Volume 41 Number 11 September 2011 Elul 5771/Tishri 5772 High Holiday Services Rabbi Batsheva Appel and Cantor Miriam Eskenasy will lead the congregation. SELICHOT ~ PREPARATION FOR REPENTANCE Saturday, September 24 Selichot Program at 7:00 p.m. Dessert and Havdalah at 8:30 p.m. Selichot Service at 9:00 p.m. ROSH HASHANAH ~ NEW YEAR Wednesday, September 28 Evening Service at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 29 Children s Programming opens at 9:30 a.m. Morning Service at 10:00 a.m. Student Service (K--4th grade) at 10:00 a.m. Tashlich with Congregation Rodfei Zedek at the 51st Street Beach at 5:30 p.m. Mincha and Ma ariv Services at Rodfei Zedek (5200 S. Hyde Park Blvd.) at 6:30 p.m. Friday, September 30 Second Day Lay-Led Service at 10:00 a.m. Reception at 12:30 p.m. SHABBAT SHUVAH ~ SABBATH OF RETURN Friday, September 30 Service at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 1 Service at 10:30 a.m. YOM KIPPUR ~ DAY OF ATONEMENT Friday, October 7 Kol Nidre Service at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 8 Children s Programming opens at 9:30 a.m. Morning Service at 10:00 a.m. Student Service (K-4th grade) at 10:00 a.m. Study Session following Morning Service Service of Healing and Renewal at 2:00 p.m. Musical Interlude at 3:00 p.m. Afternoon Service at 3:45 p.m. Yizkor (Memorial Service) at approximately 5:15 p.m. N ilah (Concluding Service) following Memorial Service, at approximately 6:00 p.m. Break-the-Fast following services, at 6:45 p.m. (The Break-the-Fast is hosted by the Gretel and Max Janowski Fund in loving memory of Gretel Janowski.) USHERS needed We are looking for people to serve as ushers for the High Holidays to help hand out prayerbooks and collect tickets. Please contact the office at 773.924.1234 or kamii@kamii. org if you d like to help out. Thank you!
From the Rabbi's Desk The High Holidays. The Days of Repentance. The Days of Awe. No matter what one calls Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, they contain challenges. There is the challenge of the liturgy, emphasizing God as the Judge and King over all. There is the challenge of reviewing our actions from the past year and determining what we will do different this year. There is the challenge of the process of repentance and forgiveness, recognizing what we have done, feeling remorse about what has happened, and repenting. No wonder that there is a time of preparation before the High Holidays. By the 11th century, we already have a written account of the custom of going to the synagogue the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah in order to say penitential prayers. These Selichot, penitential prayers, are mentioned in the Mishnah as prayers to be said for public fast days, for example at the time of drought. We have been using them for centuries as the prayers that are said as we prepare for the Days of Awe. The Sephardic Jewish community says Selichot very early in the morning for the entire month before Rosh Hashanah and on through to Yom Kippur. At KAM Isaiah Israel, we hold with the centuries old custom of saying Selichot on the Saturday night before the New Year. This year we will begin with a play-reading. The play, The Gates are Closing, is by Merle Feld. The setting is Yom Kippur afternoon, and the 10 characters will wrestle with issues of identity, meaning, repentance, and forgiveness, giving us the opportunity to consider the meaning of the High Holidays for ourselves. There will be a brief discussion following the play. After a break for dessert, we will have Havdalah, marking the end of Shabbat, and continue with our Selichot service, when we will have the chance to begin our preparations in terms of prayer. L shanah Tovah U Metukah! To a good and sweet year! May 5772 be a year of health and peace, joy and prosperity. JOIN US FOR SUKKOT Wednesday, October 12 Sukkah Decorating at 5:30 p.m. Pizza in the hut at 6:00 p.m. Reservations required email kamii@kamii.org or call 773.924.1234 In advance, until Monday, October 10: Adults $10, children $5 At the door: Adults $12, children $7 Erev Sukkot Service at 6:45 p.m. Sukkot Learning Program at 7:30 p.m. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday, October 13 Festival Service at 10:30 a.m. JOIN US FOR SIMCHAT TORAH Wednesday, October 19 Consecration, Simchat Torah, and Hakafot at 6:45 p.m. Celebrate with our KAMII Klezmer Band and taffy apples following the service! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday, October 20 Festival Service with Yizkor at 10:30 a.m. 2 KAMII
