HAKAFA WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS WEEK OF JANUARY 17, 2018

Transcription

1 HAKAFA WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS WEEK OF JANUARY 17, 2018 Women's March Chicago - March to the Polls THIS Saturday, January 20, 2018 A year ago, Chicago women and their allies marched 250,000 strong, ushering in a year of resistance against those who would destroy the principles, freedoms, and ideals on which our country was founded. The work is far from done, and it is time to march again - this time with insistence that we need to do better and persist as we focus on the 2018 elections. Music and videos begin at 9:00 AM as people gather, speakers/rally at 11:00 AM, and the march will step off around 12:30 PM. Further information can be found on the website If you would like to join a group from Hakafa for the march: 1) Contact Hakafa member, Donna Fishman (donnafishman16@gmail.com) to let her know that you will be joining us. This way we will have a list of who/how many to expect. 2) Meet Rabbi Elder at the Linden train station in Wilmette at 9:00 AM sharp. If you would like to meet the group at the march in the city, please call or text Rabbi Elder ( ) when you get down there, and he will let you know where the Hakafa group is. Please direct any general questions regarding the march to Hakafa member, Sara Kurensky (kurloon@sbcglobal.net). Please march! As we know, every vote, every person, every footstep counts. LGBTQIA+ Initiative Meeting TODAY Wednesday, January 17, 4:30 PM Please join us to discuss how we, as a congregation, might become more sensitive and welcoming to members of the Jewish LGBTQIA+ community. Gabby Pearlman has agreed to chair this initiative. Please contact her (gabbyk@aol.com or ) for more information. Wednesday Afternoon Torah Study Wednesday, January 17, 1:00-2:30 PM Join us for weekly Torah Study! Each Wednesday afternoon we proceed through the Bible, verse by verse, discussing its content and various interpretations with Rabbi Elder. Nosh & Know on the North Shore NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION THIS MONTH Thursday, January 18, 9:00 AM Please join us for a lively conversation with Rabbi Elder! New participants are always welcome. Shabbat Service Friday, January 19, 7:30 PM Winnetka Community House (620 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka) Please join us for our weekly Shabbat service and oneg.

2 Shabbat Morning Minyan - CANCELLED Please note that the Shabbat Morning Minyan originally scheduled for this Saturday, January 20, has been cancelled so that those who want are able to participate in the Women s March. B nai Mitzvah Workshop Services - RESCHEDULED The B nai Mitzvah Workshop Services scheduled for this Saturday, January 20, have be moved to Saturday, January 27 at 10:30 AM for those having morning ceremonies OR 11:30 AM for those having evening ceremonies. They will still take place at the North Shore United Methodist Church (213 Hazel Avenue, Glencoe) Hakafa Film Night Moved to January 27 PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN DATE Saturday, January 27, 7:00 PM Join us when we screen The Wedding Plan. In this film, Michal is an Ultra-Orthodox Israeli woman, 32 and unmarried. When her fiancée dumps her, Michal decides she will keep the wedding date and find a groom within the next 30 days. This is Israeli director Rama Burshstein s second feature film, after Fill the Void. Delivered with a light, comedic touch, it is a poignant, sensitive, and beautiful shot meditation on the nature of love, religious faith, and what it means to be a partner in a marital relationship. New movie group member, Stan Selinger, will present. Come for dinner at 6:00 p.m. We will be ordering pizza from Little Red Hen, so please contact Carol ( or mcsolomon@comcast.net) by noon on the 27th to R.S.V.P. for dinner ($5 per person). Or, simply come for the movie at 7:00. Feel free to bring friends, family, and a nosh (no popcorn please)! Volunteers Needed to Bring Sunday Morning Coffee/Snacks We are looking for volunteers to bring coffee and breakfast snacks for the adults on many of the Sundays through the end of the school year. If you can help out, please sign up at or contact Julie Tag (julie@julietaghomes.com or ). Thank you! Religious School Sunday, January 21, 9:45 AM 12:00 PM Takiff Center (999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe) Sunday Morning Adult Educational Programming Sunday, January 21, 10:35 AM to noon Takiff Center (999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe) Study in Community Room 1: Models for Interfaith Dialogue (Part I of a 3-part Discussion) with Dr. Claire Sufrin The Jewish philosopher Steven Kepnes describes inter-religious dialogue as a way to heal the world. Sometimes that claim seems impossible, especially on days when the newspaper is full of stories about religious differences as the source of so much conflict and suffering. In these three sessions, we will look at different ways that theologians and philosophers have understood what it is to engage in dialogue with someone whose deepest beliefs are radically different from your own. In doing so, we will hopefully come a little closer to knowing both how to do inter-religious dialogue and what we can rightfully expect it to accomplish.

