CHICAGO
SINAI
CONGREGATION
APRIL 2016 Volume 62 Number 9
Passover - A Different Night
Sinai’s Second Night Seder: Saturday, April 23
Artwork by Rae Chichilnitsky
W
A
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WORSHIP p.7
ACT p.8
LEARN p.10
SINAI
Last Month in Review
SHABBAT EVE SERVICE with special guest speaker,
REV. CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS,
NAACP PRESIDENT
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
The creator and leader of our summer 2015 America’s Journey to Justice, Cornell William
Brooks, the President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP), was our honored guest. He delivered the sermon at Chicago
Sinai’s February 26 Shabbat Eve service.
THE 2016 BERNARDIN
JERUSALEM LECTURE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22
This year's Joseph Cardinal
Bernardin Jerusalem Lecture was
delivered by Archbishop Blase J.
Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago.
The title of his talk was:
Religious Responsibility in an Age of
Affluence and Poverty.
In 2014, Brooks became the NAACP’s 18th president and CEO – and has had a multifaceted career as a civil rights attorney, social justice advocate, fourth-generation
ordained minister, and coalition builder.
His goal for the NAACP is to build an organization that is multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multigenerational, and one million members strong.
Sunday, February 21
Family Torah and
Consecration Service
We consecrated our new students and
learned about the Torah as a community.
2
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
SINAI
Second Night Seder
CONTENTS
2
Last Month in Review
3
Second Night Seder
4
News and Views
5
Reflections by
Rabbi Greene
A
Different
Night
6
Make Yourself More
7
Worship
8
Act
10
Learn
12
Sinai in Focus
Film Series
Saturday, April 23
6:00 p.m.
Manny’s Delicatessen
1141 S. Jefferson Street
Chicago
13
Religious Education
Preschool
14
Tributes
In the Lives
15
Calendar
Join us for this very
different Passover
experience that will
include newer ways for
probing Passover’s themes.
Adults: $75
Children 12 and under: $45
Space is limited this year so please
RSVP no later than March 22, 2016
by calling the Temple office at
312.867.7000
or email Susan Solomon at
[email protected]
Artwork by
Rae Chichilnitsky
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
Chicago Sinai
Congregation Bulletin
(USPS 0103-880) is
published monthly, by
Chicago Sinai
Congregation, 15 W.
Delaware Pl., Chicago, IL,
60610-3306, except for a
combined issue in
July/August.
Periodical postage paid
at Chicago, IL.
POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to
Chicago Sinai
Congregation,
15 W. Delaware Place,
Chicago, IL 60610-3306.
Volume 62, Number 9.
3
NEWS AND VIEWS
“A Different Night”
With a congregation like
Sinai, so filled with
creative people, so replete
with those who ask such
good questions, we
thought that creating a
different kind of Passover
experience could return us
all not just to the wonder
of the Passover Seder as
our rabbis imagined it,
but also to connect more
deeply with its messages
of liberation and
responsibility.
Rabbi Seth M. Limmer
An interview with Rabbi Limmer about Passover
Let’s start with the personal. What are some of
the ways you celebrate Passover?
ways in which we take it to lessons into the
fiber of our being are anything but normal.
Growing up, Passover was always my favorite
holiday. I loved sitting next to my grandpa at
the Seder table. And even if I thought reading
the Haggadah took too long, I always loved it
when the matzah ball soup arrived, and when
we moved all the singing in the second half of
the Seder.
Unfortunately, however, most of what was
originally so unique about Passover now comes
off as stale or staid. In fact, with a Hagaddah
out of which we simply [maybe mindlessly?]
read, we sometimes take all the fun and
experimentation out of Passover. With a
congregation like Sinai, so filled with creative
people, so replete with those who ask such
good questions, we thought that creating a
different kind of Passover experience could
return us all not just to the wonder of the
Passover Seder as our rabbis imagined it, but
also to connect more deeply with its messages
of liberation and responsibility.
Once Molly and I had our own home and our
own children, Passover took on greater
importance. It's one of the few holidays we
always made sure we were able to host.
Actually, I did the cooking and Molly lead the
service! But what really matters to me is the
bonding that happens between the
generations as we all interact with each other,
the stories of our tradition, and all the wonders
that surround Passover.
