Beineinu - Spring 2024

Beineinu

The newsletter of Ahavath Achim Synagogue

Beineinu… between you and me

The Newsletter of Ahavath Achim Synagogue

Funded by a grant from The Center Family Foundation

f AhavathAchimSynagogue

l @aasynagogueatl

y Ahavath Achim Synagogue

D www.aasynagogue.org

V 404.355.5222

] 600 Peachtree Battle Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30327

CLERGY

Laurence Rosenthal Rabbi

Neil Sandler Rabbi Emeritus

STAFF

Barry Herman Executive Director

Miriam Habif Gelfond Director of Outreach and Engagement

Annsley Klehr Interim Director of Education

Jackie Nix Director of Community Connection

Lauren Dube Director of Marketing

Chris Carr Director of Facilities

Investigator Joe Jones IV Director of Security

Bonnie Levine Interim Director of Tefillah and Music

Catherine Ficke Executive Assistant to the Executive Director

Jill Rosner Executive Assistant to the Rabbis

Stan Vogel Finance Manager

Fern Schorr Receptionist

Wesley Coney Facilities

Deionta Huff Facilities

Ken Johnson Facilities

Keisha Martin Facilities

Donald Scott Facilities

Tyler Slayton Facilities

Beth Arnold Helmey Ahava ELC Director

Emily Kessler Serafin Ahava ELC Assistant Director

Heidi Herman Ahava ELC Administrator

Susan Goff Ahava ELC Bookkeeper

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD

Gary Alembik President

Mark Stern Executive Vice President

Josh Hanna Financial Vice President

Barbara Feinberg Vice President

Adam Hirsch Vice President

Nikki Novotny Vice President

Gerry Benjamin Immediate Past President

Beth Friedman Sisterhood Co-President

Sara Papier Sisterhood Co-President

Erin Thaler Ahava ELC President

Ahavath Achim cultivates a Jewish community of purposeful belonging. We inspire and support spiritual journeys by deepening relationships with one another. We believe it is at the crossroads of our spiritual paths that life’s purpose and God might be found.

Ahavath Achim creates a vibrant, inclusive, spiritual community that empowers individuals to connect Jewishly beyond themselves.

AA embraces interfaith families who desire to be part of our Jewish community. Our spiritual community serves all who wish to connect with us.

WEEKLY SERVICE SCHEDULE

Morning Minyan (Monday–Friday)

a.m. Morning Minyan (Sunday)

Minyan (Sunday–Thursday)

a.m.

p.m. Shabbat Evening Service (Friday)

p.m. Shabbat Morning Service (Saturday)

a.m.

A Message from the President

By Gary Alembik

What a blessing it has been!

As my term nears an end, I want to thank my Ahavath Achim family for the opportunity to serve as your President. Serving in this role has been incredibly humbling and rewarding.

I have had the honor of working with a group of exceptionally talented clergy, staff, officers, board members, and lay leaders who have selflessly and tirelessly invested their time, passion, and resources to further our mission and vision, secure our financial future and to ensure that our Shul will continue to thrive and grow in the years to come.

I am so proud of the many accomplishments that we have made over the past two years. Thanks to the hard work and contributions of so many, we were able to introduce our congregation to a beautiful new sanctuary, renovate the Cohen Pavilion and Srochi Auditorium, update the plumbing throughout our campus, replace our roof, refurbish our restrooms, update our audio-visual technology to improve and enhance your inperson and virtual prayer experience and monetize our property to reduce our debt and increase our revenue stream.

I am most appreciative to our congregation for the culture transformation that you have helped bring to our Synagogue. We have become a warm, welcoming, and accepting community that embraces diversity and offers a sense of belonging to all who pass through our doors. The amendments that we made to our bylaws to welcome interfaith families to our Synagogue are one of many examples of the changes that we have made to convey that Ahavath Achim Synagogue is welcoming to all who desire to pursue a Jewish journey.

I am grateful to my Ahavath Achim family for the trust you have placed in me and for the love and kindness you have shown to me.

I will cherish the many relationships and friendships that I have made. Ahavath Achim will continue to hold a special place in my heart.

Sending you love and thanks.

A Message from the Rabbi

Which Passover Child Am I?

By Laurence Rosenthal

When I consider the most interesting of the four questions asked by the four children described in the Haggadah, I relate most to the wicked child. I don’t say that to be contrary or edgy; I simply like the question.

What is this service to you?

Of course, the rabbis of the Haggadah are insulted by this question—or at least the way in which the wicked child asks it—and are quite harsh with their reply. They feel that this child is speaking in such a way as to exclude him/herself from the conversation. I find this rabbinic reaction puzzling because the question presented by the so-called wicked child is actually scripted in the Torah! We learn in Exodus 12: 26, in the midst of the sacred story of the mass departure from Egypt:

And when you enter the land that Adonai will give you, as promised, you shall observe this rite. And when your children ask you, ‘What is this service to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to Adonai who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when smiting the Egyptians but saved our houses.’ Those assembled then bowed low in homage. And the Israelites went and did so; just as Adonai had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

This instruction precedes the slaughtering of the goat whose blood the Hebrews painted on the doorposts of their homes and the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, which follows. I’m perplexed as to why we call this child wicked simply for asking the question that our Torah and God said that our children will one day ask. Additionally, why don’t the rabbis respond in the way that the Torah instructs? Perhaps the rabbis were frightened by the power of this question; maybe they knew the transformative nature of the question and the answers.

I like the wicked child’s question because it’s been one that informs my leadership here at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. Many of the changes that we

have seen at AA have been achieved by asking others, not myself, this question—What does this service mean to you? Similarly—What would make this service meaningful to you? If we look at the new design of the Sanctuary or how we’ve sought to include people who were previously excluded from our synagogue life, we can hear the echo of the answers to these questions. Even little things, like including loved one’s names of those saying kaddish throughout the first year of mourning during our daily minyan, have been an action born from the question—What would make this service more meaningful to you? It’s been an incredible journey for our community and there still are so many more adventures to be had. We just need to ask the right questions. This way, we can become a sacred community that’s wicked cool!

