Am Kolel A Jewish Renewal Community Annual Report - June 2014 Am Kolel is an independent Jewish Renewal community dedicated to the renewal of Jewish life by addressing spiritual needs in a welcoming, inclusive community and responding to issues facing society with a progressive Jewish presence. Faith in Action - Cannon Office Bldg. Buber Youth Kibbutz Celebrating at Sanctuary In Solidarity with Sanitation Workers Heartbeat Jerusalem Am Kolel, A Jewish Renewal Community 19520 Darnestown Road Beallsville, MD 20839 Telephone: 301-349-2799 Fax: 301-349-2744 Website: www.am-kolel.org E-mail: [email protected] Am Kolel Annual Report June 2013- May 2014 Our Management Am Kolel is directed by Rabbi David Shneyer and governed by a Board of eight Trustees. Reb David is also our spiritual leader. Gilah Rosner, full time, is the Sanctuary Retreat Center Manager, supported by the Am Kolel staff, the Sanctuary Committee and part-time house and grounds employees. Our office staff includes Melonie Deblock, our full-time Business and Office Manager and Cyndi Leitner, our part-time administrative assistant. Esther Siegel is the Coordinator of the Jewish Folk Arts Festival and Aaron Shneyer is our Heartbeat and Peace Liaison. Amitai Gross served as the assistant director of Kibbutz Buber in 2013. The Pillars of Am Kolel Torah, Avodah and G'Milut Chasadim Torah Learning, growing in wisdom, is central to Jewish life. Adult Learning - Am Kolel provided opportunities for adult learning. Reb David also guided several individuals through the process of conversion. The courses of the Essential Principles of Judaism and Development of Jewish Liturgy were enjoyed by all. Jewish Renewal Weekends – Am Kolel sponsored four Renewal Weekends this year at Sanctuary. Martin Buber Summer Youth Kibbutz - started eleven years ago at Mike Tabor’s farm in southern Pennsylvania, now meets at Sanctuary. Last summer 20 teenagers participated in at least one of two weeks of communal living, farming, and environmental education. This summer we will again hold two sessions. Am Kolel - Kehila Chadasha Bernard and Rae Alice Cohen Library - under the care of our librarian, Ann Bradbury, our library of more than 2,000 volumes is a great treasure available to our members, friends and guests. Located at Sanctuary, anyone can come by and enjoy the gems of Jewish learning. We are most grateful to Perry Cohen and his family for continuing to support this loving tribute. We also house one of the largest Hassidic reference collections in the region acquired from Rabbi Neal Rose of Manitoba. Avodah Avodah means “sacred service” and is that pillar of Judaism when we share gratitude to the Holy One of Being for life, and express our yearnings as individuals and as a community. Shabbat Services and Holiday Celebrations – Most Shabbat mornings we gather at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in North Bethesda. Some 25 to 50 folks gather for a reflective, joyful, musical and user-friendly service and Torah discussion. The service is followed by a pot–luck vegetarian/dairy Kiddush lunch. Once a month we hold our Shabbat services at Sanctuary. Watch the calendar for the dates for Open Shabbes! We also offer services and gatherings for other major and minor Jewish holidays. Simchat Torah has become a very special time when we organize and lead services at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue for the larger Jewish community. Last year 400 folks gathered for Simchat Torah. Other regular holiday events include a Sukkot Celebration, a Hanukah Party, a Tu Bishvat Seder, a freilach Purim Party and Pesach Seder. High Holidays with Kehila Chadasha - We have been most grateful to join with members of the Kehila Chadasha Havurah for the Yom Tovim. More than 1,100 individuals attend! We look forward to returning to Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda for services this Fall. Am Kolel hosts the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah at the Viers Mill Recreation Center. G'milut Chasadim/Tikkun Olam Another central pillar of Judaism is G’milut Chasadim or “acts of loving kindness” and Tikkun Olam or “repairing the world.”Am Kolel tries to serve the community in many ways. Tzedakah - The Gene Lipman Acre Plus. Along with our subscribers to Am Kolel’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, we harvested hundreds of pounds of organically grown vegetables for the Manna Food Center and two shelters. Reb David is our liaison to Manna's Board of Directors. Tzedakah Contributions in varying amounts are used to lend support to groups meeting social needs in the community and around the world (e.g. Jews United for Justice, Montgomery Countryside Alliance, Manna Food Center, Avodah, Syrian Refugee Relief, Center for Democracy in the Americas, Youth Against Hunger, Animal Rescue League…). Reb David's Discretionary Fund also supports individuals in need. More than $8, 000 was distributed this year between the two funds. Tikkun Olam- Middle East. Through our Israel Peace Fund, and special fundraisers, we have supported Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel and Heartbeat, project bringing Palestinian and Israel teenagers together through music. In the Fall we so-sponsored a concert at Georgetown U with Peter Yarrow. We were also one of the sponsors of this year’s J Street Conference through a special gift provided by the Wagner family. Along with the NIF, the DCJCC, the JCRC, the Nehemiah Cohen Foundation and other organization, Am Kolel co-sponsored the Education Day on Israeli Arab Issues in March. Reb David also helped to lead a Refugee Seder at the Embassy of Israel in April. Tikkun Olam- USA We support T’ruah, the North American Rabbinic Organization and their various campaigns. We worked with the LIUNA (Laborers’ International Union) in the Fall and stood on the picket line with County Sanitation Workers and helped to facilitate an agreement. We also supported JUFJ efforts on behalf of raising the minimum wage in DC and Maryland as a step toward a Living Wage. Reb David respresented the Jewish faith in a pilgrimage sponsored by Faith in Action at the Canon Office Building urging Congress