Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. 101 NO. 4, February 28, 2026

Simchas and Education & Camp

At Jewish overnight camp, kids discover who they are—and who they want to become—while having the time of their lives.

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MICHAEL A. MORRIS michael@atljewishtimes.com

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EDITORIAL

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ROBERT GARBER robbie@atljewishtimes.com

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

BOB BAHR

CHANA SHAPIRO

DAVE SCHECHTER

DAVID OSTROWSKY

DEBBIE DIAMOND

RABBI ELIZABETH BAHAR

GIL ZOHAR

MARCIA CALLER JAFFE

SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER

TESSA SCHARFF

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AJFF Hosts Opening Night Gala

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s (AJFF) opening night gala returned this year to City Springs (in the center building as opposed to the lobby where it was held in 2023) on Feb. 12.

Throngs of avid eaters moved from booth to booth and enjoyed an open bar. On hand were the cheerful restaurateurs who greeted guests and explained their featured items. Some of the most popular vendors served lamb chops or variations of raw tuna. The desserts were set up in a separate room in the formal lobby of City Springs.

Guests buzzed about which movies they had selected, keeping track of which screenings were virtual or in-person. Sponsor Barbara Mendel said that she was a “comedy girl” and wasn’t seeing any serious films. Movie fan Barney Epstein is signed up for 14 movies with three in one day. Videographer Ron Heidt, who produced the intro video for the AJFF, said he was most looking forward to “The Sea.” Sandra Cuttner recounted that she

was in the room 26 years ago when the idea of a film festival first surfaced; now she’s excited that it’s one of the tops in the country. Matt Weiss was looking for-

ward to taking his kids, ages 7 and 4, to experience “An American Tail.”  Breman Jewish Museum Director Leslie Gordon’s short list was “The Last Musician of Aus-

chwitz,” and “We Met at Grossinger’s” closing night.

Participating restaurants in partnership with Taste of Atlanta were: Affairs to

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“Tasting” fan Jeremy Lazarus liked the sweet and salty lamb from Rumi’s Kitchen. “Then again,” he said, “the lamb chops at Kyma were tender and well spiced. They were my favorite meat dish.” In terms of the South City Kitchen brisket, he liked the accompaniment of sweet tomatoes. He concluded, “Also I thought the risotto was very good … creamy with a nice truffle flavor; the vegetarian leek bread pudding was quite savory.”

Julie Abes, of Message in a Bottle, served hefty portions of Thai tuna on salad with a peanut sauce. She said, “We have participated in this event for five years because it’s important to give back to the community that supports us. Plus, we bring the fun!” The Abes were explaining their soon-to-open new Funwoody concept, {S}table, with a Southern flair.

Event co-chair Debbie Neese was emotional about the effect the AJFF has on the community at-large. Neese said, “Since the beginning 26 years ago, these movies have helped my Christian friends

True Love Means Planning Ahead

Henry Goldberg, CLO Joined the Firm, 2009; West Highland Terrier; Specialist in Strategic Napping Lobby Security and Midday Snack Negotiations

When you say “I do,” an “I love you ” Last Will & Testament may be enough But true love means being more thoughtful

Did you know?

and others outside the Jewish community have better understanding between us.”

AJFF Executive Director Kenny Blank told the AJT, “The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is a celebration of great international cinema, visionary film artists, and Jewish culture. Opening Night and the days that follow remind me that, at its heart, this festival is about bringing community together for a shared experience, where storytelling helps us recognize our shared humanity, whatever our backgrounds or perspectives. That spirit is … central to our mission of fostering social and cultural understanding. I look forward to building more memories with audiences in the coming days, because these are stories that stay with all of us long after the credits have rolled.”

Founded in 2000, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is one of the largest cultural events of its kind in the world, celebrating the power of film to foster compassion, dialogue, and collaboration. The 26th Atlanta Jewish Film Festival runs through March 15, presenting 49 feature films and 16 short films from 20 countries, including three world premieres, four North American premieres, five U.S. premieres, and seven regional premieres. ì

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Bernstein Screens His Favorite Films at Emory

By Bob Bahr

When Matthew H. Bernstein first arrived at Emory University in 1989, Hollywood was preparing to launch one of its top grossing films and an Academy Award winner that year, “Driving Miss Daisy,” that was set in Atlanta.

Like most people, he saw it for the first time in a local theater. It would be nearly a year before it was released as a video tape recording and it would be another eight years before a DVD would appear. Eventually, the streaming of films on a computer screen in our homes would be commonplace. But for Bernstein, who is retiring in June after 37 years of teaching, the lure of watching films in a theater remains strong.

“After all these years, I’ve come to appreciate... the communal experience of watching films. One of the real pleasures I have is watching films with an audience and hearing their reactions to them.”

“Sense

So, before he bids farewell to Emory in June, he has lined up 14 of his all-time favorites, a distillation of the best that he has seen in his long career watching what one critic called “the daylight dream unspool before our eyes.” All of that has left him with a profound respect for what more than a century of filmmaking has accomplished.

“More and more, I’ve been able to look at films as a constructed object. I’ve come to recognize that this is the result of an incredible amount of labor that results in what might be called, in spiritual terms, a miracle. I still believe that the

cinema is this supreme combination of all the other arts. It puts everything together.”

Bernstein’s selections are pristine prints screened each Wednesday evening in what is called The Emory Cin-

ematheque. They range from a newly restored version of Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 masterpiece, “The Gold Rush,” through the succeeding decades to what the film scholars consider a near perfect film, like “The Third Man” from 1949 to Ang Lee’s 2006 version of Jane Austen’s, “Sense and Sensibility,” as seen through Asian eyes. All are free and open to the public.

A number of the films that have been programmed have been chosen from Bernstein’s scholarly analysis of the moving image. His choice of the 1937 Warner Bros. film, “They Won’t Forget,” is a thinly fictionalized version of the tragic case of Leo Frank, the Jewish Atlanta businessman who was hanged by vigilantes outside Marietta in 1915. The 1930s film played an important role in Bernstein’s pioneering work “Screening A Lynching,” which analyzed how TV and Hollywood reacted to Frank’s murder.

The popular 1956 classic, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” produced by William Wanger, was discussed in Bernstein’s book about the longtime Hollywood executive. A fascinating look at life in communist East Germany, “The Lives of Others,” which he wrote about in 2007, was another important choice. And finally, the 1964 independently produced release “Nothing But A Man,” about racial discrimination A small Alabama town in the 1960s was chosen because of the work he did with the late Dana F. White about the history of segregated cinema in Atlanta.

During his long career at Emory, where he has been the Goodrich C. White Professor of Film and Media and the chair of his department for 15 years, he has steadily expanded film studies there.

Today, 16 faculty members work in the department, and he has been instrumental in developing a film and media management program with Emory’s Goizueta Business School.

He has also played an important role in expanding the department’s involvement with media production. Earlier this year, a new teaching facility and production soundstage were dedicated there.

Apart from his responsibilities at Emory, he has been a prominent board member at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival for the past 20 years. And he has been the executive producer of a pair of notable documentaries, “Fiddler’s Journey To The Big Screen,” about the 1971 film version of “Fiddler On The Roof,” and “The Ozu Diaries,” which was released last year, about the famous Japanese filmmaker, Yosujiro Ozu.

Although his series of Wednesday programs is in some ways a reflection on the film experience over the past century, Bernstein’s view of the important role that motion pictures play in our lives remains largely unchanged.

“Film has the power to engage us and compel us to see ourselves and others in significant ways across various borders and boundaries,” he says. “Films held this power as the pre-eminent artistic form for much of the 20th century. Today, they retain that ability to help us understand the world and our place in it.”

More information about Bernstein’s favorites is at https://filmandmedia.emory.edu/news/cinematheque/2026-springcinematheque.html ì

Girl Power with Nashira

By Debbie Diamond

Family and friends describe Ashira Rabinowitz as a warm spirit with a magnetic personality who could light up any room. According to everyone who knew her, she was fun-loving, outgoing and deeply supportive of others.

Whether as a competitive dancer and assistant coach at Elite Studio, a student at The Weber School, or as a Delta Gamma sorority sister at Florida State University (FSU), she was known for building bridges and creating meaningful bonds with others.

When Ashira unexpectedly passed away in December 2023 at age 20, tributes poured in from every part of her life. FSU students painted murals and held a vigil, and her sorority dedicated a bench in her memory. In Atlanta, the Jewish Fertility Foundation awarded a grant as a tribute, and Elite Studio honored her during their annual benefit performance. The Tenn, the Tallahassee bar where Ashira worked part-time, raised more than $3,000 from friends and col-

All elements of the evening -- from design to speakers selected -- helped to inspire friendship, love and support among participants // Photo by Beth Intro

leagues at an evening in her memory.

Earlier this month, on Feb. 5, teens, young adults, mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends from throughout the Jewish community gathered at The We-

The Galentine’s-themed launch event was titled, “I’m a “Girl’s Girl: Putting Friendships First” // // Photo by Beth Intro

ber School to participate in the official launch of Nashira, a new Atlanta-based organization founded in memory of Ashira Rabinowitz. Using Ashira’s given name, which means “I will sing,” as in-

spiration, her parents, Barry Rabinowitz and Debbie Derby, chose the name Nashira, meaning “We will sing.”

The Galentine’s-themed launch event was titled, “I’m a “Girl’s Girl: Put-

ting Friendships First,” and was attended by close to 150 supporters. Emceed by Hannah Zale, a certified teen and young adult life coach, the night featured Izzi Friedman, a successful young entrepreneur and founder of Girls Girls Club in New York City, who spoke about the importance of championing strong, supportive female friendships and led the attendees through several activities designed to encourage connection, camaraderie, introspection, understanding of self and respect.

According to Sheila Jutan, co-founder of Hineni Toco Hills Mental Health Initiative, one of the event sponsors, “The Nashira event was a loving, engaging way to share the message that each of us is enough just the way we are. In a world where there is a lot of judgment and expectations, it was refreshing to be in a space focusing on how women of all ages can hold each other up. It was a beautiful way to honor Ashira.”

At Weber, Nashira has found a willing and enthusiastic launch pad for preserving Ashira’s legacy. A Nashira-sponsored pilot program, Rising Together, began during the 2025-2026 school year and is dedicated to building connections between teens at the high school. Currently, 13 young women meet regularly after school to foster meaningful friendships, promote optimism, engage in inspiring conversations, navigate the pressures faced by today’s teens and set goals for their future. In addition, the Weber dance studio has been named The Ashira Rabinowitz Dance Studio in Ashira’s memory. “The Weber School has been incredibly supportive throughout this journey,” said Derby.

Another strong supporter of Nashira has been the Social Good Fund. Funds donated by this nonprofit organization in April 2025 have supported the development of Rising Together and Growing

Together, an initiative aimed at younger girls. The latter program donates Nashira-approved books that focus on core values of gratitude, empathy, self-confidence, and inclusion to first-grade girls and school libraries. Books have been delivered to Torah Day School, The Epstein School, Atlanta Jewish Academy, and Chaya Mushka, with additional schools and grades in the works.

Nashira was initially announced by her parents at Ashira’s first yahrzeit in December 2024. Since that time, they have lovingly and skillfully guided the organization’s development from inception to its recent launch. Nashira’s tagline, “Girls Rising Together,” reflects the powerful legacy of connection Ashira left behind, said both Derby and Rabinowitz.

“Ashira made everyone feel like they mattered,” added Derby. “With Nashira, we want her warmth, loyalty and inclusivity to live on. We hope girls will experience the same kind of genuine friendships that defined Ashira’s life.”

“Ashira had a natural ability to bring people together,” said Rabinowitz. “Through this initiative, we hope to give young women the confidence and connection she inspired everywhere she went. Nashira is her legacy – one rooted in kindness, strength, and community.”

Through educational programming, mentorship, and social engagement, Nashira aims to provide young women with powerful tools that instill a lifelong sense of belonging, trust, inclusion, and support among their peers. Community partners for the Feb. 5 event included JTeen, BeWellAtl, Hineni, CTeen, The Weber School, and Friendship Circle. A JGather grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta helped sponsor the event.

To find out more information or contribute to Nashira, please visit www. nashiraatl.org. ì

Congregation Ariel Installs Rabbi Fink

By Robert Garber

At the beginning of February, on the eve of Tu B’shevat, Congregation Ariel installed their new rabbi, Pinchas Fink.

After a brief reception, provided by a dessert committee, members of the congregation and other guests filtered into the sanctuary and took their seats.

Gabe Lembeck, synagogue president, introduced the guest speakers, starting with Dunwoody Mayor Lynne Deutch, who he highlighted as the first Jewish mayor of Dunwoody, and first mayor of Dunwoody to be re-elected. She was the first to officially welcome the new rabbi.

“I know that you are the right person to lead this place, because achieving 85 percent consensus on anything these days is nothing short of a miracle,” said Deutch, referencing the congregation’s vote for their new rabbi, “and this congregation came together so strongly in choosing you.”

Lembeck then introduced the first rabbi to speak that night, Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt, Rosh Yeshivah at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in New York, and a personal rabbi and mentor to Rabbi Fink.

Rabbi Grunblatt spoke primarily on the qualities of a good leader, and how Rabbi Fink displayed these.

“Leadership is about seeing the subtleties beneath the surface, and one thing I can say about Rabbi Fink for as long as I’ve known him – which is a decent number of years – he has that unique ability. He’s perceptive, insightful, he sees not just what presents itself, but what’s really going on underneath.

“I think that Congregation Ariel has made a very wise choice in choosing Rabbi Fink – I did not know he had an 85 percent vote,” said Rabbi Grunblatt, before speaking aside to Rabbi Fink, “You’re not planning to run for mayor, are you? Stick to what you do best,” Grunblatt said, after the laughter died down.

Next was Rabbi Elan Feldman, of Congregation Beth Jacob – which he described as Ariel’s sister congregation –who spoke about the installation itself.

“I know there’s all kinds of cynical comments about installation and plumbing and that kind of thing – in Hebrew, the word for installation that’s used is hachtara, which when translated is ‘crowning,’” said Rabbi Feldman. “A true royal figure is not someone who rules over, it is someone who embodies the aspirations and needs and concerns and the sensitivities of his people – and that’s what a rav does. A rav cares, loves, deals with, gets invested in, cares for the needs

of his people. That’s real royalty.”

Before hearing from the soon-to-be Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Binyomin Friedman, Lembeck invited up Congregation VP Michael Rice to present the search committee leaders, Steve Mendel and Elaine Brasch, with an award recognizing their work towards finding Rabbi Fink. Then it was time for Rabbi Friedman and the installation itself.

“With the installation of Rav Fink as the rav of this congregation, we are going to be adding a link to a chain which is known as the Mesorah. The Mesorah is a tradition, it is passed on from Moshe Rabbeinu, our first rabbi, to Yoshua, to the elders that followed him, and to the prophets, and down to great rabbis, all of which have taken us through continents and around the world and brought us to this very day.”

“With the consent of G-d and with the consent of this congregation, I install, bequeath upon you the title of Moreinu HaRav Pinchas Yoseph Ben Eliezer Sha-

lom – our teacher, the Rabbi Pinchas Yoseph Ben Eliezer Shalom. And with that, this congregation is now under the leadership and direction of the Rav.”

Finally, Rabbi Pinchas himself had a chance to speak, and deliver a d’rash.

“If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would be the rabbi of a shul in Dunwoody, Ga., I would have said ‘Where?’ And honestly, that’s exactly how I felt the first time somebody told me there’s a shul in Dunwoody, Ga., that’s looking for a rabbi. But the truth is there is nowhere I would rather be – this unique and beautiful shul and community.”

Rabbi Fink described what brought him to this day, recalling great-grandparents that escaped the Holocaust, and mentioning how many of them would be surprised about him living in Dunwoody, at least on one side of his family.

“If you told my grandmother, Grandma Bessie, that I’d be living in Dunwoody,

Ga., she wouldn’t have been surprised at all,” Rabbi Fink laughed. “However, the ‘rabbi’ part would have been quite a shock.

“Our Torah tells us a human being is like a tree of the field,” Rabbi Fink said, in relation to Tu B’shevat. “A century ago, the poet, Joyce Kilmer, captured this truth in language that feels almost prophetic, describes that a tree lifts her leafy arms to pray, but only because her hungry mouth is pressed against the earth. Aspiration, striving for greatness without being grounded deeply in roots, is fantasy. And being grounded without striving to reach for heaven, that’s stagnation, that’s static.

“A shul cannot be sustained by one branch alone. It’s sustained when all the groups and people show up for one another, for weeks, for years, to build something beautiful. On Tu B’shevat, we bless the trees not for what they are today, but what they will be in the future.” ì

Women’s Seders Blend Feminism with Tradition

The Passover Seder, the ritual meal that celebrates the Israelites’ exodus from ancient Egypt, weaves together time-honored rituals and family customs passed down through time. A women’s seder, however, is a relatively new take on the Passover gathering that approaches the celebration through the lens of women and their place in society.

Though there were likely unremarkable women-led seders held in the past, the first publicly promoted women-only seder was in Haifa, Israel, in 1975 by a small group of Jewish feminists. A year later, one of those participants, author Esther Broner, convened a group of 13 influential women in her New York City apartment to celebrate the holiday together. Those women, including Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, and Letty Cottin Pogrebin, became known as the “Seder Sisters.”

To guide that early seder, Broner and Naomi Nimrod co-authored a reimagined Haggadah that featured female Biblical figures who were integral to the Passover story yet are not included in traditional Haggadot. Their book, “The Women’s Haggadah,” also included alternative seder highlights such as four new questions, reinterpreted plagues, and new Seder plate symbols, such as Miriam’s cups and seder plate oranges, all reflecting the challenges and frustrations women have endured through the ages.

Drawing inspiration from those early seders, Ma’yan: The Jewish Women’s Project of the Jewish Community Center Manhattan held its first seder in 1994, which included more than 200 participants. The Ma’yan seders grew to attract more than 2,000 participants a year at four separate seders, and “The Journey Continues: The Ma’yan Passover Haggadah” remains a popular roadmap for seders around the world.  Since the 1990s, the proliferation of women-only and women-led seders have blossomed across the country and around the world.

Following those women who paved the way, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Atlanta Section and Temple Sinai will host their popular Community Women’s Seder at 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, at Temple Sinai. Both NCJW Atlanta and Temple Sinai have held women’s seders separately over the years. Last year, the two organizations teamed up to hold a seder that drew more than 80 women of all ages who joyfully celebrated Passover through a feminist lens.

The theme for this year’s seder will be “From Darkness to Light: A Hopeful Journey toward Renewal and Redemp-

The costs for the Women’s Community Seder are $65 for general reservations and $40 for those under 40. Dinner and Haggadah are included. Reservations are required.

tion.” Each guest will receive a specially created Haggadah filled with relevant readings, symbolisms, and songs. The cover features artwork by local artist Lindsay Belnick. The tables will include many of the symbols pertinent to a women’s seder, such as tambourines and Miriam’s Cups. Guests are encouraged to bring their own to help celebrate the Passover story.

The event is co-chaired by Gabby Spatt and Molly Light and led by Rabbi Sam Trief and Bunzl Family Cantorial Chair Beth Schafer, both of Temple Sinai. Schafer’s band will accompany the seder, hoping to again bring guests to their feet in joyful dance and song.

Susan Gordon, co-president of NCJW, Atlanta Section, hopes this year’s seder will lift women up during these days of division and anxiety.

“Being able to share the Passover story from women’s perspective and to break matzah and dance together is a very special way to bond in community as Jewish women, especially now.”

“Seders are about the underdogs,” adds Beth Schafer. “Making one’s voice heard, peaceful activism and striving for equality are tied to the themes of Passover. Plus, Miriam [sister of Moses] really knew how to celebrate in song — and we will, too!”

The costs for the Women’s Community Seder are $65 for general reservations and $40 for those under 40. Dinner and Haggadah are included. Reservations are required; https:// ncjwatlanta.org/events/2026-commu -

nity-womens-seder/#em-event-booking-form. The registration deadline is March 9. For more information, call the

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Maman and Botnick Light Up Eddie’s Attic

By Tessa Scharff

“You’re coming to watch a show that’s loud and funky -- get ready to dance,” said Ian Maman.

Any artist performing at the legendary Atlanta venue Eddie’s Attic has big shoes to fill. Past performers include John Mayer and Justin Bieber, who launched their careers on that very stage. Known for its intimate atmosphere, Eddie’s Attic has long been a space that highlights original music, storytelling, and a close artist-audience connection on stage.

On Feb. 5, Atlanta-based Jewish artists, Ian Maman and Jacob Botnick, performed at Eddie’s Attic, bringing a mix of R&B, pop, rock, and funk. Botnick described the night as an opportunity for both him and Maman to shine, saying their goal was to “come out with a bang and make sure we do [the venue] justice.”

While both artists have performed in the past -- including opening for Waka Flocka at the University of Georgia -- this show was special. Maman explained that Eddie’s Attic gave them the chance to per-

form original music rather than covers. He said the venue allowed them to be “most intimate with the crowd,” giving them the ability to share stories behind each song instead of rushing through a setlist. Botnick referred to the experience as “kind of a little master class” for attendees.

More than 120 tickets were sold, filling the venue and creating a packed

yet intimate atmosphere. The size of the space allowed audience members to remain close to the stage, reinforcing the personal nature of the performance.

The audience’s energy remained lively throughout the night. Both Maman and Botnick’s performances showcased a wide range of moods, shifting from more relaxed moments to high-energy sets that brought the full band on stage. The crowd clapped along and stood on their feet during standout performances, including Botnick’s song, “Fantasy,” and Maman’s, “Back to Life,” which noticeably raised the energy in the room.

The performance unfolded smoothly, with transitions between songs feeling intentional and well-paced throughout the night.

Both artists’ musical journeys began early. Maman discovered his love for music around age 11 or 12 while watching a music documentary. Inspired by the singing and dancing he saw, he began taking vocal and piano lessons and, later, joined a high school band called Leapf. That experience led to his first studio recording session at age 18. His debut song gained attention among his peers, and he even performed it at his prom. Since then, Maman has continued building his career as an artist.

Botnick’s interest in music began at Weber High School through musical theater. He described music as “therapeutic,” explaining that it allowed him to express feelings he otherwise kept inside. Theater also helped him build confidence and stage presence, often playing lead roles. Today, Botnick continues performing professionally and has worked with 14-time Grammy Award-winning producer Ron St. Germain.

Although Maman and Botnick had known each other for years after attending the same Jewish school, their collaboration did not begin until April 2024.

Botnick ran into Maman’s mother at an event, where she mentioned Ian’s music. That interaction led the two to reconnect and eventually begin working together.

Both artists credit their Jewish roots with shaping their creativity. Maman said listening to melodies sung by rabbis in school helped him better understand musical expression in Jewish tradition. Botnick noted that the Jewish community has been incredibly supportive, adding that some of their biggest fans come from that network.

Musically, each artist brings a distinct style to the stage. Maman focuses on high-energy rock, pop, and funk, while Botnick leans toward acoustic R&B that blends into rock when performing with a full band. Despite their different approaches, both artists aim to deliver dynamic, engaging performances with no “bland” moments. Maman even compared their energy to Post Malone.

Love plays a major role in their songwriting. Maman draws inspiration from his personal life as well as characters he sees in movies, while Botnick writes about love, heartbreak, and relationships with lyrics that resonate. On stage, Maman brings high energy, while Botnick describes himself as “the calm before the storm,” performing acoustic pieces alongside piano, guitar, and a full band -- all original material.

Maman said his hope for the night was that guests would feel they got everything they paid for and fully experienced his craft. “It feels the best when you are creating and showing your audience your craft,” he said.

To listen to Ian Maman or learn about upcoming concerts, visit instagram.com/ian.maman.

To listen to Jacob Botnick or learn more, visit jacobbotnick.com or instagram.com/jacobbotnick. ì

JF&CS Touts Growth, Innovation & Durability Campaign

Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta (JF&CS) announced significant progress in its Growth, Innovation & Durability (GID) Campaign, having raised more than $7.3 million in new endowment commitments. This achievement has effectively doubled the organization’s endowment from its pre-campaign level of approximately $7 million.

