An Illuminating Path at the Crossroads of Sefarad

By Jenny Silber When you think of what it means to be Jewish, lox and bagels on a Sunday morning or matzah ball soup on Passover may be some of the first things to come to mind. The commonality of sharing these traditions can make us feel like we know a Jewish person before we …

Meet Our New Rabbinical Intern Emma Dubin

By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager Tell us a bit about your background, education, and training. What led to you Temple Emanu-El? I’m a rising third-year rabbinical student at HUC-JIR (Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion) New York. In between undergrad and rabbinical school, I worked in development for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, …

Four Questions with Associate Rabbi Sarah Reines

By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager Tell us more about your education and training and what led you to becoming a rabbi. Twenty-five years ago, I was ordained as a Reform rabbi by HUC-JIR (Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion), but my academic path to the rabbinate began here at Temple Emanu-El. My parents were …

A Closer Look: Tikkun Olam’s 2022 Project Prom

By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager For three days at Temple Emanu-El, spanning donations, setup, and two boutique days, Project Prom not only brings people together, but grew out of the same need for generosity and community service that emboldens Tikkun Olam at Emanu-El. And so, this past April, close to 300 high school students …

Member Spotlight: Frank Bamberger

By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager Longtime Temple Emanu-El members might know Frank Bamberger from his distinctive backpack and welcoming demeanor in person. Or they may have already met him by phone or on Zoom, given his participation in so many programs. Having joined a few years ago, Frank loves kvelling about his involvement in …

The Stettenheim Library: A Grand Reopening

By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager During the long shutdown of the pandemic, Congregation Emanu-El’s Stettenheim Library had to adapt to completely new circumstances. Yet, throughout this change, the library has found new ways to grow. Under the leadership of Marjorie Shuster, “We added a diversity of new fiction and nonfiction titles to the holdings, and …

Meet Our New Assistant Cantor: Sara Anderson

By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager Tell us a bit about your background and education/training and what led to you Emanu-El. I grew up in Los Angeles and my family was very involved in our synagogue, Stephen Wise Temple, where I went to elementary school. T’filah (prayer services) and Hebrew were my favorite parts of …

Museum Donation

Inscription: “For in this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you from all your sins that are before you, before you shall be cleansed” (Leviticus 16:30) In honor of Temple Emanu-El’s 175th anniversary, the Men’s Club donated a 19th century Yom Kippur Belt Buckle to the Herbert & Eileen Bernard Museum. We …

A Member From Afar

Meet Dr. Suzanne Gronemeyer of Memphis, Tennessee By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager Dr. Suzanne Gronemeyer lives just over 1000 miles away from Temple Emanu-El, but thanks to our invigorated virtual programming, she has been making the most of her temple membership. Dr. Gronemeyer is the Director of the Pediatric Oncology Program at St. Jude’s …

A Sacred Piece of Something Big

Rebecca Weisberg, Gather Group Leader This article was originally published in Volume 93, Issue 1 of the Temple Bulletin, January 2022. One distinct Temple Emanu-El program that has been adapted during the pandemic is our small-groups initiative, Gather. Whether bonding regularly over shared interests or meeting for the first time, Gather, Gather Family, and Gather …

Never Missed a Sunday

Miriam Reines and the Sunday Lunch Program at Temple Emanu-El Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager This April, the Sunday Lunch Program will celebrate its 40th anniversary. In that time, it has not missed a Sunday. Members gather on the weekends to make and distribute food to many in our community who are in need, continuing …

Empowering Our Emanu-El Teens

Inspiring Passionate and Creative Leaders Emma Kate Lindsay | Social Media/Communications Associate Our Teen Programs at Temple Emanu-El are focused on empowering our students to become passionate and creative leaders. While our Teen Programs have a long history of focusing on tikkun olam or social justice, this past year the Temple Emanu-El teens have worked …