Join us for our very special Shabbat Service on Friday, January 9, at 7:30 pm led by Rabbi Menachem Cohen and singing led by Adam Gottlieb. We will pray and welcome Shabbat together in a circle of friendship.

The Service will be followed by an oneg. We'll recite our blessings over the wine and bread, and then we'll do some serious shmoozing and noshing.

At Broadway United Methodist Church, 3338 N Broadway in Chicago.

Get out your silly hats again, or just pick one up, because it’s time for some deep, personal Torah. While wearing silly hats. 

But, why silly hats? Because sometimes the best way to go deep is to put aside seriousness and embrace silliness. We will not be studying the great Torah commentators of the ages. Rather, we will go inside to find what the stories we revere mean to each of us. We promise, the Torah we will study together is real and will be treated with respect.

Some silly hats will be provided but you are encouraged to bring your own!

The first Silly Hat Torah, a Havdalah cabaret, was a resounding success. The adult themed discussion about hospitality and making oaths surprised everyone with what we discovered in our souls.

This time Silly Hat Torah is for all ages.

We welcome each new Jewish month with intention, creativity, and community.

Through a Jewish framework, this is a place to explore spiritual expression and personal growth.

Everyone is welcome no matter gender, member or not a member.

Write to Ascher for zoom link: ascher1@ameritech.net

United Church of Rogers Park, Morse at Ashland in Chicago

Makom Shalom Mitziut is partnering with our friends Leah Shoshanah & The Flames to create an unforgettable evening of nosh, music, and celebration of miracles!

We will do a mass menorah lighting. Feel free to bring your menorah and candles and let's bring abundant light to the world! Rabbi Menachem will lead us in a brief Chanukah meditation. Havdalah will precede the menorah lighting.

The Latke Laboratory will provide a latke bar with multiple styles of latke and a dazzling array of toppings. What is you favorite, unexpected topping for latkes?

If you are an oil aficionado or potato professor and want to prepare the latkes in the Latke Lab prior to the party that evening, see the comments on the FB event to let Rabbinic Intern Ezra, our Latke Lab Leader, know.

Leah Shoshanah and the Flames is a community band Leah Shoshanah is forming. This will be their debut performance! If you are a musician and interested in joining the band, see the sign up sheet in the FB event comments.

Admission is $20 for non-members, $10 for members. If that’s too much, please come anyway! And if you feel like contributing a little more, that’s great.

Sacred Hands is a communal crafting circle where members will gather to create new art, from ritual items like kipot to silly hats to wear to our Silly Hat Torah study meetings.

We will meet at a location in Albany Park.

For more information and instructions contact Wendy Lauter, lausho343@gmail.com.

Our next Shabbat Group dinner will be held Friday, December 5, at 6:00 pm at Euroasia Restaurant, 351 W. Oak, Chicago, IL.

Members and non-members are welcome to join us.

Come and tantalize your taste buds with eastern European dishes like goulash and cabbage rolls or central Asian dishes like beshbarmak (lamb based) and steamed pelmeni (beef filled dumplings). There are also gluten free, vegetarian and vegan selections.

Please rsvp to chicagomakom@gmail.com so we know to reserve space at the table.

Leah Shoshanah will lead us in singing and joy and conviviality. At the home of Ascher and Marla.
To be followed by Havadlah and dinner (pot luck).

RSVP to Ascher: Ascher Levy ascher1@ameritech.net

You can see Leah Shoshanah’s web site: https://www.leahshoshanah.com/

We welcome each new Jewish month with intention, creativity, and community. Through a Jewish framework, this will be a place to explore spiritual expression and personal growth.

Everyone is welcome no matter gender, member or not a member!

Write to Ascher for zoom link: ascher1@ameritech.net

Come be our guests as we celebrate the tail end of Sukkot week in a sukkah!

Of course we will have dinner, as commanded. With artwork and stories and shaking lulav and etrog and a ceremony to welcome the ushpizin.

Led by Magid Al Goldberg, with Rabbi Menachem.

We will meet at the Bagel restaurant for a convivial dinner, complete with a symbolic lighting of the (electric) Shabbat candles.

Break the Yom Kippur fast with Makom Shalom Mitziut potluck dinner!

And even if you didn’t fast, you can have your post Yom Kippur dinner anyway.

It is a potluck vegetarian + dairy + fish dinner, at the same church after the concluding services. Check the newsletter for details.

Join us as we complete the Yom Kippur day with three services, with breaks in between.

• Yizkor, remembering our loved ones. 4:45 PM

• Mincha afternoon service 5:10 PM

• Neilah concluding service 6:30 PM

Led by Rabbi Menachem Cohen and cantorial soloist Ezra Kiers.

We conclude Yom Kippur with joy and energy and a whole lot of Shofar. The final blast — which ends the fast — is at 7:11.

Join us at several different edifying events for your Yom Kippur afternoon.

• Worker Justice in the 21st Century, with Ethan Aronson from Arise Chicago and Ina Marks. Starts 2:00 PM. What worker justice looks like in the current world, the historical ties from Judaism and other faith communities to labor.

• Teshuva (repair) Through the Four Worlds, led by Ascher Levy. Starts 3:15 PM. A journaling and discussion exercise discovering where we have fallen short and how we can repair our lives and connection to The One.

• Yizkor Memory group, led by Ascher Levy. Starts at 4:15 PM. An exercise and remembering and sharing our loved ones who are gone. A preparation for the Yizkor service.

Join us for Yom Kippur morning service. Rabbi Menachem Cohen and Ezra Kiers, cantorial soloist.

