THE
Jewish
OBSERVER www.jewishobservernashville.org
Vol. 89 No. 11
Pictured l. to r.: Nashville’s former Mayor Bill Purcell, Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Dr. Sandra Simmons at Abe’s Garden recent groundbreaking ceremony
NOVEMBER 2024
30 Tishrei - 29 Cheshvan 5785
Pictured l. to r.: Sherry Stein, Risa Klein Herzog, Margaret Reinheimer, Shirley Foster. Photo credit: Rick Malkin
Abe’s Garden Launches $20 Million Campaign to Expand Memory Care Services and Create Replicable Model By BARBARA DAB
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ocal nonprofit senior living community Abe’s Garden announced a $20 million campaign to expand and enhance its memory care facilities and services, and to establish a replicable model. “Abe’s Garden has become a solution to families’ challenges for nine years. In fact, it’s become a household
name,” says Risa Klein Herzog, director of donor relations at Abe’s Garden. “It’s an option for people who want to live independently, who want assisted living, and people who may need our memory support services.” She says the memory support, which is the newest addition, is the “jewel in the crown.” Abe’s Garden was created when Mike and Lisa Shmerling purchased the
former independent living residence, Park Manor in 2008. “They added services and then added assisted living while they toured the country, found best practices in memory support, and then built out the new part,” says Herzog. The plan will include adding approximately 50 percent more memory support residences which will increase capacity from the current 42 to 62. Herzog adds this will
alleviate a waiting list of about 50 people a month. A top priority for the next phase includes creating a model for memory care that can be replicated. The Shmerlings are partnering with Vanderbilt University’s division of geriatrics through the Abram C. Shmerling, M.D. Endowed Chair. Herzog says it was Continued on page 16
Metro Council Passes Four Bills Aimed at Curbing Hate Groups By BARBARA DAB
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etro Council passed, and Mayor Freddie O’Connell signed, four ordinances designed to deter hate groups coming into Nashville, as some did over the summer, demonstrating in front of West End Synagogue and downtown businesses, and disrupting a Metro Council meeting. Some groups wore face masks, others demonstrated and hung antisemitic signs on overpasses. This was in addition to the group that littered private homes with antisemitic fliers over the last couple of years. Metro Council member Sheri Weiner (District 22), says, “If you look at those four, what it does, it just gives the police and the courts more A Publication of the
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teeth. We didn’t have enough teeth for the police to grab hold of. That was one of the biggest problems we saw.” The ordinances include changes that will: • restrict the solicitation or distribution of handbills on private property to daylight hours, • create exemptions for wearing masks or disguises in public, including health and sincerely held beliefs, • create buffer zones around public buildings and parking lots, • prohibit placement of unauthorized signs, signals, or markings above a highway. Weiner says each of those ordinances had approximately 19 sponsors, which Community Joins for October 7th Commemoration, page 4
amounts to nearly half of the entire council. “The hope here is that these new measures offer more of a deterrent to people showing up. But if you show up, you can’t hide your identity. And that was one of the things they were doing.” What comes next, says Weiner, both in the hands of the police and the courts. She says both she and Judge Dan Eisenstein were asked by District Attorney Glenn Funk to provide continuing education for his staff. “It is about how important these bills are, and about how you keep from re-victimizing victims of hate speech and antisemitic behavior, and anti-islamophobia.” She adds that the goal was to be inclusive of all victims in order to best protect free speech. Young Families Welcome the New Year, page 7
Eisenstein says overall the language in the ordinances is good, but there are limitations since these are not criminal statutes. “The issue is these are Metro ordinances, which are civil offenses. The maximum fine is $50 and costs. Getting them enforced can also be tricky.” Nevertheless, he says it is important to be prepared in how to get violations implemented. Eisenstein and Weiner plan to share with the DA’s staff the importance to the Jewish community of enforcing these ordinances. “We will discuss the feelings of people in our community about what’s going on,” says Eisenstein, “I think the DA’s office is very sensitive to this and responsive.” But he says it is incumbent Continued on page 2
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