#Throw Back Thursday and why do old pictures get more comments then interesting articles?

This week's #TBT

For the past  few weeks I have been posting pictures for Throw back Thursday.  I am always astonished how much interest these pictures always get.  I think that sometimes we forget how many different sets of friends we have on Facebook and how they interact with our different posts.  What is evident is that everyone enjoys a good picture.

I have most of the pictures I have taken in the past 6 years digitally on this computer.  I really need to get my even old pictures converted to digital and then I could quite the time on Throw back Thursdays.



I do enjoy all types of social media and I like spreading the word on new articles, tweets, books or whatever I come across on line.  I subscribe to a few different email blasts which help me find the newest and latest articles.  I like   ejewishphilanthropy and Tablet Magazine to name just two to get the latest on the Jewish world.


My twitter feed is also full of secular and Jewish sites.  It is not often that both my secular and Jewish feeds trend on the same topic and when they do converge it makes for an interesting twitter feed for me.

Well back to looking at social media, posting pictures and keeping up with our ever changing world.  Wait one more pictures for #TBT

Now Ethan coaches this Schechter team!

Who's coming through the "Door" at Lakeside?

The "Door"

Hayam Salomon

Hayam Salomon in Chicago

This year at Lakeside Congregation we have a door on the Bimah and every Sunday morning at 10:00 am when T'filah are scheduled to begin our Mad Scientist, AKA as Noah Whiteman, helps to bring a new character from American Jewish history through the door.  We began with Hayam Salomon, (Bill Goodman) who helped finance the Revolutionary War AND has a statue in Chicago at Wacker and Wabash with George Washington.    

We invite our guest to stay and pray with us; and those guests who have been from the 1700-1800's so far are very surprised to see that we pray with men and and women sitting together, have someone playing guitar and have a siddur in English and Hebrew. They are very pleased to see the future of American Jewry.  They are very happy to see that American Jewry is alive and well in 2013.

 After Hayam Salomon we went back even farther in time and brought back Asser Levy, (Michael Schaffer). Asser Levy was one of the first Jewish settlers of the Durch colony of New Amsterdam on Manhatten Island. He was also the first  Jew to own a house in the New World, to be a solider in the army and to the first Jewish Butcher.  You can see him with his butcher's apron below.

Asser Levy and our Mad Scientist

  Rebecca Gratz, (Emily Crane), was our next visiter and she  helped to establish the first Sunday school, for which all of my students were very thankful. At the age of 20 in 1801 she helped to found the Female Association for the Relief of Woman and Children in Reduced Circumstances.  Later on her family founded Gratz College which is still in Philadelphia today.  She was astonished to see me lead t'filot in pants but I think we won her over.

Before we our guest goes back into time to finish their important work they sign our door and we sing them back into time.  We have a wonderful song, composed and sung by our own Adam Kahan, Dor L'Dor (from generation to Generation and a pun on Door) We want to make sure all our guests get back in time to complete their work and make their mark on history.  We also put their picture on our website with a short biography to help us remember them.

Besides our students learning about Jewish history, this project is a wonderful way to include parents and congregants in a weekly project.  The costumes are simple and wigs or hats go a long way every week.   I plan on raiding the local Halloween stores early on November 1st this year.

Rebecca Gratz

This idea was originally the brain child of Anne Stein at Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard.  This year Anne and I have shared this project and have a wonderful time planning together.  We are looking forward to a fun year of costumes, characters and congregants.

NFTY Leadership Training Institute or why staying in youth group makes the teen years go a little easier

My congregation, Lakeside was happy to host over 70 High School Leaders from Chicago area NFTY today. These teen leaders ages 15-18 met each other, learned different skills to become a leader, hung out, ate, studied some more skills, had dinner together and then went home.  Lakeside's LCTY group had helped plan this event and did a wonderful job.  I could go on with the platitudes but I know many times I am like a broken record when talking about youth group.

I know in my heart of hearts that these teens are future leaders of the Jewish community and perhaps starting with statement like this will not garner the additional participants that I would like to add to all types of Youth engagement. I realize that it might be better to start with skills that can be gained by becoming involved as a teen.  Here are just a few areas where teens gain expertise from youth group: leadership, communication, social media, making friends, speaking in front a group and planning programs and all of this steeped in Judaism.

I have always discussed with my Rabbi, Ike Serotta, that our kids that stay in Religious School through confirmation and then through youth group and working in our school have a much better chance of, well how can I say this, "staying out of trouble."  We have seen it time and time and time again.  I say it so much that I think I am a broken record or an itune song in a loop.  I know that Youth group be it NFTY, BBYO, Young Judea, fill in your youth group name here is not the answer for everyone.  I just wish more someone's would try it out.

The 70 teens today at Lakeside will become leaders, go on to work at our camps and are wonderful teens.  I hope that we can attract more teens to become engaged.  I have seen with my own eyes the difference it can make when teens are engaged and when they are not engaged.  Engagement can also be at public school, through sports, drama, dance, and the many extra curricular activities.  My passion is Jewish education and that's how I hope to attract and engage students for as long as I can.

If I am really lucky those that we engage go on to become Jewish educators, Rabbis, Cantors, or Youth group advisors and my record so far is pretty good...but it could always be better.

