Fall 2021 Bulletin
Fall 2021
Temple Sholom
Monroe & North Streets
P.O. Box 501 Galesburg, IL 60402-0501
President’s Message: Things that I’ve learned during Covid, by Faye Schulz.
I’ve learned quite a bit this year of Covid. I’ll make a little list and them comment on a couple of these.
- Friends and family are important. It is challenging to interact in new and satisfying ways.
- Prayer and meditation are important. They help to calm my spirit and sometimes have helped me to feel less “out of control.”
- Community is important. The Temple Sholom community has been a source of strength. I value our community and hope to bring good communication and a feeling of inclusivity to all.
- Looking into the past and touching others who remember you from long ago.
- Planning your day is good for your brain. I’ve been working on strength, endurance,puzzles, Duolingo and keeping my desk clean. I’ve been successful at some of these.
- Taking care of your body with healthy foods is good for you.
- Challenging yourself to learn and grow is important at any age.
I do plan to keep up with my exercise and healthy eating ideas. Chuck and I quit eating red meat and have expanded our vegetarian options. I do not miss the meat and I’ve learned about many new recipes.
As part of my challenge to myself, I’ve been reading the weekly Torah portion in English every week. I’ve been successful in doing this every Shabbat. So, I am pleased to say that I’ve almost made it through the whole year. Next year, I plan to continue with the book of Joshua, perhaps reading three chapters each week.
As president, I hope that we are all able to work together to make Temple Sholom a place of prayer, comfort and learning for all. I hope that everyone feels that they can talk to me about their concerns about our community. I hope that I am able to be the president that our congregation needs.
Faye Schulz
Rabbi’s message: Reflections as the High Holy Days Approach, by Rabbi Henry Jay Karp.
Since I will not be seeing you before October, let me take this opportunity to wish each and every member of Temple Sholom a Shanah Tovah U’Metukah (A Happy & Sweet New Year) and G’mar Chatimah Tovah (May Yom Kippur See You Sealed for Blessings in the Book of Life)! God knows, after the past year and a half, we all need and deserve as much sweetness, joy, and blessings as our lives can absorb! I hope you all join me in the prayer that 5782 will be a great year for us all.
As every living rabbi and generations of rabbis who have departed this life, have said on multiple occasions, the power and purpose of the High Holy Days is to offer the Jewish people the opportunity to enter a serious period of self-examination, a time for us to take an inventory of our lives; all that we have done and said, and all that we have left undone and unsaid. Having taken that inventory, we can begin to grapple with the challenge of how, in the year ahead, we can do better and how we can be better as Jews, as family members, as neighbors, as citizens, as human beings; how can we move closer to being our best authentic selves. If we take that calling seriously, we will recognize that it is not an easy task to accomplish, but if we are successful, it will be a glorious achievement, enabling us to bring far more joy to the lives of others and to ourselves. We can make of ourselves finer human beings, and in so doing, make our world a finer, more humane place in which to live.
There is a real urgency to accomplish the task before us. We cannot afford to wait a day, a week, a month, or a year. We must start as soon as humanly possible and not be lax in our efforts. As PIRKE AVOT teaches, Rabbi Eliezer said to his students, “Repent one day before your death.” When his students asked: “Does a person know the day of his death?” Rebbe Eliezer replied: “All the more so should we repent today, lest we die tomorrow” (Chapter 2, Mishnah 15).
“Repent one day before your death.” Some would consider that a morbid thought. The very idea of needing to confront our own mortality, day in and day out. But rather than being morbid, it can be empowering. It is downright existential, for one of the teachings of existentialism is “We are the ones who create the meaning, truth, and value in our lives, and we are totally responsible for our lives” (Dr. John Messerly’s blog, December 11, 2017). It is empowering to realize that it is we who give meaning to our own existence by the choices we make and the actions we take, and the clock is ticking. Since we do not know what time is left to us, we must operate under the assumption that we have no time to lose. Whatever we wish to do, we need to do it now. We cannot wait, for tomorrow may never come.
When I used to ascend the pulpit on Erev Rosh HaShanah, I would look out over the congregation and take note of who was not among us. I am not talking about those who missed the service, were out of town, or left the congregation, but about those who left this world behind. The year before, while they were welcoming in a new year, how many of them knew that it would be their last Rosh HaShanah? Some but not many. Most thought that they had at least a few more Rosh HaShanah observances left in them. We all feel that way unless we have been told otherwise by our physicians. But if they had known that this Rosh HaShanah was to be their last – that the clock was running out on them – what would they have done differently with the time they had left? If WE knew that this is to be OUR last Rosh HaShanah, how differently would we be approaching the time we have left? Most likely, we would try to make the most of our time and strive to be the best people we could be. But why should we wait? Why not take this High Holy Days opportunity to strive to make of ourselves the best people we could be – kinder, gentler, more loving, more caring, more appreciative, more generous, more responsible,more forgiving, more sensitive to the suffering of others, more eager to help, more ready to believe in the best of others rather than the worst – as if this day, and any days that follow, could be the “day before our death”? It is within our power to choose to live each day as agents of healing in our broken world if we but choose to feel the urgency of time and our innate desire to fulfill our potential for goodness and love.
