{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/sb3ws8kq2h/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["McLaughlin, Denise"]},"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":["2025-02-11 (captured)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["McLaughlin, Denise (Interviewee)","Rosenberg, Robin (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["Video"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum","Esther and Herbert Taylor Jewish Oral History Collection","Shearith Israel's Presidents Program, Lessons in Leadership"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eDenise McLaughlin was interviewed by Robin Rosenberg on February 11, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.\u003c/p\u003e (general)","\u003cp\u003eDenise McLaughlin was born in June 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Martin McLaughlin and Diana Holloway McLaughlin. She has one older brother and two younger brothers. She attended St. Joseph’s Infirmary School of Nursing and later became a certified nurse midwife. Denise served as an adjunct instructor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing for over 40 years.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1979, Denise married Dr. Michael Robinowitz in New York. They have two daughters, Natanya and Anna. Denise has been very active in various organizations including the March of Dimes, Planned Parenthood, NOW, Georgia Board of Nursing Advisory Council and Georgia Abortion Rights Action League. She became the first female president of Congregation Shearith Israel serving from 1987-1989. Denise has continued to be active in the synagogue including involvement with the Women’s Chevra Kadisha Society and Life and Legacy Program. In 2022, she received the Joe Cohen Distinguished Service Award from the synagogue.\u003c/p\u003e (bioghist)","\u003cp\u003eThe interview began with Denise discussing how she became the first female president at Congregation Shearith Israel and served from 1987-1989. She shared some of the challenges she faced when she became president and how not everyone was ready for a female president. She reflects on the biggest challenges she faced during her presidency. She also recalls the most fulfilling parts of serving as the president. She talks about the Gettinger Commission and the changes that occurred with women’s participation in the synagogue. She mentions the challenge around the rabbi’s contract not being renewed.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eDenise spoke about the challenges of finding a mentor during her presidency and how she would have handled that differently. She details the challenges of searching for a new rabbi at the end of her presidency. She mentions bringing on the new rabbi, Mark Kunis. She discusses the impact the presidency had on her personally and as a synagogue member. Denise talks about her other involvement in the synagogue over the years including supporting young mothers and the Chevra Kadisha Society. She discusses her involvement with the Life and Legacy program and how that has grown over the years.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eDenise shares the qualities that she believes are necessary for a board president and an effective leader. She also expressed the qualities that a board member should have. She talks about some of the challenges that future synagogue leaders are facing today. She reflects on the fact that the synagogue has various communities to meet the needs of, and how future leaders need to keep that in mind. Denise concludes the interview by sharing how involvement with the synagogue impacted her husband and daughters.\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":["McLaughlin, Denise (b. 1948) (personal name)","Gettinger, Max C. (Mike) (1911-2000) (personal name)","Kunis, Rabbi Mark (b. 1948) (personal name)","Rothstein, Blair (b. 1977) (personal name)","Atlanta, Georgia (geographic term)","Congregation Shearith Israel (corporate name)","NOW/National Organization of Women (corporate name)","Ahavath Achim Synagogue (corporate name)","United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (corporate name)","The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (corporate name)","United Synagogue Youth (corporate name)","The Joe Cohen Distinguished Service Award (topical term)","Nativ (topical term)","Antisemitism (topical term)","Conservative Judaism (topical term)","Shul (topical term)","Bimah (topical term)","Shabbat (topical term)","Torah (topical term)","Haftarah (topical term)","Bat Mitzvah (topical term)","Aliayh (topical term)","Purim spiels (topical term)","Chevra Kadisha (topical term)"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eDenise McLaughlin was interviewed by Robin Rosenberg on February 11, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDenise McLaughlin was born in June 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Martin McLaughlin and Diana Holloway McLaughlin. She has one older brother and two younger brothers. She attended St. Joseph\u0026rsquo;s Infirmary School of Nursing and later became a certified nurse midwife. Denise served as an adjunct instructor at Emory University\u0026rsquo;s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing for over 40 years.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1979, Denise married Dr. Michael Robinowitz in New York. They have two daughters, Natanya and Anna. Denise has been very active in various organizations including the March of Dimes, Planned Parenthood, NOW, Georgia Board of Nursing Advisory Council and Georgia Abortion Rights Action League. She became the first female president of Congregation Shearith Israel serving from 1987-1989. Denise has continued to be active in the synagogue including involvement with the Women\u0026rsquo;s Chevra Kadisha Society and Life and Legacy Program. In 2022, she received the Joe Cohen Distinguished Service Award from the synagogue.