Get involved

OCTOBER 2015

MAKOM (20s&30s)
& YOUNG COUPLES CLUB:

From the President

APPLE PICKING, HAYRIDE &

HAVDALAH

David Lipschultz

Saturday, October 10th, 1:00pm

(RAIN DATE: October 17th)

Join Makom and the Young Couples Club
for apple picking, hayride & Havdalah.
We will arrive at County Line Apple Orchard
at 2:30pm EST for apple picking, before
celebrating Havdalah around the camp fire
at 7:00pm EST. The cost is $18 per person.
More details to follow.
RSVP to Carrie
Rosen at Carrie@sholomchicago.org or call
773-435-1538.

Temple Sholom
3480 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60657

MAKOM POTLUCK

Friday, October 16th, 7:00pm

Join us for a vegetarian potluck Shabbat

dinner at Temple Sholom. Search for
carrie@sholomchicago.org to sign-up
through SignUpGenius.com.

MINI MISHPACHA
FF SHABBAT PUMPKIN PICNIC

Saturday, October 17th, 12:00-2:00pm

Coming In NOVEMBER:

Join Mini Mishpacha for a relaxing Shabbat

afternoon of fall fun, including "urban"
pumpkin picking & decorating at
Wrightwood Park (2534 N. Greenview).
Free to attend (festival activities
are $1-2). BYO Picnic Lunch
(we'll provide challah + juice).
RSVP to Amanda at
amrioslebowitz@gmail.com

LifeSource Blood Drive

SISTERHOOD:

Mishpacha Moms Night Out:

Jeans & Jewelry Trunk Show

AN EVENING OF ISRAELI WOMEN POETS

Monday, October 19th, 7:00pm
Experience an evening of Israeli womens
poetry, curated by Rabbi Conover and
performed by Sisterhood members. At
DOC Wine Bar. $36/person (includes
food & drinks)
RSVP to Lori Curtis at
773-435-1531 or lori@sholomchicago.org.

JOIN WITH OTHERS IN THE

MITZVAH OF GIVING.
To make a donation
contact Marla Krupman at

773.435.1535

sholomchicago.org

Sunday, November 1, 9:00am-2:00pm

To sign up or more information go to www.lifesource.org

RSVP to Kevin Gladish at kevin@sholomchicago.org or call
773-435-1536

URJ Camp OSRUI Prospective Family Presentation

Sunday, November 1, 10:15am

Wednesday, November 4th, 7:00pm

RSVP on the evite you will receive. Event will be held at the
home of Keren Weiss.

Sisterhood: Jews in India/India Cooking Class

Tuesday, November 17th, 6:30pm

Enjoy the cuisine of India while hearing the fascinating story of

Jews in India. Location: Bettie Port Hall.
RSVP to Lori Curtis at
lori@sholomchicago.org or call 773-435-1531.

Scholar-in-Residence

November 20-22
RABBI GARY P. ZOLA, Ph.D.

Executive Director of the American Jewish

Archives and Professor of the American Jewish
Experience and Reform Jewish History at
HUC-JIR in Cincinnati.

Temple Sholom has begun planning

for our 150th anniversary in 2017/5778.
Imagine the foresight of our founders,
especially those who built such a grand
sanctuary ninety years ago when they
only numbered a few hundred family
members. How did they know we would
number 1,000 families today?
We will spend 2017/5778 celebrating
and commemorating the vital role our
congregation has played in the lives of
so many, and the landmark contributions
we have made in the American Reform
Judaism movement. In many ways, the
best way for us to honor this milestone is
to ensure that Temple Sholom remains a
vibrant congregation for generations
to come.
Towards that end, as many of you
know, Temple Sholom is in the midst of
a brilliant Strategic Planning process led
by our very own John Bremen and Steve
Fadem. In an age when the famous
Pew Study warns of decreased interest of
American Jews (and those of other faiths)
in organized religion, Temple Sholom is
charting a path to remain as a profound
presence in Chicago for many more
decades to come.
Strategic Planning teams are helping
us determine our future by asking how
do we become the destination for the
Reform Jewish community in Chicago
in the years ahead; who we want to be
as a community; how do we support
the various communities among us; how
do we want to worship and how do we
make that worship personal for each
of us; how do we engage young and
old in meaningful Jewish education;
what does it mean to be a member of
the congregation; how can we most
effectively advance social justice; and
lastly, what kind of buildings do we need
to satisfy this vision of our future?
These are just some of the many issues
we are having thoughtful fun with. Our
Strategic Planning process is designed
to be inclusive. This is your Temple. We
want to know your hopes for the Temples
future. Please email me at dlipschultz@
gmail.com if youd like to be involved in
Strategic Planning house meetings, or if
you simply want to express your hopes for
our bright future. We want to listen.
Wishing you a sweet new year.
Shanah tovah.

