CHICAGO
SINAI
CONGREGATION
MAY/JUNE 2017
Volume 63 - Number 8
WORSHIP | 16
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ACT | 19
LEARN | 20
NEWS AND VIEWS
Rabbi Seth M. Limmer
Reform Judaism - Evolving Judaism
Our Rabbis disagreed about Rome. A conversation captured in the Talmud describes their
differences. Rabbi Judah marvels at the Roman markets, bathhouses, and bridges: to him they
symbolize the potential of global commerce, the awareness of sanitary health, and the scientific
advancement of engineering achievements. His colleague, Rabbi Yossi, is nonplussed by Judah’s
words of praise; Yossi remains silent. Not so Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose words singe with
sarcasm, “The Romans build markets to make their money, bathhouses for prostitutes to prosper,
and bridges to collect taxes.” The same symbols rousing such amazement in one Rabbi only elicit
scorn from his colleague.
Symbols are powerful.
And symbols are tricky. What Rome means to one Rabbi can be quite different from what the same
empire signifies to another. Our Talmudic story typifies the truth: beauty is often in the eye of the
beholder.
Symbols are also the domain of religion. What would Rosh HaShanah be without the shofar? What
would Passover be without the Seder plate? What would we make of Hanukkah without the
menorah? They might be festive days, but—for many if not most—they would certainly be missing
something.
What would a sanctuary be without a Torah scroll?
Symbols are tricky.
And symbols are
powerful. And
sometimes the
absence of a symbol
can mean just as
much as its
presence.
Speaking of tricky symbols, this is a trick question. In 1891, when Chicago Sinai Congregation hired
architects Adler and Sullivan to refurbish the interior of our Indiana Avenue building, a drastic
design decision was made: there would be no Holy Ark. Rabbi Emil G. Hirsch deemed outdated the
ancient hebraic symbol that few in the congregation could read, and decided to donate the scroll—
“the use of which has been dispensed with,” reads our Temple minutes from 1904—to the library of
the University of Chicago. Rabbi Hirsch’s enlightened view was that the Torah was a symbol
containing no further meaning for America’s Reform Jews.
The decision to donate the Torah was in keeping with the guiding principles of Chicago Sinai
Congregation. Our founding Rabbi, Bernard Felsenthal, wrote in 1857 that any religious custom or
symbol, “only remains binding for as long as it is capable of having a sanctifying effect on the head
and heart… If it has lost this hallowing power, nothing prevents us any longer from casting it aside
and ignoring it as obsolete.” Thus the Torah scroll, not exercising any sacred power in 1891, was cast
aside as obsolete.
If this sounds blasphemous, we should remember that Reform Judaism was founded on making
strong religious decisions based on personal meaning and significance. And at Chicago Sinai
Congregation, we still cling fast to the value that all members of our community deserve the right
to make religious decisions for themselves. While none of us might choose to remove the Torah
scroll from our sanctuary, the fundamental principles that led to that congregational decision are
still decisive for us today. Here are but a few of those principles, as Rabbi Felsenthal outlined them
in his “Kol Koreh BaMidbar, A Voice Cries out in the Wilderness”:
5. Each Israelite has the right and duty to investigate the sources of religion for himself, to the extent
that he is able, by exercising the spiritual powers with which he has been endowed by God.
9. From the principle set forth under number 5 that we view each Israelite as entitled and obligated
to become acquainted as much as possible with the truths of Judaism through his own thought
and investigation, we conclude that specifically formulated professions of belief that bind and chain
the thinking of the individual are definitely un-Jewish and may never be established. Our sole
dogma that we believe all of our members are obligated to observe is: total freedom of beliefs and
conscience for everyone.
2
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
NEWS AND VIEWS
Rabbi Seth M. Limmer
Reform Judaism - Evolving Judaism (continued)
CONTENTS
16. All institutions of this worship service are changeable, to the extent that they are not eternal moral statutes;
and because they are merely external means of awakening, they can, according to the circumstances, be
replaced by others that better conform to their purpose.
If every human being is endowed with the capacity to make their own religious decisions, and if we believe in
the total freedom of beliefs for everyone—and insofar as all institutions of the worship service can be replaced
by others better suited to their purpose—it shouldn’t surprise us that in the closing years of the 19th Century,
Chicago Sinai Congregation, having dispensed with the liturgical reading of the Torah, also designed a
sanctuary without an Ark.
As you well know, we have no fewer than five sacred Torah scrolls in our sanctuary, and another three treasured
Torahs in the chapel. This change wasn’t something that our congregation put in place just twenty years ago
when moving to our beautiful North Side home. In fact, it was Rabbi Hirsch—the same one who originally
designed the Torah-free sanctuary!—who brought the scrolls back home to Sinai. By 1910, when setting out to
build a new home for Sinai on 46th Street, Rabbi Hirsch had realized that a symbol he had thought obsolete
was, in fact, filled with meaning for so many. “The Ark is the distinctive sign of a Jewish Temple,” Rabbi Hirsch
explained, adding that the presence of Torah Scrolls in a sanctuary were no longer, “in any sense a symbol of
orthodoxy”. Thus the Torah was returned to Sinai in an Ark built in the very center of our sanctuary.
Symbols are tricky. And symbols are powerful. And sometimes the absence of a symbol can mean just as
much as its presence.
Of course, the absence of a symbol is only meaningful if you know it’s not there.
I remember the first time I was in Jerusalem, and went to visit that great symbol of the Jewish people, the
Western Wall. Our tour group gathered for some kind of introduction, but as a ten year-old boy, I was too
excited to listen to any guide. I ran right up to the wall and went to touch its ancient stones. But before I could,
I was grabbed violently from behind and spun around on my feet. An Israeli soldier—with a machine gun
strapped across his back—screamed at me in the Hebrew I didn’t yet understand. I remember two things: first,
being frightened; secondly the pain in my scalp as that soldier slammed a cardboard yarmulke on my cranium.
I was a little kid who had spent his whole life at a Reform Temple: I don’t think I even knew what a kippah, a
yarmulke, was. But that moment, a powerful Jewish symbol took on special meaning for me: the kippah
became for me a symbol of Jewish intolerance.
I never needed to wear a kippah at the places I loved being Jewish: home, my temple, and Eisner Camp. But
when I walked into a Conservative shul for a friend’s bar mitzvah, I got scowls for daring to walk into that
sanctuary as I did at my home synagogue: some usher dismissively plopped a cheap kippah on my bare head.
When studying in Israel during my junior year of college, so-called friends would explain to strangers that I
wasn’t “that Jewish” because I didn’t cover my head. Even when I served as rabbinic intern at a Reform
synagogue in Manhattan, the senior rabbi started every shabbat by saying to me the following as we walked
out onto the bimah to lead services: “You know, Seth, real Jews wear a kippah.” As far I was concerned, anyone
who would cling to such an outdated and exclusionary custom as wearing a kippah had a real problem.
I was the one who had the problem. My emptying a ritual of meaning came at the expense of other people
filling that ritual with a different meaning. I had forgotten that symbols symbolize different things to different
people: I was projecting what a kippah symbolized to me on to every other person who made the choice to
wear one. I had forgotten that to be a Reform Jew is to accept that every individual infuses every symbol with
meaning that is idiosyncratic to them.
