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Creating Beth Emet Community Together
Tuesday, February 7 | 16 Shevat 5783
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Tax Wise Charitable Giving
Tonight, February 7 | 7:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom
Tzedakah is an essential tenet of Jewish life. Regardless of how old you are or your stage in life, there are tax efficient ways to give to organizations that matter to you and easy ways to include philanthropy in your estate planning such as making a meaningful legacy gift to Beth Emet. Tax planning experts, Adam Prawer-Stock, Ted Froum and Steve Reiches will lead this informative session. Discussion and Q&A moderated by Karen Isaacson.
Sponsored by Dor L’Dor, From Generation to Generation, Beth Emet’s Planned Giving Program. For more information on Dor L'Dor, check out Beth Emet's website.
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Final Phase of the Mitzvah Appeal! | | |
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Be Inspired to Donate!
At last week's Mitzvah Appeal brunch, Nisan Chavkin shared his inspiring words as to why he and his family support Beth Emet. Click here to read, and if you have not yet pledged, consider doing so today!
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Together We Will Meet Our Goal. The Annual Mitzvah Appeal is the primary fundraising effort of voluntary giving and provides the single greatest source of non-membership income necessary to ensure the financial health of our community. Our goal for the Mitzvah Appeal is $280,000 and we are 80% of the way there. We need everyone to participate so we can be successful together! Take advantage of the incentive matching pool by several generous past lay leaders. We are counting on you... your support matters, no matter the amount. | | |
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Check Out Rabbi London's D'var Torah on Chapter 5 "Becoming a Great Person: Self-Restraint and Self-Transcendence" from Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz
Friday, February 3
Watch the Recording Here.
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The One Book, One Congregation programs are generously sponsored by the Judith F. Krug Fund, David and Florence Fingeret Fund, Solomon and Lillian Krug Fund, and the JELLO (Jewish Education: Lifelong Learning Opportunities) Funds in the Beth Emet Foundation. | |
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For our first event, Beth Emet's Reproductive Rights Task Force is supporting Planned Parenthood of Illinois packing care bags to people who have had abortions. Our goal is to provide 100 bags. You are invited to donate funds, purchase supplies through our Amazon wishlist, and/or help pack the bags. We'll also write notes to abortion patients and clinic staff. Inspired by Anya and Teo Siegel-Acevedo's Gemilut Chasadim Project, we are continuing the work as a congregation.
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BE Connected
Weekly Calendar
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Soul Stitchers- Virtual Knitting Circle
7:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom
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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Thursday, February 9
Qigong with Netiva Caftori
10:00 am | Virtual on Zoom
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 health and spirituality.
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Friday, February 10
*Cancelled This Week*
A Close Look at Torah with Rabbi Andrea London
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Part 2: Visual Midrash? Decoding Medieval Jewish Art with Dr. David Shyovitz
11:00 am | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom
Pre-modern Jews are often described as “people of the book,” but Jews produced visual art over the centuries as well – images in illuminated Bibles, Machzorim, and Haggadot that are complex, often learned, and sometimes deeply subversive. How might our understanding of Torah study shift if we accompany study of Jewish texts with study of Jewish images?
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Part 2: What Makes a Family? Tools for Talking About Family Diversity
9:30 am | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom
In this 2-part interactive series, led by Ilana Dvorin Friedman, we will consider how cultural notions and assumptions about “family” can hinder their sense of belonging. Through ongoing discussion and storytelling, grown-ups can support young children to embrace the beauty of all families. This adult series is perfect for parents and grandparents of children birth through 3rd grade.
Free child-care available—reserve your spot in advance
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Social Justice Committee Meeting
7:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom
The Social Justice Committee centers around the values of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, and gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), through a hands-on, interactive, and committee-based approach. There are so many ways to get involved and help to support those suffering as a result of policies of injustice and marginalization.
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Jamberry Music with Nicole Jaworski Is Back!
Co-Sponsored by JBaby
9:30 am | In-Person
Join us for joyful, collaborative music-making with Nicole Jaworsky 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!
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Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAAIM)
Organized by the Beth Emet Inclusion Committee
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February 1, marked the beginning of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAAIM), a unified effort among Jewish organizations and communities worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and those who love them. JDAAIM is a call to action to each one of us in accordance with our Jewish values, honoring the gifts and strengths that we each possess. Established in 2009 by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium, JDAAIM is observed each February and this year marks the 15th annual observation.
