INSIDE THIS ISSUE What’s Happening @ CBS ................. 2-3 Fund of the Month .................................... 4 President’s Message .................................. 5 Cantor’s Notes.......................................... 6 Youth ........................................................... 7 Adult Learning & Programming .......................................... 8-9 School ........................................................ 10 Keruv ......................................................... 11 Library........................................................ 12 Calendar .................................................... 13 Sisterhood........................................... 14-15 Torah Fund Campaign ........................... 16 Men’s Club .......................................... 17-18 Anniversaries/Birthdays ......................... 19 Milestones ................................................. 20 Donations ........................................... 21-23 Yahrzeits ............................................. 24-25 Advertisements ................................. 26-27 Candlelighting and Services .................. 28
Rabbi ................................................... Aaron Melman Cantor .................................................. Steven Stoehr Assistant Rabbi ..................................... Ari Averbach Executive Director ............................ Michael Garlin Director of Jewish Life & Learning ................................................. Leann Blue Director of Education ......................... David Barany Ritual Director ................................ Raquel Gershon Director of Youth Activities................ Matt Rissien Controller ......................................... Susan Karlinsky President .......................................... Larry Grossman Sisterhood President................................. Beth Sher Men’s Club President ............................Scott Rogoff USY President ................................... Brandon Gitles
Rabbi Emeritus .......................................Carl Wolkin Executive Director Emeritus .................................... Harvey Gold, FSA z’l Director of Education Emeritus ................... Rabbi Sander J. Mussman, RJE
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.
SEPTEMBER 2016 • VOLUME 49, ISSUE 14 Rabbi Melman
RABBI MELMAN’S MINUTES I am si!ng by the beach, while the sun is star"ng to set over Lake Buckatabon. For the last few summers I have shared with you my thoughts and feelings about being up at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin over the summer. This, a#er all, is the camping arm of the Conserva"ve Movement, and being a “camp guy,” of course I would want to spend "me here. There is no be$er place to visit with kids from our congrega"on then at camp. They are having an amazing "me, breathing the fresh air of Wisconsin’s North Woods. Honestly, what could be be$er? The fact that I not only get to interact with our synagogue’s campers but help out in various different roles is an honor and a privilege. This year was a li$le different than the past. The great thing for me this year was the opportunity to spend part of my sabba"cal at camp and teaching “classes.” Teaching gave me the opportunity to really interact with many campers - learn about what they loved at camp and connect with them through our studies of Judaic texts. Combing texts and applying it to camp and their lives added new meaning for all of them. This is the place for our kids to be during the summer and I want to do everything I can to increase our enrollment here. I look at synagogues a frac"on of our size whose numbers dwarf ours, and that does not sit well with me. I know that there are many wonderful camps that many of our children go to in Wisconsin and Michigan however, if we really want to help create more Jewish experiences for our children we will send them to a Jewish summer camp, not just a summer camp where there are Jews. And with that said, I truly believe with all of my heart that the op"mal place to go is here - Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. Indeed, there are other Jewish 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 nicely. I hope that people will also look seriously at this wonderful Jewish day camp. “But rabbi, my kids are in class all year long and they don’t want to be in class or “learn” over the summer.” I cannot tell you how o#en I have heard that over the years. If one thinks that kids are si!ng in a classroom with a pen and paper participating in some formal class - that could not be more wrong. I can tell you that after a month of “teaching”. Learning in “class” at Camp Ramah is about exploring one’s Judaism, understanding one’s place in the world and helping each other connect not only to our tradition, but to the greater world. Who wouldn’t want that kind of learning? I know I would. Admittedly, I am biased for many reasons. To start, as I mentioned above, I was a camp person all my life. But truth be told, it wasn’t Camp Ramah in Canada, it was another Jewish summer camp. As we change, grow and learn we come to appreciate things in new ways and there is no doubt that over the last fifteen years I have come to truly understand and appreciate the value that Camp Ramah has to offer for our children. Over the next few months I hope to secure funding to make it easier for our congregants to a$end Camp Ramah. It is such an important place and I want more of our children to be able to benefit from this magical experience. I will be hos"ng a parlor mee"ng shortly a#er the holidays. However, if you have any ques"ons about camp, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with me. I look forward to sharing all that the New Year has to offer for each and every one of us. Shanah Tova!