Torah Commentary with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal – Parshat Tzav

Posted on by Damon Fonooni

Torah Commentary with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

Parshat Tzav
Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

By Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

The current conversation about God circles around belief. Does a person believe in God? This is where we often begin the conversation. Do you BELIEVE in God? There is nothing wrong about asking that question but it's not a question we often ask regarding to other relationships. I wouldn't start with that question if I were inquiring about your friends and family. Do you believe in your parent or your spouse? If I was to ask such a question, it would probably be an exploration about their honesty or some aspect of their life goals. I wouldn't be using this question to ask about their existence. That would be weird. However, this is where we begin with God.

For the sages and rabbis thousands of years ago, they seemed to be obsessed with a different question. Are you close to God? For the texts and writings that they left behind (i.e. the Torah, Bible, Talmud, etc.) God is assumed. Our Torah doesn't bother to introduce us to the divine being that would be joining us through our spiritual journey. Instead, God just was, and God's speech brought the universe into being.

Throughout the book of Leviticus, we explore the ancient ritual of animal sacrifice along with the rites and rituals which would develop into the service of God that existed in the Jerusalem Temple for roughly 800 years. The Hebrew word that is translated as sacrifice is Korban – קָרְבָּן. Unfortunately, this might be the most poorly translated word in the entire Hebrew Bible. The word, Korban comes from the root which means, "to draw close." The goal of our patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible and other religious texts wasn't to "make sacrifices" to God, offering some sort of quid pro quo. Instead, the goal of these efforts was to bring God close, creating a relationship where God was present amid the people.

I don't fault the modern mind for seeking answers about God's existence. To my mind, the question about belief in God is still connected to the earlier question about closeness. Today, many of us feel that God is so remote and distant, that we wonder if God is even out there. My suggestion is that we reframe the question away from belief and towards closeness. Are you close to God? The answer might be a resounding no. However, by framing the question on a spectrum of distance rather than absolute categories of Yes or No, we afford ourselves the opportunity to return to the question throughout our life's journey and make assessments about our closeness or distance from God and God's closeness to us.

MaNishma with Rabbi Arnold Goodman – Purim 5782

Posted on by Damon Fonooni

MaNishma with Rabbi Arnold Goodman

Purim 5782
La'et Kazot - For a Time Such as This

By Rabbi Arnold Goodman

Mordecai… to Esther… 'if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come from another quarter, while you and your father's house will perish; and who knows, perhaps you have attained royal position la'et kazot, for a time such as this…" (Book of Esther 4: 14).

There is a tide in the affairs of men which
taken at the flood,
leads on to fortune,
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and misery
(Julius Caesar, Act IV, Sc 3)

It's the make-or-break moment in the Purim saga. Mordecai has informed Esther of Haman's intention to attack and destroy the entire Jewish community of Persia/Medea. The date had been chosen, and the edict had been transmitted to all corners of the vast 127 nation empire.

Mordecai has now petitioned Esther to intercede with the King to annul the evil decree. Esther responds that she has not been summoned to Ahasureus for over thirty days, and it is common knowledge that approaching the throne without permission is punishable by death. She is understandably reluctant to risk her life. Mordecai bitterly reprimands her, "If you are silent at this moment you and your father's house will also be consumed in this far reaching genocidal action, and who knows but la'et kazot it is for this moment that you have attained the crown." Esther accepts Mordecai's criticism, and she sets into motion the deliverance of her people.

La'et kazot: there are always moments in which we must choose whether to act or to sit on our hands. Ukraine is an unfolding and ever deepening humanitarian crisis; the Russian onslaught continues to fbesiege cities and target civilian centers including hospitals. It is estimated over two million refugees, in large part women and children, have thankfully found shelter in neighboring countries primarily Poland and Romania. In addition to humanitarian aid from the United States and Western Europe, the call has gone out for private funding, and the outpouring of support has been amazing. For people of conscience this is a La'et kazot moment.

In 1900 my maternal grandparents with their two children (one of whom was my mother) emigrated to the United States from Ukraine where Jews eked out a livelihood while constantly aware of latent and overt anti-Semitism. That Ukraine has morphed into the democratic State now headed by its courageous Jewish President, Volodymyr Zelensky.

To paraphrase Mordecai, is it inconceivable that we are blessed with financial capability to have the capacity to respond to difficult humanitarian crises? Local Jewish Federations are among the agencies collecting the much-needed funds, and la'et kazot – may we be equal to the demands of this moment.