Symbols are tricky, you see. For while there is little doubt that I have some painful personal associations with
the kippah, there’s also little doubt very few other Jews have had those same experiences. Many Jews, Reform
Jews in the deepest and most committed sense of that term, feel entirely differently about the kippah.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
2
News & Views
6
Reflections
7
Confirmation
Annual Meeting
8
Farewell Message
11
Nominating
12
Engagement
13
Sinai Forum
14
Music Notes
16
Worship
17
Kindred Spirits!
18
Make Yourself More
Tributes
In the Lives
19
Act
20
Learn
22
May Calendar
23
June Calendar
Chicago Sinai Congregation
Bulletin (USPS 0103-880) is
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POSTMASTER: Send address
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Volume 63, Number 8.
3
NEWS AND VIEWS
Rabbi Seth M. Limmer
Reform Judaism - Evolving Judaism (continued)
Since 1857,
our vibrant
Reform Judaism
has empowered
every individual to
make religious
decisions has led us
to appreciate a
wide variety
of practices.
It sounds funny to say it, but some of my best
friends wear a kippah. And while none of those
friends have ever questioned why I do not—
and certainly have never made me feel
anything more than fully entitled to make my
own religious decision—I didn’t always give
them the same generosity of the spirit. During
all of rabbinical school and most of my early
career, I assumed these Reform Jews—
committed to justice, to inclusion, to deep
learning and real innovation—were just
deferring to the easy “default” of Jewish life and
rather thoughtlessly covering their heads out
of little more than a knee-jerk reaction. Again, I
was the one who wasn’t putting much thought
into the matter. For when I began to ask my
friends about why they made this particular
religious choice, I was stunned: almost none of
them grew up wearing the kippah; most
reclaimed the tradition later in life for a
catalogue of reasons that were deeply personal
and filled with meaning. As I came to learn,
these friends found wearing a kippah better
conformed to their purposive Reform Jewish
identity. The more I allowed myself to listen to
these explanations, part of me even became a
little jealous that they have been able to add
such profound Jewish meaning to their
everyday life.
Today, of course, there are many members of
Sinai who wear a kippah during our worship
services, and even a few who wear one all the
time in their daily lives. Since 1857, our vibrant
Reform Judaism has empowered every
individual to make religious decisions has led
us to appreciate a wide variety of practices.
That wide variety of practices, which long has
been standard for those sitting in our
sanctuary, is about to become more evident
amongst those who sit on our bimah.
When members of our search committee this
February flew to Los Angeles to interview
rabbinic candidates to join our Sinai family, we
immediately were taken by four candidates.
We were honored that these three men and
one woman accepted our offer to come back to
Chicago for a full two-day interview. And it was
obvious to note that all three men wore kippot
as part of their personal practice.
4
The reaction of congregants who encountered
these candidates was incredibly enthusiastic.
When it came to the kippah, however, feelings
generally mirrored the ancient responses of our
Rabbis to Rome: some Sinai members were
glad to see the kippah, others were nonplussed, and still others troubled by the fact
that these Reform Rabbis-to-be made this
particular religious choice. More than once was
the opinion voiced that Sinai should not have a
rabbi on our bimah who wears a yarmulke. And
more than once I was called on to remind our
community of the formative teaching of our
founding Rabbi Felsenthal: The sole dogma
that we believe that all of our members are
obligated to observe is: total freedom of
beliefs and conscience for everyone. Chicago
Sinai Congregation was not born into being to
impose dogma or orthodoxy on any individual,
but rather to celebrate the conscience and
deep religious choices of everyone, Rabbis
included.
I maintained we should judge our rabbinic
candidates by the contents of their character
and not the coverings of their crania.
Throughout our process, I remained clear about
my core commitment: if the person we wanted
to be our new Rabbi wore a kippah before they
joined Chicago Sinai Congregation, they would
absolutely be able to continue to wear one
once they joined our family. I believe it is vitally
important to our Reform Judaism that an
honest and wide panoply of practice continues
to be part of what we experience in our
sanctuary. While I know that re-incorporating
practices no longer the exclusive domain of the
orthodox concerns certain Sinai members, I
also know that no new day is dawning at Sinai
where we expect people to conform to any
norm (other than that of self-determination of
religious practice.) I remain fundamentally
devoted to inclusion in our sanctuary, and
pledge that every individual’s authentic
religious decisions—mine, yours, or anyone
else’s—will receive equal honor and welcome
in our House of Prayer for All people.
I write about this subject not only because it is
of the moment, but also because I believe it is
an important moment for our historic
congregation. Chicago Sinai Congregation for
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
NEWS AND VIEWS
Rabbi Seth M. Limmer
Reform Judaism - Evolving Judaism (continued)
over 150 years has been a thought leader in our Reform Movement: we have made bold choices that have paved paths
unique to us, and we have also at times reversed our course and adopted old traditions previously cast aside. Rabbi Kohler
was unafraid to move Shabbat observance to Sunday; our later Rabbis were likewise unafraid to restore that ritual to Friday
and following. Rabbi Hirsch was confident that the symbol of the Scroll of the Torah was obsolete; later he learned that his
original supposition was missing the mark. Rabbi Felsenthal felt that it was baseless to call any thirteen year-old a Jewish
adult; Rabbi Karff believed it proper to begin to celebrate ceremonies of b’nai mitzvah at Chicago Sinai Congregation. As I
wrote a year ago when discussing the ritual of wearing a tallit, Rabbi Seth Limmer—understanding 150 years of inherited
practice as well as continually evolving communal norms—believes it is completely appropriate for Rabbis of Chicago Sinai
Congregation to pray and to lead worship literally in the fashion that they see religiously fit.
Let me bring this conversation out of the ether and right down to earth, to Chicago, to the corner of Delaware and State.
While it is true that most of our rabbinic candidates wore a kippah, the most important truth is that the Rabbi we selected to
join our Sinai family, the rabbi we wanted to be the next new leader of our congregation, Rabbi Todd Zinn, wears a kippah. I
neither want to shy away from that truth nor make it seem like I defer responsibility on this kippah question to our newest
Rabbi. But I do want to share the hope that every Sinai member will embrace Rabbi Zinn as we in Senior Staff, Leadership and
the Search Committee have. I also hope that people inquire not only with thoughtfulness about his connection to kippah but
also with an openness regarding their own relationship to symbols. Rather than judge our new, wonderful Rabbi
superficially—as I myself might have done not too long ago—I hope we all welcome Rabbi Zinn with all the respect our
fundamental principles demand.
Chicago Sinai Congregation should not shy away from difficult subjects; neither should we be afraid to talk respectfully
through our disagreements. It is in that spirit of sharing ideas—and raising an important subject of how we continue to bring
our form of unorthodox Judaism into the future—that I write this lengthy letter. And it is why I hope that, if this matter
matters to you, you reach out to me so we can talk about it together. In the coming year when we celebrate our 20th
anniversary in our beautiful Near North home, we will have plenty of time for continuing discussions about these important
topics of personal religious meaning, dogmas and forms, and the orthodoxies and evolution of Jewish practice. I welcome
those opportunities for all of us—each in our own way—to deepen the meaning and connection of our Jewish lives while
continuing to learn from each others’ experience.
