Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. 101 NO. 16, August 31, 2026

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Cover Photo: Per tradition, the AJT publishes Community Messages from local leaders for the High Holidays. Find this year’s messages on page 42.

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NEWS Jewish Georgians Weigh Ossoff vs. Collins By Dave Schechter On Jan. 5, 2021, Democrat Jon Ossoff received 54,944 more votes — out of 4.84 million cast — than incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue to win a runoff. By a margin of 1.2 percent, the 33-yearold Ossoff became the first Jewish senator elected from Georgia. Now Ossoff is seeking a second sixyear term. He is the only incumbent Democratic senator running in a state won in 2024 by Republican President Donald Trump. Holding Ossoff’s seat is critical to Democratic hopes of wresting control of the Senate from Republicans. Ousting Ossoff is a priority for Republicans hoping to maintain their majority — currently 53 to 47 (including two Independents who caucus with the Democrats). Ossoff’s Republican opponent in the Nov. 3 general election is U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who defeated former college football coach Derek Dooley in a June runoff. Dooley was backed by Gov. Brian Kemp, who disappointed many Republicans when he opted not to challenge Ossoff. Collins, a 59-year-old native of Jackson, Ga., was elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024 from Georgia’s 10th Congressional District — a mix of suburban and rural communities east of metro Atlanta. Ossoff has topped Collins in three polls of likely Georgia voters conducted since the Republican runoff, by an average margin of 6.6 percentage points, according to realclearpolling.com. The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia on July 30 shifted the race from “leans Democratic” to “likely Democratic.” The Cook Political Report in April has the race listed as leaning Democratic. Two debates are scheduled: Oct. 8, hosted by Gray Media television stations in Georgia, and Oct. 13, hosted by the Atlanta Press Club. Given the tone of campaign, sharp disagreements should be expected. Where Ossoff is a blistering critic of Trump, Collins proudly ties himself to the president. Ossoff has called Collins a “notorious bigot, antisemite, and extremist.” Collins has called Ossoff “weak, woke, running scared.” Ossoff took his oath of office on Jan. 20, 2021, with one hand on a Hebrew Bible that belonged to the late Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, whose tenure as senior rabbi at The Temple was marked by his civil rights advocacy and the bombing of the synagogue by white supremacists. In his jacket pocket, Ossoff carried 6 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Holding Jon Ossoff’s seat is critical to Democratic hopes of wresting control of the Senate from Republicans.

Mike Collins, a 59-year-old native of Jackson, Ga., was elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024 from Georgia’s 10th Congressional District.

copies of the manifests from the ships that brought his paternal great-grandparents to the United States from Eastern Europe. Ossoff’s father is Jewish, his mother is not. Because Judaism traditionally has not recognized patrilineal descent, Ossoff underwent a formal conversion, including immersion in a mikvah, before becoming a bar mitzvah at The Temple, a Reform congregation. In a December 2020 op-ed written for the AJT, Ossoff said: “I am descended from Ashkenazi immigrants who fled pogroms at the turn of the 20th century. I was raised among relatives who survived the Shoah. That Jewish upbringing instilled in me a conviction to fight for the marginalized, the persecuted and the dispossessed.” Ossoff also wrote: “I am a committed supporter of the State of Israel. I have family in Jerusalem, and I am committed to Israel’s security as a homeland for the Jewish people, as I am committed to supporting American diplomatic engagement to negotiate a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.” An estimated 148,500 Jews (nearly 90 percent in metro Atlanta) make up 1.3 percent of Georgia’s population. As a rule of thumb, about 70 percent of the Jewish vote nationally goes to Democratic candidates. Atlanta’s Jewish community is considered to be somewhat more conservative, with 60-65 percent backing Democrats.

support Collins or, at a minimum, not vote for Ossoff. Democrats hope that Jewish voters will understand that Ossoff supports Israel while also being willing to criticize its government. On Nov. 20, 2024, Ossoff voted in favor of two Senate resolutions opposing the sale to Israel of high explosive tank and mortar cartridges. He also voted against a resolutionvthat opposed the export to Israel of guidance kits for joint direct attack munitions, known as JDAMS, an air-to-ground weapon. All three resolutions, advanced by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, were overwhelmingly defeated. Speaking on the Senate floor, Ossoff said, “The United States is and will remain Israel’s closest ally. Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad. But no foreign government is simply entitled as a matter of right to American weapons with no strings attached. No foreign government, no matter how close an ally, gets everything it wants, whenever it wants, to use however it wants.” Two days later, an open letter coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and signed by nearly 50 local organizations, synagogues, and schools — a grouping that claimed to represent 90 percent of Georgia’s Jewish population — excoriated Ossoff (and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who backed all three resolutions). “Your vote demonstrates that your commitment to Israel’s security is not ironclad; rather it comes at the expense of Israeli defense. It not only emboldens Iran and its proxies, it also stands in sharp contrast to the many expressions of support for Israel you have made,” said the letter (whose signatories included the Atlanta Jewish Times). Within a week, the Savannah Jewish

Ossoff’s Israel Votes Roil Jewish Community Of more than 2,400 roll call votes during Ossoff’s time in office, five votes on resolutions that opposed the sale or export of specific U.S.-made weapons to Israel appear to be the fulcrum on which his Jewish support balances. Republicans hope that these votes persuade disaffected Jewish Democrats to

Federation wrote an open letter stating that it “was disappointed” by Ossoff and Warnock, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an op-ed, signed by 22 rabbis from the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements, criticizing the pair. Ossoff and Warnock received support in an open letter from the Atlanta chapter of J Street, a self-identified “pro-Israel, propeace, pro-democracy” organization. That letter, signed by more than 100 members of the community, said: “Their vote, on the joint resolutions of disapproval on sales of specific offensive weapons to the Netanyahu government, sent a strong symbolic message representing a growing portion of the American Jewish community that believes that the US-Israel relationship should be grounded in our laws, national security interests and shared values.” On July 30, 2025, Ossoff voted for a resolution opposing the export of fully automatic rifles to Israel and against a resolution that opposed the sale of air-to-ground munitions. Regarding the rifles, an Ossoff statement said: “I do not believe the United States Senate should acquiesce without objection to the extreme mass deprivation of civilians in Gaza, including the intolerable starvation of children, that have resulted from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Furthermore, these weapons would likely have been allocated to police forces under the control of [Minister of National Security] Itamar Ben-Gvir.” On the air-to-ground weapons, the statement said: “Despite my opposition to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s conduct of the war in Gaza, I believe the United States must continue to support the Israeli people, who face the persistent threat of rocket and missile attack and have been subjected to intense aerial bombardment from Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen. Israel’s capacity to strike those who would launch missiles and rockets at Israeli civilians depends upon the deterrence provided by the Israeli Air Force.” On April 15, 2026, Ossoff voted in favor resolutions opposing the proposed sale to Israel of Caterpillar bulldozers (to which Israel adds armor) and the sale of 1,000-pound bombs. Both motions failed, but the first received 40 votes in favor, a high-water mark for the number of Democratic senators supporting restrictions on military sales to Israel. Democratic State Rep. Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia General Assembly, who had declared herself

NEWS “disheartened” by Ossoff’s November 2024 votes on the Israel weapons resolutions, nonetheless endorsed him in a March 2, 2026, Facebook post: “While Senator Ossoff and I have had our disagreements on international policy, when it comes to issues impacting everyday Americans, there is no daylight between us. We have worked side by side to defend women’s rights, advance common-sense gun safety legislation, and make healthcare and housing more affordable . . . I am proud to stand with this team as we work toward a safer, stronger, and more just future.”

Collins Rebuts Antisemitism, Racism Claims The Jewish community also has concerns about Collins, who is embroiled in controversies that include a son-in-law spouting white nationalist beliefs and a now-former chief of staff fired for briefing white supremacists. Collins’ son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, has more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Telegram. CNN reported on July 16 that Scheer “featured in campaign photos, registered to vote at a Collins-owned property, and appearing at his victory party — is a white nationalist influencer who has promoted Nazi imagery and called for ‘clearing our land of other people.’” Collins’ campaign responded: “Rep. Collins’ lifelong support for Israel is unquestionable and backed by his consistent record in Congress of standing up for Israel and her people.” Scheer is married to Collins’ daughter, Summer, who Scheer cited as the source of an infographic claiming “proof Jews control our government through finance.” Collins has been prickly when asked about his son-in-law, abruptly ending a July 30 news conference in Monroe, Ga., when the subject was raised. Collins did address the matter during an invitation-only July 29 session with about 80 members of the Jewish community, at the Sandy Springs home of businessman and philanthropist Kirk Halpern. The AJT was the only news media present. “He’s wrong on that issue,” Collins said of Scheer. “I don’t agree with that. There’s no place in this country for antisemitism.” Collins told the Jewish audience: “Am I America First? You bet I am. But you know what America First means to me? It’s protecting Israel.” A woman told Collins that she and her friends wanted to vote for him, but to feel comfortable doing so, they needed to hear him specifically denounce white supremacy. Collins replied: “Hate has no place in this country.” Halpern later told the Atlanta Journal-

Constitution, “I saw a good man in my home. You can’t pick your family.” “If I was in a room with eight neo-Nazis and I had to pick one man to be in that room with me, after Wednesday night I’d pick Mike Collins,” Halpern said. “I say that because there’s no question in my mind that the first thing Mike Collins would do is tell those eight men why they’re wrong. If Mike was unable to convince them, and it got to a physical fight, there’s no question in my mind he’d be fighting alongside me.” Collins told Axios that Scheer “has had no role in my campaign whatsoever, and I don’t believe or support those views and I have always condemned racism and antisemitism regardless of the source.” Collins’ chief of staff Kip Talley resigned in July after reports surfaced about Talley (when he was deputy chief of staff) taking part in a group chat that included prominent white nationalists Nick Fuentes and Richard Spenser, and claiming that he could use his influence to free alt-right internet troll Charles C. Johnson, a Holocaust denier and racist, from prison. Panitch rebuked Collins in a July 16 Facebook post: “Being pro-Israel is not a hall pass for antisemitism. It is not a shield you hide behind when the hatred is in your own family, on your own property, with your own name attached. Standing with Jews an ocean away means nothing if you won’t stand with the 150,000+ Jews who are your neighbors and constituents . . . Condemn it, Congressman. By name. Today. And to every Republican who’s endorsed him: this is your test, too.”

Ossoff and Collins Attack Lines Ossoff has hammered away at Collins. “Congressman Mike Collins is a known bigot who has no business serving in either chamber of the United States Congress,” Ossoff told the Capital B Atlanta news website in late July. During a July 30 online news conference, Ossoff said: “Congressman Mike Collins needs to answer these questions: Will he apologize for his office’s documented ties to prominent white supremacists? Will he release, in full, every single text message, email, or other communication between his office and these prominent white supremacists, and will he ever answer whether he or his business [a familyowned trucking company] paid this neoNazi for his services?” Collins, meanwhile, links Ossoff to the left wing of the Democratic Party. In an Aug. 6 post on X, Collins wrote: “Jon Ossoff is central casting for the Democratic Socialists of America, and he’s in lockstep with Islamo-Marxist Abdul ElSayed, who wants to defund the police, open our borders, and bring communism to America’s doorstep. Our nation is at war

with forces looking to tear it apart from the inside out. Jon Ossoff is opening the door for them. Those aren’t Georgia values, and they’re not even American values.” [El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Aug. 4 Democratic U.S. Senate primary, has said that he is “not DSA” and identifies as “progressive,” but that DSA members can have a role in the party. Following the Michigan primary, Ossoff said, “The primary is in the past and the nominee has my support.”]

High-Stakes Race Brings in Big Money With control of the Senate at stake, tens of millions of dollars are being funneled into Georgia. Ossoff has a lopsided edge over Collins in fundraising, but Republicans are looking to level the ledger. Since Jan. 1, 2025, Ossoff had raised $68.7 million and had $42.5 million available, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Collins in the same period raised just $4.9 million and had $2 million available. Collins has claimed that only 18 percent of the money Ossoff receives comes from within Georgia, telling the Washington Reporter that Ossoff is “bought and

paid for by New York and California donors who don’t understand or care about Georgia’s values or culture.” Ossoff’s campaign issued an April 16 statement that acknowledged a fundraising trend: “The surge in national cash reflects a new political reality in Georgia. As the state cements its status as a premier battleground, out-of-state money is no longer the exception. It’s fast becoming the norm.” Ossoff’s campaign also reported that he had received donations from voters in 156 of Georgia’s 159 counties, with the average being for $32. The Republican Senate Leadership Fund has pledged to spend $44 million to aid Collins and One Nation, a GOP-aligned group, plans to spend $15 million in Georgia. At the July 29 event with Jewish Atlantans, Collins said of the Senate Leadership Fund: “The calvary is here and they’re gonna come in a lot of different ways. A lot of this race will be on the airwaves. A lot of it will be on social media.” ì Editor’s Note: The author of this article is a freelance journalist who writes regularly for the AJT and the publisher was not involved in the reporting of this article.

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NEWS

Harlan Coben: The Man, The Memoir and The Magic By Robyn Spizman Gerson Harlan Coben: award-winning writer, producer, storyteller … iconic … irresistible … suspenseful. There’s nothing missing in his mystery novels except people. His characters have often vanished, plots thicken and hope hangs onto a dangling thread. In his newest work, “Plot Twist. Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft,” Coben artfully redefines the memoir, intertwines life lessons, and spills the DNA on how he writes. The book is a page turner for Coben fans and curious minds. If you’re a writer, you’ll be motivated to “just write.” No matter who you are or where you are in your journey of life, Coben’s visionary roadmap is a game changer for anyone needing a jump-start. There are no spoiler alerts in this article. With 11 books on the New York Times Bestseller’s list, Coben has won an Edgar Award, a Shamus Award, and an Anthony Award — the first author to receive all three. His books have been translated into 46 languages and sold more than 90 million copies. In his newest book, Co-

ben’s fans will love his sneak peek into his mindset and what makes him tick. He dispels outdated writing theories, obliterating them. He tells readers to never share your novel’s idea or first drafts with anyone. This fast-paced book leads you into his world of whirl-wind-writing. So, what inspired Harlan to write this book? He commented, “I had just written two books back-to-back, “Nobody’s Fool,” and “Gone Before Goodbye,” with Reese Witherspoon and was not sure about another novel. I was thinking this might be an interesting idea, part-memoir and part-how-to. The third reason is in today’s world, we are scrolling and on our phones too much. Human beings need to create, not just consume. I hope this book inspires writers and painters, sculptors, entrepreneurs and scientists with a new vaccine and embraces all of that. Be creative. Ambitious.” He added, “This was the fastest book I’ve ever written and a stream of consciousness. I wanted it that way.” Coben grew up in Livingston, N.J. Named after his father’s father, Hyman, who left Jerusalem in the 1920s to come to the U.S., Harlan was bar mitzvah’d at

Shana Tova!

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Bestselling author Harlan Coben will appear at the Book Festival of the MJCCA at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, to discuss his new book // Photo Credit: Pip Cowley

Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, N.J., and enjoyed a full Jewish life. Rabbi Ely Pilchik and Rabbi Barry Greene officiated. Coben’s father, Carl, had changed the family’s original name from Cohen to Coben when he married (Barbara), nicknamed Corky, as she felt there were a lot of Barabara Cohens in that day. Harlan shared, “Cohen was like Smith and she

wanted to keep Cohen, yet somehow different.” Harlan graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts, where in his senior year he discovered a love of writing. He married Dr. Anne-Armstrong Coben, an accomplished pediatrician and has four adult children. Coben’s newest book stands on the shoulders of his endless blockbust-

NEWS

NO ONE SAVES MORE LIVES IN ISRAEL IN TIMES OF CRISIS.

Harlan Coben’s newest work, “Plot Twist. Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft” // Photo Credit: Grand Central Publishing

ers and sheds light on his craft. Coben graces readers with this ground-blasting memoir on writing. It’s filled with stunning insights, no holds barried why writers must write and how he does it. Plus, how he doesn’t do it. He dispels writing myths and advocates for creativity. Coben writes in Chapter Three: “The only thing worse than writing is not writing.” And he credits Dorothy Parker’s quote, “I don’t like writing. I like having written.” “Plot Twist” invites readers into one of the most vivid imaginations of all time. Regarding all his books’ research, Coben shared, “Most of it is from my imagination. I’ve never visited a prison. I’m not interested in psycho or serial killers. You must be empathetic and understand what makes people tick. I’ve seen so many people who want to write. The key to writing is to write, and when I turn in a book, it’s usually my tenth draft. I hope

my book makes you take an action in some positive way. Create. Think. Write. I want you to do a million things. I want to move you. Care about the characters. I don’t just want to just fool you. I want to spur you to action.” The book includes life lessons, as he tells his adult children, “Remember every single person has hopes and dreams.” He stops nothing short of encouraging all readers to let your what-ifs and imagination run wild. The book is a masterpiece on creative writing. Lastly, “Dear Readers”, as you’ll be called throughout “Plot Twist,” Coben is making a rare Atlanta appearance at the 35th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10. Come see for yourself. The man is a literary legend and a mensch. Tell everyone. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.atlantajcc.org. ì

There are many ways to support Israel and its people, but none is more transformative than a gift to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services system. Your gift to MDA isn’t just changing lives — it’s literally saving them — providing critical care and hospital transport for everyone from victims of heart attacks to rocket attacks. Donate today at MagenDavidAdom.org or call 866.632.2763.

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One Man’s Judaism Launched His Career and a Book By Jan Jaben-Eilon The local Jewish man who co-founded the Jewish Grandparents Network less than a decade ago is launching one of his latest initiatives, Jewish Story Project, this October. And David Raphael continues to create more projects that reflect his deep connection to Judaism. The Jewish Grandparents Network unfolded after a discussion with fellow Jewish educator, Lee M. Hendler, in 2017. From their combined experience in the Jewish community, they saw a huge gap: the Jewish communal world focused on young families but did not include grandparents in that picture. They conducted the first national study of Jewish grandparents in 2019 in collaboration with 17 Jewish partner organizations. Since its inception, the organization has engaged grandparents, family members, professionals, and community leaders in a broad array of workshops, initiatives, seminars, and consultations. Now Raphael is hoping to get the

David Raphael’s Jewish career was launched by happenstance. “Call it fate, karma or b’sherret,” he laughed.

David and son, Jacob Raphael, cowrote a memoir about the latter’s diagnosis with autism.

Jewish Story Project off the ground by piloting the initiative with Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania during its Family Weekend this October. “Students and visiting family members will be asked to

share and record their Jewish stories and memories,” he explained. According to its website (www. jewish-story-project.org), “the long-term vision of the Jewish Story Project is to

Rick came from nothing and built a business that employs thousands of Georgians and helps care for more than 20 million patients nationwide every year. As Governor, Rick will make life more affordable for Georgia families, cut property and income taxes, improve education and raise teacher pay, keep Georgians safe, and continue our state’s investment in Israel Bonds.

10 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

collect 600,000 Jewish stories — one for each letter in the Torah — bringing to life a vivid picture of the tapestry that is Jewish life in the 21st century across North America, Europe, Israel, and wherever Jews are found globally.” Even before the Jewish Story Project is totally off the ground, Raphael is hoping to start another initiative called Voices: The Jewish Story Project – Lost Tribes. With this project, Raphael wants to “capture, record, archive and learn from the stories of those who are on the periphery of Jewish life — lost or marginalized Jewish tribes such as those who are neurodiverse, deaf, blind, incarcerated and transgender individuals. The TheirStory.io platform will provide a robust platform that captures, transcribes, analyzes, edits and publishes audiovisual media.” As Raphael pointed out, “One of the bedrocks of our Jewish tradition is welcoming the stranger. The commandment to welcome the stranger is mentioned 36 times in the Torah — more than any other commandment, even more than the commandment to love G-d. The He-

NEWS brew word, ‘ger,’ is most often translated as ‘stranger’ in English translations and commentaries of our sacred text. A more accurate translation might be a ‘sojourner’ or ‘alien’ — someone living among us who is different.” Raphael believes “this is true of how many people perceive autistic individuals and others with developmental and physical differences. It is easy to view these members of our community as being alien — someone among us who is different. They may be non-verbal, run in circles, and hold their hands over their ears and scream. From the outside, these behaviors may seem bewildering and frightening.” The Lost Tribes project not only combines Raphael’s deep relationship with Judaism, but also his relationship with his son, Jacob. The two recently co-authored a book entitled, “A Miracle of the Heart: A Father and Son’s Autism Journey.” As explained in the foreword, the book is unique in that it was written by both the father and son, “offering a deeply personal reflection across 34 years of life together when Jacob was diagnosed at age 2 with what was then called pervasive developmental disorder.” The book is also unique in its frequent references to Judaism. In the beginning, Raphael quotes an essay he wrote, “As I faced the challenges of a child with severe developmental challenges, I thought about my son, the one for whom I had waited so long; my only son, the one that I loved so much. Was he to be sacrificed? How dare G-d ask this of me?” The references are to the Akeda story in Genesis about Abraham and Isaac when G-d commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son but stopped him at the last moment. Raphael admitted that the book is a very Jewish story. It’s not surprising considering his background. He attended a Jewish day school, a Jewish camp for four years, went to Israel with the intent of immigrating there, went again for his honeymoon and 25th wedding anniversary, as well as several other times. His Jewish career started by happenstance. “Call it fate, karma or b’sheret,” he laughed. He was taking his graduate school entrance tests in a building that housed B’nai B’rith. He went to the office to ask for a part-time job, and they hired him to be director of AZA, the boys’ version of B’nai B’rith Girls. From there he worked for Hillel Foundation in various capacities, including as executive campus liaison for Hillel International. His resume defines himself as a “sea-

soned nonprofit executive and consultant.” As co-founder of The Jewish Story Project, he describes the University of Pennsylvania pilot as a “proof of concept” initiative to further chances of obtaining funding. He is in the process of writing a grant request for The Lost Tribes initiative. Raphael doesn’t see himself as a spokesperson for his son, who attended Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, majoring in creative writing and minoring in philosophy. He graduated in 2015. A writer, Jacob is working on a number of fiction novels and short stories and is an active member of the Atlanta Writers Club. Throughout his career, Raphael also combined his passion about Judaism with his interest in technology. He would say his “necessity” is to learn and use technology. As head of Jewish Grandparents Network, it “was just me. I had to use all this technology. I built the website.” Raphael’s latest proposed venture, The Jewish Story Project – Lost Tribes, combines his Jewish identity and his personal connection to autism. He hopes to interview both the children and the parents, adding that entire families — including siblings — are impacted by an autistic diagnosis in a family member. [Raphael and his wife also have one daughter.] When Jacob was diagnosed, Raphael reports in their book, the family was told that one child in 10,000 was affected by autism spectrum disorders. More recently, “the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta placed that number at one in 166.” Despite Raphael’s Jewish upbringing and career, his connection to Judaism at times has been challenged. Before moving to Atlanta, he and his wife tried to enroll Jacob in two Jewish day schools where they lived. Both rejected him. But when they moved here, The Weber School accepted Jacob. “He did well in his classes, participated in every annual school play and, in recognition of his academic achievement, graduated as a Georgia HOPE Scholar,” reported the proud father. “Following his graduation, he continued his active engagement in the Habornim Dror Zionist youth group by spending a gap year in Israel, where he worked on a moshav and volunteered at a youth center in Tiberias.” In the memoir, Jacob writes in a chapter entitled, “The Promised Land,” about that trip to Israel and the lessons he learned there. The connection to Judaism has apparently been passed down to a new generation. ì

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NEWS

The Breman Presents ‘Treasures & Tchotchkes’ By Marcia Caller Jaffe The Breman, on Aug. 9, opened its latest exhibition, “Treasures & Tchotchkes,” a particularly personal exhibition drawn from The Breman’s Cuba Family Archives. The premise is that seemingly ordinary objects, what might look like “tchotchkes,” can carry personal and historical meaning. Everything in this collection was saved by someone Jewish with a story to tell. These objects are testaments to people’s lives, careers, and parallel moments in history and queries why we decide on which things to hold onto. Family memories, immigration, Jewish celebrations, items of clothing, tools, and gadgets are nostalgic in ascribing emotional value to ordinary objects like a shoe button hook. One would not label a gold watch or a fine string of pearls a “tchotchke.” A tchotchke could be dismissed as clutter: something sitting on a shelf, gathering dust, maybe passed from one generation to another without remembering the origin. Place that same object inside a mu-

Former Breman Museum Director Jane Leavey spent six months curating this unique exhibit.

seum case with context and it takes on a new life, maybe evidence of a childhood, a reminder of a journey, connection to a

Doris Goldstein recognized photos from her past contacts.

grandparent, a marker of a celebration or a difficult period. It also tells us how far we have come in such short periods

of time -- like Grady Hospital intern Dr. Herbert Rosenzweig’s primitive blood pressure cuff from 1902.

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!‫שנה טובה‬

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Rich’s pinwheel calculator shows that a small object can carry a larger story.

