Southern Jewish Life, July 2025

Southern Jewish Life Staff

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Lawrence Brook editor@sjlmag.com

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Emily Baldwein connect@sjlmag.com

Contributing Writers

Rivka Epstein, Belle Freitag, E. Walter Katz

Columnist

Doug Brook brookwrite.com

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Documenting this community, a community we are members of and active within, is our passion. We love what we do, and who we do it for.

Things are changing at Southern Jewish Life… With this issue, we are rebooting the print edition, as part of an overall reworking of SJL. We are changing our print distribution, adding a new venue for even more stories, and enhancing our weekly e-news.

Two major factors have influenced this. First, we have far more stories than pages, so we are launching a Substack, a website where writers publish and are supported by readers. Much of the additional content on the Substack will be free, and we encourage everyone to sign up for it, but much of it will also be premium content — by subscription (there is also a founder’s level, which will include a signed prepublication copy of one of our two forthcoming books — one is a collection of greatest SJL stories from the last 35 years, the other is based on our series of articles about the Southern Jewish community during the civil rights battles). Some premium pieces will be features or in-depth news, there will also be a new weekly editorial, and access to the long-delayed community guide. Please visit southernjewishlife.substack.com to check it out and subscribe (you can also scan the QR code to the upper right on this page).

We are also asking everyone who wants to receive the print magazine to let us know. The second factor is that printing and postage have gone up 65 percent in three years (with postage going up another 9 percent in July), in a shrinking print advertising world (and postal delivery has been a challenge as well). That makes it impossible to send free to everyone in our coverage area, and it is increasingly difficult to get updated mailing lists from communities. Many of our colleagues’ publications have shrunk, and the Atlanta Jewish Times recently introduced a “voluntary subscription” for its free distribution.

Those in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and the Florida panhandle who want to keep receiving the magazine can email us at subscribe@sjlmag.com, mail us, or autoThe QR code to our new Substack site. Subscribe today!

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Southern Jewish Life is an independent Jewish periodical. Articles and columns do not necessarily reflect the views of any Jewish institutions, agencies or congregations in our region.

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agenda

interesting bits & can’t miss events

May 5 to 7, American Christian Leaders for

meeting with over 100 members of Congress.

Robert French stepping down as CEO of Nola Jewish Federation

Robert French, who has been the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans since the beginning of 2023, announced in a community email on July 9 that he is stepping down to become the new CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas in September.

French said he had “very mixed emotions” because “serving this extraordinary community has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life.”

With the move, French is returning to Texas. Before he came to New Orleans, he was executive director of Jewish El Paso and The Jewish Community Foundation of El Paso. When he came to New Orleans, he was told that the New Orleans community “punch above their weight, and they really do.”

He said New Orleans is “a really amazing community, and people really care.” The Federation leadership “is really devoted and cares,” and the staff “really care and are hard-working, devoted professionals.”

The New Orleans community is “blessed” to “live in a place that is so united,” he said. After his announcement, he said he got a slew of emails with many referencing how the Federation has continued to unite the community, especially after October 7.

“We have so many things planned to continue that,” he said, including a 2026 “community unity mission” to Israel.

He said “it is important to me that the transition is strong,” and over the past several years, there has been “a lot of infrastructure built and structures put in place to really propel us forward.”

The past two years have seen increases in the Annual Campaign, and projections are indicating further growth this coming year. This year’s campaign ended on June 30 and reached its goal of $2.8 million, but final numbers are still being calculated.

He said there is “always work to do” and things to improve, but “we have a very present Federation that is involved.”

Along with French’s note to the community, Board Chair Jonny Lake

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and Board Chair Elect Melinda Mintz said “we thank Robert for his service to our community, and we want to wish him well in all of his future endeavors.”

Sherri Tarr, the Federation’s chief operating officer, will be the interim CEO. In 2017, she served as interim executive director after the departure of Michael Weil, before the Federation selected Arnie Fielkow as CEO.

Lake and Mintz said “We are committed to moving forward and building a stronger Jewish community,” and there will be updates as the transition develops.

In Dallas, French will succeed Igor Alterman, who left Dallas on Feb. 1 to become the CEO of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. Rabbi Mordechai Harris has been the interim CEO.

The Dallas area has a Jewish community of roughly 80,000. Between the Annual Campaign and the Israel Emergency Campaign, their Federation raised almost $18 million in 2024.

“Though I’ll be based in a new city, I will always carry this community with me — with pride, affection, and heartfelt appreciation,” French said.

He also hopes to bring the spirit of unity with him to Dallas. The collaboration within the New Orleans Jewish community among agencies and congregations “is phenomenal, I really hope to bring that to the Dallas community.”

Nola JFS restructures leadership team

On June 24, Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans announced a strategic restructuring of its leadership team to amplify the impact of the social services and programs the agency provides. The changes are effective immediately.

The restructuring aims to streamline operations and strengthen the agency’s impact across various programs, including affordable mental health services, care management, older adult services, youth suicide prevention education, and more.

Effective immediately, the following organizational changes have been implemented:

Roselle M. Ungar, CFRE, previously serving as executive director, has been appointed chief executive officer. Julie Finkelstein Steinhaus, director of business services at the agency from 2014 to 2022, is returning to JFS as chief financial officer.

Staci Lanza, LCSW-BACS, previously director of clinical services, has been appointed chief clinical officer. A new position, chief impact officer, has been created to oversee the agency’s strategic initiatives and community impact. Mario Figueroa, BSW, formerly the program manager of the Unaccompanied Minors Program at JFS, has been appointed to this role.

Ashley Merlin Gold, formerly board president, is now board chair.

According to the agency, “these mission-aligned changes will ensure compassionate care is accessible to individuals and families throughout the Greater New Orleans area. After careful consideration of the changing needs in the community and the social services landscape, JFS is excited to transform its leadership structure to improve organizational and program effectiveness.”

“JFS is committed to excellence, and we hope these changes will aid us in our efforts to better serve our community,” Ungar said.

“We are confident the restructuring will expand our capacity to meet the diverse needs of the Greater New Orleans community,” said Gold. “Our service area reaches multiple parishes, including the Northshore, and encompasses families and individuals of any faith or identity. We will be better positioned to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.”

Established in 1948, JFS is a constituent of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and a community impact partner of United Way of Southeast Louisiana.

AHEC starts new Zoom series on rise of Nazism

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center in Birmingham is taking part in a series of Zoom webinars, “What History Teaches: The Rise of Nazism.” Each session deals with an aspect of history exploring how democracy eroded and extremism took hold in 1930s Germany, and lessons that can be gleaned for today.

Other participating Holocaust museums and education centers include Los Angeles, Montreal, Illinois, Seattle and Buffalo.

The free sessions began on June 25 with “Propaganda and Media Manipulation,” led by al.com Pulitzer Prize winning reporter John Archibald, filmmaker Michele Forman and University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor Jonathan Weisen.

The Buffalo center will lead the next session, “The Rule of Law and the Erosion of Democracy,” Aug. 13 at noon. The session will focus on the Weimar Republic, and how economics affected democracy in Germany.

Future sessions are “Scapegoating and the Politics of Othering” on Sept. 16, “Universities, Education and the Role of Intellectuals” on Oct. 29, “Between Terror and Resilience — Jewish Life in Nazi Germany” on Nov. 13, and “America and the Holocaust — Isolation and Immigration” on Dec. 9.

All sessions are free, registration information is at ahecinfo.org.

Stillman leads Florida Holocaust Museum

On May 20, the Florida Holocaust Museum announced Eric Stillman as its new president and chief executive officer. As the museum prepares for its much-anticipated reopening on Sept. 9, Stillman will lead the team’s preparations to raise the organization’s visibility through contemporary exhibits, scaling up educational programming, building organizational strength and helping to secure its future for years to come.

Stillman has served as CEO of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee; president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, Fla.; and executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.

Stillman said, “With my deep personal commitment to and belief in the importance of Holocaust education, I know that the museum’s public programs, collections and resources are instrumental in helping society understand the lessons of the Holocaust and commitment to fighting antisemitism.”

Before joining the museum, Stillman served as

Among our recent stories on our new Substack:

Native ally from Ala. faces personal attack with antisemitic undertones at university James Carville: Some Jews would vote for modern-day Nazis for a tax cut

Nola native Nicholas Payton fired from Berklee College for antisemitic posts

North Carolina Democrats passed a series of anti-Israel resolutions

Two odd incidents in New Orleans involcing Nazi symbols

Israeli artist who creates metal art from Hamas rockets visits Mobile, Metairie

Even in Deep South, majority of antisemitic incidents are Israel-related

A “whites only” settlement is being developed in northeast Arkansas — no Jews, of course

Anti-Israel Super Bowl halftime disruptor facing misdemeanors in New Orleans

The “14,000 babies”: When the media desperately want a lie to be true (opinion)

chief development officer of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was a founder of Triovate Analytics, which applies mathematical modeling and predictive analytics to predict and prevent antisemitism and other forms of hate incidents.

Located in St. Petersburg, the Florida Holocaust Museum, with more than 23,000 artifacts in the permanent collection, is one of only three nationally accredited Holocaust museums and is the future home of Elie Wiesel’s personal collection.

NOLA JFS’ Teen Life Counts named to Best Practices Registry

The Teen Life Counts program at Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans has been officially recognized on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry.

According to the agency, admission to the registry requires applicants to prove their program aligns with the most current guidance on preventing suicide and is either effective in preventing suicide or directly addresses the factors that impact suicide prevention.

Launched by JFS in 1984, TLC is a free, school-based suicide prevention and education program for middle and high school students. The program’s curriculum aims to inform students about teen suicide statistics, the stigma associated with mental illness, the warning signs of suicide, how to have a conversation with peers and adults, and where to get help.

TLC also offers a Gatekeeper training for adults, such as school staff, parents, mental health professionals, and other Gatekeepers in the community. TLC currently reaches 1,500 students and 200 adults in the Greater New Orleans area. Fifteen local schools brought TLC to their students in the 2024-2025 school year.

JFS worked with Louisiana State University’s Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research to complete an extensive program evaluation of TLC. The data collected from this evaluation met SPRC standards and gained admittance to the Best Practices Registry, showing the program’s effectiveness and its commitment to providing life-saving education to young people in the Greater New Orleans area.

SPRC is a grant-funded organization at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The registry serves as a resource for organizations and communities seeking strategies to prevent suicide and promote mental health.

