Congregation Kehillath Israel

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Weekly News
March 12, 2020

News from KI: March 11, 2020 | 15 Adar 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Mincha/Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the ChapelKabbalat Shabbat – Friday, March 13
Candle lighting: 6:31 pm
Mincha/KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS)/Ma’ariv: ***6:15 pm*** in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, March 14
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 6:16 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 7:16 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 7:31 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B


As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, March 14.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.
Upcoming KI Events
Starting Tonight!
Save the Date!

March 20-21

April 3 Catered Shabbat Dinner

Join us for a delicious Shabbat dinner on 3 April following KICKS services at 6:15pm! Dinner will begin around 7:45pm. It will be a catered meal (meat with vegetarian options).

Please register by 12 noon on Tuesday, 31 March! The price for adults is $18, $12 per child (ages 5 and older). You may either pay online at https://congki.shulcloud.com/payment.php (with “KICKS 4/3 dinner” in the “Notes” section) or send a check made out to “Congregation Kehillath Israel” (with “KICKS 4/3 dinner” in the memo line) to 384 Harvard St., Brookline, MA, 02446.

We look forward to sharing Shabbat with you!

SIGN UP HERE!

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Next class: Thursday, March 12th
11:00 am in the Chapel

The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!
We only have 3 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
Past Divrei Torah here.

KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.

Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Members

We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!

Purim Volunteers
Ahitza Gonzalez, Rivkah Poal, Michal Gasco, Lea Grossman, Bernice Rose,
Walter Einstein, Bob Nissenbaum, Larry Cohen, Susan Moses, Richard Weinstein, Gordon Bennett, Eric Brass, Daniel Friedman, Mary Gaughan, Marci Grossman,
Jodi Hecht, Sharon Krebs, Joshua Margolis, Barbara & Chuck Morse, Rich Paisner,
Scott Plotkin, Charlie Radin, Jennie Roffman, Jan & Stuart Rose, Jeffrey & Onir Spiegel,
David Williams, Susan Wolf & Joseph Ditkoff, Jenny Wolfson, Candice Kiss    Annual Appeal
Robert & Elizabeth Nunberg
Liza Schneiderman & Gary Shub

Chesed Fund
Reena Schultz

Rabbi Hamilton’s Discretionary Fund
Emily & James Levin
Carol Sterling

KI Next
Shari & Stewart Lecker
-in memory of Jeffrey Alan Finn

Connie & Marty Rabinovitz Prayerbook Fund
Toby Bernstein
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Cheryl Dockser
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Elinor Kaplan
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Odette Rosenfield & Michael Rosenfield
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Larry Sochrin
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Harvey Weisthal
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Jenny Wolfson
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz

Annual Appeal
Liza Schneiderman & Gary Shub

Yahrzeit Fund
Helen Asarch
-in memory of Joel K Asarch
Harvey Beker
-in memory of Jacob Beker
James L. Diamond
-in memory of David Diamond
Cheryl Dockser
-in memory of Coleman T. Bahn
Sharon & Igo Krebs
-in memory of Katarzyna Krebs
Sara & Stephen Scolnick
-in memory of Elias Kirstein
Barbara & Roger Selya
-in memory of Julius P. Selya

Reminder!  27 more boxes of matzah ball soup mix are needed by next Monday, March 16th.  Please place them in the Family Table bin outside the KI Office.  Donations to cover the cost of purchasing additional boxes may also be made to KI’s Family Table Fund located on the KI website.

Family Table Passover Food Collection
Every year Family Table provides Passover foods so that their clients can observe and celebrate this special holiday, and they need our help!  Please help us meet our commitment to Family Table by providing 36 boxes of matzah ball soup mix (reduced sodium preferred).  Please place items in the Family Table bin located outside the KI office by Monday, March 16.

Please help us meet our commitment to Family Table April through July.  Please place salmon and whole grain crackers in the Family Table bin outside the KI Office.  Sponsorships are most welcome via the Google Sheet or donation to KI’s Family Table Fund on the KI website.

Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table
with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund. Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.

KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.

BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website: https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!

Second Shabbat (next date: This Shabbat)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.
10 Tuesdays, starting this month
Eser Spring Series
This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.
Tomorrow, March 12th – 8pm: 
Conversations about Covering
Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?
MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!
7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates:  4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.
Campus Events
New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!
New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.
Community Events​

Seeing Torah exhibit cover

Join us for the opening of the Seeing Torah exhibit. Seeing Torah is a visual diary documenting artist Anita Rabinoff-Goldman’s study and artistic response to each of the 54 portions  of the Torah over the cycle of a single Jewish year. Each piece is a visual midrash in the tradition of Jewish creative commentary–imaginative re-envisionings as seen through a woman’s lens illuminating the spiritual, political, and feminist lessons living in the Torah. Accompanied by a short commentary, every piece allows viewers to consider how Torah can be a continuing source of learning and discourse and reflect on what it means to them. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will run from March 24 to June 14.

March 24th, 2020
TIME: 06:00 pm – 08:00 pm
LOCATION: Ted Cutler Atrium, Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
RSVP

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
March 5, 2020

News from KI: March 4, 2020 | 8 Adar 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, March 6
Candle lighting: 5:23 pm
Mincha/KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS)/Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, March 7
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 5:08 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 6:08 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 6:23 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

Erev Purim – Monday, March 9
Ma’ariv & Megillah Reading: 7:20 pm

Purim – Tuesday, March 10
Shacharit & Megillah Reading: 7:00 am


As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, March 7.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.
Upcoming KI Events

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Purim 2020: Teen Takeover!
Our Purim celebration on Monday, March 9th will feature primarily teen leadership.  Would you like to be a greeter, a parade marshal, a tzedakah collector, or a gabbai? We are looking for about 11 teens to join us at 6:30 pm to take on roles that don’t involve chanting! We would be thrilled if you got in touch with David Williams (dwilliams@healthbusinessgroup.com), Jessica (jessica.goldberg@hebrewcollege.edu), or Rabbi Hamilton.

PARTNERING WITH YAD CHESSED ON PURIM

On Purim Day, Yad Chessed partners with synagogues, minyanim, colleges, and day schools across New England to collect and distribute matanot l’evyonim (gifts to the poor) to over 1200 Jewish individuals in need.

The special mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim requires Jewish people of all ages to give more than customary tzedakah to at least two people in need on the day of Purim. It also instructs Jews to give to anyone who asks, without evaluating that person’s level of need.

Congregation Kehillath Israel will collect funds for this purpose at our Megillah reading on Monday, March 9.  To participate:

  • Bring your check payable to Yad Chessed (include Congregation Kehillath Israel in the memo) with you on Purim night
  • Drop it off in advance at Congregation Kehillath Israel’s main office
  • Donate online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/yadchessedpurim and indicate that your Synagogue affiliation is Congregation Kehillath Israel
We will tally the collection and inform Yad Chessed of the amount on Purim morning so that they can distribute the grocery store gift cards. This year help us offer a hand of loving kindness to those in need on Purim.

March Cuddle Up Shabbat: Pre-Purim Party!
Friday, March 6, 2020 *** 5:00-6:30 PM
Kids and adults are invited to come IN COSTUME
for this month’s Cuddle Up Shabbat!
(Please, no full face masks.)
Cuddle Up Shabbat is a fun monthly Friday night experience for newborn – 5 years olds and their grown-ups. We will welcome Shabbat together in G7 with lively songs, stories, and movement at 5:00 PM, and share dinner together in G11 afterward. RSVP below by Wednesday, March 4th at noon to reserve your spot! Suggested donation is $15/family for KI members, $18 for non-member families.
RSVP here!: https://congki.shulcloud.com/form/cuddle-up-shabbat-donation-march-20201.html

Rabbi Hamilton’s Invitation To Teens This Sunday!
All teens are invited to join Rabbi Hamilton this Sunday, March 8, at 10:00 am to embrace the mitzvah of assembling Purim baskets that will be traveling on El Al Tuesday night to Israel for widespread distribution. We’re also thrilled that baskets will go to an early childhood center in Jerusalem, with whom we will be partnering. Please see the flyer within the announcement below regarding this mitzvah.
KI is honored and thrilled this year to embrace this beautiful mitzvah in memory of the Israeli youths whose lives were cut short by terror in the summer of 2014.

Anyone interested in participating in the distribution of Purim baskets (which our teens are creating) this coming Purim day, Tuesday, March 10, from the El Al terminal at Logan Airport, is encouraged to contact the KI office.

Here is a summary of the global project in which we will be participating:


Children’s Puppet Show & Dinner with Washington Square Minyan – RSVP HERE
Mad Purim Ice Cream Oneg with Congregation Mishkan Tefila – RSVP HERE
Costume, Pizza & Dance Party with the KIRS – please email eric@congki.org
Matanot La’evyonim: Why Give on Purim? with Rabbi EBC – RSVP HERE

Make Your Vote Count!
Please remember to vote this week for Mercaz, which gives voice to ideological inclusion and religious pluralism in the state of Israel.
Click HERE to register for a ballot and for more information!

Save the Date!

March 20-21

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Next class: Thursday, March 5th
11:00 am in the Chapel

The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!
We only have 3 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
Past Divrei Torah here.

KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.

Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Members
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!

