Shabbat Shulchan At 6 p.m. this Friday, March 10, we gather at All Souls for our Shabbat Shulchan, our Shabbat Table — informal Shabbat worship followed by our Seudah, our festive Shabbat meal. So we know how much food to have on hand, please RSVP to rabbidoug@kolamikc.org.
Upcoming Kol Ami Events
Kol Ami Jewish Cooking Series Ashkenazic vs Sephardic Passover Recipes
When: Wednesday, March 22 Time: From 6 to 8 p.m. Where: All Souls Kitchen Cost: $20 (includes a boxed dinner) RSVP required by March 19. To register, click here. Questions? For additional information, contact Brad Ordo at kehilahvp@kolamikc.org.
Give Us Your Paper Grocery Bags Attending services? Bring your gently used paper grocery bags and drop them in a cardboard box by the siddurs. (We donate them to Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Fund for food distribution to farmworkers and their families.) Want the bags picked up?You can email newsletter@kolamikc.org if you would like the bags picked up from your house. Thank you!
We Wish Mi Shebeirach A Complete Healing of Mind, Body and Spirit to:
Diane Alexander Robert Clinton Kenneth Dantzler Rev. Kendyl Gibbons Amanda Goldstein Frank Karr LJ Karr Sheryl Kretchmer Marc Ordo Rachel Perera Michah ben Sarah Edi Shifrin
If you would like a name to continue to be listed or if you have a new name to include, please send an email to healing@kolamikc.org.
Rabbi's Week in Review
Wrapping up another Purim celebration this week, a holiday I approach with some sense of trepidation. I don’t enjoy putting on costumes (although our cats are always in costume, whether they want to or not). The raucous nature of the holiday has been somewhat jarring for me, and I can’t seem to get past the violence of chapter 9 in the Book of Esther.
This Week's Torah Portion Parashat Ki Tisa (Shemot/Exodus 30:11-34:35)
We read this week regarding the sin of the golden calf, and Moses' response to the people having built such an idol. His initial response is to break the tablets containing the Aseret Dibrot, the Ten Commandments. He compounds the sin by his own angry response. Yet he and the people all get a second chance. Moses collects himself and pleads on behalf of the people.
Weekly Feature
Random Purim Food Musings By Ellen Karp
Legend has it that Esther followed a vegetarian diet while living in the palace. Why? She didn't want to violate rules of kashrut and she didn’t want to disclose that she was a Jew. So it's customary during Purim to eat dishes of lentils, chickpeas, beans and nuts.
Then, of course, there’s the obligatory hamantaschen, the luscious three-cornered pastry ascribed to Haman’s hatwear. Making it has been the bane of my existence — despite multiple efforts, my hamantaschen is always ugly. My sister, Jody, and my dear friend Fay are both incredibly talented bakers, and their hamantaschen are always gorgeous. I thought it was my personal trauma to have to accept and live with but then, voila and all praise to Google: I found I was not alone! I found my people! Click here and hereand here and here to see some not-so-pretty hamantaschen. Misery loves company.
And for some rather unusual hamantaschen recipes — if you’re feeling ambitious — click here.
Happy Purim, y’all.
Congregant in the News
The KC Jewish Chronicle writes that Kol Ami member Alex Shapiro, vice president of philanthropy for the KC Symphony, led a session of the Jewish Community Foundation’s “Parking Lot Lunch” series February 14 with his colleague Karen Casebolt, KC Symphony’s director of individual philanthropy, about planned-giving opportunities and best practices for agencies and organizations (“JCF educates nonprofit partners at ‘Parking Lot Lunches,’ “ March 2).
Our mailing address is: Congregation Kol Ami 4501 Walnut Street ℅ All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church Kansas City, MO 64111
