousing adventure story, but it is also a caution-ary tale about the dangers of arrogance and not be-ing content with what one already possesses. By that token, it echoes a key value in Judaism: recognizing and appreciating that which one has been given and rejecting materialism.
rabbi Cohen, former princi-pal of Yeshiva atlanta, now resides in beit shemesh, israel. Visit kosher-movies.com for more of his Torah-themed film reviews.
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arts & life
JEWS MAKING NEWSRECOGNIZING HIGH ACHIEVERS
AJTCOmPiled By sARA kAPlAN inTern
Radcliffe in a Radical New Way
Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his role as Harry Potter in the re-cent film series, is set to portray a ’60s gay beat poet in “Kill Your Darlings,” which recently wrapped filming. The movie throws the former child star into the role of a college contemporary of fellow literary figures William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.
Based on a true story, the plot entangles the three writers in a murder. Still, the most suspense viewers might experience is when the young man once known for roaming Hogwarts takes part in a gay love scene.
Radcliffe revealed on “The Graham Norton Show” how director John Krokidas gave him instructions on how he should kiss co-star Dane DeHaan,
who plays Radcliffe’s love interest, Lucien Carr.
“I was doing a gay sex scene, and the director was giv-ing step-by-step in-structions,” Radcliffe said, then smiled. “The favorite note I have ever had was when we were kiss-ing and the director shouted, ‘Not like that. Crazy-sex kiss-ing!’”
Radcliffe later commented on the kissing scene.
“Dane and I are banging the drum already because we want the MTV Best Kiss award. We want that golden popcorn!” he laughed. “To my knowledge, a sincere, passionate, romantic gay kiss has never
won, so I think that would be a very cool thing for this movie to receive.”
The movie is set to premiere later this year, and Radcliffe has two more movies premiering in 2013: “The F Word” and “Horns” are both in post-pro-duction. He will also perform at the Noel Coward Theatre in the stage play revival of Martin McDonagh’s bleak comedy “The Cripple of Inishmaan” as the lead, Billy Claven.
Radcliffe’s father is from “a very working-class” Protestant background, in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. Radcliffe’s mother is Jewish; she was born in South Africa and raised in Westcliff-on-sea, Essex, though her family originally came from Poland and Russia. Both parents also acted as children.
ATLANTA • Local physicians at a new medical clinic in Atlanta are so sure their medication will help men with erectile dysfunction, they are offering the first 37 callers a free in-office medication dose. Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation have long been a problem for millions of men, in spite of the popularity of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. Many men aren’t helped by these pills or cannot take them due to adverse side effects. Georgia Men’s Medical Clinic custom blends over 180 combinations of medi-cations for each patient. “That’s why our success rate is so high,” says Dr. Kevin Hornsby, M.D. and author of the book “A Doctor’s Guide to Erectile Dysfunction.” “We help men as old as ninety-four, with diabetes, prostate surgery and heart conditions. Regardless of their age or medical history our results everyday are amazing.” All medications are FDA approved, and no surgery is involved. “We adjust
the prescription for a man’s performance to 45-minutes, an hour, 90-minutes or longer,” according to Dr. Hornsby,” and patients see results right in our office. After climax the patient stays erect the entire period of time. This allows them to achieve a second climax and adequately satisfy their partner. No other medication can do this. We offer a simple guarantee: If you don’t respond to the medication on the first visit the office visit is free.” With that guarantee, local patients have nothing to lose. Openings are filling quickly for the free in-office medication dose, after that the normal fees will be charged. Patients see a licensed Georgia physician and are assured of utmost privacy and profes-sionalism with private waiting rooms and an all male staff. Further information is available by calling (678) 374-1145. Georgia Men’s Medical Clinic, 8215 Roswell Rd. NE, #925, Atlanta, GA, just off GA-400. For patients more than 60 miles away the doctor will pay your gas.
