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Purim Festivities!
Saturday March 11: Erev Purim Celebration
The Whole Megillah Reading 5:30pm
Raise your groggers and hear the story of Esther read aloud in Hebrew and English. Enjoy a grownup drink for a grownup story served by members of JRC's Pub Night group (although everyone is absolutely welcome). If you'd like to read (in Hebrew or English-your choice), please contact Cantor Friedland at
[email protected]. You can even show up and volunteer on the spot.
Oy Vey Cafe 7:00pm
Hey... don't leave so fast-where do you have to be anyway, Mr./Ms. Bigshot? It would be a
shonde to miss the annual merriment of our very own parody song-lovin' Alte Rockers and nosh way too many hamentaschen!
Lots of goofy videos, puns and humor are in the forecast.
Sunday March 12: Purim Carnival
10:00am Megillah Reading and Costume Parade with Heavy Shtetl Klezmer Band
11:00am-1:00pm Carnival, Cafe and Cakewalk
Lots of volunteers are needed to make the celebration a success. Parents, please sign up to be a
carnival volunteer!
If you have a sweet tooth,
please sign up to donate cakes or cupcakes..
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Weekly Community Events
Erev Shabbat Service:
Fridays at 7:00pm
Torah Study:
Saturdays at 9:00am
Shabbat Minyan and Oneg:
Saturdays at 10:00am
Ma'ariv Evening Service:
Tuesdays from 7:00-7:30pm
Religious School Tefillah:
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-4:30pm
Choir Rehearsal:
Thursdays at 7:45pm
Tot Shabbat: Fridays from 9:45am-10:00am
Junior Choir Rehearsal:
Sundays from 10:45-11:15am
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Membership Committee Meeting 12:00pm
Israeli Film Night: The Ballad of the Weeping Spring 7:00pm
Jossef Tawila, the legendary tar (lute) player of the Iranian/Israeli band Ensemble Tourqouise, composed the Ballad of the Weeping Spring with Avram Mufradi. On the debut evening of Ballad's performance, a tragic car accident occurs, which destroys the Ensemble. Twenty years later, Tawila sets out to recreate an authentic Persian music ensemble to play the Ballad. Click here to watch a trailer
Friday March 3
Interfaith Immigration Vigil 7:15am
Join JRC members and people of other faiths to advocate for immigrants facing deportation and separation from their families the first Friday of every month at the Detention Center, 1930 Beach St., Broadview, IL. For more information and to arrange a carpool that leaves JRC at 5:45am, please email Tina and Gonzalo Escobar at
[email protected]
Immigration Justice Task Force Meeting 10:00am
The Immigrant Justice Task Force meets to discuss and disseminate information and facilitates opportunities for learning and advocacy on a variety of issues, including refugee resettlement, immigration, and other emerging concerns.
Community Potluck Dinner 6:00pm
Everyone is invited to our JRC community potluck dinner!
Cook up your favorite, most delicious dairy/vegetarian and nut-free recipes to help feed a crowd and enjoy a casual dinner with lots of friends.
RSVP and invite your friends here!
Saturday March 4
Babysitting 9:00am-12:00pm
Drop your child off for on-site babysitting during our morning Torah Study and/or Minyan service.
Gassel Concert Steve Rosen: Bluegrass, Bourbon and Barn Dancing 7:00pm
Sunday March 5
Tablecloth Tanach: Hamentaschen 9:00am-1:00pm
Join with JRC Religious School parents and other members for a holiday-themed cooking lesson and discussion of religious texts. This meeting will be focusing on Purim and the ever-popular hat-shaped cookie, hamentaschen!
RRC/Reconstructionist Movement Identity Exploration 10:30am
Progressive Chevra Kadisha Meeting 2:00pm
When a person dies, Progressive Chevra Kadisha members perform the sacred ritual of preparing the deceased for burial. It is a volunteer organization composed of members of Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, Beth Emet the Free Synagogue, Congregation Or Chadash, Lomdim Chavurah, and Ner Tamid Ezra Habonim Egalitarian Minyan. Members of the PCK serve the partner communities in the traditional role of a chevra kadisha. If you would like to join this meeting or learn more about the PCK, please contact Steven Fox at [email protected] or Larry Goldberg at [email protected]
Tuesday March 7
Adult Ed: Spiritual Autobiography 7:30pm
In a small group of 10, we will explore our own life cycles, beliefs, questions and curiosities, culminating in our own written spiritual autobiographies. This class is currently closed.
