Atlanta Jewish Community Archives

Announcing our 2022 Community Award Winners

It is a special joy to announce the names of Federation’s 2022 Community Award Winners. They are passionate people who thrive on collaboration and volunteerism in service to Jewish Atlanta. We’ll honor these community builders, along with Carol Z. Cooper, Federation’s Lifetime of Achievement Award winner, on Wednesday, June 1 at Federation’s 116th Annual Meeting.

The Marilyn Shubin Professional Staff Development Award
Recognizes outstanding communal professionals

Caroline Goldberg | Educator, Cantorial Soloist; The Davis Academy
Caroline has served as a faculty member at The Davis Academy for nine years. As Grade Chair, she ensures that her colleagues are supported in planning, implementing lessons, and fulfilling their curricular and organizational goals. Caroline is truly an outstanding teacher, a leader among her peers, and a consummate team player.

Annie Garrett | Jewish Abilities Alliance Manager
Annie works tirelessly to make Jewish Atlanta more inclusive for everyone with disabilities. In addition to her role managing JAA, Annie also leads Federation’s legislative efforts. She led an 18-month long community-wide needs assessment on inclusion. Annie is a relentless advocate for those with disabilities and a master collaborator with staff and volunteers at a multitude of Jewish agencies who seek out her advice and guidance.

Tikkun Olam Community Impact Award
Celebrates a community member doing innovative work at a non-profit organization
outside of the Jewish community

Jenny Levison | The Zadie Project
Jenny Levison started The Zadie Project in honor of her father, with a mission to tackle food insecurity by helping feed and educate children, families, and seniors in Atlanta. For each bowl of “My Dad’s Turkey Chili” sold at her restaurant Souper Jenny, a donation is made to The Zadie project. Funds are used to make and package soups into quart containers to help those who need it most. The program provides soup for Title 1 schools, women’s shelters, senior citizens centers and homeless shelters. including the Zaban Paradies Shelter.

Mary and Max London People Power Award
Honoring outstanding initiatives

Jody Reichel | JF&CS Holiday Gift Program
Jody Reichel is a Sandy Springs City Councilwoman and a Real Estate Investor who has been an essential volunteer for J&CS’s holiday gift program. For more than 21 years, JF&CS’s holiday gift program has been providing a holiday experience for underprivileged families. The program makes it possible for JF&CS’s clients, of all faith and backgrounds, to create a special holiday for their family and kids. Personal gifts are given to each family based on their wish list.

Abe Schwartz Young Leadership Award
Recognizes an under 40 community member demonstrating great
community involvement and leadership potential

Bari Beilinson | Community Volunteer
Bari Beilinson is a resident in the Virginia Highland Moishe House and is a member of both the Next Gen Committee and the Jewish Journeys Allocation Committee Federation. As a resident at Moishe House, Bari and her fellow roommates create and execute six programs a month for the Jewish young adult community. This is on top of her full-time job.

Elizabeth (Liz) Rowland | Community Volunteer
Liz Rowland is an active member of the Jewish Community in Atlanta and beyond. She has been involved for several years with Jewish Women’s Connection (JWC) attending and running classes for members. She is an active volunteer with PJ Library and previously served on the board of Hillels of Georgia. Liz’s Jewish creativity sparked her to launch @Jewishlyliz on Instagram, which currently has 8,700 followers- local and beyond.

Gerald G. Cohen Community Development Award
Celebrates outstanding communal work by a non-native Atlantan

Yoni Kaiser-Blueth | Jewish Community Activist
Yoni Kaiser-Blueth manages the Jewish Portfolio at The Marcus Foundation, Inc. and has established himself as a community volunteer. Before joining The Marcus Foundation, he was Director of the Latin America Desk at Hillel International. Along with his professional involvement, Yoni is also active with his synagogue, Congregation B’nai Torah.

