FROM THE RABBI S STUDY Rabbi Sidney M. Helbraun. Dear Friends,

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1 3610 Dundee Rd. Northbrook, IL Volume 220 April 2016 Adar II / Nisan 5776 Dear Friends, FROM THE RABBI S STUDY Rabbi Sidney M. Helbraun A young man in our congregation had been working in the restaurant business when he decided to pursue his passion. He went back to school, earned a degree in teaching and has been working in the city, teaching in an underprivileged community, helping children recognize their potential and go to college. He s creating new futures changing lives. His spouse holds down a full time job and is also pursuing his passion, running a theater company, giving people the opportunity to tell their stories and enrich our community by sharing lessons from their lives. Two young men making a difference in the world by strengthening, supporting and building up others. What strikes me most about this couple is how fortunate we are, how fortunate our community is, that they have been able to focus their attention and use their gifts, not to fight for their own rights by struggling for acceptance in society, but to lift others up. Instead of pushing them down, closing doors, and locking them out; instead of creating hurdles and forcing them to expend their energy in a fight for recognition, our society has begun to knock down barriers, allowing individuals to be accepted for who they are, and to share their talents for the betterment of all. You know I can t help but wonder, if these two could not marry, if they were unable to consecrate their lives with loving partners, would they have had the love, support and encouragement they needed to be able to help so many others? How much richer we are, how fortunate is our community, our country, that rather than be worn out in a struggle against prejudice and hate, they have been able to spend their time pursuing their passions and sharing their gifts with the world. Is there a broader lesson in their story? Surely there is. There is no doubt in my mind that a society is strengthened, not when it succumbs to fear, but when it embraces hope; not when it pushes some down, but when it enables us to lift one another up; not when it expends its energy protecting and defending the way things used to be, but when it invests its time in building something better and enriching one another, using our talents to spread hope and create opportunity. Right now it feels as though our country is at a crossroad. Many are afraid that the world has changed and left them behind. Some believe that the answer is found in locking doors and building walls, an idea which only causes fear to spread to new places. We Jews should understand this insecurity, this fear, for we have experienced it countless times. Surely we know that we cannot create a better future by embracing fear, or from pitting ourselves against one another, for fear begets fear, and pain begets pain. Instead, we need to work towards building bridges, to listen to one another, and to find solutions that bring hope, opportunity and blessings not to some, but to us all. In This Issue Message from the President Cantor s Notes & Sisterhood Upcoming Events Adult Opportunities Tikkun Olam Member News Support TBE Acknowledgements Calendar Advertising Service Schedule Back Page

2 2 Message from the President FROM THE PRESIDENT Cindy Schoenstadt Something about each season makes it my favorite and now it is spring. Spring seems to be the shortest, the most unpredictable, and the most exciting. As the shoots of perennials break through the ground, the light changes, the days lengthen, leaves sprout, and the gray of winter is washed away, who could not be enthralled? The renewal of the earth is exciting to witness, and this month provides many opportunities for celebration. A few years ago, Carly, my daughter who lives in DC, told me she was participating in a tikkun olam project as part of Federation s Good Deeds Day. Though she told me this was, in fact, an international event, I learned that Chicago was not yet participating. That, however, is no longer the case! JUF s inaugural Good Deeds Day will take place on Sunday, April 10, and Temple Beth-El is participating in this community wide day of service. TOV will be coordinating a project at the Temple, from 9-9:30 am, for adults and children. Our annual JUF brunch, on behalf of the JUF Annual Campaign, will begin following the project. Please join us on this marvelous day, to prove we can make a difference in our community. And then there is Passover! The briskets, the kugels, the matzah, the wine, the STORY what a beautiful way to make a chapter in our miraculous history come alive! Surrounded by family and friends, reading, eating, singing, remembering this is certainly my favorite holiday. How lucky that the seders fall on weekend nights this year my fantastic family will be gathering here from DC, New York, and the suburbs of Chicago, making this one of our largest gatherings ever. We will be missing Kate, who will be with friends at a seder in South Africa. Next year in Jerusalem my prayer for our Temple family and Jews everywhere. If you are in need of some new Passover recipes, to spice things up, start new traditions, or just want to see what other people serve, join us at Sisterhood s Annual Taste and Tell Women s Seder on April 11. Bring your favorite dish to share; all recipes will be compiled for you, and I can tell you that I have found several wonderful dishes to add to my family s Passover menu. I cannot let this opportunity pass without thanking and applauding the cast, crew: Steve Andrews, Susan Coren, Tom Harris, Jonah Helbraun, Rabbi Helbraun, Holly Israel, Ariel Kaplan, Aimee Kleiman, Steve Lane, Lainie Levin, Gordy Levine, Jerry Lewis, Ethan Miller, Jonah Pomerantz, Jack Rudnick, Cantor Rudnick, Craig Scheidecker, Isaac Stutzman, and the creative genius of Nancy Vizer for an incredible Purim spiel. The Nominating Committee is meeting to prepare next year s slate of Temple Officers and Directors. If you would like to be considered for a position on the Board, or would like to discuss participation on a Temple committee, please let me or Janice Hadesman know. The opportunities to meet other families, to work and celebrate together, are gifts. Our Temple family is just that, and it is an honor to serve. Want to Join the TBE Board? The Nominating Committee will fulfill the mission of nominating our Executive Committee and Board of Directors. If you are interested in becoming part of our Temple Board, or want to recommend someone else, please contact Cindy Schoenstadt cgs412@comcast.net or Janice Hadesman jhadesman@templebeth-el.org. BJE-ECC at Temple Beth-El Cares! JoAnne Barston, Onsite Coordinator On March 6, the children and parents gathered together to pack birthday bags for foster children. The children designed birthday cards to be included with each bag, which also contained a cake mix, frosting, stickers, candles, a pencil, a ball and a donated book. After completing this mitzvah, everyone enjoyed snacks, stories read by BJE teachers. If you know anyone who would like to join our wonderful BJE-ECC family at Temple Beth-El, please have them contact me. JoAnne Barston, on site coordinator joannebarston@gmail.com

