Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors

FVJN eNews Online!

Rachel — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:37:25 +0000

February 22, 2012

Look at all there is to do!

Mark Your Calendars!

Feb. 25: FVJN Volunteering at NIFB
Feb. 26: FVJS at FVJN
Feb. 26: FVJN Film Club
March 4: FVJS/FVJN Purim Carnival!
March 9: FVJN Shabbat Evening
March 13: FVJN Book Club

COMING SOON!

FVJN Volunteers at Northern Illinois Food Bank!

Feb. 25, 9 – 11 a.m.

On Saturday, February 25, from 9 to 11 a.m., some FVJN families and individuals will work a Youth Volunteer session at NIFB (Northern Illinois Food Bank).

If you wish to participate in future volunteer workdays, please let Rachel know, ASAP (mry98@aol.com). For Youth sessions, volunteers can be as young as 8 years of age. If you’ve done this with us before, you know how fun it is, and it’s a terrific way to help our greater community!

FVJN Film Club

Feb. 26, 4 to 6 p.m. Free (Bring snacks, if you wish!)

Hiding and Seeking

Filmmakers: Oren Rudavsky, Menachem Daum

http://www.pbs.org/pov/hidingandseeking/ for trailer and more info

This award-winning documentary tells the dramatic and emotional story of a Jewish father who journeys with his two ultra-Orthodox sons back to Poland to try to find the Christian farmers who hid their family from the Nazis. To his sons, this is a land where people are beyond redemption. The father hopes that if they can find examples of decency among the Poles his sons will recognize the potential for goodness in all people.

FVJN’s film and discussion group is free and open to all. We’d love to have your vote on films you’d like to see.

Please click http://www.fvjn.org/fvjn-film-club/ for film suggestions and additional information.

COMING IN MARCH!

Purim Carnival!

Our FVJS/FVJN Purim Carnival will be on Sunday March 4th from 12-2pm. The Carnival is free and open to all who wish to attend. Come celebrate with us, hear a condensed Megillah reading, play games, and have fun! Costumes welcome!

(We will have cheese pizza and juice just for the FVJS kids after Sunday school that day, before the party. Please feel free to pack a sack lunch for those kids who wish to have something other than pizza.)

We need volunteers to help with this fun day, with set up, running the games and clean up. Please reply to barb.anderson58@att.net to let us know you can help. We know some of you offered your time already at the parent meeting, but please let us know that you are still available. Thank you!

FVJN Shabbat Evening with Family Service & Potluck!

**Special Guest Stars: Our FVJN Volunteers!”

March 9, 6:30 p.m.

Please join us for a family service especially for our FVJS students!

Special FVJN volunteers will also be honored during the evening!

A vegetarian dinner will immediately follow the condensed service. Please bring a dish to share!

Non-meat dishes only. Please RSVP asap, and let Rachel (mry98@aol.com) know what you will bring (so we can plan accordingly):

If your last name begins with:
A – G: Salads or side dishes
H – N: Main dishes
O – T: Desserts
U – Z: Beverages

Service will continue throughout the year. Please see our calendar at www.fvjn.org. Our services are always interfaith-friendly.

FVJN Book Group

May 8, 7 p.m.

The FVJN book club selection for March 13 is Kosher Chinese: Living,

Teaching and Eating with China’s Other Billion, by Michael Levy. Our book for May 8 is Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses, by Bruce Feiler. The book club is open to all. Feel free to join atany time. Just mark your calendar and come to FVJN at 7 p.m.

The most recent book discussed, The Invisible Bridge, by Julie Orringer, was given a thumbs up by all!

Volunteer Corner

Our Volunteers Rock!

FVJN participants who have gone above and beyond during 2011 will be honored at the upcoming FVJN Shabbat Evening on Friday, March 9. Please join us!

FVJN Lazarus House Volunteer Project

FVJN individuals and families are asked to provide dinner once a month to the guests from our community who are staying at Lazarus House. Please consider helping with this FVJN Volunteer Project and sign up, now!

Lazarus House is a homeless shelter in St. Charles.

Directions:

1. Go to Lazarus house some time the week before the first Wednesday of the month and “shop between 9am and 9pm” for donated items. Supplement from your own home as needed OR shop on your own at your own expense.

2. Prepare a dinner meal of your choice that will feed 85 guests.

3. Deliver the prepared meal to Lazarus House on the Wednesday you signed up for. The preferred time for drop off is between 6-6:45 p.m., but if needed can be dropped earlier and kept warm in their ovens. Please specify to staff that your food be for the dinner meal.

Tips:

*Cook with others!

*Large casseroles as well as stews in large pots are good.

*Do the cooking a bit at a time and/or ahead of time

*Buy big casseroles (e.g. from Costco)

Volunteers are needed to prepare and deliver dinners the first Wednesday of each month. Please respond to Bethany ASAP!

bkural73@hotmail.com

630-208-6301

Fox Valley Jewish School (FVJS)

Next class 2/26 at FVJN.

*Students and families, please join us for our upcoming Shabbat Evening service and potluck!

Jewish FAQ!

Challah: To Bake or Buy?

“When we feel hungry for a slice of bread, this is really our soul’s desire for its spiritual essence. Food feeds body and soul. When we take challah we are saying: basic bread helps me have the strength to serve my Creator; by using the energy to do mitzvot, I am spiritually nourished. Food is not about simply keeping me alive. It is about helping me live for the purpose for which I was created.” (From www.jewishrecipes.com)

Some FVJN participants purchase challah from several locations in our community:

Breadsmith121 N. 2nd St., St. CharlesFresh Market718 Commons Dr., GenevaTrader Joe’s1942 W. Fabyan Pkwy, BataviaBlue Goose300 S. 2nd St., St. Charles

Some folks choose to make their own Challah. Below is a recipe from

www.myjewishlearning.com. (If you want more, sign up for a free Jewish recipes e-newsletter at http://www.myjewishlearning.com/eletters/recipe_signup.html!)

