Shabbat Together is both a state of mind AND an exciting initiative of Temple Emanu-El. Shabbat Together reaches out to Jews in their 20s and 30s in the north-Atlanta area for a Shabbat dinner experience with me and Rabbi Max. Last week, Rabbi Max and I brought in Shabbat with ten other young Jews at a home in Dunwoody. As everyone began to arrive, we gathered in the kitchen where people got to know one another, poured a glass of wine, and noshed on some appetizers. In the tradition of Shabbat Together, we formally began the evening with a moment of gratitude. We passed out quarters and invited each person to share something they were thankful for from last Shabbat to this Shabbat before placing the money into the tzedakah box. We all became closer at that moment as couples (who didn’t necessarily know one another) shared how they were thankful for their spouse after a hard week of work, that their mother received positive news about her health, that they were thankful to finally … [Read more...]