{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/0r9m32q11h/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Rotter, Marty"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/082/original/TheBreman_SecondaryMark_Horizontal_Blue_Black.png?1713640889","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2025-03-14 (captured)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Rotter, Marty (Interviewee)","Rosenberg, Robin (Interviewee)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["Video"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum","Esther \u0026amp; Herbert Taylor Jewish Oral History Collection","Shearith Israel's Presidents Program, Lessons in Leadership"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eMarty Rotter was interviewed by Robin Rosenberg on March 14, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.\u003c/p\u003e (general)","\u003cp\u003eMartin “Marty” Rotter was born May 12, 1946, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the son of David and Dorothy Zimmerman Rotter, and he has one younger sister, Debi. Marty grew up in Atlanta, where his father worked as a salesman. His family belonged to Congregation Shearith Israel, and his grandparents were among the earliest members of the congregation.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMarty attended Henry Grady High School, and he earned a degree in psychology from Emory. He attended graduated school at Georgia State University. In 1970, he married Sheila Doobrow, who was from Charleston, South Carolina. Marty worked in health care and later for the state of Georgia. He and Shelia are members of Congregation Shearith Israel, where he has been on the Board of Trustees, served as the President, volunteered with Chevra Kadisha Society, and Backpack Buddies.\u003c/p\u003e (bioghist)","\u003cp\u003eMarty begins the interview sharing that he served as president from 1989 to 1991 and provides a short history of Congregation Shearith Israel. He discusses the synagogue’s reputation of turning over rabbis after serving three to five years. He recalls the difficulty in finding a rabbi right before he became president. Marty recounts how the shul was lucky to have Jane Axelrod as executive director during this period, and that she managed the shaky finances during this time period. He spoke about being asked to serve as president and deciding to accept the position.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMarty discusses how he did not feel prepared to serve as president and the concern that they might not find a rabbi. He reflects on the minor challenges he faced and surprises he had while president. He mentions that things operated less organized than today. He also talks more about Jane, and a small group of individuals manage the financial concerns. Marty discusses how he would have established more goals and accountability. He shares who he sought advice from. He reflects on the impact the presidency had on him and how he saw the shul differently after serving. He shares how he thinks the relationship between the rabbi and the president has changed and how it is better for the rabbi and congregation.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMarty reflects on the fact that serving as president was a growth experience for him, and how he has continued to serve. He discusses what qualities he believes are necessary for an effective president. He talks about the expectations for board members and what they should know before serving. He spoke about the challenges he feels the synagogue faces and the difficulty in addressing them. He shares what is unique about the shul. He concludes the interview by reflecting on how the capital campaign will go and how Judaism is changing.\u003c/p\u003e (scope content)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, recorded by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written consent of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["Rotter, Martin “Marty” (b. 1946) (personal name)","Rotter, Sheila Doobrow (b. 1946) (personal name)","McLaughlin, Denise (b. 1948) (personal name)","Geffen, Rabbi Tobias (1870-1970) (personal name)","Mossman, Rabbi Sydney K. (1913-1971) (personal name)","Merlin, H. Stephen “Steve” (b. 1948) (personal name)","Axelrod, Jane Lewis (b. 1934) (personal name)","Arbes, Jake (b. 1951) (personal name)","D’Agostino, Josh (b. 1976) (personal name)","Easton, Annette Tinter (1928-2024) (personal name)","Twain, Mark (1835-1910) (personal name)","Congregation Shearith Israel (corporate name)","Ahavath Achim Synagogue (corporate name)","Fellowship of Traditional Orthodox Rabbis (corporate name)","Morningside Presbyterian Church (corporate name)","Orthodox Judaism (topical term)","Conservative Judaism (topical term)","Shul (topical term)","Haftarah (topical term)","Torah (topical term)","Chevra Kadisha (topical term)","Yom Kippur (topical term)","Minyan (topical term)"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eMarty Rotter was interviewed by Robin Rosenberg on March 14, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMartin \u0026ldquo;Marty\u0026rdquo; Rotter was born May 12, 1946, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the son of David and Dorothy Zimmerman Rotter, and he has one younger sister, Debi. Marty grew up in Atlanta, where his father worked as a salesman. His family belonged to Congregation Shearith Israel, and his grandparents were among the earliest members of the congregation.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMarty attended Henry Grady High School, and he earned a degree in psychology from Emory. He attended graduated school at Georgia State University. In 1970, he married Sheila Doobrow, who was from Charleston, South Carolina. Marty worked in health care and later for the state of Georgia. He and Shelia are members of Congregation Shearith Israel, where he has been on the Board of Trustees, served as the President, volunteered with Chevra Kadisha Society, and Backpack Buddies.