While we cannot be together physically, the importance of community and staying connected is more important than ever. |
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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Challah Midrash Corner
Debbie Render baked this beautiful challah midrash for Parshat Emor: a sheaf of barley (an Omer) in honor of Lag B’Omer. Emor tells us to bring a sheaf of elevation offering and count off seven weeks between celebrating Pesach and Shavuot.
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Missed Friday's D'var Torah?
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7:30 pm
Movie with Mark: The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Big Lebowski (1998). Circle your calendars, tell your friends, because not only are we featuring the Coen brothers’ most quotable movie (and one that honors the Shabbos), but we’ve got an amazing guest: The Dude himself, Jeff Dowd. The Coen brothers knew Jeff when he was a film publicist and based Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski on him, with another Jeff (Bridges) taking the role. This Jeff has stories to tell...You can find the film at this link.
Zoom Link -Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 949 7025 6130 | Passcode: 1224
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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10:30 am
Ruth and Rahav with Hyma Levin
Ruth and Rahav: one a Moabite and one a Canaanite; one an ancestor of King David and one a prostitute. Each woman is part of Tanach and each is honored by our tradition. Who are these women and what is their story?
No fee for members; $15 fee for non-members.
Hyma Levin, Beth Emet’s Director of Education Emerita, has been a Jewish educator for more than forty years. She is a member of the Chicago Coalition for Interreligious Learning: Catholics | Jews | Muslims Working Together, and taught by request in Catholic elementary and high schools for more than fifteen years. A Life Member of Hadassah, Hyma facilitated a leadership-training program for the Chicago-Northshore Chapter. She has taught in a variety of adult education venues in the area.
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 874 6886 7175 | Passcode: 1224
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11:30 am
Daily Meditation
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7:30 pm
The Evolution of Reform Kabbalat Shabbat Services from 1934 to the Present with Cantor Kyle Cotler
We will examine the events and people that fomented changes in our liturgical and musical worship experience. We will explore how the influences of the Protestant Germanic chorale tradition, baby boomers, the counter-culture folk movement, and summer camps all played a role in how we sing and pray today.
Zoom Link-Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 845 8808 8656 | Passcode: 1224
7:30 pm
Orot Live Zoom Meditation
In times of chaos, we can all try to cultivate a consciousness of more kindness, more generosity, more compassion, more calm, so we can bring these attributes, these middot into the world through our actions. Join Orot Center for Jewish Learning for these Tuesday evening meditations and sits.
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Wed
May 5
Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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11:30 am
Daily Meditation
At your Leisure...
RSVP for Beth Emet Town Hall on Monday, May 10. As we recently shared in an email to the congregation plans are being developed to slowly reopen the building in a safe way that ensures the health and well-being of all those involved. Mark your calendars and join our next Town Hall meeting on Monday, May 10 at 7:00 pm in which we will discuss the re-opening plan and other important updates. We'll also be sharing our initial thinking for the High Holy Days and Beit Sefer, will hear an overview of the reparations initiative in Evanston, and will address your questions. Please submit questions in advance of the meeting. You can also RSVP here.
Sign Up to receive daily messages of inspiration until Shavuot!
During the seven weeks of the Omer, between the second night of Passover and Shavuot, we consider what our ancestors did as they journeyed these 49 days, preparing to receive Torah, and becoming more and more aware of God’s presence in the world.
These days also link us to our story of redemption at Passover and revelation at Mt. Sinai. What can we do to prepare to receive Torah at Shavuot? How can we become more aware of God’s presence and of enacting our being in God’s image? Using these 49 days to count the Omer and to reflect on ourselves, we can be more prepared to face the giving of the Torah, its guidelines, and the presence of God or of mystery in our lives.
To help us prepare for our Shavuot, Beth Emet will be sending out messages of inspiration each day between tomorrow, Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer (a day of celebration), and Shavuot. Congregants who have engaged in tikkun middot, balancing our soul traits, will share some of their learnings, their Torah with us. We invite you to sign up to receive daily emails until May 16.
