Kol Israel Congregation

Hanukkah celebrations at Kol Israel are always memorable. This year was no exception. We kicked off the festivities this year with a wonderful Oneg Shabbat with Rabbi Shweky. Thanks to Melody and Morris Silvers for graciously hosting this event.

Bingo night is always a favorite with our kids – pizza, bingo and a Chinese auction filled with great prizes. A great time was had by all. Many, many thanks to Andrea and Jack Sabin for all their efforts and thanks to Rabbi Besser for calling out the winning numbers.

Our adults had special events as well. Rabbi Nathan Aviezer gave a thought provoking lecture entitled “Science and Judaism: Is It Rational To Believe In The Divinity of the Torah”. And we had a special wine and cheese Beit Midrash program the following night featuring classes with Rabbi Haber (for young women), Rabbi Besser (for couples) and Henry Hamra.

Rabbi Dr. Ronnie Hasson was the speaker at our Hanukkah couples class. Thanks to Sandra and Roger Chehova for graciously opening their home and hosting this wonderful night.

The highlight of the year is our annual ice skating party at Aviator Field. This year was particularly exciting taking place on Saturday night December 19th in the midst of a snowstorm. Even the swirling snow could not stop the Kol Israel community from joining together at our own private rink for an evening of ice skating fun. We even had a performance from former championship skater Karen Erani showing us skating and spins few of us have seen close up. Thanks to our sponsors Chabtai Chraime, Eddie Baranoff, and Eli Matalon. Thanks again to Elliot Dweck and Robert Lubin for enthusiastically making it all happen. We had a great time!!

            Purim is always a special time at Kol Israel with activities for all ages. Thanks to Dahlia and Abe Shuster for hosting our annual Purim couples class featuring Rabbi Daniel Kahana as guest speaker. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated by all.
            Our children were treated to a special puppet show on Purim morning. They had a wonderful time and left with prizes, T-shirts and big smiles. Thanks to sponsor Bernie Hafif and thanks to Ilana Habert for organizing a fantastic event.
            The young adults had an exciting and different Purim this year led by Rabbi Moses Haber. Thanks to sponsors Lee Greenberg and Stanley Cayre for the party at Café 16. Lauren Elmann gives a firsthand account of this year's celebrations.

Kol Israel Youth had a very eventful Purim! The holiday began on Erev Purim with a very special Megillah reading in the annex organized by Rabbi Haber and Evan Tobias. With their help, a dedicated group of 11 boys volunteered to each practice and read a chapter of the Megillah for the Youth Minyan. Everyone agreed that it was one of the most enjoyable Megillah reading they have heard. Immediately following the reading, the Kol Israel Youth Committee went to Lou Grazi’s Café 16 on Avenue J to set up for the first annual Kol Israel Purim Party. Delicious sushi, wraps and snacks were prepared and games such as Wii, Purim Family Feud, knock hockey and Bananograms were set up for everyone to play and enjoy! An estimated 150 teens from the community attended and had a great time endlessly playing games with their friends. It was a great success and a perfect way to spend Purim night. On Purim morning, the same group of boys that read for the Youth Minyan did a tremendous mitzvah and went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Aboud to read the megillah for them due to Mr. Aboud’s injury and allowed them to fulfill the Mizvah of listening to the megillah. Hazakh U’Barukh to all of the boys who read the Megillah: Morris Dweck, Marc Elmann, Ariel Elmann, Aaron Silvers, Abie Silvers, Harry Greenberg, Aaron Senior, Richard Beyda, Hal Sitt, Joseph Franco and Michael Franco. Thanks to Kol Israel Youth, this Purim was both enjoyable and meaningful for the youth of our congregation.

This Purim, the Kol Israel Youth Committee organized a Purim party at Café 16 on Avenue J owned by Lou Grazi. Delicious food was prepared throughout the night such as sushi, wraps, snacks and beverages for everyone to enjoy free of charge. Many exciting games were set up such as a Wii console and Purim Family Feud courtesy of the Kol Israel AV Squad, and the classic Knock Hockey. Other games such as Toleh, Bananograms, Uno and more were played continuously throughout the night. The Purim Family Feud was both entertaining and exciting and the Wii Sports left a glistening Rabbi Haber as the undefeated virtual boxing champion Albert Dweck sold split the Pot raffle tickets and the lucky winner was Kol Israel’s very own Norman Greenberg! A special visit was paid by Rabbi Harari who took a shot at the Knock Hockey set in order to reveal his true talent. Approximately one hundred fifty high school and college-age youth from the community attended and were all thrilled to have a fun and relaxing place to go to on Purim night where they can socialize, enjoy great food, and truly be Marbim Be’Simcha!

