Briefs: Limmud Seeks Young Leaders

Limmud Seeks Young Leaders

Limmud Atlanta + Southeast is accepting applications until Friday, March 18, from 22- to 30-year-olds who want to join the Limmud Young Adult Development Program.

The YAD Program provides leadership training, social events, Jewish community networking, a personal mentor, involvement in LimmudFest planning and free attendance of LimmudFest over Labor Day weekend at Camp Ramah Darom.

Participants must commit to attend the training sessions, starting Sunday morning, March 27, as well as social events and LimmudFest. The program is free because of funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

To get more information and apply, visit www.limmudse.org/young-adult-development.html.

Rabbis Unite for Learning

The Atlanta Rabbinical Association is planning a yom iyun, or day of Torah learning, that is free and open to the community Sunday, March 27, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Weber School in Sandy Springs.

The first-of-its-kind community event is an opportunity for all to come together in festive study. “The yom iyun is a chance to sample some of the best teaching Atlanta has to offer,” Congregation B’nai Torah Rabbi Joshua Heller said. “What’s special about it is that it is a collaborative effort of rabbis of different streams and approaches. It shows that Jews with different points of view can learn with and from each other.”

The topics range from Israel to bioethics to Jewish-Christian relations. Some classes go deep on specific texts, such as Psalm 23, while others tackle broad topics, such as Judaism’s great debates.

Participants can take three classes, choosing among as many as 10 options per time slot. An attendee could start with a class on the Jewish themes in the Amazon series “Transparent,” move on to an exploration of heaven and hell, and end with a discussion of Torah and parenting.

“Most people have a chance to learn from their own rabbis, but this event will allow them to learn from rabbis they don’t necessarily know well. And new perspectives can only enrich all of us,” said Temple Sinai Rabbi Brad Levenberg, who is teaching “Music on the Binding of Isaac: Leonard Cohen and More.”

The roster of teachers includes some rabbis who work in organizations, schools or independently rather than in synagogues.

The yom iyun idea came up in October at the ARA retreat, sponsored by the Marcus Foundation. After spending three days studying Torah together, the rabbis wanted to build on that experience communitywide. Reform, Orthodox, Reconstructionist and Conservative — Sephardi and Ashkenazi — value Jewish text and learning.

Congregation Or Hadash Rabbi Analia Bortz, who is chairing the event, said not only is the yom iyun “a great opportunity to hear the many voices of Judaism, but it also creates a sacred space and time filled with kedushah under the big umbrella of a living covenant.”

JF&CS Set to Break Ground

Jewish Family & Career Services plans to break ground on the $5.5 million next phase of its Dunwoody headquarters on Thursday, March 17, shortly after holding its annual meeting over lunch that day at Congregation B’nai Torah.

The successful capital campaign is enabling the agency to consolidate operations on its Chamblee-Dunwoody Road campus in upgraded facilities that JF&CS CEO Rick Aranson said will equal the level of the services provided.

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