Dear Beit Sefer and Gesher Parents,
As we are nearing the month of Elul—a time of reflection, rejuvenation, and renewal—we take time to think about where we stand, and where we are going. Individually, we are continually on our own journey, and as a community, Beth Emet is also on a journey. We have been working hard this summer to transform our physical space to make improvements to the west entrance, classrooms, and the Weiner Room. A journey is rarely linear—there are twists and turns and bumps in the road that keep us from continuing straight.
As
we shared last week
, we recently completed negotiations and signed a contract with JCC Chicago to begin operating an early childhood program in our space beginning in the fall of 2020. This requires significant modifications to our classrooms including improving the HVAC systems for those areas.
Despite our best intentions and tremendous investments in time and effort, our classrooms will not be fully ready in time for the scheduled start date of Beit Sefer and Gesher on Sunday, September 8.
In the Talmud there is a beautiful expression:
gam zu l’tova
, “This, too, is for the good.” While we realize this delay may cause inconvenience, we also know these improvements to the classrooms will bring comfort and enhance our educational programs.
As a result, we will not be opening Beit Sefer on September 8. Rather, on September 15 we will begin Beit Sefer with a celebration for all families with children in kindergarten to sixth grade:
ElulPalooza
!
This fun and engaging event will get us prepped for the High Holidays! Our Gan Yom Rishon class will begin with a family trip to an apple orchard (details to follow). Gesher classes will also begin on September 15.
ElulPalooza!
will include baking, singing with Cantor Kyle Cotler, storytelling, art, games and more. Lunch is included at the end of the morning. Watch your email for further details.
We thank you for your continued support to Beth Emet, and again, apologize for any inconvenience.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, September 15.
Marci Dickman, Director of Lifelong Learning
Bekki Harris Kaplan, Executive Director
Karen Isaacson, President, Board of Trustees