Wednesday March 8
Young Adult Visioning Meeting 7:00pm (Not at JRC)
The young adults (20's/30's) of JRC are meeting to brainstorm what we want our group to look like moving forward. We will meet at
Whole Foods (
1550 N Kingsbury St, Chicago, IL 60642).
RSVP to Abby Harris Ridker at
[email protected]
Play Bridge! 7:00pm
Board of Directors Meeting 7:30pm
Thursday March 9
Green Team Meeting 4:00pm
Saturday March 11
The Whole Megillah Reading 5:30pm
Oy Vey Cafe 7:00pm
Sunday March 12
Family Megillah Reading 10:00am
Purim Carnival 11:00am
Click here for more information and to volunteer
Tuesday March 14
Adult Ed: Spiritual Autobiography 7:30pm
This class is currently closed
Parlor Meeting with Rabbi Weiss 9:30am
Click here for more information
Thursday March 16
Parlor Meeting with Rabbi Weiss 11:00am
Click here for more information
Religious School Committee Meeting 7:30pm
Friday March 17
6th Grade Potluck Dinner 6:00pm
Saturday March 18
Babysitting 9:00am-12:00pm
Drop your child off for on-site babysitting during our morning Torah Study and/or Minyan service.
Early Childhood Kids Concert and Fun Night! 4:00pm-7:00pm
Our Early Childhood teachers host another installment of the ever popular 3-hour drop-off Kids Concert and Fun Night!
Think of all the Saturday evening relaxation you can enjoy while your little ones are in the capable hands of the EC crew for a live singalong, theme-inspired playtime, and pizza.
One child is $25, families of two or more siblings, $50. Contact EC director Claudia Rozenberg at
[email protected]
to sign up.
Social Action Salon 7:00pm
At this first meeting of the Social Action Salon,
JRC members are invited to share their own pieces or the words of another writer as we let poetry, personal narratives, monologues, song lyrics, storytelling and short essays elevate our experience of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world.) This is a new,
creative way to connect, reflect, and laugh together while experiencing the powerful, world-changing capacities of live performance and spoken word. Everyone's voice is welcome to this casual, supportive environment
. No performance experience necessary. To get on the performance
roster or for more info, please email Kirsten D'Aurelio at
[email protected]
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High School Program 7:00pm
High schoolers are invited to engage in conversations about Jewish topics relevant to today in a relaxed, informal setting.
Sunday March 19
Book Group 10:00am
Adult Ed: Lintsheray and Jewish-American Liberalism: The Motif of Lynching in American Yiddish Literature 2:00pm
Click here for more information
Modern Hebrew Literature: Nation to Narration 3:00pm
This series surveys modern Hebrew fiction of the last 100 years.
Download this month's reading selection here
Tuesday March 21
Strategic Planning Committee Meeting 7:00pm
Adult Ed: Spiritual Autobiography 7:30pm
This class is currently closed.
Wednesday March 22
Play Bridge! 7:00pm
Ritual Practices Committee 7:00pm
Adult Ed: The Problem of Evil in Biblical, Rabbinic and Kabbalistic Judaism 7:30pm
Click here for more information
Spring Break: Sunday March 26-Friday March 31
No Early Childhood
No Religious School
Tuesday March 28
Adult Ed Committee Meeting 7:30pm
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Gassel Concert
Steve Rosen: Bluegrass, Bourbon and Barn Dancing
Saturday, March 4
7:00pm
Get your free tickets here!
