We recently consolidated BE Connected and EmetMail into one weekly e-newsletter, to be sent on Tuesdays! We've simplified the categories, updated the formatting, and made it easier (we hope) to read all that is happening at Beth Emet and how to get involved. Now that we have a few weeks under our belts, we would love your feedback! Our goal is for the e-newsletter to be as straightforward and informative as possible!

Please let us know what you think! For the 18th, 36th and 54th person who offers feedback, a parking spot during the High Holy Days is yours!  

Evanston’s Health Department will be offering both Moderna and Pfizer regular and booster vaccines. While pre-registration is not necessary, it will help speed up the check-in process. Bringing your ID and any previous vaccine cards will also be helpful.

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.

With the imminent Supreme Court Decision, Beth Emet is hosting a timely conversation about Jews, Judaism, and abortion with Roger Price, congregant and author of When Judaism Meets Science, and Dr. Elisheva Shanes who is on the faculty of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. The conversation will be moderated by Rabbi Andrea London.

Rena Yehuda Newman will give this Friday's D'var Torah, "Keeping Our Queer Kids Safe in Jewish Youth Spaces. Rena Yehuda Newman (They/Them) is a Jewish, transgender writer and comix artist, working as the Editor in Chief of New Voices Magazine, a national independent publication cultivating the next generation of Jewish journalists and mediamakers. Outside of their life as an editor, Rena Yehuda self-publishes zines and comics, celebrating the intersections of queer and Jewish identity. For them, Torah and art go hand in hand. Rena Yehuda is deeply passionate about Jewish communal memory, the power of art and storytelling, and queering the line between the personal and political. They are currently living and working in New York City, proud to have been raised at Beth Emet in Evanston, Illinois. 

9:30 am | In Person at the Beth Emet Playground

Beth Emet Young Families celebrate Pride Month! Join us for bagels and more, hang with friends new and old, sing with Cantor Cotler, enjoy the playground, and kids can decorate Pride-themed treats for your family. RSVP requested.

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.

I was recently ordained as a rabbi by Hebrew College, a pluralistic seminary in Newton, MA and will soon begin to serve as Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, New Jersey. My formative upbringing at Beth Emet, from Kahal to the BESSY board, instilled in me a deep love of Jewish ritual and service and planted the seed for my choosing the path of spiritual leadership. The sacred opportunities to accompany people throughout their lives, to pass on age-old Jewish wisdom that finds new expression and relevance in our times, and to harness the transformative power of ritual to heal our broken world and imbue our lives with meaning all drew me to the rabbinate. In a world that feels increasingly scary to inhabit, these core aspects of our tradition inspire me to be a source of comfort, knowledge, and hope as a rabbi.

In my spare time, you can find me in a singing circle, on the bike path, or engrossed in a book.

Whether it's good news to share or you would like to be featured or know someone who should be featured "In The BE Family," let us know or contact Bekki Kaplan

We’ve had a challah midrash each week since the start of 5781! Please email Karen Isaacson if you are interested in participating or have any questions!

The Beth Emet Soup Kitchen is currently recruiting volunteers to help on most Wednesday evenings in July and August. We are making assignments for sack lunches, salads, and nut-free desserts, which are made at home and delivered to the synagogue. We are also looking for help onsite to prepare the rest of the meal, and to serve it to a portion of our guests who choose to dine inside. Learn more and sign up.

Any day now, the Supreme Court of the United States could announce its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which is expected will overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional protections for abortion access. While abortion will remain legal and available in Illinois, for 13 other states abortions will immediately become illegal. Another 13 states have indicated that they will quickly move to restrict access.

A group of Beth Emet members are planning to attend this rally together. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Judy Caplan.

Preparations are underway for how we as a Jewish community will process and respond. One thing on the agenda is a rally at Federal Plaza following the announcement of the Court’s decision.

Explore your spirituality or connection to the “Mystery” or the “Divine” in the world. We will use the prayerbook, poetry, and ourselves as our texts, aiming to deepen our connections and discern meaningful paths in our daily lives. Our tools will include mindfulness practices, journaling, questioning, and conversation. Doubting God’s existence? Come explore.

(Gross Point Rd and Thayer St, Evanston)

It's Back! Mark your calendars for this year's Shabbat at the Beach! Shabbat morning services will take place at Lovelace Park. Please note the updated location from what was previously advertised.

Taking Down Goliath is a climate-focused community organizing training specifically for Jewish 18 to 32 year olds by Dayenu, A Jewish Call to Climate Action. All are welcome to nominate someone. This is one training, spread out over three sessions.