In this week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, the robe of the High Priest is sewn with gold bells along its hem. As he entered and left the Sanctuary, their sound would be heard. Each one of us is a gold bell, and as we pray together our voice resonates creating holiness....
Four years ago, Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic dreams died amid a series of painful events. The most decorated skier in history, she was – according to the experts – guaranteed to come away with a host of medals. After all, she had been winning races all her life, beating competitors older than...
Welcome to Jessica Endy, the new Director of Library Services at KI’s Meyers Library. Jessica joins us from Wyncote Elementary School, where she was the Library Assistant. Jessica is also a freelance writer and communications consultant, with clients including the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Previously, Jessica worked for nearly 20 years developing strategic...
This week we began our America 250 programming at KI. For Jewish communities in America, 250 years since 1776 carries particular significance. Ours is a people shaped by migration, building sacred life wherever we land. In America, Jewish life has not only survived, it has grown openly, creatively, and courageously....
This week we find the first mention of the Ten Commandments in the Torah. These ten teachings have shaped much of Jewish life for generations. They guide our days. They urge us to remember that there is one God, a singular God who took us from bondage to freedom. They...
At services tomorrow night we will mark International Holocaust Shabbat. We will do this as America, a nation we love and choose to call home, challenges the many tenants we take away from that most gruesome episode of our history. Think of the enduring messages of the Holocaust. We say...
This week’s Torah portion Bo places us at a moment of urgent departure. On the night of the Exodus, we are told to be dressed for the journey- to get our sandals, our “cloak”, a walking stick in hand, and ready to move at a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:11). We...
Much appreciation to our Dinner Sponsors: December: Dr. Alan Jay and Carol Schwartz January: Berkadia Mortgage Co. thanks to KI member, Dennis Johnson Monthly Business Donors/Community Sponsors: Mike + Caryl Levin-Fruit, Baked Goods: Weinrich’s of Willow Grove, Fill-a-Bagel of Jenkintown, Famous Deli in NE Phila., + Kaplans Bakery of South...
This weekend, we will celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He stood for an America of fairness and justice, an America of opportunity regardless of one’s race or faith or ethnicity. Dr. King positioned himself repeatedly on the front lines in cities across the south, where...
This week we begin the book of Shemot or “Names.” The Torah opens by naming Jacob’s sons and their families who went down to Egypt. Before telling the story of oppression or redemption, the Torah insists on something deeply human and essential: we are named, and we are known. We...
