WELCOME, RABBI WEINSTEIN!New assistant rabbi at CDTPAGE 3

FRIENDS AND FIREARMSFIDF Women’s Brigade Takes Aim PAGE 10

SUPER-SIMPLE SHABBAT SHORTCUTNo-Hassle ChallahPAGE 16

VISIT OUR NEWWEBSITE & lIkE US ON

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THE ATLANTA jULY 13, 2012 - jULY 19, 2012 23 Tamuz - 29 Tamuz 5772, Vol. LXXXVII No. 28

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WAS MOSES AN ACTIVIST JUDGE?D’var Torah for Parashat Pinchas by Rabbi Joshua Lesser | Page 21

AjWS IN LIBERIALocals on Mission for Positive Social ChangePAGES 18 and 19

Star Talks New Book, Acting, Judaism and Fitting It All Together PAGE 14

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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Congregation Dor Tamid Brings In First Assistant Rabbi RABBI MICHAEL WEINSTEIN WELCOMED

NEwSAJTBy DENISE ABrAmow For The Atlanta Jewish Times

To satisfy the growth of the synagogue, members of Con-gregation Dor Tamid (CDT) in Johns Creek voted this spring

to add an assistant rabbi to the exist-ing clergy team of Rabbi Ron Herstik and Cantorial Soloist Michael Zuspan. Rabbi Michael Weinstein, originally of Boston, relocated to Johns Creek with his wife, Laurie, and their son, Mose, and began in his new role July 1. Rabbi Weinstein, 38, previously served as the rabbi at Temple Shir Ha-dash in Westford, Mass. He also served as Social Justice Rabbi at the Rashi

School, a Reform Jewish day school in Boston, worked with the Jewish Alli-ance of Greater Rhode Island focusing on engagement and event planning for those in their 20s and 30s and current-ly is working toward his certification in professional fundraising from Boston University. “Not many congregations our size warrant the need for an Assistant Rab-bi,” CDT President Howie Rubenstein said. “CDT is unique in that our mem-ber base necessitates a large religious school, growing half-day and full-day pre-school and a wide variety of activi-ties to meet the needs of our youth and post-b’nai mitzvah life stages. “We are confident that Rabbi Wein-stein will continue to help our members

“The 6th District could have no one better than Josh Belinfante in the Senate. We need Josh in the StateSenate. He’s a proven leader who understands the legislative process like few others I know. JoshBelinfante’s leadership, integrity and intellectual capacity is needed in our State Senate.”

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‘Live their Best Jewish Life’ by engag-ing our youth, providing outreach to North Fulton, South Forsyth and Gwin-nett residents, and by bringing more di-versified and spiritual programming to CDT.” Rabbi Weinstein explained how Dor Tamid was the top choice of the oppor-tunities presented to him: “When I began to research CDT, it was clear to me that it was much more than a synagogue,” he said. “CDT is a

place where relationships are empha-sized and prioritized though a vast ar-ray of opportunities to make not only a religious and spiritual connection, but to engage as individuals and with their families socially, through groups, education, giving back to the greater community at large, and even athletic activities. “Coming to CDT and this communi-ty provides contentment that my family will benefit from this caring, close com-

munity similar to the one that I myself grew up in.” Rabbi Weinstein plans to focus in the future on extending the connec-tions of Dor Tamid to the Johns Creek surrounding areas and Atlanta Jewish community. Versed in both Judaic and Christian knowledge, he will provide outreach to the growing population of interfaith families regarding ways in which to integrate Judaism into their lives.

rabbi michael weinstein

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From THE AICCSE ASk BUBBEAJT AJTUpcoming Event: Exporting to IsraelSPECIAL SEMINAR FROM THE AICCSE

Leadership Team AnnouncedAICCSE RE-ELECTS LORIN COLES AS CHAIRMAN

Concerns Over Dating? Tired of Waiting?ASK BUBBE JUDY

The American-Is-rael Chamber of Commerce, SE Re-gion (AICC) will

present a special seminar, “Exporting to Israel”, on Wed., July 18, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The program will feature the senior leaders of the Tel Aviv-based Fed-eration of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, including President Uriel Lynn and General Manager Dan Carmely. The seminar is geared towards Georgia exporters interested in expanding international sales to Israel. Discover this dynamic market and learn more about:

Israel’s “hot” business sectors•Export challenges and tips for Israel•Finding buyers and representation in Israel•Take advantage of our Free Trade Agreement•Services available to Georgia exporters•

The seminar will be held at the Metro Atlanta Chamber (235 Andrew Young International Blvd.); cost is $15 for members of the AICC or MAC and $25 for non-members.

The American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, SoutheastRegionhaselecteditsofficersandboardmembers for 2012-2013. Lorin Coles (Alliance-sphere) has been re-elected as chairman of the or-ganization.Other elected officers include JoelNeuman (TheCoca-Cola Company) as chairman-elect; Jonathan Zucker (The InterTech Group) as vice chairman; Benjamin Fink (Berman Fink Van Horn) as vice chairman; Jonathan Minnen (Smith Gambrell & Russell) as secretary; and Steve Horn (Williams Benator & Libby) as treasurer.Tom Glaser continues to serve as the Chamber’s presidentandchiefprofessionalofficer.NewlyjoiningtheChamber’sExecutiveCommittee are Ralph Jordan (CardioMEMS) and Diane Weiner (Healarium).New members of AICC’s Board of Directors include Thad Kodish (Fish & Rich-ardson), Evan Paris (Aarons Grant & Habif), Shai Robkin (Bibliotheca), Ernie Eichenbaum (nexDimension), Raanan Pritzker (Fifth Third Bank), Sheila Dal-mat (Key Bridges), Rebecca Chang (novoGI), Sam Chafetz (Baker Donelson), Talli Schechter (Baran Americas), Ken Fox (Soundings Group), John Belew (EVS), Dawn Ely (Global Success Centers), Avi Zibitt (SunTrust Bank) and Adam Shapiro (Sales Reform School).“We are honored to continue to attract such outstanding individuals to the leadership of our organization,” said Glaser. “Their commitment strengthens our reputation in the area’s business community and with organizations and companies that do major business with Israel.”

Dear Bubbe,

My daughter is a freshman in high school and has just started dating. She attends a public school, so al-though there are some Jewish boys at her school, the vast majority of them are not Jewish.

I prefer that she date Jewish boys, as I believe that will make settling down with a Jewish husband much easier. What can I do and how do I ex-plain this to my daughter?

- Worrisome and Puzzled

Dear Worrisome,

This problem goes back to even when this Bubbe was a teenager. You can drive yourself meshugge with worry, or you can do some practical things.

Talking to your daughter about how you feel will help a little because what you are saying will register a little in the back of her head. But it won’t keep her from dating non-Jews.

At that age, most of kids hang out ingroups,sofindoutaboutthelocalJewish organizations and summer programs. There are probably some that her friends are in, and with a little encouragement, she might be in-terested, too.

Zol zayn mit mazel (“good luck”)!

- Bubbe Judy

Dear Bubbe,

My husband is always late. If he tells me that he will be somewhere in ten minutes, it usually takes a half hour to an hour for him to get there. He is even late for meetings with me and for picking me up when he is sup-posed to.

I have tried for the last 20 years to get him to change, but he refuses. Other than his timeliness issue, he is

a wonderful father and husband, and we only argue when he is late taking me or our children to appointments.

But I just can’t take his lateness any more. He is driving me crazy. He does not understand how insensitive, annoying and unfair it is for him to be late or to make other people late. His tardiness does not seem to affect his business or job duties, just friends and family.

What should I do?

- Punctuality Appreciated

Dear Punctuality,

First of all, congratulations on be-ing married for 20 years to a man who you think of as a “wonderful husband and father.” But let’s face it, if you haven’t been able to change him in 20 years, you’re not going to change him!

I have a relative who is always late like that. We always tell her 30 min-utes earlier than we want her to be there!

You can also ask some friends or family to help you with rides or plan on driving more yourself, but don’t fardrai zich dem kop (“drive yourself crazy”). There are plenty of women out there who would love to have a hus-band that showed up at ANY time.

Take a breath, think of all the things that are wonderful about him, and know that you might just be a lit-tle late somewhere but that life will go on. You probably do some things that annoy him too!

- - Bubbe Judy

Editor’s note: Submit your questions and have them answered by one of the AJT’s four Bubbes! Email your concern(s) to submissions@atljewish-times.com, and you might just get a little free – but valuable – advice!

L to r:Dan Carmely and Uriel Lynn

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IF yoU ASk mEAJT

Iran’s Latest AttackA DISTURBING SHIFT

By rABBI yAAkov THomPSoN AJT Contributor

It is old news: Ahmadinejad con-demns Israel, calling it a “can-cer” that must be destroyed. We have grown so used to an-

ti-Israel rants coming from Iran that maybe we don’t pay attention any more – another day, another call to wipe Is-rael off the map. Maybe we have even grown weary of hearing about Iran’s “possible” nuclear program, or maybe we have just convinced ourselves that Israel or America will take action be-fore it is too late. We have come to depend on the fact that computer viruses and secret bunker-bombs will somehow avert an all out attack on Israel. We have even come to dismiss Iran’s threats to attack “the West.” I understand that we grow weary being in a state of constant alert, but in situations like this it is required. I bring to your atten-tion the latest version of Iran’s attack on Israel because it should con-cern us in an entirely different way. At a conference on drug use in Iran (yes, a big problem) MohammedRezaRahimi,Iran’sfirstvice president, offered a reason for worldwide drug use: The Talmud is to blame, he said. He explained that the Talmud teaches that Jews can do anything to make money and so it is obvious that they are behind the in-ternational drug trade. As ridiculous as this sounds, repre-sentatives of other countries attending the conference sat there and listened to it. Worse than that, the UN often praises Iran for their “war on drugs.” No, it does not surprise me that an Iranian officialwouldmake sucha claim, nor does it surprise me that other people would sit there and lis-ten as if this charge could be serious. What does get my attention is this: Blaming the Talmud for drug use is

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not just an implicit attack on Israel, but an explicit attack on Judaism as a religion. It moves the question from politics to culture and religion. It means that there can be no doubt that when Ira-nians call for the destruction of Israel they have another vision in mind as well – the destruction of all Jews. While Ahmadinejad may talk of destroying Israel, he is really think-ing that Iran will succeed in wiping out Judaism, and that should make us think twice. Thus, as Jews, this makes us nervous for Israel but also nervous and alert for ourselves. In the Iranian worldview, Jews are to be killed wherever they are because they are Jews. We have to understand

that Iran seeks to fulfill Hitler’s vi-sion, a world without Jews. That may be offensive to some, but it is the sim-plest statement of the truth. Don’t ignore the situation. Urge ourofficialstosupportIsrael;urgeourofficialstocombatIranoneveryfrontpossible. As Jews, we have learned that ignoring our enemies does not make them go away. If we are not for ourselves, who will be?

