Chicago Ethical Humanist
Newsletter of the
Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago
January 2017
Welcome to Our Year-Opening Sunday Morning Programs
ALISON SIDERIS, veteran TV
property master, set director, and
costumer, speaks Sunday, January 8th, on “Whose Prop Is It,
Anyway?” As part of our World
at Work series, Sideris will discuss
her career in the television industry,
including her current role in designing props for the longrunning game show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
LEN JASON, professor of psychology at DePaul University and director
of its Center for Community Research,
speaks Sunday, January 15th, on
“Understanding Unexplained Illness:
From Knowledge to Action.” Jason
will discuss chronic fatigue syndrome,
a debilitating illness that, trivialized
and stigmatized in the past as “yuppie
flu,” is now the subject of finding ways to return its victims
to full participation in community life.
Happy New Year Everyone!
The days are slowly beginning to get longer; Spring WILL
return. Over the Winter Break, I hope everyone was able to
take some time to reconnect with the things that make life
worthwhile.
In this new year, change is on the horizon. Remember that
here, at the Ethical Humanist Society, you will always find
a kind and inclusive home. Keep your eyes open for all the
many opportunities we have for connecting and engaging
more deeply with one another, as well as for helping in our
greater community. We have something quite wonderful
here. Enjoy it, enjoy each other—and share it.
—Katherine Ross, President
Other Society Events
• Our next Game Night is on Saturday, January 7th, from
6 to 9 p.m. Bring your own food and beverage, or if you
come by 6:15 you can chip in for pizza. Meet new people
and enjoy a variety of popular games. See you!
• Our next Fiction Circle, led by Ken Novak and Sue
Sherman, is on Sunday, January 8th, at 12:15 p.m.We’ll
PATTY and TOM ERD, owners of the upscale Spice House
retail stores and internet site,
speak Sunday, January 22nd,
on “Adding Spice to Our
Lives.” They will reveal the trials, tribulations, and joys of being part of “the world’s second
oldest profession—spice merchants.” They will add a bit of
flavor by educating us on “the love and lore of spices.”
DEBORAH TURKHEIMER, professor of law at Northwestern University
and author of books on criminal law and
feminist legal theory, speaks Sunday,
January 29th, on “Rape Law in
Flux.” Turkheimer will discuss how
policymakers face the problem of sexual
assault, though “the laws and practices
surrounding rape remain profoundly disconnected from modern understanding of sex and sexuality.”
compare two short stories, Alice Walker’s “For Everyday
Use,” available online at http://bit.ly/2ioC8Vb, and Sherman
Alexie’s “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,”
available online at http://bit.ly/2hlLWh9.
• Our Film Discussion group meets next on Monday,
January 9th, at 7:15 p.m. Tell us what you think about one
or both of these currently playing movies:
Fences, based on an August Wilson play, is an emotional
character study of an African-American father. It was directed by Denzel Washington and stars him and Viola Davis.
20th Century Women is a chain of anecdotes about a
middle-aged single mom’s attempts to raise her teenage son.
It was directed by Mike Mills and stars Annette Bening.
• Our Creative Writers group, led by Sue Sherman, meets
(Other Society Events continued on page 2)
The meetinghouse of the Society is at 7574 N. Lincoln Ave.,
Skokie. Sunday programs start at 10:30 a.m. A social hour follows. For parking, use our lot, spaces at the adjoining store, Howard St. or Jerome St., or the lot at the Albany Bank. If you need
transportation, call the office by 1 p.m., Friday—we’ll try to get
a ride for you.
(Other Society Events continued from page 1)
on Sunday, January 15th, at 12:15 p.m. Just as Rochelle
Zappia did before winning her Illinois Emerging Writers
Award, come and share your short, original works with us.
• Our next Ethnic Dinner Out is on Saturday, January
21st, at 6:30 p.m. Come and enjoy friendly company and
authentic, reasonably priced Oaxacan cuisine at Kie-GolLanee, 5004 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago. Please make your
reservations with a reply-all to [email protected].
• Winter Reflections, a new series of monthly Saturday
morning conversations on “Exploring Ethical Humanism:
Our History, Motivations, and Beliefs,” begins on January 28th, at 10:30 a.m. Ken Novak will get us started this
month by presenting some information to spur conversation about Ethical Culture and Humanist beliefs and ideals.
We’ll warm up with coffee and . . . . See you.
• Our Second Saturday Coffeehouse, hosted by Vicki
Elberfeld, is skipping this month. We’ll resume in February
for another great musical evening.
Recent Sunday Programs
• DANA SUSKIND, professor of surgery and pediatrics
at the University of Chicago, spoke November 20th on
“Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain.” Kara
Malenfant was moderator.