The campaign’s progress has been fueled by transformational seven-figure commitments, including a $3 million gift from The Henry and Etta Raye Hirsch Heritage Foundation and a $2.5 million gift from the Bunzl Family Foundation. Each gift will be recognized with new naming opportunities and signal deep confidence in the organization’s mission, leadership, and long-term impact.

This milestone reflects growing philanthropic confidence in JF&CS’s longterm vision. The organization is pairing strong annual operations with a disciplined investment strategy that ensures stability, flexibility, and preparedness during times of disruption.

“This campaign is about ensuring JF&CS can continue to show up for our community no matter the challenge,” said Jay Cranman, chief executive officer. “By strengthening our endowment, we are protecting today’s services while creating the capacity to innovate and respond as community needs evolve.”

Building Durability in a Time of Growth

Since 2019, JF&CS has doubled its annual operating budget to more than $27 million. This expansion has significantly increased its reach and impact across core service areas including aging, mental health, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. This growth

Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta announced significant progress in its Growth, Innovation & Durability Campaign, having raised more than $7.3 million in new endowment commitments.

has positioned JF&CS as a field-leading human services organization while also underscoring the importance of longterm financial resilience.

The Growth, Innovation & Durability Campaign was launched to address this need. It moves beyond a traditional spend-and-serve nonprofit model toward a balanced approach that sustains excellence today while safeguarding the future.

Endowment resources generated through the campaign will:

Provide organizational flexibility during periods of economic uncertainty or shifting funding environments

Enable timely investments in innovation and strategic growth

Protect the quality and continuity of existing programs without disruption

As part of this focus on long-term resilience, JF&CS has taken thoughtful steps to align its internal operations with its strategic priorities. This includes streamlining administrative functions, reducing redundancy, and directing re-

sources toward high-demand core programs and frontline services. These decisions reflect a commitment to disciplined stewardship and ensure that community investments are used effectively and sustainably.

The Growth, Innovation & Durability Campaign has been shaped by strong leadership across a period of transition.

Terri Bonoff, who served as JF&CS CEO for six years, played a pivotal role in launching and advancing the campaign in partnership with the Board, new CEO Jay Cranman, Amanda La Kier, chief advancement officer, and the professional team of Coxe Curry and Associates.

Bonoff’s tenure was marked by visionary growth, including expanded services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and a renewed focus on organizational resilience. In recognition of her impact, JF&CS will honor Bonoff with its Champion of Inclusion Award at The Tasting Experience on Thursday, April 30, at the Stave Room.

With Cranman now at the helm and

La Kier continuing to lead philanthropic strategy, the campaign is moving forward with clarity, continuity, and shared purpose.

“This milestone reflects both extraordinary generosity from our donors and a shared commitment to long-term impact,” said La Kier. “Together, we are building the durable foundation JF&CS needs to serve this community today and for generations to come.”

Looking ahead, JF&CS is working toward an endowment goal of $30 million and beyond, a benchmark aligned with peer human services organizations nationally. Reaching this level will help ensure long-term stability, innovation, and readiness in an evolving funding environment. Guided by its enduring promise to the community, hineni, meaning “here I am,” JF&CS remains committed to serving individuals and families through every life stage and circumstance. Please contact alakier@jfcsatl.org to learn more. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

Former Ambassador Not Optimistic About Venezuela

By Bob Bahr

When American special forces swooped into Venezuela to capture the country’s leader and his wife and bring them to the United States for trial, this country was reverted to an American foreign policy that was popular over 150 years ago.

That’s the opinion of Charles Shapiro, who once served as the American ambassador to Venezuela and who now teaches at Georgia Tech. It was, he says, a time when diplomacy meant little and might made right.

“The Trump Administration is reverting to an era of power politics, which was known in the 19th century as ‘spheres of influence.’ It was an age of imperialism, when there were no rules and big countries did what they wanted. They divided up Africa, for example. And that’s what we’re returning to, but it’s going to be very risky for the United States and complicated over the long term.”

Shapiro who, after serving in Venezuela was a deputy assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, made his remarks at a joint session of the World Affairs Councils of Atlanta and Miami. He has his own prescription for success in bringing about change in Venezuela and it starts, he believes, with working with other nations in Latin America.

“One of the things I would do if I were creating United States foreign policy is stop alienating everyone else. We need all of Latin America. We need the Organization of American States. We need the United Nations. All of them are needed to create a timetable to establish a provisional government to replace the Maduro government. But we’ve done

just the opposite. We’ve alienated all our neighbors.

The change in American foreign policy has been reinforced in recent months by a policy document outlining our National Security Strategy (NSS). It was released by the administration in December 2025.

Unlike previous editions, including those from President Donald Trump’s first term, it pivots away from American concerns in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. According to Richard Kilroy, a highranking retired military officer and a professor of politics at The Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston, the Western Hemisphere is seen as “the primary risk to U.S. interest and security.”

“The second Trump administration’s NSS views the Western Hemisphere as its sphere of influence. More specifically, it largely promotes a new era that places an emphasis on U.S. military intervention and expansion, likely at the expense of other’s sovereignty and self-determination — important concepts in U.S.-Latin American relations.”

It is, he points out, a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, that warned European governments not to meddle in America’s backyard. It could lead, as professor Kilroy points out, to a new age of American imperialism where America will use all its power, including military intervention in the region.

Significantly, the United States, after making its lightning military strike in Caracas to capture Maduro and his wife, has left Maduro’s government largely in place. Maduro’s vice president who, Ambassador Shapiro points out, was once the leader’s chief of staff, now runs the government. Moreover, one of those named in the federal indictment with Maduro still remains as the country’s minister of the interior, running an often brutal and corrupt security force.

Venezuela’s oil industry was once an engine of development that made the country the most prosperous in Latin America. It has proven oil reserves of 300 billion barrels, the largest of any nation in the world. But extracting that wealth will mean a major investment by American oil companies and others that could

take a decade or more and cost upwards of $100 billion.

Ambassador Shapiro doesn’t believe major corporations are ready to take on that challenge while Venezuela remains in the hands of its current government.

“My analysis is that the Trump administration is putting stability over democracy,” Shapiro says, “by working with Delcey Rodriguez as president of Venezuela after the removal of Nicholas Maduro, essentially what we have is the Maduro dictatorship without Maduro.” Venezuela, under Maduro and Rodriguez, has created an economy that the International Monetary Fund says has shrunk by 70 percent in the last dozen years. More than eight million Venezuelans out of a country of 30 million today have left, many of them fleeing to neighboring Columbia. It one of the largest recent migrations, exceeding the number who have fled the wars in Ukraine and Syria.

“We are dealing with people over there,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate in January, “that have spent most of their lives living in a gangster paradise.” ì

Rabinowitz Sells Toco Instant Printing

By Robert Garber

The Toco Hills community lost a local staple recently as Hal Rabinowitz retired from and sold Toco Instant Printing. The shop, one of the last independent locations of the shrinking quick-print industry, has a 50-year history in the community.

Hal Rabinowitz described the process of transitioning into the business with his father, Ben Rabinowitz, who previously owned a local hotel, the Roadway Inn, recalling how he learned from another man who went into the same business with his son.

“The neighborhood needed a print shop,” said Hal Rabinowitz. “Mostly copies, but we did have some schools and synagogues and churches that ended up with us. Back then, people did a lot more mailing, and stationery, and business forms. That kept us going.”

In 1991, after several years in business at a local shopping center, they bought the free-standing building that housed the shop until this year. Many locals recall visiting the store throughout the years.

Miriam Cann, who did a lot of business with the shop through her lay leadership and executive roles at both Congregation Beth Jacob and Torah Day School of Atlanta, recalls, “He was always helpful and speedy,” Cann said. “Sometimes I had barely sent the email and I got an email back, saying it was done.”

Many community members also remember the shop and the family from Ben Rabinowitz’s role at Congregation Beth Jacob.

“Hal’s dad was larger than life,” said Rabbi Brian Glusman. “He proudly wore his Judaism, but he also treated everyone like a friend.”

Rabbi Glusman, who many may know from the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, also has a deep history with Toco Instant Printing. At one point interested in getting into the quick print business himself, he was offered a position by Ben Rabinowitz – and he wasn’t the only one.

“Three of my immediate family, including me, worked at Toco Printing,” said Rabbi Glusman. “My brother worked there, my mother worked there, and I worked there as well. It was really a family experience.”

“Kinda like the Roadway Inn, it was a hub of activity, of Jewish community,” continued Rabbi Glusman. “Everyone had their printing done at Toco Instant Printing. I was thinking to myself it was

the precursor of interfaith outreach networking, because people from every background, every religion, would go to Toco Printing.”

Rabbi Glusman recalled local politicians, like Liane Levetan, as well as several prominent rabbis stopping by several times. Hal Rabinowitz recalled a local actor, Ben Jones (Cooter on “The Dukes of Hazzard”) doing the same. Both recalled older locals coming in to make copies of their social security forms, students coming in to make copies of resumes, and all sorts of businesses, churches, and synagogues sending people for cards and fliers.

Hal Rabinowitz described how it became a lot easier as the technology evolved.

“We just found ways to do things that required a lot of time, to do them almost instantly on a computer now,” said Hal Rabinowitz. “To this day, whenever I use those programs, I think back to how it used to be. It’s kind of fun now. I enjoyed it more than I ever did, up to the end.”

Although, even in the most stressful moments, he remained a consummate professional.

“He was always calm and always reasonable, and going into his store was always pleasant,” recalled Cann. “Every interaction with him was always pleasant. I can’t imagine him ever raising his voice. There was never an ‘I can’t do that.’”

But recently, Hal Rabinowitz decid-

ed it was a good time to retire, mentioning getting to spend more time with his grandchildren.

“I’m 71 years old, I’m in very good health, but I wanted more free time,” said Hal Rabinowitz. “It’s the type of business where I didn’t feel comfortable taking a day off in the middle of the week. I was responsible for making sure orders got through, everything went through the proper channels and flowed smoothly.”

He recently sold the company to the chain Minuteman Press, who bought their customer list, but chose not to take any equipment or the physical location, shifting business instead to their branch in Decatur.

“Our goal is to serve them just as Hal was serving them,” said Eric Burril, who owns the local franchise. “It’s beneficial on both of our sides to have a quality relationship as we move on. The print world is a small world. Everyone has their niche customers, and there’s a lot of information that he has being in business for 30 years. At the end of the day, it’s about relationships.”

Still, for those who remember Toco Instant Printing, the relationship they most recall will likely be with Hal.

“He’s just, I would say, the consummate mensch,” said Cann.

“Hal’s dad was a mensch,” said Rabbi Glusman, “and obviously it’s genetic.” ì

Astera Labs Opens Israel

R&D Hub

U.S.-based semiconductor company Astera Labs announced the opening of

Today in Israeli History

Feb. 28, 1942: Dorit Beinisch, who in 2006 becomes the ninth president of Israel’s Supreme Court and the first woman in the post, is born in Tel Aviv. She also becomes Israel’s first female state attorney in 1989.

March 1, 1922: Yitzhak Rabin is born in Jerusalem. He leads the defense of the city in 1948, heads the IDF in the June 1967 war, serves as ambassador to Washington, twice is prime minister, and achieves the Oslo Accords and Jordan peace treaty.

March 2, 1983: The Israel Medical Association launches a lengthy strike to protest the government’s refusal to grant doctors a substantial pay raise. Before a settlement June 26, the labor action escalates to a hunger strike.

The mufti of Jerusalem, though known to avoid most engagement with the British authorities, leaves a meeting at the offices of the Palestine Royal Commission in 1937. // U.S. Library of Congress

March 3, 1939: Opposing any permanent Jewish presence in Palestine, the mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, rejects a British proposal to severely limit Jewish immigration while establishing a majority-Arab state.

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

a new R&D hub in Israel to develop and ramp up high-performance connectivity technologies that meet the fast-evolving challenges of artificial intelligence-based infrastructure.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based firm has secured office space in Tel Aviv and Haifa for its two R&D centers and is planning to hire hundreds of employees by the end of 2027. Google veteran Guy Azrad will oversee Astera’s operations in Israel.

“It is amazing and a bold move that after the war and the situation in Israel, a global company like Astera is coming and opening a strategic site here,” said Azrad, senior vice president of engineering and general manager of Astera Labs Israel. “Astera believes in the talent and the ecosystem in Israel, and we want to produce chips made in Israel.”

Compiled by AJT Staff

March 4, 1996: A Palestinian from Ramallah detonates a 45-pound bomb packed with nails outside Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Center on the eve of Purim, killing the Hamas bomber and 13 Israelis, five of whom are 13 or younger.

William Blackstone believed that restoring the Jewish people to the Land of Israel would help usher in the return of Jesus.

March 5, 1891: William Blackstone, an American Methodist lay leader, submits a petition to President Benjamin Harrison that calls for creating “a home for these wandering millions of Israel” in Palestine.

March 6, 1975: An eight-man PLO raid hits the beach in Tel Aviv and attacks the Savoy Hotel. Sayeret Matkal commandos kill seven terrorists and capture the eighth. Three Israeli soldiers and eight civilians are killed.

Former Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi holds up a photo of his brother, Yosi Sharabi, who was killed while in captivity, as he speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting concerning the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations headquarters on March 20, 2025, in New York City // Photo Credit: eJewishphilanthropy.com

‘Hostage’ Tops National Jewish Book Awards

Eli Sharabi’s “Hostage,” a harrowing chronicle of his 491 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terror attack in which his wife and daughters were murdered, and a reminder of the

March 7, 1965: Egyptian authorities release details about the arrest Feb. 22 of Israeli spy Wolfgang Lotz and his wife, Waldrud. Lotz is implicated in the sending of letter bombs to foreign scientists working in Egypt.

March 8, 1969: Egypt launches a major offensive against Israeli positions on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, starting the War of Attrition, which lasts until August 1970. Egypt aims to strain Israel’s resolve and economy.

March 9, 1914: Arthur Ruppin, the head of the Palestine Office of the World Zionist Organization, purchases the estate of Sir John Gray Hill atop Mount Scopus to serve as the future campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

News & World Report Magazine Collection, Library of Congress

March 10, 1960: Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower meet for more than two hours at the White House on a range of issues while American Nazis and Arabs protest outside.

resilience of the Jewish spirit, took home the National Jewish Book Award for book of the year.

Hostage shows the complexity a Jewish book can hold, said Naomi FirestoneTeeter, CEO of Jewish Book Council (JBC). It doesn’t shy “away from trauma and the pain in our Jewish community and for [Sharabi] personally, but [it also is about] what it means to keep going, what it means to continue to live and breathe and be a Jew moving forward, and the idea of resilience.”

Last year, more than 730 books were submitted to the Jewish Book Council for consideration in its annual National Jewish Book Awards, with 21 chosen as the “best reads” of 2025. Topics spanned queer love during the Holocaust, Israel’s war in Gaza, and the feminist history of Russia.

Compiled by AJT Staff

March 11, 1911: Haim Herman Cohn, who serves on Israel’s Supreme Court for 21 years, is born in Lubeck, Germany. He combines Jewish, Ottoman, Roman and British traditions to create Israel’s legal system in 1948.

March 12, 1947: President Harry Truman lays out the Truman Doctrine: The United States will assist any democratic nation under threat from totalitarian forces. It helps justify U.S. recognition of Israel 14 months later.

March 13, 1881: Czar Alexander II of Russia is assassinated in St. Petersburg. The response to the killing includes a rash of pogroms. His successor, Alexander III, enacts new restrictions on Jews and sparks mass emigration.

March 14, 1473: A massacre breaks out in Cordoba, Spain, against the city’s conversos — Jewish converts to Catholicism who are believed to practice Judaism in secret. The violence continues for several days.

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

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ISRAEL

Trauma of Gaza War Leads to 76 Soldiers’ Suicides

By Gil Zohar

Israel is a country that measures pain by counting. Israelis count the days of miluim (reserve duty) like rosary beads. They count ballistic missiles and funerals, hostages and hospital beds. They count “cleared” buildings and “secured” roads. And now they are counting something else — a number that doesn’t sit on the tongue the way battlefield casualty reports do, because it doesn’t feel like fate. It feels like failure.

Seventy-six IDF soldiers have died by suicide since Hamas’s massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, and the resulting Gaza War. More than 300 have attempted to snuff out their psychological pain. Those numbers aren’t a statistic; they are an indictment of how hard it still is to say, out loud, “I am not OK” — and be met with care before it’s too late.

The war made heroes out of ordinary people. It also made ghosts. Not the poetic kind. The kind that stand in your kitchen at 3 a.m. The kind that smash mirrors because they can’t bear to see the person who came home. The kind that turn a laugh line on a comedy stage into a confession. The kind that erupt in a living room, terrifying children who don’t understand why Abba’s eyes are suddenly flush with tears.

Israel is enduring the largest mentalhealth crisis in its history. Bloomberg’s Alisa Odenheimer described it as a wave of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety — and the economic price tag of trauma that will be paid for years, possibly decades. But the cost that matters most isn’t measured in shekels It’s measured in an empty seat at a Shabbat table. It’s measured in a brother or sister who came to Israel from America to serve the Jewish people and is suddenly alone.

Ari: The Day Before Freedom

Sgt. Ari Goldberg came from Norfolk, Va., and fell in love with the Negev — with the desert, with the people, with the idea that Zionism could be lived with your hands, your boots, your blood donations every three months. He did the hard thing that Lone Soldiers do: he built a life from scratch in a language that resisted him. He pushed through an army that doesn’t always know what to do with someone “different,” someone who is too earnest, too foreign, too determined.

He served in the IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps. He wanted to be where

it mattered. He fought in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. He was proud to defend the country he chose.

And then, one day before discharge — after celebrating, after helping his younger brother take his first steps into the same uniform — Ari was found dead in his apartment in Dimona.

Ari’s story breaks something in us because it violates the narrative we cling to: Just get through the service. Just make it to discharge. Then life begins. Ari made it to the doorway of civilian life. He even turned the key. And still, something inside him did not come home.

If a person can be “almost finished” and still fall, what does that say about the way we define recovery? About how we treat “transition” as a finish line instead of the most fragile stretch of road?

Josh: Dying Out of Uniform

Master Sgt. (res.) Joshua “Josh” Boone, originally from Boise, Idaho, was a U.S.-born Lone Soldier who immigrated to Israel (made Aliyah) in 2017 to join the IDF.

He served for 748 days since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre. Seven hundred and forty-eight. Let that number sit in your chest.

He was a sniper — a protector, a “sheepdog,” as the people who wrote about him called it. He wasn’t Israeli born; he didn’t grow up with sirens as background music. He came with a fire in him to protect the Jewish people. And when the ground war and the deployments kept coming, the battlefield followed him back through his front door.

Josh died out of uniform, after being demobilized. And suddenly, the country that needed his courage began arguing about whether he “deserved” a military burial.

There are few things more Israeli than bureaucracy meeting grief. Forms. Criteria. Committees. A legal distinction between a death “in service” and a death “because of service.” We will send you into hell, but if you don’t die there, we might not know what to do with you.

A Knesset bill now seeks to close that gap — to recognize suicides tied to combat stress as service-related, with dignity and military burial. That matters symbolically, and symbols matter here. But burial policy is not prevention. Recognition after death is not the same thing as a hand on the shoulder two weeks earlier, or a therapist who has an opening this week, or a commander trained to hear what’s being said in the silence between jokes.

Avraham: The Wound You Cannot See

Master Sgt. Avraham Zeren’s story is another tragedy that makes people look away — which is precisely why it must be faced.

Born in the Gush Etzion town of Bat Ayin south of Jerusalem, and today, living in Maskiyot in the Jordan Valley, Zeren is a hybrid American-Israel. His father, Hillel Zeren, made Aliyah from Baltimore.

Avraham was a husband, a father of three small children – sons, Peer Ami, 6, and Hesed Ranen, 3, and daughter, Tair Eretz, 18 months.

As a soldier, he carried responsibilities that most Israelis never have to imagine: handling the aftermath of death, including a fellow soldier’s suicide. He kept going. No decompression. No psychological processing. Just the next task. The next day. The next mask. Then the symptoms arrived — nightmares, panic, a nervous system stuck in alarm mode. The kind of internal chaos that doesn’t show on a uniform inspection. The kind that convinces you you’re alone because you can’t explain it without sounding “weak,” “broken,” “dangerous,” “unreliable.”

Avraham reached a moment of crisis and pulled the trigger. But through G-d’s mercy he survived. Many don’t. He blew his jaw off. Today – after two years of multiple reconstructive surgeries – his face looks normal. Through psychiatric care, he is slowly beginning to feel normal. It’s a long process, one that lasts a lifetime.

“What stays with me is not the drama of it. It’s the humiliation that follows — the shame that makes a person perform wellness for the psychiatrist, and the love of a spouse who refuses to accept the performance. In Avraham’s telling, healing didn’t come from erasing pain. It came from finding tools to live with what will never fully disappear, and from being treated like a human being rather than a malfunctioning soldier.”

That is the conversation Israel avoids: not only PTSD, but moral injury — the psychic damage of what you saw, what you did, what you couldn’t stop, who you lost, and the feeling that you are

ISRAEL

no longer the person you were allowed to be.

The Lie We Tell Our Soldiers

We tell our soldiers: Be strong. What we often mean is: Be quiet.

We celebrate resilience but punish vulnerability with social suspicion. We have made “post-trauma” sound like a character flaw, as if a person chooses to wake up choking on a memory. We still whisper about therapy as if it’s an admission of incompetence rather than an act of survival.

And the system, overwhelmed, is built like a maze: Defense Ministry rehabilitation channels, IDF mental health officers, civilian clinics, waiting lists, paperwork, eligibility fights, the exhausting need to advocate for yourself when your mind can barely hold a thought.

This is where organizations like the Jerusalem Institute of Justice are stepping in — not as therapists, but as advocates: people who walk with soldiers through the bureaucracy when the soldier can’t. It’s unglamorous work. It’s also life-saving.

Because prevention is not a slogan. Prevention is access. Prevention is speed. Prevention is a commander who knows that a soldier who “doesn’t complain” might be the one most at risk. Prevention is the friend who doesn’t accept “I’m fine” as a complete sentence.

What You Can Do Today

You don’t need a ministry budget to save a life. You need a willingness to notice.

Ask directly. “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?” This does not plant

the idea. It gives permission to speak.

Take behavioral changes seriously. Rage, numbness, isolation, heavy drinking, reckless driving, giving away possessions, “I won’t be a burden much longer.”

Stay close in the dangerous window. After discharge, after a unit loss, after a round of reserves, after a breakup, after a humiliating encounter with bureaucracy.

Help with logistics. Make the appointment. Drive them there. Sit in the waiting room. Fill out the forms.

Normalize treatment. Therapy is not weakness. It’s a continuation of service: you’re fighting for the life you came back to live.

And yes — donate, volunteer, pressure policymakers. But don’t outsource responsibility to “the system.” The system is made of people. So is rescue.

We are living through a war with multiple fronts. One of them is inside the homes of those who fought. Seventy-six soldiers lost to suicide is not “the price of war.” It is a signal flare. The next one is not inevitable.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call emergency services right now. If you’re in Israel and need help: ERAN (Emotional First Aid) is available at 1201 (and online chat options exist), and you can also reach Sahar for online support. If you’re in the U.S., call or text 988. If you’re elsewhere, local crises lines can be found via the International Association for Suicide Prevention directory.

The war demanded everything from our soldiers. The least we can do is make sure they are not left to fight alone when they come home. ì

Johnson, Avdija Make All-Star Game Debuts

David Ostrowsky

The Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., may be 2,200 miles from downtown Atlanta, but during the 2026 NBA All-Star Games festivities this past Presidents’ Day weekend, Jewish Atlanta made its presence felt.

