Kol Beth El ADAR-IYAR 5778
M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 8
Passover and Yizkor: Bringing the Past into our Present From the desk of Rabbi Schwab
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Shabbat Schedule....................2 President’s Corner...................3 Notes from Hazzan Tisser ......4 Informal Education..................5 Pre-School.................................5 Cultural Learning Center.........6 Beth El History Quiz.................6 Development ...........................7 Sisterhood Gift Shop...............7 Sisterhood.................................8 Men’s Club................................9 Youth Community....................10 Religious School.......................11 Rabbi Schwab cont..................12 Shavuot Schedule....................13 Todah Rabbah..........................14 May Calendar ..........................18 June Calendar ..........................19 July Calendar.............................20 Save the Dates..........................21 Events at a Glance....................22 All in the Beth El Family...........24
NSS Beth El
1175 N. Sheridan Road Highland Park, IL 60035 (847) 432-8900 www.nssbethel.org
Last year, before the Yizkor of Pesach, I began my sermon with the following: “Rabbi David Wolpe told a sweet story that at a family seder, one of his nephews asked, “Why was there a cup for Elijah at the seder?” His father’s response was that the cup was there to invite Elijah, who dwells on high in heaven, to join us at the seder and perhaps even bring the Messiah with him. His nephew listened, smiled and then innocently replied, “Zaide is also in heaven; he just went there last year. Shouldn’t we also have a cup for him and invite him too?” A sense of intense emotion suddenly gripped the seder participants as the presence of their beloved Zaide began to permeate the room. With that one comment, the significance of Elijah’s cup took on a whole new meaning. A loved one who had passed was now tangibly present.
in the story, that I would be sitting at my seder table looking at Elijah’s cup thinking similarly, that my grandfather and grandmother went to heaven just this past year, and would that I could invite them to be with me at this year’s seders. Many of us peer around the seder table, or experience other important events, and miss the presence of a loved one who used to play such a large role. You see, for me personally, my earliest childhood memories of Passover revolve around my grandparents. I fondly recall that they would drive up in their white Ford Taurus on the day before Pesach, my grandfather accompanied by his books, cigars, and newspapers and my grandmother by her garment bag. They followed the classic gender stereotypes. My grandmother helped my mother as they worked tirelessly in the kitchen to prepare the huge seder meals. I still recall that my grandmother would take breaks, find us grandchildren around the house just to check in on us and
And that is what Many of us peer around the seder table, or experience Yizkor does for us; it is our other important events, and miss the presence of a invitation to our loved one who used to play such a large role. deceased loved ones to traverse get hugs, and to tell us how wonderful the barrier between this life and the next, we were. I always knew what I would get to travel from heaven to earth, to join in each interaction with my grandmother us for a few meaningful and sacred -- pure unadulterated love. (Ironically what moments, so that our loved ones can made this even more special was that she dwell with us, even when we know they was capable of levying criticism. It became can no longer physically stand by our side. a joke in our family how loudly she would Little did I know then, like the nephew
call my grandfather’s name when she continued on page12
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 1
Daily Service
Shabbat Schedule Monday through Friday Mornings, 7:15 am Sunday through Thursday Evenings, 7:30 pm Sunday and Legal Holiday Mornings, 8:45 am Rosh Hodesh Mornings, 7:00 am Services are conducted by: Rabbi Vernon H. Kurtz Rabbi Michael Schwab Hazzan Benjamin A. Tisser
Every Shabbat 10:45 am Family Service Services for families with children 1st grade and younger 11:00 am Junior Congregation Services for students in 2nd - 6th grade
See calendars on pages 18-20 for times.
May
June
July
May 5
June 2
Parashat Emor Torah: Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23 Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15 – 44:31
Parashat Beha’alotcha Torah: Numbers 8:1 – 12:16 Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7
July 7
May 12
June 9
Birchat HaHodesh Parashat Sh’lach Torah: Numbers 13:1 – 15:47 Haftarah: Joshua 2:1 – 2:24
July 14
May 19
June 16
July 21
Parashat Korach Torah: Numbers 16:1 – 18:32 Haftarah: I Samuel 11:14 – 12:22
May 26
Parashat Chukat Torah: Numbers 19:1 – 22:1 Haftarah: Judges 11:1 – 11:33
Parashat Nasso Torah: Numbers 4:21 – 7:89 Haftarah: Judges 13:2 – 13:25
June 23
June 30
Parashat Balak Torah: Numbers 22:2 – 25:9 Haftarah: Micah 5:6 – 6:8
Parashat Matot-Masei Torah: Numbers 30:2 – 36:13 Haftarah: Jeremiah 2:4 – 28; 3:4
Shabbat Chazon Erev Tish’a B’Av Parashat Devarim Torah: Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22 Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1 – 1:27
Pre-School 3’s & 4’s seder
Writing Workshop with Michelle Brafman
Challah Bake
Shabbat Nachamu Parashat Va’etchanan Torah: Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11 Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1 – 40:26
2 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
Shema Pajama Party
the Museum of the Jewish People. As we continue our own 70th celebration at Beth El, I would like to invite our entire congregation to come together on May 10th at 7:45 pm for a very special Annual Meeting. At the meeting, I look forward to sharing some personal reflections about the trip, and following the business portion of the meeting, we will host a very nice dessert reception. As you know, a strong lay leadership is core to the ongoing success of our synagogue. Below is a list of the Senior Officers who will be both coming on to and returning to our Board. We hope you will plan to join us.
*New to the Executive Committee.
July 28
Student winners of My Family Story Project
By Richard Zelin, NSS Beth El President
Senior Officers
Recent Happenings at Beth El
Men’s Club Candle Packing
Don’t Miss Our Annual Meeting This past April, my wife Judy and I were privileged to be able to join Rabbi Kurtz, along with 40 members of our congregation and 12,000 Jews from around the world, on an incredible two-week experience, the “March of the Living.” During the trip, we studied the Holocaust first-hand, visiting the concentration camps of Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka, and Majdanik. We also visited the Warsaw Ghetto, Lodz Ghetto, Krakow, and other related sites throughout Poland. From Poland, we traveled to Israel to celebrate Yom Ha’Azmaut in Jerusalem. This was an especially great time to be in Israel because, like Beth El, the country is celebrating its 70th anniversary. A special highlight while we were in Israel was a visit to Beit Hatfutsot,
Birchat HaHodesh Parashat Pinchas Torah: Numbers 25:10 – 30:1 Haftarah: Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3
Birchat HaHodesh Parashat Behar-Bechukotai Torah: Leviticus 25:1 – 27:34 Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 – 17:14 Erev Shavuot Parashat Bamidbar Torah: Numbers 1:1 – 4:20 Haftarah: Hosea 2:1 – 2:22
President’s Corner
Richard Zelin President
Steven Graham Secretary
Stuart Hochwert Vice President Finance
Scott Forester Treasurer
Simon Halfin* Financial Secretary
Pamela Schlosberg* Vice President Programming
Robert Freeman Vice President Administration
Melissa Halperin Vice President Membership
Lawrence Silberman Financial Secretary
Ronald Goldberg Vice President Ritual
Marilyn Hirsch Vice President Education
Jenna Smiley* Vice President Education
March of the Living trip to Poland and Israel
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 3
Music
Notes from Hazzan Tisser
I have just returned from perhaps my shortest, and surely one of my most meaningful, trips to Israel – all of 2 1/2 days. Now I know what you’re thinking: that’s nuts—who flies across the pond for such a short period of time? And the truth is, you’re right; except that these few days are possibly the most important days for Israel on our calendar. You see, I experienced Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror) and Yom Ha’atzma’ut for the first time on Israeli soil, and I’m honestly lacking for words to describe the experience.
first time, I connected in Vienna, and at 34-years-old I made the short flight to Israel. The day after I arrived was Yom HaZikaron. I spent the eve when this day of memory began in Rabin Square with thousands of others, as we heard
Yom HoShoah Program
a concert of memorial songs by the great popular singers of Israel. The following day I went to the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Ramat HaSharon for the official ceremony, where we were greeted by Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman, Chief Rabbi Lau, and one of the IDF Chief Cantors, among other dignitaries and bereft families. At the conclusion of the ceremony, I visited my grandfather’s grave – it is large, in the shape of a plane, where he is buried with
Student and survivors
4 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
the other 58 men, women and children who were aboard the flight. I stood there, surrounded by tens of thousands of people who had come out that day to do the same thing I was – to remember. Some remembering people they knew and loved; others, like me, remembering people they never knew.
It is hard to sum up the experience in words and capture everything I saw, heard, and felt. Thus let me close with the words of one of the songs I heard several times throughout my trip, “Ein Li Eretz Acheret” by Ehud Manor z”l: I have no other country, even when my land is burning; Just one Hebrew word penetrates my veins, my soul. My body hurts, my heart is hungry for it, For my home is here.
Men’s Club Windy City Blues Outing
Don’t Know Much? That’s the First Thing You Need to Know By Ali Drumm, Director of Informal Education The most helpful piece of knowledge I gained when I began to oversee adult education in our congregation was the understanding of how difficult it is for adults to admit what they don’t know. We go around as experts in our fields, competent adults who manage households, staffs, and relationships all day. Even among professional colleagues, asking for help can still connote some kind of weakness – like you’re not really the expert your institution thinks you are.
Later as day turned to dusk, I participated in a special havdalah ceremony with Beit Tefilah Yisraeli as we transitioned from mourning to dancing, and Yom Ha’atzma’ut began. I then walked back to Rabin Square, this time to watch the ceremony from Mt. Herzl on large screens and then to be treated to another concert—this time with Israeli dance troups and young singers. I had dinner with friends and we walked to the new Independence Trail on Rothschild Blvd., where we stayed out celebrating and Israeli dancing in the street until 3am, surrounded by projections of movies of the first Independence Day on the building which lined the street. I have never felt so proud, so grateful, so moved to be in Israel, particularly in Tel Aviv, the city I have always felt to be where my heart is.
