News from Middle Tennessee's Jewish Community |
Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025
The recent Pew Jewish Population Study finds Chabad involvement is growing. Some 40% of American Jews have some involvement with Chabad, and the younger the demographic, the higher the number. Previously, the study organizers did not look at Chabad as a demographic, but this year it figures prominently in terms of its significant and growing impact on American Jewry.
Let’s be clear from the start: The defense of the State of Israel, at all times, is the sacred responsibility of every single member of the Jewish people. This does not mean that every action or policy of the Jewish State is perfect, flawless, and therefore, beyond disagreement, debate or constructive dialogue.
Emily Groff is no stranger to Nashville’s Jewish community. An active member of Jewsic City and song leader at Camp Davis, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter is bursting onto the national Jewish music scene with her energetic new EP Breathe.
Hadassah and The Inquirers Book Club will honor our beloved past president Victoria Cohen-Crumpton, who has moved to Brasstown, North Carolina, on Sunday, July 11 @ 4pm via Zoom. Victoria was president of Nashville Hadassah from 2009-2012.. She was also the president of The Inquirer's Book Club which is in it's 71st year. It is the second oldest Jewish Women's book club in Nashville. The Inquirer's Book Club, which was started in 1950, is a spin-off of the Magazine Circle, which began in 1898. Victoria was president of The Inquirers from 2017-2019. Please rsvp by 7/9 to Sarah Ruden @ spm5222@gmail.com or to Deana Goldstein @ 615-438-5225.
Congregation Micah’s Religious School is the home and heart of joyous and progressive Jewish education, bringing the best of formal and informal study to our families. Our weekly family service fills our sanctuary with music, prayer and playful participation in the ever-present and unfolding Jewish story.
The Janet Levine March Gallery will feature the work of Lauren Karp. Lauren is a nature photographer who specializes in artistic wildlife photos. Raised in the bucolic countryside of Pennsylvania, Lauren spent her childhood in lush fields, meandering creeks and scenic farmlands. Amid this backdrop, she pursued many forms of creative expression including painting, calligraphy and clothing design. Her artistic journey continued as an art director for an international print and poster company. Having been inspired by world-renowned photographers, she combined her love of art and nature with a passion for photography. Exploring with her camera at her side, Lauren now travels extensively, capturing her vision of the beauty in the natural world. Her images capture a snapshot in time, giving viewers a quiet moment of emotive contemplation.
By Alyssa Trachtman
The Temple Announces Ambitious Outreach Plans to Deliver Synagogue Programs and Services to Emerging Jewish Population Centers and Communities.
Children of all ages attend the Revere jewish Montessori Preschool. Starting at 12 months children learn to use their fine motor skills, then go on to build, to write and read In English and Hebrew, to count, to plant, to sing, and to dance, and to become wholesome healthy people, being educated with the method of Maria Montessori. To register your child at the Revere Jewish Montessori Preschool call 615-646-5750." Space is limited, call.
Sharing stories, exploring family history, listening to real life recordings of those who changed the country; that is the goal of the newly opened Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. Located in a historic building in downtown New Orleans, exhibits will explore the many ways Jews in the American South impacted and were impacted by the communities in which they lived. The MSJE covers 13 states and over 300 years of history from Colonial America through the Civil Rights Movement. “We are excited to announce an opening date after a pause as a result of the pandemic,” said museum chair Jay Tanenbaum, in a press release. “Jews in the south formed bonds of deep friendship and community-building with their non-Jewish neighbors. These stories show how people of different backgrounds come together to create the American experience. This can be a bridge to a better understanding and future for all of us.”
By Rabbi Laurie Rice
The Covid19 pandemic has both triggered and highlighted the need to change the conversation around mental health issues. According to a recent survey of adults by the Centers for Disease Control, more than one-third of those responding reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, over 10 percent reported having started or increased substance use, more than one quarter reported stress-related symptoms, and over 10 percent reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past 30 days. All of these numbers are nearly double the rates expected before the start of the Covid19 Pandemic. These increases are tied to risks of suicide, substance abuse, loneliness, food insecurity, just to name a few. Locally the need for mental health services has risen and social workers at Jewish Family Service say that while they are working to respond to the need, there is still stigma around asking for help. Toni Jacobsen, Clinical Director for JFS, says, “It’s important to change the way we talk about mental health. People are not at fault for needing help. They need compassion and understanding about the trauma that happened to them.”
June in the Galleries: Exhibits Feature the Work of The Tennessee Watercolor Society and Lolly Swicegood
