April - Temple Sholom of Chicago

April, 2014
Get involved
Young Couples Club
From the President
Craig Niederberger
Young Couples Club
/Mishpacha Event
Sunday, April 5, 7:30 pm
at Taco Joint - 158 W. Ontario
Ligh
ay
ting the w
for
14 6
years!
Temple Sholom
3480 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60657
Monthly Movie Night
Hava Nagila (The Movie)
Monday, April 7, 7:00 pm
r
the
e
g
To d
me Y 3r
o
C MA
Temple Sholom 20’s & 30’s
Sushi Shabbat
Friday, April 18, 7:30 pm
Coming in May
Temple Sholom Annual Meeting
Tuesday, May 6, 5:00 pm reception, 6:00 pm Annual meeting
Join us as we elect Temple Sholom’s new Board Officers and
Directors and conduct the annual business of the Temple.
Special Shabbat Service
Friday, May 9, 6:15 pm
Come to Services on May 9 to join in the festivities.
Life After 50
Mindful Jewish Aging
Monday, April 21, 7:00 pm
(off-site)
Join this 50+
group as we
examine how
the exodus
from Egypt
can be a
metaphor for
expanding
our inner horizons and
emancipating our spiritual
lives. RSVP to Jason at
[email protected]
Caroline Kaplan, a high
school senior, will share sacred
insights in a Kabbalat Torah
ceremony.
Mattan Klein, one of today’s
hottest Jazz/World Music
flutists, will perform as part of
the Israeli Jazz Festival.
-
Farewell, Rabbi Sandmel
& his wife
Janet Raffel
We will offer
our best wishes
as the Rabbi
takes on a new
position at the
ADL in NYC
starting in June.
Sisterhood Year-End
Celebration Dinner
Sunday, May 18, 6:00 pm
A night of comedy!
This edition of The D’var is printed on recycled paper
In March I had the opportunity to enjoy an
event at the Chicago Symphony Center,
“If It Wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews.” It was a
wonderful program celebrating the culture and
music brought into being by Jewish and Irish
immigrants. If you were there, you heard the
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, a 100-voice choir
of Old St. Patrick’s Church, the Metropolitan
Symphony Orchestra, Cantor Arik Luck, Kol
Zimrah, and a traditional Irish band. There
was even dancing. It was a stunning evening
intermeshing two great immigrant peoples and
our remarkable creativity and art.
During the performance as my mind
wandered to the beautiful music, I thought
of the immigrant experience that has formed
and continues to shape all our lives. An entire
Book of Moses is devoted to a story of our
immigration; we tell that story in powerful
symbols during Passover every year; and
we sing Mi Chamocha weekly to rejoice in
the guidance of our Creator in making that
immigration a success. I am grateful that Olam
HaMitzvot on April 27 will focus on immigration.
On a spiritual level, our immigration stories
didn’t end with Exodus: we’ve had many
journeys throughout history that kept our
people and culture alive and free.
Each of our lives is an immigration story: we
as individuals may not be journeying through
space, but all of us roam through time and
want to leave a better place for our children.
Our Sholom community has embarked on a
journey, one that involves deep introspection
about our vision of who we are and what we
want to be. Soon we will begin a process of
strategic planning for our congregation. We
welcome input from all, as every one of us is an
integral part of our community.
Please give voice to your passions and your
dreams so that we may together build our
Sholom of the future.
Worship Schedule
Friday, April 4, 11, 18, 25
5:45 pm Wine and Cheese Reception
6:15 pm Shabbat Service
Oneg to follow
Saturday, April 5, 12, 19, 26
9:00 am Shabbat Morning Study Minyan
10:30 am Shabbat Service
(only when B’nai Mitzvah are scheduled)
Special Shabbat Services:
First Friday Family Shabbat
April 4, 5:30 pm
20’s & 30’s Sushi Shabbat
April 18, 7:30 pm
Special Shabbat with
Rabbi David Saperstein
April 25, 6:15
On Passover,
What is Freedom?
