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Wednesday, October 4, 2017 | 14 Tishrei 5778
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Dear Friends,
As I write this, I am sitting in my own sukkah (which we need to still decorate!), thinking about the significance of this holiday in relation to the many crises in our world such as Puerto Rico and Las Vegas, and how we often think we are secure, while in reality, we are vulnerable with our lives hanging in the balance.
I wonder if the Israelites felt this same vulnerability as they fled Egypt and wandered in the desert. To do your part to help those in Puerto Rico, learn more about
Beth Emet's collection drive
.
We see this vulnerability in the
Hashkiveinu
prayer from our evening liturgy. We pray for God to surround us with a
Sukkat Shalom
(Shelter of Peace). When we are most vulnerable, sometimes all we can rely on is that which we cannot see. The courage and faith of the Israelites inspires me to pray for that same Shelter of Peace surrounding those I love, particularly my husband and children, as they leave the safety of our home. I also pray for our Beth Emet family as we all leave the safety of our sacred space and community after being together for worship and other meaningful festivities.
As we have just experienced during the high holidays, there are special, transcendent melodies in our liturgy that help us to think about our place in the universe and our relationship to God. During Sukkot the melodies are intended to invoke vulnerability. The irony of this holiday is that Sukkot is “
z’man simchateinu,
” a time of celebrating and rejoicing. We are commanded to come together as a community for worship.
During Sukkot I encourage you to engage in the practice of dwelling in the sukkah. If you don’t have one, come to ours at Beth Emet and c
elebrate the festival holiday with us beginning
tonight, Erev Sukkot, with a service at 7:00 p.m.
Sukkot morning services
followed by lunch in the sukkah, is tomorrow morning
at 10:00 a.m.
This Shabbat, celebrate Sukkot at the home of Rabbi Andrea and Danny London
(1424 Washington Ave, Evanston) on
Friday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m.
with Shabbat Services followed by a vegetarian potluck dinner. View the rest of our special Sukkot programs below.
The following week, we celebrate
Erev Simchat Torah
on
Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m.
with
spirited worship that includes Beth Emet intergenerational band playing Klezmer-style music enabling us to dance with the Torot to celebrate the completion of the readings for the year. Details for Simchat Torah Morning Services are below.
One last event to mark on your calendar, Kol Emet: the Jewish Music Project will sponsor a
Sermon in Song
for
Parshat Lech L’cha
on
Friday, October 27 as part of Kabbalat Shabbat Services at 6:30 p.m.
You will hear music by Debbie Friedman and other new and innovative Jewish music sung by our Adult Choir.
It is my prayer that each one of you will be sealed for a good year, and that you and your loved ones will continue to be surrounded by Shelters of Peace
.
Chag Sameach,
Cantor Susan Lewis Friedman
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Erev Sukkot Service
Tonight! October 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Services will be held in the Sukkah.
Sukkot Morning Service Followed by Lunch in the Sukkah (babysitting available)
Thursday October 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Sukkot and Shabbat Service at the Home of Rabbi Andrea and Danny London Followed by a Vegetarian Potluck Dinner
Friday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. (Please note the early start time and location. There will be no service at Beth Emet this evening.)
Shabbat Sukkot Service will be followed by vegetarian potluck dinner.
RSVP
’s appreciated. Please contact the office at 847-869-4230 ext. 301.
*If there is rain, please check Beth Emet's website.
Pizza in the Hut for All Families
Monday, October 9 at 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a pizza party in the Sukkah! Please
RSVP
to Eric at or 847-869-4230 ext. 308 and we will order pizza dinner for you and your family. $5 per person.
Open Sukkah
Tuesday, October 10 at 5:00 p.m.
Bring your dinner and enjoy eating in Beth Emet's sukkah with old and new friends!
Garinim (Grades 4 & 5) Simchat Torah Dinner and Program
Wednesday, October 11 at 6:00 p.m.
Our fourth and fifth grade students and their families will celebrate Simchat Torah together on Sunday evening with a festive meal and an engaging family activity, followed by congregational worship and spirited singing and dancing with our Torot. Dinner is $6 per person and $20 per family (of four). Please
RSVP
or call 847-869-4230 ext. 314
Erev Simchat Torah Service
Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Celebrate the completion of the annual reading of Torah! Services include the seven
hakafot
- the festive processions with the Torah through out the Sanctuary. Simchat Torah continues on Monday morning with a festival service and
Yizkor
.
Tot Simchat Torah
Thursday, October 12 at 9:15 a.m.
Perfect for families with children age five and under. Join in singing, dancing, and snacks!
Simchat Torah Morning Service
(includes Yizkor)
Thursday, October 12 at 10:00 a.m.