Shanah Tovah to you all! May the coming year be one filled with blessing we receive and blessings we bestow!
Rabbi Henry Jay Karp
Rabbinical Intern’s message, Jennie Bunde.
I am writing this message at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul. Elul is a time of reflection and contemplation. It can even be thought of as a “warm-up” month as we head into the High Holiday season.
Traditionally, the shofar is blown every day during the month of Elul, to wake us up and remind us that we need to prepare for Yom Kippur – we can’t do all of our teshuva, all of our repentance, in just one day.
So I have taken to trying to blow my shofar every day. Key word: trying. I’m TERRIBLE at blowing the shofar. I sound like an anemic moose on my best days. But I keep working at it. I watch how-to videos on Youtube (yes, there are Youtube videos for everything). But this is what Elul is all about. Starting now to find things to try to improve upon.
It’s nearly impossible to expect that, in one day, your soul can take a profound and meaningful journey of repentance, and that you will be able to commit to improving your day to day behaviors. That’s not really how most humans work. Instead, Jews have a month of repentance spring training (or fall training, as the case may be). There is a teaching that says the name “Elul” is actually an acronym from the verse in Song of Songs: Ani l’dodi v’dodi li (“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”). We take this month to recommit ourselves to the Divine in the way that we understand it.
As we move into the High Holiday season, take a moment to ask yourself, “what do I want to get out of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur – what do I want them to mean to me?” And when you find those answers, please reach out to me so that we can work together to help you achieve those goals.
Ketivah vachatimah tovah, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year, and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Jennie Bunde
Covid Guidelines
Responding to recent developments, the Temple Board recently approved new guidelines for in- person attendance at services inside the Temple building. Note that only vaccinated people may attend services in person, and that we ask people to provide documentation of vaccination in advance or before entry to the building (further details under “Implementation,” below).
COVID GUIDELINES FOR TEMPLE SHOLOM
Approved by the Temple Sholom Board, August 29, 2021
THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
- All High Holiday services can be attended remotely via the Temple’s Zoom site.
- Only vaccinated people may attend services in-person at the Temple.
- Choral singing by the congregation (masked) is permitted.
- The shofar will be blown, but will have a bell cover.
- All events involving unvaccinated children will be separate and preferably outdoors.
- In lieu of a sit-down oneg on Erev Rosh Hashanah and a full break-fast at the end of Yom Kippur, we will offer kiddush and motzi outside on tables.SHABBAT
- All Shabbat services can be attended remotely via the Temple’s Zoom site.
- Only vaccinated people may attend services in-person at the Temple.
- Masks will be worn in accordance with state of Illinois mandates.
- Oneg/kiddush may be served.
Implementation: Because we are limiting in-person attendance to people who are vaccinated, we ask that you provide proof of vaccination. You can send a photo ofyour vaccination to Faye Schulz, fdschulz@comcast.net, or you can bring your vaccination card (or a photo of it) with you to services. We trust the small inconvenience of showing your card will be outweighed by the reassurance of knowing that all who are attending in person are vaccinated. Thank you for your help as we navigate this new terrain
Welcome to our new Temple members
We are delighted to welcome as new members Dean Alexander and Julieta Mihai, and their son Liam, who will begin religious school this fall. Dean teaches in the Law Enforcement and Justice Administration department at Western Illinois University, and Julieta teaches violin in the WIU School of Music.
Mazel tov
To Ben Winick, son of Chris and Norm Winick, and Lari Dierk, who will be married on September 5, 2021.
To Stephen Lee and Bryce Kidman, who will be married on October 15, 2021. (See “New to the Area” for more about Stephen and Bryce.
To Maurice Cohn, for winning the Aspen Conductor Prize, which carries with it the invitation to return to the Aspen Music Festival as Assistant in the summer of 2022.
HIGH HOLIDAY SCHEDULE 5782/2021
Rabbi Reni Dickman ● Rabbinic Intern: Jennie Bunde Keyboard: David Amor ● Vocal Soloist: Lucas Wood
All services and study sessions will be hybrid offerings, both in person and on the Temple’s Zoom site. Please contact TempleSholomGalesburg@gmail.com for the Zoom information.