Editor’s note: Rabbi Yaakov Thomp-son is a regular contributor to the South Florida Jewish Journal; more of his writing can be found at yaak-ovthompson.blogspot.com.

“It moves the question from politics to culture and religion. It means that there can be no doubt that when Iranians call for the destruction of Israel they have another vision in mind as well – the destruction of all Jews.”

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ACCorDING To ArLENE

Maris Ayin A HOUSE DIVIDED

By ArLENE APPELroUTH AJT Columnist

Some Jewish laws bother me. Maris ayin, which means “the vision of the eye,” is one of them. This is

how I learned about it.

I was in Jerusalem, visiting my son,whooptedtospendhisfirstyearafter high school at an Israeli ye-shiva rather than heading to college. He agreed to take a morning off from his Torah studies and meet me in the Old City, where we planned to go to the Tower of David museum.

The museum hadn’t opened yet and I was hungry, so I asked my son to come with me into a nearby restau-rant so I could get some scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee. He wouldn’t join me.

“I can’t go in there, Mom, because it isn’t a kosher restaurant,” he ex-plained.

“You don’t have to eat,” I said, “Just keep me company. I’m not eat-ing anything that’s not kosher.”

“Mom, it doesn’t matter what you eat,” he objected. “The restaurant isn’t kosher, and if I go in wearing my kippah and tsis-tsis, if an obser-vant Jew notices me, I’ll give him the wrong impression. It’s against Jew-ish law to do that.”

His wearing tsis-tsis and a kippah was something new. I was still ad-justing to that.

“David,” I said. “Tuck in your tsis-tsis and take off your kippah. I’ll buy you a baseball cap if you insist on covering your head.”

He refused. No matter how I pre-sented it – that I preferred to have his company rather than eat alone – he was not coming with me. So I went in, ate my scrambled eggs and drank my coffee.

I wondered how else my son was going to change as a result of this year in Jerusalem. Had anyone told me what the future would bring, I wouldn’t have believed them.

My son, my baby, had always been easy-going and easy to get along with. It never occurred to me that his choices would change our family in unimaginable ways.

Fast forward to a few years ago. My son is an adult, has been ordained as an Orthodox rabbi and is married with children of his own. He works as an assistant rabbi. His sister has be-come Orthodox; his father, my hus-band, is practically Orthodox.

Our family has become “religious-ly diverse.” We have different belief systems that create family tensions.

My grandchildren are being taught that married women should never wear pants and that they should al-ways cover their hair. When I have visited wearing slacks, my eldest grandson becomes visibly upset and expresses his concern that his friends will make fun of him if they know he has a grandmother who doesn’t fol-low the same rules that their grand-mothers follow.

The world is being presented in black and white to my grandchil-dren. It is easier for me to wear skirts and hats than engage my grandson in a discussion about the different branches of Judaism, as he is at an age where he doesn’t understand “grey.”

I tell myself there will be time lat-er, when he will become aware that Judaism is a rich, diverse religion. Hopefully he will be able to under-stand that, and I will regain my free-dom to dress however I please with-out upsetting anyone.

My intention is to have family vacations in which all three of my adult children participate. I want my grandchildren to know each other

AJT

and to know their aunts and uncles.

We have packed a cooler full of ko-sher food and gone to an amusement area. Everyone agrees to meet at noon at a spot where there are tables and chairs in front of a restaurant; the restaurant isn’t kosher, but we will only be purchasing cold drinks from it.

As soon as we open the cooler, there is an objection.

“We cannot sit here because of maris ayin.”

I knew exactly what that means, but didn’t believe this law will apply when our cooler was in plain sight. Anyone passing by could see we were having a family picnic with our own food.

My family now consists of Ortho-dox Jews, modern Orthodox Jews, ReformJews,unaffiliatedJews…andme. I tell everyone I’m a “flexidox”Jew. By that, I mean I’ve become flexibleenoughtobecomfortablenomatter whether I worship – in a Re-form temple or an Orthodox shul.

We are all Jews. We just worship differently. We also have different standards regarding what and where we eat.

And back at the cooler, we had a serious problem.

The more religious among us took the cooler elsewhere, while I removed some food from the cooler and made plates for those of us who were com-fortable eating in front of the non-ko-sher restaurant. Clearly, my family is not of one mind anymore.

I wish I could end this column by stating that during the time that has passed, my family has come to an agreement regarding kosher food.

But today, the most religious require special certification on their prod-ucts, and the least religious think a lot of the rules are ludicrous.

Being Jewish is an ongoing chal-lenge.

Editor’s note: Arlene Appelrouth earned a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Florida and her career as a writer and journalist spans a 50-year period; she currently studies memoir writing while working on her first book.

“My family now consists of Orthodox Jews, modern Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews, unaf-filiatedJews…andme.ItelleveryoneI’ma‘flexidox’Jew.Bythat,ImeanI’vebecomeflexibleenoughtobecomfortablenomatterwhether I worship – in a Reform temple or an Orthodox shul.

We are all Jews. We just worship differently. We also have different standards regarding what and where we eat.”

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Are you going to a Jewish Summer Camp?

Don’t forget to write “home” and tell us about your fun experiences!

We’ll publish one letter each week beginning the �rst week of camp through the last. Share with your community the adventures, new friends and discoveries of the season, and send pictures, too!

Email us (or scan your child’s letter) with subject line “From Camp With Love”:submissions@atljewishtimes.com

**Calling All Jewish Campers, CIT’s and Counselors!**From Camp, With Love

Are you going to a Jewish Summer Camp?Don’t forget to write “home” and tell us about your fun experiences! We’ll publish one letter each week beginning the first weekof camp through the last.

Share with your community the adventures, new friends and discoveries of the season, and send pic-tures, too! Email us (or scan your child’s letter) with subject line “From Camp With Love”:submissions@atljewishtimes.comyou can also mail us your letter directly: 270 Carpenter Drive NESuite 230Atlanta, GA 30328Att: To Camp

With Love.

Calling All Jewish Campers, CIT’s and Counselors!

From Camp,with Love!

JULY

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L’CHAIm

Using What G-d Gave YouAND GIVING BACK IN KIND

AJT

By JANIS CoHEN AJT Columnist

Amazing, isn’t it, that your greatest gift to yourself is YOU. How you live your life is the gift you give

back to Spirit.

While we have all been created in the image of G-d, each of us is unique; harboring unseen and specif-ic talents unlike any other. But how doyoufindoutwhatgiftsyouhavetogive back to others and to Spirit?

In other words, “What is your life purpose and how do you serve and contribute to the world?”

Many of you believe that you do nothaveenoughinsighttofigureoutwhat you are supposed to do with your life. I have worked with many clients who have convinced them-selves that someone else knows the answer to the question, and therein lies the struggle.

No one knows your strengths better than you, and no one can de-termine your purpose here on Earth outside of you. The unfolding of in-sight comes from Spirit’s messages and your ability to coagulate them, ingest them and act upon them.

Life is your school, and you are here to learn from it.

Some of you spend your time at-tempting to serve the world in ways that really don’t fit for you; beingsomeone who you are not in an at-tempt to try to findwho you reallyare. Until you have that aha mo-ment, or a “tipping point” as I have mentioned before, many of you really don’t know why you have been put on this planet.

In extreme circumstances, peo-ple have found their higher purpose spurting out from the loss of a loved one or a tragic personal experience: A very dear friend of mine has a 21-year-old daughter who has been struggling with a secret; a secret that shefinallysharedlastyear.

She was raped when she was 13.

She kept this secret, along with the shame, pain, anger and humilia-tion that came with it, buried in her heart. She rebelled in many ways over the years.

Once the secret was released, a different type of brutality arose: deal-ing with what happened to her. Feel-ing utterly powerless, rageful and pained, she slithered through the process of talking to therapists about her experience; her efforts weren’t always honest, and her behavior to-wards her mother and siblings was disrespectfulanddefiant.

It was clear to her family that her pain was intolerable, both emotion-ally and psychologically. She didn’t know how to deal with her innocence being stolen, and she couldn’t take her power back.

And then, one day, she decided to tellherstory…totheworld!

She released a silent four-min-ute video explaining what being 13 meant for her.

It was powerful. It was raw. It was honest. Her pain was evident, but her strength was even more pro-nounced.

Perhaps, out of this awful experi-ence, she might transform her pain into power and help others who have experienced the same thing or some-thing similar. Perhaps, had she nev-

er experienced this horrific robberyof her innocence, she might never have uncovered how powerful she re-ally is over her life and how she can ultimately give back to the world and G-d in the way that would create the greatest ripples.

We rarely see G-d’s purpose in pain or failure or embarrassment while it is happening. With time, though, lessons become clear and “only in hindsight do we understand how G-d intended a problem for good,” as Rick Warren once said.

It is not necessary to experience something painful to clarify your greater purpose, but oddly enough, it happens this way for many people.

You might be someone who, through a hobby or passion, makes this world a better place simply be-cause you love what you do and you spread the joy of loving something beyond yourself to others; teaching them how to accept love, find loveand give love.

Sometimes our life purpose can take its shape in one way and then, as we grow, its shape changes to accommodate new awareness, un-earthed talents and divinely-timed learning.

Ask yourself: “In what capacity have I seen other people respond fa-vorably to me?”

You have dozens of hidden abili-ties and gifts that you don’t even know you have because you haven’t ever tried them out. Would you be-lieve that people in their 70s and 80s findoutthattheyweregoodatsome-thing that they never knew they were good at?

All it takes is the desire to findout; you will never know what you are good at until you try. And in your effortstofindoutwhatyouaregoodat, NEVER compare yourself to oth-ers for two reasons:

“What you are is G-d’s gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to G-d.”

- Danish proverb

You will always find someone1. who does a better job than you, knows more than you and has more than you, and you will be-come discouraged.

Or, you will find someone who2. isn’t capable of what you are ca-pable,andyouwillfindthatyourego will take hold of you and make you believe that you are better than they are.

You must remember that even though your talents and gifts are unique and special, you are no bet-ter or worse than anyone else. You are you, and there is no judgment around that fact.

You will know that you are on the right path when your mind is clear and concise about your day, when you feel that the decisions and ac-tions that you have feel light, bright and right and when you get that awe-some feeling of love and fulfillmentthat only giving to others brings.

Whatever your gift, it matters. There is someone out there who needs what you have to offer; some-onewhohasn’tfiguredouttheirnextstep, until you come along.

You deserve to be your best, and the world deserves to receive your best.

So, what gift do you have to give back and how are you going to give it?