My family’s story goes back to pre-State Palestine. My paternal grandfather escaped the Nazis with one of his brothers and arrived in 1937 to Mikveh Israel, an agricultural school just southeast of Tel Aviv. After serving in the British Air Force, he joined what would become the IDF, and fought in the Givati brigade in the War of Independence (ask me about it – it’s quite a story!). My grandmother arrived in 1947, when at age 15 she learned nursing and how to drive on an ambulance as she contributed to the war effort in 1948 as well. Just a few months after my father was born, my grandfather was killed when his El Al plane was shot out of the sky by Bulgarian military planes for entering restricted airspace as he was on the way home from a routine refueling stop in Vienna. He was 32 at the time. The beginning of my trip was very emotional as, for the
Informal Education
When I began administering adult education, it was disappointing to see that there was no community-wide framework to foster cohesion and avoid redundancy, and there weren’t easy, obvious opportunities for those in the field of adult education to meet colleagues, cultivate meaningful partnerships, and enhance their professional skills. So many of the
Pre-School
professionals who work on adult education, myself included, do so as a small part of their portfolio. The dearth of obvious titles of “Director of Adult Education” is only one of the challenges to finding colleagues who can guide you. Yet my favorite personal mantra, a quote from Pirkei Avot 1:6 “Aseh l’cha rav, u’kne l’cha chaver,” translated in our siddur as, “Find yourself a master teacher, and acquire a colleague for study,” resonates with me as a continual push not to be so embarrassed for lack of knowledge. I see it as a challenge to seek out expertise and collegiality. Through the Chicago Adult Jewish Learning Initiative at Spertus, I was fortunate to participate in a prototype designed to forge an organized and adept community of those who plan and present Jewish programs for adults. It was launched to build
a Chicago-wide community of practice. We have benefited from ongoing monthly professional development sessions and community-wide partnership programming. In seeing other institutions’ offerings, I have been able to strategically adapt ours to maximize benefit for 21st-century trends. I have a better sense of the topics and delivery modes that most appeal to our congregants and possible synergies with the broader community. Particularly valuable have been the insights I have gleaned from professional discussions about planning, marketing, and evaluation. Asking for help and starting conversations, sharing questions and ideas with colleagues and stakeholders, has become a strength rather than a weakness. Revised from eJewishPhilanthropy.com published April 13, 2018.
L’hitraot
By Karee Bilsky, Pre-School Director The Paul S. & Sylvia Steinberg Pre-School is a thriving community of children, families, and gifted teachers. It is a home away from home for children and their parents, many of whom attended the Pre-School in their younger years. The community itself is what makes the Steinberg Pre-School unique, as well as the rich history and traditions of Beth El at large. In my short time as the director of the Pre-School, I have learned a great deal from the children, parents, and teachers whom I have had the privilege of working with. They continue to remind me of the “why” behind the work that we do each day in the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education - it is all about the relationships and community.
Every child that runs down the halls of the school wing each morning is a gift. We, as educators, have the unique job and responsibility of building the foundation for future growth, spirituality, and a love for being Jewish. When given the appropriate tools, experiences, and expectations, children can truly accomplish and learn anything! The children in the Pre-School are capable, competent, and emotionally intelligent and beyond prepared for their future education when they “graduate,” or move on from Beth El. They have solid memories of the special Jewish holiday celebrations, weekly Shabbat Sing with Rabbi Schwab, Hazan Barbara and Magic Jeff, Bubbie/Zayde Shabbat, Thanksgiving bake sale and visit to the grocery store, the Tu B’ Shevat
Forest, Passover Seders, and Yom Ha’atzmaut. All of these experiences are rooted in Jewish values which we hope will help to foster the skills and traits to be a true “mensch.” I have no doubt that the Pre-School will continue to be one of the best preschools on the northshore and viewed as a “school of excellence.” The support provided by current and alumni families and students will allow the history to be preserved and passed down from generation to generation - L’dor V’dor. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be one of a select group to serve as the Director of the Paul S. & Sylvia Steinberg Pre-School. L’hitraot - until we meet again. Warmly, Karee MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 5
CLC
Award Winning Jewish Fiction
Development
By Rachel Kamin, Gray Cultural and Learning Center Director Last year I was honored to be appointed to serve on the Association of Jewish Libraries new Jewish Fiction Award Committee. All works of fiction for adult readers with significant Jewish thematic content written in English and published and available for purchase in the United States during the award year are eligible for the $1000 award. In its inaugural year, the Committee reviewed over 50 submissions and the 2018 winners were announced in February. Rachel Kadish won for her novel The Weight of Ink, an intellectual and emotional jigsaw puzzle of a novel about an ailing British historian, with a fondness for Jewish history, who discovers a treasure trove of 17th century documents. Two honor books were also recognized: Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan by Ruth Gilligan, which tells the unknown story of the Jews in Ireland, and A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert, about the lives of Jews in a small Ukrainian town in the wake of the Nazis’ arrival. In the first couple of months of this year, I have received about a dozen new books published in 2018 to consider for the award. Here are three of my favorites so far:
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, a captivating family saga about four siblings in 1969 New York who each learn from a traveling psychic when they will die. The Cloister by James Carroll, a novel of the timeless love story of the discredited medieval French religious scholar Peter Abelard and his intellectual paramour Héloïse, and its impact on a priest and a Holocaust survivor in post-World War II Manhattan. Sadness Is a White Bird by Moriel Rothman-Zecher, a lyrical and searing debut novel about an Israeli-born American teenager preparing to serve in the IDF while also trying to reconcile his close relationship with two Palestinian siblings and his deeply ingrained loyalties to his family and country. One of the many perks to serving on the AJL Jewish Fiction Award Committee is that I receive complimentary copies of all of the submissions from the publishers. So, all of these books are available for you to check out from our Maxwell Abbell Library! Contact me at rkamin@ nssbethel.org or (847) 926-7902 if you’re interested in reading one - I’d love to hear what you think!
Special NSSBE 70th Anniversary Events By Judy Berkeley, Director of Development
Dear Friends, On Sunday, November 4, we will be honoring Rabbi Vernon and Bryna Kurtz for their 30+ years of service to our community with a community-wide gala dinner. Rabbi Kurtz, Bryna, and their family have graced our congregation with devotion and love for over three decades, educating our children, celebrating our simchas, and mourning our losses. Rabbi Kurtz has supported the State of Israel and represented Beth El in the broader Jewish community across the entire world with honor. He has held numerous prestigious leadership positions and received awards and recognition both locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Bryna has played a critical role in Rabbi Kurtz’s success and has been an integral part of our community in so many ways. We have planned a very special weekend honoring Rabbi and Bryna, celebrating Beth El’s 70th Anniversary, in conjunction with the 70th Anniversary of the State of Israel. We are honored to be joined by Guest Speaker Rabbi David Golinkin, President of The Schechter Institutes, for the weekend.
b. Sheridan Shores, because of its location on Sheridan Road and Lake Michigan. c. B onita Vista, because of the beautiful views over Lake Michigan. d. Grande Price, because of the enormous cost to construct the five structures on the estate. 6 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
2. What was the address of Beth El after it bought the Price mansion ?
d. Isadore Braun
a. 1175 Sheridan Road.
4. Who was “Mr. Beth El” ?
b. 1201 South Sheridan Road.
a. Max Goldberg
c. N o street address, just the Price Estate on Sheridan Road.
b. Arnold Natenberg
d. 1000 Sheridan Road.
d. Rabbi Samuel Ruderman
3. Who was the architect of the Price Estate? a. Ernest Mayo b. Frank Lloyd Wright c. James Stewart Smith
With appreciation, Stuart Hochwert Vice President, Finance
Sulie Holt, and Diane Levin, Gift Shop Co-chairs
By Mort Steinberg, Beth El Historian
a. P rice Gardens, because of the extensive formal gardens created by the full time gardener.
I’m sure many of you will want to get involved and participate in this special weekend. Please contact our Director of Development, Judy Berkeley, at (847) 432-0703 or jberkeley@nssbethel.org for any questions and to volunteer.
Sisterhood Gift Shop Your Resource for Beautiful Judaica and Gifts
Beth El History Quiz- Did You Know? 1. The Price Estate on Sheridan was acquired by Beth El as its permanent home in 1948. What was its formal name given by Edward V. Price, the owner?
The gala dinner will also be the debut event to receive your copy of Mort Steinberg’s forthcoming book Tradition on the Lake: A Historical Outline of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El.
c. Harold Blumberg Answers to this quiz are on page 17. If you have photographs or artifacts from Beth El’s past, we would be glad to place them in our growing synagogue archives. Contact Rachel Kamin at rkamin@nssbethel.org or (847) 926-7902.
…it’s the simcha-and-celebration time of year, when you search for that unique gift for that special person. We have the perfect solutions for your gift giving — fresh ideas for every special occasion. Here are a few things we think are great and will help you finish your gift shopping in a flash. For the special lady in your life Mom, wife, graduate…choose jewelry for her from one of our local or Israeli artists; eye-catching earrings, necklaces, bracelets with beautiful soft colored stones will complement any spring look. For a unique Father’s Day gift…we
have a selection of items sure to please, from tallit clips and tallit bags, to books and a one-of-a-kind collector’s watch.
there is something that you’ve seen elsewhere, we can order it and add it to your registry as well.
For a special hostess gift…the operative word is unusual, from colorful Shabbat candles and challah covers to modern serving pieces and vases, we have a fresh array of gifts that will bring a smile to your hostess.
To fit your busy schedules, we are always open by appointment. Diane: sdaalevin@gmail.com; (847) 571-5629; Sulie: suliekaroholt@gmail.com; (847) 558-3389; or Pam: pgs567@comcast.net; (847) 433-7546.
