2016
Guide to
Jewish Nashville
Nashville: A Cool Place to be Young, Adult and Jewish Page 26
Your home for Broadway, ballet, opera, theatre, comedy, concerts, and more!
TPAC.ORG 615-782-4040 TPAC Box Office at 505 Deaderick Street TPAC.org is the official online source for buying tickets to TPAC events.
Left, top to bottom: photo by Mimosa Arts, photo by Paul Wharton, photo by Mimosa Arts, Motown The Musical Š Joan Marcus 2015
Shalom Nashville, With its renowned music and entertainment culture, busy college campuses and dynamic business climate, Nashville is a great place to be a young adult. But what’s it like for young adult Jews? In the main feature story for the 2016 Guide to Jewish Nashville, Anna Lauren Levy – herself a young adult Jew new to Nashville – tries to answer that question by talking to three young professionals who came to Nashville for different reasons and built Jewish lives here: Erin Coleman, Tara Lerner and Jeff Sterne. It’s a coincidence that Anna’s story is appearing just as the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is making public the results of the study it commissioned of the Jewish population in the eight-county Nashville metro area. That study reveals that young adults between the ages of 18 and 39 make up about 20 percent of the 8,000 Jews who live in Middle Tennessee. More than half of them had taken part in a Jewish event during the previous year and about the same percentage indicated they wanted to become even more involved in Jewish life here. That’s good news for both the Federation and the Jewish community in general, for whom cultivating the next generation of Jewish leaders is a top priority. It tells us that if we provide the social, cultural, educational and religious opportunities for involvement, young adults will seize them. The Guide to Jewish Nashville provides the only comprehensive listing of local synagogues and other Jewish services and organizations – the institutional and social glue that binds Nashville-area Jews together as a community. Published by the Nashville Federation, the Guide is intended to both introduce newcomers to our vibrant community and remind longtime residents what it has to offer. We urge everyone to look through the Guide. Whether you’re young or not so young, whether you’ve been here for a month or a lifetime, we think you’ll find information about Jewish Nashville you didn’t know as well as ways to become or remain active in Jewish life here. The Guide is sent to everyone who receives our sister publication, The Jewish Observer of Nashville. Copies also are distributed to synagogues and local businesses and provided to newcomers to the Nashville area and those contemplating a move here. Our advertisers help make this publication possible. As you look through it, you’ll see ads for places to eat and shop. You’ll find ads for businesses that offer professional services as well as recreational and cultural opportunities. We hope you will patronize these businesses, and when you do, please tell them you saw their ads in the Guide to Jewish Nashville. Charles Bernsen, editor
Contents: Feature: Nashville: A Cool Place to be Young, Adult and Jewish 26 Listings: Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee......................................................6 Jewish Foundation...................................................................11 Gordon Jewish Community Center................................12 Synagogues and Affiliate Organizations..................... 15 2016 B’nai Mitzvah................................................................. 23 Jewish Family Service.......................................................... 24 Schools & Jewish Education............................................. 31 Youth Groups........................................................................... 36 Young Adult Organizations............................................... 39 Social, Cultural and Community Service.......................... Organizations.................................................................... 43 Political Organizations.........................................................49 Resources................................................................................... 51
Publisher.................................................................... Mark S. Freedman Editor............................................................................... Charles Bernsen Designer................................................................................. Tim Gregory Advertising Manager.......................................................... Carrie Mills Editorial Contact ..........................................................(615) 354-1653 charles@jewishnashville.org Advertising Contact.................................................... (615) 354-1699 carrie@nashvillejcc.org
While the Guide to Jewish Nashville makes an effort to accept only reputable advertisers of the highest quality, we cannot guarantee the kashrut of their products.
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4 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
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The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 5
Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Every year the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee sponsors a number of communitywide events marking special days on the Jewish calendar. For the past three years the celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, has included a special ceremony recognizing members of the community who have helped build relations between Nashville and Israel. (Photo by Rick Malkin)
801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 102 Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-3242 Fax: (615) 352-0056 info@jewishnashville.org www.jewishnashville.org Carol Hyatt, president Mark S. Freedman, executive director
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hether you are a newcomer to Nashville or a longtime resident of what The New York Times has called one of America’s hottest cities, you will find it a great place to experience an active and vibrant Jewish life. And the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is
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a big part of that experience. The Federation has been rapidly evolving its programs and services to appeal across the age spectrum and offer something for everyone. We are blessed with creative and thoughtful volunteer and professional leadership, and we’ve been able to channel high communal engagement to create new ways of doing business. Following up on a community-wide assessment process undertaken in 2010 to identify critical needs in the Jewish community dubbed Best Jewish Nashville, this year the Jewish Federation released the findings of the 2015 Nashville and Middle Tennessee Jewish Community Study. It revealed that many newcomers from larger communities are impressed by Jewish Nashville’s closeness and intimacy while newcomers from smaller cities and towns appreciate the diversity of our institutions and the significant resources that are available to sustain Jewish life. This is reinforced by the many anecdotal comments in the study that described Jewish Nashville’s cohesiveness and the willingness of Jewish institutions to collaborate in programming that is open to all. Even before the study’s release, the Jewish Federation launched its Welcoming Ambassadors and Newcomer’s Project. This unique
Welcoming Newcomers to Nashville
he Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee works with the local synagogues and other Jewish organizations and agencies to make newcomers feel at home in our Jewish community. We try to welcome every newcomer with a letter from the executive director along with a copy of the Guide to Jewish Nashville and other information about local congregations, agencies and organizations. In 2015, the Federation launched a new initiative conceived by board President Carol Hyatt. The Welcoming Ambassadors Program aims to improve the experience of Jewish newcomers through personal, face-to-face interactions. More than 30 individuals have volunteered to be welcoming ambassadors by attending regular gatherings for newcomers, meeting individually with them, and helping them find a place in their new Jewish community. If you or someone you know would like a welcome packet or more information about the Welcoming Ambassadors Program, contact Barbara Schwarcz at (615) 354-1630 or barbara@jewishnashville.org.
6 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
Community Relations Committee The Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Arthur Perlen, chair Ron Galbraith, vice chair Abbie Wolf, community relations director (615) 354-1637 abbie@jewishnashville.org
As a visual metaphor of its complex history, Israeli guide Doron Wilfand places one hat on the head of Rev. Warner Durnell for each group with a cultural claim to the Holy Land. Durnell, executive Presbyter of the Middle Tennessee Presbytery, was one of nine Christian pastors from Nashville who took part in a Federationsponsored mission to Israel in 2015 aimed at boosting support for the Jewish state among mainline Christian denominations. The mission was among the “fedovations” – innovative programming initiatives – featured at the 2015 General Assemby of the the Jewish Federations of North America. (Photo by Ron Galbraith)
outreach initiative matches longer-term residents of the Jewish community with individuals and families who are newcomers as well as those who have been in Nashville for a while and are looking to connect or re-engage in Jewish life. Bi-monthly meetings for newcomers are hosted in the homes of our ambassadors and they have been a tremendous success. Anyone interested in attending one of these gatherings is encouraged to contact Barbara Schwarcz at barbara@jewishnashville.org. The Jewish Federation’s work centers around five areas: convening local Jewish organizations to impact short- and long-term community building strategies; fundraising efficiently through a centralized annual campaign; funding programs that promise to improve Nashville and world Jewry; creating endowments to ensure a Jewish future for generations to come, and deepening connections between Israel and the Middle Tennessee Jewish community. Continued on page 8
Every year the Federation underwrites a Partnership2Gether exchange that brings Israeli high school students to Nashville, where they are hosted in the homes of Jewish teens who have their own exchange experience in Israel. Here the visiting Israeli students and their chaperone enjoy Krispy Kreme donuts with Liron Finkelstein (far left), the Federation’s shlicha (emissary from Israel), and Harriet Schiftan (upper right), director of planning and Partnership2Gether for the Federation.
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he Community Relations Committee (CRC) is the public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The CRC sponsors Israel advocacy programs and develops relationships with the broader Nashville community on social and public policy issues of concern to the Jewish community. The CRC has a broad spectrum of membership that reflects the diversity of the Nashville Jewish community. In a continuing effort to be responsive to the needs of this diverse community and the challenges it faces, the CRC includes at-large members as well as representatives from synagogues and Jewish communal organizations. These representatives serve as liaisons Every year the Community Rebetween the CRC and lations Committee sponsors a their organizations. communitywide Yom Hashoah The CRC offers a event to commemorate those broad range of programs who died in the Holocaust and recognize survivors like Menfor the Nashville Jewish achem Limor. (Photo by Rick Malkin) community. It emphasizes Israel education by hosting a regular series of speakers on Israel and Israel advocacy. While CRC members may have different viewpoints, they all care passionately about Israel and its future. The CRC also is a participant in coalitions with interfaith and ethnic groups and social service agencies. In the education arena, the CRC is involved in issues affecting Jewish students in public and private schools, including religious accommodation and anti-Semitism. The CRC also works to ensure that textbooks and curriculum in Tennessee classrooms accurately and fairly portray Jews, Judaism and Israel. Additionally, each year the CRC hosts a Community Relations Seder. Past themes have included civil rights, education, immigration, and outreach to other communities, including the Latino and Catholic communities. The event has been attended by Nashville’s mayor and other government officials, clergy, social service agency directors, advocacy organization members and education leaders. Members of the community with interest in the work of the Community Relations Committee are invited to discuss membership with Community Relations Director Abbie Wolf, who can be contacted at abbie@jewishnashville. org or (615) 354-1637. • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 7
The Jewish Observer of Nashville 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Suite 102 Nashville, TN 37205 jewishobservernashville.org Mark S. Freedman, publisher (615) 356-3242 mark@jewishnashville.org Charles Bernsen, editor (615) 354-1653 charles@jewishnashville.org Carrie Mills, advertising manager (615) 354-1699 carrie@nashvillejcc.org
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he Jewish Observer of Nashville is 81 years old, and we like to say we’re getting better with age. Published by the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, the goal of The Observer is to be the primary source of information relevant to the entire Jewish community in the area. The newspaper is published on the first of every month and is mailed to every Jewish household in Middle Tennessee as well as to members of the Gordon Jewish Community Center. You can also find all of the stories and photos in the current issue online at jewishobservernashville.org. Our website also includes a searchable archive of back issues as well as regular updates of breaking news. In our pages you will find useful advances about upcoming events as well as interesting news and feature stories about people, organizations and trends in the Nashville Jewish community. Our regular Lifecycles column carries submissions about b’nai mitzvah celebrations, weddings, graduations, honors and obituaries. We also subscribe to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and other wire services that provide news and features from Israel and Jewish communities in the United States and around the world. Each issue of The Observer also include a special section. Some focus on the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Passover and Chanukah while others are themed on topics such as travel, dining and planning simcha celebrations. As a community newspaper, we are eager to respond to the needs of our readers. Articles and digital photos, suggestions for stories or information about upcoming events may be submitted by email to the editor for consideration for publication. The Observer also includes a regular opinion page where we publish letters to the editor as well as local and national op-ed pieces that focus on Jewish themes and issues. We invite individuals and organizations to submit letters and op-ed columns, which are reviewed by an editorial board that consists of members from each of Nashville’s Jewish congregations. Advertising is a major source of revenue for The Observer, so please let our advertisers know that you saw their ads and appreciate their financial support for the newspaper. We also raise much-needed funds through our two-month Patrons Campaign each summer, which allows readers to show their support by making contributions.
8 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
Rabbi Aaron Finkelstein of Congregation Sherith Israel leads a breakout study session during the 2015 Global Day of Jewish Learning at Congregation Micah. Funded by the Jewish Federation since 2012, local Global Day events also include presentations and seminars by a visiting scholar from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, whose appearance is underwritten by Libby and Moshe Werthan. (Photo by Mark S. Freedman) Continued from page 7
The Federation sponsors and funds more than 70 programs and projects that touch Jewish lives ranging from Shalom Baby, which welcomes our newest members of the community, to Shalom Taxi, which provides highly subsidized taxi vouchers for our seniors. We are firmly committed to supporting formal and informal Jewish education at all levels. We provide grants to Akiva School, Nashville’s Jewish day school for children in grades K-6; we sponsor annual programs like the Global Day of Jewish Learning for adults, and we offer special incentive subsidies for teens and college-age students who want to study in Israel for gap year or semester-long educational experiences. We’ve also expanded our PJLibrary Program to include PJ Our Way, which provides free books and other Jewish learning media to children ages 9-11. The Federation also provides special grants to all of our local synagogues to allow them to offer Jewish enrichment and education programs that are open to all community members. Every Jewish organization in Nashville benefits from the Federation’s grant-making process, and the Federation encourages all of its local agencies and the congregations to offer innovative ways to build and enrich Jewish identity and engagement. We expect this trend to continue as we make Best Jewish Nashville even better by using information from the Jewish population study to improve services. We invite you to join us as a volunteer, a donor and, most important, a participant in the richness of Jewish life in Nashville. We are certain that you will find it fulfilling and enjoyable.•
New and Improved Shalom Taxi! We’ve made it easier for you to use! Monday - Saturday • NEW certified MTA access driver! Extra riders going to the same destination will not need a voucher and will only pay $1 per extra rider. Six riders maximum per same destination. To purchase $5 vouchers contact Carrie Mills at the Gordon Jewish Community Center at 615-354-1680 or email: carrie@nashvillejcc.org
Federation Contacts Executive Office Mark S. Freedman, executive director (615)354-1660 mark@jewishnashville.org
Community Relations Abbie Wolf, director of community relations (615) 354-1637 abbie@jewishnashville.org
Tania Bukengolts, office administrator (615) 354-1668 tania@jewishnashville.org
Liron Finkelstein, community shlicha (Israel emissary) (615) 354-1632 liron@jewishnashville.org
Barbara Schwarcz, events and newcomers coordinator (615) 354-1630 barbara@jewishnashville.org
Community Planning/ Israel Partnership Harriet Schiftan, director of planning and Partnership2Gether (615) 354-1687 harriet@jewishnashville.org
Lynn Fleischer, Jewish community archivist (615) 354-1655 library@jewishnashville.org Annual Campaign/ Communications & Marketing Naomi Limor Sedek, campaign director (615) 354-1642 naomi@jewishnashville.org Carolyn Hecklin-Hyatt, community engagement associate (615) 354-1650 carolynh@jewishnashville.org Lisa Smith, communications/ marketing specialist (615) 354-1676 lisa@jewishnashville.org Andrea Crowe, donor center manager (615) 354-1676 andrea@jewishnashville.org Jewish Foundation Risa Klein Herzog, director of foundation development (615) 354-1651 risa@jewishnashville.org
Finance and Information Technology Becky Gunn, controller (615) 354-1624 becky@jewishnashville.org Heath Hinson, accounting and human resources (615) 354-1654 heath@jewishnashville.org Allen Cummings, director of information technology (615) 354-1675 admin@jewishnashville.org Carolyn Benick Brown, Akiva School business manager (615) 432-2554 cbenickbrown@akivanashville. net The Jewish Observer Mark S. Freedman, publisher (615) 354-1660 mark@jewishnashville.org Charles Bernsen, editor (615) 354-1653 charles@jewishnashville.org Carrie Mills, advertising manager (615) 354-1699 carrie@nashvillejcc.org
www.jewishnashville.org The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 9
Voices of Belmont Village
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Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 www.jewishnashville.org Risa Klein Herzog, director of foundation development (615) 354-1651 risa@jewishnashville.org
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ow would you like to be remembered? Do you want to help ensure a strong Jewish future in Nashville? In Israel? Around the world? Would you like to see our community grow and thrive for generations to come? The Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee helps connect donors’ interests, values and passions to the legacies they wish to create, allowing them to establish endowments that address our most pressing needs, enrich our culture, and strengthen our community. The Foundation enables donors to create an enduring legacy that honors and reaffirms our traditions and shapes and assures a vibrant future for what we treasure most – our families, community and Jewish heritage. Established more than 35 years ago, the Foundation is the endowment arm of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. With growing assets of over $32 million, the Foundation provides a major source of funds to support the vital work of the Federation and the broader community to make Nashville a thriving city for Jewish life. The Jewish Foundation is the source of one third of the funds the Federation distributes annually. While enhancing assets is crucial to the Foundation's strength and stability, growth is not its only objective. We work to fulfill the cherished precepts of tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repair of the world) by managing the charitable funds of donors and working with them to strengthen our Jewish community and the Jewish people and to make a difference in the lives of needy Jews locally, in Israel and around the world. The Jewish Foundation has relevance from cradle to grave, providing opportunities for philanthropy at all stages of life. The Foundation offers a variety of tax advantages and estate planning vehicles, allowing donors to meet their individual financial goals while also being active participants in strengthening and building our community. Among these are: • Bequests • Area of Interest or Designated Funds • Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment Funds (PACE or LOJE)
Royce Fishel (from left), James Fishel, Elise Straus, Merle Born, Risa Klein Herzog
• Donor Advised Funds • Gifts of IRA Designations or Life Insurance • Annuities and Trusts • The B’nai Tzedek program, which encourages philanthropy among b’nai mitzvah-aged donors with support from the FeldmanHassenfeld Fund for B’nai Tzedek. With more than 60 char- Nan Speller (from left), Phyllis ter members, The Book of Life Alper, Sandy Averbuch was created to recognize the growing number of donors who have made or have promised to make a permanent endowed gift to benefit a Jewish agency, organization or synagogue, regardless of the size of the gift. Donors whose permanent gifts are $25,000 or more are honored with an electronic donor page, featuring their photograph and a personal statement highlighting why they have created this legacy and their hopes for the future. The electronic Book of Life is in the lobby of the Gordon Jewish Community Center where the entire community can view and enjoy it. We continue to add new names and welcome new donors as their legacy plans are formalized. • Jewish Foundation Development Committee Members: Sandy Averbuch (chair), David Cooper, Annette Eskind, James Fishel, Mark Goldfarb, Ellen Levitt, Jan Liff, Andrew May, Joshua May, Stephen Riven, Martin Satinsky, Nan Speller, David Steine, Jr. and Fred Zimmerman.
