Atlanta, Georgia (February 1, 2007) – Congregation Beth Jacob, the largest orthodox synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia, is pleased to announce that it has hired Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich to be its new Assistant Rabbi.  The hire culminates an extensive search that began in September 2006 and set a new precedent for inclusiveness using congregant input, both qualitative and quantitative, via email, telephone and face-to-face dialogue.  Rabbi Freundlich and Beth Jacob’s Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Ilan Feldman, share a vision for the synagogue as a vibrant, growing and growth oriented home for Jews who are serious about their connection to G-d and each other and the synagogue membership looks forward to the progress this dynamic team will bring in the coming years. 

 

Rabbi Freundlich was ordained at Baltimore’s Ner Israel Rabbinical College where he also earned a Masters of Talmudic Law with high honors.  The Rabbi holds a Master of Science Degree in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland.  Most recently, Rabbi Freundlich served as a member of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel and was responsible for promoting personal and religious growth of community member families through individual family meetings, personal development classes and social programming, with special attention given to marital counseling and to parenting consultations.

 

According to George Glinsky, Beth Jacob Board of Trustees Vice President, who chaired the search, “We are very fortunate to have secured a world-class Rabbi to focus on servicing the needs of various member constituencies.  Rabbi Freundlich will bring a new level of care and listening to the needs of our members in his own right, while simultaneously enhancing our Senior Rabbi’s effectiveness.”  In addition, Mr. Glinsky noted, “Rabbi Freundlich brings a truly unique combination of trust-building interpersonal skills, relevant professional experience, maturity of judgment beyond his years and a high standard of Torah learning to the position.  The Rabbi’s choice to stay in Atlanta as the Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Beth Jacob, in light of several opportunities to become Senior Pulpit Rabbi elsewhere in North America, is testimony to his passion, commitment, and belief in the future vibrancy of observant Judaism in Atlanta’s Toco Hills Jewish Community.” 

 

The search process began with a job description, prepared by a Search Committee, which was distributed to a number of rabbinic organizations and a number of contacts in the Jewish Community worldwide.  The job description was also posted on a number of Jewish websites.  Rabbi Feldman and Mr. Glinsky, with the help of a Search Committee, screened more than twenty-five candidates and narrowed the list to three.  The Synagogue invited each candidate to spend one Shabbat weekend with the congregation, which included a number of speaking opportunities, leading religious services, and participating in one-on-one interviews with members.  The Search Committee solicited comments from members via email, telephone call and face-to-face dialogue to ensure openness, transparency and inclusiveness.

 

Rabbi Freundlich will officially begin his tenure as Assistant Rabbi on February 19, 2007.  The Beth Jacob community is excited by the new hire.  Rabbi Feldman echoed this sentiment, saying, “Rabbi Freundlich brings youth and energy to the task before him and I’m excited by the prospect of better serving the diverse needs and interests of our members with Rabbi Freundlich at my side.”

            Atlanta, Georgia (January 28, 2007) — Congregation Beth Jacob, the largest orthodox synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia, is pleased to announce that its Sisterhood has graciously donated and dedicated a new Torah for use by the synagogue.  The Sisterhood took the initiative to raise funds to purchase a new Torah last year to replace one that, while still permissible to use, requires repair.  The Torah, prepared by an Israeli rabbinic scribe, was welcomed by Beth Jacob at three different events.  On January 16, 2007, the Sisterhood held a special shower in honor of the Torah, during which people had the opportunity to dedicate Torah scroll accessories to adorn the Torah.  The Sisterhood shared the Torah celebration with the Beth Jacob Preschool, where children could participate in the Mitzvah (commandment) of writing a Torah by purchasing a letter for $1.  Finally, the Sisterhood formally dedicated the Torah to the synagogue on Saturday, January 21, 2007, to coincide with the Jewish Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh Shevat (the Jewish new month of Shevat).    

 

            Rabbi IIan Feldman captured the sentiment of the Congregation when he said: 

It was particularly touching to see the Torah handed from the hands of the Rabbi Emeritus, the founding rabbi of the Congregation almost 60 years ago, to the hands of the newest and the youngest member of the Congregation, the bar mitzvah boy, to place it in the Holy Ark for the first time.  This symbolized the transmission of our tradition to the next generation.

 

Rabbi Feldman, showed the Torah to young children shortly after the presentation.