Sylvia Newman Memorial Teacher of the Year Awards

Erin Johnson teaches 2^nd-4^th grade in the Kesher program at Ahavath Achim synagogue. Throughout her 6 years on the synagogue faculty, she has gone above and beyond in the classroom, developing creative curricula that inspire further learning among her students. Through dynamic storytelling and hands-on project-based learning methods, Erin has engaged both children and parents, and she has served as a leader and role model for fellow teachers, as well.

Josiah Wolff is a 6th-grade teacher at Temple Beth Tikvah. In a short time as a new teacher, he has become adept at making learning come alive for his students in “out-of-the-box” ways. Having taken advantage of every opportunity for professional development throughout the year, including an intensive year-long cohort, Josiah is a true role model, not only through the kindness he shows to others, but also as a lifelong learner himself.

We will recognize and celebrate all recipients at our 2022 Annual Meeting, on June 1, 2022, at the Federation Building. Stay tuned for more information.

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Loving the Stranger. Paying Our Privilege Forward.

Nataliyah Fleshler and Masha Vaynman came to America with their families from Kyiv as young girls. They were part of the wave of Jews from the former Soviet Union who found refuge here in the late 1980’s and 90’s. In those years, Atlanta was a destination for Soviet Jews seeking a new life, and our community more than delivered.

Back then, Jewish Family & Career Services offered translation services to assist scores of refugees flocking to Atlanta. There was a Russian speaking social worker for the FSU (Former Soviet Union) Jewish community. Over time those services became less needed because Jewish refugees to Atlanta had become solid citizens, fluent in English, successful in their careers, yet still bringing their unique ethnic flavor to our city. Just like Nataliyah and Masha, who are both HR professionals and are raising families here.

Nataliyah and Masha are paying their privilege forward by organizing a massive volunteer program to send medical supplies to Ukrainian refugees. They are choosing to forget the bullying, the hatred, and the discrimination they experienced as Jewish children in Ukraine and are throwing themselves into Ukrainian relief work. To me there is something very Jewish about this.

Jews well understand the commandment to love the stranger and protect the vulnerable. Having been strangers in many hostile lands, having been isolated, persecuted, and exterminated because of our differences, we are uniquely attuned to the needs of immigrants and refugees. And baruch ha shem, we Jews have Israel — a Jewish homeland that has never stopped taking in huddled masses from North Africa, Ethiopia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, and the former Soviet republics.

So, this Passover, let us celebrate Nataliyah and Masha, who have not turned away from the land they fled. They help renew the Passover story for us this year and remind us that we can all be part of a modern-day Exodus for millions of Ukrainians seeking safety and freedom.

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Community Seder Recipes

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Matching Fund to Feed Hungry Jews at Passover

With Passover ten days away, many community members will need extra funds to purchase Passover food items. Jan and Marsha Spector, longtime supporters of the Jewish community, have created a Feed the Hungry Challenge Match to feed hungry Jews at Passover. The Spectors will match dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000, for new and or increased contributions made to the Maos Chitim Fund by the end of Passover. Make your donation here.

“Food security is a basic human right,” said Jan Spector. “It saddens us to think there are Jews in Atlanta who are going hungry or who must choose between food or medicine or gas for their cars. At Purim, we learned of the halachic imperative of matanot l’evyonim — giving gifts to the poor to make sure no one is hungry. Let’s make the words of the haggadah come true, so that all who are hungry can come and eat.” To donate and learn more, please contact Arielle Orlansky.

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So Many Seders & Celebrations!

Now that people are returning to in-person Passover seders, we are delighted to share the many traditional and unique Passover celebrations happening around the Atlanta Jewish community. Many of them are supported by Federation’s Making Jewish Places initiative. Don’t forget to check the Atlanta Jewish Connector for updates on Passover.

