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the BEST of the ™ e want to thank the New Orleans Jewish community for the overwhelming support and encouragement the Crescent City Jewish News has experienced in its first few years of operation. The fact is our website (www.crescentcityjewishnews. com) audience has steadily increased in viewership Wand we have witnessed a consistent growth in attracting frequent returning daily visitors to our site. Because we recognize there are several segments of our targeted population who cannot access the website for a variety of reasons and because we believe strongly in the need to document and support the events of the community, we are publishing the first of what will be a continuing series of “Best of the CCJN” editions. This first edition will cover a span of one year. Eventually, we will increase the frequency of these publications. Like most years, 2013 will be remembered for its continuity and its change. The New Orleans Jewish community hosted several festivities including the JCC’s annual Adloyodah, the city-wide Yom Hashoah event, Israel’s 65th anniversary celebration (Yom Ha’atzmaut,) and the unusual concordance called Thanksgivikah. As usual, several gala dinners and luncheons where community leaders were honored were held, and the Jewish Federation’s year long centennial milestone Finally, there are those community leaders, friends and family we lost culminated. this year. Part of the CCJN’s mission has been to document the lives of those members of our community for posterity. We have included these The year brought about a sense of accomplishment and a sense of obituaries. loss. The early January announcement from Rabbi Uri Topolosky at Congregation Beth Israel set the stage for the departure of several other As 2014 continues to progress, we want you to remember that the beloved community leaders from their long-held positions. Jewish Family CCJN is always there, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep you Service said goodbye to executive director Deena Gerber. Debbie Pesses and other members of the New Orleans Jewish community informed bade her position at the JCC farewell, while Cathy Glaser announced her and supported. We have several “how to” guides included in this edition retirement as South Regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. to show you how to better access and utilize the CCJN on a daily basis. With the exception of Topolosky and his family, all of the others are still Also please use our online submission forms to inform the CCJN about viable members of the New Orleans Jewish community. any simchas or other life cycle events that touch your families. In order to cover an entire year of events, most of the articles in Best wishes, this edition of “The Best of the CCJN” have been edited for space. All Alan Smason, Editor articles in this edition can be accessed and read in their entirety on our website. (www.crescentcityjewishnews.com) JANUARY 2013 Rabbi Uri Topolosky Announces Departure from Beth Israel JANUARY 4, 2013 abbi Uri Topolosky, the spiritual leader of RCongregation Beth Israel and a charismatic figure, whose hire in 2007 was credited with reinvigorating the modern Ortho- dox community in the Greater New Orleans area, announced the forthcoming departure from his post in the summer. Topolosky sent out an open letter informing the entire con- gregation of his decision to leave. “It is with a broken heart that I share with you our family’s dif- Rabbi Uri Topolosky at the 2012 Beth Israel dedication weekend, cheering as five Torah Rabbi Uri Topolosky affixes a mezuzah to the doorpost of the new Beth Israel synagogue ficult decision to leave New Or- scrolls are conducted to his new sanctuary. (Photo by Alan Smason) on August 26, 2012. (Photo by Alan Smason) leans and our beloved Beth Israel family this coming summer,” he old shul on Canal Blvd, we knew special this place is and we will Prayer, the Reform Temple in campaign to pay for a new build- wrote. The Rabbi explained that that this shidduch was beshert. miss it, and all of you, dearly,” Metairie that had taken in the ing and set up an endowment for the educational opportunities for We were meant to be here. We he continued in his letter. remnants of his synagogue’s continued operations. his children were of concern to continue to believe that we are Topolosky, who was also members and permitted them to Although Topolosky wrote he him and his wife. amongst the lucky few to experi- instrumental in getting kosher use a meeting room with a built- was proud of all of his accom- In February of 2007, Topo- ence a sense of calling in life and certification for Café du Monde’s in ark as a place of worship. It plishments over the course of the losky along with his wife Dahlia we have never