Rabbi's Week in Review
In the past week, I participated in two events with seemingly conflicting intent. The Kansas Leadership Center presented a program entitled “Keeping the Republic,” based on an article by Marty Linsky. My interest/ulterior motive in the program, other than having been a past participant in KLC events, was to have some exposure to Marty Linsky, as he is the curriculum architect for the Clergy Leadership Incubator that I ... Click here to read the rest of Rabbi Doug's blog post.
This Week's Torah Portion
This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Yitro (Shemot/Exodus 18:1-20:23). This week, the week in which we all stand at Mt. Sinai and enter into our Covenant with G-d, we receive the Aseret HaDibberot, the Ten Commandments. We learn that what gives our lives meaning is how we can give back in our relationship with G-d, and not only be takers in the relationship.
Worship Events of the Week
We look forward to celebrating Shabbat together this Friday night, February 5, at 6:45 p.m. We will make Shabbos together with prayerful music, learning and blessings. It is always good when the community comes together and we see one another … even on Zoom. Click here.
Saturday, February 6, at 9:30 a.m., join our Zoom study group for a discussion that starts with our sacred texts as the foundation for an exploration of contemporary topics. Click here.
And don’t forget about our weekday-morning service and study. Just 15 minutes, from 8 to 8:15 a.m., to start our day and stay connected as we struggle together through the pandemic. Click here.
Weekly Features
Member Spotlight — the Zitron Family
From left: Gus, Bekah, Aaron and Teddy Zitron
What brought you to KC or what has kept you here?
Aaron Zitron: I was born and raised in Kansas City, eventually moving to the Washington, D.C., area to attend the University of Maryland. While living in the D.C. metro area, I met my wife, Bekah, who was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of D.C. After getting married and having two boys (Teddy, 13, and Gus, 10), we moved to KC in the summer of 2011. Both of my parents still live in KC, and we wanted to be near them. We wanted to live somewhere that had a lower cost of living, was less congested and had a slower pace. Moving to KC has been great for our family, and Bekah and I are very happy with our decision to raise our family here.
What drew you to Kol Ami?
The thing that drew us most was the inclusive environment that Kol Ami offers. We liked that the congregation has a very progressive view of Judaism. We also really liked Rabbi Doug's personality, passion for social justice, and overall views of inclusion and equality. Also, we live in the Brookside area and wanted a congregation that was in the city near us.
What are your vocations or avocations?
I work in medical sales as a territory sales rep for a company called Avanir. In my spare time, I also officiate men's college and high school basketball. Bekah works as an event planner part-time for a nonprofit named Camp Encourage, which provides programming and summer camp for kids on the autism spectrum. She also volunteers on occasion at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, which both our boys attend.
What do you enjoy doing as a family?
We love to travel — anywhere. We have had the good fortune to have been able to take some amazing trips, both domestic and international. We love to go camping at the lake and spend time outdoors doing anything and everything. My boys are very active, so anything that keeps them and us moving is great!
Tell us about the preparation for your son’s bar mitzvah this month.
Teddy has been doing a great job preparing for his bar mitzvah in this time of COVID. Rabbi Doug has done an amazing job studying with and preparing Teddy virtually. As a family, we usually have very interesting and wide-ranging conversations at the dinner table that start off talking about his Torah portion and seem to go in all sorts of directions. Like many other families, we were very excited to celebrate this simcha with friends and family who are spread out all over the U.S., but given COVID, we will instead be celebrating virtually. Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate in person with friends and family for Gus' bar mitzvah in three years.
Social Justice News
Among the many issues of social justice we now face, two resonate as particularly Jewish issues: (1) the ongoing threat of white supremacists and (2) immigration. There are opportunities to sign petitions and stay up on these issues. Many petitions are calling for Josh Hawley’s resignation. For immigration, I recommend that you check out the website for HIAS (the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). It is a marvelous resource for the most up-to-date information on efforts to enact more compassionate rules and governance for refugees and asylum-seekers.
— Rabbi Doug