There are many messages about Passover and
many lessons to learn. Why the choice to focus
in on “A Different Night” for our communal
celebration?
We chose to focus on Passover as “A Different
Night” because in reality that's the concept that
inspired our Rabbis of old to envision the Seder.
The entire concept of having a meal with wine,
with questions and answers—even with props
on the table to spur children to ask questions—
are all meant to signal that Passover is a
singular experience. I think that's why the
youngest child always reads the Four
Questions: everyone needs to be reminded
that Passover is no normal holiday, and the
For the first time in the history of Chicago Sinai Congregation we are delighted
to celebrate a Bat Mitzvah in the family of our Rabbi.
We invite the entire congregation to join together for a festive Friday evening
service on May 27th, with a celebratory Oneg Shabbat to follow, as we welcome
the Shabbat when Rosey Esther Limmer becomes Bat Mitzvah.
The Limmer family is blessed in many ways and has requested that this
celebration not be a time for gifts. If your heart so moves you, Rosey is working
to raise awareness and funds for Autism advocacy and research and donations
would be welcome to Autism Speaks, Team “Rosey’s Puzzle Piece”.
Link: http://www.autismspeakswalk.org/northshore/rlimmer0502
Or send a check to: Autism Speaks, Walk Donations Department
North Shore, Chicago, Team: Rosey’s Puzzle Piece
1060 State Road, 2nd Floor - Princeton, NJ 08540
The walk is on April 24.
4
It’s a big decision to move our seder from The
Standard Club. Why the move from there to, of
all places, Manny’s Delicatessen?
It was a big decision to move our second night
Seder from The Standard Club. After all, this
German Jewish congregation and Chicago’s
historic German Jewish Social Club have long
been united in people’s minds. So there was
more than just a single reason why we decided
to try something different this year. First of all,
we faced a situation of declining interest: fewer
and fewer of our own synagogue members
were choosing to go to the Seder every year.
From the feedback we received, some people
thought the Standard Club was too formal,
some didn’t believe the room was particularly
welcoming of children, and many told us that
the price tag was just too much for a larger
family.
As for our new location, we only settled on
Manny's Delicatessen after we determined that
“A Different Night” should be our theme: how
better to signal to everyone that this was going
to be a different kind of Passover experience
then to hold it in a very different setting, like
Manny’s. Of course we were limited to places
with expertise in Passover cuisine, were large
enough to accommodate us, and would be
willing to work with us! I will add that not only
is the food at Manny’s delicious, but the family
who runs the restaurant has been wonderful to
work with, and we look forward to
incorporating their family into our Sinai family
as we share this experience together.
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
REFLECTIONS
News and Views Continued
Passover is clearly special to you.
Why do you think it is so important
to you personally, and to so many
others as well?
Passover matters to me because it
contains the core of our Jewish
tradition: we learned that we were
liberated from oppression in Egypt
not just to be free and lead
whatever kind of lives we wanted;
the lesson of Passover is that the
suffering of our past obliges us to
work for a world in which no one
else suffers in similar fashion.
Throughout human history, it is not
only Jews who have been
oppressed, subjugated, intimidated,
or made to feel unwelcome.
However, throughout that same
human history, it has been our
Jewish perspective that we need to
stand up for any group that is being
marginalized or mistreated. That's
the core of our Passover lesson, and
I think that's the reason why
Passover resonates so loudly with so
many Jews of all shapes and sizes
throughout our world. Of course,
sharing really good food and four
glasses of wine with closest friends
and family doesn't hurt, either.
Anything else you think we need to
know to prepare for Passover?
The only other information I would
add is that I hope families are open
to joining us for our second night
Passover experience with an open
mind. I think we could be onto
something really special here in the
way we bring to life the original
experience in the eternal themes of
Passover. Also whether or not you're
able to join your Chicago Sinai
Congregation family for Passover, I
hope everyone is able to mark this
most central Jewish observance
with close family and close friends
around the table filled with meaning
and love.
Rabbi Amanda Greene
Israel
My phone keeps buzzing as I sit writing this
bulletin article. “Two soldiers injured in
stabbing attack”, “1 killed, 9 hurt in Jaffa
stabbing spree, third serious attack of day.”
