JewishTHE Georgian Volume 26, Number 2 Atlanta, Georgia January-February 2014 FREE WHAT’S INSIDE More Films, More Festival The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival continues to expand in depth and breadth. Full coverage, Pages 29-33 Building a second career Architect Paul Muldawer brings his love of cities to his work as an artist. By Carolyn Gold Page 51 The Many Faces of Israel Bonds Development Corporation for Israel, a.k.a. Israel Bonds, thrives because of the work of many; this year, Shirley and Perry Brickman are honored for their contributions. By Marvin Botnick Page 49 Making School Possible The Jewish Educational Loan Fund quietly helps students pay for post- secondary education. By I.M. Levi Page 26 Making History by Preserving It Since 1977, the Southern Jewish Historical Society has worked to ensure that the unique experience of Southern Jewry is recorded and remembered. By Ruben Stanley Page 50 Breaking Ground Temima, the Richard & Jean Katz High School for Girls, will now have a building that matches its aspirations and accomplishments. The Riches of Rich’s By R.M. Grossblatt The Breman Museumʼs “Return to Richʼs: The Story Behind the Store” is a comprehensive Page 34 examination of one of Atlantaʼs defining and most beloved institutions. See article on pages 14-15 Page 2 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN January-February 2014 What’s HAPPENING Dr. Catherine Lewis (right) talks THE FABULOUS BREMAN MUSEUM Spring Asher (center) (All exhibit about the exhibit EXHIBIT ON RICH’S. Now on display at photos courtesy of The Breman The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, Ivani Photography) Everybody had stories to tell about an Museum is “Return to Rich’s—The Story experience at Rich’s, and the show brought Behind the Store,” an exhibition that will BY Reg back many happy memories of this great delight and fascinate anyone who grew up Regenstein store. or shopped in Atlanta. The always lovely and charming And what an amazing story it is! In the Miriam Botnick said that the showing made her feel “very nostalgic...especially seeing Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Felicia and son, Dulcy and Jerry Rosenberg. The the old menu from the Magnolia Room.... I Feaster wrote that Rich’s was “so enmeshed family, along with Elinor’s late, great hus- in people’s lives that the idea of an exis- band William Breman, has generously tence without it is hard to contemplate.... A helped build and support the museum and beloved Atlanta institution that became other important community institutions. intertwined with the lives of the people who Seeing Dulcy always brings back fond shopped there during its remarkable 138 memories, as we grew up across the street year run.” from her and brother Jay, on Springdale As the show’s guest curator, Catherine Road, in Druid Hills. We still remember Lewis, an author and history professor at walking across the street in our Hopalong Kennesaw State University, told the AJC, Cassidy cowboy outfit to watch her TV, the “How a Hungarian Jewish teenager could first one we had ever seen. come across the Atlantic, with very little At the event, Atlanta History Center’s money and no retail experience, and build distinguished president, Sheffield Hale, one the nation’s spoke eloquently about the old Rich’s. Also Miriam Botnick, with grandson great department telling tales of the store was Jeff Clemmons, Tom Asher Jonathan Paz, and daughter Karen Paz stores is a truly the author of that great new book, Rich’s: A American tale.” Southern Institution. And she notes that grew up at Rich’s, from when I this story, on a was five years old. I would walk smaller scale, has there from school every day and been “replayed in get a ride home with my father.” many Southern Her father was Keeve Pass, vice towns, with president and a member of the Jewish immi- Board of Directors of Rich’s; he grants creating helped arrange the first Christmas businesses and tree lighting. She was there for jobs.” the ceremony, the first of what “Return to would become a hallowed annual Elinor Breman Rich’s” was tradition. (Photo courtesy of introduced at a Miriam remembers well The Breman dazzling preview Rich’s legendarily generous Museum, Ivani party for support- return policy. “You could take Photography) ers and volun- anything back... Once my father teers. showed me some expensive Dominating the evening was the The team that created the exhibition: Dr. Catherine ladies evening shoes that had always elegant, splendid, and spectacular Lewis (from left), Jeff Clemmons, Bill Selman, Aaron Jerry and Martha Jo Katz been returned; they had been Elinor Breman, with her daughter-in-law Berger, Timothy Frilingos, and Dale Brubaker (Photo chewed up by the dog and were in courtesy of The Breman Museum, Ivani Photography) Other