Iran war delays Johnson’s Knesset address

By Mike Wagenheim

(JNS) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced on June 16 that he was postponing his planned address to Israel’s parliament, which was set for June 22. A rescheduled date has not been announced.

“Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,” Johnson wrote, referring to his counterpart, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

“We look forward to rescheduling the address in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East,” he stated. Johnson announced on June 11—two days before Israel launched its strikes against Iran—that he would address a special session of the Knesset. “It will be one of the highest honors of my life to address the Israeli Knesset at this fateful moment,” Johnson wrote at the time. “Our ties run deeper than military partnerships and trade agreements. We’re bound by the same beliefs, the same psalms, and the same sacred pursuit of liberty.”

He added that Israel and Jews worldwide “face grave threats, and it is our moral imperative to stand by our sister democracy. As terror and vile antisemitic ideology threaten Western Civilization, Israel must know that when America said, ‘Never Again,’ we meant it.”

Kesher, the joint post-B’nai Mitzvah educational venture between Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El and Temple Emanu-El, announced a new initiative for grades 11 and 12. “Antisemitism: Then and Now” will be a 12-session class designed to prepare students for college and adulthood. It is developed by Jonathan Wiesen, professor of history at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an expert on antisemitism and the Holocaust. The class will also feature visiting college professors from around the region, and other guest speakers. Students will also be able to share their own experiences. The sessions will be on Sundays at 11 a.m., starting Aug. 24. Registration is available through Margaret Norman at the Birmingham Jewish Federation.

Collat Jewish Family Services in Birmingham will have a change of location for its July Honor Our Parents multi-generational Shabbat service. On July 25 at 11 a.m., the service will be held at Brookdale University Park. The service will be led by Rabbi Steven Henkin of Temple Beth-El, followed by a complimentary lunch sponsored by Brookdale. Reservations are required by July 21.

Birmingham’s Jewish youth groups will host a pool party to celebrate the 2025 high school graduates before they head off to college. The party will be on Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center, with pizza and snacks.

The New Orleans Jewish Community Center announced its Center Celebration, “Make it Pop” will be on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m., with a 1970s and 1980s theme.

JNOLA will hold a Summer Happy Hour at Wrong Iron in New Orleans on July 23 at 6 p.m. First drink is complimentary for all, as is the second drink for Chai Society members. Registration is $5.

The Center for Interfaith Families in New Orleans will have Mindfulness Through a Jewish Lens, a Rosh Chodesh Experience, on July 24 at 6:30 p.m., at the Nave Room at Spyre Center. Registration is $8.

The Birmingham Jewish Federation will hold its annual campaign kickoff, and a celebration of the Federation’s 90th anniversary, on Aug. 24 at 3 p.m. Details will be announced later.

Huntsville’s Temple B’nai Sholom will have a Kulanu Spirit Night at Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. There will be an ice cream social at both locations on July 30 from 6 to 8 p.m., to support Kulanu, the new Center for Education and Engagement for Youth and Families at

continued on page 21

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A place to remember Holocaust memorial dedicated in Birmingham

Next to the memorial rock garden at the Beth-El section of Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, next to two vibrant, colorful trees, there now stands a representation of a tree that is anything but.

The new Holocaust memorial, an 800-pound, brown metal sculpture, was dedicated on April 27. Crafted by Reuben Halpern, the 7-foot piece took half a year to create, and its installation was supported and funded by members of the congregation under the direction of the cemetery committee.

That afternoon, at the Alabama Holocaust Education Center’s annual Birmingham commemoration, Beth-El President Allen Halpern, Reuben’s son, spoke of everyone who was involved in making the sculpture a reality, creating “a sacred place for the whole community to come and reflect on what happened 80 years ago.”

It is the first public Holocaust memorial in the city. Beth-El has had a Holocaust memorial wall sculpture at the back of the sanctuary since the 1970s.

Reuben said he was approached by Barbara Bonfield, who has written a book about the congregation’s Old Cemetery on the Northside, about creating a Holocaust memorial. He figured it was too large of a project for him, but “she convinced me, and I accepted.”

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Bonfield said the community was missing a place where they could go and commemorate the 6 million.

She said Reuben designed a prototype, “then we got approval from everybody, then Reuben went to work.”

Reuben is the son of Holocaust survivors who managed to stay hidden on a Christian farm in Poland throughout the war, though some relatives were murdered by the Nazis. He was born three years after the war, but since antisemitism was still rampant, he and his sister were raised posing as Catholics. They left for Israel in 1957, and on the boat to Haifa he learned that he was actually Jewish.

The main part of the sculpture symbolizes a dead tree, with six main branches. All six are sawed off at the same height, symbolizing the Jews whose lives were ended well short of their natural life cycle. “They were cut in the middle,” Reuben said.

There are six Stars of David of varying sizes around the sculpture, sym-

bolizing that many Jews were hidden during the war — including Halpern’s parents.

The wreath has the Hebrew word Yizkor, for “remember,” in the middle, and is made out of barbed wire. It commands remembrance of “what happened, what they had done to you.”

The entire installation rests on railroad tracks, reminiscent of the tracks used to transport Jews in cattle cars to the extermination camps.

The tracks came from the quarry where Halpern has his workshop, and very recently he was told that those tracks, from the 19th century, had been used in the transportation of slaves.

Railroad spikes hold the sculpture into the stone base, which signifies power and that the Jewish people are still here. That power was evidenced by the difficult time Halpern had drilling into the base for setting the spikes.

He also put a patina on the sculpture so it will maintain the current color and not change over the years.

The sculpture was brought to the cemetery on the back of a flatbed truck, and a winch was used to slowly lower it into place — but at one point everything slipped, Halpern said. But the sculpture landed exactly where it was supposed to be, and the boards over the stone kept it from damaging the base.

At the dedication, Beth-El Rabbi Steven Henkin said the sculpture “will increase our opportunities to remember each time we are here, each time we look at it, each time we see it, each time any individual, Jewish or not, happens to see the sculpture.”

After talking about how Judaism blends the linear and circular approaches to time and history, Henkin said “may this memorial stand not only as an everlasting reminder of the pain and suffering that was caused to our brothers and sisters, but as an inspiration to build a better future and instill in us a hope that this will be one of part of the past we don’t live again.”

Nola Federation names

Campaign Chairs

The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans announced that the 2026 Annual Campaign chairs will be Jackie Stern and Jon Schlackman. Stern said “I am honored to serve as a cochair for the Federation Community Campaign for 2026. New Orleans has a cohesive, unusual and unique Jewish community, and Federation is at the heart of that community, I look forward to helping it continue to thrive.”

Schlackman noted, “My family and I have been living in New Orleans for the past 32 years and I see this as an opportunity to make a difference in my community and to give back.”

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Louisiana House passes three resolutions fighting antisemitism

On June 10, the Louisiana House passed three resolutions about the fight against antisemitism. The three were presented by Rep. Mike Bayham of Chalmette, with numerous co-sponsors.

Representatives from the South Central office of the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council in New Orleans were at the Capitol on June 10 to support the resolutions.

HR167, introduced on May 14, requests public postsecondary institutions in Louisiana to adopt policies and procedures to combat antisemitism on campus, and requests that reports be submitted to the House Committee on Education and the attorney general.

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The resolution notes the huge increase in antisemitic incidents nationally, particularly on college campuses. It calls on each institution to “develop or enhance its anti-discrimination policies” to combat antisemitism, “guided by the IHRA working definition and in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, and all applicable Louisiana laws.”

The resolution also calls for each institution to condemn “violence, intimidation, lawlessness, and acts of antisemitism on college campuses,” including acts that prevent Jewish students and faculty from accessing school facilities, and to support the right of Jewish students to feel safe and secure on campus.

Each campus is also urged to notify all students, staff and faculty of policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment, the obligations to handle complaints according to state and federal law, and encourage respectful campus dialogue.

The resolution, which was reported out of the Committee on Education on June 3, passed 85-0.

HR259, introduced on June 2, condemned “the murders of Israeli Embassy employees Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington D.C. on May 21, 2025, as well as any act of hatred or violence which targets victims based on their religion, race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, political affiliation, or any other identity.” It passed, 86-0.

HR279 condemned “the June 1, 2025, antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado.” Introduced on June 3, it passed on June 10 by 96-0.

In a statement, the ADL regional office said “each resolution is an important step in the State of Louisiana’s efforts to combat antisemitism and extremism in our community and the growing concerns specifically on our college campuses,” and “we are sincerely grateful to Rep. Bayham for his leadership and efforts to combat antisemitism.”

Earlier in the session, Bayham introduced HR169, declaring April 24 as Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day. It was immediately adopted.

There was also a Senate resolution, by Sen. Valarie Hodges, commending Yossi Dagan, the governor of the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council, “for his efforts to strengthen Judea and Samaria.” The resolution also marked May 14 as International Declaration Day in Louisiana, to commemorate the anniversary of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. The resolution was adopted on May 14.

Last year, Bayham and Hodges combined efforts on a bill supporting Israel in the face of Hamas’ attacks. After it passed, Bayham visited Israel to present a copy to Binyamin Regional Governor Israel Ganz.

Rabbi Kassoff steps down in Greenville

Will begin serving the congregation in Hattiesburg

Twenty-five years after first arriving in Greenville as a student rabbi for Hebrew Union Congregation, Rabbi Debra Kassoff is stepping down from the historic pulpit where she has served as part-time rabbi.

She will be the visiting rabbi at B’nai Israel in Hattiesburg. Rabbi Edward Cohn, who retired from Temple Sinai in New Orleans in 2016 after serving the congregation since 1987, has been serving the Hattiesburg congregation until recently. He announced he will be moving to Atlanta.

Cohn has been active in New Orleans as rabbi emeritus, but two back surgeries in the past year convinced him it was time to move so he could be near family.

In a letter to the Greenville congregation, Kassoff said “it is time for me to take on a new challenge and enter a new chapter of my rabbinate,” as she has led the congregation “as far as I can.” She said she will be staying in Jackson, which will enable her to visit Greenville. “The relationships we have forged will change, not end.”

She said she “did not take this step lightly,” and “I cannot claim that delivering this news causes me no pain,” but it was time to walk a different path.

The congregation honored Kassoff at a special dinner following the 6:30 p.m. service on June 6.

The largest synagogue between Jackson and Memphis, Hebrew Union Congregation has Shabbat services once or twice a month, and hosts tourists from riverboats that dock in Greenville, generally for their museum that chronicles the history of Delta Jewish communities.

