Interfaith Discussion Series

April 21, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Join Rabbi Gilah and three pastors for the second and third evenings of our three-part discussion series group with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Rock Spring United Church of Christ, and Arlington Church of the Brethren. We are reading and discussing the new book by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently. You don’t need a background in Bible or to have read the book to enjoy the conversation among the clergy panelists and the small, interactive breakout sessions. All are welcome. Click the above event link for registration information.

Environmental Kabbalat Shabbat w/Beit Tikvah of Baltimore

April 23, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday, April 23 is the day after Earth Day, a perfect time to reflect on this beautiful planet and the natural blessings God has bestowed upon us.

Kol Ami is joining with Beit Tikvah, a sister Reconstructionist shul in Baltimore, to plan and hold this service. Special songs and readings will focus on our theme while we also rejoice in the tranquility of Shabbat – another ‘natural’ gift. This is also a great opportunity to meet new friends just north of us. We’ll begin at 7:30 but folks can come on 10 minutes earlier (and after the service ends, too) to schmooze.

Insiders and Outsiders: The Jews of Virginia

April 26, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Kol Ami is proud to be co-sponsoring this event which is being offered by the Haberman Institute of Jewish Studies.

Phyllis K. Leffler, Professor Emerita at The University of Virginia in the field of public history, will be giving this talk. Leffler’s talk focuses on the Jews of Virginia as a microcosm of Jewish experiences across the South, and in many cases, across the nation. It is a story of colonial-era Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula and nineteenth-century immigrants who arrived initially from the Germanies and later from Poland and Russia. It is a story of involvement in business, government, the arts, and education. It is a story of educational attainment and economic success. It is often a story of assimilation and an acceptance of the status quo and norms of the white societies of privilege they embraced. But it is also a story of discrimination and exclusion in times when white supremacy rears its ugly head.

To register and receive the Zoom link please click the event link above.

Shabbat Healing Service

May 1, 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Our focus for this year’s service will be on recovery, renewal, light, and life. After all, the cherry blossoms and so many other flowers are coming into bloom, temperatures are rising, spring is here, and we can see light at the end of the pandemic tunnel! This service will feature performances of original songs by guitarist/vocalist Joe Jencks, known for his compositions of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration.

All are welcome. For more information and to register, click the above event link.

Lag B'Omer Community Celebration and JCEP Open House on Zoom

May 2, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Kol Ami’s Jewish Children’s Education Program welcomes visitors and potential new students to an Open House and Lag B’Omer celebration on Sunday, May 2nd at 5 pm on Zoom.

Lag B’Omer was an ancient holiday that marked a reprieve in the midst of a plague; it was the occasion for races and competitions, bonfires and song.  We’ll celebrate with Color War — will you be Team Green, Team Blue, or Team White?

The entire Kol Ami community is invited to join in the fun. Current members, see the member newsletter for more information.  Visitors, click the above event link to register.  Rabbi Gilah Langner and school educators will be available to answer questions about JCEP directly following the Lag B’Omer program.

Shabbat morning service led by Rabbi Gilah Langner

May 8, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Come worship with Kol Ami as Rabbi Gilah Langner leads our Shabbat morning service.

Stay on after services for the rabbis’ tish (table) and enjoy Shabbat lunch together from your home.

Our zoom services are open to the broader community. For more information contact: .

Shabbat Morning Service w/SHN: AntiSemitism, You and Your Neighbor

May 15, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Join Rabbi Gilah and Shirat HaNefesh for a Shabbat service and important Rabbi’s Table.  This is our last opportunity to join a regular SHN service, as Rabbi Gilah will be leaving Shirat HaNefesh in June.  At 11 am, a speaker from American Jewish Committee will take the Rabbi’s Table to present a groundbreaking report on antisemitism in America —  the first time both American Jews and the general public were surveyed about antisemitism in a way that highlights differing perceptions about the extent of the problem.  There will be ample time for a robust discussion about the report and what it means both for the Jewish community and others subject to discrimination.  Our zoom services are open to the broader community. For more information contact: .