Get ready to make a joyful noise!

JANUARY 2013 | VOLUME 41, NUMBER 4
INSIDE
Get ready to make a joyful noise!
Rabbi Pamela Mandel
2
Ed Alpert, Executive Director
3
Interim Cantor Paul Offenkrantz
4
Youth Programming at Am Shalom
5
Seen Around the Temple
6
We Remember
8
We Celebrate
8
Walt Whitman & the
With Appreciation
8
Soul Children of Chicago
Community Forum
9
Entertainment, Education & Events
10
“With all its grandeur,
the Sabbath is not
sufficient unto itself.
Its spiritual reality
calls for companionship
of man.”
Return to Am Shalom!
It’s going to be an evening of musical jubilation! The amazing Walt Whitman
& the Soul Children of Chicago are returning to Am Shalom for a rousing
Shabbat celebration in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,
along with special guests from St. Paul’s AME Church.
Friday, January 11 @ 6:30 p.m.
followed by Shabbat Club dinner
highlighting the Southern Jewish Experience
$30 per family for dinner
RSVP for dinner online @ amshalom.com, or call Gia at (847) 835-4800
Join the jubilee!
Abraham Joshua
Heschel
The Sabbath
Am Shalom’s mission, as a Reform congregation, is to engage, enlighten, embrace and educate
our members in ways that build a sense of community, while respecting individual forms of
expression and belief. We seek to explore our Jewish roots, awareness and values, and enrich the
spiritual lives of our members, while serving humanity through social action.
FRom The DeSk oF RAbbI
pAmelA mANDel
Last month, Am Shalom came to the city. Rabbi Lowenstein and I met
with a dynamic group of young Jewish adults in their twenties and
thirties. While the trendy location (Stout Barrel House and Galley) and
promise of free food and drinks were certainly compelling, I believe it
was their connection to Am Shalom
that drew them to this event. These
young professionals are busy and on any
night of the week they could choose to
work late, work out, meet friends,
attend a charity function, or stay home
and catch up on shows. But on
Thursday, November 29th, this group
came to check out our new young
adults group.
Most of the attendees were men and
women who had grown up at Am
Shalom. But since they live in the city,
their participation has been limited to
High Holiday services and the
occasional yahrzeit. We could wait for
them to eventually move back to the
suburbs, but with young adults
marrying and having children later than
ever before that could be years from
now. By creating this initiative, we are
helping them continue to feel connected
to our community, to each other, and to
Jewish life in general. Throughout the
year we will be planning social
gatherings, holiday celebrations, and
volunteer opportunities – all beyond the
walls of the temple.
When young adults do make the move
to the suburbs, many think the temple is
their parents’ temple and there is
nothing going on for them. Others
think that they have to wait until they
have children in order to get involved.
Of course, this isn’t true! In order for
them to see this, though, we have to
2
find new ways to engage these suburban
young adults. We have to meet them
where they are and create experiences
that are interesting and attractive to
them. It is for this reason that we have
also formed a young couples group. On
Saturday, December 1st, we invited
Jewish young couples (married and
dating, with kids and without, temple
members and not) to “Tap into Am
Judaism. I know that they have so
much to offer our community, but there
is much for them to gain as well. I am
looking forward to connecting with
them at our events, and getting to know
them on a one-on-one level as well.
This is an exciting endeavor that we are
embarking upon at Am Shalom. If you
fall in this group or have a family
member or friend who might be
interested, please contact me so that we
can start finding ways to get you and
others involved.
Rabbi Mandel can be reached at:
[email protected]
Am Shalom
Young Adults
Shalom” by meeting for drinks at the
Tap House in Highwood. The ten
couples who attended enjoyed spending
time together and getting to know each
other. With the help and input of my
peers, we will be planning many more
events this coming year.
Our goal is simple. We want to reach
out, build relationships, and create
meaningful experiences for these young
adults in their twenties and thirties.
They are not just the future of our
congregation. They are the future of
In celebration of Tu B’Shevat
(the birthday of the trees)
we will get together to enjoy
the fruit of the tree and the vine.
Come join us for a
WINE TASTING!
In the City ...
Thursday, January 31st @
evolution Wines & Spirits, lakeview
In the Suburbs ...
