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NEXT ISSUE: EDUCATION AND ATLANTA THEN & NOW

VOL. 101 NO. 18

OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 4 CHESHVAN 5787

Election Guide, Senior Living and Arts & Culture

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NEWS Marcus Center Proving Pivotal in Autism Research By Bob Bahr Atlanta’s Marcus Autism Center has launched an intensive research program to come up with a better understanding of severe autism in children and develop a new generation of treatments for the often-devastating condition. The center, which has been a part of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta network since 2008, has received a $17.25 million grant from Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA), an ambitious healthcare initiative funded by Sergei Brin, one of the co-founders of Google. The four-year grant, which the Center shares with the Emory School of Medicine, is aimed at helping to develop medical treatments for severe autism and other chronic neurodevelopmental conditions. Earlier this year, the Center received a $21.9 million contribution from the Marcus Foundation in Atlanta to fund what is believed to be the largest ever study of the brain and the genetic biomarkers that characterize the disorder across the autism spectrum.

New research on autism is aimed at enhancing medical therapies for severe cases.

The late Bernie Marcus, who founded the Center in 1991, was an early supporter of autism research and was instrumental in developing it into one of

the nation’s foremost autism research centers. He helped recruit the Center’s distinguished leader in 2011, Ami Klin, PhD, its Israeli-born director, who will

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also serve as the head of the $40 million research effort. Severe autism is a serious national problem, which affects more than 600,000 children in the United States, representing about one-quarter of the 2.3 million children with autism. According to Klin, children with severe autism are both difficult to treat and difficult to study, scientifically. They may have severely limited intellectual ability and can be minimally verbal or even unable to use verbal language. “The families with children who have severe autism carry the greatest burdens of autism because their children require around-the-clock support,” Dr. Klin said. “Typically, they have severe to profound intellectual disabilities and severe behavior challenges.” Dr. Klin estimates that at present, 80 percent of the main symptoms of severe autism can be treated, but he points out that those treatments are very expensive. The Marcus Center of Children’s Health Care of Atlanta is fortunate to

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The Marcus Autism Center has received a $17.25 million grant from Aligning Research to Impact Autism to develop medical treatments for severe autism and other chronic neurodevelopmental conditions.

not only have a large, dedicated center off Briarcliff Road, but has four satellite facilities in the metropolitan area, with more on the drawing board. The center has 560 faculty and staff and treats 6,000 children with over 65,000 clinical visits each year. As one indication of the growing need for services, the Center is expanding its parking lot with an additional 160 spaces. But access to care here, which is still very limited, is exceptional compared to many locales in America. There are “whole swaths of the country,” in Dr. Klin’s words that don’t have access to these behavioral-based treatments. It is to that end that the Marcus Center has received its latest grant from ARIA. It’s an accelerated attempt to create medically based treatments utilizing the latest advances in gene-based therapies. The grant has the support of the Division of Child Neurology and Neurosciences and the Behavioral and Mental Health Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as well as the Department of Human Genetics and a data science center at Georgia State University. Atlanta is one of 10 sites in America, with one in Canada and one in England, that are linked together in a research network that ARIA has put together with Dr Klin’s participation to

advance medical research. “We believe that we need to make advancements in medical science, in the biological sciences,” Dr Klin pointed out, “because we believe that it can be a major opportunity for us to improve the outcomes for these children with severe autism.” The ARIA-funded network has the financial support of Brin, who immigrated from the former Soviet Union with his Russian Jewish parents when he was 6. Other recipients of the ARIA grants include researchers from Harvard and Yale Universities who will share $46 million. Among the research there is the study of three-dimensional tissue models, called brain organoids, to study the processes in early brain development across a large group of individuals, including those with and without autism. One of the Harvard biology professors involved in the large study, Paola Arlotta, hailed the opportunities that the new funding will provide. “What is different with this grant is that it allows us to connect with the clinic in ways that we couldn’t do before,” Arlotta said. “It’s a scale that is unprecedented, and the hope is that this would really allow us to identify this element of convergence across genetic states and patients.” ì

The idea of l’dor v’dor, from generation to generation, reminds us of the importance of honoring what came before us while preparing thoughtfully for what comes next. For seniors, this chapter of life can be an opportunity to share memories, celebrate traditions, enjoy community, and consider the legacy they hope to leave behind. At Robert M. Goldberg & Associates, we are privileged to help seniors and their families plan for the future with care and dignity. Because a meaningful legacy is not simply what we leave behind. It is the wisdom we share, the traditions we preserve, and the love we carry from one generation to the next.

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NEWS

A Place at the Table By Alla Umanskiy For Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, the goal of Atlanta’s newest Embark cohort goes well beyond six sessions, a retreat or a Shabbat dinner. Success might look like a text message months later with a question about Jewish practice. It might be an invitation to grab coffee. Or it might mean being asked to officiate at a baby naming for a couple whose relationship with Jewish life began to deepen through the program. Those continuing relationships are at the heart of Embark Atlanta, a program for young couples exploring what Judaism and Jewish life might look like within their relationships. “I hope participants will walk away knowing that they have a relationship with a rabbi who values and respects them,” said Dorsch, who will lead the upcoming Atlanta cohort. “I continue to connect with most of the participants from my first cohort. I am proud that they continue to feel that point of connection with me.”

8 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

“I hope that the program teaches interfaith couples that there is a space for them in organized Jewish life,” Rabbi Daniel Dorsch said, “not only in a synagogue, but also that there is a rabbi who cares about them and welcomes them into the fold with open arms.”

Embark, a program of Mem Global, is designed primarily for interfaith couples in their 20s and 30s who want to explore Jewish traditions, identity, and community without an expectation of conversion. The upcoming Atlanta cohort

runs from Dec. 7 through Feb. 22 and will bring together a small group of couples for six cohort sessions, an immersive retreat and a Shabbat dinner. Couples also have an opportunity to meet individually with their cohort rabbi.

Rabbi Dorsch said his decision to partner with Mem Global grew from what he sees as a significant need within Atlanta’s Jewish community. Years ago, he attended a Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta meeting where survey data indicated that Atlanta had the secondlargest population of interfaith families of any city in North America. “Provided this data point remains accurate, we have a tremendous amount of ground to cover when it comes to targeting families for meaningful Jewish engagement,” Rabbi Dorsch said. Embark approaches that engagement without pushing couples toward a predetermined outcome. Instead, couples are encouraged to talk honestly about their religious and spiritual identities and what they want those identities to look like as they build a life together. “Obviously, there’s no bait and switch here,” Rabbi Dorsch said. “They are joining a program guided by a rabbi. That said, I approach this work in a nonjudgmental and supportive way.” Conversations can include everything from holidays and Shabbat to fam-

NEWS

Embark, a program of Mem Global, is designed primarily for interfaith couples in their 20s and 30s who want to explore Jewish traditions, identity, and community without an expectation of conversion.

ily traditions, values, belonging and the rituals couples may eventually want to create in their own homes. This Atlanta cohort will also broaden that conversation beyond traditional definitions of interfaith relationships. Rabbi Dorsch plans to welcome Jewish couples who grew up with different religious backgrounds or practices and are now thinking more intentionally about what their shared Jewish life should look like. That could also include couples in which one partner has converted to Judaism. The idea grew partly from Rabbi Dorsch’s experience leading his first cohort. “I found myself thinking just how many of these discussions could be relevant to different varieties of couples who may realize they may seek to be on a closer path with respect to their religious identity,” he said. The conversations that followed, both within the group and individually, proved important. “Both the group dialogue and 1-1 conversations in that first cohort were deep and quite impactful,” he said. For Dorsch, those conversations are just the beginning. Since his first cohort, he has remained part of the lives of many participating couples. He has officiated at baby namings for two couples who did not yet have children when they joined the group. He also joined another family long-distance by Zoom for a bris. “I personally find this work gratifying because I love building relationships with these couples,” he said. “Like all rabbis, it’s the honor of a lifetime to enter into the lives of these families and be there for them when they are making these critical Jewish choices together.” Dorsch is the rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta.

While he said he cannot speak for Atlanta’s Jewish community as a whole, the response within his own congregation has been overwhelmingly positive. There is also a generational element to that response. Some Embark participants are the adult children of synagogue members. “They are happy to see their children reengaged in Jewish life as adults and welcomed by a rabbi into the fold,” Rabbi Dorsch said. That sense of welcome may ultimately be the most important measure of the program. For some couples, participation may lead to incorporating more Jewish traditions into their homes. For others, it may mean feeling comfortable asking a rabbi a question they once would not have known whom to call. Rabbi Dorsch does not define success by synagogue membership or by a particular level of observance. “Success looks like a continued, engaged, meaningful relationship,” he said. “Maybe, a text message about a religious or spiritual question? An invitation to grab coffee at the synagogue for continued connection.” Ultimately, Rabbi Dorsch hopes Embark sends a straightforward message to couples who may have wondered whether there is a place for their families within organized Jewish life. “I hope that the program teaches interfaith couples that there is a space for them in organized Jewish life,” he said, “not only in a synagogue, but also that there is a rabbi who cares about them and welcomes them into the fold with open arms.” More information and registration are available through Mem Global at https://memglobal.org/embark/. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 9

NEWS

Project Alive Gala to Spotlight Hunter Syndrome By Alla Umanskiy For Anne and Jeff Denneen, the first sign that something might be wrong with their son, Liam, seemed relatively minor. After his first birthday, Liam had a persistent runny nose that the family initially attributed to severe allergies. The problem continued despite antihistamines and nasal sprays, and by age 2, doctors discovered that his adenoids were significantly enlarged. It was during surgery to remove them when Liam was almost 2 1/2, that the Denneens first realized they might be facing something much more serious. The surgeon told them Liam’s tonsils were also enlarged. More concerning, the medical team had experienced unusual difficulty intubating him and noticed craniofacial abnormalities. The ENT asked a question the Denneens hadn’t expected: Had Liam ever seen a geneticist? “The weeks following surgery were horrible as we waited to get an appointment with genetics,” the family recalled. In February 2013, Liam was di-

In February 2013, Liam was diagnosed with Hunter Syndrome, also known as MPS II, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive damage throughout the body. The Denneens were told there was no cure and that their son likely would not live beyond his late teens.

agnosed with Hunter Syndrome, also known as MPS II, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive damage throughout the body. The Denneens were told there was no cure and that their son likely would not live beyond his late teens. “We couldn’t accept that part and dived into the research,” they said. Today, Liam is 16 and a tenth grader

at North Springs High School, where he participates in community-based instruction programming. The Denneens have deep roots in Atlanta’s Jewish community. Anne is the daughter of Dr. Leslie and Marilyn Kelman, who have been part of the community for 50 years, and Anne once worked in advertising sales for the Atlanta Jew-

ish Times. The family belongs to Temple Emanu-El. Daughters Darcy and Rachel attended The Davis Academy and The Weber School, while Liam attended Schiff Preschool and the Diamond Family Religious School at Temple Emanu-El. He also spends his summers at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s Camp Alterman through its inclusion program. Soon after Liam’s diagnosis, the family chose to pursue a bone marrow transplant in hopes of slowing the disease’s impact. His sister, Darcy, was his donor, and Liam spent a year in isolation recovering. Afterward, he returned enthusiastically to school, sports, friends and family. But as he grew older, the effects of Hunter Syndrome became increasingly apparent. Life, the family said, became about adaptation. “Adaptive learning, adaptive sports, adaptive clothing, adaptive communication, adaptive traveling,” they said. Liam can walk, but longer distances cause pain. He can speak, although his

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Liam Denneen was diagnosed with Hunter Syndrome as a young child.

words are not always meaningful to others. He uses hearing aids and needs to be close to hear someone speaking. He continues to learn, but he also loses some of what he has learned. Yet, there is another side of Liam that his family says the disease has never changed. “One thing that hasn’t changed is Liam’s enormous and contagious smile and great sense of humor,” they said. “He has the best laugh, and even if you have no idea what he is talking about, he will get you laughing along, too.” For years, the Denneens found it difficult to connect with other families affected by Hunter Syndrome. Seeing the disease’s progression in other children felt too frightening and too close to their own experience. Eventually, however, they realized how much they needed people who truly understood their lives. Anne began attending conferences organized by Project Alive, a national nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for Hunter Syndrome through research and advocacy while providing resources and education to affected families. She and Jeff joined Project Alive’s board of directors in January 2025. Their daughters also began volunteering, and Darcy became the family support coordinator for the organization’s Hunter Health program in October 2025. Project Alive launched Hunter Health last year to help families manage the complicated realities of caring for someone with Hunter Syndrome. Families are paired with a dedicated coordinator who can help organize medical appointments, navigate insurance and appeals, locate specialists and connect families with resources. The organization will raise money to expand that work at its annual Cure Within Reach Gala on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Georgia Aquarium. The event will include dinner, live music and live and

silent auctions. Proceeds will support Project Alive’s work to improve access to care and treatments, assist families and advance progress in Hunter Syndrome research. The gala comes during a significant year for the Hunter Syndrome community. In March, the FDA granted accelerated approval to AVLAYAH, the first new FDAapproved Hunter Syndrome treatment in nearly 20 years and the first designed to address neurological disease by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Still, treatments cannot reverse damage that has already occurred, and Hunter Syndrome remains without a cure. For the Denneens, that makes continued research deeply personal. “We have always hoped for a cure,” they said. “But even if a cure can’t reverse damage that has been done, we hope for treatments that can preserve a meaningful life for Liam.” Meanwhile, Liam continues to leave his mark on the community that has watched him grow up. His family says he is regularly recognized at grocery stores and restaurants by people whose lives he has touched. He loves his teachers and counselors, his former Schiff classmates, First Responders and even the staff at Los Rancheros who let him “pay” for his own meal. “He greets everyone with a smile and a comment,” his family said, “and if you walk with him, you will most certainly find a hand to hold onto.” For a family that once faced an unimaginable diagnosis largely on its own, those connections have become part of Liam’s story, as has the hope that continued research may change the story for families who come after them. The Project Alive Cure Within Reach Gala will be held from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Nov. 14, in the Oceans Ballroom at the Georgia Aquarium. Tickets and additional information are available through Project Alive. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 11

NEWS

Are More Resources Needed for Jewish Divorces? By Marcia Caller Jaffe On the Friday before Yom Kippur, The Dupree was the start of safety net programming for candid conversation: could/should the Atlanta Jewish community have more resources for those navigating divorce? The stats suggest that more than 50 percent of marriages end up “on the shelf. ”For Jewish clients, divorce can involve more than the legal dissolution. Religious practice, family dynamics, communal relationships, spirituality, and mental health all intersect with the divorce process. Under the support of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association (ARA), Aveirut sponsored a free, interactive lunch workshop for family-law attorneys, mediators, mental-health clinicians, coaches, and financial practitioners to share ways to build a multidisciplinary support team. Reconstructionist Rabbi Ezra Weinberg and therapist Batsheva Ganz led the discussion. According to Brooke Rosenthal, ARA’s operations manager and program director, the event began with a breakfast

Shiel Edlin and Justin Milrad are experts in the various aspects of divorce.

at Berman Commons where, “a small, but mighty group … came together to hear the Areivut presentation on divorce, noting surveys show local Jewish divorce resources are lacking through phrases of the process … with the goal of surfacing tools rabbis can use to better support congregants.”

Concluding on Saturday, Temple Sinai Rabbi and ARA President Brad Levenberg and Justin Milrad, certified professional divorce coach, conducted a session after Shabbat services; some synagogues coordinated Torah study and sermons furthering dialogue. Veteran divorce attorney Shiel Ed-

lin told the AJT, “I’m trying to figure out how to bring divorce support to the Jewish community. I’m troubled by many of my Jewish clients who seek help, and the best I can offer are referrals to Peachtree Presbyterian Church, with its fantastic divorce support group. My goal is to make this a Jewish user-friendly group. Perhaps it’s not even just Jewish, but a resource for others. Divorce is often a hard journey, There is a crying need to reach out.” Milrad echoed, “The process is especially difficult in Jewish circles because it can be ‘in our values’ to fight hard to save the marriage. People don’t want to experience the shame and stigma. Sometimes, divorce can be a healthy process with a positive outcome.” Edlin added that Jewish divorce clients often need attorneys who understand religiously specific issues like from splitting b’not mitzvah costs to seeking a judge’s help compelling a spouse to grant a “get” (Jewish religious divorce document.) The formal portion of the lunch gathered participants around the table,

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Rabbi Ezra Weinberg and therapist Batsheva Ganz of Areivut led the discussion.

some of whom disclosed their own divorces. Shari Hertzberg, a divorce project manager with an MBA, described her niche role. Though not an attorney, she helps clients organize documents, complete forms, and prepare evidence for court for an hourly fee. Weinberg recalled seeking rabbinic counseling during his divorce and found the rabbi reluctant to take sides. Ganz spoke about navigating Orthodox attitudes; her sister divorced simultaneously, and they joked about it being a “double shame” for the family. The group discussed myths about divorce: that it’s an isolated, individual failure that brings out the worst in people (drawing laughs about how divorcing spouses reflexively label each other “narcissist” or “borderline”); and that divorce is “war,” when it’s more accurately a dissolution. One of the planners, Tanya Levin, was motivated to help others as she felt the need during her divorce for more community support. A social worker described running

informal “coffeehouse counseling” and utilizing a free Fulton County program for divorcing women, noting that many hand financial decisions to a spouse during marriage, then turn to “Facebook for guidance once on their own, like going to a proctologist for brain surgery.” Rabbi Weinberg noted that Judaism has long acknowledged that “not all unions were meant to last,” calling Jewish tradition “divorce positive” in that it doesn’t “pretend divorce away,” dating back to the Torah. Much of the conversation turned to the “get,” often costing around $700 per couple, and its positive function as formal closure. Someone joked about synagogues announcing divorces like births. Another cited a recent New York Times article touting divorce parties as trending. Rosenthal concluded, “The hope is that these conversations will spark broader, ongoing dialogue throughout the Atlanta Jewish community about how to best support and integrate people affected by divorce.” ì

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NEWS

Polacheck: Value Connections, Not Politics By Marcia Caller Jaffe Political differences strain friendships, families, and even dating, as disagreements between “left” and “right” move beyond billboards and television debates into intimate corners of everyday life. Friends who once laughed easily find themselves dissecting each other’s social media posts. In some families, political allegiance has become a test of loyalty. Dating has become its own minefield. Some screen potential partners by political affiliation before accepting the first date: “Don’t contact me if you’re MAGA.” Or turn the equation around: “Swipe ‘no’ if you consider yourself leaning left.” What might once have been a difference of opinion becomes a character judgment. Atlanta therapist Dr. Matthew Polacheck has seen the consequences in his clinical practice. He related, “The most devastating effect of today’s political divisiveness may not be disagreement itself, but the destruction of relationships. I have watched politics divide families,

Dr. Matthew Polacheck suggests that people are more complex than their political affiliations. In his clinical practice, he has seen politics divide families and friendships. He suggests taking a sip of water and breathing before stepping back into heated conversations // Photo Credit: Howard Mendel

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NEWS friendships and marriages. People stop calling one another. They avoid holidays. They grow guarded. Some simply give up, deciding it is easier to stop talking altogether.” Yet, Polacheck doesn’t believe cutting people off is always the best answer. Boundaries can be necessary, particularly in unsafe or abusive relationships. But when there is still a foundation for connection, he advocates learning how to disagree without dehumanizing the person on the other side. His approach can be distilled into these strategies: holding two seemingly opposing ideas as true at the same time. Real life is rarely as simple as heroes and villains, right and wrong. A person can support a policy because he believes it will help him while also acknowledging that it may have consequences for someone else. This doesn’t mean every viewpoint is equally valid or that cruelty or misinformation should be excused. It means resisting the impulse to reduce an entire human being to one political position. “I strongly disagree with you, and I still recognize your humanity,” creates room for nuance and curiosity. Release negative energy. Political outrage can become its own habit. People yell at televisions, scroll through social media and seek out news that confirms what they already believe. Anger can motivate action, but when it becomes the default emotional state, every conversation feels like a battle. Instead of opening with an accusation, he suggests trying curiosity: “I see this differently, and I’d like to understand how you got there.” If the other person is looking for a fight, say, “’I want to talk, but I don’t want to fight.’ Sometimes stepping away is the more productive choice.” Regulate your nervous system. Once people feel threatened or overwhelmed,

thoughtful conversation becomes harder. Heart rates rise, muscles tense, and the instinct can become “fight or flight.” Polachek recommends something simple: Pause. Drink water. Take a walk. Breathe slowly, allow the abdomen to expand on the inhale and slowly release the breath. He jokes that he never gives a speech without a bottle of water, not because he is thirsty, but because it gives him permission to stop, reset, and regain focus. There is another way to think about political disagreement that Atlanta saw firsthand. Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus, The Home Depot co-founders, didn’t share the same political outlook. Their political differences were publicly documented, with Blank supporting Democrats (or an occasional Republican), while Marcus became a prominent Republican donor. Yet, their professional and personal history demonstrated that political disagreement didn’t blot a much larger relationship. Blank himself once described Marcus as a combination of “father and brother” and acknowledged that some of Marcus’ philosophies didn’t match his. “I listen to what he says and sometimes I’ll cringe,” Blank said. “And I love him.” In a Sept. 17, 2026, New York Times opinion piece, German Lopez points out that partisanship may not be so “cut and dry,” with new research on “heterodox” voters, people whose views don’t fit comfortably into a single ideological package. One person might be pro-abortion rights and simultaneously believe the federal budget should be more balanced. The two-party system can make combinations harder to see, encouraging people to think in political bundles rather than individual ideas. Marcus and Blank left space for misses, overlap, and respect. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 15

NEWS

Jewish Marketing Network Forges Connections By Sasha Heller They say, in business, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. To that end, in July 2024, co-founders Lydia McBratney and Mira Cohen first discussed establishing a professional Jewish marketing network, connecting individuals working in Jewish organizations and nonprofits and providing them with resources to aid in their work. McBratney is the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s digital communications manager and Cohen is the former senior manager of creative strategy at Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS). The inspiration for creating the Atlanta Jewish Marketing Network (AJMN) was “to bring together marketing and communications professionals working at Jewish nonprofits in Atlanta,” said McBratney. “The long-term goals are to continue growing the network so that each Jewish nonprofit in Atlanta is represented, bring in specialists who can provide training and resources for our members, and keep a pulse on what our marketing

The Atlanta Jewish Marketing Network meets every few months at various Metro Atlanta locations.

and communications professionals need and are asking for to do their job well.” The AJMN meets around four times per year at various locations. They en-

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courage hosting and have been hosted so far at JF&CS, Federation, The Epstein School, and The Temple. Interested hosts can complete a form on the group’s website at jewishatlanta.org/atlanta-jewishmarketing-network/. When asked about some of the challenges the co-founders had to overcome, McBratney said, “finding out who is behind the scenes at these organizations doing marketing and how to get in contact with them. This is a big reason we wanted to meet in the first place, so our challenge is also one of our motivations.” McBratney noted that there is no requirement to be Jewish to join the network. “The only requirement is that someone works in marketing/communications in one of these capacities for a Jewish nonprofit: as a contractor, as a

part-time employee, as a full-time employee, or in a volunteer capacity,” she said. The network is essentially about making connections. “This network enables us to put faces to names and reduce barriers to communication between our organizations,” McBratney said. At the meetups, network members participate in a group chat, share ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and forge relations that make collaboration easier and more effective. Organizations can align messaging, share resources, and amplify one another’s work, ensuring that donorsupported programs reach the right audiences with clarity and impact. Interested in joining the network? If so, reach out to McBratney at lmcbratney@jewishatlanta.org. ì

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NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME Muss High School Unveils Refreshed Brand Identity For more than 50 years, Jewish National Fund-USA’s Muss High School Israel (formerly Alexander Muss High School in Israel) has transformed the lives of over 35,000 North American high school students through rigorous academics and immersive learning that strengthens their connection to the land and people of Israel. The school is now entering a significant period of growth, with plans to attract 10,000 students annually over the coming decade. To support its ongoing expansion, Muss officials announced a refreshed brand identity, logo, and website that reflects its evolution and vision for the future. The Muss experience is the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning, travel, leadership, and engagement with Israel and the broader Jewish community. The refreshed brand identity more clearly reflects that Muss is part of Jewish National Fund-USA and its broader com-

Today in Israeli History Oct. 15, 2002: Yaakov Farkash, known as Ze’ev (Wolf) and considered the father of Israeli political cartoons, dies at 79. A Holocaust survivor, he reached the Land of Israel in 1947. Hs first newspaper cartoon was published in 1953. Oct. 16, 1986: Ron Arad, 28, an F-4 Phantom II navigator, is captured by Amal terrorists after bailing out over Lebanon. He is never seen in Israel again. He is believed to have been killed in 1988 or 1992. Ze’ev Jabotinsky, who died in New York in 1940, stipulated in his will that he should be buried in the Land of Israel only by a Jewish government there. His wish was fulfilled in 1964. // National Photo Collection of Israel

Oct. 17, 1880: Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the father of Revisionist Zionism, is born in Odesa in the Russian Empire. Pogroms in 1903 inspire his activism for Jewish self-defense and Zionism. He develops the intellectual foundation for Likud. Oct. 18, 1991: The Soviet Union and Israel reinstate full diplomatic relations for the first time since June 1967. They established consular ties in 1987. Israel’s agreement to participate in the Madrid peace conference is a key factor. 18 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

FIDF Brings 350 Bereaved Israeli Teens to US To support its ongoing expansion, Muss High School Israel announced a refreshed brand identity, logo, and website that reflects its evolution and vision for the future.

mitment to shaping the next generation of Zionist leaders. “This refreshed brand brings all of us together — across generations, programs, and the different names we may have called it — around one Muss and one shared experience,” said Muss alumnus Rabbi Greg Litcofsky, executive director of recruitment and partnerships at Muss. “This brand is about celebrating where we’ve been, bringing our entire Muss community together, and showing where we’re going next. The experience changed our lives. Now we have the opportunity to make sure it changes thousands more.” Compiled by AJT Staff Oct. 19, 1948: The warships Haganah, Wedgewood and Noga attack an Egyptian troop carrier near Ashkelon in the first major battle for the Israeli navy. The Egyptian ship suffers enough damage to require towing home. The Women of the Wall began monthly Rosh Chodesh Torah services at the Western Wall in December 1988.