Hebrew Language Academy Hebrew Language Academy at KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation This year, once again we will offer three levels of Hebrew. Our Beginning Hebrew program starts at the very beginning with a comfortable learning curve for students new to the Hebrew alphabet. The textbook focuses on reading skills, particularly reading and understanding our prayer book. Over the year we will cover Books I and II of URJ Press s new Adult Hebrew Series by Motzkin and Person: Book I: Aleph Isn t Tough Letters, pronunciation, and beginning prayer book vocabulary Book II: Aleph Isn t Enough Simple sentences, Hebrew word-building via prefixes and suffixes The class focuses on the Prayer Book Hebrew right from the start so that your new knowledge can enrich your worship experience from Day One. Level I Hebrew class will be taught by Ben Jacobson Sunday mornings at 9:30 A.M. beginning October 2, 2011. Please let the office know if you could take this class if it was offered at a different time. Our Level II Hebrew class will continue to explore a more Biblical Hebrew approach focusing on vocabulary, grammar, and Biblical reading skills. We will continue and complete The First Hebrew Primer (Third Edition) by Simon Resnikoff and Motzkin, published by EKS Publishing Co., Oakland, CA. We will begin with Lesson 16 and hopefully complete the book. The First Hebrew Primer is a simple, straightforward guide to Biblical Hebrew. The lessons emphasize text recognition and translation rather than memorization. The lesson folk stories are written in an interesting Biblical style focusing on Biblical vocabulary and grammar. As the readings become more complex, so will your skills, culminating with the Book of Ruth. We will enrich our class with many other examples, and readings and we may even learn to write. Upon the completion of the Primer, we will explore together the next book to study depending on everyone s needs and levels. Level II Hebrew class will be taught by Cantor Miriam Eskenasy Monday evenings at 6:30 P.M. (first Monday at 6:00 P.M.) beginning October 10, 2011. Please let the office know if you could take this class if it was offered at a different time. Level III Hebrew is for the advanced Hebrew student and will be offered at Rodfei Zedek. Level III Hebrew class will be taught by Rivka Kahana at Rodfei Zedek Sunday mornings at 11:30 A.M. beginning September 11, 2011. For all the levels of Hebrew: If you are interested in learning Hebrew, and you are not sure what level you belong in, I want to encourage you to see me, and I will be happy to guide you to the right level for you. Hebrew is one of the most beautiful languages I know, and I urge you all to come and discover its beauty. It will also help you understand our worship service better and appreciate the intricacies of the Torah! Whether you are ready to embark on this project or are just thinking about it, feel free to contact me at meskenasy@kamii.org or call me at 773.924.1234. September 2011 3
Notes from the Cantor New and old for the High Holidays and The Role of the Organ in Reform worship Dear Congregants, I wrote the following article when the board of directors thought we would not be able to afford the organ rental for this year's High Holiday services. Thanks to the amazing generosity of several members there will be an organ once again this year. As for other changes you will appreciate, I know that many of you love singing along on Shabbat and the High Holy Day, while others would rather listen to inspiring music! So, this year some of the music will be sung in a lower range (transliterations of the texts can be found in our High Holiday brochure), while our wonderful professional choir will assume a greater role in presenting our High Holiday Liturgy. I know that both of these changes will enhance our High Holiday experience and I look forward to seeing you then. A few years ago, while I was researching my Master s thesis for the School of Sacred Music at HUC-JIR, I met Tina Fruhauf, a young lady who had just completed a PhD from a German university on the topic of the Organ in German- Jewish Culture she herself was an organist and she became fascinated by the adoption of the Organ as an instrument of worship in the early reforms of the Jewish communities in Germany and beyond. Her thesis, a publication that was too heavy for anyone to hold and was written in German, became a book published in 2009 (in English) which I read a couple of years ago. There were many reforms introduced in the Jewish service during the 19th century. Some changes were an effort to conform to and be like their Christian neighbors such as the elimination of bar-bat mitzvah and the introduction of Confirmation; wearing robes, the rabbi became a minister; minimizing the role of the Chazzan while introducing congregational choral music; bringing instruments into the synagogue, namely, the organ. There were other attempts at modernization as well, such as prayer in the vernacular (in the early days, of course, that was German and when transplanted to the US, English), minimizing the use of Hebrew, creating an ethical Judaism based on ideologies rather than blind faith, and so on. All these changes had a tremendous impact on worship during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Introducing the organ to the synagogue created many wonderful compositions for the organ both as a solo instrument, providing preludes and postludes of major proportions, as well as accompaniment to cantorial, choral and congregational