National Council of Jewish Women: Women’s Seder | April 5 | 6:30-9 pm | Congregation Or Hadash | FREE | Reservations 404-843-9600
Pesach Boot Camp | April 6 | 7:30 pm | Chabad Intown | RSVP
Matzah, Magic & Cookies | April 10 | 12-2 pm | Ali’s Cookies Dunwoody | FREE | REGISTER
Mental Health Seder | April 10 | 4-5:30 pm | Gesher L’Torah | Age 16+ | RSVP
Community Passover Seder | April 15 | 7:30 pm | Chabad Intown | RSVP
First Night Seder | April 15 | 6:30 pm | Congregation Etz Chaim | RSVP
Public Passover Seder | April 15 | 7:30 pm | Chabad of Rural Georgia | RSVP
Second Night Plant-Based Seder | Jewish Climate Action Network & Federation | April 16 | Temple Beth Tikvah |RSVP
Rediscovering the Passover Seder Plate – Interactive Family Experience | Outdoors | April 17 | 12-1:30 pm | Congregation Kehillat Chaim | RSVP
Atlanta Interfaith Hunger Seder | April 20 | 6–9 pm | Temple Kol Emeth | REGISTER

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Nataliya and Masha: Helping Ukraine, the Country They Once Fled

Nataliya Fleshler and Masha Vaynman both came to America from Kyiv (the Russian name is Kiev) as young girls — part of the wave of Russian Jewish refugees who were resettled in America in the 1990’s.

Nataliya was 9-and-a-half when her family arrived in Atlanta. She went to Garden Hills Elementary School and studied Management and HR at Georgia State. Today she works in HR at VMware, a cloud computing company, and is the mother of two little girls. She was recently chosen to participate in Leadership Sandy Springs.

Masha’s family originally settled in St. Louis, and she later came to Atlanta. In college she studied art history, psychology, and business administration. “Eventually I became a corporate recruiter. After having my second daughter, I spent two wonderful years with PJ Library Atlanta as a Russian speaking connector. Now I do HR work full time for a local startup.”

Living safe, comfortable lives in Atlanta, both Masha and Nataliya are horrified by Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine and the refugee crisis that has ensued. As Jewish women who also identify with the broader Russian speaking community in Atlanta, they admit it’s complicated. Masha is married to a Russian with lots of family members in Russia. “His peers and friends understand the truth about the war in Ukraine. But family not so much. It can be divisive, but I would say most of the local Russian community has stepped up to help Ukraine.”

The irony of prioritizing humanitarian support for the country they fled is not lost on Nataliya and Masha, but both women are committed to taking action in a big way.

“I mostly have sweet childhood memories of Kyiv,” Masha says, “but my family came to the United States as refugees because we were persecuted in Ukraine as Jews. Our papers and passports were stamped Jewish. Even though we were not religious, there were strange little signs. My grandparents spoke Yiddish. And once a year we had matzah, but it was kept hidden in a closet. It wasn’t until years later after attending Jewish day school in St. Louis, that I realized my father came from a religious family and knew all about Judaism. It just didn’t come up much at home.”

“Having a Jewish last name made us second-class citizens. I was picked on. Had we stayed there it would have been hard to get into college or have the career of my choice. We left Kyiv in the dark of night without telling our neighbors. But now the Ukrainians need us, and I am committed to helping. There is a lot of complexity about putting in so much effort to help the country we ran away from because we could not build a life there. For me it is a matter of humanity, and of not repeating history. We must be better, and it feels good to be able to help.”

For Nataliya, Ukraine relief has practically become a second career. She has launched a program to send medical supplies to Ukraine, in partnership with VMware and Leadership SS. “There are huge medical needs in Ukraine – drugs to perform surgeries, surgical supplies and daily medicines to treat refugees. This past month has made me self-reflect on the abundance in my life. I want to prioritize my energy and talents to help those in need. Normally we’d get our families together for Passover, but now my time is going to logistics work, getting supplies from Poland to Ukraine. My own family has understood that this is my way of coping, through giving.

