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 JRC in Bloom Gala
Saturday April 29, 2017
Every year, JRC throws a fabulous party for members to enjoy together with delicious food and fine wines, entertainment and a live auction. The purpose of the night is twofold: to have a great time together, and also to raise important funds to support our congregation. JRC in Bloom is going to be the best gala ever...but not without you! Don't miss your chance to get in on the fun. Get your tickets today! The deadline for ticket RSVPs is April 24.
Many thanks to our "Master Gardeners":
Nancy Cunniff & Alan Zunamon, Jean-Pierre Deheeger & Jil Levin Deheeger, Deborah & Joseph Eppstein, Alan & Sallie Gratch, Freddi Greenberg & Dan Pinkert, Barbara & Jerry Israelite, David Kleiman, Fay & Dan Levin, Melvin & Sherry Lopata, Jonathan Markowitz & Ruth Wenger, Margie Morrison Zivin & Mark Zivin, Bonnie & Michael Nolan, Lisa Pildes & Michael Sehr, Barbara & David Pinzur, Edwin Smolevitz & Rhonda Stein
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Weekly Community Events
Erev Shabbat Service:
Fridays at 7:00pm
Torah Study:
Saturdays at 9:00am
Shabbat Minyan and Oneg:
Saturdays at 10:00am
Ma'ariv Evening Service:
Tuesdays from 7:00-7:30pm
Religious School Tefillah:
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-4:30pm
Choir Rehearsal:
Thursdays at 7:45pm
Tot Shabbat: Fridays from 9:45am-10:00am
Junior Choir Rehearsal:
Sundays from 10:45-11:15am
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Saturday April 1
Lula Garfield Bat Mitzvah 10:00am
The entire JRC community is invited to celebrate with Lula Garfield and her family as she is called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah. A special aliyah will be given to members of the JRC community.
Sunday April 2
Rosh Chodesh Group Planning Meeting 1:00pm
Celebrate! Network! Learn! about Welcoming the Stranger 2:00pm
Tuesday April 4
Service to Man Film Screening 7:00pm
Wednesday April 5
Feminist Torah Study
Click here for more information
Israeli Film Night
: Tel-Aviv-Jaffa 7:00pm
Produced in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Tel Aviv, this two-part film explores the rich and complex history of Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
Film provided by The National Center for Jewish Film.
Gala Committee Meeting 7:00pm
Get your tickets to JRC in Bloom today!
Friday April 7
Interfaith Immigration Vigil 7:15am
Join JRC members and people of other faiths to advocate for immigrants facing deportation and separation from their families the first Friday of every month at the Detention Center, 1930 Beach St., Broadview, IL. For more information and to arrange a carpool that leaves JRC at 5:45am, please email Tina and Gonzalo Escobar at
[email protected]
Early Bird Service 5:30pm
Erev Shabbat Service and discussion of Un-American by Rich Cahan 7:00pm
Saturday April 8
Matthew Small Bar Mitzvah 10:00am
The entire JRC community is invited to celebrate with Matthew Small and his family as he is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. A special aliyah will be given to members of the JRC community.
Sunday April 9
Parlor Meeting with Rabbi Weiss 9:30am
Rabbi Weiss wants to meet you! In this series of small meetings you will get the chance to share your personal JRC stories with our new Rabbi and get to know her in an relaxed and informal setting. To give everyone a chance to meet the rabbi, please plan to attend only one parlor meeting. Please do not register if you have already attended a previous parlor meeting. Open to all current adult JRC members. Each meeting is limited to 25 participants (advance registration required; no walk-ins)
Register Here
Zumba Buy-In Party 2:00pm
April 10 - April 17
Passover: No Religious School
Monday April 10
Erev Passover: JRC Office Closes at 1:00pm
Tuesday April 11
Passover: JRC Office Closed
Passover Festival Service 10:00am
Wednesday April 12
Play Bridge! 7:00pm
Board of Directors Meeting 7:30pm
Monday April 17
Passover: JRC Office Closed
Passover Yizkor Service 10:00am
Tuesday April 18
Adult Ed: Spiritual Autobiography 7:30pm
This class is currently closed.
