Showing Up for Every Corner of Jewish Atlanta

November 6, 2026

What do an overnight barbecue competition and an interfaith Pride Shabbat service have in common? 

More than you might think. 

Both brought together people from across Jewish Atlanta. Both created opportunities to celebrate Jewish identity and find connection. And Federation was proud to be part of both. 

Federation was there. At the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival on October 18, Federation’s Levi Burton and Matthew Fendley competed as Team “Feederation,” taking home third place in chicken wings and third place overall! 

But for Levi, Federation’s Events Manager and lead chef, the real highlight wasn’t the trophies. 

“Everyone cheered and got excited for everyone’s wins, because the community you build overnight is so much more than just winning or losing,” they said. 

For Levi, the festival is a place where organizational affiliations, denominations and backgrounds fade away. Thousands of people, Jewish and non-Jewish, come together simply to celebrate good food and community. 

Nine days earlier, another corner of Jewish Atlanta was coming together in a very different way. 

At SOJOURN’s Atlanta-wide Interfaith Pride Shabbat, candles were lit, familiar prayers were sung and voices from different faith traditions joined together in support of Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community. 

Before the joyful excitement of Atlanta Pride weekend, the October 9 gathering offered a moment to slow down, reflect and feel spiritually connected. For LGBTQ+ Jews, it was a space to bring every part of themselves into their Jewish experience.

Rose Kantorczyk, SOJOURN’s Communications and Legislative Affairs Coordinator, explained that Pride Shabbat is about more than visibility. 

“What we’re fighting for is not just visibility, but that everybody has equal access to Jewish spaces that feel spiritually connective and make them feel whole,” they said, spaces that “embrace all aspects of who they are.” 

For Rose, the presence of Christian, Muslim, and Indigenous partners alongside Jewish leaders sent a powerful message: “Hey, we’re with you, and we want to help create this … faith space where everyone can feel connected and supported.” 

And Federation was there, supporting SOJOURN through security planning for Pride weekend and through its broader investment in the organization’s work of creating safe, welcoming Jewish spaces. 

And Federation was there, supporting SOJOURN through security planning for Pride weekend and through its broader investment in the organization’s work of creating safe, welcoming Jewish spaces.

For SOJOURN, that feeling of belonging shouldn’t end when Pride weekend does, and neither does Federation’s support. The upcoming Jewish Professionals for Rainbow Youth Summit on November 10 is the next step, helping Jewish educators and youth leaders turn the spirit of Pride Shabbat into everyday action. 

Different organizations. Different people, different experiences, different expressions of Jewish life. All working together to build a stronger, more connected Jewish Atlanta.

“We try to be where the community is,” said Annie Garrett, Federation’s VP of Planning. “Jewish Atlanta is a diverse community, and it’s critical for us to represent that diversity not only in our funding and our planning and our allocations, but also in how we show up.” 

That commitment takes many forms. Sometimes Federation staff are there in person, meeting people, building relationships and celebrating alongside them. Sometimes Federation’s role is less visible, providing funding, security expertise, resources or connections that help community organizations do what they do best. 

And sometimes, it’s both. 

Across Jewish Atlanta, Federation works alongside over 70 partners to create opportunities for people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities and Jewish experiences to find their place. That work is made possible by Federation donors, whose generosity helps strengthen the organizations, relationships and experiences that make Jewish community thrive. 

Because Jewish Atlanta isn’t one kind of person, one kind of gathering or one way of being Jewish. 

And Federation isn’t just showing up in one place. 

We’re showing up for all of it.