Today's article is by Kalman Pila, President
Shalom Kol Ami,
I hope that the summer has been good for and to all of you, and you have had a chance to recharge, physically and emotionally. We have continued to hold daily minyan and Shabbat evening and morning services in person, on Zoom and livestreaming, with good attendance for the summertime months. Mah Jongg Wednesdays and other activities have drawn a nice crowd, the monthly Friday Evening Potluck Dinners have provided an enjoyable way to spend time together, and “Kol Ami Goes to the Rays” was a sellout and a wonderful time (despite the final score) for all those who attended. Now is the time of year that events and activities at Kol Ami start building up. Kol Yeladim Religious School will be starting in the next two weeks. That also means that our Annual Kol Ami Kickoff will be taking place on Sunday, August 21st. It is a great time to be with your Kol Ami family and learn about opportunities for volunteering and participating at Kol Ami. Positions on our synagogue committees are available, and we are always looking for future leaders and people to join in to help.
The Chai Guys and Gals have been busy cleaning up and beautifying the grounds of the campus. The Nicole Kleban Garden has been professionally landscaped and updated. It is a wonderful place to sit and reflect. There are plans for a L’dor v’dor Walkway, east of the lobby entrance, where we hope that many of our congregants will donate bricks that memorialize life cycle events, loved ones, or any other dear people or events in our lives. We have also upgraded all our water fountains to be bottle and glass fillers to keep the spread of germs and disease to a minimum.
High Holy Day preparations have begun, and I want to remind you all that Rosh Hashanah is just 7 weeks away. Nachum Peterseil will be back, and with Rabbi Blatt, will lead us into 5783 with much joy and ruach. I look forward to seeing all of you at some time during the High Holy Days.
The upcoming year holds many prospects for gatherings and exciting times for our congregation to be together. Our Gala Fundraising Event will take place on Saturday evening, December 10,th on the S.S. Kol Ami. The Recharge Teams are being formed and goals are being set for each of the three pillars: Membership Improvement and Retention, Welcoming Interfaith Families, and Attracting Young Families. I thank the Kanter/Baker Families for their very generous contribution to the Howard Kanter Kiddush Luncheon Fund, ensuring that we will continue the monthly Howard Kanter Luncheons after Shabbat morning services this year. These luncheons are another chance for us to get together and talk and get to know members we haven’t met.
As you can see, we are working on our mission of being a Kehilla (community) that is inclusive and multigenerational, and is committed to improving ourselves and the world through ritual, educational, and social activities consistent with contemporary Conservative Judaism. Come and see what we have to offer and so we can be -
B’yachad,
Kalman
