It’s hard to believe that it has already been a year, and it is hard to believe that it has only been a year. Last year at this time, who could have imagined the challenges we would face in the year ahead. But because of those challenges, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the strength and beauty of this community firsthand.
I am incredibly proud of our community for stepping up and supporting Israel in her time of need. For contributing well over $1million towards the Israel Crisis Fund. For opening your doors to Israeli families who came here seeking respite. For celebrating Israel’s 76th birthday with pride. For finding grassroots ways to connect, from weekly hostage marches downtown with Run for their Lives, to lifting up Israeli musicians via The Promise Sessions. For letting our local Israelis know how much we love and appreciate them, and for letting our friends and family living in Israel know the same. And I’m grateful for the allies who made it clear they have our backs.
I’m proud that together, we stood resolute in the face of hate directed at us by extremists on both sides of the political aisle. For modeling our core principle of “b’tzelem elokim” – the belief that every human being is made in the Divine image and is of infinite worth. For rallying to fight baseless hatred (and Nazis). For advocating hard to ensure Nashville is an exceptional place to be Jewish. And for giving tzedakah – righteous charity – to help make it so.
I’m proud of our collective efforts to build meaningful relationships with our non-Jewish neighbors and elected leaders. For the staff and volunteers who have stepped up to lead our organizations and synagogues. And for being willing to collaborate across denominational differences, embodying the spirit of achdut – Jewish unity. Reflecting on this past year, I’m grateful and humbled by those who go above and beyond to make Nashville
Continued on page 3
Shana Tova 5785
90 Seconds to Save a Life: The Impact of United Hatzalah’s Volunteer Heroes
By BARBARA DAB
Ninety seconds. That is the critical time after a medical emergency when intervention can save a life. Whether it is a heart attack, a seizure, a child choking, or a terrorist bomb, those first 90 seconds make all the difference. And it is those 90 seconds that are at the heart of United Hatzalah, an organization in Israel that trains and dispatches volunteer medics to provide emergency response.
Eli Beer is the founder of United Hatzalah, and he will be in Nashville on September 24th to speak about his experiences and his inspiration for founding
Continued on page 12
American Bar Association Mobilizes Legal Professionals to Combat Antisemitism
By BARBARA DAB
The American Bar Association is taking steps to combat antisemitism through the creation of a special task force, created by the organization’s president. The Task Force to Combat Antisemitism is co-chaired by local attorney Barbara Mendel Mayden, and San Francisco attorney Mark Schickman. The committee will present a report in August of 2025 outlining its efforts in identifying, educating about, and providing solutions to antisemitism.
“It’s certainly the perception and the fact that antisemitism has always been there. But now it’s out and about and what can we as a profession to help stem this tide,” says Mayden. She says the first step is to raise awareness. “We think of growing up in a golden age where antisemitism, while always beneath the surface, wasn’t as open as it seems to be becoming now and a lot of people don’t realize what a
Force co-chair Mark Schickman has been involved in both the Jewish community and the Bar community
through the years and says the two groups do not often intersect. “Drawing a connection between the two communities is very hard. They each live in their individual areas and it’s really important that they work collaboratively and symbiotically on an issue like this.”
That collaboration is at the heart of the newly formed task force. “One of the many things we’re trying to do is create, strengthen, and maintain the connections between the organized Bar and the organized Jewish community on issues of hate in general and antisemitism in particular.”
Lawyers are no strangers to advocacy, which is after all, at the heart of the profession. And Mayden says now is the time to use those skills on the profession itself. “Where discrimination exists, lawyers have hopefully been there to assist. So part of our work is making them aware and giving them tools to deal with it and to give advice.”
Continued on page 15
Joanna Brichetto’s Journey from Naturalist to Author,
High Holidays Congregational Schedules, page 30
Rosh Hashanah Greetings, page 25
Bernie and Franklin Pargh dedicate an ambulance to United Hatzalah during the mission trip to Israel by Nashville’s rabbis and community leaders.
Eli Beer
dramatic increase there has been.” Task
Local attorney Barbara Mayden to co-chair ABA task force on antisemitism.
Life & Legacy Spotlight
The Goldner Family: Creating Community and Building a Welcoming Legacy
By BARBARA DAB
There was never an empty seat at the Goldner family’s table. A drawer full of notes and articles with ideas for Shabbat dinners, Passover seders, and discussion topics for holidays, serves as evidence of a Jewish life focused on community. “It was a big part of their value system that everyone’s involvement was crucial,” says their daughter Cynthia Goldner.
Indeed, Martha and Fred Goldner were, according to Cynthia, “joined at the hip,” and together they built and left a lasting legacy. “Mom was from a very, very, small Jewish community on the Canadian border of Maine. She was an underdog cheerleader of small-town Jewish thriving,” says Goldner. “It was critical, how do they do it, how can you nurture it, the importance of it.” As an adult in Nashville, Cynthia says her mother would seek out and welcome newcomers to town and provide whatever support she could that would help them feel at home.
“Dad was a native Nashvillian, and the Nashville Jewish community has been small. So being an active part holds significance as both their individuality and the community as a whole,” says Goldner, “Each individual helps sustain the strength of the community, and they would participate in all of it.”
To ensure the community continues to thrive, Martha and Fred became
members of the Life & Legacy Society of The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville. Their legacy gift benefits The Jewish Federation, Akiva School, and The Temple. Erin Zagnoev, director of administration and advancement at The Temple, says the Goldners’ dedication goes back to the original capital campaign for the current building. “I think that’s indicative of who they were, always thinking of other people, always thinking of the future.”
Zagnoev says one of the lessons of legacy giving is that it can teach future generations about priorities. “It would be such a great way to show our kids what was important to us,” she says. And she says the Goldners were also living
examples of their priorities. “Their family lived it. This place, this community, this temple, Nashville was so important to the Goldners and they had that spirit about them.”
Thoughtfulness of others came naturally to both Goldners, who Zagnoev says were always leaving things behind. She relays one incident when Martha could not attend a women’s retreat. “She brought spirit sticks for Rabbi Mackler to take, and so she still had a presence. That’s just how she was. She had a gen-
erous spirit.”
Zagnoev says her favorite thing about the Goldners was being with them on Friday night as they made sure to point out the newcomers to her. “They were the ones who always wanted to make sure I met the newest person in the room. They had such an appreciation for people who were newer to our community and making sure they felt as connected as they did.” And true to form, they were usually the last ones to leave the oneg.
Zagnoev says Fred was “a true gentle giant,” and a passionate lay leader with vision for the future. “Fred was a past president and so he really knew and always came and supported the board. And their gift shows they had foresight into what long term needs are.”
And true to the Goldners’ spirit of generosity, Cynthia Goldner says much of what her parents did went on quietly, out of the public eye. “I don’t think they were really big on making sure everybody knew what they were doing. They were behind the scenes involved making things happen.” May their memories be for a blessing.
For information about becoming a Life & Legacy member, visit www.jewishnashville.org/life-and-legacy. •
Olympic Campaign Events
By JASON SPARKS, FEDERATION CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Hello Jewish Nashville! By the time you read this, we will have finished most of Q3 of 2024 and the good news is we are doing great as we surge ahead in our campaign. But as I think we all know you just can’t give up when you think you are ahead. I was watching the Olympics this month, and there was an iconic moment as a racewalker (yep, like break dancing, that is an Olympic sport), was celebrating her win in a 20 km race as she approached the finish line, only to be overtaken by someone at the very end – the look on her face was shocking and tragic as she realized that she was no longer winning. My goal is to never have that face.
When people come to my office, they are sometimes freaked out by the web of post-it notes on my wall, or the white board covered with notes and plans. When I convince them I am not a conspiracy theorist, the second thing is that they often note how I sometimes look above their heads. And that is because posted above the door of my office is a clock and a countdown timer to the end of our campaign year. And with 134 days left in the year as of writing this, I feel great about where we are, but I will not let up on the gas.
Because the reality is that hitting our goal this year isn’t enough for me. We have so much more potential as a growing Jewish community. I do have a much
larger stretch goal. I won’t say what it is, but if you ever come in my office, you’ll see it. It’s also above my door, and it is paired with a Ted Lasso sign that says “Believe.” Because in my heart, I believe in that goal, and I believe in Nashville. And I believe in this amazing Jewish community I get to brag on to my peers all around the country. We have something special here, and we can grow our philanthropic goals accordingly.
One thing I wanted to mention that many people don’t realize is that many major corporations and organizations offer employer matches for donations. As in, if you give $1000, your employer will match that gift which means you just contributed $2000 to the community. And there are many organizations headquartered here that offer this opportunity, like AllianceBernstein, Nissan, Oracle, First Horizon, and so many more. Check with your company’s HR department or check out our website for more details. There is a common misconception that Jewish Federation is a religious organization, which would make these matches invalid, but that is simply not the case as we are a non-religious philanthropic umbrella organization. Again, we are always happy to help navigate those challenges if you encounter them.
So, as we approach the end of this campaign, I urge everyone to keep pushing - finishing with Gold is just a beginning. Jewish Nashville has the capacity for so much more. Visit our website at www.jewishnashville.org. •
Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville at www.jewishnashville.org
Martha and Fred Goldner on The Temple’s Israel mission. PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT LETNER The Goldners in their younger years
Editor’s Note…
By BARBARA DAB
S
hana tova friends. This month’s Observer includes important information about High Holiday services and programs at our local congregations. You will also find greetings from your friends and neighbors. And to continue our 90th anniversary celebrations, we are including some highlights from the very first High Holiday Observers from September 1934. Do you recognize any friends, relatives, or businesses? Let us know if you do.
This time of year is a season of renewal, reflection, and celebration. In that spirit I’d like to thank you, our readers, for supporting us, encouraging us, and participating with us in making The Observer the voice of our community. We are proud of what we have
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accomplished together this year and look forward to bringing you more of what you like to see in these pages. We also plan to surprise you with some innovations and challenges, so get ready.
In the meantime, we wish you all a
Happy, Sweet, Fruitful, and Joyous New Year and look forward to hearing from you. •
L’shana tova, Barbara and Emma
Corrections Policy
The Jewish Observer is committed to making corrections and clarifications promptly. To request a correction or clarification, call Editor Barbara Dab at (615) 354-1653 or email her at barbaradab@jewishnashville.org
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The Jewish Observer welcomes the submission of information, news items, feature stories and photos about events relevant to the Jewish community of Greater Nashville. We prefer e-mailed submissions, which should be sent as Word documents to Editor Barbara Dab at barbaradab@jewishnashville.org. Photos must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi) and should be attached as jpegs to the e-mail with the related news item or story. For material that cannot be e-mailed, submissions should be sent to Barbara Dab, The Jewish Observer, 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 102, Nashville TN 37205. Photos and copy sent by regular mail will not be returned unless prior arrangement is made. Publication is at the discretion of The Observer, which reserves the right to edit submissions.
To ensure publication, submissions must arrive by the 15th of the month prior to the intended month of publication.
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Dear Friends
Continued from page 1 such a special place. And I’m eager to continue doing the important work at Federation of building and securing our Jewish community, growing Jewish philanthropy, and caring for those in need with dignity – here, in Israel, and around the world.
As my close friend Rebecca’s grand-
mother (z’l) was fond of saying: may the best of this past year be the worst of the year to come.
Wishing us all a shana tovah u’metukah – a happy, healthy, and sweet new year, and a peaceful 5785. #bringthemhomenow – Dan
Visit The Jewish Observer’s website www.jewishobservernashville.org
Grappling with the (Dis)Connection between my Judaism and the War in Gaza
By ELISHEVA SIMON
LLike probably everyone in the Jewish community, I have gone through so many emotions over the past 10+ months, while trying to process the October 7th terrorist attack and all the related events that have unfolded since. From shock to sorrow to anger to fear to despair to powerlessness… and the list goes on. And as we get closer to the first anniversary of that horrific day, it is increasingly troubling to see how the war in Gaza continues to intensify while hostages are still not returned to their families and homes.
One thing I have particularly struggled with in trying to process this extremely difficult era is how my Jewish identity and the ideals that I hold about being a Jew connect (or do not connect) with the events we are witnessing. Perhaps sharing my thoughts on this could help others grappling with similar questions, or shed light on the different perspectives that we hold within the Jewish community.
I grew up in Skokie, Illinois - a Chicago suburb that was over 50% Jewish when I was a child. My parents met while working at a Zionist Jewish summer camp and raised my brother and me to have a strong and proud Jewish identity. My closest childhood friends were always Jewish, and I never doubted that being Jewish was a core part of who I was. All of this is to say, I am very grateful for my
LEARN TO DEVELOP SKILLS TO ADDRESS ANTISEMITISM Opinion
Jewish upbringing and feel deeply connected to the Jewish people.
I also come from a Peace and Conflict Resolution background, with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in that discipline. This background, along with my Jewish identity, are the two biggest influences on my worldview. They are at the core of how I make sense of the world and how I see myself. But over the past 10 months, it feels as if they are at odds with each other.
While the Hamas attack on October 7th was horrific, I have had a hard time understanding how we can justify the response that Israel has taken since then.
I do not believe that the war Israel has waged on Gaza is an accurate reflection of who we are, or our values as Jewish people. Some of the most basic tenants that I understand about Judaism are pikuach nefesh - the commandment to save a life, tikkun olam - our duty to repair the world, and the way that Rabbi Hillel described the essence of the Torah while standing on one foot: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.”
Because of my education and professional work in conflict resolution, I know that eliminating a terrorist organization through military means is nearly impossible. I also know that destroying a neighbor’s basic infrastructure does the exact opposite of creating peace and security for oneself. Rather, it sows the seeds for further violence and terrorism in the future. I believe that this war is not only
Build bridges through understanding to address contemporary antisemitism withan emphasis on how anti-Jewish ideas can emerge in discourse around Israel and Palestine.
ORENJACOBSON FOUNDER& EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
devastating the entire Gazan population and its future generations, but it is making Israel less safe as a nation and making Jews less safe as a worldwide community.
We must strongly oppose and respond to terrorism whenever it occurs, but the way that Israel has chosen to conduct its response is not a path towards peace. Denying an entire civilian population the most basic human necessities is ineffective, counterproductive and incompatible with the principles of Judaism that I know and believe in.
I feel a responsibility to speak out against these actions not only because they are undertaken in the name of the Jewish people, but also because they are being funded with American taxpayer dollars. I believe it is my duty as an American Jew to contact my Representatives, Senators and the White House to demand that no further fund-
Ying be given to Israel until a permanent ceasefire is in place and humanitarian aid is able to be distributed throughout Gaza. It’s important that we make space for diverse thoughts on Israel and Israeli policy moving forward. Many Jews feel strongly about bringing this war to an end, and that is especially true when it comes to young people. The more we dismiss those who are calling for peace as naïve or ignorant, the greater the risk of isolating them from the Jewish community and from their own Jewish identities. Let’s listen to them, and recognize that perhaps they are not opposing Israel’s actions in spite of their connection to Judaism, but because of it. •
Note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Observer, the editorial staff, or The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville.
