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Alabama's only Jewish representative asks: Where are we safe?

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12 months ago

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Alabama's only Jewish representative asks: Where are we safe?


The Shabbat after Hanukkah, Alabama State Representative Phillip Ensler was at home in Montgomery when he got a call from Selma asking whether he had received a bomb threat like other local Jewish communities. 

When he checked his email, he saw that both he – as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama – and his local synagogue, Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem, got the email, sent to dozens of Jewish institutions across the state and hundreds across the country.

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“It said there are explosives inside, they’re well hidden, and you won’t find them, they’ll go off in a few hours,” said Ensler, 33. He first alerted 911 and then tried to get the attention of the cantor on their Zoom services, to no avail, so he drove the seven minutes to the Conservative shul. 

There, he and the police officer on security duty informed the five people they had to evacuate.

“It was very upsetting, to say the least, to have this dichotomy, this joyous moment in the service where we’re taking out the Torah and then receiving a bomb threat,” he said.

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ENSLER AT a hanukkiah lighting last year shortly after being elected as the only Jewish legislator in Alabama. (credit: Courtesy of Phillip Ensler)

It wasn’t the first time Montgomery was under threat. On October 5, two days before the Hamas attack on Israel, a series of bomb threats were made to various congregations. “The history of the State of Israel was that it was founded as a safe haven for Jews after the Holocaust. 

Right here in Alabama last week, we received bomb threats in Montgomery and throughout the state. To have that happen on Thursday and then have these attacks in Israel on Saturday, there’s this tremendous fear of ‘where are we safe?’” Ensler told WFAS 12 TV on October 9.

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In spite of rising antisemitism, Ensler is beacon of light

At a time when many Jewish communities in America feel under threat from antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment, and violence, Jews in smaller, sparser communities like Montgomery worry for their future.

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And Jewish leaders like Ensler – the first Jew serving in the Alabama Legislature for more than four decades and only the third Jew to ever serve in the body – feel that it’s a time to stand proud.

“We’ve dealt with antisemitism for 2,000 years: people have persecuted us, they’ve tried to annihilate us, they tried to get us to stop being proud, but we’re still here,” he said. “It’s really hard and upsetting, but we’re still here.”

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“Here” right now for Ensler is Montgomery, Alabama’s capital, a city of nearly 200,000 people, only about 600 of them Jewish. It’s the second largest Jewish community in Alabama, next to Birmingham. (Alabama’s Jewish population is about 10,000 – or .2%).

Ensler isn’t a native: A born and bred New Yorker, raised a Reform Jew but currently identifying as a Conservative Jew, Ensler first came South for two years after college in Washington, DC, as a Teach for America fellow in 2012.

After attending Cardozo School of Law in New York, he returned to Montgomery. “As much as I loved growing up in New York and going to college in DC, I felt like this is a place I could make a difference on a deeper level.” He loved the Jewish community (“It’s like a second family”) and the wider community, and working with underserved public school students. “It’s a place where I could make a big difference, to be hands-on, and make people’s lives a little bit better,” he said.

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In 2012, Ensler started a program called Marching On, where he took students to Washington, DC (often the students’ first time on a plane), to meet with leaders, tour colleges, and learn about career opportunities. He still leads the program every year, expanding it to include students from Montgomery’s five traditional public high schools.

As executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, Ensler manages programming and fundraising for local needs like Jewish summer camps and holiday camps and helps raise funds for Jews in Israel and to promote Jewish life both locally and abroad. (He was supposed to attend a federation mission to Israel in October, which was postponed until February.)

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Last November, in a historic 2022 election, he was elected to represent District 74 in the Alabama House of Representatives: it was the first time a Democrat flipped a district in the legislature since 2010, and he’s the only Jew of 140 in the state legislature.

That makes him proud – and loud – about being Jewish. “It’s harder not having as many Jewish people around, but it makes me much more proud; especially [considering that] for a lot of people I meet, I am the first Jewish person they have known,” he said.

“I tell everyone that I get the opportunity to – every chance I get I bring it up,” he says of his Jewishness, noting that he has a mezuzah on his door at the State House. “I post about it everywhere; I love people knowing I’m Jewish,” he said. He likes to educate people on Jewish customs and what it means to be Jewish. “It all comes down to that we strive to be good people and strive to make the world a better place for everyone.”

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He hopes that by people seeing his work in the community, helping out people in need, working to improve public schools and combat gun violence, this will immunize them against bad stereotypes and negativity. “I hope that by seeing me on a personal level, they will understand that Jews aren’t just ‘these foreign people.’”

In Montgomery – which is an hour and a half from Birmingham and two hours from Atlanta – they’ve received support from local Evangelical churches. “Even before the October 7 attacks on Israel, we saw the rise in antisemitism from the far Right, and now to be seeing it on the far Left – it’s really disturbing,” he said, noting that there haven’t been many local protests.