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eduCatioN
GHA Graduates Shine at 2013 Commencement ExercisesFUTURE IN GOOD HANDS
AJTBy leAH levyaJT COnTribuTOr
The Greenfield Hebrew Acad-emy celebrated commence-ment exercises for the Class of
2013 on June 5. Thirty-one graduates received diplo-mas this year from Head of School Rabbi Lee Buck-man.
The new rising ninth-graders took the stage for a Graduation Presentation that incorporated student poetry, music and spoken word. In their presentation, they addressed GHA’s past, present and future and shared memories of their senior trip to Israel, where “we saw Israel alive and breathing.”
GHA President of the Board Judy Stolovitz cited this year’s graduates as an exceptional group, calling them “kind, good, and giv-ing; smart and successful.” She also pointed out that the recipients of the Hadas-sah Chesed Award at both Yeshiva Atlanta and Weber Academy are GHA gradu-ates.
“Your experiences here will be a gift to you forever,” she told the stu-dents. “GHA is your light, just like the pillar of light in the desert. Turn it on and remember us.”
Michael Horowitz, President and
CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, explained the ben-efits of a GHA education and wished that all of his own children had en-joyed such an opportunity.
“The way to assure a strong and
vibrant Jewish future is by ensur-ing that as many children and young adults as possible get a wonderful Jewish education,” he said. “The dual curriculum is hard, but it makes your Jewish journey easier.”
ADL Southeast Regional Director Bill Nigut and Education Director
Holli Levinson then took the stage. They congratulated GHA as the first Jewish school in Georgia to officially become “No Place for Hate” – this program was introduced to the school by GHA counselor Sylvia Miller and
students Maya Allen and Ari Stark, and encourages stu-dents to support one another with kindness and accep-tance.
Nigut remarked that one of the most important ways to fight hatred is by educating children in the lessons of ac-ceptance.
“Be kind, be strong, and in-sist that those around you are also kind,” he charged the graduates.
Rabbi Buckman, himself moving on from GHA this year, related a mi-drash that stresses the importance of speaking up in defense of the vulner-able.
“If I have taught you anything, I hope that I have taught you how to fight to correct what is wrong with the
LEFT TOP: The GHA graduates of 2013 put on a wonderful performance, including
readings of their own poetry.
LEFT BOTTOM: Board president Judy Stolovitz and Head of School Rabbi Lee Buckman shake hands with new graduate Joshua Bland.
RIGHT: Isabella Cantor (left) and Gabrielle Bloomberg wait for Rabbi Buckman’s declaration
that they are now graduated to toss their graduation caps.
world; I hope that I have taught you to scream,” he said.
He cited the example of the re-lease of Soviet Jewry and reminded the students of the rally they at-tended to demand the release of
IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, then be-ing held prisoner by kidnappers.
“ R a i s e your voices,” Rabbi Buckman continued. “As we have recently seen – in your own lifetime – prayers are an-swered.”
leah levy is a paraprofessional at Gha and the author of “The Waiting Wall,” a syd-ney Taylor notable book for 2010.
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eduCatioNAJT
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Yeshiva Atlanta Named a Blue Star SchoolSTUDENTS ARE “CERTIFIED FINANCIALLY LITERATE”
sPeCial fOr The aJT
Yeshiva Atlanta has earned the prestigious designation of Blue Star School for its students’ performance on Working In Support of Edu-cation (W!SE) Financial Literacy Certification Test. YA students achieved a 100-percent pass rate and an average score over 80 per-
cent.
Students passing this test become “Certified Financially Literate.” The test and certification are recognized by the Departments of Education in sev-eral states. To earn the Blue Star – given to a select number of institutions na-tionally – a school must achieve a 75-percent passing rate on the Certification Test and have either a majority of students on a given grade level take the
test or have the students who took it achieve an average score of 80 percent or higher.
According to YA Math Depart-ment Head Al Wolmer, there is an immediate
need for this kind of education.
“Most students drop out of college not because of academic failure but be-cause of personal debt, and the fastest growing group filing personal bank-ruptcy is young people ages 18 to 25,” Wolmer, who taught students taking the W!SE test, said. “The W!SE program provides our students with access to financial education and the opportunity to become certified financially liter-ate.”