Letter to the editor
esterday, I witnessed a man in Hamas gear writing on a monument in Washington. DC with red spray paint the words, “HAMAS IS COMING”. Cold waves of memory ran through me. Over 30 years ago, while arab workers were renovating our home in Jerusalem, we found painted in large red letters on the wall outside our bedroom, “HAMAS IS IN
THIS HOUSE”. We later learned that cement had been pored down our drain pipes. Our home in Israel is thousands of miles away but now our American home is being threatened. Unfortunately, their threats are real. •
With Concern, Libby Werthan
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Friday, 9/20: Erev ShabbatD'var Torah at CongregationMicah 5:30Reception, 6PMService
Saturday, 9/21: Shabbat Lunch &Learn at West End Synagogue 12:15 PM
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Sunday, 9/22: Student Session (7th-12th graders) at Congregation Micah9:30 AM -11:30 AM
Sunday, 9/22: Adult Session at Congregation Micah 11:30 - 3:00PM
Joinuson September 24th at the Gordon JCC!
6-7PM
Welcoming Newcomers & New Shlicha
Meet our newShlicha, ZivShemer,welcome newcomers, andget your Rosh Hashana gift! Gifts availableto first 100attendees
5-6 PM
Life&Legacy Training
Life &Legacyvolunteers will review progressoverthe past7 years anddiscuss plans for L&L Year8.RSVPrequired.
Heart of the Matter
The JFS Helping Hands Art Program
each finished art piece.”
What led you to become an OMA instructor?
will have an art show in the Sig Held Gallery at the JCC with the art reception on September 11, 2024, from 6-9 pm. The show will highlight the work of one artist, Sheila Silverman, who has participated in the program for the past two years. JFS partners with Eileen Wallach, a trained OMA instructor, to provide the art sessions. We sat down to interview Eileen about her experiences with OMA.
What is JFS OMA?
“Opening Minds Through Art is a program for people with cognitive disabilities where participants work one on one with a facilitator to create abstract art.”
Who qualifies for the program?
“Anyone with a diagnosis of Dementia in any stage of the disease.”
Do you need art ability to participate?
“No. Less is better. “
Where does the program take place?
“The program can take place in your home, in an assisted living facility, almost anywhere with a quiet, private space for the client and myself along with a family member or assistant. It can even be done outside.”
What are the benefits of OMA?
“When people have cognitive issues, they lose control of their own decisions and OMA gives people control of all the decisions while they are creating art through choosing the colors and materials they want to use and how they use it in the art project. They also get to name
“During a training for Art for Healing in California, I met a colleague who introduced me to OMA, and I thought it would be a great addition to my non-profit YOUR HEART ON ART since at the time, I was not working with seniors. My work was mainly focused on trauma, and I felt that Cognitive Disabilities is also trauma related so OMA was a good fit for me. It was another way to help people with art who are struggling.”
Is there a moment with a client that stands out in your mind and why?
“I worked with one client from the beginning stages to needing total care. Each painting was put up in her room and when I walked into her room at the facility, there was her art all over her room. When I see the look on their faces when they walk into the gallery and see their artwork displayed. The entire time I work with someone, I call them an artist and I refer myself to the art lady. The art shows are so important because it gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride.”
Can you work with individuals with late-stage dementia?
“Yes, if they can still hold an art brush or crayon in their hands and can stay engaged for at least a short period of time.”
What about early stages of dementia?
“Yes, individuals with any stage of dementia can participate in OMA.”
In addition to her work with JFS clients, she shared how OMA has impacted her personal life.
“I had a mom with Dementia who lived with me, so I wore the shoes of a caregiver. I had to find projects/activities for her to do and practice art with her. As my mom’s daughter, when she completed an art project, I was thrilled because she hated art and would frequently say she could not do it but then she would complete it and I would frame it for her. When she saw the framed art
piece, she would state that she liked it not remembering she was the artist. I was spending quality time with my mom that resulted in a tangible outcome. I framed several of mom’s art pieces and sent them to her granddaughter in Australia.”
If you or anyone you know are interested in OMA, you can contact JFS at helpinghands@jfsnashville.org or 615354-1686 for more information. •
Shofar, so good
By JASON SPARKS
Ihave the deep honor of serving as West End Synagogue’s principal Shofarist or as Rabbi Joshua Kullock likes to put it, our official CSO, or Chief Shofar Officer. It’s a role I take very seriously, and I spend this time of year practicing and getting in shape for that important task.
It’s been a very interesting role and so much has changed over the years. People always ask me how I stumbled into this role, did I practice or have a trainer? The simple fact is that I have never had anyone teach me. I spent many years playing trombone in grade school and in college as a music major; not only was my dad a conductor who studied under Leonard Bernstein, he was also a recovering trombonist, so I come by it genetically. Throw in some YouTube videos, and to play three notes is pretty simple. My current record on Tekiah Gedolah is right under a minute and thirty seconds without circular breathing.
For years I had used a ram’s horn, and one day I walked into the gift shop at West End Synagogue and Helen Crowley talked me into upgrading to a kudu horn shofar. Game. Changer. But not for the reason you might think! The reason it is so much easier to blow my larger shofar is simply how the mouthpiece is bored out –mine is more comparable to a trumpet or French horn mouthpiece. And the reality is if I ever hit the lottery, I’m totally going to buy a shofar with a mouthpiece bored out to a trombone mouthpiece cup.
Things got a little different during the pandemic. In 2020, West End made the tough decision to record services
for High Holidays out of an abundance of concern for our congregants. It was extra-challenging for us, because my wife Abby had the day job of building the safety plan for the second-largest state agency with offices in all 95 counties, and also consulting our shul. She will never tell me which was more challenging…
So much effort was made to schedule the filming of the services so that only a few people would be together at a time, people would remain isolated while recording their individual segments, and it would all be sewn together at the end. I did my part and blew the shofar for all of the services with Rabbi Kullock. It
seemed like everything was in the bag. And then, disaster struck. Somehow, due to a technical difficulty, half of the recordings were destroyed – we were back to square one right before the high holidays. And so, we ended up recording many pieces live the day of. And I have to say, while it was so lonely being at High Holidays with around a dozen people, that year will forever be a special memory for me.
And if you didn’t know, the simple act of hearing the someone sound the shofar is a mitzvah. So, that year, I stood out in the parking lot of West End, handed Rabbi Kullock my old school Radio Shack bullhorn, and I blew shofar for as many cars that could fill the parking lot, then those folks would leave, the next group would drive in, and then Rabbi Joshua and I would repeat the process. And it gave me special joy that year driving around to congregants’ houses delivering Rosh
Hashanah gift bags and also letting them hear the shofar from a safe distance.
There have been lots of great stories over the years, like the time in ’22 when Abby and I almost got stranded in Paris and made it back to Nashville with just enough time to get to services. But the toughest year I ever faced was in 2016. A mere four days after my best friend, my brother Chris Sparks, was brutally shot in an unsolved murder, I made the decision to push through to blow shofar on the High Holidays. It was, without question, the worst performance I have ever displayed in my time blowing shofar – I was a disaster. Rabbi Kullock gave me many opportunities to abort mission. But I stubbornly carried on; it was one of the few things I had to hold onto. And the thing that destroyed me was seeing two brothers, Joe and Arthur Perlen, standing together at the front of the audience. It made me realize that I would never get to grow older with my best friend, and it absolutely crushed me.
This year, my brother’s yahrzeit and High Holidays fall on the exact same days as they did in 2016. I am in a much better place than I was back then, thanks to great therapy, and channeling my grief through social action, and advocating for common-sense legislation on Capitol Hill. I still don’t know who killed my brother, but at the very least, I hope that I can offer some solace to my fellow congregants, and there is no way I can perform as badly as I did in ’16.
I hope this New Year that you not only get to hear the sound of the shofar, but also that it announces the start of a sweet, wonderful era for all of you. •
Jason Sparks blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah 2020, with an empty sanctuary.
Sparks blows the shofar to a parking lot full of cars during Covid.
Sparks in the West End Synagogue gift shop with a kudu shofar.
A Rabbi and a Doctor Discuss Prayer
By RABBI MARK SCHIFTAN AND DR. FRANK BOEHM
F
rank: As a young child, my mother, of blessed memory, had me recite a prayer in German each night before I climbed into bed for a good night’s sleep. Translated into English, the prayer said, “In God’s name, I lay myself down to sleep, and hope to reawaken happy and healthy.” As I grew older and ceased to recite this prayer, I began to question the value and essence of prayer and over the years have concluded that prayer is a vital aspect of a spiritual and meaningful life. As a learned Rabbi, my question to you is this: can we speak to God through the process of prayer and does God hear us?
Mark: The Siddur (the traditional Jewish prayer book) is the anthology of the Jewish people, a collection of the hopes and dreams, the longings, and aspirations of a myriad of prayers over two thousand years. Every single one of those prayers, whether petitionary in tone, or whether conveyed as an expression of gratitude, represents an attempt to communicate with our Creator.
The touching memory you shared about the bedtime prayer taught to you by your mother, reflects the daily prayers many are taught as children either when they lie down or when they awaken. We are encouraged to engage in conversation with our Creator on a sustained and regular basis, just as more observant Jews will recite prayers three times a day as a community gathered in synagogue. Most faiths have both rituals, personal and communal prayerful attempts to speak to God.
Somehow, as we grow towards maturity, many of us let these rituals fall by the wayside. We feel as though such attempts at prayer are no longer relevant in our lives. We feel as though the words no longer bear meaning or relevance. Or perhaps, we no longer believe in the efficacy of prayer: We grow increasingly uncertain as to whether God hears our prayers, or responds to them, or whether there really is a God at all.
Prayer still has currency; it still has worth and value. Sometimes, we need a recalibration to remind ourselves of the importance of humility and the related sense of gratitude.
In that way, our prayers are heard. If it is possible that God created us, as well as the world around us, then I suppose it is equally possible that God could listen to our supplications and our expressions of gratitude.
Does it matter? Even if that turns out not to be true, then certainly we hear our prayers, as does the Divine image within us. When we gather as a community of worshippers, we hear the combined prayers of a people who have honed those words over thousands of years. That, I believe, has value, too. Together, our voices echo the sacred sounds that have tried to reach our Creator for centuries. In that, we take enormous comfort, whether God listens to those sentiments, or not. We hear, we listen, and, sometimes, that can be enough for us.
Frank: I agree with you that God hears our prayers. However, the God I believe in is embedded in my DNA and so if God resides within me and if
I am responsible for my actions, then prayer was not something I could use to seek help from an outside source. Prayer became a process whereby I could turn inward and examine what I was seeking or needing to understand. I was praying to the God within me, listening to God’s still small voice, helping me answer the questions I needed answers for and to calm my restless soul. Our Reform Judaism prayer book supports this concept: “Prayer may not bring water to parched fields nor mend a broken bridge nor rebuild a ruined city. But prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, rebuild a weakened will.”
Over the years, I have used prayer as a method to turn inward and examine the God within me and to help guide me through issues that caused me emotional pain. There are other times when I use prayer to meditate on the beauty and
wonder of life as well as to find an inner peaceful moment of self- reflection. I do not use prayer to ask an outside source for what I wish to happen or thank an outside source for what has already happened. I use prayer to quietly examine the spiritual feelings within me and allow those feelings to dictate my course. Praying for me can happen in numerous places, especially where the beauty of nature exists. However, it is when I sit in a synagogue reciting the mantra of ancient words that I learned as a young child that prayer seems to flow more easily and with more reflection and intensity. It is the God within me that is comforted by this holy sanctuary. •
Rabbi Mark Schiftan can be reached at mschiftan@aol.com
Dr. Frank Boehm can be reached at frank.boehm@vumc.org
Calling all Jewish Teens in Nashville - NCSY is coming to town!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new local chapter of NCSY (National Conference of Synagogue Youth) right here in Nashville! NCSY has a long-standing tradition of fostering Jewish identity, friendship, and leadership among Jewish teens across North America, and we are eager to bring this vibrant community to Nashville.
year, I will be studying at Vanderbilt University with a major in Human and Organizational Development. I love to play the drums, go on runs, travel, but most of all, spreading my passion for Judaism!
Join Us for Our Kickoff Event!
My name is Eli Raphael and I grew up in Dallas, Texas, where I attended Jewish Day School until 6th grade, when I made the difficult switch to a public high school. That’s where I was introduced to NCSY programming for the first time. Through NCSY, I developed a strong sense of Jewish pride and identity, made lifelong friends, and embarked on a religious journey that led me to spend a year studying in Jerusalem. Frankly, I love everything about NCSY: the mentors, the volunteer projects, the weekly get-togethers, the Shabbatonim .In my senior year of high school, I had the incredible opportunity to serve as the National President of NCSY where I was able to meet amazing people and organize national initiatives. Next
To celebrate the start of our new chapter, we invite all Jewish teens to join us for an exciting kickoff event on Labor Day, September 2nd, at 6:30 PM. We will gather at Congregation Sherith Israel for an evening of fun, games, and delicious food. The event will feature a pickleball tournament and a barbecue, providing the perfect opportunity to meet new friends and learn more about what NCSY has to offer.
Why You Should Join Us: Fun and Friendship: Meet other Jewish teens in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.
Leadership Opportunities: Learn how to become a leader in your community. Jewish Identity: Explore and strengthen your Jewish identity and values.
Supportive Community: Join a welcoming and supportive group where you can be yourself.
Get Involved:
We welcome all Jewish teens to join our chapter and participate in our activities. Your input and questions are invaluable to us as we start this journey together. If you have any suggestions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to ensure that NCSY Nashville becomes a cornerstone of our local Jewish community.
For more details about the kickoff event or to learn more about NCSY Nashville, please contact me at raphaele@ncsy.org. We look forward to seeing you on September 2nd and embarking on this exciting new adventure together! •
Warm regards, Eli Raphael Nashville City Director Midwest NCSY 214-601-9648 raphaele@ncsy.org
Observing the Ordinary: Joanna Brichetto’s Journey from Naturalist to Author
By BARBARA DAB
“Nature is right outside our door, and here’s what I’ve learned: nature is the door too, and what’s on the inside… So let’s look around. Time is short. And none of us can live without wild things.” Joanna Brichetto, introduction to How a Robin Drinks
Have you ever looked, really looked at the trees in your front yard, or the carpenter bees buzzing around your front porch railing, or the dead bird in the street as you jog by?
If you do, according to naturalist Joanna Brichetto, you are one, too.
“Anybody who is paying attention to the natural world around them is a naturalist,” she says, “All you have to do is slow down and observe.”
Brichetto, who lives in Nashville, has been observing things pretty much all her life. “I was kind of born that way. Even as a kid I was a big porch sitter. I could sit on the porch with my oldest relative and never get bored. There’s always something to see and hear.” In fact, she says she has wanted to be a naturalist and a writer since she was a child, but as is true for many childhood dreams, life intervened. That life included marriage and two children, both of whom are now grown, and a long stint teaching at West End Synagogue’s Beit Miriam. “Years and years get in the way, especially for women and caregivers,” she says.
Finally in 2010 the Tennessee Naturalist Program began, and Brichetto was accepted into the second year’s class. “That was really when a systematic study began.” The experience was life changing for her. “I was enrolled in a course, I had colleagues around me. I suddenly had people around who cared about the same kinds of things, who were excited about frog spawn or who could nerd out with a hand lens on a bug on some tree.”
