01/16/2022 01:38:44 PM
Jan16
Everything feels so hard these days. It is hard to cancel events, to stay home and to take extra precautions around our family and friends. It is hard to not only keep wearing a mask but to make sure we are now wearing the right kind of mask.
The ReOpen Task Force met and put stricter protocols in place to help us safely get through the Omicron surge in our community. Hopefully, as the doctors ands scientist have predicted, this is a short-term surge that may be over in a matter of weeks, not months. Until then, we have limited the number of people who can attend services, defined the type of mask allowed in the building, postponed events and, following the CDC guidelines, defined fully vaccinated to include the booster. Please see the COVID-19 section of the website for the details and check back as we continue to update it.
Last week I was going through photographs of events in 2021 for a project Benjamin Singer is working on for the shul. It was great to see again all the things we have done and the programs that brought people together. Since we postponed our January programs and I do not have any new photos, I decided to post photos from the past year knowing that we will get back together and have many new photos for 2022.
If you are home bound and need help getting groceries, if you have read everything on your shelves and want a new book to read, if you want to call and just chat because you feel alone, please call us. Caring for our members is our first priority, and we will muddle through this together.
12/20/2021 08:04:30 AM
Dec20
Our building is often filled with music. Throughout the week Rabbis Noah and Scott singing with the ECC children on Friday mornings fills the sanctuary with music and laughter; Karen Kern leading the children in new songs fills the 2nd floor and Karen and Rabbi Scott serenading the staff brings a fun break to the day (still waiting for some Bob Dylan!). It was especially memorable hearing the sound of many voices singing as we walked down the stairs from the sanctuary to the early childhood center during a tornado warning. Many agreed that the acoustics in the ECC hallway are excellent. I can’t carry a tune. Even my children asked me to stop singing in the car when they were little. But I love music, and I love hearing music throughout our building.
Our Scholar in Residents weekend with Deborah Sacks Mintz was a success with many people attending in person and through the live stream. Deborah led us in new songs and melodies and offered many valuable insights in her d’vars. A big thank you to Rabbi Arnow, Rabbi Shafrin and the Community Learning committee for organizing the weekend. Also, to the Leo and Sara Wolf Education Fund and the Irvin and Dolores Rubin Music Fund for providing the money to make this possible.
Our Fitness & Flexibility class with Crown Center is a success with 16 people gathering every Tuesday to stretch and exercise together. We are working on plans to continue the class, details to follow.
And although Hanukkah seems like a long time ago, I would be remiss to not mention our celebration of lights in the courtyard with a fire dancer – and of course, music. We had a wonderful turnout and wrapped up that evening with jelly donuts provided by our catering partner, Circle@Crown Center Café & Catering.
We also successful held our yearly congregational meeting with the option to attend in person or by Zoom. Having figured out how to set up the equipment to do that we can now can plan other programs with both options.
We have held many events in person. As we do, more questions are apparent that we must resolve as it relates to safety with COVID-19. The new variant is in our community and with the holidays and cold weather more people are gathering indoors. Our ReOpen Task Force will meet soon to discuss how we can continue to get together safely. Please watch the e-mail blasts and website for updates on our COVID-19 protocols.
11/14/2021 09:04:11 PM
Nov14
Wednesday and Thursday our chapel became the workspace for Rabbi Moshe Druin, our Sofer On Site. Rabbi Druin travels the country repairing Torahs. Last week he was in St. Louis. This week he is in Arizona. I spent some time talking with him and watching him work. His job requires a wealth of knowledge about the text, a skill with ink and a quill pen and the dexterity to repair damaged and worn scrolls. He told me his job is never dull, he learns something new every day and he gets to travel and meet people all over the country. Isn’t that something we all strive for? Using our skills to help others, meeting new people and learning something every day.
One of my favorite things now about Friday mornings is attending the Shabbat celebration with our rabbis and the children from the ECC. It is so much fun, and there is such energy in the sanctuary with everyone singing, Rabbi Shafrin playing the guitar and the rabbis and kids dancing to the songs. It is a joyous way to wrap up the week.