Foundation Is Life. Pass It On… The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 11
Gordon Jewish Community Center (GJCC) Fitness and Wellness Along with the latest equipment, experienced staff, and certified personal trainers, there are 45 weekly group fitness classes – spinning, kickboxing, yoga and more – free for members.
801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-7170 Fax: (615) 353-2659 www.nashvillejcc.org info@nashvillejcc.org Carla Rosenthal, president Leslie M. Sax, executive director
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Members of the TigerSharks, one of the swim teams at the GJCC, can practice in either the 50-meter outdoor pool or the 25-meter indoor pool.
ocated on a picturesque 52-acre campus in west Nashville, the Gordon Jewish Community Center is a family-oriented, vibrant facility with a tangible sense of community and belonging. From our state-of-the-art fitness center to our expansive athletic fields and courts, from our pools to our community garden, and from our youth and adult sports programs to our arts activities, GJCC can offer you a place to maintain a healthy lifestyle, build relationships and engage in enriching activities. The GJCC is a community of people of all ages, stages, and beliefs who share laughter, learning, listening, and leading. People who love the GJCC have aspirations to learn, to grow, to stay in shape, to put themselves and their families on paths to meaningful lives. Whether one’s goals are as modest as shooting hoops or as ambitious as imparting values to one’s kids, the GJCC offers a friendly, dynamic environment to live up to those goals. There’s something about this place.
Shalom Baby Gordon Jewish Community Center Renee Geltzer, contact (615) 354-1640 renee@nashvillejcc.org
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halom Baby recognizes that each birth is a special event, and the Nashville Jewish community wants to share in the celebration. Shalom Baby welcomes newborns with a pretty bag filled with gifts, resource information from local Jewish organizations, and special offers. Shalom Baby gift bags are available to all families in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee community in which at least one parent is Jewish, regardless of affiliation. All parents of newborns (up to 6 months of age) or newly adopted infants are eligible to receive a Shalom Baby gift bag. Shalom Baby is funded by a New Initiative Grant from the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. If you or someone you know has welcomed a new member of the Nashville Jewish community, contact Renee Geltzer at (615) 354-1640 or renee@nashvillejcc.org
12 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
Aquatics We have a 25-yard heated indoor saltwater pool, a 50-meter outdoor saltwater pool and baby pools. Swimming lessons and TigerSharks Rec and USA Swim teams attract hundreds of swimmers. Water aerobics classes, from certified arthritis programs to prenatal, give you an opportunity to exercise without the strain of impact. Cultural Arts The Janet Levine March Gallery’s rotating art exhibits, concerts, guest lecturers and social gatherings enrich members’ cultural identity. We also have the Janet Levine March Gallery 2, the Sig Held Art Gallery, and the House Gallery. The Nashville Jewish Film Festival brings quality films with Jewish content to the Nashville area each November. Adults Our offerings include classes, lectures, luncheons and annual Nourish Your Mind series. The program offerings, both on campus and off, are designed to meet a wide variety of educational opportunities and interests. Adults over 65 Weekly meetings, group fitness, book club, games, trips, and more offer camaraderie and companionship in your home away from home. Early Childhood Learning Center The ECLC provides a rich and unique early childhood learning experience for children ages 6 weeks through pre-kindergarten. The curriculum includes age-appropriate academics, Jewish cultural enrichment, Discover CATCH, music, physical education instruction and swim lessons. Our ECLC has a three-star rating, the highest award by the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Programming for School-Age Kids Planet Kid, our after-school program, runs from 2:30-6 p.m. – and the children will love every minute of it. They start the afternoon of with a snack and then may spend time on the huge Pargh Playground, swim in our indoor pool or play in our gym. Activities, both structured and unstructured, are geared to developing social, physical, and cognitive skills. We know homework is important, so tutors are on-hand to help your child complete their tasks. Books, games, puzzles and friends are always here too. Two separate but linked classrooms allow us to provide planned activities and games in one room, while keeping the other room quieter for homework, reading and low key activities. The facilities of the GJCC allow us to spend outside the classroom too. Our calendar reflects the schedules of Akiva School and Metro
Public Schools, and we are open even when school is not. We offer transportation from Akiva, West Meade and Harpeth Valley. Camp Davis, the GJCC day camp for children in grades K-9, truly lives up to its motto “Keeping Kids Dirty Since 1930.” Camp Davis provides a Jewish summer day camp experience that is safe, inclusive and most important fun. Holding Jewish values high, Camp Davis is a community of support where children are encouraged to try new things and take risks on a daily basis, as well as appreciate our natural world. Traditional camp, late nights and overnights, as well as specialty tracks encourage children to build their own sense of confidence and sense of belonging within the community. Camp Davis School’s Out Days offers engaging programing for kids in grades K-5 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on days when school is not in session, with optional early care starting at 7 a.m. and later care extending until 6 p.m. Children participate in a number of activities including art projects, music, sports, physical challenges, board games, puzzles, playground time, cooking, dramatic play, and the list goes on! In addition, we are also able to take advantage of our great indoor pool facility, so be sure to pack a suit and
towel to join in on the fun. Teens Our programs for teens include the JCC Maccabi Games, an Olympics-style competition for sports and camaraderie, AZA and BBG (the two local BBYO groups sponsored by the GJCC), and BBYO Connect for middle-schoolers. Sports We offer many different sports throughout the year for both adults and kids including soccer, baseball, flag football, basketball, tennis and racquetball. Adults can play pick-up basketball games weekly – and participate in basketball and softball league play. Jewish Community and Identity Marking every occasion on the Jewish calendar, from our annual Chanukah Festival and menorah lighting to the Kosher Hot Chicken Festival, the GJCC is the social hub for the Jewish community of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. •
Gordon Jewish Community Center Adults Over 65 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 www.nashvillejcc.org Alex Leff, adult programs director alex@nashvillejcc.org (615) 356-7170, ext. 223
Prime Time at the J All area senior adults are invited to join the Gordon Jewish Community Center’s Prime Time, which hosts a huge variety of activities, including monthly meetings, day and overnight trips, parties, lunches, monthly casino trips, holiday programs, classes, a movie club, cultural events like the TPAC Broadway series, concerts and opportunities for participation in community events. TGIT at the J Have you lived in Nashville your entire life or are you new to the city? Either way, this program is for you. For more than 68 years, we’ve had a blast at the GJCC on Thursdays. Thank Goodness It’s Thursday attracts up to 90 people who participate in a blood pressure check with a registered nurse and an exercise
The GJCC sponsors classes and events for adults of all ages like this performance by Magevet, a Jewish a cappella group from Yale University, at the weekly TGIT luncheon.
class, and then are served a delicious lunch and enjoy an exciting program. Upcoming programs will explore transportation issues in Nashville, the Tennessee Centennial Exhibition, and Jewish holidays such as Tu B’Shevat, Purim and Rosh Hashanah. We will also have visits from Nashville Canine (a police dog) and from Jack Simon, Camp Davis Director, when we spend a day remembering all the fun of going to summer camp. •
Nashville Holocaust Memorial www.nashvilleholocaustmemorial.org
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n 2006 the Nashville survivor community and their descendants, with the support of many generous donors, created the Holocaust Memorial and Educational Site on the grounds of the Gordon Jewish Community Center to honor the Jewish victims of this monumental tragedy and inspire future generations to live by the principle: “Never again to us or anyone.” Continued on page 14
Survivor Felicia Anchor regularly leads tours of the Holocaust Memorial on the grounds of the Gordon Jewish Community Center, the centerpiece of which is Alex Limor’s sculpture “Book of the Jewish People.”
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 13
Holocaust Memorial Continued from page 13
Designed by architect Manuel Zeitlin, the interactive memorial provides an educational opportunity to learn about the Holocaust through the distinctive history of Nashville survivors and their families. The site includes memorial walls inscribed with the names and personal information of loved ones, an eternal flame and a symbolic sculpture of the “Book of the Jewish People,” which was inspired by Holocaust survivor Irvin Limor and created by his son, Alex. The fundraising effort was led by Felicia Anchor. The secluded wooded site has proven to be a respite for personal reflection. It is open to the public and accessible during the hours when the GJCC is open. A self-guided tour is available through a series of information stations describ-
ing the memorial area as well as a printed guide. Groups may arrange guided tours by contacting Danielle Kahane Kaminsky at (615) 343-2563. Visitors can also learn more about the memorial, including eyewitness accounts of survivors and the personal profiles of
those who are remembered on the granite walls, by visiting the memorial website at www.nashvilleholocaustmemorial.org. Donations to the memorial upkeep and educational efforts are appreciated and can be made through the Gordon Jewish Community Center’s Holocaust Memorial Fund. •
GJCC Adults of All Ages 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-7170, ext. 223 www.nashvillejcc.org Alex Leff, coordinator alex@nashvillejcc.org
T
he Gordon Jewish Community Center offers something for everyone. If you want it, let us know and we’ll offer it. We want you to be part of the GJCC.
Nourish Your Mind at the J The GJCC offers fabulous classes and events that appeal to a wide range of interests. They are open to adults of all ages. Pick up a 2016 catalog at the GJCC or visit www.nashvillejcc.org for more information. Please make reservations. Some of our programs include: • Magevet, the Jewish a cappella group from Yale University • Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon event • Chocolate and Wine Pairing • Cooking classes such as making your own pasta and using fresh herbs • Classes on organization and stress management • Memoir writing • Musical performance by Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn Ongoing weekly sessions include knitting, bridge, Mah Jongg, poker and oil painting. And, if you like to read, the GJCC Book Club meets monthly and JReads provide an opportunity for the community to read a book together. Art on the West Side and the GJCC Art Academy Art on the West Side is the GJCC Fine Art and Craft Show featuring artist David Nichols and 45 of Middle Tennessee’s most renowned artists. The event occurs in March and includes a show, opening cocktail reception and kids’ activities sponsored by the Frist Center for Visual Arts. Art Academy offers classes in the new art studio furnished by Art on the West Side. This year’s classes included acrylic painting, oil painting, how to market your art, art journaling, holiday cookie decorating, art at the zoo and others. Look in the Nourish Your Mind catalog for new classes. Music at the J The GJCC offers a variety of musical programs which include the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and the Nashville Community Concert Band. •
14 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
SYNAGOGUES
Synagogues and affiliated organizations Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad 95 Bellevue Road Nashville, TN 37221 (615) 646-5750 www.chabadnashville.com Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel rabbi@chabadnashville.com Esther Tiechtel, educator and rebbetzin etiechtel@gmail.com Michael Simon, president msimon105@comcast.net
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enowned for warmth and friendliness, Congregation Beit Tefilah offers true Jewish Southern hospitality. Whether you’re a longtime Nashville resident or a newcomer, Chabad welcomes you and offers something for everyone. A Place to Call Home Imagine worshipping in an atmosphere of total acceptance, where you are welcomed and implored to be as nonjudgmental of your neighbors as they are of you. Services are traditional and conducted primarily in Hebrew, with select readings in English. Neither the language you use nor your pace is of paramount importance. Our pristine sanctuary, enveloped in a natural environment, is the perfect setting to feel connected to G-d. Shabbat Shalom As the sun sets on Friday, everyone streams in for that magical moment of candle lighting when the spirit of Shabbat settles upon Nashville. Congregants lift their voices in
song and prayer. Mystical insights from the rabbi bring in a meditative peace. Each second and fourth Friday of the month, a grand T.G.I.S. (Thank G-d It’s Shabbat) dinner follows services and is open to the entire community, always at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning brings the reading of the Torah, as the rabbi tells the story of the weekly Torah portion, and guest cantors lead musaf prayers. Educator Esther Tiechtel leads the CKids weekly Shabbat morning children’s ser-
vice, which includes story time, edible crafts and prayer. B’nai mitzvah and other lifecycle events take place in our new ballroom and are tailored to the talents of each bar or bat mitzvah. Jewish Study Roundtable Join us on Tuesday evenings for the popular study group that features discussions on values and ethics led by Rabbi and Esther Tiechtel. Weekly classes explore Torah and other topics, including Jewish mysticism.
Youth Programming At Sunday morning Hebrew School, children study the Treasures Curriculum, mark the holidays with family workshops and utilize the “Aleph Champ” Hebrew reading curriculum. Teens enjoy their first foray into kabbalah and their chance to wrap tefillin together. Chesed and Caring We extend a welcoming hand to guests, giving all visitors a warm welcome and the feeling of being with mishpacha – family. Our “Chicken Soup Squad” brings hot foods to the homebound or ill. Congregation Beit Tefilah is a place you want to call home. Come and visit and we are sure you’ll want to stay. L’hitraot! •
Mikvah Mei Chaya Genesis Campus for Jewish Life 95 Bellevue Road, Nashville, TN 37221 For private appointment: Call (615) 6011895 or text (615) 480-4225.