For the future bride and groom…our Wedding and Gift Registry enables your family and friends to find the perfect gift to help you establish your Jewish home or enhance your holiday table. We will help you select items, and if
A SPECIAL REQUEST: In August, we are going to New York for the Merchandise Show. If there is something you would like us to look for or stock in the Gift Shop, please let us know. We welcome your ideas!
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 7
Sisterhood
WLCJ Central Great Lakes Region Spring Conference 2018
Men’s Club
Yom HaShoah
By Marc Richards, President, Men’s Club
By Marc Richards
Rachel Ferber, Mary Ellen Bowers-Goldsmith, and Karen Weiss, Sisterhood Co-Presidents On April 11, the Men’s Club partnered with the Gray Cultural & Learning Center to host the annual Yom HaShoah commemoration program which is part of the Men’s Club Holocaust education initiative. It includes the annual gifts of Holocaust yarzheit candles, Holocaust education, and stipends for students to take a summer trip to Poland and visit concentration camps.
Shalom! What a pleasure it was to see so many of you at our Central Great Lakes Region Spring Conference 2018 a few weeks ago! Mah tovu, how goodly, that 2018 is Women’s League’s 100th year anniversary and that we celebrated it at Beth El as we also celebrate Beth El’s and the State of Israel’s 70th anniversaries. We want to thank those of you who helped us produce an outstanding twoday conference. We owe a special todah rabbah to Ali Drumm and Rachel Kamin for presenting two thoughtprovoking workshops: Lilith: Demoness or Herione? and What Are the New Trends in Jewish Publishing? We also thank Rachel for facilitating our talk from Howard Schwartz about his exhibit, Painted Portraits of a Family Past, in the Rissman Family Kol Ami Collection. Mazel Tov to Fran Hildebrandt, the incoming president of Central Great Lakes Region of WLCJ, and her new Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Two of our own members are on her Board: Rachel Ferber as an incoming Region Torah Fund team leader, and Pam Schlosberg as a member of the Region Membership Team.
Also, mazel tov to Karen Weiss, our Valued Volunteer this year. It was wonderful to see so many NSS Beth El members join us and salute Karen during the Valued Volunteer Dinner. Mazel tov to all 15 of the women who were celebrated as Valued Volunteers of their sisterhoods. We are honored to be a part of an organization with so many generous, hard-working women who give so much of themselves to their congregations.
Todah Rabbah to Everyone Who Contributed to the Torah Fund Campaign A Jewish future requires passionate leaders who fearlessly innovate to build community. Your Torah Fund contribution helps educate rabbis and cantors, Jewish school principals, and Hillel directors who fervently inspire communities, teach countless children what it means to be Jewish, and help thousands of college students find meaningful Jewish experiences on campus. The students 8 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
receiving Torah Fund scholarships launch organizations that engage others in Jewish life, write textbooks others learn from, and become the new creative forces for positive change in our communities. A Torah Fund pin makes a lovely Mother’s Day gift. Individual donors to Torah Fund at the Benefactor level ($180) or higher receive the distinctive Torah Fund pin in recognition of their gift. To make a donation, contact Linda Gottlieb at lbgmom@comcast.net or at 847-835-3101. It’s always the right time to give to Torah Fund.
Thank you to all of you who donated to our Matilde’s Mentionables/Support the Girls social action project. Women’s League began working with Support the Girls last summer with a drive to collect new and nearly new bras. This spring we expanded our drive to include menstrual hygiene products. Support the Girls provides support to homeless women and girls, many of whom are victims of domestic violence and have fled horrendous situations with little more than the clothes on their backs. It is a blessing to be able to contribute to an organization whose mission is to restore dignity and self-respect to thousands of women.
Sisterhood Dues Update For your convenience, Sisterhood dues, $40, (reduced rate for women aged 65+ of $30) are included on your NSS Beth El statement. However, you can pay senior Sisterhood dues through Beth El, by contacting Jeff Dreifuss, in Accounts Receivable, at 847-432-8900 x261. We urge you to pay Sisterhood dues via Beth El either by check (payable to NSS Beth El, NOT to Sisterhood) or by credit card. Paying Sisterhood dues through the synagogue will ensure that your payment, which is tax deductible, will be included on your year-end tax letter from Beth El. These dues will only appear on your synagogue statement through December of each year so, if you are uncertain whether or not you have already paid your annual Sisterhood dues, please call or email Jeff (jdreifuss@nssbethel.org).
Young Leadership Group
Joe Adler led off this meaningful commemoration program in honor of the six million Jews who lost their lives in the Shoah. The program began with a musical introduction by Hazzan Tisser who sang ‘My Zayde” by Moshe Yess, about a parent’s woeful memories of a late grandfather. The program continued with a candle lighting ceremony honoring six current members of the congregation who are Holocaust survivors: Ruth Fischer, Michael Silver, Amos Turner, Edith Turner, Ruth Stern and Nicole Terry. Joe Adler noted that every night of the year is a yarzheit for another 16,438 Jews of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. After minyan, Nicole Terry spoke a few words about her survival in France during the Holocaust thanks to her parents’ clever thinking to hide her and her little sister as Catholic orphans in a convent’s orphanage. Nicole said she did not even realize she
was Jewish until the end of the war when, while she was praying to a saint for her parents’ safe return, the Mother Superior told her they will come because she was a Jewish little girl. Two teens from our congregation, Gabriella Cooperman and Emma Halfin, then presented photos from their youth group trips to Poland and Israel last summer. They shared with the congregation their emotion-filled impressions from when they visited some of the concentration camps in Poland. They noted the stark contrasts of the gray ruins of the camps just yards away from vibrantly colored apartments where people are living as though the horrors of the Shoah never happened. They noted that a list of victims’ names contained familiar names as those from their own home town, which brought a close connection to the six million victims.
The Men’s Club is looking for volunteers to help plan fun events and volunteer opportunities for families and young Dads. This Young Leadership Group is led by Jeff Leon. Recently, the Young Leadership Group of the Men’s Club hosted a family sports outing on February 10th. Seven families went to see the Windy City Bulls, a minor league team feeding into the Chicago Bulls, take on the Canton Charge, the Cleveland Cavalier’s minor league team. The game was exciting, and the Windy City Bulls came from behind to win the game. Everyone had a great time watching future Bulls players on the court. Please contact Jeff at jeffaleon@ aol.com, to provide ideas for future events or to get on the mailing list.
Rabbi Schwab then presented “real-time” photos sent earlier in the day from Beth El’s mission of congregants led by Rabbi Kurtz in Poland travelling to attend the March of the Living. The program closed with Tovah Goodman, Gabriella, and Emma singing “Eli, Eli” by Hannah Senesh. If you are interested in helping with this program next year, please contact Marc Richards at mrichards@brinksgilson.com.
Men’s Club 2018 Man and Youth of the Year a Great Success! By Dan Gross, Men’s Club
A wonderful evening occurred this past March as NSS Beth El Men’s Club gathered with regional men’s clubs to honor Man and Youth of the Year award winners from throughout the area. The dinner award ceremony was held on Sunday, March 11, at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook. NSS Beth El was well represented! Many of our club members attended the event to honor the award winners from our congregation and region.
This year we honored Richard Small as our Man of the Year and Emma Halfin as our Youth of the Year. Rick has been an unflinching supporter and unsung hero of the Men’s Club for many years and is currently serving in two officer positions as Corresponding Secretary and Financial Secretary. Emma has been very active with the synagogue youth group. Emma is currently President of BEANS USY and has co-chaired two Chicago USY regional conventions.
Congratulations to everyone that was honored this year and to the Midwest Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs for hosting such a successful event!
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 9
Youth Community
Practice Makes Perfect
By Tovah Goodman, Youth Community Director
“The virtues of character do not come to a person through the greatness of their deeds but according to the number of their deeds. Virtues of character come with repetition of right action many times over.” -Maimonides There are many sayings that go along with repetition. Practice makes perfect; it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. I was raised where going to services every Shabbat was just something that was done. I don’t even remember a time when I sat down and learned the prayers; it just became part of me through osmosis. The same went for Tikkun Olam. Mitzvah projects weren’t just something that was done because it was a box to check in order to have a Bat Mitzvah, but something my family continued because it was the right thing to do. It is amazing to me to see how apparent my connection to the value of prayer and Tzedakah still is as an adult. Not only are numerous deeds and repetition of action important, but it allows those around to be inspired to take on the challenge themselves. I have a phrase I always use with the teens: “If I tell you to do something and I am not doing it myself, you don’t have to follow.” It
Chocolate Sedarim
is so important to teach leadership through actions rather than words. Now I am at a point where I plan to raise a family of my own in the near future and think about how I will raise them. In looking ahead, I look to the past and take detailed notes from how my mother raised me. When Judaism was talked about in my home growing up, it was never something we did but something that was integrated in our life. We didn’t go to synagogue to learn enough to pass milestones but went because we were taught that shul was where our community was. We did chores because we were Jewish and acts of kindness is a Jewish value. Judaism was so seamlessly integrated into my childhood that now in my adult learning courses, I am discovering I knew more than I thought. This wasn’t always the easiest task for my mother since my sister and I complained a lot about going every Saturday; we hated that we had to help around the house all the time, and if I heard the phrase “be a mensch” one more time as a teenager, I would slam my door and scream. Despite the occasional mood swings, I learned to love my community and practicing Judaism. My best friends, then and now, are
from our shul; my mother is now being honored at that shul; and my entire family has their names all over the walls. I know if anything ever happens, that community will lift me up and I have an incredible value system to keep me going. Judaism is so much more than a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or going to Sunday school. It is a guide book about how to be a better person. As my mother would say, “I don’t care if you don’t like it; someday you’ll thank me.” I first thanked her when I turned 20, and I have continued every day since.