Museum visitor Marty Rotter was studying a shochet ‘s (butcher) knife from 1946 used to “kasher” cattle and poultry on Washington Street. Then there was a pinwheel, nine-lever calculator from Rich’s Department Store from the 1970s used “on the spot” to assess vendor activity. Morris Maslia was focused on a 1920 shoe repair exhibit near the panel, sharing why Sephardic men from the Isle of Rhodes took up shoe repair because of their poor facility with English. Then, there’s a 1911 ordinary wedding cotton sock from Hortense Steinhenor; can’t miss the ivory lace wedding gown from Josephine Joel Heyman, who was in “high society” as a member of League of Women after graduating Smith College. Strolling the exhibit was Ahavath Achim historian Doris Goldstein, pointing out familiar faces in photographs like those of the late Dr. Herb Karp, and Shirley Brickman as a young ingénue. Former executive director of The Breman Museum, Jane Leavey, worked as an independent contractor for six months to curate this exhibit. She shared, “I was delighted to put this all together from archives to tell these stories because these displays are small parts that have never been shown. This exhibit gives visitors a peak behind the scenes.” Leavey retired in 2011 and labeled herself “recycled” for this project. With the simple premise, “Why do people even save things?” the exhibition suggests that it is rarely because of the monetary value. That approach also reflects what makes The Breman’s collection compelling in its mission to extend beyond displaying important historical artifacts. Though small, this collection wrapped around a circular display documents the lived experience of Jewish communities in Atlanta and throughout the South, showcasing the details of everyday lives alongside the major events of history. “Treasures & Tchotchkes” provides a different way of examining a slice of society. Instead of asking, “What is this?” pose, “Who kept this and why?” An exhibit like this makes us think, “What will we save for others to understand our existence?” The exhibit is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. ì

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‫שנה טובה ומתוקה‬

wishing you a happy, healthy & sweet new year. ATLANTA JEWISH ACADEMY | atljewishacademy.org Sara Fisher, Admissions Director | sfisher@atljewishacademy.org ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 13

NEWS

Okefenokee Named UNESCO World Heritage Site By Perri Schwartz On July 25, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was named to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list during the World Heritage Committee’s annual meeting in Busan, South Korea. It is the first-ever site from Georgia to make the list, and the 27th from the United States. The Okefenokee joins a list that also includes Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, the Everglades, and Great Smoky Mountains. For a place that has long been regarded simply as a regional swamp, it’s a big deal to have international recognition. It is already listed as one of Georgia’s seven natural wonders. It qualified for recognition under UNESCO natural criteria IX and X. Criterion IX recognizes exceptional examples of continuing ecological and biological processes, while Criterion X recognizes exceptionally important habitats for conserving biodiversity and threatened species. The Okefenokee had been discussed

14 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge features at least 856 plant species, 48 mammal species, 238 bird species, 39 fish species, and 90 reptile and amphibian species.

as a potential World Heritage property for decades. It was placed on the U.S. tentative list in 2008, and the Department

of the Interior formally announced the U.S. nomination in December 2024. After international review, the World Heritage

Committee finally approved the inscription in July 2026. The Okefenokee National Wildlife

NEWS

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge received a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in July// All photos courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Refuge is located on the Georgia/Florida border, and about one hour away from the Georgia coast. Established in 1937, the refuge is 407,000 acres (out of a total 438,000) and protects about 92 percent of the geographical area of the Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee Swamp serves as the headwaters of two major rivers: the St. Mary’s River, which reaches the Atlantic Ocean, and Suwannee River, which reaches the Gulf of Mexico. UNESCO describes the Okefenokee as the “largest lowland freshwater peatland in the world’s subtropical zone” and as one of the largest and most intact ecosystems remaining within the North American Coastal Plain. As the largest blackwater swamp in North America, it is an interconnected system of nature and wildlife, including wetlands, various species of plants, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, and is also home to several black bears and about 15,000 alligators. Underneath much of the Okefenokee are enormous peat deposits created by thousands of years of partially de-

composed vegetation. Those peat layers store carbon and preserve a kind of environmental record of past conditions. The U.S. Department of the Interior says undisturbed Okefenokee peat contains information covering roughly the past 5,000 years, making the swamp valuable not just for wildlife but for studying environmental and climatic change. UNESCO lists at least 856 plant species, 48 mammal species, 238 bird species, 39 fish species, and 90 reptile and amphibian species within the World Heritage property. The refuge also supports threatened species including redcockaded woodpeckers, wood storks, and eastern indigo snakes. The recognition of the Okefenokee swamp comes amid a growing advancement for the Ocmulgee Mounds to be redesignated from a national historic park to Georgia’s first national park. The Ocmulgee Mounds are located in Macon and feature 12,000 years of continuous indigenous history, including massive ceremonial earth mounds built by the Mississippian culture. ì

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‘Babka King’ Holds Court in Toco Hills By Chana Shapiro On Thursday evening, July 31, hundreds of Jewish men, women, and their children gathered to meet, learn, laugh, and take pictures with a genial 41-yearold, non-Jewish media personality. The crowd was also treated to samples of all kinds of babkas, provided by the evening’s hosts, The Spicy Peach kosher grocery in Toco Hills. The object of attention was Chris Campbell, a social media influencer with nearly a million followers, who is often dubbed in Jewish circles as the “Babka King.” He is popular among his Jewish followers because he praises our food, and because he is a loud voice supporting Israel and has a close affinity for Jews everywhere. Campbell was the invited guest of The Spicy Peach, which frequently offers novel experiences to the local Jewish community. The Babka King chatted amiably with fans for more than two hours, told personal anecdotes, answered countless questions, and talked about his

16 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The Babka King (left) greets Rabbi Adam Starr.

journey to become a lover of Jewish cuisine, the land of Israel, and, well, Jews. On the broad walkway in front of the grocery, three festive tables were set with heaping platters of several kinds of babkas, and many pedestrians who were ca-

sually strolling past the store, stopped by to taste the generous babka slices, then stayed to join the large group of Campbell’s fans. He comfortably peppered his conversation with Hebrew phrases and revealed his pride in being called a

Chris Campbell, a.k.a., The Babka King, meets with some of his fans.

mensch when, after being confused by the descriptive referent that he often received from Jews but didn’t understand, he finally discovered that it was a huge compliment. Campbell surprised many in the

NEWS

Babka King and Jodi Wittenberg, co-owner of The Spicy Peach, hold babkas.

crowd when he told them that he attends a synagogue and enjoys Shabbat meals almost every week, wherever he is. The wide Jewish community appreciates his candor, sensitivity and support, and shows it. “I’m invited to Shabbat dinners and to rabbis’ homes,” he notes. “The warmth I’ve gotten from the Jewish community is so great.” Along with them, he sees the increase in antisemitism as “very open and crazy,” and he has personally received a real death threat. (For the record, Campbell does not intend to convert.) A visit to Israel, where he is wellknown, was covered widely by the media there, too. He traveled to Israel to personally connect to fans, sample the country’s wide variety of ethnic foods, and — as always — to promote the breaking down of food barriers that people often perceive. His slangy catchphrase of “Why you gatekeeping?” challenges all culturally distinct groups. He promotes more conscious sharing of their often unfamiliar iconic foods. Jokingly, he says he wants Jewish people to quit “gatekeeping all your good food.” Campbell is familiar with many laws of kashrut, and on one of his videos, which documents amusing eating experiences in Brooklyn, he seriously questioned a Jewish friend’s decision to take him for food at a kosher dairy restaurant, and then to immediately follow eating the dairy food by taking him to sample sandwiches at a kosher deli. His friend explained that the required time separation that Campbell had learned about and expected between eating milk and meat applies only to Jews like his

friend, not to non-Jews. When he was interviewed by the Times of Israel, one reporter jocularly asked, what if he were stranded on a deserted island, but somehow had in his possession one Jewish main dish, one side dish, and one dessert, he answered, “a pastrami sandwich for the main, cholent for the side, and babka for dessert.” (It’s debatable if most Jews consider cholent to be a side dish.) So far, the only Jewish food he doesn’t love is gefilte fish. The meet-and-greet event at Spicy Peach in July underscored the Babka King’s popularity among all ages and backgrounds. Happy fans got to meet him in person, share thoughts, and snap a photo with him. The guest of honor did not publicly declare his favorite babka, but many of his fans believe, from his media messages, that it’s definitely chocolate. Campbell first became famous for tasting and celebrating diverse cultural cuisines on TikTok and Instagram, eventually earning his “our crowd” royal title of Babka King after raving about a delicious chocolate babka sent to him by a New York bakery. His sampling of traditional Jewish foods like rugelach, blintzes, babka, and black and white cookies led him to learn more about our food (schnitzel, pastrami, etc.), our culture, and even our religious practices. Beyond his culinary adventures, Campbell, who says he once weighed 417 pounds and now weighs 175 pounds, is a popular personal growth coach and speaker. He wants to help people deal with social anxiety, build resilience, and grow emotionally. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 17

NEWS

From Backyards to Ballrooms & Beyond By Robyn Spizman Gerson Steven Eisenstein’s tents are a class act and so is he. An Atlanta native and chief event officer of Classic Tents & Events, his company is grounded in success, making simchas sensational, events eventful and moments magical. Launched in 2000, it began with three investors who purchased tents used in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Eisenstein acquired the company in 2010, and at record speed, catapulted Classic Tents to become the largest topof-the-line rental inventory in the state serving the entire southeast. Today, Eisenstein’s corporate office, located in Norcross, sits on four acres and spans more than 50,000 square feet with eight loading docks. Eisenstein shared, “Classic Tents & Events serves many different industries, and known for festivals such as the Dogwood Festival or Atlanta Pride that require lots of small 10x10 tents, plus endless corporate and nonprofit events. We also rent tables, chairs, dance floors, elevated lev-

18 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Classic created a protected outdoor garden party with this tent.

eled flooring, catering equipment, stages, games, heating & cooling, power, pipe & drape, and more.” He added, “Movie and major box office productions for both TV and film helped grow the company over the years. Our tents are mostly behind the scenes such as dining rooms and wardrobe and holding tents for extras. Occasionally,

our inventory appears on screen such as in the movie directed by Clint Eastwood during the 2019 movie, “Richard Jewell.” During COVID, the movie productions wanted larger tents than previously needed, and we added 80-foot-wide and 100-foot-wide pole tents to our offerings.” In the mid-1980s, Steven’s family moved from Dunwoody to Sandy Springs. The son of Bernie (of blessed memory) and Susan Eisenstein, he shared, “My dad was a food salesman, and I learned all about entrepreneurship from him. He was my introduction to the hospitality industry. My first job at age 12 was washing dishes at a Plaza Pizza in Virgina Highlands and later studied hotel-restaurant management and got two degrees in four years.” After college, he worked at the Cobb Galleria Convention Center and met his wife, Lynne (Shapiro), while working for Westin hotels. He spent many years with the Omni Hotel and catering at Wolfgang Puck at the Georgia Aquarium. Steven loves the industry and shared, “Some of our most meaningful accomplishments, included helping with our 39th president's (Jimmy Carter) funeral service, as well as his wife Rosalynn a year prior. From locations like NASCAR sites, concert venues, golf courses to UGA’s Sanford Stadium, no two days are ever alike.” In March, Eisenstein began serving as the chair for the Event Rental Shared Interest Group (SIG) for the American Rental Association. Steven’s leadership is visionary. His more than 100 employees are part of his big family, and he makes sure they are trained properly, and equipped with the latest technology. Regarding tent safety, he advises, “If someone is renting a tent, keep in mind the tent is a newly formed event space. It needs power, heating or cooling, light-

Steven Eisenstein of Classic Tents & Events // All photos courtesy of Classic Tents & Events

ing and flooring. Tents cannot be used in strong gusts of wind. Have an emergency plan for all events, and watching the weather is important to the success of all events. We work with some super high-end planners that have amazing ideas and there is so much talent in our wonderful city.” In April of 2022, they added an additional 7,500-square-foot warehouse needed for Classic Tents to grow its inventory. A memorable family event was held there a year later, when the Eisenstein’s hosted “E3,” which was their three children's b’nai mitzvah together. “E” was for Eisenstein and “3” was for Elly, Seth, and Marin. They built a 25-meter tent in front of the new warehouse and created a dining room, a Club E3 lounge area along with bars, games, dance floor, and a dessert station. Eisenstein said, “The b’nai mitzvah décor was created by our friends at YES Events Designs, entertainment thru Daniel Espuete and Amy Ackerman helped plan the entire event with all the vendors from JDV Occasions. Amy had planned a NACE event at Classic Tents years before and understood the space. Noah Hammer from 3 Cups Later handled the lighting design. The mitzvah was filled with friends, family, and campmates as our kids’ spent summers at Camp Tevya, in Brookline, N.H. Lynne worked there and her mom and grandmother, Shelley Shapiro, was camp director for years.” Classic Tents & Events business is built on Eisenstein’s non-stop determination surpassing a field of dreams. When asked about his next tent dreaming opportunity, Steven replied in a goal-setting instant, “I would say we look forward to the upcoming Super Bowl 2028 in Atlanta!” For more information visit https:// classic-tents.com/ ì

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ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME Anthropic in Talks to Buy Israeli-Founded AI Startup By Times of Israel Founded only three years ago, Israeli artificial intelligence startup Decart is reportedly in talks to be acquired by American AI giant and Claude chatbot developer Anthropic for as much as $6 billion. The talks — which have not been finalized and could still fall through — were first reported by Bloomberg. If the deal comes to fruition, it would mark Anthropic’s first acquisition in Israel, and its largest to date. Started by a group of former OpenAI researchers in 2021, Anthropic is the developer of so-called large language models or LLMs, the advanced AI technology behind conversational chatbots such as Claude AI or ChatGPT. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment, and Decart declined

Today in Israeli History Aug. 31, 1947: The U.N. Special Committee on Palestine, formed four months earlier to investigate violence and recommend the next political steps for the British-administered region, meets for the final time. Sept. 1, 1967: The Arab League summit in Sudan ends with the signing of the Khartoum Resolutions, best known for the “Three Nos”: no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel and no peace with Israel. Sept. 2, 1953: Israel starts work on a project to divert some of the water of the Jordan River at the B’not Yaakov Bridge in the north to irrigate the Negev and generate electricity. Syria’s protests quickly halt the project.

Nechama Leibowitz was a nationally treasured Torah scholar and teacher. // By Gilabrand, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sept. 3, 1905: Scholar and biblical commentator Nechama Leibowitz is born in Riga, Latvia. She teaches at yeshivas, seminaries and Tel Aviv University and is known for her weekly “Pages” dispatches of Torah questions. 20 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Employees at Tel Aviv-based venture group Team8 // Photo courtesy of Times of Israel

Left to right: A digital billboard for Anthropic’s Claude AI seen at Times Square, New York City, June 20, 2026; Decart founders Dean Leitersdorf (left) and Moshe Shalev // Photo Credits: Brian Logan/ iStock, Amit Elkayam, Times of Israel

to do so. Meanwhile, Elon Musk dismissed a report by Israeli financial daily Calcalist that SpaceX was in talks to buy Decart. Previously, U.S. chip giant Nvidia was reportedly vying to purchase the Israeli AI startup. Sept. 4, 1975: In Geneva, Israel and Egypt sign the Second Disengagement Agreement (Sinai II), part of an incremental peace process brokered by U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger through shuttle diplomacy.

Team8 Raises $365M to Help Build AI Startups By Times of Israel Israel’s Team8, a venture capital group that develops and spins out tech companies, has raised $365 million in fresh funds to invest in local startups and founders who build infrastructure and software to securely manage the adoption of artificial intelligence workloads. The funding, which is backed by Sept. 8, 1908: Liberal Orthodox theologian Eliezer Berkovits is born in Nagyvarad, Transylvania. He serves as a rabbi and teaches in Germany, England, Australia and the United States until he retires to Israel in 1975. Sept. 9, 1948: Alon Garbuz, the director of the Tel Aviv Cinematheque for four decades, is born in Givatayim. Under his leadership, the cinematheque establishes a permanent home and becomes Israel’s top film society.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin greet each other at Camp David as President Jimmy Carter watches. // U.S. National Archives

Sept. 5, 1978: President Jimmy Carter convenes Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and their teams at a Maryland retreat to hammer out an interim deal known as the Camp David Accords. Sept. 6, 2007: In Operation Orchard, eight Israeli aircraft destroy a suspected nuclear reactor, built with North Korean help, at the military site of Al Kibar in northeastern Syria. The U.S. government knows about the secret mission. Sept. 7, 1865: en Kook, who promotes religious Zionism and writes acclaimed religious books, is born in Latvia. He serves as the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Palestine from 1921 to 1935.

investors including Walmart, Cisco, Moody’s, AT&T, SoftBank and Temasek, brings Team8’s total assets under management to almost $2 billion, the venture group said. Among the new investors is Indian IT service provider giant Infosys. Out of the fresh capital, $265 million was raised for Team8’s third venture capital fund, which will target seed investments and Series A rounds of about 16 Israeli-founded AI startups working across cybersecurity, software infrastructure, fintech and digital health. Sept. 11, 1921: Moshav Nahalal, a new kind of agricultural settlement combining a kibbutz’s communal principles with private land ownership, is founded in the Jezreel Valley between Haifa and Afula. Sept. 12, 2009: An Israeli film wins the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for the first time. Written and directed by Samuel Maoz, “Lebanon” follows the struggles of a tank brigade in the First Lebanon War. Sept. 13, 1993: President Bill Clinton holds a White House signing ceremony for the Oslo Accords between the Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat famously shake hands. Abdel Rahman Zuabi had to wait 17 years after the first government discussions about an Arab justice on the Israeli Supreme Court to be appointed to fill a vacancy on that court in 1999. // Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

Uri Avnery served in the Irgun and fought in the War of Independence before embracing the coexistence of Israeli and Palestinian states. // Knesset

Sept. 10, 1923: Three-time Knesset member Uri Avnery, who founds the Gush Shalom peace movement, is born in Germany. He fights in the 1948 war, then advocates a partnership with the Arab national movement.

Sept. 14, 2014: Abdel Rahman Zuabi dies at 82. A judge on the Nazareth District Court for 20 years, he becomes the first Arab justice on Israel’s Supreme Court when he fills a nine-month vacancy in 1999. Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ISRAEL Lubin’s Legacy Inspires New National Organization By Bob Bahr The father of Sgt. Rose Lubin, the young woman from Dunwoody who was killed in Israel in a terrorist attack three years ago, is leading plans for opening the first branch in North America of an organization to support families who have lost loved ones in Israel’s armed services. Atlanta businessman David Lubin, whose daughter was serving as a Border Police officer when she was killed in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem in November 2023, is helping to establish a branch of Yad LaBanim. It will provide support for family members living in the United States and Canada of IDF soldiers and other Israeli service members who have lost their lives defending the Jewish state. His daughter, Rose, who was 20 when she died, originally made Aliyah soon after graduating from Dunwoody High School and joined the Border Police. She was celebrating Shabbat on Oct. 7, 2023, in Kibbutz Sa’ad near the border with Gaza when Hamas terrorists struck. She fought to defend the kibbutz throughout the day until she was ordered back to her Border Police unit in Jerusalem. Just over a month later, a 16-yearold Arab terrorist stabbed Rose Lubin to death while she was on patrol outside Jerusalem’s Old City. The assailant, who resided in East Jerusalem’s Issawiya neighborhood, was shot dead at the scene of the attack. Among those who eulogized Rose Lubin was Rabbi Binyomin Friedman, who led Congregation Ariel in Dunwoody when she was growing up and who traveled to Jerusalem for her funeral at Mount Herzl’s military cemetery. He was quoted as saying that, in her brief life she gave herself to her people and to G-d. She had been committed to Israel from her youth, he remembered. Although the North American chapter of Yad LaBanim is new, the organization has existed in Israel since just after the War of Independence in 1949. It has 13,000 active members in Israel, spread across the country in 65 branches, a 20 percent increase in the last several years. The organization has built several facilities in Israel to bring the survivors of fallen soldiers and other service members together and to lobby for legislation in the Knesset and in civic life in Israel. Because of the considerable distance that might separate family members in the U.S., the organization here is ex-

Rose Lubin, who was serving with Israel’s Border Police, was honored by Friends of the IDF in Atlanta just months before her death.

pected to be separated initially into regions, such as the Southeast, West, and Northeast with a series of gatherings and workshops planned around a geographic locale. The new organization has the support of several individual philanthropists as well as numerous important entities including the Israel Defense Ministry, Yad La Banim organization, which is headquartered in Tel Aviv, and the Friends of the IDF, which has an extensive and well-financed program of support for Lone Soldiers in Israel. In fact, just six months before she was murdered, Rose Lubin was honored at a fundraising gala in Atlanta of the Friends of the IDF. More than 40 family members attended the event. In the wake of her death, the The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life announced last year a new award in honor of Rose Lubin. It recognizes Jewish community members who have displayed an extraordinary sense of Jewish pride. The award, in the amount of $100,000, is awarded to an individual involved in Jewish engagement and identity that specifically inspires Jewish pride. The award is split between a $70,000 gift to the individual and a $30,000 grant to the program or organization in which they have worked. The winner of the first award was Ana Robbins, founder and CEO of Atlanta’s Jewish Kids Group organization. She was honored for her work to provide Jewish learning opportunities during the school year to children in kindergarten through tenth grade. The organization’s largest program, JKG Afternoon Community, combines Jewish education with weekday afternoon childcare. JKG’s Jewish After School

David Lubin, shown here with his daughter, Rose, has been instrumental in founding a new organization for family members of Lone Soldiers who are killed while serving in Israel.

Accelerator program also provides synagogues across the U.S. with tools, guidance, curriculum, and financial support to launch their own Jewish after-school programs. In presenting the award to Robbins, vice chair of the Steinhardt Foundation, Sara Bloom, mentioned that the award was presented to recognize Robbins’ ef-

forts to strengthen Jewish pride and support a positive sense of belonging, which is of critical importance for the future of this generation. But Bloom noted that they could think of no one who exemplified Jewish pride more than Rose Lubin. A formal launch of the North American chapter of Yad LaBanim is expected this fall. ì

Shanah tovah! As I strive to become our second Jewish state representative in November, I’m wishing all of us the courage, resolve, and belief we need to change our world for the better this year. Join the fight for Georgia at adamcleveland.com.

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ISRAEL

Nefesh B’Nefesh Celebrates its 100,000th Oleh Nefesh B’Nefesh celebrated the arrival of its 100,000th North American Oleh, a landmark achievement since the organization’s founding in 2002. In recognition of the occasion, President Isaac Herzog welcomed the family to the President’s Residence alongside Israel’s Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Ofir Sofer, and Nefesh B’Nefesh Co-Founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart. The milestone was marked by the Aliyah of Jeffrey and Atara Douglas, who arrived from New York to Jerusalem with their three children, Nathaniel (10), Hallie (9), and Emilia (6), Nefesh B’Nefesh’s 100,000th Olah. While the number itself is historic, the true impact is the families they have built, the communities they have strengthened, and the generations of Israelis that exist because those 100,000 people chose to make Israel their home. Since its founding, Nefesh B’Nefesh has transformed the Aliyah experience for North American Jews by streamlining bureaucracy, providing comprehensive guidance before and after arrival, and helping Olim successfully integrate

into Israeli society. “I am delighted to welcome to Israel the Douglas family, including their 6-year-old daughter Emilia, who is the 100,000th Olah to make Aliyah with Nefesh B’Nefesh to Israel,” said President Isaac Herzog. “The Douglas family is setting a wonderful example for millions of Jews all over the world, and I wish them every success in their integration and new life here in Israel. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the amazing work of Nefesh B’Nefesh under the leadership of Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart, who have changed the whole model of Aliyah. I would also like to thank the Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Ofir Sofer, for his ongoing efforts to support and strengthen Aliyah to the State of Israel. May you all continue to go from strength to strength.” “This celebration belongs not only to Nefesh B’Nefesh, but to every Oleh who chose to turn the dream of Israel into a life lived here,” said Gelbart. “Each person who made Aliyah has contributed to Israel in ways both visible and unseen. Together, they have helped build stron-

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The Douglas family: Jeffrey, Atara, Nathaniel, Hallie, and Emilia // Photo Credit: Yonit Schiller

ger communities, strengthened the country’s economy, enriched its culture and ensured a vibrant future for generations to come. Looking back at where we began makes us incredibly proud, but what excites us even more is imagining what the next 100,000 Olim will accomplish.” “This milestone isn’t simply about welcoming our 100,000th Oleh, it’s about the generations that have followed,” said Rabbi Fass. “It’s about the sabra children born because their parents chose to build their future in Israel, and the grandchildren who know no other home. It’s about communities that have flourished, careers that have strengthened the country, soldiers who have defended it, educators who have inspired it, physicians who have healed it and entrepreneurs who have built it. The true impact of Aliyah can’t be measured by a single number, as every Oleh creates a legacy that extends far beyond themselves. Today, the Douglas family adds their own chapter to that growing legacy.” “The arrival of Nefesh B’Nefesh’s 100,000th Oleh is an exciting and meaningful event for both Aliyah and the State of Israel,” said Sofer. “This summer, we are proud to welcome many families making Aliyah with their children, choosing to build their homes and futures in Israel. Each of them strengthens the country while deepening the enduring bond between the Diaspora Jewish community and Israel. We will continue to promote and encourage Aliyah while ensuring that new Olim and their families receive the support they need to successfully integrate into the country.” As Israel’s needs have evolved, so too has Nefesh B’Nefesh. What began as an organization focused on making Aliyah

more accessible has grown into a national organization helping to address some of Israel’s most pressing national needs, from strengthening the country’s medical workforce through the International Medical Aliyah Program (IMAP) and MedEx initiatives, to supporting Lone Soldiers and B’not Sherut, developing the Negev and Galilee, cultivating the next generation of Zionist educators, and helping Olim successfully integrate into communities throughout the country, a reflection of the organization’s belief that Aliyah is not just about bringing people home, but about helping build Israel’s future. Making Aliyah has long been part of the Douglas family’s vision for the future. Their connection to Israel is reflected in many aspects of their lives, including the names of their three children, each named in memory of a fallen Israeli soldier or victim of terror. During a visit to Israel last summer, while attending the wedding of close friends, Jeffrey and Atara found themselves looking around the celebration and realizing they wanted their own children to grow up in that same environment. A return visit a few months later confirmed what they already knew, it was time to make Aliyah. “Someone once told me, ‘We’re leading, not leaving,’” said Atara Douglas. “That has become our mantra. That’s exactly how we feel as we begin this next chapter in Israel with our children. We wanted to live and experience Jewish history as it unfolds, to be part of the story of Am Yisrael in our homeland through both the moments of joy and the moments of challenge. We are finally fulfilling our dream.” ì Compiled by AJT Staff

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 23

SPORTS Blank Foundation to Help Build 100 Local Soccer Fields The shortterm impact of Atlanta serving as one of the host sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was both immense and obvious. Millions poured David Ostrowsky into local restaurants, bars, small businesses, and retailers while visitors from all corners of the globe filled downtown hotels. Not to be overlooked though, from a long-term perspective, the ’26 World Cup games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium promise to leave their imprint not just on Atlanta, but throughout the entire state, for future generations of soccer players. Fueled by the recent World Cupinduced soccer craze, the Atlanta United Community Fund, an employee-led group linked to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Atlanta United FC soccer team is in the process of fulfilling its GA-100 campaign to construct 100 soccer fields across underserved Georgia communities so residents have easier access to playing soccer. Since 2020, the fund has managed an investment of nearly $5 million with more than half of those funds — $3.4 million — being raised since 2023 after Atlanta was named a 2026 FIFA World Cup city. While there is no hard deadline for reaching the one hundred grand total, the Atlanta United Community Fund has already provided financial support for the development of 53 new fields—or pitches — across the state, some of which have already been up and running. A handful of pitches are slated to have ribbon-cutting ceremonies before November, including one at the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA this week. Non-profit organizations, whether they be a town’s parks and recreation department, a public school system, or local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club, interested in installing a minipitch or full-size soccer field are eligible to receive a grant up to $100,000 as long as they’ve demonstrated that they have raised up to $100,000 in grant funding from other sources. Most recently, on July 29, just two weeks after the World Cup and Atlanta parted ways, four mini soccer pitches worth $400,000 came into existence at Toomer Elementary School in Atlanta. It was arguably the watershed moment thus far for the GA-100 program. 24 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

A longtime champion of youth soccer, Atlanta United FC principal owner Arthur Blank has become invested in providing children and teens throughout Georgia with new resources for enjoying the game // Photo Credit: Arthur Blank Family Foundation social media

“I think we’ve seen a large amount of interest in soccer programming that we’ve supported through our Atlanta United Community Fund. We offer sevenday-a-week soccer programming across the city in multiple locations. Interest for those programs has been through the roof,” said Aidan Mullaney, manager of sports philanthropy at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, when speaking to the AJT last week. “While the U.S. men’s team obviously drove a lot of excitement and attention to soccer in some of these other host cities and across the nation, I think Atlanta kind of stood out as a place where we’ve been investing in soccer. It’s really our job to use this moment of the World Cup to continue to provide greater access to soccer. The world’s attention was on Atlanta, so it’s our job now to ensure that we are continuing to fulfill that legacy of soccer — and greater access to soccer — well beyond the World Cup and into the future.” Since initiating the noble mission, Mullaney and his colleagues at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have found it particularly rewarding to see

amateur soccer players be the instant beneficiaries of vastly improved communal resources. No longer are they navigating playing fields pockmarked by divots, rocks, and shards of glass while nearby plots of land remain barren eyesores in desperate need of occupants. “A lot of the groups that we supported didn’t previously have a site to play soccer,” Mullaney continued. “Down in Moultrie, we heard stories of the youths there playing in crop fields that farmers had generously allowed them to use that space to play soccer but was a relatively unsafe space to play. While the idea I think initially was to build brand new soccer fields, we also acknowledged that there are existing spaces where kids are playing, [but] it has just no longer become safe.” The new pitch in Moultrie has become such a hotspot for young soccer players that the local parks and recreation department had to install lights for nighttime practices and games. It’s a scenario that has played out across several communities which the GA-100 program has touched, and it’s a welcome development after many sports, includ-

ing soccer, have struggled mightily to revert back to their pre-pandemic levels of youth participation. As previously alluded to, the Atlanta United Community Fund has also homed in on sprawling plots of unused land that are ripe for transformation. Over in McDonough, a pitch was recently developed on the site of a swimming pool that during mid-1900s segregation was designated specifically for Atlanta’s Black community. Eventually, the pool was filled with concrete and turned into a parking lot that would stay mostly vacant for decades. But now the land is a vibrant hub of soccer activity where the beautiful game is enjoyed year-round. The Atlanta United Community Fund looks forward to having such a profound impact across many other local communities before GA-100 concludes. “Until we hit 100, we plan to continue to offer this program year after year,” said Mullaney. “While we’re currently reviewing applications now for the program for this year’s round of funding, we fully intend to offer similar opportunities in ’27 and then maybe even up to the Women’s World Cup in 2031.” ì