Oct. 20, 2013: Haredi men hurl rocks at and slash the tires of buses bearing ads promoting female worship at the Western Wall. The ads, depicting women with prayer shawls and Torahs, come from Women of the Wall. Oct. 21, 1967: Egyptian Komar-class missile boats within the Port Said harbor fire Soviet-made missiles at the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat on patrol in international waters. The ship is almost cut in half and sinks within minutes. Oct. 22, 1952: Eliahu Elath, who was Israel’s first ambassador to the United States, presents his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II as he is elevated after two years from minister to become Israel’s first ambassador to the United Kingdom. Oct. 23, 1868: Alfred Mond, an ardent early British Zionist, is born in England. After the Balfour Declaration, he uses his wealth to support Jewish settlement in Palestine, including Tel Mond, and helps found the Jewish Agency.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) brought 240 bereaved Israeli teens to the United States this summer through its signature Legacy Program, marking the 20th year of the program and its largest summer to date. Each participant lost a parent or sibling in defense of Israel on or since Oct. 7, 2023. During the last three months, five groups traveled throughout the Northeast, combining recreational and educational experiences with opportunities to connect with FIDF supporters, host families and Jewish communities. The program gives participants time away from their daily environment, exposure to new places and cultures, and the opportunity to spend time with peers who have experienced similar loss. The groups visited New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts, with itineraries that included Central Park, Times Square, Oct. 24, 1940: Yossi Sarid, a two-time Cabinet minister known as “Israel’s moral compass,” is born in Rehovot. He becomes the Mapai spokesman at 24 and serves as a speechwriter and an adviser for David BenGurion, Levi Eshkol and others. Oct. 25, 1976: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the president of the International Chess Federation, Max Euwe, open the Chess Olympiad in Haifa amid a Soviet boycott. Only 48 of the federation’s 90-plus countries send teams.

Attending the signing ceremony for the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty Oct. 26, 1994, are (from left) Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali, Israeli President Ezer Weizman, Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan and King Hussein, U.S. President Bill Clinton, and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. // By Ya’acov Sa’ar, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

Oct. 26, 1994: More than 4,500 people, including President Bill Clinton, witness Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordanian King Hussein sign a peace treaty at the Wadi Araba border crossing between Eilat and Aqaba.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces brought 240 bereaved Israeli teens to the United States this summer through its signature Legacy Program.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Little Island, Coney Island, Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, The American Dream Mall, Nickelodeon Theme Park and Jewish summer camps. One group even attended a Yankees game in New York as guests of an FIDF supporter. Compiled by AJT Staff Menachem Begin delivers his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech Dec. 10, 1978. // By Moshe Milner, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

Oct. 27, 1978: Forty-one days after signing the Camp David Accords, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat are declared winners of the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize, handed out Dec. 10. Oct. 28, 1910: The Hadera Commune arrives at Umm Juni along the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and forms the first kibbutz, or collective agricultural community, Degania Alef (based on dagan, “grain”), on leased JNF land. Oct. 29, 1956: Israeli troops kill 48 Israeli Arabs returning from their fields at dusk in Kfar Kassem, where an IDF colonel has illegally made the curfew earlier without warning in response to the start of the Sinai war that day. Oct. 30, 1957: Shlomo Mintz, a violinist and conductor, is born in Moscow. When Mintz is 2, his family moves to Israel, and he begins to learn the violin at 3½. By 18, he is touring Europe and building his capacity as a conductor. Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ISRAEL Israel Marks Third Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks By Gil Zohar Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the solemn third anniversary memorial Wednesday of the Nova music festival massacre at Kibbutz Re’im. In total, 378 people were gunned down at the rave, including 344 civilians and 34 security personnel. The killing field memorial site incorporates a eucalyptus and sycamore forest maintained by the Jewish National Fund. Speaking to the media before the memorial event began, Herzog said, “Here at the Nova Musical Festival, thousands of young people came to sing and to dance, to celebrate life. People of 36 nationalities, from all over the world and from Israel. They were horrifically butchered, killed, tortured, raped, and abducted into Gaza,” Herzog said. Continuing the theme in his address to the 3,000 people gathered near the Gaza border fence, Israel’s 11th president declared, “We are here to tell their stories, and to remember, and reflect, and reminisce, and say to the world: we will dance again, we will live again.” “We are a nation in agony, but we are showing immense resilience. This whole region, which was attacked barbarically on Oct. 7, is now rebuilding. We are a nation like all nations. We have the inherent right to defend ourselves and fight terror. But we yearn for peace, and we want our neighbors to live in peace as well,” he said. The president said that a path toward that goal exists through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2301, which he said calls for Hamas to be disarmed. “This should be the international goal, as well as combating the empire of evil from Tehran,” Herzog said. Concluding his remarks, Herzog thanked those around the world who had expressed solidarity with Israel and shared in the grief of the victims’ families. “Let the memory of those who were killed be a blessing to all of us,” he said. In the background of Herzog’s carefully calibrated words was the implicit promise to wipe out all 6,000 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists with blood on their hands or who were involved with the kidnapping of Israeli hostages. There will be no getting away with murder. At the time of this writing, more than two-thirds have been neutralized. Lethal drones equipped with facial recognition software endlessly circle the Gaza Strip searching for targets. Almost daily,

Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared: “We are here to tell their stories, and to remember, and reflect, and reminisce, and say to the world: we will dance again, we will live again.

news of another fatal strike is reported. The most recent hit was Izz ad-Din alHaddad, the commander of al-Qassam Brigades, who was the highest-ranking remaining Hamas military chief in the coastal enclave. Known as the “Ghost of the Gaza Strip” due to his extreme operational secrecy, al-Haddad’s assassination demonstrated there is nowhere for the perpetrators of war crimes to hide. Next will come to war crimes trial of some 400 Gazans taken prisoner on Oct. 7. If convicted, they face the gallows. MK Simcha Rothman – chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee – updated a panel of lawmakers and representatives from the Defense Ministry, Israel Prison Service, and the State Attorney’s Office about preparations for the trial expected to take place next year or in 2028. In May, the Knesset enacted legislation to prosecute terrorists involved in deadly attacks and to impose the death penalty. In June, the government approved a budget of more than NIS 1 billion to carry out the military tribunals. Construction began that month on the

courthouse being purpose-built at Atarot in northern Jerusalem – a decommissioned Mandate-era airport. Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann is likely to lose his status as the only person executed by the State of Israel. What do people in the Gaza Strip say about Oct. 7? Writing in Al-Manassa News on Wednesday, Tamer Abu Arab wrote: “We know that Oct. 7 led to a massive war, and that Israel responded with a devastating war on Gaza. We know the scale of the killing, destruction and displacement, that the region entered a chain of confrontations that did not stop at Gaza’s borders, and that the Palestinian cause itself paid an enormous price. All of this makes it easy to look at the morning of Oct. 7 and say: It was a catastrophic mistake. “But the historical question does not end at the outcome. If you want to understand an event, you have to return to the moment when the outcome was still unknown. You have to put yourself, if only for a moment, inside that room. What did the decision-makers know? What

did they believe, and what did they fear? What alternatives did they have? What made them think the option they chose was worth all the risk? “Perhaps that is the greatest tragedy of Oct. 7. It is not simply that a single decision opened the gates of hell. It is that the decision was made in a world in which no one yet knew where it would lead. We know the outcome now, and that makes our responsibility in judging the past greater, not smaller. The task is not to show how wise we were after the catastrophe, but to understand what was possible before it happened. “What is required is to understand how everyone failed to prevent the moment when catastrophe became possible, and to ask: What could have been done before the explosion became the only option? “That question matters more than winning an argument about Oct. 7. History does not need more judgments made with the benefit of hindsight. It needs us to understand what could have been done before the catastrophe, and how a different outcome might have been possible.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 19

ISRAEL

Temple Sinai Hosts Israel Expert, Oct. 7 Memorial By Bob Bahr Three years after the tragic events in Israel of Oct. 7, members of Temple Sinai received a professional appraisal of the psychological damage the events of that day caused. They spent their noon hour virtually with Professor Ofrit Shapira Berman, one of Israel’s leading psychotherapists, an expert on psychological trauma who has been deeply involved in the complex and often lengthy treatment of the survivors of Oct. 7. Because Israel’s national health service provides very limited care to those directly impacted by the trauma of the Hamas attack, she founded First Line Med. The nonprofit organization provides professional, long-term mental health counseling, free of charge, to Israelis affected by the events of Oct. 7. So far, the organization’s 450 professionals have provided more than 30,000 hours of treatment for 750 families. But the need, she says, has been difficult to manage. To give her audience some idea of how Israel was impacted by the

Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern U.S. Eitan Weiss // Photo Credit: Jon Marks Photography

Federation CEO and President Renee Kutner // Photo Credit: Jon Marks Photography

attacks, she once calculated that in an America of 350 million residents, it was as if 5,600 had been kidnapped and 40,000 had been killed in a single day. And she told her Temple Sinai audience that shocks to the national psyche still keep coming. Ongoing trauma

caused by war, political tensions, and the stress of continuing military service has meant, according to Dr. Berman, that sometimes the numbers seeking help are greater than when the war in Gaza was at its peak. “What we see over the last year is that every time, like there are certain days or events in the social and political life of Israel, that … we have a rush of patients or of survivors or family members who reach out and ask for help,” she said. “And, of course those that, for example, that I see in my office, absolutely break down.” She resists the analogy of that single day in Israel’s history equaling the terrible destruction of European Jewry over the 12 years of Nazi terror. But one cannot discount the impact of the 12 hours of unrelenting violence and human depravity unleashed by Hamas that was captured in audio and video recordings that are still fresh memories. In a presentation she made in Switzerland for Israel’s Hebrew University, she recalled her own shock in the early hours of Oct. 7 as she began receiving word that some had heard of the death of a loved over or an entire family on a muffled cell phone call. Or that women had endured unimaginable sexual violence recorded by Hamas terrorists. The sound of laughter by sadistic Palestinians as Israelis were doused with gasoline and set ablaze still resounds in Israel. “It was clear to us that the most longterm effect of what happened on Oct. 7 is going to be the psychological trauma,” Dr. Berman pointed out. “The physical wounds can be treated, and the medical care in Israel is wonderful. People will be healed physically, but mentally it’s going to be very, very difficult,” she said. “That they will need a long time of someone to

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be with them for them to be able to even begin to tell us what they were through.” According to Dr. Berman, the closely knit social structure of many of the communities that were in the direct line of fire on that day often worked against the healing process. “Many of them belong to a kibbutz, which is a very unique community,” she said. “Everybody knows everybody from the day they were born. So, even if none of your direct family has been murdered, the fact that the kibbutzim have lost so many of their members makes you a part of a very big, bereaved family. So, everything needs to get help.” But she told her Temple Sinai audience that not all those who may need help seek an appointment with a therapist. For those young people who were caught, unaware, in the early hours of Oct. 7 at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, help has come by telling the story of what they experienced to others in the United States and in Europe. The response by others, who are often contemporaries, the sense they are loved and respected and honored is very important and may play an important role, according to Dr. Berman, in the healing process. “As more stories from survivors and more pre-Oct. 7 warnings come to light,” Rabbi Natan Trief said, “this year feels like we are right back in that terrible morning.” The Israeli Consulate and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta hosted a ceremony at Temple Sinai on the evening of Oct. 7 to memorialize the third anniversary of the attacks. Approximately 560 community members gathered for the somber ceremony, seated in circles surrounding a raised, pristine white stage. The memorial, “Together We Remember, Together We Sing,” featured a personal story from a local Lone Soldier currently serving in Israel, speeches from Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern U.S. Eitan Weiss and Federation CEO and President Renee Kutner; Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah read the poem, “We Remember,” Atlanta Rabbinical Association President and Temple Sinai Rabbi Brad Levenberg led the Kaddish, and Rabbi Yosef Vakrat of Congregation Ariel recited the Prayer for the IDF. The memorial also featured a series of inspirational posters that detailed the efforts that hostages and their loved ones have made since the attacks. Gayle Rubenstein provided the floral decorations and Atlanta Dance Floor donated the stage. ì

ISRAEL

Koren & Horev Present Immersive Oct. 7 Exhibit By Ronit Franco-Pinsky Israel’s renowned award-winning photojournalist Ziv Koren, together with acclaimed poet and songwriter Noam Horev, have conceived a new immersive, multimedia experience that weaves and captures powerful stories with unforgettable images, music, and words, entitled, “We Shall Rise.” Through carefully crafted interplay, viewers are left with indelible and lasting emotions, at times overwhelmed by the memorable fusion of photography and storytelling from the events of Oct 7, 2023, until today. Since Oct. 7, Koren has captured more than 750,000 images, but only a thousand images or less were used in the installation. He tells the story through the images of the past three years in an interactive exhibit that includes sound, video, pictures, and text — something that has never been done before in Israel or abroad. It’s important to note that Koren’s and Horev’s works were created separately, in their own artistic ways, to preserve the horrors we all witnessed on Oct. 7. Horev had already written all the text to reflect his feelings about his own personal journey. On Oct. 7, Haim Yaniv, Horev’s life partner, was called to the IDF Reserves. Left alone, Horev stayed behind without knowing all the facts and details of that horrific day. His writing was a shelter from all the chaos, fear, and agony that came with it. Afterward, he felt a responsibility to capture the mood and spirit of Israel. Horev’s words throughout the installation are presented in his own personal handwriting, accompanied by rhyming texts. When Koren came across Horev’s work, he immediately saw something special. He knew that Horev’s writing, combined with his photos, had the potential to create something truly unique and powerful. The exhibit consists of 10 installations, each one covering a different theme. The music was composed by Aviv Yani specifically for the exhibit, complete with video art. The project took over two years to complete and involved a team of multimedia specialists. The exhibit was made possible by the generosity and support of the Azrieli Foundation, led by their owner and CEO, Dana Azrieli. Azrieli was deeply involved at every step of the way, donating — providing more than 4 million shekels — as well as the space on the roof of one of Azrieli’s shopping centers, the Azrieli Tel Aviv

Reservist Yair Ansbacher can’t hold back tears in the sight of the holiday table for Simchat Torah.

Mall. Dana also translated and narrated the headphone’s audio from Hebrew to English, trying to captivate Horev’s beautiful poetic text. One of the installations is dedicated to Oct. 7, showing the destruction, burned-out cars, bodies on the road, the devastated Nova festival site, and the horrific results of that Black Saturday. Others highlight the bravery of soldiers and citizens heading south to help the victims, displaying Israel’s spirit and its selfless volunteers. Despite differing beliefs, everyone united for a greater cause in solidarity. Others focus on the hostages and the ongoing struggle to bring them home. Through raw imagery and evocative elements, it honors the captives and the enduring strength of the families fighting for their return. This AJT writer resonated most with the exhibit on motherhood — mothers in Israel whose children faced Oct. 7 and its aftermath. These mothers weren’t born fighters or lions ready to attack, but everyday these women were forced to protect their children with claws exposed. Viewers will witness in the next installation the war, when Iran launched missiles, children had to learn to live, study, and survive under fire. Horev’s quote explained it perfectly, “If I can’t explain to myself, how can I explain to my child?” The installations are like a journey from Oct. 7 until today leading towards a rebuilding and a silver lining of hope. Their paramount mission is that this will be shown in other parts of the world and in different locations to edu-

cate people everywhere. Many soldiers, students, and freed hostages have visited the exhibit mul-

tiple times, leaving with a sense of grief yet a strong hope for the future. Some, including former hostage Eli Sharabi, were overwhelmed to learn about the efforts to free him and the events that unfolded during captivity. Horev shared that Eli was a key inspiration for his texts of hope because, despite losing four family members, he chose life and hope. There are no mentions of politics or placing blame, as Koren noted that the visual facts speak for themselves, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions. Top Israeli leaders — including President Isaac Herzog, Naftali Bennett, Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid and Gadi Eisenkot — have all visited. As viewers exit the exhibit, they see the rebuilding of the destroyed kibbutzim and homes in the Gaza envelope that were invaded by terrorists. They literally see a light at the end of the tunnel, symbolizing hope and a brighter future for Israel. The poet concludes with a final message of hope: “After everything is done, after the gray smoke dissipates, we will rebuild what remains.” ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 21

ISRAEL

Israelis Fear Election Results Could Increase Emigration By Jan Jaben-Eilon Many Israelis are nervously anticipating the Oct. 27 elections, believing the outcome will determine whether they stay in Israel or emigrate as a growing number of Israelis have done in the past few years. A recent study by Israeli public broadcaster Kan indicated that, of some 20 percent of Israelis who are considering emigrating, more than half of surveyed respondents reported that the result of the upcoming national elections could directly influence their choice to stay or leave. Other surveys by the nonpartisan research center Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) showed that more than 25 percent of Israelis have considered emigration under certain circumstances. The Kan study added that one-third of poll respondents said they personally know someone who has emigrated in the past two years. The IDI study indicated that public opinion is split on the emigration issue. About 46 percent of poll participants expressed no worry over the departure figures, while 41 percent voiced deep concern regarding a potential “brain drain.” Interestingly, among voters who support the current government, only 22 percent said they were concerned by emigration. On the other hand, 59 percent of those who voted for opposition parties said they are worried about the issue. According to the IDI survey, the rate of those considering emigration is noticeably higher among secular Israelis, highincome earners, those between the ages of 18 and 34, and professionals in high-tech or medical fields. Concern about future emigration is not just hypothetical. In September, re-

Shirley Shani Ben Zvi and her husband plan to vote in Israel’s upcoming election to replace the current government. “This version of the country is not an option for living there, and we still consider it. I want the option to exist.”

