Creating Beth Emet Community Together

Tuesday, September 20 | 24 Elul 5782

Registration for Adult and Congregational Programming is Now Open!

We are thrilled to share our upcoming programs for the fall and winter 2022-2023. Beth Emet committees have been hard at work preparing these opportunities. Members can register through the MyBethEmet portal. (Click "RSVP for Upcoming Events,") You can choose to register for individual programs or choose to enroll in multiple programs at once. All registrations can also be found on the Beth Emet calendar events or on the website. Please contact Aviva with any questions with registration. 

The High Holy Days are Almost Here!

It's the 24th of Elul... which means Rosh Hashanah (1st of Tishrei) is almost here. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will send an email with all the details to celebrate the High Holy Days at Beth Emet. The email will include information for in-person worship, links for livestream (with the password), the High Holy Day Guide, updates on additional happenings, and much more!

Name Badges: For those who shared that they wish to pick up name badges in person (before September 7), they are ready! Otherwise, the badges were mailed to all members in good standing. If you have questions about this and/or your membership commitment, contact Debbie Gilbert. 

If you have not yet registered, there's still time to complete the form. For questions, contact Bekki Kaplan.  

Tashlich with Beth Emet

Tashlich, which literally translates to "casting off," is a ceremony performed during the High Holy Day period where people symbolically cast off the sins of the previous year by tossing pebbles or bread crumbs into flowing water. Choose which Tashlich is best for you. 

Monday, September 26

• Young Families Tashlich at Lee St. Beach at 10:00 am
• Teen Tashlich meet in Beth Emet lobby at 11:00 am
• Community Tashlich at the Boat Launch at 11:30 am
• Community Tashlich at the Boat Launch at 2:00 pm
• Community Tashlich at Lovelace Park at 2:30 pm

Shofar Live

Continuing on for the third consecutive year, we will have several opportunities to gather outside for Shofar Live, and to hear shofar blasts in various neighborhoods. Check out Shofar Live on Monday, September 26 at 3:30 pm in the Beth Emet parking lot. More locations and times to be announced. 

Please enjoy this pre-pandemic photo of Nisan teaching shofar blowing

Tuesday, September 20

Dayenu Circle Meeting

7:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom

Attend this meeting so you can learn more about Dayenu’s efforts and help us shape our goals for the coming year. We would welcome more voices and more hands in carrying out our work toward a more promising and healthier future for all of us and generations to come.

Wednesday, September 21

Israeli Government and NGOs Assist Marginalized US Communities with Assaf Grumberg

7:30 pm | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom

Across the United States, Israeli NGOs and government agencies are impacting the lives of marginalized communities. Whether it is through disaster relief, post-trauma support, or everyday necessities unavailable to those communities, Israel is changing lives. We will explore some examples and learn what it is that makes these Israeli organizations leaders in their fields.

This program is co-sponsored by the Israel Committee and the Social Justice Committee.

Thursday, September 22

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.

Friday, September 23

Pre-Shabbat Parent-Child Yoga

9:30 am | In-Person

Sign up now for some fun with your little one, taught by Karen Achtman. Co-sponsored by JBaby. This adult/ child class consists of yoga poses, songs, movement, and stories.

Kabbalat Shabbat Services

6:30 pm | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom

Saturday, September 24

Kahal Shabbat Morning Services

9:30 am | In-Person and Virtual on Zoom

Sunday, September 25

Erev Rosh Hashanah

Sunday Morning Minyan

9:00 am | Virtual on Zoom

Please note: There is no Beit Sefer today due to Erev Rosh Hashanah. 

Rosh Hashanah information will be emailed to those who have registered. Should you have further questions, please refer to this page. 

Monday, September 26

Rosh Hashanah Day One

Rosh Hashanah information will be emailed to those who have registered. Should you have further questions, please refer to this page. 

Tuesday, September 27

Rosh Hashanah Day Two

Rosh Hashanah information will be emailed to those who have registered. Should you have further questions, please refer to this page. 

