Temple Israel (Memphis)

05/29/2026

Friday Night Shabbat

05/28/2026

Hats off to a sweet school year! Our Shalom Ceremony celebrated our BKL ELC students and graduates with an all-school performance, filling our Greenstein Sanctuary with four generations of families.

05/23/2026

It is a Jewish tradition to remember loved ones at the close of all Jewish festivals, and this year’s intimate and reflective Shavuot Yizkor service will be held on Saturday, May 23. If you are unable to join us in person, the service will be livestreamed on our website, timemphis.org, and on the Temple Israel page.

05/22/2026

There is a beautiful teaching in the midrash that says that when God gave Torah at Mount Sinai, the entire mountain bloomed with flowers and trees in anticipation of that moment of revelation. As if the natural world itself understood that something transformative was happening. As if becoming a people shaped by covenant required being surrounded by signs of growth and renewal. - Rabbi Leah Sternberg. Happy Shavuot!

05/21/2026

Each year, the Jewish festival of Shavuot presents an opportunity to celebrate the gift of Torah. Together, Temple Israel and Beth Sholom Synagogue present an evening exploring how our Memphis Jewish community embodies the values, teachings, and continuing legacy of our sacred texts daily. Join us for an evening of music and meaning-making as we hear stories from within our community woven together with music from Rabbis Ross Levy and Sammy Rosenbaum alongside Cantorial Soloist Eleanor Tallie Steinberg.

Our joint Shavuot observance will begin at 7 pm with cheesecake, tea, coffee, and shmoozing before lighting candles and reciting kiddush at 7:30. The program will highlight community stories surrounding the ancient teaching from Pirkei Avot: "The world stands upon three things: the Torah, sacred service (avodah), and acts of lovingkindness (g'milut chasadim)". After opening reflections from Rabbi Harry Danziger, we are excited to lift up the voices of community members who put our ancient teachings into action. We hope to see you there!

05/21/2026

The holiday of Shavuot reminds us that Torah isn’t just something we learn - it’s something we live. ✨
This moving piece, performed by our Cantorial Soloist Eleanor Tallie Steinberg and set by Noah Aronson, invites us to slow down, open our hearts, and remember the holiness woven into everyday life.
As we celebrate Shavuot this week, may this season inspire us to notice the sacred in every breath, every interaction, and every step along the journey. 🤍

05/17/2026

"When government leaders sling around terms like Pharisee," writes Rabbi Greenstein, "it feeds antisemitism." Check out his monthly column for The Daily Memphian here: https://www.timemphis.org/blog?post_id=1734478

05/15/2026