Saturday, February 2nd @ evolution
Wines & Spirits, Northbrook
It’s all about SOUL! Soul Children of Chicago – Friday, January 11th @ our 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service.
FRom The DeSk oF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
eDWARD m. AlpeRT
“A Jew can be Jewish with God, against God, but not without God.”
Elie Wiesel
I am ashamed to admit that although I
live only 5 minutes away, until recently I
had not found the time to visit the
inspirational Illinois Holocaust Museum
in Skokie. Over Thanksgiving break my
sister and her family were in town
visiting and they asked that we spend a
day at the museum. I am so glad they
did, as I found it to be one of the most
moving experiences of my adult life.
I have been one of those individuals
who has been concerned that we devote
so much time and energy to Holocaust
remembrance that we forget sometimes
about all of the other important aspects
of being Jewish. I recently read there are
over one hundred Holocaust memorials
or museums in the United States alone.
But after spending the day at the
museum, my thinking was profoundly
changed. I understand the importance of
future generations never forgetting what
happened to our people.
If you have yet to visit the Illinois
Holocaust Museum in Skokie I
encourage you to do so. I am proud to
announce that the Am Shalom Board of
Trustees will hold their February 2013
Board meeting at the museum.
The question that was left unanswered
when I departed the museum was how
could a just and righteous God allow
this to happen? Elie Wiesel, quoted
above, is probably the best known writer
on the Holocaust. He is part of a very
long Jewish tradition in which believers
express their rage and disappointment,
as well as their love, to God. This unique
tradition goes all the way back to
biblical figures such as the prophet
Habakkuk, who laments: “How long, O
Lord, shall I cry out and You not Listen.”
The Psalmist demands “Awake, why do
you sleep, O Lord…Why do you hide
your face and forget our suffering and
oppression?”
...we are forbidden to despair of
the world as the place which is to
become the kingdom of God, lest
we help make it a meaningless place
in which God is dead or irrelevant
and everything is permitted.
The question I wrestle with, and which I
am sure millions of others have wrestled
with, has no easy answer. However I
have found comfort and great meaning
in something shared by scholar Emil
Fackenheim in his book, The Jewish
Return Into History. In that book
Fackenheim suggests a new 614th
commandment which I quote:
The authentic Jew of today is forbidden to
hand Hitler another, posthumous victory.
In the 614th commandment we must
survive as Jews, lest the Jewish people
perish, we must remember in our guts
and bones the martyrs of the Holocaust,
lest their memory perish. We are
forbidden to deny or despair of God and
finally we are forbidden to despair of the
world as the place which is to become the
kingdom of God, lest we help make it a
meaningless place in which God is dead
or irrelevant and everything is permitted.
Let us in our daily lives never forget the
Holocaust and most important do
everything within our power to fight
ethnic cleansing, prejudice and
intolerance throughout the world.
DOWNTOWNERS
with Rabbi Steve
Meet on the first Thursday of each
month for a thoughtful discussion
over lunch, headed by Rabbi
Lowenstein, in the Chicago Loop.
Email [email protected]
to register.
Meeting Schedule: Thursdays,
February 7, March 7, April 4, May
2. All meetings are at 12 noon.
Would you like to get your KOL early, with color photos and bonus content? Get it online! @ amshalom.com.
KOL
3
FRom The DeSk oF cANToR
pAUl oFFeNkRANTZ
INTeRIm cANToR
Jews had an “Earth Day” way before it became fashionable.
According to our tradition, the earth, with all its vast beauty and riches,
does not belong to us. It belongs to God who created them. This
magnificent and fragile planet that we are blessed to inhabit has been on
permanent loan to all those who came
before us, as well as to all those who
will follow. We have a sacred
responsibility to protect and nurture the
environment that has been entrusted to
us so that future generations will inherit
a world with clean air to breathe, clean
water to drink, and the magnificence of
nature unspoiled by human greed or
exploitation. Sometimes, as a species,
we need to remind ourselves that we are
just tenants here. God is the landlord
and is probably not pleased to see the
place trashed.
Our “Earth Day” is called Tu b’Shevat –
which, this year falls on Tuesday,
January 15th (although it is always on
the 15th day of the Hebrew month of
Shevat!)
I have always been proud of the fact
that Judaism values nature and teaches
respect and reverence for our natural
environment. As with so many social
issues, we have led and continue to lead
the way.
