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JewishTHE Georgian Volume 23, Number 6 Atlanta, Georgia SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 FREE Happy New Year! Jonathan Paz The Way We Holiday JHI in Ethiopia Bringing a A Son Yizkor Live Now Memorabilia Promise Home Remembers As Ethiopians continue to A solemn service affirms immigrate to Israel, an Broke, Janece Shaffer’s Americans have marked Fulfilling a long-ago Rabbi Jacob Rothschild life by honoring those Atlanta-based organiza- latest play, explores the the high holidays with promise to a grandchild lived out his faith who are no longer with tion is helping them with new normal. cards and other memen- required a change of through a simple, us. basic health screenings. By Carolyn Gold tos for more than a centu- location, but not a change unshakeable set of stan- By Ron Feinberg Page 40 ry. of heart. dards. Page 4 Page 18 By David Geffen By Leon Socol By Bill Rothschild What’s InsideWhat’s Page 6 Page 9 Page 42 Page 2 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN September-October 2011 Peoplehood Judaism is much broader and more than a religion; it is a More than any other time during a monotheistic theology into which was blended and incorporated calendar year, the observance of the Rosh the rules, laws, and practices of a nation. It is an amalgam of the Hashanah/Yom Kippur holy days focuses elements of societal functions and workings, the foundations for our attention on historical and theological which began with the Hebrew Bible. roots of Judaism. It is the occasion when BY Marvin the public gatherings of our people occur Botnick around the world in numbers that are not seen at any other time. It is the time when the symbolism, the foundation, and the is a monotheistic theology into which was To my knowledge, the term Christian derived from our religion. meaning of Judaism are in evidence. It is blended and incorporated the rules, laws, peoplehood to describe a community is Many of us are aware of the stories of the very embodiment of our peoplehood. and practices of a nation. It is an amalgam not used: Christianity is seen as a faith female descendants of conversos, Jews Fortunately, the present culture has of the elements of societal functions and system, the manifestation of which is who during the Inquisition were forced to allowed us Jews to live in a society that is workings, the foundations for which more centered in a particular church or convert to Catholicism or die, who would more open to universalism and removed began with the Hebrew Bible. denomination rather than inter-related go to the basement of their homes on many of the restrictions that were imposed It is difficult for many of us to under- Christian organizations. The term Jewish Friday nights and light candles. Through on us. These past limitations tended to stand the uniqueness of being part of the peoplehood to describe a community is the centuries, the connection to their for- define our participation in the general Jewish people. We have grown up in a used: Judaism is seen as a total concept of mer Judaism was lost; nevertheless, they society in which we lived and was a basis predominately Christian nation, and, as is mutual support, financial help, political continued to perform the ritual not for our position in the total community. only natural, we are influenced in our support, education, communal services, because of what it represented but because Today, our identity has become more self- societal perceptions of our communal and social action without regard to the that is what their mothers did. defined. workings and interconnectivity by the physical location, country, or denomina- It is important, therefore, that we con- As I have written before, Judaism is model of what we observe in the general tion, all of which were derived from the tinue to study our Judaism and understand much broader and more than a religion; it community. But there is a difference. tenants of Judaism. Peoplehood is much the basis for what our organizations do. broader than the term nationhood. The centrality of the directives of the reli- The precepts on which our communal gious doctrines needs to be incorporated structures sit are found in our teachings. into the actions lest we end up performing None of these entities stand on its own but unsourced acts and lose the meaning. rather exist to fulfill duties and responsi- Although we could face some difficult bilities set forth in Judaism. Each organi- times without the support organization zation draws on doctrines set forth and that make up our communal structure, our peoplehood has and can continue to exist THE without any one of them. What we cannot survive is the loss of the moral and reli- Jewish Georgian gious teachings on which all of these are