Hawks’ small forward Jalen Johnson and Israeli forward Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers, coincidentally the two front-runners for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, both made their NBA All-Star debuts in the Los Angeles Clippers’ futuristic stadium. Though neither Johnson nor Avdija factored prominently into the outcome of the first-ever round-robin tournament—the NBA, trying to bolster All-Star Game competition and provide fans with a more compelling reason to watch, employed a threeteam format whereby Team Stars, Team Stripes, and Team World all played each other, and the two teams with the best record and point differential competed in a fourth and final game—the All-Star nods for the two players enjoying breakout seasons held great historical significance for the Hawks franchise and Israeli basketball, respectively.

Aside from the recently-jettisoned Trae Young, the Hawks haven’t been represented at the NBA All-Star Game since power forward Paul Millsap was a perennial All-Star in the mid-2010s. The 24-year-old Johnson, a year removed from a left shoulder injury that derailed his 2024-25 campaign, is the centerpiece of the youthful Hawks’ playoff push and projects to be a franchise cornerstone for the balance of the decade. The high-flying wing, who has steadily improved every year since the Hawks drafted him No. 20 overall out of Duke University in 2021, is averaging a career-best in points (23.3), rebounds (10.6), and assists (8.2).

Speaking to reporters during AllStar media day, Johnson, who, when it’s all said and done, could go down as one of the greatest late-first round picks in league history, explained how his leadership role on the Hawks has evolved over the past half-decade.

“I think I just started talking more,” Johnson said. “That was the biggest thing. As soon as I got more opportunities. Obviously, you need to be on the same page with your teammates, so communication

is key. That’s just something I’ve continued to grow in. I want to continue to get better at it. So, I’m excited for it.”

Across three 12-minute tournamentstyle games, Johnson chipped in 14 points, most of which came by throwing down thunderous dunks on fast breaks.

“It’s hard staying consistent sometimes in a world full of chaos,” added the Hawks All-Star who paid his dues early in his pro career by spending time in the NBA G League when he wasn’t coming off the bench for Atlanta. “Just to continue to be able to do that, I think that’s what I’m most proud of. My journey has been far from easy. It could have been easy to give up so many times like during the predraft process and all that. My willingness to stay down, continue to work, block out all the noise — that’s what made this so much sweeter.”

En route to claiming the first-ever USA v. World All-Star tournament championship, Johnson’s Team Stars squad, one consisting largely of young players and first-time All-Stars, edged Avdija and the “World” team, 37-35. Avdija, about whom Johnson remarked, “he’s doing big things out in Portland,” finished with five points, four assists, and a rebound over two games.

“I think it brought some competitiveness with it, and it’s a fun format,” said Avdija afterwards. “So, it shows how the game went global, which is amazing to see. I hope it’s even going to expand, and people are about to understand that it’s fun watching the All-Star Game. It’s going to be a little more competitive, try to bring it back.”

“It was a long weekend, I’m going to say that,” added Avdija, who arrived in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 13, after playing back-to-back games on the road that Wednesday and Thursday. “Great staff all around, great planning of the All-Star Weekend. It was hectic, but it was fun. I was really enjoying the experience. Especially when it’s your first time, you embrace everything a little better. But I hope I can be here for many years to come.”

But the more intriguing storyline involving Avdija had nothing to do with his on-court exploits. Israeli basketball has made tremendous strides over the past couple decades and his inclusion in the NBA’s mid-season showcase represented a watershed moment in the country’s athletic history.

“It feels [like] an honor, a blessing. I definitely worked hard, sacrificed a lot of my time to get to the best stage in

the world, and I feel like this is a dream come true for every kid that actually wants to play basketball,” Avdija told a throng of reporters swarming over him during media day, many of whom fired away questions in Hebrew. “Just having a whole country behind me — it’s a blessing to represent on the biggest stage in the world.”

Avdija becoming the first-ever Israeli NBA All-Star was such a hot topic at the weekend’s festivities that it came up during LeBron James’ session with reporters. James acknowledged that Avdija was indeed worthy of the honor and then went on to share, “if I have fans over there [Israel] — I’ve never been there — if I have fans over there that follow my career, I hope I inspired people over there to not only want to be great in sports, but be better in general, in life. Hopefully, someday I can make it over there … I’ve heard nothing but great things.”

Meanwhile, the ending of the 75th edition of the NBA All-Star Game will forever resonate with the local community: moments after the final buzzer went off, Jewish NBA Commissioner Adam Silver honored Atlanta native Anthony Edwards with the All-Star Game MVP award.  ì

Several Jewish Athletes Medal at Winter Olympics

By David Ostrowsky

Less than two years removed from their impressive showing in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, a contingent of Israeli and Jewish American athletes vied for Olympic glory at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games earlier this month. From figure skating and speed skating to bobsled and hockey, the next chapter of Jewish sports history unfolded while the whole world was watching. Some of the magical performances on northern Italy’s frozen tundra involved the following gifted and supremely driven athletes.

Competing in its ninth Winter Games, Israel sent a nine-athlete contingent to Italy, its second-largest ever delegation at the Winter Games. But for the first time ever, Israel competed in bobsled as the duo of pilot A.J. Edelman and brakeman Menachem Chen participated in the two-man competition at the Cortina Sliding Center on Feb. 17. Considering that Edelman and Chen had no serious designs on medaling, the bobsledders were not the least bit disheartened that they finished in 26th and last place. They were just overjoyed to be donning the blue and white in a sport that is traditionally associated with more cold-weather nations.

“What we accomplished today, some kid is going to see in 10, 15, 20 years, and he’s going to be inspired by that to do his own journey,” Edelman told Israel’s Sport5 channel in an interview shortly after the race concluded. “People might not realize how amazing this accomplishment is for this country.”

Unfortunately, several days later, the Israeli Olympic Committee barred Edelman’s four-man team from racing in the competition’s final run because it did not approve of how the team wanted to change its lineup and permit an alternate member to participate.

Though goaltender Kayle Osborne did not see any time in the crease during the Milano Cortina Winter Games, she still capped off her Olympic debut by taking home a silver medal as Team Canada advanced to the gold-medal match against the ultimately victorious United States squad. The 23-year-old Ontario native serves as the goalie for the New York Sirens of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and could certainly be eligible for future Olympic Games. During her amateur career, Osborne had a phenomenal run at Colgate University, where she was a finalist for the NCAA’s

Women’s Hockey Goalie of the Year honor.

Mariia Seniuk, a 20-year-old Russian-Israeli figure skater just off her fourth straight Israeli national championship in singles skating, made her Olympic debut. Initially, everything went swimmingly as Seniuk delivered a clean performance in the short program, during which she nailed every one of her planned elements. By finishing 22nd overall, Seniuk earned a spot in the free skate event. Though Seniuk fell while attempting to land the triple loop in the follow-up event, resulting in a major point deduction, she was gracious enough to acknowledge the crowd on hand. “I’m very, very grateful to everyone, and especially to the people who were holding the [Israeli] flag,” she said in her post-event interview.

After recently declaring this Olympics would be his final speedskating competition, four-time Olympian Emery Lehman snagged a silver medal in the men’s team pursuit on Feb. 15. The 29-year-old Chicago native, whose mother Marcia Lehman is a former executive at Chicago’s Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership and at the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Israel, was part of a three-man

team that finished 4.51 seconds behind the underdog host Italian team. A sport that he took up as a 9-year-old to brush up his hockey skills has now delivered him two Olympic medals, his first being a bronze during the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. “Eight years ago, none of us had skated a team pursuit together,” Lehman told NBC after the race, according to NBC. “Now, to be finishing off with two Olympic medals, I’m pretty proud of it.”

Jared Firestone —aka “The Jewish Jet”— placed No. 22 out of 24 in the men’s skeleton competition, edging out Canada and Japan in his heat. However, that Firestone, a Tulane-educated attorney, even participated in this year’s Olympics is borderline miraculous. In 2022, Firestone had just missed out on qualifying to represent Israel in the Beijing Games. Shortly thereafter, a nasty bicep injury at the gym shelved him for six months, during which time he harbored serious doubts as to whether he would ever return to the skeleton track. Yet, once the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel ensued, Firestone hardened his resolve to represent the blue and white on the Olympic stage. After a few arduous years of training and rehab, Firestone this past January snagged one of the final skeleton spots in the Milano Cortina Games.

For many Americans, the cornerstone moment of the 2026 Winter Games will be Team USA men’s hockey capturing its first gold medal since the “Miracle on Ice” team shocked the world during the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid. It will also forever be intertwined with Jewish sports history.

Several days after his older brother, Quinn, potted the overtime game-winner against Sweden in the quarterfinals, New Jersey Devils All-Star center Jack Hughes, who had a bar mitzvah and celebrated Passover growing up, ended the 46-year drought for America by firing the puck past Canada goalie Jordan Binnington 1:41 into overtime to give the U.S. a 2-1 win in the gold medal game.

“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA,” an exuberant Jack Hughes, who also tallied a pair of goals against Slovakia in the semifinals, told NBC after his game-sealing strike. “I love my teammates.”

Jack and Quinn’s mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, a proud member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, represented the U.S. women’s hockey team during the 1992 Women’s World Championships and was one of the coaches of this year’s gold-medalwinning women’s team in Italy.  ì

Binders Art Supplies Celebrates 70th Anniversary

By Sasha Heller

Most businesses don’t make it to seven years, much less 70 years.

Binders Art Supplies and Framing of Buckhead is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and Binders president Howard Krinsky recently shared about the company’s history and the notable milestone.

“My father and uncle, Moe and Joe Krinsky, after a successful run in the bar business (Moe's & Joe's Tavern in Virginia Highlands), bought a gift and frame store – Binders Gift & Frame – in 1955,” said Krinsky. “Binders has been around since the early 1900s as we have a few frames that have decals on back with dated years in the 1900s,” adding that a traveling salesmen convinced Moe and Joe to include selling art supplies and the company evolved into Binders Art Supplies & Frames.

Moe and Joe would take on a partner, Paul Finkel, in the mid-1970s. Howard’s brother, Fred, joined the business in the late 1970s along with the late Jay Shapiro, Finkel’s son-in-law. “I was the baby and came in 1982,” Krinsky said.

“We were the young bucks, and we were wired to make it grow and we did.” Over the course of 15 years, Binders expanded to 16 stores in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Arizona.

Howard’s daughter, Hannah, has since joined the operation, marking the third generation of Krinsky’s in the Binders legacy. “My daughter is now helping

spearhead our marketing and social efforts. This is huge because she is young and understands that world and how we must fit in,” he said.

Krinsky has seen many changes in the business over the years, most notably, the introduction of the Apple Macintosh in the late 1980s. The computer’s interface was very user-friendly to designers

and “all the commercial business literally dried up overnight,” he said. “Afterwards, we pulled back on business with more focus on retail and the fathers all retired and my brother had left to pursue other interests. Jay and I ended up buying the business. Jay unfortunately passed away in 2010, and I have been on my own since.”

Other notable changes include the advent of big box discount stores, the Internet, and the impact of shopping platforms like Amazon. “Our focus has been fine arts with a very knowledgeable staff,” Krinsky said. “We service professional artists along with those learning.”

As far as future plans go, Krinsky is focused on improving the model of “what we do and what we know. In the end, it’s all about being authentic. Customers see us for what and who we are and like that – they see our authenticity when in the store.”

Here’s to 70 years of being authentic. Mazel Tov!

For more information about Binders, please visit www.bindersart.com or call 404-237-6331.

Day School, Yeshiva Heads Meet for Prizmah Retreat

Amid a continued surge in enrollment for Jewish day schools across the U.S. and Canada, 100 heads of school met in Houston for their exclusive biennial retreat, hosted by Prizmah, the network for Jewish day schools. Leaders in the field, along with keynote presenters, led sessions covering topics such as: navigating leadership challenges and opportunities with nuance and intention, developing ethical and future-ready artificial intelligence strategies for schools, addressing affordability, and more.

“Jewish day schools are essential to the strength of our community into the future,” said Paul Bernstein, CEO of Prizmah. “Heads of school are at the forefront of ensuring we have excellent, growing, and increasingly affordable schools. In a complex world with many challenges, they carry the burden of ensuring the success of each school, creating the best environments for their students, faculty, and the entire school community. The Prizmah Head of School Retreat offers the tools, knowledge, and connections to lead with confidence and care, learning with and supporting their fellow heads.”

“It was a wonderful opportunity to sit with other heads of school, to learn about similarities of our schools, and

to support each other in aspects of this work where our schools are different as well,” said Ilana Mann, head of school in Kinneret in New York, and a participant in Prizmah’s Day School Leadership Training Institute for new and aspiring heads of schools. “We were able to pause and think about things in a meaningful way. The speakers’ thoughtful presentations gave tools that I can bring back to school and use immediately.”

Teachers from the Southeast who attended include:

Rabbi Avi Levitt, Head of School, Atlanta Jewish Academy

Eva Turner, Head of School, B’nai Shalom Day School

Dr. Daniel Weiss, Head of School, Bornblum Jewish Community School

Helena Levine, Head of School, Donna Klein Jewish Academy

Dr. Brocha Baum-Margolese, Head of School, Gotlib Jewish Academy

Lisa Stroll, Head of School, Hebrew Academy (RASG)

Rabbi Mordechai Schwersenski, Head of School, Katz Hillel Day School of Boca Raton

Dr. Roni Raab, Head of School, Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida

Rabbi Dr. Ezra Levy ,Head of School, Kloda Whitebook Kesher Academy

Rabbi Dr. Gavriel Brown, Head of School, Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South

Nora Anderson, Head of School, Temple Beth Am Rambam Day School

Rabbi Ari Leubitz, Head of School, Scheck Hillel Community School

Compiled by AJT Staff

LimmudFest 2026 set for May 21-25

Imagine this: five days in the North Georgia mountains. Hundreds of curious, creative Jews from all backgrounds. Torah study overlooking a lake. Latenight Shavuot learning. Soulful yoga. Hiking to waterfalls. Making pickles (yes, really). Kids having a blast in their own drop-off camp while adults dive into big questions about Jewish life today. That’s LimmudFest.

LimmudFest 2026 takes place May 21–25 at Ramah Darom, a stunning mountain retreat in Clayton, Ga. Co-presented by Limmud North America and Ramah Darom, this year’s gathering falls on Shavuot and Memorial Day Weekend — a perfect storm of sacred timing and time off from the usual routine.

What makes LimmudFest special? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure festival of Jewish learning, creativity, and connection. Whether you’re deeply engaged in Jewish life or just Jewish-curious, there’s space for you here. We observe Shabbat and Yom Tov in all public spaces, but within that framework, you’ll find freedom to choose offerings that speak to every kind of Jewish practice and background.

Over five days, you might:

• Study ancient texts with brilliant teachers and fellow learners

• Stay up late for traditional Shavuot learning (with plenty of coffee)

• Sing, drum, dance, paint, and create

• Hike mountain trails and practice

meditation in nature

• Wrestle with contemporary questions facing the Jewish world

• Make new friends over kosher meals that are actually delicious

• Watch your kids thrive in drop-off camp while you explore what lights you up

“LimmudFest is a festival of learning, community, music — and joy! A wonderful experience,” says Rabbi David Wolpe, who presented at the 2025 gathering.

Who comes to LimmudFest? Jews of all denominations, families and singles, seasoned scholars and total beginners. People from across the Southeast and beyond who want to spend Memorial Day Weekend differently —learning together, celebrating together, being Jewish together in ways that feel both ancient and brand new.

Guests can choose from comfortable cabins, hotel rooms, deluxe cottages, or bring your tent and camp under the stars; three fresh, delicious kosher meals daily, with snacks and beverages included; drop-off camp for kids (six months and older), plus multi-generational programming.

Early-bird registration is open now! Register by March 2 to receive up to $100 off per adult. Explore the full program, meet presenters, and secure your spot at ramahdarom.org/limmudfest.

Compiled by AJT Staff

CAMP GAN ISRAEL CAMP GAN ISRAEL

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN SUMMER 2026 SEASON JUNE 29-JULY 31

JELF Helps Local Students Afford College

In 2025, Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF) loaned $2.3 million in zero percent interest loans to almost 500 students, allowing Jewish students to pursue higher education without the burden of interest-bearing debt. Among those supported, 119 Jewish students from greater Atlanta were awarded $528,508.

JELF is the only Jewish organization in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to offering interest-free loans for higher education. Since 2015 alone, JELF has provided 3,864 loans, totaling nearly $17 million across a five-state region, which includes Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia (excluding metro D.C.). Further, JELF is proud to maintain an exceptional 99 percent student repayment rate for nearly 20 years.

As the 2026-2027 academic year approaches, Jewish students are invited to apply for interest-free loans for college, graduate school, or vocational programs. The application is open through April 30 at jelf.org/app.

Locally, JELF is dedicated to supporting Jewish students in greater Atlanta, ensuring they have the financial support to pursue and complete their educational goals. To be eligible for a JELF loan, applicants must:

• Be a permanent resident of Fla., Ga., S.C., N.C., and Va. (excluding metro D.C.)

• Be enrolled full-time in a degree granting program

• Be in good academic standing

• Be a U.S. citizen or have lawful immigration status 2

• Provide a cosigner who lives in the U.S.

• Plan to accept the federal subsi-

dized and unsubsidized loans

Unlike traditional financial aid, JELF loans help cover both educational and living expenses including rent, food, books, and travel. By eliminating interest, JELF saves borrowers thousands of dollars and helps ease the growing student debt crisis affecting more than 45 million Americans.

As JELF Board Chair Richard Peretz

emphasizes, “Education is the foundation of a strong Jewish future. Every dollar we lend becomes a degree earned, a career launched, a leader shaped.”

Through its sustainable, interestfree loan model, JELF ensures that every dollar repaid is reinvested to support the next generation of students, strengthening a continuous cycle of educational opportunities. At a time when tuition and

inflation place increasing pressure on families, the partnership of committed community donors remains critical to helping Jewish students pursue — and achieve — their educational goals. For more information about JELF or to support its mission, please visit jelf.org or call 770-396- 3080

Compiled by AJT Staff

Hadassah Attends Legislature, Judiciary Shabbat

Hadassah Life Member, Georgia State Rep. Esther Panitch (District 51), was one of the honorary co-chairs of the fourth annual Georgia Legislature and Judiciary Welcome Shabbat held at Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell on Jan. 30. Now in its fourth year, this American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta Office event aims to warmly welcome state legislators, local elected officials, and judges to mark the beginning of the legislative session by connecting with the Jewish community through a rich Shabbat experience.

Simone Wilker, Hadassah attendee and advocacy chair for Hadassah Greater Atlanta and the Southeastern Region, explains, “This annual program continues

to transcend political boundaries, fostering dialogue and collaboration among individuals from both sides of the aisle. I was proud to represent Hadassah at this

Esther Panitch (left) Georgia State Rep. District 51, and a Hadassah Life Member, joins Simone Wilker, Hadassah advocacy chair, at the fourth annual George Legislature and Judiciary Welcome Shabbat sponsored by the American Jewish Committee. Panitch was an honorary cochair of the event.

gathering on Shabbat.”

Panitch stated, “We are grateful that all the hostages have been returned home to their families after 843 days. The Jew-

ish community’s resilience continues to remain ironclad and our legacy in Georgia remains strong.”

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, was founded before Israel was a state and before women could vote. They didn’t sit on the sidelines then and they certainly don’t now. Hadassah has been defying the odds for more than a century, creating new leadership roles for women, sustaining a vibrant Jewish state, and paving the way for a pioneering healthcare system that saves lives every day. Join us to make an impact today. For more information, please visit www.Hadassah.org.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Atlanta Jewish Life Festival Brings Everyone Together

Michael A. Morris Publisher

I re-started the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival (last called the Atlanta Israel Festival at the MJCCA) seven years ago. While our commu nity is blessed with vibrant congregations, thriving day schools, incredible summer camps, passionate Jewish non-profits and cultural orga nizations accomplishing amazing and meaningful work, events and outcomes day in and day out … the Atlanta Jewish community did not sustain a yearly cel ebration that brought all of us together across congregations, levels of obser vance and age. A celebration not for a cause, holiday or event, but a festival, because you call Atlanta home -- an op portunity to experience the richness of our Jewish community all in one place on one afternoon.

From the beginning, the vision has been simple yet ambitions: to create a joyful, inclusive and educational cel ebration that reflects the full vibrancy of Jewish life in Atlanta. In our first year, we included both kosher and ko sher-style food. In the second year, we revamped this aspect to ensure all food and vendors were kosher -- an impor tant step to ensure everyone in our com munity could participate comfortably and confidently. From the beginning, we have invited any Jewish organization to become a partner to both participate as well as showcase their offerings to the community, whether they be a school, a camp, a synagogue, a social organi zation or an organization dedicated to assisting the Jewish people in Atlanta, the United States, Israel or anywhere in the world. And since the beginning, we have gone out of our way to make sure adults and kids, highly engaged and non-affiliated, and locals and Israelis feel welcome to schmooze, nosh, partici pate and enjoy.

The Festival incorporates kosher food, an artist gallery, music, a kids zone, dancing, contests and raffles, Jewish culture and traditions, and, of course, access to the Georgia Aquarium for the rest of your day (after the Festi val’s opening at noon). It is an opportu nity to meet your friends and make new acquaintances, learn Jewish and Israeli culture, and support and join Jewish

causes. The Festival is a celebration of who we are and reflects our history, shared values and, in today’s world, our resilience -- an opportunity to demonstrate proudly and openly our Jewish identity.

The Atlanta Jewish Life Festival does not belong to me or the Atlanta Jewish Times, it belongs to you, the community. This Festival reinforces Jewish

life in Atlanta today and throughout the year. I invite you to join us! For more information about the Festival, please visit atlantajewishlifefestival.com.ì

Win Prizes!

Zionism and ‘Definition Creep’

By the rivers of Babylon

There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion (Psalm 137:1)

Twin boys were born in Foscani, Moldova (now Romania), on Dec. 7, 1847. Their family name, Schechter, derived from the father’s profession as a schochet, one who slaughtered animals and poultry according to Jewish law.

Their mother cared for the children, six boys and a girl.

One of the twins, named Yisroel, joined Hovevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) and, in 1882, emigrated to Palestine, where he helped found Zichron Yaakov, a town on Mount Carmel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, between Haifa and Netanya.

His twin, born Shneur Zalman — named for Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of the ChabadLubavitch Hasidic movement — took a different route.

Shneur Zalman was a prodigy, reported to have read Hebrew at age 3, mastered Chumash (the Torah in book form, with vowel markings) at age 5, entered a yeshiva at 10, and studied with Talmudic scholars at 13. He studied in Vienna and Berlin, before making his way to

From

London and then to Cambridge University as a reader in Talmudics.

Along the way, Shneur Zalman became Solomon.

In 1897, on his travels home to England after spending months unearthing the trove of Jewish history in the Cairo genizah, Solomon visited Yisroel in Zichron Yaakov.

When Solomon moved to New York in 1902, as president of the Jewish Theological Seminary, American Zionists sought his support.

But he was distrustful of Zionism, finding the movement to be overly political and nationalistic, and insufficiently religious.

Yet, in 1905, he pivoted, seeing Zionism as a “bulwark against assimilation,” believing that a Jewish homeland could be established in Palestine while also building strong Jewish communities in America, reflecting his experience and his brother’s.

“Zionism has succeeded in bringing back into the fold many men and women, both here and in Europe, who otherwise would have been lost to Judaism. It has given them a new interest in the synagogue and everything Jewish, and put before them an ideal worthy of their love and sacrifice,” Solomon wrote in 1906 in, “Zionism: A Statement.”

I thought of the paths taken by my great-grandfather and his twin brother as I considered a recently published survey of Jewish Americans, who clearly lack consensus on a definition of Zionism.

The survey, conducted in March 2025 for the Jewish Federations of North America, included 1,800 Jewish respondents out of more than 4,100 people queried on issues related to Zionism and Israel.

Zionism was intended to support the establishment of a national homeland for Jews in a land that can trace a Jewish presence back a few thousand years, a place where, in Theodor Herzl’s words, “we can live at last as free men on our own soil, and where we can die peacefully in our own fatherland.”

