Mission

The Atlanta Rabbinical Association supports rabbinic excellence through connection, learning, and shared purpose—fostering a more vibrant, resilient and innovative Jewish community.

Vision

We are creating a greater Atlanta community where rabbis lead through mutual respect and collaborative spirit to face a dynamic Jewish future together.

Cultivate

We cultivate trust, friendship, and mutual support among rabbis across greater Atlanta.

Grow

We invest in each other’s growth through shared learning and professional development.

Advocate

We address communal needs, advocate for Jewish life, and reflect on an evolving vision for our shared future.

Our Leadership

President

Bradley Levenberg

Vice President

Ari Kaiman

Secretary

Lydia Medwin

Treasurer

Nachi Friedman

Member-at-large

Elizabeth Bahar

Member-at-large

Josh Hearshen

Immediate Past President

Daniel Dorsch

Program and Operations Manager

Brooke Rosenthal

Our History

The ARA traces its roots to the early 1970s, when a small cohort of local rabbis began meeting to address shared communal issues in a city with only a few synagogues and minimal organized infrastructure. Though the group evolved informally for decades it steadily grew into a more structured body with dues, governance, and formal tax status. By the time it was incorporated as a legal entity in 2016, it already represented generations of rabbinic collaboration and a longstanding commitment to strengthening Jewish life across the community.

Rabbi Bradley Levenberg
President

The ARA isn’t just a professional network; it’s a proving ground for what Jewish leadership can be when rabbis work together. My vision is for an Atlanta rabbinate that debates with respect, collaborates with honesty, and shows up for one another when it counts. When we lead together, our collective voice amplifies our impact in ways that reach beyond the bimah and the boardroom. It strengthens Jewish life, enriches civic life, and reminds Atlanta that rabbinic leadership is both a moral anchor and a creative force in shaping the city’s future.

Rabbi Ari Kaiman
Vice-President

My childhood years in Pensacola Florida were steeped in Southern Jewish culture. I experienced the power of a strong Jewish community that is a historic minority in the region. When we moved to the suburbs of Atlanta in my teen years, I benefited greatly from the collaborative work of congregations in Atlanta and across the Southeast. Now that I have the great honor of leading one of those congregations, I find great meaning in bringing different small communities together to collaborate and continue the unique culture of Southern Jewry.

Lydia Medwin
Secretary

The Atlanta Rabbinical Association is a group of colleagues who are here to support one another, solve problems together, and learn together so that we can lead our Atlanta Jewish community in the best ways possible. As the ARA’s secretary, I’m proud to say that we are more connected today than ever before. I have personally made some great new friends, people who not only understand the challenges we face as clergy, but also all the wonderful joys. This is a group of people who truly have each other’s backs and want the best for each of us and our Jewish community. I have learned incredible Torah with the ARA from the world’s best Jewish scholars, and geeked out with friends over Hebrew text and conversations about the Jewish future. Being a Jewish leader can be tough; the ARA makes it all a little sweeter.

Nachi Friedman
Treasurer

Rabbi Friedman is a child and adolescent therapist working at Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) and volunteers as the local coordinator for Chai- Lifeline. Rabbi Friedman holds a masters degree in clinical counseling and psychology with a specialization in play therapy. He enjoys combining his love of psychology and Torah to teach and learn Torah in a unique way.

Elizabeth Bahar
Member-at-large

I am deeply grateful to serve on the ARA board as its first member from beyond Atlanta. This inclusion outside of the metro area, represents more than geography—it reflects our commitment to Isaiah’s prophetic vision: My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7).

I have learned through my own journey that we are deeply enmeshed with one another. Rabbis serving smaller communities across Georgia deserve the same robust support and collaboration as those in larger centers. By widening our tent and strengthening connections across geographic and denominational lines, we ensure that every rabbi—and every Jew they serve—feels embraced by our collective community. As Rabbi Lawrence Kushner teaches in his poem “Jigsaw,” “no one has within themselves all the pieces to their puzzle…. Everyone carries with them at least one and probably many pieces to someone else’s puzzle.” The ARA allows us to share those pieces, to learn from one another, and to grow together. I look forward to making this vision a living reality alongside my colleagues.

Josh Hearshen
Member-at-large

Rabbi Hearshen believes the best metaphor for a rabbi is Israeli Tour Guide: he educates all who hunger, creates spiritual encounters, heals wounds, journeys with those around him, solves problems as they arise and creates opportunities for people to grow in their love for Judaism and the Jewish people. He strives every day to inspire, engage and expand our community. A community prays, socializes, enjoys life, learns together, and longs to be together when apart.

Daniel Dorsch
Immediate Past President

Having served as an ARA officer for the past five years, it has been my honor to give back to the Atlanta rabbinic community.  I was warmly welcomed by the president of the ARA when our family relocated here nearly a decade ago, and it was a privilege for me to go and do the same as president from 2023-2025.  It is my hope that through the ARA that Atlanta remains an inclusive, interconnected community for rabbis of all denominations to come together and to accomplish great things. The Book of Proverbs encourages us׃ “Throw in your lot with us, so we shall all have a common purse.”  The ARA is living proof that Klal Yisrael, the Jewish people, is always stronger when we throw in our lot together.

Brooke Rosenthal
Program and Operations Manager

Brooke Rosenthal serves as Program and Operations Manager, supporting the rabbis of Atlanta in their vital work sustaining and strengthening the Jewish community. Now in her fourth year supporting the ARA membership, she focuses on strengthening organizational infrastructure while enhancing member engagement and advancing initiatives that position the ARA for long-term growth.

“The rabbis of Atlanta work extremely hard to support, uphold, and care for our community in countless seen and unseen ways. I relish offering the support they deserve by creating meaningful opportunities for them to connect and uplift one another.”

Brooke holds an MBA in Nonprofit Management from American Jewish University. She is actively involved with numerous Jewish institutions and organizations across Atlanta and was instrumental in developing the business plan for MACoM, the community mikvah. She lives in Buckhead with her husband, Laurence Rosenthal, Senior Rabbi of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, and their four teenage children.