Atlanta Jewish Community Archives

Survey Results Teach Us About Federation’s Community

In February, Federation conducted a Community Snapshot Survey to help us learn a little more about Jewish Atlanta. We received 1,367 responses to the survey, all from adults over 18 who live in the metro Atlanta area.

We learned some fascinating things about our Atlanta Jewish community:

The most important aspects of Judaism for respondents are morals and family/traditions.
Respondents have deep ties to Atlanta; even those who grew-up somewhere else (like New York, Florida, or Chicago) have likely lived in Atlanta for many years.
82% of those who filled out the survey do not plan to move away from Atlanta, and those who are planning some sort of move are likely to move within the metro area.
40% of respondents are over the age of 65, and 67% are women.
Over 71% of respondents either have not designated any charitable giving in their estate planning, or do not have wills at all.

This data, while not entirely surprising from what we knew of our community, still gives us valuable insight into the makeup of Jewish Atlanta. Many of the responses align with community surveys from other areas of the country—especially when it comes to the importance of Jewish morality and traditions.

These results reinforce Federation’s emphasis on investing in overnight camping (a grand tradition in the Jewish community), Gather Grants (which help people form new traditions), and to caring for the vulnerable (a pillar of Jewish morality).

It also shows us that there are opportunities for Federation’s community to consider the importance of legacy giving. Endowments and other legacy gifts are vital to the longevity of Jewish institutions and will help them continue to thrive for decades to come. Jori Mendel, Chief Foundation Officer at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, says, “Atlanta Jewish Foundation is here to help you plan your legacy—it’s easy and so important. Your generous endowment gifts help to secure our Jewish future and help ensure that Jewish life remains vibrant in Atlanta, in Israel and around the world.”

Thank you to everyone who answered our Community Snapshot Survey. It is one example of our overall investment in data and research. We recently completed an Early Childhood Community Assessment and are working on a qualitative report regarding interfaith families. We are dedicated to focusing on data so we can better understand our community needs and provide the most needed services to our community.

Lani Preis In Atlanta Jewish Community

Thank You by Matt Bronfman

My term as Board Chair ends this month. Since I accepted this position, we have experienced a global pandemic, unprecedented rising antisemitism, and (generally speaking) more requests for aid than I could have anticipated. But serving as Federation Chair has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.

I have been part of fostering community, from our successful Journey to Israel to creating affinity organizations for real estate and technology professionals. I have experienced firsthand the good we do, from pandemic emergency funds, to delivering relief in Ukraine, to supporting our schools and our elderly, to overseeing and providing security for our community organizations.

I am proud to say that Federation has raised and distributed more money in the last two years than in any previous period. I am more convinced than ever in the Federated model of giving. Yes, you should give to the unique charities that engage you. But Federation uniquely speaks for our entire community. We offer wayfinding for those in need of assistance and those looking to provide it; we aggregate community data to anticipate broader needs; we fund both startups and established organizations to ensure that when you need services, they are available to you. In any given year we support over 50 organizations, providing the backbone that makes the Atlanta Jewish community one of the most thriving in the world.

I am so proud to be a part of our community and the Federation team, and I thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Lani Preis In Atlanta Jewish Community

Federation Celebrates Israel @75!

Yom huledet sameach! The State of Israel is turning 75 years old, and Jewish Atlanta is ready to party! Here are a few activities happening in Atlanta this week where you can celebrate the 75th birthday of the country from afar.

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
AJFF is showcasing Israel at 75, a retrospective of the cinematic history in the region from its independence date to today. This hybrid event will occur both in-person and on AJFF’s Virtual Cinema platform. It kicked off on April 23 and continues through April 30th. Click here to see the full lineup of offerings.

Community Reception
The Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta, in partnership with Georgia State, local governments, the Jewish community of Atlanta, and the Atlanta community at large, are excited to unite under one roof for an evening of solidarity, recognition, and celebration. This event will be a highly visible reminder of the strength of the bond between Atlanta and Israel. Wednesday, April 26, at 6 PM. Location provided upon registration. Click here to learn more.

Food Truck Thursday
The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta is excited to partner with the Jewish Federation of Greater of Atlanta and other communal organizations for a community-wide celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s 75th Independence Day. This celebration at Brook Run Park, as part of Food Truck Thursday, will include live music, kosher food options, activities, and a teen zone. Thursday, April 27, from 5:00 – 8:30 PM. Brook Run Park, 4770 N Peachtree Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338.

These are just a few of the festivities that will be happening this week. Be sure to check the Atlanta Jewish Connector for more!

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, People in Need

Jewish HomeLife Offers In-Person Caregiver Support Groups

“Caregiver burnout is real, particularly for those caring for loved ones with dementia or other age-related conditions,” said Jeffrey A. Gopen, President and CEO of Jewish HomeLife. “Just being with others facing similar challenges can offer new ideas and help reduce feelings of isolation and depression.” To address this problem, two of Federation’s partners, Jewish HomeLife and Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS), have teamed-up to offer support groups for caregivers in Atlanta.

