Congregation Kol Ami of Frederick

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,Maryland21703
Country	United States
Location inMaryland
Geographic coordinates	39°24′51.5″N77°24′48.5″W
Architecture
Type	Church
Date established	2003(as a congregation)
Website
kolamifrederick.org

Congregation Kol Amiis aReformJewishcongregation andsynagogueinFrederick,Maryland,in the United States.

History

Founded by a group of eight families on February 21, 2003, the congregation's services are held atUnitarian-UniversalistCongregation of Frederickchurchat 4880 Elmer Derr Road.In 2004, the congregation borrowed aTorahfor use in worship and in 2005, Kol Ami hired a traineerabbi,Daniel Sikowitz. The same year, Kol Ami began its religious school,and joined theUnion 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 theirb'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.

Congregation Kol Ami paid $20,000 for a Torah saved from theHolocaustfromLviv, Ukrainein 2008. It was the first Torah scroll owned by the congregation.Members of the congregation, some of whom are ofUkrainiandescent, assisted in writing the Torah.

The congregation frequently participates in social action programs such as the Frederick food bank.

The Torah with false provenance

Main article:Menachem Youlus

The Torah that was sold to the congregation by RabbiMenachem Youlusfrom Save a Torah Foundation, an organization that brings forgotten Torahs to welcoming congregations, was purportedly acquired on the basis of the followingprovenance:

Prior to World War II, Lvov was a major center of Jewish life with over 200,000 Jewish inhabitants. The Jews represented the vast array of Jewish practice, from Reform Jews to the Orthodox. When the Nazis invadedUkraine,they let the Ukrainians round up all the Jews and lock them in their synagogues. They then set fire to them. A priest saved the several Torahs from destruction. It laid in the basement of a monastery for decades. Then, an arts dealer bought the Torahs from the church. Youlus then ripped it apart and sold the parchment for canvas to artists. Youlus asked the arts dealer for Torah parchment. The man said you have the weekend to assemble all the Torahs and pay for what you have. In the storeroom there were piles of ripped up Torahs and Youlus assembled twenty-two of them.

One of these Torahs was purportedly reassembled and was sold as a genuine item to Congregation Kol Ami.

An investigation by theWashington Postcast 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.Following a criminal investigation, Youlus was convicted of two counts ofmail and wire fraudin a Manhattan federal court on October 11, 2012. He served a 51-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims.Youlus was incarcerated until August 26, 2016,and served three yearsupervised release.

See also

• History of the Jews in Maryland
• Beth Sholom Congregation,aConservativesynagogue in Frederick

External links

• Official website