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe interview began with Denise discussing how she became the first female president at Congregation Shearith Israel and served from 1987-1989. She shared some of the challenges she faced when she became president and how not everyone was ready for a female president. She reflects on the biggest challenges she faced during her presidency. She also recalls the most fulfilling parts of serving as the president. She talks about the Gettinger Commission and the changes that occurred with women\u0026rsquo;s participation in the synagogue. She mentions the challenge around the rabbi\u0026rsquo;s contract not being renewed.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eDenise spoke about the challenges of finding a mentor during her presidency and how she would have handled that differently. She details the challenges of searching for a new rabbi at the end of her presidency. She mentions bringing on the new rabbi, Mark Kunis. She discusses the impact the presidency had on her personally and as a synagogue member. Denise talks about her other involvement in the synagogue over the years including supporting young mothers and the Chevra Kadisha Society. She discusses her involvement with the Life and Legacy program and how that has grown over the years.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eDenise shares the qualities that she believes are necessary for a board president and an effective leader. She also expressed the qualities that a board member should have. She talks about some of the challenges that future synagogue leaders are facing today. She reflects on the fact that the synagogue has various communities to meet the needs of, and how future leaders need to keep that in mind. Denise concludes the interview by sharing how involvement with the synagogue impacted her husband and daughters.\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/000/288/753/small/McLaughlin_Denise.mp4_1756171041.jpg?1756171046","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - McLaughlin_Denise.mp4"]},"duration":2490.20796,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/288/753/small/McLaughlin_Denise.mp4_1756171041.jpg?1756171046","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-thebreman.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/288/753/original/McLaughlin_Denise.mp4?1756171034","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":2490.20796,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["McLaughlin, Denise [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Today is February 11, 2025. My name is Robin Rosenberg, and I'm interviewing Denise McLaughlin, past president of 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. Denise, thanks for taking the time to talk about your presidency. Why don't you start with the days that you served and how you became president.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1.0,33.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e First of all, thank you for offering me this opportunity to talk about my years as president of Congregation Shearith Israel. I was president from 1987 to 1989. How did I come about to be president? I had been active on the board for several years and was a vice president of fundraising. The person who was the first vice president did not actually get along with the rabbi well and felt that it would not be good for this synagogue for him to become president. I had had the most experience on the executive board at that point and got elevated to this position unexpectedly. I had not expected it. I was approached at a lunch meeting with two previous presidents, and over a tuna fish sandwich at the Snack and Shop, I accepted their offer to become the first female president of the shul. I didn't think it was that big a deal to be the first woman president, but as you might imagine some congregants did think it was a big deal. I would say everyone that approached me about being the first female president was by and large very supportive. Accept, however the rabbi had a meeting with me shortly after it became apparent that I was going to be the president. He had a meeting with me and said he thought that it would slow down women's participation in the services. Which I thought was a little strange. He thought that there would be more turmoil, I guess. Actually, there was none. People were very supportive, and it just wasn't that big a deal. What was a big deal was that I came from a background of a feminist culture where I had been a vice president of the Atlanta Chapter of NOW [National Organization of Women]. I had done this, I had done that, and I worked in a woman's field. I'm a nurse, retired nurse midwife. It was strange for me to be the president of a large unruly board that was primarily men. Men work differently in those kinds of settings than women, at least in the women's groups that I had been in, that really purported, if not actually, worked on consensus building. I did not find the board of trustees at that time consensus building folks. Lots of folks had specific ideas, and it was just a time of turmoil in this shul. I had to adjust to being a leader in that environment.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=33.0,246.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e I did have the question about what Shearith Israel was like then. I think you've started to talk about that a little bit.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=246.0,256.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I agree that it was different then, by and large it was run by men who had very definite ideas of where the shul should be going, et cetera. I think there was a division in the shul. Some people were ready for it to change and to move more towards an egalitarian community, and others liked it the, quote, the traditional way. I think they were all very well meaning. This was a shul that they had known and grown with for many years, and they were reluctant for change. Probably change in a lot of ways in their life beyond the shul building.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=256.0,319.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e When you think back, what was the most challenging part or have you begun to describe that? Were there other things that were really difficult also?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=319.0,336.