Theworldiswaiting…

Editor’s note: Janis R. Cohen, LCSW, has helped to better the lives of chil-dren, adults and families for 21 years, adding a spiritual and strate-gic touch to her clinical work in pri-vate practice. She can be contacted at jrcohen@cohenfamilycounseling.com; find out more at cohenfamilycounsel-ing.com.

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HEALTH & wELLNESS

Exercising Safely and EffectivelyBECAUSE “JUST DOING IT” ISN’T ENOUGH

AJT

By JEFF roSENBLUm AJT Columnist

In my last column, I explained thebenefitsofmaintaininganactive and healthy lifestyle. I also highlighted the wide array

of resources we have here in Atlanta that can help us get moving. After all, that’s really what it takes to get started: movement. Even walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day can be advantageous. The next step to consider is taking it up a notch, to begin a well-rounded fitnessprogramthatincludescardio-vascularactivity(i.e.,walking),flex-ibility (i.e., stretching) and strength training (i.e., using resistance). Along with proper nutrition, these are the key components to optimum wellness, and they will also be the fo-cus of the majority of my upcoming columns. Before getting to all of that, how-ever, I want to emphasize the impor-tance of two elements that are vital to any physical regimen you undertake: safety and effectiveness. Although these may sound obvious, I am often amazed at how much safety and ef-fectiveness are lacking from many exercise routines. Walk into any health club, and faulty movement patterns, improper technique and dangerous exercises abound. Look right outside your home at people running in the streets, and you will see some folks who are hurt-ing, more than helping, themselves. If you are going to exercise, it is important that you do it right. There is a lot of good informa-tion out there that can help you, and it can be found in books, videos, and on the web, among other places. Bad information also exists, so it is highly recommended that you be-come knowledgeable enough to make thedistinction orfind someone elsewho is; this can make the difference between reachingyourfitnessgoalsand injury and pain. I often use an example of an elder-ly gentleman who I met at a health club a couple of years ago. When I first sawhim, I noticed his posturewas hunched over, with a forward

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head and rounded shoulders, also known as kyphosis; he immediately hopped on a chest press machine, and the forward motion of that exer-cise only exacerbated his condition. Keep in mind, the chest press is an essential exercise that I use with many clients. Not every exercise is for everybody, however, and certain-ly not all of the time. In addition, there is a correct way and an incorrect way to use this ma-chine (as well as all others). Simply throwing your arms forward with your head and upper back “along for the ride” can be harmful. Getting back to this particular gentleman, he continued working out on other pieces of equipment and, as he was using the majority of them incorrectly, he probably should not have been using them at all. By the time he was ready to leave, he was more hunched over than he was whenhecame in,and theramifica-tions for that are clearly not good. Therefore, we talked, and to his credit, he was open to suggestions. By making some subtle changes to his routine in the gym with exer-cise and outside through activities of daily living – all of which focused on proper form, better posture and cor-rectbreathing–hemadesignificantimprovement and, over time, felt a lot better. Other situations similar to this example are not uncommon. Exer-cise is one of the best things you can do, but in order to reap the true re-wards, it must be done safely and ef-fectively.

Editor’s note: Jeff Rosenblum, BS, is an ACE (American Council on Exer-cise) certified personal trainer and president of Posture Plus Fitness (postureplusfitness.com), providing in-home and on-location personal training as well as group presenta-tions and corporate wellness pro-grams. He is also a personal trainer at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, where he trains MJCCA To-tal Health members.

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FIDF Atlanta Women’s Brigade at the Shooting Range AN EVENING WITH FRIENDS AND FIREARMS

AJT

By JESSIE mILLErEditorial Intern

Stepping into the shooting range, I’m a little nervous. I have on “eyes and ears” – plastic goggles and heavy

earmuffs – and 10 bullets in my pock-et. I loaded up the .22-caliber pistol, tookaimatthetargetandfiredoff10consecutive shots. It was exhilarating, and I felt em-powered with the ability to protect myself. In fact, the Friends of the Israel Defense Force Women’s Brigade event at the Sandy Springs Shoot-ing Range served two purposes: to support the FIDF Lone Soldier’s Program and bring together Jewish women for a night of shooting and conversation. The guest of honor for the night was Adi Halfon, a former Israel Defense Force combat soldier, who shared her inspirational story. The event was coordinated by Ginny Adams, Development Associ-ate of FIDF Atlanta region, and co-sponsored by Rachel Simon – who de-veloped a love for shooting from her dad and is now married to an Israeli soldier – and Gabby Markowitz, cre-ator of ArmedCandy, a website and product brand that uses social media to educate women about guns. Halfon started the night by talk-ing about her experience in the army and how FIDF has influenced herlife. The IDF is known for their supe-rior military force and ability to de-fend its nation, but the funds spent on keeping the military strong lead to less available resources for the sol-diers themselves. That’s where the FIDF comes in; they strive to provide the soldiers with what the state cannot, such as family support, better quality of life at military bases, scholarships and other social needs. One of these pro-grams is IMPACT!, a scholarship program for disadvantaged soldiers who otherwise would not go to col-lege. Halfon is one of these scholars and was able to attend college and continue to create a better life for her family because of this opportunity.

She spent the week lead-ing up to this event travel-ing and speaking to various groups. Simon followed by shar-ing her story and interest in guns as well as her sup-port of Israel, all of which was a factor in her support of the Women’s Brigade event. Next, Markowitz – also a range safety officerat the Range – spoke about her company ArmedCandy and her mission to help women not fear guns, instill strength and educate them on gun safety. Finally, before the ladies stepped into the shooting stalls, Adams spoke pas-sionately about the FIDF and the great things they can do for the soldiers. “Their job is to look after Israel,” she said. “Our job is to look after them.” Besides IMPACT!, the FIDF also runs the Legacy Program, which sup-ports family members of fallen sol-diers as they rebuild their lives; and a Lone Soldiers Program that helps soldiers who are not from Israel and acts as a support system while they are away, helping provide airfare to visit their families. At the end of the night, I left feel-ing proud of my shooting skills and invigorated to support Israel and its soldiers. The allure of guns and a communal love of Israel made the event a huge success. It was great to see women of all ages come out to honor the soldiers while having fun. Adams also added that she hopes to do more events in the future at the shoot-ing range.

FIDF in Action“PINky” SHArES HIS owN EXPErIENCE

After shooting, I sat down with Pinhas “Pinky” Zoaretz, Col. (Ret.), Deputy National Director and Director of Development, of the FIDF. Pinky began by ex-plaining the purpose of the FIDF –to provide for the soldiers – and emphasized that they are not a political, religious or military organization.

“The other thing that we are taking care of is to create a bridge between the community in North America to the Israeli people,” he explained.

The FIDF has a large impact on Israeli society, especially through the pro-grams that build better futures for the soldiers, like the IMPACT! scholarships. Recently, the FIDF was asked by the Israeli Army to spearhead the construction of a community for the new military base in the Negev.

“We have to bring them services, like food, synagogues, a community, educa-tion and libraries, that care for the well being of the soldiers,” Pinky said, adding that moving the bases from Tel Aviv and other cities to the Negev is fulfilling Ben Gurion’s vision to settle the desert.

Pinky comes from a family of Holo-caust survivors and understands the pur-pose of a strong army to implement the say-ing “Never Again.” As a former colonel, he also understands the needs of Israeli sol-diers and how they benefit from the FIDF.

He was first introduced to the orga-nization when members of the Miami Chap-ter visited him in the hospital after being injured.

“It was exciting,” Pinky said. “Some-one was coming who I didn’t know to sup-port me.”

He was later invited to be the key-note speaker at their annual gala and con-tinues to believe that every supporter is im-portant to Israel.

The FIDF Women’s Brigade gathered to learn and let loose a few rounds. PHOTOS/courtesy Ginny Adams

Adi Halfon (second from left) poses with members of the FIDF Women’s Brigade at the Sandy Springs Shooting Range.

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Chabad Acquires Additional Land in Johns Creek LEVEN FAMILY DONATES TWO ACRES TO JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER

AJT

From CHABAD oF NorTH FULToN For The Atlanta Jewish Times

The Chabad center in Johns Creek/Alpharetta has ac-quired additional land ad-jacent to their campus on

Jones Bridge Road. The acquisition brings the total campus area now to 6.5 acres. The property, which includes two acres and a house, was d o n a t e d by Mike Leven, a renowned philanthro-pist who c u r r e n t l y serves as the presi-dent and chief op-erating of-ficer of theLas Vegas Sands Cor-poration. “ C h a -bad and Rabbi Hir-shy [Minko-wicz] have a c c o m -plished tre-m e n d o u s things in their first14 years, and I see a very bright future for them, their summer camp and all their valuable work,” said Mr. Leven. “I never want the lack of physical space to limit their potential growth…the extraland that eliminates that concern.” Rabbi Minkowicz, the center’s di-rector, was ecstatic as he announced the acquisition. “Mike Leven is a unique human being, a true philanthropist, and a

brilliant visionary,” he said. “We are grateful that he and his family rec-ognize and support our work and see the great potential that lies ahead of us.” Chabad has enjoyed phenomenal growth in the North Fulton area. They began in 1998 with no mem-bers or participants yet today serve hundreds of families in the commu-nity. The camp, which began with six campers in 1999, has grown into

a successful Jewish day camp in North Fulton. In 2005, Chabad developed a long-term devel-opment plan for their site, and in 2008 completed the

firstphaseof theirprojectbybuild-ing a community mikvah as well as a sports and aquatic center to service the summer camp. They hope to be-gin raising funds soon for a new mul-tipurpose community educational center.Editor’s note: Chabad of North Ful-ton does not charge any mandatory membership fees and offers their services to all Jews regardless of re-ligious background or affiliation. See chabadnf.org for more information.

