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L'Chaim (55+)

 L'Chaim is Congregation Shearith Israel's division of the USCJ's HAZAK program for adults, providing social, intellectual, and spiritual interaction for members 55 years of age and older. Members in this demographic tend to have a distinct outlook even when they might not share the same opinions. Our L'Chaim group actively organizes and enjoys a variety of programs together. Recent events include a tour of the Jewish section of historic Oakland Cemetery, a gentle hike on trails in Atlanta, a visit to the Booth Western Art Muesum, a Shabbat Dinner for singles and more. To be added to the L'Chaim mailing list, email marketing@shearithisrael.com.

When/where we meet:

L'Chaim has approximately one program each month, either at CSI or off-site. In recognition of employment, family, and physical considerations, we attempt to vary the programming to be in the evening or during daylight hours, on weekends or during the week.  Some programs are cultural, educational, or religious, while others require physical activity.  All events are promoted via our 55+ email list and appear in the weekly eBlast and the Shabbat morning flyer.

Our Steering Committee meets regularly to discuss programming. We welcome suggestions, and especially appreciate assistance or leadership in implementation of suggested programs.


 

what we do:

Past programming has included: Docent-led visits to the CDC Museum, a special exhibit at the Booth Museum of Western Art, and a tour of Jewish highlights at Oakland Cemetery; Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra (ACSO) concert at CSI, followed by dinner and lecture by Lois Reitzes of WABE; a series on Israeli politics by Rich Walter; Chanukah Party with Dinner and Game Night; walks in nature at the Lullwater Reserve; open rehearsal of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Kaiman in the Sukkah; Havdalah and Movie Night; and our annual L’Chaim Shabbat, when Davening and Torah reading is done by members 55+. See below for descriptions of select events.


 

next event:

Wednesday, February 28th, 10 am - trip to booth western art museum

L'Chaim will visit the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA, for a private, docent-led tour of the photography exhibit "Dorothea Lange & Pirkle Jones: Death of a Valley". The cost is $12 per person. We will meet at the shul parking lot at 10 am and carpool to the museum. For details on the exhibit, visit this link.

Sign-up via the button below by February 14th.

Register Here


 

how to get involved:

Please contact any member of the Steering Committee:

Susan Tenenbaum: susan@tenfam.com       Louise Spiro: lspiro01@comcast.net

Ed Jacobson: jacobsoned@yahoo.com         Laura Greenberg: laurasgreenberg@comcast.net

Bernie Lieberman: liebermb@hotmail.com    Art Schultz: ahgschultz@gmail.com

Rona Seidel: ronaseidel@gmail.com


 

select Previous Events:

OPEN REHEARSAL OF THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY:

 

L'Chaim witnessed the dress rehearsal of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, March 5, 2020.  The orchestra, under the baton of world-renowned French guest conductor Emmanuel Villaume, was preparing for their program that evening, including:

WAGNER - Siegfried Idyll
LISZT - Piano Concerto No. 1 
SAINT-SAËNS - Symphony No. 3, “Organ”
 

The rehearsal was in Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.  Because dress rehearsals are not open to the general public, there were only a few hundred in the audience.  It was one of the few times that an audience member might have been better dressed than the orchestra.

This was a rare opportunity to see a world-class symphony orchestra in rehearsal.

Reactions from some who were in attendance:

  • F.M. wrote: Thanks ... for this morning's delightful concert! 
  • R.S. and A.S. wrote: To you and  the L'chaim committee... thank you for the opportunity to  be at the ASO rehearsal. What a remarkable  experience! This and  all the  programs you all plan are much appreciated. 

A report on the group's visit to special exhibit "Warhol and the West" at the Booth Western Art Museum:

 

Your L'Chaim Chapter of Hazak visited the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville on December 4 to experience the special exhibit of "Andy Warhol and the West."

Our docent, Liz, introduced us to a wealth of information about Warhol and his love for the American West.  We saw pieces that had been brought in from museums and private collections as well as a large number of canvases owned by the Booth Museum.

About 25 of us spent a little over an hour in the Warhol exhibit, and then adjourned to a vegetarian lunch in the museum for their monthly "Art for Lunch" lecture.  An artist had just completed an enormous canvas depicting the presidents of the 19th Century to accompany the existing painting of presidents of the 20th Century.  The program was to add background to the paintings.  Two lecturers presented -- the first about Lincoln and the second about the "forgotten presidents" who followed Lincoln.

