Congregation B'nai Shalom
Traditionally Speaking
January, 2005
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Congregation B'nai Shalom Traditionally Speaking |
From the Rabbi
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THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - From RABBI JONATHAN GLASS
A Time of Beginnings
The first 15 days.....reflections from Rabbi Glass
First of all it's great to be here! We have so much learning and growing to do together and I'm excited to be working with you all to make it happen. Hazak Hazak Venitchazek---may we all be strong and accomplish much together!
They warned me about the winters here. First it starts to get brisk, then it gets cool, then it gets quite cold then..... let's not go there!
But why did the Good Lord create winter?
Our Rabbis teach us that the seasons symbolize the relationship between the Creator and the creation. Summer is the season of Divine kindness--we bask in the warmth and the light that our Creator shines down on us day after day. We feel continually blessed as we enjoy that beautiful radiance.
Winter though has its own significance. During winter we need to create our own light, make our own efforts to "warm up" the world. It starts with the lights of Chanukah---every day making more and more light. And as the winter progresses we need to create light--not just physical light and warmth, but the light of the spirit through the Torah we learn, the special acts of kindness we perform, and the warmth of community that we create. Winter teaches us that "there is a time for everything" --a time when the Divine kindness is more concealed so that we have a chance to "give back"--to create our own warmth and light.
May we get warmer and warmer in our hearts and our spirits!
Rabbi Glass
FROM THE PRESIDENT - ROB CHEIFETZ
Now that Rabbi Glass has joined our family, I no longer find the need to write a “message” with a religious tie-in. That is the Rabbi’s bailiwick, and I am thrilled to have someone so knowledgeable and talented to fill that position. So, I’ll write this message in my “shul cheerleader” role hat (sadly, my legs aren’t what they used to be - but here goes).
How To Make Our Shul Better
For the longest time, a small group of our membership has devoted a tremendous amount of their time, energy, and money to our success. Thankfully, those people have been extremely industrious, creative, and generous. But a shul shouldn’t be a place you visit once in a while to enjoy the fruit of other people’s labors; we are not a “pay and pray” theatre, with shows at various times (and matinees on the holidays). The shul should be the centerpiece of your Jewish communal experience, where you comfortably congregate with your friends and neighbors to worship, nosh, kibbitz, and play.
For too many people, the shul members and staff seem like employees of any other business, like a cashier at Starbucks or Home Depot. As a result, both sides view the relationship with a sense of distance, a standoffish-ness that is natural between strangers, but should not be the norm in a shul.
How do we remedy this? First, on behalf of the “shul,” I will commit that our active members and staff will renew our efforts to be wonderful AmeriCANS as opposed to cranky AmeriCANTS. If you have a great idea to help the shul, are planning an event, want to learn how to lead part of the service, or are in need of help, you will be greeted with a warm, friendly, and optimistic response. Ultimately, we may not be able to help you, but we will certainly try our best to do so -- and if we can’t, we’ll explain why not.
Now, for your turn. You must make a commitment to make the shul a warm and friendly place. Spend more time in shul, get to know us, invite the Rabbi for a meal, help make a minyan, be supportive of new events and experiences, smile a lot, shake hands, send thank you notes, and ask “may I help you with that?” any chance you get.
For too long, the saying around the shul has been “no good deed goes unpunished.” We need a new motto. Please choose from any of the following: “No good deed goes unnoticed;” “No good deed goes unreturned;” or “No good deed? I’ll fix that!”
Either way, we should all pitch in to make our shul-going experience more enjoyable. The more people help, the more pleasant everything and everyone will be. And if you don’t have time to physically help, please give generously (remember: we need to hire the Rabbi for another year, full-time), smile when we say “thank you for your donation,” and come to shul often to enjoy the fruits of your generosity.
We had a wonderful Chanukah party on December 5th. The party started out with Beth L., accompanied on the piano by Naomi S., leading the group in Chanukah songs. Once again, we were fortunate to have the Mazalot Dancers put on a delightful show and lead us in dancing. Our party would not have been complete without food. I want to thank Janice H., Edie R., Jay P., Stacey and Rachel L., Cody M., and Wendy F. for their expertise in the kitchen and serving the food.
Upcoming events: upcoming Young Judaea events:
Young Judaea (flyers to follow):
January 9th...laser tag at laser quest 2-4 o'clock
February 6th...rock climbing at the Foglia YMCA in Lake Zurich 2-4 p.m.
Join Sisterhood. Membership can be paid with your shul bill, $18 for the year or $180 (over two years) for lifetime membership. Any questions, contact Jody K.
KABBALAT SHABBAT SERVICES ---Come join our Family Kabbalat Shabbat services at 4pm every Friday afternoon during winter. Don't forget to bring the kids!
OUR LIBRARY NEEDS GOOD JEWISH BOOKS----This is a beautiful way to memorialize a loved one or honor someone special and promote Jewish education at the same time. No shule library should be without a set of Talmud. We need one!
---Artscroll Hebrew English Talmud ---$50 per volume---Your donation can dedicate one or more volumes today!