INSIDE THIS ISSUE Around Beth Shalom .........................2 President’s Message ...........................3 Cantor’s Notes ...................................4 CBS Religious School.........................5 Youth .....................................................6 Adult Learning & Programming ............................... 7-8 Rabbi Wolkin’s Thank You ..............9 Keruv .................................................. 10 Library ................................................ 11 Calendar ............................................ 12 Sisterhood ................................... 13-14 Men’s Club .................................. 15-16 Volunteer Spotlight ......................... 17 Fundraising & Development.......... 18 Bima Flower Fund ........................... 19 Anniversaries/Leagrams ................. 20 Milestones ......................................... 21 Donations .................................... 22-24 Yahrzeits ............................................ 25 Advertisements .......................... 26-27 Shabbat Schedule & Candle Lighting................................. 28
SHALOM INFO Shalom is published monthly by Congregation Beth Shalom, 3433 Walters, Northbrook, Illinois 60062-3298 for the exclusive use of its members and staff. All material contained herein is the property of Congregation Beth Shalom. Rabbi ............................................ Aaron Melman Cantor .......................................... Steven Stoehr Assistant Rabbi ............................Ari Averbach Executive Director....................Michael Garlin Director of Education ................ David Barany Ritual Director ............................ Naomi Weiss Dir. of Jewish Life and Learning...................................... Leann Blue Director of Youth Activities ...... Matt Rissien
AUGUST 2015 • VOLUME I, ISSUE I
RABBI MELMAN’S MINUTES For the last few nicely. I hope that people will also seriously summers I have look into this wonderful Jewish day camp. “But Rabbi, my kids are in class all year long shared with you my thoughts and and they don’t want to be in class or “learn” over the summer.” I cannot tell you how feelings about being up at Camp Ramah in o"en I have heard that over the years. If you Wisconsin. Truth be told I think it’s think that kids are si&ng in a classroom with incumbent on all Conserva!ve Rabbis to a pen and paper spend !me at his or her local Camp Ramah. This is, a"er all, the camping arm of par!cipa!ng in some formal class - that could not be more wrong. Learning in “class” at the Conserva!ve Movement. There is no Camp Ramah is about exploring be#er place to visit with kids one’s Judaism, understanding from our congrega!on than at “The fact that I not only get one’s place in the world and Camp Ramah. They are having to interact with our synahelping each other connect not an amazing !me, breathing the gogue’s campers and staff, but helping out in various only to our tradi!on, but to the fresh air of different roles is an honor greater world. Who wouldn’t Wisconsin’s North and a privilege.” want that kind of learning? I Woods. Honestly, what could know I would. Admi#edly, I am be be#er? The fact that I not biased for many reasons. I was a camp only get to interact with our synagogue’s campers and staff, but helping out in various person all my life, but truth be told, it wasn’t Camp Ramah in Canada, it was different roles is an honor and a privilege. another Jewish summer camp. As we You might ask, why is he wri!ng about camp in his first ar!cle as the new head Rabbi change, grow and learn we come to of Congrega!on Beth Shalom? The answer is appreciate things in new ways and there is no quite simple: This is the place for our kids to doubt that over the last fi"een years I have come to truly understand and be during the summer and I want to do appreciate the value that Camp Ramah has to everything I can to increase our enrollment offer for our children. here. I look at synagogues a frac!on of our Over the next few months I hope to size whose numbers dwarf ours, and that does not sit well with me. I know that there secure funding to make it easier for our are many wonderful camps that many of our congregants to a#end Camp Ramah. It is such an important place and I want more of children go to in Wisconsin and Michigan; our children to be able to benefit from this however, if we really want to help create more Jewish experiences for our children we magical experience. I will be hos!ng a will send them to a Jewish summer camp, not parlor mee!ng shortly a"er the holidays. If you have any ques!ons about camp, please just a summer camp where there are Jews. With that said, I truly believe with all of don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I look forward to sharing all that the New my heart that the op!mal place to go is here Year has to offer for each and every one of - Camp Ramah in us. Wisconsin. Indeed, there are other Jewish Shanah Tova! summer camps in our “area” but as Conserva!ve Jews, this is our place. Camp Ramah has a wonderful day camp located in Wheeling and our numbers there are growing