The brain drain in the last four years is having a “catastrophic” effect on Israel’s economy, citing particularly the major impact on the high-tech industry, said Linda Dayan, correspondent for Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

searchers from Tel Aviv University analyzed data from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics showing an estimated 90,000 people emigrated from Israel in 2025, about the same number as in the prior year, but higher than the 66,000 logged in 2023. Prior to 2023, the annual number of Israelis leaving for at least three months was about 60,000. Notably, the three years studied coincided with the first three years of the current government which is considered the most right-wing and religious government in Israel’s history. In 2023, the government began its divisive overhaul of the country’s judicial system, prompting thousands of Israelis to protest weekly, believing that the country’s democracy was at stake. Those protests only stopped after the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by thousands of Hamas-led Gazans, resulting in the murders of at least 1,200 and the abduction into Gaza of another 250 people. In retaliation, Israel launched its longest war, requiring the country’s military reservists to leave their families and jobs for months on end. In a recent briefing on Zoom, Haaretz correspondent Linda Dyan stated that the

brain drain in the last four years is having a “catastrophic” effect on Israel’s economy, citing particularly the major impact on the high-tech industry. “These are the people involved in running the state today. They’re subsidizing how we live as a country,” she said. Indeed, the taxes paid by those in the high-tech industry constitute a high percentage of the total taxes collected by the government, with estimates of more than 30 percent. Other presumably high tax-paying Israelis come from the medical field. One of the most recent studies reported by Israeli media in September focused on the number of Israeli physicians who have left the country for at least 12 months in the last few years. Conducted by Tel Aviv University, the study, as reported by Times of Israel (TOI), raised the alarm over the deepening brain drain in the nation’s healthcare system. The researchers recorded 416 departures in 2023, 530 in 2024, and an initial estimate of 419 in 2025. The total number of departures over these three years exceeds the entire medical staff of wellknown Israeli hospitals. Additionally, over the three-year period, the number is nearly double the 705 physicians who relocated abroad between 2013 and 2015. “Even after accounting for Israeli physicians who returned home after spending time abroad, the net loss reached 509 doctors between 2023 and 2024 alone. This annual net loss of approximately 255 doctors is nearly five times the average net loss of 54 doctors per year recorded between 2010 and 2019,” TOI reported. The researchers further pointed out that there’s a growing proportion of experienced physicians leaving the country. More than 20 percent of those who relocated between 2023 and 2025 were aged 45 or older, representing 281 veteran doctors. A decade ago, senior physicians made up only 14 percent of departing doctors. One of the three researchers who con-

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ducted the study was quoted as claiming, “Since 2023, the State of Israel has been losing its best people. All of us have family members waiting for surgery or other medical care,” said Itai Ater, professor in the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University. “The departure of nearly 1,400 doctors translates directly into longer wait times, less effective medical care, and ultimately severe harm to our quality of life,” added Ater, who is also the head of the Economists for Democracy Forum. Ater was also one of three researchers who conducted a study this year that showed emigration, in general, over the last three years, had reached a record high. According to the study, nearly 270,000 Israelis left the country during that time frame, and the study concludes that the trend could have long-term economic and security implications. The other two researchers were Nittai Bergman, professor and head of Tel Aviv University’s School of Economics, and Doron Zamir, doctoral student at the Coller School of Management. Based on data from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the study showed that between 2023 and 2025, 268,509 Israeli citizens left Israel for at least three consecutive months, compared with 183,219 during the corresponding three-year period a decade earlier. According to their analysis, between 45,000 and 50,000 Israelis are estimated to have emigrated in 2025 for one year or longer. By comparison, 183,219 Israelis left the country for at least three consecutive months during the corresponding threeyear period a decade earlier (2013–2015). But it’s not just physicians and hightech engineers who are emigrating, or considering emigrating, from Israel. Concern about the economy, wars, and politics also impact Israelis already living abroad who consider returning to their homeland. In the case of local Israeli parents Avishay and Shirley Ben Zvi, they want an Israel in which their daughters might want to live. “The Israel I grew up in is not this one and these people,” said Shirley Shani Ben Zvi, referring to the officials who have been leading the current government for the last four years. This is why the parents are going to Israel to vote, bringing with them their teenage daughters who are too young to vote. “If I want my daughters to have the option to be in Israel”, she continued, she and her husband have to go vote. “This version of the country is not an option for living there, and we still consider it. I want the option to exist.” ì

MJCCA Presents the Art of Joseph Bau The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), in partnership with the Joseph Bau Museum of Tel Aviv, presents the Joseph Bau Traveling Art Exhibition in the Katz Family Main Street Gallery, on view through December. The exhibition brings to Atlanta more than 40 signed works by the Israeli artist, animator, and master forger, Joseph Bau, including oil paintings, lithographs, and prints. This extraordinary exhibit is free and open to the public. On Sunday, Nov. 8, Bau’s daughters, Clila and Hadasa Bau, co-directors of the Joseph Bau Museum, will present their father’s story at the 35th edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA. The day begins at 10 a.m. with a screening of the feature film, “Bau, Artist at War,” and continues at 1:30 p.m. with a ticketed author talk, audience Q&A, and book signing centered on their father’s memoir. Throughout the day, the sisters will be on-site to sign books and personally guide visitors through the exhibition. “Joseph Bau’s story is exactly the kind of history our community should encounter firsthand,” said Book Festival Co-Chair Debbie Kurzweil. “He turned artistic talent into an act of resistance and then spent the rest of his life creating joy. To have more than 40 of his origi-

BUSINESS nal works on our walls, and to have his daughters here in person to walk visitors through them, is a rare gift. We are deeply grateful to the Morris Family Foundation for making this exhibition possible, and to El Al for helping bring Clila and Hadasa to Atlanta.” The exhibition pairs oil paintings and lithographs that explore the Hebrew language and graphic art with interpretive storyboards tracing Bau’s life from prewar Poland through the Holocaust, his post-war career in Israel, and the founding of the Joseph Bau Museum. It has been made possible by generous support from the Morris Family Foundation. “Every time we get to share our parents’ story in a new city, it feels like inviting people into our father’s studio all over again,” said Clila and Hadasa Bau. “Our father always believed humor and art were forms of resistance, and we’re honored to spend the day with the Atlanta community — signing books, touring the exhibition together, and showing them that even in the darkest years, our parents chose to create, to laugh, and to love.” For tickets and information, please visit atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, Joseph Bau’s daughters, Clila and Hadasa Bau, co-directors of the Joseph Bau Museum, will present their father’s story at the 35th edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Ellman Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

Navy Capt. Henry Levine, Cdr, JWV Atlanta Post 112, Public Health Officer Capt. Andrew Geller, Lt. Col. Gavin Ellman, Army Maj. Robert Max, Cdr, Dept. of the Southeast

Jewish combat veteran Gavin Ellman was recently feted with a ceremony in honor of his promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The promotion ceremony was held on Sept. 24 at Atlanta

Jewish Academy so his children could attend. Combat veteran Ellman is a longtime member of Jewish War Veterans Atlanta Post 112. A graduate of Harvard Business

Lt. Col. Gavin Ellman is pictured with his family.

School, Ellman is currently serving in the Georgia National Guard. Navy Captain Henry Levine, Cdr, JWV Atlanta Post 112, and U.S. Army Maj. Robert Max, Cdr, Dept. of the Southeast, also attended.

Ellman’s new rank was pinned on by Public Health Officer Capt. Andrew Geller and Ellman’s wife, Elisa. Compiled by AJT Staff ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 23

SPORTS Braves Season Ends in Series Loss to Dodgers There will be no repeat of 2021. It was merely five years ago that the Braves shocked the Dodgers in the NLCS en route David Ostrowsky to copping their first World Series trophy since 1995. But the perennial National League heavyweights now sport vastly different rosters as Los Angeles took care of Atlanta in four NLDS games earlier this month, further solidifying itself as the team of the 2020s — a title that Atlanta once seemed destined to attain. The Braves, having weathered a litany of killer injuries since spring training, rode a solid 94-win regular season into October. They weren’t necessarily flashy but behind first-year skipper Walt Weiss, boasted a club with sound fundamentals (an often untouchable bullpen, elite glovework all over the diamond) that flashed potential to play until Halloween. And after getting past the Phillies in the Wild Card round — their devilish NL East rivals that prevailed in 2022 and ’23 postseason matchups — the Braves loomed as a worthy opponent for the gluttonous Dodgers. Though the Braves made things interesting with a gutsy 3-2 Game 2 win to square things up before heading home, a star-studded, aging L.A. team — one with a $433 million payroll — won Games 3 and 4 at Truist Park by an aggregate 7-2 margin. “It’s a privilege to manage these guys. The things that we overcame this year are pretty amazing,” Weiss told reporters as the visiting Dodgers were holding a subdued celebration minutes after their 4-1 Game 4 clincher. “You go all the way back to the end of Spring Training and all the losses we suffered in Spring Training. I don’t think anyone had us higher than third in the division. A lot of people had us fourth at that point when we had all those losses.” Indeed, Atlanta was able to overcome devastating injuries to the pitching staff (Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach) and less severe ones to positional players (Ronald Acuna, Jr., Sean Murphy, Drake Baldwin) to win 18 more games than the previous summer. But against the dynastic Dodgers, Atlanta couldn’t overcome a lineup that, aside from Michael Harris II, was simply overwhelmed by the Dodgers’ stacked 24 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Though the Braves fell short of reaching the NLCS for the first time since 2021, unheralded pitcher Ray Kerr became an instant folk hero in Atlanta Braves Nation with his flawless performances in both the Wild Card and NLDS rounds // Photo Credit: Atlanta Braves social media

pitching staff. Ultimately, a ballclub that launched balls over the fence all season accounted for merely two homers while the team’s collective batting average at series end was .145. Middle-of-the-order All-Stars Baldwin, Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson had very quiet series, while Acuna Jr. failed to spark the lineup at the top of the order. The latter’s lingering struggles comprised one of the core storylines of the series. “We just need Ronald to be Ronald. I’ll be honest, 50 percent of him is better than most,” likely future Hall of Famer pitcher Chris Sale told the media on the eve of NLDS Game 3. “I think going back home might alleviate a little bit of that pressure, being in front of our home fans, and just staying loose. Again, I think you get into these situations, and sometimes you try to do more. “I think we have all the confidence in the world, not only in him, but up and down our lineup and our roster. It obviously hasn’t come yet, but it’s coming soon. Again, we all have confidence in him to go out there. He can change a game with one swing of the bat, and that’s really all it takes this time of the year. “You don’t have to hit .400 in the postseason to be a hero. Sometimes, it’s just one game or it’s one swing or it’s one play. I feel like that’s brewing for him.”

Alas, there was no such pivotal moment for Acuna and the rest of the Braves. While Sale came out blazing in Game 3 by whiffing the first six batters, he did serve up a decisive 2-run homer to utility man Kike Hernandez in the bottom of the fourth. Old friend Freddie Freeman tacked on a solo shot off Sale a couple batters later while the Braves only scratched out five hits in dropping the deflating 3-1 decision. Despite the series outcome, there were some inspiring individual performances. Harris II, who was in the stands at Truist during the 2021 NLCS, had a phenomenal postseason, bashing a tonesetting 3-run homer in the Game 3 Wild Card round win against the Phils and essentially taking over Game 2 of the NLDS in L.A. while Ray Kerr, whose MLB journey was at one time sidetracked with jobs a 7-Eleven and movie theaters, didn’t yield a single run in his two brief outings on the hill. And there was a notable Jewish presence in the Braves’ postseason run as journeyman DH Rowdy Tellez cracked Weiss’s postseason roster as a pinch-hitter. Though Tellez’s contributions were truthfully minimal, the one-time imposing slugger for the Brewers did draw a pair of walks in the Dodgers series and provided some colorful sound bites when he addressed the media leading up to Game 3.

“Yeah, I mean, didn’t have anything going until the last day of Spring Training. Signed with the Braves and spent the majority of the time in Gwinnett [and] just a little bit up here,” explained Tellez. “And coming to now, they kind of told me just to be ready for the postseason. So, I stayed back and stayed at camp there in Gwinnett. When my time was called, I was able to be here and help out the team and try to make the guys laugh and grab sunflower seeds when people need them.” “I kind of knew my role coming into this, what they expected of me, what they wanted from me. So, I think the idea was to be a pinch-hit guy. I’m comfortable with it. It doesn’t bother me.” The Braves’ 2026 season may have expired quietly on the evening of Oct. 7 in front of the Truist faithful, but the campaign wasn’t a total lost cause as the locals, just a week earlier, were finally able to exorcise their postseason demons against their divisional rivals up the Eastern Seaboard, in front of a standing room-only, jazzed up home crowd no less. “Definitely feels amazing to win against the Phillies because they were the ones that sent us home previous years, and especially at home,” said Albies after his club’s 6-2 win in the winner-take-all Wild Card game. “The fans were electric tonight. I’ve got to give the fans a shout out for sure.” ì

SPORTS

Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Inductions Slated Oct. 25 By David Ostrowsky On Sunday, Oct. 25, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame will induct its latest class of honorees, including household sports names such as Al Michaels, Julian Edelman, and Nancy Lieberman. Not to be overlooked, however, is the accompanying quintet of award winners who have made decades-long profound contributions to Jewish sports culture and history: Geoff Levy; Michael Siegal; Karen James; Stephen Berliner; and Miguel Litchi. A lifelong Canadian who swam for the Great White North during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, James had a front-row seat to one of the darkest chapters in Jewish history when 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were gunned down by terrorists. James, who serves on the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors and is a past chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, is being recognized for her recent efforts chronicling the massacre in the “Witness to Munich” documentary (presented by the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame) and lecturing to Jewish communities across North America, including at the JCC Maccabi Games. Her life was never the same after September ’72 and while the nightmare still haunts her, she remains dedicated to preserving history for posterity. “I didn’t even consciously acknowledge what had happened. When I put it all together, I just pushed it all deep, deep inside me. It was 20 years or more before I ever could say anything about it,” James shared when speaking to the AJT last week. “It scares me and profoundly affects me, always. It scares me, because it has never stopped. Every time I tell this story, publicly and even in the video, I get emotional. It’s not easy for me.” “This is really important. This is really important that people remember what happened there and keeping the memory alive of those 11 Israelis who were killed.” While she continues to enlighten audiences about the horrors that occurred over a half-century ago, on a personal level, being an eyewitness to tragic Judaic history forever changed her relationship with Judaism. “Acknowledging it and knowing what happened and how I was involved with that and truly understanding the horrific [nature] of the event, brought me back closer and closer to my Jewish faith,” added James. Receiving the Walter and Lillian Berliner Memorial Award in commemoration of his parents, both of whom were

Karen James will be inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 25 // Photo Credit: David Sebo and Lenny Silberman

Holocaust survivors, is longtime Maccabi USA member and commercial real estate executive Stephen Berliner. A two-sport athlete at the University of Pennsylvania (tennis, squash), Berliner first became invested in Maccabi USA when he participated in the 1991 Pan American Maccabi Games in Uruguay before competing in his first of four Maccabiah Games in Israel two years later. Berliner returned to Israel for the Maccabiah Games in 1997, 2005, and 2017, during which he took home gold medals in both tennis and squash. The 2017 Games gifted him one of his finest moments as he medaled alongside his son, David, in representing America on the squash courts, while passing down his passion for Israel to the next generation. “I thought of myself as an athlete, not much more, not much less than that. When I went to Israel for the first time in 1993, when you march in the Opening Ceremony with 50,000 people in the audience and there are 10,000 Jewish athletes from around the world competing, it completely changed my view of the world,” reflected Berliner in his comments to the AJT. In addition to competing in Israel’s Maccabiah Games multiple times, Ber-

Geoff Levy is being anointed with the Presidential Global Leadership Award for serving as the founder and chief benefactor of the Munich Olympic Memorial at Sydney Olympic Park // Photo Credit: David Sebo and Lenny Silberman

liner was formerly a Maccabi USA board member and currently serves on its Endowment Committee. A widely respected figure in New York commercial real estate, Berliner is currently the vice chairman at the global real estate firm Savills. “I think being an athlete teaches you certain life skills — how to win, how to lose, how to compete, how to prepare,” he further noted. “I think the ability to deal with and handle stress as a manager, I have a very strong sense of right and wrong. I think sports is always a great parallel for the business world — how to prepare for a pitch, how to prepare for a meeting, how to prepare for an interview.” Levy is being anointed with the Presidential Global Leadership Award for serving as the founder and chief benefactor of the Munich Olympic Memorial at Sydney Olympic Park, the first permanent Olympic site memorial to the aforementioned slain Israeli athletes that was unveiled prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Levy also excelled on the playing fields, competing for the Australian Maccabi rugby team that captured a silver medal at the 1985 Maccabi Games, the first time that rugby was a Maccabi sport. The erstwhile CEO and executive chairman of Investec Bank

Australia, Levy was named Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his magnificent contributions to athletics, the arts, and philanthropy. As president of Maccabi World Union, Siegal presides over Jewish athletic competition spanning approximately 70 nations. A one-time chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Jewish Federation of North America among other prestigious organizations, Siegal continues to parlay his professional accomplishments — he’s now chairman of Ryerson, Inc., an $8 billion metal service center — towards decrying antisemitism in college lecture halls around the globe. Rounding out this year’s group of award honorees is Litchi, a lifelong sportsman, successful entrepreneur, and Jewish community leader who dedicated himself to empowering Maccabi institutions in Mexico as well as across Latin America. After representing Mexico in the Maccabi Games in swimming, water polo, bowling, basketball, and scuba diving, Litchi was instrumental in organizing the 1999 Maccabi Games in Mexico City while later serving as a consultant for Pan American Maccabi events in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 25

OPINION

The Atlanta Jewish Times (AJT) issues a formal apology for an advertisement that published in the Sept. 30, 2026, edition. The ad declared, “If President Trump was president in the 1930s, we would not have had World War II,” and invoked the Holocaust, including imagery. The AJT sincerely apologizes to our readers and to anyone who was hurt, offended, or distressed by the ad. We understand that, as a trusted community newspaper, our readers look to the Atlanta Jewish Times not only for news and information, but also as a reflection of the values and concerns of our community. We regret that this advertisement caused distress and recognize the importance of being thoughtful about the content that appears in our publication. The Atlanta Jewish Times, formerly known as the Southern Israelite, has been a staple of the Atlanta Jewish community for more than 100 years. For generations, we have worked to inform, connect, and serve our community, and we take that responsibility seriously. We value the trust our readers place in us. We hear your concerns, we appreciate you bringing them to our attention, and we are committed to learning from this experience and being more mindful moving forward. Thank you for your continued support of Atlanta Jewish Times and for allowing us to keep Jewish Atlanta connected. Sincerely, Atlanta Jewish Times

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OPINION

Three Years Later, How Do You Feel? Do you remember the gut punch you felt on Oct. 7, 2023, when you learned what was happening in Israel? In that moment and Dave Schechter in the days that From Where I Sit followed, as the full scope of the horror unfolded, did you wish for vengeance? Be honest. Do you remember the intensity of that emotion? When I went to bed at 11 p.m. on Oct. 6 (7 a.m. Oct. 7 in Israel), alerts on my phone showed maps with red dots across Israel. I did not know that, a half hour earlier, an estimated 3,800 Hamas fighters and perhaps 2,000 others, including civilians, had breached fences separating Gaza from Israel and carried out a pogrom against nearby kibbutzim, towns, and an outdoor music festival. I woke to reports of a steadily rising number of casualties. In time, the number of men, women, and children slaughtered reached some 1,200, with another 251 (dead and alive) kidnapped and held captive in Gaza. “My country, where were you? Our world, where were you?” Shoshan Haran asks in the preface to her recently published book, “Mission in Captivity: One Woman’s Struggle to Survive and Save Her Family in Gaza.” At Kibbutz Be’eri, Haran’s husband, sister, and brother-in-law were murdered — their bodies not found and identified for more than a week — and she was taken hostage with six other family members.

There was no shortage of evidence — video from cameras worn by the terrorists, the phones of Israelis trying to escape and the phones terrorists took from Israelis they killed, from security cameras at the kibbutzim and Israeli police narrating the carnage at the festival site, as well as homes with blood-splattered bedrooms, bulletriddled walls, and woodwork charred by incendiary grenades and fire. There also were interviews with the emergency responders who collect human remains for handling under Jewish law and briefings by forensic pathologists, who displayed graphic images as they described the gruesome task of identifying burned and mutilated bodies. Three days later, at an Oct. 10 Jewish community rally in Sandy Springs, a local politician declared, to resounding cheers, “Israel is going to do what Israel is going to do.” I wrote in a column: “The reaction of 1,100 inside the Byers Theatre and more than twice that number watching on the lawn outside suggested that many had no problem with something more than an eye for an eye.” Israel launched air strikes against Hamas on Oct. 7 and three weeks later mounted a ground invasion of Gaza. In the weeks and months that followed, the death toll rose well into five digits, some 1.5 million people were displaced, infrastructure was reduced to rubble, and a humanitarian crisis ensued. In a Nov. 21, 2023, column I asked: What is the Proportional Response? I had no definitive answer then and I don’t have one now. I wrote: “No reasonable person should take pleasure or feel justified by the knowledge that Palestinian civilians, particularly children, are being killed as Israel wages war, no matter the degree of rage over the barbarity displayed” on the day Israels call

the “black Sabbath.” Depending on your vantage point, Oct. 7 may feel like a recent event or something already consigned to history. We will learn on Oct. 27 how Israelis feel three years later, as they elect the next 120-member Knesset and, in turn, determine which party will form a majority coalition in parliament, and who will lead the government. If it seems inconceivable that those in power on the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust would stand for re-election, bear in mind that there has been no national commission of inquiry, no formal inquest into the political, military, and intelligence failures that preceded Oct. 7 and, ultimately, who should be held responsible. Israelis will decide whether to retain or dismiss their government — no matter how interested or opinionated the rest of us may be. That includes the 56 percent of Jewish American voters who, in a September survey, expressed a “great deal” of concern that “Israel’s actions under [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu have increased antisemitism and anti-Israel senti-

ment in the U.S.” That also includes Jewish Americans who feel that Israel is justified in doing what it has done, irrespective of any impact in the diaspora. On Oct. 30, 2023, at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, close to 2,000 people attending a vigil for the hostages heard from relatives of three hostages. Two members of Shoshan Haran’s family brought a message from the sons of Haran’s murdered sister, Lilach, and brother-in-law, Eviatar Kipnis. “Her sons asked us not to [seek] revenge on behalf of their name. In the darkest of times, the darkest parts of our personalities sometimes get out,” Dafna Sella said. “Our family sent a message of peace. I feel like I need to ask you, on behalf of Lilach and Tari, don’t seek revenge.” Judging from the muted reaction in the sanctuary, her plea did not match the mood of the audience. Do you remember the gut punch you felt on Oct. 7, 2023? In that moment, did you wish for vengeance? How do you feel three years later? ì

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ELECTION GUIDE Election ‘26 Nuts-and-Bolts By Dave Schechter As recently as this spring, the national news media showered Georgia with affection and attention. But that ardor cooled as other states clamored to be noticed. Pundits and pollsters suggest that Georgia’s U.S. Senate race may be less competitive than others now seen as more consequential in determining control of the upper chamber of Congress. Shocking as it may seem, Georgia has been dropped from lists of Senate “battleground” states as Nov. 3 nears. That may cause some of the national media to check the cancellation policies on their Atlanta hotel bookings, but Georgia’s Senate and gubernatorial races remain heated, and tens of millions of dollars are being spent on advertising. There’s also plenty of action down ballot. The deadline to register to vote was Oct. 5. Early voting began Oct. 13 and runs through Oct. 30. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23. Polls will be open Election Day at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Those voting in person may notice that while poll workers will log in voters electronically, they also will record their names using pen and paper. The Republican-controlled State Election Board voted in June (4-0 with the lone Democrat joining) to use the “old school” back up method after digital check-in problems during the May primary. As of Oct. 9, the secretary of state's office reported 120,289 requests for mail ballots. Roughly 86 percent had been requested by voters age 41 and older, 58 percent of those requesting mail ballots were women, and 55 percent were white. [Note: Georgia is a "no excuse" state, meaning that no reason is required to request an absentee ballot. The Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Postal Service cannot change the handling of mail ballots for this election. Advocates suggest voting in person, if possible.] Georgia has shy of 8.2 million registered voters, of whom nearly 7.5 million are listed as active voters. The state considers voters inactive if they have not voted or had other contact with the election system for the past five years. Of the active voters, the state classifies 51 percent as white, 30.8 percent Black, 5.1 percent Hispanic, 3.3 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.1 percent American Indian or Alaska Native, and 8.3 percent Other/Unknown. An estimated 55 percent to 60 per28 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Early voting began Oct. 13 and runs through Oct. 30. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23. Polls will be open Election Day at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

cent of Georgia’s population lives in Metro Atlanta, compared with roughly half that in 1960. For electoral politics, that means “Rural and small-town Georgia is losing population and losing political influence,” Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Georgia’s Jewish population in 2024 was an estimated 148,500, with 132,000 in Metro Atlanta, according to the American Jewish Year Book. The Jewish community makes up 1.31 percent of the state’s population, estimated in 2026 to be 11.4 million. Based on Census Bureau’s age breakdown of Georgia’s population, 76.5 percent of those 148,500 — roughly 113,600 —may be of voting age. If all Jewish adults in Georgia of voting age were registered and if 80 percent voted (the approximation frequently stated for Jewish turnout), that would yield nearly 91,000

potential Jewish votes in Georgia. The U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins remains the Georgia race with the highest national profile, but polls put Ossoff ahead by several percentage points and political websites have the outcome listed as “likely Democratic.” Georgia’s congressional delegation currently is comprised of nine Republicans and five Democrats. All 14 seats are up for election. Analysts will watch to see what effect the Senate race has on other contests, including the gubernatorial race between Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, which polls suggest could be close. Democrats hope that an Ossoff victory will lift Bottoms and other Democratic candidates, and Republicans are hoping for a Jackson victory to do the same for

their candidates. Further down the ballot are contests for lieutenant governor, between Democrat Josh McLaurin and Republican Greg Dolezal; for secretary of state, between Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds and Republican Tim Fleming; and for attorney general, between Democrat Tanya Miller and Republican Brian Strickland. The full state House and Senate are up for election. Among other offices, there are statewide votes to fill two seats on the five-member Public Service Commission, which sets rates for electricity and other utilities. The ballot also includes three proposed amendments to the state constitution. In addition to Ossoff, who is seeking a second six-year term, Jewish candidates running for the Georgia General Assembly are Democratic incumbent state Rep. Esther Panitch, who is seeking a third twoyear term from House District 51; Demo-

ELECTION GUIDE crat Adam Cleveland, who is challenging a Republican incumbent in House District 48, and Democrat Kevin Abel, who is running for an open seat in Senate District 14. Republican Rep. Todd Jones’ mother is Jewish but his father was not, and the five-term incumbent in House District 25 has told the AJT that he does not identify by religion but rather by the lessons he learned from the grandparents who helped raise him. Democrat Sarah Fuchs, whose father was Jewish, in August entered the House District 29 race against a Republican incumbent, replacing a nominee who withdrew due to health. Fuchs was not raised Jewish but said she feels connected to the community through her father’s family. There also are Jewish candidates running for county and municipal offices in Metro Atlanta. Republicans currently hold a trifecta in state government, with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and majorities in the state House (99 to 81) and state Senate (33 to 23). Democrats believe they can narrow those margins, particularly in the House. Georgia’s last Democratic governor was Roy Barnes, who served from 1999 to 2003. More than a century of Democratic control of the state House and Senate ended when Republicans won a House majority in 2002 and a Senate majority 2004. State House members represent an average of about 59,585 residents and state senators an average 191,523 residents, based on 2020 Census data. Georgia legislators receive a base salary of $25,312 and a $247 per day per diem during the 40day legislative session. Ossoff has swamped Collins in fundraising, as Jackson has done to Bottoms. Since Jan. 1, 2025, Ossoff had raised nearly $68.7 million and had nearly $42.6 million available, according to the June 30 campaign finance filings. Collins in the same period raised just $4.95 million and had slightly more than $2 million available. The next filing deadline for U.S. Senate and House candidates is Oct. 15. In the gubernatorial contest — which polls suggest may be close — Jackson's campaign reported raising nearly $119 million (including contributing $101 million of his own money) in the 2026 election cycle, and having nearly $4.32 million cash on hand. Bottoms had raised $5.77 million and had $772,000 cash on hand. On Sept. 30, a federal district court judge ruled against U.S. Department of Justice efforts to force the state to turn over complete voter rolls, which would include unredacted addresses, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. The judge agreed with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that doing so would violate Georgia law, which requires that data about voters remain confidential. The State Election Board asked the Trump administration in late September to examine Georgia’s voting machines and prohibit QR-code vote counting. The Republican-controlled state legislature two years ago passed a measure requiring a change from the QR counting system, but the legislature provided no funds to make this happen and, after missing a July 2026 deadline, voted to delay action until the 2028 election cycle. ì

TRICKS, TREATS AND LOTS OF TEETH

Trick-or-treating, scavenger hunts, themed animal presentations and more make every weekend at Georgia Aquarium a Halloween adventure.