#BlogElul 13th of Tishri Epilogue

Just an image I found, not done by a child I know

I know that Elul is over but Rabbi Phyllis I think you should consider some type Epilogue to blogging Elul.  I have loved watching facebook posts of everyone's sermons, ones they gave or one they heard, great meals again either served or eaten.  I even liked to see how tired everyone said they  were after said activities.  I think everyone blogging Elul should do one more Blog to wrap up their year.  It would also give everyone discipline to do ONE more Blog.  After blogging Elul I have fallen off the grid as  many of us have.  There is so much to do as a professional Jew, we just don't a minute to ourselves during  Tishri, never mind time to blog.  I do think it would be great to see how Blogging Elul paid off for those blogging and it would  give the discipline for just one MORE Blog.

Sermon Bingo is Genius

I know for me I enjoyed the daily posts and it certainly got me in the frame of mind for the High Holy Days even though Rosh Hashanah was 2 days after Labor day.  I had one friend, (Daniel Shore) who did a sermon Bingo on Rosh Hashanah and he asked friends on Facebook to let him know who had heard a sermon on DOMA, Syria or the 50th  Anniversary of MLK's speech, I have a dream.  Fascinating to see that many people had heard many of these same topics.
After blogging Elul I was in a good frame of mind to listen to wonderful sermons, start writing my weekly Email articles, and was able to get  into the spirit much earlier.

It is not easy to find a Simchat Torah picture with a girl holding a Torah

I know it's almost Sukkot and we are again preparing for not just this holiday but we have Shabbat and Simchat Torah following quickly on its heels.  I liked blogging Elul and it gave me the feeling of what it is like to blog daily.  I would love to hear other peoples' Epilogue to blogging Elul.  I'd write more but I have got to catch up before Pizza in the Hut begins tomorrow.

#BlogElul 29 Return WAIT, it's Tishri? Now What?

Well I didn't make Quite make it until the end of BlogElul.  It got too hectic, I attended a great wedding and didn't have my computer, I had to get ready to open school, coordinate High Holiday T'filot and OK, Name your excuse.  I hate when people give the excuse they are too busy.  In fact I have been known to tell more than one person, "Don't try to Out Busy ME!"  Whatever my excuse once I stopped blogging I felt that I couldn't even blog some other ideas but I was determined to finish BlogElul in some way.  

Nathan and Shula get married

I am looking forward to next year when not only will the High Holy Days be later but, of course Blog Elul will be later as well.  There will be other obstacles to face next year, school starting, Ethan Ron going to college, (yes you read that right) but I look forward to blogging all of Elul 5774.  If I don't succeed there is always the next year.  I am in this for the long haul.

As we look to return and begin again as the year 5774 comes in there is a comfort in the familiar rituals of the High Holy Days followed by Sukkot and this year the beginning of Religious School.  Returning means to start from where you once were.  

Congregation Knesseth Israel, Elgin

I have very strong memories of hearing Kol Nidre at my home congregation, Knesseth Israel in Elgin as I was growing up.  We went every year and sat in the sanctuary as a dedicated lay person from the choir, Milt Pearlman, would sing Kol Nidre so beautifully.  The entire congregation would be spell bound throughout his renditions.  I tell all my students that their first adult service should be Kol Nidre because of my strong feelings of rembrance.

I am looking forward to hearing Kol Nidre at Lakeside Congregation tomorrow night with Cantor Davis, our beautiful choir and one rendition on the cello; I return to Elgin, I return to sitting in the pews with my sister, parents and Grandmother.  I love the beautiful peace that descends on the service as we usher in Yom Kippur.  I will be thinking about blogging Elul and how good it felt this year and wondering what Rabbi Phyllis Sommer has in store for us next year.

If I have offended anyone, whether intentionally or accidentally I hope you accept my apologies and grant me forgiveness as we enter the new year.  G'mar Chatimah Tovah.


This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 23 Love: Name your city

When I think of a picture of love I think of this beautiful sculpture from the Billy Rose Sculpture garden at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  Here is its predecessor sculpture in New York.

Two great cities and I love them both probably for the same reason; they both have a lot of Jews.  It is exhilarating to be in Jerusalem and study with great scholars.  It is also exhilarating to be in New York amongst Jewish and secular scholars and to be in the midst of Broadway, the Met and all of the other great museums.  


Can you love a city?  I suppose if I did it would  be a three way tie and the last city being Chicago.  I love coming back to Chicago after spending time away.  It is home and I do love it.  We may not have a love sculpture but we do have the BEAN

This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.

#BlogElul 22 Dare to see the World Through Jewish Eyes

What's the biggest dare you have ever taken?  I am not much of dare devil.  In fact I am sure my family would tell you that I should be described as the opposite of Dare devil.  I do like taking  a chance in my work and in the educational lessons, curriculum and projects that I plan. I love to try new curriculum, find out the latest speakers in the area or just plan a new program.


When I taught Religious School, many moons ago I used to change grades every year.  I got bored teaching the same grade and dared to take on a new set of program, students and text books.  Taking a dare with a new idea coming to a new service or trying a new Jewish experience is something I dare you to do.  

I have stayed with the Chai Curriculum from the URJ for many years.  I like it.  I have tweaked it, added to it and made sure we cover new ideas.  I dare myself to make it new and current every year and throughout the year.  

20 years ago the Union of American Hebrew Congregations published a new curriculum, "To See the World through Jewish Eyes" I was trained to use it over a long period of time and believe me it was not user friendly. As soon as teachers were trained on this curriculum it was gone.  In fact I could not for the life of me find any graphics from this curriculum to show here.  It was over and one with before you could typeset the title in your school handbook.

 I did use the title countless times over the years as I have always loved it.  It dares you to see the world through Jewish colored glasses and I do.




This post is part of #BlogElul, a series of social media posts created during Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays. During Elul, it is customary for Jews to prepare spiritually for the upcoming new year. An annual project, #Blog Elul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.