Wednesday, August 16, 2023

High Holidays 2023

 High Holidays to be held in Skokie  Ample parking lot there.

8851 Skokie Blvd.   Dempster  East exit on 94.  Left onto Niles Center Rd. Right onto Greenwood st.  

Rosh Hashanah

Erev: Friday, Sept. 15, 8-9 PM

First Day: Shabbat, Sept. 16, 10-12:15 followed by lunch after. Details forthcoming.

Yom Kippur

Kol Nidre: Sunday, Sept. 24, 7:30-9 PM

Yom Kippur Morning: Monday, Sept 25, 10-12:15

Yom Kippur Afternoon: Mincha, Yizkor, Neilah 4:15-6 PM

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Our Schedule: May 2023

 


Our Schedule:

 

1.  Class, Thursday, May 18, 4:30 PM  Zoom    

 

2. Pot Luck Shabbat and Shavuot dinner at Rabbi Ginsburg's

Friday, May 26 6:30 PM Please rsvp

 

3. Services, Friday, June 2 at Jewett 7:30 PM or zoom  

 

 

4. Dinner get together at restaurant in Niles 
Niles,   Please RSVP

 

5. High Holidays

Rosh Hashanah

Erev: Friday, Sept. 15, 8-9 PM

First Day: Shabbat, Sept. 16, 10-12:15 followed by lunch after.

Yom Kippur

Kol Nidre: Sunday, Sept. 24, 7:30-9 PM

Yom Kippur Morning: Monday, Sept 25, 10-12:15

Yom Kippur Afternoon: Mincha, Yizkor, Neilah 4:15-6 PM

Thursday, December 24, 2020

 Membership only $145 per adult per year. No building fund. Includes High Holiday ticket. Best deal in the nation!!!

http://bnaichai.blogspot.com/p/membership.html

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Why Bnai Chai?

 

·         Warm, inviting, welcoming community?  

·         Very reasonable dues? 

·         No building fund?

·         "You will experience our rabbi,  who is familiar with all the denominational traditions, is learned and worldly, a great teacher, a wonderful storyteller, and most of all, he is a mensch." 

·         Services that are between traditional Reform and liberal Conservative in style, but not affiliated with any particular group? We also offer classes that examine traditions and how it applies to today

·         Fun outings

·          

 Looking for a Jewish community that is “just right”? Check out our Bnai Chai havurah. It’s our Chicagoland fellowship for Jews who meet regularly for Shabbat and holiday services, Jewish learning and social events. We are friends in a group that is more than a casual club but not a formal congregation. We don’t have or need a building or fancy facility. We are able to organize and support our activities easily at a very low cost.

We welcome members from any background. Our services are short, melodious and lively, traditional and modern, mixed Hebrew and English, rabbi-led with member participation. We are very lucky to have as our rabbi, Jonathan Ginsburg, who is familiar with all the denominational traditions, is learned and worldly, a great teacher, a wonderful storyteller and most of all, he is a mensch. Find out more and join us for a Shabbat service (now unfortunately just virtual).

   Try us out! Please join us for many of the festive, joyful, lively outings, with warmhearted people. 

Rabbis 800 Youtube videos

 Video courses on the Torah by book



Our Videos by parasha on youtube
Weekly Torah Portion
Introduction to the Torah JewU 154
is the Bible myth, legend, literal JewU315
Read the weekly Torah Portion JewU 257
Have a problem with a Biblical verse? JewU 161 

