AJT
According to Arlene
A “Destination Bar Mitzvah” COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER By Arlene Appelrouth
A
AJT Columnist
pitality.
tlanta’s Jewish community has the reputation of being warm, welcoming and full of old-fashioned Southern hos-
When a number of Orthodox rabbis and their families moved to Atlanta more than 20 years ago to form the Atlanta Scholars Kollel, they brought new meaning to Jewish adult education and redefined what it is to reach out to help other Jews. As anyone who has read my columns knows, I was frequently faced with situations I wasn’t sure how to handle as my son David was becoming more religious. Thankfully, throughout the process, rabbis from the kollel and their wives have always been available, ready to help. I’m reminded of when David was living in Jerusalem, learning in a ye-
shiva. He called with the exciting news he was able to fly home for the holiday of Sukkot. “We have to have a sukkah,” he said. I have always been committed to helping my children realize their dreams, so when my son said he had to build a sukkah, I hung up the phone and asked myself how I could make his dream of an Appelrouth sukkah a possibility. I picked up my car keys and headed for the nearest Home Depot. As I walked up and down the store’s aisles, looking at all the types of wood, I realized I was in over my head. I had no idea what to buy to build a sukkah, and I doubted anyone from the Home Depot staff would be able to advise me, so I contacted a kollel rabbi. When Rabbi Michoel Lipschutz, one of the kollel rabbis, had given me his
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cell phone number, he encouraged me to call if I ever had a problem. I finally had a good reason to call. He listened carefully as I explained the situation. Then, he told me to stay where I was, that he would meet me in the store. That was the only time I’ve consulted with a rabbi in a retail store. I’m not sure if it’s the only time for Rabbi Lipschutz. Anything is possible. Indeed, over time my relationship with the Lipschutz family has become one I treasure. Rabbi Lipschutz is well known for kindness, warmth and a willingness to go out of his way for others. These character traits are mirrored in his wife Rivka, and together, the Lipschutzes have touched many Jewish lives with their loving kindness.
JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013
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“This was a Kiddush Hashem,” said Mrs. Lipschutz of the ease with which all the arrangements were made. A Kiddush Hashem – a sanctification of G-d’s name. When Yitzchok Lipschutz was called to the Torah, he davened with
“‘This was a Kiddush Hashem,’ said Mrs. Lipschutz of the ease with which all the arrangements were made.”
And in addition to all they give to the Jewish community through their roles of rabbi and teacher (Mrs. Lipschutz teaches at Temima High School in Toco Hills), the couple has 10 children. Recently, when it was time to plan the bar mitzvah of their son Yitzchok, there were many things to consider. Foremost was their desire to have Mrs. Lipschutz’s father, Yehuda Dickstein, present. Given his health issues, it would only be possible for him to attend services if they took place near Dunwoody, where he lived. Luckily, Mrs. Lipschutz’s sister, Dena Friedman, is married to Rabbi Binyomin Friedman, the spiritual leader of Congregation Ariel. Thus, it was not a problem to make arrangements for the bar mitzvah to take place in Dunwoody. The challenge would be how to accommodate all the colleagues and friends who wanted to be there.
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ily that provided hospitality. He read 29 names.
More than 150 of the invited guests who replied said that they would be there for the Lipschutz simcha, but also that they would require Sabbath hospitality. In cases like this, when you don’t drive on the Sabbath and the synagogue is not located within walking distance of a hotel, the responsibility of providing hospitality goes to the members of the shul. At the ceremony, when all had gathered, Rabbi Binyomin Friedman took the time to read the name of each fam-
proficiency. The Torah Day School student was well-prepared. As he chanted the words of the parsha, and then recited his haftorah, the nachas in the congregation was palpable. Yitchok Lipschutz was proof of Jewish continuity. At his bar mitzvah, even though the sanctuary was filled with people from many localities, there weren’t any strangers. Those who filled the sanctuary of Congregation Ariel last weekend were united by their love and appreciation for the Lipschutz family. Everyone was treated as family. When Rabbi Friedman walked to the center of the bimah to address Yitzchok and his proud parents, he noted that everyone had participated in the first Lipschutz “destination bar mitzvah.” “I have just one word to say about the next Lipschutz destination bar mitzvah,” said the rabbi (and uncle to the bar mitzvah boy) before delivering the punchline.
“Cancun.”
Arlene Appelrouth earned a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Florida and her career as a writer and journalist spans a 50-year period; she currently studies memoir writing while working on her first book.