—

From the holy city of Jerusalem my fondest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and a Purim Sameach, a joyous celebration of the wonderful holiday.

Schmooze and News at AA

Posted on by Damon Fonooni
Schmooze and News at AA

Special Messages

Messages from Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal and Gail Solomon (mAAc Chair)

Shabbat Corner

Candle Lighting: 7:29 p.m.
Shabbat Evening Service: 6:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Shabbat Morning Service: 9:30 a.m. (Zoom)
Mincha/Ma'ariv/Havdallah Service: 7:30 p.m. (Zoom)
Conclusion of Shabbat: 8:14 p.m.
Torah Parsha: Tzav – Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Haftara: Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-23
Torah Commentary with Rabbi Rosenthal
Parshat Tzav
MaNishma with Rabbi Goodman
Purim 5782 – La'et Kazot – For a Time Such as This
Parsha Video of the Week (~8 min)
Parshat Tzav – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Bible Video of the Week (~30 min)
Esther – A Very Dirty Book – Dr. Richard Elliot Friedman

Feel-Good News

Mazal Tov to Sarah Berlin on turning 108! Friends and family gathered last weekend to celebrate her upcoming birthday on Friday, March 25.

Events

Arlington Cemetery Info Session

Sun, Mar 20 @ 11 a.m.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg – "I Dissent" with mAAc

Mon, Mar 21 @ 7:30 p.m.
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Harmony Workshop with Kol Sasson

Wed, Mar 23 @ 6:15-8 p.m.
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Sisterhood Donor Event: Virtual Tour of Paris - Paris from the Comfort of Your Living Room

Sun, Mar 27 @ 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Virtual
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Atlanta Chamber Players Concert

Sun, Mar 27 @ 3-5 p.m.
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Naomi's Book Club

Mon, Apr 4 @ 10:15 a.m.
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Shoreshim Grand Prix

Sun, Apr 10 @ 12:30-2:30 p.m.
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IKEA Scavenger Hunt with Machar and Kadima

Sun, Apr 10 @ 1-3 p.m.
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mAAc Meets: Movie Discussion - Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel

Mon, Apr 18 @ 7:30 p.m.
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Congregational Retreat - In Person Together Again

Friday, May 6-8, 2022 | 4 p.m. | Camp Ramah Darom
More >>

For more events, please visit our events calendar.

View Calendar

Other Things Happening at AA

This coming High Holidays, we will be switching from the the Machzor Hadash to the Lev Shalem Machzor! This new machzor, put out by the Conservative movement, is a huge improvement over the past movement machzorim. In addition to being nicely laid out and formatted, it has a modernized translation with more inclusive God language and transliteration for most of the commonly sung pieces of the liturgy, making it more accessible to use for all our congregants. A well-used siddur or machzor is like a trusted friend–it accompanies us through the ups and downs of our life's journey. While we know that it may be sad to say goodbye to the old machzor, we hope that this new machzor will open up the liturgy for you and deepen your experience of prayer and transformation on the Holidays.
 
Each regular copy is $40. Pulpit editions, which are printed in larger font, are available for $60 each. We encourage you to purchase a book for yourself AND a copy for the synagogue. Each congregational book will include a bookplate honoring the purchaser, and each personal copy will include a bookplate with the owner's name. Orders will be accepted through Friday, April 8.
 

We are grateful for your continued support, patience, and fortitude as our community, country and world move through one of the most challenging times in modern history. With the guidance of the Center of Disease Control's (CDC) latest guidelines, we are sharing with you our updated protocols which will allow our synagogue building and community to live up to its traditional name, a Beit Knesset (A House of Gathering). Effective today, Friday, March 11, the following changes to our safety protocols will be in effect for our worship, cultural events, adult learning, and business meetings:

  • Fully vaccinated adults (16 years old and above) and individuals who have fully recovered from a documented COVID-19 infection in the last six months may attend indoor activities with or without a mask.
  • If you are not vaccinated or have not recovered from a COVID-19 infection in the last six months (natural immunity), we invite you to use our virtual platform to participate with our community.
  • If you are immunocompromised, a high-risk individual, or spend time around others who are, we encourage you to continue the use of masks when attending synagogue functions.
  • For programs that share spaces with kids under five years old, including Family Shabbat, Kesher, and holiday celebrations, we will continue to require masks while inside the building for all attendees. We will always strive for outdoor gatherings for these communities whenever the weather cooperates.

