Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 Beth Humanistic Jewish Community

Chanukah Cookies with Sunday School Dead Sea Mud Masks with 5th & 6th Grade Tu B’Shevat Celebration What’s Happening at Beth Chaverim Mah Nishmah

Upcoming Events Our 2017 Chanukah Dinner was a great success! March 13 Book Group April 10 May 23

March 21 Adult April 18 Education May 23

E-auction March 18-25

Community March 31, 5:30pm Seder Hilton, Northbrook

No Sunday April 1, 8 School Dick Strauss with Congressman Passover March 30-April 7 Brad Schneider at Veterans’ Day event honoring Vietnam veterans Feed My Starving April 7 Children

Sunday May 6 School Ends

Beth Chaverim Steering Committee Members

President: Deb Rusnak Secretary: Steve Rusnak Past President: Robin Chessick Treasurer: David Kantor Members At Large: Loren & Vivian Kramer, Dan & Carolyn Lewis, Sue Pinkus, Alan Solid

Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 2 The Privilege of Community, not a Privileged Community

When we started Beth Chaverim fifteen years ago, we were very deliberate about the name of our new institution. Beth Chaverim means house of friends; Humanistic Jewish made our denominational affiliation readily identifiable. Significantly, we chose to call ourselves a community, not a congregation. This was our mission – to create a community of people who wanted to learn together, to celebrate together, and to support one another. We intended to be a place where Jewish culture would be a source of joy and Jewish history a foundation for the changes of the future. It was not merely a place to congregate. Freed from the restraints of traditional Jewish laws and required rituals, we were enabled to be creative and innovative. We created and received the gift of community.

Our being is the result of hard work and dedication, of vision and creativity. As we say each Passover, let all who are hungry, come and eat. No one is ever turned away from our community due to financial or other hardships. There is no litmus test for one’s practice or ritual. Born Jewish, self-identifying as Jewish, part of a family with a Jewish tradition, or a fellow traveler along the road of humanism and Judaism broadly defined, all are welcome whatever the path that brought them to our door. Our community is open, welcoming and inclusive. It is a privilege indeed.

But we were never a privileged community with a sense of entitlement. We recognize that our general suburban location likely means that we are better off than other places in the area; we generally have a roof over our heads, enough food to eat, and a place to stay warm in the winter. We can consider ourselves fortunate and recognize our place of privilege to make important changes in the world. Privilege has a unique relation to vision. It can either blind one to the less fortunate, making them invisible; or it can hone our vision so that we see clearly our responsibility to others. Beth Chaverim has clearly chosen the latter path. We are committed to helping those less fortunate and thereby expanding the meaning of community. Each year through our efforts, we provide between 400 and 500 meals to PADS and the soup kitchen. Each year at Yom Kippur we fill an entire car with food for the local food pantry. Each year we assist in making ready to eat meals for children around the world. These and many more examples define us; they are our essence. That definition is our privilege: the privilege to do what we can to repair our broken world, the privilege to make a difference, the privilege to set a moral example. It is no easy task but one that we take very seriously. I enjoy the privilege of being the rabbi of this remarkable community.

B’shalom,

Rabbi Jodi

Beth Chaverim Mission Statement

Beth Chaverim is a place for individuals and families to explore their Jewish heritage and traditions, to learn to think critically and independently about religious and theological issues, and to develop meaningful and relevant Jewish identities through education. Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 3 A Message from the President

Greetings,

This issue I want to focus on the last two books we read for Beth Chaverim Book Club. Although both books were classified as fiction, each revealed a great deal of actual history focusing on times and places that I had known little about. They were extremely different; however, the times and paths of the characters crossed in a way that as I read the second novel, I found myself searching for historical figures I had already been introduced to in the first.