Not too long ago, a politician (I forget
who) said on the floor of Congress that
he believed global warming had to be a
“myth” because only God would decide
when the world would come to an end,
and that human actions would therefore
never be a factor. He went on to
reference the story of Noah and how
God promised to never again destroy
the world and sealed that promise with
the sign of a rainbow.
4
Statements like this would be laughable
if the subject wasn’t so serious.
More recently, the presidential nominee
of one of our major political parties
expressed disdain for his opponent by
saying that he wanted to “save the
oceans and fix the planet” – a line
which (as intended) was met with
laughter and derision from the
thousands assembled in the convention
hall.
I have quoted this before, but it
bears repeating ... “Pray as if
everything depended upon
God. Act as if everything
depended upon you.”
Polar ice caps are melting. Glaciers are
receding. Ocean levels are rising.
Devastating weather-related events –
including hurricanes, tornadoes,
droughts, blizzards and heat waves – are
becoming more frequent and more
destructive.
This is what most serious Jews believe:
that the Brit or Covenant between God
and the Jewish People works both ways.
We must be partners with God in doing
mitzvot and working towards tikkun
olam. I have quoted this before, but it
bears repeating and appears in our
Prayer book: “Pray as if everything
depended upon God. Act as if
everything depended upon you.”
Here’s what I don’t get: even if you reject
global warming (in spite of all the
scientific evidence) – what’s the
downside of conservation, recycling,
developing clean forms of energy, and
giving our children and grandchildren a
cleaner planet to live in?
On January 15th, pause for a moment
to look at the trees and plants that
surround us. Think about the vastness
of the ocean and all the sea life it
contains. Look up at the blue sky and
take a deep breath.
And then … try to do just one more
thing in your own life so that
generations to come will be able to do
the same.
RELEASE YOUR INNER MUSTARD!
Join Us
January 20 @ 9:00 a.m.
in the Am Shalom Kitchen
for Fanchon Simons
HELPING
THE HOMELESS
Make sandwiches, pack 400
lunches, drivers needed.
It’s all about SOUL! Soul Children of Chicago – Friday, January 11th @ our 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service.
YoUTh pRoGRAmmING
UpcomING eVeNTS:
Am ShAlom
FUN! WILL! BE! HAD!
5th & 6th Grade Retreat
January 18-20
oconomowoc, WI
Two amazing days of Am Shalom friends, joyful Jewish experiences,
gaga games, and an indoor water park excursion!
JAmSY (grades 7 & 8)
January 27 @ 2:00 p.m.
Bowling Tournament
at Eskape with Beth Am, BJBE,
Temple Chai, and Or Shalom
Rishonim (grades 2-4)
January 27
@ 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Nickel City
Visit the “youth group” tab of amshalom.com
or e-mail Adam & Sarah at
[email protected]
for more information and to register for all
youth group events!
To register: submit a check for $180 to Am Shalom
with your child’s name and “retreat” in the memo.
E-mail [email protected] or call Adam
& Sarah at (847)835-4800 for more information
Next year in Rio — Passover in Argentina! But time is
running out — make your reservation to join
Am Shalom
in
Argentina
Join Rabbi Steve as we explore
South America
March 21st - 30th, 2013
Iguazu Falls, Argentina Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Final deadline to sign up is January 10th
For further information, call Elaine Wexler @
(847) 835-4800, ext. 254.
Would you like to get your KOL early, with color photos and bonus content? Get it online! @ amshalom.com.
KOL
5
FRom cAmeRA To kol
phoToGRAphS FRom IN AND ARoUND Am ShAlom
Lamb’s Farm Chanukah
Party & Service
Fanchon Simons Helping
the Homeless
6
It’s all about SOUL! Soul Children of Chicago – Friday, January 11th @ our 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service.
FRom cAmeRA To kol
phoToGRAphS FRom IN AND ARoUND Am ShAlom
There are always smiling faces at Hebrew and Religious School!
Would you like to get your KOL early, with color photos and bonus content? Get it online! @ amshalom.com.
KOL
7
We RemembeR ...