M
ei Chaya is the first mikvah built in Nashville exclusively for the mitzvah of taharat ha-mishpacha – family purity. Experience the beauty of this special mitzvah in the privacy of a luxurious mikvah fully equipped with all your spa needs and beautifully appointed to make your visit a pleasurable one. All materials – from the travertine stone imported from Turkey to the glass tiles, from elegant lighting fixtures to the exquisite furnishings and paintings, from the limestone vanities to the surround-sound audio system – were selected by a team of top interior designers to make it a five-star “mikspah” experience. Mei Chaya was built with the needs of the local Jewish community in mind. It offers women the opportunity for a moving, spiritu-
al experience – a spa for both body and soul. The facility boasts a well-appointed reception room, two luxurious preparation rooms and a uniquely designed mikvah that offers both a tranquil and spiritual setting. Mikvah means “a gathering of natural water.” Unlike an ordinary tub or pool, complex laws and specifications govern construction of a mikvah. The primary uses of a mikvah cover many elements of Jewish life, but the most significant usage today is by brides and married women practicing taharat ha-mishpacha— the Jewish laws of family purity. The mikvah lies at the heart of the beauty and spirituality of the marital relationship, endowing it with a charming dimension of sanctity and love. For thousands of years, it has been Judaism’s secret to harmonious marital living and Jewish survival. The mikvah is available by appointment only. Please call for an appointment 48 hours in advance. • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 15
SYNAGOGUES
Congregation Micah Reform 2001 Old Hickory Boulevard Brentwood, TN 37027 (615) 377-9799 Fax: (615) 377-7996 office@congregationmicah. org www.CongregationMicah. org facebook.com/ CongregationMicah twitter.com/micahnashville (Also look for us on Pinterest and Vimeo) Rabbis Philip “Flip” and Laurie Rice rabbiflip@ congregationmicah.org rabbilaurie@ congregationmicah.org Todd Evans, executive director tevans@ congregationmicah.org Julie Greenberg, education director jgreenberg@ congregationmicah.org Lisa Silver, music director/ cantorial soloist lsilver@congregationmicah. org Ali Friedman Zola, membership director membership@ congregationmicah.org
Rabbi Flip reads the Torah with students during the young family Rosh Hashanah service.
Celia Lerch, administrative assistant office@congregationmicah. org Jeff Landman, president president@ congregationmicah.org
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ongregation Micah is a spirited community that honors and celebrates our communal commitment to God, each other, Israel and the world. Authentically diverse, unafraid to break the mold and guided by visionary leaders, Micah infuses the lives of its congregants with a Judaism that is meaningful, relevant and transformative. Promoting the values of liberal Judaism, our services are musical and participatory; our educational opportunities are compelling and enriching; and our social gatherings are undeniably en-
joyable. Together we attempt to answer deep questions, like what it means to live fully American and Jewish lives. God We approach God through the authenticity of our intentions, the prayers of our heart and the ancient rituals of our people. On Shabbat and at other services we include traditional, contemporary and innovative musical settings of liturgy by our nationally known musical team as well as other local artists. Our award-winning sanctuary inspires us by framing its beautiful ark with windows which invite the natural beauty behind us inside. Our 35-acre campus also includes a chapel for more intimate worship, a memorial garden and a cemetery. Torah Lifelong learning begins in
infancy. Our Tennessee 3-star rated preschool begins at 6 weeks and continues through pre-kindergarten; the curriculum includes Tot Shabbat and time on our natural playscape. Our religious school is known for its creativity with regard to Hebrew instruction, family services, b’nai mitzvah preparation, confirmation classes and beyond. Special programs include the Kids/Teen Choir, music, photography, Jewish history, family education, and social action programs. Additional youth enrichment is provided through our flourishing youth groups. Micah Midweek allows students to pray, eat and learn together. And our bar/ bat mitzvah candidates are tutored exclusively by our clergy. The rabbis weekly teach Torah, schmooze with our seniors and educate from the pulpit. Our Micah Book Club convenes monthly, short courses are offered for adults on Wednesdays and Sundays, and scholars visit seasonally. Together we celebrate the holidays: At Chanukah and Passover, we share a meal as a community, and Purim is an exciting time of skits and a carnival. Israel Micah offers trips to Israel for teens, families and adults. We seek to make connections both locally and with Jewish communities throughout the world. We invite a multiplicity of voices as we invite you to join us on our joyous and sacred journey. •
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16 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
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SYNAGOGUES
Congregation Sherith Israel Orthodox 3600 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 292-6614 www.sherithisrael.com
Rabbi Saul Strosberg, an accomplished musician who has played professionally, has made music an integral part of life at Congregation Sherith Israel.
Rabbi Saul Strosberg Assistant Rabbi Aaron Finkelstein Cantor George Lieberman Roberta Goodman, board president
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ongregation Sherith Israel offers a flavor of Orthodoxy unique to Nashville and is a community open to all regardless of religious background, level of observance or knowledge. We are a diverse congregation, yet we are all committed to our Shul family, the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Our well-attended, par-
ticipatory services are meaningful, warm and welcoming, with inspiring words of Torah, beautiful singing and a strong sense of community. We offer extensive programming, including education for youth and adults, social events, an active sisterhood and community service. Shabbat and Holidays Shabbat at Sherith Israel begins with a beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat in the heart of Music City. All are then welcome to join in a free and open, fes-
tive Shabbat dinner in Abraham and Sarah’s Tent. Shabbat day services are filled with joy, song and active participation as well as special programming for younger children. Following services, we join together as a community at our catered kiddush luncheon, catching up with old friends and making new friends. There are classes both before Shacharit and after the kiddush luncheon. The calendar is full of community celebrations of Jewish holidays, starting with a
Rosh Hashanah luncheon and tashlich, Yom Kippur break-thefast after a day of truly inspiring prayer, Shabbat in the Sukkah and a community Simchat Torah dinner, Chanukah menorah lighting and party, Purim Se’udah, Passover seders, and Shavuot learning. In addition, we join together to commemorate national days of service and holidays, including Martin Luther King Day. Youth Programs Sherith Israel caters to all types of children. We offer individualized programs for elementary through high-school students on Sundays and after school. In addition to Hebrew language and Jewish studies, students participate in Jewish arts and craft, cooking class, and chesed projects. We offer specialized bar and bat mitzvah preparation, NCSY programming, Youth Shabbatons and Continued on page 18
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SYNAGOGUES Continued from page 17
fun outings for teens as well as programs for young families. Adult Education Every year Rabbi Saul, Cantor Lieberman and Rabbi Aaron offer classes including Torah study, Talmud study, instruction in reading Torah and Haftorah portions, and special programs, such as Melton or instruction in Hebrew. Events Our calendar is packed with events such as presentations by scholars in residence and other special speakers, concerts featuring our talented Rabbi Saul with congregants and special guests, and outings to concerts or plays. We also commit time to community service, such as Room at the Inn, Habitat for Humanity and other programs. We invite you to join us for Shabbat services, meet our community at kiddush luncheon, and become part of the Sherith Israel family. â&#x20AC;˘
Sherith Israel Sisterhood 3600 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 292-6614 Ruth Levitt. president ruthie615@gmail.com
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he dictionary defines sisterhood as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the close relationship among women based on shared experiences, concerns, etc.â&#x20AC;? The Congregation Sherith Israel Sisterhood fits this description. We are a group of women of different ages and backgrounds who come together with the common concern of supporting individuals and families in our community during times of weakness and strength, joy and sorrow. We welcome women in the community to join us in our mission to bring Jewish women together to serve our commu-
nities and make deep and lasting friendships. The sisterhood continues to support the following projects for Congregation Sherith Israel: â&#x20AC;˘ Renovation of Sunday school rooms â&#x20AC;˘ Assisting a local student with a college scholarship â&#x20AC;˘ Mikvah upkeep â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchen maintenance â&#x20AC;˘ The library fund â&#x20AC;˘ Meals for shivas and other community needs â&#x20AC;˘ Providing High Holiday flowers for the sanctuary â&#x20AC;˘ Reaching out to shut-ins with home visits In addition, the entire Sisterhood membership meets for learning about Jewish holidays, traditions and other topics. Our meetings are always filled with lively discussion,
friendship and great food! Sisterhood is funded through annual membership dues and planned fundraisers. â&#x20AC;˘
Denese Kassman (left) and Susan Veale get ready for the annual Latke Supper and Candlelight Silent Auction at Congregation Sherith Israel. The fundraiser is the CSI Sisterhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and funds many of its projects throughout the year.
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SYNAGOGUES
The Temple’s Mazel Tones (junior choir) traveled to perform for seniors in our community.
The Temple – Congregation Ohabai Sholom Reform 5015 Harding Pike Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 352-7620 www.templenashville.org Rabbi Mark Schiftan Rabbi Shana Mackler Rabbi Michael Shulman Cantor Tracy Fishbein Rabbi Michael Shulman, director of education and next generation programming Erin Zagnoev, director of membership and development Corye Nelson, director of The Temple Preschool Ralph Levy, board president Martin Sir, board presidentelect
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he top 10 terrific things people are saying about The Temple:
Welcoming and Inclusive We have a diverse membership, from singles to married and same-sex couples, interfaith and intercultural families, newcomers and natives, families with children, mid-lifers and senior adults. Our members live all over Greater Nashville.
Embracing We honor and cherish all of our members and families no matter what their background – Jewish or non-Jewish, traditional or interfaith. Conversion Conversations provides opportunities for those seeking to learn more about Judaism. Approachable Clergy and staff are available and accessible to meet your lifecycle and pastoral needs. Our clergy participate actively in the life of our larger Jewish and Nashville community. Joyous Shabbat worship and holiday celebrations are filled with music, warmth, creativity and joy. During school hours, our preschool and religious school hallways are filled with the laughter of children. Innovative We offer relevant, current and intentional programs, including: • Pursuit of Harmony: A weekend of music and learning dedicated to deepening our understanding of the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict • A Peace of Our Minds: A sacred weekend of conversation and reflection around mental health • Justice programs such as our Jim Crow series and JewishMuslim Relations Program Continued on page 20
featuring… Gary Rosenthal • Michael Aram • Badash Tamara Boskin • Becca Belz Jewelry & more!
follow us on facebook The Temple Gift Shop
5015 HARDING ROAD • 615-352-7620
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 19
SYNAGOGUES Continued from page 19
â&#x20AC;˘ Fun and engaging monthly programming for families with young children Evolving We strive to improve on our successes year to year. We find opportunities to try new approaches and programs to meet the needs and desires of
our growing and evolving congregation, including our wellness initiative, lay-led study groups and Satellite Shabbat Program.
Shabbat morning Torah study and Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Torah study, family and parent education programs on Sundays and scholars in residence.
ly collections of food and other needed supplies, social action initiatives, interfaith programming and connections with other local congregations.
Enriching We offer dozens of opportunities to learn and grow Jewishly throughout the year with our Weekly Lunch with the Rabbi,
Connecting We work hard to connect our members to one another through our programs throughout the year including, Next Dor (social events for young adults and couples ages 22-40), Passover seders around the city, W.E.L.L (Women Engaged in Living & Learning), JACS (a support group for addictive behaviors) and Caring Connection (congregants helping other congregants at times of joy and sorrow).
Proud We kvell with pride for our: â&#x20AC;˘ Preschool, with its top-rated, full-time, innovative and stimulating curriculum with dynamic and caring teachers. â&#x20AC;˘ Religious school and its emphasis on learning in the context of community through fun, creative, relevant and engaging experiences for our students and families. â&#x20AC;˘ Strong and rich tradition as the heart of Reform Judaism in Nashville since 1851.
Committed to Community Our congregation continues to expand and deepen our commitment to making our Nashville community a better place in so many ways: the Boulevard Bolt, Room in the Inn, month-
Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just take other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word for it, come experience The Temple for yourself! Our doors are always open. Give us a call, check out our website, stop by and visit us. Find a Jewish home here at The Temple. â&#x20AC;˘
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SYNAGOGUES
West End Synagogue
Barbara Dab, board president barbaradabpr@gmail.com
Conservative 3810 West End Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37205 (615) 269-4592 Fax: (615) 269-4695 office@westendsyn.org www.westendsyn.org Rabbi Joshua Kullock rabbi@westendsyn.org Asst. Rabbi Josh Barton jbarton@westendsyn.org Marcia Stewart, executive director mstewart@westendsyn.org Sharon Paz, director of lifelong learning spaz@westendsyn.org Miriam Halachmi, education director emerita, zâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;l
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est End Synagogue is Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional, egalitarian congregation. Our diverse community is united by the shared values of Torah (learning), avodah (prayer) and gemilut chasadim (kindness). Together, we strive to imbue ancient rituals with modern meaning. Torah Lifelong education is integral to the West End experience. Our Beit Miriam Religious School, led by Sharon Paz, enriches the lives of our children and teaches them Hebrew and Jewish values and rituals. We are proud to have so many students spend summers at Camp Ramah Darom in Georgia, where they are fully immersed in Jewish life and community. We offer ongoing opportunities for adults to study Torah, including Talmud Ahora,
West End members gathered in 2015 to rename the religious school in honor of longtime director, Miriam Halachmi.
At West Endâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grater Seder, students got to roast eggs, hand grate charoset and maror, and experience The Passover House.
