Blog

Having just marked the one-year point of dealing with Covid here in Atlanta, our thoughts naturally turn to that significant point and how we have adapted over this past year. It should not be lost on us, however, that this weekend marks another significant turning point: the anniversary of our first Jewish holiday experienced exclusively in the days of Covid.

I recall our concerns last year: plans had to be changed, people who...Read more...

On Saturday evening we will enter the Hebrew month of Nissan, which in the Jewish calendar, is the first month. All mentions of other holidays and observances are measured in terms of how many months or weeks from the month of Nissan they occur. How did the month of Nissan become the first month and what might be its significance?

Two weeks before the Exodus from Egypt, God showed Moses the crescent moon and instructed him regarding...Read more...

I recall the conversations from a year ago. We had just heard, a few weeks prior, about the coronavirus, though at that time it didn’t look that serious to us here in Atlanta. So, we went about planning and preparing as we always do, keeping the experience of our congregants front and center. After all, Purim was on the horizon, and we had already invested a lot of energy and creativity into the megillah reading and the carnival. Helmed by...Read more...

It was asked to a number of us a few months ago by someone doing research, what prayer we found most important. I along with many others answered, the Sh’ma. Our faith in one God is defined by the 6-word statement, “Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is one.” And yet this prayer that is about wholeness, completeness and oneness, kind of sounds exclusive in its command….HEAR. If one cannot hear, can they be...Read more...

I was having a conversation with a friend the other night about senior quotes. In a high school yearbook, when students are in their final year, they are granted an opportunity to sum up their life, their story, their dreams, their future, their interests, how they are known… in a short, attributable quote. It has to be clever, it has to be somewhat original, and it has to be authentic. The pressure on, it is a pretty significant task, one...Read more...

As we prepare to remember and honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Shabbat closest to his birthday, one burning question comes to mind. What would he say to us today? We are living through extraordinary and concerning times in the life of our country. If we cannot look to our nation’s icons of peace and social justice for wise and good counsel, to whom else would we turn?

One of his most prophetic statements was, “When our...Read more...

Over the last week, I spent some time in the mountains and experienced snowfall. One day, as I walked through a field of fresh snow, I began to grow tired. I thought to myself: how am I going to make it to the other side at this rate? I looked down and watched as my foot crunched, sunk, and dug deeper into the snow with each step. I grew even more depleted.

But then, I decided to adopt a new strategy. I began to imagine that I was...Read more...

The dictionary formally defines a hero as “a person with courage, one admired for his/her noble qualities and ideal acts.” In the context of our greater community, a Jewish hero is one who makes conscious decisions and sacrifices to ensure the strength of the Jewish people. Examples of Jewish heroes throughout history abound: great rabbinic sages, early Zionist pioneers, philanthropists, politicians, warriors and countless others whose...Read more...

Last night, as I sat next to a firepit, I felt a heavy sense of lacking, of missing something. And yet, as I gazed at the glowing fire, I became more and more transfixed and mystified by the beauty of it all. In that moment, I no longer felt underwhelmed, but rather amazed by the beauty of the flames and the trees and the crisp winter air. For the first time in a long while, I felt a long-forgotten emotion; excitement. 

As the...Read more...

Whether eating with family, a few friends, or alone; whether (over) indulging with favorite Thanksgiving dishes or heating up a frozen pizza; whether celebrating joyous news or grieving the absence of a loved one, Thanksgiving provides each one of us with an essential pause – a pause to recall the blessings, be they few or many, for which to be grateful.  And as illness, dissention, and societal anxiety continue to swirl around us,...Read more...

I recall sitting with our congregant Larry Weiner in a room at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, when we heard what at the time were rather staggering figures about the rise of homelessness in our area. The speaker was a representative from Family Promise, a national organization with a rather interesting response to homelessness that was looking to open a local chapter. Larry and I and others were inspired by the presentation and urged on by...Read more...

In case you somehow missed the memo, we are in the midst of a national election. Between now and next week’s Shabbat to Shabbat email message, voting will have concluded and we will hopefully have a clear understanding of who prevailed in each race. And, as is undoubtedly true in the wake of every contested election, some will be pleased, others not, with the results. However, in our politically volatile climate, one that sadly engenders...Read more...

Bereshit. Genesis. In the Beginning. No matter how you say it, here we are again - reading the FIRST chapter in the first Book of Torah.

This rich and beautiful Torah portion contains two separate stories that illustrate the creation of the world.  Each story is different and explains our world in subtle and distinct ways.

Chapter 1 focuses on God’s creation and organization of the entire world. 

Chapter 2,...Read more...

Do we remember all of the personal, introspective work we did during this year’s Holy Days, the commitments we made to ourselves, to one another, and to God just four days ago - to be more patient, more accepting of difference, and more appreciative of the good in our lives throughout the year unfolding before us? I sincerely hope we do recall our vows for personal improvement and hope as well, that they were more than nice, fleeting...Read more...

Here we are on the dawn of the New Year. There have been many messages over the last few weeks reflecting on our isolation from one another as it pertains to the holidays. As I stood and sang in our empty sanctuary for Selichot, I imagined you in your homes occupying rooms where you watch TV, cook or sleep, or sit outside to sip wine and entertain. You have turned your homes into sanctuaries.

So many of you have stories about how our...Read more...