Suskind said “language is the most critical factor” in
development of a baby’s brain, which is “incredibly active
in the first three years of life.” Emphasizing the “need for
parent talk” in learning language, she said “all parents value
their children” and need to be encouraged “from day one”
to read and talk to their baby. She regretted that “many children are left behind,” largely because of their family’s lower
socio-economic status. “It’s all about language” and the millions of words they are or are not exposed to, she said.
Susskind called for a “public health approach” and “policies that deal with parents as well as children.” She pointed
to advanced technology and to development of public
health infrastructure. Noting that current research is used to
affect policy, she called for “vigorous testing” and “continuous assessment and feedback” on brain development.
• DAN IVANKOVICH, noted orthopedic surgeon and cofounder of the One Patient Global Health Initiative, spoke
November 27th on “Transforming Chicago: One Patient
at a Time.” Ed McManus was moderator.
“My job is dealing with pain and disability”; I “help people get back to work,” Ivankovich declared. “As healers,
not just surgeons,” he said his Bone Squad “combines psychology and orthopedics to improve the quality of people’s
lives.” He said they stress educating the patient and ameliorating their pain, making only short-term use of narcotics.
While supporting medical marijuana for pain treatment, he
noted that it is very expensive and not insured.
Ivankovich pointed to his having done hundreds of painrelieving joint replacements. He condemned the lack of
access to treatment by low-income people, “who need it the
most,” and to discrimination against them by doctors. He
criticized insurance and pharmaceutical companies for the
high cost of drugs and called for more involvement by the
government and the medical community.
• JESÚS (J. .J.) PÉREZ, a standup comedian and professional dog walker, spoke on December 4th. As part of
our series on “Our World of Work, “ his topic was “Jesus
Walks Dogs.” Ray Berg was moderator.
Pérez casually listed the many dissatisfying jobs he
endured before finding his attraction to walking dogs. “I
needed a change,” he said. He showed charming pictures
of his favorite dogs, naming each and humorously describing their widely different traits and personalities. Dogs are
needier than cats and want “to please their owner,” he said.
They have been bred differently than cats, he added, ruefully noting their various illnesses, like arthritis and cancer.
Pérez said little about his clients and had no pictures of
them. He dismissed the notion that dogs look like their
owners but said they often act like them. He observed that
“the first rule of dog walking is patience,” concluding that
“It’s not work when you do what you love.”
• CHRIS JOHNSON, award-winning photographer and
film maker, spoke December 11th on “A Better Life: An
Exploration of Joy and Meaning in a World Without
God.” Svetlana Bekman was moderator.
Johnson talked about his travel around the world to write
a coffee-table book of commentaries and photos featuring
a diverse group of 100 atheists, including scientist Richard Dawkins and philosophers A. C. Grayling and Patricia
Churchland. His aim, he said, was to counter “the myth
that without God, life has no joy or meaning.” Not so, he
insisted, because for me, “losing religion means I can enjoy
life more.” Atheism, he said, “celebrates the joy of life”
and salutes the “spiritual transcendence and awe of nature.”
Johnson did point out that religion gives people “a sense
of belonging and community.” He explained that people
“believe in an after-life because they are scared of death.”
He called for “less negativity” by atheists, and “treating
religious people with respect.”
The Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago, founded in 1882, is a
chapter of the American Humanist Association.
Officers & Trustees: Katherine Ross, President; Jan Kuhn, Vice
President; Ray Berg, Secretary; John Ungashick, Treasurer; Svetlana Bekman, Matt Cole, Alan Kimmel, Sue Sherman, Ed Thompson.
Sunday School Director: Katherine Ross
YES Advisors: Lisa Crowe, Sharon Appelquist
Office Administrator: Sharon Appelquist
Newsletter Editor: Alan Kimmel
Ethical Officiants: Matt Cole, Katie Merrell
Notices and Announcements
• Our Holiday Gift Card and Toy Drive was a great
success. Thanks to everyone who participated. We delivered three big bags of toys and gift cards, as well as the
donations from the Mitten Tree at our Winter Festival, to
Between Friends Chicago, a non-profit organization working to break the cycle of domestic violence. Thanks also to
those who donated gift items to the Rice Holiday Store.
• The Society has a YouTube channel. You can see videos
of any Sunday program you’ve missed the past month—
like that of Dan Ivankovich, J.J. Pérez, and Chris Johnson.
• Visiting the Society for the first time? Welcome! Perhaps you came to a Sunday morning program, or enrolled
your child in our secular Sunday School, or took part in
one of our activities and interest groups. We hope you’ve
found the caring, humanist congregation you may have
been looking for. At our monthly Newcomers Chat, you
can learn more about the Society and consider becoming a
member. If you have any questions, please email joinus@
ethicalhuman.org.
• Enjoy the coffee and social hour after our Sunday
morning programs. We provide coffee and serve bitesized snacks brought by our members, who use a schedule
corresponding to their last names: 1st Sunday, A–D; 2nd
Sunday, E–K; 3rd Sunday, L–P; 4th Sunday, Q–Z. We also
thank the volunteers who help with the setup and cleanup
each Sunday.
