Dear Kol HaLev,
What a High Holy Day season!
As we emerge from these weeks of holidays, I am filled with so much gratitude for the prayer, music, laughter, dancing, vulnerability, conversations, and most of all, for all of you who showed up and made these days what they were.
There was something so alive about this season.
We began with Elul with choir practices and spiritual preparation! And on Rosh Hashanah, we welcomed a new year! We prayed big prayers! We sang a lot!
And on the second day, we kept the celebration going with Shofar Sundae because awakening the soul is even better with ice cream.
Then came Yom Kippur. Together we entered the quiet and truest places within. We asked for and granted forgiveness. We remembered. And after a very full day we finally filled our bellies at the break fast.
And then Judaism, in its wisdom, told us: Go outside. Build a sukkah.
So we built and decorated! And entered Sukkot, spending time together, again, singing, singing, with more singing, welcoming guests and teachers, playing games, and learning.
And finally,
We took the Torah into our arms and danced our way through the seven circles of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life on Simchat Torah with the soulful beats of our DJ!
And then suddenly, after all those weeks of preparation and celebration, the holidays are over.
What remains with me is not any single service or program. It is the feeling of being a community together.
To everyone who attended, whether you came to everything, came to one thing, joined us online, sang loudly, sat quietly, danced wildly, brought your children, volunteered, greeted someone new, helped set up a room, held the Torah, brought food, made music, or simply walked through the door, thank you. You made these holidays.
And to those who weren’t able to be with us this year, you are part of this community too. We missed you, and I hope some of the joy and energy of these weeks reaches you even through this letter. There are so many opportunities to pray, learn, celebrate, sing, question, connect, and simply be together in the year ahead!
May we carry our music with us.
May we live our prayers.
May we keep growing our laughter.
May build within each other the courage to begin again.
May this be a year of tremendous love, connection, life, and joy for our Kol HaLev family.
With so much gratitude and love,
Rabbi Emily
KABBALAT SHABBAT RETURNS AGAIN!
Friday, October 9, 2026, 7:00pm
CHC Chapel
and
Rabbi Emily and Shira are back with a very special and musical service to welcome in Shabbat!
______________
Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 10:00am
CHC Chapel
and
Join Rabbi Emily, Cantorial Soloist Mara Yaffee, and KHL musicians in a special Shabbat for Parshat Bereishit, the first portion in this years’ Torah Cycle! We will sing, learn, and celebrate!
______________
Kol HaLev Story Circle
Saturday, October 10, after Morning Services and Potluck Lunch
Month: Cheshvan – Living Without the Holidays
Theme: Ordinary Holiness
Core Question: Where do I find meaning when nothing special is happening?
Prompts:
*A quiet practice that grounds you
* How you handle spiritual “dry” spells
* A mundane moment that turned sacred
Stories are at the heart of Jewish life — from Torah and folklore to the personal journeys that shape us and our community today. The Kol HaLev Story Circle is a monthly gathering that takes place on Rosh Chodesh, which is the beginning of a new month in the Hebrew calendar. Members and guests share meaningful stories from their own life experiences that are inspired by a theme that relates to the particular month.
Expect a lot of connection, laughter, reflection, and community! Come to listen or come to share. No prior notice necessary – just come ready with a 3-5 minute story. All are welcome!
For more information, please contact Laurie.
Spiritual Connection Circle
Cancelled this week.
______________
Service Leadership Workshop
Thursday, October 8, 6:00pm
Learn how to think about our prayers more deeply. Strengthen your leadership skills. All are welcome!
The prayer leadership group leads services on the first Friday of every month!
_____________
Torah study with Alan Silver & Reb Tova
Thursday, October 8, 7:30pm-8:00pm
Join Alan and Reb Tova for virtual Torah Study! We will be studying Pirkei Avot.
______________
Project Support: Body Doubling!
With Betsy Wexler
Friday, October 9, 11:00am-1:00pm
I, Betsy, have some stories to write. If you too have projects that want to get done but need support – like a physical person on zoom with you- to get going, join me at any part of Fridays, 11am-1pm. We will use this zoom room.
This is also known as body doubling: a productivity strategy where you do a task alongside another person. This person does not need to help you or do the same chore; their quiet presence simply helps you focus, start difficult tasks, and finish work.
______________
KHL Board Meeting
Sunday, October 11, 10:00am
All are Welcome!
______________
Knitting Group
Sunday, October 11, 2:00pm
CHC Library
Calling all knitters and wannabee knitters. KHL and the Jewish Connection Network are joining forces to provide hats and scarves to those in need in the Towson, Timonium, Baltimore areas. We will come together, knit (or crochet) hats and scarves. We will be meeting on the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 2:00 in the library. If you have yarn that needs using, please bring it and size 8 knitting needles or F crochet hooks. Patterns will be provided for both knitting and crocheting. If you have lots of “stash” yarn and are willing to donate it, please bring it with you. We will be using worsted weight #4 for these projects. We’re looking forward to spending time with you as we provide needed warmth to those in need. If you need more information, please email Judy Gerb.
