What's Inside
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JeT Hw E ish Georg i a n Volume 20, Number 5 Atlanta, Georgia J U LY-AUGUST 2008 F R E E What’s Inside Atlantan participates in groundbreaking visit to German archive s By Howard Margol group and the Glossary of ITS Terms and The Mind Behind Abbreviations created by the U.S. On May 4, I arrived in Bad Arolsen, Holocaust Memorial Museum in the Festival Germany, with great anticipation. Forty of Washington, D.C. (The latter brochure was The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival owes its us were there to research the over 55 mil- not very important for the records search success to Kenny Blank. lion records archived under the supervision but will be extremely useful later, as we By David Ryback of the International Tracing Service (ITS). examine the records we found.) These Nazi-era records had been withheld The ITS brochure included the Page 18 from public view for over 60 years. We research requirements, the history of the were the first group allowed to come there ITS, the many different types of records in and view the actual records. the archive, concentration camp maps, and What Seniors Want At our Sunday evening welcoming din- various other bits of interesting informa- Atlanta Theatre-to-Go brings high-quali- n e r, ITS Deputy Director Eric Oetiker gave tion. The alphabetical index contains over us an inkling of what was in store for us, and 17 million names, including 849 variations ty theater to senior communities and my excitement increased as he spoke. On of the surname Abramovitsch. other venues. Monday morning, May 5, he gave us an The backlog of research requests has Page 42 introduction to the archive and explained been reduced from 140,000 on November some of its inner workings. We also heard 30, 2006, to 13,000 on April 30, 2008. Over welcoming remarks from ITS Director Reto the next several months, it is anticipated Howard Margol examines the Meister and Head of the Archive Udo Jost. that this backlog will be eliminated. Now records at the ITS Archive 50 Years Ago Each of us received a beautifully pre- that the records are open to the public, the An upcoming exhibition about T h e pared brochure created expressly for our majority of research requests are being see ARCHIVES, page 4 Temple bombing provokes bittersweet memories. By Janice Rothschild Blumberg Page 7 Judy Gold ushers in Center Theatre's inaugural season n September 10, Center Gold and directed by Karen Kohlhaas, HBO's "At the Multiplex with Judy Gold," OTheatre begins its inaugural 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother Gold regularly performs stand-up across the Big-League Bar season with 25 Questions for a runs through September 21. country. Her most recent televised specials Jewish Mother. Judy Gold (pictured) is 6'3", con- include a half-hour comedy special for M i t z v a h Center Theatre was creat- servative, kosher, and the mother LOGO and a special for TBS from the Justin Franco's already ambitious bar ed to produce work that will of two boys—not your typical Aspen Comedy Festival. Additional stand- mitzvah project became bigger than even entertain and enlighten, as Jewish comedienne. Her long- up specials include "Comedy Central he intended. well as have broad appeal running, Off-Broadway show, Presents: Judy Gold," Comedy Central's By Scott Janovitz for children, teens, and 25 Questions, has been called "Tough Crowd Stands Up," and her HBO Page 20 adults. Housed in the "fiercely funny, honest and half-hour special, which received a Cable MJCCA's Morris & Rae moving" by The New Yo r k Ace Award. She was most recently seen in Frank Theatre, 5342 Ti l l y Ti m e s . Gold's neurosis about the smash hit film The Aristocrats. Melton Milestone Mill Road in Dunwoody, becoming her mother spurred Gold won two Emmy Awards for writ- The Florence Melton Mini-School at the Center Theatre is offering a a quest to find out what ing and producing "The Rosie O'Donnell M J C C A has produced its 1,000th graduate. first season that has some- makes a Jewish mother dif- Show." She was nominated twice for the Page 37 thing for everyone: a classic ferent from all other moth- American Comedy Award's Funniest Broadway musical, a ers. Gold and playwright Female Stand-up. She also has appeared on poignant comedy about a Kate Moira Ryan inter- "Sex And the City," "The Tonight Show March of the Living Jewish mother, a lively teen viewed over 50 Jewish with Jay Leno," "Law & Order," "Law & It sounded like an interesting trip, but one theater production, and an women and came up with Order: SVU," "The Drew Carey Show," and student was not prepared for the transfor- autobiographical hit comedy. an astonishing album of mem- "As the World Turns," just