Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. 100 NO. 19, October 15, 2025

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Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival set for Nov. 9

By Sasha Heller

It’s almost that time of the year again when the kosher meats are smoking and the community gathers for a fun-filled day with great eats.

The 12th annual Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival will be from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 9, at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody. Admission is free and open to the entire community.

For its first 11 years, the festival was organized by the Hebrew Order of David and managed by former executive director Jody Pollack, who stepped down after

the 2023 festival when deciding he was ready to pass the torch.

The Atlanta Jewish Life Foundation, Inc. a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, stepped up and assumed administrative duties. Jacqueline Morris, events director for the AJT, will serve as the festival’s director of production.

Morris shared, "The Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival has always been my favorite festival every year to attend and I was so sad to see it end. The last two years of the festival I even competed with friends, not through any organization, just because

we enjoyed doing it. So when I got an opportunity to organize Jewish festivals in Atlanta, AJLF was happy to add the Kosher BBQ to the list of events that keep Jewish connection alive.

"This year, we added a few new features, such as changing the layout, making music more prominent, a more elaborate kids' zone including a petty zoo, pony rides, carnival rides and more. We are also offering vegan food options for the first time."

As with previous iterations, this year’s festival will feature the BBQ competition including best chili, brisket, chicken and beef

ribs categories, BBQ tasting, team contests, kids’ zone, community expo and live music.

“The Kosher BBQ Festival is an unforgetable Jewish festival in Atlanta that hosts 4,000 people, from Orthodox to Reform and even non-Jews who are just supportive of us being who we are,” Morris said.

Team and vendor registrations are now open. To register, please visit www.TheAtlantaKosherBBQ.com, or email jacqueline@atlantajewishlifefoundation.com. For more info, please call 770-265-3803.

Brook Run Park is located at 4770 North Peachtree Road in Dunwoody. ì

Memorials Mark Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks

By Dave Schechter and Sasha Heller

Bobby Harris’ heart is with the family of Omar Neutra.

Dov Wilker’s advocacy is on behalf of Bar Kupershtein.

Rabbi Adam Starr’s concern is for a nephew, a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces wounded in Gaza.

On Oct. 5, two days before the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamasled terror attacks in the “Gaza envelope” section of Israel, several hundred people gathered at Ahavath Achim Synagogue to remember the 1,200 murdered and 250 kidnapped that day.

As of this writing, 48 hostages remain, of whom perhaps 20 are thought to be alive.

Resilience in the face of the unimaginable was a theme of the program. There were prayers for Israel, prayers for the hostages, and prayers for the IDF. Memorial candles were lighted by relatives of Israelis killed on Oct. 7.

Starr, senior rabbi at Congregation Or HaTorah, delivered the Misheberach, a prayer for healing. His 19-year-old nephew was one of three soldiers wounded in recent days when Hamas fighters attacked their unit’s position in Gaza. They were airlifted to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.

The event also included expressions of hope that the latest negotiations to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining hostages — the 20-point plan advanced by the United States — will succeed, where previous efforts failed.

The recently concluded High Holy Days “felt like the first time I could breathe in two years,” Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal of Ahavath Achim said.

“We might be able to breathe a little bit,” Rosenthal said, acknowledging that the shaky nature of the negotiations requires patience.

After 732 days, patience is at a premium, especially for the families of the hostages.

Eitan Weiss, Israel’s Consul General to the Southeastern United States, said, “We all are hostages to the whims and brutality of those vile terrorists who play and taunt with our emotions.”

As he spoke in the Ahavath Achim sanctuary, Harris held a picture of Omer Neutra, his cousin, who was born in New York one month after 9/11 and died on Oct. 7, 2023, a week before his 22nd birthday.

Neutra, an American-Israeli who en-

listed in the IDF as a Lone Soldier (without family), was serving as a tank platoon commander when he was killed battling Hamas terrorists who had invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz.

For more than a year, his family held out hope that he was alive, but the IDF announced on Dec. 2, 2024, that based on intelligence and forensic evidence, he had been killed and his body taken into Gaza — where it remains at this writing.

“So many times world leaders indicated that a deal might be imminent and most of the time it was just a false alarm,” said Harris, director of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

Harris, wondering aloud how much can a family handle, cited a sentiment often attributed to Elie Wiesel, but which the Holocaust survivor quoted from the French philosopher Albert Camus: “Where there is no hope, one must invent hope.”

In January 2024, a delegation of Atlanta rabbis and communal leaders visited Israel. Among the people they met with was the family of Bar Kupershtein, who was kidnapped on Oct. 7 while working as a security guard at the Nova music festival. When terrorists attacked

early that morning, Kupershtein stayed behind to help police and provide medical treatment to the wounded.

Kupershtein, one of two hostages in a video his family was shown in March of this year (but that was not released publicly until July), is among the hostages believed to be alive.

In his remarks, Wilker, regional director of the American Jewish Committee, urged those present to “adopt a hostage.”

“If we are not sharing their stories then who will,” Wilker said. “So that they’re not just a number, they’re a person.”

Thousands Gather in Tel Aviv

Approximately 30,000 people filled Yarkon Park in an emotional memorial coordinated by Kumu (“Rise Up”), an organization founded by survivors and families of the victims and hostages of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

The ceremony was broadcast live on several of Israel’s TV channels and included comments directed toward Israel’s government.

“October 7 is not only a day of remembrance for those we lost,” said Kumu founder Yonatan Shamriz, broth-

er of hostage Alon Shamriz. “It is a day of remembrance for negligence, for failed leadership, and for the abandonment of responsibility. On that day, a new commitment was born … to lead the State of Israel to a better reality — a far better one.”

He continued, “Our generation — which inherited a country bleeding, isolated, fractured, and in pain — will be the one to fix it. It will be the best version of Israel, one that sanctifies the lives of its residents, that is built on truth, accountability and mutual responsibility. We will bring back life. We will bring back hope. We have risen. The people of Israel have risen.”

Featured prominently on stage was a burned car that had been destroyed by Hamas near the Gaza border. Red crown anemones, the national flower of Israel, surrounded the vehicle. Forty-eight yellow chairs, representing each of the hostages being held in Gaza, hung beside the stage.

“We are still on the journey — with 48 hostages who have not yet returned, and families who wait, breathe, and pray for that moment, said released hostage Omer Shem Tov. ì

Stepakoff is Building New Film Writing Program

By Bob Bahr

When Jeffrey Stepakoff was a child in Dunwoody, his mother would take him when she went to the movies at Phipps Plaza. They were, for the most part, grown up films, like Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” or Mel Brooks' “The Producers.” They were not the usual kid’s stuff.

Both Allen and Brooks had started their careers in early television and they both made the words they put down on the scripted page the foundation of their very successful string of films. Stepakoff remembers going home after those screenings in Buckhead and using an old typewriter in his basement to type out his first juvenile attempts to write his own stories and his own movie scripts.

“I had, even as a 10-year-old,” Stepakoff said, “an impulse to write, an impulse to tell stories inspired by the movies my mom would take me to see. I grew up loving movies, television, and books, and it made me want to be a writer.”

After college at the University of North Carolina, a master’s degree in play-

writing at Carnegie Mellon University led him to Hollywood where he worked steadily in the growth of broadcasting 30 years ago. He worked as a writer, story editor, and producer on hundreds of hours of TV series. He helped to create such hits as “The Wonder Years” and “Dawson’s Creek,” where, as an executive producer, he worked over four seasons to

help turn the series into a billion-dollar franchise.

He wrote a bestselling book about his experiences on “Dawson’s Creek,” created three novels that did well and came back to Georgia to teach scriptwriting for nine years at Kennesaw State University. After the Georgia legislature passed legislation in 2008 to grant a generous tax incentive to encourage the film and TV industry to make films in Georgia, Stepakoff established the Georgia Film Academy at the Trilith Studios south of Atlanta. The studios are the largest in North America, with 34 of the nation’s most technically advanced sound stages built over 700 acres of what was, recently, Georgia farmland. This year’s blockbuster “Superman” film, directed by James Gunn, was mostly shot there.

The tax incentive program established a film and television production program in the Georgia Department of Economic Development that spent $2.6 billion to generate $11 billion in economic growth over the last three years. Stepakoff says in the scramble to build out the industry for productions that mostly originated in Hollywood, Georgia failed to encourage locally grown productions, the work that he so loved when he worked in the film industry in Hollywood.

“Georgia is essentially a film factory. We have a great subsidy --our film tax credits. We have phenomenal infrastructure. Gosh, these are world-class stages with incredible support services. But if you want to have a permanent, sustainable business, if you want to impact the world through the stories that are seen and told, you do that by training the storytellers, the writers, and keeping them here in Georgia.”

With the support of Chick-Fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy, who has led the

development of the Trilith Studio complex, Stepakoff established the Trilith Institute, an ambitious nonprofit effort to bring together a new generation of creative talent. It encourages productions that are homegrown and locally inspired. The program is built around professional training opportunities, short form workshops in the development of advanced production skills, and a writer’s room program.

“At the end of the day,” Stepakoff notes, “when you peel back the onion, the essence of the economic activity and the core of the business is about not just the written word, but the story. And if you want to peel it back just a little bit more, our focus, my focus, at the Trilith Institute today, is about those who tell those stories."

Cathy built the stadium the institute helped to create for its first feature film project, “A Mess of Memories,” written and directed by Ebony Blandings. It’s an intense drama that explores the emotional complexities of family life. This month, a second production, a pilot for TV, is being put together.

Both productions are the result of a yearlong Emerging Creative In Residence program that provides mentoring by professionals like Stepakoff, production funding and support by the Trilith Studio complex. It’s the first step in a program to change how entertainment is created here, what Stepakoff calls his tikkun olam, or “change the world” initiative.

“No other studio, no other state has ever focused with the same passion and conviction and investment that we’re making here at the Trilith Institute. This is how we change the world. Train writers and directors, keep them here, and create a new, intentional North American entertainment industry.” ì

MACoM Celebrates Ten Years of Mikvah

By Robert Garber

Ten years ago, several moving pieces came together to precipitate the creation of the Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah (MACoM), which will soon celebrate serving the Jewish community of Atlanta, of greater Georgia, and of many of the surrounding states for a full decade.

“At that time, two very large gifts had been made by the Marcus Foundation and the Leven Foundation, and those gifts had been given because of the partnership of the late Rabbi Alvin Sugarman and Rabbi Josh Heller,” said Alice Wertheim, who shortly after that time became MACoM’s first president.

Rabbi Sugarman had visited Mayyim Hayyim in Boston, one of the first and most influential community mikvahs, and met with Anita Diamant, a wellknown Jewish writer and its founding president. Diamant was invited as the scholar-in-residence for a weekend at Congregation B’nai Torah, where Heller served as senior rabbi, and took time that weekend to speak at The Temple as well.

“At that time, we were beginning our work towards an expansion and renovation program,” said Fred Chaiken, thenpresident of Congregation B’nai Torah. “We had our own internal mikvah at B’nai Torah and it was in need of significant updating/improvements.

“Rabbi Heller’s interest was that the only mikvah that served the liberal community was at B’nai Torah, but B’nai Torah was not the primary user of that mikvah,” said Wertheim. “It was being used by all the congregations, primarily for conversions.”

This is one of the things that Rabbi Heller, who has jokingly been called MACoM’s CPO – chief plumbing officer, is most proud of -- how MACoM has changed conceptions of mikvah.

“Traditionally it was used for conversion, and for women coming on a monthly basis or before a wedding, and we’re now seeing really a wonderful expansion, where people are finding their own meaning in mikvah for a lot of different kinds of uses, marking milestones, healing,” said Rabbi Heller. “We are now living in a generation that is taking the ‘ick’ out of ‘mikvah.’”

“I have immersed in other mikvahs, where it is kind of top-down, dictated to you how things are gonna go -- what the mikvah guide expects of you, what the process looks like. MACoM is different-we give the power to the person immersing,” said Sarah Konigsburg, MACoM’s

operations coordinator. “We have a fully halachic kosher mikvah that anyone who comes in cannot tamper with -- that’s how it was built, that’s how we maintain it -- and so anyone can come in and feel comfortable that we adhere to the highest strictures of halachah, and from there they can make it how they want it to be.”

Konigsburg also noted the importance of their various mikvah guides throughout the years, all of whom are volunteers, and their role in crafting a spiritual experience for those who immerse. Wertheim, who was also one of the first guides -- and in fact guided immersions before she immersed herself -- happened to run into a woman at the Jewish Book Festival who was considering immersing, Wilma Asrael.

“I was going to go to the mikvah, and this wonderful woman was there, and said, ‘I am a guide at the mikvah! I want to be your guide!’” said Asrael. “I said, ‘Uhoh, I’m really committed now.’ So, she was my guide, and I went to the mikvah.”

“I took a deep breath, and as I

walked down the steps -- seven steps into the mikvah -- I said some prayers to myself,” said Asrael, describing her experience with the immersion, celebrating her 75th birthday. “I entered the water, which felt silky and wonderful, the right temperature -- it was water… that I had never experienced before. Someone had prepared a ceremony for me, and I read that and did the immersions three times. I stayed there for a few minutes after to contemplate, and then I got dressed and went out.”

The experience convinced Asrael to become a mikvah guide herself for several years. Asrael’s daughter, Michele Garber, also a mikvah guide around the same time, described how incredible an experience it is for a guide as well.

“One of the reasons I love guiding there is I’ve heard some beautiful things come out of the mikvah. I’ve heard some amazing singing. I’ve been there to watch people’s tears, both happy and sad tears in going there.”

Garber became a member of MACoM’s board, and then its president dur-

ing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a difficult time, and we weren’t able to raise a lot of money like a lot of Jewish organizations around that time. It was a little bit of a struggle. We had some funds, and we were able to get some through some grants as well. And it was important for us to stay open.”

MACoM made it through, and has continued to serve more and more immersers, reaching two incredible milestones earlier this year –1,000 conversions and 3,000 total immersions -- and will be throwing a celebration for 10 years of immersions on Dec. 3.

“It’s our tenth-year anniversary celebration, and there’s a lot to celebrate. It’s going to be a fundraiser and a celebration of all that MACoM has been able to do for the community,” said Garber, who is host committee chair for the event. “The ability to help people celebrate and mark special occasions and changes in their life is amazing. Hopefully it’ll go on forever and ever and ever.”

For registration and sponsorship information, please visit: bit.ly/MACoM10 ì

MJCCA Book Festival Opens with Strong Lineup

By Bob Bahr

Although the schedule for the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) was finalized months ago, when it opened with a preview event on Saturday, Oct. 11, it was as if the featured speaker’s story had been ripped from that day’s headlines. The author was Eli Sharabi, and his book, simply titled, “Hostage,” is the heartbreaking story of his year-and-a-half as a captive of Hamas in Gaza.

The book, which has been one of Israel’s biggest best sellers this year, tells the story of how Sharabi who was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct. 7, 2023, survived for a year-and-a-half.

His sold-out appearance, coming as it did, just two days before the release of the remaining hostages, was yet another example of how the festival, which is now in its 34th year, has become a showcase event for the community. “Hostage” is just one of several books about Israel that are highlighting this year’s festival. According to Festival Director Pam Morton, that’s intentional.

“Israel has always been a huge topic for us, for all of our author events,” Morton says, “especially after Oct. 7, we felt the importance to really highlight Israel. Talk about Israel, keep Israel top of mind in the community.”

Later this month, on Oct. 28, Yaakov Katz, former editor of the Jerusalem Post, discusses a question that is likely to get more attention as the war in Gaza winds down, “While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised The Most Powerful Military in the Middle East.”

As the festival nears its end, an outspoken supporter of recent Israeli government policy discusses Israel and the future course of world order. On Nov. 15, he’ll discuss with Greg Bluestein of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution his “On Democracy and Death Cults,” which seeks to put Israel’s campaign against Arab terror in a historical context.

Bluestein is also interviewing another timely visitor to the festival, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who, as the Democratic party’s leader in the Senate, has been at the hot center of negotiations to reopen the U.S. government. The title of his book is the pressing topic of “Antisemitism In America - A Warning.” He was originally scheduled at the MJCCA earlier in the year but had to postpone his trip.

Three other authors explore contemporary Jewish life as well. On Nov. 5, Jewish studies professor Shari Rabin, dis-

cusses, “The Jewish South: An American History,” and that evening, former White House speech writer Sarah Hurwitz talks about, “As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame and Try to Erase Us.” Four days later, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, who was America’s first Asian-American rabbi, will talk about, “Heart Of A Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity and Belonging.” The evening program commemorates the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany.

It’s a weighty lineup but Morton believes that books have made a comeback after all the electronic screen time of the recent past.

“People are reading again,” Morton says, “people like Oprah and Jenna Bush, these popular celebrities that have start-

ed book clubs that have really helped bring the love of reading back to the forefront.”

For those who are looking for less serious topics, there plenty of talk about food. Cable TV’s Alton Brown, baking maven Dorie Greenspan, and social media stand out Jake Cohen are on the schedule. A bagel brunch will be served Nov. 14 with the discussion of famed New York bakery and deli Russ and Daughters, which has a new cookbook celebrating 100 years of serving up great Jewish food.

Topping off the guest list of authors is John Grisham, who is making a rare public appearance here. The last time he was said to have shown up in Atlanta was 33 years ago, when “The Pelican Brief” debuted. The book festival is only one of two promotional appearances he has on

his calendar for his latest best seller, “The Widow,” which is a mystery novel about a small-town lawyer fighting to clear his name when he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit.

These are only a few of the highlights of one of Atlanta’s most important cultural events. It has emerged from the dark days of the pandemic more important and more relevant than ever. The cochairs of the festival committee, Tracey Grant and Staci Libowsky, and director Pam Morton have put together an impressive lineup.

“We work really hard on curating the list, and making sure we’ve got something for everyone,” Morton points out. “That’s my hope and the hope of our committee, as well as doing books about the hot button topics of the day.” ì

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Adamah Program Highlights Healthful, Ethical Eating

By Fran Putney

A panel discussing how Jewish values inform our relationship with food, health, and the land was hosted by the Jewish environmental group Adamah ATL. Moderated by the Adamah national organization’s CEO, Jakir Manela, the panelists – a rabbi, a dietician and a farmer -- were local food advocates representing varying perspectives.

The event, on Thursday evening, Sept. 4, at The Dupree, featured a colorful table of healthy foods for attendees and highlighted the ethical, spiritual, and environmental dimensions of growing, harvesting, and consuming food. The program was thought provoking and offered ways that everyone can work toward a more sustainable and intentional future.

At Emory University, Rabbi Jonathan Crane is the Raymond F. Schinazi Scholar of Bioethics and Jewish Thought at the Ethics Center. He is also a professor in the Emory School of Medicine and affiliated faculty in the Department of Religion.

Crane encouraged people to consider why they eat foods, especially animal proteins and ultra-processed foods they know are harmful. “We convince ourselves that it’s natural. We convince ourselves that it’s necessary. We convince ourselves that it tastes nice, and we convince ourselves that it’s normal. Everybody else is doing it.”

Around the question of kosher practices and animal cruelty, Rabbi Crane responded: “I hear that question -- to what degree is Judaism complicit in the suffering of animals, of laborers, of farmers, of climate harm? And I think that we should be very honest and sincere and candid. Of course we are, of course we’re complicit with it. The whole industry of kashrut is dominated by five companies, and they put their stamp of approval on thousands and thousands of products. [People] have been taught to believe that those symbols mean that the product has met certain kinds of qualities that may or may not be true.”

Crane encouraged audience members to look into some of the new hechsher companies, such as Magen Tzedek –An Ethical Certification for Food (https:// www.magentzedek.org/), that are trying to create alternatives that take animal suffering, fair labor, and environmental protection into consideration.

For her part, nutritionist and dietician Julie Taube’s goal is to guide her clients toward eating healthier by emphasizing anti-inflammatory, whole foods and building nutritional plans for indi-

viduals and families. She is also mindful of how eating habits affect the environment.

“As Jews, we tend to buy and eat and serve like a ton of food, and food waste is an ethical Jewish value. I think we should take on some responsibility [around this].

And you know, when we’re being more planful, like being intentional as it relates to grocery lists, planning as you’re entertaining, and just being responsible, we are taking leadership and ownership and not wasting.”

Taube suggested supporting organizations like Bagel Rescue and Second Helpings, which take usable leftover foods from restaurants to distribute to those that are food insecure, as excellent ways to take action that aligns with Jewish values.