At this Service, we celebrate the completion of the Torah cycle and starting anew! We will unroll the Torah scroll around the perimeter of the Sanctuary--this is an experience you should not miss. (Babysitting available)
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October 3-20
The pictures in the news are mind boggling; the stories are heartbreaking. Beth Emet is doing our part to provide assistance by partnering with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (NMPRAC) in Humboldt Park to gather much needed supplies to those in need, beginning Monday, October 2 through October 20. You can help by donating items listed below by either dropping them off at Beth Emet’s collection box (located on the first-floor hallway) or by sending items via
Beth Emet’s Amazon Wishlist
to Beth Emet. Each shipping container costs $6,000, and the NMPRAC has also requested money to help defray their costs. Checks can be sent to Beth Emet, and payable to
NMPRAC PR Relief
or
donate online
. For questions contact
Bekki Kaplan or call 847-869-4230 ext. 304.
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As Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, said, “We mourn those callously slaughtered in Las Vegas and pray for the wounded. But our prayers must be followed by action, long overdue limits to the easy access to firearms.”
It is time for us to act. The House of Representatives may still vote on the SHARE Act (H.R. 3668), a bill that would weaken an 80-year-old federal law that regulates the sale of gun silencers. Silencers disguise the sound of gunfire and make it difficult for people - including law enforcement officers - to recognize and locate an active shooter, such as the one in Las Vegas.
We are calling on Congress to reject and immediately forgo a vote on the SHARE Act. Rather than voting on legislation that would severely weaken gun safety laws and threaten the safety of our communities, Congress must implement common sense solutions that will help to prevent the carnage witnessed in Las Vegas from occurring again.
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Shoulder to Shoulder: Chicago Youth Leaders for Migrant Justice First Annual Advocacy Day
Sunday, October 22 | 12:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. at Beth Emet
This event will feature Chicago Kino Delegations and other Nogales delegations including: Beth Emet Youth Group, St. Ignatius, Loyola Academy and St. Viator, Loyola University and more.
RSVP by October 10.
Download flyer.
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Dear Evanstons You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover
Monday, October 30 | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at various locations
Meet new friends while reading and discussing acclaimed books about racial justice in Evanston, Chicago, and the United States.
"The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,"
by Michelle Alexander. This book was assigned for our August gathering, which was canceled so Evanstonians could attend a community vigil after Charlottesville.
Details and sign up
.
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Narcissus in the Temple: A Tale of Death and Desire
with Gila Fine
Sunday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m.
The Evanston Orthodox Minyan and One Jewish Evanston are delighted to be hosting the Israeli scholar Gila Fine over Sukkot. Gila is the editor in chief of Maggid Books at Koren Publishers in Jerusalem. She is also a teacher of talmudic narrative, at the Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University, Pardes, the Shalom Hartman Institute, and WebYeshiva. She was formerly the editor of the journal
Azure: Ideas for the Jewish Nation.
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Memorial Book & Fall Chadashon
If you did not pick up your copy of the Memorial Book on Yom Kippur you may do so in the office until the end of October. Read this year's featured Beth Emet writer, David Barish
here. The Fall Chadashon was also distributed on Yom Kippur; you can
read it online, pick up a copy at Beth Emet, or request it to be mailed to you.
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Catch up on past Divrei Torah from the
High Holidays
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Adult Education Registration is Now Open!
Thinking about learning something new? Seeking a bit more in your life? Try an offering in our new Fall/Winter Adult Education brochure.
Our Fall/Winter 5778/2017-18 Adult Education catalog registration is now open. Here is a link to the
full catalogue
.
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, a blank form will open that you can still register on.
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Travel to Israel with Beth Emet & Second Baptist Church
Go Forth to the Land that I will Show You (Genesis 12): An Interfaith, Dual-Narrative Journey of Discovery and Learning to Israel and the West Bank
November 18-30, 2018
On this unique trip, Second Baptist Church and Beth Emet Synagogue will travel together to Israel and the West Bank with Palestinian and Jewish guides who will introduce us to the complex narratives and present-day realities of a land that is a home to each of our faith traditions.We will visit sites holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims, learn about the modern history of the region, and spend time with Palestinians and Jews to gain greater understanding of the complex realities of the region and greater empathy for all its people.
The tour leaders are Rabbi Andrea London and Pastor Michael Nabors, Second Baptist Church. You need to register online with our tour company MEJDI tours. There are twenty spots for Beth Emet members and twenty spots for Second Baptist members. Please note, flight prices are not included in the price and travelers will have to make their own flight reservations.
See more details.
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Tzedakah Box/Can Collection
October 15-22
The Tzedakah Committee will be collecting Tzedkah cans to help support the committee's mission to grant funding towards organizations that support justice, equality, and community. Cans can be dropped off in the school office during business hours. Tzedakah Committee members will also be collecting cans during Sunday morning Beit Sefer on October 15 and 22.
