A North-Side Congregation Since 1978
Temple Emanu-El sits at 1580 Spalding Drive in the Dunwoody/Sandy Springs stretch of north Atlanta, where its members have been gathering under a sprawling roof for nearly five decades. The congregation was founded in 1978 by a daring group of Jewish families who wanted a spiritual home for families to come together and live a vibrant Jewish life. Their motto, still spoken at Shabbat services, and still stitched into the welcome at every membership event, is: "Temple Emanu-El, where friends are family."
Today, the synagogue serves more than 700 member families and is a member congregation of the Union for Reform Judaism. It describes itself as a "warm, caring neighborhood synagogue" that is focused on "transforming ourselves and our local community." Three rabbis lead it: Senior Rabbi Spike Anderson, Rabbi Rachael Klein Miller, and Rabbi Max Miller, supported by Cantorial Soloist Jessica Tillem, two rabbis emeriti, an executive director, a religious school director, and a long list of lay-led teams and committees. The congregation is egalitarian, inclusive, and family friendly, with a worship calendar that runs from Friday candle lighting through Saturday afternoon Havdalah.
Three Rabbis, Two Emeriti, and a Cantorial Soloist
Senior Rabbi Spike Anderson was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City in 2008, holds a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University in history and education, and once built companies in Silicon Valley before stepping into the rabbinate. He shares his life with his wife, Marita, and their three children, and his interests outside the synagogue include swimming and kayaking on the Chattahoochee.
Rabbi Rachael Klein Miller and Rabbi Max Miller are a rabbinic couple who serve together. Rabbi Rachael received her bachelor's in Jewish Studies from the American Jewish University and her Masters of Hebrew Letters and ordination from Hebrew Union College in 2017, with a thesis on "The Female Rabbi: Redefining the Symbolic Exemplar." Rabbi Max grew up in Atlanta, attended The Davis Academy and The Weber School, graduated from the University of Maryland with a focus on Jewish Studies, and received his rabbinic ordination from HUC-JIR in 2017 as well. Their joint rabbinate makes them the congregation's designated Youth Connectors, working with the youngest children through the high schoolers.
Two rabbis emeriti remain part of the family. Rabbi Emeritus Scott Colbert, D.Min., served Temple Emanu-El for many years and still occasionally teaches, including a memorable B'nai Mitzvah moment for one of the rabbis' children. Rabbi Emeritus Stanley Davids, who made aliyah with his wife Resa in 2004, is widely recognized for his work with the Central Conference of American Rabbis and as past president of the Association of Reform Zionists of America. The Davids return to Atlanta annually to study with the congregation.
Jessica Tillem, the cantorial soloist, is featured regularly in services and special musical events, including the Shalhevet Shabbat services, where Rabbi Micah Lapidus's original melodies bring a Southern Jewish energy to Friday night.
Friday Kabbalat Shabbat and Shalhevet
Friday night at Temple Emanu-El is built around Kabbalat Shabbat, which begins at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary and runs about an hour. Services are family friendly, egalitarian, inclusive, and inspirational, and they are described in the congregation's own materials as the time to "connect actively to something higher than ourselves through contemplation, prayer, music and community." An Oneg reception with homemade desserts follows the service.
Shabbat Sing at 12:30 pm on Fridays is a weekly, livestreamed sing-along. Once a month, the earlier Friday with Family service at 6:30 pm is also livestreamed. On a handful of Friday evenings across the year, the rabbis transform the service into Shalhevet Shabbat ("the brightest part of the flame"), a musical Friday night with original melodies composed by Rabbi Micah Lapidus, led by Rabbi Max and Rabbi Lapidus, with the cantorial soloist Jessica Tillem and the Hello, Goodbye & Peace ensemble. It is a Jewish, Southern, song-driven Shabbat.
Saturday Morning: Torah Study, Chapel, and Sanctuary
Saturday begins at 9:00 am with Chevrah Torah, a Torah study that meets in the synagogue's library, in person and online, surrounded by learners of every age and background. The study is considered an act of divine connection on par with prayer, and no formal knowledge of Judaism or Hebrew is required. The Hebrew is always accompanied by translation and transliteration.
Shabbat morning services are offered in two formats. A 8:30 am Kaddish Minyan in the chapel provides an intimate, participatory prayer focused on the mourners' Kaddish and weekday-like reflection. A 10:00 am B'nei Mitzvah service in the Sanctuary, often co-led by the Bar or Bat Mitzvah student of the week, is a fuller service that "empowers you to connect to Jewish traditions, the spiritual text of the Torah, your ancestors, God, and your neshama." Saturday Havdalah B'nei Mitzvah services at 4:30 pm or 5:00 pm are scheduled as families request them. All of these services are livestreamed through Facebook and YouTube.
Tot Shabbat and Kid-ish: A Saturday for the Littles
Tot Shabbat takes place almost every other Saturday at 11:00 am, led by Rabbi Rachael and Rabbi Max, and is described in the congregation's own materials as "THE way to bring spirituality to your little ones from baby through 5-years-old." Services are held outdoors year-round on the Schiffer Family Terrace Chapel or the Goldstein Patio, with heaters in winter and fans in summer, and they are musical, magical, and totally interactive. Brooklyn Bagels and playground time follow.
