Rabbi Weill's Blog

Dear Friends:

Remembering can be a sacred act. Sometimes we remember to mourn, sometimes to warn, and sometimes to celebrate.
 
On Monday night, November 9, we will remember Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, which occurred 77 years ago. Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation, has played a central role in creating this year's community Kristallnacht commemoration, which will take place at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Several of us, particularly Cantor Warschawski, worked in close partnership with Al Gruen, the indomitable force that has kept alive the memory of Kristallnacht throughout Chicagoland. Remembering Kristallnacht is an act of mourning and warning. We mourn the tragic losses. And we warn humanity: Never Again!
 
We also remember in order to mourn and rejoice. The Gerber family, in memory of their beloved Shirley, has dedicated a new parochet (ark curtain) for our chapel. We formally dedicated the parochet at a service last Sunday morning. As Bill Gerber expressed during that service, remembering his mother is an act of mourning, as well as rejoicing, for she was a woman of warmth and humor. We are grateful to the Gerber men - Frank, Joel, Bill and Aaron - for enhancing our chapel through their act of memory.
 
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Jeffrey Weill