Hello everyone.
By now you have heard (hopefully) the great news that we are putting up
a tent for the dinner on May 18. Everyone who was on the waiting list
is now able to attend the dinner. This is really going to be an historical
night for Am Yisrael. If you are not coming to the dinner, please remember
that the program, which starts at 6:30 p.m., is open to everyone. We will
be jam-packed in the sanctuary with overflow seating in the Social Hall,
where we'll have a live audio/visual feed. We are gratefully accepting
donations to help defray the additional costs that will insure that we
are ALL able to celebrate together.
SERVICES:
Friday evening services begin at 6:30 p.m.
Shabbat morning services begin at 9:30 a.m. Mazal tov to Victoria Fishman
who will be called to the Torah as Bat Mitzvah this Shabbat. Mazal tov
to Victoria's parents, Rebecca and Ira, her brothers, Ethan and Adam;
aunt and uncle, Cheryl and Carey Cooper and the entire family. This
Shabbat is our Family Musical Service starting at 10:30 a.m. in the
Religious School building.
The Sunday morning minyan begins at 9:15 a.m. followed by breakfast.
Special Shabbat Services:
Late Friday Night Services - The second Friday of the month at 8:00
p.m. The Late Friday Night Service is the ONLY service on the second
Friday of the month. Next: May 9. Our member Dr. Ben Emanuel will discuss
his experiences in the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Oneg Shabbat
follows.
Birthday Shabbat - The third Friday of the month Next: May 16
Friday Night Live- The last Friday of the month, followed by dinner.
Next: May 30 - followed by dinner. Get your reservations in.
Tot Shabbat, Mini Minyan, Jr. Congregation The THIRD Shabbat morning
of the month. 10:30 a.m. Next: May 17
Tot Shabbat, for 2 - 4 year olds with adult in Room 3, led by congregants.
Mini Minyan, for 5 - 8 year olds in Room 2, led by Dave Brull
Jr. Congregation, for 9 - 12 year olds, in Room 4, led by Dr. Lefkovitz
Family Musical Service - the FIRST Shabbat morning of each month. 10:30
a.m. Next: May 3
NOTEWORTHY:
This Sunday, May 4, is Israel Solidarity Day/Walk With Israel in celebration
of Israel's 60th birthday. Events take place at McCormick Place starting
at 10:00 a.m. The day will be packed with food, fun and festivities.
Don't miss it. For details visit www.juf.org.
We are offering another gift card sale! Buy your Graduation/End-of-School
Year gift cards from Am Yisrael and help the Religious School earn 3-25%
commission on each card. When you purchase a gift card from Am Yisrael
for any of the retailers listed on the website www.glscrip.com, Am Yisrael
receives a percentage of the face value of the card. Fill out the order
form available at our website (www.AmYisrael.org, click on School News
May, scroll down to page 10) and return to Am Yisrael office (4 Happ
Rd., Northfield, IL 60093) by May 14th. Your cards can be picked up
at the Am Yisrael office beginning May 21st between 9:00 a.m.—5:00
p.m. Or call the office for details.
Two of our congregants, Helen Angel and Rosette Strubel are preparing
for their adult Bnot Mitzvah celebrations. They have taken on a very
meaningful Mitzvah Project in conjunction with this occasion. They are
working with Jewish World Watch to help protect refugee women and girls
in Darfur from egregious forms of violence. Women and girls who have
fled the genocide in Darfur are particularly vulnerable to acts of violence
while performing the essential task of collecting firewood for cooking
and fuel. JWW is working to provide alternative cooking options such
as solar cookers to help women remain inside the relative safety of
the camp. You can make a difference by donating solar cookers and stoves.
Contact Helen (jaa28@comcast.net) or Rosette (rosettes@comcast.net)
for details.
The newly updated directory is now available. Stop in at the office
to pick up your copy or give us a call and we'll mail it.