Free flipbook version of the High Holiday prayerbooks available here: https://www.ccarnet.org/publications/hhd/
We are happy to deliver the High Holiday mahzor, Mishkan HaNefesh, to people living in the area.
Please contact Jonah Rubin or Faye Schulz if you would like copies delivered to you: jsrubin@knox.edu, fdschulz@comcast.net
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SELICHOT SERVICE |
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Saturday, August 28th 8:30 p.m. |
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KEVER AVOT- Memorial Service at Brookside Cemetery |
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Sunday, September 5th 11:00 a.m. |
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EREV ROSH HASHANAH |
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Monday, September 6th 7:30 p.m. |
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FIRST DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH |
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Tuesday, September 7th |
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Morning Service 10:00 a.m |
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The following will be outdoors at Lake Storey, weather permitting (Note new location this year: Shelter 003, Lake Storey Playground area—closest to park entrance) |
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• Tashlich, followed by picnic lunch 12:30 p.m.. |
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• Children’s activity 1:30 p.m. |
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• Reverse tashlich, all ages activity 1:45 p.m. (see notes below) |
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SHABBAT SHUVAH |
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Friday, September 10th 7:30 p.m. |
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KOL NIDRE |
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Wednesday, September 15th 7:30 p.m. |
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YOM KIPPUR |
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Thursday, September 16th |
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Morning service 10:00 a.m. |
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Choice of Break, Walk, or Study Session #1 1:00 p.m. (see notes below) |
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The following will be outdoors at Lake Storey, weather permitting |
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• Afternoon service (Minchah) 2:00 p.m. |
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• Children’s service 3:00 p.m. |
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• Choice of Break or Walk & Study Session #2 3:00 p.m. (see notes below) |
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Yizkor (memorial service) (back in the Temple) 4:00 p.m. |
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Ne’ilah and Havdalah 5:15 |
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Motzi to break the fast about 6:00 p.m. |
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SUKKOT, Saturday, September 25th |
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Sukkah building 5:00 p.m. |
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Havdalah in the Sukkah 6:00 p.m. |
NOTES FOR ROSH HASHANA AND YOM KIPPUR AFTERNOONS:
Reverse tashlich –Join environmentally conscious Jewish communities around the world in reversing the tradition of Tashlich. Remove human ‘sins’ (marine debris) from the water in a collaborative waterfront cleanup.
Break, Walk, or Study Session #1 — Three choices are being offered concurrently. Choose to take a break, take a walk with one of our service leaders, or stay for a study session led by one of our service leaders.
Break, Children’s Service, or Walk & Study Session #2 — Three choices are being offered concurrently. Choose to take a break, stay for the children’s service led by one of our service leaders, or take a combination study session walk with one of our service leaders.
GUESTS ARE WELCOME AT OUR HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES—NO TICKETS NEEDED!
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SHABBAT & HOLIDAY SERVICES, FALL 2021
Services are hybrid, with some people present at the Temple and others attending on Zoom
See detailed High Holiday schedule for more details on elements of our High Holiday activities.
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Date |
Service leader |
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8/27 |
No services |
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8/28 |
Bunde, Leil Selichot, 8:30 p.m. SATURDAY |
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9/3 |
Schulz |
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9/5 |
Bunde, Kever Avot (Memorial service at Brookside Cemetery), 11:00 a.m. SUNDAY |
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9/6 |
Rabbi Dickman & Jennie Bunde Erev Rosh Hashanah, 7:30 p.m. MONDAY |
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9/7 |
Rabbi Dickman & Jennie Bunde Rosh Hashanah, TUESDAY |
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9/10 |
Amor, Shabbat Shuvah |
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9/15 |
Rabbi Dickman & Jennie Bunde Kol Nidre, 7:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY |
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9/16 |
Rabbi Dickman & Jennie Bunde Yom Kippur, THURSDAY |
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9/17 |
Rubin |
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9/25 |
Bunde, Sukkot: Sukkah building 5:00, Havdalah 6:00 p.m. SATURDAY |
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10/1 |
Bunde, Simhat Torah |
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10/8 |
Lyon |
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10/15 |
Gold |
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10/22 |
Rabbi Karp |
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10/29 |
Karlin/Raley-Karlin |
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11/5 |
West |
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11/12 |
Jacobs |
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11/19 |
Bunde |
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11/26 |
Amor |
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12/3 |
Bunde, Chanukkah |
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12/10 |
Rabbi Karp |
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12/17 |
Satisky/Schulz |
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12/24 |
Lyon |
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12/31 |
No services |
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1/7 |
Bunde |
Oneg Shabbat
Need to switch? If you cannot lead services on the date listed, please find someone to switch with. Also let David Bunde know about the switch, as he sends out the weekly reminders: dbunde@knox.edu or 309-335-7130.
