We collected several hundred pounds of food for the JFS Food Bank during our Yom Kippur food drive. This has all been delivered to their facilty in Seattle and was gratefully accepted by them. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed.

Remember that the Mazon site is still open for donations to sustain their global efforts in the fight against hunger and poverty. See link below.

Kol Ami and the entire Jewish community have traditionally responded on Yom Kippur to the words of Isaiah - "Is this not the fast I have chosen...to share your bread with the hungry?" Shamefully, the state of Washington is ranked second in the nation (2002 statistics) for actual hunger and tenth for food insecurity - the risk of losing access to sufficient nutritious food. You can help reduce the pain of this injustice that affects many thousands of our fellow human beings.

This year we are participating in Mazon's "The Corners of Our Fields" appeal. This appeal collects food for local organizations and dollars for Mazon. Both are vitally important efforts and we urgently ask for your support. Money donations will be used by Mazon in their advocacy, emergency food assistance, food bank and other programs. Your food contributions will be distributed by the Jewish Family Service (JFS) of the Greater Puget Sound Region to local needy people.

Non perishable food items for JFS and envelopes for donation to Mazon will be available at Yom Kippur services. Please respond generously.

During Yom Kippur afternoon's study session with Rabbi David Fine, we created a set of "Six Word Memoirs".  See the description of the original work that inspired this activity at the Smith Magazine site.

Here are Congregation Kol Ami's "Six Word Memoirs."

"Forty is not so bad. Phew!"

"Dare to change and remain constant"

"Talk less - listen more - love forever"

"Felt darkness turning to the light"

"Good wife, good kids, good life"

"But life gets better after sixty"

"Nebraska, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Washington, home"

"My silence is louder than words"

"Fingers and potatoes grated for kugel"

"Yom Kippur, soul food despite fasting"

"Family, friends, community; it gets better"

"Family, friends, loving, traveling, hiking, boating"

"Grace lost, found; finding deeper meaning"

"Live, learn, ride, grow, teach, enjoy"

"Found my soulmate; made our home"

"Sometimes joy, sometimes pain, always good"

"Once upon a time is now"

"Two careers, two children, one wife"

"Rise toward the light. Breathe deep"

"Keep a rabbi as a friend"

"We're ancestors of our Jewish future"

"Relationships first, then eat, play, dance"

"Go forward with intention, not reaction"