Please read the following highlights from our 2010 Annual Report!
IN APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION
50 Years of Membership
Helmut Strauss
25 Years of Membership
Duffie A. Adelson
Barbara Hozinsky
Vivian Liese
Jonathan and Barbara Moss
Joan Pomaranc
Carol Warshawsky
Jonathan and Amy Wishnick
Service as an Officer
Lawrence S. Bloom
Marty Eckstein
Michael Gelber
Nina Helstein
Miriam Kalichman
Paula Worthington
Service as a Member of the Board of Directors
Peter Ascoli
Ralph Austen
Alan Berger
Debbie Borrero
Mickey Eder
Rosalie Fruchter
Elizabeth Goldwyn
Mark Greenwald
Judith Kossy
Dan Mass
Beth Saks
Lilli Scheye
Many thanks.....
With warmest thanks to the volunteers who made everything work this year – to those who planned the budget and those who planted the seedlings, to those who brought speakers to our lectures and those who brought food to our homes, to those who raised ideas and to those who raised funds. Those of you who gave your time and talents to KAM Isaiah Israel have made a significant contribution to our community...and we thank you!
Duffie Adelson
Abigail Allison
Shawn Allison
Henry Arkin
Yali Amit
Rabbi Batsheva Appel
Joseph Altshuler
Lucy Ascoli
Peter Ascoli
Ernestine Austen
Ralph Austen
Emily Barr
Maryellen Begley
Aida Berenson
Kate Berezutskaya
Alan Berger
Adrien Bledstein
Jim Bloom
Larry Bloom
Steve Bloomberg
Karen Bloomberg
Debbie Borrero
Olivia Boyer
Rona Brown
Becky Callcott
Jessica Cavanagh
Corey Caver
Anna Chapiro Luboff
Tracy Coe
Ted Cohen
Phyllis Cohn
Matthew Cramer
Rabbi Darryl Crystal
Jena Doolas
Carol Bernstein Eckstein
Marty Eckstein
Dana Edelson
Mickey Eder
Cantor Miriam Eskenasy
Ben Fine
Charlie Firke
Allon Fisher
Lynn Foreman
Lynn Frackman
Dorothy Freedman
Paul Freehling
Nancy Fritz
Rosalie Fruchter
Ruth Geis
Michael Gelber
Amy Gelman
Andy Gelman
Bob Goldberg
Alan Golden
Sam Golden
Elizabeth Goldwyn
Fran Gordon
Emma Gossett
Chuck Granat
Shari Granat
Mark Grant
Mark Greenwald
Fran Grossman
Deborah Halpern
Howard Halpern
Philip Halpern
Stephanie Halpern
Debra Hammond
Lee Haupt
Nina Helstein
Jane Heron
Barbara Cowan Herst
James Herst
Melissa Hilton
Sidney Hollander
Shoshana Holt-Auslander
David Hoyt
David Itzkoff
Renee Itzkoff-Judd
Ben Jacobson
Nancy Jacobson
Kineret Jaffe
Deanne Jester
Miriam Kalichman
Clive Kamins
Judith Kamins
Ali Kane
Leslie Kay
Riley Begley Kay
Helen Kim
Emily Kirschner
Isaac Kirstein
Jacob Kirstein
Matthew Kirstein
Rebecca Kirstein
Lawrence Klevan
Judith Kossy
Jean Laves
Gary Laser
Charlotte Lehnhoff
Ruth Levine
Susan Levy
Sheri Lewis
Bud Lifton
Sue Lipson
Alyssa Luboff
Mark Mandle
Stephen Marcus
Susan Bass Marcus
Dan Mass
Lenore Mass
Sheri Mecklenburg
Jerry Meites
David Midgley
Richard Miller
Anne Simon Moffat
Kate Morrison
Barbara Moss
Al Needlman
Gloria Needlman
Robert Nevel
Martha Nussbaum
Nancy Perelmuter
Joan Pomaranc
Deborah Pratt
Kyle Rabkin
David Rader
Micah Rader
Marlene Richman
Muriel Rogers
Anna Levin Rosen
Tal Rosen
Donna Rosenbush
Ellen Rosendale
Amy Rosenwasser
Joy Rosner
Geri Ross
Beth Saks
Deloris Sanders
Harold Sanders
Jacqui Sanders
Lilli Scheye
Dan Schlessinger
Barbara Schnitzer
Tom Schnitzer
Johanna Schoss
John Schumann
Irene Sherr
Reeva Shulruff
Eddie Sices
Howard Siegel
Roberta Siegel
Corinne Siegel-Gerson
Mort Silverman
Judith Simon
Chris Singer
Paul Singer
Joel Smith
Jeffrey Solotoroff
Bamboo Solzman
Jay Stanton
Fred Stein
Max Stein
Nikki Stein
Debra Stulberg
Julie Volchenboum
Sam Volchenboum
Elise Wachspress
Eric Wachspress
Debbie Wang
Norm Weinberg
Angelo Williams
Lisa Williams
Amy Wishnick
Grace Wolf
Paula Worthington
Jill Zenoff
We fear that this list is incomplete, and we apologize. However, if you gave your time and talents to KAM Isaiah Israel, you made your mark, even if we missed you in our list. Thanks to everyone!