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SPORTS

Amar’e Stoudemire Inducted into NBA Hall of Fame By David Ostrowsky On Sunday, Aug. 16, retired American-Israeli basketball star Amar’e Stoudemire, a six-time NBA All-Star, 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, and one-time Olympian highlighted the nine-inductee class of 2026. Stoudemire, who completed his formal conversion to Judaism in 2020 after finishing his pro basketball career in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and becoming an Israeli citizen, joins the late Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers as the only two Jewish NBA alums to be enshrined in Springfield, Mass. In addition to starring for both Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv, Stoudemire served as an assistant coach for the Canadian men’s basketball team in the Maccabiah Games in Israel during summer 2013. In the decade-plus since his final NBA game for the Miami Heat in 2016, Stoudemire has spoken openly about the impetus for his conversion — his close affiliation with Black Hebrew Israelites, a movement whose core belief is that African Americans are the genealogical descendants of the ancient Israelites. And at the tail end of his nearly 15-minute Hall of Fame enshrinement speech, Stoudemire made sure to touch on his Judaic and Israeli background. “At the end of it all, I wanted to go back to a place where I had a special connection to,” said Stoudemire, who electrified NBA stadiums throughout the early 2000s as a freakishly athletic power forward for the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, and recently launched a Kosher wine brand. “I was learning for 20 years prior, secretly, I was learning Torah. I was learning the Bible, the Biblical understanding of history, and I wanted to go to a place where I can live and also play. “I took my talents overseas to Israel, and I played in Israel, and I played in Jerusalem. So, I’m there with my family, and now I go from flying on private planes to five-star hotels to now taking a bus. Now we were playing in smaller arenas, but I was there for a deeper purpose and a reason. And my family and I truly enjoyed our time there.” After exploding onto the NBA scene straight out of high school and edging Yao Ming for 2003 Rookie of the Year (today, American high school players are barred from entering the NBA as they must be at least 19 years old and have aged at least a year beyond their high school graduation) Stoudemire, oozing with raw but 26 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

For 14 years, superstar Amar’e Stoudemire lit up NBA stadiums, including Philips Arena, with his electrifying play. Earlier this month, he earned the ultimate honor of being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame // Photo Credit Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame social media

undeniable talent, appeared destined to guide the Phoenix Suns to their first-ever NBA title. But several months after averaging a whopping 37 points per game in the 2005 NBA Western Conference Finals, during which his Suns fell to the San Antonio Spurs, Stoudemire, only 22 at the time, underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee that threatened to jeopardize his NBA career. Though Stoudemire resumed his All-Star and All-NBA caliber play while posting lofty scoring and rebounding numbers for the balance of the decade, a championship proved elusive until he captured the Israeli Basketball Premier League title in 2017 with Hapoel Jerusalem. Three years later, Stoudemire punctuated his nearly two-decade pro basketball career by being named the Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP for the league champ Maccabi Tel Aviv squad. “I was able to win my first championship in Jerusalem. And then I was able to now go back for my last game as a player to Maccabi Tel Aviv and live in Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea, living the dream. It was great, it was beautiful,” the 43-year-old Stoudemire continued during his enshrinement speech remarks. “I finished my career with a championship and a Finals MVP. The journey

takes you on paths; it takes you down lanes that you don’t quite see in your early years. But I’m very blessed to have been able to persevere throughout my career and really be able to finish my career with a championship.” Stoudemire’s journey to basketball immortality in Springfield, Mass. may have started in central Florida and finished in Israel, but at one point wound its way through Atlanta. During his fraught and nomadic upbringing, which involved poverty, the tragic passing of his father when he was 12, and five different high schools, Stoudemire briefly lived in Atlanta. And on Feb. 25, 2007, when Stoudemire was enjoying NBA riches as an established veteran in the league, Atlanta was the backdrop to one of the signature evenings of his career when he poured in a seasonhigh 43 points and 16 rebounds. Four years later, in 2011, Stoudemire, as a first-year Knick, scored a team-high 27 points against the Hawks on Jan. 28 before pacing all scorers with 26 points in the Hawks-Knicks game on March 6. Stoudemire outmuscled former Hawks greats Al Horford, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith in front of packed Philips Arena crowds during both of the 2011 matchups. And yet, while he soared to great heights as a celebrity NBA standout who appeared on billboards, frequented Met

galas, and sat across from David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel, Stoudemire always felt that itch to connect with Judaism. Indeed, it was after his first trip to Israel in 2010 that Stoudemire made it his life’s mission to invest himself in Judaism. He eventually became so invested, in fact, that he stepped aside from his assistant coaching role with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 after claiming it interfered with his Shabbat observance. “I was always intrigued with the prophets, I was always intrigued by how these guys carried themselves. How they lived their life, how they were so on point with everything, from a righteous standpoint. And so, my mindset was like, ‘How do I get to that level?’ It’s a heavy lift, it’s not easy, I’m not sure it’s possible,” Stoudemire said back in 2020 while rationalizing his decision to convert. “And so that is what somewhat gave me my love to continue my search, continue to try to clean myself up, clean my character, understand how to carry myself, how to speak properly, how to not use profanity, how to not say certain words, not speak lashon hara [saying negative things about someone].” Thanks to Stoudemire’s journey, the Jewish community now has a more prominent representation in the basketball one. ì

!‫שנה טובה‬

Wishing you a year of peace, opportunity, and growth as we continue turning Aliyah into Israel's greatest national asset!

Aliyah & Integration

Helping Olim build successful lives in Israel through a streamlined Aliyah process and ongoing support at every stage of their journey

National Service

Supporting thousands of Lone Soldiers and National Service Volunteers who contribute to Israel’s security and resilience

National Development

Zionist Education

Boosting Israel’s healthcare system, revitalizing Israel’s North and South, and addressing the country’s national needs

Empowering thousands of Jewish students through innovative programming, shaping the future of Zionist education worldwide

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD A STRONGER ISRAEL THROUGH ALIYAH

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 27

SPORTS

Women Golfers set to ‘Drive’ for a Good Cause By Marcia Caller Jaffe On Wednesday, Oct. 14, The Standard Club Ladies’ Golf Association will host Play For a Cure, an 18-hole scramble open to women golfers of all skill levels, combining a day on the course with a fight against breast cancer. The tournament benefits A Cure In Our Lifetime (CIOL), an all-volunteer organization whose Atlanta co-founders, Jody Goldstein and Jennifer Fink, have raised more than $5 million for breast cancer research through the group’s annual spring breakfast at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The golf event is co-chaired by Carrie Gamsey and Jane Wullbrandt Center. For golfer Center, the cause is deeply personal. She explained, “My inspiration has always been my sister-in-law, Judy Wullbrandt, who lost her 19-year battle with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 59.” Wullbrandt’s story shaped one of the tournament’s signature features, hailing back to a former Iowa state free-throw champion in high school where she is remembered in a photograph mid-jump shot, an image that inspired the event’s “Free Throw” bunker challenge. “She was a true warrior and participated in clinical trials at Mayo Clinic that helped advance breast cancer treatment,” Center added. By that account, Wullbrandt worked with Dr. Tim Moynihan at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on research connected to a promising drug: and she may have been the longest-living survi-

Carrie Gamsey (left) and Jane Wullbrandt Center are excited for tournament play and devoted to finding a cure for breast cancer.

vor in that study. The spring breakfast that anchors CIOL’s fundraising each year keeps that memory close for Center who said, “Every year at the breakfast, I’m amazed by the progress that’s been made since Judy’s passing. I can’t help but wonder if, with today’s research and breakthroughs, made possible by organizations like A Cure in Our Lifetime, her outcome might have been different.” The golf tournament itself traces back to a much smaller moment: a $130 envelope. Center still has the original

Standard Club envelope that held cash raised by lady golfers buying mulligans (a free do-over shot) on the closing day of a past season. When the event’s organizer took the envelope from the club pro and admitted she didn’t know what to do with it, Center did. She reached out to her sister-in-law, Renie Halperin, a friend of Jennifer Fink’s mother, Barbara Hefter, to contact Fink. Thus, the partnership between the club’s golfers and CIOL began. That small donation, Center said, “became the beginning of something much bigger. Carrie and I have been ‘all

in’ ever since. As our friends at the Club know, when the ‘Cartners in Crime’ team up, we give it everything we’ve got.” Center and Gamsey also co-chair the Ladies’ Golf Association, whose theme this year is “Play Fore Fun.” Gamsey related, “We’re so looking forward to bringing all of these women golfers together for a day filled with fun, golf, and purpose. Hopefully seeing this story will inspire some more participation, whether it’s golf registration, sponsorships, raffle prizes, or donations of money or of time, we’ll need some volunteers to come out to our beautiful Club and course that day to help.” All proceeds from Play For a Cure will support CIOL’s mission of funding innovative breast cancer research through beneficiaries including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute. The organization’s tagline, “Together, we WILL find a cure in our lifetime,” now extends from the spring breakfast to the fairway. Registration is open to lady golfers at every level of play, though spots are limited. Golfers can sign up individually or in twosomes, with four players making up a full team. Registration is $300 per player. Gamsey looks at the tournament as a natural next step for the club’s golfers. “Jane and I thought this was a perfect opportunity to try to get something going. In my opinion, all women should be devoted to this cause because we all personally are affected by this.” ì

DON’T LEAVE THE FUTURE UP TO CHANCE These High Holidays, protect the people and causes you love most Include a favorite charity in your will or estate plan, and strengthen Jewish life for future generations. Learn More 28 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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BUSINESS Jeff’s Place Names Heart-Katz as Program Director Jeff’s Place, the Atlanta-based recovery community founded by Chabad Intown, announced that Camellia HeartKatz has joined the organization as program director. In this role, Heart-Katz will lead Jeff’s Place’s community programming, and outreach efforts, while directing fundraising initiatives to expand the organization’s reach across the Atlanta Jewish community and beyond. Jeff’s Place provides a safe, welcoming space where people in recovery, those struggling with substance use, and their loved ones come together for connection, support, and healing through weekly 12step meetings, community events, and values-driven programming. “Camellia brings exactly the combination of clinical grounding and community heart that Jeff’s Place needs as we grow,” said Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, founder and director of Chabad Intown and Jeff’s Place. “Her firsthand experience supporting people through recovery, paired with her deep commitment to Jewish communal life, makes her uniquely suited to lead this next chapter.” A native Atlantan and the daughter of Israeli immigrants, Heart-Katz began her career in Philadelphia, where she spent three years as a substance

use counselor at a methadone clinic and nearly a year as an inpatient social worker in the NICU at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Drawn to Jewish communal work in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, she went on to join American Jewish Committee Atlanta, where she empowered young Jewish leaders through programming on combating antisemitism and shaping Jewish identity, and facilitated interfaith and cross-community dialogues. Heart-Katz holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Georgia. Heart-Katz officially takes on the role this month, succeeding previous program leadership as Jeff’s Place continues to expand its recovery-focused education and support programs for the broader Jewish community in Atlanta. Jeff’s Place, an independent 501(c)(3) founded by Chabad Intown, is a community-centered recovery space where individuals of all backgrounds come together for connection, support, and healing through weekly 12-step meetings, community events, and values-driven programming. Learn more at jeffsplaceatlanta.org.

Camellia Heart-Katz has joined Jeff’s Place as program director..

Founded in 1997, Chabad Intown is a Jewish center serving the Metro Atlanta community, offering programming for children, families, young professionals,

and adults across every stage of Jewish life. Learn more at chabadintown.org. Compiled by AJT Staff

Solomon Brothers Debuts $10K Diamond in a Martini By Marcia Caller Jaffe Atlanta nightlife just got a lot more sparkly. Will engagement proposals or 50th anniversaries ever be the same? Solomon Brothers has launched the $10K Martini, billed as Atlanta’s first true luxury cocktail experience, pairing a signature drink with a genuine five-carat natural diamond necklace. Jaron Solomon explained, “Roaring Social [a 1920s-themed speakeasy, restaurant, boutique and bowling alley] approached us with this incredible opportunity to bring their luxury martini to life with diamonds, and we knew immediately that it was something special. Our goal was to create an experience that our clients couldn’t find anywhere else while also giving them an incredible value on a beautiful natural diamond tennis necklace.” Roaring Social took a year to develop the idea as they waited for the right partner. The inspiration took shape after they opened their second location in Decatur, featuring a dramatic bank vault entrance to its underground social club. That detail sparked the idea of a luxury cocktail experience. 30 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Solomon Brothers paired with Roaring Social to offer a $10K martini for very special occasions.

Enter Solomon Brothers, with stores in Alpharetta and Buckhead, as a natural fit and shared focus on memorable guest experiences. Once the partnership was finalized, execution took three months, involving a cocktail recipe worthy of showcasing a five-figure necklace, a replica cubic zirconia piece for the presentation, purchase agreements, and a full content shoot. To clarify, the drink has itself faux

but realistic stones dripping over the sides, with the documents to exchange for the “real deal” at Solomon Brothers for security. The $10K Martini features the fivecarat natural diamond tennis necklace valued at $11,700, offered below retail. Replicas are on display at Roaring Social’s Decatur and Alpharetta locations, letting guests view before purchase.

Interest has been strong in the week since the launch. The experience isn’t meant for casual nights out. It’s designed for milestone moments like engagements, anniversaries, or major achievements. Solomon states that the necklace is a good value priced below its retail, making it a win-win and that inquires have been pouring in since the announcement.

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Coldwell Banker Donates $75K to Backpack Buddies

Backpack Buddies of Atlanta CB Cares 75k check presentation July 2026; Debbie Sonenshine pictured in the middle with check and Sherry Noles is to right of her.

Thousands of Metro Atlanta children facing weekend hunger will receive nutritious meals thanks to a $75,000 donation from the Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation to Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta. The Foundation also served as the presenting sponsor of the nonprofit’s 2026 Starry Nights Gala, helping fuel the organization’s mission to ensure no child goes hungry when school meals are unavailable. The Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation has been one of Backpack Buddies’ most dedicated community partners, providing generous financial support while also volunteering as a Community Buddy. Their ongoing investment has helped expand the organization’s reach, enabling hundreds more children to receive nutritious weekend meals throughout Metro Atlanta. As presenting sponsor of the 2026 Starry Nights Gala, Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation brought together business leaders, community members, and philanthropic partners on Saturday, Aug. 29, to raise funds for Backpack Buddies’ year-round feeding program. Realtor Debbie Sonenshine is the local chair of Coldwell Banker Cares Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for the Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation’s strong commitment to our mission,” said

Denise Bjurholm, CEO of Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta. “Their generosity extends far beyond a sponsorship; it is an investment in the health, well-being, and future of children across our community. Because of partners like Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation, we are able to reach more children than ever before and move closer to our vision of ensuring no child goes hungry over the weekend.” The Foundation’s $75,000 investment will help provide thousands of nutritious weekend meals for children experiencing food insecurity, ensuring students return to school nourished, focused, and ready to succeed. “We are proud to continue to give to Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta. Their work creates immediate impact while building a stronger future for our community,” stated Coldwell Banker Realty Atlanta Regional Vice President Sherry Noles. “We are honored to be a small part of their mission and celebrate the difference they make in the lives of local children and families.” For more information about Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta, to purchase tickets for the Starry Nights Gala, or to learn how to get involved, please visit: backpackbuddiesatl.org/starrynightgala

Renewal is Not Given. It is Chosen. The new year asks us to look honestly at who we have been, and choose deliberately who we will become. We wish our community the courage for that reflection, and the joy that follows it.

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The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta (JCRC) will launch its 2026-27 Community Council series at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 2, at The Temple. The event will focus on the upcoming elections in Georgia and feature: • A representative from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office • Andrew Lewis, JCRC board member and co-founder of the First Five Freedoms Initiative • Tameka Bell, from Ebenezer Baptist Church and one of its social justice programs, Faith Rooted ATL • Meir Lakein, co-executive director of national Jewish social justice organization JOIN for Justice Together, the speakers will address efforts to ensure that Georgia’s elections are free, fair, secure and accessible to all eligible voters, and will explore how Jewish and interfaith communities can sup-

port trust in the electoral process. The program is free and open to the entire community. Light refreshments will be served. Register for the event and visit www. atlantajcrc.org to learn more about JCRC’s work. Building on the effectiveness of JCRC’s 2025-26 focus on hunger and nutrition programs, this year’s quarterly Community Councils will emphasize the Jewish community’s need and ability to engage in civil discourse in politics and other issues that can divide us. JCRC of Atlanta serves as a common table for the Atlanta Jewish community, convening individuals and organizations to discuss critical public policy issues and advocate for solutions grounded in Jewish values. Compiled by AJT Staff

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OPINION A Trip Back in Time On a warm, humid Sunday in August, beneath a sky that threatened rain, Audrey and I visited the Hebrew Cemetery in Rock Island, Ill. Taking a handful of black stones — and, oddly, a golf ball — from a bucket, we walked to the far end of a row, to the gravestone that marks Dave Schechter where her parents are buried. From Where I Sit Circumstances four years ago prevented a planned unveiling for my mother-in-law’s portion of the stone, so Audrey scheduled a Zoom call for family to join in chanting the Kaddish and reminiscing. Afterward, we placed the black stones on the gravestone. I placed the golf ball above my father-in-law’s name. I think he would have appreciated that. As we walked across the cemetery, to the graves of Audrey’s paternal grandparents, I noted the names on other markers, many known to me as friends of her family. Lastly, we placed stones on the grave of her infant brother, who lived only a few days, and Audrey placed a stone on the grave of a friend’s infant brother. The cemetery visit came toward the end of a weekend trip back in time, as it were. On the Friday night, I posted on Facebook: “If you

ever truly want to feel out of place, attend the reception at your spouse’s 50th high school reunion.” Over the years, I’ve met a handful of Audrey’s classmates, but I stayed on the edge of the reception, watching as the Rock Island High School class of 1976 renewed acquaintances — aided by name tags that helpfully included a photo of what the wearer looked like in high school. Later that evening, as the reunion moved informally to the lounge of the hotel where many were staying, I was welcomed into the fold and — putting faces to names I’d heard about over the years — listened as one old story after another was told. As a few of the guys relived decades-old memories of their days on the baseball team, it was easy to think of Bruce Springsteen’s song “Glory Days.” At some point, I said something that suggested I had knowledge of the history and geography of this community, anchored by cities on the Illinois and Iowa sides of the Mississippi River. This is where the Mississippi River curves east-west. Metaphorically, the lesson in that geography is that life takes unexpected changes in course and there is much to learn if you follow the flow. This is where I began my professional career 48 years ago, as a newspaper’s night side police beat reporter. For two of my five years there, my beat was the city of Rock Island. I met Audrey in this community, two days before

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Audrey Galex is pictured doing a gravestone unveiling video call with family from the Hebrew Cemetery in Rock Island, Ill.

the 1980 election, when (filling in for a colleague) I covered a political event that she organized. We married five years later. I’ve never attended my own high school reunions, but I came with Audrey because of the personal and professional significance this area holds for me, and — not knowing when we might return — an opportunity to visit the cemetery. The building adjacent to the cemetery was, for many years, the home of the Tri-City Jewish Center, the Conservative congregation where Audrey became a bat mitzvah. (The name Tri-City pre-dates the area becoming known as the Quad-Cities, which actually is comprised of two cities in Iowa and three in Illinois. The name Quint-Cities never took hold.) This building, the “new” Jewish Center (as distinct from the “old” building in downtown Rock Island) is now home to a public library branch and a YMCA. A couple of years ago, the congregation moved across the river to Davenport, Iowa, where it shares a building — and a rabbi — with a Reform congregation that moved out of its long-time Davenport home, because declining memberships made maintaining their own buildings financially unfeasible. The day before our visit to the cemetery, a couple of Audrey’s high school classmates placed stones on the graves of their parents and grandparents. They also left stones at the graves of Audrey’s parents. That’s the kind of Jewish community they grew up in, one where decades after Sunday school and Hebrew classes, decades after bar and bat mitzvahs, you lay stones on the graves of a friend’s parents, because growing up you knew these adults and remember those times. Though the reunion participants are in their late 60s and scattered about the country, the affection they maintain for their hometown, for their school, and for the experiences of their youth (including those particular to the Jewish classmates), was evident throughout the weekend. There was a moment, during a Saturday night dinner cruise on the Mississippi River, when, as the “Rocky” class of ‘76 pressed together for photographs, I stood alone and looked back-and-forth at the banks on the Iowa and Illinois sides, appreciating the personal and professional distance I have traveled since arriving that summer long ago. ì

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OPINION

What Have I Forgotten? “ T h e y should rename all the freeways ‘passovers,’” my friend, Les McCann, used to tell me every spring. “It gets really busy during the five Joe Alterman o’clock Rush Hitting The Chai Notes Hashanah.” Les was one of the great jazz musicians. He wasn’t Jewish, but he had material. We met when I opened for him at the Blue Note. He asked my name. “Joe Alterman,” I said. “You a rabbi?” No, I told him, but I am a — “Hebrew?” he interrupted. “Well, from now on, you’re my He-bro.” He was 53 years older than me, and for 12 years — until he died — we talked nearly every day. For many of those years, Les was bedridden in a physical rehab center, but whenever I asked how he was doing, the answer was usually “beautiful” or “just a touch above perfect.” We spoke about six hours a week, and I can count on one hand the number of times I heard him complain. He was even dreaming up things we

36 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

could do together, including a duo show he wanted to call, “A Hebrew and a Half-Brew.” The arrangement was simple: “You do the work, I’ll take the bows.” Les didn’t really like calling himself my mentor. He preferred “reminder.” “You already know all this stuff,” he’d say. “You knew it at birth. I’m just here to remind you of it.” Whenever I’d bring him a problem, he’d say, “Ask yourself constantly — what have I forgotten?” That was how he taught music, too. “The piano is just a tool,” he told me. “Without that piano, without those fingers, you would still be hearing music. You’ve got to hear what’s in you!” Shortly after we met, Les gave me an assignment: write a song a day for a month, with one rule — I couldn’t write any of them at the piano. “When you sit at the piano to compose, the first thing your mind thinks is, ‘What can my fingers do?’” he explained. “But when you’re not at the instrument, you’re writing what you truly hear in your heart.” “You don’t do this because it’s fun, although it is,” he told me. “You do this because it’s you.” As Rosh Hashanah approaches, I find

myself thinking about all of this in a different way. Teshuvah is usually translated as repentance, but it can also mean return. Return to what? I think Les would have understood the question. “Be calm. Be quiet,” he used to tell me. “The answer’s always there.” Les loved the idea, often associated with Michelangelo, that the figure is already inside the marble and the sculptor’s job is simply to reveal it. That was what he was doing for me — helping me chip away at everything that kept me from hearing what was already there. A few years before I met Les, I was opening for the pianist, Hiromi, when I looked out and saw Ahmad Jamal in the audience. It was the first time I’d performed for one of my heroes, and I spent the entire set in a state of crippling anxiety. Afterward I felt embarrassed, shattered and confused. I hadn’t been able to keep my fear from getting in the way of the music. When I eventually told Les, he said he had a similar story. He was about the same age I’d been, about to play his first big Chicago gig, when Oscar Peterson walked in and took a seat near the piano. Les went over to Oscar’s table before the set began.

“I told him, ‘I love you, Oscar, but I can’t play in front of you. I’m so nervous.’” Oscar looked at me and said something that changed my life. He said, “I didn’t come here to hear me. I came here to hear you.” He was telling me to be myself, and that calmed me for the rest of my life. I never looked back after that, either.” “There’s only two things in this life,” Les told me. “Love and fear. Everything we do is a challenge to one or the other. Choose love, Joe. Always choose love.” During our first phone conversation, he told me to write “I choose love now” on a piece of paper. “Repeat that to me,” he said, and waited while I said it aloud. “Now keep it in your pocket.” I carried it for years. For all our hours of talking, Les managed to compress so much of his philosophy into the message on his voicemail: “Give me time to get to the phone, leave me a message — but don’t forget to love yourself.” The shofar doesn’t tell us something new. It reminds us of something we already know. This Rosh Hashanah, when it sounds, I’ll be listening for Les inside it, asking me what he always did: What have you forgotten? ì

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OPINION

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. Editor’s Note: The AJT did not have enough room in print to publish all of the letters to the editor received regarding the Open Letter to Senator Jon Ossoff. The letters below are just a selection. More letters can be found online at AtlantaJewishTimes.com.

To the Editor,

What’s at Stake for Our Jewish Community in this Senate Election The recent Atlanta Jewish Times open letter to Senator Jon Ossoff asks us to consider what it means for a Jewish community to evaluate a candidate for the United States Senate. I believe it means looking at the whole person, the whole record and, perhaps most importantly, the world in which we are asking that person to lead. The choice before us is not simply between two candidates with different approaches to Israel and its current government. It is a choice about who we trust to stand up for Jewish safety, democratic values and the fight against antisemitism when those commitments are tested. We cannot evaluate this election in a vacuum. The alternative to Jon Ossoff is Congressman Mike Collins, and for members of the Jewish community, that should give us serious pause. Collins has a documented history of engaging with and amplifying material steeped in antisemitism and far-right rhetoric. In 2024, he endorsed an X post from an account known for racist and antisemitic content and doubled down when challenged. His former Chief of Staff participated in a group chat with white nationalists, including discussion of efforts to free a Holocaust-denying extremist. More recently, Collins has faced scrutiny over his son-in-law’s promotion of white nationalist and antisemitic content online. Despite multiple opportunities to do so, Mike Collins refuses to refute white Christian nationalism.This should deeply concern Georgia’s Jewish community. We should ask not simply whether a candidate says he supports Israel, both of these candidates do, but whether his record demonstrates the judgment, values and leadership necessary to keep Jewish communities safe. Jon Ossoff has consistently supported American military assistance to Israel, including funding for Iron Dome and other systems that protect Israelis from rocket and missile attacks. To portray his concerns about Israel’s current government — concerns shared by nearly 70% of American Jews — as abandonment of Israel is cynical and misleading. His record demonstrates a clear commitment to Israel as a secure and democratic Jewish homeland and to the values that underpin the U.S.-Israel relationship. We are living through a period in which democratic norms are under extraordinary strain and antisemitism is rising from multiple directions. The lesson of Jewish history is that the health of our democracy is not an abstract concern for our community. It is a matter of Jewish security. Mike Collins votes 100% in lockstep with Donald Trump. He supports the attack on our voting rights and will undoubtedly support placing another conservative Republican on the U.S. Supreme Court if given the chance. Our country needs checks and balances on power, a Democratic Senate will restore that balance. At such a moment, we need a senator who understands that fighting antisemitism means opposing it wherever it comes from — and that Jewish safety cannot be separated from the health of our democratic institutions. Jon Ossoff has demonstrated that commitment. He has been deeply engaged with Georgia’s Jewish community and has spoken publicly and forcefully about the rise of antisemitism. That does not mean we as a Jewish community will agree with every decision he makes. But our relationships with elected officials should be substantive enough to include disagreement. And there is a profound difference between disagreement and mischaracterization of policy positions. This election is a choice about who will represent Georgia and help shape the political environment in which our Jewish community will live for the next six years. For me, that choice is clear. Jon Ossoff has proven to be a senator deeply connected to the Jewish community, committed to Israel’s security, willing to fight antisemitism, and mindful that protecting Jewish life requires protecting democratic institutions as well. We should recognize what we have in our current senator — and what we stand to lose. Valerie Habif, PhD, Organizing and Partner Engagement Committee Vice Chair; Jewish Democratic Council of America; Co-founder, Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon, Atlanta

38 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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,

Michael Morris fairly identifies Senator Ossoff’s increasing willingness to restrict specific arms transfers to Israel, but he unfairly frames those votes as broad opposition to Israel and its military and financial support. The letter omits important countervailing votes — particularly Ossoff’s votes permitting major weapons transfers — that show a more nuanced position: continued support for Israel’s defense while selectively opposing particular weapons sales. It also overlooks the changing political reality surrounding U.S. military funding of Israel. Netanyahu himself has said Israel has “come of age” and should phase that assistance down to zero, making continued aid increasingly distinct from the broader question of U.S. support for Israel’s security. Eli Kaplan, Coral Gables, Fla.