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I think actually the rabbi that we had at the time was a controversial figure. He had his strong points, and he had issues that were very challenging for him. People would direct their unhappiness with the rabbi to me, and I had to deal with the rabbi on these issues, and it was not always easy. A lot of the issues I thought were non-issues, but congregants all have opinions, and you need to listen to them as president and see what the real issues are and deal with them.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=336.0,383.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e On the flip side, what was the most fulfilling part and maybe what were the surprises?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=383.0,395.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e At the time, if you were president of the shul, you were on the bimah, every Shabbat, when services started. I had young children and a husband at home that I left every Shabbat morning and was on the bimah when services started and they would come maybe an hour later. I actually liked sitting on the bimah because it was a time of actual, how can I say this? No, being on the bimah, you're not chatting with people. People aren't coming up to you and asking you questions. It was a very quiet time for me to focus on the actual prayers and the service itself. I actually liked it. I liked paying attention to the prayers because I didn't have any distractions unless someone approached me on the bimah. That was a surprise how much I liked that. The other thing I liked was how friendly everybody was towards me. People came up and introduced themselves to me that I hadn't known before. I learned a lot of our senior congregants by name and who their families were. I appreciated learning all of their stories. I liked it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=395.0,484.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e How long had you been at the shul?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=484.0,486.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Eight years. Eight years at that time. We had like a six-year-old and a three-year old, and it was always interesting to be on the bimah and watch them walk in without any maternal direction on how to dress appropriately for shul. It was an early lesson for me in letting go of how your children dressed and how they looked.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=486.0,520.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e The most disappointing thing that came at the end or during?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=520.0,529.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e . . . There were two things. We had a Gettinger Commission, we called it. We named it after Mike Gettinger, who was a previous director of the Atlanta Jewish . . . What was it called then? I'm blanking on it. The Board of Jewish Education, and he was very supportive and always available to me for consultation. He gave me lots of suggestions and we had this commission on the women's participation in services. We appointed and asked for volunteers from people across the broad spectrum of the congregation who looked at different issues in terms of women's participation. Part of that, women had not done regular haftarah. They certainly didn't read Torah. They didn't sit on the bimah. There was a lot women didn't do. In the board meetings, it was basically the president of the Sisterhood had a seat on the board and people on the education committee, one or two of them were on the board. One was always a woman it seemed, as I recall, and otherwise it was all men. The Gettinger Commission really looked at how women could formally participate more. There were a lot of political things to consider, and it went on for months. I recently looked over all the notes from it, and it was pretty contentious at times, but slowly the needle did move. Women were allowed to hold the Torah more . . . Prior to that, women only hold the Torah like during, I guess, during certain holidays, but not during the regular Shabbat services. Women were now allowed to do the regular haftarah at any time, not just on the occasion of a daughter's bat mitzvah. That was a major change. They were still not allowed to read Torah, they were still allowed to have Aliyah’s, but the needle had moved slightly. That was disappointing that it didn't move further. Since then, it has moved further to where we're egalitarian today. The other thing that was disappointing was that it became apparent that this rabbi did not have the congregation's support to have his contract renewed. I had to oversee that. I think not only was it disappointing. It was difficult because as president at that time, we weren't members of any large national organization. As such, there was a lack of leadership training and mentorship. I could have used some mentors to get me through that political. I don't know how you call it, that political time. I had had a good relationship, personal relationship, with the rabbi, and his whole family. My children were friends with his children, and it was difficult. It was a difficult time to manage the personal and the synagogue aspect of it all.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e When you did look for support, did you find people within the congregation, past presidents, anyone who could help you through this?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=786.0,795.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I found one past president who was slightly helpful. Yes, there was a lack of mentorship for me, and I could have really used it. Mr. Gettinger was certainly available, but he wasn't really tied into synagogue politics. Again, given my background in mostly feminist circles in terms of organization work, I was not used to the emotional aspects and the negativity of it all.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=795.0,841.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e When you think back is there anything you would have done differently? Anything you . . . wished you'd done over.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=841.0,849.