President:
Andrew Lask
Executive V.P.:
Dave Smolensky
Education V.P.:
Russ Gelberg
Ritual V.P.:
Brian Browdy
Facilities V.P.:
Marc Tepper
Membership V.P.:
Ellyn Hoffman
Fundraising V.P.:
Open
Endowment Pres.:
Marc Berman
Treasurer:
Michael Rosen
Communications Sec.:
Dave Smolensky
Immediate Past Pres.:
Michael Rosen
Board of Trustees
John Steve Adler
Board of Trustees
Sharen Berman
Board of Trustees
Shel Dobrin
Board of Trustees
Theresa Jaffe
Board of Trustees
Dennis Passis
Board of Trustees
Charles Schulman
Board of Trustees
Hillel Singer
Board of Trustees
Richard Sorman
Board of Trustees
Nancy Taxman
Board of Trustees
Howard Walton
Board of Trustees
Danny Wilk
Board of Trustees
Roger Wilk
Board of Trustees
Joyce Witt
Board of Trustees
Laurie Wolf
Dear Neighbor:
I joined B’nai Torah eight years ago after living in New York for almost a decade. Although I grew up in Highland Park, when I returned to Chicago with my wife Amy and our two girls, we did not know many people in the area. So, like most people, we shopped for a Temple.
Having the benefit of experiencing the warmth we were afforded as new members to the Jewish community in New York, we knew that we were looking to join a synagogue that was more than a building – we were looking for a community of individuals who were warm and inviting. We found that B’nai Torah offered all of these qualities and more.
It’s about people; people who live in a community and interact when they see their neighbors in town or in the schools, where new friendships are forged and old ones are rekindled. It’s a place where we receive the religious sustenance each of us desires.
B’nai Torah has a 50 plus year history with more than 300 member families. Our congregation is led by Rabbi Michael Sommer, Rabbi Anne Persin, and Cantor Lynda Dresher, who nurture spiritual growth and provide an interactive and caring religious experience.
In our Early Childhood program, your son or daughter will travel to Israel without leaving B’nai Torah. If they don’t have their own passport, it’s not a problem as they’ll simply make them before arriving at customs. Our Director, Tamy Jacobs, has assembled a dedicated and talented group of teachers who, together, have created a preschool program that is creative, nurturing and fun.
If it’s education you seek, we have a Hebrew/Religious school and an adult education program that are second to none. They are run by Rabbi Anne Persin, our Interim Education Director, who has extensive experience in the realm of Jewish education.
From our men’s club and sisterhood events, youth group programming, “Feed the Homeless” program and affiliation with the interfaith group “Faith in Action,” B’nai Torah has a wide range of ongoing activities and programs for members of every age.
I want to extend a welcome to you in the hope that you, too, may become affiliated with our Temple. We’d like to make a personal connection with you, so we cordially invite you and your family to participate in any of our upcoming services.
If it’s Friday night and the weather is beautiful, don’t be surprised to find us conducting our Shabbat service outside the sanctuary, overlooking Lake Michigan.
Just follow the music and join in!
Best regards,
Andrew D. Lask
President
