New Year's Resolutions

I am not big on New Year's resolutions but it is hard not to think about them at this time of year.  I take stock at the Jewish New year on Rosh Hashanah but New Year's resolutions seem to fit into lists at least in my head.  I would also love to influence other people as they make their New Year's resolution for 2016.  Here are a few:

Continue to spend more time with family.  Last year my family was on a great trip to Cuba.  We had planned the trip long before the United States decided to open up relations. It was a wonderful trip and because in Cuba there is no easy or plentiful access to the internet no one on the trip was on their phones, computer or any other devices.  We talked and didn't worry about people trying to contact us.  We just had fun. This is the best way to spend time with family.

What happens in Vegas at ICamp should NOT stay in Vegas

Welcome to ICamp

I have been home a week from this year's Icamp sponsored by the ICenter and with the celebration of Chanukah I have not had time to collect my thoughts until now.  250 educators, including supplementary Educators, Organizational representatives,
Shilichim,(Israeli ambassadors to different communities), the dedicated staff of the ICenter and more converged upon Henderson, Nevada to come together to learn about Israel Education.  As my mother commented when I returned "It is not as easy as it once was to teach Israel and I'm no Jewish educator".  It certainly has become a much more complicated endeavor to teach Israel and to find the right place in your curriculum for this corner stone of Jewish education. Visiting Israel for the first time in 1972 on a family trip and studying in Israel in 1979 for a year means my Israel is the one of Chalutzim, (pioneers) Israel as the underdog; a picture that was easier to read. The Israel picture today is more cloudy and harder to identify the heroes and the villains.

The Aleph Bet of Israel Education

Our Icamp meetings for 3 days and 3 nights, gave us the tools and time to discuss more complex issues and to be introduced to the 2nd Aleph Bet of Teaching Israel.  This is not what you may imagine, such as concrete lesson plans on geography or Israeli politics.  The Aleph Bet of teaching Israel teaches us that you must start with the learner.  Certainly at Lakeside we teach Am Yisrael, (the people) Eretz Yisrael,(the Land) and Medinat Yisrael, (the state of Israel).  However we also add our own Israel stories, teach modern Hebrew in our school so that our students can create their own relationship with Israel.

The Aleph Bet of Israel has made me realize that I am heading in the right direction.  It provides me with the pillars of my curriculum.  After Icamp I understand that I must talk about Israel even more in the future with my parents.  I came to the conclusion that as with all my curriculum my parents are my partners.  If your parent partners are not invested in the continuation of teaching at home what you teach at school your students will not have the full benefit of the curriculum.  I can not hope to teach a full curriculum in only 2-4 hours a week; I need the reinforcement at home of all our curriculum topics.  I hope that I will be available to continue to provide the Aleph Bet of Israel education to my students and that they add their Israel story to the ongoing dialogue.

Thanksgiving and the Jewish connection

What’s Jewish about Thanksgiving?  I see the world through Jewish colored lens and certainly there is much in Thanksgiving which is Jewish.  Thanksgiving does remind us of the holiday of Sukkot, our harvest holiday and gives us a minute to say thank you and be grateful for all we have.  

When I teach or prep for a holiday I like to have concrete examples and a plan of action.  Here are a couple of easy to do and concrete ideas for Thanksgiving:

1.  Say the Motzi (blessing over the bread) before your meal. You are thanking God for bringing forth bread from the earth and at a festive meal is a wonderful time to thank God.

2.  Most volunteer opportunities are very crowded on Thanksgiving day itself but since most of our students have the week before Thanksgiving off I suggest volunteering during that week.  The Northern Illinois food bank is a great place to start and spots are going quickly but if you can't volunteer before Thanksgiving sign up for the future.  

3.  If you can’t make a morning at the Food bank you can always shop for our Blessings in a backpack.  Here is a menu you can shop for with your children and bring them into Lakeside for next time we pack.

4.  Come to Friday night T’filah at Lakeside Congregation, 6:00pm.  We always like to have a minyan, 10 people, for our congregants who are saying Kaddish.  It is usually a small group and we always like to see more smiling faces.

5.  After your Thanksgiving or Shabbat meal make cards to send to the military.  Whether in the United States or Israel if you bring your cards I will make sure they reach the soldiers.  Let  them know we are thinking of them.

6.  This month’s mitzvah is warm hats, gloves and scarves which we will deliver to a school in Waukegan.  If you have any gently used items bring them to Lakeside. We also have a Dreidel board where you can pick the age of a child and buy a present.  

7.  Donate to your local food pantry.  Highland Park, Deerfield and Northbrook all have food pantries which our neighbors in need use.  Give them a call to see what supplies they may need.  It could be cereal, toiletries, diapers or something else.  

I could go on but I am sure there are more things to do and I encourage you to let me know if what great Mitzvah opportunities you find over Thanksgiving, Winter break and beyond.  I love to hear of new projects and it always feels good to pass the news to other mitzvah makers.  

Halloween Not a Jewish holiday or another American holiday?

I was never a fan of Halloween.  I did allow costumes on Halloween with the caveat whatever costume you bought for Halloween you wore at Purim and you better make sure this costume would still fit in 6 months.