Monroe Ginsburg and Steve Keyser planned the Shabbat service to honor our veterans. Ben Weintraub, a World War II veteran, told stories of his time in uniform. His stories included details of his training, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and being at a concentration camp when it was opened and the prisoners were freed. He told the stories with humor and reverence for the situations he was in and the human cost of the war. My father, 96, also fought in the Battle of the Bulge but did not talk about his experience in the war until he was in his late 80’s. It is so important for us all to hear these stories. If you know a veteran, ask them about their experience. Perhaps they too will open up and tell stories with reverence for the experience, and some humor.
Many people ask me what we are doing in-person with our COVID-19 protections. It is a lot. You can attend Shabbat morning and evening services, sign up for the Fitness & Flexibility class, celebrate Hanukkah with a fire dancer and attend a very special weekend of singing with our scholar in residence Deborah Sachs Mintz. Check the website for all the details on these programs.
10/31/2021 10:25:09 AM
Oct31
It is a coincidence, but I have attended a few reunions in the past week. I used to play soccer on a women’s adult team and a member of the team got the group back together for her birthday. She said she couldn’t picture another group of people she would rather be with to celebrate turning 60. A friend from high school was in town and several of us had an impromptu reunion over lunch. And the Jewish leadership cohort I participated in for a year met for the first time since the pandemic for a reunion happy hour. All these very different groups of people are so important to me and represent an important part of my life and growth. They are each an example of small groups dedicated to learning or achieving something together that connected us to something much bigger.
This got me thinking about our congregation. How is each member connected to the whole? Is it through a committee? Lifelong friends who are members? Attending minyan or Shabbat services? What is it that connects us each to the whole congregation? For me it was the facilities committee. Working closely with members of the committee to figure out and make recommendations on how to proceed with our building was my path to feel connected to the whole congregation. Now? It is our fabulous staff that are such a joy to work with every day.
The leadership, led by Gary Kodner and Joel Portman, has been focused on engagement. We are focused on providing opportunities for you to find that group of like-minded people within the congregation who make the shul your Jewish home. As we learn how to live with COVID-19 and what it is safe to do, we are providing more opportunities to gather in person for services, celebrations and other activities. Watch the website, read the e-mails, see what we are doing and look for that place where you can find your group. And if you don’t see it? Want to try something new? Just call. Let’s talk about it. Chances are someone else is interested too.
My claim to fame playing soccer? I had a pretty mean kick and could send the ball far down the field. Best part of playing? When I get back together with this group of women I know I am with my team.
Last week we hosted a meeting and building tour for the Federation’s JPro Building Managers Affinity Group. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation, this is a group of professionals responsible for managing their buildings that meet throughout the year to share information and update each other on their building projects. It was wonderful to host the first in-person meeting since the pandemic and be the tour guide for this group of knowledgeable professionals. The response was great with questions about lighting and HVAC controls and lots of interest in how we incorporated legacy artwork throughout the building. I love showing people our building as we have such a wonderful story to tell.
Members of the JPro Building Managers Affinity Group
09/20/2021 01:34:44 PM
Sep20
I have been thinking about all the people attending services in person the past two weeks, many seeing the building for the first time. There have been many first times to a new building in our collective past. When I had some quiet time during services last week, I looked through the volumes of Walter Ehrlich’s Zion in the Valley, about the history of the Jewish communities in St. Louis. Not counting our current building, between our three legacy congregations, Brith Shalom, Knesseth Israel and Shaare Zedek, we have moved approximately eleven times, twice into former churches.
This High Holy Days marks the first time we have opened our doors wide for our members and guests to gather, pray and spend time together since we finished construction and the pandemic began. It felt so good to have the building full of people, to have services in the Sanctuary and Community Hall, to see people reading quietly in the Bill Solomon Gallery and to see so many attending the Young Families service in and around the tent in the courtyard. It showed us how much people want to be together and brought our building to life.
Construction of the early childcare center is complete, and the complex process of county and state inspections is nearly finished as well. Liz Collins, our ECC director, and her staff have worked tirelessly to have the classrooms ready for the kids. We all should give a huge shout-out and thank you to Rhiannon Kaye who has volunteered an overwhelming number of hours working with Liz and our contractor to have the space ready. Our architects, Patterhn Ives, designed a beautiful, light filled space and thanks to Liz, Rhiannon and many others it will soon be full of energetic kids.
08/24/2021 10:26:04 AM
Aug24
This past week the ReOpen Task Force met and after a lengthy, in-depth discussion made changes to our COVID-19 protocols. The biggest change is that we now require proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 36 hours to attend services or an event. This also applies to the staff. We have seen firsthand how contagious the Delta variant is and must take more precautions to keep our members, guests, and staff safe from the virus.
