There is a powerful message that comes to us through almost every aspect of our Judaism that we, the Jewish people, are charged to help change the world for the better…in partnership with God.
This charge has resonated, and inspired, Jews through hundreds of generations.
It is empowering to believe that we are an important part of something essential to the world.
That as human civilization moves through each era of time, the Jewish people have something vitally important to contribute to what we would term ‘progress.’
This manifests itself in part through each Jewish community’s commitment to tikkun olom, but even more so through individual’s who act ‘above and beyond’ for the sake of healing a world that is broken.
Each one is a drop of water that forms streams, until the good righteousness that we bring into the world is like a “raging river.” (Amos 5:24).
This Shabbat we recognize a few of these volunteers who help, in their own way, bring about the world that Judaism charges us to create.
The volunteers whom we honor each year with the Shirley Schiffer Volunteerism award are not on our Board of Trustees (our Board is honored in other ways), but rather are congregants who often are ‘behind the scenes.’ We would invite you to join us for services to celebrate them, to celebrate our many volunteers, and in doing so, celebrate Temple Emanu-El itself.
They are:
- Reece Bashuk- for exemplary work in our madrichim program teaching young children in our Religious School.
- Susie Davidow- for co-chairing our Koleinu inclusion efforts to bring Judaism to everyone
- Mark Feinberg- for countless hours of his time and invaluable expertise bringing our Shabbat services to you, online
- George Fox- for decades guiding and protecting Temple Emanu-El as our ‘in house’ lawyer
- Alexa Freedman- for co-chairing our thriving NIFTY Temple Emanu-El Youth Group
- Julie Mokotoff- for co-chairing our inspirational Social Justice committee, bringing Jewish intentions to action
- Lynn Newport- for guiding the renovations and building new sacred spaces for all to enjoy
- Nancy Shapiro- for leading decades of Zaban Shelter volunteers providing safety for Atlanta’s most vulnerable
Please join us!
Shabbat shalom,
