THE
Jewish
OBSERVER www.jewishobservernashville.org
Vol. 90 No. 12
DECEMBER 2025 11 Kislev - 11 Tevet 5786
HAPPY CHANUKAH Community Generosity Fuels Federation’s 2025 Campaign: Donors respond to rising needs and tax law changes with bold, heartfelt giving By ARLENE AVERBUCH AND JACOB KLEINROCK, CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
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s we enter the busiest month of our Campaign year, we pause to reflect on the extraordinary generosity of our donors—and the profound impact that generosity is having on Jewish life in Nashville, in Israel, and around the world. This year, we’ve asked our community to stretch—to increase their giving by 20%—in order to meet our $3 million goal. And the response has been nothing short of inspiring. Many have met that ask. Some have gone further. Several key donors have increased their gifts to $100,000 or more, in some cases doubling their previous commitments. Others are accelerating their 2026 giving to take advantage of current tax laws before changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect next year. We’ve seen donors open Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) through our Foundation, enabling them to give Jewishly to causes ranging from Nashville Public Radio to Second Harvest Food Bank. And perhaps most moving of all, we’ve welcomed back donors who haven’t given in years—returning to support the community they love. And the truth is: we need this now more than ever. We are living through an unprecedented moment, facing a surge in antisemitism and growing threats to our security. The Federation has Continued on page 8 A Publication of the
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Southeast Region’s New Consul General Eitan Weiss Visits Nashville, Sparks Dialogue on Israel By BARBARA DAB
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itan Weiss, the new Israel Consul General to the Southeast Region made the rounds in Nashville late last month. He spent several days meeting with community members, state lawmakers, and Vanderbilt students and administrators. “We were honored to welcome the Consul General for his first visit to Nashville,” says Judy Alperin, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, “It is clear we have an experienced, dedicated, charming, and insightful champion and look forward to the next few years working together.” Speaking during a conversation moderated by former WSMV news anchor Continued on page 15
Israel Consul General Eitan Weiss in conversation with former WSMV reporter Carley Gordon during a community wide event
How AI Is Reshaping Jewish Life: Innovation, Identity, and New Frontiers By BARBARA DAB
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he Jewish community’s use of artificial intelligence is multi-faceted, influencing everything from healthcare, to education, the arts, and of course rabbinic practice, as well as raising concerns around antisemitism. Dr. Maya Ackerman, a computer scientist and AI pioneer, says, “I got to watch the whole revolution from the background, from academia, from inside industry.” Last year Ackerman conducted the first ever analysis of AI on antisemitism. She used the AI platform Midjourney as her basis for study and found some surprising results. “What was really devastating in it, and other systems, is not familiar antisemitic tropes like big noses.” She says there were new expressions of antisemitism that came up. “For example Magen Davids becoming crosses, which was particularly painful. But my least Local Voices Take Action: Nashville Meeting Tackles Antisemitism and Israel Dialogue, page 2
favorite one was you ask for Passover dinner and you get Arabs eating bread.” She said this was fairly consistent across platforms. “Not only Midjourney. Also Stable Diffusion, which is integrated into about 90% of systems.” Ackerman said Midjourney has fixed some of its references. “For a while when you would ask for Chanukah, about 10% of the time you would get a German Christmas tree with candles.” The reason for this type of bias in the AI world is what Ackerman says is an honest mirror of Western collective consciousness. “It’s based on Western data. Do Westerners know the difference between Jews and Arabs? Do Westerners know that Chanukah has nothing to do with Christmas trees?” She says the results are revealing. “The converting of a Star of David into a cross? You can’t come up with anything more Western if you look at history.” The Role of Israel’s Gap Year - Pre-Army Academies and Pre-Army Service Year, page 4
Of course, antisemitism is not the only concern or focus for those who use AI. Rabbi Joshua Kullock, of West End Synagogue, says he can see both positive and negative perspectives. “Personally, for what it’s worth, the use of AI, is it good or bad? It’s like asking is science good or bad,” he said, “You can use science to create a cure for cancer, and you can also use science to create an atomic bomb.” He adds that blaming negative outcomes on science is akin to taking away personal responsibility. “It is our responsibility regarding the uses and purpose for which we engage with science or ask for help with ChatGpt.” Ackerman agrees with Kullock, that it is up to the individual to be responsible in using AI. “As long as you use it believing in your own intellect more than in the brilliance of the machine, you almost can’t go wrong.” In other words, individ-
A Federation Grant Opened the Door— Aurora Pfeiffer Skated Through It to Win Gold and Silver, page 7
Continued on page 14 A Leap of Faith: How One Swimmer Found Purpose with the Nashville Dolphins, page 18