Our minyanim and programming are now online! Please click on the "BHBE Virtual Shul" link above for detailed information.
Congratulations to Rabbi Crane!
We are excited and very proud to share this news with you!
Rabbi Crane has been appointed to serve on the prestigious Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), the governing body determining Jewish law and practice for the Conservative movement as a whole.
Rabbi Crane follows a tradition of Beth Hillel Bnai Emunah rabbinical predecessors who served on the CJLS, including Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer, z”l, and Rabbi David H. Lincoln. Rabbi Crane will have the tremendous honor of filling Rabbi Hammer’s seat on the Committee.
As many of you know, prior to joining the Committee, Rabbi Crane authored the teshuvah (responsum) “Adoption," approved by a unanimous vote of the CJLS. Please join us in sending a heartfelt mazel tov and yasher koach to Rabbi Crane!
To make a meaningful donation in honor of Rabbi Crane, click here.
BHBE Volunteer Crew Update
Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the BHBE Volunteer Crew, we have assisted numerous congregants with shopping and other assistance over the past week. As a reminder, if you are in need of support, please email Karen Thirman at kthirman@gmail.com or contact the BHBE office at 847-256-1213 and leave a message. We will coordinate your needs with our list of amazing volunteers.
A Word from Our Leadership
Shalom! I hope everyone is home safe and healthy. What a bizarre time this is for all of us! As many of you know, we have entered into a virtual Hebrew school for our Academy students. In order to maintain some continuity and structure, the kids can now take their classes online using Zoom on Sundays AND Tuesdays (for our 3-7th grade students!). Cantor Roytman has joined some of our sessions for singing as well!
During these 40-45 minutes the virtual learning is led by the regular classroom teacher where Hebrew learning is still engaging as well as Jewish values and traditions. It is important at this time to keep our kids connected not only to each other but to Judaism as well.
There are also a number of Passover-related art and video projects up on the Academy website and Hebrew games to keep the kids busy and having fun as well! Hebrew & Judaic home study activities have also been made available for the kids by grade, and Aaron Frankel is available for online Hebrew tutoring.
These are uncertain and constantly changing times, so it is nice to know our Academy children have a place to meet up, see their classmates’ faces and continue to join in their shul communities. We hope these classes and projects provide solace, learning and fun while we are home enjoying (hopefully!) a very unique bonding time!
Please, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay home!
Jill Feldman Member, Academy Parent, and Academy VP
Israel Corner
Normally published in our weekly handout, please read the Israel Corner in our weekly bulletin:
Researchers at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Health Care Campus have successfully tested a method that will dramatically increase the current COVID-19 testing capacity using existing available resources. This method, known as pooling, enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples. Its implementation has the potential to greatly accelerate the rate of testing and detection of COVID-19 infected patients in the population. The trial was completed in a matter of days thanks to the support of the Ministry of Health and the close collaboration between Technion and Rambam.
COVID-19 is diagnosed with PCR testing, which is common for virus monitoring. This test examines the presence of a unique genetic sequence of viruses in a sample taken from the patient. The test takes several hours, thus generating a bottleneck in identifying COVID-19 infected people in Israel and around the world. Dr. Yuval Gefen, director of the Rambam Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, explains, “According to the new pooling approach we have currently tested, molecular testing can be performed on a ‘combined sample,’ taken from 32 or 64 patients. This way, we can significantly accelerate the testing rate. Only in those rare cases, where the joint sample is found to be positive, will we conduct an individual test for each of the specific samples.” BY HILLEL FURLAGER
Legacy Program
LEAVE A LEGACY
What will be our Legacy? Do we want to leave behind a better community than we found? Do we want our Grandchildren to know what it means to be Jewish? Do we need to plant for those who will come after us? If you answered Yes, Yes and Yes - LEAVE A LEGACY Make BHBE a Beneficiary in your Estate Plan Join your fellow congregants who have already made the commitment Become a member of our YERUSHA SOCIETY
Given the challenging times we now face and will face for some time to come, our community needs BHBE more than ever. The BHBE family is a source of support for so many. Whether you are a regular Shabbat participant or routinely come for the High Holidays, we all want to see BHBE thrive. As you may know, BHBE depends on the annual fiscal support of the Gala and Ad Book. This year, because of the pandemic, the June 14th Gala celebration has been canceled, and we will not be printing the AdBook. The Development Committee and BHBE leadership will explore creative alternatives to replace the lost revenue. Look for further information over the coming weeks. Each one of us has a role to play in the community's continued strength, and the leadership is truly appreciative of everyone's continued support.