See Worship Schedule on page 2

Adonais eyes are

on the righteous
and Gods ear to
their outcry.

Associate Rabbi

Shoshanah Conover

Psalm 34:16

Several months ago, Bryan Stevenson spoke at the Religious

Action Center of Reform Judaism's Consultation on Conscience.
I had the good fortune to sit next to Jennifer Kaufman, the
chair of the movement's Commission on Social Action-- she
provided the kleenex. Three decades ago, after finishing law
school at Harvard, Bryan began the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)
in Montgomery, Alabama. During these decades, Bryan and his
colleagues have worked tirelessly to challenge bias-- especially
against poor people of color-- in the justice system. That day at
the Consultation, Bryan
shared stories of his work
WHATS THE RABBI READING?
that opened my eyes
Bryan Stevenson
and broke my heart. Yet,
they also inspired great
JUST MERCY is at once
hope. I have since shared
an unforgettable
many of these stories. After
account of an
sharing one such story with
idealistic, gifted
a small group from Sholom
lawyers coming
Justice, Juliana Schafer
of age, a moving
approached me to tell me
window into the
that her husband Chad
lives of those he
works with EJI, representing
has defended, and an inspiring
a death row inmate. "I think
argument for compassion in the
he would be happy to see if
pursuit of justice. It is a powerful
Mr. Stevenson would be able story about the potential for
to come to Temple Sholom."
mercy to redeem us, and a call
Within hours of sending
to fix our broken system of justice.
the request, Chad had
responded that Bryan would be happy to come. During Friday
night services on January 8, Bryan Stevenson will address our
congregation. In preparation both for his visit and for the work
we will do joining with others to bring more racial justice to our
Chicago community, we invite the entire Sholom community
to read Just Mercy together: One Book, One Sholom. We will
host two discussions of this book: Wednesday, November 11 at
7pm, and Sunday, November 15 at 12:30pm. See the website
and the November D'var for more details. I hope to see you at
one of these book discussions and then on January 8. Following
the services on January 8, our Sholom Justice chairs Matty Major
and Marla Gross will host a congregational dinner with Bryan
Stevenson. It is not too early to
RSVP to Kevin Gladish at
kevin@sholomchicago.org for the dinner with an $18 donation
per person to cover the costs of the dinner.

T E M P LE S H OLOM: A sacred community that embraces, inspires and matters.

New Members
Jessica Arnold and her daughter Madeleine Marland
Taryn & Daniel Aronson and their children Isabel and Charlie
Tracy Baum & Douglas Baum and their daughter Stella
Anna & Andrew Beaser and their son Nathan
Deborah Bellows
Pascale Bishop
Dana & Thomas Brown
Nikki & Adam Calisoff and their sons Aaron, Benjamin, Jack, and Samuel
Paula Cherkasky
Jeremy Cockrell
Sarah Davelaar
Jessica Deisinger
Susan Deisinger
Ryan Anderson & Michael Doyle
Marion Fern
Janice Gerstein
Elizabeth & Jonathan Given and their sons Adam and Judah
Rebecca & Kurt Hirsch and their daughter Zoe
Alison & James Hirschorn and their children Adam, Evan, and Olivia
Kimberly Kannensohn
Schuyler & Jonathan Levin and their children Jack, Wyatt, and Scarlett
Blair & Michael Miller and their sons Harrison and Maxwell
Sue Pontarelli
Abby & Matthew Ranzer and their sons Ari and Ryan
Emily Rubenstein & Angel Rivera and their children Micah and Sadie
Staci & Marc Rotman and their children Jackson and Sydney
Jenelle & Robert Sandy
Elyce & Robert Schlesinger
Mona & Harold Shabelman
Diana & Henry Silverman and their daughter Summer
Emily & Jacob Sweet and their daughters Adira and Nina
Elizabeth & Mark Wagman and their son Harrison
Barbara Winkelman
Renarda & Barry Wolf
Jennifer & Bryan Wright and their children Dylan and Miles
Helena Osorio-Zavala & Abraham Zavala and their son Ariel

