Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. 101 NO. 10, MAY 31, 2026

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Jewish Candidates Win, Lose, and Earn Runoff Slots

By Dave Schechter

Democrat Esther Panitch, the lone Jewish member of the Georgia General Assembly, survived a primary challenge from her political left and now moves on to a rematch in November’s general election.

After weeks of contentious campaigning, the two-term representative from House District 51 in Fulton County received 56.5 percent of 6,661 votes cast to defeat another Jewish candidate, Aaron Baker. Baker, a first-time candidate who identifies as a lesbian, transgender woman, and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, garnered 43.5 percent.

Panitch next faces Republican Keith Gettman, whom she defeated in 2024 with 58 percent of the vote.

In a Facebook post, Panitch said: “Thank you, House District 51. You chose experience over slogans, results over rhetoric, and substance over stunts.

“Two terms ago, you sent me to the Gold Dome to fight for you. We delivered. The Family Justice Center Act will save lives across Georgia. The Foreign Funding Transparency Act and the Title VI law will protect our schools. HB 30 wrote the strongest protection against antisemitism in Georgia’s history into law. Crime victims, foster kids, and survivors of domestic violence have a stronger voice in this state because of the work we did together.”

Panitch concluded her post with a message to her opponent: “Finally, thank you, Aaron Baker, for keeping me on my toes. I’ll be a better representative because of the challenge. Your websites are sharp, and I hope you keep building. I hope we can work together.”

For her part, Baker issued a statement that included: “I want you to know that this campaign accomplished some incredible things. First and foremost, more than a third of a million dollars was spent to defeat us in a local election where only 5,000 people voted. That’s over $70 a vote!

“They spent that money because we were a threat. A threat to the establishment and a threat to the idea that politics should belong to corporations, consultants, and wealthy insiders instead of ordinary people,” she said.

Baker told supporters: “This fight may be over. But, we are not done fighting. I can’t tell you how important this election is in November. Now is not the time to grow cynical. Now is not the time to disengage. I

will be doing everything I can to make sure that we see a blue tsunami in Georgia unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

Turnout statewide was pegged at nearly 2 million votes cast, 27 percent of the state’s 7.3 million active voters, with Democrats accounting for 53.1 percent of the ballots. Early voting was strong, with 1.03 million Georgians, 14 percent of active voters — casting ballots, the vast majority in-person.

Georgia requires that a candidate win a majority of the votes cast to avoid a runoff and that played into races involving two Jewish candidates. Runoff elections will be held June 16.

Jewish Democrat Dana Barrett, currently a Fulton County commissioner, finished second in a field of four and advances to a runoff in her bid for the party’s nomination to be secretary of state.

Barrett received 35.2 percent of the vote, behind 42.3 percent for Penny Brown Reynolds.

In a statement released by her campaign, Barrett said: “Over four months ago, I launched this campaign because Georgians are struggling. People can’t afford groceries, rent, childcare, or healthcare. The only way we fix these problems is by electing leaders who will fight for real solutions and the only way we elect those leaders is through free, fair, and secure elections.

"Georgia voters sent a message loud and clear tonight: they want a Secretary of State who will stop at nothing to protect their vote. I was willing to go to jail to protect Fulton County’s elections. I was out front telling the truth about the FBI raid on our elections warehouse. As Trump ramps up his threats against

election workers and voters in our state, there’s no chance I’m backing down now.”

Jewish Democrat Kevin Abel was the leading vote-getter in Georgia Senate District 14 primary and moves on to a runoff against Nathalie J. Kanani. Abel received 37.4 of the vote to 32.6 percent for Kanani and 29.9 percent for Kay Howell. Abel told the AJT: “The election was essentially a three-way tie. I want to congratulate Kay Howell on her terrific showing. She ran an amazing grassroots campaign. As the candidate in the runoff who has lived in and served North Fulton for all of my adult life, I will be able to step into the legislature and be effective on Day 1. I hope to prevail in the runoff on June 16.”

The runoff winner will face Republican Mike Dvorscak, who received 63.8 per-

NEWS

cent of the vote in a three-candidate primary field.

Jewish Democrat Barry Wolfert lost his bid for his party’s nomination in the 11th congressional district, the East Cobb realtor garnering just 25.2 percent of the vote against 74.7 percent for Chris Harden.

In his bid for a second six-year term, Jewish Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff will wait another month for a Republican general election opponent.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins received 40.5 percent of the GOP primary vote to lead a fivecandidate field and will face former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who received 30.2 percent, in a runoff. Dooley was backed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who disappointed many in his party by opting not to challenge Ossoff himself.

Republicans want back the seat that Ossoff narrowly won in a January 2021 runoff against incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue. Successfully defending Ossoff’s seat in November is considered critical to Democratic hopes of capturing a Senate majority.

Before the primary, the Cook Political Report rated the Georgia Senate race as “Lean Democratic” and “considered competitive in the general election.” The race is expected to draw more than $100 million in fundraising and spending.

Running unopposed, Ossoff nonetheless received 1.04 million votes in the Democratic primary, compared with nearly 912,000 votes combined for the five Republican hopefuls. Dooley ran strongest in metro Atlanta and nearby counties, while Collins’ strength was pronounced in central and southern Georgia.

In a statement released by his campaign, Ossoff said: “After Brian Kemp’s crushing refusal to run for Senate, Trump puppets Collins and Dooley have made themselves terminally inseparable from the toxic president. Now the failed congressman who is only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman and the failed coach who was only a coach because his daddy was a coach limp into a monthlong race-to-the-bottom that will surely leave both broke and unelectable. Meanwhile, the juggernaut Ossoff campaign will continue building insurmountable momentum to win decisively in November.”

Jewish Democrat Adam Cleveland had the day off, in a manner of speaking, having no primary opposition in Georgia House District 48. He will face similarly unopposed Republican incumbent Rep. Chip Hilton in the general election.

Cleveland told the AJT: “Being unopposed in our primary, I’m fortunate to be able to carry our full resources toward flipping this seat in November. I’m thankful for the support and encouragement I’ve received from our Jewish community as I seek to become the second Jewish representative in the state House. As we now know Gov. Kemp’s plan to redistrict Georgia in the hope of securing unpopular wins in 2028, it’s all the more vital to vote out Republican incumbents this fall, to show both parties that our state demands gerrymandering be outlawed entirely.” ì

Etz Chaim Honors Rabbi Dorsch’s 10th Anniversary

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Sunday, May 17 was a sunny day that led into the evening celebration for Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, in honor of his 10th year as senior rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim, and concurrently, his 17-year wedding anniversary. After a cocktail hour and the multifaceted presentation program in the sanctuary, guests were led to a buffet dinner adjacent to the dance floor.

Scott Rittenberg, past congregation president, recounted how 11 years ago the search committee landed a winner with Rabbi Dorsch. He spoke of the rabbi’s wife, Amy, and how valuable she has been with helping the kids on Shabbat, teaching at The Epstein School, and her lifelong love of learning. Rabbi Emeritus Shalom Lewis recalled his first meeting with Dorsch and the positive energy/hug they exchanged.

Etz Chaim Assistant Rabbi Jonathan Adler praised the mentorship, wisdom, and guidance he received along the way from Rabbi Dorsch, whom he described as both “kind and wise … he’s a compel-

ling teacher and he leads with his own style of kindness and grace.”

Congregation President Lisa Olens

related the meaning of the Dorsch’s 17th wedding anniversary on that very day, the 17th of May. She produced a procla-

mation from the Cobb County Board of Commissioners declaring “Rabbi Dan Dorsch Day in Cobb County,” along with

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a proclamation by Gov. Brian Kemp. She presented the rabbi with an Omer counter, “May this serve a daily remainder of our people’s journey.” She noted that a commemoration plaque was placed on the donor wall in the sanctuary.

Rabbi Dorsch’s father, Jay, recalled that his young son’s choice of Purim costumes was “not Batman, but Mordecai.” He lamented though that the 8-year-old Dan was not good at math. “It could have been one reason that he pursued the rabbinate.”

Amy’s father, Marty Greenfeld, laughed about compensating his children and now grandchildren five Canadian (his native country) dollars for speaking in Yiddish as his family’s tradition.

Always on point with humor and meaning, Rabbi Dorsch closed out the program, “As you all can imagine, when I told Amy that the gala was going to be on our 17th anniversary, she told me this was exactly how we always imagined we would spend it. I told her to think of it this way: the synagogue is throwing us an anniversary party. Only there are twice as many people here as there were at our wedding, many more friends, and unlike the weekend of May 17, 2009, it didn’t snow. So, all in all, this feels like a major upgrade.”

He spoke of dating Amy at the Jewish Theological Seminary and of his motherin-law asking, “’What sort of profession is being a rabbi for a nice Jewish boy?’ I suspect she may still be wondering … we are here because of the examples our parents set. We were raised in families, in

Philadelphia and Winnipeg, committed to building Jewish community.”

The truth is that Amy and I receive this honor tonight only because of the work, sacrifice, and commitment of so many people who came before us and who continue to lead beside us … somewhere along the way, Etz Chaim stopped feeling like a workplace and became home. All of you helped raise our children, celebrated with us, cried with us, worried … and dreamed with us. Ten years later, Atlanta no longer feels far away. It feels like family. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you … Dayenu, so many words, and it still will never be enough.”

Rabbi Dorsch closed by addressing their children, Zev and Haley: “It is hard to believe that 10 years ago we boarded a plane and moved to Georgia. Although Haley, I should tell you that last week Zev reminded me that you’ve only technically lived here for eight years, so you should only receive four-fifths of the honor. Remind me later to thank the Epstein math department.”

Longtime congregant and past president Norman Radow told the AJT, “Rabbi Dorsch has been an inspiration to us all. He had to fill Rabbi Lewis’ giant footsteps and has done it well. I look forward to the next 10 years.”

Marty Gilbert, Etz Chaim executive director, added, “Special kudos go to the Gala Committee, Debbie and Irwin Berman, Sarah and Mathais Solomon and Janis Greenfield.” ì

Annual Meeting

Award-Winning Athlete Impacts Lives of Children

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Ana Robbins is on the run to make a difference. As founder & CEO of Jewish Kids Groups, she is also a gritty ultraendurance athlete who embodies exceptional mental toughness, often pushing far beyond perceived limits.

Her achievements span both the nonprofit and athletic worlds — she is the recipient of the prestigious national Rose Lubin Jewish Pride Award and has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars through her running to expand access to Jewish education.

A native Atlantan, Robbins’ roots run deep in the Jewish community she now serves in a transformative way. After completing Jewish studies and Middle Eastern studies at Emory University, she earned a master’s degree in instructional design and technology from Georgia State University. Her professional path has consistently centered on reimagining Jewish education for today’s families.

Robbins came to running later in life. In August 2020, she couldn’t run a

tenth of a mile without stopping. That moment surprised her — and challenged her. She decided to see what would happen if she stayed with discomfort a little longer each day. That small experiment became much bigger.

“Over time, I discovered that endurance isn’t just physical — it’s mental,” she said. “I became fascinated with the idea that we can override the limits our brains set for us. That realization changed everything. Running became less about miles and more about identity — about becoming someone who can do hard things.”

Today, Robbins runs ultramarathons — races that span 200 to 300-plus miles.

“They’re extreme, yes — but what draws me to them is the opportunity to push past perceived limits and experience the kind of clarity and connection that only comes after hours — and days — of effort,” she said.

She is currently preparing for the Cocodona 250, a 250-mile ultramarathon across Arizona featuring more than 40,000 feet of elevation gain, traversing terrain from the Sonoran Desert to Se-

dona’s red rocks, all within a 125-hour time limit.

“I use these races not only as person-

al challenges, but as platforms to raise funds for Jewish Kids Groups’ Tuition Assistance Fund,” Robbins explained.

“To date, I’ve raised more than $250,000 through running. My team likes to say that once someone understands I’m willing to run 300 miles, they also understand something deeper — that I lean into hard things. That same mindset drives my work in Jewish education, where we’re tackling big challenges and working to dramatically expand access for families across the country.”

Robbins leads Jewish Kids Groups (JKG), an educational nonprofit that reimagines Jewish learning for families whose children do not attend Jewish day school. At the heart of the model is a simple but powerful idea: “We run fiveday-a-week Jewish after-school programs that feel like ‘summer camp every day after school.’ Kids are picked up from their elementary schools, brought to our program, given snack and homework support, and then immersed in joyful, experiential Jewish learning. For families, it solves a real problem — high-quality after-school care. For kids, it builds identity, friendships, and a deep, positive connection to being Jewish.”

What makes the model especially powerful is its measurable impact. In JKG programs, 96 percent of families report that their children have a more positive association with being Jewish, and 97 percent say their child is motivated to connect with other Jewish children. Families consistently share that their children come home excited to talk about what they learned — and often begin initiating Jewish rituals at home on their own.

Instead of associating Judaism with obligation, children experience it as joyful, social, and relevant. For many fami-

lies — especially those who might not otherwise engage in Jewish life — this becomes their primary entry point into community.

Jewish Kids Groups began with just six children in a garage. “I was seeing that traditional models like Sunday school weren’t reaching enough families or creating the kind of joyful, lasting engagement kids experience elsewhere,” Robbins said. “I kept asking: What if Jewish education felt like camp? What if it happened every day, not once a week? That question became the foundation for everything we’ve built.”

Today, in addition to operating programs in Atlanta neighborhoods including Decatur, Morningside, and Brookhaven, JKG partners with synagogues across North America through its Jewish AfterSchool Accelerator, helping communities launch their own programs using this proven model.

“Our work is supported by a combination of tuition and philanthropic partners who believe in accessible, meaningful Jewish education,” Robbins said. “We’re building something that is both scalable and sustainable — and that has the potential to transform how Jewish children connect to their identity.”

This fall, Jewish Kids Groups will operate Jewish after-school programs in 25 markets across North America.

Robbins is blazing a trail filled with purpose — running with determination, dedication, and deep commitment to a cause that is shaping the lives of countless children and families.

For more information, please visit jewishkidsgroups.com. ì

AJC Salutes Leadership at Annual Meeting

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Atlanta Chapter convened its 82nd Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 7, at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation building for the election and installation of new board members.

AJC President Mindy Selig-Schoulberg welcomed attendees and expressed her appreciation to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for hosting, calling it one of her “favorite gathering places.”

Kelly DeGully, Foundation chief of staff, delivered a D’var Torah/sermonette. Speaking from a Black perspective, she wove together themes of liberation, the shared covenant among the three Abrahamic faiths united under one G-d who freed the enslaved.

A video message from Gov. Brian Kemp outlined his administration’s commitment to combatting antisemitism through formal definitions and anti-hate legislation. A second video spotlighted the White Rose Society — a recognition honoring non-Jews who stand against

hatred, with Linda Selig explaining its origins in the courageous 1942 student resistance movement against the Nazis. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman was among the recipients. The presidents of Vanderbilt University and the University of Alabama were noted for their steadfast support of Jewish students on campus.

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presented the White Rose Award to Atlanta PD Maj. Aline Mitchell as, “He has looked out for us in the most meaningful way with a huge, grateful heart.”

Mitchell shared reflections on his visit to Israel, describing it as a “transformative, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

He also noted his role directing the Atlanta Police Training Center where 290 recruits cycle through with a new class beginning every month. He described the department’s preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, for which he is overseeing all tactical security operations.

Senior rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim, Daniel Dorsch, delivered the Priestly Blessing and spoke passionately about the twin imperatives of peace and justice. Selig-Schoulberg echoed this spirit, urging the community not to yield to fear. She referenced the book, “Don’t Feed the Lion,” feed your heart as a touchstone for the AJC’s work in cultivating leadership, hope, and resilience. She praised the Atlanta PD’s partnership in ensuring confidence and safety at Jewish gatherings.

Past AJC President Belinda Morris, nominating committee chair, presided over the formal installation of newly elected board members.

A bittersweet moment came with the acknowledgment that Dov Wilker, Atlanta’s longtime Regional AJC Director, has been elevated to a national leadership role with a search underway for his successor. Wilker reflected on his tenure, recounting a memorable trip to Washington, D.C., with a group of teenagers where they crossed paths with Ahavath Achim Senior Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal, allowing the young participants to engage in both programs. He emphasized the strength of Jewish day school edu-

cation (several from The Epstein School and The Weber School) who now serve as leaders. He praised AJC’s unique multigenerational arc of leadership, singling out Mindy Selig: “She’s special, but not unique … it has been the honor of my life to serve.”

Featured speaker Jason Isaacson, AJC’s chief policy and political affairs officer, who traveled from Washington, D.C., addressed both the annual meeting and a smaller gathering of AJC supporters the previous evening. In a wide-ranging conversation moderated interview-style by Wilker, Isaacson addressed several pressing geopolitical topics.

The dialogue included: Iran’s influence, relations with Saudi Arabia, Palestinian statehood, Iron Dome use by the UAE, a unique cordial relationship with Azerbaijan -- he noted Azerbaijan’s recent construction of a Jewish cultural center and restoration of Jewish day schools -- calling it “a model, if complicated, partnership despite its non-democratic governance.”

Isaacson also spoke of Morocco’s free trade agreements and legitimacy as a bridge between the Muslim world and Israel, noting that the King of Morocco is believed to be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He shared that a French Jewish banker serves in the royal palace in Rabat, despite public controversy, remains in his position. “AJC aspires to open an office in Rabat. A seven-figure gift could attach a donor’s name.” He concluded with challenges in Europe, and how media coverage of Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank affects public opinion.

Isaacson closed by recognizing Sherry Frank, founder of the AJC ACCESS young professional program, with whom he shares a meaningful relationship. ì

Advocate Ted Blum Honored at AJC Dinner

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

More than 400 people gathered on Tuesday, May 12, at Flourish in Buckhead, to celebrate Ted Blum, Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office, as the recipient of American Jewish Committee (AJC) Atlanta’s 2026 Distinguished Advocate Award.

The milestone evening unfolded across a multi-room, multi-course kosher dinner, drawing family, colleagues, and admirers from Atlanta’s civic and corporate landscape. Event co-chairs Beth and Gregg Paradies opened the program before Rabbi Ron Segal (Temple Sinai), honorary rabbinical chair, offered a Shehecheyanu blessing to mark the occasion.

AJC Atlanta President Mindy Selig Shoulberg set the celebratory tone. “Ted has been an incredible ambassador for our work, helping extend AJC’s reach not only within the Jewish community, but across Atlanta’s civic and corporate landscape.”

Selig Shoulberg closed with a call to action, urging members of Congress to condemn what she described as “extreme antisemitic rhetoric which continues to spread across too many corners of our society.”

Tributes were delivered by event chairs Garrett Van de Grift and Ernest Greer. Rabbis Ilan Feldman (Congregation Beth Jacob), Lauren Henderson (Congregation Or Hadash), and Bradley Levenberg (Temple Sinai), who also served as an honorary rabbinical chair, participated in a lively roundtable moderated by Dov Wilker, vice president of advocacy and innovation and regional director of AJC Atlanta/ Southeast. The discussion covered current events and topics affecting the Atlanta Jewish community and Israel.

Perhaps the evening’s most joyful tribute came from Blum’s family. His wife, Leah, and children, Josh, Abby, and Evan offered warm remarks, joking that Ted had neglected to pass along some practical skills. “Like how to change a tire or repair things around the house. I doubt that dad knows where Home Depot or Lowe’s even is,” they quipped. Leah expressed gratitude to the AJC for bringing all her children home on a Tuesday night from across the country.

The Distinguished Advocate Award was presented by Linda and Steve Selig and Cathy Selig Kuranoff. Blum accepted with his characteristic grace. “I am deeply honored to receive this recognition. The AJC’s work — standing up against antisemitism, advocating for the Jewish people, and building bridges across com-

munities — is more vital today than ever before. I am proud to support this mission with everything I have, and I will continue to do so for as long as I am able.”

During the cocktail reception, past AJC president and attorney Lenny Silverstein reflected on his long history with the honoree. “During Ted’s first year of legal practice, I helped train him in corporate law, securities, and corporate finance. He is a phenomenal individual.”

Blum’s older sister, Nancy Blum, recalled a brother who was a natural empathic leader. “Ted has always been good natured with a lot of energy. He was the most fun family member and always accepting of others. He will enter his sixties this summer and has helped our family and others, with his accumulated wisdom in areas like education, [combatting] sex trafficking, and the Jewish community,” she said.

Gary Snyder, recently retired from Greenberg Traurig, offered a fitting capstone to the evening’s chorus of admiration. “I have been Ted’s partner for the last 26 years, and all of the accolades he received are completely true.”

Blum later told the AJT, “We are

deeply grateful to our exceptional event leadership. Thank you to our honorary event chairs, Linda and Steve Selig and Cathy and Steve Kuranoff, and our honorary rabbinical chairs, Rabbi Ron Segal and Rabbi Bradley Levenberg, for your inspiring guidance. We are sincerely appreciative of our event chairs, Patrice and Ernest Greer, Beth and Gregg Paradies, and Rachel and Garrett Van de Grift; our

cabinet chairs, Candy and Steve Berman, Nancy and Randy Gorod, Lisa and Seth Greenberg, Matt Shulman, and Michelle and Gary Simon; and our host committee chairs, Mindy and Warren Binderman, Pam and Mark Rosenthal, Tamar and Mark Stern, Joyce and Ramie Tritt, and Ronit Walker and Matt Bronfman. Thank you as well to our ACCESS host committee chairs, Michelle and Josh Blum.” ì

3GATL: From Generation to Generation

By Debbie Diamond

More than 25 women gathered in the kitchen of Susan Weiner’s Brookhaven home to prepare cherished family recipes passed down from her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who rebuilt her life in Colombia, South America after fleeing Poland.