Rabbi hospitality
We will be scheduling rabbi hospitality visit by visit this fall.
Welcome to several people new to the area or newly interested in Temple Sholom
Mary & Murrell Howell and Larry Winsberg (Mary’s cousin) moved to Macomb in 2020. Born in Galesburg, Mary has lived in many places across the country. Now retired, she has been a college professor (economics, accounting, mathematics) and has also worked as an accountant (including for the Orange County Jewish Federation), as has her cousin Larry. Murrell is a nuclear radiation hardening research scientist.
Stephen Lee and Bryce Kidman, who moved to Carthage, Illinois last April. Stephen’s grandfather was a Rabbi. Stephen and Bryce look forward to coming to the Temple once Covid has died down—may that be soon!
Lea Greenberg, who has recently joined the Knox faculty, teaching German in the Modern Languages Department. Lea has teaching and research interests in Jewish Studies.
Kiefer Ray, who would like to let everyone know that he is very appreciative to be included in the congregation. He hopes to learn Torah and Judaism and be a part of things as much as he can into the future.
Leanne Sims Trapedo, who has recently joined the Knox faculty as the Daniel J. Logan Assistant Professor of Peace and Justice. Her book on Reckoning with Restorative Justice: Hawai’i Women’s Prison Writing will be published by Duke University Press in 2022.
Todah rabah
To Chuck and Faye Schulz, Judy Thorn, Sam Satisky, Maury Lyon, David Amor, and Penny Gold for trimming the bushes.
To Maury Lyon for mowing the lawn.
To Jonah Rubin for constructing the new website, and to Penny Gold for help on editing and proofing the text on the site.
To the members of the Capital Campaign Committee, for their dedicated and very productive work in preparing for the launch of our campaign: Co-Chairs Bob Bondi and Penny Gold, and David Amor, Maury Lyon, Kevin Satisky, and Terry Schubach.
Shabbat Oneg will be held at each Shabbat service. Since there will be a small number attending
in person, the refrigerator will have an ongoing cookie supply.
Religious School
After a Covid year and a half of doing Hebrew classes only, we will resume our regular schedule this fall. Following the example of school District 205, we will be using the CDC guidelines for schools to guide our practice. We will be masked and distanced, but I know we will find ways to make our Jewish learning fun and rewarding.
Our new Temple Sholom website
We are pleased to introduce our new Temple Sholom website: https://templesholomgalesburg.org. The new site was built in conjunction with a “web builder” platform available to us through the Union of Reform Judaism, which gives us some new functionality. Many thanks to Bob Bondi, who put up and maintained our previous (and first) website for many years, and many thanks to Jonah Rubin, who put up the new site and will also be maintaining it. Do check out the new site, and if you find any errors or have suggestions for improvements, Jonah would very much like your input: jsrubin@knox.edu.
Photos needed!
We’d love to have more photos on the website, and as current photos get out of date, we’d like to replace them with more recent ones. As we get together for one gathering or another, we encourage you to take some photos, and to send any good ones to Jonah. Or if you have any older photos on hand that you think would be a good addition to the site, he’d love to have those also. Thanks much!
The Temple is partnering with Brookside Cemetery in the launch of a Capital Campaign starting this fall. Information about the campaign will be coming to you soon!
Fall Festival Schedule 2021/57812
(Note: festival begins the previous sunset)
Leil Selichot Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Sukkot
Simhat Torah Hanukkah
August 28 (evening) September 7 September 16 September 21-27 September 29
Nov. 29-Dec. 6
Web site with dates of Jewish holidays:
http://www.hebcal.com/
Temple Officers and Board Members, voted in at the Annual Meeting, July 11, 2021 Faye Schulz, President
Kevin Satisky, Vice President
Jonah Rubin, Secretary
Maury Lyon, Treasurer Bob Bondi
Steve Cohn
Penny Gold
Carol Grodjesk
Jim Jacobs
Jeremy Karlin
Gabrielle Raley
Jan West, Honorary Board Member
Jennie Bunde (Rabbinic Intern), non-voting observer in 2021/22
Interested in Joining the Temple as a Member?
Temple Sholom welcomes all to attend services (including the High Holidays) and other events without formal membership. But of course, we would also be delighted to have you as a member. As an inclusive Temple, our membership ranks are open to all, we do not have any minimum membership dues, and no member will be turned away due to lack of ability to pay. For those who are able, we ask members to contribute 1% – 1.5% of their household’s gross annual income. Rather than making inquiries about members’ income, we prefer that you make the judgment yourself. As a congregation we are committed to welcoming all who wish to join our community, regardless of financial means, so if a contribution in this range would be a hardship to you, just contribute what you can. To submit an annual contribution, one sends a check (made out to Temple Sholom and marked “annual contribution”) to our treasurer
at: Temple Sholom, P.O. Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-0501. Some members pay in full early in the fall; others prefer to pay in monthly or quarterly installments.