3 Cantor s Notes & Sisterhood CANTOR S NOTES Cantor Faryn H. K. Rudnick In February, I had the honor of attending a meeting at the White House. The meeting, Convening on Inclusion of Americans with Disabilities in the Jewish Community was held during Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion Month, one week after the annual advocacy day held in DC. When I first received the inviting me to the meeting, I was shocked and then excited and then I realized that it was only a week away and I was not sure why they were planning it so last minute. After speaking with some of my colleagues and friends in the disability advocacy world, they confirmed that yes, the was legitimate and that the last minute nature of the event was most likely due to the great success of Jewish Disabilities Advocacy Day and the push for our government to do more for people with disabilities. The hour and a half long meeting began with an introduction from a White House staffer who works with outreach and engagement with the Jewish community, then commenced with a panel of speakers that included a Rabbinic student with Autism, a young woman who works for Hillel International, a new legislative assistant at the RAC, and the voice of someone working hard for Jews with developmental disabilities. Each introduced him or herself, and was then given the opportunity to answer a series of questions and prompts, moderated by another White House staffer, who happens to have a disability. The hour and a half went quickly but left quite the impression. 3 One theme that resonated throughout the discussion was: our communities are not whole without the participation of all those who wish to belong. The truth is, no one in our community is expendable or disposable, but when we turn someone away or exclude someone because of a disability, we reject the whole person. The barriers that exist towards welcoming people into the community are often not physical. After the panelists spoke, people were given the opportunity to share stories or ask questions. One man stood up and shared his story. This man is deaf and throughout his lifetime he had been told that community membership would cost him double what it costs any other dues paying member. Six times he was told this. No one in any of those communities had bothered to ask him about his needs; rather they assumed that if they had a deaf congregant they would need to have accommodations at all times, regardless of whether or not he was coming to a service or program. Six times, and not one person asked him about his needs. Naturally, after the event, I pulled him aside and told him if he is ever in Chicago to come visit TBE; we have made providing for those with disabilities a priority, and our sign language interpreter, Carly Fishman, would be happy to help at no cost to him. He was grateful, but I was left feeling that there is still a void, that there is still so much work to be done, barriers to break down, people to welcome in. This April, as we come to our holiday of Passover, when we are reminded over and over to welcome the stranger for we were once strangers in a strange land, let us remember to not make assumptions, but rather to ask the questions, to get to know the other, and to open our doors to all those who wish to enter. Chag Aviv Sameach, happy Passover. SISTERHOOD UPDATE Amy Tuchler, President Many thanks to HELEN MELNICK for being the auctioneer at February s White Elephant event. Thanks as well to WENDY LAKE for being the treasurer and SUE HANOVER and BARB HARRIS for setting up. By the time you are reading this, our first Mishloch Manot project will have been completed. We are planning on making this project an annual tradition, because it strengthens the Temple community and fosters kindness. Three women have worked tirelessly to make this a success: SUE HANOVER, LESLIE SCHLESINGER and SHANNON MILLER. Thanks for all of your efforts. And thanks to the bag stuffers and deliverers as well. The Sisterhood Seder is on Monday, April 11 starting at 7:00 pm. This year promises to be as wonderful as last year s seder. Sign up! Any questions or comments? Please me at amytuchler@yahoo.com. SPECIAL FEATURE: SHOP AT THE SISTERHOOD GIFT SHOP! RETRO CHALLAH PLATTER! Who hasn t seen a platter like this one at an aunt or grandmother s house? This piece is in pristine condition and will make you feel the warm fuzzie each Shabbat. (Challah not included!)