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Thurs
May 6
Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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10:00 am
Qigong with Netiva Caftori
There are so many moving parts in our day to day lives. Our very own Netiva Caftori, invites us to experience the healing practice of Qigong with her. Qigong is a millennia-old system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health and spirituality. Beginners are encouraged to try out this session.
11:30 am
Daily Meditation
7:30 pm
Israel, Arabs, and Driving Peace Through Business.
Since the days of Ben Guiron, Israel has seen trade with its neighbors as a path to security through peace. In some cases this has been very successful, and in some cases less successful. We are presently seeing a resurgence of these efforts in the Gulf. How will this impact the future security of Israel, and how will this impact the future of the Palestinians?
Zoom Link-Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 896 4606 4017 l Passcode: 1224
Zach Selch has been selling in the Gulf States for over 30 years and was part of the economic team supporting the Oslo negotiations. Having worked for several Israeli high tech companies and the Israeli Government as well as having lived in an Arab country and traveled extensively through the Arab world, Zach has insights into how commercial activities are supporting Israel's security.
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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9:30 am
A Close Look at Torah with Rabbi Andrea London
There are many ways to interpret Torah and its nuances of meaning that are often overlooked. We will continue our learning from last year, reading and interpreting the text of the Book of Deuteronomy line by line. New learners are always welcome. Texts will be provided.
No fee for members, non-member fee $100
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 880 3271 0378 l Passcode: 785827
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11:00 am
The Universal and the Particular: The Wisdom of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks with Rabbi Marianne Novak
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z’l was the Chief Rabbi of the UK, a sought-after voice in Judaism who spoke and wrote prolifically on morality, ethics, social justice, science, and religion. We will explore together one example of his wisdom — his commentary on the Torah portion for the week of our class, Behar-Bechukotai.
Member fee $15 or included in Friday package; non-member fee $25.
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 841 4156 2594 | Passcode: 1224
Rabbi Marianne Novak is an instructor and curriculum developer for the Florence Melton Adult School of Jewish Learning and taught Tanakh locally at Rochelle Zelle Jewish High School. She has lectured for many Jewish organizations and synagogues, and writes a blog for the Times of Israel. Rabbi Novak received an A.B. in Political Science from Barnard College, a J.D. from Washington University School of Law, and was ordained in 2019 at Yeshivat Maharat.
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11:30 am
Daily Meditation
6:15 pm
Z’oneg
Login to services a few minutes early to wish everyone a Shabbat Shalom. As we continue to find new ways to connect, stay a few minutes after services to say hello – just like we would do in the lobby following services!
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 853 5684 6772 / Passcode: 1224
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6:30 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Ph: 312-626-6799 -Meeting ID: 853 5684 6772
Passcode: 1224
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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9:30 am
Kahal Shabbat Morning Service
Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 813 2237 5514/ Passcode: 1224
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3:30 pm
Shabbat Afternoon Stroll for Families with Young Children
Come with your stroller, scooter, trike or bike to the Beth Emet parking lot for a safe, fun Shabbat afternoon. We’ll have goodies for the kids, and end with Havdalah. Whether you're a member of Beth Emet or searching for a synagogue, come meet other families for a relaxing afternoon. Register here.
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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9:00 am
Weekday Minyan
Zoom Link Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 883 0113 9619 / Passcode: 075031
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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11:30 am
Daily Meditation
7:00 pm
Beth Emet Town Hall
As we recently shared in an email to the congregation plans are being developed to slowly reopen the building in a safe way that ensures the health and well-being of all those involved. Mark your calendars and join our next Town Hall meeting on Monday, May 10 at 7:00 pm in which we will discuss the re-opening plan and other important updates. We'll also be sharing our initial thinking for the High Holy Days and Beit Sefer, will hear an overview of the reparations initiative in Evanston, and will address your questions. Please submit questions in advance of the meeting. You can also RSVP here.