Masks are required at all times in the building and anyone not properly wearing a mask will be asked to do if they do not comply will be asked to leave.
All of the protocols are posted under the COVID-19 section of the website and can be seen here.
So much is happening in the building. Many projects designed to make the building our home are being completed in anticipation of the High Holidays. The furniture is installed in the Bill Solomon Gallery, so we now have a place to sit, gather or read quietly. Panels are installed in the lobby to improve the acoustics and tomorrow, some of our legacy stained glass is being installed.
Our contractor, BSI, is working to complete the ECC in anticipation of it opening on September 1st. The ECC furniture is coming out of storage, new equipment is being delivered and the staff is preparing for the children.
On Sunday the Tzedek team hosted a meeting in the courtyard where we learned from members of the Sierra Club about the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy project. We also gave guided tours of the building so our members and their guests could see, many for the first time, the results of the hard work and many hours our volunteers have put in to make our building a realty.
With the new protocols we will continue to figure out how we can come together safely and enjoy this wonderful spiritual space we have worked so hard to create.
08/02/2021 10:15:00 AM
Aug2
Planning, writing, editing, printing, folding, stuffing and stamping. The office has been buzzing the past two weeks preparing for the High Holidays. There are many details to figure out as we plan for celebrating these important holy days in our new building as the concerns about the COVID-19 virus rise.
We are having services in-person. Masks are required and we will ask anyone not properly wearing a mask to do so.
We also are asking that you RSVP. This helps us to plan for the numbers of people attending and for parking. You will not be turned away if you do not RSVP, but it is a big help us to know you are coming.
For parking, we are reserving our lot for those who require accessible parking due to health restrictions. The lot is reserved for that purpose, but we do not have individual reserved spaces. It is first come – first serve.
We also have arranged with Pierre Laclede Center for parking on the surface lot across Maryland Avenue and in the garage with the entrance on Forsyth.
We are handling name tags differently this year. Included in the information you received in the mail are blank name tags to use for several services. Please fill them out at home. Include your name, note if you are on the board or a committee, decorate it, tell us something about yourself. We look forward to seeing your creativity!
All the information about the High Holiday’s was mailed to our members and is on the website. This time, unlike the Passover packet that arrived for many two months after the holiday, the mail was delivered after two days. I encourage everyone to check the website often as we continue to add information or, if needed, make changes due to the virus.
I am writing this on Sunday afternoon. Earlier today we sent a text message to all our members with a link to the High Holiday page on the website. We are using text messages as another way to reach our members about upcoming events. Please let me know if this is helpful as we continue to look for ways to keep everyone informed about the activities at the synagogue.
The ECC construction is proceeding quickly. Liz Collins, our ECC director, has been coming in several times a week to work out of the administration office in preparation for opening in September. It has been wonderful getting to spend time with Liz as we work out details on shared areas of the building, security and parking. We look forward to having all the kids and activity in the building.
07/19/2021 09:59:58 AM
Jul19
Justice, Justice you shall pursue (Deuteronomy 16:20). I love that. It goes to the core of why I love being a Jew – justice is central to how we treat each other and people in the broader community. And I love being a part of a synagogue that takes that idea to heart in its words and actions.
This past week Benjamin Singer gave a presentation at the board meeting on what Tzedek, our social justice team, is doing and its plans for future activities. They have several projects underway, including writing cards for seniors at Brentmoor and Crown Center (pick up blank cards at the office and Young Families programs) and the Reverse Tashlich stream clean in August.
In June some of the members participated in a training program with JOIN for Justice. They continue to look for issues important to our community and align with our mission. During the High Holy Days, members of Tzedek will lead a breakout discussion group on renewing our approach to helping others and building a better world.
Please watch for information on their programs. Call Benjamin Singer (or the office, 314-727-1747) if you are
interested in the important work they are doing. And on August 8 come get your hands dirty and join our second stream clean, the Reverse Tashlich, when we take things out of the water. See the website for details.
interested in the important work they are doing. And on August 8 come get your hands dirty and join our second stream clean, the Reverse Tashlich, when we take things out of the water. See the website for details. Stream Clean Fall 2021
We are finalizing the details for the High Holy Days. The packets with information on the schedule of services, parking and COVID-19 protocols will soon be in the mail, posted on the website and sent by e-mail.