Donations (June 7, 2021 – August 31, 2021 ) In support of Temple Sholom
Shirley Rudman Trust
In memory of Ken Grodjesk
Carol Grodjesk
In memory of Daniel Rudman and Roy Meyers
Marjorie Rudman and Steven Cooper
In memory of Jeremy Gold Amor
Penny Gold and David Amor
In memory of Joe Grodjesk
Carol Grodjesk
For the purchase of a Chromebook for the Temple
Jan West
For the speedy recovery of Joshua Clifford Gold and of Adele Gold Messina
Tablets were replaced by scrolls Scrolls were replaced by books Now we scroll through books on tablets
Passed along by Faye Schulz, who heard it from her brother-in-law; source unknown.
Penny Gold and David Amor
Don’t see your name? If you have made a donation but do not see your name on this list and/or have not received an acknowledgement by mail, please let Nancy Eberhardt know. Sorry in advance for any slip ups!
Making a donation to Temple Sholom? If you would like to make a donation to Temple Sholom, please send your check to: Maury Lyon, Treasurer, Temple Sholom, Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-050, identifying the nature of the gift (e.g., in memory of, in honor of, or for the speed recovery of a particular person). Maury will notify Nancy Eberhardt, who takes care of correspondence concerning such gifts (e.g., notifying the family of the deceased that a gift has been made in memory of that person). You can also now donate online, paying with PayPal or a credit card. Go to https://templesholomgalesburg.org/ and click on the Donate menu tab.
Happy Tree of Life Donations
Donations may be made in recognition of a variety of events, for example: in honor of a happy occasion (anniversary, birth, bar/bat mitzvah, birthday, etc.), or in honor of an individual or family. Donations may be made by an individual or a group, and may be made at three levels: a leaf ($200), an acorn ($500), and a stone ($1,000). A leaf can be engraved with four lines of text with 20 characters in each line, plus a brief fifth line (often a date). Acorns and stones are larger than leaves and can accommodate more text. Sample wordings can be found by looking on the Happy Tree of Life. If you want to make a donation, you can send your gift, along with specification of wording, to Maury Lyon, Treasurer, Temple Sholom, Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-0501
Memorial Plaques: If you would like to purchase a memorial plaque ($250), send your donation and desired wording to Maury Lyon, Treasurer, Temple Sholom, Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-0501. You will find samples of what to include on the plaque by looking at ones already on the memorial board.
Gift Shop
Gift shop offerings have been pared back to candles (Shabbat, memorial, Hanukkah) and mezuzot. The easiest times to access the case are Friday evenings before or after services. For access at another time, contact Faye Schulz, 335-7182.
Corrections and Additions: If you have corrections or additions for the new edition of Temple contact list, please send them to Penny Gold, pgold@knox.edu, or call 342-0232.
Access to Brookside Cemetery: For security reasons, car access to Brookside Cemetery is controlled by having a locked gate atthe entrance, but you can always walk in through the smaller gate to the side. Make a note of the lock combination so that you have it when you go to visit the cemetery. Please make sure the gate is closed after you exit, with the padlock re-locked. If you have any questions, please contact one of the cemetery trustees: Bob Bondi, David Amor, Jeremy Karlin.
Winter / Spring 2022 Bulletin
January 1, 2022 by templesholomgalesburg • Uncategorized Tags: Temple Bulletin •
Winter/Spring 2022
Temple Sholom
Contents:
Message from President Faye Schulz:
Are We Like Our Ancestors?
What is remembered about the past?
The ancient texts that have survived, archeological sites that have been discovered, and stories of “great” wars and natural disasters can be recalled.
Seldom are individuals remembered, and nations are sometimes forgotten. As I read Torah, I often stumble over the names of the tribes and their leaders. The violent people of the world are written in the history books. There are leaders who are remembered for the actions, words or discoveries such as Gandhi, King Solomon, Confucius, Copernicus, Michelangelo and many more. The rulers who supported amazing building projects and walled cities are remembered. Sites like Stonehenge, the great cathedrals, the pyramids and the Great Wall of China are admired and studied.
But how about the rest of us?
I like to think of myself as part of a stream. No one notices an individual drop of water, but together with others, I can be a force. I’m part of the stream of the people of Israel and the community of Jewish people in Galesburg.
Each of us is part of our own streams related to our families, our jobs, our politics, our hobbies and our friends. We may not be remembered as individuals, but of a stream of goodness and compassion. That stream can be a powerful influence in the world.