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7 Upcoming Events 7 Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Temple Beth-El is once again a Participating Organization in the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education s Annual Community Mental Health Conference. This year s theme is Mental Health: Why Does it Matter? A Compassionate Community Responds. The conference will be held on Sunday, June 5, 2016 from 9:30 am to 3:15 pm at Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston. To register or for further information, contact Jill Randell at the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute, or NRCInstitute@thechicagoschool.edu or visit

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9 Adult Opportunities 9 Join us for Guest Speaker Alexander Gendler at our Tuesday April 19 Torah Class 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Who Wrote the Torah? And the Exodus From Egypt Alexander Gendler presents twentieth century commentator Umberto Cassuto s critique of the Documentary Hypothesis and brilliant commentary on Exodus Gendler is a former syndicated newspaper columnist and a commentator on National Public Radio s Morning Edition. Today he is a Skokie-based publisher of Varda Books. RSVP to Joanne Gold jgold@templebeth-el.org or ext. 202

10 10 Adult Opportunities Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will offer their affordable, noninvasive and painless health screenings at Temple Beth-El on 4/19/2016. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call or visit IF YOU ARE A JOBSEEKER, CAREER CHANGER, PROFESSIONAL, DOWNSIZED OR MATURE WORKER, RECENT HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE GRADUATE JVS JEN (Jewish Employment Network) Career Moves can help you Plan a career path Revamp your resume Teach you how to network successfully Tune you up for that important interview For information about our services, call JVS Career Moves at

11 Tikkun Olam 11 SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE Elaine Cooper Koffman The Social Action Committee (SAC) has one event per month at CJE SeniorLife s Robineau Residence. On February 10, 2016, SAC members Stewart Schram, Ron Goldman, Shel Leshner, and I led a discussion with about 20 residents about what is most valuable to a person. In addition, the residents made estimates of the prices of various items in the past and the present, and those who were closest to the true prices won prizes. We will be visiting Robineau again on March 23, right before Purim, and will bring a shalach manot plate for each resident to help those who live at Robineau have a happy Purim. SAC member Marcia Kanarek coordinates the TBE volunteers who help at the birthday parties that take place at CJE SeniorLife s Gidwitz Place on the third Wednesday of each month from 1:15 to approximately 3:15 pm. Please note that this activity is appropriate for children of any age. Call or Marcia ( or imokykoky@aol.com) to participate. Our volunteers for the Uptown Café on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 were SAC members Doris Guthman and Ben Koffman and board member Debbie Sandlow with her daughter Haley. (See accompanying photograph.) TBE s remaining dates for 2016 are: Thursday, May 19; Sunday, July 10; Tuesday, September 20; and Thursday, November 17. Volunteers work as waiters/waitresses from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on weekdays and from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm on Sundays. Children who are at least 12 years old may volunteer, so this is a meaningful bar/bat-mitzvah project. Please call or me ( or BennettK@aol.com) to be a waiter/waitress at the Café. At TBE s Purim Carnival on March 20, the SAC will sell cans of fruit and vegetables for the ARK. Then we will deliver to the ARK both the cans of food and the money collected. In March, the SAC will start collecting money to provide financial assistance to our Yad L Yad partners in Yekaterinburg, Russia, so that they can have a one-week Jewish sleepover camp during the summer. Please donate generously, because the Jewish children of Yekaterinburg are counting on our support. The members of the SAC invite you to join us in our efforts to help repair the world. Thanks so much for including us in the Temple s give-back day. Your food drive was a huge success and the volunteers did a huge job sorting the donations. We are so grateful! 10:00-11:00 am Signup Link:

12 12 Tikkun Olam TBE Monthly Tzedakah Collections APRIL A tzedakah box is located in the lobby just outside our Mishkan. Tzedakah for April will go to Mazon, A Jewish Response to Hunger, which supports food banks and organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally. Checks should be made payable to Temple Beth-El and mailed to the Temple office marked tzedakah. As always, we thank you for your continuous and generous support. ATTENTION ALL GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS! Tikkun Olam Award In 2004, congregants Cyndee Schaffer and Doug Schwartz established the Matthew Schaffer Schwartz Tikkun Olam Award, a college scholarship fund in memory of their beloved son. The scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior of a TBE member family, who, by word and deed, has made significant contributions to the Jewish ideal of helping to repair the world. In addition to receiving a $500 check, the recipient of the award will have his or her name inscribed on a plaque displayed at Temple Beth-El and on a prayer book plate. The deadline for submissions is April 11, A mailing has been sent to all high school seniors explaining the requirements for the scholarship. If you have questions, please contact Joanne Gold at ext. 202 or jgold@templebeth-el.org. Did you Know SHALVA Collects Cellphones? For quite a few years, Temple Beth-El has been generously collecting cell phones for SHALVA. We thought you d enjoy knowing a bit about how this process works. The phones are collected, then shipped to Shelter Alliance, a recycling operation in Florida. They pay SHALVA according to the blue book value of each phone. In processing the thousands of phones sent to them every year, they wipe clean all personal data and either refurbish the phones, recycle the parts or melt them down. Each year SHALVA receives around $4,000-5,000 just by collecting your old or broken cellphones. All of these dollars go directly to help our clients. Shelter Alliance has expanded their recycling program and now accepts ipods, ipads, and Readers. So, think about all those old cellphones, ipads and ipods taking up space in your drawer or closet, and help us turn them into dollars for clients. SUPPORT ISRAEL BUY ISRAEL BONDS - Need to purchase a gift for a special occasion? Are you unsure of what to buy? Why not purchase a 5-Year Mazel Tov Savings Bond? Prices begin at $100. Pick up an informational sheet at the Temple or log on to israelbonds.com. Mention Temple Beth-El on your form. Questions? Contact the Israel Bond Office BUY ISRAELI GOODS - Maimonides taught us that the highest form of helping people is to support them so they can help themselves. A great way to do that without incurring any additional costs is to make the purchase of Israeli products part of our regular shopping. Israeli products that are readily available from local merchants include food, wine, women s apparel, fashion designer jewelry, baby and child apparel, hardware, health and beauty aids, footwear, toys and games, flowers, and more! Available products, and the local stores that are likely to stock them, can be found at: (BIG). Consider a contribution to one of the many TBE funds to honor, celebrate, or memorialize a family member or friend. Donations can be earmarked to one of the following funds via our website ( or stopping at the Temple for a form. To ensure accuracy, we prefer not to receive donations over the phone. Blitz Family Children s Cultural Arts Fund (Payable to: BFCCA Fund)* B yachad Cantor Rudnick s Discretionary Fund (Payable to: Cantor Rudnick s Discretionary Fund)* Children s Library Fund Education Fund Free Will Kaplan Camp Scholarship Fund Libby Golden z l Memorial Fund (Payable to: Libby Golden Memorial Fund)* Matthew Schaffer-Schwartz z l Tikkun Olam Award Fund (Payable to: MSSM Fund)* Memorial Fund Milton Steinberg z l Parenting Fund (Payable to: Milton Steinberg Parenting Fund)* Mishkan T filah Prayer Book Plate ($36 minimum donation) Perpetuation Fund Phyllis Natalie Podolsky z l Library Fund (Payable to: PPML Fund)* Rabbi Helbraun s Discretionary Fund (Payable to: Rabbi Helbraun s Discretionary Fund)* Social Action Fund TBE Employee Appreciation Fund TBE Endowment Fund (Payable to TBE Endowment Fund) TBE General Fund TBE Men s Club (Payable to:tbe Men s Club)* TBE Sisterhood (Payable to:tbe Sisterhood)* Torah Fund Tree of Life $154/leaf (Leaf wording form will be sent) Tzedakah Fund YoBE Youth of Beth-El (Payable to: YoBE)* We appreciate all contributions and suggest a minimum donation of $18 per acknowledgement.

13 Tikkun Member Olam News 13 April 9 Bat Mitzvah Rachel Katz Daughter of Debbie & Steven Katz Wood Oaks Jr. High School Marlynn & Rob Fisher on the engagement of their son Jason to Kari Ottens. Cindy & Dan Wolf on the engagement of their son Alex to Laury Raff. Grandparents Joanne & Gordy Levine on the birth of David Edward Levine born February 15, 2016 to Natalie & Steven Levine. Share ALL Your Good News Share the news of any new additions to your family. Tell us about the birth of your child or grandchild, engagements, weddings and anything else. We want to wish you, our Temple members, a mazel tov, and notify the congregation via . In addition, babies will receive a gift from our Temple and JUF s J Baby program. Our clergy would love to name the baby at a Shabbat service. Please contact Joanne Gold to share your good news at ext. 202 or jgold@templebeth-el.org. Thank you to our Oneg and Kiddush Sponsors Leslie & Mitchell Burnstine in honor of the bat mitzvah of their daughter Erin. Nikki & Brian Gordon in honor of the bat mitzvah of their daughter Hailey.