As the women chopped mangoes, rolled out pierogi dough, and baked cookies, conversations drifted from recipes to remembrance, as attendees shared family stories with others who intimately understood the emotional weight and layered legacy of being descendants of Holocaust survivors. From accounts of grandparents forced on death marches from Auschwitz to Buchenwald to memories of liberation by American and Russian forces, each participant had a deeply personal story of survival and heroism to tell.

The cooking series was created by 3GATL, the Atlanta chapter of a national network formed to connect grandchildren and descendants of Holocaust survivors. “3G” is a term that refers to the third generation, meaning the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Its mission is to foster community while ensuring that survivor testimonies and legacies are preserved and passed on to future generations. The Atlanta chapter was founded in 2023 by Emily Yehezkel. Through programs like this one, 3GATL empowers descendants of Holocaust survivors to find their voices and take active roles in carrying forward their families’ histories.

“I have always felt a responsibility to tell my grandfather’s story and be involved in the community. When I moved to Atlanta from New York, I spent a few years getting to know the landscape and the opportunities for involvement that we have here. I wanted to be in a space dedicated to the grandchildren of survivors to share their stories and build a connected community based on our history,” said Yehezkel.

Yehezkel, who had previously been active in 3GNY before moving to Atlanta, built the local chapter from the ground up with support from the national organization Living Links and other 3G chapters around the country. The chapter’s official kickoff took place at a dinner in December 2023 with about 40 participants. Today, the Atlanta chapter has 100 people on its email list and continues to grow.

The evening’s gathering was the first

in a culinary series that will continue in the fall, designed to bring together descendants of survivors for an evening of cooking, camaraderie, and community. On the menu that night was mango cucumber salad, a dish Weiner called an homage to the matriarchs of her family and to the country of Colombia, the adopted home of her family before moving to the United States. Mangoes are a plentiful and beloved fruit in the South American country. Colombian pan de yucca, another Colombian staple, was also served, evoking special memories of visits from Weiner’s grandmother, who would make the rolls by hand in Weiner’s childhood home. The potato and onion pierogis, another favorite on the menu, reflected Weiner’s Polish heritage and honored her grandmother’s efforts to preserve their family’s legacy. Chocolate pinwheel cookies, a dessert Weiner made with her grandmother growing up, were served as a sweet complement to the eve-

ning’s meal.

Each recipe was printed for participants to take home, along with photos of family members, background information, and what inspired the inclusion of each recipe. 3GATL plans to publish a cookbook with all the recipes and stories shared throughout the series.

Following the preparation of the evening meal, as the group assembled to dine on the night’s creations, Weiner shared her grandparents’ story of survival. “The part of Poland where my grandparents lived was invaded by Russia. Initially, my family fared a little better than most because my grandfather was a doctor. When Germany invaded, however, my family was forced to wear the armbands and move into the Jewish ghetto,” said Weiner.

Toward the end of the war as Nazis invaded their town of Stanislawow, Poland (now Ukraine), her grandmother, Helena, who had been hidden by a Chris-

tian family, was forced to move into a literal hole dug into the ground in an outdoor shed. What she thought would be a week of hiding turned into six months underground.

As attendees lingered around the communal table finishing the meal they had prepared together, conversations continued. Stories of resilience, escape and survival flowed as naturally as the recipes themselves, understood deeply by women who had grown up hearing similar testimonies within their own families.

In sharing these memories together, participants honored not only the experiences of their grandparents, but a collective commitment to ensure those histories are never forgotten and continue to be told for generations to come.

For those who wish to become involved in 3GATL, please send an email to 3gatlantaga@gmail.com and visit https:// www.instagram.com/3gatl/ ì

Hebrew Academy: Together Again After 50 Years

The Hebrew Academy’s 1976 seventh-grade class recently held their 50th reunion. Pictured with the former students is their kindergarten teacher, Isabelle Maslia

By: Jordan Ross

Stuart Danneman, a 1976 alum of the Hebrew Academy, now the Atlanta Jewish Academy, came across a graduation announcement one day while cleaning. Danneman realized that 2026 would mark the 50th anniversary of his graduating class and that he hadn’t seen many of his classmates in years. He began reaching out to gauge interest in a reunion, setting in motion a weekend of connection and catch-up.

The Hebrew Academy had a profound impact on Danneman, and he said the friendships and memories he made were very meaningful.

“We formed a strong bond by doing everything together,” Danneman said, discussing the differences between a private school environment and a public one.

After significant outreach, the class planned a weekend reunion. The planning committee included Danneman along with Jana Eplan, Jeff Lewis, Toni Troop, Sharon Wasserman, Lisa Zier, and Ed Zinn. On April 25, they gathered at Jana Eplan’s house, with several attendees travelling from out of state.

The next morning, the class gathered

for brunch on site at the Atlanta Jewish Academy. Guests dined on bagels and looked through school photos.

Rabbi Avi Levitt delivered appreciative remarks. He updated the group on new happenings at the school, recent accomplishments, and even what challenges the school currently faces. He shared a glowing letter from a parent discussing the school’s latest Yom HaAtzma’ut program, in which the parent wrote, “The level of execution, coordination, enthusiasm, excitement, professionalism, and heart that I saw while showcasing and featuring the students of this community was just beyond my expectations.”

The class also toured the school, taking in the many updates made over the past 50 years. They were delighted to hear about the continued high quality of education and to see the impressive upgrades around the campus.

“It was amazing to come back and reconnect and reminisce with former classmates,” alumni Debbie Spielberg shared. “I formed friendships there that are some of the deepest connections in my life. And now, I’m running for local elected office in Maryland, and I feel the support and love of this lifelong community.” ì

Jerusalem a Top Destination for North American Olim

As Israel marks Yom Yerushalayim and celebrates the reunification of its capital, new Aliyah figures released by Nefesh B’Nefesh show that Jerusalem continues to be the leading destination for North American Olim.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA, has assisted more than 100,000 North American Olim since the organization’s founding in 2002, of which nearly 30,000 Olim moved to Jerusalem.

The data shows that since the start of 2026, 201 new immigrants have already arrived in Jerusalem, with the or-

Today in Israeli History

May 31, 1936: National Religious Party politician Zevulun Hammer, elected eight times to the Knesset beginning in 1969, is born in Haifa. His Cabinet posts include welfare, religious affairs, and education and culture.

June 1, 1941: Two days of anti-Jewish riots known as the Farhud break out in Baghdad, Iraq, during Shavuot. The violence kills 180 Jews, wounds more than 240 others, destroys 100 Jewish houses and damages more than 500 businesses.

Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

June 2, 1980: The Jewish Underground carries out its first terrorist operation, placing bombs on the cars of West Bank Palestinians. The mayor of Nablus loses both legs, and the mayor of Ramallah loses one leg.

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

2026 National Prize for Israeli Teachers Awarded

National Library of Israel Prize for Pedagogic Excellence in honor of Azrieli is awarded each year to teachers who make a significant contribution to strengthening humanities studies in Israeli schools.

ganization projecting some 1,200 Olim by the end of this year. By comparison, Jerusalem welcomed 1,128 Olim in 2025, 1,161 in 2024, and 963 in 2023, all despite the ongoing security challenges Israel has faced in recent years.

Compiled by AJT Staff

June 3, 1948: David Ben-Gurion, serving as prime minister and defense minister of the provisional government, reports on the status of the War of Independence and peace talks and accuses the British of aiding the Arab war effort.

Presenters (from left) Assi Azar, Lucy Ayoub, Bar Refaeli and Erez Tal rehearse for the final of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. // By Martin Fjellanger, Eurovision Norway, EuroVisionary, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

June 4, 1985: Bar Refaeli, a model known for her business investments and her romantic life with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, is born in Hod Hasharon. She is the first Israeli in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.

June 5, 1967: Israel launches a pre-emptive strike on the Egyptian air force at 8:15 a.m., destroying 204 aircraft within an hour. Ground troops roll into the Sinai, and the SixDay War quickly pulls in Jordan and Syria.

June 6, 1967: Foreign Minister Abba Eban addresses the U.N. Security Council to explain the pre-emptive Israeli attack on the Egyptian air force the previous day at the start of what proves to be a war lasting six days.

This year, the prize is awarded to three outstanding educators: Einat Pinto of the Western Galilee Comprehensive School in Nahariya, Aamer Kais of the Danon Comprehensive Peace School in Sheikh Danun, and Noa Milikowsky of the Himmelfarb High School in Jerusalem.

The three outstanding teachers are awarded a cash prize of NIS 25,000 each, in recognition of their extraordinary contribution to education, teaching of

June 7, 1981: Eight Israeli F-16s fly a 2,000-mile round trip to bomb Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. Operation Opera draws condemnation but destroys the French-built reactor, which Israel fears is meant to develop weapons.

Joined by Transportation Minister Shimon Peres, Mordechai Ben-Ari and Moshe Carmel, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir attends the El Al inauguration ceremony June 7, 1971, the day before the first El Al 747 flight from Israel. // By Moshe Milner, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

June 8, 1971: The first El Al flight using a Boeing 747 jumbo jet departs Lod for London and New York. The flight carries 400 passengers. The plane, nicknamed “The Flying Elephant,” had arrived June 2 from London.

June 9, 1856: Aharon David (A.D.) Gordon is born in Ukraine. He moves to Ottoman Palestine in 1903 and becomes a farmworker. A proponent of Jews working the land, he is a founder of the Hapoel Hatzair labor movement.

June 10, 1964: The 81-mile National Water Carrier begins pulling water out of the Sea of Galilee for drinking and agriculture. The system of pipes, canals, tunnels, reservoirs and pumping stations can carry 19 million gallons per hour.

the humanities, and nurturing of a generation of thoughtful, curious, and responsible students.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Eliyahu Golomb was an advocate of a unified defense organization as one of the foundations of the Jewish state. // Central Zionist Archives

June 11, 1945: Eliyahu Golomb, who organized Jewish defenses in pre-state Palestine, dies at 52. A native of Belarus, he helped found the Haganah in 1920 and developed responses to rising Arab violence in the 1930s.

June 12, 2014: Three Israelis ages 16 to 19 are abducted near Alon Shvut in the West Bank and are shot dead. The two attackers are believed to be Hamas members. The bodies are found 18 days later, sparking Operation Protective Edge.

June 13, 1950: The Knesset adopts the Harari Resolution, sponsored by Yizhar Harari, which stipulates that Israel will adopt a series of Basic Laws instead of crafting a single constitution as promised in the Declaration of Independence.

June 14, 2009: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays out his vision for a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution. It includes a demilitarized Palestinian state, no Palestinian refugee return to the State of Israel and no more Israeli settlements.

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

Winship, Israel Clinicians Work Together for Research

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

On March 18, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University hosted a virtual update on its international collaboration between clinician researchers in Atlanta and colleagues at multiple clinical sites in Israel. This conversation, led by Dr. Jonathon Cohen, co-director of Winship’s lymphoma program and collaborative lead, was designed for valued supporters and community partners who share the commitment of advancing global cancer research.

During the update, participants heard about the progress of collaborative efforts in Israel, scientific breakthroughs emerging from these partnerships, and the meaningful impact philanthropic investment is making across borders. Program momentum has been accelerated by investment from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation (AMBFF) which is generously matching all individual gifts to the project.

This effort initially began in the summer of 2023, when Dr. Cohen traveled with three additional physicians to Israel and focused on hematologic cancers including lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma. Since then, interest on both sides of the collaboration has increased. They now have multiple Winship faculty members signed up, ranging in expertise from hematology to dermatologic oncology, and solid tumor oncology. The progress is purposeful and productive for embracing the ground-breaking treatment protocols in Israel and learning from them.

According to Dr. Cohen, “One thing we can lean on … is that we expanded to include two additional sites (Hadassah and Soroka). We are growing beyond just hematology to now including skin cancers. Additionally, we are planning for this year’s trip and have a growing group. We have included Winship researchers who are Jewish and some who are not, some first-timers in Israel. This has allowed us to introduce the country to new people while expanding the overall impact of cancer research being done at Winship and in Israel. We will be hosting an Israeli researcher for two years from Hadassah starting in September to pursue specialized training in cellular therapies within a Winship laboratory.”

Dr. Cohen, added, “This grant by AMBFF matches 1:1 any funds that we raise in support of this program. Additionally, the funds are being used to

support training of Israeli physicians at Winship so that they can bring these skills back to Israel and improve care there. This type of initiative would not be feasible without support of these donations and the Blank Foundation.”

Dr. Cohen continued, “In my experience in cancer research, these types of collaborations are always more fruitful than anything we can do at one center and the likelihood of significant advances in cancer care in both countries because of this work is very high.”

Regarding Winship and Israel’s researchers working together, Dr. Cohen shared how this is a natural collaboration. Much of the cellular therapy work that Winship is engaged in at present is based on technology that initiated in Israel. He added, “Israeli researchers are at the forefront of investigating newer immunotherapies that have a high likelihood of impacting cancer care in the coming years. Winship’s expertise in cellular and immunotherapy and our experience in conducting large, highly impactful clinical trials across a variety of diseases pair nicely with much of the work being done there. Personally, I have met several Israeli colleagues who share my interest in investigating new therapies and improving outcomes for patients with lymphoma, and I look forward to building upon work that has been initiated since our first visit.”

Among the many active projects, Dr. Cohen’s lymphoma team at Winship is collaborating with Israeli researchers to

evaluate outcomes in lymphoma involving the central nervous system as well as peripheral T-cell lymphoma. These are two uncommon disease types where collaboration across cancer centers is critical to answering the key questions faced by physicians.

Dr. Cohen shared, “We are looking forward to bringing teams over to Atlanta and get to know the Jewish community in Atlanta and we look to the future of this collaboration on the horizon.”

Dr. Cohen added, “Cancer research requires a team approach if you are going to move the needle in a meaningful way, and anytime you can collaborate with smart, highly motivated colleagues, it benefits everyone.” As this collabora-

tion grows, they are hoping there will be opportunities to compete for research grants, complete clinical trials of new therapies, and exchange trainees to make the most of the expertise available at both sites.”

With important matching grants like this one from the AMBFF, sharing research could impact the future of cancer and blood disorders. This meaningful alliance of experts is the key to ongoing innovation in the management of blood cancers and all cancers. For more information on how you may make a gift to support this work, please contact Jennifer Morton in Winship Cancer Institute’s development office at 404.310.8942 or jennifer.morton@emory.edu. ì

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Local Students Spent Semester in Israel During War

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

After thousands of Hamas-led Gazans attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 and taking hostage another 250 back into Gaza, many American Jews – young and old – were stranded in Israel when flights were canceled for days.

Among those stuck in Israel were about 100 students attending the Union for Reform Judaism Heller High based on the Alexander Muss High School in Israel campus near Tel Aviv. With rockets falling on Israel, both children and their parents abroad, were frantic until flights could be arranged for the youths’ escape after a few harried days.

The situation was decidedly different for Atlanta students attending the Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim program in Israel when the war against Iran by Israel and the United States was launched on Feb. 28, resulting in weeks of ballistic missile and drone attacks on Israel, causing widespread damage and disruption of everyday lives.

Maayan Cohen recalled “very vividly” how the students were “hyped up to be part of a war” that they had anticipated for weeks. Cohen and fellow Atlantans Amalia and Ellie Kaiman were among approximately 30 students on an outing on Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel when they were awakened by alerts, followed by sirens, forcing them to wake up before their alarms, quickly dress and run into a shelter.

“Honestly, those three weeks were the best time for me,” said Cohen, 16, son of Bart and Niffy Cohen. “They were highlights of the trip for me,” recalling seeing a defensive Iron Dome streaking up to the sky above him to intercept an incoming Iranian missile.

The girls, also 16, however, both describe Ketura, an agricultural kibbutz, as probably one of the safest places to be in Israel during the war because Iranian missiles were unlikely to travel that far. Daughters of Rabbi Ari and Emily Kaiman, neither Amalia nor Ellie expressed any real fear during the war.

“I was very shook up at the begin-

The group spent a few weeks in southern Israel, where it was safer.

ning because I honestly didn’t expect it,” Ellie said. “It was very stressful, but after a few days, I hate to say it, but it became routine” to hear sirens and go to the

bomb shelters.

Amalia described herself as a planner and said she was more disconcerted by the fact that no one knew what was

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going to happen. “Everyone knew there might be something,” she said, but no one knew exactly what. Since the outing to Ketura was supposed to last only a few days, the students didn’t have all their clothes or school supplies with them –only their computers.

Ellie said there were few sirens in Ketura where the students remained in the south for about three weeks, instead of the planned three days. “I got a little sick of it,” she admitted. The students had to resort to Zoom learning while in Ketura which was a “challenge because the Wi-Fi wasn’t always good.”

Cohen said the students called the online school “fake school,” but he asserted that the students had more “free time to roam around. Many had girlfriends” to spend time with.

He described the first Shabbat of the war as “surreal.” Five sirens forced the students to retreat to a shelter just as the Torah was removed from the ark. “We had to put it back in,” he said.

Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim is a fully accredited, international secondary school program, offering sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to live and learn in Israel. Each of the Atlanta students, who participated with other North American teens, spoke highly of the program. “No one from the program went home” because of the war, noted Amalia.

According to the students, the school program kept their parents constantly up to date about the children’s welfare, and the youths spoke often with their parents. In fact, after a while, Ellie said she wouldn’t even text her parents each time there was a siren. “They knew I was in a safe place, so it reassured me that I didn’t need to call them.” Other relatives, such as aunts, uncles and grandparents, needed more reassurance, she said.

The war demonstrably changed her family’s Passover plans, however. Several family members of three generations had planned to hold their seders in Israel. With flights canceled, those not already in Israel couldn’t travel there. “Honestly, that was very difficult,” said Ellie. “I was missing them and my family was going to bring me stuff.”

Instead, Ellie and Amalia – who were together during the Israel educational program – stayed with another set of twins in Rehovot for the holiday. There they experienced a very different seder than what they were accustomed to. It was more Orthodox, Ellie said, and lasted until 2 a.m. But it was “very nice,” and there wasn’t a siren until the end of the first seder.

Cohen’s mother, born and raised in Israel, was in the country when the war

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started, and was “stuck” for a while herself. “Personally, I always felt so safe,” said the Weber student. “Sirens were the only reminder of the war. You’d hear sirens and then go back to your normal life. Israelis are so resilient. I felt so integrated” into the country.

After the extended stay in Ketura, the students were transferred to a hotel at the Dead Sea for a few days. Cohen said it was like a vacation. “We had the freedom to eat and do whatever we wanted. We swam in the pool and used the hot tub.”

Toward the end of the program, the students spent time in Jerusalem, while studying for their finals. It was still uncertain whether the students would be allowed to go up north before the end of their program because of the ongoing war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

But they were already lamenting their return to Atlanta. Although Amalia and Ellie were looking forward to the Ramah Camp in the Rockies for the summer, Amalia spoke of her appreciation of the diverse backgrounds and political views of the students on the semester program. “Some students were black-hat religious while some were not religious at all. There was good dialogue because it was super important for us all to get along.”

Ellie agreed that it was a tight-knit group, but she and her sister hung out with their own friends. “I made awesome connections and learned so much about myself. I don’t want to leave.”

Both Ellie and Amalia attend Midtown High School (formerly Grady) where Ellie said she often had to explain to non-Jewish friends about the Jewish holidays. She was aware that she would miss the sense of community she experienced in Israel.

Longer term, Ellie wants to study pediatric medicine, while her sister wants to become a Jewish educator. Cohen, who was born and lived his first years in Israel – remembering going to a bomb shelter even as a child, plans to join the Israel Defense Forces after high school but doesn’t plan a career in the military.

“I play the violin and guitar, so maybe a career in the music industry,” he said. In mid-May, all he could say for certain is that he wasn’t looking forward to returning to school in Atlanta. “I could stay here forever!”

Reiterating that she’s a planner, Amalia said that she had planned to attend the Ramah program in Israel since she was in the sixth grade. “I had created multiple spreadsheets” in preparation. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. It’s been a once in a lifetime experience and opportunity,” Amalia said during her last few days in Israel. War or no war. ì

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ISRAEL

5 Fingers Mechina Preps Teens for Life’s Challenges

By Gil Zohar

Switzerland may be famous for its finishing schools turning impressionable teens into suave ladies, but Israel’s 5 Fingers Mechina prepares boys and girls to grapple with the rough-and-tumble reality of life. All with a Jewish soul, where communal living means communal responsibility.

On a beautiful campus on Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, 100 18- and 19-year-old students – 40 percent of them female – are enrolled in a boot camp for the real world, supervised by 15 staff members. The curriculum, heavy on sports and hiking, consists of extreme mental and physical challenges meant to prepare the teens for a leadership role in the coming years.

While the  mechina (preparatory school) has no pre-military component or weapons training, 42 percent of its 5,000 alumni have gone on to enlist in elite combat units in the IDF. Many have signed on as officers making the army their career. Others have similarly committed themselves to a life of public

service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, or Ministry of Education.

5 Fingers provides, “An environment that allows every person to dream, realize their potential and make an impact,”

explains its website www.5fingers.org.il.

“Our purpose isn’t to prepare them for the [IDF] draft,” begins the mechina’s CEO Dror Yannai, 36, a veteran of the IDF’s battle-tested Shayetet 13 – comparable to the U.S. Navy Seals.

Yannai points to a poster on his office wall quoting U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again.”

The mechina is part of 5 Fingers – a non-political, educational-social movement founded in 2014 with the mission of empowering youth to reach their full physical and mental potential through training. Today, it has 2,500 members, and collaborates with the Ministry of Education, the IDF, and various business and sports organizations.

The youth movement was founded by Amir Menachem, also a former Shayetet 13 officer, along with his father, Yoram, a professional fitness coach who trained Israel’s top basketball teams. Their vision was to develop leadership among Israeli youth through physical activity – to teach grit.

“This movement is about developing excellence, resilience and leadership among Israeli youth,” Yanai explains. “We operate informally and formally, reaching

thousands of trainees every year.”