singing. Many people rose to the occasion both to compose as well as to play the newly installed organs in the great synagogues of Germany. Newly composed organ music for Jewish liturgy...became part of a cross-cultural music tradition in the 19th and 20thcentury Germany, when a specific style of organ music developed that combined elements of Western and Jewish cultures. (Inside jacket The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture, Tina Fruhauf). Lewandowski was one of the first such organists/composer and there were many others. However, at the other end of this period, Max Janowski was also one of those young organists who stepped in to fill this need both as organist and as composer in the early 20th century. For more than one hundred years, the organ was an integral part of Jewish worship. The 20th century, though, saw a shift again in the musical style of Jewish worship, especially once the Reform movement was firmly established in America. Music in a synagogue has many influences: the popular culture of the day (for instance, parts of the Kol Nidre, our most sacred melody, were once drinking songs of the medieval Rhineland region), the practices of other religions around, a strong leadership that can take congregations in different directions. I need not tell you what were some of the influences on 20th century worship. Children who went to Jewish camps in the 50 s and 60 s and beyond grew up and their musical style was participatory, folksy and very easy to sing. Influenced by foldrock music of their time, worship changed and, with it, the use of the organ. Very few of the 900+ Reform synagogues still use an organ today (roughly about 10%) and, if they do, it is mainly on the High Holy Days. Temple Emanuel of New York, the most Classical Reform synagogue, for instance, still uses the organ every week. However, many other synagogues have discontinued the use of the organ in their worship altogether or, like us, use it only on the High Holy Days. It is hard to tell what music trends will be prevalent in synagogues in the future, but for now at least, we will have it all! Organ, congregational participation, as well as beautiful singing from our wonderful professional choir! L shanah Tovah tikateivu (May you all have a good year)! Cantor Miriam 4 KAMII
Jewish Learning Seeking volunteers for an Adult Learning Task Force Are we utilizing the best possible modes of Jewish learning? We are a community of learners, but do the interests of our adult learners match up with the choices that we offer? Are we taking advantage of advances in knowledge and technology to broaden our scope of learning? We are forming an Adult Learning Task Force to rethink how we approach this in our community and develop a plan for how we move forward. Members of this task force will meet regularly over the next year and present their report to the KAMII Annual Meeting on June 1, 2012. We are seeking the volunteers who will create the future of adult Jewish learning at KAMII. Contact Dan Mass, our synagogue president, at president@kamii.org if you are interested in finding out more. Munch & Learn 2011-2012 Noon at KAM Isaiah Israel Munch and Learn enters its second decade with a stimulating and varied fall program. We are honored to have Ab Mikva start the year and look forward to his report on the Obama Administration. The programming continues with opportunities to learn about Delacroix s painting of Jewish women, and our own Hyde Park Jewish history. Much more will follow in the winter and spring! Join us. Bring your lunch, and we will supply dessert. October 11 Abner Mikva, Consultant to Presidents, Federal Judge, Member of the House of Representatives Three Years into the Obama Administration November 8 Lois Gordon, a lawyer with a lifelong interest in art and art history Delacroix s A Jewish Wedding in Morocco December 13 Mark Mandle, a fifth generation KAM Isaiah Israel Member Hyde Park 1900-50: Development of a Dynamic Jewish Community September 2011 5
KAMII Food Garden Continues to Make News The JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), The Global News Service of the Jewish People, recently highlighted our food garden in the article Beyond canned food drives: Jewish food gardens donate bounty by Sue Fishkoff: In Chicago s Hyde Park neighborhood, KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation planted its first food garden in 2009 and now grows organic produce on 2,500 square feet of what used to be the synagogue lawn. Last year, they delivered more than 1,200 pounds of food to two soup kitchens and a shelter for women and children. This spring, the synagogue s social justice committee used a grant from One Chicago, One Nation, a community organizing group, to plant a 1,000 square-foot garden at a nearby church in this largely impoverished neighborhood, says committee chair Robert Nevel. A second garden at another church will follow, and the synagogue is developing a model to help other shuls set up their own urban gardens. To be able to say we harvested and donated more than 1,200 pounds of food last year is a lot different than me going around the South Side and talking about the lack of food access, Nevel said. And to help them establish food gardens to grow their own food is a powerful thing. Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders Presents Genetic Education and Screening for Young Jewish Adults Now offering an expanded panel Knowledge is power. You can minimize your risk of having a child affected by a debilitating, if not fatal, Jewish genetic disorder with a simple blood test. If you re thinking about starting a family, now s the time to learn your risk and your options. Tuesday, September 13 6:30 9:30 p.m. Anshe Emet Synagogue, 3751 North Broadway Street, Chicago Tuesday, November 15 6:30 9:30 p.m. Emanuel Congregation, 5959 North Sheridan Road, Chicago Program includes dinner, an educational presentation and genetic screening for 19 disorders. Visit www.jewishgenetics.org/disorders for the full list of disorders. Genetic counselors from Children s Memorial Hospital (CMH) will be available to address both general and personal questions. Staff from CMH will take samples for screening. Test results are confidential. Program fee: $180 per person or $72 for students. These tests usually cost more than $3,000! Pre-registration required. Contact Taryn Brickman at 312.357.4988 or TarynBrickman@juf.org. 6 KAMII
Another week, another challenge to authority. Recently, we studied the episode of the spies, or scouts. No sooner is that debacle wrapped up than we come upon this one. Several differences, though. The episode of the spies was a challenge of faith. Also, the faithless, while leaders in their tribes, were chosen by Moses for their task. Here, the rebels are leaders of the community chosen for their positions by the community. Before, the challenge was to God's ability to deliver on his promise to give the land to the people. Here, the challenge is directly to the authority of Moses, civilly, and Aaron, religiously. This week's portion is commonly known as Korah's Rebellion. Upon looking at the text, one immediately sees that this is a misnomer. There are several different insurrections taking place here, involving hundreds of people and eventually, perhaps, the whole community. It is a confusing story which has led scholars to believe there are many different sources fused together to create this narrative. I will leave it to the scholars to sort that out and focus on a small part or two of the story's richness. Korah and others question Moses' and Aaron's total authority over the Israelites. He says to Moses, "You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why, then, do you raise yourselves above the Lord's congregation? Korah has been traditionally seen as personally ambitious and not understanding the place God has set out for him. However, it seems people are disturbed by Moses' leadership style. He does not seem to consult, or even advise, the elders of the community. He dictates rules and regulations. We know, because, we are told, that these laws come directly from God. Are we sure that the community knows this? Our country was created by dissenters, people who rebelled against the existing authority. Just as Korah's followers were the aristocracy of their time, so were our leaders. According to the story, 250 chieftains backed Korah. Were all of them in it strictly for their own benefit? King George believed he had a divine right to rule, too. Were our country's forefathers right only because they won? People of my generation were taught early on to question authority. I can still remember the day that it dawned on me that the Vietnam war may not be just. Millions of people hotly debated this issue for a decade and in many ways pulled the country apart. If more people had questioned the legitimacy of the Iraq invasion, it might not have happened, saving us billions of dollars, thousands of lives, and our prestige in the world. Today, the so-called Arab Spring is heralded as long overdue and righteous. The deposed and about to be deposed authoritarians likely think otherwise. From the Bimah Guest d var Torah James Stengel So why were Korah's people punished so harshly? The earth swallowed them up. Their deaths are set out as examples to people not to challenge the rule of Aaron and Moses. Rather than be awed and bullied into compliance, a day later there is such unrest in the populace and God sends a plague that kills 14,000 plus. This does not establish skillful, or thoughtful, leadership. It demonstrates autocratic rule, enforced by fear of death. Dathan and Abiram refuse Moses' summons and tell him that, not only did he bring them from a land flowing with milk and honey to the wilderness, but lorded it over them. Moses takes this personally, as well he might, and tells God that he is innocent of any thievery or bribery. He misses the point that there is more to leadership than honesty. When first confronted, Moses falls on his face. It seems he can't believe that people would challenge him. How could he not know that so