IN APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION
New Members
James Bloom and Kristena Lucky
Sharon Burgin and her daughter, Melinda
Aaron Collard
Vicki and Timothy Crockett and their children, Madeline and Preston
Margo De Ley
Susan Devora
Eden and Tom Elieff and their daughter, Lydia
Harold and Cheryl Fischer
Lyssa Klein Gans and Bruce Gans and their children, Ariel and Darcey Gans
Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb
Sydney Goldsmith
Mike and Kumiko Griffin and their children, Walter and Alexander
Dara Henning and her daughter, Ella Henning-Sepkoski
Anne Hyman
Mickey and Lorraine Jaffe
Nora Joseph and Ken Pierce
Miriam Joyce
Nathan and Bette (z”l) Kalichman
Eileen Kaplan and Karl Riedl
Jacob Lessem and Aya Barnea
Susan Loeb and Laurence Stanton and their children, Charlie, Matt, and Catherine Stanton
Eugene and Irina Lyubashevsky and their children, David and Sasha
Victor and Sylvia Margolin
Stephen Miller and Elizabeth Inglehart and their children, Julia and Madeline
Elyse Pearlman and Brad Teckenbrock
Shannon Robins
Amy Rosenwasser and James Christopher
Bruce Rosenzweig
Mollie Rotmensch
Johanna Schoss and her daughter, Olivia Boyer
Ann Selin
Mark and Linda Shapiro and their children, Michael and Sam
Karen and Stewart Singerman-Martin
Jay Stanton
Jim Stengel
Sheldon and Jane Stolowich
Hannelore Loevy Taschini
Konstantin and Regina Umanskiy and their children, Tina, Leah, and Ilana
Debbie Wang and David Hoyt and their son, Isaac Hoyt
Miriam Wasserman and Hoyt Bleakley
Ann Weiner and her daughter, Zoe
Steven Wiesenthal and Rebecca Trumbull and their children, Bettina and Daniel Wiesenthal
David Zurek and Christina Lutz
2009-2010 Committee Reports
Adult Education Committee– Susan Bass Marcus, Yali Amit, Co-Chairs
Committee Members: Miriam Kalichman, Judith Kossy
One of the priorities of the KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation is a commitment to learning and teaching. Our Adult Education Program contributes to that goal, mainly by scheduling Sunday morning lectures and panels at the temple. Thanks to the support and participation of many people in our KAMII community, the Adult Education Committee nears the conclusion of another year of varied programs and responses.
Over the year, Yali Amit and I have turned to personal, professional, and congregational resources to schedule interesting and timely Sunday morning lectures. Every week, Ben Jacobson and Cantor Miriam Eskenasy teach Hebrew language. The Cantor and Rabbi also offer courses, for which the congregation is grateful, but they are not part of Yali’s and my programming. Adrien Bledstein teaches her popular Sunday morning Adult Bible classes on 8th-6th century BCE prophets. All of these programs welcome everyone and most continue to be available at no charge.
Every month during this Jewish calendar year, a diverse array of topics engaged our audiences. Sessions on politics at home and abroad, history, and social science were some of the thematic areas covered by our speakers. In September, we kicked off the Sunday morning lecture programs with a panel on the merits and the problems associated with having the 2016 Olympics in Chicago. Local politicos and preservationists squared off in front of a significant audience and the Channel 7 ABC TV cameras. Local ABC anchor Ben Bradley, invited by member Emily Barr (President, WLS-TV) served as moderator for the discussions.
In October, Ali Abu Nima spoke on the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. A panel of congregants working and volunteering in the arts spoke eloquently about the future of the arts, especially in terms of public support and funding. John Schumann and Bill Meadow together with their colleague Thomas Fisher spoke about the University of Chicago medical clinic crisis and its ramifications. Congregant David Krantz generously shared his expertise and recordings from his studies of Klezmer music. Lainie Friedman Ross presented her views on medical ethics (e.g., kidney matching).
During the winter, we heard activist James Thindwa talk about efforts to unionize charter school teachers, and Eric Wachspress arranged performance artist Maya Escobar’s presentation on Berlin’s eruv. The Oriental Institute’s Director, Gil Stein, spoke about his Tell Zeidan dig in Syria. Jesse Greenberg elaborated on J Street, Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb presented The Mussar Movement, and author Emilie Barnett in reference to her novel on Dona Beatrice Nasi Mendes shared her passionate interest with us.
As spring approached, congregant Jan Lisa Huttner presented a rich program on Jewish women in film, writer Sandi Wisenberg spoke about a number of issues surrounding her own experience with breast cancer with humor and honesty, Mark Mandle hosted a panel of congregants who described the paths that led them to become members of KAM Isaiah Israel, and Marlene Necheles delighted her audience with excerpts from her recently published book and stories about her ‘Where’s the Beef?’ mother Clara Peller.
In the final weeks of the school year, two other congregants spoke about their personal experiences: Don Levine on the body and combat and Sidney Hollander on his recent trip to Honduras.
Attendance varied throughout the year, but averaged 30-35 people each session. The format included about 45-60 minutes of lecture, panel, or other presentation followed by time dedicated to discussion. Each session began at 10:30 a.m. and ended no later than noon.
The committee needs more members committed to finding and engaging speakers who will draw not only KAM II members but also the community at large. The committee and congregation have the task of defining the direction Adult Education will take in the future. Unless a new chair would like to replace me, I intend to continue this coming year, but it will be the last year I plan to serve as co-chair of Adult Education.
Respectfully submitted by Susan Bass Marcus, reviewed by Yali Amit.
Caring Committee– Anne Simon Moffat, Chair
Committee Members: Ernestine Austen, Lynn Frackman, Ruth Geis, Sue Lipson, Barbara Moss, Marlene Richman, Muriel Rogers, Roberta Siegel, Grace Wolf
During the last year, the reinvigorated Caring Committee served more than 100 KAMII families, including all age groups.
For the High Holidays, about 70 'honey bears', small containers of honey, were delivered, mostly in person, throughout Chicagoland. The gifts were accompanied by a specially prepared Rosh Hashonah card. To help the families of Religious School students celebrate Passover, the Caring Committee prepared about 60 bags of 'matzoh crunch' for them to enjoy. These, too, had a specially designed card. In both these projects, students of the Religious School helped with delivery of the small gifts.
In addition, the Caring Committee helped to celebrate a couple dozen simchas, such as significant wedding anniversaries and births, with homemade cakes and homegrown flowers or small gifts, such as a mezuzah. The ailing and bereaved were aided with gifts of food, travel to doctor's appointments and grocery stores, and conversation. Also, the Committee worked with clergy to provide follow-up care. Freezer space at the Temple was filled with frozen soups, main dishes and cakes, to serve congregants as needed. And, every week, a large-type version of the weekly email blast is delivered to congregants at Montgomery Place.
