Rabbi's Week in Review
I usually try and stay understated about the flurry of events that transpire in any given week. My sense has been to give things time, to gain better perspective, to learn what is important and meaningful to us in the long run.
This past week, however, has been like no other, and I am compelled to respond sooner rather than later. The events not only hold meaning for us as Jews but demand vigilance and action. ... Click here to read the rest of Rabbi Doug's blog post.
This Week's Torah Portion
This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Va’era (Shemot/Exodus 6:2-9:35). Moses gives us a lesson in leadership, humbly assuming leadership (really against his will) rather than seeking out leadership with unbridled, self-centered ambition.
Worship Events of the Week
We are excited about what our Kol Ami kids are doing in our community. Please join us on Zoom this Friday, January 15, at 6 p.m., as we learn about Tu Bishvat during our Family Experience Shabbat. Please RSVP to Erica. This will be followed by informal, family-friendly Shabbat services at 6:45 p.m. Click here.
And we continue with our morning prayer and connection each weekday (M-F) on Zoom at 8 a.m. Click here.
Weekly Features
Kol Ami’s Focus on Social Justice
By Pat Clinton
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is marked by a call for service, and the Kol Ami community answers that call through a commitment to social justice, demonstrated by our rabbi’s work with such movements as the Poor People’s Campaign, Jobs for Justice, and the Fight for $15, among others. Our affiliation with MORE(2), the Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Fund (MFAF), the Manheim Park Garden Conservancy, and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Elementary School provides opportunities for Kol Ami congregants to volunteer in support of these organizations’ missions.
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School
MLK School, located at 48th and Woodland, serves around 250 families and 390 children with approximately 70 teachers and staff. All of the students come from low-income families. Despite many challenges and the devastating impact of the pandemic, MLK has made significant achievements — in test scores and parent/family support, for example. Kol Ami congregants were very generous for three recent events — the drive for school supplies in September, a winter coat drive in November, and a toy drive in December. In February, we are planning a project for Teacher Appreciation Day.
MORE(2)
MORE(2) is a Kansas City-based interfaith organization with a focus on racial and economic justice. Its website states: “We are united in our commitment to transforming our communities by creating a metropolitan area that embraces all people and offers everyone the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential.” For more information, please see more2.org/
Manheim Park Garden Conservancy
Kol Ami is one of the partners working with the Historic Manheim Park Association, Kansas City Community Gardens and others to repair the garden and distribute its produce. Chickens, ducks and turkeys are also an integral part of the garden and provide eggs — as well as fascination for our children. Volunteer gardeners are always needed. Kol Ami holds various Family Experience activities and celebrations here, such as Sukkot. Watch this newsletter for updates and events at the garden, located at 42nd and Forest.
The Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Fund (MFAF)
MFAF assists migrant workers — those who travel and those who settle in the area year-round — with material needs, health and medical services, education assistance and advocacy. Kol Ami works with MFAF founder Suzanne Gladney in our ongoing project to collect paper grocery bags for MFAF's weekly food distribution to farmworkers. Bring your grocery bags to All Souls and leave them in the large green bin.
Social Justice Event
Car Caravan for Fast-Food Workers
This Friday, January 15, we have the opportunity to support fast-food and other low-wage workers. We will gather for a Car Caravan protest sponsored by Stand Up KC. Meet at St. Mark’s Hope and Peace Church (38th and Troost) between 10:30 and 11 a.m. After decorating our cars, we will journey to a yet-to-be-disclosed McDonald’s for a lunchtime, Covid-safe car protest. (This is not a civil-disobedience action. If asked by police to move our cars, we will follow their directions and do so.) Join in as we continue the fight for a living wage and fair, safe working conditions.
Kol Ami Events
T'ai Chi Chih
At 2 p.m. Monday, January 18, Rachel Rilinger continues the introduction to T’ai Chi Chih, a moving meditation practice that can be done seated or standing. No particular clothing or level of physical fitness is required. The class is free, with a donation to the Tai Chi Chih Foundation or to Kol Ami welcome. Click here.
Kol Ami Book Club
The Jewish Renewal movement provides a fresh look at today's problems and new methods of reinvigorating old rituals in our lives. Join us on Zoom at
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 19, as we discuss the new book Dancing in God's Earthquake: The Coming Transformation of Religion, by Arthur Waskow, a leading Renewal rabbi. Click here
