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Nourishing Our Roots

Nourishing Our Roots

 

 

 

 

The High Holidays are a sacred time on the Jewish calendar for intense personal reflection and spiritual growth.  May this be a season of growth, renewal and reflection for you and your entire family.  Shana Tovah!

 

Please scroll below too see our upcoming Elul activities, learning opportunities, and more!

 

 

 

 

 

Rabbi Mark Zimmerman: Elul - The month of Preparation

 

The month of Elul is a time of soul-preparation. We begin the process of reflecting on our lives, our relationships, our past year, and looking ahead to the future. Jews around the world use this month to gear up for the 10 days of repentance, so that once they arrive we’ll be able to reach a place of wholeness and forge a new beginning. 

 

  • Thoughts as Elul Approaches: Click Here
  • The Call of the Shofar: Click Here
  • Malchuyot - Understanding God as King: Click Here
  • Sefer HaZichronot - Rabbi Mark reflects on the meaning of the "Sefer HaZichronot" mentioned in our High Holiday prayer book, the Machzor. Every day, each and every one of us is writing another page in our own personal Book of Memories. Our liturgy imagines God reading from that book in order to determine our fate in the coming year. So are we proud of what is written in our own Sefer HaZichronot? What does God think of how we have been using this life we have been blessed with? And how can this idea help us to better shape the memories that we are creating for future generations? Click Here

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 Learn with Us

 

Elul is a time of repentance in preparation for the High Holidays. It is seen as a time to search one's heart and draw close to God in preparation for the coming day of judgement. Our speakers shared their thoughts on the holidays.  CLICK HERE FOR THE ZOOM LINK TO EACH SESSION

 

 

Tuesday, August 18th 7:30pm - Gail Foorman - Guest Speaker - "The Music and Moods of the High Holidays"

Join Gail Foorman for a discussion on the music and the moods of the High Holidays. Learn the structure and themes of our Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur prayers, and how the music amplifies those themes to guide us through the experience. Copy the link below to your calendar so you don't miss Gail or the following week's speaker. Click here to listen to Gail's presentation and enter the passcode Shalom18!

 

Tuesday, August 25th 7:30pm - Rabbi Lou Feldman - Guest Speaker- "Gossip, Repentance, and the High Holidays". Join Rabbi Feldstein for a discussion on "Gossip, Repentance, and the High Holidays". If you call someone a liar is that gossip or slander? What about if you say something nice about someone? Is that gossip? And how is it possible, that every single one of us is guilty of murder? Curious? Join us on the 25th to find out the answers. Copy the link above to your calendar so you don't miss it or the following week's speaker.  Click here to listen to Rabbi Lou's presentation and enter the passcode Shalom18!

 

 

Tuesday, September 1st 7:30pm - Jill Mainzer – Guest Speaker –  Malchuvot –  “God as King”. So What Does That Mean To Me?" One of the central themes of Rosh HaShanah is Malchuyot, the idea that we acknowledge God as King. We will look at some of the prayers said on Rosh HaShanah that focus on this idea as well as explore other places where we see this theme.  Following that exploration, we will discuss how that concept can inform the choices we make in our day to day lives during the high holiday season and throughout the year. Click Here to listen to Jill's presentation and enter the  password Shalom18!

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 8th 7:30pm - Rich Walter - Guest Speaker - Zichronot - "Heroes of Jewish History".

The Zichronot section of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf service is a call to remember. In this session, we will look at the actions and deeds of three Jewish leaders who helped to preserve Jewish memory in different ways: Isaac Leeser, Emanuel Ringlebloom, and Rachel Kagan.

 

 

Coming Together in the Month of Elul...Videos

 

Check out what our Alefbet Preschool videos: 

  • What better way to get ready for Shabbat or the Holidays with your children than a story about challah. Join Miss Risa of the AlefBet Preschool for storytime. Enjoy!! click here
  • Listen to the beautiful voices of some of the youngest members of our Kehillah. Join Miss Charlotte's class as they learn one of the special values of Rosh Hashanah, "Doing a Mitzvah". What mitzvot will you do for Rosh Hashanah. click here
  • Gather your young children to watch Ms Risa talk about where a shofar comes from. Spoiler alert: It comes from a special animal, but the animal is not hurt when we get it. And than listen as she blows the shofar for all to hear. Don't forget to join us on the second day of Rosh Hashanah so you can hear the shofar in person. click here

