Having Faith in Naperville

Please Untie Our Knots

Rabbi Marc Rudolph, of Congregation Beth Shalom, discusses the celebration of Passover and the lessons it can bring us.

Passover, our great Festival of Freedom, is fast upon us. On the evening of April 18, Jews all over the world will sit down around their tables to celebrate the Passover holiday with a Seder.  At the Seder, we tell the story of Passover through ritual, through prayer, through story, through song and through food. It is no wonder that many recall the Passover Seders of their childhoods with warmth and affection.  It is interesting that we begin our Seder with the invitation, “Let all who are hungry, come and eat/Let all who are in need come and share the Passover meal." Our rabbis teach that the “one who is in need” in this invitation refers to a person who is without companionship. We must satisfy our physical and our social needs before …

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Religious Organizations Step to the Plate

Local clerics discuss how they respond to society's changing needs.

Amid modern-day struggles such as job loss, foreclosures and general financial stress, Naperville residents are looking to their places of worship for more than just faith-based support. "The state of the economy has not just affected the job market and family budgets," said Gordon Wong, community resources director for Grace Pointe Church. "It's affected religious institutions as well." Times are changing and the roles of many local religious organizations are changing with it. Grace Pointe, a non-denominational, family and community focused church on East Chicago Avenue, has responded to societal demands by adding life skills classes and other workshops to help residents get back on their feet. The need has continued to skyrocket, …

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Grab & Go Kids Planner

Chirping Birds and an 80s Throwback: Grab & Go Kids Planner

This week, enjoy pajama-rama, story time, musical play and birds.

Each Wednesday, we’ll assemble a list of kid-friendly activities and new places for you to try out with your kids this week. We know your time is limited and precious, so we're happy to do the research and find the best things to do and places to go, both locally and within reasonable driving distance. But we want you to help us build the planner with your own suggestions and tips — just add them to the comment box. Even if you disagree with our picks, let us know. We want to hear from you! FAMILY BEST BETS OF THE WEEK

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Suzanne Flynn

2:01 pm on Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Thanks Cristine! The Home Depot Kids Workshop takes place on the first Saturday of every month!!   more ›

Having Faith in Naperville

We Can't Be Sure What We'll Find

Rabbi Marc Rudolph writes about personal transformation.

There are times when we feel stuck in old habits and patterns and we yearn for change in our lives. Yet it is difficult for us to leave our comfort zones and embark on new beginnings.  At these times, we often look toward contemporary models to inspire us to have the courage to take our first steps toward a new life. We also have examples from the biblical past that can teach us much about personal transformation.The great sages, teachers and prophets of ancient times often had to overcome hardships and challenges in order for them to reach their full potential. Think about Moses. He left his comfort zone not once, but twice in his life! He was brought up in the comfort of the palace of the Pharaoh, the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. One day, …

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Parents Circle Addresses Need for Peace, Understanding in Mideast

Forum addresses challenges facing Palestinians, Israelis.

To end the pain and loss suffered by both Israeli and Palestinian families, a sense of awareness and understanding of each other is necessary. “The only solution is to get to know each other for the first time,” said Ali Abu Awwad, a Palestinian activist for peace through nonviolence. In 2000 an Israeli settler shot Awwad in the leg. After returning from a lengthy treatment, he learned that an Israeli soldier had killed his brother. Echoing his sentiments of reconciliation was Robi Damelin an Israeli resident whose son David was killed in 2002 while serving in the army reserve. A Palestinian sniper shot him while he was guarding a checkpoint near a settlement. Awwad and Damelin shared their stories with the approximately 75 people in the …

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Naperville Neighbors

Freyda Libman Focuses on Following her Passions

The Naperville resident seeks adventure and has proved she can succeed in finding it.

From teaching at a local college to opening a bridal shop, Freyda Libman has done it all. The 62-year-old resident reflected last week on the time she's spent in Naperville—a 30-year road she said had lots of curves and U-turns she never expected. A renown city girl, Libman moved to Naperville from Chicago during her first of two marriages. She was more than eight months pregnant with her oldest child. "There was no civilization," she said, of Naperville at that time. "I knew no one. … There was nothing to do, nothing to see, no one to know." Libman eventually made neighborhood friends who she both raised her kids with and started Congregation Beth Shalom. Libman's family was among the original five matriarchs of the local synagogue. "It …

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Local Synagogue Showcases Art

Naperville resident Barbara Lipkin created a gallery two years ago at Congregation Beth Shalom. Naperville Art League director Debbie Venezia said not only is it a welcome addition to the community, but it's not that uncommon nowadays.

Barbara Lipkin saw the white walls in the multipurpose room at Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville as an opportunity to showcase talent. "It's an additional venue to bring art to the community," said the artist, a resident of Naperville for more than 20 years. "This adds additional culture. It also connects us, as a congregation, to the community. It works for everybody." Lipkin created a gallery at the synagogue that features work from area artists, including herself. The displays rotate about every two months from September through June, and selections are juried. Artists wanting to feature their work must send an application to a five-person art gallery committee. "Artists are always looking for exposure," Lipkin said as she gave a …

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Naperville Neighbors

Art Fuels Local Mom's Heart and Soul

Naperville resident Valerie Lorimer has made finding time to create art a priority.

People don't always see exactly what Valerie Lorimer has in mind when they look at her artwork. That's the beauty of it. "It's very individual," said the 51-year-old Naperville resident on Tuesday. "It's interesting what art does … It's a different path for each person." Lorimer hopes people share their personal interpretations this month while looking at her mixed media art, which will be on display at Congregation Beth Shalom beginning Jan. 14. Work from artist Barbara Lipkin will also be featured. A mother of two—Nell, 8, and Hannah, 15—Lorimer tries to devote 15-20 hours per week to her hobby but admits doing so can get a little hairy. "I've been known to pack up my things and haul them to soccer practice," she said, with a laugh…

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Having Faith in Naperville

Shine a Little Light

In our darkest moments, G-d is with us.

Recently, a group of 35 Congregation Beth Shalom members traveled to the Holocaust Museum in Skokie. There we heard a remarkable woman, Czipora Katz, recount the story of her survival as a four-year-old girl during the Holocaust. Having escaped from the Semiatych Ghetto in Poland, Czipora was carried by her father in a blanket through the forest, accompanied by her uncle, Benjamin Feldman, his wife and their four children. After wandering in the snowy deep woods for several days, Czipora's uncle spotted a light in the distance.  "He decided to proceed alone toward it," she said, in a writing of her experience. "He had a great premonition that this was a signal from G-d for him to follow. The light led him to the farmhouse of a veterinarian…

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Dancing In the Aisles Highlights Hanukkah

Congregation Beth Shalom celebrated Hanukkah this past weekend with a Maxwell Street Klezmer Quartet Concert.

There was dancing in the aisles, singing in the seats and shouts of "Encore!" Sunday as the Maxwell Street Klezmer Quartet entertained the families of Congregation Beth Shalom. Cantor Hasha Musha Perman led the singing of traditional songs like "Hava Nagila" and as well as the Hanukkah songs "Hanukkah, Oy Hanukkah," "My Dreidl," and "Eight Nights of Joy." More then 200 people, including the religious school students, were on hand to enjoy the concert and help celebrate the lighting of the fourth candle for Hanukkah. Sometimes referred to as Jewish Jazz, klezmer combines two Hebrew words, "kley" (vessel) and "zemer" (song), and has been around since the Middle Ages. "We've had various forms of Hanukkah Concerts for the past 10 …

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