Weekly E-News 5786

Jan 9 - Jan 15, 2026

Kiddush this week is sponsored by

Aaron & Julius Davidson in memory of

their mother, Ida Davidson.

Menu

Bagels, Lox, & Cream Cheese

Herring & Onion in Cream Sauce 

Tuna Salad

Egg Salad

Tossed Salad

Dessert

Kiddush prepared by Charna & Marvin Cweibel.

Special Happenings at AA



Friday, January 9th, 8:00 AM

Jack Wasserman, the Regional Vice President of the Anshe Darom region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, will be at minyan to talk about Men's Clubs.

Saturday, January 10th, 10:30 AM

Sam Halpern of the American Jewish Committee will be giving a Devar Torah. Mr. Halpern oversees government affairs and intergroup relations for the AJC.

We are also hosting two representatives from our partner city in Israel, Hedera-Eiron. They are coming to learn about the community with the intention of creating a partnership and project that will strengthen the ties between us and Israel.

Please join us in welcoming these guests!

Also, please call the office if you will be here for kiddush on Saturday.

Birthdays

Sunday, Jan 11th - Sally Krissman, Elaine Weinberger,

& Julia Blumenfeld (9th)

Monday, Jan 12th - Michael Konter & Leanne Swallwood

Wednesday, Jan 14th - Charleigh Conner (13th)

Thursday, Jan 15th - Julie Goodman & Diego Meeroff

Anniversaries

Tuesday, Jan 13th - Sarah & Jerry Parker

From the Desk of Rabbi Cantor

Civil disobedience, from its first recorded entry into the English language, has had roots in the religious experience: faced with a discordance between the will of the government and the demands of one's conscience, one is compelled to disobey the secular authority in service of a Higher Power.

And this is what we are witness to in this week's Torah Portion:

The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, saying, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth.” And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and increased greatly. And [God] established households for the midwives, because they feared God. (Exodus 1:15-21)

Shiphrah and Puah are engaging in Civil Disobedience. From the Hebrew it is unclear if they themselves are Egyptians who serve as midwives to the Hebrews, or Hebrews who are midwives. Regardless, they are heroes. In the face of unjust commands, it takes tremendous courage to do the right thing (or more properly, to refuse to do the wrong thing, and accept the consequences of one's actions).

In the story, God rewards their actions; in the real world, correct behavior and refusal to behave badly is often its own reward.

Rabbi David Cantor

In Person Service Times

Tuesday: 7:30 AM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM

Friday: 8:00 AM

Shabbat: 9:45 AM

This Shabbat

Parashat Shemot 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת

10 January 2026 / 21 Tevet 5786

Candle Lighting 5:20 PM / Havdalah 6:18 PM

Torah Portion: Exodus 1:1-6:1

Shemot (“Names”) is the first Torah reading in the Book of Exodus. It opens describing the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt. Moses is born, placed in a basket on the Nile, and adopted into Pharaoh’s household. He later encounters God at a burning bush and begins his mission of demanding that Pharoah let the Israelites go.

1: 1:1-7 · 317 

2: 1:8-12 · 318 

3: 1:13-17 · 319 

4: 1:18-22 · 320 

5: 2:1-10 · 321 

6: 2:11-15 · 323 

7: 2:16-25 · 325 

M: 2:23-25 · 325 

Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23 · 343

Service Leader Sign Up

Are you interested in leading services? Reading Torah? You can sign up on our service leader sign up sheet!

