Message From The Rabbi

Rabbi Spike Anderson

Dear Temple Emanu-El,

This Wednesday night, we begin Yom Kippur with Kol Nidre, and then for the next 24 hours, we engage in the traditional practices of prayer, fasting, and intense...Read more...

Rabbi Max Miller

Where we find meaning might be different from where we find joy. We may be happy when we watch football on TV, but I doubt we derive any existential purpose by yelling at the TV. The real question is, “What gives your life purpose?” Maybe we feel a sense of...Read more...

Rabbi Max Miller

Last Rosh HaShanah, one of the habits I wanted to change about myself was my pleasure reading. In the year before, I read very few (zero) books just for fun. Meaning, all of the books I read were academic Jewish books or professional journal articles. This is...Read more...

Rabbi Max Miller

On Sunday, we kicked off the new year at Temple Emanu-El’s Diamond Family Religious School. This is a big deal. We welcomed over 600 parents and children into the building. Our enrollment...Read more...

Rabbi Spike Anderson

This coming Friday night, we are elevating a wonderful tradition here at Temple Emanu-El, one that is likely to bring tears of joy to everyone in the Sanctuary. 

The Hebrew date of...Read more...

Rabbi Spike Anderson

In Judaism, what do you think is a higher ‘spiritual’ activity: Worship or Study?

The answer, according to our Sages, is that they are equal.

Think...Read more...

Rabbi Spike Anderson

As you know, our Temple Emanu-El community continues to put tremendous effort into finding interfaith dialogue partners to promote understanding and create bridges.  Post October 7th, this effort has become one of our...Read more...

Rabbi Max Miller

Last week, I went to Camp Barney Medintz with Rabbi Rachael, our DFRS director, Beth Blick, and our rabbinical intern, Sydney Levy. This is always a trip we look forward to. Even though...Read more...

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Rabbi Max Miller

Today is still Shavuot—at least until sunset. While it’s one of the Torah’s major festivals, Shavuot often feels like the quietest. There’s no seder plate, no shofar, no sukkah. And we’re not the first to notice.

Two thousand years ago, after...Read more...

Rabbi Max MIller

The old saying is that Judaism has a blessing for everything: food, rainbows, mornings and evenings, and many, many more. It should come as no surprise that we also have a blessing for...Read more...

Rabbi Spike Anderson

This past Thursday morning, I attended the National Day of Prayer breakfast hosted by Dunwoody Baptist Church.  It was a lovely morning, with DBC congregants, local dignitaries, and interfaith leaders in...Read more...

Rabbi Max Miller

Every ancient culture in the world has or had sacred rites to become an adult. Some civilizations sent their young people into the wilderness on a spirit quest. Other communities taught...Read more...

Rabbi Spike Anderson

You may remember me telling you earlier in the year about the conversation I had with my son, Moses, as we drove by Cornerstone Church and saw them proudly flying the American AND Israeli flag from their front...Read more...

Rabbi Spike Anderson

As we approach Passover, I want to bring your attention to something that is really worth noting about the Jewish story, and the lessons it brings us.

We Jews were slaves in Egypt for more...Read more...