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TOP: Left to Right: rabbi Hirshy minkowicz / mike LevenABOVE: The land donated by the Leven family adjoins

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From THE JCrC

Divestment Resolutions Voted Down PRESBYTERIANS AND METHODISTS DO THE RIGHT THING (MOSTLY)

AJTBy HAroLD kIrTz AJT Contributor

The Presbyterians and Meth-odists have defeated resolu-tions on divestment related to Israel. The national con-

ferences of each denomination re-cently considered resolutions to di-vest church stock holdings in three companies with ties to Israel – Cat-erpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Mo-torola – but thankfully, in either case, the resolution was voted down. The claim was that the products of these three companies were used to assist the IDF in the West Bank, and the push behind these divestment ef-forts was from elements within the denominations that are convinced that the “occupation” of the West Bank and Gaza is the primary rea-son for Palestinian suffering. Very little consideration is given to the real reason for the situation in the territories: the failure of the Palestinians to live in peace with a

permanent Jewish state in the Mid-dle East and the failure of the Pal-estinian leadership to prepare their people for peace with Israel. To lay the groundwork for these divestment efforts, Palestinian Christians have devised a study doc-ument entitled “Kairos Palestine.” This document is the main tool used in convincing American Christians and others to support the Palestin-ians and to isolate Israel, and it has led to a similar document entitled “Kairos USA.” The Kairos documents make the following assertion: that “if there were no occupation, there would be no resistance, no fear and no insecu-rity.” The documents further state: “We call on Israel to give up its injustice towards us, not to twist the truth of reality of the occupation by pretending that it is a battle against terrorism. The roots of ‘terrorism’ are in the human injustice commit-ted and in the evil of the occupation. These must be removed if there be a

sincere intention to remove ‘terror-ism.’” These sentiments fail to recognize that terrorism and war against Isra-elcamefirst.TheKairosdocumentsalmost seem to have been written in an alternate universe in which ter-rorism is argued to be the result of the “occupation.” That some within the Christian community have put on such “blind-

ers” is without rational explanation. They see the occupation as 99 per-cent of the problem rather than un-derstand that the terrorism of Pales-tinian militants and the continuing opposition to Israeli sovereignty by many Arab nations and Arab and Palestinian organizations is the main problem. In a recent statement, the Jew-ish Council for Public Affairs and the Israel Action Network (IAN) – both associated with the Atlanta JCRC – expressed appreciation to those who stood for peacemaking and against divestment at the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Methodist General Assemblies. They rejected resolutions to divest from the three American companies. “This was not just a major defeat for the divestment movement,” said JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow, speaking of the results from most recent Presbyterian conference. “It was a victory for peace. The church adopted a path of creative peacemak-ing and investment in positive out-comes. “Delegates recognized that di-vestment is a path toward division, not reconciliation. We are gratifiedeven as we recognize that there is still much hard work ahead of us.” The American Jewish community made great efforts to overcome the

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recommendations made to the Gen-eral Assemblies. Geri Palast, IAN Managing Director, told of many ef-forts made in the Jewish communi-ty: “A letter in hope was signed by over 1,500 rabbis with the support of the religious streams and over 22,000 members of the community,” he said. “Groups from across the spectrum of our community were a

part of a tremendous effort. We are deeply touched to know that Presby-terians from an equally broad spec-trum agreed, worked tirelessly and sought positive rather than negative paths forward.” However, the BDS (boycott/di-vestment/sanctions) Movement re-mains the choice of those who ignore Israel’s legitimate security needs and instead blame only Israel for the tragic Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The Jewish community must remain vigilant, because these efforts will not stop until there is real peace be-tween the Israelis and the Palestin-ians. Despite defeating the divestment recommendation, the Methodist con-ference did approve a resolution call-ing for a boycott of Israeli companies operating in the West Bank. It is incumbent upon anyone who has the ear of Christian friends to talk about the desire of Israel for peace and about the issue of intransi-gence on the part of the Palestinians that must be addressed in a serious way.

Editor’s note: Harold Kirtz is Presi-dent of the Jewish Community Rela-tions Council of Atlanta.

“That some within the Christian community have put on such “blinders” is without rational explanation. They see the occupation as 99 per-cent of the problem rather than understand that the terrorism of Palestinian militants and the continuing opposition to Israeli sovereignty by many Arab nations and Arab and Palestinian organizations is the main problem.”

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Singing Hatikvah and Finding Hope in IsraelSTRIKING A CHORD ON A RECENT VFI TRIP

AJTBy roN FEINBErG

For The Atlanta Jewish Times

There is much still swirling around my noggin as I pro-cess the ups and downs of my most recent journey to

Israel earlier this year. What lingers about at the moment is a very spe-cialhappeningduringthefirstweekof the trip as I transitioned yet again fromflabbyciviliantoIsraelDefenseForces volunteer. I’ll explain: On this particular morning in early May, I joined with a group of volunteers from around the world – Australia and New Zealand; Israel, France, Germany, Holland, Russia and Poland; the U.S. and Canada – shufflingaboutonanasphaltparadeground on a massive IDF base near Tel Aviv. We were all volunteers for Sar-El, an organization that places people on IDF installations in Israel to help out as needed. Mostly, the work is cosmically me-nial, but it’s work that needs to be done, and it releases “real” soldiers to handle more important tasks. Each morning, after rolling out of our bunks in our oh-so spartan quar-ters, getting cleaned up and dressing in uniforms – yes, we wear IDF-issue outfits;howcoolisthat–wedineonahearty breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, cheeses, yogurt and all the tomatoes and cucumbers we can scarf down in 30 minutes. We then join with a com-pany of young solders for morning flagraising. On this day, our madrichot – that would be Tamara and Eleanor, our guides and commanders – decide to take the morning ritual to a new lev-el. We’ll not just heft the iconic blue and white banner of the Jewish state into the sky over Tel HaShomer, but also sing “Hatikvah,” the Israeli na-tional anthem. “Hatikvah” manages to be both uplifting and melancholy, an an-them that poetically speaks of hope and the Jewish soul, all wrapped up in a musical score of aching beauty. For most Jews, certainly those of us raised on the Zionist dream of a Jewish homeland, the melody rests

ISrAEL

lightly in our hearts and souls, easily recalledwheneverthefirstmournfulnotes are played. The problem is that the words are in Hebrew, a remarkably difficultlanguage to learn – especially for for-eign volunteers who are often older than Israel itself. It’s one thing to say “hello,” shalom, in Hebrew; it’s a bit more rigorous to recall and recite the sophisticated lyrics of the anthem. So while a few brave and bilingual volunteers begin singing, the rest of us stumble about, humming the tune and sounding off whenever the word hatikvah (“the hope”) is mentioned. Meanwhile, the company of regular soldiers nearby, young men and wom-en drafted into the IDF and serving out their time as laborers stare at us in bemused silence, trying tofigureout why we’re singing their national anthem. But like the country itself, there’s something contagious and endearing about “Hatikvah,” both the words and the melody. The silliness of the effort gradually morphed slowly into a grand affair, the mournful tune giv-ing way to the stirring anthem that hassustainedandunifiedtheJewishpeople for decades now. Even some of the young troops are caught up in the moment as together we share the words of the poet Tali Herz Imber, “Our hope is not yet lost/The hope of two thousand years/To be a free people in our land/The land of Zion and Jerusalem.” I can’t help but think that on this day, if only in a very small way, I’m part of the ancient promise firstwhispered to Abraham; a vision that is no longer simply a hope, but today a reality.

Editor’s note: Ron Feinberg is a vet-eran journalist who has worked for daily newspapers across the Southeastern United States. He now specializes on topics of Jewish interest and can be reached at ronfeinberg@bellsouth.net. His blog, This & That, can be found at norgrebnief.blogspot.com ez2BSocial

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Volunteers for Israel at work. Their participation relieves IDF

soldiers from menial tasks.

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times Friday, July 13, 2012 Shabbat, July 14, 2012 Light Candles at: 8:31 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:32 p.m.

Friday, July 20, 2012 Shabbat, July 21, 2012 Light Candles at: 8:28 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:27 p.m.

Friday, July 27, 2012 Shabbat, July 28, 2012 Light Candles at: 8:24 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:22 p.m.

Friday, August 3, 2012 Shabbat, August 4, 2012 Light Candles at: 8:18 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:15 p.m.

Friday, August 10, 2012 Shabbat, August 11, 2012 Light Candles at: 8:11 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:08 p.m.

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LET IT BE rEADAJTMuch More to Mayim BEYOND THE SCREEN: A PARENT, AN AUTHOR, AN ACADEMIC

By JESSIE mILLEr

Editorial Intern

Long before she was a sitcom regular, mother and writer, Mayim Bialik was a young girl acting in school plays

and growing up in her Jewish com-munity. Then, she landed a lead role as a young Bette Midler in 1988’s “Beaches”; celebrated her bat mitz-vah the same week the movie came out; and soon after, scored her own television show, NBC’s “Blossom.” Growing up, Bialik never envi-sioned that her career would have her standing in front of the camera. In fact, she says she is “very grateful for starting acting at an older age be-cause I had 12 years of normal crazi-ness before the showbiz craziness.” Today, even though she is best-known for her uproarious recurring character Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” and appearances in other hit shows like “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Curb Your Enthusi-asm,” she says her most important role in life is mother to her two young boys. Indeed, over the past several years Bialik has become the face of attachment parenting, a style of parenting that incorporates natu-ral practices such as breastfeeding, natural birth and sleeping near your children. Urged by fellow supporters of attachment parenting, she recently wrote “Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, LovingChildren the Attachment Parenting Way” as part of an effort to break the negative stigmas associated with the term. “I was asked to write it because attachment parenting is often seen very judgmentally, and I was told that my voice makes it much more friendly,” Bialik said. “That’s really what we were trying to achieve: that even if natural birth or sleeping with your kids isn’t for you, I wanted to explain the neuroscience on why it makes sense and also how some of the principles can really be incorpo-rated to any style of parenting.”

THE SCIENCE BEHIND Besides her personal experience as a mother, Bialik also uses her Ph.D. in neuroscience to support her views on attachment parenting. During a break from acting, she at-tended undergraduate and graduate school, where she met her husband andeventuallyfiledherthesisonthehormones of human attachment the same week her second son was born. Her love for science was ignited during her “Blossom” days; it was Bialik’s private on-set science tutor who “really had the patience with me andgavemetheconfidencetolearnabout science in a way that made sense to me.” She was also pushed to focus on academics and develop ex-cellent writing skills by her parents, both of whom were English teach-ers.

mAyIm THE mom Another aspect of Bialik’s book, blog and parenting style are holis-tic principles, many of which tie into attachment parenting. She explains that holistic parenting takes into ac-count chemicals, toxins and types of food that go into a baby’s body and how that affects their development;

many holistic parents also use, for example, cloth diapers, alternative medicines or baby chiropractors. Several years ago, Bialik even be-camethespokespersonofnon-profitorganization Holistic Moms Net-work. “It’s a support and education net-work,” she said. “We have play dates and resources for people in all com-

Staying ConnectedBIALIk kNowS HEr rooTS

Though not directly part of Judaism, Mayim Bialik does find Jewish liturgy on veganism and feel supported as a vegan by her religion. Having been raised in a Reform community, Bialik was instilled with the idea that your own Judaism can become whatever you want it to be. After finding her own Jewish community in Hillel at University of California Los Angeles, Bialik began to discover for herself what it meant to be Jewish. “It was really when I started actively learning and studying text that I found comfort and made personality changes that I credit to my observance, really trying to get me closer to the person I want to be,” she said. Bialik also believes that you can never be done searching for the person you want to be, and that it is more about the journey than where you end up. If anything, Bialik is passionate about what she believes in and lives her life knowing what is truly important in life, her family and faith. “Being Jewish is my complete identity, my birthright and his-torical connection,” she said. “It’s a connection to something bigger, a belief in Israel and faith in the Jewish people to be a light among nations.”

mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Blossom”) will be at the Atlanta Perimeter Holiday Inn for an MJCCA-sponsored event on July 22.PHOTOS/courtesy Much and House PR

munities who want to parent ho-listically and naturally.” In general, Bialik describes herself as strict, hands-on moth-er who “tries to present a real portrait of what our world looks like to our children.” Her home is kosher, and the entire family – inspired by Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Eating Animals” – has maintained a healthy, vegan lifestyle for four years.

