Page 3 - Kol Ami November 2017

Notes from Rabbi Dunsker
Ahhhh Cheshvan, the only Jewish month of the year without any Jewish holidays. It is a tremendous break after all the urry of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah. I want to especially thank all the folks who worked so hard to make those holidays so special: our ritual commi ee, our Torah and Haftarah chanters, all the folks who accepted honors, the Men’s Club, Sue M who made all of the Break-the-Fast kugel, Barb G who made the honey cake, everyone else who helped in our kitchen, our educator Amy S, and a HUGE thank you to Sam who managed to keep our holidays rolling while selling her home, moving into a new house, and preparing for her wedding. Also, I want to wish a hearty Mazel Tov to Sam
and Leo on their marriage. We are all so very happy for you!
As many of you know, every four years our high school curriculum is focused on Jewish sex ed, and that is our study topic this year. This past weekend the lesson plan already called for a discussion of healthy relationships and consent. The news leading up to that weekend was all about Harvey Weinstein, and so it was inevitable that the topic of harassment and assault would become part of our classroom conversation. I was not at all surprised at the sensitivity and thoughtfulness our students brought to this conversation, and was certainly proud of them.
Lines are sometimes blurry for people, or confusing as to what might be appropriate or not. This particular news cycle reminds us of that, but it also reminds us of the importance of standing up for each other if we hear or see something inappropriate happening or we feel that someone is being victimized. The women who came forward all spoke about the sense that everyone knew these assaults were happening and yet no one came forward to help or to stop them because of the fear of reprisals.
Right now we have this month of calm without any Jewish festivals, so what should we do with our time? Perhaps one of the ways we can make this month a Jewish one even without a special meal to plan for, is for us all to think about the ways we can be be er supporters for each other. I do not write this article because there has been a suggestion of a problem within our congregation, I want to reassure everyone of that. I write this because millions and millions of people have been the victims of harassment, and often they were encouraged to “get over it” or were told it was no big deal, rather than confront those who victimized them. I would like our congregation to be as much as possible
a place where people
come for help when the
slings and arrows of
the world have harmed
them, for our space to
be one where we stand
with each other to ensure
the safety of everyone.
Where we support victims rather than require their silence. A month without holidays can o er us a month to re ect on how we live every day as Jews and how we might in our own small ways leave our world a li le be er than we found it.
invites you to be the guest of honor at our next
Volunteer Appreciation Night
A night of thanks
WHO Anyone who has volunteered at Clark County Food Bank. Please invite your friends and family.
WHAT A family-friendly dinner, awards ceremony, and fun time.
WHEN Wednesday, November 1, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE We host this special evening inside our warehouse 6502 NE 47th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98661
Congregation Kol Ami
Page 3
WHY
This is our chance to say
“THANK YOU for all you have done!”
We hope you’ll be able to join us! Please RSVP by October 25
Email us: volunteer@clarkcountyfoodbank.com
Thanks for the donations of food
and money
During the High Holy Day food drive we collected 275 pounds of food, plus cash donations for the Clark County Food Bank and also for Mazon, the Jewish Response to Hunger. Every li le bit helps those in need. Thanks to everyone who participated in this important event.