Comprehensive Weekly Newsletter |
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021 / 25 Tevet 5782 |
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Building Closed on Friday, December 31
Should you need to reach someone, please call the Beth Emet afterhours line (847-869-4230 x 4).
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Kabbalat Shabbat Babayit
Friday, December 31 at 6:30 pm
No In-Person Services
Welcome Shabbat from the comfort of your own home with this abbreviated 30 minute Kabbalat Shabbat service.
Zoom Link-Ph: 312-626-6799 | Meeting ID: 853 5684 6772 | Passcode: 1224
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Kahal Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday, January 1 at 9:30 am
No In-Person Services
Please note, Kahal will not be meeting in-person this Saturday (a change from what was previously advertised). We look forward to worshiping together on Zoom.
Zoom Link-Ph: 312-626-6799 | Meeting ID: 813 2237 5514 | Passcode: 1224
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Congregational Opportunities |
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Staff Update
We want to share that Wendy Yablon’s last day at Beth Emet will be December 30 as she has accepted a position at a local business as their Office Manager/Executive Assistant. Wendy has been our clergy office support staff for the last nine years and has worked with many of our congregants and families on lifecycles and more. We appreciate the many years of dedicated service that Wendy gave to Beth Emet, and we wish her all the best in this next chapter of her life. We know many emails and calls go through the clergy office, and as we are striving to ensure a smooth transition; we ask for your patience as we actively look for a replacement.
Should you have questions or something we can assist with, please reach out to Geoff Prass, Director of Operations or Bekki Kaplan, Director of Congregational Engagement. And, if you know someone who is looking for an administrative position, please contact Geoff Prass for more information.
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Our New Website: Did You Know….
We're in the process of uploading many of our previous Divrei Torah (Sermons)? Check them out here. Looking for a particular one? Reach out to the office and we'll follow up.
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A special thank you to all those who have made a commitment to this year’s annual campaign. We are 75% towards our goal of $250,000.
If you have not yet contributed your pledge, no matter the amount, gets us closer to meeting our goal and ensuring that we continue to support all that Beth Emet has to offer. Every donation counts!
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Donate by Check or Credit Card on MyBethEmet
Our new member portal, MyBethEmet, provides an opportunity to both donate/pay by credit card (which would include a 3% transaction fee) or you can pay by check (without a transaction fee). Check it out, and if you have any questions contact Debbie Gilbert. Questions regarding access to MyBethEmet, contact Bekki Kaplan. |
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Support the Mitzvah Appeal Campaign and Check Out an Annual Favorite
DC 2022 Spotlight: Brunch with U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky
Sunday, January 9 at 10:00 am
Suggested Minimum Pledge: $36 per Zoom link.
Grab your bagel or your favorite brunch dish and Zoom in as Jan updates us about what is happening in the ever-changing political landscape in Washington. This is the final event in our Mitzvah Appeal 2021-2022 campaign.
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Beth Emet Camp Scholarships
Deadline is January 14
It is with tremendous appreciation that we say thank you to the Samuel Sherwin Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Gerald D. Chiss Memorial Scholarship Fund of the Beth Emet Foundation, the Harvey Rice Youth Fund, and to those who support them. If you are interested in applying for the summer of 2022, please fill out this form or contact Bekki Harris Kaplan with any questions.
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Gan Yom Rishon
Starting Sunday January 9 from 9:30 -11:00 am
Gan Yom Rishon is an interactive class for children ages 3-5, with a parent/caregiver, that meets on Sunday mornings in-person at Beth Emet this winter.
6 Sessions: January 9 - February 13.
4 Sessions: February 27, March 6, March 20, and March 27 (and the Purim Carnival on 3/13!)
Each week we’ll experience Judaism through music, art, cooking, and yoga. Gan Yom Rishon is also open to non-members. Register Here
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Jamberry Music with Nicole Jaworski Now on Wednesdays!
Starting Wednesday, January 26 at 9:30 am
Join us for joyful, collaborative music making with Nicole Jaworski and Jamberry Music! In this class, you and your little one will bond with each other and make new friends while we sing, dance, play, pretend and experiment with instruments. Class is geared to kids 6 months to 2.5 years old and siblings are welcome to join! Masks for everyone 2+, and social distancing, will be expected. Class will be held on Zoom if conditions change. This program will continue through March 2 from 9:30-10:15 am at Beth Emet Synagogue.
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Social Action Committee Meeting
Wednesday, January 12 at 7:00 pm
Whether a first timer or a seasoned regular, hear updates and learn how you can become involved with supporting Afghan refugees, providing food, shelter and other provisions for homeless and/or hungry individuals (we have several paths from which to choose), addressing Climate Change and so much more.
Zoom Link - Ph: 312-626-6799 | Meeting ID: 843 1839 4674 | Passcode: 1224
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Walk for Warmth is Back!
Monday, January 17 at 11:00 am
Join Beth Emet’s team in support of Interfaith Action of Evanston’s third annual Walk for Warmth and help raise funds to support the Emergency Overnight Shelter and the Warming Centers. Interfaith Action has expanded its services, extending the dates for the overnight shelter and the hours for our Warming Center and we need your help to sustain these efforts. On MLK Day of Service 2022, join us in the fight against homelessness and hunger in our community. Let’s carry on Dr. King’s legacy and continue his fight for economic, social, and racial justice. Teams will meet at the Hinman entrance of the First United Methodist Church, 516 Church St, Evanston, IL 60201 in Evanston, at 11:00 am to walk a two-mile circuit of eight of the IAE overnight shelter sites.