Survey Says Sinai is Interested in Social Justice
Earlier this year, Sinai members were asked to participate in an on-line survey to see what social service, social
justice and advocacy issues are important to them.
A significant number of members responded. Many of those included their contact information and expressed
interest in working on ongoing Social Action Committee projects and the Social Action Committee will be reaching
out directly to them. If you did not take the survey or took it but did not include your contact information and
would like to participate in Social Action Committee projects, please email Merle Tresser at [email protected].
Some Sinai members are interested in social justice issues that the Temple is not currently working on and the
Committee will be reviewing the survey results to determine which new initiatives to pursue.
A more detailed report on the survey will be included in the next Temple Bulletin.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
5
REFLECTIONS
Rabbi Amanda Greene
On Becoming Bat/Bar Mitzvah...
March 11, 2000. The day I became a Bat
Mitzvah. The Torah portion was Pekudei, the
very last Torah portion in the book of Exodus. I
chanted both my Torah and Haftarah, and then
I delivered my very first d’var Torah. My Torah
portion was about building the Tabernacle and
all of the details needed to set its foundation.
That morning I shared with my family and
friends that my Bat Mitzvah was the foundation
of my Tabernacle, for it was only the beginning
of my Jewish journey... I was only 12 years old.
Congratulations
to our Adult B’nei
Mitzvah Class.
Jeannette D'Emmanuel
Elton Dixon
Roberta Evans
Marlene Goldstine
Aisling Holt
Merle Tresser
Over the past two years, I have officiated a little
over 20 Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies and
attended countless others. Each Saturday
morning, I find myself proud of the young man
or young woman as they lead the congregation
in worship, read from the Torah and deliver
their d’var Torah. The liturgy for Shabbat
morning, stays the same week to week, but the
young man or woman leading the service
changes. Each student brings his own sense of
self, her own connection to Judaism, his own
insight and wisdom. Our young people
continue to impress me -- the way they
articulate how their Torah portion is relevant
today, or how it’s not relevant and why the
Torah is at times troubling.
People often ask me what I love most about
being a rabbi. I always answer, that without a
doubt, working with Bar and Bat Mitzvah
students is at the top of my list. But it’s not only
about working with 12 and 13 year olds. For the
past 18 months, I have had the sincere joy and
pleasure to study, to learn with, and to teach, a
wonderful class of six adults who will all
become Bar or Bat Mitzvah on May 12th.
Each adult student comes to this important and
meaningful life cycle ritual for his or her own
reason. Whether Bat Mitzvah wasn’t available
when they were 13 years old or whether they
came to Judaism later in their life, each student
in this adult B’nai Mitzvah class has studied and
actively engaged in Judaism for the past 18
months, and perhaps taken on the most
difficult of challenges -- learning a new
language.
6
A few weeks ago, when we began rehearsing
for the ceremony, I watched each student read
from the Torah for the very first time -- they
might not admit it, but I could see the pride in
each student’s face as he or she accomplished
the task of reading from the scroll, no vowels,
all on their own.
I began to think back to my own Bat Mitzvah,
reading the Torah for my very first time. I, too,
remember feeling a sense of pride and
accomplishment. But I also felt a part of
something greater -- as I chanted the words
from Pekudei, I thought about all those who
chanted those words before me, all of those
who read from Torah before me. And in the
moment that I watched these adults read from
the Torah, these adults who chose to become
Bar and Bat Mitzvah later in their lives, I
thought back to that same chain of tradition I
felt so much a part of the morning I became
Bat Mitzvah, and I began to reflect on how the
chain continues.
For becoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah, especially
in the Reform Movement, is not at all about
having a 12th or 13th birthday party. It’s about
something much greater, something much
more meaningful. It’s about becoming a part of
chain, of generations past and generations yet
to come. So whether you are 12, 13, 50, or even
80, it’s never too late to become a part of this
chain.
The Jewish singer/songwriter Josh Nelson
captures the essence of this ritual, of becoming
Bar or Bat Mitzvah, regardless of age, so
perfectly, in his song L’dor Vador:
We are gifts and we are blessings,
we are history in song
We are hope and we are healing,
we are learning to be strong
We are words and we are stories,
we are pictures of the past
We are carriers of wisdom, not the first
and not the last
L'dor vador nagid godlecha
L'dor vador... we protect this chain
From generation to generation
L'dor vador, these lips will praise Your name
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
Religious Education
Confirmation Service
Sunday, June 4, 2017
10 a.m.
Please join with the members of the Confirmation Class of 2017
as they celebrate this important milestone in their lives.
We extend our best wishes to our Confirmands and their families.
Annie Billings
Daughter of Sarah and Hart Billings
Joshua Burns
Son of Ami and Craig Burns
Jessica Flohr
Daughter of Jodi and Richard Flohr
156th
ANNUAL
MEETING
June 2, 2017
Immediately
following our
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve service
Zachary Majca
Son of Stephanie Majca and Dave Majca
David Priester
Grandson of Rayna and Jerry Greenberg
Jason Tothy
Son of Alison and Peter Tothy
Agenda
President’s Report
President’s Award
Report of the
Nominating Committee
Election
Installation of Officers
and Board Members
Incoming President’s
Address
Reception to follow
in the Social Hall
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
7
A Farewell Message Heidi Kon
After 20 years, this is my last article as your Director of Religious Education. The
number 20 is represented in Hebrew by the letter “caph”, which in the ancient
Hebrew was in the form of an open hand. I like that image because that is what I
have tried to be at Sinai-- an open hand. So in the spirit of 20, here are Twenty
Things I’ve learned at Chicago Sinai Congregation (in no particular order):
As I look toward the next
journey in my life,
I will take all of you
with me – and that is a
comfort and source of
strength. Thank you for
your kindness, friendship,
trust, and love throughout
the years. My hand and
heart remain open to you.
I hope to see you
on June 9, so
I can thank you
in person.
8
1
We all have a need for a sense of belonging and Sinai fills that need for many
of us. Being greeted at Shabbat services, coming to a school where people
know you, participating in a mitzvah project, or hearing a familiar song…these
all help us connect to each other.
2
Judaism IS relevant to our every-day lives. Mindfulness, relationships, values
and connection to community, the desire to learn and improve ourselves,
learning from our history and traditions, or even psychology—Judaism has it all!
It has been my joy to let these lessons unfold and see students and families
incorporate Judaism into their own lives.
3
Being Present Matters. In moments of joy and sadness, I did not always have
the right words. But I know that being present with you mattered—whether it
was at a shiva, a hospital room, the bima, or just listening. I am honored to have
shared these significant moments with you.
4
There is no one “right way” to be Jewish and all viewpoints are valued. At
Sinai, we acknowledge that there is a range of ritual practice. One of my
proudest moments was a confirmation service where one young woman openly
shared her doubts about the existence of God in her life, and another student
stood up on the bima with a Kippah, tallis, and tefillin and proudly declared the
existence of God in his life. They co-existed happily and respectfully and used
our bima to demonstrate that we can value opinions different from our own.
5
Relationships are everything. No matter how great the program or speaker,
nothing replaces meaningful relationships with people.
