Volume 37 Number 6. From the Rabbi s Desk page 2. Happenings page 6. Tsedakah page 9. Jewish Learning pages Shabbat Services page 16

Transcription

1 Volume 37 Number 6 January 2007 Tevet/Shevat 5767 From the Rabbi s Desk page 2 Happenings page 6 Tsedakah page 9 Jewish Learning pages Shabbat Services page 16

2 From the Rabbi s Desk This month we begin our reading of Sefer Shemot, the book of Exodus. In the book of Genesis, Joseph migrates (against his will) to Egypt where he quickly rises to the second most powerful position in the country. The descendants of Joseph and his brothers, however, are not so lucky. They are enslaved by Pharaoh and must work at hard labor. This immigrant Israelite workforce is given the most difficult and back-breaking tasks. There are no labor laws to protect them and the workers have no rights; the boss controls the working conditions and the production quotas. When the workers try to organize, they are punished: Then the same day Pharaoh charged the taskmasters and foremen of the people, saying, You shall no longer provide the people with straw for making bricks as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But impose on them the same quota of bricks as they have been making heretofore; do not reduce. (Exodus 5:6-8) The experience in Egypt has been imprinted on the Jewish psyche and embedded at the core of our Torah ethics. The most repeated mitzvah (commandment) in the Torah is about the rights of the stranger, as it appears in Leviticus 19:33-34: The stranger who resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Not only do our ethics and our narrative of identity focus on being strangers and immigrants, but throughout our history, we have often been strangers in strange lands. The welcome and sense of belonging that American Jews have experienced is unprecedented in Jewish history. It is not surprising that many of us feel connected to the immigrant experience. In September, Rabbi David Saperstein, of the Reform movement s Religious Action Center, said the following regarding immigration reform: For over 350 years, our Jewish ancestors have immigrated to this country in search of a more hopeful life; a life free from religious persecution and economic hardship, a life where family members have the chance to be reunited and contribute to their adopted home. Today s immigrants come here for the same reasons as our Jewish forebears. They come out of a love for their families, a passionate desire to earn a better life, a belief in the boundless opportunities of America, and perhaps, above all, high hopes for their children. In overwhelming majority, these are people of uncommon devotion to the very values we hold most dear, to hard work and to family values. Who are we to say that now that we are here, now that the courage and the hopes of our parents and grandparents in this nation of immigrants have been so richly vindicated, now the door must be closed. Why would we say such a thing? Would saying such a thing not make a mockery of our American values? The challenge we face is clear: We need comprehensive immigration reform. We need enhanced security at our borders, security derived from law but humane in its execution. We need a fair path to citizenship, a path to invitation rather than intimidation. Our welcome must be real and not grudging. Reform must include family reunification and a commitment to obey the law. The principles invoked by Rabbi Saperstein are lofty; both the reality of the immigrant experience in America and the social and legal issues involved are complex. In the weeks ahead, KAMII will be exploring the subject of immigration from a number of perspectives so that we can understand the realities and challenges of the pressing social justice issue more deeply. We invite you to join us in this exploration. Kol Sasson v Kol Simchah Shabbat! Friday, January 19 Nosh at 5:45 p.m. Joyful Musical Shabbat at 6:30 p.m. Folk, Hasidic, and Contemporary Jewish Music with Dennis Gordon, mandolin and piano Don Jacobs, clarinet Rabbi David Sandmel, guitar Lauri Valentin, percussion Childcare provided at no charge. 2 KAMII

3 Notes from the Cantor Rejoice Oh Judah And in songs divine With Cherubim and Seraphim harmonious join. from Part III, Judas Maccabaeus oratorio by G.F. Handel; Libretto by Sir Thomas Morell And rejoice we did at our ninth annual Judas Maccabaeus Open-Sing! It was a great afternoon of divine singing accompanied by the terrific Hyde Park Neighborhood Chamber Orchestra (organized by the equally terrific Paula Golden!). Thank you, thank you to maestro Jonathan Miller, a KAMII alum and the founder and artistic director of Chicago A Cappella, and to our many musical participants and our hardworking volunteers: Paula Golden, Sam Golden, Shari Granat, Chuck Granat, Lawrence Klevan, Emily Lifton, Barbara Moss, Joan Pomaranc, Joy Rosner, and Ana Solodkin. I especially want to acknowledge our dedicated Judas Maccabaeus Committee Chair, Barbara Schnitzer, and Abbey Allison, administrative assistant par excellence! Truly it is an uplifting experience to make good music together. For participants and listeners alike, it creates a sense of community and celebration. A Final Note My thanks and appreciation to Joan Levin for her donation of two wonderful resources for the small (but growing!) music library which is housed in the Ascher library here at KAMII. These gifts, The Cantillation of the Bible by Solomon Rosowsky, Reconstructionist Press, N.Y.C (this was Joan s father s book), and the music anthology, Yes, We Sang! Songs of the Ghetto and Concentration Camps, will be an excellent addition to the synagogue s collection of Jewish music books, anthologies, and recordings. I also want to thank Norma Raven for her recent contribution of her collection of some wonderful Jewish music anthologies which will be available to all. Now what we need is a skilled volunteer or two (maybe a librarian, archivist, or computer wiz?) to assist with the cataloguing of our Max Janowski Music Archive which was carefully compiled a few years ago by Yaffa Draznin. It is the responsibility of the KAMII congregational community to ensure the preservation of each copy of this music; transcripts and published works now out of print, and ephemera/memorabilia. This is a part of your history and the cultural heritage of the congregation. Please let me know if you can assist with this fledgling yet important project. Thank you. L Shalom, Maestro Jonathan Miller Barbara Schnitzer and Jonathan Norton Chazzan Julius Solomon lights the Chanukiah Join us Shabbat eve, February 9, at 8:00 p.m., as we celebrate Shabbat Shirah with The Ravenswood Consort performing Psalms-in-Song. JANUARY

