What are the AA tunes? Our rabbis hear this question yearly as the journey toward the High Holidays begins. The AA tunes are melodies that have accompanied us through countless High Holidays throughout our youth and as we grew with the congregation. Cantor after cantor, choir after choir, some melodies have followed us, embraced us, and given us a sense of the holiness of the AA prayer experience. But what are they? We embarked on a mission to “find” the AA tunes, with our community’s help. Check out the journey!
Our Meshorerim (Hebrew for “spiritual singers”) group enhances prayer through music and song. The group is open to anyone regardless of musical background, Hebrew ability, or rehearsal attendance. Even if you’ve never attended a practice before, you can join our Meshorerim anytime. All we ask is that you sit up front during the Holidays in the designated “Meshorerim” section and sing along when you can! See the full schedule of gatherings on the AA Tunes Linktree.
Questions? Please contact the Interim Director of Music and Tefillah: Bonnie Levine (music@aasynagogue.org).
The Children’s Choir, introduced for the first time during the 5784 High Holiday services, will sing again this year! The Children’s Choir currently includes young singers ages 5–15 and rehearses on Sundays during our Kesher Jewish School program and Saturdays after Rebbe’s Tish.
They say listening to a band’s album before attending their concert can help people enjoy the show. The same is true of spiritual preparation for the High Holiday services. Familiarizing yourself with the audio tracks of the AA Tunes will lead to a more meaningful High Holiday experience! While we may not have an AA Tunes album (at least not yet), we offer sheet music and audio files for some of our selections. You can find an index with links here.
Ahavath Achim has a rich musical history of over a century, from commissioned choral works to rock band tributes. In addition to the AA Tunes Campaign playlist, please enjoy inspirational musical kavanot (Hebrew for “intentions” or “sincere feelings, directions of the heart”) and some of our favorite musical memories and stories about our beloved “AA Tunes” and other resources.
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Kol Nidre—Friday, October 11 | ||
5–5:30 p.m. | Family Kol Nidre Service (up to 10 years old) | In-Person: Tent |
5:30 p.m. | Vegan Kapparot | In-Person: Breezeway |
6–6:15 p.m. | Mincha | In-Person: Sanctuary |
6:15–7:00 p.m. | Kol Nidre Service | |
7–9:00 p.m. | Ma’ariv Service | |
Yom Kippur—Saturday, October 12 | ||
7:45–10:00 a.m. | Childcare (6 months–6th grade) | Check-In at Ahava |
8:00 a.m.–2:15 p.m. | Sanctuary and Yizkor Services | In-Person: Sanctuary |
10:00 a.m.–2:15 p.m. | Child/Teen Programming (6 months–12th grade) | Check-In at Ahava |
10:15–10:50 a.m. 10:15–10:50 a.m. 10:15–10:50 a.m. 10:55–11:30 a.m. 10:55–11:30 a.m. 10:55–11:30 a.m. | Family Services: Pre-K–2nd Grade: Family Service 3rd–7th Grade: Audience Performance 8th–12th Grade: Speaker and Drum Circle Pre-K–2nd Grade: Audience Performance 3rd–7th Grade: Family Service 8th–12th Grade: Speaker and Drum Circle | In-Person: Tent In-Person: Paradies Hall In-Person: Library In-Person: Paradies Hall In-Person: Tent In-Person: Library |
10–11:00 a.m. | Torah Study (Led by Dr. Douglas Ander) | In-Person: Ellman Chapel |
2–3:00 p.m. | Beit Midrash Study Hall: (Re)Engaging Differing Faith and Ethnic Communities After 10/7 Join Anat Sultan-Dadon (the Consul General of Israel to the Southeast), Victoria Raggs (Executive Director, AJOCC Atlanta Jews of Color Council), and Samuel Halpern (Senior Associate, Advocacy and Programming, AJC Atlanta/Southeast American Jewish Committee) for an important conversation moderated by Judy Marx (Operations Manager, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta and Consultant to Interfaith Organizations), exploring the challenges that Jewish communities have had engaging with the non-Jewish world since October 7, how we might reengage and the new opportunities that have emerged. | In-Person: Sanctuary |
3–6:00 p.m. | Yom Kippur Chant and Drum Circle | In-Person: Paradies Hall |
5:15 p.m. | Mincha | In-Person: Sanctuary |
6:15 p.m. | Neilah Service | |
7:32 p.m. | Ma’ariv/Havdallah/Final Shofar Blast Service | |
7:45 p.m. | Break Fast | Gold Doors and Breezeway |
Visit our events calendar for the Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah schedules! | ||
Congregation Bet Haverim is a Reconstructionist Jewish community in Atlanta. Our mission, in a nutshell, is to provide contemporary Jewish spiritual, educational, cultural, and social experiences in which an individual can integrate practice of Judaism with other aspects of their life, including social consciousness, intellectual curiosity, sexual orientation, and familial bonds. We serve and support the lesbian, gay, and transgender communities and promote the Reconstructionist concept of Judaism as an evolving religious civilization.
