A note from Kathy Kaberon
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Tuesday, June 12 | 29 Sivan 5778
Greetings!
It’s construction season at Beth Emet! Work is well underway, and though the construction areas are now strictly off limits, our synagogue staff has been busy moving furniture, sorting through files, emptying closets, carrying Torah scrolls to the Unitarian Church, and generally settling in for a few months of "controlled chaos." Anyone who steps into the synagogue hears the pounding of demolition, and watches many, many cartloads of debris hauled to the dumpsters.
While this may be an inconvenience for some, our Early Childhood students find it absolutely thrilling! Our G’dolim (4-5-year olds) met with Amy Reichert, one of the architects, in early May. She explained the demolition process, and generously solicited the children’s input on color choices for carpet and tile. In the Sanctuary, they compared renderings of the new bima with the ‘old’ Sanctuary. The children carefully spotted every improvement and were excited to be included in the process.
For our students, including our campers this summer, having construction on site is seamlessly woven into the emergent curriculum. Watching the loaded dumpsters towed away, noticing the safety garb of the construction workers, even wondering about the noises made by the various tools—all of this is fodder for investigation. We are hoping that during Camp Kayitz, some of the workers will visit our classes to offer a ‘hands-on’ experience for our students.
Meanwhile, the synagogue is humming along. The offices are open as usual, Shabbat services are held at the Unitarian Church of Evanston (see details below), and Tot Shabbat will be at Noah’s Playground on June 16 at 9:00 a.m. We hope you’ll stop by to visit—no hard hat needed!
Kathy Kaberon
Director of Young Family Programs
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Shabbat Services and Soup Kitchen at Unitarian Church of Evanston
On Monday, May 21, phase one of Beth Emet's renovation began including the Sanctuary,
Hansfield Chapel, Herman Crown Room, and the Foyer/Library. If you have not yet seen the plans, you can find them
online. We are on track to have the project done by August 31, which is the start of the High Holidays with S’lichot on Saturday evening, September 1.
Through August 31
, Shabbat services, b’nei mitzvah and
the weekly
soup kitchen will be held at the Unitarian Church (
1330 Ridge; Evanston),
just one block north of Beth Emet.
Tonight's
Current Politics
with David Zarefsky at 7:30 p.m. will also be held at Unitarian. Parking is available at the church as well as at Beth Emet. Please note that Unitarian Church is handicap accessible. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to be in touch with
Bekki Kaplan or call her at 847-869-4230 ext. 304.
To learn more about the
upcoming building renovations and the
Capital Campaign, please check out the
FAQ
’s on Beth Emet’s website. Indeed the
T’RUMAH campaign truly honors, strengthens and elevates our community!
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Get a piece of Beth Emet history - the Library card catalog is up for auction!
Take a remnant from Beth Emet's library and make it your own! The highest bidder wins double - the card catalog of course, and the proceeds of the sale will be donated to the T'rumah Capital Campaign.
Place your bid today! Auction closes on June 29.
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Saturday, June 16 at 9:00 a.m. at Noah's Playground just north of Evanston's Lighthouse at 2611 Sheridan Road
On the third Saturday of each month this summer, Tot Shabbat travels to the park! Enjoy a morning of worship with Rabbi Andrea London through storytelling and songs followed by a bagel-filled Kiddush and playtime.
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Join
the Beth Emet team in the
Race Against Hate
!
This Sunday, June 17
The Ricky Byrdsong Memorial
Race Against Hate benefits the YWCA Evanston/North Shore, in particular its racial justice programming and violence prevention education for young people.
Ricky Byrdstrong was a former Northwestern University basketball coach who, while walking with two of his children, was murdered by a white supremacist. The race was launched to honor his legacy and to bring attention to the need to combat hatred in all its forms.
The race is the morning of Sunday, June 17 and is for runners and walkers of all ages.
If you are not a walker or a runner the YWCA also needs volunteers for things like checking in runners and passing out water. To sign up as a volunteer call Race Director Trimmy Stamell, at 847-864-8445.
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Thank you to all our contributors and readers of our weekly Sanctuary email project, curated by David and Ellen Barish, that allowed congregants to express their feelings of Sanctuary through writing, song, photography, video, and more. An archive is available on
Beth Emet's website.