Upcoming Events
By Alicia Gejman, Director of Formal Education Israel has come a long way in 70 years, building cities and villages, kibbutzim and moshavim. Jews came from all over the world to settle in the land, learned the Hebrew language, and adapted to a new way of life. Time and time again, the people of Israel had to go to war to defend their country, their people, and the Jews all over the world. Israel reached unbelievable highs in the areas of technology, medicine, education, literature, and the arts with the support and help of the Jewish communities around the world. Students at the Jack and Mildred Cohen Religious School spent the
past year learning about seven groups of immigrants who arrived in Israel from Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Ethiopia. On Sunday, April 29, students dressed up with clothing from these different countries as they danced and sang to ethnic music. Proud parents and grandparents filled the auditorium and enjoyed a delicious tasting, featuring food from the different countries. A great thanks to all the students, teachers, and parents who made this wonderful celebration possible. Pictures from our rehearsal below and right.
To keep up-to-date with dates and times, view our online calendar at www.tinyurl.com/ BEANScalendar1718 BEANS USY Executive Board Election Meeting Tuesday, May 1 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
BEANS USY Executive Board Elections Tuesday, May 8 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
BEANS USY Awards and Installations Tuesday, May 17 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Teen Hosts Needed! Beth El is hosting USY on Wheels on Thursday, August 2, for one night only. Fifty teenagers travelling the USA by bus, will roll through Highland Park. We are looking for families to host for the night and provide breakfast. To sign up to be a host, contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org by Friday, July 27.
10 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
Celebrating Israel@70 and Our CRS Graduates
Religious School
Mazal Tov to the Gesher students who completed the requisite course of study in the Jack & Mildred Cohen Religious School Aron Amram David Ayzman Charles Bernat Corey Braverman Isabel Carney
Hayle Cohen Julia Dishner Vivian Hirschfield Tyler Kallish Zachary Katznelson
Jaime Kaufman Rose Miller Sydney Newman Talia Newman Ari Posner
Sophia Rosenberg Seth Savine Isabella Schwartz Olivia Schwartz Rachel Smiley
Mazal Tov to our Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago Graduates Benjamin Aizenberg Justin Aronwald
Daniel Leshem Janie Levitan
Yabsira Silvers Yael Smith
Nathan Spellberg
High School Graduates Mazal Tov to the Miriam and Bernard H. Sokol Hebrew High School Graduates Julia Friedland Shayna Josephson David Halfin Sylvia Miller Isaac Hope Daniel Pickard
Mazal Tov to our Rochelle Zell Jewish High School Graduates Lucy Braverman Lucy Cohen Joey Schrayer Sarah Tenner
Noah Hersh Wins a Trip to Israel with his My Family Story Project! Noah’s project is one of the selected displays of the My Family Story 2018 International Competition. He has been invited to join a special group of 50 students worldwide to take part in a two-day celebration held at Beit Hatfutsot – The Museum of the Jewish People, in Tel Aviv in June 2018. At the event, the participants’ displays will be unveiled at a worldwide exhibition where they will be on view to the thousands of people visiting the museum! A special mazal tov to Addysen Gross for winning the Beth El My Family Story competition along with Noah. MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 11
Passover and Yizkor: Bringing the Past into our Present continued from page1
wasn’t happy – “Morris, stop smoking that cigar!” “Morris, don’t say that to the kids!” “Morris, don’t leave your newspapers lying around!” And on and on.) But with us -- pure sweetness!
To illustrate this, I will share that my amazing wife introduced something so simple and so brilliant to our seder this year, which embodies this type of remembering. We passed around a bag with slips of paper in it. Periodically, we would ask someAnd my grandfather, wow did he one to choose a slip and follow love seder. When seder was at my the instruction written there. parents’ house, my grandfather The questions on those slips insisted my father lead the seder Tell a favorite childhood memory of paper were both accessible because he was the master of the and meaningful, queries anyShare a special time you had with house, even though the role was one at any age could answer a grandparent of course offered to him. Yet he and at the same time still insat right next to my dad, adding Talk about a special family vacation voked rich and deep responscommentary, jokes, and most es. (See accompanying list on Favorite holiday memory from importantly belted out all of the this page.) As the seven-yearyour childhood tunes in full hazzanishah voice. olds through my 94-year-old Thankfully, he had a very nice Talk about a great grandparent Bubbee began to share, our voice, but it was loud and while family history came alive at the Where did your family come from? singing he made funny faces. seder and became intertwined As you can imagine, his perforwith both our present reality A favorite memory with a sibling mances created many a giggle and the narrative of our people Favorite food/meal from from the grandchild crowd. As we embedded in the story of the your childhood got older, we embraced the singing holiday. The power of such and belted them out alongside shared memory was palpable. I Share something about the him, which I am sure to those listenperson you were named for or know it, not only because I felt it ing did not improve the sound, but someone in your family personally, but because one it certainly made it more fun for all of of my seven-year-old daughters Did you have a pet growing up? us. It was sad for me that he and my tapped me as we were doing a grandmother were not at my parents’ Share some interesting more classic part of the seder and seder this year, and I can tell you that I family history said innocently, “When is someone definitely thought of him in particular each going to pick something out of the bag Share a silly family seder night and even sang a bit grandpa-style again? I like hearing those stories about memory to help him feel a bit closer and to honor his people.” With a bit of emotion, I smiled at memory. Share something you her and said, “So do I, sweetie, so do I,” and have learned from promptly asked someone else to pick anothyour parents For me, as for many of us, Passover and particuer slip of paper from the bag. larly the seders are tied so strongly to the power Share a memory with of memory. Biblically, this holiday is “Zecher Essentially, that is what we all do during a cousin Yitziat Mitzrayim” – “a remembrance” – a zecher, Yizkor, which we will next recite the second Favorite childhood game a Yizkor, of the Exodus from Egypt. But at day of Shavuot. We will create a sacred least for the rabbis, there is a specific type of space for picking out memories of people Favorite Family recipe remembering in which they ask us to engage. we love from our very own personal bag We do not simply participate in an act of To access these and more of memory. As we recite the prayers reminding ourselves about “then,” rather as questions, or to add you own and connect ourselves to one another, our Haggadah tell us, our remembrance must to the list, go to: our tradition, and our history, we simulbe a re-enactment, a mixing of present and taneously bring alive our most meanhttps://www.nssbethel.org/ past, so that we see ourselves as if we made ingful memories with those we have worship/shabbat-services/ Exodus from Egypt that very night. This type lost – childhood memories, holiday shabbat-sermons/ of memory is an active memory, it is less memories, happy times, troubled about traveling to the past to recall, and times, images, impressions of sound more about bringing the past to the presand touch. For a few moments ent - making the past come alive for us we put out, so to speak, our own and become a relevant source of wisdom, personal Elijah’s cup and invite the joy, and meaning. We eat symbolic foods, for instance, to taste people from our past to intermingle with us in the present. And the experience of the past on our lips in real-time, and we use afterwards, we hopefully say to one another what my daughter those experiences to sustain us. We tell stories of layered histosaid to me: “I liked experiencing the stories of the people I have ry bringing the past right up to the present, so those narratives loved. I liked feeling their presence.” May we use our active become intermixed with our own. memory to bring our loved ones near. Amen. 12 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
Shavuot COME CELEBRATE
SHAVUOT SERVICE SCHEDULE Saturday, May 19 Erev Shavuot 7:45 pm Mincha 8:15 pm Seudah Shlishit Dinner (Information about dinner and pricing on page 22)
8:53 pm Candle Lighting 8:55 pm Ma’ariv 9:15 pm/10:45 pm Tikkun Layl Shavuot The Rabbi Philip Lipis Memorial Lectures with Rabbi Dr. Noah Bickart Truth and the Rejected Opinion in the Talmud: The Theological Significance of Talmudic Debate Authority, Power, & Democracy: Rabban Gamaliel vs. Rabbi Yehoshua
Sunday, May 20 Shavuot
Join us on
12:00 am All night study session 4:30 am Sunrise Service
Saturday, May 19
8:50 am Festival Service
9:15 pm
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv
for The Rabbi Philip Lipis Memorial Lecture
8:54 pm Candle Lighting
with Rabbi Dr. Noah Bickart Controversy and Community: The Value/Meaning of Argument in Judaism Dr. Noah Benjamin Bickart is currently a Postdoctoral Associate in Ancient Judaism at Yale University, and a JTS fellow. He earned his PhD in Talmud from JTS in 2015, focusing on the development of scholastic practice in the Talmudic Academies of Late Antique Babylonia - and is now at work on a project which explores a variety of
Monday, May 21 Shavuot/Yizkor 8:50 am Festival Service D’var Torah – Rabbi Dr. Noah Bickart “As Iron Sharpens Iron:” When Disputes Become Personal
themes centering on gender and sexuality in Rabbinic Literature. He holds degrees in
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv
English Literature from the University of Chicago and Hebrew Bible from the
8:55pm Yom Tov Ends
Harvard Divinity School, and was ordained as a Conservative Rabbi at JTS in 2008. He lives in Washington Heights in Manhattan with his wife Nadia Kahn, son Meir Zeev, and daughter Rina Hana.