Ma’alot is an inclusive spiritual community that transforms lives through nature, music, and Jewish wisdom. Through immersive gatherings, we experiment, we remember, and we reimagine powerful Jewish practices that have transformed communities over the centuries. We take creative approaches to building holistic Jewish lives and welcome you just as you are.
18Doors is dedicated to empowering people in interfaith relationships to engage in Jewish life and make Jewish choices. We encourage Jewish communities to welcome these families and provide educational content, programs, and resources to support them in their Jewish journeys.
Music in Common curates experiences for people across social divides to discover common ground through facilitated conversation and music. Our nonprofit organization’s mission is to strengthen, empower, and connect communities through the universal language of music.
At our core, we hold high two foundational principles: it is hard to hate up close, and music can change the world. Our proven person-to-person methodology is informed by evidence-based social psychology and education models that help communities work through conflict. Gordon Allport’s Intergroup Contact Theory, Elliot Aronson’s Jigsaw Classroom, and 21st Century Learning’s Four C’s (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking) are the cornerstones of our unique approach.
Since 2005, our programs and projects have directly served more than 10,000 people in over 400 communities worldwide, bringing together face-to-face Black and White Americans, Israelis and Palestinians, refugee, immigrant, and American-born youth, and Jews, Christians, and Muslims, among many others. 90% of MIC program participants surveyed report new learning about different faiths and cultures and resolve to reject stereotyping and increase respect for others moving forward.
Lili Baxter, a writer and teacher, was born in a DP camp in Sweden and grew up in Paris and New York. Having witnessed the familial and social ravages of hatred and war, she has devoted her life to the study and practice of nonviolence. Lili was hired by Coretta Scott King as the King Center’s director of nonviolence education and training and served for two decades on the U.S. and international boards of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the world’s oldest interfaith peace organization. She directed the Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education at the Breman Museum and, upon her retirement, was invited to return to The King Center as NV365 Senior Educator. Lili holds a PhD from Emory University in Women’s Studies and Human Development.
Jordan Forman has been the Ba’al Korei at AA since 1998 and has been the Ritual Coordinator and one of our Shlichei Tzibbur since 2010. In his role as Ritual Coordinator, he has been the “closer” for our B’nai Mitzvah and maker of MP3s for those looking to assist with T-ah, Haftara, and tefillot. In his “spare time”, Jordan is a Partner at the law firm of Fox Rothschild LLP. Jordan has been married to native AA member Lori Tillem for nine years. His son Joshua is going into his third year at Georgia Tech, and he also has two stepchildren, Maxwell and Isabelle.