GRS School  and Youth
  • On September 20th, second day of Rosh Hashanah you will have the opportunity to hear the beautiful sounds of tekiah, shevarim, t'ruah, and tekiah gedolah. Between 3:00 and 4:00 plan a drive to the back lot of Beth Shalom where a number of our Ba'alei Tekiah, (Shofar blowers) will sound the Shofar for all to hear from their cars. We invite our youngest members to hear the Shofar at 3:00 and families with children in grades 1st through 3rd (Mini Minyan) and in 4th through 7th (Junior Cong.) to come closer to 4:00 and stay for outdoor youth services. Parents are invited to stay while their children are in services for an outdoor discussion with Rabbi Mark on themes of the holidays. Watch for more information on performing Tashlich.
  • On Rosh Hashanah we use honey to welcome a sweet new year. We dip our apples and challah in honey and make many sweet treats from this natural sugar. We are all familiar with the saying from our Torah that Israel is the "Land of Milk and Honey". Well the honey they were talking about was actually date honey. Today we get most of our honey from bees. Have you ever wanted to know how honey is harvested from the bee hive. Well join our congregants, Michelle and Matt Harvey as they describe, and show you, the process of raising bees and harvesting honey. Click Here

 

High Holiday Programming

Please let us know if you would like to participate in the following programs we are offering throughout the holidays:

 

Holiday Gift Bags - Pick up a bags for children under 12 on September 13th or 14th.

 

Challah Ingredient Bag - Linda Zimmerman was on Zoom on September 15th, 7:00 pm, to give instructions on how to braid a round challah two different ways and stuff one with apples. Click Here for the Video, 

 

Share the Holidays with your Beth Shalom Kehillah. Join with new and old friends to participate in the high holiday services with others in small groups, in backyards. (masks, distancing, and bring your own snacks are encouraged) https://www.bethshalom.net/form/share-the-holidays

 

Private Inspirational Prayers - Visit the sanctuary for personal prayers in front of the open Ark between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sept. 21st - Sept 25th - Call the office to arrange.

 

Tashlich Services - Join us on one of the dates below or here is information for you to use on your own: https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Tashlich

  • September, 20th, the second day of Rosh Hashanah between 3:00 and 4:00. Park in the back parking lot of Beth Shalom and walk to the creek. Rabbi Mark will be there to provide the reading material as families individually walk down to the creek.
  • September, 22nd - Meet Rabbi Mark and Linda at Garrard Landing Park, 8000 Holcomb Bridge Rd at 5:00 pm to walk to the river.
  • September, 22nd - Meet Dan and Jodi Frankel at Suwanee Greeway, McGinnnis Ferry Road and Brunette Road, next to Suwanee Sports Academy.

Hear the Sounds of the Shofar for all ages. Please stay in your car. - September 20th, 3:00 to 4:00 - CBS Parking Lot

 

Mini Minyan and Junior Congregation - September 20th, 4:00 to 5:00 - Mini Minyan (1st - 3rd grade) and Junior Congregation (4th - 7th grade) Outdoor Youth Services. Parents are invited to stay for an outdoor discussion with Rabbi Mark - CBS Parking Lot

 

KUSY Fried Chicken Outdoor Shabbat dinner - Erev Sukkot, October 2nd, 7:00pm - More information to follow.

 

Hunky Dory Falafel Food Truck on Chol Hamoed Sukkot - Oct. 8th, 5:30 - 7:30pm - More information to follow.

 

Simchat Torah Celebration, October 10th, 7:30pm - Join Rabbi Mark in the back parking lot for a joyous celebration of the holiday. More information to follow.

 

Recipes from our Members   

                                                               

Click here for all Recipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipes and Memories:

  • Rene Montaigne - A Rosh Hashanah Memory
  • Cheryl Garfinkel - Grandmother Ruth Cotton's Upside Down Pineapple Noodle Kugel
  • Amanda Fish - Special Holiday Recipes - Zesty Chicken, Carrot Spinach Soup, Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Bars
  • Aiden Shakhnovsky - Chocolate Covered Caramels
  • Linda Zimmerman - Savta's Green Stuff 
  • From Cooking With Manuela- Apple Roses Treat 
  • Linda Zimmerman - How to Braid a Challah Click here to learn how

ZOOM TUTORIAL

 

 

Sat, April 20 2024 12 Nisan 5784