Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

Something good to talk about: this past Erev Shabbat we celebrated Pride Month with Pride Shabbat. Ga’avah KC sponsored this wonderful evening with our Congregation Kol Ami family, Beth Torah, and Jewish Experience.  

Thanks particularly to Brad Ordo as the Community Chair for Ga’avah. We are so lucky at Kol Ami that he is also our Kehilah Vice-President. Beyond his leadership he is always the first one to engage in any task needed to make it all work. He is a gift to Kol Ami, to the Queer Jewish community in Kansas City, and the entire Kansas City Jewish community.

The music lifted our souls. The collaboration between Kol Ami and Beth Torah lent so much to the music, and was a gratifying part of our Pride Shabbat celebration. Thanks to Karen Engebretson, Lara Steinel, and Anna Jaffe from the Kol Ami side. Thanks to Lezlie Zucker and Warren Sickel from Beth Torah.

Thanks to Damien Timms, the executive director at Beth Torah for all of your good work for Beth Torah and beyond. Your work was essential to making this wonderful partnership work.

Last and certainly not least, thank you Megan Pener, Manager of Jewish Experiences. Your work and support were essential to this partnership.  

And a profuse thank you to Kansas City’s Queer Jewish community for supporting Pride Shabbat.  During this very difficult time for the LBTQ+ community we stand with you.

This is how collaboration should work in our Jewish community! Let’s do it again sometime.