"A person must build ladders to climb to the heavens.”

~Piaseczno Rebbe

Vision

Building Jewish experiences that elevate and transform you.

Mission

Ma’alot is a spiritual community transforming lives through music, nature and Jewish wisdom.

Values

When you gather with us, we strive to ensure that:

You feel seen ~ recognized and valued for who you are.

You feel nourished ~ spiritually, emotionally, and physically cared for.

You feel a sense of belonging ~ connected to others and values we share.

We co-create meaning and beauty together ~ through shared learning, rituals, and experiences.

We are a diverse community of seekers across Atlanta looking for Jewish experiences that feel authentic, personal and meaningful. Through immersive gatherings we experiment, we remember, and we reimagine powerful Jewish practices that have transformed communities through the centuries. 

What We Do

  • Instigate and sustain Jewish rejuvenation through participatory music, collaborative art and spiritual connection to nature.

  • Engage adults in immersive ritual and experiential education which connect them to community, Jewish values and ancient traditions.

  • Build networks for families and bring Jewish life and learning into their homes in personal, meaningful ways. 

Is Ma’alot a Synagogue?

Yes and no. We are building a community that provides some of the same services as a synagogue, but without many of the expectations that institutional Jewish life holds. We experiment with tradition to help us come alive through our rituals and practice, and make decisions about what and how we do Judaism from community conversations and feedback. We care about the holistic wellbeing of our participants and prioritize that our leadership, volunteers and Builders feel chesed, lovingkindness, from their community. This allows us to design gatherings that serve your deepest needs and to communally discover better ways of practicing our Judaism.

In practice, we are a spiritual community that comes together to observe Shabbat and holidays, celebrate lifecycles, circles, and meet up for cultural and social gatherings, provide life-long education, and build spiritual relationships with one another, the Holy One, and our own selves.

What “Ma’alot” Means

The Hebrew word Ma’alot means “elevate” and is used in the Book of Psalms to invoke inspiration and spiritual heights through music, nature and divinity. It is commonly paired with shir, song, for an obvious reason: music has always elevated Jewish ritual and sacred inspiration. Ma’alot is dedicated to the tradition of invigorating Judaism through our rich musical heritage and making an accessible, spiritual experience through song for those unfamiliar with Jewish liturgy or tradition.

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Music, Nature, and Embodied Wisdom

Each year brings us rituals of celebration and remembrance directly tied to the cycles of the days and the seasons, and harkens back to the revelation our ancestors received journeying through the wilderness. Through outdoor education and rituals that center song and embodiment, Ma’alot offers a new, vibrant way of experiencing Judaism that stretches far beyond the walls of any institution. In order to ascend, we must first develop a firm grounding in where we came from and who we are, and that begins with the connection of adam, the first earthling, and adamah, the earth.

You bring your own Torah to Jewish community. We discover so much when we explore the wisdom of our own experiences in tandem with the inherited wisdom of our ancestors. When we listen to one another, to our past, and to our innermost self, we transform the way we understand our world and our purpose in it. Through this process, we break the stigmas that many of us carry about what Judaism “should” look like, and instead discover a tradition that speaks to our heart and soul. This is true embodiment of our heritage, and the way the sages have practiced Jewish throughout the centuries.

More Questions? Check out our FAQ page.

Who We Are

Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe, Spiritual Leader

Rabbi Ariel is a mother, musician, and spiritual educator. Originally from Philadelphia, Ariel studied religion and music as an undergraduate at Emory University and was ordained at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, where she focused on Hasidic commentaries and feminist interpretations of Jewish history and ritual. After ordination, Ariel studied Jewish music as a Rising Song Resident and in Philadelphia. She founded Ma’alot in 2021 and has been serving in the roles of spiritual leader and executive director since then.

To learn more about Ariel, read teachings she’s shared with Ma’alot, visit her personal website or read her vision for Jewish community and spiritual life.

Ava Shaevel, Communications Coordinator

Ava Shaevel grew up in Newton, MA, where she went to Jewish Day School at Solomon Shechter, and attended Emory University for college where I studied Religion and Sociology. After college, she went to Jerusalem for the year and studied at Pardes, an Egalitarian Yeshiva. Ava has worked as a team of Music in Common, a shule teacher for the Boston Workers Circle, a fellow for Adamah, a Jewish farming fellowship, and a Boys and Girls Club in Boston, where she spearheaded a project for members to make skits with their age groups. When she am not working, you can find Ava gardening, dancing, playing soccer, or singing. Reach out to Ava at info@maalotatlanta.com.

Ma’alot Leadership and Partners found here.

We’re Hiring a Manager of Operations and Engagement! *

We’re Hiring a Manager of Operations and Engagement! *

A Year in Review

Ma’alot In the news