Swedish Days Thank You

The FVJN Swedish Days Booth 2016 was a hit!
We sold out of everything: Pickle Pops, Dr. Pragger’s vegan, gluten free burgers, black bean burgers, Hebrew National hotdogs, and healthy frozen treats!

A huge THANK YOU to all who volunteered, and a special thank you to Mike Yackley and Dave Larson, who lead the charge from organizing to set-up and take-down, to shopping, repairing, working the booth every day and more, and to Dan Simon, who designed all the booth signage and also worked several shifts. Special shout out to Lillian Tanzer who volunteered in the booth 4 days in a row!

FVJN would like to thank the following local businesses for their donations:
Trader Joe’s, Batavia: $50.38
Target, St. Charles: $100 plus 72 black bean burgers
Meijer, St. Charles: $300
The Little Traveler, Geneva: All chopped tomatoes & onions, donated sign laminating

The Mural is Complete

The mural is complete!

The mural is complete!

Volunteers and Donors Join Forces for New Downtown Mural

When deciding how to commemorate their tenth anniversary, Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors chose to do something lasting for the community they call home.

“We have enjoyed being a part of downtown Geneva and have been welcomed by the surrounding community,” said FVJN president Greg Cibura, “when a mural was suggested, we thought it was a great way to do something everyone could enjoy.”

The result is the large, six panel mural now located just off Geneva’s Third Street in the alley across from the courthouse. The mural was dedicated on June 6 in a celebration attended officials from the City and community organizations, FVJN families and friends, and Geneva residents and business owners. The mural was designed by artist Danielle Dobies and based on drawings by children from FVJN’s Sunday School and ideas from FVJN members. FVJN families and friends volunteered countless hours to assemble the mosaic tiles under the artist’s direction. Area businesses and individuals donated some of the materials. Funding to cover other costs was obtained through a grant from the Geneva Foundation for the Arts as well as donations from other FVJN supporters. The mural took over a year to complete.

Once the panels had been completed inside, the mural was professionally installed on the side of the building at 121 S. Third Street. Volunteers then painstakingly grouted all of the tile, first applying the grout and then cleaning off the excess. The process took many hours, but also gave the public an opportunity to witness some of the work and learn the story behind the project.

FVJN draws its families largely from the Tri-Cities area and the group wanted the mural to reflect the values that they share with the surrounding community. The panels include symbols of peace, diversity, education, family and ancestry, the sharing of celebrations, and appreciation of the natural and manmade beauty and resources of the area.

Mural Completed!

pic5We are nearing the completion of our mural project! It’s not to late to volunteer on this exciting project before the formal dedication on June 6….

The mural will be professionally mounted near our space as 121 S. Third St. We will then need volunteers to apply the grout after it is on the wall. No special skills are needed, but we are requesting ages 15 and up only for this job, as much of the work will be done on ladders. If you can help on Friday, May 27, any time between 1-5, orMonday, May 30, between 11-4, or have a ladder we can borrow, please email Mim Evans at evansml8@yahoo.com. Please include which hours you are available on which day. Only a limited number of people can work at a time, so we will figure out a schedule as we see when people are available. (Note: all dates subject to change if weather is uncooperative.)

Please plan to attend the formal dedication of the mural on Monday, June 6 at 6:00pm. The mayor of Geneva, city council, chamber of commerce, Geneva Foundation for the Arts and others have been invited. Let’s have a great turnout from FVJN and families as we dedicate this project in honor of our 10th anniversary. Watch for more details on the dedication in a future email, but save the date now.

Thank you to all who have volunteered, contributed materials or made a cash donation. We still need to raise additional money to cover installation costs.Please donate here. Any amount is much appreciated.

Please click here to view the presentation about our Mural Process.

We look forward to seeing everyone June 6th! Shalom!

Join us at this year’s Jewish Festival!

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“More than 20,000 people celebrated Jewish culture at the last Festival”

The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival expresses the heart and soul of Jewish Chicago. For one single day it intertwines the sounds, sights and smells of Jewish culture and brings together every facet of the Jewish community; young and old, singles and families, regardless of their religious practices and political commitments. It is a day of celebration and tolerance in which we gather to celebrate Jewish identity and share Jewish culture with others. I invite you to come and be part of our “town square of Jewish Chicago” and enjoy the Festival with family and friends.

Learn more at jewishfestival.org

Sing Along With FVJS

00935c33-83b4-4392-a256-66d581e84859FVJS students invite you to join them in singing Shabbat and other songs they’ve learned throughout the year!

Please join us on Sunday, May 15, from 10:30 – 11:30 am, at Pushing the Envelope Farm, 1700 Averill Rd., Geneva.

*This sing along is being held in place of the May 13 Shabbat Service. *

All are welcome to come to the farm! We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions, please contact Gail @ gail@fvjn.org