Born and raised in Birmingham, AL, Emily moved to Atlanta, GA, in June 2006 to attend college at Georgia State University. During her time at GSU she was involved with on-campus Jewish organizations including Chabad and Hillel. Upon hearing the good news that Rabbi Ingber & Co. had moved to Atlanta from Birmingham, she happily picked up her belongings (and her newly acquired super-pup, Samson) and moved across town from Toco Hills to Sandy Springs to be a part of the growing and dynamic community that is The Kehilla in Sandy Springs.
Ginny Adams
Chai Lights Coordinator
Ginny Adams is from the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. During graduate school (and after a long hiatus from Judaism) she hesitantly traveled to Israel with Taglit Birthright. Upon returning, she decided to become “more intentionally Jewish” by taking a job with Hillel in Atlanta. One lovely autumnal afternoon, Rabbi Ingber wandered in Hillel to introduce himself as a new rabbi in town. She drank the Kool-Aid and is now very proud to help grow the Kehilla community. Ginny is a knitter, reader, writer, teacher, constant student of life, and is the master of the Kehilla mascot dog, Pepita. When she grows up, she wants to be a kosher moonshiner.
Rachel Bodenstein Linkwald
Welcoming Committee Chair
Rachel was raised in Marietta, which she thought was Atlanta until she actually moved to Atlanta. She is a jack of many trades, compiling a living as an actor, director, puppeteer, photographer, and program leader for Jewish Funds For Justice. Basically, she convinced people to pay her to be silly. She enjoys scuba diving and pretending to be on Top Chef with her husband, Billy. After briefly studying at Pardes, she was blown away to find world class learning here in her own backyard. If you desire to have your mind blown as well, you should come by so that she can WELCOME you!
Effie Ross
Manages newsletter, email contact
Effie Ross grew up in Marin County, California until the age of 13. Subsequently, his education brought him to Los Angeles, Seattle, New Jersey, New York, Tzfat, and Phoenix. The child of Chabad baalei teshuvah, Effie studied at Chabad, Modern Orthodox, and Chassidic institutions. Other studies include a Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies. He is currently Chief of Work Order QC at MLQ. In his spare time he enjoys animated films, playing his guitar, and long walks on stilts.
Rachel Simon
Rosh Chodesh Women’s Event Coordinator
Rachel grew up in the South, but was raised by parents from the Northeast. She identifies with being a married Jewish woman, who happens to love living in the South. Rachel and her husband Yonatan, have lived in various different Jewish communities in the United States, and are happy to call the Kehilla home. Rachel enjoys cooking (especially funnel cake), reading (anything with action), camping (as long as there’s a real bathroom), and spending time with her husband (anytime anywhere). Heading up the Rosh Chodesh Women’s Group is important to her identity as a Jewish woman.

Simmy Wolfe
Manages Meetup
Simcha “Simmy” Wolfe does her best to live up to her name (meaning happiness or joy) everyday. She is passionate about Jewish community building in America, showing support for H’eretz, continuing adult learning programming at The Kehilla, and effective pedagogical and experiential learning for children. She has a background in teaching in both private and religious day school settings.
Leah Heller
Operations
Born in Louisiana and raised in Georgia, Leah graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Child & Family Development from The University of Georgia. After a year in Israel and a brief education at Neve Yerushalayim, she returned to Atlanta in 2011 to begin her studies in Neuromuscular Therapy and Orthopedic Massage at Georgia Massage School. A traveler at heart, Leah enjoys reading, writing, singing, and learning with W-SAJE at the Kehilla!