The Congregation extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of:
being impacted by illness, or just
feeling stressed by life, consider
Marci Werner, sister of Richard
(Keri) Werner
Lucille Iglitzen, mother of Marlene
Iglitzen
attending the Am Shalom “Almost
Andrew Reib, son of Barbara
Blinderman
Michael Weber, father of Fred
(Diane) Weber
intimate service, held in the serene
Edith Rosengarden, mother of
Michael (Andrea) Rosengarden
Charlene Miller Sholl, mother of
Steven (Susan) Sholl
We celebRATe ...
Bill Towne, father of Julia (Dan
Mendelson) Towne
Mildred McShane, aunt of
Rita Kanne
The Congregation extends a hearty “Mazel Tov!” to the following:
Weddings
Samantha Shapiro, daughter of Jamie
& Steven Shapiro, to Geoff Swerdlin on
October 13, 2012
B’nai Mitzvah
Adam Weber, son of Bryan & Kathy
Weber, on becoming a Bar Mitzvah on
January 12th
Celia Buchband, daughter of Richard
Buchband & Betsy Rosenblum, on
becoming a Bat Mitzvah on
January 12th
Casey Frey, daughter of Seth & Karen
Frey, on becoming a Bat Mitzvah on
January 26th
WITH APPRECIATION
We thank the following for their generous contributions to Am Shalom
In Memory of Mort Rosen
Bernetta Hirschberg
Marvin Ingber
In Honor of Sammi Wolfberg’s Bat
Mitzvah
Dan and Linnette Wolfberg
In Memory of Stanley Fox
Paul and Vicki Morton
In Memory of Patty
Bob and Lesley Strauss
In Memory of Henry Cahn
Howard and Loren Friend
In Memory of Sheldon Kahn
Ellyn and Richard Mayer
In Honor of Ryder Max
Ellyn and Richard Mayer
8
If you are suffering from a recent loss,
In Memory of Andrew Reib
Doris and Bill Gould
In Honor of Robert Kahn’s 90th
Birthday
Ellyn and Richard Mayer
Barbara Dolinger and Howard
Taymor
In Honor of Rachel Schapiro’s Bat
Mitzvah
Jackie, Andy, Robbie, Merrie, and
Stephanie Aaron
In Memory of Edith Rosengarden
Steve and Chickie Rosen
In Memory of Marcia Seifman
Paul and Vicki Morton
In Memory of Bernadine Block
Bernard and Betty Fae Nusinow
Daily” Minyon. This quiet and
worship space of the Rosenfeld Chapel,
is the perfect setting to remember a
Yahrzeit, to pray for healing, and to
calm and refresh your soul. The
“Almost Daily” Minyon is held on
Mondays and Thursdays at 5:45 p.m.
Rosa Parks took a SEAT on the BUS.
Rosa Parks took her PLACE as a HERO.
Who are YOUR heroes?
Send them to [email protected].
In Honor of Jerry Skurnick’s
Special Birthday
Joy and David Grossmann
In Memory of Sandra Mayer
Richard Basofin and Joan Zahnle
In Memory of David Dolin
Bernard and Betty Fae Nusinow
Mindy Nusinow Nadell
In Memory of Joan Richman
Mindy Nusinow Nadell
In Honor of Jerry Meyer’s 90th
Birthday
Lynda and Rick Strusiner
All donations to Am Shalom are listed in
the KOL. If you would prefer that your
contribution not be listed, please notify us.
It’s all about SOUL! Soul Children of Chicago – Friday, January 11th @ our 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service.
commUNITY FoRUm
UpcomING eVeNTS oF INTeReST IN The chIcAGolAND JeWSh commUNITY
4th Annual Martin Luther King
Day of Service
Monday, January 21
Highland Park Recreation Center
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
A Multi-Generational Event
Partner with other members of the community by participating and completing
fun, meaningful projects in honor of MLK Day. Projects will include among
others:
* Assembling toiletries for local shelters
* Writing letters/ creating valentines for soldiers and
their children
* Making pet toys for Orphans of the Storm
* Decorating flower pots for hospital patients
This year, come hear Edgewood Middle School Chorus sing freedom songs
(10:00 a.m.) and come explore your First Amendment freedoms by visiting the
McCormick Foundation’s Freedom Express, a 45-foot traveling museum.
