Dear Friends:
As a reminder, we will begin having hybrid Shabbat morning services this coming weekend. It would be very much appreciated if we can get an in-person minyan of ten adult Jews so that we can hold the Torah service. For reasons of security as well as contact tracing, we ask that you sign up in advance to attend the service. The signup sheet is available here.
Our congregant Joel Wasserman, son of Robert and Lori, has been living and working in Ukraine for the last four years or so. We’re incredibly proud of his work which is motivated by the principles of tikkun olam which he learned here at Kehilat Shalom. Joel has become something of a go-to for the international media covering Ukraine as an American who is familiar with the country and speaks both Ukrainian and Russian. Yesterday afternoon Joel was interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN and his interview may be viewed here. An interview he did the previous day on NBC can be viewed here. His own account of the last few days which was published in the Washington Diplomat can be read here.
Today at 1 pm the Jewish Theological Seminary will be presenting a webinar on the current crisis featuring Dr. David Fishman, an expert on Ukrainian Jewry who directs JTS’ joint program with National University Kyiv, and fifth year JTS student Alisa Zilbershtein who lives in Kyiv. You can register for this program here.
As a reminder, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has established a Ukraine Emergency Fund to meet emergency humanitarian needs. You can find out more and donate here.
The Masorti Movement, which unites Conservative Jewish communities throughout the world, has been very active in Ukraine for quite some time. A prayer for peace in Ukraine is available here in both Hebrew and English.
As always, if I can do anything for you or you need to talk, please contact me at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org or 301-977-0768 rather than through the synagogue office. Although I am working primarily from home, I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Charles L. Arian