This year’s Community Campaign Chair, Debbie Kuniansky, is passionate about Federation. Why? Because Jewish Atlanta has touched her family at every stage. From her kids at day school, camp, and Hillel, to her aging family members at Jewish HomeLife, and everything in between. The 2022 Campaign launches on August 15.
JumpSpark is proud to partner with RootOne to promote summer teen Israel travel in Atlanta. RootOne provides major subsidies for trip participants, invests in elevating trip curricula and experiences, and works with its partners to create deeper pre- and post-trip engagement opportunities to help strengthen participants’ Jewish identities and connections to Israel before they begin college. Jewish teens in Atlanta are eligible to receive RootOne vouchers to attend Israel trips with five different youth-serving organizations.
Jewish Student Union (JSU) GO is a RootOne partner offering an action-packed summer adventure trip in Israel for high school teens from the greater Atlanta area. This summer, JSU GO brought 40 local teens together for an incredible immersive experience. Rabbi Chaim Neiditch, the Executive Director of JSU, shared that, “One of the big features of our program is that everyone becomes a family. We facilitate a culture that’s designed to bring everyone together. We’re looking to help people make lifelong friends that go far beyond the trip.”
One participant added that the trip allowed her to experience Judaism in a new way. “There’s a feeling that comes with being in Israel on Shabbat that you can’t have anywhere else.” Rabbi Neiditch affirms that, “The trip is life-changing for the kids. An immersive experience is a very different type of Jewish experience. We have kids who felt disconnected to their Jewish identity before the trip, and this trip changes the way they think about Judaism, makes it tangible and accessible to them. When you get a chance to spend time in Israel and explore a place that’s infused with Judaism, it changes lives.”
Interested in learning more about JSU GO? Visit JSUisrael.com. Pre-registration for next summer is open now! Pre-register today for the summer of a lifetime and save $200.
Federation is excited to announce that Jimi Horne is our new Deputy Community Security Director. Jimi will work alongside Community Security Director Neil Rabinovitz, rounding out an exceptionally strong team working every day to protect our community of more than 125,000 people. He joins us from the Charleston Jewish Federation where he served as the community’s Security and Emergency Management Consultant. Jimi is a Charleston native, with 25 years of paramedic experience, 28 years reserve military experience, and eight years combined law enforcement and security experience.
As a paramedic, Jimi worked in various areas of the EMS industry including working in a high-volume county 911 system, supporting law enforcement special operations, as a critical care paramedic on ground and air ambulances, and as a safety coordinator/paramedic in the steel industry. Jimi left clinical practice to go into education, working in medical simulation, and health IT education. He was the program coordinator and clinical coordinator for a paramedic associate program.
Jimi is also a Senior Master Sargent in the Air Force, currently serving as a Military Clinical Specialist assigned to Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command. His previous assignment was as Superintendent of Aerospace Medicine overseeing the physical exam process for over 1,800 airmen.
Jimi’s law enforcement and security background includes serving as a reserve deputy for the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office where he engaged in general patrol and drug interdiction operations, and with the U.S. Air Force working in base security and law enforcement.
He has also found the time to be an active volunteer in the Charleston Jewish community serving as security chair for both a local day school and his synagogue, and he was one of the founding members of the Charleston Jewish community’s security taskforce. Jimi holds a MEd in adult education from Strayer University and is currently writing his dissertation to complete a PhD in criminal justice from Walden University.
You can contact Jimi at jhorne@jewishatlanta.org and Neil at nrabinovitz@jewishatlanta.org with any security questions or concerns.
Inspired and influenced by years of financial support from the Atlanta and St. Louis Federations, Yokneam and Megiddo are taking bold steps to create their own fundraising infrastructure. The communities plan to launch the first–ever Yokneam Community Fund, providing a charitable giving platform for companies and individuals to financially support innovative local initiatives. The goal is to empower individuals and local businesses to take an active role as philanthropists, and to empower local groups to create their own programming.
Here’s a rundown of community-driven projects that were recently green-lighted following a “Shark Tank” style competition. All are adding to the quality of life in our Partnership region.
