By Rubin E. GrantFor decades, the Duvdevani family from Birmingham has lived in Moshav Talmei Yosef, a small village of about 300 near Gaza, where residents grow flowers for export.Now, Birmingham is mobilizing to help the moshav and other frontline Israeli communities in the Eshkol region near Gaza as they reel from the surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The area … [Read more...]
Play On: Homewood Resident Still Making Music With the ASO After 4 Decades
By Rubin E. GrantKevin Kozak was in elementary school, growing up in the northern New Jersey township of Old Tappan, when a musical quartet came to perform and he heard someone play a brass horn for the first time.He loved the sound of it, but little did he know it would become his instrument of choice and he would play the French horn for decades in the Alabama … [Read more...]
Bonded Book: Friends Reflect on Cancer Journey in ‘Two by Two’
By Anne RuisiKathryn Tortorici and Nancy Bynon’s friendship was forged 18 years ago when the then-Mountain Brook residents worked on a cookbook for the Junior League of Birmingham. Their bond grew over the years and transformed in 2019 when the women were diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time. The longtime friends have a book about their cancer journey … [Read more...]
Spiritual Comfort: Acclaimed Artist Produces Collection for Baptist Health Hospitals
By Rubin E. GrantAnyone walking into the main front entrance of Brookwood Medical Center these days will notice a strikingly large painting of “The Good Samaritan.”The 48-by-96 oil on canvas piece is the work of Dirk Walker, one of Alabama’s most collected and sought after artists, whose work has been collected throughout the United States and internationally.“I’ve … [Read more...]
It’s Saw’s Y’all: Southern Living’s Best Barbecue Also Among Best Retailers of the Year
The family behind the critically acclaimed Saw’s barbecue restaurants have been named Alabama’s Bronze Retailer of the Year in the Annual Sales $5 Million to $20 Million category.“The family’s commitment to our community and chamber is fantastic,” Meredith Drennen, executive director of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, who nominated the Wilson family for the award, said in … [Read more...]