A Maryland native, Kassoff began a two-year stint as student rabbi in Greenville at the end of the summer in 2000, visiting twice a month. After ordination in 2003, she became the first director of rabbinic services at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, visiting small communities in the ISJL’s territory. She would lead services in congregations that did not have resident rabbis and provide educational services as a “circuit-riding rabbi.”

After finishing her three year commitment at ISJL, she became associate rabbi and religious school director at Temple Emanu-El in Marblehead, Mass. She returned to Mississippi in 2010, living in Jackson but returning to Greenville as visiting rabbi.

From 2012 to 2014 she was visiting rabbi for Or Hadash in Fort Collins, Col. While she was at the Institute, one of her stops was Meir Chayim in McGehee, Ark., and she had facilitated the loaning of a Torah from Meir Chayim to Or Hadash.

In 2016, she helped officiate the final service as Meir Chayim closed its doors.

From 2014 to 2017 she also was the education and youth director at Beth Israel in Jackson.

Since 2023, she has been regional organizer with Working Together Mississippi, which works with hundreds of congregations and non-profits to build coalitions that can effect change in the state. Before that, she

worked for the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation.

“Serving this community over a span of 25 years, and continuously for the past 15, has been one of the great privileges of my life,” she said.

Rabbinic transitions

As the summer begins, it is a time of transition for congregations who are welcoming new rabbis. This year, it is relatively quiet in the region.

At Beth Israel in Metairie, Rabbi Phil Kaplan is heading to New York. Kaplan arrived at the Orthodox congregation in the summer of 2022 after serving at The Great Synagogue in Sydney, Australia. A search for his successor has begun.

In Jackson, Ben Russell has been accepted into the Aleph Rabbinical Program to become an ordained rabbi. As approved by a congregational meeting in December, starting July 1, he will become the student rabbi at Jackson’s Beth Israel. After his ordination, he will become the congregation’s full-time rabbi.

Rabbi Eric Gurvis has served the congregation this year as interim rabbi.

In Monroe, Rabbi Yosef Eliyah will become the new rabbi at B’nai Is-

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rael. A Monroe native, he started attending B’nai Israel in his late teens, but his first experience with the congregation was a young visitor to his Kindergarten class, who explained Chanukah.

Eliyah had been away from Monroe for 20 years, including 15 in Israel, eight of those studying in a yeshiva.

David Kaplinsky of New Orleans, who has been serving as cantor at Shir Chadash in Metairie, was ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew College on May 25. He will become the associate rabbi of Agudas Achim in San Antonio on July 1.

>> Editor

continued from page 5

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community

MSJE offers virtual summer series

Summertime in the South is a time to kick back on the rocking chair on the front porch. The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans is inviting everyone to “sit a spell” for a virtual summer series.

The free online lecture series explores three lesser-known Southern Jewish stories and historical figures. Registration is at msje.org, and all sessions are at noon.

MORE FETCHING. LESS WAITING.

The series begins on July 17 with “Buried Stories, Living Legacy: 500 Years of Jewish Life in Jamaica.” The community that fled the Spanish Inquisition began in Jamaica in 1655, and by the 1700s there were up to seven synagogues there. Many members became influential leaders in Jamaica.

The 500-year history of Jamaica’s Jews began officially in 1655 when the first Jamaican Jews, Sephardim from Portugal and Spain, fled the Inquisition in Europe. Just as in the American South, Jews would come to serve as prominent and influential members of Jamaican society.

Marina Delfos Harris, who works to preserve the Jewish cemeteries in Jamaica and has become a leading figure in Jewish Jamaican genealogy, will lead the conversation about Jamaica’s little-known Jewish history — and its ties to the Southern United States.

On July 24, Professor Peter Dreier, author of “Baseball Rebels,” will lead “The Secret History of Southern Jews and Baseball,” discussing key Southern Jewish figures who have influenced baseball, from the Little Leagues to the Major Leagues. There will be surprises from baseball history, as well as familiar figures and little-known names.

The final session, on July 31, features Nathan Rabelais, a scholar of Louisiana folklore, exploring the legacy of Elizabeth Brandon, the Jewish “Unsung Hero of Cajun and Creole Folklore.” Born in Poland, Brandon became one of the South’s most prolific scholars of Cajun and Creole folklore, traveling deep into Louisiana’s Vermilion Parish to record the unique language, customs, riddles, folk songs, superstitions, and vernacular medicine of French speakers in Vermilion Parish.

held its

installation on Jan. 26. Officers are: Programming co-Vice President Shirley Sonesh, Corresponding Secretary Arlene Hines, Membership Vice President Charisse Sands, Education Vice President Martha Yoselevitz, President Marcela Totah, Treasurer Betty Moore, Fundraising Vice President Lara DiCristina, Evolve Chair Sara Mayeux, Recording Secretary Diane Schleifstein, Programming co-Vice President Cindy Denn, Advocacy co-Vice President Ilana Reisin. Not pictured: Executive Vice President Claudia Shabetai, Advocacy co-Vice President Amy Boles, Marketing/ Communication Vice President Ali Perez.

Reps. Phil Ensler and David Faulkner applaud Israel’s 77th anniversary after Faulkner presented a state proclamation to Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon and IndyCar driver Robert Shwartzman on May 2.

Getting the celebration on track

Birmingham event marked Israel’s independence day and honored Israel’s

first IndyCar driver

A celebration of Israel’s 77th birthday took place with the roar of race cars in the background. On May 2, a reception was held at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham just after a practice run for the weekend’s race, which included Robert Shwartzman, the first-ever Israeli driver in IndyCar.

The Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, the newly-formed Alabama-Israel Legislative Caucus and the Birmingham Jewish Federation organized the event, which included an opportunity to take photos with Shwartzman.

The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on May 4 was the fourth race for Shwartzman as an IndyCar driver; like himself, his PREMA racing team has extensive experience in Europe but is new to IndyCar and is still learning and working out the kinks.

Representatives of the state’s Jewish and pro-Israel Christian community attended the reception at the museum, overlooking part of the track. As the reception began, Shwartzman was on the track doing his first practice run, but he was inside when the program began.

Florina Newcomb, interim director of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, said the day was “a beautiful reflection of the deep and enduring bonds between Alabama and Israel, built on shared values, friendship and mutual respect.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall spoke of the theme of this year’s Independence Day torch lighting ceremony in Israel, “Bridges of Hope,” which “speaks to the enduring optimism and unity of the Israeli people.”

He said the week was “bittersweet” in remembering “the fallen soldiers and the victims of terror,” as well as “the pain of the hostages still in captivity.” But “as we look to the future, let us draw inspiration from Israel’s journey” and build bridges of hope.

Last fall, Marshall responded to a Palestinian billboard that was erected off the interstate near the University of Alabama at Birmingham, placing several “Stand With Israel” billboards around the area. “It was personal,” he said, as he had been in Israel in September 2023, with Sderot among the places he visited.

The pro-Israel billboards, he said, are also representative of the views of those who put him into office.

Rep. David Faulkner, co-chair of the caucus, presented a resolution from the House of Representatives, “that we celebrate and honor the 77th Independence Day of the state of Israel; reaffirm the special relationship between Alabama and Israel, built on shared values, history and friendship; commend the formation of the Alabama-Israel Legislative Caucus

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in 2024; congratulate Robert Shwartzman on his historic achievement as Israel’s first IndyCar driver, competing in Alabama; express our steadfast support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism and external threats; and urge the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages held in Gaza.”

He presented copies of the resolution to Shwartzman and to Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon.

Rep. Philip Ensler, the only Jewish member of the Alabama Legislature, then presented another resolution to Sultan-Dadon, who was visibly moved. She will be finishing her six years in Atlanta this summer and returning to Israel, and the House honored her for “exceptional leadership, diplomacy and commitment to fostering a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between Israel and Alabama.”

Sultan-Dadon thanked everyone at the event, saying it was fitting to celebrate Israel’s independence in Alabama, which was the first state to call for the establishment of a Jewish homeland, five years before Israel was born. “We are celebrating 77 years of strong, robust relations between Israel and the United States, and shining in those relations is the state of Alabama.”

She also thanked Shwartzman, saying “at a time when Israel is under attack, not only on the ground in Israel but in the international stage in so many places around the world, including sometimes here in the United States, I thank you for carrying the Israeli flag with pride, because you represent the Israeli strength, resilience and the spirit of the Israeli people.”

Brandy Gibson, state co-chair for Christians United for Israel, then presented Shwartzman with a state proclamation declaring May 4, race day, as Robert Shwartzman Day in Alabama. She said his declaration that he was raising the flag for Israel in this arena “means a great deal” and is motivational for the youth. “We’re going to be praying for you.”

The next day, Shwartzman placed 22nd in qualifying for the race, but finished 25th — leading the three rookie drivers, who took the bottom three spots in the race. For the season, he is 23rd overall, and leading the rookie of the year standings.

When he was 4 years old, his family moved from Israel to St. Petersburg. His father had wanted to become a racing driver, but since that did not happen, “he wanted a son and bring him into the racing world.”

Shwartzman started racing karts at age 4, then two years later they moved to Italy to continue his karting career. He won numerous titles around Europe, then at age 14 started single-seat racing in the F4 Series, moving up the levels and zooming up the standings.

“I loved cars, loved racing,” Shwartzman said. His father “just gave me this opportunity… I’m here thanks to him.”

His father, who died in April 2020 at age 52, was “my biggest supporter, my biggest fan.”

In 2017 he joined the Ferrari Driver Academy and began racing for PREMA that December. He won the FIA F3 Championship in 2019, and finished second in the FIA F2 Championship in 2021 before being signed by Scuderia Ferrari in F1 where he served as their test and reserve driver from 2022 to 2024.

Being able to bring the Israeli flag into Formula 1 “was really big for me… in a Ferrari car, that was a special moment.”

Now in the IndyCar series, “I really want to make the team and the car good, so we can bring the Israeli flag up to the top.”

When PREMA decided to field their first IndyCar team in America, they selected Shwartzman, given his experience in F1 and Endurance racing. In 2024, he won the Lone Star Le Mans event in Austin, Tex., as part of the World Endurance Championships.

For years, Shwartzman had been driving under a Russian license. In 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile barred drivers from competing under a Russian flag. While most went with a neutral flag, Shwartzman reclassified as an Israeli.

>> Agenda continued from page 9

B’nai Sholom, launching on Aug. 17.

PJ Library Shalom Baby will have a Mah Jongg 101 program on July 27 at 2 p.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham. Isa Dorsky will teach the basics, no prior knowledge needed. Reservations are required.