We are hopeful that we are in the final stages of this pandemic, and we can continue to go from strength to strength (Hazak, Hazak, vNet'hazek). As we slowly reemerge from these difficult two years, there will be anxiety, concern, and caution. We anticipate some people will continue to wear masks. It is understandable to still be nervous about removing our masks indoors. Whatever choice you make regarding masks, we ask that, in the spirit of the cohesive and empathetic community that we are, you respect the choices that others make, even if you disagree with them. We will be monitoring the CDC recommendations carefully and will continue to adjust as we know more; this might mean that we revert to more stringent protocols if guidance changes. We appreciate your understanding, support, and patience as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times.

A joint committee representing AA Synagogue and The Temple, consisting of Betsy Teplis, Ivan Millender, Janice Rothschild Blumberg, Emilie Posner Haas, and Sperry Wilder (a tour guide at Oakland since 1999) has been formed to collect and compile your most relevant family history of those family members buried in Oakland Cemetery. Please note we are not soliciting funds for this project. It is voluntary. The information will be included on the tours of the AA and Temple sections in Oakland Cemetery and archived at the Breman Museum. We appreciate your participation in this worthwhile project. Please submit a brief synopsis of your interesting family history, hopefully by year-end, via email to Ivan Millender (ivanmillender@earthlink.net) or postal mail (addressed to the Synagogue – 600 Peachtree Battle Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30327). We look forward to your response. Thanks in advance for your help and participation! – Betsy, Ivan, Janice, Emilie, and Sperry
We're excited to announce that the Sisterhood Directory is now available digitally on our website! The following password is required to access the directory contents: Sisterhood21. We ask that you please refrain from sharing the password with those outside our congregation. The directory can be accessed through the Sisterhood webpage or by clicking here.
Do you know an AA congregant who is in the hospital or infirm? We are concerned about loved ones and friends who are in the hospital or infirm. Although our synagogue office remains closed, we are still working and would like to connect with you, especially in regards to pastoral care. If you have information about friends or family in the hospital or other care facilities, please contact Rabbi Rosenthal (lrosenthal@aasynagogue.org) directly. We always appreciate the opportunity to speak with anyone in need and offer support in any way we can.

We are excited to move forward in aligning Ahavath Achim with United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism's (USCJ) membership section of Standards for Congregational Practice: "We celebrate diversity among and within our synagogues and encourage the engagement of all those who seek a spiritual and communal home in an authentic and dynamic Jewish setting." Most of us have or know Jewish families with loved ones of other faiths. Embracing these families will allow us not only to support their Jewish growth and identity with AA, it will also help them create a Jewish home of their own. To this end, we will soon be introducing proposed changes to our by-laws.

We are in need of an online gabbai to help us deepen our Shabbat morning hybrid service experience. This opportunity will be facilitated from the comfort of your in-home "sanctuary." We seek somebody who can welcome our Zoom participants and invite selected individuals to participate in the service with honors like online aliyah to the Torah, English readings, etc. This position requires the use of the Zoom chat feature, computer camera, and a smiling, outgoing personality. Detailed instructions and training will be provided. We are looking for several individuals to create a monthly rotation. If you are interested, please contact Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal (lrosenthal@aasynagogue.org).
We have so many wonderful activities at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, from communal to spiritual to social action. The Membership Committee is requesting your help in asking others to come WITH you to any/all synagogue events! Share how many wonderful things are going on at AA with your friends and family! If you know of anyone who should be on our prospective member list or should be contacted by leadership in any way, please reach out to Miriam Habif Gelfond, Director of Outreach and Engagement (mhabif@aasynagogue.org). Thank you for your good word and promoting what Ahavath Achim – the synagogue of brotherly love – has to offer!
Ahavath Achim's Sisterhood is a dynamic organization of women of all ages with diverse experiences, talents, and interests within our synagogue, community, and the Jewish world. Every woman counts for Sisterhood to grow and thrive. Basic membership dues are $45, but we encourage you to join at a Chai-er level. Your generous dues and donations are vital for Sisterhood to continue to offer programs and projects that strengthen and sustain our Jewish values.
 