Unrolling the Torah and the special Learn and Lunch series for seniors. We have at least one learning opportunity after morning minyan every day of the week. Guest scholars from
Nashville and beyond teach us through our Pray, Eat, Learn series and our annual scholarin-residence program. Weekly Hebrew classes are offered to Continued on page 22
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Adult Education Social Action SeniorsĂ&#x2022; Activities MenĂ&#x2022;s Club Sisterhood
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The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 21
SYNAGOGUES Continued from page 21
those who wish to better follow along in our services. You can join dozens of students of all backgrounds for Introduction to Judaism, taught by Rabbi Joshua Kullock on Sundays from January-May. Avodah Morning and evening minyans bring us together in prayer every day of the year. Minyannaires provide comfort for mourners who come to say Kaddish and offer blessings for families celebrating life-cycle events. Bagels and coffee fill your belly after the morning minyan has fed your soul. Shabbat is the highlight of our week. We usher in Shabbat together on Friday evening, filling the chapel with soulful melodies. After services we often have pot luck meals organized by congregants. Shabbat morning services are led both by our clergy and lay-leaders of all ages, and Rabbi Joshua
or Rabbi Barton engage us with enlightening sermons. Families and children come together for bi-monthly children and youth services. Kiddush lunch is our weekly opportunity to eat, schmooze, and sing together. Gemilut Chasadim (Social Action) We partner with many Nashville organizations to serve those in need. Through Room in the Inn, we house and feed homeless men each Monday evening from November through January. With the Martha O’Bryan Center and Second Harvest, we stock a food pantry and deliver meals on wheels. Each year, we fill a Mitzvah Crib for families in need. We also care for one another – visiting the sick and providing food for members of our community in times in need through our We Care Committee. We invite you to join our synagogue family. Come visit us any time! •
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615.322.1225 www.cpacg.com 109 Kenner Avenue • Suite 100 • Nashville, TN 37205 • Email: info@cpacg.com
22 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
West End Synagogue Sisterhood 3810 West End Ave. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 269-4592 Fax: (615) 269-4695 office@westendsyn.org President: Marsha Raimi sisterhoodwestendsynagogue@gmail.com
T
he West End Synagogue Sisterhood is involved in activities that enrich our congregation, support religious education and enhance our youth programs. Members span a wide range of interests, ages and backgrounds. The sisterhood was founded in 1903 and affiliated with the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism (WLCJ) in 1948. New female synagogue members receive a free one-year sisterhood membership. WES Sisterhood nourishes our religious school and congregation family – financially and literally, with food. Through money raised by selling Purim bags (mishloach manot), the sisterhood pays for enhanced school programming and hosts a first-day-of-school brunch for religious school parents. The sisterhood prepares several Shabbat Kiddush meals and Friday night family dinners each year. We support our kosher kitchens and the Yom Kippur break-fast meal. WES Sisterhood supports our youth of all ages. We offer discounted babysitting during the High Holidays for infants and children through age 12. We fund transportation to conventions for the congregations’ two youth groups, Kadima (middle school) and USY (United Synagogue Youth for high school students), and we send the USY young leader to the group’s annual leadership retreat. We help WES maintain its distinction as the Conservative congregation with the most children attending Camp Ramah Darom by providing scholarships to families in need. Finally, we send holiday gift packages to our college students so they remain connected to WES. As a member of WLCJ, we support the Conservative movement of Judaism via the annual Torah Fund campaign. This money helps educate our clergy and educational students at two seminaries in the United States, one in Israel and the one attended by our own Rabbi Joshua Kullock, Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires. We foster our personal Jewish education and spiritual growth through participation in Sisterhood Shabbat, rosh chodesh celebrations and a lively book club. We also operate the WES Judaica Shop, which is open on Wednesday afternoons until 6:30 p.m. and on Sunday mornings during the school year. Other hours are available by appointment through the synagogue office. Planned social and educational events this year include: • Tea tasting (September) • Sisters’ Evening Out at the Nashville Jewish Film Festival (October) • Fundraising dinner for Torah Fund and youth activities (November) • Paid member luncheon (January) • Na’tah Kerem wine tasting (February) • Officer installation (May)
SYNAGOGUES
2016 Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Mitzvah
Congregation Sherith Israel
Elinor Horn Adina Shuman Jacob Hanai Iris Hanai
The Temple Alexandra Suchet    Eli Kampine Chloe Romain Adam Garfinkel Jake Steigelfest Halle Greenbaum Ryan Penson Gavin and Michael Gordon Natalie Rittenberg Oscar Fox Scott Sonkin Eliana Schneider Eli Stein Steven Deshaies Owen Shaffer Carson Lewis Jacob Viner Joseph Dattilo          Â
Congregation Micah Joshua Friedman January 23 Maxwell Glasser March 5 Jacob Friedman April 2 Macey Goorevich April 9 Noemi Miller April 30 January 9              Jacob Williams May 7 February 6           Maya Hershkowitz May 14 February 13 Alyssa Cohen June 4 February 20        Liam Frumkin June 18 February 27        Jonah Barton August 20 March 5           Jackson Evans September 17 April 2           Tristan Numbers September 24 April 16        Mya Schwartz November 5 May 7           Ryan Estrin November 12 May 14        Asher Rice December 10 May 28        West End Synagogue June 4           Jacob Fish January 30 June 25 Gabby Bengelsdorf February 20 September 24        Nali Hodes February 27 November 5 Max Potash May 14 November 12        Maia Herman September 3 November 19        Jaden Levin December 10 December 3 Congregation Beit Tefilah Adina Tova Shuman January 17 Kyla Rose Hodes May 20 January 1 January 16 February 13 February 13
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Jewish Family Service 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 103 Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-4234 Fax: (615) 301-0676 www.jfsnashville.org Howard Safer, president Pamela Kelner, executive director info@jfsnashville.org
J
ewish Family Service supports our community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one child, one adult, one family at a time. Our agency has provided social services to the Nashville Jewish community for over 160 years. JFS offers a comprehensive range of social services to people of all income levels, ages and backgrounds. Services include:
Students participate in therapeutic art at â&#x20AC;&#x153;De-Stress with Us,â&#x20AC;? a recent Family Life Education Program offered through Jewish Family Service.
â&#x20AC;˘ Adoption â&#x20AC;˘ Counseling â&#x20AC;˘ Case management â&#x20AC;˘ Family life education â&#x20AC;˘ Emergency financial assistance â&#x20AC;˘ Chanukah Gifts for Children Program â&#x20AC;˘ Helping Hands Volunteer Program â&#x20AC;˘ Information and referral â&#x20AC;˘ Kosher Food Box Program â&#x20AC;˘ Rosh Hodesh: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Girl Thing!
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24 â&#x20AC;˘ The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
â&#x20AC;˘ School supply drive â&#x20AC;˘ Senior adult services â&#x20AC;˘ Shevet Achim: The Brotherhood â&#x20AC;˘ Support groups Fees are charged for some services. Counseling fees may be covered through private health insurance and Medicare. A sliding-scale fee is available for those who are without insurance or those who choose not to use it. JFS also serves as a professional resource, offering consultations and other services to agencies and congregations throughout the community. Professional, affordable and fully confidential counseling services are provided by licensed clinical social workers. Our LCSWs can help you work through a variety of issues including but not limited to: depression; anxiety; significant life transitions such as divorce, job loss or illness; relationship conflicts with friends, spouse or partners; loss and grief; domestic violence; issues of aging, and child behavior problems. Helping Hands is a program designed to support senior citizens and people with disabilities in the Nashville Jewish community. Volunteers match
The Golden Lunch Bunch helped celebrate Janice Krohnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 101st birthday.
their interests and skills with the needs of seniors to create a mutually rewarding experience. Services include friendly visiting, telephone reassurance, transportation to medical appointments and the grocery store, Shabbat observance, holiday gift-basket deliveries and Jewish programming in assisted-living facilities. In addition, Helping Hands matches musicians with people living with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and/or other forms of dementia for one-onone musical visits. The Kosher Food Box Program provides vital assistance to those who are experiencing financial hardship. The Chanukah Gifts for Children Program provides holiday presents for children who would otherwise go without. Jewish Family Service offers many family life education programs throughout the year, often in partnership with the Gordon Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, congregations or other community organizations. Please support Jewish Family Service by volunteering your time, by making a financial contribution and by attending the annual JFS Chesed Dinner held each spring. â&#x20AC;˘
ADOPTION JOURNEYS:
A Program of Jewish Family Service 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 103 Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-4234 Fax: (615) 301-0676 www.jfsnashville.org Teri R. Sogol, LCSW, casework director Toni L. Jacobsen, LCSW, adoption supervisor info@jfsnashville.org
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ewish Family Service is a Tennessee-licensed adoption agency. Our adoption program, Adoption Journeys, provides confidential professional services to prospective adoptive parents, adoptees and birthparents without regard to race, religion, marital status or sexual orientation. Whether a prospective adoptive parent is seeking a child domestically or internationally, independently or through an agency, JFS can provide the required education, preparation, home studies and post-placement services. We maintain relationships with domestic and international placing agencies across the country. We are partners with two of the largest and most respected international placing agencies in the country, Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home Society and Family Services in St. Paul, MN and Holt International in Eugene, OR. However, we will work with any licensed international placing agency our clients choose. Our services are available not only during the adoption process but also throughout the life of the adoptive family. JFS does not provide placement services for expectant couples but does offer counseling to enable them to examine the available options in order to make a decision that is in the best interests of both the parents and the child. Such counseling may also be offered to support them through the placement process and to address issues of post-placement grief and loss. If the expectant parent decides to make an adoption plan, Jewish Family Service will provide referrals to a list of licensed adoption agencies and attorneys within the Middle Tennessee area. Jewish prospective adoptive families may be eligible for adoption loans through the Earl Kirshner Free Loan Program. Contact JFS for additional information about this program. â&#x20AC;˘
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Here for You â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘
since 1853
Adoption - Domestic & International Case Management Counseling & Psychotherapy Emergency Financial Assistance Family Life Education Support Groups Helping Hands Volunteer Program Information and Referral Kosher Food Boxes Hanukkah Gifts for Children Jewish Job Network School Supplies
(615) 356-4234 www.jfsnashville.org
801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 103 Nashville, TN 37205
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Nashville:
A Cool Place to be Young, Adult and Jewish When they moved to Nashville in 2011, Erin and Micah Coleman thought it was temporary. The warmth of the Jewish community and the opportunities it afforded for involvement and leadership convinced the Colemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to make Nashville their permanent home. (Contributed photo)
By ANNA LAUREN LEVY
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n 2015, I decided to leave the big city life of New York and move closer to my family in the South. However, I set one condition, a condition my younger self would never have made: I would only move to a place where I could maintain
the strong sense of Jewish identity I had developed in New York. I wanted to live where I could meet other Jews around my age and feel supported by a Jewish community.
26 â&#x20AC;˘ The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
At the top of my list was Nashville. Not because I knew anything about it but rather because it was a three-hour drive from my family in Memphis. When I made a visit to scout it out, I was Anna Lauren told that Nashville had a Levy strong, tight-knit and accepting Jewish community with a committed cadre of young adults. Having lived here for six months, I can confirm that Nashville is an appealing place not only to be Jewish but also to be a young adult and Jewish. There are vibrant places of worship for every kind of religious Jew â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two Reform congregations, Congregation Micah and Congregation Ohabai Sholom (which everyone simply calls the Temple); an open Orthodox synagogue, Congregation Sherith Israel; a Conservative synagogue, West End Synagogue, and a Chabad synagogue, Congregation Beit Tefilah. (For those who are shomer Shabbos, both Sherith Israel and Chabad have established eruvim, and each also maintains a mikvah.) Young parents who want a Jewish education for their children can choose from
among three excellent Jewish pre-schools at The Gordon Jewish Community Center, The Temple and Micah. Their children can continue their Jewish educations at Akiva School, a K-6 Jewish day school, and the new Jewish Middle School, which opened in 2015. The vibrancy of the young adult Jewish life here was confirmed in a 2015 population study commissioned by the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The study estimated that there are 1,300 young adults between the ages of 18 and 39 living in Davidson and the surrounding six counties, almost a fifth of the total Jewish population of 8,000. More significant, I think, the study found that more than half (56 percent) had participated in a Jewish program of some kind during the previous year and a similar percentage (54 percent) said they wanted to be more involved in Jewish activities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether through NowGen Nashville, the Federation young adult group that provides social, philanthropic, educational and networking opportunities; synagogue organizations like The Templeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next Dor group, or the Hillel and Chabad chapters at Vanderbilt University, where the num-
ber of Jewish students has soared to more than 1,000 in the past decade. Here are three stories that illustrate why â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether they come for school or a job or because, like me, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a cool place to live â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nashville has much to offer young Jewish adults. The Colemans: A temporary home becomes permanent I met Erin and Micah Coleman and their three children at their home on a Thursday evening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind me cooking,â&#x20AC;? Erin had told me the night before. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until I arrived that I realized that she and her husband were busy cooking their meals for the upcoming Shabbat. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re shomer Shabbos. Although Erin is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow up religiously observant. She did, however, recognize the value of education. To help pay her way through Johns Hopkins University, Erin joined the ROTC. After college, she served in the military as a geospatial officer. It was the first time she was away from a major Jewish community. Continued on page 28
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“When I entered Officer Basic Corps, I made sure to seek out Friday night services at whichever post I was stationed,” says Erin. In 2006, she left the Army, started law school, and married Micah. They were living in Baltimore when Micah got a job offer in Nashville. “He thought Nashville – there’s no Jews in Nashville. So he declined,” Erin recalls. Still, the Coleman’s were interested in living outside of Baltimore, and when Micah received a second job offer in Nash-
ville in 2011, the Coleman’s decided to at least google Nashville for Jewish life. “We were surprised,” Erin says. Sherith Israel had an eruv – a boundary signifying an enclosed space – which allowed certain leniencies regarding work on Shabbat, such as carrying the siddur and pushing a stroller. At Akiva their children would be able to receive a Jewish education. And they could order kosher meats and cheeses through Sherith Israel. (In the years since their move, “kosher food is getting easier and easier to find in Nashville,” says Erin.) So in 2011, the Coleman’s left Bal-
timore and moved to Nashville. They thought it would be a temporary home. “I told a friend see you in 10 years,” Erin says. But within a year, the Coleman’s decided that they were never moving back to Baltimore. And it wasn’t just because Erin found Nashville’s landscape and their neighborhood beautiful. Their transition into the Jewish community shocked them. “Nashville had an automatic warmth,” Erin explains. At their first Shabbat kiddush lunch, the Coleman’s knew only the rabbi and his wife. As soon as we walked in the door of the shul, we were welcomed by everyone. That’s the epitome of Nashville.” Within a year, Micah was on the Federation board and then served as the vice president of membership at Sherith Israel, where they are members. Erin serves on the board of Akiva School, the parent committee for the pre-school at the Gordon Jewish Community Center and is active in the Federation, which chose here as one of two young leader participants in its 2016 community mission to Israel. “It’s so easy to get involved in the Nashville Jewish community and to become a leader,” says Erin. Recently, she and fellow volunteers took the lead on informing nonJewish students about Hanukkah at a local public school. Outside the Jewish community, Erin is also active in the larger Nashville community. When she ran for Metro Council in the fall of 2015, she was delighted by the positive response to her identity as an observant Jew. “People came up to me. They said, because you’re a Jew, I am voting for you.” Erin says. Today, the Colemans enjoy spreading the same hospitality shown to them when they first arrived. They frequently host Shabbat dinners for local and out-of-town guests, especially Jewish professionals interested in relocating to Nashville. “You know,” Erin says, “People in Nashville don’t care how you practice. They just care that you’re a Jew.” Tara Lerner: Finding a place in a tightknit Jewish community At my first Shabbat dinner in Nashville, I met Tara Lerner, a special education teacher. Tara attended Vanderbilt, where she earned both a bachelor’s and master’s
28 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
degree. I met up with Tara on her way to a Federation board meeting, where she represents the NowGen community of young Jewish professionals. Like many young adults, Tara was coaxed to Nashville by Vanderbilt. In New Jersey, she had gone to religious school, attended a Reform summer camp and participated in BBYO. “My hometown had such a large Jewish population that even the public schools were closed on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” Tara says. “Everyone in my family, including me, figured I’d get my special education degree and then return to New Jersey.” When she arrived at Vanderbilt, Tara was concerned about what kind of Jewish life she would be able to make. In 2006, there were about 700 Jewish students at Vanderbilt. But Tara ended up finding a Jewish home away from home. Vanderbilt Hillel matched Tara with a local Jewish family who welcomed her for Shabbat dinners and high-holiday meals and services. “Even today, I’m still close with them,” Tara says. After college, Tara decided to stay in Nashville and pursue her graduate degree at Vanderbilt. She told her friends and family that she’d be back in in two years. Over those two year, Tara became involved in the Federation group for young adults that eventually became NowGen. As she became integrated into the Jewish community outside the Vanderbilt bubble, Tara realized that she was actually more Jewishly involved here than she would have been back home. “Back in New Jersey, it wouldn’t have been as necessary for me to reach out to the Jewish community and find a leadership role,” Tara says. But because she wasn’t constantly surrounded by Jewish life in Nashville, she felt compelled to seek out what was important to her. After graduate school, Tara knew where she would live – Nashville. “I had established a life for myself in Nashville, a Jewish life,” says Tara, who stills serves as chair of NowGen. Unlike life in New Jersey, there have been times when Tara has been the only Jew in her professional life. But she feels this gives her a chance to serve as an ambassador for Judaism and the Jewish community. Tara knows she may be the only Jew her coworkers have met. Or ever will meet. “One year the kindergarten teachers