From his perspective as a community

farmer, Daron Joffe, founder and CEO of Farmer D Consulting and author of “Citizen Farmers: The Biodynamic Way to Grow Healthy Food, Build Thriving Communities, and Give Back to the Earth,” spoke about how to nurture ourselves, the importance of developing patience and gratitude, understanding what it means to be a good steward, the health benefits of actually feeling soil in your hand, and supporting local farmers. Joffe has been instrumental in starting community gardens at schools and at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in an effort to help children, particularly, understand where our food comes from.

“Jewish people,” he said, “have some tools in the toolkit that are ancient and interesting that are worth sharing and are not necessarily confrontational or

trying to make arguments. I think there’s an opportunity to engage a little bit with this part of Judaism and [discover] how it can help our own personal health and our communities, and how we can share some of these Jewish ethics and values.”

In summing up the goal for this program, Adamah ATL Director Joanna Kobylivker, shared: “Eating is such a common experience among Jewish gatherings, and there is so much energy that goes into a single meal. I really wanted to assemble a panel of thought leaders who could share how Judaism guides us to be thoughtful consumers of food from seed to fruit. By bringing together a rabbi, a nutritionist, and a farmer, all Jewish, we were able to both appreciate and express curiosity around many of our traditions around eating.”  ì

Divorce Coach Offers Transition Support

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Divorce coach Justin Milrad knows the ropes in guiding often vulnerable folks through one of life’s most stressful possibilities.

He said, “Going through a divorce is never easy. For some, it comes after realizing the relationship has reached a dead end. For others, it follows the deep pain of a betrayal … while I would never glamorize divorce, the truth is that for many people it can be the healthiest and most hopeful path forward.”

Despite over half of marriages ending in divorce, Milrad stated, “Not so fast. The widely cited 50 percent divorce rate is false. Current data shows 43 percent of first marriages end in divorce, with the average lasting eight years.” Financial barriers create “hidden divorce demand”: nearly one in three Americans avoid divorce due to cost, with 18 percent saying it’s totally out of the question despite unhappiness.

Milrad calculates it could take five years to recover from divorce. He offers a better way forward as a certified divorce coach who transformed his own painful experience into a mission to help others navigate transition. His divorce was confusing, long, and costly, and his guidance came from his attorney and therapist, adding, “Lots of well-meaning but unqualified people were giving me advice, which only added to the confusion.”

His “You 2.0” approach reframes divorce as an opportunity for life redesign. Through his practice, “Reclaim & Reboot,” Milrad works equally with men and women. “Women often feel financial uncertainty, while men may wrestle with identity and emotional expression,” he noted.

“What they have in common is a desire to move forward with dignity and to protect their children.” His clients are typically professionals in 40s to 70s.

Milrad has two books: “You 2.0: Divorce – A Better Way Forward,” a guide for his divorce philosophy; and the “You 2.0 Workbook,” which provides hands-on exercises for introspection, financial empowerment, emotional mastery, co-parenting strategies, and identity rebuilding.

In terms of the legal flank, he emphasizes strategic attorney selection, warning against “bulldog” lawyers who may win short-term battles but create long-term damage through higher costs and severed co-parenting relationships.

Milrad conveyed, “It’s not the divorce itself that harms children, but rather, how parents choose to navigate it. Children can thrive when they see parents handle

separation with respect, care, and a focus on their well-being. In Judaism, the value of Shalom Bayit, or peace in the home, reminds us that even when a marriage ends, the pursuit of peace within the family must remain a priority.”

Milrad’s path to divorce coaching began with personal experience. The turning point came when he learned about divorce coaching through someone who had successfully navigated a complicated divorce with professional coaching support.

“When I finally worked with a coach myself, it was transformational. That experience made me realize this is the support I wish I had all along.”

Today’s divorcing couples face information overload, full of conflicting advice, friends and family projecting their own experiences, and attorneys focusing on the legal case rather than the person, Milrad observes.

His main points:

• Don’t make decisions in anger.

• Prioritize children’s well-being

• Gather financial documents early.

• Build a trusted team of qualified professionals.

• Communicate with your ex like a business partner.

• Take care of your mind, body, spirit, and soul.

• Set clear boundaries early.

• Focus on what you can control.

• Plan for practical transitions.

• Don’t rush into dating. Work on yourself.

Milrad grew up in Toronto and worked in marketing, strategy, operations, and finance, earning an MBA at Emory University. His career spanned operations

roles at The Home Depot, Alternative Apparel, and Deloitte Consulting. He cofounded and led two nonprofits: The Blue Dove Foundation and Trade Talks USA. He concluded, “Divorce is not a failure, it’s a reset … a second chance to build a life that truly reflects who you are and who you want to become.”

His next event is at The Temple at 10 a.m., Oct. 25. For a free consultation, please visit https://calendly.com/reclaimand-reboot/ ì

Sisters Sell Sweet ‘Bits of Sunshine’

By Robert Garber

A kosher baking business has been on the rise, making large batches of challah, custom cakes and cookies, and gift boxes for bar mitzvah hosts – and even running cake-decorating classes. Founded and run by two teen sisters, Batya and Gavi Silverman, Bits of Sunshine was a way to take something they already loved and pursue it further.

“From a very early age, I have always enjoyed watching, ‘Kids Baking Championship.’ I was determined to be able to bake as well as those kids on the TV,” said Batya Silverman, the older sister. “I am also very lucky because my parents both have always kept me very involved with cooking and baking. I have very clear memories of baking brownies with my mother. From cracking the eggs to licking the spoon, I fell in love with baking.”

“Rabbi Robbins, who used to own Chai Peking, used to give me free food as a reward for learning Hebrew milim when I was in third grade,” said Gavi Silverman. “I would make challah for him

as a thank you and he really liked it. That gave me the idea that people would maybe buy my challah.”

After selling their baked goods casually for fun, the pair’s parents, concerned about the prices for Jewish sleepaway camp, thought it might be a good idea to make the business official.

“My mother is the one who thought

of the name Bits of Sunshine because it combines both of our nicknames: ‘Bits’ because I was very itsy bitsy small when I was younger, and ‘Sunshine’ for Gavi,” said Batya Silverman. “We like to think that a bit of dessert can be a sunshine to your day.”

From the start, it was a family affair. Their mom was originally in charge of management and social media (though has since passed most of these responsibilities on to Batya), and both sisters thank their dad’s relentless efforts in cleaning all the pareve dishes after every cooking session – although he insists he’s just the grocery man. No part of the family is left out.

“If you ask my adorable 11-year-old brother what his job is, he would proudly say he’s the official taste tester,” said Batya Silverman. “And he’s definitely right. When we make anything new, we have to run it by him first before we sell it.”

It continues to remain something both sisters thoroughly enjoy.

“I would say my favorite part of baking is the sense of calmness that I get. It’s strange but I really do feel more calm when in the kitchen,” said Batya Silverman, noting also how much joy their food brings to others around them. “I love being able to put a smile on someone’s face just from baking them a cupcake.”

As for the future of the business, she has reasonable expectations, but high hopes.

“I think all we can hope for is that we can continue to grow in making delicious challah and desserts for our community,” Batya Silverman said. “Opening a real bakery store has always been a dream of mine, but we’ll have to see where the future brings our small business.”

For order forms and more dessert pictures, visit https://linktr.ee/bitsofsunshine. All goods are kosher pareve, and most can be made to accommodate other dietary restrictions upon special request. They are made fresh on a weekly basis, so make sure to place orders at least a week before. ì

Silver’s Teas Carry Flavor & Edge

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

You’re walking the streets of a dusty old town, your throat is parched and in need of quenching … that is how homegrown Atlantan Jonathan Silver conceived the idea of Blue Durango Iced Tea.

He said, “The name just rolled off my tongue.” Together with Lakehouse Coffee and 30 years of experience, Silver owns and distributes these two distinct brands. He’s excited that, “Iced tea is a healthy alternative beverage that can be consumed with or without added sugar. It’s a great carrier of flavors. We create unique profiles that allow variety you don’t get in other drinks. Teas and other botanical elements are growth opportunities as a gourmet trend.”

Silver does indeed have creative varieties:

• Sweetened and Unsweetened - features a smidgin of lemon

• Charmed Voodoo - hibiscus tea with rose hip, lemon grass, and orange peel

• Long Arm Citrus - black tea with lemon, pomegranate, and prickly pear

• Luna Blossom - white tea with honey, white grape, and lavender

• The Sidewinder (yet to be released)green tea with lime, ginger, and jalapeños

The South has always been allied with iced tea. Silver related, “The South is definitely known for its sweetened iced tea. We used that to our advantage by offering a really good ‘SWTND’ iced tea, but we also offer other really cool flavors that are lightly sweetened with organic cane sugar.”

Shaking the can is even recommended before opening. Silver believes there may be some pushback against carbonated beverages as consumers seek a smooth elixir that goes down quickly. In terms of being on trend, Silver feels that the tea market is wide open. “We’re fortunate that iced tea crosses many demographics. Teenagers reach for Blue Durango Iced Tea the same way a 60-year-old will grab a can and guzzle it down on a hot day!”

As a coffee roaster and blender, he was always interested in how different growing regions would come together for the perfect cup. He generally blends three different growing origins to achieve the best flavor profiles. He used the same principles to create his iced tea blends. Each can features three flavor components to get an evenly balanced original taste. Charmed Voodoo is currently the most popular flavor, but Jonathan’s favorite is Luna Blossom.

In terms of the name, the town of

Blue Durango shares a concept with the 1938 Thornton Wilder play, “Our Town.” Silver wanted to be “a true story brand –an idea that screams originality that allows us to continue adding storyline and characters. A place that ingratiates our consumer base. The locale and design gives us a ‘western steampunk’ vibe. The ‘town’ is the backdrop for the ongoing development of the brand and beverage.”

Blue Durango Iced Tea is sold on grocery shelves from Hawaii to upstate New York. They are primarily on the shelves of independent grocers but also participated in a test run on the “New for You” table at Sprouts Markets nationally. Sixteen-ounce cans sell for $3 to $4 depending on the retailer. He explained, “We were very fortunate that within several months of launching we presented to KeHE - one of the largest natural foods distributors in the country. We won their award -- garnering one of 44 Golden Tickets. This gave us national distribution. Blue Durango Iced Tea also has distribution through East Coast distributor Rainforest.”

They’re sold on Amazon, and through Odeko -- a national company that recently purchased Atlanta Coffee Supply Group.

Looking forward, Silver hopes within five years, that his iced teas will be on the shelves of large national grocery chains. He also believes that creativity is enhanced by the ability to read -- meaning, “The ability to read and comprehend is at an all-time low. We want to be an intellectual brand that promotes learning and cognitive thinking. We want to be able to give back to communities in the

way of books and reading education.”

A graduate of Riverwood High School and Tulane University, Silver grew up at Ahavath Achim Synagogue where his great-grandfather was the shamus

He attended camp at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and remains friends with fellow campers from 1972. He and his wife, Juli, are parents of two college-aged sons, Max and Leo. ì

Abel Announces Run for Georgia Senate

By Bob Bahr

A large group of supporters crowded into the Sandy Springs home of Kevin Abel last month to hear the IT consultant announce his early candidacy for the Georgia State Senate. Abel, who previously ran in 2018 for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives, told the group he’s committed to restoring fundamental values to political life.

“I intend to work hard to restore our country back onto the tracks of democracy, of truth and of decency. So, with your help, I’ll be elected to the State Senate with these bedrock values, and we can move our state closer towards these ideals.”

Abel is campaigning for the State Senate seat in District 56 now held by Josh McLaurin, a two-term Democrat, who is running for lieutenant governor. The district stretches north from the Atlanta city limits in a long slice of Fulton County that takes in portions of Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, and Johns Creek.

McLaurin won reelection in last year’s election by 10 percentage points.

But while the district leans Democratic, much of it lies in the 7th U.S. Congressional District, which President Trump won with 60 percent of the vote last year.

Mindful of that, Abel describes himself as a moderate Democrat who says he believes passionately that moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans should work together to create legislative progress. Something that, for the

moment, with Congress at a standstill, seems an elusive goal.

“Things have only gotten worse since 2018,” Abel says, “in terms of the fractional nature of our politics. People have swung further to the left and further to the right, and this idea of a center just gets tougher and tougher to believe in. But, you know, I still believe that. I still believe in this country, still love this country.”

Abel is a native of South Africa who came to this country as a teenager. He was part of the exodus of South African Jews, many of whom left the country after the racial upheaval of the 1980s and 1990s. Despite his many years here, he still retains the precisely clipped accent of his South African upbringing. In recent years, he’s also renewed his interest in the immigrant experience, serving as the vice-chair of New American Pathways, that helped to resettle newly admitted immigrants to America.

For four years, he was on the Georgia State Transportation Board which governs the operations of the state’s Department of Transportation and was briefly its chairman. He admits that all of his experience has made him someone who has a deep interest in how to improve government.

“I’m a policy wonk. I have always been fascinated by policy and how can we be better? How can we solve problems that really shouldn’t be so intractable, like health care and immigration and climate and debt, you know, fiscal issues, and I’m talking, now in the federal context, but all of it applies at a state level as well, in some regard.”

He’s also served on the boards of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Davis Academy. President Joe Biden appointed him to the United States Holo-

caust Memorial Council, which works to support the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. The council is currently cochaired by Stuart Eizenstat, the prominent Atlanta-born Washington lawyer and diplomat.

He’s also been active in the American Jewish Committee here and chairs its Antisemitism Task Force. If elected next year to the Georgia Senate, he could become the only Jewish member of that body. Last month, Deborah Shigley, a lawyer from Milton, mounted a strong campaign in a special State Senate election that drew national attention before losing in a strongly Republican district. Currently the only Jewish member of the Georgia legislature is Esther Panich from Dunwoody, a Democrat, who is a member of the Georgia House.

With his wife, Cindy, Kevin Abel built his Abel Solutions into one of the Southeast’s leading providers of Microsoft software solutions before selling it nearly 10 years ago. His current IT project provides software solutions to the real estate industry. His wife is currently developing a web platform that aims to transform the social media experience, particularly for teenage girls and young women to empower and support them.

Abel has been encouraged by the support he’s received in the early stages of his campaign, particularly in the financial contributions he’s received in the last two months.

“This early success,” Abel believes, “is because I can call on people from a variety of segments or circles in the Atlanta community. The Jewish community has been very supportive, and I’ve even had encouragement from my Republican friends because of my support for Israel and my history of fighting antisemitism here.” ì

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Why I’m Running for Mayor of Sandy Springs

By Jody Reichel, Candidate for Mayor of Sandy Springs

Sandy Springs has been stuck for too long. After 12 years of excuses about interest rates, market conditions, and COVID, we’re still waiting for the vibrant city we deserve. City Springs 2.0 sits underutilized. The North End has remained stagnant for seven years. Roswell Road is lined with vacant lots and empty storefronts.

I don’t accept “impossible.”

My top priority is building Sandy Springs where families thrive, businesses grow, and every neighborhood feels like home. That means three things:

First, transform our city into a destination. City Springs 2.0, Roswell Road, and the North End need restaurants, shops, and gathering spaces that give residents reasons to stay local. While neighboring cities have thriving downtowns, we’re still waiting. No more excuses, I’ll work directly with property owners and developers to make this happen.

Second, establish our own Sandy Springs school system. I’m the ONLY candidate committed to this. My opponents say it’s “impossible.” Fulton County Schools

Jody

Reichel, Candidate for Mayor of Sandy Springs

26,000 apartments and over half of our residents renting, we need homes that residents can afford and use to build wealth. I’ll encourage redevelopment of aging apartments into townhomes, condos, and single-family homes while protecting existing neighborhoods.

I’ve already delivered results: North Springs High School ($180 million, under construction), 28 pickleball courts, and I’ve stopped wasteful deals, including one

that would have given a developer $55 million in bonds to profit $12.5 million while adding 187 subsidized units to a failing property.

“As a recent North Springs grad, I saw firsthand what Jody Reichel can accomplish. She fought for years to get us a new high school, despite everyone saying it was impossible. If she can do that for students, imagine what she’ll do for our entire city,” by Adam Greenstein, of North Springs High School Class of 2024, Duke University.

Transparency matters. When Mt. Vernon School requested lights, many in my own neighborhood opposed it. I voted yes because it was right for young families and our community — even though it meant I had to give up some support at home. Mayor Paul voted no. That’s the difference: I make decisions for all of Sandy Springs, not just the loudest voices.

I’ll open government to fresh voices by recruiting new citizens to serve on our committees, commissions, and foundations. Community input will happen early, when it can shape outcomes. My cell number is on my campaign card — I want to hear from you.

“I have first-hand knowledge of Jody’s ability to drive results. She’s a leader who has the best interests of our city at heart and will help make Sandy Springs an even better place to live,” said Valerie W, Sandy Springs resident.

Traffic requires both immediate repairs and a long-term strategy. We’re completing the widening of Hammond Drive and optimizing the signals. But the real solution is creating destinations worth staying for. When we build vibrant districts, residents make fewer trips. Empty storefronts guarantee people will drive elsewhere.

I’ll wear one hat: Mayor of Sandy Springs. My focus will be 100 percent on this city. You deserve a mayor who shows up, tells the truth, and gets things done. ì

Jody Reichel is a two-term City Council member and a 30-year Sandy Springs resident. She and her husband, Ken, are members of Temple Sinai, where Ken is the treasurer. An entrepreneur, civic leader, and marathoner, Reichel is a proud mother and stepmother. Her children graduated from The Davis Academy and North Springs High School.

Called to Repair, Called to Act

By Councilmember Andy Bauman, Candidate for Mayor of Sandy Springs

We are taught that tikkun olam - repairing the world - isn’t just an idea. It’s a call to action. It means showing up, rolling up our sleeves, and doing the work to make our communities stronger and more just. For me, that’s what public service has always been about - listening, solving problems with urgency and humility, and leading with empathy and accountability.

That’s the approach I’ve brought to every part of my service: co-founding the Sandy Springs Farmers Market, launching Georgia’s first municipal hate crimes ordinance, creating housing for first responders so they can live in the community they serve, and championing sidewalks, parks, and sustainability projects that make our city healthier and more connected.

But over the past four years, Sandy Springs has stalled. While neighboring cities have moved forward with innovation, revitalization, and smart growth, we’ve too often stood still. Projects have lagged, retail centers have decayed, and the energy that once defined our city has faded. As we mark 20 years of cityhood,

we can either settle for the status quo or embrace a new chapter - one built on action, transparency, and progress.

I’m running for mayor because I believe Sandy Springs deserves results - not rhetoric. We need to tackle traffic with smart planning, keep taxes low while improving services, and revitalize neighborhoods that have been left behind. We must make it possible for young families to put down roots, long-term residents to stay connected as they downsize, and

those who serve our city - teachers, nurses, first responders - to afford to live here.

As a proud member of the Jewish community and 25-year congregant of Temple Sinai, I’ve always understood leadership through the lens of tikkun olam - justice, accountability, and community responsibility. Representation matters because it brings understanding and compassion into decision-making. I’m honored to have the endorsement of State Rep. Esther Panitch, who exemplifies what

it means to lead with conviction and care.

After Oct. 7, I worked with city leadership and law enforcement to strengthen security and confront hate in all forms. Antisemitism, like all prejudice, threatens the fabric of our community. As mayor, I will be a visible advocate for inclusion, safety, and respect for every resident, of every background.

We are called to tikkun olam - to repair the world - but doing so requires action. Seeing our city’s stalled progress has made me stand up and step forward. Because everyone in Sandy Springs deserves a better future and together, we can build it. I hope you will join me in this call to action and cast your vote for Andy Bauman by Nov. 4. ì

Andy Bauman and wife, Dr. Debbie Bauman (an anesthesiologist), have been members of Temple Sinai for the past 25plus years. He considers himself a proud Zionist. Bauman recently helped launch a bipartisan network to connect and support fellow Jewish public servants statewide. He has been active in the American Jewish Committee and previously served on the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust.

A LETTER TO ATLANTA’S JEWISH COMMUNITY FROM COUNCILMEMBER MARCI COLLIER OVERSTREET, CANDIDATE FOR ATLANTA CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Dear Friends,

As a proud native Atlantan and one of your current city councilmembers, I’m writing to ask for your vote to become Atlanta’s next City Council President. I’ve spent my life working in, loving, and, for the last seven and a half years, serving this city with integrity, transparency, and a deep commitment to every neighborhood and every family.