To the Editor,

Your recent open letter to Jon Ossoff is of great concern to me. Advocating unconditional support for Israel and attacking American politicians who demand Israel to behave better is both dangerous to the future existence of Israel and our American democracy. If you want to have a serious conversation with Jon Ossoff, please go ahead. If you want to understand why he voted against a very small amount of funding for weapons to Israel, go ahead. Openly attacking him will leave us with Mike Collins. We need adults in the room to reign in the current Israeli government or all will be lost. Americans and the world are turning against Israel. You may win your battle, but we will lose the war. Jodi Bogen, Alpharetta

To the Editor,

In November 2024, I said publicly that I was disheartened by Sen. Ossoff's votes to block weapons transfers to Israel. I was among the most vocal Democratic critics of those votes in this state. I am still dealing with the blowback from members of my party. So, I read Michael Morris's open letter as someone who shares much of the anger in it. Michael has been clear with me that he did not endorse Mike Collins, and that his point was the senator's voting record and what he can do to correct it. I take him at his word, and I accept the standard: judge them by the record. Then let's finish the sentence. There are two names on this ballot. Mike Collins voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act — the federal version of the IHRA definition bill I co-sponsored and Georgia passed into law. When the vote was about Jewish students on American campuses, he was a no. In 2024, when an antisemitic account attacked a reporter for being Jewish, Collins replied "never was a second thought." I called his office myself and asked him to take it down. He doubled down and told us we were seeing things that weren't there. His sonin-law has pushed white nationalist and antisemitic material to more than a million and a half followers from a house Collins owns. Collins said nothing until CNN reported it, and then still would not disavow him. And this month, in a Sandy Springs living room, a Jewish guest asked Collins directly to denounce white supremacy so he could feel comfortable voting for him. This paper's own editor was there taking notes. Collins said, "hate has no place in America," and stopped. Eighty Jews in the room, and he would not say the words that he rejects white supremacy. That is a record, too. If we are going to be driven by the record, we have to read all of it. I am not asking anyone to be comfortable with votes I was not comfortable with. I am asking that the same scrutiny run in both directions. A standard that points only one way is not a standard. If Mike Collins is sorry, he can say so — out loud, in public, in his own voice. I will be the first to acknowledge it. I disagree with Jon Ossoff about these votes, and I am standing with him. Both are true. I have spent four years saying hard things to my own party and to the other one, and I intend to keep doing it. My worry is not that we are angry. The anger is earned. But I have read Mike Collins's record, and I cannot get there. If you read all of it, I don't think you can either." Georgia State Rep. Esther Panitch, House District 51

OPINION

Looking Ahead to the High Holidays I want to thank the many readers for sending in comments and letters from last week’s issue, both directly to me Michael A. Morris and as letters to the editor. Publisher Our community needs and deserves more debate and dialogue. I also appreciate those that took issue with what I wrote as opposed to those who assumed things that were not stated in my letter. I certainly do not speak for the Atlanta Jewish community; I voiced my gripe with our Jewish senator’s voting record on one topic, Israel. While several news outlets treated me fairly (in their disagreement), too many made assumptions on what I said, or misrepresented me entirely, and then criticized me for what I didn’t say! And finally, thank you for the hundreds of comments I received personally from people who I know who are on both sides of the aisle, thanking me for taking the time to point out our senator’s voting record on Israel. The High Holidays are upon us. This year, I will feel like a salmon swimming up stream when I hope for both a less polarized community and Jewish community. I will pray for stronger and more capable candidates on both sides of the aisle. I will search for more dialogue and ask for everyone in our community for less hate and more acceptance. Too many people throw the Jewish

Times away when they read the first article they do not agree with, as if the rest of the community and paper now have no value. We are not all the same, we have never been all the same, America is a melting pot. Every immigrant to this great country in the last 400 years brings different culture, perspectives, and bias. We can disagree, it’s OK, our Torah scholars disagreed (vehemently) and we read about that every week in the commentary in shul; let’s just stop the hate! We are living in a community, country, world where more and more people are blaming the Jews for any and all of its ills. Unfortunately, nothing has changed about that concept in the last 2,000 years. Sometimes it’s a little more quiet on the western front and other times the pendulum swings back with the same determination as it swings forward. As the world coalesces on one singular point, we need to try just a little harder to be less divisive within our own community. This includes supporting our Jewish community wherever they live. We have all heard this before, it is not a cliché, if we do not stand together for ourselves, no one else will. No one has for 2,000 years, why would any Jew think different today? ì

Got old issues? If you discover old issues of the Atlanta Jewish Times laying around, we want them. To boost our archives, we will come pick up any AJT issues from 2014 or earlier. Please call 404-883-2130 or write kaylene@ atljewishtimes.com to setup retrieval. Subscribe, Support, Sustain. As always, thank you for reading your Atlanta Jewish times. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 39

Rabbi Roundtable Rabbi Mark Goldfeder, Orthodox Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder, Esq. is the CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Inc. He has served as the founding editor of the Cambridge University Press Series on Law and Judaism, a trustee of the Center for Israel Education, and, by presidential appointment, as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council. Goldfeder has taught law across the country and around the world as senior lecturer at Emory University School of Law, Spruill Family Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, director of the Restoring Religious Freedom Project, and as a visiting professor at Georgia State University School of Law, Florida Southern College, University of Padua (Italy), Scuola Galileana (Italy), IDC’s Radzyner Law School (Israel) and Bar Ilan Law School (Israel).

Rabbi Jason Holtz, Reform Rabbi Jason Holtz serves as the senior rabbi of Temple Kehillat Chaim in Roswell. Beyond the synagogue, he teaches at Senior Enriched Learning (SEL) in Roswell, where past classes have included How a Rabbi Reads Genesis and A History of Big Ideas that Changed the World. Rabbi Holtz was ordained at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion and has previously served congregations in Arizona and the United Kingdom. He is active in the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and serves on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta.

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

Atlanta Rabbinical Association 40 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Rabbi K’vod Wieder, Conservative Rabbi K’vod Wieder received a master’s in counseling at the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology in 1995 and after nine months of Judaic learning in Israel, realized he wanted to dedicate his life to the Jewish community. He then worked as the assistant director for Chochmat HaLev, a Jewish meditation center in Berkeley, Calif., as a program director for the Jewish Federation of Sonoma County, and as director of a local and national Jewish teen philanthropy program for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. He began Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies in 2006, becoming ordained in 2012, after which he was hired as a full-time rabbi at Temple Beth El of South Orange County. Since July 2026, Wieder has been the senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Atlanta.

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

What Jewish ritual, teaching, or custom do you believe families too often overlook when planning a simcha?

Rabbi K’vod Wieder

In my experience of serving a pulpit in Southern California for the past 15 years, the most common element overlooked in the planning of a simcha is Hashem - the Divine Presence. Whether a brit milah, baby naming, b’nai mitzvah, birthday, anniversary, or wedding, the attention becomes too focused on the individuals being celebrated and their personal needs. As a result, the celebrations can be exclusive, cutting out people in the community; they can direct massive amounts of resources to celebration itself instead of tzedakah; and they can be too focused on the outward appearances instead of the holy values that the individual, couple, or families seek to live. This approach to simchas is no one’s fault - it is a reflection of the highly individualized culture that we are immersed in. But as we repeat in Psalm 136 - Give thanks to Hashem for Hashem is good, G-d’s kindness endures forever, all the blessings of our lives, not only what we have, but what we can create and aspire to be is only because of this One Loving Presence that we are a part. When our celebrations become an expression of gratitude for the Whole we are a part of, we may make different choices. We may want to find ways that our entire community can participate. B’nai Mitzvah celebrations can include the entire class, not just the people that the child feels connected to. We may use the celebration to raise awareness of certain social issues and encourage tzedakah instead of gifts. And the content of our simchas can focus on the values and deeds of the people involved, acknowledging the influences - the great chain of transmission of values that we all inherit. Of course, in this approach, the individuals being celebrated are also part of the Divine Presence and there is space for personal tastes and attention to the uniqueness of the people we are celebrating. And there are also the financial limitations that need to be honored and worked with. But if we can let an awareness of our gratitude to God be the driver of our simcha from the very beginning, then the entire experience of the planning and execution becomes completely different, more fulfilling and more holy!

Rabbi Jason Holtz

The biggest moments in most b’nai mitzvah services are when the newly minted 13-year-old reads Torah and delivers a d’var Torah, a speech or sermon about the Torah portion. They’re doing this because they’re maturing into adulthood. Yet in most synagogues, while plenty of adults occasionally read Torah or give a d’var Torah, it’s 13-year-olds who do it far more often. How did a moment meant to mark a 13-yearold’s maturing become defined by something adolescents do more than adults? A little over a year ago, the grandparents of one of our b’nai mitzvah students gave the d’var Torah the Friday night before their grandson was called to the Torah. They grew up in Ukraine under the Soviet Union, when Jewish life was heavily suppressed. They discovered the beauty of Torah later on, as mature adults. What they wanted to teach was not just about that week’s Torah portion, but that learning and teaching Torah is not just for 13-year-olds. The grandparents could have taken an easier honor that weekend, like reading a short passage from the siddur or helping to dress the Torah. Those are important honors, but they don’t demand the same hard work to prepare. That’s what I think some people miss - all the things that b’nai mitzvah do, such as reading Torah or giving a d’var Torah, are significant in part because those are things that adults do. So, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, can take on those big roles, too. Maybe they read Torah the same Shabbat as the child becoming a b’nai mitzvah, or maybe they give a d’var Torah on a different Shabbat. Either way, not only does it not take away from the child’s moment, it makes it more special. It shows that becoming b’nai mitzvah is the beginning, not the end. ì

Rabbi Mark Goldfeder

The custom families most often overlook is the oldest one in the book: inviting people who can’t repay the invitation. The Rambam writes that someone who celebrates a festival with his own family behind closed doors, while the poor and the lonely have nowhere to eat, hasn’t fulfilled the mitzvah of simcha at all. He has a phrase for it, simchat kreiso, the joy of his own stomach. It sounds harsh, but he’s making a warm point: in Jewish life, joy was never designed to be private property. It’s meant to spill over. I’ve watched families plan weddings and bar mitzvahs with real love and real care. They’ll audition three bands, agonize over the flowers, and rework the seating chart more times than I’ve redrafted a brief. None of that is wrong. But somewhere in all that planning, it’s worth asking one more question: who around us hasn’t been invited to anything in a long time? Every community has these people, and usually we know exactly who they are, the ones we always mean to have over and somehow never do. So, add a table. That’s the whole suggestion. Seat the widower from shul, the new family still making friends, the lonely student far from home. It costs almost nothing against the total, and it changes what the event is. Years from now, nobody will remember your centerpieces, including you. But the guest who assumed she’d be forgotten, and then found her name on a place card, will remember that night for a very long time. So will your children, who were watching. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 41

HIGH HOLIDAYS Please reflect on the High Holidays, its meaning, and the importance of being Jewish in our current world, and how we can best impart our traditions onto the next generation. For our Rosh Hashanah holiday issue, we invited members of our staff and community leaders to share their responses.

Atlanta Jewish Times Staff Wishes Our Community

Shana Tova

From Our AJT Family to Yours Sasha Heller It’s All About the Deli There are many ways in which Jews can pass along our traditions, either to loved ones or strangers, including music, literature, and prayer, but my favorite is through our foods. I was recently at a deli in Dunwoody waiting on my father to purchase a half-dozen bagels (four plain, two salt). As I waited, I observed the nearly full dining room and realized that we were the only two Jewish customers. Sitting at a pair of tables was an Indian or Pakistani family. Seated at another set of tables was a group of East Asians. And finally, a family of Latinos were banked in a booth. Dozens of people enjoying their bagels, pastrami, and corned beef – but no Jews. In this edition, we wrote about the Babka King, Chris Campbell, who is not Jewish, but who fell in love with the Jewish delicacy and discovered a deep connection to Judaism and Israel through our foods. It’s in these curated recipes, shared across generations and baked with love and nostalgia. The latkes, the hamantaschen, the blintzes … tradition never tasted so good! I wish you all a healthy and happy new year. L’shana Tova! Sasha Heller is the Editor-in-Chief of Atlanta Jewish Times.

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Lilli Jennison Rosh Hashanah asks us to look both backward and forward — to reflect on who we have been, who we want to become, and what we hope to carry with us into another year. This year, I find myself thinking about what it means to be openly and proudly Jewish in a world where doing so can sometimes feel complicated. My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor. After the war, he never understood why someone would choose to advertise that they were Jewish. Why wear a kippah? Why wear a Jewish star? After what he had survived, being visibly Jewish represented a vulnerability he understood better than most. I have always made a different choice. I make sure I have a Jewish star around my neck at all times. It is part of me. I wear it because I am proud of who I am and where I come from. But lately, I have thought about my grandfather’s words more than I wish I had to. Recently, I watched a video of an Israeli woman being refused service at a brow salon because she was Israeli. Watching it was heartbreaking. No one should walk into a business and be treated differently simply because of where they come from or who they are. There was something about it that felt far too reminiscent of the stories we have heard our entire lives as Jews — and of the experiences that shaped my grandfather’s view of the world. I don’t want to live in a world where I have to think twice before putting on my Jewish star. I don’t want to wonder whether someone will see it and, without knowing my name or anything about me, decide they don’t like me. I don’t want my grandfather’s question — Why advertise that you’re Jewish? — to suddenly feel relevant again. I want to wear my star for the same reason I always have: because I am Jewish, I am proud of it, and it is part of who I am. Being proudly Jewish is not only about refusing to hide. It is also about making sure there is something beautiful and meaningful for the next generation to inherit. I find an unexpected metaphor for that in one of my favorite hobbies: needlepoint. A canvas is completed one stitch at a time. One stitch may seem insignificant, but thousands eventually create something beautiful, lasting and worth passing down. Jewish continuity feels much the same. It is built through thousands of small acts: gathering around a holiday table, telling the stories of those who came before us, displaying a mezuzah, wearing a Jewish star, making family recipes, celebrating our holidays and teaching our traditions. My grandfather’s generation kept those traditions alive through circumstances I can hardly imagine. Now it is our responsibility not only to preserve them, but to make sure the next generation inherits a Judaism they are proud to carry forward. This Rosh Hashanah, I will keep wearing my star. And I will keep stitching.

HIGH HOLIDAYS Michal Bonell As summer begins to fade and the High Holy Days approach, there is something special about the anticipation of Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish New Year invites us to pause, reflect on the year that has passed and look ahead with hope, gratitude and renewed purpose. Rosh Hashanah is more than the beginning of a new year on the Jewish calendar. It is a time of reflection and renewal — a moment to consider where we have been, what we have learned and how we want to move forward. It encourages us to reconnect with our values, strengthen our relationships and make room for new possibilities. As we welcome 5787, may we carry with us the lessons of the past year while embracing the opportunities of the year ahead. May we find time to celebrate the blessings in our lives, extend forgiveness where it is needed and offer kindness to those around us. Most of all, may this new Jewish year bring our community together. May it be a year filled with health, happiness, peace, prosperity and meaningful moments shared with the people we cherish. Shanah Tovah U’Metukah — a good and sweet New Year. May 5787 be a year of hope, renewal and countless reasons to celebrate. Michal Bonell is the Operations & Sales Manager for Atlanta Jewish Times.

Lilli Jennison is the Creative Director for Atlanta Jewish Times.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 43

HIGH HOLIDAYS Ilyssa Klein

Ronit Franco-Pinsky

As we approach the New Year, I find myself reflecting on a year filled with some of life’s most significant moments: joy, celebration, loss and, above all, gratitude. This year, I was beyond proud to watch my daughter become a bat mitzvah. The service and celebration were filled with so much love, laughter and energy. Having our family and friends together to celebrate this important milestone was truly special, and it created memories that we will treasure for years to come. One of the most meaningful parts of the bat mitzvah was having my grandmother there to celebrate with us. Watching my daughter become a bat mitzvah with her great grandmother and her grandparents by her side was a moment I will always cherish. Sadly, not long after that beautiful celebration, we said goodbye to my grandmother. Her loss has been difficult for our family, but I am incredibly grateful that she was able to be there for such an important milestone and share that special moment with us. Experiencing such joy and loss in the same year has given me an even greater appreciation for the people who surround us. Through the happiest moments and the hardest ones, our family and friends have been there to celebrate with us, support us and remind us how lucky we are to have one another. This year has taught me to slow down, cherish the time we have together and never take those relationships for granted. As we begin 5787, Rosh Hashanah gives us a chance to pause, reflect on the year behind us and look ahead with hope. I am entering this New Year with a grateful heart and a renewed appreciation for family, friendship and all of the moments, big and small, that make life so special. Ilyssa Klein is the Senior Account Manager for Atlanta Jewish Times.

As the High Holidays approach, I find myself reflecting deeply on what it means to be Jewish today — and what it means to be an Israeli living in a post-Oct. 7 world. For me, life is now forever divided into two distinct chapters: before that day, and after. Being an Israeli and Jewish after Oct. 7, 2023, represents a profound shift in identity, security, and daily life. Being Jewish today in the world and the U.S. means carrying forward an ethnicity that has survived centuries of displacement, persecution, and existential threats. The rise of antisemitism means that once again our temples and synagogues will be heavily guarded and the fear of attacks is always present. The hypocrisy that comes with the acceptance that Israelis in the world can be targeted at any moment without severe consequences to the attacker is an ongoing struggle. Israel is continually being blamed for simply protecting herself and her citizens, while the terror organizations are getting a free pass from the radical, extreme voices in the U.S. and the world. The profound moral distortion when Israel’s primary duty — protecting its citizens from rockets, massacres, and terror — is treated with outrage while the terror groups that initiated the violence operate out of civilian areas, and explicitly target innocents are framed through a lens of moral equivalence. It’s so absurd that it’s hard to comprehend. The Jewish New Year is a time for new beginnings and I’m looking forward to spending it this year B”H (B’ezrat Hashem) with my family and loved ones in my homeland in Israel surrounded by my parents, siblings, nephews, and nieces. It’s quite an emotional time for me, as my family and friends went through three challenging years and this year is the first time that all our hostages are back, and they can finally celebrate the holiday in their homes vs. tunnels. Rosh Hashanah could be the start of healing for us as a nation — not fear anymore, but active pride. We must lead with joy, warmth, and kindness to one another. Whether in Israel or in the Diaspora, by practicing compassion and empathy we can try to repair the world — what we call “Tikkun Olam.” Holiday dinners are my favorite time of the year, and I can’t wait for the freshly baked goods, delicious holiday food, and plenty of honey to help sweeten the bitterness a bit. Being in Israel at that time is so special. The stores and bakeries offer a variety of honey and apple cakes, gifts for the family, and more. It is so festive and fun. Wishing Shanah Tovah to all of our community! Ronit Franco-Pinsky is Office Manager for Atlanta Jewish Times.

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Robert Garber

Lou Ladinsky A Rosh Hashanah Message of Hope and Unity When I think of Rosh Hashanah this year, two songs come immediately to mind, “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding” and “We Are the World.” Two songs with relevant lyrics about our world today. With the world so divided and uncertain these days, these songs ask us to reevaluate our thoughts. “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” asks us to resist cynicism and to defend compassion, trust, and harmony as strengths rather than sentimental dreams. Peace begins in the way we speak to those closest to us. Love takes shape in patience, generosity, and forgiveness. Understanding grows when we listen before judging. “We Are the World” reminds us that humanity is interconnected and that a brighter future begins when we accept responsibility for one another. Unity becomes real when we recognize that another person’s dignity, safety, and well-being are bound up with our own. With the shofar blasting us into a new year, Rosh Hashanah invites us to pause temporarily and look back at the year behind us. This is a season of teshuvah — of returning to our highest values, repairing what has been strained, and opening our hearts to new beginnings. The holiday does not ask us merely to hope for a better year; it calls us to help create one. We can’t repair everything, but as individuals we can repair some things. With everyone joining together, we can enforce positive change in the world. Our tradition teaches that renewal is always possible: we can turn, begin again, and make choices that move the world toward wholeness again. May this new year bring sweetness to our homes, peace to our communities, and understanding around the world. May we remember that we belong to one human family, and may we answer the shofar’s call with open hearts and willing hands. Shanah Tovah U’Metukah — may we all be inscribed for a good, sweet, peaceful, and meaningful year. Lou Ladinsky is the Distribution Manager for Atlanta Jewish Times.

I was recently subbing at my synagogue’s Hebrew school for a group of first graders, when one of them asked me an interesting question – “Why do we wear kippahs?” I answered as honestly as I could – that it had been a tradition for Jewish men for over a thousand years, but beyond that, he should ask the rabbi. I don’t know if that answer was sufficient – to say “it is because it has been.” If he was asking why it started, why it kept going, or why it mattered now, was that really an answer at all? Should I have given him the Talmudic story of the boy and the fruit tree, or the reasoning of Maimonides for decorum during prayer, or David HaLevi’s explanation that they should be used to distinguish us from non-Jews – and should I have mentioned that all of these reasons were first recorded decades or centuries after we started wearing them? I’ve long thought the value of our traditions is the connection between us and our ancestors who, for whatever reason they chose or later determined, continued the practice of those that came before them. I can see a long line stretching back thousands of years of the same practices, generation after generation. Perhaps this shared history is the importance of at least one aspect of Judaism – our communal culture. But if we do not have our own reasons, do we risk these become empty connections? With the High Holidays approaching, and a day of fasting we have observed, year after year, for thousands of years, I think of a quote from the Book of Isaiah (58: 5-7), of a time where people practiced the physical tradition, but without a spiritual reason: “Is such the fast I desire, a day for people to starve their bodies? … No, this is the fast I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of the yoke…It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into your home.” I don’t think the reasons we observe our traditions need to be the same reasons our parents held or our children will hold. But to be able to say, “this is why I do it, and this is why our ancestors did it, and now it is up to you to find your own reason why”? Maybe that is the start of a sufficient answer. Robert Garber is the Online Content Coordinator for Atlanta Jewish Times.

We Found

OUR JEWISH HOME When we moved to Marietta, we didn’t know a single Jewish family.

We were looking for a synagogue but we found a community.

As a Jew by Choice, I was embraced from day one. Everyone took the time to teach me, support me, and make me feel at home.

Our daughters grew up in a nurturing community where they could learn, lead, and celebrate their Judaism.

At Etz Chaim, we’re not just members we’re family. This is where we belong.

Whether you’re a lifelong Jew, a Jew by Choice, or raising a Jewish family, you’ll find a warm, supportive, traditional community waiting for you at Congregation Etz Chaim.

www.etzchaim.net ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 45

HIGH HOLIDAYS Jacqueline Morris During the High Holidays, we are encouraged to reflect on the past year — the good, the bad, and everything in between. When I look back, I sometimes feel like things have calmed down with the war in Israel and antisemitism around the world. But then I realized that antisemitism hasn’t necessarily decreased; we have simply become accustomed to it. The protests happen so often that they are no longer considered news, and people are tired of constantly having to speak up. This made me wonder: How can we protect ourselves and future generations if people don’t understand what is happening to us? I realized that making a difference doesn’t always require a big gesture. Sometimes, it starts with one conversation. Recently, I spoke with a bartender who knew very little about what the Jewish community has been experiencing. After our conversation, he asked if we could sit down so he could learn more, and he even wanted to get involved with the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival. Maybe that one conversation will lead him to educate someone else. Maybe he will tell his friends what he learned. It may seem small, but change starts with one person, one conversation, and one decision to understand. Jacqueline Morris is the Events Director for Atlanta Jewish Times.

Fran Putney My new daughter-in-law is not Jewish and did not grow up around Jewish friends. My son, Jordan, met Sydnee through a mutual friend, and they are a wonderful fit together. We absolutely love her and are delighted they are happy and have a bright future. While there is no motive for her conversion, it’s been fun and important to us to share with her our family’s Jewish culture and the beauty and wisdom of our traditions. Judaism can be layered and complex, but it can also be understood in simple terms. Our guiding values are the importance of family, community, kindness, learning and healthy debate. Spiritually, our tradition allows each person to find their own connection to whatever God means to them. This summer we found a Friday night in July when they could join us for services at The Temple, our longtime Jewish community. Although by now Sydnee’s been to several Passover seders and Rosh Hashanah dinners, this would be her first synagogue experience. As I hoped, she and Jordan (who hadn’t really been back since his bar mitzvah) fully enjoyed the experience. The music and prayers are beautiful, and Rabbi Berg’s message about the importance of hope and continuing to believe in the worth of the founders’ goals of our own country, despite the current divisions, was well received by us all. What was important to me was that she could learn (and my son could remember!) a little more about what Judaism means to our family. On this Rosh Hashanah, I wish our Jewish community the renewal and introspection that a new year brings and an appreciation for all the beautiful and challenging ways Judaism enriches our lives. Fran Putney is the proofreader for Atlanta Jewish Times.

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Robin Freeman As a new season of Fall is almost upon us, the High Holidays will soon be approaching. Beginning with Rosh Hashanah, it is both a new beginning and a time for reflection – the willingness to pause, remember, acknowledge and begin again. I hope we can all take time to reflect on the year behind us – cherishing the memories, learning from challenges, and being grateful for the people who have touched our life. May the year ahead give courage to begin something new, the strength to forgive, and the wisdom to appreciate the blessings in life. L’Shanah Tova U’Metukah – may you and your families be blessed with a good and sweet new year, filled with love, peace, health and joy. Robin Freeman is the Administrative Assistant for Atlanta Jewish Times.

Diana Cole Being Jewish is extremely important to me. It is not only a religion, but a part of my identity and a connection to my family, my ancestors, and generations of Jews who came before me. When my children were younger, I made a point of bringing them to High Holiday services, Shabbat services, and Hebrew School — although I will admit there were plenty of fights along the way! At the time, I sometimes wondered if they understood why these traditions were so important. Looking back, I realize that simply showing up was one of the most meaningful things I could do for them. I wanted them to grow up knowing that being Jewish was something to be proud of and something worth carrying forward. The High Holidays are especially meaningful because they give us an opportunity to slow down and reflect. Rosh Hashanah reminds us to look at the year ahead with hope and intention, while Yom Kippur gives us the opportunity to reflect on our actions, ask forgiveness, and think about how we can do better. These traditions teach values that go beyond religion — responsibility, compassion, forgiveness, community, and the importance of helping others. Being Jewish in our current world feels particularly important. Our history has taught us that Jewish traditions and identity cannot be taken for granted. For generations, Jews have faced tremendous challenges and have had to work hard to preserve our faith, culture, traditions, and communities. The fact that we are still here, celebrating our holidays and passing these traditions to our children, is something I do not take lightly. I believe the best way to impart our traditions to the next generation is not simply to tell them that Judaism is important, but to live it with them. Take them to services. Celebrate Shabbat. Tell them family stories. Teach them about our history. Let them ask questions, even the difficult ones. Most importantly, help them understand that Judaism is not just about what we do, but about who we are and how we treat others. I hope my children will carry that connection forward and, someday, share it with their own children. In that way, the traditions and values that have survived for generations can continue for generations to come. Diana Cole is the Community Coordinator for Atlanta Jewish Times.

