Dear KI Congregants and Community: So much is happening in our country, it can be disorienting. Through all of the noise, one trend keeps gnawing at my attention. For several months, we’ve witnessed in real time the trans and immigrant communities being targeted and scapegoated as the sources and symbols of what’s wrong with America. We’ve all studied history...
Happy New Year! As always, we mark our new fiscal year with our newly souped up Annual Membership Meeting and a lay leadership slate. I asked; you answered! At the Annual Membership Meeting on June 29th, amidst the rousing music and interactive presentations, members wrote their answers to two questions:...
As I write this column, our Trustees have just completed an energetic Revenue Summit, the first in a planned series of meetings, in which we identified KI’s internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and financial threats to our future. We’re now scheduling Summit II for August to analyze...
Yom Tov everyone, Good Yontif to everyone here in the Sanctuary and all of you streaming from around the world. Welcome to Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel for this special Yom Kippur Service. Thank you Rabbi David, Cantor Levy, Hazzan Tilman, Andrew Senn, our professional choir, Trumpeter/Shofar Blower Jeff Miller, Cellist...
Welcome, Confirmands and families. Chag Sameach. It’s great to see you here tonight. So you are Confirmands at your Confirmation. What exactly are you confirming? You’ve probably discussed this already with the Rabbi. The obvious answer is that you’re confirming your choice to live a Jewish life. Maybe to you...
Good Yontif, everyone. First, Thank you — for your generous support of KI in so many different forms over the years! Your demonstrations of faith in the future of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel have allowed us to serve our congregants and our community in so many ways and remain a...
Yom Tov, Shana Tovah u’metukah, or in other words, Gut Yontif. I’m Andrew Altman, president of KI, and I’m so happy to see all of you — here, filling up the Sanctuary, and online, streaming from around the world. Welcome! I want to offer a special welcome to Rabbi David...
From Shabbat Services on Friday, September 9, 2022 by Andrew Altman, President We’re experiencing a very special night. Many years ago, Brian Rissinger, our amazing executive director, told me that about one-third of all congregants are volunteering each year. That’s such an impressive number – and that for me helps...
This week we have a transition of leadership within our synagogue. Our synagogue president, Janice Schwartz-Donahue, will be ending her three years as president. And of course, our beloved senior rabbi, Lance J. Sussman will be entering into Emeritus and retirement. Leading a synagogue for lay leaders is no easy...
Dear Friends: This year has been quite a busy one in our Rabbinic Leadership Transition. We have spent the past many months honoring and thanking Rabbi Sussman for his 21 years as our distinguished Senior Rabbi and for his significant accomplishments both within our congregation and the greater community. Concurrently,...