14 14 Member News Passover Questions for the Whole Family Our tradition teaches us that the Passover Seder is meant to be a learning experience for children of all ages, from Our questions are more important than the answers. As you sit around the Seder table, you might want to ask these questions: What is your chametz? As we prepare for Passover we get rid of anything that contains chametz - any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen) and traditionally we abstain from chametz throughout Passover. Actual chametz is relatively easy to identify. What chametz in your spiritual life are you going to clean out this year? What enslaves you? Each year at the Passover Seder we read that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. One of the central purposes of the Seder is to remember what it means to be enslaved. What enslaves you today? What are your plagues? We read in the Haggadah that God sent 10 plagues upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians to convince them to let the Israelites go. What are our contemporary plagues that are reminding us to cherish our freedom and make sure more people are free? What is your matzah? The Israelites had to pack to leave Egypt at a moments notice without time to bake bread and let it rise. What is most essential to you today - what would you be taking with you? Why? In this day and age, living in a world of seemingly endless choices, what are your reasons for celebrating Passover in a world of choice? Creative Ideas for Your Passover Seder After the traditional Four Questions have been asked and answered, invite guests to answer four trivia questions that you ve developed about historical events from 50 or 100 years ago. For example, What band began their first tour as the headline act in 1964? Answer: The Rolling Stones. When you get to the karpas/parsley blessing, which symbolizes thankfulness for the arrival of spring, look at the children around your table. Like spring, they represent growth and new ideas. Pause, ask everyone to hold hands and have the adults bless the children. Another way to involve those around your seder table is to ask them to add their own family s story as they know it to the one being retold in the Haggadah. In doing so, they will come to see themselves as part of the historic continuum leading from Egypt to today, others will get to know the stories of and feel closer to their friends, in-laws, or whomever, and over the years, this retelling of a particular family s story can become a source of knowledge and a special treasure to the youngest members of a family. Good luck with your story and enjoy!

15 Member News 15 Delicious Passover Recipes Passover Fudgies 4 eggs 6 T. matzoh cake meal 2 c. sugar 1 c. cocoa 1 c. butter, melted 1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips ½ tsp. salt Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs until blended. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Add the melted butter and mix well. Sift the salt, matzo cake meal and cocoa together and add to the egg mixture. Stir until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Do not overbake!) Cool and cut into squares. Serves Many of us here at TBE have made these brownies and they are outstanding! Passover Apple Cake Apple Mixture Cake Mixture 1/3 c. sugar 3 eggs 1 T. cinnamon 1 c. sugar 3/4 c. sliced apples ½ c. oil 1 c. cake meal 1 tsp. potato starch Mix 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon together. Place sliced apples in sugar mixture. (Can let stand overnight or use immediately.) Beat eggs, sugar and oil together for a few minutes. Add cake meal and potato starch. Pour 2/3 batter into an 11x7 greased pan. Place apples on batter. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Chocolate Covered Matzoh 3-4 boards matzoh 1½ c. semisweet or dark chocolate chips 3/4 c. Passover margarine or butter 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) ½ c. brown sugar ¼ tsp. Kosher salt or sea salt Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Spread the matzoh in the pan in a single layer, breaking them to fit if necessary. Heat the butter or margarine and brown sugar in a medium saucepan to a boil. Pour evenly over the matzoh, spreading with a knife to make sure the matzoh is well covered. Bake minutes, until the caramel is a golden brown. Turn off the oven, and remove the matzoh. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the matzoh. Return the matzoh to the oven. Let it sit in the warm (turned off) oven for 2 minutes. Remove and spread the chocolate evenly with the back of a flat spatula or a knife. Top with nuts, if using. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