Because of YA’s participation in the program, Wolmer had access to train-ing, educational resources, pre-tests and online practice tests. However, ac-cording to Dr. Paul Oberman, YA’s Head of School, there was more involved than training and resources.
“Al did a fabulous job of preparing our students for this test, but give credit to our students [too],” he said. “They did the work, mastered the material and did superbly well on the test.”
As a Blue Star School, Yeshiva Atlanta will receive a banner in recognition of its students’ achievement and will be honored at W!SE’s Annual Money POWER Conference for Financial Literacy, which will take place in Novem-ber.
The W!SE Program is sponsored by leading U.S. institutions, including the McGraw-Hill Companies, the Allstate Foundation, Citi Foundation, the JPM-organ Chase Foundation, Bloomberg, Wells Fargo Foundation and others.
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Shabbat CandleLighting Times
Friday, June 21, 2013 Light Candles at: 8:33 p.m.
Shabbat, June 22, 2013 Shabbat Ends: 10:04 p.m.
Friday, June 28, 2013Light Candles at: 8:34 p.m.
Shabbat. June 29, 2013 Shabbat Ends: 10:04 p.m.
Friday, July 5, 2013 Light Candles at: 8:34 p.m.
Shabbat, July 6, 2013 Shabbat Ends: 10:04 p.m.
SHAbbAT bLESSINGS
Blessing for the Candles Baruch Arah A-do-nai,El-o-hei-nu
Melech Haolam Asher Kid-shanu b’mitzvotav
V’zivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space.
You hallow us with Your mitzvot and command us to kindle the
lights of Shabbat.
Blessing for the Wine Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu
Meelech Haolam, Borei p’ri hagafen
Praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe,
Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessing for the Bread (Challah) Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu
Melech haolam, Hamotzi Lechem min haaretz.
Our Praise to You Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe,
Who brings forth bread from the earth.
matZah ball soup for the soul
I’ll Take My ChancesG-D AND HAPPENSTANCE
By RACHel lAviCtOiReaJT COluMnisT
Before he was “Dad,” he was Timothy Gerard LaVictoire, a baby boy born June 24, 1952. During his first 10
years of life, Tim welcomed one sister and four little brothers into his hum-ble home in Mt. Morris, Mich.
He learned how to shoot a gun from his dad and how to play cards from his mom. He played football and basketball at St. Mary’s High School and took Joyce Csiki to his senior prom.
Before she was “Mom,” she was Stacy Ellen Futterman. Her parents welcomed her into the world on May 31, 1959 and brought her to their home in Norfolk, Va. She remained an only child for four years, until her little sister Susan was born in 1963.
As the daughter of a Navy man-turned-businessman, Stacy lived in eight homes before settling into a house on Executive Drive in Long Island. She broke her wrists playing tag with Jamie Gropper and went to Camp Burchmont with Laura Bri-amonti.
Tim met Stacy in Nashville, Tenn. in 1989; he was 37 and she was 29. The two of them had both been travel-ing for business when they happened
to run into each other, but a year later Tim and Stacy gathered their families and said their vows on a boat in New York City.
Still, it wasn’t until Nov. 30, 1991, in Ann Arbor, Mich., that Tim and Stacy became “Dad” and “Mom” as they welcomed their first son into the world, and it was still three more years before they became my “Dad” and “Mom.”
Of course, in the 18 years since the day I was born, my parents have moved and made new friends. They’ve celebrated their children’s preschool graduations, high school graduations, birthdays and bar mitzvahs. Dad dressed up like a butler to serve me and my friends Domino’s pizza; and mom never missed a school perfor-mance or function.
Now, before I go any further – and in honor of the recent holidays – I want to say thank you to my parents for all that you have done. I love you both. But I also want to talk about chance – that is, my personal view of it, as it’s something that everyone sees differently.