--Anne Simon Moffat
Adult and Children’s Choirs– Cantor Miriam Eskenasy, Director
Adult Choir Members: Dorothy Freedman, Howard Halpern, Stephanie Halpern, Renee Itzkoff-Judd, Mark Mandle, Martha Nussbaum, Alyssa Luboff, Julie Volchenboum, Sam Volchenboum, Joy Rosner, Barbara Schnitzer, Reeva Shulruff
Children’s Choir Members: Ali Kane, Emma Gossett, Shoshana Holt-Auslander, Riley Begley Kay, Geri Ross, Anna Chapiro-Luboff
This year we have participated in the High Holidays, several services during the year for special occasions and especially for Jewish Music Month, for our Shabbat to the Max service. The choir is much improved in quality, although we could still use some tenors. The choir also participated in a Chicago Synagogues choir Zimria in Skokie with a representation of three of our members.
Children’s choir is continuing to improve this year. We have approximately 6 members 3rd through 7th grade and we sing monthly at Family Shabbat services as well as for holidays such as Chanukah and Purim. This year the choir gave a concert at Montgomery Place as well and participated in a cantorial concert fundraising for OSRUI, “Singing for S’Mores”.
Communications Committee – Deborah Halpern, Chair
The Communications Committee worked to publicize all of the KAMII events to which the public was also invited, which included the Perelmuter and Weinstein weekends as well as other events during the year. In July and August of 2009 there was media outreach about Rabbi Batsheva Appel joining KAMII. This resulted in an article in the Chicago Tribune: 1st female rabbi takes helm of synagogue across street from Obama home; By Manya A. Brachear on July 10 as well as notices in the Tablet and a blog, Jewlicious, the Reader and the Hyde Park Herald.
In August the Communications committee assisted in reviewing the KAMII web site and wrote new copy for the home page. In February there was good coverage of the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice weekend which focused on urban farming resulting in good print coverage and a radio interview for Robert Nevel on WCPT AM. The primary objective of this media outreach and coverage is to increase the awareness of KAMII in the local community and Chicago area and to bring new guests and prospective members to our congregation.
Development Committee– Peter Ascoli, Chair
Committee Members: Marty Eckstein, Andy Gelman, Mark Greenwald, Dan Mass, Paul Singer, Nikki Stein
Volunteers: Larry Bloom, Deloris Sanders, Leslie Kay
The Development Committee met twice during the year and held the end-of-the-year Phonathon which brought in approximately $90,000 including enhanced dues. One meeting was held in mid-November to discuss and plan the Phonathon. The other meeting was held at the end of February to discuss several issues.
Three subjects of particular importance were discussed at these meetings. One was the advisability of conducting a capital campaign in 2010-11. The Committee concluded that this was inadvisable for several reasons. One was the current state of the economy. A second reason was that Rabbi Appel needed time to get established and known by the congregation and that process would take a certain period of time. However, in lieu of a capital campaign, the Committee thought it was a good idea to conduct targeted proposals to interested individuals on discreet topics. For example, some of the Torah scrolls are in a state of disrepair. It will cost several thousand dollars to repair them. There might be individual members of the congregation who would be interested in this and who would respond favorably to a request to provide funds for this. Similar targeted requests could be used in Adult Education or Music. The advisability of pursuing targeted requests was brought up at a Board meeting and was a main topic of the February meeting. The Committee felt that this was indeed a good idea which should be pursued. It was also felt that such targeted requests would not necessarily interfere with a capital campaign when such a campaign would be held.
The third subject discussed involved deferred giving (bequests). It was felt that this was a useful subject worth pursuing and the subject was brought up at the March 2010 Board meeting.
The Chair of the Development Committee recommends that both targeted proposals and deferred giving be pursued. He further suggests that the Chair of the Development Committee work with Tal and the Board President to identify and recruit additional members to participate in the enhanced dues program.
The more members we can have paying enhanced dues, the better off we shall be as a congregation.
Respectfully submitted
Peter M. Ascoli
Finance Committee: Paula Worthington, Chair
Committee Members: Mickey Eder, Melissa Hilton, Gary Laser, Richard Miller, Beth Saks
The KAMII Finance Committee met regularly this year to monitor the congregation's financial conditions and to advise the treasurer and executive director regarding financial matters. The Committee routinely reviews financial results for the congregation and consults with the executive director on appropriate financial policies and operations, including management of the congregation's principal revenue sources (dues, school tuition and fees, donations and fundraising, rental) and expenses (staff compensation, programming, administrative, and building). The Committee also makes recommendations to the executive director and Executive Committee regarding appropriate management of the congregation's short term assets and liabilities.
Thank you to Paul Singer for his service on the committee.
KAMII Foundation and Cemetery- Dan Mass, Chair
Committee Members - Paul Freehling, Michael Gelber, Philip Halpern, Bud Lifton, Tom Schnitzer, Nikki Stein, Amy Wishnick, Ex Officio: Paula Worthington
This year 2009-2010 ending June 30th was not a good year for the Foundation, while we were able to provide the Congregation with $127,000 for its budget. Using an average of the last three years, we provide 5% of the Foundation and Cemetery Funds to the congregation. Next year we will provide $120,000. Fortunately this year has been good and the Foundation and Cemetery Funds are up with the rest of the market.
During the year the Foundation Board rewrote their 40-year-old By-laws to be consistent with the current laws and time. We also rewrote our investment policy. Finally we started to meet quarterly to review our investments with our investment advisor, Mark Rosenberg.
House Committee – Fred Stein, Acting Chair
After years of service as chair of the House Committee, Michael Gelber's move to the Northwest put Fred Stein back as chairperson.
With the financial difficulties of the congregation over the past several years, any meaningful maintenance of our complex building has continued to be deferred. I have begun an assessment of the conditions of our building's masonry walls, heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing and electrical systems and roofs to determine which of our many urgent needs must be addressed immediately and which can be deferred again. As Tal learns about our facility he is taking an increased role in working with our trades people and increased involvement in working with potential contractors and administering projects we undertake as resources can be found.