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I probably, I know I would have looked for, today looking back, I would've looked more for a mentorship, realizing that it was a critical need. I do remember one time, I was really in a quandary about what to do and someone suggested call a certain past president of the AA [Ahavath Achim] synagogue, which I did, out of the cold. I called him and I said, \"My name's Denise, I'm the current president of Shearith Israel, and I have a few questions and it's been suggested you might offer me some wisdom.\" This man did not know me. He said very frankly, he said, \"You must remember that as president of the shul, you're the president for everybody. You recognize everyone. That if things get very contentious at board meetings, no matter what, the next day you go back to the shul and you're president for everybody. You need to just listen to everyone and not get dragged into a corner.\" Which was really great advice. It helped me weather a few storms as we went through this process. Again, I was looking at the notes recently of, this is before computers, so the president would write me a letter on synagogue stationery. Not the president, the rabbi would, telling me about the issues surrounding his . . . reappointment as the congregational rabbi. At that time, if he didn't have enough board support, it would go to a full congregational vote on renewing his contract. He had to have something, either 60 or 65 percent of the congregation's vote. It was only for people who showed up for the meeting. He realized people that were unhappy with him would probably be the preponderance of the folks who would show up. He didn't want to put his family through it, and he didn't want to put himself through it. We realized he wasn't going to seek contract renewal. I think the congregation was relieved greatly to not have to go through that formal meeting.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=849.0,1009.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Was that near the end of your term?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1009.0,1015.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Oh yes. Yes, it was. It was like the last, I guess it was the summer, and I was president for about eight more months. We had to look for a rabbi and at that time synagogues did not look at or consider, generally, interim rabbis, which would have been very helpful for us as a congregation. If we had had like a rabbi for like a year or two years to figure out where we were as a congregation, what we were looking for and what we needed in a rabbi. Instead, we were looking for a permanent rabbi, which was hard. Which was hard to do, and we interviewed several rabbis. Again, we weren't a member of a national organization, so we didn't have the help of the United Synagogue to help us figure out who we could interview and who we couldn't, although they were very clear on which of their members we would be allowed to interview. We interviewed a lot . . . through telephone calls, brought a few in, and we hired a rabbi. Getting him settled in was what preoccupied the waning months of my presidency.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1015.0,1107.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Was that a rabbi who stayed for quite a while?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1107.0,1111.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1111.0,1113.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Who was that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1113.0,1114.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e His name, Rabbi [Mark] Kunis, we hired. He came with a family and brought his own flavor to the congregation and on to the next chapter.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1114.0,1136.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e I'm curious about how you brought people together to help make the decision since the new hiring came during your term.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1136.0,1148.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e It was . . . we followed the . . . I need a drink of water. Can we stop for a second? [Interview stopped and resumed] We were talking about integrating the new rabbi into the congregation. The bylaws were very specific of how you do that, and there were several social gatherings for people to meet the different candidates. Basically, we voted on a two-year contract for the new rabbi, and it went pretty smoothly. I think people liked the new rabbi. He had certain social skills that were appreciated. He had been a cantor prior to becoming a rabbi, so there was a lot of appreciating his singing, et cetera. But it made for great Purim spiels to have a singing rabbi, as you might imagine.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1148.0,1221.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Talk a little bit about the impact your [presidency] had on you, things that you learned about yourself. You talked a little about what you learned about your community, and how it impacted you as a leader, as a community member.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1221.0,1244.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Let me think. I think I was pretty . . . Let's start this over again. Repeat the question, Robin. I need to be able to say this, so I don't sound so injured by it all. [Both laugh]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1244.0,1274.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e What impact did your presidency have on you as a leader, as a person, and as a community member?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1274.0,1286.