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As for the “continued rise in antisemitism,” he hopes “it certainly doesn’t get worse – I hope it gets better with time.”

He wants fellow Jews in Israel to know that the Jews of Alabama stand with them. “I know these are difficult and scary times. I know we are so anxious about the hostages returning home…. I want Israelis to know there are Jewish people in Alabama and that we’ll continue to stick together. The Jewish people here feel we’re part of this larger Jewish community, and we’re hoping every day for our brothers and sisters in Israel.”

Currently single (it’s hard to find a Jewish woman in Alabama, he admits), living with his cat, Franklin, and working two jobs, Ensler does not know what his future holds. With a twin sister in Los Angeles, a mom in Park City, Utah, and friends and family in New York and DC, he travels often.

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“If someone told me when I was growing up in New York or when I was in law school that I’d end up in the Alabama Legislature, I’d have thought they’d be out of their mind,” he said, laughing.

“I do enjoy public service – government is a place I can make a difference, or if there’s another opportunity to serve in another position, I’m open to that as well,” he said. “I’m open to wherever life will lead.”





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Alabama

‘We played awful’: Alabama basketball reacts to close win over North Dakota

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4 hours ago

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December 19, 2024

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‘We played awful’: Alabama basketball reacts to close win over North Dakota


Don’t worry. Alabama men’s basketball knows it didn’t play well.

Alabama forward Grant Nelson, in his return to his home state, didn’t mince words talking about the Crimson Tide’s 97-90 victory over North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Wednesday that came down to the final minute.

“We played awful, pretty much the whole game,” said Nelson, a former North Dakota State player. “We came in, we didn’t take these guys seriously. I was telling them, this is a big game on their home court. We’ve got to take these guys serious. They’re playing for a lot.”

It showed. The Fighting Hawks (4-9) battled from start to finish, holding a lead at halftime and even tying the game with two minutes left. Alabama’s 13 first-half turnovers proved problematic early. Then the Crimson Tide (9-2) fixed its turnover problem but stopped playing good defense.

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“We got yelled at like we should have,” said Nelson, a Devils Lake, North Dakota native. “I’m sure we’ll continue to get yelled at the rest of this week. But like I said, they played really great. It’s a great team and I think they’ll win a lot of games.”

Alabama coach Nate Oats was particularly frustrated by his defense. North Dakota scored 52 points in the second half, averaging 1.486 points per possession.

“I give North Dakota credit; they wanted this game,” Oats said. “They were ready for it. Great environment. Crowd was great. And our guys didn’t really come out ready to play. Our matchup on (Treysen) Eaglestaff wasn’t great to start. I don’t know that we really ever found the matchup.”

Eaglestaff scored 40 points, making him the first mid-major player to do so against a team ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll since 2012, per ESPN. The Bismarck, North Dakota native kept the Fighting Hawks in it until the end as he hit 15 of 30 and 8 of 18 from deep. Nelson, meanwhile, scored 23 points to go with 10 rebounds.

“Can’t sleep on those North Dakota boys,” Nelson said. “They can really hoop. I’ve known him for a while. I played him when he was here and I was at North Dakota State. I knew he was a great player. Our scouting report was pretty much around him.”

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Which made it all the more frustrating that Eaglestaff did what he did.

“I feel like we let ourselves down,” Nelson said. “We’ve got a lot to learn. We’re going to watch video and see what we can do better.”

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.





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Alabama transfer Damon Payne confuses reporters with voided commitment to Michigan

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11 hours ago

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December 18, 2024

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Alabama transfer Damon Payne confuses reporters with voided commitment to Michigan


In the current landscape of college football where players are moving teams more than ever in the transfer portal, reporting on college recruiting has become an incredibly difficult job. But on Wednesday, Alabama transfer Damon Payne and his agency made things even more difficult with his commitment to Michigan, which was voided in the span of only a few hours.

Payne, who is a former five-star defensive lineman in the midst of his junior year at Alabama, saw the field rather sparingly this season, recording just 14 total tackles in the eight games he saw action.

On Tuesday, Payne announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. And it didn’t take him long to seemingly narrow down his ideal landing spot, sending in his papers to commit to Michigan on Wednesday morning according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.

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However, just three hours later, Nakos offered an update detailing how the documents that Damon Payne had signed had been nullified by his agent.

This obviously raises a question as to whether there was an inaccuracy in Nakos’ reporting on the matter, or if there was some loophole found by Payne’s agent that made his signed documents to Michigan non-binding.

Well, Isaiah Hole, who covers Michigan for the USA Today Sports Network via Wolverines Wire, backed the reporting from On3 Sports, detailing in a series of posts on X how Payne had signed but his commitment was voided by his agency.