Among our immediate concerns are difficult-to-diagnose leakage around school building windows, roof problems and urgently needed tuck pointing on the Sanctuary and the extremely poor condition of both sets of Greenwood entrance steps. You will be hearing more about this in the coming year as we try to prioritize these issues and plan an effective and feasible stabilization program.
We could not continue to enjoy our building without the extreme dedication of our maintenance supervisor Roger Drobinige, whose endless supply of good cheer and his willingness to execute clever repairs has patched together our physical plant for many years.
Israel and World Jewry Committee-Eric Wachspress, Chair
Committee Members - Aida Berenson, Nina Helstein, Steve Bloom, with the assistance of Yali Amit, Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Rabbi Darryl Crystal, and Lenore Mass
- On November 8, 2009, Maya Escobar, a digital media and performance artist, presented an audio-visual program on the Jews of Berlin entitled “Berlin’s Eruv,” weaving together voices from Berlin’s Jewish community to construct a metaphorical eruv representative of a living Jewish Community.
- Following up on our December 13th committee meeting, in January 2010 I presented Rabbi Appel for her consideration proposals for a future Congregational trip to Israel.
- In early April, I attempted to organize a panel discussion for May 2nd incorporating different points of view on the current state of U.S/Israel relations and current prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This event was canceled when prospective panelists on one side of those issues could not agree to share a podium.
- On May 16th the Committee presented a program by Steven Slivnick of the Government of Israel Economic Mission to the Midwest on how Israel has become one of the world's foremost entrepreneurial hot spots, leading the world in civilian research-and-development spending per capita.
KAMII Klezmer Band– Shawn Allison, Bandleader
Band Members: Abigail Allison, Henry Arkin, Matt Cramer, Sam Golden, Julie Volchenboum, Sam Volchenboum, Eric Wachspress, Norm Weinberg, Paula Worthington
The Klezmer Band is just finishing its most ambitious year in the history of the group, in that it performed two full concert programs at Montgomery Place, once in January and once in early May. Both events were a tremendous success, and really solidified the band's sound. The Klezmer Band also continued in its tradition of participating in the musical life at KAMII by playing for Friday night Shabbat onegs. This year, we played for 4 onegs: on Simchat Torah, Hanukkah, Purim, and the Teacher Appreciation Shabbat. We played for the Simchat Torah Service as well, and performed 3 tunes as part of January's Jewish Musicale. Our membership grew this year, with 3 brand new members and one returning member. The repertoire of the group expanded to include new arrangements in the band's library. In general, we met once a week for rehearsals, every Wednesday night, with some breaks. The band is really coming together as a group, and is becoming a social event in its own right.
- Shawn Allison
Munch & Learn– Nancy Perelmuter, Marlene Richman, Deloris Sanders, Co-Facilitators
In 2009-10, Munch & Learn completed its 9th year of programming. Our meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month fall through spring. This year we had 7 programs. The February meeting was cancelled due to bad weather.
As we Learn from creative, knowledgeable, and stimulating presenters, we Munch our lunch and then the desserts supplied by the facilitators and Alan Golden.
The topics usually have a Jewish theme. However, topics of general interest have been presented.
Our programs are extremely well received, and though we have no budget, we do have an abundance of enthusiasm for the programs and the presenters to whom we are grateful.
Attendance at Munch & Learn programs ranged between 14 and 24 with an average attendance of 18.
The presenters and programs:
October 13 Rabbi Batsheva Appel – “Women of Valor: A Look at Proverbs 31”
November 17 Herman Cohn shared his experience of the Holocaust
December 8 Tom Smith, "The Jews are Still on the Move"
Dr. Smith, Senior Fellow at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and Director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Society, shared insights gained from his analysis of data from the General Social Surveys 1972-2008, and his 2005 book "Jewish Distinctiveness in America".
January 12 Rabbi Elliott B. Gertel: Jews as depicted in recent films and on TV
March 9 Mark Grant: “What’s New about Getting Old”
Four years ago Mark spoke “On Aging.” At this program he updated us.
April 13 Ted Cohen: More fun with Jewish Humor
May 11 Cantor Miriam: “The Book of Ruth” in words and music
Kehillah (Membership) Committee– Nancy Fritz, Chair
Committee Members: Charlie Firke, Debra Stulberg, Debbie Borrero, Marty Eckstein, Phyllis Cohn, Joan Pomaranc, Kate Berezutskaya, Matthew Cramer, Mickey Eder, Barbara Moss, Rosalie Fruchter, Karen Bloomberg, Mark Mandle, Nancy Fritz
This year the Kehillah Committee concentrated on 2 main areas: reaching out to new members and encouraging community building within the current membership.
Members of the committee who attended Rabbi Olitzky’s seminar last fall on “Re-imagining how we attract membership during challenging times” embraced the “Public Space Judaism” concept—and hosted several Hyde Park events geared towards making KAMII more visible within the community (example: Haroset tasting at the Hyde Park Produce store prior to Passover). The new member Shabbat, welcoming our new members, was a big success. We have begun to examine and update our new member packet—and have worked with synagogue staff to try to make the synagogue an even more warm and welcoming place.
The committee also worked to encourage fellowship within the KAMII community—hosting a “Christmas at the Movies” event, working with Cantor Eskenasy on “Pizza and Beer Havdallahs” and encouraging Rosalie Fruchter’s work with “the Lillith Salon”.
There is much to be done yet. Immediate plans for the coming year include finalizing the new member information packet--highlighting the many amazing things that happen at KAMII, working with the Religious Practices Committee on summer Shabbat events (Barbecues, etc), beginning to create a mini-movie series, working with the Social Justice committee in their focus on responsible food utilization (cooking classes, speakers), and continuing local outreach.
We continue to welcome any interested new members to this committee.