Birmingham BBYO will have a kickoff event for all Jewish teens in grades 8 to 12 at Topgolf, Aug, 17 at 1 p.m. reservations are $10, and lunch is provided.

Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will be offering “Building a Jewish Home,” a class for interfaith couples, for those who are dating, engaged or newly married. Rabbi Steven Henkin of Temple Beth-El will lead the 18-session course, meeting from Aug. 14 to June 18 at 6 p.m. Registration is $118, but no one will be turned away due to a lack of funds.

The Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge will have a lunch reception to honor Eileen and Benjamin Shieber, Aug. 10 at noon, in appreciation for their years of service to Hadassah, the synagogue and the Baton Rouge Jewish community.

Chabad Uptown in New Orleans will hold Project Talmud Summer on July 27, details to be announced. The theme will be Israel: Peace Through Strength.

Pensacola’s Temple Beth El will host its annual Jews Who Cook fundraiser, with over 30 star chefs, on Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. The chefs will compete in three categories — appetizers, main courses and desserts. Aspiring chefs should reserve their spot as soon as possible.

For Tisha B’Av, the Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival will hold a screening of “October 8,” a documentary about the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses that took place one day after the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel. The film details how Hamas created sophisticated networks in the United States, focusing on academia and online influencers, to promote disinformation and antisemitism in concert with Iran, China and Russia. The screening at UJCBR will be on Aug. 3 at 2 p.m.

Beth Israel in Gulfport will have its annual outing to the Biloxi Shuckers, for the Aug. 24 matchup with the Chattanooga Lookouts. First pitch

will be 5:05 p.m., details will be announced.

Beth Israel in Metairie will have a Bunco Game Night on Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. Registration is $18 and includes snacks and drinks, and there will be a cash prize. It is an adult event.

JNOLA will have a “Match Made in Nola” Singles Mingle, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m., at Hot Tin rooftop bar. Registration is $18, $8 for Chai Society members. There will be an open bar, and a chance to win a date night at Saba,

On Aug. 3, there will be a “Power of Jewish Unity” event at B’nai Israel in Pensacola, also involving Temple Beth El and the Pensacola Jewish Federation. As the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE is seen as a result of Jewish infighting, on Tisha B’Av, the fast day that commemorates it, the community will unite in study, starting at 3 p.m.

Sea Shul on 30A will have a beach bonfire and Havdalah on Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m., at the Watersound Beach Club. There will be a cookout and drinks. Reservations are $18 for adults and $10 for children.

Shir Chadash in Metairie will have a special Shabbat with Cantor Roseanne Benjamin, who will be with the congregation for the High Holidays. She was recently ordained as cantor at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She will lead a musical Kabbalat Shabbat on Aug. 8 at 6:15 p.m., followed by a “Kahn-gregational” dinner, where she will have a presentation. She will also speak during the Shabbat morning service on Aug. 9 at 9:30 a.m. Reservations for Shabbat dinner are due by Aug. 1.

Yair Brenner, a native Israeli educator, will be teaching a Learn Modern Hebrew class

in Birmingham this fall, in partnership with Rabbi Adam Wright of Temple Emanu-El and the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School. The class will begin on Aug. 26 and will last for 12 Tuesday sessions, from 6 to 7 p.m. It will meet at the Day School, and registration is $460, including materials. The class is open to all, in the Jewish and non-Jewish community, interested in exploring Israeli culture through language, food, music and conversation.

The Metairie Jewish Community Center will have Shabbat By The Pool, every Friday at 3:30 p.m., from July 11 to Aug. 15, with a mini Shabbat service, music and complimentary challah and juice. There will also be a pop-up menu from Jaryd Kase of Bodega. Open to members and non-members.

The next poolside Sunday Funday at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center will be on July 27 from 1 to 3 p.m., with music and food at both locations, for members.

Bais Ariel Chabad in Birmingham will have a Camp Gan Israel Shabbat on July 25, with a video and presentation at 6:20 p.m., followed by Kabbalat Shabbat, candlelighting and a 7 p.m. dinner. Reservations are $25 per adult, $10 per child, $54 family maximum.

The next installment of the Morris Bart Sr. Lecture Series at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center will be on Aug. 11 at noon, featuring Michelle Ingram of Zeus’ Place. She will discuss the formation of Zeus’ Rescues, which has saved thousands of animals and found forever homes for them. Lunch is also available. Reservations are free for members, $10 for non-members, by Aug. 7.

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Orgel Bayit: Jacobs Camp dedicates new facility for oldest campers

The oldest campers at Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica have a new home.

The Richard “Dick” Orgel Bayit was dedicated on June 21 for the Reform movement camp’s Solelim program, for rising high school seniors. According to Development Director Jacob Fijman, the dedicated, multi-functional living and learning space is in response to growing enrollment and a rising interest in leadership opportunities, at a time when staff recruitment is a challenge in the Jewish camping world.

He said Solelim is “a life-changing experience designed for rising high school seniors who aspire to return to Jacobs Camp as counselors, specialists and future Jewish leaders. With a curriculum rooted in leadership development, Jewish values and hands-on experience, Solelim prepares our oldest campers to step into roles of responsibility and impact.”

Jacobs Camp Director Anna Herman said the new space will encourage “these young leaders to grow into counselors, specialists, unit heads,

She said the new space will foster “a close-knit community that will empower them to return year after year.”

The building includes living space for 48 Solelim participants and two advisors in a layout more like a college dorm than a traditional camp cabin, dedicated learning spaces, and year-round program areas.

At the dedication, Herman told this year’s Solelim that as camp director, she has watched many of them grow, and “to know that you all are going to be leading the next generation of campers is very inspiring.”

When she met Dick Orgel, she related, he asked her to explain what Jacobs Camp does, and “I went on this long speech about our program, Judaism and friendship,” and he said “no, Jacobs Camp creates Jews, and

Macy Hart, who led the camp since shortly after its founding in 1970 until 1999, said the ceremony was a fitting tribute. “He’s here in this room with us, because these are the things that he was talking about, when he said to Anna, I don’t care about all those other things you’re doing, you’re here to make Jews, to keep the flow of generations coming one after another.”

Part of the dedication included the affixing of a mezuzah designed by Memphis silversmith Tootsie Bell. The design included a train locomotive, as Orgel was known to his grandchildren as “Papa Choo Choo” because of his model train collection. The mezuzah also included the words “with love,” in addition to the traditional Hebrew letter Shin.

A lifelong Memphian and U.S. Army veteran, Dick Orgel took his family to Jacobs Camp in 1972 for a family retreat. Since then, all four children and eight of his 10 grandchildren have attended the camp. One of his grandchildren, Teddy Ferguson, became songleader and reprised that role during the dedication and over Shabbat, and led the singing of Shehecheyanu on the porch after the mezuzah ceremony.

Billy Orgel said his father “was irreverent in some ways, but he was kind and sweet and never asked attention… he never would have wanted this because it would have drawn attention to him, he would have been sitting in the back cracking random jokes.”

Billy and his wife, Robin, co-chaired the camp’s 50th anniversary in 2019.

The new building is a key part of the “Our Camp. Our Home. Our Future. Capital Campaign,” and the Orgel family made the leadership gift toward this facility. “Dick Orgel was a passionate supporter of Jewish life, youth development, and community, and his legacy lives on through this transformative space,” Fijman said.

At the close of the dedication ceremony, Herman said she “will never forget Dick’s hospitality and warmth and sarcasm. I just feel very lucky that we are here together, that we are so proud to be Jewish, that we are going to ensure a strong Jewish future, and I look forward to building it with all of you.”

Fairhope teen hits bright lights of Times Square

Video at CTeen event shows how he brought Yiddishkeit to the Mobile area

For a Fairhope teen, a recent trip to New York wasn’t just an opportunity to see his name in lights in Times Square — his story was highlighted on the huge screens.

Ben Sigal was featured during the CTeen International Shabbaton, where he represented the Mobile community. Organized by Chabad, the largest gathering of Jewish teens in the world attracted 4,000 participants from 60 countries from Feb. 28 to March 2.

That atmosphere is far from what he has experienced at his high school in Fairhope, where there are three Jewish students out of over 1,600 — but that hasn’t stopped him from expressing his Judaism, inspired by the previous year’s CTeen Shabbaton.

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, his family moved to Fairhope four years ago, as he was starting high school. “When I got to Fairhope, it was a huge shock, as there was no one Jewish around me,” as opposed to in South Florida.

While his friends “are obviously very accepting, he found “classmates that didn’t know what Judaism was… they would say stuff and not understand what they were saying. It took some

educating.”

Last year, Rabbi Yosef Goldwasser of Chabad of Mobile urged him to go to the Shabbaton, even though he would be the only one from Mobile going. There, Sigal met Abi Zablow of

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“Being with Abi and all the other teens from Pittsburgh and seeing their yiddishkeit and everything I was missing back at home, I realized I could do it even though there’s not much around,” Sigal said.

At a Farbrengen, Rabbi Binyomin Abrams asked the teens what they could do to bring more Judaism into their lives, and that’s when he decided to start wrapping tefillin each day. He also decided to start wearing a kippah to school each day, and embrace his Judaism more fully.

Zablow was already doing tefillin each day, and in Pittsburgh, he enlisted the help of a friend and went to a nearby supermarket to set up a table and help others put on tefillin, and continues to do so on a busy street after school.

Rabbi Yitzhok Goldwasser from Pittsburgh said both teens brought the light from CTeen back to their communities.

After Sigal returned to Fairhope from the Shabbaton, his father, Gary, was inspired to also put on tefillin.

“Ben came back from that first Shabbaton last year with a sense of purpose that spread to everyone around him,” he said. “He didn’t tell anyone what to do — he just quietly set an example. Watching your child inspire you to reconnect with your own heritage is a powerful thing as a parent.”

Rabbi Yosef Goldwasser then started a WhatsApp group where people along the Gulf Coast could post photos of themselves putting on tefillin.

Jewish women in the area then started their own WhatsApp group with photos taken right before lighting Shabbat candles.

“Ben didn’t set out to lead — he just wanted to feel proud of who he was,” said Goldwasser. “But when one teenager leads by example, without asking for attention or credit, it inspires everyone around them. That’s exactly what happened here.”

“It’s not about convincing anyone to be more religious,” he added. “It’s about being proud of who you are, and when people see that, it makes them think about their own heritage too. That’s what I learned at CTeen — and that’s what I’m bringing back to Fairhope.”