A HArmoNIoUS wHoLE One might think that actor, writer and academic require very different skills, but Bialik explains all three are closely as-sociated. “There are actually a lot of similarities between the world of academia and the world of acting,” she said. “There’s a lot

of ego involved with your superiors, jockeying for positions, needing to prove yourself. There’s a lot in com-mon, and even though the academic mind might not be the same as the artist mind, it’s still a very creative undertaking to be a writer.” Naturally, Bialik loves her time on “BBT” for the opportunity it af-fords to create a fun, dynamic charac-terwhilealsousingherscientificin-telligence to entertain the audience. Meanwhile, she continues to pursue all of her artistic outputs and already has a second book in the works.

Editor’s note: Mayim Bialik will be speaking and signing her book

on July 22 at 11 a.m. at the Atlanta Perimeter Holiday Inn for “Essentials for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting,” hosted by The Bellies to Babies Founda-tion and the MJCCA’s Family Resource Cen-ter. Also set to appear is Ina May Gaskin, who will speak about mid-wife-assisted homebirth.

ABOVE In “Beyond the Sling,” Mayim Bialik ex-plains how neuroscience ties into the attachment parenting and holistic approaches.

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Kosher Movies: Alien (1979)RIDLEY SCOTT’S THRILLER REMINDS US TO BE RESPONSIBLE

AJT

By rABBI HErBErT CoHEN

For The Atlanta Jewish Times rabbihjco@msn.com

My wife and I have been blessed with In my ca-reer as a school princi-pal, parents from time to

time would ask me to break a school rule when their child was in trouble. In one case, the parent told me that enforcement of a particu-lar rule would turn off his child from Judaism and that I would be respon-sible for his son’s lack of faith. Such a comment weighed heavily on me. Moreover, in my early years, I wanted to be liked, and enforcement of the rule would make me unpopular with a few par-ents. Fortunately, a men-tor of mine reminded me that my goal in my pro-fessional life should not be to be liked, but to be respected. He impressed upon me that whenever I make an exception for one student, I have to make it for all students; there is no such thing as a private deal when it comes to maintaining the integrity of a school rule. After all, everybody has to follow the same Bible. Whatever expedient decision you make in the short term may bring you some satisfaction and peace momentarily, but it will eventually bring you havoc; it’s just a matter of time. The consequences of a decision to break a long-standing policy for a short-termbenefit,howevernobleit may seem at the time, is the cata-lyst for all the mayhem that erupts in “Alien,” a tense and disturbing science-fiction thriller which spellsoutingrimdetailthehorrificresultsof breaking one rule to ameliorate an immediate problem. The Nostromo, a commercial tow-ing vehicle traveling to Earth with over a million tons of mineral ore, intercepts a signal which the crew perceives as an SOS. When crew member Kane leaves the ship with the captain and investigates the ori-gin of the signal, he is attacked by a

foreign life form which attaches itself to his head. Some crew members want to bring Kane back to the ship to see if they can save him, but acting com-manding officer Ripley refuses, cit-ing quarantine protocol and the real danger of putting more lives at risk. WhenanotherofficerdisobeysRipleyand opens the door of the spaceship allowing the contaminated Kane to

enter, he unknowingly allows the alien to enter the ship as well, and this marks the beginning of the end of most of the crew. The Ethics of the Fathers tells us that the wise man is he who foresees the consequences of his actions, who does not put others at risk to satisfy his own immediate needs. One rash act can leave in its wake a plethora of tragedy. It is a Jewish sensibility to do whatever we can to prevent danger and harm to others, to minimize risk to our friends and neighbors. The Torah lists numerous laws that are designed to protect people: When we build a house, we are enjoined to erect a guardrail on a roof; further-more, we are enjoined not to possess an unstable ladder, not to own a vi-cious dog or do anything that may create a hazard for anyone who en-ters our home. Moreover, contemporary authori-ties in Jewish law argue that driv-

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ing recklessly is a violation of Jewish law in that it puts the lives of others as risk. In truth, when a Jew drives with courtesy, it is a way of sanctify-ing the name of God. Although “Alien” deals with a for-eign universe, it reminds us of the importance of following the rules and not placing others at risk. We cannot predict the outcomes of our actions.

Therefore, it becomes incumbent upon us to think wisely before mak-ing an exception to the rules.

Editor’s note: Rabbi Cohen, former principal of Yeshiva Atlanta, now re-sides in Beit Shemesh, Israel. kosher-movies.com.

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FooD For THoUGHTAJTA Super-Simple Shabbat Shortcut EASY “HOMEMADE” CHALLAH FOR TODAY’S BUSY LIFESTYLE

By SUzI BrozmAN

AJT Contributor suzibrozman@gmail.com

What are the universal symbols of a Shabbat meal? Wine and chal-lah.

Butthesedays,findingthetimeto bake your own challah is often an insurmountable challenge, and dealing with yeast is just frighten-ing to many. Buying challah at the supermarket is certainly an option, but there’s something soul-satisfying about serving bread still warm from the oven.

Now there’s a simple, innovative way to do it. I was browsing in Judaica Corner, the Toco Hills center for all things Jewish, recently when I spied a mold in the shape of a braided challah loaf. Wow, I thought, just the thing for those days when I don’t have time or energy to braid my own dough. So I bought one. That night, I was a guest at a Shabbat dinner where the hostess served pull-apart bread, which she explained was nothing more than frozen yeast dough balls left to rise in an 8-inch cake pan and then baked to brown, yeasty good-ness. Others tell me this is nothing new, but as a baker, I had never been

aware of this particular shortcut. I knew all about bread machines, and I sometimes make dough in my food processor (I’ll talk about that an-other time – it cuts the preparation to about three minutes). But back to thedinertable… Immediately, my mind wandered to the mold I’d bought that morning, and after Shabbat, off I went to Krog-er to purchase the dough. Thirty-six dough balls for about $3.49, kosher and pareve! Plus some vegetable oil spray to make sure nothing stuck in the mold. I used 10 balls of dough, but prob-ably needed only seven or eight for the small-size pan (that’s less than

$1 for ingredients!). I let it rise for a bit over an hour, then put the pan into the oven, following the printed instructions on the dough. Ten minutes later, I removed it, flippedthebreadoutonto a cookie sheet, brushed the top with beaten egg, sprinkled it with seeds, and returned it to the oven for another 15 minutes, until it was brown and delecta-ble-looking (there are easy-to-follow instructions on the mold’s packaging). And it tasted as good as it looked, with a minimum of effort!

What more could you ask? What more indeed? I tried dipping the dough balls in melted margarine, brown sugar and chopped nuts before putting seven of them into a sprayed cake pan and had an instant dessert. Try sprinkling the top of the pan with more brown sugar and nuts, or add raisins, dried cranberries and perhaps a drizzle of honey. Judaica Corner’s Janet Afrah told me that she’d had a customer who explained that he was on a gluten-free diet, and the mold helped him form loaves that looked like braided challah when the wheat-free recipe he used wouldn’t allow him to make braids. I can see baking other reci-pes in the mold as well: carrot cake,

chocolate chip bread, whatever your mind can envision. Like Italian? Use olive oil, sprin-kle Italian herbs in the pan before adding the dough, and you’ve got a lovely addition to a spaghetti or la-sagna dinner. And chopped olives sprinkled over the loaf could only en-hancetheflavor. For a dairy meal, try grating ched-dar cheese or sprinkling parmesan on the dough before baking. Seeds, nuts, your favorite spice, there’s no limit; if you try it, send me your suc-cess stories! I never thought I’d be excited by pre-made dough, and – truth be told – I still love working with the

ingredients and forming the braids, watching it rise and feeling a sense of accomplishment when I produce a perfectly-shaped, sublimely-delicious loaf. But still, when there’s just not time to do it all, this is a versatile and very acceptable substitute. I’m even wondering if you could make cornbread in the mold. It’s worth a try, when the weather cools down enough that I don’t mind turning on the oven!Editor’s note: Find the mold at Toco Hills’ Judaica Corner, 2185 Briarcliff Road, (404) 636-2473; or at Chosen Treasures in Sandy Springs, 175 Mt. Vernon Highway, (404) 843-1933.

1 ■ The necessary items for “homemade” challah: the mold, the dough and cooking spray.2 ■ Top-right, the rolls fit into the challah mold; bottom, the rolls prepared in eight-inch cake pans.3 ■ Baked golden-brown, delicious pull-apart yeast bread from frozen dough.4 ■ The $1, super-simple, time-saving, fresh-from-the-oven challah.PHOTOS/Suzi Brozman

Monthly Restaurant Highlight: Emidio’sBLENDING CULTUrES, CUISINES

For Italian, Portuguese and Spanish food all in one place, Emidio’s Restaurant is the place. Located in San-

dy Springs, Emidio’s opened in February 2012 and is owned by restaurant entrepre-neur Joe Sapeta. The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and features a diverse menu and bar. They also have a banquet room, perfect for private parties. Ac-cording to Yelp, reviews are positive, with comments on the great service, good portion sizes and greatfood,definitelyaplacetoreturn. The menu is substantial, with seven tapas options, six different pastas, seven seafood dishes and 10 meat plates. The meat dishes can be prepared inavarietyofways,andtherearealsoseveraldesserts, includingflan,tiramisu, cheesecake and tira dura. Besides the daily menu, there are also several specials. Past specials include Pollo Carducci, Tilapia Picatta, Penne Margarita and Portuguese Bitoque.TheBistecaalaPiedraisribeyeorfiletmignonthatisthencookedat the table in an iron skillet. Besides the food, the décor of Emidio’s creates a warm, relaxed at-mosphere that is very much a representation of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish culture. The restaurant is mostly one large dining area with a full-length mirror along one wall, adding depth to the room. There is also a spacious bar with plenty of seating and a well-stocked selection, including the popular Sangria.