May this be G-d’s will.
Faye Schulz
Message from Rabbi Henry Jay Karp
The Seemingly Elusive Gift of Hope
As I sat down to write this article, I knew that I wanted to speak about the gift of hope and the promise of renewal that comes with a New Year. We Jews get the benefit of celebrating both the Jewish New Year and the Secular one, doubling down on our opportunities for self-renewal! But, as is my custom, I went back into my files and pulled up the article I wrote last year at this time. That article, as I stated in it, was written on December 21st, the day of the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year; one day earlier than the writing of this article. Its theme centered on darkness & light and the promise of hope; the hope that the time will come when we emerge out of the darkness that enshrouds our lives–the pandemic–and return to a world of light.
It was a hard article to read as the COVID deaths in the U.S. have more than doubled (from 325,006 on December 21, 2020, to 831,943 on December 22, 2021) and worldwide deaths have more than tripled (from 1,703,576 on December 21, 2020, to 5,391,388 on December 22, 2021). It was a hard article to read as we find ourselves struggling with the Delta variant and facing the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant, as we watch hospitalizations skyrocket and hospital Intensive Care Units literally overflowing. The arrival of the light which will drive back the darkness appears to be, perhaps interminably, delayed.
We talk a lot about so many suffering from “COVID Fatigue” but I think that many of us are also suffering from “Hope Fatigue,” for all our hoping to see an end to this crisis has gone unanswered. How long can we keep hoping for something that simply refuses to materialize? It is only natural to reach a breaking point of hope.
It is at times like this that I am reminded of something that the Chafetz Chaim, one of the greatest Jewish ethicists, said. When asked how he had such an impact as a great sage and leader of the 20th century Jewish world, he answered: “I set out to change the world, but I failed. So, I decided to scale back my efforts and only influence the Jewish community of Poland, but I failed there, too. So, I targeted the community of my hometown of Radin, but I achieved no greater success. Then I gave all my effort to changing my own family and I failed at that as well. Finally, I decided to change myself and that’s how I had such an impact on the Jewish world.”
Even during these dark times of Delta and Omicron, and what seems like a never-ending plague, when our hoping for a better world feels like a futile effort, we still can keep our hope alive if we but direct it inward, focusing on our own personal hopes for a new year of self-renewal. If we cannot make the world a better place, we can still make ourselves better people. We can start by hoping to be better and then striving to make that hope come true. If we do so honestly and sincerely, then like the Chafetz Chaim, our quest for self-improvement can be contagious, inspiring others to seek their better selves. If enough of us hope to be better people in the year ahead, and strive vigorously enough toward that goal, the cumulative effect will be that together, we will make the world a better place as well. We may not be able to eradicate COVID, but we can lead the way on how to live most fully and fulfillingly in our COVID world. If we model lives of caring and helping, in which we realize that by lifting up others, we lift ourselves to heights otherwise unattainable, we can transform our world into a place were “community” is more than a geographic description; a place where “community” means people coming together in unity to make each other’s lives as blessed as humanly possible. These are hopes worth holding onto. These are personal hopes that can change the world.
Stay Safe & Stay Healthy!
God Bless & Protect Us All!
Rabbi Henry Jay Karp
Message from our rabbinic intern Jennifer Bunde
What We Know and Don’t Know
These last six months have been a deep learning experience for me. I have loved being the rabbinic intern for our shul. I have grown in confidence on the bimah, and I hope it has started to show. I am excited to be continuing as your student rabbi next year too. As I’ve been reflecting on my internship this year, it has brought to mind a diagram I once saw at a workshop:
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In any given situation, what we know or don’t know can fit into one of these boxes. The top two boxes are easy–they are the ones where we already have an awareness of our knowledge. But the bottom two boxes? Those are so intimidating because that’s where ignorance lies. We can only learn about what we don’t know when someone else teaches us.
Now in my fourth year of rabbinical school, I’ve studied Talmud, Torah, Hebrew, liturgy, history–and I still feel like a total beginner. So you can imagine how nervous I am at the prospect of teaching an “Introduction to Judaism” course in the coming year. But I’m excited at the same time. As hard as I have studied, there is so much that I don’t know! And that’s just the stuff that I know I don’t know. My goal for teaching an “Introduction to Judaism” class is to provide a broad introduction to members of the community (both the Temple community and people in the wider community who are interested in learning more). Some who take the class may be interested in converting, and some may just want to learn more about Judaism, and of course you all are welcome to participate too! I know that many people receiving this newsletter are from out of town, and you’re more than welcome to Zoom in to the class!
Along with everyone else, I’ll be learning about what I don’t know and what I don’t know that I don’t know. It’s a process, and the beautiful thing about Judaism, like most things in life, is that we can never know it all–not by a long shot! For more information in the class, see the notice below.