Audrey Galex is the author of the children’s picture book Turtle Rocks and the creator of The Abandoned Mattress Photojournalism Project. She serves as Community Engagement Director for AIB Network (Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters.) Audrey is on the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta and Essential Theatre boards. She enjoys making a fool of herself on the dance floor, telling, listening to, and sharing stories and folktales, playing miniature golf poorly, drinking strong coffee, pulling weeds in her vegetable and herb garden, doing Duolingo despite the lack of mastery in any language other than English, and schmoozing with friends.
Gayanne Geurin currently offers vocal coaching and healing work in both individual and retreat settings. She served as music director at CBH for 18 years. Her experiences as a spiritual leader, music director, singer, and psychotherapist, along with her skills in vocal function and improvisational exploration, offer a unique and diverse toolkit for guiding folks in their journey with their voice. She came to claim her own singing voice through a long stop-and-start journey mixed with fear, spiritual cultivation, and expansive possibility. You can hear her on her album on Bandcamp: by the god tree and recordings by Congregation Bet Haverim on Spotify. What calls and inspires her now is how each of us develops a deeper relationship with the natural world, Earth. She can be reached at gayannegeurin@gmail.com.
Scott Glazer is a renowned musician based in Atlanta, and he is celebrated for his versatile talents as a bassist and vocalist. With several decades of career, Scott has become a staple in the Atlanta music scene, known for his dynamic performances and deep-rooted passion for music.
Rebekka Goldsmith, CBH Music Director, believes in the collective voice’s sacred and liberatory potential and regularly bears witness to the transformation and healing that can happen when people sing together. Trained as a singer, group facilitator, professional coach, and ritual leader, Rebekka has spent over 17 years guiding individuals and groups in explorations of voice, creativity, spirituality, and social justice. She uses voice as a physical, emotional, and spiritual practice for activating personal development and supporting deep group connection. She collaborates with many of today’s Jewish music artists. She has recorded an album called Seeding the Tree, exploring themes of nature, mysticism, ancestry, and the feminine in Judaism.
Lyra Hudson (she/her) is proud to have the opportunity to lend her voice and musical skills to the CBH community. A 27-year-old baritone from Atlanta, Georgia, she graduated from Yale in 2019 with a music degree and a background encompassing singing, guitar, piano, and composition (orchestral and digital). She is incredibly excited to be a new member of CBH and wants to extend her deepest gratitude to every person in the community.
Rebecca Leary Safon, a member and lay leader at Bet Haverim, is a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) offering Therapeutic Yoga + Meditation specializing in Oncology Yoga for Cancer, Meditation, Gentle Yoga, and Yoga + Meditation through a Jewish lens. Her classes are available virtually, on my YouTube channel, and in studios, schools, and centers around the Atlanta metro area. Through Mother-to-Mother, she offers yoga for women throughout their lifecycles, including prenatal and postpartum, pelvic floor training, yoga for seniors, and chair yoga.
Bonnie and Michael form a Jewish music duo known as “sunmoonpie,” specializing in Jewish liturgical music and creative musical prayer experiences. Recently, they worked on Eliana Light’s album Ora Hi and Rabbi Sam Blustin’s album as part of the Sonia Project in memory of Sonia Fishkin z” l. Bonnie Levine serves in ritual and musical roles at Ahavath Achim Synagogue and Congregation Bet Haverim and is a practicing employment attorney. Michael is a professional musician, music educator, music producer, and audio engineer. He performs and leads musical experiences at Ahavath Achim and Bet Haverim, frequently with his wife Bonnie and their two children. You may know him as “Mr. Michael,” cofounder of The Learning Groove and music producer for the first four “Pete the Cat” books authored by Eric Litwin. Michael currently teaches music at The Weber School. Bonnie and Michael have two children, Eden (age 10) and Emet (age 8).
Dr. Linda Lippitt is a dedicated educator, researcher, and physician with a profound commitment to the advancement of medical science and education. A member of Ahavath Achim synagogue, she regularly chants Torah and Haftorah and teaches about Jewish wisdom and the ancient Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah.