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FooD For THoUGHTAJT

Summertime Sensations RECIPE OF THE WEEK

By JASoN APPLEAJT Contributor

With the “summer” still in full swing for most of us, here is quick and fun recipe to share with the family.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Lime Chipotle Dressing

IngredientsFor the marinade & meat:

¼-cup extra virgin olive oil•2 tablespoons distilled •white vinegar2 tablespoons fresh lime juice•2 teaspoons lime zest•1-½ teaspoons honey•2 cloves garlic, minced•½-teaspoon cumin•½-teaspoon chili powder•1 teaspoon seafood season-•ing, such as Old Bay½-teaspoon ground black •pepper1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, •or to taste1poundtilapiafillets,cut•into chunks

For the dressing: 1 (8-oz.) container light sour cream•½-cup adobo sauce from chipotle •peppers2 tablespoons fresh lime juice•2 teaspoons lime zest•¼-teaspoon cumin•¼-teaspoon chili powder•½-teaspoon seafood seasoning, •such as Old Baysalt and pepper to taste•

For the toppings:1 (10-oz.) package tortillas•3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced•1 bunch cilantro, chopped•1 small head cabbage, cored • and shredded2 limes, cut in wedges•

Directions To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the fish; cover and refrigerate for six toeight hours. To make the dressing, combine the sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder and seafood seasoning. Add salt and pepper in desired amounts. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat

and lightly oil grate. Set grate four inches from the heat. Removefishfrommarinade,drainoffanyexcessanddiscardmarinade.Grillfishpiecesuntileasilyflakedwithafork,turn-ing once, about nine minutes. Assemble tacos by placing fish piec-es in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro and cab-bage; drizzle with dressing. To serve, roll up tortillas around fillings, and garnishwith lime wedges.

Editor’s note: Jason Apple is an Atlanta native and a lover of food. When he’s not running around town trying everything the Atlanta food scene has to offer, he works at Kitchen Fronts of Georgia, a kitchen refac-ing company, and writes a local food blog, “The Kitchen Man Can.”

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oUTrEACH

Slumdog Tourism or Tikkun Olam? A PERSPECTIVE-CHANGING TRIP TO LIBERIA WITH AJWS

AJT

By LoIS FrANk For The Atlanta Jewish Times

Thus wrote Kennedy Odede in his Aug. 9, 2010 New York Times article about the grow-ing “slum tourism” phenom-

enon. “Slum tourism turns poverty into entertainment, something that can be momentarily experienced and then es-caped from,” he continued. The ethical question that arises from such comments was at the center of an animated discussion taking place in a poor community in Liberia in June. I was visiting the country with Ruth Messinger and 20 or so other travelers as part of an American Jewish World Service (AJWS) study tour. Our agenda was to learn about ways that our donations are support-ing positive social change in the coun-try, but we were all highly cognizant of the thin line between helping and ex-ploiting. To make sure that we were on therightsideofthis line,wedefinedour purpose as to witness and to share by seeing the needs on the ground and pledging to urge our own communities to do something about it when we re-turned home. During our visit, the fear that we might witness the needs of Liberia as voyeurs and return home having done nothing tangible about it was put to rest. By supporting AJWS, we know we are part of an ongoing effort to ef-fect long-term change and that we were helping to empower women and girls, build peace and contribute to sustain-able development, all via community-based grassroots strategies. And we saw evidence that these strategies were working everywhere we went.

THE UPHILL BATTLE

Almost 10 years have passed since peace came to Liberia, but the horrors and devastation of the years of civil war and corrupt leadership have left deep scars, both physical and psychic,

on the people and the land. In May, just one month before our visit, Liberian President Charles Tay-lor was sentenced to 40 years in prison for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. This was an impor-tantfirststepinthehealingprocess,but clearly there is still a long road of reconciliation ahead; a generation of Liberian people has had no education at all, gender-based violence is perva-sive and the infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world. Lack of electricity and plumbing re-mains a barrier in most of the country: Even in Monrovia, the capital, a lucky few of the privileged have a few hours of electricity a day, internet access is sporadic and running water and func-tioning toilets are a luxury reserved mostly for tourists and expensive res-taurants. In the rural areas, there is no inside plumbing, electricity or run-ning water. But while we witnessed this devas-tation, we also witnessed hope, service and empowerment and were awed at the progress happening in the name of Jews.

EDUCATIoN IN ACTIoN

American Jewish World Service brings a human rights-based approach to development around the world. It makes small grants (up to $30,000 each) over multiple years to communi-ty-based organizations that approach poverty in a holistic way, using partic-ipation of the community and princi-ples of equality, accountability and the indivisibility of human rights to effect change. AJWS goes beyond traditional aid or charity to change the structures that place people in vulnerable positions in thefirstplace,andtheevidenceofthisimpact was everywhere in Liberia. In an open-sided, thatched, mud “peace classroom” in Bensonville – a community served by AJWS grantee Self Help Initiative for Sustainable Development (SHIFD) – a charming, shy young woman came to the chalk-board in her colorful printed lappa

skirt, head covered with matching fab-ric. She clutched her workbook and showed us her ex-ercises: The alpha-bet neatly traced on lined sheets. “My name is Ta-mia Jabbeh,” she said. “I can write my name.” She painstaking-ly wrote it proudly on the chalkboard. She is 24 and the single mother of four. She hopes to be able to help her children with their schoolwork and perhaps one day have her own busi-ness selling flourwith the help of a microloan; a loan of just $100 will get her started. Inside another classroom run by AJWS grantee Imani House, housed in a church adjacent to a bustling Monrovia market, 25 or so women shopkeepers came to tell us of their gratitude for the reading classes they take two evenings a week after their stalls in the market close. Then, out of the shadows a very handsome, macho

young man in wrap-around sunglasses stood up. “My name is David,” he said. “I am learning to write my name. Next year at this time I will be able to read to you. Thank you, AJWS, for my chance for an education.”

“The opportunity and demand to observe poverty first-hand have never been greater…

thanks to ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ the film that started a thousand tours.”

TOP: The AJWS group poses with wom-en from a Liberian village.

LEFT: These literacy students are learn-ing to write with the help of AJWS.

BELOW: From L to R ruth messinger, head of AJwS, Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize 2011, Letty Cot-tin Pogrebim, founding editor of ms. magazine. BOTTOM: Article author Lois Frank speaks with Liberian farmers.

PHOTOS/courtesy AJWS

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INITIATIvES THAT work

In the remote village of Tienii – a three-to-four-hour bumpy van ride out of Monrovia – a young woman spoke of walking just as long as we rode in order to serve as a poll watcher at the recent National democratic elections. With training from AJWS grantee Mano River Union Peace Network Liberia (MARWOPNET), she had be-come an election monitor, to ensure that her country’s voting was fair. In that same village I met three high school boys who were getting ready to broadcast their weekly talk radio show from a tiny, one-room “station” estab-lished by MARWOPNET and known as the “Voice of Women of Peace.” The boys’ topics that day included teenage pregnancy and prevention, the impor-tance of education, eliminating sexual violence and good healthcare practic-es. The chief of a different village told us about the community’s struggle to defend its land against a large Ma-laysian palm oil company, which has surrounded the village and claimed its farmland. “Our children had been eating three meals a day, and now they are eating one,” he said. The community is being helped in its battle for land rights and survival by AJWS grantee Sustainable Devel-opment Institute, which is helping se-cure legal representation to negotiate terms for some farmland, and is work-ing with the community to gain new livelihood skills or consider relocation of their entire village.

BELIEF CoNFIrmED

We had the privilege of meeting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female head of an Africanstate (now democratically elected for a second term) and the winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. During our meeting she identified three majorconcerns of her administration: jobs, infrastructure, rape. Rape? On the top-three list? It was a stunning insight into a culture that has diminished women and girls. We also spent time with Leymah Gbowee, an extraordinary activist (and AJWS grantee) who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with President Sirleaf in recognition of her part in bringing about an end to Liberia’s civil war. Letty Cottin Pogrebin, the Jew-ish feminist author who founded Ms. Magazine, was on our trip and inter-viewed Leymah about her work to em-power “women for peace” to insist that thecountryenditsconflicts.

At one point on this amazing jour-ney, we sat under a big shade tree with members of the local community. Sud-denly, I felt a little hand on my hand; I looked down and the arms of a small girl, age two or so, were reaching up for me to lift her into my lap. As I sat listening to the discussion and she cuddled in my lap, I stroked her hair. When I stopped, she took my hand and put it back where it had been, as if to say, “I need what you are doing. Don’t stop.” It was her message and also the big-ger message of our trip – and I got it. At that moment, I was so proud to be a witness to the work being done by these many incredible organizations and proud that my contribution makes me part of the healing that is taking place in Liberia. This is not slum tourism, but tik-kun olam – healing the world, in the name of my people.

Editor’s note: Lois Frank is a past Na-tional Chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a current national board member of MAZON, the Blaustein In-stitute for Human Rights and Project Interchange and serves on the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Board.

wHAT’S HAPPENING

This Week’s Highlighted Events

AJT

FrI., JULy 13Dive Into Shabbat, open swim fol-lowed by poolside song and prayer with Rabbi Brian Glusman. Fri., July 13, 5 p.m. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. brian.glusman@atlantajcc.org.

SAT., JULy 14Progressives vs. Conservatives, come to this politically themed potluck dinner for adult singles. Sat., July 14, 7 p.m. Private Residence. mhorv00@gmail.com or (770) 722-3834.

SUN., JULy 15you Don’t know what you Don’t know: The Importance of Being Edu-cated Prior to a Crisis, this program provides information to help families understand options and make the best choices for long term care. Most families do not think about elder care until they are in a crisis. RSVP requested. Sun., July 15, 10 a.m. Free and open to the public. The Cohen Home. sbayer@wbjhome.org or (404) 751-2263.

Go Green and Help our Planet, recycle electronics with Jewish Family and Career Services, A to Z Information Services and ePlanet-eWaste. Sun., July 15. JF&CS on Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. bfiske@jfcs-atlanta.org.

FrI., JULy 20“Avenue Jew,” come to this fun and family friendly Shabbat service and watch as puppets take over the bima. Fri., July 20, 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Temple Kehillat Chaim. (770) 641-8630.

Shabbat Under the Stars, join Rabbi Boxt and Mitch Cohen for a picnic in the park and then celebrate Shabbat. Fri., July 20, 6:30 p.m. East Cobb Park.

SAT., JULy 21“Come wine with Us,” join CNT Women’s group and taste wines from around the world. RSVP requested. Sat., July 21, 5:30 p.m. $20/person. Marietta Wine Market.

SUN., JULy 22Essentials for Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond, pre-sentation with guest speakers, Mayim Bialik, PhD, midwife Ina May Gaskin and other parenting special-ists. Sun., July 22, 11 a.m. Holiday Inn Atlanta Perim-eter. www.belliestobabiesfoundation.org.

CBS Night of Baseball, Gwinnett Braves v. Scran-ton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Sun., July 22, 5:05 p.m. (770) 804-9721 or office@bshalom.net.