            Kol Israel Women Book Club continues to be a resounding success! Our women are interesting and interested in sharing thoughts regarding books about various subjects and time periods. We have examined a wide range of authors and styles.
            This past fall we started by tackling FOR THE RELIEF OF UNBEARABLE URGES by Nathan Englander, We had the pleasure of having Yael Harari Benson navigating us through this thought provoking collection of stories. Thanks to Lisa Oved for hosting a beautiful afternoon and serving a delicious lunch.
            At our next gathering Margaret Ben Hamu presented SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay. As always, her discussion was lively and informative as she took us through the plight of Jews in France during WWII.
            LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN by Colum McCann was the next selection in our series. Led by Deirdre Eisenstein we explored this novel, which is a group of stories centered around Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk between the twin towers in 1974. Robin Tobias was a warm and gracious hostess on a cold and snowy day. Thanks!
We are looking forward to our upcoming book club scheduled for April 27th at the home of Joyce Matalon. This time we will enjoy a classic – PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen and anticipate a wonderful presentation by Esther Hidary. Please join us.
            Many thanks to Natalie Greenberg who always does research, reads a lot of books and puts it all together for us. We all appreciate the opportunity for some intellectual stimulation so close to home.

Every Monday night men and woman from our community gather to the Kol Israel Annex for torah classes accompanied by snacks and followed by Arbit. There are 5 classes going on simultaneously and the buzz and spirit of the building is electrifying. There is a men's Navi class with Rabbi Harari, Halacha with Rabbi Shweky, Hazanut with our hazan Henry Woman's philosophy class with Rabbi Haber and a couple's parasha class with Rabbi Besser. On special occasions we serve dinner and have special events like Wine and Cheese during Hanukah. These classes are sponsored by members of our synagogue to uplift the memory of someone on or to honor somebody they love. It's a great night of the week, and I recommend everyone to join us and to incorporate it into their schedule.