Rabbi Chaim Stephen Listfield is a proud member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue. A magna cum laude graduate of Rutgers University, he was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1974, at which he delivered the valedictory address. Rabbi Listfield led Conservative congregations for 40 years. Now semi-retired, he is the part-time rabbi of Etz Chayim Synagogue in Huntsville, AL.
Michael Miller is mostly retired from careers as a consultant and business school faculty (most recently Goizueta, where he still teaches a summer course—hence the “mostly”). His children are grown and out of the house and he and his wife live in the Midtown Garden District after relocating from Boston. At AA, he cheerleads for, coordinates, and occasionally leads Shabbat morning Torah Study. He would love to have any or all of you join us on Shabbat mornings at 10:30 a.m. in the Cavalier Room (or via Zoom) for Torah Study.
Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal grew up in Los Angeles, graduating from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, eventually earning a Master of Arts degree in Hebrew Letters and Rabbinic Ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in May 2008. Laurence served as the president of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association (2019–2021) and is currently Board Chair for Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, inspiring faith-based organizations to take up the cause of environmental stewardship and justice. He continues to hone his skills as a musician, focusing lately on jazz guitar. He has worked hard to develop a yoga practice for health and mindfulness and is currently trying jogging.
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum is Bet Haverim’s senior rabbi. Ordained at the pluralistic Academy of Jewish Religion in New York (AJR-NY) in 2006, he graduated from the New College of Florida in 1997 with a BA in Public Policy/Economics. Rabbi Mike was raised in Rockland County, New York, just north of New York City. As a teenager, Rabbi Mike became involved in the local NAACP and helped start his high school’s first Amnesty International chapter. In retrospect, he has identified the Jewish imperative of r’difat Tzedek—the command to pursue justice—as the force that solidified his love of Judaism and his passion for becoming a rabbi. Rabbi Mike lives in the Summerhill section of Atlanta with his husband, internationally acclaimed Yiddish vocalist Anthony Mordechai Tvzi Russell, who kindly tolerates his passion for fair-trade coffee, Bob Dylan, and manual transmission.
Rabbi Emeritus Rabbi Neil Sandler served as Senior Rabbi of Ahavath Achim Synagogue from 2004–2019. He remained a member of the congregation’s rabbinic staff through June 2021. Upon retirement, Rabbi Sandler was given the title of Rabbi Emeritus. Today, in a period of rabbinic transition, he continues to serve the congregation in several ways. Neil is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. He received a master’s degree and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Upon ordination, Neil completed a Master of Science degree in Social Work at Columbia University. In retirement, Neil regularly participates in tai chi and dabbles in “diamond art.” Rabbi Sandler’s wife, Susan, is a longtime, well-respected social worker with Weinstein Hospice. Susan and Neil are the parents of three children: Ariel (Jamie Freedman), Aliza (Matt Jay), and Joshua (Rachel Diamond). The Sandlers have been blessed with three grandchildren: Remi, Avery, and Bennett.
Dave Schechter has been a freelance journalist for the past decade, writing primarily for Jewish publications, including a regular column and in-depth articles for the Atlanta Jewish Times. In this capacity, he has been honored by the American Jewish Press Association. Before writing freelance, he worked for CNN in Israel for two years before 26 years on the national desk. He is the author of a soon-to-be (self-published) work of historical fiction about his Communist great-aunt.
Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe is a mother, musician, and spiritual educator. Originally from Philadelphia, Ariel studied religion and music as an undergraduate at Emory University and was ordained at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, where she focused on Hasidic commentaries and feminist interpretations of Jewish history and ritual. After ordination, Ariel studied Jewish music as a Rising Song Resident in Philadelphia. She founded Ma’alot in 2021 and has been serving as Rabbi and Executive Director since then. To learn more about Ariel, visit her website or read her vision for the Jewish community and spiritual life.