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I think I learned how to manage a board meeting covering contentious issues, listening, and taking control of the meeting in the sense that when things got out of hand, managing the emotions at the moment. I think that I was a stronger leader, but at great cost in some ways. It was difficult. First of all, I was under 40 for a lot of it. I turned 40 during my presidency, but many of the members on the board were older. Many of had been lifelong members of the shul. I had only been a member for eight years, and I was probably seen as a newcomer, an outsider in some ways, beyond being a woman and certainly being an outsider. I liked being known by everyone in the congregation. I think it really solidified my sense of being a member of this shul, meaning that I felt well integrated into the community and have continued to feel that way. In terms of the larger community, after the presidency, I just needed to take time to spend more time with my family, and I sort of backed away for a while, as I recall. There were other opportunities to move into community positions, and I just wasn't ready. I needed to stay home for a while. Also, I was working part-time, so dealing with being a mother, a working wife, I needed the time away from more volunteer work.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1286.0,1430.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Today as a volunteer, you're very active at Shearith Israel and have for a number of years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1430.0,1438.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1438.0,1439.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Talk a little bit about what that presidency brought to or that experience as president brought to what you do today.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1439.0,1451.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I think having been president, I have a real sense of the diversity in the community and have appreciated it. In that, there are lots of different voices and we need to hear them all and there are ways to move forward and embrace the diversity within the group. I have loved the intergenerational aspects of it. I clearly remember being a brand new mother in the congregation and having older women come up to me and say, what a great job you're doing as a mother. It was very reassuring to me, because I have no family. My family doesn't live in Atlanta [Georgia] or didn't live at Atlanta at the time. That was reassuring to me. Now, many years later, I find myself fulfilling that role when I see a mother with a new baby and giving them positive support. That's one way it's impacted me. Another way, I have always been interested in the different chapters in women's lives, and embracing them for myself, and encouraging other people to embrace their chapters. Specifically, I chair the Women's Chevra Kadisha Society . . . at Shearith Israel and encouraging young women to join this particular group has been very fulfilling for me. I was in my mid-30's when I joined it, and I remember clearly the older women walking me through it and helping me, so now I appreciate the opportunity to do that for younger women. Chevra Kadisha community. I am just very comfortable in the synagogue today and it can appreciate all the different things going on in the shul and feel like people listen when I say something and I try to think before I speak.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1451.0,1622.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e You've also been involved in Life and Legacy. You won the Joe Cohen Award.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1622.0,1631.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Several years ago, probably six years ago at this point, the Federation supported a program called Life and Legacy, which is sponsored by the Grinspoon Foundation in Massachusetts, to help Jewish organizations develop meaningful endowments. How would they do that? They would educate people in the congregations, in the different [organizations], to encourage congregants and members to leave legacy gifts, after-life giving gifts to their organizations, to all organizations of which they felt strongly. We had had a small endowment at Shearith Israel, and we wanted to grow it. Originally, there were like different lawyers in the group, different financial people, and then they realized they needed somebody to do stewardship. Blair Rothstein had asked me to do this. He said, \"You don't have to do the legal work. You don't have to do the soliciting for asking people to leave legacy gifts. We need you to do stewardship.\" I said, \"Oh, I could do that.\" I have been doing that, but other people on the committee have moved on to other opportunities of leadership in the synagogue. I have gradually moved out to do a lot of the work of the committee. Life and Legacy is at a point where it needs to develop more members, which is something I hope to do soon. We have grown the society, the Life and Legacy Society in the shul. We probably have 60 families who have made commitments for after-life gifts to the shul, and we need to do more.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1631.0,1773.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e You've had a lot of experience, what qualities do you think are required to be an effective president and an effective leader. We've talked about some of them, I think.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1773.0,1789.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Again, I think you have to really listen to people and really try to understand where they're coming from. People join synagogues for different reasons. As a synagogue, we find ourselves having to offer many things to people for different times in their life. Young families have specific needs. When I was president, we started a preschool program that was a cross between . . . it was like a mother's morning out preschool for young families. That was very much, we thought there was a strong need. There was a lot of opposition to it from a board perspective in terms of the financial responsibility of doing it. But it ran for several years and was very well thought of. It's an example of synagogues needing to meet lots of different subgroups needs in the community. I think you have to listen well. You have to recognize that even though it may not be a priority for the synagogue at large, you still need to listen and see is there a place for it in the synagogue life, and sure enough, there is. There's room for a lot in a synagogue.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1789.0,1892.