At
Suburban Temple-Kol Ami, there are many opportunities for members to be involved
in worship, Jewish learning, family activities, and community volunteer
projects. Each of us can discover ways to fulfill our needs for spirituality,
ritual observance, and Jewish life through our temple.
Worship services are designed to meet the varied needs of our members. They include Friday evening services, Family services, and summertime Garden services.
Our worship services are warm and welcoming and include inspiring music, congregational singing and thoughtful teaching by Rabbi Susan Stone. We typically worship from Gates of Prayer for Shabbat and Weekdays, and look forward to sharing our joys and sorrows as a community of faith and friendship. We celebrate the Oneg Shabbat with wine (apple juice) and challah after our Kabbalat Shabbat services.
You will want to join us for the many ways we observe the Sabbath together. Our schedule varies throughout the year. Watch the temple Bulletin for the schedule for each upcoming month.
Also for families is the "Make It and Take It Shabbat" service held Saturday mornings for families with young preschool children. During this "hands-on" service, young members and their guests sing, tell stories, make crafts, and partake in a special kids’ kiddush.
"Share
and Prayer" Shabbat is a brief early-childhood Sabbath service including
a delicious potluck Sabbath dinner. Special invitations go out to our preschoolers
and their families. Grandparents and grandchildren are warmly welcome.
SUBURBAN TEMPLE - KOL AMI
SERVICE SCHEDULE
All Friday night services start at 6:00 p.m.
| Every Friday night | 6:00 p.m. | Shabbat Service |
The congregation is invited to attend the following Shabbat service(s) during which individuals will become Bar/Bat Mitzvah:
|
Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah services will be listed under upcoming events in news and announcements.
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Holiday celebrations at the temple are particularly popular. These include the annual Sukkah decorating party and dinner, the Chanukah dinner and service, Sabbath dinners, the Purim carnival, and the Israel Independence Day celebration. Lots of hands-on activities help to make these experiences fun and
memorable for our members, their children, and their grandchildren.
Milestone events play a significant role in our members' lives. Rabbi Stone's reassuring presence at these special times makes them very personal and meaningful. Ceremonies commemorating birth, Consecration, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, weddings and funerals are shared observances that bring us together, sustain us and inspire us.
Music is always an integral
part of our worship services and holiday celebrations. Accompanying the observance
of these significant events is the beautiful music of our choir. Musical experiences
vary at different services, but generally Friday services feature a soloist,
special services use a quartet, and holiday services include a vibrant octet.
Our tradition of outstanding liturgical music, performed by professional musicians
and singers, is a source of great pride for our congregation and our Music Director
Bruce Shewitz.
We also have opportunties for congregants to provide music for our public worship
services. Our Congregational Choir sings at three services from fall through
spring, enhancing such occasions as Chanukah, the annual Women's Committee service,
and Israel Independence Day. If you enjoy singing, please contact Bruce (216-991-0700,
ext. 162; bruce@suburbantemple.org)
for further information.
Our Rabbi can get to know temple members due to the size of our congregation. The door is always open to those seeking counsel, support, or spiritual guidance. For important life events, our Rabbi's relationship with our members adds the warmth and personal touch that make our congregation so unique.
Outreach programming has been an important part of Suburban Temple-Kol Ami for 25 years. Interfaith couples and their families are warmly welcomed into the temple family, beginning with Rabbinic officiation at their weddings and continuing throughout all life events.
Providing venues for study and reflection is a high priority at Suburban Temple-Kol Ami. Lifelong Learning programs include lecture series, group discussions, visiting scholars, and study with the Rabbi. From our very youngest children through our senior adults, all members have opportunities to learn about the rich heritage of the Jewish people, modern philosophical thought, and the connection between the two. Rabbi Stone is a scholar who shares her extensive knowledge, her insights, and her love of learning with everyone at Suburban Temple-Kol Ami. She is supported by visiting speakers and our own Religious School teachers, who regularly expand our learning opportunities.
Special programs provide members of all ages with
many opportunities to participate in temple life. From "Tot Shabbat"
and other preschool programs to holiday celebrations and "Vintage"
Suburban group events, our members can experience social, spiritual, and cultural
activities that are tailored to their interest.
Please mark your calendars for the following: (for all upcoming
events, 
)
Community service plays an important role in the lives of many temple members. In the longstanding tradition of Reform Judaism, our congregation is committed to the concepts of Tzedakah (deeds of righteousness) and Tikun Olam (repairing the world). Many of our members give of themselves to help others and to work toward making society a better place for all.
Our Community Service Committee dedicates itself to helping those in need by preparing and serving meals to the homeless, collecting food for the hungry, and helping in Jewish resettlement. Members also participate in programs sponsored by Interact Cleveland, an East Side Interfaith group. Our Religious School students are actively engaged throughout the year in various projects that benefit fellow Jews and the greater community around us. They learn early on that our congregation is committed to social justice.
For youths and adults of all ages, the temple offers many opportunities to volunteer in the community:
- "Schmear and Schmooze" with other temple members as they make and deliver peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches to the Salvation Army once a month.
- Contribute to a food collection or hunger drive.
Call the temple office at (216) 991-0700 for more information from the Community Service Committee.
Getting Involved In Temple Activities
Suburban Temple-Kol Ami is the focus of involvement and activism for many members. Members volunteer for various one-time activities such as decorating the sanctuary Sukkah or hosting an Oneg Shabbat. Ongoing roles include serving as a member of the Religious School Board, the Women’s Committee, or the Board of Trustees. Parents volunteer to help with Religious School projects and programs. Older members (our "Vintage" Suburban group) participate in intergenerational activities. You can help with our membership drive and fundraising efforts or, if you’re more inclined toward creativity, you can get involved in music programs or temple publications. Whether you are interested in art or music, ritual or Outreach, building and grounds or ushering, there is a place for you in our home.
Caring Community Committee: We don’t forget our own members who may be in need. The Caring Community group reaches out to members who are sick or unable to leave their homes. This group makes phone calls to offer support in times of need and joy; cooks and delivers meals; provides transportation for members unable to drive, or helps out new parents.