My roots run deep in Southwest Atlanta, but my work has reached across the city. I’ve delivered over 2,500 units of affordable housing, expanded grocery access in food deserts, and fought for safer streets and stronger infrastructure. I supported the Public Safety Training Center because I believe in well-trained, accountable officers—and that’s why the organizations that represent Atlanta’s firefighters and our police have endorsed me. I’ve also led efforts to protect legacy homeowners from displacement and championed policies that make Atlanta more walkable, equitable, and resilient.

I’m honored to be endorsed by Mayor Andre Dickens, who shares my vision for a safer, more connected Atlanta. I’m also proud to have the support of the Atlanta Board of Realtors PAC, who recognize my work to expand housing access and protect property values. And I’m

especially grateful for the endorsement of State Senator Sonya Halpern, Co-Chair of the Georgia-Israel Legislative Caucus, whose leadership and advocacy for Jewish communities across Georgia inspire me deeply.

I know you value safety, education, and civic responsibility. I share those values. I’ve stood up for religious freedom, supported interfaith partnerships, and worked to ensure that all communities feel seen and heard in City Hall. I believe in building bridges—not walls—and I’m committed to keeping Atlanta a city where diversity is celebrated and protected.

As Council President, I’ll continue to fight for smart growth, safe neighborhoods, and a city government that works for everyone. I’ll bring people together, listen with empathy, and lead with results.

Early voting begins October 14th and runs through October 31st. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th. I hope I can earn your trust and your vote.

Together, we can build an Atlanta that honors its history and boldly shapes its future.

Warmly, Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet ,Candidate for Atlanta City Council President

Why Jewish Leaders Back Rusty Paul

This year’s Sandy Springs mayoral election is remarkable for many reasons. For the first time, two Jewish candidates — Andy Bauman and Jody Reichel — are challenging the incumbent, Rusty Paul. And yet, in a striking show of confidence, many of the city’s most prominent Jewish leaders and families are firmly supporting Paul’s reelection.

At first glance, that might seem contradictory. But the story here is not about identity. It is about trust earned, relationships built, and moral clarity shown in moments that matter most.

A Proven Record

For more than three decades, Rusty Paul has been a steady friend of the Jewish community. He has spoken out against antisemitism, strengthened security at schools and synagogues, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Jewish leaders during difficult times. He has been a visible and reliable partner when others hesitated.

Robert Rothberg explains his support for Rusty: “As a lifelong Atlantan, I’ve seen Sandy Springs transform into one of the most vibrant and desirable communities in Georgia. Much of that progress — and the continued growth of our Jewish community — reflects Mayor Rusty Paul’s exceptional leadership. Our city would be fortunate to have him serve another term.”

Sara Kogon adds her support, “I will never forget all that Mayor Rusty Paul did for the Jewish community after the horrific events of Oct. 7. Thanks to his leadership, Sandy Springs brought our entire community together for both the citywide vigil and the one-year commemoration. We felt seen, supported, and safe because of our remarkable mayor.”

Steve Wertheim says, “It has been a privilege to know Rusty Paul for over 20 years. His proven record of effective leadership in Sandy Springs, coupled with his

unwavering support for the Jewish community and dedication to strengthening the Georgia-Israel relationship, showcases his commitment to our values and needs. He has been a friend and ally, and he has truly earned and deserves our support.”

Stacy Fialkow is adamant, “Hands down, Mayor Paul is the most accomplished and qualified candidate. He has served in all levels of government: Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations for HUD, served in the Georgia State Senate, and served on city council. His experience coupled with an authentic tone of nonpartisanship and commitment to community engagement are the key ingredients to his leadership in making Sandy Springs the best city to live in Georgia. And if that isn’t enough, Rusty is a mensch. He wears his White Rose lapel pin with pride and is an unapologetic champion of the Jewish community.”

Isaac Frank explains, “At a time when antisemitism is running rampant and so many of our elected officials have chosen to distance themselves from Israel and the Jewish people … Mayor Paul has leaned into our community with moral clarity & unapologetic support!”

Voices of Leadership

What makes this election so notable is the chorus of Jewish voices rising in support of Paul. These are not casual endorsements; they are heartfelt affirmations from leaders who know him best who either live in Sandy Springs or have business in Sandy Springs.

Marty Kogon is clear, “I’ve known Rusty for nearly 40 years. I like him, I trust him, and I’ve seen his effectiveness firsthand. Sandy Springs’ success speaks for itself. Rusty understands this community like no one

else and has always stood with the Jewish community here and in Israel. I proudly support him for Mayor.”

Joel Marks puts it plainly: “I feel Rusty is the right person at this time to continue the great work he has done for Sandy Springs. I am happy to stand up for Rusty.”

Linda Selig is equally direct:

“Mayor Rusty Paul has been an extraordinary friend to the Jewish community and a steadfast supporter of Israel. In a time of rising antisemitism, he has ensured the safety and security of our schools and institutions, while standing shoulder to shoulder with us in both word and deed. His leadership reflects not only strength, but true moral clarity.”

Carol Cooper, who has known Paul since his days lobbying, adds, “He knows, understands, and supports our Jewish community and Israel. Sandy Springs has flourished under his leadership, and I am proud of all he has accomplished.”

Other voices echo the same theme. Jay Davis:

“Rusty has done a great job. We need to support him as he has supported us.” Robert Arogeti: “Rusty has a proven track record of results and a unique ability to build relationships across all parts of Sandy Springs. With Rusty as mayor, I look forward to the continued success and growth of Sandy Springs as a vibrant city over the next four years.” Charles Lipman: “I am voting for Rusty because he has been a great mayor and great to the Jewish community.”

For me, this is about loyalty. It is important that politicians in Georgia know that we are loyal to great public servants who are loyal to us. Rusty has

been a great mayor for Sandy Springs and has been a great friend to the Jewish community.

And from longtime community builders like Steve Selig and Norman Radow, the message is consistent: Rusty Paul has been there for the Jewish community in word and deed. And we need to be there for him.

More Than Endorsements

These statements matter not just because of who said them, but because of what they represent. They show that Paul’s support among Jewish leaders is not transactional. It is built on years of partnership, on standing together in moments of challenge, and on the recognition that he sees the Jewish community not as a constituency but as neighbors, friends, and partners in shaping the city’s future.

The Bottom Line

In this election, Jewish voters have choices — including candidates from within the community. But the endorsements of Arogeti, Cooper, Davis, Fialkow, Frank, Radow, Rothberg, Kogon, Lipman, Marks, Selig, Wertheim, myself and others reveal something powerful: trusted Jewish voices in Sandy Springs believe Rusty Paul is the leader best equipped to guide the city forward.

As one supporter put it, “Rusty Paul doesn’t just talk about being a friend to the Jewish people — he proves it.” That is why, in a year of many choices, so many Jewish leaders are choosing Rusty Paul. ì

David Zalik is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Zalik co-founded The Zalik Foundation, which supports Jewish education, children and families in need, and Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel. To date, the foundation has granted over $150 million.

Democrats Should Praise Trump, Middle East Moves

“As someone who has been diagnosed by the far right with Trump derangement syndrome, let me give tremendous kudos to President Trump for his work on the Middle East in the past few weeks. Amazing job. He follows through, let’s give him that Nobel prize that he wants.”

It was a simple post on X (formerly Twitter)- one of scores that I send out in the world each week, but it gained an unusual level of engagement with my small following. The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, partly through his envoys, Jarod Kushner and Steve Witkoff, had just seemingly managed a deal to release the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a renewed ceasefire and release of close to 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Democrats, and particularly Jewish Democrats, should praise this spectacular achievement to both recognize a tremendous feat and push him to remain engaged to finish the task at hand.

I am a lifelong Democrat who has served the party in unofficial ways, e.g., campaigning by the side of the road for Judge Denise Majette, and in official capacities, such as being on the board and holding office of Democrats Abroad while living overseas. I oppose most of President Trump's policies, from his authoritarian tendencies to his economic policies.

As an attorney, I find his destruction of the wall of independence established post-Nixon between the Department of Justice and the White House and his disregard of court orders nothing short of horrifying.

But that is not the point.

When a public official, a leader of our beloved country, does something worthy of praise then he should be praised. President Trump took the qualities that he embodies that I find to be some of the most distasteful and used them to the advantage of the U.S., Israel, the Middle East, and the World to remarkable effect. President Trump bullies, demeans, threatens, and cajoles. He views all of life and the world on a purely transactional basis. And he used these characteristics, that I find so distasteful and ineffective in a domestic context, to remarkable dip-

lomatic ends in the Middle East.

For President Trump, along with Witkoff and Kushner, put tremendous pressure on the stakeholders in the region to get them to this point. Reading news accounts of the behind-the-scenes activities, one can see President Trump not asking, but telling, the leaders in the Middle East exactly what they were going to do. When the books are eventually written about the past few weeks, the accounts will be fascinating.

Now, we Democrats should acknowledge this victory that he has at least partially achieved in the region. Recognition of this accomplishment demonstrates intellectual honesty and hopefully incentivizes and maybe presses President Trump to finish the hard work ahead.

Given the demands on the Office, focusing on a single issue for any length of time is hard for any President. Now, imagine how hard that must be for President Trump who has a notoriously short attention span. President Trump has been travelling in Israel and Egypt this week giving valedictory speeches that appear to assume that the hard part of the job is done. But anyone who has paid any attention to the region over the last 40 years knows that the hard part has only just begun.

Now, the President must remain focused on the Middle East and continue to bring the parties to a final resolution of the disputes there and a lasting peace. We Jewish Democrats can encourage that through acknowledging the good work that he has done so far and pressing him to continue those efforts. The next stages are hard, and we need our President to follow through and achieve a lasting peace.

If he does that, let’s give him that Noble Prize he wants so badly. I’m good with that. ì

Doug Weinstein is a criminal defense attorney and commercial litigator who practices throughout the State of Georgia.

Consider Temple Sinai as a location for your future celebrations and events. Our beautiful building was recently renovated and has both indoor and outdoor spaces that offer an ideal setting for weddings, corporate events, cocktail receptions, lectures, showers, parties and more.

Researchers Make Breakthrough in Glass 3D Printing

Researchers at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University have developed a method to produce glass objects with a 3D printer that eliminates the need for wasteful chemical glues to bind the layers together. To date,

Today in Israeli History

Oct. 15, 1894: Moshe Sharett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Israel’s first foreign minister and its second prime minister, is born in Ukraine. He becomes the Jewish Agency’s political director in 1933.

Moshe Dayan became the IDF chief of staff in 1953, the defense minister in 1967 and the foreign minister in 1977.

// By Rob Croes, Anefo, Dutch National Archive, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oct. 16, 1981: Moshe Dayan — who lost an eye in World War II, was a hero after the 1967 war, faced criticism after the 1973 war and played a key role in the 1978 Camp David talks — dies of a heart attack in Tel Aviv at 66.

Oct. 17, 1973: After a U.S. airlift resupplies Israel during the Yom Kippur War, oil ministers from Arab states cut exports by 5% and recommend an embargo of Israel’s allies. Libya begins such an embargo Oct. 19.

Oct. 18, 1991: The Soviet Union and Israel resume full diplomatic relations for the first time since June 1967. They established consular ties in 1987. Israel’s agreement to participate in the Madrid peace conference is crucial.

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

most methods of 3D printing glass have required the energy-intensive use of binders that must later be burned out in a process that often causes cracks, shrinkage, or loss of resolution.

In a study recently published in Materials Today, scientists Amir Reisinger, Natanel Jarach, and Prof. Shlomo Magdassi of the Chemistry Institute describe their breakthrough technology. The process utilizes light to trigger a chemical reaction in a mixture of water, alcohol, and a soluble silica material, resulting in a gel. When the gel is heated, it forms glass.

The material is compatible with standard 3D digital light processing (DLP) printers and can produce centimeter-scale objects with moderate transparency after a simple 250°C treatment. This is lower than at least 1,000°C (1832°F) typical in glassmaking.

As mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat attends a ceremony for fallen Israeli soldiers at Ammunition Hill on May 8, 2011. // By Amos Ben Gershom, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

Oct. 19, 1959 : Nir Barkat is born in Jerusalem, which he serves as mayor from 2008 to 2018. He founds BRM, which specializes in antivirus software, in 1988. After two terms as mayor, Barkat joins Likud and is elected to the Knesset.

Oct. 20, 1952: Dalia Itzik, the first female Knesset speaker, is born in Jerusalem. She gets her start in politics as the chairwoman of the Jerusalem Teachers Union for five years and is first elected to the Knesset in 1992.

Oct. 21, 1967: Egyptian Komar-class missile boats within the Port Said harbor fire Soviet-made missiles at the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat on patrol in international waters. Nearly cut in half, the ship sinks within minutes.

Oct. 22, 1979: For the first time, the Israeli Supreme Court rules against Jewish settlers. The court orders the Gush Emunim settlement of Elon Moreh dismantled for lack of evidence that it was established for security reasons.

Defense Tech Firm Kela Buys AI Startup

Israeli defense tech company Kela Technologies — founded in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught — has acquired AI

Oct. 23, 1868: Alfred Mond, an ardent British Zionist, is born in England. After the Balfour Declaration, he uses his wealth to support Jewish settlement in Palestine, including Tel Mond, and helps found the Jewish Agency.

Oct. 24, 1915: Sir Henry McMahon, the British high commissioner in Cairo, and Hussein Ibn Ali, the sharif of Mecca, begin an exchange of letters in which the British promise to back Hussein’s bid to lead a restored Arab caliphate.

Oct. 25, 1976: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the president of the International Chess Federation, Max Euwe, open the Chess Olympiad in Haifa amid a Soviet boycott. Only 48 of the federation’s 90-plus countries send teams.

Oct. 26, 1943: Ron Ben-Yishai, a war correspondent and recipient of the 2018 Israel Prize, is born in Jerusalem. He begins as a radio reporter in 1966, switches to TV in 1969, and covers wars around the world for TV, radio and print.

Oct. 27, 2018: After an overnight barrage of roughly 30 rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli border towns, the Israeli Air Force strikes 80 Gaza targets, including Hamas weapons plants, training sites and observation posts.

startup Pelanor, its first acquisition, as it builds a military operating system tailored for the modern battlefield.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but the value is estimated at about $20 million to $30 million, according to reports in the Hebrew press.

Tel Aviv-based Pelanor was founded at the end of 2022 by Israeli army intelligence elite group Unit 8200 alumni Matan Mates (CEO), Ido Kotler (CPO) and Yotam Tanay (CTO). The startup has developed an AI-based platform that tracks, manages and reduces cloud computing expenses for firms by automatically detecting redundant costs.

The defense tech startup was founded in July 2024 by Meridor, who also serves as president, alongside CEO Alon Dror, serial entrepreneur and engineer Omer Bar-Ilan and aeronautical engineer Jason Manne.

Oct. 28, 1948: The iconic banner with two blue stripes and a blue Star of David becomes the official Israeli flag more than five months after the establishment of the state. The First Zionist Congress adopted the flag in 1897.

Oct. 29, 1973: The first talks between Israeli and Egyptian generals after the Yom Kippur War begin in Israeli-controlled territory 101 kilometers (63 miles) east of Cairo. The talks go beyond military matters to political issues.

Oct. 30, 1991: The Soviet Union and the United States convene a three-day Middle East peace conference in Madrid that includes all Arab states contiguous to Israel, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza.

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

All 20 Remaining Living Hostages Return to Israel

By TOI and Agencies

Israel joined the families in celebration on Monday, Oct. 13 as Hamas released the 20 remaining living hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, who came to Israel to mark the event.

Hamas is yet to release the remains of 28 dead hostages, despite being required to do so under the deal that would bring some closure to the national trauma that began when the terror group took 251 hostages back to Gaza after massacring some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023.

The first seven living hostages — Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Guy Gilboa-Dallal and twin brothers, Gali and Ziv Berman — were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City, in the Strip’s north, at about 8 a.m. and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later.

The next 13 — Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein and brothers, David and Ariel Cunio — were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, in the Strip’s south, shortly before 11 a.m. and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later.

All 20 returned pale and frail, but smiling and standing on their legs, with most of them held in horrific conditions in tunnels deep under Gaza, where many faced abuse, starvation and received limited medical treatment.

They underwent initial medical checks at Re’im to determine if any of them needed immediate, urgent treatment.

They were then flown on a military chopper to hospitals in central Israel, where they will undergo treatment and rehabilitation. Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar personally flew the helicopter transporting Cohen and his family to Sourasky Medical Center, the military said.

Footage released by the IDF showed hostages’ families to be elated and tearful as they reunited with their loved ones, as large crowds gathered in Jerusalem and on Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square cheered from afar.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hostages Square to celebrate the release, waving Israeli flags and singing and dancing. Thousands more lined the streets as the hostages were transported to the Re’im base, while others gathered

An Israeli military helicopter prepares to land as it transports a released Israeli hostage to the Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel on Oct. 13, 2025 // Photo Credit: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP/Times of Israel

at the three hospitals where the freed hostages were brought.

Marking the release, Ohad Ben Ami, who was released emaciated from Hamas captivity in February as part of the last Gaza ceasefire, sent a message to his former cellmates: Bohbot, Ohana, Kuperstein, Kalfon and Herkin.

“Elkana, Yosef, Bar, Segev, Maxim, my souls, I love you,” said Ben Ami. “Listen well, all of the nation of Israel waited for you, is waiting for you, you can’t imagine what was going on here. I will finally see you and hold you, we will do all the things we planned after you reunite with your families. You’ll recover, you’ll see, I regained all of my weight,” he added.

“I love you, you’re so strong, you held on, I’m so proud of you, I love you, love you!” said Ben Ami.

Before their release, Hamas orchestrated video calls between the hostages and their families. The hostages could be seen in the videos accompanied by Hamas gunmen, and wearing fake military uniforms that Hamas had forced released hostages to wear in propaganda handover ceremonies during the previous Gaza ceasefire earlier this year. Israel demanded this time around that Hamas not hold such ceremonies.

In exchange for the 20 hostages, Israel on Monday released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 terror convicts serving life sentences, as stipulated by Trump’s ceasefire proposal, an IDF spokesperson told The Times of Israel.

Israel had initially said it would wait until all hostages, the living and the dead, had been released, but instead decided to free the prisoners after only the 20 living hostages were freed.

The Hostage and Missing Families

This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows released Israeli hostage Eitan Mor (center) being embraced by his family after being handed over in a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Israel on Oct. 13, 2025 // Photo Credit: Israel Defense Forces/Times of Israel

Forum said it had received notice that Hamas would release only four of the 28 dead hostages on Monday, calling it a “blatant breach” of the ceasefire agreement, which had required Hamas to release the hostages within 72 hours of the IDF’s Friday withdrawal.

The four slain hostages slated for release were later identified by Hamas as Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Perez. The statement did not specify when the transfer would take place.

“This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas. We expect

Israeli

Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice,” the Forum said, noting it is “shocked and dismayed.”

“The families of the deceased hostages are enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow,” said the group. “We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.”

Hamas has said it would have difficulties locating some of the bodies of the deceased hostages. ì

IS ELI HOSTAGE T CKER

The following is an index of Israeli hostages with the most current information available as of press deadline.

The first phase of Israeli hostage transfers is complete. The Atlanta Jewish Times will update this hostage tracker with current news of the next round of hostage transfers. Bring Them Home.

Israeli hostages remaining:

Twenty-four hostages are either believed to be dead or their deaths have been confirmed:

Amiram Cooper, 84 (murdered in captivity)

Inbar Hayman, 27 (murdered in captivity)

Asaf Hamami, 41 (murdered in captivity)

Eliyahu Margalit, 75 (murdered in captivity)

Uriel Baruch, 35 (murdered in captivity)

Tal Haimi, 41 (murdered in captivity)

Oz Daniel, 19 (murdered in captivity)

Tamir Adar, 38 (murdered in captivity)

Eitan Levy, 52 (murdered in captivity)

Ran Gvili, 24 (murdered in captivity)

Ronen Engel, 54 (murdered in captivity)

Sahar Baruch, 35 (murdered in captivity)

Itay Chen, 19 (murdered in captivity)

Dror Or, 48 (murdered in captivity)

Muhammad Al-Atrash, 39 (murdered in captivity)

Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21 (murdered in captivity)

Idan Shitvi, 28 (murdered on Oct. 7, 2023)

Arie Zalmanovich, 85 (murdered in captivity)

Lior Rudaeff, 61 (murdered in captivity)

Meny Godard, 73 (murdered in captivity)

Ilan Weiss, 56 (murdered on Oct. 7, 2023)

Hadar Goldin, 23 (murdered in 2014)

Sonthaya Oakkharasri (murdered in captivity) Sudthisak Rinthalak (murdered in captivity)

Jewish Atlanta Reacts to Ceasefire Agreement

By Sasha Heller

Israel and Hamas having agreed to a ceasefire and phase one of the deal is currently in motion as all 20 of the living hostages have been returned to Israel. Four of the 28 slain hostages were also returned as of press deadline.