This is your chance to turn community concerns into citizen action. For more
information contact Cheryl Levi at 847-903-9523 or [email protected]
Bringing Peace To Our World Through FOOD
Last month, as part of our annual
Twinning program between Am
Shalom and the Islamic Cultural center
of Northbrook, we decided that it
would be a great opportunity for our
two communities to share in the
creation of a very special project. We
all love to eat. And as we broke bread
with our Muslim neighbors, they asked
if we would be interested in doing a
joint Cookbook of our traditional
foods and favorite recipes. We now need your help. Please share
with us your favorite recipe for a
Jewish/Middle Eastern or Israeli dish
that you would be proud to share – we
need a picture, ingredients, name and
serving size. This will be a joint project
between Am Shalom and the Islamic
Cultural Center of Greater Chicago. Please email your recipes to
[email protected]. For more
information please contact Patti Vile,
our Interfaith Liaison, at 312-520-4100
or via email at [email protected].
Submissions will be accepted until the
first of March.
Education &
Screening Program
Did you know that one in four
Ashkenazi Jews are carriers for a
genetic disorder? Carriers are
generally healthy, but their children
may be at risk for a life-threatening
disease. With a simple blood test, you
can learn your risks and understand
your options.
Screenings will be held:
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Anshe Emet Synagogue
3751 North Broadway, Chicago
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Congregation Beth Shalom
3433 Walters Avenue, Northbrook
Genetic counselors from the Ann &
Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of
Chicago will be available to address
both general and personal questions.
Hospital staff will take samples for
screening. (Results are confidential.)
Program fee: $180 per person
(tests normally cost over $4,000)
Program includes dinner, an
educational presentation and genetic
screening for 18 disorders. (Visit
www.jewishgenetics.org/disorders for the
full list of disorders.)
Pre-registration is required. Space may
be limited.
Contact Taryn Brickman at (312) 3574988 or [email protected] to
sign up.
Would you like to get your KOL early, with color photos and bonus content? Get it online! @ amshalom.com.
KOL
9
eNTeRTAINmeNT, eDUcATIoN & eVeNTS
AT Am ShAlom (and see the pink insert for more adult education opportunities!)
halom !
s
Am S
milie
a
F
g
Youn
with Susan Salidor
Saturday, January 12 @ 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Am Shalom Monday Night Movie
Monday
January 7th
@7:00 p.m.
A great film ... a great time with great
friends ... and the popcorn’s on us!
RSVP online @ www.amshalom.com
Get into your favorite pair of pajamas and join us for this great family get
together. We will say goodbye to Shabbat and welcome in a new week with fun,
food, and entertainment. Come and see old friends, make new ones, and don’t
miss the chance to see your Am Shalom clergy in their favorite PJ’s! For young
families with children aged 0-6.
Featuring:
* Concert by beloved children’s musician, Susan Salidor.
* Special arts and crafts project.
* Celebration of Havdalah.
* Pizza and other delicious treats will be served.
To RSVP, contact Elaine Wexler at 847-835-4800.
Save the Dates for some AmAZING
Shabbat experiences!
Including
Craig Taubman - Friday, February 22nd
Julie Silver - Friday, march 15th
Danny Maseng - Friday, April 12th
Glencoe Interfaith Builders
Watch your e-mail or keep checking the kol for further details!
Spend your Shabbat helping others!
Am Shalom Build
January 5th & 19th
We’re starting work on our 7th home
and beginning fundraising for our 8th!
Contact Jim Goodman for further
information and opportunities
to participate.
[email protected]
10
10th Annual
Women’s Seder
Save the date!
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
- featuring special guest Julie Silver!
Watch upcoming issues of the KOL
and your e-mail for details!
It’s all about SOUL! Soul Children of Chicago – Friday, January 11th @ our 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service.