Time | Paradies Hall | Garden | Ellman Chapel This is the Zoom link for all sessions held in Ellman Chapel | Cavalier Room This is the Zoom link for all sessions held in Cavalier Room | Koplin-Borochoff Library This is the Zoom link for all sessions held in Koplin-Borochoff Library | Basement | Cohn Room |
7:00 p.m. | Plenary Session Join us in kicking off our Tikkun Leil Shavuot program for a powerful opening program by Music in Common! The program will feature a documentary screening, dialogue, and musical performance focused on Music in Common’s Israel-Palestine and interfaith work in the U.S. and Middle East. (7–9:00 p.m.) | Child Play and Sleep Space | |||||
9:00 p.m. | Ma’ariv Service | Iliane (Lili) Kshensky Baxter Holocaust/Nonviolence Training/Education Nonviolence is a love-centered way of thinking, speaking, acting and engaging that leads to personal, cultural and societal transformation. It’s both a way of life and a method for social change. This session will serve as a short introduction to this timely subject with emphasis on the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. (9–9:50 p.m.) | |||||
9:30 p.m. | Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe When You Study Talmud, is it a Song? Deep in the pages of Talmud, we find an ancient adage: “”When you study Talmud, is it a song?”” Are the pages like lyrics that we do not quite understand? Do the words move us, or invite us to join in? Together, we will read sugyot (passages) that explore these questions to deepen our relationship to this foundational work of story-telling, legal debate, and perhaps, of song. (9:30–10:00 a.m.) | Rebekka Goldsmith and Gayanne Geurin (In-Person Only) The Secret of Many Voices—B’sod Kolot Congregation Bet Haverim’s current and former Music Directors Rebekka Goldsmith and Gayanne Geurin are teaming up to facilitate an exploratory music session as a way in to unravel some of the mystery of receiving and revelation that are Shavuot’s core mystical elements.Rebekka and Gayanne will work with a structure called, “Circle Singing” to guide participants to create a singing and sound experience that reveals itself moment to moment. You are welcome to sing with us or lay down and listen. All Voices Welcome. No prior experience necessary. (9:30–11:00 a.m.) | |||||
10:00 p.m. | Chevruta (Partner)/Self-Paced Study Space Check out independent, partner, and group study materials along with coffee and snacks in Paradies Hall. | Rabbi Chaim Listfield God’s Rain and God’s Reign Deuteronomy 32 is written in symbolic poetry and it needs interpretation. As an example, at the start of the chapter we read: “”May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass.”” Rabbi Listfield will explain what the rain means in that verse, and he’ll explain other metaphors in that poetic chapter of Scripture. His goal is to show us how it all fits with the reign of the Almighty. If you like Biblical poetry you might want to come learn why God is compared to an eagle and how we Jews are being protected in our cozy little nest. (10–10:50 p.m.) | |||||
10:30 p.m. | Lyra Hudson Sight Singing In an hour, learn how to look at a line of music and sing it through without accompaniment! (10:45–11:45 p.m.) Audrey Galex Turtle Rocks What Jewish values are embedded in a children’s book about turtles trying to get to a lake to sun themselves on a log? Join author Audrey Galex, whose book Turtle Rocks also invites you to explore your life’s journey. (11–11:50 p.m.) | ||||||
11:00 p.m. | Rabbi Neil Sandler Kol Ha’olam Kulo: Teachings from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov Kol HaOlam Kulo Gesher Tzar Me’od—You’ve probably sung the song. Now, come learn about this statement that Rabbi Nachman coined many years ago. What does it say about Reb Nachman’s God and his worldview? Most importantly, as we celebrate this Torah – centered holiday of Shavuot, does this statement provide us with direction? Come discuss and learn. (11–11:50 p.m.) | ||||||
