Tuesday, December 12 | 24 Kislev 5778
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Greetings!
Chanukah begins this evening with the lighting of the first candle at sundown. We hope you will join in our celebration for all-ages on the fourth night at Beth Emet with a home cooked dinner prepared by
Klei Kodesh (senior staff), games, stories, Torah study, worship, and more. See details below.
Do you need a refresher on the rules to dreidel or if we light the candles from right to left or left to right? We have your back--visit the Chanukah Refresher section below to find all your Chanukah answers and more!
The Beth Emet Staff wishes you a very warm and wonderful Chanukah filled with peace, love, and light.
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Chanukah Refresher
Forget the rules to dreidel or if we light the candles from right to left or left to right? We have your back--click on the links below to find all your Chanukah answers and more!
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Eat, Play, Pray, & Sing
Celebrate the Fourth Night of Chanukah with a Homecooked Shabbat Dinner Prepared by the Klei Kodesh
Friday, December 15 | 5:30 p.m. Program & Dinner | 5:45 p.m. Shabbat Oneg | 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Services
Chanukah Kabbalat Shabbat is always special, but this year it’s extra special! Give yourself a gift by spending the fourth night of Chanukah at Beth Emet with a homecooked dinner, worship, and singing.
5:30 p.m. Program and Dinner
with a festive Chanukah Shabbat dinner prepared by the
Klei Kodesh
(senior staff), crafts, dreidel games, a story by Marilyn Price, and Torah study for adults.
At 5:45 p.m., Oneg Shabbat
for those who do not wish to have dinner. All are welcome.
At 6:30 p.m. Shabbat candle lighting followed by Shabbat worship
that will include the Junior Choir and the Beth Emet Band.
Following services, a Chanukah Oneg with delicious sufganiyot
(please note, while they do not contain nuts, they are made in facility that uses nuts. Nut-free and gluten-free sufganiyot will be available in a small quantity).
Please
RSVP or to 847-869-4230 ext. 301 by Wednesday, December 13. Cost: $10 per adult; $7 for children 5 thru 12; under age 5 free. Free for new members (those who have joined in the past year)!
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Mitzvah Appeal 5778/2017
The Power of Six. Six Events. Six Opportunities. Six Chances to Make a Difference.
The
Mitzvah Appeal campaign helps support essential programs and services that define Beth Emet. This year, working in tandem with our T’RUMAH Capital Campaign, it links those very programs and services with the needs of Beth Emet’s physical space and our spiritual home—our Sanctuary.
At the recent
Living and Giving presentation on financial planning, we heard a lot about the potential impact of the Tax Reform Bill on charitable giving.
Although the bill is still in flux, there may be strategic advantages to making your donation to Beth Emet
this
year before December 31st. If you own appreciated securities, you can gift the shares to Beth Emet and may avoid paying taxes on the capital gains. You may also be entitled to deduct the full market value of your gift, making it a win-win for both you
and Beth Emet.
Consult with your tax advisor or other professional before you make any major financial decisions. Whatever you decide, please support the 2017 Mitzvah Appeal Campaign with a donation. Our goal is $235,000. You can make your gift by clicking on our online
form, or dropping off or mailing a check to Beth Emet. Every gift matters!
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Sunday, December 17, 2017 - 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Crown Room
(Kid-friendly event!)
Admit it, you love a good party and great music and you may have been a beatnik or a hippie back in the day, come groove to 60s music as we rock out and celebrate Rabbi London's birthday with Cake Wars (competitive cake decorating) and dinner. We will provide the supplies for Cake Wars—no experience necessary. All we need is YOU! This event is appropriate for everyone from the very young to the young at heart. No birthday presents, just your presence!
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Decalogue Society of Lawyers Honoring Rabbi Andrea London with the Light of Righteousness Award
Thursday, December 14 | 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at ISBA (20 S. Clark, Chicago)
The Decalogue Society of Lawyers will honor Rabbi London with the Light of Righteousness Award for her leadership in bringing together communities to work for social and racial justice.
Details and RSVP information.
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Tot Shabbat and Kiddush
This Saturday, December 16 at 9:00 a.m.