Shomrei Hanachal (Guards of the Stream) — The COVID-19 crisis struck many people around the world, and especially young retirees who stopped almost all their activities and became socially disconnected. This project will help young retirees to see the possibilities in the crisis, to think outside the box, and to engage in groups that can enhance feeling of belonging, being meaningfully active and influential through inter-generation activity.
With assistance from One Happy Camper incentive grants and Federation’s Jewish Camp Initiative scholarships, four out of five members of the Einhorn family, including Dad Ronnie, went to Ramah Darom this summer and had a blast. Cela was the family’s returning camper. The other Einhorn kids, Sam and Goldie, didn’t really know what to expect, but all had a sense that it would be a unique, shared family experience. It was!
Ronnie Einhorn, who is a teacher at The Epstein School, had the pleasure of seeing each of his kids blossom at camp every day and also experienced personal and professional growth coming to Ramah Darom as a seasoned teacher and learning to be a camp educator from his colleagues. “Each week seeing the community coming together for Kabbalat Shabbat and ending Shabbat in an explosion at Havdalah, was a thrill,” he said.
Meanwhile, back in Atlanta, working mom Heidi Einhorn held down the fort at home and delighted in the happy reports she got from Ronnie and the kids. “Their favorite parts of camp were all over the place,” Heidi said. “The lake! The pool! Rikkudiah (an all-camp dance performance)! For me, having all of them come home so independent and grateful to be together again, was a joy.”
For Cela, the Einhorn’s oldest child and a returning camper, being back at camp felt both like meeting new people and also like they hadn’t been apart at all. Meanwhile, her younger brother Sam was planning to only go to camp for two weeks, but stayed for four because, in addition to the activities he loved, he knew he would, “be so happy with all [his] friends and grow up with them.” Camp helped them connect not only to their friends but also to Judaism. Cela shared that she will be using many of the camp tunes from tefillot (prayers) in her Bat Mitzvah this coming year.
Neither Heidi nor Ronnie Einhorn attended overnight camp as kids, but they made a commitment early in their relationship to build their family on a foundation of Judaism and Jewish community. “We’re so grateful to have rich relationships with Congregation Shearith Israel, Jewish Kids Groups, Intown Hebrew School, Federation, and so many other organizations in Atlanta. The fact that each of them recognizes the impact of camp on Jewish identity tells it all. Seeing the lifelong relationships coming out of camp would be enough, but our kids come home choosing our Camp Ramah playlist on Spotify, choosing after-dinner rikkud (dance shows) over screens, ‘accidentally’ referring to things by their Hebrew names, confirming that we are seeing the theory in practice!”
We’ve shared stories in Fed5 about Atlanta’s four Moishe Houses (MH) where young adults live together and create meaningful, welcoming Jewish communities for themselves and their peers. Atlanta currently has Moishe Houses in Toco Hills, Virginia Highland, Buckhead, and a house for Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ) young adults in Brookhaven.
But Moishe House also impacts Atlanta through a growing network of Moishe House Without Walls (MHWOW) hosts. Here, individual hosts create Jewish experiences with support from the Moishe House organization. MHWOW hosts decide who they want to invite, where they want to host, what they want to explore in Judaism, and when they want to gather. Activities can range from Friday night Shabbat dinners, holidays, learning events, and cultural celebrations.
In addition to MHWOW hosts in Intown Atlanta and inside the perimeter, we also now have three new MHWOW hosts in Kennesaw, Smyrna, and Cumming, thanks to the support of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Making Jewish Places (MJP) microgrants initiative.
Each host serves a different demographic and has a unique vision for their monthly MHWOW programming. programming. Additionally, an existing MHWOW host relocated from Los Angeles to Cumming in March 2021 and has been leading programming and building community.
One host wrote about the vibrant and inclusive community she aims to create with ongoing MH support: “I want to engage with Jewish young professionals who are looking for a relaxed community of their peers. I am targeting those who may not feel comfortable joining a larger organization but want to socialize with a smaller group of friendly faces. My programming ideas are centered around the Jewish holidays, especially the lesser-known ones like Tu B’Shevat (terrarium making!), Shavuot (ice cream sundae bar!), or Tu B’Av (Galentine’s games!). For the more well-known holidays, we’ll try Sushi in the Sukkah, an interactive Seder on Passover, hamantaschen baking on Purim, a latke exchange on Hannukah, and themed Shabbat dinners.