L'Chaim @ the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Open rehearsal:

 

L'Chaim visited an open rehearsal of the Atlanta Symphony on March 21, 2019.  It's amazingly instructive to see a world-renowned conductor put a symphony orchestra through its paces, and to see a talented Pianist hone his performance with an ensemble as fine as the ASO.  

Testimonials:

"It was so enjoyable to be among L'Chaim friends listening to the ASO.  The musical program was lovely and we had great  seats to really view the orchestra. Thanks to the L'Chaim planning committee."

"Given that I like to know how things are done behind the scenes, I really enjoyed the ASO dress rehearsal and seeing our group.  Four of us met for lunch afterwards and got a chance to know each other and chat.  It was a wonderful daytime event. Many thanks to the steering committee."

"I so enjoyed the opportunity to see the ASO Rehearsal at the Woodruff Performing Arts Center on Thursday March 21 with Shearith Israel's L'Chaim Group.  It was exciting  to see/hear a dress rehearsal, led by an energetic conductor who's attention to detail and gentle prodding  of the talented musicians introduced me and my  friends in the L'Chaim group  to the inner working of a professional Symphony.  I am looking forward to attending many more innovative and interesting programs with L'Chaim."

Don't miss opportunities like this to learn something or to experience something or just to chill out with others participating in a L'Chaim program.

Have a suggestion for a L'Chaim program?  Let us know.

Your L'Chaim Steering Committee

Here's a report from the group​'​​​​​​s recent trip to the Breman Museum's Vedem exhibition:

 

Your L'Chaim group was at the Breman Museum on February 12, with docent Howard Fagin, learning about the Vedem newsletter. This publication was produced by a group of 14-16-year-olds who were imprisoned in the Terezin Concentration Camp during the Holocaust. They successfully published over 80 issues under the noses of camp guards, at first with a typewriter they found in the old schoolhouse turned into a prison, and then later entirely by hand once the ribbon ran out of ink.

At age 14, these children were torn from their families and sent to this "model" concentration camp -- a place that the Nazis established as a showcase of how humane they were to their prisoners. Then, at age 16 they were transported to other camps, mainly Auschwitz, where they were murdered. Of the 90 youngsters in this bunk where Vedem was published, only 15 survived. One of them stashed all of the newsletters in a steel box that he hid underground. He went back after the war and retrieved the box, and that is how we are privileged to be able to see their work.

Watch for future programs for L'Chaim. We try to have some programs in the daytime and some in the evening, some on weekdays and some on weekends. The next program is an open dress rehearsal of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, on March 21.

Here's a report from the group​'​​​​​​s recent trip to the Booth Western Art Museum:

 

Eighteen of us spent election day with L'Chaim at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville.  Besides the excellent permanent collection of the museum, we enjoyed the travelling exhibit of sculpture and paintings by Frederic Remington.  It's not often that you can see a large number of Remington's work, all in one place -- especially his graphic art.

The museum provided a docent for our group.  We received an interpretive tour of the permanent collection, and then we had an informal tour of the Remington collection, with questions and answers with the curator.  

Originally worried about rain, we had beautiful fall weather.  And everyone had either voted beforehand or voted upon returning to Atlanta.

And on L'Chaim's summer outing hiking on one of Atlanta's many Intown trails:

 

L'Chaim, our 55+ group, did a gentle hike through Emory's Lullwater Preserve on Sunday, August 26.  It was a beautiful day for walking, and most of the students had either not gotten to campus yet, or had not woken up.

Highlights of the walk, other than the spirited conversation ranging from travel tips to political observations, included turtles sunning themselves on a piece of driftwood, the long suspension bridge over Peachtree Creek, the many butterflies, and the serenity of both the lake and the creek as we passed.

Ten people participated in the walk.  Be sure to watch for the hike on next summer's schedule.  It's a good opportunity to get to know others in the age group.

L'Chaim Steering Committee:

Ed Jacobson, President (jacobsoned@yahoo.com) / Bernie Lieberman / Rona Seidel / Louise Spiro / Susan Tenenbaum        

                                                                                   

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784