Passover on the horizon
April 10 (12 Nisan Adar 5785)
🤯 The Spicy Peach, Kosher Gourmet, and Kosher Kroger in Toco were all bustling this week in preparation for the holiday. If you haven’t figured it all out yet – and really, who has? – here are a few last-minute options.
🍲 Goldbergs is offering a holiday menu including chicken soup with matzah balls, chopped chicken liver, smoked white fish salad, apple walnut charoset, homemade gefilte fish, and matzah farfel kugels.
🍽️ The General Muir offers Passover catering, but the seated seder dinner is stellar. No dishes? Sign me up.
🎉 And if you’re just feeling the Israeli vibe, pop over to Rina on the Beltline for the Patio Party Series on Thursday, April 17 from 6 to 8 p.m.
👉🏼 Need a recipe? 18Doors has you covered. If all else fails, follow Alison Roman. She’s a modern day Joan Nathan.
Chag sameach!
Y’alla,
Logan
✡️ There’s a whole new way to become a Jewish adult! JKG’s B Mitzvah program for 6th-8th graders combines Jewish learning, friendship, and community service. Students celebrate their important milestone with a group ceremony and celebration. Learn more and sign up for the 2025-2026 school year. SPONSOR MESSAGE
My Jewish moms group ousted me because I work for J Street. Is this what communal life has come to?
BY EMILY KAIMAN
📱 When I moved to Atlanta nearly a decade ago, other Jewish moms insisted I join the Facebook group Jewish Moms of Atlanta. It wasn’t just a place to trade pediatrician recommendations or ask about summer camps; it was a digital extension of our Jewish communal life. JMOA was where I found everything from ideas for local date nights to support in navigating parenting my four young Jewish kids. It felt like a home.
Last week, I was kicked out of that group, with no warning and no option to appeal. All because — it seems — I work for J Street, a pro-Israel, pro-peace organization that supports diplomacy, democracy and a future where both Israelis and Palestinians can live in freedom and security.
I learned I had been booted from the group after a friend sent me a screenshot of a post from one of its moderators. “Anyone affiliated with organizations that undermine Israel’s security and the Jewish people (JVP, J Street, etc.) should exit the group immediately,” she wrote, adding, “I cannot tolerate supporters/sympathizers of terrorism or those seeking to co-opt our community here anymore.”
➡ Read Emily’s full piece.
Embark on a prehistoric adventure!
SPONSORED BY FERNBANK MUSEUM
🦖 Journey through time at Fernbank Museum to discover what made dinosaurs that once roamed the Southern Hemisphere unique from their better-known relatives in North America. With stunning skeletal displays and augmented reality, the new exhibit Ultimate Dinosaurs reveals how the breakup of Pangaea shaped the evolution of dinosaurs. See life-sized casts, fossils, and hands-on specimens like Eoraptor and Giganotosaurus.
➡ Visit the Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit daily during regular hours, plus select after-hours events until May 4. Plan your visit today and step into the prehistoric world!
Camp Ramah to honor Hersh Goldberg-Polin
💝 The Goldberg-Polin family celebrated Passover at Camp Ramah Darom for years. To honor the passing of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a young man taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and killed by Hamas, Camp Ramah is dedicating a new parochet (curtain) in the ark. The ceremony will be available by virtual meeting for former campers and their families on Thursday, April 17.
“Many have asked for a way to connect to Hersh’s memory on our campus. His annual presence during Passover in Ramah Darom’s Beit Knesset, sitting faithfully alongside his family, was a powerful expression of his spirit and love for this community. We hope this parochet—a permanent, beautiful reminder of his presence—will serve as both a tribute and an inspiration to all who come to daven in this sacred space,” Ramah Darom Director Eliana Kaplan, director of the Kaplan Mitchell Retreat Center, said in an email.
The parochet was created by Jerusalem-based artist Sharon Binder, a camp staff alumna.
A sustainable passover
🌲 Adamah, the largest Jewish environmental organization in North America, has published an extensive resource guide to keeping Passover sustainable through meals, rituals, and more.
Here are some examples:
🍽️ If you’re using disposable plates this year, try bamboo or compostable products.
🪴 Potted plants make a great tablescape, and can be planted in your own garden.
🥕 Buy vegetables at the local farmers market.
🌅 Thinking about Jewish learning for your child? Want more family time in one place? Or Hadash’s Shabbat morning experiential children’s program offers both! Attend our April 26 Open House to experience the warmth, learning, and community. Learn more! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Thank you, Bernie and Arthur
🫶🏼 Avalon Action Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to providing life-changing programs for veterans and first responders, is holding its Inaugural Gala on Thursday, April 10 at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
This event honors the legacy of Bernie Marcus, Avalon’s founder, and Arthur M. Blank, who will be awarded the Legacy of Service award. Multi-award-winning actor and musician Gary Sinise will emcee the event and perform.
The evening will bring together leaders in business and philanthropy, as well as the military and first responder communities.
↪️ Click here to get tickets and learn more.
Jewish American history events
📚 The Jewish South: An American History
Dr. Shari Rabin’s new book, “The Jewish South” is the topic of discussion on Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. Rabin and Dr. Eric Goldstein, leaders at the Southern Jewish Historical Society, will lead the conversation. Register to attend in-person or on Zoom.
🚶🏻♀️L’Chaim walking tour
On Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m., local artist and history buff Joel Silverman will lead a 2.5 mile walking tour of Jewish Atlanta circa the early 1900s in the Grant Park area. Register here.
🍷 JF&CS presents The Tasting Experience. An evening of wine and spirits, delicious food from your ATL favorites, and a chance to make an impact in our community. Join us May 1st at The Stave Room. Get tickets here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
What’s doin’ around town
SPONSORED BY CONGREGATION OR HADASH
🛝 April 15: PJ Library Passover Playground Popup.
🗣️ April 24: An evening with Anne Applebaum.
🍺 April 27: Post-Passover Babies and Brews.
✡️ The next Jewish holiday is Passover, which begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12.
🕯️Light Shabbat candles this week at 7:47 p.m.
🗓️ A Morning of Laughter (and Bagels!) Or Hadash welcomes home Atlanta native and Emmy-winning comedy writer Rob Kutner for a lively chat about his new book—a witty spin on Jewish history — Sun., April 27. Bring a friend and join the fun!
Next year in Jerusalem
🤗 The team at Y’alla wishes everyone a Happy Passover. This photo of the wailing wall was taken by publisher Keith Pepper on his recent visit to Israel. L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim!
