History of Kol Ami

Kol Ami began as the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Havurah—with fewer than a minyan, one clarinet, and a tape recorder playing Jan Peerce’s rendition of Kol Nidre. We gathered for major holidays and used a tiny Torah that looked like it came from a Bar Mitzvah cake.

Everything changed when Hope Warshaw (pregnant with Hilary Kraus), Don Kraus, and Mattie Cohan joined. At a pivotal meeting in the living room of Ed Bomsey and Rayna Aylward, we recognized a turning point: it was time to either grow or fold. So we convened a “Come to Moses” meeting at the Mason District Community Center in December 2000, with the involvement of Rabbi Leila Gal Berner. At that point, the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Havurah became the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community.

Flush with interest from more than 60 attendees at that meeting, Cookie and David Perlmutter began searching for a place to hold services. Cookie called every public facility in the Arlington area she could think of. Libraries and schools said no. Several large churches were initially accommodating—until they realized we were a synagogue. Then their doors closed.

Finally, Cookie reached out to the UUCA. They agreed to a conversation, and Cookie and David met with Barbara Gilligan. She allowed us to use the church once a month. We borrowed siddurim from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Pennsylvania and shipped them back after each use. We schlepped paper goods and service materials back and forth from Don Kraus’s garage. After about six months, we rented closet space at UUCA and began acquiring supplies for regular use.

In 2003, after extensive deliberation, we officially became Kol Ami—the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community. Kol Ami means “Voice of My People,” a name that reflects our love of music, commitment to Jewish community, and belief in making every voice heard.

Rabbi Leila served as Kol Ami’s founding rabbi from 2000 until 2016, when she became Rabbi Emerita. Rabbi Gilah Langner, her student and mentee, began serving as our rabbi in 2016. In 2021, Kol Ami approved a Clergy Leadership Team, consisting of Rabbi Gilah, Dr. Richard Ruth as our first Rabbinic Intern, and Hazzan Sabrina Sojourner as guest clergy for the year. That same year, Jim North—our regular cantorial soloist—and Jason Wright—musical arranger for the Kol Amites—were named as Musical Directors.

In 2021, we commissioned our own ark, beautifully inscribed with our name and the verse from Song of Songs: “Let me hear your voice.”