At the start of the five-minute video that was played in Times Square, and is now available on YouTube, he said that “if you had asked me a couple of years ago” about his favorite part of being Jewish, “I probably wouldn’t have had much to say.”

The video was displayed during the weekend’s closing ceremony. Seeing himself up there “was one of the craziest viewings I’ve ever had,” he said. “Being around all those Jewish teens, being able to hopefully jnspire them, it was just amazing.”

“When a teen like Ben shares his personal story with thousands of peers, the impact is exponential,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of CTeen International at Chabad World Headquarters. “Hearing from someone their own age, who understands their world, carries a power no adult could match. Today more than ever, we need every teen to step up — because that energy doesn’t stop in New York. It travels home with each teen, reaching friends, classmates, and entire communities.”

Back home, Sigal is finishing his senior year of high school and continuing a weekly Tanya study with Goldwasser, while being the go-to resource for classmates’ questions about Judaism.

His family is moving to Birmingham, where his mother, Sharon, will become the new director of Friendship Circle and Full Circle. He will be attending the University of Alabama, studying music performance.

NCJW honors Melanie Bronfin at Hannah Solomon luncheon

Melanie Bronfin, an attorney and advocate for early education for children and their families, and the founder of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, was presented with the Hannah G. Solomon Award, the highest award bestowed by National Council of Jewish Women’s New Orleans Section.

The award was presented at a luncheon at the Audubon Tea Room on Jan. 27. It is given annually to a volunteer community leader who exemplifies the qualities of NCJW founder Hannah G. Solomon. Recipients are individuals who have brought about important community programs and services through their leadership in a volunteer capacity, been a catalyst for social change, and are known for their interest, activity and stand on issues important to NCJW.

In making the presentation, Awards Committee co-chair Wendy Goldberg acknowledged Bronfin’s “unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child has an opportunity to thrive.” Goldberg added: “Your legacy is one of positive change and enduring impact,” noting her influence over policies and programs have made a real difference in the lives of countless children.

Co-chair Leslie Fischman presented the award to Bronfin. It contains the image and words of Solomon, stating “We must add our voices to those that cry out that there is a standard below which we will not allow human beings to live. In a democracy all are responsible.”

Bronfin expressed her gratitude for the recognition and stated, “this honor is especially meaningful to me because NCJW has played such a critical role in my journey.

“From its long history of supporting our community’s children, to my NCJW volunteer work over the years, to introducing me to lifelong friends, many of whom would prove instrumental in their mentorship and financial support, NCJW helped set me on the path to this dais,” Bronfin said.

She went on to outline three lessons she had learned in her advocacy work for children. They were “Be very clear on your what. Identify your

who. Figure out the why behind your who.”

As a result of LAPIC’s work for children, the Louisiana Legislature increased spending for early childhood education and childcare for working parents from $3 million to more than $30 million, she said.

“A great, great many more young children still don’t have access to high quality care and education, but we have made much progress,” Bronfin said.

“As we move forward in an increasingly divided and contentious political climate, I believe it will be more critical than ever to work with, listen to and find commonalities with people who look and think and vote differently than we do,” she continued. “Many of my strongest allies and advocates were people we disagreed with on many other issues and that’s okay. We can still respect each other, learn from each other, become friends and work together towards whatever goals we share.”

New Orleans City Council vice president Helena Moreno presented a special resolution acknowledging Bronfin.

Moreno said because of Bronfin’s advocacy, the New Orleans City Council pushed forward a ballot initiative that now generates $21 million annually toward early childhood education, or about 1,000 seats in early childhood education.

“What Melanie has been able to do around the issue of early childhood care and education is incredible and just tremendous,” Moreno said. “The level of education that she has provided to legislators both on the statewide level and local level has really been phenomenal. She’s the one who let me know that there are roughly 6,000 children in the city of New Orleans that don’t have access to early childhood care and education and that not having that access leads to a lifetime of negative impacts.

Temple Sinai leaders participated in the event, with Rabbi Daniel Sherman opening the luncheon with the Hamotzi, and Cantor Rebecca Garfein celebrating Bronfin in song.

Recent recipients include Anne Skorecki Levy, Judy Barrasso, Ina Weber Davis, Madelaine Landrieu, Susan Hess, Kim Sport, Ana and Dr. Juan Gershanik, Julie Schwam Harris, Marjorie and Dr. Scott Cowen, and Ruth Kullman.

The Hannah G. Solomon Committee was co-chaired by Leslie Fischman and Wendy Goldberg. Committee members included Gail Chalew, Ina Davis, Barbara Greenberg, Susan Greenberg, Susan Hess, Barbara Kaplinsky, Dana Shepard and Kathy Shepard.

Southern Jewish Travel

Longue Vue has extensive Jewish history, philanthropy record

By Lee J. Green

Longue Vue House and Gardens officially opened as a non-profit museum in 1980, but its roots go all the way back to a prominent New Orleans Jewish family in the early 20th century and the legacy of Julius Rosenwald.

The New Orleans home and gardens started as the home of Edith and Edgar Stern. Edgar was the son of German immigrants who came to New Orleans. Edith was from Chicago and the daughter of Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck, as well as funder of the Rosenwald Schools – a network of 5,000 educational facilities built for black children primarily in the rural South between 1912 and 1932.

“The Sterns carried with them an extraordinary family legacy. Edith and Edgar were raised on the principal of tzedakah. It was part of everything they did and that spirit lives on today,” said Lenora Costa, Longue Vue’s deputy director of collections.

She said the Sterns supported many causes and institutions in the New Orleans Jewish community as well as broader community.

They were instrumental in the formation of the modern iteration of Dillard University and invested their resources in helping the New Orleans Museum of Art, Metairie Park Country Day School, healthcare, housing, and voting rights. Edith started the Voter’s Registration League in New Orleans. The Sterns were also very involved in the legacy of Temple Sinai.

The Sterns moved into the house in 1923. Edgar passed away in 1959, but Edith maintained the property on her own and continued to activate it as a headquarters for garden clubs, cultural events and political activism.

She opened the gardens to public tours in 1968 and began converting the house to an historic museum in the late 1970s.

Costa is writing a book about the Sterns and their legacy, entitled “Money, Religion and Politics,” expected to be out this summer.

The Sterns discussed these topics with those who were like them and those who weren’t,” she said. “They weren’t afraid to ruffle some feathers to support causes during some polarizing times. They supported an HBCU in a world of segregation.”

Famed landscape artist Ellen Biddle Shipman worked at Longue Vue between 1935 and 1950. She earned the confidence of the Sterns to the extent that they took her advice and replaced the original family home with a new home in 1942. Today, Longue Vue is the only existing example of Shipman’s holistic interior-exterior design concept, and the reason for the museum’s National Historic Landscape status.

“Shipman was one of the first female landscaper architects in the nation,” said Costa. “They put great faith in her.”

Currently at Longue Vue, a Women in Football exhibit runs through the summer. On June 12, Longue Vue and the Chase Family Foundation co-presented “Shared Legacies,” a special dinner at the famed Dooky Chase Restaurant, which will benefit the work of both organizations in the cultural arts.

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Southern Jewish Travel

National WWII Museum holds “highlights” tour, discounts for La. residents

Visitors can beat the summer heat at The National WWII Museum to see what’s new or discover this world-renowned institution for the first time.

Ranked as the top attraction in New Orleans by Tripadvisor and among National Geographic’s Best of the World cultural destinations, the museum is a must-see for history lovers of all ages and backgrounds, bringing history to life through immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, and an expansive collection of artifacts and personal accounts.

Two limited-time special exhibitions are on display throughout the summer. “Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II” honors the significant role millions of Black servicemembers and Home Front workers played in securing Allied victory, even as they faced discrimination in their fight for a “Double Victory” against fascism abroad and racism at home. It will be on display in the Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall through Aug. 24.

In the Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery, “On American Shores: The Aleutian Islands Campaign” examines the often-overlooked 1942 Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and the subsequent efforts to reclaim the only North American soil seized during World War II.

In addition to special exhibits, the museum offers several new ways to explore the American experience in the war that changed the world. Opened in March 2024, the museum’s newly renovated Malcolm S. Forbes Rare and Iconic Artifacts Gallery highlights more than 50 artifacts from the museum’s vast collection — both uncommon and seemingly ordinary — that are symbolic of the WWII era. For a limited time, the Forbes Gallery is featuring artifacts from the grand opening of the museum and from its founder, Stephen Ambrose, to celebrate the institution’s 25th anniversary.

At the heart of the gallery is “Voices from the Front,” a new interactive ex-

perience that helps visitors connect with more than a dozen members of the WWII generation in a high-tech yet personal way. Cutting-edge technology facilitates conversations between museumgoers and veterans, Home Front workers, and other witnesses to the war — even after they are no longer with us to share their firsthand stories.

For an additional fee, visitors can also choose to include the Freedom Theater experience, which explores what was at stake during World War II and the meaning of Allied victory, and features a revolving audience platform.

Guided tours are also available all summer at a discounted rate of $20. The Museum Highlights tour allows visitors to experience the best of what the museum has to offer in only two hours, offering an overview of the museum’s most impactful and popular galleries.

The Home Front tour tells the story of why the war was fought, with an in-depth exploration of the “Arsenal of Democracy” exhibit, while the Europe & Pacific tour follows American citizen soldiers through each theater of World War II in the immersive Campaigns of Courage pavilion. Each tour lasts approximately two hours.

For Louisiana residents, the museum is offering half-priced general admission during the month of July with a valid Louisiana state ID at the museum’s ticketing counter. The 50 percent discount is limited to four admissions per ID. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets online.

Visitors can make the most of their summer vacations in New Orleans at The Higgins Hotel and Conference Center, the Museum’s official hotel. The Higgins is an extension of the museum experience, replete with era-inspired guest rooms and suites, exceptional dining, and state-of-theart meeting and event spaces. In honor of the museum’s 25th anniversary, discounted rooms are available throughout the summer, with rates as low as $125 per night (blackout dates and restrictions apply).

Southern Jewish Travel

Lots of new things to see at Audubon

There is always something new to see and explore in New Orleans, and some of the city’s favorite family attractions have new experiences for guests to enjoy.

Audubon Zoo recently opened a new expansion of the Jaguar Jungle. Focusing on the connection between rivers, animals and humans in the MesoAmerican region, Jaguar Jungle River’s Edge offers guests close-up views of animals, including capybara, guanaco, and Baird’s tapirs.