Omer EthicsLearning of our Fathers—Pirkei Avot Shabbat Study during the Rebbe’s Tish Shabbat afternoons at 12:45–1:45 p.m.

April 27, May 4, May 18, May 25, June 1, June 8

Join us each Shabbat from Passover to Shavuot (April 27–June 8) to study a chapter of the sacred text each week from our sages, Mishna Avot (Pirkei Avot). Pirkei Avot (generally translated as “Ethics of Our Fathers”) is one of the bestknown and most cited of Jewish texts. Even those who claim to know little about Jewish literature are familiar with maxims such as “If I am only for myself, who am I? (1:14)” and “Say little and do much (1:15).” It is customary to study Pirkei Avot on Shabbat afternoons between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot, the seven weeks of the Omer counting.

We are blessed to have a wonderful group of Rabbis associated with our congregation. Each week, a different scholar will lead that week’s chapter. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn with some wonderful and thoughtful rabbis from our community.

• April 27—Chol HaMoed—Chapter 1: Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

• May 4—Chapter 2: Rabbi Hillel Norry

• May 11—Israel Exploration Table: Exploring Pirkei Avot—Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

• May 18—Chapter 3: Rabbi Shulamit Cenker

• May 25—Chapter 4: Rabbi Chaim Listfield

• June 1—Chapter 5: Rabbi Michael Rothbaum

• June 8—Chapter 6: Rabbi Neil Sandler

A Message from the Interim Director of Tefillah and Music

The Four Children

By Bonnie Levine

The four children perplex me. If we’re going to compartmentalize hypothetical offspring into four buckets, I’m not sure wise, wicked, simple, and “does not know how to ask” are intuitive choices that capture the full spectrum of “stuff parents can expect to confront when passing on sacred tradition to the next generation.” And I always get hung up on how the wicked child gets such a bad rap. I mean, all the kid did was ask, “What does this mean to you?” and the response was, “Welp, I was redeemed from slavery, but you would have been left behind.” I suppose as a parent, I’m a little more predisposed than before to take the Haggadah’s word for it that the kid had a serious brattitude with that question. But still, HARSH. Perhaps it’s some kind of too-cool reverse psychology maneuver, but I’m not sure I can pull off metaphorically stranding my kids in Egyptian bondage; I imagine the reaction would be, “Cool story, bruh.”

Each of the four children represents a unique approach to engagement with the Passover story; even if I’m not always on board with the implementation, the big picture resonates, that is: Passing on Jewish tradition is not a one-sizefits-all endeavor; We must attune our message to the diversity of souls that make up our tribe. Jewish musical tradition offers many ways to spark connection. There is something for these four and many more. What might the seder children—symbolizing aspects of ourselves, energies, moods—be asking for? How can we help them–us–connect?

1. The wise child: From the majestic chazzanut of Kol Nidre to the intricate formulas of nusach and trope used to signal time and meaning, to immersing ourselves in Shabbat zemirot rich with mysticism, the wise child might be drawn to the ways in which melody

overlays our lives and seasons.

2. The wicked child: Rebellion leads to innovation; in the chutzpah of adapting the liturgy to rock and pop melodies, the wicked child might find redemption belting the Shema out to U2’s “One” at an AAbsolute tribute band Shabbat or a Purim spiel.

3. The simple child: For the child who comes in with a basic, openhearted question—“What is this?”—We offer repetitive chanting; the simple child need not be a classically trained musician to particulate fully, repeating the leader’s recitation of a meaningful line or phrase taken from words of sacred psalms.

4. The child who does not know how to ask: We engage this child through wordless melodies from the Chassidic tradition; there is no need to ask a question or even understand a language to uplift one’s heart.

Jewish spiritual practice encompasses diverse musical paths, ensuring there’s one to resonate with each of the four children at the Seder, as well as every child of Israel. Chag Sameach!

A Message from the Executive Director

Join the Legacy and Endowment Society

By Barry Herman

“Would it matter to you if our Shul was no longer here?”

I was recently sitting at a meeting with a donor together with one of our community leadership team. We had been discussing the many reasons that our donor found value in our community, including adult education, pastoral care from our rabbis, daily and holiday services, children’s programming and education, life cycle events, social programming, the future of the Jewish people, and so much more!

While the donor agreed with and appreciated all of those things, we were trying to pinpoint specifically what resonated most. We had been sitting and chatting for a while before this question was posed to our donor, and it was such a thought-provoking question that we all stopped for a minute to consider it.

There was silence in the room for a good few minutes before our donor finally weighed in. “Yes,” he said, “it would matter to me and the rest of the Jewish community a great deal.” We then went on to explore exactly why. While it is beyond the scope of this article to explore those reasons in detail, I can tell you that it caused me to introspect significantly, not only during that meeting but to this very day. It is a question that continues to inspire and connect me to our beloved community!

I am sure that you can all come up with your own reasons, and I will venture to add that these reasons would come easily, especially for those who have been part of our community for many generations.

For me (and for those present at that meeting), what stood out was the significant and hugely impactful effect that our congregation has had on the Jewish landscape, both in Atlanta and Nationally. Our leadership and esteemed Rabbis and clergy have always been leaders in the community over our 137-year-old history. A

significant number of the leadership of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, including many past presidents and board members, have come from the AA. The same can be said for the MJCCA, the Book Festival of the MJCCA, the Jewish Film Festival, and the Board Members of other nonprofits and Synagogues. We have also hosted many luminaries, including Presidents and Vice Presidents of our country, Supreme Court Justices, and many other leaders who have appeared at the AA as part of the Eizenstat Lecture series courtesy of Ambassador Stu Eizenstat.

Mostly, though, the stories of our members and their families, with whom I interact on a daily basis, reinforced to me that we have played, and continue to play, a vital role in the lives of our community and in ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people!

