Those of you who didn't attend the Shavout Program last night really missed something. Rob Gardner and Sheila Essig cooked up a fantastic dinner. Eli's donated cheesecake and we got to hear from our seniors. What a wonderful evening!
In 2 weeks we will have the first of two events celebrating Rabbi Gerson’s 30 years at Oak Park Temple. The first will be a black tie optional dinner taking place at Club International at the Drake Hotel on June 14. Your invitation should have arrived in mid-May. In addition, there will be a congregational dinner preceding services on July 31. Please consider attending at least one of these events marking Rabbi Gerson’s transition to the position of Rabbi Emeritus.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sisterhood Shabbat
Once a year on a Friday night around Mother’s Day, our Sisterhood participates in services. This service is a departure from our regular reading from Mishkan Tifilah and while I’ve attended it before, it meant more to me this year than others. The readings themselves are lovely, but it was the voices of the women of our congregation, many of them of the “older generation”, ’ that really made this a special evening for me. Thank you Kathy for putting this together. Please consider attending this annual event next year, you won’t be sorry if you do.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Scheidt Seminar
I am just back from Atlanta where I attended the Scheidt Seminar for Temple Presidents. It was an amazing weekend where I got to meet 95 Temple Presidents from North America. If you see me around the Temple or around town ask me about it. I've now got fundraising, and community building ideas for the next few years.
I look forward to speaking to all of you.
Lauren
I look forward to speaking to all of you.
Lauren
Thursday, April 16, 2009
It’s Spring!!!
As I sit here writing, the sun is shining and I want to be outside more than anything. After this historically wretched Winter, we deserve a long and beautiful Spring, don’t you think?
As has become the norm, life at OPT has been busy. If you’ve been in on a Sunday you may have noticed that every room is in use. So many things are going on that we can’t even accommodate a single new meeting or event before 12 noon on any Sunday!
The Bagel Boys are still keeping us all fed, even during Passover, when they morphed into Matzo Men for the week. Also feeding us lately was the Social Action Committee who sponsored a wonderful chometz-free brunch on April 12, when they welcomed Congressman Danny Davis. Thank you to all of you who worked so hard to get that program put together and made us such a wonderful meal. Sisterhood and their Women’s Seder was another success both food and spirit-wise as was the Congregational Seder. We sang, and eat and had fun at both of these events due to the wonderful women who donated their time and talents.
Coming up this month is the Walk With Israel on Sunday May 3. We will be meeting at Scoville Park and walking thru beautiful Oak Park. In order to get us ready for this event, there will be an Israeli dinner on Friday May 1st preceding services.
As a mother of one of your Kabbalat Torah students, I’d like to invite all of you to the service on Friday May 15 when all of our 10th graders will be chanting Torah and participating in the service. There will be a special oneg following this service sponsored by the families of the students. In a day and age when there are so many distractions it’s wonderful to see these dedicated teenagers who have completed their formal Jewish education.
Our last busy Sunday of the year will be May 17. On this day there will be a Sisterhood bake sale, a Bagel Boys picnic and an OPTY car wash. So make sure you bring your appetites and dirty cars that day.
Something New! On Thursday May 29 we will be celebrating Shavout with a dairy dinner and study of the Book of Ruth. More information will be available through the list serve, on the website and in the mail, once details are firmed up.
On a final note, I know that you all received the Pesach Appeal letter last month with an explanation of our financial woes. In an effort to save money on custodial fees, we will be closing the building on Tuesday evenings from now on, and also on Sundays during the months of June and July.
Enjoy the Spring and keep events at OPT on your calendar as you plan this month and the months to come.
B’shalom
Lauren Levrant
As I sit here writing, the sun is shining and I want to be outside more than anything. After this historically wretched Winter, we deserve a long and beautiful Spring, don’t you think?
As has become the norm, life at OPT has been busy. If you’ve been in on a Sunday you may have noticed that every room is in use. So many things are going on that we can’t even accommodate a single new meeting or event before 12 noon on any Sunday!
The Bagel Boys are still keeping us all fed, even during Passover, when they morphed into Matzo Men for the week. Also feeding us lately was the Social Action Committee who sponsored a wonderful chometz-free brunch on April 12, when they welcomed Congressman Danny Davis. Thank you to all of you who worked so hard to get that program put together and made us such a wonderful meal. Sisterhood and their Women’s Seder was another success both food and spirit-wise as was the Congregational Seder. We sang, and eat and had fun at both of these events due to the wonderful women who donated their time and talents.
Coming up this month is the Walk With Israel on Sunday May 3. We will be meeting at Scoville Park and walking thru beautiful Oak Park. In order to get us ready for this event, there will be an Israeli dinner on Friday May 1st preceding services.
As a mother of one of your Kabbalat Torah students, I’d like to invite all of you to the service on Friday May 15 when all of our 10th graders will be chanting Torah and participating in the service. There will be a special oneg following this service sponsored by the families of the students. In a day and age when there are so many distractions it’s wonderful to see these dedicated teenagers who have completed their formal Jewish education.
Our last busy Sunday of the year will be May 17. On this day there will be a Sisterhood bake sale, a Bagel Boys picnic and an OPTY car wash. So make sure you bring your appetites and dirty cars that day.
