We are pleased to announce that we have signed the lease for Kol Ami's new office space! The space is located at 147 West Patrick Street and will be used by Rabbi Sikowitz, as well as for temple meetings. Our requests for office furniture have been met with such a generous response that we just can't take any more - there just isn't any more room.  Many thanks to our congregants who donated furniture and other items.

Now that Rabbi Sikowitz's office is furnished, we are making a special request for cash donations for a laptop and a printer for him. The laptop he is using now is the one he took to Israel and on weekly trips to New York during his rabbinic training. To say the least, it probably has more frequent flyer miles than most of us, and is ready for retirement.  If you are interested in making a donation to the rabbi's laptop/printer fund, or if you have any questions, please contact Michael Bloom at president@kolamifrederick.org.

Dear Kol Ami Community,

Congregation Kol Ami of Frederick is my first pulpit and I am very excited about being the rabbi for such a wonderful group of people.  I was ordained on May 6, 2007 in front of my family, colleagues and most important of all, many members of Kol Ami. However, I am not your typical, fresh-out-of-school rabbi.  I first heard the calling to become a rabbi when I was 13, though I was only able to fulfill this dream recently.  I have worked as a Physiologist in the Wellness field for the United States Government and later I was a Financial Analyst for MCI and Aspen Systems.

At the core of Jewish life, among our most important values is that of community.  Judaism has always revolved around family, home and community. One of the things that has drawn me to Kol Ami is this shared love of community.  We are a Kehilla Kiddushah, a holy community of people who care about each other, who want to be a part of each other’s lives and want to learn together. 

Just being a part of a community is not enough. Getting involved and pitching in even before a community recognizes a need is the true basis of congregational life.  We need each of our members to be present with a willing heart to do whatever it is that needs to be done.  The wonderful part of being active at Kol Ami is that since we are so new, all ideas are welcome and you can make a big difference in what we become.

I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Kol Ami family in all aspects of congregational life.  We are working on further establishing Shabbat and Holiday services, the B’nai Mitzvah program, confirmation requirements and many other life long education programs.  Please consider joining us on this wonderful adventure.

L’shalom, 

Rabbi Dan Sikowitz

rabbi@kolamifrederick.org  

At Congregation Kol Ami of Frederick, we recognize just how important choosing your spiritual home is.  You want to be part of a congregation in which you feel comfortable, that reflects your view of the Jewish world, provides the religious and communal sustenance you desire, and provides religious education for all members of the community. 

I am proud to tell you that Kol Ami is all the above and much more.  I have personally found Kol Ami to be a welcoming and embracing Jewish community where the word “family” has taken on a special, communal sense. 

While I take great pleasure in welcoming you to Kol Ami and urge you to choose to make Kol Ami your congregational affiliation, I must also tell you that your experience at Kol Ami will, to a very large extent, be what you make of it.  The membership, the officers and the rabbi are all here at your disposal.  But we urge you to be proactive.  Make Kol Ami yours by volunteering to serve on a committee, help out at an Oneg Shabbat, volunteer in our Religious School, take an adult education class and, of course, attend Shabbat services.  The more active you become, the more you will gain from your congregation. 

On behalf of Congregation Kol Ami of Frederick, I invite you to come “check us out” and, should you chose to join us, I welcome you to a truly wonderful part of the Jewish community.

Shalom u’veracha, 

Bob Kirzner, President

president@kolamifrederick.org

When I was in Houston at the URJ biennial, I had the pleasure of hearing URJ President Rabbi Yoffie speak to a packed convention center.

In her President’s message, Jamie Hendi has outlined the Rabbi’s initiatives. I thought I would take each one of those initiatives and discuss how we at Congregation Kol Ami could apply them in our everyday lives. I honestly believe that these initiatives are not only mitzvot, but that fulfilling them should be our responsibility as Jewish people. Though these thoughts are my own, they are without a doubt inspired by the sermon given by Rabbi Yoffie.

In this edition of the Voice, I would like to discuss a community outreach project, in efforts to increase our membership. This type of project can be approached from many different angles.

• The local colleges may have students who are looking for a place to worship. These students may be interested in coming to Friday night services. They may also be willing to volunteer with various aspects of temple life.
• Our Saturday morning services could potentially be scheduled at senior citizen centers in the area. Or we could at least post a notice on their bulletin boards offering rides to our services.
• We should also recognize that there are many unaffiliated families in the area. To reach out to these potential members, perhaps member families could invite a family into their home for a Shabbat dinner and then accompany them to one of our Friday night services.

Most importantly, I would like to this to be an interactive conversation. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please feel free to contact me.