“Two Jerusalem cops shot in head, badly hurt
by Palestinian gunman.”
How can it be that I sit here at my desk
distraught, sad, angry? I just returned from
two weeks in Israel only yesterday after a
fabulous time traveling and learning and
feeling optimistic about the future. I wanted to
come back to Chicago and share with you the
hope I left Israel with, to share all about the
progress and exciting encounters I had while I
was in Israel.
When violence reigns, I know Israelis hug one
another, support one another, and come
together over tragedy. And I also know that
soon after, life will go on. Because that is what
you do in Israel. You keep living.
And I know, that the violence that I see on the
news from the sidelines of America, is just but
one story, one narrative of a much greater
story, a much more complex reality, one that is
not all bad.
So I will put my phone on silent as I continue
to write.
During my first week in Israel, I participated in
the Central Conference of American Reform
Rabbis Convention (CCAR) along with 300
other rabbis. The second week I attended a
conference for recent Ordainees of the
Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of
Religion sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Israel before, but
these two weeks provided new insights into
important conversations and into the health of
the nation.
Never before had I…
-had the opportunity to meet with the
President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, in a room
with only 15 others where he addressed each
and every one of us a rav (“rabbi”). Over the
course of his term as President, Rivlin has
made much progress in his definition of who is
a Jew. He shared with our group, “I believe
anyone who wishes to be Jewish is Jewish.”
- sat in on a Knesset (Israeli Parliament)
meeting where 15 Members of Knesset
addressed 300 rabbis, speaking about the
Reform Movement’s progress in the State of
Israel.
- traveled to Rawabi, a city in the West Bank
built for and by Palestinians, a promising sign
of a future for a two-state solution.
- stood in the backyard of a Settler’s home and
listened a Jew living in the settlements speak
from her heart, “you see, over there is where
the Temple stood for 300 years, and that
mountain over there is where Judah Maccabee
defeated the Hasmoneans.”
- prayed at the Southern Plaza of the Western
Wall (Kotel), the new egalitarian section of the
Kotel with 150 Rabbis, standing next to both
men and women.
- ventured to South Tel Aviv to confront a city
filled with African Asylum seekers from Sudan
and Eritrea. Despite learning about the
challenges of the status of these individuals,
what I saw that day was amazing work being
done on the ground to help them. We visited
the Bialik International School, where the
Principal Eli Nechama and his staff work
tirelessly to transform the lives of young at risk
children.
- spent Shabbat in the town of Gadera with a
vibrant Reform Community of young Israeli
families. Parents who discovered Reform
Judaism at a Jewish summer camp in Texas,
wanted to make sure that their children would
not need to travel to America to find Reform
Judaism.
- visited the Gaza border, a place I imagined to
be full of violence and destruction. And yet,
when we arrived, it was one of the most
peaceful places I’ve ever been in all of Israel.
Green, open, quiet.
- gone goat herding with 14 other rabbis all
chasing goats trying to get them to move
down the mountain (it turns out the trick is
they only listen to one shepherd, not 14 rabbis
telling them to all go different routes).
So here I am, back in my office, back on the
sidelines watching the news, reading my
phone alerts, thinking of dear friends in Israel. I
try hard today, and every day to remember that
Israel is indeed filled with many nuanced
narratives, to remember the stories of the
Israelis I met with over the past two weeks, to
remember that while Israel is indeed a complex
place, her story is one of inspiration, aspiration
and hope.
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
5
MAKE YOURSELF MORE
Sunday, April 3
10 a.m. CAFÉ SINAI
10:30 a.m. MAKE YOURSELF MORE
Music and Meaning
"Undzer Lid iz Ful mit Troyer [Our Song is full of Sorrow]"
The Ecstasy and Agony of Jewish Music 1915-1950
Selections from the works of Bloch, Krasa, Milhaud, Shalitt
and Ullmann with a shpritzele of Yiddish Folksongs and
tunes from Tin Pan Alley.
Program led by Andrew Schultze, Scott Kumer,
and the Sinai vocal quartet
Sunday, April 10
10:00 a.m. CAFÉ SINAI
10:30 a.m. MAKE YOURSELF MORE
Gardening for Climate Change:
Creating Abundance in your Backyard
See page 8.