Heretics, by Leonardo Padura, begins in near-present-day Cuba but soon takes us back to both the late 1930’s and then the 1950’s telling the story of a Jewish family attempting to flee Europe with most of the family members trapped on The St. Louis. Their only valuable possession is a painting attributed to Rembrandt which they hope to use to bribe their way into Havana. The story digresses to the 17th century where we learn about Jewish life in Rembrandt’s Amsterdam and where we get some clues to the origin of the painting. The novel eventually comes back to modern times as the main character attempts to solve the mystery of both the painting’s history and its current location.

The second novel, The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish, also travels between present day and the 17th century. The storyline focuses on two women drawn to academic pursuits over traditional family lifestyles. Helen, the modern day historian, discovers the meaning of centuries old Jewish documents unearthed in a home during renovation. As the book progresses, we learn details about her early life as she attempted to find meaning and love in Israel after the Second World War. The author of the documents, Ester, is a fascinating character who began her life in Amsterdam in Rembrandt’s time and became a scribe for a blind scholar who was sent to help re-establish a Jewish community in . Ester not only scribes for the Rabbi but also chronicles the Jewish diaspora teaching us about everything from the Spanish Inquisition to the affluence of the in Amsterdam. She attempts to communicate with the “heretics” of the day in her quest to discover the meaning of God and presents to us historical figures including Spinoza and Shakespeare’s Dark Lady.

In these two novels, I felt I’d been introduced to the experience of the Jewish people in times and places which were previously unknown to me. The Jews of these eras variously experienced prosperity, prejudice and oppression. I would highly recommend reading both these novels. Although neither is a “quick read” they are definitely worth the effort.

Hope to see all of you at our upcoming Community Passover Seder,

Deb Rusnak

Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 4 Passover Seder

Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?

IT’S THE BETH CHAVERIM 2ND NIGHT SEDER!

WHEN: Saturday, March 31st @ 5:30pm WHERE: The Hilton, 2855 N. Milwaukee Ave, Northbrook, IL COST: $40/Adult, $18/Children 3-13, Free/Children Under 3

DINNER INCLUDES Soup Chicken, Brisket or Salmon (Vegetarian Option Passover Lasagna) Vegetables Beverage Dessert Bring Your Own Wine

RSVP BY MARCH 24TH, 2018 Please send payment to: Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community 1457 Wilmot Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 ------WE CAN’T WAIT TO ATTEND! J Name:______# Adults @ $40/person $______Chicken __Brisket __Fish __Vegetarian ___ # Children 3-13 @ $18/person $______Chicken __Vegetarian ___ # Children under 3 __Chicken __Vegetarian Total Amount Enclosed $______Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 5 What’s Happening at Beth Chaverim Mah Nishmah

Donations Mazel Tov

Dick and Donna Strauss in honor of Vicki and Jillana Enteen on her daughters’ b’not Gary Pines’ granddaughter’s bat mitzvah mitzvah Dr. Evan Goodman David Gusis and Lindsey Grant on being selected for the Student Leadership Day at Dick and Donna Strauss in honor of Ari the Illinois Holocaust Museum Freedkin’s graduation Ari Freedkin on his graduation from basic Dr. Michael Marcus training in the US Marine Corps Judith Matz and David Barhydt on the Alan and Rhonda Solid engagement of their daughter Laura Jonathan and Tanya Seidman Linda and Rich Horn on the birth of their granddaughter Chris Whittemore in memory of Blaze Bernstein

Dick and Donna Strauss in memory of Michael Blue's mother

Aimee and John Moyer in appreciation of Rabbi Jodi's conducting the baby naming for their granddaughter Todah Rabah means “thank you very much” Ari Freedkin

November PADS donors: the Encisco family, the Kantor family, the Kramer family, the Solid family, Bobbi and Jim Taormina, Tracy Wilson, and Gabi Latulippe for delivering the meals

December PADS donors: the Cheskin family, the Kantor family, the Kramer family, the Lewis family, the Shore family, the Solid family, and the Ezell family for making and delivering the meals

January PADS donors: the Kantor family, the Lewis family, the Shore family, the Solid family, the Taormina family, the Wilson family, and the Bauer family for delivering the meals