Chesed Fund
Debra & Gerry Bickoff and Alyssa & Dan Elfman
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz

Connie & Marty Rabinovitz Prayerbook Fund
Elaine Lasoff
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Judy Meyers & Mark Pasternack
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Morry & Rachel Safer
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz
Richard Weinstein
-in memory of Marty Rabinovitz

Yahrzeit Fund
Eleanor Agranat
-in memory of Etta & Abraham Ravreby
Bathsheba Freedman
-in memory of James Freedman
Eileen Kaminsky
-in memory of Ruth Quint
Milton Lewis
-in memory of Philip & Mary Lewis
Frances Meyers
-in memory of Lou Rosenthal
Pearl Porter
-in memory of Ruth Quint
Rabbi Gilbert & Ann Rosenthal
-in memory of Dr. Isidore A. Rosenthal
Sara & Stephen Scolnick
-in memory of Helen Quint
Carol Sherman
-in memory of Herbert Sherman
Allen Whitestone
-in memory of Mollie Whitestone
Edith & Joseph Yoffa
-in memory of Pearl B. Yoffa

Somerville Kiwanis Donates to KI Gala Fundraiser
Much appreciation and many thanks for their substantial donations to KI’s Annual Gala Fundraiser from Somerville Kiwanis members Bob Nissenbaum, Rod Laurenz, Tom & Dawn Austin, David O’Brien, Paul Upton, Tony Ciccariello, Nancy Busnach, Haley Adams, Jim Bowdrig, Ellen O’Brien, Sal Bertolami, Jay Lynch, Mernasaya Rivera-Bujosa, David Blumsack, Jack Connolly, Sandra McGoldrick, Gene Brune, Toni Shelzi, Patricia Ng, Charlie Ball & Susan Callahan. For the past several years, Somerville Kiwanis has supported the KI Gala Fundraiser and their support is fabulous!

Family Table Passover Food Collection
Every year Family Table provides Passover foods so that their clients can observe and celebrate this special holiday, and they need our help!  Please help us meet our commitment to Family Table by providing 36 boxes of matzah ball soup mix (reduced sodium preferred).  Please place items in the Family Table bin located outside the KI office by Monday, March 16.
Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table
with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund. Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website: https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!

Second Shabbat (next date: March 14)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.
10 Tuesdays, starting this month
Eser Spring Series
This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.
Mar 5th & Mar 12th – 8pm: 
Conversations about Covering
Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?
MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!
7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.
Campus Events
New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!
New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.
Community Events​

Seeing Torah exhibit cover

Join us for the opening of the Seeing Torah exhibit. Seeing Torah is a visual diary documenting artist Anita Rabinoff-Goldman’s study and artistic response to each of the 54 portions  of the Torah over the cycle of a single Jewish year. Each piece is a visual midrash in the tradition of Jewish creative commentary–imaginative re-envisionings as seen through a woman’s lens illuminating the spiritual, political, and feminist lessons living in the Torah. Accompanied by a short commentary, every piece allows viewers to consider how Torah can be a continuing source of learning and discourse and reflect on what it means to them. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will run from March 24 to June 14.

March 24th, 2020
TIME: 06:00 pm – 08:00 pm
LOCATION: Ted Cutler Atrium, Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
RSVP

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
February 26, 2020

News from KI: February 26, 2020 | 1 Adar 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the ChapelKabbalat Shabbat – Friday, February 28
Candle lighting: 5:15 pm
Mincha: 5:20 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, February 29
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 5:00 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 6:00 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 6:15 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B


We have a special guest this Shabbat, February 29th!
Colonel Yaron Ben David will be joining us,
speaking during services and afterwards at Kiddush.

Colonel Yaron Ben David’s last position in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was the Commander of the Intelligence Center in Israel Defense Intelligence (IDI) Central Collection Unit, a center consisting of thousands of soldiers, officers, and civilians. Yaron was responsible for leading the intelligence collection and production process in the Unit. Additionally, Yaron supervised the Unit’s intelligence response to its wide variety of customers and partners across all areas of interest. Yaron joined the IDI in 1997 and served in various core command and staff positions. Throughout his service, Yaron received the Israel Defense Prize, the Head of IDI’s Award for Creative Thinking and the Head of IDI’s Outstanding Officer’s Award. Yaron holds an MBA, a BA Summa cum Laude in Middle Eastern History, and an LLB Magna cum Laude in Law from Tel Aviv University. He is currently a graduate student at the MC/MPA Program at Harvard Kennedy School as a Wexner Israel Fellow. Yaron is married to Michal, and they have a two and a half years old daughter – Arbel.
As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, February 29.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.
Office volunteers needed!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of documents need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. We also have Butcherie receipts that need to be processed. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!
Upcoming KI Events
PARTNERING WITH YAD CHESSED ON PURIM

On Purim Day, Yad Chessed partners with synagogues, minyanim, colleges, and day schools across New England to collect and distribute matanot l’evyonim (gifts to the poor) to over 1200 Jewish individuals in need.

The special mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim requires Jewish people of all ages to give more than customary tzedakah to at least two people in need on the day of Purim. It also instructs Jews to give to anyone who asks, without evaluating that person’s level of need.

Congregation Kehillath Israel will collect funds for this purpose at our Megillah reading on Monday, March 9.  To participate:

  • Bring your check payable to Yad Chessed (include Congregation Kehillath Israel in the memo) with you on Purim night
  • Drop it off in advance at Congregation Kehillath Israel’s main office
  • Donate online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/yadchessedpurim and indicate that your Synagogue affiliation is Congregation Kehillath Israel
We will tally the collection and inform Yad Chessed of the amount on Purim morning so that they can distribute the grocery store gift cards. This year help us offer a hand of loving kindness to those in need on Purim.
The 2020 KI Membership listing information is available here,
and the order form appears below for your convenience.
Should you have any questions or wish to order your Mishloach Manot
through email or over the phone, please feel free to contact
the office staff at mainoffice@congki.org or (617) 277-9155.

Submission deadline extended to March 1st!
***Click here to fill out your form online!***

March Cuddle Up Shabbat: Pre-Purim Party!
Friday, March 6, 2020 *** 5:00-6:30 PM
Kids and adults are invited to come IN COSTUME
for this month’s Cuddle Up Shabbat!
(Please, no full face masks.)
Cuddle Up Shabbat is a fun monthly Friday night experience for newborn – 5 years olds and their grown-ups. We will welcome Shabbat together in G7 with lively songs, stories, and movement at 5:00 PM, and share dinner together in G11 afterward. RSVP below by Wednesday, March 4th at noon to reserve your spot! Suggested donation is $15/family for KI members, $18 for non-member families.
RSVP here!: https://congki.shulcloud.com/form/cuddle-up-shabbat-donation-march-20201.html

Save the Date!

March 20-21

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Next class: Thursday, February 27th
11:00 am in the Chapel

The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

We only have 8 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Several folks have not yet returned Stuart Rose’ emails or phone calls.
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!

Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
Past Divrei Torah here.

KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.

Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Members
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!
Sarah Kraft Fund
Peter & Elizabeth Levine
-in memory of Joseph W. Kudisch
Peter & Elizabeth Levine
-in memory of Selwyn A. KudischKiddush Fund
Maria Benet
-in memory of Shaun Benet

General Fund
Ina Chertok
-in honor of Zachary Ditkoff becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Sara & Stephen Scolnick

Chesed Fund
Toby Bernstein
-in memory of Sylvia Zack
Jean Hughes Brown
-in memory of Ruth Quint
Ina Chertok
-in memory of Helen Quint
Marjorie “Bim” Hickey
-in memory of Ruth Quint
Eleanor Kaplan
-in memory of Ruth Quint
Reena Schultz
-in memory of Ruth Quint
Ruth Wolf
-in memory of Ruth Quint

Rabbi Hamilton’s Discretionary Fund
Naomi Sunshine & Jill Szuchmacher

Connie & Marty Rabinovitz Prayerbook Fund
Dolores & Bernard Wax
-in honor of Martin Rabinovitz’s 94th birthday

Yahrzeit Fund
Toby Bernstein
-in memory of Sam Drachman
Barbara Devolder
-in memory of Lena Gass
Barbara Devolder
-in memory of Max Patick
Barbara Devolder
-in memory of Sarah Patick
Hanna Grinberg
-in memory of Elias Kirstein
Eleanor Kaplan
-in memory of Hattie Kaplan
Eleanor Kaplan
-in memory of Sumner Kaplan
Carol & Ronald Killian
-in memory of Adolph Engel
Josephine Kivort
-in memory of Gladys F. Goldman
Elaine Lasoff
-in memory of Dora Lasoff
Judy Meyers & Mark Pasternack
-in memory of Richard “Richie” Kaston
Philip Shapiro
-in memory of Abraham & Sadie Shapiro
Mark & Susan Silberfarb
-in memory of Richard “Richie” Kaston
Brenda Tracey
-in memory of Abraham & Sadie Shapiro
Bernard & Dolores Wax
-in memory of Philip Nemchek

Family Table Passover Food Collection
Every year Family Table provides Passover foods so that their clients can observe and celebrate this special holiday, and they need our help!  Please help us meet our commitment to Family Table by providing 36 boxes of matzah ball soup mix (reduced sodium preferred).  Please place items in the Family Table bin located outside the KI office by Monday, March 16.
Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table
with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund. Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!

Second Shabbat (next date: March 14)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.
Ten Tuesdays, starting in March
Eser Spring Series
This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.
Mar 5th & Mar 12th – 8pm: 
Conversations about Covering
Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?
MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!
7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.
Campus Events
Tomorrow Evening
New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!
New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.
Community Events​

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on February 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Learning Philanthropy to Make Change

Hebrew College’s Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston (JTFGB) Open House. Join us for an evening of learning what teen activism and youth philanthropy looks like in 2020. Come and be inspired as you will get to see what our JTFGB teens are doing to make a difference in our community. Enjoy some food and good company as you get an inside look:

*Meet and talk to students in the JTFGB program
*Hear updates on the students’ grant-making work
*Listen to teen remarks
*Schmooze with current and past parents of JTFGB program participants
DATE: March 3rd, 2020
TIME: 07:00 pm – 08:30 pm
LOCATION: Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
ORGANIZER: Hebrew College Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston
PHONE: 617-559-8803
RSVP

Seeing Torah exhibit cover

Join us for the opening of the Seeing Torah exhibit. Seeing Torah is a visual diary documenting artist Anita Rabinoff-Goldman’s study and artistic response to each of the 54 portions  of the Torah over the cycle of a single Jewish year. Each piece is a visual midrash in the tradition of Jewish creative commentary–imaginative re-envisionings as seen through a woman’s lens illuminating the spiritual, political, and feminist lessons living in the Torah. Accompanied by a short commentary, every piece allows viewers to consider how Torah can be a continuing source of learning and discourse and reflect on what it means to them. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will run from March 24 to June 14.