“My goal is to create a small but deeply connected group of open–minded friends, who enjoy fun activities and celebrate Jewish holidays in a way that is meaningful to us, and to give back to our larger community through volunteering time/money.”
In May, MHWOW host Zach Givarz took eight participants on a Shabbat weekend in the mountains. The group celebrated the beauty and love of Shabbat through food and celebrations.
A group of women gathered, led by MHWOW host Leah Berryhill, to celebrate Shavuot and the spring harvest with roses and rosé wine. The participants made flower arrangements and took time to enjoy and connect safely outside at a local community park.
MHWOW host Shira Colsky hosted an ice cream party with nine friends in honor of Shavuot. They discussed the history of this less-known Jewish holiday and enjoyed various homemade ice cream flavors!
Learn more about MHWOW in our area, email: withoutwalls@moishehouse.org
July has provided a happy breather for me. Coming off our incredibly successful 2020-21 fundraising year, I am exhaling a bit, but also feeling challenged to do even better in 2022. Knowing that the new fiscal year has just begun and that the 2022 Community Campaign launches in a few weeks makes these waning July days even sweeter. So, I have been treasuring time in the north Georgia mountains for hiking and hanging with friends and doing some traveling. I am looking forward to our Federation professional retreat at Ramah Darom next month and am also excited that Limmud Atlanta will be back at Ramah Darom in August (August 27-29).
And I’m reading. This summer my focus is on books about Israel, organizational accountability, and racial justice.
Our leadership is engaged in training on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) — a set of concepts and practical tools that provide an accountability and management system we will roll out to the entire organization. The executive team has been engaged since May. We are working with a consultant and learning the tools we’ll use to improve our operations. For this work I’m reading “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business,” by Gino Wickman. It asks CEOs to define their values and build a culture around their core values. It’s a call to always let these values guide you when you hire, fire, review, and reward people, as well as a push to a more data-driven organizational culture.
I’m having fun reading “Coming of Age: The Atlanta Jewish Federation 1962-1982,” by Max C. Gettinger.” Max (Mike) Gettinger grew up in New York City. Like me, he practiced social work and went on to become a Federation professional. Mike moved to Atlanta in 1962 taking on the role of Assistant Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and shortly after became the Executive Director when Ed Kahn retired. He served in this position until 1979 when he retired. Mike continued two years past his own retirement to launch Federation’s first endowment program. It’s been illuminating to learn more about the philanthropic foundation of our community and see how our Jewish leadership structure developed in those critical years of growth.
Mike Leven, who stewards the Jewish Future Pledge, urged me to read “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth,” by Noa Tishby. Tishby is an Israeli actor and activist. She blends memoir and advocacy in this tribute to her beloved Israel, bemoaning how little the rest of the world actually knows about Israel. If you’re looking to counter social media “misinformation” about Israel, this is a helpful and inspiring read.
Also on my nightstand is Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson. This was last year’s big book on the roots of racism in America. Wilkerson approaches race differently than other writers, using the framework of a skin-color-based caste system, to explain how slavery compounded inequality and lack of social movement. She analogizes America to an old house that needs repair. “We can never declare the work over. Wind, flood, drought, and human upheavals batter a structure that is already fighting whatever flaws were left unattended in the original foundation.” The idea is, we ignore the urgent renovations at our own peril. An important book.
Enjoy these last lovely days of summer. Let’s hope that we’ll be healthy and ready for in-person events in August and during the September Jewish holidays.
P.S. If you are reading something powerful and memorable, please send me an email and tell me about it.
What will your philanthropic legacy be? Will it improve the world? Will it support the community institutions you care about? Will it sustain your family? Will it express the values you want to be remembered for?
Atlanta Jewish Foundation believes that your legacy can do all those things, and we are honored to help you shape it.
