News from Kol Ami

ARTICLES, FLYERS, EVENT INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Read about current events, articles on happenings around the congregation. To submit your article, please e-mail admin@kolami.ca

on Monday, 23 June 2014.

BY MARLEINE KAY

A Year of Mitzvot - A Year of Sharing and Caring

Throughout the year, Kol Ami members of all of ages have worked with the Social Action committee to roll up their sleeves and help bring a little more light into the world. Shabbat candles bring G-d’s light into the world and so does Tikkun Olam every day. This year, Social Action initiatives have been fairly diverse, as evidenced by the recap of our year of mitzvot.

Yom Kippur Food Bank Drive

Once again this year we filled 12 huge Vaughan Food Bank bins between Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur - a great help to the hungry in our community. On Shabbat services throughout the year we are encouraged to bring a non-perishable item for the food bank and place it in the basket in the foyer.

Out of the Cold

In addition to our High Holy Day Appeal, which raised over $2,000 for the OOTC program at Har Zion, many Kolamites joined the OOTC dinner team and prepared a scrumptious meal for over 100 guests. We also worked on Wednesday nights at Har Zion helping to serve meals, or work in the “shop” where guests can choose clothing, boots and toiletries. You have an opportunity to volunteer this year again and you will be glad you did!

Thornhill Firefighter's Christmas Lunch

Despite the horrific ice storm, the Social Action Committee sponsored a traditional Christmas lunch for the brave firefighters at the Bathurst/ Clark firestation. Everyone made a main course and a dessert to say “thank you” to the courageous individuals who consistently put their lives on the line to save others. This will now be one of our annual events.

Yellow Brick House

Every week, without fail, Kol Ami volunteers make a difference and collect leftover food at the Thornhill Farmers Market and deliver it to the Yellow Brick House women’s shelter. Please see this month’s Mensch of The Month article.

Ronald McDonald House

For the second year, we visited Ronald McDonald House with a volunteer magician and clown to entertain the kids, their siblings and parents.

Grade 7s Led Shabbat Services at Valleyview

Social Action arranged for the Grade 7 Hebrew school kids to lead several Shabbat services at Valley View Retirement Home. They brought so much joy to the residents of the home and were asked to come back to lead services as much as possible.

Sorting Food

Social Acton also arranged for the Grade 7 kids to sort food at the Vaughan Food Bank. There are no longer any set volunteer times at the Food Bank, but Social Action can arrange personalised visits for individuals and families wishing to help out at the Food Bank.

The Kol Ami Singers Mitzvah Performances

As part of a Social Action initiative, The Kol Ami Singers performed for the veterans at Sunnybrook Hospital and Thorn Mills on Steeles retirement residence. They were such a hit with the seniors that encore performances were requested.

Mitzvah Day

This year members of the congregation and Religious School helped make a difference for:

• Toronto North Cat Rescue Shelter
• SickKids Hospital
• Yellow Brick House
• Covenant House Street Youth Shelter
• Israeli, Canadian and U.S. Soldiers
• Garage Sale

This year’s charity garage sale raised $1,340.30 to assist in sending AIDS orphans, children who lost both parents to AIDS, in Zimbabwe to school. Your donations of sellable items and your participation will help to transform and save lives. $200 of the proceeds also benefitted the rescued cats at the Toronto Norh Toronto Cat Rescue Shelter.

Mensch of the Month

Each month, Social Action honours individuals and groups who have done mitzvot.

Collectively we really CAN change the world,

one small mitzvah at a time.

To find out how you can be the difference in someone's life or to share your ideas, please contact Marleine Kay.

on Monday, 28 April 2014.

BY MARLEINE KAY

Shoshanna Streiffer and her Grade 7 Class

Whether they are sorting food at the Vaughan Food Bank, baking cookies for firefighters, or leading services at Valley View Retirement Home, these inspiring Kol Ami Grade 7's, led by their motivating teacher, Shoshanna Streiffer, are always busy spreading cheer and demonstrating just what kind, caring and Tikkun Olam inspired human beings they are.