The support groups are free to the community and open to all. Sessions are led by excellent facilitators from Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS). “These facilitators can provide information, resources, and strategies that give participants a sense of control and perspective and help them know they are not alone,” Jeffrey says.

Sessions:

The Cohen Home’s support group
Third Thursday of each month from 6:00-7:00 PM
10485 Jones Bridge Road in Johns Creek, near Dolvin Elementary at Buice Road

Berman Commons’ support group
Third Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30 PM
2026 Womack Road in Dunwoody, adjacent to the MJCCA

Walk-ins are welcome, but RSVPs are appreciated. Participants can attend as often or as little as needed. Refreshments are provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta proudly supports the work of Jewish Home Life and JF&CS. The money raised during Federation’s Community Campaign is granted to our partners, and we are proud to support vital programs like these that benefit the hardworking caregivers of Atlanta.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact:

The Cohen Home/Johns Creek: Jyl Batterman, jbatterman@jewishhomelife.org or call/text 404.434.2618

Berman Commons/Dunwoody: Amanda Hamilton, ahamilton@jewishhomelife.org or call/text 678.602.5693

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Celebrating Women-Led Innovation

Jewish Atlanta is constantly evolving. Our city changes a little bit each day, and with those changes come people who are determined to solve problems and make our community richer and more welcoming than before. Federation’s Jewish Innovation Initiative supports groups and individuals in our city who do this important work. In honor of Women’s History Month, we want to highlight just two of the women-led organizations backed by the Innovation Initiative that are blazing new trails in Jewish Atlanta.

JScreen at Emory University

JScreen’s mission is to eliminate devastating genetic diseases through affordable, convenient, and comprehensive, genetic testing and genetic counseling, with a focus on the Jewish population. This now-national program was founded in Atlanta, and is led by Executive Director Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid, MS, CGC, CCRC, and Director of Operations Felicia Mayer, MSEd, LPC.

“Although JScreen is a national program, community-based funding enables us to focus on our community. Having Atlanta as our home base makes Innovation funding even more meaningful. With Innovation funding, we have been able to screen hundreds of Jewish Atlantans for hereditary cancer risk, providing them with life-saving information for their personal health and the health of their families.”

– Felicia Mayer, MSEd, Director of Operations at JScreen

Ma’alot

Ma’alot is a spiritual community transforming lives through music, nature & Jewish wisdom. This organization aims to build “synagogues without walls” and break the stigmas that many people carry about what Judaism “should” look like, and instead discover traditions that speak to our hearts and souls.

“As a female rabbi ordained by a traditional institution, I personally relate to feelings of alienation and disenfranchisement from Jewish establishments. Ma’alot is part of a national shift of female entrepreneurs in the rabbinate to transform Jewish culture and community. We are grateful for the support of the Federation’s Innovation Fund for supporting a female-founded organization that is working to center marginalized voices and lead the community forwards.”

– Rabbi Ariel Wolpe, Director and Founder of Ma’alot

There are other Innovation-backed organizations that are led by exceptional Jewish women, including the Jewish Fertility Foundation and Jewish Climate Action Network of Georgia (JCAN-GA) The Jewish Innovation Initiative is proud to invest in local talent, especially when these genius minds are from populations that have traditionally been overlooked. By putting our resources into the brilliant women of tomorrow, we ensure that Jewish Atlanta’s brightest talents remain in Atlanta.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, Federation Innovation

Celebrate Women-Led Innovation

JScreen at Emory University

– Felicia Mayer, MSEd, Director of Operations at JScreen

Ma’alot

– Rabbi Ariel Wolpe, Director and Founder of Ma’alot

Donate today to the Jewish Innovation Initiative and be part of Federation’s efforts to make Jewish Atlanta a welcoming place for big-thinkers.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Lois Frank to be Honored with Federation’s Lifetime of Achievement Award

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is thrilled to announce that Lois Frank will receive the 2023 Lifetime of Achievement award at our Annual Meeting on May 31, 2023. “Lois Frank’s name is synonymous with leadership, racial and social justice initiatives, and devotion to the State of Israel,” said Eric M. Robbins, Federation’s President & CEO. “She has expressed that commitment through activism, philanthropy, and a shining legacy of leadership.” 

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Lois came to Atlanta to attend Emory University for her undergraduate degree. She became active in the local civil rights movement her senior year, she invited Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Emory where he spoke to an audience of over 1,000 when a space for only 50 was provided by the University, which then was reluctant to host so potent an activist. She earned her master’s degree at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), a Historically Black University, graduating in 1963. “It was the height of the Civil Rights Movement,” she says, “John Lewis was the head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); there were sit-ins and my class went to the march in Selma.”