As I mentioned in my previous two articles, the Synagogue remains good stewards of our congregations’ resources. Since my return to AA around five years ago, we have balanced the budget every year and are on track to do the same, G-d willing, this year. The renovations to our Sanctuary have been completed, and we are almost done with renovations to Srochi Auditorium and the Cohen-Kogon Pavilion. Our infrastructure upgrades to our plumbing and new bathrooms will be completed in the next few weeks, as will the replacement of our aging roofs. HOWEVER, it is important to present a balanced and realistic scenario. We simply MUST confront the realities and significant challenges that face not only our congregation but every nonprofit across all faiths, denominations, and causes.

Philanthropic advisors state that if 20% of your operating budget is not coming from endowment by 2030 (only a few short years away), then your organization will be in financial crisis. To ensure a comfortable cushion that will continue to grow and sustain the congregation through the inevitable peaks and valleys of the economy, world affairs, politics, natural disasters, wars, and a myriad of things over which we have no control, our goal needs to be that at least 30% of our operating budget should come from our endowment.

In the many years that I have had the privilege to serve the AA, so many people that I have

known for decades have passed on or are now at an age where estate planning has replaced retirement planning! I have seen firsthand that when someone passes, all their contributions to the Synagogue, no matter what the dollar amount may be, from dues to annual giving and everything else in between, is lost, something that not everyone thinks about. It is interesting to note that some of the largest endowment gifts that we have received in the past have come from people whom we had no idea had made provision for the congregation in their estate planning, many of whom had not been particularly active in congregational life over the years.

Here are some of the common themes given as reasons for those gifts:

• A commitment to being Jewish

• To make a difference

• To give back

• To live up to the values instilled by our parents and grandparents

• To be a part of something greater than themselves

• To be recognized

• To feel connected with others of similar values

• To honor loved ones

• To support the Shul because they value what the Shul does for the community.

• Continuity of a multi-generational family name

• To secure the financial future of the Shul so that the Shul will be around for years to come.

• To be assured that the Shul will always have quality clergy and staff and the resources to serve the community.

As I mentioned in my previous article, our goal is to build our endowment and meet the $15 million goal in additional gifts or commitments that we have set for ourselves, either through immediate endowment gifts or legacy giving.

Legacy giving, also referred to as planned giving, is a way for philanthropic individuals to support nonprofits, often stipulated in a will. Whether a donor uses cash, appreciated securities or stock, real estate, life insurance, a retirement plan, a donor-advised fund, or another giving vehicle, the benefits of making a legacy gift can be attractive to both the donor and nonprofit, often having tax benefits for both the estate and heirs while also maximizing their gift to charities. Legacy giving is a powerful way to raise funds because many people can make this gift. It’s often the largest gift someone can make. Donors have numerous options for leaving a legacy gift. Most legacy gifts are after-lifetime, costing nothing today.

Endowments can take a variety of forms. Usually, the principal is held in perpetuity and the earnings are used to support a specific cause determined by the donor and often in the name of a loved one or to honor a family name. Many endowment gifts are immediate through the gift of cash, marketable securities, and a myriad of other vehicles. Some are the proceeds of a legacy gift, as detailed above. Endowments are like an organization’s savings account, while the annual campaign is like a checking account. The AA Synagogue has a separate 501c3 endowment corporation with its own separate board of directors that operates in consultation with the AA board of directors but independently of the AA Synagogue.

So, I encourage you to ask yourselves—“Would it matter to you if our Shul was no longer here?” It is our sacred responsibility to ensure that our institution continues to thrive and affect the lives of Jewish souls for generations to come. We must secure the future of our beloved and storied congregation who have been, and continue to be, forward thinkers, innovators and thought leaders of the Jewish community.

We plan to meet with members of our congregation over the next year to get to know what is important to them and to see how we can facilitate the realization of their own personal goals. We will be making various resources available to help educate people on what their options are.

In the meantime, I invite all of you to join Heidi and me, together with all the others who are already members of our Legacy Society or who have already made contributions to our endowment. You can reach out to me directly at 404.603.5746 or bherman@aasynagogue.org.

A Message from the Interim Director of Education

A Kesher Year-in-Review

By Annsley Klehr

A Vignette

Once, an old Jew lost his spice box, which was made of the horn of a goat. A sacred goat was pacing the Earth, and the tips of his black horns touched the stars. He offered this man a piece to cut from his horn. Everyone who was offered spices from the spice box was awed by the scent, and all wanted a spice box from the same horns. One after the other, the community went up to the goat and begged permission to cut off a bit of his horns. And, time after time, the sacred goat leaned down to grant the request.

Rabbi Sam enthralled our Kesher students with a detailed version of this story, and before we finished it, we asked the students what they thought happened to the goat.

A rich discussion ensued: the goat might have run away, he might have died, the goat ran out of horns, or the goat continued to grow more horns. Then we asked the students why they thought we were sharing this story around Tu B’Shvat, the birthday of the trees.

One student volunteered to tell me that this story was just like trees. We take from them, but we also have to take care of them so that they continue to grow and we continue to be in partnership with them.

Partnering with our synagogue’s Greening Group, Myrtle has guided our students in planting trees and plants, cleaning up our streams, helping to recycle hard-to-recycle materials, composting, and becoming more aware of how our actions both negatively and positively impact our environment.

Our Philosophy

The philosophy of Kesher is that of the living Torah, a shared journey through a project-based curriculum where we bring Jewish values to life following the lunar calendar of the Jewish Holidays. Through biblical stories, folk tales, shared experiences, interactions with each other, our community, and our environment, we apply what we have learned through a hands-on approach.

Kesher Philosophy as a Living Torah

Each Kesher class has an overriding thematic question that helps guide them through each holiday we study. For example, in preparation for our Chanukah Sparks of Light Festival, each class took their thematic question, looked at it through the lens of Chanukah, and then created a game or activity to be enjoyed by those who attended. Our Gan class (Pre-K–K) looked through the lens of what we need to help us grow to be our best selves. We had them look at the concept of darkness and why that is important both to Chanukah and living things. They created a glow-in-the-dark dreidel hunt to explore their theme of darkness.

