Jewish communities around the world marked Yom Yerushalayim earlier this week. It is a minor holiday all things considered and, in some places, hardly acknowledged at all. Jerusalem Day celebrates the unification of Jerusalem, which took place at the conclusion of the Six-Day War in June of 1967. This war...
On the evening of June 1 at 7pm, our amazing Confirmation class will take to the bima to lead us in prayer and song. Taking part in our beloved custom of Confirmation, they will share their words of wisdom and reflect on the year we spent together. They are a...
I was walking down the hall the other day here at KI and there was a pre-school class approaching me. They were supposed to be walking in a line – I think. They were walking in their version of a line. As they got closer, we all said hi to...
This weekend we will take part in our annual Spring Celebration. This year we are celebrating the people who make our HaMotzi program happen. For the last ten years, HaMotzi has provided for the food insecure of our area. Guests receive not only a hot meal, but are treated to...
This week we mark Yom HaShoah, honoring the lives lost during the Holocaust. Fewer and fewer survivors are among us. It is our job, therefore, to hold onto their stories and to tell these stories. We cannot forget what happens when hate goes unchecked, when dissent is silenced, when diversity is...
This year we have the opportunity to have a hand in shaping Israel’s future. Even from half a world away, we can help chart the future of our beloved Israel. The World Zionist Congress has met regularly for over a century. It was Theodor Herzl who convened the first Congress...
As we come to the end of the Book of Exodus, the Israelites learn anew the central precepts of the Torah: Keep the Sabbath, give tzedakah, and have a hand in building up a Jewish community of strength. The people will come forward to help create the first ever synagogue,...
For over 500 days now, we have watched the aftermath of that epically tragic moment in Jewish history. On October 7, 2023, terrorists ransacked Israeli villages and homes, slaughtering the innocent and taking hostage over 300 souls. Over 500 days of pain and sadness and grief. Our heart hurt more...
Friends, we are living in a moment that feels at once surreal and horrifying. Israel remains locked in a place of uncertainty, the status of hostages still an unknown. The President suggests that Gaza be emptied of its residents, shipped off to neighboring countries. He says with no irony or...
In this week’s Torah portion, Moses demands that Pharaoh ‘let my people go.’ It is an iconic moment of bravery and conviction. He speaks truth to power, urging the tyrannical leader to denounce his hateful actions and finally release the Israelites from bondage. Pharaoh has brought havoc, pain and immeasurable...
