From our humble beginnings in Rayna Aylward and Ed Bomsey’s living room, Kol Ami has blossomed into a vibrant community of around 100 households. We’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone throughout 2025 with a series of special events.
Join us for a heartfelt and historic Shabbat morning service as we honor Kol Ami’s 25-year journey. Led by Rabbi Gilah and featuring our founding rabbi, Leila Gal Berner, this service will be a time of reflection, storytelling, and community connection.
We’ll celebrate our roots as Rabbi Leila Gal Berner shares the story of Kol Ami’s founding and how our values have evolved over the years. Together, we’ll reminisce about milestones, funny moments, and what makes Kol Ami special to us all. We’ll also extend a warm embrace to the new members who have joined in the past two years, recognizing the next generation of our growing community.
Celebrate 25 years of Kol Ami with a night of delicious food, live music, and community joy. Join us at 6:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Fiddler Eddie Dickerson will be on hand, along with some of our Kol Amite musicians, to lead us in sing-alongs and dancing.
Please RSVP by May 1 to help us plan. We suggest a donation of $100 per adult to attend the anniversary dinner, though all are welcome, and any contribution is appreciated. Sponsorships are also welcome to help cover food and music costs.
Kol Ami History Project: In honor of our 25th anniversary, Dr. Zach Schrag, Professor of History at George Mason University, is documenting the history of Kol Ami. We’d love to hear from you! If you have stories, photos, memories, or anecdotes, please let us know.
Torah Lectern Project: Our member, Mark Harbour, is creating a wooden lectern to be used during services. This specially designed lectern will help make Torah readings more accessible. We invite you to participate in the design process to ensure the lectern reflects the beauty and spirit of our community. The decoration will echo the artwork of our ark.
We invite you to contribute to this rare Kol Ami fundraiser as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. We understand that financial circumstances vary, especially with ongoing federal employment uncertainties—please give what you can. Your generous donation will help balance our budget and support future growth. Our fundraising goal is $10,000. To donate, please visit our Donation page and select “25th Anniversary Fund” when making your gift. Every contribution makes a difference!
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