We need your involvement in AA's social action programs! Motivate your family and friends "into action" towards the betterment of our community, and envision our current programs continued for the future. Reach out to your nieces, nephews, friends, and new neighbors for new contacts and ideas to help us increase our pool of volunteers for our wonderful existing and future programs. We need you! Find out how you want to be involved by reviewing the list of social action programs in which our synagogue has been involved for many years. If you'd like to become involved, please email our Social Action Chair: Alan Wexler (alanwexler@databankinfo.com; 404.872.8880).
Are you a warm, friendly, dedicated volunteer who wants to make a difference in a fellow congregant's life through acts of loving kindness? Are you willing to make a personal call or visit to comfort and support a congregant who has lost a loved one or been ill? These caring touches – acts of loving kindness – make all the difference in the world to those receiving them. If you want to be a part of strengthening our community, then AA's new Chesed Initiative is for you! This committee will work with our clergy, staff, and lay leaders to connect members who need help with members who want to do good deeds! Additionally, if you know of a congregant who is facing personal difficulties related to health, loss, or grief, please contact Fern Schorr (fschorr@aasynagogue.org; 404.355.5222) to let us know. Help us reach out to members in need. We welcome your help and time with this important project.
Tribute donations offer the ability to memorialize or honor friends and family through donations to a variety of designated funds. Tribute donations can be made in honor of B'nai Mitzvah, the birth of a baby, a graduation, a wedding, or other special occasion. Donations in memory of loved ones are a thoughtful and meaningful way to remember those who have passed away. Your donation will be acknowledged with a card to the recipient of this tribute. Please note that Tribute Donations require a minimum contribution of $18.
 
The Rabbi Neil Sandler Education Scholarship is funded by the Sisterhood to further promote Jewish education in the older adult population. To be considered for a scholarship, the program must benefit the Ahavath Achim community and be targeted toward older adult Jewish education. Please fill out the application form for your program to be considered for funding.
 
We are proud and grateful to formally launch the Marilyn Ginsberg Eckstein Cultural Arts Program Fund. Formerly the Cultural Arts Program, established in 1977, this fund was established by congregant Marilyn Ginsberg Eckstein to perpetuate AA's broad cultural arts program offerings. AA's cultural arts programming currently consists of: the Fran Eizenstat and Eizenstat Family Memorial Lecture Series, the Chamber Concert Series, the Liturgical Music Artist-in-Residency Program, weekly Shabbat and annual High Holiday musical offerings, and jazz, pop, vocal and instrumental concert offerings. The Cultural Arts Program has long been recognized for its breadth of offerings and its excellence. We hope that you will consider making contributions to this fund as the Marilyn Ginsberg Eckstein Cultural Arts Program offerings continue to present world-renowned speakers, dignitaries, artists, and virtuoso musicians.
 
We are grateful and privileged to announce the launch of the Sonia Fishkin Memorial Fund. This fund was established by Dr. Andy Zangwill in Sonia's memory. The Sonia Fishkin Memorial Fund will honor Sonia's passion for the connection between song and Jewish spirituality. Contributions to the fund will sponsor individuals to create and bring new and singable Jewish music to Ahavath Achim and to the wider Jewish community for use during sacred events and services. Activities may include artists-in-residence, teaching workshops, concerts, and recordings.
 
We are proud and grateful to formally launch the Shirley Reisman Media Outreach Fund. This fund was established by the Reisman family in honor of Shirley z"l. Shirley was always passionate about the AA and together with her family had always been involved in various efforts and regularly attended services at the Shul I have had the personal privilege of knowing Shirley and always treasured my interactions with her, Don, and especially Bruce. This fund has been established to help us to upgrade and maintain the necessary audio/visual equipment to ensure that we give our clergy, staff, and leadership the necessary tools as we embrace the new digital platforms which will only become more important, even after the pandemic has ended. We hope that you will consider making contributions to this fund as we move forward so that we can remain current with the latest technology and trends.
 
AA and Ahava Early Learning Center are proud to participate in the ALEF Fund Scholarship, a program that allows families to make the dream of a Jewish school experience for their child a reality! Parents with children enrolled at Ahava are eligible and encouraged to apply for an ALEF Fund scholarship, which can provide up to approximately $9,000 of support per child per year! The ALEF Fund, Inc. is a registered Georgia 501(c)3 Student Scholarship Nonprofit organization that supports Jewish education in Georgia by helping taxpayers receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for providing scholarships to students at the Jewish preschools or schools of their choice. This past year, thanks to the many who contributed a portion of their Georgia State Income Taxes to the ALEF Fund, Ahava received more than $100,000 in scholarship funds designated for students in our Pre-K class. Todah Rabah! Please visit the ALEF Fund website for more information about how you can allocate a portion of your taxes to help support Ahava or how your child can receive a financial scholarship for Pre-K. It's simple to qualify! Questions? Contact the Ahava ELC Director: Beth Arnold Helmey (beth@ahavalearning.org; 404.900.9411).