Happy (Solar) New Year, and may the joy of learning something new never fade.
Jennie Bunde
Temple Sholom to Offer “Introduction to Judaism” Course
This course, developed by the Union for Reform Judaism, is a multi-session course for adults interested in exploring Jewish life through the lens of Reform Judaism. It encourages students to explore a modern take on Jewish life, and to engage with Jewish values, celebrations, and spirituality. Questions are encouraged and multiple perspectives will be explored.
The course is open to all, including Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning experience, individuals considering conversion, interfaith couples, and spiritual seekers. The program welcomes people from all backgrounds and is LGBTQ-friendly. Topics will include holidays, life cycle celebrations, core beliefs, prayer, the Bible and other sacred texts, history, antisemitism and the Holocaust, Israel, the North American Jewish experience, and the diversity of the Jewish people today.
Bi-weekly sessions will begin on January 23, 2022 and will continue for eighteen sessions; students can begin without committing to the full slate of classes. The class will be held in person at Temple Sholom (for those who provide proof of full vaccination) and students can also participate online through Zoom. There is no cost to attend the course, but students are asked to purchase the URJ textbook ($35.00). The course will be led by Jennifer Bunde, rabbinic intern at Temple Sholom, who is in her fourth year of rabbinic study at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California. For more information about the course, contact Jennie at jennifer.bunde@gmail.com or 309-335-7969.
Welcome to those new to the area!
Several newcomers to the area just missed the deadline for the fall bulletin, so a belated welcome to:
Jonathan Lynne is Director of the School of Management and Marketing, Western Illinois University. Jonathan’s family is on the way from England to join him here.
Martin Abraham is Professor of Engineering Technology, Western Illinois University. Martin’s wife Nancy, is living in Florida.
David Braverman recently joined Western Illinois University as Vice President for Student Success and is living in Macomb. David’s wife Mindy Chang is a Professor of Communication at Western New England University and their son is a sophomore majoring in Computer Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.
Shabbat & Holiday Services Schedule, Winter / Spring 2022
Services are hybrid, with some people present at the Temple and others attending by Zoom. Contact TempleSholomGalesburg@gmail.com for Zoom info.
Need to switch? If you cannot lead services on the date listed, please find someone to switch with. Also let David Bunde know about the switch, as he sends out the weekly reminders: david.bunde@gmail.com or 309-335-7130.
Oneg: If you would like to “host” the Oneg Shabbat, please let Faye Schulz know, fdschulz@comcast.net. You can bring the oneg to services, or you can drop off any time some cookies, nuts or dried fruit that can be easily put out for those attending in person. All dates in January & February are available. Thanks!
Mazel Tov
To Stephen Lee and Bryce Kidman on their marriage, November 22, 2021; Stephen is now Stephen James Kidman.
To Maury and Susan Lyon on the October 2, 2021 birth of their new grandchild, Isadora Annabelle Lyon, daughter of Gabriel and Alex Lyon.
Zack, JJ, and Darrell Bunde on their first summer OSRUI.
Mi Shebeirach
For Bryce Kidman, who will be undergoing a leg amputation on January 23, 2022.
Todah Rabah
from Jennie Bunde: Thank you to Penny, Faye, Maury, Hannah, Gabe, Jeremy, Dean, and David for all of your hard work and dedication in teaching religious school. I really appreciate all that you do! You make learning fun for all the children of Temple Sholom.
Many thanks to Jonah Rubin for all the work he has put into the new Temple website. It’s the nature of websites that they are readily adaptable to new information and needs, but that means continuing attention from the person in charge. Thank you Jonah! The addition of all the pages in support of the Capital Campaign has been an especially big job. Do take a look at the site if you haven’t already: https://templesholomgalesburg.org/
Temple Sholom/Brookside Cemetery Capital Campaign
A full update on the campaign will be sent out in January, but here’s a brief preview: The campaign is going very well! We have recently met our original goal of $250,000, and the Board has approved raising our goal to $275,000. We are enormously grateful for the support we have received from members, former members, children (now adults) who grew up in the congregation, former rabbis, Knox students who were involved in the Temple, and other friends of the congregation.
Photos for the Website: Thanks to all those who sent photos in this summer, we have a nice array on the website. But we can use more! New photos as well as ones from your files would be most welcome. Please send to Jonah: jsrubin@knox.edu.
Religious School: Religious school will resume on Sunday, January 9th, when we’ll be joined by a new teacher, Knox sophomore Adam Gadiel. Welcome Adam!