• Getting married? Naming your baby? Having a
memorial service? Our Ethical Officiants are trained to
perform weddings, baby namings, and memorials. For a
caring, secular ceremony, inquire at our office.
• Join one of our committees—like Ethical Action, Sunday
Program, Hospitality, Fund Raising, Building, Membership,
Publicity, Audio-Visual, Adult Education, and Caring. Are
you interested? Call Sharon Appelquist at the office.
• For a weekly email update on future programs and activities subscribe to our website: EthicalHumanistSociety.
org. For our monthly printed newsletter, a subscription is
$20 per year if you aren’t a member, a contributing friend,
or new on our mailing list.
Our People . . .
• Rochelle Zappia, daughter of Abe Dolgoff, has won the
3rd place Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award in the Illinois
Emerging Writers Competition. Her stunning poem, Don’t
Ever Let Them Sing, is a satirical blast at American slavery, which she first read at the Society’s Creative Writers
Showcase last year. Copies are available on line and on our
literature table. Congratulations, Rochelle!
• Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, daughter of Steve and Carmen,
has completed her 2016 Fulbright Grant in small-town
Malaysia, where she was teaching and acting as a cultural
ambassador for the United States. She also enjoyed traveling throughout southeast Asia in the past year. We’re proud
of you, Julia!
• Jesús (J. J.) Pérez, a Sunday morning speaker last
month, has joined the Society! J. J. grew up in Chicago
and lives in Logan Square. A professional dog walker and
social media personality, he was attracted to the Society
by its “sense of community” and his desire for the “varied
knowledge” imparted by our speakers. A warm welcome to
you, J.J.!
• Len and Luda Smikun are also new members. They
emigrated from the Soviet Union in 1979 and have lived
in Glenview since 2000. Luda is a clinical psychologist,
Len a mathematician. Ethnically Jewish, but with liberal
views and no strong religious beliefs, they were attracted
by like-minded individuals in the Society. Welcome, Len
and Luda!
• Robert (Bobby) Jackson is also a new member. He
lives in west suburban Lisle and is a post-doctorate intern
in environmental studies at Argonne Lab. Bobby says he
has avoided churches but as a humanist has found many
nice, like-minded people at the Society. Glad you found us,
Bobby!
Sunday School Scoop . . .
December was a blast! The kids decorated candles to
give as gifts and we rehearsed our play—all for the Winter Festival on the 18th, where we successfully engaged
everyone in our “MadLibs Nutcracker,” entertained with
individual performances, decorated our fabulous Mitten
Tree, and generally brought light to one of the darkest days
of the winter.
We return from Winter Break on January 8th, when we’ll
learn about some interesting traditions that ensure good
luck in the New Year. Throughout January we’ll explore the
Commitments of Ethical Humanism that pertain to Human
Rights, Peace, and Social Justice. We will end the month
with a Service Project “Bee” in the Community Room.
—Katherine Ross, Director
Who We Are
The Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago is a self-governing,
inclusive, caring community—providing a home to those who
seek a rational, compassionate philosophy of life without regard
to belief or non-belief in a supreme being.
We focus on the ethical values that bring people together, not
on the beliefs that keep people apart. In the spirit of intellectual,
philosophical, and artistic freedom, we come together to explore
life, nature, and the universe.
We celebrate births, conduct wedding ceremonies, and host
memorial services. We provide for the ethical education of our
children, based on rational, critical thinking.
We believe in working together for a better world, and strive to
act so as to bring out the best in others and thereby in ourselves.
Ethical Humanist Society
The office of the Society is open
every weekday - 10 am to 2 pm.
Call 847-677-3334 with any questions.
January 2017 Calendar
SUNDAY
1
No Program
MONDAY
2
TUESDAY
3
WEDNESDAY
4
THURSDAY
5
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
6 Game
Night
7
6:00 p.m.
10:30
8 Film
Alsion Sideris
Discussion
Group
“Whose Prop Is It, Anyway?”
12:15 - Fiction Circle
- Sunday Program Committee
10:30
Len Jason
9
10
16
12
13
18
19
20
17
“Understanding Unexplained Illness:
From Knowledge to Action”
12:15 - Creative Writers
10:30
Patty & Tom Erd
22
Deborah Turkheimer
Ethnic
Dinner
Out
21
6:30 p.m.
23
24
25
26
“Adding Spice to Our Lives”
10:30
14
7:15 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
15
11
Board
of Trustees
27 Winter
28
Reflections
10:30 a.m.
29
30
“Rape Law in Flux”
31
Golden Rule Sunday School:
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to Noon
Ethical Humanist Society
of Chicago
7574 N. Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077-3335
Phone: (847) 677-3334; Fax: (847) 677-3335
Web Site: www.ethicalhuman.org
E-mail: [email protected]
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