There is a special treat for those who look up while strolling through the area! Audubon Zoo is the first zoo to have poles and ropes installed to give the Zoo’s spider monkeys access above the public walkway. These endangered monkeys have long, prehensile tails and typically live high in forest canopy so they are often seen scampering along their rope pathways overhead.

Two young giraffes have recently moved into their new home at the Zoo. Named Maverick and Fennessy, these two are already more than 13 feet tall — and still growing! Guests can help give the boys their afternoon snacks, tickets for giraffe feeds are available every afternoon at 2 p.m.

To learn more about favorite animals, special chats with animal keepers happen throughout the day. A schedule of keeper chats is available on Audubon Zoo’s free app, where one can also find and order food, check out updates and more.

The Zoo also has Wild Encounters that include special up-close experiences with jaguars, black bears, tortoises and more. These Wild Encounters are new ways to enjoy favorite Zoo animals and often take guests behind the scenes for a look at how the animal team cares for the Zoo’s animals.

Renovated Aquarium

Located on the banks of the Mississippi River and just steps from the French Quarter are Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium, together inside the newly-renovated Aquarium.

Upon entering Audubon Insectarium, there is a large interactive screen that creates swarms of fireflies and monarch butterflies to capture the imagination, even before venturing into the rest of the Insectarium. Bright colors and fun-filled exhibits showcase the importance of insects to our lives. Visitors can even help a butterfly on its “first flight” in the butterfly garden by taking part in a Wild Encounter experience or sample food created by the bug chefs at Bug Appetite, if you dare!

Audubon Aquarium is consistently ranked one of the best in the country and highlights creatures from the bayou to the Gulf including sharks, a rare white alligator, a walk-through Amazon Rainforest with free-flying birds, and African penguins that are always a must-see part of the Aquarium. A 13,000 gallon touchpool lets guests meet small sharks and rays up close while learning about conservation efforts to save these species.

New “Wild Encounters” at Audubon Aquarium include opportunities to meet a penguin, or snorkel in the 132,000-gallon Maya Reef tunnel, letting guests experience the Aquarium in new, up-close-and-personal ways to make the visit even more memorable.

Southern Jewish Travel NEW

Step back in time and visit nature at Bellingrath Gardens

Guests at the Bellingrath Gardens and Home step out of time to stroll through a vibrant, ever-changing 65-acre estate Garden and tour the historic Bellingrath Home, built in 1935 and filled with the original antiques and collections of founders Walter and Bessie Bellingrath.

The oldest public garden in the state of Alabama, Bellingrath first opened to the public on April 7, 1932.

It takes most guests about 45 minutes to walk through the Gardens on their self-guided tour. The Bellingrath Home tour is a 30-minute visit led by veteran tour guides; on this tour, guests hear the Bellingraths’ story and view their original possessions. The Home, built in 1935, offers a unique look at life on the Gulf Coast in the 1930s and 1940s.

On Aug. 9, there will be free admission, in celebration of Walter Bellingrath’s birthday. A Rose in the Roses evening wine tasting takes place on Aug. 15, and Photography Night is Aug. 31. There are also Walk and Talks, and Yoga in the Gardens.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is in south Mobile County on the Fowl River, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Mobile. The Gardens are a 20-minute drive from Dauphin Island, which has beautiful beaches and charming restaurants. The Island also offers regular ferry service to Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores.

Lunch is served daily in the Magnolia Café from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. After visiting the Gardens and Home, the perfect souvenir can be found in the well-stocked Gift Shop.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year, closed only on Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 and New Year’s days.

Life is “suite” for travelers to the Magic City

Travelers to Birmingham can enjoy the “suite” life at the newly enhanced Embassy Suites by Hilton.

The hotel, first built in 1983 in Homewood, recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation including updates to all guest suites, meeting spaces, public areas and the hotel’s signature atrium.

“These renovations reflect our commitment to providing exceptional service and modern comfort for today’s traveler while celebrating the spirit of Southern hospitality,” said Embassy Suites General Manager Jose Pereira.

Highlights of the renovation include updating the suites with modern furnishings, upgraded amenities, new bedding and décor.

The signature, open-air atrium has been transformed into a vibrant social hub with comfortable seating, natural lighting and a sleek, updated aesthetic.

Pereira said the hotel’s 4,000 square feet of flexible meeting space includes new contemporary finishes and versatile layouts ideal for corporate events or simchas. The Embassy Suite’s on-site restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, provides all of the catering services.

The hotel continues to offer its signature amenities including made-toorder breakfasts, evening receptions, a fitness center and an indoor pool.

The Embassy Suites’ staff is happy to provide recommendations for attractions to enjoy in the Birmingham city. Vulcan Park and Museum, which currently has an exhibit commemorating the history of theatre in the Magic City, is just a few blocks from the hotel.

Other recommendations include the McWane Science Center and the Sidewalk Cinema Center downtown.

The newly renovated Embassy Suites is owned by RLJ Lodging Trust, LLC and managed by Hilton Worldwide.

Mike Slive Foundation to honor Bruce Pearl at Blue Shoes Gala

The Mike Slive Foundation will honor Auburn Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl at their Blue Shoe Ball on Sept. 4 at the Regions Field Ballroom.

A longtime supporter of the Mike Slive Foundation and friend to the late SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, Pearl has been instrumental in raising awareness about cancer prevention. While Pearl was at Tennessee, he and his coaching staff founded the OUTLIVE program in 2009 in recognition of former Volunteer standout Chris Lofton. Lofton defeated testicular cancer through early diagnosis and proper treatment, and went on to play the entire 2007-08 season for the Vols while battling the disease.

Every basketball season, the Auburn family holds the AUTLIVE Game.

The Mike Slive Foundation has offered free PSA blood test screening at the AUTLIVE game for the past six years, testing hundreds of men and helping save lives.

“I am thrilled to be the honoree for the Mike Slive Foundation’s Blue Shoe Ball,” Pearl said. “Mike Slive was a giant in our industry, changing college sports for the better during his time. We lost him way too soon to prostate cancer.”

Pearl added, “We have a real opportunity to use his good name and help raise money for research and make sure men are getting screened. This is important not just for men over 40, but for all young men to know about their family history and their risk. If I can help save some lives, that’s what Mike would want me to do.”

The Foundation notes that 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and screening and early detection can dramatically change the outcome.

Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer among men, and the leading form of cancer-related death.

“I know how much this would mean to my late father, Mike Slive, that we are honoring Coach Pearl at this year’s Blue Shoe Ball,” said Anna Slive Harwood, executive director of the Mike Slive Foundation. “Coach is one of the most generous and engaging persons I know. Coach and my father understand the importance of relationships and helping others. I can’t think of a better time to honor Coach Pearl for all he has done for so many others.”

Exhibit details Claiborne’s extinct community

The Monroe County Museum in Monroeville is hosting an exhibit about an Alabama cemetery that is all that remains of a little-known Jewish community that disappeared 150 years ago.

“The Truest Act of Kindness: Claiborne, Alabama” will be displayed through the end of July.

The ghost town of Claiborne is about 10 miles west of Monroeville on the Alabama River, and had a thriving Jewish community in the 1850s and 1860s.

Deborah Gurt, director and associate librarian of the Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library at South Alabama, said that there has been renewed activity regarding the Claiborne Jewish cemetery, with a group from Mobile visiting this spring to assess the conditions.

For more details, visit the Southern Jewish Life Substack online.

Southern Jewish Food & Dining

Move over, New York and Montreal

Bayou

Bagel defining the “Louisiana” bagel

When launching Bayou Bagel as a wholesale operation a couple of years ago, New Orleans Jewish entrepreneur Howie Kaplan sought to adhere to tradition.

But that tradition is not rooted in the traditional New York-style bagel-making process; rather, it is something so unique to Louisiana and the foods it’s known for.

“We really wanted to do something to focus on Louisiana,” said Kaplan. “We have the finest ingredients in the world right here in our backyard.”

“It’s very significant to us. We use steamed sugarcane molasses in a multiday proofing process,” he said. “And we work with a company out of Lafayette for the pecans in our honey pecan bagels.”

Bayou Bagel started as a pop-up in Metairie in 2022, and soon they were supplying a few types of bagels and shmears to grocery stores, coffee shops and hotels across the New Orleans area.

In late 2024, they moved into a larger production facility on Prytania Road in Uptown, and opened a retail shop/café in the front of the space in March.

“We really wanted to have a place where the community can gather for some great food and to share stories,” he said. “And we always want to thank our customers with a little bit of lagniappe.”

Some of that has involved special offerings, such as Bagel King Cakes along with a Black & Gold #9 bagel that is a tribute to great New Orleans Saints quarterback and philanthropist Drew Brees.

Bayou Bagel also continues to provide for the Jewish community and overall community. They’ve supplied bagels and other catering for some Federation and other events.

“We are lucky to have such rich Jewish history in New Orleans,” said Kaplan. “And we’re all about Tikkun Olam. Every month we have a different bagel that is connected with a local charity. We donate some of the proceeds to those nonprofits.”

The Bayou Bagel retail shop sells bagels, shmears, sandwiches, salads and beverages for dine-in or carryout. They also have a shop with homemade packaged goods.

Kaplan said they have done some challah bagels and sufganiyot for Chanukah. “We have a lot of ideas for some new things we want to incorporate, to do things no one else is doing,” he added.

Kaplan’s family is from Brooklyn and he grew up in south Florida. He moved to New Orleans in 1997 and took ownership of The Howlin’ Wolf. Kaplan has also served as the manager for the Rebirth Brass Band. In 2022, he was appointed by Mayor Latoya Cantrell to lead the city’s Nighttime Economy Office, serving for a couple of years.

In October 2024, he took Bayou Bagel to the National Bagel Fest in New York. “People were really blown away by what we were doing. They said we filled a hole in the market. It was an honor to represent Louisiana and how we do things here.”

The Gates of Prayer member said he plans to continue expanding the Bayou Bagel product lines and expanding the brick-and-mortar.

“Being in the bar business and entertainment for my whole career, I know it’s not just about great products,” he said. “It’s about providing an experience. It’s understanding you are a part of peoples’ lives and you want to make every experience special.”