6 A Purim costume says a lot
about a gal…I enjoyed organizing our purimspiels and Purim carnivals. What a
wonderful way to come together as a community—young and old—share a
laugh, and have some fun together.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
7
Sinai’s liberal reform philosophy has a distinct voice within the larger
Reform movement. We want Judaism to be accessible and welcoming to
all who are interested. That’s why we make an effort to welcome
interfaith couples even before they are married, or to reach-out to same –
sex couples or people who are transgender. That’s why we have a
prayerbook with transliteration. That’s why “interfaith” is not a category
requiring special programs. In Judaism, once someone converts, we don’t
distinguish that person from one who is born Jewish. Similarly, at Sinai,
we don’t distinguish interfaith families as different from other families.
All are welcome—period.
8
Learning continues throughout the life cycle. Being Director of
Religious Education is not just religious school. I am proud to have
instituted adult education programs that include Scholar-in-Residence
programs with such luminaries as Professor Lewis Barth, Professor Tamara
Eskanzi, Rabbi David Saperstein, and composer Ben Steinberg; film
screenings and discussion groups. We also created a series called
“Strengthening Our Ties” with Fourth Presbyterian Church; we started a
Muslim –Jewish dialogue; we heard about Israel from Consul General
Moshe Ram, and Knesset Member Yuli Tamir . We shared Adult B’nai
Mitzvah and weekly evening classes on topics including “Who wrote the
Bible” and “Mamonides to Modigliani”-- and so much more. We are
indeed, “people of the book.”
9
If you feed them, they will come… It’s true that when food is provided,
people tend to come to events. But it’s not just because we all enjoy a
good meal. Eating together is a way of building community and that is
really what we are all seeking when we come to Sinai.
10 Sinai provides our children with roots so they are well grounded in
their own personal Jewish identity, values, and way of life. It is my
pleasure to stay in-touch with countless former students. Some have
returned to Sinai to teach. Others have participated in some form of
Jewish communal service. All are confident, caring young adults who
have found a way to incorporate Jewish values and tradition in their own
way into their lives. Will and I see that, as they grow, our own children
also remain connected to traditions, mitzvot, and social justice. I hope the
same is true for your children too.
11 No one does this job alone. There is
no way our education programs would
be successful without the support of
countless Boards of Directors,
Religious School Committees, and an
incredible team of teachers. We also
couldn’t do this without our members
who encouraged and supported our
efforts; our students who teach me
daily about chesed (kindness), our
madrichim who encourage me to
demonstrate the relevance of Judaism
in our every-day lives… and our terrific
Temple staff including Kris Rosen,
DeeDee Dukes, Jill Epstein, Dawn
Owens, Harold Donald, Ron Shines,
Dan Giancola, Arturo Gonzalez, Edna
Bell, and Elke Sniderman—who do all
the “behind the scenes” work that
makes Sinai run; and of course, our
senior staff.
12 A school is like a community…we call
our school “Kehillat Sinai--Community
of Sinai”. That means we care about
each other. We know everyone’s name;
teachers model cooperation; older
students mentor younger ones; we
create familiar routines such as
assemblies and music time; we offer
programs that have become traditions
like our model wedding, Ellis Island,
and Urban poverty field trip; and of
course we share Family Services and
Shabbat dinners, when we have a
chance to come together as a larger
community.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
9
15 As you teach you learn. Truer words have never been spoken. As I worked
to enrich our education programs, I was enriched myself. I hope to
continue to teach and learn.
16 We can always improve. Judaism offers the opportunity to improve
ourselves on both a personal and communal level. Whether it is the steps
of teshuvah that we try to implement during the high holy days and other
troubling times in our lives, or just a quick survey to see how we’re doing - we are always learning, growing and striving toward “Better”.
17 There is beauty in the ordinary. Often, it is the simple things that have
brought me the most joy: the regularity of greeting people at the door;
teachers’ meetings; weekly assemblies; exploring the Torah with students;
monthly Family Services; regular bima practice with students; a Bar/Bat
Mitzvah service; or just chatting with members and staff. I will miss that.
13 The High Holy Days are better with a
skit and a beautiful prayerbook. If
you appreciate our beautiful Family
High Holy Day Prayerbook, with its
joyful message and illustrations, then
you get a sense of the joy that our
Family Prayerbook Committee
(Helaine Billings, Evy Asch, Vicki
Samuels, Debbi Welch, and Rabbi
Michael Sternfield) brought to the
task. Creating this book was a
highlight of my time at Sinai. Thanks to
Noah, Franklin and Levi for so willingly
participating in years of Rosh
Hashanah skits. Even when you were
old enough to say “No”, you never did.
☺
14 Do not be wise in words, be wise in
deed. This is a Jewish proverb that I
believe is essential to Judaism and to
Sinai in particular. I am proud to have
started our Social Justice Shabbat
series where we heard from authors,
judges, political candidates, interfaith
leaders, and journalists. And I am
proud to be one of the innovators of
“adopt-a- school” (initially Schiller and
now Jenner), the Second Sunday lunch
Program, and Mitzvah Weekend. The
idea that we should LIVE our values is
one I hope our school has transmitted
to our students and families.
10
18 I wouldn’t want to-- and couldn’t-- do it without my family. Chicago
Sinai was a “family project”. My mother, Beth, came to teach when we
needed some core teachers. My nieces Michelle and Sami Sadler steppedin to fill an unexpected vacancy, and another niece, Stephanie Cape, did a
long-term sub gig…. and of course my weekly Sinai buddies Noah,
Franklin and Levi Jones arrived early for set-up, stayed late for clean-up,
and volunteered for everything. And finally, my husband, Will Jones,
whose quiet support is evident in everything I do. From delivering 200
lunches on Sundays to being an on-call computer tech, he supported me
every day. For a million other things, large and small, I am deeply grateful
to my family.
19 To every thing there is a season: I am immensely proud of my time at
Sinai and all that we were able to accomplish together. As my time here
draws to a close, I will be happy and excited to see the new programs and
ideas will emerge.
20 It’s all about the journey—not the destination. As I look toward the next
journey in my life, I will take all of you with me – and that is a comfort and
a source of strength. Thank you for your kindness, friendship, trust, and
love throughout the years. My hand and heart remain open to you, my
Chicago Sinai Family.
L’hitraot (see you soon),
Heidi
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT
Proposed Slate of Candidates for 2017-2018
In accordance with the by-laws, the Nominating Committee has submitted to the Secretary the following
recommended slate of candidates for election as Officers and Trustees at the Annual Meeting of
Chicago Sinai Congregation to be held on June 2, 2017.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Officers to be elected to a one-year term
ending June, 2018
Susan Lucas
Jessica Diamond
Neal Kulick
Midge Perlman-Shafton
Jack Tovin
Sarah Samuels Taylor
Alan Tinsmon
Bruce Miller
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Immediate Past President
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Trustees to be elected to a one-year term
ending June, 2018
Elaine Abramson
Rachel Dvorken
Lauren Niimi-Mitzenmacher
Adrienne Rainey
Larry Schor
Jeremy Wolf
Youth Representative, Alice Asch
Trustees to be elected to a two-year term
ending June, 2019
Beryl Byman
Ashley Jonas
Josh Mangoubi
Kathleen Marks
Bruce Simons
Howard Tanzman
Trustees elected to a three-year term
ending June, 2020
Philip Auerbach
Liz Darke
Ross Emmerman
Norman Hirsch
Steven Meyers
Trustees not up for Election
Trustees elected to a two-year term
ending June, 2018
David Ginsburg
Barbara Jacobs
Susan Leis
Elaine Moss
Trustees elected to a three-year term
ending June, 2019
David Garfield
Ben Meisner
Grant Peters
Jill Peters
Trustees elected to a three-year term
ending June, 2018
Ted Naron
Peter Rubnitz
Trustees who terms are interrupted by
service as an Officer:
Jessica Diamond
Neal Kulick
Susan Lucas
Midge Perlman-Shafton
LIFE TRUSTEE
Kate T. Kestnbaum
PAST PRESIDENTS
Donna Barrows Bruce Miller
Peter B. Bensinger, Jr. Victoria Woolner Samuels
Henry Freund Mark Segal
Alec Harris Bruce Stern
Stanley Jarrow Errol Stone
Michael Mannis Howard Sulkin
Jack D. Tovin
We are pleased to recognize Norman Hirsch who will be completing his term as Secretary, Bruce Simons who will be
completing his term as Treasurer, and Liz Darke and Larry Schor who will be completing their terms as Vice Presidents.
