Ha'Kol - Journal for JCA Voices

Issue #2 - December 2024

We are pleased to share with you the December issue of Ha’Kol reflecting a new way with words and images from within our JCA community. We hope you enjoy it. 

Click here for PDF of the December Ha'kol.

If you prefer to have a paper copy by mail, please contact the JCA Office or just stop by to pick one up in the JCA lobby.

Submission deadline for our next issue is March 7th!

We look forward to hearing from many more of you for the next issue of our journal which we plan to publish at the end of March. Please send your submission, with contact information, by March 7 to hakol@jcamherst.org. If you would like further information or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our editor, Janis Levy, at the same email address. 

We encourage you to start thinking about what you might like to contribute in writing and/or with artwork or photographs.

Currently, our sections include:

o Thoughts on Torah    
o Words of Wisdom    
o In My Opinion    
o Ask the Rabbi (an answer to be provided by one of our member rabbis)   
o Jewish Life Matters    
o Meaningful Moments    
o Awkward Encounters    
o Appreciating Others    
o Just Because…

However, we are always open to new ideas! We look forward to hearing from you.

Issue #1 - November 2024 - High Holiday Writings

We hope you enjoy our first issues of Ha’Kol with the writings and devarim from our recent JCA Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. 

You can read and download them here:

1 - Rosh Hashanah 
2-  Yom Kippur

If you prefer to have a paper copy by mail, please contact the JCA Office or just stop by to pick one up.

Now, we are looking forward to hearing from you for our next issue of Ha'Kol which will go out at the end of December. Here are some suggestions for you to think about:

• Have you given a D’var Torah recently, maybe at the JCA, or at your own table with friends or family?

• Have you been wondering about some aspect of Jewish life that you would like to explore further?

• Has there been a program or event at the JCA you attended recently, and would like to tell us what it meant to you?

• Was there a moment, however brief, that was significant and made a lasting impression on your Jewish way of being, whether at the JCA or not, that you are willing to share with us?

• Is there something else you would like to express to the JCA, just because you have the opportunity to do so now? Might it be your poem or a story; appreciation or concern; suggestions for programs or gatherings; ideas to bring us together more in small groups or large. Maybe, this will help us so we can each feel that we belong at the JCA, and that it is indeed ~ Our Community

Our deadline for the next issue is December 7. Send your submission to hakol@jcamherst.org, with your contact information, and we will get back to you directly with any questions we may have. Please see below for our guidelines, and if you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact our editor, Janis Levy, at hakol@jcamherst.org. 

• Due to length considerations and balance of content, not all submissions for each edition of Ha’Kol are guaranteed to be included 

• Maximum length advised: 1,200 words or up to three pages

• Your artwork or photographs are also welcome

• This publication is not intended as a political forum, national or international, so we will not be able to publish pieces on such topics

• The deadline for submission is the 7th of the month prior to publication

We look forward to hearing from you!