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December 16, 2025
December 16, 2025
Hanukkah/Shabbat
Hanukkah/Shabbat
Shabbat Hanukkah!
Friday, December 19, 7:00pm
Hanukkah Shabbat Party
Sixth Night of Hanukkah
CHC Parish Hall
We’re gathering to celebrate Hanukkah on Shabbat this year! Eat, pray, light, sing, dance!
What Kol HaLev will provide:
A catered dinner
Candlelighting ceremony
A short Kabbalat Shabbat service and Hanukkah songs with Rabbi Emily, Shira, and Rabbi Steven
Light, simple dancing/movement with our own Claudia Balog, a Zumba-certified instructor
A musical concert with our talented, Peabody-trained cantorial soloist, Mara Yaffee
What you’ll bring:
Latkes - creative and unusual (sweet potato? zucchini?) or the good old-fashioned potato variety
Accompaniments - sour cream and applesauce
Your own Hanukkah menorah (If you made one at Art with a Heart, here’s an opportunity to show it off!)
To help us plan, please RSVP to judithgerb@gmail.com and tell her what you’re bringing.
All are welcome! This event is free for members. We encourage nonmembers to make an $18
donation, in advance or after Shabbat, at https://kolhalev.shulcloud.com/payment.php
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Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, December 20, 10:00am
CHC Chapel and virtual
Cantorial Soloist Mara Yaffee and Rabbi Steven will lead a musical service with Rabbi Emily.
For our Torah discussion this Shabbat, led by Jodean Marks, we focus on
The Hanukkah Story: What They Didn't Tell You in Hebrew School.
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Kiddush
Saturday, December 20, after morning services
CHC Chapel
Following morning services, preceding 'What Really Matters'
Please bring some food to share: vegetarian, dairy, or fish.
It can be as simple as a bag of popcorn or as elaborate as spanakopita. Bon Appetit!
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What Really Matters
Saturday, December 20, after Potluck
CHC Chapel
Rick Reiches will lead a discussion on the concept of envy, inspired by Adin Steinsaltz’s book, “Simple Words.”
If you have the book, you can find his thoughts on page 122. There is no prior reading
requirement to attend the Shabbat discussion on the topic.
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Hanukkah Videos
Please treat yourself to Rabbi Emily’s Hanukkah videos - 1 for each night.
This Week
This Week
Spiritual Connection Circle
with Hanukkah candle lighting for the 4th night of Hanukkah!
Wednesday, December 17, pm, 7:30pm - virtual
A chance to reflect and connect with friends in a sacred space. Need some more support?
Want closer connections with your community? Please join us in a compassionate environment for sharing and listening.
All are welcome!
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Service Leadership Workshop with Rabbi Emily
Thursday, December 18, 6:00pm - virtual
Learn how to think about our prayers more deeply. Strengthen your leadership skills. All are welcome!
Also This Week!
Also This Week!
Community Meeting
Sunday, December 21, 11:00am - virtual
This will be a general update with a discussion regarding potential new board members,
as well as the extension/renewal of Rabbi Emily's contract.
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Packing Party at KHL!!!
Sunday, December 21, 5:00pm-6:30pm
Mitzvah Month is a community-wide celebration of volunteerism, bringing
Jewish Baltimore together for hands-on acts of kindness throughout
December — with neighborhood Packing Parties and direct service opportunities
on December 24–25. Together, we’re spreading warmth and joy all month long.
We’re so excited to be hosting a Mitzvah Month Packing Party
with @Jewish Connection Network/@thejewishnetwork!
Together, we’ll assemble Winter Care Packages filled with hand-knit hats & scarves,
toiletries and more — helping neighbors who need extra support this winter.
Save the Dates!
Save the Dates!
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Board Games with KHL
Please join us for Mah Jongg along with other board games!
The first date will be Saturday, January 10, 2026 after Shabbat services.
Community News
Community News
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Beth Bugnaski, Marcie Weinstein, Laurie Rosenberg, Rita Singer and
Rabbi Jacke Schroeder for a beautiful job on participating in Encore Creativity’s Winter Chorale concert!