February PADS donors: the Enciso family, the Kantor family, the Lewis family, the Shore family, the Solid family and the Magill family and the Lewis family for delivering the meals

Dana Kantor and Phyllis Cheskin for providing the potatoes and making the latkes, and Nancy Freedkin for providing the dough and making Chanukah cookies, with our Sunday School students

Standing On One Foot (Judaism in 140 Characters or Less)

The second highest form of tzedakah or charity is giving anonymously to an unknown recipient. (Maimonides) No expectation of thanks and the dignity of the recipient is preserved. Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 6 Spertus Lecture Presented by Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld Jewish Art: On the Walls and Through the Windows When: April 24 from 11:30am-1:30pm Where: Spertus Institute, 610 S. Michigan Avenue, , IL. Open to the Public! Cost: $25 per person (includes lunch) https://www.spertus.edu/programs-events/alumni-forum

Jewish art broadly defined includes two dimensional representations such as paintings, mosaics and murals; three dimensional representations such as statues and architectural spaces; and physical objects such as ritual objects and textiles. It is the collective output of the creative impulse of Jews and their communities. But Jewish art can also be a window into the cultures of the Jews over time, space and geography. As such it can be not only decorative or utilitarian, but subversive or polemical. It can provide insight into the interaction between varying Jewish communities and the wider cultures in which they existed. Student Leadership Day at the Holocaust Museum & Education Center

We are so proud of David Gusis and Lindsey Grant for being selected from among 1300 nominees for the Student Leadership Day at the Museum based on the nomination of Dick Strauss. From the letter of selection: “Congratulations! On behalf of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center we are thrilled to announce that you and your students are invited to participate in our 2017 Student Leadership Day. . . The 2 students you nominated truly exemplify leadership and advocacy for change in their community and school.”

David is a junior at Glenbrook North High School and Lindsey is a freshman at Stevenson High School.

Lindsey wrote this of the experience:

“I was a little unsure of what leadership day was before I went, and if it was really worth missing school for. Regardless, Rabbi Jodi and Dick Strauss were very reassuring though, that it was going to be an important day. After listening to the various speakers and completing the activities, I knew they were right. I learned various ways to strengthen leadership in my community; especially by utilizing social media. Going through this day was very impactful, but I needed to apply what I learned so others could be impacted. I, along with David Gusis, planned a program for our Jewish temple: Beth Chaverim. In Hebrew Chaverim means friends, which is a great representation of the community it has built itself into. In addition, we realized how often we focus on Jews being oppressed (which is very important to learn about) and less on how it has positive influences on us. Considering we are a Humanistic Temple, it is very important to also realize our achievements and potential. Our activity was called "I am Jewish and". It would follow a discussion about Jewish Identity and what that really means. We then had all the Sunday school classes write a positive statement about themselves following the statement "I am Jewish and". It was inspiring to see how all different ages defined their Jewish Identity. I am so glad Student Leadership Day gave me the opportunity to do this project in my community, and I will apply the skills I learned into other aspects of my life.”

Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 7

Mazel Tov! Marlena & Aaliyah Weheliye B’not Mitzvah

Aaliya and Marlena Enteen Weheliye are looking forward to their B’not Mitzvah, and have been planning for many years. They enjoy their Sunday School at Beth Chaverim tremendously. For many years, both girls have been keen animal lovers, avid soccer players, and involved in musical theater as actors, singers, and dancers. Aaliya has participated in her school's production of “Motown,” and Marlena was a Mermaid Sister in the “The Little Mermaid.” Aaliya has been playing the clarinet since 3rd grade and loves photography. Marlena has played violin and now studies piano and voice. Aaliya and Marlena enjoy family, travel, and camping (especially at Camp Echo). They ride horses with their cousins every summer at Falcon Ridge Stables in Woodstock, GA (owned by their aunt and uncle), and visit family in Berlin, Germany every summer. Fill A Heart Members of Beth Chaverim volunteered at Fill A Heart to make fleece blankets for homeless youth. This is another incredible example of the generosity of our community in terms of time and commitment.

Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine

“The world that reason has revealed to us may give us more anxiety than we want. Or it may fill us with the pleasant anticipation of new adventure and opportunity. But its new face cannot be easily denied”

from Judaism Beyond God Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 8 My Birthright Trip by Alexis Brill The ten days of my trip flew by because they were so packed with activities. We started in the very northern part of the country and saw the Golan Heights where we climbed Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in Israel, where you could see the Syrian border. We then traveled to Jerusalem for a few nights where we went to Yad Vashem and Mount Herzl. Next, we went to the Negev desert for New Year’s Eve where we slept in Bedouin tents. We woke up at sunrise to climb Masada and see the incredible view before driving to the Dead Sea. We swam in the Dead Sea (even though it was only 50 degrees outside!) and it was crazy how easily you float in it. Next we went to the very south and spent a night in Eilat where we had an incredible hike to see the point where the Egyptian, Saudi Arabian, and Jordanian borders meet followed by a tour of a farm that grows a variety of fruits and vegetables even in the desert. Finally, we spent a day in and walked around the city and saw independence hall. I met so many awesome people (including 8 Israeli soldiers who joined our group) and had such a great experience. I feel extremely lucky to have gone on the trip and can’t wait to go back some day! Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 9 Adult Education

Our study of the Bible in English continues on March 21 as we complete the examination of wisdom literature with the Book of Job. We next will look at mythical and legendary characters in the Bible on April 18 and May 23. We meet at 2 pm on these dates in the café at Barnes & Noble in Deerfield.

Amazon Smile- Support Our Congregation

You can support Beth Chaverim through your everyday shopping on Amazon!

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/32-0054139

We are always looking for fast and easy ways to support our community and this is one of them. Make sure to share this link with family and friends and be sure to bookmark it for easier access! Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 10 March is Jewish Women’s History Month

March is Jewish Women's History month. It is a time to reflect on and celebrate the important Jewish women of our tradition, and the accomplishments they have achieved in our history. Recognizing their contribution is an important endeavor as too often women generally, and Jewish women in particular, have not been given their due. The vast majority of women in the Bible have no name at all, being referred to as someone's wife/mother/sister/daughter. Their invisibility makes it incumbent on us not to let others disappear into the annals of history. Celebrating Jewish Women's History month brings to the forefront these women; it balances the scales of history as it gives voice to those who often could not speak for themselves. We share in the pride of their accomplishments. Every endeavor necessarily includes women in its narrative. So let us celebrate some of the following whose names may not be known to you and be inspired by what they said.

Florence Sabin: first woman to hold a full professorship at Johns Hopkins Medical School. “I hope my studies may be an encouragement to other women, especially to young women, to devote their lives to the larger interests of the mind.”

Regina Jonas: first woman to be privately ordained in 1935; she died in Auschwitz. “Almost nothing halakhically but prejudice and lack of familiarity stand against women holding rabbinic office.”

Fanny Bobbie Rosenfeld: Canadian Olympic medalist in track in 1928.

Helen Frankenthaler: American painter and printer maker. “The only rule is that there are no rules. Anything is possible … It’s all about risks, deliberate risks.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Supreme Court justice. "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."

And the list can go on and on: in the arts, Barbra Streisand, Beverly Sills; in literature, Judy Blume, Nicole Krauss; in sports, Ally Raisman, Yael Arad; in politics, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein; in the law, Rachel Brand, Elana Rovner; in academics, Rachel Dulin, Rachel Havrelock; in comedy, Amy Schumer, Judy Gold; in science, Gertrude Elion, Rosalind Franklin; and on and on and on. Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 11 Donate to Beth Chaverim

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Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 12 Beth Chaverim Book Club

Please join us as we discuss the following books.