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMarty begins the interview sharing that he served as president from 1989 to 1991 and provides a short history of Congregation Shearith Israel. He discusses the synagogue\u0026rsquo;s reputation of turning over rabbis after serving three to five years. He recalls the difficulty in finding a rabbi right before he became president. Marty recounts how the shul was lucky to have Jane Axelrod as executive director during this period, and that she managed the shaky finances during this time period. He spoke about being asked to serve as president and deciding to accept the position.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMarty discusses how he did not feel prepared to serve as president and the concern that they might not find a rabbi. He reflects on the minor challenges he faced and surprises he had while president. He mentions that things operated less organized than today. He also talks more about Jane, and a small group of individuals manage the financial concerns. Marty discusses how he would have established more goals and accountability. He shares who he sought advice from. He reflects on the impact the presidency had on him and how he saw the shul differently after serving. He shares how he thinks the relationship between the rabbi and the president has changed and how it is better for the rabbi and congregation.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMarty reflects on the fact that serving as president was a growth experience for him, and how he has continued to serve. He discusses what qualities he believes are necessary for an effective president. He talks about the expectations for board members and what they should know before serving. He spoke about the challenges he feels the synagogue faces and the difficulty in addressing them. He shares what is unique about the shul. He concludes the interview by reflecting on how the capital campaign will go and how Judaism is changing.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, recorded by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written consent of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/082/original/TheBreman_SecondaryMark_Horizontal_Blue_Black.png?1713640889","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/290/266/small/Rotter_Marty.mp4_1756903289.jpg?1756903294","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - Rotter_Marty.mp4"]},"duration":2143.34084,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/290/266/small/Rotter_Marty.mp4_1756903289.jpg?1756903294","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-thebreman.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/290/266/original/Rotter_Marty.mp4?1756903284","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":2143.34084,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Rotter, Marty [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Today is . . . March 14, 2025. My name is Robin Rosenberg, and I am interviewing Marty Rotter, past president of the Congregation Shearith Israel, as part of Shearith Israel's Presidents Program, Lessons in Leadership. We are delighted to collaborate with the Breman Museum in recording this conversation. Marty, thanks for taking time to talk about your presidency. Why don't we start with the dates you served, how you came to the position, and a little bit about what the synagogue was like then, what you came too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=0.0,39.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e What I came to, sure. I was president from 1989 to 1991. I followed Denise McLaughlin Robinowitz. When I came in, things were turbulent. But let me back up a little bit. To understand even the presidencies at that time, I think it's helpful to know a little bit about the history of the shul. We broke off from the AA [Ahavath Achim] in the early 1900's, and we were known in town as the little shul, AA was the big shul and where a good number of people went, especially when I was growing up in the 1950's and 1960's. We had had a stable, Rabbi [Tobias] Geffen was there, G-d, I don't know how many years, followed by Rabbi [Syndey] Mossman. But after that, there was a series of shorter-term rabbis, like three to five years. We had a reputation of turning over rabbis and not being able to keep people. A couple of the rabbis that had left during that time left under less than ideal conditions. Steve [Merlin] had to deal with a very difficult time, as did Denise, who was my predecessor. Things were somewhat tumultuous then. This was the time, maybe even a few years before that, when the issue of the role of women came up in the shul. Denise was the first woman president. That had never happened, in I guess at that time, probably 70, 80 year history of the shul. She had a tough time dealing with the previous rabbi coming in. I was chair of the search committee before I became president, right before I become president. Denise was my co-chair, and we were an independent shul. We were neither Orthodox or Conservative. We didn't have an organization from which to get candidates, and so we had to fish out there. We put ads in various publications. We had some interesting candidates. We had one who told us during [the] interview that he was dating two women and when he got here, he'd decide who he was going to marry. I got a call one night about two o'clock in the morning from Zimbabwe from a rabbi who wanted us to pay for him to come for an interview. It was a difficult time, and it was a scary time for me because for a while it looked like we weren't going to find anybody. We even . . . had honed in on a possible interim rabbi at the time. There was an organization called the, I think it was the Federation of Traditional Orthodox Rabbis or something, known as [FTOR], we sort of nicknamed it FATAKA. We were able to get a candidate through that organization, one that everybody was comfortable with. When I took over, it was a sort of a honeymoon period. For the first two years of the new rabbi, things went well. Our shul also was a little provincial based on today's organizational standards because I was lucky to have Jane Axelrod who was the executive director. Jane pretty much ran things at the time, in a good way, so I didn't have a lot of crises and stuff to deal with. Financially, the shul was always on shaky grounds. Jane was able to figure out how to balance things. We . . . depended on a line of credit that somehow the elders of the synagogue had arranged over the years. We mumbled through. Our budgets were not real budgets. We usually always ran a deficit. But things were . . . generally okay. I became president. It was the old saying, you want to join Shearith Israel, and by the way, would you like to be president? Because of the turmoil that had happened prior to the time, there was a lot of divisiveness. The person that was supposed to succeed, Denise, didn't want to do it. If you ever get asked to go to breakfast with the past president and the immediate past president, be careful. I was asked to go to breakfast and over a scrambled egg was asked, \"Oh, by the way, would you like to be president?