Al Shams

Two thousand, three hundred years ago a miracle occurred in Judea and today we celebrate the holiday of Hanukah.

This year, Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia and his wife Sandra, graciously extended an invitation to approximately 120 members of the Jewish community to observe the third day of Hanukah at the mansion. My wife, Amanda, and I were fortunate to be invited.

Guests were able to tour portions of the mansion and to view beautiful decorations. Traditional Hanukah treats were served, including latkes, donuts, lox, chopped liver, fresh and dried fruit.

The UJA-Federation has been compiling data on Hurricane Sandy’s impact on Jewish institutions. In New Jersey, where the eye of the storm made landfall, six synagogues were damaged and another 64 synagogues in NY, Long Island and Westchester County reported that they had incurred damage.

UJA-Federation spokeswoman Roberta Lee was unable to offer any monetary estimate of total damages or breakdowns on damages to individual synagogues, but she said the severity ranged from minor flooding to millions of dollars in repairs. She stressed that the federation’s damage survey remained ongoing and would change over time.

Robin Shaoul

Right now, you may be glossing through this magazine while sitting with your spouse, watching TV. Or you may be reading this as you walk into the house with the rest of today’s mail in your hand, while at the same time listening to your child as he tells you about the trip his class is taking soon. Ahh, the skill of multitasking; the first time I realized the extent of my ability to multitask was when I had my first child. I would often find myself nursing while preparing dinner and talking on the phone, all at the same time.

When Boys Town Jerusalem students met Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Yisrael (Robert) Aumann, the game of life took on a new meaning for them. Awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Economics for his ground-breaking work on conflict and cooperation through “game theory” analysis, Professor Aumann shared insights with the young men on the Jewish ideals that shape his life.

“I can’t forget being beaten as a Jew when I was only a second-grader in Frankfort, Germany,” Professor Aumann told the students. “My parents’ wisdom saved us, and we fled to America in 1938, just three months before the Kristallnacht pogrom. Living in New York City, my parents had no money at all, but they made every effort for my brother and me to receive a good Jewish education.”

Photos by Alice Shammah

Thanks to a tremendously generous and supportive community, and multitudes of hardworking volunteers, The Ezra Cornman A”H Bar Mitzvah Foundation Bake Sale kicked off the first of a series of events aimed to raise much needed funds for this very important cause.

The event took place in the beautiful home of Heather and Murray Dayan, whose family, along with a dedicated committee, worked tirelessly to make the event the success that it was. There were inspiring classes, baked goods galore, a wonderful Chinese Auction, and wall-to-wall children lined up for prayers every few hours.

The Beth Torah family has lost more than our rabbi. We’ve lost our spiritual guide, our leader, our father. Rabbi Zvulun Lieberman has nurtured our congregation since its inception over 50 years ago. He has molded Beth Torah into a congregation of inclusion, tolerance, brotherhood and understanding. Always sensitive and respectful of our customs and traditions, he has safeguarded our Sephardic heritage.

How fortunate we are to have found a rabbi who represented all facets of knowledge. He was an expert in Torah studies and halachah. He was fluent in many languages. An Intellectual, and student of the renaissance he was well versed in Shakespeare’s works. He understood the financial world and its intricacies. He was very current on all global events. He was even a sports enthusiast, with a special place in his heart for baseball. His understanding of the world allowed him to relate to everyone, from the greatest scholars to the simplest layman.

Our mission at Ahi Ezer Yeshiva has been consistent for more than 50 years. We offer our students Academic excellence, Torah-based values, fluency in the Hebrew language and a strong Jewish identity.

The members of The Ahi Ezer Board are a unique group; Hy Bunny Escava, President, Albert Ayal, Vice President, Aslan Bawabeh, Treasurer, and Eli Levy are dedicated to the success and growth of our children. Some of the members contributed the seeds to the development of Ahi Ezer. They are indispensable in helping us achieve our goals. Their relentless efforts in day to day operations safeguard our yeshiva’s mission now and for the years to come.

An Informative Book By Barbara Levine Offenbacher

Barbara Levine Offenbacher’s book “First Words: A Parent’s Step-by-Step Guide to Helping a Child with Speech and Language Delays” gives parents the information they need to allow them to stimulate their child’s speech and language. Parents are given actual samples of how children with autism and other language delays respond differently to questions and how their responses can be redirected in order to start building connections.

Offenbacher explains terms such as speech and language, typical language delay, PDD-Pervasive Developmental Delay, ASD-Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, and ABA-Applied Behavioral Analysis.