Sundays at Sinai
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In a busy, often
over-scheduled world,
Chicago Sinai
Congregation offers a
weekly opportunity to
ensure we do more
than run from
meeting to meeting,
from errand to errand.
Throughout the year—
and through the lenses of
worship,
learning,
music,
art and
justice—
we explore how our
Jewish tradition helps
frame our lives and
endow them with
deeper meaning.
A
Sunday, April 17
NO CAFÉ SINAI
NO MAKE YOURSELF MORE
Sunday, April 24
NO CAFÉ SINAI
NO MAKE YOURSELF MORE
TEMPLE CLOSED
Come join us every Sunday, when you can.
We always begin with breakfast at Café Sinai at 10 a.m.
Our Make Yourself More sessions begin at 10:30 a.m.
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www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
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SPRING CHORAL PROGRAM
Please join us for worship on
Friday, May 20, at 6:15 pm for an
unforgettable evening of the music of
guest-artist Robert Applebaum, who
composes Jewish liturgical music in a
contemporary style influenced by jazz.
Our expanded professional and
volunteer choirs will be enhanced by a
clarinetist, string bassist, and
percussionist, in addition to a pianist
and organist. Mr. Applebaum's music
will be featured throughout the
service, and he will speak during the
"sermon-in-song." You may recall
hearing some of his music during the
High Holy Days, and more recently at
Shabbat services when we have sung
his beautiful Mi Shebeirach, R'tzei, and
Shalom Rav.
WORSHIP
In April
Every Friday evening
throughout the year, Shabbat
Eve Services are held with
Kiddush and Oneg immediately
following services. Our choir
provides beautiful music drawn
from a wide variety of
composers. Members and
visitors who reside in or are
visiting Chicago find this
Shabbat Eve Service to be an
uplifting and spiritual
experience.
Friday, April 1
6:15pm
SHABBAT EVE SERVICE
Rabbi Greene will lead the service and
deliver the sermon.
Friday, April 8
5:30pm
SHABBAT EVE SERVICE
Special guest speaker, Ruth Messinger,
AJWS
Shabbat Morning Prayer
and Torah Study
Every Saturday, 9:30 am
Rain or shine—holiday, Holy Day, or
weekly Shabbat—members gather in
the library to learn the many lessons of
the weekly Torah portion. From one
Fall to the next, we make our way,
portion by portion, from Genesis
through Deuteronomy. Over the year,
not only will we understand the many
nuances of our Torah saga, but we will
also connect more deeply with the
forms of communal study through
which Jews have always explored the
many meanings of Torah.
Friday, April 15
6:15pm
SHABBAT EVE SERVICE
Rabbi Limmer will lead the service and
Rabbi Greene will deliver the sermon.
Friday, April 22
NO SHABBAT EVE SERVICE
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7
Friday, April 29
6:15pm
SHABBAT EVE SERVICE
EREV PASSOVER
Rabbi Limmer will lead the
service and deliver
the sermon.
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
Family Services
One Sunday morning each month
is devoted to family worship.
Service begin at 11 am and
conclude by 12 pm. Children of all
ages join their families and the
entire Sinai congregation for a
warm and informal experience of
communal worship. Each family
service is based on a special
theme taken from Jewish and
societal events. Join us for our
next Family Service on Mother’s
Day, May 8, 2016.
A
ACT
In April
The Environment Committee Invites you to
FAITHFUL CITIZEN WORKSHOP
At Chicago Sinai
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Are you interested in making your voice
heard on Social Justice issues but unsure
how to do so? This interactive workshop will
help you obtain a clearer understanding of
ways to be engaged, informed, involved
and empowered to make a difference.
We will discuss and develop your
communication skills in order to build
relationships with elected officials, the
press, and personal and professional
contacts, and - what ever your area of
commitment - to more effectively support
policies that:
Protect our land, water, air and health;
address the effects of climate change that
we see around us and that scientists tell us
will increasingly endanger us in the future
Protect our community from the
consequences of gun violence and
further our congregation’s commitment
to address this local and national crises
Improve race relations within our
diverse society, fight against racial
barriers and join our Rabbis as they lead
in this crucial struggle
Address the consequences of poverty
and advocate policies in furtherance of
Sinai’s strategic initiative in this area
Please attend this special Sinai event to
learn more about the legislative process
in Illinois and Washington and to gain
confidence in speaking to your elected
officials.