Challah Recipe By Claudia Roden

Ingredients

2 TBSP dry yeast

2 1/4 C lukewarm water

1/2 C sugar

4 eggs beaten, plus 2 yokes or 1 whole egg for glazing

1 TBSP salt

9 1/4 C flour

Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

1/2 C vegetable oil

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water with 1 tsp. of the sugar. Beat well and leave 10 minutes until it froths. In large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the salt, sugar, and oil and beat again. Add the frothy yeast mixture and beat well. Add flour gradually, just enough to make a soft dough that holds together. Mix well with a large spoon and then with your hands. Knead vigorously for about 15 minuets, until it’s very smooth and elastic. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Pour a little oil into the bowl and turn the dough so it is greased all over. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down and knead again, then divide into four pieces for 4 loaves.

To make round challah: Take 1 piece of dough, roll it between your palms, and pull it out into a long fat rope about 19 inches long and 2 inches thick — a little fatter at one end. Take the fatter end and put it in the middle of an oiled baking sheet, then coil the rest of the rope around it like a snail.

To make braided challah: Divide 1 piece of dough into 3. Roll each piece between your palms and pull into long thin ropes 18 inches long and 1 1/4 inches wide. Pinch 1 end of the 3 strands together and plait them; bring the rope on the right over the middle one, then ring the one on the left over it and continue to the end. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the loaf.

Place all 4 loaves on well-oiled baking sheets, leaving plenty of room to expand, and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Then gently brush with beaten egg yokes, or with whole egg then sprinkle seeds on top.

Bake in preheated 350º oven for 30 – 40 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown.

ELSEWHERE

FVI Events: Past and Future

The following is from Janet Bell of Fox Valley Interfaith (FVI):

Dear Friends–What an exciting meeting we had last night as we learned about WATER–pure, clean water! Most of us in the U.S. simply take it for granted, but as Linda & Loy Williams who have served with Living Waters for the World in Guatemala told us, 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to good safe drinking water! An average American uses 95 gallons of water per day; an average person in Sub Saharan Africa uses 2-5 gallons per day. We learned so much from Loy & Linda and thank them for spreading the hope and work being done in 23 countries where LWW installs water treatment systems. And get this–the volunteers take most of the parts for the systems in their suitcases!

Thanks also to Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors for hosting us. We wish more of you could have come and hope that you will all continue your interest and involvement with Fox Valley Interfaith as we approach our 3-year anniversary. Say, this would be a great time (spring or early summer) to celebrate our group and engage in a service project together. Maybe someone has an idea for that. We’ve never had any newspaper publicity about our group. Does anyone have an idea for that?

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. is our next meeting with Meg Bero at Aurora University. We will hear about the evolution of the Native American Church and tour the Schingoethe Center at Aurora U. for $3 per person. I will send out a more complete description of this event in March so that you all can pass this awesome opportunity on to friends and publicize it in your faith communities.

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Scholar-in-Residence Program

Congregation Etz Chaim of DuPage County cordially invites you to this year’s Sophie and Jack Edwards Scholar-in-Residence weekend, March 16^th-18^th.

Dr. David Shyovitz, Northwestern University Dept. of History will lead all on a provocative journey ~ Judaism and the Occult: from the Middle Ages to Middle America.

Following is the weekend’s programming:

Friday, March 16, 8:15 PM Shabbat Service Sermon

Playing God: The Tabernacle, the Golem, and the Magical Hebrew Alphabet

Saturday, March 17 9:30 AM Breakfast Nosh

Do Jews Believe in Hell? Reading a Medieval Jewish Ghost Story Saturday, March 17 7:30 PM

What does it Mean to Believe in God? Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Approaches

Sunday, March 18 9:30 AM Breakfast

The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf: Medieval Jewish Monsters and their Meanings

Congregation Etz Chaim is located at 1710 S. Highland, Lombard. For more information, please visit our website, www.congetzchaim.org, email cec.adulted@congetzchaim.org or call the synagogue office, 630-627-3912 Babysitting provided for both Saturday sessions. Reservations required.

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Jewish High School Students: Check out what’s going on in Kane County!

Ma’ayan BBYO

BBYO comes to Kane County! Meet other Jewish teens in our area and participate in fun and meaningful activities!

BBYO CONNECT is open to Jewish middle school students in grades 6th through 8th. Additionally, beginning in January each school year, 5th graders are invited to participate in both regional and chapter events.

Ma’ayan BBYO is open to Jewish students in grades 9th through 12th. Additionally, beginning in January each school year, 8th graders are invited to participate in both regional and chapter events.

For information on the groups and upcoming events, visit: http://www.ckielgin.org/youth-groups.html

BBYO will be one of the world’s leading Jewish movements, convening and connecting teens of all backgrounds who will become inspired to live Jewish lives while making a difference in the world.

Youth Advisor – Ms. Liza Bachrach

If you are interested in joining Ma’ayan BBYO or BBYO CONNECT, contact Liza at Archbroch@comcast.net.

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Soup, Purim, and more!

Coming up in the Etz Hasadeh Series at Pushing the Envelope Farm:

3 Jewish Soups: Sunday, Feb. 26, 2-4:30 p.m.

Learn to cook 3 traditional soups!

Post Purim Craft Party: Evening and Overnight: Saturday, March 10 7 p.m. to March 11 12 p.m.

Bring empty wine bottles and old glasses and transform them into personalized Kiddish cups! Learn to cut, paint, and etch into glass. Celebrate the holiday with art, games, dinner, and music (bring your instruments, too!).

For more information about this and other programs please visit http://www.pushingtheenvelopefarm.org/calendar.

There is a fee for these events. Please RSVP to GenevaFarm@gmail.com

Pushing the Envelope Farm is located at: 1700 Averill Road, in Geneva.

