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Casting off the Sins of Zionism

The Chavurah honored Palestinians who are denied access to the sea, whose cisterns are drying up because they are denied access to the water beneath their feet…

Six smiling people, wearing casual clothes with some in sunglasses, sit around a table

Ritual Offerings from the Chevra Kadisha

I have sat shmirah both in the company of a deceased person and virtually (miles away from their physical body). I experience a quieting, a communion, and a sense of lineage…

Three overlapping circles in a triangle formation: a green circle on the top left with a white crescent moon and star inside, a purple circle on the top right with a white cross inside, and a blue circle beneath them with a white Star of David in it.

The Scoop for Autumn 5784

One of the advisors for this publication, Julie Litwin, is now also the CC Events Editor, compiling event info and committee updates…

Committee Connection logo (left) with a wintry mountain scape and blue sky (right)

August 24, 2023 • 7 Elul 5783

We are giving Hillary, our Editor-in-Chief, a break for this issue, so you’re hearing from me instead! I want to share a bit about my role as Managing Editor, and some of the things you can expect to hear from me should you decide to contribute…

Women with long black hair, glasses, and a black shirt reunited with her daughter who has a pink shirt at airport baggage claim

Rollercoaster of Reunification

This happy photo shows mother and child reunited at JFK International Airport in New York, after many years apart. Daughter Michelle was last in school in Venezuela in early 2022…

A group of 13 people around 1 person cutting a cake

New Feature: The Scoop

In addition to providing coverage on Kehilla’s member-led teams and one-by-one introductions to member leaders, Committee Connection now also aims to be a place to get quick updates…

13 masked people and one person standing in the back sitting in chairs in front of green trees, with a music stand, microphone on a stand, and an amplifier on a table in front of them.

Many Teams to Join at Kehilla

The second annual “playshop,” titled “Many Ways to Get Involved in Kehilla,” was led by the Committee Leaders group at the annual community retreat on July 8 at Lake Temescal. 

Committee Connection logo (left) with a sunset (right)

June 22, 2023 • 3 Tamuz 5783

… Also, I have much more patience now than I did at 20, and I want to ask for your patience too. When asking for things from us news editors, keep in mind that Committee Connection itself is a Kehilla committee and does not have paid staff. We’re only two people keeping it going…

Chesed Lessons from my Broken Arm

Several months ago while playing pickleball, I fell, breaking my wrist, requiring surgery, and, as challenges have the potential to do, it allowed me to open the door to some very profound life learnings…

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April 27, 2023 • 6 Iyar 5783

… It doesn’t matter if you’re not a member of a Kehilla member-led team. … You might know someone who is active and would like you to interview them—or maybe you do a lot of member-led volunteering and could ask another Kehillan to interview you, so that all you have to do is talk. Or maybe you have great photos of a committee event or …

a yellow hardcover book, They May Not Mean To, But They Do by Cathleen Schine, lying on a granate-like surface

Book Group a Great Way to Connect

Back in 2008, Joseph and Rita Sklar, along with Jay and Ruth Koch, were looking for ways to connect with other Kehilla members. The organizers landed on the idea of a book group and picked a book that Ruth suggested …

A black person in headscarf, sunglasses, black T-shirt, blue pants and black boots walks as she talks into a megaphone in front of a chain link fence with a sign that reads, Alameda County Jail, No Trespassing

Making Noise Together at the County Jail

At this time last year, I didn’t expect to find myself banging on a pizza pan outside Santa Rita, Alameda County’s jail. It had been a long time since I had been active politically. …

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February 23, 2023 • 2 Adar 5783

As a kid, I watched the TV news with my mom nightly as she made dinner, and I remember seeing late 1970s network news coverage on Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Organization and hearing the word “terrorist” for the first time. …