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Jonathon Adler

Rabbi Peter Berg

I’ll always remember Rosh HaShanah as a child — grandparents visiting or being visited, familiar recipes and songs, the simple act of being together. Family and tradition were how we lived our Jewish identity. Decades later, we live in a different world. Antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment have reached disturbing levels. Many are afraid to share their Judaism publicly, and relationships with neighbors and coworkers have shifted in ways unimaginable even a few years ago. This is precisely why we need the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, right now. Teshuvah means repentance, but it also means return, and one of the most powerful ways we return is by handing the traditions of our youth to the next generation. I’m proud to belong to the Metro Atlanta’s Jewish community, where our Southern heritage is an important part of how we live our Judaism every day. Our history matters here — not just the history we share with Abraham and King David, but the history of a community that has flourished in Georgia for generations. Telling the stories of how our families came out of Egypt, and then into Atlanta, Rome, Marietta, and so many more individual communities across Georgia is essential to passing on our traditions. Those stories live in our local museums, our synagogues, and in our own homes. But a story only matters when it’s told. A book on a shelf gathering dust, an heirloom recipe unmade in a generation, a photo album unopened for decades — these preserve nothing on their own. By telling them, by returning to what we’ve inherited and bringing it back into the light, we can keep our heritage alive. That act of sharing is paramount not only to our survival as a people, but to what we offer the world. The more fully we live and share our Jewish lives, the more Jewish light we shine on future generations; the more light we bring into a world that sorely needs it. This High Holiday season, I pray that each of us finds a story worth telling — to a child, a grandchild, a neighbor. That, too, is teshuvah. Shanah Tovah u’Metukah. Wishing everyone a joyous and sweet 5787.

The Sacred Work of Returning The High Holy Days arrive this year when many of us feel worn thin. We carry grief for lives shattered in Israel and Gaza, anguish for hostages and their families, fear born of rising antisemitism, and concern for a society that too often mistakes cruelty for strength. Some enter the sanctuary certain of what they believe. Others arrive with questions, anger, or even doubt. Judaism makes room for all of us. The Days of Awe do not ask us to pretend that the world is whole. The Unetaneh Tokef prayer gives language to our vulnerability: “Who shall live and who shall die?” Those words can feel almost unbearable in a year shadowed by violence and uncertainty. Yet this prayer does not leave us powerless. It teaches that teshuvah, tefillah and tzedakah — return, prayer and righteous giving—can transform the harshness of what lies before us. Teshuvah is often translated as repentance, but its deepest meaning is return. We return to our best selves, to one another, and to the covenant that has sustained our people across centuries. “Hashiveinu Adonai eilecha v’nashuvah — Return us to You, and we shall return.” The path home is not solitary. We confess in the plural: Ashamnu, bagadnu — We have strayed; we have betrayed. Our tradition insists that responsibility is shared, and so is repair. At a moment when some Jews feel pressure to hide a necklace, remove a mezuzah, or soften their connection to Israel and the Jewish people, Jewish identity must become neither a fortress nor an apology. It must be a wellspring. To live proudly as Jews is to study, to pray, to gather, to argue with love, to defend human dignity, and to refuse indifference. It means standing against antisemitism while also recognizing the image of G-d in every human being. The shofar’s cry is ancient, but its demand is immediate: Wake up! Remember who you are! Hear the pain of your neighbor! Choose life! May 5787 be a year in which our Jewish identity draws us closer rather than closing us off; a year when courage overcomes fear, compassion tempers judgment, and hope becomes a discipline. May we be inscribed not only in the Book of Life, but in the lives of one another, through the deeds we choose today.

Jonathon Adler is the Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim.

Rabbi Peter Berg is the Senior Rabbi, The Temple, Atlanta

48 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

HIGH HOLIDAYS Jay Cranman In our family, we have a saying: “Intentions don’t make memories.” It usually comes up when someone says, “we should go to a concert sometime,” or “I meant to call Aunt Roz for her birthday,” or “We should get our friends together for pickleball.” Good intentions matter, but at some point, you have to pick up the phone and show up. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how often I fall into that same trap: I intend to call a friend, make more time to volunteer, reach out to someone who is struggling, or do something I’ve been meaning to do. And then life happens. I suspect I am not alone. I run into people all the time that say how much they want to help. They want to be generous. They want to volunteer, give more, or make our community a little better. But good intentions only take us so far. Rosh Hashanah feels like a good moment to confront the distance between what we intend to do and what we actually do. The High Holidays ask us to make an honest accounting of how we’ve lived the last year. My work at JF&CS gives me a front-row seat to some of Atlanta’s most challenging moments. I see how quickly an unexpected expense, a diagnosis, or a family crisis can change someone’s life. But I also see what happens when intentions become action. A volunteer gives a morning to mentor a child. A donor decides that a problem affecting someone else is worth investing in. A therapist stays with a family during a difficult moment. A care manager becomes such an important part of a client’s life that she finds herself sitting with the family at the funeral. These acts rarely feel heroic to the people doing them. They simply decided to show up. As I think about what being Jewish means in this moment, and what I hope we pass to the next generation, I keep coming back to this. I want my family, and our community, to understand that Judaism is not simply something we believe. It is something we do. We see. We care. We act. That is a challenge I want to take into the new year myself. To make the call instead of thinking about it. To make time instead of saying I will. To show up for the people I love and for the community I care about. There is no shortage of good intentions in our community. My hope for the new year is that we act on more of them. Because intentions don’t make memories. Shannah Tovah. Jay Cranman is CEO, Jewish Family & Career Services Atlanta

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 49

HIGH HOLIDAYS Cheryl Dorchinsky The High Holidays is my time to slow down and take an honest look at my life. Rosh Hashanah gives a chance to begin again, while Yom Kippur encourages us to think about the choices we have made, the people we may have hurt, and the ways we can do better. These holidays remind me that growth is always possible and that no one is beyond the opportunity to return, repair, and start over. Being Jewish in today’s world carries deep meaning for me. Our identity connects us to thousands of years of history, traditions, faith, and community. It also connects us to the strength and resilience of the Jewish people. At a time when antisemitism is present in our communities and across the world, being openly Jewish can require courage. But Jewish pride should not come only from responding to hatred. It should also come from celebrating who we are, what we believe, and everything our people have contributed to the world. The High Holidays remind me that Judaism is not just something we inherit. It is something we live. We pass it on through family traditions, holiday meals, Shabbat, Jewish music, stories, blessings, acts of kindness, and time spent together as a community. We teach the next generations by sharing our history, but also by showing them the beauty and joy of Jewish life. Children learn from what they see. They notice whether Judaism feels like a burden or a meaningful part of our lives. They learn when we welcome people into our homes, help those in need, stand up against Anti-Zionism, ask questions, celebrate our holidays, and speak proudly about being Jewish. They need to understand where we come from, but they also need some freedom to find their own personal connection to Judaism. As we enter a new year, I hope we can make Jewish life something that is visible, welcoming, and full of joy. We can teach our children that being Jewish means remembering our past, caring about others, asking questions, learning from our mistakes, and continuing to grow. Our traditions survive because each generation chooses to carry them forward. By living our values and sharing our Jewish identity with pride, love, and openness, we give the next generation more than a history. We give them a sense of belonging, purpose, and hope. Wishing you and your loved ones a sweet and joyful Rosh Hashanah and a meaningful Yom Kippur. Shanah Tovah U’Metukah and G’mar Chatimah Tovah. Cheryl Dorchinsky is the Founding Executive Director of the Atlanta Israel Coalition and sharing Jewish joy at The Kosher Duck Revolution.

Rabbi Daniel Dorsch It’s hard to believe that this coming November, my son is going to celebrate his bar mitzvah. It feels like the entire Jewish community of Winnipeg, Canada, along with a good chunk of Jewish New Jersey and Philadelphia, is going to converge on Marietta, Ga., for the occasion. Lately, it dawned on me that there is something remarkable about all of this. We’ll be celebrating 782 miles from where I grew up. Very few of the people who attended my bar mitzvah will be there. It will be an entirely different congregation, an entirely different community, in an entirely different chapter of our family’s life. And yet, 30 years after I stood on the bimah, the ceremony itself will be almost exactly the same. The same Torah. The same prayers. I assume his cheeks will ache from nearly the same amount of pinching. There is something profoundly reassuring about that. The Torah continues to speak to us because it was never meant for one generation alone. It has always been handed from parent to child, teacher to student, community to community. The world changes, but the Torah endures. A colleague of mine recently pointed out that for all the attention paid to the growing number of Jews of “no religion” in demographic studies, we rarely stop to notice how many Jews still identify as “Jews by religion.” For millions of Jews, whether they attend synagogue every week or only occasionally, our traditions still speak with astonishing power. A bar or bat mitzvah. Lighting Shabbat candles. Hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. These are not simply customs. They are moments that remind us who we are. I tell my b’nei mitzvah students that when they chant their Haftarah, they are never doing it alone. On that very Shabbat, young Jews around the world will be standing at a bimah just as they are. Maybe with a different accent. Maybe with a different nusach. But they will be reading the same words from the same tradition. The same is true during the High Holy Days. Over the coming weeks, Jews in Atlanta, Israel, and throughout the world will gather to mark the Yamim Noraim. We will open a machzor. We will read from the same Torah. We will be moved by the shofar. That has always been one of Judaism’s greatest gifts. Long before the first shofar is sounded, we are already connected across generations, countries, and across every difference that might otherwise divide us. As I prepare for the bar mitzvah, I am reminded that this has always been the hallmark of Jewish life. We inherit something precious from those who came before us, and then, l’dor v’dor, we place it into the hands of those who come after us. May this High Holy Day season remind each of us that wherever our lives take us, we remain part of a larger story. May this same story always continue to unite us across communities and generations for eons to come. Rabbi Daniel Dorsch is the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta.

50 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Robyn Spizman Gerson The Sounds of Renewal in The New Year When I was a little girl growing up at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue, I vividly remember when our children’s services ended, we’d pile into the main sanctuary, and race to sit with our families just in time to hear the shofar blown. The blast of the new year was exciting and momentous. My grandparents of blessed memory, Annie and Morris Freedman, lived across the street from the synagogue, and my grandfather was known as the gatekeeper welcoming congregants daily. Rabbi Epstein’s sermons always embraced Israel, and it was the timely topic at our Rosh Hashanah lunch that followed. As the shofar sounds each year, the congregation chimes in with awe as the shofar blower holds the last note and comes up for air. The breadth and depth of that tradition and moment reverberate a symbol of faith for the new year. This year may Israel and our Jewish people stay safe and we hope peace will prevail. With every breath we take, may our people live a Jewish life proudly out loud. As the holiday arrives, and we stand together, may we lift our voices in prayer and promise. Let us speak up and return to the joy that a new year can bring. Let the sound of the shofar continue to be an eternal reminder within us and a profound voice for renewal, remembrance, resilience, and the state of Israel. Robyn Spizman Gerson is a freelance writer for Atlanta Jewish Times.

Jeffrey A. Gopen Lately, I’ve found myself reflecting on gratitude. As we gather with loved ones for another High Holidays, I can’t help but feel grateful for these traditions that bring our people together. I’m grateful to be a part of a community that cares. Being Jewish is something I’ve always been proud of, and this time of year reminds me why. We are a community bound by shared morals and values. We believe we were brought on this Earth not only to survive but also to leave each person and each place better than we found them. When we say tikkun olam (repairing the world), we mean doing so through actions of every size. Those are the moments that reveal our true character. They are, in many ways, the most sincere expression of our faith. Our strength, as Jews, has never come from our numbers. It derives from our shared history and our resolve. No matter what the year has thrown at us, we find ourselves back together during the High Holidays to celebrate and reflect. Not because we must, but because we want to. The reason is bigger than ourselves. I’ve been questioning what to do with this gratitude. How do you pass it forward, or, in the spirit of tikkun olam, how do you use it to repair the world? Here’s what I’ve settled on: the greatest gift you can give this holiday season is the gift of education. We are reaching a turning point as Jewish people. The last of the Holocaust survivors are passing away, and a new generation is upon us that will not understand our history the way many of us grew up learning it. It is our job to share our traditions with them. When our children feel rooted in who they are — culturally, spiritually, emotionally — they carry something with them that will ground them through the chaos. A strong foundation in Judaism gives them a compass, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to stand tall. At Jewish HomeLife, we see this every day in our residents, who paved the way for us, and in the team members and families who continue to honor them. This season, my hope for our community is that we hold our traditions close, share them generously, and find comfort and strength in one another. Jeffrey A. Gopen is the President & CEO of Jewish HomeLife. 52 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Rebecca Guttman The High Holidays ask us to do something that is deeply Jewish, deeply human, and yet sometimes feels deeply radical: to begin again. We must apologize, atone, set ourselves up for different and better choices in the future. But after that, we step forward with a lightness in our being, facing an empty page in front of us that is ours to write. This commitment to a fresh, new year reminds us that our future and that of our people is still unfinished. We can shape the year ahead through the choices we make and the actions we take. And in doing so, we are not only shaping our own lives; we are helping to write the next chapter of our collective story. We carry this story forward by investing in our families, our communities, and the values and traditions we hope to pass from generation to generation. We do this because we believe that there is a Jewish future worth preparing for. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote about one of the most fundamental responsibilities of a people: to ensure that there is a next generation. Not only to populate the next generation, but also to believe in its promise and ability to carry our peoplehood forward. This is the meaning of mi’dor l’dor: from generation to generation. It is not simply about passing down traditions and values. It is about ensuring that the next generation is able to receive these rituals and stories, by being instilled with hope that there is a future worth preparing for, and that our Jewish story is both unfinished and worthy of continuation. This commitment to our future feels particularly important in a world where it can sometimes be difficult to imagine what comes next. Jewish history has taught us, again and again, that uncertainty does not mean the absence of possibility. We are, after all, a people who have survived by believing in a future even in uncertain times. This is one of the most important gifts we can offer the generations who come after us: not certainty that everything will be easy, but the conviction that the future of the Jewish people is still ours to shape. This year, as we stand at the threshold of another beginning, may we recommit ourselves not only to the Jewish past we have inherited, but to the Jewish future we are helping to create. Because hope for the future is, in its own way, an act of faith. Rebecca Guttman is the Program Manager at Jewish Fertility Foundation.

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Rabbi Josh Hearshen In the fifth chapter of the Laws of Repentance in the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam teaches an essential lesson for life in general and for the High Holiday season in particular. He emphasizes that every person possesses free will and has the ability to choose between good and evil. We each have the capacity to determine how we will live our lives. In the second halakhah of the chapter, the Rambam makes this point with particular force. We should never allow ourselves to believe that we were born destined to be good or bad, or that some external force compels us to behave in a particular way. These powerful words remind us that we are responsible for ourselves and for our conduct. We make choices, and those choices have a profound impact on the world around us. We cannot live as though we lack agency, as though we are merely vessels controlled by a puppet master. Instead, each year we are called upon to evaluate our lives and to look honestly and deeply at how we are choosing to spend our days. We are asked to examine our relationships and recognize, as well, that the people with whom we are connected possess their own free will. They, too, make choices, and they, too, are not necessarily compelled by external forces to behave in one way or another. The fatalistic idea that we are destined, from the moment of our creation, to become a particular kind of person is firmly rejected by the Rambam in this section of the Mishneh Torah. He goes so far as to describe those who believe otherwise as being among the “undeveloped” in Jewish thought. His message is unmistakable: it is inconsistent with Jewish belief and philosophy to see ourselves as powerless or as destined to behave in a predetermined way. When we truly appreciate the power of the Rambam’s words, we can begin to forge better paths for ourselves. We can recognize that we have a measure of control over the direction of our lives — and with that blessing of control comes the burden of individual responsibility. We each have the power to make our lives more meaningful, to become better versions of ourselves, and to profoundly affect the lives of those around us. We each have agency. We each have power. And as we prepare to gather for the holidays, we should carry that knowledge with us. The choices we make today are not merely reflections of who we have been; they are the foundation upon which we can build who we hope to become. The High Holiday season gives us the opportunity to recognize that power, accept its responsibility, and begin laying the foundation for a better year ahead.

Rabbi Joshua Heller When the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, more traditionally-oriented congregations wait until the second day to sound the shofar. The Talmud explains that this is to prevent anyone from accidentally transporting shofar in public in violation of Shabbat. It was a reinforcement of the importance of Shabbat. Still, the sages didn’t take overriding a biblical decree lightly. Some pointed to Leviticus 23:24, which calls Rosh Hashanah a “yom zichron teruah”—a day of remembrance of the shofar’s sound. Taken literally, the verse suggests the shofar’s blast itself triggers remembrance: of the binding of Isaac, of our sins, of the chance for repentance. But metaphorically, it means that sometimes, the shofar must be remembered rather than heard. That’s precisely what happens when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat. We’ve grown bad at remembering. Once upon a time, I memorized phone numbers, driving routes, and appointments. Then I got my first smart phone, and everything changed. Now I carry almost no phone numbers in my head, rely on GPS for routes I should know by heart, and have to check my device to find out what I am doing next. Likely you also outsource much of your remembrance to a device (or maybe a paper organizer?). But what would happen if you lost that? Without mine, I could manage to call my wife, my mom, one of my kids. And maybe1-800-Kars4Kids, though I’m not sure how that would help. You don’t need to remember much these days — except to bring your external memory with you. For those who observe Shabbat traditionally, leaving that device behind forces a shift in mindset. On Shabbat I have to think differently. I don’t need phone numbers, but recalling my schedule takes real effort. Walking to synagogue in an unfamiliar city means actually remembering the route. In that sense, a shofar-less Shabbat offers a spiritual gut check. Are you relying on something external- the shofar’s blast- to usher you into Rosh Hashanah and the season of repentance? Or can you draw on your own internal spiritual resources to begin the work of teshuvah? Of course, if you attend on Sunday, the second day, the shofar will sound, reminding you of the regrets and hopes you might have set aside. But Shabbat of Rosh Hashanah teaches us that there are times when we cannot rely on external aids. We must hold our faith in our own hearts. Rabbi Joshua Heller is the Senior Rabbi for Congregation B’nai Torah.

Rabbi Josh Hearshen is the rabbi for Congregationn Or VeShalom.

54 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 55

HIGH HOLIDAYS Rabbi Jason Holtz A few months ago, I met a visiting Israeli rabbi for coffee at a restaurant close to my synagogue. As we were talking at the counter, the barista noticed the Israeli’s accent and asked where she was from. Israeli accents aren’t always immediately recognizable to a lot of people. Even before she had a chance to answer, I instantly felt nervous. How was the barista going to respond? In a fraction of a second, my mind raced through all the ways this could turn uncomfortable. Fortunately, reality was much nicer than my worries. When my Israeli colleague responded without hesitation, “Israel,” the barista had a lovely reply. She smiled, said that she wasn’t Jewish, but that her college roommate was and she shared that her roommate had spent a semester studying abroad in Israel and came back loving it, and with great stories. It was a really nice moment. Not only did my imagined worst-case-scenarios not come true, but I actually walked away feeling how nice it was that someone saw a Jew and their associations were positive. Sadly, we all know about the rise in antisemitism and antizionism, and I suppose that’s why there’s a greater interest in the question of what it means to be Jewish today. While people disagree over whether or not they’re two sides to the same coin, they share at least one thing in common - they portray Jews and the Jewish people in a way that is unrecognizable to me. I’m fortunate in that I’ve lived in several different Jewish communities around America and also Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and London. These places are all very different from one another, but there’s things that I found in common. I remember as a student at Tel Aviv University trying to find a seat in a crowded cafeteria. I ended up sharing a booth with an Israeli student. We started chatting, and by the end of lunch, I had an invitation for Shabbat dinner with their family. They didn’t think of themselves as religious, but they lit Shabbat candles and said kiddush, and it all seemed so familiar. So did the Passover seder that my wife and I were invited to in London. Not everything was the same, but usually the differences were just a source of interest. So, what does it mean to be Jewish today? Part of being Jewish today involves some anxiety, just as I was anxious when the barista asked the Israeli where she was from. But we can’t let our Judaism just be in response to whatever is happening on the news. As I write this, it’s the middle of the month of Elul, the period leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. So being Jewish “today” means being a Jew entering the High Holy Days. It is a time to reflect on who we’ve been and who we want to be, as Jews and as people. May our reflections and our answers to those questions lead us to a good year ahead. Shanah Tovah. Rabbi Jason Holtz is the Rabbi for Temple Kehillat Chaim.

Laura Kurlander-Nagel For the past few years, we’ve spent the High Holidays and time beyond praying for the release of the hostages and the end to the wave of antisemitism throughout the world. During this election year, I am praying for unity within our Jewish community. We are living in a world where the far left and the far right have united in their Jew hatred. We are threatened by the existential threat to the State of Israel. But, as we all know, the Jewish community is filled with diverse thoughts and opinions, particularly with respect to the actions of the Israeli government. In our efforts to defend Israel or oppose antisemitism, let us not become so extreme that we lose sight of the Jewish values we are trying to protect. I think often of the phrase Tzedek, tzedek tirdof — “Justice, justice shall you pursue,” which captures a central Jewish value — standing up against injustice and creating a fairer society. The Atlanta Jewish community has the opportunity to model something the world desperately needs: unity without uniformity, conviction without condemnation, and disagreement without division. Let’s spend less time fighting one another and more time working together to repair our world. Shanah Tovah. Laura Kurlander-Nagel is Co-President, National Council of Jewish Women – Atlanta. 56 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Renee Kutner As we enter the High Holidays, I find myself thinking about what it means to inherit a tradition, and what it means to be responsible for passing it on. This year, that question is deeply personal. My father, Mark Safra z”l, died just weeks ago, and the 30-day mourning period for him ends on Erev Rosh Hashanah (the eve of Rosh Hashanah). As I have mourned him, I have thought often about one of the greatest gifts he gave me: Yiddishkeit (Jewishness). My parents worked hard to create a Jewish home for my siblings and me, but what my father passed down went beyond Jewish education or experiences. Judaism was simply woven into the rhythm of our lives, from Jewish music on long car rides to Shabbat mornings at synagogue to hearing him prepare each week to read Torah. He taught me, without ever needing to say it, that Jewish life does not sustain itself automatically. Every generation has to choose to build it. Now it is our turn. That responsibility feels especially significant today. We have lived through extraordinary pain and uncertainty, rising antisemitism, and difficult questions about what it means to live openly and proudly as Jews. We continue to carry Israel and Israelis in our hearts. And yet, this has also been a time of extraordinary Jewish resilience, pride, and connection. The High Holidays ask us to reflect not only on what has happened to us, but on who we want to be because of it. For me, that means refusing to allow fear to define the Jewish future we build for our children. Our children need to know that being Jewish connects them to something larger than themselves: to their families, to Jews in their own communities and around the world, to Israel, and to generations who came before them. They will learn that not only from what we tell them, but from what they see us do: when we celebrate together, care for someone in need, show up for Jews we may never meet, and choose connection even when being Jewish feels difficult. Strong communities care for their people, and people who feel cared for build strong communities. And we may not always see the impact of those choices immediately. The child who goes to Jewish camp today may become the leader who holds a community together decades from now. A tradition passed from parent to child may become an anchor in a moment we could never have anticipated. I think of no greater way to honor my dad than to carry forward what he gave me, helping ensure that we give that same sense of identity, belonging, and responsibility to those who come after us. This Rosh Hashanah, may we give the next generation a Jewish life they will be proud to inherit, and inspired to keep building. L’shanah tovah u’metukah. Renee Kutner is the President & CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Rabbi Bradley Levenberg There’s something wonderfully audacious about Rosh Hashanah. Judaism asks us to begin a new year not by predicting what will happen, but by asking who we intend to be when it does. That question feels especially important right now. To be Jewish in this moment is to carry an ancient tradition into a world moving at extraordinary speed. We live with technologies our grandparents couldn’t have imagined, confront questions they never had to ask, and absorb more information before breakfast than previous generations encountered in days. At the same time, some of the oldest challenges of Jewish life remain with us: antisemitism, the security of Israel, the responsibilities we bear toward one another, and the challenge of maintaining hope when the world gives us ample reason for worry. Our tradition doesn’t promise that we’ll know how the story turns out; it teaches us what to do while we’re living in the middle of it. We gather and we study and we argue and we remember. We give and we repair what we can. We show up for one another. And then, remarkably, we teach our children to do the same. Perhaps that’s among the most important responsibilities of this Jewish moment. Our task isn’t simply to convince the next generation to preserve Judaism because previous generations preserved it for us. We need to help them discover why Judaism is worth carrying forward. They need to experience a Judaism that has something meaningful to say about their friendships and their choices, about justice and responsibility, about Israel and the Jewish people, about celebration and loss, and about what it means to build a life of purpose. The shofar that we sound on the Holy Days calls us to wake up. This year, perhaps we can hear in its sound another invitation as well: to make sure that the Judaism we hand to those who come after us isn’t merely something they inherit but is something they will want to, and be excited to, claim as their own. Shanah Tovah. May it be a good year for us all. Rabbi Bradley Levenberg is the Rabbi at Temple Sinai and President of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association.

Cathy Miller

Rabbi Rachael Miler On a recent Friday night, as we lit the Shabbat candles and welcomed in the love, light, and warmth of Shabbat, I took a breath as I prepared to lead our family of four in the candle blessing. But before any noise came from my mouth, our notyet 3-year-old son started to sing: “Baruuuuuuch ataaaahhh Adonaiiiii.” I peaked from behind my hands and made eye contact with my husband. We made one of those: Wow, is he really doing this right now faces at one another, and smiled into our hands as he led us in the blessing. It was ordinary, and it undid me a little, the way ordinary Jewish moments do when we actually notice them. That’s really what the High Holy Days ask of us: notice. Rosh Hashanah opens with the world’s birthday and asks us to remember we are still being written into the Book of Life; by Yom Kippur we’re doing the harder work of turning ourselves back toward who we want to strive to be. Teshuvah literally means return, not reinvention. We’re not asked to become someone new in these ten days. We’re asked to come home to ourselves. That homecoming feels more urgent this year than in years past. Being Jewish in public still asks something of us we didn’t used to have to think about, and I won’t pretend fear hasn’t crept into corners of my own home. But I refuse to let fear be the only reason we stay Jewish, and I refuse to let it be the whole inheritance I hand to my children. The Torah gives us the instruction plainly, in words we say every single day in the Shema: v’shinantam l’vanecha, v’dibarta bam, meaning, teach them diligently to your children and speak of them. Not once a year, not only in a classroom, and not only from the bimah. Speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, when you rise. Judaism gets transmitted in the ordinary minutes, not just the sanctuary ones. This year, my hope for all of us is small and doable: light the candles together, tell the story out loud, let the next generation watch us return. Am Yisrael Chai isn’t a slogan we sing despite our fear. It’s a promise we keep by showing up one Shabbat, one holiday, one honest conversation at a time, so that whoever comes after us inherits a Judaism worth choosing. Shana Tova. Rabbi Rachael Miler is the Associate Rabbi for Temple Emanu-El.

The High Holidays ask us to consider not only the year behind us, but what we are building for those who come after us. This year, that feels especially poignant as our family enters the holidays without my mother-in-law, our beloved matriarch. Her loss has made me think about legacy in a deeper way. At JELF, I have the privilege of seeing that same idea come to life every day. For generations, members of our Jewish community have helped young people pursue an education, knowing that investing in one person can strengthen a family — and our Jewish community — for generations. That is what l’dor v’dor means to me: receiving something meaningful from those who came before us and taking responsibility for carrying it forward. Especially today, there may be no greater gift we can give the next generation than the opportunity, values and sense of Jewish belonging to build what comes next.

As the father to a 4-year-old son who’s developing his reading and verbal communication skills by leaps and bounds every day, this year’s High Holidays take on even greater meaning. What is always one of my favorite times of the year is now extra special as I can explain to my son the underlying significance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. For the first time in his young life, he can really understand why these two days, in particular, are different from the other 363 days of the calendar. To take it a step further, it will only be a matter of time before my son can attend synagogue with me during the High Holidays and garner an even deeper appreciation of this sliver of the calendar year. Undoubtedly, the best is yet to come.

Cathy Miller is the Chief Operating Officer at Jewish Educational Loan Fund.

David Ostrowsky is the sportswriter for Atlanta Jewish Times.

