Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

Last Friday night, we had a wonderful turnout for our Shabbat service and our Seudah, our festive Shabbat picnic. I am always grateful for the culture of our Kol Ami community — the way you all come together and just seem to enjoy each other’s company. Ever since the Covid pandemic lockdown became, for lack of a better word, unlocked, there was an urging in the community to find more opportunities to connect with one another. It was a message that our prayer and our study are imbued with meaning when we know the folks with whom we pray and study.

The act of creating a connected and caring community is ongoing. We are always eager to greet the next person or people who look to Kol Ami for connection and relationship.  

On Friday, September 6, and Saturday, September 7, we have additional opportunities to be that welcoming community. On that Friday, we host the new community-wide conversion class. It is our opportunity to connect with these conversion candidates as they embark on their Jewish journey — a Jewish community eager to welcome them in.

On Saturday, September 7, we celebrate the bar mitzvah of Elliot Sutkin. As Elliot becomes a part of our Jewish community, he, along with the Sutkin family, will strengthen our community.

It is so important for our community to show up for those who reach out to us to seek community. Let us always find opportunities to welcome others to a community of caring, a synagogue that makes radical inclusion its mission and purpose. After all, every new voice makes us better and makes us a stronger kehilah — a congregation of care and Jewish purpose.