many people were unhappy with his leadership? To gather 250 major supporters, Korah must have worked for some time and yet Moses is shocked when they appear. Was he that out of touch? Did he have no confidants or advisors? Korah's motives, and those of his followers, are usually questioned by the commentators. I believe there is merit in this. Separate and apart from those who will always look for a way to exonerate Moses, there are some problems with Korah's opening statement. In claiming that "all the community are holy" he sets holiness up as a static condition, something granted as though a state of grace. This is a misstatement of God's vision for His people. The Israelites will be holy in accordance with carrying out God's commandments. There is no end to the necessity of doing this. It is a lifelong and constant endeavor. Is there ever a moment when one can act dishonestly because he is holy? Doesn't it seem that, by claiming to be holy, a person's arrogance disqualifies him from holiness? This is like a person claiming to be enlightened. Would a truly enlightened person so claim? So, in making claim to some of Moses' power and authority on the basis of equal holiness Korah either misses the point or intentionally twists things to gain a following. Maybe he was anticipating twenty-first century politics whereby no one seems to have any ideas on how to solve problems, but they all know they are the ones to do it. Korah and his co-conspirators pay dearly for their sins. While there is some doubt as to what actually happens to Korah, all the rest die. Is this fair? At least one commentator believes that Moses acted unfairly by withholding God's appointment of Aar- BIMAH continues on page 10 September 2011 7
KAM Isaiah Israel September 2011 KAM Isaiah Israel Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 torah study 9:30 am Please confirm dates and times with the office, as schedules may change. shabbat service 7:30 pm shabbat services with leah umanskiy s Bat mitzvah 10:30 am 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 labor day office closed wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am shabbat service at montgomery Place 5:00 pm shabbat service 8:00 pm torah study 9:30 am shabbat services 10:30 am second saturday 4:30 am 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Board of directors meeting 7:30 pm wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am Kol sasson shabbat service 7:00 pm torah study 9:30 am shabbat services 10:30 am 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am shabbat service at montgomery Place 5:00 pm shabbat service 8:00 pm torah study 9:30 am shabbat services 10:30 am selichot Program 7:00 pm 25 26 27 28 29 30 religious school Begins 9:30 am wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am erev rosh hashanah service 8:00 pm first day of rosh hashanah office closed rosh hashanah morning service 10:00 am second day of rosh hashanah office closed rosh hashanah second day service 10:00 am shabbat service 8:00 pm
Looking ahead to... October 2011 KAM Isaiah Israel Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Please confirm dates and times with the office, as schedules may change. torah study 9:30 am shabbat services 10:30 am 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 erev yom Kippur yom Kippur religious school 9:30 am adult education 9:30 am wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am Kol nidre service 8:00 pm office closed morning service 10:00 am erev sukkot sukkot 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 no religious school no adult education Board of directors meeting 7:30 pm wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am sukkah decorating 5:30 pm Pizza in the hut 6:00 pm sukkot service 6:45 pm sukkot learning Program 7:30 pm office closed festival service 10:30 am shabbat service at montgomery Place 5:00 pm shabbat service 8:00 pm erev simchat torah simchat torah 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 torah study 9:30 am shabbat service 10:30 am religious school 9:30 am adult education 9:30 am sukkah Program 7:00 pm wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am consecration/simchat torah service 6:45 pm office closed festival service 10:30 am shabbat service 7:00 pm torah study 9:30 am shabbat service with merrick fahrenwald s Bat mitzvah 10:30 am religious school 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 9:30 am adult education 9:30 am israel and world Jewry Program 10:30 am shabbat service at 30 31 religious school 9:30 am adult education 9:30 am rabbi arnold Jacob wolf memorial committee lecture series 7:00 pm wednesday morning minyan 8:00 am montgomery Place 5:00 pm shabbat service 8:00 pm torah study 9:30 am shabbat service with noah finkielsztein s Bar mitzvah 10:30 am September 2011 9
