This week, we marked the end of the Shloshim period of mourning, 30 days after the unfathomable atrocities that occurred in Israel on October 7th. At the same time, this is the week we read the Torah portion which includes Abraham's burial of Sarah. Abraham, a stranger who journeyed to Canaan from far away, wants to bury his wife in the ancient city of Hebron. The Hittites, who were then in the land, would have happily given Abraham a burial place free of charge-a generous offer, but one that could be rescinded as it was a gift and not a business deal. Instead, Abraham insists on purchasing a burial plot in a cave in the field of Machpelah facing the city of Hebron.   Today, we, Abraham's descendants, are back in our ancient land, and the Hittites are relegated to the history books.  Our connection to this sliver of space is ancient and eternal, but over the last 30 days, countless people have questioned our legitimacy in this land. Once again, we must defend our claim that, since the … [Read more...]

When I was a student at the University of Maryland ('11), I distinctly remember feeling safe being a Jew on campus. My AEPi house and the Hillel never faced antisemitic graffiti, I never had an issue getting an excused absence for Jewish holidays, and our annual Israel festival was proudly celebrated on the largest campus quad in the country, McKeldin Mall. Being outwardly Jewish at the University of Maryland was an easy, positive, and even unremarkable experience. I think my experience at UMD was the status quo for most Jews in America. In the years since, and especially in the last three weeks, Jewish students around the country have faced a very different reality. Since October 7th, when walking on campus or in their classrooms, Jewish students have faced unprecedented levels of antisemitism. Dorm rooms have been defaced and antisemitic messaging has been found on campus sidewalks.  Enough is enough.   Our children deserve to feel safe to be Jewish at their colleges and … [Read more...]

Sukkot is a holiday with many mitzvot, shaking the lulav and etrog and building a sukkah are easily the most prominent. Yet, my favorite mitzvah on Sukkot is the commandment to be joyful. Yes, on Sukkot, we are commanded to be joyful! However, this joy is not like Chanukah, Purim, or Pesach. Typically, Jewish holidays that emphasize joy also emphasize drinking, but not so in the case of Sukkot. Our sages teach us that Sukkot is different. Our joy on Sukkot should not come from wine or any kind of alcohol. Instead, our joy should come from service to God. One interpretation of how we serve God best on Sukkot is to welcome guests into our Sukkah. At Temple Emanu-El, we take this commandment to welcome guests seriously.   Earlier this week, thirty Temple Emanu-El members celebrated Sukkot with dozens of members from the Istanbul Cultural Center in Alpharetta and St. Luke's Presbyterian in Dunwoody. In the spirit of the holiday, we celebrated outdoors by the sukkah, ate a harvest-themed … [Read more...]

When we first welcomed our two hives of honeybees in the spring, our mantra was that this was a learning experience first, and if we got some honey, it would be purely a bonus. Months of hard work from our Bee Team and the honeybees themselves have yielded three frames of honey (about 15 lbs.). Metaphors between Judaism and honeybees are endless but very poignant in this case. Enjoying the honey of our labors is truly a celebration. After these High Holy Days, we will celebrate our first harvest to start the new year off with true Temple Emanu-El sweetness.   Learning more and more about beekeeping has raised our awareness of our impact on our local environment. Pesticides, herbicides, and the presence or lack thereof of native plants all affect our tiny furry friends, who are essential to our food! I am reminded of a passage in the story of Adam and Eve where God charges Adam with stewardship over all the natural world. Our ability to harness nature means that we also have a sacred … [Read more...]

As the good book says, "As iron sharpens iron, so too does one friend sharpen the wit of another." * Yes, they were probably talking about some lofty vision of friendship and studying Torah, but this verse about irons can be interpreted in another "lofty" way. When friends play golf together, they push one another to be better-one player's irons sharpen the skill of their friend. Together, their friendship emerges improved.   This is how Tanach talks about golf.  I'll admit it. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed golf when I took up the sport during the pandemic. I've played basketball and soccer my whole life. The idea of playing a relatively stationary sport like golf rarely crossed my mind. I did not expect to like it, but I soon realized how much I was missing. In the years since I've discovered how endlessly challenging the game can be. More than that, I've realized how much fun the social part of golf is. When I spend 3 ½ hours with someone on the course, there is a deeper bond … [Read more...]