Ends 11/1 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 29

ELECTION GUIDE

Polls, Pols, and Pundits Suggest Ossoff Victory By Dave Schechter For Jewish voters, Georgia’s U.S. Senate race may come down to which concerns them more: A) Votes by incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff opposing the delivery or sale of specific weapons to Israel or B) Republican Rep. Mike Collins’ links to people espousing white nationalist, antisemitic, or other bigoted viewpoints. Ossoff, a 39-year-old Atlanta native, is seeking a second six-year term. He defeated Republican incumbent Sen. David Perdue in a January 2021 runoff, becoming the first Jewish Georgian elected to the Senate. Collins, a 59-year-old native of Jackson, Ga., has represented Georgia’s 10th congressional district for two terms. He defeated former college football coach Derek Dooley in a June runoff. Republicans hold a 53 top 47 advantage in the Senate. As multiple polls show Ossoff leading by several percentage points, national political media have shifted their attention away from Georgia, amid published reports about Republican leaders (privately, if not publicly) focusing their attention — and their money — elsewhere. At this writing, the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia and The Cook Political Report list the race as “likely Democratic,” while Inside Elections lists the race as leaning Democratic. Two debates were scheduled (both after this article was filed): Oct. 8, hosted by Gray Media television stations, and Oct. 13, hosted by the Atlanta Press Club. Viewers could expect to hear examples of the candidates’ antipathy toward each other, sharp differences over issues of domestic and foreign policy, as well as Ossoff’s blistering criticism of President Donald Trump and Collins’ effusive support for Trump. 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. Despite a 90 percent record of supporting aid to Israel, five votes on Senate resolutions (all of which failed) that opposed the sale or export of specific U.S.-made weapons to Israel may be the fulcrum on which Ossoff’s Jewish support balances. On Nov. 20, 2024, Ossoff voted in favor of two resolutions, opposing the sale to Israel of high explosive tank and mortar cartridges. He voted against a resolution that opposed the export of guidance 30 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins has represented Georgia’s 10th congressional district for two terms.

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff defeated Republican incumbent Sen. David Perdue in a January 2021 runoff, becoming the first Jewish Georgian elected to the Senate.

kits for joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS), an air-to-ground weapon. Ossoff said on the Senate floor: “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.” An open letter coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and signed by nearly 50 local organizations, synagogues, and schools — claiming to represent 90 percent of Jewish Georgians — excoriated Ossoff (and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who backed all three resolutions). In an open letter, the Savannah Jewish Federation’s declared itself “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 “proIsrael, pro-peace” organization. On July 30, 2025, Ossoff voted for a resolution opposing the export of more than 20,000 fully automatic rifles to Israel and against a resolution that opposed the sale of air-to-ground munitions. On April 15 this year, Ossoff voted in favor of resolutions opposing the sale to Israel of Caterpillar bulldozers and 1,000-pound bombs. The first received 40 votes in favor, a high-water mark for the number of Democratic senators supporting restrictions on military sales to Israel. Collins' controversies include a sonin-law spouting white nationalist beliefs, a now-former chief of staff fired for briefing white supremacists, and, most recently, links reported between other campaigns aides and American Patriots USA,

a group led by a former Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi leader. 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.’” Scheer cited his wife, Collins’ daughter, as the source of a graphic claiming “proof Jews control our government through finance.” 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.” At an invitation-only July 29 session with about 80 members of the Jewish community, at a home in Sandy Springs, Collins said: “Am I America First? You bet I am. But you know what America First means to me? It’s protecting Israel.” A woman in the audience told Collins that she and her friends wanted to vote for him, but needed to hear him specifically denounce white supremacy. Collins replied: “Hate has no place in this country.” 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 from prison alt-right internet troll Charles C. Johnson, a Holocaust denier and racist. Collins touts legislation that he authored, mandating that immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are charged with crimes be detained for possible deportation, a measure named for Laken Riley, a University of Georgia nursing student mur-

dered in 2024. It was the first bill Trump signed in his second term in office. Ossoff voted in favor of the bill when it passed as a stand-alone measure in January 2025, after initially voting against a procedural motion on a spending bill that included immigration language that he opposed. Ossoff has found support — much of it based on the delivery of constituent services — from such unexpected quarters as Georgia-based conservative talk radio hosts, the chair of the Georgia Peanut Commission (a life-long Republican), and the Republican mayors of four Georgia cities. City Commissioner (and former Mayor) Gail Fry of Toccoa, Ga., who voted against Ossoff six years ago, told the New York Times: “We have gotten more support from Senator Ossoff than any other office that we’ve contacted,” citing an $8.4 million federal grant to replace aging natural-gas infrastructure. “He calls us and says, ‘What do you need?’” Ossoff has swamped Collins in fundraising. Since Jan. 1, 2025, Ossoff had raised $68.7 million and had $42.6 million available as of June 30, according to campaign finance filings. Collins in the same period raised just $4.95 million and had slightly more than $2 million available. The next deadline to file updated campaign finance reports is Oct. 15. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sept. 16 that Ossoff was transferring $3.6 million from his coffers to support the Democratic Party of Georgia, allowing the national party to spend elsewhere. As of September, in nine closely watched Senate races, Georgia was the only one where Democrats were outspending Republicans in purchasing advertising time. Collins has claimed that the vast majority of Ossoff’s campaign contributions come from outside of Georgia, saying that the Democrat 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 acknowledged a fundraising trend in an April statement: “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.” Collins frequently accuses Ossoff of using the 2026 campaign as a stepping stone to a 2028 run for the Democratic presidential nomination, something Ossoff repeatedly has said he has “zero interest” in doing. ì

Now More than Ever. Deborah

SilcoxForGeorgia.com

Vote November 3rd

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We Need a Representative Who is Effective For Us • Fighting Antisemitism in Georgia Schools: During the 2026 legislative session, Silcox worked with the Georgia Solidarity Network on legislation to establish a statewide K-12 coordinator under the Civil Rights Act to help address and respond to legal claims involving antisemitism in Georgia schools. • Standing with Israel After October 7: Following the October 7 terrorist attacks, Silcox supported a Georgia House resolution standing with Israel and condemning Hamas. • Supporting Charitable Healthcare in Georgia: Deborah Silcox helped secure critical state funding for the Ben Massell Dental Clinic, Georgia’s only free dental clinic, which provides care to patients who otherwise might not be able to afford it. Her support helps ensure this vital Jewish community institution can continue providing care to Georgians in need.

Rep. Deborah Silcox - Results Matter ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 31

ELECTION GUIDE

Jewish Democrat Eyeing State Senate Seat By Dave Schechter Kevin Abel, a long-time member of Temple Sinai, is the Democratic nominee seeking election to an open seat in Georgia Senate District 14. Abel, an Internet technology consultant, advanced to the general election with a narrow win in a June 16 primary runoff against attorney Nathalie Kanani, who has publicly endorsed him. His Republican opponent is Michael Dvorscak, a 40-year veteran of the corporate real estate industry, who advanced after comfortably winning the May 19 Republican primary. State Senate District 14 stretches north from the Atlanta city limits in a slice of Fulton County that takes in portions of Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, and Johns Creek. Georgia state senators represent an average of 191,523 residents based on 2020 Census data. Legislators receive a base salary of $25,312 and a $247 per day per diem during the 40-day legislative session. Republicans hold a 33 to 23 advantage in the Georgia Senate. District 14’s current state senator, Josh McLaurin, is the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. McLaurin won re-election in 2024 by 10 percentage points. Much of District 14 lies in the 7th congressional district, which Republican President Donald Trump carried with 60 percent of the vote in 2024. A native of South Africa, Abel came to the United States as a teenager, during an exodus of South African Jews, many of whom left during racial violence and tensions in the mid-1970s to early 1990s. “A central teaching of Judaism that I embrace and have taught my children is Tikkun Olam, repair the world. We all have a role to play in making this world, this country, this state a better place,” Abel told the AJT before the Democratic primary in May. “My ‘lane’ is civic service, specifically public office. In this regard, while I didn’t win the congressional race in 2018, I did serve on the GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation) board for years. Now I have the opportunity to again run to serve.” Abel told the AJT in May that, if elected, “I will advocate for the state to increase funding for security for Jewish institutions to mitigate the massive increase in security costs due to the rise of antisemitism and the threat of violence.” His campaign website lists healthcare as a legislative priority: “Healthcare 32 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Kevin Abel, an Internet technology consultant, advanced to the general election with a win in a June 16 primary runoff.

should be a right, not a privilege. Kevin has personally faced insurance gaps while fighting cancer, shaping his commitment to accessible, quality care for all Georgians, including women’s reproductive healthcare. Kevin’s two daughters work in healthcare, witnessing firsthand the inequities and failings of our system. Kevin will push to expand Medicaid in Georgia, reduce healthcare costs, and fight to end the abortion ban.” Abel serves on the advisory board of New American Pathways, an organization that helps resettle newly admitted refugees. In a Sept. 22 Facebook post about his outreach to the Latino community, Abel said: “We must work together to push back on inhumane treatment of immigrants, shipping them to countries they’ve never been to indiscriminately, and breaking up loving families and communities. I will do all I can to ensure that everyone in our district is treated with human decency and the respect with which I would want to be treated.” President Joe Biden appointed Abel in May 2023 to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council Board of Trustees, which supports the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and he continues to serve on that body. Citing that role, Abel told the AJT: “I am appalled by the recent full-page ad in the Atlanta Jewish Times claiming that the Holocaust wouldn’t have happened if [Donald] Trump had been president. The message of this ad is deeply troubling and offensive. Politics has no place in any discussion about the Holocaust. In

Michel Dvorscak, a 40-year veteran of the corporate real estate industry, advanced after winning the May 19 Republican primary.

this moment, when Holocaust denial is at an all-time high, and education about the Holocaust is crucial so that future generations may understand and learn from past horrors, giving voice to misconstrued, politically motivated narratives only gives oxygen to the conspiracy theorists who sow further hatred and lies.” [Note: The AJT has issued an apology regarding the advertisement.] Dvorscak is an Atlanta native with an undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech and a master’s in business administration from Georgia State University. He is principal, owner, and broker of AD Commercial Real Estate (formerly The William B. Hare Company). “Having talked with many voters in the run up to the election, affordability is the No. 1 issue among them. They are looking for a state senator who will lower their costs for income and property taxes, healthcare or education. I will work to lower costs in each of these areas,” Dvorscak told the AJT. Dvorscak also addressed himself to the Jewish community in particular, saying, “However, for the many Jewish voters I have met, the No. 1 concern is public safety. We live in a time of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel fervor. This must be met head on by our elected officials at all levels. One of our most precious freedoms is freedom of religion. “Americans have the right to practice their own religion or no religion without interference from anyone. And while anyone can express their opposition to a particular belief, that is where we must draw the line. I will fight against

any attempt to use the levers of government against the Jewish people,” he said. “I strongly oppose the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. I believe in the right of Israel to live in peace. I promise to give you my best every day to make life more affordable. And I promise to fight antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head.” Dvorscak’s legislative interest in mental health services is rooted in personal experience, having been diagnosed in 2017 with severe depression. Referencing U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, a Republican from New Jersey, who was absent for four months with a similar diagnosis, Dvorscak posted July 1 on Facebook: “Like Tom, through the help of medical professionals, friends and family, our faith community and personal perseverance, I was able to make a full recovery. Not all Georgians are able to have the medical and personal support network I had in my road to recovery.” “I have personally knocked on over 2,500 doors in this campaign so far and received overwhelming support on my platform of expanding access to mental health services and ensuring healthcare resources are expanded to cover all Georgians, in combatting and treating those who have been diagnosed with any forms of mental illness,” Dvorscak wrote. Dvorscak also has been involved in literacy programs in Roswell and been an advocate for the Safe Harbor Amendment to the Georgia constitution, approved in 2016, committing state resources to combat and aid victims of child sex trafficking. ì

Early Vote Oct. 13th | Election Day Nov. 3rd

Re-Elect Long Tran www.longtran.com Thank you for your belief and support! Send Esther and me back to the State House, and vote for our friends, Josh McLaurin for Lieutenant Governor and Tanya Miller for Attorney General! Early voting is happening now. Election Day is November 3rd!

Re-Elect Representative Esther Panitch estherforgeorgia.com Esther Panitch has fought tirelessly for our community as our State Representative. At the Capitol, she will continue to fight for us as a proven leader with results to show for it.

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The only Prosecutor in the race. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 33

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ELECTION GUIDE

Panitch Seeking Third Term in Georgia House By Dave Schechter As she seeks a third term representing Georgia House District 51, Democrat Esther Panitch remains the lone Jewish member of the General Assembly. Her general election opponent is Republican Keith Gettmann, whom she defeated in 2024 with 58 percent of the vote. Panitch advanced to the Nov. 3 ballot with a 56 percent primary win over Aaron Baker, in a race spiced by Baker’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. Gettmann advanced without primary opposition. District 51 takes in north Fulton County, including parts of Roswell, Johns Creek, and Sandy Springs. Republicans hold a 99 to 81 advantage in the Georgia House. State House members represent an average of about 59,585 residents, based on 2020 Census data. Legislators receive a base salary of $25,312 and a $247 per day per diem during the 40-day legislative session. Panitch, 55, is a family law and criminal defense attorney, a member of Congregation B’nai Torah, a third-generation member of Hadassah, and co-chair of the legislature’s Georgia-Israel Caucus. Since being elected to the state House in 2022, she acquainted her colleagues with Judaism and issues of concern to the Jewish community through such efforts as annual legislative Shabbats at congregations statewide and the ‘Sine Die Seder’ earlier this year on the final day of the General Assembly session. Panitch has received a degree of attention unusual for a state legislator, largely through her efforts at combatting antisemitism.

Keith Gettmann advanced without primary opposition.

State Rep. Esther Panitch advanced to the Nov. 3 ballot with a 56 percent primary win over Aaron Baker.

In 2023, she helped steer legislation that added to the state code a reference to the antisemitism definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Panitch points to three achievements in the 2026 General Assembly session. Topping the list is the Family Justice Center Act, a bill that she authored, creating centers statewide to assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking. She was a leading backer of another bill, signed into law, adding statewide civil rights coordinators to address discrimination and protect students, including from antisemitism, though that was not specified in the legislation.

Panitch also co-authored the Foreign Funding Transparency Act, which requires public schools and universities to disclose foreign funding. When she publicly questioned the level of Qatar’s funding in Georgia, Hamad AlMuftah, the deputy chief of mission at the Qatari embassy to the United States, posted Jan. 29 on X: “Again ur spreading disinformation and trying to carter frictions as peole like you always do Facts matter” [sic] Two days later, AlMuftah posted: “I want to clarify that I never intended to offend the Jewish community, and I have great respect for Jewish people . . . As I mentioned earlier, as an elected official and representative of the public, I urge you to be careful in how you interpret others’ posts. I also hold you in high regard, Rep. Panitch, and I appreciate our constructive dialogue." Panitch has called out both parties on issues related to antisemitism. She rebuked Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike 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.” On Aug. 27, on X, she posted: “To ev-

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eryone reading this who has told me to leave my own party over antisemitism: I have made these same demands inside my party, publicly, by name, at real cost. That’s the job. It’s harder when it’s your own side. Lecturing me about Democrats before you answer the call coming from inside your own house is hypocrisy.” Gettmann, a 75-year-old native of Milledgeville, Ga., and a Georgia Tech graduate, spent a career in the housing and banking industry, with Fanne Mae, the Resolution Trust Corporation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. About this experience, his campaign website states: “He closed the books on institutions that spent money they didn’t have and committed fraud they should not have. He’d rather stop it now than clean it up later.” Gettman’s campaign website states his support of legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp that sets a floor of 3.99 percent for the state income tax. The income tax rate for 2026 is 4.99 percent. The law would require annual decrees of 0.125 percent, until reaching the designated floor. On another tax issue, Gettman supports a cap on how fast homestead assessments may rise, set to take effect in 2027. The law would limit annual increases in property assessments to the rate of inflation and remove an opt-out clause for local governments. Gettman sent the AJT this message to the Jewish community: “To all of my Judeo-Christian friends. I support the sovereignty of Israel and I believe that ANY platform that includes the DSA philosophies like the “big tent” Democrats is a clear and present danger to all of our communities, our State and our Nation. It is time to leave the Big Tent Democrats behind.” On a controversial piece of legislation, Gettman posted on X on Aug. 15: “Soap gets rid of dirt. Elections get rid of bad policy. Esther Panitch voted NO on SB 1 — the Riley Gaines Act. Keith Gettmann believes women and girls deserve privacy, fairness, and common-sense protections — and District 51 deserves a representative who will vote that way. Let’s wash away the bad policy.” The Riley Gaines Act — which Kemp signed into law in April 2025 — bars transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams in public schools, private schools, and public colleges. The state House passed the measure along party lines, with most Democrats, including Panitch, voting against. ì

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ELECTION GUIDE

Jewish Lawyer in Closely Watched State House Race By Dave Schechter Democrat Adam Cleveland, a member of The Temple, concedes that challenging Republican incumbent Scott Hilton in House District 48 might be considered an uphill climb, but he believes the race is a toss-up. “Maybe I’m a ridiculous optimist but I believe our district is independent rather than married to a party,” Cleveland told the AJT. “It’s one that’s been identified nationally and locally as a target race and a very close call. In the current climate, it’s turning in our favor." Neither Cleveland nor Hilton faced a primary challenge. House District 48 takes in portions of northern Fulton and western Gwinnett counties, including parts of Johns Creek, Roswell, and Peachtree Corners. Republicans hold a 99 to 81 advantage in the Georgia House. Democrats believe that District 48 is among several House seats that can be flipped. State House members represent an average of about 59,585 residents, based on 2020 Census data. Georgia legislators receive a base salary of $25,312 and a $247 per day per diem during the 40-day legislative session. Hilton, 46, who holds degrees from Georgetown University and Emory University, was first elected in 2022 and then re-elected in 2024. He previously served a single term representing District 95. Hilton was the author and chief sponsor of legislation that imposed a “bell to bell” ban on cellphone use in grades K-8 this year and next year will expand to include high schools. Cleveland, a 48-year-old lawyer, with undergraduate and law school degrees from the University of Georgia, chairs the

Cleveland and Scott Hilton participated in a Sept. 16 debate for candidates in three legislature races, moderated by members of Student Leadership North.

Democrat Adam Cleveland, a member of The Temple, concedes that challenging Republican incumbent Scott Hilton in House District 48 might be considered an uphill climb.

creditor’s rights section of the State Bar of Georgia. He lists his legislative priorities as instituting ranked choice voting, term limits, and redistricting done by an independent commission. He told the AJT that, ideally, he would like to “have the job but not make it a career.” Cleveland and Hilton participated in a Sept. 16 debate for candidates in three legislature races, moderated by members of Student Leadership North, comprised of high school students from Johns Creek, Roswell, and Alpharetta. In his opening statement, Cleveland said: “My vision for the state’s future is simple, because I just want all of our kids to have the same opportunities and the same rights that we have. So, healthcare shouldn’t mean financial ruin. And the shared taxes that we pay should go to our shared resources of public schools. And our kids should go to school every day knowing they’re going to come home alive because we regulated parents’ responsibility with firearms. And our government should stay the hell out of our doctor’s offices. And our friends and

neighbors shouldn’t be carrying their passports in Georgia. And our leaders shouldn’t deny our votes for Congress or campaign with those who did.” Hilton said in his opening: “Here in Georgia, we have the No. 1 state to do business. We just broke yet another economic development record this year. We have one of the lowest tax rates nationwide. And we are at the very top of net migration, people moving with their wallets, families moving here, fleeing blue states, to live here in Georgia because we are the best place, to live, work, and raise a family. My vision for the state is that we keep it that way. We are on the right direction. We should not go to an untested, unproven, unknown candidate.” A series of yes-and-no questions yielded areas of agreement and disagreement. Cleveland and Hilton both opposed a temporary pause on artificial intelligence (AI) data center development in Georgia, phased cuts to eliminate the state’s individual income tax, and legalizing casino gambling. They agreed that public safety in Georgia is being adequately addressed, that restrictions are needed on police use of Flock license plate identification cameras and access to that data; that Georgia should require background checks on all gun sales, including private sales, and that the state should increase funding for need-based financial aid in higher education. They disagreed on whether local governments should be penalized for not cooperating with ICE, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, as per Georgia law; Hilton said yes and Cleveland no. Hilton opposed and Cleveland supported raising the state minimum wage above the federally-mandated $7.25 per hour.