The experience was, in her words, a game changer that led to a popular blog, Sidewalk Nature. And now she has published a book, This is How a Robin Drinks: Essays on Urban Nature. The compilation of 52 essays is organized by season, beginning with summer. Only a couple of them are from her blog, which means faithful blog readers will find new observations and musings. “I’d been trying to write creative nonfiction, really short essays, and to submit them to literary journals for several years, so this is a collection of those essays, plus some extras that have never been published.”
In her biography, Brichetto is introduced as someone who is neurodiverse, something she says plays a key role in her ability to be observant. “It’s a huge factor because I am happiest when I’m alone and without any external stimuli other than what the natural world can give me. So that means I’m automatically going to be a really good observer.”
Brichetto’s unique experience of the world is also what led her to write the book. “After the naturalist program they really want you to go out into the community. They’re trying to form this corps of volunteers statewide who can plug themselves into very public programs.” The goal for her class specifically was to
go out to sites and lead school groups, teach programs and the like, all things she is passionate about. But as someone living with chronic illness, it was often not possible. “The most important thing is introducing children to nature. But I was always too sick to go and I realized that rather than let people down and cancel, I just wouldn’t sign up to do these things.” She decided that although she might not be able to drive to a local park, she had nature all around her. “Little by little, day by day, I realized oh my gosh, this is nature, too.” And so, she began writing.
Brichetto has a graduate degree in Jewish Studies from Vanderbilt University. She says her early research about Judaism and nature, along with her years teaching religious school also inform her current
views on nature. “When I was teaching in religious school there was that book called What’s Jewish about Butterflies, it was for preschool really. And it just knocked me out. I just love those things.” She credits the late school director Miriam Halachmi z’l and current school director Sharon Paz for giving her total freedom to teach her own way. “I could teach whatever I wanted and however I wanted and all of that stuff played into it. Everything was tied into the natural world; everything was hands on. Whether it was language or holidays or mitzvot. It was just bliss.”
According to Rabbi Joshua Kullock of West End Synagogue, Brichetto’s approach to teaching aligns exactly with what the Torah says. “Judaism has a
Continued on page 15
Naturalist and author Joanna Brichetto is always observing the natural world.
Save a Life
Continued from page 1 the organization. Beer’s connection to Nashville began last year when local rabbis and community leaders visited Israel and toured United Hatzalah’s headquarters. “It’s a very interesting connection that we all have. They came to Israel, and we dedicated the first of three ambulances. And now we’re going to do more and get more of the community to know what we do,” says Beer.
The ambulances to which he refers are at the heart of what the organization does.
“It’s very simple. United Hatzalah is like Uber, the more Uber drivers you have, the faster responses you have.” That fact did not escape Bernie Pargh, who helped organize and fund the Israel trip. He also is the person who funded the ambulances.
Pargh learned about United Hatzalah in late October 2023, during the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, where Beer was the featured speaker. “He gave such an emotional, heartfelt, touching speech, that my father was very determined to talk to him. But the place was so big you couldn’t get within 10 feet of him,” says Pargh’s son, Franklin Pargh.
Beer spoke about October 7th, and the more than 800 people who were saved that day by United Hatzalah volunteers. “People from Magen David Adom were told not to go in there because it was too dangerous. But since United Hatzalah is an all-volunteer force, they went in there and several of their people were killed that day,” says Bernie Pargh. The story moved and inspired Pargh to donate funds to buy an ambulance.
And during that Israel trip, Pargh had another surprise in store. According to Franklin Pargh, what started as one
ambulance donation became two. “Unbeknownst to me my parents decided that, as we were going to Israel, that if the visit went well enough, they would buy another there on the spot.” So as Bernie rose to say a few words, he asked Franklin to hold something. It was the check for the second ambulance. “They were really confused because we’d already sent a check,” says Franklin, “And my dad said, ‘yes, this is for a second ambulance.’”
“It was a joyous occasion, to say the least,” says Bernie, “We could give money to something we felt was going to help people 24/7, 365 days a year.”
It is gifts like these that Beer says connects Jews in the United States, and Nashville, with Israel. “The community is such a Zionistic community. And what I love about Nashville, what I heard from Bernie, about his coming with the rabbis, is the entire community is united from Reform to Orthodox to Chabad. It blew my mind.”
The spirit of inclusion Beer observed in the Nashville group is also mirrored in United Hatzalah’s work. “You can argue about anything. And in many things, like politics, or sports, you can argue. But everyone can agree on one thing. That if God forbid your son is choking, you don’t care who saves him. The lives of your children and someone else’s children are more important than politics.”
Earlier this summer, Hezbollah by way of Lebanon, attacked a playground in the northern part of the country. Druze volunteers arrived first because the attack happened in their own neighborhood. “Our volunteers were there in seconds and the Druze volunteers, worked hand in hand with Jewish volunteers, Orthodox and secular Jews.” Currently United Hatzalah has 7,000 volunteers, and Beer says the goal is to grow to 16,000.
Beer was inspired as a young child after he witnessed a terror attack. “It’s the story of a 15-year-old boy with a dream. It was my dream, to save a life,” he says. To date, the organization has treated over 6.5 million people.
And like young Beer, children in Nashville are answering the same call. The students at West End Synagogue’s Beit Miriam religious school chose United Hatzalah as their annual fundraising project. School director, Sharon Paz, read Beer’s biography last summer and was moved to share it with her faculty. “Everyone was enthusiastic. And then, five weeks after we began our school Tzedakah project, came the tragedy of Oct. 7, 2023,” she said. Students and parents worked to meet the goal of raising $1,800, which will be presented to Beer in person. “This is amazing. A child who gives money, and raises money is for me the holiest thing in the world, and I am so excited.”
In the past year, United Hatzalah has responded to 750,000 calls, an alltime high, according to Beer. “In a normal day we have 2,000 calls. On October 7th we had over 12,500 emergencies. This was really the hardest day of my life. Every single decision I had that day was life and death,” he says. Those decisions include sending paramedics into the fire. “I sent people into the war zone. People with children, and husbands and wives. I sent my own daughters to the fire; I sent my wife to fight.”
On that day, Beer says as the Army was trying to keep responders out of the area, he decided to send in anyone who wanted to go. “I knew there were hundreds of people waiting there and dying and bleeding. The ambulances left the area.”
One of the rabbis who participated in the Israel trip is Rabbi Mark Schiftan, emeritus rabbi at The Temple. He says Beer is a hero in the truest sense of the word. “This guy with his idea and more important, his follow through singlehandedly changed the way first responders are able to help patients and save lives
in the State of Israel.”
In addition to the traditional ambulances are the nimbler ambucycles which Schiftan says can cut through urban traffic in record time. And when combined with the network of volunteers who can cover those crucial seconds before a paramedic arrives, it is the difference between life and death. “He has created a lot of other volunteer heroes along the way.”
And as the relationship between Beer and the Pargh family has developed, so too, has the Pargh’s commitment to the organization. Plans are now underway for Pargh and his siblings to donate a third ambulance in memory of their parents. “After my sister and brother heard what they had done, they wanted to come up with a way to have a third ambulance dedicated to my mother and father’s memory.” The family plans to go to Israel soon to present this gift.
Since October 7th awareness of United Hatzalah has grown, so much so that a regional office was added to serve the central and southern part of the United States. Becca Near is the Central States Regional Development Director. She says, “The reality of Israel today helped us understand we need to increase the number of volunteers, the number of distribution facilities and supplies. Based on our data, we need quicker access to different parts of the region that we were not able to get to as fast.”
Near also points out that in addition to its work on the ground in Israel, United Hatzalah sends first responders to other crisis points in the world. “We send first responders into international conflicts like Ukraine. And then also domestic tragedies like Surfside, Florida, when we had the building go down.”
The upcoming event on September 24th is scheduled for 7:00pm at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. For more information, or to register, contact Rabbi Mark Schiftan at mschiftan@ aol.com, or Bernie Pargh at bapargh@ bellsouth.net. •
The Nashville group visits United Hatzalah headquarters in Israel.
United Hatzalah headquarters command center in Israel.
Antisemitism
Continued from page 1
The task force is creating working groups in the areas of: K-12 education; civic and higher education; facilitation of programming within the ABA, within the judiciary and with other bar associations, nationally and internationally; resources for law firms to raise awareness of antisemitism internally and within their communities; monitoring and developing legislation and public policy; outreach to other stakeholders, governmental entities and national organizations providing expert resources and expertise.
“There have been organizations out there fighting this good fight for a long time and we certainly have no illusion of trying to usurp their territory. We’re there to help them,” says Mayden.
Although many attribute the rise in antisemitism to October 7th, Schickman says the ABA began tackling it well before that date. As a delegate of the committee on civil rights and social justice, he was co-author of Resolution 514, adopted in February 2023, condemning antisemitism, and recommending steps to combat it. “It was already an epidemic of the rise of antisemitism eight months before October 7. So, it’s important to recognize the rise of antisemitism as being a very, very, very long-term issue.”
Schickman says the task force is not focused on reaching what he calls “hard core” antisemites, or politicians he says are exploiting that group. The goal is to reach the general public. “Making sure that people are not passive bystanders but are advocates to support victims of antisemitism and to make sure people recognize it as big a problem as other kind of hate.”
One of the biggest challenges says Schickman, is reaching those areas without Jews, which is where lawyers come in. “There are 1.3 million lawyers in America, and we want to mobilize them. In Boise, Idaho and Helena, Montana there might not be any Jews but there’s antisemitism. And they do have lawyers and lawyers need to be a kind of guard against this.”
What the ABA’s task force is doing is just another link in the chain of lawyers fighting antisemitism. The AntiDefamation League was founded in 1913 by attorneys. “They are the ones who came up with the mission, which we continue to serve to stop the defamation of Jewish people and to secure fair treatment to all,” says Eytan Davidson, Regional Director of the ADL Southeast region.
Davidson says the ADL continues its involvement and support from the legal community. He cites two of the most famous cases in the Southeast region, the 1986 pardon of Leo Frank in Georgia, and the 2020 passage of the Georgia hate crimes law. The latter came after many years of working with coalitions. “The legal community and the legal profession are very, very important, not just to the
lifeblood and founding of the ADL, but to the stability of our society.”
There are other efforts within the legal profession aimed at identifying and combatting antisemitism. In Georgia, Judge Stacey Hydrick, of the Superior Court in DeKalb County, was a founder of the Jewish Bar Association of Georgia. She is currently one of two Jewish Superior Court judges in the state. She says that number is surprising given the vast number of Jewish attorneys in the state. So last summer she joined with another Jewish judge and a Jewish attorney to discuss creating a Bar association to support Jewish legal professionals.
“We started making a list of all the Jewish lawyers that we knew.” After making plans for a first meeting in Hydrick’s home, and creating invitations, fate intervened. “I was working on the invitations on Friday, October 6th. We sent out the invitation and got back 150 RSVPs.” The group hastily pivoted to a room at a local synagogue. “I am convinced that had it not been for October 7th, we would not have had that kind of response. Because I don’t think people recognized the need.”
To date the Georgia Jewish Bar Association has a 250 paid members with a listserv of 300 and many more looking to join. The group serves to support Jewish legal professionals, provide continuing education, networking, and social opportunities. But much like the ABA’s task force, it also is a resource for non-legal community members in need of support. For example, a local Israeli-owned business was the recent target of antisemitic protesting and the Jewish Bar organized counter protests. Another incident involved identifying a local attorney who posted antisemitic rhetoric on his social media platforms.
Hydrick says there cannot be too many groups mobilizing in the fight against antisemitism. “I think everything is necessary. We have to organize and mobilize, and we have to advocate and do anything we can in any way possible.”
The ABA task force is comprised of 14 members and 4 advisors, not a large group. Mayden says it is important that groups like Hydrick’s and others are part of the effort. “We need to give these tools to state and local Bars and other organizations of lawyers, to deputize them to take this message that we can help format.”
Local Jewish leaders agree with the overall goals of these groups, if somewhat dismayed at the need for them. Rabbi Dan Horwitz, CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, says, “While disappointing that it is necessary in 2024, it is humbling to know that the American Bar Association is committed to joining the fight against antisemitism. Their recently passed Resolution 514 is a strong call to stand up for the rights of Jewish people not only in the United States, but globally. We are grateful for their support and stand ready to partner with them at the local level and beyond.” •
Joanna Brichetto
Continued from page 11 deep connection with nature. From the Psalmist singing that all creation sings to G-d, to Rabbi Nachman teaching that every piece of grass has its own special niggun, passing through the midrash that says that G-d walked with Adam and Eve showing them the garden of Eden and reminding them to take care of the world because it is the only one that we have.”
Additionally, the way Brichetto’s book is organized around the seasons is also a very Jewish perspective about nature, according to Kullock. “The Jewish year is based on the cycle of seasons, and every month is connected to the cycle of the moon. Time, in Judaism, is always associated with the different cycles of nature, which requires us to be sensitive and aware to them.”
Brichetto’s book has already garnered praise from some well-known authors, including the New York Times columnist Margaret Renkl, who lives in Nashville. Brichetto says their paths first crossed years ago through Chapter 16, the monthly newsletter of the Tennessee Humanities Council. “She was the editor at the time. So she edited my essay, she ran it, and I’m pleased that it’s in this collection.” But the two really met and became friends during the Covid-19 pandemic when
Renkl came to Brichetto’s home to pick up some plants. And in September the two will be in conversation for the official launch event at Parnassus Books. This first book has been in the works since 2016 with some of the essays taking minutes to write and some taking much longer. “There are some I will hammer away at for years until it says what I want it to say in the way I want to say it.” And she is more than halfway finished with a second collection, tentatively titled The Hackberry Appreciation Society, a collection of 12 essays. “Everyone hates that tree in Middle Tennessee, so this is one giant apologia about the hackberry tree,” she says.
Brichetto’s voice and vision in her writing is often whimsical, sometimes sentimental, but at the heart of it all is her reverence for the natural world and her serious drive to protect it. “The protecting thing is absolutely paramount. Because we protect what we love, but we can’t love what we don’t know, what we haven’t met yet. And all we have to do to meet these things is to walk out the door.”
The book will be released on September 24, the launch event at Parnassus Books is on September 23 at 6:30, and currently there is a waiting list to attend. Brichetto will also be at the Southern Festival of Books which is scheduled for October 26-27.
Dr. Bradley Krock D.C., M.S. www.krockchiropractic.com
Dr. Krock, graduated with his Bachelors and Master's Degree from Mississippi State University then went on to Logan University in St. Louis to obtain his Doctorate of Chiropractic. He specializes in addressing headaches, neck pain, extremity dysfunction and lower back pain. He employs personalized chiropractic care, combining his expertise with a compassionate approach focused on patient-centric healing. Dr. Krock's dedication lies in tailoring solutions to alleviate discomfort and improve the overall well-being of his patients, ensuring they receive individualized care for their specific needs.
AN EVENING WITH FRAN LEBOWITZ
November 13, 2024 | 7:30 PM
In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, author, journalist, and social observer Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Don't miss when Lebowitz brings her scathing and insightful cultural satire to the Schermerhorn for one night only.
Presented without the Nash ville Symphony.
Conversations and Culinary Connections: Connecting Interfaith Couples…New Cohort Starting in Fall!