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Pledging for Friends

FVJN participant Kimberly Fivelson is walking in the Avon 2-Day Breast Cancer walk in June and could use your support. Please take this opportunity to honor the women you love by donating to the cause. Every donation really helps, big or small. Donations can be made online at www.avonwalk.org (click on “Join Us” à “Find a Walker/Team” and then type in her name) or email her at kimberlyfivelson@gmail.com with any questions.

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March 3: Concert: “Kadosh: A Celebration of Jewish Choral Music”

(From http://www.newclassicsingers.org)

New Classic Singers continues its 30th season with KADOSH, a celebration of Jewish choral music, on Saturday, March 3, at 8 pm, at Christ the King Catholic Church in Lombard. Music Director and Founder Lee Kesselman will conduct the 32 voice adult ensemble and guest instrumentalists as it presents its third concert of Jewish choral music in its history.

Christ the King Catholic Church is located at 1501 S Main Street, Lombard.

Tickets for New Classic Singers are available through the online ticker order form (http://www.newclassicsingers.org), or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups.

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Internship Opportunity

The Hillels of Illinois Harriet and Maurice Lewis Family Summer Intern Program is an eight-week paid work/study internship program in the Chicago Jewish community. The program includes an orientation to the Jewish community of Chicago — including Chicago Jewish history, institutions, social service needs and information about key leaders. The program also includes twice-weekly seminars on professional development and Jewish themes, plus, a midsummer retreat. For more information or to apply, go to http://www.juf.org/college/lsip.aspx.

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Registration for Taglit-Birthrght Israel Chicago Community trips run by Shorashim Opens February 15!

Are your congregants ages 18-26? Are they ready for an Israel experience? Please share this exciting Birthright opportunity with them.

Travel to Israel with Israelis on a Chicago community trip through Shorashim, a partner of JUF. Registration for Taglit-Birthright Israel opens on Wednesday, February 15 at 10 am EST. Priority registration for returning applicants opens Tuesday, February 14 at Noon EST.

Check out http://www.israelwithisraelis.com/ for more information.

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Please Continue to Support FVJN

Thank you to all of you who donated to the annual FVJN Fundraiser! Your generosity will help fund programs, education, operating costs, and more, throughout the year.

FVJN gratefully accepts donations throughout the year. You can easily donate right on our website: www.fvjn.org, or by sending a check to: FVJN, PO Box 8, Geneva, 60134.

New Mailing Address!

Rachel — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:19:09 +0000

We now have a new mailing address:

FVJN
PO Box 346
Geneva, IL 60134

Please make a note of it!

FVJN eNews Online!

Rachel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:54:12 +0000

January 8, 2012

Services, education, volunteer opportunities, and more!

President’s Corner

Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors,

Please allow me to start off our February eNews with a thank you that cannot possibly fit on this page…

Our tireless and founding President for the past seven years, Nancy Sohn, has become President Emeritus of FVJN. Though unlikely that she will take it, she now has the opportunity to have a moment’s peace and have others help manage the organization. No amount of recounting her incredible accomplishments could possibly convey the contributions she has made to FVJN over the years, but I will at least attempt to note some of the highlights.

It is only through Nancy’s extensive commitment and efforts that a small group, meeting in individual homes, has grown to now serve hundreds in the tri-cities area and beyond, all from our own 3rd Street space. While she will no doubt point out that there were others present from the beginning, and there certainly were, Nancy alone took up the helm, offering unwavering support and consistent guidance in directing the group towards what it has become today. She was, after initially bringing individuals together to establish a sense of Jewish community, willing to take up the leadership role to turn that group of individuals into a cohesive community-building entity. FVJN was born!

In case forming an organization is not exhausting enough, Nancy continued to guide the group from infancy to the present. She oversaw numerous board transitions and gracefully navigated the competing pressures that a small group, with limited funds, encounters. As the group continued to grow, she nurtured and supported others who grew the group through the addition of offerings for the benefit of all our community members. Today FVJN is fortunate to provide a religious school, adult social and enrichment opportunities, as well as religious services for all interested. There is little doubt that such outgrowths are directly attributable to Nancy’s steadfast commitment to FVJN and serving our ever-growing community.

We are thrilled to have Nancy continuing as President Emeritus on the Board and we hope she will continue to guide and grow the organization for years to come. Her contributions cannot possibly be overstated. FVJN could not have thrived and grown as it has without your incredible leadership! Thank you, Nancy, for seven amazing years as President!

We also thank Rabbi Fred Margulies, Mike Simon and Trisha Margulies as their service on the Board completes, though certainly not their contributions to FVJN and our ever-growing Jewish community.

Should anyone have suggestions or questions, please contact us at the email addresses listed below. As I begin my term as President, I appreciate any insights you would like to share. We look forward to continuing to grow FVJN to serve the needs and interests of our community and welcome you joining us for specific events or volunteering to help us in our larger undertaking of instilling a greater sense of Judaism in our community.

Warmest wishes,

Tammie

Tammie Weinberger

Tammiew@fvjn.org

Mark Your Calendars!

Feb. 25: FVJN Volunteering at NIFB

Feb. 26: FVJS at FVJN

Feb. 26: FVJN Film Club

March 13: FVJN Book Club

FVJN Volunteers at Northern Illinois Food Bank!

Feb. 25, 9 – 11 a.m.

On Saturday, February 25, from 9 to 11 a.m., some FVJN families and individuals will have the opportunity to work a Youth Volunteer session at NIFB (Northern Illinois Food Bank).

If you wish to participate please let Rachel know, ASAP (mry98@aol.com). For this session, volunteers can be as young as 8 years of age. If you’ve done this with us before, you know how fun it is, and it’s a terrific way to help our greater community!

FVJN Film Club

Feb.26, 4 to 6 p.m.

Free (Bring snacks, if you wish!)