There are some people who believe that G-d has everything laid out for us, that we are simply walking G-d’s
path. Others believe that “what goes around comes around” and that if you do good things, good things will hap-pen to you. And some people believe in praying for good fortune; and oth-ers see good fortune as something that can only be obtained independently.
This week’s parsha, Balak, isn’t particularly helpful in determining which of these interpretations is cor-rect, but it certainly raises some fasci-nating questions. As we read, the king of Moab, Balak, grows fearful that his nation will be next to be destroyed, as the Israelites have just done as much to the Amorites. He sends messengers to Balaam in Pethor, asking him to come and curse the Israelites.
Balaam, however, receives direct instructions from G-d and so refuses to go with the messengers back to Moab. When Balak sends messengers of a higher rank, Balaam insists:
“Even if Balak gives me a house full of silver and gold, I cannot do anything small or great that would transgress the word of the Lord, my G-d (Numbers 22:18).”
G-d eventually allows Balaam to go with the messengers, so long as Balaam agrees to do what G-d in-structs and say the words that G-d puts in his mouth. Thus, Balaam fi-nally joins with Balak, and the two of them build altars in order to offer their sacrifices. Then, the next pas-sage reads:
“Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stand be-side your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will happen to appear to me, and He will show me something that I can tell you,’ and we went alone.
G-d chanced upon Balaam, and he said to Him, ‘I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.’ The Lord placed something into Balaam’s mouth, and He said, ‘Return to Bal-ak and say as follows’ (Numbers 23: 3-5).”
Thus, Balaam recites a parable to the Moabites, and this is a sequence that repeats three times throughout the parsha. The parable is always a blessing to the Israelite people and always angers Balak, king of Moab,
who had instructed Balaam to curse the Israelites.
But therein rests the question: G-d only chances upon Balaam, and He chooses to give him a parable to tell to the Moabites. How is it that G-d’s actions can be a coincidence?
Though I don’t necessarily have an answer, I would like to note two things. First, the title of the par-sha, balak. The reading this week is named not after Balaam, who blessed the Israelites, but after Balak, the Moab king who had intended to curse them.
Second is the translation; as the Hebrew language is often written without vowels, a key phrase here can be interpreted two different ways. The Torah reads va-ya-kar elohim, mean-ing either “G-d chanced,” signified by the Hebrew verb leekrote, meaning “to chance” or “to happen” – or, with a dif-ferent pronunciation, “and valuable.”
Now, maybe you think it’s a stretch (or maybe you just don’t agree at all), but I’d like to think there’s a connec-tion between the two: that there is value in chance.
Of course, I can’t even begin to tackle the various views on chance, and I don’t know what events are laid out for us and what events we create for ourselves. I do, however, know I’m very happy that va-ya-kar elohim – G-d chanced upon Balaam to bless the Israelites and their future gen-erations – and also that Tim LaVic-toire and Stacy Futterman happened to run into each other in Nashville, Tenn.
There was certainly value in those chances.
rachel laVictoire ([email protected]) is a graduate of the davis acad-emy and Westminster high school, recipient of the prestigious nemerov Writing and Thomas h. elliott Merit scholarships at Washington univer-sity of st. louis and an active member of Temple emanu-el and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of atlanta. she was recently named to the board of st. louis hillel.
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d’var torah
Parashat BalakTHREE LESSONS FOR TODAY
By RABBi tOm lieBsCHutzfOr The aTlanTa JeWish TiMes
The fascinating story of Bal-ak’s and Balaam’s relation-ship to the Jewish people, found in this week’s Torah
portion, has interested us as Jews for thousands of years. Its many themes help us explore the subjects of proph-ecy, the non-Jewish world’s relation-ship with Israel and how the Jewish people perceive themselves.
Prophecy
The Book of Numbers, chapters 22 to 24, tells of Balak, the Moabite king who doesn’t want the children of Isra-el crossing his territory in their trav-els from Egypt to the Promised Land. Seeking to increase the possibilities of his military success against them, he hires the heathen prophet Balaam for the specific purpose of cursing the Jewish people.