By SHERI ROSENBERG
Food brings people together…Holidays bring people together…combine them to make a meaningful program!
As a congregation, it is The Temple’s goal to create an inclusive and educational environment while also helping to create community. The Temple brings together interfaith couples to celebrate and discuss both Jewish and Christian holidays. Through this initiative, couples are given the chance to learn more about holiday traditions and share their personal experiences and customs. Food being a connector and bringing people together, quality and deep conversation has further enhanced the program’s atmosphere.
Couples do not need to be Temple members to participate in this program. Married, engaged, and dating couples are encouraged to join in on this meaningful experience. From Sukkot to Christmas to Tu B’Shevat, quality discussions and sharing about your own relationship is always on the menu. We end the year by baking challah together as a group and discussing the couple’s relationship with Israel as an interfaith couple.
Alex Cohn shares “The interfaith couple’s cohort was such a rewarding program for my wife and me. We are fortunate to have close friends in an interfaith marriage, but the interfaith couple’s cohort gave us the opportunity to connect with many new couples to share our experiences navigating an interfaith marriage. Being able to grow our interfaith marriage community is something that is important to us, and this program allowed us to do just that.”
This program has been occurring since 2021, with three cohorts completing the year of dinner programs. This coming month, there will be a meet up for the previous cohorts to meet and connect with one other.
Participant Brigid Vingan says “The interfaith couple’s cohort gave us the opportunity to bond with others over the unique experience of joining two religious backgrounds in one family. It was really rewarding to hear how other couples incorporate each other’s religious traditions into their lives, as well as share our own. As the non-Jewish partner, I’ve always felt welcomed by The Temple, but being involved with this group made me feel really valued as a member.”
We are looking forward to our fourth year with new and exciting elements to enhance the experience. If you are interested in being part of the 2024-2025 cohort of Conversations and Culinary Connections session, please reach out to Sheri Rosenberg (sheri@ templenashville.org). •
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Rosh Hashanah
It all Started with a Hammer (IYKYK, and
By BARBARA DAB
Vanderbilt Hillel held a ribbon cutting for its newly renovated Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life building on the university’s campus. The event was attended by community members, volunteers, Hillel board members, and many supporters. Attendees enjoyed mimosas and bloody marys, and munched on a lunch buffet prepared by Goldie Shepard in the building’s brand new kitchen, toured the new facility, and cheered the project’s leaders.
Ari Dubin, Hillel’s Executive Director, welcomed and gave thanks to those who led the two-year fundraising effort. Shannon Small, Hillel’s Development Director says, “This ribbon-cutting event was the culmination of two years of hard work from many volunteers, especially Cindee Gold and Alyssa Hassenfeld, our Kitchen Naming Campaign Chairs. We are so grateful to the Benjamin D. and Ruby G. Schulman Foundation, all our kitchen naming donors, and 20th anniversary donors for making this renovation possible.” She says the updated security and the new kitchen are key improvements and looks forward to a new school year in the expanded and improved spaces. “Some of the students have already come by to see the change
if you don’t, ask Goldie)
to the programmatic spaces and are so excited for the year to start. Our renovated outdoor patio is making it possible to have our first-year orientation program in the building - our program for first year Jewish students is so large now we need the extra space! I’m so grateful to be working for Vanderbilt Hillel at this exciting time.”
Goldie Shepard says the ribbon cutting event was a full circle moment for her and Sylvia Shepard. “Sylvia Shepard is determined and devoted to making the world a better place. She started by nudging Ari Dubin and never let up. She was determined to get what we needed, and she did, plus a few extras. She raised the necessary funds and never caved; it all seemed simple to her.” Shepard was pleased to see so many generations of community members at the event. “People of
all ages were in attendance and cutting that ribbon made the project tangible.”
Sylvia Shepard, 96, was accompanied by three generations of her family.
Goldie Shepard says, “To say I am proud is an understatement, and truthfully my head is still spinning. Congratulations to all who participated and persevered.” •
PHOTO CREDIT: EMILY ALLEN
Report on 2024 Hadassah National Convention
By MARSHA JAFFA AND RICHARD BARNETT
Marsha Jaffa and Richard Barnett attended the 2024 Hadassah National Conference in Las Vegas from July 28-30. The conference was attended by an estimated 400 Hadassah family members, friends, and Associates. The goal of the conference was to inspire Zionist passion and come together on what unites us.
Unifying issues included building a brighter future for at-risk youth in Israel, ending the silence on the weaponization of sexual violence, supporting the Hadassah Medical Organization’s response to the war-injured and the resulting innovation and research, and protecting Jewish Americans from the scourge of antisemitism on college campuses around the country.
The conference featured many remarkable speakers including but not limited to Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, David Schizer co-chair of Columbia University task force and Dean Emeritus, and Israeli-born master sto-
ryteller Talia Carter. Carter discussed her book, The Boy with the Star Tattoo and her pro-Israel and women’s rights advocacy. Two Hadassah Youth Aliyah Village students shared their stories. And Hadassah Medical Organization’s physicians and caregivers spoke about the new technology and innovative procedures used to save lives and how they dealt with the immediate chaos of the October attacks.
The keynote speaker was Montana Tucker, an award-winning actress, singer, dancer, and philanthropist. Her passion is to combat antisemitism and all forms of hate and to educate people to love one another. Sportswriter, Social Media Influencer and Actress Emily Austin shared her experiences with antisemitism. Gilad Erdan discussed the function
of the UN and gave some history. The UN was formed to prevent atrocities after WWII. Originally, the UN was made up of 51 countries. Today the UN is made up of 193 countries, of which one-third are Arabic. Seventy percent of the condemnations made by the UN are against Israel. Conversely, Hamas hasn’t been condemned for murdering, kidnapping, torturing Israelis or educating their children
NCJW Kicks off the New Year in Style
By JENNIFER GOLDSTEIN HOFFMAN
The Nashville Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), composed of community members of all ages, denominations, and life stages, has a long history of service to the Nashville community. On Wednesday, September 11 at the home of Sandra Hecklin, the membership of NCJW Nashville will kick off our 123rd programming year.
The year ahead brings added excitement. Our esteemed organization continues to serve the women, children, and families of Nashville and Middle Tennessee through our service work and partnerships, known as Projects. Projects developed and supported by NCJW Nashville serve both the Jewish and secular community and have become a part of the lives of many of the citizens of our city.
Each year, returning or new Projects are invited to apply for support through a process called Study and Survey. After completing the application, projects are asked to attend an allocations meeting facilitated by our Study and Survey chairs and members of the committee. This past year’s chairs were Vice Presidents of Projects, Julie Galbierz and Hayley Kupin.
Following Study and Survey, the NCJW Nashville membership voted to fund the following Projects:
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), funded through the Fensterwald Fund held by NCJW Nashville
• Gilda’s Club of Middle Tennessee’s children and teen programs
• Kosher Food Box with Jewish Family Service
• Kosher for Passover Food Boxes with Jewish Family Service
• Renewal House
• Senior Friends Rosh Hashanah baskets with Jewish Family Service
• Snack Box Program with OUR KIDS
• Vanderbilt’s REACH for Survivorship
• Vanderbilt Hillel’s Shabbat Dinners for a Cause
NCJW Nashville is also honored to announce that its Scholarship Loan pro-
gram, led by co-chairs Freya Sachs and Amy Smith and which provides interest-free loans to students pursuing higher education, will provide a record 13 loans to deserving students. Applications for the 2025-2026 loan cycle will open in February and close in mid-March. If you know of a student who would benefit, please contact nashvillencjw@gmail.com.
The funding for NCJW Nashville Projects is achieved primarily through contributions at the annual Ways & Means fundraiser, though they are also supported through gifts from private philanthropic foundations, corporate grants, and bequests by members naming NCJW Nashville as a beneficiary in their wills.
The 2024 Ways and Means fundraiser will be held on Sunday, November 24 at 11:30 AM. Barbara Turner will be honored with the prestigious Hannah G. Solomon award in recognition of her years of leadership and service to NCJW Nashville. And the Emerging Leader award, named in honor of Jamie Brook, Freya Sachs, and Erin Zagnoev, will be presented to Harriet Workman. Last year’s Ways and Means saw over 140 NCJW Nashville members and community members celebrate our accomplishments and raised over $53,000 in individual donations and sponsorships. NCJW Nashville is beyond grateful to everyone who made last year’s event a success and encourages the Nashville Jewish commu-
to hate Israel. Ironically, Erdan pointed out that Saudi Arabia’s leadership’s role in the UN is for gender equality. Moreover, Russia has been appointed to the UN’s Human Rights Committee and Lebanon International Justice. Erdan’s final remarks concerned Qatar funding our Ivy League Colleges. He mentioned that some of the Ivy League Colleges are afraid to stand up to Hamas and Qatar. Perhaps, he added, the Jewish people should divest and not give as much money to the colleges. His lecture was extremely informative. David Schizer testified in the US Congressional hearing on Columbia University in April. He talked about friendships being destroyed since October 7th and added that the conflict has exasperated mental health issues among Jewish students. He went on to say that college should be about students coming together and sharing their views. Currently, there are a lot of conflicts on College Campuses. Schizer ended his remarks by sharing that Columbia is working hard on bringing students together. More information about the Hadassah Convention can be found on the Hadassah website. •
Lindsey Rosen, VPs, Programming
• Julie Galbierz and Stephanie Korn, VPs, Projects
• Olivia Heller and Kim Lapidus, Treasurers
• Julie Fortune and April Nemer, Secretaries
• Erin Coleman and Stephanie Kirschner, Past Presidents
nity to join them in this celebration of service, leadership and community.
Lastly, NCJW, Nashville Section is also honored to announce our 2024-2025 Executive Committee:
• Marci Kleinrock and Sheri Rosenberg, Presidents
• Jordana Loeb, La Quita Martin, Bryna Oleshansky Mody, and Rachel Whitney, VPs, Advocacy
The 2024-2025 Executive Committee invites all members of our Nashville Jewish community to join NCJW Nashville at the Opening Meeting on Wednesday, September 11 and for 2024 Ways and Means on Sunday, November 24, where they will continue to demonstrate support for their projects and honor deserving leaders. NCJW Nashville also encourages the Nashville community to show their support of these impactful and important projects, and join them at programming throughout the year. If you would like to volunteer or show your support for any of these projects, please contact Jennifer Hoffman, NCJW Nashville’s Executive Director at nashvillencjw@ gmail.com. To register for upcoming programs, donate, become a member, or learn more about NCJW Nashville, visit www.ncjwnashville.org. •
Finding Relatives Through Genealogy
By ROY HILLER – JGS NASHVILLE
Genealogy is not only about tracing our ancestry. It is also about identifying and connecting with living relatives that we either didn’t know existed or with whom we have lost touch over many years. I recent worked on researching the paternal ancestry of Congregation Micah’s Rabbi Phillip ‘Flip’ Rice. I made many rewarding discoveries along the way. While conducting my research I came across an online family tree created by Carol Rice, the wife of Tom Rice’s (Flip’s father) first cousin Julian. This
kind of genealogical find is quite common. The significance, however, was not. Carol and I exchanged information. This was a turning point. You see, Tom had lost touch with Julian. They had not spoken for over 22 years. Because of my connecting with Carol and sharing information, whatever had caused them to lose touch 22 years ago no longer mattered. On Tom’s recent birthday, Julian gave him a call and they reconnected.
This is why I do genealogy research. It is the connections we make, to the past and present, that make it worthwhile. •
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, speaks at the 2024 Hadassah National Convention
National Council of Jewish Women’s Nashville chapter introduces its 2024-25 Executive committee.
September in the Galleries: September Art Exhibit featuring the work of the Tennessee Watercolor Society and JFS’s Opening Minds through Art program
The Janet Levine March Gallery will feature the work of the Tennessee Watercolor Society. Thirty-Seven members of the Tennessee Watercolor Society’s (TnWS) Middle TN Region will be on exhibit September 4 through 29, 2024. The exhibit will be in the Janet Levine March Galleries I and II. The paintings are of aqueous water media on paper, which is one of the missions of the TnWS. We exhibit to keep this genre of the Visual Arts in public view. The TnWS has been an important non-profit organization across the state of Tennessee since 1971. It is a volunteer organization with many outreach programs statewide and works also in regions, based on the metropolitan areas, to build community with its members.
The Sig Held Gallery will feature the art from Jewish Family Service Helping Hands Program, OMA (Opening Minds through Art). JFS has been matching community volunteers with isolated senior adults in the Jewish community for friendly visiting since 2004. This program expanded in 2016 to include the JFS Helping Hands Art Program-a partnership between JFS and the national evidence-based OMA (Opening Minds Through Art) Program. Opening Minds through Art (OMA) is an award-winning, intergenerational art-making program for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of neurocognitive disorders. The program provides numerous opportunities for creative self-expression and social engagement for people with dementia.
The Senior Lounge will feature the work of Robbie Laskey.
The House gallery will feature the Under One Roof collaborative exhibit. The Exhibition Dates are September 3rd -30th.
The Artist reception will be held on September 11th from 6-8 pm and feature music by DJ Joseph Harris and Henna by Seemi and a pop up jewelry shop by Chandler Dezsigns.
The exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the GJCC at 615.354-1699, Curator Carrie Mills at carrie@nashvillejcc.org, or go to www.nashvillejcc.org. •
Daffodil Deight, by Ginna Priest
Red Delicious, by Barbara Bullard
Awakening, by Nancy Dekant
I’ll Fly Away, by Wendy Leonard
Fenced In, by Peach McComb
The Finest in Cigars, Pipes, Tobaccos, Humidors & Cigar Accessories
Sophisticated tastes
Happy Rosh Hashanah
KEEP CALM
KEEP CALM
And HAVE a HEALTHY and HAPPY
SHANA TOVA U’METUKAH
HAPPY NEW YEAR
May G-d bless us with peace, unity and success. Am Yisrael Chai and L’Shanah Tova!
Meital, Abi, Iara, Jess & Rabbi Joshua Kullock
Chabad of Nashville wish you a sweet year of Good Health a Year of Love, Laughter, and Joy. L’Shana Tovah u’Metukah
Shana tova u metuka!
From the team at Congregation Micah!
May the new year bring you health, happiness, and peace.
L’Shana Tova!
Alyssa Trachtman
L’Shana Tova Tikateivu v’TichateimuMay 5785 bring us strength, resilience, security and peace for a good year.
The Parents, Faculty and Students of Beit Miriam @ WES
From our family to yours, best wishes for a happy, healthy, and joyful 5785. L’shana tova u’metuka!
Cantor Tracy Fishbein and Glenn, Anna, and Joshua Turtel
On behalf of the entire clergy team at Congregation Sherith Israel and our families, We wish for our Nashville community a Shana Tova Umetukah
Congregation Sherith Israel wishes the community a sweet New Year!
Shana Tova U’Metukah
We wish you and your loved ones a healthy and happy New Year 5785
Bobbie and Alex Limor and family
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and sweet new year!
From Gordon JCC Executive Director Jesse Feld and the entire Feld Family
Rabbi Yitzchok and Esther, Rabbi Berel, Tzivia, Mushka, Meni, Rafael, Eliyahu, and Sima.
