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

The following attachment provides the details of the program and includes an Application to be completed to enroll children in the program.

Please download the Application here.

(Some paid teacher positions are still available; anyone interested in a teaching position should contact FVJN at 630 578-3375 or info@fvjn.org.)

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

Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors, an unaffiliated Jewish community center located at 121 S. Third St. in Geneva, is developing a new education program for children in third grade and up, to begin in the fall.

This new religious school program welcomes children — from Jewish and from interfaith families — who have been attending religious school, as well as children who have had little or no formal religious education. This will be a broad-based program inclusive of all branches of Judaism. Bar and bat mitzvah preparation will also be available.

Adults interested in teaching positions, including college students, educators, and especially those with children who will be in the program, are encouraged to request information about paid teaching positions in this school

Please call 630-232-8032, or 630-584-3491, for more information.

FVJN is a Jewish community group composed of Jewish individuals and interfaith families living in central Kane County and nearby towns. The goal of this group is to develop a cohesive Jewish community in the Fox Valley area for religious, charitable and educational purposes. Check out www.fvjn.org for information and upcoming events.

FVJN is located at 121 South 3rd Street, Geneva (across from old Kane County Courthouse).

FVJN is a tax-exempt organization pursuant to Internal Revenue Code section 501c3. Five percent of proceeds from all FVJN events is donated to local charities.

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!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events of interest to parents and children under 10:

Playgroup:
Please join us the first Wednesday of each month for a playgroup at the FVJN space from 3:30pm-5pm.

For our first playgroup of the year - Wednesday - we will be meeting at FVJN (121 South 3rd Street, Geneva); in the future, we may take field trips with parents. For those unfamiliar with the playgroups, anyone under 10 is invited to come play with the toys, color, and do some fun arts & crafts while meeting other area Jewish kids. Given the age and nature of the group, a parent/guardian is asked to accompany the child for the duration.

Educational Enrichment:
This year we will be having one educational enrichment class for children aged 2 to 10. Our first class will meet on October 25th from 10-11 am at the FVJN space in Geneva. This once monthly class will focus on celebrating holidays, incorporating crafts and activities. The fee for the year, which will run from October until June will be $40 for the first child and $20 for additional children. Future class dates will be handed out at the first class and parents are welcome to stay until children feel comfortable on their own. (Please be sure you sign a waiver on the first day).

Please let Tammie Weinberger (tammie.weinberger@gmail.com) know if you plan to attend or enroll your child or have any questions.

AGES 10-14

Fox Valley’s Jewish Neighbors’ 10-14 year olds are ready to roll!

The first session of Contemporary Jewish Learning for Young People will meet Sunday, October 11th from 4:00-6:30 pm at FVJN, 121 S. 3rd Street in Geneva. If you have already enrolled your child, we can’t wait to meet them. If not, there is still time. Registration forms and payment (only $40 for the 1st child and $20 for a sibling for the full year!) can be completed at the first session. The group will meet the 2nd Sunday of the month, October-May.

The first session should be a crowd pleaser as the kids get to know each other, watch a movie, enjoy a snack and talk about the rest of the year. Future sessions will look at Jews in the arts, entertainment and sports, current events, ethics, Jewish literature, life cycle events, foods, community service and other topics.
The program will be a great introduction to contemporary Jewish culture for those children who have not had a formal Jewish education and a unique supplement for those attending religious school.

If you have questions or would like to let us know that your child will be attending, please contact group leader Jeff Zolitor (jhzolitor@comcast.net), Barb Anderson (baa1234@sbcglobal.net) or Mim Evans (mevans8@earthlink.net).

FVJN is located at 121 S. Third St., in downtown Geneva.

As many of you know from our website and from conversations, FVJN applied some time ago for tax exempt status, in order to, among other things, allow donations to FVJN to be tax-exempt to the extent that a donor’s tax situation permits. This week we received from the IRS the ruling that FVJN has been granted that status, and that the status is retroactive to the date of FVJN’s date of incorporation on February 18, 2007.

This means that if you have made a donation to FVJN from 2/18/07 on, your donation may be tax-deductible; and we suggest that you consult with your tax advisor about this. Similarly, your donations going forward will be tax-exempt to the extent permitted by law in light of your personal tax situation. We similarly suggest that you consult your tax advisor to determine the deductibility of all such donations.

* * * *

With our having obtained 501c3 status, we encourage those of you can to make a donation for 2008 to assist FVJN in meeting its obligations. (Please send your checks to FVJN at P.O. Box 8, Geneva, IL 60134.) We’ve itemized below some of our financial needs.

As most of you know, FVJN has not charged dues, and last requested donations from people in 2006. We are very fortunate to have received so many, many hours of professional services from our volunteers, including religious, graphic arts, architectural, accounting, business consulting, real estate, web work, marketing, legal and a number of other services. Also, FVJN has been the fortunate recipient of furniture, artwork and time for painting and for other work in tastefully decorating our location. (We now have a sitting area with comfortable chairs and a couch, and a coffee table; and shelves and cabinets; for those who haven’t been in our space recently.) All of these things have allowed us to do our best to keep our expenses to a minimum. Nevertheless, we have fixed costs of insurance and utilities. Also, we have an outstanding legal bill of $4600, arising out of our incorporation and application for our tax-exempt status ruling. Finally, we have current needs of (i) a podium (approximately $300) to facilitate the work of our wonderful volunteers who lead our services, and for the many speakers we look forward to having in upcoming years; and (ii) a large banner (approximately $150) for use in parades and at other events.

Thus, to the extent that you have not recently made a donation to FVJN, we are asking you to do so now, in light of our having received tax-exempt status. This will greatly facilitate our ability to move forward in building and strengthening our Fox Valley Jewish community.

We thank you in advance for your generosity.

Warm regards,

The FVJN Board of Directors (Do not hesitate to contact any of us with any questions or comments you may have.)

President. Nancy Sohn (nsohn@fvjn.org)
Vice President. Liza Bachrach
Secretary. Jotham Stein
Treasurer. Leslie Weems

Other Board members:
Mim Evans
Paul Glaser
Alysa Hwalisz
Dan Marshall
Mike Simon
Victoria Stein
Rachel Yackley

Webmaster: Paula Krapf (pkrapf@fvjn.org)