Kemp Mill Synagogue in Silver Spring is approaching its 34th annual gala and banquet on June 4 in celebration of Yom Yerushalayim, where impactful community members will be recognized and Israel-related additions will showcase a strong commitment to supportive programming.
The gala is the synagogue’s biggest annual fundraiser and takes on added importance this year because of the congregation’s strong and ongoing support of the state of Israel.
The event has an additional connection to Israel that was incorporated several years ago by celebrating it together with Jerusalem Day, according to KMS Executive Director Aryeh Shudofsky.
“We’re focused on Israel. A lot of the components of the actual dinner itself are focused on Israel, and so it underscores our focus and commitments by wrapping it together with Yom Yerushalayim,” Shudofsky said.
Shudofsky said the food and wines served will be from Israel, and the cocktail hour will look more like a full dinner with a menu of Israeli dishes.
He added that they’re trying to set up the space to resemble the shuk in Jerusalem. It won’t be quite as informal but will provide a way for people to feel that energy.
“We thought a lot about this — we want to do it in a respectful way. And also, because honestly, it’s not just about show — our members really do care. It’s important to our honorees and it’s so important to our members that we utilize a gathering of 300 people to really make a statement about where our shul is on Israel,” Shudofsky said.
The event will be part of an ongoing effort by the synagogue to strongly support Israel and give members a wide range of outlets for doing so — something that began after the Oct. 7 attack when the community quickly rallied and came together for prayer.
Several days later, the synagogue started an emergency fundraising campaign for Israel and raised more than $250,000 in 24 hours. Members have kept up with programming ever since, organizing buses for the historic Israel rally in November, holding events with survivors and even taking an Israeli flag to Israel and having people sign it and displaying it upon their return.
“It’s been programming, it’s been opportunities for people to see things, it’s the opportunities to support organizations, to promote them,” Shudofsky said. “To give people visibility to what’s going on in Israel, where the opportunities are to be supportive.”
With that in mind, the planning process for the gala was a complicated one, as leaders were looking to find a healthy medium between celebrating the members, fundraising and promoting Israel, while keeping in mind the stress and anxiety that many are feeling, plus the somber nature of the ongoing Gaza war.
“The whole year has been about finding some balance between acknowledging the reality of what’s going on in Israel and, at the same time, continuing to live. We knew we needed to have a gala. We knew we needed to celebrate our community here, the strength of our community here and the contributions that the honorees have made to the last 20, 30, 40 years that they’ve lived here,” KMS Rabbi Brahm Weinberg said.
The celebration of the members also serves an important purpose for the synagogue, as it rewards and inspires dedicated members for their hard work. It’s not based on who donates the most money or other similar measures.
The synagogue will honor two couples — Sara and Jeff Elikan and Barbra and Mel Cimet — and six high school students.
Weinberg said that the gala creates a positive cycle of support throughout the congregation and gives members the sense that the KMS community is special and worth contributing to.
“It’s such a beautiful cycle. And people either read what the honorees wrote or hear their speeches at the dinner and say, ‘Hey, I can do that too. And I could put a little bit more effort in,’” Weinberg said.
Additionally, the gala will hopefully uplift the congregants’ spirits.
“We also want to do something positive. It’s not just about mourning and remembering,” KMS President Gary Winters said.
Winters said that the ebbs and flows between joy and mourning similar to what they’re experiencing today mirror the history of the Jewish people and the unique ability he sees of Jews to handle both great happiness and pain together.
Weinberg spoke similarly about the gala’s potential impact, saying that it will be a perfect time for people to come together and feel the strength of the Jewish community.
“Everyone’s looking for connection, especially during this time of the war. People are looking to feel connected to each other. And it’s very rare that we have a large segment of the shul just together to sit together at tables to talk, to hear speeches, to reflect a little bit on who we are as a community,” Weinberg said. “But the gala is a time to do that, and I hope people will leave feeling connected to each other, connected to the shul and proud of who we are.”