Hiding and Seeking

Filmmakers: Oren Rudavsky, Menachem Daum

http://www.pbs.org/pov/hidingandseeking/ for trailer and more info

FVJN’s film and discussion group is free and open to all. We’d love to have your vote on films you’d like to see.

Please click http://www.fvjn.org/fvjn-film-club/ for film suggestions and additional information.

FVJN SHABBAT FAMILY SERVICE & Potluck!

**Special Guest Stars: Our FVJN Volunteers!**

March 9, 6:30 p.m.

Please join us for a family service especially for our FVJS students!

Special FVJN volunteers will also be honored during the evening!

The evening will begin with a vegetarian potluck. Please bring non-meat dishes, only. Please RSVP asap and let Rachel (mry98@aol.com) know what you will bring (so we can plan accordingly):

If your last name begins with:

A – G: Salads or side dishes

H – N: Main dishes

O – T: Desserts

U – Z: Beverages

Service will continue throughout the year.

Please see our calendar at www.fvjn.org.

Our services are always interfaith-friendly.

FVJN Book Group

May 8, 7 p.m.

The FVJN book club selection for March 13 is Kosher Chinese: Living,

The most recent book discussed, The Invisible Bridge, by Julie Orringer, was given a thumbs up by all!

Volunteer Corner

Our Volunteers Rock!

Our FVJN Board members really do make our organization work! From organizing and attending events, maintaining our building, our school, our space, developing and implementing our annual calendar and more, we couldn’t do it without you!

FVJN Lazarus House Volunteer Project

Your chance to volunteer!

Bethany Kural has arranged with Lazarus House, a homeless shelter in St. Charles, for FVJN to provide dinner once-a-month. Please consider helping with this FVJN Volunteer Project!

Directions:

2. Prepare a dinner meal of your choice that will feed 85 guests.

Tips:

*Cook with others!

*Large casseroles as well as stews in large pots are good.

*Do the cooking a bit at a time and/or ahead of time

*Buy big casseroles (e.g. from Costco)

We still need volunteers to cover April 4 and May 2! Please respond to Bethany asap!

bkural73@hotmail.com

630-208-6301

Fox Valley Jewish School (FVJS)

Last Sunday, 2/5, FVJS students met at Pushing the Envelope Farm, located at Continental Envelope, in Geneva. The day’s activities and experiences focused on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, and featured the movie “The Giving Tree,” food tastings and holiday explanations with Rabbi Fred, art projects with Miss Leslie, and more!

Jewish FAQ!

Tu B’shevat starts today, Feb. 8!

From “Tu Bishvat: The Greening of Judaism”

Originally a time for farmers to record the age of their trees so they would know which trees were old enough to harvest, (Tu Bishvat) has become a time to connect Jewish values of taking care of the earth with contemporary concerns about pollution, climate change and the preservation of the environment.

Judaism has always seen trees as sacred. The Torah itself is called a “tree of life.”

In the book of Genesis, humankind is instructed to be shomrei adamah, caretakers of the Earth, and of all God’s creations.

The most common seder is the meal we share on Passover, but seder just means “order” in Hebrew; any meal with a set lineup or procedure can be a seder. Kabbalists in the Middle Ages revived Tu Bishvat, elevating it to be a joyous holiday. As a new year for the trees, they felt it deserved a new year’s feast. With that, they created a seder.

Shvat is the name of a winter month in the Jewish lunar calendar.

Tu is 15. Every letter in the Hebrew alphabet is also a number:

T (tet) = 9 and U (vov) = 6.

The “Bi” means “of ” or “with”.

Now you know how to decode the name. Tu BiShvat is both a date

and the name of a holiday celebrated on that date (like our 4th of July).

Visit http://www.interfaithfamily.com/holidays/shabbat_and_other_holidays/TuBishvatBooklet.shtml where you can download your own copy of “Tu Bishvat: The greening of Judaism,” filled with all sorts of historical information, as well as activities for all!

ELSEWHERE

Tu B’shvat Seder: Discover the Plant World Through Spices

Feb. 8, 6 – 9 p.m.

Head over to Pushing the Envelope Farm to learn about Tu B’shvat through exploring spices. This event includes a potluck, so bring fruit or a vegetarian dish to share.

For more information about this and other programs please visit http://www.pushingtheenvelopefarm.org/calendar.

Cost: $5 if you sign up at least a week in advance, $15 at the door. Please RSVP to GenevaFarm@gmail.com

Pushing the Envelope Farm is located at: 1700 Averill Road, in Geneva.

******************

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 at Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors

Program on Living Waters for the World Ministry, 7:00 p.m. Free.

Loy & Linda Williams have been privileged to work in Guatemala on this project of sustainable micro water systems. They will share how lives are impacted by teaching local leaders to teach others in the community.

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Pledging for Friends

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March 3: Concert: “Kadosh: A Celebration of Jewish Choral Music” (from http://www.newclassicsingers.org)

Christ the King Catholic Church is located at 1501 S Main Street, Lombard.

“The Hebrew words Kadosh, Kiddush and Kaddish all stem from the same roots,” says Kesselman. “Much of our concert will sing the prayer texts that come from these words. The Kadosh text gave birth to the Sanctus movement in the Christian Mass. Kiddush is the prayer over the wine. And Kaddish has become best known as the prayer for the dead. Our program will circle around these texts and some of the Christian prayers that grew from them.”

The Singers will sing music by famous Jewish composers including Lewandowski, Leonard Bernstein, Salamone Rossi, Kurt Weill, and Max Janowski. There will also be a special section devoted to songs by Debbie Friedman, the beloved songwriter/singer who died last year. The program will close with a selection of popular Klezmer-style songs, featuring Don Jacobs, clarinet, Rich Armandi, bass, and Steve Hawk, drums.

NCS will also premiere a new work by Kesselman, Kaddish for My Father, written especially for this concert. Kesselman’s father died when he was 20 years old and this work is a tribute to him, composed for chorus, clarinet and piano.