Senior Rabbi
Edwin Goldberg
Spring is finally here in Chicago (we hope). We gather together at
our Pesach seders to retell the story of our ancestors’ exodus from
Egypt. The meal will begin when we utter the following plea over
the matzah:
This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of
Egypt. All who are hungry, let them come and eat. All who are in
need, let them celebrate Pesach.
A question: Why are the phrases “all who are hungry, let them come
and eat” as well as “all who are in need, let them celebrate Pesach”
both included? Would it not have been sufficient if the Haggadah
only contained one of these two phrases?
One possible answer: The first line “all who are hungry” refers to
a person’s physical needs, while the second phrase “all who are
in need” refers to a person’s spiritual needs. According to this
interpretation, in order to be truly free, one must take care of both
physical and spiritual needs.
Poverty is still very prevalent in America and we are called upon to
take care of people’s physical needs, as Temple Sholom does every
Monday night.
But having enough – or more than enough – does not make us
free. There are many Americans who live life at a level of material
well- being that would make aristocrats and monarchs of past
generations envious. But having material wealth does not make us
free; indeed we can find ourselves enslaved by our possessions.
Pesach is a holiday that records our redemption. Its message,
though, is a call to freedom. It is a universal challenge that we
should struggle to answer throughout the year.
Passover
Tuesday, April 15,
10:30 am First Day
of Passover Service
6:30 pm Congregational
Second Night Seder
conducted by
Rabbi Goldberg
Monday, April 21,
10:30 am Final Day
of Passover Service
at Emanuel Congregation
5959 N. Sheridan Rd,
What ‘s the
Rabbi Reading?
The Story of the Jews
by Simon Schama
In this magnificently
illustrated cultural
history—the tie-in
to the PBS and
BBC series The
Story of the Jews—
Simon Schama
details the story
of the Jewish
experience,
tracing it across
three millennia, from their
beginnings as an ancient tribal people to
the opening of the New World in 1492 to
the modern day.
For more visit sholomchicago.org
CO MM U N I T Y
Of Blessed Memory
Yahrzeits
First Year
Jesus Ruiz 4/9/2013
Marian Bloom, mother of Roslynne (Michael) Supera, February 23.
Avraham Darshan, brother-in-law of Amnon (Jodi) Morady, February 20. father of Mr. Jesse Ruiz
Ruth Horwitz, grandmother of Merritt (Adam) DeWitt, February 16.
John Smith 4/12/2013
father of Mr. Mark Smith
Gertrude Emerson 4/13/2013
grandmother of Mrs. Gail O’Connor,
& mother of Mrs. Lois Paul
New Members
Florance Braudy 4/14/2013
mother of Mr. Andrew Braudy
Lisa & Peter Katz and their children Lanie and Griffin
Christine & Michael Kupfer and their sons Benjamin and Alexander
Rita Loew
Paul & Jillian Mann and their son Max
Wendy & Jason Olt and their children Charlie and Dylan
Joanna & Jordan Skolnick and their children Audrey and Gabriel
Robert Perloff 4/15/2013
father of Ms. Judy Perloff
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Sandy Kurtz
Sandy Kurtz joined
Temple Sholom
because it stands
for the things she
believes in, such as
social justice and a
contemporary view of
the rituals of Judaism.
She particularly likes
the openness and
willingness to entertain new ways of what living
a Jewish life means in our time.
She says “The role of the Temple in 2014 must
meet the needs of the congregants now as well
as planning for the future. The Temple of today
may not be your grandparent’s Temple, and
must resonate across generational lines.“
In her role as a board member she is honored
to participate in planning how those needs
are going to be met. Sandy serves on the
Development Committee, as a way to engage
congregants in their visions of the future
which she sees as one filled with innovation,
technology, accessibility. What an exciting time!
Sandy blogs and speaks as “Fitness
Granny”. After a minor injury she was fortunate
to meet a trainer who changed her life . He
transformed her attitude about “senior fitness”.