Wednesday April 19
Strategic Planning Committee Meeting 7:00pm
Parlor Meeting with Rabbi Weiss for Young Adults 7:00pm
This meeting for young adults (20's-30's) is a fun way to meet other young people at JRC and get to know our new Rabbi in a relaxed and informal setting.
The meeting is limited to 25 participants (advance registration required; no walk-ins). JRC member registration is open now; non-member registration opens next week. Register Here
Friday April 21
4th Grade Potluck Dinner 6:00pm
4th grade families are invited to share dinner together. Please bring a vegetarian and nut-free dish to share.
Erev Shabbat Service with Chicago Children's Choir 7:00pm
Saturday April 22
Solomon Greene Bar Mitzvah 10:00am
The entire JRC community is invited to celebrate with Solomon Greene and his family as he is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. A special aliyah will be given to members of the JRC community.
High School Program 7:00pm
High schoolers are invited to engage in conversations about Jewish topics relevant to today in a relaxed, informal setting.
Sunday April 23
Religious School Open House 9:00am-1:15pm
Do you, your friends or relatives have kids ready to begin their religious education? Join us for the morning and learn about our Religious School. You'll get a chance to sing along with Cantor Friedland and Rabbi Weiss, check out our innovative and fun classes, and enjoy a cup of coffee and chat with parents who have children in our school. Early Childhood parents, prospective members, and friends are invited and will be warmly welcomed. Questions? Contact Terri Ginsberg Bernsohn, JRC's Religious School Director at [email protected] for more information.
Rosh Chodesh Service 10:00am
B'nai Mitzvah Logistics Meeting 10:45pm
This informal meeting for 5th and 6th grade families will cover the overall timeline of the b'nai mitzvah year, as well as expectations of the students in terms of service attendance and social justice projects. Questions about catering and vendors will also be discussed.
Earth Day in the JRC Garden 10:30am
Celebrate Earth Day in the JRC Garden! Join one of the JRC Gardeners in a walk through JRC's landscape. Find out what is planted, where and why, and how we are working toward sustainability. Help keep our garden green by joining in the Spring Garden Clean-up. Meet at the garden path, by JRC's Mulford entrance. Bring garden gloves if you have them.
Modern Hebrew Literature: Nation to Narration 3:00pm
This series surveys modern Hebrew fiction of the last 100 years.
Adult Ed: Spiritual Autobiography 7:30pm
This class is currently closed.
Wednesday April 26
Play Bridge! 7:00pm
Adult Ed Committee Meeting 7:30
F
riday April 28
Camp JRF Themed Erev Shabbat Service 7:00pm
Saturday April 29
5th and 6th grade Students and Parents Learning Service 10:00am
JRC in Bloom Annual Gala 6:00pm
Sunday April 30
Spring Bird Walk 7:30am
Hosted by JRC member Judy Pollock (former Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Chicago Region), this year's bird walk will be held at Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Chicago's Lincoln Park at Addison and the lakeshore. More details and registration coming soon.
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Celebrate! Network! Learn! about Welcoming the Stranger
S
unday April 2
2:00pm-4:00pm
JRC is now a HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) Welcome the Refugee Congregation. Explore more about refugee and immigration justice initiatives at JRC and learn how you can take action to put the Jewish value of Welcoming the Stranger into practice. Organizations including HIAS Chicago, CRLN (Chicago Religious Leadership Network) and the Shalom-Salaam Music Project will be at JRC to provide information and activities. Families are welcome!
We will be collecting donations:
- Art supplies for children (paper, markers, crayons)
- Backpacks and hygiene products for men and women just released from immigrant detention, who may have nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
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Service to Man Film Screening
Tuesday, April 4
7:00pm
Join filmmaker Aaron Greer for a viewing and a discussion of the soon to be released, Tallgrass Film Festival nominee,
Service to Man.
