Your Faith

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Children, teens

Congregation Beth Judea invites the community to welcome Shabbat with other families who have young children in a relaxed, fun and child-friendly atmosphere at the synagogue, which at Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove.

During the year, the Families with Young Children Committee will hold its regular services on the second Friday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Beit HaMidrash for a 30-minute Tot Shabbat session. The group will then enjoy their own Oneg Shabbat.

For further information, call the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777 and leave a message for either Jean or Larry Appel or Debbie Frager. You need not be a member of Beth Judea to join the many activities of the Families With Young Children group.

In addition, Congregation Beth Judea's Gan Shabbat is a program for children and their families. Beth Judea's family Shabbat program will meet every Shabbat morning in the Beit Midrash on the Religious School level.

This service, specially designed for children ages 9 and under along with their families, will be from 10:30-11:30 a.m. After Gan Shabbat all participants will be encouraged to join the main service and the community kiddush.

In an effort to better serve their congregants, Beth Judea is restructuring its Hebrew School. Beth Judea's Hebrew School is meeting the needs of the community it serves by restructuring and decreasing the number of days a student has to attend Religious School at the synagogue to two days a week while still maintaining a high standard for Conservative Judaism. For information, call the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777.

An Aleph Torah Assembly took place at Congregation Beth Judea, Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove in May. Beth Judea's Aleph classes worked on a year-long project culminating with a Torah Assembly. The Beth Judea 2006-07 Aleph Class consisted of Sydney Alhadeff, Evan Baich, Miranda Brim, Samuel Fishman, Miranda Greene, Emily Grossman, Charli Harris, Michael Harris, Lucas Lemberg, Abbie Malkin, Lea Saichek, Max Spiro, Jeremy Warren, Molly Granoff, Evan Harris, Maxwell Kahn, David Movitz, Carly Pine, Sophia Podber, Leonard Podkovik, Mikayla Pollard, Samantha Schechter, Rachel Weil, Jason Weinberger, Max Weiss and Michael Zeidman.

Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue invites parents with school age children to share champagne, chocolate and conversation with Education Director Alice Bechtolsheim and Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow while learning about Shir Hadash's innovative one-day-a-week religious school. from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday at 206 Landis Lane, Deerfield, home of Education Committee Chairwoman Carole Mostow.

Northbrook Congregation Ezra Habonim, 2095 Landwehr Road, Northbrook, will hold an Open House at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 9 for students and their parents to meet the Hebrew and Sunday School teachers and learn about the program. A free hot dog lunch will be served. For information, call the synagogue at (847) 480-1690.

Family

Beth Tikvah Congregation, 300 Hillcrest Boulevard in Hoffman Estates, will hold its annual Temple Picnic at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. There will be activities for all ages including: waterball volleyball, tug-of-war, a Moon Walk, "the Human Flush," face painting and sand art. A hot dog lunch is provided along with ice cream, cotton candy, desserts and drinks. The Hoffman Estates Fire Department will have a truck for all to see. There is no cost, but R.S.V.P. at (847) 885-4545.

The Men's Club of Congregation Beth Judea is sponsoring a picnic for the entire congregation at noon Sunday at Woodland Park, Route 22 and Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove.

The picnic is free for new and prospective members of Beth Judea. Cost: $5 per adult; $3 per child; Maximum $20 per family.

Activities include softball, volleyball, beanbag toss, three-legged races and much more. There will a Men's Club vs. USY Softball Game.

Please R.S.V.P. to the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777 and leave a message for Picnic Co-Chairs Fred Rabinowitz or Jim McCrindle.

Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue will host Picnic & Havdalah Under the Stars from 5 p.m.-sundown today at Fink Park, Clavey Road & Deer Creek Parkway, Highland Park. Bring your sporting equipment, musical instruments, and potluck vegetarian or dairy dish for a summer evening of family fun.

The picnic is free and open to the public. It is a wonderful way to meet Shir Hadash's staff, lay leaders and members in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. It will conclude with a Havdalah service under the stars led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow.

St. Philip Lutheran Church, 1601 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, will host a Family Movie Night at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26. "Castle in the Sky (family-friendly, animated) will be shown. Free admission includes snacks, refreshments, pizza. Nursery will provided. For information, call (847) 998-1946 or visit staff@stphilip.info.

Fundraisers

The Social Action Committee of Congregation Beth Judea will collect school supplies for Jewish Child and Family Services (JCFS) during the month of August. Packing for the collection will take place at the synagogue from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday Drop-offs can be made in the synagogue office.

The following donations are requested: backpacks, packages of pencils, pens, pocket folders, spiral notebooks, packages of crayons, washable markers, erasers, glue sticks, scissors, rulers, boxes of Kleenex, protractors and compasses, calculators, assignment books, book covers, sketch pads, colored pencils, three-ring binders, highlighters, and packages of wide-ruled notebook paper.