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 13
Todah Rabbah
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS:
Rabbi Kurtz Discretionary Fund In honor of Anne McDonagh’s special birthday - Karen Weiss In honor of Hayle Cohen’s Bat Mitzvah and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Josh and Lizzy Cohen
In memory of Sanford Rossen, beloved father Elliot Rossen
In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Ira and Elise Frost
In memory of Sarah Rosen, beloved mother Louis and Vivian Rosen
In memory of Ethel and Gilbert Levy, beloved mother and father - Adrian and Linda Winick
Wishing a complete and speedy recovery to Clara Brexler - Marvin and Sara Siegel
In memory of Robert M. Kupchick, beloved husband - Ruth Kupchick
In memory of Gladys Shapiro, beloved mother, and with appreciation to Rabbi Schwab Steven and Frances Shapiro
With appreciation for the mishaberach for Gabriella - Dena and David Cooperman
In memory of Roma Kaltman, beloved mother Jerome and Mary Kaltman
In memory of Harold Olshansky, beloved husband - Sheila Olshansky
In memory of Rose Eckerling, beloved motherin-law - Adrienne Eckerling
In memory of Harry Magad, beloved father Irwin and Linda Magad
In memory of Sally Davis, beloved mother-inlaw - Mildred Lidov
In memory of Howard Gerstein, beloved brother - Melvyn and Delores Gerstein
In memory of Helen Leeds, beloved mother Steven and Beth Leeds
In memory of Sam Sadoff, beloved father Michael and Phyllis Sadoff
In memory of Jennie Reisin, beloved mother Bernard and Elaine Reisin
In memory of Hortense Rubinoff, beloved mother - Lynn Weitz
In memory of Sandra Pruzansky, beloved sister of Gloria Taussig - Gerald and Adrienne Lasin
In memory of Joan Zwifler, beloved mother David and Robin Nankin
In memory of Hortense Rubinoff, beloved mother-in-law - Karen Rubinoff
In memory of Shimon Mortkovitch, beloved father - Nathan and Andrea Mortkovitch
In memory of Joseph Rosen, beloved father Leonard and Rochelle Foxman
In memory of Howard Silberman, beloved father, and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz Lawrence and Susan Silberman
In memory of Tillie and Charles Michaels, beloved mother and father - Harold and Reva Dreebin
In memory of Joshua Glick, beloved father - H. Steven and Deborah Graham
In memory of Hyman Field, beloved grandfather - Phillip and Sandra Cooper
With appreciation for the mishaberach for Gabriella - Dena and David Cooperman
In memory of Jack Warshawsky, beloved husband - Eileen Warshawsky
With appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Joseph and Susan Adler
In memory of Joan Epstein, beloved mother Jerome and Mary Kaltman
With appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz for all of his assistance - Gordon Schwartz, Dawn Sidney and Family
In memory of Ethel and Sidney Sharpe, beloved mother and father - Mortin and Karen Levy
In honor of Marvin Temple’s 90th birthday Adrienne Eckerling
In memory of Florence Ziker, beloved sister-inlaw - Mildred Lidov
In honor of my aliyah on my 60th birthday Anne McDonagh
In memory of Frank Pollack, beloved father Mark and Susan Pollack
In honor of Rachel Greenbaum’s special birthday - Trudy and Robert Balogh and Family
In memory of Gary Lidawer, beloved father of Annette Lidawer - Steven and Linda Feinstein
In honor of the birth of Michael and Franci’s son, Nathan Kind - Karen Weiss
In memory of Gladys Shapiro, beloved mother, and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Steven and Frances Shapiro
In honor of the birth of Rabbi Vernon and Bryna Kurtz’s granddaughter, Mia Faye Kaufman - Andrew and Gail Brown - Paul and Michelle Pessis In honor of the marriage of Daniel Weiss and Danielle Wolf and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Steven and Roni Weiss In honor of the marriage of Peri Axelrod to Scott Babendir and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Jack and Barbara Blumberg - JoAnne Blumberg In honor of the marriage of Peri Axelrod to Scott Babendir - Karen Weiss In memory of Albert Boxerman - Herbert Rosen - Karen Weiss
In memory of Joyce Levin, beloved mother of Steven Levin - Sheila Jacobson
In memory of Norlie Feinstein, beloved father Linda and Steven Feinstein In memory of Norman Chudacoff, beloved brother - Donald and Lois Chudacoff
With appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz for his support, teaching and guidance - Scott and Betsy Forester
In memory of Alvin Shapiro and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Gloria Brooks Shapiro
In memory of Jules Goldberg, beloved father Ronald and Eileen Goldberg
In memory of Bess Cohen, beloved mother Fred and Corinne Lane
In memory of Lester Sadoff, beloved brother Michael and Phyllis Sadoff
Rabbi Schwab Discretionary Fund
In memory of Betty Hanover Carney, beloved mother - Michael and Abby Carney
In memory of Lillian Rabatsky, beloved wife Melvin Rabatsky
In honor of Anne McDonagh’s special birthday - Rochelle and Earl Rubinoff
In memory of Beverly and Abe Kreiter, beloved mother and father - Mitchell and Edythe Kreiter
In memory of Louis Goldstein, beloved grandfather - Paul and Eileen Goldstein
In honor of Hayle Cohen’s Bat Mitzvah and with appreciation to Rabbi Schwab - Josh and Lizzy Cohen
In memory of Cathy Feinstein Molever, beloved sister, and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz Steven and Linda Feinstein In memory of Dionisio Salinas, beloved fatherin-law and grandfather – The Salinas and Ray Families In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Martin and Judy Kaplan - Mildred Lidov - Maurice and Sandra Raizes In memory of Edith Hymanson Weiss, beloved mother - Karen Weiss In memory of Edward Salinas, beloved husband and father– The Salinas and Ray Families In memory of Edwin Schwartz, beloved husband - Myrna Schwartz 14 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS:
In memory of Celia and Abraham Lapin, beloved mother and father - Philip and Phyllis Lapin
In memory of Erich Hamburger, beloved uncle Otto Waldmann and Phyllis Hofman Waldmann
In memory of Nettie Zelkowitz and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz - Barbara and Jeffrey Richardson
Todah Rabbah
In memory of Louis Lidovsky, beloved father-inlaw - Mildred Lidov In memory of Ludwig Blum, beloved father Melvin and Lenore Blum In memory of Marilyn Stein, beloved mother Barry and Terri Wallach In memory of Martin Maiman, beloved father and grandfather - Steven and Linda Feinstein and Family
In honor of my aliyah on my 60th birthday Anne McDonagh In honor of Rachel Greenbaum’s special birthday - Rochelle and Earl Rubinoff In honor of the marriage of Peri Axelrod to Scott Babendir - H. Steven and Deborah Graham
In memory of Laurence Kaplan, beloved father of Joseph Kaplan - Howard and Lynne Schechter In memory of Lillian Friedman, beloved mother Philip and Phyllis Lapin In memory of Marlene Rubenstein, beloved mother - Paul and Eileen Goldstein In memory of Max Smiley, beloved father - Judy and Stephen Smiley In memory of Mollie Rich, beloved mother Sheila Olshansky In memory of Mollie Sered, beloved mother Melvin and Hedy Sered In memory of Morris Wilk, beloved father Roger and Ronnie Wilk In memory of Nancy Whitman, beloved sister of Jack Blumberg - June Back Frydman In memory of Nathan Talman, beloved father-inlaw - Leonard Birnbaum In memory of Nathan Talman, beloved grandfather - Marc and Jacalyn Birnbaum In memory of Phyllis and Louis Senescu, beloved mother and father - Stuart and Marlene Senescu
In memory of Albert Boxerman - Herbert Rosen
In memory of Rabbi Morris and Minnie Sklar, beloved grandparents of Rabbi Michael Schwab - Judith Sarnat
In memory of Mary Bellows, beloved mother Diane Bellows
In memory of Alvin Shapiro and with appreciation to Rabbi Schwab - Gloria Brooks Shapiro
In memory of Ruth Abrams, beloved mother Robert and Sharon Abrams
In memory of Meyer W. Reisin, beloved brother - Bernard and Elaine Reisin
In memory of Benjamin Cohen, beloved father - Arthur and Lynn Cohen
In memory of Mollie Sered, beloved mother Melvin and Hedy Sered
In memory of Cathy Feinstein Molever, beloved sister, and with appreciation to Rabbi Schwab Steven and Linda Feinstein
In memory of Samuel Newman, beloved father and grandfather - Rochelle and Earl Rubinoff and Family
In memory of Naomi Favus, beloved mother Michael and Phyllis Sadoff
In memory of Cathy Feinstein Molever, beloved sister of Steve Feinstein - Ira and Elise Frost
In memory of Sandra Pruzansky, beloved sister of Gloria Taussig - Joel and Frances Rabinowitz - Marvin and Sara Siegel
With appreciation to Rabbi Schwab - Lee and Margaret Cohn - Joel and Cynthia Hirsch
Ben and Marion Drachler Israel Scholarship Endowment Fund
In memory of Ben Drachler, beloved father - Ferne Avery - A. Michael and Nancy Drachler
Bernard H. Sokol Hebrew High School Fund With appreciation to Gail Taxy for all of her help - Josh and Lizzy Cohen
With appreciation to Rabbi Schwab for his support, teaching and guidance - Scott and Betsy Forester
Cal and Lana Eisenberg Halomdim Program Endowment Fund
Hazzan Tisser Discretionary Fund
In memory of Lois Eisenberg, beloved sister-inlaw - Calvin and Lana Eisenberg
In honor of Hayle Cohen’s Bat Mitzvah and with appreciation to Hazzan Tisser –Josh and Lizzy Cohen In honor of Hayle Cohen’s Bat Mitzvah and with appreciation to Susan Adler - Josh and Lizzy Cohen In honor of the marriage of Deborah Shub to Ayal Tovian - June Back Frydman In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Bobbie and Len Tenner In memory of Gladys Shapiro, beloved mother, and with appreciation to Hazzan Tisser - Steven and Frances Shapiro In memory of Howard Silberman, beloved father, and with appreciation to Hazzan Tisser Lawrence and Susan Silberman In memory of Jordan Wainstein, beloved cousin - Philip and Doreen Feitelberg In memory of Michael Wainstein, beloved cousin - Philip and Doreen Feitelberg In memory of Nettie Zelkowitz and with appreciation to Hazzan Tisser - Barbara and Jeffrey Richardson With appreciation to Hazzan Tisser for all his help - Gordon Schwartz, Dawn Sidney and Family
