INSIDE THIS ISSUE CBS Annual Meeting/Slate 2020-21 ..... 2 President’s Message .................................. 3 Cantor’s Notes.......................................... 4 Shavuot 5780 ............................................. 5 CBS Yachad Affinity Groups .................. 6 Birthdays/Anniversaries ........................... 7 Youth/Young Family Programming ....... 8 B’nai Mitzvah .............................................. 9 Religious School ...................................... 10 Sisterhood/Men’s Club .......................... 11 Milestones ................................................. 12 Yahrzeits ................................................... 13 Donations ........................................... 14-15 Live Streaming ......................................... 16 CBS Mobile App ...................................... 17 Ads ........................................................ 18-19 Candle Lighting & Service Times ........ 20
Rabbi ................................................... Aaron Melman Cantor .................................................. Steven Stoehr Assistant Rabbi ............................. Warner Ferratier Executive Director ............................ Michael Garlin Director of Jewish Life & Learning ................................................. Leann Blue Director of Education .......................... Stacy Ybarra Ritual Director ............. Cantor Raquel P. Gershon Director of Youth & Young Family Engagement ……… Eric Golberg Controller ......................................... Susan Karlinsky President ........................................... Tanya Solomon Sisterhood President................... Robyn Rosengard Men’s Club President .......................... Steven Elisco USY President ............................... Brandon Wagner Rabbi Emeritus .......................................Carl Wolkin Shalom Designer/Editor .............. Deanne Friedman
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.
MAY 2020 • VOLUME 81 ISSUE 51
IYAR/SIVAN 5780 | MAY 2020 | VOLUME 81 ISSUE 51
RABBI MELMAN’S MINUTES As I write this, we are almost six weeks into our shelter in place order. We continue to deal with a tremendous amount of uncertainty. By the time you receive the bulletin, while I hope things will have changed, I think we will still be in the situation. As we journey as a people during this time between Pesach and Shavuot, we journey from crossing the Sea to landing at the foot of Mt. Sinai. While there was great anxiety for our ancestors at the moment of revelation, they too did not know what the future would look like. What would their new reality be? How would their society be different? These are the same questions we are asking at this very moment. And so I continue to share a message of chizuk, strength and support. Many, if not all of us, are feeling anxious to some extent and I want you to know that as your clergy continue to take care of ourselves and our families, we continue to be here for you. We will continue, with the help of our lay leaders, to reach out to every single household. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need anything. And, please remember that although we are not holding in-person services, you can join us every weekday evening and morning as well as Friday night and Shabbat morning via livestream https:// www.bethshalomnb.org/pray/livestreaming/. We even have pdfs of our siddurim so you can follow along. We will also begin offering different learning opportunities and programming online so that we all can stay as connected as possible. It will allow everyone “inside” when we cannot be together in our building. It is important that we continue to take every precaution necessary to slow the
spread of this virus. Please listen to the experts! Practicing good self-care is very important to our mental health. If you are able, take a walk or two around your neighborhood just to get some fresh air. If you haven’t done it yet, carve out time to create a call list. I have been calling people over a certain age in our congregation every day. You can also. 3-5 minutes. A check in. Sharing a silly joke. Something to make you and them smile. The human voice matters. You can call anyone in your social orbit. By now, many of us have learned to master Zoom/FaceTime/Skype technology. This will be the standard for the foreseeable future. Set up a video chat with a friend. Knowing how to use these platforms will help you take classes and stay connected. The interface and seeing one another has helped me maintain focus and helped us feel closer by seeing one another. Utilize services you can during this time, but do so without bucking the rules or the guidelines. It helps our economy and our world. Ask for help. No one is getting a medal after this ordeal, except for all the brave souls on the front lines! If you are having a hard time, ask for a break. There are people to help. Offer respite to others who might need it. Be present without interacting, if you can. The heroes of this moment will not wear capes. Do not be bashful asking for or offering some sense of help. Pause for blessing. Each meal. Each contact with another person. We all need to take the time and be thankful for what we have. The pessimist will ask “how much longer will this last?” I remind myself that as we count up towards Shavuot, we are closer to the end of this ordeal. Try to focus on progress. (continued on page 3) Rosa Parks statue