Ahavas Sholom Gala 2023

It is with great pride that Congregation Ahavas Sholom will have its 110th Anniversary Gala on Sunday, August 20, 2023. For over a century, Ahavas Sholom has been a beacon of spirituality for the Columbus Jewish Community and we are excited to celebrate our past and share hopes for the future. 

We are delighted to honor Inna Kinney with the Ahavas Chesed Award. Inna says: “My fondest memories as an 11 year old coming to Columbus, as the first Russian Jewish family resettled here, is spending time with the rabbi of Ahavas Sholom, Rabbi Vilensky and his wife. They saved me from feeling ostracized and made me part of their family. I will forever be grateful for their kindness and influence they had on my life.”  

To help others, Inney  in 2004 helped found ECDI, the Economic and Community Development Institute, a nonprofit focused on economic development. In 2021 and 2022, her company was the largest small business administration microlender in the entire United States. 

We thank Inna,  her parents Lev and Lidia Kucherski, and their families for being supporters and friends of Ahavas Sholom for decades. 

Additionally, Ahavas Sholom is thrilled to award Rabbi Moshe and Kelsey Yachnes with the Young Leadership Award. Kelsey has since been involved in organizing countless shul events, organizing programming for different age groups,  and has served as a member of the shul’s board for the last year. Kelsey has been involved with the Mikvah as well as spearheaded several initiatives for the broader Columbus Jewish community, such as Jewish Women Connect and the Jewish Columbus Fertility Network.
 
Rabbi Yachnes helps the shul in a variety of ways, from putting together and sending out the weekly shul newsletter and announcements to helping the shul fill its rabbinic needs. He regularly leads davening and occasionally gives shiurim and drashas for the shul. Rabbi Yachnes also serves as an active member of the rabbinic search committee and helps keep the shul’s website updated. This is all in addition to his role as a popular and respected Rabbi at the Columbus Torah Academy.
Rabbi Moshe and Mrs. Yachnes have two sons, Yitzy and Ephraim, who both attended Gan Ephraim pre-school this year.

Finally, we are grateful to you, our friends and members, for your continued generous support. We look forward to your participation in this year’s digital ad campaign.