Please be sure to add nhnevins@amyisrael.org to your address book to
insure that the weekly emails don't get sent to your spam folder.
"L'Chayim: A Discussion on 'Greening' Our Homes and Schools"
will be held on Wed. May 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Am Yisrael. This event will
focus on Jewish teachings about environmental ethics, keeping your home,
lawn, garden and school healthy through alternative pest control methods,
and advocating for laws and policies to support healthier home and school
environments. Speakers include: welcome by Rabbi Newman Kamin, Rabbi
Nina Mizrahi, Rachel Lerner Rosenberg and Mark Bishop. For more information,
contact Donna Fishman at 847/714-1068 or djfish@tiftnet.net.
Our member, Karen Boton, will co-teach a class on "Women of Substance:
Enrich the Mind, Strengthen the Body and Lift the Soul" on Tuesday
evenings, beginning May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Am Yisrael. This eight week
group workshop will encompass physical, nutritional and spiritual well
being. Each week, Karen and her co-teacher, Rachel Erlichman will provide
components of physical exercise, nutritional guidelines and meditative
tools to assist you on your life path of health and spiritual growth.
The cost is $355 for Am Yisrael members. Contact Karen at 847/945-1553
or karenboton@sbcglobal.net or Rachel at 847/537-2629 or abodytrainer@msn.com.
Watch for details in the May bulletin.
CELEBRATE AM YISRAEL'S AND THE RABBI'S ANNIVERSARIES
May 18 is the big celebration day. The dinner in honor of the Rabbi
is sold out, but we invite everyone to attend the program that celebrates
the congregation's 40th anniversary as well as the Rabbi's 18th at 6:30
p.m.
You can order your copy of the Chai book now. The cost is $18 for this
amazing journal of experiences and thoughts from some of our members
and staff. Also included in the book is a wonderful introduction by
Dr. Lefkovitz, the Am Yisrael timeline and some 40 photos. Send me an
email if you'd like to place your order now and I'll bill you.
IN OUR COMMUNITY:
The Book Club meets on the third Thursday of every month in members'
homes. The next meeting is Thursday, May 16 in the home of Fran Rotman-Fivelson,
2723 Birchwood, Willmette, 847/256-0395 at 7:30 p.m. The readings are
"Mademoisell Claude" by Henry Miller and "To Hell with
Dying" by Alice Walker. For more information, call Book Club Co-Chairs,
Toby Frankel, 847/256-1058 or Linda Wolin 847/573-8872.
Dr. Layfer's Talmud class meets on Monday evenings at 8:00 p.m. Everyone
is welcome. The class meets in our beautiful new library in the Elyssa
Meyers Learning Center, the lower level of our school building.
When someone is ill, we traditionally say a Misheberach, a special prayer
for their recovery. During the course of our Shabbat morning services,
Cantor Simon chants a beautiful rendition of the Misheberach and we
pray for all those who are sick. In addition, when asked, the Rabbi
reads the Hebrew names of those who are ill. If you would like the name
of someone mentioned when we make the Misheberach, please let me or
the Rabbi know by email or phone. We will need the person's Hebrew first
name and the first name of their MOTHER. It will be helpful to us if
you let us know the person's English name and for how long you'd like
their name mentioned. Of course this information will be treated in
confidence if you wish. Please specify that as well.
Please remember that hospitals no longer contact synagogues when a
member is admitted. If you become ill, please call us or have a family
member call us. Rabbi Newman Kamin makes regular hospital visits and
there are special prayers for healing that can be said. If you'd like
to be included in our Refuah Shlema (speedy recovery) listing in the
weekly email, let me know.
Am Yisrael's Tikun Olam Committee is engaged in a number of worthwhile
social service undertakings for which volunteers are needed.
-The Ark needs volunteers for its "Super Sundays", where
volunteers serve lunch to and socialize with Ark clients (teens and
adults). For more information please email Dan Frankel at daf55@comcast.net
In addition, you can visit the TOV website: http://www.juf.org/tov/index.asp.