Of the 100 teens currently enrolled, 15 are from abroad. Ten are Americans, and five are Israelis whose family lives in the U.S. Some of those reach 5 Fingers after growing up in the Tzabar Scouts movement. Not all know Hebrew when they arrive. Mastering a new language is just part of the challenge these young people grapple with.

Yannai points with pride to alumnus Talya Green, today a sophomore at New York University, who arrived knowing a smattering of Hebrew and flawlessly delivered last year’s 30-minute-long valedictorian address in her new tongue. Returning to New York, Green established a “hasbara” group to counter campus antisemitism.

The name 5 Fingers – or  Hamesh Etzbaot  in Hebrew – embodies the idea that whatever one does, it should be done full on, with one’s entire strength. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, there’s been a surge in applicants both from Israel and overseas.

“They understand it’s not a game. It brings them a lot of pride. It’s a high standard. It’s not for everyone,” acknowledges Yannai. Some students drop out, unable to cope with the physical and mental stress. Those who persist experience a deep maturation, he notes.

There’s also a human side to the hard work. “I can’t count how many couples met here and later married.”

Alas, the number of couples isn’t the only statistic on Yannai’s mind. Portraits of 19 graduates killed in action form a wall of honor. “It’s not easy,” he says from a personal perspective of knowing so many who fell in Gaza.

Excusing himself, Yannai says he has to prepare for an 80 km (50 mile), five-day trek along the Israel Trail leaving shortly. Bussed to Nofit in the Jezreel Valley, students carry 20 kg (44 pound) rucksacks including all their supplies as they return to Mount Carmel. They sleep under the stars and cook all their meals on a campfire. Significantly, only staff carry cellphones for emergencies.

One member shared, “For me, being a role model for young girls starts with visibility. I strongly believe in the idea that ‘what you cannot see, you cannot be.’ I say this as the first female commander of a Dvora patrol boat in the Israeli Navy — someone who had to break through, lead in real situations, and prove to myself and to others that I belonged there. I grew up hearing the story of Alice Miller.” Miller (1923-2010), a pioneering Jewish Polish-Swiss psychologist, psychoanalyst, and philosopher who wrote about parental child abuse, is best known for

ISRAEL

her groundbreaking book, “The Drama of the Gifted Child,” which became an inter national bestseller upon its publication in English in 1981.

“Once I understood what she fought for, something opened in my mind — I felt there was no place I could not reach. That is why it matters so much for young women to meet strong women not as distant Wonder Woman figures, but as real coaches, commanders, and mentors who have actually walked the path them selves,” says Or Cohen, 5 Fingers’ director of diaspora engagement.

“But even more than that, we do not only tell them that we have been through challenges before — we go through the process with them. We train with them, struggle with them, and show them that leadership is built step-by-step, from the inside. Girls need to feel that leadership is not something far away or impossible to reach, but something real and accessi ble. When they are surrounded by strong women and a community that believes in them, they gain the courage to discover their own strengths, express themselves, and understand that their success is not only personal — it creates space for oth ers to believe they can do it, too.”

Liam Milman, 18, explains he ar rived shortly before the program began on Sept. 2. “Instantly, the people here blew me away. I’ve never been around a better quality of people. They push me every day to be better,” says the native of Demarest in Bergen County, N.J.

Apart from the memorable hikes in the Negev Desert and the Golan Heights, Milman was greatly impressed by the time he and his fellow  spent volunteering in Arad. The city suffered severe damage from an Iranian ballistic missile strike. They spent a week sweeping up shattered glass and moving wreckage.

Milman is hoping to be accepted into an elite IDF combat unit. “I don’t want to say which one ‘cause then I might jinx it.”

Fellow  hanich

Los Altos, Calif., expressed similar satis faction with 5 Fingers’ challenging peerbased program. “The people here push you to push yourself.”

What of the future?

5 Fingers is currently establishing a second campus in the United States, with the 10-month-long program begin ning in September, says Yannai. The site will likely be a summer camp somewhere along the Atlantic seaboard.

For further information, please vis it http://www.5Fingers.org.il or call +972 55-685-5850. ì

Gil Zohar is a journalist and licensed tour guide in Jerusalem.

SPORTS

Remembering Ted Turner and John Sterling

David Ostrowsky

Ted Turner was best known for being a trailblazer of cable TV news who founded CNN. John Sterling was best known for being “The Voice of the Yankees.” But when both gentlemen passed away in the first week of May, the sporting world was reminded of their monumental contributions to Atlanta sports history.

Sterling, who died on May 4 at the age of 87, became a household name throughout the Tri-State Area and beyond by calling games in the Yankee Stadium radio broadcast booth for more than 35 years. His Iron Man streak would put Cal Ripken Jr. to shame: From September 1989 through July 2019, he called 5,060 consecutive regular-season games — plus 211 more in the playoffs, spanning five World Series titles — while his “Yankees win! Theeeeee Yankees win!” and “It is high. It is far. It is gone!” lines became ingrained in baseball lexicon. But before coming over to the Yanks in 1989, Sterling, who came into the world as John Sloss on July 4, 1938, and was raised in a Manhattan Upper East Side Jewish household, called games for the Braves from 1982-87 and for the Hawks from 1981-89.

After broadcasting games for the Baltimore Colts and Bullets, New Jersey Nets, and New York Islanders, Sterling joined TBS and WSB Radio when he settled in Atlanta in 1981. During his run with the Braves, Sterling, with his Upper East Side baritone voice, anchored a broadcast team that rotated between television and radio and had arguably his finest Braves moment when he called pitcher Rick Camp’s home run during a 19-inning game against the New York Mets on July 4, 1985. As for his Hawks legacy, Sterling gave birth to the catchphrase “Dom-inique is mag-ni-fique!” when bringing gravity-defying electric dunks by Hall of Fame forward Dominique Wilkins to life.

While he was Jewish (as was his longtime Yankees broadcast partner Suzyn Waldman) Sterling kept his religion very private, with the one notable exception of his singing a few verses of Jerry Bock’s “L’Chaim” from “Fiddler on the Roof” during a guest appearance on a Jewish cable network’s talk show. Along with Sterling’s aforementioned trademark lines following a Yankee victory and home run, the broadcasting legend

often infused verses from Broadway musical hits into his play-by-play narrative. With Sterling behind the mic for over 5,000 Yankee games, baseball fans were treated to wildly entertaining descriptions of the action between the lines.

“I’m just going to remember he brought the New York theater to the ballpark,” Yankees superstar Aaron Judge told reporters following the passing of Sterling, who retired in April 2024, but returned to the WFAN booth that autumn for the Yankees’ postseason run.

“I think it’s the best way to describe it. He just brought such enthusiasm. He’s almost a kid up there on the broadcast.”

Coincidentally, while Sterling was calling the action in the Braves’ radio broadcast booth in the 1980s, the franchise was under Turner’s stewardship. And just like Sterling, Turner was also notoriously eccentric and colorful. Among his more comical moments, Turner once defeated Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Tug McGraw in a race that required the contestants to push an Easter egg down the third-base line with their noses while another time he competed in an ostrich harness race.

For a while, however, Turner’s Braves were also considered a joke by many National League opponents. When Turner assumed control of the Braves in January 1976, he pledged that baseball fans across the Southeast would celebrate a World Series championship within five years.

Alas, no such development transpired, as the Braves finished in the cellar in eight of the next 15 seasons — often while sporting one of the most bloated payrolls in baseball — and it wasn’t until the cable television tycoon stopped trying to put his personal touch on the franchise and started delegating responsibility to others that his team’s fortunes improved dramatically.

Even Turner, who was such a handson owner that during one evening in 1977, in a vain attempt to halt the Braves’ 17game skid, he actually managed the club before getting booted out of the dugout by then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, would later acknowledge that his best move he ever made as a baseball executive was, quite frankly, to move out of the way.

“For the 10 years I ran it, it was a disaster,” Turner acknowledged in an interview in 1996, shortly after the Braves had secured their second consecutive NL pennant and when he was in the process of selling the franchise to Time Warner as part of a colossal merger. “But buying the Braves was a good move. As I relinquished control of the Braves and gave somebody else the responsibility, they did well.”

In handing over control to front office visionaries Stan Kasten and John Schuerholz and brilliant field manager Bobby Cox, who also died early this month, Turner presided over a franchise that not only stayed in Atlanta — there

was serious talk of a relocation to Toronto — but also became the gold standard for consistency, capturing 14 straight division crowns and the 1995 World Series title while morphing into a national brand, largely due to its nearly daily presence on TBS.

In addition to his two-decade-long run as Braves’ principal owner, Turner owned the Hawks from 1977-82. Though his brief tenure as an NBA owner — Sterling was calling games courtside for one season — only saw the Hawks win a single playoff series, Turner’s dedication to keeping NBA basketball in Atlanta, even as he was losing millions every year, was exemplary.

“I was among those personally influenced by Ted. I first met him while working to raise capital to expand Turner Broadcasting during my time at Drexel many years ago. Even then, he was larger than life — boundless in imagination and willing to pursue his dreams on a scale that few could even contemplate,” shared Tony Ressler, Hawks principal owner, upon learning of Turner’s passing.

Added Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, “What set Ted apart was not only his ambition and creativity, but his belief in people and his instinct to empower those around him to think bigger and move faster. We all strived to find our ‘Inner Ted.’ His unconventional leadership and deep commitment to philanthropy will continue to inspire for generations.” ì

Atlanta Sports Books for Father’s Day

By David Ostrowsky

Is dad or grandpa a sports nut?

The AJT sportswriter offers a pair of books that would make great gifts for Father’s Day.

A Dynasty Interrupted: The Rise and Fall of the 1980s Atlanta Braves

By Patrick Montgomery

Within the rich and bountiful baseball literary canon, Atlanta Braves history is primarily chronicled through the prism of Hank Aaron’s Hall of Fame career and the franchise’s dynastic run in the 1990s. Indeed, there has been hardly any literature penned about the Dale Murphy-led and Joe Torre-managed teams of the early-to-mid 1908s, an oft-overlooked era during which Atlanta had a couple contending seasons, such as 1982 when they were three wins from their first World Series appearance since the Milwaukee years.

In his latest work, “A Dynasty Interrupted: The Rise and Fall of the 1980s Atlanta Braves,” baseball author Patrick Montgomery fills the void by providing a succinct overview of the prelude to the franchise’s glory years under recently deceased manager Bobby Cox.

Drawing on personal interviews with Torre, Murphy, and All-Star corner infielder Bob Horner among others, Montgomery, a longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), explores how the 1980s began so promisingly after the franchise struggled immensely following Aaron’s departure to Milwaukee. But Atlanta’s mini-resurgence proved to be ephemeral: After getting broomed by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 NLCS (Atlanta would get revenge on the Cards in the 1996 NLCS en route to its second consecutive NL flag) and finishing in second in the NL West standings the following year, the Braves didn’t return to the postseason under Torre, who was dismissed by then-Braves owner Ted Turner upon the conclusion of the 1984 campaign.

Nevertheless, for much of the early Reagan administration, baseball was once again relevant in the Deep South as the 1980s Braves, while never once eclipsing 90 wins in any given season, flashed a little star power. With Montgomery’s look-back, fans of a certain age may enjoy reliving the exploits of Chris Chambliss, Glenn Hubbard, Brett Butler, Rick Mahler, and Bob Walk (as well as seeing images of their oldtimey baseball cards laced in the middle of the book), and of course, the late Hall of Famer Phil Niekro. Meanwhile, for members of Braves Nation who grew up with posters of Chipper Jones and Greg Maddux adorning their bedroom walls, “A Dynasty Interrupted” could stand as a helpful resource for buffing up their institutional knowledge of the local ballclub that’s currently enjoying a banner season.

Return of the King: The Rebirth of Muhammad Ali and the Rise of Atlanta

By Thomas Aiello

For a biographer, it can be a daunting task to chronicle the life and times of titanic sports figures such as Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, or Muhammad Ali. They have been the subject of myriad books, making it ever-so challenging to unearth new information that will resonate with one’s readership. Yet, in his latest book, “Return of the King: The Rebirth of Muhammad Ali and the Rise of Atlanta,” Valdosta State University history and Africana studies professor Thomas Aiello does so masterfully.

Rather than tracing the arc of Ali’s entire life in and out of the boxing ring, Aiello explores one momentous juncture of The Greatest’s career — when he returned to boxing on the evening of October 26, 1970, following a three-year suspension in the wake of his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War. It just so happened that the backdrop to Ali’s hotly anticipated return to the ring was Atlanta’s Municipal Auditorium.

Referring to “Return of the King” as merely a sports book wouldn’t do justice to Aiello’s tome as it’s not just a comprehensive and riveting account of one of Ali’s most pivotal (and overlooked) bouts that altered the path of his unparalleled career, but also a deep dive into Atlanta’s complicated 20th-century history of race relations. As Aiello details in the early chapters, racism was still imbued in the ecosystem of Atlanta — even though Mayor William B. Hartsfield once coined Atlanta as “the city too busy to hate” — but not nearly to the degree that it was in neighboring cities in the Deep South.

Meanwhile, if Ali serves as the book’s chief protagonist, Leroy Johnson, Georgia’s first Black state senator since the days of Reconstruction, has to be the most important secondary character. It was Johnson, more so than anyone else, who deftly maneuvered around thorny political issues to facilitate Ali’s return match taking place in Atlanta — just as the city was becoming a hotbed of major professional sports.

While Aiello maintains a keen focus on Ali’s duel with Jerry Quarry, an elite heavyweight fighter who was outspoken against his opponent’s anti-war stance, he still provides a holistic portrait of his subject — the champ as a Black Muslim, as a civil rights activist, and as a draft dodger — so that readers understand why Cassius Clay, the son of a sign painter and a domestic worker from Louisville, became one of the most compelling figures in the history of North American sports.

As Aiello notes at the very end of his book, “So much of Ali’s career was and is enmeshed in both apocrypha and symbol. His image served as an empty vessel for so many different actors to fill with their own political interests that the meaning of his life had become, by the 1996 Olympics, inevitably malleable. But on a cool October night in 1970, less than two miles away from where the opening Olympic ceremonies would be held, his symbolism was perhaps most acute.” ì

Kesher Torah Becomes The Schul at Chastain

By Robert Garber

One of Atlanta’s newest and most unique congregations is finally getting a space of their own and, with it, a new name. Kesher Torah, soon to be known as The Schul at Chastain, was founded at the start of the COVID pandemic, and up until now has been using a rented space for services.

“It had its limitations because of that,” said Rabbi Yitzchok Werbin, speaking about the move. “[The new location] is not larger in square footage, it’s just qualitatively much nicer.”

“In the Talmud it says – shinui makom shinui mazel, that a change of a location can bring a change in your mazel, your flow of heavenly assistance,” said Sarah Werbin, the rabbi’s wife. “So, we’re excited about a change in the location.”

The Werbins hope their small, warm community will be a big draw for new families.

“A schul can sometimes feel intimidating, when you walk in and it’s big and it’s with lots of people, and you’re looking for a community and you don’t really

know people,” said Sarah Werbin. “What we offer is a smaller space and more warmth and intimacy to connect people to each other, to their tradition, to community.”

“A mom came over to me and said, ‘I just want you to know’ – and I was hosting it at my house because we’re at this transition stage – ‘When I come over into your house, I feel Shabbat,’” said Sarah Werbin, describing the intimacy. “We’re also really welcoming and open to the whole family. That means extended family as well – people can feel comfortable bringing their moms, their grandparents, whoever is around in the Atlanta area. It really spans the multi-generational gamut of who we have to offer to.”

“We are an Orthodox schul, but we are open to everyone on whatever level they’re at, and wherever they’re coming from in terms of their Jewish journey. We believe that everyone is on their own Jewish journey and we’re here to help with that journey.”

While they have officially finished moving into the new space as of May 3, there are still a few finishing touches left.

A celebratory dinner will mark the beginning of operations, and the Werbins encourage anyone interested to stay

tuned at the schul’s website, keshertorahatlanta.org, or once it launches, theschulatchastain.org.

Hadassah Honors Student Leaders with Chesed Awards

The 35th annual Hadassah Greater Atlanta (HGA) Chesed (loving kindness) Student Awards took place on May 3 at Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs.

HGA and JTeen honored 21 of the best and brightest young leaders representing synagogues, Jewish day schools, and organizations in the Greater Atlanta community.

Eighth through twelfth graders are eligible for the award. Each organization chooses its own recipient based on criteria that are paramount to Hadassah and its members: concern for Jews, Jewish culture and heritage; concern for Israel; concern for fellow human beings in manner and deed (menschlichkeit); and good academic standing.

Phyllis M. Cohen, Linda Weinroth, and Liz Goldstein of Hadassah Greater Atlanta chaired the event in partnership with Leah Stinson, director, JTeen/JCamping-Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. This is the seventh year collaborating in recognizing the inspiring and impressive actions, activities, and achievements of these teens.

Terry Nordin, president, Hadassah Greater Atlanta, highlighted Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah Villages in Israel, which put at-risk youth on a secure path to success saying, “I want to share Hadassah’s pride in the accomplishments of its Youth Aliyah Vil-

(Front row seated, from left): Leah Stinson of JTeen Liz Goldstein, Phyllis M. Cohen, Linda Weinroth, Hadassah Greater Atlanta Chesed Chairs; (first row standing, from left): Jenna Epstein, Mikaela Block, Lauren Cohn, Isabelle Siedman, Alexa Posel, Isabelle Kats, Hila Ben-Yaacov, Stella Gegax, Einav Malka, Kira Nadler, Molly Levy; (back row standing, from left): Max Zhiss, Eric Tepper, Ben Funk, Mason Maslia, Gabe Perlin, Kayla Kleinman, Korah Kenyatta-Simmons, Mylo Morantz, Jill Malkin: not pictured: Audrey Bronfman // All photos by Bob Mahoney Pictures

lages, Meir Shfeyah and Neurim. Central to Hadassah’s mission is the well-being of future generations. Donations made this year to the Chesed program are being allocated to Youth Aliyah to continue the rescue and support of hundreds of disadvantaged students in Hadassah’s care.”

Two guest speakers shared personal messages and praised Hadassah for its vital work in Israel, the U.S and worldwide. Eitan Weiss, Consul General of Israel to the Southeast United States, was particularly touched by the Youth Aliyah video presented featuring a young man fleeing Ukraine for safety and security in Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah vil-

lage. Weiss commented that not long ago he was on several rescue missions in Ukraine.

Georgia State Rep. Esther Panitch, an active Life Member of Hadassah, spoke of her experiences working in the legislature and how she suggests accomplishing goals when among a diverse group. She spoke of quiet one-on-one discussions and collaborations.

Since 2019, two monetary awards have been given at the program based on student essay submissions.

The Phyllis M. Cohen Leadership Award went to Mason Maslia, whose many years of activities and dedication to his team fighting pancreatic cancer through Pan-

Can Purple Stride and his four years participating in the Creating Connected Communities Leadership Development program and projects truly exemplify his leadership.

The Linda and Michael Weinroth Community Service Award went to Isabelle Kats, a founding member of Davis Academy’s Peace by Piece bringing students of different faiths together. Actively engaged in ORT’s Honey from the Heart project for the past four years and serving as local co-chair last year, Kats has coordinated volunteers in sending out jars of honey at Rosh Hashanah and spread sweetness throughout Jewish communities.

Cohen emphasizes, “We are truly blessed to have had the longevity of this program and so many outstanding students to highlight. Through the years, we’ve recognized nearly 800 of our community’s remarkable teens who are dedicated to service, leadership, and good deeds. We know the answer to needs must be given in deeds.”

To learn more about Hadassah, go to https://www.hadassah.org/chapter/greateratlanta

To learn more about JTeen, go to https://jewishatlanta.org/initiative/jteen/

Compiled by AJT Staff

A+ Laundry is Reimagining the Laundromat

When most people picture a laundromat, they picture coin slots, flickering lights, and broken machines. What Amy Knopf and Avi Robbins are building at A+ Laundry looks nothing like that.

Knopf’s background is in commercial real estate; Robbins’ is in manufacturing and engineering. They came to the laundry industry from different directions and arrived at the same conclusion: this was a fragmented, essential service that had been largely ignored by anyone with the vision or operational discipline to do it better.

The idea, at its core, is about time. Not laundry. “Every hour someone spends doing laundry is an hour they could spend doing something they actually care about,” says Knopf. A+ Laundry offers self-service machines, wash and fold drop-off, pickup and delivery, dry cleaning, and commercial laundry services. Whether someone stops in to knock out a week’s worth of laundry in under an hour or hands it all off entirely, the experience is built around getting people back to what matters.

They are reaching customers who never realized outsourcing laundry was even an option. Seniors maintaining their independence. Families reclaiming their weekends. Busy professionals who simply have better things to do.

With camp season approaching, A+

Laundry is signing up families for its camp laundry service — one of its most asked-for offerings. A+ Laundry will meet families at the bus for Camp Ramah Darom and Camp Judaea and offers home pickup or drop-off at the store for all other camps. Everything — clothing, bedding, duffels, shoes — comes back clean, folded, and ready for next summer.

For everyday laundry, pickup and delivery service is available across Atlanta and scheduling takes minutes at www.useAplusLaundry.com. Self-service and drop-off customers can stop in at their newly renovated Peachtree Corners location, 7131 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 109, and they have more locations coming soon.

Knopf and Robbins are also developing Loads of Care, a platform being piloted that would allow people to sponsor laundry for others during life’s full or harder moments — a new baby, an illness, a loss — doing for an overlooked burden what Meal Train did for dinner. It reflects something larger about what they are building: a laundry company with a genuine point of view about community.

The timing is not accidental. The U.S. laundromat industry — valued at $6.8 billion and historically 80 percent independent — is drawing serious attention

from private equity and regional chains. The laundry pickup and delivery market alone is projected to nearly quadruple by 2035.