New Classic Singers has been entertaining DuPage audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. NCS concerts have been an annual treat for DuPage audiences since 1982.

Director Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He brings a unique composer’s perspective to his work as music director.

Tickets for New Classic Singers are available through our online ticker order form (http://www.newclassicsingers.org), or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups.

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6th Annual Pasta for Posies

Geneva Beautification Celebrates Volunteers (like FVJN’s Marci and Mike!) Who Care for the Gardens of Geneva!

Wed., March 7, 5 – 8 p.m.

Join us for the 6th Annual Pasta for Posies Spaghetti Supper on March 7, 2012 from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will be held at Riverview Banquets located at 1117 N. Washington (Route 25) in Batavia.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children (under 10) when purchased in advance. Tickets will be $12 for adults and $6 for children at the door.

For more info: http://www.plantgeneva.org/

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Check out InterfaithFamily.com!

We’re excited to tell you about the first hybrid online/in-person class InterfaithFamily/Chicago will be offering this year: Raising a Child with Judaism in your Interfaith Family! A one-of-a-kind, eight-session class for interfaith parents thinking about whether and how to bring Judaism to their home, their lives and their parenting. This class runs February 27 through April 27. Register now!

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Where Do You Give?

www.wheredoyougive.org

American Jewish World Service is delighted to announce the arrival of Where Do You Give? a project designed to reimagine the future of tzedakah. Our national design competition officially opens today.

Enter this design competition at www.wheredoyougive.org/about and reimagine the traditional tzedakah box. You could win $2500 and a chance to travel with AJWS! The deadline to submit is March 1, 2012.

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Registration for Taglit-Birthrght Israel Chicago Community trips run by Shorashim Opens February 15!

Are your congregants ages 18-26? Are they ready for an Israel experience? Please share this exciting Birthright opportunity with them.

Check out http://www.israelwithisraelis.com/ for more information.

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Calling all high school sophomores and juniors!

Apply now for Great Jewish Books, the Yiddish Book Center’s new free summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors. Spend a week at the Center reading, discussing, arguing about, and falling in love with some of the most influential and essential works of Jewish literature.

Explore modern works by the likes of Franz Kafka, Sholem Aleichem, Philip Roth, Isaac Babel, Grace Paley, and many others…
Learn from outstanding teachers from top universities as well as from prominent and prize-winning writers…
Develop skills for literary analysis and self-expression that will prepare you for college…
Meet other teens from across the country who love to read and who care about Jewish culture…
Get an early taste of university life — see what it’s like to live, eat, and play on the campus of one of America’s finest liberal arts colleges…
Discover the connection between modern literature and ancient traditions…

Great Jewish Books will be chock-full of social, cultural, and educational opportunities. The program runs from July 29 to August 5, 2012. Applications must be received by March 15, 2012. Tuition, room, meals, and books will be provided for accepted students through a generous grant from Michael Steinhardt.  Learn more and apply now at www.yiddishbookcenter.org/great-jewish-books.

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Please Continue to Support FVJN

Thank you to all of you who donated to the annual FVJN Fundraiser! Your generosity will help fund programs, education, operating costs, and more, throughout the year.

FVJN gratefully accepts donations throughout the year. You can easily donate right on our website: www.fvjn.org, or by sending a check to: FVJN, PO Box 8, Geneva, 60134.

Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors

Officers/Directors 2012

Tammie Weinberger, President

Mim Evans, Vice President

Barb Anderson, Secretary

Nancy Cox, Treasurer

Nancy Sohn, President Emeritus

Greg Cibura

Mike Yackley

FVJN eNews Online!

Rachel — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:25:10 +0000

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Feb. 5: FVJS at Pushing the Envelope Farm

Feb. 25: FVJN Volunteering at NIFB!

Feb. 26: FVJS at FVJN

Feb. 26: FVJN Film Club

FVJS at The Farm: Feb. 5, 9:30 to 11:30

All FVJS students will spend a fun morning at Pushing the Envelope Farm in anticipation of Tu B’shvat. Please drop off and pick up your children at the front entrance to Continental Envelope: 1700 Averill Rd, Geneva.

FVJN Film Club: Feb. 26, 4 to 6 p.m.

FVJN is starting a documentary film and discussion group and we’d love to have your vote on films you’d like to see. Please click http://www.fvjn.org/fvjn-film-club/ for film suggestions and additional information.

FVJN SHABBAT FAMILY SERVICE & Potluck! March 9, 6:30 p.m.

Please join us for a family service especially for our FVJS students!

The evening will begin with a vegetarian potluck. Please bring non-meat dishes, only. Please let Rachel know what you will bring: mry98@aol.com.

If your last name begins with:

A – G: Salads or side dishes

H – N: Main dishes

O – T: Desserts

U – Z: Beverages

Service will continue throughout the year. Please see calendar at www.fvjn.org. Our services are always interfaith-friendly.

Our Volunteers Rock!

FVJN is very fortunate to have a number of volunteers who consistently give so much of their time and energy to our religious school, Fox Valley Jewish School (FVJS).

On the FVJS Committee:

Barb Anderson

Mim Evans

Julie Coller

Fred Margulies (who also volunteers as the B’nai Mitzvah/Hebrew teacher)

FVJN Volunteers at the Food Bank: Feb. 25, 9 – 11 a.m.

On Saturday, February 25, from 9 to 11 a.m., some FVJN families and individuals will have the opportunity to work a Youth Volunteer session at NIFB (Northern Illinois Food Bank).

FVJN Lazarus House Volunteer Project

Bethany Kural has arranged with Lazarus House, a homeless shelter in St. Charles, for FVJN to provide dinner once a month. Please consider helping with this FVJN Volunteer Project!

What this entails is the following:

1. Go to Lazarus house some time the week before the 1st Wed of the month and “shop between 9am and 9pm” for donated items. Supplement from your own home as needed OR shop on your own at your own expense.