Through a new LIFE & LEGACY® campaign, called Each One Reach One, Atlanta Jewish Foundation is partnering with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to potentially double the number of donors in our community-wide legacy giving initiative. The new effort encourages committed legacy donors to share their stories and motivations for leaving a legacy.
Have you shared your stories with your kids and grandkids? We’re big believers in the power of storytelling to inspire philanthropy, so we’re pleased to share these stories from fundholders Stephanie Abes and Avery Kastin, attesting to the power of legacy giving to secure the Jewish future. Read them and contact Rachel Rosner to initiate a conversation about a LIFE & LEGACY gift.
LIFE & LEGACY donor Stephanie Abes said, “It was the right time in my life to help spark and steer conversations with my peers about leaving a legacy gift to our community. As I’ve progressed in my commitments as a Jewish woman, I can see that all I’ve worked for over the years leads to this. There are so many motivations to support LIFE & LEGACY. When I see the outstanding education my grandchildren enjoyed in our Jewish day schools, and as I watch my grown children step up and serve on the boards of our backbone agencies, I want all these organizations to be strong and sustainable going forward. It’s up to me and my family to ensure that these Jewish institutions continue for future generations.”
Stephanie shared a story she heard about a woman with modest assets. “The woman wanted to support her synagogue’s future but didn’t think she had the means. She realized that her small condo was a possible resource, so she checked in with her kids to ask if, upon her death, making that asset a legacy gift was OK with them. Her children let her know that they’d be fine if she did it.”
“Stories like that give me the tools to open up conversations with friends about making a legacy gift. I tell them, ‘I’m not your financial planner, but through Atlanta Jewish Foundation, you can get the advice you need.’ They can help you look at your assets and determine what makes sense for you.”
Avery Kastin told us, “Legacy giving resonates with me, it’s a genius idea. The moment I heard about the LIFE & LEGACY opportunity and about the Jewish Future Pledge, I began to understand the potential impact on our community. I wanted to make Federation the recipient of my gifts because it’s where I’ve focused so much of my time over the years — first as chair of Federation’s Young Adult division, as a Federation board member, and as chair of the Business & Professionals’ division of Campaign and the new Journeys Allocation Committee.”
To encourage donors, organizations, and our community to participate, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is offering $300,000 in national incentives. To learn more, visit atlantajewishfoundation.org or contact LIFE & LEGACY Coordinator Rachel Rosner.
When the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Atlanta Chapter hosts its 39th annual National Philanthropy Day event on November 4, 2021, Jewish Atlanta can take justifiable pride that Cherie Aviv will be honored as Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year.
Cherie Aviv is a fiercely dedicated and effective fundraiser with a longtime interest in the arts, and a deep passion for social services in the Jewish community, older adults, clients with disabilities, and meeting the needs of our region’s Holocaust survivors. Her fundraising efforts and remarkable collaborative initiatives have raised more than $10 million to date to benefit people across the greater Atlanta community and beyond.
In 2016, after assessing the needs of Atlanta’s Holocaust survivors, Cherie spearheaded the partnership between Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS), Jewish HomeLife, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), The Breman Museum, Eternal Life-Hemshech, and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta that created the Holocaust Survivors Support Fund (HSSF). Through Cherie’s efforts, the fund has raised just under $3 million, engaged more than 600 donors, and had a transformational impact on the lives of more than 135 Holocaust survivors annually.
On behalf of Federation, Karen Botnick Paz nominated Aviv for the AFP award. In her nomination, Karen paints a rich picture of Cherie’s busy life. “It’s 5:30 a.m. and Cherie Aviv is quietly reading before she takes a morning run. Juggling up to four books at a time keeps her mind engaged, while running allows time for thinking. These hobbies provide a healthy balance to her full-time volunteer schedule which runs the gamut from fundraising, creating special moments, outreach, and hands-on activities.
Cherie applies this same discipline and determination to everything she undertakes. Terri Bonoff, CEO JF&CS said, “Cherie’s approach is to respond to community needs with urgency and innovation. This was evident with the 2014 JF&CS Capital Campaign to Complete the Campus where the campaign raised $6.6 million, exceeding the goal by $1.5 million. Cherie co-chaired with John Perlman and made the matching lead gift.
