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Tiechtel Family Returns to Its Roots in Slovakia to Honor a Forebear And the Jewish bserver www.jewishobservernashville.org Vol. 82 No. 2 • February 2017 5 Sh’vat-2 Adar 5777 With Super Bowl party and Purim Masquerade, NowGen Nashville aims to do good while having fun n addition to enjoying the typical said Ellie Flier, co-chair of NowGen, a Super Bowl munchies and liba- group for Jewish professionals ages 22-40 tions, the young Jewish profes- established by the Jewish Federation of Super Bowl Party/ sionals who gather for NowGen Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Nashville’s Super Bowl party on “Since many young professionals’ Feb. 5 will be doing a mitzvah: As lives are extremely busy, combining both Mitzvah Day Ithey watch the Atlanta Falcons play the a fun social event and a mitzvah project When: Sunday, Feb. 5, 4:30 p.m. New England Patriots, they will be stuff- is a great use of time,” Flier said. ing “necessity bags” that will be taken to Another example comes next Where: 1515 Demonbreun a shelter for the homeless after the game. month when NowGen holds its annual (in the Jam Room) “While many of us would likely Purim Masquerade. The party is one watch the game alone at home or at a of NowGen’s biggest social events of Cost: Free bar, this provides a chance to socialize the year, but the proceeds from ticket with other Jews in our cohort and give sales and sponsorships go directly to For information about items back to the community at the same the Federation’s annual campaign, which to bring for the homeless, time,” said Abby Kaye-Phillips, who has helps fund more than 70 local, national contact Carolyn Hecklin Hyatt at been involved in planning the event. and international programs and services. [email protected] or visit The Super Bowl Party/Mitzvah “NowGen is one of those programs,” the NowGen Facebook page. Day event is an example of NowGen’s said Marissa Wertheimer, a NowGen effort to incorporate Jewish philanthro- member who is helping to plan the py and voluntarism into social events, Continued on pages 2 Tiechtel family returns to its roots in Slovakia to honor a forebear and the “golden chain” By CHARLES BERNSEN chanting that prayer, I can tell you that I felt my great grandfather’s spirit right ast December, in the week there chanting along with us.” before Chanukah, an unusual Rabbi Tiechtel and his wife, Esther, scene took place in the little were among 17 members of the Tiechtel Slovakian town of Piestany: family who made the trip, which was Eight members of the arranged to celebrate the 70th birthday Tiechtel family representing of, Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Tiechtel, Lfour generations locked arms and walked Rabbi Yitzchok’s father and the oldest down a street in the central square, sing- grandson of famous rabbi of Piestany. ing Am Yisrael Chai and chanting proudly Their impromptu parade was a kind of and loudly a portion of the traditional triumphant re-enactment of a dark event morning prayer that begins, “Blessed is that occurred in 1938, when Nazi youths He who has created us for His glory …” forced Rabbi Yissachar, the head of a local Piestany, a resort town with a pop- yeshiva and chief of the rabbinical court ulation of 14,000, has almost no Jews, for that region, to watch the public humil- and the mini-parade drew more than iation of his teenage sons on that very a few quizzical looks from townspeo- spot. As stones rained down on them, the ple who couldn’t have known that the boys recited the morning prayer, “Blessed seven rabbis and child had traveled is He who created us to honor Him.” there from three continents to celebrate “We wanted to say what they did their family’s Jewish heritage and honor where they said it,” said Rabbi Yitzchok. a famous forebear, Rabbi Yissachar “There was something spiritual about Shlomo Tiechtel. being able to say the same words in the “We had a Jewish pride parade right same place.” there in the square,” said Rabbi Yitzchok Rabbi Yitzchok said his family has Tiechtel of Chabad of Nashville, the for many years described their Jewish her- Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel of Nashville and his father, Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Tiechtel (second and third from left) parade with other members of the family in the Piestany oldest great grandson of Rabbi Yissachar. itage as an unbroken “golden chain,” that town square. The banner behind them reads, “Journey to our Roots in Piestany in “And as we walked down the street Continued on pages 4 honor of the 70th birthday celebration of our dear father, Yisachar Shlomo Tiechtel.” A Publication of the Local educators Vandy throws Camps build on a birthday Special Partnership celebration for Section 2Gether Ben Schulman page 11 friendships page 17 in Israel page 7 WWW.JEWISHNASHVILLE.ORG NowGen Purim Masquerade NowGen Continued from page 1 When: Saturday, March 4, 8:30 p.m. March 4 masquerade at the Sutler Saloon. “Sometimes we forget how Where: The Sutler Saloon, 2600 Franklin Pike board much the Federation supports our young professional group, so this is a good Buy Tickets online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/purim- reminder and an excellent opportunity