Joliet Jewish Congregation
Join us for Adult Education!
My Dear Friends,
I hope you all enjoyed our celebration of all the Jewish holidays. Your Cantor Tobacman and I were thrilled with the strong attendance, and your high level of engagement in all the prayers. The beauty of the Cantor’s Kol Nidre service was enhanced by the performance of cellist Mason Taylor. I am grateful to our Board for approving this meaningful addition to our traditional service.
Our congregational survey showed that many of you placed a high value on Adult Education. I want to emphasize two adult education offerings at Joliet Jewish Congregation. A few months ago, I restarted our weekly Wednesday Lunch & Learn, where we discuss the week’s Torah portion, as well as various topics, including current events. I would love to see more of you join us on Wednesdays for lunch, either in person or on Zoom. Judy Block and Louise Freeman have been doing a fabulous job setting up and ensuring we have wonderful things to nosh each week. Please join us for this stimulating and informative session whenever you can.
Our survey also showed that many of you were interested in learning Hebrew, and especially how to read the Hebrew of our Siddur – Prayer Book – and to understand the meaning of the prayers. Based on this demand, I have scheduled a course in Adult Hebrew. The course will be offered on Wednesday evenings by Zoom, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, over 12 weeks. The flyer for this class will be available on our website. You can also register here for the class. There is no charge for the class. Materials will be supplied online in each class, and you can download them to your own tablet or computer. We already have a good number of people registered for the class.
After the Hebrew class is complete in February, we are hoping to offer a class in Intro to Judaism 101. This new course is designed for our Jewish members who want to learn more about our beliefs and practices, as well as those who are interested in converting to Judaism, using our Jews By Choice program. Watch for more information during the winter!
We welcome your ideas and concerns at all times. Let us know how Joliet Jewish Congregation can serve you better, and meet your needs for community and support.
With warm regards,
Rabbi Brian Serle