Dear Friends:
Tomorrow afternoon from 4 to 5 we will be hosting a viewing of the art exhibition “Wrapping Memory” and an ice cream social. The exhibition features illustrations of what the kibbutzim and towns in what is known as עוטף עזה, the “Gaza Envelope,” looked like before the terrorist massacres of October 7. It was created by graduates and senior students of the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem to commemorate the beauty of the area and raise money for rebuilding the kibbutzim and assisting the many residents of the area who are still internally displaced and would like to eventually be able to come home.
(Incidentally I should mention that my cousin Mattan Klein, who is one of Israel’s top jazz musicians, has also been doing concerts to raise money to help displaced inhabitants of the “Gaza Envelope.”)
I’m somewhat familiar with this area because during my junior year of college, which I spent at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I volunteered between semesters on Kibbutz Gevim, one of the kibbutzim in the area. I am still occasionally in touch with some of the members there. Gevim was fortunate not to suffer the heavy losses that many of its neighboring kibbutzim suffered because its volunteer security team successfully fought off the Hamas terrorists who came to the kibbutz before they were able to get through the kibbutz gate.
Please come and support our brothers and sisters in עוטף עזה.
As a reminder, I am having drop-in hours on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 4 at the shul. For my drop-in hours, you do not need to make an appointment -- that would negate the whole point of drop-in hours -- but I’d urge you to check and make sure I am there regardless as sometimes there are unavoidable pastoral or other emergencies which might take me away from the building.
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. I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment; if you want to speak with me it’s best to make an appointment rather than assuming I will be there when you stop by.
Additionally, if you know of a Kehilat Shalom congregant or another member of our Jewish community who could use a phone call, please let me know.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Charles L. Arian
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