But this happens only after a lengthy series of negotiations with Balak’s representatives as well as warnings and restrictions placed on Balaam by the G-d of Israel. Then, on his journey to Moab, Balaam’s faith-ful donkey speaks to his master sav-ing him from certain death.
The animal’s loyalty is rewarded by his being beaten by his master. It’s an embarrassingly comical injustice, as the animal sees better than Balaam, and the entertaining story in many ways is a delightful distraction from the real purpose of the Torah portion.
It nevertheless informs us that the authors of the Hebrew bible acknowl-edge that prophecy is not the exclu-sive possession of the Jewish people.
Israel and the World
Balak – like so many rulers since – wants to destroy the Jewish people. He is willing to do anything to achieve his goal, even hire a prophet from an-other land.
But in the parsha, G-d does not per-mit His covenanted people to perish. Balaam’s prophecies underscore this
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theme.
In one place he says, “How shall I curse whom G-d has not cursed? And how shall I execrate whom the Lord has not execrated?”
And in another:
“None has beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has one seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord His G-d is with him.”
If only in this current day, a time of rising anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere in the world, people would realize the truth of Balaam’s proph-esies. The hands of the Jewish people then, as now, are clean, and even Balaam realizes our hearts are pure. Despite coming to curse he can only speak G-d’s truth.
Unfortunately, the Balak’s of to-day’s world have yet to learn this les-son. We pray they soon will.
How We See Ourselves
Here, too, Balaam helps us. Among his most remembered prophetic words are:
“How goodly are your tents, O Ja-cob, your dwellings, O Israel!”
This is how we begin our morn-ing worship services in our prayer books. As we set forth in prayer, the words inspire and uplift, reminding us of how we see and understand our-selves.
Without boasting, I think it safe to say we know our values are good ones and aspire to live up to them. We pro-mote social justice and the world’s im-provement (tikkun olam) by assisting the poor, the homeless, the needy, the victims of persecution and neglect, the widow and the orphan.
And our goodly tents and dwelling places urge us to “love our neighbors as ourselves,” to “beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into prun-ing hooks.”
They also remind us of the com-mandment repeated more than any other in the first five books of the He-brew bible:
“Know you the heart of the strang-er, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Balaam was right. He clearly saw
into the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and he captured our charac-ter.
With G-d’s help may Balaam’s vi-sion always inspire us.
editor’s note: rabbi Tom liebschutz is the spiritual leader of Congregation ner Tamid and a member of the at-lanta rabbinical association.
““How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!”
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What’s happeNiNg
SUN., JUNE 23Understand Why We Mourn, two-part class with Rabbi Naftali Hoff. Sun., June 23, 7 p.m.; second session to fol-low on June 30. Congregation Ariel. (770) 390-9071.
MON., JUNE 24Internet Safety for Seniors, a program of the East Point NORC, Amaorio’s Art Academy and Teens at Work, Inc. Mon., June 24, 1:30 p.m. Free, RSVP requested. Transportation provided from HJC Bowden Facility (2885 Church St., East Point). (404) 762-2094.
THURS., JUNE 27Israeli Scouts Friendship Caravan in Atlanta, evening of song, dance and entertainment. Thurs., June 27, 7 p.m. $5/person, $10/family of four. Temple Emanu-El. [email protected].
Edgewise Speaker Series: Dr. Rob-ert Friedman, professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice and Director of GILEE at Georgia State University will focus on community policing, ter-rorism and crime analysis. Thurs., June 27, 10:30 a.m. Free for MJCCA members, $5/non-members. Zaban Park. (678) 812-4064.
Art Appreciation Class, focus on the High’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Thurs., June 27, 11 a.m.; visit to the exhibit to follow on Tues., July 9. $20/
AJTMJCCA member, $30/non-member. Zaban Park. [email protected].
FRI., JUNE 28Dive into Shabbat, celebrate Shab-bat at the MJCCA’s outdoor pool. Fri., June 28, 5 p.m. Free, open to the community; bring your own picnic or purchase from Goodfriend’s Grill. [email protected].
