Newsletters

Worship Event 
of the Week

Shabbat Shulchan
At 6 p.m. Friday, August 9, on the patio at All Souls (or inside in the event of rain or oppressive heat), we get together for our monthly Shabbat Shulchan — an informal service followed by a Seudah, a festive Shabbat dinner. This is always a great time to get together to catch up with each other and be in community. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to rabbidoug@kolamikc.org.

Community
Worship Event

Tisha B’Av
A community-wide observance of Tisha B’Av takes place Monday, August 12, starting at 8:15 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom (142nd and Lamar, in Overland Park). This important fast day will include mournful music, readings, study and discussion. Rabbi Doug is participating in the service. Click here for more info and to register (for in-person or virtual participation). 

Yahrzeit This Week

August 9
Stuart Gottstein – father of Beth Thompson

We Wish
Mi Shebeirach
A complete healing of mind, body and spirit to:

Sondra Levy Atherly
Robert Clinton
Kenneth Dantzler
Alan Dietchman
Renée Dietchman
Harriet Greenwald
Carrie Hollister
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



An article in The New Yorker by Corey Robin explores the times in our history when Jews have been relatively safe and times when we have been under a greater threat of antisemitism. His overarching observation is that Jews have done better under democracies, wherein we did not need specific laws for our protection and we focused our engagement in society more on how we protected other marginalized communities rather than ourselves.

By contrast, his research led to a finding ... Click here to read the rest of Rabbi Doug's blog post.

Social Justice Event

It’s Back-to-School Time at MLK School
By Pat Clinton and Sheryl Kretchmer

Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, one of our social-justice partners, starts a new school year August 19. We will help provide much needed toiletry items for the students, such as deodorant, shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes and toothpaste, lotion with shea or cocoa butter, petroleum jelly, and sanitary pads.

You can place these items in a box by the front door at All Souls this Friday, August 9, from 6 to 7 p.m., at our Shabbat Shulchan gathering. 

These items will be greatly appreciated. We thank you in advance for your support.

This Week's Torah Portion
Parashat Devarim
(Devarim/Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22)



With this week’s Torah portion, we begin the Book of Devarim/Deuteronomy. The Book is a look back by Moses at the 40-year journey just taken by B’nai Yisrael, the Children of Israel, and an ethical will of sorts — a vision forward as Moses anticipates the end of his life and passing the torch to the next generation, albeit reluctantly.  

Recently, much of our country’s focus has been on when and how those of senior status move aside and make space for new leadership, new ideas and new energy. That said, we never abdicate our responsibility to do what we can to improve the state of our communities and our world.