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Atlanta Scholars Kollel
1959 Lavista Road
Atlanta, GA 30329
www.atlantakollel.org
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Atlanta, GA
Permit No. 1661
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OF THE ATLANTA SCHOLARS KOLLEL
December 2014/Kislev 5775
Volume 3 Edition 2
Winning Techie Minds and Hearts at Georgia Tech
by Josh Bains
insight into our traditional teachings, commentators and
concepts.
(continued from front page)
Gabby is graduating in December from Georgia Tech, and is
accustomed to the hard study for her degree in chemical engineering; she already has a job scheduled at BASF, the world’s
largest chemical company, which is headquartered in Germany.
It was the women’s version of A Taste of Yeshiva, hosted by
Rabbi Gelbtuch, that brought in young men like Nathan
Sacks, a mechanical engineering student graduating next
Happy
Chanukah!
Compared to our compatriots in Jerusalem, New York and
even Baltimore, Atlanta is a dim star in the Bible Belt.
Yet after A Taste of Seminary she says:
“The most amazing thing about Torah is that it is made for
both types of learning - intellectual and experiential. It wasn’t
until this summer when I realized that growing through experiences can be the most transformative.
“The support of everyone this summer was what inspired me
to take on tznius and Shabbos.”
Before beginning her job, Gabby plans to attend the Shearim
Contact me for all of your residential mortgage needs!
seminary in Jerusalem for approximately nine months, because she was so inspired by the Atlanta Scholars Kollel proRaphael Hirsch
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Raphael Hirsch
Mortgage Banker, NMLS# 16134
And Nathan says: “I am very grateful for all Rabbi Gelbtuch has
done. He is extremely modest but deserves so much credit for
just how much he does for students like me as well as the community. He is the reason I was brought back to Judaism and
remain connected, and for that, among many other reasons, I
will be always be grateful for him.”
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Here in the deep south, we may see our place and contribution as a speck on the Jewish world map. There’s only one
pizza shop, and no kosher bakery. The Atlanta Scholars Kollel is like a small roadside stand of Jewish learning on the month from Georgia Tech.
way to (or from) the great yeshivos in the capitals of the To“I’d always heard about Torah study,” says Nathan.“But what
rah world.
does Torah study really mean?”
But Atlanta’s quiet isolation from the roar of traditional Jewish study is what makes stories like Gabby Viola’s ring with a He found out as Rabbi Gelbtuch escorted Nathan and a
purity that you can only appreciate once you’ve wandered group of his friends into the world of Gemara. “I actually
was surprised with how much I enjoyed Gemara study, and
this far.
enjoyed these debates...And now I’m strongly considering
“I’ve been on my own Jewish journey for growth for a while yeshiva.”
now, but I feel like this summer has been the most I’ve ever
Awakening to the multifaceted nature of Torah study was a
actualized my growth,” Gabby says.
theme in both the men’s and women’s classes. Gabby says,
Her summer was spent in part with Rabbi and Rebbetzen “I’ve always thought people learn in one of two ways - they
Gelbtuch, one of the campus outreach couples of the At- were either intellectual learners or experiential learners. For
lanta Scholars Kollel who bring the intellectual nuance and me, I thought I was such an intellectual learner that I would
spiritual rigor of our mesorah to Maimonides students at never grow through learning via experiences. So when I beGeorgia Tech.
gan this summer my goal was Jewish growth. And my plan
Through the program, Gabby and her classmates received was to do it all on my own by listening to hours of Torah
instruction from a variety of speakers, including Rabbi Ilan classes and keep my head in the books as much as possible.
Feldman, Batsheva Gelbtuch, Chedva Sarna and Chaya Me- “Little did I know what G-d had in store for me.”
nucha Feldman. As she learned and grew with the Gelbtuch’s group, she
“I can’t tell you what it specifically was about the summer,” wanted to change - even though it was a challenge.
says Gabby. “If it was Chedva’s amazing Rashi classes, Chaya’s
amazing relatable classes, or Batsheva’s incredibly heartfelt “One of the biggest things is that people were taking on
concrete things. People started saying Modeh Ani (the
words.”
prayer upon awakening) every morning, and we were all
The series of classes that Rebbetzen Gelbtuch organized trying to grow together as a group.”
for the girls was called A Taste of Seminary, and provided
(continued on back page)
Meet the
Friedmans
How many times do you need to visit Atlanta
before you’ll move your family here?