Now, Sandy has become passionate about
exercising every day as the way to enjoy
your senior years. She regularly speaks to the
residents at the local retirement community,
Lincolnwood Place, and maintains a relationship
with them on their fitness progress. Her motto
is, “You’re Getting Older. So What?”
FF Sisterhood
Seder
(Co-sponsored by
Eco Chavura)
Tuesday, April 8,
6:00 pm
Celebrate Passover
with other women at the Temple! Bring your
daughters, mother, friends, and/or colleagues
to dance to Miriam’s song, read from our
own Sisterhood Haggadah and share in the
camaraderie of this special evening.
Cost is $36 for Sisterhood members,
$45 for non-Sisterhood members,
$18 for children
Please RSVP by April 3rd either via the evite you
should have received or by emailing Lori Curtis
at [email protected].
Mom’s Spring Night Out
Honoring your best self with True2Life
Thursday, April 24,
7:00 pm
At Athleta
(3415 N. Southport)
Join other moms of preb’nai-aged children for a
wellness workshop focusing
on women’s health. The
lecture will be led by an
expert panel and the event will conclude
with a practical meditation and yoga
session.
For information on all Mishpacha Events
contact Kylie at 773-435-1559
or [email protected]
Come Together for
May 3, 2014
Jackie & John Bucksbaum
Jennifer Friedes & Steve Florshiem
Steve Koch
The Kovler Family
Benita Levy
Susan Lichtenstein & John Rokacz
Marilyn Spracker & Fred Tannenbaum
Ralph Wanger
Edna & Don Weiss
Barbara & Steve Wolf
Lara Frohlich & John Bremen
Mindy & Ed Kirsh
Kimberly Ross
Tina & Buzz Ruttenberg
Julie & Jon Walner
Cindy & Warren Baker
Iris & Marty Gradman
Sandi & Barry Hartstein
Beth & David Inlander
Bill Healey & Marc Kaufman
Jackie Lustig & Chris Hallett
Karen Lewak & Craig Niederberger
Linda & Bob Mendelson
Shelley & Michael Radner
Teri & Roger Rudich
Judith & John Shear
Kathy & Ken Tallering
Dana & Dean Anderson
Edwards Buice & Frank Buttitta
Ericka Schnitzer Reese & Rob Reese
Juliana & Chad Schafer
Judith Weinstein & Mat MacCumber
Don’t Let
us down
Get your Ticket to Ride!
$95 per person.
and don’t forget to get
your Raffle Tickets!
You could win
AMAZING Trips or
a MINI Cooper Convertible
for the SUMMER!
TICKETS:
1 for $50
3 For $100
(you don’t have to be present
to be a winner!)
www.sholomchicago.org/
community/
come-together-2014
Thanks for your HELP! In-kind donations:
For a complete listing of donations please go to sholomchicago.org
B’N A I M I TZ VA H
Eco
Chavura
SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEERING
Hesed: Hearts and Hands
a visioning Task Force
“Greening Our Sacred Community”
Making the Desert Bloom : Kibbutz Lotan celebrates
30+ years of Pluralism and Eco-Zionism
in the Arava Desert
Rachael McKenzie
Zachary Lending
April 5
April 26
Rachael Lauren McKenzie is
the daughter of Danna Brim
and Martin McKenzie. Rachael
attends Audubon Elementary
School (7th grade) with her
brother Gabriel (4th grade). For
her mitzvah project, Rachael is
playing music and games for
the residents at the Hallmark
Senior Assisted Living Center
on Lake Shore Drive. Rachael
also performs in the “Audubon
Rock Band” playing acoustic
guitar and singing. Rachael’s
passions are singing, playing
guitar, dancing and reading.
Rachael spent two summers at
OSRUI theater camp and plans
to attend again this summer.
Her entire family and friends look
forward to celebrating with her
on this momentous day..
Zach, son of Randy and Tracy
Lending and brother to Jacob,
is in 7th grade at Francis Parker
School. For his Mitzvah project,
Zach volunteered at Temple
Sholom’s Monday Meal, which
he plans to continue doing after
his Bar Mitzvah. He also volunteers
for
the
Intergenerational
Project as part of his school
sponsored community service
action.