SPECIAL SPEAKER: Duncan Miller
Saturday, October 17, after Morning Services and Potluck Lunch
“The Duncan Miller Conversion to Judaism Story”
Come hear Duncan Miller, the head of security at a Jewish day school in Washington DC, tell his riveting story of
why he recently converted to Judaism after October 7th.
He has requested that if possible, please read his article ahead of time in the publication “moment” entitled “We Are Not Meant to Separate Ourselves from Our Community”, at this link. Knowing that you’ve read the article, he can focus his talk on some of the deeper themes, backstory, and context. There will be time for questions and answers after the talk.
For this event on October 17th, we will follow the same Shabbat Sandwich format, where we will have a potluck lunch after services and then hear Duncan’s story. Duncan will be joining us for services and lunch!
Kol HaLev loves storytelling and this promises to be quite a thought-provoking experience!
Please RSVP to Judy.
We may have several guests for this event so let’s have a nice potluck lunch!
Please register HERE so our lunch will be coordinated. Thank you!
______________
Jello Jubilee
Saturday, October 25, 5:00pm
Do you enjoy memory lane, revisiting ourselves as youths? Are you nostalgic for your favorite smells from your childhood kitchen? Do you particularly yearn for the JELLO MOLDS that made life special???
The JELLO JUBILEE may be just the thing for you! This is a potluck dinner, scheduled for Sunday, October 25 at 5:00pm. You are invited to bring your favorite kosher jello mold (Gefen, Liebers, Simply Delish, Bakol brands), maybe one from long ago, or a more current one. Use Sign Up Genius to indicate what you would like to bring, jello (preferred) and/or other dairy or pareve dish.
We will gather at the home of Marcie Weinstein, in Towson. Address info will be provided with confirmation of attendance.
The JELLO JUBILEE is the brainchild of Kol HaLev’s choir, and we hope to see you there!
October Yahrzeits
We remember an additional loved one whose yahrzeit occurs in October:
Jim Blackwell, father of Mark Blackwell
_______________
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!
_______________
Are there any KHL Members you think should be recognized?
For their efforts with the KHL community or otherwise? Please email the KHL office!
_______________
Carpooling
If you would be able to consider bringing another member who needs a car ride to shul or events, or are in need of a carpool ride, please Contact Amy.
Candyman & the Baltimore Show
with David Rosenberg, Kol HaLev member as the Candyman!
Saturday, October 17, 8:00pm-11:00pm
Koopers North, 12240 Tullamore Rd Timonium, MD
Free, no cover charge, great food, tasty brews and blues, room to dance!
The Chesed Network provides an opportunity to show kindness and compassion to those
Kol HaLev members in need of support by offering caring, connection, and help.
Please email Shira or Laurie if you have a need the Chesed Network can help with or you would like to join this special group of volunteers by getting on the chesed mailing list.
Keep in Touch and 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!
For more about Kol HaLev, our people, services, programs, and events,
check out the Kol HaLev website at www.kolhalevmd.org!
HONORING FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH MITZVAH CARDS
Now you can use Kol HaLev’s beautiful Mitzvah cards to celebrate a friend or family member’s joyous occasion or to offer condolences on the loss of a loved one.
Just give a donation of $18 (or more) to Kol HaLev
through our website, and notify Linda Barton.
She will send out a Mitzvah card on your behalf.
Mitzvah cards can also be bought for $36 per pack of 10 at
Kol HaLev events that do not fall on a Shabbat or Yom Tov.
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.
The deadline for all newsletter submissions is Sunday at noon and must have prior approval from Rabbi Emily. Thank you for your cooperation.
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 Judy Gerb 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.
Please let us know when you will be coming to services this high holiday season with this link below. We are looking forward to seeing you and being together. Bring your friends! There are no tickets or fee to attend – just registration.
Dear Kol HaLev,
What a High Holy Day season!
As we emerge from these weeks of holidays, I am filled with so much gratitude for the prayer, music, laughter, dancing, vulnerability, conversations, and most of all, for all of you who showed up and made these days what they were.
There was something so alive about this season.
We began with Elul with choir practices and spiritual preparation! And on Rosh Hashanah, we welcomed a new year! We prayed big prayers! We sang a lot!
And on the second day, we kept the celebration going with Shofar Sundae because awakening the soul is even better with ice cream.