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Hilton supported Georgia’s six-week abortion law, Cleveland did not. Hilton supported and Cleveland opposed banning Diversity, Equality, Inclusion (DEI) programs from public schools and universities. Hilton supported and Cleveland opposed potential congressional redistricting [prior to the decennial Census]. Hilton opposed and Cleveland supported legalizing recreational use of marijuana. They disagreed on the issue of school vouchers and funding public education. Hilton said: “I am a firm believer that, you the parent, not bureaucrats, know what’s best for your child and your child’s education. I also firmly believe that your tax dollars should follow your child.” Cleveland said: “It is unequivocal to me that the taxes we pay are meant to educate all of our children. I don’t deny anyone the choice to go and pay for private schools they want, but that is not a resource that is shared or available to all the people in the state . . . It must go to fund public schools.” In his closing, Hilton tied Cleveland to the Democratic Socialists of America in the Democrat party. “We are at an inflection point right now. Do we want Georgia moving forward or do we want to go backwards? I want to grow our economy, keep our schools safe, and strong,” he said. In his closing, Cleveland targeted the Republican Party, saying: “I prioritize our state and our rights, and someone who has sat there in the same body with the people who have denied our elections, and tried to overthrow our votes, and said nothing, done nothing, to stop it or against it, has no use.” The Socialist issue returned on Sept. 22, when Cleveland appeared at an event hosted by the Young Democratic Socialists of America, at Georgia Gwinnett College. Hilton assailed Cleveland on X: “His presence at this event and tacit approval of socialism is shocking to see as he runs to represent an independent thinking, suburban District.” Cleveland told the AJT: “I just recently went on a conservative podcast where we found ourselves in agreement and I’ve talked every day with at least some folks who are MAGA, too . . . my willingness to talk to even those I disagree with is how constituents know I’ll care for them in office even if they didn’t vote for me.” ì

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ELECTION GUIDE

Collins Pledges His Support for Israel

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Mike Collins said, “I support Israel because my faith tells me to and because it is the right policy for America.”

By Mike Collins Three years after Oct. 7, Jewish families across Georgia are still paying for security guards at their schools, checking the locks on their synagogue doors, and watching antisemitism spread from college campuses to city streets. Our Jewish neighbors deserve to know where their U.S. senator stands. More than that, they deserve a senator whose actions match his words. I support Israel because my faith tells me to and because it is the right policy for America. Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, a democracy surrounded by Islamic regimes that want it wiped off the map, and a frontline partner against Iran and their partners in terror. When Hamas murdered 1,200 people on Oct. 7, I stood behind Israel’s right to defend itself, voted to choke off Iran’s money for Hamas and Hezbollah, and voted to send Israel the weapons it needed to win and finish the job. That is my record, and I’ll put it up against anyone’s. Now, look at my opponent’s. Jon Ossoff backed Bernie Sanders’ resolutions to cut off Israel’s weapons in 2024, he did it again in 2025, and this April he went further than ever by voting to block every sale on the floor. He had three chances to stand with Israel, and each time he caved to the radicals in his party. Then he comes home and tells Georgians his support for Israel is “ironclad.” Don’t take my word for it. The publisher of this very newspaper wrote an open letter to Ossoff in August demanding he stop telling Georgians one thing while voting another way in Washington. He was right: Ossoff is with Israel on the votes that cost him nothing and against

Israel on the votes that matter. Look at who wants Ossoff in the White House. Hasan Piker, the far-left streamer who said, “America deserved 9/11,” and “Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel,” has named Ossoff as his choice for president. Even after months of pressure from the Jewish community and Georgia voters, Ossoff still hasn’t addressed his allies who are pushing the anti-Israel agenda. Jon Ossoff is caught between the Georgians he is supposed to represent and the antisemitic, anti-American extremists in his party, whose influence is spreading like wildfire. There’s a bigger fight here, too. Antisemitism is rising among young people, here and around the world. Too many of them feel forgotten. So, they retreat online, fall into conspiracy theories and the darkest corners of the Internet, and lash out in the worst possible ways: making enemies out of our allies and spewing hatred that has no place in this world. We owe all of our young people better. That means holding universities accountable when Jewish students are harassed on their own campuses. It means making life more affordable, so young Americans have opportunities, good jobs, and a future worth building. I will continue to condemn antisemitism and hate from every source, left or right, without exception. Jewish Georgians are our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends. They deserve a senator whose actions match his words. Jon Ossoff isn’t that senator. On Nov. 3, I’m asking for your vote, and I’m making you a promise: my support for Israel and our Jewish community will not change depending on the room I’m in. ì

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By Jon Ossoff I am deeply grateful to Georgia’s Jewish community for your continued overwhelming support. I don’t take that support for granted; I work every day to earn our state’s continued trust. I am glad to report that in an era of intense political conflict, more and more Republicans are crossing the aisle to endorse my campaign — including conservative Republican mayors from Valdosta, Tifton, and Toccoa; the Republican chair of our state’s Peanut Commission; and former Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Flake. This bipartisan coalition will power us to victory over the disgraced bigot and antisemite Mike Collins. I am also deeply proud of our community for its historic role supporting civil rights and human rights. When I was sworn into the Senate as the first Jewish Senator in Georgia’s history, I placed my hand upon a Tanakh that had belonged to Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, chief rabbi at The Temple when it was bombed by white supremacists in retaliation for supporting civil rights. And while I took the oath of office, I kept in my jacket pocket a copy of the ship’s manifests documenting the arrival at Ellis Island of my great-grandparents, Israel and Annie Ossoff, immigrants fleeing antisemitism in Eastern Europe who arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs. I will continue to fight for civil rights and human rights in the Senate, and to investigate and expose the abuse of power. When powerful officials in our state denied the abuse of foster kids, I opened

an investigation and exposed that hundreds of foster kids were likely sex trafficked in the care of the state. Then I passed a bipartisan law to crack down on child trafficking. When big drug companies were ripping off Georgians for insulin, I cast a decisive vote to cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month — now I’m fighting to ban insurance companies from denying Georgians needed health care. My bipartisan investigations have exposed civil rights abuses in federal prisons, the mistreatment of pregnant women in local jails, and medical abuse of women in ICE detention. My opponent, Mike Collins, is a bigot and antisemite who tolerates the production of neo-Nazi propaganda from his home. Consider this: from Mike Collins’ house, heinous antisemitic propaganda is produced and disseminated to an audience of millions. Let me be clear: only an antisemite would allow antisemitic propaganda to be produced from his own home. Period. Meanwhile, Rep. Collins’ office intervenes with DOJ and the FBI on behalf of a Holocaust denier — and Collins’ chief of staff briefs notorious white supremacists on their efforts, while another former Collins staffer flaunts the swastika and wears KKK regalia. Collins is surrounded at home and at work by white nationalists and neo-Nazis. These are despicable failures, disqualifying for a member of Congress and candidate for Senate. That is why we will defeat the bigot Mike Collins and send a message heard around the nation that Georgia rejects antisemitism and hate. ì

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ELECTION GUIDE

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Rick Jackson said if elected governor that he will “lead from the front in the fight against antisemitism.”

By Rick Jackson Editor's Note: The AJT invited Keisha Lance Bottoms to submit an Op-Ed, reminded her campaign of the deadline, and followed up with her campaign several days before press deadline. Bottoms still intends to publish her Op-Ed that will appear on the AJT website. Amid the hustle and bustle of my campaign for governor of Georgia, I got a text one morning early this year that made my week. The message showed a picture of young adult Georgians getting baptized in the Jordan River. The group had all aged out of foster care and were attending college through the Fostering Success Act. It was their first time out of the country. For a decade, I have sponsored 10 students to go to Israel through Passages, a Christian group similar to the Birthright program enjoyed by Jewish Americans. It sends young people to the Holy Land for a spiritual experience that brings the Bible to life. This year, I funded the trip for these former foster kids. I know what it’s like to walk in their shoes because I came out of the foster care system, too, and it gave me great joy to have played a part in providing this lifechanging opportunity. This story reminds us of the many shared bonds between Jewish and Christian people of faith. We both see Israel as sacred ground, and the commonly used “JudeoChristian values” denotes a mutual foundation of moral principles. The focus of the Passages program goes beyond the cities and landmarks from the New Testament. It also teaches these Christian students about modern Israel and the dangers of antisemitism – a crucial mission at this time when anti-Israel sentiment and prejudice against Jews is growing in our country. As governor, I’ll lead from the front in the fight against antisemitism. In recent years, out-of-touch academics have allowed hate speech that has left many Jewish students feeling intimidated on their own campuses. Thankfully, the University

System of Georgia took a strong stand against such dangerous intolerance, and as the chief executive of the state, I’ll stop at nothing to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish students at our colleges and universities. More broadly, the General Assembly rightly added antisemitism to our state’s hate crimes law, and I’ll enforce those important safeguards. Beyond that, I’ll also provide public safety resources to protect schools and houses of worship that are threatened, and I will not allow funding for schools from countries that promote antisemitic ideology. We’re at a moment in history when Israel needs friends internationally as it faces an enemy determined to destroy it. I have vowed that my first economic development trip will be to Israel, as not only a show of solidarity with the country but also for the mutually beneficial business partnerships that could result. Israel is a global leader in technological development, and Georgia – with the globally elite Georgia Tech and first-in-class Internet infrastructure in Metro Atlanta – has the tools needed to become the next Silicon Valley. Israel’s leadership in cybersecurity has great synergies with our state, the home of U.S. Army Cyber Command. Working cooperatively, we could bolster the defense and prosperity of both countries. I see this as consistent with my goal of promoting the best interests of 11 million Georgians, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. I’ll fight to earn every vote, and I believe I can do more for Georgians who don’t vote for me than anyone they have voted for. Georgia has thrived under the conservative leadership of the past quarter-century. I am the only candidate in this race for governor who can take our state to the next level, following in the tradition of Brian Kemp, Nathan Deal, and Sonny Perdue. If I’m elected, Jewish Georgians will continue to have an ally in the Governor’s Office, and together we can keep Georgia as the best state for business and families. ì

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SharonCooper.org ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 41

SENIOR LIVING Tips for Living Longer and Stronger By Robyn Spizman Gerson A well-known cardiologist was asked during a question-and-answer session following a speech on living longer, what is the secret to longevity? Without hesitation, he answered in one word, “Handrails.” Longevity is not just a buzz word, in the blink of an eye, life changes when there’s a medical setback, injury, or fall. One minute, you’re upright and the next, down for the count. Alex Mitchell, owner and founder of Stronger Now, a strengthening gym for the 50-plus crowd, located in Sandy Springs, affirms, “Preventing falls is one of the single best things you can do to ensure that, however long you live, you have autonomy and mobility while you’re alive. It is crucial to your wellbeing.” While individuals recover after a fall, particularly if they are in good shape to begin with and regularly exercise and train, falling does not have to diminish your life and steal your confi-

Alex Mitchell, founder of Stronger Now Gym in Sandy Springs, instructs a client on floor mat exercises.

dence. The goal of an exercise program is to restore that confidence, and prevent falls whenever possible, through strengthening your body.

Mitchell sees many clients challenged from a fall work to take charge of their lives and protect their mobility. Falls happen unexpectedly, from sim-

ply walking a dog and tripping over the leash to losing balance. He shared, “Our mission is to help our clients prevent falls and identify things that could cause a fall. It is also to be prepared when a fall is inevitable. We train people so that their bodies know instinctively how to fall. Many people are in the challenging position where they feel the need to use a cane or walker to prevent falls, but they also fear that the use of those devices will make them less confident and capable of independent movement later in life. Regular strength training can preserve and expand those people’s ability to move independently.” Mitchell added, “A best practice is to find your baseline before trying to improve your mobility. Our first goal with clients is to improve their relationship with the floor. Once a client is comfortable seated on a mat we can work on foot, knee, and hip mobility which acts as a foundation for future work. Having a good relationship with the floor is the key to safety as you age. Falling is one of the greatest dangers older adults face

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SENIOR LIVING

Lisa Galanti practices strength training at Stronger Now Gym with founder Alex Mitchell.

and learning how to fall safely and get up easily can help you preserve your health later in life.” For those who are very active and play tennis or pickleball, run and engage in sports, Mitchell said, “Even the greatest tennis players train with weights outside of tennis. As you age, it is true that general activity is not enough to preserve your lifestyle in the long run. Strength training is the best way to ensure that you can still do at 80 or 90 what you loved doing at 60 or 70 years old.” He adds, “Muscle is the fountain of youth, and we can maintain it as we age. Strength training is the best way to create muscles and bones that are built to keep you young as you age. The most successful clients we have are those who come in frequently and consistently. Our programs are designed to see clients in the gym as often as their schedule allows. This frequency and consistency is really the key to success. When you’re consistent, you’re able to make very small improvements every workout, which is the safest way to get stronger.”

Mitchell’s longtime client, Nancy, a middle-aged woman, shared, “I’ve been working with one of the Stronger Now coaches on how to fall without injury for a couple of months. It’s helped me to realize that if I should fall, I can move in such a way as to prevent a broken wrist, hand, or arm. It’s been fun to learn to fall sideways into a roll, and I recently started learning to fall forward from a squatting position. Knowing how to land gives me confidence that if I do fall, I won’t seriously hurt myself.” On a final note, Sol Na, who serves as a lead coach states, “I was inspired to coach at Stronger Now in honor of my late grandmother who passed away in 2023 from injuries sustained in a fall at home. She never engaged in strength training, and my goal is to honor her memory by helping our clients build the strength and coordination needed to prevent similar accidents. We empower individuals to safeguard their mobility, protect their independence, and live longer, safer lives.” For more information, please visit www.strongernowgym.com. ì

Stronger Now’s Tips to Prevent Falling • Train the muscles of the core, legs, and feet to ensure a strong, stable and powerful base of support. • Train balance and posture to improve confidence in dynamic movements required for daily living. • Get on the floor often to improve confidence in getting up and down as well as moving while on the floor. • Deliberately train the ability to stand up off the floor under progressively challenging conditions. • Practice falling with an educated professional on a padded surface to familiarize the body to a pattern of falling that is least likely to cause injury.

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SENIOR LIVING

Zoom in on this Unique Community By Marcia Caller Jaffe Jewish “birds of a feather squawk together.” Or at least stimulate, pontificate, and elucidate on a variety of topics that often lead to social ties and a lot of deep thinking. Before COVID, a discussion group formed for (mostly) retired Jewish professionals who wanted “a regular forum for thoughtful conversation, fellowship, and engagement with the major issues of the day. “The group is made up mostly of men, many of whom had long careers in business, law, medicine, science, and professional fields,” said Phil Jacoby, the group’s leader. What brought them together was a shared interest in current events, American public policy, the concerns of domestic and international Jewish communities, and the future and security of Israel. Their discussions reflect a politically conservative perspective and a strong Zionist commitment, though anyone with open and fair ideas is welcome to join. Jacoby is the leader now, but the founders were Zane Pollard, a pediatric ophthalmologist, and Alan Weinstein, DDS. Originally, the group met in-person for lunch on Fridays at the Three Dollar Café, providing a dependable opportunity to exchange ideas, debate current topics, and maintain personal connections. When the pandemic prohibited lunches out, rather than allowing the group to fade, Jacoby set up a weekly Zoom to allow participation from anywhere. Member and retired doctor Ron Grossman, 87, added, “This group has brought me in contact with other members of the Jewish community in medi-

44 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

cine and business who are extremely thoughtful and intelligent. We’ve formed friendships with respect as ‘Jews who will do anything to preserve our identity, not related to level of religious observance or secularity.’” Grossman himself holds four degrees and taught U.S. history at Penn State while still practicing medicine. Dentist Alan Weinstein, who started the group with Pollard, originally picked Friday because “docs don’t usually work then.” Some of his topics are how some of today’s political candidates are “just wrong/bad picks and do a lot of position switching.” He heralds back to Winston Churchill’s 1930 quote, “Politicians make grandiose promises and when those promises don’t happen, they have to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.” Also a Mark Twain fan, Weinstein added, “I fear for our grandchildren. It’s not that simple, some of the younger generation … just doesn’t have street sense.” Pollard, 84, added, “In addition to politics and Jewish topics, conversations can be about advice in dealing with health insurance, medical advice, a favorite book, getting a great watch, or gun. One of Pollard’s favorite discussions was why Sen. Joe Leiberman was able to succeed as an independent. He liked that he was a “decent person.” Pollard’s favorite speaker was Gov. Brian Kemp and State Rep. Deborah Silcox. The group has also featured other speakers like Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Governor Kemp to fill the U.S. Senate seat exited by Johnny Isakson, and Rabbi Shalom Lewis. Retired OB/GYN Neil Gladstone stated, “We are all about the same age and

Retired chemist Phil Jacoby keeps the group lively, substantive, and respectful.

more recently observed the group’s focus on the rising tide of antisemitism. We’re all old enough to remember the 1930s in Germany and here in the U.S.; unfortunately, the similarities between the current events here and elsewhere are vivid reminders of what happened and possibly can happen again … also interesting to me is the migration to the Chabad movement by members.” Gladstone claims to be one of the group’s most “native” Atlantans having moved here from St. Louis in 1975. The group sessions last 60 to 90 minutes. Jacoby concluded, “Because

participants are experienced professionals with strong opinions and deep personal commitments, the exchanges are substantive and candid. While we don’t always agree on every detail, the group is united by a serious interest in the issues and by a shared sense of responsibility toward the Jewish people and the State of Israel.” When queried if anyone has been caught in their pajamas while Zooming, Jacoby laughed, “No, but I sometimes Zoom on my bike rides or walks.” To learn more about the group, please contact philipjacoby@hotmail.com. ì

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SENIOR LIVING

It’s Never Too Late to Pirouette By Marcia Caller Jaffe At 82, Rosalyn Bush has no intention of hanging up her ballet slippers. Actually, she would like more adults over 55 to put on a pair of their own. The longtime dancer, teacher, and founder of the Bush Centre for Ballet in Sandy Springs teaches Royal Academy of Dance’s Silver Swans classes, designed specifically for adults age 55-plus. Her philosophy is straightforward for anyone who thinks ballet belongs primarily to young dancers in pink tights. “Ballet is not for sissies!” She maintains that seniors can start anytime even if they have never taken a ballet class. Bush has taught adults with varying levels of experience, designing classes to individual skills rather than expecting everyone to perform at the same level. She is currently looking for new seniors to enroll in Silver Swans. Bush is certified to teach the Silver Swans program which once attracted students from beyond Sandy Springs. One student, Bush noted, traveled from Suwanee to participate. Bush believes she

Ballerina Roz Bush says, “You do not have to have started young. You just have to be willing to start.”

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In 2005, Bush established the Bush Centre for Ballet in Sandy Springs, a studio where children and adults experience dance as a form of expression and find an avenue for involvement in the arts.

the UK and Japan report huge jumps in senior enrollment. For Bush, teaching older adults isn’t simply an extension of her own career. It’s a continuation of a lifelong relationship with dance that began when she was a child, training in ballet and pointe at Frankie Danziger’s School of Ballet in Augusta, from 1955 to 1961. Before graduating from high school, she was asked to continue dancing professionally by auditioning for the Augusta Ballet. Instead, Bush chose Emory University, where she earned degrees in education and math. Ballet never disappeared from her life. Although she wasn’t dancing actively for many years, she remained involved in the arts through theater and volunteer work. She wrote and directed a musical play at The Temple, choreographing portions of the production, which was eventually sent to the Bicentennial Hall of Fame Archives. After a 40-year career as an information systems professional, Bush retired in 2005. It made a wired berth for the passion that had been in waiting. In 2000, she began taking adult ballet classes at an Atlanta studio and eventually progressed to pointe. She was the oldest adult student in the studio. From 2002 to 2005, she performed with CityDance Ensemble, an eclectic group encompassing modern, jazz, ballet, and pointe. She appeared in productions at Seven Stages, the Alliance Theatre, and Ferst Center for the Arts. In 2005, she established the Bush Centre for Ballet in Sandy Springs, a studio where children and adults experience dance as a form of expression

and find an avenue for involvement in the arts. The Centre held its first annual recital in 2006, with an original production of “The Enchanted Garden.” Bush herself continued performing, including a character role in the North Atlanta Dance Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” in 2006. Over the years, her students have performed in local senior residential communities, at the Sandy Springs Festival and even in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York! Perhaps one of Bush’s most meaningful roles now is showing older adults the physical and artistic discipline of ballet. Silver Swans offers a different image of aging, with movement, music, balance, posture, discipline and creativity. “The goal is not necessarily to turn a 60-, 70- or 80-year-old beginner into a professional dancer. It is to meet students where they are and allow them to discover what their bodies can still do,” she explained. Her connection to the arts extends beyond her studio. She is a longtime supporter of the Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Ballet, a member of the Royal Academy of Dance, a Friend of Emory Dance and a licensed ASCAP member. She is also a lifetime member of Hadassah, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Fulton County League of Women Voters, and a charter member of the Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. She has also volunteered through the Sandy Springs Education Force as part of its Reading Buddies program. ì

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Sandy Springs homeowners Susan and Marty Throne first began considering downsizing from their home two years ago, shortly after celebrating Marty’s 82nd birthday. They imagined days filled with new friendships, chef-prepared meals, engaging activities, and the peace of mind that comes from living in a vibrant community. Their daughter’s wishes were equally important: to see them in a welcoming, secure, and thoughtfully designed space where they could thrive. Like countless older adults and their families, the Thrones discovered that finding the right senior living community involves intentional planning. We spoke with them about the process, the decisions they faced, and the insights they hope will help others on a similar journey. Questions for the Thrones 1. Please share your senior living search process. What made Lenbrook the right fit? We entered our senior living search seeking a community that valued purpose over profits. Our process included exploring local communities and online research. After touring Lenbrook, we joined their priority waitlist program, The Advantage Club. This membership allowed us a risk-free way to explore life at Lenbrook and secure our position for future residency. Experiencing the Lenbrook lifestyle through meals, lectures, and events helped us see Lenbrook’s mission in action. The range of amenities, continuum of care offerings, and convenient location made Lenbrook a truly appealing community for our evolving needs. 2. Describe a moment when you knew you had made the right decision at Lenbrook. From the first week we moved into

Lenbrook, we knew we had made the right choice. We took advantage of their Live Better Now program, which provides partners to assist with downsizing and moving residents into Lenbrook. Within a day, everything was set up, and pictures hung on the walls. Having a unit outfitted with new appliances and fixtures–with the option to work with an onsite contractor for any remodeling needs–made move-in a truly pleasant experience. In addition to ensuring our physical space was just right, Lenbrook provided assistance through their LIVE Program. This team of Supportive Services professionals helps with personal services like license changes, shutting down utilities, address changes, etc. Their wonderful nursing staff from the Clinic even conducted mini health physicals upon arrival. We’ve immersed ourselves into activities including my favorite, water volleyball! Neighbors have become friends through dinners and shared experiences. 3. How has this community helped you maintain traditions that have always been important to you—or even introduced you to new ones? We knew that having a Jewish community was an important aspect of our search. Lenbrook has a vibrant and diverse population, which we love. There are Shabbat services offered twice a month and a monthly Shabbat dinner. These events make it easy to celebrate our traditions while meeting other Jewish residents and expanding our community. 4. Finish this sentence: “I wish someone had told me...”