Details of the ceasefire include: the return of all 48 hostages still in captivity in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and the retreat of Israeli forces to just over half of the Gaza Strip territory. After the retreat, the IDF will be in control of a buffer zone along the entire Gaza border, including the Philadelphi Corridor — the Egypt-Gaza border area — along with Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the Strip’s far north, a ridge on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, and large portions of Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to the Times of Israel.

Jewish Atlanta spiritual and community leaders shared their thoughts and feelings concerning the deal.

Eitan Weiss, Israel Consul General to the Southeast, said, “For me, it’s difficult

to be so far away from Israel … especially since I was so involved in the events directly after Oct. 7.” When asked about the challenges that remain going forward,

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Weiss said, “Israel, from the beginning, was always interested in peace. The problem is that our adversaries are not.”

Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple said, “Today, as news emerges of the release of hostages and the long-awaited end of the war in Gaza, we stand at a moment of relief and gratitude. As Jews, we are commanded to redeem the captives — pidyon shvuyim — among the highest of all mitzvot. The return of innocent lives held in terror is not only a cause for gratitude but a sacred affirmation of life itself. We pray for their healing — body, mind, and soul — and for the families who never gave up hope.”

Rabbi Berg continued, “At the same time, we mourn the countless lives lost — Israeli and Palestinian — and the deep pain that has scarred both peoples. The end of fighting does not end our responsibility. It calls us to recommit to the hard, sacred work of rebuilding: rebuilding homes, rebuilding trust, and rebuilding faith that peace is still possible in our lifetime.

“Our tradition teaches, ‘Seek peace and pursue it,’ not only when it is easy, but especially when it is hard. May this fragile ceasefire be more than a pause. May it be the first step toward a future rooted in justice, compassion, and the dignity of every human being created in the image of G-d. Today, we thank G-d for life restored. Tomorrow, we begin again — working, praying, and believing that peace is not just a dream, but our shared destiny.”

Rabbi Ari Kaiman of Congregation

Shearith Israel shared, “For two years, we have been sowing in tears — praying each day for the return of the hostages. We have prayed for all who are held in Gaza, and especially for those directly connected to our Shearith Israel family: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered by Hamas and whose body has now been recovered by the IDF; Omer Neutra, who was killed on Oct. 7, and whose body remains in Gaza; Elkanah Bohbot and Evyatar David, whom we continue to pray will be able to share Shabbat dinner with their families this coming week.

“Our hearts hold both gratitude and grief,” said Rabbi Kaiman. “We are grateful for the tremendous efforts of the Trump administration and all who have worked tirelessly to bring the world together in demanding that Hamas recognize what Israel’s resilience has already made clear: progress cannot come through terror. On this festival of Sukkot, the Torah commands us to rejoice — v’samachta b’chagecha … v’hayita ach sameach — to feel “only joy.” How can we possibly do so while so much pain still fills the world? Perhaps the answer is: only for a moment.”

Rabbi Kaiman continued, “When the hostages come home, let us allow ourselves — if only for a moment — to feel only joy. When our brothers and sisters in the IDF are no longer called to fight, let us feel only joy. When Hamas lays down its arms and the Palestinian people are free from their reign of terror, let us feel only joy. When peace, even fragile and incomplete, draws

“And

Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, CEO of Hillels of Georgia, said, “Today and always, Hillels of Georgia stands with Israel as we pray for the long-awaited return of hostages and for safety, healing, and renewal for all of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

“On our campuses, Jewish life continues to be vibrant, safe, and deeply rooted in dialogue and bridge-building. We are proud to stand alongside thousands of students nationwide who, since Oct. 7, have spoken up with courage and conviction in support of our brothers and sisters in Israel.”

Rabbi Sernovitz continued, “Our mission to connect students to Israel remains unwavering. Even throughout this conflict, Hillels of Georgia has continued sending students on immersive Israel experiences; journeys that are transformative, educational, and deeply personal. We will continue to do so this winter and summer, helping students strengthen their Jewish identity, build lifelong ties to Israel, and inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders.

“As we look ahead, we remain committed to cultivating vibrant Jewish life on every campus, grounded in our values of learning, leadership, and peace. May

this moment mark the beginning of a safer, more hopeful future for Israel and the Middle East, our students, and the entire Jewish people.”

Terry Nordin, Hadassah Greater Atlanta president, said, “Hadassah welcomes the announcement that Hamas — the terrorist group that savagely attacked Israel in a murderous rampage and took 251 men, women and children hostage — has agreed to the first phase of a plan to end the war and to free all of the remaining hostages, whom they tortured and starved for an agonizing two years. Our hearts remain with the hostages and their families, who have been living in a nightmare and fighting to be reunited with their loved ones.

“We hold our breath until all of them, living and deceased, are returned home. May the road to rehabilitation and healing begin. Hadassah continues to support Israel’s right to exist and responsibility to defend itself and its citizens from attack. We thank our leaders in the United States and those around the globe who have worked to bring about this path to peace for Israel and the entire Middle East. We are grateful for the enduring friendship between the United States and Israel.” ì

Bernstein, Women’s Emory Team, Eye Postseason

David Ostrowsky

Emory senior Emma Bernstein has been playing soccer since 2006, but the two most important dates of her career span the past year.

First, there was the fateful afternoon of Sept. 28, 2024, when the San Juan Capistrano, Calif., native was streaking across the field to cut off a passing lane during a mid-season scrimmage. It was a sudden burst of motion that, by Bernstein’s tongue-in-cheek estimate, she makes a hundred times every game. But this time was quite different as the Emory University forward heard her knee pop, immediately crumpling to the ground. The subsequent diagnosis of a torn ACL and meniscus loomed as a death knell of her junior season and with a months-long recovery ahead, her final season at Emory was potentially in jeopardy.

“It’s a soccer player’s worst nightmare to tear their ACL,” reflected Bernstein.

For a scholar-athlete such as Bernstein who had to balance a rigorous pre-med courseload — not to mention a part-time job doing clinical research work and student programming council activities — with the impending rehab and recovery work, the rocky road ahead presented innumerable obstacles from preparing for surgery to getting used to crutches on rainy afternoons to undergoing many long and monotonous post-surgery exercises so she could acclimate her legs to walking, and eventually, running. But Bernstein, who has been kicking a soccer ball around ever since she was a toddler in her Southern California home, didn’t want this non-contact (though, not uncommon) injury, in an exhibition game no less, to mark the final chapter of her soccer career — even if it meant facing an uncertain future for her senior season.

“I committed to the fact that if I can’t play my whole [senior] season, I at least want to play my senior game just so that I can say, ‘bye,’ to soccer on my own terms and not let an injury say good-bye for me,” said Bernstein, who misses California’s surfing and beaching culture but has thoroughly enjoyed all the BeltLine has to offer as well as Atlanta’s diverse culinary options. “I’m really happy to say

that I will be playing my senior game.”

She most certainly will be taking the field for Emory against defending national champion Washington University on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 26 — a date that she has been eyeing for over a year now and will, in a sense, bookend her collegiate career, irrespective of how far the Eagles advance in the postseason.

“I definitely have been thinking about that since it’s coming up,” acknowledged Bernstein, who, after graduating from Emory this spring, will be looking ahead to a gap year and then starting medical school in June 2027. “I would be lying if I didn’t say I’m nervous. This is almost like my good-bye to soccer. A lot of emotions. I don’t know if I can really put into words how I’m going to feel, because I’m not exactly sure what that day will bring. But I am excited to go out there and play since it’s been over a year.”

Bernstein, who just got cleared to play on Oct.1, and readily admits she still isn’t 100 percent back to normal health, has yet to play for an Emory team riding a No. 2 national ranking and 11-0-1 record into its final stretch of regular-season action over the next couple weeks. There

are three more games before Senior Day, and there’s no telling if she will have her number called. Whereas some college athletes might be utterly frustrated and discouraged to not play the second they are available after a yearlong recuperation, Bernstein is content — even proud — to continue being the ever-supportive teammate to some of her closest friends, who were there for her during her milestone collegiate moments when she recorded her first goal (against Birmingham-Southern in 2023) and assist (against Berry in 2024).

“Last year, I kind of took on this role — just because I couldn’t play — of trying to be positive and almost like a player-coach, just trying to be there for my team as much as possible off the field,” she reflected. “I really appreciated just being there for my team and them being there for me. And if that means that I don’t play, then I’m OK with that — as long as we’re doing OK.

“Even though I was hurt, I still felt like I wanted to come back for them [teammates] because they put in so much work. I just wanted to contribute to my family.”

Bernstein’s determination to play at least one more time in a regular season game is also a reflection of her lifelong unflagging investment in soccer. After using crutches for over a couple months, learning how to walk and run again, and going through 20 hours per week of rehab — while not missing one of her team’s practices — Bernstein was finally able to kick a ball this past April and realistically envision playing in a Division III college soccer game.

Soccer is a sport that has been such a formative part of her life — whether it was being part of a high school state championship squad as a freshman for St. Margaret’s or the game directing her college journey cross-country to Atlanta — and she needed one more taste of high-level competition before moving on to the next stage of her life: studying either pediatric emergency medicine or pediatric anesthesiology.

“I don’t know life without soccer. I think soccer has shaped me into who I am. It has introduced me to some of my best friends in the whole entire world and even people I will consider family until I’m way older.” ì

Weber Girls’ Volleyball Setting the Pace for Success

By David Ostrowsky

Gabby Lyon, head girls’ volleyball coach at The Weber School, has been involved with the sport — both as a player and coach — for years and knows that records can be deceiving. Yes, the Rams are coming off a 7-16 regular season as they await postseason play this week. But the sub .500 mark belies the tremendous strides Lyon’s players have made in her Weber coaching tenure. Even if Weber doesn’t make much noise in the upcoming state tournament, the team’s nucleus of young dynamic players who have instilled a culture of cohesion and doggedness bodes well for a program that hopes to electrify the Eitan Force Athletic Complex for autumns to come.

That youthful core primarily consists of sophomore setter Anna Vaynshteyn (a two-year starter who serves as the team’s de facto floor general, averaging 15 assists and five aces per game), sophomore outside hitter Avana Saitowitz (a supremely athletic player who’s a force on both offense and defense, accounting for six kills and six digs per match), and junior libero Sisi Frank (the “heartbeat” of Weber’s defense who’s good for 13 digs per game), all of whom will be returning in 2026. Together, these three women, with their tone-setting competitiveness and leadership, sparkplugged a turnaround season for Weber, the apex of which was a 3-1 road win over powerhouse North Springs back in August.

But it’s not just the in-season contributions from the trio of standouts. It’s also the fact that all three have stayed dedicated to volleyball in the off-season by competing at a very high level away from Weber. Vaynshteyn plays at the national level with M2 Volleyball Club in Chamblee; Saitowitz, a three-sport athlete at Weber, has also had club experience at both M2 and Top Dog Volleyball Clubs in Atlanta; and Frank spent this past summer training and competing at the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Clearly, both current and incoming Weber volleyball players have taken note of their passion for and year-round commitment to the sport.

“We’re seeing a strong wave of young talent coming in from The Davis Academy and The Epstein School, and that pipeline is going to make a big impact in the years to come,” noted Lyon, who’s wrapping up her third year at Weber after coming over from her alma mater, Science Hill High School in East Tennessee, where she coached both girls’ basket-

ball, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ volleyball.

“For the first time, we’ve had more club volleyball players in our program than ever before, which is a huge step forward in terms of experience, skill level, and competitiveness.

“The interest and passion for volleyball in our community are growing and with the right development and support, I truly believe we have players in our program who can compete at the next level.”

In her playing days, Lyon was a standout in volleyball, but her best sport was actually basketball. After graduating from Science Hill last decade, she went on to play four years of college hoops at Middle Tennessee State University where she scored more than 500 career points. Nevertheless, she always got immense pleasure out of volleyball and after being an assistant volleyball coach for a few years at Science Hill under the wing of Laura

Cook and Wendy Ratliff, two coaches with multiple TSSAA State Championships and appearances, Lyon felt ready to make her volleyball head-coaching bones at Weber. Indeed, in the early 2020s, Science Hill was a top contender in Tennessee’s District 1-AAA, and Lyon learned how strategy and player development coalesced into a flourishing program.

“Bringing that experience to Weber has been a blessing,” Lyon told the AJT last week. “Each season, I’ve watched our program grow stronger and I’m proud of the direction we’re headed. I’m very excited about the future of girls’ volleyball at Weber. There’s so much potential here, and this past year has really shown what’s possible for our program.

“This is my third year coaching at Weber, and each year we’ve taken steps forward. Statistically, we’ve improved across the board, but what really stands

out to me is the way this group has matured in how they play, how they handle adversity, and how they support one another.”

A season that Lyon describes as being full of “growth, challenges, and proud moments” will fittingly culminate in a postseason state tourney berth. Though the Rams may face a more seasoned opponent stacked with seniors, they are excited to showcase their potential for greatness on the season’s biggest stage in the coming days.

“No matter who it is, I know this team will show up ready to fight,” said Weber’s varsity girls’ volleyball coach. “They’ve worked hard, they’ve grown, and they’ve earned the chance to show what Weber volleyball is all about.

“There’s a lot to look forward to, and I’m proud to be a part of building something special here at Weber.” ì

New Orleans Museum Builds Rooftop Sukkah AJFF Gala Concert with ASO Adds Interfaith Choirs

In honor of Sukkot, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) partnered with unCommon Construction to build a traditional sukkah on the museum’s rooftop. The museum’s sukkah served as both a free communal gathering space and as a venue for a weeklong slate of structured programming.

During this annual harvest festival, Jewish households and communities traditionally construct a sukkah: a hut-like outdoor structure for socializing, dining, and hosting guests. Each year, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, located in New Orleans’ busy warehouse district, transforms its building’s rooftop into a sukkah with a view of downtown New Orleans.

“Sukkot is a microcosm of what MSJE is about, because it lets us show off our Southern hospitality through Jewish

tradition,” says public programs manager Lizzi Meister. “It’s a holiday about welcoming others into your home, feeding friends and strangers, and being outside together. It brings together the best of our two cultures.”

The nonprofit organization unCommon Construction empowers youth through construction apprenticeships. By engaging in a collaborative build process, high school juniors and seniors earn wages, apprenticeship credit, an equity award, and experience.

Says Ross Harmon, unCommon’s construction manager, “This is a great project with lovely views, and a great museum. Any time I can do projects with the community, like this is my favorite. Plus, the apprentices had a great time!”

Compiled by AJT Staff

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

As part of its milestone 25th anniversary celebration, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) is raising the curtain on something truly special -- its dazzling Gala Concert will bring together not just iconic Jewish film music, but also Atlanta’s diverse artistic and faith communities for a powerful night of unity and cultural expression with the addition of  performances by The Temple and Ebenezer Baptist Church choirs, two of Atlanta’s most historically significant spiritual communities.

These choirs, together with AJFF’s three featured vocalists — Brad Raymond, Deb Bowman, and Leigh Ellen Jones, will join the ASO at Symphony Hall in bringing to life sentimental scores from films like “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Prince of Egypt,” “An American Tail,” “The Ten Commandments,” “The Producers,” and more.

About this addition, incorporating “faith, culture, and curiosity,” AJFF

Executive and Artistic Director Kenny Blank said, “At a time when the world feels increasingly divided, AJFF is proud to bring Atlanta’s creative and spiritual communities together on one stage. This concert is about more than music — it’s about community, compassion, and the enduring power of shared stories.”

Traveling from California, Maestro Stuart Chafetz will bring his experience as a principal pops conductor and a specialist in film scores. He has conducted major orchestras across North America and collaborated with acclaimed artists across genres. Chafetz will helm the evening alongside Turner Classic Movies (TCM) primetime host Ben Mankiewicz and Blank.

The event is one-night only, Monday, Oct. 20. Beyond the music itself, the evening is designed to be a reflection of AJFF’s mission to bridge communities through the power of film. The venue seats 1,800 and tickets are expected to sell out. Tickets can be purchased by visiting AJFF.org/concert.

Free Concert of Jewish Composers set for Nov. 2 Repair the World Hosts Sandwich Packing Event

Atlanta Concert Band at a recent performance pleases the crowds.

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Calling all music lovers! You won’t want to miss the spectacular and purposeful program to be held at Temple Emanu-El presenting a special performance by The Atlanta Concert Band. The event will be held at 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 2, and offers a rare and exciting opportunity to hear works by distinguished Jewish composers from around the world. Free and open to the public, you’ll sit back and enjoy a memorable event as one of Atlanta’s treasured groups brings a myriad of music with meaning to life.

The program will feature outstanding original music by Dr. Steven L. Rosenhaus, Boris Pigovat, André Hajdu, and Elai Botner, showcasing the richness and variety of Jewish musical expression. One of the highlights of the afternoon will be the North American premiere of “Concert March” by Boris Pigovat, a vibrant and powerful work that reflects the composer’s distinctive voice.

Along with this lineup of pieces, band member Sean Mack will be featured as trombone soloist on Pigovat’s evocative composition, “TZFAT,” inspired by the mystical city in northern Israel. Another centerpiece of the concert will be an original setting of Proverbs 31, “Ayshet Chayil,” composed by Dr. Rosenhaus, featuring guest vocalist Brian Parks.

The talented guiding music force Paul Scanling, music director of the Atlanta Concert Band, said, “We are thrilled to bring this repertoire to life in a sacred space that celebrates Jewish tradition and culture. It is a privilege to honor these composers and share their music with the Atlanta community.”

Dedicated band member Sandra Cuttler, Esq., who plays the clarinet, shared her feelings about the concert, and added, “The power of music is that it unites, heals, and remembers. Klezmer music evokes my memories of my grandparents singing Yiddish songs on Sunday afternoons when their children and grandchildren would meet at their house. Some of us would sometimes play our musical instruments. My grandfather was from Uman, Ukraine, a city renowned for its Kleyzmorim (Klezmer bands). As a clarinetist with the Atlanta Concert Band for 28 years, I am proud that my band is performing Jewish music.”

The performance at Temple Emanu-El promises to be an inspiring afternoon of artistry, history, and cultural celebration. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m., and seating will be first-come, firstserved. For more information about the Atlanta Concert Band and upcoming performances, please visit www.AtlantaConcertBand.org.

Repair the World Atlanta’s service ambassadors recently hosted a sandwich packing event alongside local service partner, The Sandwich Project. Volunteers came together to embody Jewish values of tzedakah and justice and engage in meaningful learning. The group packed 193 sandwiches over the evening, finding joy in service along the way – some even left saying how easy and fun service is, especially when you are working alongside your community.

In other news, The Black and Jewish Leaders of Tomorrow Service Corps launched with a formal Unity Dinner on Sunday, Sept. 21. Twenty-eight of the

31 cohort members — students from colleges and universities across Atlanta representing diverse backgrounds — came together for meaningful conversations, both large and small, and discovered shared values and experiences. Throughout the semester, cohort members will serve alongside one another and participate in learning opportunities designed to deepen their engagement, including visits to the King Center, the Civil Rights History Center, and historic sites in Montgomery and Selma, Ala.

Compiled by AJT Staff

OPINION Keeping Hope Alive

Dave Schechter

From Where I Sit

Editor's

Note: This column was filed on Monday night, Oct. 13. On the evening of Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, my wife and I attended a concert with our daughter and future son-in-law.

I remember looking at my phone before going to bed — after 11.30 p.m. Eastern time — and seeing a map with red circles indicating alerts throughout Israel. I thought it might be “just” another barrage of rockets fired from Gaza.

It was 6.30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, in Israel.

I woke Saturday morning to news reports that seemed inconceivable. In addition to firing 3,000 rockets, Hamasled terrorists had breached Israeli security fences and attacked kibbutzim, towns, and an outdoor music festival in

the “Gaza envelope."

In time, we would learn the now familiar numbers, of 1,200 men, women, and children slaughtered and 251 — living and dead — kidnapped and taken to Gaza, where their arrival was greeted by cheering and jeering crowds.

Within 72 hours, we saw public reaction bend from sympathy for Israel to a global wave of anti-Israeli demonstrations, as the Israel Defense Forces launched air strikes, followed by a ground invasion of Gaza. As the Palestinian death toll grew and Gaza’s infrastructure was destroyed, displacing an estimated 1.9 million people, the protests multiplied, often blurring the lines between anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment.