Yahrzeits 

Thursday night/Friday, Jan 9 - 20 Tevet

Irwin Klugler - father of Stuart Klugler

Nathalie Konter - grandmother of Jerry Konter & Sally Greenberg

Friday night/Saturday, Jan 10 - 21 Tevet

Ida Davidson - mother of Aaron & Julius Davidson

Ronald Gordon - father of Marc Gordon

Saturday night/Sunday, Jan 11 - 22 Tevet

Morris Cohen - father of Edward Cohen

Melvin Karp - father of Sheryl Kreh & Sidney Karp

Sunday night/Monday, Jan 12 - 23 Tevet

Tillie Feldman - aunt of Bobby Isaacson

Joseph Weinberger - father of Matthew Weinberger

Monday night/Tuesday, Jan 13 - 24 Tevet

Burton Udinsky - father of David & Gary Udinsky

Mildred Zoller - mother of Michael Zoller

Tuesday night/Wednesday, Jan 14 - 25 Tevet

Alvin Slotin - father of Frank Slotin

Wednesday night/Thursday, Jan 15 - 26 Tevet

Raoul Djian - father of Monique Mayo

Thursday night/Friday, Jan 16 - 27 Tevet

Rhoda Hess - grandmother of Daniel Skidmore-Hess

Annie Hirsch - grandmother of Stanley Rosenberg

Henry Miller - grandfather of Edward Cohen

Commemoration of the Yahrzeit begins the evening of the first noted date.



Congregation Agudath Achim

Donor Dues

Benefactor

$9,999 - $5000

Melvyn & Eleanor Galin



 Leader

$3,599 - $1,800

Stephen & Annette Friedman

Ed Price

Patron

$1,799 - $720

Aaron & Dayle Levy

Allan & Arlene Ratner

Sherwin & Sara Robin

Sol & Stephanie Zerden

Michael & Linda Zoller

Chai Member

$719 - $360

Michelle & Matthew Allan

Gerald Caplan

Linda & Joe Cooper

AM Goldkrand

Paul & Harriet Kulbersh

Stacy & Jeffrey Lasky

Andrew & Leslie Walcoff



Supporters

 $359 - $100 

Lynn Berkowitz

Adam & Lauren Fins

Ted & Adelle Geffen

Doug & Lisa Goldstein

Seth Grenald

David & Gale Hirsh

Jonathan & Tova Javetz

Harriet Karlin

Michael & Suzanne Konter

Larry & Betsy Lehner

Steve & Linda Sacks

Victor & Elise Shernoff

Judy Todtfeld

Thanks to these donors for going above and beyond by participating in the Donor Dues Program this 2025-2026 fiscal year. If you would like to participate by making this additional commitment, please contact the office. 

Community News

Workman's Circle Credit Union has made a generous donation to AA in recognition of the benefits we bring to the Savannah community. In appreciation of this donation, please consider doing business with Workman's Circle.

Montag Gallery

December 19 - January 30: Teake Zuidema

Teake Zuidema grew up in the Netherlands, where he studied cultural anthropology and specialized in the use of photography and film in anthropological research. He completed his fieldwork and made a documentary while living in a community of Maya campesinos in Mexico. Next, he became a freelance photographer. During his career, he photographed wars in Middle America, religious rituals and customs in Brazil and Bhutan, and worked for travel magazines and newspapers such as National Geographic Traveler and The Guardian. He studied photography and darkroom techniques at the Photographic Center De Moor in Amsterdam.

In 1995, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he produced photo stories about ecology, science, and technology. After moving to Savannah in 2021, he turned to landscape photography, traveling along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, and became a member of the former Kobo Gallery downtown. In 2025, with a Sea Grant from the University of Georgia, he exhibited his project “Living on the Edge” at ARTS Southeast, which explored the difficult lives of trees living on the edges of the forest and the marsh, the forest and the river, and the forest and the beach.

Savannah MLK Day Parade, Jan 19th, 10AM

Join Savannah Jewish Federation as we march in the 48th Annual Savannah MLK Day Parade. The theme this year is "A Fight With Courage, A Victory for Love."

Whether you walk or ride, all ages are welcome and encouraged!

Healthy snacks, water, hot chocolate and guaranteed fun provided!

Register today to secure your spot in the Parade Brigade!

Rabbi David Cantor

Morgan McGhie, President

Motti Locker, Executive Director

Congregation Agudath Achim | office@agudath-achim.com | 912-352-4737 | www.agudath-achim.com