58 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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Jewish Atlanta Is Stronger When Its Rabbis Stand Together

During the High Holy Days, Jews throughout Atlanta will gather in sanctuaries and homes, in hospitals and on college campuses, in senior communities and countless other places where Jewish life unfolds. The rabbis who serve them come from different branches and lead in different ways, but we share a common responsibility: to help Jewish life meet this moment with wisdom and courage, rooted in our connection to one another and to something greater than ourselves.

The relationships we build within the Atlanta Rabbinical Association matter because they allow us to serve our communities more fully. When someone is grieving or celebrating, searching for meaning or trying to find a place within Jewish life, their rabbi is part of a wider circle of colleagues who know one another and care deeply about the future of Jewish Atlanta. Those relationships matter even more when our community faces difficult

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moments. In those times, Atlanta's rabbis aren't meeting one another for the first time. We've learned together, prayed together, and wrestled with our differences, discovering that each experience has strengthened the trust between us. That foundation of trust enables us to respond not as solitary leaders, but as colleagues united by a shared commitment to serve our community with wisdom, compassion, and purpose. Of course, Jewish life has never been created by its rabbis alone. It grows

through the partnership between rabbinic leadership and the communities we serve, shaped by people who show up, ask difficult questions, care for one another, and invest themselves in our shared future. During this season, we’re especially grateful that the partnership between Atlanta’s rabbis and its Jewish community remains strong, giving us confidence in what we can build together in the year ahead and for many years to come. When Atlanta’s rabbis stand together, supported by the community we’re

privileged to serve, Jewish life across our city grows stronger.

Shanah Tovah from the Atlanta Rabbinical Association

Atlanta Rabbinical Association

Paid Content by Atlanta Rabbinical Association ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 59

HIGH HOLIDAYS Jody Pollack This is such an important time in the Jewish World and American history. We get to “reset the clock” for ourselves and start anew but we need to continue to keep our eyes and ears open as the antisemites are out in full force and the Jewnos (Jews in name only) are the kapos of the day. They are cozying up to the crowing crowd thinking that if they say the right things and kiss up to the noisiest of the noisy, then they will be spared of the hatred being spewed. Remember the recent Women’s March? Jewish women were kicked out of it because it turned into a pro-Palestine march. We weren’t even afforded “separate but equal”, it was “get out and go away” before we chase you down. We unfortunately have seen this movie before and it never ends well for any of us. We must not only remain strong in our Jewishness, but also be ready to defend it. Think of the millions who came before us, not just the victims of the shoah but those who came and went after Abraham’s time. Their histories, memories and souls are on our shoulders and we mustn’t let them down by trying to appease the crowd or running to hide. We can and will continue to survive but we must ensure that our children know where we came from, why we do what we do tradition wise, why we are here and why we must remain proud and strong. Remember, if the Nazi’s couldn’t get rid of us, do you really think the pishikers of today can? They can’t, but if we let our guard down, we can do it to ourselves. Shana Tovah. Jody Pollack is a member of the Hebrew Order of David and is the retired Executive Director of the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival.

Jordan Ross For me, Judaism stretches well beyond attending a synagogue service. In our busy lives, we often see putting the High Holidays services on the calendar as a box to check off. Yet, there are so many more avenues for Jewish reflection, gathering, and prayer. As the High Holy days approach, I have been reflecting upon my past summer spent abroad at Szarvas Camp, working with Jewish communities from Europe, Israel, and the United States. With the persistence of headlines of hatred, arriving at a Jewish summer camp can be a relief for children and staff. It is a beacon of community, safety, and new experiences. For decades, summer camp has been a staple in the passing on of Jewish traditions, such as the singing of “Birkat Hamazon” after meals, or the lighting of candles as we welcome Shabbat. Therefore, to me, finding those special ways to continue your observance beyond the High Holidays is actually the best way to honor the dates as well as continue special traditions with the generations to come. Jordan Ross is a freelance writer for Atlanta Jewish Times.

Ray Alyssa Rothman What Rosh Hashanah Means to Me When I was a child, Rosh Hashanah was a visceral experience I absorbed through my five senses; the sight of the new dress my mother would buy for me to wear to synagogue; the touch of my father holding my hand in prayer; the smell of the round challah symbolizing the circle of life; the taste of my grandmother’s chicken soup; the primal blast of the shofar. But once I became a bat mitzvah, I saw that it was not just about the dinners, the friends at synagogue, or the new dress. By college, it had become something else entirely: a chance to stop the clock and consider the year behind me, the people I might have hurt, what I could have done better, the year ahead, and the person I wanted to become. I have a busy job, family life, and social calendar, and most of the time, I move from one thing to the next without looking up. It is rare for me to pause. Rosh Hashanah lets me stop and look beyond the temporal, reminding me that time marches on whether I pay attention or not. That pause is the respite I need to look honestly at the past year: the things I got right, the things I’d take back if I could, and the people I’ve neglected when I shouldn’t have. It isn’t about guilt. It’s about being insightful enough to notice, and then committing to experience the coming year with a little more empathy, patience, intuitiveness, and tact than I managed before. Then there’s the continuity, which is really the heart of it: family, friends, meals, the same prayers I’ve heard my whole life. All of it reminds me that I am one small link in a long chain. For millennia, generations have sat down at this time of year and done more or less what we’re doing. That thought comforts me. If I had to name the one thing Rosh Hashanah gives me, it’s the sense that life is fluid. Whatever kind of year it’s been, we still have the time and the choice to change, to make amends, and to stay hopeful. So Rosh Hashanah, to me, is a real beginning and not just a date. It reminds me that another year is not something I’m owed, and I must try my best to make it count. Ray Alyssa Rothman is a commercial real estate broker who focuses on land. Her side business is her nonprofit, Kibbitz & Konnect, the premier in-person social network for Atlanta’s Jewish singles community (www.kibbitzkonnect.org).

60 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

L’Shanah Tovah

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Rabbi Larry Sernovitz Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l once wrote the following, answering the question Why I am Jew? “I am a Jew not because I believe that Judaism contains all there is of the human story. I admire other traditions and their contributions to the world. Nor am I a Jew because of antisemitism or anti-Zionism. What happens to me does not define who I am: ours is a people of faith, not fate. Nor is it because I think that Jews are better than others, more intelligent, creative, generous or successful. It’s not Jews who are different, but Judaism. It’s not so much what we are but what we are called on to be.” “...Nor am I a Jew because of antisemitism or anti-Zionism. What happens to me does not define who I am.” Since Oct. 7, we have seen record numbers of antisemitic incidents here in the United States and abroad. Jewish communities all over the world, including our community in Atlanta, stepped up and have been fighting it wherever it appears. We should be proud of our community. We remain vigilant, waiting for the next traumatic incident that demands our response. However, something happened to us during this time, albeit unwittingly. We have let antisemitism define us. Rabbi Sacks, in the same piece wrote, “I am proud to be part of a people who, though scarred and traumatised, never lost their humor or their faith, their ability to laugh at present troubles and still believe in ultimate redemption; who saw human history as a journey, and never stopped traveling and searching.” This is who we have always been and what we must return to once again. As Rosh Hashanah is almost here, we need to remind ourselves of the beauty that we call Judaism and is our inheritance from those we loved and in loving memory we remember. Let 5787 be the year of Jewish joy, of celebration, and learning, love, and embracing life to its fullest. Judaism recognizes that in life we will be faced with joys and sorrows alike. And that is why we always choose life and light in the midst of darkness. In 5787, let us dance again and remind those who seek to destroy us that we aren’t going anywhere. As far as Judaism goes, “Take it, cherish it, learn to understand and to love it. Carry it and it will carry you. And may you in turn pass it on to future generations. For you are a member of an eternal people, a letter in their scroll. Let their eternity live on in you.” L’Chaim and Shana Tova um’tukah … A good and sweet New Year to you all. Rabbi Larry Sernovitz is the CEO of Hillels of Georgia.

Rabbi K’vod Wieder Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that doing my children’s laundry is an apt metaphor for the High Holy Days, especially Yom Kippur. I ask my kids to bring all the laundry down to the basement. Now you really have to love someone to touch their dirty underwear and turn their smelly socks right side out. During the 40 days preceding Yom Kippur, we are asked to renew ourselves through introspection. The result is the realization that we are far from clean and pure. We have criticized, insulted, and gossiped. We have cheated. We were selfish. If, after 40 days of self-examination, I haven’t seen places for growth and improvement, then Judaism doesn’t just say I’m not a good Jew. Judaism says I’m not even a good human being! It’s only through recognizing our mistakes that we grow and develop our humanity. Just as a parent launders his children’s clothes, so does G-d wipe out our stains. All the parent needs and all G-d needs is for the child to bring his clothing down to the basements where the washing machine is waiting. That is the recognition that the clothing is indeed soiled - that we are not without blemish. In exchange for the recognition of our mistakes and the commitment to change, we receive clean clothing. Clean clothing is a second, third, fourth, fifth (or more) chance to share beauty with the world through our words and actions. For me, this metaphor is an accurate description of the phenomenon of Yom Kippur in a few ways. First, the realization that healing and growth is a partnership between us and the Holy One. It’s our responsibility to be honest and vulnerable about our inner reality and how our inner experience has translated into choices and actions that affect ourselves and others. It’s our responsibility to make the courageous and sometimes terrifying decision to do things differently. And it’s the Holy One’s responsibility to wipe away our dirt and stains, to flood us with a renewed awareness of ourselves and the world - a renewed awareness where the sins that we commit are out of place and don’t make sense anymore. The second element of this laundromat metaphor that works for me is the love that is present in the process. While we may have additional motives besides doing our children’s laundry besides love, the deepest motivation for all acts of care for our children is our desire to give, to share our life energy, to nurture, to love. In the same way that our love wants our children to grow to their fullest potential and be glorious expressions of beauty, so does the Holy One desire each one of us to be our most beautiful selves, and is willing to help us on that journey. As we approach the year 5787, I want to wish us all the deep realization that there is nothing more important than our honest engagement with our striving to be more authentic, more loving, more present with others, and more connected to this miraculous creation that we are a part of. Creating the world we want to see starts with us! Rabbi K’vod Wieder is the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Chana Shapiro My 89-year-old uncle has been musing about the things he wishes he had done differently, questioning choices he made, opportunities he missed, advice he didn’t appreciate, things he regrets saying. At the same time, he’s grateful for his long life, clear brain, and attentive family. He knows, in spite of any missteps, he’s been blessed. I think my uncle’s late-in-life thoughtfulness is understandable, seriously thinking about the life he built and how he reacted to problems and challenges life threw at him. I can relate to the ”woulda, shoulda, couldas” of my own life. So here we Jews are at the beginning of a new year. If we are not in the habit of regular self-evaluation, our religion designates the annual time to do it, and the shofar is our official wake up call. We can use the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — the Ten Days of Awe — to consider the ways we can make this year one we won’t regret. We can’t control everything; however, we can control our own decisions, how we spend our days, and our reactions to (often terribly heavy) problems. The shofar blasts prompt us to move forward with introspection, fortitude, purpose, kindness, and hope. Our family wishes your family a meaningful Ten Days of Awe and a very Happy New Year of good health and blessings! Chana Shapiro is a freelance writer for Atlanta Jewish Times.

62 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Renee Werbin As we embark on a new year, Rosh Hashanah calls upon us to reflect on the year that has passed, to give thanks for the blessings we have received, and to enter 5787 with renewed faith and hope for the days ahead. Rosh Hashanah reminds us of our capacity to create change through the choices we make, the lives we touch and the values by which we live. This year, our reflection carries deeper weight. To witness antisemitism rising so openly, even finding a place in our public life and among those entrusted to lead, is both frightening and heartbreaking. As antisemitic incidents continue to grow, we are confronted with a painful question we never imagined we would have to ask again: Have we truly learned from history, or are we allowing its darkest chapters to repeat themselves? Jewish history is not only a story of what we have endured; it is the story of our people, our resilience, our strength, and our refusal to be diminished. For generations, in the face of adversity, we have held tightly to our faith, our traditions, our families and one another. We have continued to gather, to pray, to celebrate and to teach our children and grandchildren the beauty of our heritage. Rosh Hashanah is a time to cherish what matters most: our faith, our families, our traditions and the people who enrich our lives. Perhaps one of the greatest lessons of a new year is to recognize these blessings while they are still ours to cherish. May the time-honored tradition of dipping apples in honey usher in a year touched by sweetness, abundant in blessings and filled with peace. May those who need healing find health, those who are grieving find comfort, and those facing difficult times find strength. May the sound of the shofar unite us in faith, hope, and the promise of a brighter year ahead. L’Shana Tova Tikatevu! Renee Werbin is President, SRI Travel, Publisher and Co-Founder, Travelgirl Magazine.

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Rabbi Mark Zimmerman As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we enter the season of asking ourselves life’s Big Questions. How have I lived this past year? Where have I fallen short? What kind of spouse, parent, friend or human being have I been? What do I need to work on and change in 5787? This year, however, there is another question that feels especially urgent: What kind of Judaism are we going to pass on to the next generation? And how do we navigate that in the world we find ourselves in today? There is plenty out there these days to make us anxious. Our world feels increasingly broken, and for Jews, the explosion of antisemitism and hatred directed at Israel has added another layer of uncertainty. Yet such anxiety is hardly new to the Jewish people. Our ancestors worried about their families and their futures, their harvests and livelihoods — and, quite often, the hostile neighbors just over the horizon. Somehow, we endured despite all those challenges, but how did we do it? For one thing, we’ve always had a strong commitment to our faith and to one another. Another one of our secret weapons has always been our Jewish sense of humor. We learned to laugh even when circumstances gave us little reason to do so. Perhaps that is why, when confronted with the latest conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the economy, governments, and even the weather, our best response isn’t to debate the haters. Sometimes we might simply laugh at their absurdity. Of course, humor alone isn’t what sustained us. What sustained us was that, despite everything, Jews continued to live, study and celebrate as Jews. We celebrated Shabbat. We studied Torah. We built communities. We cared for one another. We prayed, argued, laughed, mourned and rejoiced together. We maintained our connection to the Jewish people and to the Land of Israel. And we taught our children to be proud of their heritage and to do the same. That may be one of the most important messages we can give our children and grandchildren today. We should certainly teach them to recognize antisemitism and stand against it. But if the Judaism we transmit is primarily about the people who hate us, we will have given those people far too much power. Our children need to know not only what Jews have suffered, but what Jews love. They should see us proud to be Jewish, proud of our traditions, deeply connected to our fellow Jews and unashamed of our bond with Israel. They should see that Judaism is not something we retreat into when the world is frightening, nor something we hide when being Jewish becomes uncomfortable. It is a source of meaning, community, responsibility and joy. Perhaps that is one of Rosh Hashanah’s great questions for 5787: Will the next generation see in us a Judaism worth inheriting? The answer will depend, in no small measure, on the Judaism they see us living today. May the answer be a resounding yes. Rabbi Mark Zimmerman is the Rabbi Emeritus for Congregation Beth Shalom.

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HIGH HOLIDAYS

Ballard Announces New Clergy Training Model By Marcia Caller Jaffe Atlantan Debbi Ballard has spent more than 25 years as an ordained cantor, rabbi, and interfaith minister, serving unaffiliated and interfaith Jewish families across South Florida and beyond. (This writer attended a bar mitzvah in January in Del Ray Beach, Fla., when up popped Cantor Ballard at the boutique hotel’s tent service.) Ballard has announced the formation of AISLE, the Academy of Independent Spiritual Leaders and Educators, to train clergy who can multiply her mission of rabbis and cantors trained not just with liturgy and text, but also with the flexibility, business skills, and lived understanding to meet families exactly where they are, “without asking them to first prove that they belong,” Ballard added. The seed of her work was planted at age 13. Ballard grew up in a family where her only Jewish role models were parents and grandparents. At her Conservative synagogue, she found that girls were relegated to Friday night bat mitz-

Cantor Debbi Ballard performs more than 100 Jewish events a year.

vah ceremonies, while boys got Saturday mornings. She became the first female in her congregation to break that pattern

and claim a Saturday morning bat mitzvah with the help of her rabbi. She calls that as her first act of “holy disruption.”

It would not be her last. Another turning point came in 1987, when she married a man who wasn’t Jew-

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Ballard wants to train others in her model of acceptance and individuality.

ish. She labels the experience as “painful” as the rabbi who married them, according to her, “cared more about his fee than how we would live our lives. My parents refused to attend my wedding, and we were forced to figure out life as an interfaith couple completely on our own. We did the best we could, and our children were raised as Jews. I learned so much from that experience that nobody else teaches. I vowed to teach others the same.” Through those life experiences, Ballard observed some of the basic reasons so many Jews are unaffiliated. “A congregation of many must have rules for the many. But families wanted something more – personalization, and a congregation is not prepared to offer that. As a board member and lay leader in my own Reform synagogue in Weston, Fla.,

I watched nearly 80 percent of the Jewish families around me live exactly that story.” Nationally, Pew Research found only about one-third of Jewish adults are synagogue members or live with one, and roughly two-thirds have no formal congregational home. She continued, “That’s not fringe. That’s the majority of American Jewish life, priced and structured out of the institutions built to serve it.” Her new AISLE Zoom program runs 18 months with a weekly rhythm of content, live cohort sessions, and assignments. Six students participated in the first cohort. Every student works with Ballard directly as a primary mentor, paired with a second mentor chosen for their specific track (rabbinical or cantorial). Tuition is $1,800. AISLE ordination isn’t a state-accredited license, no independent clergy program’s is, but it carries the same weight within the independent clergy community that has let Ballard serve for more than two decades. Ballard was ordained in 2004 by the Rabbinic Seminary International, a private Beit Din of rabbis and cantors. An example of support cohorts learn is how to deal with grief. “Knowing not just how to hold space for loss, but how to hold it in a Jewish framework is something AISLE trains directly and that one cannot learn from a search engine.” Her own practice stays busy, over 100 events a year: roughly 50 b’not mitzvahs, 30 weddings (local and destination), and 20-plus babynamings and funerals. That volume is exactly why she built this format. “AISLE isn’t theoretical. Everything I teach comes from a calendar as full as the one my students hope to build for themselves,” she explained. When she’s not officiating or teaching, Ballard can be found on her e-bike or hiking through the Georgia mountains. ì

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HIGH HOLIDAYS

Rabbi’s New Book Asks Us to Face Spiritual Reality By Bob Bahr At the outset of his book launch at Congregation Etz Chaim, Rabbi Shalom Lewis used his well-honed sense of humor. Gazing out into the 200 or so casually dressed congregants who had filled the sanctuary on a stiflingly hot Sunday afternoon, the more formally attired rabbi felt overdressed. So many of those in attendance he observed were wearing comfortable clothing that, next time, he, too, would pull out a pair of shorts. It was a lighthearted touch for the event, this reference to accommodation and acceptance, that seems to fill the rabbi’s new book, entitled, “Faith Without The Leap.” It may be stretching a point, but this 373-page compilation of his writings over the past 50 years is a thoughtful argument for the importance of coming to terms with the realities of our spiritual beliefs. As he told his audience that afternoon, the title of his book implies that faith is not derived from a leap that forces you, blindly, to do one thing or another; faith has to come from a deeper place.

“Faith Without The Leap,” by Rabbi Shalom Lewis, advocates a Jewish belief in G-d as an omnipotent observer not as an active force in everyday life.

Which is perhaps a challenge that perhaps many examine during this holiday season, which stresses the importance of taking responsibility for how we come to terms with the life of the spirit. For Rabbi Lewis that insight into

faith and belief came early. As he recalls it, he was walking with his father, who was also a distinguished rabbi, to the Kol Nidre service on Yom Kippur at Temple Beth Shalom near their home in Haddon Heights, N.J. He noticed, as they walked,

that his father was silent and deep in thought. When he questioned his father about what he was thinking, the elder Rabbi Lewis said that he believed the Master of the Universe, as he put it, was deciding on his destiny as well as mil-

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HIGH HOLIDAYS

L’ SHANAH

Rabbi Shalom Lewis (right) discussed his book with Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, who succeeded him as Senior Rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim.

lions of others, who would live and who would die. His son, a teenager at the time, said he wasn’t worried, he didn’t believe G-d was determining his fate, and he advised his father that what he should really worry about was whether the congregation liked his holiday sermon. It’s a theme that he has held through his long life and during the 40 years he served as Congregation Etz Chaim’s senior rabbi. It is clearly articulated in the new book where he describes himself as a proud deist. He says he believes in G-d, his omnipotence and his omnipresence but he sees G-d as an observer, not an intruder in our life. And he believes that the world has been created despite what some believe as G-d’s guiding hand. Even the sacred Torah scroll that we unroll so reverently on these High Holidays was written, he believes, by the hands of men. G-d may have given us the inspiration, he concedes, or the values that are taught but as he put it, “he doesn’t poof appear in front of us and cause all these miraculous events to occur.” He admits that we also have a world that was built by the great minds of hu-

manity, who were grounded by their belief in a logical, reasonable world that doesn’t demand that we take a leap of faith to transform society. In support of this view, he didn’t mince words during the Sunday afternoon book launch. He said he knows many people who are bright, who are scientists or doctors, well educated and well read who, when they “walk into certain shuls, they lock up their brains in the cloakroom and when they finish davening, they pick up their brains and go home.” But this book is not just a personal statement of belief, it is a work filled with the rich insights and thoughts fathered from a lifetime of reflection and practice. Like his father, who spent his life in a single congregation and rose to the presidency of Conservative Judaism’s Rabbinical Assembly, Shalom Lewis in his decades as the senior rabbi of his synagogue in East Cobb and now in retirement, has been a strong and outspoken advocate for all that is meaningful in Judaism and in the Jewish world. His book, as he points out, is to provide an answer for so many who want to believe in something that makes sense. ì

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HIGH HOLIDAYS

Dunwoody Minyan Welcomes Rabbi Kogan as 1st Rabbi Dunwoody Minyan has welcomed Rabbi Ilan Kogan as its first rabbi, adding dedicated rabbinic leadership to the layfounded Jewish community that began meeting in 2022. Rabbi Kogan began serving Aug. 1. He will lead biweekly Shabbat services, teach, offer rabbinic guidance and support, and work with lay leaders on programming and outreach. His appointment marks an important step as Dunwoody Minyan seeks to deepen participation and create more opportunities for Jewish life in Dunwoody. “Welcoming our first rabbi turns a long-held hope into a real next step for Dunwoody Minyan,” said David Lubin, president of Dunwoody Minyan. “Rabbi Kogan brings deep knowledge of Torah, Jewish practice, and tradition, along with a thoughtful, modern approach that remains grounded in Orthodox tradition. Just as important, he listens, understands people, and wants everyone to find a way to take part.” Rabbi Kogan was recently ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, whose rabbinic program combines the study of Torah and Halacha with intellectual openness, sensitivity to individual needs, and engagement

Dunwoody Minyan has welcomed Rabbi Ilan Kogan as the congregation’s first rabbi.

with contemporary life. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Queens College and is completing a master’s degree in applied psychology at Northeastern University. He has also joined the High School Judaic Studies faculty at Atlanta Jewish Academy. “What drew me to Dunwoody Minyan was the opportunity to build alongside people who created this community from the ground up,” Rabbi Kogan said. “I want to help connect Torah and Jewish practice to the lives people are living today while honoring the traditions that give those prac-

tices depth. I’m looking forward to listening, teaching, hosting, and helping each person find a way to contribute.” Dunwoody Minyan holds Shabbat morning services every other week at 9:30 a.m. at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. Services are followed by kiddush, with childcare and Tot Shabbat available. Rabbi Kogan will also help lead Dunwoody Minyan’s Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the Orkin Room at the MJCCA, 5342 Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody. Services are open to the community, with

childcare and children’s programming during daytime services. The schedule includes: Rosh Hashanah Day 1: Saturday, Sept. 12, beginning at 9:15 a.m. Rosh Hashanah Day 2: Sunday, Sept. 13, beginning at 9:15 a.m., with the shofar at 11 a.m. Kol Nidre: Sunday, Sept. 20, at 7:20 p.m. Yom Kippur: Monday, Sept. 21, beginning at 9:15 a.m., with Yizkor at 11:45 a.m., Mincha at 5:15 p.m., and Neilah at 6:30 p.m. The complete schedule and registration are available at https://dunwoodyminyan.shulcloud.com. Dunwoody Minyan is a nonprofit Modern Orthodox Jewish community serving Dunwoody and the greater Atlanta area. Founded in 2022, it helps individuals and families participate in Jewish life close to home through prayer, Torah learning, children’s programming, and community gatherings. Dunwoody Minyan holds biweekly Shabbat morning services and offers High Holiday services and other programs throughout the year. ì Compiled by AJT Staff

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HIGH HOLIDAYS

Shalom b’Harim Guest Leaders for High Holidays High Holidays services for Shalom b’Harim, the Jewish community of the North Georgia Mountains, will be led by two experienced guest spiritual leaders from Florida – Rabbi Trienah Anne Meyers and Cantorial Soloist Dr. David Goldblatt. The congregation is searching for a new spiritual leader following the recent departure of Rabbi Matan Peled, who accepted a pulpit in Massachusetts. Rabbi Meyers has been deeply involved in synagogue leadership and communal life for more than 40 years. She recently was ordained as a rabbi in a nontraditional program that provided her with exposure and learning regarding diverse Jewish pathways. She serves as co-president of Temple Beth-El in Ormond Beach and previously served as president approximately 10 years ago. She previously served congregations in New Mexico and Massachusetts. She holds a law degree and spent many years as a felony and death penalty public defender and advocate. She works for a nonprofit recovery community organization as part of its outreach team, primar-

Rabbi Trienah Anne Meyers and Cantorial Soloist Dr. David Goldblatt will lead the High Holiday services.

ily serving the unhoused community. Goldblatt is an adjunct piano instructor at Bethune-Cookman University and an instructor of music and accompanist at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach. He also serves as a cantorial solo-

ist and accompanist at Temple Beth-El in Ormond Beach, as well as the music director and accompanist at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ormond Beach. Goldblatt’s previous High Holiday pulpits include temples in Hattiesburg

and Natchez, Miss.; and Gainesville, Fla.; and as well as at Hillel at the University of Florida. He is a versatile musician with experience as an accompanist, violist, folk guitarist and vocalist. Shalom b’Harim will offer Rosh Hashanah services at 10 a.m., Sept. 12, a Yom Kippur evening/Kol Nidre service at 7 p.m. Sept. 20, and a Yom Kippur morning/Yizkor service at 10 a.m., Sept. 21. All services take place at Unity of Gainesville, 3415 Stancil Road in Gainesville. Ticket information can be found at shalombharim.org. The synagogue presents Friday evening and/or Saturday morning services as well as High Holidays services and an annual Passover Seder. It is oriented toward Reform/Conservative worship. It is committed to Tikkun Olam activities, including an ongoing partnership with Georgia Mountain Food Bank. More information about Shalom b’Harim is available at shalombharim.org and on its Facebook page. ì Compiled by AJT Staff

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ARTS & CULTURE From Engineering Blueprints to Gourds By Marcia Caller Jaffe Multi-talented Marina Zalmanova has her palette in a lot of different creative outlets — designing weekly Shabbos greetings, serving as her father’s muse; Yakov Ayzengart was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times, May 13, 2026, with his elaborate toothpick art — as well as her own out-of-the-box ceramic, mosaic, natural and found art compositions. Zalmanova remembers the day she arrived in the U.S. on her 28th birthday in 1991. She had left Kishinev, Moldova, then part of the crumbling Soviet Union, carrying a degree in civil engineering and a lifelong love of crafting things with her hands. Three decades later, that love has grown into a sprawling, self-taught art practice built almost entirely from materials other people throw away. Her creative instincts trace back to childhood, nurtured by talented parents and teachers. “I had good examples and followed their footsteps,” she said about her parents, both engineers who spent

Marina created this bar mitzvah paper cake.

Zalmanova is fascinated by pumpkins and gourds.

