The Speaker Forum is designed to bring to Beth Israel a person with some expertise on a topic of interest for all adult members. Participation is not limited to Beth Israel members. These Forums are proudly sponsored by the Men’s Club for our entire congregation.

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive an email containing information on how to join the event.

Leo Frank, an Ivy-League educated, Jewish Atlanta businessman , was accused in 1913 of the murder of Mary Phagan, a 13 year-old employee of the factory which Frank oversaw. Convicted in an atmosphere of prejudice and antisemitism, Frank’s death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment by Georgia governor John Slaton. Nevertheless, Frank was taken from his cell in Milledgeville and transported to Marietta, home of Mary Phagan, and hanged. The case stirred a national controversy and has been told in books, movies, television, and a Broadway musical.

To guide us further into this tale are Rabbi Steven Lebow and Georgia Deputy Attorney General Van Pearlberg.

Rabbi Lebow is the emeritus senior rabbi of Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta, Georgia. He has been a vital force in championing civil liberties in Georgia particularly concerning anti-gay laws passed in Cobb County (site of Kol Emeth) in 1994. His stance in favor of tolerance was met with angry opposition by over 400 ministers, including some church initiated displays of antisemitism. As a response, Rabbi Lebow and other civic leaders convinced the International Olympics Committee to deprive Cobb County of any venues for the 1994 Atlanta Olympics. His work in seeking exoneration for Leo Frank’s conviction has been nationally recognized and described in newspapers and at least three books. Rabbi Lebow received A BA in religion from Kenyon College in Ohio, his rabbinic degree from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and an honorary Doctorate from HUC. He was the first full–time rabbi at Temple Kol Emeth and led the congregation with distinction from 1986 until his retirement in 2020. He and his wife Madeline live in Marietta (not far from the site of Leo Frank’s lynching) and are parents of two daughters and a recently born grandson.

Van Pearlberg is the Deputy Attorney General of the Medicaid Fraud Division of the state of Georgia. From 2006-2012, he was Ward 4 Councilman for the City of Marietta. He also has served as Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney and worked in the Cobb Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for 25 years. Mr. Pearlberg graduated from Long Island University, and received his law degree cum laude from John Marshall Law School.