2. Prepare a dinner meal of your choice that will feed 85 guests.

3. Deliver the prepared meal to Lazarus House on the Wednesday you signed up for. The preferred time for drop off is between 6-6:45 p.m., but if needed can be dropped earlier and kept warm in their ovens. Please specify to staff that your food is for the dinner meal.

Tips:

*Cook with others!

*Large casseroles as well as stews in large pots are good.

*Do the cooking a bit at a time and/or ahead of time

*Buy big casseroles (e.g. from Costco)

We still need volunteers to cover April 4 and May 2! Please respond to Bethany asap! bkural73@hotmail.com or 630-208-6301

Please Continue to Support FVJN

Thank you to all of you who donated to the annual FVJN Fundraiser! Your generosity will help fund programs, education, operating costs, and more, throughout the year.

FVJN gratefully accepts donations throughout the year. You can easily donate right on our website: www.fvjn.org, or by sending a check to: FVJN, PO Box 8, Geneva, 60134.

Jewish FAQ: Tu B’shvat!

(adapted from: www.chabad.org)

Tu B’Shevat, the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar — celebrated this year on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 — is the day that marks the beginning of a “New Year for Trees.” This is the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle.

We mark the day of Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. On this day we remember that “man is a tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19) and reflect on the lessons we can derive from our botanical analogue. The master kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, would eat fifteen types of fruit on this day!

Why do trees celebrate their New Year so much later than we do? It has to do with the rainy season in Israel, which begins with the festival of Sukkot. It takes four months for the rains to saturate the soil, nurture the trees and coax them into producing fruit.

Here are some traditional Tu B’shvat practices:

Eat some fruit on this day. Best if you can get some of those fruits for which Israel is famous: olives, dates, grapes, figs and pomegranates.

The blessing on fruit:

Baruch Atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech ha’Olam borei pri ha-etz.

[Blessed are You, our G‑d, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.]

If tasting a fruit for the first time in its season, recite the Shehecheyanu blessing before saying the fruit blessing:

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh.

[Blessed are You, our G‑d, ruler of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.]

ELSEWHERE

Pledging for Friends

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Tu B’shvat Seder: Discover the Plant World Through Spices: Feb. 8, 6 – 9 p.m.

Head over to Pushing the Envelope Farm to learn about Tu B’shvat through exploring spices. This event includes a potluck, so bring fruit or a vegetarian dish to share.

For more information about this and other programs please visit http://www.pushingtheenvelopefarm.org/calendar.

Cost: $5 if you sign up at least a week in advance, $15 at the door. Please RSVP to GenevaFarm@gmail.com

Pushing the Envelope Farm is located at: 1700 Averill Road, in Geneva.

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Where Do You Give?

www.wheredoyougive.org

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A Special Offering from www.InterfaithFamily.com

Love and Religion — Online is a four-session workshop for interfaith couples who are seriously dating or newly married, on exploring the issue of religion in their relationships. This workshop offers a safe environment for couples to work on creating religious lives together. The sessions will be each Wednesday for four weeks, starting February 1 in person, and then online February 8, 15 and 22. Each session runs 7:00-9:00pm and includes online resources, including facilitation via videoconferencing. The cost is $36 per couple.

Interested couples can learn more, and watch a short video, about the workshop and then find more details and register here.

Each of the eight sessions addresses a major parenting situation, looking at how Jewish teachings and traditions offer insights into making these times meaningful and spiritual. We will explore bedtime and meal-times, marking time with meaning on a weekly and yearly basis, doing good deeds, loving learning, spirituality and personal journeys. Class materials include: background essays and slide shows on Jewish teachings; “hear/read” resources to help participants learn how to say blessings; videos; family projects; bedtime book suggestions; personal stories written by other interfaith families; journaling questions and discussion prompts for talk between partners and with other parents; and more!

Interested parents can get more details and register for the class here.

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Registration for Taglit-Birthrght Israel Chicago Community trips run by Shorashim Opens February 15!

Are your congregants ages 18-26? Are they ready for an Israel experience? Please share this exciting Birthright opportunity with them.

Check out http://www.israelwithisraelis.com/ for more information.

FVJN eNews Online!

Rachel — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:30:46 +0000

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Jan. 13: Shabbat Family Service

Jan 22: FVJSchool

Feb. 25: FVJN Volunteering at NIFB!

FVJN SHABBAT FAMILY SERVICE Jan. 13, 7 p.m. at FVJN Shabbat evening with Rabbi Fred Margulies. Please join us and bring a treat for the oneg, if able. Service will continue throughout the year. Please see calendar at www.fvjn.org. Our services are always interfaith-friendly.

FVJN Film Club Feb.19, 4 to 6 p.m. FVJN is starting a documentary film and discussion group and we’d love to have your vote on films you’d like to see. Please click http://www.fvjn.org/fvjn-film-club/ for film suggestions and additional information.

Our Volunteers Rock! The FVJN annual Chanukah Party, held Dec. 18, was a huge success (and a lot of fun!) thanks to the time and effort donated by a wonderful group of volunteers:

Erin DiSilvestro
Bethany Kural Kari Brandstedt
Julie Coller
Carrie Hubbard
Jen Rothenberg
Tina Gilman Tammy Weiss
Marci Leibowitz
Susan & Dennis Rizzo
The Brottman family
Kimberly Fivelson
Julie Salomon
Dani Moravec
Tammie Weinberger

Have you seen our space, lately? Our stairwell is sporting a bright coat of paint, and each tread of the stairs is now graced with a carpeted stair tread. A huge thank you to Mike Yackley for all his hard work, and a very special shout-out to Greg Cibura for all his hours of help!

A Special Note The Yackley family would very much like to thank the FVJN Caring Committee and the FVJN Board for their TLC after the recent sudden passing of Rachel’s mother. We are so fortunate to be a part of this local Jewish community!