This Styrofoam central piece is an example of Marina’s found art creations.

their free time building furniture and sewing clothing. She eschewed formal art instruction. Her strengths ran toward math and science, applying geometry to nearly every piece.

Zalmanova’s list of materials reads like an inventory from a recycling center: cardboard, plastic, glass bottles and shards, fabric scraps, metal pieces, aluminum foil, bottle corks, Styrofoam,

seeds, and tree branches. Out of these, she builds banners and centerpieces for weddings, b’not mitzvahs, anniversaries, birthdays, births, and graduation milestones.

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ARTS & CULTURE

120 YEARS STRONG. AS ONE. During the High Holidays, we reflect on the year behind us and look ahead with hope and purpose. Your generosity strengthens Jewish life in Atlanta, in Israel, and around the world—building safety, resilience, and connection for today and the future. For more than 15 years, Marina Zalmanova has painted pumpkins for the school where she is employed in visual arts support for the classroom, tying each design to that year’s reading theme.

Her process is methodical, a holdover from her engineering training. For large-scale pieces, she first drafts a paper template at full one-to-one scale before transferring the design to the medium. Styrofoam is carved with a wood-burning tool, then finished with acrylic paint. Names, dates, favorite colors, and personal themes get woven into each piece. Her range extends into scrapbooking, polymer clay projects, and mosaics built from glass, plastic, and ceramic fragments. And there’s a fascination with gourds. She explained, “It’s amazing how many things can be created out of them. I apply the paint, carve with a wood-burning technique, or combination of all for the finest result.” Some come from a farm in North Georgia; others are grown and gifted by friends. For more than 15 years, Zalmanova has painted pumpkins for the school where she is employed in visual arts support for the classroom, tying each design to that year’s reading theme. “I am trying to incorporate the annual theme to encourage children to read,” she explained. Her contributions there extend well beyond pumpkins — poster boards, book covers, banners, and hallway displays meant to make learning more engaging for students. For these, she often pulls images from online sources, reshaping, reformatting, and combining them into something new. “I am using the same approach for my 3D cards,” she added. Her cardmaking venture began 20 years ago, when Zalmanova started de-

signing three-dimensional greeting cards for all occasions. Customizable and personalized to each client’s request, the cards have become unexpectedly popular and remain in demand today. One project stands out for the time it demanded. Inspired by reading Patricia Polacco’s, “The Keeping Quilt,” with her son, Zalmanova set out to make her own family quilt, stitching in names and photographs of immediate relatives. The piece took more than a year to finish. Later, when Polacco visited Atlanta, the two met and were photographed together with the quilt, a full-circle moment for a project from a bedtime story. Outside of the studio, Zalmanova seeks inspiration in the outdoors. “The beauty of nature gives me strength and inspiration,” she said. “When I am working indoors, I like to listen to podcasts, lectures, and classes offered by various rabbis.” She’s a regular visitor to art museums, galleries, and festivals, gravitating toward direct conversations with artists, then supplementing that with technique tutorials found online. She counts herself fortunate to have toured major art museums across Russia, Europe, and domestically. Looking back on a path that began in a Soviet engineering classroom and now spanning quilts, gourds, mosaics, and pumpkins, Zalmanova holds her talents high. “Art is a big part of my life, and I am blessed to have it. I hope to be able to continue with my art and find creative niches where no one else is looking.” ì

Every gift helps care for neighbors in need, strengthen Jewish education, protect our community, and support Israel and Jews around the world. Make your gift today and help build a stronger Jewish future. Wishing you and your loved ones meaningful High Holidays, Your friends at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta & Atlanta Jewish Foundation

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 75

ARTS & CULTURE

‘The Odyssey’ is About Our Future By Bob Bahr This summer, if you wanted to see “The Odyssey” locally in all its full screen IMAX glory, you probably had to make a reservation well in advance, pay nearly $40 for ticket and trek up I-85 to the Regal Theater at The Mall of Georgia. What greeted you was a film that for sheer picture and sound quality has few equals in the hundred-year history of sound film. But, if you were looking for a lesson in the complexities of Greek mythology or of an exploration of Homer’s poetic structure or philosophy, forget it. For those who came to see it here in one of only 25 theaters across the country, as the director, Christopher Nolan, intended it to be seen, it was a mesmerizing visual work. Sitting only a few rows back from the IMAX screen in Duluth that covers an entire towering wall at the Regal 20, you can feel the distinct sensation that you were about to be swallowed whole by the visual experience. Forget about Homer’s epic literary tale, this is pictorial extravaganza on a

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is the first feature film to be shot entirely as an IMAX production.

scale rarely equaled and a timely reminder of how contemporary society is shifting from a written to a visual culture. It’s a shift, not unlike the one Jacob Wright recounted three years ago in his best seller, “Why The Bible Began.” For

Shana Tova Wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful year. From our homes to yours, National Council of Jewish Women, Atlanta Section Susie Greenberg and Laura Kurlander Nagel - Co Presidents 76 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Wright, who is professor of Hebrew Bible at Emory’s Candler School of Theology, and its sole Jewish faculty member, the transformation of a culture in Israel from one grounded in the many strands of an oral tradition to one built on an edited and accepted written text was an immense step forward in the evolution of Jewish thought. Hebrew, as he recounts it, didn’t come into being as a fully written language until the late ninth or early eighth century B.C.E. There began a shift in both the history of Biblical Israel and how our collective experience as Jews was transmitted from one generation to the next. A text, as Wright describes it, is a written record that demands to be studied and questioned. It’s an active experience of interpretation that’s quite unlike how stories had previously been told and retold over a glass of wine or in the afternoon shade of an olive grove. At the same time, less than 800 miles away in Athens and the Greek city-states, the age of what were called the rhapsodists, performers of classic Greek poetry, such as Homer’s “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” were coming to an end. In its place, as Wright points out, is a text that begs to be studied, broken down, parsed out and questioned, just like The Torah. It’s as different as seeing a performance of Shakespeare and reading that same play in a classroom where you examine each page and look at the notes and commentaries. Of course, the Hebrew Bible gives only an outline of a story or an encounter with the Divine. Over the centuries, Jews have interpreted the bare words of the text with midrash, giving the written word a change in emphasis and impor-

Emory professor Jacob Wright, who authored “Why The Bible Began,” believes the development of more literate societies led to both the written “Odyssey” and the written Torah.

tance when it’s seen in the light of contemporary life. “The Odyssey” is no less an exciting adventure of homecoming than the story of Abraham in the Book of Genesis. But it’s no matter to those who have crowded into IMAX theaters to be engulfed in the giant screen experience like the one in Duluth where the walls shake with 12 tracks of relentless audio. Those whose knowledge of film history goes back to the mid-20th century will recognize that we were once enthralled by films that were created in large screen technology that went by various trade names like Cinerama, ToddAO, VistaVision and Cinemascope. What is different today is that the IMAX experience of films like “The Odyssey” has arrived at a time when literacy itself is questioned. Filmgoers in the 1950s had only black and white television as an alternative that flickered to life on 17- and 21-inch screens. Today, we are consumed by endless loops of visual media that are churned out with the help of artificial intelligence, often with just a few keystrokes and a mouse click. And this is only the beginning. Such vast technological enterprises as Microsoft, Meta, and Oracle have literally staked their existence with immense bets that our future will be determined not by what we read in a book or even on a tightly wound parchment scroll but on a brightly lit electronic screen that prizes images over words. It’s a shift that Jacob Wright both fears and recognizes. The world he described by a shift in consciousness more than 2,500 years ago is not unlike the explosive changes he recognizes today. The future is now. ì

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DINING Clark’s Bets Big on Velvet and Volume By Marcia Caller Jaffe New-ish Clark’s Steakhouse serves Southern fare rooted in French technique, Texas-inspired fire, and Buckhead polish. It works because it’s a slice of nostalgia, country clubby, refined, but still sassy. What stands out is on the grill, in the room, and in the glass. On a Wednesday night at 6 p.m., the dining room of 170 plus 30 at the central bar was brimming with full tables, end of workday deals in the making, and dates portending romance. Enter and note the deep red velvet upholstery wrapping the booths and banquettes, glowing under low light, with the elongated bar dead-center in the dining room. Everything else radiates outward. The effect is theatrical. It’s also loud, conversation across the table takes some effort as the room fills. After an Old Fashioned ($22) arrived smoking (literally), tableside theater that fit the room, we ordered an $18 glass of Argentinian Malbec, poured into a “bowllike glass,” oversized in the context of

The Branzino was topped with green chimichurri sauce // Photo Credit: Angie Webb

drama. When we mentioned it, the server swapped it out “pronto.” The servers move with the confidence of folks who’ve

done this before. They walk through details and processes in a rehearsed routine, part-hospitality, part-performance, but not intrusive. For those who care about beef, cattle, and the like, the server hailed from Nebraska and knew all about marbling, “wet” vs. “dry” aging exposures used to tenderize and develop flavor. “Not for us,” we said. “Seafood all the way.” No problem. This is a far cry from Rich Clark’s other Atlanta venture, C&S Oyster Bar, where the vibe is more neighborhood seafood than red-velvet spectacle. For 18 years, Clark has built a reputation on seafood across three C&S locations, selfdescribed as a “Southern classic guy” with an appetite for fine dining with this added energy. Clark’s Steakhouse, which opened this past spring next to Fellini’s on Peachtree Road in a red brick office building, is his answer, drawing inspiration from comps in New York and Charleston. Even the bathrooms get the treatment: sleek, marble-toned surfaces on all sides. The sink fixtures took a moment to figure out how to “wave in” the water. So how do non-meat eaters navigate a steakhouse? Very well, thank you. What we sampled: • Tuna Tartare ($28), served over avocado with a soy-mirin sauce, was wellbalanced with the purply cubes high atop the green base; even better as leftovers. • The Caesar salad ($18) came laced with extra white anchovies, maybe a small thing, but hard to find, where most

78 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The rich red velvet interior is warm and inviting // Photo Credit: Andy Lee

Caesars go light or skip the fish. • The Chopped Salad ($18) was large enough to share, built around a blackeyed pea puree and feta for a Southern twist on a staple. • Chilean Sea Bass over Succotash ($56) and the Blackened Red Snapper ($55), ordered “86” without the crab meat topping, both leaned into Clark’s seafood pedigree. The Whole Branzino with chimichurri ($48) came alongside a side of spinach that stayed bright green and a side of the house pomme purée, creamy rich. Portions were not skimpy. Dessert was a spectacle: a hulking chunk of chocolate cake, easily enough for four. The real find was buried inside, the German chocolate filling, nutty and coconutty that outshined the surrounding cake. Dinner at Clark’s is not inexpensive, but portions are generous and the service well-timed. Buckhead has its share of pricey dining, but with a fish list this deep, Clark’s is playing a different game. It may be exactly where the C&S instincts make their strongest case. The Policy private dining room accommodates up to 18 seated guests for lunch (Mon-Sun): $1,000 minimum; dinner (Mon-Sun): $2,000 minimum. Clark’s is located at 2827 Peachtree Road. For more information, call 404343-1831. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Dinner is served from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.; and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Chai Style Home

Gary Alembik visits mom, Judy, often. Both are pictured in her living room, centered by part of Wolverine’s “Candler Park” series // All photos by Howard Mendel

Mother, Son — Barristers, Collectors

W h e n L’ dor V’ dor comes to mind, imagine a Steve Wo l ve r i n e painting. Mom, Judy Alembik’s, fireplace showstopping, “Wolverine”; and Marcia Gary’s horizonCaller Jaffe tal landscape, “Moose,” gets full sway in his breakfast nook. On a grander scale, Gary’s citified chic contrasts Judy’s lush suburban setting. Both homes fit a lifestyle, inside and out, in compelling vignette compositions, channeled from Gary’s previous iteration as founder of Aliya Gallery. Gary stated, “Most of my art collection is made up of regional artists whose work I first discovered through my ownership of Aliya. I’ve always been drawn to art that tells a story and sparks an emotional connection. I don’t collect art as an investment or worry about whether an artist will become well known. Instead, I choose artwork I want to live with — pieces that feel personal, lasting, thoughtprovoking and full of imagination.”

Judy swims in her elongated pool behind a house of memories proclaiming Gary to be “the self-taught taste maker.” Judy was a practicing family law attorney (while raising a family) in the mid-1970s, when few women entered the legal profession in family law. Along with late husband, law partner, Aaron, they traveled to all seven continents. Recently, she made headlines for significant philanthropic gifts to local Jewish organizations towards education and mental health. Gary practiced law for 38 years and served as both a magistrate and judicial officer in the Fulton County Family Division. He now devotes his practice to mediation and arbitration and serves as a guardian ad litem. Gary’s community service includes serving on the Board of Jewish Family & Career Services, Advisory Board of Open Hand, and as past president of Ahavath Achim Synagogue. Compelling, influenced, even a little “trippy” … take a tour of these estates of grace. Marcia: Do you have favorite pieces? Gary: I can’t say I have just one favorite because different works speak to me in different ways. Steve Wolverine’s landscape, “Moose,” is a wonderful ex-

ample. It is simple, serene and calming. Every time I look at it, I imagine moose quietly grazing in the background. The Lamar Smith painting in my main living area continually draws me in because it’s filled with Jewish symbolism and discoveries that reveal themselves over time, evoking a seven-branched menorah, the Akedah, Adam and Eve, a rabbi-like figure guiding a sacred tent, and Jacob’s Ladder rising into the sky with angelic figures ascending. I’m also captivated by Duy Huynh’s landscape of a graceful, introspective woman carrying a book through a lush meadow surrounded by peacocks. It has a serene, dreamlike quality. Judy: One of my favorite works, the Steve Wolverine landscape, beckons to settling in, wrapping in a blanket and lingering beneath the shady trees. Much of our artwork was purchased through Gary’s gallery. Marcia: Tell us about Aliya Gallery. Gary: When I opened it, I was fresh out of law school and had no formal background in art. My business partner, Steve, came from an accounting background. Neither of us had art degrees, but we shared a deep appreciation for art and

believed in its power to move people. At the time, I lived in the Virginia-Highland/ Morningside neighborhood and opened the gallery across the street from two popular restaurants, Partners and Indigo. There was often a wait for tables, so we stayed open late into the evening, welcoming people who wandered in while waiting for dinner. Many weren’t expecting to encounter art, yet found themselves captivated by a painting, a sculpture, or a conversation. Ironically, our very first customer was an out-of-state rabbi, which felt meaningful considering the name. “Aliya,” Hebrew word for “ascent” or “going up,” referring to being called to the Torah and to spiritual elevation. For us, the name expressed what art can do, lifting spirits, elevating spaces, deepening understanding and inviting joy and reflection. Opening a gallery didn’t require enormous capital because much of the artwork was on consignment. What it did require was passion, curiosity and relationships. Before opening, I spent months traveling to art shows and visiting artists’ studios, searching for work that spoke to us. Judy: We loved Aliya Gallery with Gary’s growing from the belief that art ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 79

CHAI STYLE has the power to transform both people and places. A meaningful piece can change a room, provoke thought, inspire conversation and bring lasting beauty into everyday life. It can bring warmth to a living space, energy to a hallway, peace to a bedroom or soul to an entire home. Surrounding yourself with art is deeply therapeutic. It reminds us of who we are, what we value, and what moves us. Marcia: What mood did you hope to create? Gary: I wanted my tri-level townhouse to feel like a series of intimate vignettes, personal spaces that invite people to pause, look closely and dream. The landscapes are meant to capture the imagination, while the figurative and whimsical works tell stories and create moments of surprise. One particularly meaningful work is a collage photograph of the great Russian dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky, capturing a striking sense of androgynous beauty and tender vulnerability. I designed the home to showcase artwork collected over the years. Function has always been secondary. Creating a space that feels personal, sparks curiosity and is alive with stories is my priority. Marcia: Describe your home’s color palette. Gary: Warm, organic. The walls are white with a subtle pink undertone that gives soft luminosity. I’m especially drawn to mossy greens and earthy tones, grounded, natural and calming. In the guest bedroom, the palette becomes richer, with autumn-inspired colors that bring warmth and seasonal beauty. Overall, I wanted the colors to create an inviting, comfortable atmosphere while allowing the artwork to remain the focal point. Marcia: Who has the last word? Judy: The dogs! They rule the households. My Angel and Gary’s goldendoodle, Bennie. Just don’t put them in the same room at the same time. ì

Above: Lamar Smith’s provocative “Capture” is pictured alongside a wooden angel Gary found “retail” in Roswell. Right: Judy’s shaded pool is best used for laps. Bottom: Gary’s main level expanse boasts an androgynous looking collage photograph of the great Russian dancer, Nijinsky.

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Top Left: Judy’s front entrance welcomes with a koi pond and frog fountain. Top Right: Gary’s dining area features Wolverine’s “Moose,” with a strong sense of mood, scale and visual presence behind a wooden antelope by Dan Meyer. Bottom Right: Gary describes his tangerine hued guest room as autumnal and seasonal. Bottom Left: Gary and goldendoodle Bennie pose in front of Lamar Smith’s dreamlike painting of Jewish symbolism, a seven-branched menorah, the Akedah, Adam and Eve and Jacob’s Ladder.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 81

CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 1-14 Wednesday, September 2 JCRC Quarterly Community Council –

Tuesday, September 1 Storybook Sensory Play – 10 to 10:45 a.m. Children will go on an interactive literacy adventure with Here We Grow where books come alive through creative play. Activities will be designed to spark imagination through sensory play activities centered around classic children’s books. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/yvtczmf7.

Daily Shofar Blasts – 11 to 11:15 a.m. The blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn, is an important part of the Jewish High Holiday season. There is a special tradition of blowing the shofar in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah to remind us to “wake up,” reflect on the past year, and begin the spiritual preparation for the High Holiday season. All are invited to listen to the shofar in the main lobby and Brill Family Fitness Center. Learn more at https:// tinyurl.com/2p9p398y.

8:30 to 10 a.m. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta (JCRC) will hold its quarterly Community Council. The gathering will bring together representatives from Jewish organizations across Atlanta, along with interested community members. All interested community members and partner organizations are encouraged to attend. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3fbuu46d.

JAccess Synagogue Inclusion Committee Network Kickoff – 9 to 10 a.m. Are you ready to build a truly welcoming synagogue community? Join the kickoff of the JAccess Synagogue Inclusion Committee Network Kickoff for synagogue professionals and volunteers committed to disability inclusion across Jewish Atlanta. Together, we focus on identifying and removing barriers so everyone can fully participate in Jewish life. Through interactive trainings, expert speakers, and resource-based sessions, you’ll gain practical tools to create access, dignity, and belonging in your synagogue. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4daf3pmv.

Saturday, September 5 Israel Guide Dog Program – 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for a talk from a former IDF soldier injured in 2013 in Gaza, about his life and his guide dog. In 2013, as a 22-year-old officer in an elite commando unit of the IDF, Achiya led his men on a mission to destroy a terrorist tunnel outside of Gaza. During the mission, an improvised explosive device was detonated killing four terrorists and severely wounding Achiya robbing him of his vision. Achiya partnered with his first guide dog in 2015. Due to the nature of the discussion, this is a 13 and over program. Register at https://tinyurl. com/7w2mkx5p.

Music and Play – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Let’s

ing series for families with children ages 0–3ish. Parenting little ones can feel joyful, exhausting, meaningful, and overwhelming — all at the same time. Join us for a thoughtful and practical series designed to help parents navigate the early years with more confidence, connection, and support, featuring parenting coach Jessica Dickson. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/5end3ksp.

BeWell Program with Rabbi Claudio Kaiser Blueth and Judy Spira – 7:30 to 9 p.m. Join us for an evening at The Dupree as BeWell (JF&CS) and the Dupree host a three-part series on renewing relationships. The first session will focus on renewing relationships with adult children and pair a licensed clinician with a rabbi, highlighting the unique challenges while providing powerful and informed insights through a Jewish lens. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ya5n279a. 82 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Thursday, September 3 Live with Naama and the Joe Alterman Trio - 7 p.m. In this program by Neranenah of travel-inspired songs, vocalist Naama invites audiences on a musical journey through the emotions of the road. From the excitement of departure to the quiet moments of longing that arise far from home, the music captures the anticipation, wonder, and vulnerability that come with exploring the world. Through beloved songs and intimate storytelling, each piece becomes a small destination along the way. She’ll be accompanied by Joe and his talented trio. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/55nzmjh2.

to 5:30 p.m. We sure hope you’ll join us Shabbat afternoon for our Summer Popsicles & Parsha in the Park — right on the OHT Playground! Join Congregation Ohr HaTorah for Torah, trivia, popsicles, snacks and fun! Find out more at https:// tinyurl.com/4udctpcr.

Selichot on the Silver Screen – 6:30 to

Friday, September 4 Parenting with Heart and Chutzpah – 7:15 to 9 p.m. A three-part parent coach-

Popsicles and Parsha in the Park - 4:30

spark joy and curiosity through the magic of music and play! Jumpstart your morning with an upbeat, interactive music and movement class led by Here We Grow, where little ones can dance, wiggle, and sing their hearts out. Afterward, Nurture invites children into a world of themed sensory play and hands-on adventures — perfect for curious minds and messy fingers. Come ready to move, create, and make memories together! This program is in partnership with JBaby. Register at https://tinyurl.com/47h2svez.

8:30 p.m. Join The Temple and ATL Jewish Film as we prepare our hearts for the High Holy Days through film, conversation, and prayer as we explore forgiveness and the power of second chances. The evening begins with a community dinner (registration required) and a screening of Israeli filmmaker Ifat Nener Orgad’s acclaimed short film “We Have Sinned Before You,” an official selection of the 2025 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. After the film, a panel discussion with Temple clergy and Dr. Hazel Gold, Past-AJFF Film Evaluation Committee Co-Chair and Associate Professor at Emory University, will explore its themes and their connection to the season of teshuvah. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2h56yjpr.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at:

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events three to four weeks in advance. Contact Diana Cole for more information at Diana@atljewishtimes.com.

Atlanta Jewish Times Community Events: CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES Torah Reading: Nitzavim-Vayelech

Sunday, October 18

Friday, September 4: Light Shabbat Candles: 7:40 PM

2026 Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival – 12 to 4 p.m. Our Festival is centered around a Ko-

Saturday, September 5: Shabbat Ends: 8:35 PM

sher BBQ Competition where approximately 25 teams compete in kosher Brisket, Beef Ribs, Chicken, and Chili categories. We have a large Vendor Village, children’s activities, music, silent auction, and of course, BBQ. The Atlanta Kashruth Commission supervises the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival. Because we are fully compliant with their kosher food handling requirements, all spectrums of the Jewish community can participate, plus, because it is BBQ, the entire Atlanta community joins us as well. This ultimately makes us the most diversly attended food event in Georgia. There will be something for everyone, rain or shine. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/yjjmapk8.

Rosh Hashanah Friday, September 11: Light Shabbat / Holiday Candles: 7:31 PM Saturday, September 12: Light Holiday Candles after 8:25 PM from a pre-existing flame Sunday, September 13: Holiday Ends: 8:23 PM

High Holidays at Congregation Dor Tamid – 7 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for Selichot. There will be a Communal Gathering and Teaching with Cantor Barbara Margulis, plus a service. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2crfcrrd.

Sunday, September 6 Walk the Oracolor Wheel: Torah in Color – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Inspired by the Tree of Life, an ancient Jewish map of the soul, the Wheel organizes these experiences into pathways that move from challenge toward alignment. As the High Holidays approach, this walking experience offers a powerful way to engage in teshuvah. Participants move through the Oracolor Wheel, noticing where they are and where they feel called to shift. Rooted in Jewish wisdom, it creates a shared experience of reflection and renewal. Join Temple Beth Tikvah by RSVPing at https://tinyurl.com/5dtksb4k.

Tuesday, September 8

Sunday, January 31, 2027

Storybook Sensory Play – 10 to 10:45 a.m.

Atlanta Jewish Life Festival – 12 to 4 p.m. Come celebrate the vibrant Jewish culture

Children will go on an interactive literacy adventure with Here We Grow where books come alive through creative play. Activities will be designed to spark imagination through sensory play activities centered around classic children’s books. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/yvtczmf7.

and community at the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival! This in-person event is jam-packed with food, music, and activities for all ages. Whether you’re looking to connect, learn, or just have a great time, this festival is the place to be. Everyone’s welcome — bring your friends and family for a day full of fun and celebration! Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl. com/433h78ad.

Parenting with Heart and Chutzpah – 7:15 to 9 p.m. A three-part parent coach-

Harlan Coben, Plot Twist – 7:30 p.m.

ing series for families with children ages 0–3ish. Parenting little ones can feel joyful, exhausting, meaningful, and overwhelming — all at the same time. Join us for a thoughtful and practical series designed to help parents navigate the early years with more confidence, connection, and support, featuring parenting coach Jessica Dickson. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/4yn975yx.

Labor Day Family Service Day – 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Volunteer with the Mitzvah House to prepare meals for families in the community. All materials provided. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/38vk4yed.

Wednesday, September 9 Lunch and Learn: Stepping Up to Preserve Democracy – 12 to 1:30 p.m. Learn more from our partner organizations about protecting democracy and promoting voting. NCJW Atlanta will focus on concrete ways you can take action! Please bring your own lunch – drinks and dessert will be provided. RSVP at https:// tinyurl.com/upeesa26.

The Helen Marie Stern Citywide Challah Bake - 7 to 9 p.m. Celebrate the Mahj & Nosh: Rosh Hashanah – 7:30 to

Monday, September 7

Thursday, September 10

9 p.m. Celebrate the start of a sweet new year with an evening just for moms! Join PJ Library for a cozy night of Mahjong, delicious bites, and great conversation as we welcome Rosh Hashanah together. Whether you’re a seasoned player or still learning the game, come connect with other moms, enjoy festive Rosh Hashanah treats, and take a little time for yourself before the busy holiday season begins. Bring your Mahjong card and get ready for a fun evening of Mahj and noshing! RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3srpsk78.

beauty and tradition of Rosh Hashanah at the Helen Marie Stern Citywide Challah Bake, presented by Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta. Join women from across the Atlanta Jewish community for an inspiring evening of connection, creativity, and Jewish tradition as you prepare two delicious challahs to bake at home for the High Holidays. When you register, you can request to join a Captain’s Table so your group can experience the evening together. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/4w5u9bv3.

No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben offers a look behind the curtain at his own writing process in an inspiring, candid memoir filled with indispensable insights and techniques. With 100 million books in print worldwide and over 20 blockbuster television and film adaptations of his work, Harlan Coben has much to teach us about the creative process. Part deeply personal memoir, part masterclass in storytelling, “Plot Twist” is a refreshingly honest look at the life of a writer whose stories have thrilled us for decades. Purchase tickets from the MJCCA at https://tinyurl.com/4pbc696c.

Friday, September 11 Music and Play – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Let’s spark joy and curiosity through the magic of music and play! Jumpstart your morning with an upbeat, interactive music and movement class led by Here We Grow, where little ones can dance, wiggle, and sing their hearts out. Afterward, Nurture invites children into a world of themed sensory play and hands-on adventures — perfect for curious minds and messy fingers. Come ready to move, create, and make memories together! This program is in partnership with JBaby. Register at https://tinyurl.com/47h2svez. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 83

Saturday, September 12

Rosh Hashanah at the Buckhead Synagogue - 9:30 a.m. to 8;30 p.m. The Chabad of Buckhead and Brookhaven are excited to celebrate the High Holiday season 5787 together, with you and your family. Join them for Rosh Hashanah services. Join at https://tinyurl.com/396yrzxw.

Rosh Hashanah - Chabad Intown- 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. At Chabad Intown, Rosh Hashanah is an inviting experience filled with inspiring prayers, joyful melodies, a welcoming atmosphere, and deep connection. Whether you’ve never been to a High Holiday service at all, or at Chabad Intown or if you come every year, you’ll feel right at home. Come hear the shofar, reflect on the year ahead, and celebrate a sweet new beginning with us. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3nz9bjwm.

