Welcome!
Established in 1880 by fourteen German and Czech families, Emanuel Congregation is a Reform Jewish Congregation of 400 families, dedicated to learning and celebrating our heritage through worship services, classes, and life-cycle events. Emanuel members value education with 200 students in our religious school and many opportunities for adult education. We offer a welcoming atmosphere, a diverse membership and a warm and caring community.
Memorial Day Weekend Retreat
Friday-Monday, May 24-27, at OSRUI in Oconomowoc, WI
Come join your fellow Emanuelites for our Annual Memorial Day Weekend Retreat at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), Reform Judaism’s overnight camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin!
Join us as we explore Our Ever Changing Relationship with Judaism - How do we build a Jewish community in our diverse world? What about Israel? What role does G-d play? This retreat is a great way for us all to get to know each other. There are a number of different discussion sessions and activities planned; you decide how much you want to participate!Everyone is welcome: families, singles, couples, multi-generations, interfaith families. Age-appropriate programming and babysitting are part of the retreat. Programs are designed to be inclusive and welcome all viewpoints. As usual, you can stay for two or three nights – your choice!To register, complete the Memorial_Day_2013_Signup_Form and return to the Emanuel office. (Please note that you need to be a member in good standing to attend the retreat)
For more information, contact Luc Dodinval or Lila Yusen.
Don’t Miss the Women’s Shabbat Service with Guest Speaker: Dr. Rachel Adelstein
Frid
ay, May 31st, 8:00 p.m. following WRJ annual meeting at 7:00.
The Women’s Shabbat services, an annual tradition for Emanuel, will be on Friday, May 31. All members of the Emanuel community are welcome to attend
We are delighted to announce the guest speaker for the evening, Dr. Rachel Adlestein. Her presentation, Kol Isha: Women’s Voices in Prayer and Song, explores the slow, steady journey of women’s voices into the Reform synagogue, through choirs, vaudeville, and the social revolution of the 1960s.
Rachel Adelstein is an ethnomusicologist. She recently completed her doctoral dissertation entitled Braided Voices: Women Cantors in Non-Orthodox Judaism at the University of Chicago. She has also written about music and the memory of the Holocaust. She is especially interested in contemporary Jewish liturgical music, as well as artistic expressions of Jewish feminism.
If you are interested in participating in the services, reading in English or reading a few verses of Torah, please contact Diane Weil at dianeweil@gmail.com. Services that evening begin at 8 p.m.
Immediately preceding the services, at 7 p.m., the Sisterhood will hold its annual meeting and election of new officers and board members. A light nosh will be included. All Emanuel WRJ members are invited to attend and to vote. Click HERE for the proposed slate.
Save the Date – Spring Cleaning at Emanuel
Sunday, June 2, Spring Cleaning at Emanuel. Before summer gets started, please donate some of your time and effort to helping us clean and spruce up around the temple, including the garden. There will be various tasks, suited for all ages 5 and above (parental supervision required for children). Please sign up to volunteer at: http://tinyurl.com/emanuelcleaning or call the office, 773-561-5173. Thank you in advance for your help!
Share-Shabbat Dinner
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njoy family-oriented services led by Cantor Michelle Drucker Friedman and Ruth Seidner. Listen and sing along with Emanuel’s own ‘Ham-it-Up’ Band! Savor a delicious dinner following family services. Every month, we have different volunteer chefs and groups cook for us.
For dinner we will also provide side dishes, juice, wine and challah. This month our chefs have requested that you please bring a DESSERT to share. Please note: Due to food allergies, side dishes and desserts should not contain nuts or peanut butter. Reservations are required.
You can now reserve online! Please click here to RSVP for our June Share Shabbat: http://tinyurl.com/JuneShareShabbat
or call the Emanuel office at 773-561-5173 by Wednesday, June 12, at 12 noon. The cost is $7 per person if you bring a dessert for eight, $10 per person without a dessert to share. After 2 pm on Thursday and at the door on Friday, the cost is $15 a person with or without a dessert. Children under age four are always free, but tell us about them so we prepare enough food!
Parking will be available in the Emanuel lot and in the Thorndale “Thumb” (on Emanuel’s south side).
If you are interested in cooking for Share Shabbat, or want to put a group together to do so, please contact Susan Bertocchi at sfbertocchi@yahoo.com.
Karaoke Night at Emanuel
Saturday, June 15, 2013
8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M.
Lend your voice to Emanuel’s great song fest, Karaoke Night at Emanuel. With a wide choice of songs available, you can look forward to a night of fun and friends. Sing out on your own or form an impromptu group.
There is no charge for the event and there will be snacks and a raffle.
RSVP to brotherhood@emanuelcong.org
Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Video: We Are The Stories We Tell
Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a wonderful appearance by Rabbi Schaalman, who recently spoke to a group of Federation staff: www.juf.org/interactive/default.aspx?id=420656
New Biography of Rabbi Schaalman
Ktav Press has just published Emanuel member, Richard Damashek’s biography of Rabbi Schaalman:A Brand Plucked from the Fire: The Life of Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman.
The biography acknowledges his place in the development of twentieth century Reform Judaism. Born in Munich in 1916, he left Germany in 1935 to study at Hebrew Union College, Reform Judaism’s seminary in Cincinnati. Leaving behind the increasingly dangerous situation in Nazi Germany, he went on to become one of the most distinguished rabbis of his generation. Convinced that humankind’s future was related to the ability of people to accept and embrace “difference,” he has devoted his life to promoting interfaith understanding and dialogue. For this work, he has won numerous awards and achieved international recognition.
Ordained in 1941, he went on to serve as rabbi in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Eight years later, he moved to Chicago to take on the job of Midwest Regional Director for the Reform movement’s synagogue organization. A few years later, he became the senior rabbi of Emanuel Congregation. Through his work in educational, civic, and religious organizations, he became one of the most respected rabbis to serve Chicago’s Jewish community.
In the 1980s, he formed a warm friendship with Chicago’s Archbishop, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. So close was their friendship, that when Bernardin was on his deathbed, he asked Schaalman to participate in his funeral. It was the first time in history that a rabbi spoke at the funeral of a Cardinal.
Looking back over a lifetime of service, Schaalman, who is now ninety-seven, says his two most significant achievements are his work in establishing the first youth camp of the Reform movement, and his term as president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Limited copies of A Brand Plucked from the Fire: The Life of Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman are located in the Emanuel office. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the book, for a suggested donation of $36.00, please contact the office at 773-561-5173, and we can place one aside for you.
Introduction to Judaism
Introduction to Judaism is a 17-week overview of Judaism, providing a more extensive opportunity to learn about Jewish history, traditions, holidays and life cycle ceremonies. Participants will gain comfort and familiarity with the symbols, liturgy, music, traditions and Hebrew blessings that accompany Jewish celebrations in the home and synagogue. Reform rabbis and cantors teach this in-depth course. Introduction to Judaism is designed for individuals and couples wishing to explore Judaism, as well as for those considering becoming Jewish. Partners in interfaith relationships are encouraged to enroll together.
Introduction to Judaism is cosponsored by the Union for Reform Judaism and the Chicago Associate of Reform Rabbis.
Fees: $250 per individual or couple for 17 weeks of classes. (Does NOT include textbooks – a list will be provided before class begins).
For more information on Reform Judaism in Chicago, contact Felicia Ross, Administrative Coordinator for Reform Jewish Chicago, at fross@urj.org or 847.721.2888.