The words “Zionism” and “Zionist” had been used as pejoratives by anti-Israel activists well before Oct. 7, 2023, but by any measurement, since that day they have become even more charged.

In an op-ed published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Mimi Kravetz, chief impact officer at JFNA, wrote: “The word Zionism has undergone what might be called ‘definition creep’ over time, shaped by a mix of political agendas, public discourse, and broader social forces. It has come to be understood as encompassing ideas that go far beyond its oncestandard meaning."

Rather than fill this column with numbers and percentages, I’ll share several I found noteworthy — if not a bit contradictory and head-scratching.

In the survey, 37 percent of Jewish Americans identified as Zionists, but 88 percent backed Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and Democratic state.

Seven percent of Jewish Americans identified as anti-Zionist Jews, while eight percent called themselves non-Zionist, 18 percent were not sure, and 30 percent said none of the labels fit them.

Eighty percent of the anti-Zionist Jews believed that “supporting whatever actions Israel takes” is a tenet of Zionism, where only 15 percent of the self-identified Zionists shared that belief.

On one hand, 71 percent of the self-identified Zionists agreed that “I feel emotionally attached to Israel” and 60 percent said that Israel made them proud to be Jewish.

On the other hand, 69 percent agreed that “I sometimes find it hard to support actions taken by the Israeli government.”

Each in his own way, the Schechter twins dedicated their lives to building strong Jewish communities, Yisroel in what would become the modern nation of Israel and Solomon in America. Yisroel is buried in Zichron Yaakov and Solomon in New York. I wish it were possible today to have a conversation with Yisroel and Solomon about Zionism and whether that movement has succeeded or failed to meet their ideals. ì

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Well, Jewish Atlanta, I guess you’re stuck with me now. Before I begin my diatribe, I must take a moment to thank Kaylene Ladinsky, who, in her 15 years of dedicated service to Atlanta Jewish Times, transformed the paper into its modern evolution, and, with the financial support of AJT owner, Michael Morris (and Bernie & Billie Marcus), helped mold the paper into a foundational bedrock of Jewish Atlanta. We are all more connected thanks to Kaylene and Michael, and our community is stronger than ever because of their efforts.

As far as Jewish Atlanta street cred goes, I was born in Dunwoody … off Happy Hollow Road near the reservoir … and

it was a very happy hollow to grow up in. I went to AJECOMCE at Zaban in the mid1980s; and was surprised to find former AJECOMCE camp director and current AJT freelancer, Shaindle Schmuckler, looking back at me on my first Zoom call during our weekly editorial meeting four years ago – I hadn’t seen her in 35 years.

I also played basketball at Zaban … although not very well at that point. I played Little League at Murphy Candler, and was much better on the diamond than hardwood, as evidenced by me skipping T-Ball and starting with the coach-pitch International League at age 5. I would later throw a no-hitter in Coastal League (first year of kid-pitch), losing 1-0 as I walked in the losing run. But that heartbreak is for another story and another day.

I am also a Camp Barney Medintz alum (1988-92) and remember my time in Cleveland, Ga., fondly. I fell off a horse once. I also learned archery. But mostly, I miss sneaking out at night, crossing the ditch to the girl’s cabins. Once again, another story … and maybe for another paper.

I was bar mitzvahed at Congregation Beth Shalom in 1992. Funny story -- Ask Rabbi Mark Zimmerman about a pair of young misfits doing “The Butt” on the bimah during Friday night services … it’s why I got kicked out of Hebrew school.

Moving on …

From there, my family joined Ahavath Achim and I became part of Chai USY. I met an amazing group of friends with USY and also met Billy Planer, who, sadly, recently lost his father. Billy came to see me at Charter Peachford in 1996 as a spiritual advisor when I was struggling with depression and I will never forget that. Sorry for your loss, Billy. I lost my mom, Sue Auerbach Heller, 15 years ago and think about her every day.

I also went to LJT in my teens with Chai USY and loved the time we spent at Camp Blue Star each summer. I’m looking at you, Sam Aranson, Bart Cohen, Seth Watson, Andy Duetch, Adam Blatt, Anna Rabinowitz, Neal Cohen, Marc Silberstein, Danny Rosenblatt, and many more. I have so many fond memories of

those weeks in the North Carolina mountains. Good times. Good times indeed. Back to the “New-ish and Jewish” explanation-ish.

My Jewish Atlanta blood runs deep. But I moved away from Atlanta in 2002 to finish college, start my career in journalism and, ultimately, thanks to being laid off at the newspaper I was working at in a Denver suburb (Aurora), and COVID, lockdown, etc., I moved back home to Atlanta four years ago and took a job at the AJT managing the website and social media.

In the two decades I was gone, Atlanta changed. Some for the better and some … not for the better. For a while, I felt like a tourist in my hometown. I’ve had to re-establish my connection to the city and re-establish my connection to this humidity, especially after spending four years in Colorado’s high desert climate. Jewish Atlanta … I welcome you with open arms.

Together, we can continue pushing forward to keep our community vibrant and thriving. ì

Since 1965, Canterbury Court has been meeting the wants and needs of all residents with care and compassion. Through thoughtful attention to detail throughout every neighborhood, every community space, and every residence. Our legacy of caring endures today. And the best is yet to come.

Schedule a tour today. Call 404-737-2639, visit CanterburyCourt.org/Care, or scan the QR code.

PURIM

The 5786 Purim Gazette

Professor Essie Fresser

Fresser Spends More Time in Atlanta

Annual Purim Gazette Editor, Professor Essie Fresser, has cancelled leading an AARP iceberg monitoring venture and will reside for the next two months in the toasty Atlanta Jewish Times suite of offices. While in residence, she will add new chapters to her latest book, “I Might Need It,” an illustrated memoir of her grandfather’s garage.

Will a Jewish Curling Team Come to Atlanta?

The Winter Olympics demonstrated the global popularity of the icy sport of curling, and a prominent Atlanta philanthropist wants to create local Jewish curling teams. Modeled after Atlanta’s numerous curling clubs, the philanthropist is keen to promote the frigid sport to Jewish youth who, he complains, “are too focused on keeping warm.” From a chilly seat in the Atlanta Iceforum in Duluth, the above-mentioned philanthropist, garbed in a snug puffer jacket, wistfully noted, “I’m ready to hire agile curling coaches who deftly guide 42-pound stones while sliding in awkward positions. It’s a strategically fascinating sport to watch!”

He enthusiastically added, “I’m also eager to sponsor a Jewish female curling team, and I’ve officially reached out to Atlanta’s Hadassah athletes. I’m sure fans will flock to see hardy local women who curl.” A delegation of devoted Atlanta curling fans will travel to Norway and Greenland to scout for topnotch Semitic curling coaches, like icons Lars Mendel Olsensteiner, Bjorn Shlomo Ericsonovitzman, and Hilda Sarah Svensonberger. “The right coaches,” claims the philanthropist, “will serve as role models who proudly wear Jewish stars, long underwear, and proletarian shoes.”

Coincidentally, the Atlanta Scholars Kollel, always attuned to the current zeitgeist, has hired curling coaches from Israel to train Lunch and Learn rabbis to lead their 2026 ambitious “Lunch and Burn” programs.

Warning: Thai Hamantaschen Hospitalization in 2025

On Purim, 2025, the LuceGottkes family of Randy and Lacey Luce-Gottkes, their daughter, Rosie, and visiting grandmother, Frieda, were rushed to Speedmont Hospital after an off-duty nurse, Lucky Stiff, who was out walking his new pair of matched Corgis, heard moans and groans emanating from an open window.

The Luce-Gottkes family had just returned to Atlanta from a Purim trip to Thailand, where they celebrated the festival at the Bangkok Chabad synagogue, donning colorful paper costumes and shaking desiccated red pepper-filled groggers. On the way back to their hotel, they were enticed by the aroma of food carts that sold unique-ingredient triangular pastries. The treats were so tasty, the LuceGottkeses ate their fill and bought more for a late-night snack.

Although they all experienced nightmares on the long flight home, grandmother Frieda assumed that it was likely the result of their wearing the unlined Thai costumes. However, the bad dreams were just the beginning, and by their first day home the whole family was weak and bedridden. Upon hearing their wailing, medicallytrained Stiff assessed the situation and called an ambulance.

Released, after being hospitalized for nasal neuralgia, aural atrophy, swollen tongue syndrome, fuzzy lips, and tonsil trauma, (their mauve teeth and gums were handled later), Lacey stated, “Thank G-d we can still talk! It was touch and go with my mother-in-law. We’re staying home and eating local hamantaschen this year. Unfortunately, our Thai groggers were scanned in the Atlanta airport and confiscated after two K-9 dogs sniffed them and passed out.”

Archaeological Discovery at MJCCA Preschool

Toddlers in the MJCCA preschool playground ran to teacher’s aide, Mae Aye, and pulled her to see what they had uncovered. Digging in a moist patch of dirt with plastic shovels they found in a sandbox, the tots had come upon something strange. Aye, an Emory University dental school graduate student, was stunned to see what appeared to be a gigantic reptile’s tooth, right there on Tilly Mill Road. Aye immediately ushered her class indoors away from the discovery and texted the chairman of her department. That afternoon, Dr. Gho Sikh and his big-tooth majors arrived with professional extraction tools to carefully remove the discovery from its muddy home. Once the extraction was complete, the apparently prehistoric find was carefully capped and sent to CDC’s famous, state-ofthe-art Nail and Tooth Research Department for carbon dating and plaque removal.

Within a week, Professor Willy R. Wohntee from CDC and Emory’s Dr. Sikh confirmed that the tooth is a fossil from the Late Cretaceous Period when giant reptiles cavorted in present-day Dunwoody, and they donated the discovery to the Fernbank Science Museum where it was added to the third floor permanent Tooth Gallery. A reenactment of the discovery (with AI-generated child actors and a voiceover by teacher’s aide, Aye) was produced, to be shown in the Fernbank IMAX theater this month. Half-price tickets to the film are offered to school groups, and a docent-led tour of the Tooth Gallery is included. Upon exiting, students will receive complementary goodie bags that include plastic shovels, disposable gloves, and toothbrushes.

RICE Investigation in Alanta

New Mel Lon Balle Kosher Cookbook

An expose segment of “Sixteen Minutes” about a group of Jewish heavy eaters in Atlanta and a maligned chef is scheduled to air on April 31. The program will feature five Oglethorpe grads who hired popular chef Oliver (known as “Chef Liver”) a la Orange to lead home cooking classes. The culinary activities of the home cooks and chef were reported to RICE (Routine Investigation of Chef Engagements) by apartment neighbors who complained about the culinary group’s adverse impact on their hi-rise. They contacted RICE about the pervasive scent of garlic in the building, empty wine bottles overflowing the trash receptacles, and random pieces of aged cheese ground into the lobby carpeting. The angry neighbors blamed the offensive behavior totally on Chef Liver, and, in order to get RICE’s attention, they snapped accusatory pictures for weeks; every photo had a clear shot of an eggplant tattoo on the chef’s left bicep. Soon, Chef Liver was arrested -- but for an international crime.

The scheming neighbors knew that RICE agents had been looking for individuals with eggplant tattoos for several months, after a fellow with an eggplant tattoo on his left bicep was among those convicted of the shocking Louvre heist in Paris. Connecting the nonexistent dots, RICE agents claimed that Chef Liver was part of an international eggplant-tattooed burglary ring that had spread to Atlanta. RICE refuted Chef Liver’s claims that vegetable tattoos are commonly acquired by students who study at Cordon Bleu culinary schools. Although substantiating photos of tattooed cooking interns were submitted by Chef Liver’s attorney as evidence that his tattoo was innocent -- a common Cordon Bleu practice -- RICE detained him and his five home-cooking students whom they assumed were also part of the international burglary ring.

The April expose on “Sixteen Minutes” will interview members of Chef Liver’s family. “We couldn’t convince RICE that my father’s eggplant tattoo is not gang-related,” daughter, Chiqi a la Orange, sobbed, so we went straight to the media.” The program will include a hedgy RICE response that appeared on X (formerly Twitter) about the chef’s tattoo-based detention. The Atlanta Jewish Times, which often monitors “Sixteen Minutes” for accuracy, was first to break the story.

New Crumb-free Matzah Products

Passover matzah orders with custom perforated designs may be ordered immediately after Purim from Crumb-free Matzah, which opened a factory in Atlanta last year. “Customers can work with our graphics department to design bespoke matzah with perforations in the shape of a family pet or even the logo of their favorite sports team or fashion designer,” said enthused co-owners, Matt Meyerowitz and Bo Belch, who showed AJT reporters special equipment built for the puncturing process by an undisclosed foreign country.

Of interest to consumers who are tired of buying standard matzah and who dread the common gastric distress that results from eating it for eight days and nights, Matt and Bo assure all consumers that boxes of ameliorating prune-filled matzah will soon be on grocery shelves. “For generations, we Jews have gratefully embraced the power of prunes, and I should know,” Meyerowitz averred, sagely.

Mel Lon Balle

Dapper culture editor, film critic, and former food truck proprietor, Mel Lon Balle, recently published his second cookbook, “Fab Food Fashioned From Fliks.” Selections from the table of contents list simple reci-

pes suggestive of famous films, with apt descriptions.

“A Raisin in the Bun” -- Frugal home cooks laud this inexpensive baking inclusion

“It’s a Wonderful Lime” -- Enliven holiday dishes with tangy citrus fruit

“Pickles of Penzance” -- Brining tips from a small country with a surfeit of cucumbers

“Salmon Samurai” -- Secrets from a septet of warrior fishermen

“Star Bars” -- Healthful snacks to eat after dark

“Asparagus Now” -- This vegetable has natural superpowers, so eat it tonight

“The Gourd, The Bland, and the Ugli” -- Select only the tastiest vegetable and fruit

“Latkes of Arabia” -- Unknown Chanukah cuisine from Muslim home cooks

“Martini the Magnificent” -- Teetotalling table tennis players love new mocktail

“Monty Python’s Life of Bran” -- Michael Palin shares his colonic treatment regimen

Emme Live from the Pink Carpet

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The lights were bright, the cameras were flashing, and the pink carpet was rolled out in style for the event of the year -- the 13th Annual Emme Awards! Friends and family gathered for a night of sparkle and celebration as Emme Spillerman stepped into the spotlight for her bat mitzvah.

Emme celebrated her bat mitzvah at The Temple on Nov. 1, in what mom, Ilyssa, described as “beautiful and warm.”

The service was led by Rabbis Lydia Medwin and Lara Tessler, and Rabbi Steven H. Rau was on hand to share his memories and kind words to Emme.

Ilyssa continued, “You could see the

relationship between Emme and the rabbis as she radiated her contagious smile and sweet laugh.”

It was truly a family affair as Emme wore her father’s  tallit, which was also worn by her brother, Jesse, at his bar mitzvah, while dad, Chad, wore his late father’s tallit

“Things got emotional and tears were shed during  L’dor v’dor where we were blessed to be able to include Emme's great-grandmother who became ill shortly after,” Ilyssa said.

Reflecting on Emme chanting her parsha, Lech Lecha, Chad remarked, “we were beyond proud of all the time and hard work Emme put into studying and

preparing for her bat mitzvah.”

In her D’var Torah, Emme said, “Since I was a little girl, I’ve watched my cousins, brother, and friends celebrate their bar and bat mitzvahs; and I can’t believe today is the day that I stand here becoming a bat mitzvah, too.”

Emme, a seventh-grade student at The Davis Academy, loves cross country, volleyball, track & field, and performing in the school’s annual Broadwayworthy productions. Emme has always loved performing so her theme, The Emme Awards, was a perfect fit.

The evening celebration was held at The Carlyle Venue in Buckhead where guests entered on a pink carpet and were

chased by the “paparazzi,” asking who they were wearing and to strike a pose in front of a custom step-and-repeat banner for a spotlight moment. The ballroom featured a dreamlike glow with pink uplights and gold twinkling stars suspended from the ceiling. Tables, with elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling above, were adorned with centerpieces incorporating Emme's logos, sequin tablecloths, candelabras, and hot pink and red floral arrangements, all creating the “glam” effect Emme wanted.

Marci Miller, owner of The Perfect Party Atlanta, did a dazzling job bringing Emme’s vision to life. She shared, “Working on Emme’s bat mitzvah was

such a great experience. My goal was to create an elegant old Hollywood feel with youthful touches and make it personal by incorporating some of Emme’s favorite TV shows. One fun touch were the actors hired to play the part of the “paparazzi” for our pink carpet experience. This really set the tone for the night.”

The Spillermans praised The Carlyle’s catering team for their partnership and exceptional food. Upon arrival, guests enjoyed Emme's signature cocktail, Emme Island, a take on the popular show, “Love Island.” For dinner, guests dined on short ribs, miso salmon, lemon chicken, and several side options. Ilyssa and Chad reported that they received many compliments on the food. Ilyssa said, “As the daughter of a former restaurant owner, the food quality was of utmost importance. I wanted a variety of delicious options for everyone to enjoy.”

Dessert was a feast of enormous

hot chocolate chip cookies, peach cobbler, and ice cream sundaes and floats.

The dance floor was packed all night with kids and adults alike grooving with MC Daniel from Espuete Productions. Emme shared, “The extended Horah was one of my favorite parts. That, plus having my old and new friends celebrating together. I was so happy to have some of my friends from Camp Blue Star come to Atlanta for my special weekend.”

Emme dazzled in a “fit for Hollywood” sparkly, short, red corsetstyle Sherri Hill dress, covered in red sparkly crystals. In addition to dance floor giveaways that included trucker hats, pajama pants and T-shirts, all custom made by BRswag, the kids took home black “White Fox” inspired sweatshirts with “Best Night (emphasis on the E and S)” printed on the back.

Emme, concluded, “This truly was the best night of my life.” ì

Mia’s Bat Mitzvah was a Regal Affair

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Mia Cohen’s bat mitzvah was an emotional, well planned four days beginning Thursday, Feb. 5, with a challah bake with Batsheva Gelbtuch, Jewish Women’s Circle. Nearly 50 females gathered with flour-dusted hands to reflect on the strength of Jewish women and spoke of Sarah, whose tent was blessed with challah.

On Friday night, the Shabbat service’s candle-lighting was rooted in gratitude and parental pride. At B’nai Torah, Saturday morning, Mia’s D’var Torah reflected on the Ten Commandments serv-

ing as a moral compass, “Just as the State of Israel represents strength, resilience, and enduring faith,” mom, Delilah, said.

“We realized that Mia was no longer simply being guided, she was beginning to guide herself.”

Mia’s mitzvah projects included honey packing for ORT which honored her grandfather, Joe Cohen, and Am Yisrael Chai, supporting Holocaust education and humanitarian aid for children.

Saturday evening dramatically transformed a gigantic tent that became a Regency era–inspired ballroom, cascading florals and candlelight. Almost 400 guests arrived in flowing gowns and

tailored suits. Mia made her “royal” entrance, greeted by cheers. The dance floor vibrated with energy, choreographed routines, and emotional parent dances.

Cathy Taylor with Yes Events collaborated closely with the family and planner, Mireille Naturman (Unique Eventures), to craft the Regency Era-theme.

The design process spanned more than a year. Every detail was meticulously planned, from custom fabrics and florals to drapery and lighting cues. Dozens of skilled craftsmen dedicated more than 300 hours to planning and custom building. More than a thousand floral blooms filled the room. Guests came into an Eng-

lish garden cocktail hour with trees and botanicals. The ceiling installation took over 15 hours, featuring florals and mechanical flowers that danced to the violinist’s sounds.

The walls were in champagne and gold-toned fabrics, like the mapping of a grand mansion. The ceiling displayed crystal chandeliers and lavish gold chiffon swag. The custom photo opportunity included a 10’ x 10’ frame with turn-ofthe-century queen chairs. Banquette seating supported garden roses and gold candelabras with over 350 candles.

The kid’s bar featured a themed teapot and florals beneath a chandelier,

while the adult bar showcased a 10’ frame with lights and vintage chandeliers, creating an air of grandeur.

Zest Catering carried through the elaborate theme with servers in powdered wigs and cutaway coats. Appetizers were passed on antique silver trays, while Hot Toddies and Royal Tea flowed. Dinner was a culinary bonanza with food stations. The evening concluded with a parade of desserts. Naturman managed the ambitious details, requiring a midnight loadin of six trucks, as she filled every corner of the Fun Factory. Naturman related, “It truly takes a village to execute an event of this scale, and I’m endlessly grateful to this extraordinary team of professionals. Together, we created something magnificent for Mia, a celebration she and her family will remember forever.”

As the evening came to a close, instead of traditional party favors like sweatshirts or novelty gifts, guests received a piece of jewelry from the State of Israel, adorned with symbols rooted in Jewish identity:  Chai, representing life, a map of Israel, honoring the homeland, or

Star of David. Dad Stephen related, “It was more than a favor. It was a keepsake of faith, resilience, and pride, a reminder that even in moments of celebration, we remain connected to something far greater than ourselves.”

Sunday morning’s brunch flowed into a family Super Bowl watch party. Mia’s younger sister, Shira, read from the Torah at The Davis Academy as a closing circle: one daughter stepping into Jewish adulthood, another already preparing her own path. And then off the family went to Savannah and Charleston for a Southern getaway.

Delilah concluded, “While the décor was stunning and the choreography joyful, what defined the weekend was not aesthetics, but the heart-woven details. It was the late-night conversations, car rides chanting Hebrew prayers, Zoom lessons, synagogue visits, meetings with the rabbis, learning trope. The family’s emotional investment, not measured in finances, but in faith, guidance, patience, and love.”

When asked how she felt, Mia replied, “I felt so loved,” the truest measure of bat mitzvah. ì

Additional Vendors

Music: Espeute Productions

Dance floor: Atlanta Dance Floor

Photo booth: Button It Up

Tent: Classic Tents

Invitations: Frankly Elevated

Garden statues: Imagine Circus

Violinist: Catherine Evergreen

Gaby Goes Batucada for Her Bat Mitzvah

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

It’s difficult to follow the timeline for Gaby Golden’s bat mitzvah which was originally around Oct. 7. The bat mitzvah date was changed three times, from 2023 to 2024. The first was August, the second was November, and last date, September. The November date was actually scheduled to take place in Israel.

Gaby said, “Never would I have

thought that I would be offered the opportunity to have a mitzvah in Israel. Every other mitzvah that I attended was local. At 11, dad, Howie, gave me a choice of Israel or Atlanta. We spoke for many months about what Israel would mean and the experience it would provide. After a lot of thought, I decided that having it abroad would be an opportunity of a lifetime. To travel to the Promised Land seemed like the right decision. When the

tragic events of Oct. 7 happened, I was devastated. The images in Israel were a lot to comprehend. I was beyond saddened as we were so close and everything at that time was focused on final plans. I realized the focus changed to those affected by the horrific events.”

Approximately 150 guests celebrated with the Goldens at Temple Sinai with a party later at Orbits Arts Academy, where Gabby is a student. In the revised Atlanta

plan, Temple Sinai Rabbi Brad Levenberg officiated. Gaby wore the kippah tradition: from grandfather, “Poppy,” and Howie, plus a tallit (from the other grandparents) that was sheer white with purple stripes. She “twinned” Pasha Vayetze with Liza Goldin, a Jewish girl murdered in Treblinka concentration camp. Born in 1925 in Rozany, Poland, Liza perished in 1942 at 17. Gaby said, “Having her with me left a deeper understanding of the

Guests enjoy a performance during dinner.

moment; and sharing my Torah portion with her was beyond special. During the service, my friends surprised me and sang a song which left me speechless and the congregation in awe. I really loved having all my family and friends there to support me, while I can vividly remember my friends making hearts with their hands which was so cool.”

Now a Walton High School student, Gaby’s passions are singing and acting at Orbits Arts Academy. She also played competitive golf with Georgia State Golf Association. Currently, she is focusing on acting while assigning golf to free time. Her mitzvah project was supporting Orbits and bringing awareness to the arts. She noted, “Orbits reserves a big place in my life, providing a supportive community since I was 8.”