Zach loves playing
and watching sports and is an
avid baseball and basketball
player. He spends his summers
in northern Wisconsin at North
Star Camp, which he absolutely
loves! Zach’s entire family is very
proud of him as he becomes
a Bar Mitzvah.
Special Guest Speaker: Alex Cicelsky
Wednesday, April 30, 7:30 pm.
Please join us to hear an inspiring story about
Kibbutz Lotan, located in the Arava Desert in
Southern Israel.
Temple Board Member Jim Cherney says:
”I have visited Lotan several times and always
come away marveling at their accomplishments
in creating a cutting edge, environmentally
sound community. Alex is an engaging speaker;
I guarantee you will both enjoy this program
and enrich your knowledge of sustainable
communities.”
Alex Cicelsky travels the world promoting the
values of his community and urging others to visit
Lotan. See www.kibbutzlotan.com for teasers.
Rabbi Lawrence Troster’s reflection about
environment and the concept of Tzedek –
justice refers to slavery in Egypt. What a timely
piece to read this month as we celebrate
Passover! How can we correct the imbalances in
our environment? Check out this link to learn more:
http://ow.ly/uLA6h
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Jason Lindner
Maybe you’ve heard him singing
in the halls! As the Marketing &
Communications Director and the
assistant for Cantor Katzman, Jason has
worked for the Temple since 2009. He’s
the one that puts together all of our
communications - meaning all the flyers,
web updates, and of course, the D’var.
In addition to his work at the Temple, Jason is an actor,
singer, and playwright with an MFA from the Yale School of
Drama. His play entitled “The Half-Life of Memory” opens
on June 6 at the DCA downtown. He is also an accomplished
writing/testing tutor and has helped literally hundreds of
students get into the schools of their dreams.
Jason lives in Lincoln Square with his wife Angela, their
adorable son Malcolm (Age 16 months - the pride of Gan),
and a little chihuahua mutt named L’il Bit.
5th - 8th
Grade
Retreat
at OSRUI
Who: All 5th - 8th Graders whose families
are members of Temple Sholom.
When: Fri, April 11 - Sun, April 13,
Where: OSRUI, 600 Lac La Belle Drive,
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
Cost: $200 (scholarships available)
The OSRUI retreat is a great
opportunity to build fellowship, make
memories, and learn in a relaxed
environment just a few hours from
home.
Please contact Lisa Rausa
at [email protected]
to join in the fun
In Psalm 89, we sing: Olam Hesed Yibaneh - This world will be built on Hesed. Hesed means
“Loving-Kindness” and this effort, chaired by Cindy Solitro, Bess Schatz, and Sonya Morgan will
make sure that our sacred community of Temple Sholom has Hesed built into our very fabric.
Through the work of our hearts and hands, we will make sure that everyone receives support in
times of need as well as feel embraced in times of good fortune.
Cyndi Solitro
“I’m looking forward
to showing our Temple
Sholom community how
much they are cared for
in so many ways!”
Bess Schatz
“Temple Sholom:
a sacred community
that embraces,
inspires and matters.”
Sonya Morgan
“Acts of Loving Kindness
can make such a difference
in people’s lives. I am
delighted to be
Co-Chairing the Hesed
committee that will provide
a structure for us, as a
congregation, to reach
out and provide that much needed
support.”
“For me, the idea of Hesed means that we are joining together to embrace and support Temple
Sholom community members through acts of loving-kindness. When we assist others, we not
only lend a helping hand, but we allow our hearts to be filled with love. I chose to be involved in
Hesed, because I believe that there are many ways that we, as members of Temple Sholom, can
help our fellow congregants, neighbors, and friends when they are going through challenging
times. I feel extremely fortunate for my good health and well being, and I can use my gifts to
help others. The Hesed task force will provide an organized outlet for Temple Sholom members
to support their fellow congregants through simple gestures to show we care. I look forward to helping launch
this new initiative at Temple Sholom!