Rabbi Chaim and Bassie, Musya, Naomi, and Eliyahu.
Rabbi Levi and Mushka, Rabbi Mendel and Chana, and Sarah Tiechtel
Jamie, Alison and Chuck, Andrea, Kevin and Brayden and Leo, Leslie and Howard Kirshner
Steven,
l'Shanah Tovah
West End Synagogue High Holidays Schedule 5785
Wednesday 10/2: Erev Rosh Hashanah 6:00 p.m.
Rabbi Joshua’s sermon ~ 6:30 p.m.
Thursday 10/3: First Day Rosh Hashanah and Tashlich 9:30 a.m.
Blessing of the babies born in 5784 (from last Rosh Hashanah to now) at 10:00 a.m.
Families with Young Children service 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Services for children 1st-4th grades 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Services for children 4th-7th grades 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Rabbi Joshua's sermon ~11:00 a.m.
Learner’s minyan led by Marc Jacobs will follow the sermon and last ~1 hour
Tashlich service to symbolically cast away our sins at 4:45 p.m.
Mincha services will be held back at the Synagogue after we return from Tashlich. 20’s and 30’s Rosh Hashanah Dinner. Details to follow. 7:00 p.m.
Friday 10/4: Second Day Rosh Hashanah 9:30 a.m.
A conversation with Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Gustavo Suraszki 10:45 a.m.
Families With Young Children services 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Services for children 1st-4 grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Services for children 5th-7th grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Friday, 10/11: Kol Nidrei 5:40 p.m.
Mincha followed by Kol Nidrei and the blessing of this year’s B’nai Mitzvah students
Families With Young Children Services 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Services for children 1st-4th grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Services for children 5th-7th grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Rabbi Joshua’s sermon ~ 11:00 a.m. before the recitation of Yizkor
Learner’s minyan led by Marc Jacobs will follow the sermon and last ~1 hour
Mincha and Neila 5:00 p.m.
Ark will be open for personal prayers.
The fast ends at 6:52 p.m.
Followed by Ma’ariv, Ramah style Havdalah, and the blowing of the shofar.
Congregational Break the Fast: check the WES website for more information
Shana Tova u’metukah!
The JEWISH SCHOOLS OF The JEWISH SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE NASHVILLE
JEWISHMIDDLESCHOOL OF NASHVILLE
High Holy Days – 5785 Congregational Schedules
Chabad of Nashville
High Holiday Schedule
Join Chabad of Nashville for the High Holidays 5785
Eve of Rosh Hashana, Wednesday, October 2
the first night of Rosh Hashanah
Candle Lighting and Service to welcome the New Year 6:30 PM
New Year’s Eve Dinner 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 3, First Day of Rosh Hashanah
Morning Service…10:30 AM
Children’s Service…11:00 AM
Rabbi’s Sermon…11:30 AM
Shofar Sounding 12:00
Priestly Blessings 1:30 PM
Friday, October 4, Second Day Rosh Hashanah Morning Service…10:30 AM
Children’s Service…11:00 AM
Rabbi’s Sermon…11:30 AM
Shofar sounding 12:00 PM
Priestly Blessings 1:30 PM
Friday, October 11, Yom Kippur Eve
Kol Nidrei Service…6:30 PM
Saturday, October 12, Yom Kippur Day Morning Service…10:30 AM
Children’s Service…11:00 AM
Yizkor Memorial Service…12:30 PM
Mussaf service 1:30 PM
Ne’ilah Closing Service…6:00 PM
Havdalah Service and Kamen Break Fast…7:31 PM
All services will take place at Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad, 95 Bellevue Road, in Bellevue. To RSVP or for more information please contact us at 615-646-5750 Rabbi@chabadnashville.com or www.chabadnashville.com
Congregation Micah
SELICHOT: Saying I am Sorry
Saturday, September 28 @ 8:00 PM
Start the season with soul searching done the Micah way: beautiful music, penitential prayers, personal testimonials, and good food. We replace the covers on our Torah scrolls with white ones to remind us that change is possible, and that each of us has the power to repair our relationships, our lives, and the whole world – all while we renew our sense of wonder and purpose.
EREV ROSH HASHANAH: The Jewish New Year’s Eve
Wednesday, October 2 @ 7:30 PM
The Begin Againers
Every year Judaism offers us a clean slate, the chance to make a fresh start, the opportunity to begin again. As we start to traverse this sacred time of year, fill your tank with the songs and spiritual disciplines of the season surrounded by a compassionate and authentic community that supports all sinners and begin againers. There is nothing like a blank page to begin rewriting your story and creating a vision of what your life could be. Reflect on the world and your place in it. Sing, read, and chant along with us as we return to our roots and revisit the sounds, stories, and spirit of the season. Let the music ignite your soul as together we dream, BIG!
ROSH HASHANAH: Birthday of the World Thursday, October 3 @ 10:30 AM
The Enterprise of Your Life
This is your shofar speaking: are you an entrepreneur? What if the enterprise is your life? “Being yourself” isn’t a coping strategy for eccentrics - it is a Divine command to every individual. When you are not yourself, you are robbing the world of what you were meant to contribute to it. Consider all the things you love and are passionate about. Recognize the opportunities right in front of you. This service serves as a wakeup call and asks what are you doing with your lifespan? Take the risk and invite growth. Become more self-aware, as together we participate in a learning journey that will help you generate innovative, creative ideas about how to live as a Jew (and human) in this broken world.
Upon the conclusion of the morning service (and weather permitting) we will observe the ancient custom which originated in the Book of Micah of casting out all our missteps and mistakes – all the stuff we do not want to bring with us into the New Year. Journey with us to the back of our campus for a short song session and a modern take on this ageless ritual.
FAMILY SERVICE & BIRTHDAY PARTY
Thursday, October 3 @ 3:00 PM
Babies, tiny tots, preschoolers through grandparents are welcome to experience the music, messages, and magic of Micah on this holy day. Rabbi Flip & Cantor Josh Goldberg lead this energetic and celebratory service for the young and young at heart. It is sure to be the best service you and your child have attended this year, sho-far! After the service be ready to party like it’s 5785! Our annual celebration includes face-painting, a photo booth, birthday cake, and more. Want to teach your family to greet the future with optimism? Attend this one afternoon and your kids will come to understand what fresh starts and community all are about. Plus, you might make some new friends.
SHABBAT SHUVAH: The Sabbath of Return Friday, October 4 @ 6:00 PM
For the contemplative, this service affords the opportunity to reflect between the start of the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement. Meditative music, periods of silence, and introspective readings invite participants to return once again and ponder the season’s many messages, while embracing all the joy that Shabbat has to offer.
TORAH STUDY: The Scriptures of the Season Saturday, October 5 @ 9:00 AM on ZOOM
Each week at Micah a group of compassionate, inquisitive individuals sign on from their homes to glean insights from the weekly Torah portion and each other. This special session affords those who love to have their brains’ tickled by the themes and stories of the holiday season.
KEVER AVOT: CEMETERY SERVICE
Saturday, October 5 @ 10:30 AM
Honor those people in our past who inspire us to live more fully in the present and future. Held on the most sacred grounds on our campus, Rabbi Laurie and Cantor Josh Goldberg lead mourners in the rituals of Kever Avot – visiting the graves of our loved ones.
KOL NIDRE: The Holiest of Nights
Friday, October 11@ 7:30 PM
Faith Over Fear
From biblical to contemporary times, the theme of people exerting control or power over others is featured in some of our most absorbing tales. Jewish stories both ancient and modern have characters who express feelings of fear, insecurity and powerlessness, as well as strength, fortitude and faith. During the turmoil of these especially turbulent times in the Jewish world, join us, on this, the holiest night of the year, and feel a strong sense of “peoplehood” at a time when so many are hurting. Sing, pray, learn, fast with us! Be a part of our shared destiny as we tap into the music, majesty, and magic of Micah at this, the most sacred of all services.
YOM KIPPUR: The Day of Forgiveness
Saturday, October 12 @ 10:00 AM
The Choice is Yours: Pick Life!
Have you ever noticed that every time something was messed up in your life, you were there! You are the common denominator. We cannot change what we do not see. Today is the day we take an honest look inside to reflect on who we have become and who we could be, confronting our mortality to see ourselves as if from the outside. Such a perspective affords us a unique opportunity to undergo intensive self-reflection, and the centerpiece idea is that change is possible within all living systems. That’s true for individuals, communities, and entire societies. Together we abstain from food and drink, but clearly God cares less for our selfaffliction and more about how we treat others. The music will inspire you, the words of Torah will uplift you (literally we will try to get as many of you as we can up on the pulpit), and the charge of the rabbi’s sermon will help you believe that transformation is possible. Would you like to grow?
The choice is yours.
DARSHAN: Guest Speaker Mayor Freddie O’Connell Sanctuary @ 1:00 PM
The Prophets (specifically Micah and Isaiah) warn us on this day especially that all our fasting and praying is empty ritual if we do not take care of the vulnerable among us. Addressing poignant and pressing issues in our city this session (also available online) will explore the current state of our city as well as what might be done to address them.
KABALAH: Guided Meditation
Sanctuary @ 2:30 PM
Spend part of your day in a mystical state of contemplation. Judaism has a long history of cleaving to the Divine. Under the confident guidance of a still, small voice, experience the possibility of peace when mentally focused and free.
SCHMOOZE & VIEWS: Talking Politics
Education Wing @ 2:30 PM
We keep our politics off the pulpit, but not out of the building. Dr. Bob Smith lay leads this political conversation that normally takes place weekly in our library. All opinions welcome. Please bring an open mind and a sense of humor.
FAMILY SERVICE: Saying Sorry
Sanctuary @ 3:00 PM
Our clergy explore the themes of the day for young children and their extended families. Music, stories, Torah, and kid-like confessions!
YOUTH SERVICE: 6th Grade & Up
Eden Room @ 3:00 PM
Experience Judaism with those your own age as our clergy and musicians create a safe space for our young people as they journey through the liturgy of the day. Dramatic interpretations, camp-like songs, and peer participation are hallmarks of this “youth group like” prayer experience for 6th graders and up. Adults are invited to sit this one out.
HEALING SERVICE: Praying Through Pain
Chapel @ 4:00 PM
Grief, loss, physical and/or spiritual pain. They are all a part of life. Rabbi Laurie & Cantor Josh Goldberg employ the wisdom of the Jewish tradition in leading this intimate circle in a series of healing prayers and therapeutic exercises. Therapy for the theological soul, the music and readings will afford you the chance to emote and the inspiration to restore hope.
YIZKOR: Memorial Service
Sanctuary @ 5:00 PM
The loss of life this year is especially poignant and painful because of the war in Israel. Let out the pain of loss and share space with others who mourn as we listen to beautiful music, light candles, hear words of inspiration as well as personal testimonies, and come together in the ancient ritual of remembering our loved ones. We will pay tribute to soldiers, innocent civilians, and all casualties of war. There is almost never a dry eye in the house.
NEILAH: Calling it a Day!
Following Yizkor/Memorial Service
After hours of spiritual work, we lay it all on the line and close the gates on the day that bridges heaven and earth with a short, home stretch service that is a favorite of members. Highlights include Havdalah with us all on the bimah and a final knock your socks off blast of the shofar. So good, you won’t want Yom Kippur to end!
SUKKOT: Shabbat Under the Stars
6:00 PM Friday, October 18
Emerging out of hours of prayers, some deep internal reflection and a lot of time inside, we suddenly burst out of the synagogue and into the great outdoors. Being outside in nature is beautiful and a powerful ritual reminder of our journey out of Egypt and, ultimately, of our place in the universe. The goal is to achieve climactic joy. Embrace the great outdoors in a deep and profound way, as we gather under the stars in and welcome the Sabbath under a Warner Park shelter. Register for details.
SIMCHAT TORAH: Celebrating the Cycle
We are blessed to have musical artist in residence, Danny Maseng with us to celebrate Simchat Torah all weekend long! Danny is a world renowned musician, composer, actor, playwright, and recently became a Rabbi as well! His melodies are beloved by Jewish communities all around the world, including ours!
Sherith Israel
TEFILLAH SCHEDULE
Wednesday, October 2, Erev Rosh Hashanah
5:45 am Selichot
6:30 am Shacharit
6:11 pm Yom Tov candles
6:15 pm Mincha/Maariv
Thursday, October 3, Rosh Hashanah Day 1
8:30 am Main Minyan
12:30 pm Community Luncheon
6:35 pm Mincha/Maariv
7:06 pm Yom Tov Candles
Friday, October 4, Rosh Hashanah Day 2
8:30 am Main Minyan
6:08 pm Shabbos candles
6:15 pm Mincha/Maariv
Friday, October 11, Kol Nidre
6:30 am Selichot & Shacharit
2:00 pm Early Mincha
5:59 pm Candles
6:05 pm Kol Nidre
Saturday, October 12, Yom Kippur
8:30 am Main Minyan
4:20 pm Mincha
5:35 pm Neilah
6:53 pm Shofar, Havdallah, and Break-fast
The Temple
For more information or to access our services, visit templenashville.org or thetemplehub.org
Selichot Program & Dessert Reception
7:00 PM, September 28, Live and Streamed
Rosh Hashanah Evening
7:30 PM, October 2, Live and Streamed
Tot Rosh Hashanah
8:30 AM, October 3, Live and Streamed
Rosh Hashanah Family Service
8:30 AM, October 3, Live and Streamed
Rosh Hashanah Morning
10:15 AM, October 3, Live and Streamed
Rosh Hashanah Reception
12:30 PM, October 3
Rosh Hashanah Tashlich
12:45 PM, October 3, Temple Creek
Kever Avot – Cemetery Service
1:30 PM, October 6, The Temple Cemetery at 2001 15th Avenue North Nashville 37208
Shabbat Shuvah
6:00 PM, October 4, Live and Streamed
Yom Kippur Evening – Kol Nidre
7:30 PM, October 11, Hybrid, Live and Streamed
Tot Yom Kippur
8:30 AM, October 12, Live and Streamed
Yom Kippur Family Service
8:30 AM, October 12, Live and Streamed
Yom Kippur Morning
10:15 AM, October 12, Live and Streamed
Congregants’ Hour
12:30 - 1:45 PM, October 12, Live and Streamed
Afternoon Service
2:00 - 3:15 PM, October 12, Live and Streamed
Afternoon Experiences: Quiet Reflection with Music
Guided Meditation with Deborah Oleshansky Study Session
3:15 - 4:15 PM, October 12, Live
Yizkor Memorial Service & Ne’ilah Concluding Service
4:30 PM , October 12, Live and Streamed
Break the Fast
5:45 PM, October 12, RSVP October 7th
Sukkot Shabbat Service
6:00 PM, October 18, Live and Streamed
Sukkot Yizkor Memorial Service
5:00 PM, October 25, Live and Streamed
Simchat Torah Service & Oneg
6:00 PM, October 25, Live and Streamed
West End Synagogue
For links to the following online services or programs, please email office@westendsyn.org or visit our website calendar for more information https:// westendsyn.shulcloud.com/calendar
9/28 - Selichot 7:15 p.m.
Join us for Selichot! We will begin with Havdallah, followed by the screening of the Israeli Movie “Legend of Destruction.” We will then conclude with the Selichot service as we spiritually prepare ourselves to receive the New Year.