Of Blessed Memory
Rabbi Evan Arthur Jaffe, mentor of Rabbi Weisblatt, August 14.
David Gross, brother of Jennifer Gross, August 22.
Fred Lewis, father of Sean Lewis, August 24.
Edmund C. Nowicki, father of Kerry (Daniel) Finkel, August 25.
Robert Nemes, father of Judith Nemes (Cliff Spanierman), August 29.
Bertram Dallek, father of Michael Dallek (Debra Stern), August 30.
Doris Allen, mother of Claudia Allen, September 2.
Jeanne Young, mother of Lisa (Craig) Millman, September 3.
Scott Stoll, grandson of Evelyn Stoll, nephew of Marcia Stoll, and
nephew of Susan Stoll, September 8.
Phyllis Eatman, mother of Beverly Flynn, September 9.
Miriam Tobin, aunt of Donna Speigel, September 12.

Yahrzeits
First Year

Frances Raban, 10/7/2014, aunt of David Frankel and

great aunt of Rhoda Frankel
Selma Friedland, 10/8/2014, life-long member
Randy Shiner, 10/9/2014, brother of Leslie Shiner-Carr
Gladys Blatt, 10/18/2014, aunt of Sharon Weil
Ruth Grossman, 10/19/2014, mother of Elaine Reich
Lorel Krulewitch, 10/24/2014, step-mom of Jerome Krulewitch

Its a Simchah...
A hearty mazal tov to:

Kelsey Hornbach, on her conversion, September 2.

Kelsey Lepp & Abe Mora, on their wedding, September 6.

SEPTEMBER BOARD HIGHLIGHTS:

The September Board meeting was held at
Westlawn Cemetery and Mausoleum where
Westlawn Board Chair Bill Anspach, Westlawn
General Manager Vickie Pulido, and Lakeshore Jewish
Funerals Director Dan Schubring, gave a presentation
on the work of these two subsidiaries and their important
contributions to our Temple Sholom community.

Worship Schedule

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

5:45 PM Wine and Cheese Reception

6:15 Shabbat Service, Oneg to follow

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 10, 17, 24, 31*

*No 10:30am services are scheduled.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT
mosell schwartz fund
Thanks to the thoughtful foresight
and devotion to beautifying Temple
Sholom, we are the fortunate
beneficiaries of exciting new artwork
in the Stratford lobby funded by the
Moselle Schwartz Fund. If you have
not yet had a chance to stop by to
see the pieces in person, photographs
of the new painting by Toby Kahn and
the stained glass transom designed by our own
member, Penny Feuersetin, accompany this
article. A legacy gift was created in April of 1991
at the direction of Norman Schwartz (zl) when
the Moselle Schwartz Fund was established in the
name of his late wife with the intention to support
and maintain the Temples historic building.
Norman had a personal passion for history
and was a founding member of the Chicago
Jewish Historical Society. In particular, he had a
specific interest in the history of synagogues in the
Chicago area and especially Temple Sholom.
He and Moselle became members of Temple
Sholom in the summer of 1975. As an enthusiastic
volunteer, Norman took it upon himself to write
three booklets on the history of Temple Sholom:
The Stained Glass Windows at Temple Sholom

of Chicago, The Interior and

Artifacts of Temple Sholom of
Chicago, and The Exterior of
Temple Sholom of Chicago.
Collectively these booklets
document the important
treasures of our iconic temple.
Along with others in the community, Norman
had supported the fund with donations during
his lifetime and, following his death in November
2014, his estate provided for a thoughtful gift
specifically designated to support the Moselle
Schwartz Fund. In recent years the Fund has
helped with the refurbishing of the inside of the
Ark in the Sanctuary and the renovation of the
Stratford Lobby including the new painting and
stained glass art piece installed this past month.
We are blessed to benefit from Normans
legacy and forward thinking. If you are interested
in learning more about making an estate gift of
your own or contributing to the Moselle Schwartz
Fund, please contact Development Director,
Marla Krupman at marla@sholomchicago.org or
773-435-1535.