For this year's annual Gassel Concert we invite you to an evening of Americana with bluegrass, bourbon and barn dancing with musician Steve Rosen and his bluegrass band the Money Creek Boys. Enjoy classic acoustic bluegrass music, sweet treats and festive drinks. Paul Tyler, the doctor of do-si-do, will lead American folk dances including country dancing, Polka, square dancing, Contra dancing, and line dancing. No experience or practice is necessary to join in the fun!
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RRC/Reconstructionist Movement Identity Exploration
Sunday, March 5
10:30am-12:30pm
On the surface, the connections between JRC and the Reconstructionist movement may seem obvious - it's in the name! But what are your personal connections to Reconstructionism? The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College/Jewish Reconstructionist Communities is undergoing an identity exploration process and would like to involve you in a facilitated conversation about the College and movement.
Joining us from the RRC/Jewish Reconstructionist Communities will be David Roberts, Chair of the Board of Governors, and Tresa Grauer, PhD, Assistant Vice President for Affiliate Support. Our Rabbi, Rachel Weiss (RRC '09) will join David and Tresa to lead this important conversation.
RSVP Here. Babysitting will be available with advance notice, and you can sign up for babysitting on the registration form.
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Sponsor an Oneg
After each Friday night Erev Shabbat service, JRC members and friends join together to enjoy a sweet treat and some conversation. These onegs are sponsored by members and can commemorate a special occasion such as a B'nai Mitzvah, birthday or anniversary, or can be in memory of a loved one's Yahrzeit.
You can sponsor an oneg either by donating $75 or by baking or purchasing your own vegetarian and nut-free treats to share - your choice.
We need oneg sponsors on these dates:
March 3
March 10
March 17
March 24
March 31
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Upcoming Adult Ed Classes
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Sunday, March 19
2:00pm
Instructor: Marc Caplan
Register Here
Although there is only one recorded instance of a Jew being lynched in America during the early 20th century, Leo Frank in Georgia in 1915, the lynching of African Americans maintains a surprisingly prominent place in American Yiddish literature. This lecture will discuss in detail the American writer Joseph Opatoshu's 1923 story Lintsheray ("Lynching") to examine the resonances of this theme for Yiddish culture--as rallying cry against injustice, as cautionary example against a complacent assimilation of American "whiteness," and as a means to identify with a non-Jewish ethnicity while maintaining a sense of ethnic and cultural autonomy. As the discussion will demonstrate, the protest against American racism becomes a means through which Jewish radicals could identify with American citizenship while maintaining a critique of dominant American values. This notion of critical identification in turn establishes a pattern that continues to shape the character of contemporary Jewish-American liberalism, which resonates further in the character of American liberalism as such.
The Problem of Evil in Biblical, Rabbinic and Kabbalistic Judaism
Wednesday, March 22
7:30pm
Instructor: Miriam Attia
The problem of evil asks, "If God is all powerful and all good, how can innocent people be allowed to suffer?" Biblical and rabbinic sources and the kabbalistic creation story suggest three different responses that appear to be at odds with each other. We will look at these sources together, consider how they can be read as a response to the problem of evil, and discuss the value of each of the three responses for people undergoing different kinds of suffering.
JRC members no charge; non-members $12
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New Dates for Parlor Meetings
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What is your JRC origin story? Rabbi Weiss would like to hear about your personal journey and offer an opportunity to get to know her in a relaxed, informal setting. Sign up for one of three parlor meetings - small group gatherings for JRC members to socialize one-on-one with our new rabbi.
In addition to the meeting dates listed below, more sessions will be added to ensure all have a chance to be included.If your preferred date is full, you can add your name to a waiting list.
To give everyone a chance to meet the rabbi, please plan to attend only one parlor meeting. Please do not register if you have already attended a previous parlor meeting.
Parlor Meeting Dates
Wednesday March 15, 9:30am
Thursday March 16, 11:00am
Sunday April 9, 9:30am
Open to all current adult JRC members
Each meeting is limited to 25 participants (advance registration required; no walk-ins)
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Name: Katie Segall
School: Nichols
Bar Mitzvah Date: February 18, 2017
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love to read, eat, watch TV, and SWIM!!
What is your Tzedakah project?