During Tu B’Shvat, each class participated in our Kesher and Nesiah family seder, choosing a fruit and explaining one of the seasonal glasses of grape juice that also fit closely with their overarching question. The Menches class this year has looked at how they could protect or guard their community. Through this lens, they looked at fruits that are inedible on the outside but edible on the inside because this hard outer layer is a means of protection.

For Purim, each class’s guiding question will help give them direction around the theme of the mishloach manot (sending of portions to friends) basket they will be making and selling as a fundraiser for Kesher.

Nesiah

In our Nesiah program, our post-B’nai Mitzvahaged students (7th–9th graders) immerse themselves in what it means to live in the

legacy of Jewish history, and each year, there is a different focus. This year the focus has been on philanthropy and the importance of it and the Jewish laws surrounding it. The students have spent each week learning about a different Jewish value of philanthropy or a social justice issue and exploring which organizations in the Jewish Atlanta community fight for those issues. Together they planned and ran a bake sale at Sparks of Light that raised $170 for the National Council of Jewish Women and the World Wildlife Fund. Nesiah students have also been working as Madrichim (assistant teachers) in Kesher to earn money. They will then determine how to allocate this money at the end of the year after meeting and evaluating philanthropic organizations based on Jewish philanthropic values. The year will culminate with a trip to Charleston, SC, learning about philanthropies in other Jewish communities and participating in a community service project.

Our Commitment to Jewish Education

We have created an Education Committee to continue developing and enhancing our Kesher curriculum and programming. It is a working committee to advise on all things educational at Ahavath Achim from a Youth and Family standpoint and assist in the implementation of yearly family programming, which includes but is not limited to, Kesher, B’nai Mitzvah programming, hiring of senior educational staff, and family communications. Sandro Gisler, our committee chair, brings to us his passion for learning and his involvement with children through the World Scouting Movement. Sandro has a 6th grader, Mila, in the Menches class (in which he has had the pleasure of subbing) and a recent Bar Mitzvah, Elias, who is in 7th grade in the Nesiah class. His fondest job title, however, is “Elias’ and Mila’s dad.”

In Conclusion

As we end our calendar year, we look forward to continuing to learn and coming together as a community in partnership with other AA committees and other city-wide community partners.

Moving Up Ceremony

Come join us on Sunday, May 5, for our Kesher Moving Up Ceremony and a luncheon celebration immediately following. Please see the e-blast for more details.

In Gratitude

Thank you for supporting us in our endeavors. A huge thank you to AA Sisterhood, which helps financially support and sustain our Kesher program and shows appreciation to the Kesher staff and its students during the holidays.

Thank you to all of our Kesher, Nesiah, and substitute teachers, as well as all the staff at the AA. A special shout out to the facilities staff who make our time together possible.

We also wanted to thank The Temple for their collaboration in bringing together many of the 9th and 10th graders city-wide to hear from Brendan Murphy and tour the Museum for Civil and Human Rights.

Communications

If you would like to be added to our “Kesher Connection” (for Kesher families) or the “Keshet Connection” for family information that is distributed to all Ahavath Achim Synagogue families, please email aklehr@aasynaogogue.org.

Please like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ youthfamilyaa

Passover FAQ

Proper Passover Observance in the Home

What is Chametz?

If wheat, barley, oats, rye or spelt come in contact with water after being cut off from the ground, they become fermented or chametz. The term chametz also applies to dishes and utensils that have been in contact with chametz food during the year.

What is Matzah?

Matzah is made from the same five grains listed above as chametz. But, unlike chametz, matzah is one of these same flours mixed with water and baked in less than 18 minutes. Matzah is both the bread of affliction and the bread of freedom

Why must we clean our house thoroughly?

The rule against chametz during Pesach applies not only to eating but also to enjoyment (hana’ah), and so involves removing all the chametz from one’s home. No chametz is even allowed to be in the possession of a Jew during Pesach. To facilitate this cleaning, the following rituals are part of Pesach preparations (the text for the ceremonies can be found in a Haggadah).

Bedikat Chametz: Search for Chametz

Sunday, April 21

We search for chametz using a candle, feather, and disposable spoon. We renounce ownership of any chametz that we may have inadvertently missed.

Biur Chametz: Burning of Chametz

Monday, April 22

After the burning of chametz, we recite the biur chametz declaration. From this moment on, the entire house should be “Pesachdik.” No chametz dishes, utensils or pots may be utilized.

Mechirat Chametz: Selling of Chametz

We are not always able to destroy or get rid of all the chametz. It may be economically disastrous. So the rabbis ordained a symbolic sale and later buy-back of chametz.

What foods require rabbinic supervision?

Matzah, noodles, candies, cakes, beverages, canned and processed foods, butter, jam, cheese, jelly, relishes, wines, liquors, salad oils, canned vegetables, gelatin, shortening and vinegar. The Kosher L’Pesach label or tag without rabbinic signature is of no value. This applies to products made in America, Europe, or Israel.

What foods can not be used during Pesach?

All these foods are considered chametz and can not be used during Pesach: leavened bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers, cereals, wheat, barley, oats, rye, spelt, rice, peas, dried beans and liquids which contain ingredients made from grain alcohol.

What foods require no certification?

Pure, natural coffee-instant or ground, sugar (not confectioners or powdered brown sugar), saccharin, tea, salt, pepper, vegetables (dried beans and peas are forbidden, string beans are permitted), pure garlic, onion powder, dried fruit, honey, Hershey’s cocoa, pure unadulterated safflower or soy bean oil, nuts (except legumes), dish detergents and scouring powders. These items should be bought before Pesach and remain unopened until Pesach. Fruits and vegetables are permitted for Pesach when packaged in water or their own juices. Avoid cans or packages containing added ingredients.

Can we eat legumes (kitniyot)?

In the fall of 2015, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards passed two responsa which permit the consumption of legumes (kitnyot) by Ashkenazim. For specific guidance, please consult the rabbis.