Lifelong Learning: See where we came from,

and where we are going!

Wear your best blues and join us

for a soulful Blues Shabbat with
Saul Kaye, pioneer of Jewish Blues
October 16-17, 2015
Friday 6:15 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM
www.saulkaye.com

Adult Education classes begin

Sunday, October 4, 9:30-11:45am.
Register and see course listings at sholomchicago.org/
education/adult-education

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 5:30PM FF

Welcome our new JK-3rd Grade

Religious School students at
Consecration on Simchat Torah
Sunday, October 4 (see calendar)

UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS:

3rd-8th grade combined kickoff Mini-Maccabiah event
Sunday, October 18, 12:15-2:00pm
RSVP on our web calendar

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 4:30PM FF

Parents of NEW Religious School

students
RSVP to
education@sholomchicago.org

High School NFTY-CAR regional kickoff event

Saturday, October 24, 2:00pm
Teens needed to show visitors around Chicago!
RSVP to youth@sholomchicago.org

Special Services:

Family-Friendly Friday Shabbat

Simchat Torah Celebration
(see page 3&4 for details)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 10:30 AM

Simchat Torah Congregational Service

at Temple Sholom
News to share? Email marketing@sholomchicago.org

Family orientation dinner for

5th-8th grade OSRUI retreat
Tuesday, October 13 at 5:30pm
or Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30pm
RSVP on our web calendar or
contact education@sholomchicago.org

Contact our new

youth advisor
Sari Cornfeld at
youth@
sholomchicago.org

Check out our new

100 years of teens
at Temple Sholom
photo exhibit on
the 4th floor!

OCTOBER at Temple Sholom

SUND AY

MOND A Y

T UESD A Y

WEDN E S D A Y

Simchat Torah Consecration!

EREV SIMCHAT TORAH

9:30 AM, Religious School
9:30 AM, Adult Ed Classes
2:00 PM, Mindful Jewish
Aging (see details on right)
FF 4:30 PM, Simchat Torah
Celebration (see details above)
FF OSRUI Family Camp

11

BUILDING CLOSED

NO Religious School
NO Adult Education
Classes
FF 10:00 AM, Mishpacha/
Brotherhood Family Fun
Day (offsite)

18

9:30 AM, Religious School

9:30 AM, Adult Education
Classes
11:30 AM, Junior
Congregation
12:15 PM, Mini Maccabiah

25

9:30 AM, Religious School

9:30 AM, Adult Education
Classes

SIMCHAT TORAH

OFFICE CLOSED

10:30 AM, Simchat Torah

Congregational Service at
Sholom
No Monday Meal

12

3:30 PM, Monday Meal

7:00 PM, Taste of Judiasm

RSVP for dinner to

education@sholomchicago.org

10:00 AM, AL Anon Family

Group
4:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew

10:00 AM, Wednesday

Morning Study Group
6:15 PM, CFHS
6:30 PM, Mah Jong
6:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew

13

14

10:00 AM, AL Anon Family

Group
4:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew
5:30 PM, 5th-8th Grade
Retreat Family Orientation

10:00 AM, Wednesday

Morning Study Group
6:15 PM, CFHS
6:30 PM, Mah Jong
6:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew
7:30 PM, 5th-8th Grade
Retreat Family Orientation

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

FF 5:30 PM, Family-Friendly

11:00 AM, Morning Book
Club
Friday
7:30 PM, Mishpacha
5:45 PM, Wine & Cheese
Mom's BYOB Dinner (offsite) 6:15 PM, Shabbat Service

$20/family
$10/adult

Worship

THURSDAY
1

Sunday, October 4th

4:30-5:00PM Tot Service/Project (BPH)

5:00-6:00PM Congregational Dinner (BPH)
5:40-6:00PM Consecration Photo (Sanctuary)
6:00-7:00PM Service/Consecration (Sanctuary)
7:00-8:00PM Israeli Dancing/Dessert (BPH)

K EY

FF OSRUI Family Camp

7:30 PM, Makom (20s&30s)

Trivia (offsite)

15

9:00 AM, Morning Study

Minyan
10:30 AM, Bat Mitzvah,
Lila Weiner
4:00 PM, Community-Wide
Sukkot Celebration
(see details on right)