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	2009-2010 Events CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THE FULL ALBUMS Hanukkah 2009 Hanukkah celebrations at Kol Israel are always memorable. This year was no exception. We kicked off the festivities this year with a wonderful Oneg Shabbat with Rabbi Shweky. Thanks to Melody and Morris Silvers for graciously hosting this event. Bingo night is always a favorite with our kids – pizza, bingo and a Chinese auction filled with great prizes. A great time was had by all. Many, many thanks to Andrea and Jack Sabin for all their efforts and thanks to Rabbi Besser for calling out the winning numbers. Our adults had special events as well. Rabbi Nathan Aviezer gave a thought provoking lecture entitled “Science and Judaism: Is It Rational To Believe In The Divinity of the Torah”. And we had a special wine and cheese Beit Midrash program the following night featuring classes with Rabbi Haber (for young women), Rabbi Besser (for couples) and Henry Hamra. Rabbi Dr. Ronnie Hasson was the speaker at our Hanukkah couples class. Thanks to Sandra and Roger Chehova for graciously opening their home and hosting this wonderful night. The highlight of the year is our annual ice skating party at Aviator Field. This year was particularly exciting taking place on Saturday night December 19th in the midst of a snowstorm. Even the swirling snow could not stop the Kol Israel community from joining together at our own private rink for an evening of ice skating fun. We even had a performance from former championship skater Karen Erani showing us skating and spins few of us have seen close up. Thanks to our sponsors Chabtai Chraime, Eddie Baranoff, and Eli Matalon. Thanks again to Elliot Dweck and Robert Lubin for enthusiastically making it all happen. We had a great time!! Purim 2010 Purim is always a special time at Kol Israel with activities for all ages. Thanks to Dahlia and Abe Shuster for hosting our annual Purim couples class featuring Rabbi Daniel Kahana as guest speaker. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated by all. Our children were treated to a special puppet show on Purim morning. They had a wonderful time and left with prizes, T-shirts and big smiles. Thanks to sponsor Bernie Hafif and thanks to Ilana Habert for organizing a fantastic event. The young adults had an exciting and different Purim this year led by Rabbi Moses Haber. Thanks to sponsors Lee Greenberg and Stanley Cayre for the party at Café 16. Lauren Elmann gives a firsthand account of this year's celebrations. Kol Israel Youth had a very eventful Purim! The holiday began on Erev Purim with a very special Megillah reading in the annex organized by Rabbi Haber and Evan Tobias. With their help, a dedicated group of 11 boys volunteered to each practice and read a chapter of the Megillah for the Youth Minyan. Everyone agreed that it was one of the most enjoyable Megillah reading they have heard. Immediately following the reading, the Kol Israel Youth Committee went to Lou Grazi’s Café 16 on Avenue J to set up for the first annual Kol Israel Purim Party. Delicious sushi, wraps and snacks were prepared and games such as Wii, Purim Family Feud, knock hockey and Bananograms were set up for everyone to play and enjoy! An estimated 150 teens from the community attended and had a great time endlessly playing games with their friends. It was a great success and a perfect way to spend Purim night. On Purim morning, the same group of boys that read for the Youth Minyan did a tremendous mitzvah and went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Aboud to read the megillah for them due to Mr. Aboud’s injury and allowed them to fulfill the Mizvah of listening to the megillah. Hazakh U’Barukh to all of the boys who read the Megillah: Morris Dweck, Marc Elmann, Ariel Elmann, Aaron Silvers, Abie Silvers, Harry Greenberg, Aaron Senior, Richard Beyda, Hal Sitt, Joseph Franco and Michael Franco. Thanks to Kol Israel Youth, this Purim was both enjoyable and meaningful for the youth of our congregation. Cafe 16 Purim Party This Purim, the Kol Israel Youth Committee organized a Purim party at Café 16 on Avenue J owned by Lou Grazi. Delicious food was prepared throughout the night such as sushi, wraps, snacks and beverages for everyone to enjoy free of charge. Many exciting games were set up such as a Wii console and Purim Family Feud courtesy of the Kol Israel AV Squad, and the classic Knock Hockey. Other games such as Toleh, Bananograms, Uno and more were played continuously throughout the night. The Purim Family Feud was both entertaining and exciting and the Wii Sports left a glistening Rabbi Haber as the undefeated virtual boxing champion Albert Dweck sold split the Pot raffle tickets and the lucky winner was Kol Israel’s very own Norman Greenberg! A special visit was paid by Rabbi Harari who took a shot at the Knock Hockey set in order to reveal his true talent. Approximately one hundred fifty high school and college-age youth from the community attended and were all thrilled to have a fun and relaxing place to go to on Purim night where they can socialize, enjoy great food, and truly be Marbim Be’Simcha! Book Club 2010 Kol Israel Women Book Club continues to be a resounding success! Our women are interesting and interested in sharing thoughts regarding books about various subjects and time periods. We have examined a wide range of authors and styles. This past fall we started by tackling FOR THE RELIEF OF UNBEARABLE URGES by Nathan Englander, We had the pleasure of having Yael Harari Benson navigating us through this thought provoking collection of stories. Thanks to Lisa Oved for hosting a beautiful afternoon and serving a delicious lunch. At our next gathering Margaret Ben Hamu presented SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay. As always, her discussion was lively and informative as she took us through the plight of Jews in France during WWII. LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN by Colum McCann was the next selection in our series. Led by Deirdre Eisenstein we explored this novel, which is a group of stories centered around Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk between the twin towers in 1974. Robin Tobias was a warm and gracious hostess on a cold and snowy day. Thanks! We are looking forward to our upcoming book club scheduled for April 27th at the home of Joyce Matalon. This time we will enjoy a classic – PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen and anticipate a wonderful presentation by Esther Hidary. Please join us. Many thanks to Natalie Greenberg who always does research, reads a lot of books and puts it all together for us. We all appreciate the opportunity for some intellectual stimulation so close to home. Kol Israel "Super Monday" Bet Midrash Program Every Monday night men and woman from our community gather to the Kol Israel Annex for torah classes accompanied by snacks and followed by Arbit. There are 5 classes going on simultaneously and the buzz and spirit of the building is electrifying. There is a men's Navi class with Rabbi Harari, Halacha with Rabbi Shweky, Hazanut with our hazan Henry Woman's philosophy class with Rabbi Haber and a couple's parasha class with Rabbi Besser. On special occasions we serve dinner and have special events like Wine and Cheese during Hanukah. These classes are sponsored by members of our synagogue to uplift the memory of someone on or to honor somebody they love. It's a great night of the week, and I recommend everyone to join us and to incorporate it into their schedule.
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