November 2011
What a wonderful High Holy Day season it was! And now back to all the wonderful regular work that we do at Congregation Kol Ami! Religious School, Hebrew School, Social Action, Kol Ami Women for Reform Judaism, Men’s Club, Lunch and Learn, Shabbat Worship, Torah Study, Tot Shabbat, and everything else that happens here.
There are some really big things coming this year. Hopefully by now you have heard about our raffle. If not you should get in on it fast. Tickets are $100 each, and we will only be selling 200 of them total. The prize is a travel voucher for $7500!!! If you are interested in a ticket or tickets, please call our office and let Amy know to save one for you.
And speaking of travel, did you also know that this summer we will be taking our first ever Congregational Trip to Israel!!! I am very excited about this adventure. Our itinerary is wonderful including praying with the Women of the Wall on Rosh Chodesh (new moon/first day of the new month) morning, an archeological dig, a tour of the Knesset and the security barrier, Shabbat at Kibbutz Gezer (my old stomping grounds) with Rabbi Miri Gold who is in the midst of a lawsuit to become the first Reform Rabbi to be paid a salary by the State of Israel, just as Orthodox Rabbis are paid by the State, rafting or Kayaking on the Jordan River, a Jeep Tour of the Golan Heights, as well of course plenty of time in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Masada, and Yad Vashem. There are places in our tour where the group might split into smaller choices, some things more for kids and some more for adults. There are some short hikes, and some shopping time, and there is lots of time to explore on your own.
We will leave (officially now) on June 17, 2012 and return on the 28th. A group flight is available which will leave from Seattle, but you can get yourself to Israel with miles or your own flight arrangements as well. The cost including the group flight is $4082/person or without the flight $2929/person, and this includes all the travel, our guide, all breakfasts and some other meals, all the hotel accommodations, and entrance fees. To get all the information, go to our congregational website, Jewishvancouverusa.org, there is a slider on the top with the link to our ARZA World page with our itinerary and how to sign up. We will need to have people signed up in the next couple of months for this trip to happen. It is not limited to members of our congregation, although the more of us there are the better, but your friends and relatives are certainly invited. Jewishness is also not a requirement. The more the merrier. Please bring your kids, although keep in mind that there is touring and walking and sitting on a bus, so your child’s age and ability to participate should be kept in mind.
If you win the travel voucher, it can certainly be used on our Israel trip, but you will need to be signed up for the trip earlier than our April drawing, so don’t delay your sign up with deposit! Payments can be made over time on this trip as well.
Big things this year! I look forward to participating with all of you!
