Tuesday, August 20, 2019 | 19 Av 5779
|
|
Greetings!
Lately I have been thinking about what it takes to create a
Mishkan, a sanctuary or sacred space. Perhaps my focus is influenced by Tisha B’Av last week, a day that commemorates the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem, or perhaps it is pertinent because our Weiner room, classrooms, and offices at Beth Emet are now under construction. As someone who has lived in four houses in 15 years, I know what it takes to turn a space into a warm and caring home. In a similar way, the sacred space we create at Beth Emet is more dependent upon our inclusive and engaging community and our relationships than on our walls and carpets. It is for this reason that I look forward to the opening of our children, teen, and adult learning programs in September. As we come together to celebrate, to create, to wonder, and to inspire – we encourage each other to grow and to make a difference in our world.
This year, the month of September corresponds to the month of Elul and is filled with programs and learning opportunities to prepare ourselves as individuals, families, and community for the high holidays. Elul learning begins on Sunday, August 25 with a retreat on
T'shuvah (return) –
from Judgement to Compassion sponsored by Beth Emet and OROT, and there are many Elul adult education classes in which to choose to participate. The week of September 7 kicks off our High Holiday programs for families with young children with a Shabbat morning
Shmoozica program. This is followed a week later on September 15, with our opening Beit Sefer family high holiday fair,
ElulPalooza!. Each of these events, as well as the opening of our Beit Sefer and teen classes, provides us with time and space to engage with each other, creating sacred communities – with or without all our walls. The complete listing of Elul programs can be found on
our website.
I look forward to learning with you as we contribute to our sacred community.
Marci Dickman,
Director of Lifelong Learning
|
|
Friday, August 23
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Oneg
6:30 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Saturday, August 24
9:30 a.m. Kahal Shabbat Morning Services
Sunday, August 25
9:00 a.m. Weekday Minyan at the home of Dina Elenbogen and Steven Siegel
10:00 a.m. Early Childhood Picnic (at Central Park in Skokie)
6:30 p.m.
Chavayah-Talmidim
(Grades 9-11) BBQ (at the home of Rabbi and Danny London)
Friday, August 30
5:45 p.m. Shabbat Oneg
6:30 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Services including annual Labor on the Bimah Speaker
Saturday, August 31
9:30 a.m. Kahal Shabbat Morning Services followed by Shabbat Potluck Lunch
Sunday, September 1
Friday, September 6
7:30 p.m. Cantor Kyle Cotler Installation & First Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Service
|
|
Beth Emet Year-End Review
|
|
At Beth Emet, we encourage questions and engage in dialogue to seek answers. In a world filled with a multitude of mediums in which we communicate every day, we constantly question how to best engage with you: our congregants, friends, family, and community. While some still relish the physical feel of newspapers between their fingertips, others are content with the ease of a thumb swiping against a screen held in one hand.
With this in mind, we are experimenting with a new way to tell the story of a year in the life of Beth Emet. This digital publication has five sections (links below), which includes hearing from our clergy and lay leadership (with “read more” options to read the full text), learning more about the various aspects of our community from social justice to education, and an opportunity to experience Beth Emet through pictures and captions. Beth Emet is a thriving community comprised of warm, energetic, spiritual, giving, curious, and engaged members, and it is our hope that you will agree as you read through our Year End Review. Should you wish to have a paper copy of the longer articles,
please contact the office
.
Happy Reading!
|
|
Led by Ellen Rosen Kaplan, LCSW & Tova Markenson, PhD Candidate
Sunday, August 25 | 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Half-day mindfulness meditation retreat
Thursdays, September 12 and 26 | 7:00-8:30 p.m. - Group mindfulness meditation sessions
This month-long exploration of mindfulness meditation practices that will guide us through
avodah sh’balev, the spiritual work of the heart, to prepare for this year’s High Holidays. Our shared Elul journey will include a half-day retreat,
chevruta (partner) study, daily meditation practices, contemplative readings, and group mindfulness meditations. We request that all participants please commit to all meeting dates.
|
|
with Rabbi Andrea London
Saturdays September 7, 14, 21 and 28 | 9:00 – 9:25 a.m.