We are pleased to recognize Ellyn Daniels, Merilee Elliott, Martin Farkas, Lucy Herman Moog, Marvin Pollack,
Jan Stone, and our Youth Representative Blair Mannis,
who are leaving the Board and thank them for their devoted service to the Congregation.
The Nominating Committee:
Michael Mannis, Chair, Susan Leis, Debbie Murphy, Arnold Myers, Henry Nussbaum, Jill Peters, Marvin Pollack,
Peter Rubnitz, Susan Stone and Susan Solomon, ex officio.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
11
ENGAGEMENT UPDATE
Rebecca Frazin
It’s been a fantastic almost first year at Sinai with
lots of fun new events. It has been great getting to
spend time getting to know so many of you!
I wanted to update you on a few exciting
initiatives. Please don’t hesitate to contact me
with any of your thoughts.
Women of Sinai
We had an incredible Women’s Retreat in Kohler,
WI in February. From that many of the attendees
realized that they wanted to have special events
throughout the year specifically for the Women of Sinai. We have now begun
putting together some great events. If you are interested in adding your name
to this group to receive information about the events, please email me at
[email protected].
50s and Beyond
Sinai has a few different engagement groups, one of which is 50s and Beyond.
This committee has been working hard to create some very special events.
Below please read about these great upcoming events and if you would like
more information on any of these please email me at [email protected].
Sinai Forum: Lunch Series
As many of you know, Sinai congregants are fantastic! This committee has put
together a lunch series to hear from our congregants about the impressive
work they have accomplished in their life. These lunches will take place on last
Thursday of each month at 12:30 PM at Sinai. These conversations will be led
by Rabbi Seth Limmer. The cost for these events, which includes lunch, will be
$15 for members and $20 for non-members.
To RSVP please call Sinai, or email [email protected]. We hope you will
join us at these events. Our first two speakers will be:
Thursday, May 25
Louis Susman, Former U.S. Ambassador to United Kingdom and
Northern Ireland
Thursday, June 29
Sandra Guthman, Chair of Board of Directors of the Polk Bros Foundation
Sinai Outings
Many members of Sinai have been looking for ways to do things with each
other throughout the community. Starting in July we will have exciting
opportunities to: take a walking architecture tour around Chicago with a
Jewish focus, tour the Holocaust Museum and see their special upcoming
hologram exhibit, a private tour of Spertus, and a tour of Jewish art at the Art
Institute. The first tour – which will be an architecture tour of Chicago will be
on July 18. Signs ups and more information will be available in June.
Sinai Supper Club
We know not everyone is available during the day. Beginning in the late
summer we will be having a few dinners out in restaurants around Sinai after
Shabbat and on Sundays. If you are interested in this, please contact me.
12
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
Please join us in
celebrating Heidi
Kon’s retirement
as the
Director of Education
for 20 years at
Chicago Sinai
Congregation
Shabbat
Eve Service
Friday
June 9, 2017
6:15 pm
Reception to follow
in the Social Hall
Sinai
Forum
Lunch Series
At Chicago Sinai Congregation
15 West Delaware Place, Chicago IL
FEATURING Sinai’s own
Louis susman
SANDRA GUTHMAN
Former U.S. Ambassador to the
United Kingdom & Northern Ireland
Philanthropy and Fund-raising in Chicago:
The view from both sides
Thursday, May 25, 2017
12:30 PM
Thursday, JUNE 29, 2017
12:30 PM
Louis Susman is a lawyer,
investment banker, and was
appointed by President
Obama to be the United
States Ambassador to the
United Kingdom and
Northern Irelend from 2009 2013. Today, Mr. Susman is an
advisor to Henry Crown & Co.
and chairman of CBI Holdings,
L.P., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of BDT Capital
Partners.
In addition, he is a member of the board of the Edward M.
Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Vice Chairman
of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, chairman of the
board of London-based Fait Accompli, a member of the
advisory board of Atlas Merchant Capital, a member of the
Holdingham International Advisory Board and a member of
the Council of American Ambassadors. In 2017 Mr. Susman
was appointed by President Obama to the Board of Trustees of
the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Join us for a discussion to hear about his impressive work and
his thoughts on the current political climate.
Cost for lunch
$15 per member | $20 per non-member
Sandra Guthman has been
Chair of Board of Directors of
the Polk Bros. Foundation
since 1988 and was its full
time CEO from 1993 through
2012. The Polk Bros.
Foundation is a private
foundation with assets of
approximately $425 million
making grants of about $22
million per year for direct
services that impact intercity
children, youth and families in Chicago, primarily for social
services, access to health care, education and cultural
programs. Prior to 1993, Mrs. Guthman spent 28 years with
the IBM Corporation. She serves on the boards of the
Northern Institutional Funds and Northern Funds, where she is
Chair, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago High School for
the Arts, as Chair Emerita of the board of the Harris Theater for
Music and Dance, former Chairman of the board of Window to
the World Communications (WTTW/Channel 11 and
WFMT98.7), and serves on the Advisory Board of Abbott
Capital Private Equity. Mrs. Guthman received a BA from
Wellesley College with General Honors in Economics.
RSVP to
[email protected] or 312.867.7000
Sinai Forum Lunch Series will occur the last Thursday of every month at 12:30 PM.
Upcoming speakers
07|27|2017 - Shelley Stern Grach | Director & Community Advocate | Microsoft
08|31|2017 - Penny Pollack | Dining Editor | Chicago Magazine
09|28|2017 - Peter B. Bensinger, Sr. | Administrator | Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
13
MUSIC NOTES
Scott Kumer
16th Annual Spring Choral Program
Announcing the return
of Bob Applebaum
PART
Shabbat Eve Service
Friday, May 19, 2017
6:15 p.m.
TWO...
IN
BLUE
Experience the captivating music of jazz artist, pianist, composer, Sinai friend and native Chicagoan,
Bob Applebaum! For the first time in the 16-year history of Sinai’s Annual Spring Choral Program,
we will present the music of the same composer two years in a row! So with Bob’s return to Sinai
this May, we are proud to name the event, Part Two… in Blue.