4 Religious School PORTRAIT OF A TEACHER David Muschler David Muschler (frequently known at KAMII as Mr. Ann Becker); born in Aurora, Illinois; raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran and a Cub fan (not necessarily in that order); graduated from DePauw University with a B.A. in Sociology; attended Northwestern University Law School, drafted after first semester into US Army; Basic Combat Infantryman, 101st Airborne Division, Thua Thien Province, Viet Nam; graduated Northwestern University Law School with J.D.; worked for DHUD, Chicago Title and small law firm; currently self-employed with even smaller law firm (own); married to aforementioned Ann L. Becker (seldom referred to as Mrs. David Muschler because I was the lucky one); with two sons, all Cub fans but no Lutherans. Taught the New Testament to two wonderful Kadima classes; do it because I love the students even though they generally have no interest in the New Testament (or the Old Testament or anything else religious for that matter); emphasize the similarities rather than differences in religions (after all, JC was a Jew and so were most of the rest of the folks in the New Testament); don t have a favorite Jewish word because I don t know Hebrew (remember, I was raised a Lutheran fell away long ago); get most of my religion at any ballpark; try to spend as little time as possible with other lawyers (except those who are good friends); love to read, jog, go on hiking vacations with Ann, listen to classical music, play catch and laugh; love my family, love my friends, and love the Cubs. THE YOUTH GROUP THANKS YOU The annual KAMII Youth Group Spaghetti Dinner and Dessert Auction was a huge success! With your support, we raised over $3,000 for the Youth Group s general operating fund, and above all, had a great time. More than 15 students collaborated to turn Vick Hall into a Little Italy, prepare and serve dinner, and auction off the amazing collection of tasty desserts. Following the event, they also enjoyed a lock-in at the synagogue. We would like to offer a big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed by purchasing a ticket, and making or buying desserts in the dessert auction! We sincerely appreciate your generous support! With the Spaghetti Dinner behind us, the Youth Group looks forward to more exciting events in the spring, including a retreat to OSRUI. Please continue to watch for updated information, and feel free to contact us at kamiiyouthgroup@gmail.com with any questions and/or ideas. Thank you again! Joshua and Jaclyn Simonds KAMII Youth Group Advisors 4 KAMII

5 Nursery School Nursery School News The Nursery School has had a wonderful time celebrating the winter holidays. The children loved learning about Chanukah. We have a wonderful selection of stories which everyone has enjoyed. The children all made clay menorahs which they painted and decorated with glitter. Each child was able to bring their gift home and celebrate the holiday with their family. Of course we could not celebrate Chanukah without potato latkes. In fact, we used 10 pounds of potatoes! The children liked seeing who could eat the most. All of the families were invited to join their children on the last day of school before winter break for a Chanukah party. Rabbi Sandmel and Cantor Bard led a lovely service and everyone was able to participate. We ate doughnut holes and Chanukah gelt, and everyone got a dreidle to play with. For many of our families this was their first Chanukah celebration and fun was had by all! This is the first year that the Nursery School parents have had their own social event, sans children. We had a lovely, relaxing evening and we were all able to get to know one another better. Fortunately, two members of the Nursery School committee, Gloria Needlman and Reeva Shulruff, were able to join us. The parents had various topics to discuss; the most important was, where do we go from here? Finding a good elementary school is a challenge. We also talked about how we celebrate holidays and the diversity within each family, as well as how to get your child from visiting you in bed in the middle of the night. We will be having an Open House on January 24 for the fall Nursery School classes. We encourage you to visit. Several of our parents will be giving tours during the morning. Please call to make a reservation. We are also now taking registrations for our winter Parent/Toddler classes. Fran Gordon Nursery School Director Are you looking for a preschool? Come and learn about our neighborhood schools at the EARLY CHILDHOOD INFORMATION FAIR Thursday, January 18 7:00-8:30 p.m. at KAMII The Nursery School presents A Concert of Music and Play with Susan Salidor Sunday, January 14 2:00-3:00 p.m. Tickets are $9 in advance, $10 at the door. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Nursery School Scholarship Fund Sponsored by the Hyde Park Early Childhood Directors Group JANUARY