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Tzedakah Committee Leadership Transition
Barry Isaacson, a long-time member of Beth Emet, has agreed to be the next Chair of the Beth Emet Tzedakah Committee succeeding longtime chair, Paul Fields. Barry joined Beth Emet in 1979 with his wife Alysa and their sons, Paul and Mark, and has served on Evanston's Commission on Aging, the national board of Human Growth Foundaiton, and was active in the Evanston Baseball and Softball Association.
A big thank you to current Chair, Paul Fields, for his passion and dedication to Beth Emet's Tzedakah Committee. Save the dates for two upcoming Tzedakah Committee meetings, open to all: July 26 and August 23 at 7:00 p.m.
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Yahrzeit, Kaddish, or Mi Shebeirach List
If you have a change or an addition to make to either the
Yahrziet
,
Kaddish
, or
Mi Shebeirach
list that is read during Kabbalat Shabbat Services,
please inform the office by 1:00 p.m. on Friday.
Call 847-869-4230 or
send us an email
.
If you should miss the cutoff time, there are copies of the lists located in the Foyer at Unitarian Church when you arrive. There is a clip board near the prayer books where you can write your change on the correct list. Please also alert the usher or Security Manager, Butch Mayer, if you made changes to ensure that they are submitted to Rabbi prior to the Service. We appreciate your cooperation.
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Sundays at 9:00 a.m. at various locations through September
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. This summer Minyan will be held in members' homes, to be added to the Weekday Minyan listserv, contact
Nisan Chavkin
or
Jonathan Seeskin-Hartman
.
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Week four of construction is underway, and much has happened in a short period of time. Stay updated with the latest pictures which are updated each week by checking out either
the photo album on Facebook or the
photo album on Flickr (requires no login) will be frequently updated during the reconstruction of Beth Emet's Sanctuary, Library, and Foyer. This renovation project is the result of Beth Emet's
T'rumah Capital Campaign. Thus far, nearly 80% of funds have been raised of the $6.13 million goal. Funds are being used towards updating our facilities, enhancing and growing our endowment, and for debt reduction and campaign related expenses. A pledge to Beth Emet's Capital Campaign is an investment that will strengthen our community, advance our mission now and in the future, and build a bridge to the next generation. For more information, contact
Bekki Harris Kaplan.
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Upcoming Adult Education Courses
Thinking about learning something new? Seeking a bit more in your life? Take an enriching course!
with David Zarefsky
Tonight! Tuesday, June 12 | 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Unitarian Church of Evanston (1330 Ridge, Evanston)
with Linda Schneider
Wednesday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Beth Emet
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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Yoga Techniques for Jewish Spirituality: Inspirations for Home Practice led by Suzanne Coffey
Sunday, July 8 |1:30-3:00 p.m. (at Mallinckrodt Center 1041A Ridge Road, Wilmette. Please arrive 10-15 min. early to get situated)
Join Suzanne Rosen Coffey for a participatory workshop incorporating: Hebrew Mantra, Chanting, & Prayer Meditation & Visualization Breath & Embodied Movement. All are welcome at no cost.
Learn more.
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Evanston clergy and leaders "break ground" to signify the beginning of Beth Emet's renovations. More photos from the Ceremonial Groundbreaking from Friday, May 18 can be found on our
Facebook page!
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Children from Beth Emet's Early Childhood Program G'dolim class (4 & 5 year-olds) celebrated their "graduation" with a special ceremony and prayer with their parents, teachers, Cantor Friedman, and Rabbi London.
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We thank all those who have made generous this past month in honor of of in memory of someone special. It's a great way to send a card while supporting Beth Emet. To make a donation check out the
online form or you can send a check to the office letting us know who we should notify and for what occasion. Thank you!
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B'nei Mitzvah
son of Ariel and Jennifer Goldfarb
June 2
son of Matt and Sharon Mitzen
June 9
son of Debra Comess and David Muzzall
June 9
son of Judd and Shawna Ross
June 11 (in Israel)
daughter of Amy Milner and Ben Gorvine
June 16
Death
David Singer
husband of Pauline Singer
Dan Donohue
uncle of Sarah (Nisan) Chavkin
In the Beth Emet Family
On May 6,
Leni Weil
received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Selfhelp Home for her more than 60 years of volunteering and leadership.
On June 4 at the Skokie Village Board meeting, the Skokie Fine Arts Commission presented
Ellen Blum Barish
with the 2018 Skokie Award for Artistic Excellence.
Let us know if good news to share with the congregation! Contact
Bekki Harris Kaplan
for more information.
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Beth Emet The Free Synagogue
1224 Dempster Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-4230
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