Chuldah the Prophetess, come and learn the value of a women’s voice. Registration required. $10/class. Sun., July 22, 8 p.m. Beth Jacob. (404) 321-4085.

TUES., JULy 24The Grandparents Circle, five-session course for Jewish grandparents and grandchildren growing up in interfaith families. Tuesdays July 24, Aug. 21, Oct. 16, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4, 7 p.m. MJCCA. suzanne.hurwitz@atlantajcc.org.

wED., JULy 25The Great Indoors with PJ, enjoy an afternoon “at camp” indoors. Come for snacks, a fun camp-themed craft to take home, and enjoy playing in the Doodle-bugs indoor play center afterwards. Please bring a snack to share. Wed., July 25, 2 p.m. $5/child. Doo-dlebugs Play.

Torah Studies: “opportunity in Disguise,” join the Intown Jewish Academy for a class about turning around a difficult situation. Registration requested. Wed., July 18, 7:30 p.m. $20 optional textbook fee. Intown Jewish Academy.

THUrS., JULy 26Family Fun Night at the J, poolside karaoke, bounce house and food available for purchase. Thurs., July 26, 5 p.m. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. brian.glusman@at-lantajcc.org.

oNGoINGSupport Through Divorce for 50 and Under, fa-cilitated by Elisheva Funk, LSCW of JF&CS. First and third Tuesdays, 7 p.m. (eight sessions). MJCCA. allison.feldman@atlantajcc.org.

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Ice Cream Social, come and enjoy this family event. Sun., July 15, 4 p.m. All are welcome. Temple Kol Emeth. denisejacobs@kolemeth.net or (770) 973-3533.

Pathways in the Park, join the MJCCA and other interfaith families and adults for dinner, hike, crafts and more. Sundays July 15, 23 and 30, 5 p.m. $18/family or $5/individual. Morgan Falls Park. suzanne.hurwitz@atlanta-jcc.org or (678) 812-4160.

Burgers, Boeries & Beer with the CBS Men’s Club, plus Texas Hold ‘Em Poker. Sun., July 15. Congregation Beth Shalom. bshalom.net.

American religion, Society, and Culture: A Talk with Dr. Michael Berger, come listen to this talk to gain a better understanding of Americans as a whole and the changing landscape of religion in our country. Sun., July 15, 3 p.m. $12/adult, $8/senior, $6/student or teacher. The Breman Museum.

Lessons from the Frightful Fall, an examination of what we can learn from the challenges and accidents of life. Registration required. $10/class. Sun., July 15, 8 p.m. Beth Jacob. (404) 321-4085.

TUES., JULy 17orT Honey Drive, wish family & friends a sweet and healthy new year with this gift. Or-der deadline Tues., July 17. $10/jar, includes shipping & handling. orthoney.com/BTG.

men’s Club Poker, join GLT’s men club for a friendly game of poker. Please bring snacks or drinks to share. RSVP requested. Tuesday July 17, 31, 7:30 p.m. Gesher L’Torah. brad-fried@bellsouth.net.

wED., JULy 18Special Seminar: Exporting to Israel, local exporters interesting in expanding sales to Israel are invited to attend this seminar led by the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce. Registration required. Wed., July 18. $25/person. 8 a.m. Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Torah Studies: “koshering our Char-acter,” join the Intown Jewish Academy for a class about shedding unwanted traits. Registration requested. Wed., July 18, 7:30 p.m. $20 optional textbook fee. Intown Jewish Academy.

THUrS., JULy 19Life Line Screening, a stroke screen-ing. Pre-registration is required. Thurs., July 19. Congregation Beth Shalom. 1-(800) 324-1851 or (770) 399-5300.

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Parashat PinchasWAS MOSES AN ACTIVIST JUDGE?

AJT

By rABBI JoSHUA LESSEr

Congregation Bet Haverim and the Atlanta Rabbinical Association

With some of the big de-cisions being handed down by the Supreme Court, there will likely

be accusations of judicial activism. Though both conservatives and progressives use this accusation to describe decisions they do not like, it seems to be a more common claim by conservatives, who argue there needs to be strict constructionism when ruling from the bench. Is there room for “the spirit of the times” or the “needs of the nation”? This is a debate that often happens in Jewish tradition, particularly be-tween movements that are halachic (law observant) and post-halachic. Growing up with a respect for tra-ditional Jewish law, I often fought with my non-Orthodox parents over issues of kashrut (dietary laws) and Shabbat observance. While my de-sire for stricter adherence was over-taken by convenience and tugs of high school life, I re-examined my observance in college as president of Hillel. My rabbi was Orthodox. Our rela-tionship was marked by frequent ar-guments “for the sake of heaven,” in which I questioned certain rigidities and inflexibilitiesofJewish law.Asan example, I would ask: “How did chicken become ‘meat’ and fish become parve? Show me where chickens have teats. How do they give milk? Why can’t we all en-joy a good chicken parm?” He would argue that the Talmud created certain fences to help people avoid making mistakes. I would re-tort that technology enables chicken to be processed differently today. No longer dried and ground, most people can distinguish the difference; they no longer look the same when they come to the table. Can’t the halachah change to meet the reality of today? In this week’s parsha, Pinchas, Moses is faced with a legal dilemma far more important than chicken parm, one that will have great im-pact upon the Jewish people. Moses is approached by the daughters of

D’vAr TorAH

Zelophehad to advocate for the abili-ty to inherit their father’s land, since there were no male heirs. In the Talmud (Bava Batra 119b), RabbiJoshuaexplainsthattheyfirstpetitioned the congregation, then the chieftains, then Eleazar, and then finallyMoses.It isas iftheyfinallyhad come before the Supreme Court. They pleaded their case: Our fa-ther died in the desert. He was not in the assembly that banded together against Adonai in Korah’s assembly, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should our father’s name be eliminated from his family because he had no son? Give us a por-tion along with our father’s brothers (Numbers 27:3). If Rabbi Joshua’s explanation is correct, then it is likely that with every petition, daughters are denied until they reach Moses. It is likely this scenario had not been consid-ered, nor were there any precedents to turn to in order to change the law that only men are inheritors under the law. While Moses did consult with G-d (not a luxury our modern-day judges have), by allowing this emendation to the law, he acted within the spirit of the times and the needs of the na-tion. Moses and G-d rule: If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter, and if no daughters, then his brothers, and if no brothers, then his next of kin (Numbers 27:8-11). Furthermore, Rashi’s commen-tary on this portion sheds light that these women were righteous, intelli-gent and capable of illuminating the proper issues. Rashi seems to be say-ing that not just legal precedent was taken into account, but the character and values of the women and their arguments, and that Jewish practice can be dynamic, not static. Towards the end of Deuterono-my, it is revealed that the Torah is no longer in heaven. The rabbis in the Talmud take that to mean that there is no longer a direct consulta-tion with G-d to determine how to address progress. They use the story of the Oven of Achnai to demonstrate that in an argument of the kashrut of an oven, the majority decision stands even if it appears that G-d is siding with the minority.

Lipps-Pilzer

Dr. Edith and Alan Pilz-er of Sandy Springs are excited to an-nounce the engage-

ment of their son, Max Reuben, and Hilary Anne Lipps, daughter of Jeffery and Mary Lipps of the Cumberland Island area. The future groom recently graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in quantitative and computational financeandhasabachelor’sdegreeinmathematicsfromtheUniversityofGeorgia.He is themost recent recipient of the first-place prize forthe Revenue Analytics 8th-annual Revenue Optimization Challenge and currentlyworksasaseniorfinancialanalystatTravelport. Aftergraduatingfirstinherhighschoolclass,thefuturebridewenton to the University of Georgia as a Governor’s Honoree and Dolphin Scholar and earned her bachelor’s of business administration in market-ing and consumer economics from the Terry School of Business. She is currently pursuing a career as a freelance artist and marketing strate-gist and enjoys working as a medical assistant at CCDHC alongside her soon-to-be mother-in-law. The couplemet over five years ago during the firstweek of theirfreshman year at the University of Georgia and will have their six-year anniversary September 24, 2012, just a few weeks before their October wedding date.

EngagementsAJT TELL

& kvELL

Rabbi Hillel, in the Talmud, fol-lows the same kind of judicial activ-ism in changing the lending laws of his time – despite what it says in the Torah – in order to protect the needy and preserve social order near the sabbatical year when loans were erased. His reasoning is just, though it contradicts the established law. Judaism’s evolution has depended on its adaptation and ability to allow changes of the time to be addressed in each generation with the outlook, technologies and understandings of that generation so that Judaism re-mains relevant, responsive and dy-namic. To what degree the spirit of the law and the needs of each generation can be consulted and heeded to de-termine Jewish practice today is one of the things that still separates the

movements within Judaism, espe-cially the progressive ones. The caution, though (and perhaps why G-d and Moses were willing to adapt even after the Torah was given), is that the people will move on and reject a strict and unyielding commitment to law. Even halachic-based movements today, like Moses and Hillel, have to balance the needs of the people and the spirit of the law. The daughters of Zelophehad not only helped change inheritance laws; we also honor them for setting the precedent of recognizing an evolving and living Torah.

Editor’s note: Rabbi Joshua Lesser is the rabbi of Congregation Bet Haver-im and a member of the Atlanta Rab-binical Association.

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ACroSS 1. Plague?6. Rabbi Moshe Isserles10. Father (Heb)14. Roman persecutor15. Sacrificed often16. Mark Roth target17. Death notices18. Musician, _ Getz19. Eilat, old style20. Comes before shin21. Tough guy actor Harvey __23. 5224. “Star __”, Nimoy’s series25. King David__, Jerusalem26. Mt. Hermon climate28. “_Couple”, Randall sitcom30. Friendly group35. Imitate the four sons?38. Lerner at “Tikkun”40. Satirical songwriter41. “The Fixer”, author43. Storehouse city45. Angel of Death path46. Falafel sauce?48. Nineveh has two49. Rabbinic ordination51. Jonas Salk’s Org.?53. Joey Adams54. Fleischer, Press Secretary once56. Ten commandments60. Michael Landon role62. Israeli measures65. Life or Knowledge66. Third dynasty king68. Shalom occasion69. 12th Century talmudic scholar70. Isaiah or Samuel71. Adam to Eve72. Covet73. Gabbai catch74. Bezalel specialty75. Jacob’s boy

DowN 1. “_ Friday” IBS story2. Innovative artist, Max __3. Make Aliyah4. Modern artist, Mark _5. Hadassah hires6. Baseball’s “Flip”7. Like the Red Heifer8. Fleischidic (Eng)

9. Diarist10. Imitate11. Broadway Impresario12. ___ B’rith13. Babylonian Talmud editor21. Wine words22. Tri chai27. Chicken soup?29. B. Boxer’s pty.31. Dance32. Kaddish language33. Last word in synagogues34. Myra __, pianist35. Minor Prophet36. Redeem37. Colonel Klink actor39. Einstein specialty42. Solo for Bubbles44. Alephbet member47. Israeli PM 195450. Alphabet run52. Bimahs55. Levite domain57. Four (Hebrew)58. Make the Tallis?59. Pesach dinner60. Right fielder __ Bautista61. Counting of the __63. Poet __ Lazarus64. Seder salt water67. Taxmen69. Sarnoff org.