Andrew and Gail Brown Technology Endowment Fund In honor of Anne McDonagh’s 60th birthday Lynn and Michael Froy
Capital Improvement Fund In honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Rabbi Ilana and Jeffrey Baden’s son Zachary Lawrence Baden Stephen and Judy Berkeley In memory of Anna Mioni, beloved mother-inlaw - Joan Holland In memory of Corrine Baker, beloved wife Leonard Baker In memory of Dora Holland, beloved mother-inlaw - Joan Holland In memory of Francine and Bernard Wolnak, beloved mother and father - Ronald and Eve Bremen In memory of Howard Silberman, beloved father of Lawrence Silberman - Marcy and Kenneth Levin In memory of Irv Holland, beloved brother-inlaw - Joan Holland In memory of Sally Levin Lerner, beloved mother - Marcy and Kenneth Levin
Edward S. Frank Israel Study Endowment Fund In memory of Albert Boxerman - Frances and Joel Rabinowitz In honor of Nessia Frank’s special birthday -B en, Wendy, Leah, Shoshana and Dalya Frank - Ruth and Frank Polcino
Anne and Jack Weinberg Holocaust Memorial Education Endowment Fund
Gertrude and Morris Lederman Continuing Education Fund
In memory of Ann Weinberg, beloved mother and Bubbie - Joel and Pearl Kagan and Family
In honor of Bob Weber’s 90th birthday - Sandy Starkman and Larry Pachter
Ba’al Korei Fund
In honor of Hayle Cohen’s Bat Mitzvah and with appreciation to Dov Kahana - Josh and Lizzy Cohen
In honor of Karen Weiss, the greatest Sisterhood volunteer - Beth Footlik
In honor of Karen and Scott Bieber’s 35th wedding anniversary - Sandy Starkman and Larry Pachter MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 15
Todah Rabbah
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS:
In honor of Richard Small being named Man of the Year - Brad and Marcie Pickard
In memory of Yetta Stark, beloved mother Natalie Weinstein
Horwitz-Hoffman Youth Lounge Maintenance Endowment Fund
Kopin Family Fund for Children’s T’filot Education Endowment Fund
In honor of Barbara Hoffman’s 45th birthday Ken and Meryl Rubin
In honor of Jeff Kopin’s 60th birthday - Scott and Betsy Forester - Barb and Michael Zaransky
Irving and Janet Robbin Scholarin-Residence Endowment Fund In memory of Rebecca Benson, beloved daughter - David and Karen Benson
Kurtz Family Youth Endowment Fund In honor of the birth of Eliezer Krumbein’s great-grandson - June Back Frydman
In memory of Hortense Rubinoff, beloved mother - Earl and Rochelle Rubinoff In memory of Howard Silberman, beloved father of Lawrence Silberman - Jackie and Michael Melinger In memory of Max Becker, beloved father Lawrence Becker In memory of Morris Elbaum, beloved father Neal and Ann Rosen In memory of Nancy Ellen Snyder, beloved daughter - Helen Snyder In memory of Rachel Frydman, beloved motherin-law - June Back Frydman In memory of Rebecca Karsh, beloved daughter-in-law - Lawrence Becker
Jack and Mildred Cohen Religious School Fund
In honor of the birth of Linda and Steven Feinstein’s granddaughter, Rachel Erin Ravich June Back Frydman
In honor of Anne McDonagh’s special birthday Robert and Roberta Goodman
In memory of Albert Boxerman - June Back Frydman
In memory of Sylvia Farbman, beloved mother Laura and Mark Lieberman
In honor of the wedding of Barbara and Jack Blumberg’s granddaughter and JoAnne Blumberg’s daughter, Peri Axelrod - Pam and Richard Schlosberg
In memory of Eveida Gross, beloved mother of Felicia Gross - June Back Frydman
Wishing a complete and speedy recovery to Robert Weinstein - Robert and Beth Footlik
In memory of Aviva Herman, beloved daughter - Micah and Sarah Herman
In memory of Albert Boxerman and with appreciation to Rabbi Kurtz for officiating at the memorial service - The Boxerman Family
In memory of Jack M. Hirschfield, beloved brother - David and Pamela Hirschfield In memory of Neil S. Levinson, beloved brother - David and Pamela Hirschfield In memory of Rose Sher, beloved great-grandmother - Michael and Sara Sher In memory of Sol Bleiweis, beloved father Lawrence and Susan Silberman
Jean T. and Morton Bernstein Camp Ramah Endowment Fund In memory of Albert Boxerman - Morton and Miriam Steinberg In memory of Fanny Schwartzberg, beloved grandmother - David and Karen Benson
Joseph and Mae Gray Cultural and Learning Center Fund
In memory of Hazel Rubin, beloved mother of Paulette Margulies - June Back Frydman
In memory of Rose Becker, beloved mother Lawrence Becker
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTIONS:
Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Pre-School Fund In honor of Mort and Miriam Steinberg being honored by Israel Bonds - Ronnie Jo Sokol In honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Karee Bilsky’s daughter Shayna Bilsky - Stephen and Judy Berkeley
In memory of Nancy Whitman, beloved sister of Jack Blumberg - Steven and Frances Shapiro
Wishing a complete and speedy recovery to Larry Weiner - Mayer Stiebel and Cara Madansky-Stiebel
In memory of Rosalyn Fegenhols, beloved mother - Iris Wittenberg In memory of Sylvia and Albert Wishnick, beloved mother and father - Adrienne Eckerling
In memory of Steve Waxman, beloved brother of Kalee Gould - Morrie and Ina Schaffer and Sue, Vicky, Greg, Matthew and Lexee
Ritual Refurbishment Endowment Fund
Prayer Book Fund In honor of Rachel Greenbaum’s 80th birthday - Arnie and Marilyn Berman - Richard and Pamela Schlosberg In memory of Burton Rosenberg, beloved father - Scott and Maureen Chaikin
In honor of Bob Weber’s 90th birthday Lawrence and Abby Block
In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Allene Frost
Maintenance Endowment Fund
In honor of Brad and Marcie Pickard’s 25th wedding anniversary - Lawrence and Abby Block
In memory of Larry Tayne, beloved husband, father and grandfather - Charlotte Tayne Avraham
In memory of Sylvia Footlik, beloved mother Robert and Beth Footlik
In honor of Jeff Gordon’s 60th birthday Lawrence and Abby Block
Maxwell Abbell Library Fund
In honor of the birth of Rabbi Vernon and Bryna Kurtz’s granddaughter, Mia Faye Kaufman - Lawrence and Abby Block
In memory of Leo and Anne (Berman) Weisel, beloved parents - Bill Weisel and Michal Finkelstein
In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Sandra Becker
In memory of Eveida Gross, beloved mother of Felicia Gross - Lawrence and Abby Block
In memory of Laurie Davis’s cousin - Jeffrey and Michele Glass
In memory of Hazel Rubin, beloved mother of Paulette Margulies - Lawrence and Abby Block
In honor of Rachel Greenbaum’s four score birthday and two score more - Robert and Beth Footlik
In honor of Richard Small as Man of the Year Mayer Stiebel and Cara Madansky-Stiebel
With appreciation to the amazing Beth El community - Bill Weisel and Michal Finkelstein
In memory of Dorothy Magad, beloved mother Irwin and Linda Magad
Minyan Service Fund
In memory of Lillian Landow, beloved mother Racquel Hochwert
In honor of the birth of Rabbi Vernon and Bryna Kurtz’s granddaughter, Mia Faye Kaufman - Dennis and Amy Pessis
Music Fund
In memory of Benjamin Levenson, beloved father - Jack and Barbara Blumberg In memory of Esther Shiffman, beloved grandmother - Jack and Barbara Blumberg
Sarah and Henry Stiebel Camp Ramah Endowment Fund In honor of the birth of Rabbi Vernon and Bryna Kurtz’s granddaughter, Mia Faye Kaufman - Mayer Stiebel and Cara Madansky-Stiebel In honor of Rachel Greenbaum’s special birthday - Sandy Starkman, Larry Pachter, Avram, Uri and Hollen
Sisterhood College Connection Endowment Fund With appreciation - Marvin and Sara Siegel
Social Action Fund With appreciation - Jan Channon With appreciation - Louis and Barbara Kahn
Staff Recognition Fund In memory of Shirley and Louis Rosen, beloved mother and father - David Rosen and Amy Zisook
Tzedakah/Pushke Fund In memory of Anna Pathman, beloved aunt Bob and Millie Weber In memory of Mariasse Kurchitzer, beloved grandmother - Bob and Millie Weber
In honor of the birth of Dr. Eli Krumbein’s great grandchildren, Jonathan William Kehl and Lenny Krieger - Sandy Starkman and Larry Pachter
NSS Beth El Special Gifts Fund In honor of Barbara Lansing’s special birthday Michael and Jannet Dolin
In memory of Abe Frydman, beloved father-inlaw - June Back Frydman
In honor of Richard Small being named Man of the Year - Robert and Beth Footlik
In honor of Rachel Greenbaum’s special birthday - Ginger and David Smerling
In memory of Belle Lasin, beloved mother Gerald and Adrienne Lasin
In honor of the marriage of Peri Axelrod to Scott Babendir - Robert and Beth Footlik
In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Mark and Nina Gaines
In memory of David Schlosberg, beloved father - Richard and Pamela Schlosberg
In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - David and Barbara Lansing - Gerald and Adrienne Lasin
In memory of Esther Pessis, beloved mother Dennis and Amy Pessis
In memory of Dr. Bernard Kaye, beloved husband of Edith Kaye - Andrew and Gail Brown
In memory of Dr. Edward M. Goldberg, beloved husband - Sheila Goldberg
In memory of Ephraim Goldstein, beloved father - Michael Goldstein
In memory of Esther Pessis, beloved mother Paul and Michelle Pessis
In memory of Jeanette Goldstein, beloved mother - Michael Goldstein
In memory of George Lieberman, beloved father - Laura and Mark Lieberman
In memory of Sally Zare, beloved mother Nancy Shapiro
In memory of Goldye R. Dunn, beloved mother Wallace and Joan Dunn
16 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
Todah Rabbah
In memory of Eveida Gross, beloved mother of Felicia Gross - Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne In memory of Fay Cahan, beloved mother Michael Cahan In memory of Sadie Kulakofsky, beloved mother - Ruth Belzer Wishing a complete and speedy recovery to Larry Metnick - Marvin and Sara Siegel
Answers to Quiz on page 6 1. c. Bonita Vista, because of the beautiful views from the mansion over Lake Michigan. 2. b. 1201 South Sheridan Road. Highland Park changed its street numbering system in 1951, when the address of the synagogue became 1175 Sheridan Road (still its correct address).
