Blog

It is beshert (meant to be) that the story of our enslavement and redemption from slavery in Torah fall around the time of our national observation and celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life. There are so many parallels in these stories. Both the Jewish people and our African American brothers and sisters have borrowed songs and texts from one another throughout American history to expose the harshness of slavery, to capture the hope...Read more...

It is a great joy to officially be back at Temple Sinai after three months of parental leave. It was a weird 3 months; the days were both very long and very short.

One of the more challenging days of parental leave was the day that our puppy Huck was hit by a car. Huck was horribly wounded and needed emergency surgery. To complicate the situation, my husband was headed out of town that evening. I suddenly found myself alone, with a...Read more...

The start of a new year brings with it an opportunity to start over, to rededicate ourselves to that which is most important in our lives; to remind ourselves that we can free ourselves of the burdensome patterns that tend to overtake us. We can start fresh, adopting new patterns, dedicating ourselves with intentionality to people and pursuits that help us to fill our days with meaning.

I’ve been having conversations lately with a...Read more...

To our boys we say, “May you be like Ephraim and Menashe,” and to our girls we say, “May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.” These are the traditional blessings we give our children on Shabbat. Why Ephraim and Menashe? Why not Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? In this week’s Torah portion we read about the end of Jacob’s life and how he blesses his children and even his grandchildren, Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Menashe....Read more...

It is at this point of the year that nightfall seems to come ever earlier and grow progressively darker with each passing day.  This year, though, it similarly - and alarmingly – strikes me that many parts of our country and world are also experiencing a kind of darkness that seems to intensify with each passing day.  Thus, I’ve been awaiting with even greater anticipation than usual the arrival of this year’s Chanukah season...Read more...

I just returned from a vacation in Barcelona. It is a magical city rich with art, architecture and music that I greatly enjoyed. One afternoon, we wound through the gothic streets to the old Jewish quarter where there is a Jewish museum. This museum was small - two rooms not much bigger than my office. Originating in the 6th century, the Ancient Synagogue in Barcelona is the oldest in Spain and one of only five medieval synagogues that exist...Read more...

It is hard to put into words how many of us feel following a weekend in which we witnessed the most lethal act of anti-Semitism in the history of the United States. The tragic mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh finds us searching for words to find comfort amidst the shock, to offer consolation to others amidst our own mourning, and to find healing while we feel so...Read more...

I love hearing about the “good old days” when it only took 30 minutes to drive 4 miles in Atlanta. Granted, those days date back a century or so, and I believe our recollection of the days when Atlanta was not as burdened with traffic are, in part, a bit of revisionist history. But it is not the recollection that stays with me, it is the context of the comment: often the line comes amidst a more lengthy conversation about the traffic and...Read more...

What’s the deal with Shemini Atzeret?

Early autumn is often referred to as the Jewish Calendar’s “busy season.”  In communities around the world, there are a myriad of ways we celebrate and commemorate during this time of year.

Perhaps our favorite Yom Kippur prayer is still buzzing in our ears,  or the taste of apples and honey is still on our tongues. The air at Sinai is filled with the sweet scent of...Read more...

Due to Hurricane Florence, we know there are many who have either sought or are seeking refuge in our community. If anyone you know has been displaced by this hurricane, we invite them to worship with us for Shabbat as well as for Yom Kippur as our guest, after which all are encouraged to break-the-fast with one of our Temple Sinai families or at the synagogue upon the conclusion of services.  Should any individuals seeking refuge from...Read more...

In the past two weeks, our nation has bid farewell to two iconic figures Aretha Franklin and John McCain. Both with voices that stirred people, they lived boldly. Both survived hardships beyond what most of us will ever have to confront. We have seen biography after biography, clip after clip of the famed R&B musician and the esteemed senator. What extraordinary lives they indeed lived.

Judaism teaches that death often times helps...Read more...

There is a story about three people working the same job, and someone approaches and asks each of them the question: "What are you doing?" “I’m making a living,” says one. “I’m dragging heavy stone,” says another. Finally, the third says, “I’m building a cathedral." It was only the third worker who grasped the ultimate human meaning of the task at hand. Often, we can find ourselves engaging in tasks, and yet forgetting the...Read more...

As you undoubtedly know by now, 2018 is a significant year for Temple Sinai as we continue celebrating our 50th anniversary. As we commemorate this moment in our congregation’s life, we take great pride and experience much joy as we reflect upon the many individuals who have offered their time and talents as members of our Temple Sinai staff family and as teachers of our students.

Both of these groups have contributed greatly...Read more...

I used to live in a community where rabbis were pretty vocal about their dislike and distrust of other clergy people in town. Perhaps it is because there was such competition between rabbis and synagogues that the animus was rarely hidden, or perhaps it was just the culture of the community to have deep divides.

The stories of communities where Reform synagogues are antagonistic toward each other dominate the landscape. How...Read more...

With Hamilton’s tour recently in Atlanta, my Facebook Newsfeed filled with dozens of people at the show. As a result, the Hamilton playlist has made it back to the top of my listening list.

As I drove up to Lake Lanier yesterday, on the 4th of July, the words from the...Read more...