\" I felt an obligation; I was born into the shul. My family has a long history with the shul. I said, \"Give me a day or two.\" I went home and talked to Sheila, my wife. We decided, yes, we could probably do that. I was sort of thrown into it. I think at the time, or shortly before, I was vice president of house. I'd been on the board a few years. That's how basically I got there and what the climate was during the time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Did you feel prepared, or how did you prepare yourself? What did you feel you needed to know, and maybe didn't?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=436.0,444.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Very interesting question. No, I don't think I felt prepared . . . This was another thing, Steve Merlin, Denise, and I were fairly young. I was 43, and previous presidents had been much older, usually more accomplished people, had more time to deal with the . . . I was obviously working at the time. No, I didn't feel prepared. But, as I mentioned, I knew that things sort of could run on their own if there wasn't crises. At the time, I was head of an office in a state agency, and so I felt like I had some organizational skills to deal with that. But yes, it was scary, particularly scary during that period when we didn't know if we were going to have a rabbi or not. That was the hardest part for me, and the part where I didn't always feel prepared.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=444.0,528.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Would you describe that period, which was right before you became president . . . During your presidency, what was most challenging, or was it really pretty smooth?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=528.0,540.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e It was pretty smooth. I was lucky. Things didn't start percolating until after I was in office. But yes, things were fairly smooth. We were trying to make the . . . board meetings, they would sometimes be long affairs. We would try to make them more efficient. There was still some, because as I mentioned, there were changes going on, particularly with the role of women. One of the issues that came up was a congregant asked for their daughter to be able to do a haftarah. That created some tensions, both with the board and the rabbi. The compromise there was, she could do the haftarah, but it couldn't be the scheduled haftarah of the week related to the Torah portion. That was a tough time. Some of the elders were opposing change. There were some heated conversations during board meetings but nothing that really caused the divisiveness that had gone on before.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=540.0,630.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e What was the most gratifying part, and were there surprises?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=630.0,635.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e The surprise was that I was president. There really wasn't any surprises, things just sort of rocked along unless my memory is blocking things. But I don't remember . . . When I became president, my wife Sheila bought a stack of, if you remember, the pink memo pads, and she bought a stack of those, and she said, \"If we ran out of those, you had to resign.\" Luckily, we didn't even go through a pad. I was fortunate. We had a good board. Jake [Arbes] was behind me coming up, and because it was Jake things were always fun. It was okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=635.0,694.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e There's a question about what you brought to the role, and you talk about having some organizational experience and leadership I think in that role. Can you talk about, were there any goals that came out of that experience to bring or . . . how did to apply that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=694.0,714.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e We never really approach things from an organized kind of way. We never set goals. There was no personnel committee. Things just sort of ran. From an organizational point of view, we were pretty much off on our own without . . . there wasn't a lot of technology at the time. We weren't even always sure how many [members we had]. We said we had 800 plus members, but I don't think we really did. Things were just sort of rocking, as you said, rocking along, but so we didn't have definite goals other than, the financial was the big issue. How we were going to get new members in and get members. We had a lot of members that were on reduced dues. When you looked at the size of the congregation, that really wasn't that many. It wasn't as many full paying members as you thought, as you might perceive it to be. Things were just rocking along.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=714.0,794.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e This financial situation, did you all worry about it, or it was just sort of, we'll be okay because Jane will take care of it?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=794.0,801.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Jane will take care of it. We had a line of credit and . . . that was a time when we had a small group of people who could help out. If Jane had a problem, she knew who to call, and I really was not involved in all of that. I . . . guessed at who the . . . I never thought to ask. I decided that if she was running it and it was okay, I'd leave it alone. The finances were taken care of by Jane, and it was like we're okay, don't worry about it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=801.0,848.