The Nashville Jewish Book Series 2023 season is coming to an end, but we still have one more in-person and one more virtual event to close the series.
Members of Tennessee’s legislature, community leaders, and clergy, joined Israel’s Consul General to the Southeastern United States in celebration of Israel’s 75th birthday. Led by Senator Mark Pody (TN-17), the event included prayers, the blowing of a shofar, the singing of Hatikvah and The Star Spangled Banner. Israel’s Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon shared historic insights about the development of the Jewish state. “When U.S President Harry Truman first recognized the creation of the Jewish state, five percent of our people lived there. Today, 47 percent of our people now live in Israel.” She highlighted Israel’s leadership as a technology hub, “Israel is the start-up nation. We are second only to the Silicon Valley.”
Twenty students from Akiva and the Jewish Middle School spent three days in March visiting the nation’s capital, exploring the vibrant landmarks, monuments, and museums of Washington, D.C. During their trip students toured both the White House and Capitol, visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, took an underground tour of the labs at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and enjoyed a night tour of the National Monuments and Memorials. Adding to the inherent charm of D.C., the trip also landed right in the middle of the famed cherry blossom season, and students had the opportunity to take in the myriad of pink blossoms enveloping the Tidal Basin and National Monuments.
Affordable housing and transportation are among the most pressing issues facing Metropolitan Nashville. The Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable will present a mayoral candidate forum in which the candidates will be asked to present their plans for tackling these issues. The forum will be on Thursday, June 1, from 7-9 p.m., at West End Synagogue. Co-sponsors include The Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Committee; the Social Justice Committees of Congregation Micah, The Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom, Congregation Sherith Israel and West End Synagogue; The West Nashville Clergy Group; and AMAC (The American Muslim Advisory Committee).
On one of Nashville’s darkest days, a light shone in the sanctuary of West End Synagogue. As the city was still reeling from the murder of six people at Nashville’s Covenant School a day earlier, Jewish congregants, community leaders, and members of the Islamic Center of Nashville joined together to pray, to learn, and to break bread. The event had been planned for months. It was the second time Jews and Muslims would gather during Ramadan to share an Iftar, the main meal during the fasting day. But when the day finally came, it was a celebration against the backdrop of a city in pain. Rabbi Joshua Kullock, of West End Synagogue, said, “Coming after a very difficult day, an event like this won’t solve all the problems, but it is a step in the right direction.”
The Nashville Chapter of Hadassah held its annual Installation of Officers and Board on February 28th at the GJCC.The evening was organized by board member Marsha Jaffa, who also provided many of the delicious dessert selections. The Installation ceremony was conducted by Edria Ragosin, a past president of both the chapter and Southern Region. The new board is chaired by Co-Presidents Mindy Drongowski and Beth Wise. To join or learn more about the chapter, please email nashville@hadassah.org
Serving as the Executive Director of Jewish Family Service lets me see over and over how our amazingly special Jewish community comes together so often to support one another, in good times and in bad.
Are you looking for a Mah Jongg game? Come solo or with friends to join Mah Jongg guru Michelle Tishler and the Gordon JCC in partnership with Asian and Pacific Islanders of Middle Tennessee for the Flower Power Mah Jongg Tournament happening May 10 from 11am-3:30PM. The fun-filled tournament day will include noshes, coffee, lunch, prizes, and some surprises.
Welcome to the Observer's monthly Newcomer Column! Every month, we will be featuring one of our Nashville Jewish Newcomers so you can get to know them and their dynamic, engaging stories. One of my favorite parts of my job as the Federation's Newcomer Engagement Associate is connecting with the newcomers and bringing them into Nashville's Jewish community through our Newcomer Shabbat dinners, Newcomer Welcome Receptions, and connecting them with community members and organizations who can help them feel like they belong here. We hope you enjoy reading these and give every newcomer you meet a smile and a warm Nashville welcome!
Sharon Benus, Gordon JCC Adult and Community Wide Programs Director
Recently, Observer editor Barbara Dab and I were interviewed by a local television station to discuss the rise in antisemitic activity locally and around the country. Dedicating an entire hour to this topic is an indication of how serious and far reaching this situation has become, and the concern it has caused not only to us in the Jewish community, but also to our friends and neighbors. When the hour program was over, we had only scratched the surface of what is happening and how we are responding.
Art on the West Side Returns April 15-16 at the JCC
To celebrate Israel’s upcoming 75th anniversary, executive members of the Jewish Agency for Israel hosted a webinar Feb. 26 to discuss the agency, the Jewish people, and the commitment to advance pluralism in Israel.