TOV is Federation's Tikun Olam Volunteers organization and it offers
a plethora of volunteer opportunities.
You can make reservations for dinners, or pledge a donation on our
website now. Go to www.amyisrael.org and click on the appropriate buttons.
The Men's Emeritus Group meets monthly for lunch and to discuss current
events. You must be a member of Am Yisrael to participate and the group
welcomes new members. For details, please call Marvin Bernstein at 847/480-0535.
IN THE LARGER COMMUNITY:
Israel Solidarity Day/Walk with Israel will take place on Sun. May 4
starting at 10 a.m. at McCormick Place. World renown musician Idan Raichel
is coming from Israel to help us celebrate. This is a wonderful celebration
and we encourage everyone to participate. There is no Sunday School
that day so that everyone can join in. Visit the website at www.juf.org.
"Practical Resources for Seniors, Individuals with Disabilities
and Their Families", a conference offered by the North Shore Senior
Center and New Trier Township will be held on Mon. May 12 from 8 a.m.
until noon at the Winnetka Women's Club, 485 Maple in Winnetke. This
free conference is designed for seniors who want to maintain an independent
lifestyle in their own home, or for those who have a family member with
a disability living at home. Keynote speaker is State Rep. Beth Coulson.
To pre-register, call the North Shore Senior Center at 847/784-6030
or New Trier Township at 847/446-8203.
United Synagogue is the umbrella organization for the Conservative movement
in the U.S. and is a great resource for learning and information. Be
sure to visit the website: www.uscj.org or click on the link at our
website www.AmYisrael.org.
FUNERAL PLAN:
In the event of a death in your family, Am Yisrael offers a funeral
plan. The funeral home that we use is Shalom Memorial Funerals. Even
though it is affiliated with Shalom Memorial Park, interment does NOT
have to be there. Burial may be at any Jewish cemetery. The service
may be held in our building, in the beautiful chapel at Shalom, or graveside
at the cemetery of your choice. The plan is designed to minimize the
choices you have to make at such a difficult time, and to keep the costs
down. You do not have to pre-pay to participate in the funeral plan.
Simply call or page me, or contact the funeral home directly at the
time of need. Feel free to call me in the office if you have any questions.
YOUTH GROUP NEWS:
Questions? Want information? Call Dave at 847/446-7215 ext 16 or email
amyisraelyouth@amyisrael.org OR send a message to the new AOL IM! Screen
name: AMUSYNEWS
EMAIL ADDRESSES:
Rabbi Newman Kamin: rabbink@aol.com
Cantor Simon: CantorSimon@AmYisrael.org
Executive Director: Nancy Holab Nevins: nhnevins@AmYisrael.org
Religious School Director: Sally Brown-Winter: sbrownwinter@AmYisrael.org
Education Consultant: Dr. Elliot Lefkovitz: elefkovitz@AmYisrael.org
Director of Youth Services: Dave Brull: amyisraelyouth@AmYisrael.org
Administrative Assistant: Gleivy deSouza: gdesouza@AmYisrael.org
Assistant to the Rabbi: Nan Naranjo: nnaranjo@AmYisrael.org
Building and Grounds Supervisor: Bryan Bogucki: bbogucki@AmYisrael.org
President: Joel Brown: President@AmYisrael.org
IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY
I can be reached on my pager, 847-210-1234 or my cell phone, 847/322-8202.
You can leave your call back number on the pager or a voice message
on either one. I will return your call as soon as I get the message
- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you do not hear back from me within
5 - 10 minutes, please try again.
Shabbat Shalom.
Nancy
Nancy Holab Nevins
Executive Director
Am Yisrael Congregation
4 Happ Road
Northfield, IL 60093
847/446-7215
fax:847/446-7202
email: NHNevins@amyisrael.org
pager: 847/210-1234