This lively 30-minute service is geared toward children under five years old and their parents, grandparents, or caregivers. Together we sing with Cantor Friedman, dance with the Torah scrolls, and enjoy a story told by Rabbi London. Afterwards, everyone gathers for a lox and bagel brunch where the children can play and the parents can schmooze.
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Shabbat Morning Kahal Service and Children’s Program
This Shabbat morning, December 16 at 9:45 a.m.
Children ages three to eleven are encouraged to attend Beth Emet’s Shabbat morning Kahal service with their adult family members to participate in a musical prayer service. During the Torah service and D’var Torah, the children will participate in games, activities, music, and crafts with Marci Dickman, Shelli Patt, and a few of our Kahal teenagers.
All families are welcome. If your family would like to participate in our service to lead a prayer, recite the blessing before Torah reading, or participate in some other way, please contact
Debbie Render.
The service will be followed by a Kiddush and a vegetarian potluck lunch. Please feel free to bring a veggie or dairy, no meat and nut-free dish to share.
Kahal is Beth Emet’s intergenerational Shabbat morning service, which meets in the Weiner Room on the lower level every Saturday morning.
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Sanctuary 5778 - Seeking Writers & Artists
Have you been enjoying our
new Friday letters exploring the multiple meanings of sanctuary? Consider sharing with the community your words and/or art on what sanctuary means to you.
This weekly e-mail project, curated by David and Ellen Barish, allows congregants to express themselves in any of a variety of media: speechmaking, poetry, essay, story, photography, film, paint, sculpture, printmaking, textile, sound or music. If you'd like to contribute, please email
Ellen
and/or
David
.
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Winter Break and Building Closures
Beit Sefer - Sunday, December 24 - Thursday, January 4. Classes resume Sunday, January 7.
Early Childhood - Monday, December 25 - Friday, January 5. Class resumes Monday, January 8.
Building Closures - Beth Emet offices will be closed on Monday, December 25, Tuesday, December 26, Sunday, December 31, Monday, January 1, and Tuesday, January 2.
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Kol Emet, The Jewish Music Project, supports wonderful musical events at Beth Emet every year–concerts, lectures, worship. Interested? Come to our next meeting
Sunday, January 7 at 1:00 p.m., at Beth Emet to learn what we do and how you can become involved.
Next up:
Friday January 26, Shabbat Shira with Steve Chaitman and the Beth Emet Adult Choir.
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Beth Emet Camp Scholarships Available for Summer 2018
Application Deadline: January 8, 2018
It is with tremendous appreciation that we say thank you to the Samuel Sherwin Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Gerald D. Chiss Memorial Scholarship Fund of the Beth Emet Foundation, the Harvey Rice Youth Fund, and to those who support them. If you are interested in applying for the summer of 2018, please fill out
this form
by Monday, January 8.
Contact Bekki Harris Kaplan
with any questions.
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Travel to Israel with Beth Emet & Second Baptist Church
Go Forth to the Land that I will Show You (Genesis 12): An Interfaith, Dual-Narrative Journey of Discovery and Learning to Israel and the West Bank
November 18-30, 2018
On this unique trip, Second Baptist Church and Beth Emet Synagogue will travel together to Israel and the West Bank with Palestinian and Jewish guides who will introduce us to the complex narratives and present-day realities of a land that is a home to each of our faith traditions.We will visit sites holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims, learn about the modern history of the region, and spend time with Palestinians and Jews to gain greater understanding of the complex realities of the region and greater empathy for all its people.
The tour leaders are Rabbi Andrea London and Pastor Michael Nabors, Second Baptist Church. You need to register online with our tour company MEJDI tours. There are twenty spots for Beth Emet members and twenty spots for Second Baptist members. Please note, flight prices are not included in the price and travelers will have to make their own flight reservations.
See more details.
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Demanding Dignity: Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders’ Statement of Belief and Commitment on Sexual Abuse and Respectful Relationships
As faith leaders, we speak out in solidarity with all who have been victims of sexual harassment, abuse and violence. The human body is sacred, and harassment and abuse desecrate the holy. We admire the courage of those who have spoken publicly about the abuse they have suffered. Their words are an indictment of our society, which has long turned a blind eye to abuses of power. We all stand guilty for having tolerated for
too long a culture that objectifies women, those who identify as LGBTQ, children, and others who lack the power to assert their rights without threat of reprisal. As clergy, we are also acutely aware that some in our line of work have abused their power and harmed others. No person should feel threatened by another, whether in public or private. No one should feel they need to tolerate harassment because someone is more
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Save the Hebrew Program at Evanston Township High School (ETHS)!