JANUARY 2013
Tevet/Shevat 5773
Our calendar is always available online at www.amshalom.com. Now! Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/amshalomglencoe
SUNDAY
MONDAY
1
TUESDAY
NO RELIGIOUS
SCHOOL
13
9:30am Religious
School ( K- 6 )
11:30am Religious
School (7-10)
11:30am JAmSY
Social Action Event
20
9:00am Fanchon
Simons’ Help the
Homeless
9:30am Religious
School ( K- 6 )
11:30am Religious
School (7-10)
27
9:30am Religious
School ( K- 6 )
11:30am Religious
School (7-10)
7
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
7:00pm Monday
Night Movie - The
Human Resources
Manager
7:30pm Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
14
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
6:30pm Finance
Committee Meeting
7:00pm Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
7:30pm Adult Choir
Rehearsal
21
MLK Day - Office
CLOSED
10:00am 4th
Annual MLK Day
of Service - HP
Rec Center
28
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
3
4
6:30pm Shabbat
Service
9:00am Library
Minyan
8
9
10
11
12
15
16
17
18
9:30am Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
9:30am Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
22
9:30am Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
7:00pm Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
7:30pm Adult Choir
Rehearsal
THURSDAY
2
Office CLOSED
6
WEDNESDAY
29
1:00pm Joyce
9:30am Adult B’nai
Schrager Current
Mitzvah class
Events Class
resumes
5:45pm Almost-Daily
Minyan
7:00pm Adult B’nai
Mitzvah class
NO HEBREW
SCHOOL
4:10pm Hebrew
School
4:10pm Hebrew
School
7:00pm Justice,
Justice w/Rabbi
Steven Lowenstein
23
4:10pm Hebrew
School
10:00am The
Psalms w/Rabbi
Phyllis Sommer
30
4:10pm Hebrew
School
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
6:00pm Executive
Committee Dinner &
Meeting
7:00pm Board
Meeting
9:45am Book
Discussion - I Am
Forbidden
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
6:00pm
Communications
Task Force Meeting
7:30pm “Hello
Muddah, Hello
Faddah”
24
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
5
9:00am Mahjong
at Am Shalom
6:30pm Shabbat
Service featuring
Soul Children of
Chicago & St. Paul
AME Church
Shabbat Club
Dinner (Southern
Jewish Experience)
9:00am Library
Minyan
10:30am Adam
Weber Bar Mitzvah
4:30pm Celia
Buchband Bat
Mitzvah
9:00am Mahjong
at Am Shalom
6:30pm Shabbat
Service featuring
Youth Choir, and
Am Shalom 2nd
Grade
9:00am Library
Minyan
25
26
9:00am Mahjong
at Am Shalom
6:30pm Shabbat
Service - Chapel
19
9:00am Library
Minyan
10:30am Casey
Frey Bat Mitzvah
31
5:45pm AlmostDaily Minyan
Am Shalom Young
Adults Wine
Tasting
Mission to Cuba
Would you like to get your KOL early, with color photos and bonus content? Get it online! @ amshalom.com.
KOL
11
Change Service Requested
840 Vernon Avenue, Glencoe, IL 60022-1560
Telephone: (847)835-4800; Fax: (847)835-5204
e-mail: [email protected]
Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein, Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Phyllis A. Sommer, Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Pamela Mandel, Associate Rabbi
Cantor Paul Offenkrantz, Interim Cantor
Rabbi Harold L. Kudan, Founding Rabbi
Judi Berliner, Director of Education
Sarah Rosenbaum & Adam Bellows, Directors of
Youth Programming
Sharon Morton, R.J.E., Educator Emeritus
Edward M. Alpert, F.T.A., Executive Director
Carolyn R. Fulton, Director of Communications
Mark Burnstine, President
Barbara Breakstone, President-Elect
Vivian Nitzberg, Vice President
Gregory Miller, Vice President
Susan Gumbiner, Treasurer
Paul Kleinmann, Secretary
KOL
January, 2013
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Skokie, IL 60077
Permit No. 269
Volume 41, Number 4
A community service presentation by:
Dr. Tamir Rotman
Raanan, Israel
"hello muddah, hello Fadduh"
The challenges of parenting: the most important things we should teach
our children nowadays and how camp helps accomplish exactly that
Dr. Rotman is a practicing clinical psychologist at “Alumim” Youth Village, Kfar-Saba, Israel, on the staff at Zinman
College at Wingate Institute, The Israeli Integrative Center for Group Counseling, and has a closed private practice in
Israel. Dr. Rotman is also an assistant to the Director of Camp Ojibwa for Boys, where he is the High School age
group leader and adjustment specialist. Here is your chance to find the tools to help your child fully adjust to the
summer camp experience.
Thursday, January 17
7:30PM @ Am Shalom
RSVP online @ amshalom.com for this special presentation
12
It’s all about SOUL! Soul Children of Chicago – Friday, January 11th @ our 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service.
ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS COMING UP
Anouk Markovits’ I Am Forbidden
January Book Discussion
Thursday, January 17 @ 9:45 a.m.