Can tuna and salmon be used?

Oil packaging introduces an uncertain element possibly contain ing additional ingredients. Therefore, use the “packed in spring water” variety and purchase it before Pesach. Tuna with vegetable broth is not permitted.

Can milk without Hechsher be used?

With modern production, there is little chance for milk to contain any chametz. Milk produced before Pesach is permitted, so buy milk before noon on Sunday, April 21. Milk may be frozen.

Can I continue to take my medicine?

Since chametz binders are used in many pills, the following guide lines are followed: if the medicine is required for life-sustaining therapy, it may be used for Pesach. In all cases, caplets are preferable.

Which Utensils Can Be “Kashered?”

The process of kashering utensils depends on how the utensils are used. According to halacha, leaven can be purged from a utensil by the same process in which it was adsorbed in the utensil. Therefore, utensils used in cooking are kashered by boiling. Those used only for cold foods are kashered by rinsing.

Earthenware/China

China, pottery, etc., can not be kashered. However, fine translucent china which has not been used for over a year may be used if scoured and cleaned in hot water.

Silverware

Silverware made entirely of metal may be kashered by scouring thoroughly and then immersing in boiling water. They are then “Pesachdik” and parve.

Glassware

All table glassware is permitted after thorough scouring. There is also a practice of soaking glassware for 72 hours before Pesach.

Detergents

If permitted during the year, powdered and liquid detergents do not require a “Kosher L’Pesach” label.

Pots and Pans

Pots and pans wholly made of metal and used for cooking purposes only (not for baking) must first be scrubbed thoroughly, cleaned and completely immersed in boiling water. Pots should have water boiled in them which will overflow the rim. Utensils should not be used for a period of at least 24 hours between the cleaning and immersion in boiling water.

Tie a string around the utensil and im merse completely in boiling water. For small items, a cord-netting can be used to dip several at once.

Microwave Ovens

These present a special case since the inside surfaces do not become hot. We recommend a thorough

cleaning and then placing a dish of water in the oven and allowing it to boil.

Dishwasher

Thoroughly scour with boiling water and then run it empty for two cycles, one with soap and one without.

Ovens

Every part that comes in contact with food must be scrubbed and cleaned thoroughly. Then the oven should be heated as hot as possible for half an hour. If there is a broil setting, use it. If it has a self-cleaning cycle, use it, too. Continuous cleaning ovens must be kashered in the same manner as regular ovens.

Electrical Appliances

If the parts that come in contact with chametz are removable, they can be kashered in the appropriate way. If metal, follow the rules for metal utensils. If the parts are not removable, the appliance cannot be kashered. All exposed parts should be cleaned thoroughly.

Refrigerator

Remove all chametz food and opened packages. Clean thoroughly with boiling water and scour the racks. Frozen chametz foods should be put in a special closed-off section and should be sold with chametz.

Tables, Closets, Counters

If used with chametz, they should be thoroughly cleaned and covered. They may then be used.

Kitchen Sink

If used with chametz, thoroughly clean and cover. Then it may be used. If, however, dishes are to be soaked in a porcelain sink, then a dish basin must be used.

Chametz and Non-Passover Utensils

Non-Passover dishes, pots and chametz (whose ownership has been transferred) should be separated, locked up, covered and marked to prevent accidental use.

Mechirat Chametz and Maot Chitim

The Torah commands us that chametz shall not be found in your dwelling places during the Festival of Passover. The literal meaning is that all chametz food and utensils must be cast away. This poses a great financial hardship. Hence, we “sell” the chametz (mechirat chametz) to a non-Jew who would then own the chametz for the duration of the holiday. It is customary to appoint an agent, usually a rabbi, to sell the chametz and then repurchase it.

It is also customary to include a contribution to our community’s maot chitim (wheat money). Maot chitim is an ancient custom in which Jews provide funds to other Jews in need for the purchase of Passover food. Inspired by the passage from the Haggadah, “All who are hungry, let them enter and eat; all who are in need, let them come celebrate Pesach,” Jewish Family and Career Services (JF&CS) supports a group of dedicated volunteers who have taken on the responsibility of Maot Chitim in Atlanta. They coordinate distribution of food and financial assistance for Jewish families. To appoint a rabbi, please complete the online form at aasyn.org/sell-chametz-2024. Sale of chametz will not be accepted after noon on Friday, April 19.

More information about our Passover services and programs will be available on our website at aasynagogue.org.

Thank You to Our Generous Donors

Donations listed below were given between July 1, 2023 and February 17, 2024 and include tribute donations, Yom Kippur Appeal/Chai Champaign donations, and other fund donations. Donations made to the Capital Campaign and Sisterhood are not included. We apologize in advance if anyone was excluded or placed in the wrong donation level.

Chai ($1–$499)

Karen Abrams

Rhona Albright

Adam Alterman

Elizabeth Alterman

Marty and Richard Alterman

Jeannine and Aaron Altmann

Ellen and Lee Altschuler

Judith and Samuel Appel

Phyllis and Joseph Arnold

Amy and Robert Arogeti

Frances Astren

Michael Attali

Rachel and Michael Avchen

Helene and Mo Azose

Bernice Bach

Charlote and Michael Baer

Claire Balser

Lauren and Ben Barden

Irene and Bruce Baum

Stanley Baum

Elaine Beeber

Judith and Stan Beiner

Gloria Benamy

Carol and Michael Benator

Randy Berger

Alfred Bernstein

Goldie and Louis Bertone

Veronica Beskin

Jane Horowitz Bick

Patty Blackmon

Brooke and Bob Blasberg

Toby Block and Jerrold Greenberg

Matha Blondheim

Patricia and Jerome Bloom

Matt Blum

Mona Blumenthal

Barbara Bock

Rita and Arthur Bodner

Sara and Lance Borochoff

Leigh Boros and Robert Hilliard Jr.