Then came Yom Kippur. Together we entered the quiet and truest places within. We asked for and granted forgiveness. We remembered. And after a very full day we finally filled our bellies at the break fast.
And then Judaism, in its wisdom, told us: Go outside. Build a sukkah.
So we built and decorated! And entered Sukkot, spending time together, again, singing, singing, with more singing, welcoming guests and teachers, playing games, and learning.
And finally,
We took the Torah into our arms and danced our way through the seven circles of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life on Simchat Torah with the soulful beats of our DJ!
And then suddenly, after all those weeks of preparation and celebration, the holidays are over.
What remains with me is not any single service or program. It is the feeling of being a community together.
To everyone who attended, whether you came to everything, came to one thing, joined us online, sang loudly, sat quietly, danced wildly, brought your children, volunteered, greeted someone new, helped set up a room, held the Torah, brought food, made music, or simply walked through the door, thank you. You made these holidays.
And to those who weren’t able to be with us this year, you are part of this community too. We missed you, and I hope some of the joy and energy of these weeks reaches you even through this letter. There are so many opportunities to pray, learn, celebrate, sing, question, connect, and simply be together in the year ahead!
May we carry our music with us.
May we live our prayers.
May we keep growing our laughter.
May build within each other the courage to begin again.
May this be a year of tremendous love, connection, life, and joy for our Kol HaLev family.
With so much gratitude and love,
Rabbi Emily
KABBALAT SHABBAT RETURNS AGAIN!
Friday, October 9, 2026, 7:00pm
CHC Chapel
and
Rabbi Emily and Shira are back with a very special and musical service to welcome in Shabbat!
______________
Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 10:00am
CHC Chapel
and
Join Rabbi Emily, Cantorial Soloist Mara Yaffee, and KHL musicians in a special Shabbat for Parshat Bereishit, the first portion in this years’ Torah Cycle! We will sing, learn, and celebrate!
______________
Kol HaLev Story Circle
Saturday, October 10, after Morning Services and Potluck Lunch
Month: Cheshvan – Living Without the Holidays
Theme: Ordinary Holiness
Core Question: Where do I find meaning when nothing special is happening?
Prompts:
*A quiet practice that grounds you
* How you handle spiritual “dry” spells
* A mundane moment that turned sacred
Stories are at the heart of Jewish life — from Torah and folklore to the personal journeys that shape us and our community today. The Kol HaLev Story Circle is a monthly gathering that takes place on Rosh Chodesh, which is the beginning of a new month in the Hebrew calendar. Members and guests share meaningful stories from their own life experiences that are inspired by a theme that relates to the particular month.
Expect a lot of connection, laughter, reflection, and community! Come to listen or come to share. No prior notice necessary – just come ready with a 3-5 minute story. All are welcome!
For more information, please contact Laurie.
Spiritual Connection Circle
Cancelled this week.
______________
Service Leadership Workshop
Thursday, October 8, 6:00pm
Learn how to think about our prayers more deeply. Strengthen your leadership skills. All are welcome!
The prayer leadership group leads services on the first Friday of every month!
_____________
Torah study with Alan Silver & Reb Tova
Thursday, October 8, 7:30pm-8:00pm
Join Alan and Reb Tova for virtual Torah Study! We will be studying Pirkei Avot.
______________
Project Support: Body Doubling!
With Betsy Wexler
Friday, October 9, 11:00am-1:00pm
I, Betsy, have some stories to write. If you too have projects that want to get done but need support – like a physical person on zoom with you- to get going, join me at any part of Fridays, 11am-1pm. We will use this zoom room.
This is also known as body doubling: a productivity strategy where you do a task alongside another person. This person does not need to help you or do the same chore; their quiet presence simply helps you focus, start difficult tasks, and finish work.
______________
KHL Board Meeting
Sunday, October 11, 10:00am
All are Welcome!
______________
Knitting Group
Sunday, October 11, 2:00pm
CHC Library
Calling all knitters and wannabee knitters. KHL and the Jewish Connection Network are joining forces to provide hats and scarves to those in need in the Towson, Timonium, Baltimore areas. We will come together, knit (or crochet) hats and scarves. We will be meeting on the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 2:00 in the library. If you have yarn that needs using, please bring it and size 8 knitting needles or F crochet hooks. Patterns will be provided for both knitting and crocheting. If you have lots of “stash” yarn and are willing to donate it, please bring it with you. We will be using worsted weight #4 for these projects. We’re looking forward to spending time with you as we provide needed warmth to those in need. If you need more information, please email Judy Gerb.
SPECIAL SPEAKER: Duncan Miller
Saturday, October 17, after Morning Services and Potluck Lunch
“The Duncan Miller Conversion to Judaism Story”
Come hear Duncan Miller, the head of security at a Jewish day school in Washington DC, tell his riveting story of
why he recently converted to Judaism after October 7th.