Masha adds, “Today Jews in Ukraine are having a much better life, with more possibilities, and even a Jewish president! But there’s still racism and prejudice there for Jews and for people of color. With Passover coming it is impossible to not see this as a modern Exodus for Ukrainian Jews who now able to leave for Israel. It also makes me think about how Jews risked so much to celebrate Jewish holidays in the Nazi era. This will be a profound Passover for all of us.”

How You Can Help Send Medical Supplies to Ukraine:

For the month of April, Congregation Beth Shalom will be holding a Ukrainian Medical Supply Drive. In partnership with Project CURE and MedShare, these items will be delivered to hospitals in Ukraine. The drive will focus on medical supplies currently in shortage, as well as personal hygiene items. If you would like to contribute, please select the items created on our Amazon wish list to be sent directly to Beth Shalom. Please be sure to select Anna Shakhnovsky on the registry address so the items can be delivered directly to the synagogue.

Amazon Wish List

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Federation is for Good Times Too!

By Matt Bronfman, Federation Board Chair
We talk a lot about how Federation is built to carry us through difficult times. Whenever and wherever Jews are in crisis – from Covid relief in Atlanta to the Ukrainian refugee crisis – our generous donors make it possible for us to step in and make a difference. We stand with those facing emergency situations, and we also continue to build a strong foundation so that we will be here for you and your family if you need us.

But we also are built for z’manim tovim, good times. Just one year from now, in April 2023, I will be leaving for a Jewish Federation Community Journey to Israel that will showcase all that Israel has to offer. The trip will offer the opportunity to explore Israel through different “tracks,” that emphasize the unique dimensions of Israel. There will be specialized itineraries for first-time visitors, outdoor enthusiasts, technology and innovation, and even one for foodies. I really hope that you will join us as we deepen our bond with Israel and with each other. I promise, this is going to be a fantastic trip. Learn more here and if you have questions, please contact Marsha Hurwitz.

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Poland / Ukraine Solidarity Mission

An email from Steven Cadranel on his flight to Poland

For those of you that haven’t read Eric Robbins’ Facebook or Linked-In post, I hope you will find it and follow us on this Solidarity Mission for the next 72 hours as we make our way to Poland and its boarder with Ukraine to let the displaced people there know they are not alone.

Last night, in preparation for this trip I downloaded Instagram and set up the account I had been avoiding for years. But my wife, Janet told me I’m better with words than I am with pictures and I should try to capture and share my thoughts and feelings. So here goes……

I am writing this message on the plane at 1:00 AM Monday morning Atlanta time. Eric, I, and about 250 pounds of socks, warm clothes, diapers, toiletries, snacks, and other basic necessities we stuffed in 4 oversized duffle bags negotiated our way through check in with have been in the air for almost 7 hours now. We are crossing the Atlantic with another 2 hours to go till our layover in Amsterdam. From there we fly to Warsaw, Poland to join 27 other people making the same trek from Federations around the country to begin immersing ourselves into the reality we have all been watching on TV the past 3+ weeks.

Difficult as our lives have been the past 4 years, as soon as I showed Janet Eric’s text asking if I could join him for this trip, she immediately gave me her blessing and encouragement. Her father was born in Kobryn, Poland & immigrated to Atlanta September 17, 1920. The Battle of Kobryn was September 11-23, 1920 during the Polish- Soviet Union War. So she knows how important our help is to the people there now.

Just the same, she, our daughter, Lauren, and the rest of our family can’t help but be worried. Lauren is wise for her years and explained to me that she’s not so concerned that the danger in Ukraine will spill into the boarder areas we will be visiting. She, Janet, and I know our group will be kept safe. But she is worried about the pain, suffering, and heartache we will be witnessing and the lasting impact it may have on me. She and Janet know me better than anyone and they are with me for this journey.

As I’ve said to a few people, just 6 weeks ago Ukraine was home to about 44 million people, including more than 200,000 thriving successful Jews, all going about their lives, their businesses, and their families no different than we do ever day. And somehow, in less than a month, they have suffered immeasurable heartbreak, devastation, and loss. Wives, mothers, and children have been separated from their husbands, fathers, and sons. They and the elderly have had their lives uprooted, slammed to the ground, and reduced to what little they were able to grab and carry,

Fortunately, we are privileged to be the ones bearing witness and not the ones fleeing our homes in reliance on the capacity and compassion of strangers in far away cities and unfamiliar places.

