Zoom in on this Unique Community
Jewish professionals have lively Zoom discussions based on their experiences and viewpoints. Leader Phil Jacoby says, “We're respectful, but intense.”
Jewish “birds of a feather squawk together.”
Or at least stimulate, pontificate, and elucidate on a variety of topics that often lead to social ties and a lot of deep thinking.
Before COVID, a discussion group formed for (mostly) retired Jewish professionals who wanted “a regular forum for thoughtful conversation, fellowship, and engagement with the major issues of the day.
“The group is made up mostly of men, many of whom had long careers in business, law, medicine, science, and professional fields,” said Phil Jacoby, the group’s leader. What brought them together was a shared interest in current events, American public policy, the concerns of domestic and international Jewish communities, and the future and security of Israel. Their discussions reflect a politically conservative perspective and a strong Zionist commitment, though anyone with open and fair ideas is welcome to join. Jacoby is the leader now, but the founders were Zane Pollard, a pediatric ophthalmologist, and Alan Weinstein, DDS.
Originally, the group met in-person for lunch on Fridays at the Three Dollar Café, providing a dependable opportunity to exchange ideas, debate current topics, and maintain personal connections. When the pandemic prohibited lunches out, rather than allowing the group to fade, Jacoby set up a weekly Zoom to allow participation from anywhere.
Member and retired doctor Ron Grossman, 87, added, “This group has brought me in contact with other members of the Jewish community in medicine and business who are extremely thoughtful and intelligent. We’ve formed friendships with respect as ‘Jews who will do anything to preserve our identity, not related to level of religious observance or secularity.’” Grossman himself holds four degrees and taught U.S. history at Penn State while still practicing medicine.
Dentist Alan Weinstein, who started the group with Pollard, originally picked Friday because “docs don’t usually work then.” Some of his topics are how some of today’s political candidates are “just wrong/bad picks and do a lot of position switching.”
He heralds back to Winston Churchill’s 1930 quote, “Politicians make grandiose promises and when those promises don’t happen, they have to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”
Also a Mark Twain fan, Weinstein added, “I fear for our grandchildren. It’s not that simple, some of the younger generation … just doesn’t have street sense.”
Pollard, 84, added, “In addition to politics and Jewish topics, conversations can be about advice in dealing with health insurance, medical advice, a favorite book, getting a great watch, or gun. One of Pollard’s favorite discussions was why Sen. Joe Leiberman was able to succeed as an independent. He liked that he was a “decent person.”
Pollard’s favorite speaker was Gov. Brian Kemp and State Rep. Deborah Silcox. The group has also featured other speakers like Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Governor Kemp to fill the U.S. Senate seat exited by Johnny Isakson, and Rabbi Shalom Lewis.
Retired OB/GYN Neil Gladstone stated, “We are all about the same age and more recently observed the group’s focus on the rising tide of antisemitism. We’re all old enough to remember the 1930s in Germany and here in the U.S.; unfortunately, the similarities between the current events here and elsewhere are vivid reminders of what happened and possibly can happen again … also interesting to me is the migration to the Chabad movement by members.”
Gladstone claims to be one of the group’s most “native” Atlantans having moved here from St. Louis in 1975.
The group sessions last 60 to 90 minutes. Jacoby concluded, “Because participants are experienced professionals with strong opinions and deep personal commitments, the exchanges are substantive and candid. While we don’t always agree on every detail, the group is united by a serious interest in the issues and by a shared sense of responsibility toward the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”
When queried if anyone has been caught in their pajamas while Zooming, Jacoby laughed, “No, but I sometimes Zoom on my bike rides or walks.”
To learn more about the group, please contact philipjacoby@hotmail.com.