The Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta has created a new initiative in which participants can add names and photos of those still held captive in Gaza to create unique ornaments to raise awareness of and call for the release of the hostages. 

“As Christmas approached this year, a time when families come together, we wanted to use the opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that there are still 100 hostages, among them seven Americans, who should also be home with their families”, Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, told The Jerusalem Post.

The consulate has reached out to several prominent churches in Atlanta who have agreed to display the special ornaments on their Christmas trees. In addition, they produced an explanatory sheet through which individuals can also print the ornaments and hang them on their Christmas trees.

Details of the ornaments 

The ornaments include a photo of each of the 100 hostages still held captive by Hamas, which will be hung on the Christmas tree using a yellow ribbon associated with the struggle for their release.

“The First Baptist Church of Atlanta, a mega church, was the first to agree to the initiative,” Anat Sultan-Dadon told the Post.

“Israel is blessed with many supportive friends out there, and many of them don’t know how they can actively support Israel at this time. This tree is a way to encourage them to act and to use their voices for the hostages and for Israel.”

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – An Atlanta police officer made a 12-year-old boy’s Christmas a little brighter this year.

On Monday, Officer Sebastian Kertchaval surprised 12-year-old Amir with a PlayStation 5, police said in a social media post.

Police said Kertchaval met Amir and his family over the summer while “responding to a 911 call for an unruly child.”

During that visit, Kertchaval saw that Amir was upset with his mother and grandmother.

“And though tensions were high in their home, Ofc. Kertchaval remained patient with Amir, and took the time to positively connect with Amir and was ultimately able to de-escalate the upset child,” police said.

Since that first meeting, Amir’s grandmother has kept Kertchaval updated on Amir’s “increasingly positive behavior throughout the year.”

After hearing of Amir’s progress, Kertchaval bought Amir a new PlayStation 5 for both Christmas and as a reward for his progress.

“Thank you, Officer Kertchaval, for your dedication to community policing and for being a positive example during this holiday season,” police said.

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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – You may experience order delays if you are headed to a Starbucks on Christmas Eve. Some workers in Metro Atlanta are on strike.

Representatives with Starbucks Workers United tell Atlanta News First they feel underpaid and understaffed and are protesting the lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company.

Starbucks union workers in Alpharetta are making their voices heard loud and clear. They allege unfair labor practices.

“When Starbucks workers first started to unionize, they gave non-union workers pay raises and the partners that were unionized didn’t get that until later and so they’re owed back pay,” said Danielle Stolton, Shift supervisor at the Alpharetta store.

Stolton said she has been a part of the bargaining process.

“Personally, last year was the worst year,” she said. “I had a mental breakdown, actually.”

Stolton and others planned this one-day strike to stand in solidarity with over 5,000 workers at more than 300 stores that are protesting.

Strikes have been going on in some places since last Friday. Some baristas said they want better pay and better benefits.

“I know baristas in my store personally who are having to choose between gas or groceries so when you see problems like that it’s really hard to not feel some type of way about the fact that Starbucks made 24 billion dollars in profit this year, two percent more than last year and we’re still seeing two percent pay raises,” said Vivek G, a Starbucks employee.

Starbucks Workers United said the company failed to honor a commitment made in February.

In a statement to Atlanta News First, Starbucks said:

“Only around 170 Starbucks stores did not open as planned. With over 10,000 company-operated stores, 98% of our stores and nearly 200,000 green apron partners continuing to operate and serve customers during the holidays,” the coffeechain added.

Some workers feel differently.

“It’s just basic living wages and also again to reiterate is just to have. We’re asking for minimum staffing and realistic expectations and just the ability to run our floors and run our stores in a way that makes the most sense. They say they want to hear us, they say they want to listen but every time we ask for help, we get told no,” Stolton said.

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