Genesis (Breisheet)
Breisheet
Voyager, Earth,100 million species & Genesis JewU 248
Creationism Evolution A Jewish View JewU 84
Torah Portion Breisheit Genesis JewU 58
Noah
Torah portion Noah and the flood JewU 60
Sputnik, Bears half-time speech and rainbows JewU 245
Noah, water-too much and too little JewU 247
Lech Lecha
Torah Portion Lech Lecha- Abraham's call JewU 61
Vayera
Torah Portion Vayera-the binding of Isaac JewU 62
Genesis 22 a close reading of the binding of IsaacJewU 193
Halloween, 3 visiting angels and their missions JewU 264
Chaye Sarah
Parashat Chaye Sareh JewU 272
Aging well -a Jewish view also parshat Chayai Sarah JewU 158
Improving marriages with Abraham Sarah example JewU 268
Toldot
Tunnels, Balfour, Kristallnacht, Nazis, Hamas JewU280
Parsha Toldot Isaac Genesis 25 JewU277
Vayetze
Parashat Veyetze Jacob's dream, ladder,angels JewU283
Vayishlach
vayishla Jacob wrestles and gets renamed Israel JewU285
God was on Jacob's side as Jacob wrestlesd himself JewU292
Vayeshev
In a pit or jail? How was Joseph sustained JewU299
Miketz
Parashat Miketz Genesis 41 10/54 portions JewU302
Forgiveness and the Joseph stories JewU298
Vayigash
Parashat Vayigash Joseph meets his JewU303
Vayechi
Parshat Veyehi Jacob meets his grandsons 12/54 JewU 313
Exodus (Shmot)
Shmot
Intro to the book of Shmote Exodus JewU336
Parasha Shmote Exodus ch.1 13/54 JewU327
Vaera
Parshat Vaera in Exodus 14/54 JewU333
Bo
Parashat Bo 15/54 Exodus 10 JewU340
Bishalah
Is the Exodus from slavery true Shmot 13/54 JewU314
Yitro
Ten Commandments JewU 22
Mishpatim
Parashat Mishpatim 18/54 Ex. 21 JewU 356
Capital Punishment Death Penalty from a Jewish View JewU 54
Abortion from a Jewish perspective JewU 53
Trumah
Parashat Trumah 19/54 Building the Sanctuary JewU 358
Tetzaveh
Parasha Tetzaveh Exodus 27 Ner Tamid Priests JewU 365
Oh God light my fire-the ner tamid in Judaism JewU 371
Clothes make the man-what the High Priest wore JewU 370
Kee Teesa
Parashat kee Teesa shekel golden calf forgiveness JewU373
Vayakhel
Parashat Vayakhel 22/54 Shabbat rest/giving/ JewU 378
Pikudei
Torah is the coach JewU 387
Parashat Pikudei ends Exodus JewU 385

Leviticus (Vayikra)
Vayikra
Sacrifices and Judaism-parashat vayikra JewU 28
Tzav
Cohenim Priests In Judaism-also parashat tzav JewU 29
Shemenei
Kosher 101 JewU 8
More on Kosher-lists of yes and no JewU 253
Tazria mezora
Torah portion Tazria Mezora Dvar Torah speech ethics JewU 56
Kedoshim
Torah portion Kedoshim-Love thy neighbor as thyself JewU 79

Emor
Origins of Jewish holidays JewU 38
Behar Behukotai
Behar Behukotai Torah portion Sabbatical, Jubilee JewU 87 32-33/54

Numbers (Bamidbar)
Bamidbar Torah Portion first in Numbers 
Torah portion Naso Explained-Priestly benediction JewU 52
Torah Portion Behaalotcha Numbers 8-12:16 JewU 95
Torah Portion Sh'lah l'kha-the spies JewU 63
Torah Portion Korach -Debate ok? JewU 111
Torah portion Parah /Hukkat JewU 7
Torah portion Balak-May tovu How goodly thy tents JewU 51
What we learn from the daughters of Zelophad JewU 157
Torah Portion Pinhas dvar Torah JewU 50
Torah Portion Matot Masei ends Numbers JewU 148

Deuteronomy (Dvarim)
Intro to Devarim-Deuteronomy JewU 160
Parashat Shoftim Judges JewU 184
Ki Teze
Don't make a mess in God's Camp JewU 197
Deuteronomy 21-25 Kiteze 1 JewU 195
Deuteronomy 21-25 Kiteze 2 JewU 196
Parashat Ki Tovo-Optimistic future depends on "If"JewU 205
The Bible says "Be strong and of good courage" JewU 218
Parashat Netzavim- Free will, JewU 213


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Life cycle

Annual Tu b'Shvat Seder celebration

 watch for updated details for 2021


What is it?  
The 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar—is the day that marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees, according to the Talmud.. Commonly known as Tu Bishvat, this day marks the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. We mark the 15th of Shevat by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land:
The “classical” fruits are the seven species described in Deuteronomy 8:8, “a land of wheat and barley, of vines [grapes], figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and dates].
Tu BiShvat seder is a festive meal featuring fruits in honor of the Holiday.
During the Middle Ages or possibly a little before that, this day started to be celebrated with a minor ceremony of eating fruits, since the Mishnah called it "Rosh Hashanah" ("New Year"), and that was later understood as being a time appropriate for celebration. The seder was an innovation of the kabbalist mystics of Safed.

What will we do to celebrate?
Everyone who comes should bring either main or dish or dessert including one or more of the above foods: wheat, barley (can even be beer!), grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates. carob and almonds are also associated with the holiday.  For kashrut purposes, no meat, poultry or forbidden seafood.
We will have a Tu Bishvat SEDER, along the lines of a Passover seder, with readings, songs and great fun.
RSVP to bnaichai@gmail.com or call or text 847 331 3584 to coordinate food.