A Yom Kippur message from Cheryl — and what's on the horizon
A Yom Kippur reflection from Cheryl, plus the fall gatherings ahead: the October 7 community commemoration, the Kosher BBQ Festival, an evening with Yocheved Ruttenberg, and a comedy night.
In this issue: A Yom Kippur reflection from Cheryl, plus the fall gatherings ahead: the October 7 community commemoration, the Kosher BBQ Festival, an evening with Yocheved Ruttenberg, and a comedy night.
Yom Kippur brings us face to face with our deepest hopes and regrets. It is a day of pausing, reflecting, and opening our hearts.
This year, as prayers rise in sanctuaries across the world, our longing for peace in Israel and for the safe return of every hostage feels sharper. We carry the weight of memory and the ache of separation. We also carry each other, with love, with unity, with compassion.
Even in the hardest moments, our tradition insists that healing is possible. Forgiveness can lead to wholeness. Families can be reunited. Peace can still take root for all who call Israel home.
May this Yom Kippur be a turning point, a day when prayers are not only whispered but lived.
Gmar chatimah tovah — may we all be sealed for a year of goodness, safety, and peace.
— Cheryl Dorchinsky, Executive Director
October 5–7 Community Commemoration. Together with the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast and partner organizations, we gather in Atlanta to mark two years since October 7. We remember, we demand the return of the hostages, and we stand resilient as one community.
Kosher BBQ Festival — November 9. Back at Brook Run Park, the Kosher BBQ Festival is a day of food, music, and community. AIC will be there to celebrate Jewish life with joy and pride.
Yocheved Ruttenberg from Swords of Iron — October. An AIC evening with Yocheved Ruttenberg, founder of Israel's Swords of Iron relief effort. We share stories, launch a volunteer-in-Israel initiative, and raise funds toward our December mission.
Daniel-Ryan Spaulding Comedy Event — November 20. Members of our coalition join in for an evening of laughs.
MITZVAHS THAT FLOAT
'What a wonderful gift' — in New York
“What a wonderful gift,” a Quacker in New York wrote when a kosher duck found its way to them — kindness handed forward. From New York to Atlanta, mitzvahs that float.