12:00 a.m. | Midnight Kiddush Levana Music with Bonnie and Michael Levine At midnight, we will come together in the garden courtyard to participate in a brief musical Kiddush Levana service. “Kiddush Levana” means “sanctifying the moon” and is a traditional ritual including blessings, greetings, and movement, performed monthly during the week following Rosh Chodesh (the new moon/new month in the Jewish calendar). Bonnie and Michael Levine will lead this musical experience, accompanied by Randy Crohn on percussion, followed by casual singing and dancing in the moonlight. (12–1:00 a.m.) | ||||||
12:30 a.m. | Cheesecake Eating cheesecake is a highlight of Shavuot tradition—we’ll bring it out into Paradies after we celebrate the moon. (12:30–1:00 a.m.) | ||||||
1:00 a.m. | Chevruta (Partner)/Self-Paced Study Space Check out independent, partner, and group study materials along with coffee and snacks in Paradies Hall. | Scott Glazer Abraham Idelsohn’s Musicological Research into Ashkenazic Music” An Exploration including Musical Examples Abraham Zvi Idelsohn (1882–1938) remains a premier musicologist of Jewish music and liturgical practice. We’ll take a look at Idelsohn’s history, early influences, his work and the importance of it in Jewish musicology. (1–1:50 a.m.) | Dave Schechter What Makes the News Jewish? What role does Jewish news media play relative to secular? What happens when the news about Jews is not good? What responsibility does Jewish news media have to the communities they cover? (1–1:50 a.m.) | Sleep Space | |||
2:00 a.m. | Jordan Forman Name that Tune: Nusach and Trope Why does Torah reading sound the way it does? What about Haftorah? and of cource, our various services throught the year. Come learn the meaning of trope and nusach, the reasoning behind the various modes and who who knows, maybe we’ll even sing a little bit. (2–2:50 a.m.) | Michael Miller Song of the Ark During the Torah service, as we take out, and then return, the Sefer Torah, we read two verses from Numbers, referred to by some as the Song of the Ark. Our sages also argue that these two verses make up their own book of the Torah. We will learn about and discuss all of this with a musical interlude of the singing of the Song of the Ark (on YouTube, not to worry, no singing required of participants). (2–2:50 a.m.) | |||||
3:00 a.m. | Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal Traditional Shabbat Song with Serious Mystical Underpinnings A staple of the regular Shabbat Morning prayer service, El Adon presents an incredible Mystical image of God which most people aren’t contemplating as they singing this by rote. Join Rabbi Rosenthal for a deep dive into the spiritually rich description and illusions that this prayer evokes and how it is tied to many other sacred texts from our tradition. (3–3:50 a.m.) | ||||||
4:00 a.m. | Rabbi Mike Rothbaum Sinai on Broadway: Sondheim and More Explore the connections between the themes of Jewish tradition and the works of Stephen Sondheim and other Broadway greats. Rabbi Rothbaum will lead an engaging session that brings together the magic of Broadway with the depth of Jewish spirituality and storytelling. (4–4:50 a.m.) | ||||||
5:00 a.m. | |||||||
5:30 a.m. | Sunrise Shacharit Service Zoom Sing Hallel (with the birds as the sun rises and the birds sing). (5:30–9:00 a.m.) | ||||||
6:00 a.m. | |||||||
8:00 a.m. | Morning Stretching, Yoga, and Mindfulness (In-Person Only) Join CBH’s Rebecca Leary Safon for 30 minutes of stretching, yoga, and mindfulness. (8:10–8:40 a.m.) Mindful Moments Following our yoga session, we will all join together as part of CBH’s daily virtual minyan for 30 minutes of mindfulness, chant, and prayer. (8:45–9:15 a.m.) | ||||||
8:30 a.m. | Breakfast | ||||||
9:00 a.m. | Linda Lippitt The Story of Zipporah Over breakfast, join Dr. Linda Lippitt in a fascinating exploration into the life of Moshe’s wife Zipporah. (9–9:50 a.m.) | ||||||
9:30 a.m. | |||||||
10:00 a.m. | |||||||