FF OSRUI Family Camp

5:45 PM, Wine and Cheese

6:15 PM, Shabbat Service

16

10

9:00 AM, Morning Study

Minyan
10:30 AM, B'nai Mitzvah
Matthew Balber
& Zachary Stahl
1:00 PM, Makom/YCC
Apple Picking, hayride
& Havdalah

10:00 AM, AL Anon Family

Group
4:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew
5:30 PM, B'nai MItzvah
Seminar

10:00 AM, Wednesday

Morning Study Group
6:15 PM, CFHS
6:30 PM, Mah Jong
6:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew

26

27

28

29

30

31

3:30 PM, Monday Meal

7:00 PM, Taste of Judiasm

10:00 AM, AL Anon Family

Group
4:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew
5:30 PM, B'nai Mitzvah
Seminar

10:00 AM, Wednesday

Morning Study Group
6:15 PM, CFHS
6:30 PM, Mah Jong
6:30 PM, Midweek Hebrew

7:00 PM, Unity in Diversity:

A Community Event
Marking the 20th Yahrzeit
of Yitzhak Rabin

12:00 PM, NCJW Sex Traffic

Study
6:15 PM, Installation Service
7:30 PM, Congregational
Potluck honoring Rabbi
Weisblatt

9:00 AM, Morning Study

Minyan
7:00 PM, Makom (20s&30s)
Purim in October (offsite)

For more complete details sholomchicago.org (click on event on calendar page for details)

Sukkot
at Sholom

COMMUNITY-WIDE
SUKKOT CELEBRATION
Sponsored by Temple
Sholom Am Keshet
and Or Chadash
Saturday, October 3rd,
4:00-6:00pm

MINDFUL JEWISH AGING

3:30 PM, Monday Meal

7:00 PM, Sisterhood Israeli
Women's Poetry Night
7:00 PM, Taste of Judiasm

23

Youth Group

24

9:00 AM, Blues Shabbat

21

5:45 PM, Wine and Cheese

6:00 PM, Bat Mitzvah
Lela Zerman (offsite)
6:15 PM, Shabbat Service

Community Event
Holiday
FF Family Friendly

Olivia Frankel

17

12:00 PM, Downtown

Morning Study Minyan
Talmud Study
10:30 AM, B'nai Mitzvah, Nate
Hohner & Benjamin Wilen
5:45 PM, Wine and Cheese
FF 12:00 PM, Mini Misphacha
6:15 PM, Blues Shabbat
Shabbat Pumpkin Picnic
Service, Birthday Blessings
FF 1:30 PM, Mishpacha Greater
7:00 PM, Makom (20s&30s)
Chicago Food Depository
Potluck
4:30 PM, Bat Mitzvah

22

Education

We invite everybody to bring 2

bottles of their favorite wine or
non-alcoholic beverages, as
we celebrate Sukkot 5776 with
some fun and also some serious
reflection on what this holiday
means to the LGBT community.
Light snacks will be served.
RSVP to
Kylie@sholomchicago.org

20

19

Social Action

9:00 AM, Morning Study

Minyan
10:30 AM, Bar Mitzvah
Eli Aronson
2:00 PM, NFTY Fall Kickoff
Event

Sunday, October 4th,

2:00-4:00pm

Join Mindful Jewish Aging in

the sukkah for seasonal treats
and the spiritual gleanings of
our harvest festival.
RSVP to
Lindsey@sholomchicago.org

CONTACT TEMPLE SHOLOM

Main Phone: 773-525-4707
Gan Shalom: 773-525-4867
email: Info@sholomchicago.org

B N AI MI TZV AH
Lila Weiner
OCTOBER 3
Lila Jane Weiner, daughter
of Dana & Michael
Weiner and sister to Max,
is a seventh grader at Bell
Elementary School. Lila is
known to her friends and
family as a gymnast, a baker, an avid reader,
a style maven and an empathic source for
good advice. For her Mitzvah Project, Lila
aimed to improve the lives of children who
were recently removed from their parents
homes after suffering abuse and neglect.
She donated backpacks and school supplies,
purchased with the funds she raised at a
last-day-of-school bake sale for the children
at the Aunt Marthas Emergency Foster Care
shelter. Lila is also an enthusiastic participant
in Jewish life and the Temple Sholom
community, and looks forward to attending
camp each summer at OSRUI.

