Dear Kol Rinah Family,
The most moving part of the March for Israel in Washington on Tuesday for me was seeing the pictures afterward of the mall filled with people, and knowing that it would have been a *little* less full had I not been there. And if everyone who did come had instead decided not to come, it would have been a big nothing.
It's not what I got out of the experience that was important. And my personal presence--the presence of me, Rabbi Noah Arnow--was not the point either. It's what happens when 290,000 people decide to come to the same place at the same time for the same general purposes.
Community, and the features of community that we value, only exist if and because we show up and support them.
In the next few days, Kol Rinah's annual request for member support will be going out. Our synagogue and its finances do not depend on any one person. Rather, like the March for Israel, they depend on many people each making the decision (for each of them, a significant decision), to support this congregation financially, to support this congregation generously.
There are many, many needs in the world that call for our attention, our philanthropy, our support, our membership, and our participation.
Kol Rinah is a space where we can be Jews--where we can put on our kippot, our tallitot, our tefillin, and know that we will be safe, that we will be loved and seen as Jews.
Kol Rinah is a space where we can bring our different Jewish theologies, our different Israel politics, our different observances and different ways of connecting to Jewish life and tradition and God.
Kol Rinah is a space that can hold us all.
It's a physical space, here at 7701 Maryland Avenue.
It's a virtual space--our Shabbat and holiday livestream, our Zoom minyanim, Zoom committee meetings, and Zoom learning opportunities.
It's a networked space--the connections that exist between us all. There's no more than one degree of separation between any two people who are part of our community.
This email, these words, are part of the space that is Kol Rinah.
Before October 7, Kol Rinah was important.
Now, Kol Rinah is essential.
Thank you--each of you--for your support, and for your generosity.
I'm glad that some of the articles and podcasts I sent out last week spoke to people, and were found valuable.
Here are a few of the pieces that I found helpful this week.
The Al-Shifa hospital has certainly been in the news, and it raises the question of what we can and should believe in the PR war that is part of this conflict. Yehuda Kurtzer interviews Tal Becker, a veteran of peace negotiations and an expert on the laws of war. I still find myself thinking about one of the last things Becker says in the podcast, "that being pro-Israel now means that your default posture is not to assume the worst about Israel." Listen to it here, and you can also find all the podcasts I mention wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify, etc.)
A different wrestling with this same question comes from Jay Michaelson in the Forward.
I've found hearing Palestinian voices important during this time. This podcast, Plain English with Derek Thompson, where he interviews Sally Abed, gave a different perspective on how Israelis and Palestinians really could come to a lasting peace.
This Substack newsletter by Micah L. Sifry also talks about Sally Abed, along with Alon-Lee Green, who are two of the leaders of Standing Together, the largest Jewish-Palestinian-Arab social movement in Israel.
Finally, I just listened this morning to Ezra Klein's conversation with the prophetic Rabbi Sharon Brous of LA's Ikar. It's worth a listen.
For more and collected Israel information, see this page on our website, as well as the Jewish Federation of St. Louis's Israel Resources page.
Every Shabbat morning, we are reciting a prayer for the State of Israel, a prayer for Israel Defense Forces soldiers, and a prayer for hostages.
Looking back for a moment, it seems like a long time ago, but it was wonderful last Shabbat, Veterans Shabbat, to have Lieutenant Colonel Kathryn Shaw from Fort Leonard Wood here to share her experiences of being Jewish in the military. Thank you to Monroe Ginsburg and Steve Keyser for helping to organize it, and for their participation.
We had a fantastic inaugural crafts fair last Sunday, and it sounds like this may become an annual event. Thank you to our Executive Director Stacey Hudson and our KoREH Director Cindy Kalachek for leading this.
Tonight, candle lighting is at 4:29pm.
We'll gather for a musical Kabbalat Shabbat and maariv at 6pm in the sanctuary, and we'll be joined by STAAM, Wash U's Jewish a cappella group. They'll sing one song during services, and then will give a concert after dinner, at about 8:20pm in the community hall. You can come for the concert even if you're not signed up for dinner.
We're gauging interest in having occasional mask-required Friday night services, to meet the needs of those in our community who for health reasons are only able to come to indoor gatherings where everyone is masked. If you or someone you know would appreciate having this and would be interested in coming if we did it, let me know!
Saturday morning, starting at 9am, will be New Members Shabbat, and we have lots of new members! I'll be leading Torah Talk at about 10:10am in the community hall, where we'll look at what caused Isaac's eyes to dim, leading him not to be able to tell the difference between his sons Jacob and Esau.
Tot Shabbat with Karen Kern will be at 10:45am.
Kiddush will follow services.
We're having Shabbat mincha once a month, on the third week of the month, which is this Saturday. Join us at 3:30pm for mincha, seudah shelisheet (the third meal of Shabbat), a little learning, some singing, maariv and havdalah.
Shabbat ends at 5:28pm.
Sunday from 12:30-2pm in St. Charles there's a rally in support of the hostages. Please note that because of this, the Brotherhood's tour of the Kaplan-Feldman Holocaust Museum is being postponed.
I'll be away for Thanksgiving, so there will be no email next week--I hope everyone has a good holiday.
Note that minyan next Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, will be in person at 8am (not 7am).
Next Saturday morning (11/25), our member and my colleague Rabbi Jordan Gerson, Silk Foundation Campus Rabbi and Chief Experience Officer at WashU Hillel, will be speaking, in my absence.
Monday evening 11/27 at 7:15pm, we'll be hosting a community security update organized by the ADL, featuring US Attorney Sayler Fleming, Community Security Director Scott Biondo, and SAC FBI St. Louis Jay Greenberg, moderated by Jordan Kadosh, ADL.
May the one who makes peace in the heavens make peace over us, and over all Israel, and over all who dwell in the world.
See you in shul,
Rabbi Noah Arnow
ZOOM AND STREAMING LINKS
To join our Zoom Minyanim or classes, click on the desired meeting link, or call into either of the following numbers:
+1 312 626 6799
+1 646 558 8656
Then, when prompted, enter the Meeting ID of the desired minyan/class then press #. Then, when prompted, enter the password then press #.
Services (all times Central)
Evening Minyan on Zoom
Sunday-Thursday evenings at 6pm (but not on Jewish holidays)
Morning Minyan on Zoom
Monday-Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7am; Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)
(Please note that Thursday morning minyan is now being held in-person at 7am (8am on national holidays) and is not on Zoom)
Friday nights and Shabbat mornings
Fridays, 6pm in the chapel (no streaming)
Saturdays, 9:00am (9:30am when we are doing our musical Kol Chadash service)
Click the link below, for the stream, as well as for additional instructions:
https://www.kolrinahstl.org/kr-streaming
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