Soon enough, I would watch a briefing by Israeli forensic scientists displaying photographs to illustrate the difficult task of identifying human remains burned beyond recognition and mutilated in ways that sickened. Israel belatedly rolled out, for select audiences, a 47-minute compilation of vid -

eo and audio gathered from the body cameras and phones of Hamas fighters (who went about killing with evident pride), the phones of their victims, surveillance cameras, and social media.

In time, we read of intelligence, military, and political failures that resulted in the greatest number of Jews killed in a single day since the Holocaust (and not all of those murdered or kidnapped were Jewish).

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have massed publicly demanding accountability from the government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted formation of a commission of national inquiry, as was established after the 1973 Yom Kippur war, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Golda Meir.

an American-Israeli serving in the IDF. Neutra, a tank platoon commander, was killed on Oct. 7, one month short of his 22nd birthday, battling terrorists who had invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz and took his body to Gaza.

“So many times world leaders indicated that a deal might be imminent and most of the time it was just a false alarm,” he said.

As news broke on Oct. 8 of a deal accepted by Israel and Hamas — brokered in large measure by the United States — my thoughts were not of the politicians taking victory laps, but for the families of the remaining 48 hostages.

Within days, I learned that three members of my extended family had been murdered at Kibbutz Be’eri and seven others kidnapped. Before Oct. 7, I did not know their names, their faces, or anything of their lives. That changed in the weeks and months that followed, as I made contact with about a dozen members of the family. In the worst possible circumstances, I filled in the branches on the family tree in my computer.

Of those kidnapped, six — women and children — were freed in a Nov. 25, 2023, exchange for jailed Palestinians. The seventh suffered for 505 days, chained, beaten, and starved, before returning this past Feb. 22 to his wife and two children, to his parents and siblings.

I have written more than two dozen “From Where I Sit” columns about Oct. 7, the hostages, and the war in Gaza. A personal connection prompted many of those columns.

Bobby Harris spoke about his personal connection before the several hundred people who gathered Oct. 5 at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, to mark the second anniversary of the horror.

Harris, director of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, wondered aloud how much a family could take — in this case that of his cousin, Omer Neutra,

On Oct. 13, after 738 days of captivity, 20 living hostages were freed, exchanged for some 2,000 jailed Palestinians, then choppered to Israel for reunions with their families.

The bodies of four of the 28 dead hostages were returned to the IDF later that day, with no word when others — including the body of Omer Neutra — would be released. The ceasefire agreement called for the dead to be returned the same day. Hamas reportedly told mediators that it did not know where some of the bodies were located.

In his remarks at Ahavath Achim, Harris invoked words often attributed to Elie Wiesel, but which the Holocaust survivor and author may have adapted from the writings of French philosopher Albert Camus: “Where there is no hope, one must invent hope.”

In an email later, Harris pointed to a line from Wiesel’s book, “A Jew Today,” in which he writes that, for Jews, “Even in the midst of despair, we attempt to justify hope.”

The hopes of the families of the hostages who returned alive have been justified with the hugs and kisses, smiles and tears of reunions. The families of the dead fight despair with the hope that they will have the opportunity to properly bury their loved ones. For them, the clock remains stopped at 6.30 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2023. ì

Cheers to 100 Years

In recognition of the Atlanta Jewish Times celebrating its 100th year from its first edition in 1925, the AJT will re-publish articles from the Southern Israelite from editions dating as far back as 1929, the earliest edition available through the Digital Library of Georgia. All of the Southern Israelite editions, from 1929-1986, can be viewed at gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn78003973/

Please enjoy this retrospective of Jewish journalism in Atlanta and across Georgia, and thank you for supporting the Atlanta Jewish Times for the last 100 years.

Rabbi Roundtable

Rabbi Rachael Klein Miller, Reform Rabbi Rachael Klein Miller has served as an associate rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Sandy Springs since her ordination in 2017. Rabbi Rachael is passionate about Judaism’s ability to build a more meaningful and purposeful life. She enthusiastically seeks innovative ways for community members to nurture their innate spirituality and especially enjoys nurturing the spiritual lives of children.

A proud Midwesterner raised in Leawood, Kan., Rabbi Rachael received her ordination from the historic Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR. She also holds a master’s concentration in Israel education from the iCenter and is an alumna of the Leffell Israel AIPAC Fellowship. She currently serves on the AZM Board as part of the ARZA delegation.

Rabbi Ari Kaiman, Conservative

Rabbi Kaiman is the Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta. Upon ordination, he served as Assistant Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Amoona in St. Louis for five years where he founded Makor, a young adult group. His partnership with the Miller Introduction to Judaism program brought dozens of seekers to their home in Judaism. He is part of the Rabbinical Assembly Cohort of the Pardes Mahloket Matters Fellowship. He believes deeply in a vibrant future for our rapidly changing Jewish community. He received his Rabbinic ordination, with a concentration in Philosophy, from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.

The AJT's new monthly Rabbi Roundtable brings together rabbis from across Atlanta representing each denomination.

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, Chabad

Rabbi Ben Atwood, Orthodox Rabbi Atwood serves as the Assistant Rabbi at Ohr HaTorah and on the Judaic Studies faculty of Atlanta Jewish Academy High School. Over the previous two years, he co-created and co-directed OU-JLIC of Greater Atlanta. He spends his summers on the admin team of the Tikvah Scholars Program for High School Students and has been involved with Yavneh on Campus, Camp Moshava IO, NCSY, the Memphis Torah Fellowship, and the Shalhevet Jewish Educators Fellowship. He has received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University in tandem with a certificate in Mental Health Counseling at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf School of Psychology.

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman is the founder and director of Chabad Intown - Atlanta. From its inception in 1997, Chabad Intown has grown exponentially and currently serves over 2,000 Jews of all backgrounds throughout the year. In addition, Rabbi Schusterman is a consultant for many Chabad Centers in fundraising and organization management. One of his passions is utilizing technology and business techniques to better impact the Jewish world and increase Jewish involvement. He received ordination from the Central Chabad Yeshiva in Brooklyn. He and his wife, Dena, executive director of the Intown Jewish Preschool, have eight children, and two grandchildren.

For this month's discussion, each rabbi was asked the following question:

We brag that we finish and restart the Torah in the same breath, creating a loop of our Jewish story. Thinking about our community, to what extent are we in a place of Jewish communal renewal? Or are we stuck in a loop with precious little growth?

Rabbi Ari Kaiman

Every year of Jewish life is a cycle, with its own seasons, readings, and rhythms. Our lives, too, are sections of a greater cycle — the generations before us and the ones who will follow. That we face challenges is true in every generation, but the character of those challenges changes with time.

In a way, the question of renewal or stagnation is really a question of optimism or pessimism about our Jewish future. Which data tells that story? Percentage of Jews who keep Shabbat, observe kashrut, or pray regularly? Support for the State of Israel? The ability to tell a story that begins with Bereshit and ends with a vision of redemption — one in which we all play a part? Our commitment to caring for the vulnerable as our share in tikkun olam?

Depending on which questions we ask, and where we look across the diverse landscape of Jewish life, we might see renewal and optimism — or stagnation and decline. But to me, the more important truth is that we are living through a period of tremendous change and possibility, as Jews have in so many generations before. Because we keep telling our foundational stories, we are reminded that these moments are nothing new for the Jewish people, yet they are uniquely ours to live.

Instead of judging parts of our community as growing or stagnating, let us enter this new year with curiosity and responsibility. We will tell our story again — in our way, in our time — linking ourselves to the great cycle of renewal. The only question is: where will we each place our precious energy for our future?

Rabbi Ben Atwood

To an outsider, the endless loop of the Jewish new year can seem repetitive and stagnant. But to us, on the inside, we know the loop breathes life and thrives. Real growth happens in the loop–the continuous rhythm of celebrations, milestones, and misfortunes–when each year we return, yet we feel different.

As a relatively new rabbi in Atlanta, I have been struck by the vigor of the loop of Atlanta’s Jewish community. The Atlanta Rabbinical Association keeps communal leaders connected and able to think about ways to keep moving our world ahead. October 7th and its aftermath have certainly created a sense of camaraderie and unity that inspires me as a young Orthodox rabbi. There’s always more work to be done, but from loop to loop, we have found progress in unity.

In my immediate neighborhood of Toco Hills, the growth is palpable. I notice new faces almost every week, and the synagogues of Lavista road have been expanding to keep up. But this point of pride that creates a responsibility to assure growth does not dilute connection. Our task as rabbis as well as members of this community demands us to keep listening, seeking feedback, and deepening our relationships with others. A new cycle of Torah reading allows us the opportunity to reflect and consider how to make adjustments as we march on to the next loop.

Stability and growth can appear to lie in tension but truly walk hand-in-hand. The theme of Return, teshuvah–be it yearly (Simchat Torah), monthly (Rosh Chodesh), or weekly (Shabbat)--embodies Judaism, but we must return with greater clarity of mission, stronger relationships, and deeper connection with the Divine. This loop we celebrate.

Rabbi Rachael Miller

Atlanta is home to a thriving and vibrant Jewish community. As we begin the Torah cycle anew in the year 5786, we are reminded not only of our spiritual rhythms but of our communal responsibilities. The High Holy Days have just concluded— a time marked by teshuva (a return to the right path), t’fillah (prayer), and tzedakah (righteous giving). These pillars call us to reflect deeply on how we live and give.

While generosity abounds in our city, organizations like Jewish Future Promise have raised a critical concern: a significant portion of charitable giving by Jews is directed outside the Jewish community. This trend poses a challenge to the sustainability and growth of Jewish life.

It would be easy to point to rising antisemitism as a reason to turn inward and support Jewish causes out of fear. But fear should not be our motivator. Instead, we must embrace Jewish giving as an act of love—an affirmation of the meaningful, joyful, and purpose-driven life that Jewish engagement offers.

Our tradition teaches, kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh – all of Israel is responsible for one another. This is not merely a moral obligation; it is a spiritual calling. When we invest in Jewish life, we affirm that our story matters – not just to us, but to the world. When we invest in Jewish life, we build spaces where Torah is lived, values are embodied, and future generations can thrive.

Atlanta’s Jewish community is ripe for renewal. May we continue to answer the call of our tradition and continue to give, to grow, and to ensure a vibrant Jewish future.

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

“Heart of Renewal”

The final letter of the Torah is a Lamed. The very first letter is a Beis (or Bet). Read together, they spell Lev — heart.

On Simchas Torah, we complete the reading of the Torah and immediately begin again, no pause, no gap, because true renewal comes not from starting over but from bringing heart into what we do. Lev is the pulse of the cycle; it’s what keeps our Judaism alive.

Once, a group of Hillel students visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe. They challenged him: “Rebbe, who is higher in their service of G-d, the religious Jew or the secular one?”

The Rebbe, who loved every Jew with equal depth, smiled and responded with a question of his own. “If one person is standing on the bottom rung of a ladder and another is on the top, who is higher?”

The students answered immediately, “The one on top.”

The Rebbe shook his head gently. “It depends which direction each is facing. If the one on the bottom is looking up and climbing, and the one on top is facing down and descending, then who, in truth, is higher?”

That is the essence of Simchas Torah. It is not about where you are, it is about which way your heart is facing.

In a world so full of negativity, division, and despair, it is easy to believe that renewal is out of reach. But if we look with Lev, with heart, we begin to see something extraordinary. We see Jews awakening, searching, caring, turning toward meaning, connection, and Israel, toward each other and toward G-d.

Yes, there is always more to do. But this Simchas Torah, as we engage in the Renewal of a New Year and in the essence of our Judaism, the Torah, let us celebrate the direction of our hearts. Let us choose to see the light in one another, to see the beauty of the Jewish soul, and to bring that Lev, that heart, into everything we do. ì

SENIOR LIVING

Master Jeweler Russ Marks 50 Years Creating Treasures

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

For five successful decades, native Atlantan Barry Evan Russ, an accomplished goldsmith and platinum smith, has created magnificent jewelry. Focused on the finest standards with a nod to the past, his exquisitely designed jewelry is breathtaking. Russ lives by the motto that he is “in the business of customers, and their wishes are paramount.” To him, it’s all about the joy of making someone happy and creating something beautiful that will be enjoyed forever.

Russ’s attention to detail is a tribute to quality, precision, and a labor of love put into every piece. From fabrication to restoration and even repair, he is one of the premier go-to-resources and direct to the artist jeweler.

The year was 1975, when Russ’s career was molded, following a keen interest in the artistry of jewelry while pursuing a fine arts degree from Georgia State University. He was going to be a medical illustrator but, after taking a jewelry course, he fell instantly in love with metal. At first, most of his work was created

in silver and gold. After attending a platinum workshop, he decided to specialize in it. At that time, platinum was the preferred metal due to its own special indestructible qualities. Since then, Russ has been working in platinum plus all metals for five decades and is still going strong.

Celebrating 50 Years of Making Beautiful Jewelry

Russ’s prized portfolio of pieces includes many years of making simple and complex rings, engagement and anniversary rings, remounted pendants, original pendants, bracelets, taking pieces that are inherited and remaking them and more. Unusual pieces span the gamut including a guitar and violin teacher’s wish, who wanted a symbolic reflection of their passions. He designed rings with inlay jade and mother of pearl incorporating their musical instruments into matching custom pieces which thrilled them.

As a significant part of engagements throughout time, Russ said, “To have created the engagement and wedding rings that are going to commemorate a couple’s love is another one of my greatest joys. To make something from scratch expressing their wishes given to their beloved is an honor. Every piece is a moment in time that’s filled with gratitude and a lasting symbol celebrating someone’s love for another. It can be a birthday gift, for an anniversary, arrival of a baby, and whatever it is, you can count me in.”

Russ shared, “I just want to make people happy, and joy is something that’s priceless. I have learned techniques and am dedicated to craftsmanship as well, as the inside of a ring should be as beautiful as the outside. I take the extra time to make sure everything is polished to perfection. Whether it’s religious symbols or special engravings around wedding rings, I can do anything.”

You Dream It, He Can Create It

With his well-trained artistic background, Russ draws any imaginable design to scale. He said, “If you like the

drawing, you’ll love the piece. I’m very detailed. I do a lot of work with heirlooms that are reimagined, and the stones must be proportionate to scale. I want customers to know they were listened to, and their wishes granted. I think of the piece of jewelry as something that’s forever and they can wear it or pass it down to their children and generations to come. Platinum, for example, will last hundreds of years, although I also work in other metals.”

As an artist who is devoted to customers, Russ also feels every repair or custom order is important no matter how big or small. He wants his customers to feel important and that they are cared for. He said, “I can give them something they are proud of and making the customer happy is my goal and I have no middleman. If someone comes in with a small chain, I’m happy to fix it. It’s all important, because even a simple piece that gets put back together will be enjoyed.”

The Devoted Son of a Holocaust Survivor

Russ’s jewelry business -- creating something beautiful -- illustrates his talent; however, his deepest wish in life is to create beauty while honoring his beloved mother, a Holocaust survivor with a story that’s unthinkable. His childhood and family history were lovingly protected, however, grounded in a tragic history. While his mother did not ever speak of her past, Russ and his brother repeatedly asked her to share her life growing up. His mother never spoke of the horrors of the Holocaust, and yet, there came a moment when she knew she must leave a legacy to her children and the world.

Russ shared, “My four-foot eightinch Jewish Hungarian mother, Irene W. Russ, never mentioned the Holocaust. From my earliest memories, I think of her sitting at her sewing machine making beautiful creations. She was one of the finest seamstresses you could imagine. Whether it be a genetic or spiritual connection, I wanted to match her expertise. I recall her sewing spectacular wedding gowns and exquisite dresses for wealthy people in her neighborhood. I recall a wedding dress that had 5,000 beads hand-stitched in the upper bodice. She’d alter, hem, do anything, you name it and even designed all her own clothes. Over the years, she handmade every Halloween costume for me and my brother. She created beauty and focused on us her entire life.”

Barry’s Mother’s Story was Published

In the spring of 1998, everything instantly changed. Russ’s younger brother, Daniel, received a package in the mail from their mother. It was a vinyl threering notebook that held his mother’s handwritten account of the 14 months of her life she spent as a prisoner in three different Nazi concentration camps. It was the first time their mother had spoken about the atrocities.

Irene’s story of survival and a tribute to the generation of survivors demonstrated how they are history’s treasures, as they fought for every breath they took to stay alive. Irene’s message and her story prevailed as a treasure, serving as a lesson of courage and faith.

As a legacy to their mother, in 2001, Barry’s brother published his mother’s story. The book entitled, “The Rest You Know – A Mother’s Story of Survival,” is Irene’s words, carefully scripted in this notebook

as she wrote them. It began with, “My Beloved Children … for all these years I tried not to think, much less talk about the past … but as you were urging me to relate what happened, I came to realize that I’ve been very wrong, that you need to know.”

Daniel Russ’s book efforts inspired Barry as well to research every detail, and he traced the steps of his mother’s life during World War II. Irene’s story was one of survival as she was 17, rounded up with family, sent to a ghetto and put on a train straight to Auschwitz. The minute she got off train, Irene stood in front of Josef Mengele and since she appeared strong, she was saved. She was deemed old enough to work and was sent to Birkenau, the satellite camp next door, and then selected to work at a munitions factory called Stadt Allendorf, which secretly produced munitions and explosives in two separate large facilities. Barry’s mother was a slave laborer, and she was one of 1,000 women who survived under the most horrific conditions. The camp had two major munitions plants and spanned over 1,480 acres in size. Her story is told in this poignantly written tragic story. Irene lived to the age of 86 and she passed away in 2013 after living in The Jewish Home for 10 years.

As a survivor’s child, Barry Evan Russ continues to honor his mother’s memory creating beautiful things for living and loving. He shared, “My mother was a profile in courage. She lived a life that gave me comfort and love despite the horrors she experienced and suffered in silence for most of her life. That’s a diamond under pressure. Any time I had difficulty, tragedy, or challenges in my life, I would always say, it’s OK, I’m my mother’s son.”

Visit Barry Evan Russ at www.barryevanruss.com. ì

Bleich Turned 90 with Pickleball Party at JCC

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Retired physician Dr. Allan Bleich soaked in the admiration and good wishes on Sunday, Sept. 14 in one of his “second homes”- the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s (MJCCA) pickleball facility.

As an amazing nonagenarian, Bleich is known on and off the court for his good manners and ability to out play folks half his age. Daughter Shana said, “I’m waiting for him to get old so we can actually beat him. He is super coordinated.”

Neighbor Suzanne Romana Holtz related that Bleich set up a pickleball court on their cul de sac, and well, “He was really an ace and showed no mercy hitting hard balls to me.”

Bleich was featured in one of the first pickleball articles in the Atlanta Jewish Times, July 15, 2016, “How I Got Pickled,” noted as one of the mentors when MJCCA pickleball was played indoors in the gym. Bleich, who was 80 at the time, had just returned from knee surgery and was eager to get back into biking and swimming.

About 55 fans showed up for the Sunday, sunny-skied brunch buffet held at Cadranel’s Corner overlooking rows of the pickleball courts Bleich had reserved.

Several groups were Bleich’s two daughters, their spouses and his seven grandchildren. Many current Toco Hills neighbors came to salute Bleich along with

when I went through a medical crisis. He never disparaged other physicians, but he helped me understand what other doctors were talking about. My guess is he’s shadowed hundreds.”

Rabbi Feldman noted, “It’s hard to find someone with his intellectual capacity to also be this nice!” Former partner Dr. Jeff Clarke, whom Bleich had given a pickleball paddle for his retirement, came to salute Allan. Watell counted that he has known Bleich for at least 50 years.

Daughter Sheryl Jones led a toast in front of an AV slideshow with high points of Bleich’s full life. She reveled about her dad’s activities -- “book club, LA Fitness,” and led a rousing “Happy Birthday” song.

Son-in-law Bruce Jones praised his father-in-law as the “best family example,” having difficult decisions being made by asking, “What would Papa do? He is a shining example of husband, and father, patient, kind, and thoughtful, he really cares most about everyone else.”

Allan and wife, Sheila, were featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times, “2024 Love Couples,” reminiscing on how they met in the Department of Radiology at Emo-

ry University. Sheila was a radiology tech student. Allan was an intern doing his rotation. At the pickleball party, he boasted about their marriage of 63 years, and recalled a period of several weeks when Sheila had back surgery and Allan took over all the housekeeping duties in addition to his day job.