taken that for restaurants worldwide through was through Topolosky’s studies past several years, he cautioned came to tour New Orleans and in- granted. We have been blessed Louisiana Kashrut Committee, also with Gates of Prayer Rabbi Rob- the membership that much still spected the site of the devastated to work in an inspiring environ- jokingly mentioned in his letter that ert Loewy that a deep relation- needs to be done to fully recover. Beth Israel Synagogue on Canal ment – in a big city that you can “kosher” beignets must also be ship of friendship and mutual He noted that long term leader- Boulevard. It was there they read still wrap your arms around; in a continued through this transition. respect evolved. He advocated ship of the synagogue, bolster- the inscription in large Hebrew town that knows how to get up The 33-year-old rabbi has for and was critical in the success ing the Community Day School letters above the front doors: when it’s down; in a community accomplished much during his of an agreement between the more fully, re-instituting a daily “Build me a sanctuary and I shall that leans on each other and has tenure. He pushed for a success- two entities to purchase land in minyan and establishing a com- dwell in your midst (Exodus learned the power of collabora- ful drive to relocate the Modern order to build a new sanctuary. munity mikvah as future projects. 25:8).” That same inscription had tion; and in a shul which has Orthodox synagogue to Metairie Through his years, an adminis- Coming to New Orleans with been on their wedding invitations. understood that mighty waters from its devastated location in trative director, Rabbi David Pos- two boys, the Topolosky family The Topoloskys took it as a sign. could not extinguish its love. New Orleans’ Lakeview. He ternock, was hired to assist him will be leaving as a family of six, “From the first day that Today our hearts are broken maintained excellent relations and Topolosky’s advocacy led to having given birth to two daugh- Dahlia and I stood in front of the because we understand how with Congregation Gates of a successful $3 million financial ters in the past five years. Berk Announces Departure from Community Day School the public sector. somewhere else. “I don’t have JANUARY 12, 2013 Speaking with the CCJN, a job. I don’t have a lead on a Berk reiterated that his pri- job,” he answered. “All I have ommunity Day School mary reason for moving to New is this desire to work in the head of school Bob Berk Orleans was the appointment of public.” Csurprised his faculty, his wife, Rabbi Alexis Berk, to This past week Dashka Roth, board of directors, students and the pulpit at Touro Synagogue the president of Community Day parents with a letter announc- in 2008, not for him to become School, sent out a letter in which ing his intent to step down from the head of school at a Jewish she reluctantly accepted Berk’s his position when his current day school. After four years, decision. She also announced contract ends in June. Berk, un- Berk said, he felt a piece of him the appointment of former day der whose leadership the recent was pushing within him to move school president Hugo Kahn to name change from New Orleans away from the specific Jewish the chairmanship of a search Jewish Day School and branding education field and seek work committee for a new head of Community Day School head of school Bob Berk (Photo by Alan Smason) to Community Day School was in the public education field for school. Both Roth and Kahn met implemented, indicated he had which he was trained. with parents on Friday morning to gather feedback from them “Sometimes, what seems to be a reluctantly made this decision Berk countered speculation to survey from them any ques- about the process. Echoing Berk’s sad change, turns into an unex- because of his desire to work in he may have accepted a position tions about the transition and feelings, Roth wrote in her letter pected opportunity.” The Best of the Crescent City Jewish News | 3 JANUARY 2013 Federation Begins Second Century significant speech that spoke glowingly of the import of the JANUARY 18, 2013 Jewish community to the city at large. Tulane University professor Brenda Brasher next presented a short slide presen- he Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans threw tation on the Federation’s first 100 years titled “The Jewish itself a 100th birthday party Tuesday night and Federation of Greater New Orleans: A century of Action, Tguests of honor included New Orleans Mayor Mitch Imagination and Resolve.” Landrieu, noted author and speaker Rabbi Joseph Telushkin Local resident Bill Hess, wearing a top hat, portrayed his and most all of the living men and women who have led great-grandfather Julius Rosenwald.

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