March 24th, 2020
TIME: 06:00 pm – 08:00 pm
LOCATION: Ted Cutler Atrium, Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
RSVP

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
February 19, 2020

News from KI: February 19, 2020 | 24 Sh’vat 5780

February 19, 2020 |  24 Sh’vat 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, February 21
Candle lighting: 5:06 pm
Mincha: 5:11 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, February 22
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 4:51 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 5:51 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 6:06 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, February 15.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

Office volunteers are wanted for an organizational project!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of index sized cards need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Upcoming KI Events

Saturday, February 22, 4:20 pm, in the Chapel
Join Rabbi Hamilton this Shabbat as he resumes his tasteBook series in 2020! This week, the discussion will continue about Adam Kirsch’s book, The People & The Books.


PARTNERING WITH YAD CHESSED ON PURIM

On Purim Day, Yad Chessed partners with synagogues, minyanim, colleges, and day schools across New England to collect and distribute matanot l’evyonim (gifts to the poor) to over 1200 Jewish individuals in need.

The special mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim requires Jewish people of all ages to give more than customary tzedakah to at least two people in need on the day of Purim. It also instructs Jews to give to anyone who asks, without evaluating that person’s level of need.

Congregation Kehillath Israel will collect funds for this purpose at our Megillah reading on Wednesday, March 9.  To participate:

  • Bring your check payable to Yad Chessed (include Congregation Kehillath Israel in the memo) with you on Purim night
  • Drop it off in advance at Congregation Kehillath Israel’s main office
  • Donate online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/yadchessedpurim and indicate that your Synagogue affiliation is Congregation Kehillath Israel

We will tally the collection and inform Yad Chessed of the amount on Purim morning so that they can distribute the grocery store gift cards. This year help us offer a hand of loving kindness to those in need on Purim.

It was brought to our attention that there were some inaccuracies in our recent Purim mailing. We apologize for any confusion this might have caused! The corrected 2020 KI Membership listing information is available here, and the order form appears below for your convenience.

Should you have any questions or wish to order your Mishloach Manot through email or over the phone, please feel free to contact the office staff at mainoffice@congki.org or (617) 277-9155.


PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Save the Dates!

March 20-21


March 28

Click here for more information & to join the host committee!

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in
Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Next class: Thursday, February 20th
11:00 am in the Chapel
The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

We only have 8 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Several folks have not yet returned Stuart Rose’ emails or phone calls.
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!

Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.
Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Members
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!

Membership Events Fund
Sunshine Family

Refugee Welcome Fund
Joseph Geller & Maria Benet

General Fund
Laura, Jeff, Max & Ella Beauchamp/Debbie, Van & Michael Billet/Linda Cohen
-in honor of Sandra Mazur’s birthday
Linda & Jonathan Davis
-in memory of Helen Quint
Shira Horowitz & Maurice Karpman
Harold & Linda Simansky
-in honor of Zachary Ditkoff’s Bar Mitzvah

Yahrzeit Fund
Amy Baumgarten
-in memory of her mother, Lillian Baumgarten

Family Table Passover Food Collection
Every year Family Table provides Passover foods so that their clients can observe and celebrate this special holiday, and they need our help!  Please help us meet our commitment to Family Table by providing 36 boxes of matzah ball soup mix (reduced sodium preferred).  Please place items in the Family Table bin located outside the KI office by Monday, March 16.
Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table
with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!
Second Shabbat (next date: March 14)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.

Ten Tuesdays, starting in March
Eser Spring Series

This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.
https://hebrewcollege.edu/eser2020/

Feb 22nd – 11am:
Jewish Mindfulness: A Take on “Na’a’say v’Nishma”

Na’a’say v’Nishma is typically translated as “we will do & we will listen/obey.”  In this class, we’ll explore with Rabbi EBC how we might understand this text differently when we read “nishma” in light of its Hebrew root’s other meaning: “we will pay attention.”  How might this impact our understanding of Jewish Mindfulness?  What does Judaism have to say about integrating mindfulness into our daily lives? This class is open to the whole community.
https://forms.gle/TAuQ5AwRLQ3TBwMZ8

Feb 27th, Mar 5th & Mar 12th – 8pm:
Conversations about Covering

Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?

MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!

7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Visitors Needed
There is an 84 year old man who is undergoing dialysis at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital who would appreciate having some company during his treatment. He is currently having dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 am – 2:45 pm.
If you might be interested, please contact Elizabeth Goeke by email.

Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.

Campus Events

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!

New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.

Community Events​

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on February 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Learning Philanthropy to Make Change

Hebrew College’s Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston (JTFGB) Open House. Join us for an evening of learning what teen activism and youth philanthropy looks like in 2020. Come and be inspired as you will get to see what our JTFGB teens are doing to make a difference in our community. Enjoy some food and good company as you get an inside look:

*Meet and talk to students in the JTFGB program
*Hear updates on the students’ grant-making work
*Listen to teen remarks
*Schmooze with current and past parents of JTFGB program participants

DATE: March 3rd, 2020
TIME: 07:00 pm – 08:30 pm
LOCATION: Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
ORGANIZER: Hebrew College Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston
PHONE: 617-559-8803
RSVP

Seeing Torah exhibit cover

Join us for the opening of the Seeing Torah exhibit. Seeing Torah is a visual diary documenting artist Anita Rabinoff-Goldman’s study and artistic response to each of the 54 portions  of the Torah over the cycle of a single Jewish year. Each piece is a visual midrash in the tradition of Jewish creative commentary–imaginative re-envisionings as seen through a woman’s lens illuminating the spiritual, political, and feminist lessons living in the Torah. Accompanied by a short commentary, every piece allows viewers to consider how Torah can be a continuing source of learning and discourse and reflect on what it means to them. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will run from March 24 to June 14.

March 24th, 2020
TIME: 06:00 pm – 08:00 pm
LOCATION: Ted Cutler Atrium, Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
RSVP

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
February 12, 2020

News from KI: February 12, 2020 | 17 Sh’vat 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Tuesday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel

Monday, February 17, President’s Day
Shacharit: 8:00 am in the Chapel

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, February 14
Candle lighting: 4:57 pm
Mincha: 5:02 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, February 15
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 4:42 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 5:42 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 5:57 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, February 15.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

Office volunteers are wanted for an organizational project!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of index sized cards need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Upcoming KI Events

Saturday, February 15, 4:15 pm, in the Chapel
Join Rabbi Hamilton this Shabbat as he resumes his tasteBook series in 2020, for a introduction to and a discussion about The People & The Books by Adam Kirsch.


PARTNERING WITH YAD CHESSED ON PURIM

On Purim Day, Yad Chessed partners with synagogues, minyanim, colleges, and day schools across New England to collect and distribute matanot l’evyonim (gifts to the poor) to over 1200 Jewish individuals in need.

The special mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim requires Jewish people of all ages to give more than customary tzedakah to at least two people in need on the day of Purim. It also instructs Jews to give to anyone who asks, without evaluating that person’s level of need.

Congregation Kehillath Israel will collect funds for this purpose at our Megillah reading on Wednesday, March 9.  To participate:

  • Bring your check payable to Yad Chessed (include Congregation Kehillath Israel in the memo) with you on Purim night
  • Drop it off in advance at Congregation Kehillath Israel’s main office
  • Donate online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/yadchessedpurim and indicate that your Synagogue affiliation is Congregation Kehillath Israel

We will tally the collection and inform Yad Chessed of the amount on Purim morning so that they can distribute the grocery store gift cards. This year help us offer a hand of loving kindness to those in need on Purim.

It was brought to our attention that there were some inaccuracies in our recent Purim mailing. We apologize for any confusion this might have caused! The corrected 2020 KI Membership listing information is available here, and the order form appears below for your convenience.

Should you have any questions or wish to order your Mishloach Manot through email or over the phone, please feel free to contact the office staff at mainoffice@congki.org or (617) 277-9155.

Save the Dates!

March 13-14
Scholar-In-Residence Shabbat with Arnold Eisen,
Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
Join us for Shabbat Dinner and Shabbat morning learning with Chancellor Eisen!

Arnold M. Eisen, one of the foremost authorities on American Judaism, is the seventh chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Since taking office in 2007, Chancellor Eisen has transformed the education of religious, pedagogical, professional, and lay leaders for North American Jewry, with a focus on graduating highly skilled, innovative leaders who bring Judaism alive in ways that speak powerfully to Jews at a time of rapid and far-reaching change.

Under the chancellor’s leadership, JTS undertook a major project to re-imagine its Morningside Heights campus. The new campus is designed as an innovative hub for Jewish learning and living that will educate future leaders to inspire the Jewish world.

Chancellor Eisen has strengthened Jewish learning in our communities through initiatives including increased digitization of JTS Library treasures, the opportunity to learn with JTS scholars through in-person and online courses, and a rich menu of commentaries, videos, and podcasts at JTS Torah Online.


March 20-21


March 28

Click here for more information & to join the host committee!

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in
Modern & Contemporary Judaism
**CLASS IS CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER**
**TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 13**
Next class: Thursday, February 20th at 11:00 am in the Chapel
The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

We only have 8 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Several folks have not yet returned Stuart Rose’ emails or phone calls.
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!

Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.
Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Member
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!
KI Next
The Radin Family
-in honor of Zachary Ditkoff’s Bar Mitzvah
Lisa Rosenbaum & Ronald Fisher

Rabbi Hamilton’s Discretionary Fund
Carol Sterling

Tzedakah Fund
Bruce Edison
-in memory of Helen Quint
Susan Miller
-in memory of Helen Quint
Stacy Orloff
-in memory of Helen Quint
Odette Rosenfield & Michael Rosenfield
-in memory of Helen Quint
Rhoda & Ronnie Sarver
-in memory of Helen Quint
Gerald Solomon
Richard Weinstein
-in memory of Helen Quint
Wendy Zlotlow
-in memory of Helen Quint

Base BSTN
Marissa & Jason Freed

Automatic Door Fund
Stephanie Berkowitz
-in memory of Helen Quint
Benjamin & Gabriel Sigel

KI Next
Carole & David Decter
-wishing Connie & Marty Rabinovitz a refuah shlemah
Carole & David Decter
-in honor of Ezra Liebowitz’s Bar Mitzvah and in gratitude for the blessings of the Liebowitz Family

General Fund
Ellen Cohen
-in honor of Sandra Mazur’s birthday
Ellen Cohen
-in honor of Rabbi Hamilton’s honorary Doctorate from JTS
Morry & Rachel Safer
-in honor of Zachary Ditkoff’s Bar Mitzvah
Richard Weinstein
-in honor of Zachary Ditkoff’s Bar Mitzvah

Yahrzeit Fund
Helaine Meyers
-in memory of Fannie Meyers
The Radin Family
-in memory of Minette Radin Kochman
Rosalind Sargon
-in memory of Dorothy Sargon

Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!
Second Shabbat (next date: March 14)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.

Ten Tuesdays, starting in March
Eser Spring Series

This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.
https://hebrewcollege.edu/eser2020/

Feb 22nd – 11am:
Jewish Mindfulness: A Take on “Na’a’say v’Nishma”

Na’a’say v’Nishma is typically translated as “we will do & we will listen/obey.”  In this class, we’ll explore with Rabbi EBC how we might understand this text differently when we read “nishma” in light of its Hebrew root’s other meaning: “we will pay attention.”  How might this impact our understanding of Jewish Mindfulness?  What does Judaism have to say about integrating mindfulness into our daily lives? This class is open to the whole community.
https://forms.gle/TAuQ5AwRLQ3TBwMZ8

Feb 27th, Mar 5th & Mar 12th – 8pm:
Conversations about Covering

Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?

MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!

7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Visitors Needed
There is an 84 year old man who is undergoing dialysis at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital who would appreciate having some company during his treatment. He is currently having dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 am – 2:45 pm.
If you might be interested, please contact Elizabeth Goeke by email.

Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.

Campus Events

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!

New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.

Community Events​

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on February 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Learning Philanthropy to Make Change

Hebrew College’s Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston (JTFGB) Open House. Join us for an evening of learning what teen activism and youth philanthropy looks like in 2020. Come and be inspired as you will get to see what our JTFGB teens are doing to make a difference in our community. Enjoy some food and good company as you get an inside look:

*Meet and talk to students in the JTFGB program
*Hear updates on the students’ grant-making work
*Listen to teen remarks
*Schmooze with current and past parents of JTFGB program participants

DATE: March 3rd, 2020
TIME: 07:00 pm – 08:30 pm
LOCATION: Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
ORGANIZER: Hebrew College Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston
PHONE: 617-559-8803
RSVP

Seeing Torah exhibit cover

Join us for the opening of the Seeing Torah exhibit. Seeing Torah is a visual diary documenting artist Anita Rabinoff-Goldman’s study and artistic response to each of the 54 portions  of the Torah over the cycle of a single Jewish year. Each piece is a visual midrash in the tradition of Jewish creative commentary–imaginative re-envisionings as seen through a woman’s lens illuminating the spiritual, political, and feminist lessons living in the Torah. Accompanied by a short commentary, every piece allows viewers to consider how Torah can be a continuing source of learning and discourse and reflect on what it means to them. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will run from March 24 to June 14.

March 24th, 2020
TIME: 06:00 pm – 08:00 pm
LOCATION: Ted Cutler Atrium, Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459
COST: Free
RSVP

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
February 5, 2020

News from KI: February 5, 2020 |  10 Sh’vat 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the ChapelKabbalat Shabbat – Friday, February 7
Candle lighting: 4:48 pm
Mincha: 4:53 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, February 8
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 4:33 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 5:33 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 5:48 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

Kiddush this week is sponsored by James & Carol Ann Ditkoff in honor of
their grandson Zachary Ditkoff becoming a Bar Mitzvah.
Mazel tov, Zachary!

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, February 8.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

Office volunteers are wanted for an organizational project!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of index sized cards need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Upcoming KI Events

Saturday, February 8, 4:10 pm, in the Chapel
Join Rabbi Hamilton this Shabbat as he resumes his tasteBook series in 2020, for a introduction to and a discussion about “Man Is Not Alone : A Philosophy of Religion” by Abraham Heschel.
Calling All Teens!  Let’s Get Purim Started!
This Shabbat, February 8th, after kiddush, all teens are invited to join Rabbi Hamilton in the library. Our goal is to have our amazing teens participate in the reading of Megillah Esther this Purim. Even if you’re not interested in reading a Megillah portion, feel free to join us in planning some wild and crazy Purim fun! If you have any questions, call the office at 617-277-9155 or send an email.


***There is an extra copy of the book in the KI office!***


PARTNERING WITH YAD CHESSED ON PURIM

On Purim Day, Yad Chessed partners with synagogues, minyanim, colleges, and day schools across New England to collect and distribute matanot l’evyonim (gifts to the poor) to over 1200 Jewish individuals in need.

The special mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim requires Jewish people of all ages to give more than customary tzedakah to at least two people in need on the day of Purim. It also instructs Jews to give to anyone who asks, without evaluating that person’s level of need.

Congregation Kehillath Israel will collect funds for this purpose at our Megillah reading on Wednesday, March 9.  To participate:

  • Bring your check payable to Yad Chessed (include Congregation Kehillath Israel in the memo) with you on Purim night
  • Drop it off in advance at Congregation Kehillath Israel’s main office
  • Donate online at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/yadchessedpurim and indicate that your Synagogue affiliation is Congregation Kehillath Israel

We will tally the collection and inform Yad Chessed of the amount on Purim morning so that they can distribute the grocery store gift cards. This year help us offer a hand of loving kindness to those in need on Purim.

Save the Dates!

March 13-14
Scholar-In-Residence Shabbat with Arnold Eisen,
Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
Join us for Shabbat Dinner and Shabbat morning learning with Chancellor Eisen!

Arnold M. Eisen, one of the foremost authorities on American Judaism, is the seventh chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Since taking office in 2007, Chancellor Eisen has transformed the education of religious, pedagogical, professional, and lay leaders for North American Jewry, with a focus on graduating highly skilled, innovative leaders who bring Judaism alive in ways that speak powerfully to Jews at a time of rapid and far-reaching change.

Under the chancellor’s leadership, JTS undertook a major project to re-imagine its Morningside Heights campus. The new campus is designed as an innovative hub for Jewish learning and living that will educate future leaders to inspire the Jewish world.

Chancellor Eisen has strengthened Jewish learning in our communities through initiatives including increased digitization of JTS Library treasures, the opportunity to learn with JTS scholars through in-person and online courses, and a rich menu of commentaries, videos, and podcasts at JTS Torah Online.


March 20-21


March 28

Click here for more information & to join the host committee!

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in
Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Thursdays at 11:00 am in the Chapel
CLASS IS CANCELLED FOR TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 6
*next session is next week, Thursday, February 13*
The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

We only have 8 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Several folks have not yet returned Stuart Rose’ emails or phone calls.
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped to make our Tu B’Shvat celebration this past Sunday such a wonderful success! We look forward to hosting another amazing event next year,and hope you will all join us again!

Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.
Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Member
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!
Annual Appeal
Audrey & Jeffrey CohenKI Next
Kenneth & Diane Feinberg

General Fund
Joseph Avruch & Barbara Bassil
-in memory of Helen Quint
Toby Bernstein & Robert Freundlich
-in memory of Helen Quint
Sharon & David Hessney
-in memory of Helen Quint
Madeline Kalotkin
-in memory of Helen Quint
Judy Meyers & Mark Pasternack
-in memory of Helen Quint
Judy Meyers & Mark Pasternack
-in honor of Zachary Ditkoff’s Bar Mitzvah
Janet Rosenblatt
-in memory of Helen Quint

Yahrzeit Fund
Mordechai Danesh
-in memory of David ben Eliyahu
Helen Goldenberg
-in memory of Gertrude & Dr. Alexander Goldenberg
Leah Korisky
-in memory of Morris Korisky
Michael Mendelsohn
-in memory of Harvey Mendelsohn
Frances Meyers
-in memory of my grandmother, Fannie Meyers
Mark Plonskier & Heni Koenigsberg
-in memory of Leo Koenigsberg
Mark Plonskier & Heni Koenigsberg
-in memory of Nathan Plonskier
Leila Joy Rosenthal
-in memory of Abraham Rosenthal
Helen & Matthew Sawyer
-in memory of Annie Sawyer
Helen Swartz
-in memory of Rose & Isaac Simon
Martin Yogel
-in memory of Zelda Andler

Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!

Second Shabbat (next date: This Shabbat, February 8)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.