FRI., JULY 12Dive into Shabbat, celebrate Shabbat at the MJCCA’s outdoor pool. Fri., July 12, 5 p.m. Free, open to the com-munity; bring your own picnic or pur-chase from Goodfriend’s Grill. [email protected].
SUN., JULY 14Secrets of the Lost Temple, lecture with Rabbi Sender Lustig. Sun., July 14, 9:40 a.m. Chabad of Ga. (404) 843-2464 ext. 102.
Kosher Poker Tour, the premier Jew-ish poker tournament circuit makes a stop in Atlanta. Sun., July 14, 1 p.m. Congregation Dor Tamid. (770) 378-2037.
FRI., JULY 19Summer SAT Boot Camp at the MJC-CA. First mock test Fri., July 19, 10 a.m.; group classes, Monday through Thursday until Aug. 1, begin after;
successive mock tests each Friday. See atlantajcc.org for pricing and more specifics. Zaban Park. [email protected].
SUN., JULY 21Game On @ the Breman with the PJ Library, experience the Museum and the new Project Mah Jongg exhibit as a family. Sun., July 21, 2 p.m. Kids 6 & up/$6, ages 3 to 6/$2, under age 3, parents and grandparents/free. The Breman Museum. [email protected].
MON., JULY 22Summer Driver’s Ed at the MJCCA; includes class time and driving time. Week-long session begins Mon., July 22, 9 a.m. See atlantajcc.org for pric-ing and specifics. [email protected].
TUES., JULY 23Mah Jongg Bootcamp with Mah Jongg Central coach Michelle Friz-zell. Tues., July 23, 1 p.m. $36/Mu-seum member, $50/non-member. The Breman Museum. thebreman.org.
FRI., JULY 26Dive into Shabbat, celebrate Shabbat at the MJCCA’s outdoor pool. Fri., July 26, 5 p.m. Free, open to the com-munity; bring your own picnic or pur-chase from Goodfriend’s Grill. [email protected].
SUN., JULY 28How to Lead a Shabbos Table, lecture with Rabbi Isser New. Sun., July 28, 9:40 a.m. Chabad of Ga. (404) 843-2464 ext. 102.
MON., JULY 29Summer Driver’s Ed at the MJCCA; includes class time and driving time. Week-long session begins Mon., July 22, 9 a.m. See atlantajcc.org for pric-ing and specifics. [email protected].
TUES., AUG. 6National Jewish Retreat, five days of learning and discovery with mas-ter Torah teachers. Tues., Aug. 6 through Sun., Aug. 11. Hilton of Al-exandria, Va. jretreat.com.
WED. AUG. 7Have a BLAST at the MJCCA, listen to Rabbi Brian Glusman sound the sho-far each morning leading up to Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 4). First day Wed., Aug. 7, 11 a.m. Zaban Park. [email protected].
FRI., AUG. 9Dive into Shabbat, celebrate Shabbat at the MJCCA’s outdoor pool. Fri., Aug. 9, 5 p.m. Free, open to the com-munity; bring your own picnic or pur-chase from Goodfriend’s Grill. [email protected].
WED., AUG. 14Eat, Play, Mahj, mah jongg open game day and special tour of the Bre-man Museum’s new exhibit, Project Mah Jongg. Wed., Aug. 14, 10:30 a.m. $36/Museum member, $50/non-member; reservations required. The Breman Museum. [email protected].
FRI., AUG. 23Dive Into Shabbat - Intown, the MJC-CA’s poolside Shabbat celebration at a new location, featuring the Con-gregation Bet Haverim Chorus. Fri., Aug. 23, 5 p.m. Free, open to the com-munity. Emory Student Activity and Academic Center. [email protected].
Camp Barney Medintz 50th Anniver-sary Celebration, weekend festivities begin with a traditional camp-style Shabbat dinner in the dining hall fol-lowed by Shabbat services in the Za-ban Chapel. Fri., Aug. 23 to 25. $150/weekend, $80/Saturday only, $50/child Saturday. Camp Barney. (678) 812-4000.