16 16 Member News Ask the Rabbi Send your questions to Rabbi Helbraun In the subject line write Ask the Rabbi. You will get a response back from Rabbi Helbraun to answer your question and then we will publish it in the next edition of the Bulletin to help others who might be curious too. The question below was asked by M.K. Q In the Glickson Mishkan, I have noticed for a long time the ner tamid has not been on. Is there a reason? A As you know, there are certain elements that are found in every sanctuary. There is an ark, housing a Torah, usually located on the Eastern Wall (to face towards Israel). There is a Menorah, which is connected to the instructions of the Torah to place a seven branched menorah inside the Mishkan. And there is also an Eternal Light or Ner Tamid, a sign of God s enduring presence. The source for the Ner Tamid, like that of the Menorah is the Torah. In Exodus 27:20 and Leviticus 24:2 we are told that the children of Israel shall bring pure olive oil to cause a lamp to burn continually. The Ner Tamid is also associated with the flame that burned on the altar, during the days when one worshipped by bringing sacrifices to the Temple. The Torah explains that this flame was kindled, not on the altar, but from above, providing a clear connection between the light and God s presence. While in today s houses of worship the Ner Tamid comes in a variety of shapes and styles, they all maintain the connection with our tradition, that the light does not go out. In our congregation we have two Eternal Lights. The one in Brown Sanctuary is meant to resemble the stone which Jacob slept upon when he dreamt of a ladder stretching to heaven. When he awoke from the dream he declared: Surely God is in this place and I did not know it. He lifted up the stone, stood it upright, anointed it with oil and made a promise saying: If God will be with me on my journey, when I return to this place I will build here a house of God a Beit El (Beth-El). This story is found in Genesis, Chapter 28. When you come into the Sanctuary and look at the Ner Tamid, you can see an internal light, and also see an external glow, which is meant to resemble the oil glistening on the stone that had been set upright. But M.K., you didn t ask me about this Eternal Light. You asked about the one in the Glickson Mishkan. This light is made of glass and shaped like a pomegranate, and it is illuminated by a neon bulb, which appears to be dim during the day when the room is brighter, but shines clearly when the room is dark. Although it may be hard to see that the light is illuminated during the day, I think this particular Ner Tamid sends a powerful message. Oftentimes people forget to look for God when life is going well. They ll tell me that they have no need, for their days are full as they enjoy their family, friends and blessings. It s more often the case that people seek God s presence when life becomes challenging. In these darker hours we feel the need to seek God s comfort. The truth is, God is equally present in times of joy as in times of sadness it s just that we re not always seeking God out. But when we need God most, when we feel as though we are surrounded by darkness, being able to see God s presence can lift us up and bring us peace. Trust me, that light in the Mishkan is always kindled, even when it appears dim to our eyes.

17 Support TBE 17

18 18 Acknowledgements MEMORIAL PLAQUES In addition to the names requested through the Yahrzeit Fund, the following names are read on Erev Shabbat as shown below. March 27-April 2 April 3-9 April April April Adar II 24 Adar II-1 Nisan 2-8 Nisan 9-15 Nisan Nisan Lawrence Bizar Mae Banovitz Janet Bloomberg Maurice Balter Royna Aaron Rosa Block Clare Bennett Laurence Bowers Phyllis Berman Greg Berten Rose Burrs Joseph Berger Sam Fishkin Pearl Brownstein Kathryn Boam Harry Cooper Gerald Brook Nathan Fishman Louis Corush Eve Brown Raymond Elbin Rose Cohl Rebecca Freeman Phillip Ditkowsky Sarah Fishman Mortimer Friedlander Louis Epstein Jeanette Friedman Albert Epstein Louis Frisch Samuel Gates Elsie Feuerzeig Gerald Gurtz Sonia Feldman Robert German Samuel Gerson Henry Gerwitz Anne Hammerman Carolyn Ferber Rose Golden Carrie Israel Betty Hollander Lena Harris Sylvia Heyman David Goldsmith Adeline Joffe Lou Holzer Emma Hartman Nate Hoff Julian Gusfield Robert Krause Reginald Holzer Simon Hochstadter Morris Huber Harry Kammerling Bernard Levin Anita Horwitz Samuel Hoffman Thelma Kandelman Samuel Kaplan Charles Levy Florence Jerome Sophia Kirzner Fanny Karasick David Katzenberg Michael Libovsky Ike Kramer Adeline Klemperer Milton Krawitz Jacob Kohan Julia Lichtenstein Robert Lubin David Kramer Abe Kusnetz Oscar Lakin Fanny Moresco Clara Moresco Shirley Levy Ann Lait Max Levit Sonia Podolsky Morris Motel Janet Marcus Elizabeth Lerman Abraham Levy Gertrude Rubert Fern Naxon Max Miller Sarah Levine Mayer Lipman Esther Sadin Louis Newmark Sara Peck David Lichtenstadt Rhoda Lochtan Bernard Spiegel Phyllis Podolsky Donald Pitzele Nathan Mendelsohn Hyman Mandel Beatrice Starkman Elizabeth Rudoy William Rieger Benjamin Meyer Sol Michael Sadie Sugar Bessy Sawyer Joseph Sagaloff Israel Morris Simon Saphier Edward Zaslousky Libby Sherry Joseph Shechtman Julius Rappaport Charles Schiff Harry Silverman Jack Sladnick Rose Rhein Dora Schiff Harry Simon Margo Solomon Jeffrey Rubinstein Birdie Spilky Bernard Sneider Jack Stevens Annette Shlesinger Bernice Weissman Harold Spiegel Fred Tabel Morris Simon Sarah Weisz Jack Spilky Minnie Wax Ruth Toral Reuben Zoller Mildred Tanenbaum Joseph Weissbuch Joseph Tauber Dorothy Wolf