volunteers to give back.” masquerade-2017-tickets-31331066062 Ben Katz, the other NowGen to help staff co-chair, said that aside from helping Proceeds benefit the to serve the community while provid- 2017 annual campaign ing a social opportunity, the Purim of the Jewish Federation Tzedakah Masquerade advances another important of Nashville and Middle NowGen goal: to welcome young Jewish Tennessee. professional newcomers to the Nashville Tzunday area and help them become integrated any of the volunteers into the Jewish community. staffing the last shift of That was the case with Kaye- the Feb. 12 Tzedakah Phillips, who has been in Nashville only Tzunday phone-a- since last summer. thon will be board “Finding a Jewish community was so members of NowGen important to me that I actually reached decide where to move,” said Kaye- munity waiting for me was what helped MNashville, the Jewish Federation of out to NowGen when I was trying to Phillips. “Knowing that there was a com- me choose Nashville.” Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s group for young Jewish professionals. “We would not exist without the Federation, said NowGenco-chair Ben Katz . “Through NowGen, the Nashville C mmUNITY Trip: Federation brings together young pro- fessionals throughout Middle Tennessee for social and philanthropic causes. By telling that story, we hope our involve- ment in Tzedakah Tzunday inspires Nashvillians to make a meaningful con- tribution to this year’s campaign.” The annual fundraiser, which accounts for about 20 percent of the annual pledges to the annual campaign, takes place between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. The Federation is still seeking volunteers to staff one or more of three 2½-hour shifts between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. or to help in other ways, from pro- viding food to updating telephone num- bers to writing thank you notes to donors. Each shift is preceded by 30 minutes of training to prepare callers to speak with ARGENTINA 2017 family and friends about the Federation and the programs it funds. Volunteers can sign up online at www.jewishnashville.org, the Federation’s website, or contact Andrea Crowe at (615) 354-1641 or andrea@ jewishnashville.org. There will be refreshments for volun- teers as well as babysitting for those who register in advance by contacting Barbara Photos by Rick Wise Schwarcz at (615) 354-1630 or barbara@ jewishnashville.org. • Join us for an Information Meeting February 26 • 10 am DK^^/^KD/E'͊ Gordon Jewish Community Center DĂƌĐŚϮϴ͕ϮϬϭϳ 'ŽƌĚŽŶ:ĞǁŝƐŚŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJĞŶƚĞƌ Trip Dates: On Ground October 23-29 for Main Trip Extension option: October 29-November 1 Applications available in the Jewish Federation oce. Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Nashville Contact Naomi Limor Sedek, Assistant Executive Director, and Middle Tennessee for more information at 615-354-1642. at www.jewishnashville.org The Observer is online at www.jewishobservernashville.org 2 February 2017 The Observer 0DULDDQG%HUQDUG$3DUJK,QYLWH<RX7R 7+(7(11(66((35(0,(5( +DWH6SDFHV 7KH3ROLWLFVRI,QWROHUDQFHRQ&DPSXV 6HHWKLVSRZHUIXOQHZƓOPRQWKHFDPSXVFULVLV 6XQGD\0DUFK30 DWWKH*RUGRQ-&&3DUJK$XGLWRULXP +DWH6SDFHVH[DPLQHV KRZDQWL6HPLWLVPLVEHLQJ PDGHIDVKLRQDEOHDWPDQ\ $PHULFDQXQLYHUVLWLHVWKURXJK WKHRQJRLQJDFDGHPLF GHOHJLWLPL]DWLRQRI,VUDHODQG WKHQRUPDOL]DWLRQRIKDWUHGLQ WKHQDPHRIVRFLDOMXVWLFH ŏ+DWH6SDFHVŐLVDZDNH 3RVW)LOP3DQHO'LVFXVVLRQ XSFDOOWRWKH-HZLVK a FRPPXQLW\DQGWRFLYLO ZLWK VRFLHW\LQ$PHULFDDERXWWKH LQVWLWXWLRQDOL]DWLRQRIELJRWU\ 5DEEL0DUN6FKLIWDQ RQFROOHJHFDPSXVHVŐ 6HQLRU5DEEL7KH7HPSOH&RQJUHJDWLRQ2KDEDL6KRORP ŋ$ODQ'HUVKRZLW] 0DUN6)UHHGPDQ ([HFXWLYH'LUHFWRU-HZLVK)HGHUDWLRQ ŏ+DWH6SDFHVŐLVDƓOP $UL'XELQ HYHU\$PHULFDQQHHGVWR ([HFXWLYH'LUHFWRU9DQGHUELOW+LOOHO VHH,WLVDODUPLQJWRVHHWKH $YL*ROGZDVVHU WROHUDQFHRIDQWL6HPLWLVPLQ ([HFXWLYH3URGXFHU'LUHFWRUDQG:ULWHU KLJKHUHGXFDWLRQŐ ŋ5XWK:LVVH /HDUQPRUHDWKDWHVSDFHVFRP 3URGXFHG 'LVWULEXWHGE\ :HZRXOGOLNHWRWKDQN7KH*RUGRQ-HZLVK&RPPXQLW\&HQWHUIRU SURYLGLQJXVZLWKWKHXVHRILWVIDFLOLWLHVRQDUHQWDOEDVLVIRUWKLV SURJUDP7KHYLHZVDQGRSLQLRQVH[SUHVVHGE\WKHSURJUDP V $PHULFDQV)RU VSRQVRUDQGWKHSURJUDP VFRQWHQWGRQRWQHFHVVDULO\UHSUHVHQWWKH YLHZVRIWKH*RUGRQ-HZLVK&RPPXQLW\&HQWHUQRULWLVUHVSRQVLEOH 3HDFH 7ROHUDQFH IRUWKHFRQWHQWRIWKLVSURJUDP7KHWLWOHVDQGDIƓOLDWLRQVRIWKHORFDO SDQHOLVWVDUHIRULGHQWLƓFDWLRQSXUSRVHVRQO\ The Observer February 2017 3 honor of Rabbi Yissachar and his grand- MARY AND HARRY ZIMMERMAN Tiechtel son’s 70th birthday. The town also erect- ed a permanent marker in a park com- YOUTH EXCHANGE ENDOWMENT FUND Continued from page 1 includes a lineage of rabbis stretching memorating the Piestany’s famous rabbi. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE back at least seven generations. Perhaps Said Rabbi Yitzchok, “I truly felt like the golden chain had come full circle.” • AGE STUDENT INCENTIVE GRANTS the most prominent is his great grandfa- ther, who was quite well known through- out the region, not only among Jews but also among gentiles who frequented the resort town’s natural spas. When the war came, Rabbi Yissachar sent his sons away to escape Nazi persecution but refused to leave himself so long as other Jews could not.
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