to end the Shutdown. See Interfaith Activities below. Jewish – Bedouin Friendship Committee – This year we reestablished this committee, dedicating our Hanukah Human Rights Concert to Israeli Bedouin and their human rights issues. Would you like to join? Immigrant Rights –Am Kolel continues to support the Immigrant Rights Reform Movement, participating in the Fast for Families that took place in December on the Mall and other efforts. Environmental Action – We support the work of the Montgomery Countryside Alliance, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Interfaith Climate Action and 350.org. Reb David and members of Am Kolel participated in several events devoted to the climate crisis. On April 6 Am Kolel co-sponsored a conference on Bringing Jewish Values to the Climate Crisis. Co-sponsored by the Shalom Center and NCBI, the day inspired a new initiative to create a D.C. Area Jewish Green Council. Am Kolel also attended rallies and meetings devoted to saving 10 Mile Creek. Other Branches of Am Kolel at Work Am Kolel Judaic Resource Center Life Cycle Events – From Birth to Death. One of the most important services we provide is help and guidance for life cycle events and rites of passage. We are the only institution in the D.C. area that has a staff of officiants devoted to serving these needs of the non-affiliated. We consult, mentor and officiate at baby naming ceremonies, Bnai Mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, funerals, unveiling, conversions and more. We also offer spiritual direction for those in need. Am Kolel Pardes at Garden of Remembrance - Am Kolel maintains its own cemetery as part of the Garden of Remembrance in Clarksburg. Do you need plots? Institutional Consultation – We often consult with Jewish and non-Jewish institutions such as The Jewish Community Relations Council, local synagogues, havurot, churches, social and environmental justice groups and universities. Incubator - We continue to advise and nurture emerging communities such as the Kinder Minyan in Takoma Park and Am Kolel D.C… Interfaith and Intergroup Activities Unity Walk - Members of Am Kolel participated in the annual Unity Walk in September commemorating 9-11. The Walk began at Washington Hebrew Congregation and ended at the Gandhi Memorial on Massachusetts Avenue. Celebrating Harmony II - On March 9, Am Kolel, along with the Muslim International Cultural Center the Church of the Ascension and Bethesda Jewish Congregation organized an interfaith music event to raise funds for Youth Against Hunger. Held at the Church to a full house the concert was followed by discussion and dinner. Faith Community Working Group - Initiated by Ike Leggett, MC County Exec, Reb David was invited to serve on the new Faith Community Working Group Executive Committee. Impressed by Am Kolel’s history of service Reb David was also asked to co-chair the Neighbors in Need Committee. The Jewish Folk Arts Festival Planning has begun for one of our most cherished and significant events, held every two years, the 20th Jewish Folk Arts Festival. Under the coordination of Esther Siegel, the Festival will take place December 6 and 7, 2014. Temple Beth Ami will host the Saturday night concert and the Shady Grove Center of the U of Md will house the all day event on Sunday. Contact Esther at [email protected] Special Events Hanukah Human Rights Concert and Symposium- In December we held our annual Hanukah Human Rights Concert and Fair at Temple Shalom. Devoted to Bedouin rights in the Negev, the evening featured performances by Muaz Edress, Rob Colton and Aaron Shneyer and talks by Morad El-Sana and Salman Elbedour. Buber Youth Network - Last year we launched the Martin Buber Youth Network, an effort to bring together teenagers from the several independent Jewish communities in the region for joint programs and community service. Members of the BYN joined with Kehila’s Machon for a weekend trip to New York City where they participated in services at Romemu, visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue, the Tenement Museum, enjoyed biales, Italian food and enjoyed Off Broadway theatre. Sanctuary– Retreat & Renewal Center Retreats: Our center was used by more than 30 groups this year.. Jewish groups included Adat Shalom, Jews United for Justice, Jewish Group Homes, Adas Israel, JUFJ, Kehila Chadasha, the JCRC, and The Awakened Heart Project. We hosted groups from many different yogic, healing and spiritual traditions as well. We also hosted a number of church groups Celebrations at Sanctuary - This past year we hosted several weddings and simchaot. Am Kolel at Sanctuary - We continue to offer Jewish Renewal Weekends and Open Shabbes approximately once a month. The Gathering Place Senior Activity Center - After founding and incubating the Gathering Place for three years we are pleased to announce that the Senior Center will be under the auspices of the Town of Poolesville as of August 1. It will continue to service seniors in the greater Poolesville area. With the gift of a grant from the Weinberg Foundation we will continue to offer programming for seniors at Sanctuary. We are grateful to Michael Marcus for facilitating this gift. Restricted Funds We also maintain several restricted funds used for very specific purposes such as: subsidies to members, supporting peace and justice initiatives, or new publications. For a full list of funds and their uses, see our website. www.am-kolel.org Am Kolel Board of Trustees June 2013- May 2014 Rabbi David Shneyer, Founder and Director Paige Goodman, President & Chair Ira Levine, Vice-President Carol Perone, Secretary Ralph Tryon, Treasurer Sue Levine, At-Large Shelley Sturman, At-Large Florence Winnik, At-Large Jeffrey Sklaver, Immediate Past President Am Kolel Staff Judaic Consultants Rabbi David Shneyer, Director Melonie Deblock, Business Manager Gilah Rosner, PhD, Retreat Manager Aaron Shneyer, Heartbeat Cyndi Leitner, Admin Assistant Judy Stone, Web Master Ann Bradbury, Librarian Rabbi David Kuperman, PhD Rabbi Gilah Langner, Melavah Rukhanit Janeane Marks, RN Rabbinic Pastor Dee Herman Gilah Rosner, PhD
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