The party started with a Hollywood/ Broadway theme with giant cardboard cutouts of Oscar Awards at the entrance a red carpet featuring, “GABY,” in giant letters. The tables had Broadway mu-

sical centerpieces and draped around them were large canvas pictures of Gaby golfing.  For the “Wow,” Brazilian drum group Batucada performed in elaborate costumes.

The party planner was Trendy Fun Party with DJ Atlanta Fever. The montage video was by Todd Parker. Gaby’s fav song was Queen’s, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Sister, Alexa, and Gaby wore Nikes that they bedazzled with rhinestones. Gaby wore a short, sparkly, red dress.

Catered by Proof of the Pudding, adults enjoyed Mexican, Italian, and carving stations. The kids had burgers, chicken nuggets, fries, and pasta. The dessert display was a donut wall and pastry assortment. Favors were tumblers with logos of Gaby singing.

Looking back, Gaby said, “Many say my montage was the best they had ever seen. It captivated my family and how silly we are. Also, my mom came up with a cool dance performance during dinner by Orbits as if we were watching a show.” ì

Eden Channels Wizard of Oz ‘For Good’

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Eden Levine, a King Middle School student, celebrated her bat mitzvah at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on Dec. 6, 2025. Many months prior to that, she began social action by putting together care bags to those in need. And months after, coming up in March, she will prepare a meal for Rebecca’s Tent Women’s Shelter. In April of 2025, she hosted a play as part of Out of Hand Theater’s 2025 season of “Shows in Homes.” Eden also

displayed a playful imaginative side by wearing ruby slippers and a sequined “Elphaba dress” to relate her positive thinking to the movie, “Wicked." By the end of bat mitzvah week, Eden had already raised close to $2,000 for Rebecca’s Tent. The week after the bat mitzvah, Eden and brother, Emet, sang with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s community chorus, Atlanta Young Singers. Mom, Bonnie, said, “It was certainly a busy week.”

In Parsha Vayishlach, the theme of Wicked as the untold story of the “Wiz-

ard of Oz” from the villain’s perspective, showed Eden the challenges of being different and that things are rarely as simple as “wicked” or “good.”

She said, “I am reminded of ‘Wicked’ when I read about the reunion between twin brothers, Esav and Ya’akov. As Dorothy said in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ there’s no place like home. Everyone deserves a home, and some people don’t have one. Not having a home does not mean someone is wicked. People experiencing homelessness are often misjudged

or stigmatized by society. By choosing to help instead of judge, you follow the message in Vayishlach to look deeper.” Rabbis Laurence Rosenthal and Eric Feld were on hand. Eden davened the entire Saturday service. The whole family (mom, Bonnie, and dad, Mike, are accomplished musicians, and younger Emet is a prodigy percussionist; and close friends, Mindy and Andy Margolis, led P’sukey D’zimra, with harmonies, as well as the service the night before (including some original melodies by Mike and Bonnie

who perform as Sun Moon Pie.

Eden read from Parshat Vayishlach, wearing a tallit  she picked out while visiting the Jewish Museum in New York City. Her yad (pointer) was a gift from her mother’s hometown rabbi, Rabbi Sylvia Scholnick of Williamsburg, Va.

Eden led Shacharit, accompanied by the Ahavath Achim meshorerim (spiritual singers) and all of Musaf accompanied by the Ahavath Achim children’s choir. Eden was enjoying the service and joked as her parents joined her at the bimah as she asked, “You again?”

She also commented that her mom may have printed another version of her English remarks. The Saturday Kiddish theme was, of course, “Wicked,” carrying through pink and green, into the night’s party, “Over the Rainbow,” in rainbow colors. For a theatrical entrance, the family dressed as “Wizard of Oz” characters.

Party DJ was Vlad (Party Express) who kept things lively, but Eden holds Camp Ramah songs like “Sha la la,” as

favorites and most dear as local friends and those from Florida joined in. Party planner Melissa Miller was creative with the “Wicked” theme like tote bags with homemade charm bracelets with charms symbolizing the story’s characters and setting: brain, heart, courage, and home.

The party kicked off with a musical Havdalah, featuring Ahavath Achim’s children’s choir singing, “Any Dream Will Do,” from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” inspired by the following week’s Parshat Vayeshev. After Havdalah, The Wizard, also known as beloved Ahavath Achim congregant Wayne Neuwirth, treated everyone to a parking lot fireworks spectacle which he does annually at AA’s Sparks of Light event.

“What an unforgettable bat mitzvah gift!” declared Bonnie.

Eden’s caterer was Tropics’ Hector Sampson who featured a latke bar and traditional  sufganiyot for Chanukah.

“Just like old time NYC donuts,” said Eden’s bubbe! ì

Balloonacy

Branded Favors: Paper Matters

Logo: ChatGPT + Paper Matters + Michael Levine

Photo Booth: LetsBoothIt

Eden’s Hair: Cortney Nelms (@crafted.by.cortney.hair)

Video Presentation: Emet and Michael Levine

Both Moms’ Wedding Wishes Come True

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Stephanie Dubrof, a medical writer, who graduated Florida State University and earned a PhD from the University of Georgia (UGA), met Scott Chimberoff, an internal medicine physician who graduated UGA, then Mercer Medical School, through family dynamics.

“Both of our mothers,” recalled Stephanie, “in typical ‘Jewish mom form,’ discussed us meeting (and dating).”

Then, Scott’s best college friend, Max, lived “spitting distance” from the Karlins, Stephanie’s family. The bride’s parents are Jodi and Dr. Scott Karlin. The groom’s are Donna Maslia and Michael Chimberoff. Stephanie’s grandparents are Dorothy and Burtrand Haskins.

Over holiday breaks, Stephanie spent time on the Chimberhoff’s back porch. One Thanksgiving, Scott appeared. Stephanie came home and gushed to mom, Jodi, “Donna’s son is so cute.”

A month later, they went on a first date. Not long after, COVID hit, and Stephanie essentially moved into Donna’s house for the next few months before Scott started residency in Rome, Ga. They dated for four years before getting engaged.

Backing up, the proposal started under the guise of Scott’s birthday. Stephanie said, “We went to the Grand Velas in Mexico [allegedly] for Scott’s 30th birthday celebration. We had an incred-

ible room with a porch overlooking the ocean.”

While Scott planned to propose the first night, he later admitted that he got too nervous and ran out of time before the sun set. The next night, he prevailed.  Scott had secretly set up his phone facing the porch. She said, “yes!”

The Karlins chose wedding planner Lindsay Sims, Toast Events. Stephanie laughed, “Mom was determined to hire her the minute we got engaged. She

[Sims] was fun to work with and had wonderful ideas.”

Earlier in May, the bridal shower was at Mission and Market in Buckhead, hosted by Jodi and Donna’s friends. Stephanie noted, “I felt so lucky and very loved. Most local friends were there and many of my out-of-town friends came in for it.” The shower and dresses were coordinated with cheerful colors.

On Oct. 4, 2025, 225 guests celebrated the main event at Hotel Avalon. Stephanie said, “In recent years, my mom and I had fallen in love with downtown Alpharetta. We felt like we were out of town every time we visited. It was a ‘no brainer’ to pick that venue. We also were set on a hotel site as we felt it’s the most convenient, especially for my grandparents, who are getting older and might want to head up to the room if tired.”

Rabbi Sam Trief, who married Stephanie’s sister, Morgan, and her husband, Jacob, in 2021, officiated. Stephanie related, “They also did niece, Livy’s, baby naming, so it felt very special for her [the rabbi] to be marrying us. The most meaningful thing to me was her prayer for the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. No less than a week later, the announcement was made that a deal had been reached, and the hostages were coming home.”

The wedding menu began with a cocktail hour replete with an “incredible sushi station and tons of passed hors d’oeuvres.” As soon as the ceremony ended, guests filtered into the cocktail hour with mini tacos and tequila shots. The dinner was a duo of short rib and Chilean sea bass. The “first dance” was “This is How You Fall in Love” by Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker. The band, Atlanta Showstoppers, learned it; and Stephanie sang it during the entire dance.

The bride’s dress was custom made by BW Designs in Buckhead. The florals were natural tones -- shades of green, copper, and cream. The cake, by Kat Lush Cakery, was vanilla and cinnamon with cream cheese icing.

The couple honeymooned at Jade  Mountain in St. Lucia. They share bernedoodle Webster, who was supposed to be in the wedding, but got spooked and didn’t make it down the aisle.

Scott cooed, “I like Stephanie’s weird dancing moves, and that she is kind to her friends and family.”

Stephanie admired, “Scott is very handy. There’s a stereotype that Jewish men aren’t the most handy, but Scott defies that. He can watch a few YouTube videos and do pretty much anything around the house.” ì

The Best Chanukah Gift: Karlin’s Wedding

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Sarah Jacobson and Ben Karlin met at Temple Sinai pre-school when they were 18 months old and are able to provide photos as documentation, per Sarah. Fast forward to “parallel play” where Ben went to The Weber School, and Sarah attended Pace Academy; the former went onto Middlebury College, the latter graduated from the University of Georgia. In January of 2020, at a friend’s birthday dinner, they reconnected. All

this backdrop resulted in a wedding with 230 guests on Dec. 21, the last night of Chanukah.

Ben proposed in Chicago along the river in June of 2025. Sarah’s parents were in town visiting, and the couple was walking to meet them for dinner. Along the way, Ben completely surprised her by “popping the question.” Little did she know his parents were also in town; and the six of them went to dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago. Ben and Sarah previously lived in Chicago for

three years.

Remote wedding planning from Illinois was efficient with the help of event guru, Terry Saxe. Sarah explained, “It was really a joint effort by the two of us. Ben had plenty of opinions, and I can be very indecisive, and then there was input from our parents.”

Ultimately, they chose the Atlanta History Center because of the dramatic ballroom with the huge windows looking over the gardens. They also relished the idea of having exhibits featuring the city

open for guests to walk through during the cocktail hour.

Under the chuppah, Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah, tied in the mitzvah of Chanukah and its similarities to a Jewish wedding. Ben recalled, “To get married is the perpetuation of the Jewish people which is at the core of Chanukah. We were excited about getting married during Chanukah and incorporating it into our weekend -- candle lighting and a late-night snack of latkes and suganiyot, but the context that Rabbi

Heller provided gave it even more depth and meaning.”

Sara gushed about the decor creativity of Jwilbur Smith, owner and creative director at EventScapes Atlanta, whom she described as “extraordinary.” She explained, “I was not a bride with a specific vision of what I had dreamed the day to be, and with very little direction from me, he somehow captured our style and created the most stunning and perfect room I could have ever imagined.”

He used predominately white florals with pale blue accents. Not coincidentally, Jwilbur did the florals at Sara’s parents’ wedding 33 years ago, as well as Ben and his siblings’ bar and bat mitzvahs. The cake was from Cecilia’s Cake Shop in Athens, Ga. -- an ode to Sarah’s college days and her “favorite cake in the world” with both red velvet and caramel flavors. The band, Rupert’s Orchestra, charmed and rocked with the first dance to “You’re My Home” by Billy Joel.

The bride’s parents are Barbara

Frank and Michael Jacobson. Ben’s are Ann and Michael Karlin. Ben has two living grandfathers: Jack Greene and Stan Karlin. Sarah works as physician assistant at Emory Hospital in surgical oncology. Ben is in commercial real estate for a company he started, Otter Creek Holdings.

For the honeymoon, the couple went to Thailand and Vietnam.

Sarah noted, “What I love most about Ben is how unapologetically himself he is! He can be very serious at times but has a huge goofy side to him that never fails to make me laugh, even if I am annoyed. He also loves to cook and spoils me by making me dinner almost every night!”

Ben reciprocated, “What I love most about Sarah is how compassionate and loyal she is! Whether it’s the way she loves her family and friends or cares for her patients, she’s always there for her people, and I’m grateful I get to be one of them.” ì

Habif Greets 80 Graciously

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

One might imagine the real Pearl Mesta when Sherry Habif celebrated the big 8-0 at Dunwoody’s Message in a Bottle on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 11.

Son, Adam Jaffe, addressed the crowd, “We were thinking about taking Sherry somewhere exotic, but she really requested to have this party. We’re blessed to be surrounded by beautiful women; and I’m the one male exception. Let’s celebrate Sherry, who’s very genuine and holds a special place in her heart

for all of her friends. It’s insane that she’s going to be 80. She seems like 50 or 40! You can see here even at her party taking care of everybody else and also bringing her own decorations. We started with 25 invitees and went to 50. No one has a zest for life like Sherry. She is one of a kind.”

Sherry’s friendship circle spans generations, including mother-daughter, Heather Low, with mom, Ellyn Goldstein. Longtime friend Phyllis Cohen told the AJT, “Sherry is a fun, giving, and super talented woman. Just look at the colorful decorations she created here.”

Harriett Behr flew in from Louisville to celebrate Sherry who introduced her to her future husband. She recalled, “I met Sherry in 1991 at Lord & Taylor. She’s a very loving person.” Sherry reciprocated the compliment that Harriett “looks darn good for 86!” Actually, there was a table of guests aged 90-plus perfectly coiffed and convivial.

Sherry, dressed in a knit ecru ensemble, went from room to room, table to table, introducing, netweaving, recalling how all the friends might know each other.

When she thanked the group, she was especially proud of her granddaughter, Blair, who greeted guests at the front door. It appears that she has Sherry‘s gracious and outgoing personality.

Suzy Goldman, longtime friend, said, “Sherry is my Disney World.”

Carolyn Piha noted that Sherry was one-of-a-kind and the most generous woman she has known.

Shanghai rummy friends declared that Sherry makes away (wins) with most of the money.

Sherry was the subject of an Atlanta

Jewish Times travel article (2023) detailing her trip of a lifetime to Abu Dhabi (ducking in and out of mosques wearing a burka); then off to Oman. In April 2025, she was honored by the William Breman Jewish Home with a lifetime achievement Award.

Sherry’s tips for Living a full life into the 80’s:

Health: Have a few good physicians who take care of your total body, internist, dermatologist, dentist, etc.

Be your own advocate; get all kinds of checkups throughout the year.

Physical Activity: minimal 3-4 times per week

Walking is great movement, and having a friend along makes it pleasant; also Zumba and Latin aerobic dancing.

Charity work: Happiness comes in many forms. Volunteer!

“I’ve been involved with the William Breman Jewish Home Auxiliary for

welcoming, and creative Jewish environment where students learn through exploration and play.

18 (Chai) years on the Board, planning events, and decorating. Retired from the Board, I enjoy decorating the lobby with seasonal themes, and baking for the Annual Game Day,” Habif said.

Activities: Canasta, Bridge, MahJongg, board games all lead to friendship and social life. For guys, fishing, poker, golf

“I dine weekly with my son and daughter-in-law and precious granddaughter. Make special time for each of them, as they should always come first,” Habif said. “I have wonderful stepchildren and their spouses, nine grandkids, and 17 great-grands from my second (late) husband. I entertain for Jewish holidays.”

She continued, “Travel lends different perspectives on life outside of your own and refreshes the body. A change of scenery is great, and I love meeting people from other places and learning about other cultures.” ì

Simcha Announcements

Have something to celebrate? Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ... Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements. Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

Birth Announcement

Lucy Barbara Mary Bull

Lucy Barbara Mary Bull was born on Oct. 18, 2025, in Cary, N.C., to Alexandra and David Bull.  She was born seven pounds, five ounces and was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Belinda Morris and Michael Morris of Atlanta, Ga., and Ruth and Larry Bull of Boulder, Colo.

Lucy has been lucky to meet both of her two living great-grandparents – Billi Marcus of Boca Raton, Fla., and Barbara Ward of Corpus Christi, Texas. Lucy is named after Alexandra’s late grandfather, Papa Lewis Morris, and her grandmother, Barbara Mary Ward. Her baby naming celebration was in Cary, N.C., in December and her Hebrew names are Leah Malka.

Mitzvah Announcement Anniversary Announcement

Sadie Kunzman

Mark Kunzman and Kristin Petersen of Woodstock, Ga., are over the moon to announce that their daughter, Sadie Kunzman, was called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Temple Kehillat Chaim.

Sadie is a student at E.T. Booth Middle School and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music, acting, singing, and playing tennis. Her mitzvah project included volunteering at the Zaban Shelter. The family celebrated this special milestone with family and friends. Mazel Tov!

Trudy and Dr. Behrooz Dayanim

Dr. Behrooz (aka Ezra) Dayanim and Trudy (Banks) Dayanim celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 26, 2025.

Behrooz, born in Shiraz, Iran, and Trudy, born in Portsmouth, Va., met on a blind date in Norfolk, Va. Behrooz worked as a surgeon, while Trudy worked as a teacher and, later, as a realtor in Virginia.

In 2018, they moved to Atlanta to be closer to their daughter and family.

They are the proud parents of three children (and spouses) and grandparents to nine grandchildren (and two spouses).

May they continue to share many years of health, happiness, and nachas with their family.

Birthday Announcement

Michael Alon

Michael Alon recently celebrated his 88th birthday in style — with a Princess cruise together with wife, Etti, and surrounded by their children and several grandchildren!

Michael has called Atlanta home since 1973 and has been an active part of the Jewish community for more than 50 years. A graduate of Yeshiva University’s Teachers Institute, he also holds a license to teach in Jewish day schools. During his 12 years at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, he helped bring tradition to life — assigning students Torah readings for holidays and special megillot like Shir Hashirim, Ruth, Kohelet, and Esther. He taught students to chant Kiddush and Yigdal and loved seeing their names in the weekly bulletin.

Michael is proud of starting the custom of students chanting Anim Zemirot at Shabbat morning services. He also prepared about 50 students a year for their bar mitzvahs — some even chanted full Torah portions — and led Hebrew school classes that conducted entire Friday night services. One of his favorite accomplishments is helping many of his students speak Hebrew with confidence. He’s also known around town as a master Torah reader, with a unique style of reading and improvisations. He is always happy to step in, even at the last minute.

More than anything, Michael is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. His humor, warmth, and love for learning are just a few of the qualities his family admires most. His family is grateful for the chance to celebrate this milestone and share a bit about the man who has taught, inspired, and supported so many.

EDUCATION & CAMP Weber School Adds New Centers of Excellence

By Debbie Diamond

The Weber Academy of Business, Finance and Entrepreneurship pairs challenging academic study with practical entrepreneurial activities, setting students up for success in business studies at the university level and beyond.

The program emphasizes financial literacy, business management, entrepreneurial thinking, and ethical decisionmaking, all under the guidance of both academic experts and seasoned business leaders. Upon completion of the program, graduating seniors receive an honors diploma and special graduation cord at their commencement ceremony.

Led by Melinda Goodwin, a wellrespected educator at the school, the program began as a partnership with ELI NextGen Seminar, an Israel-based organization that provides students with the opportunity to work with Israeli entrepreneurs. The Weber School was the first high school in the United States to launch the partnership, which now has multiple high schools participating across the country.

As part of the growing initiative, students have the opportunity to connect with young Israeli “Startup Nation” entrepreneurs during 15 lunchtime and enrichment sessions, held via Zoom. Most of the Israeli entrepreneurs are in their 20s and 30s with businesses in industries including cybersecurity, solar energy, and defense. Several of the students have created their own businesses, and the input and mentorship from the Israeli entrepreneurs has been invaluable, according to Goodwin. A 30-hour internship with a business or nonprofit is also required and enables the students to apply classroom knowledge while gaining valuable workplace experience and professional references.

The program is comprised of five key components. First, students may select between Honors Economics or AP Micro/ Macro Economics to facilitate building a strong foundation in economic principles and free market dynamics. Next, students take either AP Business Principles with Finance and/or AP Research for an introduction to marketing, accounting, finance, and business research skills. Third, the ELI NextGen seminar and local internships offer opportunities for students to learn from American and Israeli business entrepreneurs and business leaders. A fourth component emphasizes Jewish ethics and values,

helping guide students’ approach to decision-making in business. Part of this component, as explained by Goodwin, is also understanding the evolution of Israel as a strong startup nation. Finally, all students who graduate with this honors distinction are required to demonstrate mastery of the business principles they have learned through completion of a final project and presentation.

“The Weber Center of Excellence in Business, Finance, and Entrepreneurship provides our students with an exceptional opportunity to develop a strong academic foundation in all aspects of business studies for university while giving them practical experiences with real-world entrepreneurs and business leaders. Our strong emphasis on Jewish values in business coupled with the cooperation across our Centers of Excellence provides for creative learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Our goal is to enhance our students’ preparation and skills for a variety of careers,” stressed Goodwin.

There are currently 40 students at different points in the program. In addition to the Israeli entrepreneurs, experienced Jewish leaders, and entrepreneurs have also spoken to the classes. Most of the participating students plan to major in business as they head to their chosen universities in the coming years.

“This program has provided me with an opportunity to foster my love for entrepreneurship with hands-on experience and high-level, real-world insight into the business process. ELI gave me the space to try and fail, and has taught me how to create a business, while giving me the confidence to keep trying and reworking

my ideas until I can succeed,” said Rafael Saitowitz, who will graduate this spring.

Matthew Grant, another graduating senior, said, “ELI and the overall business program have helped me significantly in finding the specific field of business I am interested in. It has also helped me find different strategies that are essential for a successful business while getting me out of my comfort zone and learning to speak to a group.”

The second new Center of Excellence is the Weber Writing Project, led by Vanessa Reid, a published author and well-regarded veteran English teacher at The Weber School. Reid described the program as “a creative lab and launch pad for future writers, scholars, and storytellers.

“I didn’t create the Weber Writing Project; the students did. As an English teacher, I observed their incredible capacity to express themselves creatively, and I wanted to provide an outlet for that expression. Every stage of development of the program, every new idea, every award is because of these amazing writers. When we let students express themselves and give them the tools and environment to foster writing for pleasure and purpose, they can do absolutely anything,” said Reid.

Through customized coursework, close mentorship, and college-level programming, students learn to craft powerful narratives, conduct meaningful research, and communicate with clarity and purpose across multiple forms and media. In this honors diploma program, students embark on a three-or four-year journey that begins with a broad introduction to writing across several dis-

ciplines, before moving into a selected track that focuses on creative writing, journalism, academic research, or film and screenwriting. The experience culminates with a self-directed graduation project that showcases each student’s strengths, originality, and passions.

According to Reid, “The Weber Writing Project emphasizes the value of written communication that is clear, creative, and connected to the larger world, where students learn to write and write to learn.”

A hallmark of the program is immersive travel. Each year, students step out of the classroom and into cities where stories, history, and culture live around every corner. As this article is being written, students are visiting London, England, where they are scheduled to visit Bevis Marks Synagogue, Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner, Oxford, and Stonehenge, among other sites, as they savor the city that has produced the likes of Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, and William Shakespeare. Other recent trips have included Savannah, where they visited the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home, toured Congregation Mickve Israel, explored Bonaventure Cemetery, and wrote on-site about the people and places they encountered, as well as New York City, where they followed in the footsteps of iconic authors and artists at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Ellis Island, met with Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Alfred Uhry, and experienced “The Outsiders” on Broadway, seeing firsthand how a teenage writer’s voice reshaped American young adult literature. During each of these travel experiences, students are observers, interviewers, and writers at work. Guided by fac-

ulty mentors, they keep daily journals, draft reflections, and gather details that flow back into their creative pieces, articles, and research projects.

Ramblings, the school’s literary magazine, was recently awarded the Georgia Certificate of Excellence by the Georgia Scholastic Press Association/University of Georgia and the Gold Medal Certificate by The Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Georgia Scholastic Press Association called Ramblings “a beauti-

fully curated publication that showcases student voices and an aesthetic sensibility.” Individual students in the writing program also won awards in categories such as fiction, short stories, personal essays and memoirs, and poetry.

“What an exciting time for The Weber School,” said Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz. “Today’s teenagers are navigating an increasingly complex and fastchanging world. In response, Weber continues to expand its Centers of Excellence,

strengthening the vibrant culture of teaching and learning required of a 21stcentury Jewish community high school.