With new acquisitions on the horizon, Knopf and Robbins have a clear-eyed vision for what a full-service brand in this space can become. The goal, as it has always been, is simple: give people their time back. “People are surprised that the

age-old chore of laundry can actually be improved,” says Robbins. “That reaction never gets old.”

They are just getting started. And they are betting that Atlanta is ready to do laundry differently. For more information, visit www.useAplusLaundry. com or call 678-LAUNDRY (528-6379).

Compiled by AJT Staff

Kibbitz & Konnect to Celebrate 4th Anniversary

Kibbitz & Konnect, the premier inperson social network for Jewish singles has a big event coming up. Join the group from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, June 7, at Bar{n} Booze {n} Bites in Dunwoody for a party to celebrate their fourth anniversary. Appetizers will be provided, cash bar. Enjoy music, beautiful almost summer weather, and birthday cake. This event is open to Jewish singles 21 and over. Grab your friends and make an evening of it! Tickets are $18 through June 3 and go up to $23 on June 4.

Over the past four years, Kibbitz & Konnect, Inc. has built a consistent, welcoming in-person community for Jewish singles in Atlanta. In a world shaped by apps and algorithms, this nonprofit is proving that connection still grows best face-to-face.

Since launching, the organization has hosted 45-plus programs designed to make meeting people feel easy and natural. Offerings range from traditioncentered Shabbat services and dinners to

The anniversary celebration will be held on June 7 at Bar{n} in Dunwoody.

relaxed social outings like happy hours, wine tastings, and an outdoor concert.

Activity-based events—cooking classes, dance lessons, and Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) movie outings—

spark conversation and lower the pressure. For those seeking more structured opportunities, Kibbitz & Konnect also hosts speed dating plus workshops led by divorce coaches and relationship experts.

The goal isn’t just a full calendar — it’s real relationships. Each program is designed to help participants expand their social circles, deepen Jewish connection, and, for some, meet a life partner. Many people return because they’ve found a genuine sense of belonging.

An advisory board helps guide Kibbitz & Konnect’s vision and growth, and the organization is now looking to expand the board. If you’re passionate about community-building for singles — and bring skills in areas like programming, partnerships, marketing, fundraising, or nonprofit governance — there’s an opportunity to help shape what comes next.

At its core, Kibbitz & Konnect creates space for people to show up, meet, and build something lasting. Four years in, the community is growing — and the mission remains simple: bring Atlanta’s Jewish singles together in ways that feel real and meaningful.

Compiled by AJT Staff

A Letter to My Grandson

My dear grandson, You entered this world seven weeks earlier than expected and from the moment I saw you — this tiny thing in an incubator, in a neo-natal intensive care unit — you gripped my heart.

When your father called, with news of your pending arrival, your grandmother and I packed and drove the threeand-a-half hours from Atlanta.

I was flabbergasted, dumfounded, and gobsmacked when your parents told us your given name, that of my paternal great-grandfather, a Jewish scholar.

Here you were, weighing two pounds and four ounces, connected to devices that monitored your vital signs, with an intravenous drip in one arm, a feeding tube run through your mouth, and your eyes shielded as protection from phototherapy lights atop the incubator.

I was mesmerized and humbled.

Every other consideration in my life instantly moved to the periphery.

We marveled at your dark hair, the length of your fingers, and your itty-bitty toes.

Your cry was insistent.

I declared that watching you — your chest rising and falling, raising your arms, and stretching your legs — was

better than any other form of entertainment.

We stayed for four days, visiting you daily and helping your mother and father by running errands, doing laundry, cleaning dishes, anything that freed them to concentrate on you. Fortunately, the neo-natal ICU is just a couple of blocks walk from your future home.

We left to attend a family wedding — where you were a major topic of conversation — subsisting since then on a diet of texts and pictures sent by your parents.

Those images are precious — your first skin-to-skin contact with each of them, grasping one of your mother’s fingers as you look at her, and your father reading to you from an English spy novel.

I have been thinking about how the world has changed between my birth and yours.

I was born a decade after the end of World War II, during the “Cold War,” decades of antagonism and tension between the United States and the now former Soviet Union, each vying for influence around the world, often in countries that most people could not find on a map. Today’s conflicts are not so neatly packaged.

You were born as America prepared to mark its 250th anniversary. The nation is polarized and engaged in heated discourse over the relationship between the government and the governed, as many people fear for the future of what its first president called “the last great experiment for promoting human happiness.”

You are a Southerner, born into an often misunderstood and intensely proud region. The South played an

Beyond Your Expectations...

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essential role in the founding of this country, yet not a century later fought a bitter civil war. A region with a history of inequality and inequity based on skin color, but which also birthed a historic movement that led to laws banning discrimination in the right to vote, as well as in access to public spaces, schools, employment, and housing.

I would like to tell you that six decades later, such issues have been resolved — but I can’t.

Like the generations that came before, yours — Generation Beta, as named by demographers — will pick up the baton from your elders and tackle these and other issues, among them the effects of climate change.

Let me offer this thought, from a well-known Jewish text: “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

You will dress in ways that confound your parents, listen to music and speak in slang they cannot understand, and adopt attitudes that will frustrate them. Take heart, they did the same to us, as we did to our parents.

The greatest change between my birth and yours has been in technology. My generation grew up watching rockets roar into the heavens and our world grow smaller with the ability to watch events around the planet as they happened. What was the stuff of science fiction in my childhood is becoming real and will affect nearly every aspect of your life.

They say that when you’re young, the days go fast and the years slowly. From where I sit now, the days pass slowly but the years hurry by.

You are, of course, too young — not even a month old when this column is published — to understand any of this.

Your parents will share their experience and wisdom with you, and, as aspects of their lives become part of yours, you will benefit from the blending of two families’ histories and traditions.

You have been born into the Jewish community on your mother’s side of the family. It is a long and rich heritage, one that has seen more than its share of tsuris, and generated much nachus, to use the Yiddish. You will develop your own relationship with Judaism and find your own place within the Jewish people.

You already have changed the trajectory of lives, most notably those of your parents, but also your grandparents. Whatever you call us, your grandmother and I look forward to reading and playing with you, telling you about our lives and families, and listening to the stories you tell us.

I look forward to our conversations.

With all the love I can muster,

Your grandfather Dave ì

Letter to the Community

Michael A. Morris Publisher

a robust online presence, which we have with one of the best Jewish websites in the country. This has become the new and most common way readers now consume news. One hurdle the newspaper industry faces is that online advertising revenue draws only a small fraction of the revenue that paper advertisements generate to meet the increases in expenses that have come from the cost of paper, printing, and dis tribution. To meet economic goals, many periodicals are creating new revenue streams and one of these new streams is community events.

This is half the reason that the AJT re-created the new Atlanta Jewish Life Festival, an annual event, and has taken over the Kosher BBQ Festi val from the Hebrew Order of David. The other reason is to further the paper’s mission of Keeping Jewish Atlanta Connected. Both events bring thousands of community members together for a day of family fun.

A couple years ago, the Atlanta Jewish Life Foundation (AJLF) -- at lantajewishlifefoundation.com -- was created specifically for the pur pose of supporting the paper as well as events like these that further our mission. While Bernie Marcus z”l during his life had been the most recent benefactor to the AJT, it is now time to garner more communi ty-wide support. Rest assured, the Marcus Foundation is still the AJT’s largest donor (through the AJLF), but we can no longer rely on a single source for our survival. The Atlanta Jewish Times is an over 100-year-old community asset and now it needs to be supported by the community.

The Atlanta Jewish Times is celebrating 100 years of continuous publication. In my opinion, it is still a valuable asset to the community providing unique content, written by local community members, about local community members, organizations, and events, for every demo graphic of the local Jewish community. I trust you see the benefits the paper has given the community over the past century and are willing to support the paper for the next generation.

Here’s to another 100 years of local Jewish journalism … and to keep ing free home delivery alive for everyone who values it.

Michael A. Morris

Atlanta Jewish Times

michael@atljewishtimes.com

Mobile: (404) 316-0255

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Letters to the Editor

The AJT welcomes your letters. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to sasha@atljewishtimes.com.

To the Editor,

As an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor, Atlanta resident, and educator with the Breman Holocaust Museum, I felt compelled to respond to your April 30 article, “Incident at Decatur High Embroils Jewish Community.”

While I understand the importance of reporting troubling incidents, I was deeply disappointed that the article seemed to present Decatur High School students largely in a negative light without acknowledging the many positive experiences that also exist within that community.

In January 2023, I had the privilege of visiting Decatur High School to speak with the Drama Club about my personal experiences surviving the Holocaust. I was profoundly moved by the students’ respect, compassion, and sincere desire to learn. Following my talk, I attended their moving performance of “Letters from Sala,” a production that demonstrated deep thoughtfulness and sensitivity to Jewish history.

One especially touching moment came when a student performer, dressed in a Nazi costume for his role, was hesitant to appear before me because he worried it might cause offense. His concern reflected not hatred, but empathy and humanity.

After witnessing the students’ dedication, I asked the head of the Drama Club whether they would consider performing the show as a fundraiser for Hemshech, an Atlanta-based organization supporting Holocaust survivors. They enthusiastically agreed. Their performance raised $1,000 for this important cause.

These young people showed me something powerful: this generation can choose education, compassion, and action over hate.

As someone who has dedicated much of my life to teaching younger generations about the dangers of antisemitism and intolerance, I believe it is equally important to recognize and celebrate examples of courage, allyship, and understanding when they occur.

Decatur High School’s students deserve to be seen not only through moments of controversy, but also through the remarkable ways they have supported the Jewish community and stood against hate.

I hope future coverage will strive for a fuller and more balanced picture — one that includes both challenges and the inspiring efforts of students who are working to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Hershel Greenblat, Holocaust survivor, educator, and speaker, Atlanta, Ga.

Disclamer to our readers:

This section of the newspaper is a forum for our community to share thoughts, concerns and opinions as open letters to the community or directly to the newspaper. Letters tp tje editor are proofed for spelling and grammatical errors only. We do not edit nor vet the information the letter contains. The individual signing the letter is accountable for what they share.

To the Editor,

For the past 70 years, I had the privilege to serve as a Torah Reader. Although I have read Torah for many years, I still look forward to every opportunity to read with excitement. Every time I read Torah all over the world, I enjoy the compliments I receive about my unique reading style.

I am very proud to have served as Torah Reader for 12 years at Ahavath Achim which was the largest conservative synagogue in Atlanta at the time.

In 1984, B’nai Torah asked me to serve as the official Baal Koreh. From 1984 to 2004, I read Torah with all the duties and responsibilities of a Baal Koreh. I read every Shabbat and Festival including reading Shir Hashirim, Ruth, Kohelet and Megillat Esther. When there was a bar or bat mitzvah and the teen would read a portion, I would read all other portions. I had excellent relationships with all rabbis who served from 1984 to 2004.

In 2004, the rabbi limited my reading to the extent that I was not given the opportunity to perform the duties that a Baal Koreh should perform when I was in town and available. It made me feel embarrassed and insulted when I was sometimes informed that I was not needed for five weeks. During 2025, I was only allowed to read 10 times. It is upsetting when a bar or bat mitzvah reads a short portion, then the rabbi takes over and reads very fast without the trope. In a similar circumstance, the Baal Koreh would be reading the other portions. In my opinion, many people are unable to follow when other people read Torah due to the speed.

I travel often. However, even when I am in town, the rabbi will only occasionally ask me to read Torah. This occurs on Shabbats with or without a bar or bat mitzvah.

At 88 years old, I still enjoy reading Torah and want to do so as often as possible. The current practice of reading Torah only occasionally has had a detrimental effect on my health. Therefore, I had no choice but to resign as the Torah Reader.

Sincerely, Michael Alon, Atlanta, Ga.

Rabbi Roundtable

Rabbi Shalom Lewis, Conservative Rabbi Lewis is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta. He was ordained through the Jewish Theological Seminary’s rabbinical school in 1978 and served as a student pulpit rabbi in 1977 at Congregation Etz Chaim, before becoming their first full-time rabbi. Rabbi Lewis has served as the president of the Southeast Region of the Rabbinical Assembly, as the president of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, and on the national board of the Rabbinical Assembly.

Rabbi Nachman Friedman, Orthodox

Rabbi Nachi Friedman is the rabbi at Congregation Anshi Sfard in Morningside and the school counselor at Torah Day School of Atlanta (TDSA). He enjoys merging his Rabbinic training along with psychology to engage with and learn from people of all ages. When not working, Rabbi Friedman enjoys spending time with his wife, five children, almost as much as he loves playing pickleball.

Rabbi Sol Agin, Reform

In partnership with the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, The AJT's monthly Rabbi Roundtable brings together rabbis from across Atlanta representing each denomination.

Rabbi Yitzchok Werbin, Orthodox

Rabbi Yitzchok Werbin is the founding Rabbi of Kesher Torah Synagogue (soon to be The Schul at Chastain), a warm and diverse congregation in Sandy Springs. Born and raised in Dunwoody, Rabbi Werbin attended the Greenfield Hebrew Academy (now AJA) and North Springs High School. He traveled south to attend the University of Florida where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Enjoying a very successful career in real estate, he was inspired to explore Judaism on a higher level, enrolling in the Machon Yaakov Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where he later met and married his wife, Sarah, before returning to Atlanta to be closer with their parents and family.

Rabbi Solomon Agin, D.D. is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Shalom in Port Charlotte, Fla., and a member of Temple Sinai in Atlanta. During his rabbinical career, Rabbi Agin served pulpits in Fort Myers, Monticello, New York, and St. Louis. Rabbi Agin has also previously served as president of the Southeast Association of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Chair of the Board of 21st Century C.A.R.E., and interfaith community liaison for Dignity Memorials. He holds degrees from Brooklyn College of the City of New York, Academy for Jewish Religions, and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

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

What does it mean for a Jewish community to age well, not just individually but collectively?

Rabbi Yitzchok Werbin

A Jewish community ages well not just when people live longer, but when the warmth, values, and traditions of Torah life keep getting passed down in a real and meaningful way. It’s less about numbers and more about connection — people feeling connected to their families, their community, and their Yiddishkeit.

A strong community is one where older people continue to feel valued and involved. Our rabbis teach us to honor the elderly because every stage of life brings perspective, wisdom, and life experience that younger generations can learn from. The healthiest communities are the ones where grandparents, seniors, and longtime members still feel deeply connected — in shul, at simchas, and in the everyday rhythm of community life.

At the same time, there’s something special about watching younger families build their lives and raise children surrounded by Torah values, friendship, and support. Kids should grow up feeling that Judaism is warm, meaningful, and full of joy. When people feel genuinely connected and cared about, they naturally want to stay involved and give back to others.

Healthy Torah communities also know how to grow with the times while staying grounded in the values that always matter most — kindness, faith, responsibility, and caring for one another.

Most importantly, a community ages well when everyone feels they belong. Whether it’s a senior living alone, a family going through a difficult time, or a teenager trying to find their place, the strength of a community comes from people showing up for each other. When that happens, a community doesn’t just age well — it becomes stronger, closer, and more meaningful with every generation.

Rabbi Nachman Friedman

The Jewish community is a collective society by nature. We have individual mitzvot, success and accomplishments, but if done completely alone are not deemed true accomplishments. Our life is a constant balance between focusing on the individual and greater community.

Wellness in Jewish law has this balance as well. The Torah states “Vechai Bahem” (you shall live by them) prioritize your life over others. The Torah also states “Ve’ahavta leraacha kamocha,” treat others like ourselves. These verses seem to take us in different directions! Should we prioritize ourselves or others per Torah law?

Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch on Parshat Yitro posits that the goal of our success and financial gains in this world is to be able to help others. Helping others is our goal, not a kindness we do as we achieve our goal. When we truly accomplish this balance, we will both “live by them” and “Love each other” in harmony and age well as individuals and community. Our goal as we “age well” is to shift from Vechai Bahem, self-security and success, to Vahavta Leracha, success of the collective.

Our secret to aging well as individuals lies in our ability to help our community. Like Avraham, our forefather, focused on helping everyone passing by his tent, so, too, we must make our life’s mission to help others. A smile, kind gesture or action can enhance the well-being of everyone around us and ourselves. We become stronger when we focus less on our net income and more on our net impact.

Atlanta Rabbinical Association

Rabbi Sol Agin

As one who has been a resident of Atlanta for only two-and-a-half years, I have an incredibly positive view of the question, “What Does It Mean for a Jewish Community to Age Well?”

Most of the time, we think of a person as “Aging Well”; seldom, if ever, do we think in terms of a community “Aging Well.”

I have found the Atlanta Jewish community “not to be aging,” but rather vibrant, progressive, and constantly challenging. My wife and I are always amazed at the variety of programs; be it around films, lectures, book reviews, Judaic studies, and cultural events. Nothing is ever outdated or repeated. In addition, and most importantly, these programs are always open to the entire community.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Atlanta Jewish community is not just aging well, it is thriving! This community is one of the most exciting, dynamic and forward thinking in the country. Being able to stimulate and consistently educate using various avenues to achieve their mission makes a strong statement about the Atlanta Jewish community and its ability to “age well.”

As a concluding comment on this topic, I must acknowledge the leadership of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association for the thought-provoking theme. It is my feeling that in most Jewish communities, little thought is given to this topic. There is no doubt that the theme has relevance and Jewish communities should give it serious consideration.

Rabbi Shalom Lewis

There’s a wonderful old tale of a rather pretentious lady sitting next to a Jewish woman at a civic event. The blue hair turns to her Yiddisha neighbor and with a haughty, affected Brahman accent shares that her ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Without missing a beat, Sadie Finkelstein calmly replies, ‘That’s nice. My family was on Noah’s ark.”

There is a passion within, perhaps even a primordial need, to have a sense of where we have come from. A connection to a past that we can proudly claim. It is not just enough to be a citizen of today but bonded as well to a distant pedigree. Ancestry has become a critical component of our identity and provides us a biography, linkage and pride. We are nervous about mortality but fear oblivion and existential disconnect even more. Bury me but not too deeply in the family plot.

There is comfort in lineage which brings me to a Netflix binge favorite. “The Crown.” A marvelous history of Queen Elizabeth that reveals delicious court intrigue in Buckingham Palace. There is much to relish in this luscious production, but mostly I enjoy the obsession with genealogy. For the Royals in the 21st century to know their 10th-century family and to know what they looked like from detailed, glorious portraits must be thrilling. No need for swabs and Ancestry.com We can be a bit jealous of that remarkable dynasty, their castles, their carriages, their estates but let us not forget that we, too, are royalty. We go back over three millennia and though we don’t know the visage of our ancestors, we do know that we come from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Levi and that our distant family stood at the foot of Sinai. The famed historian Arnold Toynbee, no lover of Jews, when asked what he thought was the greatest miracle of history, the remarkable response from an antisemite, ‘The survival of the Jews.”

The sun never set on the British Empire but neither has it set on the progeny of Abraham. Jerusalem is a whole lot older than London. ì

FATHER'S DAY

Thoughtful Father’s Day Gifts: Home Runs for Dads

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Father’s Day is an opportunity to make your dad, grandfather, uncle, or someone who has been like a father to you, feel extra special. With practical gifts dads will enjoy together, hit a grand slam with the following suggestions. The key is to know what dad values and would appreciate. Here are some creative ideas to put a smile on his face.

The Grilling Dad – If dad is the world’s best griller or at-home chef, let him plan the menu; you deliver his shopping list and ask him to give you a lesson sharing his favorite cooking techniques. You’ve learned a lot of lessons from dad over time and this one will be unforgettable. Celebrate dad’s good taste, culinary skills, and enjoy the meal as a family singing dad’s praises.

Plan A Guys Night Out – Gift dad a road trip or evening out with all the guys in your family. Make it a guy’s night out, attending a game, having dinner at dad’s favorite restaurant or watching the playoffs. Make it a yearly tradition and every Father’s Day; gift dad an evening that’s unforgettable with the boys.

Enjoy a Daddy Daughter Date –Next, gift dad a daddy (or Zayde) date and plan a get together with dad and daughters or granddaughters. Take dad on a wardrobe update shopping trip or perhaps just an ice cream outing. Make dad feel special with your TLC and let him know he’s the best dad ever. Tell Pops your heart belongs to daddy and make him feel like king for the day.

The Traveling Dad – If dad is a guy on-the-go and loves to travel, wish dad miles of smiles. Check out the latest travel gifts that will save him time, money and energy. From small portable battery chargers for his phone to luggage that makes packing a breeze or a travel wallet or theft-proof passport holder that is protected, gift dad something that will keep him organized and safe while traveling.

Handy Man – If your dad is not a handy man, secure a pro who is on call and does small jobs around the house and give dad a “honey do” gift. When there’s a household chore, lightbulbs need replacing or a repair is needed, Dad will be able to lift one finger and call his very own handy man. A gift certificate

to this trustworthy contact will make dad look good and give him a break.

Picture Perfect – You can never go wrong with a collection of photographs or a framed photo of you and dad. Photo books are easy to create or have made for you with a few clicks from your personal photograph collection on your phone. You can also use your tech skills and create a photo with all the grandchildren and place it on dad’s phone or computer as the screen saver.

Gift A Gift Card – Tried and true, gift cards are still an appreciated gift for dads. Choose a gift card for a place or online site that he frequents often and would enjoy. From Home Depot to Amazon.com to his favorite bookstore, hobby resource or place to play golf, there’s an endless selection of gift card options and many companies can send them instantly online in case you waited to the last minute.

Computer SOS – If you are technology savvy, brighten dad’s day with a coupon book entitling him to call you to fix anything, any time and help him with his computer, phone, or anything technological. Offering to help dad sort out a tech

issue is the gift of your wisdom and share it freely with dad for a gift that keeps on giving.

Personal Organizer – If your dad is not the most organized person you know, and you have a talent in keeping things orderly, offer your organizing skills. Whether it’s dad’s closet that’s a mess or a desk that’s chaotic, help dad create a filing system or clean out those clothes that need could be donated to a good cause.