MON., AUG. 26Sweeten the New year - Dunwoody, MJCCA family program featuring froyo, songs, activities, crafts and prizes for kids. Mon., Aug. 26, 6 p.m. Attendance free and open to all; 20 percent discount on purchases. Yogli Mogli at 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive. [email protected].
WED., AUG. 28Soul Trip to New york, Chabad of Georgia rabbis lead the way on visits to important Jewish sites. Wed., Aug. 28. New York City. More information and RSVP at chabadga/soultrip2013.
Sweeten the New year - East Cobb, MJCCA family program featuring froyo, songs, activities, crafts and prizes for kids. Mon., Aug. 26, 6 p.m. Attendance free and open to all; 20 percent discount on purchases. Yogli Mogli at 1255 Johnson Ferry Road. [email protected].
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may their memories be a blessiNg
Pola Rusinek (Frejlich) Fraley91, OF ATLANTA
Pola Rusinek (Frejlich) Fraley passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 91 on Tues., June 4, 2013 taking her place among the last liv-ing Holocaust survivors to bear witness to the Nazi persecution of World War II. Born in Sos-nowic, Poland, her life was a testament to the enduring spirit and determination of a remark-ably resilient generation, reminding her family through the years that “G-d has been good to me.” She was predeceased by her beloved Simon, also a Holocaust survivor, who she met in the Zeilsheim (Germany) Displaced Persons Camp after libera-tion from a concentration camp in Parschnitz, Czechoslovakia. She and Simon came to America with their first child in 1949, raising their family
in Atlanta and living the American entrepreneurial dream. They were founding members of Hemshech, organization of Holocaust survivors and descendants. Above all else, she devoted her life to her family feeling blessed to see her children living in freedom in America. She was a beautiful, creative and resourceful woman, deeply respected, loved and cher-ished by her children and adoring husband. All that her delicate, talented hands touched was with meticulous perfection from her wonderful cooking to her way with plants and her hobby of sewing. She was also predeceased by her parents Abraham and Ester Feigle Rusinek and seven siblings whose lives were taken during the Holocaust. She is survived by her son, Steven, and daughter-in-law Marian and granddaughter Shayna; and her daughter, Phyllis. She was also predeceased by her sister Jean Greenbaum, also a Holo-caust survivor who – with her husband Isaac and their children Felice Green-baum Friedman and Judy Greenbaum Croy and their families – joined Pola in Atlanta. The family wishes to express our deepest gratitude for the lov-ing care extended to Pola by the staff of Huntcliff Summit, especially Jaunta Hunte-Stinnett, Gracy, Alena, Monique and Vanity. Sign online guestbook at edressler.com. Graveside services were held June 5 at 11 a.m. at Arlington Cemetery with Rabbi Mark Kunis officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the United States Holocaust Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, Washington, DC 20024-2126; The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, 1440 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309; or Eternal Life Hemshech, 205 Northland Ridge Trail, Atlanta, GA 30342. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.
Arthur Merlin82, OF ATLANTAArthur, “Archie” Merlin, 82, passed away Thurs., June 13, 2013 after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, and daughter, Dara Merlin, and her partner, Meredith Ragains. He is also survived by sisters Reba Merlin Freedman (Theodore, of blessed memory), Fay Merlin Silverman (Harry, of blessed memory) and Dottie Merlin (Leon, of blessed memory). He was pre-ceded in death by his brother Jerome and his wife Sylvia Zaban Merlin, as well as his “BFF” of eight years, Mr. Puppy Merlin. Survivors also include nephews and nieces Steve and JoLynn Merlin, Ronnie and Marguerite Mer-lin, Brenda Merlin and Janice White, Max and Terri Katz, Sandra and Pat Hanson, Melinda McKelvey, Renee and Larry Stern, Tom Glass and Phyllis Freedman, Elise Freedman and Ted Freedman (of blessed memory), Alan and Davida Kashdan, Josef and Carol Silverman, and Mathew Silverman, as well as many great- and great-great-nieces and nephews. He was the son of Morris and Gertie Merlin of Atlanta and formerly of Dubrovna, Belarus, Russia. He was the founder of The American Water Broom Company and held numerous U.S. and Canadian patents. He was a longtime member of Congregation Or VeShalom and its Board of Directors. He was active in his SOZ group from his childhood and a proud Marine and dog lover. He never met anyone who did not like him. Sign online guest book at edressler.com. Contributions may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, ASPCA, Congregation Or VeShalom, Hospice Atlanta or the charity of your choice. A graveside service was held Fri., June 14, 2013 at 11 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.
