Chabad Intown Welcomes the Roses

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman recently announced new additions to the Chabad Intown staff, Rabbi Chanan and Chaya Rose.

“Rabbi Chanan and Chaya Rose bring a passion for adult Jewish learning to Atlanta and to the Intown Jewish Academy. Their personal life experiences and backgrounds make them a good fit for the uniqueness of the urban core. We anticipate that their arrival to Atlanta will elevate and usher in a new era in the quality of Jewish learning as well as the reach and impact on the community,” Shusterman said.

Rabbi Rose, a native Californian, was raised with a strong Jewish identity, by his father OBM, an attorney. Rose said, “I feel really blessed to be raised with his passion for learning and studying Judaism. Our collective Jewish tradition is rich with insight and relevance. I endeavor to share that with others and help people find ways to integrate Judaism’s teachings into life.”

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In high school, Rose made a documentary about the concept of the messiah and the messianic era, based on what he studied in Talmud class. By interviewing rabbis and lay leaders from across the denominational spectrum, he exposed himself to different communities with which he previously had little engagement, enabling him to take ownership of his own identity. He then studied in Israel, New York, and attended rabbinical school in Pretoria, South Africa.

Rabbi Chanan Rose wants to share his knowledge for Jewish mysticism and also help those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

One of his focuses here is Jewish mysticism which he thinks is misunderstood.

“The popular conception about mysticism is that it’s foreign, a fringe practice, or requires or presumes a certain degree of observance. The beauty of the mystical tradition in the teachings of chassidut, is the harmony that it creates. Learning how to see G-dliness as infinite and indivisible unifies ourselves with those around us, focusing on interpersonal relationships, and allows every experience to ultimately be an opportunity to engage the divine essence.”

Another area of his expertise is addiction and recovery. He first learned about Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery when serving in Dallas in 2013. What struck him was how the 12-step program’s “big book” and the fundamental tenets of AA, as a spiritual program, articulate concepts similar to Chassidic thought.

He elaborated, “For those in recovery, an active spiritual life and genuine connection to G-d is a matter of life and death, there is a very real sense that their life depends on the spiritual work they do that day. As a rabbi, I was blown away to see that put into practice. A relationship with G-d is important, but we might not always invest every day in growing and developing it — we can become complacent. In the recovery sphere, it’s paramount.”

Rose runs a group that explores Jewish prayers through the lens of addiction and recovery; the group will connect with Jeff’s Place which is already established at Chabad Intown.

Chaya Rose grew up in a Shluchim environment. Her parents spearheaded Chabad of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and, later, Cleveland Heights, to serve the greater community.

She recalled, “My parents made a concerted effort to provide a personalized education in Judaism and Jewish mysticism, in addition to regular Jewish schooling, which was a mainstream Orthodox track. I learned, with my father daily, in Yiddish and Hebrew, studying texts in Tanach in depth and particularly chassidus – Jewish mysticism. I later went on to study Jewish law, chassidus and Jewish history in Safed, Israel.”

When asked of her impression of Atlanta, she said, “I had been to a few different areas in the South prior to coming here, and I am really enjoying this particular brand of warmth and hospitality. The overall energy of this city feels really positive and bright.”

Chabad Intown is located at 730 Ponce De Leon Place.