Matthew Balber
OCTOBER 10

Zachary Stahl
OCTOBER 10

Matthew, son of Julie and

Todd Balber, and brother to
Ashley, will become a Bar
Mitzvah on October 10th.
Matthew is a 7th grader at
Bell Elementary School.
Matthew is a sports enthusiast. He loves
basketball, football and golf. He also loves
to travel, play video games and hang out
with his friends and family.
For his Mitzvah project, Matthew chose
to raise awareness of the poverty issue
in America and help make a difference
with the temple and the community. He
used gofundme to raise funds to sponsor
a Monday Meal at the temple and a
Wednesday meal at Catholic Charities. He
will also be preparing and serving food at
both these meals with his friends and family.
Matthew's family is extremely proud of his
accomplishments and is looking forward to
sharing his special day.

Nathaniel Hohner - OCTOBER 17

Zachary Stahl, son of Ellen

Ahern and Marc Stahl and
older brother of Josephine,
will become a Bar Mitzvah
on October 10.
Zachary is a seventh
grader at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day
School. Zachary loves animals and has
been volunteering weekly at Tree House cat
shelter for the last year.
Zachary also enjoys art, music (violin and
trumpet), origami, reading and computers.
He has been a member of the BZAEDS track
team for two years.
Zacharys family is extremely proud
of him for his hard work in preparing to
become a Bar Mitzvah and all his other
accomplishments.

Benjamin Wilen - OCTOBER 17

Nathaniel Chase Hohner will become a Bar Mitzvah on

October 17, 2015. His parents, Doug and Hallie, and
his sister, Caroline, look forward to sharing this joyous
occasion with the congregation, family, and friends.
Nate is an eighth grader at BZAEDS. He is a competitive
rock climber and loves the out-of-doors. He enjoys
taking climbing trips to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky
and the bluffs of Lake Superior. He spends eight weeks
each summer at Camp Nebagamon in Wisconsin.
For his Mitzvah Project, Nate organized a Climb-A-Thon to raise money
for the scholarship fund that helps send under-privileged youth to the
sleep-away camp he loves so much. Both his climbing team and school/
camp friends who love climbing helped him in this endeavor. Nate's
family is proud of his accomplishments and commitment to preparations
for this meaningful event. Mazel Tov!

Benjamin Charles Wilen, son of Julie and Roger Wilen,

brother of Ethan and Alex, becomes a Bar Mitzvah on
October 17th.
Benjamin is in eighth grade at Hawthorne Scholastic
Academy where he is the President of the Student
Council and member of the National Junior Honor
Society. Benjamin also plays on the schools volleyball,
cross-country, track and softball teams.
As an avid sports player, Benjamin is the goalie and was the assistant
captain for his travel hockey team. Benjamin also plays baseball and is
an umpire at Welles Park. For his Mitzvah Project, Benjamin is volunteering
for District 12 Challenger, a baseball program for kids with disabilities.
In his free time, Benjamin enjoys sports, reading and engineering.
Benjamins family is very proud of him and is excited to celebrate this
Mitzvah with friends and family.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH TEMPLE SHOLOM!

Helena Solomon

Since joining the staff of

Says Director of Early Childhood Education,
Gan Shalom in September 1985
Heidi Cooper, Helenas commitment to
Helena Solomon has taught
Gan Shalom is beyond words. It has been a
every class that our early
privilege and an honor to work with her while
childhood program offers, helping to create
she creates magic.
some of them. She currently teaches the
Temple Sholom has become a home away
Parent/Toddler classes and Hebrew
from home for Helena and her family. When
Enrichment for children of all ages.
her father passed away suddenly, Rabbi
In the beginning she taught Hebrew
Schwartzs wife, Roberta was one of the
h
t
to children in third, fifth, and
first people to reach out. The two have
Y
R
seventh grades. She now teaches
remained friends ever since. Helena
A
S
R
E
ANNIV
the Junior Kindergarten class.
considers her connection with the
Teaching at both Gan Shalom and
community a blessing, and she loves that
the Religious School for thirty years
many of her former students, now adults,
has been Helena's passion.
continue to keep in touch. One former student,
For Helena, her favorite part of teaching
Sydney Karp, is now a colleague at Gan Shalom.
is getting to know each child, reaching them
Helena (who has no plans to retire) lives in
individually, and helping them to connect with
Skokie with her husband, Donald. Their son,
each other and build community in the classroom. Yoni, is a Gan Shalom alumnus.
Building honest relationships is so important.
We're planning a Sholom-style celebration to
People, especially children, know when you are fake. honor Helena. Stay tuned for details.