Library Committee– Susan Levy, Mark Mandle, Jeff Solotoroff
The Library Committee continues to improve and organize the collection – an effort that has been aided by the generosity of many congregants. Over the past year, we received an estimated six shelves’ worth of books from various donors. Our largest donation came from Grace Wolf – a generous selection of nearly 100 books from the library of Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf z”l.
In addition, we made a concerted effort to contact congregants about many long-overdue books, resulting in the return of many books that are again available for borrowing.
Our most recent undertaking will convert the organization of books from the old Dewey Decimal system to the Library of Congress classification – a change that will make it easier to locate books in the library. In the future, we plan to reorganize the Juvenile/Young Adult collection to make the library a more inviting place for our younger members. Our long-term goal is to set up an online catalog which would allow members to locate and check out books via the Internet; this project, however, has been stalled due to the absence of a volunteer who is skilled in setting this up. Additional efforts to recruit such a member will continue in the coming year.
Music Committee- Joan Pomaranc, Chair
Committee Members: Duffie Adelson, Henry Arkin, Sam Golden, Howard Halpern, Lenore Mass, Barbara Schnitzer, Julie Volchenboum
During the past year, the Music Committee continued to support the activities planned by Cantor Eskenasy. Like the rest of the congregation, we enjoyed the terrific singing of the Adult and Children's choirs throughout the year and the professional choir during the High Holy Days; the fabulous Klezmer Band (the President's Own) on festivals; and the Kol Sasson musicians enhanced monthly Friday Shabbat services from fall to spring with wonderful sounds.
In July, we organized the fourth annual congregational picnic to a Grant Park Music Festival concert. This took place just after Rabbi Appel joined the congregation and gave members an informal way to meet her. January was designated Jewish Music Month, and large crowds participated in three unique Friday Shabbat services. On January 8, "Shabbat to the Max" featured music from Max Janowski, Max Helfman, and Max Wohlberg and a bit of Max Bruch - with several congregants named Max and Maxie having honors. On January 22, a "Classical Reform Shabbat" found the rabbi and cantor wearing black robes to lead the service from the classic Union Prayer Book, accompanied by music from the great composers of the movement, enhanced with the singing of the Ravenswood Consort. On January 29, the "Sephardic Shabbat Shirah" gave us a tour of the Sephardic world: Spain/Portugal, Greece, Turkey, France, Romania, Morocco, Yugoslavia, and Israel. Our second annual Jewish Musicale on January 24 brought the talents of the congregation (and staff member Abbey Allison) to the stage, with a focus on popular American Jewish composers.
Cantor Eskenasy also taught two four-part courses on the history of Jewish music, from ancient times to the modern era, with more classes proposed for next year, presenting the congregation with the means to understand the diversity of Jewish music around the world and to better understand our own musical traditions in context. Planning for the Janowski Centennial in 2010 has begun, both from the Music Committee and the Janowski Centennial Committee (which have overlapping membership). And watch for some very special events in the months ahead!
Nominating Committee: Jane Heron, Chair
Committee Members: Ernestine Austen, Isaac Kirstein, Charlotte Lehnhoff, Ellen Rosendale, John Schumann, Mort Silverman, Judith Simon, Elise Wachspress
Each year, a 9-member nominating committee is appointed by the KAMII Board of Directors. Its task is to select individuals from the membership to serve as Officers (7) and Directors (16 in total) to guide the congregation for the coming year. The committee begins work in January and must finish by the end of March, meeting weekly or more often. Given the busy schedules and numerous commitments of members of KAMII, assembling a slate is a very challenging task.
Our Officers serve 1-year terms, Directors serve 2-year terms, with 8 expiring each year. The committee accepts suggestions from the membership, the current Board and staff. Interviews are held with current Officers, the clergy and staff to identify priority needs of the congregation. Committee members strive to identify nominees who will represent different age groups, needs and interests in order to reflect the diversity of the membership.
Nursery School Committee, Gloria Needlman, Chairperson
Committee membership: Fran Gordon, Director; Miriam Kalichman, KAMII board liaison; Lee Haupt, David Hoyt, Emily Kirschner, Corinne Siegel-Gerson, Reeva Shulruff, Debbie Wang, Paula Worthington, along with Tal Rosen who was so helpful to the committee.
2009-10 year has been not only educationally sound and fun it has been exciting for children, their families and the teaching staff. Though we are directly across the street from the Obama home, the Secret Service people are less involved with our families this year; however, we still feel we are the safest school in the country.
Our committee held only two meetings where we were physically in the same space, but we exchanged e-mails and had phone conversations whenever required. We met to work on the budget, with committee members under the guidance of Tal and Paula. Our school is fully enrolled this year, allowing us to be able to offer scholarships to two families in need. The Parent-Toddler classes were smaller than expected; but we were still able to come out in the black. We are, again, grateful for the help and assistance of Daryl Ramsey, the accountant.
Debbie Wang was able to procure several boxes of wonderful children’s books for our library, and we were thrilled to restock our shelves for children to borrow and to use in the school setting.
Though we share the play yard with the after-school program, larger and stronger youngsters, Roger, working with Fran has kept the yard maintained, making safety a priority. Our space has been well cared for by the maintenance staff and we thank them. We replaced cedar chips, sand and dirt in our planting boxes due to need.
The nursery school children are helping with our sustainable vegetable garden by planting herbs and caring for them. They are also watching the plants as they grow. The garden committee is proud to have them working with them.
Miriam Kalichman reviewed, revised, and rewrote the Risk Management Plan and Teacher Handbook brilliantly. We are so appreciative of her tremendous effort on behalf of the Nursery School, a job well beyond all expectations.
KAMII School hosted the Director’s Group of which Fran Gordon is a member for an interesting afternoon talk by Gloria Needlman “Spirituality and Little Children”. A light lunch was served and the group seemed involved and interested in the afternoon.
This year’s Fundraiser Concert with Susan Salidor brought in a good return, and it happened only because of Fran’s hard work in getting contributors, publicity, and choosing the “best” performer who could completely involve our little children in a wonderful afternoon of music and movement. It was suggested that for next year we hold this fundraiser in the early spring, not so close to holidays.
