Religious School

Stacy Ybarra The school year is under way! It has been a pleasure getting to know our students and families over the past month and we look forward to more time together. The holidays continue with Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah. We are learning about them in our classes and hope to observe them with you at CBS. Our holiday curriculum spirals so that we look at different aspects of the holidays each year.  Kindergarten focuses on the symbols.  1st Grade focuses on the traditions.  2nd Grade reviews the symbols and traditions.  3rd Grade focuses on the story of the holiday.  4th Grade looks at a story from the holiday’s tradition.  5th Grade studies the blessings or liturgy of the holiday.  6th Grade explores the art of the holiday.  7th Grade looks at an issue that flows from the holiday. Please note that with Simchat Torah beginning Monday evening, October 17th and continuing into Tuesday, October 18th, we have moved our Tuesday afternoon and evening classes to Monday evening to coincide with Erev Simchat Torah Services. We are excited to work with Rabbi Melman, Rabbi Chapman and Cantor Stoehr to add family activities to the fun and festive CBS traditions. Please watch for more information in your weekly Wednesday evening emails. The Simchat Torah program will also be appropriate for our kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students who are usually not in class on Tuesdays as well as for our youngest CBS members. This month our 7th graders will begin their Holocaust Studies Unit with Mark Gelfeld from the Illinois Holocaust Museum. We have also begun our Shabbat learning with our 6th and 7th graders. As we move into the year of 5783 may we remember to be kind in our dealings with others. B’shalom,

Stacy Ybarra Director of Education

Tracy Safron Suggests

An Affair of Spies is Ronald Balson’s remarkable new novel. The plot is packed with intriguing characters and Balson’s entertaining writing style doesn’t disappoint. As the United States works to develop a nuclear bomb, it is confirmed that Nazi Germany is on the same track. American intelligence needs to quickly ascertain how close Hitler is to achieving that goal. In November of 1943, Sergeant Nathan Silverman, a Jewish soldier stationed at Camp Ritchie, is told to report to Army Headquarters. Nathan, a German national, was forced to leave his family behind in Berlin and has not heard from them in years. His father is renowned physicist, Josef Silverman. Josef may be working (under duress) on Germany’s nuclear bomb alongside his colleague and friend Dr. Gunther Snyder. American authorities have been notified that Gunther wants to defect and that he is willing to reveal Germany’s nuclear secrets to them. Nathan will be sent to Germany to decide if Gunther can provide the information Army intelligence desperately seeks. Although he is an inexperienced spy, Nathan has almost the perfect credentials for this assignment. He is familiar with Berlin, speaks German and is acquainted with Gunther. However, he is not a scientist. Enter Dr. Allison Fisher. Allison is a brilliant young physicist who works in Enrico Fermi’s lab at the University of Chicago. Nathan is told that he and Allison will travel together to Germany via Paris. Nathan will meet with Gunther in Berlin. Once Nathan is convinced of Gunther’s motives, he will bring him to Allison at their safe house for further questioning. If Allison is satisfied with the information Gunther provides the three will immediately leave and return to the United States. Complicating this already dangerous mission is that Nathan wants to find out the fates of the family members he left behind in Berlin.

Balson sends Nathan and Allison on a harrowing journey that will keep readers riveted to this novel. Although the characters are new, the author’s suspenseful storytelling and engaging characters are both familiar and better than ever. An Affair of Spies is Balson at his best.