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e When you think back, is there anything you might have done differently?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=848.0,852.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes, I wish I had brought us more into modern organizational kinds of things with goals and more accountability and things like that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=852.0,865.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e You feel that that would have made a difference.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=865.0,867.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e I think so. We had younger people coming in who saw the world differently from the previous group of people who were active in the shul, most of whom were born into the shul, and their families had been there for ages. It was a different culture. There were heated times when we came up against the \"we've always done it this way, so shut up.\" Not a lot of that, but there were times, especially when it came to votes on major issues, sometimes past presidents would come back and vote without having been involved and knowing exactly what was going on. That created some tensions. But generally, day to day, the congregants didn't see much of that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=867.0,935.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Were there situations when you wanted to seek out some support or counsel? If there were, who did you go to? How did you find support?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=935.0,944.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Most of that was within the executive committee and once or twice I had to go to, I didn't have to, I went to past presidents to see how they had handled some things.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=944.0,959.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e They were a resource for you. Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=959.0,965.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=965.0,965.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes. What impact did your presidency have on you? What did you learn about yourself? Or how did it change your thinking?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=965.0,974.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e You know the old saying . . . from Mark Twain, that those faint of heart should neither be involved in the making of sausage, nor the making of laws. I saw the shul in a totally different light, more of a business, more of the underbelly of what really went on with individual personalities and things . . . We didn't, obviously because of the way I became president, we didn't have a set slate of succession. The AA did, you would start out at the bottom, and you would know if you wanted to, 10 years later, you could be president. We didn't have any of that, and I knew somebody that was close to being president, and she asked me what I thought, and I said, \"You won't see things the same as you did before.\" About a year after she finished her term, we came across each other, and she came running up to me and said, \"You were right.\" You just see things in a different way. Rabbis are not always on the pedestal that when I grew up that they were on. Things are not as nice or compassionate as they should be at times. But generally, it was okay, you got through it. But I did see it differently. There's another old saying about being a rabbi is no job for a Jewish boy. I think there were one or two days, I felt like being president was no job for a Jewish boy, but again it was okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=974.0,1093.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Do you think . . . the relationship between the presidents and rabbis, do you think it has changed or were there things about that that you learned?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1093.0,1107.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes, I do think it's changed. I think the whole concept and the way the board is run has changed. I think that there is much more interaction. Rabbis were seen as made divine. At least from when I grew up in the shul and during our presence, they were pretty much left alone. There was no regular meetings, there was no personnel committee, there were no evaluations. There were no goals set. I think now it became much more organized and better, and I think that happened under Josh D'Agostino. I think we took the move into becoming . . . organizationally better. When things were instituted like, as I mentioned, personnel committees and things like that. Yes, I think things are different, but for the better, both for the clergy and the congregation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1107.0,1180.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e What are those things that are better?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1180.0,1183.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Better communications. Being able to more frankly deal with issues about what the congregation needs are.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1183.0,1198.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e What impact on your participation as a leader in the community or continued involvement with the shul . . . Are there things you learned about yourself? Tell me a little bit about the personal things that you took away.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1198.0,1215.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e I think for me, it was a growth experience. Like I said, I was still fairly [young], 43. I was in my position at the state about a year, only a year when I became president. I had a lot of growing to do during that time, both in my work life and that spilled over into the shul life. That was good. Like I said, I was born into the shul during a period, not during the presidency. My wife and I would often joke about that we were going to become Episcopalian but couldn't spell it. We would never leave the shul . . . I just go with the flow. Where I'm at now, I was chair of the Chevra Kadisha, but I've passed that on. It's time for the next generation and the next group and in my opinion, who had done a great job over the last, I don't know, 15, 20 years. I'm comfortable with things are going. I'm still . . . a member of the congregation and I do Backpack Buddies and go to services occasionally.