Rabbi Chaim Lindenblatt moved to Atlanta to serve as our rabbi in 2001. Prior to joining our shul, Rabbi Lindenblatt served as the Assistant Rabbi of Brith Shalom Beth Israel in Charleston, South Carolina. Rabbi Lindenblatt is also involved in the greater Atlanta community: he is a counselor and mediator at the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia and is the Jewish Chaplain at the Veterans Administration Hospital.

Rabbi Chaim Lindenblatt received semicha from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. Rabbi Lindenblatt holds a law degree as well.

In 2004, Rabbi Lindenblatt established an eruv - see map - in the Morningside / Virginia Highlands neighborhood. In addition to teaching classes on Jewish subjects, Rabbi Lindenblatt teaches a weekly self-defense class at Anshi S'fard. Rabbi Lindenblatt and his wife, Blimie, have five children: Shimon, Perel, Rivka, Mordechai and Shalom.
 

Prayer Book- Nusach

In Eastern Europe, there were three different versions of the prayer book, i.e. three different nuschaot, in general use - (1) Ashkenazi, which was used in almost all of Lithuania and other areas that were not under Chasidic influence; (2) Nusach Ari, which was generally only used by Chabad (Lubavitch) Chasidim; and (3) Nusach S'fard, which was used by Chasidim

Nusach S'fard was introduced as part of the Hasidic innovations that took place in the first generations following the Baal Shem Tov. Generally, early Hasidic masters believed that the Sefardic ritual (Nusach/prayer book) was more authentic. Although called Nusach S'fard, in reality the prayer book had nothing to do with Spain. The prayer book used in Spain, which is used by Sephardiim, is quite different from the Nusach S'fard. When one speaks of Nusach S'fard today, we are referring to the prayer book used by most Chasidim. We pray using the Ashkenazic pronunciation.
 

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