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e When you think back about being a board member and not a president, what are the qualities that you think or what should we think about as we invite new leadership on the board?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1892.0,1910.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I think we need to approach with an open mind as we develop new leaders. You never should make assumptions about where you think someone's going to fall politically. We need to really be open about how we approach people to be on the board. They need to be oriented well. What the role is as a thoughtful, encouraging board member, and that really our goal is to support the community, and the rabbi, the professional staff. Recognizing the differences in how we all interact with one another to make the shul the best that we can. It's always surprising to me how people join the board and how they find new pockets of interest for them and opportunities to grow. People who might be a secretary who had never thought about being a secretary before. Being a vice president of governance is quite a responsibility and it's something you may not have ever thought about as you became a board member. I think there's lots of opportunity.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1910.0,2004.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Using your wisdom and experience, thinking about Shearith Israel's strengths and challenges today, what advice can you offer future leadership as they steer toward the future? Maybe talk a little bit about the strengths and challenges a little bit.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2004.0,2025.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I'm not sure I have a lot of wisdom at this point in my life. I think that there's a lot to be offered. Let me have another sip of water. Hang on a second, my antihistamine's kicking in.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2025.0,2049.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Plus, I'm probing beyond the text here.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2049.0,2052.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e You can probe beyond the text. I'm not sure, like I said, I'm not sure I have a lot of wisdom. Okay, repeat your question, Robin and you are editing this seriously, aren't you? [Respond from person off camera]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2052.0,2067.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Using your wisdom and experience thinking about Shearith Israel's strengths and challenges what advice can you give future leaders. Then maybe talk a little bit about what the strengths might be and maybe some of the challenges.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2067.0,2082.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e I think these are exciting times, period, for us to be living through. Very challenging in lots of ways, as Jews today with the rise in antisemitism. I believe that as a new board member or as an experienced board member, we need to listen very carefully what's going on and what's the motivation behind them. Certainly, not everything that seems challenging is from an antisemitic point of view. They’re very real issues that we need to be confronting as we look at ourselves as a community. I think synagogues are changing their role. We're not the same organization we were in the fifties or the sixties or in the early aughts. We have an in-town community, specifically, where in-town families have different needs than if we were solely a suburban synagogue. We have people who would like to live near the shul and be walkers and live a more traditional Jewish life, meaning that they wouldn't use a car. But the fact is, many of us don't live within walking distance, in spite of being an inner city synagogue. Melting the two communities and their needs is interesting. When you look at what makes a teacher a good teacher, it's the same thing as a board member. You need to be consistent. You need to be thoughtful. You need to follow through. That's really what we need to be thinking about at all times. There's this phrase that people like to throw around now, throw around meaning they're flamethrowers. In a board meeting, we shouldn't be throwing ideas out that aren't thoughtfully presented or thoughtfully thought about ahead of time. Learning to manage people who have that kind of style is a challenge certainly for an officer.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2082.0,2248.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Are there other things, other highlights, family highlights, anything else that you would like to add that you'd love for people to know about or remember?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2248.0,2260.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e . . . Do I have any?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2260.0,2267.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Your kids were bat mitzvah there. They had an education there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2267.0,2273.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e My children . . . I guess what you're saying [is] how has it affected my family personally? Maybe? For my family, I think my children had a lot of experience going to shul in the early years, and it's interesting. My children are both committed Jews in very different ways. One of them is in Jewish education but doesn't feel necessarily that she needs to belong to a synagogue. She looks at herself as post-denominational after having grown up in a traditional shul and then being very active in USY [United Synagogue Youth] and in the Conservative movement in general. I don't know how to talk about this, Robin. Let's see. Let's back up and start this again. [They both laugh]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2273.0,2346.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e We can just move on to the next topic, which is really a thank you on my part, unless there's something else that you [would like to add.]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2346.0,2356.