L’Shanah Tovah! We hope everyone had a wonderful Rosh HaShanah. It was great seeing many of our students at services.

UPCOMING:

Wednesday, October 9 – No School – Yom Kippur

Sunday, October 13
Parents, please plan on joining us for a Sukkot Celebration (and remember that morning is our deadline for dropping off donations for our Corners of Our Fields drive.)

• 9:30-10:00 am: Havdalah and Introduction to Sukkot
• 10:00-11:00 am: Sukkah decorating
• 1:00-12:00 am: Lulav and Etrog ceremony, singing, and Pizza in the Hut (Please reply via school@mcjconline.org if you are attending, so we can order enough pizza).

Sunday, October 20
Also, parents, please plan on joining us on for a Simchat Torah Celebration with bagels and donut holes (School from 9:30-10:30 am, then service and snack).

Last Sunday, school started with a Rosh HaShanah story. Then we did a fun quiz to test our knowledge of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur traditions. The students did great! Also, each student brought home some of the honey they helped harvest last week. Thanks again, Ellen and Dale Morton!

Our 2nd/3rd grade class played a Hebrew letter game and worked on their Rosh HaShanah craft.

The 4th/5th graders this week worked on Hebrew reading fluency, Hebrew prayers, and Rosh HaShanah.

Our 6th/7th graders continued their Hebrew and prayer studies, and finished making their Rosh HaShanah honey jars and beaded spoons.

Our school will again participate in the McHenry County Crop Walk next Sunday, September 29, at 1:15 pm.

It is not too late to sign up and walk with the MCJC team. If you are interested, please email school@mcjconline.org. Also, if you are unable to participate, please consider making a donation. Checks can be made out to CWS/CROP.

UPCOMING
Wednesday, September 25 – School for grades 4-7
Sunday, September 29 – No School (Erev Rosh HaShanah)
9:00- Sukkah Building at MCJC
1:15- McHenry County Crop Walk
7:00 – Erev Rosh HaShanah service

SPECIAL EVENTS COMING UP
Sunday, October 6 – Special interfaith activity for all grades
Sunday, October 13 – Sukkot Celebration with Lulav & Etrog for all, then PIZZA IN THE HUT
Sunday, October 20 – Simchat Torah Celebration for all

On Sunday, our Religious School had a special treat to get us into the Rosh HaShanah spirit. Ellen and Dale Morton taught us about honey bees and how honey is harvested from them. Students helped separate the wax from the honey, and even got to taste some honey. Many thanks to the Mortons!

Our 2nd/3rd grade class also learned a new Hebrew letter, discussed why and how we celebrate Rosh HaShanah, and started making a cute craft. The 4th/5th graders continued to work on Hebrew reading fluency and Hebrew prayers. They also began to study Rosh HaShanah and made some sparkly shofar magnets. Our 6th/7th graders continued their Hebrew and prayer studies and began their Rosh HaShanah unit.

A big thank you to all the families who have already brought snacks in for the first half of the year! Also, thank you to those who have begun bringing in tzedakah money. Any spare change your children can bring in makes a huge difference. Last year’s tzedakah went to Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County.

Upcoming in September:
Wednesday, September 18 – Religious School for grades 4-7
Sunday, September 22 – Religious School for all grades
Wednesday, September 25 – Religious School for grades 4-7
Sunday, September 29 – No Religious School (Erev Rosh Hashanah)
McHenry County CROP Hunger Walk, 1:15-3:15 pm
Sukkah Building with the MCJC Maintenance Men, beginning at 9:00 am. Stop in with your family any time you can help out!

Even though there is no Religious School September 29, MCJC will still participate in the McHenry County CROP Hunger Walk from about 1:15 to 3:15 pm. If you are interested, please see Davina to sign up and obtain further information. Last year’s participants had a great time and raised $686.

Sunday, September 29 is a very big day at MCJC. In addition to the CROP Hunger Walk, a wonderful opportunity for families to share an important Mitzvah, it’s time to build our MCJC Sukkah. Sukkah-building is also a fun and educational event for families. Join our own MCJC Maintenance Men beginning at 9 am. Coffee and donuts will be provided!

Special Events Coming Up:
Sunday, October 6 – Special interfaith activity for all grades
Sunday, October 13 – Sukkot Celebration with Lulav & Etrog for children and adults, then PIZZA IN THE HUT
Sunday, October 20 – Simchat Torah Celebration for children and adults

By Davina Kelly

All students have begun working on their Hebrew language skills. We are impressed with how much they remember after a long summer off!

Last Sunday all grades listened to a story about what can happen when we overreact, jump to conclusions, and act in unkind ways. Then they discussed how to prevent these types of reactions (such as taking a deep breath.) Lastly, they made worry beads (a type of calming device.)