Phyllis and Melvin Boros

Meryl Braunstein and Alan Shenberg

Marilyn Bravman

Susan Bravman

Helen Browdy

Susan Buchsbaum

Amy and Adam Caplan

Elaine Carp

Roberta Shaw Carr

Jane and Charles Center

Deedee Chereton

Anne Cohen and Craig Silverman

Barbara and Alan Cohen

Cheryl and Jeffrey Cohen

Jill Cohen

Julie and David Cohen

Katherine “Kitty” and Ezra Cohen

Marcy Cohen

Sandra Cohen

Susan and Al Cohen

Susan and Isadore Cohen

Terri and Rodney Cohen

Rachael and Jonathan Colton

Eileen and Adolphus Coolik

Stanley Cristol

Randy Crohn

Gray Curlee

Brenda and Stanley Daniels

Michael Davidson

Pamela and Dwight Davis

Helen Scherrer-Diamond and David Diamond

Margo and Douglas Diamond

Shelly and Allen Dollar

Harriet Draluck

Marci Draluck

Julie Edelson and Howard Kaplan

Sara and Brent Eden

Jane and Mark Eden

Karen Lansky-Edlin and Andrew Edlin

Laura and Harold Einstein

Suzanne and Seth Eisenberg

Stuart Eizenstat

Debra Elovich

Patricia Emmes

Marsha Epstein

Terry Erbsfield

Abram and Linda Estroff

Norman Estroff

Eternal Life Hemshech

Muriel Feldman

Carole and Bobby Fierman

Marc Fink

Doreen and Stuart Fischer

Marsha and Mitchell Fishkind

Jane and Alan Fishman

Donna and Mark Fleishman

Carol and Warren Fogel

Barbara and Stewart Foreman

Lori and Jordan Forman

Michele and George Fox

Genie Freedman

Jane Freedman

Edie and Gus Friedman

Lynn Friedman

Sandi and Gerald Friedman

Sylvia Friedman

Gloria Frisch

Jane Fryer

Elizabeth and Hugh Garrett

Caryn and Larry Gartner

Barbara Geldbart

Mildred Gelfond

Linda Gelinas

Sally George

Darriel and Ronald Gerson

Suzanne and Ervin Gerson

Melinda Gertz

Arlene Rosenthal-Gill and Ed Gill

Celia Gilner

Liza and Michal Gilzenrat

Madeleine and Kenneth Gimbel

Laurie and David Ginburg

Sara and Sandro Gisler

Carolyn Gold

Hazel Gold

Steve Gold

Brandon Goldberg

Bruce Goldberg

Elsa and Jay Goldberg

Marni and Daniel Goldman

Arlene and Milton Goldstein

Debra and Ed Goldstein

Eve and Joel Goldstein

Madolyn Goldstein

Jennifer and Josh Goodhart

Felice and Philip Goodman

Edward Greenberg

Ruth Greenberg

Lynne and Thomas Greenfield

Renee Haas

Rosalind and Philip Haber

Nancy Habif and Scott Kleber

Sherry Habif

Valierie Habif and Neil Wasser

Charles Hacker

Martha Halbreich

Melissa “Mimi” Hall and Russell Gottschalk

Beverly Halpern

Beverly and Gilbert Halpern

Steven Hamburger

Meryl Hammer

Delcy Pardo Harber

Fran and Edward Harrell

Natalie and Marvin Harris

Beatrice Hartman

Edna Helfer

Gladys and David Herckis

Helen Hersch

Rebecca and Theodore Hersh

Sharon Hiken

Julia and S Bayne Hill

Henry and Etta Raye Hirsch Heritage Foundation

Gladys Hirsch

Rosalie Hirschberg

Jeff Hirschl

Gail and Gilbert Holzer

Pearlann and Gerald Horowitz

Barbara and Michael Horowitz

Roberta Huebner

Herzl Hyton

Michael and Martin Itzkowitz

Jean and Gary Jackson

Marcia Jaffe

Randi and Mark Jaffe

Lillie Janko

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

Irene Jones

Mira Josowicz

Susan and Robert Kahn

Charlotte and Allen Kaminsky

Roben Kantor

Frances M. Kaplan

Anita Karnibad

Estelle Karp

Catherine and David Kasriel

Allison and Jeff Kaufman

Lisa Kaufman

Diann Kayah

Jill Kersh

Elizabeth Kessler and Dennis Gilbride

Lori and Ronald Kirschner

Amy and Steven Kirson

Annsley and Benjamin Klehr

Nancy Klenberg

Bobbie Knopf

Judy and Martin Kogon

Sara and Ross Kogon

Sandra and Jay Kohlenberg

Ruthy Kolker

Roslyn and Darryl Konter

Elissa and Harris Konter

Phyllis Kraft

Cheryl and Russell Kramer

Richard and Lana Krebs

Jana and Michael Kreisberg

Janet and Hilton Kupshik

Diane Kurtz

Mildred and Martin Kwatinetz

Linda and Kerry Landis

Amy and James Landrum

Audrey and Michael Landy

Elizabeth and Langille

Joan Lankford

Alyson and Brian Lapes

Helaine and Andy Lasky

Brenda and Paul Lefkoff

Harold Lefkoff

Helen Lefkoff and Robert Faulk

Michelle and Jonathan Lerner

Renay and Alan Levenson

Liane Levetan

Heidi and Michael Levey

Deborah and Jay Levin

Bonnie and Michael Levine

Esther and Michael Levine

Nancy and Marshall Levine

Rita and Michael LeVine

Barbara Levitas

Myrtle Lewin

Harriet Lewis

Miriam Lewis