10/2 - Erev Rosh Hashanah 6:00 p.m.
Rabbi Joshua’s sermon ~ 6:30 p.m.
10/3 - First Day Rosh Hashanah and Tashlich9:30 a.m.
Blessing of the babies born in 5784 (from last Rosh Hashanah to now) at 10:00 a.m.
Families with Young Children service 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Services for children 1st-4th grades 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Services for children 4th-7th grades 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Rabbi Joshua’s sermon ~11:00 a.m.
Learner’s minyan led by Marc Jacobs will follow the sermon and last ~1 hour
Tashlich service to symbolically cast away our sins at 4:45 p.m.
Mincha services will be held back at the Synagogue after we return from Tashlich. 20’s and 30’s Rosh Hashanah Dinner. Details to follow. 7:00 p.m.
10/4 - Second Day Rosh Hashanah - 9:30 a.m.
A conversation with Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Gustavo Suraszki 10:45 a.m.
Families With Young Children Services 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Services for children 1st-4 grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Services for children 5th-7th grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
10/11 - Kol Nidrei - 5:40 p.m.
Mincha followed by Kol Nidrei and the blessing of this year’s B’nai Mitzvah students
Rabbi Joshua’s sermon ~ 7:30 p.m.
10/12 - Yom Kippur Morning Services - 9:30 a.m.
Families With Young Children services 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Services for children 1st-4th grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Services for children 5th-7th grades 11:00 a.m.-noon
Rabbi Joshua’s sermon ~ 11:00 a.m. before the recitation of Yizkor
Learner’s minyan led by Marc Jacobs will follow the sermon and last ~1 hour
Mincha and Neila 5:00 p.m.
Ark will be open for personal prayers.
The fast ends at 6:52 p.m. Followed by Ma’ariv, Ramah style Havdalah, and the blowing of the shofar.
Congregational Break the Fast
Check the WES website for more information. •
At Our Congregations…
Nashville’s congregations
Here are the websites for all five Nashville Jewish congregations, with information on services, upcoming events and more:
The Temple – Congregation Ohabai Sholom, www.templenashville.org West End Synagogue, www.westendsyn.org
The Observer provides congregational listings of events and services as a complimentary service to the community. If your congregation is not listed, it is because we did not receive the information in time to meet our publication deadline. Please give your rabbi, executive director, or synagogue volunteer a gentle nudge.
@ Chabad /Congregation Beit Tefilah
CHS to offer scholarships to every Jewish child
The Bertram and Beatrice King Chabad Hebrew School began with was created with one goal in mind - to offer all Jewish children, even those with little or no background - an education and memories that will inspire them for a lifetime. For boys and girls ages 3-13 Hebrew reading and writing, Jewish holidays, tradition and culture in a fun, interactive atmosphere that will have your kids so captivated that they won’t even realize they’re learning!
The curriculum includes a comprehensive study of our rich heritage, our holidays and festivals, Hebrew Reading, Bar and Bat Mitzvah training, field trips, and interactive workshops.
Whether you can afford it or not, at Chabad, nothing is more important than the education of a child. Please don’t hesitate to ask for scholarships. Your confidentiality is guaranteed!
Chabad Hebrew school takes place on Sunday mornings at 10am-12pm at Chabad of Nashville.
For more information and to register visit Chabadnashville.com
Meet in Person for Prayer and Cholent
Chabad of Nashville is a happening place on Shabbat mornings. Join community and Friends for Shabbat morning services, replete with joyful prayer, kavanah, simcha and great energy.
Join Chabad on Shabbat mornings at 10:00 AM for prayer and Torah reading, inspiring learning and a weekly sermon, followed by a hot cholent, freshly baked Challah, a gourmet buffet lunch, and a weekly farbrengen with some friendly L’Chaim.
Chabad to host two TGIS celebration in September
Start your Shabbat off right with good friends, great conversation, and excellent kosher cuisine, all seasoned with the perfect amount of spirit and joy. TGIS is a Club Med Shabbat: An all-inclusive Shabbat experience. Enjoy a Friday night Shabbat dinner replete with traditional dishes. Blended with spirited singing, a Chasidic tale, and a chance to meet some wonderful new people. TGIS will be held on Friday evening, September 13 and 27, at 6:30 PM at Chabad of Nashville.
There is no cost to attend the TGIS Shabbat experience, however we kindly request that you RSVP by letting us know you will be attending at chabadnashville@gmail.com
Torah and Tea - for Women by Women
Join an all woman’s Torah and Tea leadership study group every Shabbat, following the sit down lunch, at congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad, at 1:00 PM. The study group is led by Rebetzen Esther Tiechtel, who teaches with wisdom and wit, and embraces each participant with warmth and friendship.
Torah and Tea will bring you this tradition of classical Jewish learning in a series of clear and engaging weekly classes. Probing the ideas and issues related to the modern Jewish woman, these classes will offer timely lessons -from the most timeless of all texts. Join together with fellow women from the Nashville community, for inspiring Torah study, warm camaraderie, hot tea and delicious refreshments!
High Holiday Season at Chabad of Nashville
During the High Holidays, The doors to heaven are open to all… so are ours!
Chabad of Nashville will be hosting services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 5785, and our doors are open to all who call upon us, with love, warmth and friendship
The community is invited to join Chabad for traditional High Holiday Services blended with contemporary messages and insights in a warm and welcoming environment.
Whether your background is in Jewish prayer and practice is extensive or limited, the services will leave you feeling enriched, connected, uplifted and energized to start your new year off in a most meaningful way.
For children! Chabad will also offer a full program of well supervised activities for children ages: 4-12 years. Children get to experience the joy of holidays in their own special way-in their own designated room, close to their parents.
Kids love this program and learn a lot in the process, ensuring that Chabad High Holidays will be a meaningful and enjoyable experience for the entire family.
During the services the rabbi will share insights and inspirational stories related to the significance of the day, prayers will be recited in Hebrew and English, all in a warm and family friendly atmosphere, and children’s services will be offered for young families.
Chabad to Host Rosh Hashanah New Years Eve Dinner
As High Holidays 5785 roll around very soon, many are planning where to attend services. Yet, there is another aspect to this special season.
Just as spiritual preparation is needed as we approach the High Holy Days, holiday meal preparation simultaneously remains an important feature of our traditions. Jewish people are known to be major foodies (our friends and neighbors still can’t believe that we prepare Thanksgiving-worthy meals every week for Shabbat!), and we wear our chef badges with pride.
Our foodie tendencies are heightened during the autumn months when Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot-- which fall close together on the Hebrew calendar-- demand the preparation of consecutive, extravagant festive meals.
Chabad of Nashville will be hosting a New Years Eve gourmet dinner, on Wednesday night, October 2, at 6:30 PM.
The Rosh Hashanah Meals will include several of the traditional foods which symbolizes blessings for a Sweet New Year. The meals will include the traditional round Challah, apples and honey, sweet brisket, mashed potatoes, tzimmes, and honey cake, all prepared by a gourmet chef.
According to Jewish mystical teachings, when the Jewish holiday meals are prepared and eaten with the intention of enhancing the intrinsic holiness of the day, the very food itself becomes elevated.
RSVP for the Rosh Hashanah Dinner at Chabadnashville.com. For more info. Call 615-646-5750.
Shofar in the Park on Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish people have been blowing the Shofar, a simple hollowed out ram’s horn, for thousands of years in celebration of Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year – also known as the birthday of humanity. According to Jewish law, one must hear the blasts directly from the shofar itself. No medium will do — not a microphone, not a computer, not even a slight echo.
Intrinsically, the Shofar is not just a sound. It is a cry. A prayer. A soul-awakening, personal, meditative and rousing experience. Hearing the sound of the shofar is the main commandment associated with celebrating the Holiday.
For Rosh Hashana 5784, sophistication will give way to simplicity, as Chabad of Nashville will once again host, “Shofar in the Park,” where many will gather in the park to hear the blasts of a lone shofar (ram’s horn), and the sound of the Shofar will be heard in the open fields of Edwin Warner Park.
“Shofar in the Park,” will take place on Thursday, October 3, 5:45 PM, in the Edwin Warner Park, Highway 100 near the intersection of Old Hickory Blvd. The sounds of the shofar will be sounded as the New Year is celebrated, and apples and honey for a sweet new year will be distributed.
In the past, Shofar in the Park has taken place across the country in many parks and beach fronts. From Central Park in Manhattan, to Yellowstone National Park in Montana, from Venice Beach in Los Angeles, to South Beach in Miami, Shofar in the Park is now in Nashville.
“The idea is to allow as many people as possible to observe the central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah,” says Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel, with Chabad of Nashville. “The Park is an open and neutral place where every person is welcome. It doesn’t matter if you have any prior Jewish education. It’s irrelevant if you pay dues; are affiliated or unaffiliated, all are welcome to come as you are and hear the shofar.”
The event is free and open to the public. Rain or shine. Children, singles, families, all are welcome.
To learn more about Shofar in the park, please go to chabadnashville.com.
Order your Own Personal Lulav and Etrog Set
“You shall take for yourselves...the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date palms, twigs of a plaited tree, and brook willows.” (Leviticus 23) During the Holiday of Sukkot, we observe the Mitzvah of the Lulav & Esrog (The Four Kinds).
Chabad of Nashville is pleased to make this beautiful Mitzvah available to every family in the Nashville community. Chabad is offering a special opportunity of ordering your own Lulav and Etrog set from the Holy Land, Israel.
It is a beautiful Mitzvah for each family to have their own set for Sukkot, as this is a very special Mitzvah. These sets are available to order at chabadnashville.com.
All orders must be placed by Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
The Lulav set orders can be placed at chabadnashville.com
Cantor Duvid Erblich will lead High Holiday Services at Chabad
Congregation Beit Tefilah is honored and pleased to welcome back Cantor Duvid Erblich to lead the High Holiday services during the upcoming High Holiday season of 5785. Continued on page 33
Continued from page 32
Musical talent is inherent in this renowned Erblich family of Cantors, from which Cantor Dovid Erblich descends. He was born in the United Kingdom to the world-famous Cantor Moshe Leib Erblich. As a child at the age of 4, he participated in his father’s recordings with solos and duets.
From a young age his father used to put him to bed with tunes of famous cantorial music, and wake him up to the tunes of beautiful cantorial melodies.
The famous “Ana Avda” that is sung all over the world during the High Holidays was composed by his late Father, Cantor Moshe Leib Erblich.
Cantor Duvid Erblich, has performed at numerous concerts around the world, and was the official cantor for twenty years at The Taylor Synagogue in Cleveland Ohio, and at the Jewish Community Center Synagogue in Dubai United Arab Emirates, Cantor Erblich is happy to be coming to Nashville to lead the services at Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad. One of the unique additions to the service by Cantor Erblich is to blend Chasidic melodies and various famous Jews tunes into the liturgy of the High Holiday services. Also, during the services, stories and insights into the prayer will be shared by Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel.
All are invited to participate in the High Holiday services at Beit Tefilah, and one does not have to pay to pray. There is no membership or tickets required and services are held in Hebrew and English in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. A special children’s service is held on each morning of the High Holidays. For a complete listing of the High Holiday services at Beit Tefilah, go to chabadnashville.com
@ Micah
Congregation Micah - an inclusive, innovative synagogue exploring and celebrating Jewish life - is committed to building community and repairing the world! We offer creative and diverse ways to live a Jewish life in Tennessee and beyond, using the rich beliefs and practices of Progressive Judaism as our foundation. Visit our 30+ acre campus or access our virtual programs from our website, www.congregationmicah.org. Like us on socials: Facebook, and Instagram @MicahNashville; sign up for our e-blasts; learn and pray with us in-person, or livestream our service on our website, YouTube, or Facebook. In our tent, there is room for everyone!
Weekly Events
Sanctuary Shabbat Services: Fridays at 6 PM
At Micah, we approach God in many ways: the inspiration of words, the beauty of sacred space, the authenticity of our intentions, and through the power of music and song. Join us in-person or virtually for services this month that will be as diverse as they are engaging, as moving as they are participatory. Come early and schmooze with us starting at 5:30 PM! Light refreshments are served.
Saturday Morning Torah Study: 9 AM on Zoom
Deep conversations about the text with thoughtful and caring people led by the clergy.
Mah Jongg: Tuesdays from 12:30 PM- 3:30 PM
Join our players for an afternoon of fun in the social hall! For more information, contact Paula: pgkwn@comcast.net.
Schmooze & Views: Thursdays from 10:30 AM- 11:30 AM
At Micah, we keep politics off the pulpit but not out of the building. Share your views in a round-table discussion on current events facilitated by Rabbi Flip and Dr. Bob Smith.
September Events
The Amen Effect: Wednesday, September 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 6:15 PM In-Person and Online
Sharon Brous—a leading American rabbi—makes the case that the spiritual work of our time, as instinctual as it is counter-cultural, is to find our way to one other in celebration, in sorrow, and in solidarity. To show up for each other in moments of joy and pain, vulnerability and possibility, to invest in relationships of shared purpose and build communities of care.
Join Rabbi Laurie to explore original insights and practical tools that connect us to our better angels, offering a blueprint for a more meaningful life and a more connected and caring world.
Micah Reads: Monday, September 16 at 7 PM In-Person
Education Director Julie Greenberg leads the discussion on “The Amen Effect” by Sharon Brous on September 16.
Women’s Circle: Friday, September 20, at 12 PM
Rabbi Laurie engages your intellect and inspires conversation on a variety of Jewish topics. All are welcome. Bring a friend. RSVP on Micah’s event page.
Oren Jacobson: September 20-22
Mark your calendars! On the weekend of September 20th, Oren Jacobson (Founder and Executive Director of Project Shema) will be in Nashville for a variety of educational programs on contemporary antisemitism.
Friday, 9/20: Shabbat Services at Congregation Micah at 6 PM
Saturday, 9/21: Shabbat Lunch and Learn at West End Synagogue at 12:15 PM
Sunday, 9/22: Student Session at Congregation Micah at 9:30 AM.
Adult Session to follow at 11:30 AM.
At Our Congregations…
NOW ON TV
In addition to our usual channels (YouTube, Facebook, and our website), Congregation Micah’s High Holy Day services this year will be broadcast live on Jewish Life Television. This channel can be accessed via cable and satellite all throughout the US and Canada, as well as online worldwide.
To view on Spectrum cable in the Nashville metro area, go to Channel 481.
Jewish Life Television/JLTV is North America’s largest and most robust 24-7, English language, Jewish-themed television network. More cultural than religious, JLTV is available in over 50 million homes through both traditional (Charter/ Spectrum, Comcast/Xfinity, Cox, DirecTV, NCTC) and non-traditional (Amazon Freevee, Local Now, Roku, Xumo) video providers. To find JLTV’s channel position in any community, please sign onto www.jltv.tv/channels or stream directly from any device at https://www.jltv.tv/watch
We are so pleased about this partnership with JLTV and are excited to expand our viewership over the high holy days.