Join us for Kol Nidre Yom Kippur evening service. Led by Rabbi Menachem, with cantorial soloist Layni Myers.

With Rabbi Menachem Cohen and Ezra Kiers. At BUMC, 3338 N Broadway.

At BUMC, 3338 N Broadway. With Rabbi Menachem Cohen and Layni Katz Myers

Our congregation’s community meeting, where we suggest future activities and directions for the congregation with the board and the rabbi. This will be on zoom, to make it easier for everybody to attend.

Save the date. More information to come.

Join us on Friday, August 15 as we welcome Shabbat at Loyola Beach in Rogers Park. We'll leave behind all of our tensions of the week.

We will meet on the lawn east of Lunt (7000 N.) Please bring chairs or blankets, as there are no benches at this location. (Note this is 1 block south of our former location, in the same park. If you came in July, this is the same place.)

There is parking along the park between Greenleaf (7100 N) and Lunt. The Red Line and #147 bus have stops nearby.

A vegetarian potluck oneg/kiddush will be served after services. Please feel free to bring a dish. Fish will be OK to bring. Paper plates and tableware will be provided.

Join us at Grant Park for Makom Shalom’s annual picnic, followed by a concert.

We will meet at the Pritzker pavillion lawn to picnic at 6:30. The concert celebrating Broadway in the Park. Concert is scheduled from 7:30-9:45 and will include many favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein songs including those from South Pacific and The Sound of Music, and a few other well known productions.

RSVP to chicagomakom@gmail.com so you can get meet-up instructions and we can save a space for your lawn chairs or blankes. .

Join us on Friday, July 18 as we welcome Shabbat at Loyola Beach in Rogers Park. We'll leave behind all of our tensions of the week. Rabbi Menachem will lead us. Ezra Kiers will serve as our cantor.

We will meet on the lawn east of Lunt (7000 N.) Please bring chairs or blankets, as there are no benches at this location. (Note this is 1 block south of our former location, in the same park.)

There is parking along the park between Greenleaf (7100 N) and Lunt. The Red Line and #147 bus have stops nearby.

A vegetarian potluck oneg/kiddush will be served after services. Please feel free to bring a dish. Fish will be OK to bring. Paper plates and tableware will be provided.

Our next book is Songs For the Broken Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari.

After her mother dies, the daughter of Israelis who immigrated from Yemen finds out disturbing family secrets from the time when her mother immigrated finds a new worldview.

This novel is partly autobiographical.

Join us on Friday, June 20 as we welcome Shabbat at Loyola Beach. We'll leave behind all of our tensions of the week. Rabbi Menachem will lead us. In honor of Pride Month, we'll embrace our LGBTQ community with our special prayers. Ezra Kiers will serve as our cantor.

Loyola Beach/Park is at the end of Greenleaf in Rogers Park. There is metered parking. The Red Line and #147 bus have stops nearby.

A vegetarian potluck oneg/kiddush will be served after services. Please feel free to bring a dish. Fish will be OK to bring. Paper plates and tableware will be provided.

Our next Shabbat Group dinner will be held Friday, June 6 at 6:00 pm. The dinner will be at Antepli Mediterranean Grill at 4849 N Kedzie in Chicago

Members and non-members are welcome to join us.

Antepli's Turkish menu includes many different kabobs, felafel, saksuka, kofte, and desserts like baklava and Turkish kunefe,

RSVP to Ruth Kaan chicagomakom@gmail.com

Join us Sunday evening, June 1, for our annual Shavuot evening of meditation, study and ice cream. We'll have three teachers. Together we'll enjoy the spiritual light that comes with the receiving of the Torah. We'll gather and build our sundaes, as it's customary to consume dairy on Shavuot. Our program will be for all levels of knowledge and experience.

The ice cream social will take place from 6 to 9 pm at Beit Yichud, 6932 N Glenwood, Chicago. Glenwood is divided by CTA tracks. Beit Yichud is on the western side of the tracks. There are several nearby El stops and bus stops. There is also metered street parking.

RSVP to Ascher Levy, chicagomakom@gmail.com

We'll all gather around the bonfire at the Lighthouse Park Fire Pit at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston

Bonfires are a Lag B'Omer tradition. So bring your marshmallows and weiners to roast, if you like. Or a picnic dinner. We'll provide enticing carob treats.

Bring your musical instruments and also bring kiddie bows and arrows if you have them. Archery is another tradition of the day. And since we don't want to put holes in anyone, we will shoot boffer or suction cup arrows. Maybe there will be other Lag B'Omer activities. Who knows?

As the sun goes down we'll start our Shabbat service. We'll provide grape juice and challah for the kiddush.

The Lighthouse Park Fire Pit at Lighthouse Beach is at 2611 North Sheridan Road in Evanston. The parking lot is just north of Central St. and the fire pit is just east of the parking lot. There's plenty of free parking and the Purple Line stops about a half mile away. The 20l Old Orchard bus stops about a third of a mile away.

Seder 2nd night of Passover, with Rabbi Menacham. At BUMC.

Please RSVP (click here) to Marla Brodsky, and indicate if you might be bringing a pot luck.

The meal will be meatless: vegetarian, fish, eggs are OK. And of course must be pesach-dich.

Shabbat service at 7:30 with Rabbi Menachem Cohen and cantorial soloist Leah Shoshana

Come for the communal Shabbat dinner beforehand at 6:00.

Please RSVP by e-mail if coming to the dinner.

At BUMC, 3338 N Broadway in Chicago.

Purim party at Beit Yichud, 6932 N Glenwood in Chicago. Featuring drag performer Manny Schevitz!
Cross-dressing is very traditional at Purim parties

See Facebook event for more