A new issue of the very professional newspaper, The K.A.M. Kids Chronicle, created by children and parents is in the making and will be ready for distribution at the close of this school year.
We’ve held three potluck dinners over this year that have been delicious and well attended. A delight for children, parents and staff. (Attendance for teachers at these evening events is written into the contract made with each teacher)
An Open House was offered monthly to introduce the community to our Nursery School. These affairs have been held alternating daytime and evenings giving opportunities to fit family scheduling. Fran offered a meeting to see if there was adequate interest to create a Kindergarten class for next year. The turnout was too small to follow through though she has a certified Kindergarten Teacher available to head the class.
Fran Gordon, our Director continues to be innovative, creative and is working well with the office and with the Religious School personnel.
We look forward to adding children to the Nursery School for a successful 2010-2011 year. As of the end of April enrollment for next year is looking strong.
Rabbi Hayim Goren Perelmuter Committee– Roberta Siegel and Susan Levy, Co-Chairmen
Committee Members: Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Samuel Golden, Kate Morrison, Nancy Perelmuter, Donna Rosenbush, Dan Schlessinger, Nikki Stein, and Tal Rosen, ex officio
The Rabbi Hayim Goren Perelmuter Memorial Award Program honors the memory and legacy of KAM Isaiah Israel’s beloved teacher, scholar, and spiritual leader. In 2010, two Awards were presented at ceremonies held during the third weekend of April. At a Kol Sasson Shabbat service on Friday, April 16, the sixth Perelmuter Award was presented to Samuel D. Golden, past president of KAMII, for his services to the congregation, especially his leadership in merging the two temples in the 1970s and his continuing participation on committees and in our musical programs. The Oneg Shabbat was also, coincidentally, a joyous birthday celebration for Sam Golden. On Sunday, April 18, the seventh Award was presented to the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center for its efforts, through exhibits and education in its magnificent new building, to foster the promotion of human rights and the elimination of genocide. Sam Harris, immediate past president of the organization, accepted the Award and spoke movingly of his experiences as a child surviving the Holocaust and of his arrival in Chicago and adoption by Sam Golden’s sister’s family. On Sunday, a reception and light luncheon followed the presentation.
We wish to thank the members of the Perelmuter Committee for their organizational efforts, Deborah Halpern for her pro bono public relations services, the staff of congregation and the KAMII bakers for their assistance. We would welcome any congregants who wish to join us in planning for future awards and programs.
Personnel Practices Committee- Fred Stein, Chair
Committee Members: Stephen Marcus, Marlene Richman, Lilli Scheye, Amy Wishnick, Executive Committee Liaison Miriam Kalichman
The Personnel Practices Committee continues to provide personnel evaluations of our professionals and support in relatedmatters.
Religious Practices Committee– Alan Berger, Chair
Committee Members: Ernestine Austen, Larry Bloom, Rosalie Fruchter, Nina Helstein, Isaac Kirstein, Helen Kim, Charlotte Lehnhoff, Jerry Meites, Kyle Rabkin, Corinne Siegel-Gerson, Debra Stulberg, Norm Weinberg
The Religious Practices Committee has had a very busy year. We have continued our gratifying work of handing out honors for Shabbat Services. We invite all members of the congregation who would like to participate in services to inform the office or anyone on the Religious Practices Committee in time for us to try and include you. We especially invite congregants who wish to commemorate a special event in their lives to participate. We have had our Torah scrolls inspected (see the May Bulletin) and will begin the process of raising funds to actually repair some of the scrolls. We worked with the Clergy to establish 7:30 p.m. as the time for summer Shabbat Services. Together with the Kehillah committee we are trying to have community events before or after the services. Other activities included updating the funeral plan that was circulated to the congregation a few years ago and collaborating with the Clergy in fine tuning our Service and event planning. We also assist the Clergy in helping congregants and visitors feel welcome. We are very pleased with our excellent year of worship and celebration and look forward to next year as a year of continued participation and spiritual growth.
Religious School Committee– Amy Gelman, Chair
Committee Members: Shari Granat, Director; Maryellen Begley, Tracy Coe, Jena Doolas, Ben Fine, David Itzkoff, Deanne Jester, Miriam Kalichman, Sheri Lewis, Jacqui Sanders, Eddie Sices
The KAMII Religious School had another very successful year with Shari Granat as the Director of Education. Ninety-five children were enrolled in the school in B’yachad through Confirmation (pre-school through 10th grade).
The school year opened with Pancake Breakfast to welcome everyone back; the teachers and madrichim (along with a great assist from John Selisky) were our pancake chefs and servers for the children and their parents. We had a very strong group of teachers and an enthusiastic student body.
High Holiday Children’s programming, coordinated by Mary Ellen Begley and Shari, served over 50 children each day. The Chanukah Fair was a well-attended congregational event and raised about $2,500 for the Religious School.
Our Kadima seminars included Israeli Culture as seen through the eyes of Israeli teens, The Jewish Green and Ethical Food Movement, Jewish Music and a short session on Jewish Death and Dying. The Mitzvah Mall in February raised over $2,000, which was distributed mostly to Haiti relief as well as other charities.
The Youth Group, KAMIITY, raised funds for Shalva and scholarships at the delicious spaghetti dinner, and conducted several other activities including the annual carwash to raise money for other Jewish charities. The Hebrew School students spent the last Wednesday of the school year at Rodfei Zedek in a special Israel program.
At the Teacher Appreciation Shabbat in May we thanked the teachers for their great work, and we celebrated Shari as she steps down from her role as Director of Education. We thank her for her extraordinary service to our congregation.
I am pleased to announce that Eddie Sices will be the next Chair of the Religious School Committee.
