JewishTHE Georgian Volume 23, Number 4 Atlanta, Georgia MAY-JUNE 2011 FREE ‘On The Road Again’: What’s Inside The Breman’s mission ORT Changes Lives to collect and preserve Joe Cohen remained dedicated all his The Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Archives of The Breman Museum has just celebrated its 26th anniversary. The original archive, once life to the organization that helped him housed in a closet in a former building, is now a nationally known in his youth. repository specializing in collecting and documenting the history of By Leon Socol Jewish life in Georgia and Alabama. Page 37 As part of its mission, The Breman’s staff has been on the road, traveling in the last several months to Albany and Dalton in Georgia and to Montgomery, Birmingham, and Anniston in Alabama. With the exception of Birmingham, these communities struggle to keep their An Esteemed Citizen synagogues afloat as their populations dwindle with each passing year. An article about the Jews of Columbus It is a similar story throughout the region. Jewish businesses that prompts memories of another resident of once dotted the Southern landscape are becoming a distant memory. that city, Sophie Weil Browne. The names of the proprietors can often still be seen, etched into the stone facades of the numerous empty buildings on countless main By Janice Rothschild Blumberg Page 13 See BREMAN page 5 Temple Beth El, Anniston, Alabama Keeping Up with Eva Jewish Student Union reaches To say that Eva Galambos is a tireless Cycling with Rabbi Bob Levy public servant doesn’t even begin to By Rabbi Marshal Klaven out to public school students describe her. By Carolyn Gold From the end of February to the end of March, the with meaningful, fun activities Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) Page 34 Rabbinic Department unleashed its first ever Southern Cycling Sabbatical with Rabbi Bob Levy. Rabbi Levy is the senior rabbi of Temple Beth Emeth, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Blessed with a sab- One of the Good Guys batical from his congregation, Rabbi Levy volunteered to pass It’s not an act—the kindness and caring along this blessing to others by cycling 700 miles across five states to support communities that are fighting to maintain Jewish life in Clark Howard shows his audience is small towns. extended to those around him. By Leon Socol Page 22 Stories of Resistance This year’s Am Yisrael Chai program focused on Resistance and Resilience in the Holocaust. Page 28 Riverwood High School students Noa Kalfon and Gemma Rappoport making Hamentashen Rabbi Bob Levy Hunting a Monster CELEBRATING PURIM. Purim is one of the most exciting A new book examines how Israeli agents The ISJL Southern Cycling Sabbatical was a mutually benefi- festivals on the Jewish calendar, and, this year, nearly 400 tracked down Adolf Eichmann. cial program. The congregations had the opportunity to experience teens from 13 Jewish Student Union (JSU) Public School By Ron Feinberg the tremendous skills of a superb rabbi, as he officiated Clubs in Atlanta experienced the fun firsthand. The teens Page 6 See LEVY, page 5 See JEWISH STUDENT UNION, page 7 Page 2 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN May-June 2011 Do they contradict themselves? Very well, then they contradict themselves * Current political events, economic tur- neighboring countries seem to share many forced resignation of former prime minister moil, geopolitical developments and realign- traits when it comes to how the governing pow- Ehud Olmert and the trial of a former president ments, and climate variances seem to be more ers operate. Basically, we find that in these Moshe Katsav). Universal suffrage is in place, prodigious and interacting than I can remember countries there are two groups: the oppressors and the members of the Knesset, the Israeli leg- in the past. Short, simplistic answers are prof- BY Marvin and the oppressed. Generally, the rule of law as islative body, include members from the Israeli fered as solutions of complicated, interdepend- we know it does not exit; governance is by Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze citizen- ent underlying causes. Strident upheavals are Botnick police power, the threat of abuse, and torture; ry. Women have full rights, and the police trumpeted as the method of changes. there are not free, open selections of members actions are answerable to the populace through Nothing brings this more in focus than the fuels the fire under the caldron that has boiled of the governments; universal suffrage and the legal system. There is neither state censor- conflicts that have erupted in the Middle East. over with the present-day tragic conflicts. open access to participation in governmental ship of the media nor exclusive state ownership We have seen deadly discord erupt and The world has given lip service to the jobs and offices is questionable; women either of these resources, and journalists have access continue in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, importance