asked me to teach a segment on Chanukah,” she recalls. “And occasionally, my more conservative co-workers will approach me with questions regarding the Torah, since it’s also the first five books of their Bible. It’s kind of funny, since I don’t always Continued on page 30
After graduating from Vanderbilt University, special education teacher Tara Lerner decided to stay in Nashville, where her involvement as a young adult Jewish leader has included two trips to Israel, including one on a teacher exchange that took her to this classroom in the Hadera-Eiron region. (Contributed photo)
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The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 29
Continued from page 29
know the answers to their questions.” Through the Federation, Tara has had several opportunities to travel to Israel, including as a member of a Federation Young Leadership Mission. And in December of 2014, she was one of six Nashville teachers who participated in a Partnership2Gether teacher-exchange trip to the Hadera-Eiron region. There,Tara had a chance to visit local elementary schools, talk with Israeli teachers, and spend time in a village for at-risk youth that the Jewish Federation helps support. When I asked Tara if she thinks she would have joined a Jewish Federation in different or larger city, she says, “I doubt it.” In other larger cities she considered moving to it would have been harder to find a leadership role in the community. Nashville’s close-knit Jewish community has not only helped her maintain and build her faith and identity but also to take a more active leadership role. Jeff Sterne: Living Jewish values in Nashville I met up with Jeff Sterne before an appearance in in early December by David Makovsky, a fellow and director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project. Jeff serves as the NowGen representative on the Jewish Federation’s Community Relations Committee, which sponsors and promotes speakers like Makovsky. After graduating from American University in 2012 with a political science degree, Jeff took a job working in trade com-
30 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
Aside from planpliance for Nissan, attracted ning and preparing Isby the idea of living in the raeli related events, Jeff midst of the Nashville area’s is a regular participant music scene. at NowGen’s monthly Growing up in ChicaTorah on Tap gatherings go, Jeff didn’t feel connectled by Rabbi Aaron Fined to a Jewish community. kelstein of Congregation “I went to SunSherith Israel. There, day school, I got bar young members of the mitzvah’ed, and after that Jewish community meet my family slowly stopped at a local bar or restaurant going to Temple,” Jeff says. to enjoy a beverage and When he moved to discuss a Jewish concept Nashville, he was conthrough unconventional tacted by Joel Abramson, conversation. Jeff apprewho was then the Federation’s community engage- Jeff Sterne wasn’t especially ciates that the Torah is to the Jewish discussed in the context ment associated in charge connected community in his hometown of of NowGen. Chicago. But when he moved of current events, like “He Facebook mes- to Nashville for a job, NowGen the Syrian refugee crisis, became the center of or that the discussions saged me and invited me Nashville his social life. In 2014 he took to trivia...and pretty much part in the Jewish Federation examine thorny passages the people from that group mission to Cuba, where he got such as the commandto hold the Torah of one of became my entire social the communist nation’s small ment to wipe out the life,” Jeff explains. Jewish communities. (Photo by Amalek people. In time, Jeff became Mark Freedman) more involved with the young adult group. A new Jewish home As a new Nashvillian, I’ve enjoyed a “Joel knew I was really interested in Israel and international relations, so he got more lot of what Nashville has to offer. I’ve seen some live music, biked the beautiful Percy involved in planning those events.” Joel eventually encouraged Jeff to become Warner Park, eaten at many of the amazthe NowGen representative on the Federa- ing restaurants, and even seen a Predators game as part of a NowGen event. Most tion’s Community Relations Committee. Jeff enjoys furthering his Jewish educa- recently, I attended Next Dor’s bi-annual tion through his travels. In 2006, he and progressive dinner organized by Rabbi Mihis family retraced parts of his grandfather’s chael Shulman of the Temple, which gave routes in Germany. “We visited some of the me a chance to meet more young Jewish small towns where my family is from, and professionals both new to Nashville or some cemeteries where they were buried.” longtime residents. Like the Colemans, I wanted a city that More recently, Jeff was part of a Federation mission to Cuba in 2014 that also in- had the Jewish opportunities important to cluded students from Vanderbilt Hillel who me. It was important that I could interact chose to join the mission for an alternative with other Jewish people, especially around my age and in the same life stage, in order Spring Break volunteer experience. “We delivered medical supplies to the Jew- to practice my beliefs and extend my values. I didn’t move here as Tara did for ish community in Santa Clara and Havana,” Jeff says, “And while in Havana, we had Shab- school, nor as Jeff did for a job. I moved to Nashville because I wanted to return to the bat at the main synagogue, Beth Shalom.” You probably won’t find Jeff at a Shab- South. However, I also wanted to move to a bat service or shopping for kosher food place that could, with time, feel like home. (Though he does say, with a touch of irony Home is not made by things and objects, that he “may be the most religious person but rather by people and relationships. It’s in my family now.”) But that doesn’t mean the people in the Jewish community, their warmth and hospitality, their open and genJudaism isn’t important to him. “My mentality is Jewish—my values,” uine friendliness, which help instill a conhe says, and Jewish Nashville has played a nection to Judaism in Nashville. For me, it’s big role in helping him recognize and de- the people I’ve met so far that are helping me, and others, call Nashville home. • velop those values.
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
Schools & Jewish Education Akiva School 809 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-1880 Fax: (615) 356-1850 www.akivanashville.net Uzi Yemin, board president Avigal Soreq, board treasurer Eileen Ruchman, board secretary Lynn Heady, head of school Daniella Pressner, principal Christina Evans, director of recruitment and outreach
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kiva School is a highperforming K-6 academic institution, a leader among Jewish day schools in the South. Our mission is to pursue excellence, foster critical inquiry and inspire informed Jewish living. Akiva graduates are consistently accepted into the most selective private middle and high schools as well as public magnet schools, and they are recognized as leaders in both character and academics in their schools and in Nashville. The rigorous curricula in both general studies and Jewish studies challenge students to analyze, investigate, question and take risks. We ask students to apply what they’ve learned. Dur-
Akiva School third graders
ing the 2015-16 school year, our curriculum centers on applied/ project-based learning and will include strategies to strengthen science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Many students graduate from Akiva with exceptional language skills and are able to analyze and understand high-level texts in Hebrew as well as English. An Akiva education moves beyond the classroom, allowing students not only to learn about their Jewish and American identities but also to live them. Students learn about both American and Jewish history, culture, and current events in an environment that promotes love of learning, appreciation of our shared experience, and pride in one’s growing and changing identity. Akiva students participate in extracurricular activities such as after-school clubs and
sports teams. Akiva also hosts Nashville’s annual Math Olympics, one of the city’s finest middle school math competitions. Our goal is that all families,
regardless of affiliation, feel welcomed at Akiva. We take pride in the diversity of our student body and respect each family’s decisions regarding religious observance. We maintain smaller class sizes to provide a nurturing atmosphere that meets individual students’ needs. Teachers create strategies to enhance each child’s learning experience and are committed to ongoing professional development. Akiva is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). For more information, call Christina Evans at (615) 4322552 or email her at cevans@ akivanashville.net. •
LOCATED IN THE SCHULMAN CENTER FOR JEWISH LIFE ON VANDERBILT CAMPUS
W W W . B O N G O J AV A . C O M / G R I N S The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 31
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
Micah Children’s Academy 2001 Old Hickory Blvd. Brentwood, TN 37027 (615) 942-5162 www.micahchildrensacademy.org
Theresa LePore, director tlepore@micahchildrensacademy.org
T
apping into the natural curiosity of preschoolers, the Micah Children’s Academy is a place where students enjoy playing and learning in a secure and nurturing
environment. This Tennessee three-star-rated preschool opened in 2010 at Congregation Micah and provides a warm, nurturing place where students develop and grow emotionally, intellectually, socially, and spiritually. We offer a custom curriculum centered on monthly schoolwide themes based on Jewish values. These themes are then translated into age-appropriate activities and experiences. For example, the schoolwide unit Hakarat Hatov is scheduled during November so students concentrate their learning on thankfulness for our families and community. Students sing, learn prayers, and read books to supplement their activities. Students (depending on age) receive a weekly music lesson taught by our cantorial soloist, a nature class, a fitness
32 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
program, a weekly Spanish immersion class, drama class, and a celebration service welcoming Shabbat led by our rabbis and our cantorial soloist every Friday. Students spend outside time enjoying our natural play scape—an environment that helps develop large motor skills, fosters creativity and provides a classroom for the weekly nature class. A large stage encourages acting and dance with items from our “dress-up center.” Miniature huts inspire pretend activities, a Plexiglas art wall allows budding artists to create pictures of their world, and a drum and xylophone inspire musical talents. Our planting garden is a spot where students can experience how food is grown, tended, harvested, and eaten. Theresa LePore, direc-
tor of the Academy, has a rich background in special education as well as early childhood education. She is committed to developing a team of teachers, activities, and experiences that are high quality and guaranteed to provide students the concepts needed for success. In addition, a strong parent board open to all families is valued and plays an important role in defining quality preschool education. Our hope is that Jewish families will find the right blend of learning and spiritual growth at the Micah Children’s Academy. We welcome new families with open arms. For the most up-to-date information, please call the office at (615) 942-5162 or check our website at www. MicahChildrensAcademy.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. •
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
The GJCC Early Childhood Learning Center 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 354-1640 Fax: (615) 353-2659 Terri Katzenstein, director Terri@nashvillejcc.org Renee Geltzer, assistant director Renee@nashvillejcc.org
A
t the Gordon Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Learning Center, sounds of fun, laughter and learning echo through the halls. Open to children from 6 weeks old through pre-K, the ECLC embraces families of all backgrounds and cultivates a connection with Jewish values and traditions. This secure and nurturing environment ensures that we maintain our three-star rating from the Tennessee Department of Human Services. With practices rooted in re-
Jewish Middle School (JMS) Nashville 809 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 864-4268 jmsnashville.org Rabbi Saul Strosberg, founder director@jmsnashville.org
T
he Jewish Middle School of Nashville Nashville is a new blended-learning middle school experience which focuses on helping students in grades 7-9 excel aca-
At the Gordon Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Learning Center, kids are encouraged to be active and discover.
search, our teachers work collaboratively to nurture the gifts of each child, to encourage a questioning mind, to spark creativity and to foster independence. Every classroom offers age-appropriate progressive academics, enriched by specialists in music, physical education and swimming. The ECLC is a Reggio Emilia-inspired school with great attention given to the look and feel of the classroom. Environment is considered the demically and socially. We provide: • Small class sizes with an updated individual learning plan for each student • Extended collaborative learning projects, empowering our students to work as a team to address the unique challenges of the 21st century • Supervised online and classroom instruction, for the best in blended learning • Math and science faculty from Vanderbilt University • Field trips throughout the semester for on-site learning and exploration • A diverse social life emphasizing emotional depth and values • A culture where the students themselves bring their own vision and creativity to the table each and every day
“third teacher.” Long hallways are meant for running, doors are meant to be opened and closed, stairs are meant to be climbed. Teachers carefully organize space for both small and large group projects as well as intimate spaces for one, two or three children. Documentation of children’s work, plants and collections made at outings are displayed both at the children and adult eye level. This welcoming environment encourages a child to engage in activity and discovery. The Reggio Emilia approach integrates nature into the curriculum so that children learn to appreciate the physical and structural environment. The ECLC curriculum uses Handwriting without Tears and Get Set for School Curriculum to facilitate kindergarten readiness. The curriculum also includes Discover CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children’s Health). CATCH uses stories with puppets and activities that resonate with preschoolers to provide an environment where physical activity, health education, gardening and healthy eating be-
haviors are valued and taught. Little ones are motivated to walk, run, jump, dance, and move their whole bodies while playing and having fun! Jewish culture, traditions, and language are central to our program and are included in every classroom. Jewish holidays are explored and celebrated. Every Friday, our preschoolers welcome Shabbat with song and dance during Rockin’ Shabbat celebrations. On Monday they gather again for Havdalah to say “good bye” to Shabbat and “hello” to a new week. The ECLC takes full advantage of its location on the GJCC campus. There is plenty of space to explore and play on our age-appropriate modern playgrounds, in our gymnasium, in the indoor and outdoor swimming pools and throughout the beautiful campus. Children may also participate in after-school enrichment activities such as tennis and other sports, Spanish and swim lessons. The ECLC offers yearround scheduling to meet family needs. •
JMS is located at Nashville’s Gordon Jewish Community Center Campus, 809 Percy Warner Blvd., and offers a complete Hebrew and Judaic studies curriculum for those who are interested. If you are looking for all the
benefits of individualized learning with just the right mix of social activity and in-classroom experience, then JMS Nashville is for you. For more information or to set up a tour/interview, contact us at (615) 864-4260 or director@jmsnashville.org. •
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The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 33
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
The Temple Preschool 5015 Harding Pike Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-8009 Fax: (615) 352-9365 www.templepreschool.org Corye Nelson, director preschool@templenashville. org
Mission We are a pre-school for children 6 weeks through preK. With a Jewish-focused, curiosity-driven curriculum, our mission is to enable, empower, and encourage each child to develop physically, socially, cognitively, creatively and spiritually to his or her fullest potential. Environment Along with parents and teachers, the classroom environment is a resource for teaching young children. Each of our classrooms is carefully designed to support curiosity and the potential for deeper explorations and learning. We select natural, open-ended and authentic objects that encourage dynamic, hands-on learning. We offer very few plastic, passive materials when there is a real alternative; instead, in our classrooms you will find baskets, tiles, clay, real keyboards, phones, pots and pans, etc. By offering these authentic materials, we not only communicate to children that we see them as active participants in their own learning, but that we also respect them as humans worthy of engaging with real-world items and beautiful, natural materials. Approach with Children We view children as competent, curious and complex members of our community. We view the role of teacher as a co-researcher who helps the child pursue genuine interests, realize his/her own potential and grow in all developmen-
eration and implementation of ideas, and facilitating trainings on topics such as child directed turn-taking, creating sensory experiences for infants and toddlers, and conflict mediation for young children. Additionally, our Judaic specialist works closely with The Temple Preschool’s curiosity-driven curriculum encourages the teachers to bring lessons children to explore their world in a nature-rich environment. of Jewish values, holidays and tal domains. Our teachers are ated blue prints, castles, armor, traditions into the classroom facilitators in children’s inter- signs, costumes, scripts and weekly. With great intentionactions and problem-solving, more while transforming their ality, she incorporates the lesencouraging children to think environment into a medieval sons with strong connections through their actions, consider landscape. to their classroom experiences. multiple options and communiOur connection to The Temple cate their feelings respectfully Staff is considered among our most Our pedagogista, or curricu- meaningful assets. The rabbi, and responsibly. Communication and asking questions are lum specialist, works closely the cantor and our Judaic speat the heart of our approach. with teachers, parents and chil- cialist work with the children We rarely want to directly an- dren to ensure continuity and within the classrooms and they swer a question for a child as depth of experiences both in- are also an important part of that would deprive them of side and outside the classroom. our weekly celebration of welopportunities to develop their The pedagogista is a resource coming Shabbat. own theories and possible so- for teachers and families with Come check out what The lutions – valuable skills that questions or concerns about de- Temple Preschool can offer you expectations, genrequire practice and encour- velopmental and your ObserverGuide15.qxp_Layout 1 12/15/15 7:55 AM Page 1 family! • agement. Instead we pose additional questions with the intent of gaining clarity in what the child really wants to know, and we provide relevant and extended experiences to give children the tools they need to become great thinkers and problem-solvers. Curriculum The Temple Preschool features an emergent, child-centered curriculum. Each classroom is unique, providing rich and meaningful learning experiences based on individual and group interests and curiosities. Throughout these explorations, teachers thoughtfully integrate developmental goals such as literacy, science, math, art, and movement. An example of this is when a class recently investigated castles in response to the children’s interest in a popular movie. Children chose roles such as architects, interior designers, costume designers etc. The children were exposed to math, science, physics, art, literacy, social studies, creative arts and much more as they cre-
Building Boys into Better Men
Montgomery Bell Academy is a school where boys are taught the value of leadership and character; are equipped with the fundamental tools to succeed in the classroom and beyond; develop an appreciation for the effort required to achieve excellence; and form friendships that last a lifetime. Facts & Figures: • 18 National Merit Semifinalists and 16 AP National Scholars in 2015 • 100 boys per year participate in schoolfunded international exchanges and programs on six continents • 27 Advanced Placement Courses offered • 15 varsity sports competing at the highest level, including recent Football and Soccer State Champions
• Two 2015 Debate National Championships • Nationally-recognized Art, Music, and Theater programs • 7 to 1 student-teacher ratio • 22% of students receive more than $2 million in need-based financial aid • 100% of graduates are college-bound
4001 Harding Road • Nashville, Tennessee 37205 615-298-5514 • www.montgomerybell.edu
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 35
YOUTH GROUPS
Youth Groups BBYO BBYO Connect 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 Sheri Rosenberg, Nashville city director/ Cotton States regional director sherirosenberg@bbyo.org (615) 354-1659
I
f you’re a Jewish teen in grades 9-12, BBYO is looking for you. The nation’s leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement in America and around the world, BBYO is open to any teen who identifies as Jewish.