Lois met her husband, Larry, in Atlanta. They went on to have four sons: Joshua, Adam, Aaron, and Isaac. It was in 1967, exiting a plane heading to the World’s Fair in Montreal, when the Six Day War broke out. Mike Gettinger, then Director of Federation, saw the distressed Franks rush to the TV monitor to get news on Israel. Gettinger recognized their passion for Israel and recruited them into The Federation Family. And it was due to a Federation retreat at Camp Barney with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg in the late 1960’s that the study of Judaism became central to Lois and changed the course of the family’s life.

Lois is a current Board member of the Blaustein Institute for Human Rights, Project Interchange, Past President of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) of Atlanta, former National Chair for Jewish Council for Public Affairs, former Board member of Mazon, former National Chair of the Jewish Coalition for Literacy, and Past President of Women’s Philanthropy at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Lois believes that Jews have responsibility outside of our own community. “It’s important for Jews to participate in social justice in the name of Jews.” The Hillel Midrash, “If I am only for myself, what am I?” informs that value. In addition to the Jewish organizations she has championed, Lois has been a member of the Juvenile Justice Commission for the State of Georgia, AJC’s Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition, the Southern Regional Council, and currently serves on the board of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. 

When asked what issues she hopes to address in the near future, she speaks of the importance of civility. “People are too easy to dismiss each other; there’s a lot we can learn from one another with respectful listening.”

Together with her husband Larry and son Isaac, the Franks created the Frank Leadership Mission. which engages the next generation of leaders in Atlanta. The mission sends emerging leaders to Israel, building a lifelong relationship with our homeland.  

Federation is proud to present Lois Frank with the Lifetime of Achievement Award in honor of her long—and ongoing—commitment to making the world a better place.  

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community, PJ Library Atlanta

Learning Women’s History with PJ Library

pj-library-donate-button Each month, more than 4,700 children in Atlanta receive the gift of a free Jewish-themed book from PJ Library that shares holiday traditions, Jewish values, and more. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are a few PJ Library classics you and your children can enjoy:

Goldie Takes a Stand: Golda Meir’s First Crusade written by Barbara Krasner, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley
A young Golda Meir embraces tzedakah and organizes her friends and neighbors to raise money for textbooks for her classmates.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 written by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Clara Lemlich is a teenager when her family arrives in the United States, but her young age doesn’t stop her from organizing a labor strike that will inspire workers across the country.

Judy Led the Way written by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, illustrations by Margeaux Lucas
Did you know that the first American bat mitzvah happened barely 100 years ago? Judy’s courage and intelligence paved the way for millions of other girls.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark written by Debbie Levy, illustrations by Elizabeth Baddeley
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was never satisfied with the status quo, and her life’s story is recounted through a series of moments where she dared to disagree.

These stories show Jewish children that they have the power to make a difference, as these 20th Century women did, beginning when they were girls. The struggle for equal rights is not ancient, but rather quite timely. This Women’s History Month, PJ Library can help your family discuss the importance of telling historical stories.

This month, we’re highlighting the incredible work that PJ Library does in our community. To be part of inspiring the next generation of Jewish kids, donate today to PJ Library.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Contact Your Georgia State Senators About House Bill 30

Federation, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the ADL and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta want residents of greater Atlanta to be aware that House Bill 30 passed the Georgia House and is now in the Senate. The Georgia General Assembly will soon be voting on passing H.B. 30 into law—and we still need your help!

Please join these organizations and other concerned Georgians in contacting your Georgia State Senator to urge their support of this important bill. H.B. 30 would reference the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and ensure that state agencies and departments consider this gold-standard definition of antisemitism when determining whether an alleged act was motivated by discriminatory, antisemitic intent.

Click here to contact your legislator and help Georgia join 28 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

jewishatl In Atlanta Jewish Community

Happiness from Helping Others

By Matt Bronfman, Federation Board Chair

On Purim, we celebrate by drinking, eating and making merry. According to the Talmud, this entire month of Adar is known to be an especially happy time. But sometimes, we each experience that it is difficult to find joy when the world seems to have so many problems. However, there is one almost sure-fire way to increase your chances of being happy.

Recent scientific research has shown that giving back is linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety, improved health, and a reduction of stress hormones. It doesn’t matter whether participants donated to charity or volunteered their time— regardless, researchers found an immediate positive impact. I recently had the privilege of hearing from one of the world’s leading philanthropists, Bernie Marcus, about his experiences as a giver. He spoke at our Grow a Legacy event about the incredible happiness that making a difference in other people’s lives had brought to him, personally.

So, for your own good, I urge you to donate your time, talent and/or treasure. You can peruse our website and look for a program that will fit your passions, or contact the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and learn how to set up an endowment for a local Jewish institution. I promise it will make your Adar a happier one!