3 Dr. Claire Sufrin is Associate Professor of Instruction and Assistant Director of Jewish Studies at the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University. Born and raised in the Chicago-area, she holds a BA in Religious Studies from Yale University and a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University. Her research and teaching interests include religion and literature, modern Jewish thought, and gender and religion. Discussion in the Community Hall: Finding a Place at the Table with Rabbi Michael Davis and Rabbi Elder The subject of Israel can be a consuming one in the Jewish community. Many families in congregations across the North Shore and beyond are split on this issue. This is a generational divide as well as a political one. In the face of the strong feelings that often emerge when the subject of Israel is raised, how do we expand the conversation and make our community a welcoming one to those Jews who speak out for Palestinians alongside Jews who see their duty as protecting the State of Israel? Join Rabbi Elder and Rabbi Michael Davis as we continue to explore this critical issue at Hakafa. Rabbi Michael Davis was born in the United Kingdom and grew up in Israel. He trained with the Chief Cantor of the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem and in leading rabbinical seminaries in Israel. Rabbi Davis has served the Jewish community in Chicago since He founded Reform Cantors of Chicago (2009) and the Open Hillel Rabbinical Council (2014). He initiated and programmed the first three years of Yom Hashoah programming at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Rabbi Davis is a globally recognized religious leader. He has served on the faculty of the Hebrew Seminary in Skokie and on the Certification Committee for the American Conference of Cantors with Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Davis served as the first full-time cantor of two Reform congregations in Highland Park before assuming the position of Rabbi at Congregation Makom Shalom in Chicago. Nominating Committee Meeting Sunday, January 21, 7:00 PM The Nominating Committee will be meeting to select the slate of officers to recommend to the Congregation for Hakafa s next fiscal year, beginning June 1. This meeting is open to all members. If interested in attending the Nominating Committee meeting, you must notify Jeff Rosenberg in writing/ (jrosenberg@rsplitter.com) prior to January 21 st. Movie Screening and Panel Discussion: I am Jane Doe Sunday, January 21, 2:00-5:00 PM Northbrook Public Library (1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook) JCAST leaders are excited to kick off 2018 with a movie screening and panel discussion including Yvonne Ambrose, mother of a Chicago teen murdered by her purchaser after he bought her on Backpage.com. The movie, I am Jane Doe, is an eye-opening documentary about sex trafficking in our community and how it is hurting our young women. Viewers are introduced to teenagers who were recruited by pimps who knew exactly how to prey on vulnerable, self-loathing girls who ve run away or simply felt alone and alienated. The girls enduring this appalling abuse are frequently featured in explicit online ads on the website Backpage.com. The discussion following the movie will also include Yvonne s attorney, Gina Arquilla Deboni; Marian Hatcher, Cook County Sheriff s Office; and Professor Carina H. Santa Maria, MSW, LCSW of Dominican University. JCAST Chicago cosponsors are the Northbrook Public Library and National Council of Jewish Women Chicago NorthShore. Advanced reservations are not required but are appreciated. To reserve your spot, follow this link:

4 REMINDER: NO Classes with Rabbi Elder Next Week Just a reminder that because Rabbi Elder will be in Houston with a group from Hakafa doing hurricane clean-up, he will not be teaching classes January Hebrew School Tuesday, January 23, 4:15-6:00 PM Takiff Center (999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe) Kadima Planning Meeting Wednesday, January 24, 7:00 PM Home of Betsy Hersher (1444 Stratford Road, Deerfield) Please join us for a Kadima* Planning Meeting to hear about our plans and ideas for 2018 and contribute new ideas of your own! At a minimum, we'll talk about this year's pot-luck dinner, intergenerational ideas, Hanukkah 2018, and more. Hope to see you there. Please RSVP to Betsy at hersherb@hersher.com or * One of Hakafa's few organized "sub-groups" is Kadima ("forward" in Hebrew). Formed in the fall of 2013, this group is made up primarily of "forward" thinking, dynamic, empty-nest members of the congregation, but is really open to all interested congregants. Kadima has organizes several special events each year, for both the Kadima group and the congregation at large. Chevra Kadisha Meeting Sunday, January 28, 2:00 PM Home of Linda and David Weinstein (719 Harvard Street, Wilmette) Please join us for our next Chevra Kadisha meeting. Hakafa s Chevra Kadisha (burial society) is composed of trained congregational volunteers who perform the duties of Taharah, the traditional Jewish practice of preparing the body of someone who has died, for burial. All Hakafa members are welcome. Contact Deborah Brown (dmb9476@gmail.com or ) with questions and/or to RSVP. Birthright Summer 2018 FREE Israel Trip Opportunity for Year Olds Registration for the Summer 2018 Taglit-Birthright Israel trips will open on January 30 (and on January 29 th if you want to go on a Shorashim* Birthright trip and have priority status see below)! Summer trips are offered in May, June, July, and August. If you are eligible for the Taglit-Birthright Israel program (Eligibility criteria are: Jewish and years of age) and if you are interested in a Birthright trip with Shorashim, secure your priority status NOW at so that you can beat the rush and register 24 hours early! Registration for everyone with priority status opens on 1/29/18 at 10 AM, and for everyone else on 1/30/18. Make sure to take 30 seconds and sign up now! *On a Shorashim Birthright trip you experience Israel through the eyes of Israelis. Shorashim's vision is devoted to building bridges between Israeli and American Jews. On all Shorashim trips, Americans and Israelis travel, live, and learn side-by-side as they explore Israel together for all 10 days. Please contact Rona (admin@hakafa.org or ) if you have any questions.

5 Refugee Sponsorship Update Ambrose and Emma are refugees from Uganda. They are in the U.S. on their own and had been sharing a studio apartment with a third refugee, Jonathan, who is also on his own. Jonathan works nights at Reynolds Aluminum, and Emma works days at Evanston Hospital; Ambrose, who has a college degree from Uganda, is still looking for a job. When the landlord found out that there were three men in a studio, they insisted that the three men move to a one-bedroom apartment. They are happy for a little more space, but now need some furniture for their larger apartment. Please contact Allison Stein at ajzstein@gmail.com or Bob Turner at turner.r@comcast.net if you can donate: a lamp, love seat/chairs, television, blankets or gift cards to buy these items. Ambrose and Emma, who speak fluent English, have been fortunate to have a wonderful mentor from Hakafa, but would benefit from additional help. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Allison or Bob. We appreciate all the generosity Hakafa has shown our refugees. New Class Beginning in February: Judaism and the Origins of Christianity in the 1st Century Please join us for an 8-week course on Judaism and the Origins of Christianity in the 1st Century taught by Hakafa member, Dr. Audrey Gordon, and her colleague, Mary Ann Spina, retired Pastoral Associate at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Deerfield. We are co-sponsoring this course with the North Shore United Methodist Church (213 Hazel Avenue, Glencoe), and classes will be held there on Thursdays from 11:00 AM 12:30 PM on February 22, March 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5,12, 19. Audrey Gordon, PhD., was associate professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago for 30 years and taught and conducted research in aging, end-of-life care and hospice. Previously, she was on the faculty at Northwestern University in the Department of History and Literatures of Religions ( ) and taught classes and did research in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, early Judaism and Christianity, and the religions of the Ancient Near East. Next Hakafa One Congregation, One Book Announced Hakafa s book group will meet on Sunday, April 29 at 10:35 AM at the Takiff Center (999 Green Bay Road) to discuss The Secret Book of Kings by Yochi Brandes. This novel takes textual sources about the experiences of David and Solomon and spins a story about the foundation of the Kingdom of Israel. Ms. Brandes, one of Israel s best-selling authors, combined her skills as a novelist with her training in academic Jewish scholarship to create a novel that raises the question of what untold stories there may be when the available historical sources were written by the victors. Get your copy of the book now so that you can join the discussion on April 29 th! Composting Drop-Off at the Takiff Center You can drop off your fruit and veggie scraps on Sunday mornings at the Takiff Center (999 Green Bay Road, Glencoe) from 9:30-11:30 AM. Dump your scraps into the containers that are inside the labeled bin that is located at the Takiff Center Main Entrance Parking Lot (near the dumpsters). If you have any questions, or for further information, please contact Barbara Miller (barbarasmiller01@yahoo.com or ). VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Volunteers are needed this year to host Friday Evening Onegs, to host a Shabbat-in-the-Home potluck dinner, to volunteer at A Just Harvest, to help with Sunday Morning Bagels, and to provide Coffee/Snacks for the Adults on Sunday mornings. It s easy to sign up to help out for any of these volunteer opportunities!

