Lifecycles

Jewish babies are given Hebrew names shortly after they are born.  A brief ceremony is performed, which often includes friends and family members of the new baby.

 

We are happy to connect you with resources for your child’s brit milah (circumcision & naming ceremony). Call the Kol Ami office at (520) 327-4501 to connect with our clergy team.

 

The beginning of a child’s Jewish education is a celebration for our community. On every Simchat Torah, the congregation gathers to celebrate the cycle of Torah reading and acknowledge our children’s entry into formal Jewish education. At Kol Ami, this occurs when students enter 3rd Grade and begin Hebrew School.

 

At Kol Ami, the B’nei Mitzvah process starts in the Kol Ami Religious School (or prior in the Strauss Early Childhood Education Center). The process accelerates in middle school through meetings with our clergy team. During the months before the Bar, Bat, or B Mitzvah, our clergy are committed to devoting time with each student. Students will learn Torah, Haftarah, and the significance of becoming a B’nei Mitzvah. After months of committed effort, students will conduct a beautiful Shabbat morning ceremony.

 

We enrich the B’nei Mitzvah process by giving students the choice to participate in the “Remember Us” project. Giving students an opportunity to carry forward the name of a child who died in the Holocaust before they were able to become b’nei mitzvah in their own lifetime.

 

Never had the childhood opportunity to become b’nei mitzvah? We have an adult b’nei mitzvah class!

 

 

Our students reaffirm their commitment to Judaism and the Jewish community in their tenth-grade year. Once a week, confirmation students meet with our Clergy to discuss their Jewish identity, the role Judaism plays in their lives, Jewish views on hot topics, God, and spirituality.

 

Are you interested in exploring Judaism? Reach out to our rabbis by calling the Kol Ami office (520) 327-4501 or emailing kolami@katucson.org. We offer counseling with our Introduction to Judaism class. The class is offered to anyone interested in conversion or just learning more about Judaism.

 

Weddings are wonderful simchas, joyous occasions, and the rabbi delights in working with couples. We can help couples understand and plan everything in the ceremony from the ketubah (the marriage document) to the chuppah (the marriage canopy), to the prayers and vows, to the breaking of the glass at the end. In addition to planning the wedding ceremony with the couple, we also offer pre-marital counseling.

 

Weddings can be scheduled at Kol Ami or any other appropriate venue in town on days other than Shabbat, High Holy Days, or other significant days on the Jewish calendar.

 

Are you interested in renting a room at Kol Ami to celebrate your simcha? Contact our office by emailing kolami@katucson.org.

 

Volunteers are requested for the sacred work of tahara, the ritual washing of the bodies after death. If you are interested in fulfilling this sacred task, please contact the Sacred Living Team or our clergy team.

 

Kol Ami is a caring community, dedicated to supporting one another. As the end of life draws near, our Clergy are available to guide, provide support, and be with those who are dying and their loved ones. Our Clergy are available to officiate funerals, shiva minyans, memorial services, and unveilings.

 

Additionally, Kol Ami’s legacy congregations have sections in a few local cemeteries. If you are interested in purchasing a plot, contact our office at kolami@katucson.org or by calling (520) 327-4501.