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eMCLAUGHLIN:\u003c/strong\u003e Let's back up and let's talk about how do I think it affected my family. My family, I think, felt very committed to Shearith Israel. They each played their own different role. My husband was very comfortable being the first gentleman. He never felt like he had specific obligations. He participated in his own way for many years, helping to read Torah, being available to help other people learn Torah. My children, one child went through USY and loved it. Did a gap year in this, the program was called Nativ, it was for the Conservative movement and loved it. She went on to become a Jewish educator in her own right. My other daughter, I would say politically and from a social justice perspective, embraces all that Judaism has offered her. Again though, she's not a synagogue attendee. I don't know, I'm not sure that I might have burned them out in their early years from going to too much shul. But she's very committed as a Jew in today's culture and society. They're both to the left of me in some respects, in terms of their political views of the Middle East. It's interesting to watch. You never know how your kids will turn out.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2356.0,2479.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/transcript/83272/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eROSENBERG:\u003c/strong\u003e Thanks, Denise. You have given us a bunch of interesting things to think about, and I think great leadership advice. Thanks for doing this with me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2479.0,2492.0"}]},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Annotations [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/52","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/158490/file/288753#t=1.0,33.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/53","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/158490/file/288753#t=1.0,33.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/54","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/158490/file/288753#t=1.0,33.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/55","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/158490/file/288753#t=33.0,246.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is a social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. It is the largest feminist organization in the United States with around 500,000 members. NOW is regarded as one of the main liberal feminist organizations in the US, and primarily lobbies for gender equality within the existing political system. NOW campaigns for constitutional equality, economic justice, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and racial justice, and against violence against women.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=33.0,246.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAn egalitarian is someone who believes in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. In the context of Judaism, the discussion of “egalitarianism” usually revolves around equality of roles between men and women in the synagogue. As of 2022, most Conservative synagogues espouse egalitarianism for women in the congregation.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=256.0,319.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eHebrew for “platform.” The bimah is a raised structure in the synagogue from which the Torah is read and from which prayers are led.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=395.0,484.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eShabbat (Hebrew) or Shabbos/Shabbes (Yiddish) is the Jewish Sabbath and is observed on Saturdays. Shabbat observance entails refraining from work activities and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday night and is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting a blessing. It is closed the following evening with the recitation of the havdalah blessing.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=395.0,484.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eMax C. (Mike) Gettinger (1911-2000) forged a life-long career in Jewish social services in both the United States and Israel. He became the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Federation in 1962, a post he kept until 1982. During his leadership, the Federation experienced tremendous growth and re-organization. Gettinger authored the book Coming of Age: the Atlanta Jewish Federation, 1962-1982 which was published in 1994.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eJewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is a regional branch of Jewish Federations of North America. It is an organization that focuses on serving the Atlanta Jewish community through philanthropic endeavors such as supporting infrastructure, including schools and synagogues. Federation supports the Jewish community but also welcomes people of various backgrounds, including interfaith, LGBT+, and multiracial people and families.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/62","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/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/63","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/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eA Sisterhood is a group of women in a synagogue congregation who join together to offer social, cultural, educational, and volunteer service opportunities. Its male counterpart is called either a \"Brotherhood\" or a \"Men's Club.\"\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eA bat mitzvah [Hebrew: daughter of commandments] is a rite of passage for Jewish girls aged 12 years and one day according to her Hebrew birthday. Many girls have their bat mitzvah around age 13, the same as boys who have their bar mitzvah at that age. The bat mitzvah girl is now duty bound to keep the commandments. Synagogue ceremonies are held for bat mitzvah girls in Reform and Conservative communities, but it has not won the approval of Orthodox rabbis.