In the Family By Grace Wolf yxxx Newsworthy If you do not receive the regular In the Garden emails sent by Social Justice Committee chairman Robert Nevel, you may not be keeping up with the incredible success of the committee's vegetable growing project. The August issue of the JUF News has a nice quote from Robert: "To be able to say we harvested and donated more than 1,200 pounds of food last year is a lot different than me going around the South Side and talking about the lack of food access. And to help [people in food deserts] establish food gardens to grow their own food is a powerful thing." University of Chicago law professor Julie Roin published an article on "Privatization and Sale of Tax Revenues" in the June issue of the Minnesota Law Review. The article is discussed in the Chicago Tribune on July 22. Julie argues that although government may initially have privatized assets or activities to increase efficiency, it has increasingly used this mechanism to essentially borrow money to avoid raising taxes or issuing bonds. Even a business professor who disagrees with her equating privatization deals with debt agrees that government assets (read "Chicago's parking meters") should not be exchanged for short-term gains, like balancing budgets. Marlene Richman traveled to Washington, D.C., in July to attend the inaugural Harold Richman Public Policy Symposium, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Social Policy. The late Harold Richman, Marlene's husband, had co-founded the Center for the Study of Social Policy in 1979. The topic of this year's symposium was "Building a Rich and Useful Evidence Base to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families." The keynote speaker was Lisbeth Schorr, a senior fellow at the Center. Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, daughter of Helene and Peter Heydemann, has lived mainly in California since graduating from U-High. This summer, however, she has returned to the Chicago area. She is serving as co-rabbi of Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living in Glencoe. She also is rabbi of Mishkan, a new community of Jews looking for spiritual and social inspiration in non-traditional places. "Bioskop," a musical composition by Noah Meites, was featured at the 2011 Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music, held this July as part of the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Noah is the son of Lynn Frackman and Tom Meites. He is working on a degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Composition at the University of California Santa Cruz. yxxx Under the Chupah Mazal tov to Susan and Don Levy, whose son Alex married Kate Westra on Saturday, July 23, in the courtyard of the Smart Museum in Hyde Park. Kate's father, Richard Westra, made the chupah, which has now been donated to KAMII for use by other couples. Alex and Kate live in Los Angeles, where Alex is studying at UCLA for a Master of Fine Arts in Directing. Kate, a clinical psychologist, manages homeless programs for the St. Joseph Center. yxxx Welcoming a New Generation On July 30, Shayna Yvette Hassid was born to Jessica and Victor Hassid. Shayna weighed 6 lb., 7 oz., and was 20 inches long. Her mother is the Director of the KAMII Religious School. On July 27, Jim Stengel's first grandchild was born at Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago. Jim describes Zara Nawal Stengel as "the most beautiful baby in the world." Her parents are Nida Khan and Jamey Stengel. yxxx Please Submit Your Stories We enjoy reading about the experiences and achievements of our fellow congregants and their families, but we need your help in reporting them. It's ok to brag a little: your friends will share your pleasure. Please send stories for In the Family to Grace Wolf at wolf0047@earthlink.net or 773.684.0047--or drop them off for me at the synagogue office. BIMAH continued from page 7 on as High Priest from the conspirators. He knew that the challengers would be consumed by fire and yet allowed the test to go forward. Shouldn't there be honest debate on important issues of leadership, regardless of the reasons for challenge? So does Moses have a responsibility to help people understand what is going on around them and why? God seems to constantly be frustrated by the Israelites' inability to believe in Him or act in the prescribed manner. Is Moses partly responsible? Perhaps, in part, even God agrees. Three of Korah's sons are spared and the family goes on to important leadership positions. In fact, Samuel the Prophet is a direct descendant. Political and religious debate will continue as long as there are people. Selfish motives and desire for power are the norm, not the exception it seems. Even when a ruler rules well, often times things get stale and out of touch. Times change, people's desires change. As we have seen in this portion, and over and over in the world, even fear of death will not stop people from seeking change when things get bad enough. Would a sentence to die in the wilderness be bad enough to encourage rebellion? 10 KAMII