The Sinai Professional, Volunteer, and Children’s Choirs will feature Bob’s Friday Night Jazz Service as
recorded on the BMI compact disc bearing the same name. The music itself uses many traditional
Sabbath melodies which have been delightfully “jazzified” and arranged for choir and jazz trio. You
will feel a strong connection to the familiar melodies as they draw you in with a fresh and magical
flair.
Bob’s own Jazz Trio will provide the backbone of the instrumental accompaniment. Bob (piano) will
be joined by his colleagues Jim Cox (acoustic bass) and Sarah Allen (percussion), all three of whom
recorded the CD together. Our friend, Tom Weisflog of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, will join the
trio on organ for some pieces (which will contribute a uniquely “Sinai twist” to the music), and will
play the piano accompaniments for the Sermon-in-Song selections.
And a word about the Sermon-in-Song… Bob will offer enlightening commentary as we give the
world premier of two newly-commissioned works for Sinai, Sacred Sparks, based on a writing of
Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Kedoshim T’hiyu (“You shall be holy as I, Adonai your God, am holy.”)
from Leviticus 19 – the exact center of the Torah.
Be sure to mark your calendars and attend a Sabbath Evening Service unlike any other that has ever
occurred at Chicago Sinai Congregation! We hope to see you there!
14
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
MUSIC NOTES
continued
16th Annual Spring Choral Program
A word from Bob Applebaum…
“I am delighted and honored to be sharing my music with the Sinai
community again. I hope that my music will connect with you in a
meaningful way.”
Bob’s Biography…
For many years, music was an abiding love but a professional sideline for
Robert Applebaum (b. 1941), who taught physics and chemistry at New Trier
High School, Winnetka, IL from 1965 until his retirement in June 2000.
Bob’s secular and non-secular choral music has received frequent
performance in concert settings throughout the United States by a variety of
vocal ensembles including Chicago a cappella, Kol Zimrah (the Chicagoland
Jewish Community Singers), the Chicago Children’s Choir (who sang
Applebaum’s setting of V’ahavta at the 2000 White House holiday concerts),
the Chicago Institute of Music Chorale, the Coriolis Ensemble (Evanston, IL)
and the Pacific Edge Voices (Berkeley, CA). His pieces have been featured
many times at the Zamir North American Summer Choral Festival (New York).
In 2015 and 2016 his settings of Shakespeare texts were featured in
programs in the USA and in Europe.
Many of his liturgical settings have been in regular use in services at the
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (Evanston) where he was affiliated
until 2008, when he moved to California. (And a few of his compositions
have even found their way into services here at Chicago Sinai Congregation.)
Chicago a cappella included two of his Chanukah pieces on their 2002 CD
Holidays Live!, three of his settings of Shakespeare texts on their highly
acclaimed 2005 Çedille release, Shall I Compare Thee?, and his setting of
Im ein ani li, mi li on their 2011 release Days of Awe and Rejoicing.
As a jazz pianist/composer he has three albums to his credit: Hora and Blue
(with the Modern Klezmer Quartet, on the Global Village label, 1993), The
Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree (jazz piano duos with his son Mark
Applebaum, on the Innova label, 2002), and Friday Night Jazz Service (2007).
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
15
WORSHIP
W
In May and June
Friday, May 5
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
The Kindergarten, First and Second
Grades will lead the service.
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, May 12
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbis Limmer and Greene will
lead the service. Rabbi Limmer
will deliver the sermon.
Tot Shabbat service begins at
5:30 p.m.
Details on the back page.
Friday, May 19
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Greene will lead the service.
Rabbi Limmer will deliver the sermon.
Spring Choral Festival.
Details on page 14.
Friday, May 26
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Greene will lead the service.
Rabbi Limmer will deliver the sermon.
Friday, June 2
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Greene will lead the service.
Rabbi Limmer will deliver the sermon.
156th Annual Meeting immediately
Following the Shabbat Eve service.
Sunday, June 4
10:00 a.m.
Confirmation Service
Friday, June 9
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Limmer will lead the service.
Rabbi Greene will deliver the sermon.
Friday, June 16
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Greene will lead the service
and deliver the sermon.
Friday, June 23
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Greene will lead the service
and deliver the sermon.
Friday, June 30
6:15 p.m.
Shabbat Eve Service
Rabbi Limmer will lead the service
and deliver the sermon.
W
Family Services
One Sunday morning each month is
devoted to family worship. Service
begin at 11 a.m. and concludes by
12 p.m. Children of all ages join their
families and the entire Sinai
congregation for a warm and informal
experience of communal worship. Join
us on Sunday, May 21 at 11 a.m. as we
honor our teachers at our final Family
Service of the year. The service will be
followed by our closing day picnic,
including ice cream and “dunk tank.”
Shabbat Morning Prayer
and Torah Study
Every Saturday, 9:30 a.m.
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.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
16
KINDRED SPIRITS! Gala!!!
Enjoy a night of fabulous food, fellowship
and friendship with our congregation
while bidding on great auction prizes
such as:
C
n
inai Congre
oS
ga
g
tio
ca
hi
• Dinner for six guests at Split Rail Restaurant
(The soon to be opened restaurant of
congregant Zoe Schor) hosted by Seth and
Molly Limmer
• A canal barge cruise for two in Burgundy,
France – Paris hotel, too!
Our raffle prizes announced that
night include:
49
th A n n u al G a
la
• New York City hotel and a Broadway play
(Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of
1812)
• A role on the television show,
“Check Please”
• Great restaurant - plus wine to enjoy at
home
• Sports tickets package - including 4 seats
to a Cubs-Sox “cross town classic”
Saturday | May 6 | 2017
6:30 pm
The Sofitel Hotel on
Chicago's Magnificent Mile
Cocktails followed by dinner and dancing
Kindred Spirits! The theme of our Gala references so much of what
our congregation stands for and why it has become even more
necessary both in our own lives and those lives we touch in the wider
community. As Sinai’s most important fundraiser, the Gala is
instrumental in supporting our outreach to help:
• Feed the homeless
• Students at Jenner School
• Our recent affiliation with Refugee One,
• Homeless teens and youth
• Mental Health
Sinai has also welcomed religious institution partners into our
community, uniting on the basis of common values and causes.
Guests representing social service and religious partners will be
introduced at Gala.
Sinai Gala shows that we have a lot to celebrate – but a lot to
accomplish, too!
Please join us at the Gala!
17
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
MAKE YOURSELF MORE
Come join us on Sundays.
We always begin with breakfast at
Café Sinai at 10:00 a.m.
Our Make Yourself More sessions begin
at 10:30 a.m.
MAKE YOURSELF MORE EFFECTIVE
May 7
Make Yourself More Effective through Justice, Advocacy
and Action
Make Yourself More Effective through the many avenues of
Justice, Advocacy and Social Action we pursue together
at Sinai.
