Worship Event
of the Week
Saturday Study, Service and Seudah
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 20, we gather at Fay and Rabbi Doug’s (and on Zoom) to celebrate Shabbat together with study, prayer and our Seudah — our festive Shabbos brunch. If attending in person, you must RSVP to rabbidoug@kolamikc.org. For Zoom, click here.
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Kol Ami Event
Community Coffee
Kol Ami hosts a coffee get-together at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 18, at Aixois (251 East 55th Street). Come chat, work, or simply enjoy a cup of coffee with us!
Community Event
“Good Trouble" John Lewis Day of Action
Honor the memory of Congressman and voting-rights activist John Lewis from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, at Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center, 3700 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Upcoming
Kol Ami Events
Family Gathering
Our next family gathering takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the Loose Park Sprayground. We’ll have drinks, snacks and a splashing good time!
Resting in
Mindfulness Class
Be kind to your mind and save the date for this beginner-friendly class taught by Julia Billquist from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, August 3, at All Souls. The class will be an hour of various mindfulness-based practices, including gentle movement; guided meditations; and ways to self-connect and access a grounded, rested nervous system.
Yahrzeits
This Week
July 21
Herman Weisman – grandfather of Ellen Karp
July 22
Ben Milgrim – father of Robert Milgrim
We Wish Mi Shebeirach
A complete healing of mind, body and spirit:
Sondra Levy Atherly
Robert Clinton
Kenneth Dantzler
Renée Dietchman
Harriet Greenwald
Karla Jacobs
Rabbi Sally Priesand
Jean Shifrin
Melvin Michael 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
In a series of events, from a spate of troubling rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court to the debate to this past weekend’s horrific shooting (the political violence at the Trump rally — one person dead, two others in critical condition as I write this), against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza with 116 hostages still not home, I have to admit that I am overwhelmed, as I feel many in our community and our country are ... Click here to read the rest of Rabbi Doug's blog post.
Weekly Feature
A Jewish Tartan in Scotland — Who Knew?
By Wynne Begun
I recently returned from a trip to Scotland. I began planning my trip there after watching episodes of Outlander and becoming drawn to the beautiful countryside. Weeks before my departure, I came across Apple TV's The Reluctant Traveler, hosted by Eugene Levy, the Canadian Jewish comedian, producer and actor (e.g., Schitt’s Creek, Best in Show, the American Pie movies). The second episode of Season 2 had Levy traveling to Scotland.
Levy’s mother was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to parents who had immigrated from Eastern Europe in the 1890s and lived in a tenement (12 people, two rooms) in an area of the city called the Gorbals. During the mid-20th century, there were as many as 20,000 Jews in Scotland. That number had fallen to less than half in the last census.
Levy met with a local genealogy expert, who found photos of his grandparents, as well as a copy of the census detailing his family’s history. Levy visited his grandparents’ graves and was incredibly moved by the experience.
While in Glasgow, Levy was fitted with a traditional kilt ensemble, made using the Jewish Tartan, designed In 2008 and certified by the Scottish Tartans Authority. The tartan's colors are blue, white, gold, silver and red. The blue and white represent the colors of the Scottish flag, a central gold line represents the gold from the Ark of the Covenant, the silver is based on the decorations adorning the Torah, and the red represents the traditional red Kiddush wine.
A Jewish Tartan must be special-ordered. (For those not sure about a kilt, it is also available in T-shirts, ties and hats.)
I loved Scotland and, unexpectedly, even more so once there was a Jewish connection.
This Week's Torah Portion
Parashat Balak
(Bamidbar/Numbers 22:2-25:10)
In the narrative, the ruler Balak sends Balaam to curse the Israelites, but arguably through divine and/or angelic intervention, Balaam praises the Israelites. There is beautiful poetry in the parashah, including the prayer from our liturgy, Ma Tovu — How fair are your tents, O Jacob…
Our commentators differ on Balaam’s message. One interpretation is to project our fate into an unknown future. Nachmanides differs in that he interprets Balaam’s poetry as a statement to how our character holds sway over how our future unfolds.
Community News
Marion & Henry Bloch Religious School
Looking for a religious school for your children (preschool through 10th grade)? Registration for the Marion & Henry Bloch Religious School at New Reform Temple welcomes Kol Ami families. Click here to learn more. To register, click here. If you have questions, contact Julia, Kol Ami director of engagement, at engagement@kolamikc.org. To inquire about financial assistance, contact Rabbi Doug, at rabbidoug@kolamikc.org.
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