History
The synagogue was founded in 1957 and was housed in a variety of temporary quarters near downtown Palo Alto. In 1965, the first stage of building at our present site began, followed by a second stage in 1972, and the final stage in 1987, when the sanctuary was built.
We are especially proud of the improvements that have helped us create an environment conducive to learning, celebrating, praying and being together.
Kol Emeth Logo 
As part of the web site redesign, the committee determined that an updated logo would help convey the essence of Kol Emeth more effectively--both to visitors and to members.
The design process began with our name--Kol Emeth, the voice of truth. The voice of truth speaks to us through Torah. We listen for it, and it animates our life as a community of Jews. Moshe heard it speak from within a burning bush. Along with the name Kol Emeth, the burning bush is a prominent graphic element in our new logo.
The branches of the bush evoke the shapes of Hebrew letters, the atoms of Torah. Rooted in the ground of tradition, the green branches reach upward toward the Holy One, the source of Torah, and spread its message outward toward the world around us. The golden orange flames leap even higher than the leaves -- spiritual energy in action. The deep blue letters proclaim our name in both Hebrew and English characters, giving similar visual weight to both.
We hope our new logo will soon become an easily recognized symbol of our congregation.
What is Kol Torateinu?
The Torah teaches it is the responsibility of each Jew to personally write a Sefer Torah. Write for Yourselves this Song, and Teach it to the Children of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:19), is interpreted by our sages as the 613th mitzvah - the final commandment. From January to June, 2006, we hosted a series of events designed to educate and unite our congregation in preparation for the arrival of our new Torah.
A Sefer Torah contains 304,805 letters and each letter can be said to complete the Torah. Tradition tells us that one who writes even a single letter in a Torah, or causes one to be written through their support, fulfills this commandment.
The commission of our new Sefer Torah - Kol Torateinu, the Voice of our Torah, was a fitting expression of Kol Emeth's commitment to fulfill the mitzvah of writing a Torah. In our 50 years as a congregation, this is the first time Kol Emeth commissioned a Torah and had a fundraising endeavor of such significance. The commission of our new Sefer Torah was initially conceived and generously funded by Sonia Moss, in memory of her parents, Eliot and Doris Moss, z"l. The new scroll is easy to read, lightweight and will provide us with a full complement of Sifrei Torah for all our services.
Writing Our Sefer Torah
Maimonides taught that if a person does not possess the ability or knowledge to write one's own Torah, a qualified scribe - a sofer - hould be engaged to do so. We appointed Rabbi Moshe Druin, of Miami, Florida, to commission a sofer on our behalf. Our Torah was written by Rabbi Sharon in Rehovot, Israel.
Beginning with our opening celebration on January 29, 2006, Rabbi Druin, a trained sofer in his own right, visited Kol Emeth on several occasions, bringing panels of our Sefer Torah with him. Through our planned activities during these visits, we had the opportunity to learn about the process of writing a Torah. Individually and in small groups we held the quill as we filled in the 750 letters which Rabbi Sharon left outlined for us.
A Tribute To Rabbi Lewis
The completion of our Sefer Torah in June 2006, on the eve of Rabbi Lewis' retirement, gave us the opportunity to honor and celebrate his 33 years of devoted service. Kol Torateinu serves as a demonstration of our congregation's commitment to Torah, one of the most meaningful legacies Rabbi Lewis has given our community.