This is a family-friendly event and people of all ages are welcome to show their compassion by walking all or part of the route. To join Beth Emet’s team, or to donate in support of our team, click here. In keeping with Beth Emet's COVID protocols, we will be wearing masks outside as well as inside.
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Beth Emet Co-Sponsors Afghan Refugee Family
The refugee family receiving support from the Beth Emet community will be arriving in Chicago the week of January 10th! Help provide family essentials or purchase a gift card for groceries and other household supplies the family will need. If you'd like to join the volunteer committee supporting these efforts, contact Alison Finkel. We look forward to welcoming them in the New Year! |
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Adult Education
No Class: A Close Look at Torah with Rabbi Andrea London
Class will not be held on Fridays, December 31 and will resume on January 7, 2022.
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Intimidation and Harassment of Jewish College Students and Faculty
Monday, January 10 at 7:30 pm
Jewish college faculty and students too often face intimidation and harassment for being pro-Israel or sometimes just for being Jewish. This program will examine the challenges faced and available resources.
Rabbi Steven Resnicoff is a prolific author and speaker, and a long-tenured professor at the DePaul College of Law. He is the co-founder and director of its Center for Jewish Law & Judaic Studies, which provides diverse interdisciplinary programming that includes a focus on combating the growing scourge of antisemitism. Rabbi Resnicoff holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Yale University.
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Current Politics With David Zarefsky
Wednesday, January 12 at 7:30 pm
A continuing lecture-discussion class on contemporary public issues of interest to Jews as citizens. Special attention will be given to the policy and political issues facing the Biden administration.
No fee for members; non-member fee $10
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. He 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.
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The Missing Hand, Book Discussion with Author Susan Van Dusen
Wednesday, January 19 at 7:00 pm
Author and Beth Emet member Susan Van Dusen will join us for an exciting book discussion on her novel, The Missing Hand, a cozy mystery which follows the rules of no sex, no swearing, no violence, but lots of fun and fright.
Van Dusen has been a teacher in Chicago and Jerusalem, award-winning editorial director of WBBM Radio, magazine and newspaper writer. Author of four children’s books, three on the history of Skokie, and is a founder of “Coming Together in Skokie,” a project to bring diverse cultures together.
A valuable heirloom has been stolen. Grievous sins of the past have pushed their way into the present. Murder and ill-gotten gains from World War II Bohemis threaten the peaceful Jewish community of Crestfall, Illinois. We encourage you to read the book prior to the zoom program, as this is a mystery (we don't want to spoil it for anyone!). Copies of the book can be purchased at the Synagogue, The Book Stall in Winnetka, or ordered from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Target.
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Abayudaya: Music, Judaism, and Community in Uganda
Sunday, February 6 at 10:00 am
Music is central to the Abayudaya, a Jewish community in eastern Uganda, and unites the different synagogues there as it allows them to express their unique voices. Musicologist Amanda Ruppenthal Stein, Ph.D. will offer us a glimpse of the importance of music in ritual and daily life for this flourishing part of klal Yisrael. She will share studio and field recordings, including Psalm singing in Luganda, the Bantu language spoken in the African Great Lakes region; it is the core repertoire of the Abayudaya liturgy.
Amanda Ruppenthal Stein, Ph.D. is lecturer in music at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI and at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a recent graduate of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, where she was also the Crown Graduate Fellow of the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. In 2019, Amanda traveled twice to Uganda to conduct fieldwork in collaboration with a solidarity mission and recording project of the Cantors Assembly, celebrating 100 Years of the Abayudaya Jewish community in Uganda.
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Save the Date: The Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest
January 10-14
The 2022 Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest will be centered around investing in solutions – focusing on how our values can be expressed through our personal, professional, communal, organizational and societal investments – and shifting away from systems, practices and ways of thinking that perpetuate climate destruction and inequity. This year’s Festival is full of practical and informative workshops on how each person in the Jewish community can take action for our climate. Sessions will be on Zoom, streaming on Facebook, and Instagram Live.
Follow our social channels to get updates, access to archives and much more. You can find more info about the Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest at www.jewishclimatefest.org. More details, including the full schedule of Festival programming, will be coming soon!
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Parent Survival Guide
Starts Wed, January 12
Being a parent is tough work. Moms and Dads are invited to take some time for themselves with JCC Chicago’s virtual Parent Survival Guide series. Programs include mixology class, yoga, meal prep, professionally-facilitated support groups and more.
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Yale A Capella Group Live
Thursday, January 13 at 7:00 pm
Magevet is an 18-person, co-ed ensemble of undergraduates at Yale University, and together they constitute Yale’s only Jewish, Hebrew, and Israeli a cappella choir. JCC Chicago is hosting this free in-person event at the Marvin Lustbader Center in the Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook. Masks required.
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Educational Scholarship Funds available through the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Application deadline February 1
Educational scholarship funds from grants administered by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago are now available for Jewish college and graduate students for the 2022-2023 academic year! Approximately $350,000 in total is available each year to be allocated accordingly for full-time students with financial need who are pursuing careers primarily in the helping professions. Awards range up to $4,000 and may be renewable. Make sure you check out the Faye Goldfarb Tatel Memorial Scholarship Fund, awarded to one Jewish female college and post-graduate student in the field of math education. For more information and/or to apply, please visit our website.
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