Mark Zimmerman

Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Atlanta, GA

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Dec 7, 2023, 11:38 AM

Hanukkah Feels Very Different This Year

For over 2,000 years, from the time of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE up until the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948 we Jews were an extremely vulnerable people. Living in galut, exile,...

Aug 27, 2020, 9:07 PM

Sow in Tears, Reap in Joy: Getting Beyond Covid-19

As we approach our High Holiday season, the Jewish spark within us begins to stir and exert its pull. Sure, many of us resist that pull. But for those who have not given up on their Jewish soul-connection, that...

Sep 25, 2019, 2:36 AM

A year of thoughtfulness and forgiveness

Words can hurt, yet words also have the capacity to heal. For congregational rabbis, this time of year is focused primarily on the power of words as we assemble our thoughts and choose the appropriate themes to discuss during...

Apr 18, 2019, 10:38 PM

Life is a journey

The holiday of Pesach is known by many names. It is known as the festival of spring, the festival of matza and the festival of freedom. But at its core, Passover is all about freedom. And our exodus from...

Dec 5, 2018, 7:20 PM

What Would the Maccabees Do Today?

Before the State of Israel was born, and for much of our history, we Jews were a rather submissive, pacifist people. We endured inquisitions, pogroms, and genocide, and for the most part we were not in control of either...

Sep 10, 2018, 12:50 AM

The Days of Awe – It is Never Too Late to Return

The High Holidays are arriving a bit early this year. At least so rabbis keep hearing. But did you notice that the Holidays never seem to arrive on time? So when exactly is “on time” for Rosh Hashanah? For many...

Jul 16, 2017, 5:30 PM

What Do We Have to Kvetch About?

In our cycle of Torah readings this time of year, we read how for 40 years our ancestors trekked through the wilderness, far from cities and civilization. They trudged along without the luxury of interstates, service plazas, or travel...

May 30, 2016, 11:44 PM

When Prayers Go Unanswered

I had an interesting encounter at the barber shop last week. Just as I walked in, I was greeted with a “hi rabbi” by one if the stylists who knows me, and then proceeded to get my regular haircut....

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About Me

Rabbi Zimmerman is the rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Atlanta, GA wherer he has served for over 25 years. He is a past president of the Rabbinical Assembly SE Region, the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, a member of AIPAC National Council, and police chaplain in the Dunwoody, GA police department. In 2014 he became managing editor and publisher of "The American Rabbi", an online resource for rabbis across the Jewish denominational spectrum. Rabbi Zimmerman has also produced several widely used Jewish websites, including: www.sidduraudio.com and www.haftorahaudio.com to help the Jewish community become more proficient in Hebrew liturgy and haftarot. Rabbi Zimmerman is a 12th generation rabbi who received rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and studied in Jerusalem at Hebrew University.

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