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Atlanta Reform Community Shabbat

07/19/2018 12:33:59 PM

Jul19

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

I used to live in a community where rabbis were pretty vocal about their dislike and distrust of other clergy people in town. Perhaps it is because there was such competition between rabbis and synagogues that the animus was rarely hidden, or perhaps it was just the culture of the community to have deep divides.

The stories of communities where Reform synagogues are antagonistic toward each other dominate the landscape. How wonderful, then, that Atlanta is not among them. Rather, our story is one of cooperation, collaboration, and celebration. The clergy in our Reform community (and, for the most part, across denominations as well!) routinely gather for fellowship, we turn to each other when we are in need of support; we lend a helping hand when another Reform rabbi in town needs resources or ideas or just to workshop a sermon or two.

This Friday night we have the opportunity to join together in sacred celebration with our annual Reform Community Shabbat service. Taking place at Temple Emanuel, every other synagogue – including ours – will be dark this Friday night and we will assemble as a great family in worship. It is a fantastic opportunity to realize that we really are a part of something special here in the greater A-T-L.

Please join at 6:00pm at Temple Emanu-El (1580 Spalding Dr, Sandy Springs, GA 30350) I look forward to seeing you there.

Shabbat Shalom

 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784