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CHESS PUzzLE OF THE WEEKby Jon Hochberg
Challenge: White to move: Checkmate in 3 moves
LAST PUzzLE’S SOLUTION.1) Q x a7, K x Q
2) a5 x Nb6+, Kb73) Ra7#
JON HOCHBERG is a chess instructor who has been teaching in the Atlanta area for the last 6 years. Currently, Jon runs after school chess programs at several Atlanta schools. He always welcomes new students, and enjoys working with children who have no prior chess knowledge. Jon can be reached at [email protected] to schedule private lessons.
ACROSS1. Taj Mahal’s town5. Commandments number8. Begin and Bibi’s party13. Considers (to be)15. Tel ___ (site of a 1920 battle)16. Kind of Arab17. Be of help18. Facilities at Hadassah and Shaare Zedek hospitals19. Negev feature20. Prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial23. Ad ___ Committee24. “___ New World” (Arlen/Gersh-win song)25. Cookbook author Joan and others27. Debbie Wasserman Schultz chairs it (abbr.)30. “Rome and Jerusalem” author Moses32. Professional name for singer Ahinoam Nini33. Build ___ against (prosecute)35. Biblical “you”37. Allocate (with “out”)41. He made a golem44. Negev feature45. Green ___ Party46. Congressman Eliot (D-N.Y.)47. “How to Succeed in Business...” playwright Burrows49. Canadian-Jewish political pioneer Gray51. Cobra’s “Watch it!”
52. “There goes the neighbor-hood,” for Rodney Dangerfield56. Ingenue58. Hebr. “second day”59. Houston Stewart ___ (famous English-German anti-Semite)64. He appointed Lew and Kagan66. “...and have dominion over the fish of the ___” (Gen 1:28)67. Mishnaic commentator68. “Fiddler on the Roof” Oscar nominee69. Magazine whose Entrepre-neur of the Year for 1989 was Michael Dell70. Kind of shoe71. Eulogize72. Kind of Jew from E. Europe73. “___ and I” (2005 Holo-caust film)
DOWN1. Warsaw ghetto leader Czerniakow2. Kibbutz in the Jezreel Valley3. Tuchis4. Friends in Firenze5. Franz Kafka novel6. Jewish Defense League activist Krugel7. Pesach month8. Rely upon9. “Hallelujah, ___ Bum” (Al Jolson film)
JEWISH PUzzLERby David Benkof
Last week’s answers
10. ___ varnishkes (deli dish)11. Hebrew ___ College12. Frisbees, say14. Slide, like a snake21. Enzyme22. Accumulated, as a bill26. Plotter exposed by Esther27. Beavers’ creations28. “March Madness” hoops org.
29. “Call Me Irresponsible” song-writer Sammy31. Claude Lanzmann’s nine-hour Holocaust film34. His visit to Israel in 1977 was dramatic36. “Tales of Hoffmann” composer38. Matzah brei ingredients
39. Third day, in Hebr.40. Flotsam and Jetsam, in “The Little Mermaid”42. The beginning of Adar?43. Renaissance48. “Key Largo” star Lauren50. “The Facts of Life Goes to Paris” actress52. Get carried away in Hollywood53. Mail destination, maybe54. Not appropriate55. Diner who wrote “Hungering for America”57. Panache60. Part of YMHA61. A couple of chips, maybe62. Close ___ (near)63. Place to pick up a kitten65. Manifest a Jersey accent?
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