Posts Tagged ‘Rabbi Isser New’
Mayor Reed, Public Officials Join in Hanukkah Candle-lighting at Capitol
Rabbi Levi Mentz, Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle, Chaya Mushka Children’s House Elementary Choir, Larry Miller, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Sandy Springs Mayor Russell Paul, Rabbi Effie Ross and Rabbi Isser New.
City and state leaders joined a Hanukkah celebration filled with festive food, singing and candle-lighting on Thursday at the South Wing of the Georgia State Capitol.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed delivered a message of gratitude and blessings to the Jewish community at Thursday’s program, organized by Chabad of Georgia, a Jewish outreach organization and religious institution.
“I am honored to participate in this year’s Hanukkah celebration and ceremony to light the menorah with Chabad of Georgia, because it gives me the opportunity to recognize the contributions of our city’s Jewish community,” Reed said. “Hanukkah celebrates the spirit of resilience and dedication of the Jewish people who have faced adversity and persecution with fierce dedication. I extend my warmest wishes to all those celebrating Hanukkah in the City of Atlanta.”
Sandy Springs Mayor Russell Paul and Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle also participated in the ceremony, helping to light a six-foot menorah.
Prayers were delivered by Rabbi Yossi New, director of Chabad of Georgia, and his son, Isser New, both of whom are spiritual leaders at Congregation Beth Tefillah in Sandy Springs.
“Hanukkah is about the miracle of bringing light into darkness, and we are proud and inspired to share this holiday message of hope with the leaders of our great state and community,” said Rabbi Yossi New.
Following the ceremony, the menorah was transported to the grounds of Congregation Beth Tefillah in Sandy Springs.
Kosher Food & Wine Festival: Blockbuster Event Marks 30 Years of Chabad of Georgia
An avante-garde feast for the senses featuring aerial acrobatics, electronic music and a dazzling array of gourmet cuisine comprised the first annual Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta festival on Thursday, a celebration of the richness and range of kosher food available for local consumers. Royal Wine, one of the largest wine importers in the U.S. supplied more than hundred varieties of international wines for the inaugural event.
Presented by Chabad of Georgia as it marks 30 years of Jewish outreach in the area, the cocktail and dinner party was held at the Historic Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, which was transformed by Track Seven Events into an edgy, trendy atmosphere, presenting multiple floors of food, an elevated D.J. spinning electronic beats and a Cirque-du-Soleil style performance of aerialists twirling through the air.
“This landmark program really shows how far Atlanta’s Jewish community has come,” said Rabbi Yossi New, the Australian-born director of Chabad of Georgia who moved here in 1984 to found the local organization. “We feel a sense of pride and privilege in serving this historic community that’s experiencing unprecedented growth, and one of the keys to providing spiritual nourishment is, happily, through our culture and traditions around food.”
Some 600 people attended Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta, which featured 30 caterers, restauranteurs and grocery chains to beckon tasters into the sensory feast. In addition, the festival honored Chef Sandra Bank, whose catering business has served Atlantans the promise and power of exquisite kosher dining for nearly 20 years. Bank was feted with a hand-blown glass award signaling her creativity in elevating kosher cuisine and, as her slogan puts it, “making the ordinary extraordinary.”
Given the demand for her kosher catering services, Bank added to her Added Touch Catering company three years ago with a second company, A Kosher Touch Catering, focused exclusively on kosher events. Her firm catered the sponsor reception with four elaborate stations, entitled chopped, sliced, smoked and torched in the venue’s Blue Room.
“Today in Atlanta, a kosher lifestyle is not just possible, it’s extraordinary,” said festival director Rabbi Isser New. “We are fortunate to enjoy a vibrant array of palate-pleasing choices and this festival is about presenting and applauding such abundance.”
The first annual Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta was produced by Chabad of Georgia, an affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch, a Jewish outreach group. Chabad of Georgia encompasses 11 Chabad community centers and 5 Campus organizations: University of Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Emory and Kennesaw State.
Chairpersons included Tessa Shaban, Bo Lefkoff, Erin Liss, Dassie New, Rabbis Yossi New, Isser New, Yael New and Levi Mentz. Proceeds from the event will go toward continued Jewish outreach and education.
Vendors include Aaron’s Best, Ali’s Cookies, Avenue K, Cellar Filler, Classic Pita, Coca-Cola, Costco, Cotton Cravings, Dolce Catering and Bakery, For All Occasions and more, Georgia Aquarium, Goodfriend Co., Gourmet Foods Intl, Goza Tequila, Herzog Wine Cellars, Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta, Keurig, A Kosher Touch, Kosherology, Kroger, Lisan Catering, Pita Modern Tribe, Grille, Publix, The Spicy Peach, Sweetwater Brewing Company, The Kosher Gourmet, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Wolfgang Puck Catering.
For more information, please visit www.kfwatl.com and www.chabadga.com.
Sandra Bank with hosts Dassie New and Rabbi Yossi New.
Barbara Pomerance, president and CEO of Pomerance & Associates with Michael Leven, CEO of Georgia Aquarium and philanthropist of The Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality at Kennesaw State University.
Sandra Bank accepting her award.
Avante-garde aerial acrobatics.
An attendee is amazed by the live statue.
Kosher vendors shared a bounty of wares.
Salmon tartare from Hotel Intercontinental.
Kosher sushi from Kroger.
