December 1, 2021 Rabbinic Search Update The past month has been a busy one for the Rabbinic Search Committee. When KI’s pulpit position was posted on the CCAR website, we received 18 rabbinic applications from many impressive candidates. The number of applicants reflects KI’s strong reputation in the Reform Movement,...
Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in partnership with the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership secured grant funding to make stormwater management improvements on KI’s property. The first phase of the project includes installation of subsurface raintanks to manage the runoff from the 1.25 acre rooftop. The raintanks are stackable stormwater chambers which provide...
This week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach (Gen 32:4), includes the story of Jacob’s name becoming Israel. Basically, Jacob was returning from years of flight from his brother Esau. The night before they met, Jacob wrestled with an angel who wounded him in the leg and renamed him Israel or “one who...
A Thanksgiving Family Prayer As we gather together with family and friends for Thanksgiving this year, we are mindful of the many blessings which enrich our lives. We pray for the wellbeing of all our loved ones and for the wellbeing of our country. Together, let us offer our deepest...
Shalom, KI Community! While some programs have been in full swing, the Inclusion Committee has been planning our programs for the 2021-2022 year. As an example, “Clearing the Confusion II,” a panel discussion on navigating current Covid issues will be held on ZOOM and Facebook Live on December 12th. Researchers...
November 9, 2021 was the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” in which the Nazis burned Jewish businesses and synagogues in Germany and Austria. Sources indicate that over 1,000 synagogues were burned or destroyed. All within the span of two days, 7,000 Jewish businesses were looted and...
RABBINIC SEARCH COMMITTEE Search Committee Co-chairs Janice Schwartz-Donahue has been a member of KI for nearly 40 years although her family’s connection to KI reaches back to the 1920s. She taught 5th grade in Philadelphia for 39 years and was an active KI Sisterhood member, serving as Sisterhood Co-President in...
Under the leadership of Cantor Levy and Toby Grubman, our partnership with the Lowell Elementary School is flourishing. COVID presented a challenge for us last year, and this year we are not able to do all of the things we did in the past, but we are committed to helping....
This week’s Torah portion, Toldot (Genesis 25:19), reports on the life of the twins, Jacob and Esau, born to Isaac and Rebecca and their complex family dynamics. The Hebrew word Toldot is generally translated as “generations” but literally is closer to “descendants” in English but can also be used as...
This week’s Torah Portion, Hayei Sarah, the fifth sidrah in the first Torah Book, Bereshit/Genesis, begins with the death of the first matriarch of the Jewish people, Sarah our Mother. Even though the portion is entitled “Sarah’s Life,” chapter 23 begins with the mournful announcement of her death after 127...
