Rabbi Ron Segal
With the academic year behind us and the summer months ahead, I want to let our Sinai community know that I have the tremendous privilege of taking some time away for sabbatical during the next several weeks.
The concept of Sabbatical is rooted in Torah, where, in three different passages, we read of the commandment to allow the land to rest every seventh year. Our biblical ancestors understood that, for the land to retain its greatest potential for productivity, it was necessary to allow time for rest and rejuvenation. Although the sabbatical’s origin concerned agriculture (and is still observed in Israel and other places around the world), the underlying truth – rest enhances productivity – unquestionably has application in our lives as well. In much the same way that Shabbat offers a day each week to unplug and cease from our labors, a sabbatical from work provides an important and restorative period of time in which to unwind and disconnect from congregational responsibilities, a time for spiritual and emotional renewal, study, and recreation.
As such, please note that I will be away on sabbatical leave from Thursday, June 11, through Monday, August 3. As I will not be checking email or voicemail during this period of time, please direct any questions concerning my personal schedule and/or future appointments to Rachel DeLine at rdeline@templesinaiatlanta.org. Should there be an emergency requiring my attention, Rachel will know how to reach me. And, of course, with the exception of any personal vacations they have scheduled during the coming weeks, Brad, Sam, and Beth remain available for any matters that need clergy assistance.
I have been sincerely enriched by each sabbatical I have taken through the years, and I similarly look forward to returning to work feeling reinvigorated and energized for the year ahead. I am sincerely grateful to our congregational leadership for this invaluable and precious gift of time.
Wishing you a summer replete with the blessings of good health and peace,
Rabbi Ron Segal