Our talented and dedicated educators design distinctive programs that nurture students’ intellectual curiosity, initiative, and passions while providing multiple pathways for advanced study and earning an honors diploma distinction.

These two Centers of Excellence join the Daniel Zalik Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Design

(DZA), Stan Kasten Academy of Sports Science and Management, Michael Kay Israel Fellowship, Michael and Andrea Leven Office of Student Service and Philanthropy, Israel and Global Education, and the Theatre and Music Academy to offer Weber students a number of pathways for honors distinction diplomas. All honors distinction recognition is based on completing a structured course of study that includes academic classes, electives, and advanced seminars. ì

EDUCATION & CAMP

A Spiritual Journey from Marietta to Aish Yeshiva

Jacob Schwebel didn’t grow up with plans to study in a yeshiva in Jerusalem or to make Aliyah. Like many Jewish teens in Marietta, he was part of a Conservative community — attending Hebrew school, High Holiday services, and spending summers at Camp Barney Medintz.

“I was brought up that way, so I’m very thankful for the foundations it gave me,” Schwebel says. “The main focus was on learning the fundamentals of holidays, not as much a push toward more observance.” After his bar mitzvah, like many kids in his community, his Jewish education came to a pause.

It wasn’t until last year, during his senior year at the University of West Georgia, that things started to shift. A family friend was learning Torah with Rabbi Netanel Friedman in Dunwoody, and during a chance encounter at a restaurant, “I asked him to connect me,” Schwebel recalls. “Rabbi Friedman introduced me to something called the Podcast Fellowship, where I’d watch shiurim and then discuss them over Zoom

with other Jewish students at different colleges.”

been supportive, happy that he’s found something meaningful.

“Growing up, Shabbat wasn’t really observed in my house. And as far as kashrut was concerned, we didn’t do anything; my grandparents would ship us stone crabs once a year.”

Movies on Saturdays were normal. “My parents’ community focused more on Jewish identity than on halachic details, but I’m forever thankful because it helped shape me into who I am today.”

“He would host sushi and shiur on Tuesdays, or pizza and shiur on Wednesdays,” Schwebel says. “And then, I slowly started getting pulled more into the community events.”

The rabbi eventually invited him for Shabbat, where Schwebel had his first Shabbat meal in the Dunwoody community. “It was pretty cool. He was just a friendly rabbi and super accommodating.”

Schwebel started trying to keep Shabbat in his fraternity house, which created an interesting dynamic and changed something fundamental within him. The typical college social calendar meant social events on Thursday and Saturday nights, with Friday nights quiet. Schwebel realized he was missing the whole point of Friday night in Judaism: being with other people, sharing Torah, and learning together.

“At that point, I had no idea what Shabbat was,” he admits. “So, I improvised. I bought Shabbat candles, started making challah, and I would grab food from the dining hall beforehand (carefully separating meat and dairy, which I’d only recently started doing). I’d watch Friday night services from Central Synagogue in New York on YouTube. Then, I would try not to drive, not to spend money, and not to use technology.”

“I was slowly implementing Shabbat into my lifestyle,” he says simply.

After graduating in May, Schwebel went to Israel on July 7 and arrived at Aish Yeshiva on Aug. 25. His family has

He’s also learned to be more understanding of others who aren’t on the same journey as him. “Since the beginning of my time at Aish, I’ve gradually learned to be less intense,” he laughs. “At first, I would tell my parents, you need to keep Shabbat. You need to have a Friday night Shabbat dinner.” His parents encouraged him to slow down and take things more progressively. His local rabbi was surprised when Schwebel’s father called, asking for a letter confirming his Judaism for Aliyah purposes. Jacob had always been one of the less involved kids in Hebrew school.

“The hardest part about yeshiva isn’t the social adjustment or even the new religious obligations,” Schwebel says, “it’s learning Talmud, which is completely different from years of Hebrew school.”

Beyond the intellectual challenge, there’s the spiritual one: “Learning to really have a connection with G-d is way more difficult, because that just wasn’t anything I was focused on while going to High Holiday services,” he added.

Schwebel decided to make Aliyah about three months ago, around the same time he committed to studying in yeshiva. The two decisions happened together, one feeding into the other.

“I sometimes think about what I would say to my 12-year-old self, from my bar mitzvah and about to drift away from Jewish learning. I would tell him to be serious in whatever education you’re going for and to firmly know the ‘why’ behind any future decision you make in your life,” Schwebel says.

He’s still figuring out what that purpose looks like, working through Talmud passages that don’t come easily, growing healthy relationships, and connecting to something he only vaguely understood growing up. But at least now he’s asking the questions; and unlike in Hebrew school, this time he’s actually interested in the answers. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

Ner Tamid Celebrates Annual Scout Shabbat

Congregation Ner Tamid, a Reform synagogue in Marietta, recently continued its annual tradition of proudly celebrating Scout Shabbat, a meaningful occasion that honors the dedication, leadership, and service of the young people in the scouting community.

Scout Shabbat is part of a nationwide observance sponsored by Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA, typically held close to Feb. 8, the anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts in 1910.

Scout Shabbat gives Jewish scouts the opportunity to reflect on how the values of scouting align beautifully with Jewish teachings. The Scout Oath and Law emphasize trustworthiness, helpfulness, kindness, bravery, and reverence — ideals that echo the mitzvot and ethical responsibilities we learn from Torah.

A Celebration Open to the Entire Community

Scout Shabbat is open to the entire community as Congregation Ner Tamid families, friends, neighbors, and congregants of all ages joined together in celebration traveling from as far away as Stone Mountain. The day was not only about recognizing our scouts, but also about creating opportunities for handson mitzvot and shared experiences.

Community activities included challah braiding, where participants learned about the symbolism of this cherished Shabbat tradition while shaping and preparing their own loaves. Another im-

pactful activity involved writing letters to military service members and to residents in a local retirement community.

The congregation’s rabbi enriched the service with a special Friday night Torah viewing and read the section recounting the Ten Commandments, a section that resonates with all religious faiths.

“We have been celebrating Scout Shabbat for over a decade and appreciate the opportunity to provide scouting families of all faiths and backgrounds the opportunity to experience the rituals and traditions of a Jewish Sabbath” says Matt Berenson, president of Congregation Ner Tamid and an Eagle Scout.

The service began with a flag ceremony including scouts carrying the American flag and the Israeli flag through the sanctuary, followed by recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Scouting America Scout Oath and Law. The Girl Scout Pledge and Promise was led by a dignitary, Cobb County District 1 Commissioner Keli Gambrill, wearing her vest from her days as a Girl Scout, and who was joined by several other girl scouts.

The evening concluded with an Oneg gathering hosted by scouting families of the synagogue and each scout took home their personally braided challah to bake and enjoy along with a recipe for making on their own.

For information about Congregation Ner Tamid’s services and upcoming events, visit mynertamid.info. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

EDUCATION & CAMP

Grow A Legacy Event Honors Camp Supporters

There is a common misconception that thinking about legacy giving – what we want our community to look like after we’re gone – is stressful or depressing. That myth was busted at this year’s Grow a Legacy celebration.

Hosted by the Atlanta Jewish Foundation (AJF) and made possible by the generosity of AJF’s and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s partners and presenting sponsor, Greenberg Traurig, the event brought together more than 160 community members around one shared purpose: honoring the donors who have made a commitment to secure the future of Jewish Atlanta.

The focus of this year’s Grow a Legacy was the impact of endowments on Jewish summer camp, and, as guests arrived at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, they escaped the bitter cold and were immersed in a warm, camp-inspired environment. Delicious grilled cheese bites were served alongside comforting tomato soup. A signature camp drink – Bug Juice – flowed with a grown-up twist. S’mores

brownies awaited the sweet-tooth guests. The excitement and deep sense of belonging that define Jewish camping filled the room, and it became clear that legacy giving can be a joyous act.

“When we hear the word, ‘influencer,’ today, we usually think about social media,” said Event Chair Eydie Koonin

in her opening remarks. “But the truth is, the most powerful influencers in our Jewish community are in this room right now. Influence happens at our dinner tables, in conversations with our children and grandchildren, and in the values you model every single day.” Koonin reminded guests our shared responsibility: “Jew-

Morah Carol’s Place

ish education doesn’t just happen. Camps don’t thrive on their own. Taking care of our community requires intention. Legacy gifts make that intention real.”

Ted Blum, Atlanta Jewish Foundation chair, and Lindsay Kopecky, AJF chief advancement officer, reflected on the meaning of legacy. “It is an act of

Blum, Atlanta Jewish Foundation chair, and Lindsay Kopecky, AJF chief advancement officer, reflected on the meaning of legacy. love that extends beyond our own time,” Blum shared. “The truth is: we are all beneficiaries of someone’s legacy.” Kopecky emphasized that legacy planning is accessible to everyone. “It doesn’t have to be complicated,” she said, “and it is not just for a select few. Legacy giving can start with something simple, like a beneficiary designation in your donoradvised fund, or a commitment through the Jewish Future Promise. A way to say, ‘I believe in Jewish continuity, and I’m taking a step to protect it.’”

An inspiring video followed, featuring eight Jewish camp directors who shared their insights about the magic of camp. “Children who come to camp feel fortified in their Judaism for the long term,” shared Anna Serviansky of Ramah Darom. “They care about Shabbat. They care about Israel. They make friends that make them want to be part of the Jewish community for years to come.”

The camp leaders noted how rising costs of facilities, staffing, and programming are rapidly making Jewish camping less accessible. “If we did not have scholarship available … probably half of the children would not be able to come to camp.” Serviansky explained.

Mackenzie Sherman of MJCCA Summer Day Camps echoed that challenge and offered a solution: “Cost ends up being a significant barrier for a lot of these families. And because of endowments and endowed scholarship funds, finances don’t have to be the end-all be-all decision maker.”

An endowment is a financial fund designed to provide long-term support for charitable causes. The principal remains invested, while a portion of the fund’s interest is distributed annually to sustain organizations and initiatives –ensuring both stability and growth in perpetuity.

“It’s the sustainability model where it’s not just for the campers today, but it’s really for the campers for generations to

EDUCATION & CAMP

come.” Sherman highlighted.

Adam Griff of Camp Coleman shared that, when it comes to supporting camps, Atlanta is ahead of the game. “We feel very fortunate to be an Atlantabased camp. The amount of support that we have received from the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and Federation has really been unmatched. We have colleagues in other camps across North America that are envious of what’s happening here, and we are truly grateful.”

The evening continued with a deeply personal panel discussion featuring Koonin, Mark Silberman, and Terri FeldmanBagen. The conversation was moderated by Sarah Eisinger, Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s director, JCamp 180, and interim director, Life & Legacy.

Eisinger highlighted the impact already being made through legacy commitments, noting that Atlanta has secured “an estimated future value of $48 million to endowment,” far surpassing national benchmarks.

Feldman-Bagen reflected her approach to Jewish legacy building. “I used to believe that the best way to leave a legacy was simply to set an example. And while that is certainly a prerequisite, I’ve come to understand that it is not enough on its own.” True legacy, she explained, requires conversation, clarity, and thoughtful planning to ensure the institutions we care about “remain strong and vibrant for generations to come.”

Silberman, chairman of the Jewish Future Promise, put those same values into action with his own family. “Linda and I decided that we would go down the journey of doing family philanthropy and teaching our kids why we give what we give.” At a recent family vacation, Silberman gathered his four children and their spouses for a giving conversation. After some deliberation, they chose five organizations to support as a family. “They all applauded and hugged each other with the outcome,” Silberman said. “And that’s when I knew I was really on to something.”

As the evening closed, one message resonated above all: legacy gifts are not about what we leave behind, but the values we set in motion. Through endowments and intentional giving, Jewish summer camps – and future generations – will continue to thrive.

In Koonin’s words: “Legacy giving isn’t about the end of life. It’s about continuing it.”

What are your hopes for the future of our community? Contact AJF or reach out directly to Ghila Sanders at gsanders@jewishatlanta.org or 404870-1611 to start a legacy conversation. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

EDUCATION & CAMP

Why Georgia’s Jewish Kids Deserve Summer at Camp

By Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar

Last summer, my children arrived at URJ Camp Coleman with some trepidation. They lived in cabins, sang Shabbat songs under the stars, and forged friendships with Jewish children from across the Southeast. As a single mom juggling rabbinic work, adjunct teaching, and graduate school, I was both nervous and excited for them. Regardless of my feelings, they had an exceptional summer and are already counting down the days until summer 2026!

That transformative experience was made possible by a grant many Georgia families do not know exists. Beyond singing my praises of how amazing Camp Coleman is, how professional their staff is, and how much fun my children had. I want to take a moment to thank Foundation for Jewish Camp, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, which offers both financial assistance and incentives specifically for Georgia families living 50 miles or more outside of Atlanta’s 30339 zip code. For

Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Georgia Small Community Grant’s scholarship application is open through March 17. Families may also qualify for One Happy Camper grants of $1,000 to $1,500 and can also apply for additional needs-based scholarships.

those of us living in Macon, Savannah, Columbus, Augusta, and countless small communities across our state, this program opens doors that might otherwise

remain closed.

As a congregational rabbi for more than 15 years, serving exclusively small Southern Jewish communities, I have

seen both my own family and others struggle as our children are a tiny minority. In the case of my children, they are one of only a handful of Jewish kids in

EDUCATION & CAMP

their schools. While they are accepted and loved by their classmates, teachers, and friends, there is something irreplaceable about being surrounded, even temporarily, by other Jewish kids who understand why you can’t attend Friday night football games during the High Holidays, or who understand your jokes about Chanukah not being the Jewish Christmas. Jewish overnight camp provides what small towns and their synagogues cannot — immersion.

When we invest in small-town Jewish communities, we strengthen the fabric of Southern Jewish life. A camper from Valdosta may become a national Jewish communal leader. Friendships formed at Camp Barney Medintz, Ramah Darom, Camp Judaea, or the URJ’s Camp Coleman, 6 Points Sports Academy, and Jacobs Camp all create networks that sustain Jewish connection across geographic boundaries for decades.

“Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community” (Pirkei Avot 2:4). Our community includes every Jewish child in Georgia. By ensuring funding for small towns, we live out Hillel's words by lowering a financial barrier so potential campers do not feel they must separate themselves from the community because they lack access to camp.

FJC’s Georgia Small Community Grant’s scholarship application is open through March 17. Families may also qualify for One Happy Camper grants of $1,000 to $1,500 and can also apply for additional needs-based scholarships. If you are a Georgia family living outside the Metro Atlanta area, I urge you to explore this opportunity by contacting Leah Stinson at jewishcamp@jewishatlanta.org.

For those blessed with access to Atlanta’s Jewish community — where walking to synagogue, attending Jewish day school, or participating in rich communal infrastructure is routine — your support of this fund tangibly benefits Jewish Georgians. Every dollar says to a Jewish child in rural Georgia: you belong to something larger than your small congregation, your town, or even your state. You belong to the Jewish people. ì

Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar serves Temple Beth Israel in Macon and teaches Hebrew Bible at Mercer University. Rabbi Bahar is a member at-large of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association.

EDUCATION & CAMP

2026 Camp Guide

6 Points Sports Academy

561-208-1650

Asheville, NC

6pointssports.org

North America’s Premier Jewish Sports Camp in Asheville, N.C., offers intensive sports instruction in an inclusive camp environment. 6 Points runs on 12-day sessions with various sports majors to focus on, including basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, swimming, volleyball, cheer/dance, softball, gymnastics, golf, and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse.

Alliance Theatre - Drama Camps

404-733-4600

Multiple Locations

alliancetheatre.org/content/drama-camps

At the Alliance Theatre, we value the process over the product. Our camps focus on the journey of learning, encouraging students to embrace their unique creative expression while developing essential life skills. Each camp is tailored to help students learn and grow while having fun, culminating in a short performance for friends and family that highlights their progress — not perfection. Whether your young actor dreams of the spotlight or simply wants to try something new, our theater camps provide the perfect opportunity to develop their potential in a safe, supportive environment.

Camp AlefBet

770-399-7622

Dunwoody alefbetpreschool.com/camp-alefbet

We have a summer filled with art, outdoor activities, water play, music, pre-math, prescience and sensory activities – all challenging, fun, messy and exciting! We know how to have fun! Each week, your toddler thru Pre-K child will explore our themes in a hands-on, sensory, creative way!

Camp Barney Medintz

678-812-3844

Cleveland, GA campbarney.org

Camp Barney Medintz offers a magical Jewish overnight camping experience on 540 beautiful acres in the North GA mountains. Campers experience the joy of making lifelong friends while challenging themselves with new activities, and gaining selfconfidence and independence that will benefit them for a lifetime.

Camp Coleman

770-671-8971

Cleveland, GA campcoleman.org

From generation to generation enriching Jewish lives since 1962. Overnight URJ Camp - Campers can experience Jewish culture and tradition while in a safe, challenging and fun environment. In a natural setting, campers are given the opportunity to explore their Judaism. Coleman provides a creative setting for Jewish living and learning through camp programming. At Camp Coleman campers and staff can develop lifelong friendships.

Camp Gan Israel of North Fulton

770-410-9000

Johns Creek, GA

cginf.com

Camp Gan Israel of North Fulton is part of the largest and fastest growing network of day camps, enjoying a reputation as a trendsetter with innovative ideas, creative programs and new activities. Campers enjoy a wide range of exciting activities including sports, games, crafts, and other enriching camp activities and field trips in a warm and vivacious atmosphere. The children are guided in organized activity, play and social skills by loving, patient, and caring staff. The regular camp is for children ages 5-11 and the Kiddie Kamp offers a wonderful opportunity for youngsters ages 2-4 to have their first experience in a real summer camp.

Camp H2O - Georgia Aquarium

404-581- 4080

Atlanta, GA

georgiaaquarium.org/camp-h2o

We’re on a mission to ignite passion and curiosity in everyone who steps through our doors. Get ready for a fin-tastic adventure at our camp, where campers will have a blast meeting experts, conducting cool experiments, unleashing their creativity with fun designs, and much more. Campers will discover interesting facts about our aquatic friends and their habitats, as well as explore the wondrous ocean ecosystem. All Aquarium galleries and presentations are included.

Camp Invention

800-968-4332

Atlanta, GA

Invent.org/Local

Spark your child’s creativity and confidence with our new Camp Invention® program, Illuminate! Children in grades K-6 will team up and take on fun, hands-on STEM challenges. This year’s exciting new program inspires curiosity and helps kids build essential STEM skills through collaboration with friends and one-of-a-kind creative problem-solving experiences. Campers explore hands-on challenges and open-ended adventures designed to encourage new discoveries and bring big ideas to life!

Camp Judaea

404-634-7883

Hendersonville, NC

campjudaea.org

Established in 1961, Camp Judaea is a Jewish, Israel-centered summer camp community for children ages 7-15 located in Hendersonville, N.C. At Camp Judaea, we offer a wide variety of fun activities in a loving family atmosphere. This allows campers to grow and even transform themselves every summer they return. Located on 158 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, our setting inspires campers to embrace nature, take positive risks, and become more independent.

Camp Kingfisher

770-992-2055

Roswell, GA

chattnaturecenter.org/education/camp

A Chattahoochee Nature Center tradition since 1993, Camp Kingfisher has provided an unforgettable and fun camp experience to thousands of children and young adults. Part traditional outdoor camp and part hands-on nature education, Camp Kingfisher offers something for everyone. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment where campers connect to nature and each other. A true outdoor nature camp – it’s what summer should be! Outdoor adventuring and learning abounds on CNC’s 127 incredible acres during the summer. We hike, swim, see wildlife, canoe, investigate, craft, experiment, and more.

EDUCATION & CAMP

Camp Minimac

404-872-8668

Atlanta, GA

the-temple.org/camps

Play and Learn with Camp Minimac’s Play, Pretend, and Profession Camp. Each week, we will focus on the skills and adventures of a different profession. We will enhance our knowledge and enjoy learning more about each profession through activities, including special in-house field trips, art, music, science, songs, games, cooking, and more! Camp is for 18 months - PreK.

Camp Ramah Darom

404-531-0801

Clayton, GA

ramahdarom.org

Camp Ramah Darom is a Jewish summer camp where laughter abounds, friendships are formed, everyone feels welcome and each day brings new opportunities to celebrate Jewish life. Here, children have fun and are challenged to reach new heights by our caring and supportive staff. From sports to arts to outdoor adventures, Ramah Darom infuses a love of Israeli culture and Jewish heritage into everything we do.

Club SciKidz

678-294-9504

Multiple locations metro Atlanta atlanta.clubscikidz.com

Each summer Club SciKidz offers over 70+ themed camps grades PK-8th. Themes include Astronomy, Meteorology, Sea Adventures, Climate Change, Veterinary Medicine, Robotics, Marvel Stop Motion Animation, Save Our Oceans, Chemistry, Rocketry, American Doll, Wizarding World (Harry Potter), Medicine, and Surgery to name a few! Our Atlanta summer camps offer an unparalleled experience, fostering a love for STEM that lasts far beyond the summer.

Critter Camp by The Amphibian Foundation

562-774-2248

Atlanta and Decatur critter-camp.org

Our goal at Critter Camp is to introduce children to the exciting biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles, using live animals to illustrate aspects of biology and ecology. Campers will be encouraged to ask questions about the animals and discover their own answers through hands-on observation, through safe animal handling

Epstein Summer Adventure

404-250-5606

Atlanta, GA

epsteinatlanta.org/community/esa-summer-camp

Our ESA Summer Adventure Specialty Camps provide opportunities for campers Kindergarten—6th grade to take part in exciting new programs each week. Some of the camps we offer include: Cooking Camps, Ready.Set.K., STEAM camps, Challenge Island, Art options, Circus Camp, new this year: KIDS TV and more!

Foundation for Jewish Camp

646-278-4500

Jewishcamp.org

Jewish camp is an enduring and irreplaceable rite of passage for 180,000+ youth, teens, and young adults at 300+ nonprofit Jewish day and overnight camps each summer. Foundation for Jewish Camp’s mission is to grow, support, and strengthen these camps so they can develop Jewish leadership, instill Jewish pride, and ensure a vibrant Jewish future. We leverage more than $15 million of philanthropic giving annually to scale programs and resources that benefit more than 300 Jewish day and overnight camps across North America.

ESA CAMP

CAMP DATES: JUNE 8–26, 2026

Adventure Camp (K–6th)

• Circus Camp – 1 week!, Chess, Cooking, Ready Set K, Challenge Island, Science, Art, Drama, Sports, & More! Preschool Camp (2s–PK: must be two by June 1)

• Weekly Themes and Special Visits (including Puppet Show and Horses!)

Register at esacamp.org For more information esa@ESACamp.org

June 8-26

alliancetheatre.org/camps

EDUCATION & CAMP

In The City Camps

404-698-1134

Atlanta, GA

inthecitycamps.org

Designed for children from rising Pre-K through ninth grade, ITC offers an immersive, choice-based experience where campers build confidence, make lifelong friendships, and deepen their connection to Jewish culture and Israel. From action-packed activities to meaningful traditions, each day is filled with adventure, independence, and fun!

Jewish Kids Groups School’s Out Camp

404-913-9554

Morningside, Brookhaven, Decatur jewishkidsgroups.com/camp

No school? No problem! Give your kindergarten through fifth-grade child a full day of Jewish-camp-style fun during the school year and early summer. Art projects, outdoor exploration, science experiments, Hebrew vocabulary, field trips, Israeli cooking, and more on school holidays and breaks. All are welcome!

Morah Carol’s Place

470-659-5484

Atlanta, GA

morahcarolsplace.com

Welcome to Morah Carol’s Place (MCP), a unique Jewish preschool that focuses on Torah, academics, and the Hebrew language, while respecting every child’s individual learning style. MCP provides your child with a top-notch preschool experience, as well as a school calendar that keeps you, the working Jewish parent, in mind. Our Summer camp is full of exciting activities. Find details on our website!