Nashville BBYO members get together for a prescreening of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2.”
BBYO is a teen-led organization under the supervision of volunteer adult advisers and a professional staff. For more than 85 years, BBYO has offered unique and exciting opportunities for Jewish teens
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to connect with one another, build friendships and learn leadership skills that can last a lifetime. Nashville has two BBYO chapters: Athens of the South AZA (boys) and Music City
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36 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
To access the Community Calendar,
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BBG (girls). Nashville is part of Cotton States Region that includes Jewish teens from Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Birmingham, Huntsville, and New Orleans. Regional chapters come together four times a year for conventions. There are various programs for BBYO teens here in Nashville – sisterhood/brotherhood dinners, formals, community service, chapter meetings and holiday celebrations. BBYO also has a range of summer experiences for teens – leadership development, Jewish learning, Israel travel, entrepreneurship, community service and more. (Scholarships are available for all programs). Teens are eligible to join BBYO starting in January of their 8th grade year or anytime during high school. For those are not yet in high school, BBYO Connect offers fun social opportunities for Jewish students in grades 6-8. Activities range from pool parties to cooking challenges to volunteer opportunities. There are programs every four to six weeks during the academic year. Nashville BBYO is partially funded by the Gordon Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. •
“Calendar.” Every community event
Kosher
is listed for your convenience.
ext
YOUTH GROUPS
Get Connected
more. I highly recommend anyone that is interested in going, to go.” • Lucas I., Get Connected alum, Congregation Sherith Israel
P.O. Box 50418 Nashville, TN 37205 GetConnectedIsraelTeenTour @gmail.com
“I had never felt closer to Judaism and Israel than I did at our first Shabbat in Jerusalem and it helped me see the similarities and differences between American and Israeli Jews.” • Leah C., Get Connected alum, The Temple (Congregation Ohabai Sholom) Would you like to “Get Connected” to other Jewish teenagers from Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area through a fun and exciting trip to Israel? Imagine seeing the sun rise over Masada, floating in the Dead Sea, participating in an archaeological dig, and dancing in the streets of Jerusalem on Shabbat … with your best friends! If you are a Jewish teen in the 10th or 11th grade, we would like to send you on the trip of a lifetime! We welcome Jews from all denominations, backgrounds, and levels of observance. Although the highlight of our program is our incredible two-week highly- subsidized trip to Israel, there are three main components. The first provides students with the introductory tools to understand the experience they will have in Israel. These educational sessions,
Nashville teens enjoy a spontaneous dance near the Western Wall during their 2015 Get Connected trip to Israel. (Photo by Jack Koch)
kallot, help the students to understand the geography, history, culture, and language of Israel. In the process, the teens transform from being merely future travel partners to becoming a close-knit community of friends, connecting socially with each other and their chaperones so that they are better prepared for their amazing journey. The second and most meaningful part of Get Connected is the transformative and aweinspiring two-week trip to Israel during the month of June. Teens connect not only with the land of Israel through an exciting, spiritually enriching, and indepth tour, but also with Israeli teens and their families through the hospitality of home stays for a few days during the trip!
The third part of the program is the opportunity to host some of the same Israeli teens when they visit Nashville. These visits reinforce the important connections made in Israel and create relationships that last a lifetime. “Get Connected was arguably the best time of my life, Israel was everything like they said and
Over the past eight years, we’ve sent more than 170 students to Israel through the Get Connected program. We manage to keep individual costs to the families at a minimum through various fundraising events and private donations along with the generous financial support of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and the Zimmerman Fund. If you’d like to learn more about this fabulous adventure, please contact us! “I had the best two weeks of my life. We all began to view the program name a little differently. Getting Connected was exactly what we did in so many ways.” • Emma D., Get Connected alum, Congregation Micah
“One of the best parts of the trip was the home stay” • Alex R., Get Connected alum, West End Synagogue.
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615-210-5044 csmills4@hotmail.com carriemillsdesign.com
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 37
YOUTH GROUPS
MTUSY is West End Synagogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chapter in Conservative Judaismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international organization for high-school teenagers.
Members of MiTY (Micah Temple Youth) competed against each other at The Escape Game Nashville.
MiTY Middle MiTY (615) 377-9799 micahtempleyouth@gmail. com
M
iTY (Micah Temple Youth) is for teenagers in grades 9-12. MiTY members enjoy a variety of social and spiritual activities each year, including attending and hosting national and regional kallot of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY). Locally, the youth develop social action projects, host lock-ins and hold fundraisers to support their travel and tzedakah efforts. During the High Holy Days, MiTY members participate in our youth services, where they reveal their insights and visions as engaged young Jews and and
help lead the youth services with Rabbi Laurie Rice. Just as importantly, they also help run programs such as hosting the religious schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Purim carnival. Middle MiTY is Micahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s junior youth group for those in grades 6-8. The program includes similarly fun activities centering on worship, social action and team-building. Students make and sell their famous â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mensch Munchâ&#x20AC;? to support their activities as well as to fund their annual contributions to Tzedakah Tzunday. Their tzedakah contributions directly benefit the Ronald McDonald House, where they also annually volunteer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; true philanthropists in the making. Call the Micah office or contact the MiTY director for details and come see what all the funâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about! â&#x20AC;˘
Bobbie Limor Catering Bobbie Limor has unique and varied menus to help you plan your special occasion. Her client-friendly service will help assure the success of your simcha. In addition, Bobbie can help with flowers and linens. Trust your event to Bobbie from a Simple Kiddush, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Luncheon, Wedding or Elegant Multi-course Banquet.
356-4045 See whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening in the community. Go to www.jewishnashville.org
38 â&#x20AC;˘ The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
MTUSY/Kadima Middle Tennessee United Synagogue Youth West End Synagogue 3810 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 269-4592 www.westendsyn.org Raquel Pankowsky and Rebekah Greenberg, co-presidents Emily Ress and Dan Weitz, advisers Helen Crowley, Youth Commission chair
T
he United Synagogue Youth (USY) is the official youth organization of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). USY is an international organization with thousands of high schoolage members. It provides a comfortable social and educational environment for Jewish teens in Nashville, the Southeast region, the United States and throughout the world. USY strives to build meaningful relationships between its members.
MTUSY is West End Synagogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chapter of USY and falls under the Ha-Negev region, which includes Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi. Ha-Negev is divided into three sub-regions; MTUSY is in the Ein Gedi sub-region. MTUSY participates in local, sub-regional, regional and national events including conventions, leadership training and Shabbatons with sister chapters. MTUSY plans a wide variety of local events such as Friday night dinners, Shabbat services for USY, social action projects such as Room in the Inn and food collection, rock climbing, swimming, baking hamantashen, leading services, laser tag, Ein-Gedi sub-regional conventions, HaNegev conventions, Yom Disney in Orlando, FL and more. MTUSY is open to all Jewish youth in the grades 9-12. United Synagogue also has a youth group called Kadima, which offer with social, cultural and religious events for children in grades 6-8. There are also regional conventions and events for this age group. If you are interested in learning more about USY or Kadima, please visit www.hanegevusy.org. You can also contact West End Synagogue at (615) 269-4592. â&#x20AC;˘
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YOUNG ADULT
Young Adult Organizations Vanderbilt Chabad House 111 23rd Ave. North Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 686-3905 www.chabadvanderbilt.com Rabbi Shlomo and Nechama Rothstein, co-directors chabadvanderbilt@gmail. com
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he Rohr Chabad House at Vanderbilt University welcomes Jewish students of all backgrounds and provides a place for them to connect with their Jewish identity at their own pace, whether through the observance of Shabbat and the holidays, a family who cares for and supports them, or the timeless wisdom and beauty of the Torah. The Chabad House is a space that offers a compelling, rich, and meaningful Jewish experience to all. Under the auspices of Chabad-on-Campus Inter-
national and Chabad CJA of Nashville, Rabbi Shlomo and Nechama Rothstein opened the Chabad Jewish Student Center in 2007. Since then, thousands of students have benefited from Chabad’s programs, classes, and the genuine warmth of the Rothsteins. Rabbi Shlomo is a chaplain with Vanderbilt’s Office of Religious Life and offers counseling and guidance. For many students, just having a personal rabbi or rebbetzin in their life is significant. College students are exposed to new ideas and experiences. Chabad seeks to provide resources to ensure that students graduate as stronger and more empowered Jews than when they entered. There are social events, joyous holiday celebrations, women’s groups and lively Shabbat meals with something for everyone to enjoy and take part in. We encourage students to take ownership of their experience and empower them as Jewish leaders on campus. Through unique classes and discussions taught by the rabbi and rebbetzin, hands-on
programming as well as Jewish awareness tables, there are a variety of opportunities to develop a deeper appreciation of Judaism’s rich heritage. Chabad offers travel opportunities such as Mayanot Taglit-Birthright Israel, Israelinks and the National Jewish Student Shabbaton in New York. We purchased a home at 111 23rd Ave. North just across West End Avenue from Vanderbilt, an ideal location for our student center. The center is already in use, and we’re planning a full renovation that will make it even better. Activities have grown since the purchase of the house, including an overflow crowd of 200 students for our 2015 Rosh
Hashanah event. Attendance at our weekly Shabbat dinners has grown as well as the Shabbat morning “davening” circle. Always available and accessible, Chabad at Vanderbilt is dedicated to engaging every Jew, regardless of background, affiliation or personal level of observance. We provide a place where students can grow as individuals and the resources to help increase their level of Jewish knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment. Chabad’s warm atmosphere makes it every ’Dore’s Jewish “home away from home.” The Vanderbilt Chabad center is one of 130 full-service Chabad Jewish Student Centers on campuses worldwide. •
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The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 39
YOUNG ADULT
Vanderbilt Hillel Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life 2421 Vanderbilt Place Nashville, TN 37235 (615) 322-8376 Fax: (615) 322-7286 www.vuhillel.org Barbara Mayden, board president Ari Dubin, executive director ari.dubin@vanderbilt.edu
V
anderbilt Hillel is the center for Jewish life on campus. Our students, staff, and the entire community are dedicated to providing a strong, supportive environment
for Jewish students and maintaining a strong Jewish presence at Vanderbilt. Hillel actively seeks to engage uninvolved Jewish students on their own terms: to provide them with opportunities to do Jewish activities that are meaningful and appealing to them. Students are empowered to take responsibility for their
40 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
Jewish identity, whether they wish to participate in a community service project, express themselves artistically, participate in a social event, engage in informal Jewish learning or attend religious services. Any Jewish student may participate in Hillel. The Vanderbilt Jewish community contains a diverse spectrum of Jews, and we strive to provide a home away from home for every student. With the con-
struction of the 10,000-squarefoot Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life, the establishment of a Jewish studies program, the creation of a kosher vegetarian cafe, and the hiring of program staff, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of Jews attending this school. Since 2008, Vanderbilt’s Jewish student population has topped 1,000 students, approximately 15 percent of the undergraduate population. This is a far cry from the 3 percent just a few years before. In addition to a wide range of social and cultural programs, Hillel offers students a variety of religious activities, including: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox services on Shabbat; kosher Shabbat dinner; High Holiday services and meals; and Passover seders. Many of our programs are free and open to the community. For further information, please contact Vanderbilt Hillel. •
YOUNG ADULT
NowGen Nashville 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Suite 102 Nashville, TN 37205 Carolyn Hecklin-Hyatt (615) 354-1650 carolynh@jewishnashville.org nowgennashville.org Twitter: nowgennashville Facebook: NowGen Nashville
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owGen Nashville is a Jewish group for young professionals ages 22-40. The Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, in partnership with the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish community and organizations, has helped established NowGen Nashville so these young professionals can enhance their engagement in the community. With a wide variety of social, networking, phil-
The annual Purim Masquerade Ball is one of NowGen Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest events of the year.