Natasha Caruso, Ryan Gotkin, Eve Haras, Arielle Hohenkerk, Joseph Hughes, Eden Jacobs, Julian Kowal, Matthew Kippel, Katherine Monat, Erin Rabovsky, Hal Rotman and Ashley Urson have proved to be so excellent and proficient at leading services that Valley View Home is ecstatic.  On the many Shabbat mornings that they have been there, Shoshi and her amazing Grade 7s have made such a difference in the lives of Jewish seniors living in the home. You only have to look at their wonderful shining faces to feel warmed by their kindness and compassion.

Kol Hakovad Natasha, Ryan, Eve, Arielle, Joseph, Eden, Julian,

Matthew, Katherine, Erin,Hal, Ashley and Shoshi!

on Sunday, 19 January 2014.

BY MARLEINE KAY

     Miriam Amon                                Melanie Samra

It is wonderful to honour two very special human beings, Miriam Amon and Melanie Samra, who have done so much over the years to enhance the Out of the Cold (OOTC) program held at Har Zion.

Kol Ami is now pleased to announce that our shul will be more involved with the Out of the Cold program through a partnership with Har Zion. The Mosaic Interfaith Out of the Cold Program provides safe refuge, warm hospitality and emergency shelter in York Region to the guests, who are either homeless or in need of food and clothing. Overnight shelters are operated by various interfaith communities on different nights of the week during the coldest months of the year running from November to March. The program at Har Zion runs every Wednesday from November to January.

Both Miriam, cousin of Kol Ami Cantorial Soloist Dawn Bernstein, and Melanie, sister-in-law of Dawn, have been involved in the OOTC program for a considerable time.

Miriam is a long-time member of Kol Ami, along with her husband Eli and children. Miriam, who works as a registered nurse at St John’s Rehab, first became involved with OOTC many years ago when she and her kids, Emily, Cory, Ari and Matthew would make breakfast at 5.00 a.m. on Thursday mornings at Har Zion. Later, second son Ari added to his breakfast commitment by hosting one evening dinner on a Wednesday night as part of his Bar Mitzvah project. It then became a family tradition to host an evening meal each OOTC season.
 A number of years ago, Kol Ami requested to be involved in this effort and volunteers from the congregation stepped forward to help cook part of the meal. However, Miriam is the true powerhouse behind this vital mitzvah, as she secures donations of brisket from Nortown, and what she cannot get in donations, pays for as a family mitzvah.

Every year, volunteer cooks meet Miriam and her helpers in the shul car park around 7.00 p.m. and are given their allocated ingredients to make their part of the meal. This ranges from brisket, to roasted potatoes and veggies to apple crisp, and regular volunteers usually make the same dish every year. Once the meal is cooked on the actual day, Miriam organises the volunteers to take their dish to Har Zion. The meal is always delicious, and it has been said many times over, that it is one of the very best meals of the OOTC program. This year, despite suffering the tragic loss of her dear mother, Miriam still made sure that everyone received their ingredients on time through her steadfast helpers Simma Sidlofsky and Tammy Shendroff.

In addition, Miriam is also the Chair of the Chesed Committee. Along with her dedicated team, Miriam is instrumental in the phenomenal task of organising shivas and consoling the bereaved in our congregation. Miriam is indeed the true soul of kindness and a shining inspiration in our shul. Rabbi Elazar once said “Tzaddikim - good people say little and do much”. How true of Miriam, who quietly and humbly goes about doing much.

Melanie has been actively involved with The Out of the Cold at Har Zion for the past three years. Together with her husband Richard Bernstein and two children Griffin and Miles, Melanie has been a member of Kol Ami for many years. Melanie is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design and is both an Interior Decorator and a designer of fabric for wall coverings and rug companies.  

Last year, Melanie also volunteered at Beth Shalom's Out of the Cold program, by assisting in their art program.  The guests attending the program expressed themselves through drawings, using watercolours or charcoal pencils.  This has proven to be a very welcoming and therapeutic experience for the guests. Shortly after the program concludes, an Art Show displays and sells the guests' art work.  The guests walk away with a large percentage of their sales and a great sense of self-worth, while the purchaser obtains a very individual and unique piece of art. Needless to say, the program was a great success.

For the past couple of years, Melanie has worked at Har Zion’s OOTC “shop”. This is where the guests are able to choose warm winter clothing, boots, toiletries, sleeping bags and even some bedding. This year Melanie presented Har Zion’s OOTC committee with the idea of starting an art program for the guests. Har Zion has now implemented the art program into their weekly OOTC activities, which has been very successfully led by Melanie.  

