The Jewish Observer
News from Middle Tennessee's Jewish Community | Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025
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The Jewish Observer

To be a Steward of the Earth, Live a Life of Radical Amazement

January 29

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said, “If, while holding a sapling in your hand you are told that the Messiah is about to arrive, first plant the sapling and then go out to receive the Messiah.” Much is written in the Torah and the Talmud about trees, and we read even more carefully about them his month when we celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.

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Why Does G-d Allow Us To Suffer?

January 29

In the beginning of January 2023, America experienced her greatest travel hiccup since 9-11 when tens of thousands of people were stranded as flights were canceled due to a computer glitch. Like those who were forced to sleep in airports, many of us find ourselves stuck in low-energy relationships, lackluster jobs, or living in places we’re not excited about, and we wonder why it needs to be this way. Our lives are often stressed, and we're stretched from frustration through to outright suffering, and we’re all bewildered—why does G-d allow us to suffer?

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One Year Later, it’s Hard to Find Signs of Hope…But They’re There

January 29

In the nearly twelve months since our group visited Poland and the Ukrainian refugees, of all the scenes we witnessed, one image keeps coming back to me. It’s the sight of a line of mothers with children and strollers waiting patiently to get food, clothing and supplies provided by Jewish communities all over the world.

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February 2023 Galleries

January 29

February in the Galleries: Featuring the work of James Threalkill, Henry Jones, and Nadine Shillingford.

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2023 JMS Science Fair

January 29

This year’s JMS Science Fair, held last month, was an opportunity for students to pursue an advanced understanding of their chosen area of research. JMS faculty encouraged students to think about what interests them and pursue projects based on those interests. As part of their project, students had to design an experiment, write a research paper, design an experiment, write a research paper, design a visual component presenting their findings, and include an infographic depicting all mathematics used in their experiment. Some of the projects presented included topics like The Science of Brain Freeze, Quantum Entanglement, Life in One Cubic Foot, Quirky Quarks, and A Study of the Most Efficient Home Servers.

Writing Contest
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