Letter to the Editor: Gary Jackson

To the Editor,

Thanks to the Atlanta Jewish Times and the entire Atlanta Jewish community once again for your support of the 2025 Gate City B’nai B’rith Pinch Hitters Program. Since 1980, the Pinch Hitters have been volunteering in Atlanta-area hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizen residences, and similar facilities to “pinch hit” for essential, non-medical workers so they can enjoy their Christmas holiday with their families and friends.

This year was no exception as we served in seven locations with scores of hard-working volunteers. Naturally, we closed out a long day when all the volunteers met for dinner at a Chinese restaurant to review the day’s activities and plan for 2026.

None of this would have been possible without the leadership and exceptional work of the Harry Lutz, the longtime Chair of the Pinch Hitter Project. “Hanukkah Harry” has been the manager of the Pinch Hitter team for more years that I can recall, and the Project could not succeed without his extraordinary effort and that of his wife, Roseanne. Harry and Roseanne are the best “Keystone Combination” and power hitting duo in the game today.

Harry has spent untold hours over the years running Pinch Hitters. True to his modest ways, he wrote the article in last month’s AJT, listing all the volunteers, including his better half, Roseanne. But Harry omitted himself from the list. And Harry is at the top of the list.

Hats off to Harry! Once again, you hit the ball out of the park.

Sincerely,

Gary Jackson, Atlanta, Ga., Founder, Gate City B’nai B’rith Pinch Hitter Project