www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SYNAGOGUE GUIDE
Sirner, Shearith Fit Each Other’s Needs for a Year
By Leah R. Harrison
“I
nterim rabbi” can imply many
things. In the case of Congregation Shearith Israel and Rabbi
Melvin Sirner, it’s a perfect fit.
Rabbi Sirner’s presence is reassuring, and his experience is vast. He is
filling a void for Shearith after a rollercoaster, unsuccessful search last year
for a full-time rabbi to succeed Rabbi
Hillel Norry, who left at the end of June.
That search will resume after the High
Holidays.
The interim position at Shearith
also has allowed Rabbi Sirner to remove himself from the spotlight at his
New Rochelle, N.Y., synagogue of 43
years, giving a new rabbi the space to
take the helm at Beth El Synagogue,
where Rabbi Sirner now has emeritus
status. He is left with a path to return
to his home community when his
Shearith contract ends in a year.
He decided 1½ years ago to retire
from Beth El, whose membership is
more than twice Shearith’s. “Even as it
has been a great blessing to be in one
place for a long time, the pulpit rabbinate requires 120 percent of oneself, of
time, energy. I attempted to give that,
and I felt that I was looking to have a
little more time, a little more freedom,
a little more leisure, and therefore I decided that it was time for me to retire.”
Knowing that a rabbinic search
can be an extended process, Rabbi
Sirner gave the synagogue extensive
notice.
Born and raised in Chicago, he
spent many formative summers as a
camper and in staff roles at the Conservative movement’s Ramah camps,
“which had a big influence in my high
school and college years towards pursuing further Jewish study and the rabbinate.”
After earning his bachelor’s in
political science and psychology from
the University of Michigan, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1972. He then went to Beth El
for what he thought would be a twoyear stint as the assistant rabbi. But he
became the senior rabbi when Rabbi
David Golovensky retired in 1976, and
Rabbi Sirner remained there until his
retirement this summer.
“My full-time rabbinate has been
one place, 43 years,” Rabbi Sirner said.
Congregation
Kehillat HaShem
invites you to join in the celebration of the High Holy
Days in the secure and peaceful setting of
Brookdale
1000 Applewood Drive, Roswell, GA
Services are open to all at no charge.*
AUGUST 21 ▪ 2015
High Holy Day services are led by Rabbi Jeffery Feinstein and follow the
Reform Machzor “Gates of Repentance”. Worshippers are encouraged
to bring their own books. A limited number are available at services.
AJT
26
Erev Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah Day
Kol Nidre
Yom Kippur Morning
Afternoon
Yizkor
Neilah and Havdalah
Schedule of Services
9/13/2015
7:30 pm
9/14/2015 10:00 am
9/22/2015
7:00 pm
9/23/2015 10:00 am
3:00 pm
4:30 pm (approximate)
5:00 pm (approximate)
For additional information contact Rabbi Feinstein at
770 218-8094, or visit him on the web at: www.rabbiatlanta.com
* Donations are appreciated to help us continue to provide services
was familiar with the synagogue and
“So this is a big move for me.”
He and his wife, Lenore, have three its “long and distinguished history of
adult children: two in New York and serving the Jewish community here in
one in Atlanta. Lenore is a former ad- Atlanta.”
Knowing a few people here and
ministrator and retired director of the
social work department at the Burke getting to be near his daughter, sonin-law and first
Re h a b i l i t a t i o n
grandchild “made
Hospital in White
the
possibility
Plains.
very interesting
Although
and exciting.”
Shearith
Israel
He was carediscovered Rabbi
ful to add: “I’m
Sirner
through
not coming here
a Rabbinic Asjust because of
sembly interim
our grandchild,
rabbi search in
right? I’m not
late spring, prior
coming here to
forces were in
tread water. I’m
play. He found
here to do everythe
synagogue
thing I can to suslast year through
Rabbi Melvin Sirner
tain and to build
Sha