Wishing You a Healthy and Sweet 5771 JewishTHE Georgian Volume 22, Number 6 Atlanta, Georgia SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2010 FREE Atlanta Jewish Educational Alliance—a centennial celebration What’s Inside By Marvin Botnick At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population of Atlanta numbered A High Holy Day something slightly over 1,000, the majority Washington Street buzzed with excite- of whom were recent emigrants. It is diffi- ment on Selichos night in 1948. cult for most of us to understand and appre- By David Geffen ciate what it must have meant to this popu- Page 30 lation to acclimate to a new environment, a new language, an unfamiliar social setting, and a new culture. Thoughts on Iraq While I grew up in Mississippi and not in Atlanta, I am the product of parents who Jewish values can provide a context for would be numbered in the tally of emi- dealing with the stresses of war. grants. I have always been in awe of how By Philip J. Botwinik, my parents and the others who faced this as told to George Jordan task met the challenge and moved them- Page 16 “Those were the days, my friend”: Bobby Paller, Harry Maziar, Barbara Smith, The Vicarious See Centennial Celebration page 5 Sherry Maziar, and Caryl Paller are all smiles. Traveler Globe-trotting granddaughters provide JNF National Conference will insights on other cultures via their travel blogs. draw eyes of world to Georgia By Leon Socol Page 21 By Jill Lerner From October 10-11, Atlanta will host the Jewish National Fund’s 2010 National Georgia’s surging importance to the Conference—the first time in the 109-year- The Power of worldwide Jewish community will be con- history of JNF that the organization’s most firmed in early October, when Atlanta wel- important meeting will be held in Atlanta. Small Things comes Israel’s leading politicians and More than 600 attendees are expected from change agents—including the mayor of throughout the country, including JNF JNF Chairman Ronald Lauder and A tiny prayer book was the constant Jerusalem and several cabinet ministers— Michael B. Oren, Israelʼs ambassador companion of an anonymous soldier dur- for a major conference on Israel. See JNF National Conference page 7 to the United States ing World War II. By Balfoura Friend Levine Page 15 Child Holocaust survivors and families honor Changing with heroic village in the French countryside the Times By Naomi Blass Once a community of merchants, Rome’s thriving Jewish community is now home “I thought they would come back.” My to professionals. mother glances at her hands, referring to her By Dr. Stuart Rockoff parents, my grandparents. She is nearing Page 10 seventy, with gray hair trimmed in a bob similar to the style popular in her childhood of the 1940s. We are at Hearth in Sandy Taking Care of Mom Springs, eating a pizza dinner. With an imp- ish smile, she adds, “I hoped they would Legendary southern storyteller Navigating the healthcare maze is a chal- find me. And bring me a doll in a baby car- Pat Conroy headlines the 19th lenge for caregivers. riage. What did I know? There was a war.” annual Book Festival of the By Ron Feinberg Betty Rose Blass with daughter She waves her hand, dismissing the errant Page 28 Naomi Blass (Photo courtesy of MJCCA. (photo: Steve Leimberg) Naomi Blass) See Survivors page 6 See page 38. Page 2 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN September-October 2010 Judaism and the magic mirror Who is not familiar with the story of reminds me that this is the time for healing mouthing the words of repentance, it is the Snow White? I wonder how many people relationships with the land, for reaching actions and corrective deeds that speak for have ever thought about the imagery of the accommodations with my fellow humans, us. We seek a second chance. magic mirror in the story. Was the Brothers BY for arriving at peace with myself, and for It is symbolic that Yom Kippur, the Grimm presentation of this fairy tale just Marvin understanding my responsibility to God. Day of Atonement, is the day on which some mindless fantasy, or is it possible that Botnick Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning: the Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the its symbolism has practical application? day on which God created man. It marks a second set of tablets containing the Think about it. modified many times since then. It has no start with all the attendant opportunities: the Commandments, the first set of which had For me, this mirror does exist. glitches, confidentiality is assured, and onset of a period to refresh who and what been smashed by Moses when he saw the You cannot see this reflective