6 Happenings KEEP IN STEP WITH KAMII AND SEE THE CAPITOL STEPS! Sunday, January 21, at 7:00 p.m. Centre East 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie KAM Isaiah Israel and nine other synagogues have bought out the house for this always-hilarious ( We put the mock in democracy ) satirical performance. We only have 50 tickets available at $50 each, so reserve your ticket today. We will make arrangements for a Dutch-treat dinner in Skokie at 5:15 p.m. if you would like to join us. And if you would like to carpool with someone from your neighborhood, we will try to facilitate that. The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom ( Don't quit your day job! ), and although not all of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience. Since they began, the Capitol Steps have recorded 26 albums, including their latest, I'm So Indicted. They've been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and can be heard 4 times a year on National Public Radio stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio specials. We hope you can join us for this fun evening. KAMII WINTER BOWLING PARTY Bowling and buffet lunch for bowlers (and non-bowlers) of all ages. Sunday, January 28 12:30-4:00 p.m. at Seven Ten Lanes 1055 East 55th Street Join us for a great afternoon! Adults & Youth 13 and up: $15 Kids 5-12: $8, Under 5: Free. (Shoe rental $2 additional per person) RSVP: or abbey@kamii.org. ARE YOU STUDYING, ARNOLD JACOB? We hear that Rabbi Wolf is studying hard for his Bar Mitzvah, practicing his parashah (Torah portion), writing and re-writing his d var Torah. Have you saved the date? You don t want to miss it and disappoint the Bar Mitzvah boy and his family! Don t forget, we will be celebrating (in fun of, and in great fun with) Rabbi Wolf on Saturday, March 31, at the KAMII Spring Fundraiser. This joyous event is in the midst of the Weinstein Scholar-in-Residence weekend in which Rabbi Wolf will discuss YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW, examining Judaism and the rabbinate. Save the weekend of March 30 to April 1. SPECIAL JANUARY BIRTHDAYS Stephen Hanauer, January 1; Penny Pollack, January 3; Joshua Rest, January 4; Larry Joseph, January 5; Bonnie Koenig, January 6; Sandra Jacobsohn, January 7; Charlie Firke, January 8; Lauren Newman, January 8; Ralph Austen, January 9; Aaron Ginsberg, January 9; Joe Marlin, January 15; Bernice Johnson, January 25; Margie Smigel, January 30. SPECIAL JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES Barbara and Jim Herst, 15 years, January 12; Jean and John Comaroff, 40 years, January 15; Kathryn Duys and Yuval Taylor, 10 years, January 15. SPECIAL FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS Stacie Dennis, February 6; Nancy Burke, February 13; Marcia Lipetz, February 13; Inna Papirov, February 13; Louise Schiff, February 13; Rita Sussman, February 17; Norman Katz, February 21; Martha McClintock, February 22; Gloria Yufit, February 24; Carol Warshawsky, February 27; Peter Ascoli, February 28; Jeffrey Kanne, February 28. SPECIAL FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARY Peg Olin and Robert Nelson, 25 years, February KAMII

7 KAM Isaiah Israel Sunday January 2007 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday N.S. Resumes 9 am Religious School/B yachad / Adult Education 9:30 am Development Committee 10 am 14 Religious School/B yachad / Adult Education 9:30 am Nursery School Fundraiser 2 pm Hyde Park Lunch & Learn Noon HP-Kenwood Interfaith Council 5:15 pm No Yiddish Class Weinstein Yiddish Class 7:30 pm Religious School/B yachad / Adult Education 9:30 am 28 Lecture: Reproductive Choice10:30 am Capitol Steps at Centre East 7 pm Religious School/B yachad / Adult Education 9:30 am Lecture 10:30 am Bowling Party 12:30 pm Synagogue Closed No Yiddish Class Board of Directors Meeting 7:30 pm Synagogue Closed for Martin Luther King Holiday Book Club 7:30 pm School Committee 7:30 pm Yiddish Class 7:30 pm Yiddish Class 7:30 pm R.S. Resumes 4 pm Kids Choir Resumes 5:30 pm Introduction to Judaism 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Spring Fundraiser Committee 7:30 pm Issues in Jewish Theology 7:30 pm Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judaism 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Issues in Jewish Theology 7:30 pm Committee 8 am Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judaism 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Issues in Jewish Theology 7:30 pm Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judaism 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Issues in Jewish Theology 7:30 pm Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judaism 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Learning to Read Basic Liturgical Hebrew 7 pm Religious Practices Committee 7:45 pm Congregational Choir Rehearsal 8 pm Learning to Read Basic Liturgical Hebrew 7 pm Congregational Choir Rehearsal 8 pm Learning to Read Basic Liturgical Hebrew 7 pm Early Childhood Information Fair 7 pm No Nursery School Learning to Read Basic Liturgical Hebrew 7 pm Nosh 5:45 pm Family Shabbat Service 6:30 pm KinderShabbat Service 6:30 pm Potluck Shabbat Dinner Shabbat Dinner 6:30 pm Martin Luther King Shabbat Service 8 pm Nosh 5:45 pm Kol Sasson v Kol Simchah Shabbat Service 6:30 pm No Nursery School Congregational Dinner 6:30 pm Shabbat Service Perelmuter Award 8 pm KAM Isaiah Israel Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service 10:30 am Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service Max Smith s Bar Mitzvah 10:30 am Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service 10:30 am Kidush Lunch Noon Havdalah Hoedown at Rodfei Zedek 5:30 pm Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service Asa Gelber s Bar Mitzvah 10:30 am Please confirm dates and times with the office, as schedules may change.

8 Looking Ahead... Sunday February 2007 KAM Isaiah Israel Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Nosh 5:45 pm Family Shabbat Service Please confirm dates and times with the office, as schedules may change. 6:30 pm Torah Study 9:30 am Religious School/B yachad / Adult Education 9:30 am Lecture: Jewish Artists 10:30 am Yiddish Class 7:30 pm Religious Practices Committee 7:45 pm Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judiasm 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal KinderShabbat 6:30 pm Potluck Shabbat Dinner Shabbat Service 8 pm Shabbat Service 10:30 am Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service 10:30 am Kidush Lunch Noon 11 Religious School/B yachad / Adult Education 9:30 am Lecture: Emma Lazarus 10:30 am Board of Directors 7:30 pm Hyde Park Lunch & Learn Noon HP-Kenwood Interfaith Council 5:15 pm Yiddish Class 7:30 pm Perelmuter Committee 7:30 pm Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judiasm 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Nosh 5:45 pm Kol Sasson v Kol Simchah Shabbat Service 6:30 pm Ethnic Shabbat Dinner 7:30 pm th Grade Retreat Religious School 4 pm Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service 10:30 am 6 th Grade Retreat Religious School/ B yachad/adult Education 9:30 am Lecture: 10:30 am No Nursery School Book Club 7:30 pm Yiddish Class 7:30 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judiasm 7 pm Klezmer Band Rehearsal Shabbat Service 8 pm Torah Study 9:30 am Shabbat Service 10:30 am 25 6 th Grade Retreat Religious School/ B yachad/adult Education 9:30 am Lecture: Adult Play 10:30 am Yiddish Class 7:30 pm Religious School 4 pm Kids Choir 5:30 pm Introduction to Judiasm 7 pm No Kadima Klezmer Band Rehearsal