On Shabbat mornings in September, we will begin our morning with mediation prior to Kahal Shabbat Morning Services.
|
|
Players Auditions
Sunday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Come one, come all to our first Beth Emet Players “Audition” and “Get To Know You” event to participate in Beth Emet’s first musical Players production,
When It All Began…which will take place Saturday, November 2, 2019. The Players originated at Temple Judea Mizpah and are now joining forces at Beth Emet.
The auditions are for us to get to know everyone in order to give everyone parts that best shows off their talents. There is a part for everyone! If you are unable to make the audition, but would like to participate, please contact
Judy Duesenberg or
Gayle Starr.
|
|
Annual Labor on the Bimah Shabbat Speaker
Friday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. (5:45 p.m. Shabbat Oneg)
Shelly Ruzicka, Communications Director at Arise Chicago, will present a sermon titled
Why Work Matters: The importance of faith communities supporting worker struggles.
The great granddaughter of Polish and Czech immigrants, and daughter of a public school teacher, Shelly has spent more than 13 years at Arise Chicago supporting supporting members to share their stories with elected officials, allies, and the press to improve their workplaces and win policy campaigns.
|
|
Wednesday & Thursday, September 4-5, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.*
room C234 at the New Trier Northfield Campus on 7 Happ Road, Northfield, Illinois
Beyond Diversity has been described as a powerful, personally transforming two-day seminar to explore the impact of race in an array of settings. Participants will engage in a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of race and racism. This experience includes opportunities that move participants on their personal journey no matter from where they start. The seminar will be facilitated by Affiliates of the Pacific Educational Group. Beth Emet is a co-sponsor.
Here is the
Register today.
|
|
Cantor Kyle Cotler Installation
Friday, September 6 at 7:30 p.m.
The Installation Service will be conducted by
Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Cantor Doug Cotler of
Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, California. They were Cantor Kyle’s clergy growing up and important inspirational forces in his becoming a clergyperson. Rabbi Paul has mentored 45 rabbinic students, sat on the CCAR board, and authored a book on Jewish Spiritual Parenting. Cantor Doug is a Grammy-award winning composer, third generation cantor, and
happens to be father to our Cantor Cotler. They bring a unique blend of levity, spirituality and insight to the bimah with over 20 years of experience working together.
If you'd like to bake for the dessert oneg following the Service, please contact
Bekki Harris Kaplan
.
|
|
Spend Shabbat Mornings at Beth Emet at Shabbat Shmoozica & Tot Shabbat
Shabbat Shmoozica
Saturday, September 7 at
9:00 a.m. (and every first Saturday of the month)
Tot Shabbat
Saturday, September 21 at
9:00 a.m. (and every third Saturday of the month)
|
|
Interfaith Block Party: Nurturing the Soul of Community
Saturday, September 14 | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (at Unity on the North Shore 3434 Central St., Evanston) Beth Emet participating at 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.)
Fun, fellowship, food ... and a celebration of our Oneness! A great event for families and friends of all ages, with lots to see and do.
Try cool faith activities in our World Religions Walk; help us weave our Canopy of Humanity, a public art project that has your unique identity represented in its strands; enjoy live performances; make some art; bliss out with guided meditations and yoga sessions; and nosh on some tasty treats. Beth Emet is a co-sponsor of this event.
|
|
Did you miss a recent Kabbalat Shabbat Service?
|
|
A Trip to Jewish Art Treasures in Milwaukee
with Lindy Rubin
Sunday, September 1 at 10:30 a.m.
(see details for location/options)
This unique opportunity will take us to several Jewish art treasures in Milwaukee. The group will drive by private cars, meeting at Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun outside of Milwaukee at 10:30 a.m. to see the work of the renowned New York artist Toby Kahn. We will then go to the home of artist Barbara Kohl-Spiro who has a renowned private art collection. We will finish our day at the Jewish Museum in Milwaukee to see the Chagall Tapestry and the Chagall Le Cirque exhibit. This tour will be led by art educator and Beth Emet congregant, Lindy Rubin.