Something New! On Thursday May 29 we will be celebrating Shavout with a dairy dinner and study of the Book of Ruth. More information will be available through the list serve, on the website and in the mail, once details are firmed up.
On a final note, I know that you all received the Pesach Appeal letter last month with an explanation of our financial woes. In an effort to save money on custodial fees, we will be closing the building on Tuesday evenings from now on, and also on Sundays during the months of June and July.
Enjoy the Spring and keep events at OPT on your calendar as you plan this month and the months to come.
B’shalom
Lauren Levrant
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
First I want to thank everyone who took part in our Warm Hearts Warm Kids fundraiser last Saturday. It was an eamazing evening. Great food, great wine, great people. If you missed it, make sure you don't miss any future events, like this Friday night, when Tsimmes will be playing at services. The last time they played at a family service it was terrific and I am sure that this time it will be no different, so eat an early dinner and come to OPT at 8:00 to welcome in Shabbat.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
I hope you were all as excited as I was on Sunday January 25. Our Community Hall was true to its name, a place for “community”. Close to 400 people packed in, ate bagels and voted unanimously to extend an invitation to Rabbi Max Weiss to be our next rabbi. Who would have thought that so many Jews could agree on anything? At that amazing event, we also voted in our new Board of Directors, and awarded very deserving congregants with honors. Thank you all for attending this meeting. I can expect to see such a great turnout at all future events, right? I would also like to thank each of you who helped on this momentous day. Your contributions did not go unnoticed.
Coming up this month is the Annual Retreat at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, WI. As of this writing there were still a few rooms left, so you’ll need to hurray and find out if any remain if you are still interested in attending but never got around to signing up. It promises to be a fun filled weekend, and don’t forget that it will probably be the last time you can catch Rabbi Gerson leading services in a sweatshirt and slippers!
Speaking of last times with Rabbi Gerson, please mark your calendars for the two events taking place to honor our beloved Rabbi’s retirement. On Sunday June 14 there will be a formal, fundraiser in Rabbi Gerson’s honor taking place at the International Club at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Ron and Jan Broida and the Endowment Committee are coordinating this evening. Watch your mailboxes for invitations.
On July 31, Rabbi Gerson will be officiating for the last time at a Friday night service as our senior (only) rabbi. (Of course we expect to see him after that, but by then he will be our “Rabbi Emeritus”.) As with any good Jewish event, this occasion has to be celebrated with food! So, plan on attending services that evening, and join us for dinner before hand. I’ll keep you posted on the details as they develop, so watch this column and the one I keep updated on the Website.
Speaking of the Web. A Facebook group for Oak Park Temple is in the works, so watch your emails for an invitation to join. It should be a fun and easy way to keep up to date with the goings on at Temple.
Hopefully by the next time I write this column it will be warm!
B’shalom,
Lauren Levrant
Coming up this month is the Annual Retreat at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, WI. As of this writing there were still a few rooms left, so you’ll need to hurray and find out if any remain if you are still interested in attending but never got around to signing up. It promises to be a fun filled weekend, and don’t forget that it will probably be the last time you can catch Rabbi Gerson leading services in a sweatshirt and slippers!
Speaking of last times with Rabbi Gerson, please mark your calendars for the two events taking place to honor our beloved Rabbi’s retirement. On Sunday June 14 there will be a formal, fundraiser in Rabbi Gerson’s honor taking place at the International Club at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Ron and Jan Broida and the Endowment Committee are coordinating this evening. Watch your mailboxes for invitations.
On July 31, Rabbi Gerson will be officiating for the last time at a Friday night service as our senior (only) rabbi. (Of course we expect to see him after that, but by then he will be our “Rabbi Emeritus”.) As with any good Jewish event, this occasion has to be celebrated with food! So, plan on attending services that evening, and join us for dinner before hand. I’ll keep you posted on the details as they develop, so watch this column and the one I keep updated on the Website.
Speaking of the Web. A Facebook group for Oak Park Temple is in the works, so watch your emails for an invitation to join. It should be a fun and easy way to keep up to date with the goings on at Temple.
Hopefully by the next time I write this column it will be warm!
B’shalom,
Lauren Levrant
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Now we begin
Congratulations to us!
We did it! We got over 370 Jews to agree to something!
Sunday was amazing. We all packed into the Community Hall, ate bagels and voted unanimously to have Max Weiss be our next rabbi. We installed a new Board, voted, presented reports, gave & accepted awards all in less than 1 hour and 45 minutes. I think that must be a record.
Now back to life as usual at Oak Park Temple.
We'll be keeping you posted with updates on the transition, so stay tuned.
Lauren
We did it! We got over 370 Jews to agree to something!
Sunday was amazing. We all packed into the Community Hall, ate bagels and voted unanimously to have Max Weiss be our next rabbi. We installed a new Board, voted, presented reports, gave & accepted awards all in less than 1 hour and 45 minutes. I think that must be a record.
Now back to life as usual at Oak Park Temple.
We'll be keeping you posted with updates on the transition, so stay tuned.
Lauren
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