9 Thanks to your generous contributions, a fourth round of grants were made by the Tsedakah Committee on December 7. We greatly appreciate all who submitted grant applications for our review. It was not an easy task to select only six small but meaningful contributions on behalf of the congregation. $150 to Midwest Workers Association (Englewood and Southwest Side) to support a clothing donation program for which clothing racks and tables are needed; and to assist buying items to provide complete holiday meals for clients. $250 to Congregation Bene Shalom (Skokie) in honor of the presentation of the Rabbi Hayim Goren Perelmuter Award to Rabbi Douglas Goldhammer, rabbi of Bene Shalom on January 26, Bene Shalom is the first, and to date only, full-service synagogue for the deaf Jewish community in the US. Members of KAMII and Bene Shalom will share a Shabbat dinner and service that evening. This grant will complement that award. $400 to Project HEALTH which works to break the link between poverty and poor health by mobilizing college students to provide sustained public health interventions in partnership with urban medical centers, universities, and community organizations. A local pilot program began in October at Friend Family Health Center, a federally qualified health center affiliated with University of Chicago. THE TSEDAKAH BOX Tsedakah $400 to National Alliance of the Mentally Ill of Greater Chicago for NAMI's twelve-week Family to Family Education Program, taught by trained family members who give participants information and skills needed to cope with a loved one's illness, as well as the chance to interact with other families facing similar issues in the academic atmosphere of a class rather than in a therapy group. The class is given four times a year to twenty family members per class at a cost of $25 per person for materials. $500 to Hyde Park-Kenwood Hunger Programs (through Hyde Park Union Church) to support a food pantry that provides groceries for 500 people a month and six meals a week for 200 people. $500 to Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism for social service projects stemming from the war and its aftermath such as mental health support groups; preschools at Progressive congregations; support and counseling in Russian and Spanish for new immigrants; enhanced training for rabbis to strengthen their counseling skills. With your continued contributions, we will be able to make another round of grants in the spring. Drop something in the box next time you are at KAMII. Tsedakah Committee Nina Helstein, chair; Mickey Eder, Lenore Mass, Joan Pomaranc, Nikki Stein, Amy Wishnick RABBI HAYIM GOREN PERELMUTER MEMORIAL AWARD This year s Rabbi Hayim Goren Perlemuter Memorial Award will be presented to Rabbi Douglas Goldhamer, founder of the first congregation for the deaf, Bene Shalom, and the Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf. In the formative years of his preparation for the Reform rabbinate, Douglas Goldhamer exposed and remedied the injustice of Talmudic legal opinions of the past regarding the civil and religious rights of the deaf. His prominent career since then places him in the tradition of the great Jewish leaders in the human rights movement who advocate equality in status for all people, without qualification, in communal religious life. In establishing a congregation serving the deaf, he has created a model for all Jewish communities to emulate. At Congregation Bene Shalom, religious services and education from prekindergarten thru confirmation to adult studies are taught both in voice and sign language. There, the full richness of Judaism is provided to all people in a welcoming and equal community. From its very modest beginning of 20 families and $125 in the bank, Bene Shalom was founded, meeting in basement rooms of a synagogue. It expanded greatly in membership, attracting both deaf and hearing people, and in 1975 moved into its own building. There, the full richness of Judaism is provided to all people in a welcoming, intimate, and spiritual atmosphere. Rabbi Goldhamer s commitment extended beyond Chicago and his congregation when he boldly founded the Hebrew Seminary for the Deaf. There, students are trained specifically to provide rabbis to deaf communities for whom Jewish education and services using sign language is virtually non-existent. Rabbi Perlemuter, an ardent supporter of Rabbi Goldhamer s work, taught at the Seminary, often spoke of the eagerness and zeal with which students voiced and signed their way through Hebrew texts in preparation for their ordination. KAMII is privileged to present the Rabbi Hayim Goren Perlemuter Memorial Award to Rabbi Goldhamer and proud to identify with the moral power of his mission on behalf of the Jewish people. Please join us in welcoming and honoring Rabbi Goldhamer and Bene Shalom on Friday, January 26 when they will join KAMII for a special and unique Shabbat dinner and worship service with participants and choirs from both congregations, that will be voiced and signed. JANUARY

