COVID-19 Response

TWO MINUTES OF TORAH

Here's Rabbi Steve's two minute take on this week's Torah portion. Read more about Tzav.

AM SHALOM PLAYERS RETURN!

Our actors are back with a five minute version of the Passover story! Watch now.

NEED VACCINATION APPOINTMENT HELP?

Some very special Am Shalom members have offered to assist fellow congregants who qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine under the State of Illinois guidelines. If you are in need of help making an appointment, please contact Alyssa Latala to be put in touch with our volunteers.

SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: VIRTUAL LEGISLATIVE VISITS

Our congregation is part of the Illinois Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-IL). RAC-IL recently held its 2021 Campaign Kickoff calling the Reform Jewish community in our state into action to support two pieces of legislation - The Mind Strong/Strengthening Mental Health & Substance Use Crisis Services Act (HB 2944/SB347) and the Illinois Way Forward Act (SB 667). 

RAC-IL's top priority right now is lobbying members of the General Assembly to vote “yes” on these important pieces of legislation. To sign up click here. No previous experience is needed, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. Training, resources, and support will be provided. Questions? Please contact Ted Schaffner at tschaff@comcast.net.

HOLOCAUST SERIES

We are observing Yom HaShoah with a series of three Friday lectures on the Holocaust. We begin on Friday, April 2 at 12:00pm with a discussion led by Alissa Schapiro, curator and a doctoral candidate in art history at Northwestern University, specializing in 20th century American art and the history of photography. This talk looks at three different kinds of photographs* of the newly liberated Nazi concentration camps--press images, official Army prints, and amateur personal keepsakes--taken by Americans in the Spring and Summer of 1945. These photographs were almost immediately presented to the U.S. public in popular magazines and local exhibitions. They helped shape the ways in which Americans understood the devastation of the war, and they reveal how the U.S. government wanted the country to understand the continued threat of Fascism, and the renewed threat of Communism, in the final months of World War II. ZOOM in.
*Warning: The photographs of liberated concentration camps shown in this talk are graphic and disturbing. 

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

Rokhash & Aziz, our Syrian refugees, welcomed their healthy, adorable baby girl, Mila, 3 weeks early! Big sister and brother Lames & Youseff are back in school and doing well. Aziz is still working full time at the hospital and part time as a rideshare driver. They are ALL very excited to bring Mila home in time to move to the house they just bought in Wheeling. Here's their baby registry.

VIRTUAL GATHERINGS 

*Need help connecting to Am Shalom's Livestream or Zoom calls? 
Please contact Alyssa Latala at alatala@amshalom.com or 847.606.5168.

*Would you like a hard copy of Mishkan T'filah Prayer Book or Torah Commentary? Please fill out this form.

You can find a digital Mishkan T'filah prayer book here. It is also on our livestream page, along with a link to this week's yahrzeit list. Click here for the weekly Torah portion. Our complete Zoom and livestream schedule, along with instructions for joining the gatherings, can be found here.

CREATE A JEWISH LEGACY

What’s your Jewish legacy? Learn more about Am Shalom’s endowment, and the many ways to support our beloved synagogue now and for generations to come. Through the Create a Jewish Legacy program, there are many ways to make a meaningful gift that will provide a steady and potentially growing stream of funding. For more information, please click here and/or contact: Zoe Sherman, Director of Financial Management - 224.805.9400, Randi Brill, Am Shalom President – randi@amshalom.com, or Steve Doblin, Chair, Create a Jewish Legacy Committee and Am Shalom President Elect – steved@amshalom.com.

SUPPORT AM SHALOM WHEN YOU SHOP ON AMAZON

Click here to support Am Shalom when you shop on Amazon. When you shop, always start at smile.amazon.com to make sure a portion of your purchase is donated to Am Shalom. There is no cost to you, and you can even shop Amazon Smile from the app (here are the instructions for that). These every day purchases can really add up - thank you!

GOOD & WELFARE NOTICES

If you would like to be notified via email when there is a death in the congregation, please contact Gia Master at giam@amshalom.com.

GETTING IN TOUCH

We are here for you. You'll find the cell phone numbers for our staff below. We've also created a non-emergency contact form on our website, if you'd like to reach us that way. 

If this crisis has caused you economic hardship, and you'd like to talk about your Am Shalom membership commitment, please contact Zoe Sherman at zoes@amshalom.com or 224-805-9400.

Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein - 847-630-6108
Rabbi Phyllis Sommer - 224-619-6807
Rabbi Pam Mandel - 561-886-8186
Cantor Andrea Rae Markowicz - 917-841-8385
Cantor Julie Staple - 317-418-4644
Laura Horn, Director of Operations - 847-772-8822
Alyssa Latala, Director of Engagement - 847-606-5168
Zoe Sherman, Director of Financial Management - 224-805-9400