Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors

Come join us for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday at our family-oriented service on Thursday, September 9th at 10:30am at FVJN.

Please join us for Kol Nidre services on Friday, September 17th at 7:00pm at FVJN, including songleader/guitarist Cindy Michelassi. (For more about Cindy Michelassi, see http://home.xnet.com/~rtm/)

Saturday, September 18, at 5:30, at the Geneva History Center (immediately north of FVJN). Family-friendly and interfaith-friendly potluck, including signaling the ending of Yom Kippur by Mike Weinberger’s blowing of the shofar. (Other shofar blowers (with shofars) are most welcome to participate!)
BTF Attendees. RSVP to nsohnworks@aol.com if will be joining us, including how many of you there will be. For what to bring:
Last name beginning with A-F. Drinks and/or fruit (traditional apples and honey welcome).
Last name beginning with F-M. Bagels & cream cheese, and/or challah and honey.
Last name beginning with N-Z. Non-meat main or side dish, or salad. No desserts, please. (But not to worry: FVJN is providing desserts.)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 from 3:00pm – 8:30pm

Celebration of International Day of Peace at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva
102-110 Second Street, Geneva, IL 60134
630-232-2350 office@uusg.org

Noon - 3:00p
Sanctuary open for noontime meditation
Peace through Justice Opportunities highlighted

3:00p - 5:00p
For Children: Stories featuring puppeteer Marilyn Price
Movies for Adults: The Day After Peace and Rethink Afghanistan. The Day After Peace charts the journey taken by award-winning director Jeremy Gilley to establish a self-sustaining, institutionalized day of global non-violence. Rethink Afghanistan, by acclaimed director Robert Greenwald, examines the costs of the war in money, lives, and U.S. credibility.

5:00p - 7:00p
Sanctuary open for meditation
Peace through Justice Opportunities highlighted

7:00p - 8:30p
“Ceasefire: Stopping Violence by Changing the Mindset” Former gang member Ricardo Williams and the Rev. Tim White of Ceasefire Chicago will tell remarkable stories describing their work focusing on street-level outreach, conflict mediation, and changing community norms to reduce violence, particularly shootings.

This Interfaith Celebration is Free and Open to the Public.

It is Co-Sponsored by:
Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva & Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors

The next meeting of the FVJN Book Group will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m.
We will be discussing “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” by Diane Ackerman.

Summary from www.bookbrowse.com:
“When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw—and the city’s zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen “guests” hid inside the Zabinskis’ villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants—otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes.

With her exuberant prose and exquisite sensitivity to the natural world, Diane Ackerman engages us viscerally in the lives of the zoo animals, their keepers, and their hidden visitors. She shows us how Antonina refused to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around her.”

Do you love to read? Do you enjoy discussing books with others? Then please join us as we dive into the world of novels authored by Jewish writers, and/or books which have Jewish themes.

Everyone is welcome. We will be very informal, but here are a few guidelines:
1. Book group gatherings will take place at FVJN on (TBA) the second Tuesday of every other month at 7 p.m.
at FVJN: 121 S. Third St., Geneva.
2. A different person will facilitate each discussion: You pick a book, you lead the discussion.
3. Food is not required, but feel free to bring a nosh to share.
4. Stick to books with a Jewish context.
5. It helps to read the book before you come to the discussion, but if you didn’t, come anyway!
6. Everyone’s input and opinion is respected.
7. Attendance is not required; come because you want to!

Questions? Thoughts? Feel free to contact me:
Rachel Yackley mry98@aol.com.

Hope to see you there!