Blue Skies, Shining for Me

I know that I am affected by the world around me.  And how I see the world around me is definitely colored by my own feelings at that moment.  I know that if I’m in a good mood, the way I hear information is different, the way I react to news - both good and bad.

Rabbi Daniel Goldfarb teaches:  On the words "wherever the priest can see" in Lev 13:12, the Mishna (Negayim 2:2-3) says the priest does not examine for leprosy "on a cloudy day" or if he, the priest, has poor vision or is blind in one eye.  The Glilei Zahav (R' David Moshkovits, Romania, early 20th C) says that one should not look for nega'im, blemishes, in the Jewish people, or in a fellow Jew, on a "cloudy" day, when things are bad or there are pressures and troubles affecting us, jointly or individually. One who looks with impaired or limited vision sees only the blemishes, not the troubles (tsarot) which are weighing upon us, and therefore is not qualified to judge what blemish is pure or impure.

It is helpful to know that our vision can be impaired by the world around us.  I hope we are surrounded by sunny days ahead of us.  

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Blatt

There is a tradition, when someone passes away, for a community to learn the Mishna in their honor. Yaakov Stern, a member of our congregation, is doing this in memory of his mother. He writes:

My mother, Kathy Rosenbluh, passed away from brain cancer on April 2, 2024. She loved learning, questioning, and debating, and had an incredibly vast knowledge of Jewish history, culture, and texts. We would like to learn sidrat mishnayot in her honor during shloshim, which ends on May 1, 2024. If you would like to learn a chapter or a masechet, please sign up below.

Click here to sign up.

Click here to access the Mishna.

You can also find the mishna in our library.

Passover begins April 22nd!

Click below for some resources as you prepare for the holiday.

Passover Services at Kol Ami

Monday, April 22nd at 7:30am Taanit Bechorim “First Born Siyyum”

We will not have an Evening Minyan Service

Tuesday, April 23rd at 9:30am Passover Day 1 Service

We will not have an Evening Minyan Service

Wednesday, April 24th at 9:30am Passover Day 2 Service

7:30pm Evening Minyan

Sunday, April 28th at 9:15 Morning Minyan

6:30pm Erev Passover Day 7 Service

Monday, April 29th at 9:30am Passover Day 7 Service

6:30pm Erev Passover Day 8 Service

Tuesday, April 30th at 9:30am Passover Day 8 Service/Yizkor

7:30pm Evening Minyan

What makes this night different from all other nights? Almost everything. The idea of moving from slavery to freedom takes on new meanings this year.

This Haggadah was produced by Be'eri Print in Kibbutz Be'eri. On October 7th, more than 90 of its residents were murdered and over 20 were kidnapped to Gaza.

The Haggadah approved by the chief rabbi of Israel, and embedded with inspiring messages by Rabbi Yisrael Lau, Miriam Peretz, Chaim Yellin, and Rita.

All proceeds are donated to The Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Click here to Donate and Get the Haggadah

Lillian Kanter, Grandmother of Brad Kanter,

Richard Kanter & Gail Baker

Arthur Hillinger, Father of Carol Lieber

Paula Berman, Mother of Daniel Berman

Olivia Belardi, Grandmother of Olivia Espinosa

Susan Zwillenberg, Sister of Andrew Altman

Frances Finkel, Grandmother of Craig Kalter

Jennifer Lupien, Daugther of Neorah Garcia

Rywka Konsker, Mother of Sharlena Korman

Rywka Konsker, Mother of Janet Simon

David Davis, Father of Mimi Aaron

Ida Weininger, Aunt of Mark Jaffe

Rose Dembo, Mother of Richard Dembo

Stanley Katz, Father of Amy Wasser

Tobie Ida Raff, Mother of Carol Tarica

Edith White, Grandmother of Deborah White

Leonard I. Perlman, Cousin of Avi Elias

Martin Sprinczeles, Uncle of Erma Ruffkess

Julius Rock, Father of Martha Birnbaum

Barbara (Bobbie) Schuster, Mother of Leonard Schuster

Lillian Feldman, Mother of Allan Feldman

Norman Greenbaum, Father of Eileen Astra

Fannie Zuckerman Reingold, Grandmother of Nathan Pearlman, Great Grandmother of David Pearlman & Brian Pearlman

Joyce Weissman, Mother of Deborah Eisenstadt

Friday, April 12 All School Shabbat Services

Saturday, April 13 Kiddush Conversation: Seder Swap

Bring your favorite Haggadah, Seder supplement, or Passover teaching to share. Rabbi Blatt will bring her favorite resources to enhance your own Seder.

Friday, April 19 Shabbat Services

Saturday, April 20

Make a Minyan! 

Available to help last minute for a minyan occasionally? Want to be notified when someone has a yartzeit so we know we will have ten? Join our Kol Ami WhatsApp group! Click this link (from your phone) to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KiBtwSw7UGJ0ElQdwwxytp

Weekly Talmud Study with Rabbi Blatt.

Thursday at 10:30am - April 18 & 25

Join our Talmud Class - an all-levels discussion of Talmud.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/624135476

Parsha Study with Rashi

Saturday at 8:30am - April 13 & 20

A weekly discussion of the Haftarah of the week.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/795031104

Meeting ID: 795 031 104