I never decorated our house for Halloween, we of course will hand out candy tomorrow night and stay home and enjoy the children visiting our house.  Take a look at what Rabbi Phyllis Sommer has to say in the latest Reform Judaism email. She talks about not decorating for Halloween and other hints for the holiday season.  It does seem that Halloween gets bigger and bigger every year.  When it is closer to to Sukkot you can link some of the activities.

After Halloween is a great time to pick up costumes that you can use for super Hero capes which I have used on retreats or up at camp.  Using the area of costumes is a great start to use in schools, camps or at home.  What super hero power would you have?  One super power for tikkun olam and one just for fun.

Enjoy the weekend and start planning your Purim costumes now.

Doing Mitzvot year round or Every Day is Mitzvah day!

At the food bank last year.

This year Lakeside Congregation has taken on an ambitious social action project.  We packing 19 backpacks full of food for 28 weeks for a local Middle school for students to have food over the weekend.  These students receive free breakfast and hot lunch at school during the week and this programs allows them to have food over the weekend.  Blessings in a backpack as I call it has us packing on Sunday mornings and delivering to our Middle school on Thursday mornings.  I know that the school is grateful we have taken on the project and I am so happy we can provide this service. Special thanks to Congregation Solel for helping us out once a month.  We are still looking for partners and if your family would like to sponsor one week please feel free to contact me. 

I have tried explaining to our students what it means to be really be hungry.  I know they feel hungry on Sunday morning when they skip breakfast or Tuesday afternoon as Hebrew school comes to an end at 5:45pm but they have not had to skip meals because there is no food at home. We are fortunate to live in an affluent community and I hope by packing back packs every week on Sunday morning in the lobby our students will see that other students in our community are counting on us so they will not be hungry.

From Mitzvah Day 2015

We have different menus for each week so that we can change our bags from week to week.  We also try to include fun items and snacks.  The week before Thanksgiving we will also try to pack a hearty bag as well.  I want to thank everyone who has brought food for this project and for those that will in the future.  This will certainly make sure that Lakeside is making every day Mitzvah day.

Christmas Lights and Sukkot

I have always thought Christmas lights are beautiful.  Growing up in a Crystal Lake, Illinois and being the only Jewish house on my block without lights I remember thinking about what type of lights I would put on my house if we did that sort of thing. I called my Mom today and asked if my sister and I had every asked for lights. She said we didn't that it wasn't really on the table for discussion so we didn't say anything. 

Lakeside Sukkah 2013

 My now adult children tell me that if we had to put up Christmas lights I would be in trouble.  They doubt my organizational skills although I have successfully decorated the Sukkah at Lakeside Congregation for the past 25 years. Granted I do have help from our the students, parents and families in both our Religious School and our Children's Center to make sure the decorations are fantastic.

My Sukkah, It eventually gets finished!

Having my own home for many years we have had a Sukkah in the back yard most years.  I thank my husband, Arthur Ehrlich and kids for getting it up.  It's a busy time of year and occasionally we just can't do it.  I enjoy decorating it and have bought some great lights which make it festive and also give off some light when we have dinner in the Sukkah.

This must have won a prize for best Sukkah lights

 In fact if you want to build a Sukkah you can google it and find many different ideas but I like this video from Moishe house the best.  It does not have to be an elaborate design.  You can use different types of materials.  You need to make sure it is not a permanent structure, it should have at least  3 and 1/2 walls and you should see the stairs at night.  You cover the roof of a Sukkah with Scach, a natural material which can be bamboo, wood or evergreen tree trimmings.

If you are not putting up a Sukkah at your house we are putting one up here at Lakeside and you can always come and help out here.  Feel free to bring your own decorations, gourds or even lights you would like to see in our Sukkah.

If you need more help in putting up a Sukkah or need to know where to get an Etrog and Lulav feel to email or give me a call.  Don't forget Pizza in the Hut at Lakeside, this Sunday September 27 at 6:00 pm.  RSVP to Lakeside. 

Blog Elul, I am late to the party but still here. Blog #26 Create

I try every year to Blog Elul with my colleague Rabbi Phyllis Sommer.  What's the big deal about the month of Elul?  Here is what we learn from Rabbi Phyllis:


The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with prayers of forgiveness, but I like to think of it as a whole-person preparation activity. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed.


This year Elul started when I was on vacation and when I got home from vacation I began immediately planning for Lakeside's Hebrew and Religious School and our Adult education program.  Every day my blog got away from me.  Now as we approach Rosh Hashanah and the end of Elul I may be late but I am ready to go.  Today's topic is Create.  Perfect.

I enjoy working on my blog and over the summer I did blog from OSRUI and I love to create blogs not just from camp but weekly during the school year.  I am lucky that my job allows me to create in many different ways.  I create new programs like this year's first day of school, Day of Awesome. I also enjoy creating iMovies which highlight different programs at Lakeside, camp and my family.   

I look forward to a new year of creating in many different ways and modes.  Creating keeps me motivated and keeps my job refreshed.  This is my latest iMovie from the first day of Hebrew school and from my Kitah Aleph class.  It's just a taste of what we do.  Can't wait for the rest of the year!