Joan Lieberman

Linda Nathanson-Lippitt and Alan

Lippitt

Alice Little

Patsy and Bill Little

Mandy Loriot

Benjamin Lowenthal

Lisa and Hadley Lowy

Mary and Charles Maddrey

Maxine Makover

Peggy and Llyod Marbarch

Charlotte Marcus

Esther Margol

Mindy and Andrew Margolis

Barbara Marks

Natalie and Robert Marmer

Judy Marx

Sherry and Harry Maziar

Susan and Todd Maziar

Marcia McDaid

Karen and Jim McDermott

Berta and Lev Mebel

Robin Medintz

Joanne Mendel

Lee Mendel

Lisa Mendell

Cathy and Ronald Miller

Eric Miller

Harriet Miller

Lori and Wayne Miller

Meta Miller

Julie and Alan Minsk

Susan Moray

Jennie and Macy Moret

Vicki and Steven Morris

Sai Mukkamala

Shari Neumann

June and Gerald Neumark

Sara Fran and Wayne Neuwirth

Margaret Nichols

Francine Norflus

Johanna and Hillel Norry

Rochelle Notrica

Ann Olim

Linda Orenstein

Kenny Orkin

Darcy and Joseph Oxman

Martin Oxman

Sharon Oxman

Sara and Mark Papier

Annice Parker

Charles Perkins

Marlene Wexler Perlman

Sally and Alan Pinsker

Robert Pitchersky

Barbara and Richard Planer

Philip Plotka

Debbie and Joel Pollack

Laine and Greg Posel

Dara and Arthur Povlot

Paige Pratt and Bruce Stambler

Jana and Harvey Rabinowitz

Lynn and Glenn Rainbow

Priscilla Reinhardt

Regan Reinhold

Ralda and Martin Reish

Linda and Howard Reisman

Lois and Alan Reitzfeld

Charlotte and Elliott Rich

Lori Rich

Bonnie and Gary Richman

Jennifer and Harvey Rickles

Linda Rickles

Michelle and Larry Rickles

Yair Riemer

Nancy and Andrew Rinzler

Keith Rinzler

Edward Rittenbaum

Carol and Marc Rose

Melissa and Jordan Rosenbaum

Ann and Charles Rosenberg

Rachel Rosenbloom

Brenda and Bobby Rosenblum

Rosalie and Carl Rosenthal

Joanne Rosenthal

Karen Routman

Nadine and Barry Rubin

Gerald Rubin

Susan and Gary Saidman

Alice Sanders

Barbara and Jerry Sandler

Susan and Herschel Saparow

Beth Salzman and Adam Leaderman

Cathy and Jeff Schaffer

Lynda and Joel Schaffer

Sylvia and Edward Schecter

Emily and Brant Scheinfeld

Stuart Schlansky

Lou Schloss

Jill and Jay Schlosser

Robert Schneider

Susan and Ray Schoenbaum

Temme and Allan Schooler

Fern Schorr

Gladys and Robert Schussel

C.M. Schwartz

Charles Shainker

Cheryl and Stanton Shapiro

Sherry Shaw

Carolyn Shenberg

Karen and Richard Shmerling

Karen and Brian Shonson

Claudia Shorr

Marilyn Shubin

Mara Shulman

Marilyn and Yale Shure

Betty Ann Shusterman

Faye and Irwin Siegel

Richard Siegel

Barry Silver

Carla and Arthur Silver

Nancy and Gerald Silverboard

Brenda and Kenneth Silverboard

Susan Silverboard

Sherry and Alan Silverman

Martha and Barry Silverman

Saba and Victor Silverman

Sharon and Howard Silvermintz

Suzanne Silvers and Stephen Philips

Howard Simmons

Sydney Simons

Lara Sitton

Ava Landrum Smith and Ben Smith

Bethany and Taylor Smith

Susan and Morris Socoloff

Rebecca and Michael Sokol

Gail Solomon

Harriet Spanier

Rosalind Spector

Nancy and Theodore Spetnagel

Ellen Stein

Judy and Stanley Stein

Marilyn and Stanley Steinberg

Gayle and Toby Steinberg

Luci and Stanley Sunshine

Meredith and Marshall Sunshine

Steven Tabb

Rene Tapia

W. Tarr and D. Gornell

Susan and Stanley Tenenbaum

Betsy Teplis

Louis Teplis

Monica Teplis

Paul Teplis

Gail Tescher

Suzan Dollman Tibor

Karla Tievsky and Seth Kirschenbaum

Marilyn and Stuart Troy

Renee Unell

Marjorie and Irvin Ungar

Joan Vitner

Dena and Stanley Vogel

Cecile Waronker

Sherry and George Warsaw

Betsy Wash

Elaine Wecksler

Lynne Weiner

Milton Weinman

Lauren and David Weinstein

Aurelie and Randy Weinstein

Amy and Marcus Weiss

Aletta and Greg Weitz

Shirley Romm Wender

Nanette Wenger

Carla and Howard Wertheimer

Alan Wexler

Barbara Wexler

Andrew Wiesenberg

S.M. Wilder

Sheila and Larry Wilensky

Pamela and Jack WIlliams

Adele Wineburgh

Susan and Jonathan Winner

Roslyn Winston

Karen and Eli Wise

Ruth and Herschel Wisebram

Judith and Jeffrey Wohlberg

Irene and Alex Wolchansky

Sandra and Michael Wolensky

Ginny and Daniel Wolf

Rina Wolfe

Pepi and Alan Wolkin

Elizabeth and Dennis Wolkin

Honey and Howard Workman

Lynne Wright

Gabriel Yarm

Sheri and Joshua Youdovin

Janis Zagoria

Patron ($500–$899)

