This History of Congregation Kol Ami
• The Congregation
• Education
• CKA Leadership
The Congregation
Our congregation began in the early 1970’s. It was
a chavurah-type (group of friends) association. Started
in Denton County by Jim and Judy Feldman, we met in Denton
for study and major holiday celebrations with the families
of Harry and Sharon Caplan, Ed and Nancy Glick, Bruce and
Terry Abel, Joanne and Paul Fromm. The Feldmans often hosted
get-togethers in their home in Denton, preparing the service
and handing out the parts for Chanukah, Sukkot, and Passover
from 1972-1974.
In 1974, the now dozen families [including Dr. Jules (Sandy)
and Barbara Brown, Ed and Benita Johnson, Howard and Dolly
Watt, Bernie and June Schlessinger] began monthly Shabbat
services at the University Ministry Center at the edge
of the University of North Texas campus. In the fall of
1978, this small group started its own Religious School
to help its children to not only learn but to experience
the privilege of a Jewish peer group, and to foster the
growth of their Jewish identity.
The major growth of our small congregation and formalizing
our structure occurred in 1978. The Religious School, headed by Judy Feldman and Fran Feigert,
began with seven students, including Marla and Heidi Greenberg; Ben and Dan Feigert; Stuart and Andrew Feldman; and Elliot Johnson. Students next year also included Heidi and Carrie Brown, and Jordan Caplan. Two children began their Bar/Bat Mitzvah
training (Elliot Johnson and Stuart Feldman) working with
Ed Johnson as trainer. Several firsts occurred in the next
two years. The first girl born in the congregation was
Jennifer Fromm. She was named at a Friday evening service
that was conducted by Ed Glick in 1979. The first Pidyon
Ha Ben (redemption of the firstborn) ceremony was held
in April 1981 was held for Aaron Framer. The first Bris
was for Donald Fromm in 1982. He was also the first child
in the congregation to go from Bris to Bar Mitzvah. The
first Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in the summer of 1980 were Eliot
Johnson, Stuart Feldman and Marla Greenberg. Joann Fromm
was the first adult bat mitzvah when the congregation was
still in Denton.
A constitution was adopted in 1978 and we recognize this
as our official beginning. The congregation grew between
1978 and 1984 from a dozen families to about 30 families.
We began our affiliation with the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations in May 1986. In 1989, the official name of
the congregation became The Jewish Congregation of Denton.
In 1995 the congregation purchased and moved to our present
home in Flower Mound. The name of the congregation was
changed to Congregation Kol Ami (CKA).
Education
Since the founding of our congregation, educators have
been a combination of volunteer congregants and teachers
who have been hired from outside the congregation. Our
first education director was Gordon Fuller, school year
1997-98. Rabbi Margaret Meyer was our education director
for the school year 1998-99. Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis replaced
Rabbi Meyer when he arrived in the spring of 1999. In September
of 2001 Helena Shapp-Dossey was hired as Education Administrator.
Starting in September of 1998, Valerie and David Klein
taught our first Confirmation class. The tenth grade students
were Sarah Pewterbaugh, Allyson Levy, Jaime LeRoy, and
Adam Eisen. Their Confirmation was officiated by Rabbi
Margaret Meyer in the spring of 1999 after one year of
preparation. The second Confirmation class, with the standard
two-years of training, included Jeremy Golden, Ross Pewterbaugh,
Jacob Watt, Adam Eisen, Sarah Eisen, Nichole Taylor, Brian
Moe, Arielle “Arie” Bloch, Sarah Hutt, Elliot
David, Aaron Jacobs, and Aaron Lee. Rabbi Dennis officiated
for the year 2000 Confirmation class. The first confirmation
class teacher-assistant was Sarah Pewterbaugh.
Leadership
Before we had a student rabbi, congregants
conducted all services. They were Jim Feldman, Frank Feigert,
Paul Fromm, Howie Watt, Bernie Schlessinger (who attended
rabbinical school but was not ordained), Ed Glick, Barnett
Greenberg, Helena-Shapp-Dossey, and Pam Feldman. For special
rabbinical needs, Rabbi Lawrence (Jake) Jackofsky from
Dallas helped.
Student rabbis flew in from the rabbinical school in Cincinnati,
Ohio for several years in Denton and in Flower Mound. Our
first student rabbi was Bruce Pfeffer. A few years later,
student Rabbi Todd Thalblum arrived. In 1998 Rabbi Margaret
Meyer was contracted to come to us from UAHC headquarters
in Cincinnati every other weekend for one year. Rabbi Geoffrey
Dennis arrived in the spring of 1999 and was installed
July 1, 1999 as the first full-time clergyman of Congregation
Kol Ami.
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