News from Middle Tennessee's Jewish Community |
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024
Recently I bought roses for my wife. There was no particular anniversary or birthday, just a slightly stressful beginning to the week, and so I stopped in Trader Joe’s after a long day of not being home to get some flowers.
A local group of clergy and community members, growing alarmed by reports of increased gun violence, is taking action and is calling on the greater Nashville community to join the effort. Tennessee Loves Children (TLC), a new initiative focused on addressing the needs of children and other community members dealing with violence-related trauma, is kicking off on November 2 at Belmont University. The program centers around the book Children Under Fire: A National Crisis, by John Woodrow Cox, and will begin with a community session with the author.
West End Synagogue has a reason to celebrate. The membership is growing. At the congregation’s Shabbat Service on Saturday, November 19, WES will honor new members and current members who have increased the synagogue’s family units to more than 400. Nashville’s population growth has fueled West End Synagogue’s growth, including several families with young children who have sought out the only Conservative Jewish congregation in Middle Tennessee.
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. This month, members were given a choice of prompts to inspire them. WOTLA's Loretta Saff chose to incorporate in her work the line "What I Remember Most." Here's her poem!
In partnership with the Consulate General of Japan and the Japan American Society of Tennessee, Cheekwood Estate and Gardens hosted its 8th annual Otsukimi, a Japanese festival honoring the autumn moon. As part of the celebration of Japanese art and culture, Cheekwood hosted a haiku contest, spotlighting the traditional Japanese three-line poem. Haiku is written in a 5/7/5 syllable count, and often paints a vivid and expressive picture of nature. Students from across Middle Tennessee entered the contest, submitting their most creative and artistic works.
Welcome Back to Part TWO of my 10 Great Tips for a Successful Retirement. In the last issue of The Observer, I offered Part ONE, and I trust many of you have been practicing and are probably feeling steps ahead of those who didn’t read last month’s column! But, as a welcome to the newbies and as any good two-part episode on your favorite Netflix show does, let me review.
The Glass Plates of Lublin: Found Photographs of a Lost Jewish World.
I want to share my experience of cooking with Walter. I received an email from a mother in South Florida who wondered if I could spend some time teaching online cooking skills to her 14-year-old son. We spent some time emailing back and forth, discussing her son, his incredible spirit and enthusiastic interest in cooking. Andrea proudly said, “The kid shines in the kitchen, in fact together we just made his little sister a double chocolate fudge birthday cake!”
Remember when you’d return to school, and teachers would have you write a page about your summer vacation? Although a month overdue, I thought it might be cathartic to put my summer vacation in writing. I’m still trying to make sense of it since it turned out to be the kind of vacation in which I needed a vacation from my vacation when I returned home. Have you ever had one of those?
On Nov. 3, Hadassah is sponsoring the closing film of the Nashville Jewish Film Festival at 7pm at the Belcourt Theater. The film is a sexy, German romcom titled, "Love & Mazel Tov." Join Hadassah members for dinner at 5:30pm before the film. Film Tickets are $10, and dinner is a separate charge. Please rsvp to Mindy Drongowski (615-613-4946) at mandmski@comcast.net
The Nashville Chapter of Hadassah is planning an evening of food and song on Sunday, October 30 at West End Synagogue and invites all to attend. After a wine, hors d’oeuvres and dessert reception beginning at 5 pm, internationally known artist, Batsheva, will perform her program entitled, ”The Secret Jewish Soul of Leonard Cohen.” Originally from Toronto, and now based in Nashville, Batsheva has a robust following due to her ability to sing in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino. To sample her superb voice, place your phone camera over the QR code in the ad.