10 In the Community By Grace Wolf Celebrate the Craft of Writing at OSRUI The Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, is sponsoring Sofer: Jewish Writers Workshop the weekend of March Authors Jennifer Gilmore, Adam Langer, and Alan Shapiro, along with writing teacher Neil Rigler, will conduct the program. Workshops will focus on style, revision, creativity, interpretation, and public presentation. Participants will bring samples of their work and will respond to each others writing. The program costs $325, $250 for full-time teachers and full-time students. Fees cover accommodations, all meals from Thursday dinner through Sunday breakfast, and all programming. Additional information is available from Barbara Gordon at or JCC Starts Winter Season The Hyde Park JCC starts its winter season this month. Some classes begin the week of January 2; others begin the week of January 8, call for information about the adult or child activities you are interested in. The JCC presents Got Shabbat?, a program for families with children aged 3-8 years old on Saturday, February 10, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. This free program features games, craft projects, food, havdalah service, and storytelling by Dot Kane. To register or to obtain more information, call Michael Goldstein at Div School Examines Jewish Women in Modernity The Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School invites community members to attend the conference Modernity s Other: Studies on Jewish Women, to be held February at Swift Hall, 1025 E. 58th Street. The conference will consider two topics: the historical changes and continuities in the lives of Jewish women with the onset of modernity, and theoretical questions about the status of Jewish women in modernity. Conference participants include Daniel Boyarin, Barbara Hahn, Paula Hyman, and Shulamit Magnus. For information, contact Sarah Imhoff and Larisa Reznik at modernityandjewishwomen@uchicago.edu. Getting Married? A Workshop for You Jewish Child and Family Services presents The Chicago Chuppah Project Workshop for Jewish Engaged and Newly Married Couples on Sunday, January 21, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at 5150 Golf Road, Skokie. Social workers, family life educators, and a rabbi will help participants clarify their expectations of marriage and learn healthy communication. The fee of $90 includes lunch and can be adjusted. For information and registration, contact Sheri Fox at , or Rosalie Greenberger at Isabel Vincent, author of Bodies and Souls, will discuss White Slaves: The Trafficking of Jewish Women on Wednesday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m. at the Women s Club of Evanston, 1702 Chicago Avenue, Evanston. On Tuesday, February 6, at 7:00 p.m., singer-songwriter Peter Himmelman will present an evening of stories and songs about family, music, and Jewish life. This performance will take place at the Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace Street, Chicago. Tickets to Nextbook events cost $8 each, $6 for students and those under 25. Purchase tickets at or at Spertus Celebrates Freud and More Spertus professor Elliot Lefkovitz will lead a discussion of The Nazi Conscience by Claudia Koonz on Tuesday, January 9, at noon. This book challenges conventional assumptions about Hitler, finding the source of his charisma not in his summons to hate but in his appeal to the virtue of his people. The charge is $18, $15 for Spertus members, and includes a kosher lunch. Advance reservations are required by January 5. Freud scholar Jay Geller explores an intriguing footnote in which Freud proposes an unconscious source of anti-semitism in a 1909 case on Sunday, January 14, at 2:00 p.m. The charge for Freud s Meshuggeneh Footnote: A Clipping from Little Hans s Nursery is $12, $10 for Spertus members, $8 for students. Geller also will speak on Monday, January 15, at noon on Not Is Psychoanalysis a Jewish Science? But Is It a Jewish Joke? The charge will be $18, $15 for Spertus members, and includes a kosher lunch. The Spertus commemoration of Freud s 150 th birthday continues with Impossible Neighbors: Reflections on Freud and Judaism on Sunday, January 21, at 2:00 p.m. Author Eric Santner will discuss the tension between Freud s writings about religious belief and practice, and his identification with his Jewish heritage. The charge is $12, $10 for Spertus members, $8 for students. For reservations for the above programs, call , or rsvp@spertus.edu. Spertus will sponsor a free family event on Saturday, February 3, at 6:01 p.m. [sic] and continuing into the night. This Melava Malka is an old Jewish custom of holding a celebration on Saturday night as a way to hold on to the Sabbath a bit longer and bring its spirit into the week. The all-ages party will include food, games, movies, and a spectacular performance by Chicago Chamber Musicians ensemble-in-residence Quintet Attacca. For more information or to reserve your spot, call Anne Bustamante at or abustamante@spertus.edu. Upcoming Nextbook Programs 10 KAMII