$7 entrance fee to Milwaukee Jewish Museum. Please register and/or to request or offer a carpool contact the
school office or call 847-869-4230 ext. 310.
|
|
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,
Yahrzeit
information, and meaningful meditations and reflections. Deadline for submissions and contributions is Friday, August 31 For more information please
contact the office
or call 847-869-4230 ext. 301.
|
|
Volunteer for Shabbat Connections
Did you know that the Shabbat Connections program provides over 40 Shabbat dinners every year to members of the Beth Emet community? These dinners are prepared and delivered by volunteer cooks and drivers to those who may be ill, home bound, have a new baby, moved into a new home or suffered a recent loss.
We are in need of cooks who can prepare a meal and deliver it to Beth Emet on Friday mornings. If you can help out on a regular basis or even once or twice a year, we'd love to hear from you. We are currently scheduling volunteers for September and October. To volunteer or ask a question, please contact
Arlene Berke or
Kathy Kaberon.
|
|
Beth Emet Tie-Dye T-Shirts
Did you purchase a Beth Emet T-shirt? If you didn’t see a charge on your account, please remember to submit your payment of $18 or let us know you have a shirt and we will add it to your account. We still have T-shirts available, please contact
Marla
to purchase.
|
|
Early Childhood Collaboration with JCC Chicago
Beth Emet signed a formal agreement with JCC to operate an early childhood program at Beth Emet beginning in August 2020.
Read more.
Postponed: Opening Day of Beit Sefer to September 15
The Beit Sefer community was notified earlier this week that further modifications are being made to classrooms, postponing the opening day of Beit Sefer by a week to Sunday, September 15.
Read more.
|
|
JStreet National Conference
Be a part of the Beth Emet J Street National Conference in Washington DC delegation along with Karen Isaacson and Bekki Kaplan at the J Street National Conference in D.C., October 26-29.
Learn more and register.
Use the code BethEmet19 for 20% off. Email
Sam Berkman
or
Karen Issacson
for more
information.
|
|
P-DAT is Beth Emet’s initiative to provide direct, high-impact, person-to-person assistance to asylum seekers upon release from detention. P-DA
T assists asylum seeker by responding to calls made to the
Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants
(ICDI)
hotline. A team of two trained volunteers goes to the ICE office in Chicago to greet the asylum-seeker and provide assistance for them to continue their journey to establish a new life in America. This spring, P-DAT expanded its program from one week per month to two weeks per month. We are growing and looking for additional volunteers to join the team.
Learn more about this innovative program.
Do you have proficiency in a foreign language? Another way to support P-DAT is by becoming an “on-call” interpreter to provide interpretation/translation assistance over the phone.
Learn more about becoming a P-DAT Volunteer.
|
|
Social Justice Committee Meeting
Sunday, September 8 | 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Get involved with the Social Justice Committee! The first half hour of the meeting the committee will provide a light breakfast with time to schmooze. The actual meeting will start at 10:00. Questions? Email
Lisa Levine or
Jessie Macdonald
|
|
In over 50 cities around the country, Jews and allies marked Tisha B’Av with the message: immigrants are welcome here and it’s time to close the camps.
Beth Emet was well represented by Rabbi London and 18 congregants showing up at the Kankakee Detention Center to put their Jewish values into action.
|
|
|
Construction on the West Entrance began last week. We held a caption contest on our Facebook page (they are all winners!) -
view the post to get your giggle on!
|
|
Second floor classrooms are being updated to enhance Beth Emet's educational programs and to prepare for JCC's early childhood program beginning in fall 2020.
|
|
Births
Ilan Zev
son of Steven Chaitman and Mollie Flink
Eleanor Rue
daughter of Ashley Shira Caftori Hodes and Richard Whiteside and granddaughter of Netiva Caftori and Joel Hodes
Micah Dylan
son of Jenny and Steven Kaplan and grandson of Janice Lupu-Kohn
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
