Several Jews of color share their thoughts on inclusion and challenges within Jewish Atlanta.

Twitter can be a terrible place (for example, it has a Nazi problem and lots of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories). But it can also be delightful — full of stories about puppies, jokes about Jared Kushner and Cynthia Nixon’s bagel order, and Russian Doll tweets. But there’s one segment of Twitter that could actually make your scrolling experience meaningful: rabbis.

“The goal is to broaden our narrative, and broaden our vision and understanding.”

Tema Smith’s own experiences as a mixed race person shape her vision as a Jewish professional.

White Ashkenazi author writes Indian Jewish children's book that reflects the changing Jewish world.

A change expert and rabbi-to-be offers advice on how to make change happen.

Telling the story of a movement set in the context of 200 years of history, in 127 minutes means that inevitably some of the lines between history and myth will be blurred. But do not underestimate the power in the cinemagraphic telling of history. Color returns dimensionality to images that we know only in shades of black and white. Camera angles bring out the intimacies and tensions that go into the small moments that make up epic events. In the rabbinic tradition we call filling in of the official narrative, midrash, or interpretation. And midrash is one of most powerful tools we have to teach us about the past, remind us of our values and focus our actions for the future.

I’ve been blessed over the years to have many temporary Jewish spaces that capture the expansive, inclusive, joyful feeling that Sukkot is meant to inspire but one that has gained particular meaning for me in the last few years is the Be’chol Lashon Family Camp.

In my own life and in my rabbinate, I often draw on the story of journey from Egypt to the land of Israel. But usually it is a metaphor. This past week, it became much more tangible, literally embodied.