TRIBUTES
In the Lives
Temple Fund
Lyn Goldstein
In memory of Richard Kohn, beloved husband, father,
and grandfather
Marvin Berns, Jose Guillen, and Timothy Czarnecki
In memory of James W. Whetstone
Ed and Linda Morse
In honor of Roslyn Limmer’s 96th Birthday
Charlene Landsberg Smith
In memory of Fay and Dan Landsberg, Thomas Smith, and
Pumpkin Landsberg Smith
Community Concerns Fund
Barbara Jacobs
In honor of Jill and Grant Peters
Rabbi Limmer’s Discretionary Fund
Victoria Kohn
In loving memory of Richard Kohn
Myron Markovitz
In Memory of Jan Markovitz
Rabbi Greene’s Discretionary Fund
Erik Selz and Amy Kaplan
In appreciation of Rabbi Greene
Congratulations to
Ava Eggener
daughter of Barbara Markoff-Eggener and Scott Eggener
on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
Amanda O'Donnell
daughter of Margo and Ger O'Donnell
on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
Join with the Environment Committee for presentations by Faith in Place
and Moms Clean Air Force about how others have taken successful action
to fight climate change. Be inspired, add your voice, and learn what you,
your family and the Sinai community can do to help RIGHT NOW by
reducing the carbon dioxide we add to the atmosphere.
Misha Patent
son of Amy & David Patent on becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Jackson Rosenthal
son of Sally and Michael Rosenthal on becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Ryan Soren
son of Teresa and Scott Soren on becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Oneg and Pulpit Flowers
The Eggener and Markoff Families
in honor of Ava Eggener on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
The O'Donnell Family
in honor of Ava O'Donnell on becoming a Bat Mitzvah
The Rosenthal Family
in honor of Jackson Rosenthal becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Congratulations to
Dana and Jon Gordon
on the birth of their daughter, Lulu
Jordana and Jared Greenberg
on the birth of their daughter, Hazel Pearl
Laurie and Scott Weisman,
on the birth of their son, Blake
18
The Soren Family
in honor of Ryan Soren becoming a Bar Mitzvah
Rikki Arnold & Dan Schiff, on their marriage
Condolences to the Family and Friends of
Maita Honey Adolph, Mother of Lesly (David) Koo
Simone Bauer, Great Aunt of Norm Hirsch
Esta Kaplan, Aunt of Dr. Terry Nicola
Elaine Selz, Mother of Erik Selz (Amy Kaplan),
Grandmother of Eli and Avery Selz
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
ACT
A
Social Action at Sinai
Sinai and Civil Rights Service Trip | Rebuilding near Charleston, SC After Hurricane Matthew
Email to ABC15 News
leads to home repairs
for Florence County
disabled veteran
by Tonya Brown
James and Karen Aycock have been living in a home that’s in poor condition since the
historic flood of October 2015. The veterans said flood waters nearly destroyed their
home. "It flooded up right to the bottom of the floors. FEMA came out. Then I got a first
letter that said I had insufficient damage. Then they sent a little bit. But, I guess that was
supposed to do and I done what I could with it. You know, it just kind of went from
there. You know, I'm not a complainer, and I was just doing a little bit at the time. And, it
seemed
like, the more I was doing, the worst it was getting, and it just got over my
head,” said James Aycock.
The Aycocks are both veterans. James Aycock lost both his legs following an injury he
suffered when he was in the U.S. Marine Corps. The couple said their home was getting
so bad, they contemplated leaving it behind. “We were about at the point to have to
start trying to buy another home. It was just getting that bad,” said James Aycock.
bb
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ABC15 News contacted the Florence County Long Term Recovery group and it came to
the family’s aid. “He was in our database and we hadn't gotten to him yet through the
database.
He's very humble. He says, 'I don't want to take from anybody else, 'but it's his
Florence
turn,
” said
Lou
Palm,
Chairman
for
County Long Term Recovery. Palm said
volunteers from the Chicago Sinai congregation helped
to repair the home. "We do
projects like this in our hometown of Chicago and, unfortunately, [we] know what urban
b
poverty looks like. We don't knowb what
rural situations look like, or in some of the
smaller corners of the world. It's always good culturally to learn about that,” said Sr.
Rabbi Seth Limmer. Palm said their goal is to make
sure all flood victims, like the
Aycocks, get help for their unmet needs. "Just trying to get people back into a safe,
secure house. It's been 18 months and there are still many more to go in Florence
County and across the state,” explained Palm.
The Aycocks said they’re grateful and thankful
that so many people care. "We really
didn't know about it until people started calling us. It just seems like miracle after
miracle was being done. I know it's because of James' handicap, at that point, when this
all happened. But, I'm married to him and I'm being benefited by it,” said Karen Aycock.
TEEN LIVING UPCOMING EVENTS
OPEN HOUSE AT TLP DROP-IN CENTER
Wednesday, May 10 | 2 pm to 6 pm
Visit the revised Drop In center which will be re-opened May 15. Learn about the new
initiatives and activities to help the Teen Living youth achieve more productive lives.
This is where the wonderful art projects were created that were displayed at Sinai at
the end of the year.
For information on TLP or to
volunteer for any of these
programs please contact:
Dale ([email protected])
or Helene
([email protected])
FIELD TRIP TO HARRIS THEATER
Saturday May 13, 2 pm
TLP youth from Belfort House and the CaSSA program will enjoy a dance performance
by the Hip Hop dance troop, Ronnie Harris Pure Movement, followed by a pizza
dinner. The Harris Theater has generously provided the theater tickets. Volunteers
needed.
ART PROJECT RESUMES
Late summer we will be restarting our "Art With a Heart" art program at the Drop in
Center. Next up will be discovering how to view the world in black and white through
the lens of a camera.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
19
L
In May and June
Tuesday
May 9
June 6
12 pm to 1 pm
Wednesday
May 10, 17 and 24
June 14 and 28
11 am in the Chapel
Thursday
May 4, 11, 18 and 25
June 1, 8, 15 and 22
11 am in the Chapel
LEARNING
IN THE LOOP
WEDNESDAYS WITH
RABBI LIMMER:
THURSDAYS WITH
RABBI GREENE:
Tackles the Mishnah
The Rabbinic Art of
Reading
What's God Got
to Do With It?
Rabbi Limmer helps us explore the
earliest Rabbinic commentary to the
biblical book of Exodus: The Mekhilta
of Rabbi Ishmael. This formative work
of Midrash--the Jewish method of
demanding additional meaning from
Scripture--proceeds line by line
through the biblical narrative and
connects our core texts to religious
thoughts and trends that emerged in
antiquity. Through a study of the
Mekhilta's many legends, lore and
legal discourses into we will see how
our Sages of old helped understand
the Torah in their time, and provided
us a road map for comprehending the
unfurling evolution of biblical
interpretation.
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,
and the creation of the State of Israel
influence these thinkers’
understanding and conception of
God?
Saturday
May 6, 20 and 27
June 3, 10,17 and 24
9:30 am in the Chapel
Thursday
May 4
June 1
7 pm
SHABBAT
MORNING
TORAH STUDY
FILM
REVIEW
YEAR TWO...
“It makes sense that, since we meet at a
law firm, we’d study Jewish legal
literature.”
About 15 regulars attend the second
Tuesday of the month sessions held at
Jenner & Block offices (courtesy of
Norm Hirsch). Participants bring their
lunch; the firm adds a dessert and
drinks. RSVP to Dee Dee Dukes
([email protected]) at the
temple office to ensure that the
building’s security will be notified.
Tuesday
May 9
June 13
2 pm
SINAI
BOOK GROUP
Join fellow congregants for an
exploration of both fiction and nonfiction books of Jewish interest on
the second Tuesday of each month at
2 pm in the Sinai Chapel. On May 9,
we will discuss Chronicles: Volume
One by Bob Dylan.
