Category: General

TBI Member Book Reviews

We are currently growing the library through membership in the Jewish Book Council which provides an annual shipment of new publications as well as access to contemporary authors. The reviews below are submitted by TBI Members to TBIBookReview@gmail.com. Feel free to read and submit your own! Kaddish.com reviewed by Amy Lewitz Seduced by Mrs. Robinson:…

Chai Notes – April Bulletin with links

CHAI NOTES from the Director of Music In just a few weeks we celebrate the festival of Pesach (Passover). One of the ways that we rejoice in our festivals, is to recite the words of Hallel. Hallel, is a series of Psalms, bookended by two blessings, which we recite during the Shalosh Regalim or Three…

Words from the Heart

As a community of meaning, our paths intertwine on so many levels. Part of the Centennial Celebration has been inviting members to the bima on Shabbat services. Read the Words From the Heart of our membership, describing their Jewish journey and how their paths intertwine with the TBI family. 10/13/17 Jolie Rubin 10/20/17 …

A Stand Against Hate

Monday Evening, October 29, 2018: We Stand Against Hate In the face of hatred, we will forge understanding; In the face of violence, we will build peace; In the face of bigotry, we will breed tolerance; In the face of discrimination, we will seek justice; In the face of darkness, we will spread light. Channel…

A Bike Ride in Israel – Journaling from Israel

DAY 1 I’m very fortunate this year to participate in the fourth annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) bike ride in Israel. With friends to visit and new things to see, it is always terrific to be back here. Over the course of a week we’re going to be riding well more than…

Welcome to ShulCloud

Welcome to ShulCloud! Starting on July 1, 2018, Temple Beth Israel Office Staff began using a new data management system called “ShulCloud”. This new system gives our congregation the advantage of offering household accounts to each member household. With this account, you will be able to update your own demographic information, sign up for events,…

The Music of the High Holidays

Last Fall, I had the privilege of speaking at Presbyterian Homes in Evanston. My topic was Music of the High Holy Days. Jews and non-Jews gathered in the Chapel of Westminster Place, as I sang and spoke about traditional melodies for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The staff recorded my session, and graciously gifted me…

You were 9

Seth Kramer shared these words with his son on the day of Aaron’s Bar Mitzvah and has allowed me to share them with our congregation, as we all share our stories during this Centennial Year. For Aaron Kramer on his Bar Mitzvah – 4/14/18 You were 9. 9 years old when you told me you didn’t…

If I had a million dollars…

If I had a million dollars… This opening line from an early 1990’s Barenaked Ladies song is one with which many of us can identify. Here at TBI we have our own version of this fantasy. We have lots and lots of programmatic ideas that often have to be relegated to our “wish list” because…

The Optimistic Geniza

“The Geniza looks half full!” I overheard the shout from one of the hundred children as they walked by the Geniza that was dug to celebrate the Temple Beth Israel Centennial. Each child was given the chance to offer a book into the Geniza. Our entire community was welcome to contribute to the…