The workshop will include role playing
and question and answer sessions.
For more information contact Norman
Kravitz at [email protected] or Merle
Tresser at [email protected].
There is no charge for this workshop, but
registration is required by calling the
Temple office at 312.867.7000.
8
GARDENING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE:
Creating Abundance in Your Backyard
Make Yourself More on Sunday, April 10 @ 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
If you’re a seasoned gardener - or aspire to be one - come and learn what climate
change already has in store for us and how we can adapt our gardens to meet
these challenges.
Also learn how we can join the effort to avert further climate change by planting
in ways that sequester more carbon in our own gardens.
Our warm and lively guest speaker, Annamaria Leon, is a Master Gardener, a
holistic garden designer, and is Manager of Edible Gardening at Christy Weber
Landscapes, whose clients include the Lurie Gardens at Millennium Park and the
City Colleges.
Annamaria will discuss climate change issues, suggest ways we can be part of the
solution, and demonstrate how confronting these problems can increase our
creativity and productivity as gardeners.
For further information contact Susan Stone, [email protected].
Earth Day of Action and Climate Rally
Thursday, April 21, 2016 in Springfield, IL
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The rally will be held outside (or inside, depending on the weather) the Capital
Building in Springfield. This is a critical day for the environmental community’s
agenda in Springfield, and this year is particularly important because of the clean
energy and climate change issues being considered by our state legislators. Join
fellow Sinai members, friends and environmentalists from across Illinois. RSVP at
http://ilenviro.org/register-environmental-lobby-day/. Registering does not
commit you to attend or pay for the bus. For more information contact Norman
Kravitz at [email protected].
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
A
ACT
Repair the World
HEAR ABOUT RUTH MESSINGER’S (AND AJWS’) MISSION
April 8, 2016, Shabbat Eve Service, 6:15 p.m.
End World Poverty, Realize Human Rights
She starts the interview with a compliment to Chicago Sinai:
“I am simply blown away by the great work you do already in social justice.
And I’m looking forward to tapping that common reservoir of interest for our
mutual benefit!”
New Yorker Ruth Messinger, now CEO of American Jewish World Service (since
1998), speaks passionately about the organization’s purpose: to realize
human rights and end world poverty. During the conversation, she rattles off
dozens of programs AJWS has been involved with over the years:
• Ending genocide in Darfur
• Responding to the Haiti earthquake
• Advocating a more rapid US response to international food aid and
• Getting the first envoy for LGBT issues appointed in the US State
Department, among many other efforts.
It’s a dialogue, she insists, rooted in 35 years of public life, a career committed
to social justice and making change. Before joining AJWS, Ruth was a
delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention, served on the New
York City Council, and was Manhattan borough president. “AJWS has created
and enhanced my understanding of world problems I didn’t know much
about when I first joined the organization,” she explains. “Today I can talk
accurately about some of the crises and ongoing issues for immigrants and
refugees, for sexual minorities, and for LGBT activities who, in certain
countries, would be subject to prison or death.”
This year marks AJWS’ 30th anniversary, one that has seen the group grow
from a small nonprofit agency helping developing world grassroots
communities to a $60 million world-wide organization (2015). Celebrations
will be held in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with Ruth’s
appearance as a Chicago Sinai speaker acting as a kick-off for AJWS’ Midwest
anniversary salute.
What’s the ‘to do’ for Sinai? Such a prominent synagogue, Ruth concludes,
should be “well aware of our grant-making and policy advocacy efforts as well
as ways to work with us, ensuring that AJWS is on the operating agenda for
social action. The problems today are not only in our back yard. Our Sinai
colleagues should know that we’ll respond – and that we’re the right
organization to support when global disaster occurs.”
From the Dominican Republic to Nepal, from the Philippines to Uganda, it’s a
sure thing that AJWS will be there.
NATIONAL REBUILDING DAY
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On National Rebuilding Day, 4,000
volunteers participate across Chicago for
this incredible event. We need 20
volunteers from Chicago Sinai to do
various home improvements for a
wonderful home owner in the Austin
neighborhood. No special skills are
needed. For ages 15 and up.