Come join us!
To learn more about how to participate
Contact Lori Curtis at [email protected] or 773-435-1531
Olam Ha Mitzvot: The World of Good Deeds
Sunday, April 27
FF
This year for our “Day of Good Deeds” we will focus on refugees and
immigration both in service projects and advocacy. While some
previous projects, such as the Blood Drive and planting in Gan Emunah,
will be back, we also introduce ways that you can help agencies
that aid immigrants and refugees. We will be working with groups
like Refugee One and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Chicago,
inviting our congregants to a full immersion experience with immigrants.
Luncheon Panel at 12:15 pm
We also welcome a dynamic panel of speakers who will go beyond the politics of
immigration reform to address immigration in terms of advocacy and also how it fits into
a larger Jewish context. We hope that you will be a part of this annual tradition as we
challenge ourselves a congregation to learn and to act on behalf of those who need us.
Check our website for a full list of projects coming soon. Feel free to call Kevin Gladish at
773-435-1536 or email [email protected] with any questions.
April at Temple Sholom
SUND AY
MONDAY
Haggadah:
“Archetype
& Adaptation”
Stephen Durchslag boasts
the world’s largest private
collection of Haggadot the jewels of which will be
on display in the Temple
Sholom Rotunda
through April.
T UESD A Y
WED N E S D A Y
K EY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
12345
AL Anon Family Group
10:00 am
Midweek Hebrew
4:30 pm
Study Group 10:00 am
Crown Family High
School 6:15 pm
Mah Jong 6:30 pm
Midweek Hebrew
7:00 pm
Morning Book Club
11:00 am
Dr. Yossi Beilin - J Street
Town Hall Meeting
7:30 pm
FF FIRST FRIDAY
Family Shabbat
Wine & Cheese and
Kid’s Dinner 5:30 pm
Shabbat Service
6:15 pm
Oneg to follow
Morning Study Minyan
9:00 am
Bat Mitzvah Service,
Rachael McKenzie
10:30 am
Mischpacha/YCC
Spring Event 7:30 pm
Worship
Social Action
Education
Community Event
Holiday
FF Family Friendly
678910
11
12
Religious School 9:45 am
Adult Education 10:00 am
Monthly Lunch & Learn
12:00 pm
Monday Meal 3:30 pm
Temple Sholom Movie
Night 7:00 pm
AL Anon Family Group
10:00 am
Midweek Hebrew
4:30 pm
FF Sisterhood Seder
6:00 pm
Wine & Cheese 5:45 pm
Shabbat Service 6:15 pm
Oneg to follow
Study Group 10:00 am
Crown Family High
School 6:15 pm
Mah Jong 6:30 pm
Midweek Hebrew
7:00 pm
Morning Study Minyan
9:00 am
Passover - 1st Night
Passover
Passover
Passover
Passover
13141516171819
Feed the Hungry 9:30 am
Religious School
9:45 am
Adult Education
10:00 am
Monday Meal 3:30 pm
- offices closed
1st Day Passover Service
10:30 am
NO AL Anon Family
Group
NO Midweek Hebrew
FF Annual 2nd Night
Seder 6:30 pm
Wine & Cheese 5:45 pm
Shabbat Service 6:15 pm
Oneg to follow
Birthday Blessings
20s/30s Sushi Shabbat
7:30 pm
NO Study Group
NO Crown Family High
School
NO Mah Jong
NO Midweek Hebrew
Passover
Morning Study Minyan
9:00 am
Passover - Last Day
Passover
202122
23242526
Offices closed
NO Religious School
NO Adult Education
NO Monday Meal
Last Morning Passover
Service at Emanuel
Congregation
(5959 N. Sheridan Rd)
