Two things can be true
March 5 (16 Adar 5786)
🏃🏼♀️ There are no slow news weeks.
💥 President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu teamed up to target and kill the longtime ruler of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khameini. Since then, Israel has taken Purim underground, Iranian Jews are feeling hopeful, and Atlantans are wondering what the repercussions will be from the war with Iran.
✈️ Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and most global airlines suspended all flights into Tel Aviv, citing the ongoing conflict in the region. Delta’s ATL-TLV route is scheduled to restart on April 15.
🌳 This week, Rough Draft has another story on a lawsuit against Greenwood Cemetery. While it’s not a Jewish story, many Atlanta Jewish families have loved ones buried there. Greenwood is home to the Memorial for the Six Million, soon to commemorate Yom HaShoah.
😹 Take some time to laugh this weekend. Matthew Broussard, a native Jewish Atlantan, will be headlining the West End Comedy Festival from March 6-8.
Y’alla,
Logan
✡️ Is your child ready for overnight camp? A Day at CJ is one unforgettable day of Israeli dance, archery, the ropes course and more, all FREE at Camp Judea on June 21 or July 19 for rising 1st – 4th graders. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Synagogues join to tell story of immigrants
🤝🏻 Two synagogues are teaming up to take a look at immigration issues in the US through art.
Congregations Shearith Israel and Bet Haverim have partnered for a performance of “Prisontown,” a play written by and starring former Out of Hand Associate Artistic Director Lee Osorio.
In the play, a writer goes home to Lumpkin, GA, home to one of the nation’s largest immigration detention centers, and witnesses the barbarity of the nation’s immigration crisis, and a small town torn by poverty and the prison industry.
🎭 “Prisontown” has been performed in private homes across metro Atlanta with community partners, including El Refugio. The series is part of Out of Hand Theater’s 25th anniversary season.
After the performance, the audience is invited to join in conversation about how to take action toward a more just world.
🎟️ Tickets cost $23 for students and seniors and $33 for general admission.
Rebuilding a Stronger Israel
SPONSORED BY JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
🤝 Register and join Jewish National Fund-USA as we honor your extraordinary work building a stronger and more secure Israel. We are dedicated to uplifting individuals, families, communities, and entire regions across Israel’s North and South in times of both peace and crisis.
We will demonstrate one aspect of our work with the Galilee Culinary Institute, Rosenfield School of Culinary Arts—a new food hub securing Israel’s North as an economic driver. Chef Lior Lev Sercarz will introduce you to a bold and diverse culinary tradition, showcasing Israeli culture and resilience.
➞ Registration closes on March 9. RSVP at jnf.org/hirsch.
Families sue Greenwood Cemetery
📰 In November, Logan C. Ritchie reported on the poor conditions at Greenwood Cemetery in southwest Atlanta, where a large population of Jewish people are buried. Greenwood is home to the Memorial to the Six Million, a site on the National Register of Historic Places.
Now, two Greek brothers are suing Greenwood for “intentionally refusing to properly maintain the cemetery grounds and buildings.” Several synagogues have banded together to maintain Jewish gravesites, making up for Greenwood’s lack of groundskeeping.
“What they’re allowing to do is the grass to take over the flat markers so that they don’t have to maintain them,” said the plaintiff Michael Lambros. “They’re also letting them sink into the ground, and at some point, no one’s going to know they’re there.”
For Iranian American Jews, Trump’s talk of regime change stirs hope
🇺🇸 Iranian American Jews are celebrating after the joint U.S.-Israel operation that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday — with many expressing newfound hope that they may one day return to the country they fled.
As the conflict has spread across the Middle East in the days since, the military action has sparked fears of a prolonged regional war and power vacuum in Iran.
But for Jews who fled Iran in the decade after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the military campaign represents a long-awaited reckoning with the brutal regime that forced them into exile.
➡ Read the full story on the Forward.
✡️ Is your child ready for overnight camp? A Day at CJ is one unforgettable day of Israeli dance, archery, the ropes course and more, all FREE at Camp Judea on June 21 or July 19 for rising 1st – 4th graders. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Look & Listen
🎙️ Listen to journalist and author Josh Levs break down news coverage of what to believe from Iran’s media outlets.
🇮🇱 Send a care package to Israel’s soldiers, reservists, first responders, and their families through JNF while supporting local small businesses.
What’s doin’ around town
SPONSORED BY CONGREGATION OR HADASH
📚 March 7: Dr. Mimi Zeiman at the Dahlonega Literary Festival
🧢 March 7: Men’s Club discussion at Or Hadash.
🎤 March 9: Journalist and analyst Yaakov Katz at the Dupree.
💛 March 13: Sensory-friendly Shabbat with PJ Library.
🚗 March 13: Spring Torah Tour with Dr. Amy in Dunwoody.
🥚 March 15: Spiritual prep for Passover with local rabbis.
☕ March 15: JNF Breakfast for Dinner in Buckhead.
🎒 March 16: Transition to high school for parents and teens.
✡️ The next Jewish holiday is Passover on April 1.
🕯️ Light Shabbat candles this week at 6:20 p.m.
✨ Longing for something deeper than Friday night takeout? Join Rabbi Lauren and the Or Hadash davening team March 13 for Musical Kabbalat Shabbat, then stay for a delicious meal. Dinner $18/person. Feed your soul. Feed yourself. RSVP here.
What to watch: Jewish edition
So many good Jew-ish television shows are debuting this month – read Kveller’s complete list. Here’s a few ideas of what to talk about at your next mahjong game.
📺 “Vladimir” stars Rachel Weisz and Miriam Silverman in this show based on the Julia May Jonas best-selling novel. (March 5 on Netflix)
📺 “Asfur” Season 2 originally premiered in Israel. It stars Gal Gadot as Kika, an Israeli expat and coffee shop owner. (March 5 on Izzy)
📺 The quirky comedian Robby Hoffman (pictured) is a guest star in “The Rooster” with Steve Carrell. (March 8 on HBO Max)
📺 “The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel” is about Hillel Slovak – an original member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers who was born in Haifa, and was the son of Holocaust survivors. (March 20 on Netflix)