If you are interested in participating this
year please contact [email protected].
GENIUS HOUR AT
THE JENNER SCHOOL
We have just completed our first session
of the “Genius Hour” program at Jenner.
Sinai volunteers served as a Mentor to a
7th or 8th grade student. Working with
them one-on-one, over the course of 6
weeks, they helped them explore an
area of interest and develop a project.
The projects ranged from a power point
showing how the immune system fights
infection to an original choreographed
dance. The session culminated with the
students proudly presenting their
projects to their peers and other
mentors in the program, teachers, and
classmates. Following the presentations,
Sinai hosted a reception to celebrate the
hard work and achievement of these
young scholars.
We are planning to start the second
session of this program in the next few
weeks. Please let us know if you are
interested in serving as a mentor to a
Jenner student.
Ellen Schor
[email protected]
Heidi Wagman
[email protected]
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
9
L
LEARN
In April
Tuesday
April 5
12pm to 1pm sharp
LEARNING
IN
THE LOOP
CONSIDERING THE QUESTIONS OF LIFE:
“Are Jews permitted to hunt for sport?”
“If surgery is elective, is it okay for us to pursue it?”
“What does an individual owe a congregation – and vice versa?”
These kinds of queries pop up every month at Sinai’s new Learning in the Loop
(LIL) sessions, held on the first Tuesday of every month.
The answers are based, in part, on what’s called Responsa literature (Rabbinic
answers to contemporary questions, based on the traditions of the Bible, the
Mishnah, the Talmud, and the codes of Jewish religious law) – and, in part, on
the often lively discussions of the LIL group.
Responsa, quite literally, refer to questions and answers, with an
individual/community asking rabbis and teachers about Jewish law and the inturn responses, at time, via an exchange of letters.
“This kind of learning is designed to be very accessible, and to show that it’s a
very normal activity for us,” explains Rabbi Seth Limmer (who pioneered these
in downtown Manhattan while leading his Armonk, NY congregation). “It also
underscores that our intellectual curiosity, in and by itself, is very worthwhile,
all within the context of our 2,000-year-old history.” No homework is required;
the rabbi distributes e-text in advance as a heads up.
Anywhere from ten to 15 people attend, with lunches in tow (drinks are
provided). LIL is held at the Jenner & Block offices (courtesy of Norm Hirsch);
simply RSVP to Dee Dee Dukes ([email protected]) at the temple office
to ensure that the building’s security will be notified. On April 5 we will discuss
Judaism and the Non-Jewish World.
In the end, the rabbi notes, yet another Sinai community is being formed -with a mix of young parents, professionals, and retired people just seeking
great conversations and good company.
10
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
I Belong at Sinai
L
LEARN MORE
In April
Wednesday
April 6, 20 and 27
11am in the Library
Thursday
April 7, 14, and 21
11am in the Library
Saturdays
April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
9:30am in the Library
WEDNESDAY’S
WITH
RABBI LIMMER
THURSDAY’S
WITH
RABBI GREENE
SHABBAT
MORNING
TORAH STUDY
The Bablylonian Talmud is the
centerpiece of Jewish literature.
Come take the first introductory
steps exploring the intricacies and
profundities of our great masterwork
on Wednesdays in our Library.
What's God Got To Do With It? Join
Rabbi Greene for a look at Modern
Jewish thought. We will explore the
writings of Hermann Cohen, Leo
Baeck, Franz Rosenzweig, Martin
Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel and
more! How did the events of World
War I, World War II, the creation of the
State of Israel influence these thinkers
understanding and conception of
God?
Come study the weekly Torah portion
together in an open and inquisitive
atmosphere!
Thursday
April 14
6pm
Thursday
April 7
7pm
JUDAISM
IN
INTERFAITH
HOMES
FILM
REVIEW
SERIES
Judaism in Interfaith Homes is not
about proselytizing or conversation,
but focuses on how we are able to
meet fundamental spiritual needs.
This program allows couples to discuss
important topics in a safe, nurturing
and respectful environment. On April
14 we will host our interfaith Passover
seder.
Join us as Zbigniew Banas, a former
movie critic for The Reader, leads a
discussion of a current film.
Participants view the movie in the
theater and then meet at Sinai in the
Social Hall on the first floor. The cost of
$15 per person includes dessert. To
make a reservation, please call the
Temple office.