For Rabbi Netanel and Reva Friedman the
Kollel’s newest addition the answer is about 100!
Rabbi Netanel grew up on the very special campus of Ner Israel Rabbinical College
just outside of Baltimore, MD. The environment there is infused with a love for Judaism and a drive to do for the Jewish People.
From a young age he dreamed of sharing his love of Judaism with others. During
his high school years Rabbi Netanel was an NCSY Adviser and participated in Project
SEED (Torah Umesorah’s summer outreach program) in Providence RI. He got his
first taste of inspiring others to appreciate the beauty of Judaism and to “pass it on”.
Rabbi Netanel spent a year and a half learning in Yeshivas Toras Moshe in Yerushalayim before coming home to learn in Ner Israel. He was there for eight years earning a Masters in Talmudic law & understudying some of the experienced teachers &
rabbinic leaders in Baltimore.
popular city-wide learning: Mondays in
Midtown, Rabbi Binyomin Sloviter at the
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta;
Tuesdays in the Northern Perimeter area,
Rabbi Daniel Freitag at The Procaccianti
Group, Rabbi Binyomin Friedman at
Habif Arogeti and Wynne; and in the
Cumberland area, Rabbi Dave Silverman
at Taylor-English;
Wednesdays in
Doraville, Rabbi Daniel Freitag at Halpern
Within the past year, five new Lunch n’ Enterprises. These are all open to the
Learns have been added to ASK’s most public. Visit atlantakollel.org!
LET’S
LUNCH
n
LEARN
ASK Lunch ‘n Learn schedule:
All are for men and women unless indicated.
MONDAYS:
NORTHERN PERIMETER
with Rabbi Michoel Lipschutz
2ND AND 4TH MONDAY OF THE MONTH – NOON
Cox Communications
6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Road
DECATUR
with Rabbi Binyomin Sloviter
FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH – NOON
Emory Grad. School of Public Health
1518 Clifton Road
SANDY SPRINGS (women only)
with Rabbi David Silverman
MONTHLY – 1:30 PM
Home of Lynda Walker
150 Belmont Trace
Reva grew up in NJ but was living in Far Rockaway NY & had been teaching in an
outreach school in Queens NY and shared the goal to “pass it on”. They married in
2006.
VIRTUAL - JEFF AND THE RABBI
with Rabbi Binyomin Friedman
WEEKLY – 12:15 PM
youtube.com/user/sidetickvideos
Rabbi Netanel is the nephew of Rabbi Binyomin and Dena Friedman and spent
many a Yom Tov visiting cousins in Atlanta. In 2006, 2007, & 2008 the Friedmans
led the SEED groups in Dunwoody, spending the summer with family and teaching
Torah at the same time.
NORTHERN PERIMETER
with Rabbi Daniel Freitag
BI-WEEKLY – 12:10 PM
TPG Companies / TPG Hospitality
6000 Lake Forrest Drive, Suite 455
After learning in the Ner Israel Kollel in Baltimore for five years, the Friedmans decided it was time to share their love of Torah and Judaism full time, so they accepted a
position in the Sharon Community Kollel. Filled with warmth and enthusiasm, their
teaching and programs inspired Jews of all ages and affiliations in Massachusetts.
The Friedmans were a big hit!
TUESDAYS
But an offer to join the amazing staff at the Atlanta Scholars Kollel and live near
family enticed the Friedmans to move to a city they had visited many times before.
They arrived in mid-August with their five children: Zvi - 7, Leba Raizel - 5, Hennie
- 4, Shirah Basya - 2, and Esther - 8 months.
They have hit the ground running, hosting young adult holiday programming
and learning with new friends. Their focus has been the Dunwoody area, where
they live, with the goal to engage the
many young families who live there.