MJCCA Day Camps

678-812-4004

Atlanta, GA

mjccadaycamps.org

Kids have fun, make friends, gain new skills, build self-confidence, create memories that will last a lifetime, and have the ultimate summer experience in our 100+ camp options!

Pace Summer Programs

404-262-1345

Atlanta, GA

paceacademy.org/community/summer-programs

At Pace, we believe some of life’s greatest lessons are learned outside the classroom. When school is not in session, we offer programming to keep children – Pace students and students from other schools – active and engaged. We offer full day and half-day summer camps; specialty programs like Athletic Camps, Danger Camp and Theatre Workshops; STEAM Camps and Clinics; and Academic Enrichment opportunities.

SCAD Summer Seminars

404-253-3475

Atlanta & Savannah

scad.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/scad-summer-seminars

SCAD Summer Seminars offers workshops for current high school first-year, sophomore, and junior students in high school for the 2025–26 academic year. Participants gain valuable educational experience while developing their creative vision through intriguing art and design assignments and projects. Participants attend workshops and have an all-access pass to the university’s extensive resources and libraries. Workshops may include demonstrations, lectures, studio work, and local field trips, and are taught by SCAD professors, alumni, or select graduate students.

Temple Sinai Preschool

404-255-6200

Sandy Springs, GA

templesinaiatlanta.org

Temple Sinai Preschool is ready for a summer of fun! During camp we’ll explore through art, science, sports, and we’ll have plenty of time to experience the best part of summer: spending time outside splashing with friends. Temple Sinai Preschool offers a variety of programs (half, plus, and full day options) for campers that are 8 weeksRising kindergarteners to fit your family’s schedule and the flexibility to choose the weeks that work for your summer plans.

The Galloway School

404-252-8389

Atlanta, GA

gallowayschool.org/community-life/summer-camp

We are so excited to welcome you to Galloway at Play: SUMMER! We have offerings for students in every grade level from PreK3-12. You can find all of the information, calendars, and camp descriptions on our website.

The Peach Pit

404-242-6211

Multiple locations metro Atlanta

peachpitgym.com/summer-camps

The Peach Pit creates imaginative & unique experiences with our fun-filled gymnastics summer camp for boys and girls ages 4-16. A camp schedule works in 15-20 minute rotations throughout our facility utilizing the spring floor, dance studios, bars, balance beam, vault stations, and our loose foam pit. We love to keep your child moving and active throughout the majority of the day breaking up our gymnastics or cheerleading intervals with dance, crafts, yoga, games, and special events.

The Walker School - Walker Summer Programs

770-427-2689

Marietta, GA

thewalkerschool.org/walker-summer-camp

Over 500 campers agree – Walker Summer Programs are the best way to spend your summer! Located just 2 miles from the Marietta Square, Walker offers a diverse selection of academic, athletic and artistic opportunities in the metro Atlanta community.

Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp for Girls

706-862-2231

Cloudland, GA

valleyviewranch.com

Horse lovers’ paradise since 1954! Overnight camp for girls ages 8-17. Located on 600 acres offering riding in English, Western, Barrels, Vaulting, and Trails. CHA instructors teach beginner to advanced riders. Spend up to six hours a day riding and caring for your own camp horse. The Jones family are third-generation horse lovers, camp administrators, and equine educations making girls’ dreams come true!

Woodward Academy Camps

404-765-4000

College Park and Johns Creek

woodward.edu/camps

Woodward Academy Summer Camps offer enrichment, athletic, academic, and activity camps that are open to the public and accessible through our exceptional bus system. Your child will be immersed in a one-of-a-kind summer experience from the moment they arrive.

ARTS & CULTURE

New Art & Opera Facility Breaks Ground

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Arthur Blank continues his meaningful mark on Atlanta. In this case, the new Atlanta Opera facility, which will affect generations to come and is named in memory of his mother, Molly Blank.

The hero leading the charge is Tomer Zvulun, general and artistic director of the Atlanta Opera, who was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times Lowdown column describing his Harvard education, service as an IDF medic, and ability to fundraise.

Under a bold red and blue circus tent, a stone’s throw from the Beltline on the Bobby Jones Golf Course, ground was broken on Monday, Feb. 16. About 80 of Atlanta Opera’s patrons and fans came to see renderings, mini performances, and wine and dine to welcome what will be changing the face of Atlanta’s art scene. Affairs to Remember catered inside the active construction site where joyful character murals from the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts lined the walls.

Zvulun, who wore a gold shovel on his lapel, addressed the crowd, referring to one of his biggest accomplishments -- keeping the opera open during COVID with a tent in a baseball field with 40 productions when the rest of the city practically shut down.

“Actually”, he said, “It’s this very same tent.” He continued, “For years, the Atlanta Opera has moved toward an interdisciplinary, multi-genre model, placing chamber, opera, and dialogue with films, spoken theater, musical theater, cabaret and concert work so that no single form dominates. This new facility is that kind of artistic collision, a performing arts campus in the forest where the line between opera house, cinema, rehearsal studio, classroom, and park dissolves.” Zvulun ended with a champagne toast after three Atlanta Opera studio artists performed.

At the heart of the new center is a unique performance space with 200 seats, Rosemary Hall, that will be a nature-framed, state-of-the-art recital hall, built for acoustic clarity and a sense of intimacy between artists, audience, and landscape, and ideal for chamber operas, recitals, and cabarets. Alongside that is the Atlanta Opera Coca-Cola theater, a fully transformable environment that can morph from the largest rehearsal room in Atlanta to a venue for chamber opera, film, musical, or play.

The new venue is historic as Buck-

buildings.

head’s Beltline segment links neighborhood trails in an urban green space on six acres, extending into a lawn, inviting families, children, neighbors, and dogs to mingle, rest, and play. On some days, it will become an outdoor viewing room where audiences gather on the grass to watch live performances or a broadcast, listening via Bluetooth-enabled headphones, creating a sonic experience under open sky; on others, it becomes a “running free” space for children, attending camp, classes, and seminars inside the building. Internal construction is ex-

pected to be completed in the fall of 2027 with the grand opening in January 2028. There will be ample room for performance, rehearsal, production, education, and administrative uses.

On hand was Dr. Hal Brody, who has served on the Opera board for five years. With a creative streak, he imagined Michael Chabon’s novel, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” might make for a great production. He told the AJT, “I am enchanted by many performances, but my favorite is Jacques Offenbach’s opera, ‘Les Contes d’Hoffmann

(“The Tales of Hoffmann”).’”

At a time when other opera companies are cutting back, the Atlanta Opera is experiencing record-breaking ticket sales and a balanced budget. Seven annual productions are planned for 2026 with an annual budget of $17 million and no deficit. In 2024, The Atlanta Opera attained a top-tier status among American opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the companies of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Dallas, and Santa Fe. ì

Chai Style Home

Fearless Henos on the Edge of Bravura

Premature silver hair and snug jeans are only signs of Cheryl Henos’ good vibes and intent on breaking the mold. Serving as her own “designer dream team,” she doesn’t take herself or 7,000-square-foot home too seriously. What she does take seriously is her own creative expression as a self-taught photographer and painter who fuses two passions: hand-painting her black and white photography.

After a 30-plus year career in the radio industry (many with 96 Rock), she went all in on her art. Her home study spans the top floor of her Sandy Springs home, from her framing room to sunlit studio. There we see her moody nature scenes with nuanced colors in sunsets, palm trees, and angry skies, rolling to her fun side with classic VWs in pastels. She laughed, “As far as my own pieces, fans seem to like my llamas. There’s a fun story there … everything I create is original art. There are no prints.”

Henos, nee Brener, is a native Atlantan who declared, “I’m a Jewish Sandy

Springs gal who went to Barney for years as did my brother, kids, niece, nephew.”

Tour her dramatic, crystal-laden home/studio treading carefully around cats and her rather large dog, who could star in a Hollywood movie.

Jaffe: Lots of pet activity here.

Henos: Raffy, our poodle, is quite charming and cooperative. Lucy, my cat, may cooperate occasionally, and Nola the Hurricane Harvey cat is shy. We have a good amount of animal art, “The Cow,” by Marinich, “The Zebra,” “The Fun Sheep,” by Kim Daniels, and R.A. Miller’s, “Snake.”

Jaffe: Who are some of your most favored artists?

Henos: Some Chagall, Steve Penley, Peter Max, and even a signed John Lennon print. More uniquely, Rodriguez’s “Blue Dog,” a nod to New Orleans; and one of my earliest finds, a folk piece, “Fox and Guineas,” on cardboard in the master bedroom by Cornbread. I bought it “for a song” -- $75, 40 years ago, the only thing I could afford fresh out of college. Recently, we reframed it and made it a focal point in the primary bedroom.

Jaffe: What are some of your favorite design elements/décor?

Henos: We display a lot of Imari, Stuart crystal, authentic antique French shelving. I reupholstered some collectible French antique chairs to make for a whimsical update in contrasting patterns.

Jaffe: Your lighting is really very special.

Henos: The pendants in the kitchen are Kuzco Lighting, took me a year to find them as I saw them in a photo of a hotel lobby and tracked them down. The majority of the lighting is Visual Comfort/ Generation Lighting (dining, powder, master bath, my studio, basement). Mike (retired husband) bought the antique crystal chandelier in our living room (his office). We brought it here from our old house. He wouldn’t leave it behind. It’s real crystal and it’s really old! The sconces in the media room that took another six months of digging are by Curry.

Jaffe: What about your color palette? I see intense cobalt blues.

Henos: The dining room and powder room are Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black. It’s one of the purest blacks. Depending on the time of day or lighting, it may take on a blue hue.

Jaffe: You are an outstanding emerging artist who was featured at the

Temple Sinai Art Fair.

Henos: I hand-paint my black and white photography using oils, acrylics, watercolors, and pastels, an art form rarely practiced today. I paint a portion of the photograph, inviting the viewer to use their imagination. I use a fixed lens Leica camera, so I don’t miss anything.  My paintings range from $150 to over $2,000. My largest so far is 4’ x 5.’ I’m featured in the Gulf Coast Arts Alliance Gallery in Alabama and LM Frame & Gallery here. My first solo exhibition at the Abernathy Arts Center in June (according to the City of Sandy Springs) was one of their best in attendance, engagement and sales. I’ve had two commercial, design-focused “invitation only” exhibitions. I believe it’s important to contribute to the community. I was asked by the City of Sandy Springs to do a photo shoot and paintings for the new Sandy Springs Police Headquarters which were just installed. I also provide art for Sunshine on a Ranney Day.

My focus is working with interior designers, both residential and commercial, marketing my ability to create custom pieces for projects. I’ve been told I’m a left/right brain artist. I utilize the business skills I’ve developed during my radio management career.

Bottom: The office/living room has 1800s shelving reclaimed from a French church and an antique chandelier. Cheryl recovered the 19th century French armchairs. The painting above is signed serigraph of Chagall’s, “Moses and the Ten Commandments.”

Jaffe: What’s going on in the cavernous basement? Henos: There’s lots down there -- an old oil painting, “Peacock and a Monkey,” we found in storage, an antique foosball table and a special light over the pool table. Oh, and a painting of dogs playing poker. ì

Above: The lower level features an antique foosball table and a special light over the pool table that Mike designed. The 96 Rock neon was from Cheryl’s long career there.

Below: The dining room paint color is Tricorn Black which gives off blue vibes. An Imari bowl is in the background. The mirrors are Italian antiques.

Left: This original Henos, “December Pier,” is oil on paper portraying Gulf Shores, Ala.

CALENDAR

Sunday, March 1

Delet Darom Teen Retreat - Join Jewish high schoolers for an unforgettable weekend of ruach, learning, and fun surprises. Open to all high school-aged teens! Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/2f9enat9.

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. Your friends and family are welcome for a day full of fun and celebration! Get tickets at https:// tinyurl.com/42a6t22j.

Peace, Politics and Propaganda with Gil Hoffman - 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim, Atlanta Israel Coalition, Temple Beth Tikvah, and Temple Emanu-El for an insider’s look at the mayhem in the Middle East and what you can do to help Israel. Featuring Gil Hoffman of Honest Reporting. This event is free and open to the community. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/3f2pbdwe.

Hamantaschen Bake & Take – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Get ready to sweeten your Purim with PJ Library! Join us for a fun, family-friendly Hamantaschen Bake & Take – where kids and grown-ups will mix, fill, and shape delicious hamantaschen together. Whether you’re a first-time baker or a pro, we’ll provide the dough, the fillings, and the joy of celebrating this beloved tradition. Take your freshly baked treats home to enjoy and share as you celebrate Purim with your family and friends! Sign up at https://tinyurl. com/4528dp63.

Monday, March 2

Ogen: Anchoring & Cultivating a Practice of Resilience – 12 to 12:30 p.m. Ogen is Hebrew for “anchor.” This six-week workshop is an invitation to cultivate a practice of resilience with insight and connection, anchoring our week with 30 minutes of Jewish wisdoms of self-awareness and emotional precision. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/4ju85v9n.

Purim Party 2026 – 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a Bubble show with Anastasia. Hamburger/hot dog dinner (veggie option available). Hamantaschen! Children’s Megillah reading after dinner, followed by the full reading of the Megillah. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/n63ek5kk.

JGather Interfaith Pop-Up: Purim and Pairings – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Celebrate Purim with great wine, good company, and meaningful connection at the third Interfaith pop-up event hosted by JGather. Purim and Pairings brings together individuals in interfaith relationships for an evening that is warm, welcoming, and just a little indulgent. Join us intown for a guided tasting of Israeli wines thoughtfully paired with classic hamantaschen. Spaces are limited, so be sure to save yours at https://tinyurl.com/24wxnh43.

Purim in Oz – 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. Come as your favorite character from “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz,” or “Wicked” for an unforgettable Purim celebration at Congregation Etz Chaim. There will be a costume contest, dinner, and special treats from Oz including “Wicked” libations for adults. 5:45 p.m. dinner, 6:30 p.m. Megillah reading, followed by dessert. Reserve tickets at https://tinyurl.com/fhzmtzer.

Purim Spiel – 7 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for a Purim Spiel. There will be hamantaschen and oneg! Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/yc5h9esn.

CYP Purim Masquerade Party – 7 p.m.

Come celebrate Purim with us for an unforgettable masquerade-style cocktail party filled with great people, great vibes, and plenty of l’chaims. Expect an elegant night with an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, and Purim energy all around. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/ mt3d9zey.

Purim Casino Royale - 7 p.m. Join Chabad Intown for Purim Casino Royale, an elevated evening of glamour, celebration, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting. We’re transforming Painted Park into a Monte Carlo–inspired experience with cocktails, curated appetizers, music, mingling, and Meguila. 21+. Register to attend at https://tinyurl.com/ yja72vmp

Purim Celebration in Barrow County – 7 to 9 p.m. Join Chabad of Rural Georgia in celebrating Purim in Barrow County. We’ll have festive spirits, with the reading of the Megillah, and good food! Come dressed up if you’d like. Everyone is welcome. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/5336w32p.

Purim Prelude – 7 to 9 p.m. Kick off Purim with good food, great company, and the story that starts it all. The evening opens with a relaxed, social atmosphere and curated charcuterie table, followed by a lively Megillah reading. Come mingle, eat good food, and ease into the holiday together with Congregation Or VeShalom. Costumes encouraged, good vibes guaranteed. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/46mvft5m.

Tuesday, March 3

Purim in Elijay – 1 to 3 p.m. Join Chabad of Rural Georgia in celebrating Purim in Elijay. We’ll have festive spirits, with the reading of the Megillah, and good food! Come dressed up if you’d like. Everyone is welcome. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ c6z3nvrv.

Purim Carnival – Congregation Or VeShalom – 4 to 6:30 p.m. Get ready to go wild! Congregation Or VeShalom’s annual Purim Carnival is swinging into action with a jungle-themed celebration the whole family will love. Jump into bounce houses, play carnival games, meet adorable animals at the petting zoo, and refuel with dinner — all while celebrating Purim in the wildest way possible. Costumes encouraged, smiles guaranteed! Register at https://tinyurl.com/h28uv8tu.

80’s Big Play Purim – 5 to 6 p.m. Purim goes 80s. Games, activities, and kosher food with the Mitzvah House. Laser tag, bowling, arcades. Free with RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/24v59b7x.

Purim Celebration – 5 to 7 p.m. All are invited to a fun outdoor Purim Celebration in the Courtyard at the JCC! The celebration will feature: Purim songs with Rabbi G, performance, games, activities and crafts, free hamantaschen and more! Children are encouraged to wear costumes. FREE and open to all! Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/y6wrxbe3.

Purim in NYC – 5:30 p.m. Join Purim in NYC with Chabad of Smyrna-Vinings! There will be NYC deli dinner, airbrush art keepsake, The Little Gym Smyrna Zone, NYC street show, Megillah reading, open bar, pickle making, NYC photo booth, and facepaint. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/mwv5jsz2.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Ki Tisa

Friday, March 6 Light Shabbat Candles: 6:20 PM

Saturday, March 7 Shabbat Ends: 7:16 PM

Torah Reading: Vayak’hel-Pekudei

Friday, March 13 Light Shabbat Candles: 7:26 PM

Saturday, March 14 Shabbat Ends: 8:22 PM

Wednesday, March 4

Embracing Neurodiversity Across Jewish Atlanta – 12 to 12:45 p.m. Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta for a thoughtful and practical webinar exploring neurodiversity and what it means to build truly inclusive communities that value different ways of thinking, learning, and working. Get the Zoom link at https://tinyurl.com/5xm5b9mm.

Thursday,

March 5

JCRC of Atlanta’s Quarterly Community Council – 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta (JCRC) will hold its quarterly Community Council. The gathering will bring together representatives from Jewish organizations across Atlanta, along with interested community members. Visit https:// tinyurl.com/yen5ermr to RSVP.

March 2026 JBaby Newborn Small

Group- 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Shalom, and welcome to the newest members of the tribe! Whether you’re a first-time parent or adding to your growing family, this warm and welcoming group offers a safe, judgment-free space to share your experiences, ask questions, and build friendships with other new parents who truly understand what you’re going through. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5h4xzs5k.

Israeli October 7th Survivor at The Epstein School - 7 to 8:30 p.m. Epstein’s Israeli guest speaker survived extended captivity in Gaza after attending the Nova Festival on Oct. 7. Learn more at https:// tinyurl.com/32afh5he.

Jerry’s Habima Theatre: Mary Poppins

JR – 7:30 p.m. The wealthy Banks children meet their new nanny, the confident Mary Poppins, who uses imagination, wit, common sense, and a bit of magic to help them rediscover the importance of family, through a series of whimsical adventures This show is perfect for all ages! All seating is general admission. Reserve tickets at https://tinyurl.com/3ebtpepf.

Passover - Read It in Hebrew – 7:30 p.m.

This Passover, follow the Haggadah with confidence. Learn to read Hebrew. Read It in Hebrew is a cutting-edge, five-week crash course that makes learning to read Hebrew simple and inspiring. It combines proven teaching methods with elegant design, incorporating the timeless educational principles of the Rebbes of Chabad. Learn how to read Hebrew by signing up at https://tinyurl.com/4yxajsm5.

Friday, March 6

Allies in Context: Exploring the U.S.–Israel Relationship- 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Allies in Context: Exploring the U.S.–Israel Relationship is a four-part learning series that offers participants an accessible look at how the U.S.–Israel relationship has taken shape over the past century. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2tbkrhjz.

Book It to Shabbat - A fun-filled weekend with PJ Library and Ramah Darom for families with children ages 6 and under, where Jewish values are brought to life through the magic of camp and PJ Library stories. Sign up at https://tinyurl. com/mu3ns2ec.

February/March 2026 JBaby Intown Small Group- 11:30 a.m. A five-week small group series for local families to bond over music, education, support, and playtime. Designed for babies ages 0–12 months and their parent(s). In this warm, welcoming space, neighborhood families come together for playful learning and meaningful support. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/mr9fcf4t.

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

Saturday, March 7

Book It to Shabbat - A fun-filled weekend with PJ Library and Ramah Darom for families with children ages 6 and under, where Jewish values are brought to life through the magic of camp and PJ Library stories. Sign up at https://tinyurl. com/mu3ns2ec.

Sing-a-long Shabbat at Etz Chaim –10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim and the Etz Chaim Preschool invite you and your family to join us for Sing-a-long Shabbat geared for families with young children. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/yc7ez6ts.

Jerry’s Habima Theatre: Mary Poppins JR – 7:30 p.m. The wealthy Banks children meet their new nanny, the confident Mary Poppins, who uses imagination, wit, common sense, and a bit of magic to help them rediscover the importance of family through a series of whimsical adventures. This show is perfect for all ages! All seating is general admission. Reserve tickets at https://tinyurl.com/3ebtpepf.

Sunday, March 8

Book It to Shabbat - A fun-filled weekend with PJ Library and Ramah Darom for families with children ages 6 and under, where Jewish values are brought to life through the magic of camp and PJ Library stories. Sign up at https://tinyurl. com/mu3ns2ec.

3rd Feeney’s 5K AJC Peachtree Road Race Qualifier – 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. On March 8, 2026, the Feeney Legacy Project is hosting the 3rd Annual Feeney’s 5K Fun Run in Atlanta—our biggest year yet at Brook Run Park and our first as an AJC Peachtree Road Race Qualifier. Included with the run is fun times, featuring vendors, community engagement, and activities before and after the run. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ypena66k.

Toco Screening - Your DNA. Your Decisions. Your Future – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join JScreen for a community-wide genetic testing event! Hereditary Cancer testing: learn your inherited cancer risk with testing for BRCA1, BRCA2 and more than 60 other cancer genes. Reproductive Carrier Screening: learn your risk for TaySachs Disease and over 260 other conditions you could pass on to your future children. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ yszhy7wz.

Jerry’s Habima Theatre: Mary Poppins JR – 11 a.m. The wealthy Banks children meet their new nanny, the confident Mary Poppins, who uses imagination, wit, common sense, and a bit of magic to help them rediscover the importance of family through a series of whimsical adventures. This show is perfect for all ages! All seating is general admission. Reserve tickets at https://tinyurl.com/3ebtpepf.

Hoedown: Lassoing Love, Laughter, and Line Dancing - 12 to 2 p.m. Join the Ahavath Achim Synagogue’s Sisterhood for lassoing love, laughter, and line dancing. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ k8tz3995.

A “Wicked” Fun Purim Carnival at Congregation Etz Chaim- 12 to 2 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim’s Youth Department welcomes all to join in for a “Wicked Fun” afternoon at our Purim Carnival. There will be activities for all ages, food for purchase at https://tinyurl. com/534s6e5e plus child-friendly Megillah reading and costume parade in the Radow Sanctuary. Entry bracelets can be purchased on our website, along with raffle tickets and great prizes (for children ages 2-18) All are welcome to attend this community-wide event.

BCTC Kind and Curious Interfaith Conversation – 3 to 5 p.m. Join Building Community Thru Conversation for a welcoming and thought-provoking interfaith grassroots meeting in your community: “Behind the Media: Being Jewish in the World Today.” In an age of constant headlines and social media soundbites, it can be hard to separate perception from lived experience. Let’s build community through kind and curious conversation — one voice at a time at https://tinyurl. com/yurw4me5.

JBaby Brookhaven Neighborhood

Small Group - 3:30 p.m. A five-week small group series for local families to bond over music, education, support, and playtime. Designed for babies ages 0–12 months and their parent(s). Register at https://tinyurl.com/2u2tpw4h.

Jerry’s Habima Theatre: Mary Poppins JR – 4 p.m. The wealthy Banks children meet their new nanny, the confident Mary Poppins, who uses imagination, wit, common sense, and a bit of magic to help them rediscover the importance of family through a series of whimsical adventures All seating is general admission. Reserve tickets at https://tinyurl. com/3ebtpepf.

Friends of JIFLA Sips and Sushi – 5 to 7 p.m. Join the Jewish Interest-Free Loan Association of GA (JIFLA) as we celebrate and express our gratitude to the amazing volunteers and donors who make our work possible. Your presence would mean so much to us! Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/fnxc43k9.