Family Car Wash - This is a fun gift even the younger kids can be involved in creating. Set up a Father’s Day car wash for all the dads, grandfathers, and uncles in the entire family. All it takes is a little soap, water, cloth, and know-how. The kids will love having fun and the cars will sparkle as a result. The kids can name the car wash, make a sign, and celebrate Father’s Day with a big splash.

Costco Shopping Spree – If dad is a devoted Costco shopper, take the kids and go up and down all the aisles and let dad point out his favorite things. Fill up the cart and treat dad to a Costco shopping spree. This is a great gift for siblings to do with dad and stock up his freezer, fridge, and closets with all the things he

needs from one of his favorite places to shop.

Life Lessons – Whether dad loves gardening, fishing, woodworking, or pickleball, show interest in his hobbies and let him share what he loves with you. Being interested in dad’s interests is a gift that is irreplaceable. Gift dad lessons with an expert to help him sharpen his game or his knowledge and attend the lesson with him. Not only will you learn something new, but it will also give dad and you something special to share.

Car Service On Call – If dad has limited driving or is unable to drive anymore, find a reliable car service who is qualified and certified to drive him wherever he needs to go. Gift him the number to call and also arrange for family members to join in as Dad’s Car Service on call any time.

Ring, Ring –And finally, consider calling dad at the same time every day. It sounds simple and yet, a call a day will be the best gift you can give dad and yourself. If you’re reading this article and you’re blessed to have your dad and grandfathers available to hug, don’t delay. Love is the best gift of all and here’s wishing all dads a very Happy Father’s Day! ì

Keeping it in the Family

By Chana Shapiro

Chef Dawid Revell once owned the popular Atlanta restaurants Go Vegan Grill and Mama’s Yawd (Jamaican). He also ran a take-out bakery. Now, his children have learned from his culinary expertise and independently prepare and sell kosher take-out food at the Shabbat Shuk (Hebrew for Shabbat Market), a weekly tented pop-up in front of the Spicy Peach grocery in the Toco Hills Shopping Center.

Revell sold his restaurants and is now an established kosher caterer and personal chef, operating the business, Kosher Chef Now. Known throughout Atlanta, his projects have expanded to include the Shabbat Shuk that sells fully-cooked main and side dishes packed in lidded aluminum pans, ready to be heated for Shabbat. The Shabbat Shuk, in partnership with The Spicy Peach, is set up every Friday morning from 9:30 am until they are sold out, usually by the late morning or early afternoon.

All food sold in the Shabbat Shuk is prepared fresh by Revell’s teen and young adult children on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Congregation Beth Jacob kitchen under the on-site supervision of Atlanta Kashrut Commission mashgiach, Yosef Radfard. The name, Kosher Chef Now, was coined by Revell’s wife, Frances. Busy Atlanta families who sought help with preparing flavorful, unique Shabbat meals every week often contacted Revell, and their pleas, “We need a kosher chef, now!” perfectly summarized a service Revell agreed to provide. Kosher Chef Now was born.

The Shabbat Shuk offers several choices of fish, chicken, beef dishes, and assorted sides. There’s always a combination of community favorites and new offerings, descriptively labeled and clearly priced. Each fully-cooked selection will generously serve two hungry adults. Fish (pareve) is prepared separately from the meat prep area and is cooked in special pans with separate utensils. Shuk customers often buy multiple mains and sides to keep on hand in their freezers or to serve throughout the week.

The entire Shabbat Shuk production is carried out by Revell’s children who learned their father’s food savvy, diligence, and organization skills. Revell taught them the food business and continues to mentor them from the sidelines, but he’s rarely present when they’re cooking or staffing the Shuk because he is most often catering or busy

on a private home cooking gig.

His offspring work as a Shabbat Shuk team and sometimes bring in extended family members to help on big jobs, like catering events and simchas. Each of the core team members has a specific role and expertise; however, all of them are well experienced in the Kosher Chef Now model.

Son, David, 18, who also is active remodeling houses, boxing, and in Judaic learning, will soon attend an Israeli Yeshiva. Currently, he has the responsibility of Kosher Chef Now general business manager. Daughter, Chef Ramiyah, 20, a soup expert, singer, and fashion/accessory maven, supervises the cooks and the complex Shabbat Shuk cooking process, overseeing the detailed task from start to finish. David and Ramiyah together manage the payroll: in addition to myriad other expenses, family members (some in the extended mishpacha) who work for Kosher Chef Now get paid. Daughter, Elisheva, 15, who attends Druid Hills High School, is the pastry chef in the family; she joins David and Ramiyah for Shuk work and other cooking when she’s not in school. Son, Baruch, 22, who has a “day job,” assists for major catering and simcha events.

Working in the Beth Jacob kitchen, carefully packing for the Shuk, and greeting and advising customers under their tent outside The Spicy Peach, the close camaraderie of the siblings, their amiable personalities, and respectful customer service are notable. Their father’s mentoring is evident, even though he is seldom on site.

Revell explains, “A father needs to constrict himself in order to let the next generation achieve their highest poten-

tial, in whatever they choose to do.”

Revell is not a laissez faire father: he knows that living a meaningful life involves much more than food. The result is that the Revell offspring are multitalented, worldly-wise, confident, and independent. Revell’s effective fathering is structured and unique, and he and Frances share an approach to childrearing. Before the age of their children’s Jewish maturity (daughters at 12, sons at 13), Frances’ role was more pronounced. As their children’s self-responsibility grew, Dawid’s role deepened. The parents made sure that their offspring acquired a profession and built upon their individual talents and natural gifts.

Three times a year, the entire family works on farms, where, as Dawid notes, “We learn about food from the ground to the kitchen, and we sense G-d’s power.” Every one of the Revells plays a musical instrument or sings, and the parents and children often jam and sing together. Dawid states, “Music builds intelligence and soothes the soul.”

All siblings have learned first aid to care for themselves and others. Both sexes engage in Jewish learning and are schooled in self-defense; they know how to defend themselves and others, and they understand when and when not to fight. “We coach our children how to be safe in the world,” Revell says.

The Revells participate in Atlanta’s broad Jewish community. They are active members of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim where Dawid and Frances serve in many capacities. Dawid is a past vice president of membership of the shul, and during winter months, the family prepares Friday evening soup for the congregation, who join after services to

welcome the Sabbath together. Dawid has served on the Domestic Allocations Committee at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and is one of the caterers for the annual Toco Hills Community Shabbat.

Revell appreciates the teachings of his mother, Pauline Revell, an émigré who came to America from Jamaica as a teen, and who was well-known as a chef, nurse, herbalist, and caterer. She followed the legacy of her own mother, Mama Sullivan, a respected Jamaican cook and baker. Other than his mother, Dawid’s greatest influence was his uncle, Dr. Mark Spiro, and his family. They lived a full Orthodox Jewish life, which Revell found beautiful, inspiring, and compelling. For years, young Dawid traveled from Trenton, N.J., to spend almost every Shabbat and Yom Tov in New York to share the experience with his embracing aunt and uncle.

The Revells treasure the welcoming, inclusive Orthodox shul Rabbi Mark Kunis has fostered at Shaarei Shamayim; however, friendly Dawid occasionally frequents Orthodox synagogues Ohr Hatorah, Ner Hamizrah, and Beth Jacob near home in the Toco Hills area. Revell is naturally outgoing. He states, “We love our people, and our family is passionate about making delicious food that makes others happy!”

Do you need food for Shabbat or want to keep fully-cooked kosher meals in your freezer? Go to www.kosherchefnow.com for their weekly Shabbat Shuk menu. For catering or to arrange for Chef Revell to cook in your kitchen, go to the kosherchefnow.com website. Better yet, check out the Shabbat Shuk at The Spicy Peach, 2887 North Druid Hills Road. ì

Professional Appraiser Elias Finds Treasures

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

What is it worth to know what something is worth?

Ask professional appraiser, Yarden Elias, who chatted with the AJT from an airport terminal in Palm Springs since her line of work requires that she “travel a ton.”

A self-described workaholic, Elias knows “a lot of a lot” about fine things -- tangible personal property (excluding real estate or businesses), but including art, furniture, residential contents, wine, coins, sports memorabilia, cars, documents, jewelry, even horses! If you think you have a Chagall lurking in the attic, Elias is the one to call.

She explained, “We’ll casually see a multimillion-dollar Basquiat painting hanging in a living room or private storage, a $100,000 necklace from someone’s mom, a small sculpture someone thinks is junk coming out to $15,000.

People aren’t always happy with our values whether they’re too low or too high (people usually pay taxes or pay insurance premiums based on our findings),

but it’s interesting for us to see what we may find.”

Imagine a set up like “Antiques

Roadshow” akin to Elias finding varied discoveries so fascinating. Some other outrageous things she’s happened upon

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room, Picassos forgotten in storage, a $10 million Ferrari, yachts, private planes, and jewelry personally designed by Coco Chanel. Elias continued, “I’ve even discovered a ‘Berenstain Bears’ archive. Sometimes, we go behind the scenes at museums when items are donated or in homes before items are donated or sold.”

Now a Davis Academy parent, Elias has earned the ability to go beyond guess work. Hailing from Teaneck, N.J., she attended a modern Orthodox high school, then graduated from Rutgers University, then New York University (NYU) for a master’s in visual arts administration.

She came to Atlanta just before the COVID pandemic. Her husband is a teacher from New York City. To get practical appraisal skills, she completed internships and International Society of Appraisers courses for compliancy and now boasts 12 years of field experience.

When asked how she chose this profession, she stated, “I fell into it. Took an intro to art history course, had a wonderful professor, spoke with someone in a master’s program at NYU, felt that a master’s was necessary for any job in the arts, interned at an appraisal firm, art gallery, Christie’s, and a museum. Worked at a gallery in NYC for five years before relocating and then was recruited by Freeman’s (then Hindman).”

Now employed at Freeman’s, she bills by the hour and also provides appraisals for donation to institutions, gift tax for

gifting to family members, divorce, taxable estates, insurance, and estate planning. Their firm has two divisions: Auction and Appraisals. Elias is in the latter to determine value and provide reports. If someone wants to sell, she loops in the auction division, but she never brings up “auction,” to remain unbiased. Queried about the use of AI, she said, “It cannot determine value, but can help with market research/item identification.”

In terms of what she observes as good investments, Elias shared, “Gold and silver are very high right now – buy gold! Diamonds do not hold value – buy what you like, not for return on investment (ROI). People are always shocked about that! Very few categories will give high ROI, so just buy what you like.”

She warns consumers to ask for certificates of authenticity, provenance (ownership history), reputable dealer/ source. “If it’s too cheap, be wary.”

Regarding her appraisal gig, Elias concluded, “It’s so interesting because we get to see how people live with their collections and can get up close and personal with priceless items you may see in a museum and cannot touch or get close to, or may never see as they’re traded privately or have been passed down from previous generations, and we are able to handle them and get up close.”

While her two daughters keep her busy, Elias also enjoys cooking and baking. ì

New Yorkers Head South to Perform

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Many Atlantans in the ‘burbs might not get a true feel for the depth of talent that the city’s film and media industry attracts.

Jen Jacob and Jesse Ruben make for an anachronistic Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. Jacob has a spicy role in the soap opera “Beyond the Gates,” where she plays Ashley Morgan, a nurse who makes “questionable” romantic decisions, and grew from being unsure of herself to a confident and outspoken woman … and still makes “questionable romantic decisions,” per Ruben.

Ruben, on the other hand, is a performer, songwriter, and musician who performed at Eddie’s Attic and at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, alongside Atlanta’s own Joe Alterman, who met Jacob while attending New York University (NYU).

Ruben likes to think of himself as a modern troubadour who sings, tells stories, and tries “to make people feel seen and connected.” He grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia as a third-genera-

tion musician and picked up an acoustic guitar at 16 which determined his path. He graduated from Berklee College of

Music and has been a touring professional. He signed with BMG and Universal Music, and his songs have been streamed

Nothing compares to proven performance.

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more than 70 million times while he’s performed all over the world. Jacob knew she was going to be an

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actress since age 2. She studied acting at NYU and quickly booked roles in TV and film on shows like “Girls,” “Master of None,” “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” and “FBI: Most Wanted,” and now as this lead role in “Beyond The Gates” (CBS), the first new soap opera in 25 years. The soap opera focuses on an affluent multigenerational family in a wealthy gated community in Washington, D.C. and has a predominately black cast. The two had been living in Brooklyn when she got the role and had three weeks to move here, while Ruben had to stay behind a while.

Ruben wrote the song, “This Is Why I Need You,” after overcoming a three-year battle with Lyme Disease, which he’s had since 2013. Twice it has taken him away from his career for multiple years.

He explained, “It can be an extremely challenging and isolating experience, especially since most doctors aren’t up to date on the current research, and there isn’t a very accurate test. I think when you go through something like a longterm chronic illness, you either decide it’s something you’re never going to talk about again, or you decide that you want to do everything possible to make sure it never happens to anyone again. I was the latter and fortunately found others who felt the same way.”

For his Tikkun Olam project, Ruben created Generation Lyme (genlyme.org)

in 2018. He explained, “More than any other organization, we host online support groups for those impacted by the illness … with 20,000 participants from all 50 states and many countries. Georgia is not one of the worst states for Lyme Disease, but it is a problem here, and I encourage anyone who spends time outdoors and in nature to do thorough tick checks.

He added, “It’s my way of acknowledging those who helped me get through that period.”

Another song of his, “We Can,” is the basis for his educational program for elementary and middle school students -- The We Can Project -- which he performed on “The Today Show.”

On June 14, Ruben’s album release show for his new record, “Belong,” will be held at Eddie’s Attic. He enthused, “I can’t wait to play these songs at such a special venue in my new hometown.”

The couple lives in Reynoldstown which Jacob describes as “small, charming, with lovely neighbors and walkable options. We enjoy going antiquing and vintage shopping. We really love that we have a lot more [living] space, getting to know new people, and getting to slow down a little bit. As much as New York is exciting and energetic, this has been a nice change of pace … but the traffic here is brutal!” ì

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Bernstein Retires from Emory

By Bob Bahr

Thirty-seven years after he first walked onto the Emory University campus as a young assistant professor, Matthew Bernstein is retiring as the Goodrich C. White Professor of Film and Media Studies and a former chair of the department.

He was the third instructor to be hired to teach film, which in 1989 was a small and often overlooked program at the prestigious university. But it didn’t matter to the then young scholar who, from the very beginning, decided that this would be his professional home for life.

At his recent retirement party at the university’s Houston Mill House, he reminisced about how nearly four decades ago he found himself in what he described as “a state of blissful exhilaration.” It was a feeling he said that he has never lost.

“Researching and teaching and building a program at Emory has been a rare privilege, and I never forget it,” he commented. “I believe in the power of

film to move us or create empathy with others everywhere and sometimes to challenge us with uncomfortable truths.”

His passion for teaching has made his classes, particularly his introduction

to film history, among the most popular on the campus. In addition to teaching generations of students, he is an internationally recognized author and film scholar and the recipient of two National

Endowment for the Humanities research grants.

He has made the Emory Cinematheque, which he founded and has shepherded over the years, one of Atlanta

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This year, the Emory Film and Media Department opened the university’s first production center.

most popular film programs. Its most recent series there was Bernstein’s Farewell Favorites, a retrospective showing of 14 of what he considers the world’s best films.

He is also president of the Friends of The Cineteca di Bologna, in Italy, one of the world’s major film archives and the home of an important Italian film festival. Closer to home, he serves on the National Film Preservation Board, which advises the Librarian of Congress about which American films should be preserved each year for their cultural and historical importance.

Bernstein was one of the most important founders of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) over a quarter-century ago and a key to its growth over the years. He’s been a long-time board member and financial supporter of the festival, and each year introduces several films, interviews film makers and stars, and helps promote the annual event across the city.

For the past 11 years, he has joined this writer in creating Bernstein and Bahr’s Best Bets, a program which helps festival goers make their choices from the many films that are offered each year.

At the retirement celebration, Kenny Blank, AJFF executive and artistic director, almost since its inception, spoke admiringly of the personal qualities that the Emory professor brings to his work with others.

“There is deep humanity at the core of everything he does,” Blank said. “He is compassionate, generous, empathetic, a true believer in what is good and right in the world, and that comes through in how he treats people, how he listens and how he engages, it is always genuine. It is always heartfelt.”

Those words were echoed by the many friends and colleagues who crowd-

ed into the Emory reception. As a person al tribute, Scott Garner, who teaches me dia courses at Emory, has underwritten, with his husband, Phillippe Maigret, the Matthew H. Bernstein Endowed Scholar ship for Film and Media.

“It’s an investment for us in future students,” Garner explained. “It’s for the relationships that he’s cultivated and in the future that he has helped make possible for this generation of students that we currently shepherd through our university system.”

Over the years, Bernstein has seen Emory’s film and media program grow. From the three faculty members in cramped offices as part of the Emory theater program in 1989, it has become a thriving academic discipline with a faculty of 21.

In addition to offering an undergraduate major, it is part of the university’s interdisciplinary media studies program and, with the Goizueta Business School, offers a concentration in film and media management. This year, the program opened the university’s first media production center at the Emory Point Center.

Bernstein’s career has coincided with an enormous growth in the study and understanding and distribution patterns of new media. Today, the development of artificial intelligence programs is having a profound impact on the moving image and is forcing a reappraisal of how we perceive reality in what we see on our video screens.

All of which is likely to keep Bernstein busy long past his retirement. He’s an editor at the University of Georgia Press, and with Eddie Von Mueller, is completing a history of Columbia Pictures. And there’s always next year’s AJFF. ì

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Cookie Nip Studio Kitchen is a Big Hit in Marietta

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Marc Lipson was born, raised, and bar mitzvah’d in Macon. He has always enjoyed cooking and baking even as a youngster and shared, “I may be the only kid to have asked for a Presto Electric Burger maker for Chanukah.”

After high school, Lipson received a baseball scholarship to Mercer University in Macon and following one season, transferred to the University of Georgia (UGA) and played his last three seasons for the UGA baseball team. He graduated with an economics degree in 1989 and, after college, was fortunate to sign a professional baseball contract with the Minnesota Twins in which he played four seasons in the Minor League system.

As Lipson finished his baseball career in 1992, he married his high school sweetheart, Meredith Hobby Lipson. While he began a career in real estate and home building, after a few years, he felt the urge to get back into baseball and went back to school to become a high school math teacher and baseball coach. After a 20-year teaching career, he re-

tired in 2019.

Lipson shared, “At that time, Meredith and I had a midlife crisis and instead of getting a Corvette, we moved to Atlanta.”

A go-getter, Lipson next made another play he didn’t see coming and be-

came a baking entrepreneur, opening a Marietta-based cooking school, catering facility, and cooking event space in Marietta called Cookie Nip Studio Kitchen.

Lipson explained his sweet endeavor and said, “I teamed up with my talented business partner, Michelle Gowan, who

is a retired elementary gifted education teacher. After retirement, Michelle started teaching cookie baking classes in her kitchen and my wife, Meredith, and I took her class. During that class, Michelle shared that her favorite flavoring was getting difficult to source based on

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Cookie Nip Studio Kitchen is located at 2211 Roswell Road in Marietta. To register for classes, events and learn more about their wonderful world of baking, call 678-540-3121 or visit www.cookienip.com.

how many people she taught and were using it. Hoping to develop a signature flavoring, I volunteered to help her. With all the scientific methodology of an elementary science fair, we baked cookies with the old flavoring and cookies with the formula we were working on and took the cookies to school with us to get tasting volunteers.”

Lipson said, “When my wife and I originally took Michelle’s decorated sugar class, I went mainly as a supportive husband. I enjoyed cooking and baking and quickly became intrigued by Michelle’s nifty little tips, tricks, and techniques in making the most delicious, decorated sugar cookies. But what really caught my attention was the flavoring. It was noticeably different than plain vanilla extract.”

Following the class, Lipson began making different themed cookies and honing his decorating skills and found it therapeutic. As he made cookies and let friends enjoy them, he realized how rewarding it was seeing people enjoy something he produced. Before Lipson knew it, he was teaching classes and making cookies for customers. As this dynamic duo had more people who preferred their formulation, in May 2018, Marc and Michelle invented Cookie Nip, manufactured in Marietta, and shipped it all over the country. They introduced it into the baking world at vendor trade shows and interest in their product exploded. They now sell the flavoring online and in cake stores around the country and ship to all 50 states and several foreign countries.

Today, their multi-faceted business offers their unique flavoring that is a buttery sweet blend of vanilla bean and salted caramel. Most bakery applications call for vanilla but that is a singular flavor additive.

Lipson added, “Cookie Nip is so delicious that its unique blend enhances the flavor of cookies, cakes, pies, macarons, frosting, pancakes, and even coffee. The best tip is to use Cookie Nip in every recipe calling for vanilla. The rich blend of

flavors really elevates your baking. Many people who use Cookie Nip have entered some impressive contests and won (we think because of the delicious flavor profile!)”

Cookie Nip Studio Kitchen also offers catering specialties, parties and more. Experienced baking educator and partner Michelle shared, “We make sweet treats, cookies and cakes for any special occasion and custom cookies with business logos, photos, and QR codes. Our most popular treat is currently a Bourbon Cookie Nip pound cake. We sell it whole, half or by the slice daily. We take custom orders for all celebrations like birthdays, retirements, promotions, baptisms, weddings, baby showers, bachelorette parties and beyond.”

Cookie Nip also offers a fabulous lineup of classes for all ages from beginners to pros and parties. They have several unique party themes for various ages. Candy Land is fun for little ones, Cupcake Wars, Nailed It! or Cupcake and Cake Pops or even cake decorating. Cake pops and cupcake decorating is one of the themes selected most. Their party venue includes decorations, entertainment, and supplies for baking and they allow parents to bring in food and drink if they choose and provide birthday cake or sweets.”

