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Everything You Need is in Your Heart

03/14/2024 01:41:39 PM

Mar14

Rabbi Sam Trief

I spent this last weekend at Family Camp hosted by the amazing organization PJ Library. Leading up to this weekend, however, anxiety plagued me. What were the sleeping arrangements for four families sharing a cabin? Would the kids even be able to sleep? How could we function without our normal routine? How are we going to survive two nights in a cabin with 8 kids under 6 years old? Reading this, you are probably sensing the...Read more...

Time is Sacred

03/04/2024 09:08:41 AM

Mar4

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

Nehama Leibowitz, among the great teachers of modern Judaism, posits a controversial thesis: that Judaism is more concerned with the holiness of time than the holiness of physicality and space. She argues that, when the Israelites built the golden calf (which we studied last week), they were in the midst of a faith emergency, feeling isolated and alone in the wilderness due to a 40-day stay atop Mt. Sinai featuring Moses and God. In the wake...Read more...

A World Filled With More Peace & Love

02/29/2024 08:47:49 AM

Feb29

Rabbi Sam Trief

Since October 7th, I’ve had a really hard time talking about anything other than Israel and antisemitism. Like many of you, I am consumed by the details, the intensity and the sadness of it all. 

Over the course of the past 5 months, when I have diverted my attention from Israel to other topics of conversation, I have felt as though I am betraying my people.  I have felt that given the world’s reaction to October 7th, it...Read more...

Accessibility for Belonging

02/21/2024 07:56:27 AM

Feb21

Beth Schafer

In Pirkei Avot, “Ben Azzai taught: Do not disdain any person. Do not underrate the importance of anything, for there is no person who does not have their hour, and there is no thing without its place in the sun.”

We spent an entire year studying what it means to “belong.” The four steps to belonging were identified as Noticed, Named, Known and Needed. But those are not enough. Accessibility is also key. Our Hineini committee...Read more...

Bring Them Home - Now!

02/12/2024 11:56:59 AM

Feb12

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

They have become ubiquitous, hanging around the necks of those who have visited Israel since October 7. They have replaced other time-honored keepsakes brought back as gifts, a poignant act of, at the same time, solidarity and critique. They were born out of frustration that the narrative of the hostages whom Hamas took on that terrible morning was being lost to the military campaign intended to eliminate Hamas and the network of tunnels that...Read more...

A Reflection of the Times

02/08/2024 09:01:42 AM

Feb8

Beth Schafer

When the world rejoices, the artist creates. When the world hurts, the artist creates. When the world sees despair, the artist creates, when the world is in awe, the artist creates. The artists’ creations of every age are a direct reflection of the world they inhabit. Every medium speaks to their times and influences one another. Some pieces are so poignant that they are timeless and ultimately speak to the broad themes of life that surface...Read more...

Who is Yitro?

02/01/2024 07:26:21 AM

Feb1

Rabbi Ron Segal

I have never been particularly good at reaching out to ask for help. Saving the psychoanalysis for another time, I have historically tried - often to my detriment - to handle things on my own. I’ve been reflecting upon this personal trait in light of this week’s Torah portion, Yitro.

Early in the parasha, we find Moses “holding court,” serving as the sole judge for the entire community and sitting from morning until evening...Read more...

Aleinu – Theme & Variations

01/24/2024 10:41:09 AM

Jan24

Beth Schafer

We know that when we hear the words, “Please rise for Aleinu,” we are nearing the end of a worship service. The Aleinu (translated as, “it is upon us”) is a punctuation mark, a culminating statement for just having prayed an entire service, that states, “It is upon us to praise God.” From my very “Glatt-Reform” childhood days, I remember us singing these words in English. “Let us adore the ever-living God and render praise...Read more...

Rabbi Ron Segal's Sabbatical Leave

01/16/2024 01:23:55 PM

Jan16

Rabbi Ron Segal

Dear Friends,

Three different times in the Torah, we encounter passages about the observance of a Sabbatical year, the commandment to let the land lay fallow every seventh year. For thousands of years, there has been an understanding that for the land to maintain its productivity, allowing time for it to rejuvenate is essential. For similar reasons, over time the concept of a sabbatical was extended to include tenured professors and...Read more...

Hold Fast to Core Values

01/10/2024 12:49:27 PM

Jan10

Rabbi Ron Segal

During my brief time in Israel last month as part of a rabbinic solidarity mission, several people with whom we met shared a version of the following message: “Thank you for coming; your presence here means more than we can express, especially as we know you are now battling a second front of this war in the States.” They were referring, of course, to the explosion of virulent expressions of antisemitism now rampant on college campuses,...Read more...