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1215.0,1308.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e When you think about the qualities that make an effective president, what would they be?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1308.0,1317.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e I think you need some organizational and, I don't like this term, but people skills. I think that you have to have some sense of being able to get along with people. I think you have to have some compassion. We're sort of like government. We're not a business, and we're not a loose group of people. We're somewhere in between. Sometimes you have to realize where on the spectrum you are in making decisions. I think it helps to have defined goals and things. Again, we didn't really do that. We just moved along. The goal was always to get enough members to meet the budget. I think that the way people look, we never did, things have changed. We never did anything that would come under social justice, really. There wasn't a lot of outreach. Occasionally, we do things with Morningside Presbyterian. We had a joint Thanksgiving service with them for a few years that Annette Easton set up. But other than that, we were pretty much within ourselves until the last, I'd say, 15, 20 years or so. I think that's a good thing. I think you need to have a community focus too. There was always the tension about . . .  should a rabbi be in the community or in the shul and could they do both. That was sort of there when I was, but it was not a big issue. It was in other administrations, I think. I guess that's all I have to say about that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1317.0,1448.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Do you think we should be asking our board members to consider as they make the decision to be on the board? What . . . should the expectation be and what should we look for as we decide who to invite to join the board?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1448.0,1465.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e I think when you look at the board, you need, there were times, especially when dues raises were needed and stuff . . . I don't think we always took in consideration the diversity of our members. I can't really comment on how, if that's an issue now or not, because I really don't. But we had a lot of people that, we had some, a few people that had a lot of money, some that didn't have a lot of money, some that were highly educated, some that weren't. There were age differences that, as I mentioned, that showed up even during my time in terms of how people saw the world and the community. I think you have to come in, there has to be somebody that can look at a big picture. This happened after I was president, but I remember one issue about changing the prayer books for Yom Kippur, and . . . there was one that was coming out that was good, but that . . . the rabbi at the time wanted, but it wasn't out yet, and so should we change to an interim one knowing that three or four years later we would be asking people to buy books again. It was those kinds of things that sometimes showed up as not looking at the whole scope of who made up our community. The other thing, the thing that always bugged me in any organization, and even during my time, I don't think a board member should ever abstain on a major issue unless there is some kind of legitimate conflict of interest. In my job, I was over the licensing daycare centers. When we looked at having a daycare center at the shul that we did for a time, I sort of stayed out of those issues because I felt I had a conflict. But abstentions, I think you have a fiduciary and a moral responsibility to do what you think is right and take a stand. I think it should be people who can be divisive, I mean decisive. Could be divisive, but decisive either way. You have to be willing to go out on a limb and make hard decisions.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1465.0,1641.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e How should we prepare people for their board position? What should they know?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1641.0,1647.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e That they'll never see the shul the same way again. I really don't have a good answer for that one. I think somebody who has been in the work life and general positions come in with the skills that are pretty much needed. Again, I think you have to have the ability to realize, and this may or may not be true, like I said, I don't have a pulse on the congregation anymore. I don't know how diverse we are, but if we do have, we've always got the alte kakers [Yiddish: an elderly, fussy person] like me versus the younger people, and there's always inherent conflicts there, but it's got to be people that can see the broader picture and have some compassion in dealing with any issues that may come up.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1647.0,1714.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Using your wisdom and experience and thinking about, and you have a lot of it, thinking about Shearith Israel's strengths and challenges . . . Could you talk about what you think some of those strengths and challenges might be and then what advice you might give?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1714.0,1736.