I wish someone had told me to make the transition sooner! The Advantage Club certainly gave us an insider’s look at life at Lenbrook, which led us to select the community and enjoy a smooth transition. I would add the advice to not wait too long to make a decision as the downsizing and moving process only grows more difficult as you age. 5. How has your relationship with your children or family changed since moving here? Our children are thrilled and relieved for us to be in such a welcoming, high-quality community with all of the support we’ll need as we age in place. The peace of mind that we all feel reinforces that this was the right move for our needs. We’ve already enjoyed Sunday brunch with our children and look forward to upcoming activities and meals together.

Questions for the Throne’s daughter, Michelle Kaplan 1. When did you and your parents first start talking about senior living? What qualities were non-negotiable as you evaluated communities? The conversation started two years ago with a mention from my parents about Lenbrook. Shortly after, they joined the waitlist. Seeing them move out of their home of 43 years that they built was bittersweet! In addition to a range of amenities and healthcare services, non-negotiables included having assisted living and memory care services on property. 2. How did you know Lenbrook was the right fit for your parents—and for your family? The moment we walked into Lenbrook, I felt it was the perfect fit. The grounds, beautiful

spaces, welcoming staff. Everything my parents could want was available, including a pool for my dad to play water volleyball. The variety of dining options, activities, experiences, and Shabbat services–it just felt right. We were all aligned on priorities, which made the decision easy. 3. How has your parents’ quality of life changed since moving here? And your peace of mind? My parents are happy and stress-free! Concierge quickly addresses any issues in their home that pop up, and they have no shortage of social and activity opportunities. After giving up their licenses a few years ago, they take full advantage of Uber and Lenbrook transportation to explore the city and enjoy themselves. Lenbrook has given us all true peace of mind. 4. If another family was sitting where you were a year ago, what’s the one piece of advice you’d want them to hear? Start the senior living conversation with your family early and do everything you can to prepare your house for the market. Timing and cost are always higher than you estimate!

If you’re considering senior living options for you or your loved ones, contact us to learn more. Call 404-531-2011 or visit LiveatLenbrook.com.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 47

SENIOR LIVING

Star of David Club Shines at Holbrook Woodstock By Lou Ladinsky As Atlanta Jewish Times (AJT) continues expanding its distribution north of Metro Atlanta into the Woodstock area, the AJT recently struck up a conversation with Holbrook Woodstock Concierge Rochelle Nelson, who has been with the community since it opened in 2021. Nelson shared about a group of six Jewish women residents affectionately known as the Star of David Club. She faithfully looks after the group and makes sure each member receives a copy of the paper whenever a new issue is published. The AJT recently had the opportunity to meet these wonderful women, all of whom live independently at Holbrook Woodstock, a senior living community featuring nearly 300 apartment homes and 16 cottages. If you remember the television sitcom, “The Golden Girls,” this group of women are very reminiscent of that show, navigating their friendship, aging, and daily lives together. Phyllis Goldstein has called Holbrook home for more than five years. Her jour-

ney has taken her from The Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey, and Florida before settling in Georgia. Sue Huebsch, originally from Borough Park in Brooklyn, has been a resident for 4½ years. Patricia “Trish” Camina, originally from Montreal, Canada, has lived at Holbrook for three years, as has Carol Rubenstein, who grew up in Manhattan, N.Y. Myrna Zimmerman, originally from East Flatbush in Brooklyn, has been there for two years, while Glenda Machado, whose roots are in Teaneck, N.J., joined the community a year ago. Like many residents, several of the women moved to Georgia to be closer to their children and grandchildren, whom they enjoy seeing as often as possible. The camaraderie among this group is truly something special. They share dinner together every evening and often participate in off-site excursions organized by Holbrook Woodstock, including theater performances, museum visits and city tours. Some also enjoy playing Mah Jongg, Canasta and trivia games. The women enthusiastically take advantage of the many amenities available to them and often describe Holbrook Woodstock

The Star of David Club members at Holbrook Woodstock share a special bond.

as the “Ritz-Carlton of senior living.” Their Jewish identities remain an important part of their lives. They make sure a menorah is lit during Chanukah and celebrate Jewish holidays with family whenever possible. This year, Holbrook Woodstock has included Chanukah programming in its budget and plans to host a Chanukah celebration for Jewish residents. The group also expressed how much

they enjoy reading Atlanta Jewish Times and appreciate the connection it provides to the local Jewish community. They were equally enthusiastic in their praise of Nelson, crediting her with making sure they are well cared for and that their needs are consistently met. These remarkably happy women are a shining example of the vibrant community at Holbrook Woodstock and the friendships that make it feel like home. ì

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ARTS & CULTURE Atlanta Writers Club Turns 112 Years Old By Robyn Spizman Gerson In 1914, poet and songwriter Lollie Belle Wylie and author Kate Ross Peters organized an informal social group which later became the Atlanta Writers Club (AWC) “to bring about a helpful and more intimate acquaintance among Atlanta writers, to promote their talents and market their writings.” Early members included the literary elite of Atlanta, including journalists, magazine and newspaper editors, Georgia’s first Poet Laureate, columnists, lyricists, playwrights, and educators. As the club grew, in 1918, the AWC established the Authors’ Grove in Piedmont Park to honor famous local and international authors. The first tree they planted was a memorial to the late Jacque Futrelle, the Atlanta journalist and author who was considered the “American Conan Doyle” and who lost his life on the Titanic in 1912. Another tree was for legendary fiction writer Jack London, who had, two weeks prior to his death, written to the AWC to confirm his plans to be their next guest speaker. AWC member and past president George Weinstein joined in 2001 in search of education about writing and a community of like-minded artists. He was elected to the presidency in 2004 for three years and launched the Atlanta Writers Conference in 2008, which he continues to lead, and became AWC executive director in 2020, a role he continues to hold. Weinstein has authored eight novels, including the bestselling, award-winning historical novel series “Hardscrabble Road.” Under his leadership, the AWC grew from 28 members to nearly 1,600 and has become the largest and most active writing nonprofit in the Southeast as well as the third oldest in the U.S. Weinstein shared, “Today, the AWC’s focus is on teaching the craft and business of writing and is open to all writers and those interested in becoming writers, no invitation needed. Individuals can join anytime online through the AWC website, through registration at any of its three yearly conferences, and at its in-person meetings on the third Saturday afternoon of each month at the Georgia State University Perimeter College-Dunwoody Campus and the Lilburn Public Library (June and July). A 365-day membership is just $10 for students and $60 for everyone else.” The AWC is offering its 35th Atlanta Writers Conference on Nov. 6-7, at the 50 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

George Weinstein (left) and Jerry Weiner // Photo Credit: Patrick Scullin

Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel with 30 guest agents and publishers, educational presentations and workshops, Q&A panels, a book fair, and more. After nearly every one of the Atlanta Writers Conferences, some attendees receive offers of representation from literary agents or publication contracts from the guest publishers. A few registrants have received six-figure or seven-figure advances, and one attendee’s work was turned into a major motion picture and a TV show. The AWC also offers a creative writing certificate program and mentorship program for writers completing their first manuscript and a marketing program for authors with a recently launched or soon-to-be-launched book. In addition, the club sponsors more than 60 critique groups online and in-person throughout Metro Atlanta and beyond and provides periodic online workshops covering various aspects of the craft and

business of writing. In addition, the AWC holds an annual writing contest for members, with cash prizes and plaques awarded. The AWC also collaborates with the Georgia Writers Museum in Eatonton, Ga., to offer the biennial Townsend Prize for Fiction, an award given to a literary fiction author who wrote their nominated work while residing in Georgia during the past two years. At every AWC meeting, 100 or more writers convene for the two speakers’ presentations and for the pre-meeting “nosh and networking” mixer that encourages writers to network. Numerous members are still working on their first manuscripts and not yet published, and the club welcomes everyone who has an interest in writing. The two speakers at their meeting on the third Saturday of each month address various aspects of the craft and business

of writing, with lessons for writing fiction, nonfiction, and creative nonfiction such as memoirs. Jerry Weiner, the AWC treasurer added, “As a writer I thought I could write. And I could — just not fiction. I reached the point in 2018 where I realized I needed help and joined the Atlanta Writers Club. I like to get involved in any organization I belong to, so I became treasurer in 2019. It took six more years of rejections and rewrites, but with the encouragement of fellow AWC members, I finally produced a manuscript that got the attention of an agent.” The AWC is a treasure trove of knowledge for writers, authors and anyone wanting to be published. Leave it to the power, connections, and education of the Atlanta Writers Club. Who knows? You might be next! For more information, please visit https://atlantawritersclub.org/. ì

ARTS & CULTURE

Gold Brings Jewish Humor, Family Stories to Atlanta

2 0 2 6 - 2 7 S e as o n

composer Kevin Puts | librettist Mark Campbell A Tomer Zvulun Production

Nov 7, 10, 13, 15, 2026

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

If you like Jackie Mason and the imitations of Rich Little, rush to buy tickets to see Elon Gold on Dec. 7 at the Buckhead Theatre.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Elon Gold has made a career out of finding the funny in everyday life from marriage and family to Jewish traditions, celebrity encounters, and the peculiar rules people create for themselves. The comedian, actor, and writer brings that perspective to Atlanta on Dec. 7, when he will perform at the Buckhead Theatre. For Gold, 56, the show represents another stop in a career built steadily over decades, with stand-up specials, television, film (more to come soon) and a growing social-media following, introducing his comedy to new audiences. If you think Jim Carrey can contort his face to get a laugh, Gold’s ability to do impressions rivals Rich Little. Gold, who hails from The Bronx, finds Atlanta familiar. His wife has a best friend locally, giving them a personal connection. It was Gold’s wife who discovered one of his funniest celebrity encounters. While visiting Chappaqua, N.Y., she spotted former President Bill Clinton in a coffee shop. She texted Gold to come inside. He assumed she was joking. Sitting in the car, he realized she was serious. The encounter went viral as Gold did imitations for Clinton. Social media is an important part of Gold’s career with short bits bringing audiences who may never have seen him live. One of his most memorable imagined a simple question: “If Jews had Christmas trees, what would the rules be? His imagination took off. How exactly should it be approached? What would the regulations look like? Blessings over it … Gold at his best: taking something ordinary, applying an elaborate set of rules and Jewish logic. The result struck a chord with viewers, who found the ab-

surdity hysterical. Gold isn’t in the tradition of Don Rickles, whose humor takes aim at the audience. His comedy is more “Jackie Mason-ish,” observational, drawing from his own experiences and the peculiarities of family, marriage, and Jewish life. He also writes much of his own material. Gold is particularly well known for impressions, with his President Trump imitation becoming a signature part of his act. His “Baruch HaTrump” combines the rhythms of Trump’s speech with Jewish references. Behind all this is a surprisingly ordinary guy who lives an observant Jewish life, attends services, keeps kosher, observes Shabbat, and lays tefillin. Another passion of his is pickleball. One of his playing buddies is Jamie Foxx, who Gold has long admired. When Foxx was seriously ill, before they met, Gold included him on his personal “Refuah Shlema” healing list. “You can say he’s one of my idols. When I met him, I was so excited that he was well, and that we were able to play pickleball together. He thanked me for the prayers,” Gold said. Gold is hardly looking back on his career, entering another productive chapter, with more movies, comedy specials, and television projects complementing his work on the road. He belongs to a growing generation of Jewish comedians, alongside performers such as Modi and Yohay (both having appeared in Atlanta) who find audiences hungry for contemporary unapologetically Jewish humor while remaining broadly relatable. Get tickets to see Gold Dec. 7. You’ll laugh “your kishkies off.” For more information, please visit: https://www.elongold.com/tour ì

Silent Night, holy night, all is calm … for just one night.

ATLANTAOPERA.ORG 404-881-8885 “We need stories of friendship, camaraderie, and shared humanity, now more than ever.” —Tomer Zvulun

The Atlanta Opera Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 51

ARTS & CULTURE

‘Sacred Cycles’ is an Interfaith Experience for Sukkot By Bob Bahr Two local organizations that aim to broaden ties between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities celebrated the conclusion of the Sukkot holiday with an ambitious multimedia presentation at Pullman Yards in East Atlanta. The presentation, which is entitled “Sacred Cycles,” is built around the yearlong cycle of sacred traditions of the three Abrahamic faiths -- Judaism, Islam, and Christianity in Jerusalem. More than 1,000 photographs were incorporated into the work which features a soundtrack created from the voices and music of 60 different singers, choirs, musicians and prayer leaders from the three major religions. The exhibit is co-sponsored by The Spring, which builds Jewish community in Atlanta’s Intown neighborhoods. It’s also a project of Bamah, which works to create transformative cultural connections between Israel and members of the non-Jewish community, particularly in the several important historically Black college and university communities in Atlanta. According to Flo Low, founder and executive director of Bamah, who has booked a large group of students from these schools to visit the exhibit, culture can be a bridge to greater understanding. “Politics can divide us, but culture connects us, and we want to be creating relationships between Jewish communities and future Black leadership. If you want to be in conversation with future Black leaders, working with historically Black schools is a fabulous place to be,” Low said. Bamah, which has produced over a hundred public workshops and perfor-

mances during the past five years, has worked to place world class artists from Israel for extended teaching visits at its collegiate partners. Among Bamah’s funders is the Molly Blank Family Foundation. Accompanying the exhibit is Amit Hai Cohen, who is intimately familiar with the challenges of cross-cultural connections. His soundtrack for the gripping presentation includes chants from the Greek Orthodox Palm Sunday march, the sound of a winter rainstorm in Jerusalem, noise from the city’s legendary traffic jams and a timely reference to the waving of the lulav and its accompanying etrog by observant Jews on Sukkot. His partner, Neta Elkayam, assisted in presenting “Sacred Cycles.” Cohen’s family originally came from Morocco in the modern Jewish exodus from that country and settled in Nativiot in Southern Israel. He sees “Sacred Cycles,” which he was instrumental in producing for its run at Pullman Yards, as a way to bring together the separate strands of race, culture, and religious tradition. “People, pray every day,” Cohen said. “They go to their synagogue, they go to their church, they go to their mosque, but they seldom really get together. The space we’ve created may be the first time actually that many people come together with other religions, with other communities, and feel connected, in a way.” Amit Hai Cohen’s collaborator in the project, who was not involved in the Atlanta installation, is David Polonsky, one of Israel’s most distinguished illustrators and creative figures. He is perhaps best known here as the art director and lead artist of the 2008 animated documentary, “Waltzing With Bashir,” about Israel’s war

Among the exhibits images is one of women gathered in prayer at the Western Wall.

in Lebanon, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Polonsky found much of his inspiration for the project in nature. “I made a map of things that can be connected, We found these motifs like water, stone, fire, oil, palm branches, that appear in different rituals in Judaism, Christianity, in Islam. I was looking for this kind of visual metaphor for the uniting energy, this kind of movement that exists in the three religions,” he said. The co-sponsor of the presentation, The Spring, has worked to present innovative projects that are often grounded in art and music to build interfaith understanding. “We think that it’s really important for Jewish art and Jewish culture, from artists from Israel,” according to Samara Minkin, The Spring’s executive director,

“to be a part of the greater mix, and to be seen in the most prominent spaces of Atlanta.” The exhibit originated at the recently rebuilt Tower of David Museum, where it is featured in one of the 10 galleries that occupy the centuries-old structure on the Western Hill of Jerusalem. Some believe that it may have been the location of King David’s palace 3,000 years ago. The museum was reopened three years ago after a $50 million renovation and a comprehensive restructuring of its exhibits. The “Sacred Cycles” exhibit there is presented by an array of 10 video projectors and an eight-speaker audio surround system. The design and installation, which is projected on the vaulted ceiling of the old building in Jerusalem, took over a year to develop. ì

J The

ON SHAPIRO GROUP Family Business

Doing Real Estate Together Since 1991! RE/MAX AROUND ATLANTA JON SHAPIRO jonshapirorealtor@gmail.com 404-252-7500 404-735-3855 www.jonshapiro.com 52 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 53

DINING Aria Enters a New Chapter of Fine Dining By Marcia Caller Jaffe For more than a quarter-century, Aria has been one of those Atlanta restaurants that seems less like a restaurant and more like an institution. Tucked into a converted house on East Paces Ferry Road, the Buckhead dining room has survived changing culinary trends, economic ups and downs, and the arrival of countless newer restaurants eager to claim Atlanta’s fine-dining crown. In its biggest change yet, Gerry Klaskala, who opened Aria in 2000 and guided it for 25 years, has retired and sold the restaurant to Andrés Loaiza, his longtime general manager and sommelier. Loaiza joined Aria in 2007 and knows the restaurant from the inside out. Klaskala was known for his jovial appearances at local Jewish food events like the Jewish Family & Career Services Tasting. There has also been a succession of chefs. Joseph Harrison, formerly of Savannah’s Common Thread, took over the kitchen in 2025. This summer, Austin Goetzman (exiting Lazy Betty) became executive chef, returning to the restaurant where he previously worked under Klaskala. Goetzman, who has also cooked at The French Laundry, reworked the menu while maintaining emphasis on technique, hospitality, and seasonality. Our recent weeknight dinner suggests that Aria is evolving while retaining what made it special. The meal began with freshly baked potato bread served with fried onion and chive and honey butter at $5 per person. Our starters were leeks vinaigrette ($19), with sauce gribiche (an elevated version of tartar sauce or mayo), fried allium (a large genus of bulbous flowering and edible plants belonging to the amaryllis family with onion and garlic scents) and dill salad. The citrus-cured hamachi ($33) was more elaborate: avocado mousse, radish, cilantro, and passion fruit leche de tigre with acidity and tropical boost of a ceviche-inspired preparation. The roasted beets ($18) were paired whipped labneh, basil fudge, oats, frisée, and pickled golden raisins. For the main courses, the roasted eggplant steak ($36) was stellar with pomegranate molasses, za’atar (Israeli flar), yogurt, and arugula, making it feel like a serious entrée rather than a substitute. The poached halibut ($48) came with spinach and kombu velouté and is normally served with bacon. We 86’ed that and didn’t miss it. The buttery fish and savory seaweed-inflected sauce had plenty of 54 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Aria is located on East Paces Ferry Road// All photos by Brandon Amato

The unilaterally poached Columbia River salmon was delicious.

character without the additional smokiness. One of the most interesting preparations was the unilaterally poached Columbia River salmon ($42) served with stuffed morels and citrus beurre blanc. “Unilaterally” translates to cooking on one side rather than being turned during cooking, allowing the chef greater control. The wine list would satisfy oenophiles. A glass of Thibaud Boudignon Rosé de Loire 2025, macerated rosé made from Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley, was $17. It was an intriguing choice alongside the food, particularly the lighter starters. Aria’s current wine-by-the-glass program ranges beyond predictable, with bottles

The peach almond cake took advantage of the local fruit and included peach ice cream.

The Aria atmosphere is dramatic, intimate, and artsy.

from Burgundy, Germany, Sicily, Beaujolais, and more. For dessert, the peach almond cake ($16) was complex and took advantage of Georgia’s fruit crop, with almond tuile, amaretto anglaise, and peach ice cream. The Thai lime tres leches cake ($16) paired vanilla whipped cream with mango ginger sorbet. Another tempting choice was the raspberry dark chocolate mousse with chocolate cake and lychee ice cream. The fresh sorbets (in addition to the mango ginger) were: passion fruit and lime, served with meringue -- refreshing finish after a rich meal. Aria was a James Beard finalist for

Outstanding Hospitality in 2025 and again in 2026, placing it among only five national finalists in the category this year. The question facing Aria after Klaskala’s departure was whether an Atlanta institution could change without losing its identity. Not trying to become a completely different Aria -- maybe it’s taking a more difficult route: keeping the gracious service, serious wine program and drama, while gradually making the food feel younger and more adventurous. After all, Gertrude Stein posed, “What’s in a name?” After 26 years, the Buckhead classic is still very much itself. 404-233-7673. ì

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OCTOBER 15-29

CALENDAR Two Struggles, One People: Natan Sharansky on Soviet Jewry and Antisemitism Today – 6 to 7:30 p.m. In 1977, Natan Sharansky was arrested in Moscow for demanding the right to live as a Jew. He spent the next nine years in Soviet prisons and labor camps. Join us as he traces the movement that freed Soviet Jewry — how a small circle of activists in Moscow, backed by an American Jewish community rediscovering its own identity, brought down the Iron Curtain for millions. The evening will include time for audience questions. Join The Dupree by RSVPing at https://tinyurl. com/3mjkdtb6.

Friday, October 16 Southern Jewish Society Conference –8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Fiftieth Anniversary Conference of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/4t3e4xed.

Tot Shabbat - 6 to 8 p.m. Tot Shabbat from

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

Wednesday, October 14 Atlanta Jewish Marketing Network Meet-up – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join us in October to learn about AI tools for nonprofit marketing teams. The Atlanta Jewish Marketing Network brings together professionals who work in marketing and communications for Jewish organizations in the Atlanta area. This is a place to connect, learn from each other, share resources, and collaborate so your work is stronger and more impactful. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/nrrzh32d.

ORT Poker Event – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. ORT Funraiser for a cause. Support ORT’s efforts to provide education in over 30 countries for Jewish students. Yes, it is a FUN raiser. Register at https://tinyurl. com/ycx5n9bh.

Becoming & Belonging - 11:30 a.m. to 1

Israel at a Crossroads: Understanding Israel’s 2026 Elections – 7:30 to 9 p.m. “Israel at a Crossroads: Understanding the 2026 Elections” is a three-part series that offers participants an accessible look at how Israeli democracy works and where it may be headed, set against the backdrop of the country's pivotal October 2026 elections. Each session considers how Israel's political institutions, internal divisions, and competing visions of Jewish and democratic identity shape the choices facing the country. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4787aj75.

Thursday, October 15 Southern Jewish Society Conference Tour of Jewish Atlanta - 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tour of Jewish Atlanta pre-conference day-trippers will be taken on an excursion to sites at the heart and soul of Atlanta’s Jewish history. Space on the tour is limited, so be sure to register at https:// tinyurl.com/546ndf48 quickly to reserve your place! 56 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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/j8xs34x3.

Congregation Dor Tamid is a Shabbat program geared for children (second grade and younger) to laugh, meet new children, make new friends, and explore the wonders of Judaism in an exciting fun way! The service is filled with songs, prayers, blessings, stories, snacks, and a place where a kid can be a kid when they pray to G-d. This service meets on selected Friday nights throughout the year at 6 p.m. Each service is followed by a pot-luck Shabbat dinner. Parents are encouraged to model the behavior they would like to see in their own children. So. remember: Come to Tot Shabbat ready to dance, sing, pray, and have fun. Tot Shabbat is geared toward children 4 and under. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/pr5pvr2e.