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Inclusion Committee Meeting
Monday, February 20 | 5:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom
Join the Beth Emet Inclusion Committee as we examine our current practices and explore ways to create a culture of belonging and inclusivity for Beth Emet members of all abilities. We know that all individuals can contribute to our community.
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Shattering Barriers: I Am Who I Am
Thursday, February 23 | 5:15 pm | | In-Person and Virtual on LiveControl
Welcome Tellin' Tales, a Chicago-based theater company! Three seasoned solo performers share personal vignettes based on their real-life stories about living with a disability. The result is a beautiful, and funny, message of independence and the power of dealing with the world on their own terms. Please joins us for this 60-minute performance that includes a question-and-answer session.
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BE Involved
Volunteer Opportunities
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Shiva Minyan Leaders Needed
Performing the mitzvah of comforting the bereaved is one of the highest honors a person can do for another in our community. And one way in which to serve is by being a part of a volunteer corp of Shiva Minyan leaders. If you read Hebrew and are interested in leading a short minyan, contact Bekki Kaplan. Whether you can do it once every so often or more frequently, consider being a part of this invaluable service to the community. Training will be provided, and the support of other wonderful Shiva Minyan leaders is invaluable.
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BE a Driver
Looking for a quick way to do a mitzvah? We are looking for drivers for special deliveries/gifts from the congregation. Only takes a few minutes to brighten someone's day! Contact Bekki Kaplan for more information and/or to add your name to the list.
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Looking for Shabbat Connections Cooks
Would you like to share your delicious cooking with others? Every Friday, one volunteer cooks for Shabbat Connections, and another delivers a home-cooked meal to someone in our Beth Emet family who may need support in times of need. Whether you would like to make a lovely dinner once or twice a year, or more often, it’s a mitzvah! Contact Kathy Kaberon.
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Upcoming Congregational Opportunities | |
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Conversations to Nourish Our Souls with Marci Dickman
Thursday, February 16 | 7:15 pm | Virtual on Zoom
Not sure how to connect to the Mystery or the Divine in the world? Perhaps you are seeking an honest conversation about making meaning in life and what really matters. We will use the prayerbook, poetry, prose, and ourselves as our texts, aiming to deepen our connections and discern meaningful paths in our daily lives.
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Tzedakah as a Spiritual Discipline with Dr. Sam Fleischacker
Fridays, February 17 and 24| 11:00 am | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom
Who can ask us for financial help? How do we maintain respect for people who need money from us? Is it religiously admirable, or something else, to allow ourselves to become poor? We’ll consider these and other questions in connection with texts from the Mishnah and Maimonides.
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Board of Trustees Meeting
Monday, February 27 | 7:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom
If you are interested in attending the meeting, please reach out to Geoff Prass for the password-protected Zoom link. This is done for security purposes.
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What Are The Takeaways for the U.S. From Uruguay's Transformative Climate Change Measures?
Wednesday, March 1 | 7:30 pm | Virtual on Zoom
Uruguay is an international Climate Change leader which has transformed its energy sector to 90% renewables, planned relocation of vulnerable coastal communities, built climate resilient infrastructure, and changed agriculture as well as cattle ranching, for sustainability and climate resilience. We will be joined on zoom by Jackson Mihm, Associate Editor, and Alejandro Trenchi, Research Assistant for the Caribbean Climate Change Project, both from Global Americans.
This event is co-sponsored by the Beth Emet Dayenu Circle, Interfaith Action Climate Change and Justice Subcommittee, Citizens Climate Lobby Evanston Northshore Chapter, Citizens’ Greener Evanston and Go Green Wilmette
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The Purpose of Jewish Literature Today with Dr. Claire Sufrin
Friday, March 3 and 10 | 11:00 am | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom
Do novelists fill the role once occupied by prophets? Are Jewish novelists writing books that are either too Jewish or not Jewish enough? We will read and discuss two recent essays- each addressing one of these questions- alongside two recent novels, The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen and Fleischman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. We will consider: Are these novelists saying something prophetic? What makes these works Jewish and is it enough or too much?
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Congregational Announcements | |
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Missed a Program?
When possible, we record our programs for those who were unable to participate. When recordings are available for adult programming, you can find them on the calendar event and on the website.
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Current COVID Protocols: Masks are recommended, but not required. We ask that whenever you are in the building, we each continue to respect one another’s personal space and comfort levels. | | | | | | |