Feb 12th & 13th – 8pm:

Shabbat Hospitality & Challah

In this two-part learning series for young adults, we’ll explore two trademarks of Shabbat.  In the first session, we’ll look at what Jewish sources say about hospitality, the radical act of welcoming.  In the second session, we’ll get a bit messy with a hands-on workshop exploring the spirituality of challah baking.

https://forms.gle/S99MGf3dYyzAZoqp6

Ten Tuesdays, starting in March
Eser Spring Series

This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.

https://hebrewcollege.edu/eser2020/

Feb 22nd – 11am:
Jewish Mindfulness: A Take on “Na’a’say v’Nishma”

Na’a’say v’Nishma is typically translated as “we will do & we will listen/obey.”  In this class, we’ll explore with Rabbi EBC how we might understand this text differently when we read “nishma” in light of its Hebrew root’s other meaning: “we will pay attention.”  How might this impact our understanding of Jewish Mindfulness?  What does Judaism have to say about integrating mindfulness into our daily lives? This class is open to the whole community.

https://forms.gle/TAuQ5AwRLQ3TBwMZ8

Feb 27th, Mar 5th & Mar 12th – 8pm:
Conversations about Covering

Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?

MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!

7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Visitors Needed
There is an 84 year old man who is undergoing dialysis at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital who would appreciate having some company during his treatment. He is currently having dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 am – 2:45 pm.
If you might be interested, please contact Elizabeth Goeke by email.Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.

Campus Events

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!

New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.

Community Events​

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on February 9 and 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
January 29, 2020

News from KI: January 29, 2020 | 3 Sh’vat 5780

January 29, 2020 |  3 Sh’vat 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, January 31
Candle lighting: 4:39 pm
Mincha: 4:44 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, February 1
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 4:24 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 5:24 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 5:39 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B
THANK YOU to Maya Emerson for leading Mini-Minyan so wonderfully – we will miss you!
WELCOME to Lauren Kanter, who is also the K/1 KIRS teacher, for taking over leadership of Mini-Minyan beginning this week!

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, February 1.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

Office volunteers are wanted for an organizational project!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of index sized cards need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Upcoming KI Events

Saturday, February 1, 3:50 pm, in the Chapel
Join Rabbi Hamilton this Shabbat as he resumes his tasteBook series in 2020, for a introduction to and a discussion about “Grace Will Lead Us Home: The Charleston Church Massacre and the Hard, Inspiring Journey to Forgiveness” by Jennifer Berry Hawes.
Calling All Teens!  Let’s Get Purim Started!
February 8th, after kiddush, all teens are invited to join Rabbi Hamilton in the library. Our goal is to have our amazing teens participate in the reading of Megillah Esther this Purim. Even if you’re not interested in reading a Megillah portion, feel free to join us in planning some wild and crazy Purim fun! If you have any questions, call the office at 617-277-9155 or send an email.


***There is an extra copy of the book in the KI office!***

Tu B’Shvat Community Shabbat Dinner
February 7 after Shabbat Services

Come celebrate Tu B’Shvat a little early with KICKS at our next community Shabbat dinner on Friday, 7 February! Dinner will start at 6:30pm following KICKS services, which begin at 5:15pm.

KI will provide a delicious, vegetarian meal which will highlight the foods traditionally eaten on Tu B’Shvat.

Register and pay by Tuesday, 4 February at 12 noon; cost is $15 per adult/$8 per child (ages 5+). **No sign-ups will be accepted after the deadline.** Please pay online at http://congki.org/donations (with “KICKS 2/7 dinner” in the “Notes” section) or send a check made out to “Congregation Kehillath Israel” (with “KICKS 2/7 dinner” in the memo line) to 384 Harvard St., Brookline, MA, 02446.

SIGN UP HERE!
Come one come all and celebrate the trees and their delicious offerings with us at KICKS!

Save the Dates!

March 13-14
Scholar-In-Residence Shabbat with Arnold Eisen,
Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
Join us for Shabbat Dinner and Shabbat morning learning with Chancellor Eisen!

Arnold M. Eisen, one of the foremost authorities on American Judaism, is the seventh chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Since taking office in 2007, Chancellor Eisen has transformed the education of religious, pedagogical, professional, and lay leaders for North American Jewry, with a focus on graduating highly skilled, innovative leaders who bring Judaism alive in ways that speak powerfully to Jews at a time of rapid and far-reaching change.

Under the chancellor’s leadership, JTS undertook a major project to re-imagine its Morningside Heights campus. The new campus is designed as an innovative hub for Jewish learning and living that will educate future leaders to inspire the Jewish world.

Chancellor Eisen has strengthened Jewish learning in our communities through initiatives including increased digitization of JTS Library treasures, the opportunity to learn with JTS scholars through in-person and online courses, and a rich menu of commentaries, videos, and podcasts at JTS Torah Online.


March 20-21


March 28

Click here for more information & to join the host committee!

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in
Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Thursdays at 11:00 am in the Chapel
*next session is tomorrow, Thursday, January 30*
The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is going strong! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

We only have 8 cases left – donate to the annual appeal today!
Several folks have not yet returned Stuart Rose’ emails or phone calls.
Don’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by!

Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.
Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Member
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!
Annual Appeal
Joan Goodman & Walter Einstein
Linda Jason

Sarah Kraft Fund
Peter & Elizabeth Levine
-in memory of Rubin Webber
Peter & Elizabeth Levine
-in memory of Louis Levine

General Fund
Steve Grossman & Jennifer Tebbe-Grossman
-in memory of Helen Quint
Barbara Krakow
Susan & Chuck Miller
-in memory of Helen Quint, beloved wife, mother and grandmother
Larry Sochrin
-in memory of Helen Quint
Bernard & Dolores Wax
-mishaberach for Connie & Marty Rabinovitz
Bernard & Dolores Wax
-in honor of the birth of their 14th great grandchild, Yael Yaresky
David Williams & Nyna Urovitch
-in memory of Helen Quint, especially in appreciation of her work to make KI accessible to all

Yahrzeit Fund
Gerald & Debra Bickoff
-in memory of Marcia Bickoff
Gerald & Debra Bickoff
-in memory of Bella Bickoff Goldstein
Diane Rose
-in memory of Rose Fink
Diane Rose
-in memory of Max Fink
Nina Rubin
-in memory of Mildred Tolkoff
Nina Rubin
-in memory of Asher & Bertha Drexler
Bernard & Dolores Wax
-in memory of Nelson Wax

Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming). To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah
with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!
Second Shabbat (next date: February 8)

There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.

Feb 12th & 13th – 8pm:

Shabbat Hospitality & Challah

In this two-part learning series for young adults, we’ll explore two trademarks of Shabbat.  In the first session, we’ll look at what Jewish sources say about hospitality, the radical act of welcoming.  In the second session, we’ll get a bit messy with a hands-on workshop exploring the spirituality of challah baking.

https://forms.gle/S99MGf3dYyzAZoqp6

Ten Tuesdays, starting in March
Eser Spring Series

This spring, hindsight is 2020 as we explore the significance and impact of Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments!  Over 10 weeks, we’ll look back at some of the particularly unconventional and surprising moments in our tradition in relation to current themes and trends within the modern Jewish community. We’ll use the past events to offer new insights into how we understand contemporary Jewish identity for young adults.
https://hebrewcollege.edu/eser2020/

Feb 22nd – 11am:
Jewish Mindfulness: A Take on “Na’a’say v’Nishma”

Na’a’say v’Nishma is typically translated as “we will do & we will listen/obey.”  In this class, we’ll explore with Rabbi EBC how we might understand this text differently when we read “nishma” in light of its Hebrew root’s other meaning: “we will pay attention.”  How might this impact our understanding of Jewish Mindfulness?  What does Judaism have to say about integrating mindfulness into our daily lives? This class is open to the whole community.
https://forms.gle/TAuQ5AwRLQ3TBwMZ8

Feb 27th, Mar 5th & Mar 12th – 8pm:
Conversations about Covering

Kippah, tichel, headband, scarf, yarmulke, hat, wig, lace doily, something else…join other young adults in talking about head covering. What is covering about?  How do the ways we choose to cover (or not) “code” us in terms of gender, religious orientation, Jewish identity, marital status, and otherwise?  How have our practices changed over time?  What practical concerns are related to covering?

MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!

7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Visitors Needed
There is an 84 year old man who is undergoing dialysis at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital who would appreciate having some company during his treatment. He is currently having dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 am – 2:45 pm.
If you might be interested, please contact Elizabeth Goeke by email.

Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.

Campus Events

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!

New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.

Community Events​

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on February 9 and 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.
Read More
By congki
Weekly News
January 23, 2020

News from KI: January 22, 2020 |  25 Tevet 5780
January 22, 2020 |  25 Tevet 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
***Monday Jan 27 Shacharit begins at 6:45am due to Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat*** 
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, January 24
Candle lighting: 4:30 pm
Mincha: 4:35 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, January 25
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 4:15 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 5:30 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

Kiddush is sponsored by
Rachel Barenbaum & Adam Kleinbaum in honor of their son,
Ezra being called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah.
Mazal Tov!

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, January 25.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

Office volunteers are wanted for an organizational project!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of index sized cards need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Upcoming KI Events

ANNUAL APPEAL

In this season of Thanksgiving, please make a generous gift to the Annual Appeal before the end of the year.  The Annual Appeal helps us keep our dues affordable and helps us offer the programs and services you count on.
This year, The Kiddush Club has generously committed to gifting a bottle of “KI Rye”–single barrel rye from Boston Harbor Distillery, specially selected for KI, when you donate to the Annual Appeal.  Minimum suggested donations of $180 will receive 1 bottle.  A donation of  $720 or more will receive 6 bottles.  While supplies last.

Click here for more information or to donate directly.

 

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Thursdays at 11:00 am in the Chapel – next session is tomorrow, Thursday, January 23

The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is running again! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

 

Megillah Readers Wanted
February 8th, after kiddush, all teens are welcome to join Rabbi Hamilton in the library. Our goal is to have our amazing teens participate in the reading of Megillah Esther this Purim. Even if you’re not interested in reading a Megillah portion, feel free to join us. Any questions call the office at 617-277-9155 or email.