Lipson added, “Corporate events are also a lot of fun. Office coworkers come into the cookie studio to decorate cakes, cookies, cupcakes, or cake pops. We provide all the supplies and instruction, and colleagues enjoy an activity outside of the workplace. We can host groups in our classroom kitchen, or we can travel to your place of business. We have accommodated school faculty groups, hospital, dental offices, and corporate groups to enjoy treat creation together outside of regular working hours.”

Cookie Nip Studio Kitchen is located at 2211 Roswell Road in Marietta. To register for classes, events and learn more about their wonderful world of baking, call 678540-3121 or visit www.cookienip.com. ì

Atlanta’s Favorite Real Estate Team

Atlanta has been part of my story since I was three months old, and nothing brings me more joy than helping others discover their place in this city I love. With almost 7,000 sellers and buyers proudly served, my team delivers results with heart, hustle, and hometown pride.

"Zac Did It Again!" speaks to our consistency and our clients' confidence. Discover for yourself why we’re Atlanta’s Favorite Real Estate Team!

Zac Pasmanick, Team Leader ZacSellsAtlanta.com 404-564-7272 | zac@zac.biz

We’re Hiring! We

2026 Legal Guide

Berman Fink Vanhorn

Business Law – Litigation, Corporate, and Employment

We are a full-service law firm providing creative and collaborative solutions to legal matters affecting businesses at every stage, from inception to exit.

404-261-7711

bfvlaw.com

Cohen Pollock Merlin Turner

Personal Planning, Business Planning and Litigation Services

Since our founding in 1977, Cohen Pollock Merlin Turner, business lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia, have worked with families from one generation to the next. 770-858-1288

CPMTLAW.COM

Estate Innovation

Estate Planning

We create custom estate plans including Last Wills and Testaments, Trusts, Financial Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives for Healthcare.  Complementary consults with fixed fees. 404-458-0065 x1 estateinnovations.biz

Faulhaber Family Law

Family Law

Family law firm guiding families toward peace, happiness, and healthy transitions through strategic divorce representation, interstate and international custody solutions, and compassionate resolution-focused advocacy.   (770)408-1025

tfamilylaw.com

Goldberg & Associates

Estate Planning and Elder Law

Robert Goldberg & Associates provides comprehensive Estate Planning, Asset Protection, and Elder Law services, tailoring Wills, Trusts, and customized strategies to protect your assets and honor your wishes. 770-229-5729

Goldbergestateplanning.com

Kaufman Law

Personal Injury

For over 45+ years, our Atlanta personal injury attorneys have helped injured clients navigate car accidents, truck accidents, and workplace injury claims.  You don’t pay unless we win. 404-355-4000 kaufmanlawatlanta.com

Levine Law

Criminal Defense

Levine Law offers strategic and relentless defense against criminal charges ranging from misdemeanors and DUIs to serious felony offenses.

404-539-6844

alexis@levinelawga.com

MendenFreiman

Trusts & Estates and Private Wealth, Tax Controversy and Tax Planning, Business & Real Estate

A boutique firm providing strategic counsel in private wealth, trusts and estates, tax planning and controversy, and business and real estate, grounded in precision and collaboration.

770.379.1450

MFCounsel.com

Mullman Law Firm

Business Litigation, Construction and Real Estate Disputes, Intellectual Property  Mullman Law Firm offers advice and strategies to address your business needs, including complex litigation, startup guidance, managing intellectual property, and serving as general counsel.

(404) 640-5550

mullmanlaw.com

Prieto Delcampo Lopez Mariglliano

Catastrophic Injury, Wrongful Death, Elder Abuse and Long-Term Care Litigation

PDLM was founded on one principal: to help people recover full and fair compensation. Our goal is to restore the dignity that comes with justice. 404-856-0040 pmhplaw.com

Rubin Family Law

Divorce and Family Law

Rubin Family Law is an Atlanta-based boutique firm delivering strategic client-centered representation in complex divorce, custody, and high-asset family law matters with integrity and advocacy. 770-670-7200

FamilyLawGA.com

Stern & Edlin Family Law Family Law

For more than four decades, Stern Edlin Graham has represented clients in complex divorce and custody matters across Georgia. Contact us to start a conversation today. 404-256-0010 stern-edlin.com

Thrift McLemore Estate Planning

Stephanie Eban is an estate planning attorney and partner at Thrift McLemore. She earned her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and her law degree from Emory. 678-882-0832 thriftlegal.com

Weinstein Law

Criminal Defense and Corporate Disputes

Weinstein IP Law specializes in criminal defense and business-to-business litigation. 30 years of State and Federal litigation experience.  470-889-7337 weinsteinlaw.us

Weiss Family Law Family Law

Helping families navigate divorce and custody matters with compassion, integrity, practical guidance, and strong advocacy tailored to each family’s unique circumstances.

770-727-0533

WeissFamilyLaw.com

Wilensky Law

Serious Injury & Wrongful Death

At  Wilensky Law, we provide sophisticated, relentless advocacy for seriously injured clients and families, delivering personal attention, trusted counsel, and meaningful results throughout Georgia. 678-791-1725 WilenskyLaw.com

Legal Strategies for Your Bottom Line.

In the fast-paced world of business, legal challenges aren’t just hurdles - they are risks to your reputation, your assets, and your future. Whether you are navigating a high-stakes real estate issue or a partnership dispute, protecting a multi-million dollar intellectual property portfolio, or seeking strategic guidance for your growing enterprise, the firm you choose matters.

Based in the heart of Atlanta, Mullman Law Firm has established itself as a premier destination for businesses and individuals seeking sophisticated legal counsel with a results-driven approach. Founded by Sam Mullman, a recognized “Super Lawyer,” the firm combines the high-level expertise of “Big Law” experience with the personalized, agile service of a boutique practice.

The strength of a law firm is measured by its results. Mullman Law Firm has built a reputation for winning difficult battles across

state and federal courts and arbitration tribunals. Recent victories include:

Business Litigation: Obtaining a $1.4 million+ judgment in a complex breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent conveyance matter between former business partners.

Commercial Litigation: Successful appeal of denial of summary judgment in vendor dispute related to breach of exclusivity provision.

Real Estate & Construction: Winning trials in DeKalb and Fulton Counties for property owners and contractors alike, securing full damages and attorney’s fees.

Intellectual Property: Successfully defending against trademark infringement claims in federal court and co-authoring amicus briefs for the Supreme Court of the United States.

Mullman Law Firm doesn’t just react to problems, they provide the foresight needed to prevent them. The firm’s practice areas are designed to support the full lifecycle of a business:

Commercial Litigation: When disputes cannot be resolved in the boardroom, Mullman Law provides aggressive, tactical representation in the courtroom.

Intellectual Property: From trademark registration and brand protection to trade secret enforcement, the firm ensures your most valuable creative assets are secure.

Real Estate & Construction Law: Handling everything from boundary line and easement disputes to complex lien enforcement and development challenges.

General Counsel Services: For companies that need executive-level legal strategy without the overhead of an in-house department, the firm serves as a dedicated partner in day-to-day operations and risk management.

“Our goal is to give our clients the clarity and confidence they need to move forward,” says founder Sam Mullman. “We pride ourselves on being a ‘one-stop shop’ for trusted guidance,

ensuring our clients can stay focused on their business while we handle the legal complexities.” Don’t wait for a legal challenge to become a crisis. Partner with a firm that understands the nuances of the law and the realities of the marketplace. Experience the peace of mind that comes from having a proven litigator and strategic advisor in your corner.

Mullman Law Firm, LLC 1100 Peachtree St., Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 30309

404-640-5550 www.mullmanlaw.com

Rubin Family Law, a distinguished Atlanta-based firm, is honored to announce its 2026 Super Lawyers recognitions. Founding Partner

Kevin Rubin is named among Georgia’s Top 100 Super Lawyers and Top 5 Family Law Super Lawyers and celebrates his seventh consecutive selection as a Georgia Super Lawyers honoree. Kevin Rubin is a Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). Jamie Perez, Of Counsel, is also recognized as Georgia Super Lawyers honoree. Clients of Rubin Family Law benefit from the collective acumen, integrity, and strategic approach of a team renowned for its leadership and results. Whether addressing complex divorce, custody or high-asset matters, our attorneys deliver tailored solutions to meet each client’s unique needs.

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When Family Law Becomes a Path to Peace

When families are in conflict, peace can feel impossible. For more than 30 years, attorney Tamar Faulhaber has dedicated her career to helping clients find clarity, stability, and a path forward through some of life’s most difficult moments. At Faulhaber Family Law, LLC, family law is not just about courtrooms and legal filings — it is about helping people rebuild their lives.

Tamar handles family law matters exclusively, including divorce, child custody disputes, international custody issues, and appeals. Her approach is both compassionate and strategic. She believes that once people create "Shalom Bayit" -- peace in their homes, they can finally hear the “still, small voice” inside that guides them toward purpose and happiness.

Clients appreciate Tamar’s honesty, direct communication, and deep commitment to protecting what matters most — especially the well-being of children. She partners closely with her clients, recognizing that they are the ex-

When Wealth Crosses Generations

A couple in their late sixties sits across the table in a conference room in Atlanta. They have brought a folder. Three adult children, four grandchildren, a family business approaching its third generation, and a vacation home that has hosted forty years of holidays. They are not in a crisis. They want to make sure that what they have built holds together for the people who will inherit it.

Conversations like this happen often at Cohen Pollock Merlin Turner. The firm has spent decades guiding Atlanta families through the work of moving wealth, businesses, and responsibility from one generation to the next.

That work is rarely a single document. A will is a starting point. The real planning lives in the questions underneath it. How should the family business transition, and to whom? What protects assets if a marriage ends or a creditor appears? How does a parent provide for an adult child whose circumstances are different from a sibling’s? What happens to the lake house when six grandchildren each want a weekend in July?

For many of CPMT’s clients, the firm has been part of these conversations

perts in their lives while she provides the legal knowledge and courtroom strategy needed to succeed.

Drawing on valuable insight gained while clerking for a judge, Tamar understands what courts are truly looking for. She uses that experience to create thoughtful, effective strategies designed to protect her clients’ values and help families move forward with confidence.

Go to www.tfamilylaw.com for more information, or call 770-4081025 to schedule an appointment.

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for a long time. Some families are now in their second or third generation working with the same attorneys. That continuity matters when a plan needs to bend without breaking, when a business sale shifts the calculus, or when a grandchild’s needs reshape what a trust has to do.

CPMT’s depth crosses the areas a wealth transfer touches. Estate planning sits alongside business succession, tax structuring, and trusts built for complex family situations. The firm’s attorneys work together, which is why a meeting about a buy-sell agreement often surfaces

a question about a generation-skipping trust, and vice versa. One conversation rarely fits in one category, and good planning rarely does either.

At larger national firms, the relationship can shift as teams change. At CPMT, the attorneys who draft the documents are the ones who answer the phone when something changes. For families thinking in decades rather than quarters, that relationship is the plan.

Most families do not delay this work because they are unwilling. They delay it because the first step feels unclear. The

first step is usually a conversation, not a document. A conversation about what the family wants the next thirty years to look like, and what would have to be true for that to happen. Schedule a consultation at cpmtlaw.com/consultation.

Legal Planning for Life’s Big Decisions

By: Stephanie Eban, Estate Planning Attorney & Partner at Thrift McLemore

Thrift McLemore is a business, real estate, and estate planning law firm. Our attorneys collaborate seamlessly across these practice areas to deliver comprehensive, practical guidance.

Legal Counsel for Business Owners

Our business attorneys assist with business formations, contracts, ownership agreements, corporate governance, asset purchases, equity sales, mergers and acquisitions, and other business transactions.

For clients buying or selling a business, we help evaluate deal structure, negotiate key terms, review risk, and move the transaction toward closing.

In mergers and acquisitions, details matter. Purchase agreements, due diligence, financing terms, liabilities, employment issues, leases, and post-closing obligations can all impact the value and success of a deal. Our goal is to provide practical, business-minded counsel that helps clients make informed decisions.

Helping With Real Estate Disputes

Our real estate attorneys focus on commercial real estate matters and real estate litigation involving property owners, investors, developers, landlords, tenants, and businesses. We handle a wide range of property-related issues, including purchase and sale issues, lease disputes, title concerns, contractor disputes, partnership and ownership conflicts, boundary disputes, easements, and quiet title actions.

When a real estate issue arises, the goal is not simply to fight. Our goal is to understand your objectives, evaluate the risks, and pursue the strategy that best protects your interests.

Wills and Trusts for People of All Ages and Asset Levels

People often come to us for estate planning during major life transitions. They may be starting a family, growing a business they want to protect, caring for aging parents, buying property, or realizing an old plan no longer fits their needs. Whether you are planning for the first time or revisiting an existing plan,

we walk you through each step so you can protect your assets, your future, and the people you care about the most.

Complimentary Consultation

Whether you are looking to protect your young children through a trust, structure a business sale, negotiate a real estate transaction, or resolve a property dispute, the legal strategy should be practical and tailored to your goals.

If you have a business, real estate, or estate planning issue, we are happy

to offer Atlanta Jewish Times readers a complimentary consultation. To schedule, call (678) 882-0830.

Stephanie Eban is an estate planning attorney, partner at Thrift McLemore, and mom of two. She earned her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and her law degree from Emory University School of Law.

We believe that everyone deserves the same level of professional legal representation that the large insurance companies have on their side of the courtroom – regardless of how much you can afford. We represent those whose voices are often drowned out by legal teams from big companies. We will work tirelessly to ensure that full compensation is given to those who have been wronged.

Divorce and Family Law Guidance with Compassion — and a Willingness to Fight for What Matters

Divorce and custody disputes are among the most emotionally difficult experiences a family can face. During times of uncertainty, many people worry about how they will protect their children, finances, and future stability. While family law matters are never easy, the process does not always have to become unnecessarily hostile or destructive.

At Weiss Family Law, attorney Traci A. Weiss helps clients throughout the greater metro-Atlanta area navigate divorce, custody disputes, support matters, prenuptial agreements, and other family law issues with clarity, dignity, and compassion. With more than 20 years of experience focused on family law, Ms. Weiss is known for balancing strong advocacy with a practical, resolution-minded approach guided by the unique facts and circumstances of each family.

Not every family law matter belongs in a courtroom battle. In many situations, mediation, negotiated settlements, and other amicable approaches can reduce conflict, protect children from unneces-

Founder, Levine Law Strategic Defense. Relentless Advocacy.

Alexis Ahlzadeh Levine represents clients throughout Georgia who are facing criminal charges - from DUI and drug offenses to serious felony and white-collar cases.

Before becoming an attorney, Alexis worked in drug counseling and treatment settings, where she witnessed firsthand the intersection of substance abuse, mental health challenges, and the criminal legal system. That experience sparked a commitment to advocating for people and families navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and continues to shape her approach to criminal defense.

A native Atlantan and graduate of Emory University School of Law, Alexis began her legal career as a public defender at both the state and federal levels before joining the Findling Law Firm, alongside renowned defense attorney Drew Findling, where she handled high-

sary stress, and help families preserve important relationships moving forward. Ms. Weiss is a Certified Amicable Divorce Professional (CADP) through the Amicable Divorce Network, and has received specialized training in Child-Centered Divorce, Gray Divorce, and LGBTQIA+ family matters.

At the same time, Weiss Family Law recognizes that some situations require assertive litigation to protect a client’s rights and children’s best interests. When necessary, Ms. Weiss is fully prepared to advocate aggressively for her clients both inside and outside the courtroom. In her role as a Guardian ad Litem, Ms. Weiss conducts independent investigations in contested child custody matters, evaluates issues affecting the welfare of children, assists families in attempting to resolve disputes, and submits recommendations to the court regarding the children’s best interests when the parties are unable to reach agreement.

Beyond representing clients, Ms. Weiss is actively involved in leadership

within the legal profession. She serves as Chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s Law Practice Management Advisory Committee and has been selected to present at statewide legal education programs on innovation and modern law practice management. She is also a Master in the

Alexis Ahlzadeh Levine

Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law Inn of Court.

Ms. Weiss has been recognized in the Atlanta Jewish Times Readers’ Choice “Best of Jewish Atlanta” awards every year since before founding Weiss Family Law, including multiple top-three honors. Most importantly, Weiss Family Law remains committed to helping clients move through difficult transitions with integrity, strength, and compassion.

Weiss Family Law

“The expertise you need. The compassion you deserve.”

Glenridge Highlands One 5555 Glenridge Connector, Suite 200-30 Atlanta, Georgia 30342 770-727-0533 www.WeissFamilyLaw.com

ter than their worst moment, and every client deserves dignity, discretion, and a strong defense.

DUI • Drug Offenses • White Collar • Felony Offenses

Protecting your future, your reputation, and your rights.

If you have ben charged with a crime, call Levine Law at 404-539-6844 for a free consultation

Levine Levine Law

3340 Peachtree Rd. NE Suite 2570

Atlanta, Ga 30326

Phone: (404) 539-6844 alexis@levinelawga.com

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Roundup for Spring 2026

The AJT asked a panel of local realtors to discuss the current state of the metro Atlanta real estate market. Topics included key challenges in the current residential market, emerging trends, and advice for both buyers and sellers. Read on to find out about Atlanta’s current real estate market.

Jon Shapiro

Associate Broker, RE/MAX Around Atlanta, The Jon Shapiro Group

What are some key challenges in the current residential real estate market?

Some challenges in our current market are rising interest rates, lagging consumer confidence, lack of affordable options for first-time homebuyers, and sellers not willing to sell as they don’t give up the low interest rate obtained several years back.

Are there any emerging trends in today’s market?

The emerging trends in today’s market I am seeing more Baby Boomer parents substantially helping their kids (unless their last name is Shapiro) buy homes close by as they see it as a win-win. Parents are close by to be more engaged with their kids and grandkids and the kids/grandkids are close by as they are aging and might need some help. Multi-generational housing is becoming more popular, and we are nationally seeing trends of families sharing homes to help manage the rising expense of home ownership.

Can you give any specific advice to potential homeowners looking to buy this year?

First, work with a buyer’s agent who has experience in your market and can

advocate for you. We are still involved in bidding wars and 16 percent of homes are still selling over the list price in our market. Buyers will have more inventory to pick from than in previous years. Since interest rates are at a seven-month high, you will be able to negotiate more favorable terms on many homes as the higher interest rates can create less buying interest.

Conversely, any advice for those looking to sell?

There are great selling prices to be had. Be a retail sale by getting your home in peak marketable condition. Work with a listing agent who is experienced in your market and can give your home maximum exposure. There are many nuances to getting a home sold in today’s market, from how the agents are compensated to where the listing is appearing and to making sure disclosures are completely filled out. There is a reason For Sale By Owners (FSBO) rates are at historical lows. The speculation is the prices are going to remain relatively flat in the next year in most markets so no real reason to wait if you are ready.

tinues to be affordability. Many buyers remain hesitant to begin the home buying process due to elevated interest rates and home prices. While rates are beginning to stabilize, they are still significantly higher than what many buyers had become accustomed to in previous years. At the same time, home values, although leveling off in some areas, still present a barrier to entry for many prospective buyers. This combination has led to a more cautious and intentional buyer pool.

Are there any emerging trends in today’s market?

From an inventory standpoint, we are encouraged to see an increase in new listings compared to last year. However, when we look at the broader picture, inventory levels still remain historically low. What we are experiencing now is a more segmented market. In some areas and price points, we continue to see strong seller activity, while in others, conditions have shifted in favor of buyers. This has created a more balanced environment overall, where strategy and market knowledge are critical.

Another key trend is the growing divide between buyer expectations and available inventory. Many of the opportunities in today’s market lie in older homes that require updates or renovation. These properties often offer buyers a chance to enter the market at a lower price point and build equity over time through improvements. However, a significant portion of buyers continue to seek turnkey, move-in-ready homes with minimal disruption.

This gap has created increased opportunity for investors and flippers, who are stepping in to renovate and reposition these homes to meet buyer demand.

Can you give any specific advice to potential homeowners looking to buy this year?

Conversely, any advice for those looking to sell?

For sellers, success in today’s market requires a more thoughtful and strategic approach. We strongly encourage sellers to partner with a trusted real estate advisor who understands the local market dynamics. Preparing the home properly, through decluttering, light updates, and professional staging remains critical. Equally important is thoughtful pricing and a comprehensive marketing strategy to ensure the home is positioned effectively within its specific market segment.

Ultimately, today’s real estate market presents both challenges and opportunities. It is no longer driven by urgency or scarcity alone, but rather by informed decision making, preparation, and strong professional guidance. Those who take a strategic, long-term approach will find meaningful success in this evolving environment.

Pailey Nooromid

Realtor, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

What are some key challenges in the current residential real estate market?

What are some key challenges in the current residential real estate market?

The 2026 real estate market can best be described as balanced, but the market also requires knowledge and caution. While we are seeing improvement in certain areas, there are still several challenges impacting both buyers and sellers today.

One of the primary challenges con-

In working with buyers, we focus on the long-term value of homeownership for our clients rather than short-term market conditions. We help to guide them to an investment that we would seek for our own family.

Homeownership provides stability, the ability to build wealth over time, and a sense of community. Interest rates will continue to fluctuate, as they always have. The key is to find the right home that meets your needs today, with the understanding that financing can be adjusted in the future as rates evolve.

The market feels very different right now depending on the price point, location, and condition of the home. Buyers are definitely more selective than they were a few years ago, and homes that are overpriced or not fully market ready are sitting longer. With today’s interest rates, buyers are paying much closer attention to monthly payments, so pricing, presentation, and negotiation strategy matter more than ever. That said, good homes that are positioned correctly are still selling, and there are plenty of serious buyers actively looking.

Are there any emerging trends in today’s market?

