Kehilat Sukkat Shalom

Join us for the Sweet as Honey festival for Rosh Hashanah fun. We will help tear down the event afterward.

Registration for Teva Travelers is open! Register your kiddos for a year of Jewish learning and fun with the KSS community below.

Teva Travelers 2024/2025 Welcome! B’ruchim Haba’im Kehillat Sukkat Shalom, a progressive Jewish community celebrating our 19th year serving central Ohio, welcomes children ages 5 and up, and their families, to join Teva Travelers, our Family Education Program. We hope your summer has been rich with active learning and e...

Sukkat Shalom hosts fourth High Holidays spiritual leader Kehilat Sukkat Shalom will host Ev Evnen, a cantorial intern from ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, as its spiritual leader for the upcoming High Holidays.

The Tisha B’Av fast lasts about 25 hours, beginning just before sunset and lasting until the evening of the following day. Learn more about it here.

Tisha B'Av unpacked “My eyes are spent with tears, my heart burns, my being melts away over the ruin of my poor people.” These words from Eicha (the Book of Lamentations) are

Happy Friday! 🌟 Shabbat Shalom, everyone!

Time to unwind, relax, and enjoy the weekend with loved ones. Wishing you all a peaceful and joyful Shabbat! 🕯️✨

We hope to see you for Torah Study tomorrow as well.

📚✨ Book Club Alert! ✨📚

In 2 weeks, we're diving into "The Jew in the Lotus" and we want YOU to join the discussion! 🗣️📖

We’ll meet on Zoom, so DM us for the link. Can't wait to chat with you all!

Join our community in exploring the wisdom, history, and inspiration of the Torah. Let's learn, discuss, and grow together! 🌟

All are welcome to Torah Study with Cheryl this Saturday at 3pm.

🌟 Shabbat Shalom! 🌟

Join us for a beautiful evening of reflection and community at our Shabbat services led by Cheryl tonight. We can't wait to welcome you!

Questions? Send us a DM!

At Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed ( FLOW) our mission is to keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy, through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers.

With fall approaching, it presents an excellent opportunity for us to consider planting native trees. Native trees offer numerous benefits such as enhancing property value, providing shade, improving air quality, and supporting local wildlife. They are also well-suited to our climate and soil conditions, requiring less maintenance once established. Native trees can significantly enhance the aesthetic appeal of your properties and create a more inviting atmosphere for tenants and visitors alike.

Additionally, planting trees is extremely important because it will help increase the tree canopy across Columbus. Columbus is the most rapidly growing urban heat island in the country and we want to ensure all areas of the watershed are offered equal protection from the environmental effects. Tree equity is one of our main priorities and we are working to improve the environment in all communities within the watershed.

FLOW is offering FREE native trees and would love for you to participate in this giveaway. We have many different species and can help match you with one that is best for your space. If you would like to explore this opportunity further, please fill out the "Individual Tree Interest" form in our bio. Also, we are interested in working with local schools, churches, businesses, etc. If this is of interest to you please fill out the "Tree Giveaway Interest Form" (also in bio). Additionally, if you think a school in your district would benefit, please help us advocate for the tree planting! More information can be found on our website, olentangywatershed.org.

Additionally, you can email [email protected] with any questions.

🌏✨ Happy International Day of Friendship! ✨🌏

Today, we celebrate the bonds that unite us all. In the Jewish tradition, friendship is cherished as a source of strength, joy, and support. Let's take a moment to appreciate the friends who enrich our lives and make our world brighter.

As it says in Pirkei Avot, "Acquire for yourself a friend." Let's honor this wisdom by spreading love, kindness, and understanding across all communities. 🌟✡️

Tag a friend who means the world to you and share the love! 💬🌿

See you soon for Tot Shabbat at 9:30am! ☀️

🏅✨ Join us in cheering on Jewish athletes at the Olympics! Let's celebrate their incredible talent, dedication, and the pride they bring to our community. 🌍✡️

Jewish athletes to watch in the 2024 Paris Olympics (JTA) There are veterans like an Australian gold medalist canoe paddler and Israel’s powerhouse judo team. There are newcomers, like the youngest American female wrestler ever and Israel’s soccer t…

Free event hosted by our partners at Judaism ✨

Register for the virtual event on August 13th by clicking the link.

https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/event/responding-to-instability-viewing-our-

Responding to Instability: Viewing our Democracy Through the Lens of 9 Av - Reconstructing Judaism In this session, we will reflect on how the observance of Tisha B'Av might guide us in responding to the instability in our democracy. What might our tradition’s stories of resistance, destruction and survival teach us about how to respond to the current crisis? How could the practice of mourning ...

🎉 New Tot Shabbat Service! 🎉

Starting this Saturday at 9:30 AM, bring your little ones (ages 0-6) for a morning of fun, prayer, and singing!

Play, pray, and sing your hearts out—it's going to be a fantastic time for the whole family. Can't wait to see you there! 🌟👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🍦✨ Happy National Ice Cream Day! ✨🍦

Judaism teaches us to savor the sweetness in life, and what better way to do that than with some delicious ice cream? Whether it's a classic flavor or something new, let's celebrate together and enjoy a treat today!