30

JOIN US FOR RABBI JEREMY WEISBLATTS INSTALLATION

at Shabbat Services October 30th

SPECIAL GUEST:

Rabbi Jonathan A. Stein

Olivia Frankel
OCTOBER 17

Olivia Frankel, daughter

of Rita Mirman and Stuart
Frankel, and sister to
Natalie, will become a Bat
Mitzvah on October 17th.
Olivia is a seventh grader
at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. With
an abundance of school spirit she plays
volleyball, basketball, and softball for her
school's teams, and also dances and takes
music lessons in piano and voice. She loves
reading, travel, technology, and most of all,
spending time with friends and family.
Olivia enjoys her time at Camp Agawak,
as well as tubing and waterskiing. For her
Mitzvah project, Olivia wanted to learn
more about and help with food insecurity
in her own community and volunteers at
the Ezra Uptown Cafe. Ezra's services and
programs strive to alleviate hunger and other
self-sufficiency barriers. Olivia will donate a
portion of her Bat Mitzvah gifts to support the
great work that Ezra does in our community.
Olivia's family is so proud of her and thrilled to
share this special day with family and friends.

Lela Zerman
OCTOBER 23

Lela Michelle Zerman and her

family are thrilled to celebrate
Lela's Bat Mitzvah on October
23rd. Her parents Beth Ann and
Brad Zerman, as well as her sister
Skylar are looking forward to
hearing Lela recite her Parsha and Dvar Torah in
front of family and friends. Lela has worked very
hard with her tutor Kendra, Cantor Miriam and
Rabbi Conover to prepare for this day.
Lela is a 7th grader Bernard Zell Anshe Emet
Day School. She is looking forward to more
memorable moments with her BZAEDS friends
and teachers on the school's annual 7th grade
Springfield trip, the 7th grade play and the
volleyball team. Lela also loves her camp and
camp friends from Lake of the Woods. Her
passions are art and friends. Lela's Mitzvah
Project is "Lela's Blood Drive" in connection
with Lifesource. Please consider joining Lela's
cause by donating blood on October 31, 2015,
9:00am-3:00pm at the Jose Rizal Center, 1332
W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago. To donate please
email Lela at LelasBloodDrive@gmail.com or visit
LelasBloodDrive.com.

Eli Aronson
OCTOBER 24

Eli Aronson, son of Lisa

and David Aronson, and
brother of Lindsey and
Samantha, will become
a Bar Mitzvah on October
24, 2015. Eli is currently
in the 7th grade at University of Chicago
Laboratory Schools.
Eli is an avid baseball player (and all
around sports fan), and his love for the
game shows in the Mitzvah project he has
chosen. Eli wanted to help bring baseball
to those who might otherwise not have a
chance to play. Reaching out to the Cubs
Organization and working in tandem, he
began collecting equipment to donate to
the Bronzeville Community Clubhouse. This
effort culminated on August 23, when Eli
spent the day with the Cubs organization
and other volunteers at Wrigley Field to
collect equipment and donations.
We are so proud of Eli and look forward
to sharing this special occasion with family
and friends.

Rabbi Stein assumed his

duties at Shaaray Tefila
in July 2001. A native of
Pennsylvania, he was
ordained in 1975 from
Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion
(HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati.

Rabbi Jeremy Weisblatt

Rabbi Stein was the instructor
for Rabbi Weisblatts first
professional development
class at HUC-JIR. He helped
him hone his place within
the Reform Movement and
connected him with other
rabbis. Rabbi Weisblatt served
as the Rabbinic intern at
Shaaray Tefila for two summers.

and stay for a Congregational

Shabbat Vegetarian Potluck dinner following services
For complete details please visit sholomchicago.org
RSVP for dinner no later than Monday, October 26th.
To register visit: www.perfectpotluck.com (Organizer: Cole Goldberg, Password: Sholom)
For questions contact Kylie Zacharia at 773-435-1559 or Kylie@sholomchicago.org