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e That's a hard one. Obviously, financial stability and I don't know if that's an issue or not. One of the budgets I saw in the past few years, I think, had a small deficit but I think that was okay. I think the tensions have been and probably always be with when generations change and perspectives change, and you've got to be prepared to deal with that. Like I said, you can't get into \"we've always done it this way, so shut up kind of mentality,\" and that I think lasted. Moving towards the role of women was a big issue. I think that was handled, I thought, extremely well by the rabbi at the time. I don't know if there are major issues like that. I know that personally sometimes I wonder where the balance is between religious and social justice. Now they're not necessarily in conflict, but I'm thinking of things like. I don't believe we'll have a daily minyan in the next five or so years. Because we're just not getting the participation even on Zoom. I don't know if you are on the WhatsApp thing, but most mornings we need two, we need three. I wonder about how much are we religious and how much are we communal and social justice oriented. But I think that's a big issue for all congregations and the Conservative movement, but I do worry about that. The times I do go to minyan or tune in, they're, and I understand why, but they're all the older people who've been around forever and I don't see where the next cadre of people to carry that on are and that worries me a little bit.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1736.0,1898.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Do you have thoughts about how to address that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1898.0,1901.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e No. I will make any pretenses, no. I don't know that anybody does. I think it comes from your upbringing. This might sound weird. A lot of what I do is because I feel I owe it to my grandparents because they were stalwarts in the shul. They were either one of the first or either the first or one of the first couples to be married in the shul when the shul was formed. I feel a tie to the institution and to carry that on. I guess it's going depend on, a lot of it is the upbringing and how people see their role in Judaism.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1901.0,1956.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Do you think there are unique things about Shearith Israel that keep it moving?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1956.0,1969.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e . . . Sheila has become friends with some of the newer older people that moved in, and they talk about how friendly we are and that this was and apparently, they've lived in different places, and this was the most welcoming congregation. We've always said we were, at times I've wondered about that, but I think we are. I think now whatever the focus would be, the combination of religion versus activism, I think that will bring people together and it's been a draw. When you look at some of the activities, I don't know those people. I know the people that are involved somewhat in the religion, Chevra Kaddish and that. I think we do offer the ability to go either way so that we do offer a choice for people that should be welcoming.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1969.0,2049.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e I want to give you a chance to add anything that we haven't talked about that you think is important to you or interesting or just something you want to share.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=2049.0,2064.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e No, not really. I just wonder what the next few years will bring with the capital campaign and how that will change things. I think that will be interesting to see whether, how the fundraising goes and how people's commitments are. A lot of that's going to depend on the economy. If it were held today, I think it would probably, if there was campaign today, I think your contributions would not be very great based on the stock market performance in the last few weeks. I don't know how social change will affect us. Just the change in Judaism with less emphasis on people seeing the need to join synagogues or Jewish organizations. I don't know what the future brings. I'm not good at predictions. Every election I predicted, I was proved wrong. I'm not a good futurist.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=2064.0,2132.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e I want to thank you for taking the time and Shearith Israel was fortunate to have you and still is. Thanks, Marty.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=2132.0,2141.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/transcript/83653/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROTTER:\u003c/strong\u003e Thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=2141.0,2142.0"}]},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Annotations [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eRobin Yudelson Rosenberg (b. 1950) is an Atlanta, Georgia native, and daughter of Harold and Jane Zion Yudelson. She attended Northside High School and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1981, she married Fredric Rosenberg. She has worked in commercial real estate for 40 years. Robin has been active at Congregation Shearith Israel, serving as secretary, co-chaired Rabbi Kaiman’s installation, and on the shul’s strategic planning and social committees. She has also been active with various community organizations including president of the Epstein School.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=0.0,39.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eFounded in 1904, Congregation Shearith Israel began as a congregation that met in the homes of congregants until 1906 when they began using a Methodist church on Hunter Street. After World War II, Rabbi Tobias Geffen moved the congregation to University Drive, where it became the first synagogue in DeKalb County. In the 1960s, they removed the barrier between the men’s and women’s sections in the sanctuary, and officially became affiliated with the Conservative movement in 2002. As of 2022, the current Senior Rabbi of the congregation is Ari Kaiman.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=0.0,39.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta celebrates and commemorates Jewish history, culture, and art through events and museum spaces. The Breman also contains the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History, which houses thousands of manuscripts, oral histories, and photograph collections, related to southern Jewish history and the Holocaust. \u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=0.0,39.