Short synopsis: Two outsiders from radically different backgrounds struggle to find common purpose within the pressure cooker of Nashville's all-black medical school in the 1960's. When everyone was choosing sides, they chose each other.
The film is about race, social justice, a country in transition during the peak of Martin Luther King Jr.'s work, and so much more. The film is based on a true story at Nashville, Tennessee's Meharry Medical College during the 1960's. Meharry's motto was "Worship of God Through Service to Mankind."
About Aaron Greer:
Aaron Greer is an award-winning, independent filmmaker whose work has screened on public TV and film festivals world-wide. The Chicago-based filmmaker is also an Associate Professor at Loyola University, where he directs the Film and Digital Media program. He is a cousin of JRC members Beth Lange and Robert Lange.
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Photo by Ravi Ganapathy |
Feminist Torah Study
Starts April 5
This new monthly daytime Torah study group taught by Rabbi Rachel Weiss looks at the weekly parshah through a feminist lens. Use feminist theory, contemporary experiences and scholarly work to explore themes and texts. People of all genders welcome - bring your lunch or snacks, your favorite Torah commentary, and yourself!
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Special Friday Night Services in April
Friday April 7
5:30pm Early-Bird Service
Bring your family for a 30 minute early-bird service! Join our rabbi and cantor for music and Shabbat in a festive, kid-friendly Shabbat experience. Whether on the rug with toys or in your seat with instruments, come and sing in Shabbat!
6:00pm Community Potluck Dinner
Everyone is invited to our JRC community potluck dinner!
Cook up your favorite, most delicious dairy/vegetarian and nut-free recipes to help feed a crowd and enjoy a casual dinner with lots of friends. RSVP and invite your friends.
 7:00pm: Erev Shabbat Service - Ring in Shabbat with song and reflection as our rabbi and cantor lead us into the season of Passover. Be this week's Erev Shabbat oneg sponsor!
8:00pm Discussion of Un-American by Rich Cahan Grab a nosh at our Oneg Shabbat and join us for Un-American: A discussion with JRC member and teacher Rich Cahan about his new book Un-American: The Incarceration of Japanese Americans During World War II: Images by Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Other Government Photographers.
During Japanese Internment in WWII, the US government hired famed photographers Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, and others to document their expulsion. These photographs, exactly 75 years after the evacuation began, give an emotional, unflinching portrait of a nation concerned more about security than human rights. Authors Richard Cahan and Michael Williams tell this story with brilliant pictures that help us better understand this important chapter in U.S. history.
Friday April 21
4th Grade Potluck Dinner 6:00pm
4th grade families are invited to share dinner together. Please bring a vegetarian and nut free dish to share.
Erev Shabbat Service with Chicago Children's Choir 7:00pm
JRC welcomes the Chicago Children's Choir, conducted by JRC's own Choir Director Danny Wallenberg, to perform during this special Shabbat service. Be this week's Erev Shabbat oneg sponsor!
Friday April 28
Camp JRF Themed Shabbat 7:00pm
Whether you have been to the Reconstructionist summer camp Camp JRF or you just like the camping spirit, come to sing together for a member-led Shabbat with young adult alumni and friends.
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Family Kallah 2017
Memorial Day Weekend: May 26 - 28
Register Here (Limited Spots Left)
It's like camp for the whole family!
Each spring, JRC members get out of the city to spend Friday to Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend with family and friends at Perlman Retreat Center in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. The weekend is filled with learning, praying, socializing, sports, singing, dancing, games, and of course a talent show! During the weekend, adults have the opportunity to study with clergy, while the kids are invited to join Kamp Kallah for fun activities. There is also plenty of free time to connect with family and friends and forge new relationships. This year will be extra special because Rabbi Rachel Weiss and her family will be joining us for their very first Kallah!