She said, “He did it all from laundry to dressing me … and we were so blessed to have our two girls 14 years apart!”

Allan’s humble beginnings did not stem from birth with a silver “yad in his hand.” Longtime friend Robert Jotkowitz recalled that Bleich’s Uncle Jack, who had no children, sponsored Allan and his two brothers’ medical education.

A happy man, Allan posed in front of the MJCCA pickleball donation block in his name. He said, “Look at my shirt. ‘I love my wife,’ small print, ‘when she lets me play pickleball.’”

Then, there’s Pirkei Avot Ethics of the Fathers 4:1. “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.” Altogether, the Talmud sees contentedness as gratitude, joy, good deeds, and bringing joy to others. Allan till 120! ì

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6th • 1:00PM

Is Not Dying an Option?

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

This writer’s paternal grandfather used to say, “We have to do but two things in this life: die and pay taxes.”

But not so fast. A new Netflix documentary, “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever,” is a mindboggling examination of what we potentially can and cannot control in determining our lifespan. I have a physician friend who eats Popeye’s chicken and donuts and derides my healthy diet and lifestyle with, “What you are doing is buying six more months in a nursing home. Not worth the sacrifice.”

Just suppose one could live by some often-extreme activities that could reverse the speed of aging. Retired high tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson sets out to do just that. His documentary, condensed to 88 minutes, follows him in his human experimentation in doing everything “just right,” far beyond the traditional work outs, vitamins, and statins.

After settling his millions from his interest in mobile payment platform Braintree, Johnson taps into his fortune

A new Netflix documentary,

Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever,” asks some riveting questions about the nature of our lifespan // Photo Credit: Screen Rant

at about $2 million annually to live in California and go 100 percent into the health journey. Note that he is considered a business genius in understanding credit/payments and not receiving any

outside capital.

In the show, we see him rise at 4:30 a.m., synthesize natural sunlight, take pills and his temperature, do HRV therapy to stimulate his nervous system, wear

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a hat to stimulate hair growth, do a one hour work out, light therapy, and audio therapy to culminate in eating pounds of vegetables, finishing his last meal at 11 a.m., then taking 34 more pills. Accord-

T h i s H o w l-o w e e n, t r e a t y o u r s e l f to p e a c e o f m i n d:

Wi l l s d ra f t e d w i t h p a w-fe c t

p r e c i s i o n

Tr u s t s t h a t a r e a s l o y a l a s y o u r

f a v o r i t e p u p

�� Po w e r s o f A t to r n e y s h a r p e r t h a n

m y b a r k a t t h e m a i l m a n

ing to his (not exactly scientific) metrics, for every 12 months we humans age (his term, “speed of aging”), Johnson only ages eight months. Sound meshugana? Johnson became a viral overnight sensation with teams of folks wearing black Tshirts in his movement, “Don’t Die.”

Johnson, born in 1977, was raised as a Mormon, and is married with a wife and three kids, whom he abandoned to head west to live this human experiment in a groovy, modern light-filled house with computers and equipment. Johnson reconciled with one son, Talmadge, who is featured in the show, as going “all in” on the lifestyle for a father-son visit. They also exchange blood plasma as part of the health plan. Is Bryan an Adonis? His physique is certainly trim and buff, but his fake hair dye does not contrast well with his scary sallow complexion. Just this writer’s opinion.

Not suggesting anyone do this, as he was under a doctor’s care, but Johnson takes an experimental drug – Rapamycin -- used to suppress immune systems before transplants. Well, it had been tried on mice. The risk is in potentially developing infections. Also on the outer edge, Johnson goes to Honduras for a particular type of gene therapy, Mini Circle, that does not integrate into the DNA, but pur-

ports to changing muscle mass.

So, what is the takeaway? Doctors from Singapore to Harvard were studying his data. The message is that it’s not real science in that he’s doing so many different things; there are no control groups set to see what works vs. what doesn’t. A stronger scientific suggestion was that he should expend his substantial resources on true research samples of multiple people, some given blind systems or even placebos, tracking who gets what, and what works on whom.

One physician commented, “This whole experiment is worthless.” The riveting denouement unfolds in perspective, when a Gen-Xer states, “In past generations, no one believed that antibiotics could cure infections from which thousands died. Or even the promise of anesthesia before its creation and its effect on medicine. My generation will look at you and say, ‘How foolish you were to JUST die and accept it, versus treating all the organs with these new remedies.’”

Johnson said, “After all, I don’t listen to my brain, I listen to my organs.”

Bottom line: The show is fascinating and poses some good questions about the nature of our bodies' systems. As we bite into a deep dish pizza and skip exercising, is it worth it? ì

O u r bo n e-c h i l l i n g s p e c i a l: M e n t i o n t h i s

a d a n d s c h e d u l e a co n s u l t a t i o n b y

O c to b e r 31s t, a n d w e ’l l s l a s h 1 3% o f f o u r

s t a n d a rd p a c k a g e! D o n ’t w a i t u n t i l i t’ s

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New Mindful Caregiving Book Emphasizes

By Bob Bahr

Earlier this summer AARP, the organization for seniors, and the National Alliance for Caregiving released a study of how caregiving has changed in recent years. The study, which is conducted every five years, estimates that there are 63 million American who are now providing care for another person. That means that almost one person in five is a caregiver. According to the study that’s 50 percent more than it was 10 years ago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described caregivers the “backbone” of care that often takes place in the home.

The surging demand for assistance as our population ages was one of the reasons Nancy Kriseman wrote her book, “The Mindful Caregiver,” that first appeared just about 10 years ago. And it’s the reason she’s revised the book that’s coming out later this month.

It’s the third book that the Atlantabased author has written about caregiving. The advice she gives often is based on personal experience. She was a social worker at The Jewish Home here for seven years and started a support group for caregivers there. Later, she provided care for her father and her mother who lived at the Jewish Home as she slowly slipped into dementia as she grew older.

For more than 35 years, Kriseman, a licensed clinical social worker, has worked with clients to overcome some of the concerns and crises they’ve confronted as caregivers. Increasingly, according to the experts who study developments in caregiving, anger and frustration are often a part of helping loved ones through issues that develop with aging and declining health.

The stress of trying to keep up with

material. There are two new chapters in the book that are based on the work she’s done with clients who were involved in the care of loved ones. The first is about how to handle resistance when an older person declines to make the move from their home to a place like an assisted living facility where they can get better care.

the demands of an older parent or relative can have a significant impact on a caregiver’s health. That’s particularly the case if care for the elderly is coupled with the care for a spouse or a child with health care issues. It’s one of the issues that led Kriseman to write her book, initially, and now to revise it a decade later.

“I found that caregivers were not taking the time, making the time, committing to the time that it was that they needed to do to replenish themselves. They were kind of on a rat’s wheel, just circling, circling, circling, and doing all the things that they felt they needed to do to take care of their loved one, and they weren’t very good about taking care of themselves.”

About 30 percent of her book is new

Handling that move with care is particularly important if the person is beginning to develop cognitive impairment. It’s not a time to argue with the person.

“I found that a lot of families would try to convince the person with dementia that they should do what’s so necessary,” Kriseman points out. “And all that did was create more angst on both ends. Because so often when a person has dementia, their ability to understand, their impulse control, their social filter, all those sorts of things go by the way. So, it’s really important to help families understand that they can’t argue. This new chapter addresses how to take an alternative approach.”

She also added a new chapter on resilience and how to preserve your own

physical and mental wellbeing for what could be a considerable number of years of care.

The latest AARP study found that caregivers can struggle to maintain themselves. One in five say their health is fair or poor and nearly 25 percent say they have difficulty taking care of themselves. Nearly two-thirds of caregivers report high emotional stress, something Kriseman had to wrestle with in the care of her mother.

“It occurred to me that the way that I was going to be the best possible caregiver I can be to my mom was to find a way to hold on to my own spirit. I might take a walk in a park or connect with friends that lift me up, that make me laugh, that fill my spirit back up.”

As the holidays approach, Kriseman counsels that caregivers should think of how to make these special times work for them as well as their loved ones.

“I think we get so caught up on feeling like we’ve got to do it the right way, But honestly, chronic disease and illness changes everything, So, don’t allow the holidays to make you feel guilty.” ì

Empower University Launches Winter Semester

Empowerment University for Seniors (Empower U), a groundbreaking continuing education program for older adults, began its winter semester in late September at Berman Commons of Dunwoody. For the first time, the program will also be hosted at The William Breman Jewish Home, giving even more residents across Jewish HomeLife communities access to its unique, uplifting curriculum.

The semester officially launched on Sept. 25, 2025, with a highly anticipated Masterclass: “The Apollo 11 Flashback” — an immersive exploration of the first moon landing, combining history, engagement and memory stimulation with a VR simulation of Apollo 11 Saturn 5 rocket trip to the moon, all designed to spark both wonder and conversation.

Developed by Oy Vey VR and led by founder Stuart Steiner, Empower U has quickly become one of the most talkedabout activities in Jewish HomeLife communities. Classes range from world travel to science, culture, history, and the arts, often delivered with the help of innovative technology including virtual reality and EmpowerView custom tablets. The

Empowerment University’s winter semester programming launched with its Masterclass: “The Apollo 11 Flashback.”

program is designed to show that seniors are, indeed, “never too old to learn.”

“Empower U has been a joy to watch unfold,” said Steiner. “We’ve seen residents light up with curiosity, laugh with one another, and rediscover their sense of purpose. There’s even a group of ladies at Berman Commons who tell us they circle the date of every class on their calendars and start talking about it days before. That kind of excitement and anticipation is exactly why we created Empower U.”

The reception from residents and families alike has been overwhelmingly

positive. Many caregivers and families report that their loved ones share what they’ve learned at dinner conversations or phone calls home, a sign that the program is sparking engagement well beyond the classroom.

Lisa Miner, executive director at Berman Commons, emphasized the impact on the community: “Empower U is more than a program; it’s a movement to redefine aging with dignity and vibrancy. We believe every senior deserves the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow and Empower U is our way of making that

belief a reality.”

Dr. Mirie Manzour, volunteer services manager at Jewish HomeLife, spoke about the engagement of the residents: “Empowerment University is an exciting opportunity for the residents of Berman Commons and The William Breman Jewish Home to engage in life-long learning. Seeing our residents engaged in a classroom setting sets the stage for what is possible for those living with cognitive decline. During the Empower U classes, the atmosphere shifts into one that focuses on sparking inquisitiveness by offering thought-provoking learning experiences.”

Empowerment University has proven to be more than just a class schedule — it’s a movement of enrichment, empowerment, and community for older adults. With the expansion to The William Breman Jewish Home, Jewish HomeLife is ensuring that more seniors can benefit from this innovative program, continuing to affirm the dignity, joy, and intellectual spark of residents at every stage of life. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

Udel's Book Tackles the Quest to Raise a Mensch

By Bob Bahr

The recent production of “Fiddler on the Roof” by the Atlanta Opera can be seen not just as a story of a milkman agonizing over the fate of his five daughters, it is also a portrait of a world in which Jews were facing momentous change. Four of the daughters marry and begin their lives anew. But as the curtain drops and the characters march resolutely off the stage, we might ask ourselves, what now?

What is to become of these immigrants, and what is to become of their children? How do they preserve the integrity of their Jewish lives when the world, and particularly their world, is disintegrating?

In the last century, forward-looking Jewish authors and thinkers in Europe and in America were asking these ques-

tions with renewed urgency.

In her book, “Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children’s Literature,” Miriam Udel, director of the Tam Institute of Jewish Studies at Emory University and a leading scholar of Yiddish language and culture, takes up these questions.

This just published work makes use of the Yiddish literature written for children more than a hundred years ago to examine how the Yiddish speaking Jewish world grappled with the challenges posed by modernity.

“There were a lot of writers in Yiddish who tried their hand at defining a Yiddish nation,” Udel maintains, “as a nation of the spirit, defining the nation through its culture. They, instead, ended up trying to build that nation further through story and through handling

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children’s symbolic worlds. And that’s where I come to the idea of worldmaking in their writing for children.”

Although many of those writers died in the Holocaust and the military conflicts of the first half of the 20th century, their work lives on in nearly a thousand picture books and collections of stories and poetry written for young people.

“This is really about pulling back the curtain to a time when Yiddish thought of itself as a youthful language that could successfully address the needs of our people. And it’s a really different moment before the Holocaust decimates the speakers of this language, and it’s important, I think, because it opens up an important wellspring to Jewish joy and to Yiddish joy, before all of the heaviness of that loss.”

Although they are mostly forgotten today, these books provided Udel a window into the ambitious attempt to foster a taste for social action and character building among the young. Udel points out that in the upheaval that accompanied so much of modern Jewish life then, there was a concern that Jewish children should learn to live responsibly. There was a concern for social justice and to live like a mensch, as Udel puts it.

“Everyone had a little different idea of what it meant to be a mensch. But the rise of this children’s literature was predicated on the appeal by writers and cultural leaders to children as the repository of a great deal of social, cultural and political capital — an immense reservoir of latent but soon-to-be-realized power.”

She described, for instance, a Yiddish book published 90 years ago in the

United States that tells the story of a cute pup who gets adopted by a working class family in The Bronx. It’s the middle of the Depression and the puppy trails along as two of the children in the family encounter a number of pressing social questions; for example, a demonstration by workers demanding better working conditions, and they become part of a demand for the local mayor to do more to help the unemployed. It’s a message that was particularly important then, and, according to Udel, still retains its power today.

“This particular children’s book is absolutely frank in its address to children about the need to address vital political questions and of our shared lives together. And I think that there are some real exemplars for us in the Yiddish world of how to speak to children about those vital matters of political concern.”

Although Udel’s book is a work that is very much rooted at a particular time and a particular place, it is, like “Fiddler,” about the timelessness and universality of so much in our daily lives. The nurturing of responsible young people, Udel reminds us, never stops.

“I think one lesson that I would underscore is that we need to keep open our lines of communication to the many languages in which Jewish life has been lived, including Yiddish. And to always remember that the task of communities, the tasks of parents and educators and just kindly disposed adults is the care and feeding and rearing of a mensch.”

Udel will discuss her new book on a free webcast, Oct. 27, sponsored by the Yivo Institute. Registration at https:// yivo.org/Worldmaking ì

‘Eleanor The Great’ is an Impressive Film

By Bob Bahr

Scarlett Johansson is nowhere to be seen in her directorial debut, “Eleanor The Great,” but her presence is felt in every frame of this beautiful, heartfelt psychological study of aging, intergenerational angst, Holocaust survivor guilt, and the contemporary ease we have of making up falsehoods for our own purposes.

Johansson, one of the most self-consciously Jewish of recent Hollywood stars, has chosen a neatly plotted and even occasionally profound script by Torey Kamen, who, along with Johansson is making a creative debut behind the cameras.

She guides an ensemble of four talented performers who run the full range of ages and on-screen personal problems, starting with Rita Zohar who, as Bessie Stern, a Holocaust survivor, dies early in the film. She lives on in flashbacks, not a few of which have such power that she almost steals the film from the rest of the capable, strong cast.

When we first meet her, early in the film, she is in a local Southern California supermarket, unable to find her favorite kosher pickles. She’s accompanied by her friend, Eleanor, played by June Squibb, with whom she has been sharing a nondescript apartment in Florida for 11 years.

It takes only a few minutes into the film for Squibb, around whom this film is constructed, to take charge. She sweetly but firmly lets a hapless young supermarket stock clerk know where he can find the under stock for her friend’s pickles.

Squibb, at the age of 94, is one of the true miracles of contemporary Hollywood acting. The Oscar-nominated actress had her breakthrough role 12 years ago in “Nebraska.”

She starred in “Thelma” last year, lifting the quirky, independently produced film higher simply by her appealing portrayal of a spunky senior. She dominates this film, too, but here she’s a much more complex character who struggles with the sudden loss of her close friend and her own personal moral compass.

To help cope with her loss, she leaves sunny South Florida to move in with her daughter, a single and childless big city career woman in Manhattan played by June Hecht. The daughter quickly tries to relieve herself of too much responsibility for her mother’s move north. It’s the first of a number of scenes the two women share in the film that makes it clear that trouble is brewing.

And trouble it is, that appears in the most unlikely of places, a Holocaust survivors’ support group that meets regularly at the local Jewish community center. She immediately and unpredictably settles into the group as a survivor from Poland.

She relates her wartime experiences so convincingly and dramatically that she attracts the attention of a young biracial woman, Nina, convincingly portrayed by Erin Kellyman, who is also struggling with grief and the recent loss of her mother.

What complicates the seemingly perfect relationship that quickly spirals out of control is the life she has invented for herself in her new surroundings. She isn’t a Holocaust survivor, and she came to her Judaism only after she married a Jewish husband. In real life, Squibb is a Jew by choice who converted in the 1950s. In the film, she has contrived such a good story that she achieves a kind of minor celebrity in a city like New York that loves

celebrities and is eager to accept any good story without too many questions.

But her story ultimately unravels and as it does, lands its strongest punch late in the film. Although the story falls into place a little too neatly and has been greeted by mixed reviews by critics, Johansson handles the tricky subject matter with a deft touch. For her success in bringing this not always easy story to the screen, she has been hailed as an A-list star who can comfortably add director to her resume. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and was greeted by an extended round of standing applause.

It is praise that is well deserved. In bringing this

story to the screen, with its attention to thoughtful pacing and a powerful finish, the Hollywood star turned director has shown she has a bright future ahead of her. It also confirms the recent string of films that have successfully dealt with Jewish identity. “Eleanor The Great” joins such films as “The Brutalist” and “A Real Pain,” as a trifecta of deeply affecting winners in the past two years that explore modern Jewish life with insight and deeply affecting character development.

This is a film that would have easily made the lineup of our local Jewish film festival. Don’t wait for this to stream in the first months of 2026, see it now and bring a friend. ì

Free with general admission

Enjoy trick or treating, plenty of photo opportunities, themed entertainment and activities, costumed characters, and so much more.

CALENDAR

Daily

Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Naturally Artistic Interactive Exhibits – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Experience the beauty of art and nature intertwined at Naturally Artistic, a seasonal interactive exhibit at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. This year’s theme, Ecological Patchwork, explores how we are all interconnected through the natural world around us. As you journey through the grounds, you’ll be invited to reflect, journal, and engage in creative activities that inspire a deeper appreciation for nature and the ties that unite us all. Purchase tickets online at https://tinyurl. com/ye6bebdn.

Thursday, October 16

JBaby Connecting the Expecting - 7:30 to 9 p.m. Join JBaby’s 3-part virtual series designed for expecting parents to connect with one another, gain expert insights, and explore both traditional and modern Jewish ways to welcome a new baby. Each session is virtual and includes an educator, and time to connect with other participants. Partners are encouraged to attend. Whether you’re looking for community, guidance, or new ways to celebrate this exciting chapter, this series is for you. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/3rvm5nvy.

Friday, October 17

JBaby Intown Neighborhood Small Group – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A 5 week small group series for local families to bond over music, education, support, and playtime. Designed for babies ages 0–12 months and their parent(s). In this warm, welcoming space, neighborhood families come together for playful learning and meaningful support. You’ll connect with other parents, learn from developmental experts, and share new experiences with your little one — building friendships and a deeper connection to your community along the way. Register at https://tinyurl. com/ydb388ta.

Beyond the Headlines: Israel’s History, Society, and Politics – 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. “Beyond the Headlines: Israel’s History, Society, and Politics” is a dynamic fourpart experience led by Dr. Eli Sperling, the Israeli Institute Teaching Fellow in the University of Georgia’s Department of International Affairs. Journey alongside fellow learners as you trace Israel’s transformative path from the dawn of modern Zionism through statehood and into the rich, layered realities of today. Join The Dupree by registering at https://tinyurl.com/ yc4sb8sf.

Music and Play – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Let’s spark joy and curiosity through the magic of music and play! Jumpstart your morning with an upbeat, interactive music and movement class led by Here We Grow, where little ones can dance, wiggle, and sing their hearts out. Afterward, Nurture invites children into a world of themed sensory play and hands-on adventures — perfect for curious minds and messy fingers. Come ready to move, create, and make memories together! Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/2hjtnj9a.

Friday Family Tot Shabbat on the Playground – 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. Kindergartners and younger, join Congregation Beth Shalom outdoors in the Alefbet Playground for Tot Shabbat. First grade and older, join us in our outdoor classroom for services. The community is invited to join in. Discover more at https://tinyurl.com/bdaumpn8.

Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G @ The JCC – 5 to 5:30 p.m. Experience the joy of Shabbat with Rabbi G! This exciting celebration is fun for the whole family, featuring lively Shabbat songs, heartfelt blessings, and delicious challah and grape juice. This is the perfect way to close out the week in a fun and casual setting. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/3yty94hj.

Sunday, October 19

STEAM Storytime: Israeli Innovations – 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join Nurture for a hands-on adventure through stories and science at STEAM Storytime: Israeli Innovations! Preschoolers and their families will rotate through three interactive stations where they’ll hear engaging stories and explore real-world Israeli inventions through age-appropriate STEAM activities. From growing food in the desert to navigating with smart maps, children will discover how innovation can solve big problems — all while playing, learning, and creating together. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/2an34st4.

Atlanta Bar and Bat Mitzvah EXPO –1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Planning a b’mitzvah?

Don’t miss the Atlanta Bar & Bat Mitzvah Expo, a fun, high-energy afternoon designed to make planning simple, exciting, and stress-free. Meet top event pros, from DJs and caterers to décor specialists and photographers, all under one roof. Bring the families and taste, try, and explore creative ideas for your celebration, plus enjoy exclusive Expo-only discounts and chances to win valuable prizes! Admission is FREE, but pre-registration is encouraged at https://tinyurl.com/mpzuxyc2.

FIT4BABY Prenatal Workout with FIT4MOM North Atlanta and JBaby – 4 to 5:30 p.m. Join JBaby and FIT4MOM for a workout class just for pregnant or newly postpartum mamas! FIT4BABY is designed specifically for moms-to-be. All exercises are carefully selected to prepare your body for the many changes you will experience during pregnancy. The 60-minute workout includes cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility training and ends with a relaxing meditation; everything you need during this precious time! Registration is limited, so sign up today at https://tinyurl.com/mzaru3ze

Movie Night - Oscar Greats – 7 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a movie night for films that have been nominated or won the Oscar. Watch “Hester Street” starring Carol Kane and Steven Keats. Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/3j4r4bvz.

Monday, October 20

Mensches in the Kitchen – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Mensches in the Kitchen is a joyful, hands-on series where toddlers explore Jewish values through food and play. Each week, little ones will engage in taste-safe sensory activities, simple cooking and sharing, and interactive storytelling — all designed to nurture kindness, gratitude, and care for the world around us. Grown-ups will take home easy ideas and blessings to bring Jewish learning into the kitchen and everyday life. Let’s raise kind, curious mensches — one sweet moment at a time. Register at https://tinyurl. com/47rurahm.

Unity Through Dialogue – 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Explore Jewish texts and social psychology to understand opposing views and engage across differences. A morning workshop of learning, conversation, and community, presented by Pardes-trained instructors: Kelly Cohen, Talya Gorsetman, and Judy Stolovitz. Learn more at https:// tinyurl.com/3uukepf6.

Maximizing Tax Benefits: Jewish Education Tax Credit Meeting for CPAs and Business Owners – 12 to 1 p.m. Unlock the power of the Jewish Education Tax Credit. Join the Federation’s virtual session to learn how Georgia business owners and individuals can turn state tax dollars into life-changing scholarships for Jewish day school students — at no ultimate cost. More than 645 families — nearly one-third of all Jewish day school students — depend on these scholarships to access a Jewish education. Register at https://tinyurl. com/4kp5uza4.

25th Anniversary Gala Concert - 8 to 9:30 p.m. A legacy of film and music returns. Fifteen years ago, in the midst of a rare Atlanta snowstorm, history was made. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) partnered with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) to present a groundbreaking event — the first major orchestral concert devoted entirely to Jewish-themed film scores. Now, in celebration of AJFF’s 25th anniversary, this extraordinary partnership is returning with a world-class Gala Concert on Oct. 20 at Atlanta Symphony Hall. The event will feature legendary film scores performed live by the ASO, weaving together the rich musical and cinematic heritage of Jewish storytelling. Hosting the evening is none other than TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz, a longtime supporter of AJFF and an expert in classic cinema. Purchase Tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/3b9c7xe7.

Tuesday, October 21

Coffee with a Cop – 8 to 10 a.m. Meet police officers from the Dunwoody Police Department in a casual setting to discuss issues, ask questions and build rapport. A great opportunity to express appreciation and show gratitude to our local police officers. Join MJCCA and find more information at https://tinyurl.com/ynyhakwb.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Shemini Atzeret

Monday, October 13 Light Holiday Candles at 6:48 PM

Tuesday, October 14 Light Holiday Candles after 7:42 PM (from a pre-existing flame)

Wednesday, October 15 Holiday Ends at 7:40 PM

Torah Reading: Bereishit

Friday, October 17 Light Shabbat Candles: 6:43 PM

Saturday, October 18 Shabbat Ends: 7:37 PM

Torah Reading: Noach

Friday, October 24 Light Shabbat Candles: 6:35 PM

Saturday, October 25 Shabbat Ends: 7:29 PM

Torah Reading: Lech-Lecha

Friday, October 31 Light Shabbat Candles: 6:27 PM

Saturday, November 1 Shabbat Ends: 7:23 PM

Wednesday, October 22

JBaby Connecting the Expecting- 7:30 to 9 p.m. Join JBaby’s 3-part virtual series designed for expecting parents to connect with one another, gain expert insights, and explore both traditional and modern Jewish ways to welcome a new baby.  Each session is virtual and includes an educator, and time to connect with other participants. Partners are encouraged to attend. Whether you’re looking for community, guidance, or new ways to celebrate this exciting chapter, this series is for you.  Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/3rvm5nvy.

MJCCA Book Fest Presents John Grisham – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. An evening with John Grisham, author of “The Widow,” in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter. John Grisham is the author of more than 50 consecutive bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly 50 languages. His recent books include, “Framed,” “Camino Ghosts,” and “The Exchange: After the Firm.” Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/ yc7kkhvt.

Thursday, October 23

Coffee with Legislators Training - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. NCJW Atlanta Section is meeting the moment with our Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up Initiative for Legislative Advocacy. Our first initiative, “Coffee with Legislators,” will train our advocates on building relationships with elected officials. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/fnkacxcp.

Bright Smiles, Brighter Futures – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Join JF&CS for a vibrant night filled with light bites, drinks, and community, featuring a short program and an exciting live auction. Bid on exclusive vacation packages and luxury experiences - every dollar raised helps deliver life-changing dental care to those who need it most. Come be part of something meaningful — and help create brighter futures, one smile at a time. Purchase tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/mr27wwmy.

Friday, October 24

Beyond the Headlines: Israel’s History, Society, and Politics – 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. “Beyond the Headlines: Israel’s History, Society, and Politics” is a dynamic fourpart experience led by Dr. Eli Sperling, the Israeli Institute Teaching Fellow in the University of Georgia's Department of International Affairs. Journey alongside fellow learners as you trace Israel’s transformative path from the dawn of modern Zionism through statehood and into the rich, layered realities of today. Join The Dupree by registering at https://tinyurl.com/ yc4sb8sf.

Music and Play – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Let’s spark joy and curiosity through the magic of music and play! Jumpstart your morning with an upbeat, interactive music and movement class led by Here We Grow, where little ones can dance, wiggle, and sing their hearts out. Afterward, Nurture invites children into a world of themed sensory play and hands-on adventures — perfect for curious minds and messy fingers. Come ready to move, create, and make memories together! Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/2hjtnj9a.

40th Annual Halloween Hikes at CNC – 6 to 10 p.m. Make plans to attend the longest-running Halloween event in Metro Atlanta. Chattahoochee Nature Center celebrates its 40th Annual Halloween Hikes, a non-scary Halloween event celebrating nature, culture, and spooky fun. This beloved tradition invites guests of all ages to explore the enchanting Chattahoochee Forest at night while learning about wildlife and celebrating autumn traditions from around the world, including the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain to Día de los Muertos. Purchase tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/2buzm2xw.

Saturday, October 25

40th Annual Halloween Hikes at CNC – 6 to 10 p.m. Make plans to attend the longest-running Halloween event in metro Atlanta. Chattahoochee Nature Center celebrates its 40th Annual Halloween Hikes, a non-scary Halloween event celebrating nature, culture, and spooky fun. This beloved tradition invites guests of all ages to explore the enchanting Chattahoochee Forest at night while learning about wildlife and celebrating autumn traditions from around the world, including the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain to Día de los Muertos. Purchase tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/2buzm2xw.

Be Amazed with Joshua Jay – 8 to 10 p.m. Step into a world of wonder, mystery, and mind-bending illusions with one of the world’s most celebrated magicians, Joshua Jay. Don’t miss your chance to experience an evening of enchantment and wonder with one of magic’s brightest stars. Reserve tickets at MJCCA at https://tinyurl. com/39wm7csr.

Sunday, October 26

PJ Library Dunwoody GrandTime at the Playground – 10 to 11:30 a.m. Calling all grandparents and grandfriends! Join us for a joyful morning of play, laughter, and connection at GrandTime at the Playground. This special PJ Library event is a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your grandkids — while giving parents a well-deserved morning off! We’ll gather at a park (register for details) for outdoor fun, snacks, crafts, and, of course, PJ Library books, all centered around family, tradition, and making memories together. This event is free and open to families with children ages 2-8. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ye4arz7b.

Blessing of the Pets – 2 to 3 p.m. The MJCCA invites all animal lovers for an afternoon of pet blessings, prayers for healing, and memorial prayers. Participants are encouraged to bring their well-behaved leashed and caged pets of all varieties. The dog park is located within Brook Run Park. Find out more at https://tinyurl. com/3suvtc8b.

JBaby Midtown: Noah’s Ark Adventures in the Park – 4 to 5:30 p.m. Join JBaby Atlanta for a playful afternoon in the park as we bring the story of Noah’s Ark to life! Come dressed up as your favorite animals. We’ll read a story and then we’ll march two-by-two to the “ark” for a little stroll. Register at https://tinyurl. com/2rper8m3.

40th Annual Halloween Hikes at CNC – 5 to 9 p.m. Make plans to attend the longest-running Halloween event in metro Atlanta. Chattahoochee Nature Center celebrates its 40th Annual Halloween Hikes, a non-scary Halloween event celebrating nature, culture, and spooky fun. This beloved tradition invites guests of all ages to explore the enchanting Chattahoochee Forest at night while learning about wildlife and celebrating autumn traditions from around the world, including the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain to Día de los Muertos. Purchase tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/2buzm2xw.

Pinktober Mah Jongg Mixer with Etz Chaim Sisterhood – 6:45 to 9:30 p.m. All are welcome to Etz Chaim Sisterhood’s annual Pinktober Mah Jongg Mixer with a mission. Bring your friends, have some food and a lot of fun in a casual atmosphere. All experience levels are welcome. All proceeds collected will be donated to the Georgia Alliance for Breast Cancer. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/8krmpzwu.

Monday, October 27

Mensches in the Kitchen – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Mensches in the Kitchen is a joyful, hands-on series where toddlers explore Jewish values through food and play. Each week, little ones will engage in taste-safe sensory activities, simple cooking and sharing, and interactive storytelling — all designed to nurture kindness, gratitude, and care for the world around us. Grown-ups will take home easy ideas and blessings to bring Jewish learning into the kitchen and everyday life. Let’s raise kind, curious mensches — one sweet moment at a time. Register at https://tinyurl. com/47rurahm.

Tuesday, October 28

An Evening with the Authors of Mussar in Recovery – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join JFCS for a conversation with Hannah L. and Rabbi Harvey Winokur, authors of the new book, “Mussar in Recovery.” This practical spiritual guide brings together two practices that have helped generations of people find meaning in their lives: the Twelve Steps of Recovery and the Mussar Movement. They will share about their journeys in recovery and spirituality, the practices in this book, and how you can be involved in your own upcoming Recovery Mussar practice. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/5acp4k9t.

MJCCA Book Fest: Yaakov Katz, While Israel Slept – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Yaakov Katz, “While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East.” “While Israel Slept” tells the gripping inside story of how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. Through a detailed examination of the events leading up to Oct. 7, 2023, journalist Yaakov Katz exposes the intelligence and strategic failures that enabled this devastating invasion. It takes readers back in time, showing how years of complacency, mistaken intelligence analysis, and a misguided policy of containment enabled Hamas to prepare for an assault that Israel did not believe was possible and that would change the Middle East. Get tickets at https://tinyurl. com/mu2k4tr2.

Thursday, October 30

An Evening with Brendan Murphy - 6 p.m. Through his work with the Bearing Witness Institute, Brendan Murphy seeks to combat hate and prejudice by building community and promoting understanding among the Abrahamic faith traditions. Through historical accounts and thoughtprovoking analysis, the lecture will guide us on a comprehensive journey through time. Murphy will examine the ideologies and stereotypes that have fueled antisemitism and highlight key historical moments that show both its persistence and the resilience of Jewish communities. The series emphasizes the importance of education and dialogue in fostering genuine friendship between Jewish and Christian communities. Register at https://tinyurl. com/4bcxdszv.

2026 Campaign Celebration - 7:15 p.m. This isn’t your typical campaign event. We’re flipping the script with a night designed just for YOU — our dedicated supporters. Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta for a joyful evening of connection, laughter, and community. Find out more at https:// tinyurl.com/yc4r8t2c.

Friday, October 31

Beyond the Headlines: Israel’s History, Society, and Politics – 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. “Beyond the Headlines: Israel’s History, Society, and Politics” is a dynamic four-part experience led by Dr. Eli Sperling, the Israeli Institute Teaching Fellow in the University of Georgia’s Department of International Affairs. Journey alongside fellow learners as you trace Israel’s transformative path from the dawn of modern Zionism through statehood and into the rich, layered realities of today. Join The Dupree by registering at https://tinyurl.com/yc4sb8sf.

Music and Play – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Let’s spark joy and curiosity through the magic of music and play! Jumpstart your morning with an upbeat, interactive music and movement class led by Here We Grow, where little ones can dance, wiggle, and sing their hearts out. Afterward, Nurture invites children into a world of themed sensory play and hands-on adventures—perfect for curious minds and messy fingers. Come ready to move, create, and make memories together! Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/2hjtnj9a.

Kabbalat Panim Shabbat Service - 5:45 to 8 p.m. Once a month at Congregation Dor Tamid will gather for a Kabbalat Panim, an Oneg Shabbat before services at 5:45 p.m. We will then move to the sanctuary to welcome in Shabbat together at 6:15 p.m. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/47rs4bt3.

TOOTHY GRINS & LURKING FINS

Uncover the mysteries of the waters and trick-or-treat every weekend.

Ends 11/2

KEEPING IT KOSHER

Apricot-Almond Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

6 salmon fillets (1 and 1/2 to 2 pounds)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

dash of black pepper

1/3 cup dried apricots, checked (about 5 large apricots)

1/2 cup raw almonds

1 tablespoon Gefen Lemon Juice

2 tablespoons apricot jam, such as Tuscanini

1 tablespoon oil

3/4 cup white wine, such as Tuscanini White Cooking Wine

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place salmon in 9×13-inch baking pan. Season with salt and pepper.

3. In a food processor, pulse apricots and almonds until coarsely chopped.

4. Add lemon juice, apricot jam, and oil; pulse quickly to incorporate. Spread mixture over fish.

5. Pour wine around coated fish.

6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe by Chana Steiner

Styling and photography by Penina Spero kosher.com

The Business

Benny was talking to his friend, Harry.

“You know, Harry, I can’t understand why you failed in business. You had such good ideas.”

“Too much advertising was the main reason for my failure,” replied Harry.

“But I can’t remember you spending a penny on advertising all your life,” said Benny.

“You’re correct,” said Harry, “but all my competitors did.”

YIDDISH WORD

Ivy-fashtupn

v. Pushing one’s child to get into an Ivy League college.

“All Abby thinks about is getting her little Ezra into Yale, so it’s ivyfashtupn time from dawn ‘til dusk.”

Directly from the Yiddish, “fashtupn,” meaning, “to push or shove.”

BRAIN FOOD

Schach

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

Difficulty Level: Easy

ACROSS

1. Kotel direction

5. Hollywood trophy

10. Food label org

14. Opera solo

15. Selected

16. Downhill toy

17. Schach option for Nebraskans

19. Half of a Samoan port?

20. Major Japanese city

21. Yam ___

22. Take the crown, like Zimri

23. Sault ___ Marie

25. Flanders of literature

27. “___ ready for Shabbos”

28. A Jewish slave might get one pierced

31. Schach option for New Englanders

34. Gelatinous movie monster

36. Japan’s capital, once

37. Footwear brand in Israel

38. White whales

40. Like someone immortal, perhaps

43. X-Man Musk

44. City of cardinals: abbr

45. Yingst, of Fox News

46. Schach option for many South Asians

50. Like many a Tisha B’Av story

51. Lead in with friendly or conscious

52. Part of a Kohen Gadol’s pair

This week, 100 years ago

53. Broadcaster of “Fauda”

55. New recruit

57. Charlotte of “The Facts of Life”

59. Adams of Yosemite Photography

63. Served perfectly

64. Schach option for Floridians

66. Spice setting

67. Michael of R.E.M.

68. ___ Fide

69. Layup compared to a full court shot

70. Poke fun at

71. Armed team

DOWN

1. Texas city

2. Cupid by another name

3. Apocryphal Jewish scribe, Ben

4. Makes like the 2025 Mets

5. High Holiday mo., often

6. Israeli party

7. “Just one more thing” Detective

8. Make a request

9. Hi or Lo

10. Mail letters

11. Shechts

12. Antiperspirant option

13. Takes in long term

18. Make satisfied, like a Jewish mother

Temple Beth El in Detroit holds an apparent then-record Yom Kippur service of 2,500 worshippers.

NY Supreme court delays opening one day so as not to fall on Yom Kippur.

This week, 75 years ago

The Jewish Educational Alliance announces a party for new Americans.

Georgia Tech dedicates new Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity house.

David Weiner of Savannah, a Beth Jacob trustee and former Secretary of the Savannah Jewish Alliance, appointed to Gov. Herman Talmadge staff.

Brandies enrolls Israeli student Eliyahu Ahilea, a 16-year-old conductor recommended by Leonard Bernstein.

This week, 50 years ago

Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Jerrold Shapp becomes first Jewish candidate in U.S. history to enter a presidential campaign in a major political party.

Congregation Rodeph Sholom in Rome, GA, celebrates its centennial.

Congregation Rodeph Sholom, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1975.

R. Bruce Maslia, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Maslia of Atlanta, has bar mitzvah ceremony at the Jewish Home Chapel.

Atlanta Hebrew Academy and Yeshiva High School tentatively announce merger.

In Paris, terrorists set off an explosion at the home of France’s Chief Rabbi, Jacob Kaplan.

Mrs. Harry Shapiro of Atlanta announces the engagement of her daughter, Sylvia, to Norman Hoffman.

22. Some arm bones

24. Roosevelt who never changed her last name

26. CIA headquarters

28. Diminish

29. Brewed drink

30. People to look up to 32. Docs

33. Peyton Manning, once

35. Onion or tulip

39. Do dinner and a movie, say

40. NLE city

41. Salty expanse

42. Second largest Jewish city in Aus.

44. African country known for many a 48-Down

46. Grew into

47. Wood of the Tabernacles

48. Jack Sparrow or Captain Hook

49. Blacken, as a steak

54. Social climbers, perhaps

56. Circular ocean current

58. Abbr. for devices that knock out electric grids in some movies

60. Some move to Florida to get away from it

61. “The Simpsons” schoolteacher Krabappel

62. Bar aspirant’s exam, briefly

64. CA winter clock setting

65. Finder’s charge

This week, 25 years ago

The AJT interviews Matthew Lieberman, who is touring Atlanta on behalf of his father and the Al Gore-Joseph Lieberman ticket.

Israeli poet and writer Yehuda Amichai dies of cancer at the age of 76.

Sufi Sheik Abu Saleh el Refaik, a Muslim holy man from the West Bank, brings a message of peace to Congregation Shema Yisrael’s Erev Rosh Hashanah services.

Steven Rakitt becomes head of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Arthur and Sondra Goldsmith of Alpharetta announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather, to Andrew Margolis.

Issues of the AJT (then Southern Israelite) from 1929-1986 can be found for free online at https:// gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn78003973/

OBITUARIES

Leo Benatar

95, Atlanta

Leo Benatar passed away on Sept. 29, 2025, at the age of 95 in Atlanta, Ga., surrounded by those he loved the most, his wife, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Leo’s accomplishments as an extraordinary business executive were well known, but at the core of his greatest accomplishments was his deeprooted love and devotion to his family.