Hesed Committee
Once a year we put a reminder in the bulletin about the Temple’s Hesed Committee. If you know of someone who might need assistance, or if you could use some help yourself, contact Penny Gold, who will follow up from there, pgold@knox.edu. Examples of the kinds of help we can provide:
News, Info, and Links (Please feel free to send material of interest to bulletin editor Penny Gold, pgold@knox.edu.)
Two Jewish congregations in our region (Rock Island, IL and Davenport, IA) have recently moved out of their long-time buildings into a building in Davenport that they now share, along with the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities. This article explains the move: https://www.jta.org/2021/11/01/united-states/4-cities-2-states-1-synagogue-campus-and-rabbi-the-jews-of-the-illinois-iowa-quad-cities-are-learning-to-share
from Mary Howell, an interesting story from WWII: https://fbindependent.com/when-my-daddy-went-to-war-mystery-of-unexploded-shells-p11053-89.htm
from Penny Gold: I recommend a podcast segment from Ira Glass’s This American Life. The episode is called “The Weight of Words,” and it’s the first 7 minutes that are of particular interest, where Ira talks about how he’s never understood the notion of why it matters for humans to “love God.” The experience of saying the Kaddish is part of the story. You can read a transcript at this link, but I highly recommend listening to it. I found it moving to hear parts of the Kaddish recited on NPR. https://shortcut.thisamericanlife.org/#/clipping/741?_k=wepc56
Save the Date!
Sunday, January 16, 11:00 a.m., TU BISHVAT SEDER, led by our rabbinic intern, Jennie Bunde; all members of the congregation are invited to attend. Details of how we will do the sesder will depend on the circumstances with Covid in mid-January. More information will come when we get closer to the date. In keeping with our current Covid protocols, anyone attending in person needs to be fully vaccinated.
2022/5782 Festival Schedule
(Note: festival begins the previous sunset)
Tu B’Shevat Monday, January 17
Purim Thursday, March 17
Passover Saturday-Saturday, April 16-23
Yom HaShoah Thursday, April 28
Yom HaZikaron Wednesday, May 4
Yom HaAtzma’ut Thursday, May 5
Lag BaOmer Thursday, May 19
Shavuot Sunday, June 5
Tish’a B’av Sunday, August 7
Donations (September 1, 2021 to December 28, 2021)
In support of Temple Sholom
Jonathan Lynne
In memory of Khaya Taymanova
The Fayman Family
In memory of Eugene Endicott
Carol Grodjesk
In memory of Yeva Faynova
The Fayman Family
Don’t see your name? If you have made a donation but do not see your name on this list and/or have not received an acknowledgement by mail, please let Nancy Eberhardt know. Sorry in advance for any slip ups!
Making a donation to Temple Sholom? If you would like to make a donation to Temple Sholom, please send your check to: Maury Lyon, Treasurer, Temple Sholom, Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-050, identifying the nature of the gift (e.g., in memory of, in honor of, or for the speed recovery of a particular person). Maury will notify Nancy Eberhardt, who takes care of correspondence concerning such gifts (e.g., notifying the family of the deceased that a gift has been made in memory of that person).
Happy Tree of Life Donations
Donations may be made in recognition of a variety of events, for example: in honor of a happy occasion (anniversary, birth, bar/bat mitzvah, birthday, etc.), or in honor of an individual or family. Donations may be made by an individual or a group, and may be made at three levels: a leaf ($200), an acorn ($500), and a stone ($1,000). A leaf can be engraved with four lines of text with 20 characters in each line, plus a brief fifth line (often a date). Acorns and stones are larger than leaves and can accommodate more text. Sample wordings can be found by looking on the Happy Tree of Life. If you want to make a donation, you can send your gift, along with specification of wording, to Maury Lyon, Treasurer, Temple Sholom, Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-0501
Memorial Plaques: If you would like to purchase a memorial plaque ($250), send your donation and desired wording to Maury Lyon, Treasurer, Temple Sholom, Box 501, Galesburg, IL 61402-0501. You will find samples of what to include on the plaque by looking at ones already on the memorial board.
Gift Shop
Gift shop offerings have been pared back to candles (Shabbat, memorial, Hanukkah) and mezuzot. The easiest times to access the case are Friday evenings before or after services. For access at another time, contact Faye Schulz, 335-7192.
Corrections and Additions: If you have corrections or additions for the new edition of Temple contact list, please send them to Penny Gold, pgold@knox.edu.
Access to Brookside Cemetery
For security reasons, car access to Brookside Cemetery is controlled by having a locked gate at the entrance, but you can always walk in through the smaller gate to the side. Make a note of the lock combination (0311) so that you have it when you go to visit the cemetery. Please make sure the gate is closed after you exit, with the padlock re-locked. If you have any questions, please contact one of the cemetery trustees: Bob Bondi, David Amor, Jeremy Karlin.