FVJN’s Annual Fundraising Campaign Thank you to all of you who donated to the annual FVJN Fundraiser! Your generosity will help fund programs, education, operating costs, and more, throughout the year. FVJN gratefully accepts donations throughout the year. You can easily donate right on our website: www.fvjn.org, or by sending a check to: FVJN, PO Box 8, Geneva, 60134.

FVJN Donates, Too! Each year, FVJN/FVJS donates a portion of what we receive to local organizations serving our community. Recently, we donated to NIFB (Northern Illinois Food Bank) and to TriCity Family Services. These two organizations were chosen by our FVJS students!

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**VOLUNTEER WITH US!**

FVJN Volunteers at the Food Bank Feb. 25, 9 – 11 a.m.

On Saturday, February 25, from 9 to 11 a.m., some FVJN families and individuals will have the opportunity to work a Youth Volunteer session at NIFB (Northern Illinois Food Bank). There are only 20 spaces available for us, so if you wish to participate (and there is still plenty of room), please let Rachel know, ASAP (mry98@aol.com). For this session, volunteers can be as young as 8 years of age. If you’ve done this with us before, you know how fun it is, and it’s a terrific way to help our greater community!

FVJN Lazarus House Volunteer Project FVJN participant and volunteer Bethany Kural has arranged with Lazarus House, a homeless shelter in St. Charles, for FVJN to provide dinner once a month. Please consider helping with this FVJN Volunteer Project!

What this entails is the following: 1. Go to Lazarus house some time the week before the 1st Wed of the month and “shop between 9am and 9pm” for items that have been donated and then supplement from your own home as needed OR shop on your own at your own expense. 2. Prepare a dinner meal that will feed 85 guests at your home at your convenience. Donna at Lazarus Hoouse explained they are so grateful for the preparation of the meals and you have complete freedom in your choice of meals. 3. Drop the prepared meal off at Lazarus House on the Wednesday you signed up for. The preferred time for drop off is between 6-6:45 p.m., but if needed can be dropped earlier and kept warm in their ovens. Please specify to staff that your food is for the dinner meal.

Tips: Lazarus House provides the food. Cook with others! Partner up and make it a girls night or family activity. Large casseroles as well as stews in large pots are good. Do the cooking a bit at a time and/or ahead of time Buy big casseroles (e.g. from Costco)

We still need to cover April 1 and May 2! When choosing the best month for your family, please respond to Bethany asap, to avoid duplication. Thank you so much!

Bethany Kural
bkural73@hotmail.com
630-208-6301

************

ELSEWHERE

Natural Brewing 101 at Pushing the Envelope Farm January 15, 2 – 4:30 p.m. Spice up the winter with a home-brew! This workshop covers the basics of brewing natural drinks and the science behind fermentation. Learn to fight winter chills with ginger beer and hard cider, brew aphrodisiac mead, or boost your energy with kombucha. Participants over 18 are welcome, and those over the 21 will have a chance to try each drink. This program is part of the Etz HaSadeh workshop series for young adults. For more information about this and other programs please visit http://www.pushingtheenvelopefarm.org/calendar. Cost: $5 if you sign up at least a week in advance, $15 at the door. Please RSVP to GenevaFarm@gmail.com Location: Pushing the Envelope Farm, a Jewish community and educational farm. The address is 1700 Averill Road, Geneva, IL 60134.

Two Special Offerings from www.InterfaithFamily.com Love and Religion — Online is a four-session workshop for interfaith couples who are seriously dating or newly married, on exploring the issue of religion in their relationships. This workshop offers a safe environment for couples to work on creating religious lives together. The sessions will be each Wednesday for four weeks, starting February 1 in person, and then online February 8, 15 and 22. Each session runs 7:00-9:00pm and includes online resources, including facilitation via videoconferencing. The cost is $36 per couple. Interested couples can learn more, and watch a short video, about the workshop and then find more details and register here.

Raising a Child with Judaism in Your Interfaith Family is a one-of-a-kind, eight-session class for interfaith parents thinking about whether and how to bring Judaism to their home, their lives and their parenting. This class runs February 27 through April 27. Participants will learn one session each week online, with two additional in-person meetings for the whole family: a Shabbat experience on March 23 and a wrap-up session on April 22. Each of the eight sessions addresses a major parenting situation, looking at how Jewish teachings and traditions offer insights into making these times meaningful and spiritual. We will explore bedtime and meal-times, marking time with meaning on a weekly and yearly basis, doing good deeds, loving learning, spirituality and personal journeys. Class materials include: background essays and slide shows on Jewish teachings; “hear/read” resources to help participants learn how to say blessings; videos; family projects; bedtime book suggestions; personal stories written by other interfaith families; journaling questions and discussion prompts for talk between partners and with other parents; and more! Interested parents can get more details and register for the class here.

Fox Valley Jewish Neighbor’s Annual Chanukah Party & Potluck!

Rachel — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:06:46 +0000

Everyone’s invited to this Chanukah Party!

Grab your menorahs, bundle up the kids and come to the annual FVJN Chanukah Party, for friends, food, activities for kids, music and more!

A dairy/vegetarian potluck meal is part of our annual FVJN Chanukah Party! Please see the list below, and bring a dish to share.

Email Erin at erind2323@aol.com with what food you’ll be bringing. Please be sure to put “FVJN Chanukah Party” as the subject of your email response.

Latkes
Salads (green, tuna salad, tomato salad….)
Matzo ball soup (but we then need to remember bowls/spoons)
Bagels (cut into quarters since little kids often eat less than 1/2)/cream cheese
Hummus and veggies
Cheese/crackers
Desserts

FVJN will provide sour cream and applesauce, as well as beverages and paper products (if you would like to donate any of these things, let us know!)

Party details:

FVJN Chanukah Party

Sunday, Dec. 18, 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road, Geneva (NW corner of Peck and Kaneville roads).

