Come celebrate with us! Start your Chanukah festivities this Sunday, December 15th at 4:00pm! This Sunday is an opportunity to experience something extraordinary. Join me at 4:00pm in our Sanctuary to hear the story of Chanukah through song. This is not just any song; it is a musical feast for the ears! Members of our TE adult choir will join choristers representing the major Atlanta metro area synagogues, (and even some folks from our neighborhood churches!) to perform Judas Maccabeus by G.F. Handel. Judas Maccabeus is an Oratorio, which is a large-scale musical work that utilizes choir, orchestra, and soloists to tell a narrative based on a religious theme or text. The entire oratorio is three hours long. My partners in crime, our conductors Melissa Fontaine and Amy Thropp, and I have crafted an afternoon of selections from this incredible work, that will narrate the story of Judas’s leadership and the victory of the Maccabees. Handel’s music paints the dejection, motivation, and … [Read more...]

Despite what we might see (or post) on Facebook, every single one of us have times in our life when we experience tremendous challenge.  What often begins as a loss of a treasured relationship, or a job, or our health, can evolve into tremendous self-doubt and questioning of all we had assumed to be true.  The catalyst sometimes is less acute than a loss, but rather a realization of our own mortality with self-judgments about where we ‘are’ in life compared to where we thought that we would be. This week’s Torah portion, Vayetze, from the book of Genesis pans in on our patriarch Jacob when he was just a teenager, fleeing for his life as a result of some bad luck and worse choices that he made.  As he makes his way through the land, rent from his family and the safety of his home, he feels both alone and abandoned. As darkness descends, he is forced to find a ditch on the side of the road to sleep, a rock serving as a pillow beneath his head. Physically and spiritually he is depressed … [Read more...]

One of the greatest rabbis in Jewish history is Rabbi Akiva. He lived in the years immediately following the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem--a time of harsh Roman rule. Rabbi Akiva is famous for many teachings, but most of all, he is known for his Jewish journey. You see, Rabbi Akiva did not start learning about Judaism until the age of forty. Though he knew he was Jewish, he had never really investigated his Jewish heritage. In middle age, Akiva took an introduction to Judaism course to reconnect with his Jewish identity. Today, we continue that tradition of learning to reestablish our connection with Judaism and the Jewish people. Beginning in January, Temple Emanu-El is going to offer an Introduction to Judaism course. Introduction to Judaism courses are not only for people pursuing conversion to Judaism, though many people do enroll if they are interested in formalizing their Jewish identity. This is also the perfect series for interfaith partners looking to deepen … [Read more...]

If we’re being honest, Chanukah never falls late or early, it’s always right on time: The 25th of Kislev. Obviously very few of us look at the Hebrew calendar before we look at our Gregorian calendars each morning. As such, you may have noticed that Chanukah doesn’t begin this year until December 22nd and the chance to celebrate as a synagogue community dramatically decreases, as many in our community (including some clergy!) will be out of town visiting friends or family for the Winter Vacation.  What will we do about wearing our ugly Chanukah sweaters or seeing Rabbi Max, Rabbi Spike, and Cantor Adesnik in their ridiculous Chanukah onesies? How will our Tots rock out at a Tot Shabbat singing about their favorite sufganiyot (donuts)? When will our teens get the chance to have their annual gift exchange and eat Loretta’s famous latkes? It’s not that we will be celebrating Chanukah early; instead, we’re going to recognize that since we most likely won’t get the chance to all be together … [Read more...]

This Friday marks Rosh Chodesh Kislev,  a month that is both the darkest and brightest month in the year. We move from our month free of holidays (Cheshvan) into winter and our celebration of Chanukah. This year, Chanukah aligns with winter solstice. Just as we move into the darkest nights of the year, we bring the brightness and joy of Chanukah with each additional candle we light over eight nights. Just in time, my Deep Dive into Chanukah begins next week! This three part stand-alone class series will uncover history, ritual and of course, music. Did you know that there are four main interpretations of why we celebrate Chanukah? The Chanukah story changed over time and its original intent is actually quite different from what we celebrate today. Join me and learn about how religion and politics shaped our early Jewish history and the celebration of Chanukah. How Many Candles Do We Light Anyway? We will uncover Chanukah rituals, the history of the dreidle, and learn why we add … [Read more...]