Specialty Market

Grab-And-Go Dinners

Catering everything from office lunches to B’nai Mitzvah to private dinners in your home Holiday Catering • Shabbat Dinners to Go

3633 Annunciation Street, Uptown New Orleans Tel:(504) 354-9878 www.bodega-nola.com Mon-Fri: Lunch: 11am-3pm; Grab-and-Go: 4:30pm-6pm Sat & Sun: Breakfast: 9am-3pm, Lunch: 11am-3pm

New Orleans Southern Jewish Dining

Rosie’s on the Roof

1000 Magazine St., New Orleans (504) 528-1941

This stunning Higgins Hotel rooftop bar and lounge with sweeping views of the New Orleans skyline is the perfect place to start — and finish — your night in New Orleans. Serving small plates, sandwiches and specialty cocktails.

Commander’s Palace

Bodega

3633 Annunciation Street, Uptown New Orleans (504) 354-9878

Stop by Jaryd Kase’s casual neighborhood spot for lunch, or get a grab-and-go from the market, even a full Shabbat dinner. The menu has Jewish influences with African and South American flavors, catering is available, and catch his pop-ups as well.

1403 Washington Avenue New Orleans (504) 899-8221

Ella Brennan said she didn’t want a restaurant where a jazz band can’t come marching through. Come for the legendary Commander’s Jazz Brunch, stay for the rollicking Louisiana charm and award-winning New Haute Creole cuisine.

Galatoire’s

209 Bourbon Street (504) 525-2021

The grand dame of New Orleans’ time-honored restaurants, Galatoire’s is a 119-year-old, James Beard award winning restaurant located in the heart of the French Quarter.

Son of a Bun

4734 Magazine Street, Uptown New Orleans (504) 510-2791

Newly opened Uptown burger restaurant serving fresh homemade burgers, hand-formed and made to order, specializing in creative burgers such as veggie burgers, lamb burgers, and tuna burgers.

M Bistro

921 Canal Street, New Orleans inside the Ritz-Carlton

M bistro’s menu is an indigenous approach to the preparation of the finest meats, seafood and produce from growers in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama.

Southern Jewish Dining New Orleans

Tal’s Hummus

Magazine St., New Orleans (504) 267-7357

Serving Israeli-inspired gourmet entrees using the freshest ingredients. Specialties include falafel, hummus, pita sandwiches, platters, kebabs, salads and much more. Catering available.

Cafe Normandie

The Higgins Hotel’s full-service restaurant, Cafe Normandie offers an elevated dining experience showcasing French-influenced cuisine. Open for breakfast and lunch, and Sunday brunch. 1000 Magazine St., New Orleans (504) 528-1941

Broken Knife, now open for takeout or delivery, features bold gourmet sandwiches piled high, using in-house smoked pastrami, Texas brisket, corned beef, with duck fat fried chips and more. 195 Vulcan Road, Birmingham (205) 427-0542 Broken Knife

Bayou Bagel

(504) 582-9390

After pop-ups and availability in local independent groceries, Bayou Bagel is now open Uptown, with bagel sandwiches and more, using the best Louisiana ingredients to make amazing Louisiana bagels.

Kosher Cajun

3519 Severn Avenue, Metairie (504) 888-2010

Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery has authentic New York specialties — all Kosher certified. Enjoy classic eats like Reubens and matzah ball soup, plus kosher grocery staples too.

Birmingham

Since 1991, Bud’s Best has been known for its Little Cookie with Big Taste, with almost 20 varieties of mostly bite-size cookies, under kosher supervision, available throughout the region. budsbestcookies.com, Birmingham (205) 987-4840

Birmingham Southern Jewish Dining

Curry Corner

Located in English Village, with authentic Indian flavors, and specialties like Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh, and Biryani. Takeout, delivery and catering services are available. 2037 Cahaba Road Birmingham (205) 201-6530

Crestline Bagel

66 Church Street, Crestline Cahaba Heights • Downtown (205) 871-4583

The longtime community landmark is now under new ownership, at the original Crestline location, Cahaba Heights and Innovation Depot, serving bagel sandwiches, salads, pastries and wraps.

The Fish Market

612 22nd Street So., Birmingham (205) 322-3330

A Birmingham classic, The Fish Market on Southside offers the freshest seafood around, live music and an oyster bar. Private and semi-private dining available, along with catering.

Birmingham’s only authentic Chicago deep-dish style pizza is now available in Hoover and downtown Birmingham, making everyone’s “best of” lists. Doordash delivery available, and they cater. 2801 Highway 150, Hoover 1304 2nd Avenue So., Birmingham (205) 403-9800

2146 Tyler Road (Bluff Park), Hoover 4424 4th Avenue So., Birmingham (205) 407-4601

Neighborhood hangout and sandwich shop established in Bluff Park in 2021, with a second location newly opened in Avondale. Wide

and

craft

and cocktails.

Southern Jewish Dining

Alloy Thai versatile with kosher

Though Alloy Thai is the name of his catering company, Josh Haynes has learned to be very versatile with kosher cuisine.

“I love to challenge myself to come with unique ways to introduce flavors and recipes from (primarily) Asian countries for dishes that are kosher or vegetarian,” said Haynes, who leads themed kosher Shabbat dinners regularly for Chabad of Alabama.

For the past several years, Haynes has been the kitchen director for the Levite Jewish Community Center’s Jewish Food Festival — this year’s was on May 18. He leads the LJCC staff and volunteers with the prep work and how to be efficient with making high-quality kosher cuisine.

“It takes weeks to prep everything, and then we have to make sure everything is properly preserved to get it ready for the day,” he said. “It’s a team effort, preparing and trying to plan out how much (of each dish) we think we will have demand for.”

This year’s festival featured favorites such as brisket, whitefish, kugel, burekas, matzah ball soup, Israeli salad along with baked goods.

A few weeks before this year’s Food Festival, Haynes catered the Yom Ha’atzmaut Community Celebration, also at the LJCC, to celebrate Israel’s independence.

Haynes said earlier this year he catered a special 50th anniversary celebration for the Kishnevskys at Chabad of Alabama. The couple is from Moldova and he did a lot of research about the cuisine.

“It is similar to some of the cuisine from Ukraine and Armenia,” said Haynes. “I enjoy learning not just about food but its role in culture and celebrations. They said it reminded them so much of their native country.”

Haynes grew up cooking and worked at restaurants throughout high school as well as during his time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He would then go on to pursue Thai Studies at Thammasat in Thailand before starting Alloy Thai in 2015.

The name is a play off the Thai word “aroy,” which means delicious, and steel alloy for Birmingham. Haynes caters events and dinners.

“I’ve really enjoyed introducing people who have never been to Thailand some authentic foods, specialties and a greater understanding of the culture,” he said.

Haynes said traditional Thai meals are made to be shared and usually include a variety of dishes — soups, curries, relishes, salads — all to be eaten with rice. To facilitate this experience, they offer multicourse set menus comprising a range of dishes, as well as rice and curry shop popups. Alloy Thai also can design customized menus for catered celebrations and private dinners.

Haynes is not Jewish, though he has some relatives who are. “I’ve learned a great deal about my Jewish family and I’ve studied kosher dietary law extensively,” he said.

He said doing a full kosher Thai meal can be challenging, but he has borrowed from some other Asian and Mediterranean cultures to “come up with fresh, exciting ways to present kosher foods.”

Can’t resist The Electric

Wanting a neighborhood place that could incorporate some of their special sandwich, salad and other menu creations provided the spark for Ben and Laura Smith to open The Electric in 2021 in Bluff Park, south of Birmingham.

That recipe for success led to a second location opening in late June, near Cahaba Brewery in Avondale. General Manager Marlee Markris said both Ben and Laura had worked for restaurants in Birmingham and their goal was always to own their own place.

Signature items at The Electric include their Reuben with Ben’s special slaw (currently available only at Bluff Park), the Hedberg sandwich and the veggie melt. There is also Laura’s famous chili, in season. They have rotating specials, craft cocktails, beer and wine.

Both locations are open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and there is trivia every Tuesday at 7 p.m., and occasional open play Mah Jongg events with Bird Bam Besties, the next one is July 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Bluff Park.

happens Amazing

When people with extraordinary talent and passion are given the technology, the facilities, and the support, they achieve great things. The discoveries and innovations happening today will help shape the future of treatments and lead to cures. And it benefits not only the patients and families who come to Children’s of Alabama, but people across the country and around the world for years to come.

Childrens AL •org

1600 7TH AVENUE SOUTH BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233

Southern Jewish Dining

Tortugas getting their piece of the pie

The birth of Birmingham’s only Chicago-style pizza place was no pie-inthe-sky dream for the Vizcaino family.

Married couple Carlos and Carol Vizcaino met while working at a Windy City pizza restaurant in the 1980s. In the late 1990s they wanted to move to be closer to Carol’s family in the Magic City.

In 1999, they opened Tortugas (Spanish for turtles) on Highway 150 in Hoover, followed by the Railroad Park location in 2017.

“I’m grateful that my parents started up a restaurant that has become such an institution… and we’re grateful that Birmingham has been so loyal to their brands,” said Matt Vizcaino, who started working at the Hoover restaurant when he was in high school and opened the downtown location. His parents sold the Hoover location last year and retired. “But it’s now owned by a former employee and his partner.”

Vizcaino said the Birmingham Barons helped propel growth at the Hoover location when the Barons played in the area. When the team moved to downtown Birmingham in 2013, the family began envisioning a second location.

“We owe a great deal to the Barons and our partnership with them,” said Vizcaino. “We saw immense growth in the Highway 150 corridor and here in the Railroad Park area with Regions Field.”

Coincidentally, the Barons are the Double A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, though the Vizcainos have been longtime Cubs fan. “We’re from the north side, but we’ll root for the Barons… and the White Sox when they aren’t playing the Cubs,” he said. Both Tortugas locations are filled with Birmingham and Chicago sports memorabilia.

Tortugas’ menu has evolved over the years, but the foundation has always been Chicago-style pizza. “Our pizzas are Chicago-stuffed pizzas (the whole pizza pie is stuffed, not the crust) and Chicago thin crust,” said Vizcaino. “It’s unique to Birmingham. We’ve gotten some compliments from Chicago natives who said ours were some of the best pizzas they have ever had.”

Some of Tortugas’ pizzas are gluten free, and pizzas can be customized to be kosher-style. They also serve fresh salads, lasagna (including a vegetarian option), subs, flatbreads as well as wines and craft beer.

Vizcaino said their catering business has grown significantly at the Birmingham location the past several years. “I know we’ve done some Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and other celebrations. We’ve even sold some pizza-making kits for a fun activity at kids’ birthday parties,” he said.

Vizcaino said he has many fond memories since his parents opened Tortugas. “It has been a big part of my life ever since I was seven years old,” he said. “We have employees whose parents we knew from the early days of the Hoover restaurant and we’ve served multiple generations of people. It’s really rewarding to be a part of families’ lives for this long and we take a lot of pride in that tradition.”