He has requested that if possible, please read his article ahead of time in the publication “moment” entitled “We Are Not Meant to Separate Ourselves from Our Community”, at this link. Knowing that you’ve read the article, he can focus his talk on some of the deeper themes, backstory, and context. There will be time for questions and answers after the talk.
For this event on October 17th, we will follow the same Shabbat Sandwich format, where we will have a potluck lunch after services and then hear Duncan’s story. Duncan will be joining us for services and lunch!
Kol HaLev loves storytelling and this promises to be quite a thought-provoking experience!
Please RSVP to Judy.
We may have several guests for this event so let’s have a nice potluck lunch!
Please register HERE so our lunch will be coordinated. Thank you!
______________
Jello Jubilee
Saturday, October 25, 5:00pm
Do you enjoy memory lane, revisiting ourselves as youths? Are you nostalgic for your favorite smells from your childhood kitchen? Do you particularly yearn for the JELLO MOLDS that made life special???
The JELLO JUBILEE may be just the thing for you! This is a potluck dinner, scheduled for Sunday, October 25 at 5:00pm. You are invited to bring your favorite kosher jello mold (Gefen, Liebers, Simply Delish, Bakol brands), maybe one from long ago, or a more current one. Use Sign Up Genius to indicate what you would like to bring, jello (preferred) and/or other dairy or pareve dish.
We will gather at the home of Marcie Weinstein, in Towson. Address info will be provided with confirmation of attendance.
The JELLO JUBILEE is the brainchild of Kol HaLev’s choir, and we hope to see you there!
October Yahrzeits
We remember an additional loved one whose yahrzeit occurs in October:
Jim Blackwell, father of Mark Blackwell
_______________
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!
_______________
Are there any KHL Members you think should be recognized?
For their efforts with the KHL community or otherwise? Please email the KHL office!
_______________
Carpooling
If you would be able to consider bringing another member who needs a car ride to shul or events, or are in need of a carpool ride, please Contact Amy.
Candyman & the Baltimore Show
with David Rosenberg, Kol HaLev member as the Candyman!
Saturday, October 17, 8:00pm-11:00pm
Koopers North, 12240 Tullamore Rd Timonium, MD
Free, no cover charge, great food, tasty brews and blues, room to dance!
The Chesed Network provides an opportunity to show kindness and compassion to those
Kol HaLev members in need of support by offering caring, connection, and help.
Please email Shira or Laurie if you have a need the Chesed Network can help with or you would like to join this special group of volunteers by getting on the chesed mailing list.
Keep in Touch and 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!
For more about Kol HaLev, our people, services, programs, and events,
check out the Kol HaLev website at www.kolhalevmd.org!
HONORING FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH MITZVAH CARDS
Now you can use Kol HaLev’s beautiful Mitzvah cards to celebrate a friend or family member’s joyous occasion or to offer condolences on the loss of a loved one.
Just give a donation of $18 (or more) to Kol HaLev
through our website, and notify Linda Barton.
She will send out a Mitzvah card on your behalf.
Mitzvah cards can also be bought for $36 per pack of 10 at
Kol HaLev events that do not fall on a Shabbat or Yom Tov.
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.
The deadline for all newsletter submissions is Sunday at noon and must have prior approval from Rabbi Emily. Thank you for your cooperation.
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 Judy Gerb 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.
Please let us know when you will be coming to services this high holiday season with this link below. We are looking forward to seeing you and being together. Bring your friends! There are no tickets or fee to attend – just registration.
At Kol HaLev, the Voice of the Heart, you can expect an experience that touches your life, not just your calendar.
You will not have to fit a mold or prove what you believe. We respect your questions, doubts, and spiritual path, and your presence will matter from the moment you arrive.
Under Rabbi Emily’s leadership, you can join a warm community where people know your name, listen to your story, and care about you.
Through music-filled, participatory services, prayer becomes something felt, not just words on a page. Singing together creates moments of joy and connection to yourself and others.
We celebrate and share life’s meaningful moments together, and support each other through illness or loss. Many members describe Kol HaLev as a family by choice.
Rooted in Reconstructing Judaism, Kol HaLev invites thoughtful exploration rather than rigid answers. You will encounter teachings and conversations that feel relevant, honest, and meaningful.
Kol HaLev offers room to connect with yourself, explore your spirituality, and deepen your sense of purpose in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment.
Rabbi Emily Stern’s warmth, wisdom, and accessibility shape every aspect of community life, creating an atmosphere that feels caring, grounded, and deeply human.
Whether to yourself, to other people, or to Jewish life, Kol HaLev is a place where connection grows and becomes part of your life.