@ Sherith Israel
Rosh Hashanah Luncheon
Thursday, October 3
Following Services
Cost $30 adults, $16 children (5-12)
$118 families
Deadline is September 24 615-292-6614
www.sherithisrael.com
Sukkot Dinner
Thursday Night in the Shul Sukkah, October 17, following services
Cost $21 adults, $12 children (5-12) $80 families
RSVP by October 12
Lulav and Etrog Orders
$72 - Regular
$115 - Deluxe
Order deadline October 1
@ The Temple
All programming can be accessed via thetemplehub.org unless noted to be in person only
Pirkei Avot: Jewish Wisdom for Today’s World
Every Friday from 5:00-5:40 PM
Get ready for Shabbat with a little text study! Each week we will study a piece of wisdom from Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of our Ancestors, an ancient Jewish text still relevant in our own times.
Available in person at The Temple and via zoom.
Zoom Room: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81973096738
Shabbat Schedule for September
Our Shabbat Services will be held in person at The Temple. You can also watch via zoom from thetemplehub.org.
Friday, September 6th ~ 6:00 PM
Friday, September 13th ~ 6:00 PM – FAMILY SHABBAT
Friday, September 20th ~6:00 PM – HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SHABBAT
Friday, September 27th ~ 6:00 PM –BLUE JEAN SHABBAT
Golden Lunch Bunch
August 9th at 6:00pm
Will meet at Temple from 11:30-1:00pm on September 3rd: Bill Sleeter
September 17th: Russ Davis
RSVP to Jamie Maresca at 615-354-1686 or via email at helpinghands@jfsnashville.org
Chevrah Torah Study
9:30AM on Saturdays
Join us for our weekly Torah study on the portion of the week, led by the clergy. You can join us in person at The Temple or via zoom from thetemplehub.org
Women’s Torah Study
September 5th, 12th, 19th, & 26th
10:30 AM on Thursdays
Ongoing weekly women’s Torah study led by Patty Marks.
Available in person at The Temple and via zoom through thetemplehub.org
At Our Congregations…
Continued from page 33
Lunch with the Rabbi
September 5th, 12th, 19th, & 26th
Lunch at 11:30AM
Program12:00-1:00 PM
$15 per person for lunch
Engage with Rabbi Danziger and guests in a discussion of current and important issues from a Jewish perspective.
RSVP on thetemplehub.org or by calling the Temple at 615-352-7620
Available in person and via zoom. Zoom Room: thetemplehub.org
Monday Mah Jongg
Join Us for MAH JONGG Mondays at The Temple!
September 9th, 16th, 23rd, & 30th
1:00pm
Drop in for Mah Jongg. We’ll have coffee and water. Bring your friends, a card, and a set and have some fun. Mah Jongg cards and sets are available for purchase in The Temple Gift Shop.
Wednesday Canasta
Join Us for Canasta at The Temple!
September 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th
1:00pm
Drop in for Canasta. We’ll have coffee and water. Bring your friends, and cards and have some fun.
High Holy Day Prep Classes with Rabbi Mackler and Cantor Fishbein
Learn about some of the beloved traditions, prayers and customs of this very special season of the Jewish calendar.
September 3rd and 10th
7:00pm
Join us in person or over zoom through thetemplehub.org
The Temple invites young families to join us for a Tot Shabbat & Playground Playdate with Rabbi Mackler & Cantor Fishbein
Saturday, September 14th
9:00-10:30 AM
Sevier Park
It will be a time for parents and children to meet and connect. NO RSVP required!
Temple Together (Temple’s group for 35-50 yr olds) is volunteering at Second Harvest!
Saturday, September 21st
1:30-4:00pm
Reserve your sport by emailing Sheri (sheri@templenashville.org)
Chai Society “Movie & Dinner”
For those ages 65+
Sunday, September 22nd at 6:00pm at Temple $15/ person RSVP at thetemplehub.org
Selichot Program & Dessert Reception Saturday, September 28, 2024 7:00pm
See thetemplehub.org for more information
@ West End
For links to the following online services or programs, please email office@westendsyn.org or visit our website calendar for more information https://westendsyn.shulcloud.com/calendar
9/4 – Women’s Torah Group (on Zoom) –11:00 a.m.
Rabbi Joshua leads our Women’s study of the book of Deuteronomy. 9/8 – Music and Me – 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Inviting all parents of infants and/or toddlers for a morning of music and movement with song leader Brett Fromson. RSVP to Sharon Paz at spaz@westendsyn.org.
9/11 – The Sandi Goldstein Learn & Lunch Program for ages 60+ – 11:00 a.m.
Reservations required, catered lunch following the presentation.
Speaker: Jean Roseman
Lunch catered by Goldie Shepard at 12:00 p.m. Cost: $5.00 RSVP 615-269-4592 ext. 11 or office@westendsyn.org.
9/12 – Men’s Torah Group (in person) –12:00 p.m.
Join us for our Torah class for men. We are currently studying the Second Book of Kings and will be eating pizza.
9/13 – It’s Shabbat – 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Friday night Shabbat Sing-along, Shabbat story & light Shabbat Oneg for Families with Young Children led by Sharon Paz & Brett Fromson. RSVP to spaz@westendsyn.org.
9/13 – Shabbat Potluck – 6:00 p.m.
Following Kabbalat Shabbat services. Join us for an intimate Shabbat dinner experience with delicious food and fabulous company. RSVP to spaz@westendsyn.org and plan on bringing a pareve or dairy dish to share with friends.
Celebrate the Jewish New Year with us by setting intentions and creating your very own vision board. It’s a wonderful way to reflect and look forward to the year ahead!
Location: West End Synagogue Donation: $5
Light refreshments: (bagels, coffee, juice)
Please bring a magazine to cut up for your vision board and a pair of scissors. Let’s start the new year with positivity and community spirit. We look forward to seeing you there! RSVP at bit.ly/MCSVisionBoard.
9/15– Welcome Back BBQ– 5:00 p.m.
Get ready to fire up your taste buds at the annual WES Welcome Back BBQ! More information coming soon. RSVP at bit.ly/WelcomeBBQ24.
WES invites you to hear Project Shema founder Oren Jacobsen speak on learning to build bridges through understanding to address contemporary antisemitism with an emphasis on how anti-Jewish ideas can emerge in discourse around Israel and Palestine. For more information go to jewishnashville.org/projectshema.
9/21 – Kid’ish Club – 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Inviting all 2nd – 7th graders for Kid’ish Club Shabbat morning from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Kiddush lunch to follow.
9/25 – The Sandi Goldstein Learn & Lunch Program for ages 60+ – 11:00 a.m.
Reservations required, catered lunch following the presentation. Speaker: Rabbi Daniel Hoffman Lunch catered by Goldie Shepard at 12:00 p.m. Cost: $5.00 RSVP 615-269-4592 ext. 11 or office@westendsyn.org.
9/27 – It’s Shabbat – 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Friday night Shabbat Celebration & Oneg for Families with Young Children with Brett Fromson and Sharon Paz. RSVP to spaz@westendsyn.org.
9/28 – E. B. Segall Bar Mitzvah & Birthday Shabbat – 9:30 a.m.
Learning Opportunities
Talmud on Tuesdays
Rabbi Joshua leads a lively Talmudic discussion at 7:30 a.m. in person and on Zoom every Tuesday, immediately after morning minyan. Come and join us!
Religious Services
Shacharit (in person)
Our minyanaires are always looking for more people to strengthen the only egalitarian minyan in town! Sunday services are at 9:00 a.m. and Monday-Friday at 7:00 a.m. Thursday minyan is followed by breakfast.
Mincha (on Zoom)
Join us for daily Mincha at 6:00 p.m., Sunday-Thursday.
Kabbalat Shabbat
You are invited to join us every Friday for Kabbalat Shabbat in person at 6:00 p.m.
Shabbat Morning services
You are invited to join us every Saturday morning in person or by Zoom at 9:30 a.m. Great davening, insightful learning of the Torah portion and a yummy (and nutritious!) kiddush lunch following services! •
East Side Tribe
East Side Tribe is a grassroots social and spiritual community fueled by Jewish values and rooted in East Nashville. For our full schedule, go to eastsidetribe.org.
September Events
– L’chaim Time, Thursday, Sept. 5: Our monthly happy hour is a great way to get to know folks in the community. Join us at Roy’s Tavern.
– Shabbat, Friday, Sept. 20: Elul-themed Kabbalat Shabbat service + a potluck dinner at a community member’s house High Holidays
– Break-fast, Saturday, Oct. 12: Our annual potluck break-fast is our largest and most collaborative event of the year. This year, as we meditate on returning to our most creative self, we’ll have a lineup of live music, crafts, and fun for all ages.
– Sukkot Dance Shabbaton, Oct. 18-19: Reimagining Jewish spirituality through mindfulness and movement. Featuring Lawrence Dreyfuss of Brooklyn and Lindsey Weiner of Nashville, the weekend will include a Kabbalat Shabbat, Torah study, mindfulness practice and a Jewish ecstatic dance. Stay tuned for details!
Community Listings
– East Side Tribelings Sukkot Party, Sunday, Oct. 20: Fun for our littlest East Side Tribe members (and their parents)
Rutherford County Haverah
Join Us for a Community Gathering with Rabbi Shulman!
Connect, Learn, and Celebrate!
The Jewish Murfreesboro Group invites you to a special afternoon of community and inspiration at Patterson Park. We are thrilled to welcome Rabbi Michael Shulman from The Temple as our guest speaker.
Enjoy light refreshments and engaging conversation, followed by a thought-provoking talk by Rabbi Shulman. This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our community bonds, learn from a respected leader, and create lasting memories.
Bring your family and friends for an afternoon of relaxation and enrichment. We can’t wait to see you there!
Please register for this free event at https://jewishmurfreesboro.com/events •
Gordon JCC Adult Program Happenings:
By LORETTA SAFF
(Confession: I am not a Do It Yourself (DIY) person. I do not own a tool apron and most of the time can’t find my toolbox. I turn to specialists whom I know can solve my issues. If that’s you when it comes to retirement, let’s talk. On the other hand, if you have your apron on and are ready, read on!)
THE #3 TOOL FOR YOUR RETIREMENT TOOLBOX
You have all the basics – tape measure/ drill/screwdriver/hammer. When this series started, I added two tools. Tool #1 WHO ARE YOU NOW? (ask yourself important questions), and Tool #2 DO IT ON PURPOSE (make some plans to fill your days, and make sure they give you purpose). My last important addition is TOOL #3 - EXPAND YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK (and start now)!
Think of that old favorite song from New Year’s Eve that says, MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT KEEP THE OLD, ONE IS SILVER AND THE OTHER IS GOLD.
This is especially important in retirement. I’m assuming many (most?) of your current friends are through your workplace. The reality is that those friends may not (probably won’t) be available for the retired you because they are simply too busy building their careers and families.
So…, how to get ready for the future? Whether you are in your 50s and thinking ‘someday I’ll retire,’ or if you are already retired, it’s time to expand your social network. To help you make that happen, here are three suggestions:
A – MAKE A CURIOUS LIST
- Write down at least 10 items that you have wondered about, wished you had time for, or simply wanted to accomplish. Being curious
• challenges your focus and improves your mental sharpness as you organize your list. You’ll prioritize the items and that will lead you to connect to others with similar interests.
• requires following up on something You start researching and you find yourself signing up, getting involved, and making new friends.
• gives you purpose. Knowing that the interest has been on your curious list helps you know why you are doing something new and enjoy the idea of a newly expanded social network.
B – READ AND LISTEN WIDELY – Be particular about where you are getting your information. Try making new and interesting friends by joining a book club – or starting one. Check out Ted Talks and other podcasts to find what is available. Be informed so you will be ready for the next Lunch with the Rabbi and neighborhood meet and greet. This can bring
• opportunities for critical thinking
• additional knowledge about things you’ve often wondered, and
• thought-provoking topics for discussion - like an article I just came across titled, “Rediscover Flirting!’
C – BE OPEN TO LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND READ TO SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE
• The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) offers a variety of adult learning classes on interesting topics. Sign up and go a little early to meet people.
• Since you know a lot about a lot, maybe you can teach one of the OLLI classes. New people will come to meet you and learn about what you know.
• Think about various ways you can share your skills and knowledge. Photography? Coaching kids? Tutoring? Starting your own website?
That’s Tool #3 for your DIY toolbox. By the way, in case you still are not so sure that this socializing business at all stages in life (especially in transitions like retirement) is all that important, here is a quote from The National Library of Medicine: “There is significant evidence that social support and feeling connected can help people maintain a healthy body mass index, control blood sugars, improve cancer survival, decrease cardiovascular mortality, decrease depressive symptoms, mitigate posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and improve overall mental health.”
I wish you success in retirement. If you’re still feeling a little stuck, let me know. We can even discuss ‘Rediscover Flirting!’ I’m always wearing my Coaching Apron! •
Loretta Loretta@coachingwithloretta.com
September 5th
Josh Goldberg sings Broadway Cantor Josh Goldberg (Congregation Micah) will take us on a journey through Broadway showtune classics, highlighting the immense contributions of Jewish composers to this uniquely American art form. From Irving Berlin to Sondheim, this concert will certainly bring back memories for all Broadway fans.
Lunch: Bagels, lox, sides, salad, Birthday cake and ice cream
September 12th
Jewish Author, Richard Klin author of two books of nonfiction and a novel. His writing has appeared in the Forward, the Atlantic, the Brooklyn Rail, Jewish Views, Jewish Currents, and many others. He will share the Jewish themes that
have undergirded his writing.
Lunch: Chicken, salad, sides, dessert
September 19th
Architect and historian Kem Hinton is back to take us on a journey through the new Nashville . The good bad and ugly of Nashville development!
Lunch: Quiche, salad, sides, dessert
September 26th
Flu and Covid Shots – bring your insurance cards
Musician Ginger Sands. Ginger Sands is a musician & certified mindfulness educator based in Nashville, TN. With Laughing Sun Records, Ginger has released a catalog of albums that span folk/rock, Americana and family music genres. Her most recent EP, “Catharsis,” featuring message music that reflects a vision and hope distilled out of the cultural challenges of the current times.
Lunch: Salmon, salad, sides, dessert•
October 16 - 23rd, 2024
Opening Reception | Sunday, October 20th, 2024, 3 -5 pm
Under One Roof, our community-based art project brings together 30+ organizations in Nashville to create artwork around a central theme to be displayed in our Sukkah during Sukkot. This exhibit connects different communities around Nashville. The visual interpretation of the theme creates conversation between community mem-
bers for us to take a moment and learn from one another’s views. The theme for this year’s Under One Roof is Chesed, Hebrew for ‘ Loving kindness or love between people’, We will be holding an opening reception to honor and acknowledge the support and work of all our partner organizations on Sunday, October 20th from 3-5pm.
Learn more at nashvillejcc.org/ underoneroof or contact carrie@nashvillejcc.org for more information. •
The Belmont Initiative for Jewish Engagement
Together, we continue to build a brighter and more inclusive future.
The Belmont Initiative for Jewish Engagement (BIJE) is dedicated to the creation of perspective, dialogue, discovery, support, and understanding between Christian and Jewish faith traditions. Specifically, through leadership development, curriculum creation, focused lectureships, Sacred Text studies, and travel opportunities, the BIJE explores the intersection of these faith traditions and the ways in which these traditions can speak collectively to the challenges of both cultur e and community. Below are some highlights from the past year:
• The Belmont Board of Trustees voted in April to allow the hiring of non-Christian faculty at all levels of the University, in both graduate and undergraduate faculty positions.