11 In the Family Israel Beckons Our Kids An unusual number of congregation members children are spending this winter and spring in Israel on various programs. Three of our high school students will participate in the Eisendrath International Exchange, a program of the Reform movement. Sara Sandmel, daughter of Janet Raffel and Rabbi David Sandmel; Joan Smith, daughter of Leora Baumgarten and Chuck Smith; and Rob Webber, son of Chris Jacobs and Hank Webber, will be living on Kibbutz Tzuba near Jerusalem while they continue their high school studies from the end of January until June. Through the Jewish Agency s Israel-Internship program, Sarah Arkin will be interning for the Israel Sun, a press photo agency that provides photographs to major Israeli newspapers and corporations. Sarah will be taking pictures in and around Tel- Aviv as well as pursuing longer documentary projects involving people and places affected by the Arab-Israeli conflict. She is the daughter of Barbara Cronin and Henry Arkin. Brian Gill, who graduated last July from the University of Colorado, is going on the Shorashim program of Chicago Community Taglit-Birthright Israel. Brian is the son of Rosemary and Larry Gill. Juli Granat will be working with children in Ramleh under the auspices of the Israel Service Corps. Juli is the daughter of Shari and Chuck Granat. Seth Sanders, son of Jacqui Sanders, has a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship at the Albright Institute in East Jerusalem. He is doing research into Iron Age Judaean inscriptions. (We d love to add to this already impressive list. If any readers know of congregation offspring who are currently working or studying in Israel or if you have other items for this column please send the information to me c/o the synagogue office or me directly at wolf0047@earthlink.net.) Ab Mikva Tackles Voting Glitches Abner Mikva has devoted many of his 80 years to public service, including terms in the U.S. Congress representing first Hyde Park and then the northern suburbs of Chicago and also a stint on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Following problems with transmitting voting results from precincts to voting headquarters downtown in last November's election, Cook County Clerk David Orr asked Ab to chair a panel that will investigate the problems and recommend corrections to the system before the next election this February. According to the December 6, 2006, Hyde Park Herald, the other five members of the panel are technology experts from local universities, including the University of Chicago. We Congratulate Honorees The U of C Pritzker School of Medicine chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha, the honor society for medical students, has chosen Dr. Sarah-Anne Schumann as recipient of its Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award. Sarah-Anne had served as a preceptor to several Pritzker students when she was working at Chicago Family Health Center, a community health center in South Chicago. The American Association for the Advancement of Science By Grace Wolf has elected Steven Sibener as a 2006 fellow. Steven is a professor of chemistry at the U of C and Director of the James Franck Institute. According to the December 7, 2006, U of C Chronicle, he was cited for the elucidation of fundamental properties of surfaces and ultra-thin films via the application of atomic and molecular beam experiments and atomic-scale imaging. Briefly Noted Cydney Fields, who has been principal of Ray Elementary School for the past 17 years, plans to retire at the end of this school year in June, according to the November 29, 2006, Hyde Park Herald. The article quotes Cydney as saying What impressed me most when I started was the level of parent and community involvement. Gail Golden, daughter-in-law of Paula and Sam Golden, has written a d var Torah included in Leaves from the Garden, a collection of Torah commentaries written and published by members of the Egalitarian Minyan of Rogers Park. Copies of the book may be ordered from lulu.com or amazon.com with proceeds going to tsedakah, including the support of the Jewish community in Kineshma, Russia. The November 30, 2006, Chicago Tribune reports that Scott Hodes is a board member of the Chicago Art Project, which plans to mount temporary exhibitions of Chicago artists work around the city. Eventually the group hopes to create a museum devoted to the works of artists who are based in Chicago. U of C psychology professors Susan Levine and Susan Goldin-Meadow will join colleagues from other institutions to pursue research at the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center at Temple University, which is being funded by the National Science Foundation. According to the November 16, 2006, U of C Chronicle, The overarching goal of the center is to understand spatial learning and to use that knowledge to develop programs and technologies that will transform educational practice and support the capability of children and adolescents to develop the skills required to compete in a global economy. If you were listening to Morning Edition on WBEZ on November 13, you might have heard Amy Osler, executive director of the Chicago Network, talking about that organization's ninth census report. The Network, which counts many KAMII members among its members, is committed to the success and advancement of women. On December 2, 2006, Jerry Winer joined U of C Shakespeare scholar David Bevington in discussing Freud and Shakespeare: Psychoanalysis as an Interpretive Tool at a conference about Freud sponsored by the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. Jerry is the former director of the Institute and professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf delivered the invocation on December 5 at the installation of commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. He was invited by our former member Debra Shore, an active environmentalist who is one of the newly-elected commissioners. JANUARY

12 Tributes Arnold Jacob Wolf Adult Education Fund In honor of Ruth Messinger s D var Torah Lucy and Peter Ascoli In honor of Fay Wruble s Bat Mitzvah Barbara and Tom Schnitzer ARZA Contribution Queta and Ron Bauer Kay Berkson and Sidney Hollander Madlaine Fox Nancy Fritz Michael Gelber Barbara Green Debra Hammond Scott Hunter Margaret and Marty Johnson Helen Kim and Ron Cohen Bernard Levy Zoe and Abner Mikva Marlene and Harold Richman Joy and Jonathan Rosner Marcy and Dan Schlessinger Corinne Siegel-Gerson Joan Silvern Gladys Wolff Blanche and Philip Brail Social Action Fund In honor of Matthew Pepol Lynne Foreman In memory of William C. King Marilyn Hunter Cantor s Discretionary Fund In honor of her sister, Cantor Bard In memory of Jack Bard Adrienne Palazuelos-Bard In celebration of the wedding of her daughter, Margaret Simon Barbara Silverman and family In appreciation of the beautiful High Holy Day music Anita Bard In honor of Rona Brown s special birthday Marlene and Harold Richman In honor of Cantor Bard Sheila and Mel Shochet In appreciation of the support given to Matthew Hanessian Barbara and Bernard Greenberg General Contribution Katrina Fund Lucy and Peter Ascoli Ann and Calvert Audrain Mitzi Baum and Marcus Fruchter 12 KAMII We thank all contributors for their generosity and support of our synagogue family. (contributions received August 11 December 17 are listed) Rona and Ralph Brown Fran and Bob Grossman Ruth and Donald Levine Mark Mandle Sarah-Anne and John Schumann Nikki and Fred Stein Grace and Arnold Jacob Wolf In honor of Barbara Wagner s birthday Sandra Jacobsohn In honor of Deloris and Harold Sanders 50 th anniversary In memory of Beverly Gelman Lucy and Peter Ascoli In honor of Joan and Gary Laser Bruce Fleisher In honor of the births of Cassie Gabrielle Applebaum, Bayla Appleby, Gideon Heltzer, Noah Jeffrey Merkur, Joshua Harrison Uster Mitchell Glickman In memory of Janet Cohen In memory of Philip Epstein Rita Lucas In memory of Emil Messinger Susan Messinger In honor of Deloris and Harold Sanders 50 th anniversary Barbara and Jonathan Moss In honor of Bud Lifton Esther S. Saks In honor of Bud Lifton s special birthday In honor of Marian and Leon Despres 75 th anniversary In honor of Frances and Joel Zemans 40 th anniversary In memory of Dan Weil Fred and Nikki Stein Gretel and Max Janowski Fund In memory of Paula Selinsky Diane Silverman Harold A. Rosenstein Temple Fund In memory of loved ones Roberta and Howard Siegel Harvey Shapiro Scholarship Fund In honor of Barbara Shapiro s special birthday Jerry and Jim Rosenthal Jacob J. Weinstein Fund In memory of Isadore Wolch Ann Becker and David Muschler Marlene and Harold Richman Memorial Yahrzeits In memory of Milton Braun Thelma Braun In memory of Marion Carter Shirley Carter In memory of Harry Fisher Shirley Fisher In memory of Miriam Green Debbie Green and Richard Lipman In memory of Reuben Josephs Fern Josephs In memory of Sade K. Levine Ruth Levine In memory of Eve Levine In memory of Martin Hayman In memory of Gretel Hayman Sue and Jerry Levine In memory of Robert Lieberman Sandy Lieberman In memory of Beatrice Newman William Newman In memory of Henchy Hoyt Penny and Steve Pollack Music Enhancement Fund In honor of the birth of Lenore and Dan Mass s granddaughter, Maya Abigail Faier Ann Becker and David Muschler Freda and Sidney Davidson In honor of their 2 nd anniversary Diane Lukoff and Neal Scherberg In honor of the Judas Maccabaeus Open-Sing Grace and Bud Newman Rabbi s Discretionary Fund In memory of Hanan Kamal Anne Becker and David Muschler In honor of Irene Sherr and Leigh Breslau Madelyn and Jeffrey Greenberger In honor of Marlene and Fabian Necheles 45 th anniversary In honor of Marian and Leon Despres 75 th anniversary Hank Schwab In honor of Rabbi Sandmel Poogy Tails, Ltd. Stolz-Levi Walter Jacobs Memorial Library Fund In memory of Annabel DeKoven Michael Gelber In memory of Isadore Wolch Corinne Siegel-Gerson Youth Activities Fund In honor of Shari Granat s special birthday In honor of the Youth Group Ann Becker and David Muschler

