Kol Ami Connects Us to Greater Community: 3 interfaith events in 3 days

On Wednesday morning, April 2nd, Lauren Simonds, our synagogue administrator, went to Kirkland’s Faith Community Convening on Homelessness. A new low-income housing project is opening in the old La Quinta, and Kol Ami has a chance to help support our homeless neighbors and welcome them to our neighborhood. We were the only Jewish group there.

You have an opportunity to get involved! Reach out.

On Thursday evening, Linda Bookey and I went to a special event at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland for The Potluck Project, a program of Paths to Understanding. The Potluck Project wants to bring us all together as neighbors from different backgrounds. They want to do this by:

• Using Potluck as a metaphor: Everyone brings something to the table—stories, culture, food, or experiences. We all contribute to the community’s well-being.

• Focusing on hope and healing: They want to create safe and inclusive spaces where people can gather, share, and rebuild hope in the face of challenges (personal, societal, or spiritual).

• Storytelling and sharing: They encourage participants to share personal stories, recipes, memories, or traditions that show resilience and identity.

• Intergenerational and intercultural: They want to bridge gaps between ages, backgrounds, and experiences by bringing diverse voices together around shared meals and conversations.

Why? Well, they want to make our community a more welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.

"A whopping 70% of Americans are feeling anxious about the deep divisions in our country. And guess what? More and more people from all walks of life are supporting or even willing to engage in political violence. Some public leaders are even encouraging it! But here’s the thing: many of us in our community want to do something about it, but we don’t know where to start.

That’s where wisdom communities like churches, mosques, and temples, as well as other community groups, come in. They can make a real difference by inviting neighbors to a Potluck. When people from different cultures, traditions, and identities come together in public, it’s like a big breath of fresh air for the whole community. They start to feel a sense of hope that we’re not as divided as we thought and that we can actually relate to each other as human beings."

From PathstoUnderstanding.org

Paths to Understanding is an organization inspired by the incredible interfaith friendship between Rabbi Raphael Levine and Catholic priest Father William Treacy, which started back in the 1960s.

You can get involved! We want to host one of these potlucks. Who is in?

On Friday, April 4th, I joined a gathering at the Bahai Center in Bellevue with another Eastside that is currently re-booting (l to discuss our focus for 2025 and how we can support and uplift the vulnerable in our society. This is an action-oriented group that aims to bring people together to address important social concerns on the Eastside.

Who is interested? Who is in?

In just three days, we’ve had three interfaith engagements. We may be small, but we’re mighty! We’re creating networks of relationships for Kol Ami.

This is what the Jewish community does. We nurture and support our own, both inside and outside our community. We’re most powerful and secure when our internal and external bonds are strong. And we give back to American society as much as we’ve received as Jews.

If you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out to me at Rabbikinberg@gmail.com.

Many blessings! May your lives be filled with mitzvot and joy!

Rabbi Kinberg