In the Community yxxx Help Needy Celebrate Rosh Hashanah Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago provides food to needy Jewish people in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs for Rosh Hashanah and Passover so they may observe the holidays in a traditional and dignified manner. Volunteers are needed on Sunday, September 25, to pack boxes of food and deliver them to individuals' apartments. Food packing starts at 6:00 a.m. at a warehouse location to be announced. Delivery takes place from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. This project presents families with a wonderful opportunity to perform a mitzvah together. For more information, call 847.674.3224 or visit www. maotchitim.org. To volunteer to pack or deliver, email volunteer@maotchitim.org. yxxx Holocaust Survivors' Testimony Available at Northwestern According to the August issue of the JUF News, the "Northwestern University Library has become the first institution in Illinois to offer complete access to the nearly 52,000 videotaped testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses contained in the USC Shoah Foundation Institute's Visual History Archive. Recorded in 56 countries and in 32 languages, mainly between 1994 and 1999, the interviews primarily preserve accounts of Jewish Holocaust survivors but also include those of political prisoners, survivors from other groups, and participants in war crimes trials." A smaller selection of testimonies from the Visual History Archive is available at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie. For more information about the testimonies available at Northwestern, call 847.491.7656 or email vha@northwestern.edu. By Grace Wolf yxxx This Month at Spertus On Tuesday, September 13, at 6:00 p.m., Chef Laura Frankel is presenting Rosh Hashanah Boot Camp, in which she will show you how to create a sweet and easy holiday. You will enjoy sampling delectable holiday dishes and learning new twists on traditional favorite recipes. The cost is $25, $18 for Spertus members. Call 312.322.1773 to reserve. Days of Awe and Rejoicing: Radiant Gems of Jewish Music will be presented on Sunday, September 18, at 2:00 p.m. Dr. Jonathan Miller, founder and director of Chicago a cappella, will lead a discussion of choral music for the High Holidays with performance excerpts from Chicago a cappella's new Days of Awe CD. Admission is $18, $10 for Spertus members, $8 for students. For $50, you receive preferred seating, admission to the CD-release reception, and a signed copy of the CD. Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies is located at 610 S. Michigan Avenue. SAVE THE DATE WEINSTEIN COMMITTEE WEEKEND will be November 18, 19, 20 SPECIAL SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS Lisa Rosen, September 1; Charlotte Lehnhoff, September 4; Jerry Solomon September 4; Brian Grossman, September 6; Michael Rosen, September 7; Julia Miller, September 10; Paul Singer, September 12; Elise Wachspress, September 13; Johanna Schoss, September 14; Pei Chung, September 18; Howard Cohn, September 19; Michael Gelber, September 24; Zoe Stein, September 25; Philip Gossett, September 27 SPECIAL SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Barbara and Bernard Greenberg, September 1, 62 years; Rachel Havrelock and Yuri Lane, September 2, 10 years; Robert and Marsha Rosner, September 5, 40 years; Joel and Frances Zemans, September 11, 45 years; Abner and Zoe Mikva, September 19, 63 years; Jena Doolas and Samuel Borries, September 29, 10 years SPECIAL OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS Kevin Weinstein, October 2; Barbara Wagner, October 7; Adam Fine, October 7; Sheila Shochet, October 8; Hank Schwab, October 9; Ree Grossman, October 10; Duffie Adelson, October 13; Helaine Heydemann, October 13; Frances Gordon, October 15; Herbert Biblo, October 17; Joyce Turner Hilkevitch, October 19; Cecele Schwartz, October 20; Leonore Gill, October 25; Leigh Breslau, October 27; Donna Rosenbush, October 28; Nathan Schlessinger, October 31 SPECIAL OCTOBER ANNIVERSARIES Thomas Meites and Lynn Frackman, October 7, 40 years; Eden and Tom Elieff, October 16, 25 years; Amy Cedarbaum and John Hughes, October 24, 20 years September 2011 11
Nursery School The Nursery School campers are having a wonderful summer. Our camp program this year is called Fun in the Sun. The children are having a blast! Each week we have a theme with special activities. The first week everyone had a chance to do a little gardening and personalized their own flowerpots. The flowers on the playground are getting a lot of attention and plenty of water. The campers also love to see what is growing in the vegetable garden. Each day the children observe the plants and try their best to catch butterflies. We have been snacking on vegetables and trying new treats. Freshly squeezed lemonade was enjoyed by all. It has been a pleasure to see how the children have created a warm and lovely camp experience. For several of the children this is their first school experience and they have worked hard learning to say goodbye to mom and trusting us that she will return. They have all adjusted and look forward to school. Each morning the children happily greet each other and