Tu B’Shvat Community Shabbat Dinner
February 7 after Shabbat Services
Come celebrate Tu B’Shvat a little early with KICKS at our next community Shabbat dinner on Friday, 7 February!
Dinner will start at 6:30pm following KICKS services, which begin at 5:15pm.
KI will provide a delicious, vegetarian meal which will highlight the foods traditionally eaten on Tu B’Shvat.

Register and pay by Tuesday, 4 February at 12 noon; cost is $15 per adult/$8 per child (ages 5+). **No sign-ups will be accepted after the deadline.** Please pay online at http://congki.org/donations (with “KICKS 2/7 dinner” in the “Notes” section) or send a check made out to “Congregation Kehillath Israel” (with “KICKS 2/7 dinner” in the memo line) to 384 Harvard St., Brookline, MA, 02446.

SIGN UP HERE!

Come one come all and celebrate the trees and their delicious offerings with us at KICKS!
Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!

KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.

Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Hakarat HaTov

With Gratitude to Our Community Member

We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!

KI Next
Stewart & Shari Lecker
Jonathan Slutzman & Amy Weiss

Annual Appeal
Brenda & Ralph Tracey

Rabinovitz Prayerbook Fund
Dolores & Bernard Wax
-in honor of Connie Rabinovitz’s 92nd birthday

General Fund
Shira Horowitz
Sara & Stephen Scolnick

BaseBSTN
Philip & Ellen Phillips

Yahrzeit Fund
Michael Barkin
-in memory of George Barkin
Jennifer & Steven Grossman
-in memory of Betty Gross Gale
Myrna Weisman
-in memory of Betty Kleinbart

Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.

KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)

Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming).
To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving

Want to be connected to the Torah with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!

Second Shabbat (next date: February 8)
There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.

Rabbi EBC will be teaching an Eser group this spring!
Registration just opened!
Eser is a 10-part learning series for young adults through Hebrew College & the topic for this year is “Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments.” KI’s group will meet in Brookline on Tuesday nights starting March 3rd. Register before January 10th for a $30 discount. (And don’t let cost be a barrier—scholarships are available!)
https://hebrewcollege.edu/eser2020/

MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!

7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances

Email for more information

For Youth

Banot

KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.

Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.

Volunteer Opportunities

Visitors Needed
There is an 84 year old man who is under going dialysis at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital who would appreciate having some company during his treatment. He is currently having dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 am – 2:45 pm.
If you mught be interested, please contact Elizabeth Goeke by email.

Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.
Campus Events

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!

New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.

Community Events​

 

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on January 26 and February 9 and 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Announcements & Links

Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.

Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.

Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!

CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.

Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!

The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2019 Congregation Kehillath Israel, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 277-9155

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Read More
By congki
Weekly News
January 1, 2020

Weekly Enews January 8, 2020

January 8, 2020 |  11 Tevet 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, January 10
Candle lighting: 4:13 pm
Mincha: 4:18 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, January 11
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 3:58 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 4:58 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 5:13 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, January 11.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

Office volunteers are wanted for an organizational project!
The main office is in the process of reorganizing records and information in our archives. A series of index sized cards need to be properly sorted, alphabetized, and placed into boxes for storage. If you are interested in helping us, please call or email the office to let us know at 617-277-9155 or mainoffice@congki.org We look forward to hearing from you!

Israel’s Purpose and Ours
Thank you to everyone who attended the tastebook discussion “Israel’s Purpose & Ours” about Daniel Gordis’ “We Stand Divided”. Video is available on KI’s Facebook page, as well as on our new YouTube Channel. We hope you enjoy the discussion and encourage you to read this exciting new book!


We are very pleased to share with you that Rabbi William Hamilton and Rabbi David Starr will each be receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary Convocation to be held on January 26, 2020 in New York.The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of Rabbi Hamilton and Rabbi Starr as distinguished members of the rabbinate for over twenty-five years. This is an impressive milestone and it will be acknowledged with accolades and fanfare at this special ceremony.

In recognition of this momentous occasion, community members are invited to acknowledge the achievements of Rabbi Hamilton and Rabbi Starr by making a donation to JTS in their honor.

A personalized card acknowledging your gift, and your name or the name of our congregation will be listed in the printed program at the convocation ceremony. Donations can be made at Convocation 2020. The deadline to be included in the convocation program is Tuesday, January 21st.

Kol Hakavod to Rabbi Hamilton and Rabbi Starr on this special honor!

Upcoming KI Events
Save The Date for the KI Community Brunch
Sunday, January 12, 2020 11:00 am -1:00 pm
Celebrating This Year’s Library of Gratitude Book:“The Complete Psalms: The Book of Prayer Songs in a New Translation”
by Pamela Greenberg
RSVP
***Please note the time change***

January 17 Home-Hosted Shabbat Dinner
Join members of the KICKS community on Friday evening, January 17, for a home-hosted Shabbat dinner.
We’re excited for this chance to get to know each other outside of shul!
If you would like to sign up to host, please do so here.
If you would like to sign up as a guest, please do so here.
***
The deadline to sign up for this dinner is Tuesday, January 14 at 12 noon!

ANNUAL APPEAL
 In this season of Thanksgiving, please make a generous gift to the Annual Appeal before the end of the year.  The Annual Appeal helps us keep our dues affordable and helps us offer the programs and services you count on.
This year, The Kiddush Club has generously committed to gifting a bottle of “KI Rye”–single barrel rye from Boston Harbor Distillery, specially selected for KI, when you donate to the Annual Appeal.  Minimum suggested donations of $180 will receive 1 bottle.  A donation of  $720 or more will receive 6 bottles.  While supplies last.
 
Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in Modern & Contemporary Judaism
Thursdays at 11:00 am in the Chapel – next session is tomorrow, Thursday, January 9
The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is running again! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!
KI is participating in JCRC’s 5th annual MLK Jr. Day of Service & we’d love to have you join!
There are a wide variety of projects throughout the day and all over the metro area for volunteers of all ages to participate.
MLK Jr. Day of Service
Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!
KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.
Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Hakarat HaTov
With Gratitude to Our Community Member
We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other. Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!
Annual Appeal
Daniel & Emily Friedman
Jennifer Gallop & Rabbi David Starr
Andrew Halpert
Martin Kalikow
Natasha Woolfson & Jamie McDevittKI Next
Stuart & Jan Rose
– in honor of Rabbi Hamilton & Rabbi Starr’s honorary Doctorates of Divinity from the JTS
Julius Myron Rosen
Dan & Sarah Spector
Ruth Quint

Kiddush Fund
Martin Kalikow

General Fund
Allen Elstein
Mitchell & Lisa Livstone

Rabbi Hamilton’s Discretionary Fund
Merit Cudkowicz & Eugene Sorets
Joshua Hyman

Sumner Kaplan Library
Bernice Cohne
Jane Weingarten
Marjorie Kaplan & Michael Stanislawski

BaseBSTN
Craig Byer
William Ganong & Marilyn Newman
Matt Goldberg
Robert Housman

Yahrzeit Fund
Frayda Levin Able
-in memory of Celia & Benjamin Levin
Estelle & Sidney Freeman
-in memory of Rebecca Freeman
Anna & David Kanarek
-in memory of Michael Riseman
Cheryl Mazer
-in memory of Barry Bornstein
Jeannine Schetzen
-in memory of Harry Schetzen
Leonard Weisberg
-in memory of Allie Werber
Bernard Zuckerman
-in memory of Mac Rotman

Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact us at socialaction@congki.org with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.
KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
BaseBSTN: A Project of KI  (KI’s 20s/30s group)
Congregation Kehilath Israel (KI) is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Base Movement. We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Base BSTN as a full-time project of KI, Base’s first synagogue partnership. The Base Movement began in 2015 as a home-centered Jewish engagement model, aiming to build vibrant, pluralistic hubs of young Jewish life beyond the college campus. Base has nine locations around the United States and in Berlin, Germany, and to date, has reached over 20,000 young Jews in meaningful Jewish life, learning, and service.
Led by KI’s Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen and her husband, Matt, Base BSTN becomes the new 20s/30s arm of KI, built on the pillars of the Base Movement: home hospitality, text-based learning, and community service. A partnership between KI and Base builds on Base’s proven strength of bringing people into Jewish life while offering an on-ramp to KI’s robust Jewish community that will serve their evolving needs as they move through various life stages.
There will be an opportunity to learn more about Base BSTN at an informational salon (date & details forthcoming).
To read more about Base BSTN and to show your support of its work at KI, visit the website below.
https://baseboston.org/chanukah-giving
Want to be connected to the Torah with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!
Second Shabbat (next date: January 11)
There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month. Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.
Rabbi EBC will be teaching an Eser group this spring!
Registration just opened!
Eser is a 10-part learning series for young adults through Hebrew College & the topic for this year is “Judaism’s 10 Most Surprising Moments.” KI’s group will meet in Brookline on Tuesday nights starting March 3rd. Register before January 10th for a $30 discount. (And don’t let cost be a barrier—scholarships are available!)
https://hebrewcollege.edu/eser2020/
MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!
7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances
Email for more information
For Youth

Banot
KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 1/5, 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.
Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.
Volunteer Opportunities
Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.
Campus Events

The tradition of Inspo:Expo continues at KI! On MLK Day 2020, from 1pm-3pm, Inspo:Expo will present “The Welcome Blanket Knit-In” at KI. The goal of the Knit-In is to create blankets and notes of welcome to give to immigrants and refugees. Each blanket will be displayed in a pop‐up exhibit (March 20‐21) at KI, as part of HIAS’s National Refugee Shabbat, and then sent to local resettlement agencies to be delivered to our newest neighbors.

Across the country, Welcome Blanket has inspired people to make 6,000 blankets, which were exhibited in three museum shows and then gifted to 30+ partnering resettlement agencies. In Brookline alone, local crafters have made over 80 blankets, and our first pop-up, “Interwoven: Craft, Story, Immigration,” was held at The Makery in September.