On March 13 we will discuss Modern Girls by Jennifer Brown. According to amazon.com, “In 1935, Dottie Krasinsky is the epitome of the modern girl. A bookkeeper in Midtown Manhattan, Dottie steals kisses from her steady beau, meets her girlfriends for drinks, and eyes the latest fashions. Yet at heart, she is a dutiful daughter, living with her Yiddish- speaking parents on the Lower East Side. So when, after a single careless night, she finds herself in a family way by a charismatic but unsuitable man, she is desperate: unwed, unsure, and running out of options. After the birth of five children—and twenty years as a housewife—Dottie’s immigrant mother, Rose, is itching to return to the social activism she embraced as a young woman. With strikes and breadlines at home and National Socialism rising in Europe, there is much more important work to do than cooking and cleaning. So when she realizes that she, too, is pregnant, she struggles to reconcile her longings with her faith. As mother and daughter wrestle with unthinkable choices, they are forced to confront their beliefs, the changing world, and the fact that their lives will never again be the same….”

On April 10, we will consider Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss. “An achingly beautiful and breathtakingly original novel about personal transformation that interweaves the stories of two disparate individuals — an older lawyer and a young novelist — whose transcendental search leads them to the same Israeli desert. Jules Epstein, a man whose drive, avidity, and outsized personality have, for sixty-eight years, been a force to be reckoned with, is undergoing a metamorphosis. With the last of his wealth, he travels to Israel, with a nebulous plan to do something to honor his parents. In Tel Aviv, he is sidetracked by a charismatic American rabbi planning a reunion for the descendants of King David who insists that Epstein is part of that storied dynastic line. He also meets the rabbi’s beautiful daughter who convinces Epstein to become involved in her own project — a film about the life of David being shot in the desert—with life-changing consequences. But Epstein isn’t the only seeker embarking on a metaphysical journey that dissolves his sense of self, place, and history. Leaving her family in Brooklyn, a young, well-known novelist arrives at the Tel Aviv Hilton where she has stayed every year since birth. Troubled by writer’s block and a failing marriage, she hopes that the hotel can unlock a dimension of reality — and her own perception of life — that has been closed off to her. But when she meets a retired literature professor who proposes a project she can’t turn down, she’s drawn into a mystery that alters her life in ways she could never have imagined. Bursting with life and humor, Forest Dark is a profound, mesmerizing novel of metamorphosis and self-realization—of looking beyond all that is visible towards the infinite.” (From the publisher.)

On May 23, we will discuss Waking Lions by Israeli author Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. It tells the story of a neurosurgeon who kills an Eritrean man in a hit and run accident. The victim’s widow blackmails him into treating illegal immigrants in an abandoned garage. From the New York Times, “Gundar-Goshen has said that she believes the writer’s job is to force readers to look at what they’d usually avoid. Not short on discomfiting scenes, “Waking Lions” offers a commentary on privilege and otherness, challenging readers to confront their own blind spots and preconceptions. The themes of visibility and invisibility, of the power dynamics between the observed and the observer, run throughout the narrative. Although the victim’s widow, Sirkit, who scrubs floors at a gas station restaurant, often goes unnoticed by Israelis, she is a beautiful woman, and thus used to the male gaze. She knows that “men can fasten their eyes on you the way people put a collar on a dog.” As the lone witness to Eitan’s crime, she has become “the only one who knew him for what he was.” The authority she holds over him both infuriates and intrigues him. The intimacy that emerges between them is rendered with a restrained intensity that creates some of the novel’s most dramatic scenes.”

Many if not most of the books we read in our book group are in the Beth Chaverim library.

If you would like to borrow one of the books, please contact Rabbi Jodi.

Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 13 The Humanist Café – Food for the Mind & the Appetite

When Bad Things Happen

As humanists, we believe that human beings have the power and authority over their own lives; and that human reason and wisdom will eventually lead to the solutions to problems. Yet this does not mean that human beings are all-powerful and able to direct all events in our lives; or that we cede such power and authority to external deities when inexplicable or tragic things happen. Clearly natural disasters, illness and death are examples of those things over which we have no control, and to which we do not look forward. But we do control our responses to them and this allows us to exercise the power over our own lives. The age-old question of why bad things happen to good people does not have a satisfactory answer, let alone a sufficient theological one. However, we deceive ourselves if we focus on just this question; it is only one quarter of the rubric. Good things happen to good people and we don’t ask why. Bad things happen to bad people and we don’t ask why. And indeed good things happen to bad people, perhaps raising questions but not to the same degree. All are human things happening to human beings. All have human responses. All make up our lives.

Purim Recipe - Orecchi Di Aman (Haman’s Ears)

From http://www.elook.org/recipes/dessert/22311.html (adapted slightly)

Ingredients:

2 eggs 2 egg yolks ¼ cup sugar ½ tsp salt 1 tsp lemon rind, grated 3 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp vanilla extract 2 tcsp rum or brandy (optional) 2 ½ cups flour, unbleached 1 cup oil, olive or otherwise for frying

Instructions:

In a small bowl beat the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar, lemon rind, olive oil, vanilla extract, and rum if opted for. Gradually add enough flour to make a rather soft dough. Turn out onto a floured working surface and knead for 2 or 3 minutes. Roll very thin. With a pastry cutter or sharp knife cut into strips 1 inch x 4 to 7 inches. Slowly heat the oil in a small saucepan. (Oil is at the right temperature when a small piece of dough drops into it floats and begins to sizzle.) Fry a few strips at a time twirling them to give them odd shapes until they are lightly golden. (Tie the longer pieces into a knot before frying them.) Drain and place on a paper towel. When all the ears are done transfer to a large serving dish sprinkling each layer with confectioner's sugar (through a sieve). YIELDS: 2 to 3 dozen Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 14 Look What The Mail Brought Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 15

Membership Questions?

Do you have questions about membership? Contact our membership liaison, Deb Rusnak, at [email protected].

Over the past few years, we have had several families within our community that have had a temporary set back, ie: a Can You Help? surgery, loss of a job, family crises, etc. "Helping Hands" is available to help with We are always looking for some assistance, the needs of these families, either large and small, for our events. Please let us through delivering a meal, or driving to a know if you are interested in helping with any of the following events this year or next: doctor's appointment or any other minor needs a family could use. Over the • Helping Hands Committee past several months, assistance has • E-Auction been provided to several members. If you would like to be added to the list of members who will assist when needed, please email us and Laurie Matlin will contact you when the need arises. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered already; it is greatly appreciated. Any family needing assistance can seek it by contacting Rabbi Jodi.

Humanistic Judaism 101

• Defines Judaism as the collective historic experience of the Jewish people and promotes a community of shared Jewish values. • Promotes the developments of a strong Jewish identity, especially for those Jews who cannot intellectually or emotionally embrace a supernatural being, or who are unsure about the existence of such a being and want to express their Judaism in an honest and meaningful way. • Emphasizes the capacity in all human beings to improve themselves and the world through learning and the performance of good deeds. • Teaches that ethical behavior is conduct which enhances the dignity of every individual • Understands that ritual without meaning is simply empty ritual and that liberal Judaism is authentic Judaism without apologies to the present or nostalgic bows to the past Beth Chaverim is affiliated with the Society for Humanistic Judaism

Did You Know?

Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld is available to conduct life cycle ceremonies including weddings, baby namings, and funerals for members and non-members. Contact Rabbi Jodi for further information at:

(847) 945-6512 [email protected] Spring 2018 Volume 16, Issue 4 Beth Chaverim

A quarterly publication of Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community 1457 Wilmot Road Deerfield, IL 60015 (847) 945-6512 www.BethChaverim.net

Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld Administrator Linda Horn Editor Brooke Perlman

Visit our website to learn more about us – www.BethChaverim.net