Jewish hoops
March 12 (23 Adar 5786)
Hi all, At the time of publication we were just getting news about a man who drove his car into a synagogue in Michigan. Details are developing, but it seems the attacker is the only death involved.
⛹🏼♂️ The Yeshiva University Maccabees D3 men’s basketball team is in Atlanta to battle the Emory Eagles at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 13. More on that below.
⚾ Team Israel did not advance to the single-elimination stage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Still, the team won two games against the Netherlands and Nicaragua. Fans appeared on the big screen wearing Israel tees and holding up Israeli flags.
🏠 Chabad of Georgia is under contract on a seven-acre, $4 million property on High Point Road in Sandy Springs. While plans are still in the works, Chabad said potential opportunities include a preschool, K-12 day school campus, summer camp, teen lounge, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, community gathering spaces, and more.
Have a news tip? Email me. And as always, thanks for reading.
Y’alla,
Logan
JCRC shifts meeting to Israel update
❗JCRC held a war briefing on Thursday, March 5 at Congregation Ohr HaTorah in Toco Hills – a last-minute change from the planned program on nutrition and health in Georgia and Israel.
At the meeting, Renee Kutner, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, announced an emergency grant of $250,000 to cover Israeli needs during the war with Iran.
Jewish Federations of North America has not launched an emergency campaign as it did after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. Kutner said it’s too soon: The needs for postwar reconstruction won’t be known until missiles stop flying. Israel is in better shape to provide emergency services after the Israel-Hamas war, partially thanks to more than $1 billion in U.S. donations made.
🗓️ JCRC will meet on Thursday, April 30 for a program on Israel’s national food bank, Leket Israel. The current war with Iran has disrupted Israel’s food collection and distribution efforts by halting harvests, closing businesses, and cutting off access to surplus food from IDF bases.
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🍽️ JCRC is hosting the annual Interfaith Hunger Seder at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on Sunday, March 29.
Celebrate Israel’s 78th Independence Day!
SPONSORED BY JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA
✡️ Join Jewish National Fund-USA‘s Women for Israel as we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, by highlighting the life-changing work we are doing to rebuild and reimagine a stronger Israel.
From housing to healthcare to job creation, every project we undertake creates circles of impact that enrich individuals, strengthen families, empower communities, and uplift entire regions across Israel’s underserved North and South. Learn how you can support these amazing initiatives in honor of Israel’s 78th birthday with the incredible women who help secure the future of the Jewish homeland.
➞ RSVP at jnf.org/atlwfi.
Yeshiva Macs face Emory Eagles
🏀 The modern Orthodox Jewish community is descending on Atlanta for a very Jewish basketball game on Friday, March 13, as the Yeshiva University Maccabees face the Emory University Eagles in the men’s NCAA D3 basketball tournament.
The Maccabees (or Macs) have garnered a national following, becoming a source of pride, inspiration, and connection. Georgia State Rep. Esther Panitch will present an honorary resolution at the Gold Dome on behalf of the Macs, and Atlanta Jewish Academy’s seventh through 12th graders will attend the game.
Rabbi Adam Starr of Ohr HaTorah in Toco Hills, a graduate of YU, called the game a David versus Goliath match-up. “Emory is a heavy favorite here. Yeshiva was not expected to make it. They were the underdog to the first two rounds,” Starr said.
📍 The Macs plan to stay in Toco Hills and attend Ohr HaTorah. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of YU, will speak during services. After kiddush, Starr will moderate a panel with YU Head Coach Elliott Steinmetz, Assistant Coach Yoni Cohen, and teammates Zevi Samet, Max Zakheim, and Tom Beza.
Hostess with the mostess
✡️ PJ Library’s Get Together program provides $100 micro-grants to PJ Library families who host other Jewish families for gatherings centered on Jewish holidays, values, or traditions.
Since September 2025, when the program was streamlined and relaunched, PJ Library has distributed more than $1 million directly to Jewish families across North America, fueling over 10,000 small group gatherings.
Families have connected with neighbors and friends for Rosh Hashanah apple picking, Hanukkah sufganiyot (jelly donut) tastings, challah baking, Havdalah ceremonies, neighborhood clean-ups, and more.
🕺🏽PJ Library subscribers are eligible to receive $100 grants up to five times in a calendar year. Enrollment is open.
Bringing darkness to light
🕯️The 8th annual Refugee Shabbat is taking place on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at Congregation Shearith Israel in Morningside with HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society).
In January, Shearith Israel launched “Rooted in Welcome,” a program at El Refugio to support families who were visiting loved ones detained at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA. Since its launch, volunteers have offered food, listened to families’ stories, played with kids, and helped with household tasks.
Rooted in Welcome partners include the Multifaith End Mass Incarceration (EMI), Interfaith Children’s Movement, National Council of Jewish Women, Ahavath Achim, Bet Haverim and The Temple.
🧑🤝🧑 According to HIAS, more than 1,100 U.S. Jewish clergy across the denominational spectrum stand united in support of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.
Jewish Democrats press for oversight as Trump’s Iran war rages on
🥊 After Congress failed to rein in President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war alongside Israel against Iran, Democrats say the fight over congressional oversight is far from over.
Jewish Democrats, many of whom support U.S. action to curb Iran’s nuclear program and dismantle its ballistic missile infrastructure, are grappling with how to respond as the midterm elections approach and opposition to the war runs deep within their party.
➡ Read the full story on the Forward.
✡️ Is your child ready for overnight camp? A Day at CJ is one unforgettable day of Israeli dance, archery, the ropes course and more, all FREE at Camp Judaea on June 21 or July 19 for rising 1st – 4th graders. SPONSOR MESSAGE
What’s doin’ around town
SPONSORED BY CONGREGATION OR HADASH
👶🏽 March 14:OH Dads! is back at Or Hadash.
🍳 March 15: JNF Gladys & Jack Hirsch Breakfast for Dinner.
💰 March 15: Financial skills workshop for teens with JIFLA.
🎤 March 15:Broadway sing-along in Sandy Springs.
🧶 March 20:The Needle Nook celebrates 50 years.
🏕️ May 21: Register now for LimmudFest 2026.
✡️ The next Jewish holiday is Passover on April 1.
🕯️ Light Shabbat candles this week at 7:26 p.m.
☕ Back by popular demand: Spring Torah Tour! Fridays at 10 a.m., Torah text study heads to local coffee shops with Dr. Amy on March 13 Ark at Coffeehaus, March 20 at Alon’s/Phipps, and March 27 at Sidecar. Come for Torah, stay for schmooze. RSVP appreciated.
We remember
🎗️ Elaine Milrad of Toronto passed away on March 8, 2026. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Elaine returned to university in the 1980s to get a degree in computer science. A trailblazer, she changed careers from teaching to computer and software sales for over two decades.
She and her husband of 57 years, Lou Milrad, shared a love of technology, travel, Broadway musicals, and motorcycles. Elaine is survived by her children, Justin Milrad (Allie) and Melissa Goldstein (Stuart) both of Atlanta. She adored her six grandchildren.