Lmftugto

Synagogues

Southern Rabbinical Charm

Two Detroiters invigorate Judaism in Georgia.

RICHARD LUFRANO
Special to the Jewish News

Emanu-El. His mother Laurice was
graduate whose father Samuel is can-
found here. In a congregation with
president of the sisterhood.
tor at Congregation Beth Shalom in
over
100 years of history, the people
"I first realized I wanted to become
Oak Park. His mother Mona taught
here question change. Nothing skips
Augusta, Ga.
a rabbi when I came back from
for years at Akiva Hebrew Day School
by them. And that's exactly the sort of
wo years ago, Rabbi
KUTZ (UAHC Kutz Camp-Institute
in Lathrup Village. For Alex
challenge
I was looking for."
Alexander Greenbaum
in Warwick, N.Y.), a leadership camp
Greenbaum, the decision to become a
Greenbaum
cites the importance of
boarded a plane in
for Jewish teens," recalls Rabbi Parr.
rabbi came later in life.
family
as
one
of
the reasons Augusta
Augusta, Ga., headed for
"I had always been into liturgy and
"When I was growing up, I wanted
was
a
nice
fit.
his native Detroit. He had just fin-
getting involved with education-
ished interviewing for the job of rabbi
al programs.
at Adas Yeshurum Synagogue, a small,
"I talked it over with my
Conservative congregation in the
father and I remember feeling a
heart of a city best known for its
sense of inner calm come over
Southern Baptist churches, magnolia
me. I guess I lived out my
trees and the Augusta National golf
father's dream by making it my
course.
own.
Seated next to him on the plane
For Rabbi Parr, a University
was Rabbi Jordan Parr, another
of Michigan alumnus who
Detroit native. Rabbi Parr had moved
attended nearly every Wolverine
to Augusta seven years before to
football game during his under-
become rabbi of the Congregation
graduate years, being around an
Children of Israel Temple, the city's
animated Jewish community
only Reform synagogue.
served as the minor leagues for
That a city of 400,000, with a
his future career development.
Jewish population of roughly 1,500,
"Growing up, Milton
had two temples was amazing in and
Rosenbaum was my rabbi at
of itself. But Rabbi Greenbaum need-
Emanu-El," recalls Rabbi Parr.
ed somethinab else to sell him on the
"And when Rabbi Rosenbaum
place.
retired, and because my father
"I remember asking Rabbi Parr for
was the lawyer who handled all
an honest opinion about what it
of the temple's legal affairs, I was
would be like to work in Augusta,"
exposed, at a young age, to the
says Rabbi Greenbaum recalling the
politics of running a temple.
frankness of the conversation. "And
That experience prepared me for Rabbis Alex Greenbaum and Jordan Parr, before the Ark at Adas Yeshurum Synagogue.
what Rabbi Parr told me was very
the business side of leading a
simple. 'It will be remarkably chal-
congregation."
lenging.'
Rabbis Parr and Greenbaum both
to do everything I could to be the
"The role of a rabbi is changing,"
"That was exactly what I wanted to
cite family as a critical factor in their
exact opposite of my father," he says.
says
Greenbaum who takes off one
hear."
decisions to move to Augusta. Rabbi
But during my junior year in college,
day
a
week. "You can't have a rabbi
Parr is a 1986 graduate of Hebrew
I realized that I didn't really care
The Road To Augusta
who
is
working 80 hours a week stand
Union College in Cincinnati and
about business school. And at some
up on the bima to preach about the
There is no Katz's Deli in Augusta.
spent four years in an assistant posi-
point, I realized that my father wasn't
importance of family. I think Rabbi
No Dexter-Davison Market. No late-
tion in Dallas. Augusta offered him
such a bad guy. I guess you could say
Parr and myself both agree that family
night sled rides down the hill in Oak
the perfect place to raise a family. He
the reason I became a rabbi was
comes first."
Park Park. No Tigers baseball games.
and his wife Cylathia have two daugh-
because
of
my
father
and
the
reason
it
The fond memories of growing up
ters, Rebecca, 10, and Sarah, 7.
Small Town Lift
took so long was because of my
Jewish in suburban Oak Park, Mich.,
"In Dallas, the divorce rate
father."
Reflecting on their own childhood,
memories that shaped Rabbi Parr's
amongst our congregation was
After
Michigan
State,
Rabbi
Rabbis
Parr and Greenbaum recognize
and Greenbaum's decisions to attend
upwards of 50 percent. When I
how
difficult
it is to be young and
Greenbaum
went
on
to
the
University
rabbinical school, are still strong.
moved to Augusta, I could count the
Jewish
in
Augusta.
of
Judaism
in
Los
Angeles.
After
earn-
Born in 1958, Jordan Parr, a stal-
number of divorces in our congrega-
ing his master's degree, he spent a year
"I went to a high school in Detroit
wart, effervescent man with an engag-
tion on one hand," he says. "In larger
in
Israel
and
three
years
in
White
that
was 75 percent Jewish. Here,
ing persona, later attended Southfield- communities like Dallas or Detroit,
Plains,
N.Y.,
at
Temple
Kol
Ami
before
there
are no Jewish schools. Most of
Lathrup High School. His family was
the culture is completely different. In
the Jewish kids are the only Jews in
applying for the position in Augusta.
very active in Detroit's Jewish com-
Augusta, everyone looks out for one
their class," says Rabbi Parr.
"We wanted a place that cared
munity. His father, the late Lyle Parr,
another."
about
its
Judaism,"
"Getting off for Jewish holidays,
says
Rabbi
was a lawyer, a religious-school
Rabbi Greenbaum, 29, is a neatly
or
explaining
about not being able,
Greenbaum,
whose
wife
Amy
is
also
a
teacher and president of Temple
outfitted Michigan State University
rabbi. "And that's exactly what we
to make soccer practice, those are

T

7/16

1999

Detroit Jewish News

61