Officers & Committees

The following is a brief description of the committees that have been established by Kol Ami.

If you would like either to join a committee or recommend a new committee (or if you would like more information about a committee) please e-mail , and your request/comments will be forwarded to the appropriate individual.

Adult Jewish Education Committee – The Adult Jewish Education Committee works to broaden and deepen Jewish learning among Kol Ami members, and support our efforts to be a lifelong learning community.

Care and Concern /Inclusion Committee – The Care & Concern/Inclusion Committee supports the community’s commitment to providing comfort and assistance to Kol Ami members experiencing life challenges, such as illness, disability, grief, death, loneliness, and aging. Support includes maintaining lists (Yahrzeit, healing, resources), coordinating transportation and food, assisting with Shivas, and offering healing services. The Committee also works with its Inclusion Team to improve access to Kol Ami activities, through identifying and minimizing obstacles and arranging accommodations as needed.

Children & Family – The Children & Family Committee organizes and runs Kol Ami’s Jewish Children’s Education Program (JCEP), multiple family-friendly holiday celebrations each year, and helps with the B’nai Mitzvah Program. JCEP is a small school with approximately 20-30 students, taught by volunteer teachers from the Kol Ami Community, and focused on Hebrew language skills and Jewish Studies. Annual family-friendly holiday celebrations we organize include High Holiday Children’s Services, Hanukkah, Tu BiShvat, Purim, and a JCEP-led Shabbat service/pizza party.

Honors Committee – The Honors Committee identifies Kol Ami members whose contribution to the community has been exceptional. It proposes them for recognition as Kol Amites of the Year or as recipients of the Hineni Award.

Membership Committee – The Membership Committee provides a personalized welcome to new and potential members in order to help new members find a fulfilling home in our congregation. The membership committee also reaches out to departing members to better understand why Kol Ami was no longer meeting their needs.

Positive Aging Committee- The Positive Aging Committee provides programs and resources about issues of importance for older members and their families; for any adult who wishes to view life in its entirety in preparation for his or her own elder years; and for those who wish to become closer to older people in their lives.

Ritual Committee – The Ritual Committee plans the Ritual calendar of services and establishes policy with regard to religious services and other activities (i.e. Passover Seder). Its work  includes: food and kashrut issues, format for services, adherence to holiday customs and ceremonies, and answers to questions about established ritual issues. Members of this committee might have skills and/or interest in leading lay-led services. This committee also interfaces with Kol Ami’s rabbinic support.

Tikkun Olam Committee – The Tikkun Olam Committee seeks out and organizes opportunities for volunteer action.

Kol Ami Officers

July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020

POSITION	NAME	EMAIL [at] = @
President	Debra Linick
Vice President	Jane Schulman
Secretary	Ted Joseph
Treasurer	Erv Walter

Kol Ami Committees

July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020

Position	Name	Email
Steering-At-Large Members	Gordon Achtermann Rayna Aylward Amber Baum Jon Baumgarten Lance Feiner Toni Popkin Mindy Rudell Jason Wright
Committees
Adult Education	Elenor Hodges
Care and Concern/Inclusion	Rayna Aylward, Co-Chair Toni Popkin, Co-Chair Todd Birkenruth Ruth Anne Faust Joan Goldfarb Louise Lerner Madeleine Levy Sharon Sterling Cameron Vanore
Children & Family	Mindy Rudell, Chair Dayna Davitz Joan Goldfarb Emily Toll
Honors	Rayna Aylward Jane Petkofsky Toni Popkin Mindy Rudell
Long Range Planning	Jane Schulman, Chair Elenor Hodges Michael Linick Jane Petkofsky
Membership	Emily Schwartz Greco, Chair Debbie Linick
Positive Aging	Harriet Epstein, Co-Chair Susan Freiband, Co-Chair
Ritual	Mike Jawer, Chair Erin Bueno de Mesquita Mark Gray Joan Goldfarb Margie Jervis Steve Pershing Jane Petkofsky Anne Salzberg
Tikkun Olam	TBD
Key Volunteers
Healing List	Toni Popkin
JCRC Liaison
Kol Amites Music	Jim North & Jason Wright, Co-directors Jason Wright, Arranger
Leyning Coordinator	Anne Salzberg
NOVA Education Directors’ Council Liaison	Jason Weiss
Reconstructionist Movement	Jason Weiss
Schmooze Club
Shabbat Hosting	Valerie Herold
Talmud and Pizza	Richard Ruth
Webmaster
Yahrzeit List	Madeleine Levy