Shabbat Blessings This Friday, April 26, at 6:45 p.m., we are on Zoom for Shabbat blessings and to continue our celebration of Pesach. For the Zoom link, click here.
Pre-Walk Saturday Service At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27, we gather on the south lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, at the labyrinth, for a short Shabbat service prior to our annual participation in the AIDS Walk. It is what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel z”l referred to as an opportunity to “pray with our feet." Upcoming Kol Ami Events
AIDS Walk KC Don't forget to donateor to sign upto walk with Team Kol Ami and Ga'avah in the AIDS Walk this Saturday, April 27. We will meet on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins by the labyrinth at 8:30 a.m. for a short service. The ceremony starts at 9 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Questions? Email Julia atengagement@
Meditation Group Lara Steinel leads a meditation session at All Souls this Sunday, April 28, from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Participants will learn and practice the basics of Jewish meditation, with an introduction to the session’s theme by Rabbi Alpert.
Young Family
Get-Together There will be snacks and games at a “Young Family Get-Together” at Loose Park Saturday, May 11, beginning at 10 a.m. Please feel free to invite friends outside the Kol Ami community. If you have any questions, email Julia, Kol Ami’s director of engagement, at engagement@
Save the Date Congregational Meeting Please plan to attend the Kol Ami annual meeting Friday, May 3, immediately following the worship service. We anticipate the meeting will last 30 minutes. Come and meet our new music director and our director of engagement. I look forward to seeing you there. — Pat Clinton, president
We Wish Mi Shebeirach A complete healing of mind, body and spirit:
Travis Beard Karen Chisholm Robert Clinton Kenneth Dantzler Harriet Greenwald Karla Jacobs Scott Krell Anna Schwartz Daniel Shafton Robert Allen Slater
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
For this week of Passover, Fay and I wish everyone a Zissen Pesach. Take time this week for the sweetness of the holiday. Let it fortify us for the sacred work ahead to seek a more just world.
This Week's Torah Portion
During this week of Pesach/Passover, we have different Torah portions for each day of our celebration. Primarily, they reflect who we are and relate our story: that we were once strangers, and how that informs our treatment of other strangers — those who are marginalized, those not like us.
Our other sacred text for Passover, our Haggadah, reflects not just our most important stories of the past but also how we see ourselves now, and what is important for our future. The vast number of different Haggadot that are available each year reflect our different priorities for a more just world. These Haggadot use our Exodus story as an ongoing effort to imagine the world as we hope it would be rather than accepting the injustices present in the world that is.
Happy Passover (Eating) Matzo brei is a go-to comfort food at Passover, and it’s made in a variety of ways. Here’s another easy take on the holiday staple.
Classic Matzo Brei By Melissa Clark (from The New York Times)
Ingredients 2 sheets matzo 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water Large pinch fine sea salt, more to taste
To Make Savory Large pinch black pepper Chopped chives, for serving
To Make Sweet 1 tablespoon demerara sugar, more to taste Honey or maple syrup, for serving
Preparation • Step 1: Under cool running water, rinse matzo sheets until they are quite wet. Set aside and let sit to soften while you prepare the pan.
• Step 2: Place a large preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Once it melts and the foam subsides, break matzo sheets into bite-size pieces and add to pan. Saute matzo in butter until it browns all over, about 2 minutes.
• Step 3: Add eggs, salt and pepper (if you’re making the dish savory) to pan and scramble the mixture until it is just set but still light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with sugar (if you’re making it sweet) and toss well.
• Step 4: Serve matzo brei sprinkled with salt and topped with chives (savory), or with salt, additional sugar and maple syrup (sweet).
Kol Ami News
Host an Oneg for a First-Friday Shabbat Service We invite volunteers to share simple vegetarian treats for the first Friday-night service of the month. (Kol Ami provides challah and grape juice.) To get on the Oneg Shabbat calendar or if you have questions, email worship@kolamikc.org. — Kol Ami Worship Committee
