Dear Am Yisrael SJS Community,

The following topics are covered in this week’s Limmud/Education Update:

I. My Message to the Am Yisrael SJS Community

II. Family Promise Volunteer Opportunities: Week of December 18

III. Calling all Shabbat Family Programming (SFP) Torah Readers for Jan 21 and Feb 25

IV. SJS Tzedakah Totals through December 2016

 

I. My Message to the Am Yisrael SJS Community

We hope everyone is doing your best to stay warm during this snowy and cold time.  I truly appreciate your patience and understanding this past Sunday when we cancelled SJS.  While it would have been great to have been able to gather together as a community this past Sunday, hopefully in time we will be able to reschedule at least some of the events that we missed.  We had three huge highlights this past week despite the inclement weather/weather reports: (a) the Dalet and Heh “singing their hearts out” to help lead services last Friday; (b) the annual Gimel through Zayin Kadima-planned Chanukah Games, which took place this past Wednesday at SJS; (c) some Pardes students and their families participated in a huge mitzvah project by supplying, preparing and serving food at a soup kitchen in Evanston.  

With the first night of Chanukah not taking place until we are well into our Winter Break this year, the Chanukah Games served to get us into the spirit of the holiday.  Our activities included preparing blankets for Ark clients, creating Chanukah candles out of beeswax, cookie decorating, listening to classic and new Chanukah songs (and singing along), playing Chanukah Kahoot and creating and performing Chanukah parodies.  Several of our Kadima Board members truly showed their talents and did a phenomenal job facilitating the activities with the help of our SJS teachers.  

I want to wish our entire community a Happy and Healthy Chanukah, starting Fri, Dec 24.  For those who will be traveling over the course of the Winter Break, have a great time, be safe and we look forward to seeing you back when SJS resumes on Wed, Jan 4 and/or Sun, Jan 8.  In the meantime, thank you in advance to those who will be attending our congregation’s services over Winter Break and to those who will be volunteering when the synagogue hosts Family Promise.

II. Family Promise Volunteer Opportunities: Week of December 18

It’s that time of year. We are delighted to be able to host another week to help the Family Promise families in need of housing. At the present time there are three families in the program, but, as you well know, that could easily change. 

Our week is earlier than it has been in the past. We begin on Sunday, December 18, and our last night is Saturday, December 24. We are looking for families to host for the dinner/activities shift, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and for overnight hosts from 8:00 p.m. until the following morning. We hope that you will be generous with your time and support. As you know, this is a most worthwhile tikkun olam opportunity, one that Am Yisrael has been proud to be a part of for many years.  Please respond quickly in order to beat the rush. We can’t do this without your gracious participation.  Please contact Claudia and Gerry Linda to volunteer: claudiawlinda@gmail.com

III. Calling all Shabbat Family Programming (SFP) Torah Readers for Jan 21 and Feb 25

Our next two Shabbat Morning Family Programming sessions are coming up soon and we look forward to having several participants chant from the Torah scrolls.  I will send one verse Torah readings for the library service or three verses of Torah readings for the Sanctuary service.  While our SJS students are learning Torah trope formally starting in the Heh year, I will be sending mp3’s to all SJS and Day School students who sign up, unless families specifically request to only receive the text without the recording.  Please let me know which dates work for you for assigned Torah readings via email csherman@amyisrael.org  or cell phone (847) 708-1805call/text.  Thank you in advance.

IV. SJS Tzedakah Totals through December 2016

Gan: $42.06

Aleph: $35.02

Bet: $83.53

Gimel: $84.39

Dalet: $59.41

Heh: $67.94

Vav: $52.86

Zayin: $41.80

Prozdor: $19.85

Pardes: $29.64

TOTAL: $520.81

Shabbat Shalom,

Charlie Sherman