anthropic, educational, and professional development events, we are dedicated to helping make Nashville a meaningful place for you. Events include the Purim Masquerade, Mitzvah Madness, Cocktails and Conversations, Potluck Shabbats, Torah on Tap, Rosh Bash, and Leadership Development Seminars. We are dedicated to supporting the Jewish community both here in Nashville in Israel, and around the world. It is our turn, it is our time. Join us as we look to lead the way. â&#x20AC;˘
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30
ORGANIZATIONS
Social, Cultural and Community Service Organizations B’nai B’rith Maimonides Lodge #46 Steven Remer, president go4mets56@aol.com (615) 356-2383 Michael Gryll, treasurer nashgryll@comcast.net (615) 352-7070
F
ounded in the fall of 1863 during the civil War, B’nai B’rith Maimonidies Lodge #46 is the oldest chartered Jewish organization in Nashville. For more than 150 years, it has maintained an out-
B’nai B’rith Social Unit Joyce Fox, president Jdf3@comcast.net (615) 661-9499 Jackie Harrison, membership vice-president Jackieharrison1951@gmail. com (615) 730-7588
I
n the early 1990’s, Nashville saw an influx of Jewish empty nesters from all around the country. Most came for business reasons, and because they had moved many times, knew how important it was to be-
standing record of brotherhood and benevolence. The lodge has committed to assisting the visually impaired children of Nashville and the surrounding area since 1971. It continues to support visually impaired children by sponsoring the annual Braille Challenge and the Academic Challenge at the Tennessee School for the Blind. The lodge also is working with Jewish Family Services to help meet the many needs of our local visually impaired seniors with products that will enhance their lives. The lodge has established a scholarship in its name and for the past four years has awarded to help a visually impaired stu-
dent from Nashville pay for continuing educational needs. As part of our community outreach, the lodge also assists Jewish Family Services with its Chanukah program for Jewish families in our community. The lodge sponsors brunches throughout the year that feature interesting speakers. Traditionally, the lodge holds four events and four business meetings annually. In 2015, we sponsored a program for Nashville Veterans called Ponder Anew: A WWII Warrior's Story. The Lodge was also a sponsor of the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s Annual conference and the keynote address, “The Changing
Demographic Profile of Jews in Southern Cities – Present and Future.” The Maimonidies Lodge #46 is very proud of its commitment to the mission of B’nai B’rith, which is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, supporting the State of Israel, advocating on behalf of senior citizens and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. There are many opportunities to work with B’nai B’nai through their website www.bnaibrith.org. The Lodge continues to research and apply methods to recruit and retain membership to meet today's busy lifestyles. •
come connected in the Jewish community. A chavurah was formed, which then developed into a support group, becoming both friends and family for one another. Shortly thereafter, the group decided to affiliate with B’nai B’rith International by establishing a new chapter, one which would be organized differently from existing chapters. In 1994 our unit was founded as a social group for active adults who are or about to become empty nesters, with a continuing goal of maintaining that original sense of close friendship and family. Since our inception, we have served as a model for new chapters across the country that strive to promote friendship, social awareness and camaraderie
while conforming to the values of Judaism and B’nai B’rith International. We have grown from fewer than 30 members to almost 90. Through the years, our unit has been engaged in a number of community service projects. We conduct an annual book drive among our members to provide books to Book-em, which serves underprivileged children, we participate in delivering Meals on Wheels on Christmas Day. In addition we plan monthly events such as our annual Shabbat dinner, an annual Dec. 24 theme party, outings to the theatre and musical performances, and hosting one screening during the Nashville Jewish Film Festival. We also
host lectures on Jewish as well as secular topics. Speakers have included U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper and Metro Council member Fabian Bedne as well as spiritualist Rabbi Rami Shapiro. We’ve held about 200 social, educational and cultural events over the years, and to the delight of the Nashville business community, we’ve contributed greatly to the bottom line of quite a number of restaurants in town! We look forward to welcoming new members to our chapter whether they are newcomers to the Nashville area or longer term residents of our community. For more information, contact Jackie Harrison at Jackieharrison1951@gmail. com or (615) 730-7588. •
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 43
ORGANIZATIONS
Chabad of Nashville Genesis Campus for Jewish Life 95 Bellevue Road Nashville, TN 37221 (615) 646-5750 www.chabadnashville.com Tommy Bernard, president Rabbi Yitzchok and Esther Tiechtel, executive directors rabbi@chabadnashville.com
L
ooking for a connection, for meaning in the everyday, for joy in our tradition? Chabad of Nashville has what you’re seeking. We welcome you regardless of affiliation, perspectives on Judaism or levels of observance, whether you’re just starting your journey for spirituality or seeking to renew your commitment to
Chabad’s Mega Challah Bake brings women together to bake the traditional braided bread and learn about its spiritual significance.
Judaism in a judgment-free environment. Chabad of Nashville is situated on the Genesis Campus for Jewish Life, nine wooded acres in Bellevue. The facility boasts a Jerusalem-like entrance, a sanctuary with soaring floor-toceiling windows, an oak library for Torah study, a magnificent ballroom with outdoor patio for lifecycle and communal events, two Shabbat guest suites, state-
of-the art, child-friendly classrooms for summer camp and Hebrew school, two commercial kosher kitchens (which provide fresh challah and kosher takeout through chabadchallah.com), a meditation courtyard, a hip youth lounge and a state-of-the-art mikvah. It’s a true lighthouse of Judaism. Chabad offers services for people of all ages. Our philosophy is based on the work and wisdom of the Rebbe, who taught us to teach and care for everyone, for every individual is important and can have a positive effect on this world. Chabad publishes Nashville’s Jewish art calendar. Holiday programs include the Shofar Factory, Family Suk-
TRANSITION
kahFest, Purim celebrations and the Model Matzah Bakery. We ignite Jewish pride with the lighting of public Chanukah menorahs at the State Capitol and around Nashville, and host community Passover seders. Educational programs include the Jewish Learning Institute, Lunch N’ Learn sessions for businesspeople, Rosh Chodesh Society women’s group, the Mega Challah Bake, and Torah To Go, tailored to various levels of study and interest in Judaism. There’s also Shabbat-ToGo, Glatt Kosher Take-Out Shabbat meals by order, and Shabbat Bed and Breakfast getaway suites – the “ChallahDay Inn” – that include lodging and delicious Shabbat meals. Call our office about these services. Chabad also publishes The Mosaic, a quarterly communal newspaper, and the weekly e-magazine “eTorah” (sign up to receive it at rabbi@chabadnashville.com). We assist Jewish prison inmates and families in the military services. Call, e-mail, join a program, and become a link to the future. We look forward to seeing you soon. At Chabad of Nashville, our motto is “Judaism Done Joyfully.” •
SERVICES
Redefining Living Solutions for Aging • Aging in Place Design and Planning Services • Move Management and Relocation Assistance • Downsizing, Packing and Sorting Services • Estate Sale and Donation Coordination • After the Move Support
www.aginginplaceservices.net 615.330.9918 Sara Beth Warne sbwarne@aginginplaceservices.net
The Jewish Observer of Nashville is online at www.JewishObserverNashville.org 44 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
ORGANIZATIONS
Medical Organization in Israel, which has been a world leader in medical research and in fostering peace through the power of healing. In 2005, Hadassah Medical Organization was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize because of its commitment to treat the terrorist alongside the terrorist victim. As Israelis face the latest wave of violence, Hadassah’s motto is, “We can’t stop the bloodshed, but we can stop the blood.” Other Hadassah initiatives include The Hadassah College in Jerusalem that provides career-focused education for Israelis, Hadassah Youth Aliyah that
provides services to immigrant and at risk children in Israel, and Young Judaea, which runs camps and youth programs in the United States and the wellattended Year Course in Israel. On the local level, Hadassah organizes an assortment of social and educational programs, holding get-togethers for fun, sharing our lives and recognizing one another’s talents. Some of our Nashville events include: • Tu B’Shevat Seven Species Potluck • Matzah cover making • Multigenerational Hamentaschen Bake • Hadassah Shabbat • Dress for Success Clothing Exchange • Spring Fling • Falafel & Finances • Sukkot Progressive Dinner • Annual Donor Event • Holiday Benefit Gift Wrap • National initiatives The Uplift Project: Breast Cancer Awareness and Every Beat Counts: Heart Health for All Ages and Stages • Men’s poker tournament • Men's health initiatives Call or e-mail us if you would like to attend any of our events. And please let us know if you are new to our community so we can offer you a ride and an introduction to our fun and friendly group. •
public each year as details are confirmed. The NJFF aims to create a forum for the wider Middle Tennessee community to understand the complexity of issues surrounding Jewish life in contemporary society. The films chosen each year demonstrate the breadth and depth of Jewish cultural, religious, historical, and social Jewish life in the modern era. Along with special guests, panels and opening and closing night celebrations, the NJFF is an annual event dedicated to the awareness and celebration of Jewish life. Each year NJFF presents
the annual Kathryn H. Gutow Student Film Competition. Originating in 2005 and named in memory of the co-founder of the festival, the competition features thematically Jewish films made by students from campuses around the world. The student filmmakers are eligible for a $1,000 cash prize made possible by the Kathryn H. Gutow Fund for Jewish Arts and Culture and Creative Artists Agency. Student film competition finalists are screened during the NJFF. The winning film is then screened the following year during the annual Nashville Film Festival. •
Nashville Chapter of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America www.nashville.hadassah.org Facebook: Hadassah Nashville Nili Friedman, president nashvillehadassah@yahoo. com QueenNili@aol.com (615) 498-4564 Nashville Chapter of Hadassah Associates Mike Gryll, chair nashgryll@comcast.net (615) 352-7070
T
he Nashville Chapter of Hadassah is comprised of a dynamic group of women who share a passion for social action, helping others and supporting the State of Israel. This multigenerational group of women also focuses on women’s health issues, education, and just getting together to have a good time. Our Nashville chapter, comprised of
Nashville Jewish Film Festival 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, Tennessee 37205 (615) 356-7170 nashvillejff.net Fran Brumlik, managing director Laurie Eskind, Jackie Karr, Cindy Moskovitz and Loretta Saff, co-directors nashvillejewishfilmfest@ gmail.com
Hadassah’s Annual Sukkot Progressive Dinner
more than 700 women and over 150 associates, offers many programming and volunteer opportunities for those who want to be involved. The history of Hadassah goes back to February 14, 1912, when seven women led by Henrietta Szold organized the first meeting of what was then called The Daughters of Zion. Today Hadassah has more than 330,000 members in the United States alone. Our affiliate, Hadassah Associates, began in 1996 to involve men in supporting Hadassah’s initiatives. Hadassah’s fundraising efforts support the Hadassah
T
he Nashville Jewish Film Festival is a program of the Gordon Jewish Community Center, and 2016 will mark the 16th year of presenting to our Middle Tennessee community entertaining, informative and thoughtprovoking Jewish-themed films from the United States, Israel and the world. The festival’s screenings take place during November in a variety of locations throughout the area, including Nashville’s historic and newly remodeled Belcourt Theatre and the Gordon Jewish Community Center. A schedule of screenings is made
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 45
ORGANIZATIONS
The Nashville Israeli Folk Dancers www.vanderbilt.edu/ israelidance Facebook: Nashville Israeli Folk Dancers Sharon Morrow morrow7141@comcast.net (615) 662-4881 (615) 491-0840 Tammy Lasakow tammy.lasakow@vanderbilt.edu
(615) 322-3004 (615) 269-5387
T
he Nashville Israeli Folk Dance Group was started in 1993 by a small group of amateur folk dance enthusiasts. It is modeled after groups found in every major city in the world in which people of all ages and cultures get together regularly to participate in Israeli folk dancing.
Since Israel’s population is the result of an ingathering of many different nationalities, its folk dance repertoire is truly international. Dance styles include Spanish, Hasidic, Moroccan, Yemeni, Greek – even disco and rock. The Nashville group has flourished with weekly dance sessions, courses for beginners, workshops with renowned instructors from Israel, community outreach, parties and performances. In Nashville, Israeli dancing means great music and exercise among the friendliest people in town. Weekly dance sessions take place on Thursday nights at the Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life at Vanderbilt Uni-
versity. The first hour (7-8 p.m.) is devoted to beginning dance, and the remainder (8-9:30 p.m.) to intermediate/ advanced dance instruction and request dancing. (Parking at the Schulman Center is along the street as available in the area or in the metered lot next to the center. There is free parking in the small lot right past the gym coming from West End Avenue.) We also have classes at
Akiva School from 10:30-11:30 a.m. each Friday for those who cannot make the evening class or prefer a day class. Please contact us if you would like to be on our mailing list to receive notices of upcoming events, including special beginner courses and dance workshops, or if you have any questions about our group. Check our Facebook page (Nashville Israeli Folk Dancers) for upcoming workshops, weekly class information, or special events. •
National Council of Jewish Women, Nashville Section
cates and empowers individuals to advocate for women’s universal access to contraceptive information and health services. Locally, NCJW’s 490 members are involved and volunteer in service to the community in a number of ways. Some of the local projects the Nashville section currently supports are: • Buz-A-Bus: Transportation for our community’s seniors • CASA (the Court Appointed Special Advocates program for children) • Jewish Family Service Kosher Food Box, which provides food for local Jewish families • PG-13 Players, a program that combines peer education and theater to help young people deal with teen issues • Reach for Survivorship, a program for children and adults with cancer at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center • Renewal House, Nashville’s first, largest, and most comprehensive long-term recovery community for women with addictions and their children • Scholarship Loan Program, which provides no-interest loans for undergraduate and graduate students • Senior Friends, which delivers traditional Rosh Hashanah food items to seniors • Snack Box Program for children attending the Sexual Abuse Clinic • Vanderbilt Hillel Shabbat dinners
801 Percy Warner Blvd. (615) 352-7057 info@ncjw.org Frances Pursell, executive director (615) 889-1220 francespursell@gmail.com Jamie Brook, Freya Sachs and Erin Zagnoev, copresidents La Quita Martin, Lana Pargh, Ceci Sachs and Alyssa Trachtman, vice presidents Julie Sugar, secretary Mary Jones, treasurer
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356-2472 or 305-9438 46 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
T
he Nashville section of the National Council of Jewish Women is a volunteer organization inspired by Jewish values. Working through a program of research, education, advocacy and community service to improve the quality of life for women, children and families, we strive to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all. Nationally, NCJW takes a progressive stance on issues such as child welfare, women’s rights and reproductive freedom. The Nashville section is pleased to support such advocacy efforts such as NCJW’s Reproductive Justice Campaign, which edu-
ORGANIZATIONS
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POLITICAL
Political Organizations AIPAC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The American Israel Public Affairs Committee Southeast Regional Office Atlanta, GA (678) 254-2620 www.aipac.org Regional contacts: Elliott Mendes, Southeast Region director emendes@aipac.org Kate Samuels, Southern States area director ksamuels@aipac.org Local contacts: Jeff Jacobs jjacobs@ stradishealthcare.com Jeremy Werthan jeremy@werthangranite. com Fred Zimmerman fredz@foursquared.com
ship between the United States and Israel. AIPAC is not a political action committee and does not rate or endorse candidates. AIPAC is a pro-Israel, bipartisan lobbying organization. More than 100,000 citizens from across the country work with AIPAC staff to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Israel. AIPAC members in all 50 states are encouraged to be politically active and develop relationships with their members of Congress to help educate them about the importance of U.S.-Israel ties. While building support in Washington is essential, AIPAC is found
wherever the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship could be affected. AIPAC has a network of 10 regional offices and seven satellite offices that help pro-Israel activists from Missoula to Miami learn how they can affect Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future and security by promoting strong ties with the United States. Pro-Israel advocacy and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship is a cause that concerns a broad spectrum of Americans. AIPAC professionals work with synagogues and churches to promote pro-Israel advocacy in their congregations. African-American and
Hispanic leaders work with AIPAC staff and their members of Congress to ensure that America supports our ally in the Middle East. AIPAC also works on hundreds of college and high school campuses, empowering and educating student activists to answer Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s detractors and on how to use political involvement to build support for Israel. AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions and races to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship. â&#x20AC;˘
J Street Nashville
cans. The organization gives political voice to mainstream American Jews and other supporters of Israel who believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s survival as the national home of the Jewish people and a vibrant democracy. J Street's mission is twofold: first, to support American diplomatic leadership in helping to achieve a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as a broader regional peace; second, to ensure
open discussion of Israel and the Middle East in national politics and the American Jewish community. J Street Nashville, part of the J Street Educational Foundation, offers a variety of educational activities and opportunities. Such events include nationally and internationally recognized speakers, and smaller group presentations on various topics, relating to American Jewish concerns regarding Israel and the Middle East. â&#x20AC;˘
P.O. Box 58525 Nashville, TN 37205 www.Jstreet.org/nashville Ruth and Bill Smith, cochairs nashville@jstreet.org
A
IPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the only American organization whose sole mission is to lobby the U.S. government about legislation that strengthens the relation-
J
Street Nashville is the local chapter of J Street, the national political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Ameri-
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POLITICAL
Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable Contacts: Irwin Venick and Avi Poster jsjrnashville@gmail.com
T
he Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (NJSJR) presents a nonpartisan Jewish voice for progressive views on local, state and national issues including poverty, housing, employment, voting rights and more. Formed in 2016 and open to all members of the Jewish community, the NJSJR stands on the Jewish moral values of mishpat (justice for all); tzedakah (social justice); gemilut hesedim (acts of loving kindness) and rahamim (compassion for those in need). Our mission is to advocate in support of solutions to problems that will advance the principles
of democratic pluralism, religious freedom and economic justice. When appropriate, NJSJR takes positions on specific social justice issues and encourages members to advocate for those positions by contacting civic leaders and others via email and telephone, being sure to let them know that the opinion expressed is from this Nashville Jewish organization. At times, we join with groups in the broader Nashville community to strengthen advocacy for social justice issues. NJSJR is an independent Jewish organization that is primarily concerned about local, state and national issues of social justice. It does not address issues involving Israel or the Middle East. Anyone interested in joining or learning more about NJSJR can contact the group by email at jsjrnashville@gmail. com or call Avi Poster at (615) 414-2396 or Irwin Venick at (615) 390-6689.
