|
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 | 16 Av 5777
|
|
|
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to be writing my first EmetMail letter! After being a congregant here for nearly three years, I ‘crossed over’ and joined Beth Emet’s professional staff as Director of Development in late April. I’m excited to share with you the latest developments about T’RUMAH, Beth Emet’s first Capital Campaign in nearly 18 years.
Let me start with some exciting news—Beth Emet was awarded a Jewish United Fund Security Grant for $50,000, the largest amount available within this program. Please join me in offering a big THANK YOU to the members of the Building Renovation Committee whose expertise was invaluable as we worked on this grant proposal. We plan to use this grant to help fund the new west entrance and related security enhancements.
One of the conditions of this grant is the need to raise $100,000 in matching funds within 12 months. No doubt you will be hearing more about this effort in the coming weeks and months.
Taking a quick look back, the Capital Campaign has made great progress since the official launch earlier this year. To date, we have raised nearly $3.6 million from 105 donors—almost 60% of our goal. Of that amount, we have collected over $1.4 million, of which close to $400k has been contributed to Beth Emet’s endowment.
These generous gifts are the result of hours of conversation and many individual and small group meetings. Each person’s reason for giving is different and often extremely personal, but what these gifts share is the donors’ belief in Beth Emet as an essential part of Evanston’s Jewish, communal, and social action scene.
There are many ways to find out about the latest Campaign news: through updates in EmetMail, occasional snail mailings, periodic Campaign Conversations (open forums to which the entire congregation is invited—our next one will be in November), and of course, through our website. Our new Frequently Asked Questions section shares more details and the most current news.
Some people have commented to me that I have a difficult job within the synagogue; I think I have the best job! I get to meet congregants every day, hear stories, and make connections with people and organizations to raise money for something I believe in. I am inspired at work. Every. Single. Day.
We want everyone in the congregation to participate in the Capital Campaign in some way. Every gift matters, just as every person matters.
L’Shalom,
Wendi Kromash
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tot Shabbat and Kiddush at Noah's Playground
Saturday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m. at Noah's Playground (2611 Sheridan Road, Evanston)
Celebrate Shabbat outdoors at this lively 30-minute service geared toward children under five years old and their parents or grandparents. At this special service, we will sing with Cantor Friedman, dance with the Torahs, enjoy a story, and feast on bagels at the Kiddush lunch.
|
|
|
Weekday Minyan
Sundays at 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, August 13 at the home of Susan Laws and Michael Orenstein
Sunday, August 20 at the home of Nisan and Sarah Chavkin
The Weekday Minyan meets on Sundays to daven the weekday
Shacharit (morning) service and offers a more intimate opportunity to pray with the Beth Emet community. The Weekday Minyan service explores our ritual, liturgical, and musical traditions in a welcoming setting for people new to weekday prayer, while providing a deeper level of sophistication for people with more experience. Participants are encouraged to wear a
tallit and
tefilin if they so choose, and community members are available to assist newcomers to these rituals. The service is followed by a light breakfast of bagels and coffee.
|
|
|
Upcoming Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Friday, August 18 - Rabbi Peter Knobel will deliver the D'var Torah
Friday, September 1 - Luke Sullivan from Arise Chicago will deliver a pre-Labor Day Sermon, "Labor on the Bimah"
|
|
|
Remember Your Loved Ones This High Holiday Season by Including Their Names in
Beth Emet’s Yizkor Memorial Book
This special booklet, published for Yom Kippur, includes end of life resources, Yartzeit information, and meaningful meditations and reflections. Deadline for submissions and contributions is Wednesday, August 31. For more information please contact the
office.
|
|
|
Looking for fun with your toddler? Join our Bonim class!
Every Friday at 9:30 am, for children 12-24 months with a caring adult, we’ll enjoy art, free play, socialization, Shabbat and holiday celebrations and singing with Cantor Friedman.
Interested? Contact
Kathy.
|
|
|
Catch up on past Divrei Torah
|
|
|
The month of Elul encourages reflection, rejuvenation, and renewal, offering us opportunities to prepare ourselves for the High Holidays. Prepare by attending one (or all!) of our special Elul programs. Click on the program titles below to learn more.
|
|
|
Donate School Supplies to Connections for the Homeless
One hundred children in Evanston are served by Connections for the Homeless, and they need your help to be ready for school in just a few weeks. Beth Emet and Connections have a long partnership serving homeless individuals and families. The Social Action Committee has coordinated donations of school supplies in years past, but this year it’s super easy to donate the items the children need. Click on this link and you’ll be taken to Connections’ donation page—the first 10 items are school supplies. You can see what’s needed and sign up for whatever you’d like to donate. Thanks from all the children in the Family Supportive Housing and Tenant Based Rental Assistance programs!
|
|
Evanston Bike Drive at Beth Emet
Sunday, August 20 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Parking Lot)
Working Bikes is a 501(c)3 non-profit which ships over 5,000 bicycles to community organizations throughout Central America and Africa each year. Bicycles help individuals improve access to education, employment, and medical care. Over 1,000 additional bicycles are refurbished and donated in Chicago through Working Bikes every year. Bicycles change lives and create strong communities!
Want to help out? Please consider donating your used and outgrown bicycles of any size. Tax receipts for donations will be available. For more information, please visit
www.workingbikes.org or contact
Alyssa Coffey or 847-309-3034.
|
|
|
For more than 50 years, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (or "the RAC") has been the hub of Jewish social justice and legislative activity in Washington, D.C.
The need for
tikkun olam, world repair, at this moment in history is palpable and enormous. See latest press statements below:
Take Action: Living & Minimum Wage
Take Action: Climate Change and Energy
|
|
|
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!
|
|
|
Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning Has New Program for Jewish Social Service Providers
Orot is thrilled to announce the launch of the Orot Compassion Project, a yearlong immersive training cohort to support social service providers at Chicago Jewish social-service agencies. Register by September 1, 2017. Please direct all questions to:
rebecca@orotcenter.org.
|
|
|
Beth Emet received a grant for $10,000 from Jewish United Fund’s Create a Jewish Legacy (CJL) program after recruiting 18 new members to sign Declarations of Intent and join our Dor L’Dor Society. Left to right: Linda Ginsburg, Steering Committee Chair, CJL Cohort 2; Stephen Reiches, Dor L’Dor Co-Chair; Wendi Kromash, Director of Development; Tamar Wolf, Program Manager, CJL; Todd Wiener, Dor L’Dor Co-Chair. Save the date -- we will be honoring all Dor L’Dor members at a special Shabbat service on December 1, 2017.
|
|
|
A beautiful crop from Beth Emet's
gan (garden) supplements the salad for Wednesday night dinner guests at Beth Emet's Soup Kitchen.
|
|
|
Deaths
Martin "Biff" Juron
father of Eden (Neal) Pearlman, grandfather of Logan and Kyla
Rose Rappaport
mother of Elaine (Steve) Lev and grandmother of Benjamin and Daniel Lev
Ilse Glaser
mother of Peter (Anne) Glaser and Pamela (George) Nashak and grandmother of Andrea and Natalie Glaser
|
|
|
Beth Emet The Free Synagogue
1224 Dempster Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-4230
|
|
|
If you do not wish to receive this email, please
contact us. If you use the unsubscribe button, you will no longer receive any emails from Beth Emet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