A beautifully crafted, emotionally gripping story of what happens when
unwavering love, unyielding law, and centuries of tradition collide,
I Am Forbidden opens a startling window on a world closed to most of us.
Join us for what is sure to be an eye-opening discussion.
Justice, Justice We Shall Pursue:
Judaism and Civil Rights
Led by Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein
January 16, 2013
7:00-8:00 p.m.
What is our legacy and responsibility as American Jews with regard to the civil rights movement of the past, present, and
future? As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, let’s consider where we’ve been and where we are going in the
field of civil rights in our country.
The Psalms: Prayers of Healing,
Praise, and Comfort
Led by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer
January 23, 2013
10:00-11:00 a.m.
e Psalms are one of the most well-known sections of the Bible. ey are words of healing, praise, and comfort. Come
and learn more about this beautiful book of the Bible and how these words can be a part of our lives today.
“Spiritual But Not Religious?”
Led by Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein
February 21, 2013 @ 7:00-8:00 p.m.
According to a recent Pew study, more and more Americans describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." What
does this claim mean? What is spirituality, and can it truly be separated from religion? How do Jews define and engage in
spiritual practice?
“Understanding Prayer”
Taught by Buddy Schreiber
February 12 & 19, 2013 @ 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Join Buddy Schreiber in an in depth look at the Jewish prayer service and how to make heads or tails of the words and
actions. No experience required!
ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS COMING UP!
Leonard Bernstein:
The Man and His Music
Class Instructor: Cantor Paul Offenkrantz
February 6, 13, and 20th from 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Composer, Conductor, Pianist, Author, Lecturer, Television Personality, Civil Rights
Activist, Musical Icon ... Leonard Bernstein was unquestionably one of the most
recognized, influential, and pioneering musical figures of the 20th Century. Unlike many
Jews of his era who changed their names when they achieved fame, Bernstein not only
made no attempt to hide his "Jewish-ness" but revelled in it proudly and publicly. Privately
however, he was a complicated, enigmatic, and conflicted human being who struggled with
many personal demons. is course will survey all aspects of Bernstein's fascinating life
and will include video footage as well as audio recordings.
North Shore Community Kallah
A Community-Wide Adult Education Program
Tuesdays, February 5, 12, and 19
At Temple Beth El
3510 Dundee Road
Northbrook
Co-sponsored by the North Shore Chavurah of Rabbis and Spertus,
a three-week adult learning program.
Session 1 – 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Selection of courses taught by area rabbis
Session 2 – 8:15-9:15 p.m.
“Cosmopolitan Jewish Communities at the Edge of Modernity”
Taught by members of the Spertus faculty: Dr. Dean Bell,
Dr. Yohanana Petrovsky-Shtern, and Dr. Benjamin Frommer
Visit spertus.com/kallah for more information. Open to all, no charge!
Register to [email protected] or call 847-205-9982 to reserve your spot!
Unless otherwise indicated, all classes will be held at Am Shalom, 840 Vernon Avenue, Glencoe.
Celebrating traditions, building community
Am Shalom’s 10th Annual
Women’s
Seder
Thursday, March 14, 6:30pm
With SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST, Julie Silver
All women welcome (ages 12 and up)
Guests welcome! Bring your friends,
your mothers, your daughters,
your granddaughters!
Cost: $36/person
Sign-in will begin at 6:00pm so we can start
promptly at 6:30pm
In honor of our Women’s Celebration, we will be collecting tzedakah to benefit women in need.
Reservations & payment must be received by March 1st
Name _____________________________ Phone # __________________
Email Address _______________________________
Number in your party ________ @ $36/person = _________ enclosed
Please list all the names of those you are paying for: (use the back for more)
1._______________________
5._______________________
2._______________________
6._______________________
3._______________________
7._______________________
4._______________________
8._______________________
Tables will be “reserved” for parties of 5 or more. Tables seat 8-10.
Please list your table requests on the back of this form.
Signup also available online at www.amshalom.com
Please make checks payable to Am Shalom
Sign up online OR please mail to Am Shalom, Attn: Women’s Seder,
840 Vernon Ave, Glencoe, IL 60022 BY MARCH 1st
Additional questions? Please call the Temple office 847/835-4800.