Social Justice Committee– Robert Nevel, Chair
Committee Members: Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Ralph Austen, Alan Berger, Jim Bloom, Larry Bloom, Cantor Miriam Eskenasy, Charlie Firke, Allon Fisher, Nina Helstein, Sidney Hollander, Sheri Mecklenburg, Al Needlman, Gloria Needlman, David Rader, Micah Rader, Tal Rosen, Amy Rosenwasser, Roberta Siegel, Bamboo Solzman, Jay Stanton, Lisa Williams, Grace Wolf, Jill Zenoff
Programs and Projects 2009 - 2010 Annual Report
1. Scrap electronics collection at KAMII: The SJC worked to have a bin installed at KAMII (located by the parking lot door) for the collection of scrap electronics. When the bin is full, the Committee carts the contents off to environmentally responsible disposal sites.
2. Food stamps and Chicago farmers’ markets:The Committee brought this issue to the attention of other area organizations and Aldermen and then led the effort that helped convince the City of Chicago to accept, starting this summer in pilot programs around the City, Link Cards at 5 of the 22 farmers’ markets.
3. Haiti earthquake relief: The SJC, through a conference call and emails, discussed ideas on how best to respond to the catastrophe in Haiti. From the various suggestions a list of organization was generated, which KAMII circulated throughout the Congregation, through which donations could be made.
4. Chile earthquake relief:Less than two months later an earthquake hit Chile and the SJC responded much the same as we had with Haiti: meeting, generating a list of organizations through which money could be donated and circulating that list throughout the Congregation.
5. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Food Justice and the Environment Shabbat, Symposium and
Workshop: Each year the SJC provides a speaker for the KAMII annual MLK Shabbat. This year, since our SJC focus is equal access to healthy and affordable food and environmentally responsible and sustainable land use Will Allen of Growing Power was our top choice for speaker. Will generously agreed and signed up to come to KAMII on January 15, 2010.
Different from previous years, however, we decided to expand the MLK program into an entire Social Justice weekend by adding a Sunday morning symposium and a Sunday afternoon workshop. All three events would address the weekend theme of Food Justice and the Environment.
We had a number of goals for the KAMII MLK Social Justice weekend.
1. To celebrate and remember the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. with the larger community
2. Define, for a wide audience, the issues in food justice
3. Take a leadership role in helping solve the problems of food justice and the environment
4. Recruit new partners and new members, especially for our Young Leadership Program, to join us in our efforts
As for our weekend, we welcomed hundreds to our synagogue, many for the first time. Well over three hundred attended the Friday Shabbat at which, it turned out, Will’s daughter had to pinch hit for her father. Erica did a wonderful job, delivering a powerful message on the social justice aspects of urban food production and distribution.
Our two hour Sunday symposium with Jack Spicer, Connie Spreen, Jamie Kalven, Ken Dunn, Joel Smith, Tara Brockman, Rachel Cohen from the RAC (and moderated by Robert Nevel) along with an audience of about 75 members and non discussed the failings of the current food production and distribution system, local food initiatives, the Slow Food Movement, family owned farming and what each of us can do to improve our food system.
Sunday afternoon over 45 architects, urban planners, master gardeners and future gardeners stuffed into the KAMII library to learn from KAMII members Joy Rosner, Jim Bloom, Charlie Firke and Robert Nevel about how to start a food producing garden.
In sum, we continued KAMII’s legacy of doing powerful and timely social justice work and established our synagogue as a leader in food justice and the environment. We are now recognized locally and across the Reform Movement for our efforts and our leadership on equal and affordable access to healthy food and environmentally responsible and sustainable land use.
6. American Jewish World Service World Hunger Shabbat: On March 19th the SJC helped sponsor, at KAMII, the Global Hunger Shabbat. Committee member Ralph Austen gave the D’Var Torah.
7. KAMII food producing garden: Starting in April 2009 a dozen or so KAMII volunteers started converting the lawn outside the Greenwood foyer to planting beds and installing an 800 sq. ft. ornamental - Star of David - food producing garden. By the end of May the first planting was complete. On July 3rd 90 radishes were pulled from the garden. By mid July a typical tomato harvest was 30 pounds. Most all the food harvested over the summer was put out before Friday night Shabbats for the members to take home and enjoy. The garden also yielded a bountiful harvest for Sukkot. In addition, we have installed an active and productive composting program on site at KAMII.
8. Tree Planting at KAMII:The SJC planted three columnar apple trees (Golden Sentinel) in the triangle of land just south of the Rabbi’s study.
9. SJC Young Leadership Program: The SJC is actively recruiting young men and women - who have time, interest, energy and a commitment to social justice - to join KAMII and be part of a new Young Leadership Program. Mentored by current SJC members these new recruits will play a significant role in designing and implementing the Committee’s food justice and the environment program.
10. Social Justice Committee Food Justice and the Environment Program - equal access to healthy food and environmentally responsible and sustainable land use through a synagogue garden, interfaith community outreach and education and food production and donation: KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation Social Justice Committee 2010 Program: equal access to healthy food and environmentally responsible and sustainable land use through a synagogue garden, interfaith community outreach and education and food production and donation.
Food Justice and the Environment Program Goals
Goal Nº1: Grow and donate significant amounts of good food
In 2010 we hope to grow somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 pounds of food in the KAMII garden which we plan to donate to those in need who are within a walkable, one mile radius of our garden.
Goal Nº2: Be good stewards of the land
We plan to continue to reduce the amount of unproductive lawn around the synagogue. We will continue to eliminate the use of harmful lawn care products on the site. We will continue to compost our synagogue yard waste as well as members’ kitchen scraps. And we hope to start to reduce the amount of heat absorbing paved areas around the site.
Goal Nº3: Establish KAMII as a congregational model of food production and sustainable land use
We plan to establish the KAMII garden as a model, for other congregations to hopefully follow, for food production and sustainable land use. Throughout the growing season we will invite other congregations to work, learn and grow alongside us in our KAMII garden. (City of Faith has already accepted our invitation). Our guest gardeners will learn how to replicate our program and be prepared to return to their sites and start their own food producing gardens.
Goal Nº4: Attract new, young members to KAMII
With food justice and environmental issues being of great interest to recent college grads, we hope to attract new young members to KAMII (forming the core of the new SJC Young Leadership Program). Because of our garden and food justice program, a number of young adults have, this spring, started working with us.