Kid-ish, for families with children in kindergarten through fifth grade, is a time to "pray, dance, sing, and continue to build sacred relationships with your child(ren), rabbis, and other congregational families." Like Tot Shabbat, it is followed by Brooklyn Bagels and occasional youth events for the K-2 and 3-5 cohorts.
The Diamond Family Religious School
The Diamond Family Religious School, directed by Beth Blick, is the congregation's K-12 program. The school is built around a one-day-per-week schedule that allows students to balance Religious School with extracurricular activities, supplemented by mid-week independent practice and online check-ins.
Curriculum follows the school year from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Kindergarten introduces Jewish symbols like the Torah, mezuzah, and Tallit. First grade focuses on mitzvot. Second grade uncovers foundational Torah stories, from Creation through Exodus, and introduces global Jewish peoplehood. Third grade begins applied Hebrew alongside a study of Tanach heroes. Fourth grade pairs applied Hebrew with Mussar, the practice of intentional Jewish living. Fifth grade explores High Holy Day themes and weekly Parshah study. Sixth grade, taught by Rabbi Rachael, traces the parallel timelines of the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. Seventh grade tackles the values of Judaism in real-life situations. Eighth grade, taught by Rabbi Max, focuses on the real-world application of seven core Jewish subjects: money, health, Israel, antisemitism, spirituality, Holocaust, and the environment.
Ninth and tenth grade is Confirmation Academy, taught by Rabbi Spike in his study, where teens "encounter a thinking, poignant, and charged Judaism" through discussion, humor, and field trips. Eleventh and twelfth graders serve as Madrichim, the role models and teachers of the religious school, trained to take agency and initiative in the classroom.
Hebrew acquisition is treated as a martial-arts-style progression, divided by color, from novice to proficient to advanced, with no finish line. The school also offers a free PreK3 program on Sunday mornings during Religious School and a PreK4 program, both open to the community.
The MJCCA Schiff Preschool
The Schiff School at Temple Emanu-El is a Jewish preschool operated by the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, with a progressive curriculum that focuses on cognition, literacy, physical development, and social and emotional growth, all guided by Jewish values and culture. Enrollment is open for children from 6 weeks through Pre-K, with full and half-day options. Tours can be scheduled with Stephanie Lampert, and questions go through the MJCCA at 678-812-3770.
The Schiffer Teen Israel Trip
Through the generous support of congregant Edwin Schiffer, any teen who participates in Confirmation Academy is eligible for a highly subsidized ten-day trip to Israel. Past participants describe the experience as "life changing," with hikes, water adventures, an archaeological dig, time at the Western Wall on Friday night, and conversations with a diverse group of Israelis and Palestinians, including Druze, Ethiopians, Jewish Arabs, and Israeli Muslims. Past trips have also been organized for adult congregants, including a "Solidarity Mission to Israel" in December 2025.
Adult B'nai Mitzvah and Lifelong Learning
Temple Emanu-El regularly offers a six-month Adult B'nai Mitzvah course for adults who never read from the Torah before or who want to relearn. The class meets once a week, with the first hour devoted to Hebrew and the second to a deep dive into Jewish topics. The class culminates in a group B'nai Mitzvah ceremony in the Sanctuary. Past graduates have ranged in age from their twenties to their late seventies, with stories of conversion, interfaith families, and decades of Jewish learning finally finding their moment on the bimah.
The Life Long Learning program runs throughout the year and is "geared toward curious people who want to learn about various aspects of Judaism - ranging from cultural to ethical, history and theology - all year long. No prior knowledge or language skills needed." Private sessions with clergy can also be arranged by appointment.
Five Pillars, One Community
The congregation organizes its life around five pillars of Jewish life: Sacred Community (Kehila Kedosha), Worship and Spirituality (Ruchaniut), Lifelong Learning (Talmud Torah), Israel and Peoplehood (Am Yisrael), and "Repairing the World" (Tikkun Olam). The vision statement names six guiding principles: fostering strong Jewish identity in a complex world, empowering congregants with passion for Jewish learning, discovering beauty and joy through Jewish prayer and ritual, nurturing Jewish values that respond to the changing needs of modern families, sustaining a thriving congregation with dynamic youth engagement, and singing together as an inspirational and healing tool.
Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World, in Dunwoody and Beyond
Tikkun Olam is not a buzzword here. The synagogue organizes its social justice work into eight named initiatives: Antisemitism, Hunger, Multifaith Connections and Interracial Alliance, Women and Children, Immigration Issues, Education, Environment, and Israel and Peoplehood. Each initiative is led by congregants in partnership with the rabbis.
The Women and Children initiative includes a monthly dinner served at Mary Hall Freedom Village in Sandy Springs, where volunteers help with the women and children's programs. The Backpack Buddies program packs weekend meals for food-insecure students at Woodland and Indian Creek Elementary Schools. The Garden Isaiah team plants, harvests, and donates produce from the synagogue's own garden to local food banks. The Zaban Paradies team cooks and serves two dinner meals per month at the only shelter in Atlanta that provides housing for couples.
