News from Middle Tennessee's Jewish Community |
Thursday, April 3, 2025
At times, the Talmud can be a bit technical. Pages over pages with discussions that can test the patience of those willing to spend some time learning from this ancient fountain of wisdom. Sometimes it can be hard to just keep it up. And yet, in the midst of so much argument and debate on any given subject, if you pay close attention, you may discover wonderful insights that continue to be relevant in our days.
It is hard to believe we are entering the third year of the COVID19 pandemic. When I first took the position of Editor of The Observer, there were mere whispers of a strange virus overseas and the hint that it may eventually make its way to our shores. No one could predict the havoc it would wreak, the deaths it would cause, and the irrevocable changes that would occur in our world. A mask was a costume element, or a beauty treatment. Social distancing was how I set boundaries with certain friends. Six feet was my son’s height. Lining up for vaccines was a distant memory from my childhood. And testing positive, well that meant something else entirely. In short, we not only have a new language, but we also have new behaviors to help us navigate an uncertain world. There has been much to grieve these last few years, and still, much to celebrate. In the pages of this newspaper, we have reported on marriages, births, job promotions, kids doing amazing things, diverse communities supporting each other. In short, the life of our local Jewish community, though changed, has marched on. I reached out to ask folks to share some reflections on how their lives have changed. I received several submissions, and here, I share a few.
Creating a family can be a challenging and often expensive experience. For some couples wishing to adopt, the high cost associated with the process is a barrier to fulfilling their dream of parenthood. There is a home study, travel expenses, legal fees, and many other out of pocket costs not covered by medical insurance, which can deplete a couple’s resources. Jewish Family Service of Middle Tennessee has been guiding families through the adoption process for more than 40 years providing resources, support, and financial aid. One significant resource, The Earl Kirshner Adoption Loan Program, provides no interest loans to Jewish couples who are clients of JFS. According to Howard Kirshner, Earl’s son, his father was passionate about supporting the Jewish community and he loved children. “Jewish Family Service was very important to my dad. It makes us very happy to be able to help people create Jewish families and I know my dad would be proud.” And now, JFS is announcing they have a new adoption loan fund, the Abe and Renette Corenswet Adoption Loan Fund, that will provide similar assistance, but is expanding the scope of the fund to those who are not currently clients. Toni Jacobsen, Clinical Director of JFS, says this new fund allows even more people to get the help they need, “The initial purpose of the Kirshner Fund was to help build Jewish families. This fund allows us to really build upon that and be open to any family in the area, not just our clients.”
Last month on a normal Shabbat morning in Colleysville, Texas, a stranger walked into the Beth Israel synagogue ostensibly looking for something to eat. Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, the congregation’s spiritual leader, welcomed the stranger and even offered to make him some tea. As the congregation watched in horror via Zoom, the stranger became a captor, holding the Rabbi and three congregants hostage for 11 hours. The details of the hours leading to the hostages escape and the gunman’s death are still being revealed. The situation sparked fear among the American Jewish community and ignited debate about how to balance the need for security with the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger. In Nashville, the reaction was much the same as elsewhere. Local congregational Rabbis, law enforcement officials, and professional staff of The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, shared words of comfort, reflection, and hope with The Observer.
One Saturday evening last month, when we put on our phones right after Shabbat, we saw the shocking news of what happened in Colleyville Texas. Four Jews had been taken hostage within their Temple, during Shabbat services. It was irrelevant what community the Rabbi represented, or what style service he led. A Jew was in trouble, and that was all that mattered. We all sprang into action, first praying ourselves, and encouraging others to pray as well.
Start your Shabbat off right with good friends, great conversation, and excellent kosher cuisine, all seasoned with the perfect amount of spirit and joy. TGIS is a “Club Med Shabbat: An all-inclusive Shabbat experience.” Enjoy a Friday night Shabbat dinner replete with traditional dishes. Blended with spirited singing, a Chasidic tale, and a chance to meet some wonderful new people. TGIS will be held on Friday evenings, January 14, and 28, at 6:30 PM at Chabad of Nashville.
Every November Akiva hosts its annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day, welcoming grandparents, and special friends into the school for specialized programming and a chance to see what their grandchild’s Akiva experience is all about. This year’s virtual program found grandparents and students staring into the eyes of a lizard perched on a docent’s head, watching a Burmese python wrap itself around its handler, getting an up-close look at tiny stick-bugs hardly visible in their camouflaged state, and hearing the sharp snap of a scorpion’s pincer. The global move to virtual programming and communication has many discernable downsides, but it has also offered an important upside. Our access to people and places is no longer limited by distance and time. We now have the opportunity and ability to meet people and explore places that were previously inaccessible. For Akiva students and their grandparents, this year’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a chance to make the most of this opportuneness and visit The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Bet Shemesh, Israel.