What's your favorite flavor? Share with us in the comments! 🍨🍒

🌟 Join Us for Shabbat Morning! 🌟

Kick off your third Shabbat morning each month with KSS! ☀️✨

Experience the warmth and joy of Avodat Lev/Morning Blessings with our amazing leaders.

Come for the spirituality, stay for the community. Can't wait to see you there! ✨🙏

Shabbat Shalom! We will see you tomorrow for Avodat Lev with Joanie at 9:30am.

📱 Happy World Emoji Day! 📱

Hey everyone, we want to know: what's your favorite Jewish emoji? 🤔

Is it the menorah 🕎, the Star of David ✡️, or maybe the hamsa? 🪬

Drop your fave in the comments and let's see which one wins!👇

New on the Blog!

📚✨ Jodi just dropped an amazing opinion piece on our latest Book Club read, The Jew in the Lotus! Dive in and get ready to be inspired. We can't wait to hear your thoughts and see you at our Book Club meeting on August 22nd! 📅

👉 Check out the KSS calendar for all the details. Happy reading! 📖💬

The Jew in the Lotus @ 30 Years: KSS Book Club August Selection – Kehilat Sukkat Shalom The Jew in the Lotus @ 30 Years: KSS Book Club August Selection Posted on July 13, 2024 by Jodi Kushins (Photo of the author’s well-loved copy of the book The Jew in the Lotus by Roger Kamenetz’s with cover tattered and torn.) In 1994 I was a sophomore at a liberal arts college happily exploring...

See you for Torah Study!

Join us to discuss the parsha of the week, Chukat, which includes the deaths of Miriam & Aaron and the ritual of the red heifer, Num. 19:1 – 22:1. We bring a variety of translations and commentaries, which leads to a rich discussion with multiple interpretations of the text. Everyone is welcome.

Shabbat Shalom!

Our July newsletter is full of summer fun. Check it out!

https://mailchi.mp/88a4ed8cf38f/look-ahead-5688249

Tot Shabbat has a new service and day with all the same fun you're already used to. This service is perfect for families with children ages 0-6 and we hope to see you there at 9:30am on July 27th.

Shabbat Shalom, KSS friends! We have service tonight led by Mollie. See you later!

An sobering offering for Independence Day from R’ Yael Levy.

July 4th Rage and Righteousness

Dear Friends,

There have been years I have put up an American flag on July 4th. I have raised the flag to celebrate all that I love about this country and call forth all I long it to be. And I have raised the flag in protest, as a way to say that the laws and actions of the government do not represent my values and ideals and this is my country, too.

I did not put up the flag this year. When I look at it all I can see is the continued assault on our rights, dignity and democracy.

I don’t know what to do with the anguish, anger and despair I feel about all that is going on in our country. It is difficult for me to even have a conversation about it without getting caught in a raging tirade that fuels a self-righteous hatred that leaves me feeling sickened and in deeper despair

This week’s Torah portion, Korach, talks about rebellion and leadership, asking us to be aware of the intentions behind our words and actions.

It cautions us about self-righteousness and the hatred, division and damage it can cause.

The portion doesn’t provide answers for what to do about the injustices that tear at our souls, but it does remind us that we won’t figure it out alone.

Seek guidance and support from each other, it urges.
Ask for help from the Source of Life that flows through all.
Listen and follow the truths the earth is telling.
Commit to practices that help you see beyond righteousness and rage to discover how to best engage in effective action and speech.

On this 4th of July, 2024, I pray in the words of the Children of Korach who learned humility and harmony from deep within the earth:

May love and truth meet.
May peace and justice embrace.
May truth sprout from the earth,
And may justice be seen from the heavens.
Psalm 85:11-12

Please show us the way to help make this so.

Love and Blessings to all,
Shalom,
Rabbi Yael

http://awayin.org

Join us as we dive into the wisdom of the Torah together. Whether you're a seasoned scholar or just starting out, there's a place for you in our community. Let's explore, learn, and grow in our understanding of Judaism. Looking forward to meaningful discussions and insights with you all!

📅 When: July 13th @ 3pm
📍 Where: Contact KSS for location

See you there! 📖✨

Shabbat Shalom! We hope to see you next week for Friday service with Mollie as our leader.

Our partners Hadar's Rising Song Institute have a summer full of fun events across the country. Click the link to see more.

https://www.risingsong.org/events

TONIGHT @ 7pm EDT! Free event hosted by Reconstructing Judaism: Climate Emotions and the Wisdom Our Bodies Carry.

In this trauma-informed workshop, led by climate change chaplain Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner, we will cast a gentle light on our climate emotions, and deepen our awareness of how they show up in our hearts and bodies. Learn how our reactions to climate change may be shaped by our ancestors’ experiences, and how we can expand our capacity for ease, connection, and action in this moment. Sign up using the link below.

https://ritualwell.org/event/climate-emotions-and-the-wisdom-our-bodies-carry/

Hey central Ohio folks - it's my periodic ask for unwanted keyboards and guitars to share with my folks who were previously unhoused and are looking forward to learning and playing some music! PM me if you have an instrument that I could pick up from you!