Tuesday
April 12
2pm
SINAI BOOK CLUB
Join fellow congregants and discuss
My Brilliant Friend: Neapolitan
Novels, Book One by Elena Ferrante,
translated by Ann Goldstein.
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
11
L
LEARN
Film Series
SINAI in FOCUS:
a film series on
LIFE CYCLE EVENTS
Over a series of Wednesday evenings in the Spring,
come watch four films with Rabbi Greene.
Wednesday, April 6
BAR/BAT MITZVAH:
Keeping up with the Steins
Wednesday, April 20
MARRIAGE:
Keeping the Faith
Wednesday, May 11
END OF LIFE:
This is Where I Leave You
The cost of dinner is $15.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. (with beginning of movie soon after).
Reservations Required:
To make a reservation, please call the temple office 312.867.7000.
12
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
L LEARN
Religious Education
For Children
Sinai Preschool
Upcoming Religious School Events
Sunday, April 3
Regular religious school classes
Sunday, April 10
Second Sunday lunch program
Sunday, April 10
12:15 p.m to1:15 p.m.
Creating Abundance in Your Backyard.
A lunchtime program for students and families.
We will work with Master Gardener, Annamaria Leon,
to learn about and plant sustainable plants
for our own gardens.
(Stay-tuned for more details.)
Sunday, April 17
Classroom Seders
Upcoming Preschool School Events
April 4
Preschool Resumes after Spring Break
April 22
No Preschool, Temple Closed
Sunday, April 24
No school
If you are interested in a tour, or in enrolling your child,
or if you have any questions about Sinai Preschool,
please contact Fern Katz
[email protected] or 312.867.7010
If you are interested in learning more about our Religious school,
please contact Heidi Kon at [email protected]
or 312.867.7012
Accredited by NAEYC’s National Academy of Early Childhood Programs
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
13
TRIBUTES
Temple Fund
In honor of Newton Minow’s 90th birthday
Iris Witkowsky
In memory of Selma and Gerard Naron
Angie and Ted Naron
In memory of Sidney Epstein
Betty and Tom Philipsborn
Religious School Fund
In memory of Barbara Wise
Anita and Leonard Fript
Music Fund
In appreciation to Scott Kumer and the
Sinai Choir for the beautiful music at the
memorial service for Sidney
Sondra Epstein
Rabbi Limmer’s Discretionary Fund
For officiating a wonderful memorial
service for Sidney
Sondra Espstein
In honor of the naming of their
baby son and daughter,
Rockson Jay Young and
Sienna Reagan Young
Lizabel and Bradley Young
In the Lives
We Record with Sorrow
the Death of Our Members
Carol Gordon
mother of Sandy Gordon
David Wenk,
husband of Barbara Wenk
Sidney Epstein,
husband of Sondra Berman Epstein,
father of Donna Barrows, grandfather of
Sam, Charlie and Ted Barrows
L. William Oyer,
father of Paula Berezin, grandfather of
Caroline Berezin
Donald Lord
father of Tony Lord and Jill Lord Simonson
Frances Laskow
mother of Leslie Boruszak (Bruce)
Craig Cohen
son of Rita and Seymour Cohen
Alice Deimel
wife of John Deimel
Herbert Glieberman
father of Joel Glieberman
Warren Wexler,
father of Doug Wexler (Michelle)
Peter (Pete) Sammarco,
father of Marc Sammarco
George Buckman
husband of Elaine Buckman
Welcome to the World!
