New Sanctuary to be Dedicated at Kol Ami
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The Hanukah lights will burn with a very powerful and special glow at Congregation Kol Ami this year as the synagogue, located in White Plains, celebrates the completion of its newly renovated sanctuary. The sanctuary will be dedicated at a Shabbat service on the seventh night of Hanukah, Friday, December 14th at 6:15 pm.
"We are incredibly excited about the re-visioning of our new sanctuary. This marks a great day in the history of our dynamic congregation, where we will worship in a magnificent newly renovated space" said Andrea Seiden of Scarsdale, the chairperson of the capital campaign.
"Our goal was to provide a warm, welcoming and functional environment that respects our past and embraces our future. We
succeeded in creating a worship space that is both visually and spiritually beautiful." Said Shira Milgrom, Co-Rabbi of Kol Ami with Rabbi Tom Wiener.
The sanctuary has a number of innovative and state-of-the-art features. The soaring 30-foot ceiling gives the space an open, modern and expansive feel. The Bimah or platform area was lowered for more inclusive and embracing services which will also accommodate members and guests with special needs. The side windows were replaced with a clear curtain wall of glass to connect the outside and the inside.
The stained glass windows from the original sanctuary on Sterling Avenue in White Plains have been included in the design blending the history of the old and new. Of great use are the 300 movable chairs, which allow for flexibility so that configurations can change depending on the programs, practices and life cycle events of that day.
Kol Ami's capital campaign, called "L'dor Va'Dor" , means from generation to generation. It has raised over 4 million dollars. The sanctuary was the first phase of a project to modernize the Kol Ami campus and infrastructure. The firm of Levin/Brown & Associates, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland was retained as architects for the project. The construction company for the project was Kohl Construction Group who have extensive experience in religious projects in the tri-state area. Maura Smolover of Arts in Architecture was commissioned to design the Torah Ark and the Ner Tamid, the most sacred aspect of the sanctuary space.
Congregation Kol Ami, has been serving the area reform Jewish community since 1923. The congregation, which has grown to over 800 families, offers a unique blend of Jewish worship with an array of programs both spiritually uplifting and educational. The main building includes not only the new sanctuary but also cross-functional spaces for meetings and receptions; a nursery school and a Hebrew school. There is an alternate sanctuary, the Schulman Chapel in the Woods as well.
"I am deeply proud and thrilled to be a member of Congregation Kol Ami. This new sanctuary space will enhance all aspects of our current Temple life and for the future generations to come," said David Lee of Scarsdale.
For more information, please contact Janet Hershey, Director of Membership and Development at Congregation Kol Ami at 914.949-4717 ext. 115 or email janethershey@nykolami.
(Photo Credit: Mariela Melamed)
Police Prevailed Over Mother Nature in October Storm
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Police Chief John Brogan reported to the Village Board on 11/20 on what happened during Hurricane Sandy and the aftermath from the perspective of the police. Below please find excerpts from his remarks regarding the police response to the crisis.
The Police spent the days prior to the storm preparing for its arrival. In anticipation of Sandy, all vehicles were fueled up, and loaded with caution tape, emergency flares and barricades. Staffing was scheduled to allow for maximum coverage and no time off was permitted.
During the storm itself, serious injuries were prevented by measures taken to encourage everyone to stay home. School was cancelled, the MTA suspended train service, Bee Line Bus Service was cancelled, the County Airport was shut down and highways were closed.
After the State of Emergency was declared in Scarsdale at noon on 10/29 police were at the Emergency Operations Center 24 hours a day until November 2.
When the storm hit at 3:00 pm on October 29, double the normal staff were out in the field in response to toppled trees and wires. Three people were staffing the emergency phones.
At 6 pm, Lightpath phones, internet and the radio system at Police Headquarters all went down and cell phone coverage deteriorated. Calls were then forwarded to one of the two available copper Verizon phone lines. One of the officers was able to repurpose two POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) lines, and hook them up. These were used for incoming calls and for outgoing service to participate in the Con Ed conference calls and for the robo calls to residents.
By 9 pm on 10/29, most of the major north/south and east/west roads were partially or completely closed. The Ambulance Corps had to travel to Central Avenue to reach White Plains Hospital from Scarsdale.
Other facts:
Between 10/29 and 11/5, Police answered 3,300 phone calls from residents seeking assistance. They also dealt with traffic at intersections where the traffic lights were out, long lines at gas stations, the Popham Road Bridge project and the election.
Police made a daily map of open and closed streets
On November 7, the snowstorm caused extensive traffic jams as cars skidded and blocked roadways.
The good news:
Redundant communications systems allowed for continuous service throughout the storm. The 911 system was live and the back-up radio system worked as well.
The Public Safety building had power.
There were no serious injuries or deaths as a result of the storm.
All police officers reported to work during the storm – even those whose families were affected. Some drove 4-5 hours to reach Scarsdale and took dangerous and circuitous routes to get here. Some stayed at headquarters for several nights.