Miriam Friedman, an MJCCA professional shared, “Cherie co-led a team of 15+ volunteer and staff solicitors and helped to construct the campaign framework from marketing materials to campaign structure and reporting, to board solicitations and grant writing. Cherie’s project management savvy kept the team on track and motivated, exceeding the campaign goal by over $1.5 million.”
Mark Silberman, past Board Chair of Federation said, “Cherie has no peer when it comes to fundraising. Absolutely the best I have seen.”
While serving as Vice President of Development at Jewish HomeLife, Cherie increased their annual campaign by 25%. From 2014-2016, as Co-Chair of Jewish Family & Career Services Capital Campaign, she helped secure $6.6 million. In 2018, she and her husband Gary chaired a record-setting Community of Caring luncheon, which raised $500,000.
Cherie is not only generous with her time and expertise, she is personally generous, though her giving is often anonymous. Supporting letters for the AFP award provide story after story of her dedication and generosity and her engaging collaborative style.
Tammi Parker, a friend, and volunteer observes, “Cherie is the ultimate player/coach. She creates the experience for the volunteer, makes it look easy and doable, and fills in any gaps that the volunteer is not able to cover.” Terri Bonoff added, “On one occasion, I joined 20 volunteers to make rugelach to give to survivors, caregivers, or clients with disabilities. These volunteer baking events are quite inspiring and there are waiting lists to join.”
One thing is for certain, what Cherie has done for the Atlanta community and beyond is priceless. Her impact is everywhere. JF&CS can provide comprehensive support services for any senior in the Atlanta community through Aviv Older Adult Services. Jewish HomeLife is well known throughout Atlanta for its high quality of care at Aviv Rehabilitation Center. Thousands of older adults are cheered by birthday cards through Aviv Celebrations. Cancer patients feel the warmth through fleece blankets while going through chemotherapy delivered through her efforts. She has shared that she has more new projects in the works.
Thank you, Cherie, for the abundance of wisdom, persistence, and chesed you bring to philanthropy. You have lifted countless lives!
Atlanta innovates again! The Jewish Education Collaborative (JEC) is excited to announce that for the 2021-22 academic year, four Atlanta synagogue schools are piloting The Atlanta Hebrew Connection – an exciting community online program for Hebrew language learning. The Atlanta Hebrew Connection focuses on teaching students to decode Hebrew, learn prayers, and understand their meaning. It offers small classes, flexible scheduling, and excellent instruction right at home. Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Temple Kol Emeth, Congregation Shearith Israel, and Temple Sinai have all signed on to the program, created by Shalom Learning, a nationally renowned education organization.
Online Hebrew makes sense for busy families who have had to carpool their kids to Hebrew school in Atlanta traffic. Synagogue school educators have collaborated on the new program with guidance from the Jewish Education Collaborative (JEC). Rabbi Elana Perry, Director of JEC says, “We’ve found that compared to in-person Hebrew instruction, children learn Hebrew just as effectively, if not better, in an online setting.”
Key components of the Atlanta Hebrew Connection include:
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Discover Israel’s many treasures on a transformative journey with a focus on historical exploration, exhilarating adventures in nature, and cultural connections.
Travel from the far north in the Galilee to the deep south at the Red Sea as we visit ancient Jerusalem, modern Tel Aviv, the lush Golan Heights, the vast Negev Desert, the unsinkable Dead Sea, and the stark mountaintop fortress of Masada. Along the way, you’ll take part in an authentic archaeological dig, sample the world’s very best falafel, spend a night sleeping under the desert stars, and experience the innovative energy of Tel Aviv first-hand.
More than a tour, this is an opportunity to understand Israel’s dynamic society first-hand while finding your own connection to this storied land. Explore what it means to be Jewish from an Israeli point of view, understand the complex politics of the Middle East with real-world insights, and practice Jewish values through hands-on volunteering and Shabbat experiences.
Some of our Israel Journey trips will have the opportunity to attend The Maccabiah Games. Often referred to as “the Jewish Olympics,” this is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition that takes place every four years in Israel.
