Heska Amuna Synagogue has served the Jewish community of Knoxville, Tennessee for over 130 years. We balance respect for tradition with openness to new ideas and practices. We come together as a family in the warmth of Shabbes, the spirituality of Jewish holy days, and the sharing of life’s important passages. We are small enough to be personal, but large enough to meet the needs of a diverse membership. We emphasize education and pride ourselves on the skills of our adult lay leadership and on the accomplishments of our youth.

We welcome all to be a part of our family.

Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for the Trees, is just around the corner. Come celebrate with us!

Thursday, February 13: A Very Special Drop-In and Plant Celebration (for kids of all ages) with Rabbi Adam Rosenbaum and friends, 3 – 6 pm. Then, join us again for our Tu B’Shvat Seder that Rabbi will lead during our Shabbat kiddush on Saturday, February 15.

Meanwhile, learn some Tu B’Shvat songs with Rabbi Rosenbaum. Click here for the melodies and the English and Hebrew transliterations and sing along with Rabbi. Or just enjoying listening by clicking one of the links below:

And click *here* for a fantastic video with Rivka Soloway to learn all of the motions that goes along with Eretz Zavat Chalav.

It’s Kallah Time Again! Sign up to attend Heska Amuna’s Shabbat weekend at Camp Ramah Darom. For more information, contact Marc Forman, marcforman@hotmail.com. The deadline to register is this Wednesday (January 22)!

Announcing a new Teen Mussar Program beginning Winter, 2025

For more information or to RSVP, contact Peggy Littmann, Youth Education Vice Chair at plittmann@comcast.net

The Mussar Institute has developed a special program for teens which we are offering to all teens in our community; through donations, this program is being offered without a charge to your teen. The course will facilitated by members of Women’s League, William Thompson, and two Israeli teen ambassadors.

Mussar is a Jewish spiritual tradition that offers insight and guidance for living by teaching us how to pay attention to our inner traits, middot, such as Humility, Gratitude, Envy, Honor, Responsibility, Patience, Enthusiasm, Kindness, Silence, Peace-of Mind, and Trust. We’ll focus on the ones that are of greatest interest to our students. Parents are encouraged to participate in this program, too. So what would it be?  Check out some links from the Mussar Institute about this course, Challenges and Choices, *here* and *here*.

Join our services using this zoom link for all services! (Classes use other zoom links; see below for specific links for specific classes.)
Meeting ID for all services: 560 531 361
Passcode: 628641

  • Tuesday, January 21, 8:00 pm, Minyan led by Michael Burnett (zoom only)
  • Wednesday, January 22, 11:30-12:30 pm, Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Rosenbaum (zoom only, use the link below)
  • Wednesday, January 22, Minyan at 6:30 pm (Minyan led by Jack Love followed by Talmud Chat at 7 pm with Jack and Raphe Panitz (zoom only)
  • Friday evening, January 24, Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:30 pm led by Jack Love (zoom only)
  • Saturday, January 25, 9:15 am, Text Study with William Thompson before Shabbat services (in-person only)
  • Saturday, January 25, 10 am, Contemporary Shabbat and Family-Friendly service (with special programs and kiddush for children) led by Rabbi Shush Carson (in-person and zoom)
  • Monday, January 27, 6:30 pm, Pscintillating Psalms, led by Rabbi Adam Rosenbaum (zoom only, use the link below)

If you were not able to join us for this fascinating program, check back soon for a link to the recording.


To add a bookplate to a high holy day prayerbook (mahzor), please click *here.*

Reach out to Rabbi Adam Rosenbaum.

Rabbi will be back in Knoxville January 13-20.

Click *here* to join his next class, Pscinitillating Psalms, on Monday, January 27 (zoom only) and click *here* for his next Lunch and Learn, Wednesday, January 22 at 11:30 (zoom only).

Make an appointment with Rabbi Rosenbaum here, email him here, or call (865) 522-0701.

Keep up with Rabbi’s blog *here* and his YouTube channel *here.*

We have updated our Zoom links and now have ONE link to use for all minyanim, Shabbat, and holiday services!

Join our services using *this* zoom link for everything!
Meeting ID for all services: 560 531 361
Passcode: 628641

What do we mean by “everything?” We mean *all* of our services!
Tuesday evening minyan, 8 pm, led by Michael Burnett (which is zoom-only)
Wednesday minyan, 6:30 pm and Talmud Chat that follows minyan, led by Jack Love and Raphe Panitz (both are zoom-only)
Friday Kabbalat Shabbat, 6:30 pm, led by Jack Love and Rabbi Adam Rosenbaum (a mix of in-person and zoom-only depending on Rabbi Rosenbaum’s travel schedule)
Shabbat morning Traditional services, 9:45 am, 1st and 3rd Saturdays in the month, led by the Rabbi and Religious Services Committee and Rabbi Rosenbaum (in-person and zoom)
Shabbat morning Contemporary services, 10 am, 2nd and 4th, (and 5th when there is one) Saturdays in the month, led by Rabbi Shush Carson (in-person and zoom)

Questions? Concerns? Delights? Let us know! RRS@HeskaAmuna.Org

Gilya Schmidt shared thoughts from her latest book on the life of Hazzan Heiser at Heska Amuna last month; click *here* for the unedited zoom session. Passcode: Passcode: &uyLyA99

Shabbat Morning Text Study Continues!

Our Shabbat text study is led by William Thompson beginning at 9:15 in the synagogue library. Our Shabbat morning study group will be exploring the Tanak; join us any week before our Shabbat services begin.

Our community connects in person for Shabbat Morning Services and on Zoom for services, classes and talks, podcasts, and other programs. Click *here* for our complete schedule of services and classes. (Questions? Suggestions? Contact our office at 865-522-0701 or the Rabbi and Religious Services committee at  RRS@heskaamuna.org.)

  • Heska Amuna Synagogue is a sacred home,
    animated by Jewish tradition:
  • • Finding purpose through reflection (Cheshbon HaNefesh);
  • • Healing lives through service (Chesed); and
  • • Celebrating God with awe and joy (Yirat Shamayim).