• Rabbi Mark Schiftan, the first rabbi to be employed by the University, was named as the Jewish Student Advisor for Belmont.
• The Jewish Student Association was formed and o cially recognized as an o cial student organization with the University
• The BIJE sponsored two exploration trips to Washington D.C. to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National African-American Museum. Participants included Jewish and Christian laity and clergy, as well as faculty members from Belmont University
• The BIJE has created a 3-year partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. which will allow a 12-15-member cohort to travel yearly to the Museum to plan an on-campus, city-wide Holocaust awareness event each Spring.
• The BIJE sponsored a 3-day Rabbi/Reverend Retreat in early May to Charleston, SC to allow for meaningful dialogue, relationship building, and welcoming interaction between clergy representing both faith communities. Participants have included individuals from the Nashville area and 4 southeastern states.
• Every Wednesday morning, 30-35 individuals, representing Jewish/Christian laity and clergy, meet on zoom to discuss the intersection of faith and culture. This program, called “Spiritus,” is entering its 4th year
“As we look to the future, we long to embrace supportive partners, people of good faith, and interested members of the greater Nashville community in our goal of reweaving the social fabric in ways that overcome the evil of antisemitism and give birth to a stronger community.”
Dr. Jon Roebuck, Exec. Director
The Rev. Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership
To Support the BIJE, Scan the QR Code.
Lifecycles
B’rit Mitzvah
Zoe Shoshana Sparks
and the late Harold ‘Diz’ Dizgun.
Welcome New Commission Chairman!
WZoe Shoshana Sparks became a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, August 31, at West End Synagogue. Zoe is the daughter of Jason and Abby Sparks and the sister of Sam Sparks. Zoe was born and raised in Nashville.
An eighth grader at Meigs Magnet Middle School, she loves dancing and performing with Dance In Bloom, playing cello, listening to music, spending her summers at Camp Ramah Darom and spending time with the family dog, Penny.
For Zoe’s Mitzvah Project, she is supporting the Friends of Warner Park. She volunteered doing trail maintenance in Percy Warner Park and is fundraising to support efforts to preserve and protect the Warner Parks. She will also establish a B’nai Tzedek Fund with the Jewish Foundation of Nashville.
Max Frank
An eighth grader at Bowling Green Junior High School, Kai enjoys soccer, hockey, basketball, science, math and history. He especially loves 6 Points Sports Academy Camp.
For his Mitzvah Project, Kai will be volunteering in his local Bowling Green, Ky., community to help support youth sports (largely soccer and outdoor ice hockey). He will focus on teaching and mentoring younger children and helping with the preparation and clean-up of community facilities.
Finn Clemmons
e are delighted to announce that Rabbi Mark Schiftan has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.
Rabbi Schiftan, who has been a dedicated member of the Commission for over 10 years, steps into this leadership role following his appointment by Governor Bill Lee.
Rabbi Mark Schiftan is new chair of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission
his Doctorate of Divinity and ordination from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Max Frank will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 7, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Mich. Max is the child of Nic Frank and Liz Baumgarten, the brother of Eliana Frank, and the grandchild of Steve and Debbie Frank off Ohio, Mary Baumgarten of California, and Max Baumgarten (z’l).
An eighth grader at J.T. Moore Middle School, Max is a member of the basketball team. His favorite subjects are math and social studies. Outside of school Max enjoys fishing, playing video games with his friends and traveling with his family.
For his Mitzvah Project, Max will be organizing a clothing/supply drive to support Room in the Inn.
Asher Kroser
Finn Clemmons will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 21, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah. Finn is the child of Tamara and John Ray Clemmons, the brother of John and Henry Clemmons, and the grandchild of Joy and Len Baxt of Washington D.C., Millie and Jeff Williams of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., and John M. Clemmons of Lebanon, Tenn. An eighth grader at J.T. Moore Middle School, Finn loves spending his time playing baseball.
For his Mitzvah Project, Finn will be supporting the Nashville Food Project. The Nashville Food Project’s mission is to bring people together to grow, cook and share nourishing food, with the goals of cultivating community and alleviating hunger in our city.
Henry Corts
As the son of Holocaust survivors, he had 23 years of service at The Temple in Nashville. Rabbi Schiftan brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to Holocaust education and remembrance.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from San Francisco State University, a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, and
School of Nashville, E.B. enjoys playing ping pong, baseball and soccer and attending live sporting events.
For his Mitzvah Project, E.B. volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank, where he helped inspect, sort and pack donated food and other items so it can be used by Second Harvest Food Bank and its partner agencies.
Reed Joseph Smith
Rabbi Schiftan served as Senior Rabbi at The Temple in Nashville from 1999 to 2022, earning national recognition as one of the top 25 pulpit rabbis by Newsweek. Now in retirement, he continues to make a meaningful impact as the Jewish Faith Student Advisor at Belmont University, where he guides and supports Jewish students, plans and leads on-campus services during Jewish holidays, and oversees a monthly Shabbat service.
We look forward to Rabbi Schiftan’ s leadership and vision as he steers the Tennessee Holocaust Commission into a new chapter. •
all hanging out with his friends.
For his Mitzvah Project, Sam is collecting gently used and new sports equipment for underprivileged children and donating them to Level the Playing Field and The Predators Foundation.
Obituaries
Richard Burk
Henry Corts will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 21, at 11 a.m. at The Temple. Henry was born on August 30, 2011. His parents are Andy and Jenny Corts, and his grandparents are Peggy and Dudley Richter and Mary Ann and Tom Corts, all of Nashville, and the late Ginna Corts.
Asher Kroser will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 7, at 11 a.m. at The Temple. Asher was born June 29, 2011, in Springfield, Tenn. His parents are Dr. Jonathan and Ryan Kroser, and his grandparents are the late Drs. Albert and Lila Kroser of Philadelphia.
A seventh grader at Sumner Academy, his special interests include sports and animals.
For his Mitzvah Project, Asher volunteered at a charity to end domestic violence.
Kai Dizgun
Seventh grader at Montgomery Bell Academy, Henry is very interested in sports, particularly soccer, basketball, tennis and pickleball. He loves football and being with his friends. Henry and Sam Tomichek (see below) are cousins, born a day apart and very close – a special day for the Richter, Corts, and Tomichek families.
For his Mitzvah Project, Henry is working with Sports 4 All Foundation, a nonprofit that supports people with disabilities by enabling them to fully participate in sports and health related activities.
Evans Bernard Segall
Kai Dizgun will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 14, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah. Kai is the child of Holli Drummond and John Dizgun, the brother of Maya and Max Dizgun, and the grandchild of Sandra Drummond of Alabama and the late Jack Drummond, and Elaine Dorfman Dizgun of Montreal
Evans Bernard Segall will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 28, at 9:30 a.m. at West End Synagogue. E.B. is the son of Josh Segall and Quin Evans Segall and big brother of Sammy and Lena Segall. His grandparents are Bill and Sue Evans of Nashville, and Bobby and Sandy Segall of Montgomery, Ala.
A seventh grader at the University
Reed Joseph Smith will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 28, at 11 a.m. at The Temple. He was born in Tampa, Fla., on March 23, 2011. His parents are Ryan and Lisa Smith, and his grandparents are Linda and the late Joel Gleicher of Westport, Mass., Janet and Eddie Grose of Glendale, W.Va., and Ron and Delores Smith of Sardis, Ohio.
An eighth grader at Meigs Academic Magnet Middle School, Reed’s special interests are theater, singing, art, basketball, bike riding and writing. He also loves spending time with family and friends.
For his Mitzvah Project, Reed is working with animals at the Nashville Humane Association. He has a love for animals and enjoys helping them.
Samuel Tomichek
Samuel Tomichek will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 21, at 11 a.m. at The Temple.
Samuel “Sam” Scott Tomichek was born on August 31, 2011, in Nashville. His parents are Ashley and Scott Tomichek, and his grandparents are Peggy and Dudley Richter and Emilie and Richard Tomichek, all of Nashville.
A seventh grader at Montgomery Bell Academy, Sam is kind, empathetic, and passionate. The ultimate team player, Sam has a gift for sportsmanship. He loves football, especially the Georgia Bulldogs and Seattle Seahawks. He loves dogs, pizza and chicken tenders and steak, playing video games, biking, but most of
Condolences to the family of Richard Burk, 94, who died on July 24. He was born Sept. 10, 1929. He was a beloved husband of the late Patricia Ann Burk (nee Silbert); loving father of Jody (Michael) Dobrin, James H. Burk (Viviane Guerchon) and Kimberly (Jeffrey) Lazarus; devoted grandfather of Jaklyn Burk, Chadwick (Olivia) Burk, Olivia Lazarus, Jonathan Lazarus, Cole Lazarus and the late Lauren Burk; and dear brother of Beverly Kritzler (Irv Berger).
Donations may be made to the Harold L. Burk Endowment Fund c/o The Case Western Reserve University.
Alan Elliot Goldstein
Condolences to the family of Alan Elliot Goldstein who died on July 22. He was the husband of Faith Goldstein; brother of Harvey Goldstein (Nancy); father of Amy Goldstein and Jill Merola (John); uncle of Eddie Goldstein, Rabbi Liz Goldstein, Chelsea Wickes-McLuen, and Phillip Sessions; grandfather of Natalia and River Merola, and Cecelia and Victoria Brin.
A memorial service for Alan is being planned for a later date at Neal Tarpley Parchman Funeral Home.
Donations may be made in Alan’s memory to Saint Jude’s Hospital and Congregation Micah.
Homer Middleton
Condolences to the family of Homer Middleton who died on July 28. He was the husband of Joanne Middleton (z’l); father of Nicole Keller (Jordan) and Kim Keller (Mike); grandfather of Max and Sonia Keller.
A memorial service for Homer is being planned for a later date at Middle Continued on page 38
Kvetch in the City
By CARRIE MILLS
As September rolls in…and one of
my most challenging and mashugana summers in recent history, rolls out, I can’t help but think of all the random thoughts that have passed through my mind at any given moment lately. Maybe all these random thoughts were my brain’s way of removing me from the present Catch 22 I have found myself in, dealing with my homeowner’s association.
As my attempts at keeping my sanity have been constant and ever present, I thought I’d share some of these random thoughts. As I fantasized about going north, things were seemingly going south. And I know I was slowly losing my sanity because one of the first things on my goals list every morning included staying positive. Back in the day, personal goals consisted of writing a hit song, creating more art, being my best creative self. Now it’s boiled down to… staying positive. That’s kind of depressing, wouldn’t you say?
My mom, never one to be too positive, may she rest in peace, was wont to repeat way too many times throughout my young life that when she died all she wanted was a vacuum cleaner that worked on her grave. As a young child, while I understood how absurd a comment that was, I also came to think there
was something very Jew-ish about the absurdity of it. For instance, how many times have I found myself saying out loud in a moment of frustration, “I’m going to jump out the window.” (Or lately, off the balcony, the culprit that appears to be the cause of all the tsuris these days with my HOA.) It seems every Jewish person I know, knows when you blurt something absurd like that out in a moment of life’s frustration you are not actually going to jump (or leave a working vacuum cleaner on a grave). However, I’ll never forget the time I made that “I’m gonna jump out the window” exclamation to my ex, non-Jewish husband and saw an instant look of panic take over his face.
Another thing my mom used to say was she knew she was getting old when the construction workers stopped cat calling her. It’s hard to use that as a getting old basis now a days. First of all, like everything else in this egregious world, it easily falls into some politically incorrect something or other category. It doesn’t really apply anyway, as most of the construction workers just sit and look at their phones half the time while they are on a break, like the rest of mankind. I could fall naked into a pothole, and they wouldn’t even look up. It’s useless holding on to the belief I inherited that construction men determine my youthfulness or attractiveness. I just hope they will look up long enough to pull me out of the pothole.
Once when I was walking up 3rd Ave in NYC during Rosh Hashanah avoiding potholes, I overheard a young
woman, who I might add, had a very Jewish American Princess vibe to her, say to the young man she was walking with “All Jewish men have mommy issues.”
Speaking of which, if I ever have the good fortune to meet a guy, mommy issues and all, and actually find myself married again, chances are, “until death do us part” is probably a much more realistic statement and reality considering my age.
I recently asked a community member a little older than me if he has any single male friends, he could match me
up with…He said he’d have to think if he knows “anybody”. I said…no, no, no… not “anybody.” I’ve met “anybody” way too many times on dating sites and it’s yet to produce a positive outcome. The reason I was asking him in the first place was because I didn’t want to meet just “anybody.”
A friend of mine made a comment recently that she was living vi-Carrie-ously through me.
I don’t know...maybe not the best idea...at least not this past summer. •
Lifecycles, continued
Continued from page 37 Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery.
Donations may be made in Homer’s memory to Congregation Micah or the Glaucoma Foundation.
Michael Walsh
Condolences to the family of Michael Walsh, who died on July 22. He was the husband of Marcia Walsh; father of Casey Walsh (Cathy), Jon Walsh (Beth), Katie Stedelin (Justin), Nancy Walsh, and Michael Doyle (Kate); grandfather of Maren Walsh, Maddie and Brennan Walsh, Ethan, Mason and Emma Stedelin, and Patrick, Ava, Isabella, and Liam Doyle.
A family memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations may be made in Michael’s memory to Alive Hospice and Congregation Micah.
Alice Zimmerman
Condolences to the family of Alice Zimmerman who died on August 8. Born June 6, 1939 in Chicago, Alice grew up in Atlanta and moved to Nashville to start her family. Over the years, as her own family grew, her parents, aunts, uncles and various relatives and friends made their way to town, in part because of her welcoming presence. Many were
the people who called Alice’s home theirs — at least for a time — because her doors and heart were always open. Independent from an early age, Alice forged her own path in many ways. After earning her long-delayed bachelor’s degree from Emory University, she created her own interdisciplinary master’s program at Vanderbilt and leveraged that into several programs benefiting the social fabric of Nashville. She created the Special Advocate of Victims of Violence Program at Nashville’s Night Court and was a co-founder of the Mary Parrish Center for Victims of Domestic Violence. As executive director of the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, she started the Summer Lights Downtown Arts Festival, and was also a co-founder of Artrageous.
Alice served many organizations as a board member. Jewish Family Services of Nashville, the National Council of Jewish Women, the American Craft Council, and Meharry Medical College were all privileged by her leadership over the years.
A lover of the arts and literature, Alice loved nothing more than discovering up-and-coming artists whose work pushed artistic boundaries and bringing them to a wider audience. Her tastes were varied and defied simple description, and she succeeded in creating an art collection that was recognized internationally. An avid reader, Alice demanded proper grammar and syntax, and those of you who have found grammatical errors in this obit have honored her memory.
She is survived by her sister, Ellen (Jack) Maddex; her son, Fred Zimmerman; daughter, Robyn (David) Rubinoff; grandsons, Sam (Jordyn Benz) Rubinoff and Max Rubinoff; and great-grandson Braxton.
Contributions in her memory may be made to The Temple, or Jewish Family Service of Nashville. •
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