New & Returning Women’s Gathering - 8-10:30 p.m. IAC Atlanta is excited to invite you to our special New & Returning Women’s Gathering. This evening is a wonderful opportunity to connect, share stories, laugh, and get to know each other in a warm, welcoming environment. We will provide drinks and content, and we ask everyone to bring a light dish to share. Please RSVP by visiting https://tinyurl. com/2wrbjdpe!

p.m. Join JBaby for a six-week series for mothers and babies ages 0–12 months! Whether this is your first baby or another chapter in your parenting journey, welcoming a child brings enormous love, unexpected challenges, and a profound sense of becoming. Becoming & Belonging offers a chance to quiet the noise of parenting advice and focus on what matters most: nurturing relationships, meaningful connection, and care for both babies and parents. Over six weeks, mothers and their babies will gather in a small, welcoming group to explore infant and parent development, stress and nervous system regulation, and the everyday experiences of early motherhood. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yc8eark2.

Saturday, October 17 Southern Jewish Society Conference – 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Fiftieth Anniversary Conference of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. Sign up at https:// tinyurl.com/4t3e4xed.

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.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Atlanta Jewish Times Upcoming Events:

Torah Reading: Noach Friday, October 16: Light Shabbat Candles: 6:43 PM Saturday, October 17: Shabbat Ends: 7:37 PM Founded by Hebrew Order of David

Torah Reading: Lech-Lecha Friday, October 23: Light Shabbat Candles: 6:35 PM Saturday, October 24: Shabbat Ends: 7:30 PM

Li’l Shabbat in the Garden and Petting Zoo – 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Climb aboard for a special Noah’s Ark-themed Li’l Shabbat in the Garden! We’ll sing, dance, and celebrate Shabbat with our friends from Here We Grow before meeting some amazing animal friends at our petting zoo. Register at https://tinyurl. com/2fwsve44.

Atlanta Jewish Life Foundation Presents

Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival Supervised by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission

Sunday, October 18 Southern Jewish Society Conference –8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The Fiftieth Anniversary Conference of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. Sign up at https:// tinyurl.com/4t3e4xed.

• Free • Community Admission and Artisan • BBQ Tasting Vendors • Pet Friendly • Vegan • Live Music Options

SUNDAY

October 18, 2026 12PM–4pm

• Carnival Rides • Pony Carousel • Trackless Train • Petting Zoo • Face Painting

• Clown • Magician • Bouncy Houses • Obstacle Course • Toddler Play

Across from Perimeter Mall 66 Perimeter Center East Dunwoody, GA 30346

Mah Jongg Tournament: Bam, Dot, Crak! – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Join MJCCA Foundations of a Thoughtful Judaism - 1 to 2 p.m. In this series, Congregation Beth Shalom will explore questions fundamental to Jewish practice: What is the system of mitzvot trying to accomplish? Why the need for ritual action at all beyond belief? How have Jewish thinkers conceived of the meaning of mitzvot in an age of radical human autonomy? The curriculum is not a how-to Judaism 101 course but instead serves as a complement for those who wish to grapple with philosophical questions at the heart of Jewish tradition. The Shalom Hartman Institute is a think tank and an educational center for the Jewish people. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/4b72xrp2.

ATL Jewish Film presents Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm - 8 to 9:30 p.m. A new film, live comedy, music and plenty of Yiddish mischief — Swedishkayt takes Eli and Jamie on a gefilte fish out-of-water journey through 250 years of history and a community keeping its culture, language and humor alive today. When the credits roll, the mishigas keeps going with live comedy and music from Eli and Jamie. One film. Two funny guys. One full blown YidLife Crisis. So, nu? You’re coming, right? Reserve your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/ms3xzd2m. Don’t make us call your mother.

for an exciting day of friendly Mah Jongg competition, community, and connection! Players of all experience levels will enjoy thrilling tournament play, buffet lunch, raffle and door prizes, swag bags, plus bragging rights! Players will compete in three 75-minute rounds with players rotating tables after every round. Prizes awarded for special hands and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place scores. Tournament play follows National Mah Jongg League rules using the official 2026 NMJL card and 13tile games. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ yvv53474.

JWV Monthly Meeting – 10 to 11:30 a.m. Join the Jewish War Veterans for our regular monthly meeting. RSVP at https:// tinyurl.com/3tksw9ct.

Understanding Dementia – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for a timely and meaningful discussion about dementia. Whether you are concerned about changes in yourself or someone you love, support a person living with dementia, or simply want to protect brain health as you age, this program offers practical information, perspective, and reasons for hope. Register at https://tinyurl.com/vs862z8p.

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Sunday, October 18 2026 Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival – 12 to 4 p.m. Our Festival is centered around a Kosher 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.

Sunday, January 31, 2027 Atlanta Jewish Life Festival – 12 to 4 p.m. Come celebrate the vibrant Jewish culture 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. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 57

Post-Conference Workshop - Southern Jewish Historical Society Conference - Research Workshop on Southern

Young Professionals: JFCS Food Pantry Sort – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Calling all young professionals — it’s time to roll up your sleeves (and grab a Pop-Up Bagel) for a great cause! We’re teaming up with Repair the World to sort 40 barrels of donated food for JF&CS’s Kosher Food Pantry, helping make sure our community has what it needs to thrive. Think good conversation, new connections, and of course, a good nosh. Come for the service, stay for the schmear! Dunwoody location will be shared after registration at https:// tinyurl.com/yfm4ds85.

Book Talk: Rabbi Adina Allen, Jewish Studio Project – 7 to 8:30 p.m. “The

Jewish Family and Local History – 1:30 to 6 p.m. The Fiftieth Anniversary Conference of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. Post-conference event (Candler School of Theology, Emory University): Research Workshop on Southern Jewish Family and Local History. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/2nrtxt6p.

Monday, October 19 The Golem’s Holocaust – 6 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Gesher L’Torah and Congregation Dor Tamid as we welcome author Scott Eveloff, “The Golem’s Holocaust.” RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/3wjpb9pu

Tiny Traditions: Shabbat with Little Ones – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Join Rabbi Rachael Miller from Temple Emanu-El for a relaxed gathering all about simple, meaningful ways to make Shabbat special for your family. Whether it’s lighting candles, sharing challah, saying a blessing over your children, singing a favorite song, or simply slowing down for some extra cuddles on the couch, you’ll discover easy ways to create Shabbat traditions that feel right for your family. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5x78ypw2.

Fall JTeen Webinars – 7 to 8:30 p.m. JTeen’s College Admissions Webinar Series gives parents practical guidance for navigating the college process with greater clarity and confidence. Led by Terri Jacobson, M.Ed., Founder of Apogee College Prep, these two virtual sessions will help families plan ahead from middle school through senior year, understand today’s evolving admissions landscape, and focus on the factors that matter most. Receive the Zoom link by registering at https:// tinyurl.com/4jwt3bzx.

Seeing through their Eyes: Palestinians and Haredim with Yirmiyahu Danzig– 7:30 to 9 p.m. Join us for a spirited evening as The Dupree hosts Yirmiyahu Danzig. Danzig is an Israeli Jewish rights and anti-racism activist, specializing in Jewish diversity, history, and identity. Danzig is of Caribbean, Ashkenazic, and Palestinian Jewish descent. He speaks Hebrew, English, Arabic, Yiddish and Guyanese Creole. He is currently a digital educator for Jewish Unpacked. Register at https://tinyurl.com/bdemrvkx.

Hillel Connect: Building Connections, Building Futures – 12 to 2 p.m. Join Hillels of Georgia for an inspiring Hillel Connect Networking Lunch and experience, which will bring together Atlanta’s vibrant Jewish community (professionals, alumni, lay leaders, and partners). This event is a unique opportunity to give back to the next generation of Jewish community leaders by sharing your career insights, offering guidance, and forging meaningful relationships with our talented student leaders from campuses across Georgia. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/yd4hun2n.

Genealogy Day at Southern Jewish Historical Society Meeting – 1 to 6 p.m. The Southern Jewish Historical Society will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an annual conference in Atlanta. This year, the conference will include a genealogy, Find out more at https:// tinyurl.com/4fz32df2.

58 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Place of All Possibility” is a paradigmshifting work that reframes the whole of Torah as a contemporary guidebook for creativity. Drawing from the deep well of Jewish sacred texts, and the radical interpretive strategies of ancient rabbis, “The Place of All Possibility” provides teachings and tools for those who seek to employ creativity as a force of transformation. Join Rabbi Adina Allen and Rabbi Jordan Braunig for a conversation the book, followed by a signing. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4y5z8ht2.

In Our Time: The Promise of ChristianJewish Friendship - 4 to 6 p.m. Ahavath Achim’s Response to Antisemitism and Hate Committee and the American Jewish Committee are proud to co-sponsor an important and timely interfaith panel discussion. Grounded in decades of Catholic-Jewish engagement and inspired by the transformative legacy of Nostra Aetate, this program will explore how education, faith, building bridges, and personal connections help move us toward meaningful action and solidarity. Advance registration is required at https://tinyurl. com/3dr8sjfn.

Wednesday, October 21 A Night for Women: Dance Therapy, Connection & Fun - 7 to 9 p.m. Chabad Women’s Circle invites you to an evening of Egyptian dance therapy with Antonina Canal. Experience the beauty and energy of authentic Egyptian dance while building confidence, improving posture and coordination, releasing stress, and enjoying movement. No previous dance experience required. Featuring Antonina Canal (7-Time World Egyptian Dance champion, international teacher and choreographer) Come move, connect, and have fun! RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/wrjn4cz6.

Wine Down Wednesday – 7:45 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday, October 20 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/297n584m.

Join PJ Library for Wine Down Wednesday, a casual parents-only night out to relax, connect, and enjoy some actual uninterrupted conversation for once. We’ll have light bites to snack on while you mingle, laugh, and unwind with other parents. Drinks will be available for individual purchase. Come as you are, grab a drink, and enjoy a well-deserved midweek night off! Register at https://tinyurl. com/tz95s4dx.

Becoming & Belonging - 11:30 a.m. to 1

Learning n’ Harmony at The Dupree – 7:30 to 9 p.m. Join us at The Dupree for

Thursday, October 22 Beyond the Basics: Leveraging Catchafire to Strengthen Your Organization – 12 to 2 p.m. This session is exclusively for professionals who work at Jewish organizations in the greater Atlanta area, as well as board chairs or designated representatives of Atlanta Jewish organizations. You do not need to be Jewish to attend, but you must currently work for or represent an organization serving the Atlanta Jewish community. Whether you’re new to Catchafire or a longtime user, this session will help you discover new ways to advance your organization’s goals through Catchafire’s network of professionals who volunteer their specialized skills to nonprofits at no cost. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/4xnf8b7x.

a special evening, as musician and To Feel Alive founder Dov Rosenblatt (Blue Fringe, Distant Cousins) leads a unique communal songwriting experience rooted in Torah learning. Together, we’ll explore a Jewish text, share reflections and personal insights, and discover where the Torah intersects with our own lives. Registration is at https://tinyurl. com/jvxfny3k.

8:30 p.m. Join fellow professionals, entrepreneurs, and community members for an evening of meaningful connections with Congregation Gesher L’Torah for idea sharing, and new opportunities. Receive details at https://tinyurl.com/ j8566wjf.

Dawgs for a Cause - 5 to 7 p.m. A Night to Celebrate Feeney’s Love of the Dawgs, his unforgettable spirit & his lasting legacy. Come celebrate a life that continues to make a difference. Some people leave memories. Feeney left a legacy. Feeney Armistead loved the Dawgs, loved his people and had a way of bringing joy and laughter wherever he went. His spirit continues to inspire us, and his story is the heart of everything we do at the Feeney Legacy Project. The Feeney Legacy Project invites you to join us at SweetWater Brewing Company for a special evening celebrating Feeney, his love of UGA, and the incredible difference we can make when we come together. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/4hhp2zr3.

Sunday, October 25

Friday, October 23

Play Tamid - 9:15 to 11 a.m. Play Tamid is led

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

Business Networking Group – 6:30 to

Saturday, October 24

Halloween Hikes – 6 to 10 p.m. Join us for Halloween Hikes at Chattahoochee Nature Center, a family-friendly celebration of nature, culture, and community! On Oct. 23-24 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Oct. 25 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., explore at your own pace on a self-guided trick-ortreat hike around the nature center. Stop at themed houses, collect treats, take photos, and discover more about the animals, plants, and programs that bring the nature center to life. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/nm5wu6ft.

by Rabbi Jordan and is open to the public (members and non-members of Congregation Dor Tamid). Enjoy crafts, songs, fun activities, and more for children under 4 (parent/ guardian must attend). RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/yc68nem3.

Inclusive Futures, Jewish Roots – 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A six-session leadership and learning experience for Jewish parents raising children with disabilities. Connect with other families, deepen your understanding of inclusion and belonging, and gain practical tools to advocate for your child’s future. Apply at https:// tinyurl.com/mtkwtrz9.

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Teaming with Laughter – 7 to 9 p.m. A

Tuesday, October 27

Ready to Respond: Infant & Toddler CPR – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. One of the strengths of Jewish community is having opportunities to learn, grow, and prepare for life’s big moments together including the things families hope they’ll never need but feel better knowing how to handle. This practical, hands-on infant and toddler CPR training, led by Elisheva Engler from Jewish Fertility Foundation, offers an opportunity to learn important skills and feel more prepared for the unexpected. Register at https://tinyurl. com/4rect5ey.

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

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

Monday, October 26 Building Bridges: Dinner with a Dialogue – 6 to 9 p.m. Part 2 of the Building Bridges series from ATL Jewish Film, AJC’s Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition, Repair the World Atlanta, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. What happens when we move beyond watching someone else’s story and begin sharing our own? Over dinner, participants will revisit moments from “All God’s Children” through selected film clips and facilitated small-group conversations. Together, we’ll explore questions of identity, trust, belonging, differences, and what we owe one another once we enter into relationship. This is not a debate or a conversation designed to reach consensus. It is an opportunity to listen, reflect, share, and practice staying curious when things get complicated. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/2p7fnd4c.

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/297n584m.

Middle East Update with Yaakov Katz -7:30 to 9 p.m. As part of the Critical Con-

Israeli Election Watch Party – 7 to 10 p.m. Join the JCRC of Atlanta for an evening watch party with commentary from community experts. Side sessions will offer opportunities to learn more about how Israel’s electoral system works. Register at https://tinyurl.com/mu8aaysb.

Musical Rarities: The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta – 3 to 5 p.m.

book, “Conversations That Matter,” Billy Planer, a highly regarded thought leader, teacher, and now author, shows us: how to push back without pushing away; how to stand up instead of walking away; how we can talk with people we disagree and remain united; how to be comfortable being in an uncomfortable conversation; and how to use conversation to take someone from the “other” to “another.” Join the Book Festival of the MJCCA by purchasing tickets at https://tinyurl.com/ mr39ek9k. 60 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

versations Series, join former Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz for a live conversation with David Zalik. Drawing on decades of experience covering Israel’s military, political leadership, and regional affairs, Katz will provide insight into the forces shaping today’s events and explain what they could mean for Israel, the United States, and the broader Middle East. Following the conversation, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an audience Q&A. Reserve your ticket at https://tinyurl.com/n962mkvv.

Wednesday, October 28

The Breman is delighted to welcome back the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta for wonderful, but less frequently performed, selections. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/yc45a5rt.

Book Festival of the MJCCA: Billy Planer, Conversations That Matter – 4 p.m. In his thought-provoking, new

night of comedy in support of the Israel ParaSport Center, featuring the dynamic comedic duo, the Sklar Brothers! Every ticket and sponsorship supports the Israel ParaSport Center and all it does to empower Israelis with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds through the power of adaptive sport. Purchase tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/5dmjhy22.

Hadar Ecosystem Lunch and Learn – 12

BrainStorm: Transforming the Bipolar Landscape – 7 to 9 p.m. Join Hineni for a local screening of “BrainStorm: Transforming the Bipolar Landscape,” a powerful documentary produced and directed by Bonnie Waltch and based on Sara Schley’s memoir. The film follows six individuals living with bipolar disorder, blending lived experience with current brain science to challenge stigma, promote understanding, and highlight the possibility of recovery and healing. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/3xxrhnnu.

to 1 p.m. Take a break from your day and join us at The Dupree for a lunchtime session of Jewish learning: feed your mind while you recharge! Please bring your own dairy/vegan/parve lunch. This series is for professionals in the Jewish nonprofit world (Jewish Atlanta ecosystem) seeking to deepen their foundation in core Jewish values. Each session focuses on a specific value – like human dignity, resilience, or compassion – using classical Jewish texts and your own voice to deepen our understanding of these crucial concepts. Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/bdftxwk4.

Thursday, October 29 Atlanta Punchline presents Daryl Pinsky- 7:30 p.m. Daryl Pinsky is a comedian with a twist. His clean, clever and topical comedy blends music and original songs to create a show you won't see anywhere else. One of the very first comedians to perform at the Punchline, Daryl has also appeared on Showtime, Comedy Central, and most recently, Home Depot's College Game Day TV ads. Purchase Tickets at https://tinyurl.com/4zt3vz3s.

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KEEPING IT KOSHER

Pomegranate Chimichurri Ingredients 2 cups parsley, leaves and thin stems, checked 1 cup cilantro, checked 10 mint leaves, checked 4 cloves garlic or 4 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic 1 red chili 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons Tuscanini Red Wine Vinegar or fresh lemon juice 1 cup Gefen Extra-Virgin Olive Oil salt pepper 1/2 cup pomegranate arils Directions Process the herbs, garlic, and chili in a food processor until minced. Remove into a bowl. Important: add rest of ingredients by hand gently (besides the pomegranate) so as to not muddle the sauce. Mimi Sharaby kosher.com

62 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

JEWISH JOKE

Dr. Howard Schwartz, a top heart surgeon, drove a brand-new Rolls-Royce. Being a practical man, he brought it to Sam's Auto Repair for a tune-up since the shop was within walking distance of his hospital. When Dr. Schwartz walked over to pick up his car, Sam, the owner, was wiping his greasy hands, looking smug. "You know, Howard," Sam said, leaning over the open hood. "I was thinking...we're basically in the exact same line of work! You work on valves? So do I! I just adjusted your Check Valve, Metering Valve, and Pressure Relief Valve to keep the pressure balanced. I just replaced your Bypass Hose, Breather Hose, Return Line, and Vacuum Hose! I clear blockages, route fluids, fix valves, and make the heart of this machine run like new!" Sam grinned and wiped his brow. "So, tell me, Doc...how come you pull in close to a million bucks a year for doing the exact same thing I do, while I'm busting my hump over here just to clear almost a hundred thousand?" Dr. Schwartz leaned in close, tapped Sam on the shoulder, and whispered: "Have you ever tried doing it with the motor running?" Len Lefkowitz, Stone Mountain

YIDDISH WORD Krank crank

n. A person who is forever complaining about their health even if they seem to be perfectly well. A noisy hypochondriac. “Milton was whining about his teeth all day. Yesterday, it was his hemorrhoids. Such a krank crank he is.” From the Yiddish “krank,” meaning, “sickness.”

BRAIN FOOD

Frum A Different Angle

ACROSS

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Medium

1. The most famous plumber of all time 6. Does some tailoring 10. Assuming that’s true 14. Pain reliever brand 15. Military no-show 16. Karaoke needs, briefly 17. Tale of why one started wearing a sheitel? 19. Summit 20. “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem” studio 21. Cries of alarm 22. “Come on!” to Eyal 23. Possible result of not wearing a tallit? 26. Chicken scratch 29. Catalina, e.g. 30. Martini garnish 31. College junior, next year 33. 2013 AI film 36. What a minyan goer receives during Shemoneh Esrei? 40. Org. with Lions, Eagles, and Kangaroos 41. Like some lemonade 42. Nest 43. Wide-eyed 45. Begs 46. What happens when a yogurt factory loses its hechsher? 51. Take weapons away from

52. R&B star who played the Tin Man in 2015’s “The Wiz” 53. Reggae precursor 56. Male parent 57. Evidence left by a fraudulent fleeing sofer? 60. Treif animals 61. A sultanate 62. Geometric figure measured in degrees 63. Israeli news website 64. “The Fugitive” actress Ward 65. Lures

25. Workplace safety agcy. 26. Steroids slugger Sammy 27. Big name in energy bars 28. Little stream 31. “Mel Brooks”, e.g. 32. Hockey great Bobby 33. She was a big deal in Greece, once 34. Blyton who wrote “The Famous Five” 35. Some highways, for short 37. He was a big deal in Norway, once 38. Powder used to prevent chafing 39. Humble 43. In a military standing position 44. Bazooka, e.g. 45. Not the best condition 46. Like easy, well-paying jobs 47. Grant’s group 48. Like Og 49. Flower’s outer leaf 50. “Laughing” critter 53. Idan (Amedi) on “Fauda” 54. It’s not a skirt 55. Pub brews 57. Battery terminals, briefly 58. Homer Simpson has a large one at “Moe’s” 59. Genetic messenger molecule

DOWN

1. Department store founder R.H. 2. Soothing succulent 3. Get an engine going 4. “If ___ told you once...” 5. Star-Spangled contraction 6. Like one after a Rosh Hashana meal, generally 7. Endor inhabitants 8. Adored 9. Crafty 10. Pierce with a stake 11. Baseball locale 12. Butcher shop fixture 13. Heroic Herr Schindler 18. Persuade someone to buy 22. Charlton’s biblical co-star Disney Sukkot Solution 23. Spelunker’s destination 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 24. Actor Wilson “Loki” L U G S M O O R E 13

N O

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59 64 67

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M O O P

G H

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Remember When... This week, 100 years ago - 1926

Treister, grandson of two Jewish Atlantans, who spent 7 Dr. Louis Grossman, Rabbi Emeritus of Plum Street weeks in Guatemala helping with earthquake recovery efforts. Temple, Cincinnati, passes away.