Leo is survived by his wife of 69 years, Louise Cure Benatar; his daughters, Ann Silver (Mike), Ruth Falkenstein (David), daughter-in-law, Diane Benatar, and his nine grandchildren, Edward Silver (Talia), Sarah Kleiman (Sammy), Lee Silver (Allie), Russell Falkenstein (Corinne), Leo Falkenstein (Hayley), Michael Falkenstein (Callan), Emily Falkenstein, Leah Gordon (David), Steven Benatar (Taylor), 10 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Leo was preceded in death by his beloved son, Morris L. Benatar, and his brother, Victor Benatar.

Leo was born in Atlanta on Feb. 21, 1930, at the onset of the Great Depression. He was the son of Morris and Mary Benatar, Jewish Sephardic immigrants from Rhodes, Greece. Leo’s Sephardic Jewish heritage and the values instilled on him by his parents, created the foundation for a life of devotion to his religion, his core family values, to the benefits of higher education, and to giving to others and to his community.

Leo attended Boys High and graduated in 2½ years. While his thoughts of career were to join his father, who was the owner of an Atlanta institution, Vic’s Deli, his father had other plans for him. A college degree was his only choice, so Leo attended Georgia Tech, and pursued a degree in industrial engineering, and graduated in 1951. Upon graduation, he was called to duty serving in the U.S. Navy, assigned to the Admiral’s staff and was honorably discharged in 1954. This set in motion an extraordinary career, built off the foundation of his Georgia Tech education, that he routinely named a central reason for his business achievements.

Leo was hired by the Atlanta Paper Company as an industrial engineer, rising through the corporate ranks as Mead Corporation acquired his company. A key moment in his career occurred when he was presented with the opportunity to rehabilitate an underperforming Mead packaging operation in Europe. His efforts and insight resulted in a turn-around for the struggling operation, earning advancement with Mead as he returned to the USA, ultimately resulting in being appointed the President of Mead Packaging. As a respected industry leader in the packaging industry, he took on the challenge of the role of CEO and president of a struggling packaging company, Engraph, Inc. During his tenure at Engraph, his leadership resulted in meteoric growth of the small packaging company, growing from $20 million in sales to nearly $500 million at the time of acquisition of the company by Sonoco.

Leo served in many other industry leadership roles, on many public and private company boards, and in similar capacities for many non-profit community service organizations. However, of all these many achievements, he was most proud of his opportunity to serve as the Chairman of The Federal Reserve, Southern District. But nothing in his life could compare to his three greatest loves, his wife Louise, his family, and his devotion to his alma mater, Georgia Tech. Leo’s contributions to Georgia Tech have become part of the fabric of the institution, both in terms of service and his financial generosity.

While it is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that successful business executives continue their life’s work into retirement, Leo took a different path. His retirement years were filled with helping others, always finding time for his dear friends, for travelling with Louise, his love of golf, and most importantly, his role as a devoted grandfather to his many grandchildren and great grandchildren. His role as the beloved “Papou” was his greatest accomplishment in his life, and one he cherished the most. If the measure of true success and fulfillment in life is determined by all the lives that are changed for the better, then Leo’s life was defined by all those that are part of his legacy.

The family would also like to acknowledge Leo’s wonderful team of devoted caregivers, including Gabriella, Olive, Sonia, Renae, and Caliear.

Graveside services were held at 12 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, at Arlington Memorial Park, with Rabbi Joshua Hearshen officiating. Donations made in memory of Leo can be directed to organizations that were most important to him, including the Crohns & Colitis Foundation at 4780 Ashwood Dunwoody Road, Suite 540 #474, Atlanta, Georgia, 30338; Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30319; or Georgia Institute of Technology, Alexander Tharpe Fund, 150 Bobby Dodd Way, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Matthew Charles Cardinale 44,

Atlanta

Matthew Charles Cardinale, 44, passed away on Sept. 29, 2025, after a four-year health struggle.

Matthew Charles was an effective advocate for progressive social change. He drafted some 21 ordinances or resolutions that are now law in the City of Atlanta, including laws for affordable housing, criminal justice reform, disability rights, public comment and public participation, community benefits, small businesses, and transparency.

Matthew Charles was dedicated to his cats, whom he loved and adored – and is survived by his beloved Veronica and Mister Fluffers.

Matthew Charles was born in Plantation, Fla., and grew up in Broward County, Florida. He left home at the age of 14, lived on and off with friends and at the Covenant House Florida youth shelter. At 17, he went off to Tulane University in New Orleans, La., on full tuition scholarship, where he majored in sociology and political science.

A lifelong learner, in 2005, he completed a master of arts degree in sociology from the University of California, Irvine. In 2007, he completed a master’s in public administration from the University of New Orleans. In 2018, he completed a Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University, also on full scholarship. In 2024, he completed an LLM, or Master of Laws, in environmental law.

In Atlanta, in 2005, he founded an online news organization, Atlanta Progressive News, in the early days of Internet news. APN published over some 3,000 news articles, and Georgia State University holds a physical archive of Cardinale’s collected writings created between 2002-2012.

An avid fan of music, he played piano and wrote several original pop songs. In addition, he wrote several covers of popular songs where the lyrics were changed to relate to matters of public policy and current events, which he performed live at Atlanta City Council meetings. In 2021, he ran for Atlanta City Council in a nine-way race for the District 3 seat in a special election.

Prior to going to law school, in 2010, he sued the City of Atlanta with no attorney after the City Council took a secret vote while having lunch at the Georgia Aquarium. In 2011, the Supreme Court of Georgia took his case wherein he made oral arguments before the Court; and in 2012, he won. Years later, he won other cases on appeal against City of Atlanta officials, including Cardinale v. Keane (2022), which clarified that any citizen could seek a civil penalty of up to $1,000 from a bureaucrat who violates the Georgia Open Records Act.

At the time of Matthew’s passing, he was ardently representing a client suing the city of Dunwoody, Ga., for their numerous Open Records Act violations.

A graveside service for Matthew Cardinale was held Oct. 6, 2025, at Sunset Memorial Park in Danville, Ill., handled by Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center. A shiva was also held in Atlanta at the home of Joe & Andrea Hirsch.

Carolyn Goodman Gold 95, Atlanta

Carolyn Goodman Gold died Oct. 10, 2025, at the age of 95. Born in Columbia, S.C., the only child of Isidore and Ruth Peskin Goodman, Carolyn grew up in Elberton, Ga. She attended the University of Georgia, where she not only made life-long friends but also majored in journalism and became the university’s first minor in dance. Carolyn then moved to Atlanta to teach modern dance at Spelman College.

She was introduced to Perry Gold, a pediatrician, by her sorority sister, Harriette Rubinson Gilbert -- although she had probably spied him behind the counter at Gold’s Delicatessen years earlier when her family visited Atlanta. They dated while he made house calls to sick patients and were married for almost 52 years before Perry passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2003.

Perry’s receptionist warned them not to look for a home on two streets with a particularly large number of his patients, so they, of course, ended up purchasing one right where the roads intersected. Carolyn enthusiastically volunteered as room parent, scout leader, and team mom as Cary, Howard and Susan grew up – and as young neighborhood patients appeared at the door with a variety of ailments and injuries. She also helped start the Atlanta Contemporary Dance Group where she taught and performed for many years, did PR work for Planned Parenthood, wrote for the Southern Israelite (now the Atlanta Jewish Times), assisted in the launch of The Jewish Georgian newspaper, and appeared in the “Driving Miss Daisy” movie.

The last of a generation of seven Gold children and their spouses, Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, Perry. She will be greatly missed by her children: Cary Gold and Anita Bryce, Howard and Jane Gold, Susan and Bobby Kahn; her grandchildren: Kalie Gold and Suse Bradley, Bryce and Elliott Gold, Ben Gold and Becca Jordan, Philip Gold, Rebecca Kahn and Rahul Nayak, and Kevin Kahn; and six great-grandchildren, as well as many extended family members. The family wishes to express deepest appreciation to her devoted team of caregivers, especially Audrey Cox, who lovingly looked after Carolyn in her final years.

The funeral was held Sunday, Oct. 12, at 2:30 p.m., at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Weinstein Hospice or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Jacob Selig Goldberg

94, Tucson, Ariz.

Jacob (Jay) Selig Goldberg, loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on Sept. 28, in Tucson, Ariz., at the age of 94. Jay was born on Jan. 1, 1931, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Mary and Ben Goldberg. Jay had one cherished brother, Richard, who preceded him in death. Jay attended James Madison High School where he excelled both academically and athletically as a member of the basketball team. After high school, Jay went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania where he studied architecture. In college, Jay was a member of Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity. After graduating college, Jay served honorably in the United States Army during the Korean War.

Following Jay’s service in the military, he began his long and rewarding career as an architect. He first worked for the prominent firm Charles Luckman and Associates in New York City. He subsequently spent time with William Lescaze Architects, also in New York City. Jay would finish off his career opening his own firm after moving to Atlanta, Ga. Jay met his loving wife, Elsa, during a golfing vacation to Pike, N.H., in 1960. Jay and Elsa were married in 1961 and settled down in Forest Hills, N.Y. They moved to Elsa’s hometown of Atlanta in 1963, where they lived for the next 40 years. Jay and Elsa would eventually retire to Tucson to be near their children and grandchildren.

Jay was a member of the Koi Ami Synagogue in Tucson. He was a generous supporter of many charities and organizations, including Brandeis, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Federation, and many others. Jay enjoyed reading, gardening, and he was also an avid traveler until chronic medical conditions prevented him from traveling later in life.

Jay is survived by his wife, Elsa (Goldstein) Goldberg, of nearly 65 years, their three children, Dr. Mark Goldberg (Toni) of Tucson, Deborah Goldberg of Athens, Ga., and Dr. Lee Goldberg (Wendy) of Tucson. He is also survived by his four grandchildren: Helena, Veronica, Maisy, and Ruby. The funeral was held at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Ga., at 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

OBITUARIES

Stephen Greenberg

81, New York, N.Y.

Stephen M. Greenberg passed away in New York City on Oct. 6, 2025, at the age of 81. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he was also a distinguished attorney, business leader, and prominent figure in American Jewish life. Born on July 27, 1944, Stephen grew up in Paterson, N.J., graduated from Washington & Jefferson College, and earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.

His legal career spanned nearly five decades and encompassed both public service and private practice. From 1969 to 1971, he served as executive assistant to the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, where he managed and tried numerous cases in the federal courts. He went on to co-found the firm Robinson, Wayne & Greenberg. During his legal career, he became known for his skill in complex commercial and securities litigation, serving as lead counsel in hundreds of cases in state and federal courts, as well as in mediation proceedings. In 2000, Mr. Greenberg was appointed CEO and chairman of Net2Phone Inc., leading the company until it was taken private in 2006.

A lifelong advocate for Israel and Jewish continuity, Stephen served as the 29th chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (2015-2018). Earlier, he chaired the National Coalition for Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ) and the UJA National Young Leadership Cabinet, co-chaired the First Moriah Conference, and was a founding member of the North American Jewish Forum. He also served on the executive committee and as treasurer of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Foundation, was president and an international board member of the American Friends of Beit Hatfutsot, and held leadership roles with UJA and Hillel International.

Stephen was admired for his intellect, integrity, and unwavering sense of purpose, and cherished for his warmth, generosity, and devotion to family and community. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Sandra (nee Lafer); his children, Seth Greenberg (Lisa), Sophie Menin (Geoffrey), and Scott Greenberg; and his cherished grandchildren, Max, Dori, and Abriana. Funeral services were held on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 12 p.m., at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street, New York City. After a life devoted to family, community, and the Jewish people, Stephen will be deeply missed. May his memory be a blessing.

To plant trees in memory, please visit: https://t.ly/InUrh

Sandra Levine Kaufman 82,

Atlanta

It is with deep love and profound sadness that we share the passing of Sandra Levine Kaufman, who left this world on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, surrounded by her family.

Sandra was a beloved wife, mom, granny, aunt, and friend. She brought light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew her and was known for her warmth, humor, generous spirit, and kind heart. She is survived by her children, Paul Kaufman (Meryl) and Jennifer Hickman (Andrew); her grandchildren, Rachel (Jacob), Sarah, and Isaac Kaufman; her sister, Freida Sokol; many beloved nieces and nephews; and her sweet dog, Spencer. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 57 years, Kenny Kaufman, and her infant daughter, Rachel Michelle Kaufman.

Sandra’s life was honored at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, at Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Sandra’s honor to the charity of your choice. May her memory be forever a blessing. z”l

Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Richard Ullman Newfield

93, Atlanta

Richard Ullman Newfield, age 93, of Atlanta, passed away on Sept. 30, 2025. Richard graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in business and served honorably in the United States Air Force upon graduation. After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he became an independent insurance agent, ultimately owning his own business, Newfield Insurance Agency, where his practice focused on group medical, life, and disability policies.

Richard loved the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and camping. His favorite place to visit was Alaska, where he enjoyed salmon fishing, the wildlife, and amazing scenery. He enjoyed cooking and baking, becoming expert at both.

Richard is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jacqueline Korman Newfield, his sons, Richard Newfeld, Jr. and Richard Jr.’s wife, Renee, and Lawrence Newfield, and Lawrence’s former wife, Dawn, as well as grandchildren, Jennifer, Richard, Madison, and Cameron. He is also survived by his older sister, Shirley Gaggstatter. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Wounded Warriors. The funeral service was at Crest Lawn Cemetery, located at 2000 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta, Georgia, at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-9999.

Dr. Michael Stephen Robinowitz

78, Atlanta, Ga.

It is with sadness and love that we announce the passing of Dr. Michael Stephen Robinowitz, son of the late Norma Ralby (née Lipschitz, formerly Robinowitz) and Nathan Robinowitz (z”l), who died on Saturday, Oct. 4, surrounded by his wife, Denise, and daughters, Anna and Natanya. He was 78 years old.

Michael was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. Born and raised in front of the ocean on Miami Beach, among his grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles, he made lifelong friends at the Hebrew Academy on Miami Beach, Mesivta High School, University of Miami, and Chicago Medical School. He had a long and varied career as an obstetrician/gynecologist and wound care doctor. He met his wife and lifelong partner, Denise McLaughlin, at Grady Hospital during his OB/GYN residency. With Denise, he spent 46 years raising a family, traveling, camping, and investing in and serving on the boards of various causes, including Planned Parenthood and The Horizon Theatre. Michael spent 40 years as a devoted member of Shearith Israel, and 21 years at his other spiritual homes, the East Lake and Decatur YMCAs, where he held court in the schvitz.

Michael was proud of having devoted his career to caring for people as a physician. He loved supporting people on their healing journeys, both physical and mental. He loved meeting people from all walks of life and hearing their stories. Michael loved music and the theater, jokes, hats, reading The New Yorker (and for some reason the Dressler obituaries), Jewish education, and Jewish living. Most of all, Michael spent his life loving people and being loved. He was a loyal friend, with pals from kindergarten and high school that he spoke with regularly and whom he adored.

Michael is survived by Denise, his children, Anna Hartman and Natanya Robinowitz; son-in-law, Michael Collins; grandchildren, Josiah, Juniper, and Libby Hartman, and Isla and Dahlia Collins; and sister, Sherry Balber; and a zillion cousins and several beloved nieces and nephews. Donations can be made to The Horizon Theatre Company or Congregation Shearith Israel and the East Lake YMCA. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Dr. Seymour O. Solodar 80, Atlanta

Dr. Seymour O. Solodar, 80, of Atlanta, Ga., died on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Born on Aug. 14, 1945, in Amarillo, Texas, he was a son of the late Monroe Solodar and Goldie Moskowitz Solodar.

Dr. Solodar spent his formative years in Hunter, N.Y., with his family. He was the eldest child in an Orthodox Jewish home with his three siblings and attended Hunter-Tannersville Central High School where he participated in all sports and graduated valedictorian of his class.

He then ventured out, coming south to attend Georgia Tech and graduating with a B.S. degree in biology. He furthered his education by attending and graduating with a medical degree from Emory University. Dr. Solodar completed his residency in psychiatry at Harvard University and his fellowship at Emory. He was board certified in both psychiatry and neurology. Before starting his medical practice, Dr. Solodar served in the Navy and spent 18 months overseas in Okinawa. After coming back to Atlanta he met Helena, his beloved wife of 41 years. They married on Nov. 11,1984 and have two beautiful children, Lauryn and Zach.

Survivors include his wife, Dr. Helena Stern Solodar; children, Lauryn Elizabeth Solodar Hunter (Jon) of Atlanta, Georgia and Zachary Elliot Solodar of Atlanta; granddaughters, Raeya June Hunter and Lennon Monroe Hunter; brothers, Michael Solodar (Cookie) of Richmond, Va., and Paul Solodar of Santa Fe, N.M.; sister, Mindy Woolrich (Gil) of Framingham, Mass.; brothers-in-law, Bill Stern (Linda) of Columbia, S.C., and Dr. Herb Stern of Austin, Texas, as well as his sister-in-law, Dr. Lilly Filler (Bruce) of Columbia, S.C., a along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The graveside service for Dr. Solodar was held at 3 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9, at Beth Shalom Arcadia Lakes Cemetery, 1401 Arcadia Lakes Columbia, S.C. 29206 with Rabbi Alicia Rothamel officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to either The William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta, Georgia or Seldon K. Smith Holocaust Education Foundation in Columbia, S.C. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor and Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

They Brought the Table with Them

Chana Shapiro

Fifty years ago, my late parents came to Atlanta for the first time. We had moved into a house after living in apartments in New York for 12 years. We invited my parents to visit, and they decided to drive from St. Louis to get a lay of the land and spoil our daughters.

Before the dust (literally) had settled, my mother let me know that she and my father had decided to address a situation I had shared about buying a dining room table. In our first weeks in our new city, we learned that Atlantans are natural hosts who love to entertain, and they best express this proclivity by serving delicious meals that are eaten at bona fide dining room tables.

In New York, we lived in apartments without dining rooms; therefore, we employed folding tables when we had com-

pany. We didn’t own an eating surface that would offer the Southern hospitality we had been receiving. To be respectable Atlantans, we needed a proper dining room table. We now had a real dining room, and folding tables simply would not do.

In my parents’ basement, my father was storing his deceased parents’ dining room table and an ornate head chair that went with it. The polished, sturdy wooden table, with fancily carved legs, had been purchased second-hand by my working-class grandparents from the estate of a wealthy St. Louis family in the early 1900s. We could re-home the heirloom table and activate our dining room at the same time.

The table was adaptable -- it accommodated eight diners comfortably, and we could expand it to seat 12 by inserting a very large leaf that was stored in its innards. We certainly could use the table and chair, but it seemed selfish and wasteful to have them shipped.

However, my parents had made up their minds, and my mother declared that they’d already decided to drive the table and chair to Atlanta. My mother ex-

plained, “Daddy (my mother didn’t drive) will drive while I navigate. We’ll be there before Shabbos in two weeks.” I tried hard to dissuade them because I certainly didn’t want my later-middle-aged parents to assume the roles of interstate movers.

Nevertheless, I started picturing guests dining and chatting around the big vintage table, so I called my parents to say that we would hire professional movers. My mother insisted that they were perfectly capable of bringing the table and chair themselves. Period. All I could do was pray that, in two weeks, my parents and their cargo would arrive safely, each in one piece.

The nine-hour drive from St. Louis to Atlanta has some challenging long stretches. There was no way to communicate during the odyssey because this was before the use of cellphones (or GPS. Would my mother, the navigator, be able to follow the AAA triptych directions to our house before dark?)

Wonder of wonders, my father’s big old Buick pulled up late Friday afternoon. We had “hired” teen neighbors to

carry the table, the detached legs, and big chair into our house. As our daughters jumped into my parents’ arms, my father sniffed deeply and exclaimed, “It smells like Shabbos here!” (Fortunately, the trip hadn’t affected his olfactory acuity.)

We reattached the table’s legs and set the table for Shabbat dinner. But first, my father had something he wanted to tell his grandchildren, “I have a longer history with this table than with anything else in the world.” I knew what he meant.

My immigrant grandmother gave birth to my father in 1915. She was too modest and frightened to go to a hospital, so a local Yiddish-speaking midwife opened the wide table to its full length and covered it with multiple thick blankets and clean sheets to create a sturdy makeshift home-birthing surface. My father was born on that table.

Every so often, someone asks about our vintage table. I answer, “My paternal grandparents bought it second-hand over 100 years ago, my father was born on it, and in the mid-1970s, he drove it 900 miles from St. Louis.” Sometimes a terse answer can contain a big story. ì

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