My project was to volunteer at the YWCA every Wednesday and help coaches teach kids to swim!
What's the most interesting thing you have learned about Judiasm?
EVERYTHING, But what I did like learning about was the 10 commandments (which is my Torah Portion) |
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Thank You and Yasher Koach!
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At the end of JRC board meetings, the board recognizes members who have volunteered their time and talents. We call it the Yasher Koach Corner. Below are full lists acknowledging those members who donated their time to make JRC such a wonderful place and for whose work we are truly grateful.
January Yasher Koach To:
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Jonathan Markowitz for offering to give the B'nai Mitzvah gift on February 11.
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For the January 29 event at the Muslim Education Center: Maria Tolpin
(coordinator), Rebecca Rubin, Tina Escobar, Melissa Mizel, Arlene Sagan, Ann Schmidt, Victoria Landau.
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Rabbi Weiss for leading the Community Shabbat service while the marches were happening on January 21, for building community and for leading another enlightening class on Shabbat liturgy.
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Laurie Goldstein
for her work on Tikkun Olam.
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Terri Bernsohn and the 4
th
grade Religious School Class for making and sending cards to those on the Refuah Shelemah list.
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Deb Drache
for scheduling another B'nai Mitzvah class.
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Jerry Herst
for exploring solar panels for JRC.
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Todd Hasak-Lowy
for leading the ongoing "Modern Hebrew Literature" class.
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Gender Inclusion Task Force members - Juliet Berger-White (chair),
Nicki Bazer, Terri Bernsohn, Claudia Rozenberg, Keegan Sherlock, Jackie Singer, Ronni Lewis, Sharon Diaz, Vickie Korey - for defining JRC's policy and procedures on this topic.
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Juliet Berger-White, Josh Karsh, and Caryn Lederer
for working on the amicus brief to be filed in court.
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To kvell (or shep naches) means to be proud of. This column is devoted to letting our community know about the wonderful things happening in the lives of JRC members. If you or your loved ones have something to celebrate, send an email to Nina Litoff at [email protected].
Mazel Tov To:
Mason Stern, Ascher and Noah Levin, and Katie Segall
on becoming B'nai Mitzvah in February.
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JRC in Bloom: Annual Gala
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On Saturday evening, April 29, 2017, JRC will host JRC in Bloom - a colorful benefit gala where you can have a fabulous dinner and fine wine, schmooze with one another and participate in fun activities and a live auction. You can help this effort by donating something to our live auction or cocktail games, contributing a buy-in party, or offering to underwrite part of the evening's festivities.
Click here to learn more and find all the details (including auction donation forms).
Many thanks to our "Master Gardeners":
Nancy Cunniff & Alan Zunamon, Jean-Pierre Deheeger & Jil Levin Deheeger, Deborah & Joseph Eppstein, Alan & Sallie Gratch, Freddi Greenberg & Dan Pinkert, Barbara & Jerry Israelite, David Kleiman, Fay & Dan Levin, Melvin & Sherry Lopata, Jonathan Markowitz & Ruth Wenger, Margie Morrison Zivin & Mark Zivin, Bonnie & Michael Nolan, Lisa Pildes & Michael Sehr, Barbara & David Pinzur, Edwin Smolevitz & Rhonda Stein
You too can become a "Master Gardener" Underwriter!
If you can support our gala in this important way, please contact
Joel Gratch
at 847-675-0831 or by email.
Thank you for your generosity and support of our community!
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Thank you for your generosity
Tzedakah is a central mitzvah of Judaism, humanizing both the donor and the recipient. JRC has established a series of tzedakah funds in response to members' interests, aiming to serve three functions:
- To support the congregation. All are welcome to membership, to worship, to our school-even those unable to pay full dues. Your contributions make this possible.
- To support important extra-budgetary activities.
- Most importantly, to provide a convenient and meaningful way for JRC members and others to fulfill the traditional obligation of tzedakah as we honor, commemorate, and express gratitude.
We would like to express our gratitude for these donations made between January 31, 2017 and February 24, 2017.
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