Many Faces, Many Voices

"I feel spiritually at home at Beth Emet. It offers a potpourri of people from different backgrounds, and it's a wonderful community in which to learn and grow."

- Karen Reid-Price, with son Jacob

For more than 50 years, Beth Emet has worked hard to balance innovation and tradition in all aspects of communal life. Always willing to experiment, we seek creative ways to integrate the new with the old in worship, education, and community-strengthening, often initiating meaningful change. We welcome you to explore everything our website, and our community, has to offer.

Events & Notices for the Next Few Weeks

Get off Your Tuchus; Get on Your Bike
Join the Beth Emet Biking K'vutza before summer's over

Who: Beth Emet biking enthusiasts When: Sunday, July 27 Departure time: 8:00 am Where: Start at the southern most point of the Green Bay Bike Trail (meeting on the trail just behind the Wilmette train station) and continue to Ravinia, and return. Length: about 15 miles round trip Intensity: Easy to moderate. For more information, contact Susan Fisher by email or at 847-920-9427.

BYOT (Bring Your Own Tarp)
Join us on August 1 for Shabbat Mishpacha at the Lighthouse Beach

Get to know your 'Families' community! Welcome and celebrate Shabbat with other families who have young children at The Light House Beach (2611 Sheridan Rd, at Central St. and Sheridan Rd.) We will meet at the shelter at 5:20 PM (to the left of the stairs) before going down to the beach for a potluck dinner. Dinner will be followed by a family friendly Kabbalat Shabbat service at the water's edge. This event is open and free of charge to all members and non-members with children in 3rd grade or younger. Please bring your own blanket/tarp to eat on. RSVP by July 31 to find out your pot luck assignment. (In the event of rain, we will meet at Beth Emet. If questionable weather, check the Beth Emet website.)  

What's Better Than Shabbat Services AND BBQ?

General Notices

Did You Ever Think Beth Emet Would be on Facebook?
Become a "fan" of the Beth Emet Facebook page

Beth Emet Gift Shop Re-Opens Sunday, September 7!

First Five Shoppers Receive 20% off on 9/7/08 (excluding books). Celebrate the High Holidays! Custom order your own Shofar, blow it from the bima with your fellow Congregants for the final Tekiah G’dolah! Please call Beth at 847-933-9252 and place your Shofar order by Friday, September 5. All Apple and Honey Dish Sets are 25% off! (while supplies last). Need a Hostess Gift for a High Holiday dinner? Prefer a Tallit made in Israel? Come in and take a look! Need Shabbat Candles, Candlesticks, Kiddush Fountains, Havdallah Sets? We’ve got them. Need Greeting Cards, Music cd’s, and Books for all ages? Come in and take a look!Gift Shop Hours: Sunday’s 9:30 a.m. - Noon (when Religious School meets); First Friday of the month 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Hang out at the Sunday Café while your kids are in class; stop by after an Adult Education class on Friday. Perform a Mitzvah & Become a Volunteer! It’s fun & you receive a 20% discount on all your purchases! Give Beth a call at 847-933-9252 to volunteer, or if you have questions. Remember that a Gift from Beth Emet is also a Gift to Beth Emet. L’Shana Tova and all our best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

The Gift Shop wants to know your opinion.  Please check out our survey and let us know how we may better meet your Judaica purchasing needs.

A Message from Our Sister Congregation in Israel

Here in Kehilat Tzur Hadassah we "celebrated" the day before with our groundbreaking ceremony of our new community campus. We have begun the work on our spiritual, educational and cultural home, and hope it will be ready by Rosh Hashanah of this year. Here is a link to a short video clip of our ceremony, as well as a group photo on site at the ceremony. . Any donations to help us along will of course be very welcome!  (Donations can be made online.)   - Shalom from Ilan Halperin and Ruth Trucks, co-presidents and Rabbi Ofer Sabath- Beit Halachmi קהילת צור הדסה    ליהדות מתקדמת
Kehilat Tzur Hadassah for Progressive Judaism -Israel  

Support Immigrant Families in Postville, Iowa

In May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the largest single-site workplace raid in U.S. history at AgriProcessors, the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant, located in Postville, IA. Three hundred employees remain in federal custody. Following the raid, the families of these immigrant workers – which include 500 children – live with fear, uncertainty and no source of income. The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) has launched a relief campaign to help provide food, housing and legal assistance for these families. Contributions can be made through the JCUA website or may be mailed to JCUA at 610 S. Michigan Ave., Suite #500, Chicago, IL 60605. View more information about the AgriProcessors situation is available online.

Technology in Our Classrooms

Technology has arrived in all of our classrooms as well.  The Beit Sefer would like to increase the availability of technology to more students and is looking for donations of wireless capable computers in the classroom.  Please contact Rhonda in the school office at ext. 310 or by email.

Online Study of Prayer, Marriage and the Family 

Would you consider being part of an online, confidential study?  Research on the place of prayer in marriage and family life is hard to find.  When, where, and why do couples pray?  Do partners pray together?  Is marriage and family life part of their prayer life?  These and other questions will be explored in an online, confidential study conducted by Dr. Paul Giblin, Associate Professor of Pastoral Counseling at Loyola University Chicago.  Please contact him at 312-915-7483 or by email if you are willing to participate and/or have questions.

Read Rabbi Knobel's Torah Discussion of Parashat Chukat  featured in the July 4, 2008 issue of the Chicago Jewish News.