One foot in front of the other.   One day at a time.   We all process scary things differently. Whether it's recovering from major surgery, getting our feet back under us after losing a job, or another attack on the Jewish people right here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We are a resilient people. Full stop.  Amanda Gorman, the American Poet who delivered "The Hill We Climb" at last year's inauguration had her OpEd published in the New York Times this morning, reflecting on how she almost did not make it to the stairs of the Capitol. I've pulled the words out of the context in which she wrote them, but their intention hit my core deeply this morning. She wrote:   "I'm a firm believer that often terror is trying to tell us of a force far greater than despair. In this way, I look at fear not as cowardice, but as a call forward, a summons to fight for what we hold dear. And now more than ever, we have every right to be affected, afflicted, affronted."  I believe in … [Read more...]

Try completing a day at work or school without eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner; calling such a day "difficult" is an understatement. Yet, ONE IN SIX children in Georgia do not have enough to eat each day.* Still, these kids continue to go to school, do their homework, and try to get an education that will lead to a bright future. While public schools provide free and reduced breakfast and lunches for families who would otherwise not be able to afford to feed their children, on the weekends, without any school to attend, these kids go without. This is where synagogues, churches, and local nonprofits must step in to fill the gap. Every Sunday, thanks to the visionary leadership of two TE members, Julie and David Weiser, Temple Emanu-El packs 65 backpacks for children as a part of the Backpack Buddies Program. These backpacks, filled with shelf-stable, nutrition-rich food, provide SIXTY-FIVE children with food for the weekend. These are not children who live hours and hours away, these … [Read more...]

Shouldn't every week be Green Week? The short answer is, "yes!" This is why we continue to emphasize Temple Emanu-El's recent steps toward the process of continual and consistent "greening" of the congregation. From lightbulbs to plates, paper usage and coffee pods every week is Green Week as we try to lower our carbon footprint.  Shm'irat haTeva, Preserving and Guarding Nature is a bright and shining value of the Jewish people. From texts about planting trees for the next generation to calls to live within our means, Judaism is very clear that taking care of our Earth: land, water, air, and people, is of the utmost importance.…and so we give you: Green Week! - Our yearly kick in the tuchas to set aside time to learn about the environment and to evaluate our impact.  Green Week may change every year on the secular calendar, but that's because we align this valued week with Tu Bishvat, our holiday celebrating the birthday of the trees.  January 12th, hear from Joanna … [Read more...]

After a brief reprieve, once again, Covid has become the primary topic of conversation. How could it not? The news and statistics confirm that it is prolific, and many of us have first-hand experience with it in our households. Personally, I know of close to 50 people who currently have Covid.  All of them "vaxed to the max."  Fortunately, none of them are exhibiting symptoms worse than a mild flu. Clearly increased caution is mandated, for there remain many unknowns. Like many of you, I find myself pushing back against the sense of despondency that has become all too familiar over the past two years. Masks…distance…cancelled plans…uncertainty. And yet, the part of me that I have come to trust the most is surprisingly optimistic.  Not necessarily about what the near future will bring; but rather, who we will become through this process. There is a set of midrashim (stories within stories) from our Torah that posit that our redemption out of Egyptian slavery (the … [Read more...]

In my work with congregants, one of the questions that I frequently ask, especially as folks are going through tough times, is "what recharges your batteries?" By asking this question, I hope to help them raise to the surface of their consciousness the people, pursuits, and experiences which allow them to keep going, even when they are fatigued. It's the same question that I ask police officers in my (volunteer) work as Chaplain for the Sandy Springs Police Department, and it's the question that we rabbis are asked to recall in our own encounters with 'spiritual direction.' There is an understanding that during crisis, or even in the daily slog that sometimes defines periods of our life, we can lose track of what motivates us…what invigorates us…what fulfils our lives with purpose and meaning. Most of the time, when prompted, the most heart-felt answers given are ones that are simple and accessible: time with my kids, serving at the 'soup kitchen', Shabbat services. Mental health … [Read more...]