But look out for them all around metro-Atlanta, they are full of energy and
a pleasure to spend time with!
NORTHERN PERIMETER
with Rabbi Binyomin Friedman
SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH – NOON
Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLC
5 Concourse Pkwy #1000
SNELLVILLE
with Rabbi Michoel Lipschutz
FOURTH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH - 12:30 PM
East Side Hospital
1800 Tree Ln # 300
NORTHERN PERIMETER (women only)
with Mrs. Rifki Freundlich
WEEKLY - NOON
Lefkoff, Rubin, Gleason and Rousso
5555 Glenridge Connector
CUMBERLAND
with Rabbi David Silverman
MONTHLY - 12:00 PM
Taylor English Duma
1600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 400
WEDNESDAYS
BUCKHEAD
with Rabbi Daniel Freitag
ALTERNATE WEDNESDAYS - 12:15 P.M.
AARONS GRANT AND HABIF
3500 Piedmont Rd. #500
SANDY SPRINGS
with Rabbi Netanel Friedman
MONTHLY -12:00 PM
AIPAC
1100 Windy Ridge Pkwy
DORAVILLE
with Rabbi Daniel Freitag
MONTHLY - NOON
HALPERN ENTERPRISES
5269 Buford Highway
FRIDAY
TOCO HILLS with Rabbi Menashe Goldberger
FRIDAYS - 12:30 PM
ASK Lavista Beis Midrash
1855 Lavista Road
ASK Men’s Israel
Learning Safari
The Kollel will once again be running its famous
'Israel Learning Safari' for men this February!
This year's trip will be led by
Rabbi Daniel Freitag and features a week of
• Mornings of guided Torah study for all levels
• Exploring Israel’s off the beaten path
• Inspirational talks by fascinating personalities
• Shabbat in Jerusalem! If you are interested, please be in touch with Rabbi Freitag
for more info: [email protected]
Chanukah Dvar Torah
STANDING UP TO INJUSTICE, SAYING YES TO VALUES
by Ally Sillins
I visited New Orleans during winter break of 2008. I was 15, and while most of my
friends were spending their winter break relaxing at the beach, my dad had different
plans for my brother and me. We weren’t going to New Orleans to sightsee - we were
going to rebuild houses.
The St. Bernard Parish had been destroyed in
2005 by Hurricane Katrina and three years later
it wasn’t looking much better. Trash lined the
TO JEWISH LEARNING
streets and houses remained torn to shreds. I can
still remember the marking on the door of the
house next door to the one we were rebuilding
denoting whether or not any dead bodies had
been found in the home. One had. Three years
had gone by and families, who had been forced
out of their homes, were still unable to return. We did our part by installing insulation
and mudding and sanding the drywall. When the family that lived in the house came
by to meet us, I could see the hope and relief in their faces. We were strangers brought
together to fight the devastation of it all and the injustice that pursued in its wake.
T
2015
2014
RIBUTE
save the date
march 15, 2015
The Hanukkah story represents a similar battle, the fight against the injustice of the
Greeks and their attempt to obliterate Jewish values. Our ancestors in Israel were
not able to practice our religion freely, and the Torah was under attack. We stood up
against one of the most powerful armies and fought back, and with Hashem’s Divine
Providence we were victorious. Standing up for the Torah and fighting for the sake of
Hashem’s honor, taking a stand to injustice, this is what it means to be a Jew.
2014 has been a true year of tests for the Jewish people as 2005 was for residents
of New Orleans. We suffered through another war where thousands of bombs a day
rained down on Jews giving them merely a few seconds to find a bomb shelter. This
summer we lost 3 young boys and thwarted an assassination attempt of countless
Israeli school children, and we have now been warned to be cautious when wearing a
kippah in Europe. But, the Jewish people have been here before. We’ve been the underdogs and we have fought back. And this time again, we will fight
the injustice. Hanukkah is a lesson of the responsibility of the Jewish
people to fight injustice by strengthening our connection to the Almighty and commitment to His Torah. With Torah and our commitment to our Jewish identity the Jewish people will be victorious no
matter how powerful the enemy.
Networking 2014