In The BE Family

Mazal Tov to Alison Finkel and Matt Feldman

Interfaith Action of Evanston Annual Fundraising Dinner Honoring Beth Emet's Vision Keepers Matt Feldman and Alison Finkel 

This year we honored Matt Feldman for leading Beth Emet’s working group on reparations and Alison Finkel who was instrumental in leading efforts to sponsor the arrival of a refugee family from Afghanistan.

Mazal Tov to Nancy Glick

In the sixth episode of season one of Evanston Rules, "The Intersection of Medicine and Community," podcast hosts Ron Whitmore and Laurice Bell get to know Beth Emet member Dr. Nancy Glick. They discuss her route from a humanities-focused student at ETHS to the director of the Sinai Infectious Disease Center at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, her insights on the brutal fight against infectious diseases, and more.

Looking for Shabbat Connections Cooks/Drivers

Would you like to share your delicious cooking with others? Are you better behind the wheel? Every Friday, one volunteer for Shabbat Connections cooks, and another delivers a home-cooked meal to someone in our Beth Emet family who may need support in times of need or transition. Whether you would like to regularly participate or lend a hand once or twice a year, help perform this mitzvah. Contact Kathy Kaberon.  

Updated COVID Policies starting October 7

In case you missed last week's email, take note of the recent update regarding current health protocols. Given that the High Holy Day services will have many people in attendance, well-fitting masks will be required for all services and study inside the building for ages two and older. We are grateful for the flexibility which enables us to bring more of our community back together in person.

Fiddler on the Roof - A Sneak Preview at our Adult Education Programming and an Opportunity at the Lyric Opera House

In November, Dr. Amanda Stein will be presenting a class on Fiddler on the Roof. It so happens that the Lyric Opera is running this show from September 17 to October 7, and a number of our Beth Emet congregants plan to attend the matinee on September 18. Plan with a friend, buy a ticket, and mark your calendar for a presentation and discussion on Thursday evening November 3. Full details here.

Congregational Opportunities

Jamberry Music: Co-Sponsored by JBaby

Starting Tuesday, October 11 at 9:45 

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!

The Stolen Beam Series:

A Study of Reparations

Starting Wednesday, October 12 

7:15 pm | In-Person at Beth Emet's Sukkah

Please join us for the kickoff of a lively, discussion-oriented series exploring the timely issue of reparations for African Americans- both broadly and through the lens of Jewish history and teachings. Each class, which will include assigned written materials, audio-visual recordings, and study questions, will be led by members of the Beth Emet Social Justice Coalition's Reparations Group. We will explore the legacy and aftermath of African enslavement, what may be owed, and what Judaism and Jewish history may teach us about the topic. We will also discuss Evanston's widely acclaimed reparations effort. This series will continue the following three Wednesdays on Zoom through November 2. 

Registration deadline: October 1

High Holy Days Continue... Save the Dates

Sukkot starts Sunday, October 9

• Erev Sukkot Services at 7:00 pm

Monday, October 10

• Festival Morning Services followed by lunch at 10:00 am 

Tuesday, October 11

• Sukkah- Open to Congregants from 5:00 - 7:00 pm
• Soul Stitchers Potluck in the Sukkah at 6:00 pm

Wednesday, October 12

• Young Family Pizza in the hut from 5:00 - 7:00 pm (Pre-registration required)
• The Stolen Beam Series: A Study of Reparations in the Sukkah at 7:15 pm (Pre-registration required)

Thursday, October 13

• Pizza in the Hut for all Families from 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Simchat Torah- Sunday, October 16

• Potluck Dinner and Book Discussion for One Book, One Congregation at 5:30 pm
• Garinim (Grades4 and 5) Dinner in the Sukkah at 5:45 pm
• Erev Simchat Torah Service at 7:00 pm

Monday, October 17

• Tot Simchat Torah Service for Young Families at 9:15 am
• Festival morning Services ( Including Yizkor)- 10 :00 am

Community News

An Evening with IJS President and CEO, Rabbi Josh Feigelson in Conversation with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Tuesday, September 20 | 7:00 pm | Virtual on Zoom

Hear about Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg's new book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World, which draws on Jewish sources to show us how forgiveness is much less important than the repair work to which the person who cause the harm is obligated.