Summer Brown
new daughter of Nikki and David Brown,
Roshan Mhatre Lingelbach
new son of Priya Mahtre and Dylan Lingelbach
Anabelle Polsky
new daughter of Tanya and Michael Polsky
14
Congratulations to
India Gray
daughter of Chandra and Steven Gray
on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
Isaac Miller
son of Beth and Matt Miller
on becoming a Bar Mitvah
Jessica Schlossberg
daughter of Lori and John Schlossberg
on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
Anna Wapner
daughter of Lan Eng and
Michael Wapner
on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
Oneg
The Gray Family
in honor of India Gray becoming
a Bat Mitzvah
The Miller Family
in honor of Isaac Miller becoming
a Bar Mitzvah
The Schlossberg Family
in honor o Jessica Schlossberg
becoming a Bat Mitzvah
The Eng and Wapner Families
in honor of Anna Wapner becoming
a Bat Mitzvah
Pulpit Flowers
The Gray Family
in honor of India Gray becoming a
Bat Mitzvah
The Miller Family
in honor of Isaac Miller becoming a
Bar Mitzvah
The Schlossberg Family
in honor o Jessica Schlossberg
becoming a Bat Mitzvah
The Eng and Wapner Families
in honor of Anna Wapner becoming
a Bat Mitzvah
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
APRIL
sun
mon
tues
2016
wed
W
thurs
A
L
fri
sat
1
2
Social Action Service Trip
3
4
Social Action Service Trip
10am Café Sinai
10am RS
10:30am Make Yourself
More/Music and
Meaning
12:15pm Hebrew Club
12:30pm Confirmation
10am CJE at Sinai
10
11
Lunch Program:
10am CJE at Sinai
Bring Bag Lunches 10:15am Movie Group
10am Café Sinai
5:30pm Board of
10am RS
Trustees
10:30am Make
Yourself More/Gardening
for Climate Change
12:15pm Hebrew Club
12:30pm Confirmation
17
18
No Café Sinai
No Make Yourself More
10am RS
12:15pm Hebrew Club
12:30pm Confirmation
2 pm Sunday Supper at
Fourth Church
10am CJE at Sinai
24
25
PASSOVER
TEMPLE CLOSED
10am CJE at Sinai
6:15pm Shabbat Eve
service/Oneg
9:30am Torah Study
10:30am Isaac Miller
Bar Mitzvah
11:30am Prayerbook
Hebrew
8
9
5
6
7
12pm Learning in the
Loop
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Limmer
6pm Sinai in
Focus/Keeping up with
the Steins
7pm Faithful Citizen
Workshop
10am CJE at Sinai
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
7pm Film Review
12
13
14
15
16
2 pm Book Club
6pm Adult Ed B’Nai
Mitzvah
10am CJE at Sinai
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
6pm Judaism in
Interfaith Homes
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
9:30am Torah Study
10:30am India Gray
Bat Mitzvah
11:30am Prayerbook
Hebrew
19
20
21
22
23
6:15pm Shabbat Eve 9:30am Torah Study
Special Guest Speaker 10:30am Anna Wapner
Bat Mitzvah
Ruth Messinger,
11:30am Prayerbook
AJWS/Oneg
Hebrew
4:30 pm Ronald
McDonald House
7am Earth Day of
EREV PASSOVER
9:30am Torah Study
11am Adult Ed with
Action and Climate Rally TEMPLE CLOSED
6:00pm A Different
Rabbi Limmer
10am CJE at Sinai No Shabbat Eve Service Night Second Seder at
6pm Sinai in
Manny’s Delicatessen
Focus/Keeping the Faith 11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
26
27
28
29
30
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Limmer
10am CJE at Sinai
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
7am National
Rebuilding Day
9:30am Torah Study
10:30am Jessica
Schlossberg
Bat Mitzvah
www.chicagosinai.org APRIL 2016 Temple Office 312.867.7000
15
CHICAGO
SINAI
CONGREGATION
@ChicagoSinai
Facebook.com/ChicagoSinaiCongregation
Periodical postage paid Chicago, IL.
Return service requested.
15 W. Delaware Place
Chicago, IL 60610-3306
Seth M. Limmer Senior Rabbi
Amanda Greene Assistant Rabbi
Howard A. Berman Rabbi Emeritus
Bruce Miller President
Susan Solomon Executive Director
Fern Katz Early Childhood Director
Heidi Kon Education Director
Scott Kumer Music Director
Susan Solomon Bulletin Editor
SINAI
Save the Dates!
155th Annual
Meeting
A
June 3, 2016
Immediately following our
6:15 p.m. Shabbat Eve service
Saturday, may 7, 6:30 p.m.
Stock Exchange Room
Art Institute of Chicago
Cocktails followed by dinner and dancing
Chicago Sinai Congregation
48th Annual Celebration
Agenda
• President’s Report
• President’s Award
• Report of the
Nominating Committee
• Election
• Installation of Officers
and Board Members