Buyers are definitely prioritizing functionality more than ever right now and really want homes that fit the way they actually live day-to-day. We’re also seeing a big shift toward move-in ready homes. Most buyers are busy and don’t want to take on major renovations unless the pricing really makes sense for it. Clean, updated homes are getting the strongest response.

Design-wise, buyers are moving away from the super stark all-white modern look and leaning more toward warmer, timeless finishes. Functional kitchens, spa-like bathrooms, tons of natural light, and great indoor-outdoor living spaces are some of the biggest things people are looking for right now.

Can you give any specific advice to potential homeowners looking to buy this year?

My biggest advice to buyers right now is to focus on your personal timing, not trying to perfectly time the market based on headlines or what people say is the “best” time to buy. I always encourage buyers to stay flexible and strategic. Sometimes the best opportunities are homes that have been sitting a little longer where there’s more room to negotiate. Also, make sure you’re working with a team that really knows the market on a hyper-local level. Real estate can vary so much from neighborhood to neighborhood, especially in Atlanta, and having the right realtor makes a huge difference.

Conversely, any advice for those looking to sell?

Preparation and pricing are everything right now. Professional photography, strong marketing, and pricing the home correctly from the beginning make a huge difference. Buyers are still willing

to pay a premium for homes that feel special, updated, and move-in ready.

I also think it’s really important to work with a realtor who values marketing and strategy and is proactive throughout the process, not passive. In this market, it’s not enough to just put a home online and hope the right buyer finds it.

Zac Pasmanick

Realtor, The Zac Team, RE/MAX Metro Atlanta Cityside

What are some key challenges in the current residential real estate market?

Affordability remains one of the biggest challenges in today’s residential real estate market. Higher mortgage interest rates, rising insurance costs, taxes, and inflation have made buyers more cautious. In Atlanta, inventory is still limited in many popular price ranges, especially for updated, move-in-ready homes. Sellers also face a more balanced market where proper pricing and preparation matter much more than they did during the rapid post-pandemic market.

Are there any emerging trends in today’s market?

Buyers today are far more value conscious. Homes that are well-priced and well-presented are still selling, while overpriced homes often sit longer. We are also seeing continued migration into Metro Atlanta because of its strong job market, lifestyle, and relative affordability compared to many major cities.

Technology is playing a larger role as well. Buyers expect professional photography, video tours, social media marketing, and quick access to information. Flexible living spaces, including home offices and multi-generational layouts, also continue to be in demand.

Can you give any specific advice to potential homeowners looking to buy this year?

My advice to buyers is not to try to perfectly time the market. Instead, focus on purchasing a home that fits your long-term financial goals and lifestyle needs. Buyers should get fully pre-approved before shopping and work with an experienced local agent who under-

stands Atlanta neighborhood values and negotiation strategies.

I also encourage buyers to think long-term. Real estate has historically remained one of the best tools for building wealth, particularly in growing markets like Atlanta.

Conversely, any advice for those looking to sell?

Pricing is critical in today’s market. Sellers who price correctly from the start generally attract more attention and stronger offers. Presentation matters more than ever, so decluttering, minor repairs, staging, and professional photography can significantly impact results.

Sellers should also understand that today’s buyers are educated and selective. Strong marketing and local expertise are essential. After more than 40 years in Atlanta residential real estate, I’ve experienced many market cycles and understand that every market requires a different strategy. ì

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The Transformative Power of Custom Organization

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Imagine your dream closet with a place and space for everything. Add Inspired Closets’ inspiration and create a masterpiece that makes being organized a luxurious experience.

This dynamic innovative closet company, new to Atlanta, opened in November to a warm welcome from customers ready for something new. While a decade old, Inspired Closets’ parent company is a 40year veteran, and nationally known. From kitchen cabinets to media centers, master to kids’ closets, garage closets to laundry rooms and entire houses, the ideas are endless and the outcome is a valuable investment in your home and life.

After 30 years with the Container Store, Inspired Closets owner John Thrailkill wanted to own his own business. Along with his talented wife, Jennifer, they decided to bring the Inspired Closets concept to Atlanta and opened a stunning showroom near the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) design center next to ADAC West. John thoroughly loved the custom quality part of the Container business and together, with his wife, searched for a concept that’s unique to the closet world. They were instantly impressed with the idea of allowing clients to literally walk in, move around and experience a closet, cabinet or designed space through technology. They found their passion with a clear mission, fusing function and beauty. Inspired Closets elevated the entire spacesaving outcome and clients were hooked.

John explained, “Our company demonstrates our well-designed plans reflecting a client’s needs, vision, and dreams, and we present it at our showroom near ADAC on a big screen with a 3-D view. It’s

not just a design, but rather, it’s an opportunity in real time to meet our product. Mix a 3-D movie with a live action film perusing through the gallery and you get an inspired closet. You get the feel and understanding of space and a true-to-life experience. With an augmented reality headset on, you can move through your closet, feel and experience our product and realize the actual space to scale and you’ll feel like you’re in the closet. We take underutilized spaces and transform the clutter, chaos and space into something truly beautiful and functional.”

John said, “We loved the technology and when I first looked at the closet business, this approach was the best idea I had seen for a custom closet company. What struck me was the quality and design mantra evolving around the customers’ need. When you first put on the headset, you experience how the augmented reality allows you to see your own feet, the ceiling and space around you which is user-friendly. With an Inspired Closet, customers gain organization and more control in their life and see the value in saving time and frustration.”

Regarding their stunning finishes, which look beautiful in all décor styles, John explained, “We use a thermo-fused laminate – the finish is melted into the engineered board, and the benefit is that it does not scratch, peel, it’s resilient and water resistant with a lifetime warranty. Our warranty includes the hardware, drawer glides and door hinges. There are 26 colors, from solid to patterns and imprinted impressions that give the feel of natural wood with the benefits of engineered products that do not warp. A well-designed cabinet or closet saves frustration from not being able to quickly find and get to what you need. Inspired Closets is selling you back some time and a reduction in stress. These space saving designs will last years and years with a great payback and the desire to improve their home.”

From entire homes to apartments and second homes, Inspired Closets meets with each customer on site to listen, get to know your goals and allow you to experience their finishes and ideas in your own space. Popular themes they specialize in include primary closets that are used the most. Masterful makeovers

include redesigning pantries for reachin or walk-in efficiency. Laundry rooms become enjoyable and a work center for the home, kids’ closets are designed so it’s fun for kids and toy closets that reduce the mess by an onslaught. If you want a garage that welcomes you home in luxury, they have storage systems and ways to transform even the most unassuming spaces, offering you an organized mindset, easy-to-find and use system for tools, workshops, and increase your storage in unassuming places and spaces.

Inspired Closets is also a go-to-resource for entertainment centers featuring large-screen televisions, mini-art gallery installations housing your most precious works of art, and an invisible approach to seamlessly integrate your technology and electrical wires. Their custom-designed closet systems, from Murphy beds to craft closets, wall units to dream closets, keep you and everything you own, inspired.

Visit Inspired Closets online at www. inspiredclosetsatlanta.com and their showroom next to Atlanta Decorative Arts Center West. ì

True Value of Curb Appeal

Imagine pulling into your driveway, but instead of stunning curb appeal, you’re greeted by a muddy slope and puddles creeping toward your front door. Alas! This isn’t a mere landscaping fluke; it’s a problem putting homes’ foundations at serious risk.

According to Angi’s 2026 landscaping data, well executed landscaping will increase home value by 10 to 30 percent and curb appeal alone will boost the asking price by 7 percent. Other research also confirms that poor drainage, unstable slopes, and unchecked erosion would silently undo even the most well-planned surface improvements.

A new garage door, for example, carries an average return on investment of 100 percent. A new front door can recoup as much as 63 percent of its cost at resale. Clean windows cost almost nothing and let more natural light in. But the fact is none of those upgrades hold their value if the land underneath the home is fighting against you.

Professional grading is a precision process that reshapes the land to control where water goes, create stable building surfaces, and give the main outdoor space into a structure making every-

thing else work to fine art tune. The real grading challenges homeowners face are: clay-heavy soil, utility conflicts, limited access for heavy equipment, and permit requirements.

While this confusion arises that grading is not prep work, it is the single most important structural investment in elevating your outdoor space.

When hiring a grading contractor, homeowners should look for experience with drainage planning, proper equipment access, and knowledge of local soil conditions. It’s also important to choose a company that understands both the structural and aesthetic aspects of land grading.

For example, companies like Bucktown Grading and Construction, LLC, which operate in the Georgia area, focus on site preparation, grading, and longterm land stability — all critical factors for maintaining both property value and usability.

Ultimately, grading should be treated as a structural investment rather than a cosmetic upgrade. Curb appeal may start at the curb, but it is built from the ground up. ì

The Lowdown I Bet You Didn’t Know … Ben Levy

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

Levy is a personal injury attorney at the Wetherington Law Firm and is chairman of Friends of the IDF’s Southeast Chapter. He is a proud FIDF Scholarship donor and hopes to encourage other young professionals to get involved. Trained as a trial attorney, he relishes every opportunity to step into a courtroom and cannot imagine having a different career.

Ben credits his parents, Sue and Bob, and his grandparents for inspiring his strong Jewish identity and appreciation for both his Sephardi and Ashkenazi family history. His family’s experiences during the Holocaust have profoundly impacted his values and zest for life.

Ben’s wife, Stefanie, is a veterinarian at VCA Midtown. They have two Shelties and are avid concertgoers and travelers.

My friends would say …

I love throwing themed parties, I’m an encyclopedia of Israeli music trivia (I go to at least one concert every time I’m in Israel), and I’m a lifelong Formula 1 and GT racing fanatic. I’ve attended the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin four times, the Petit Le Mans race more than 10 times, countless vintage races, and I have driven the Nürburgring in Germany, among other racetracks.

I am happiest when …

I’m shaking my tush on the dance floor, experiencing new cultures and languages abroad, or playing with the dogs in the backyard. Memories and experiences are more valuable than things.

Best advice you received?

“If you want to be a skilled injury attorney, you need to start off doing insurance defense and take as many cases to trial as possible.” I spent years as an insurance defense lawyer, where every case in the firm got transferred to me once it was time for trial. Now, as a plaintiff’s injury lawyer for over a decade, I still prepare every case as if it will go to trial, because that’s what earns results.

I used to be terrified of …

Public speaking. I forced myself to get over it in college by campaigning for student government, and then I learned to love it after joining the mock trial team in law school. These days, telling my clients’ stories in a closing argument is the most exciting part of my job!

My favorite Jewish experience as a child … Learning the folk dance for Yehoram Gaon’s, “Od Lo Ahavti Dai,” at Hebrew school and then performing it for Israel’s 50th birthday. That was the beginning of my love affair with Israel and Israeli pop culture.

My wife and I feel our two dogs are:

Adorable hooligans! Shelties are herding dogs, so they bark at everything that moves, but they’re the light of our lives and give us so much love every day.

One fun thing people don’t know about me … I played high school football and was my team’s Scholar Athlete of the Year. Admittedly, I was a better scholar than athlete, but playing football taught me discipline, proper weightlifting routines and technique, and that everyone on the team has an important role.

Reported by Marcia Caller Jaffe

Chai Style Home

The Art of the Mix

Brooke and Matt Polacheck sought the creative eye of Liz Rosenzweig, Grant Drive Design, to combine their L.A. furnishings, new pieces, and inherited family art into their Sandy Springs home where comfy is the buzz word.

Brooke explained, “We love the way Liz styled with different textures - boucle chairs, marble tables, velvet sofa, burl wood coffee tables, Tibetan wool pillows. She also pulled together the accessories in the bookcases and coffee tables using an eclectic mix of marble bowls, glass terrariums, books, iron busts.” Matt, a psychologist, echoed, “I’m particularly happy with our living room. There is no other that looks like ours.”

Tour the Polacheck’s well collaborated palimpsestic family home.

Marcia: What did you see as the design mission?

Liz: Brooke and Matt had a clear sense of their “look” - warm neutrals layered with a few bold moments. My role was to pull everything together, so the

home felt cohesive and complete. We mixed rich browns, creams, and black with touches of color, like the bright dining chairs and playful accents adding personality without overwhelming the spaces. I layered the living room adjacent to the welcoming foyer.

Marcia: What’s the house’s history?

Matt: We moved to Atlanta from Los Angeles in 2023. The house was originally built in 2005 and was in great condition. The previous owners had redone the kitchen and the primary bathroom. We painted the whole interior of the house white (from grey) to give it an airy feeling. We built out a portion of the basement as a space for our daughter to hang out in. We renovated all of the other bathrooms to make them more contemporary.

Marcia: The design flow timeline?

Brooke: We had our initial meeting in December of 2023. Liz was booked until mid-February. In the months between, I sent over links of furniture, rugs, lighting that I liked. When we met again, she already had ideas in mind and where things could go. We did the bulk order in April 2024 and were pretty much finished by August.

Marcia: Explain how you got your parents’ stored artwork integrated into this

modern setting.

Brooke: They had a bunch of artwork in storage that they were not using. Matt and I went through it and picked what we thought would mix well. The art is definitely on the more traditional side, but we liked it blended into our contemporary style. We didn’t want the house to look like everything came from one style aesthetic or time period. We wanted the interior to look timeless.

Marcia: What other artwork do you treasure?

Brooke: One of our favorite pieces is the traditional dog painting in the foyer. Also, the two large paintings in the living room. They were from storage and looked like they were custom made to go with the room and fit the mood so perfectly. The new art we bought were the two canvases of the meadows in the primary bedroom. I love how soft and hazy they are. We were thrilled to be able to use some pieces by family members - two of the paintings in the downstairs guest room were done by my grandmother and Matt’s grandfather’s needlepoint in our sitting room.

Marcia: The furnishings?

Brooke: We brought the glass top dining table and the two camel sofas in our primary bedroom sitting room from

L.A. We painted the table base to go with the lighter kitchen colors. We mainly used a brown, tan, and cream color palette throughout the house, and added color through accessories like marigold tiger print pillows and chair in the downstairs guest room, green velvet chairs in the dining room. We added a lot of patterns with rugs - I love the checkerboard rug in the living room and the tonal polka dot rug in the downstairs guest room.

Marcia: Your lighting is dramatic. Brooke: I never knew I could get so excited about a chandelier! I drove Liz crazy with the chandelier in the foyer. I wanted it desperately though we had planned to use something else. We thought it would be too big for the foyer. After much deliberation, we decided to go for it, and I couldn’t be happier. A lot of the lighting came from Lulu and Georgia and Visual Comfort.

Marcia: Anything special going on in the bathrooms?

Brooke: We worked with our first designer on the bathroom renovations. We just wanted to give all of them a fresh update. We love the way the powder room turned out. I wanted that one space to be dark and moody, so we went with a mural landscape wallpaper and then a custom made marble slab sink and counter.

Marcia: Describe how your “salmon wow!” primary bedroom came together.

Brooke: The primary bedroom was challenging because there is a small set of steps between the sitting room and the actual bedroom. We started the bedroom part with the first designer, and Liz came in and finished it off along with the sitting room. However, the idea of the primary bedroom actually started with the camel velvet sofas. I wanted to use them in the sitting room portion of the bedroom. I wanted the bedroom to be soft; and I love pinks, so we went with the browns, creams and a matching camel velvet bed frame and added a pop of pink/salmon on the back wall, pillows and artwork.

Marcia: Last word …

Matt: We forgot to mention that Oscar, our 4-year-old Yorkie, uses my office sofa as the lookout point to monitor the neighborhood. And yes, they tricked me into having a pink bedroom by calling it “salmon.” Ultimately, it really does suit the room and our taste.

Top Left: Designer Liz Rosenzweig “took over” the design of the bi-level primary bedroom helping create a hazy, flowing feeling shown in the artwork (on right).

Top Right: The Polachecks chose this painting by Rey Milici because of its realism.

Bottom Right: The entrance foyer displays the chandelier that Brooke “went crazy over” from Lulu and Georgia.

Bottom Left: The family updated the guest powder rooms for a more contemporary feel.

CALENDAR

Tuesday, June 2

Creativity & Torah: Exploring Jewish Text Through Art with Julianne Schwartz – 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join The Dupree for an evening of creativity, reflection, and discovery as we explore the connection between Jewish text and artistic expression. Using the Jewish Studio Process — a unique methodology that blends practices from the field of art therapy with a reimagined approach to Jewish learning and spirituality — this session invites participants to engage with a foundational Jewish text in a deeply personal and creative way. Come as you are — leave inspired, with new perspectives and a deeper connection to both creativity and Jewish tradition. RSVP at https:// tinyurl.com/y27w38mx.

Wednesday, June 3

Repair The World Ecosystem Lunch, Learn, Serve -12 to 1:30 p.m. Join us for lunch, learning, and service. Join Repair The World Senior Director of Education, Rabbi Adir Yokult, and Hadar Atlanta’s Rabbi Ayal Robkin to learn together about the Jewish value of service. Next, we will engage in a hands-on service project, making sandwiches for our local community in partnership with The Sandwich Project. Finally, you will learn about how Repair The World Atlanta can support your own community efforts! Register at https://tinyurl.com/3prx6dt4.

83rd Anniversary Celebration 2026 – 6 to 10 p.m. Come together to mark Beth Jacob Atlanta’s 83rd Anniversary Celebration and be uplifted with a gala dinner, spectacular honorees, and incredible entertainment. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/bdemjvpu.

Thursday, June 4

June 2026 JBaby Newborn Small Group - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Shalom, and welcome to the newest members of the tribe! Whether you’re a first-time parent or adding to your growing family, this warm and welcoming group offers a safe, judgment-free space to share your experiences, ask questions, and build friendships with other new parents who truly understand what you’re going through. From sleepless nights to first smiles, we’ll celebrate the highs and support each other through the lows of early parenthood. It’s an opportunity to explore what it means to be a parent in the Jewish community today and discover simple routines and traditions that fill your family’s days with Jewish joy. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/4ms2uvc3.

120th Annual Meeting + Lifetime of Achievement Reception – 5 to 8 p.m.

The 120th Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta will recognize this year’s Lifetime of Achievement recipient, along with numerous community awards that recognize the breadth of impact across Jewish Atlanta. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/4d5yrhsd.

JUNE 1-14

Friday,

June 5

June July 2026 JBaby Intown Small Group- 11:30 a.m. A five-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. Each session is about 45–60 minutes, with plenty of time to socialize after. Register at https://tinyurl. com/ahy3eac2.

Dive Into Shabbat - Pool Party at the JCC - 5 to 8 p.m. Just as water nourishes the Earth, tradition nourishes our souls: both flowing, refreshing, and full of life. Families are invited to enjoy pool games, water fights, music, and holiday treats while exploring the connection between water, learning, and renewal. Celebrate Shabbat with laughter, splashes, and a fresh take on ancient traditions! Celebrate Shabbat with family and friends! Bring your own picnic or purchase refreshments at the snack bar. Open swim begins at 5 p.m. followed by Shabbat songs and blessings with Rabbi G at 6 p.m. Free ice pops, challah, and grape juice are provided. Bring your friends and enjoy this unique Shabbat celebration. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/mwp2d4mf.

Kabbalat Panim Shabbat Service - 5:45 to 8 p.m. Once a month at Congregation Dor Tamid, we 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.

Sunday, June 7

Mom’s Sourdough Morning – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join PJ Library for a special momsonly morning where we’ll learn the art of making sourdough bread together. In Jewish tradition, bread has always been at the center of our homes and tables — from the blessing over bread at Shabbat to the mitzvah of separating challah. This gathering is a chance to connect, learn something new, and reflect on how small, steady acts can nourish both our families and ourselves. Enjoy a relaxed morning with other moms as we mix, learn, and laugh together. Light refreshments will be served and everyone will leave with their own sourdough starter to keep! RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/ycxdcw39.

May 2026 JBaby Brookhaven Neighborhood Small Group - 3:30 p.m. A five-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. Each session is about 45–60 minutes, with plenty of time to socialize after. Register at https://tinyurl.com/mu7yw69u.

K&K 4th Anniversary Party – 4 to 7 p.m.

Join us at Bar{n} Booze {n} Bites in Dunwoody for a party to celebrate our fourth anniversary! Appetizers provided, cash bar. Enjoy music, beautiful almost summer weather, and birthday cake with us! This event is open to Jewish singles 21+. Grab your friends and make an evening of it! Join Kibbitz and Konnect by RSVPing at https://tinyurl.com/3aw74dpd.

Bacharach at The Breman – 4 to 7:30 p.m. The Breman is excited to present Flying Carpet Theatre for the eighth year with performances celebrating Jewish composers from the great American songbook. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/5n8hmks7.

Wednesday, June 10

Hadar Atlanta: The Secret to Handling Trolls – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Ever met someone so audacious they’d do something as ridiculous as asking for the entire Torah while standing on one foot? While Shammai was ready to show them the door, Hillel had a game-changing strategy for dealing with “trolls.” From handling badfaith skeptics to knowing exactly when to stop arguing over mundane drama, the Talmud reveals the art of the perfect response. Join The Dupree in this second session of our Intown Rotating Beit Midrash as we learn how Hillel’s legendary patience turned “trolls” into believers — and why, occasionally, Shammai’s “tough love” might actually be the response a situation demands. Sign up to attend at https://tinyurl.com/yy4hrkpd.

