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Pass the honey!

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What are your New Year traditions?  For me, it's a blintze casserole sitting amongst a buffet of bagels, tuna and egg salad, apples and honey, and a few glasses of wine after services on the first day of Rosh Hoshana. The blintze casserole is a staple this time of year, especially with pie filling that has been slowly warmed on the stove to pour over each serving. This coupled with a home full of friends and family make the gathering even more special. Unfortunately, this year another holiday will look and feel a bit different. Although the spiritual traditions of years' past have been corrupted by "the pandemic" (I feel like this word is mentioned so often these days that I now need to use it in quotes.), Jews around the world, and in our own communities, have stepped up in creative ways to celebrate those spiritual traditions that we all know and love. For example, Beth Shalom offered a community-wide Passover Seder on Zoom, from the rabbi's home, in the Spring.

Time for Reflection

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This time of year not only marks the beginning of a school year for many families, but the beginning of a new year for all Jewish families. The month prior to Rosh Hoshana is Elul, which signals to all of us that it's time to reflect on this past year and what we hope to change for the year ahead and what will stay the same. This past Tuesday evening, Beth Shalom's "Nourishing Our Roots" program, began with an educational hour, on Zoom, with Gail Foorman teaching about the melodies and tunes that are specific only to Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur. It was well attended and many of the choir members were there to hum along to the familiar tunes. It did make me realize how much I will miss hearing the choir this year during services, but this will leave us even more appreciative of them when we return back to the shul next year, I hope! Please be sure to add these Tuesday night education classes to your calendars because I know you will learn something new! As long as you&

Bravo!

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When I got the call last Friday afternoon, I could hear the excitement in his voice.  "Wendy," he said, "I'm in kind of a silly mood, but I think I have a great idea that will connect with the congregation."  With a smile on my face, I asked, "What is it? Tell me."  He went on to explain that he had seen Hamilton at the Fox Theater when it was in town, but it wasn't until he watched it on Disney+, recently, that he realized he could create something really special. He indicated that the song performed by the king would be perfect for him, considering the current circumstances we all are facing, and proceeded to perform the parody for me over the phone, with just one verse left to write.  My immediate reaction was, "You have to do this!"  Little did I know that just three short days later, I would receive an email with a link to his YouTube parody of "You'll Be Back!" from the acclaimed Broadway musical, Hamilton . I immediat

Stay Positive

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    It's not easy to stay positive during this pandemic. In fact, it's much easier to look at all of the negatives, and for many of us, it would be rightfully so. We've lost jobs, had loved ones contract the virus or have contracted the virus yourself, had to teach our children from home while trying to work from home, had to learn new types of technology when technology may not be your thing. Truth be told, this pandemic has highlighted many weak areas.      However, through all of this negativity, I have chosen to look at the good things that have come from this pandemic. For example, it's allowed many people to have the time to do mitzvot. I've seen families post "Front Porch Photos" to help out a local photographer who needed work. I've seen how people have come together to support our essential workers in the healthcare field. I've seen how people have developed or worked with platforms that are delivering food to families who are wondering wh

A Brief Update

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     It's been  a  busy week! While many of you may be on the edge of your seats wondering what else 2020 could bring besides  a  pandemic, Sahara Dust, and murder hornets, your Beth Shalom Board has met for the very first time, this past Tuesday, for the fiscal year 2020-2021, on Zoom. Believe it, or not, we met for three hours (again, on Zoom!) and covered  a  lot of ground. We know that Covid-19 is on the minds of everyone and we are extremely aware of how different our "normal" is looking right now.      Please know that all of you are on our minds, but especially mine, as we navigate through this pandemic. I am especially proud of our Beth Shalom Task Force who has been meeting each week to determine the risks and the benefits of  a  potential reopening of the building. Unfortunately, if our collective communities of Dekalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett can't get our Covid numbers moving into  a  downward trend, we will need to stick with what is working for us now, whic