3. a. Ernest Mayo, born and trained in England, came to the US in 1893 to work on the 1893 Columbian World Exposition in Chicago. He became a well-know architect for numerous large residential properties and commercial developments on the North Shore, including the old Moraine Hotel in Highland Park and the Evanston Women’s Club on Chicago Avenue in that suburb.
4. c. Harold Blumberg, a resident of Glencoe and, with his wife Ruby, one of the founders of Beth El. He was the second president of the synagogue (1950-1954) and was instrumental in every aspect of the building, financing, and construction of Beth El from its earliest days through at least the 1980s. His son, Gerald Blumberg, was Beth El’s 23rd president (1997-1999).
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 17
May Events Calendar |Sunday
|Monday
|Tuesday 10:00 am Conservative Judaism Looks at Modern Issues 11:00 am Parshat HaShavua Midrash 6:15 pm Int. Conversational Hebrew
1 9:15 am Florence Melton Class 9:30 am Bagels for Your Brains 11:00 am Hebrew Literacy
10:00 am Ezra and Nehemiah
7
6
Mother’s Day/Yom 10:00 am Yerushalayim Ezra and Nehemiah 9:15 am Melton Class 9:30 am Bagels for your Brains 11:00 am Hebrew Literacy 12:00 pm Hebrew HS Graduation
13 Shavuot 4:30 am Sunrise Service 8:50 am Festival Service 8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 8:54 pm Candle Lighting
20
14
8 Rosh Hodesh Sivan 7:00 am Morning Minyan 10:00 am Conservative Judaism Looks at Modern Issues 11:00 am Parshat HaShavua - Midrash
15
Shavuot
| Wednesday
|Thursday
2
3
11:00 am The Bible Comes Alive 6:15 pm Adv.Hebrew 7:45 pm Spertus mini-course on Israel
9
16
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service 6:15 pm Gesher Family Shabbat Service and Dinner 7:33 pm Candle Lighting
4
10:00 am Conversational Hebrew 7:30 pm Annual Meeting
10
9:30 am Writer’s Beit Midrash 11:00 am The Bible Comes Alive Class 6:15 am Adv. Conversational Hebrew 7:45 pm Spertus mini-course on Israel
10:00 am Conversational Hebrew 12:00 pm Lunch in the Suburbs 7:00 pm Youth Awards and Installations
17
5:15 pm 4-year-old Pre-School Shabbat Dinner 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service 7:40 pm Candle Lighting
8:55 pm Yom Tov Ends
23
24
9:30 am Writer’s Beit Midrash
8:50 am Shabbat Services Bat Mitzvah Julia Dishner 10:45 am ALEF/Young Family Services 7:15 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 8:38 pm Shabbat Ends
5
8:50 am Shabbat Services Bat Mitzvah - Vivian Ella Hirshfield 7:30 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 8:45 PM Shabbat Ends
12
5:00 pm Jeans and Jammies
Erev Shavuot 8:50 am Shabbat Services 7:45 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:49 pm Candle Lighting 9:00 pm Tikkun Layl Shavuot All Night Study Sessions
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service 7:48 pm Candle Lighting
18 7:00 pm B’nai Mitzvah Reunion Shabbat Dinner 7:54 pm Candle Lighting
22
|Saturday
11
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv
21
|Friday
9:30 am Writer’s Lag B’Omer Beit Midrash 11:00 am The Bible Comes Alive 6:15 pm Adv. Hebrew 7:45 pm Spertus mini-course on Israel
8:00 pm Hartman Institute Class
8:50 am Festival Service
Memorial Day 8:45 am Morning Minyan 7:30 pm Evening Minyan
10:00 am Conservative Judaism Looks at Modern Issues 11:00 am Parshat HaShavua - Midrash 6:00 pm Sisterhood/ Men’s Club Dinner with Rabbi Kurtz 6:00 pm USY Elections
June Events Calendar
25
19
Bnai Mitzvah Reunion Shabbat 8:50 am Shabbat Services 7:45 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 8:59 pm Shabbat Ends
|Sunday
|Monday
|Tuesday
| Wednesday
|Thursday
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
8:00 pm Candle Lighting
1 3:00 pm B’Yachad and Ner Tamid Donor Recognition Event
3 10:00 am Field Family Lecture with Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz
4 9:00 am Steinberg PreSchool Camp starts
5 Ramah Camp buses board for Wisconsin 7:45 pm Engineering Evil
10
11
12
6
28
29
7
8
9
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:00 am Summer Shabbat Services
8:08 pm Candle Lighting
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv
Rosh Hodesh Tamuz 7:00 am Morning Minyan 9:30 am Artists Beit Midrash
13
14
18 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
15
16
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:00 am Summer Shabbat Service
8:10 pm Candle Lighting
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 9:15 pm Shabbat Ends
26
17
18
19
20
21
9:30 AM Artists 9:30 Midrash am Beit
Artists Beit Midrash
31
9:13 pm Shabbat Ends
9:30 am Artists Beit Midrash
30
2
Rosh Hodesh Tamuz 7:00 am Morning Minyan 7:00 pm Hartman Institute Class
Father’s Day
8:50 am Shabbat Services Bat Mitzvah - Estelle Rosenblatt 9:15 am Beit Midrash Minyan 12:30 pm Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club 7:45 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 9:05 pm Shabbat Ends 8:50 am Shabbat Services Bat Mitzvah Jordan Nathan 8:00 pm Mincha/ Ma’ariv 9:10 pm Shabbat Ends
7:45 pm Engineering Evil
|Saturday
5:30 pm Kabbalat Shabbat on the Lake Reception 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service on the Lake 8:05 pm Candle Lighting
24
25
26
22
23
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:00 am Summer Shabbat Service
8:11 pm Candle Lighting
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 9:16pm Shabbat Ends
27
|Friday
27
28
29
30
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 19
|Tuesday
Fast 17th of Tamuz
| Wednesday
|Thursday
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
8:45 am Morning Minyan
8:09 pm Candle Lighting
|Friday
|Saturday 9:00 am Summer Shabbat Service 8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 9:14 pm Shabbat Ends
1
2
3
4
5 9:30 am Artists Beit Midrash
6
7
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:00 am Summer Shabbat Service
8:06 pm Candle Lighting
8:00 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 9:11 pm Shabbat Ends
9
8
10
11 7:45 pm Summer Stories & Sweet Treats
15
16
17
9:00 pm Ma’ariv
22
13
14
9:30 am Artists Beit Midrash
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:00 am Summer Shabbat Service
8:02 pm Candle Lighting
7:45 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv
9:07 pm Shabbat Ends
18
Tisha B’Av 8:45 am Shacharit 2:00 pm Mincha
12
19 9:30 am Artists Beit Midrash 6:00 pm Israeli Scouts Concert
23
24
25
26
20
21
6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
9:00 am Summer Shabbat Service
7:55 pm Candle Lighting
7:45 pm Mincha/Ma’ariv 9:00 pm Shabbat Ends Tisha B’Av Begins
27
28
io n
un
|Monday
ai
|Sunday
B’n
July Events Calendar
Mi t z va h R e
NSSBE 70 Year B’nai Mitzvah Reunion
If you celebrated your Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Confirmation at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El over the past 70 years, fom 1948 - 2018, we’d love to see you again at our B’nai Mitzvah Reunion during the Memorial Day weekend. Current and former members are all invited. Help us spread the word and invite others to attend the weekend festivities as we continue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Beth El! We would like to offer bimah honors to any attendee of the B’nai Mitzvah reunion. If you would like to participate in one of the Shabbat services, please contact Mary Channon at mary.channon @yahoo. com with questions. We hope you will attend the Friday night Shabbat dinner following Kabbalat Shabbat Services:
Friday, May 25 B’nai Mitzvah Reunion Shabbat Dinner
5:00 - 6:15 pm Welcome and hors d’oeuvres 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat followed by dinner and entertainment $30 per adult (13 and up) $13 (12 and under) $100 sponsorship - includes 2 tickets and event-night recognition RSVP at https://www.nssbethel.org/event/ bnai-mitzvah-reunion-dinner/
Beth El Goes to Ravinia! Join us on the lawn at Ravinia for a perfect summer evening!
Tuesday, July 24, – 8:00 pm CSO: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Marin Alsop conductor Tickets: $10 per person
To purchase tickets for this popular program before they are sold out, please let us know if you are interested.
29
30
31
20 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
Contact Pam Schlosberg: pgs567@comcast.net by May 11 MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 21
May/June/July Events at a Glance Wednesdays, May 2, 16 & 30; June 13 & 27; and July 11 & 25 9:30 am Writer’s Beit Midrash
Tuesday, May 8 6:00 pm Sisterhood Men’s Club Dinner with Rabbi Kurtz
The NSS Beth El Writer’s Beit Midrash will continue to meet every other Wednesday morning in the Maxwell Abbell Library throughout the summer. All fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, and essay writers (published or not yet published) are welcome for discussions, exercises, camaraderie, and critique. Contact Rachel Kamin at rkamin@nssbethel.org or (847) 926-7902 for more information.
Join us for a wonderful evening, when Beth El comes together for great company, a delicious dinner, and a presentation by Rabbi Kurtz entitled: Reflections on 42 Years in the Rabbinate and 30 Years at Beth El.
