ARZA and its mission are too important to leave entirely to the professionals. Making Israel a core element of American Jewish sacred identity won't happen without committed, passionate, hard-working lay leaders. We are blessed in the Great Lakes Region, which includes central and northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, northwest Indiana and North Dakota, to have an outstanding new set of officers for our ARZA Great Lakes Regional Board. List of officers...

*****Please check back as more rallies and marches are planned*****

On Sunday July 27, 2008, JCUA invited you to join them in a rally and march in support of the Agriprocessors factory workers and their families in Postville, Iowa.

On May 12, 2008 the largest immigration raid in US history took place in Postville, IA. Close to 400 men, women and children were arrested at the Agriprocessors kosher meat packing plant. Almost 300 of these workers have been tried and convicted. They now await deportation to Mexico and Guatemala. These workers have been victims of abusive labor practices for years. See the story on the march in the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-postvilleraid-ral,0,7915148.story

The cost of the current war is expressed not only in financial terms, but in human terms.  It is our obligation to remember, validate and sanctify those human terms.
Sergeant Bryan Mallin is a member of Temple Chai in Long Grove, IL and is currently serving at Camp Ramadi in Iraq.  With Temple Chai’s help, he is currently blogging in Temple Chai’s website about being a Jew and an active soldier on the battle front.  The link to his blog is: http://www.templechai.org/socialaction/sargeant_bryan_mallin__camp_ramadi_iraq/
Are any of your members currently serving in the American or Israeli military and interested in sharing their thoughts?  Do you have any blogs that are similar to Sergeant Mallin’s?  We’d be honored to post their words and pictures on our website and make them available to our URJ family. Please contact Laura Horn at lhorn@urj.org. 

Mazel Tov to Rabbi Herman Schaalman who was honored on April 15th by the Chicago Theological Seminary on the campus of the University of Chicago. A chair in Jewish Studies was dedicated in honor of Rabbi Schaalman, the only such chair in any free-standing Christian seminary in the
United States. The intent is to secure a tenured Jewish scholar as part of the faculty
of CTS in order to teach Judaism and its values in the seminary community as a regular
offering.

Mazel Tov to those that are celebrating milestones... 
Beth Tikvah, Hoffman Estates, IL on their 50th Anniversary Celebration
Congregation B’nai Abraham, Beloit, WI for their Centennial Celebration
Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion as they celebrate 50 years in Oak Park
Rabbi Michael Stevens on his 20th Anniversary at Temple Beth-El Munster, IN
Temple Anshe Sholom, Olympia Fields, IL celebrating their 65th Anniversary
Temple Sholom of Chicago, IL celebrating their 140th Anniversary
Congregation Solel , Highland Park, IL celebrating their 50th Anniversary
K.A.M. Isaiah Israel celebrates 160 years - the oldest synagogue in Chicago! 
Groundbreaking Ceremony at Am Shalom, Glencoe, IL
Groundbreaking Ceremony at B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim, Deerfield, IL

Sharing Programs and Events

Congregations now have the ability to publicize programs and events on the GLC Website! 
Here you will find the submission form which can be filled out and faxed/emailed to Assistant Director Laura Horn at 847-509-0970 or lhorn@urj.org

To see current congregational programs and events click here.

Here at the Union for Reform Judaism/Great Lakes Council we strive to develop programs that address the needs and interests of our Congregations. We value your opinion. Please help us by completing this short online survey. It will take you less than 5 minutes. 

Thank you,

Please click here to complete the survey.