10:30 am
Mindful Jewish Aging
7:00 pm (off-site)
AL Anon Family Group
10:00 am
Midweek Hebrew
4:30 pm
Study Group 10:00 am
Crown Family High
School 6:15 pm
Mah Jong 6:30 pm
Midweek Hebrew
7:00 pm
Mishpacha Moms Spring
Night Out - 7:00 pm
Wine & Cheese 5:45 pm
Shabbat Service
With Rabbi David
Saperstein 6:15 pm
Oneg to follow
Morning Study Minyan
9:00 am
Bar Mitzvah Service,
Zachary Lending
10:30 am
Religious School
27282930
9:45 am
Adult Education
10:00 am
FF Olam Ha Mitzvot
Day of Good Deeds
12:00 pm
Monday Meal 3:30 pm
For more visit sholomchicago.org
AL Anon Family Group
10:00 am
Midweek Hebrew
4:30 pm
Study Group
10:00 am
Speaker: Ken Green
12:00 pm
Crown Family High
School 6:15 pm
Mah Jong 6:30 pm
Midweek Hebrew
7:00 pm
Speaker: Alex Cicelsky
7:30 pm
Illustration of a Seder dinner from an 1867 Haggadah printed in Livorno, Italy
FF Passover
2nd Night Seder - led by Rabbi Edwin Goldberg
Tuesday, April 15, 6:30 pm
Gather around the Passover table with your Temple Sholom family & friends.
Please RSVP by April 9 to Lori Curtis at [email protected] - 773-435-1531
Rabbi David Saperstein
Director of the RAC
Friday, April 25, 6:15 pm
For over 30 years, Rabbi
Saperstien has represented
the Reform Jewish
Movement to Congress
and the Administration as
the Director of the Religious
Action Center of Reform
Judaism (RAC).
On Friday night, He will speak
on the topic of:
“Being the Hands of God:
Jewish Social Justice
at a Time of Crisis and
Opportunity.”
Rabbi Saperstein’s visit is
sponsored by the Rabbi
Aaron M. Petuchowski Fund
for Excellence in Jewish
Education.
CONTACT TEMPLE SHOLOM
Main Phone: 773-525-4707
Gan Shalom: 773-525-4867
email: [email protected]
April, 2014
Get involved
Young Couples Club
From the President
Craig Niederberger
Young Couples Club
/Mishpacha Event
Sunday, April 5, 7:30 pm
at Taco Joint - 158 W. Ontario
Ligh
ay
ting the w
for
14 6
years!
Temple Sholom
3480 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60657
Monthly Movie Night
Hava Nagila (The Movie)
Monday, April 7, 7:00 pm
r
the
e
g
To d
me Y 3r
o
C MA
Temple Sholom 20’s & 30’s
Sushi Shabbat
Friday, April 18, 7:30 pm
Coming in May
Temple Sholom Annual Meeting
Tuesday, May 6, 5:00 pm reception, 6:00 pm Annual meeting
Join us as we elect Temple Sholom’s new Board Officers and
Directors and conduct the annual business of the Temple.
Special Shabbat Service
Friday, May 9, 6:15 pm
Come to Services on May 9 to join in the festivities.
Life After 50
Mindful Jewish Aging
Monday, April 21, 7:00 pm
(off-site)
Join this 50+
group as we
examine how
the exodus
from Egypt
can be a
metaphor for
expanding
our inner horizons and
emancipating our spiritual
lives. RSVP to Jason at
[email protected]
Caroline Kaplan, a high
school senior, will share sacred
insights in a Kabbalat Torah
ceremony.
Mattan Klein, one of today’s
hottest Jazz/World Music
flutists, will perform as part of
the Israeli Jazz Festival.
-
Farewell, Rabbi Sandmel
& his wife
Janet Raffel
We will offer
our best wishes
as the Rabbi
takes on a new
position at the
ADL in NYC
starting in June.
Sisterhood Year-End
Celebration Dinner
Sunday, May 18, 6:00 pm
A night of comedy!
