This weekend begins the Jewish month of Adar, a time of unparalleled joy in the Jewish year. In a few weeks, we will celebrate Purim, and not long afterward, we will mark our exodus from Egypt with the holiday of Pesach. Amid war, sadness, and despair, commemorating joyful holidays may seem at odds with the ethos of the last four months. However, this is far from the first time we have celebrated simchas while also holding sorrow. Disasters mar Jewish history, but throughout our generations, we have combined joy and "oy." Through the writings of our sages, we have a path to reconcile these two opposite emotions. In the 16th century, Rabbi Joseph Karo of Tzfat compiled the most widely accepted code of Jewish law called the Shulchan Aruch (in English, the Set Table). Karo's code of law touched upon every area of life, including personal and communal practices when mourning coincides with holidays. The Shulchan Aruch states that all the elements of mourning continue throughout Chanukah … [Read more...]
A Great Use of Your Time to Fight Antisemitism in Georgia
Dear Temple Emanu-El, The Jews of Georgia had a big 'win' this week! For those of you who were awake this past Yom Kippur for the sermon, we talked about the importance of passing HB30, known as the 'antisemitism bill' through the Georgia State Legislature. The previous two years we were unsuccessful in this effort, but this past Thursday, HB30 passed overwhelmingly in the Georgia State House and Senate. Many Jewish organizations have put significant time and energy into lobbying elected officials, meeting with them, and explaining how HB30 will increase our (sense of) protection as Antisemitism continues to dramatically rise. (An important note, out of all the Georgia State legislators, only one is Jewish (Esther Panitch, House District 51). The American Jewish Committee (AJC) really quarterbacked this effort, and I am VERY PROUD to say that Temple Emanu-El did our part. Almost 400 of you were at our Legislative Shabbat dinner & service on January 12th, where we hosted more than … [Read more...]
Voices of the Future
"I have a voice. My voice is powerful. My voice can change the world." These words by Elana Arian are sung over and over by the teens attending the L'Taken Social Justice Seminar as they move through this very special weekend. L'Taken, in partnership with the Religious Action Center and the Union for Reform Judaism, is designed to both expose high school students to a variety of public policy issues and explore the Jewish values that inform the Reform Movement's advocacy around these issues. Our teens spent time learning about social issues and public policy that interested them, as well as how to present their ideas in the best ways possible. They took this learning and created presentations for our Georgia politicians. We were fortunate to present to Legislative Correspondents in the offices of Senator Jon Ossoff, Senator Raphael Warnock, Representative Rich McCormick, and Representative Henry Johnson. The students presented on the issues of Israel, Antisemitism, Disability … [Read more...]
A Quarter of Your Life in Captivity
Today is the 104th day of October 7th, a day we will re-live until every hostage is home. However, today is more difficult than most days since the Black Shabbat. Today is Kfir Bibas's birthday. A nine-month-old baby who was taken hostage marks one year of life, a quarter of which has been in captivity. A day meant for unbridled joy is as dark as the deepest night of winter. All I can think of is the mantra of these 104 days, "Bring Them Home." I pray these words each day I utter "Acheinu Kol Beit Yisrael, Our Brothers and Sisters, All the House of Israel." This prayer is one we've added to our services on Friday night, and it is one I've prayed multiple times a day, every day since October 7th: Our brothers and sisters, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress and captivity who wander over the sea and land - May God have mercy on them and bring them from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon. Recently, I saw a video of … [Read more...]
What A Night!
This past Friday night was our Legislative & MLK Shabbat dinner & service. We had more than 300 people seated for dinner, including 50 elected officials. Each elected official had a TE "buddy" who was tasked to make them feel welcome, introduce them around, convey what it is like to be a Jew in America right now and to advocate for HB30 "the antisemitism bill" in the GA State legislature. It was important to us for our guests to take part in a positive, Jewish ritual experience. We started the evening with our traditional blessings, heard from a few legislative leaders, and then had Shabbat dinner together. The vast majority of the elected officials stayed with us for Shabbat services, which were overflowing with both joy and the seriousness of the world we live in. The sermonettes relayed the biblical connections to Civil rights, the courage of Rabbi AJ Heschel and Reverend ML King, the situation in Israel, and keeping our captives in Gaza at the forefront of our … [Read more...]
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