Dear Members and Supporters,

Am Kolel's June Appeal is one of two annual appeals that we send out to you, our members and friends. We are a small community with a large agenda and dues alone only cover 15% of our costs. Your generosity in June and December help significantly in covering our operating costs.

Click here to review our new Annual Report. I think you will be impressed.

This past year has been a full year with many personal and societal issues that needed attention. Our approach to Jewish life and renewal, the programs that we do and our sustained commitment to tikkun olam (healing the world) are widely appreciated. 

Sanctuary Retreat Center, now into our 4th year, continues to be a gem in our collective yamulke!  For hundreds of people, Jews and non-Jews, it is a haven of renewal. We continue to beautify the grounds and care for the aging buildings. People from all over come to walk our Shechinah Labyrinth and reflect in our Rosen Ruach Garden of Sefirot. Nonetheless, Sanctuary is in the red. Keeping it up is costly.

This past May we celebrated our 20th Anniversary with a dinner and concert. Sadly, we also announced the death of Sue Roemer, a dear Am Kolel friend and my partner in music for more than 30 years. It was the Tribute Concert that we organized for her in November which created the Sue Roemer Endowment Fund for the Jewish Folk Arts Festival. Recently, we contracted with the JCC of Rockville to hold the Festival there on November 21!

Am Kolel is largely about meeting unmet spiritual needs and providing a user friendly and personalized Judaism. Hundred of individuals and families have benefited from the life cycle services that we offer. Many of you are among the individuals and families that we have served in this way. No other institution in the Washington, D.C. area is as inclusive as we are and so responsive. The mitzvah guiding us and mentioned some 36 times in the Torah is the mitzvah "welcoming" others into the community.

This June Appeal is very important to our viability. Click here to print donation form.

We invite you to give as generously as you can. If you know of others who would be interested in both the Am Kolel Havurah (community) and in Am Kolel's programs please let us know so we can send them information. We welcome your ideas and participation.

It has been a great honor to serve you and I look forward to building an even stronger foundation for all of us in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Rabbi (Reb) David Shneyer