On Kol Nidre, we had two people talk about community. One, Medina Gross has been a member at CKI since she was married in 1970. The other, one of our recent Bar Mitzvah boys, Jake Atkins. Here are their remarks:

Herb and I joined this congregation in 1970 when we were married. Our wedding and reception were at Rodfei Zedek in Chicago, because I declined to have my wedding reception under the basketball hoops, which was what the social hall looked like in those days.

As a newlywed, I was very nervous about my first aliyah at the high holidays, but Frieda Simon congratulated me warmly and made me feel at home. I met Clarisse Cutts pushing the cart as a volunteer at Sherman Hospital, and she invited me to a Hadassah donor dinner. Years and many events later, I asked Clarisse to help me set tables for the kids b’nai mitzvah, because nobody could set tables for an event like Clarisse. She did it with total concentration and for her, it was a spiritual practice. I think of her when I help get ready for a congregational event, and she is probably still setting tables in Minneapolis.

From early experience, I know what it feels like to be an outsider, so I try to reach out to new members, guests and people who feel uncomfortable. As a congregation, we learned our lesson when we were threatened with extinction, and everybody makes it their business to welcome strangers.

I have lived in Elgin for 45 years and have been a member of many communities, most more or less short-lived as my children grew up and the circumstances of my life and my interests changed. The CKI community is unique in being a community of faith, in serving my whole family, in being the focal point of so many life cycle events, and in lasting a lifetime. I feel a connection to the children in the congregation, as other people felt and still feel a connection to my children. I feel proud when other member’s children do such a fine job when they participate in services.

My daughter Rachel had tried out for the Elgin Children’s Choir, but didn’t make it, so Jane Vogel and I started a Children’s Choir at CKI. Her son Matt is now a Hillel rabbi. Once, when Rachel, age six, was singing her heart out with the children’s choir, Blossom Wohl predicted that some day Rachel would be President of Sisterhood. That hasn’t happened yet–Rachel is concentrating on her family now, but she works on the Facebook page. Blossom, now in her 90’s, recognized the significance of early experiences.

The Bonner children were at the shiva for Chuck Zimmerman’s Dad a few days ago, fulfilling our mission of passing on our traditions to the next generation.

It used to be that after a funeral, they would take the coffin out that side door in the front of the sanctuary. When I witnessed that, I used to think, we are all going to go out that door at some point. When I go, there will be CKI members at my shiva to comfort my family. We are all fortunate to be members of this community.
 Medina Gross

Community means that a certain group of people is loyal to each other, and respects and appreciates one another. They look out for each other. Of similarities that vary from religion, to hobbies. It describes a certain group of people. We, are a Jewish community. We all have many things in common, being Jewish is just one of them. We all care for each other. We are a kind loving, and non-judgmental community. Not every community is like this. We are lucky to have found ourselves with these kind people. Who care about the rest of the community, the synagogue, the education of the young, and many more. We are all respectful to each other. When someone is injured and healing, there is a prayer for them at the Friday evening and Saturday morning service. There are wonderful teachers who do a fantastic job teaching the young until they’re Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The Rabbi is magnificent, Joe is a very nice man, one of the first I met here at CKI. This is a great community. Since my Bar Mitzvah in June 2015, I’ve been thinking, what could I call CKI. I now know that CKI is not only a congregation, it is also an amazing community full of warm-hearted, loving, kind, and respectful people. This is our community.
Jake Atkins, age 13