community leaders and those who are involved with the show and The Breman added to the splendor of the evening. They included Breman Executive Director Aaron Berger, Elaine and Myles Alexander, Spring and Tom Asher, Betsy and David Portrait of Dick Rich reminds us Baker, Miriam and Marvin Botnick, that the Richʼs legacy lives on Denise Cohen, Sally and Sam Coolik, a hundred pieces. Rich’s took them back.” Laura Dinerman, Aida Flamm, Sadly, we can’t shop at Rich’s any- Timothy Frilingos, Carol Goldberg, Marlene Schwartz (left) and Aaron Berger more—but this wonderful exhibition is the PearlAnn Horowitz, Martha Jo and (center) Jerry Katz, Marlene Schwartz, and See HAPPENING, page 6 Elinor Breman and Dulcy Rosenberg David Schendowich. January-February 2014 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 3 the transcribers of The Breman’s vast oral history collection. Speaking of his time at the museum, Archivist emeritus and close BREMAN MUSEUM NEWS friend of Mendel, Sandra Berman, says, “Mendel’s arrival once or twice a week always brightened my day. His anecdotal down and fight your own battles.” Mendel weapon and fire over the mountain. They knowledge of Atlanta Jewish history added MENDEL ROMM, ONE OF JEWISH went back and stood up to them and never could do it to us and start the war.” much to my understanding of the past.” ATLANTA’S MOST BELOVED SONS. had any more trouble. When Mendel returned home after two Mendel passed away on November 18, Born on January 11, 1929, four days before Mendel attended Highland Elementary, years in the service, he went into the insur- 2013. He will be dearly missed by the entire the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bass Junior High, and Boys High schools. ance business with his father, who was the Atlanta community. He is survived by his only five blocks away, Mendel Romm, Jr. He excelled in school and became active in chief underwriter for bonds for the entire wife of over 60 years, Anta Pitlick Romm; entered an Atlanta that was far from the many extracurricular organizations, includ- Southeast division of the United State his children, Lisa Kempler; Dr. Tracey diverse metropolitan city we know today. ing A.Z.A., the male youth division of B’nai Fidelity and Guaranty Company (USF&G). Romm and his wife, Dr. Aviva Romm; Amy Mendel loved his city and used to argue B’rith, and the Boy Scouts of America. He Mendel used his connections in the insur- Arogeti and her husband, Robert Arogeti; with a friend from Birmingham over which graduated from the University of Georgia in ance business to become involved in real eleven grandchildren; and four great grand- city was larger. In an oral history conducted June of 1950, which also marked the out- estate. He built low-income apartments that children. by The Breman Museum, Mendel remi- break of the Korean War. Sure enough, a were intended to provide the African- The Mendel Romm Family Papers are nisced, “I got in a big fight with a fellow by week after graduation, Mendel was called American community with a higher stan- housed in the Cuba Family Archives. If you the name of Pizitz, from Birmingham. up to serve in the United States Army as a dard of living. He also built one of the first would like to make an appointment to Pizitz was a big department store, similar to second lieutenant. condominium buildings in Atlanta. When research this material, contact Jeremy Katz, Rich’s, and my mother’s uncle used to bring Since he studied armored combat in the energy crisis of 1973 hit, Mendel archivist, at 404-870-1862 or jrkatz@the- him to the baseball games to see Atlanta ROTC at UGA, Mendel was assigned to an refused to raise rents to cover the higher gas breman.org. play Birmingham, and we got into a fight as armored infantry division and entered train- prices, and he lost everything. to which was bigger, Birmingham or ing at Fort Benning, in Georgia. He was 75th ANNIVERSARY OF KRISTALL- Atlanta. This was in the middle thirties and then stationed in Mannheim, Germany, NACHT. The Breman Museum marked the it was a drag-out fight, and I’m very embar- where he frequently patrolled the Fulda 75th anniversary of the first major pogrom rassed to say, he was right, Birmingham Gap. Mendel recalled, “We used to fire into against the Jews in Germany and Austria was bigger than Atlanta.” mountains, the same mountains that the with two special events. On November 9, Unfortunately, this fight would not be Russians were firing into on the other side. “Music of the Holocaust,” presented in col- the first scuffle for young Mendel. When he We always worried that one of us could laboration with The Atlanta Opera, show- was about ten years old, he went out to play, make a mistake and have an elevated cased world renowned mezzo-soprano and one of his friends threw rocks at him Helene Schneiderman.