Questions? Comments? Email info@fvjn.org.

This event is interfaith-friendly and there is no cost to attend.

FVJN Film Club

Rachel — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:03:55 +0000

FVJN now offers a new documentary film and discussion group and we’d love to have your vote on films you’d like to see. Films will be viewed every other month on Sunday afternoons at FVJN.

Please check/select the 5 films that most interest you. If you would like additional information on these films, visit: http://www.religionandprofessions.org/other-resources/films/free-film-library/. If you are interested in a good website for other great social action films, check out www.ironweedfilms.com. We also have access to some of these films, so if there are other films you would like the Film Club to consider, please send a note to nancyc@fvjn.org.

Defamation – A provocative look at “What is anti-Semitism today?” Does it remain a dangerous and immediate threat or is it scare tactic used by right-wing Zionists to discredit their critics?

Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality – A look at humankind’s relationship with death. The film uncovers death anxiety as a possible root cause of many of our psychological, cultural and spiritual behaviors

God in Government - This film explores the complex relationship between religion and politics in the contemporary world. It asks what are the consequences when they mix and what is the appropriate relationship between “church” and “state” in a modern society.

Hiding and Seeking - This film tells the dramatic and emotional story of a Jewish father who journeys with his two ultra-Orthodox sons back to Poland to try to find the Christian farmers who hid their family from the Nazis. He hopes that if he can find examples of decency among the Poles, his sons will recognize the potential for goodness in all people.

Jesus Camp - The film follows 3 children to a camp in North Dakota where they are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in “God’s army” and are schooled in how to “take back America for Christ.”

A Life Apart - In New York City, the Hasidim are a common sight, but their way of life remains a mystery to those outside their community. We are taken into the depths of the Hasidim’s joyous, sometimes harsh, and often beautiful world.

Out of Faith - This film follows three generations of a family being torn apart by conflicts over interfaith marriage. The grandparents, who survived three years in Auschwitz, feel in their minds, their grandchildren marrying non-Jews represents a posthumous victory for Hitler.

Sister Rose’s Passion - An unlikely activist and powerhouse who made the battle against anti-Semitism her life’s work. A chronicle of Sister Rose Thering’s life who had courage, toughness and passion to resist the status quo and push for what she believed was right.

The Fire of Yoga: A Documentary Film - Spotlights the stories of three everyday people using yoga to help inner-city teens change their lives, another uses yoga to help while battling cancer and a third is an 81 year old yoga instructor and former alcoholic and absentee father. The film is an inspiring testament to yoga’s transformative, regenerative and transfiguring power.

Budrus – A documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. Success eludes them until his 15-year-old daughter jumps into the fray.

FVJN Yahrzeit List

Rachel — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:34:47 +0000

FVJN is maintaining a yahrzeit list, and adding all dates on the FVJN calendar. If you have a name to add to our list, please send the name you wish to add, your name and relationship, the yahrzeit observance date, and your contact information to: info@fvjn.org.

If you wish to make a donation to FVJN in memory of someone from your life, you can print out and send the form below, or click on the “donate” button on this site.

CONTRIBUTION

In Memory of a Loved One:

Name: ______________________________

I wish to contribute to Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors

_____ $18 _____ $36 _____ $54 _____ $72 _____ other

Donations made by check: Mail to: FVJN, P.O. Box 8, Geneva, IL 60174.

Donations made by credit card: Visit www.fvjn.org and click “donate” button. Please specify donation information in the comments box.

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Voices from the Middle: Bridging the Interfaith Divide

Greg — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:41:28 +0000

A network of Fox Valley faith communities invites you to a community-wide celebration of the International Day of Peace (Peace Day) on Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The first “Peace Day” was celebrated in September 1982, after being established by a United Nations resolution to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The International Day of Peace provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.

The local celebration of the International Day of Peace will kick-off with a gathering at 10 a.m. for the dedication of the recently installed Peace Pole at Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors (FVJN), located at 121 S. Third St., in Geneva (just across from the old Kane County courthouse, at the yellow awning).

This Peace Pole is part of the international Peace Pole Project. It bears a phrase “May peace prevail on earth” in Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Algonquin (Native American language indigenous to the area), and Swedish, along with “May peace be in our homes and Communities” in English.

Activities will continue a block east at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva (UUSG), located at 110 S. 2nd St., in Geneva.

At 10:30 a.m., come attend an enlightening, interactive program titled, “Have you heard the one about: How to respond to hate language,” presented by nonviolent communications trainer, Thom Thomas.

Ask questions of religious leaders in a panel on Building Bridges, from 11:45 to 12:45, with representatives from the Islam, Unitarian, Jewish and Christian faiths. A panel discussion with young adults will follow at 1 p.m.

Children of all ages will be treated to puppet shows about diversity, craft projects, along with the opportunity to meet and greet children from other religions and ethnicities, from 1 to 2 p.m.

Additionally, the UUSG sanctuary will be open throughout the Day of Peace event for meditation and reflection.

Preceding Saturday’s event will be a free public screening of “Divided We Fall,” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, at the UUSG. This prize winning documentary features stories of Sikhs, Muslims and Arabs in America, and interviews with scholars, lawyers and legislators about race, religion and security in post-9/11 America.

This local celebration of the International Day of Peace is a secular event, open to everyone of all ages and faiths.

Looking for Participants For FVJN’s Social Action Committee

Greg — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:17:26 +0000

FVJN’s Social Action Committee needs you! This committee is open to anyone, and is a great opportunity for teens to participate in social action projects.

Representatives from FVJN are also needed to attend Fox Valley Interfaith (FVI) group meetings. For more information about FVI, please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-Valley-Interfaith/108173415902419?sk=wall (no need to join Facebook to see this page)

If interested in getting involved in either or both of these groups, please email Rachel at mry98@aol.com.