Customizable Greek-style vegetarian pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (can be purchased at Tortugas)

Olive oil for pizza base

Chopped spinach

Fresh garlic

Mozzarella

Hummus

Instructions:

Bake the pizza at 475 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan and oregano on top. The crust can be dipped in hummus.

Southern Jewish Dining

New Crestline Bagel owners keep tradition

When Tommy and Lizzie Hiltz were looking for business investment opportunities, they didn’t dream that their beloved Crestline Bagel would be available.

Being able to continue the tradition of the 30-year-old shop and cultivate new locations was icing on the cake… or cream cheese on the bagel.

“Crestline Bagel has always been one of our favorite places and the previous owners did such a successful job in building its legacy,” said Tommy.

Lizzie, who is from Mountain Brook, said she had been coming to Crestline Bagel since she was young. “This is truly a dream! We want to maintain that tradition and brand recognition. We’re going to keep everything Crestline Bagel customers have come to know and love,” she said.

Crestline Bagel currently operates three locations – Crestline Village, Vestavia and downtown at Innovation Depot. “We are considering some other communities across the Birmingham area to expand to. But all growth must be in an organic way,” said Lizzie.

The Hiltzes said that making the New York-style bagels is a time-intensive process. Bagels are boiled in water for 24 hours, and the process of making pastries fresh daily is an “around-the-clock” process.

“It’s a labor of love and a real craft,” Tommy said. “We’re so lucky to count on the talented team here. Everyone has stayed with us and they have given us such insight on the process.”

Crestline Bagel’s menu includes kosher-style favorites such as bagels, cream cheese and lox, a variety of sandwiches, fresh pastries, pimento cheese salad, potato salad and quiche.

The Hiltzes said they may add some additional seasonal flavors of coffee and some new bagel creations, but everything on the current menu will stay.

“One of our big focuses is to grow the catering and box lunch business,” said Tommy. “And we are looking to add convenience to the ordering process. We want to be sure everything we do makes for the best customer experience.”

Everything Bagel Quiche

Ingredients:

1 defrosted premade pie crust

1 large red onion

1 cup shredded mozzarella

6 ounces (170 grams) lox

1 tablespoon Tuscanini capers, roughly chopped 2 ounces (55 grams) cream cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon Everything Seasoning

Pick up the lox, cream cheese, and Everything Seasoning on your next trip to Crestline Bagel!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Slice the onion very thinly and place in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water on top and allow to sit for 30 seconds. Drain well.

3. Sprinkle half the cheese on the pie crust, then add the onion slices. Slice the lox and add it on top of the onion, then sprinkle with capers.

4. Dot the top with cream cheese. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Combine the eggs and milk and pour over the quiche. Sprinkle with Everything Spice and bake for 45 minutes or until completely set.

TIME TO RENEW YOUR CAR TAG

Alabama is one of three states who currently have an ovarian cancer car tag. The Drive Out Ovarian Cancer car tag raises money for research in hopes that one day, doctors will discover an early detection test for ovarian cancer, so that women will be tested for this insidious disease at their annual checkups just like cervical and breast cancers.

The mission of the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation (NLOCF) is to raise funds for ovarian cancer research and to increase awareness about the risks, symptoms and treatments of this disease.

The net proceeds of the $50.00 are distributed to the NLOCF to be used for ovarian cancer research at the UAB hospital. The Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. Your $50 contribution is tax-deductible.

Bodega’s Coffee & Red Wine Brisket

(Approximately 6 hours, start-to-finish)

Ingredients

2-3 lbs. beef brisket (trimmed of excess fat)

3 tbsp vegetable or other neutral oil

1 medium yellow onion, medium dice

5 sprigs fresh thyme

5 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife

2 cups unsalted beef stock

1.5 lbs tiny potatoes

6 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

5-6 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 tbsp tomato paste

New Orleans bodega-nola.com (504) 354-9878

1 cup red wine (drinkable, but nothing fancy, nothing too light and fruity)

3 tbsp ground coffee

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt

Special Equipment

5-7 liter Dutch oven

Small cheesecloth bag, or a 1-foot square of cheesecloth with cooking twine

Directions

Remove brisket from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, allowing it to come up to room temperature. Preheat oven to 275°.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven. Generously salt all sides of the brisket. Sear both sides of the brisket for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until meat has nicely browned.

Remove meat from the Dutch oven and bring heat down to low. Add the red wine, which should bubble aggressively on contact. Scrape up whatever is left behind in the oil from searing the meat with a rubber spatula or scraper. There’s a lot of flavor in those scrapings!

Stir in tomato paste.

Put ground coffee and thyme sprigs in a cheesecloth bag and tie it off, or tie it in cheesecloth with cooking twine.

Add cheesecloth, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and potatoes to the dutch oven. Nestle the brisket into the vegetables and add beef stock. Cover and cook for five hours.

Carefully remove brisket from Dutch oven with tongs.

Using a ladle, move approximately ½ cup of cooking liquid into a separate cup or bowl. Whisk flour into this cup or bowl until well-blended to make a slurry. Ideally there won’t be any clumps of flour. Stir the slurry into the Dutch oven, place the brisket back into the Dutch oven. Cover and cook on stovetop over low heat for 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Slice brisket and serve with a portion of the cooked vegetables. Reserve extra cooking liquid in a gravy boat or bowl for people who would like more sauce.

Southern Jewish Dining

Bodega New Orleans

While Jaryd Kase has been cooking for a long time, having his own restaurant in New Orleans seemed out of reach, until an accident on a ladder.

He had a mishap at home when the ladder he was on broke, and he broke his foot, requiring surgery. After a successful lawsuit against the ladder company, he figured “this is my opportunity” to realize his dream of owning a restaurant. He had been a management consultant “and didn’t think I’d pursue cooking professionally.”

During the pandemic, a place across the street from his home became vacant as the po-boy shop there closed. He spoke to the building owners, then after having to deal with the city, he was finally able to open Bodega last December. Even before, he was doing a lot of catering, especially for holidays.

The casual neighborhood lunch spot and market has numerous Jewish influences on the menu, but also a mix of African and South American flavors, making what he has loved from his travels. A Senegalese chicken dish comes from when he lived in that country for a year.

The name is reminiscent of the corner stores, or bodegas, in his native New York. He first came to New Orleans to attend Tulane, and worked at local restaurants. About 10 years ago, he and his wife, Eliza, a Boston native who also went to Tulane, returned to the city. She is currently director of admissions and general studies principal of Jewish Community Day School in Metairie, and since she has Sephardic family, Kase has been able to incorporate those influences beyond his Ashkenaz background.

Kase is continuing to expand the lineup of specialty products in the market, especially kosher products, items that aren’t basic staples but things not generally available elsewhere. A case has grab and go meals, and a recent week’s lineup included turkey meatloaf, an Indian chickpea curry, beef and broccoli, and Mexican spiced chicken with black bean and corn salad.

He catered the gala at Gates of Prayer, where he is a member, in January, and served at GatesFest. He has also done Bat Mitzvahs, and had a lot of catering orders for Passover. At the restaurant, he had a Passover lunch with chopped liver, mixed greens and matzah. He also has Shabbat dinners to go, with orders in by Wednesday.

Kase does not have a set catering menu, but he has sample menus and then works “with people to get exactly what they want.”

Bodega is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., opens for breakfast on weekends at 9 a.m., and weekday Grab and Go hours are 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Rear Pew Mirror continued from page 46

The Almighty Big G said, “Let the water below the sky not gather into one area, that the dry land may disappear.” And it was so.

And the Almighty Big G had called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, two days remained.

And the Almighty Big G had made the expanse, and it separated the water below the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so.

And the Almighty Big G said, “Let there be no expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.”

The Almighty Big G called the darkness Night and called the light Day. And there was evening and there was morning, one day remained.

And the Almighty Big G saw that the darkness was good, and separated the darkness from the light.

And the Almighty Big G said, “Let there be darkness,” and there was darkness.

The earth was unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep, and a wind from the Almighty Big G sweeping over the water. In the end, the Almighty Big G uncreated heaven and earth.

Doug Brook is in retrograde. To acquire both FIVE-star rated Rear Pew Mirror books, read other past columns, or listen to the FIVE-star rated Rear Pew Mirror podcast, visit http://rearpewmirror.com/

Torahpocalypse: The Final Chapter

The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array.

And the Almighty Big G saw all that had been made, and found it was not good. And there was evening and there was morning, six days remained.

“And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is breath of life, I remove all the green plants for food.” And it was so.

The Almighty Big G said, “See, I deprive you of every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shan’t be yours for food.”

The Almighty Big G blessed them and said to them, “Be infertile and decrease, empty the earth and abandon it; and lose the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”

And the Almighty Big G ended humankind in the divine image, removing it from the image of the Almighty Big G; destroying them, male and female.

And the Almighty Big G said, “Let us end humankind in our image, after our likeness. They stop ruling the fish of the sea, birds of the sky, cattle, the whole earth, and all creeping things that creep on it.”

The Almighty Big G unmade wild beasts and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And the Almighty Big G saw that this was good.

The Almighty Big G said, “Let the earth bring forth no kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of any kind.” And it was so.

And there was evening and there was morning, five days remained.

The Almighty Big G blessed them, saying, “Be infertile and decrease, empty the waters in the seas, and let the birds decrease on the earth.”

The Almighty Big G destroyed the great sea monsters, and all the living creatures of every kind that creep, which the waters brought forth in swarms, and all the winged birds of every kind. And the Almighty Big G saw that this was good.

And the Almighty Big G said, “Let the waters bring forth no swarms of living creatures, and no birds that fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”

And there was evening and there was morning, four days remained. To subjugate the day and the night, and to blend light and darkness –the Almighty Big G saw that this was good.

And the Almighty Big G removed them from the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.

The Almighty Big G extinguished the two great lights: the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars.

“And they shall not serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.

The Almighty Big G said, “Let there be no lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall not serve as signs for set times, the days and years.”

And there was evening and there was morning, three days remained. The earth brought forth no vegetation: seed bearing plants of any kind, nor trees of any kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And the Almighty Big G saw that this was good.

The Almighty Big G said, “Let the earth sprout no vegetation: seed-bearing plants, fruit trees of any kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so.

The Almighty Big G had called the dry land Earth and the gathered waters Seas. And the Almighty Big G saw that this was good.