Next week, all will begin learning about the upcoming High Holy Days, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

Wednesday, September 9
Religious School for grades 4-7

Sunday, September 15
Religious School for all grades

We’re off to a great start with your children!

By Davina Kelly

It was great to see so many of you for Opening Day! Everyone enjoyed catching up, meeting our new 4th/5th grade teacher, Kathleen Mayber, and welcoming new members.

Students made Resolution Sticks (decorated paper towel tubes with their resolutions for the new year.) The morning wrapped up with a delicious lunch provided by our Maintenance Men and Membership Committee.

If you haven’t already sent in your children’s forms, please remember to do that as soon as possible!

Please note these upcoming dates:

Wednesday, September 4
Religious School for grades 4-7

Sunday, September 8
Religious School for all grades

Wednesday, September 11
Religious School for grades 4-7

Sunday, September 15
Religious School for all grades

We look forward to an exciting year with your children!

Religious School is out for the summer!

We had a great Closing Day last Sunday.  We enjoyed singing our favorite songs, sharing memories, playing Jewpardy, having Kona Ice, and eating hot dogs.

A big thank you to all our teachers, parents, and students for a wonderful year! A special thanks goes to Ilene Kaye for teaching songs to our students and helping with our family events. Also, thanks to our maintenance men and Jill Purvin for helping at all our events.

Lots of well wishes for Jenna Mussar and Dara Turnball, as they step down from teaching. Jenna plans to teach in Korea next year, and Dara is going back to school.

If you know of anyone who may be interested in teaching next year, have them email their inquiry to school@mcjconline.org for more information.

Please don’t be a stranger to MCJC during the summer. Attend a Friday night Shabbat, come to a Saturday morning service, join a committee, or help at a clean-up day.

Have a wonderful summer!

Grades 4-7 finished their Jewish values film. Our “Jewish Values” video will make it’s debut during Closing Day activities. Don’t miss it!

Wednesday, May 15: Religious school for grades 3-7

Sunday, May 19-: Religious School Closing Day

Please join us as we wrap up our school year with student memories, Havdalah, singing, kids vs. adult Jewpardy, Kona Ice, games for the kids (during the Annual Meeting) and of course a hot dog lunch (with sides) for everyone at the MCJC Annual Closing Day Picnic.

By Davina Kelly

The end of the year is fast approaching. K-1 finished learning the Aleph/Bet. Grades 2-3 practiced Hebrew reading, and reviewed the Winter and Spring holidays. Finally, Grades 4-7 continued learning Hebrew prayers, and worked on their value film.

Wednesday, May 1: Religious School for grades 3-7.

Sunday, May 5: Religious School for all grades.

Sunday afternoon, April 28, was beautiful in Spring Grove, Illinois when MCJC visited the only Holocaust Memorial in McHenry County.

Storyteller Jim May and MCJC member Nancy Wicker lovingly created the bas relief as a tribute to survivor Lisa Derman, who died at the Storytelling Festival in Spring Grove Park, while she was sharing her experiences during the Holocaust.

Speaking at the event were Jim May; Al Gimpel, whose father wrote the Hebrew on the monument; Ellen Levy, who shared her tribute to Lisa; Storyteller Carol Kerman, a docent at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, who explained the Terezin saplings fundraiser; and Rabbi Tom, who led the group in saying Kaddish to remember Lisa and all those who were lost during the Holocaust.

MCJC plans to make this an annual event to remember Lisa and learn about the Holocaust.

Our students are very busy learning about Passover the last few weeks. They are practicing the Four Questions in Hebrew, singing Passover songs with special guests Ilene Kaye and Paula Eskoz, and making crafts.

The K-1 class made Afikomen bags. Grades 2-3 made 10 made bookmarks depicting the Ten Plagues (check out the photos in the upcoming Newsletter — they came out great)! All grades had fun working together to make Matzah houses and toffee Matzah. And Hebrew practice continues for all.

Wednesday, April 17 – Religious School for grades 3-7.

Sunday, April 21 – No Religious School (2^nd Day of Passover)

Wednesday, April 24 – Religious School for grades 3-7.

Sunday, April 28 – Religious School for all grades.

Then at 1:30 pm, please join MCJC at Spring Grove Park to see
McHenry County’s Only Holocaust Memorial.

Storyteller Jim May will meet us at the park to share stories about Holocaust survivor Lisa Derman and explain how MCJC member Nancy Wicker and Max Gimpel, father of Al Gimpel, helped create this beautiful monument.

Spring Grove Park
2102 Main Street
Spring Grove, IL 60081