JEwISH PUzzLErby Kathi Handler (bookssss@aol.com)

Crossword Clues

Last week’s answers

CHABADChabad Intown 928 Ponce De Leon Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306 www.chabadintown.org 404.898.0434

Chabad Israel Center 5188 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30324 www.cicatlanta.com 404.252.9508

Chabad Jewish Center 4255 Wade Green Rd. Suite 120 Kennesaw, GA 30144 www.jewishwestcobb.com 678.460.7702

Chabad of Cobb 4450 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA 30068 www.chabadofcobb.com 770.565.4412

Chabad of Gwinnett 3855 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Suite 770 Norcross, GA 30092 www.chabadofgwinnett.org 678.595.0196

Chabad of North Fulton 10180 Jones Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.chabadnf.org 770.410.9000

Congregation Beth Tefillah 5065 High Point Rd. Atlanta, GA 30342 www.chabadga.com 404.257.9306

CoNSErvATIvEAhavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. Atlanta, GA 30327 www.aasynagogue.org 404.355.5222

Congregation Beth Shalom 5303 Winters Chapel Rd. Atlanta, GA 30360 www.bshalom.net 770.399.5300

Congregation B’nai Torah 700 Mount Vernon Hwy. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.bnaitorah.org 404.257.0537

Congregation Etz Chaim 1190 Indian Hills Pkwy Marietta, GA 30068 www.etzchaim.net 770.973.0137

Congregation Gesher L’Torah 4320 Kimball Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.gltorah.org 770.777.4009

Congregation or Hadash 6751 Roswell Rd. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.or-hadash.org 404.250.3338

Congregation Shearith Israel 1180 University Dr. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.shearithisrael.com 404.873.1743

NoN-DENomINATIoNALAtlanta Chevre minyan Druid Forest Clubhouse North Crossing Dr. Atlanta, GA 30305 www.atlantachevreminya.org

Congregation Shema yisrael 6065 Roswell Rd., #3018 Atlanta, GA 30328 www.shemaweb.org 404.943.1100

Guardians of the Torah P.O. Box 767981 Roswell, GA 30076 www.guardiansofthetorah.org 770.286.3477

Nediv Lev: the Free Synagogue of Atlanta 3791 Mill Creek Ct. Atlanta, GA 30341 My.att.net/p/PWP-NedivLev 770.335.2311

orTHoDoXAnshi S’Fard Congregation 1324 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.anshisfard.com 404.874.4513

Congregation Ariel 5237 Tilly Mill Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.congariel.org 770.390.9071

Congregation Beth Jacob 1855 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.bethjacobatlanta.org 404.633.0551

Congregation Beth yitzhak 5054 Singleton Rd. Norcross, GA 30093 770.931.4567 Email: anatoliy@bjca.com

Congregation Ner Hamizrach 1858 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.ner-hamizrach.org 404.315.9020

The kehilla of Sandy Springs 5075 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30342 www.thekehilla.org 404.913.6131

young Israel of Toco Hills 2074 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.yith.org 404.315.1417

rECoNSTrUCTIoNIST Congregation Bet Haverim 2676 Clairmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.congregationbethaverim.org 404.315.6446

rEFormCongregation B’nai Torah 1633 Hwy 54 E Jonesboro, GA 30238 www.bnai-israel.net 678.817.7162

Congregation Dor Tamid 11165 Parsons Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 www.dortamid.org 770.623.8860

Congregation Ner Tamid 176 West Sandtown Rd. Marietta, GA 30064 www.nertamidonline.com 678.264.8575

Temple Beth David 1885 Mcgee Rd. Snellville, GA 30078 www.gwinnetttemple.com 770.978.3916

Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Rd. Roswell, GA 30075 www.bethtikvah.com 770.642.0434

Temple Emanu-El 1580 Spalding Dr. Atlanta, GA 30350 www.templeemanuelatlanta.org 770.395.1340

Temple kehillat Chaim 1145 Green St. Roswell, GA 30075 www.kehillatchaim.org 770.641.8630

Temple kol Emeth 1415 Old Canton Rd. Marietta, GA 30062 www.kolemeth.net 770.973.3533

Temple Sinai 5645 Dupree Dr. Sandy Springs, GA 30327 www.templesinatlanta.org 404.252.3073

The Temple 1589 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 www.the-temple.org 404.873.1731

SEPHArDICCongregation or veShalom 1681 North Druid Hills Rd. Atlanta, GA 30319 www.orveshalom.org 404.633.1737

TrADITIoNALCongregation Shaarei Shamayim 1810 Briarcliff Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.shaareishamayeim.com 404.417.0472

Atlanta Synagogue Directory

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mAy THEIr mEmorIES BE A BLESSING

rEADEr’S D’vAr TorAH AJT

Byron Sol Cohen92, ATLANTAByron Sol Cohen, age 92 of Atlanta, died on June 29, 2012 after a life well-lived and loved. He was born in Cordele, Ga. on June 13, 1920 to Louis Cohen and Dora Rubin Cohen, of blessed memory. He is also predeceased by his beloved wife of 56 years, Lou Mae Cohen (who he affectionately called “Lula Bell”); his sisters, Shera Gordon and Pearl Graetz; and his brothers, Marcus (Sonny) Cohen and Harold Cohen, all of blessed memory. He is survived by his devoted daughters and sons-in-law Marilyn and Robby Warden, Carol and Michael Benator and Kathy and Todd Strauss, all ofAtlanta;grandchildrenAdamandSariWarden,RachelWardenandfiancéRosieDaley,RyanandJenniferBenator,KeithBenatorandfiancéMelanieKaufmanandMelissa Strauss; great-granddaughter Lily Eden Benator; and numerous nieces and nephews. Since 2004, when Byron was 84 and recovering from leukemia and lym-phoma, his three closest high school friends, Harry Seitz, Bobby Ney and Marvin Wender, decided to meet every Wednesday for hot dog day at Byron’s home, where they caught up on their families, reminisced about younger days and their World War II exploits. Byron was known for his and his wife’s many food delicacies – boiled peanuts,homemadedillpickles,homemadefigpreservesandmanygrilledmeats.However, we cannot omit his long-term love affair with “ice cold” watermelon and Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. Byron and his family moved from Cordele to Atlanta in 1935, and he graduated from Boy’s High in 1938, where he lettered in boxing and swimming. In the 1950s, Byron was co-owner of Hank and Jerry’s Restaurant and the Hideaway Nightclub with his brother Harold; they featured popular Dixieland jazz, and Tommy Dorsey, Pete Fountain and Chubby Checker often played. He later sold chemicals for many years for Hill Manufacturing. Often being in the Top 10 Salesmen List, Byron not only sold a lot of chemicals, he developed close personal relationships with his many cherished customers and Hill associates. Mr. Cohen was a member of Congregation Or VeShalom of Atlanta. Graveside services were held at 10:30 a.m., Sun.,July1,2012atCrestLawnMemorialPark,officiatedbyRabbiHayyimKas-sorla.Anonlineguestbookisavailableatedressler.com.Inlieuofflowers,donationsmay be made to Emory Winship Cancer Institute, winshipcancer.emory.edu, 1365-C Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322 or Congregation Or VeShalom, orveshalom.org, 1681 N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, GA 30319. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Parashat PinchasLOOKING FOR THE LAWS OF LIFE

AJT

By wALT SCHULTzFor The Atlanta Jewish Times

Using what I call “mental gymnastics,” stretching the imagination’s mus-cles, verses in Parashah

Pinchas remind me of a problem in physics. At the risk of oversimplification,the laws of classical or Newtonian physics give us a deterministic, ra-tional view of the physical world. Quantum theory, on the other hand, has randomness in the fundamental processes that are the basis of our apparently deterministic world. Finding a way to unify these two disparate sets of laws has been elu-sive, and a similar situation occurs in this week’s parashah. It’s been a long grueling journey, and here we are at the border of the Promised Land. We’ve just complet-ed a census of the tribes, and now it’s time to think about how to divide the land once we conquer it.Not to worry, G-d has a plan.

And the LORD spoke unto Mo-ses, saying: ‘Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheri-tance according to the number of names. To the more thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance; to each one ac-cording to those that were num-bered of it shall its inheritance be given. Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; ac-cording to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inher-it. According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.’- Numbers 26:52-6

Verses 53 and 54 seem to be clear: Specificnumbersareobtainedbythecensus and we distribute the land according to those determined num-bers. Nothing random here. But then verses 55 and 56 say, “Notwithstanding the land shall be dividedbylot…” By lot? That’s a random process. Which is it: by population, a fairly straight-forward determination, or by lot, a random process? The Torah indicates that two dif-

ferent dynamics are involved in the apportionment of the land: a rational division, which takes into account empirical data such as population; and a lottery, a random process. The laws of classical physics are deterministic, rational and intui-tive. The laws of quantum theory are counter-intuitive and probabilistic, depending on chance or random ob-servations. Physicists, however, would like to have one set of laws that govern everything, and they go through all kinds of “mathematical gymnastics” to try to reconcile these two sets of laws – think string theories and many curled-up dimensions. Distributing the land by popula-tion seems to be rational and intui-tive. Distributing it by lot seems to be random and counter-intuitive. The rabbis go through all kinds of “verbal gymnastics” to reconcile the conflictingideasinverses53through56. For example, Rashi says the land was divided into sections of various sizes and that the sections were as-signed to the tribes by lot (chance). Miraculously, the more populous tribes got the larger parcels and the less populous tribes got the smaller parcels. Nachmanides suggests that the land was divided into 12 equal por-tions, but the equality was not based onlyonsize;italsoreflectedthechar-acteristics of the land. Here too, the assignments were made by lot, and again, perhaps miraculously, each tribe was assigned a parcel appropri-ate for its population and aptitude. I see these examples from sci-ence and scripture as metaphors of the events of our lives. The results of our actions, as well as our actions themselves, are governed by two sets of laws: one based on logic and one based on chance. Living is a process of trying to reconcile these laws so that we can act as menschen. Althoughitisdifficultandelusive,requiring a lot of interpretive gym-nastics, the effort goes on. Rabbi Tar-phon said, “Ours is not to complete the task, but neither are we free to desist from working on it.” Shabbat Shalom. Editor’s note: Walt Schultz is a mem-ber of Temple Beth Tikvah and is the AJT’s Readers D’var Torah author of the week.

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