Hank Payne, the first London-Jerusalem air route is announced, to be opened Atlanta’s Jewish War Veterans Auxiliary wins unprecedented number of awards at national convention in Jewish president of January 2027. Hollywood. Woodward Academy, on The Jewish National and Hebrew University Library in the cover of the AJT. Jerusalem receives the complete library of the late Oscar The AJT announces the marriage of Judy Birnbrey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Birnbrey, and Steven celebrates her bat mitzvah ceremony at Congregation Straus of New York. Robkin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Robkin, at Beth Jacob Or VeShalom. Synagogue. Edwin and Linda Hoberman announce the engagement This week, 75 years ago - 1951 Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stein announce the bat mitzvah of of their daughter, Jennifer, to Dr. Joel Alan Rosenfeld, son 13-member cabinet formed for new Israeli government their daughter, Sharon Lynn Stein, at Temple Sinai. of Robert and Joan Rosenfeld. under Prime Minister David Ben Gurion. Larry Major and Suzanne Pallot of Miami and Scott and Comedian Eddie Cantor receives the National Service This week, 25 years ago - 2001 Jill Walsey of Atlanta announce the engagement of their Award of the Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity at its annual conHank Payne becomes first Jewish president of Wood- children, Jenny Peltz and Dustin Walsey. vention in Miami Beach. ward Academy. This week, 50 years ago - 1976 AJT reports on 20-year-old architectural student Charles

Jewish master violinist Isaac Stern dies at 81. Leah Benatar, daughter of Morris and Diane Benatar,

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 OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 63

OBITUARIES

Jeff Adair

Dr. Mark L. Fisher

Jeff was born in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 30, 1947. He attended Grady High School, now Midtown, and the University of Georgia before going on to receive his law degree from Emory University. After passing the bar exam, Jeff made what was supposed to be a temporary decision that would shape the rest of his life. He joined his father and uncle at their wholesale apparel business, intending to help for just a few weeks. Those few weeks turned into a remarkable 40-plus-year career. Jeff ultimately became president of Riada Mills Co. and helped lead the company to new heights. Jeff was predeceased by his parents, Jayne and Irving Adair. He is survived by his children, Jordan (Jenny) and Cort (Lauren); his beloved grandchildren, Arden, Chase, Ava, and Owen; and his brother, Craig (Susan). Jeff loved spending time with his family, especially watching his grandchildren participate in activities. He rarely missed an event and was always there cheering them on. He also loved playing golf with his buddies and enjoyed the laughter and camaraderie that came with it. Jeff will be remembered for his genuine kindness, his generosity, his love of family, and his ability to make everyone around him feel welcome. As one friend put it, Jeff had “the best laugh he ever heard.” Above all, Jeff was a devoted father, grandfather, and friend who will be deeply missed by everyone fortunate enough to know him. Donations in his memory can be made to Weinstein Hospice or The William Breman Jewish Home. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Dr. Mark L. Fisher, 86, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away peacefully at home on Sept. 24, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Born in New Haven, Conn., to Bonnie and Florence Fisher, Mark enjoyed a wonderful childhood surrounded by family and friends. A gifted athlete, he played basketball at Hillhouse High School, where he also served as sports editor of the school newspaper. His love of sports and writing continued at Franklin & Marshall College, where he wrote for the Franklin and Marshall Student Weekly, serving at various times as co-sports editor, photography editor, and, ultimately, co-editor. Mark’s commitment to learning continued throughout his life. After earning a degree in sociology from Franklin & Marshall College, he received an Ed.D. from Columbia University Teachers College. His education reflected interests that remained central to his life: understanding people, recognizing their strengths, and creating opportunities for them to learn and grow. In 1967, Mark married his beloved wife, Barbara Ladin, beginning a marriage of more than 59 years. In 1975, they moved to Atlanta, where Mark became executive director of the newly established Jewish Vocational Services. He took great pride in helping people find meaningful employment and achieve greater independence and dignity, particularly immigrants from the former Soviet Union who were building new lives in Atlanta. Later, he spent decades as a college counselor, both privately and at Yeshiva High School, helping students identify schools, careers, and educational opportunities suited to their talents and aspirations. He was especially committed to helping Jewish students find and maintain a connection to Jewish life on college campuses. Mark’s generosity extended well beyond his professional life. He and Barbara opened their home to countless visitors, and their Shabbat table almost always included guests. Many people remember their home as the place where they experienced their first Shabbat meal, traditional Pesach seder or Sukkah. Mark welcomed newcomers at shul, offered meals and lodging to those in need, and made everyone feel valued. Their guest books eventually filled three volumes with the names of hundreds of overnight visitors, representing only a fraction of the people who passed through their home and became part of their lives. Mark was known for his kindness, patience, honesty, cheerfulness, and generosity. A true mensch, he avoided gossip, looked for solutions rather than reasons to complain, and loved making others laugh. He was deeply grateful for his marriage, his family, his community, and the many blessings of his life. He lived with a quiet conviction that a good life was measured not by what one accumulated, but by how one treated others and what one gave of oneself. Mark leaves a lasting legacy of Torah, family, hospitality, education, and service. He will be deeply missed by his beloved wife, Barbara Ladin Fisher; his five children, Yosepha Krohn (Yehuda), Jonathan Fisher (Shira), Keren Fisher (Ben Flusberg), Sara Fisher (Lon Smolensky), and Aaron Fisher (Reemon Silverman); 24 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and his extended family and many dear friends. The funeral was held at Crestlawn Memorial Cemetery on Sept. 25, 2026, officiated by Rabbi Ilan Feldman. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Congregation Beth Jacob at www. bethjacobatlanta.org. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

78, Atlanta

64 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

86, Atlanta

OBITUARIES

Steve Gruenhut

H. Penson Kaminsky

Steve Gruenhut, 83, passed away on Oct. 3, 2026, in Boca Raton, Fla. He was born in 1943 in New York City to Rose and Siegfried Wolf. At age 7, Steve and his mother moved to Kane, Penn. with her new husband, Albert Gruenhut, and from there they moved to Statesville, N.C. Steve attended the University of North Carolina and became a lifetime fan of “all things Carolina.” In 1966, he moved to Atlanta with his former wife, Elaine, where they raised their two children. Steve’s interests included playing basketball and golf. He served as the commissioner of the JCC men’s basketball league for 13 years and was a member of The Standard Club for more than 30 years, playing golf as often as he could. Steve worked as an executive for Brighton Best Socket Screw Manufacturing for over 45 years. He and his wife, Carol, spent the last 30 years living between Atlanta and the Fountains Country Club in Palm Beach County, Fla. Steve is survived by his son, Mike (Kathy) and their children, Elliott and Audrey, and his son, Jeff (Lauren) and their children, Ava and Zac. He is also survived by Carol’s daughter, Laurie, Carol’s daughter-inlaw, Carrie Ann, and grandson, Cole. He was predeceased by Carol’s son, Erik. Graveside services were held at Arlington Memorial Park at 10 a.m. on Oct 7, 2026. Funeral arrangements will be handled by HM Patterson and Son. Shiva was held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2026, at the home of Jeff and Lauren Gruenhut, 445 Glenmanor Court, Sandy Springs, Ga. 30328

H. Penson “Penny” Kaminsky, 85, of Fitzgerald, Ga., passed away at home on Oct. 3rd, 2026, after a long illness. Mr. Kaminsky graduated from Fitzgerald High School in 1959 and attended Emory University. Penson returned to Fitzgerald to follow in his father’s footsteps. Joining forces with brother, Larry, they worked for their father’s company, HR Kaminsky and Sons, a nationally recognized men’s garment manufacturer. In the early 1960s, Penson and his brother, Tavin, started Male Slacks and Jeans. As Executive Vice President of Sales, Penson thrived and the company went on to sit at the forefront of men’s fashion, pioneering such styles as bell bottom blue jeans and becoming famous for providing Nathan’s hot dogs at garment shows, and landing Penson and Tavin on the front cover of Mens Wear magazine in 1971. There was so much more to Penson Kaminsky than fancy denim. There were other ventures — joining forces with Billy Carter in the mid-70s to sell Peanuts and “Billy Beer” — but also a deep interest in history, politics, and the Democratic process itself. He was a member of the NAACP in the early 1960s, served as an aide at the Democratic National Convention in 1964 and served as executive chair for the Ben Hill Democratic Committee in the 2000s and 2010s. He was the Democratic Party representative on the Ben Hill County Board of Elections for several years and never missed a vote. If he were still with us, he would say, “make sure you vote, dammit.” (Penson often used “dammit” to punctuate sentences.) In 1986, Penson met the love of his life, Claudia. They married in 1989 and spent a total of 40 loving, happy years together. The Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation played an enormous role in Penson and Claudia’s life. Together, they helped revitalize the synagogue and assisted in breathing new life and interest into the small but thriving Jewish community of Fitzgerald. It would be remiss to overlook one of his most important roles at the synagogue: bartender. As a small congregation, folks enjoyed holiday meals as a community in the synagogue following services and no meal was complete without one of Penson’s Bloody Marys. An avid gardener, he tended many varieties of plants, flowers, and trees on his property. He was partial to a grapefruit tree that he grew from seed and now that tree provides bushels of delicious fruit every season. His typical encouragement to the grapefruit tree was “keep on keeping on.” He was extremely charismatic and quick witted and those close to him always enjoyed his company. He will be greatly missed. Penson was preceded in death by his parents, H.R. “Dick” and Annie Kaminsky, and his brother, Tavin A. Kaminsky. He is survived by his wife, Claudia, son, Darren, and wife, Judy, daughter, Kailey Kaminsky, brother, Larry Kaminsky, niece, Allison Kaminsky Putala, her husband, Chris, and nephew, George Kaminsky. A memorial service was held at 12 p.m., Monday, Oct. 5, at the Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation in Fitzgerald, Ga., followed by a burial service at Evergreen Cemetery. Rabbi Moshe Elbaz officiated. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation, c/o Phil Perlis, P O Box 151, Tifton, GA 31793, or to Hospice Care Options, 715 Legion Drive, Eastman, GA 31023. Paulk Funeral Home, Fitzgerald, made arrangements.

83, Boca Raton, Fla.

David Hendelberg 82, Atlanta

David Hendelberg, 82, passed away on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, after a brief illness. He was surrounded by members of his loving family at the time of his death. David was born in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 4, 1943. He attended the University of Maryland, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government. He subsequently went on to earn his law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law and an advanced degree in accounting. After completing his education, he went to work for the Internal Revenue Service as a field agent. He held multiple positions in the field of accounting and ultimately landed at Jones and Kolb in 1978. He had a long, successful career as a partner in his firm. He was a CPA, tax advisor, and financial planner until his retirement in 2023. David loved the field of accounting, and he was more than happy to “talk shop” with anyone. However, that love paled in comparison to his love for his family. David met his wife, Linda, in April of 1969, and quickly decided that they wanted to build a life together. They were married in November of that year, and ultimately made their way to Atlanta, Ga., in 1971. David and Linda welcomed their first child, Amy, in 1973, and their son, Jerry, in 1975. When not working or following the stock market, David loved spending time with his family. He was a huge movie buff and was always keen to watch a film with Linda, his children and/or his three grandchildren, Samantha, Ethan and Isabella. David’s grandchildren loved their Poppie and were lucky to see him all the time while growing up. He also loved watching live and televised sports, building Lego, attending plays at various theaters, and enjoying a good meal. After retirement, David enjoyed continuing his Jewish education through classes at the Atlanta JCC. David had many friends from different stages of life, and he and Linda socialized and traveled with them regularly. David’s graveside service was held at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Ga., at 12 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hadassah of Greater Atlanta, the Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

85, Fitzgerald, Ga.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2026 | 65

OBITUARIES

Richard Katz

Bette Dwoskin Kurtzman

Richard Katz, a proud American, devoted Jew, entrepreneur, philanthropist, gentleman farmer, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Born Nov. 29, 1930, in Jersey City, N.J., Richard moved to the Atlanta area as a young man. At 14, he told what he later called a “little fib” that allowed him to become a United States Marine Corps rifle instructor. His service as a Marine remained one of his proudest accomplishments. He was a true patriot who loved his country and the American flag. Richard’s love of country was matched by his deep love for Judaism. His faith shaped his values and his generosity throughout his life. He was a longtime supporter of Jewish causes and ultimately provided the initial funding to establish the Richard and Jean Katz Temima High School for Girls, leaving a lasting legacy in Jewish education. Richard began his professional career in Atlanta in the 1960s, working for a Jewish female banker at a time when such a position was unusual in the South. He learned the business of banking and lending and went on to build successful businesses of his own over more than six decades. Richard had a remarkable knack for making money, but his heart for people was even bigger. In some of Atlanta’s poorest communities, he was willing to lend money based not simply on financial statements, but on a handshake and what he saw in a borrower’s eyes. He believed in giving people a chance. And then there was the farm. Richard was a gentleman farmer whose greatest passion was his American Saddlebred horses. He trained and showed them and took great pride in his horses. He often joked that he had learned everything about horses — except how to make money with them. He built one farm by hand and restored another and loved nothing more than cutting grass or tinkering with farm equipment. Richard also had his own philosophy about work and life. He ran his business Monday through Thursday and headed to the farm for the rest of the week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were for his horses, the farm, and the things he loved. Somehow, he found the energy to do it all. He was also a wonderful host who loved bringing people together. His generosity, humor and unmistakable personality made his gatherings memorable and his friendships lasting. Richard was proud of every role he held in life: son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, Marine, businessman, farmer and friend. Above all, he was proud of his family. He is survived by his daughter, Wendi (Tom) Lowry; his son, Will Katz; granddaughters, Michelle (Michael) Gdovin, Lauren Kaufman, Amelia Katz, and Lydia Katz; and great-grandchildren, Eve and Rennix Vizurraga. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Ann Katz; his parents, Jay and Hazel Katz; his sisters, Eleanor Maynard and Loraine Pegler; his brother, Mark Katz; and his grandson, Garrett Kaufman. Richard Katz lived a remarkable life on his own terms. He served his country, lived his faith, built businesses, believed in people, loved his horses, and created a life filled with family, friendship and purpose. He leaves behind a legacy not only in the businesses and institutions he helped build, but in the many people whose lives were touched by his generosity and his willingness to believe in them. Funeral arrangements were handled by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care. A funeral service was held at Crest Lawn Memorial Park in Atlanta, followed by a reception at the home of his daughter, Wendi Lowry, 4120 Spalding Hollow NW, Norcross, GA 30092. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Richard and Jean Katz Temima High School for Girls or City of Hope.

Bette Dwoskin Kurtzman, 91, passed away Oct. 1, 2026, in Atlanta, Ga., her lifelong home. Born to Oscar and Freda Dwoskin, Bette was the oldest of three children and grew up in a large, close-knit Atlanta family. She graduated from Emory University and met Lewis “Lew” Kurtzman at the Progressive Club. They married on Aug. 6, 1956, raised three children, and shared 64 years of marriage until Lew’s death in 2020. Exceptionally bright, Bette was known for her sharp wit and wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor. She was a voracious reader and a talented needle pointer and knitter. She loved playing Canasta, Bridge, and Mah Jong with friends. Bette and Lew traveled extensively, sharing a love of art, collecting, and shopping. Family was at the center of Bette’s life. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who rarely missed a dance recital or ball game. Her grandchildren will especially remember sleepovers that often included a trip to Target followed by ice cream. Bette was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lew. She is survived by her children, Amy, Ricky, and Laney; sister and brother-in-law, Toby and Tom Rosing; brother and sister-in-law, Myron and Laura Lee Dwoskin; grandchildren, Alix Jampol (Michael O’Connell), Jordan Jampol (Megan Fitzpatrick), Kyatt Byrd, Sydney Byrd, and Heath Byrd; and great-grandchildren, Judah and Oren O’Connell. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bette’s memory to Temple Sinai of Atlanta, Hadassah, or the Alzheimer’s Association.

95, Atlanta

66 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

91, Atlanta

Beverly Blass Schapiro 87, Hawaii

Beverly Blass Schapiro, born Aug. 19, 1938, passed away on July 6, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with the rare neurodegenerative diseases Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)/Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD). Throughout those years, her daughter and longtime caregiver, Amy, was by her side, advocating for her and caring for her. Beverly faced these conditions with a strength and determination that will never be forgotten, yet it was her forever beauty, the sparkle in her eyes, and her warm smile that will be remembered by all who knew and loved her. Beverly was the daughter of the late Simon Blass and Evelyn Pfeffer Blass. Raised in Atlanta, Ga., she graduated from Grady High School and attended the University of Alabama, where she and some of her closest Southern friends met their future husbands from New York, and where they later settled in New Rochelle, N.Y. Beverly dedicated her life to helping others, which was her true joy. For many years, she worked in the Patient Relations Department at Westchester Medical Center, a place she loved so deeply that she often referred to it as “my hospital.” Even after she retired, she continued to volunteer there. Everyone who knew Beverly knew she was only a phone call away and would do absolutely anything for the people she loved. She was blessed with incredible friends throughout her entire life, from Atlanta to the University of Alabama to New York, and she shared special bonds with her cousins in Atlanta. Above all, Beverly loved her girls. She found peace and joy in birds, ladybugs, and flowers, which filled and decorated her home. She truly enjoyed her life in New York, and heading into the city to see the opera or ballet was always a special treat. She also loved listening to Frank Sinatra, being outside in the sunshine, and spent many cherished afternoons at the ocean, watching the waves with her daughter, right up until the end. Beverly was preceded in death by her brother, Joel, and her beloved daughter, Suzanne. She is survived by her daughter, Amy; granddaughter, Anna (Elias); great-grandson, Calvin; son-in-law, Alex; and her many cousins in Atlanta.

OBITUARIES Deepest gratitude is expressed to the many dedicated caregivers who provided comfort and support throughout the years. Memorial contributions may be made in Beverly’s memory to CurePSP (www. psp.org), whose mission is to increase awareness, educate, support those affected, and advance research toward a cure for these neurodegenerative diseases: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD), and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).

Evelyn Witkind Simmons 95, Atlanta

Evelyn Witkind Simmons passed away peacefully on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at the age of 95. She was born on July 14, 1931, in Union City, N.J., eventually moving to Atlanta when she was 19 to be with her large family. She married Robert Simmons in 1952 and had three children. She loved fashion and working at Lord and Taylor. She was always happy and would gladly chat with anyone. She had two grandchildren who she adored and would brag about them to everyone. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ida and Herman Witkind, and her beloved brother, Elliott Witkind. She is survived by daughters, Deborah (Tom Lehman) and Karenlee, and son, David, as well as Claire, Ira, Steven and Michael Silberman, and grandchildren, Jenny and Benjamin Simmons Lehman. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Janet Sugarman 79, Atlanta

Janet Sugarman passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side on Oct. 2, 2026, at the age of 79. Born in The Bronx, N.Y., Janet built a remarkable legacy of care, community service, and leadership. She was a founding partner of the Needlenook in Atlanta. She subsequently dedicated her professional life to the compassionate care of seniors, serving as the executive director of the Louis Kahn Group Home in Atlanta and later as the founding executive director of the Cohen Home Assisted Living Facility in Alpharetta. A lifelong devotee of B’nai B’rith Women and the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), Janet’s extensive service included terms as the Southeastern Regional Chairman of B’nai B’rith Women, president of the Greater Atlanta Council of B’nai B’rith Women, and B’nai B’rith Women Hillel chairwoman. She also served as secretary of the Atlanta Council BBYO adult board. For her unwavering commitment, she was honored with the prestigious Gold Key Award, an international volunteer award for BBYO. A talented artist, Janet spent much of her free time creating beautiful pieces, but her greatest passion in life was her family. Her absolute favorite interest and activity was simply being with her grandchildren, whom she adored above all else. Janet is survived by her sister, Sandy Soll, and her husband, Warren, of Philadelphia; her daughter, Korrie Silpe, and her husband, Josh; her son, Kevin Sugarman, and his wife, Leigh Ann; and her four beloved grandchildren: Drew Silpe, Chase Pena, Aiden Sugarman, and Evan Sugarman. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Arthritis Foundation. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

David Watkins 81, Atlanta

David Watkins, 81, passed away peacefully on Oct. 4, 2026, following a courageous year-long battle with cancer. David was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to Myra and Harry Watkins. He attended the University of Cape Town, where he remained after graduation to begin his career in the supermarket industry. In 1968, David met the love of his life, Lorraine. They married in 1970 and began building a life and family together. In 1978, after a successful career as a top executive at Pick n Pay, David and Lorraine made the difficult decision to emigrate to the United States, seeking new opportunities and a better future for their children. David embraced his new home with the same determination and entrepreneurial spirit that had defined his career. Ten years later, he embarked on an entirely new chapter, becoming an expert Persian rug auctioneer — a career that brought him both professional success and great enjoyment. Above all, David’s greatest love was his family. He cherished his wife, his children, and especially his grandsons, Dylan and Maverick. He was also an avid sports enthusiast, a keen Bridge player, and a gifted challah baker. David will be remembered for his remarkable storytelling, quick wit, wonderful sense of humor, and ability to make people laugh. He had a gift for turning everyday moments into stories that his family will continue to tell for years to come. David is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Lorraine; his son, Michael (Robin); his daughter, Karyn (Mark); and his cherished grandsons, Dylan and Maverick. His family will miss his stories, his laughter, his warmth, and, most of all, the remarkable presence he brought to their lives. Graveside services were held at Crest Lawn Memorial Park in Atlanta, Ga., at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Congregation Beth Tefillah or to Friends of the Israel Defense Force. 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 Breaking Down the Importance of the Shema The Shema is found in the parasha (Torah portion) V’etchanan. This is the second Torah portion of Devarim-the Book of DeuteronRabbi Richard omy. Devarim Baroff DD is, for the most part, a series of sermons given by Moses right before his death. Moses delivered these addresses to the People of Israel on the east bank of the River Jordan, in Moab, the present-day nation of Jordan. V’etchanan also contains the second rendition of the Ten Commandments in Chapter 5. The Shema is found in Chapter 6. “Listen Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One.” Moses is addressing the Israelites directly. This command from the Prophet to the Children of Israel would become the watchword of the Jewish people, the cen-

68 | OCTOBER 15, 2026 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

tral prayer in Judaism. Jews would cover their eyes to augment Kavanah -- focusing on the words -- which of course we still do. Leaders like Rabbi Akivah would die with the Shema on their lips, in acts of Kiddush Hashem - -sanctifying G-d’s Holy Name. We bear witness to the power of these Hebrew words, which I will refrain from writing out here in deference to the tradition, because G-d’s name is the third word of the Shema. But the force of these six words is that sparse as they are, they mutually reinforce each other. In numerical order they are: 1. “Shema” is a command: Listen or Hear! It is a call to obedience, but it is more than that. It is an invitation to be attentive to the deeper resonance involved with the act of quieting the mind so that one may truly listen, that one might authentically hear. The most profound truths of life are found in quiet places. 2. “Israel” here represents the people in the wilderness of Sinai, who had been slaves in Egypt 33 centuries ago. It addresses, as well, all the generations to come, over three millennia, to the present

day. Israel means “one who wrestles with G-d” and has referred to the third patriarch, Jacob, the United Kingdom (under Saul, David, and Solomon), the Northern Kingdom after Solomon, the descendants of Jacob (first called Israelites, later Jews) then in the modern world, Medinat Yisrael - -the present State of Israel. 3. The next word is what is called in Greek the Tetragrammaton -- the fourletter name of G-d: Yud-Hey-Vuv-Hey, or YHVH. The Hebrew root has to do with Being, and reflects the Divine words at the Burning Bush: eyeh asher eyeh usually rendered “I am that I am.” The very core of the divine nature is Being itself -- surely a profound metaphysical concept. Jews here use the Hebrew equivalent for Lord, which I will not use here. The rabbinic substitute is Adoshem. 4. “Elokeinu”(the traditional substitution is used here) -- the Holy One is our G-d, meaning the G-d of Am Yisrael/ People Israel, and by implication, the G-d of all peoples. 5.and 6. The holy name Adoshem is repeated next, to emphasize the impor-

tance of the last word and the last point: Echad. G-d is “ One.” One in the sense of being indivisible, unique, and the only one to be called G-d. Here is denied the existence of other gods, so polytheism is rejected. Also rejected would be the dualism as practiced in ancient Persia, the monism (all reality is Divine) found in some Indian philosophies, various forms of pantheism (Nature is Divine), all forms of agnosticism and atheism, and trinitarianism. Indeed the Oneness of the Divine is the foundation of monotheism -- that there is only one G-d. This is why Deuteronomy Chapter 6, verse 4 has resonated through history and has changed the world. ì

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Specializing in driveways & small parking lots Family Owned & Operated since 1969

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www.bettercareha.com 770-875-7785

404-263-2967

770.962.7125 770.480.1698 cell

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LEGAL SERVICES

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My criminal defense work has been profiled or quoted in local and international media, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and NPR.

Douglas Weinstein (470) 889-7337

doug@weinsteinlaw.com

www.lilliannstreasures.com @lillianns_treasures @lillianns_treasures

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