07/12/2021 09:20:01 AM
Jul12
With an eye towards the High Holy Days when more of us will gather in the synagogue, the building has been hopping with activity. In addition to the ECC construction other projects are being completed:
The acoustical panels are installed in the sanctuary, completing the original plan our architects designed. They improve the sound quality throughout the room.
The panels designed to mount the memorial plaques are installed. The plaque sorting is still in process and when that is completed, we are ready to install them.
Other items such as acoustical panels in the lobby and furniture for the Bill Solomon Gallery are on order and should be installed before the holidays. Every day something new is happening to turn our building into our spiritual home.
The Federation just launched a new social media platform to help people throughout our Jewish community be informed and connected. It’s called JBuzzSTL. You set up an account, follow Kol Rinah and other St. Louis organizations to register for events, get book recommendations, view fitness videos and much more. It is our private social media platform to stay connected. Please download the app or view it online and set up your own account. https://www.jbuzzstl.com/
06/28/2021 08:00:00 PM
Jun28
I have been thinking a lot about my family lately. Two weeks ago, we spent a long weekend in Dallas with my stepdaughter, her husband and our grandchildren. My son and his girlfriend drove down with us. It was the first we all got together since COVID-19 shut everything down and it was so much fun to be together.
This weekend it was wonderful to have my sister, Joan Levinson, and our children, Elie and Daniel here. Joan came in town for a closing reception of her artwork at the Kranzberg Foundation High Low Gallery (https://stljewishlight.org/news/news-local/st-louis-artist-explores-intersection-of-literary-and-visual-arts/) and then to take down the show and prepare it for shipping. Many hands came together to get the job done. Elie, Daniel, Daniel’s girlfriend Sarah, Joan and I worked together to wrap and protect all the pieces being shipped and to prep the pieces sold to go to their new owners. We held things for each other, cut tape, wrapped corners, resolved problems, chatted, and listened to Joan’s selected playlist (Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and Terry Allen [I included him]) which brought out a bit of foot tapping and lip syncing while we worked. I kept thinking about how much I loved it – helping each other, having a good time and enjoying each other’s company. I am grateful for the day we spent together.
I have been asked over the years why I stayed in St. Louis, why I didn’t move somewhere else. My answer quite simply is family and friends. I love seeing people I have known most of my life and having family connections to people and places going back several generations. A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail from Paul Flotken. Paul didn’t realize he was e-mailing me; it went to the general office e-mail. I first met Paul when I was in high school and worked for his brother John. Paul let me know he had two chairs from the original Knesseth Israel building in DeMun, did I want them? Absolutely. Paul told me
that after being used by Knesseth Israel the chairs belonged to his wife Terry’s great-grandparents, Morris and Ida Berin. They were likely purchased as a fundraiser when the congregation moved to South Hanley. Morris lived from 1879 to 1956 and was the Shammas of the synagogue. The chairs are now in our chapel. I don’t know yet what we will do with them, but I love having that physical connection in the building going back generations to one of our founding legacy shuls.
that after being used by Knesseth Israel the chairs belonged to his wife Terry’s great-grandparents, Morris and Ida Berin. They were likely purchased as a fundraiser when the congregation moved to South Hanley. Morris lived from 1879 to 1956 and was the Shammas of the synagogue. The chairs are now in our chapel. I don’t know yet what we will do with them, but I love having that physical connection in the building going back generations to one of our founding legacy shuls.Throughout the summer we are having outdoor services in the courtyard. Last week we held a service for Young Families. It was a hot day, and the turnout was low but those who came had a great time. The sanctuary shades the courtyard in the evening and the breeze kept everyone comfortable. Please don’t let the weather keep you away - come to our outdoor services.
We have increased attendance in the sanctuary to 60 people. Please look at the new COVID-19 protocols on the website - we would love to see you at services.
Finally, our softball teams are making up in spirit what they are missing in wins. I am happy to say that the Ball Mitzvahs won their game last week against B’nai Amoona. Grab a chair, wear your Kol Rinah swag and head out to watch a game!
Fri, May 2 2025
4 Iyyar 5785
MISSION: Create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism.
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Office Hours
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Phone: 314-727-1747
Friday 9am – 3pm
Phone: 314-727-1747
Fri, May 2 2025 4 Iyyar 5785