Space is limited, and spots are filling up fast. Due to demand for this program, we cannot guarantee your spot until registration is complete. We will notify registrants by April 15th about whether or not they have a spot at this year's Kallah. If you do not get a spot, your payment will be refunded in full.
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Instructor:
Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
This class is a series and meets on Wednesday, May 3, 10, and 24.
The Rabbi of the Warsaw Ghetto, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, was one of the preeminent hassidic luminaries of the early 20th century. We will be studying essential selections from his book Conscious Community: A Guide to Inner Work, with an eye towards shaping intentional community, and working to deepen our mindfulness, self-awareness, and Jewish practice. The three-part series is suitable and accessible for beginners and experienced students of hassidic thought and practice. Fluency with Hebrew not required
JRC members $18; non-members $36
About the Presenter:
Rabbi Sam Feinsmith is a co-founder of Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning, and directs the Center for Jewish Mindfulness at Orot. He currently directs the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's Educating for a Jewish Spiritual Life pilot, which supports teachers, counselors, and administrators at Jewish day schools and summer camps to integrate mindfulness practice into work with Jewish youth.
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Name: Lula Garfield
School: Baker Demonstration School
Bar Mitzvah Date: April 1, 2017
What are your hobbies/interests?
I was born in New York and I moved here when I was about 3 years old. I love to play basketball. I like baking, going to school and hanging out with my friends.
What is your tzedakah project?
My tzedakah project is collecting socks to give to homeless youth. My goal is to collect 600 pairs of socks to help.
What's the most interesting thing you have learned about Judaism?
The most interesting thing that I have learned about Judaism is that we light the menorah for 8 nights because that is how long the oil lasted long ago. |
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Name: Matthew Small
School: McCracken Middle School
Bar Mitzvah Date: April 8, 2017
What are your hobbies/interests?
I like to draw and film and then edit videos that I do for fun. I also like to listen to and create music.
What is your tzedakah project?
I play clarinet in my school's symphonic band. My instructor has a tutoring program for the younger students and I will be tutoring the 4th and 5th grade clarinet beginners.
What's the most interesting thing you have learned about Judaism?
Learning the language and how to read Hebrew. Also, how JRC welcomes everyone as part of a community. |
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Name: Solomon Greene
School: Nichols Middle School
Bar Mitzvah Date: April 22, 2017
What are your hobbies/interests?
I like to play sports especially baseball and run cross-country and track. I collect baseball cards and love the Cubs. I play clarinet in the Nichols Band.
What is your tzedakah project?
My tzedakah project is to help Connections for the Homeless by assembling survival kits and bringing food to the shelter.
What's the most interesting thing you have learned about Judaism?
I have enjoyed thinking about how Judaism applies to current events in class this year. |
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To kvell (or shep naches) means to be proud of. This column is devoted to letting our community know about the wonderful things happening in the lives of JRC members. If you or your loved ones have something to celebrate, send an email to Nina Litoff at [email protected].
Mazel Tov To:
Judy Pollock for receiving the American Birding Association 2017 Betty Petersen Award for Conservation and Community.
Read about the award here!
Erica Kemmerling (daughter of Susan Cherry) and Stephen Kemmerling on the birth of their daughter Liliana Iris Kemmerling, in Boston.
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Thank you for your generosity
Tzedakah is a central mitzvah of Judaism, humanizing both the donor and the recipient. JRC has established a series of tzedakah funds in response to members' interests, aiming to serve three functions:
- To support the congregation. All are welcome to membership, to worship, to our school-even those unable to pay full dues. Your contributions make this possible.
- To support important extra-budgetary activities.
- Most importantly, to provide a convenient and meaningful way for JRC members and others to fulfill the traditional obligation of tzedakah as we honor, commemorate, and express gratitude.
We would like to express our gratitude for these donations made between February 24, 2017 and March 27, 2017
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