Temple Birthday Bash Commemorates 150 Years
Community members enjoyed a day of festivities to celebrate the Temple's 150th birthday.
Rachel is a reporter/contributor for the AJT and graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. After post graduate work at Columbia University, she teaches writing at Georgia State and hosts/produces cable programming. She can currently be seen on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters.
The Temple celebrated its 150th birthday with a party for the congregational family Sunday afternoon, Aug. 20.
A large tent decorated with green and white balloons covered most of The Temple’s parking lot, and everyone from young children with their parents to seniors walked through the event.
Temple volunteers dotted the crowd, offering birthday T-shirts, manning the ice cream and food stations, and socializing with the congregation. Los Angeles-based Oh No Stereo played pop covers while attendees got their Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q catered lunches and sat to enjoy the music.
Although the celebration coincided with the first day of religious school, most Temple staff members were on hand to enjoy the festivities. Temple Executive Director Mark Jacobson and Rabbis Peter Berg, Lydia Medwin and David Spinrad met and chatted with friends and colleagues before enjoying lunch with their families beneath the tent.
Rabbi Berg has written about using the sesquicentennial to look thoughtfully into The Temple’s past. “It’s a time for tremendous introspection as we look back on a small group of pioneers who started Atlanta’s now-thriving Jewish community,” he wrote. “Our history inspires our future.”
Photos by Eli Gray unless otherwise noted
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- Temple President Lauren Grien and Senior Rabbi Peter Berg address the birthday bash.
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- Laurie Simon, The Temple’s engagement and outreach associate, lights the birthday cake.
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- Rabbi Emeritus Alvin Sugarman and Senior Rabbi Peter Berg participate in the festivities.
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- Wendi and Maya Aspes show off the many ice cream options.
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- Stefanie, Ellie and Madie Aferiat hang out by the T-shirt table.
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- A birthday bash isn’t a party without Instagram.
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- The Temple celebration covers much of the congregation’s parking lot.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne Children and parents dance to the music of band Oh No Stereo.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne Temple Executive Director Mark Jacobson has lunch with daughter Marla Johnson and granddaughter Eden Johnson.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne Temple members enter the birthday tent at high noon Aug. 20.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne Congregation volunteers Mitch and Mia Spolan offer 150th birthday T-shirts to party attendees.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne A tent decorated with white and green balloons serves as the dining room for a Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q lunch.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne Desserts are provided throughout the birthday party.
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- Photo by Rachel Fayne Temple teens walk through the 150th birthday bash with friends.
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