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Countdown to Shavuot-
One Middah @ a Time
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10:30 am
Ruth and Rahav with Hyma Levin
Ruth and Rahav: one a Moabite and one a Canaanite; one an ancestor of King David and one a prostitute. Each woman is part of Tanach and each is honored by our tradition. Who are these women and what is their story?
No fee for members; $15 fee for non-members.
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 874 6886 7175 | Passcode: 1224
Hyma Levin, Beth Emet’s Director of Education Emerita, has been a Jewish educator for more than forty years. She is a member of the Chicago Coalition for Interreligious Learning: Catholics | Jews | Muslims Working Together, and taught by request in Catholic elementary and high schools for more than fifteen years. A Life Member of Hadassah, Hyma facilitated a leadership-training program for the Chicago-Northshore Chapter. She has taught in a variety of adult education venues in the area.
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 - Meeting ID: 874 6886 7175 | Passcode: 1224
11:30 am
Daily Meditation
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7:30 pm
Current Politics with Dr. David Zarefsky
A continuing lecture-discussion class on contemporary public issues of interest to Jews as citizens. We will focus primarily on United States national and international policy related to economic, diplomatic, and military issues, including relations with Israel and other nations. Special attention will be given to the policy and political issues facing the Biden administration.
No fee for members; non-member $10.
Meeting ID: 816 4307 2931 | Passcode: 1224
Dr. David Zarefsky is the Owen L. Coon Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Northwestern University, specializing in argumentation and the analysis and criticism of American political discourse. David is a former president of the National Communication Association, the Rhetoric Society of America, and the Central States Communication Association. In 2012 he received the Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award from the National Communication Association. David is a past president of Beth Emet.
7:30 pm
Orot Live Zoom Meditation
In times of chaos, we can all try to cultivate a consciousness of more kindness, more generosity, more compassion, more calm, so we can bring these attributes, these middot into the world through our actions. Join Orot Center for Jewish Learning for these Tuesday evening meditations and sits.
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Events or links may change on occasion - check out the calendar on the homepage of bethemet.org for the most up to date information!
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Wednesday May 12 at 7:30 pm
Soul Stitchers - Virtual Knitting Circle
Know how to knit and/or crochet? As a tribute to Nikki Zarefsky z"l, join us for an hour (on zoom) of knitting and connecting as we create shawls to warm people during services and/or healing shawls that will bring warmth to those in need in a hospital, home or other settings. Newcomers are welcome and encouraged to join! Please send us an email with any questions.
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Fridays, May 14 and 21 at 11:00 am
Intermarried Families during the Holocaust with Benjamin Frommer
We will consider the daily struggle and paradoxical fate of intermarried Jews and their progeny (so-called Mischlinge) during the Holocaust. Although Hitler feverishly denounced Jews who had intimate relations with non-Jews as the greatest threat to German racial purity, most intermarried Jews in Central Europe ultimately survived the war. Tragically, many of their children did not.
Member fee $25 or included in Friday package; non-member fee $35. .
Benjamin Frommer (Ph.D. Harvard University) is an Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University, with a joint appointment at the Crown Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. He is a historian of Central and Eastern Europe, and most recently, co-editor of Intermarriage from Central Europe to Central Asia: Mixed Families in the Age of Extremes (2019).
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Sunday, May 16 from 5:00 to 10:00 pm
Second Annual Virtual Shavuot Smorgasbord
Leil Tikkun Shavuot
Learning, Community dinners, Worship, Meditation, Stories and Singing
Monday, May 17 at 10:00 am
Shavuot Morning Festival Service with Yizkor
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- Additional Ideas & Resources - |
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BE Connected is an opportunity for groups with similar interests to come together as well as opportunities for conversation around various topics. What better way to engage with the Beth Emet community, try something new, and connect when we have a bit more time on our hands? Given our new reality, this initiative will start virtually, but we hope that this will continue once life returns to normal.
Each week you will receive a dedicated email with a listing of opportunities for the next two weeks. If you do not have access to a web camera for a video call, we will include phone numbers as well. And if you have an idea as we expand the reach of BE Connected, contact Marti Netler.
We look forward to seeing you very soon.
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