On June 13 we will
discuss A Book That
Was Lost by
S. Y. Agnon,
specifically “A gunot,”
“The Lady and the
Peddler,” and
“A Whole Loaf.”
20
LEARN
Come study the weekly Torah portion
together in an open and inquisitive
atmosphere!
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.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
L
LEARN
Upcoming Preschool
Events
May 1- 2
Parent/Teacher
Conferences
No Preschool or Classes
May 2
5:00 p.m.
Teacher Appreciation
Event
May 12
5:30 p.m to 7 p.m.
Tot Shabbat
May 24
LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL
FOR STUDENTS
Sinai Preschool, Fern Katz
Education is a core value at Sinai Preschool; not just for
the children and parents, but also for the teachers.
Sinai Preschool teachers have been fortunate to participate in a number of excellent
professional development experiences this year, including the Early Childhood Educators of
Reform Judaism national conference. The 2017 conference, “ChicaGO: Advancing Early
Childhood Education in the 21st Century” was held in Chicago in March and as chair of the
conference I was especially pleased that our entire teaching staff had the opportunity to attend
many workshops and participate in a variety of activities, meeting and sharing ideas with
educators from around the country and Israel. In addition, we hosted the conference
participants for a tour of the classrooms, an uplifting Shabbat service and lovely Friday night
dinner, where our friends and colleagues could see and feel the warmth of Chicago Sinai. Rabbi
Limmer and Rabbi Greene offered a beautiful and heartfelt blessing, which meant a great deal
to us. I cannot thank the Chicago Sinai community enough for the support that you
continuously demonstrate to the Sinai Preschool staff and families.
Please continue reading below for more information about the conference.
Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ) hosted their 17th national gathering in
Chicago, March 1-4, 2017. Over 250 directors, teachers, and leaders involved in early education
and engagement from North America and Israel attended the conference, which focused on the
theme, Advancing Early Childhood Education in the 21st Century.
Understanding national trends and best principles remains a high priority for early childhood
professionals as they continue to provide broad offerings within their early education and
engagement programs. Attendees expanded their knowledge and strengthened their
commitment to the key principles and the most current theories regarding the education of
young children. The conference setting provided a unique opportunity for a diverse group of
Jewish professionals, including educators, specialists, lay leaders, clergy and other stakeholders
in early childhood Jewish education to network and collaborate on designing family
engagement opportunities that will translate into daily practice. These professionals
represented programs that are part of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), JCCA, United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), and Jewish schools without affiliation.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, spoke to attendees about the
priority the Reform Movement places on early engagement, and provoked a ground-swell of
inspiration in recognizing early educators as the experts in engaging families with young
children. He said, “You are the ones who usher the next generation into our doors. You create
the connections, and the future is bright because of your capable hands”. Keynote speaker
Diana Mendley Rauner, President of the Ounce of Prevention Fund (a public-private partnership
that prepares children for success in school and in life), described the Fund’s efforts in early
education, working to unlock the power of human potential and to advance program and
policy efforts interactively to foster systemic change.
Workshops for administrators, educators, and engagement professionals provided hands on
learning that was both current and varied; speakers shared their expertise on understanding
gender identity, incorporating STEAM in early childhood classrooms, using research and best
principles to achieve excellence in early education, supporting young children and their families
in their spiritual journeys, and engaging families in our early childhood communities.
Accredited by NAEYC’s National Academy
of Early Childhood Programs
ECE-RJ is a professional organization that was founded to represent all who work in the field of
early childhood Jewish education. It serves as a voice for educators, provides synagogue
leadership with information on national trends, shares resources for best practices, and offers
important platforms for collegial sharing and support. For more information about ECE-RJ, visit
the website at www.ecerj.org.
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
21
MAY
sun
mon
tues
1
2
2017
wed
3
W
A
L
thurs
fri
sat
4
5
6
9:30am Torah Study
11am Adult Ed with
6:15pm Shabbat
Rabbi Greene
Eve/Kindergarten, 1st & 10:30am Amanda
7pm Film Review 2nd grades will lead the O’Donnell Bat Mitzvah
Service/Oneg
6:30pm Kindred Spirit!
Sinai Gala
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
5:30pm Tot Shabbat
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
10:30am Adult Bnai
Mitzvah
4:30pm Ronald
McDonald
17
18
19
20
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Limmer
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
24
25
26
27
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Limmer
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
12:30pm Sinai Forum:
Lunch Series
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
9:30am Torah Study
10:15am Movie Group 12pm Learning in the 11am Adult Ed with
10am RS
Loop
Rabbi Limmer
10am Café Sinai
2pm Book Group:
10:30am Make
Yourself More: Reduce
Chronicles: Volume One
Your Carbon Footprint
6 pm Open Hearts and
12:15pm Hebrew Club
Open Door
12:30pm Confirmation
14
15
16
MOTHER’S DAY
TEMPLE CLOSED
6:15pm Shabbat Eve 9:30am Torah Study
16th Annual Spring 10:30am Ava Eggener
Bat Mitzvah
Choral Program/Oneg
Lunch Program:
Bring Bag Lunches
21
22
23
10am Last RS
11am Teacher
Appreciation Family
Service followed by
all-school picnic.
12:30pm Confirmation
2 pm Sunday Supper at
Fourth Church
28
29
MEMORIAL DAY
TEMPLE CLOSED
22
30
31
SHAVUOT
TEMPLE CLOSED
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
JUNE
sun
mon
tues
2017
wed
7
W
A
L
thurs
fri
sat
1
2
3
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
7pm Film Review
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/156th Annual
Meeting/Oneg
9:30am Torah Study
10:30am Ryan Soren
Bar Mitzvah
8
9
10
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg/Celebration
of Heidi Kon’s
Retirement
9:30am Torah Study
10:30am Jackson
Rosenthal
Bar Mitzvah
4:30 pm Ronald
McDonald House
4
5
6
10am Confirmation
Service
10am CJE at Sinai
12pm Learning in the
Loop
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Lunch Program: Bring
Bag Lunches
9:15am Movie Group
2 pm Book Group:
A Book That Was Lost
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Limmer
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Greene
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
9:30am Torah Study
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
9:30am Torah Study
28
29
30
11am Adult Ed with
Rabbi Limmer
12:30pm Sinai Forum:
Lunch Series
6:15pm Shabbat
Eve/Oneg
2 pm Sunday Supper at
Fourth Church
25
26
27
www.chicagosinai.org MAY/JUNE 2017 Temple Office 312.867.7000
23
CHICAGO
SINAI
CONGREGATION
Periodical
U.S. 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
Rebecca Frazin Engagement Director
Fern Katz Early Childhood Director
Heidi Kon Education Director
Scott Kumer Music Director
Susan Solomon Bulletin Editor
@ChicagoSinai
Facebook.com/ChicagoSinaiCongregation
SINAI
Save the Date!
Please join the Sinai Preschool and Temple Families
Tot Shabbat!
Friday, May 12, 2017
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
This music filled service will be conducted in
our Chapel by one of our Rabbis and is ideal
for children under the ages of 5 years.
Jeremy Raskin, singer, songwriter and
children's entertainer, will be sharing his
music and songs.
Dinner and entertainment in the social hall
will immediately follow service.
$40 per family
Call the Temple office at 312.867.7000 to RSVP.