Federation Annual Features Reflection & Joy

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta held its annual meeting on June 5 before an audience of 330 at The Temple on Peachtree. Outgoing Board Chair Beth Arogeti spoke of the recent threads of antisemitism in Boulder, Colo., and Washington, D.C., to underscore the broader urgency of the Federation’s role in security.

She recognized Legacy and Silver Society Donors and how these gifts resulted in 5,000 grants to 1,170 local organizations. Later, Arogeti appeared in conversation with incoming Chair Debbie Kuniansky and Federation President and CEO Renee Kutner.

Rabbi Peter Berg related the ever-present role of politics. He said, “My mother told me not to go into the rabbinate because I wouldn’t enjoy the politics and constantly balancing the needs of the congregation and egos.”

He spoke of Torah commentary about recognition and leadership vis a vis taking risks, earning respect and leading to go first as it applies today. He saluted Mike Leven, who would later receive the Lifetime of Achievement Award, by saying, “He is the nashon [brave oracle of the tribe of Judah] of our time. There is no stronger leader with his Jewish Future Promise endeavor … we need fewer politicians and more leaders.”

Arogeti, Kuniansky, and Kutner sat interview style in a convivial discussion about how the Federation’s lay and professional leaders stepped up as Oct. 7 happened just three months into Arogeti’s chairpersonship. Arogeti was excited about young leadership development — 26 of whom just left for Cuba. Kuniansky boasted about the surge of affinity groups.

Kutner was praised for being the right leader at the right time as a native Atlantan. She said, “Things were much different when I grew up. There was no Weber School, no Davis Academy, no Ramah Darom.”

Her goal is to break down silos and align the research that shows Atlanta is in the 85th percentile for the 35- to 54-year-old demographic, then serving the aging parents following them here. Kutner’s five key impact areas were: Israel and Jews worldwide, Jewish education, Jewish engagement, ensuring care for all in need, and safety and security, which was a theme throughout the program. She announced that her oldest son would soon be sworn into the IDF as a Lone Soldier. Kuniansky praised Arogeti for her family’s five generations of leadership for which she received a standing ovation.

Kutner recognized Israel’s Consul General to the Southeast, Anat Sultan-Dadon, as her six-year term concludes. Next up was a series of impressive awards for an upbeat variety of engagements from OneTable to Bagel Rescue, outstanding educators, and FreeRent programs for those living on the edge.

Honoree Leven’s sons, Jon and Rob, spoke of their mother’s dedication (she later read a 20-year-old poem) and their parent’s 64-year marriage. They praised Leven for always being at Little League. “Even though he traveled, he was not out playing poker. We were allowed to make mistakes and never told ‘I told you so.’”

The biggest laugh came when revealing that he is the last man in America to answer unidentified phone calls. They concluded, “He is not about institutions, but about empowering others without his own ego.”

Other chuckles came when it was revealed that Leven had to be “nuts “to take on the presidency of the St. Andrews Golf Club in Boca Raton with “three square miles of mostly New York Jews … entering the Lion’s Den when he was 86 years old.”

Close friend Steve Selig made the formal award presentation by unwinding a scroll of the different causes that Leven supported but still being the proudest of “being a dad and pop.”

An emotional Leven exposed that from his Jewish Future Promise endeavor, he has more than 500 pledges; and how the late Bernie Marcus mentored him for decades. His funniest remembrance was when Selig approached him to donate $5,000.

“After I recovered from that shock, he really meant $15,000 then $100,000.”

He closed by quoting the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on the positive effect upon our psyche when giving, and by remembering the late Lou Gehrig, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest person on the face of the earth.”

Mike Leven was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times “off the cuff” Lowdown column (July 2019) when he shared that he cries when he sings, “My Yiddishe Momme,” that he might freak out if he misses a short putt and concluded that “brains are no substitute for hard work.”

Leven was CEO of the Georgia Aquarium before leading the Sands Corporation in Las Vegas.