Community Building & Torah Engagement

This past year marks yet another year of record engagement for KJ Sephardic, with over 110 families participating in the High Holiday campaigns. The year began with a pre-High Holiday Women’s class focusing on the Unique Prayers of Rosh Hashanah. We were delighted to hold our High Holiday services back in our home in the Rohr Chapel. The room was at capacity, and the energy of joint singing created reverberations that were incredibly moving. Then, the community entered Simhat Torah with great joy, having just completed the reading of Sefer Debarim on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah with a round-robin of about twenty people. With all the energy of the holidays, KJ Sephardic hiked Storm King Mountain, a challenging hike that created stronger bonds among members.

With many young families joining the KJ Sephardic community over the past two years, we organized a weekend where some longtime members hosted these newer families. Thirty community members connected through a culinary evening where we learned how to make ‘Syrian String Cheese’ organized in partnership with The KJ Sisterhood. Then, for the Thanksgiving holiday, in collaboration with the Ramaz Parent Council, we got together to show gratitude to our Fire and Police officers by bringing them warm meals and hand drawn cards with words of appreciation from our children.

Outdoor adventures continued with our Annual KJ Family Ski trip which included sixty people for a day of crisp mountain air, powder snow, and good company. An exciting new addition to our calendar, our new Friday night dinner, was sold out with nearly two-hundred people in attendance. Children were seated by age group, with older kids enjoying checkers and card games followed by open gym; adults were seated with friends and fresh faces to build new relationships; and young children sat at low tables with toys, followed by a magic show.

Our Sephardic youth programming is thriving, with an enrollment of ten to twelve kids in the Sunday Youth Tefillah class with Charles Zami. These kids are preparing to participate in the KJ Sephardic main minyan by reciting pesuke deZimra, Az Yashir, and Shema.

Torah learning continues to be a focus for KJ Sephardic’s Daily Minyan. The minyan is currently in the 176th section of Shulkhan Arukh Orekh Haim. These classes have helped to forge connections and solidify a culture of learning Torah amongst members.