Sandy and Davis Abrams

Sheila and David Adelman

Ann and Herb Alperin

Pat and Jack Balser

Linda and Bruce Beeber

Betty Behr

Karina and Josh Belinfante

Dolores Berlin

Karen Berman

Julia and Terry Bernath

Diane and Marvin Berstein

Victor Blake

Elaine and Jerome Blumenthal

Amira and Michael Bobrov

Nancy Carroll and Steven Goldman

Rebecca and Henry Chalmers

Diane and Harold Cohen

Melissa (Lisa) and Walter Cohen

Erica and Andrew Cozewith

Dressler’s Funeral Service

Barry Fields

Judith Finkel

Beth and Jared Friedman

Karen and Bruce Gadlin

Frances and Stuart Galishoff

Stacy Blumberg Garon and Jon Garon

Renie and David Geller

Bernard Goldstein

Elise and Philip Goldstein

Susan and Leon Gross

Heleen and Steven Grossman

Amanda and Adam Hirsch

Rachael and Michael Joseph

William Kleiman

Miriam Strickman Levitas

Dorothy and Alfred Meyers

Shirley Minsk

Herbert Neuwirth z”l

William Planer

Tally and Stanford Plavin

Ann and Morris Podber

Ana and Ryan Posner

Barbara and Bruce Ribner

Shirley Rich

Julie and Gary Roberts

Jennifer and Joel Rosenfeld

Susan and Neil Sandler

Virginia and Milton Saul

Lisa and Jon Schnaubelt

Joan and Alan Schwartz

Deborah Spector and Jeffrey Victor

Marcia Spielberger

Merna and Allen Stein

Lauren and Todd Surden

Nica and Lee Tallman

Jeannie and Bob Tepper

Sharon and Ken Torreyson

Jeffrey Wasserman

Leona and Donald Zivitz

Bronze ($900–$1,799)

Anonymous

Phyllis and Eliot Arnovitz

Judy and Joe Balaban

Carol Dlin

Elise and Jay Empel

Allison and Joel Feldman

Stacy and Emanuel Fialkow

Richard Franco

Marianne and Stephen Garber

Margo and Lawrence Gold

Karen Goldstein

Sheila and David Greenbaum

Sherry Halpern

Caryn Hanrahan and Andy Siegel

Jill and David Kantor

Shelley and Scott Kaplan

Miriam Karp

Robin and William Kleinberg

Marsha and Mark Kozinn

Lana and Richard Krebs

Sandra and Bob London

Kevin Mendelsohn

Barbara and George Nathan

Donna and Philip Newman

Andrea and Matthew Oppenheimer

Dorothy Rosenthal and William Nerenberg

Janet Schatten and Richard Friedman

Debbie Smith and Joel Lobel

Roben and Gregory Smolar

Judy and Allen Soden

Nicole and Ben Spitalnick

Bert Stein

Tamar and Mark Stern

Mona and Philip Sunshine

Lynn Sussman

Mark Weinstein

Susan and Larry Wolkin

Brenda and Andrew Zangwill

Susan Ellman-Zweig and Arnold Zweig

Silver ($1,800–$2,399)

Lorraine (Cookie) and Fred Aftergut

Diane Bessen and Steven Weiner

Linda and Richard Bressler

Stanley Cohen

Jay D’Lugin and Tyler Curtain

Jennifer Glazer-Malkin

Marlene and Mark Haber

Barbara and Jay Halpern

Marsha and Michael Kalson

Elaine and Alan Kolodkin

Harriet Landau and Nathan Segall

Lori and Stephen Oppenheimer

Gayle and Steven Printz

Vickie and Bruce Reisman

Judy and Alan Schulman

Debra and Philip Siegel

Cathy and Richard Swerdlin

Sherri and Robert Wildstein

Gold

($2,400–$3,599)

Irene Aronin

Marlene Gelernter Besser

Samantha and Eric Funt

Gail and Michael Habif

Tanya and Scott Jacobson

Barbara and Alan Kaplan

Sherry and Harry Maziar

Julie and William Segal

Zoe and David Zelby Leader

($3,600–$5,399)

Judith Alembik

Linda and Richard Collier

Susan and Hadley Engelhard

Barbara and Kenneth Feinberg

Paul Feldman

Filsoof Family Trust

Lois and Laurence Frank

Ivan Millender

Beth and Gregg Paradies

Jo Pichulik

Lynn and Barry Prusin

Jill and Jeffrey Vantosh

Benefactor

($5,400–$9,999)

Dorita and Hal Arnold

Diane and Stanley Friedman

Sharon Funk and Joshua Hanna

Carolyn Oppneheimer and Rick Lenner

Judy and Michael Orkin

Betty and Alan Sunshine

President's Circle ($10,000–$19,999)

Gary Alembik and Stephen Graves

Ellen Arnovitz and Michael Plasker

Tova and Mark Cohen

Elisa and Robert Ezor

Ruth Gershon and Sanford Cohn

Doris and Martin Goldstein

Lyons and Gail Heyman and The Heyman Family Foundation

Michal and Jack Hillman

Stuart Harvey Hillman

Ann Kaplan

Nikki Novotny

Rabbi's Circle ($20,000+)

Vicki and Gerry Benjamin

Marilyn Ginsberg-Eckstein

Sanford Orkin Endowment

Gary Alexander

Vicki and Gerry Benjamin

Adolphus and Eileen Coolik in honor of Max and Helen Kuniansky

Marilyn Ginsberg-Eckstein

Sharon Funk and Josh Hanna

Robert Kagan and Paula Sunshine

Ann Kaplan

Sanford Orkin

Beth and Gregg Paradies

Barbara Schatten z”l

Mona and Philip Sunshine

Ilene Sunshine

Ann and Steven Sunshine

Helaine and Andy Lasky

Bob and Pat Fine

Shelly and Alan Dollar

Terri and Brent Kaplan

Legacy

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Dr. Jessica Arluck and Dr. Douglas Ander

Vicki and Gerry Benjamin

Tova and Mark Cohen

Stanley Cristol

Jack Eybuszyc z”l

Marilyn Ginsberg Eckstein

Margo and Larry Gold

Bernard Goldstein

Betty & Leon Goldstein z”l

Charlotte and Harry Gordon

Steven Grossman

Heidi and Barry Herman

Celia S. and Col. Donald M. z”l Gilner

Ann and Theodore Kaplan

Endowment Fund

Maurice Katz z”l

Shirley z”l and Ivan Millender

Lori and Stephen Oppenheimer

Rosalie and Carl Rosenthal

Ralph Sacks z”l

Betty Ann Shusterman

Debra and Philip Siegel

Jack Spielberger z”l

Arnold Whiteman z”l

Sherri and Robert Wildstein