The Environment initiative is grounded in classical Jewish texts - Pirkei Avot, Genesis 2:15, Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 7:20 - and includes a Holocaust Remembrance Daffodil Project (over 500 daffodils planted), Tu B'Shevat tree planting at Brook Run Park, an energy audit through Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, and ongoing exploration of EV chargers, composting, and catering protocols.
The Antisemitism team works on education, action, and outreach, and the synagogue has hosted public officials for town halls on antisemitism in Cobb and Fulton counties. The Multifaith Connections and Interracial Alliance Group has built relationships with Muslims from the Atlanta Institute, AAPI communities, Presbyterians from St. Luke's in Dunwoody, Baptists from Dunwoody Baptist, Methodists from Dunwoody United and Cornerstone Methodist, and the Atlanta B'hai Community, and has run programs like Why the Jews, Project Shema, and the Table of Abraham.
Education support includes tutoring at Hightower and Dunwoody Springs Elementary Schools, and the synagogue maintains an active College Outreach Committee that sends seasonal holiday gifts to college-attending students and connects them to Jewish resources like JELF interest-free loans, Taglit Birthright, and the NFTY Southern Area Region.
Yalla, NextDor, Chavurah, Sisterhood, and Brotherhood
Temple Emanu-El's social and family life is built around an unusually wide set of affinity groups. Yalla, which means "let's go!" in Hebrew, organizes no-babysitter-required events for families with young children, from outdoor brewery meetups to Tot Shabbat, with parents responsible for their own kids throughout. NextDor is the free-membership 20s and 30s program, with programming being developed jointly by Rabbi Rachael and Rabbi Max.
The Chavurah program matches small groups of congregants who socialize, learn, and enjoy Jewish living together. Sisterhood plans the social and educational calendar for the women of the congregation, while Brotherhood plans the social calendar for the men. The Tribe group plans programs for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Booming Sababas is a social group for active individuals 60 and up.
For teens, the TEchone youth group (grades 9-12) plans its own programming with the rabbis as advisors, and the TEFTY Leadership Board includes a Social Action VP, a Programming VP, a Membership VP, a Religious and Cultural VP, and a Communications VP, plus members on the NFTY-SAR Regional Board.
Music, Sermons, and the Livestream
Music is one of the congregation's named values. The Hello, Goodbye & Peace ensemble and the lay-led Choir support Shabbat and the Holidays. Shalhevet Shabbat services and the cantorial soloist Jessica Tillem bring congregational singing to the front of the worship experience.
Rabbinic sermons from the High Holy Days and Shabbat services are available on the synagogue's sermons page, with both video and downloadable PDF. Past sermons have ranged from theological reflections to community response, including Rabbi Spike's 2018 Yom Kippur sermon, "Like the sound of the shofar, Charlottesville is our wake-up call," and Rabbi Max's 2020 Thanksgiving Shabbat sermon on the meaning of Thanksgiving in American Jewish life.
All Shabbat services are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. The Facebook live stream is accessible without a Facebook account, and the synagogue provides written instructions for streaming on a tablet, phone, or desktop.
Weddings, B'nai Mitzvah, Funerals, and Space Rental
Rabbi Spike, Rabbi Rachael, and Rabbi Max officiate at weddings and work actively with couples to prepare for the ceremony and for their new Jewish life together. The synagogue offers a complimentary one-year membership to all first-marriage couples married by Temple Emanu-El clergy, so they can experience a full cycle of synagogue life as a newly married couple. The clergy also perform interfaith weddings, welcome the non-Jewish spouse to participate in aliyot with their Jewish partner, and do not expect interfaith partners to convert.
Funerals, memorials, and grief support are a major part of congregational life. The Yizkor service is held on Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, the last night of Passover, and the second day of Shavuot, and clergy are available to help families prepare for difficult conversations about death with children of all ages, with curated reading lists ranging from The Fall of Freddie the Leaf to Ida, Always to The Invisible String.
The temple's indoor and outdoor spaces are available for rent for almost any occasion, and inquiries go through the Director of Events, Marina Alberhasky.
How to Get Involved and Where to Find More
New members are paired with ambassadors from the Onboarding Committee, who invite them to programs and help connect them to chavurot, youth groups, adult education, or tikkun olam teams. There are committees for almost every interest, from the Endowment Development Committee to the Religious School Committee to the Multifaith Connections Steering Committee to the Green Team.
Membership is open to all Jews and to those with Jewish partners, with sliding-scale dues relief available for those who need it. Young adults 32 and under get free membership. The My Emanu-El portal at templeemanuelatlanta.shulcloud.com provides access to the directory, calendar, and online giving.
Temple Emanu-El is, as its motto promises, where friends are family. From the families who founded it in 1978 to the seven hundred families it serves today, the synagogue on Spalding Drive has built a culture of audacious hospitality, lifelong learning, and a music-filled, justice-minded, multigenerational Jewish life.