2023 Wynne Award Winner Allison Levy

01/08/2024 12:35:27 AM

Jan8

Allison Levy

This past summer I was able to be a part of the URJ Camp Coleman counselor-in-training program. It was one of the best experiences of my entire life. I have been going to sleepaway camp for more than half my life so when Camp Coleman...Read more...

The Love Language of Music

01/04/2024 08:01:47 AM

Jan4

Beth Schafer

In 1992, the minister Gary Chapman wrote the popular book The Five Love Languages documenting the ways in which most romantic partners feel loved by one another. If you are not familiar, they are words of affirmation, gifts, quality time, physical touch, and acts of service. Each of our love languages might be different. Knowing how your partner feels loved is key to a fulfilling relationship.

I’m not just saying this because...Read more...

There Are Brighter Days Ahead

12/26/2023 09:00:39 AM

Dec26

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

This week we approach both the start of a New Year and a new book of Torah, for we begin our encounter with Shemot, or the Book of Exodus. There are indeed some eerily similarities between the narration found in sacred scripture and the space in which we find ourselves at the twilight of 2023. Consider:

We find our Israelite ancestors dealing with the darkness of slavery, having been enslaved for some 400 years. We, too, enter into...Read more...

Vayigash: And He Approached 

12/20/2023 09:25:37 AM

Dec20

Rabbi Sam Trief

Perhaps you have heard this famous maxim from the Talmud: “if you save one life, it is as if you have saved the entire world.” A corollary to that is also true in Jewish thought: if you comfort one life, it is as if you comforted the entire world.

This week, the Sinai community fulfilled this mission. When faced with the insurmountable task of addressing the magnitude of the October 7th massacre and its aftermath, we embraced this...Read more...

Light Beyond Chanukah

12/14/2023 08:03:45 AM

Dec14

Beth Schafer

Somehow this Chanukah seemed more solemn than usual and the light more precious. While our homes and our windows were illumined with the lights of the Chanukiyot, the world around us has darkened, become heavier and more divided, more unsure.

I had a few opportunities over this Chanukah to sing Peter Yarrow’s (of Peter, Paul and Mary) “Light One Candle.” It was written as a response to the Lebanon war in 1982. More than any time...Read more...

Bringing Some Light to Israel

12/07/2023 07:17:48 AM

Dec7

Rabbi Ron Segal

Throughout these past two months since the terrorist attacks of October 7, we have endeavored to infuse a sense of Israeli spirit, pride, and staunch support into every realm of Sinai life. Informative conversations and classes, speakers, dignitaries, and presentations, solidarity services, special prayers for this difficult time in Jewish life, tzedakah collections, podcasts, articles, rabbinic columns, sermons, outreach to our students, and...Read more...

A Musical Love Letter to Israel from Atlanta

11/29/2023 08:12:50 AM

Nov29

Beth Schafer

We have all felt the power and sense of unity when we sing together. In that spirit, we thought that the city of Atlanta could send a gesture of love and support during this time of crisis and war to the State of Israel in the form of music.

While the words “Am...Read more...

Italian Jewish Community

11/17/2023 09:26:33 AM

Nov17

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

Of the many opportunities afforded that make Temple Sinai an incredible congregation at which to work, that of global travel ranks toward the top of the list. In the 18 years that I have served as one of your rabbis, I have had the great joy of traveling locally with our youth to New York, Alabama, Charleston, Los Angeles, and Cincinnati, and I have traveled with adults and families internationally to Israel multiple times as well exploring...Read more...

Where Are You Getting Information?

11/16/2023 08:04:00 AM

Nov16

Beth Schafer

There is a midrash about a businessman who was adversely affected by gossip that had been spread about him. His rabbi heard about the incident and went to confront the man who spread the gossip in the first place. The gossiper asked the rabbi, “Couldn’t I easily just share another story and fix the problem?” The gossiper was surprised that just a little talk had created such a big problem for the businessman. The rabbi wanted to...Read more...

We Are One People

11/07/2023 12:40:19 PM

Nov7

Rabbi Ron Segal

Two thousand years ago the ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch (1st cen) wrote that the ship of the Athenian hero Theseus, long after his death, was kept in pristine condition by the people of Athens for centuries. Whenever a board decayed it was replaced, until eventually, nothing in the ship was original; every stick of wood had been replaced. This prompted Plutarch to ask, “Is it still the ship of Theseus, or is it a new one?”  A...Read more...

The World Needs Goodness of All Kinds

11/01/2023 09:31:02 AM

Nov1

Beth Schafer

As world events unfold and we find ourselves living in a heightened antisemitic world, we can easily become paralyzed; feeling fearful and isolated, not knowing who our friends are and with whom we can feel safe.