surface nothing contained or resulting from the pro- we are. people dancing around the golden calf. It into which I gaze, nor can you hear any gram can be construed as spam. My magic mirror always reminds me was only after Moses had returned to Mt. sounds that flow between it and me because Just in case I may have overlooked a that I am responsible for recognizing my Sinai and confessed to the sins of the peo- it is housed in my inner-self. It is an aston- self-evalu- missteps, ple, making supplications on their behalf, ishing creation that is at my beck and call, ating ses- either by that God forgave the transgressions. It was and I can ask it a question and get a mean- sion with Mirror, mirror in my inner soul commission by this act of contrition that the covenant ingful response. my mirror, or omis- between God and the Israelites, the annul- I have had this mirror all of my life, but Judaism Awaken within me renewal of goals. sion, and of ment of which had resulted from their cre- this is the season that I make the most use will not let Make me face my errant ways my duty to ation of the golden calf, was re-established. of it. Unlike the wicked queen in the Snow me hide atone and White tale, I do not use the magic mirror for behind my And guide my actions toward justice, I pray. make Mirror, mirror in my inner soul self-aggrandizement; rather, I rely on it for procrastina- amends for Awaken within me renewal of goals. introspective accountings. tion. Once a my actions Make me face my errant ways You can understand why this is the year I run head-on into the Days of Awe, and return, And guide my actions toward justice, time of the year that I really put the device that ten-day period of time that begins with teshuva, to a life of justice and righteous- I pray. to work. In the modern parlance, you might Rosh Hashanah and runs through Yom ness. We are required to redress any wrongs say that my magic mirror is programmed by Kippur. It is the time when we are remind- we have done to the person harmed and May 5771 be a year of tolerance, my Judaism; is soul-powered; and operates ed to keep focused on the moral imperatives seek from that person forgiveness for our understanding, and peace: and may we all on its own network. The original outline of of our Judaism: a time to review and rein- misdeeds and aversive actions. And we are realize that the difference between right and the basic program was cut into stone some force what has been commanded of us. For commanded to look inwardly to recognize wrong is more than just not getting caught. 3,500 years ago and has been updated and me, it is a time to confer with my mirror. the errors we have made against nature and When I talk with my magic mirror, it God and correct our ways. It is not just JewishTHE Georgian The Jewish Georgian is published bimonthly by Eisenbot, Ltd. It is written for Atlantans and Georgians by Atlantans and Georgians. Publisher Marvin Botnick Co-Publisher Sam Appel Editor Marvin Botnick Managing Editor Marsha C. LaBeaume Assignment Editor Carolyn Gold Consulting Editor Gene Asher Associate Editor Barbara Schreiber Copy Editor Ray Tapley Assistant Copy Editor Arnold Friedman Makeup Editor Terri Christian Production Coordinator Terri Christian Designer David Gaudio Medical Editor Morris E. Brown, M.D. Photographic Staff Allan Scher, Phil Slotin, Phil Shapiro, Jonathan Paz Graphic Art Consultant Karen Paz Columnist Gene Asher, Susan Asher Jonathan Barach, Janice Rothschild Blumberg, Marvin Botnick, Suzi Brozman, Shirley Friedman, Carolyn Gold, Jonathan Goldstein, George Jordan, Marice Katz, Balfoura Friend Levine, Marsha Liebowitz, Howard Margol, Bubba Meisa, Erin O’Shinsky, Reg Regenstein, Susan Robinson Roberta Scher, Jerry Schwartz, Leon Socol, Bill Sonenshine, Rabbi Reuven Stein, Cecile Waronker, Evie Wolfe Special Assignments Lyons Joel Advertising Eileen Gold Francine Lowe Michael Pelot, VP OP Bill Sonenshine Editorial Advisory Board Members Sam Appel Rabbi Alvin Sugarman Sam Massell 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 ©2010 September-October 2010 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 3 father’s footsteps by serving in the Israel caters to law-enforcement officials, recre- Air Force. ational sportsmen, and novices interested in An amazing legacy for the ten-year-old learning how to protect themselves. What’s farm boy named Lavos Lenovitz, who “The Sandy Springs Gun Club and arrived in the United States with a strange Range will be used by the Sandy Springs accent from a small Hungarian village, hav- Police Department—which currently must ing lost 14 family members, who were send its officers out of town for weapons killed at Auschwitz.