Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Well, Jewish Atlanta, I guess you’re stuck with me now.

Before I begin my diatribe, I must take a moment to thank Kaylene Ladinsky, who, in her 15 years of dedicated service to Atlanta Jewish Times, transformed the paper into its modern evolution, and, with the financial support of AJT owner, Michael Morris (and Bernie & Billi Marcus), helped mold the paper into a foundational bedrock of Jewish Atlanta. We are all more connected thanks to Kaylene and Michael, and our community is stronger than ever because of their efforts.

As far as Jewish Atlanta street cred goes, I was born in Dunwoody … off Happy Hollow Road near the reservoir … and it was a very happy hollow to grow up in. I went to AJECOMCE at Zaban in the mid-1980s; and was surprised to find former AJECOMCE camp director and current AJT freelancer, Shaindle Schmuckler, looking back at me on my first Zoom call during our weekly editorial meeting four years ago – I hadn’t seen her in 35 years.

I also played basketball at Zaban … although not very well at that point. I played Little League at Murphy Candler, and was much better on the diamond than hardwood, as evidenced by me skipping T-Ball and starting with the coach-pitch International League at age 5. I would later throw a no-hitter in Coastal League (first year of kid-pitch), losing 1-0 as I walked in the losing run. But that heartbreak is for another story and another day.

I am also a Camp Barney Medintz alum (1988-92) and remember my time in Cleveland, Ga., fondly. I fell off a horse once. I also learned archery. But mostly, I miss sneaking out at night, crossing the ditch to the girl’s cabins. Once again, another story … and maybe for another paper.

I was bar mitzvahed at Congregation Beth Shalom in 1992. Funny story — Ask Rabbi Mark Zimmerman about a pair of young misfits doing “The Butt” on the bimah during Friday night services … it’s why I got kicked out of Hebrew school.

Moving on …

From there, my family joined Ahavath Achim and I became part of Chai USY. I met an amazing group of friends with USY and also met Billy Planer, who, sadly, recently lost his father. Billy came to see me at Charter Peachford in 1996 as a spiritual advisor when I was struggling with depression and I will never forget that. Sorry for your loss, Billy. I lost my mom, Sue Auerbach Heller, 15 years ago and think about her every day.

I also went to LJT in my teens with Chai USY and loved the time we spent at Camp Blue Star each summer. I’m looking at you, Sam Aranson, Bart Cohen, Seth Watson, Andy Duetch, Adam Blatt, Anna Rabinowitz, Neal Cohen, Marc Silberstein, Danny Rosenblatt, and many more. I have so many fond memories of those weeks in the North Carolina mountains. Good times. Good times indeed.

Back to the “New-ish and Jewish” explanation-ish.

My Jewish Atlanta blood runs deep.

But I moved away from Atlanta in 2002 to finish college, start my career in journalism and, ultimately, thanks to being laid off at the newspaper I was working at in a Denver suburb (Aurora), and COVID, lockdown, etc., I moved back home to Atlanta four years ago and took a job at the AJT managing the website and social media.

In the two decades I was gone, Atlanta changed. Some for the better and some … not for the better. For a while, I felt like a tourist in my hometown. I’ve had to re-establish my connection to the city and re-establish my connection to this humidity, especially after spending four years in Colorado’s high desert climate.

Jewish Atlanta … I welcome you with open arms. Together, we can continue pushing forward to keep our community vibrant and thriving.