Melanie has a warm, generous and inspiring personality. She is always ready with a warm smile and words of encouragement, which has provided a positive experience for the many guests. Shimon, the son of Rabban Gamliel, says, "It is not what one says, but rather what one does, that makes all the difference in the world". (Pirke Avot 1:17). Melanie has certainly made a difference to the OOTC program. 
Miriam and Melanie Todah Rabah! You make the world shine!

on Sunday, 24 November 2013.

FROM TAL SCHIERAU

During Holocaust Education Week at the beginning of November, the many programs throughout the city reminded us of the millions that were lost in the Holocaust. In speaking with the organizers of Toronto’s Holocaust Education Week, I learned that Toronto is unique in the world in bringing speakers to discuss and teach about the suffering and fate of Jews, as well as others that were persecuted during the Holocaust.

It was a somber time to say the least and is often a very difficult time for many of us. But it is our obligation as Jews to keep the memory alive of those that perished during humanity’s darkest period in history. It is also our obligation as Jews to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are remembered by our children and the world so that we can continue Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and make certain that this never happens again.

Our Adult Education committee, led by Alan Breznick, contributes to Holocaust Education Week by arranging to bring in a speaker to talk to us about the Holocaust. The Adult Education Committee Board member liaison, Elaine Page, was also a part of Holocaust Education week as a speaker at Beth Radom Synagogue where she presented the history of our Holocaust-surviving Czech Torah scroll. Indeed, Holocaust Education Week and the annual participation of Kol Ami in speaking about the Holocaust, is in my mind, something that we must continue.

Kol Ami is a very caring congregation and we take our obligation of Tikkun Olam very seriously. In fact, our Social Action Committee chaired by Marleine Kay, and supported by our Board member liaison Lynda Levenstein, has been focused on that very obligation. Each year they plan events to help the community around us. This year, they are in the process of planning many opportunities for Tikkun Olam for our community including the Out of the Cold program, a second Mitzvah Day, a dinner for our local firefighters and many many more.

I can’t say enough about the work of this committee - when it comes to Tikkun Olam, it starts with them; their single and thoughtful focus is to make this world a better place. We can all help and support our fellow congregants and the causes they select by getting involved in the opportunities that this committee leads for us.

So as I close off this month’s article, I ask a simple question, what will you do this year to help repair the world and make our community stronger?

on Sunday, 29 September 2013.

FROM TAL SCHIERAU

It was great to see all of our kids back at Religious school again. Their faces were full of smiles as they sat with their friends and sang together during T'fillah. Our school welcomed many new faces in our younger grades and we kicked off our first Kol Katan class, which is introducing children as young as two years old to interactive Jewish learning.

Our madrichim have jumped right back into the school and reconnected with many of the children. It was nice to see the hugs and smiles exchanged between the students and our madrachim throughout the day.

We have been fortunate to have so many of our post B'nai Mitzvah kids return to help out in the classes. In today's world, where there are so many distractions, we have created a space where the focus is on our learning and our community. It is a place where Facebook, video games and texting can wait, and where interacting with friends encourages strong bonds to be formed.

For many years we have had a vibrant youth group (TAKAY) for our teens in grades 8 to 12, which has also provided a place for our teens to meet and build relationships with their peers. They have a full schedule of programming and have kicked off the year with their first event where they invited new teens to join them for a fun afternoon. This is a great group of kids who welcome new members with open arms. If you have a teen that may be interested in meeting other teens in our congregation, and attending many fun events, I encourage you to reach out to our Youth Advisor, Aron Katz, to learn more.

TAKAY has been such a success over the years that our school has decided to introduce a Junior Youth Group for grades 5 to 7, named TICKY. Our Junior Youth Group Coordinator, Alexa Rubin, has planned a number of fun and engaging events for our TICKY youth this year. If you have children in grades 5 to 7, we hope they will join TICKY and continue on to TAKAY in the future.

Through our Religious school and youth groups, you can see that Kol Ami has a lot to offer our children. This is where we will find many of our future leaders and I am excited about the journey that they are taking.