Zoom Shabbat Blessings We "make Shabbos” together virtually at 6:45 p.m. this Friday, November 22, as we recite blessings to get our Shabbat started. Candle blessings, Kiddush over wine or grape juice, and Motzi add a sense of the sacred to our Shabbat experience and lives. For Zoom, click here.
Yahrzeits This Week November 20 Sarah Katzeff – grandmother of Stan Stern
November 21 John Jeremias Stein – uncle of Lara Steinel
November 22 Ben Katzeff – grandfather of Stan Stern
November 23 Babs Chessler – grandmother of Miranda Ferguson
We Wish Mi Shebeirach A complete healing of mind, body and spirit:
Robert Clinton Kenneth Dantzler Alan Dietchman Renée Dietchman Megan Garrison Harriet Greenwald Yale Krugman Steve Sackin 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
Rabbi Alpert is taking some time away. He looks forward to sharing thoughts upon his return.
This Week's Torah Portion Parashat Chayei Sarah (Bereishit/Genesis 23:1-25:18)
In Chayei Sarah, we are introduced to the importance of burial and grieving rituals in Judaism, providing a process for us to mourn loss at a time when we may be least able to make decisions regarding how to mourn loss and honor memory.
Weekly Feature
'Stick'ing With Music By Lara Steinel
Lara and her Chapman Stick® (Photo by Dan Steinel) I knew a time would come when I would no longer be able to sing in public. What I’ve refused to imagine is my life without music.
I’m a pianist, but I’ve dreamed of playing an instrument more portable, one that I could take and play anywhere, and would sound good with guitars — some of my best friends play guitar. But I didn’t want to be confined to playing chords or melody. I wanted to play it all, including bass. The answer: a Chapman Stick®, invented by Emmett Chapman. The Stick is unusual in that you hold it upright and tap, rather than strum, the strings. It’s also played through an amplifier.
I contacted Emmett (who has since passed away). He built my instrument to my specifications — the wood he used, the materials for the inlays, the color of the tuners and the gauge of the strings. My Stick has six bass strings and six melody strings. I’ve recently started to use effects pedals to add depth and character to the sound. I take weekly lessons by Skype from Steve Adelson, one of the best Stick players in the world. He’s Jewish and lives in Long Beach, NY. In addition to teaching Stick and guitar, he plays jazz all over the country. Here’s a one-minute YouTube of him playing the Stick. Notice how his left hand plays bass, and his right plays melody and chords.
I owe a debt of thanks to Kol Ami music director Karen Engebretson, who has encouraged me to play the Stick at services, even though my skills are still developing. I look forward to continuing to be one of her singers — and also her “Stick-ist.”
Our mailing address is: Congregation Kol Ami 4501 Walnut Street ℅ All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church Kansas City, MO 64111