13 We, Too, Were Once Strangers in a Strange Land Jewish Learning Explore the Complex Issues of Immigration This winter, KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation will host a series of events that will critically examine America s immigration policies. This is particularly pertinent to Jews, a wandering people, who have immigrated and emigrated more than most. What does it mean to care for the strangers in our midst? Do we have special religious obligations? How have Jews participated in this debate in the past? What stance should we take on current controversies? SHABBAT SERVICE IN HONOR OF MARTIN LUTHER KING Friday, January 12, at 8:00 p.m. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil Rights of Immigration The Congregational Choir will sing. Shabbat Dinner at 6:30 p.m. ($12 per person) ONE BOOK, ONE CONGREGATION Emma Lazarus By Esther Schor We invite all members of the congregation to read this pioneering biography of the iconoclastic nineteenth-century poet and activist whose verse gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty, but whose extraordinary life has remained a mystery until now. Purchase the book from us for $15. Read it. Discuss the issues raised in the book assimilation, the power of the pen, Zionism at one of three discussion groups: Friday, January 19: Discuss the book over dinner at a member s Hyde Park home, following our early Shabbat Service. Saturday, February 10: Discuss the book over dinner at a member s North Side home. Sunday, March 11: Discuss the book over brunch at KAMII. Meet the author, Esther Schor Sunday, February 11, at 10:30 a.m. ESTHER SCHOR, a poet and professor of English at Princeton University, is the author of The Hills of Holland: Poems and Bearing the Dead: The British Culture of Mourning from the Enlightenment to Victoria. She is also the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Mary Shelley. Her essays and reviews have appeared in The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, and the Forward. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey. CONTROVERSIES IN IMMIGRATION POLICY IN THE U.S. Susan Gzesh, Director of Human Rights Program, University of Chicago Sunday, March 4, at 10:30 a.m. JANUARY

14 Jewish Learning NEW MINI-CLASS! HYDE PARK LUNCH & LEARN ISSUES IN JEWISH THEOLOGY: GOD TORAH SUFFERING PLURALISM COMMANDMENT REVELATION SCIENCE PRAYER Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf Wednesdays, January 3, 10, 17, 24 7:30 p.m. Bring your lunch, we ll supply dessert, coffee, and conversation. Tuesday, January 9, noon to 1:30 p.m. Rabbi David Sandmel Is the New Testament Anti-Semitic? Tuesday, February 13, noon to 1:30 p.m. Ted Cohen Jews and Humor ALEINU BAKTANAH News from the Israel and World Jewry Committee New Jewish Soul Music? There is no doubt the essential role that music plays in Jewish tradition. Every holiday, every religious ceremony, every event in our Jewish life is constantly accompanied by music. In fact, the Zohar states that When the living start singing, the supernal ones gain added strength to know, to recognize and to grasp what they could not grasp before. Based on this concept, it is not surprising that Chasidim, who are interested in kabbalah, attribute tremendous power to music and song. But are you aware of the new Chasidic approach to music? Have you heard of Matisyahu, Ta-shma, Jew Da Maccabee, Underground Kabbalah Project, the Lost Vibes, or Yehuda Glantz? Amazingly enough, they all are new groups that are taking traditional Chasidic songs and infusing them with reggae, hiphop, Latin tones, and yes, rap. For fun, click to hear Yehuda Glantz with a Latin rendition of Adon Olam, a great example of this new Jewish soul music. Independently of the taste one may or may not have for these musical styles, the concept is quite provocative: Will this new style of music increase spirituality, Judaism, and simchah? What do you think? SAVE THE DATE Friday, February 16, following Kol Sasson v Kol Simchah Shabbat Service at 6:30 p.m. Ethnic dinner showcasing food of the Jewish community in the diaspora...more details to come. Wednesday, March 14, noon to 1:30 p.m. Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf On Abraham Joshua Heschel Tuesday, April 10, noon to 1:30 p.m. Lenore Mass If My Grandfather Had Turned Left Jews of Argentina and Brazil JEWISH ARTISTS/JEWISH ART Sunday, February 4, at 10:30 a.m. What does it mean to be Jewish and an artist working today? And what is Jewish art anyway or does it even exist outside a religious context? Bring your questions and comments, and join us for a special Sunday morning lecture event as our panel explores these questions and more from their diverse perspectives in the art world. A panel discussion with: Granite Amit, Israeli-born interdisciplinary artist now working in Chicago; Neil Goodman, Sculptor and Professor of Fine Arts, Indiana University Northwest; Margaret Olin, Professor, Department of Art History, Theory and Criticism, and Program in Visual and Critical Studies, School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Andrew Patner (moderator), Critic-at-Large for 98.7 WFMT Radio and wfmt.com and Contributing Critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. 14 KAMII