Chairperson of the Social Action Committee is Ronna Leibach. Beth Judea is located on Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove. For information, call the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777.

The Men's Club of Congregation Beth Judea of Long Grove will hold its 12th annual golf outing Aug. 26 at the Buffalo Grove Golf Club, 48 Raupp Blvd., Buffalo Grove. In addition to 18 holes of golf with an electric cart, golfers will be given lunch tokens to use on the course or in the clubhouse and there will be a 6:30 p.m. dinner at Lou Malnati's in Buffalo Grove.

The first tee time will be at 11:30 a.m. New this year will be a Handicap Scramble. The cost for golf, tokens and dinner is $95 per person. Sponsorship on a hole is $100. Dinner only is $20 per person ($5 for kids). Payment can be made by check to Congregation Beth Judea Men's Club.

The proceeds from the Memorial Golf Outing go directly to the Jack Rizman Memorial Fund at Congregation Beth Judea. This fund, established in his memory by Dr. Jack Rizman's family and friends, is used to provide Jewish musical concerts and programs for Beth Judea and the local community.

To register for either the golf/dinner package or just for the dinner, or for more information, leave a message for Men's Club Golf Outing Chairperson Chuck Walcer, at the Beth Judea office at (847) 634-0777. Or you can send a check to Congregation Beth Judea Men's Club @ 5304 RFD, Long Grove, IL 60047 Attention: Chuck Walcer.

Congregation Beth Judea will hold a Shop & Share Days fundraising drive at all Jewel-Osco stores Sept. 10-12. When you present a Shop & Share identification slip at the time of purchase, Jewel-Osco will donate 5 percent of all purchases to the Congregation Beth Judea General Fund.

Shop & Share identification slips are available at the synagogue, located on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. Call Sylvia Shore or Fran Bohm at the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777 for information.

Shoe Drive for Soles4Souls, Inc., a nonprofit organization that gives away shoes worldwide, will be sponsored by Women's Fellowship of St. Peter Community Church, Northbrook. Men's, women's and children's new and lightly worn shoes and boots can be dropped off at the church at 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook. Please rubber-band pairs together. The shoes may be dropped off from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Sunday through Oct. 31. For information, call the church at (847) 272-2246.

When you are out and about shopping this summer, keep in mind the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes that St. Peter Community Church, 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook, will again be collecting. The drop-off dates for 2007 are Nov. 12-18. These boxes are delivered to children in desperate circumstances around the world. Call St. Peter Community Church office (847) 272-2246 for more information.

Lectures, seminars

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food" by Barbara Kingsolver will be the subject of discussion of the Summer Book Group at North Northfield United Methodist Church at 9 a.m. today and 7 p.m. Monday. The public is invited to attend the event, which will be held at the church, at Sanders and Dunee. For information, call the church office at (847) 272-2250 or visit the church's Web site at www.northnorthfield.org.

Congregation Beth Judea announces another class in its fall semester Adult Academy, the Men's Club Hebrew Literacy Class. In this beginner's class, instructors Sandy Victor and Howie Goodman will teach how to read Hebrew regardless of level of previous instruction, through a 12-week program from the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. The class is open to any adult.

The class will meet at the synagogue on Tuesday evenings from 8 to 9 p.m. Classes will be held Sept. 18 and 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27; and Dec. 11. "Graduation" will be at Friday Shabbat services, Dec. 14.

A $30 fee includes the "Shalom Aleichem" textbook, and may be made payable to the Beth Judea Men's Club. To register, call the Beth Judea office at (847) 634-077. Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove.

Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois will hold "Highlights of the International Jewish genealogical conference" from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 26 at Temple Beth Israel, 3601 W. Dempster St., Skokie.

The meeting room will open at 1 p.m. for studying research materials and asking questions. JGSI librarian and past president Belle Holman will present "JGSI Library update" from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. "Highlights of the International Jewish Genealogical Conference" will begin at 2 p.m. After this program, there will be a question and answer period until 4 p.m.

For information, visit www.jewishgen.org/jgsi or call (312) 666-0100.

Miscellaneous

Beth Tikvah CongregationŒin Hoffman Estates will kick off its 50th anniversary this fall and they are looking for past members. If you used to belong to Beth Tikvah at any time during the past 50 years, call Lucy at the temple office, (847) 885-4545.

Temple Chai members will participate in The Torah Mitzvah, a yearlong celebration of Torah creation and study. Each member will be invited to write a letter in the torah, guided by Neil Yerman, a renowned scribe, who has worked with congregations across the country. Yerman will guide participants, privately, as they dip a quill in ink and create a letter in the Torah.

