News from Middle Tennessee's Jewish Community |
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Nashville’s Jewish community, in partnership with The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, and Jewish Family Service of Middle Tennessee, is bringing together dozens of volunteers to aid and support Afghan ally families arriving in Middle Tennessee. According to Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE), more than 50,000 people have been forced to flee from Afghanistan, with several hundred arriving in Nashville. To help with needs ranging from housing and other basic necessities, to obtaining a driver’s license, finding a job, and enrolling children in school, three teams of volunteers participated in extensive trainings offered by NICE. Volunteers learned about Afghan culture, as well as learning how best to help people navigate the various relief systems, and how to deal with people who suffer from trauma. Coordinating the efforts for The Jewish Federation is Michal Becker, Engagement Director for The Federation. “This has been a tremendous effort by so many people,” she says, “The volunteers are so excited to be able to get to know the families and to help them in such important ways.”
To address the need for volunteers during the crisis, JFNA is creating an online hub. Through a centralized application process, volunteers from North America will be placed with Jewish and Israeli partner organizations working on the ground. JFNA is recruiting qualified applicants through the Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ) network to volunteer for two to four weeks, beginning in April, to help refugees on the Ukrainian borders and at “olim hotels.” In particular, JFNA is seeking those with a mental health background. Volunteers will receive insurance coverage, local accommodations, meals, local transport, and a modest end-of-service bonus. The application form can be found at: https://www.tfaforms.com/4972390
Wow, who would have ever imagined this, we are just about to mark the second Yahrzeit of Covid19. (Unfortunately, it is still very much here... but you know what I mean). So, here's my eulogy, two years later.
Writers of the Lost Ark is made up of Temple members who love to write poems, prose, songs and stories. The group meets once a month to discuss works in progress and get feedback, creative encouragement and new ideas to write about. Members also share things online during the month and are very interactive with each other between meetings. And yes, Writers of the Lost Ark is a play on “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” only this is The Temple’s version!
In the Talmud, the basic unit of meaningful learning is the chevrutah, or studying with a partner. All throughout the classic Jewish sources we see Rabbis coming together to discuss different topics. The most famous of these rabbinic pairs was the one put together by Hillel and Shammai. They were so important and influential that two different schools were created after them. For years, the students attending those schools continued to disagree with one another. It is out of their many disagreements that we got some of the fundamental contours of Jewish law.
Nashville is becoming home to several hundred Afghan allies, as part of a national effort to resettle thousands of evacuees from Afghanistan. In a Jewish community wide effort, we have funded and are committed to help settle and acculturate three families. Working with the sponsorship organization Nashville International Center for Empowerment, NICE, a cadre of volunteers have been trained and are ready to welcome our new Nashville neighbors. The families arriving from Afghanistan will join an expansive, diverse, and multifaceted immigrant community. In anticipation, we have been working with local Afghan immigrant groups to learn about their culture and have already engaged in cooking projects to create meals for emergency needs and to assist families as they arrive.
