Inclusive - Intimate - Innovative

Our Mission

​

The mission of Temple Kehillat Chaim is to promote the enduring principles of Judaism and to do our part to help ensure the continuity of the Jewish people.

​

To accomplish this mission, the goals of Temple Kehillat Chaim focus upon:

​

• Enabling its members to develop relationships with God through communal worship, study of Torah, and assembly.

• Applying the principles of Reform Judaism to the values and conduct of the individual, the family, and the society in which we live. 

• Building a vibrant and dynamic Reform Jewish community that seeks to meet the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social needs of our membership.

• Nurturing its members' growth and development as Jewish individuals and families, and as responsible members of our community. 

• Adhering to a strong commitment to diversity, including interfaith couples and their families. 

• Supporting the congregation’s long tradition of community and social action within both the Jewish and secular communities.

 

Our History

​

The Kehillah was established in 1982 by Rabbi Harvey J. Winokur, and member, Alan Abrams. We celebrated our 30th year anniversary as a congregation in 2012. 

 

We have been at our current location since 1987. Though we are located in the heart of historic Roswell, our Temple includes members from Norcross to Acworth, and Gainesville to Sandy Springs. To handle our congregational growth, a 15,000 square foot addition was constructed in 1997 to house classrooms, a library, preschool and social hall. In 2004, we completed renovations on our award winning sanctuary, chapel, lobby and landscaping. Our phenomenal stained glass windows, found in the sanctuary as well as the chapel, were created by Atlanta artist Flora Rosefsky.

 

Story of Temple Kehillat Chaim: The Making of a Kehillah

Interview with Rabbi Winokur reprinted from the January 2012 Kol Kehillah

​

It’s the spring of 1982 and the population of Atlanta is booming. Imagine this if you can, people are actually moving outside of the perimeter to live. There’s a young Rabbi, assistant Rabbi at another local area synagogue, who envisions Atlanta’s immense growth with opportunity and potential. This story, like so many other Jewish stories, involves dinner at a Chinese Restaurant, a meal complete with dreaming, planning and thoughts to the future.

 

As the months go by, conversations between Rabbi Winokur and his friend and fellow Temple Sinai congregant, Alan Abrams, continue and begin to build momentum. The idea was to start a new congregation, one that would serve those who were looking for a different kind of kehillah, a community that reached out in a new way to those who were interfaith or unaffiliated, those who wanted a new approach to worship and observance.

 

With 15 families, the new kehillah was born in the summer of 1982 and began gathering for prayer and learning. It wasn’t long before 15 families grew to 100 families, then 150. It seemed there were many people who appreciated a less traditional approach to Judaism and embraced the idea of this new kehillah. While the first few years were spent meeting and worshiping in a variety of interesting locations such as a bank, rented school classrooms,  and a variety of churches, all were still locations inside the perimeter. It wasn’t long before thoughts of putting down roots started to arise and the idea of growth outside the perimeter was broached.