At the Knit-In, which will be part of the Town of Brookline’s official MLK Day programming, Brookline community members will offer tutorials in quilting, crocheting, and knitting. People are welcome to work together on blankets or bring a work-in-progress. Please feel free to bring your supplies and materials, and please spread the word about this free event! Please email Hadassah Margolis at inspoexpo.brookline@gmail.com with any questions, and/or if you plan to participate.

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!
New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.
Community Events​

Camp Ramah in New England Information Session –
Wednesday, January 8th at 7PM via Facebook Live!

Learn about Camp Ramah in New England from the comfort of your own home! Join Assistant Director, Josh Edelglass, to hear how Camp Ramah’s rich and varied program offer campers the opportunity to grow, learn, and develop life-long friendships as they connect to Judaism in a unique way. You can ask your questions LIVE and receive answers from our year round program team.

Camp Ramah offers two-week sessions for children currently in grades 2-3 and four or eight-week sessions for children in grades 3-10. We offer a $500 tuition discount to eligible new campers, and significant additional financial aid is available.  Please RSVP to pamelak@campramahne.org and submit your questions in advance at .
Explore our website at: www.campramahne.org!

The Rainbow Fish

Experience the sparkling story of “The Rainbow Fish” with his silver scales and heart of gold in this original stage adaptation of Marcus Pfister’s award-winning book about the beautiful fish who learned to share his most prized possession. This timeless story of selflessness and the importance of sharing is brought to life with enchanting puppetry and beautiful illumination. Held at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC (333 Nahanton Street) in Newton on Monday, January 20. Shows at 11am and 1pm. For families with children ages 3-9 years. Cost is $18, JCC member cost is $16. This show is part of the Magic Ark Performing Arts Series for Families, a program of the Ryna Greenbaum JCC Center for the Arts. For tickets, visit bostonjcc.org/magicark or call 617-558-6481.

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on January 12 and 26 and February 9 and 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Announcements & Links
Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are required to chaperone their children in this space.
Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.
Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!
CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.
Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.

 

 

Copyright © 2019 Congregation Kehillath Israel, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 277-9155

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Read More
By congki
Weekly News
December 15, 2019

Weekly eNews December 11, 2019
December 11, 2019 |  13 Kislev 5780

Regular Daily Minyan
Shacharit
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am in the Chapel
Sunday: 8:00 am in the Chapel
Ma’ariv
Monday – Thursday: 7:00 pm in the Chapel
Sunday: 7:00 pm at 100 Centre Street

Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday, December 13
Candle lighting: 3:54 pm
Mincha: 3:59 pm
KI Community Kabbalat Shabbat (KICKS) followed by Ma’ariv: 5:15 pm in the Chapel

Shabbat – Saturday, December 14
Shacharit: 8:45 am in the Sanctuary
Mincha: 3:39 pm in the Chapel, followed by Seudah Shleshit
Ma’ariv: 4:39 pm in the Chapel, followed by Havdalah: 4:54 pm

Youth services
Nitzanim (ages 0-4): 10:45 am, in G-7
Mini Minyan (ages 5-7): 10:30 am, in G-11
Minyan Atid (ages 8-12): 10:30 am, in M-8 A
Sensory Calming Room: 9:00 am in M-8 B

 

Kiddush is sponsored by
Georganne & Joe Flores and Lesley & Cliff Lee
in honor of the naming of their granddaughter, Rose Miriam Weston
&
Kiddush is sponsored by
Nina Gold & Benjamin Luxenberg
in honor of the naming of their daughter Shira

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our campus community safer, more secure, and more welcoming, the 384 Campus Shomrim team will be operating on Shabbat morning, December 14.  Community members and guests can expect to be greeted outside the building by trained and equipped volunteers prior to entering our facility.  If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Jonathan Slutzman.

There was a blue commemorative bag found in our Sanctuary this week.  If you are missing it, please contact the office with detailed information about the contents so that we may return it to the proper person. Please call 617-277-9155 or email.

Please join Rabbi Hamilton for tasteBook this Shabbat at 3:30 pm in the Chapel,
for an introduction to and discussion of “The Good Fight”
by Rick Smolan & Jennifer Erwitt of the ADL

 

Israel’s Purpose and Ours
Thank you to everyone who attended the tastebook discussion “Israel’s Purpose & Ours” about Daniel Gordis’ “We Stand Divided”. Video is available on KI’s Facebook page, as well as on our new YouTube Channel. We hope you enjoy the discussion and encourage you to read this exciting new book!

Upcoming KI Events

Save The Date for the KI Community Brunch
Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:00 am -12:00 pm
Celebrating This Year’s Library of Gratitude Book:“The Complete Psalms: The Book of Prayer Songs in a New Translation”
by Pamela Greenberg
RSVP

ANNUAL APPEAL

In this season of Thanksgiving, please make a generous gift to the Annual Appeal before the end of the year.  The Annual Appeal helps us keep our dues affordable and helps us offer the programs and services you count on.
This year, The Kiddush Club has generously committed to gifting a bottle of “KI Rye”–single barrel rye from Boston Harbor Distillery, specially selected for KI, when you donate to the Annual Appeal.  Minimum suggested donations of $180 will receive 1 bottle.  A donation of  $720 or more will receive 6 bottles.  While supplies last.

Click here for more information or to donate directly.
KI Swag is here!
Feel free to stop by the main office, Monday to Thursday 9 am to 5:00 pm or Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. If you want to have one mailed to you, call the office at 617-277-9155.

 

New Parent Drop-In: Blessings with Baby
Thursdays @ 9:00 am (G-11) – next date: Dec. 19
A weekly drop-in space for new parents and little ones to meet each other and do a little learning with Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen! Refreshments will be served; please feel free to come and go!
 

Advanced Talmud: Afterlife Views in Modern & Contemporary Judaism

Thursdays at 11:00 am in the Chapel- next session is tomorrow, December 12

The popular class taught by Rabbi Joseph Schultz is running again! New participants are warmly welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to receive emailed class updates, please email the main office. We look forward to seeing you!

Open House

Friday, December 13, 2019 10:00 am
Join us for a morning of movement and fun. You’ll have a chance to meet the staff, tour our classrooms, learn about our programs and speak with current parents.
Shabbat Dinner and Game Night

December 20 after Shabbat Services
Join us after services for a catered dinner and game night! KICKS starts at 5:15 pm and dinner will begin around 6:30 pm. Dinner will be a kosher meat meal with vegetarian options. Bring your own favorite Shabbat-friendly games for after-dinner fun! Please RSVP by 17 December at 12 noon.  SIGN-UP HERE!
The cost is $18 per adult, $12 per child (ages 5+). Please pay by credit card or send a check to Congregation Kehillath Israel at 384 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446 with “KICKS 12/20 dinner” in the memo line.
We look forward to seeing you there for delicious food, fun people, and some friendly competition!

The KI Preschool and Yachad are joining together to sponsor a Toy Drive this year!
Please drop off new, unwrapped toys in the lobby through Friday, December 20th!

Past Divrei Torah here.
Weren’t able to join us on Shabbat? Did you miss a Campus Event?
Listen now or read the transcript & take a look at past divrei torah, too!
Good news! You don’t have to totally miss out, even though we missed you!

KI’s Chesed Meal Train is a lay-led service, organized by our member Eliza Katz, which provides meals for our community members.  If you would like to participate in the Chesed Meal Train by providing meals for members in need or new families, please let Eliza  know! If you are expecting (or know someone expecting);  know anyone who is sick; or in mourning; or has a need to receive meals, please e-mail Eliza Katz.

 

Having a baby is a huge deal and turns your world upside down– in the best way! We know that the time after baby arrives is a whirlwind of cuddles, sleepless nights, endless diapers, and everything in between. Let us take one thing off your plate and provide meals, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. If you would like to receive meals or more info, please e-mail Eliza Katz. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Hakarat HaTov

With Gratitude to Our Community Member

We are grateful for our community’s commitment to supporting each other.
Our volunteers help strengthen our community in ways that make a big difference!

Annual Appeal
Eric Brass
Dana & Jeffrey Lorch
Ruth Quint
Janet Rosenblatt
Josh Spector

General Fund
Gordon Bennett & Lucy Goodhart
-in honor of Sharon & Igo Kreb’s 18th wedding anniversary
B.D. & Ruth M. Gordon Endowment Fund
Elaine & Stephen Ullian

Syrian Refugee Family Fund
Candice Kiss

Rabbi Hamilton’s Discretionary Fund
Joanne & Alan Jacobs
Rosalinda & Marvin Jacobson
-in appreciation of our community’s hospitality during Shabbat
Carol Sterling

KI Next
Gordon Bennett & Lucy Goodhart
Jonathan & Linda Davis
Ira Stoll & Aliza Phillips-Stoll

Yahrzeit Fund
Estelle Freeman
-in memory of Alexander Freeman
Barry & Annie Friedman
-in memory of Max Richter
Neal Kaunfer
-in memory of Florence Kaunfer
Galina Lembersky
-in memory of Falek ben Shmuel
Leila Joy Rosenthal
-in memory of Lena Williams Epstein
Renewing Our Commitment to Family Table
Thank you to all who have already joined in renewing our commitment to helping those in need!  Family Table provides kosher food, creates a caring Jewish connection, and empowers people to make healthy eating a part of their daily lives. A Google Sheet has been created to help KI meet or exceed its commitment to provide 15 cans of salmon and 15 boxes of whole grain crackers to Family Table every month.  Please consider sponsoring a month to celebrate a simcha or to commemorate a yahrzeit.
We also welcome everyone to help us provide Family Table with 80 bags of food in 5780!
The Family Table drop-off box is located outside the KI Office, or you may now donate the cost of food items to KI’s “Family Table” fund.
Contact Candice Kiss with any questions.  Your good deeds will help those who are striving to provide a healthy diet for their families. Thank you for helping us meet our commitment to them.