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAn Aliyah to the Torah is the calling of a member of a Jewish congregation to the bimah for a segment of Torah reading. The person who receives the aliyah goes up to the bimah before the reading and recites a blessing for reading of the Torah. After the portion of the Torah is read, the recipient then recites another blessing.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=529.0,786.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/67","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/158490/file/288753#t=849.0,1009.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the major congregational organization of Conservative Judaism in North America. It is the largest Conservative Jewish communal body in the world. The organization works closely with the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the international body of Conservative rabbis. The organization was founded in 1913.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1015.0,1107.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eRabbi Mark Hillel Kunis (b. 1948) is the head of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim in Atlanta. He was previously the rabbi for Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta from 1989 to 2002. Rabbi Kunis has been a former President of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, the founder of MORASHA, The Rabbinic Fellowship of the Union for Traditional Judaism and President of the Federation of Traditional Orthodox Rabbis.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1114.0,1136.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003ePurim spiels is a play or performance done during Purim. It is usually a comic dramatization of the Book of Esther with the central text and narrative describing what happened on Purim and why it is celebrated as an important Jewish holiday.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1148.0,1221.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAtlanta, Georgia is the capital and largest city in the state of Georgia. During the American Civil War it was a strategically important city for the Confederacy until it was captured in 1864. The city was almost entirely burnt to the ground during General William Sherman’s March to the Sea. After the war, the city rebounded and became a national industrial center.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1451.0,1622.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/72","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/158490/file/288753#t=1451.0,1622.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eShearith Israel Life and Legacy Project is a program that allows members of the synagogue to set aside an amount of money from individuals wills or a small percentage from their retirement funds that the synagogue will only receive after the individual has passed. The program recognizes members legacy and contributes to the ongoing needs of Shearith Israel.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1622.0,1631.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe Joe Cohen Distinguished Service Award was originally known as the Shearith Israel Distinguished Service Award. It was renamed for Congregation Shearith Israel member Joe Cohen, who owned Joe Cohen’s Grocery Store. He passed away in May 1983. The award is given annually to a member of the congregation for their service to the synagogue.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1622.0,1631.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eThe Harold Grinspoon Foundation was founded in 1991 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The program has invested more than $320 million in programs that make Jewish life and Jewish communities more vibrant and connected.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1631.0,1773.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eBlair Rothstein (b. 1977) is an Atlanta, Georgia native. He attended Woodward Academy and the University of Michigan. He earned his law degree from Tulane University Law School. He is the managing director and principal with Register Financial Associates. He has been active with the Balser Symposium, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and Hillels of Georgia Endowment Committee. Blair has served as treasurer, vice-president, and president of Congregation Shearith Israel. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=1631.0,1773.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eAntisemitism is prejudice against, hostility to, or hatred of Jews.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2082.0,2248.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/78","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eUnited Synagogue Youth (USY) and Kadima are the official youth organizations of the Conservative movement of Judaism. USY was founded in 1951 and has grown from a handful of chapters to an international organization with thousands of high school age members. In 1964, Kadima was formalized as a separate entity for pre-USY age young people. USY was conceived as a means of meeting the social, educational, religious, and recreational needs of Jewish teenagers. The organization seeks to involve teenagers in synagogue life and help build the Jewish community of the future. As a Zionist organization, it also works to build a relationship between Israel and Jewish youth in America.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2273.0,2346.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/79","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/158490/file/288753#t=2273.0,2346.0"},{"id":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753/annotation_set/1996/annotation/80","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cp\u003eNativ is a part of Aardvark Israel, which is an immersive gap year program for young Conservative Jewish individuals ages 17-21. The program focuses leadership development, and engagement with Jewish community life. Those involved live in Israel and engage in volunteer work and service-based experiences that help the local community, and take classes, internships, and seminars.\u003c/p\u003e","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://thebreman.aviaryplatform.com/collections/994/collection_resources/158490/file/288753#t=2356.0,2479.0"}]}]}]}