MACoM Synagogue Heroes Meet and Greet Ahead of Signature Event

Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah hosted two meet and greets last week for this year’s 16 synagogue heroes selected by Atlanta congregations who fit the theme, Education and Spirituality.

The meet and greets Dec. 4 and Dec. 6 were held ahead of a “A Mitzvah for the Mikvah” fundraiser, which honors those heroes on March 7.

“We reach out to all the synagogues in the community and tell them our focus and they pick [a congregant] who really embodies that,” said MACoM event chair Nancy B. Miller.

This year’s selections come from a variety of fields, including teachers, Jewish educators and others who found their way into the role of a leader later in life.

MACoM Executive Director Barbara LeNoble leads synagogue heroes on a tour of the mikvah.

The 16 synagogue heroes to be honored this year are: Alan Wexler (Ahavath Achim); McKenzie Wren (Bet Haverim); Fred Rich (Beth Shalom); Sam Gold (B’nai Torah); Cheryl Eppsteiner, Cindy Lewis and Marsha Shrago (Etz Chaim); Sue Chase and Andrea Capuano (Gesher L’Torah); Jenny Kutner and Sherry Frank (Or Hadash); Erin Chernow (Shearith Israel); Martha Mathis (Beth Tikvah); Jess Goldberg (Emanu-El); Larry Weiner (Temple Sinai); and Karen George (The Temple).

The morning meet and greets were the first time many of the heroes had been in the same room, and for many, the first time they were seeing MACoM’s mikvah.

Synagogue heroes Cheryl Eppsteiner, Frank Rich and Alan Wexler enjoy a MACoM tour.

Executive Director Barbara LeNoble led the synagogue heroes on a behind-the-scenes tour of the different aspects of the mikvah, proudly showing off all the features and amenities, including the dressing rooms and the control room, which collects live rainwater, and regulates and filters water in the mikvah basin.

The heroes then returned to the board- room to learn more about the goals of the program and their fellow heroes. They were also encouraged to schedule a free immersion, another perk of their selection.

MACoM’s fundraiser, “A Mitzvah for the Mikvah,” will be at 6:30 p.m. March 7 at Congregation B’nai Torah. Tickets start at $180, or $90 for those 35 years and younger.

“Our event the last couple of years has gone so well that we really want to spread the word and get the word out to the community that we’re here,” Miller said.