6 Go to this link, scroll through the different options, and click on the links to sign up: If you would like to go directly to a specific volunteer opportunity, follow these links: Friday Evening Onegs: A Just Harvest: Sunday Morning Bagels: Sunday Coffee/Snacks for Adults: Shabbat-in-the-Home 4/20/18: Condolences to Irene Schechter and family on the loss of her sister, Berthe Segal. Rachel Schulman and family on the loss of her mother, Joanne Davis Reagler. Hope Sheffield and family on the loss of her mother, Margo Reisman. REAL ISRAEL Winter break has come and gone without our reporting on some of the best medical advances coming out of Israel in But it s better late than never, and this list is eye popping. So without further ado, courtesy of Israel 21C, here are some of the biggest health breakthroughs developed in Israel in More next week. World s first bone implants: Normally, the human body cannot restore bone segments, but revolutionary tissue-engineering technology developed by Haifa-based Bonus BioGroup enables growing semi-solid live bone tissue in a lab from the patient s own fat cells. The tissue is injected back into the patient s body with the expectation that the missing bone fragment will regenerate without any danger of implant rejection or the complications of traditional bone transplants. Screening newborns for Autism: According to Raffi Rembrand, the developer of a simple, noninvasive technique to screen newborns for signs of autism, one out of every 45 newborns this year will be diagnosed later in life with autism. Applying interventions before the age of two results in better than a 90% success rate in ingraining social skills for social integration. The SensPD diagnostic process is now ready for clinical trials. It uses the same instrument currently used in newborn nurseries and well-baby clinics to test infants hearing by measuring otoacoustic emissions (OAE). Early diagnostic test for Parkinson s: This year, Hebrew University of Jerusalem PhD student Suaad Abd-Elhadi won the Kaye Innovation Award for her diagnostic tool, ELISA, which detects Parkinson s disease at a much earlier stage than existing tools, and better tracks progression of the disease and response to therapy. Next week we ll continue this story with additional medical advances which made the best of list, including Hip-Hope, a devise that avoids hip fractures in the elderly by cushioning falls.

7 -Bob Rifkin Enjoy listening to a harpist in Jerusalem playing music some of you will recognize Contact Information for Hakafa: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 409, Glencoe, IL Phone: Website: Congregation conghakafa@hakafa.org Rabbi Elder: or rabbi@hakafa.org Bibi Patt, Director of Education: or education@hakafa.org Sara Goodman, Music Director: or music@hakafa.org Rona Elder, Administrator: or admin@hakafa.org Nancy Goodman, Congregation President: or president@hakafa.org Lori Wilansky, Newsletter Editor: or wilanskyl@comcast.net If you would like an announcement included in this weekly update, please your announcement to Rona Elder (admin@hakafa.org) by Tuesday afternoon. If you would like an article included in the monthly newsletter, please contact Lori Wilansky, our volunteer newsletter editor at wilanskyl@comcast.net. Articles must be submitted by the 15 th of the month prior to the newsletter s publication.