| Congregation Kol Ami | |
|---|---|
Kol Ami of Frederick, in 2018
| |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Jennifer Weiner |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick, Maryland 21703 |
| Country | United States |
  Location in Maryland | |
| Geographic coordinates | 39°24′51.5″N 77°24′48.5″W / 39.414306°N 77.413472°W / 39.414306; -77.413472 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Date established | 2003 (as a congregation) |
| Website | |
| kolamifrederick | |
Congregation Kol Ami is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogueinFrederick, Maryland, in the United States.
Founded by a group of eight families on February 21, 2003, the congregation's services are held at Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Frederick church at 4880 Elmer Derr Road.[1] In 2004, the congregation borrowed a Torah for use in worship and in 2005, Kol Ami hired a trainee rabbi, Daniel Sikowitz. The same year, Kol Ami began its religious school,[2] and joined the Union for Reform Judaism. Sikowitz was elected as the congregation's first rabbi in 2007.
In October 2007, a group of women at Kol Ami celebrated their b'not mitzvahs. The women, who varied in age, were older than the traditional age for such a celebration, however had never had such an opportunity since the tradition was not popular when they were that age.[3]
Congregation Kol Ami paid $20,000 for a Torah saved from the Holocaust from Lviv, Ukraine in 2008. It was the first Torah scroll owned by the congregation.[4][5] Members of the congregation, some of whom are of Ukrainian descent, assisted in writing the Torah.[6]
The congregation frequently participates in social action programs such as the Frederick food bank.[7]
The Torah that was sold to the congregation by Rabbi Menachem Youlus from Save a Torah Foundation, an organization that brings forgotten Torahs to welcoming congregations, was purportedly acquired on the basis of the following provenance:[citation needed]
One of these Torahs was purportedly reassembled and was sold as a genuine item to Congregation Kol Ami.[4]
An investigation by the Washington Post cast doubts on the authenticity of Youlus' claims and other Torah scrolls purportedly discovered to have survived the Holocaust and recovered by Youlus and the Save a Torah Foundation.[8] Following a criminal investigation, Youlus was convicted of two counts of mail and wire fraud in a Manhattan federal court on October 11, 2012. He served a 51-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims.[9][10] Youlus was incarcerated until August 26, 2016,[11] and served three year supervised release.[9]
Judaism portal
