A message from OVS President Michael Bouhadana

Each individual has within them the power to make an impact
on the lives of others.

We tend to notice this impact when we lose someone who brought light into our world, and into our community in particular. Unfortunately, at OVS, we have recently lost multiple longtime members who gave so much of themselves to help family, friends, and the community at large. While we will miss these individuals tremendously, I hope that their...Read more...

Congregation Or Veshalom wishes you a healthy and successful year for you and your entire family. 
 
Please come to our January 13 Israel Bonds Brunch reception and join me in honoring David and Pearline Franco as recipients of the Star of David Award. The congregation will host a special guest speaker, the General Consul of Israel in New York, Ambassador Dani Dayun. 
 
The Israel Bonds brunch is...Read more...

We are so blessed to be a part of a strong, supportive community. 
 
When our loved ones are ill, we have a Rabbi who will visit the sick and join us in prayer.
 
When faced with end of life events, we can count on Congregation Or VeShalom to take care of our family’s needs. Not only does OVS help coordinate shiva both at the synagogue and in private homes, but we also have men and women in our...Read more...

It was great to see so many members of our congregation and the greater community at the Bazaar this past Sunday. I found some real gems at the OVS book sale, and hope everyone else enjoyed their purchases, and event overall, while helping our Sisterhood meet their fund raising goals. Hanukah is a festive time for everyone, and I hope that you are all able to celebrate
with family and friends. 

Please know that you and your...Read more...

Thanksgiving is commonly associated with family gatherings, and I am sure that many of our members are planning to share a wonderful meal with family and friends over the holiday. I encourage you to bring that family spirit with you into the weekend, as you spend time with your OVS family. We have an amazing group of interesting people, and a warm and welcoming spirit. What a perfect time to come and spend with those you love, as well as...Read more...

It’s impossible to understand the reasons for such killings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We want to act and make things better, but we’re not sure how. I want to highlight below the Jewish Federation email (10/29, 5:00PM) to the Atlanta Jewish Community to “Rise up in ATL to Stand with Pittsburgh.” https://jewishatlanta.org/unitedwestand/
 
"…In the face of terror, we cannot hide. Two days ago there...Read more...

I am always so encouraged when I see children attending, participating in- and enjoying - Shabbat services. I am not alone; many people have commented on how wonderful it is to see children so welcomed in our sanctuary. Children are the future of our community, and we need to make sure that they feel at home
in our congregation.
 
Please continue to bring your children to Shabbat services and community events. Rabbi always...Read more...

I am looking forward to joining with all those who made a reservation for our Friday night dinner and conversation with Rabbi Kassorla under the sukkah tomorrow night. I encourage everyone to join us for future Shabbat dinners and please do bring your children.
 
We are a family and have so much to offer each other.  However, our community cannot be sustained by the Rabbi alone, or the board or any one of us...Read more...

Thank you to Rabbi Kassorla, Rabbi Sultan, the High HolyDay Committee led by David Franco, our ushers, our volunteers and the OVS office for bringing everyone together for such a spiritual Rosh Hashana service. Please read all our announcements for Yom Kippur service times and details.
Yom Kippur starts Tuesday evening, September 18.
 
Our hopes and prayers are with those in the path of Hurricane Florence. If anyone in the...Read more...

 We will be holding another Friday Night Dinner, “Conversations with Rabbi Kassorla,” tomorrow night, Friday, August 24, 2018.  Based on the current RSVP count, we're expecting another really well attended event.
 
As you may be aware, the Future of OVS Committee has distributed the OVS Community Survey. Please make sure to complete and return the survey as soon as possible: we want to ensure that we have a clear...Read more...

We’re grateful to host the scouts of Troop 73 at Congregation Or VeShalom. Thank you again to Nathan Holden of Troop 73 for including our congregation in your Eagle Scout project. Nathan set up two benches with landscaping, creating another natural setting where our community can sit and socialize.  I bet you’ll find me, and many others resting there during the break on Yom Kippur.  We appreciate the entire troop and their...Read more...

“To help other people at all times” is a basic tenet of one of the largest youth organizations in the USA. Please join me in saying thank you to Nathan Holden. As part of his process to become an Eagle Scout, Nathan is creating an outdoor natural space for our community to enjoy; including building two benches, planting trees and bushes. Our community is proud to host the Atlanta Boy Scouts Troop 73. Hearing about Nathan’s project...Read more...

Please join our community volunteers this Sunday, June 24, 10 AM to 3PM to rummage and sort through the decades-old archives of Congregation Or Veshalom. I would like to express my gratitude to Mariana Montiel for leading the effort as chair of our history committee. Your work as a volunteer on Sunday will be to open archived boxes and determine what value the contents might have to our community. If you enjoy opening...Read more...

On a recent business trip to Rhode Island (not to be confused with the Island of Rhodes), I thought I might attend a local Minyan service at a local synagogue in Providence. How do I find a synagogue suitable for me? I logged into my laptop and browsed through synagogue websites. I launched Facebook where I scrolled through synagogue pages for events. I wondered what sort of vibe comes through their Facebook presence. In 2018, individuals...Read more...

What would you do with your money if you received $86,000 every day for the rest of your life? The one condition is you cannot save your cash; you must spend the full amount each day or lose it. Rabbi Kassorla posed this thought question to everyone at our all-night Shavuot study session this past Saturday night. $86,000 is an analogy on the number of seconds we have each day.  The Rabbi led us into a thoughtful discussion and...Read more...