__________________________________________
Wednesdays, May 2, 9, and 16 7:45-9:15 pm Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State: Questions, Explorations, and Implications Spertus in the Suburbs mini-course taught at Beth El by Dr. Keren Fraiman. Since the birth of the State of Israel, Jewish and democratic values have served as its foundation. Affirmed by Israel’s Basic Laws, these guiding principles are at the heart of Israeli governance and society. In a three-part mini-course, Israel expert Dr. Keren Fraiman addresses important questions about how these two separate ideals have co-existed through Israel’s history and how they function in Israel today. Come away with a more nuanced understanding of how Jewish and democratic values are expressed in Israeli society, how they interact, and the relationship between them. $75; $60 for NSSBE and Spertus members; Register online at: https://spertus. edu/programs-events/israel-state.
22 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL
Reservations must be made in advance. $25 per person if paid by May 1. $30 per person if paid on May 2 or 3rd. No reservations taken after May 3rd. Please make checks out to NS Beth El Sisterhood and send them to Ruth Fischer, 620 Calais Circle, Highland Park, IL 60035. Questions, call Ruth Fischer at (847) 433-1919. __________________________________________
Thursday, May 10 7:45pm Annual Meeting and Board Installation Come support fellow congregants and attend our annual meeting where we will thank outgoing officers and install newly elected board members. President Richard Zelin will share his reflections on his recent trip to Poland and Israel with Rabbi Kurtz and 40 fellow congregants who participated in March of the Living. A dessert reception will follow. All are welcome and encouraged to attend! __________________________________________
Thursday, May 17 7:00 pm Youth Awards and Installations
Awards and Installations is an opportunity to honor the leaders in the youth community, reflect on the year behind, and install the USY and Kadima boards for the next year. Join us for a dessert reception and ceremony.
Contact Tovah Goodman with questions at tgoodman@nssbethel.org.
Friday, May 18 5:00 pm Jeans and Jammies Curious George
Join us and your favorite curious friend for a family Shabbat service, free children’s dinner, activities and pictures with Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat! To RSVP or for questions, contact Ali Drumm at adrumm@nssbethel.org or call (847) 432-8126 __________________________________________
Saturday, May 19 Monday, May 21 Seudah Shlishit Dinner and Shavuot Scholar 7:45 pm Dinner $15 for all dinners, adult and child. Please RSVP at https://www.nssbethel. org/event/seudah-shlishit-dinner/ Contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org with questions. Please RSVP by Monday, May 14th. 9:15 pm Rabbi Dr. Noah Bickart will deliver three talks on the topic of Controversy and Community: The Value/Meaning of Argument in Judaism. During these increasingly divisive times, what can Judaism teach us about the role of dispute and disagreement in pursuing truth and creating community? Come hear him on Saturday at 9:15 pm for the annual Rabbi Philip Lipis Memorial Lecture, and again on Monday, when he will deliver the D’var Torah during Festival services. See page 13 for more Shavuot details. __________________________________________ Friday, May 25 - Saturday, May 26
B’nai Mitzvah Reunion
If you celebrated your Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Confirmation at North Suburban Syna-
gogue Beth El over the past 70 years, we’d love to see you again at our B’nai Mitzvah Reunion during the Memorial Day weekend. Current and former members are all invited. Help us spread the word and invite others to attend the weekend festivities as we continue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Beth El! To RSVP, go to: https://www.nssbethel.org/event/ bnai-mitzvah-reunion-dinner/ _________________________________________
become a B’Yachad or Ner Tamid Donor, contact Judy Berkeley at jberkeley@ nssbethel.org, or call (847) 432-0703. __________________________________________
of all skill levels and working with any type of media – sculpture, oils, watercolors, photographs, fabrics, prose, poetry, music, theater, and dance – are invited. __________________________________________
To register for any of the following 3 Continuing Education classes, contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org or 847-926-7903 with any questions.
Wednesday, July 18 7:45pm Summer Stories & Sweet Treats
Saturday, June 2 12:30 pm Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club
CE class with Dr. Robert Bernat. Special screening of Engineering Evil, a History Channel special devoted to the details of how the Nazis carried out the Holocaust, framed in light of figuring out how to systemically prevent the demonization of the other and the calculus of looking the other way in the modern world.
Our next discussion will be about the book And After the Fire, by Lauren Belfer. The book club will be facilitated by Rachel Kamin. A tale inspired by historical events traces the experiences of two women whose lives are transformed by a mysterious Johann Sebastian Bach choral masterpiece. Copies of the book are available in the Abbell Library and from local libraries and bookstores. All are welcome! A $54 annual donation to the Torah Fund Campaign is requested. The Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club will resume in the fall. Send book suggestions and other comments to rkamin@nssbethel.org. __________________________________________
Sunday, June 3 3:00 - 5:00 pm B’Yachad and Ner Tamid Donor Recognition B’Yachad and Ner Tamid Donors are invited for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the terrace followed by a special program featuring Mort Steinberg, Beth El Historian. Mort will give a presentation on The Mansion and the Mavens – the Beginnings of NSSBE, a preview of his forthcoming book Tradition by the Lake: A Historical Outline of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El. If you would like to
Tuesdays, June 5 and 12 7:45 pm Engineering Evil
__________________________________________
Sunday, June 10 10:00 am The Field Family Lecture Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz Hank Greenberg, Molly Goldberg, Alexander Portnoy, Fran Drescher—all are American Jewish icons who have entered the American cultural mainstream. They remind us just how far we’ve come, in only a few generations, and what it will take to ensure our Jewishness in the generations to come. __________________________________________
Thursdays, June 14, 21, 28 and July 12, 19, and 26 9:30–11:30 am Artists Beit Midrash: Of the Body, In the Body: Torah and Art Dr. Jane Shapiro and Judith Joseph. Artists
Gather on the back porch for a summer discussion of short stories. Story selections will be announced soon. “Sweet Treats” will be served! All are welcome open to the community, free of charge. Contact Rachel Kamin at rkamin@ nssbethel.org or (847) 926-7902 for more information. __________________________________________
Tuesday, July 24 8:00 pm Beth El Goes to Ravinia Join us on the lawn at Ravinia for a perfect summer evening!
CSO: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Marin Alsop conductor Tickets: $10 per person To purchase tickets for this popular program before they are sold out, please let us know if you are interested. Contact Pam Schlosberg: pgs567@comcast.net by May 11 __________________________________________
Thursday, July 26 6:00pm Israeli Scouts Concert The Tzofim Friendship Caravan is a group of ten energetic teenagers who are leaders in their Scout chapters in Israel. Together with their two leaders, the Caravan travels across North America, using song, dance, and personal stories to share friendship and love for Israel. Come see this talented group perform at Beth El! Bring your friends and neighbors, all are welcome!
MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL | 23
Non Profit Org. US Postage PAID Highland Park, IL Permit No. 96
1175 Sheridan Road Highland Park, IL 60035
It’s All in the Beth El Family
Address service requested
B’nai Mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah Congratulations!
Bat Mitzvah Congratulations!
Bat Mitzvah Congratulations!
Julia Dishner,
Vivian Hirschfield,
Estelle Rosenblatt,
daughter of Karen and Robert Dishner Shabbat, May 5
daughter of Michelle and Jack Hirschfield Shabbat, May 12
daughter of Robyn and Sami Rosenblatt Shabbat, June 2
Congratulations:
Condolences To:
Karen and Scott Bieber on the occasion of their 35th wedding anniversary
Gabriel Aizenberg on the loss of his mother, Edna Aizenberg
Annette and Gerald Blumberg on the birth of their granddaughter, Adalynn Gem Wellen
Robert Doppelt on the loss of his father, Alvin Doppelt
Nan and Marc Fine on the birth of their granddaughter Jeffrey Gordon on the occasion of his 60th birthday Linda and Leon Gottlieb on the marriage of their daughter, Marisa, to Ariel Boyman Rachel Greenbaum on the occasion of her 80th birthday Penny and Jeffrey Hecktman on the birth of their grandson Rebecca and Adam Kusovitsky on the birth of their son, Theodore Solomon Carol and Robert Ruderman on the birth of their grandson, Theodore Solomon Kusovitsky Mira and Darryl Temkin on the birth of their grandson Damen and Justin Wellen on the birth of their daughter, Adalynn Gem
Dr. Steven Feinstein on the loss of his sister, Cathy Feinstein Molever Merle Friedman on the loss of her mother, Nettie Zelkowitz Mark Gerstein on the loss of his father, Robert H. Gerstein
Bat Mitzvah Congratulations! Jordan Nathan,
daughter of Susan and Marc Nathan Shabbat, June 9
Lawrence Silberman on the loss of his father, Howard Silberman Gloria Taussig on the loss of her sister, Sandra Pruzansky
In Memoriam: Jerome Harris Dr. Bernard Kaye
Kiddush Sponsors: The Applebaum Family
Alice Gross on the loss of her sister, Helen Glazer
Ba’al Korei Institute
Marla Grossberg on the loss of her grandmother, Nettie Zelkowitz
Madi and Ben Ditkowsky
Edith Kaye on the loss of her husband, Bernard Kaye Annette Lidawer on the loss of her father, Gary Lidawer Craig Persin on the loss of his mother, Sherri Persin Aaron Resnick, Rebecca Resnick and Elissa Resnick Goodman on the loss of their grandmother, Millie Ponfil
Karen and Scott Bieber Linda and Leon Gottlieb The Greenbaum Family Barbara and Stuart Hochwert Ronit and Ian Katznelson Bryna and Rabbi Vernon Kurtz North Suburban Beth El Sisterhood North Suburban Synagogue Beth El Men’s Club Don Schwartz
Janet Resnick on the loss of her mother, Millie Ponfil
The Kol Beth El Bulletin is a bi-monthly newsletter written by clergy, staff, and committee chairs. If you have questions or comments, please contact Abby Lasky, Director of Communications, at alasky@nssbethel.og, or call (847) 926-7908.
24 | MAY/JUNE/JULY 2018 | KOL BETH EL