KI’s lost & found is in the ground floor coat room
If you’ve lost something at shul please take a look!
Unclaimed items will be donated during the first week of each month.
 384@KI (KI’s 20s/30s group)

Ready to invest in the community that has invested in you?
Do you want to help support future (expanded!) programming for folks looking to connect in meaningful ways? We invite you to invest in our continued success by making your commitment official. For more information about programming or membership options for folks in their 20s/30s, please visit or contact Rabbi Elizabeth Bonney-Cohen for more information.

Want to be connected to the Torah with the swipe of a finger?
Follow @RabbiEBC on Instagram for Insta-Story Text Studies, reflections about Jewish life & practice, and information about upcoming events at KI!

Second Shabbat (This week)
There are a lot of you who are involved regularly at KI, but you may not know each other if you come at different times. If you can’t come to Shabbat services every week, why not come on a week when a bunch of others in their 20s/30s will also be there? We’re extending a special invitation for you to come (and bring friends!) on the second Shabbat morning of every month.

Whether you come for services, or just come for a free lunch at noon, we hope you’ll join us!  We’ll have special tables reserved for 384@KI folks to sit together during kiddush, as well as board games around for folks to hang out into the afternoon.

MonDance Israeli Dance & Beginners Class
Every Monday admission is just $5 a person
Come join our dance community after the beginners class, to dance the dances you learn and more!

7:30 – 8:15 pm ~ Beginners Class
8:15 – 11:15 pm ~ Circles, lines, and partner dances
11:15 pm – midnight ~ Partner dances

Email for more information

For Youth

December Cuddle Up Shabbat – Chanukah Edition!

5:00-6:30 pm
Friday, December 13

Cuddle Up Shabbat is a fun monthly Friday night experience for newborn – 5 year olds and their grown-ups.
We will welcome Shabbat together in G7 with lively songs, stories, and movement at 5:00 PM, and share dinner together in G11 at 5:45 PM.
RSVP below by Wednesday, December 11 at noon to reserve your spot!
Suggested donation is $15/family for KI members, $18 for non-member families. Email jessica.goldberg@hebrewcollege.edu with any questions.
RSVP here

December Havdalah Movie Night!
Saturday, December 14
5:00-7:00 pm
Calling all K-7 kids! Come to KI on Saturday night (in your pajamas, if you’d like!) for a songful havdalah ceremony followed by dinner and a movie. This month, we will be watching Disney Channel’s Full Court Miracle, a story about a struggling yeshiva high school basketball team waiting for their Chanukah miracle.
Please RSVP here by Thursday. Suggested donation is $5 per person. Parents are welcome to stay.

Banot

KI’s social+creative group for female-identified children grades 3 through 6) is proud to launch its 5780 programming year!  Banot will meet at KI (with occasional field trips) in room G-11 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm the first Sunday of every month on the following dates: 1/5, 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, & 6/7.

Please contact the KI main office by phone 617-277-9155 or by email to reserve your child’s spot for the year.  The cost is $100 for the year and is open to anyone who would like to have fun, make friends, and learn through creative Jewish arts, regardless of membership at KI.

Volunteer Opportunities

Greeters Needed!
Do you like a good Shabbat morning schmooze?  Can you be a warm, welcoming presence on a cold day?  Or perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to KI?  Whatever your reason, we need you!  Acting as a Shabbat Morning Greeter is not a difficult job, but it’s incredibly important, since greeters are the first point of contact for folks as they come into our building—a kind, inviting presence of hospitality on Shabbat morning.
Shifts are all indoors, standing at the top of the steps to KI’s Sanctuary, by the main entrance on the ground floor, and by the Fuller St. entrance to open the doors for people and welcome them inside.  To sign up for a 45-minute greeting slot, click here.
Campus Events

Belshazzar’s Feast
December 15 4:30 -6:00 pm
Why would Rembrandt write in Hebrew? Why can’t we read “the written on the wall”? Why was the story of the Babylonian exile so important to him? Join us to find out!
Cafe Hakalah-Music of Light
December 18, 2019 2:00 – 3:00 pm
We invite you to Café Hakalah, a monthly gathering of Holocaust survivors. Brighten up your Chanukkah with music of light and love. David Wesson (guitar/vocals) and Joe Kessler (fiddle) will share their soulful and celebratory music. Come join us for a joyous afternoon of music.

Scholars and Sufganiyot
December 19 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Israel Bonds Boston Women’s Division invites you to join guest speaker Dr. Harel Chorev, Tel Aviv University
For more information contact Joshua Tolub or call 857-243-6327
Menorahfest 5780 
December 22 6:00 pm
Meet the Russian ”Jackson” Family Alex Prokhorov-Tolstoy & Sons.
Suggested donation: $15.
Calling all KI knitters, quilters, crocheters, sewers, and crafters!

Take part in KI’s HIAS Refugee Shabbat in March 2020. Welcome Blanket, a national craftivism project, asks participants to create blankets and notes of welcome to give to immigrants and refugees. Each blanket will be displayed in a pop-up exhibit on March 20-21 at KI, as part of our participation in HIAS’s National Refugee Shabbat. The blankets will then be sent to local resettlement agencies to be delivered to our newest neighbors. Also, join our Brookline-based Welcome Blanket knitting circle, where we come together, create, and talk about immigration, or make a blanket on your own time. All levels of crafting ability welcomed. Blankets must be completed by March 1, 2020.  Click for more info. Interested in participating? Email Hadassah Margolis.

New England Yachad – Looking for Volunteers!

New England Yachad is looking for adult volunteers. Yachad creates inclusive programs, where volunteers act as “peer participants” and participate alongside our members. Make a difference in your community and participate in quality recreational programs!  If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rebecca Gilbert or call 617-209-6799 ext. 103.

Community Events​

PJ Library Lights Up Chanukah
Join us for an imaginative, illuminated interpretation of Chanukah at the Riemer-Goldstein Theater, Leventhal-Sidman JCC (333 Nahanton Street) in Newton on Sunday, December 15 from 10:30 am – noon. This glowing Chanukah performance features singing, juggling, and hula hoops to create mesmerizing, rhythmic patterns with light while telling the story behind the Festival of Lights. For families with children ages 0-6 years, siblings welcome. Cost is $20 per family in advance, $25 at the door.
Email for more information and register here.

Celebrate Chanukah at the MFA
Celebrate Chanukah with other Russian Speaking Families at the 6th annual Museum of Fine Arts event co-hosted by Jewish Arts Collaborative on Wednesday, December 18 from 4-8pm. The evening features special events in the galleries and family activities that include a concert by Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys and a Russian Chanukah story reading. Event takes place at the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue) in Boston. There is no cost for this event, but please RSVP.  For families with children ages 3-11 years. Email for more information.

This event is made possible with the generous support of PJ Library of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation
in partnership with Genesis Philanthropy Group.

School Vacation Camp!
Worrying about what to do during school vacations? Don’t worry, JCC Greater Boston has got you covered with School Vacation Camp. Camp runs during the weeklong break for December, February, April and Passover vacations. Kids get to choose up to three electives daily, including sports, swimming, arts & crafts, board games and more.
Enrollment is always flexible to fit your family’s plans. Kids can join us for a single day, several days or the entire week. Don’t delay in registering, as early-bird pricing for December ends on Nov. 15. Registration closes on Dec. 19. Lunch and extended-day options are available at an additional cost.
Register here. 

Winter Sundays at Schechter
Looking for something to do with your little ones this winter? Come join us for a cozy, fun-filled morning of indoor play at 125 Wells Ave in Newton on January 12 and 26 and February 9 and 23 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. We welcome children ages 0-2 years old (and any siblings). For more information, please email Victoria Zenlea  or call 617.630.4608. Please sign up here.

Announcements & Links

Sensory Calming Room
The room is intended to be a place to take a break from tefila (prayer), and services on Shabbat mornings and holidays. It is designed specifically for people with sensory challenges or disabilities and/or their companion or anyone who requires a quiet space.  This room is accessible for those with mobility issues and it contains quiet play toys, books, puzzles, and comfortable chairs.
Parents are requested to chaperone their children in this space. Children should not be left alone in this room.
There is live audio feed from the KI main sanctuary to help people continue to be a part of the service. Please be respectful of the games, toys, and books in the space and kindly clean-up after yourself so we can maintain a welcoming space.

Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. trip to a museum. A game of pick-up basketball.  A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop.  Volunteer with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or an adult with disabilities looking for a friend.  Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people across Greater Boston.  Contact Tania to volunteer today.

Shopped at the Butcherie? Please bring your receipts to KI
The Butcherie donates back to KI’s Youth Education Fund a percentage of everything that you purchase. If you make purchases at the Butcherie, please ask the cashier to stamp your receipts (shows that you used either cash or credit card) and then bring them in. We have an envelope and box for receipt collection in our new office space!

CJP Warmline
Do you know someone who is struggling financially? The CJP’s warmline can be reached at 1-800-CJP-9500 or at their website.

Donate to KI Through Amazon
Did you know that you can support KI while shopping through Amazon? KI is an Amazon affiliate. You can connect to Amazon Smile by clicking here. Shop as usual, select us as your charitable organization, and KI will receive a percentage of the purchase price at no cost to yourself. It’s easy and much appreciated!

The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis is looking to speak with interfaith couples about their needs, preferences, and experiences with Jewish organizations in Greater Boston. If you or someone you know is part of an interfaith couple (do not need to be married), are younger than 45, and have either no children or children younger than 8, please email. Couples who participate will receive a $40 gift card. For more information, please see the flyer.

 

 

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Our mailing address is:
384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 277-9155

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