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50 â&#x20AC;˘ The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
National Conference on Jewish Affairs P.O. Box 210981 Nashville, TN 37221 facebook.com/ NashvilleNCJA Contacts: Michael Dobrin, Michael Hershey, Daniel Bregman, Harvey Eisen, Alan Koufer, Jill Melody, Tomer Minuskin michael.dobrin@comcast. net
T
he National Conference on Jewish Affairs supports the rights and safety of the Jewish people in America, Israel and around the world by providing strong Jewish leadership to respond to and counter the growing, orchestrated demonizing of Israel, Jewry and America. An umbrella organization uniting active Jewish leaders and groups across America, NCJA was formed to give voice to those who want to express support for
and act on behalf of justice for Jews, Israel and Zionism. NCJA asserts the right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel based on history, religion and international law. We demand an end to the funding of the culture of hate, which sabotages the development of a true and lasting peace in the Middle East. NCJA works with Americans who share our commitment to defend our country and our people, recognizing that a strong America means a strong Israel and that an America proud of its liberty is a strong example to the world. NCJA supports Jewish students on campus, focusing on defending the rights of students and faculty to study, pursue research, articulate arguments and learn in an open intellectual, environment, free of physical and intellectual intimidation. NCJA works for the security of the United States and to protect the U.S. Constitution and to restore the pride and moral confidence of those Jews proud of their Jewish-American heritage. â&#x20AC;˘
RESOURCES
Resources Annette Levy Ratkin Jewish Community Archives 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 354-1655 Fax: (615) 352-0056 www.jewishnashville.org/ resources/annette-levyratkin-archives Lynn Fleischer, archive associate archives@jewishnashville. org
S
ince 1979 the Annette Levy Ratkin Archives has collected the records of the families, businesses and institutions of the Jewish communities of Middle Tennessee, which began in
PJ Library 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 www.pjlibrary.org/ communities/jewishfederation-nashville/112 Sara Hanai, coordinator PJLibrary@nashvillejcc.org
T
here is a library based in Western Massachusetts that you don’t visit; it comes to you. PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in partnership with local Jewish communities. Its goal is to support the Jewish journeys of families raising young children. Knowing that families read together in the quiet moments before bedtime, when kids are in their PJs and getting ready for sleep, the program’s founders
the mid-19th century. Housed in the Gordon Jewish Community Center, the archives has the records of such local organizations as the Nashville section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Hadassah, B’nai B’rith, the Jewish Community Council (which later became the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee), the synagogues, Jewish Family Service, and book clubs such as Magazine Circle, organized in 1898, and their daughters, the “Junior Magazine Circle,” which soon became Tri Arts, organized in 1925. The archives also houses microfilm, hard and digital copies of The Jewish Observer of Nashville, which began publication in 1935, and its predecessor, The YMHA News, first published in 1915. An oral history audiotape collection, thought, “Why not make those moments Jewish moments?” PJ Library mails free, highquality Jewish children’s books and music to families on a monthly basis, helping them explore the timeless core values of Judaism. To date, more than five million books have been mailed to children in more than 200 communities around the world. By partnering with local Jewish organizations, the Grinspoon Foundation makes PJ Library not only possible but free as well. In Nashville and Middle Tennessee, PJ Library is open to families raising Jewish children ages 6 months to 8 years old. With the help of our community shlicha (Israel emissary) Liron Finkelstein, we’ve begun collaborating with Sifriyat Pijama, which is PJ Library in Hebrew. It’s for children with at least one Hebrew-speaking parent.
sponsored by the NCJW, documents the memories of older adults who grew up in Nashville. It also has been transcribed, as has a collection of reminiscences by NCJW past presidents. A DVD oral history collection, sponsored by the Jewish Federation, records the experiences of Holocaust refugees, survivors and liberators. Tombstones dated before 1900 in the Jewish cemeteries of Nashville have been photographed, preserving their inscriptions. All documents and photographs are stored in acidfree folders and boxes, and are available to researchers from the Jewish and secular community under supervision of the archives staff. “A Caring Community, the History of the Jews of Nashville,” is a multimedia program produced by the archives. It
traces the development of the Nashville Jewish community from 1851 to date through source material and photos from the archives. Available in DVD format, it can be purchased from the archives for $10 plus postage. The archives assisted in the production of “Bagels & Barbeque, the Jewish Experience in Tennessee,” an exhibit prepared with the Tennessee State Museum and other Tennessee Jewish Federations for the 2007 General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities. After the GA the exhibit toured the entire state of Tennessee for two years. The archives seek to preserve the records of all of the Jews of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, whether here for six generations or six years. Please consider donating your family’s papers to the archives. • Children’s Academy, the Temple Preschool and West End Synagogue Men’s Club – serve hundreds of families and promote Jewish literacy and education for generations to come.
Blair and Andrew Stefanescu and their children, Daniela and Ruben, build an edible sukkah at PJ Library’s Sukkot Story Time event.
PJ Library and its partners – the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Akiva School, the Gordon Jewish Community Center, Micah
Introducing PJ Our Way! PJ Library is growing up and the Nashville community has been selected to help pilot this exciting and innovative program. Jewish children between the ages of 9-11 are now being given the opportunity to build a library of their own. Visit PJOurWay.org to register. Each each month your child will get to select from among four books one that most interests him or her. The book will arrive in your mailbox within four-six weeks, free of charge. Visit PJOurWay. org to learn more about the program or contact Sara Hanai at pjlibrary@nashvillejcc.org or (615) 473-1011. •
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 51
RESOURCES
Vanderbilt University Judaica Collection Vanderbilt University Divinity Library 419 21st Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37240-0007 (615) 343-2865 Fax: (615) 343-2918 divlib@library.vanderbilt.edu
N
ot for scholars only! Va n d e r b i l t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renowned Harry and Mary Zimmerman Judaica Collection is not limited to university students and faculty. The librarians want Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish community to know that anyone who wishes to use this extensive collection of religious books, research material and
Yiddish and Hebrew literature is welcome to do so. The Judaica collection, the largest in the South, includes works by Franz Rosenzweig, Gershom Scholem and Martin Buber. There are also 1,600 Yiddish and Hebrew books, many of them poetry and literature. Much of the collection was acquired in 1991 when Vanderbilt purchased Nahum Glatzerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s library of 7,000 items, thanks to a substantial donation from Raymond Zimmerman. The Judaica collection is located in the Divinity Library, on the bottom level of the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. To use the Judaica material, anyone in the Jewish community may apply for a library card at the circulation desk of the Divinity Library. Books may be borrowed for three weeks. â&#x20AC;˘
Gordon Jewish Community Center Library 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 356-3242 ext. 1699 Fax: (615) 353-2659 library@jewishnashville.org
W
hether you are looking for a recent book of Jewish interest, back issues or current issues of Jewish magazines, a book for your child or an audiotape of Jewish music, the Gordon Jewish Community Center Library is the place to start. There you can find childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books, fiction, biographies, history and cookbooks, along with books about Jewish practice and holidays, the Holocaust, Israel, and many other topics related to Jewish life and religion. The
library has special collections of large-print books, and yizkor books compiled by survivors of East European shtetls. The fiction and nonfiction collections can be located by using the Internet station in the library or by accessing the catalog at www.jewishnashville. org, the website of Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The library also has audiotapes of Jewish music, Jewish short stories from Eastern Europe and lectures and commentaries by Dennis Prager, plus a selection of films on videotape. A limited amount of additional material is available on CD. Library materials may be borrowed for two weeks and renewed by phone. The library is usually open whenever the GJCC main building is open. Please call the library office if you have a reference question or want to know more about its holdings or operation. â&#x20AC;˘
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The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 53
RESOURCES
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I like to come here, Fran z. As I have for nearly twenty years now.
2301 Vanderbilt Place-PMB 406311 Nashville, TN 37240 (615) 343-2563 www.tennesseeholocaust commission.org Larry Leibowitz, chair Danielle Kahane-Kaminsky, executive director danielle.kahane-kaminsky@ vanderbilt.edu
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana
O
ne of the oldest and most recognized organizations of its kind in the United States, the Tennessee Holocaust Commission was formed in 1984 to commemorate the Holocaust and educate the public about it. We provide seminars, educational
resources, workshops, traveling exhibits and commemorations to school systems and communities statewide. The commission creates awareness of the Holocaust to fight prejudice and to encourage tolerance and understanding among all people. Our efforts include: • Educator programs • Teacher workshops and fellowships • Customized classroom resources • Loaned literature • Educational outreach • Trips to the U.S. Holocaust Museum • Trips to primary Holocaust sites in Europe • Belz-Lipman Holocaust Educator of the Year Award • Adult workshops • Speakers bureau • Annual Days of Remembrance commemorations • “Living On” multimedia exhibition featuring Tennessee survivors and liberators • Traveling exhibits
And the rose bush has turned into a lovely little tree.
The Jewish Observer of Nashville is online at www.JewishObserverNashville.org I never had such a green thumb as you did, Franz. Probably you helped me there a little bit, don’t you think? And if one of the roots reaches down to you,
then that means a little bit of you is in the blossoms and you can see the summer every year. The people who run the cemetery said that the rose bush can stay when the lease on the plot runs out.
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54 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
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Carrie Mills
The best use of your advertising dollar. 801 Percy Warner Blvd. 356-3242 x299
APPLIANCES ELECTRONIC EXPRESS now carries a full line of home appliances as well as consumer electronics! We have the brands you know and trust: Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, General Electric, Frigidaire, and LG. Count on Electronic Express to help you make the best choice. Nobody beats our prices. Free basic delivery and pick-up of your old appliances with this ad. Available at any of our 16 stores. Visit us on the web at www.electronicexpress.com for a location near you. HERMITAGE LIGHTING GALLERY Your Total Design Center Lighting • Appliances • Kitchens Baths • Hardware • Plumbing 615-843-3300 www.hermitagelighting.com
ATTORNEY MARTIN SIR, ATTORNEY Family Law / Personal Injury / Probate Fifth Third Center 424 Church Street, Ste. 2250 Nashville, Tennessee 37219 (615) 256-5661 www.martinsirlaw.com
CARE GIVER FAMILY STAFFING SOLUTIONS, INC Stay Independent*At Home*In Charge® ‘Personal Care Assistance At Its Best” 2000 Richard Jones Road Nashville, TN 37215 615-383-5656 208 Uptown Square Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-848-6774 119 McGrew Street, Suite A Shelbyville, TN 37160 931-680-2771 309 North Jackson St. Tullahoma, TN 37388 931-222-4080 109 Holiday Court, Suite C-8 Franklin, TN 37067 615-472-1563 www.familystaffing.com
HOME IMPROVEMENT YOUR HOME HANDYMAN Rich Adler, Small Job Specialists. Free estimates, Excellent references. 615-646-4900 or 615-972-3093 cell Natcheztrace100@aol.com
INSURANCE JAMES A. ROTHBERG ADAM ROTHBERG James A. Rothberg & Associates Office: 615-997-1833 Fax: 615-665-1300 1 Burton Hills Blvd. Suite 220 Email: jrothberg@jarinsurance.com info@jarinsurance.com
ROBINS INSURANCE Bruce Robins, CPCU, CIC, ARM; Tom Loventhal; Marsha Jaffa, CIC; Van Robins, CIC Auto, Home, Life, Health, Business Insurance 30 Burton Hills, Suite 300 615-665-9200 • www.robinsins.com ZANDER INSURANCE GROUP, INC. Julian “Bud” Zander, Jr., CIC Jeffrey J. Zander, CIC Michael Weinberger Auto, Home, Life, Health, Business, Long Term Care, Identity Theft Protection 212 Oceola, Nashville, TN 37209 615-356-1700 www.zanderins.com
MUSICIANS AND DJs BLUE TONE MUSIC Jewish Wedding Ceremonies The Nashville Blue Tones Party Band DJ Services. 615-352-6358 www.BlueToneMusicUSA.com
OPHTHALMOLOGIST HOWARD ROSENBLUM, M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Nashville Eye Center St. Thomas Hospital • 615-386-9200
OPTOMETRIST DR. MICHELE SONSINO Optique Eyecare & Eyewear 2817 West End Ave., Nashville 615-321-4EYE (4393)
ORTHODONTISTS A. JOEL GLUCK, DDS, MS JONATHAN GLUCK, DDS, MSD Specialist in Orthodontics Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics Green Hills 615-269-5903 2002 Richard Jones Road, Ste. A-200 www.drgluck.com
The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016 • 57
The Jewish Observer PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIRECTORY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
REAL ESTATE con’t
GHERTNER & COMPANY Homeowner Association and Condominium Management Full Service and Financial Management Property Management since 1968 615-255-8531 www.ghertner.com
PSYCHOTHERAPY & COUNSELING IRA HELDERMAN, LPC/MHSP Licensed Professional Counselor Individual, Adolescent and Couples Counseling For consultation please contact: 615-473-4815 or Ira.p.helderman@vanderbilt.edu
Franklin Pargh
Synergy Realty Network FranklinPargh.com C. 615-351-7333
Patricia Straus, MBA, Broker, CRS RE/MAX Elite Marketing Real Estate to a Global Clientele www.PatriciaStraus.com patricia@patriciastraus.com O: 615.661.4400 M: 615.305.8465
REAL ESTATE www.Zeitlin.com
Local Expertise...Global Exposure!
Jackie Roth Karr, REALTOR® www.JackieKarr.com JackieKarr@gmail.com Mobile: 615.330.9779 Office: 615.463.3333
58 • The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016
REAL ESTATE con’t
SPORTING GOODS TEAM NASHVILLE Your Running/Walking Swimming Headquarters 3205 West End Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 383-0098
Residential & Relocation Specialists
TUTORING
JESSICA AVERBUCH Managing Broker, ABR, CRS, ePRO 615-383-0183 (bus.) • 615-294-9880 (cell) jessica.averbuch@zeitlin.com www.jessicaaverbuch.com
OMEGA LEARNING BELLE MEADE K – 12 Tutoring and Test prep Email: bellemeade@omegalearning.com Phone: 615-678-1927
LORNA M. GRAFF Broker, GRI, CRS, ABR 615-371-0185 (bus.) • 615-351-5343 (cell) lorna.graff@zeitlin.com www.lornagraff.com NAN SPELLER Broker, GRI, ABR 615-383-0183 (bus.)• 615-973-1117 (cell) nanspeller2014@gmail.com
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60 â&#x20AC;˘ The Guide to Jewish Nashville 2016