eagerly go swimming in our two little wading pools, no matter the weather. When it is time to swim they jump in the pools and have a blast. When the campers need a change they have the sandbox and jungle gym to play on. We also have been painting outside with our tempera paints as well as painting with water. Our club house somehow got covered with chalk and the children loved washing it off. They also learned that sidewalk chalk belongs on the sidewalk. All the children had a lot of fun searching for treasure in the scavenger hunt and even made their own treasure chest. In addition to arts and crafts the children have read new books and learned a few new songs. Each day has been delightful and filled with fun and enthusiasm. Fran Gordon Nursery School Director 12 KAMII
Nursery School September 2011 13
Tributes We thank all contributors for their generosity and support of our synagogue family. (Contributions received July 22nd to August 5th are listed) Cantor s Discretionary Fund In Honor of Lydia Elieff Becoming Bat Mitzvah Liane Clorfene Casten Harold A. Rosenstein Temple Fund Gina and Ken Kaeser Rabbi s Discretionary Fund In Honor of Lydia Elieff Becoming Bat Mitzvah Liane Clorfene Casten In Honor of the Wedding of Alex Levy and Kate Westra Don and Susan Levy Memorial Yahrzeits In Memory of Alex Brodsky David and Janet Midgley In Memory of Blanche Taff Corona Margo De Ley In Memory of Sidney Katz Syma Katz In Memory of Sade Levine Ruth M. Levine ZICHRONAM LIV RACHA May their memory be a blessing We remember Judy Gilbert, wife of the late Lawrence Gilbert, z l We extend condolences to Joan Laser (Gary) on the death of her mother, Mardelle Cagen EDITOR S NOTE: The next bulletin deadline is: Monday, September 5th for the October issue Please send your event notices, articles and photos to Charlie at charlie@firke.com and Phyllis Cohn at phyllis.cohn@gmail.com. -- Charlie Firke, bulletin editor 14 KAMII
Tributes KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation Tribute Funds Donor Address I/We contribute $ Date Acknowledge to Address In Honor Of In Memory Of Temple Operating Funds Discretionary Funds: Rabbi s Fund Cantor s Fund Other Landmark Preservation Fund Stolz-Levi Walter Jacobs Memorial Library Fund Music Enhancement Fund Prayer Book/Humash Fund Restricted Foundation Funds Blanche and Philip Brail Social Action Fund Julius J. Browdy Scholarship and Education Fund Agnes Davis Memorial Fund Ruth Diane Davis Scholarship Fund Maurice L. Heller Memorial Camp Scholarship Fund Gretel and Max Janowski Fund Babette and Irving H. Mann Educational Fund Necheles Scholarship Fund Rabbi Hayim Goren Perelmuter Fund Religious School Fund Nursery School Fund Kathrynn W. Rosenbluth Flower Fund Harold A. Rosenstein Temple Fund Blanche R. Stolz Scholarship Fund Jacob J. Weinstein Fund Youth Activities Fund Youth Group Israel Scholarship Fund Beatrice K. Schneiderman Social Action Fund Michael and Rebecca Schneiderman and Family Scholarship Fund Ezra Sensibar Fund Harvey Shapiro Memorial Scholarship Fund Esther Rosalie N. and Theodore Stone Chapel Fund William and Bernard Weinberg Scholarship Fund Rabbi Arnold J. Wolf Adult Education Fund Other Please make checks payable to: KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation 1100 East Hyde Park Blvd. Chicago, IL 60615-2899 Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law September 2011 15
Shabbat Services Shabbat Shof tim: Deuteronomy 16:18 21:9 Friday, September 2 Shabbat Services at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 3 Shabbat Services at 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Deuteronomy 29:9 30:20; 31:1 30 Friday, September 23 Shabbat Services at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, September 24 Shabbat Services at 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Ki Teitzei: Deuteronomy 21:10 25:19 Friday, September 9 Shabbat Service at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, September 10 Shabbat Services at 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Ha azinu/shabbat Shuvah: Deuteronomy 31:1 52 Friday, September 30 Shabbat Services at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 1 Shabbat Services at 10:30 a.m. Shabbat Ki Tavo: Deuteronomy 26:1 29:8 Friday, September 16 Shabbat Services at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, September 17 Shabbat Services at 10:30 a.m. Torah Study at 9:30 a.m. every Shabbat morning. Transportation to Shabbat evening services is always available. Please call the office. KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, Founded in 1847 1100 E. Hyde Park Boulevard Chicago, Il 60615 P: 773.924.1234 F: 773.924.1238 kamii@kamii.org www.kamii.org Daniel P. Mass... President Batsheva Appel...Senior Rabbi Miriam Eskenasy...Cantor Deborah Bard... Cantor Emerita Tal Rosen... Executive Director Jessica Hassid... Director of Religious School Fran Gordon... Nursery School Director Charlie Firke...Editor Phyllis Cohn... Associate Editor Abigail Allison... Assistant Editor Stewart Martin... Assistant Editor