Celebrate Rosh Hashanah at Buckhead Synagogue - 7:30 p.m. Join Chabad of Buckhead and Brookhaven for a beautiful community dinner as we welcome 5787 together - with good food, uplifting spirit, and the warmth of friends and family. Start the year with meaning, connection, and joy. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/2a9rk26m.

Rosh Hashanah at the Buckhead Synagogue - 9:30 a.m. to 8;30 p.m. The Chabad of Buckhead and Brookhaven are excited to celebrate the High Holiday season 5787 together, with you and your family. Join them for Rosh Hashanah services. Join at https://tinyurl.com/396yrzxw.

High Holidays at Congregation Dor Tamid – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for Rosh Hashanah. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2crfcrrd.

High Holiday Kids Program – 10 a.m. The Chabad of Buckhead and Brookhaven are excited to celebrate the High Holiday 5787 season together with you and your family. This program is for children under 3 years old and is available for Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur services. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/wwj8f9vz.

High Holidays at Congregation Dor Tamid – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join Congrega-

Rosh Hashanah in Gainesville, GA – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of humanity, a time to look back on the year behind us and set our sights on the one ahead. It doesn’t matter what your Jewish background is, what you believe, or whether you’ve ever set foot in a synagogue. At Chabad of Hall County, you’ll find warmth, meaning, and real joy, wherever you’re starting from. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5n6kc76f.

tion Dor Tamid for Rosh Hashanah. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2crfcrrd.

Rosh Hashanah - Chabad Intown 7:30 p.m. At Chabad Intown, Rosh Hashanah is an inviting experience filled with inspiring prayers, joyful melodies, a welcoming atmosphere, and deep connection. Whether you’ve never been to a High Holiday service at all, or at Chabad Intown or if you come every year, you’ll feel right at home. Come hear the shofar, reflect on the year ahead, and celebrate a sweet new beginning with us. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3nz9bjwm.

The Year Begins in Sound: Erev Rosh Hashanah Concert- 7:30 to 10 p.m. Congregation Bet Haverim will begin the High Holy Day season with a powerful new doorway into 5787: an Erev Rosh Hashanah gathering centered on the call of the shofar, the sweetness of Shabbat, and the sacred sounds of our community. This year, Erev Rosh Hashanah also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. We will mark this solemn occasion with remembrance, honoring the grief and courage carried by that day as we enter a season devoted to repair, reflection, and the fragile work of beginning again. Afterward, we will share a joyful Oneg, with time to connect, greet the New Year, and enjoy one another’s presence in community. Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/2jktem9n.

84 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Rosh Hashanah in Gainesville, GA – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the creation of humanity, a time to look back on the year behind us and set our sights on the one ahead. It doesn’t matter what your Jewish background is, what you believe, or whether you’ve ever set foot in a synagogue. At Chabad of Hall County, you’ll find warmth, meaning, and real joy, wherever you’re starting from. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5n6kc76f.

Sunday, September 13 Rosh Hashanah Morning Service – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Congregation Bet Haverim will continue their Rosh Hashanah journey with a more intimate and contemplative gathering in the CBH sanctuary. Through chant, prayer, silence, music, and reflection, we’ll create space to slow down, listen deeply, and welcome the New Year with openness and intention. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ye54c6pj.

Tashlich Ceremony – 4 pm. Join the Chabad of Buckhead and Brookhaven for a peaceful Tashlich ceremony. Gather with your loved ones for shofar sounds, festive treats, and a soul-refreshing connection with community and tradition. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/4kwrwtev.

Rosh Hashanah Morning Service 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Congregation Bet Haverim’s Rosh Hashanah morning service will be rooted in CBH’s familiar High Holy Day prayer structure, led by Spiritual Leader Rebekka Goldsmith and Rabbi Joshua Lesser, with Chorus Director Will Robertson, Brad Davidorf, and the CBH Chorus and band. This service will offer a fuller encounter with the liturgy of the day, including Shacharit, Torah reading, music, reflection, and communal prayer. Register at https://tinyurl.com/bd4s9ffh.

Rosh Hashanah - Chabad Intown - 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. At Chabad Intown, Rosh Hashanah is an inviting experience filled with inspiring prayers, joyful melodies, a welcoming atmosphere, and deep connection. Whether you’ve never been to a High Holiday service at all, or at Chabad Intown or if you come every year, you’ll feel right at home. Come hear the shofar, reflect on the year ahead, and celebrate a sweet new beginning with us. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3nz9bjwm.

Monday, September 14 High Holidays at Congregation Dor Tamid – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for Personal Yizkor Experience. Register at https://tinyurl. com/2crfcrrd. Editor’s Note: Calendar items for Sept. 15-21 can be found online at https://www.atlantajewishconnector.com/

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SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

Have something to celebrate? Share your simchas with us!

Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ... Share your news with the community with free AJT simcha announcements. Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com submissions@atljewishtimes.com.. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 85

KEEPING IT KOSHER

JEWISH JOKE

Apple Crumble/Kugel

The Shmuck

Ingredients Crumb Mixture 3 cups Tuscanini Flour 1 egg 3/4 cup oil 1 cup sugar 1 package (1 tablespoon) vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda Filling 10 small apples, peeled and sliced cinnamon (to sprinkle) 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup Tuscanini Apricot Fruit Spread

Sadie tells Maurice, “You’re a shmuck! You always were a shmuck and you always will be a shmuck! You look, act and dress like a shmuck! You’ll be a shmuck until the day you die! And if they ran a worldwide competition for shmucks, you would be the world’s second-biggest shmuck!” “Why only second place?” Maurice asks. “Because you’re a shmuck!” Sadie screams.

YIDDISH WORD

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). 2. In a large bowl, mix together all the crumb ingredients. 3. Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. 4. Mix half of the sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar. Spread this mixture over the crumb layer in the pan. 5. Lightly sprinkle a bit more crumb mixture over the apples. 6. Mix the remaining apples with the apricot jam. Layer this over the pan. 7. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top. 8. Bake for one hour or until golden brown.

n. The humiliation experienced by a fool who has the sudden realization of just how foolish they appear to others.

Recipe by Orly Kaniel kosher.com

From the Yiddish “schmo,” metaphorically meaning a “jerk” or “fool.”

86 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Schmortification “After Uncle Morty finally came to the end of his hour-long joke, nobody laughed. Or even smiled. You could see him blush with schmortification.”

BRAIN FOOD

Apples to Apples By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable 1

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Across 1. Apt apple for Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw? 5. Word by David or Asaph 10. Apple to eat under the Arch of Titus? 14. End in ___ (stalemate) 15. Major heart part 16. On any occasion 17. Fitting apple for William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy? 19. Put up two fingers, perhaps 20. L.A.P.D. part 21. Grain bit 22. Gershon and Hecht 23. Like Jonathan to David 25. Appropriate apple for Joseph in Egypt or Daniel in Babylon? 26. Movie house 29. “How Can ___?” (Freddie Mercury) 31. Arabian Peninsula native 32. Israeli diplomat Abba 33. Highest grossing film franchise in history, for short 36. Apple that might describe Chanukah gelt? 40. B & O stop: Abbr. 41. Puts on 42. Dish out gazpacho, e.g. 43. David who wrote “The Verdict” 45. Jason of “The Muppets” (2011), and others 46. Assyrian or Babylonian apple?

49. Aseret Hadibrot parsha 51. Tavern salute 52. Tai preceder 53. Article on Mont Blanc 56. Rocker David Lee 57. Ideal apple for Rosh Hashana? 61. “The Tourist” novelist Steinhauer 62. Cease to be separate 63. 613 or 770, e.g. 64. Apple served at a synagogue dinner? 65. Shalit of note 66. Apple of the 10th Commandment? Down 1. Slayer of Sisera, in older Bibles 2. “... ___ extra charge!” 3. Clearasil targets 4. It’s zed Down Under 5. Mango alternative 6. Ish 7. Nusach ___ 8. Army 1sts and 2nds 9. Fannie follower, in banks 10. Step down, in a way 11. Like most shofars 12. Fox of “Transformers” 13. Surrealist Max 18. Dormmate, affectionately 22. Kind of politics

23. Advance credit to 24. Apple eaten when the Israelites left Egypt? 25. Rice-a26. Machine parts 27. Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah 28. Simba’s mate 30. Ladies 32. Music’s Brickell 33. Function 34. Carefully select 35. Manipulates 37. Bris assignment 38. Religious figure 39. Bird voiced by Gilbert Gottfried 43. Crucial work of Judaism 44. The Jewish Museum features it 45. Remained 46. Purchase made around the chagim 47. Dough 48. Dev who starred in 53-Down 50. “... ___ man with seven wives” 53. Creditor’s security 54. Grandson of Avraham 55. Agile 57. What you might do when seeing a bro 58. Lechem ___ 59. 0 60. Bakery selection

Let’s Play A Game! Solution 1

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A lightning bolt destroys the B’nai Abraham Synagogue in Philadelphia. This week, 50 years ago - 1976

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bine secular and religious education, The Hebrew Academy of Savannah, is set to open.

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Fiddler Carol Alter perches on the roof of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization entry in the WSB-TV July Fourth parade, as other members get ready to ride.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis adopt The AJT covers BBYO’s first float in annual WSBcode of ethics for relationships between rabbi and TV Fourth of July parade. rabbi, and rabbi and congregation. Congregation Etz Chaim, one of Atlanta’s new suburban congregations, announces Rabbi MiThis week, 75 years ago- 1951 Young Golfer Rebekah Saxon wins eight medals chael Goldberg will serve the congregation partin Maccabi Games in Atlanta, after being allowed The father of famous Jewish financier Bernard time for the coming year. to compete in the boys’ competitions as well as the Baruch is discovered to have been a member of the Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kwatinetz of Atlanta an- girls’. original KKK. nounce the bar mitzvah of their son, Neil, at AhaAJT announces the bat mitzvah of Shira Rose Sable Atlanta Jewish Sunday schools report an acute vath Achim Synagogue. Lebow, daughter of Rabbi Steven Lebow and Medeshortage of teachers. Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert Spindel, Jr. of Atlanta announce line Sable, at Temple Kol Emeth. Labor Day parade launches National Jewish War the birth of a daughter, Jennifer Ann Spindel. Veterans Convention in Atlanta.

This week, 25 years ago - 2001

For the first time, El Al offers flights to Israel for the High Holy Days. Atlanta JCC’s basketball B-team wins gold in a 5947 game against Boca Raton at the JCC Maccabi One of the first Jewish schools in the South to com- Games.

Issues of the AJT (then Southern Israelite) from 1929-1986 can be found for free online at https:// gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/ sn78003973/ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 87

OBITUARIES

Sandra Isenberg Abrams

Richard L. Arkin

Sandra “Sandy” Isenberg Abrams, real estate professional, philanthropist, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away Aug 7, 2026, at the age of 89. For more than six decades, Sandy was part of the fabric of Atlanta. She had an extraordinary ability to connect with people from every part of her life, and the relationships she formed through politics, real estate, philanthropy, friendship, and family often lasted a lifetime. Sandra Joan Isenberg was born in Augusta, Ga., on Dec. 27, 1936, to Joseph and Edith Isenberg. She was the eldest child and the last surviving of three siblings, predeceased by her beloved Rosalyn “Rozzie” Isenberg and Marvin “Bubba” Isenberg, of blessed memory. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1958. Sandy was the president of Delta Phi Epsilon and developed some of her closest relationships during college. After college, she worked in Jacksonville, Fla. for a local newspaper. In October of 1960, she attended the wedding of Sylvia and Myron Fogel, of blessed memory, where she met the love of her life, Davis Abrams. Dave and Sandy were married on June 25, 1961. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on June 25, 2026, surrounded by their family, which was the center of Sandy’s life. Sandy’s early career placed her at the center of Georgia’s political and civic life. From 1963 to 1967, she served as social secretary to Betty Foy Sanders, wife of Gov. Carl Sanders, organizing official receptions, state functions, and events that brought together Georgia’s political and community leaders. It was a role particularly suited to Sandy, who possessed a natural warmth, an ease with people, and a gift for making everyone feel welcome. Those years began a lifetime of involvement in the causes and institutions that shaped the city she loved. She was especially devoted to Atlanta’s Jewish community, generously supporting The Auxiliary of the William Breman Jewish Home, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and other efforts central to Jewish life, education, and social services. For Sandy, giving back was not something to be recognized for; it was simply part of how she lived. In 1972, she began what would become a remarkable career in residential real estate. As an associate broker with Harry Norman, REALTORS, she became a familiar and respected presence in Atlanta, particularly in Buckhead, helping generations of families buy and sell their homes. Her success came not simply from knowing Atlanta real estate, but from knowing Atlanta — and knowing people. Clients became friends, friends became clients, and many families returned to her across multiple generations. Her career was honored with the Platinum Phoenix Award from the Atlanta REALTORS Association, recognizing more than half a century in the profession. She is survived by her husband, Dave Abrams; her daughters, Alison Schneider (Jason) and Julie Rosenblum (Jeff); her grandchildren, Adam Schneider (Isabelle), Sophie Gutwillig (Alex), Caroline Schneider, Jenna Rosenblum, and Joseph Rosenblum; her great-grandson, Abrams Bennett Schneider, who carries her family name and is the son of Adam and Isabelle Schneider; and her beloved grand-dogs, Daisy, Lou, and Kirby. Sandy spent her life helping people find homes in Atlanta. Her greater gift was the way she created a sense of home and community wherever she went. She will be deeply missed, and the relationships and traditions she built will carry her memory forward for generations. A memorial service was held at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. Shiva followed the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Sandy’s memory be made to The Auxiliary of the William Breman Jewish Home, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, or the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Richard L. Arkin, age 82, formerly of Gaithersburg, Md., died on Aug. 7, 2026. Born July 3, 1944, in Washington, D.C., to William and Zenda Arkin, a husband-and-wife lawyer team unique for its time, he was a National Merit Semifinalist and graduated from WashingtonLee High School in Arlington, Va., in 1962. In high school, Richard, a gifted artist, was inspired by mid-century “Pogo” cartoonist Walt Kelly, creating a comic strip featuring his own anthropomorphic character, Buttercup Catcatcher. Blessed with a golden tenor voice, he played the male lead in Lerner and Loewe’s “Brigadoon,” the tale of an enchanted village that reappears for a single day once every 100 years. A true renaissance man, Richard entered the University of Pennsylvania as a budding folk singer, traded his $30 guitar for a mother-of-pearl inlaid banjo, and promptly stopped going to class. He then spent two years as a copyboy for United Press International, a front-row seat to fast-paced wire-service journalism. Drawn to feature writing, he followed the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros Circus, famous for its big-top tents and wild animal acts. One night, the circus clowns anointed Richard as one of their own to guide him through their pranks under the big top. Still in full clown face, he crept home to terrorize his slumbering 10-year-old brother. Richard graduated from The American University in 1968 with a B.A. in history. Among his prized possessions at that time was a bust of 1952 Nobel Prize laureate Albert Schweitzer, to which Richard had appended a dangling cigarette beneath the doctor’s large, bushy walrus mustache. After college, Richard pursued graduate degrees in history at the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan before leaving academia for journalism, where his work spanned editorial writing, freelancing, photography, public relations, and political consulting, including as press secretary for the gubernatorial campaign of Maryland Judge Wilson K. Barnes, who lost the Democratic primary to Gov. Marvin Mandel. In 1980, he graduated from The American University Washington College of Law, accumulating myriad honors and relieving his still-worried parents, who felt circus performance was not the best career path. Richard’s professional life featured national, state, and local positions, including as regulatory counsel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as vice president and Shop Steward of the FDA Chapter (Local 282) of the National Treasury Employees Union. His many honors include FDA Awards of Merit and commendations for leadership, innovation, writing excellence, and superior performance. Richard’s interests included city planning, smart growth, and historic preservation. He served as co-chairman of the Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission Commercial Zones Task Force and chairman of the Rockville Planning Commission. A founding resident of Kentlands, a pioneering 352-acre planned community in Gaithersburg and an early, celebrated example of New Urbanism, he served as president, chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and trustee of its homeowner’s association, and as vice president of the Kentlands Community Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to local arts, volunteerism, and education. It comes as no surprise that Richard was an active member of Mensa, where he was known as “best hugger,” a folk dancer, and aficionado of Celtic music. Rarely does one find a person of such varied interests and accomplishments. Richard was preceded in death by his first wife, Alice (Rubin) Arkin (married 1969); his second wife, Diane Goddard (Bliden) Arkin (married 1988); his stepson, Matthew Goddard; and his older brother, Michael B. Arkin, also a lawyer. He is survived by his daughter, Whitney Arkin of Annapolis, Md.; his younger brother, Robert D. Arkin of Atlanta, Ga., yet another lawyer; and assorted nieces and nephews. Richard’s funeral took place at Chabad of Upper Montgomery County, 11520 Darnestown Rd., Gaithersburg, Maryland, followed by interment at Garden of Remembrance in Clarksburg, Maryland. A Shiva at his brother, Robert’s, home occurred at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 12.

89, Atlanta

88 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

82, Gaithersburg, Md.,

OBITUARIES

Larry Burton Greenberg 95, Atlanta

Larry Burton Greenberg (Party Larry), 95, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away peacefully on Aug. 23, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones. Born on July 5, 1931, in Birmingham, Ala., Larry was a beloved husband, partner, father, brother, grandfather (Papa), great-grandfather, a Duke graduate, avid Braves fan, and friend to so many. He will be remembered for his kindness and humor - he never met a stranger. Larry dedicated his life to his family and to giving back to his community. He owned Max Autoparts and Allied Factory Warehouse with his two late brothers, Alvin and Earl Greenberg, until selling the business in the late 1980s. Larry and Alvin also sat first and second chair in the Shrine Band for 60 years. Larry was a proud Marine and served during the Korean War. He is survived by his two daughters, Lisa Light (Mark Light) and Robyn Zimmerman; three granddaughters, Lauren Bernath (Joe Bernath), Megan Mueller (Eric Mueller), and Remy Zimmerman; four great-grandchildren (Madison, Jackson, Eli and Nolan); and his “lady friend,” Madolin Seldes. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Reva Greenberg and parents Gertrude (Fanny) and Maurice Greenberg. A funeral service was held at 10 a.m., Tuesday Aug. 25, at Greenwood Cemetery (1173 Cascade Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA 30311). The family observed shiva at the home of Lisa and Mark Light. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Larry’s memory to Shriners Children’s Hospital or The Epstein School. May Larry’s memory be a blessing. Baruch Dayan HaEmet.

Helen Zimmerman Hahn 88, Atlanta

Helen Zimmerman Hahn, z”l, 88, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away on Aug. 13, after a long, hard-fought battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Helen was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. Her presence will be deeply missed. Born in Atlanta, Helen was the daughter of the late Louis and Mildred Zimmerman, both of Atlanta. She graduated from Grady High School in 1955 and attended The University of Alabama. While at Alabama, Helen met her husband, Frank E. Hahn III of Philadelphia, Penn., and the two were married in 1959. Before starting her family, Helen taught preschool at the Atlanta Jewish Community Center. Her deep love of family was illustrated through her countless sleepovers with her grandchildren, the infamous matzo ball eating contests with her grandsons, and the one and only rule of “No crying at Puma’s house.” Helen will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, love of family, and for being the steady voice of reason to all who knew her. Whether playing the role of master chef, head nurse, or the strictest of confidant, she never took lightly the importance of each. Helen is survived by her husband, Frank; her son, Jeff (Sheryl) Hahn; her daughter, Amy (Michael) Egerman; her grandchildren, Lawrence (Danielle) Hahn, Allison (Craig) Mehlman, Mark (Eytal) Egerman, and Melanie Egerman (Jack Callahan); and her greatgrandchildren, Maggie, Jacob, Aria, Sienna, and Norah. A memorial service was held on Sunday, Aug. 16 at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. To sign the online guest book, visit www.jewishfuneralcare.com. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES AUGUST 31, 2026 | 89

OBITUARIES

Morton Lefkoff

Harriet Cohen Miller

Morton Lefkoff was born on Oct. 10, 1929, in Atlanta, Ga., to Maier and Lillian Lefkoff. The oldest of their children, Morton was a lifelong Atlantan. He attended and graduated from Boys High School in Atlanta and went on to graduate from the University of Georgia with BBA in business. The only time Morton ever lived outside Atlanta was to find his true love, Eileen, in Miami, where he worked at Central Bank and Trust Company, and for a time, was the only male in the female bookkeeping department. Morton eventually returned home to Atlanta, where he worked as a sales manager for Kaufman Supplies. He was loved by his many customers, who affectionately knew him as “Mort Lewis.” And if you knew Mort, you also knew there was a very good chance you could find him napping in his truck after his lunch break. Sundays were some of our favorite days. Morton could be found with Eileen and his cousins, playing tennis, followed by bagels, drinks, and listening to classical music. These simple traditions were filled with the people and things he loved most. Morton was known by everyone who knew him for his enormous heart, kind soul, wonderful sense of humor, and, of course, his regular trips to The Varsity. He has a way of making people feel welcome and cared for, and he leaves behind countless memories that will bring smiles and laughter for years to come. Morton will be deeply missed, lovingly mourned, and forever celebrated by his devoted wife of 63 years, Eileen: his children, Philip (Elena), Marci and Lilly; his beloved grandsons, Max and Sasha; and his stepdaughter, Lisa Stein. But to us, he was simply Poppy. Poppy, we will always hold a place for you on the hammock in the backyard — napping in the sunshine, listening to your radio, exactly where you belong. We love you, Poppy. And we always will. Funeral services were held Wednesday Aug. 12, 2026, at North Atlanta Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Harriet Cohen Miller z”l was born in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 31, 1933, to parents, Sadie and Morris Cohen. She was a lifelong member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue. She grew up on 6th Street. She attended the University of Alabama and graduated from the University of Illinois. Harriet married the love of her life, Alvin Miller z”l, on Dec. 21, 1955. They loved life, loved family, and worldwide travels. She taught preschool at JCC Midtown and then moved to Zaban. She taught 4-year-olds for more than 20 years. When she retired from the JCC, she took up art as a hobby, took classes from Queida Kennedy, and developed her love of art. She built an art studio in her home that she “played in” until the week she passed. She became an entrepreneur, with painted baskets that sold in gift shops around the Southeast. She traveled with a group to Ecuador to paint schools and go to the Galapagos. Harriet and Alvin traveled extensively - the USSR immediately after it opened to visitors, China, again just after it opened to visitors, Cuba, Italy, and France. As a family, they camped extensively across the U.S. and then all the way to Alaska. Harriet is survived by her children, Wayne (Lori), Ronny (Cathy), Peggy (Lloyd), and Eric (Judy), her grandchildren, Bruce (Emily), Gary (Michelle), Stuart (Deena), Hilary (Corey), Amanda (Ryan), Alex (Alex), and Alli (Ben), and her 11 great-grandchildren, Aria, Seth, Elliott, Mikayla, Ian, Flynn, Simon, Addison, Logan, Samson, Melanie. She is also survived by dozens of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, cousins, painting partners, mahjong players, and life-long friends. Harriet was predeceased by her husband, Alvin, brothers, Bernard and Gerald, and sister, Betty. She will be deeply and dearly missed. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Ahavath Achim Synagogue, National Foundation of Fragile X Foundation, The Epstein School, and JELF or the charity of your choice. Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

96, Atlanta

90 | AUGUST 31, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

92, Atlanta

OBITUARIES

Mark J. Safra 77, Atlanta

Mark J. Safra, M.D., of Atlanta, Ga., a devoted husband, father and grandfather, respected ophthalmologist, and beloved member of Atlanta’s Jewish community, passed away following a remarkable and courageous fight against cancer. For more than 30 years, Mark served the Atlanta Jewish community as a mohel, participating in one of the most meaningful moments in the lives of generations of families. His commitment to Jewish life extended well beyond his work as a mohel. He was a dedicated member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue and Congregation Beth Shalom, as well as Ohr HaTorah, and his deep sense of Yiddishkeit was central to the way he lived his life. Above all, Mark was devoted to his family. He and his beloved wife, Clara, shared 54 years of marriage and built a life centered on family, faith, friendship, and love. He was a proud and loving father to Seth (Jana) of Bethesda, Md.; Rabbi Michael (Sharon) of Rockville, Md.; and Renee Kutner (Davi) of Atlanta. He took immense joy in being a grandfather to Lauren and Jared Safra; Rebecca, Ethan, and Gila Safra; and Sam, Danit, and Noah Kutner. Mark was also a devoted brother to his siblings, Jan (Tom z”l) Goldmann and Steve Safra (z”l). Mark embraced life with energy and enthusiasm. He loved sailing, music, tennis, and especially being on or near the water. He shared these passions with family and dear friends, leaving behind many treasured memories. In confronting cancer, Mark demonstrated in extraordinary measure the strength of character, courage, and resilience that had defined him throughout his life, with his devoted caregiver, Flo. The funeral service was held at Congregation Beth Shalom (5303 Winters Chapel Rd, 30360) at 2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13, followed by a burial at North Atlanta Memorial Park (5188 Winters Chapel Rd, 30360). Livestream information can be found at jewishfuneralcare.com The family observed shiva at the home of Clara Safra. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation Ohr HaTorah, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, or Atlanta Jewish Academy. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Senior 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.

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CLOSING THOUGHTS My Very First Time

Shaindle Schmuckler

Shaindle’s Shpiel

Scrabble is back in vogue, as are many other beloved ‘old time’ board games. Scrabble, Monopoly, Candy Land, and let us not forget The Game of Life, Twister, Mouse Trap, Battle-

ship, and Risk. Do you recall the first board game you ever played? Was playing board games synonymous with family time in your home? I don’t recall the first board game I ever played. However, I do remember the first time I heard of the board game Scrabble, and I fondly remember the first time I ever played. How it all began: One of our very early serious topics of conversation once Gene and I realized

we would travel through our lives together was agreeing to leave New York. This conversation took place in the Bronx Zoo where all serious conversations should take place. We dreamed of living “somewhere” else. We did not have a “somewhere” else in mind. Anywhere else would be wonderful. And that conversation, ladies and gentlemen, is how we landed in the great state of Louisiana. Baton Rouge to be exact. Louisiana State University was the draw. Gene’s mom was horrified. They hang people from trees! People who live down there have bad sicknesses! These were just two of the creative reasons she offered while begging us not to go to that place. Finally, when our families accepted we were indeed going to that place, we were urged to check with our doctors which inoculations we would need once we crossed the border into Louisiana. No inoculation required! We drove down in our brand-new Studebaker filled with most of our

worldly belongings. Upon our arrival we scoured the university for our married student housing apartment. Found it! We both felt giddy with excitement for our future. We were about to enter a brand-new world, and a culture so different from the one we knew. We unpacked, and taking my mom’s advice on what to do first, I made the bed, and got the kitchen and bathroom set up. The moving truck would arrive the next day, bringing whatever would not fit in our car. After chatting with our new neighbors, we took a walk to explore our new surroundings. And suddenly we hear someone shouting: “Gene? Gene Schmuckler?” Who do we see running towards us? It was Irv, a classmate of Gene’s from Brooklyn College. What are the odds? Two Jewish guys from Brooklyn College arriving in this Southern town of Baton Rouge, at the same university, on the same day, taking an exploratory walk at the same time en-

rolled in the same PhD program. Irv’s wife, Anne, and I easily became good friends. Anne quickly became pregnant. She chose to be a stay-at-home mom. I was working in the psychology department and taking classes. A little over a year later, I, too, became pregnant with my Raina, the first of our four daughters. Anne loved the game of Scrabble. She introduced me to the game, and I immediately fell in love with it the very first time I played. We determined the evenings would be our best time to play. With a little ingenuity we created our very own twoway radio. I would call her and when she answered we would leave our phones off the hook. Whether she was in my little apartment or I was in hers, we could hear our children breathing. Our telephones were our very first babysitters. And that was my very first time. I was no longer a virgin to the game of Scrabble. ì

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