19 Acknowledgements 19 YAHRZEIT FUND Received in the Temple office by February 29 Howard Altman in memory of Jack Altman Victoria Bahnasy in memory of Henry Stewart Victoria Bahnasy in memory of Sam Stewert Sanford Barr in memory of Sarah Charnis Shirley Becker in memory of Israel Lerner Barbara Berman in memory of Sylvia Berman Edwin Blitz in memory of Libbie Greenberg Blitz Phyllis Borkan in memory of Nathan Dvore Robin & Stuart Caine in memory of Adela Caine Helen & Art Chapman in memory of Jessie Hiller Debra Coe in memory of Lucille Shulman Lillian Cohen in memory of Fritzi Alter Bradley Dworkin in memory of Mildred Dworkin Lynn Fienberg in memory of Claire Marilyn Ward Sherry Fine in memory of Lillian Kramer Ernest Freier in memory of Alex Freier Sonia Gethner in memory of Morris Gethner Lonni Glickson in memory of John Hoffman Lonni Glickson in memory of Rose Leah Hoffman Scott Glickson in memory of Gladys Grossman Suzanne Groner in memory of Samuel Teichman Doris Guthman in memory of Edward Guthman Paula & Michael Haber in memory of Anita Haber Aline Heller in memory of Melvin Heller Steven Huber in memory of Gladys Huber Marilyn Kersch in memory of Estelle Levinson Ann Kopech in memory of Joseph Bachrach Deb Krosnick in memory of Dave Gold Maurice Lipshutz in memory of Minnie Tenenbaum Eleanor Maizell in memory of Phoenix Maizell Eleanor Maizell in memory of Edith Stein Col. Marlene Moll in memory of Lillian Moll Barry Multack in memory of Mary Multack Sheila Myrent in memory of David Lerman Joseph Noren in memory of Mollie Friedman Harold Pastron in memory of Sarah Pastron Sandy Ridker in memory of Betty Ridker Horace Schwartz in memory of Jerome Schwartz Estelle Holzer Shore in memory of Gilbert Shamberg Estelle Holzer Shore in memory of Arthur Starkman Estelle Holzer Shore in memory of Beatrice Starkman Charles Silverman in memory of Henrietta Silverman Frances Spiegel in memory of Elsie Spiegel Melvin Teichman in memory of Samuel Teichman Helen Toal in memory of Siegmund Levin Margarette Varley in memory of Phillip Sol Gloria Weiser in memory of Gladys Grossman Shereen Wolff in memory of Harold Cohen Martha Young in memory of Abraham Young Lisa Zibovitz in memory of Lewis Schwartz ARE YOU COPING WITH LOSS & CHANGE? We invite you to attend an Adult Grief Support Group led by Noah C. Weinstein, MA, LCPC. Noah is a Northbrook-based psychotherapist specializing in grief, loss and transition. The group will meet at TBE on April 27 at 7:00 pm Open to all Remember A Loved One If you wish to honor the memory of a dear one, a most fitting, traditional and dignified remembrance is a memorial plaque. This permanent remembrance will give you great comfort for many years and will serve as a reminder of the place your loved one held in your life. A permanent memorial plaque is displayed bearing the name and yahrzeit date on the Memorial Wall outside the Sanctuary. Your loved one s name will also be inscribed on the weekly yahrzeit list outside the Sanctuary on the anniversary of their passing and be read at our Friday evening Shabbat Service. The contribution to memorialize your loved one with a permanent yahrzeit plaque requires a minimum donation of $750. If you have any questions, please call Joanne Gold (847) ext. 202.