“This had nothing to do with On3’s reporting,” wrote Hole. “To clarify: Payne signed, it has been voided. On3 reported correctly.”

Payne’s agent, Steven Fantetti, did offer a vague clarification on the matter in a statement to On3 Sports, detailing just that Payne has not yet signed with any school and will release his commitment “under his own terms soon”.

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“Damon Payne is not currently signed with any school, and he will be releasing his commitment under his own terms very soon,” Fantetti said in his statement.

As for where Payne could be headed once he does commit to a school for real, Michigan reportedly remains on his list of teams he is still considering, along with Notre Dame, Oregon, and even a potential return to Alabama.

[On3 Sports, Pete Nakos on X]





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Alabama Barker Claims Bhad Bhabie's Boyfriend Le Vaughn Is Abusive

Published

19 hours ago

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December 18, 2024

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Alabama Barker Claims Bhad Bhabie's Boyfriend Le Vaughn Is Abusive



Alabama Barker. Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Capitol Music Group

Bhad Bhabie accused Alabama Barker of apparently stealing her boyfriend, Le Vaughn.

In a since-deleted Instagram Story post screenshotted by Page Six, Bhad Bhabie, 21, claimed, “@AlabamaLuellaBarker took my man. … I told [Le Vaughn] next time I catch you. You got be with time.”

The rapper and social media personality, who welcomed daughter Kali in March with Le Vaughn, then declared she is “single.”

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Barker, 18, subsequently denied the accusations.

Rapper Bhad Bhabie Through the Years Inside Her Unusual Rise to Fame

Rapper Bhad Bhabie Through the Years: Inside Her Unusual Rise to Fame 

Before Bhad Bhabie launched a reality TV and rap career, she was best known as the “Cash Me Outside” girl. In 2016, Bhabie (real name Danielle Bregoli) appeared in a segment for Dr. Phil that was titled “I Want to Give Up My Car-Stealing, Knife-Wielding, Twerking 13-Year-Old Daughter Who Tried to Frame Me for a […]

“I want to be clear: I have no interest in this man, nor would I ever lower myself to be with someone who has been physically abusive towards women,” Alabama, the daughter of exes Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler, wrote in a since-deleted Instagram Story message, per Daily Mail.

Alabama then went on her TikTok on Wednesday, December 18, further denying that she would ever date Le Vaughn, 26.

“I’ve been to her house one time and I guess he was there, but I never saw his face,” Alabama recalled in her Wednesday video. “I’m not looking to wreck anyone’s home or family. I don’t get any cool points from that and I don’t benefit from it all. I also would never date this man.”

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Alabama Barker Claims Bhad Bhabie s Boyfriend Le Vaughn Is Abusive

Le Vaughn and Bhad Bhabie. Courtesy of Bhad Bhabie/Instagram

Alabama further explained that she later met up with Le Vaughn in Las Vegas and he “continuously lied to [her]” and claimed to be single.

“Sadly, I fell for his manipulative lies and after I told him I no longer wanted communication with him, he continuously tried to talk to me and put me in a very uncomfortable position,” Alabama alleged. “I’m not going to disregard my faults in the situation. There are definitely certain things I could have gone about differently.”

Alabama Barker Claps Back at Critic Who Shamed Her Makeup

Alabama Barker Gives Savage Response to Critics Who Shamed Her Makeup

Not on her watch! Alabama Barker has a message for those who have something to say about her makeup choices.  The 17-year-old daughter of Travis Barker took to TikTok on April 18 to hit back at social media trolls. “When Kathryn with 3 kids, only waterline liner, 4 different colored blonde [hair] & Toms shoes […]

According to Alabama, she “did try to ghost” Le Vaughn in August, but he kept trying to message her. Alabama also alleged that Le Vaughn said he was “in love with me” but refused to tell Bhad Bhabie (real name Danielle Bregoli) the truth.

“The situation is unfortunate and goes against my morals as a woman,” Alabama said. “My intentions are never to break a family apart. That is the lowest of the barrel. Believe me or don’t believe me, that is just disgusting.”

She added, “Thankfully, I’m not blind to the fact that he’s manipulating her or myself. He’s also gaslighting the situation and trying to turn us against each other when really he was the problem from the beginning. Me and Danielle were more like acquaintances than anything.”

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Alabama further “regrets even acknowledging [Le Vaughn] in the first place and letting this even become a thing.”

“I take full accountability for things I did participate in, whether I did or did not know, that’s not fair to her at all,” Alabama said. “He’s pushing 30 and he thinks this is OK. That is honestly scary. … I understand her frustration.”

Neither Bhad Bhabie nor Le Vaughn have further addressed the alleged situation.

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