This edition of The D’var is printed on recycled paper
In March I had the opportunity to enjoy an
event at the Chicago Symphony Center,
“If It Wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews.” It was a
wonderful program celebrating the culture and
music brought into being by Jewish and Irish
immigrants. If you were there, you heard the
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, a 100-voice choir
of Old St. Patrick’s Church, the Metropolitan
Symphony Orchestra, Cantor Arik Luck, Kol
Zimrah, and a traditional Irish band. There
was even dancing. It was a stunning evening
intermeshing two great immigrant peoples and
our remarkable creativity and art.
During the performance as my mind
wandered to the beautiful music, I thought
of the immigrant experience that has formed
and continues to shape all our lives. An entire
Book of Moses is devoted to a story of our
immigration; we tell that story in powerful
symbols during Passover every year; and
we sing Mi Chamocha weekly to rejoice in
the guidance of our Creator in making that
immigration a success. I am grateful that Olam
HaMitzvot on April 27 will focus on immigration.
On a spiritual level, our immigration stories
didn’t end with Exodus: we’ve had many
journeys throughout history that kept our
people and culture alive and free.
Each of our lives is an immigration story: we
as individuals may not be journeying through
space, but all of us roam through time and
want to leave a better place for our children.
Our Sholom community has embarked on a
journey, one that involves deep introspection
about our vision of who we are and what we
want to be. Soon we will begin a process of
strategic planning for our congregation. We
welcome input from all, as every one of us is an
integral part of our community.
Please give voice to your passions and your
dreams so that we may together build our
Sholom of the future.
Worship Schedule
Friday, April 4, 11, 18, 25
5:45 pm Wine and Cheese Reception
6:15 pm Shabbat Service
Oneg to follow
Saturday, April 5, 12, 19, 26
9:00 am Shabbat Morning Study Minyan
10:30 am Shabbat Service
(only when B’nai Mitzvah are scheduled)
Special Shabbat Services:
First Friday Family Shabbat
April 4, 5:30 pm
20’s & 30’s Sushi Shabbat
April 18, 7:30 pm
Special Shabbat with
Rabbi David Saperstein
April 25, 6:15
On Passover,
What is Freedom?
Senior Rabbi
Edwin Goldberg
Spring is finally here in Chicago (we hope). We gather together at
our Pesach seders to retell the story of our ancestors’ exodus from
Egypt. The meal will begin when we utter the following plea over
the matzah:
This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of
Egypt. All who are hungry, let them come and eat. All who are in
need, let them celebrate Pesach.
A question: Why are the phrases “all who are hungry, let them come
and eat” as well as “all who are in need, let them celebrate Pesach”
both included? Would it not have been sufficient if the Haggadah
only contained one of these two phrases?
One possible answer: The first line “all who are hungry” refers to
a person’s physical needs, while the second phrase “all who are
in need” refers to a person’s spiritual needs. According to this
interpretation, in order to be truly free, one must take care of both
physical and spiritual needs.
Poverty is still very prevalent in America and we are called upon to
take care of people’s physical needs, as Temple Sholom does every
Monday night.
But having enough – or more than enough – does not make us
free. There are many Americans who live life at a level of material
well- being that would make aristocrats and monarchs of past
generations envious. But having material wealth does not make us
free; indeed we can find ourselves enslaved by our possessions.
Pesach is a holiday that records our redemption. Its message,
though, is a call to freedom. It is a universal challenge that we
should struggle to answer throughout the year.
Passover
Tuesday, April 15,
10:30 am First Day
of Passover Service
6:30 pm Congregational
Second Night Seder
conducted by
Rabbi Goldberg
Monday, April 21,
10:30 am Final Day
of Passover Service
at Emanuel Congregation
5959 N. Sheridan Rd,
What ‘s the
Rabbi Reading?
The Story of the Jews
by Simon Schama
In this magnificently
illustrated cultural
history—the tie-in
to the PBS and
BBC series The
Story of the Jews—
Simon Schama
details the story
of the Jewish
experience,
tracing it across
three millennia, from their
beginnings as an ancient tribal people to
the opening of the New World in 1492 to
the modern day.
For more visit sholomchicago.org