20 20 Acknowledgements CONTRIBUTIONS Received in the Temple office by February 29 BLITZ FAMILY CHILDREN S CULTURAL ARTS FUND Mandy Herlich, Cantor Rudnick, Irene Weiman, Joanne Levine & Janice Hadesman in loving memory of Julius Pomerantz Mandy Herlich, Cantor Rudnick, Irene Weiman, Joanne Levine, Janice Hadesman & Wendy Lake in loving memory of Moshe Green CANTOR RUDNICK S DISCRETIONARY FUND Trevor & Wendy Kussman in appreciation James & Amy Tuchler in appreciation and in honor of Adam becoming bar mitzvah EDUCATION FUND James & Amy Tuchler in honor of Laurie Levy in appreciation of helping prepare Adam for his bar mitzvah KAPLAN CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND Tracy Berger-Swafford in loving memory of Sharon Dorfman Tracy Berger-Swafford in loving memory of Marvin Turchen MEMORIAL DONATION Faina Lekakh in loving memory of Elizabeth Parnus PERPETUATION FUND Lonni & Scott Glickson in loving memory of Richard Blair Jerry & Sandy Lewis in honor of the birth of Aaron Oliver Sussman Sandra & Gerald Lewis in honor of the engagement of Jason Fisher and Kari Otten Sandra & Gerald Lewis in honor of the birth of David Edward Levine PLAQUES/TREE OF LIFE Earl & Sharon Lichtenstein in honor of the birth of David Henry Lichtenstein RABBI HELBRAUN S DISCRETIONARY FUND Trevor & Wendy Kussman in appreciation James & Amy Tuchler in appreciation and in honor of Adam becoming bar mitzvah RABBI WEISSBERG S DISCRETIONARY FUND Martha Young in honor of the birth of Aaron Oliver Sussman YOBE - YOUTH OF BETH-EL Tracy Berger-Swafford in loving memory of Marvin Turchen

21 Calendar 21 Please Note: This calendar was produced for printing on March 21. A more current calendar can be found on our web page at (click on calendar tab at the top). If unsure about a program date or time, contact the Temple office at (847)

22 22 Advertising P L E A S E S U P P O R T O U R A D V E R T I S E R S

23 Advertising 23 P L E A S E S U P P O R T O U R A D V E R T I S E R S Whenever you dine down the street at Butterfield s, mention that you are a Temple Beth-El member, and they will donate 10% of your bill back to Temple Beth-El. TEMPLE BETH-EL FUNERAL PLAN Temple Beth-El has a funeral plan for our members with David Jacobson at Chicago Jewish Funerals, Ltd. The plan currently costs $5,850 and includes the use of our sanctuary for your services or the use of the Chicago Jewish Funeral chapel, located in Buffalo Grove and Skokie. Chicago Jewish Funerals offers you the opportunity to guarantee current fees by funding a pre-need plan. If a death occurs, please call the Rabbis first and then David Jacobson at or If you would like to have a booklet mailed to you, call the Temple office TEMPLE BETH-EL CEMETERY Our Temple s cemetery is located on Pulaski Avenue, just north of Bryn Mawr Avenue in Chicago. We still have plots available for sale. Contact the TBE office for more information. If you are interested in a plot at Shalom Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, contact Mike Rubenstein at or mrubenstein@shalom2.com

24 TEMPLE BETH-EL One of Chicago s Oldest Reform Congregations Founded in Dundee Road Northbrook, IL (fax) Sidney M. Helbraun, D.D. Victor H. Weissberg, D.H.L, D.D. Faryn H. K. Rudnick, ACC Mandy Herlich Janice Hadesman Cindy Schoenstadt Senior Rabbi Rabbi Emeritus Cantor Director of Lifelong Learning Executive Director President The Temple Beth-El Bulletin is published monthly. Letters, comments and news about the Temple are always welcome. Please send information via to office@templebeth-el.org. Bulletins may be viewed on our website through Acrobat Reader. The deadline for the June-July Bulletin is April 15, Friday, April 1 Shabbat Yeladim Shabbat Service Saturday, April 2 Casual Morning Minyan Wednesday, April 6 Morning Minyan Friday, April 8 Early Oneg Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, April 9 Casual Morning Minyan Shabbat Service and Bat Mitzvah of Rachel Katz Wednesday, April 13 Morning Minyan Friday, April 15 Shir Shabbat and Birthday Blessings APRIL SERVICE SCHEDULE 5:30 pm 7:30 pm 9:30 am 6:30 am 5:30 pm 6:00 pm 9:30 am 10:00 am 6:30 am 7:00 pm Saturday, April 16 Casual Morning Minyan Wednesday, April 20 Morning Minyan Friday, April 22 Shabbat Service Saturday, April 23 Passover Festival Service followed by a lite lunch Wednesday, April 27 Morning Minyan Friday, April 29 Passover Festival Service, Yizkor followed by a lite lunch Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday, April 30 Casual Morning Minyan 9:30 am 6:30 am 5:00 pm 10:00 am 6:30 am 11:15 am 6:00 pm 9:30 am