TISHREI 5787 Spark J E W I S בס"ד H Stories from Chabad Centers Across the State of Georgia JEWISH DAWGS Rabbi Michoel and Chana Refson ignite Jewish life at UGA 14 JEWISH PRIDE ON FULL DISPLAY AT WORLD CUP GAMES 18 IAN RATNER ON TZEDAKAH, FAMILY, AND IMPACT 36 A RABBI WHO WILL DRIVE ACROSS GEORGIA FOR ONE JEW
Publisher Rabbi Isser New Editors Rabbi Ari Sollish Rabbi Mendy Wineberg Associate Editor Noson Sollish Contributing Writers Tzali Reicher Chana Kornfeld Tzemach Feller Temmi Hadar Design Chana Tenenbaum Editorial Inquiries: chabadgamag@gmail.com On the cover: Rabbi Michoel and Chana Refson with Jewish students outside their Chabad at UGA center in Athens, GA 5 Greetings 6 Perspectives: Sweating the Easy Life 8 Where Lives Are Changed Rabbi Yossi New Rabbi Chaim Schwartz Chabad at UGA 14 News and Happenings 18 How Giving Has Changed Me 22 Photo Gallery 26 The Roundtable 28 CteenU: Jewish Teachings That Have Teens Wrapped 32 Blast From the Past 36 From Sydney and Bel Air to Rural Georgia 42 A Taste of the South 46 Directory A Conversation with Ian Ratner High Holiday Edition Meet Rabbi Chaim & Chayala Markovits Favorite Chabad House Recipes 8
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Dear Reader, I write this message to you at a time of unprecedented growth for Chabad in Georgia. It has been 42 years since my wife, Dassie, and I arrived in Atlanta as Shluchim (emissaries) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of saintly memory. The Torah records 42 journeys the Jews embarked on from Egypt until they reached their destination, the Holy Land of Israel. In the past 42 years, Chabad of Georgia (and I think this is emblematic of the Chabad phenomenon worldwide) has evolved from a fledgling small organization into a dynamic network of religious, educational, and social services that touch every segment of the Jewish community. From early childhood (preschools, day schools, day camps) to teenagers (CTeens) to college students (Chabad On Campus) to young professionals (YJP) to senior citizen programming, to specialized programs like Friendship Circle there is something for everyone. Generally speaking, people respond positively to love and authenticity. The very foundation of the Chabad doctrine is unconditional and non judgmental love for a fellow Jew. At Chabad one experiences an authentic and joyous Judaism. It connects us to our past, provides purpose to our present life and gives us hope for our future. In a world seemingly being taken over by A.I., Judaism underscores the irreplaceable value of the human being in the study of Torah and the performance of mitzvot. from Rabbi Yossi New, Regional Director of Chabad of Georgia This empowerment, that only humans can make this world a more moral and spiritual place is what motivates Chabad Shluchim to lead the “charge”. I would like to take a moment to express my deep appreciation and admiration for all of the Shluchim and Shluchos, the 42 Shluchim families here in the great State of Georgia, for their selfless and joyfilled dedication to Am Yisrael and to the welfare of individual Jews throughout the state. And we thank Y”ALL who have partnered with the Shluchim to create this “force for goodness and kindness " that impacts, not just the Jewish community, but society in general. My friends, the journey aint over. We’ve only just begun! May the world be blessed with enduring peace “now”. Shana Tova U’metukah. Rabbi Yossi New
Chabad of Downtown Roswell Sweating the Easy Life By almost every measure, daily life has never been easier. To appreciate just how much has changed, let’s go back 100 years and consider what everyday life looked like then. Laundry meant collecting the clothes, soaking them, rubbing each item on a washboard, wringing everything out by hand, and hanging it to dry. That’s pretty much a full day's work. Need to cook? First, haul in enough wood or coal to keep the cast-iron stove burning. And the same fuel was needed just to heat the house. It was a never ending chore. Food had to be prepared from 6 JEWISH SPARK TISHREI 5787 In a world full of comforts, hard work shows what we value most scratch. Even a morning cup of coffee meant grinding the beans by hand. By almost every measure, life is getting easier. And the pace of change is accelerating. Now compare that to life today. This is an extraordinary blessing. Countless hours that were once spent simply keeping daily life running have disappeared. From the touch of our smartphones we can start the washing machine, adjust the thermostat, and order a hot coffee delivered to our door, all while sitting comfortably on the couch. And we're only getting started. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily life, even more responsibilities will disappear. Why drive when the car can drive itself? Why decide what's for dinner when a computer can scan the pantry and make the decision for you? And with more time comes the freedom to choose where to invest it. In a sense, technology has helped us uncover what we truly value. When something requires effort or inconvenience, and we choose to do it anyway, we are making a statement. We wake up early to exercise. We drive across town to visit an aging relative. We volunteer or help a neighbor even
