Tot Shabbat and Junior Congregation are back this Saturday, March 18

Join us as we bring back Tot Shabbat on Saturday, March 18th at 10:00 AM with our own Ms. Carrie! We welcome children ages 0-5 years old with their parent, grandparent, or other adult. Meet us in the Preschool Classroom for music, stories, dancing and a snack!

Junior Congregation will also be back this Saturday at 10:00 am with our own Ms. Rachel! We welcome students in younger grades 1-6 as we lead prayers, learn songs, have our own Torah Service and of course have our own oneg! We hope to see you there!

 Scout Shabbat Service and Dinner, Saturday, March 18

Join us for an afternoon Minhah service led entirely by scouts (past & present) including our own Scout in Residence, Rabbi Marc Rudolph, on March 18th at 4:30PM! During the service all scouts participating will be given an honor acknowledging their commitment to Judaism to be worn on their uniforms. Following this special service there will be a scout themed dinner with familiar camping favorites! Uniforms, shirts, & sashes encouraged; let your scout pride shine!

Sign up today! Cost: $18/Family; $9/Individual

Save the Date! Community Passover Seder - Thursday, April 6 at 6PM

Rabbi Rudolph will lead this year's community seder to celebrate the 2nd night of Passover. Thank you to our seder coordinators Gail Sonkin and Cynthia Summers for organizing the event this year. More details soon!

One Book, One Town

Congregation Beth Shalom is proud to collaborate with Congregation Etz Chaim as part of a One Book, One Town community-wide reading event intended to counter recent acts of hatred in Downers Grove and surrounding communities. EQDG.org and the Downers Grove Public Library are leading this effort, and they have chosen the book Answers in the Pages by David Levithan, “a bold, fun, and timely story about taking action, being brave, and standing up for what’s right.” The goal of this project is to inspire a productive dialogue around empathy and inclusion, and to discover the commonalities that unite us as a strong, caring, and dynamic community. Congregation Beth Shalom and Congregation Etz Chaim will be co-hosting a discussion at Cadence Kitchen (5101 Mochel Drive in Downers Grove) on Wednesday night, April 12th at 7pm. There is no need to pre-register for this book discussion. Food and beverages will be available for purchase for those interested in sampling the restaurant’s wonderful menu of appetizers and drinks. Contact esigale@comcast.net for more information about this program.

New Adult Ed Class - S Y Agnon Short Stories

Mali Sharon will be offering a new adult education course focusing on reading and understanding contemporary Israeli fiction, and seeing what insights this reading can give us into Judaism and Israel. The first three sessions will focus on short stories by

S Y Agnon, winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. These sessions will take place in person at the synagogue on Tuesday Mar 28, Monday April 17, and Monday May 15. You can attend some classes or all. The stories to be discussed will be handed out in advance (in the synagogue office or at previous classes), and class discussions will

be optimized if stories are read in advance. Further details next week.

Save the Dates!!

 Rabbi Rudolph will be retiring this summer after 15 years of service to our community and we want to send him off in style!

Join us as we show our appreciation at services on Friday June 2nd and Saturday June 3rd. Highlights include:  

·    Two interactive talks by Scholar in Residence Northwestern professor Claire Suffrin, author of "The New Jewish Canon.”

·    Deluxe Friday night oneg.

·    Complimentary hot catered lunch on Saturday with live music.

Oneg Hosts Needed

We have several Shabbats that we need hosts for the Oneg. Those dates are: 3/24, 4/14, 4/21. Sign up by completing the online form or, emailing Sara Forster. You also may sign up just to get more involved in our community. Once you sign up, additional guidance on sharing this gift will be provided to you.

New Touchpoints Committee

Judaism is about community. Not only are we an important source of social and religious connections but also a sense of belonging. We share attitudes, values and goals as essential ingredients to enjoying a fulfilling life.

Touchpoints are points of contact of interaction, especially between CBS and our congregants. As a member of the Touchpoints committee, you will function as an ambassador or go-between.

We are looking for volunteers to join the new and exciting Touchpoints committee. If you are a caring person with time to make some monthly phone calls, we invite you to join us on the Touchpoints committee and help our community grow, so that everyone feels like they belong. In as much as this committee is new, tasks and action items will evolve as we move forward together and may include sending out greeting cards, providing Shabbat baskets to new members, and anything else that will help make our community stronger and together. Please contact touchpoints@napershalom.org