of these human rights concepts, but have no legal standing or are seriously limited to all areas that are not off limits for security West Bank and Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, it is not lip service that is needed; it is imple- as to educational opportunities, rights, and purposes. Medical attention is readily available Iraq, Iran, and Yemen. By and large, this has mentation. jobs; freedom of religion is severely restricted; and comparable with that in other developed been fueled by the disenfranchisement of the The tragic irony of the Middle East situa- persecution of religious groups abound; a countries. The living standard and quality of citizenry, by lack of job opportunities, escalat- tion is that the one nation, nestled amongst domestic free press does not exist; and access educational facilities for the population, even ed food prices, and oppressive military subju- these countries presently involved in the unrest to sites and events by foreign reporters is mon- with the integration of an unbelievably high gation and disregard for human rights. In short, and the resulting civilian plight, that is not wit- itored, and reporters are subject to governmen- percentage of emigrants of all different levels as David Schanzer, director of the Triangle nessing these internal conflicts is Israel. Yet it tal pressure. In addition, unemployment is ram- of proficiency, is on a level with the western Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security is Israel that has been historically singled out pant, state-supported subsidies are dispropor- countries. and associate professor of the practice of pub- and condemned by the world body for human tionately high, and economic growth is not suf- This is not to say that Israel is not answer- lic policy at Duke University, stated in an inter- right abuses, while these virtuous advocates ficient to provide job opportunities for the able for some of its actions and that it should view, what the citizenry of these countries have ignored the egregious violations and growing population. According to the latest fig- not be called to task for abuses of power when “most want is: clean water, health care, educa- resulting suffering that has become so pro- ures in the C.I.A.’s World Factbook, partially such actions occur. But it is hard to understand tion, jobs, [and] economic growth.” We can add nounced in these neighboring states. This past due to the above negative factors, all of these how, as of 2010, almost 50% of condemnation to this the desire for equal rights for women, a December, the figurative fire under the caldron countries have experienced a minus net migra- resolutions by the UN Human Rights Council fair and open judicial system, the democratic of discontent leapt out and ignited the self- tion. were directed at Israel, while the abuses in the right to elect the leadership that is responsible immolating fire of a despondent Tunisian, Israel, on the other hand, has a net migra- countries now incurring the domestic uprisings to the electorate, and an effective human rights which, in turn, lit the torches of discontent, tion rate of a plus 2.08 per 1,000 population, were not agenda items. policy, most of which is absent and all of which civil unrest, and political changes that are tak- yet it has been able to run at an unemployment Why is it that the citizens of these coun- ing place. The reaction to these civilian protests rate of 6%. Government change comes through tries are so abused that they are willing to sub- has been a greater imposition of human-rights the ballot box and not the ammunition box, and ject themselves to torture and death to try to THE violations and atrocities. the rule of law is strictly enforced by an inde- change things while the world powers were Jewish Georgian Simplistically, here is what I see. Israel’s pendent judiciary (see information about the unwilling to face and condemn these actions? Why is it that many educational institutions The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is around the world have chosen to disassociate written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians. from joint programs with Israeli institutions, Publisher Marvin Botnick places of excellence in research and education Co-Publisher Sam Appel that have contributed so much to the advance- Editor Marvin Botnick Managing Editor Marsha C. LaBeaume ment of science, technology, the arts, and Assignment Editor Carolyn Gold knowledge? Why is it that certain major world Consulting Editor Gene Asher Associate Editor Barbara Schreiber religious denominations have advocated boy- Copy Editor Ray Tapley cotts of Israeli products and divestiture of Assistant Copy Editor Arnold Friedman investments in Israeli companies or companies Makeup Editor Terri Christian Production Coordinator Terri Christian doing business in Israel because of the difficult Designer David Gaudio peace process with the Palestinians while doing Medical Editor Morris E.