Goal Nº5: Strengthen our KAMII community
This year we plan to encourage even more members to join us in the garden. Already this spring volunteer gardener participation has grown by about 30% over last year. Working in the garden alongside fellow members has proven to be a powerful intra-synagogue community builder and a wonderful way to develop new relationships and strengthen existing ones.
Goal Nº6: Educate the community about healthy eating and sustainable land use
Educate our KAMII community, our neighboring community and other congregations about healthy eating and sustainable land use and about the connections both have to Judaism.
Goal Nº7: Be a leader in food justice and environmentally responsible and sustainable land use within our community and throughout the Reform Movement and North America
With our MLK weekend we began to establish ourselves as leaders on food justice and sustainable land use issues in the Chicago area. And with our garden we have established ourselves as actual food producers. As our program and our garden grow we hope to be a resource for and an example to not just our community, but to congregations across North America. We are already raising awareness of food justice issues around the Reform Movement. Our garden was used as one model for the URJ “Guide to Synagogue Gardens” featured at www.urj.org/food. This step-by step garden guide is one of many resources available for congregations as part of the Reform Movement’s Shulchan Yarok, Shulchan Tzedek (Green Table, Just Table) initiative on sustainable, ethical eating launched at the 2009 Biennial in Toronto. Our January 2010 MLK program was also highlighted in the Green Table, Just Table Program Bank (http://resources.rj.org/rac/food/) along with other outstanding congregational programs on food justice issues and featured on the Religious Action Center blog (http://blogs.rj.org/rac/2010/01/a_vision_of_food_justice.html).
Thank you to all of our committee members, volunteers, and non-member volunteers who gave so generously of their time, including the panelists for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium, and to Mike Nowak for having us on his radio show in January to talk about KAMII and the MLK Food Justice Weekend (to hear the podcast, go to http://www.mikenowak.net/podcasts.htm and click on January 10, 2010).
Transition Committee– Max Stein, Chair
Committee Members: Clive Kamins, Leslie Kay, David Midgley, Lilli Scheye
The Transition Committee has been working this year to make sure that Rabbi Appel's transition into her role as our Senior Rabbi is smooth and successful for her and the congregation. To that end, we have been meeting every week since Rabbi Appel arrived in July. We have met with the Rabbi most weeks, but have also met with Cantor Eskenasy on a regular basis and also met with Tal Rosen, while also keeping in touch with the Executive Committee and updating the Board.
In meeting with all of these folks, we have found them all to be committed to the future of the congregation. We have served as a sounding board for ideas and also provided counsel on how to best achieve things. In all of this, we have tried our best to be a trustworthy and confidential place for the professional and lay leaders of the congregation to discuss anything that might be on their minds. We have found this to be a very rewarding opportunity for us, and one that we think has helped our leaders and the congregation.
We will continue meeting, though likely with less frequency, over the coming year as well. Should any member of the congregation have any issues they wish the committee to be aware of, we invite you to bring them to our attention by contacting Max Stein.
Tzedakah Committee– Nancy Fritz, Chair
Committee Members: Mickey Eder, Nina Helstein, Lenore Mass, Joan Pomaranc, Nikki Will Stein, Amy Wishnick
KAMII congregants generously support needy organizations within and outside of our community. The Tzedakah Committee encourages congregants to apply for grant funds for particular organizations with which they may be involved.
The committee meets twice/year to review grant applications. In this past year a grant was made to the Harran Foundation, a production company dedicated to projects that promote peace and understanding among Jews, Christians and Muslims. The Harran Foundation is the brainchild of Dr. Shakeela Hassan, a retired University of Chicago anesthesiologist. Its advisory board is composed of Jews, Christians and Muslims. The latest project of the Foundation was a concert held last November at Rockefeller Chapel called “Sounds of Faith Chicago,” which many of our members attended. Music, chanting, call-to-prayer and shofars were heard, with participation by members of all three Abrahamic faiths, including our own Cantor Emerita Deborah Bard, Rosalie Fruchter, Norm Weinberg and Tom Weisflog. A one-hour film of the concert was broadcast on WTTW on Easter Sunday.
The Tzedakah Committee continues to encourage KAMII members to donate to the tzedakah fund, to submit grant applications for their favorite organizations, or to join the committee (or all of the above!).
Jacob J. Weinstein Committee- Judith Kamins and Judith Kossy, Co-Chairs
Committee Members: Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Lucy Ascoli, Adrien Bledstein, Rona Brown, Cantor Miriam Eskenasy, Sam Golden, Fran Grossman, Nina Helstein, Ruth Levine, Bud Lifton, Tal Rosen, Nikki Will Stein, Elise Wachspress, Norman Weinberg
The Jacob J. Weinstein Committee was created by the congregants of KAM Isaiah Israel to honor the memory of Rabbi Jacob Weinstein. The Committee endeavors to honor Rabbi Weinstein by sponsoring Scholar-in-Residence and other weekends that explore some of his areas of interest, particularly social action, the arts and Jewish thought and culture. There were two Weinstein Scholars-in-Residence this year.
Rachel Havelock, the Scholar in Residence, October 23-25, 2009 led animated discussions about the range of interpretations of the bible that lead to diverse perspectives of the biblical, physic, and political “location” of the Promised Land. Yuri Lane, human beatbox and actor moved participants from 3 to 93 years old to show their musical vision of the Promised Land on Saturday afternoon.
The Jacob Weinstein Committee’s scholar in residence March 12-14, 2010 was Alexandra Zapruder, author of “Salvaged Diaries, Young Voices from the Holocaust.” She discussed her discovery of the diaries and their meaning, and read moving selections that painted a textured picture of young lives in the holocaust. She also led a workshop on writing personal narratives, held a lively showing and discussion of the movie, “I’m Still Here: Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust” with Sunday school students and their parents, and led a workshop for religious school teachers in using diaries in teaching the holocaust.