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A message from Alan Silver
I would like to thank everyone who took time out from their day to listen to my story.
The response was amazing and I am very appreciative.
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"My Journey" Series
Kol HaLev has launched a “My Journey” series where members are invited to tell their own personal story for the purpose of getting to know each other better and building community. Witnessing people authentically share their stories can be fascinating, inspiring and often lead to heart to heart connections. Some examples of what might be shared could be about family, career, something a person has overcome, an inspiring aspect about a person's journey, or anything else that has led to learning a life lesson. One member will tell their story each week after a potluck lunch after services.
We welcome you to participate! Contact Laurie at rosenberglaurie56@gmail.com or 301-467-5057 if you are interested.
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Food Drive
Due to increasing food insecurity, we are collecting non-perishable foods for donation. When you come to services, please
consider making it your practice to bring donations, and we will bring it to a Maryland food bank location.
Click here for a list of items that are needed most.
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Container Drive
One of our members, Jodean Marks, is contributing food to an outdoor fridge in the B'more Community Fridge Network and needs empty containers
in which to put food (e.g., containers for guacamole, hoummos, or potato salad; microwaveable takeout containers, single-serve beverage containers).
Please bring empty, rinsed containers to KHL.
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Meet with Rabbi Emily
If you'd like some time alone with the Rabbi, make an appointment here.
She is glad to meet with you whenever you need her!
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Mi Shebeirach List
In the Mi Shebeirach prayer for healing, we ask for Refuah Shlema (the renewal of body and the renewal of spirit) for ourselves and for our loved ones. We speak each name aloud during this part of our Shabbat service, and then together we sing this prayer. All names to be included on the Mi Shebeirach list need to be submitted to the KHL office no later than Wednesday, to be included in that weekend's Shabbat services. Each name submitted will continue to be included on the Mi Shebeirach list for one month.
If anyone needs to remain on the list longer than a month, their name can be resubmitted to the KHL Office. When submitting your (or your loved one's) name, please include the email address if you or they would like to be contacted by our KHL Chesed group to receive additional support. If you have any questions, please contact Shira.
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Are there any KHL Members you think should be recognized?
For their efforts with the KHL community or otherwise? Please email the KHL office!
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Social Media
We are also using Instagram and Facebook for publicizing KHL,
so we encourage people to subscribe and share!
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Stay Informed!
We have adopted text messages to provide important information about KHL and KHL events.
Add 410.346.9989 to your contact list so that you will know the text is from KHL.
You can opt out of our sms messages by replying STOP. You can also “unsubscribe” by logging into the member portal,
hovering over “My Account,” choosing “My Subscriptions,” click edit, uncheck the sms subscription, click save.
We are also using Instagram and Facebook for publicizing KHL, so we encourage people to subscribe!
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Mitzvah Cards are still available!
For any occasion, simcha, or offering of condolences, consider
purchasing a card from KHL, showcasing our beautiful Torah mantle!
Please contact Alan Silver if you would like to purchase Mitzvah Cards.
Alan can also be reached at 443-996-3445.
10 cards (with envelopes) for $36.
Or a single card for $5.
Website
Website
For more about Kol HaLev, our people, services, programs, and events,
check out the updated Kol HaLev website at www.kolhalevmd.org!
Newsletter
Newsletter
Contributing to the Newsletter: The weekly KHL newsletter goes out on Tuesdays. If you’d like to put an item in the newsletter, please clear it with Rabbi Emily and Alan Silver by noon on the previous Sunday. Suitable items include KHL activities, some CHC activities, and events of particular interest in the larger Jewish community. Please provide a complete paragraph (or several paragraphs) with all relevant information.
As a rule, the KHL newsletter does not reprint content from other sources, whether print or digital. A summary and a link to the content may be provided instead. If you have material that you think is vitally important to reprint in the KHL newsletter, please provide proof of permission from the author(s) and publisher. The relevant information on copyright law is available here.
Rabbi Emily Stern: 516-835-9995, rabbi@kolhalevmd.org
Co-President Alan Silver: 443-996-3445, president@kolhalevmd.org
Co-President Judy Gerb: judithgerb@gmail.com
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