L’Dor v’Dor: Congregation Kol Shalom Builds for the Next Generation

There is something special about walking into a synagogue filled with the sounds of Jewish life: toddlers exploring, children laughing, families connecting, and people of different generations finding community.

That is part of what makes Congregation Kol Shalom in Annapolis, Maryland, so exciting today. With a strong foundation built over many years, the congregation is entering a new chapter, with new leadership, engaging Jewish education, and young families helping shape its future.

The Hebrew phrase L’Dor v’Dor — from generation to generation — is central to Jewish life. But it is about more than passing traditions down. It is about building communities that honor the past while giving the next generation reasons to embrace a Jewish future.

A new generation of leadership

In the summer of 2026, Jarret Camhi became president of Congregation Kol Shalom, succeeding longtime leader Howard Salob, who served the congregation for many years, including after its 2008 merger with Congregation Nevey Shalom. Howard’s dedication helped establish the foundation on which today’s leaders can build.

Jarret brings professional experience leading teams and guiding organizational change through his work at BGE. He is also involved in the social life of the congregation, including its Sisterhood Mahjong games — a reminder that synagogue life is about friendships and relationships as well as religious services.

Working alongside Rabbi Faith Cantor, who joined Kol Shalom in 2024, Jarret has an opportunity to build on the congregation’s history while responding to the needs of today’s families.

Rabbi Cantor brings extensive experience in Jewish education, including work with children with developmental needs. Her approach emphasizes experiential learning: helping people discover Jewish tradition through activities, relationships, and meaningful experiences, not just textbooks.

Helping children find joy in Jewish life

Education Director Allison Charapp brings that philosophy to life through Kol Shalom’s Tree of Life Preschool and Daniel Rothman Religious School.

Founded in 2015, Tree of Life connects Jewish traditions with nature. The religious school builds on that approach through hands-on, project-based learning that encourages children to explore, create, and learn in ways that suit their strengths.

These programs do more than teach Jewish history and practice. They help children build friendships, associate Judaism with positive experiences, and develop a sense of belonging to the larger Annapolis Jewish community.

And Kol Shalom has something every congregation hopes to see: young families and lots of children.

Their presence is a reminder that Jewish continuity is not an abstract idea. It is happening in real time, as children learn holiday traditions, make friends, and begin developing their own connections to Jewish life.

Connecting Annapolis with Israel

On October 11, Kol Shalom hosted “Brunch & Blessings,” celebrating the Mirsky family’s generous gift of an ambulance to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical and ambulance service.

The community gathering brought families and congregants together for blessings, music, a bagel brunch, children’s activities, and Jewish learning. Local partners, including representatives of the Jewish Federation and Anne Arundel County fire and police departments, helped make the event possible.

The ambulance will join Magen David Adom’s fleet, helping the organization provide lifesaving care to people in Israel.

The gift also offered a tangible expression of Klal Yisrael — the understanding that we belong to a larger Jewish people, connected across communities and countries. It demonstrated how a local congregation can translate Jewish values into action and strengthen its connection to Israel.

For children growing up in Annapolis, experiences like this can help make that connection real. They can see that Jewish life extends beyond their synagogue and that caring for others is an important part of what it means to be Jewish.

Building a future worth inheriting

Kol Shalom is a Conservative, egalitarian congregation that welcomes interfaith families and offers religious services, lifelong learning, and programming for people at different stages of life. Its peaceful, wooded setting provides a place for prayer, reflection, and community.

There is no single way to become part of Jewish life. For some, it begins with Shabbat services; for others, it starts in preschool, religious school, a class, or a friendship formed through congregational activities. What matters is creating opportunities for people to participate and belong.

Jewish communities rightly worry about antisemitism and the challenges of sustaining Jewish institutions. But we also need to recognize what helps Jewish life flourish: committed leaders, welcoming communities, meaningful education, and children who experience Judaism as a source of connection and joy.

At Kol Shalom, longtime members have built a strong foundation. Jarret Camhi, Rabbi Faith Cantor, Allison Charapp, and many others are helping carry that work forward, while young families bring new energy and possibilities.

The children filling the synagogue today are tomorrow’s students, volunteers, parents, and leaders. What they inherit will depend on what we build for them now.

That is the meaning of L’Dor v’Dor. It is not simply about preserving the past unchanged. It is about passing on the values, relationships, and traditions that matter while creating a community the next generation will want to sustain.

Congregation Kol Shalom has reason to be optimistic about its future. May it continue to welcome families, nurture its children, strengthen its connection to Israel and the Jewish people, and go from strength to strength.

L’Dor v’Dor — from generation to generation.