This is a unique privilege for congregants to fulfill the very last, 613th Commandment of writing a Torah. It is also an opportunity for participants to learn how Torah has sustained the Jewish people throughout history as well as remember or honor someone special as they write their letter and honor this age old tradition.

The ceremony begins at Temple Chai at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 26 with singing, dancing and a call to Torah. Following the celebration, congregants will begin to write the new Torah by pre-scheduling appointments with Yerman. The Torah Mitzvah will be celebrated by a year-long program of special events, services and educational opportunities, and will end on May 9 by sewing the last panel to the torah scroll during a final gala celebration.

Temple Chai, a Reform Jewish congregation, is led by Rabbi Stephen Hart, Rabbi Matthew Berger, Cantor Scott Simon and Executive Director, Larry Glickman.

St. Peter Community Church, (affiliated with the United Church of Christ) 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook, will launch its new program year on the Sunday after Labor Day, Sept. 9, including an ice cream social from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (847) 272-2246.

Performances

"The Trial of Abraham: A Dramatic Presentation" will be presented from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at Northbrook Public Library Auditorium, 1201 Cedar Lane. In a mock courtroom setting, Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue will explore the moral and religious issues raised by the Old Testament story of the "Binding of Isaac," which describes the near sacrifice of Abraham's only son as a test of Abraham's loyalty and obedience to God. After the prosecution and defense rest their case, the audience will serve as jury and deliberate and render their verdict as to whether Abraham should be found guilty or innocent. This reading is traditionally read on the upcoming Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, a celebration of the Jewish New Year.

Shir Hadash is noted for its arts-oriented services, its popular one-day-a-week religious school, and its inclusive congregation. Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow is the founding rabbi of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue.

Special services

Beth Tikvah Congregation, located in Hoffman Estates, announces the following summer services:

Friday, a special Shabbat Service held outdoors at the Village Green in Prairie Stone Park.

For information call the Temple office at (847) 885-4545 or visit www.beth-tikvah.org

Congregation Beth Judea will hold a Selichot Dessert Reception in the synagogue's Social Hall at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 8. A Selichot Service will follow at 10:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary. As is the custom, all services at Beth Judea, except for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, are open to the entire community.

Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. For more information about membership in this full-service egalitarian Conservative synagogue, contact Lisa Neiman, executive director, at (847) 634-0777 or direct your inquiries to her on e-mail at bethjudea@bethjudea.org.

Anshe Tikvah will offer a celebration of Shabbat at a new location, the "Life Care Center," 103 Shelter, Lincolnshire, Aug. 31 with 6 p.m. reception and 6:30 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services. At 7 p.m. Friday, prospective and new member Kabbalat Shabbat services and gala oneg will be offered.

High Holy Days, Rosh Hashana Sept. 12-14 and Yom Kippur Sept 21-22, will be offered at Stevenson High School Performing Arts Center, Lincolnshire. Complimentary tickets available. Admission by ticket only.

High Holy Day Young Family Service open to the community.

Rob Jury, spiritual leader. Call (847) 917-7726 for information or visit www.anshetikvah.org.

A community Friday Night Shabbat dinner will be offered Friday at Lubavitch Chabad of Northbrook. Services are at 7 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m. at Lubavitch Chabad of Northbrook 755 Huehl Road (corner Dundee Road), Northbrook. For information, call (847) 564-8770 or visit www.chabadnorthbrook.com.

The Shul at Lubavitch Chabad of Northbrook invites all to High Holiday services. The traditional services are easy-to-follow. The English-Hebrew prayer book, along with song and commentary, make everyone an active participant. The kids will enjoy the special children's interactive programs, just for them.

Membership not required. Call (847) 564-8770 or visit www.ChabadNorthbrook.com for more information and schedule of services and programs.

Women's programs

The Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Judea has planned an outing to ArtWerks, 445 Robert Parker Coffin Road, Long Grove, to paint ceramic pieces at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 5. A $10 flat fee per person will be charged to cover the cost of the kiln. The individual pieces range in price, with the average price around $15. There will be a variety of items to choose from: dreidels, mazzuzot, menorahs, etc. Refreshments will be served.

Space is limited; you must R.S.V.P. To reserve your space or for more information, leave a message for Serena Repsold, Sisterhood's vice president of programming, at the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777. Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove.

Women's Circle Pre-holiday Cooking Class will be offered at 8 p.m. Aug. 28. Learn how to make a variety of kugels, from a basic noodle kugel to a gourmet apple kugel and lots in between. Suggested donation $8. At Lubavitch Chabad of Northbrook, 755 Huehl Road (corner Dundee Road), Northbrook. For more information, call (847) 564-8770 or visit www.chabadnorthbrook.com.