News from Kol Ami

Wait! Is it September already? And Rosh Hashanah’s in only days!! Oy, I’d better start writing my speeches, and checking Waze for the fastest route to Avani Banquet Hall.

One thing’s for certain; this year’s High Holy Days will be a new experience for everyone involved. People who attended services at Kol Ami last year will be experiencing a new venue, for the first time since the 36 Atkinson Ave sanctuary was built around 2011. Former Neshamah members will be at a familiar location with one familiar voice (Mitch Smolkin), but will be experiencing a new Rabbi and several other new voices (David Bernstein and the Kol Ami choir). You’ll encounter a whole lot of unfamiliar faces, at least in the beginning, and the blended liturgy will have something new for everyone who attended services last year.

I’m very excited to see us come together as one group. Sure, the combination took place in July, but there’s nothing like being physically in the same place to create an atmosphere of togetherness, of belonging to the same family.

I welcome everyone and am looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the upcoming year. I’ll stop now because I have to save some material for my speeches. Shana Tova!

Elliot Miller