Thursday, June 11

June 2026 JBaby Newborn Small Group - 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Shalom, and welcome to the newest members of the tribe! Whether you’re a first-time parent or adding to your growing family, this warm and welcoming group offers a safe, judgment-free space to share your experiences, ask questions, and build friendships with other new parents who truly understand what you’re going through. From sleepless nights to first smiles, we’ll celebrate the highs and support each other through the lows of early parenthood. It’s an opportunity to explore what it means to be a parent in the Jewish community today and discover simple routines and traditions that fill your family’s days with Jewish joy. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/4ms2uvc3.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Behaalotecha

Friday, June 5 Light Shabbat Candles: 8:28 PM

Saturday, June 6 Shabbat Ends: 9:30 PM

Torah Reading: Shlach

Friday, June 12 Light Shabbat Candles: 8:31 PM

Saturday, June13 Shabbat Ends: 9:33 PM

Guiding the Way Home with Rebecca’s Tent – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Rebecca’s Tent; Spiegel Women’s Shelter at Shearith Israel is celebrating our 40 years supporting women experiencing homelessness. Rebecca’s Tent opened in 1983 as the first shelter to be located at a synagogue in the country. Over forty years later, we still provide beds, home-cooked meals, hot showers, laundry facilities, job coaching … .and most importantly, hope, to local women with no place else to turn. We are open from November through March each year for overnight residents and have a day program year-round for showers, laundry facilities, and meals for unhoused women. Most of the women we serve are among the area’s “working poor”-- they have jobs but are unhoused. We need to raise additional funds to be open for more weeks and more hours each year. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/4nnnyvzk.

Friday, June 12

June July 2026 JBaby Intown Small

Group - 11:30 a.m. A five-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. Each session is about 45–60 minutes, with plenty of time to socialize after. Register at https://tinyurl. com/ahy3eac2.

2nd Friday Shabbat Live - 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Join Chabad Intown every second Friday this summer for a beautiful Shabbat evening filled with community, connection, and a relaxed summer vibe. Begin with candle lighting, followed by spirited and soulful Shabbat services, and then gather for fresh challah, comforting chicken soup, and tasty appetizers! It’s easy, welcoming, and full of the kind of togetherness that makes Shabbat so special. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/c5bvvsb7.

Sunday, June 14

Sunshine & Stories - 9:30 to 11 a.m. Join us for Sunshine & Stories, a sweet summer PJ Library gathering filled with books, bubbles, and connection. Families will relax together outdoors as the kids play, we share stories, enjoy simple crafts, and soak up the joy of a sunny day. Perfect for little ones and their grown-ups to play, read, and make new friends. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/3w2z4rap.

Playground Book Swap – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Join us for a fun-filled morning of sunshine and community at our PJ Library Playground Book Swap! Bring along gently loved PJ Library books your family is ready to pass on and discover “new-toyou” favorites to take home. This is a wonderful way to refresh your home library while teaching kids about sharing, sustainability, and the joy of reading. We’ll gather at the playground so kids can run, climb, and play while grown-ups connect and browse. Whether you come with a stack of books or just want to pick out a few new reads, everyone is welcome! Register at https://tinyurl.com/yc3jse4z.

Cradles to Classics Music Circle: Dunwoody – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Join JBaby for a music circle, led by Here We Grow, for babies at an assisted living facility, where babies, caregivers, and seniors sing songs and play simple instruments together, creating joyful connections between generations. Babies get the benefit of music, bubbes get the benefit of hanging out with babies — everyone wins! RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3xey2n2f.

May 2026 JBaby Brookhaven Neighborhood Small Group - 3:30 p.m. A five-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. Each session is about 45–60 minutes, with plenty of time to socialize after. Register at https://tinyurl.com/mu7yw69u.

IT KOSHER

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium white onion, finely diced

12 ounces Beleaves Oyster Mushrooms, tough stems discarded

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 and 1/2 cups Beleaves Arborio Rice

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups store-bought or homemade low-sodium parve chicken broth, divided

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces goat cheese

3 ounces Parmesan, or Pecorino romano, finely grated

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Tuscanini Sicilian Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling thinly sliced chives, to top

Directions

1. In a large, wide pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about three to five minutes or until it begins to turn translucent.

2. Add in the mushrooms and allow to heat for about five to eight minutes. Stir infrequently until the mushrooms begin to turn golden. Touch them as minimally as possible to ensure they brown. Reserve a few of the mushrooms for topping your bowl, if desired.

3. Add in the salt and rice. Toast the rice for about one to two minutes or until the edges become translucent. Then, add in the wine and stir consistently until the wine is absorbed. Add in two cups of broth and the cream and allow to cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover, stir in the goat cheese, and then add in another 1/2 cup of broth. Cook uncovered until integrated.

4. At this point, taste the rice and see if it is tender. If it is still al dente, add in the last 1/2 cup broth and stir over the flame until integrated. Remove from the flame and stir in the parmesan, black pepper, and tablespoon of oil.

5. Top with thinly sliced chives, a drizzle of olive oil and the caramelized mushrooms.

Recipe by Shushy Turin kosher.com

The Dinner

Benjamin and Sarah, who were both in their eighties, invited their grandson, Morris, over for dinner one evening.

Morris was impressed with the way Benjamin preceded every request to Sarah with endearing terms – Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Sugar Plum. The couple had been married more than 50 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.

While Sarah was in the kitchen, Morris said to Benjamin, “Grandpa, I think it’s wonderful that after all these years, you still call Grandma those loving pet names.”

Benjamin hung his head and said, “I have to tell you the truth, Morris. I forgot her name about 10 years ago.”

YIDDISH WORD

Vilde chaye

libhoder

n. An extreme pet enthusiast who only dates other extreme pet enthusiasts.

“Levy, that vilde chaye libhoder, picks up women in the pit bull section of the dog park. They tend to be as meshugana about their dogs as he is.”

“Vilde chaye libhoder” means “wild beast” in Yiddish; and “libhoder” means “lover.”

The Write Stuff

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

ACROSS

1. Borat’s actual first name

6. “Star Trek” character

10. Bro

13. Matzah leftover

14. Trei follower

15. Hwy. alternative

16. Pulitzer Prize winner (1952)

18. TLV guess

19. Ramat Beit Shemesh to Mevaseret Tzion

dir.

20. No longer in the film

21. Many cool girls on Purim?

23. Pulitzer Prize winner (1976)

27. She, in 38-Down

28. Page of history

29. College basketball powerhouse

30. Plopped down

33. Asset in 34-Down

35. Like King David’s hair

36. Pulitzer Prize winner (1949)

40. A.L. Central team, on a scoreboard

41. Blood classification syst.

42. Lincoln or Vigoda

43. Lead-in to a congratulatory cry

45. “Mi’Ma’amakim” need?

47. “Spumante” front

51. Pulitzer Prize winner (1963, 1972)

55. “Smart” guys

56. Famous Tokyo-born singer

57. How drugs are sold, sometimes

58. “Michael Collins” actor Stephen

59. Pulitzer Prize winner (1980, 1994, 1996, 1998)

63. Otolaryngologist, for short 64. It’s often served at a kiddish

65. This puzzle has one

66. 101 instructors, perhaps

67. Arabian Gulf port

68. Responded to fireworks, perhaps

DOWN

1. Collaborate sneakily

2. Court settings, perhaps

3. They heal

4. “I wonder”

5. Old counting items

6. “I ___ sign...”

7. G.I. Joe’s entertainer

8. Former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir

9. Iconic TV nerd

10. 1982 Billy Joel hit

This week, 100

years ago - 1926

President Coolidge signs the Dickstein Kosher Law for the District of Columbia.

German political party Deutchnationale Partei excludes Jews from membership.

Dr. Gustav Cassel, Jewish scientist, is elected president of the Swedish Academy of Science.

This week, 75 years ago- 1951

The AJT, then the Southern Israelite, transfers ownership from publisher Stephen Schiffer to group of community leaders headed by Adolph Rosenberg.

Lt. Col. Jacob Shacter, husband of the former Ruth Katz of Augusta, Ga., earns a Silver Star metal for bravery during the Korean War.

Israeli ambassador Abba Eban collapses from exhaustion at U.N. Security Council meeting.

This week, 50 years ago - 1976

Harriet Zimmerman of Atlanta is appointed as an associate director of Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign.

William Beebe, board chairman and CEO of Delta Air Lines, receives National Tay-Sachs Humanitarian Award.

Atlanta Magazine lists 19 Jews among its “Two hundred persons who have contributed most to the character and look of the Metropolitan area.”

This week, 25 years ag - 2001

BBYO moves to split from B’nai B’rith International and become its own independent organization.

The AJT publishes a special on Jon Liebman, world-renowned blues player and Sandy Springs native.

David and Bette Brandenburg of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Stacey, to Derek Ludwin, son of Samuel and Vivien Ludwin.

11. Assailant

12. Not able to run free

17. It’s worth 50

22. Cap

24. Like an ocean

25. Syria, long ago

26. “The Sound of Music” stepmom

31. Seltzer brand

32. Jerusalem artichoke, e.g.

34. Org. with minors

36. It’s sinking almost led to an Israeli civil war, with “The”

37. Camp David and others

38. Capital of Italia

39. Mother of Yissachar

40. Musical set in Berlin

44. Easy letters?

46. Pilfered

48. Not in need of sanding

49. Be a rat

50. Advanced slowly

52. Org. concerned with strays

53. “Bi-” halved

54. Admit guilt in, as a crime

60. Tricked

61. Barinholtz of “The Studio”

62. Kia model

Stephen and Henrietta Brilliant of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Adrienne, to Nathaniel Strohl, son of Daniel and Celeste Strohl of Atlanta.

Ryan Schube, son of Michael and Frances Schube, has his bar mitzvah ceremony at Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

Jeremy Schube, son of Keith and Maxine Schube, and his cousin Max Shapiro, son of Jay and Andrea Shapiro, share a joint bar mitzvah service at Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

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

Harold Arnovitz

93, Atlanta

Harold Arnovitz was born in Atlanta in 1932. He is predeceased by his parents, Jacob and Sarah Arnovitz, and his brothers, Morris and Sam. He attended Grady High School and later, Emory University, where he served as president of TEP fraternity.

In 1954, Harold married Dolores Barkin, another Atlantan. He is survived by their children — David (Andi) Arnovitz, Karen (Jimmy) Grinzaid, and Lisa (Sam) Marks — along with 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Harold believed strongly in Jewish education. He was instrumental in the growth of Greenfield Hebrew Academy, now Atlanta Jewish Academy, and remained active in many Jewish organizations throughout his life.

Professionally, he built a successful career in residential and commercial real estate. Harold was an avid hiker who completed the entire Appalachian Trail; he biked across Georgia in BRAG rides, ran regularly, cross-country skied, and enjoyed photography.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Congregation Ohr HaTorah, Chabad Intown, Atlanta Jewish Academy and Jscreen.

Annie Necha Cohen 80, Atlanta

Annie Necha Cohen was born in the 12th arrondissement in Paris, France, in March 1946 to parents Mathys and Mania Ajzenfarb. The daughter of Polish immigrants born just after World War II, Annie grew up mostly in an orphanage in Pontault-Combault run by the Jewish agency for children in France. She lived in the orphanage until she was 19, creating deep and life-long friendships with the other girls and counselors, some of whom she remained in touch with until today.

Although she lived in the orphanage, she was looked after by two dear families, the Savdies, living in London, and the Doueks, living in Paris, both with Egyptian roots. This connection led her to meet her life partner, Maurice, when she was 16 years old, who was an Egyptian immigrant to France that was eight years her senior. They began dating soon after meeting, and a short while later, Maurice applied for a visa to the U.S. He emigrated first, and she followed four years later, with love letters going back and forth while they were apart. She set sail in June of 1967 on a five-day voyage aboard a boat called “Le France” to join Maurice in Atlanta. They married two weeks after she arrived, a few months after her 21st birthday. Maurice’s five siblings and spouses all also moved to Atlanta, creating a loving network of family, giving her dear brothers- and sisters-in-law.

Annie and Maurice worked together to build a life and a family in Atlanta. Using her French language skills and her degree from Lycee Sophie Germain, she worked for many years at the Belgian Consulate. Following that, she joined Maurice in running a retail store in downtown Atlanta. Years later, she would join him at Mayson Foods, working with him up until a few months ago.

For one that found herself without much family at a young age, Annie was incredibly social, ready to talk to anyone and everyone with her endearing French accent. She was quick with a smile and always ready to dance. Her cooking was legendary. She adopted Sephardic cooking as her own and made many Egyptian dishes to everyone’s delight.

Along the way, Annie and Maurice welcomed two sons, Andre and Daniel, and Annie went on to spoil them until her last days. She was so happy to welcome their spouses, Justine and Diana, into her world, finally having daughters (in-law). She took great joy in spending time with her grandchildren – Emma, Jordan, Gavin, Elijah, Ezra, and Asher – hosting Chanukah parties and planning family trips so her beloved children and grandchildren could enjoy special times together.

Annie took her life as an orphan head on and built relationship after relationship, filling her life with family and love, always wanting to bring her family together to celebrate happy occasions. One would be hard-pressed to imagine that she could ever have been a shy, little 5-year-old girl. She came across the Atlantic with a big heart, a big smile, and beautiful blue eyes.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a contribution to the Jewish National Fund, ORT, Atlanta Jewish Academy, or The Weber School. The funeral was held at 9 a.m. on May 21, 2026, at Arlington Memorial Park, officiated by Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-4514999.

Richard Hoffenson 76,

Marietta

Richard (“Dick”) Hoffenson, age 76, of Marietta, Ga., passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2026. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Dick is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Linda (Schreck) Hoffenson; his daughter, Andrea Hoffenson; and his son, Steven Hoffenson, and his wife, Jaclyn Rheins, and their daughters, Claire and Charlotte. He is also survived by his twin brother, Thomas (“Tom”) Hoffenson. He was preceded in death by his mother, Marie, and his father, Moses.

After graduating from the University of Florida, Dick worked for Rich’s Department Stores developing and implementing their early computer-operated systems. Following Rich’s, he spent 30 years working for IBM, which took him to cities all around the world. After IBM, he worked for several more years as a contractor for Home Depot and SunTrust Bank. His frequent work travel inspired many memorable family trips and ultimately fostered a love for traveling during retirement.

Above all, Dick was a family man who took great pride and joy in being a loving husband, father, and “Pop-Pop.” He cherished every moment spent playing with his granddaughters.

An avid reader with a deeply curious mind, he loved learning about the world and understanding how things worked. Dick was exceptionally handy around the house and with cars. He took great pleasure in being the first person his daughter called when she needed advice on fixing things around her house, and he always looked forward to helping his son with household projects.

A graveside service was held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Ga. Shiva took place at the family home.

May his memory be a blessing.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to organizations that align with his values, such as the American Cancer Society, Congregation B’nai Torah, or the Jewish Federation.

Lorraine Siegel 101, Atlanta

Lorraine Siegel, age 101, passed away on May 20, 2026, following a short illness.

Lorraine was born in New York, N.Y., on Oct. 30, 1924, to Ann and Sam Tannenbaum. She was educated in the New York public schools and attended City College of New York.

In 1942, she married Jack J. Eden. Over the next years, they lived in Hollywood, Fla., Atlanta, and Chicago. She and Jack had one son, Mark. After Jack’s death, she and Mark moved back to Atlanta, where she met Louis Siegel. They married in 1970 and had a beautiful blending of families.

Lorraine had a successful career in office administration. After her retirement, she became a trained mediator and worked in the Fulton County Court System. She and Louis socialized and traveled extensively both with her friends and his friends. They were a most sought-after couple and a perfect combination of personalities.

After Louis’ death in 2010, Lorraine moved to The Piedmont, where she quickly immersed herself into the building, the residents and all of the activities. Everyone in the building knew and admired her. She was a top bridge player and Life Master, playing duplicate bridge twice a week and achieving top scores, even at age 101. Lorraine organized Canasta and Mah Jongg games and led several book clubs for years. She was a friend, a confidant and a mentor to people of all ages. Lorraine was well-read, intelligent and conversant on most any topic and was always open to discussion and opposing views. She was known for her positive attitude, and unlike so many people, she thought everything was wonderful and never complained about anything — not even the food!

Her greatest joy was being with her extended family and sharing time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and being such an important part of their lives. She always said it was her good fortune to be part of such a large and loving family.

Lorraine was predeceased by her parents, Ann and Sam Tannenbaum; her husbands, Jack J. Eden and Louis Siegel; her sister, Beatrice Fox; and her son, Garry Siegel.  She is survived by her children, Mark (Jane) Eden, Judy (Alan) Schulman, Richard Siegel, daughter-in-law, Beth Siegel, and former daughter-in-law, Margie Eden; grandchildren, Jason (Jennifer) Eden, Brent (Sara) Eden, Stefani (Craig) Faer, Daryl (Jonathan) Sommers, Eric (Kyle) Siegel and Amanda (Mark) Walker; and 13 great-grandchildren.

A graveside service was held at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mt. Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Shiva was held at the home of Jennifer and Jason Eden.

Donations can be made to Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338.  Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Once

OBITUARIES

Kenneth Tesler 78, Atlanta

Kenneth Tesler, age 78, of Atlanta passed away Monday, May 18, 2026. Mr. Tesler was born and raised in Atlanta. He served in the U.S. Army and owned and operated ABC Recycling for more than 20 years.   He was preceded in death by his daughter, Shana Tesler, and parents, Ruth and Sidney Tesler. Survivors include his daughter, Jennifer Tesler, and grandchildren, Sidney, Benjamin, Kenneth, Ethan, and Devin. A graveside service was held at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 21, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal officiating. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Humane Society. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta 770-451-4999.

Bernard Ulman Atlanta

How can we begin to describe heaven's newest angel? Bernard (Bubba) Ulman became that angel on May 15. He was born in Savannah, Ga., on Nov. 10 to Elizabeth and Julius Ulman. A tribute article was written in The Jewish Times about him celebrating his very special birthday along with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the synagogue in Rome, Ga. (Rodeph Sholom). He was the first bar mitzvah in the new building. He grew up in Rockmart, Ga. He was honorably discharged from the Army as a corporal during World War II. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1950 with a degree in industrial engineering.

He led a magnificent life filled with family, faith, and lives he always touched. He was a gentleman and a gentle man. We are all so blessed he was our dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

He was brilliant…a true walking Google. Almost every day, he wanted to find out something new. He loved staying connected to his children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. He always wanted to hear what they were doing.

He loved to sing and remembered the words to almost every song he sang from his childhood until now. He loved the funny papers (comics). He adored telling stories to his family about his past, his family, and anything else he could remember. They were so colorful and addicting. We felt like we were right there with him.

His faith was unbreakable. It meant so much to him and he shared that with his family. He walked the walk and talked the talk of honesty, kindness, and love.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Linda (and Bill Frank), Robyn (and Mike Geller), and Alan Ulman. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren and their spouses: Angie (Jim), Adam, Arielle (Haden), Jennifer (David), Jonathan (Kelsey), Madison (Jacob), Jacob, and Wendy. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren: Hailey, Hannah, Lily, Kaleigh, Olivia, Josie, Luna, Nate, Nikki, and Izzie. He is survived by his special friend, BettyAnn Shusterman, and her loyal and devoted children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth and Julius Ulman, and brother, Stanley Ulman.

In honor of Bubba's memory today, please say a prayer for him and do an act of kindness.

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Account Manager Ilyssa Klein at Ilyssa@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 122, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

CLOSING THOUGHTS Mishpacha is at the Heart of Jewish Culture

Most of us remember the opening song from “Fiddler on the Roof”-people from my generation especially the album with the original Broadway cast. The song was “Tradition.” At the end, Tevye (Zero Mostel) exclaimed that without our traditions our lives would be as shaky “as a fiddler on the roof!” The rest of course is musical theatre history.

As you probably recall, the opening number primarily focused on the family: the papa, the mama, the daughter, the son. The mishpacha -- the family. Family life has been central to the Jewish experience, as it has for most traditional cultures, going back to ancient times.

Almost every Biblical figure from Am Yisrael (the People Israel) is mar-

ried and has children. Jeremiah was explicitly forbidden from doing so by the Holy One as a mercy to him, because G-d foresaw the terrible fates of his family at the hands of the Babylonians were he to marry and have children. There is a tradition -- not stated in the Bible -- that Ezra the Scribe never married. The Bible is silent about a few other figures such as Miriam or Daniel. As a whole, the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures) is relentlessly family oriented.

Subsequent Judaism would be focused on marriage and children as well. One possible exception was the Essenes, the Greek term for the ancient pietists (Chasidim) who went into the wilderness and would not usually raise a family. They were instead waiting for the end of the world and the Day of Judgement. The Qumran sect near the Dead Sea, responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls, may have been Essenes themselves or a similar group. The Essenes and Qumran sects flourished in Greek and then Roman times -- about the same period as Hillel and Jesus.

It is common for millennial groups, preparing for the world’s end, not to marry or have children (for example, the Shakers). It is also common for monastic groups, as were the Essenes and the Qumran sects, to forgo romance and family life. This form of spiritual expression has been common in some branches of Christianity and Buddhism for example, but rare in Judaism.

Today, there is much concern about dating, marriage, and family life in the United States, throughout the west, in the Far East, and throughout the developed world generally. Almost all these countries, including our own, are below replacement level. Some, particularly China, Japan and South Korea, are now far below replacement level. Replacement level would be each woman having, on average, two children during her lifetime, or each person, whether male or female, replacing himself or herself through procreation. Societies that do not do so both age and shrink.

The reasons this is happening are complex. They have to do with new tech-

nologies and new disincentives for both sexes to date, to get married, to have children. There are economic pressures of course. Lack of religious commitment is also at play. There is no easy fix.

One country which is certainly developed, and wired, and nevertheless bucking this trend, is Israel. Israel is well above replacement level. Israeli women have on average about three children per woman. People do generally get married and have more than one child, whether Jewish or not (Arab citizens), or whether religious or not. The Orthodox have more children, but even the more or less secular Israelis are having kids.

Why? Apparently, the idea of mishpacha, which stretches back thousands of years to Abraham and Sarah, has left an indelible impression on the Jewish people. The very root of the Hebrew word mishpacha implies nurturing children. This is a very good thing. For Jews, it should be a cause of celebration, and for those around the world concerned about the declining birth rate, something to study and perhaps emulate. ì