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eDenise McLaughlin (b. 1948) graduated from St. Joseph’s Infirmary School of Nursing in 1969, and attended school to become a midwife. She worked for more than 40 years as midwife and lead the Emory Nurse-Midwifery Educational Program. She has served as a board member and officer for Planned Parenthood of Atlanta. Denise was the first female president of Congregation Shearith Israel and has served as the Life and Legacy chair. In 2022, she received the Joe Cohen Award from the congregation. She is married to Dr. Michael Robinowitz, and they have two daughters.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eShul is a Yiddish word for synagogue that is derived from a German word meaning “school,” and emphasizes the synagogue's role as a place of study.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAhavath Achim Synagogue (often referred to as \"AA\") was founded as an Orthodox congregation in 1887 in a small room on Gilmer Street. In 1901 they moved to a permanent building at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Gilmer Street. In 1921, the congregation constructed a synagogue at Washington Street and Woodward Avenue. It joined the Conservative movement in 1952. The final service in the Washington Street building was held in 1958 to make way for construction of the Downtown Connector (the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through Atlanta). The synagogue moved to its current location on Peachtree Battle Avenue in 1958. As of 2022, Ahavath Achim is the largest Conservative synagogue in the Atlanta area and its current Senior Rabbi is Laurence Rosenthal.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eRabbi Tobias Geffen (1870-1970) was an Orthodox rabbi and leader of Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta from 1910-1970. He is widely known for his 1935 decision that certified Coca-Cola as kosher. He also organized the first Hebrew school in Atlanta, and standardized regulation of kosher supervision in the Atlanta area.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eH. Stephen “Steve” Merlin was born in Atlanta in 1948. He is an attorney in Atlanta, having earned his law degree at Emory University. He was president of Congregation Shearith Israel, and a board member for the Atlanta Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, the Hebrew Academy, the Weber School, and the William Breman Jewish Home.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eOrthodox Judaism is a traditional branch of Judaism that strictly follows the written Torah and the oral law concerning prayer, dress, food, sex, family relations, social behavior, the Sabbath day, holidays, and more.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAlso known as Masorti Judaism, Conservative Judaism is a form of Judaism that seeks to preserve Jewish tradition and ritual, but has a more flexible approach to the interpretation of the law than Orthodox Judaism. It attempts to combine a positive attitude toward modern culture, while preserving a commitment to Jewish observance. In general, Conservative congregations also observe gender equality (mixed seating, women rabbis, and bat mitzvah). The governing body for Conservative Judaism in the United States is the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), formerly known as the United Synagogue of America.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eMarty might be referring to the Fellowship of Traditional Orthodox Rabbis which was founded in 1987 by liberal Orthodox rabbis who felt they did not have a voice within the modern Orthodox organization. The organization later merged with the Union for Traditional Judaism.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eJane Lewis Axelrod (b. 1934) was born in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Henry Grady High School and was a member of the Beta Club and DOZ Clube. She and her husband, Herbert Axelrod in 1953. They were members of Congregation Shearith Israel, where Jane served as Executive Director for 25 years.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eSheila Doobrow Rotter (b. 1946) was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. She attended Rivers High School in Charleston and Conede Business School. In 1970, she married Marty Rotter, and they lived in Atlanta, Georgia. They are members of Congregation Shearith Israel, and Sheila is active with Sisterhood.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eRabbi Sydney K. Mossman (1913-1971) was born in Windsor, Canada. He graduated and was ordained in 1938 from Hebrew Theological College in Chicago. He served in Germany during and after World War II. Mossman served as rabbi at Shearith Israel in Atlanta, Georgia from 1956 to 1968. He then was Rabbi Emeritus until his death. Under his leadership the synagogue grew from 250 families to 650 families, and a new synagogue was built. He was active with the Jewish Welfare Fund, the Jewish Community Center and later with civil rights work. Mossman and his wife, Gertrude Levy Mossman had two daughters.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=39.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eTorah [Hebrew: teaching] is a general term that covers all Jewish law including the vast mass of teachings recorded in the Talmud and other rabbinical works. “Sefer Torah” refers to the sacred scroll on which the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) are written, but it is often shortened simply to \"Torah\" in casual speech and writing.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=540.0,630.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe haftarah is a series of selections from the books of Nevi'im (“Prophets”) of the Hebrew Bible (Tanach) that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice. The haftarah reading follows the Torah reading on each Sabbath and on Jewish festivals and fast days. On Sabbath days, The haftarah is selected because it relates to the day’s Torah portion. On holidays and special Sabbaths, the haftarah is selected to coincide with the calendar.