15 Jewish Learning SUNDAY MORNING LECTURES All lectures begin at 10:30 a.m. preceded by a little nosh. January 21 February 4 February 11 February 18 March 4 THE FUTURE OF REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE Lorie Chaiten, J.D., ACLU JEWISH ARTISTS/JEWISH ART A panel discussion with Granite Amit, Neil Goodman, and Margaret Olin; Andrew Patner (moderator) EMMA LAZARUS Esther Schor, Poet and Professor of English, Princeton University RELEARNING HOW TO PLAY AS AN ADULT Briene Costa, Therapeutic Recreation Therapist, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago CONTROVERSIES IN IMMIGRATION POLICY IN THE U.S. Susan Gzesh, Director, Human Rights Program, University of Chicago THE BOOK CLUB JOIN US FOR LIVELY DISCUSSIONS EVERYONE IS WELCOME! The Book Club has started its eighth year of meeting monthly in the library to discuss books of Jewish interest! We're a varied group young, old and middle-aged; men and women. We read fiction and non-fiction, new books and classics. If you like to read books and talk about them, come join us. If you try us, we think you ll like us! December: The Book Club will not meet this month, but we will be reading and discussing many interesting books over the next few months. Monday, January 22, at 7:30 p.m. Allegra Goodman, Intuition Daila Shefner In another quiet but powerful novel from Goodman, a struggling cancer lab at Boston s Philpott Institute becomes the stage for its researchers personalities and passions, and for the slippery definitions of freedom and responsibility in grant-driven American science.... With subtle but uncanny effectiveness, Goodman illuminates the inner lives of each character, depicting events from one point of view until another section suddenly throws that perspective into doubt. The result is an episodically paced but extremely engaging novel that reflects the stops and starts of the scientific process, as well as its dependence on the complicated individuals who do the work. In the meantime, she draws tender but unflinching portraits of the characters personal lives for a truly humanist novel from the supposedly antiseptic halls of science. (Publishers Weekly) Monday February 19, at 7:30 p.m. Dara Horn, The World to Come Joy Rosner Monday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. Anne Roiphe, Lovingkindness Paula Berger Monday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. Yankev Glatshteyn, Emil and Karl Deloris Sanders Monday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. A.B. Yehoshua, A Woman of Jerusalem Grace Wolf If you have questions about the Book Club, please call Grace Wolf at or her at wolf0047@earthlink.net JANUARY

16 Shabbat Services Shabbat Vayechi: Genesis 47:28 50:26 Friday, January 5 Nosh at 5:45 p.m. Family Shabbat Service at 6:30 p.m. All children will participate in the service. The Kids Choir will sing. We will celebrate the birthdays of all members born in January. KinderShabbat Service at 6:30 p.m. Congregational Potluck Shabbat Dinner at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, January 6, at 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Shemot: Exodus 1:1 6:1 Friday, January 12 Shabbat Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Service Honoring Martin Luther King at 8:00 p.m. Immigration as a Civil Rights Issue. Leora Baumgarten and Chuck Smith will host the Oneg Shabbat in honor of their son, Max. Saturday, January 13, at 10:30 a.m. Max Smith will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Shabbat Vaera: Exodus 6:2 9:35 Friday, January 19 Nosh at 5:45 p.m. Kol Sasson v Kol Simchah Shabbat Service at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, January 20, at 10:30 a.m. Kidush lunch with Rabbi Sandmel at noon. Shabbat Bo: Exodus 10:1 13:16 Friday, January 26 Congregational Shabbat Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Service and Rabbi Hayim Goren Perelmuter Award Presentation at 8:00 p.m. Rabbis David Sandmel and Douglas Goldhamer will lead the service with Cantor Deborah Bard and the Bene Shalom Children s Signing Choir and KAMII Kids Choir. Saturday, January 27, at 10:30 a.m. Asa Gelber will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah. Torah Study at 9:30 a.m. every Shabbat morning. Transportation to Shabbat evening services is always available. Please call the office. Kehilath Anshe Maarav Isaiah Israel Congregation (USPS) ( ) published monthly from August to June, free to the membership, by Kehilath Anshe Maarav Isaiah Israel Congregation, 1100 E. Hyde Park Blvd., Chicago, IL Periodicals Postage paid at Chicago, IL. Postmaster: Please send changes to Kehilath Anshe Maarav Isaiah Israel Congregation, 1100 E. Hyde Park Blvd., Chicago, IL KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, 2006 PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT CHICAGO, IL K.A.M. ISAIAH ISRAEL Congregation Founded in E. Hyde Park Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois Telephone Fax: info@kamii.org Jerry Meites...President David Fox Sandmel, Ph.D... Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf...Rabbi Emeritus Deborah B. Bard... Cantor Liat Shanan... Director of Religious Education Fran Gordon... Nursery School Director Sandy Lieberman... Executive Director Susan Blumberg-Kason...Editor January 2007 Vol. 37, No. 6