For the future:
We should look into more back-up communications systems or "redundancies."
According to Brogan, "We heard complaints that police were absent on darkened streets." He explained, "There are 90 linear miles of roadway... at a time when travel was slowed by numerous obstructions and officers had to adjust to new routes, we were not able to exhibit the type of police presence that people were accustomed to."
He also added, in regard to the complaints they received about the power outage, "We had no voice in the timing of the restoration and not much more information than the general public about the outages."
He ended by praising the force, saying, "We ran a 24/7 operation and responded to every emergency call in a reasonable period of time. Our police officers were vested in their mission and showed dedication and perseverance throughout, as did the members of the DPW, the Fire Department, the Village Manager's office and every other department of the Village. I was proud to be associated with the effort."
12th Annual Turkey Bowl in Greenacres
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Three generations of Greenacres' men and boys gathered at Greenacres Field on Thanksgiving morning for the 12th Annual Turkey Bowl. Once again the Schutzman boys – Grant, Gray and Cole were there with a host of friends, ranging in age from six to sixty-two.
According to Dad Keith Schutzman, "It is a great game -- we play hard but with a great sense of humor about our declining abilities. The younger guys in their 40's are taking over making the big plays from us old-timers (50 and over). Our younger kids play a game of their own and everyone brings a pre-Thanksgiving feast of donuts, bagels, muffins, and coffee .... (please don't mention the beer!)"
On hand for the fun were: Lawrence Patrizio and son, Charlie Kramer, Jon Bosco, Peter Doyle, John Kantor, Brian Hogan, Paul 
Goldstein and Peter D'Orto.
CNC to Hold Open Meeting Sunday Evening and LWVS to Review CNC Election
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This year, for the first time in its history, the Citizen's Nominating Committee will open its first meeting to the public. The CNC nominates candidates for the Village Board as its slate for the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Party to run in the general election in March 2013. The committee's role is to consider interested candidates for Mayor and Trustees and through due diligence to select those it believes would best serve Scarsdale.
This year the non-confidential portion of the first meeting, called the organization meeting, will be open to the public for the first time. The meeting will be held on Sunday night December 2 at Scarsdale Village Hall at 7 pm. Current Village Board members who are not eligible for re-nomination have been asked to offer suggestions as to the qualities of people they feel would make good Trustees or Mayor.
If you cannot attend, the meeting will be recorded for replay on the Village TV channels.
On Monday December 3 at 10:30 am, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale will evaluate the recent Citizen's Nominating 
Committee election.
The public is invited to join the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and the Citizens Nominating Committee Procedure Committee Chair, David Brodsky, and Vice-Chair, Eli Mattioli, for a discussion regarding the recent Citizens Nominating Committee election. The meeting will be held on Monday, December 3rd at 10:30 am in the thrid floor meeting room in Scarsdale Village Hall. Members of the community are welcome to attend the presentation, after which the League will hold a consensus meeting about the management of this most recent election.
Guys and Dolls: SHS Drama Club Hits a High Note
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The Guys and the Dolls put on a stellar performance of Damon Runyon's famed show this weekend at Scarsdale High School. The cast was lively, enthusiastic and full of verve, even at their third show on Sunday afternoon.
This demanding script calls for challenging dance routines and operatic voices and the cast was up to the task. They tap-danced, crooned and showed off their New York accents to produce a thoroughly delightful show.
The two female leads were stellar ---Sophie Laruelle as the prim and proper Salvation Army reformer and Ali Whitney as hotbox girl and would-be bride "Miss Adelaide. " Laruelle's voice has range and power and she hit the high notes with clarity. Her conversion from teetotaler to Havana harlot was a riot demonstrating her ability to act as well as sing. Whitney stole the show as Adelaide, singing, dancing and begging Nathan to make her an honest woman after a fourteen-year engagement. Wearing a blond wig and not much else, she slithered around the stage and was the center of some wonderful dance routines. Sunny Feinstein and Bryant Lo gave acrobatic performances and were a pleasure to watch as well as the entire troupe.
Frank Loesser's score includes well-known favorites such as "I'll Know (when my love comes along), and "I've Never Been in Love Before" and Laruelle and Nick Cioffi as Sky Masterson made beautiful music together. Miss Adelaide's lament; "A Person Can Develop a Cold," and "Take Back your Mink" had her wavering between endearments and indictments in a comic dramatic mix. Biana Rogoff as Arvita sang "More I Cannot Wish You" and we could not have wished for more than her lovely, clear voice. Josh Ben-Ami as Nicely Nicely and Bryant Lo gave a rousing rendition of the show's title song, Guys and Dolls.
The sets and costumes looked nothing short of professional as were the lights and the sound ... a real feat for a high school production team. Kudos to Musical Director Kurt Kelly, Choreographer Dylan Smith, the orchestra, the SHS Drama Club and Mrs. Adrienne Meyer for another first-rate production.
Photos by Jeff Berman (father of Big Julie!) See more at JeffBernman.net
