Thanksgiving Week
11/22/2024 12:01:51 PM
In our family, whether on Shabbat, for birthday celebrations, or secular holidays, we always begin our meal with the tzedakah box....Read more...
Uncommon Kindness
11/18/2024 09:38:39 AM
Rabbi Max Miller
We expect common courtesy as we go about our day: holding the door for someone, greeting a colleague with a hello, or asking about someone’s day. These little acts of kindness are important, but we would be hard-pressed to suggest that someone goes above and...Read more...
A Life of Service
11/11/2024 08:39:22 AM
Rabbi Max Miller
Today, we honor our veterans—our fellow citizens who answered the call of duty. These brave women and men have sacrificed years of their lives in service to our country. While the words “Thank you for your service” are appropriate, they don’t fully...Read more...
Suggestion for a fantastic book…
11/01/2024 02:43:17 PM
Rabbi Spike Anderson
Sometimes, congregants will ask their rabbis “what are you reading these days…and is it any good?” I’m always happy to share, and I’m also curious about what other people are reading that they love.
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The Gates Have Closed but the Doors are Open
10/28/2024 09:30:23 AM
As of Simchat Torah, the Gates of Repentance have officially closed, but the doors of the synagogue remain wide...Read more...
Marking Time
10/18/2024 11:52:11 AM
Our Rabbinic Sage by the memorable name of Ben Bag Bag, used to say, “Turn it, and turn it, for everything is therein.”* Meaning, “Study the Torah, then study it again, because we always have...Read more...
A Time to Hold Two Truths
10/11/2024 11:11:29 AM
By now, members of the Brotherhood have assembled Temple Emanu-El’s new sukkah Perhaps you, too, are in the process of assembling a sukkah for the holiday, eagerly awaiting the chance to welcome guests...Read more...
From Morning to Mourning
10/07/2024 10:32:43 AM
The morning of October 7th, 2023 was Simchat Torah. Now, the date and the holiday are forever linked to the massacre of Israelis who were waking up at Grandma’s house at the kibbutz, dancing through the dawn at Nova, or just starting their day with cereal and cartoons. One...Read more...
A Clean New Year
09/30/2024 09:44:49 AM
This past year has been like Groundhog Day, and we’re all Bill Murray reliving the same 24 hours over and again. I hope this Rosh HaShanah will be the beginning of a new day. The prayers of the High Holy Days call upon us to reflect on our past actions so that we can leave our...Read more...
Selichot Under The Stars!
09/19/2024 04:36:43 PM
Want to do something really cool…and meaningful?
Saturday night, September 28th, we are going to have our Selichot service outside, under the stars. Selichot is what I call ‘the...Read more...
All Dressed in White
09/13/2024 11:25:26 AM
Rabbi Rachael Miller
Imagine standing in a polyester robe from shoulders down to your ankles for hours on end. That used to be what Reform clergy did all of the time. Thankfully, this practice...Read more...
God as Ocean...or pond?
09/06/2024 12:15:01 PM
Rabbi Spike Anderson
One of the theological assumptions is that God is everywhere.
However, our rabbis saw in this statement an inherent contradiction. If God is everywhere, how can...Read more...
You, yes YOU +2
08/29/2024 09:04:44 AM
Rabbi Rachael Miller
My phone buzzes a lot during the day. One of the main sources of the buzzing are news alerts from Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, i24 News, and the Times of Israel. If I’m not in a...Read more...
The Jews of Sandy Springs
08/23/2024 10:15:40 AM
Rabbi Spike Anderson
For seven years now I have the honor of being one of the volunteer Chaplains for the Sandy Springs Police Department. It is a large department of over 150 officers, with only three being Jews; however, since Sandy...Read more...
"Listen up, Jews..."
08/16/2024 12:20:41 PM
Rabbi Spike Anderson
This past Shabbat we read the Torah portion of Vaetchanan from the book of Deuteronomy, in which we encounter the famous words of the prayer that we know as the Shema.
“Shema...Read more...
Par Excellence
08/09/2024 01:47:57 PM
Rabbi Max Miller
Temple Emanu-El is a big place (and growing!). That said, feeling at home in a large community can be a challenge sometimes. Fortunately, we are blessed with dedicated congregants who...Read more...
“No Such Thing As An Atheist in the Foxhole”
08/02/2024 12:43:24 PM
Rabbi Spike Anderson
I’m going to point something out to you that you will never unsee again.
On every flight I’ve ever taken to Israel, everyone applauds when the plane lands in Tel...Read more...
A Prayer for…
07/26/2024 01:56:11 PM
Rabbi Spike Anderson
I am back from Sabbatical, back in the country, and back in the office (gladly!).
What a strange juxtaposition to personally feel a sense of wholeness and revitalization, even as the world...Read more...
We're going on a vacation trip.
07/19/2024 01:31:57 PM
Rabbi Max Miller
In our family the words, trip and vacation have very different meanings. Going on a trip involves itineraries, plans, even reservations. On the other hand, a vacation is when you book a...Read more...
An Israeli in the House
07/12/2024 11:42:52 AM
If you haven’t had the pleasure of interacting with the Shinshinim or Shlichim who come to Atlanta, let me tell you a little bit about them.
Shinshinim are recent Israeli high school...Read more...
This is the last Thursday KQ!
07/12/2024 10:54:08 AM
Yes, you read that correctly. Today is the final edition of the Thursday Kesher Quick email.
Over the last few months,...Read more...