Founders of Shalom b’Harim who participated in the recent 25th Anniversary Celebration
included (from left) Charlotte Janis, Julie and Steve Leibel, Leslie and Elliott Brass, and Sid Davis.
Shalom b’Harim Synagogue Celebrates 25 Years
of Jewish Worship in the North Georgia Mountains
The idea that gave rise to the establishment of Shalom b’Harim – the Jewish Community of the North Georgia Mountains – germinated in the Spring of 2000 in Dahlonega, Georgia.
As one if its founders, Judy Kreps, recalls, “About this time of year I was standing on my deck looking at the dogwood buds swelling with the imminent Spring and thought ‘I can’t be the only Jew around here!’ Our beautiful daughter Marisa was only a toddler then, but I felt strongly about raising her Jewish. Having a child can change you, and I felt the need to strengthen my Jewish heritage very strongly.
“I asked around the Atlanta Jewish groups and put an ad for our fledgling group with an email address in their newsletters, and – a miracle! – someone answered!” she says. With some support from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations’ Southeast Division and several Atlanta-area rabbis, a group of interested participants began to gather in people’s homes for Friday night potluck dinners. The services were conducted by congregants, with no dedicated spiritual leader. This group called itself “Shalom! North Georgia.”
The name later became Shalom b’Harim – “Peace in the Mountains.” On May 6, around 35 congregants, including half a dozen of the founders, gathered at a restaurant in downtown Gainesville to celebrate the 25th Anniversary. Several of the founders shared recollections of the congregation’s history, including Elliott Brass, Sid Davis, and Steve Leibel.
“My overriding goal was to involve many congregants in helping Shalom b’Harim grow,” recalled Brass, the first President. “Their talent and commitment were essential to establishing a Jewish place of worship, a place of ‘Peace in the Mountains.’ The founding board members worked together to bring this about. We didn’t always have like minds. But we always listened, discussed, and respected each other.”
The original group of attendees of Shalom b’Harim was eclectic: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and others attended. Other participants were not residents of North Georgia, but people who lived in Atlanta and South Georgia. Additionally, Floridians who had weekend cabins or vacation homes in the area participated.
Mitch Cohen was contracted to conduct services in 2002. After meeting for many years at the Dahlonega Presbyterian Church (with High Holidays and Passover services at Camp Coleman near Cleveland), Shalom b’Harim moved its base of operations to Unity of Gainesville in 2019. Following Rabbi Cohen’s departure and several years of service by Rabbi Steve Lebow, Rabbi Matan Peled became Shalom b’Harim’s spiritual leader in 2024.
The presidents of Shalom b’Harim during the past 25 years have included Eliott Brass, Denise Etheridge, Stan Applebaum, Deborah Arnold, Peri Gordon, and current President Miriam Rosenberg.
Founders included Stan Applebaum, Tanya Applebaum, Leslie and Elliott Brass, Sid Davis, Arthur and Tess Glazer, Charlotte Janis, Judy Kreps, Steve and Julie Leibel, and Jeff and Stacey Wolfe.
Before concluding the anniversary celebration with the shehecheyanu prayer, President Miriam Rosenberg commented, “I grew up in a small Jewish community in Columbus, Georgia. I feel like I carry my parents on my shoulders as I find my Jewish community wherever I go in life. In Gainesville just as in Columbus the only real place to connect with other Jews is to go to synagogue.
“I am incredibly proud of the special community we have created welcoming Jews from far and wide in North Georgia so we all have a place to come together as Jews for services, spiritual uplifting, and supporting each other.”
Shalom b’Harim presents Friday evening and/or Saturday morning Shabbat services as well as High Holidays services and an annual Passover Seder. It is committed to Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) activities, including an ongoing partnership with Georgia Mountain Food Bank.
More information about Shalom b’Harim is available at shalombharim.org and on Facebook and Instagram.