to name a few. mation that awaited him. Starring Emmy Aw a r d - w i n- orable characters. see GOLD, page 5 By Jason Axelrod ning actress and comedian Judy Currently the host of Page 12 Page 2 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN July-August 2008 In an article by Professor Nahum T H E Rakover entitled "The Role of Religion in Jewish Georg i a n Why Should I Vote? Government – Jewish Perspective," he states that "G-d is indeed the supreme authority, The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, Chief however the actual rulers do not rule in his written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georg i a n s . Ashkenazic Rabbi of the Old City of name, but rather in the name of the laws he Publisher Marvin Botnick Jerusalem, said: "A story is told that a Jew Co-Publisher Sam Appel gave. The people are not subordinate to Editor Marvin Botnick a p p roached the Chazon Ish (Rabbi the rulers, but rather to the law." Professor Managing Editor Marsha C. LaBeaume Avraham Yishayahu Kareletz of B'nai Brak B Y M a r v i n Rakover describes the Jewish system of gov- Assignment Editor Carolyn Gold Israel) and informed him that he did not Consulting Editor Gene Asher B o t n i c k ernment as a "nomacracy," a society that Associate Editor Barbara Schreiber have the money to pay municipal taxes. At lives under the rule of law rather than the Copy Editor Ray Tapley that time, one could not vote if [he] did not Assistant Copy Editor Arnold Friedman wishes of individuals unguided by rules. Makeup Editor Terri Christian fulfill [his] civic financial obligations. The vote; however, there are constitutional pro- Much of our system in the United Production Coordinator Terri Christian Chazon Ish directed this man to sell his Medical Editor Morris E. Brown, M.D. visions providing for the right of all citizens States is based on the principles found in Photographic Staff Allan Scher, Phil Slotin, Phil Shapiro t'fillin and pay his taxes. You can borrow to exercise this privilege. In a like manner, I Judaism. We, too, are a nomacracy, and for Graphic Art Consultant Karen Paz t'fillin from someone else, the Chazon Ish have found nothing in Judaism making such such a system to operate properly, it is Columnist Andi Arnovitz (Israel),Gene Asher, Jonathan Barach, explained, but the privilege to vote you can - a requirement. So why should I bother? imperative that our leaders be "wise, under- Janice Rothschild Blumberg (Washington), not borrow from someone else. It seems We have become complacent with our standing, and known to" the electorate. But Marvin Botnick, clear from this, the Chazon Ish viewed vot - Shirley Friedman, Carolyn Gold, present freedoms and financial success, and this will be effective only if we take an Jonathan Goldstein, George Jordan, ing as a Mitzvah." The deeply embedded we forget, or do not bother to learn, that we active role in selecting such individuals Marice Katz, Balfoura Friend Levine, ethic of political participation has guided through the electoral process. Marsha Liebowitz, Howard Margol, were denied the basic freedom of citizenship Bubba Meisa, Erin O’Shinsky, Jews to enthusiastically participate in the and the associated right to vote in Europe Human nature is such that people seek Ben Rabinowitz (Israel), American electoral process. prior to 1791, when this privilege was grant- what they feel they do not have, but once Lew Regenstein, Roberta Scher, Jerry Schwartz, Leon Socol, Religious Action Center of Reform ed to us in France. We forget that it was as that which they seek is obtained, too often Rabbi Reuven Stein, Judaism recent as 1828 when the state of Maryland it is not utilized. One of the cries that was Hannah Vahaba, Cecile Waronker, Evie Wolfe rescinded the restriction against Jews and heard in the early stages of the settling of Special Assignments Susan Kahn, Lyons Joel Not a day goes by now when we do not legally recognized our right to vote. this country was that those governing the Advertising Michael Pelot see, hear, or read about the electoral process Selection of governing officials by populace gave no representation to those Marsha C. LaBeaume Bill Sonenshine in which we are involved in this country. those who are governed has deep roots in our being governed. The U.S. Constitution, Consternation and disenchantment with the tradition. In Judaism, people are not subordi- together with the subsequent amendments, Editorial Advisory Board Members Sam Appel Rabbi Alvin Sugarman Sam Massell process and the choices abound, and there is nate to those who rule, but rather the popu- grants voting rights to our citizens, and the Jane Axelrod Albert Maslia William Rothschild much talk about the futility of participating lace is governed by the law.