Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

After the Passover celebration, I am still in a Pesach frame of mind. While always ready to get back to my everyday diet by the end of the holiday, I am still holding on to the Passover message of rebirth — the opportunity to take the everyday and see it through new eyes, to create anew.

I am looking with new eyes at a couple of upcoming events that impact our Congregation Kol Ami family. This Sunday, May 1, Kol Ami members meet for the annual congregational meeting. While I know this has been about “the business” of Kol Ami, that is not its primary purpose, so much the more so this year after two years of pandemic living.

We will have the opportunity to talk about our future vision — not only our Kol Ami future (though certainly about that) but also how we at Kol Ami can be leaders in shaping the future for the Kansas City Jewish community. We will review the work of our Kol Ami Design Team and, most important, get your feedback and feelings on that work and that future vision.

The other important event takes place Friday, May 6. Our Shabbat service will be a time to celebrate coming back together in person and a time to celebrate the first anniversary of Ga’avah KC, Kansas City’s queer Jewish organization, led by our own Brad Ordo. For this happy event, we feature guest musician Carol Steinel.  

In other words, we see our regular Friday-night worship through new eyes. While we observe having reached this moment in the life of our Jewish community, we also see this gathering as the beginning of seeking different ways to come together, not only to pray but also to have the joy of creating wonderful, caring relationships and alternative spaces to be together in the community.

I hope that we all see our opportunity to take the next step in the life of Kol Ami, this special Jewish community, and that you afford yourselves the opportunity to see your own Jewish journeys in a new light. Bringing your ideas and passion into the congregation benefits us all.