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Mitzvah Appeal 5778/2017
The Power of Six. Six Events. Six Opportunities. Six Chances to Make a Difference.
The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the
vav
, a letter shaped like a hook (
ו
). A hook holds two things together. The Hebrew translation of
vav
is ‘and,’ a conjunction used to ‘hook’ words together. The
vav
is the first letter of the sixth word in the Torah, a word linking the spiritual with the physical, the heavens with the earth:
Bereshit (Genesis) 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens AND the earth.
This year’s Mitzvah Appeal, dedicated to ongoing programs and services that define our community, links directly to the needs of Beth Emet’s physical space—
our Sanctuary
—represented by our T’RUMAH Capital Campaign.
Save these dates! Invitations will be mailed within the coming weeks.
- Lox, Bagels and Leaders on Sunday, November 12 from 9:45-11:45 a.m.
- How to Raise a Mensch on Sunday, December 3, 2017 – 9:45-11:45 a.m.
- Living and Giving: Essentials You Need Now on Sunday, December 3, 2017 – 3:00-5:00 p.m. AND on Sunday, December 10, 2017 – 9:45-11:45 a.m.
- Rabbi London’s Triple Chai Birthday Bash! on Sunday, December 17, 2017 – 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- Work Those Latkes Off at Cyclebar! on Sunday, January 7, 2018, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Our first event,
Lox, Bagels and Leaders
, is a crowd favorite at Beth Emet! Come for a morning of candid conversation and forthright Q&A, guided by moderator Mark Caro. Co-Chairs for this event are Steve and Becky Galler.
- U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL, 9th District)
- IL Senator Daniel Biss (Democrat, 9th District)
- IL Representative Robyn Gabel (Democrat, 18th District)
- IL Representative Laura Fine (Democrat, 17th District
- Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty (Democrat)
Please give to this year’s special Mitzvah Appeal as much as you are able. We encourage you to equal or exceed your Mitzvah Appeal gift from last year. If you’ve never participated in the Mitzvah Appeal yet, now is the perfect time to start.
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Beth Emet Travels to Germany
Rabbi Peter and Elaine (Goodie) Knobel invite you to join them April 22-30, 2018 on a Beth Emet trip to Germany where we will explore the history of German Jewry, the effects of the Shoah and the rebirth of this historic Jewish Community especially the progressive Jewish community. We will begin in Frankfurt, continue to Nuremberg and conclude in Berlin. The cost is $2845 pp double occupancy land only. The single supplement is $560. If the group is larger than 24 the price will drop by $280 pp. For the itinerary, other details and registration go to
www.arzaworld.com. Traveling together will make this a very special journey. If you have questions or need help with airline tickets please contact Elaine (Goodie) at 847-982-9559.
Limited space still available!
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Beth Emet members honored the memory of Grant Nelson on Sunday, September 24, at the National Alliance of Mental Illness' (NAMI) 5K walk/run.
Grant was the son of Tina and Leonard Nelson, and brother of Todd and Alex.
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Thank you to all of our volunteers and donors who made this year's High Holiday Food Drive to benefit The ARK a great success! We had nearly 50 volunteers and received an estimated 600 bags of food and supplies.
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Jewish Mindfulness Meditation with OROT
Tuesday Evenings at 7:30 p.m. at Beth Emet
Join Orot for evenings of Torah and meditation. Each session begins with a brief teaching, followed by mindfulness mediation and discussion. All sessions are open to everyone. No RSVP’s required, just show up!
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B'nei Mitzvah
daughter of Thea and Jeff Yosowitz
October 7
son of Pablo and Elizabeth Durango-Cohen
October 7
Deaths
wife of the late Sheldon Cohen and mother of David Lee and Rosalind Lee
step-father of Randi (Jonathan) Singer, and grandfather of Max, Luca, and Emerson
Lois Spiller
mother of Eric (Marti Netler) Spiller
Leo James Saidel
father of Lou-Ellen Saidel
father of Liz (Paul) Hletko
Suzanne Ehrenberg
wife of Steven Greenberger
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This marks the second time we are listing contributions in Emet Mail. We are starting this new tradition of including a list, rather than in the bi-annual
Chadashon, to ensure that contributions are acknowledged in a more timely manner. This list includes all donations to funds (whether Foundation, General or Discretionary) but not special campaigns (e.g. Annual Mitzvah, Capital Campaign) which will be formally acknowledged separately.
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The Orot Compassion Project
-
an 8-week training on mindfulness and self-care for Chicagoland Jewish social service agency social workers, clinicians, case workers, etc.
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Beth Emet The Free Synagogue
1224 Dempster Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-4230
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