18 Years Of Our Lives
1993 First meeting to establish a community is held around Conroy-Lippmann dining room table with Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Rebbetzin Kathryn Conroy, Judith Kane, Peter Kleinbard, Fred Miller, Pat Miller, Steve-who-moved-to-South-Dakota • Name is chosen: Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives • First teacher, tutor and leader of song, Rachel Lovins. • First school has five students and meets in Peter Kleinbard’s basement • First Shabbat dinner with story by Arthur Strimling • First Shabbat morning Torah study • First High Holydays • First Kolot Chayeinu baby born, Nora Ahearn • First Kolot Bat Mitzvah, Hannah Forman • First President of Kolot Chayeinu, Natalie Levy.
1994 First issue of VOICES, edited by Michael Forman (z”l) • School moves to Knights of Columbus in Windsor Terrace, first of many moves.
1995 Phil Saperia becomes second President of Kolot • Kolot Chayeinu moves to the Church of Gethsemane • High Holyday music led by Elliot Pilshaw (member Lisa B. Segal sings Kol Nidre).
1996 Rabbi Sue Oren begins directing the Children’s Learning Program • First Adult Bnai Mitzvah: Ruth Finkelstein, David Hansell, David Hodgson and Daniel Wolfe • Rabbi Lippmann joins the Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Rabbinic Advisory Board.
1997 First time that Lisa B. Segal sings throughout High Holydays services • First annual Arthur Strimling drash of the Akkeda • First Kolot Bar Mitzvah, Kai Kleinbard.
1998 Arthur Strimling becomes third President of Kolot • Trisha Arlin starts editing VOICES, following Jim Golden and Adam Fredericks.
1999 Kolotniks join thousands to protest the police killing of unarmed African immigrant, Amadou Diallo. Many are arrested.
2000 Ruth Finkelstein become fourth President of Kolot • Rabbi Lippmann comes on as full-time rabbi • First gala, “White Fire,” honors Arthur Strimling • Fred Miller becomes the first member to die. Zikhrono livrakha • Pre-Sukkot gathering about the second intifada garners a firestorm of press.
2001 Rabbi Lippmann marks her 10th year as a rabbi, featured in the Daily News, Tony Kushner and Linda Emond bring us an early reading of Homebody/Kabul for this anniversary • Lisa B. Segal is hired as cantorial soloist • September 11: Kolot Chayeinu and Park Slope Jewish Center join to mourn together; September 15, we are joined in the garden by a group of Muslims from the Dialogue Project where we first meet Debbie Almontaser; in early October, Rabbi Lippmann speaks at Union Square to protest bombing of Afghanistan, cited in The New York Times.
2002 Lisa Zbar becomes fifth President of Kolot • Ora Wise starts teaching at the CLP • Arthur Strimling becomes Maggid HaMakom • First Administrator hired, Viviane Arzoumanian.
2003 First student rabbi and Kolot member to be ordained, Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg • First Children of Abraham Peace Walk organized by Rabbi Lippmann, Debbie Almontaser, Naji Almontaser, Charley Horwitz (z”l) and Rev. Tom Martinez • Second gala, “Bread & Torah,” honors Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Lisa B. Segal, Phil Saperia and Ruth Finkelstein, with a talk by Tony Kushner • Rabbi Lippmann and Hazzan Segal lead a prayer service before a Shabbat march against entering war in Iraq. • Rabbi Lippmann officiates at the wedding of Tony Kushner and Mark Harris, the first gay wedding to be featured in The New York Times.
2004 First Kolot Mission and Values Statement is finalized; Phil Saperia reads it aloud at the Congregational Meeting • Leah Zimmerman begins as Director of Education • Third gala, “Open Tent,” honors Rachel Chanoff of Celebrate Brooklyn, Brad Lander of Fifth Avenue Committee and the Pratt Center, the Halperin family • Rabbi Lippmann and Hazzan Segal lead protest wedding of Kolot members Ruth Finkelstein and BC Craig on City Hall steps, to much publicity • Rabbi Lippmann leads symbolic wedding prior to the NYC LGBT Pride march • Kolot enters a relationship with Community Action Project (CAP), affiliate of the PICO Network, and begins exploring congregation-based community organizing.
2005 Andy Stettner becomes sixth President of Kolot • Fourth gala, “Praying with Our Feet,” honors Lisa Zbar, Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry, High Holydays chair Lisa Auerbach • Lisa B. Segal enters cantorial school • First couple to meet at a Kolot service are married, Bob Usdin and Ruth Cohen • Collaboration begins with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice on the Shalom Bayit/Justice for Domestic Workers Campaign • Kolot’s Youngishes group begins.
2006 Fifth gala, “Loud & Clear,” brings Senator Russ Feingold to Brooklyn to much media scrutiny, and honors Steve Banks of the Legal Aid Society; Trisha Arlin, VOICES editor; Andrea Bernstein, senior political reporter, WNYC.
2007 Adrienne Fisher becomes seventh President of Kolot • Ora Wise begins as Director of Education • Molly Kane arrives as a new rabbinic student • On November 28, Kolot Chayeinu votes not to affiliate after a long and careful process • First evening of many dinners, “At Our Tables.”
2008 First Kolot Chayeinu trip to Israel and Palestine for Rabbi and eight members • First pre-Rosh Hashanah mikvah the Men’s Group, The Halfassadim, goes to Brighton Beach • Kolot formally affiliates with CAP (later changed to Brooklyn Congregations United).
2009 Cindy Greenberg becomes eighth President of Kolot • Rabbi Lippmann becomes co-chair of Rabbis for Human Rights – North America • First Administrative Director is hired, Diane Kirschner • First Kolot Chayeinu Facebook group.
2010 Rabbi Lippmann listed as one of 50 most important women rabbis by The Forward • Congregation Yaahh!! is born • In August, Kolotniks join Rabbi Arthur Waskow and others in a Jewish gathering to honor the Cordoba Initiative’s proposed mosque and community center at 51 Park Place • Rabbi Lippmann honored by Brooklyn Borough President and leaders of the Muslim community at their annual gathering • Five Kolot members go with Rabbi to Israel-Palestine as part of the human rights mission of Rabbis for Human Rights– North America • Facebook group becomes a page, http://www.facebook.com/kolotchayeinu, and a twitter account, @kolotchayeinu • First women’s/transfolks’ pre-Rosh Hashanah mikvah at Reis Beach • Kolot member Brad Lander takes office as City Councilmember of Brooklyn’s 39th District • Governor David Paterson signs the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights—which Kolot Chayeinu has worked on for five years—into law.
2011 January 20–Tu BeShevat, Kolot Chayeinu turns 18 • May 8, Molly Kane is ordained Rabbi • May 12, Lisa B. Segal is ordained Cantor • May 12, Rabbi Ellen Lippmann is 20 years a rabbi • Members Jennifer Egan and Clifford Levy win Pulitzer Prizes in Literature and Investigative Journalism, respectively • Children’s Learning Program has 122 students • Kolot Chayeinu has 18th birthday gala, CHAI TIME!