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=540.0,630.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eJake Arbes (b. 1951) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was the only child of Max and Genia Arbes. His father passed away when he was a child and he and his mother moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee. He earned his bachelor's degree at Harvard University, his master's at Princeton, and his law degree at New York University. He works as an attorney and has been active with the Georgia Innocence Project and Anti-Defemation League. He served as president of Congregation Shearith Israel from 1991-1993. He and his wife, Tina have two sons.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=635.0,694.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eMark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), an American author and humorist. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is often called \"The Great American Novel\". Twain’s last completed novel, The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by the Sieur Louis de Conte, recounts the life of Joan of Arc and was published in 1896.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=974.0,1093.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eJosh D’Agostino (b. 1976) is an Atlanta, Georgia native. He attended Riverwood High School and Tufts University. In 1998, he graduated from the University of Texas, Austin. He currently is President and CEO of Mighty Auto Parts. He served as president of Congregation Shearith Israel from 2015 to 2017 and as president and vice president for Inman Park Cooperative Preschool from 2009-2013.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1107.0,1180.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe Episcopal Church is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination. It is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It was founded in 1785 after the American Revolution, when it separate from the Church of England over the requirement of clergy to swear allegiance to the British monarch as the leader Church of England.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1215.0,1308.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eChevra Kadisha is an organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tradition. The task is considered a laudable one as the recipient cannot return the gift. It is referred to as a “good deed of truth.”\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1215.0,1308.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eBackpack Buddies is program that helps provide nourishing food for economically disadvantaged children attending local Atlanta schools. Volunteers fill backpacks with nutritious foods that children can take home for them and their family to help sustain them when school meals are not available.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1215.0,1308.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eMorningside Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia was founded as a mission of the Atlanta Presbytery Home Mission Committee and First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta in 1925. The church completed their building in 1949 and added a steeple in 1955. It is located at 1411 North Morningside Drive NE.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1317.0,1448.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAnnette Tinter Easton (1928-2024) was an Atlanta native and daughter of Simon and Rae Zimmerman. She attended Girls High School. In 1948, she married Stanley Tinter, and they had four sons. Stanley died of leukemia, and she raised her four sons as a single parent. She later married Albert Easton She worked as a real estate agent. Annette was very involved at Congregation Shearith Israel including Chevra Kadisha, volunteering at the homeless shelter, served as president of Sisterhood and created needlepoint Torah covers.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1317.0,1448.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eYom Kippur [Hebrew: “day of atonement”] The most sacred day of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur is a 25-hour fast day. Most of the day is spent in prayer, reciting yizkor for deceased relatives, confessing sins, requesting divine forgiveness, and listening to Torah readings and sermons. People greet each other with the wish that they may be sealed in the heavenly book for a good year ahead. The day ends with the blowing of the shofar (a ram’s horn).\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1465.0,1641.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eA minyan refers to the quorum of 10 Jewish adults required for certain religious obligation. While traditionally only males counted toward the quorum, in many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan. A minyan is needed in Jewish communal prayer for certain components of the regular daily or Shabbat services, reading from the Torah and haftarah portions in synagogue, and saying Kaddish, among other things. \u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1736.0,1898.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eZoom Video Communications, Inc. is an American communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform and is used for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations. During the COVID pandemic, Zoom became a very popular platform for individuals, business, and organizations to stay in connect with each other and continuing to meet with each other when in-person meetings were not advised.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1736.0,1898.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266/annotation_set/2016/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eWhatsApp Messenger is an American social media instant messaging and voice-over-IP service owned by Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages, and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content. The app runs on mobile devices and can also be accessed from computers.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/159334/file/290266#t=1736.0,1898.0"}]}]}]}