Monday, March

9

Real-Time Update on the Middle East: Conversation with Yaakov Katz -7:30 to 9 p.m. The Middle East is changing in real time—and understanding what’s happening requires more than headlines and breaking alerts. As part of the Critical Conversations Series, Yaakov Katz joins David Zalik for a live, unscripted conversation examining what is unfolding now, what it signals, and what comes next. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/ fmyyrkjy.

Tuesday, March 10

Pride to the Capitol 2026: Liberty and Justice for ALL! – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We seek to improve every part of LGBTQ+ life, and the lives of those we share community with. Pride to the Capitol 2026 will be held under the unfulfilled promise of America: Liberty and Justice for ALL. Join Sojourn for a day of action beginning at Atlanta City Hall and ending at the Georgia State Capitol for an advocacy training, rally and assisted legislator contact. A free breakfast and lunch will be provided with your RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/9tyaawn5.

At the Passover Table: Learning, Meaning, and Tradition - 12 to 1 p.m. In partnership with Ahavath Achim Synagogue, The Dupree is hosting three Lunch & Learn sessions led by Ahavath Achim’s rabbis, designed to help participants prepare for Passover with greater understanding, confidence, and intention. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2ahf4aef.

Women’s Philanthropy and Young Leadership Division Community Event for Women – 6 to 8 p.m. The Women’s Philanthropy and Young Leadership Division Community Event for Women is a signature Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta gathering that brings together women from across generations for an uplifting evening celebrating Jewish joy. Register at https://tinyurl. com/4vk659d2.

Music Jam @ The JCC -6 to 8 p.m. Calling all musicians and music lovers for a Music Jam at the JCC! Bring your instrument(s), friends and jam with fellow musicians. No auditions, no restrictions — just pure musical fun and collaboration. FREE and open to people of all ages! Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/mrnr7hc5.

Wednesday, March 11

2026 Atlanta Unity Seder – 6 p.m. The themes of Passover resonate with the human experience of overcoming adversity, seeking freedom, and fostering unity. The Unity Seder offers a powerful platform to reflect on our collective journeys and the pursuit of freedom as a universal aspiration that unites us all. Sign up at https:// tinyurl.com/2dajw2dx.

Hebrew-Speaking Parents of Teens: Meet & Sip – 7:30 to 9 p.m. This event is the kickoff gathering for a new micro-community created especially for Hebrew-speaking parents of teens supported by Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s JTeen initiative and BeWellATL. Join us for a relaxed and welcoming evening to connect, share, and enjoy some fun together. Register at https://tinyurl. com/5n7bmsrk.

Thursday, March 12

Atlanta Rabbinic Leadership Lab – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Today’s rabbis and educators are asked to lead amid generational change, social and cultural pressures, resource constraints, and evolving communal expectations. Through plenaries, survey analysis, and focused breakout sessions on engaging the next generation, participants will explore practical insights and big questions shaping the future of Jewish communal life. Register with the Atlanta Rabbinical Association at https://tinyurl.com/ft7ny2m3.

March 2026 JBaby Newborn Small Group- 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Shalom, and welcome to the newest members of the tribe! Whether you’re a first-time parent or adding to your growing family, this warm and welcoming group offers a safe, judgment-free space to share your experiences, ask questions, and build friendships with other new parents who truly understand what you’re going through. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5h4xzs5k.

Jerry’s Habima Theatre: Mary Poppins JR – 7:30 p.m. The wealthy Banks children meet their new nanny, the confident Mary Poppins, who uses imagination, wit, common sense, and a bit of magic to help them rediscover the importance of family through a series of whimsical adventures. All seating is general admission. Reserve tickets at https://tinyurl. com/3ebtpepf.

Passover - Read It in Hebrew – 7:30 p.m. This Passover, follow the Haggadah with confidence. Learn to read Hebrew. Read It in Hebrew is a cutting-edge, five-week crash course that makes learning to read Hebrew simple and inspiring. It combines proven teaching methods with elegant design, incorporating the timeless educational principles of the Rebbes of Chabad. Learn how to read Hebrew by signing up at https://tinyurl.com/4yxajsm5.

Friday, March 13

Allies in Context: Exploring the U.S.–Israel Relationship - 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Allies in Context: Exploring the U.S.–Israel Relationship is a four-part learning series that offers participants an accessible look at how the U.S.–Israel relationship has taken shape over the past century. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2tbkrhjz.

February/March 2026 JBaby Intown

Small Group- 11:30 a.m. A 5-week small group series for local families to bond over music, education, support, and playtime. Designed for babies ages 0–12 months and their parent(s). Register at https://tinyurl.com/mr9fcf4t.

Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G - 5 to 5:30 p.m. Experience the joy of Shabbat with Rabbi G! This exciting celebration is fun for the whole family, featuring lively Shabbat songs, heartfelt blessings, and delicious challah and grape juice. This is the perfect way to close out the week in a fun and relaxed setting. Get more information at https://tinyurl.com/mr368csb.

Shabbat for All – 5 to 6:30 p.m. Join Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, for Shabbat for All, a musical Shabbat evening with PJ Library Atlanta and JAccess, in partnership with Congregation Shearith Israel. The Shabbat for All experience welcomes everyone and offers an evening of connection, access, art making, and community in a space where all can participate. Enjoy a delicious dinner with pizza bagels, salad, drinks, and dessert, with non-dairy and gluten-free options available. Register at https://tinyurl. com/5d7avxkc.

Prime Timers Shabbat Dinner – 6:30 to 10 p.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim’s Prime Timers for Shabbat services followed by a Shabbat dinner. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/2u9ausbe.

Saturday, March 14

Hannah Zale at Tot Shabbat – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join Beth Shalom and the fabulous Hannah Zale for a Tot Shabbat. Joyful Judaism through song, movement, and storytelling! Find out more at https://tinyurl. com/yc2ftmej.

Critter Camp

KEEPING IT KOSHER

Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Batter

2 cups Glicks Flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon Gefen Baking Soda

3/4 cup margarine (1 and 1/2 sticks)

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon Gefen Vanilla Extract

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

For Decorating

16 ounces vanilla cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large sheet pans with Gefen Parchment Paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the coconut. Mix until combined.

5. Use a medium scoop to portion out the cookies. Place on lined pans.

6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool completely.

7. Dip the tops of each cookie in the vanilla cream. Sprinkle each cookie with 1/4 teaspoon shredded coconut. Allow to set.

Recipe by The Peppermill kosher.com

The Ring

Sadie was talking with her best friend, Rachel.

“Is that a new ring I see you’re wearing, Rachel?”

“Yes, it is, Sadie,” replied Rachel. “My husband, Max, bought it for me. It’s special. I call it my mood ring.”

“Why do you call it that?” asked Sadie.

“Well, when I’m in a good mood, it turns green, and when I’m in a bad mood, it leaves a red mark on his forehead.”

YIDDISH WORD

Yiddishe pooch

n. A dog that has learned and responds to commands in Yiddish.

“Daisy is a Yiddishe pooch. Tell her to go kibbitz and she chews other dogs’ ears off. Not literally, of course.”

From “Yiddish.”

Hidden Figures: Purim

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

Difficulty Level: Challenging

ACROSS

1. Parsha often doubled with Matos

6. Mouthwash brand

11. Kings, on the scoreboard

14. Notable word in kashrut...and crosswords

15. Perspiration vents

16. Part of a refrain

17. Evil and crazy Purim villain

19. Baby sitter’s nightmare

20. Jehoahaz, to Jehu

21. Pro

22. Skin care ingredient

23. ___ Capital (investment firm)

25. Big oil problem

27. Bic ___ Stic

28. Common American trees

29. Humble Purim savior

31. Roth or Wallach

32. “Looney Tunes” stinker, familiarly

33. Dog-

34. Appease a nosher

35. Hurdle for a future atty.

37. Issues forth

40. “Israfel” poet and his wife

41. Steve Rogers, familiarly

44. Achashverosh felt he didn’t have to put up with it from his first wife

47. Hurry

This week, 100 years ago

48. Jewish arboreal name

49. “Mi laShem ___!”

50. Jewish author and ambassador

Michael

51. Give, as a hand

52. Stranded messenger?

53. Raz of “Fauda”

55. What?, to Raz

56. Mordechai got one for foiling an

assassination

60. Earlier in time

61. “Buy you ___?” (bar query)

62. Mall stand

63. Former name designator

64. Outlaw pursuers

65. “Start Up Nation” co-author Dan

DOWN

1. Boss, briefly

2. Mode preceder

3. Raw fish option

4. Aegean capital

5. Scientist Yanai

6. Whirlpool

7. Trust, with “in”

8. Pete Alonso, now

9. Gems from the deep

10. PC’s panic button

11. “Night at the Museum” star

Antisemitic riots break out at reopening of Bucharest University.

Italian Jewish Author Guido Manasci dies at the age of 58.

This week, 75 years ago

The Atlanta JCC dedicates the Taylor Jewish Music Library.

Mrs. Wilinsky of Savannah re-elected president of Southeastern Region of Senior Hadassah.

Shearith Israel plans Purim Ball.

This week, 50 years ago

In message for Brotherhood Week, president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Dr. David Hyatt, calls on Americans to prevent “the evils of poverty, bigotry, and race hatred.”

Characters from Marice Sendak’s, “Where the Wild Things Are,” hang out

Local Atlanta Rabbi Emanuel Feldman of Congregation Beth Jacob has essays published in two newly released books.

Rabbi Michal Bernstein, second female Rabbi ordained in the U.S., speaks at local Hillel house.

The Epstein School sponsors art auction at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, including art from Chagall, Picasso, and Dali.

The AJT features an article on “The Klutz,” UGA Hillel’s newsletter started late the prior year.

Mr. and Mrs. Irving Treppel announce the engagement of their daughter, Gloria, to Charles Frisch, of Atlanta, son of Irving and Leona Frisch.

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Cohen of Atlanta anounce the engagement of their daughter Carol to Michael Benator, son of Mr. and Mrs. Asher Benator.

12. Bedroom furniture

13. Alternative to a split or ranch

18. Flushing mascot

22. “___ Sha’alti”

23. Sukkah pest

24. Total

26. Absolute monarch in a European city-state

30. Black and Rooibos, e.g.

32. Make like a Manning

34. What to do when an ark is opened

35. Like Ricky Martin’s “Vida”

36. Stoning, in Tanach

37. Funny Alex

38. “It’s not the years, honey. It’s the ___” (Indiana Jones)

39. 1820 English novel with a Jewish heroine

40. Exercise system

41. “Proceed”

42. Skubal, for the Pirates

43. 27-Across, e.g.

45. Big maker of gummy bears

46. Bits of color

47. Jaxson Dart, in 2025

54. Writes

56. “Southern” relig.

57. 1,000-year Eur. realm

58. Boo Boo, in Barcelona?

59. Kyiv’s land: Abbr.

This week, 25 years ago

“Where the Wild Things Are” author, Maurice Sendak, teams up with The Breman Museum for a rare exhibit of his work.

Greenfield Hebrew Academy alum, 21-year-old Renée Safra, gives the commencement speech at her graduation from the University of Michigan.

Sarah Tuchman, daughter of Robert and Marcia, has her bat mitzvah ceremony alongside three other Kol Emeth teens in the chapel of the Beth Jacob Synagogue in Spain.

Atlanta native David Husney helps bring multi-camera “Eye-Vision” replay tech to the 2001 Super Bowl.

Adam Williams has a b’nai mitzvah ceremony with mom, Janet Lavine, despite common challenge: “No one in my family can sing for beans.”

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

OBITUARIES

Dr. Robert Berlin

91, Sandy Springs

Dr. Robert (Bobby) Berlin, 91, of Sandy Springs, Ga. (born in Atlanta, Ga), devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family and friends. He was the adored son of Irving and Belle Berlin, both deceased. Bob was the beloved husband of Harriet and the cherished father of his daughters, Toby, Nancy, and son, Richard (Sue Feig). His family was truly his pride and joy. He was treasured as “Bobby or grandpa” by his granddaughters Emily Berlin, Natalie Rosenbaum, and Isabel Berlin.

He was also loved by his sister, Suzin Berlin (deceased), his sister, Sherry Fleischman, brother, Doug Berlin (Arlette), nephews, Joe Fleischman (Iliana), Josh Berlin (Katie), and Andy Berlin, as well as numerous loving cousins, extended family members, and friends.

Bob met his beloved wife, Harriet (the love of his life) in college, and eventually settled in Atlanta to build a life together. There, they created not only a beautiful family but also a thriving dental practice and a close-knit circle of friends — an extended family who shared countless celebrations and life milestones.

Dr. Berlin was a dedicated and compassionate dentist who took great pride in his work, continuing to practice well into his 80s. Beyond his professional life, he was an avid poker player, sports fan, and a lover of dogs, movies, and cars. His enduring sense of humor and kindness to everyone will be remembered forever. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation.

The funeral was held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 with Rabbi Brad Levenberg officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Shiva was held Tuesday, February 17, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Thursday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the home of Richard Berlin and Sue Feig, 5483 Oxford Chase Way, Dunwoody, GA 30338.

Phillip Bush 96, Raleigh, N.C.

Phillip Bush passed away on Feb. 11, 2026.

He was born in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Nov. 24, 1929, to Pauline (Brody) and Roy Bush. Raised during the Depression, his childhood was enriched by his Yiddish-speaking synagogue congregation and by the community that frequented his parents’ grocery store (where young Phillip was known to help himself to lots of candy).

Phillip earned a degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, completed the Army ROTC program, and was commissioned as a Second Lt. in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He loved to tell and retell wonderful and colorful stories of the time he was stationed in Japan.

After serving, Phillip moved to Atlanta and lived the “bachelor life” for many years until he befriended, then married, Doris Hecht. They were happily married for 64 years. Together, they raised their children, Leonard and Janet. The family of four enjoyed life together, supporting each other with loving kindness.

Phillip played tennis weekly well into his 60s and continued to be a fan of the sport throughout his life up through this January’s Australian Open.

Phillip began and ended his professional career at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for nearly 50 years. He retired as the CFO of the organization before returning to consult when they needed his expertise a few years later.

Phillip was a devoted son and spent endless time helping and supporting his mother, Pauline. He was also a loving grandfather. Doris and Phillip would drive to Raleigh and Minneapolis on a regular basis to visit their grandsons.

After living in the same home on Cherrywood Lane in Atlanta for over 50 years, Phillip and Doris moved to Waltonwood Lake Boone in Raleigh. Phillip was very active in the Raleigh and Waltonwood community, surprising everyone that he was in his 90s.

Phillip was loved by many and will be missed terribly.  He is survived by his wife Doris Bush, children, Leonard Bush, and his wife, Amy Bush of Raleigh, Janet Bush and her wife, René Tripeny of Minneapolis, grandchildren, Adam, Michael, Joshua, and Jonah and cherished extended family.

Phillip was preceded in death by parents, Roy and Pauline, and brothers, Mitchell and Gerald.

Contributions in Phillip’s memory can be made to the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta or a charity of one’s choice.

A memorial service was held on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home on Millbrook Road in Raleigh with interment at The Raleigh Hebrew Cemetery on State Street.

Camille Johanna Goldsman 96,

Atlanta

Camille Johanna Goldsman, 96, formerly of Liverpool, N.Y., passed away on Feb. 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Ga., where she resided for the past six years.

Camille was born Camilla Johanna Jagusch on May 29, 1929, in Osterode, East Prussia, Germany. In 1936, after their mother’s death, Camille and her brother, Siggy, were able to escape Germany due to the tireless efforts of their uncle, George Cohn. He connected with the German Jewish Children’s Aid organization, and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, led by Cecelia Razovsky, who worked miracles to save Jewish children from the Nazis. The undercover operation they led later became known as the “One Thousand Children” program. Camille’s father, grandmother, and much of her extended family subsequently died in the Holocaust. Camille was raised by her uncle, George, and great aunt, Elise, in Buffalo, N.Y.

Camille attended The Park School in Buffalo, and the University of Buffalo. She and her husband, Sam, moved to Liverpool and raised six children. As an adult, Camille enjoyed horseback riding, photographing nature, and outdoor activities. But mostly, she loved being a mother, and later, a grandmother. Camille was a member of Congregation Ner Tamid and, later, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, and was a lifetime member of Hadassah.

Camille was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Helene Cohn Jagusch, her uncle and guardian, George Cohn, her husband of 52 years, Samuel, and her brother, Siegbert Jagusch. She is survived by her children and their spouses/partners: David (Gamze Tokol), Helene (Walter Deskins), Paul (Britta Serog), Lynne (Andy Dean), Susan, and Michael (Laura McCarty), 10 grandchildren: Denis and Mina Goldsman, Leah, Daniel, and Jonathan Deskins, Benjamin (Samantha Chiang), Samantha, and Emily Dean, Michaela Cohen, and William Goldsman; and two great grandchildren: Luca and Eden Chiang-Dean. She is also survived by cousins, Caroline Guttman and Helen Rothchild, and nieces and nephews, Gail Golden and Mark Goldsman, and Holly and Geoffrey Golden.

The family extends sincerest appreciation to Camille’s caregivers, Patricia Thompson and Gabrielle Thompson, who were devoted friends and who will forever be a part of the Goldsman family, and to Camille’s physician in Atlanta, Dr. Hogai Nassery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to the Holocaust Survivors Program at the Jewish and Family Career Services of Atlanta,  https://jfcsatl.org/services/aviv-older-adults/holocaust-survivor-services.

A graveside service will be held at a later date in Buffalo. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Dr. Robert Michael Lazerson 86,

Sandy Springs

Dr. Robert Michael Lazerson, 86, of Sandy Springs, Ga. (born in Chicago, Ill.), devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family and friends. He was the treasured son of Berta and Bernard Lazerson, both deceased. Bob was the beloved husband of Carol and the cherished father of his two daughters, Amy (Andy) Farbman and Brooke (Ben) Sank. His family was truly his pride and joy. He was adored as “Baba” by his grandchildren — granddaughters, Alexis, Camryn, and Lindsay Farbman, and grandsons, Ari and Ethan Sank. He is also survived by his loving sister, Judy (Mark) Cargerman.

A dentist that served in Vietnam, Dr. Lazerson cared for wounded soldiers with empathy and skill. After returning home, he met his beloved wife, Carol, and eventually settled in Atlanta, Ga., to build a life together. There, they created not only a beautiful family but also a thriving practice and a closeknit circle of friends — an extended family who shared countless celebrations and life milestones.

Dr. Lazerson was a dedicated and compassionate oral surgeon who took great pride in his work, continuing to practice well into his 80s. Beyond his professional life, he was an avid runner, hiker, and traveler who lived life to the fullest. His enduring work ethic, zest for adventure, and commitment to staying active will remain an inspiration to all who knew him while his kindness to everyone will be remembered forever.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Jewish HomeLife. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999

Shiva was held Sunday, Feb. 15, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 16, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lazerson home.

OBITUARIES Hal Parker

89, Sandy Springs

Hal Parker, a man of “15 lives,” eternal optimism, and boundless charisma, passed away at the age of 89. Born in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, N.Y., Hal lived a life defined by loyalty, resilience, and a charisma that could light up any room. He departed this world just one day after the anniversary of his late wife, Fran’s, passing — a final, poetic gesture from a man who lived his life with the timing of a master performer.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Hal was the son of a close-knit family, predeceased by his brother, Harvey Pensky, and his sister, Rae Doliner. He was a proud graduate of the City University of New York (CUNY) and served his country in the Army Reserves.

Hal spent his professional career dedicated to the youth of New York City, serving as the supervisor of attendance for the Board of Education until his retirement in 1995. While he was a respected leader in the school system, his true “second act” took place on the stage.

A pillar of the local arts community, Hal was a commanding presence by founding the Huntcliff Players. His impact was so profound that the troupe was renamed the Hal Parker Players in his honor. Whether he was directing or acting, Hal had a rare gift for making everyone around him feel like a star, turning a room of strangers into a chorus of laughter.

Known by his family as an “eternal optimist,” Hal possessed a resilience that defied the odds. Time and again, he bounced back from health challenges with a smile, usually requesting matzah ball soup and a pumpernickel bagel from Bagelicious. He faced the world with the unwavering belief that something good was always just around the corner.

Hal’s heart was as large as his personality. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Fran, for 49 years, caring for her with tireless devotion until her passing in 2009. Later in life, Hal was fortunate to find love again with Sandy Tanners, with whom he shared 10 wonderful years of companionship. In his final years at Huntcliff, he found great happiness with Jill Sellers, proving his own mantra that one is never too old to begin a beautiful new chapter.

He is survived by his devoted daughters: Felice Myers and her husband, Dean; Kim Parker and her husband, Tom Huth. He was the proud grandfather to Max Myers (and wife, Hannah) and Alana Zaleon (and husband, Avi).

In his final days, when asked if anything worried him, Hal simply replied, “that everything is going to go well.” He leaves behind a legacy of loyalty, laughter, and the living proof that life is meant to be embraced to the very last moment. His family takes comfort in knowing that, because of the foundation he built, everything will indeed be more than well.

Those of you who wish to further honor the memory of Harold may best do so by means of a contribution to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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

2 6 B E

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The Wedding Planner

Shaindle

Schmuckler

Shaindle’s Shpiel

Girls from The Bronx didn’t know from wedding planners.

Our moms were our wedding planners. Not one of us would have dared to even consider hiring a “stranger” to plan our chasaneh (wedding).

In my case, it wasn’t a particularly complicated task. I had only two requests. Shades of lilac for the color scheme, and instead of a bouquet of roses, I wanted to carry three or four lilies of the valley.

Did you know lilies of the valley are associated with cemeteries? (Was this a real thing, or was it a bubeh meyseh, an old wives’ tale from the old country?) No, neither did I, so I carried a bouquet of

white roses.

The color scheme, shades of lilac, was acceptable. (Check one for the bride).

Let me start from a time when I had no need for a wedding planner, before I ever received an official proposal. Gene and I were strolling on Fordham Road in The Bronx. We had just passed Alexander’s department store. We were on our way to Jahn’s ice cream parlor. As I recall, it was a beautiful Saturday fall evening. The weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. The trees hadn’t lost their leaves yet.

For reasons I can no longer remember, when we passed this huge jewelry store, Gene asked me what kind of engagement ring I would want, should we ever get engaged.

Needless to say, my heart skipped the proverbial beat. Is this it I wondered? Is this the proposal? I calmly stated my case.

I was quite clear, my dream engagement ring would be a small pearl with two little diamond baguettes, one on

each side of the pearl.

I could not know why he suddenly had the strangest look on his face. It certainly seemed as if it was in direct response to my vision of the perfect ring. The universe had other plans. OK, truth be told, my future in-laws had other visions of the perfect ring.

We arrived at Jahn’s ice cream parlor where we were seated in a comfy booth. Gene excused himself in order to visit the men’s room. Upon his return, the waiter arrived at our table wearing the strangest smile. He placed the menu on our table, announced he would be back to take our orders.

The options on the Jahn’s menu were too many to decide quickly. However, after careful consideration, we were ready to order. Coffee ice cream and decaf coffee for me. (Those who know me are reading this and thinking to themselves, of course, coffee ice cream and, of course, decaf coffee!) Gene ordered an ice cream float which consisted of three different flavors of ice cream topped with choco-

late syrup, whipped cream, and cherries. His preferred drink that evening was water.

As I recall, it was taking an awful long time for our orders to arrive. No matter, Gene and I were deep in conversation. Suddenly, our waiter arrived with our famous Jahn’s ice cream order, and a knowing smile. On the platter next to the ice cream boat bowl sat a beautiful velvet box.

Yes, it was the box with an engagement ring. And right there in Jahn’s we got engaged. The waiter, his colleagues, and the folks at the next table congratulated us. It was quite a moment to treasure.

Oh, and the ring! A stunning pearshaped diamond with two baguettes, one on either side of the pear.

It seems Gene’s parents knew someone in “the business.” My wedding planner got to work.

The event was flawless. Love and joy filled the ballroom of the synagogue. And the rest, as they say, is history. ì