Shalom B'Harim

08/22/2026

Shabbat Shalom! We're pleased to welcome Sarah Richards as our guest spiritual leader this morning. It's always good to come together as a community.

08/14/2026

Shabbat Shalom from Shalom b'Harim!

We're pleased to announce that our next Shabbat morning service on August 22 at 10:00 a.m. at Unity of Gainesville will be led by Sarah Richards - one of the candidates for Shalom b'Harim's spiritual leader. Sarah earned a B.A in Jewish studies from Emory University and an M.A. in religious studies at the University of Georgia. She received ordination as a Jewish spiritual leader through the Kohenet Institute in 2011. Before, during, and after this program of study, Sarah taught classes of all ages in religious schools and continuing education programs. She has also served as the religious school director at Congregation Children of Israel in Athens.

The service will be followed by a Lunch and Learn presentation by our congregant Mark Bauman, Ph.D. His topic is "The Historic Congregations of Atlanta." A retired professor of history at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Mark is the author or editor of 12 books. His collected essays, A New Vision of Southern Jewish History (2019), won the 2023 Southern Jewish Historical Society award as the best book in the field published during the previous four years. His history of southern Jewry until 1860 will be published by LSU Press in 2027. Mark is the founding and current editor of Southern Jewish History, an annual, peer-reviewed journal, and co-editor of the Jews and Judaism; History and Culture series published by the University of Alabama Press.

If you'd like to join us, use this link to register:
https://bit.ly/4x4BukK

07/17/2026

So pleased to come together for a Shabbat service with the Shalom b'Harim family. It's always a joy to see everyone! Shabbat Shalom!

07/04/2026

"Freedom is hard to attain, but it is very easy to lose. And that's why it has to be fought for in every generation." — Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Shabbat Shalom! Wishing everyone in the Shalom b'Harim family and beyond a safe and meaningful Independence Day Weekend.

Photo by Jingda Chen on Unsplash]

06/19/2026

We gather this evening with gratitude - both for the opportunity to be together, and for the spiritual leadership that Rabbi Matan Peled has given us during the past two years. We are sad that he is leaving us to take a pulpit near Boston, but we wish him and his family all the very best in the years ahead.

05/29/2026

Shabbat Shalom from Shalom b'Harim!

Here's a programming note for you: Tonight at 9 p.m., PBS's Great Performances is airing "Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy" – narrated by Joel Grey. It's bound to be entertaining and informative. As one of the most memorable memorable songs in "Spamalot" points out, "You won't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews!" Enjoy...

Narrated by Broadway legend Joel Grey, this documentary explores the role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical and showcases the work of some of the nation’s preeminent creators of musical theater including Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gers...

05/08/2026

Shabbat Shalom! Earlier this week, a group of us gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Shalom b'Harim - the Jewish Community of the North Georgia Mountains. Among the attendees were six of our founders! It was a warm and meaningful get-together with many good memories shared. We're grateful for those who started us on the course of creating a Jewish presence in North Georgia and to everyone who sustains us today. Come join us!