based. The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians. Regardless of the form that is selected to acknowledge and accept Judaism, it is Publisher Marvin Botnick Co-Publisher Sam Appel the substance that is important. We are, in Editor Marvin Botnick fact, a people. We do, in fact, need to Managing Editor Marsha C. LaBeaume Assignment Editor Carolyn Gold relate to one another as a community. We Consulting Editor Gene Asher must, in fact, understand the meaning of Associate Editor Barbara Schreiber Copy Editor Ray Tapley peoplehood and, while disagreeing on Assistant Copy Editor Arnold Friedman some issues, know that we are our broth- Makeup Editor Terri Christian er’s keeper. Production Coordinator Terri Christian Designer David Gaudio That is why at this time of the year, Photographic Staff Allan Scher, Phil Slotin, Phil Shapiro, we continue to validate our Judaism by Jonathan Paz Graphic Art Consultant Karen Paz assembling in the Days of Awe to contem- Columnist Gene Asher, Susan Asher plate the past and think of the future. It is Jonathan Barach, Janice Rothschild Blumberg, not the quoting of passages that is impor- Marvin Botnick, tant; it is understanding and implementing Shirley Friedman, Carolyn Gold, the meanings that count. Jonathan Goldstein, R.M. Grossblatt, George Jordan, Marice Katz, Balfoura, Friend Levine, Marsha Liebowitz, Howard Margol, Bubba Meisa, Erin O’Shinsky, Reg Regenstein, Susan Robinson, Stuart Rockoff, Roberta Scher, Jerry Schwartz, Leon Socol, Cover art: Bill Sonenshine, Rabbi Reuven Stein, Cecile Waronker, Evie Wolfe Special Assignments Lyons Joel The original cover artwork was created Advertising Andrea J. Feinberg for The Jewish Georgian by Jonathan Ruby Grossblatt Francine Lowe Paz, a native Atlantan, who uses digital photography and computer software to Editorial Advisory Board Members Sam Appel Rabbi Alvin Sugarman Sam Massell compose and create works of art. Jane Axelrod Albert Maslia William Rothschild Gil Bachman Michael H. Mescon Marilyn Shubin Asher Benator Paul Muldawer Doug Teper 8495 Dunwoody Place, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30350 (404) 236-8911 • FAX (404) 236-8913 [email protected] www.jewishgeorgian.com The Jewish Georgian ©2011 September-October 2011 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 3 Corps Mobilization Command, and deputy During the Civil Rights era, Tom was commander, Marine Forces Reserve, during Martin Luther King, Jr.’s driver. Tom is the mobilization and deployment for working on a memoir, Looking at History in What’s Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi My Rearview Mirror: Driving Dr. King. Freedom. He returned to retirement in July We’re sure the book will be terrific, but the of 2003. His personal decorations include book party will be even better. the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Air Medal. The food at Larry’s party is always HAPPENING great, prepared by hostess/chef/caterer/Naval Academy alum MONKEYSHINES AT JERRY FAR- Lieutenant Commander Melissa Matthews, BER’S. A guy walks into a bar with a dog, USN, who was in the 2d class (‘81) to grad- a monkey, and a parrot. uate women at Annapolis. It sounds like a joke, but it’s not. The We once stupidly asked Larry if he was guy was Bobby Manheim, the bar was Jerry BY Reg married, and he replied, “If the Marines had Farber’s Sidedoor nightclub in Buckhead, Regenstein wanted me to have a wife, they would’ve next to the Landmark Diner, and we were provided me with one.” there, hitting on a cute, soon-to-be-divorced Larry is a graduate of Grady High real estate agent from Roswell, when it hap- We are constantly amazed by the fasci- School and Georgia Tech, despite, he pened.... nating, unique, cool, goofy, weird, and admits, having “majored” in Manuel’s Jerry Talansky (left) with Tom Houck Just another night at Jerry’s. never, boring cast of characters we run into Tavern. Bobby uses his family of critters to per- at Jerry’s—he being, of course, the The grandson of Russian Jewish immi- form valuable work, educating children and strangest—sort of a cross between the bar grants to America, Larry says that his high- TRAVEL WRITER JUDITH FEIN LIVES others about important values our society scene in Star Wars, the food-fight scene in est honor is to hold the title of United States TO LEAVE. Judith Fein, of Santa Fe, is an needs to learn more about. Animal House, and the love scene in Marine. Semper fi, Larry, and thanks for international travel journalist who says she The capuchin monkey, Dr. Irving, is Deliverance. your service to our country. “lives to leave.” She lived for a decade in affectionately named in honor of the late Europe and North Africa and says she “has renowned Atlanta dentist Dr. Irving a passion for adventures that are exotic, Goldstein, who was a very special person to authentic, quirky, historic and immersed in Bobby.