Blog

While Martin Luther King sat in a Birmingham jail, he penned a letter to his fellow clergy explaining why he thought it necessary to engage in civil disobedience. He criticized their vocal opposition to his efforts, saying that religion must serve the cause of justice rather than maintaining the status quo. In King’s lengthy “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” he wrote:

“But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from...Read more...

The more often and the more regularly we receive any blessing, the less likely we are to be aware of or fully appreciate it.  What is constantly granted is easily taken for granted.  “I have often thought,” Helen Keller wrote, “that it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during their adult life.  Darkness would make him more appreciative of light; silence would...Read more...

Celebrations are wonderful things, and even more special when they are richly deserved.

Lauren Mahady has been with the Temple Sinai Preschool as a music teacher since it first opened 35 years ago. She has used her considerable gifts generously and with patience, inspiring our youngest learners to find their way into music and to sing the timeless songs of our people. I, like so many parents, relished the days when my children would...Read more...

How could I not write about the Atlanta Braves and their World Series victory this week – it is such a source of excitement for Atlanta and for Braves fans everywhere!  Post-game analyses and other sports commentators have noted that in addition to the obvious talent of the players, the Braves’ unanticipated and truly spectacular victory can also be attributed to the excellent leadership and direction of Head Coach, Brian...Read more...

One of the things that is most striking about being back in the book of Genesis is how it centers on families-couples in particular. When we pray the words of Avot v’Imahot in every prayer service, we are reminded how God had a unique relationship with each generation introduced in Genesis: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Leah and Rachel. Each couple had its own strengths and challenges, and for each, God was present and part...Read more...

This week, we read one of the most well-known Torah Portions of all, the story of Noah’s Ark. This torah portion’s iconic images are hung on nursery walls, depicted on stained glass windows, and are framed in museums,  all across the world. The story of Noah is one that I think about all the time, so much so that we chose the name “Noah” as Rafi’s middle name. 

While there are many...Read more...

Friends,

No doubt many of us have heard about the recent acts of antisemitism that took place at Pope High School and Lassiter High School, both schools in Cobb County, and the disappointing response from the administration and the Cobb County School Board. Clergy colleagues in Marietta convened almost immediately, with Rabbi Larry Sernovitz (Temple Kol Emeth) meeting at length with the principal of Pope High School. Though the...Read more...

To Our Temple Sinai Congregational Family,

As has been our practice throughout the pandemic, we continue to evaluate Sinai’s health and safety protocols regarding Covid-19. Unquestionably, the significant rise in the number of positive cases and the resulting census in Metro Atlanta hospitals are alarming and a source of serious concern to us all.

Thus, as we prepare to usher in a New Year together, guided by the...Read more...

Practicing the music of the High Holy Days brings me in touch with its liturgy weeks before everyone comes into the sanctuary to offer the prayers and blessings of the season. I have been ruminating a lot over how God is represented in our machzor. During our Days of Awe, there are many references to God conjuring up human roles: the parent, the king, the Lord, the shepherd, the Judge. These metaphors are supposed to help us relate to the...Read more...

As in every year, we approach our Holy Day planning with a desire to create a meaningful and inspiring experience for the community with the health and safety of our congregants always front of mind. In light of present Covid conditions, we are attempting to make the best and most responsible decisions about this year’s Holy Day offerings, recognizing the considerable resources invested in each service and program.

Thus, previous...Read more...

It is rather difficult to stand simultaneously in two worlds.

On the one hand, this week found my social media feeds hijacked by – thank goodness – great news: lots and lots of back-to-school pictures. The smiling faces of these young people, some returning to in-person class for the first time since March 2020, are heartening indeed. They are pictures filled with hope, with promise, with excitement, as each of these...Read more...

This past Sunday Jews around the world observed Tisha B’Av. The ninth day of the month of Av is said to have been the date marking the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem and is a time of grief and mourning marked by fasting and chanting from the Book of Lamentations. Although many Reform Jews do not observe this day, it is a marker on the calendar worth noting as it sets up the following Shabbat known as Shabbat Nachamu, the...Read more...

A Talmudic verse in Pirkei Avot wisely counsels that one should not try to appease or placate a friend when they are at the height of anger. Fifteen hundred years ago, the sages of our tradition already understood that consuming anger impedes one’s ability to listen to reason and to act rationally. A lesson derived from words in this week’s Torah portion (Matot) in the book of Numbers further reinforces this timeless...Read more...

As we enter these long summer days, my mind drifts to one of the most common Jewish teachings: it is not incumbent upon you to finish the work, but nor are you free to desist from it. 

With our normal routines somewhat scattered, and as we enter into summer mode, perhaps we find ourselves a little more disconnected than usual. 

And while this summer recharging represents a...Read more...

What a difference a week makes!

Just one week ago, when our Shabbat to Shabbat was reaching your inbox, we formally dedicated our Lonnie Cooper Outdoor Chapel. A structure that is visually stunning and wonderfully inspiring, the moment of its dedication was accented by the setting of the sun…which made the space appear and feel even more incredible. It is exciting indeed to imagine what will happen in that space, at that place –...Read more...