After providing Hebrew as a foreign language option for nearly 50 years, the longest running program among the Chicago-area suburban public high schools, ETHS has made known its plans to not hire a Hebrew teacher for next year, and, effectively, phase out the program. The school's decision is based on low enrollment in the program compared to previous years (which is, in part, due to the school not offering Hebrew 1 last year) and the difficulty the school has had in finding qualified teachers the past few years after many years of stability.
Potential and certified teachers, however, have been identified, but the school has initially resisted calls to interview these candidates. We need to show ETHS that there’s a strong desire to keep the Hebrew program.
ETHS has always prided itself on its diversity. To keep the inclusivity and multiculturalism alive at ETHS, it’s important that ETHS’s course offerings reflect the values of the Evanston community and its high school. The Hebrew program is an important part of what makes ETHS unique and special. With a commitment from the school to sustain the program, and with increased interest from the community, enrollment will rebound and the Hebrew program will continue to thrive and provide a wonderful way to learn a fantastic language and serve as a home to those who take the sequence of Hebrew classes while at ETHS. Many Beth Emet children have benefited from the Hebrew program at ETHS. Let’s make sure the program continues to thrive now and into the future.
Your help is needed to show our support for the Hebrew program at ETHS.
Sign the petition.
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Upcoming Adult Education Courses
Thinking about learning something new? Seeking a bit more in your life? Try an offering in our new Fall/Winter Adult Education brochure.
with Rabbi Andrea London
Shabbat, December 16 at 3:30 p.m.
with Linda Schneider
Wednesday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m.
You can register by
clicking here
and you will be directed to a form. Please fill in your birth date (including the slashes between the numbers i.e. 01/01/2017) and your zip code. This will open up a pre-filled form specifically for you to register on. If we do not have your birth date and zip code on file, please contact
Eric
or 847-869-4230 ext. 308.
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Wednesday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. at Beth El (1175 Sheridan Road, Highland Park)
Candle lighting, songs, eating, and dancing. This inclusive event is open to the community.
RSVP or call Ali Drumm at 847-432-8126.
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Jewish Mindfulness Meditation with OROT
Tuesday Evenings at 7:30 p.m. at Beth Emet
Join Orot for evenings of Torah and meditation. Each session begins with a brief teaching, followed by mindfulness mediation and discussion. All sessions are open to everyone. No RSVP’s required, just show up!
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Beit Sefer families perform
mitzvot by making and decorating cookies to deliver to older adults at
Baking a Difference.
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Mitzvah Appeal program
Living and Giving: Essentials You Need Now on Sunday, December 3 featured short presentations on financial and giving issues you need to know.
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B'nei Mitzvah
son of Jane Burstein and Kate Burstein
December 16
daughter of Johanna and Olivier Visa
December 25
Deaths
(wife of the late Cameron Hendershot), mother of Elizabeth Feldman (Jay Shefsky) and Paul Moss Feldman (Schell McCall), grandmother of Hannah, Leah, Sarah and Emma
mother of Mark (Kathy) Fisher, and grandmother of Alex, Charles, and Sarah
s
ister of Helene Rosenberg and aunt of Jim Rosenberg (Deborah Hamilton)
mother of Barbara (Dr. Edward) Linn and Robert (Julie) Zaideman, grandmother of Stephanie (Dr. Seth Krantz) Linn, Robin (Jason) Saldanha, Douglas and Emily Zaideman, and great grandmother of Samuel, Jacob, Ellie and Max
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A few months ago we started a new tradition of including a current list of contributions within EmetMail, rather than in the bi-annual
Chadashon, to ensure that contributions are acknowledged in a more timely manner. This list includes all donations to funds (whether Foundation, General or Discretionary) but not special campaigns (e.g. Annual Mitzvah, Capital Campaign) which will be formally acknowledged separately.
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Beth Emet The Free Synagogue
1224 Dempster Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-4230
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