Rhythm and resilience
Thursday, Aug. 27 (14 Elul 5786) — There’s been some discussion in my circle about what makes a Jewish community. Is it the proximity to the JCC or a synagogue membership? Is it a Jewish club at school that serves good bagels? I’d love to hear what you think.
👯 Speaking of community, Midtown High School students launched Midtown Mahjong Club this week. Apparently the game is trending younger and younger.
📚 The news about Dolly Parton’s death doesn’t seem Jewish, but she was an inspiration behind PJ Library. Read more here.
🍎 Scroll on for more about an upcoming Black and Jewish musical performance, a Jewish Atlanta woman’s new book, and what’s cookin’ for Rosh Hashanah.
Y’alla,
Logan
A Black and Jewish musical journey
🎷 Atlanta jazz vocalist Karla Harris and acclaimed pianist Joe Alterman (pictured) will perform on Sunday, Aug. 30 at Roswell Cultural Arts Center in a program by Neranenah, a series of concerts and cultural experiences.
“When Rivers Meet” takes the audience on an unforgettable musical journey through the partnership between Black and Jewish artists whose shared creativity, resilience, and vision helped shape the soundtrack of America.
Harris and Alterman deliver captivating stories and surprising historical discoveries from the Mississippi Delta to Harlem and beyond, uncovering the connections that forever changed American music.
Balance Your Wellness
SPONSORED BY BALANCED BODIES WELLNESS CLINICS
👨⚕️ Kent Cohen, MD, FACEP, is an Emory-trained emergency physician, Gulf War Air Force veteran, and Sandy Springs native passionate about wellness, fitness, and longevity.
As co-founder of Balanced Bodies Wellness Clinics with Tim Carrega, FNP, he has expanded to multiple Metro Atlanta locations, offering personalized peptide therapy, hormone replacement, medical weight loss, vitamin therapy, and other life-enhancing treatments. With nearly a decade of functional wellness experience,
👉 Dr. Cohen invites you to visit Sajani Patel, FNP, in Sandy Springs for a complimentary consultation.
Election education
✅ Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) will host a program on voting rights and election integrity at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at The Temple in Midtown.
Speakers include local and national social justice leaders: Andrew Lewis, JCRC board member and co-founder of the First Five Freedoms initiative, Tameka Bell, Organizing director at Ebenezer ACTS, Meir Lakein, co-executive director of JOIN for Justice. The speakers will discuss efforts to ensure that Georgia’s elections are free, fair, secure, and accessible to all eligible voters, and will explore how Jewish and interfaith communities can support trust in the electoral process.
JCRC’s Community Council meetings are held quarterly to engage in civil discourse over politics and other issues that can divide the community.
🗳️ Registration is required for the free event.
Help for Tibet and Nepal
🌏 World Jewish Relief is asking for help from the community after a flash flood struck northern Nepal this week.
The flooding destroyed homes, killed at least 400 people, and left residents and tourists in crisis. WJR is working with trusted local partners to provide life-saving assistance, including safe drinking water, food, medical aid and other essential supplies.
🫶 Donate here.
👩⚕️ Founded by Sandy Springs native Dr. Kent Cohen, MD, Balanced Bodies Wellness Clinic in Sandy Springs offers personalized peptide therapy, hormone replacement, medical weight loss, vitamin therapy, and other life-enhancing treatments. Dr. Cohen invites you to visit Sajani Patel, FNP, in Sandy Springs for a complimentary consultation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
American synagogues are spending more than ever on security. How much is enough?
🕍 At Temple Israel in Bloomfield, Mich., which was attacked in March by a gunman, getting ready for the High Holidays this year means more than preparing for crowds of worshippers.
The synagogue is spending millions of dollars on security upgrades, including a new gatehouse, artificial intelligence technology and physical and ballistic hardening of its building.
“There are major changes coming,” Rabbi Josh Bennett of Temple Israel said.
📰 Read the full story on the Forward.
Look & Listen
🦸🏼 Intown Wonder Woman Dena Schusterman has done it again. The daughter of Chabad emissaries in 1970s Berkeley, Calif., and now an emissary in Atlanta, Schusterman has spent her life toggling between Hasidic tradition and modern society. Read Stories Carry: A Memoir, out now.
🍏 Challah Girl is Morningside’s answer to missing your Bubbe’s best baked goods. Apple Churro and Honey Tahini are <chef’s kiss>. Order by Thursday, Sept. 10 for the High Holidays.
What’s doin’ around town
SPONSORED BY CONGREGATION OR HADASH
🤝🏽 Sept. 1: Renewing Relationships series begins.
🎼 Sept. 3: Naama and the Joe Alterman Trio at Eddie’s Attic.
🕯️ Sept. 6: Selihot song circle at Or Hadash.
🀄 Sept. 16: Mahjong lessons with Michelle Swislow.
♻️ Sept. 20: Reverse Tashlich river clean-up with Adamah.
✡️ The next Jewish holiday is Rosh Hashanah, which begins at sundown on Sept. 11.
🕯️ Light Shabbat candles this week at 7:50 p.m.
Before you go
🎒 High schoolers are very busy, but here’s an event worth their time: “Starting College With Confidence: Practical Prep for Academic, Social and Jewish Success.”
From 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, juniors and seniors will join CIE for an interactive program where admissions specialists, campus professionals, professors, community leaders and college students will offer practical advice on college selection, Jewish campus life, classroom encounters, and Israel conversations to get the most out of their college years.
🍕 Register here. And tell them pizza will be served.