our schedule. The effort itself says something about what we value. It is tempting to think that if we could eliminate enough inconvenience, we would finally arrive at happiness. Win the lottery. Automate the house. Shorten the commute. Outsource the chores. If everything were finally easy, we tell ourselves, then we would feel relaxed and content. Yet something curious happens when life becomes too easy. After an extended stay at the beach, many people find themselves itching to get home. Even retirement, a stage of life many people dream about for decades, often leaves them searching for volunteer work, hobbies, or a new routine. Rest is wonderful, but only for a while. Eventually, we begin longing for something deeper than comfort. We long for purpose. Judaism recognized this truth thousands of years ago. King Solomon writes, "A person is born to toil." At first glance, it sounds pessimistic. But Jewish wisdom understands it very differently. We are not meant to spend our lives avoiding effort. We are meant to grow through it. Our deepest satisfaction comes from taking our own “pekel,” our unique talents and resources, and doing something meaningful with them. We grow when we stretch our capacities, overcome resistance, and invest ourselves in things that matter. Comfort can make life pleasant, but challenge is what gives it meaning. The Talmud (Bava Metzia 38a) expresses this idea with a remarkable insight: a person would rather have one measure that he earned himself than nine measures received from someone else. We all recognize this feeling. The meal we cooked ourselves tastes better, and the relationship we invested in feels stronger. A skill we worked hard to acquire becomes part of who we are. A mitzvah that requires extra effort carries a deeper sense of fulfillment. Judaism has never viewed effort We are not meant to spend our lives avoiding effort. We are meant to grow through it. as an unfortunate obstacle standing between us and happiness. The effort itself is part of the gift. It shapes us into people who are wiser, kinder, more patient, more generous, and more connected to G-d. As we prepare for the Jewish New Year, we reflect on the creation of the entire world and the mission that G-d gives humanity to make that world a more perfect place. Seemingly, if he’s so powerful, why didn’t He make it perfect from the outset? That would definitely be easier! The Zohar explains that freebies aren't worth anything. And something that we earn ourselves is beyond value. We have been given a gift to accomplish even though we are limited beings with limited resources and capabilities. And we are accomplishing something wildly beyond our own estimation. So as we enter the new year, perhaps the question we should be asking ourselves is: Where can I put in more effort? Maybe it means setting aside ten minutes each morning for prayer or Torah study. Maybe it means making the difficult phone call we have been putting off. Maybe it means preparing a Shabbat meal on Friday night or inviting someone new to join the Shabbat table we already have. Maybe it means taking on one mitzvah that asks just a little more of us. Once the inspiration fades, will it be challenging? Of course. But when our lives are filled with meaning and purpose, what more could we want? Technology will continue to make our lives easier, and we should welcome those blessings with gratitude. But we should never confuse convenience with fulfillment. The happiest lives are not necessarily the ones with the least resistance. They are the ones filled with meaningful effort, growth, and contributions that only we can make. So as we enter this new year, look for something worthy of your time and effort. Take on something that will stretch you, challenge you, and allow you to give more of yourself. That is where purpose is found. And that is how a truly meaningful year takes shape. JEWISH SPARK TISHREI 5787 7
Where Lives Are Changed At Chabad at UGA, Jewish students find a warm Shabbat dinner and a connection that stays with them long after their college days
here is something charmingly nostalgic about looking back at the beginning of a story once you know the story ends well. Today, Chabad at the University of Georgia serves hundreds of students, hosts massive Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations, owns a beautiful property in the heart of Athens, and is preparing to build a 13,000-square-foot center that will shape Jewish life for generations. But twenty years ago, it was just a young newlywed couple with a pocket full of dreams. Rabbi Michoel and Chana Refson arrived in Athens in August of 2005. They had been married only a few months, ready to begin their shared dream of joining the Rebbe’s army of shluchim. “We were young and clueless,” Chana quips. Young enough to be full of idealistic inspiration, and clueless enough to not really know what raising a Chabad family in Athens would be like. The story began when Rabbi Yossi New was looking to bring a Chabad presence to UGA. Many couples were interviewed. The Refsons were still engaged when Michoel first called Rabbi New and expressed interest. “I think Rabbi New was impressed,” Chana recalls. “He saw a young guy, newly engaged and he’s already calling. Such a go-getter.’” After they married in March, Rabbi New called again. The couple originally selected for the position was no longer coming. “Are you still interested?” he asked. They were. Rabbi New flew to New York to interview them and then brought them down to Athens to see the campus. It was May and school was out of session. “Rabbi Lew and Rabbi Lipskier drove us down,” Chana remembers. “Athens was completely empty. We had no idea what we were getting into.” Among those helping evaluate the young couple were students Darren Tobin and Adon Solomon. Darren still remembers that first meeting. “I told Rabbi Refson, ‘You're not going to have anyone to study Talmud with over there.’” Rabbi Refson’s response was immediate. “You'll be the one I learn with.” And he was. That exchange would become symbolic of everything that followed. Where others saw limitations, the Refsons saw possibility. The young couple had planned to spend another year learning in New York as newlyweds. Rabbi New, however, was blunt. “School starts in August. It's now or never.” So they packed up and came. On August 10, 2005, they landed in Atlanta, rented a car, loaded it with their belongings, and drove to Athens using directions printed from MapQuest. They found a rental house on South View Drive and got to work. The very JEWISH SPARK TISHREI 5787 9
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