I feel fortunate to participate in the Sandy Springs Interfaith Clergy Association (SSICA), a group of spiritual leaders from Sandy Springs who meet once a month for lunch to discuss the needs and challenges of our community...Read more...

Bring Them Back

10/25/2023 01:09:57 PM

Oct25

Rabbi Sam Trief

In the Torah verse made famous by Jewish singer and songwriter Debbie Friedman z”l, God says to Abraham: “Lech Lecha - to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).

Many have interpreted this verse as a teaching to listen to our spirits, to explore new places and to journey into the unknown. Our understanding of this piece of Torah often encourages us to leave home. But as I study the verse now, all I can think about are the...Read more...

Take Care, Stay Safe and Know that You’re Loved

10/18/2023 10:38:10 AM

Oct18

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

In a remarkable demonstration of solidarity, Masoud Sedghi, owner of Aldo’s of Italy in Sandy Springs, has donated a multi-dish dinner for 150 people to Temple Sinai for use as a fundraiser for Israel. The buffet-style dinner will start at 6:30 pm this Sunday night (October 22). You can register by clicking here.

The idea for this fundraiser came from Masoud, an Iranian, who was sickened by the actions of Hamas on October 7. He...Read more...

Temple Sinai Stands with Israel: Resources for Our Community

10/16/2023 08:17:28 AM

Oct16

Temple Sinai Clergy

Dear Friends and Members of our Temple Sinai Community,

Our spirits are distraught and confidence unsettled as we watch the unfolding events in Israel in disbelief. The gravity and dimension of loss, destruction, and terrorism wrought by Hamas against Israeli citizens and soldiers are inconceivable and heartbreaking. As of this writing, over 700 Israelis have been murdered, the vast majority civilians. Over 2000 Israelis lie wounded,...Read more...

Am Yisrael Chai

10/12/2023 07:33:23 AM

Oct12

Rabbi Ron Segal

It was last Thursday, only seven days ago, that our community was preparing to gather in support of Israel Bonds and in celebration of Rabbis Sam and Natan Trief together with renowned author and Israeli chef, Adeena Sussman. Conversations about Israel continued the next day at lunch as we welcomed local Israeli-American Amit Mayer to our sukkah for an informative conversation about the current status of proposed changes to Israel’s...Read more...

This Year's Torah

10/05/2023 08:41:24 AM

Oct5

Beth Schafer

Coming off of our Holy Days, having been launched into a New Year with a clean slate, how perfect it is that we also begin again the reading of Torah. This annual cycle of reading from creation to redemption to revelation through the five books mirrors how we, too, move through life.

We are creators. Genesis reminds us that we are our life’s designers. Every time we speak or send a text or an email, every time we choose to do...Read more...

Cherish Life & Celebrate the Light

09/28/2023 07:24:30 AM

Sep28

Rabbi Sam Trief

“Shabbat is a state of mind, the togetherness, the conversation, the ritual of the dinner—that’s the centerpiece. People are looking for safe and soft landing spots these days.”

This beautiful reflection on Shabbat was written by best-selling author and chef, and all-around incredible person, Adeena Sussman, in a recent Wall Street Journal Article linked here.

And, ain’t that the truth? So...Read more...

G'mar Chatimah Tovah

09/18/2023 08:33:30 AM

Sep18

Temple Sinai Clergy

As Yom Kippur, the holiest day on our calendar, approaches, we, your clergy team, are filled with humility and gratitude for the privilege of guiding you on this sacred journey of discovery and spiritual renewal. Yom Kippur is a time of deep reflection, introspection, and reconciliation – a day when we turn our hearts towards God and seek forgiveness for our shortcomings.

In the year that has passed since last we assembled for this...Read more...

All of Us Standing Together

09/06/2023 02:31:37 PM

Sep6

Beth Schafer

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Nitzavim, is so powerful it is read both on this Shabbat and on Yom Kippur. The scene is dramatic. Moses standing atop Mount Nebo giving his final sermon to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land without him. He re-affirms the covenant God made with our patriarchs and matriarchs and says “I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here...Read more...

What is a Culture of Belonging?

08/30/2023 10:11:03 AM

Aug30

Rabbi Ron Segal

Temple Sinai is engaged in a congregation-wide initiative that invites our entire membership to participate in a deep, and fascinating, exploration of what we are calling our Culture of Belonging (CoB).  Together we are seeking to understand what makes people feel connected to our synagogue community today and how we can evolve to sustain and deepen that connection in the years ahead. 

Why?

It...Read more...

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784