For more than 75 years we have confidently proclaimed “Never Again!” But now it is on us to demonstrate the meaning of that commitment! How we respond to the events of this moment will define us as individuals and as a Jewish people for generations to come.

If you have already made a donation to the Federation’s Ukraine Emergency Fund, THANK YOU!

And if you haven’t had an opportunity to contribute to the much needed relief, NOW is the time! Please give to the Federation’s Ukraine Emergency Fund or the relief effort of your choice.

And please share this message with others and encourage them to follow your lead.

Thank you,
Steven

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Mexico on My Mind. Ukraine in My Heart.

While my friends and colleagues are working around the clock to save lives at the borders of Ukraine, The Jewish Agency for Israel’s (JAFI) work around the globe isn’t stopping for a minute.

And neither am I.

Last week I had a fascinating experience in Mexico City where I visited Project TEN – Be The Change. It’s a Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) program that targets young Jews from the entire Jewish world and brings them together to do community development work. In counterpoint to the dire situation in Ukraine where JAFI is also doing incredible work, it was uplifting to see Project TEN in action.

But now my bags are repacked with parkas and sweaters, and by the time you read this, I’ll be in Warsaw, Poland for a first-hand look at the heroic work our overseas partners are doing at the Ukrainian border.

In this head spinning geopolitical moment, I feel the power of global Jewry and the interconnectedness of the Jewish people as never before.

On the bright side, my trip to Mexico connected me to meet Project 10’s young adults who are on a three-month long tikkun olam project in Chimalhuacán — a high poverty community outside of Mexico City. It was joyful to see Mexican, British, and European Jewish young adults working side by side with young Israelis who have finished their army experience. They are doing good and establishing relationships that will last a lifetime.

Project TEN currently operates projects in Israel, Mexico, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Greece, Cambodia, and Ethiopia. I can easily envision it becoming a meaningful service option for our own Atlanta young adults, whether as a gap year experience or a post-college experience through an organization like Repair the World. This is the way to build a cadre of future Jewish leaders who have passion, perspective, and impact.

Heading into the darkness and destruction of the war in Ukraine, I feel privileged and proud to witness our incredible global Jewish network in action at the border.

You’ll likely see some photos and brief comments from me on the Federation Facebook page. I look forward to updating the community on all that I experience at the Ukraine border when I return to Atlanta. Know that your incredible support of the Ukraine Emergency Fund is making this holy work possible.

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Empathy and Action at the Strong Women Fellowship

JumpSpark’s Strong Women Fellowship is an affinity group of 40 female identifying teens who meet monthly to discuss what it means to be a strong Jewish woman. Topics have included political advocacy, meaningful volunteerism, women’s healthcare, self-care, being present, navigating friendships, being Jewish, and how to give back to their communities in meaningful ways.

Leah Moradi, an 11^th grade peer leader in JumpSpark’s Strong Women Fellowship, had a revelation when Lily Brent, the director of Repair the World Atlanta, and Emma Burns, a Repair the World Fellow, spoke to her group about “period poverty” — a term for inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, and sanitary products. “Before being exposed to the struggles of people who are faced with this issue, I never thought twice about my easy access to basic menstrual hygiene products. I now feel the privilege of being able to easily drive to a Walgreens and buy whatever products I need.”

After learning about this issue, Leah and her group got right to work. They concluded their session by packaging 130 period packs containing menstrual products to donate to The Homeless Period Project. This national organization distributes menstrual products to homeless and low-income schools, shelters, and community organizations.

Applications for next year’s cohort are opening soon. To learn more about the Strong Women Fellowship, reach out to Amanda at abudd@jewishatlanta.org